SCARN

[scarn]

SCARN

BASICS
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FULL NAME: Scarn
RACE: Gorn
AGE: 30
GENDER: Male
HEIGHT: 7'5"
WEIGHT: 380lbs
BIRTHPLACE: Gornar

EXPERIENCE
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STARFLEET GRADUATE: No, but has attended the Gorn equivalent.
STARFLEET RANK: Captain (Equivalent)
MEDICAL RANK: N/A
STUDIES: Advanced hand-to-hand combat, Tactical Analysis, Survival Strategies, Advanced Tactical Training, Military History
DIVISION: Command
JOB TITLE: Captain
OTHER: (Optional) Lord

STRENGTHS: Scarn is a Gorn, and like all Gorn he possesses considerable durability, superior strength and surprising speed, as well as a startling regenerative ability. Yet Scarn is a particularly fearsome specimen, boasting considerable size and strength that is formidable even by his races standards. He works very hard to remain in the best shape possible, pushing his body up to and past its limits in the efforts to remain the biggest and the strongest among his crew. Gorn pecking order isn't determined by size and strength alone, but Scarn has enough of both to mean that he doesn't have to rely on anything else to impose his authority.

However, despite his relatively brutish appearance, Scarn is no fool. His foes have mistaken him for a simple-minded butcher before, and they've rarely lived to regret their mistake. The truth is, Scarn is highly intelligent, possessing a cunning and knack for ingenuity that saw him achieve top marks during his Academy years again and again. He's able to devise and implement very complicated plans and gambits and his talent for creative thinking has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat on more than one occasion.

Burying himself in military history from a young age, reading up on anything he could find pertaining to wars and conflict, Scarn possesses a very keen savvy toward tactics and strategy. He's well-learned in the historical conflicts of any species he sees as potential enemies in the future, having a particular interest in human history. He sees humanity as little more than a plague and firmly believes that the Gorn Hegemony will exterminate them very soon. Thusly, he's steeped himself in their past conflicts more than any other race besides his own, learning all he can about their wars and famous generals. By doing this, he's able to look upon the plans and machinations of his enemies with an informed mind, aware of their previous patterns and methods, and attempt to find within them the key to victory.

As with all Gorn warriors, Scarn is practically fearless. He's quite willing to ride into the jaws of certain death if necessary without batting an eye-lid. He comes from a proud warrior race, and death in battle is seen as a particularly glorious thing. Unlike most of his fellow Gorn however, Scarn is not so committed to death or victory as to needlessly forfeit his life when future opportunities could allow him to achieve the victory he was denied. He knows the importance of a strategic withdrawal and the wisdom of living to fight another day. He's brave and practically courageous, but he doesn't have a death-wish.

Authority suits Scarn well. Ambitious and driven, he sought to climb the ranks as quickly as he could, wanting to fulfill what he saw as his destiny as soon as he was able. As soon as he became an officer, he began to build himself into what he saw as the ideal leader. Charismatic and able to motivate his men into a frenzy of blood lust, Scarn has become that image, he has become the leader he set out to be. However, he's not afraid to make examples of his crew if he believes it will have positive results. Executions are a common enough practice on any ship commanded by him, and while it may lead to resentment from his men, the fear tends to motivate them. If they're more afraid of him than they are of the enemy, he's quite pleased with his efforts.

WEAKNESSES: Again, Scarn is a Gorn. While they're strong, tough and very fast, this isn't a constant. His species thrives in warm weather and hot climates, but they didn't preform all that well in the cold, becoming sluggish and comparatively nonthreatening. As hard as he tries, this isn't a weakness he can overcome, and like all of his race, cold is a very frustrating weakness for him. Priding himself on his martial ability, the fact that his skills and natural talents are diminished in such situations is a particular point of annoyance for him.

Scarn is smart, competent, skilled and has all (or most) of the makings of a military genius. And boy, does he know it. Egotistical to the extreme, Scarn very rarely admits that someone could be his equal. Citing his skills and natural talents along with his noble birth-right, he contends that there are very few indeed that could claim to equal him in any sort of way. This tendency to buy into his own hype blinds him to certain holes or wrinkles in his plans, and it gives him a certain amount of vanity to play into and manipulate. He's not stupid or easy to trick, able to see through most ruses to play on his ego, but that doesn't mean he's incapable of falling prey to a savvy foe.

Gorn on the whole tend to be a little close-minded in regards to other species, but Scarn takes this to an extreme. He's very xenophobic and has a lot of trouble seeing most other species as anything above vermin. This has of course lead him into difficulties in the past, his dealings with other races tending to end in bloodshed and destruction. Scarn simply refuses to acknowledge almost any other race as anything approaching a real threat, and while he knows they can be formidable opponents, he fully believes that if the Gorn Hegemony were to simply dedicate itself to the task, it could fully cleanse the Galaxy of all other races and enslave the ones that could be viewed as useful or decent workers. His racism tends to cloud his judgment from time to time, and while his professional opinions tends to win over his personal one in combat, he still regards other races as useless, even if, deep down, he can afford them a degree of respect for their martial prowess.

Despite seeing himself as a noble warrior with a code of honor, Scarn is very petty. If an opposing commander does something he sees as a slight on a personal level, Scarn will stop at almost nothing to vindicate himself. An insult or quip will be answered in kind, but Scarn rarely sees this as being justice enough and is willing to put the offending party to considerable harm if it means he feels things have been rectified. He has, in the past, tortured opposing commanders to death purely because they treated him in a manner he saw as disrespectful. It doesn't matter that he views most other beings as lesser than he and most other races as essentially pests, he believes he deserves respect and is willing to make horrific examples of those he believes have slighted him.

Believing that fear and intimidation are very powerful tools, Scarn goes out of his way to make himself seem as terrifying as possible. His mere appearance tends to strike fear into the hearts of most races, but to him, that isn't enough. Fond of creative threats and colorful ultimatums, not to mention graphic examples, Scarn does his very best to appear to be a completely horrifying individual. This doesn't just extend to his foes, though he does tend to put on a bit of a show to browbeat and frighten them, he also uses fear as a tool to keep his crew in line. His penchant for brutality and sadistic nature mean that he will rarely look at a situation and try to see a peaceful alternative. It's happened before, and if he thinks that he can get what he wants without shedding blood, he may at least make a token effort to do so, but he still tends to default to simple cruelty and intimidation almost all the time.

PERSONAL
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APPEARANCE:
Gorn tend to dress in relatively simple attire. Favoring tunics, loincloths and other such plain garments, they favor bright colors, partially due to their poor eyesight, and make a habit of wearing various metal accessories such as bracelets and necklaces, a testimony to their reputed skills as metal smiths. Scarn, tends to dress in a manner fairly typical of his species, but with a few differences. On his ship, he dislikes wearing anymore than he needs to, choosing instead to usually opt for a simple loincloth and a cloak. This is because he likes to show off his sizable bulk and muscle, intimidating his foes and reminding his crew of his physical prowess.

The only sure way to kill a Gorn is to cut off their head, this is why most of them tend to wear something around their neck to protect it, a favorite in battle being a leather neck encasement, designed to blunt attacks and absorb blows. Scarn usually opts away from such things, again to play into his image of a fearless conquerer. He practically dares any of his crew to attempt to harm him, passively provoking them by his lack of neck protection. It's lead to a few public assassination attempts before, attempts that Scarn has seen crushed along with the would-be assassin's throat in his hands. He likes drawing out potential assassins like that, it makes them easier to deal with.

Proud of his past victories and conquests, Scarn keeps a tally on his belt, complete with little trophies from his defeated foes. He tends to go for little baubles and trinkets they keep in their possession, but if he's unable to find such keep-sakes, he'll opt for a tooth instead. The trophies serve as a reminder, to himself and others. Scarn never wants anyone to forget just how deadly he can be and thusly he keeps his trophies on full display, reminding friend and foe alike that he isn't someone to be underestimated or taken lightly.

PERSONALITY:
Scarn is a slew of apparent contradictions. Bloodthirsty, war-loving, sadistic, egotistical, and yet at the same time, he's highly intelligent, very articulate and well learned, with a genuine charisma and a real desire to do what he thinks is best for his species. Of course, when you consider the fact that he honestly thinks genocide on a massive scale would free the Gorn Hegemony from potential rivals and allow them to take their rightful place as the absolute rulers of the Universe, it might seem like a bit less of a positive trait.

It's hard to believe, but Scarn is capable of carrying an entirely rational, entirely friendly conversation concerning almost any topic one could possibly think of. Well-informed of Galactic affairs, he makes a habit of keeping up with current events and such. Knowing that he's such an enthusiastic butcher and bloodthirsty sadist, it really is strange to see and experience him acting rather friendly. He's capable of acting like a complete gentleman and the perfect host, he even displays this from time to time with people he'd genuinely consider his friends, but by and by, he's cruel, merciless and utterly ruthless, begrudging of showing even the slightest hint of respect or decency to another being.

Running his ship with an iron fist and absolute intolerance for excuses and failure, being known to actually kill his crew members for fairly trivial infractions, it's strange to think that he can actually motivate them through charisma and patriotism. He's an orator when he wants to be, giving grand speeches and endowing his men with a genuine enthusiasm, working them up into a battle frenzy. But such moments are few and far between. Scarn will make the occasional effort to reach out to his men, to prove he's not completely cold and unfeeling, simply stern and uncompromising. It's these few efforts that stop his crew from deciding to simply mutiny. That and their fear that he'd somehow find a way to escape while killing the lot of them.

Generally, Scarn is quite cool and collected, in command of himself and his emotions, not allowing himself to appear even a little bit irrational or flustered in the company of others. Most of the time. Other times, he'll break into a fury, cursing friend and foe alike, assaulting anyone and anything within range of himself in blind rage. He can usually control his temper, but on the times where he lets his control slip, his men are careful to remove themselves from his presence as quickly as possible, not wanting to risk staying in close proximity to him.

One would be surprised to learn that Scarn enjoys reading in his spare time, brushing up on historical teachings, indulging in fiction, he's even read quite a bit of human literature, and while he thinks that they're all vermin, he does genuinely enjoy some of the works, as loathe as he is to admit it. He's a fan of culture, entertainment, willing to sample the works and artistic endeavors of other species, even if he does hold a burning resentment for almost any non-Gorn. It's a conundrum that he can appreciate such things and still hate the races that created them for simply being born into a different species, but such is Scarn. Cultured, intelligent, even a little sophisticated, but still a sadistic, bigoted monster.

It's a little sad to think that his crueler tendencies and flawed viewpoints are all that stop Scarn from really becoming someone worthy of positive note. Gorn politicians dislike his penchant for ruthlessness, even if it does get the job done, and while the higher ups in the Black Crest military caste admire his drive to accomplish a deed no matter the cost, they all agree that his extreme xenophobia makes him a far weaker diplomat than he would be otherwise. His charisma and intelligence have not gone unnoticed, and were it not for the fact he considered most other races as distinctly lesser than the Gorn, he'd have the potential to become a peace maker and a real force for change in the Intergalactic Community.

A hard man to win respect from, Scarn rarely regards his foes with anything other than contempt, the best they can hope for is for him to treat them with a begrudging professional courtesy, acting like they're fellow warriors rather than simply pests and irritants. However, it's not impossible to gain respect and even admiration from Scarn, difficult yes, but impossible no. He doesn't react well to defeat as it goes against his image of himself, but he can find himself regarding his victorious enemy with something approaching respect and admiration, even if he'd hate to admit as much. If nothing else, such things prevent him from underestimating the foe again, even if it does tend to cut into his pride.

HISTORY:
Scarn was born into the Black Crests, the warrior caste of the Gorn race. His clan was one of nobility and high-standing, noted for spawning many famous (and infamous) Gorn warriors and commanders. It was said that great things were expected of him from birth, one of the elders of his clan having seen what he proclaimed was a glorious future for him, filled with conquest and victory after victory. This knowledge that he was meant for greatness would shape the young Scarn and his apparent grand destiny would give him a sense of self-importance that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

Entering the military academy as soon as he was able, Scarn launched himself into his training, immersing himself into every facet of his studies and endeavors. He wanted to become the great leader and prolific warrior he'd been told he'd grow to be, and he pushed himself harder than anyone in the attempt to achieve that greatness, to set himself up for what he saw as his destiny. Scarn didn't settle for second place, second best. He pushed as hard as he could, pushed himself, wanting to prove that he was worthy, wanting to prove that he would become someone for the history books, someone with a future.

He was cocky, arrogant, sure of himself, he believed that he was better than his fellow cadets, his noble blood and his supposed future marking him out as something far above the rest, something truly special. It frustrated his instructors to no end, they wanted to make an example of him, show any other cocky cadets what would happen if they overestimated themselves, but no matter what they put him through, he either prevailed or refused to accept the wisdom of his failures. The only thing he learned about failure was that he didn't like it. It didn't humble him, it didn't make him wiser. It just made him all the more driven to succeed.

Despite his arrogance, he pushed himself to be the best warrior he could be and he graduated the academy with top marks. It wasn't long before he got on a ship and soon saw his first battles, border clashes mainly or raiding actions. They were small and not exactly the kind of large-scale wars he'd always dreamed of being a part of, but they allowed him to put his newly earned skills to the test and pick up a few things along the way. He got his first practical experiences of war and combat, and he honestly loved what he saw thus far. Scarn proved to be a competent asset to any ship he was assigned to, despite his relatively brutal leadership style.

Skilled and intelligent with a keen mind for tactics and strategy, it wasn't long before he caught the notice of certain higher ups in the Black Crest. They were dissatisfied with the relatively peaceful path the Hegemony was taking and wanted to launch the Gorn into a war of conquest, seizing the neighboring systems and carving out a massive swathe of territory. The only problem with this as the Political Caste had the ear of the Emperor, and they advocated that Gorn supremacy would be better achieved by doing their best to improve the standard of living and to excel through scientific achievement.

The Black Crest was obviously frustrated with this course of events, and sought to manipulate the ruling council into sliding toward a war footing, preparing the Gorn for the war of conquest they knew would see them dominating the entire Galaxy. Unfortunately, they didn't have the raw political power to just force their ideals through, and while some spoke of a coup, the majority knew that the Gorn people would not accept a military government while the Political Caste still held sway. They decided on a more subtle approach to alter the balance of power, and thusly they sought an agent to implement their schemes.

Rising through the ranks and proving to be competent, skilled and creative, Scarn found himself in a high ranking position relatively quickly, and although his talents had something to do with this, it wasn't just because of that. The Black Crest had selected Scarn, seeing him as the ideal agent. Intelligent, cunning, ruthless, dedicated to the superiority of the Gorn race, they knew that he would undertake their assignments without a second thought. He displayed a vehement loathing for other species, and while the Black Crest acknowledged it could be a problem during the more subtle tasks they planned on giving him, at least they knew it would mean he wouldn't turn traitor or have any qualms about terminating members of other species.

Contacting him through a middle-man, the Black Crest hierarchy informed Scarn of their intentions, and once he'd accepted to be their agent, he was promoted to Captain and given a ship, not just any ship. Brand new, top of the line, armed with experimental weapons and cutting edge systems. If Scarn was to the hand of the Black Crest, then this ship was to be his sword. Given a crew of ultra-loyal Gorn warriors, each one handpicked by Scarn himself, selected for both competence and efficiency, he set out to work the will of the Black Crest.

His missions have brought him into conflict with many factions, his vessel, the Cataclysm (named purposely in English to inspire dread in any Federation foe he may face) claimed many ships and ended the lives of countless crew members. The Black Crest usually has him sowing doubt and confusion behind enemy lines, raiding supply bases and such, working to put the perceived enemies of the Gorn Hegemony into a state of fear and insecurity or somehow aiding races hostile to the targeted faction in question. For the sake of deniability, he was declared a traitor to the Hegemony, but the Black Crest consider him to be an extremely useful asset and fully believe that with his help, the Gorn may well be able to take their rightful place as rulers of the Galaxy.

OUT OF CHARACTER
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NAME/ALIAS: Scarn
HOW LONG YOU HAVE BEEN RPING: Two years
WHERE DID YOU FIND US: Proboards Top-site thingy.
DID YOU READ THE RULES: pilgrim

RP SAMPLE:

The bridge of the Cataclysm was quiet, there was only a skeleton crew of Gorn warriors attending the stations, monitoring signals, sensors, generally just doing their best to make sure that they weren't snuck up on this deep into enemy territory. If they were caught, they'd have to fight, and if they fought and lost, well, they were all traitors, weren't they? They'd broken off the Hegemony, officially having stolen one of the most advanced ships the Gorn had ever constructed and using it to conduct a reign of terror across the Galaxy the likes of which had not been seen before. The carnage. The mayhem. The slaughter. It was thrilling really, invigorating.

Thinking about it, thinking about the burning ships, the silently screaming crew members being sucked into space as the hulls of their vessels were pierced, fractured beyond repair, it made Scarn smile. Some would consider that a revolting series of memories and would be disgusted that he derived such pleasure from them, but he had no time for such weaklings, full of sentiments, full of decency and mercy and pity. He was incapable of any of that, he was unable to feel such pathetic weakling emotions. Such disgusting concepts just... puzzled him. To the extreme. He knew what compassion felt like, he knew what it was like to have ethics and morals, but in war, there was no place for morals and ethics, there was no place for mercy and decency and pity.

Perhaps his foes didn't know it, but this was a war of extermination, of conquest. Scarn would see them brought under the control of the Hegemony or he would see them destroyed, cleansed from the annals of history and scorched from the Galactic memory. Such dreams were, for the moment, out of his taloned grasp though. He looked to the day that Gorn flags flew over all the capitols of the Galaxy with eager eyes, but he knew that may be some time away. It would take doing, it would take effort. It would take blood, sweat and sacrifice. Anything worth doing did. But he had will. He had commitment. He had the drive to do what had to be done, what must be done to achieve victory.

That was why he had this destiny, that was why he had this future. The Black Crest had given him this task because they saw his worth, they saw that, in him, lay victory. They knew that he could achieve anything for them, they knew he could bend the Galaxy to their whims. He'd been set a task, he had one ultimate goal. To see the Gorn go to war, and, by extension, to see the Galaxy united under their banner. It was a tall order, but he knew it could be achieved. A little careful probing here, a raid there, a orbital bombardment after, it was really a simple matter to strike fear into the hearts of the enemies of the Gorn, and once they had fear, once they felt threatened, once they demanded that be something be done, that this threat be ended, once they threatened the Hegemony with action if they continued to stand by... Then they would have their war.

A part of him was saddened that he had to preform this grand deed under the disguise of a traitor, of a turncoat, of little more than a criminal really, but he knew that it was the way things had to be. In time the Gorn people would see what he was doing, why he was doing it, and they'd accept him for what he was, a hero, a leader, the man who acted while others just talked, the man who won them their Empire, their domination. He knew that it was only a matter of time until he was appreciated by his people, until he was seen as the savior that he truly was, but for now he contented himself with the prospect of further battle, of more killing an death in the service of his beloved Hegemony.

Kneeling in his command chair, he idly cast a bored gazed over his crew as they worked away. Gorn had difficulty sitting due to the nature of their bone structure, it was uncomfortable, but they could kneel or crouch for as long as they wished, their legs being sturdy enough to make it difficult to tire them. As ever, he wore a cloak, the one thing that stood testimony to his noble lineage, that and the broach that held his person crest, that was. And, of course, his crew's habit of calling him "Lord", one he didn't discourage. He was nobility after all, wasn't he? He never balked when they called him "sir", but "Lord" was so much more... fitting. He liked it.

Some would call him pompous, arrogant, vain, but Scarn was simply accepting of the truth. He had a destiny, he had a purpose, what the point of denying any of that? What was the point of denying his potential? There was no point. There was no gain in bowing his head and humbling himself, pretending he wasn't what he was, who he was, pretending to be some... commoner, some ordinary Gorn whose service to the Hegemony would probably end in death rather than glory. No. There was no sense thinking like that, not when it would practically be a crime to refuse to acknowledge his greatness. And Scarn certainly was no criminal. Despite what anyone said.

Well, maybe a war criminal...

[LT. CMDR. MONTGOMERY SCOTT]

ACCEPTED

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