Character Name: John Rodgers
Character Age: 20
Character Occupation: Professional Mixed Martial Artist and college student
Gender: Male
Appearance: John stands barely over six feet tall and weighs in about 200 pounds to fight in the heavyweight division. He has reddish blond hair that he keeps loosely spiked/brushed backward out of his face. His eyes are a dark blue, not standing out all that much against his pale complexion. Blessed with a good physique, John has a sturdy, square facial structure that goes well with the somewhat bulky frame he's built up over the years. Though not quite slender anymore, there is not much wasted meat on him as he keeps in excellent shapre through cross training.
A man of relatively simple tastes, John is comfortable in simple blue jeans and tennis shoes along with a sleeveless black muscle shirt. The one dash of flair to his typical wardrobe is a dark red vest with a black cross on each side as accents.
Personality: Neither a saint nor a monster, a prude nor a party animal, John is a very middle of the road man. Emotionally lazy, he has no interest in stretching to social extremes in either direction. He simply understands the value of patience and so he persistently works towards his goals at his own leisurely pace. His greatest desire is to stand at the top of Mixed Martial Arts as an undisputed champion and he is well aware of the incredible work ethic necessary to achieve it. Because of this, he's developed a very strong work ethic towards both his profession and his education, gradually working his way towards a degree in business advertising.
A bit anti-social, Rodgers does not go out of his way to make new friends and as such has very few personal connections in Japan, a fact that has benefited him thus far. Though he does not pretend to fully understand the hell Japan has become, he is single minded in his goal to get out of the country and return to his family in America who have been one of the greatest sources of support in both his career and his struggles to survive. It's worth noting that he's quite confidence in his ability to defend himself should the need arise and because of that he is pretty trusting of those around him simply because he is not easily intimidated.
Skills:
John has been training in various martial arts since he was a young boy growing up in America. Particularly attuned to muy tai and boxing, John was quickly making a name for himself in America as one of the hardest strikers in the sport, repeatedly inflicting brain damage or broken bones on his opponents accidently (a fact he deeply regretted at the time). While he was briefly trained in grappling techniqes in the States, his trip to Japan to strengthen his grappling skills was cut short by the appearance of Them. His heavy blows have continued to serve him well in Japan uninhibited by padded gloves and punching with the intent to cause tremendous harm, John is able to fight his way through small groups of the undead unarmed. As with most fighters, John's experience in sparring has given him at least a passing knowledge of the human body allowing him to pop dislocated joints back into place.
Having briefly worked as a bouncer before getting his start in professional fighting, John is highly perceptive of his environment and has impressive instincts that compliment his reactions well. Despite that, John speaks very little Japanese and because of that he finds it difficult to work his way around the city based on signs or move beyond basic communication with native survivors.
Weaponry: Taken from the body of a deceased policeman in full riot gear, John protects himself using a pair of riot gauntlets covering his hands and forearms The armor plates are molded ballistics composite capable of even stopping a knife and over those the gauntlets and shin gaurds are held together by thick double stitched black leather coatings. In addition to protecting John from errant bites or cuts, the steel knuckle plates on the gauntlets adds even more striking power to his already substantial striking power. Though his own body is his most natural means of defense, John's strength allows him to make use of most nearby objects as makeshift weapons in case of emergency.
- Spoiler:
Background: He was not a chosen hero of mankind, he was no genius, John Rodgers was just a simple kid growing up in the southern United States with his mother and father. Middle class in every sense of the word, he attended a private grade school before moving on to a public highschool where he managed to maintain above average but by no means exceptional grades. Having spent his childhood watching kung fu films with his father, John had been attending martial arts classes since boyhood, a hobby he continued in highschool despite joining the football team. All in all it was overwhelmingly normal for Rodgers throughout his early life. Upon graduating highschool, he managed to earn a small scholarship to a local university and began attending immediately while working as a bouncer at a nearby club as a means to help pay off his school debts.
It was through his job that John was able to get his first major break into professional fighting, breaking up a rather brutal bar fight without much trouble earned him the attention of a passing fight promoter. Eager for any source of income, John accepted the man's generous offer and began a brief stint of exhibition fights in the ever growing Mixed Martial Arts leagues sweeping the nation. His knockout power and relatively clean cut appearance gave him a steady fan base that quickly pushed his popularity high enough to enter the pro circuit with a two year contract. Despite the strains of travel and training, John has refused to give up on his education. Well aware that fighting is a temporary profession at best, Rodgers is determined to be more than just a pair of fists and has continued his studies through online courses and summer classes.
Offered a slot in a grappling training camp in Japan, John signed up for the month long program in order to become a more well-rounded competitor. Despite not speaking the language fluently, John was not all that concerned about spending so long in a foreign country with his trainers and translators on hand. At least that was until everything went to hell and They appeared, devouring everything in their path. Running for his life as the world descended into chaos around him, Rodgers primary goal is to get as far away from this insanity as possible and return to his family in America.
RP Sample:
Absolutely no luck, not even a shred of it. That was about all John had these days. Hunkered down at what he imagined must have been a cafe, Rodgers was doing his level best to keep as quiet as he could. Looking around, he could only wonder what this place must have been like under normal circumstances. Bright colors, anime characters on the walls, and the remains of frilly dresses were everywhere. Shaking those thoughts from his head, he chanced a quick look out to the street. There were only a few of Them out at the moment, finally a lucky break. Breaking from his hiding place behind the counter, John rushed into the street, his right fist slamming into the temple of the closest undead. With his full weight behind it, the blow sent the undead reeling to the ground where it finally became still. Not bothering with any of the others nearby, Rodgers continued onwards down the alley opposite the cafe.
If he had translated those signs correctly, this way should lead towards the harbor. No way in hell he'd be able to get a plane but a boat, even a small one, could be his ticket off this godforsaken island. Off in the distance he could just barely hear gunshots and screams. Wincing, he forced himself to ignore it. Whatever it was, it wasn't his problem and based on the sounds he wouldn't be able to do anything anyway. It was in his best interest to just mind his own business and keep moving. They seemed to get more active at night, if he couldn't get out of here by then he'd need the time to find somewhere to hide for the night. A nearby groan broke him from his moral conundrum. Another of Them had emerged from around the corner up ahead, just a few meters in front of him. Not interested in stopping to fight a damn crowd on his own, John kept his momentum moving forward, sending his left fist out and into the undead's nose with a superman punch that sent the monster sailing to the ground. Rodgers never lost a step, he could fight off a few of Them but one bite and it was over. Running was his only chance.
Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:07 pm by 
