Name: Aka Baker
Alias: Toa-Ahi, Bonfire, the Half-Breed
Species: Human hosting symbiote
Occupation: Member of the Kotahi tribe in Gothic City
Age: 18 standard years
Ethnicity: Half Caucasian, Half South-Pacific
Distinguishing Features: Symbiote-laced skin resembles intricate traditional South Pacific tribal tattoos, covering the extent of his arms and the side of his face. When his powers are in use, the tattoo grows to encompass his body, back, and other arm.
Height: 5'8
Weight: 180 lbs
Hair: Shaved head (Brown when grown out)
Eyes: Burning red, formerly green
Place of Birth: Gothic City
Base of Operations: Gothic City
Alignment: Kotahi tribe, revenge
Family Status: Orphaned
Origin
Told he was the son of a Maori warrior, off the coast of New Zealand, Aka was raised alone by his mother in Gothic City, working desperately to stay alive in the ever-hectic capital of crime whilst struggling to maintain a clean conscience. Despite his survival-oriented, unconventional childhood, he managed to adapt to the Gothic lifestyle, attending public school and maintaining average grades. With only his mother to support them both, he was absolutely devastated to learn that she'd perished during Gothic's Ultimatum at the hands of the Brahma Brotherhood. Orphaned, lost, and alone, he sought refuge in one of the many shelters established by the Knightfall-Percival foundation. With his life taken from him, he fell into a rage-filled spiral, only to have his interest piqued by the arrival of a new gang in Gothic. Reputed to be Maori-exclusive, he made his way to one of the group's meetings, only to find that they were not Maori...and neither was he.
Forcibly inducted to the tribe, and branded with the mark of the Kotahi, or the Heretics, he found himself imbued with unnatural power as well as the subject of intense psychoactive swings. For it was no mere tattoo that they ritually inscribed on his skin, but a powerful symbiote, bred in captivity by the group for use by those with Kotahi-blood. Following in the footsteps of his father, he was indoctrinated into the metahuman clan, becoming part of the burning movement that was cutting a swath of heat through Gothic...and for him, a swath that would culminate with the destruction of the Brahma Brotherhood.
Powers
Symbiosis: While the spiral of intricate ink-like pattern may resemble a traditional warrior tattoo, it is actually a living, breathing symbiote that grants its user vast powers, amplifying their body and mind beyond those of a conventional man as well as granting them intimate control of thermal energy and heat. Genetically bonded with the Kotahi tribe, each symbiote is actually a clone of every other version, all grown from the same donor. The black pattern winds up from his arm to his shoulder, with spindly tendrils wrapping around his arteries and veins. The symbiote has bonded with Aka on a genetic level, altering his DNA and accommodating the highly heat-intensive symbiotic organism. The tattoo's bonding with a Kotahi activates a recessive X-gene that grants them control of fire and the heat level of their surrounding environments, as well as making them extremely resistant to heat and flame alike. Their internal organs become akin to a vast, pulsating furnace, with every last Kotahi actually able to emit massive gusts of flame from their mouths like dragons. This flame can grow close to the intensity of plasma, with enough focus.
The symbiotic tattoo also grants every user a vast degree of endurance, enabling them to absorb massive amounts of punishment and trauma while still continuing to fight. The tattoo also grants an extended healing factor, but it is not instantaneous and requires a great amount of time for the user to fully return to normal. The tattoo enhances the user's reflexes marginally, but not too noticeably.
The more a user utilizes the tattoo in a short period of time, the more it will grow to encompass their body, eventually covering every layer of their skin. When the pyrokinetic powers are not in use, it retracts, going back to covering only the shoulder and forearm.
Pyrokinesis: Every Kotahi can generate and manipulate flame with deft precision, their bond with the symbiote unlocking a common, recessive X-Gene that grants them control of heat. Through sheer thought, they can raise the surrounding temperature, or open their mouths to release massive bursts of fire. Through a focus refined via martial arts, they can then direct the flame, or shape it into whatever form they please. Through gesticulation and body movements, they can control the size, shape, and intensity of the fire, using it to devastating effect in combat. Every Kotahi, however, has limits to the amount of flame they can generate, as it draws directly from their life-force; they may pass out if they strain themselves too much, which results in many Kotahi relying on conventional weaponry as well.
Thermal Sense: Every Kotahi has innate knowledge of their surroundings, with heat signatures given off by every object. Through this infrared "sense," they can keep track of their environment, as well as skillfully hunt prey so long as it emits a heat signature.
Coordination: Every Kotahi experiences a vast boost in their perceptive abilities, as well as their hand-eye coordination, when exposed to the symbiote. They can move acrobatically with natural grace, and react to changes in their environment with uncanny speed and agility. The symbiote naturally compensates for any physical limitation, maximizing nutrient-use and strengthening the myocytes, or muscle cells, in each user's body. This physical amplification will be reduced when the user is not in harrowing situations, as it is regulated predominantly through adrenaline.
Abilities
Aka Walker possesses no unconventional abilities, aside from rudimentary combat training following his induction to the Kotahi tribe. The symbiote compensates for this lack of skill with enhanced reflexes and coordination.
Paraphernalia
Arsenal: While the Kotahi tribe are undeniably powerful unarmed, the symbiotes' individual limits make the utilization of conventional weaponry unusually practical. They possess a great number of firearms and explosives, as well as knives and paramilitary tools. The gang makes use of vehicles to traverse Gothic quickly, usually cars or trucks emblazoned with their tribal designs. They have been known to make use of spears as well, but this is growing to be more of a tradition than a practical combat application. While they are trained in the use of the spear for combat, they instead make use of bows and firearms.
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