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Me? Ah, I'm nobody. |
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— Himself |
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A former Hunter who has vowed to help the innocent supernatural beings of Sangria. Whether it's dealing with indiscriminate Hunters, helping supernaturals relocate and blend in, or preserving the veil that keeps normals ignorant, Zach is often involved.
Personality
Zach tends toward an easygoing nature, calm, cool, collected, kind. Most people only see this side of him, the cheerful country boy. Under that skin, though are veins of fire and deep scars of darkness fueling remnants of the bad boy he tried to leave behind.
Background
The Summary
Boring childhood, troubled teen, parents died. Foster family takes in troubled boys to turn into Hunters. Zach rejects Hunting innocent supernaturals, runs away, finds mentor program. Meets girl, gets married, mother and son are werewolves, son killed by former foster family, 9 vs 1 battle, Zach wins. Zach broken, divorce demanded, Zach breaks out of self-loathing, takes on mission to help innocent supernaturals.
The Beginning
Zachrael Ian Graham was born to Ian and Jaclyn Graham and was raised on a small farm in northern Georgia. He led an unnotable life, a good boy until he hit puberty, moody and a little aggressive after that. When he was fourteen, his parents were killed in a car accident. Already going through difficulties due to his rowdiness, his parents' death and having to live in a foster home exacerbated his problems. It was then that Darren Kerr took him. Darren was known for taking in troubled teen boys and trying to help them with his wife. But the truth was... different.
New Family
Darren was a Hunter, and he took in teen boys to train them as Hunters, too. He took the difficult ones, so that they'd hardly be missed when they disappeared, either going off on their own path as Hunters or by dying during a hunt. Darren was brutal with his kids, believing they needed to be strong and tough and if they got beat or injured along the way, well soldiers must endure. Zach was sucked into the comraderie, trained hard, hunted with his new family with pride. But he started to realize that not all supernaturals are evil. Not every monster was truly monstrous. He started to question Darren, resisting too much. Until one day as punishment, Darren had the other boys beat Zach up and leave him broken and bloodied for Darren's wife to mend. After a week, Zach was able to defy Darren and walk out.
New Family Part Deux
Zach moved on, joined a program to straighten out in a program to turn troubled teens into productive members of society. It was there he met Serena, a girl from the neighborhood. Seeena was beautiful, Zach was broken, the two were practically made for each other. The Serena went to college and Zach stayed to help mentor younger boys. Fast forward a few years, Zach joined up as an adult mentor in the program and had been in the position for a years when again he sees Serena, now an accountant and apparently a mother. The two hit it off again, Seeena admitting the boy was Zach's. Soon they wed and moved into a nice house out in the country, where Zach would participate in a homeschooling group with his son, Bo Ray. Serena made more than enough in her job to provide for the three of them and her parents were quite supportive. Fast forward a few years and zach has settled into his role as mentor and teacher to a couple dozen kids from around the area. But it was not to last...
The Breaking
These kids being homeschooled were the children of omega werewolves, like Serena. A group of lone wolves banded together for self-protection, each the survivor of a pack-devastating attack. Serena admitted this to Zach, as well as Bo Ray's status as a werewolf, before he agreed to take on the task. And he revealed to her his past. The two of them only bonded more after that. But fate would rear its ugly head. One day after instructions were over and Serena was still at work, Zach was getting ready to take a shower. Zach heard Bo Ray scream for his daddy. Panicked, still clad only in a towel, Zach grabbed a rifle and ran out to investigate. Four rifles were trained on him. Two tranq guns were trained on his boy. Two men held Bo Ray's arms, and one man stood behind the boy inspecting a nasty looking knife. Zach knew these men, Darren and his former 'brothers.' After a bit of banter about werewolves, sons, and monsters, Zach watched as his boy's throat was slit and shot with two wolfsbane poison darts. Entering into a cold state of tranquil fury, Zach proceeded to shoot his former mentor right between the eyes. A fight pursued as Zach ran toward his son. Eight men died on the way, some were shot, some had their necks broken, one had a knife shoved into an eye socket after having his throat slit. By the time Zach made it to Bo Ray, Zach's own body was a bloodied and bruised mess, gun shot wounds, bruises, a cut here and there. He picked up his son, holding him in despair, and he collapsed as his wounds caught up to him.
The Anti-Hunter
Zach was cleared of culpability in the deaths, self-defense and extenuating circumstances. But he didn't care. He became a husk of a man, withdrawing into himself. It wasn't until Serena demanded a divorce that he snapped out of it. And even then it would be weeks until he pulled himself together. And prompty left. Starting a business as a private investigator, Zach vowed to protect those like his son, innocent victims of overzealous Hunters. Innocent supernaturals who needed help integrating into society. And to help keep the veil over the eyes of the mundane world, to keep them unaware of the things that go bump in the night. It's better that way.
SKILLS
Zach was in sports in high school. But beyond that, he was put through a grueling physical regimen by his foster father. He was training to be a soldier in the war against the supernatural, far more was expected of him than even a soldier in basic. He is no longer in his prime, but his body, even as he approaches 40, is quite sturdy and he is still able to put most men much younger than him through the paces.
Automechanics - Novice Level
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Zach spent a lot of time in cars and trucks, as the life of a Hunter often calls for. Sometimes vehicles break down, and that can often be a very bad thing in that line of work. Zach can manage to fix most issues, but one might expect him to do so in ways that would cause a professional mechanic to scratch his head and curse the incompetance. Still, it will allow things to run again for a while. Probably.
Brawling - Competent Level
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A hotheaded boy from the South is likely going to attain some degree of proficiency in fisticuffs. Being a rebellious jerk, teenage Zach was involved in a lot of fights. With other teen boys, with adults who annoyed him, with a cop once or twice. Once he was taken in by a family of hunters after his parents died, his foster father required excellence from him. Reinforced with brutal punishments for failure. This has left Zach with a very high level of skill in simple unarmed melee combat. He can claim no formal martial art, though.
Breaking & Entering - Novice Level
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As a teenage delinquent, Zach developed quite a knack for getting into places he wasn't supposed to. He's retained these skills, which have helped him many times in his investigations. He's not a professional burglar though.
Charisma - Competent Level
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Zach has a natural charisma about him and he has so very much honed his ability to connect with people. Whether he's using his smiling charm to get what he wants, intimidating someone to give up information or to back down drom a fight, or just attracting people together to have a good time, Zach has a certain air about him. With both a Country Boy thing and a Bad Boy thing going on, Zach can usually utilize one or both to bring his charisma to bear.
Driving - Competent Level
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Zach has been driving since he was able to reach the pedals and steering since before then. He's driven cars, farm equipment, pickups, his motorcycle, and whatever else was around to mess with. His adventurous and fun-loving nature also means he's driven in rough terrain, gone mudding, and dodged traffic while weaving in and out of it. Zach's Hunter days left him driving at a professional level, when he wants to. He can still be quite reckless still if he's ignoring half of his experience. Which, honestly, is most of the time.
Gardening - Competent Level
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As part of his survival training, Zach is quite proficient in getting vegetables growing. Whether it's a small garden in the back yard or half an acre on a farm, Zach can have an efficient garden giving up its expected bounty and more.
Even though he grew up with hand guns, he just didn't use them as often as long guns. He's decent in their use, but just lacks the experience he's put into his shotguns and rifles.
Hunter Knowledge - Competent Level
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Zach was taught about supernatural creatures. And was brutally punished when he got things wrong, either on an actual run or during lore training. It was quite an incentive to know his stuff.
Instruction - Competent Level
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Zach spent time as a mentor with a group for troubled youth. Then he was a teacher and instructor for his son's homeschooling group. He's not an amazing instructor, but he gets the job done. And usually doesn't even bore anyone.
Investigation - Competent Level
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Since Zach's mundane profession is private investigator, which is often a great cover for when he's investigating the supernatural, and since he's often investigating the supernatural, he has become rather proficient in the arts of investigation. He's no Columbo or Batman, but he gets the job done, usually with little fuss.
Long Guns - Competent Level
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Zach pretty much grew up with shotguns and hunting rifles in his hands. He was probably more proficient with and knowledgeable about them at four than most adults. As an adult he is more than able to use shotguns and rifles with the skill of a seasoned hunter or combatant. When he was adopted as a Hunter, it was these that were usually used as standard weaponry.
Pain Resistance - Expert Level
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Zach's training was brutal. But beyond that, there was absolutely no allowance for succumbing to pain. It was considered an unacceptable weakness. Even now, years after getting out of the toxic family, Zach still is averse to showing such perceived weakness. More than that, he's still extremely capable of ignoring physical pain.
Primitive Weaponry - Novice Level
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Zach was trained in the use of knives and swords, axes and crossbows, and other such 'primitive' weaponry. Many supernatural creatures can shrug off bullets and can be vulnerable to weapons made of specific materials. Zach didn't show much aptitude, even after all his training, he still isn't super good, though better than someone who's never picked up a sword before.
Smuggling - Competent Level
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Zach is quite often moving things and people from one place to another. It's pretty much the core of his new mission in life. Getting innocent supernaturals out of a bad situation or bringing some mystical object to s supernatural being who needs it to suppress some trait that makes their integration problematic. He knows plenty of the tricks in the book and is usually successful, barring counteragents with greater skill.
Survival - Competent Level
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Once he was taken in by a family of Hunters, survival became something that was drilled into his head. Even when unnecessary, the family tended to hold a lifestyle that incorporated survival principles and disobedience was met with punishments that could tend toward the abusive side.
Zach's secondary upbringing left a great many scars on him. He was already a stubborn kid, but his brutal training and abusive foster family left him with an indomitable will. Even among his foster brothers he was considered to have a very strong sense of inner will.
ABILITIES
Magic: Hunter Magic - Basic+ Level
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Zachrael uses a variety of magic assembled from a variety of sources, much of which has been passed down and passed around in hunter families and social circles. Much of this magic utilizes props, incantations, and rituals and produce fairly minor effects like hexes and jinxes. Some of these magicks, though, can ward against supernatural creatures, banish certain types of entities, and even kill from afar. The spells of this type are each usually very specific in purpose, but there are often parallel spells for similar ends. This type of magic can't usually be cast on the fly, but some spells can trap the energy in an object to be released later.
This ability is rated at Basic+ to reflect its limited scope, but various specific effects may range in "rating" from Basic to Enhanced as needed.
ADVANTAGES
Everywhere he goes, Zach seems to know a lot of people. These relationships are usually very shallow and fall along the lines of "my cousin's wife's roommate from college" or "mail carrier's daughter's ex-boyfriend" but he can usually use these connections to get minor favors. A janitor might let him into a building at night, a clerk might pass him information he can use to get on track, or a police officer might overlook a minor offense. This also lets him collect together basic resources fairly quickly if he needs to.
This is, by all appearances, simply an old journal with spells and diagrams written inside, but in fact it is a notable book of lore, which was enchanted for the Kerr family by an allied witch, back during the days when the family walked a more righteous path. Many entries are accompanied by inserts with additional information or similar spells. The book is the collected magical knowledge of the Kerr family with additions by its most recent owner Zachrael Graham. There seems to be a gap of a generation or two in additions to the book, though. The book itself has no inherent power, but there are some enchantments woven into it. The most powerful enchantment, and by far the oldest, is a discernment against corruption. Anyone who the enchantment deems unworthy will be locked out of the knowledge of the book. As the grimoire for a Hunter family, the book wants to be used to help people and enact the greater good. Anyone who's fallen to baser desires, or outright perform in evil ways, will find they are locked out from the grimoire's knowledge. The book is also resistant to damage of many types, including age and weathering, and will teleport to Zach's secure locker if picked up by anyone not approved by the enchantment's casting. The latter effect is by far the newest enchantment woven into the book.
The collected knowledge of the Kerr Hunter clan rests in several journals, some of them instructional, some of them simply histories, and some of them personal. Zach has begun his own additions, too.
When Zach ran away from his foster home, he took the red 1985 Suzuki Madura 1200 from Darren's little motor pool that was registered to him. It's one of the few things he still possesses to this day. Typically, he stores it in his truck bed with locked security cords.
Due to his help in smuggling supernaturals out of perilous situations, Zach has acquired a small cargo vessel, both through his own resources and through "donations." As a cargo vessel, it has no official name, but among the supernatural communities it may be known as the Nowhere.
The legalities of the Nowhere seem to be perfectly normal on paper, but much of the specifics have been flubbed here and there. It shouldn't be noticeable except under high scrutiny, however. If it is noticeable, there are powers that want ;the Nowhere in Zach's hands. The bureaucracy will render all but the most egregious issues moot.
183.5' overall, 39.5' beam, 25.5' depth, 25 mton crane
Concealment Magic: The ship has enchantments to conceal the fact that its interior looks more like a comfortable mobile house than a commercial cargo hauler, usually through convincing inspectors that they've already looked inside. If that doesn't work, illusions come into play.
For his sixteenth birthday, Zach was given an old beat up red 1987 Chevy Silverado SWB 4x4 pickup with black side stripe, the truck that had been sitting derelect in Darren's motor pool since before Zach was taken in. The plan was for him and Darren to fix it up together. That never happened so Zach and a couple of his foster brothers fixed it up in what little free time they had. He had to leave the truck when he fled, but years later after he killed Darren's Hunter 'family' he went back to investigate the house, found the truck still there, and confiscated it. While still bearing dents and dings it's accumulated while he had used it as a teen, Zach still has that truck. It's one of the few things he possesses on a permanent basis. And he doesn't care that it lacks most of a modern vehicle's perks. The Silverado has become something of a home to Zach. He keeps his long guns and a toolbox inside and usually uses it to store his bike.
In his truck, Zach has a large enchanted locker that keeps anyone from snooping around unless there is a strong reason to look or they have sufficient mental persistence to overcome the effect. If that doesn't work, anyone not encoded into the enchantment's bypass will be given a strong chock to discourage further attempts to open it. He keeps his gear in the chest, most of it geared toward Hunting if he must resort to it. A shotgun loaded with rock salt, a silver saber, super soaker full of holy water, etc. He also keeps his foster father's old Hunter journals, histories, and other notes in the chest. On his person he usually has a reinforced silver knife and handgun concealed. If not, they too are stored in the weapon locker. The exact catalog of weapons often varies as he is prone to getting rid of them and replacing them as his needs and whims dictate.
WEAKNESSES
Zach's parents were supportive and nurturing. Which made their deaths and his subsequent foster family all the more tragic. Zach's foster father was beyond stern and strict, he was aggressive, used physcial abuse as a common method of punishment, and Hunter training was grueling, physically demanding, and failures were often met with abusive punishments. Zach is largely at peace with his past, but the scars are still there.
Under the 'care' of his Hunter foster family, cruelty was not only given a blind eye, it was encouraged. His foster father used cruel physical brutality to punish his wards. Zach and his 'brothers' were often competitive to the point they would physically injure each other to gain an edge. Even though Zach has eschewed that life, he often has to contend with the darkness left in those scars. Zach often finds himself fighting cruel impulses, suppressing brutal desires that leave him rather disturbed.
Zach killed all eight of his foster brothers and their foster father, and even though they pushed him to it, he still can't forgive himself for the former. His foster father he blames for ruining the boys' lives, and thus feels no guilt for his death. He still has nightmares about them, even though they were cruel and in the end forced his hand, they were still brothers in arms, bonded during training and Hunting.
He also feels guilty for the death of his son, which he feels he should have been able to prevent even though in reality there's little he could actually have done. These nightmares are worse.
Zach's smart, calm, cool, collected, patient, and kind. However, all that can be tossed out the window if his blood is set afire. Whether it's some hot guy turning on the seduction (or just being present in some cases), an antagonist poking his buttons just right, or just comes across his favorite food, candy, or music, Zach might succumb to the will of his lower head, become a hotheaded and aggressive brute, or turn into a manchild as he indulges himself. He's incredibly easy to distract or provoke under the right circumstances.
Zach is known to the Hunter community, some ignoring him, others supporting his principles, while others view him as potentially evil due to his past association with the reprehensible Kerr family. Many of that type consider him another evil to hunt.
Ever since his son's death, Zach has been on the move. Never putting down roots anywhere, never getting attached to anything, just wandering. Living out of his truck has become the norm. Staying at a cheap hotel for a bit has become a treat. Renting a small apartment is a luxury he indulges in from time to time. Zach's resources tend to be limited to what he can get here and now, barring his truck, bike, Hunter supplies, and weapons.
