Von Novastrider

[Topher Ridge]

Theme​

Name: Von Novastrider

Faction: Sacred Band of Ziost

Rank: Brother

Species: Human

Age: 33

Gender: Male

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 187lbs

Eyes: Hazel

Hair: Dark brown

Skin: White

Credits: 1000

Distinguishing Marks: Seems to have perpetual stubble.

Force Sensitive: No


Strength: His time with Wraith Squad has given him a slender, yet very toned physique. He can very easily lift his own body weight and a bit more with the weight of his gear, giving him slightly above average strength for a human.


Dexterity: His athletic body allows him to perform acts of agility above your everyday human. This includes climbing, tumbling, and can be quite acrobatic. His time as street hustler also made his fingers quite nimble, making him quite proficient in sleight of hand.


Constitution: Von is in excellent health as a human in his prime. He can also take a decent beating.

Intelligence: When it comes to thinking quickly and tactically few can match Von. Usually easily identifying key points about people, objects, and routes in and out.

Wisdom: Has a deep knowledge of places and species around the galaxy, and was taught how to either capture or kill just about any race in the galaxy. Including force users.

Charisma: Tends to come off as curt with those who don’t know him. Also tends to have trouble making friends as he tends to be constantly thinking of ways to kill them if he has to.


Personality:

Calculating, determined, and vicious would be the best words to describe Von Novastrider. Since he was 10 he was taking care of his family thus he didn’t have much of a childhood to speak of. This left a young Von rather cold to the world. Usually only thinking of ways he could use others to his benefit.

After joining with Wraith Company however he learned how to work well as a unit and to rely on others for support. Now though that part of him has been quite literally killed, leaving him distant to others as his old companions were the only ones to ever get him out of his shell.

His training has also left him able to kill quite easily, never feeling remorse or regret for those he kills, though he doesn’t ever just kill for pleasure. Though if goaded enough he will kill just to end the annoyance.

When speaking he will tend to get to the point and not drag on, wanting to focus on the task at hand and moving on.



Biography:

Von was born to merchant parents on an outer rim space station. They traded in general needs and equipment. Von grew up low class as he had to share everything with his other 8 younger siblings, 3 brothers and 4 sisters. Though life was simple they were happy. As time went on and more stations were built closer to the hyper space lanes his parents business started to fail. Around the time he was 10, his father desperate for money turned to working for a local crime boss doing low level enforcement. Unfortunately his father wasn’t cut out for the work and died tragically in a shoot out.

After this Von’s mother was useless because of her grief, so it was left to Von to look after his family. It was at this time he learned how to live off the streets, stealing, lying, or swindingly where ever he could. This time also turned him a bit cold to world, not liking much of what he saw as the station grew more and more despondent. It was also this time that he learned that many wanted even a brief escape from the misery around them and what better way than friendly gambling. He learned to play pazaak, and other games of chance very well. Then he learned how to cheat at said games, insuring he would never lose and thus always be making money. Who believed they couldn’t beat a 15 year old boy anyway. He began to make a steady flow of money doing this and his skill only grew, giving him nimble hands and quick wits.

One day while hustling with a game that involved cups and trying to find a ball inside them a Zabrak woman approached. She wished to play which Von happily obliged eager to take her money. He did his usual hiding the ball and swapping the cup around at high speed, using his usual cheat of sliding the cup to the edge of the table and letting the ball fall into his hand. He stopped and asked her to guess. She was of course wrong and she paid him and asked to play again. They played several more times, his cheat working each time. She smiled and paid him a final time, but before leaving she leaned in close and snatched the ball from his sleeve and also putting a knife to his throat. It happened before Von could even blink. “You’re pretty good kid, but you could be ALOT better. You’re obviously self taught, since you’re technique is so sloppy,” she said. Von was in utter shock. He thought his technique was perfect, yet here was this woman who saw through it like transiparasteel. She withdrew the knife and gave him a big smile and said, “You look like you’ve had it rough kid...wanna come with me and join my squad? I’ll personally train you, we’re called Wraith Company. Whaddya say?” Von thought for a moment before saying, “Sorry lady, I’ve got family here, they’re rel…” She cut him off saying, “Look kid with the money you’ll make with us not only can you take care of them, you can get them off this flying hunk of space trash” With that Von was sold.

Over the next few years the woman, Vel Torrain, trained him. Wraith Company as it turned out was a 6 man squad of mercenaries who specialized in black ops. Usually jobs governments didn’t want to admit they needed done. Von was trained to fight, but also think. The Vel had an excellent tactical mind and she passed her insights on to Von. He learned to always mind his surroundings, to use every inch of the space around him to his advantage, to always have at least 2 back up plans, to always know a way an escape plan and to always study your enemy to better know how to kill them. This lasted for 17 years, Von becoming not only a valued member of Wraith Company, but also it’s second in command. Which suited him just fine as he almost saw Vel as the mother his own mother should have been. Also as Vel promised his pay was more than adequate to support his family and get them off that horrible space station.

Unfortunately it cost him dearly. They had moved to the planet Nez Peron where Von had bought his family a decent chunk of land and a farm. While on a mission Von received news that Nez Peron had been attacked by some kind of unknown force and that many settlements had been wiped out. Wraith Company completed their mission and raced to Nez Peron. The Novastrider farm was burned only one of his siblings, his sister Nesa made it out alive. She hid from them in the family’s water purifier. She hadn’t quite seen any face but she said they carried swords that looked like they were made of fire, that could cut through almost anything. The inspected the farm and found odd scorch marks in the walls...and Von’s family. They knew what they were up against..forcers. Von helped Nesa bury his family and then Wraith Company went hunting.

As it turned out the Forcers where still on world attacking a small settlement. They had ships that they were loading with supplies. It looked to be about 6 of them forcing the townsfolk to do their bidding. The Wraiths moved in like ghosts, tossing in flashbangs...the battle began. The managed to take down 2 of the force users before they realized what was happening, but the remaining for quickly rallied and another 3 came out of the ship and joined them.

The Wraiths gave them a hell of a fight managing to take down 4 of them, but now without loss 4 Wraiths were also. This left only Von and Vel to take on the remaining forcers. Red light sabers twisted to block their fire before one of them stepped forward. He looked at them with eyes devoid of compassion or happiness and said, “I am Darth Caltus. I applaud you for felling 6 of my men, you clearly have skill. Now I am done with this game. I will face you, I will kill you, and I will take what I feel from this planet.” With that he drew his lightsaber, then another. The blades glowed like fire, and the Sith’s cohorts backed off.

Von and Vel both looked at each other and immediately ran the other way down a small alley in the town. Caltus follwed a smug grin on his face, that was wiped away when he noticed the thermal detonators on the ground already primed. They exploded washing the alley and fire and pressure as Von and Vel turned the corner and began to fire back down the alley into the explosion. As the smoked cleared they kept their guns trained on the alley. Caltus lived but was wounded and had used much of his energy to shield himself from the explosion. Now enraged he charged down the alley batting away most of the pair’s return fire. Now to close the pair draw their vibro knives attacking in tandem, putting up the best fight they can, until Vel makes a mistake. She see’s an opening and goes for it stabbing Caltus in the back, but now too engraged to care about pain Caltus simply stabs her in return, in the chest. Vel falls and Von screams in anger, and sorrow; now losing both his mothers in one day. He tackles Caltus and charges back down the alley and back out to the street where he slams the sith on the ground pushing the knife deeper. Von stands and backs off and screams, “Get up! Get up and fight you pile of shite! I’m gonna make you feel every ounce of pain I’m feeling, right this second!!!” Caltus stood pulling the knif from his back and throwing it aside, saying nothing he simply motioned for Von to come at him. Clutching his own knife Von rushed in, bobbing and weaving between the dreaded lightsaber blades, taking glancing blows and he began to slice into Caltus. Caltus slowed as more and more of his blood began to soak his robes as Von connected with more and more stabs and slices. Finally as Caltus gave one final slow swing, Von pushed his arm away stepped in and thrust his knife right into Caltus’ neck. He yanked the knife free and pushed the Sith back to fall and bleed out on cold street.

Von fell to his knees and gathered up Vel knife clutching it tightly until his knuckles turned white. He looked up and saw the other two sith approaching. He shakily stood up, “So you want some too you karking sith...will come and get it then.” The two sith look at each other and simply raise their hands and use their combined efforts to put Von to sleep. They gather him up and put him into the ship. They don’t enter the coordinates for Morriban, instead they sit course for Ziost.

The Sith arrive with a handcuffed Von turning him over to the relentless Sacred Band of Ziost. They heal his wounds before giving him a blaster and thrusting him into the brutal trials and gauntlets of the twisted brotherhood. Where many failed Von succeed and was welcomed into the fold as brother. Though their equals Von felt like a slave. He didn't know these people, and he knew if he left he'd be hunted down for the rest of his, and then their was his sister to think of. He could only imagine what her fate would be if he decided to disobey. So he would fight for them, steal for them, kill for them...for now.

Force Powers: N/A

Skills:
Excellent marksman, proficient in use of most small arms weapons.

Excellent hand to hand combatant

Above average pilot

Decent hacker and slicer, can usually crack anything but the hardest of security

Excellent swimmer

Excellent climber

knowledge of first aid

Expert Tactician

Knowledge of explosive use

Expert in silent movement and stealth tactics.



Lightsaber/Sword Forms: Excels at knife fighting.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

Sees any mission or assignment through to completion, has an excellent mind for tactics, weapons, and stealth.


Can tend to push people away with his attitidude and mannerisms. Though and a decent hacker and slicer he has little knowledge of mechanics and thus is terrible when it comes to repairs on things like starships, speeders, and droids.

Gear:
Blaster Carbine, 2 blaster pistols, 2 vibroknives, 4 throwing knives, mini grappling hook launcher, flash bang grenades, cryoban grenades, thermal detonators, retractable baton, electrodart launcher(in bracer), Model D35-T "Wraith" armor(Medium armor), Wraith helmet(Includes Air scrubbers, small re-breather, visor that includes light vision filter for low and high light areas with 5x zoom capability )

Spoiler: Model D35-T "Wraith" armor

Spoiler: Blaster pistol

Spoiler: Vibroknives

Spoiler: Baton

Ship: Black Sunshine

Roleplays:
Don't Forget Your Mittens