Spoiler “’The Spectator’? Really?”

“I panicked.”

SpoilerYet another entry in the illustrious line of Grand Battles! I’m going to assume that anyone interested in joining has at least a cursory knowledge of what this about, and in case you don’t, this is what we’re aiming for. In summation: this is a creative writing competition, in which each entrant submits an original character to engage in a battle to the death with everyone else’s characters, with the winner being determined by level of activity and writing skill. Traditionally the number of contenders is limited to eight and the rounds to seven, with one elimination being orchestrated per round. There have been exceptions, of course.

It’s likely worth mentioning that should you enter, you’ll be expected to write for other’s characters as well as your own, potentially even more so given appropriate circumstances. Interaction is key, whether it be forming alliances, building rivalries, or coming up with new and exciting ways to hike up your douchebag rating. That said, killing or seriously maiming another contender (or their equipment, if applicable) before they’ve been slated for death is seven kinds of not cool. If you’re unsure whether a certain action is okay, it’s always recommended to ask your fellow contestants first.

The decision of who lives and who doesn’t is mine, but as always the audience is invited and encouraged to try and persuade me one way or the other. In addition to skill and frequency of posting, factors such as creativity, cleverness, and a satisfactory grasp of English grammar and spelling will be brought into account. Don’t make me hate your character because you can’t be bothered to click the spell-check button. Delays in posting are understandable, but you can and will be eliminated if you become inactive.

If you’re still at a loss, I highly recommend looking at the Grand Battle Wiki for records of the previous battles, and stopping by #grandbattle on espernet IRC if you haven’t done so already. Scheming is a valuable skill.

An obligatory note on reserves: Slam one down if you need more time, and be clear about it if you want yours voided. No stacking, whether by the same person or multiple. Try to fill your reserves within 24 hours, though we know how things tend to crop up, don’t we? Really ridiculous ones will be declared invalid, but let’s try not to make that happen. Talk to me if there's any concerns about this.

SpoilerName: Your character’s nom de guerre. Nicknames, titles, this is an easy one.
Gender: Male/ female/ neither/ both. Doesn’t matter what you put down so long as we have a pronoun to use.
Race: More or less literally anything. No matter what you put here, someone else has done something weirder. Probably a good idea to give your character the ability to interact with their surroundings, however. Some method of ambulation is likewise always useful.
Color: Your character’s signature color and/or background, which you will be posting in. Don’t pick anything similar to the colors used in this post, and I would very much appreciate if you’d select something readable. Everyone dislikes having to highlight an entire post just to be able to decipher it. “Everyone” here refers to me.
Description: Physical and mental attributes. What does your character look like? What’s their modus operandi? How likely are they to start a bloodbath within five minutes of arriving? Pictures of your character are strictly optional, but go here if you have one.
Weapons and Abililities: This is probably why your character is in this battle to begin with. Do they have any special equipment or powers? What are they and what do they do? Again, basically anything goes. Get creative. A big sword is not creative; a big sword that summons Spanish-speaking fruitbats is.
Biography: The relevant parts of your character’s life prior to this battle and being summoned away in a swirling explosion. You don’t need to put their whole life story, but you can if you want. This is a good section to explain their motivations.
Theme Song: Arbitrary and totally non-compulsory. This is just a silly thing I like to do.

AN IMPORTANT ADDENDUM: The only requirement for entry is that your character must have eyes, or some directly comparable structure (for example, optic sensors for the mechanically inclined. Even painted eyes will work if your character is some kind of construct, so long as they see with them). Go on, guess why.

SpoilerI'm not entering, I'm just posting here to approve of this battle and keep track of it more easily.

Looking forward to seeing it start!

SpoilerGotta get me one-a them little white dots

SpoilerBlah. I may have botched characterization. Will develop, I swear.

Spoiler

SpoilerI am bad at theme songs.

SpoilerAspergillus dopliospium was first recorded in the year 4254, having developed on a planet that had been terraformed for experimental purposes roughly 2000 years earlier. The environment varied wildly, and satellites often bombarded the planet with intense radiation, so that both mutations and natural selection would be maximized. When the research team came to investigate, most of the planet appeared as expected (if one can really have "expectations" for such a thing), except for a 60-meter area around a small cave in a forest. At first, it seemed perfectly ordinary-- many different species, some evidently carnivorous, some evidently herbivorous. However, one of the team spotted a strange orange liquid, both caustic (pH 12.[img]images/smilies/icon_cool.gif[/img] and poisonous; this made it rather odd that the animals seemed to take no steps to avoid it, often slogging right through it with practically no harm evident. Further investigation found that the apparent carnivores never ate any herbivores, and for that matter, there didn't seem to be much consumption of plant life either. In fact, inside a certain radius, no animal could be observed eating anything whatsoever.

Due to the mysterious conditions, the entire area was designated Threat Level 6~8, "Potential For Very High Danger." The team quickly did their best to escape, with the very one who had discovered the mysterious toxin not noticing the spores that had crept into his suit. A few weeks passed, with that one oddly silent; eventually, the medic went to check on him. Immediately upon entering the room, he discovered several pools of the orange liquid throughout, as well as mold coating the walls. Luckily for the astronauts, he was able to activate the emergency recording unit, allowing the rest of the team to see the mold bearing down on him, coating his body, and nearly devouring him. The captain barged in and blasted it with a phaser, only to find two medics standing there before him. Determining which was real was simple enough; when he posed a question, one answered in perfect English, the other in nothing but a strange gurgling noise. The mold, along with the copies it had made, were quickly eradicated from the ship, save for a small sample placed in an airtight container to be considered for military purposes. Tests were performed on the mold for years, and over time, it gained a slight grasp of language, enough to speak when given vocal cords; but before it could be fully developed as a feasible bioweapon, it disappeared mysteriously, leading to theories of espionage...

SpoilerAspergillus dopliospium duplicates other creatures, as far as scientists can tell, like a retrovirus in reverse: it takes a DNA sample, "adds it" to the DNA already present in a cell, and replicates from there. The important thing to note is that Doplio can only copy intrinsic abilities. For example:
-- Copying someone with intrinsic magical ability would convey it. Copying someone who had to study to gain it would not.
-- Copying a zombie created through necromancy, nanites, etc. would result in a copy of the person's living form. Copying a zombie created through a virus or parasite would result in a copy of their zombified form.
-- Copying a martial artist could allow Doplio to replicate their musculature with a bit of effort, but would not grant it their techniques.
-- Copying, for example, Superman or Spider-Man would convey superpowers, given that they stem from their alien/mutant DNA. Copying, for example, Green Lantern would not, since his power comes from an outside source.
-- Copying non-organic creatures, e.g. robots and golems, is right out. Copying a cyborg or something similar would result in the form they would have without cybernetics.

SpoilerAt the age of eleven, Ivan was involved in a terrible car accident that killed his sister and left him with severe bodily injuries. However, due to the fact that minimal wreckage other than the Norst’s totaled car was recovered, the details regarding the true nature of the crash remain elusive. A good majority of Ivan's childhood was defined by hospital stays and overbearing parental guardianship that forced him to mature more quickly than most. The time he missed attending school was quickly made up for by a combination of his inherent knack for mathematics and a private tutor.

Ivan had been enrolled at Stanford University’s School of Engineering for a year and a half before CARET approached him. CARET, an acronym for the “Commercial Applications Research for Extra-Terrestrial Technology”, expressed interest in his ability as an engineer and offered an internship which he was ‘encouraged’ not to refuse. Deep beneath the parking lot of an unleased office building in Palo Alto, California was where Ivan first became acquainted with the research of CARET and the idea of extra-terrestrial beings. He became privy to the ‘Autians’, a people who supposedly called the planet 61 Virginis b their home and with whose technology CARET was primarily working.

It was not long, however, before less emphasis was placed on Ivan’s skills as an engineer and more on his apparent aptitude for understanding and using Autian tech. He began to be subjected to a variety of medical examinations, at first disguised as mandatory physicals. But it soon became evident that the tests were far more extensive than what was strictly protocol when the scalpels made their appearance.

SpoilerThe accident in which Ivan was involved nine years previously left him sporting an extra pair of chromosomes and a slew of genetic irregularities to which he was entirely ignorant. The effect laid dormant in his system until he was exposed to a high amount of geomantic energy during his freshman year of college which caused him to exhibit minor yet unusual sensory capabilities that were similar to the species of extra-terrestrial beings studied by CARET. Although a great deal of them remain untapped, Ivan is able to successfully wield a few of his ‘foreign’ talents, if only to a limited degree.

Because they only possess two types of retinal cone cells, the Autians’ vision is similar to that of humans who are red-green colorblind. Oblong pupils allow for powerful peripheral vision but limit optical efficiency to relatively bright light. Depth perception is restricted beyond a few hundred feet. Because of this the Autians evolved to ‘hear’ and ‘see’ through reading vibrations in the surrounding landscape with sensitive nerves located in the hands and feet, creating a mental map that can be utilized even in utter darkness. (Ivan is often barefoot because of this.) They are particularly attuned to the flow of geomantic energy and can, to a very narrow extent, manipulate magnetic fields.

A species whose focus lies primarily on mental proficiency, the Autians are generally slight of build and physically weak but quick to move and silent as anything. Their brain capacity is much greater and more compartmentalized than their human kin which allows for a mathematical prowess rivaled only by modern human computers. Precision comes naturally to the Autians and allows them to determine distances and angles almost exactly with limited mental exertion, but only within a few hundred feet if they are relying on eyesight alone.

These attributes contributed to the development of their technological ‘language’, to which Ivan was exposed during his time spent in CARET’s facilities. The code is a complex series of symbols that, when accurately composed on receptive material and coupled with an appropriately charged field, can be used to manipulate the physical properties of said material.

Ivan is aware that he possesses these abilities and although his mental faculty is more akin to that of a human than to an Autian, he has an extensive knowledge of the Autian ‘language’. Always equipped with a particularly expensive carbon fiber pen that he stole from CARET, he is eager to hone his skills.

Spoileroh god I am so scared this is my first time, are the colors okay? The background color stuff? Is there any problem whatsoever aaaaaaa