Full Name: Paul Julius Holmes
Nicknames: He often insists that Julius, not Paul, is his given name. Sometimes he does not insist. He's inconsistent like that.
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Role: Immune
Physical Description: Paul stands about 5 feet ten inches tall, and weighs 134 pounds. His hair was cut rather short when he lived in the Citadel, but it's grown out some since his incarceration and escape. He tries his best to keep it out of his face, with reasonable success. His fingernails are cut short, and his hands are callused from training in his childhood. He wears a light-colored canvas jacket over a long-sleeved shirt, along with dark jeans and all-weather boots. His jacket is rigged with a kind of webbing to facilitate storage of his canteen, food, and ammunition. His sword hangs from a thick cloth belt in a plain leather scabbard. Over his empty left eye socket he has a simple black patch.
Personality: Paul Holmes is not the most mentally stable character. His upbringing scarred him mentally from what can be described as his true nature, thus causing no end of confusion with people he meets.
As his true self, Paul is a consummate altruist and, though sometimes (that is, often) cynical, a grudging optimist. He may always keep his eye on a stranger, but he doesn't like that he has to. He tries to assume the best of people, and will give most people the benefit of the doubt. He's a somewhat solitary person, however, afraid to get too close to someone and lose them. In spite of this fear, he does yearn for a friend.
Sometimes, he can change, however, becoming more reminiscent of how he was in the citadel. This side of him is taciturn, emotionless, and to all appearances remorseless: the perfect freelance killer. He will tell you up-front that he sticks his neck out for nobody else. Unlike his usual self, he understands and welcomes the paranoia associated with his solitary life, and will not hesitate to kill.
What triggers these dramatic changes is irregular and unpredictable: sometimes he seems to change after sleeping and waking up, other times he changes in specific situations of danger, and he changes spontaneously.
Likes: Solitude (usually), Freedom (that is, being away from the Citadel), his sword, camaraderie (in doses), running
Dislikes: The Citadel, Alarms, Hordes, "Useless people"
Fears: Being betrayed, Caring for someone and losing them, going back to the Citadel
Weapon: The main boon of growing up the way Paul did was the access to weaponry. When he left the Citadel, he took with him some weapons he had used before for self-defense:
CZ 527 carbine:
Ruger Light Compact Revolver:
The weapon he considers uniquely "his," a katzbalger (short sword):
Inventory: A canteen of water and a small collection of food bars, which he's jerry-rigged to be held in his jacket easily. Also in his jacket are spare bullets and two extra magazines (both are 5-round and full) for his rifle and pistol.
Skills: Paul knows how to use both of his weapons with a somewhat frightening level of skill, thanks to his upbringing in the Citadel. He's also a remarkably good runner, climber, and traceur, enabling him to get places where the undead often cannot.
Weaknesses: Poor depth perception and peripheral vision, bad upper-body strength, unpredictable mental state
History: Paul Holmes had a strange and rather traumatic childhood. He grew up in a place called the Citadel, a right-wing extremist compound/fortress. His parents virtually raised him to become a militiaman like them, training him in shooting from his youth and treating him like a grunt. Physical and mental abuse from those in charge of the Citadel was common, under the guise of "toughening exercises". These "exercises" at one point cost the boy his eye, but he was told to deal with his disability. At some point, though, he changed, becoming almost a model fighter, bordering on a sociopathic mercilessness.
The Citadel was greatly impressed with the young soldier, though a few were disturbed by his ruthlessness. Some suspected he had snapped mentally, which was partly true. The boy was not totally gone, though: he knew that the way he was would eventually consume him and render him an unfeeling monster. He refused to let that happen, but gradually his struggle became apparent to those around him. He was put into their infirmary, and while there suffered a mental breakdown, though in the process he finally attained a type of stability. The Citadel regarded him as a danger now, however, and put him through more painful abuse to get back their stone-cold killer.
Unlike before, he resisted vehemently, and found himself put into the Citadel's jail. When the undead came, the Citadel understaffed the jail to have more people fighting. With only one guard, Paul was able to escape easily, and took his leave, uncaring of the danger outside. All he wanted was to get away from the Citadel, away from the pain and fear. However, he did realize the danger outside, and took a rifle along with his favorite short-sword. Of course, he does realize that his ammunition won't last forever, and just hopes he can find other living people and more supplies before it's too late. His conditioned side has had no trouble adjusting, and may prefer to remain alone.
Themes: "Guardian" - Fates Warning || "The Ides of March/Wrathchild" - Iron Maiden