Jin Lao [Mako]

[vile]

Player Nickname: Vilerat

Name: Jin Lao but goes by Mako
Codename: Mako
Age: 52 but appears 28
Date of Birth: October 12,1967

Height: 5’2
Weight: 180
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Solid black including scleras
Place of Origin: Shanghai, China
Nationality/Race: Chinese
Classification/Origin of Powers: Metahuman sorcerer

Status: Retired villain/henchman on probation
Occupation: Butcher at Sam’s butcher shop. Helps a fisherman named Landry. Works on Cobalt grounds crew. Does underground cage fights. Other assorted for-hire work as well.

Personality Profile: Absolutely out of fucks to give. Outspoken and brash; he’s quick to the point. A big fan of swearing to get his point across but reels it in when necessary. Helpful by nature but isn’t a big fan of heroes due to the nature of his lengthy career as a mercenary. Quiet once his mask is on and he’s in uniform; never been the kind for a villainous monologue.

Physical Description: Short, in good physical condition. Medium tone skin, past shoulder length black hair, and a neatly trimmed beard help contribute to him being a handsome man. The normality train stops there because his most striking features are solid black eyes and the serrated triangular teeth of a steel great white.

Sharp tipped fins can be found on his outer forearms and calves. A long line of a dorsal fun goes down his spine. On top of his head is a spined dorsal fun. They all fold back to stay safely out of the way. Their coloring is similar to his skin tone with dark grey tiger stripes. The stripes also cover his back and fade to disappear on his sides.

A blood red octopus is tattooed on the back of his neck and winds its arms down his shoulders and around to his chest. It radiates demonic energy as if it’s enchanted or cursed.

Off the job clothes are quite normal. Generally he wears a neutral dark tone button-up shirt or polos with dark jeans. Shoes are typically dark brown and black work boots close to retirement.

On the job is radically different. Robes of ebony with gold trim and embellishments work with his steel devil mask to create a fearsome appearance. On his hands are leather fingerless gloves and to protect his forearms are thick leather and steel bracers. Under his robes are durable and tough but comfortable leather and canvas pants and shirt, loose for improved movement, and two belts with pouches for carrying emergency supplies and a first aid kit.

The glider he mounts is a stand-on design. The design is reminiscent of pop culture anime mech with a small retro American flare. Aiko’s shape resembles that of a manta ray with two retractable horns on its head. Once upon a time they were sharp but have been dulled by META’s orders. To get around this modification they’ve been electrified.

The surface is polished metal with minimal wear and tear as if it was newly purchased. Some Chinese lettering runs along its body for a personalized flare. Under that is the number 08. The underside of the wing reads AIKO. There are sets of deep cuts in groups of 5. Presumably they’re a running counter of sorts but what they quantify isn’t noted. There are 12 marks.

https://i.imgur.com/WVtHO8V.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qzDrAbx.jpg

---------------------------------

General Power Information: Magic flying shark

Ability One: A good number of jobs involved the theft of magical items. It became obvious, after the first encounter with a guardian of magical persuasion, that he’d need some knowledge on the subject. Far from a master but is adept at a handful of practical spells.

Shield: As one would expect it’s a shield of magic. Takes a significant amount of focus to hold so not the best in a chaotic situation. Fairly reliable against even high velocity or strong attacks when applied to one target but the effect weakens quickly when the area increases beyond the immediatet area.

Fireball: Self-explanatory. Roughly the size of a bowling ball and releases a small blast upon impact.

Quick change: Swap out his normal clothes for the villainous getup in an instant. Works the reverse way too. The robes envelope him with a wave of his arm and the mask can be stored in the hood and slip down/up with ease. The glider enters the area through a portal but can’t be dismissed as easily. Typically he drops it off back at his dwelling or safe house once done with it.

Healing: Something newly granted by his patron demon after a trip to China. In exchange for a blood offering he can heal the wounds of another person or himself. Not something he’s likely to share outside of extreme circumstances. The healing factor is dependent on the amount of blood offered. More blood more healing.

Portals: Open up a circular portal to another location large enough for a person to fit through.

Ability Two: Handy dandy villain tech! Slightly less villain-y thanks to his current state of parole and “retirement”.

Glider: Named AIKO by its creator. Purchased long ago early on in Mako’s career the glider has been essential. Early AI gave it the ability to assist flying in troubled conditions. Over the years, through periodic updates, the AI expanded. The glider is now its own sentient entity. Most of the time, until summoned by Mako, Aiko plays in Fortnite gaming tournaments. It’s addicted to online gaming and plays other titles as well.

Mask: A thick steel mask with devil horns. Useful for more than just shielding his face from attacks. Has built-in optics that enable him to have night and heat vision. Heavy but securely attaches to his head so it doesn’t fly into the void while joyriding. Has built-in optics and sensors that see beyond the visible light spectrum. Heat and night vision are by far the most useful modes. Has filtration for smoky or gassed conditions but can’t run for long without changing the filter cartridge.

Not-a-murdergun: Downgraded from murdergun. A worn gun that has a retro sci-fi feel to it. Shoots small darts coated in one of two toxins. One is a mace-like irritant, and the other a numbing agent.

Ability Three: Mako isn’t just a name. Sharky McSharkface is partially fishy thanks to a benevolent demon met in his time of need.

A set of mostly functional gills, able to breathe for moderate times in fresh or saltwater, is the most useful by far. Blood around, or in, his gills invokes a blinding rage until flushed clean. The same tends to happen when he’s injured. By flaring his mouth and gills he may be able to locate a wounded and bleeding target. A second set of gills lay under his rib cage and allow extra time underwater. They make breathing in poorly oxygenated waters possible but he’s twice as likely to get sick from pollution or parasites. .

Solid black eyes and a second set of eyelids are much less awesome for general use. The eyes work best underwater so impacts his ability to distinguish small objects and read fine print. Prescription glasses are a must if he wants to read anything that’s smaller than a stop sign. The eyelids are tattooed to resemble normal eyes when closed. They’ve faded over time but are good in a pinch like if he needs to pass himself off as human for a brief stint.

A line of barely visible sensors dot the sides of his nose. They have the ability to sense electromagnetic fields and, in turn, hunt down a target. Much more effective in water but sort of works on land.

Folding fins with sharp spines. A set rests on his outer forearms, calves, along his spine, and as a sail on his head. They remain down virtually all the time because he wants to at least try and fit in. They’re fairly useless out of water and get in the way or snag on his clothing.

Drawbacks & Weaknesses:

Magic: Everything comes at a price. The easiest magic for him to learn and use was of the blood variety and requires a sacrifice. Easy as a villain and more than an inconvenience as a hero’s bitch. The bigger the spell the more blood is required. Fortunately enough the magic world isn’t terribly picky and animal, or his own, is acceptable. Too many missed payments and his soul belongs to his matron.

Reeks of demon. Especially noticeable to the religious and spiritual. To others he’ll seem “off”. The demonic blessings have warped his soul worse than his body so it’s edging into Uncanny Valley.

Bloodied gills can make his behavior erratic as he loses control. Allies may become targets and he is likely to make poor decisions that can cause him more injury than the target.

Bloodlust is hard to control once he gets violent. Breaking off from a fight becomes difficult and he is prone to losing the sense of self-preservation.

The gills themselves are a liability because he’s extra sensitive to air and water pollution. Parasites are an issue as well. But smoke damage slows him down considerably and takes longer to heal than the average injury.

The shark eyes have very poor vision outside of water.

The electromagnetic sense is weak to electricity and prone to shorting out in a thunderstorm. It’s difficult to sort out what’s a target and what’s electronic interference.

The fins catch on his clothing and are generally a pain to deal with. While they could be useful as a last-ditch effort in a fight that’s not a great option. They’re more delicate than bones and are weak to breakage.

Skills: Many. Due to the nature of his work the ability to learn and retain skills has been invaluable. From car repairs, parkour, light computer programming and hacking, field first aid, he’s a good ally to drag along to virtually any situation. Years of riding on his glider has honed his reflexes; he has excellent defensive driving talents even at high speeds and slick road conditions.

Background: Childhood ended abruptly in his mid-teens when his father fell behind repaying a substantial gambling debt. Ito heard a commotion and struggle and fled his apartment home, leaving a young brother and sister behind, without looking back or trying to save them. It’s a burden he carries to this day.

Life hiding in back alleys, paranoid, fearing being recognized or identification, deeply damaged his psyche. Sleep was brief and fleeting and his health suffered. Desperation ultimately drove him to joining the underworld he cowered from for so long. Bottom rung baddie put him squarely with the worst jobs. Pickpocketing, light theft, running errands, typical entry level grunt work. The first several years were particularly rough as he found his footing.

Once he gained momentum the climb up the criminal ladder was swift. By the time he hit 25 the name Mako had some weight to it. He moved on to jobs listed on the dark web. Higher paying ones that allowed him some new armor and even his signature hover board.

At one point midway through his career be became the target. A vengeful family put a steep price on his head and a fellow hitman took him out. His body was thrown off a dock nicknamed Devil Bay as an offering to the demoness living there. The demon, a massive garnet red octopus, found use in Mako and resurrected him with a few modifications. Gills, extra senses for hunting prey, a predator’s eyes, magic, and an eternal mark on his body and soul that branded him as hers eternal: the tattoo resembling herself that rings his neck. It all came with a cost: his condemned soul or a stream of blood offerings.

In time he slowed down and eventually succumbed to META. Cornered, injured, and just plain exhausted he turned himself over and pleaded guilty to virtually all charges. After a stint in jail and long interrogation, lead by a psychic and checked by second, it was determined he could be of use. He now resides in the Sanctuary under the condition of assisting heroic activities while being closely monitored.

A trip to China granted him half his life back and some added ‘gifts’ to make him a better aquatic predator. It also resulted in him being assigned caregiver of a tiny demon. The son of his patron demon Bai Tza. The child demon is a tiny octopus named Ocho Lee.

Criminal Record: A mile long. Unfortunately, due to “henchman” being a lifelong career, it’s very likely he has been framed for some crimes.

META notes: Uncooperative when apprehended. Very rude during bookings and detainment. Causes numerous disturbances both physically and verbally. Doesn’t directly assault police and META officers but ends fights started by prisoners during detainment. Answers questions honestly but doesn’t give useful answers.

Behaves differently when met on the street. Willing to assist with capturing dangerous magical suspects. More willing if they’re a large and immediate threat. Has assisted in recovering multiple magical weapons of mass destruction. At least one capable of summoning an elder god. More importantly there was confirmed delivery to the sorcerer supreme.

Quirks, Extras, Random Character Facts:

Timed one of his mugshots just right: he’s seen pulling down his lower lip with a middle finger to reveal a normally hidden tattoo. It reads “fuck the police” because of course he has one of those.

Loves cats. Helped keep a few rescues running near his home. Builds wheelchairs for needy pets in shelters and private care alike.

Not quite as hardened and merciless as he’d like to come across as. Has a soft spot for those who can’t take care of themselves. Has been known to hit the streets with an insulated backpack carrying sandwiches and drinks for the needy. A portion of his life was spent down low so he sympathizes with the needy.

Most of his contracts weren’t the highest paying. Instead of just going off the price tag he’d review the reason why the hits were placed. Any with a good reasoning took priority. Child molesters, abusive individuals, and those he saw as irredeemable were worth eliminating.