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Rens Houben is, among other things, a programmer, a linux geek, a sysadmin and a college compsci dropout, although he sometimes makes noises about how he'd like to go back and finish that education sometime. His hobbies include (aside from messing around with linux boxes to make them work even better) surfing the web, reading hard sci-fi, and playing computer games. He is also an avid roleplayer, both the online and 'real-life' variants, and a two-year student of Iaido, a Japanese fighting art he somewhat irreverently describes as "fast-draw fencing".
He is currently happily and gainfully employed as the resident linux guru at a relatively minor Internet Service Provider catering to the small-to-midtier businesses in their region, a job that lets him get away with doing what he enjoys most and get paid for it. The fact that they don't mind when he takes his katana to work in order to practice during his lunch break is merely icing on the cake.
Rens and Shadur are separate entities, sharing the same body. This fact used to have a negative effect on Rens's study results, especially in classes that bored him. (It's hard to concentrate on a dull droning voice nattering on about something dumb, but it's even worse when someone else is explicitly stating his opinions on the teacher, the subject and several hundred other facts that Shadur considers more interesting). Because they constantly share each other's thoughts, memories and experiences, both of them are gradually changing, becoming more like the other, starting to literally think as one.
Shadur joined with Rens during the latter's 15th year, when he'd injured himself critically falling from a tree. They were still exploring the effects of the joining when, in the spring of 1996, a group of wyrm-minions entered the Schwarzwald in order to build a clandestine TV station there to spread the Hellwyrm's influence to Europe. In doing so, they trespassed on what Shadur claimed as his territory and pissed him off by attacking him when he asked them what the hell they were doing there. (Good advice: Never tick off a dragon in his own territory. They died quickly but messily.)
Shadur wanted to kill all of them outright, but Rens convinced him to leave one survivor to take a message back. The Hellwyrm subsequently kidnapped Rens's parents and brother and sister, trying to blackmail him into allowing the TV station to be built and protecting it from the Jihad.
Realising that submitting would only cause this "Barney"
to continue the blackmail as long as whatever it was had a use for him, Rens/Shadur
flew across the Atlantic to locate this "Jihad" which this "Barney"
seemed to worry about, to find out if they could help him.
After making contact, he learned just what kind of danger the Hellwyrm presented
to all sentient life and decided to join the Jihad. With the help of TRES
Corps, he was able to rescue his parents and his brother and sister, as well
as wiping the construction site in the Schwarzwald off the face of the Earth.
Since then Shad continues to work with TRES, currently as executive officer
of Zeta Squad R&D.
Rens
Attributes: ST 11 IQ 13 DX 13 HT 10
Advantages:
3D Spatial Sense [10], Acceleration Tolerance [10], Acute Hearing [2], Acute
Vision [2], Ally Group (The Jihad) [90], Combat Reflexes [15], Danger Sense
[15], Dark Vision [25], Improved G-Tolerance [5], Military Rank+3 (Captain,
TRES) [15], Shadow Form [50], Sharpshooter (Pistol and Rifle) [45].
Disadvantages:
Bad Temper [-10], Callous [-6], Code of Honor [-5], Duty (to the Schwartzwald)
[-27], Enemy (Admiral Bond, TRES Intel) [-10], Enemy (Barney & Fiends)
[-80], Frightens Animals [-5], Gluttony (eats like a dragon even in human
form) [-5], Karmic Ties (Schwartzwald) [0], Odious Personal Habit (reptillian
body language) [-5], Sense of Duty (the Jihad) [-5], Split Personality (Shadur)
[-10], Trickster [-15], Weakness (high environmental temperature) [-15].
Quirks:
Can’t drive a car to save his life
Proud
Skills:
Acting-13; Area Knowledge(Schwartzwald)-20; Aviation(TL7)-12; Aviation(TL8/9)-15;
Chess-13; Combat Art (Dual Pistol)-14; Combat Art (X-Rifle)-13; Computer Hacking(TL7)-14;
Computer Operation-15; Computer Programming(TL8)-14; Crypanalysis(TL8)-12;
Cryptography(TL8)-11; Dancing-13; Disguise-12; Dual-Weapon Attack (Pistols)-4;
Electronics(TL8)-13; Engineer(TL8)-13; Fast-Draw (Pistol)-14; First Aid-13;
Intellegence Analysis-11; Interrogation-12; Language(Dutch)-13; Language(English)-15;
Language(German)-12; Mathematics-11; Mechanic(TL8/9)-12; Motorcycle-13; Musical
Instrument (Keyboard)-14; Musical Notation-13; No-Landing Extraction-13; Physics(TL8)-12;
Pickpocket-11; Research-13; Sign Language (TRES Battle Sign Code)-12; Skating-11;
Sleight of Hand-11; Stealth-14; Weird Science-12.
Total Points: 265.5
Shadur
Attrbutes: ST 21 IQ 11 DX 13 HT 14
Advantages:
Alertness+4 [20], Ally Group (The Jihad) [90], Breathe Fire [20], Cast Iron
Stomach [15], Claws [15], Combat Reflexes [15], Damage Resistance+4 [12],
Damage Resistance (versus Fire/Heat) [2], Dark Vision [25], Discriminatory
Smell [15], Enhanced Move (Running) [10], Extra Encumbrance [5], Extra Hit
Points+6 [30], Extra Legs (Four total) [5], Extra Reach (Forelimbs) [20],
Fearlessness+2 [4], Flexibility [15], Flight (Winged) [24], Full Coordination+2
[100], Hard to Kill+2 [10], High Pain Threshold [10], Immunity to Disease
[10], Military Rank+3 (Captain, TRES) [15], Penetrating Call [5], Peripheral
Vision [15], Scales (Heavy) [28], Striker: Tail [15], Teeth (Sharp) [5], Telescopic
Vision+2 [12], Temperature Tolerance+5 (Cold only) [5], Unaging [15].
Disadvantages:
Appearance: Monstrous [-25], Bloodlust [-10], Duty (to Schwartzwald) [-27],
Dying Race (Last of kind) [-10], Enemy (Admiral Bond, TRES Intel) [-5], Enemy
(Barney & Fiends) [-80], Frightens Animals [-10], Gluttony [-5], Greed
[-15], Horizontal [-10], Inconvenient Size (Large) [-20], Intolerance [-10],
Jealousy [-10], Odious Racial Habit (Eats Sentients) [-15], Poor Grip [-5],
Pyromania [-5], Stubbornness [-5], Truthfulness [-5], Weakness (High environmental
temperature), [-20].
Quirks:
Doesn’t trust humans
Likes reptile men.
Skills:
Area Knowledge (Schwartzwald)-20; Combat Art (Draconic Ground/Air)-14; Intimidation-16;
Language (English)-11; Riding (Being Ridden)-13.
Total Points: 584