Marcus- Chernobyl Curs OCT

My characters for the OCT.

Please note that only Marcus will be competing, and Iza will be there just as an interpreter and friend.

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Name: Marcus

Breed Base: Mixed breed- Boxer, Border Collie, maybe Pit Bull

Age: 3 years

Gender: male

Height/weight: 24 inches/60 pounds

Abilities:

-Improvised weapon use: Takes ordinary objects, and wields them in his jaws as weapons (e.g. a heavy stick, a discarded iron bar, etc).

Strengths:

-He can climb/scale obstacles in an almost cat-like fashion (though his nails can't act as claws, obviously).

-Quick and very agile, he usually can dodge larger opponents and get a bite or hit in if he can.

-Has a strong bite (stronger than average for a dog his size), once he bites down, it’s hard to get him off.


Weaknesses:

-He is not a big dog, only weighing 60 pounds. He really can’t afford to close with a larger opponent, at the risk of being crushed.

-He has short fur(between that of a Boxer’s and a Border Collie’s), and is more susceptible to bites and other flesh wounds.

-He has damaged vocal cords (see “Other” below for more) that makes it hard for him to communicate.

-His scar is rather large, and has little to no hair growth. Though the skin is thicker there, it is still a weak spot that he needs to guard carefully.

-When wielding weapons with his jaws, he puts the inside of his mouth at risk. He can hurt himself if he’s not careful.

-A few months ago he sprained his back left paw. It’s mostly healed, but it’s still somewhat weak.

Personality: Bright and inquisitive, but not to the point of being naive (though sometimes his curiosity can get the better of him). He’s usually friendly, but due to his handicap (see “Other” below), he can’t always socialize with other dogs.


History: Marcus was not born in Pripyat, and how he got there is unknown. He has no memory of his life before the age of 6 months. He wandered into the outskirts of the city, lost, cold, and half-starved with no idea who or where he was. The only clue to his past was a tattered collar, which was later lost

He was taken in by a great, shaggy dog named Iza(see her ref below). With her help, he learned how to survive and how to outwit the larger, fiercer dogs who would think he was an easy target.

Likes: Iza; hunting; exploring; wrestling; birds’ eggs

Dislikes: thunderstorms; arrogance; nosy neighbors.

Other: Wherever Marcus came from, he was either partially de-barked or had his vocal cords damaged in some other way(he has a large scar on his throat.)

In any case, his speech is heavily impaired. His voice cuts out a lot, and he can’t enunciate his words at all.

Iza has learned how to understand him, and, when she can, acts as his interpreter when he needs to talk to other dogs.

On his own, Marcus is rarely able to get his message across, most of the time other dogs just assume he’s not right in the head and then either decide to ignore him or drive him away.

Note: his mental faculties are normal.

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Name: Izadora, or “Iza”

(Please note: she will be a companion to Marcus, not a fighter)

Breed: Caucasian Shepherd

Age: 6 years

Gender: female

Height/Weight: 28 inches, 130 pounds

Personality: Despite her size and appearance, Iza is normally easygoing and even-tempered (see the edit below, however), though even she can lose her temper if pushed enough.

But ever since Marcus decided to take part in the tournament, she has been getting more and more moody and irritable. She's afraid for Marcus, knowing what the tournament is like, and doesn't want him to go. But she knows she can't stop him, and as a result her laid back demeanor is deteriorating.

History: Iza was born a farm dog, then was stolen to be used for fighting, before finally escaping her human handlers and found her way to Pripyat.

Other: She took Marcus in about two and a half years ago when he was a half-grown puppy.

She plays the role of big sister, rather than mother. She loves to tease him, but dotes on him as well.

She sticks up for him when other dogs try to cause trouble, but she knows that he can handle himself, despite his size.

While she can figure out his impaired speech most of the time, they have developed a form of silent communication between themselves that not many other dogs can understand. It’s not exactly telepathy, but more empathic in nature.

Despite her great size and strength, Iza has no love for fighting. But when needed, she will defend those she cares about.

She will accompany Marcus to the tournament as his interpreter, but won’t take part as a fighter herself.