Locke (Earthwalker)

Character's full name: Locke Nicodemus Tori
Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: Earthwalker
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Birthday: August 29, 1993
Nationality/ Ethnicity: Caucasian (mutt of the world)
Birthplace/ Home/ Place of origin: San Francisco, California

Appearance

Hair colour and style: Locke's hair is a dark redish-brown, kept in a longish manner. Frequently he brushes his hair over his left eye.
Eyes: His right eye is a dark blue, the left is white and dead.
Height: Six foot two inches
Build: Locke is in reasonably good shape. He doesn't have an athlete's build, but he is not scrawny nor overweight. All in all pretty average.
Visible mutation: None, though he tends to attract dirt
Scars/ Tattoos/ Piercings: Locke's left eye is dead due to a car accident that gave him a x-shaped scar over it. Scar on right leg
Other features:

Everyday clothing style:Locke is always cold, and therefor wears multiple layers. His shoe of choice is a pair of high tops with worn out soles. Jeans of course must be worn, and though he washes them on a regular basis, usually there is some dirt on them somewhere. The first shirt layer is usually a long-john top, with a t-shirt, then a button up t-shirt over that. Locke will wear something until he out-grows it or it falls apart.
Uniform: At the moment none
Sleepwear: Flannel plaid pajama pants in shades of grey and red, whatever t-shirt he wore that night, and a yellow and black checker print bathrobe.
Miscellaneous clothing:

Character

Personality: Locke is a very secluded teenager. Mostly though it's because he's shy or frightened, (the scar over his left eye, combined with the dead eye itself has a tendency to scare others, and this has made him very self conscious). He is a very grounded teenager, due to having to keep his best friend (known for dying half his head blue when bored) from being too wild, and responsibilities that come from being in charge of his younger siblings when Kendra is busy at work. Locke does not seem to take joy in wild antics, and would rather spend his time writing or working on his powers then to go to a party or watch a movie, though he can't resist a good psychological thriller, and is addicted to the Saw movies, (Kendra hates them). Also Locke has the bad habit of keeping emotions bottled up inside, and even as a child, his temper was something to be feared. To him it is hard to express how he feels on subjects, and it always has been. Most of the time Locke keeps to himself and doesn't like people asking too many questions about his eye or scar. If you get him to talk, chances are that he views you as a friend, or at least not an enemy, and if you can get him to keep from brushing hair over his dead eye, then you have become an important figure in his life.

Locke is not immune to teenage hormones, but even if his eye wasn't a frightful thing to look at, Locke would still feel some intimidation from females. He's only had a girlfriend once, being set up by his best friend, and that was a total disaster. She was too clinging for the teen who prized his personal space, and demanded attention more frequently then his younger siblings. Two weeks was much too long for that relationship to have lasted.
Hobbies/ Interests: Locke enjoys psychological thriller or horror movies, in part because they annoy his step-mother, and partially because he finds the situations so horribly fake that there is nothing to fear. He writes a lot on his laptop, and knows a few tricks to get around some parental blocks on computers and video games thanks to his father. Baseball is his favorite sport, and prior to the accident he played it, watched it, and even dreamed of it. His best friend somehow managed to convince him to pick up a music instrument, and Locke chose the bass guitar because he likes feeling it in his chest. Locke likes cats, though usually only strays. The poofy white cats in commercials make him think of snooty old ladies.
Job or part time job and description: Locke more or less fulfills the role of father to his younger siblings, picking them up from school and watching them at night. He is attending college for something to do with childhood development.
Fears/ phobias/ concerns: Since the car crash Locke has been hesitant about several forms of transportation. Cars for obvious reasons, but planes as well since he figures that if people die more often in car crashes then airplane crashes, his odds aren't that good. Trains are tolerable, since they are on a set track, but he prefers to hoof it or take the subway. Something about being surrounded by the earth soothes him. Boats are only a concern because he gets seasick. He has a very low self esteem when it comes to body image, making him feel uncomfortable in many social situations. Locke is frightened of silence at night. It makes him feel as if darkness is closing in on him, and doctors have put into his mind the idea that he may suddenly go blind. He hates feeling lost, and the longer he is left confused about his location, the more panicked he becomes. This comes from when he was very young and got caught upside-down in a garden maze's bush.
Special talents: As part of his rehabilitation, and possible preparation for the future Locke had to learn the Braille alphabet, and can read it if words are spelled out rather then using contractions.

Morality

Good/ bad/ neutral/ other: Good, though Locke may take the path that is the most logical to him. He isn't going to go killing humans, nor does he have a prejudice against them. His main concern is what will make things safest and best for his younger siblings.

Mutations

Mutation description: Locke mentally alters the vibrations and frequency of soil and rocks to manipulate them into a golem. Provided that the majority of the substance used to create the golem is a type of rock or a kind of soil he is able to use it. Two examples of soil based substances would be mud and glass. As long as the dirt is the majority of the mud, it will respond to him. Glass is made almost entirely of sand or quartz. It responds, but is too brittle to take new shapes without heat.
Strengths:
A golem is generally stronger then Locke himself is, depending upon the substance that he uses. The harder the material, the harder it hits
Can control multiple golems simultainously (2-3 depending upon size of initial golem)

A partially formed golem, such as a hand, could be used for restraining purposes, either for holding someone or pulling them partially into the ground.
Sand golems can be made by sliding some under doors and serve as a handy distraction.
Failed golems, or ones that he looses results in gopher holes, useful for tripping up opponents, or will cause uneven terrain due to the displacement of earth from the golem.
Can make golems of different sizes (current max ten foot) to adjust for materials available (make a smaller golem when there is less materials)
Golems also increase the radius that Locke is able to sense things through the earth.

Some general stats for a human sized golem
Sand golem-
Physical Strength- 2
Speed- 15

Dirt-
Physical Strength- 6.5-7 depending upon moisture of dirt
Speed- 7-8 depending upon moisture of dirt, six if dirt is frozen

Concrete-
Physical Strength- 11
Speed- 5

Weaknesses:
Locke has to deal with the difficulties involved with the different types of earth. Sand for example is easy to work with, but shifts constantly and adds the challenge of replenishing the golem with each movement. Glass responds, but he needs someone to add heat for it to make a new shape. A harder substance, such as say feldspar, or anything higher then a 2 on the Mohs scale, becomes stiffer and harder to move. Stubborn as Locke would call it
In order to create a golem, Locke needs to be in contact with the earth, the more the better, but afterwords needs only to keep his mind focused upon the golem.
He can only make a golem within a five foot radius of his body, but again, once it is made, Locke needs only to keep the focus.
Each additional golem must be smaller then the one before
Each additional golem makes it more difficult to control
The larger the golem the more mentally and physically exhausting it is to Locke to maintain and manipulate.
Afterward he becomes confused directionally and suffers a unique mix of vertigo and vection that somehow does not bother the contents of his stomach.
When controlling a golem, Locke can sort of see what is going on outside of what he is doing, but he doesn't respond, thus making him vulnerable to attack.
Should he be hit, or otherwise distracted from the golem, Locke will loose his focus, and therefore the golem.
Can only make a golem of materials at hand
Golems must stay in contact with the ground in some way. Softer materials, such as sand or dirt, for reasons of replenishing what the golem sheds with movement, harder materials because it is more difficult to work with. If no contact is made, Locke will loose the golem
Softer material golems tend to disolve in water, thus causing him to loose the golem
The material from a lost golem cannot be moved unless it is within the starting distance to make a new golem, or if an existing golem is near it to recycle the resources


Secondary mutation description: A subtle secondary mutation which works as a part of the primary (it is more or less impossible to make a functioning eye, so he would be totally blind controlling the golem otherwise), and also serves to make up for his lack of depth perception and decreased vision, is an awareness through earth vibrations, though only ones caused by nature
Strengths:
Allows for a way to see while controlling a golem and helps to fill in for the dead eye.
Alerts him to natural shifts in the earth.
Weaknesses:
Locke is “tuned” to movements that are natural, such as was the case with the earthquake, where he is aware of a change in vibrations, and additional pressures on the surface of the earth within the immediate vicinity of him, i.e. his little siblings standing behind or to his left.
Artificial methods of vibrating the earth, such as a jackhammer, are changes that he isn’t in “tune” with. Sort of like how people can hear a cello, but not a dog whistle.
This is not echolocation such as a bat would possess, for he does not get a 3D visual, or even a 2-D. It is like seeing a footprint in the sand. You do not see what made it, nor what is beneath it.
Must have some contact with a material he can work with in order to sense

Fighting Style

Explanation: Locke is more likely to use his powers in a fight, even subconsciously. He might let a golem drop before it can form to trip up an opponent, or he might restrain them with an earthen hand. Depending upon how dangerous the situation is, he might bring up a golem to fight for him, as the golem feels no pain and generally hits harder then he could
Pros for fighting style: Smaller things, such as gopher holes from failed golems and hands help to keep distance. Golems do more damage, are more frightening, and do not feel pain.
Cons for fighting style: Small things only buy some time, while a golem can leave him exposed to physical damage

Faction Allegiance: Unaffiliated

History Of Your Character:
Locke's mother died or left him when he was young. Locke didn't much care, and hardly ever thought about it, so he never pressed his dad for information. He does have some vague memories of her, just faint notions what her voice sounded like, and he knows that he inherited some of her looks. For a long time it was just him and his dad Hugo, and of course his dad became the center of his universe. But when he was nine his father remarried. Locke wasn't too fond of who he chose, but said nothing. Part of his displeasure was that now he was going to have to give up something that he had clung to for so long, but he also wondered why his dad wanted this, when he still referred to his first wife as his "angel". Hugo was well familiar with the signs that Locke was holding back opinions and emotions, and knew that a bit of coaxing could help him to express them in a healthy way. At the time Locke was very much into baseball, and was planning to play on the middle school team. The two decided to go to a baseball game, just the two of them as Kendra was expecting. On the way there was a car accident. Locke was lucky to live through it. He was blinded in his left eye, had his right leg broken so badly that it required some minor surgery, and had a gash in his arm that required twenty stitches, not to mention some internal injuries. His father wasn't so lucky.

While Locke was undergoing rehab and dealing with the death of his father, his step-mother was in essence useless as emotional support, thanks to the birth of two healthy babies, Christian and Mai, which only added to his distaste for her. Doctors spoke in hushed voices about the possibility of him loosing his vision in his other eye. Apparently eyes are sympathetic, and if one goes, the other might as well. With nobody wanting to be fully honest with him, Locke started to fear darkness and quiet late at night.

Also after the crash Locke seemed to grow extremely aware of when someone was about to run into him. Everyone said it was the other senses kicking in, to make up for his decreased depth perception and lessened vision, but to Locke it felt more like the ground beneath his feet was warning him. He became more and more aloof.

One night when they were five, his brother and sister managed to drag him downstairs to watch a movie with them. Half-way through the film he shoved them under a door frame. There was an earthquake that shook the house and the spot that the twins had been sitting in was hidden by a large pile of plaster from the ceiling. Everyone was shocked more that he knew that the tremor was coming than the fact that there was an earthquake.

Locke slowly began realizing what he could do through small circumstances. Potted plants falling over, clay sticking to his body from art class for the rest of the day. The biggest discovery came when one night, doing his best to endure the silence that fell once his little brother and sister were asleep he found himself moving dirt about in the old Easter Lilly until a small thing was trying to pin the flower.

Roleplay
Where did you learn about this site?: Google
Do you have any other characters on MRO, if so who: N/A
Sample RP: When he was four, Locke threw a temper tantrum so bad that he broke a lamp that had been sitting on a shelf up and out of his way. Hugo had gotten use by then to his son's eruptions that happened when there was no other way for Locke to say all the things that was going on emotionally, and with the patience of a saint simply placed Locke in a cool shaded room to shout and cry. Broken lamps could be replaced, and he did not own any expensive books. The advantages of being a bachelor. Afterwords Hugo sat Locke down and taught him how to focus on his breathing, and how to let himself fall away one piece at a time. Breathe in for three, hold for three, breathe out for three, over and over and over.

Now as Locke pulled the blanket up over Chris, who's cheeks still plump with early childhood were flattened against a pillow, and wore one of Locke's old t-shirts to bed (Mai did as well, but it was a nightgown for her) he felt that same sense of calmness creep into him, without having to count his breathing. They might only be his half siblings, but to him they meant the world. Locke needed Chris and Mai, just the way that they would need him when they got older. Someone would have to tell them who their dad had been, and Locke saw it clearly in the twins. Satisfied that they were truly asleep this time, not about to jump up and run around once he left the room, Locke creeped out into the hallway and looked at his watch.

Nine-thirty, and he had work to do still.

"Locke have you finished your homework?" Kendra asked as she walked past with a basket of laundry. She didn't look him in the face, and he didn't blame her at all for it. Things had become weird since that last quake, when he knew that the house was going to shake before it did. He responded to people before they called to him from behind, potted plants tilted over when he walked past. One day he hobbled back from school, clay from art class still stuck to his arms and face, not wanting to come off even with a shower and vigorous scrubbing. He hadn't told her how earlier today someone was about to run right into him in a dash to class, only to trip over a mysterious hole in the ground that had not been there before.

"I'll get it done after I finish the laundry," he mumbled. Puberty had finally settled down and his voice settled into something much too old sounding. It was like someone's grandpa who had been a smoker for too many years, gravelly, slightly garbled, and resonating in his chest. That was the extent of their conversation for the day. Overall it was an improvement. Yesterday had been just a shrug of his shoulder's and a "Yeah" when he was asked if he'd do the dishes.

For the last two months he had been doing his clothes as a separate load, after Kendra and the twin's clothes had been washed. The dirt and dust that settled on his jeans would clog up the filter if combined with the lint from everyone else. Kendra had asked where it had come from, but he did not answer. He did not need to. She noticed him making little things, people like things, with the spilled dirt from the potted plants, and how he wore those high tops that had the pebbles embedded in the thin soles even inside the house. That was the way that their relationship now had to work, and Locke accepted it as he grabbed one of his long sleeved shirts and tossed it into his hamper. But it didn't mean he was happy with it.


Laundry going now, Locke found it hard to focus on the English assignment in front of him. He did not want to be sitting in that awkward silence that followed him around once the twins were put to bed. As useless as his left eye was, Locke closed it as he tried to convince himself to stay just one more day before running and leaving San Fransisco and the painful memories behind.