Name: Nocht Meinkroft
Age: 22
Bounty: 17,000,000
Species: Human (Biologically Altered)
Occupation: Doctor, Scientist
Allegiance: Pirate - Steel Village
Home Village/Ocean: Meinkroft Island, Grand Line
Appearance: Very young for a man of his profession, Nocht does not resemble a standard doctor. He's tall and thin, with very angular features; his jawline is sharp, high cheek bones, level shoulders, etc. Six and a half feet tall, very thin, the doctor's form is hidden beneath a double-breasted, shin-length, white labcoat. Beneath his coat he wears a black t-shirt and matching slacks. His hands are hidden by sky-blue rubber gloves that extend beneath his coat up to his biceps; on his feet, sky-blue rubber boots that extend up to his thighs. Nocht's hair is black, short, a standing shock of messy spikes. He has a five o'clock shadow at all times. A pair of black-framed goggles, it's mirrored lenses in the shape of rounded-corner rectangles, rests around his neck when not in use.
History: Nocht Meinkroft was born on a nameless island in the first half of the grand line that did not fall on any of the standard log pose routes. He remembers nothing about his parents or who raised him; his first memories are of a small hut he build himself out of square bricks of dirt. Somehow, he knew how to read and write since as far back as he could recall; he knew his name without anyone ever telling it to him. Everything about his past, how he came to be, how he survived up until that time when his memory began, all of it is a complete mystery to him. This enigmatic origin would prove to fuel the curiosity that turned him down the road of weird science.
The island on which Nocht was born had a strange geographical tendency towards cubes. All landscape, all wildlife, everything on the island tended to form or grow in cubes. For some reason, the island seemed to have a tendency to spawn life randomly as well, new species appearing and disappearing on a regular basis. Raising himself amidst this strangeness, the young Meinkroft began to observe and study the bizarre and inexplicable phenomenon which surrounded him. Year after year, living amidst the endless and improbable world of that tiny, uncivilized, unvisited island, he began to develop a sort of understanding for the island's workings. By the time he was sixteen, Nocht had decided that he could learn no more of the mysteries of life - his own or any other - without leaving that island.
Building a ship out of cubes of buoyant cactus, Nocht sailed from the island that he had decided to name after himself (being it's only known sentient inhabitant). With no log pose to guide him, he was at the mercy of fate; fortunately for the inquisitive youth, fate smiled upon him. Just a week after his departure, the burgeoning scientist found himself on an island known for it's scientific universities. Earning himself a full scholarship by writing a paper about his home island, the gifted youth earned himself a doctorate in biochemistry by the age of nineteen. No sooner had he graduated than he'd also been awarded an open-ended grant by the island's principle academic institute to conduct his research on the origins of life.
Unfortunately, the prodigal enigma's luck ran out about that time. Just two years into his studies, after making unprecedented progress, a number of jealous students who'd lost their grants to the brilliant biochemist's research took it upon themselves to sabotage Nocht. Sneaking into his lab late at night, they scattered his lab with dismembered human body parts they'd stolen from a nearby morgue. The next day, they brought the Dean of Sciences down to the unsuspecting researchers lab, claiming that they'd discovered he was using people in his experiments. A warrant was immediately put out for the falsely-accused scientist's arrest. When he arrived to work that afternoon, unaware of the treachery that had befallen him, Nocht was arrested and brought to before a judge for his imaginary crimes.
Until that point in his life, nothing had ever made Nocht angry. Suddenly, the young genius was confronted with a new and powerful, unexplainable emotion. Rage consumed his normally cheerful and optimistic mind; rage at being framed, rage at having his research ruined. He raged at the petty bitterness of his rivals, at the willingness of the Dean to believe their outrageous lies. The fire of rage blazed uncontrollably inside of the boy, fueled by every injustice and indignity that had befallen him as a result of that whole ugly conspiracy. The moment his bail was posted, the enraged young doctor rushed back to his house, to the private, hidden laboratory he'd set up there so that he could continue his research should his grant ever be withdrawn. That night, fueled to an epiphany by his maddening anger, Nocht completed the first batch of what would become his crowning achievement and the first step towards his ultimate dream of Genesis: The Creep.
Driven by his boundless anger, Nocht used his new creation to create an army of small, strange, artificial lifeforms. They were frail, short-lived, and physically weak; they posed no threat by themselves. However, by serendipity, an instability in the first batch of Creep caused these man-made organisms to break down violently at the end of their lifespan. They didn't need to attack anything, didn't need intelligence or speed or wit or cunning. Rather, they simply needed to roam. Nobody on the island understood exactly what it meant when those strange, green, sorrowful-looking little critters began to flood the streets, mindlessly wandering up to anyone and everyone who had a pulse and following them doggedly. The creatures seemed utterly harmless; some even found them cute. Considering it a low priority, a few researchers began studying the strange creatures.
By the time that the first scientist had discovered the horrifying secret behind the freaky little green quadrupeds, it was far too late. Across the entire island, one by one, the artificial lifeforms began to swell in size, letting out a sinister "sssssssssss" sound. Then, in a single moment, they began to explode. A deafening roar shook the island as thousands of these unstable organisms rapidly decomposed, bursting as explosive gases built within their bodies and detonated. Most of the island's buildings were utterly ruined by the resulting explosions, and nearly ten percent of the population was killed; over ninety percent were injured. Emerging from his shelter, Nocht surveyed the havoc his creations had wrought of the island.
Upon seeing what he'd done, the youth's anger instantly disappeared. Nocht was satisfied with his revenge; even more importantly, though, he was elated by his experiment's success. It didn't matter to him at all that he'd be an outlaw. The only thing that was important to him was that he'd moved one step closer to his ultimate goal of understanding the secrets of the origin of life. Stealing a small boat and loading it with his personal lab equipment and all the materials he'd need to make his "Creep", Nocht set out to sea. Though his life on the island had ended, his adventure was just beginning.
His studies would continue; of this Nocht was certain. This time, though, he would not be a scientist in a laboratory, surrounded by petty and jealous and bitter rivals who despised him for his brilliance and ambition. There would be no political maneuvering, no jumping through hoops for more funding or testing approval. This time, he'd conduct his research on his own terms, in his own way, doing as he pleased and simply taking whatever he needed. His research would continue, even more fruitful than before.
Doctor Nocht Meinkroft would conduct his research as a pirate!
Personality: Ever since his youth, Nocht has been fascinated with life and, in particular, it's origins. The mystery of life is everything to him. He views all living creatures as equally important, for good or bad; he thinks no worse of an ant than a human, nor any better of a human than an ant. While not evil, his universal regard for all organisms as equal tends to make him seem callous or indifferent to life in the eyes of those who do not understand him. In reality, Nocht is capable of making friends and treating people well, and often tries to. However, his unique world view and all-consuming need to learn the secrets of genesis often lead to his alienation, and it is rare for the scientist doctor to keep friends for very long, no matter how much he'd like to.
Still, once you get past his freaky science, he's a pretty nice guy. Normally up-beat and cheery, possessed of a childlike sense of wonder, it's easy for others to like him if they're capable of tolerating his unique mental defects. It's very rare for Nocht to get sad or angry; he only typically experiences these emotions when an experiment of his fails or somebody tramples - literally or figuratively - on his prized research. He also has an unusually overactive sense of humour, tending to laugh much too hard and too long when he hears a joke he likes, as well as going out of his way to be involved in or create situations he considers funny (which, given his somewhat dubious regard for the wellbeing of other living creatures, can be quite dangerous).
Ship: Steel Village Ship
Ship Flag: Steel Village Flag
Devil Fruit: N/A
Type: N/A
Effect: N/A
Special Abilities
Biochemical Mastery - Nocht has mastered a form of biochemistry that allows him to produce specialized organisms that he controls through empathic feedback. Using a primordial ooze called "Creep" the scientist can create short-lived artificial lifeforms that follow his every command.
Modular Anatomy - Because his own body is infused with "Creep", Nocht is capable of using the substance to heal his wounds and regenerate lost limbs. This ability is not passive; he must take the time to inject himself with the slime, and healing/regeneration takes time and concentration. It does not make him immune to damage, but rather simply speeds up his healing process and confers resistance to poison and illness. Additionally, it makes him immune to the harmful effects of his own Creep.
Twisted Mind - Though not evil, Nocht's mind has been warped by the countless experiments he's performed upon himself. This makes him extremely resistant to hypnosis and other mind-altering effects, as his brain simply works far too differently than a normal human's.
Learned Techniques
The Creep - Nocht's signature technique. Years of research and study have borne fruit for the scientist in the form of a semi-organic, primordial biochemical called "Creep". This emerald-green substance remains a viscous gel when stored in it's tank. Upon exposure to the air, though, it immediately enters it's "Kraftwork" stage. Using empathic feedback, the doctor can shape his creation into a number of specialized, bizarre life-forms that he may then control. These artificial lifeforms - collectively called "Creepers", are blocky, three-foot tall, quadrupedal monsters with no arms and large, square heads with a warped, semi-human expression of suffering on their face. They only live for ten minutes, though they are often killed by their own abilities before this timespan is over. As a Creeper prepares to explode, the gases building inside it's body leaks out, causing an audible "Ssssss" sound right before it detonates.
- Standard: The basic Creeper. It bears the same emerald-green colour as the "Creep" from which it is made, mottled with blotches of lighter and darker green. On command, this being's cells can undergo a rapid decomposition, causing it to swell up with volatile gases. This turns the Creeper into a living bomb which explodes with great force, doing massive concussive damage to everything in a ten meter radius.
- Caustic: A specialized Creeper that secretes an acidic poison. This variety is a brighter, more vibrant green than the normal type. Anything organic matter that comes into contact with this Creeper will suffer chemical burns, melting away until the poison is washed off. Like all Creepers, this version can be made to explode by trigged decomposition. When this Creeper explodes, however, it does so with very little force; instead, a cloud of acidic fog covering a ten meter radius will be left in it's wake. This cloud will disperse within seconds if there is strong wind present, but will linger for minutes otherwise.
- Exothermic: A bright red Creeper with orange and yellow mottling. The cells of this Creeper's body are constantly undergoing chemical reactions which cause it to produce a great amount of heat. The air around these Creepers ripples with the massive heat it produces, causing burns to anything that touches or remains to close to it, as well as igniting any combustible materials within range. As with all other varieties, Exothermic Creepers can be made to decompose and explode. These detonations cause a ten meter radius blast of searing hot flame, combined with a moderate amount of explosive force.
- Endothermic: A frosty blue Creeper with navy blue and sky blue splotches all over it. The opposite of the Exothermic Creeper, this variety's cells are constantly undergoing reactions that draw heat from the environment around them. They are surrounded by a cloud of chilling fog; anything near to or touching this creeper is damaged by the extreme cold, suffering frostbite or becoming frozen. When made to undergo forced decomposition, this creeper explodes in a ten meter radius blast of freezing fog and shards of ice. Though the detonation causes virtually no concussive force, the fog is cold enough to cause freezing or frostbite to anything it contacts and the ice fragments are sharp, dangerous shrapnel.
- Charged: A variant Creeper who's cells constantly produce a bio-electric current. This bright yellow creeper is mottled with electric blue and bright purple, and is surrounded by a vibrant pink aura of static electricity. Anything touching this Creeper or it's aura is subjected to a powerful, high-voltage shock which can cause temporary paralysis. When forced to decompose, the Charged Creeper will disintegrate into a brilliant pink cloud of charged particles, causing a powerful electrical storm in a ten meter radius. For several seconds, blue bolts of lightning will arc wildly throughout the area, damaging and paralyzing anybody caught inside of it. Unlike the other Creeper detonations, this variety has absolutely no concussive force at all.
- Empathic: A unique, grey Creeper with white and pastel pink mottling on it's skin. It's body is made of brain-like matter, constantly generating a powerful field of strong negative emotions. Anything thinking being that touches this Creeper will feel overwhelmed by a turbulent sense of sorrow, terror, rage, and hatred, throwing it into confusion and causing temporary madness. When this variety is made to detonate, it releases a burst of this negativity in a ten meter radius, causing the above effects to all thinking beings caught inside. This explosion causes no physical harm, making it unique among all the Creeper subtypes.
Strange Medicine - Though his science is unorthodox and revolutionary, Nocht learned a foundation of basic medicine early in his career. As a result, he is able to create medicine in the form of shining, golden apples that will speed up the healing process of those who eat them. Those who eat a golden apple will be cured of simple poisons and illnesses, and their wounds will mend faster than they would on their own. This accelerated healing is not as fast as that which he can perform on himself using Creep, but does give it's recipients a second wind.
Weapons/Items
The Tank - A large, flask-shaped glass tank that Nocht wears strapped to his back. It carries enough "Creep" at a time to produce two-dozen "Creepers". A pair of flexible metal hoses run through holes in his coat at each shoulder; the Creep is expelled through nozzles strapped to the undersides of his wrists.
Diamond Pickaxe - Though not an expert in martial combat, the scientist has learned to hold his own in melee using a pickaxe with a head carved from diamond and a shaft of Adam Wood. It's points are incredible sharp, able to pierce through most forms of armour with little difficulty. Additionally, the strength of it's materials makes it resistant to damage, allowing Nocht to use it defensively as well.
Character Flaws
Differently-Abled - Being somewhat of a crazy, Nocht often has a very difficult time grasping even basic social etiquette. This can make it very difficult for him to get along with others.
Bookworm Body - As a man of science, Nocht is fairly weak physically. While his experience as a combat doctor gives him the speed and accuracy to keep up with powerful opponents, his physical strength is far from exceptional.
Goals
Creeper Genesis - To perfect his artificial lifeforms, creating a new species of sentient, breeding, self-sustaining Creepers that will some day rule the world.
Fri Oct 07, 2011 6:21 am
