empatheias

[unspeakablyevil]

⌈ PLAYER SECTION ⌉
Player: Lindsay
Contact: disasterkins
Age: 25+
Current Characters: none


⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉
Character: Aku
Age: Eons
Canon: Samurai Jack
Canon Point: Between seasons 4 and 5

Background:

Aku began his existence billions of years ago as a formless space entity or eldritch abomination comprised of magical energy. He had not yet developed sentience or a mind of his own. He simply existed to devour whatever crossed his path (stars, solar systems, galaxies) to increase his mass and power. That is until the gods caught up with him and nearly destroyed him.

A small shard of Aku, however, escaped destruction and eventually fell to Earth some 66 million years ago whereupon it wiped out the dinosaurs. At the impact site, Aku lay dormant in the Earth as a creeping tar pit forest that crept toward living energy and dragged into its depths whatever life it came upon.

Finally, in the age of humankind, an Emperor approached the tar pit to put an end to its reign of destruction on the land. However, in his attempts to destroy it, his arcane magic gave rise to Aku’s sentience and current form. From that point onward, Aku conquered the planet and appointed himself Ruler of Earth. But there was one thorn in his side that he hasn’t managed to shake and that’s Samurai Jack.

The future to which he flung the Samurai is actually our modern day. But because Aku is a huge proponent of technology and because he opened the Earth’s ports to a diversity of alien beings, that future is very technological advanced, especially in the mega-metropolis, Aku City.

Full background here.

Personality:


Personality-wise, Aku runs the gamut from silly to terrifying depending on his mood. When he’s feeling dominant and in control, he might flay you alive with his dry sarcasm. If he’s had enough of your shit, he’ll ruin your day with a maniacal grin on his face while he burns your city to the ground. Other times he might sit on his throne brooding and grumping over petty annoyances, or having himself a giggle-fit over his latest scheme. At his core though, Aku is a ham right down to the booming voice and villainous laugh.

On the alignment chart, he falls somewhere between Chaotic Evil and Neutral Evil with a leaning toward the latter. He likes to sow discord and despair for his own enjoyment. Seeing mortals cower before him in fear is one of his greatest joys and he takes great pleasure in destroying hope wherever he goes. He has no loyalty for anyone and even if you painstakingly build him an army of robots as a favor to spare your village, he will turn around and use your own creation to destroy the very things you were trying to protect. But he also seems to realize that too much discord and destruction is not in his favor. He needs laws and order to keep his mortal subjects in line and to keep them fearful and obedient for generations to come.

Aku is an Eldritch horror-type entity that was nearly vanquished by the gods long ago and fell to Earth where he later received human-like sentience at the hands of a human Emperor. As his name suggests, he strongly aligns himself with the forces of evil and darkness. But Aku is not so much Evil Incarnate as he is Salt Incarnate. He is incredibly petty and any slight against him is a sin that will never be forgiven nor forgotten. Even after billions of years, he's still pretty assinflamed about his near total annihilation by the gods and as a result, he clings desperately to what remains of his existence and the tiny planet, Earth, onto which he fell. It also means that he will have some pretty Strong Feelings toward the Arehtei since he views gods as one of the few significant threats to his existence. Though he won't attempt any serious attacks against them (out of a sense of self preservation and pure cowardice) he will pout hatefully in private whenever he gets the chance.

Aku is, by nature, a conqueror. His kingdom of darkness encompasses the entire Earth as well as surrounding parts of the galaxy. His reach seems to extend far beyond Earth in order to destroy other worlds, harvest their resources and force their residents to seek refuge on Earth where they will then become his subjects. Earth, however, is his main ‘headquarters’ and he considers the planet his. His to own, his to control, his to destroy. And to some extent, his to protect. He’s quite attached to the Earth and especially his Reign of Evil. He likes to collect mortals of all kinds and force from them fear, respect and total obedience. Those who oppose him are punished in the Pit of Hate or straight up killed. One could argue that he’s punishing all of humankind for the actions of one man who, so many years ago, gave Aku sentience and then attacked him. While he’s done a lot of killing in his time, Aku prefers to make public examples of a few in order to frighten the masses into submission. He avoids wiping out entire populations because then who would be left to worship him?

Aku embodies several of the 7 deadly sins, but especially wrath and pride. He considers himself superior to all mortals and "lesser beings". He sees himself as the ultimate authority and seeks to be feared and respected by all whom he considers beneath him. He does not take insults lightly and will often become extremely irate when things don't go his way. His temper is as fiery as his great flaming eyebrows and his patience is non-existent for the vast majority of people. In canon, he is known for punishing those who openly disrespect him by casting them into the Pit of Hate, enslaving them until the end of their days (like he did to Jack's parents) or by outright killing them. When Jack first attacks and nearly defeats him, Aku sends the samurai into the future saying, "You will pay for my pain in the past with your pain in the future." And when one of his minions fails to provide him with accurate information on the whereabouts of Jack's sword, Aku blows up his head with one look. Mercy and forgiveness are not part of his skill set.

But for a Supreme Ruler who sees himself as an evil force to be feared and respected by all, he still desires genuine adoration, the same adoration that many show for his nemesis, Samurai Jack. Unlike Jack, Aku is feared by most in his world yet he is loved by few. And this bothers him. In a ploy to brainwash future generations into liking him, he once forced every child in the city to attend 'story-time' with fairy tales as told by Aku, wherein Aku made himself the hero in the stories and Samurai Jack the villain. Shockingly (or not), it didn't go as planned. The children criticized his telling of the stories and his characterization of Jack, which of course made Aku furious. But in a rare show of self-restraint, he did not punish the children or send anyone to the Pit of Hate. He simply roared 'The End!' and left. He’s very much capable of controlling his impulses when he wants to make a good impression or to achieve something he desires. And one thing Aku desires but has been unable to achieve is genuine love, respect and adoration. He’s extremely envious of the adoration Jack receives for opposing him but Aku doesn’t seem to understand how to obtain it for himself. At the very least, he doesn’t seem to have the desire or motivation to change his cruel and selfish ways.

Above all, Aku is incredibly selfish. He's the type of villain who will blast a doomsday meteor out of the sky only because it's stealing the spotlight away from him. He's been known to go to incredible lengths to get something he wants. For instance, he once turned himself into a beautiful woman in order to fool Jack into helping him find a magical jewel. He went so far as to totally deceive Jack and even spend several days or weeks gaining the Samurai's trust keeping each other alive on an expedition through the desert. By the end he'd won Jack's trust (and even his heart) with the false persona only to betray him once the jewel was in his possession. Aku took great pleasure in revealing his true form and laughing in Jack's face before leaving him heartbroken and alone in the desert. As an immortal entity who has presumably existed for eons, he doesn't see much value in forging real alliances or friendships with mortals whose lives he views as insignificant and fleeting. He is not ashamed to use trickery or go back on his word after making a promise, so long as he gets what he wants in the end.

Aku has a cynical worldview and thinks all people are innately greedy and selfish. As if to prove his point, he never seems to have a shortage of minions and bounty hunters ready to kill Jack in exchange for money or power. Like most supervillains he finds true acts of altruism and self-sacrifice amusing at best but mostly he finds them confusing because to give something in exchange for nothing seems strange and foolish to him. However, there is evidence to suggest that Aku is not all evil. The only time he's given anything to anyone was in Season 5 when he donated a small part of himself to be worshiped by a cult. This part was later used to create his half-human daughter, Ashi, who went on to become a major protagonist capable of love and self-sacrifice. It's my impression that Aku is a villain not because he's incapable of being good, but because it's easier than being good and because he has not learned empathy like his daughter did.

Despite his cosmic origins, Aku is actually quite human in how he expresses himself and in the emotions he feels. In the final season we see him attending a therapy session with himself as his own therapist to discuss his anxiety about Jack's neverending existence. In this scene we get the sense that Aku's greatest fears are his own demise and the undoing of his rule on Earth. I tend to think of Aku as the Yin to Jack’s Yang. And like the symbol, there’s a bit of each within the other. In multiple episodes, we’ve seen the bit of darkness within Jack and it’s hinted that Ashi is the “light” within Aku. But while Aku seems to embody many “evil” traits, negativity and darkness, he is not the personification of Evil nor is he ‘made’ of Evil. He has a strong will to seek his own freedom and survival above all else and at the cost of anything that stands in his way.

Abilities:

Let me preface this by saying that Aku has a shit load of ridiculous magical powers. That said, the vast majority of these will be wonky because of the setting so he won't be able to use them to escape or break the game. An "*" pertains to powers that I wouldn't have him use without mod approval or see no real reason to use in the game or outside of an approved player plot.

Immortality. A significant aspect in the series is that Aku is ageless and immortal. Basically, he's made of inorganic space goop. He requires no sustenance (though he does enjoy eating) and cannot be killed by mortal means. Only the power of divine weapons like Jack’s sword, or divine entities are capable of killing him.

Shape-Shifting. Aku can change into virtually any form he desires, from a flying dragon to a small rodent, or even a beautiful woman. He is able to seamlessly change his size, liquefy himself, or stretch and expand his body. He typically morphs into animal forms during battle, adapting to the situation (he can swim and fly.) He can also form his own weapons and use them to fight. On a side note, he can "voice-shift" to make his voice sound like a sexy lady. Aku demonstrates no ability to turn into complex man-made machinery or structures. At his tallest, Aku is about the size of a tall building. His default height will be 8 ft.

Supernatural Physicality. Aku can alter his physical capabilities to virtually any level he needs or wants due to his magical shape-shifting abilities. He has manifested superhuman strength, speed, endurance, and senses. His sense of smell is particularly notable in that he can identify a person by the scent of their blood.

Regeneration. While Aku is completely resistant to most forms of attack by humans, he is not invulnerable. Items such as Jack’s sword or magics such as divine energy can damage the substance from which he is made. However, Aku is able to regenerate to a large degree even against attacks such as these if given enough time. However, this doesn't mean he can't be hurt. An arrow to the eye will still smart but he'll survive.

Eye Beams. One of Aku’s most commonly utilized attacks, this ability tends to manifest as beams of white or red light that typically incinerate the objects it makes contact with. It can be used either as continuous beams of light, or as staccato bolts of energy. The beams can also slice through objects like a plasma torch, or cause them to explode. Will comply with game limitations.

Teleportation. Aku uses this often for quick appearances or escapes, and to appear before those he has business with. He will not be able to teleport outside the island.

Elemental Control. He can magically project and control the elements of the physical world. These abilities include breathing and projecting blasts and streams of fire from his mouth and hands, manipulating the earth itself, conjuring thunderstorms at will, or emitting waves of sonic force. For game purposes, these powers will be influenced heavily by his emotional state.

Telekinesis. He has shown the ability to move, control and manipulate objects through will alone. This will be limited to small-scale objects. He will not be able to move things like buildings or other characters.

Remote Viewing.* Using mystical forces in his lair, Aku can create images on the walls to view whatever he wishes. He tends to use this ability most often to simply watch Jack travel while stewing in his unhappiness at being unable to kill the samurai.

Object Materialization.* The ability to create objects and materials out of nothing.

Necromancy.* Aku has been shown to be capable of animating countless dead bodies and bending them to his will.

Precognitive Dreams.* On rare occasions, Aku is capable of receiving premonitions of his own future through his dreams.

Possession & Infection.* Aku can use small portions of himself to infect others with his evil. The only time this has been seen was when he incidentally spat up a tiny portion of himself at Jack, which, over the course of a day or so, proceeded to possess Jack, giving him the appearance and personality of Aku.

Time Portal Creation.* This was the very ability that Aku used to send Jack into the future. It was only used once and was a one way portal forward in time.

Corruption.* Using dark magic, Aku can mutate normally harmless beings into monstrous versions of themselves. He was also able to infuse this power into techno music to corrupt teenagers at a rave and turn them into a riotous mob.

Combat Skills. Aku is a skilled practitioner of hand-to-hand combat. Though not any sort of match for a master like Jack, he was at least capable of defending himself reasonably well against the Samurai during their duel, while limiting himself to human physicality. He is also shown to be a fairly skilled swordsman, as on one occasion where he stole Jack’s sword, he was able to force Jack (who was armed with a sword and shield) into a defensive posture during a bout of swordplay. He has some skill in spear-throwing and archery.

Alignment: Elios. Many of Aku's prominent negative emotions fall into this category (loathing, hostility, animosity, bitterness, spite, schadenfreude) plus his obsessive hate for Samurai Jack. Elios also encompasses things he desires (admiration and adoration.)

Other:


⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉


General Sample:

Aku had come to this shop of wishes for a resolution to his problem, an end to the Samurai's life and with it an end to his misfortune. Surely it would not be so difficult to arrange Jack's untimely death — a misstep at the top of a long flight of stairs, an unfortunate encounter with a banana peel, a bite from a mosquito carrying the Malaria virus — any of these would do just fine. But instead what he gets is an earful about how his existence is so intertwined with that of his nemesis that the cost of destroying Jack's existence was the destruction of his own.

As he listens, Aku's face cycles through a range of emotions starting with indignant wide-eyed shock. He raises a clawed finger in protest and parts his jaws as if to rebuke her claims with the fury of a thousand suns. But, alas, no sound escapes his throat. Finally, he clenches his teeth together along with both fists, eyebrows flickering wildly, until—

"BLARGH!" he sputters explosively. As appalling as it all sounds, as much as he wants to disagree, he cannot deny that his and the Samurai's lives are intricately intertwined. But this doesn't stop him from fuming openly and with incomprehensible Eldritch growling sounds. How dare someone point out how the Samurai's life is so important to him! How dare it be suggested that he must give up his own precious existence to erase his foolish mortal foe! How dare...

After his emotional outburst, his growling thankfully dies down to a raspy grumble. To his side he raises a hand and curls his claws in a beckoning motion. A chair, as if of its own accord, drags itself swiftly across the floor to him and the yokai seats himself across from the witch. His claws grip the armrests like the talons of an eagle as he shifts about uncomfortably for a moment, then slumps. This time when he speaks, his voice is softer, almost subdued as if he's finally accepted the futility of his situation.

"I see that my efforts are in vain. The Samurai shall forever be a righteous thorn in my side." His mighty frown hangs like a wet noodle from his face. Ugh, what has his life come to? At least, for once, he was airing his thoughts to someone other than himself, even if she could not help him in any other way.

"Thoughts of him plague my mind night and day. Things I once enjoyed are no longer enjoyable and my days are filled with consternation." Here, a bit of conviction creeps back into his tone. He's not ready to give in and be conquered by his fears just yet. Or ever! "I seek to place my efforts toward something greater, a distraction worthy of my time. Something that will provide me with unending companionship, loyalty and adoration. Perhaps..." he pauses to tap a claw tip to his bearded chin. "Yes, perhaps, a daughter to call my own."


Emotion Sample:


Escape had proved futile, even for a creature as mighty as he. Once again the gods had chosen to meddle with his existence. And this time the celestial brutes were even so bold as to dampen his powers and place him in a dimension that was not his own with no means of return. He would destroy this world if it did not spell his certain demise at the hands of the gods who created it. Even at his most powerful, he'd been nearly obliterated by just three gods. He knew he could not stand against eight. Which left Aku with very few options but to accept this heinous fate and play along until the time was right.

For three long days, the skies on the northern side of the island have been shaded an ominous red hue, the darkness culminating around and enshrouding the tallest mountain peak. There, centered above the summit, thick black clouds roil with storms and negative energy like a doomsday tempest. Blue-white lightning arcs nonstop between the clouds, occasionally striking the mountainside beneath and setting fire to vegetation. Near the mountain's summit is the gaping mouth of a cave alight from within with the dancing flicker of orange flames. All that's missing is Chernabog himself and a dramatic orchestra number.

Deep inside the mountain sits the scowling Shogun of Sorrow, his arms tightly folded across his chest and shoulders rising like angry obsidian peaks on either side of his horned head. He's seated in an almost meditative posture and though he doesn't have legs, his black form lends the impression of bent knees. He glares steadily forward, unblinking and silent, as the great inferno rages all around him. Beneath him the rock itself burns with a molten orange glow. It's so hot, even the air shudders and warps. But Aku is unbothered by the heat. He hasn't moved from this position for three days and three nights.

Certainly, Aku has brooded aggressively in the past but not quite like this. Never before has his emotional state caused such violence — beyond even his own intentions. Yes, this will go down in history as one of his Mightiest Pouts of all time.

Questions: