metemmods

Player Information
» Name: Gray
» Date of Birth: 01/15/1988
» Journal:

unbiaseddeath
» Contact: plurk: grayace

Deity Information
» Pantheon: Greek
» Deity: Phonos
» Reference: Wiki, which is a copy of Theoi.
» Divine Family: {mother & father} Eris (no father); {spouse} none; {siblings} Androktasiai; {children} none
» Mythology:
Phonos is, in essence, the spirit of Murder, Slaughter, or Killing (not to be confused with Manslaughter). He is mentioned in many texts and exists among the Gods while never being one of them. In the specific canon of The Oresteia, he was summoned as an aid to remove the spirits of Agamemnon (when Clytaemnestra slayed her husband in Agamemnon) and then, later, of Clytaemnestra and Aegisthus (in The Libation Bearers). He does not commit murder himself, but instead rips the spirits from the bodies as people die in order to release them to the care of the Underworld; in that sense, he is Murder. Other texts mention him on the field of battle and in other situations rife with man's blood as someone who comes when called.

Character Information
» Played By: Cillian Murphy
» Journal:

unbiaseddeath
» Current Name: Benjamin Roth
» Birthdate: 11/01/1981
» Height: 6'2”
» Distinguishing Marks: Benjamin has a simplistic rabbit tattoo on his right shoulder.
» Family: {mother & father} Rebekah and Christopher Roth; ,{marital status/spouse} single/none; {siblings} none; {children} none; {pets} a white rabbit, Clause, whom a young Benji killed and, now, a white pet rat, Tesla
» Occupation: Forensic Pathologist
» Currently Residing In: New York City
» Ability: Active: Phonos still maintains the ability to rip souls from bodies, effectively rendering the person dead; however, he can only do so when the person is more than halfway to death (from illness, injury, or so on).
Subconscious: Has an innate knack for discovering/understanding how someone died.
Passive: A higher rate of healing and an extremely good immune system (he is not immune to illness, but it is extremely rare).

» History: No past lives.

Benjamin was the only child of a wealthy New York couple who were often busy with work. His mother was a corporate lawyer and his father was a cardiac surgeon. He possessed wisdom beyond his years and was considerably more intelligent than most of his peers in his early years. Benji spent a lot of time growing up first in waiting rooms, conference rooms, and staff lounges, then, later, home alone in the nice condo his parents owned.

At the age of twelve, he killed the family's pet rabbit a few months after receiving it as a Christmas gift from his parents. When Benji told one of his teachers about the incident, his parents responded by forcing him to see a therapist. It was believed he may suffer from Asperger Syndrome or Antisocial Personality Disorder, given his lack of ability to empathize and behave appropriately in social situations. He was never diagnosed as anything, due to conflicting “symptoms,” but continued to see the therapist for his difficulty reading social cues, understanding and displaying appropriate emotions, and speaking with tonal change.

By late adolescence, Ben had largely learned how to function reasonably well in society, even if he was not fond of it. He spent a great deal of time on his computer, escaping to the internet in pursuit of knowledge and an ability to speak without emotional contexts. The older he became, the more his parents worked, and the more isolated he became.

After graduating from high school, he was accepted to Yale University, thanks to his stunning GPA, the school being his father's alma mater, and a generous donation. In New Haven, where there was nothing else to do but study and drink, Ben continued his moderate levels of isolation and graduated with a B.S. in Biology, cum laude, never joining any clubs or organizations. While he had some people whom he considered friends and found attraction for some women, Ben was always too awkward to progress in any way and left without any close attachments or relationships.

While desiring to follow in his father's footsteps, Ben was then accepted to the Prtizker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago with the intention of becoming a doctor. With his history, an interest in Psychology, and a dislike for people, he became fascinated with forensic pathology and eventually achieved his M.D. He was then offered a position to complete his four year pathology residency at the University of Utah, which he begrudgingly accepted.

For the most part, his life revolved around work and school. He spent little time at home once in his residency, though he eventually took a pet rat from a coworker who had moved to have some company; even Murder feels loneliness at times. His parents visited for major occasions, such as graduations, and Ben often went home for Christmas, but his family was never particularly close. The more time he spent around dead bodies, the more it began to feel familiar and Ben slowly realized that he was something more than human, even if he does not recognize himself as the spirit(s) of Killing.

After completing his residency, he returned to his hometown of New York City, where he was offered a prestigious fellowship position in forensic pathology for a year. After graduating, he was offered a job in the same office (Office of Chief Medical Examiner of New York City). He has only been at the job for a few months and lives in a small studio apartment in Manhattan, making a cushy $80,000 salary. Ben still works too much, but is again beginning to cultivate something like friends.

» Personality:
Benjamin is, above all things, calculated. Though he can also be considered cold, apathetic, and distant, these are less defining traits. He is neither optimistic nor pessimistic, considering himself a genuine realist and not stressing over things which may or may not change. He dwells in facts and tries to live in the present with little-to-no sense of nostalgia. His talents lie primarily in breaking down a situation into its basic components, though he may also be good at placating people and in providing a sense of reassurance that many never experience. Though not necessarily curious by nature, Ben believes there is always something which can be learned and that people may always improve before their end (he still distinguishes himself as above the average man, believing they have much more to learn than he does). He never really feels the need to make goals or to strive towards anything. Perhaps because of this, he never dwells on any particular success or failure, simply moving on to the next opportunity. He has no fear of trying new things. Self-control is something he finds in good balance.

He considers what is realistic far more than what is possible. Even in Greece, at the height of his successes, Phonos was only a tool of others' will to produce death. As a result of this, he primarily exists to aid others and to help them through difficult times. He does this because it is his nature, however, not because he cares. Though not entirely heartless, Ben feels a great social disconnect and does not particularly understand how people work, how they think, or how the emotions he feels factor into what he's meant to do. Emotions are things which complicate otherwise simple situations. You are dead or alive, in his experience; your mood was irrelevant.

Because of this extreme disconnect and inability to understand other people, Ben has a difficult time working with other people. His ability to execute tasks for people is something he prides himself on, but the concept of working with them, compromising, or generating new ideas may be overwhelming. He doesn't handle large social situations well in general and does even worse with surprises of any kind. He likes to stick to what he knows unless he has time to prepare for the new things. Despite this, Ben has some interest in people because of his lack of understanding and he enjoys studying them where possible.

Ben, working closely with murder, has no remorse related to death. He views it as passing on and sheds no tears for the lost; it is a natural process, after all. This works well with his job as a Medical Examiner because he never “takes his work home with him.” He can sometimes appear calloused or insensitive because of his lack of understanding. The man is rarely aggressive at all and will nearly always try to walk away from a fight rather than to engage; that said, if he is forced into combat, he will respond with speed and attempt to disable or disarm his attacker as quickly as possible to be able to move on (even if that means killing them). He doesn't really lose his cool often.

He may be resourceful in what he provides, but will always have trouble with the imagination necessary to invent new uses for the same tools. That is, he's a good employee and will get the job done, but will have to rely on others to spell out social cues to him and can't really imagine more to life than what he's doing. Because he is relatively attractive, apathetic, and knows what to say in a strictly rehearsed fashion, Ben will probably make many shallow friendships and may even participate in a few one-night stands. Just because he lacks an understanding of emotion does not mean he does not appreciate conversations or the pleasure of sex. He still feels, he just doesn't do well with conveying those emotions.

Loyalty is a fickle thing for the former spirit, primarily because murder is generally the absence of loyalty. It affects everyone in equal measure without concern for pleas. Ben may find loyalty over time with those whom he has given aid to (as he has with some school chums in the past), but he will easily turn against them or grow distant if it seems logical or natural to do so. He appreciates things which are certain and hates games of luck and chance. To him, people are a game of chance and placing loyalty means betting on uncertainties. Trust accompanies loyalty in many ways, though he may give it out more freely.

Honesty is important to Ben. It is unbiased, certain, and provides connection. To him, lying is disdainful and there are no real reasons to (asking him about a white lie, he would insist that people could not be so sensitive as to need to be lied to, etc). Again, his oblivious nature related to normal human emotions and social interactions prevents him from ever connecting remarkably well with anyone.

Still, Ben doesn't really mind. At times, he prefers it. The disconnect provides him with a measure of calm and reason that he could not find among other people. He has grown accustomed to being alone with his own thoughts and finds no shame in that; he finds a serenity in being amongst death that no living human could provide to him. While pure isolation does lead him to feel lonely, it takes a considerable level of solitude to provoke such a response. The man likes his space.

» Other Notes: Ben is a fantastic cook, primarily out of necessity, but also because he enjoys the predictability of it, like edible chemistry; if one mixes the right ingredients and cooks the right way for the right amount of time, the food will be the same. He also has random knowledge about a great many topics due to extensive reading as a kid; things like astronomy, cognitive psychology, serial killers, and prehistoric deep-sea predators all fascinate him.

» Sample Journal:
It would seem this email is the basis of an advanced network designed solely to entice gods of varying myths and legends. I can never recall any time when I would be considered a god, though I hesitate to assume the system is mistaken. Am I meant to be Hades? Satan? Thanatos? I have heard a dozen names for similar figures, yet none seem to fit. Still, I cannot discount my own abilities. I am clearly not an ordinary man.

Tell me, then: who am I meant to be?

» Sample Log:
“Let the man be taken by Murder!”

It didn't matter that Phonos was not there. He heard his name called to him as if in private conversation, whispered into his ear across thousands of miles. The man needed only to step from his position in the Underworld to appear within the frightened city by way of the powers of all daimons, vanishing into a horrible black nothing with his body contorted and ripped apart simultaneously. The feeling no longer fazed him at all and he stepped without blemish in his appearance out into the city's streets. The spirit was almost instantly aware of his surroundings, of where he was and where he was going.

One man that had been present for his invitation was already departing, the fatter of the two friends scurrying in what appeared to be a marred waddle. The spirit observed the bizarre gesture, then turned toward the one who had spoken his name and the man which he clearly intended for the kill. They stood in a pasture, the green itself kept proper despite the warm season; Greece was always warm in this season.

Phonos stepped forward in an equal pace, knowing he was invisible to the two at present. Because he chose to be. The spirit approached the target, stopping as he came from behind the man. One hand lifted to the man's shoulder, the other gently clasping his wrist; the beggar responded with a whimper though he could not feel the touch as what it was, only as a tensing of his already stiff muscles. In order to do the man a kindness, Phonos stepped forward to whisper beside his ear. “Do not be afraid, Marcus. To die is a natural fate. Everyone must be lost in time.”

The angered fiend who had called Murder originally took the opportunity of his opponent's distraction to stab him. The blade of the spear pierced the elder man's heart and immediately he collapsed. Unbeknownst to the now fleeing thief, Phonos held the dying man and lowered him gently to the ground, watching in patience as the murder came to fruition.

Unsatisfied with this end, he stood again. Phonos looked out at the field, catching sight of the fleeing man near the middle of the small hill they were on. He lifted a hand in front of him, palm upward, and glanced down at the lines that existed there. By simply flexing his fingers, a darkness began to gather above his palm. Then, there was a small flash and the man who had been running a moment prior collapsed into the tall weeds. Phonos clasped the darkness of the man gently in his fist, twisting to glance around at the scenery once more before beginning the return to where he had been. After all, he had a soul to deliver.

NAVIGATION