Ethos [WIP]

[Ethos 0]

❖ ETHOS ❖

Man Behind The Machine

Real name: Endo Matsui
Age: 19 - 21
Gender: Male (he/him pronouns)
Username: Ethos
Height: 6'1"
Physique: Slim, slender, svelte
Avatar: Min-Soo from Akatsuki No Yona

Appearance: There isn't anything extraordinary or awe-inspiring about Ethos. He has humanoid features like all other players of SAO. His eyes are a saturated blue, his skin is pale, and his hair is a light brown that occasionally looks orange. While he tends to wear low-level cloth clothes like those given to all avatars at the start of the game, Ethos has been seen sporting leather armor when traversing more dangerous regions of Aincrad.

Personality: In the real world, Endo was rash and childish. He acted as though he was invincible and the world couldn’t touch him. He did whatever he wanted, though he never participated in illegal activities. Instead, he was the type to ignore lectures, talk back to authority figures, and generally fool around. It was no doubt a byproduct of his strict and boring upbringing. The moment he was given a taste of freedom as a teenager, he took it and ran. This behavior changed quite significantly in the two years he’s been stuck in SAO. He became depressed, to the point where he considered taking his own life. In his mind, there was no point in existing in a world filled with monsters and blood-thirsty killers; after all, the whole point of the game was to kill, so his time was limited anyway. Though the logic made some sense to Endo, he couldn't bring himself to destroy himself. He was scared of death, so suicide wasn't an option.

As such, the depression manifested in other ways. His anxiety spiked and he grew paranoid of the world. Overnight, he was forced to come to terms with his own morality, and that was a striking realization for him. Of course, he knew death was an inevitable end for all human beings, but he was young and healthy. He still had his whole life ahead of him. Or, he would have if he hadn't become trapped in a game full of life-and-death consequences. It was petrifying. He was paralyzed by fear, and that caused him to shy away. In other words, he became reserved, cutting off all ties to the people he loved. He hid himself away in the Town of Beginnings, refused to leave the safety of its walls, and ignored his friends' constant pleas to accompany them. They refused to wither away. They wanted to make it to the end of the game or, at the very least, live life to the fullest while the still could. Endo turned away, kept to himself, and his friends disappeared over time. While this act of self-preservation meant that he was able to survive for two years, it also made him selfish. Not selfish in the sense that he wished for the demise of others; rather, he put his well-being before others. Players would call out for help by the village's edge or they would ask him for aid, and he would turn a blind eye. If he didn't get involved then that would ensure he would live to see another day, even if it meant others struggled as a result.

With that said, Endo has never taken a life. Both inside and out of the game, he has a strong moral compass. In the real world, he was loud and confident, and he wasn't afraid to talk back to people whom he disagreed with. After all, the only repercussions were getting in a heated debate that ultimately had no real consequences. Things were different in the game, for death was a very real possibility. Of course, he was safe from player attacks while in the Town of Beginning, but the fear remains. Even still, he still maintains a strong sense of right-and-wrong, even if he doesn't speak up for himself as often as he used to. This reclusive-ness has also taught him how to be patient. Whereas he used to run headfirst into a situation, running his mouth and doing whatever he wanted without regard for the consequences, Endo now tends to sit back and observe before acting. Not only is he patient in life--after all, he's spent two years doing virtually nothing--but he's patient in social interactions too. So long as people are respectful of him and his anxieties, he is willing to hear them out. Which, of course, makes him empathic, perhaps he more so than other players who have a more aggressive attitude thanks to the game. All the time he's spent in the game has made him more introspective, and for that, he is more in tune with his own emotions. He can sympathize with others because he has struggled with depression, anxiety, and paralyzing fear. In many ways, he's been humbled by the game.

 

The Story So Far

The Life Before

Endo was never very wealthy growing up. He and his family weren't exactly "poor," and they never struggled to pay bills on time, but they didn't usually have the funds to spend on frivolous things. Trips to the movies were a rare occasion, and vacations out of the state were a dime a dozen. Endo never blamed his parents for his underwhelming upbringing. He knew they were doing their best to provide while keeping money saved up for emergencies. Much to his parents' dismay, however, it didn't seem as though he'd learned the lesson they were trying to instill in him from a young age. Instead of saving every cent he could get his hands on, he spent everything he earned. As a young adult, he would treat himself by splurging on things he had never had a chance to do or own as a child. One of Endo's largest purchases was on the NerveGear. He'd heard good things about it from his friends, so it quickly became one of the items he prioritized purchasing.

Welcome To The Game

As much as his parents urged him to save the money for other "more important things" like food, rent, and college, he ignored them. Ultimately, he sealed his own fate by purchasing the headset alongside a brand new VR game, Sword Art Online. Endo had played games before, but SAO was his first time playing something that utilized FullDive technology. It was strange and fascinating at first, but things quickly became horrifying when he realized he was trapped. For a while, he lived in the Town of Beginnings, refusing to play the game and isolating himself from the virtual world. He lost a lot of friends, not just to the game but to his stubbornness. One by one, they left him to wallow alone, too afraid to leave the first floor. Only recently has he started gaining the courage to progress through the game.

 

Character Sheet

Statistics

Experience: 0/500 || Level: 1 || Tier: 1

Health (HP): 20
Energy (EN): 20
Damage (DMG): 3
Mitigation (MIT): 5
Accuracy (ACC): --
Evasion (EV): 1
Loot/Luck Die (LD): 1

Skills & Mods

Rank: 1 - Novice

Searching: Passive. +1 LD per rank. +1 to Stealth Detection per rank.
Battle Healing: Passive. While in combat, recover 1% per rank of your maximum HP rounded down at the beginning of your turn.
Curved Sword Skill: Passive. Gain +3 DMG to attacks. +1 additional DMG for each subsequent level attained.
Armor: Passive. Gain Mitigation based on your rank while wearing armor. You can only benefit from one armor skill at a time. For cloth armor, only one item may actively boost Mitigation; for light armor, only two Enhancement slots may actively boost Mitigation; and for heavy armor, only one Enhancement slot may actively boost Evasion and you receive a -1 Stealth Rating per rank.

Extra Skill (1/1 Slots) - Hiding: Passive. +1 Stealth Rating per rank.

0 addons detected.

0/5 mods detected.

Spoiler

Transactions

+5 SP for creating a new character
-4 SP for purchasing Rank 1

Inventory

New Character Bundle: Basic Package
Equipment (2/3 Slots):

➤ Falchion Sword w/ Paralyze Enhancement (+3 Damage. Natural critical attack rolls of 9-10 remove the enemy's action on their next turn; paralyzed opponents lose evasion properties.)
➤ Cloth Armor w/ Evasion Enhancement (+5 Mitigation. Reduces the die value by 1 on an enemy's attack against you; cannot be used to avoid a critical hit.)
➤ Empty

Consumables:

➤ 5 Starter Healing Potions (heals 50 HP per use)

Currency:

➤ 2,500 Col
➤ 10 Materials

Spoiler

Transactions

+1 Falchion Sword w/ 1 Enhancement Slot (Paralyze) from Basic Package Bundle
+1 Cloth Armor w/ 1 Enhancement Slot (Evasion) from Basic Package Bundle
+5 Starter Healing Potions from Basic Package Bundle
+2,500 Col from the Basic Package Bundle
+10 Material from the Basic Package Bundle

 

Roleplay Log

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Edited September 27, 2021 by Ethos