Vayl, The White Rook

[Vayl 0]

"THE WHITE ROOK"                             rebirth protocol Vayl    name sebastian cross    age 40    gender m    origin ▇▇▇▇▇    height  6-ft. 4-in.    weight  230 lbs    birthday ▇▇▇▇▇    faceclaim n/a    hair blue    eyes grey    [housing]     [other]

virtues   Reveal hidden contents Gallant.  Vayl doesn’t shy away from danger, hardship or a challenge of any kind, even if he probably should.  He eagerly takes on tasks considered by others to be too outrageous, unpleasant or dangerous, and does so without complaint.  It’s just part of the job to be utterly fearless in the face of need or impossible odds, so why stress about it? Generous.  Grew up with nothing, giving whatever he earned for the benefit of those who counted on him or were facing greater need. Means were never so meager that he wouldn’t give consider those around him, depriving himself if necessary. Sole survival is never an option. Ironclad Integrity.  Living by the measure of his word, in the absence of anything else, Vayl holds true to his ideals regardless of the personal cost.  He’ll be the first to stand by a friend, regardless of circumstance and against any odds.  Without hesitation, he places himself in harm’s way so that others never need to do so.   flaws   Reveal hidden contents Dependent Caretaker. Vayl measures his worth through his perceived value to others.  He loses his sense of self when pushed beyond the ideals he serves.  Always surrounded by the needs of the group, he doesn’t know what to do with himself if left alone, and risks spiraling into destructive self-doubt or even depression. Overbearing. The darker side of wanting to help others, his need to protect can also stifle and smother under the guise of good intentions.   Vayl needs to be needed and belong so badly that he sometimes forgets to give others their space.  It’s a symptom of his own insecurities often manifesting as an overwhelming desire to serve or please.  As his particular squad’s sergeant, Vayl’s natural tendencies earned him his nickname - a euphemism for the blanket his troopers felt like they were sometimes struggling to keep off their backs. Stubborn.  Too much has been lost and left uncertain, including time itself.  Years have vanished in a blink, leaving him out of time and behind in literally all respects.  While caring and considerate of others, Vayl clings to his few remaining anchors of sanity and certainly with the desperation of a drowning man, hoping that no one notices, and even to the absurd.

PERSONNEL FILES                       ACTIVE FILE #115361-b | background Born and raised in York, in Northern England, Sebastian Cross was the youngest of a large blue-collar family who nevertheless found himself compelled to adopt caretaking and parental responsibilities very early in life. He learned early to scrap to protect his kin, fending off bullies and ruffians nipping at their meager possessions, yet somehow managed to keep himself grounded with a cheerfully gruff disposition.  No matter how dark things got, he always seemed to find a bright side and carry everyone else along with him.  A lifelong fan of the tales of chivalrous tales and virtue, he aspires to the same ideals despite his far grittier circumstances.  Those dreams were tested when his father fell prey to a sniper during The Troubles, having been deployed to Belfast in their waning days.   Sebastian took up work straight out of high school to support family, barely managing to scrape hsi way to graduation, tumbling onto the factory floor in its aftermath.  Working overnight shifts and picking up piece work as a general labourer covered the bills, but little else, especially as his mother’s health failed.  She died within months.  Through it all, Sebastian came to be known and well-regarded in his downtrodden neighbourhood.  He’d always find ways to take lemons and make lemonade enough to feed his own and somehow still share with neighbors in need.  But life in the slums of York didn’t reward modest victories or good behaviour.  While his mates always made sure there was room for him at the pub, some took twisted pleasure in taking advantage or dragging him down just to give their lives a fleeting sense of worth.  Somehow, he still never seemed able to give up, even if it left him beaten and bloodied in some filthy back alley. As his siblings moved on, moved out, or fell prey to their own demons, Sebastian found other ways to keep helping others. There was plenty of interest from the ladies, but he spent so much time on others that he never kept enough for himself, or for any room or chance at romance. As fortunes soured around Britain’s industrial landscape, most of his friends traveled overseas for work.  Those that remained had signed up for the army and encouraged him to follow.  He had the size and the build for it, and eventually made the leap.  Nothing was left to tie him to an empty home.  Landing a prime spot among The Regiment within record time, it was a life better suited to him, offered rewarding work and a sense of belonging and family he’d sought but struggled to maintain.  Advancing to the rank of sergeant, his squad often thought of him as a sort of martial mother hen, keeping their dumber impulses in check while laying down the law.  ‘Vayl’ was quickly adopted as his callsign, proudly born as a euphemism for a smothering blanket.  Deployed for  combined arms exercises in South Korea, his unit was on layover in the Vigilant Isles when Sebastian was offered a chance to try out some new digital toy dubiously procured by some new recruits. Not usually his bag, boredom remained a norm in army life and sought any outlet it could find.   Logging in with the others, a hidden defect with his headset would shunt him towards a different fate.  Where others found themselves in the Town of Beginnings, Vayl’s trajectory deviated, drawn into a buried digital pattern buffer linked to later content that would remain unlocked for years.  Only as the Frontlines finally breached their way into the 28th floor did the required conditions finally unlock, allowing him to manifest.  So far as he knows, the game has only just released and everyone is awakening to their first glimpse of Aincrad, leaving him completely unaware of the brutal death game that had played itself out while he slept in stasis, and the consequences of that slumber.

 

Edited December 6, 2024 by Vayl