Name: Zae Age: 25 Contact Info: PM this journal or zaechel @ plurk Other Characters: Nope!
Character Information
Name: Rhys Canon: Tales from the Borderlands Age: 27 Gender: Male Canon Point: Episode 3, right after falling from the tower. This will mean that he is temporarily being piloted by the Handsome Jack AI Background Link:Wikipedia series summary Less complete but Rhys-centric page Inventory:
1) Shirt, vest, pants, hideous boots/socks, and a red tie. Tucked into the pants. 2) Dumpy, stripped of his ability to stun 3) Nakayama's empty ID drive
Personality:
Rhys
Since childhood, Rhys has been ambitious. His ultimate goal was to run a company. He formed a club just so he'd have the excuse to print tiny business cards. This desire and drive propelled him into Hyperion, and eventually, with the help of his friends Yvette and Vaughn, he pushed through the ranks. He is extremely dedicated and goal-oriented, which is emphasized early in canon by his part in a controversial mining deal and his willingness to sacrifice organic body parts to get ahead in his career.
His borderline obsessive hero worship of the company's deceased maniacal ex-CEO is another defining point in his Hyperion career. In the early stages, he wants to be just like Jack, to the point where he's willing to almost overlook Jack's mistakes and the atrocities he committed.
However, though Rhys describes himself as a "bad guy" in the story he's telling, as Hyperion stooges go, he really isn't a bad guy. Is he a bit of an asshole? Absolutely. His remarks are very sarcastic at times, and he likes to act like he's more cutthroat than he is. Ultimately, Rhys likes to be liked, and that gets in the way of his ambition. He's not willing to sacrifice friendships to get to the top. At least, not directly.
Rhys' interactions can be quite awkward and outright dorky, which can in part be attributed to being thrown outside his element, but extends to his general demeanor as well. This is especially apparent in conversations with Sasha, though it's certainly not limited to her. He stumbles over words and throws out lame comebacks. He turns into a fanboy immediately after meeting the Vault Hunter Zer0. His tie is tucked into his pants, for God's sake.
He also has an odd affection for robots. His current roster of robo-adoptees includes an extremely loyal Hyperion Loader Bot, a screaming, malfunctioning, tiny ATLAS drone, and the (indirect) robotic key to a Vault. His soft spot for them is exemplified by his reluctance and sometimes outright refusal to put them in harm's way. The general attitude towards robots at Hyperion is that they're exploitable and disposable, so Rhys stands out in that regard.
Rhys' loyalty extends to his non-robotic friends as well. It starts with Vaughn, his best friend, who he is willing to physically protect from the bandits of Pandora and unwilling to sell him out to his Hyperion nemesis for amnesty and a considerable amount of cash. He grows close to Sasha and Fiona as well, and they all grow to respect each other despite their extremely different upbringings and beliefs. It's another way Rhys demonstrates that he's not a typical Hyperion employee. His exposure to Pandoran natives puts him at odds with his current beliefs and aspirations.
The key conflict Rhys faces in Tales is the struggle to balance the two, and he's torn between his new friends/experiences and the AI hitching a ride in his brain. To an extent, his time with Fiona and Sasha has changed his outlook on Pandora. This positive development is constantly contrasted by the devil on his shoulder. The Handsome Jack AI keeps trying to pull him back to his corporate life and away from the new friendships he's developed. Depending on what choices are made, Rhys can reject Jack's mentorship, accept it, or stay conflicted. This Rhys is conflicted. Loyal to his friends, but retaining a certain amount of respect for Jack. This back-and-forth has resulted in an uneven relationship between the two.
Handsome Jack AI
In life, Handsome Jack was severely egotistical, narcissistic, and, as the events of Borderlands 2 unfolded, increasingly unbalanced.
His digital successor is more or less the same man, but blue, intangible, and unable to be seen or heard by anyone but Rhys. There are, however, a few key differences, mainly in the way he has to deal with things. His power and influence have been cut dramatically, and he's been forced to adapt to resolving situations without strangling or throwing money/loader bots at the problem until it goes away. This is a Jack that demonstrates his skills at manipulation. Throughout Tales, he tries to alienate Rhys from his friends.
This is because he has a singular goal in mind; get back to Helios in order to resume that whole galactic takeover thing. At this stage, he's looking to get a body, and the meatsack he's stuck with is the most viable option. Therefore, he will continue to manipulate Rhys and make him think he's the only one he can truly trust. That will make things easier when the ball drops.
Flavor Abilities: Cybernetics - right arm, left eye, and a futuristic USB-ish port leading into his brain. Scanning/hacking will be disabled, but the implants will continue to function as regular body parts and retain their less useful capabilities (flashlight, music player).
The Handsome Jack AI can enhance Rhys' hacking abilities to the point of technopathy, but that's not gonna work out with non-Hyperion tech. He can also manipulate Rhys' cybernetics and, at times, possess him completely.
Suitability: Rhys is a company man without formal training in any kind of self defense. However, he has risen through the ranks of Hyperion, which is no small accomplishment. Despite its sleek and comparatively "civilized" corporate atmosphere, Helios is a vicious, dog-launches-dog-out-of-airlock environment. It takes a large degree of guts and determination to stick it out in Hyperion.
He has also survived on Pandora, despite being completely unprepared for the harsh and unforgiving planet. He may be slightly panicky and built like a limp noodle, but he has a knack for complex plans and is capable of thinking on his feet.
Rhys | Tales from the Borderlands | Reserved
Name: Zae
Age: 25
Contact Info: PM this journal or zaechel @ plurk
Other Characters: Nope!
Character Information
Name: Rhys
Canon: Tales from the Borderlands
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Canon Point: Episode 3, right after falling from the tower. This will mean that he is temporarily being piloted by the Handsome Jack AI
Background Link: Wikipedia series summary
Less complete but Rhys-centric page
Inventory:
1) Shirt, vest, pants, hideous boots/socks, and a red tie. Tucked into the pants.
2) Dumpy, stripped of his ability to stun
3) Nakayama's empty ID drive
Personality:
Rhys
Since childhood, Rhys has been ambitious. His ultimate goal was to run a company. He formed a club just so he'd have the excuse to print tiny business cards. This desire and drive propelled him into Hyperion, and eventually, with the help of his friends Yvette and Vaughn, he pushed through the ranks. He is extremely dedicated and goal-oriented, which is emphasized early in canon by his part in a controversial mining deal and his willingness to sacrifice organic body parts to get ahead in his career.
His borderline obsessive hero worship of the company's deceased maniacal ex-CEO is another defining point in his Hyperion career. In the early stages, he wants to be just like Jack, to the point where he's willing to almost overlook Jack's mistakes and the atrocities he committed.
However, though Rhys describes himself as a "bad guy" in the story he's telling, as Hyperion stooges go, he really isn't a bad guy. Is he a bit of an asshole? Absolutely. His remarks are very sarcastic at times, and he likes to act like he's more cutthroat than he is. Ultimately, Rhys likes to be liked, and that gets in the way of his ambition. He's not willing to sacrifice friendships to get to the top. At least, not directly.
Rhys' interactions can be quite awkward and outright dorky, which can in part be attributed to being thrown outside his element, but extends to his general demeanor as well. This is especially apparent in conversations with Sasha, though it's certainly not limited to her. He stumbles over words and throws out lame comebacks. He turns into a fanboy immediately after meeting the Vault Hunter Zer0. His tie is tucked into his pants, for God's sake.
He also has an odd affection for robots. His current roster of robo-adoptees includes an extremely loyal Hyperion Loader Bot, a screaming, malfunctioning, tiny ATLAS drone, and the (indirect) robotic key to a Vault. His soft spot for them is exemplified by his reluctance and sometimes outright refusal to put them in harm's way. The general attitude towards robots at Hyperion is that they're exploitable and disposable, so Rhys stands out in that regard.
Rhys' loyalty extends to his non-robotic friends as well. It starts with Vaughn, his best friend, who he is willing to physically protect from the bandits of Pandora and unwilling to sell him out to his Hyperion nemesis for amnesty and a considerable amount of cash. He grows close to Sasha and Fiona as well, and they all grow to respect each other despite their extremely different upbringings and beliefs. It's another way Rhys demonstrates that he's not a typical Hyperion employee. His exposure to Pandoran natives puts him at odds with his current beliefs and aspirations.
The key conflict Rhys faces in Tales is the struggle to balance the two, and he's torn between his new friends/experiences and the AI hitching a ride in his brain. To an extent, his time with Fiona and Sasha has changed his outlook on Pandora. This positive development is constantly contrasted by the devil on his shoulder. The Handsome Jack AI keeps trying to pull him back to his corporate life and away from the new friendships he's developed. Depending on what choices are made, Rhys can reject Jack's mentorship, accept it, or stay conflicted. This Rhys is conflicted. Loyal to his friends, but retaining a certain amount of respect for Jack. This back-and-forth has resulted in an uneven relationship between the two.
Handsome Jack AI
In life, Handsome Jack was severely egotistical, narcissistic, and, as the events of Borderlands 2 unfolded, increasingly unbalanced.
His digital successor is more or less the same man, but blue, intangible, and unable to be seen or heard by anyone but Rhys. There are, however, a few key differences, mainly in the way he has to deal with things. His power and influence have been cut dramatically, and he's been forced to adapt to resolving situations without strangling or throwing money/loader bots at the problem until it goes away. This is a Jack that demonstrates his skills at manipulation. Throughout Tales, he tries to alienate Rhys from his friends.
This is because he has a singular goal in mind; get back to Helios in order to resume that whole galactic takeover thing. At this stage, he's looking to get a body, and the meatsack he's stuck with is the most viable option. Therefore, he will continue to manipulate Rhys and make him think he's the only one he can truly trust. That will make things easier when the ball drops.
Flavor Abilities: Cybernetics - right arm, left eye, and a futuristic USB-ish port leading into his brain. Scanning/hacking will be disabled, but the implants will continue to function as regular body parts and retain their less useful capabilities (flashlight, music player).
The Handsome Jack AI can enhance Rhys' hacking abilities to the point of technopathy, but that's not gonna work out with non-Hyperion tech. He can also manipulate Rhys' cybernetics and, at times, possess him completely.
Suitability: Rhys is a company man without formal training in any kind of self defense. However, he has risen through the ranks of Hyperion, which is no small accomplishment. Despite its sleek and comparatively "civilized" corporate atmosphere, Helios is a vicious, dog-launches-dog-out-of-airlock environment. It takes a large degree of guts and determination to stick it out in Hyperion.
He has also survived on Pandora, despite being completely unprepared for the harsh and unforgiving planet. He may be slightly panicky and built like a limp noodle, but he has a knack for complex plans and is capable of thinking on his feet.
RP Samples: tdm threads!