Chitin

Real Name: Eli Keiter
Super Hero Name: Chitin
Titles: Blesséd of Earth; Son of Gaia; Terra Incarnari
Alignment: Reluctant hero
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Race: Caucasian
Hair: dark brown, unkempt
Eyes: dark green
Height: 5’11
Weight: 160 lbs

Costume Description/Image: Chitin derives his name from his full-body armor, which resembles white interlocking plates of crystal with natural looking crystalline growths. Because he has control of the materials of his armor, Chitin can streamline the shape in order to trade a little strength and durability for a little speed, or bulk up to gain some durability at the price of mobility.

Personality: Chitin embodies all the traits of the element of earth: straightforward, methodical, unyielding, and eternally patient. He is rather humble and soft spoken, possessing a deep well of what can only be described as Zen. He is slow to anger, but slow to calm once angered. He cannot multitask well, and will pursue a single task through to completion, even if it means following someone to the ends of the Earth at the expense of all else.

History: Eli Keiter was the son of a poor family living in a coal town in Virginia. When he turned 18, he was expected to join his father working in the mines to help feed and clothe his two younger sisters. On his third day working in the mines, however, a massive sinkhole opened beneath him, and the young miner found himself falling into a deep underground cavern. He walked for what felt like days through the downward sloping caverns, eventually reaching a pool of crystal blue water surrounded by huge crystals, as though he had stepped inside the center of a geode. When he knelt at the water’s edge and drank deeply, he felt a looming presence in the back of his mind that would make the voice of God sound pale and insignificant. He felt the very presence of the Earth—the entire Earth—speaking to him. It had waited patiently for a worthy champion, and he had been the first good man to find the Heart of Gaia.
The presence instructed him to touch the crystals that lined the chamber walls. They were unlike anything he had ever seen: pure white, opalescent, and vibrating slightly with a low, gentle hum. As he placed his hand upon the smooth face, the rigid crystal transformed into a living fluid, slashing open the back of his palm and flowing into the open wound. For one excruciatingly long moment he could only stand there, enveloped by white hot pain. The liquid crystal pushed into his body and saturated his muscles and bones and organs with the strength of the Earth. It integrated itself fully into his biology, transforming him into the champion it desired him to be.
Six years passed since that fateful day. The world grew to know him as Chitin, but few knew his true allegiances or motives. Within those six years, he had discovered three varieties of Heart-Crystal with new armor properties, but he preferred the more well-rounded white crystal to the strong but slow red, the wickedly fast but frail blue, and the insanely powerful purple armor that used his blood as fuel. Though, the more time he spent in the world of superheroes, the more he dreaded the day when he would need the upgrade.

Powers: Manipulation (5 points EP) - Tactile Geokinesis; When in physical contact with stone or crystal (not metal, glass, or other highly processed mineral) surfaces, Eli is able to expertly manipulate them. At his touch, mountains move and diamond flows like water. He can travel as fast through solid stone as he can above ground while using less energy. His armor can be reinforced with additional material, and its shape can be modified to form makeshift weapons.

Defense (1 point EP) – Much of the water in Eli’s body has been displaced by liquid crystal, making physical combat against him similar to attacking a frozen steak: not impossible, but certainly not easy. In several seconds, this crystal can flow out of his pores and form a suit of interlocking crystalline plates (usually shredding his street clothes in the process). This armor, simultaneously a solid and a fluid, is composed of crystals only found deep in the Earth’s core. They are capable of absorbing and redirecting some energy attacks, but crack under excessive force. Separating Eli from his armor reduces it back to a large humming crystal, and reduces him to the physical prowess of an average human, albeit one with tactile geokinesis.

Power Grid: (You have 22 points to spend on your Power Grid unless you can fly, in which case you have 20. Each stat can start at 6, not 7. 7 must be earned.)
STR: 4
SPD: 3
END: 4
INT: 3
EP: 6
FS: 2

Power Grid colours: White and Purple

Character Image/Description:

Roleplay Sample:

“That’s a real pretty stone you’ve got there.”
“Amethyst,” Eli lied. “Can you mount it? Maybe on a necklace or a ring?” The jeweler peered at the shimmering purple stone.
“Of course I can. Which would you prefer?” Eli scowled. He would prefer to never have to use the thing at all, but he knew better than to throw away a weapon just because of a little old thing like self-preservation. He fidgeted with the rings on his thumbs. They weren’t enough to make a whole suit out of, but they would give him a little kick if he needed it. ‘Roids on the right, speed on the left.
“Necklace would be great. Nothing too fancy, just like a medallion or talisman. Other than that, surprise me.” He caught the jeweler’s suspicious eye. “I do, you know, that crystal healing thing.” Eli waved a hand vaguely. “Chakras. Chi. Energy. Aura readings. It’s all very complicated stuff.”
“Right,” the jeweler coughed. “Well, it will be done by the end of the day.”
He smiled. “Oh, no rush. I’ve got plenty of work to get done before I’ll be needing it back.”