Black Panther |
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Portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor |
Statistics |
Full Name |
T'Challa |
Age |
33 |
Height |
6' |
Build |
Peak Human |
Eyes |
Brown |
Hair |
Black |
Factions |
None |
Occupation |
King of Wakanda |
Alignment |
Hero |
Claim to Fame
The Black Panther is the King of Wakanda and the High Priest of the Cult of Bast. He has absolute rule over one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world and complete control over almost all of the world's most precious natural resource, Vibranium.
Reputation
The Black Panther is a cunning foe who capitalizes upon his physical prowess and cunning intellect to safeguard the sovereignty and peace of Wakanda as well as the lives of innocent people throughout the world.
Biography
From the moment of his birth much has been expected of T'Challa. The death of his mother during child birth created an irreparable rift between he and his step-brother, Hunter who not only blamed the babe for the death of his mother but also saw the young prince as an obstacle to his own potential ascendancy.
T'Challa's father, T'Chaka, took a second wife Ramonda who raised him as a surrogate until she left when he was eight years old.
At this time people of Wakanda were a culture of tribal warriors who were in a state of rapid metamorphosis. For generations the Cult of the Panther had served as peerless warriors protecting the masses, and the sacred mound, from outsiders yet with the close of the Second World War and the advent of the Cold War it became clear that a cadre of peerless warriors were no longer suitable to protect their countrymen.
T'Chaka had already sealed the country to outsiders under the threat of death and begun selling off small pieces of the sacred mound to facilitate a technological revolution. The finest men and women in Wakanda were educated in institutions throughout the world and returned home to revolutionize the nation.
Thus it was expected that T'Challa would simultaneously be the greatest warrior in the country and one of its greatest minds. When he was thirteen years old T'Chaka was killed by Ulysses Klaw leaving T'Challa an orphan. Something in T'Challa snapped that day and he swore revenge redoubling his training and education to avenge his father and assure that his legacy would stay firm.
T'Challa's uncle S'yan became the next Black Panther and honored T'Chaka's legacy by fulfilling his educational and martial mandates. Prior to his adulthood, by Western Standards, T'Challa enrolled in Oxford University where he received advanced degrees in physics and engineering.
Upon returning to Wakanda he challenged his uncle in the annual festival to see who would rule and narrowly beat the man. T'Challa then ingested the heart-shaped herb and became the King of Wakanda.
For the past decade he has poured the resources of his nation into self-sufficiency and technological infrastructure. Creating a new type of science dubbed 'Shadow Physics' through his study of Vibranium he supervised revolutionary changes that has moved Wakanda to be a technological utopia ruled by a caste of panther worshipping warriors.
However, the world around Wakanda rapidly shrinks as telecommunications and intelligence has supplanted nuclear arms as the greatest threat to Wakanda's soverignty forcing the Black Panther to reconsider just how isolated his nation must remain.
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Character Details
T'Challa is a proud man whose dedication to whatever cause he sets his mind on borders on obsession. There are few careless moments in his life for he is a ruler who is simultaneously straddled with a just rule over his people, the protection of his country from foreign and domestic threats, the innovation of increasingly more complex technologies to stay a step ahead of the rest of the world, and a constant maintenance of his physical perfection as, /every year/, he may be challenged to fight to retain his title for the next year.
The number of tasks to which he must dedicate himself makes him a pragmatic man who doesn't involve himself in platitude or discourse for the sake of discourse. He tackles problems in a ruthlessly efficient manner making him seem brutal and arrogant to others.
His Kingship is something the has earned. It was claimed with blood and sweat. It has been retained through a steady stream of challenges. He is proud of what he has achieved and does look down upon those who squander power and position or who attribute some great virtue to simply inheriting a legacy without having actually worked for the right to carry it forward.
Despite his own views on society he is not blind to political overtures and even if he does not respect a person he will afford them the courtesy due their station particularly if he is in their domain. He expects the same from those who attend his court with some need.
01 - Peak Human |
Upon completing the trials to prove himself worthy to the panther goddess T'Challa consumed the heart-shape herb to formalize both his compact with Bast and to establish and a spiritual link to his ancestry.
In an age of meta-human genetics mankind often forgets that since the first recorded moments of history the human form has proven capable of greater and greater physical feats. Recent history has shown us that with a modest intervention of drugs, nutrition, and specialized training mankind is able to consistently improve upon its accomplishments as "world records" are broken time after time at the Olympic games.
T'Challa represents the pinnacle of what the human form can achieve. He is the African equivalent of a "super soldier" capable of reproducing and exceeding any legendary feat the human body has ever achieved.
Strength: The Black Panther possesses the strength necessary to wrestle a full-grown Rhinoceros to the ground and snap its neck
Agility: The Black Panther's physical form is in perfect harmony with itself allowing him to effortlessly alter the direction of his movement or the position of his body. He can instinctively balance until physically exhausted upon a few square centimeters or run across a ravine on a line as thin as spider's silk. There is no gymnastic obstacle course which he could not easily master.
Even if surprised, at twenty-five feet he can react fast enough to the sound of a gunshot to have a chance at dodging a bullet traveling at subsonic speeds after it has already left the barrel of a gun.
Speed:: In a dead-sprint the Black Panther can easily catch a cheetah on the open plain or a sports car rapidly accelerating towards interstate speed in the urban jungle. His distance speed is equivalent to a running equine which is greater than thirty miles per hour.
Stamina: The Black Panther can distance-run for days without physically collapsing. He can push beyond extreme injury and fatigue. Fight the effects of hunger and thirst. Ignore the effects of pain, poison, or illness. His 'off camera' recuperation time (particularly with medical intervention) measures in a number of days or weeks rather than weeks or months for even cripplingly severe injuries.
Durability: Having been beaten, broken, and stabbed his flesh is as durable as leather with bones that can withstand a few tons of force before snapping.
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02 - Panther's Blessing |
Although he is not yet the avatar of the panther goddess he still has several attributes which represent their spiritual union.
Vision: T'Challa possesses 20/10 vision giving him visual acuity equal to about twice what a normal human has. He can also see into the electromagnetic spectrum allowing him to see in total darkness, albeit with a loss of color saturation.
Smell: T'Challa's sense of smell is many times more powerful than a man allowing him to locate and track prey using his nose.
His refined scent-memory recall allows him to recognize people who are not skilled at disguising their innate odors as easily as he might recognize that same person by sight. This is /not/ 'photographic smell' just as someone he met in passing might 'look familiar' they might also 'smell familiar'. To recall someone by scent alone he would have to have a similarly profound interaction with their scent as he would to recognize them with his eyes.
Willpower: Already possessing a peak-human stubbornness his spiritual link with Bast reinforces his iron will. The Black Panther is very resistant, but not immune, to directed attempts to extract information from his mind. He is resistant, but not immune, to telepathic blasts and mind control.
He is 'nearly immune' to people reading his surface thoughts or locating his mind. Near immunity means as a general rule this cannot be done but for a particularly well-written plot need it could happen.
He willingly allow any of these effects if he chooses to.
Ancestral Memory: T'Challa has a link with the ancestral memory of all the previous Black Panthers. In a general sense this allows him to access their knowledge through meditation, dreams, or hallucinogens. At this time he does not have an encyclopedic knowledge of all their experiences in his day-to-day life though from time to time he might get a 'moment of insight' into something particularly profound.
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Innate - Super Genius |
T'Challa is blessed with a super genius that is not the effect of meta-human influence. His mental capabilities in terms of all cognitive functions is very high. He is one of the smartest begins on planet Earth.
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Innate - Grit |
T'Challa is a very strong willed individual who used his innate intelligence and determination to achieve most of what he has today. He became the King of Wakanda due to his mortal attributes and not due to his current peak-human capabilities. If stripped of his titles, blessings, and peak-humanity T'Challa is still a human superlative in almost every way.
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Skill - Combat |
T'Challa was honed to assume the mantel of a warrior king since the day he was born eventually claiming the title of Black Panther by proving himself the most skilled warrior in a society of warriors by defeating his uncle, who had annually defended his throne for nearly a decade, and who had ingested the heart-shape herb gaining peak-human physical capabilities. T'Challa, on the other hand, was 'only human'.
In terms of skill he is an expert combatant in hand-to-hand, melee combat, and with thrown weapons. He is also skilled marksman with modern and archaic weapons.
With his peak human physiology his combat skill is inhuman allowing him to match super-human combatants countless times stronger or faster than him despite the fact he is a 'mere-human' by skill and the exploitation of their physical weaknesses. In this regard he is similar to figures such as Captain America, Batman, and Shang-Chi.
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Skill - Preparedness |
When T'Challa levels his skills and resources upon a specific task he can create a macguffin to allow him to match, however briefly, almost any foe such that he can be relevant in even a cosmic match-up. Obviously this is subject to good-sense and consent.
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Skill - Languages |
For all intents and purposes if T'Challa knows he is going to interact with someone who speaks a specific language and that language is not 'alien and unknown' then he will learn their language to at least a conversational level so they won't have an advantage over him. As a result he is generally conversational, thus able to communicate with some error, in most languages.
As a matter being a genius world leader he is always fluent in his native language as well as the top 10 most spoken languages in the world which are: Wakandan, French, Malay-Indonesian, Portuguese, Bengali, Arabic, Russian, Spanish, Hindustani, English, and Mandarin.
In addition he can speak most the varying tribal dialects in North East Africa.
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Skill - Investigation |
Skilled in science, forensics, engineering, and strategy T'Challa is a master at dissecting a situation to its component parts. While not the 'World's Greatest Detective' he's certainly not a mind most people would want unraveling their schemes.
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Skill - Vehicles |
Not only can he design advanced vehicles but he can also pilot them expertly and is capable of performing real-world heroism worthy of a summer blockbuster.
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Skill - Stealth & Tracking |
T'Challa is as skilled at camouflage as his namesake in the dead of night. To locate him when he is 'stalking' someone takes either superhuman capability of a world class level of skill in counter-surveillance.
He is extraordinarily efficient at tracking skill prey and this is only enhanced by his senses.
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Skill - Counter Surveillance |
T'Challa is a world class counter-surveillance expert owing in large part to his skill in trying to remain unseen. He stands a better-then-average chance at detecting a super-spy who is attempting to conduct surveillance upon him either physically or through electronic means.
His enhanced senses give him an edge here too, as the situation fits them.
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Skill - Science & Technology |
T'Challa was educated at some of the finest institutions in the world and has continuously worked to hone his mind and understanding of the universe. He had a direct hand in revolutionizing the technological capabilities of his country to the point its overall technological rating is decades ahead of other nations in the world. He is able to keep up with the super-eggheads and super-engineers to the degree he can reverse engineer their technology though each person's specific niche areas of expertise will exceed his.
On that note: T'Challa is the worlds foremost expert on Vibranium and its capabilities with a science he has dubbed 'Shadow Physics'.
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Skill - Strategy |
In conjunction with his preparedness T'Challa is a master strategist. He has developed military contingency plans for hundreds of scenarios, both likely and unlikely, to be executed in the advent he is incapacitated during an invasion. When not incapacitated he is a fearsome leader and capable of developing strategies to effectively deal with much more powerful foes. |
Skill - Mysticism |
T'Challa is versed in mystic theory though he possesses no innate mystical ability beyond the blessings Bast has bestowed upon him. His scientific mind has distilled esoteric principle to their core elements understanding that otherworldly power, ley lines, and artifacts all possess some inherent dimensional energy which can be manipulated with enough study and preparation. This makes him a very poor conversationalist with mages as he views their abilities in the same way he views mutant powers but it also means that mystical circumstances rarely confound his 'scientific ways'. |
Wakanda - Overview |
KINGDOM OF WAKANDA
Official Language: Wakandan
Government: Absolute Monarchy, Single Party State
King: T'Challa
Legislature: None
Area: 183,000 km2
Population (2014 Estimate): 7,800,000
GDP (Estimated): 792.12 Billion
Religions: Cult of Bast (92), Cult of Ghekre (4), Cult of Sekhmet (3), Other (1)
Located in the Northeastern region of the African continent the area the area that is now Wakanda experienced a profound change when a meteor irradiated with cosmic power struck and began mutating the local populace into feral demonic who ravaged the local populace. In reaction a native, Bashenga, secured the site and created the Cult of the Panther who were charged with guarding the site so that no others would be harmed. This site is the center of Wakanda.
A little more than a generation ago the long reigning King of Wakanda, T'Chaka, adopted an isolationist stance sealing off the country due to the aftermath of the second World War and the ongoing nuclear threat posed by the world's superpowers. Over the past sixty years it has undergone countless technological revolutions both under T'Chaka and his son T'Challa.
Though regarded as something as an esoteric mystery by most, the worldwide intelligence organizations have uncovered that the tiny nation possesses not only a vast natural wealth and production capacity but also what may be the greatest technological infrastructure of any nation on Earth.
The country has a number of exotic locales including an area which contains dinosaurs, a techno-organic jungle, the warrior falls, a school for meta-humans, etc. |
Wakanda - Vibranium |
As the rarest and most coveted natural resource on the planet Earth more than 94 percent of all the Vibranium on the planet is located in the mound beneath Central Wakanda.
So rare is the metal that in 1941 Captain America's shield represented the entire Vibranium reserve of the United States of America.
In the decades between World War II and today Wakanda has selectively sold off quantities of Vibranium for a King's ransom establishing a fund source for the rapid technological evolution that has occurred during the past sixty years.
T'Challa effectively controls the supply of Wakandan Vibranium to the world. However, nothing in this write-up should be construed as prohibiting anyone from using it as a MacGuffin as approved for plot purposes.
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Wakanda - Technology |
Possessing foresight that the vast natural wealth of Wakanda would be exploited by the worldwide super-powers, King T'Chaka sealed off his country and steadily sold enough Vibranium to the world to satiate their curiosity. He used the proceeds from each sale to modernize his country. T'Chaka sent many Wakandans to be educated abroad, including his son T'Challa.
Since T'Challa was installed as King he has only intensified the rapid advancement of Wakanda. As a result of their isolation much of their innovation has occurred independent of the rest of the world as such their technology is 'alien' to the rest of the world both in core design and its ability to use the fantastic principles of Vibranium.
For Example:
Computer Technology: Wakandan computer technology is not based upon a binary architecture. Not only is its core processing power greater than its binary equivalent but this renders it very difficult to infiltrate or 'hack' by virtue of the fact its core design is completely alien to known computer science methodology.
Energy Technology: By harnessing the power of Wakandan Vibranium the Kingdom of Wakanda possesses a cheap, abundant, renewable source of non-polluting energy. Energy in Wakanda is almost without cost.
Infrastructure: The technological infrastructure of Wakanda is the most advanced in the world. Whereas certain individuals, nations, and many private mega-companies possess equivalent technologies nowhere else has it been integrated so that nearly every citizen uses it in his daily life.
Essentially, Wakanda is an isolationist technological warrior utopia making it similar to mythical nations such as Asgard.
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Wakanda - Military |
Priding itself on its self-sufficiency and independence, Wakanda does not devote a large portion of its resources to maintaining a fulltime active military. It has less than a hundred thousand fulltime military personnel though, as a warrior culture, every man is trained as a militia who can be called to defend the nation.
Wakanda's chief military policy is one of defense. Utilizing force fields and Vibranium reinforced structures any force which assaults them stands to lose at a rate of thousands to one.
Like its general technology its military technology is unlike any in the world. Utilizing giant city leveling panther-mechas known as prowlers, alien-like flying saucers dubbed N'Yami class battle cruisers, talon jets, an air guard whose troops inhabit suits of power armor, and a cadre of Bast worshipping mystics the nation is a hard nut to crack
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Wakanda - Black Panther |
T'Challa is the Black Panther.
The Black Panther is the absolute monarch of Wakanda. All of its resources and its people are his to command. However, he isn't merely a powerful political figure for he who holds the title of 'Black Panther' is also the High Priest of the Cult of Bast which is the predominant religion in Wakanda. Not only does he protect the mortal lives of his people but he guards the spiritual salvation of his people as well.
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Dora Milaje |
The adored ones are the elite bodyguards of the Black Panther are also his potential suitors and personal harem. Comprised of female children taken from the elders of the thirteen tribes of Wakanda they solidify the power of the King of Wakanda.
Although typically RP fluff, a warrior of the Dora Milaje are generally superior in capability to highly trained run-of-the-mill special force operators, SHIELD agents, and ninjas.
If T'Challa were to lose his title a handful of Dora Milaje would more than likely remain loyal to him particularly if he lost his title through treachery. |
Panther Vestments |
The Black Panther's suit contains a number of advanced technological properties:
Vibranium Mesh: The underweave of the suit is a lightweight Wakandan vibranium mesh. Due to the abilities of Vibranium it can nullify a tremendous amount of kinetic, sound, and light-based energy. Typical streets weapons including assault weapons and machine guns do not possess enough force to keep going beyond the mesh. Knives, swords, and bladed weapons are likewise ineffective though if ultra-dense and sharp enough they can damage the thin mesh making the Panther more vulnerable to repeated strikes.
High-powered blows with dozens of tons of force will knock the Black Panther about. It allows him to survive a few blows from a heavy-hitter but the mesh is thin enough that he won't take many.
Kimoyo System: Utilizing the advanced Wakandan telecommunications system the Kimoyo system is essentially a high-powered wireless connection. It allows him communications, internet access, a remote module for vehicles, and any other reasonable 'super-computer' feats.
He also has a slim PDA-like device known as a 'Kimoyo Card' that allows him to activate more advanced features that are not programmed into his mask.
Mask: The Mask is connected to the Kimoyo communications system and can provide him with a basic 'HUD' for keeping track of his energy-dagger signatures or any other surveillance devices he employs. He can execute commands to vehicles connected to the Kimoyo system and the mask can be fitted with a filtration system for gas, smoke, and biological threats.
Anti-Metal Claws: The gloves possess retractable Anti-Metal claws. While sharp enough to rend wood and flesh they are too small to be much good on brick, concrete, or other masonry. However, because they are anti-metal their vibrations liquify metals upon contact causing metals of any sort, including those of a scientifically indestructible manner such as Adamantium, pose no obstacle.
Energy Daggers: The Black Panther possesses a set of energy daggers. These daggers can be utilized in a hard-light 'lethal' mode. When wielded by a man of T'Challa's strength they can be thrust into concrete.
He can use the dagger as a thrown weapon by firing the dagger from the hilt and then immediately constructing another.
The dagger possesses a 'less lethal' mode which interrupts neuro-muscular signals like a TASER allowing him to plunge the weapon into a man and incapacitate him without rendering long-term harm.
In all modes the daggers leave residual energy traces which he can track via his mask or Kimoyo system for approximately an hour.
Cloak: The Black Panther's suit has a retractable cloak that partially refracts light allowing him to hide-in-plain sight.
Boots: The soles of the Panther's boots are lined with vibranium. Their innate ability to absorb kinetic energy makes his footfalls soundless and allows him to fall to his feet uninjured from a height of about many stories without needing to break-fall or several times that with a tuck and roll at the end to displace the rest of the force through his movement and vibranium mesh. Likewise he can use them in conjunction with his natural athleticism to run approximately fifty feet up a vertical wall or a fifty yards along a fluid substance such as water.
He is able to expel the built up kinetic energy from his steps from the soles of his boots allowing him a pair of super-powered kicks that land with extreme force or that can be used to nullify the momentum of a heavy object, like a vehicle.
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Diplomatic Immunity |
The US State Department has granted T'Challa diplomatic status in the United States. He cannot be arrested or charged with a crime. Were this status revoked he would be forced to leave the country or be subject to its laws.
If revoked it is customary to notify the nation's embassy and allow the diplomat opportunity to leave as summary revocation and arrest of a diplomat tends to upset all nations with diplomats in that country.
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Wakanda - Foreign Embassies |
The Kingdom of Wakanda does maintain an embassy in the super-powers of the world if only to encourage communication which might prove vital to the survival of the nation. As with all Embassies these places are considered to be Wakandan soil and thus any assault upon them is an assault upon Wakanda itself.
The fortified basement of each houses an advanced technological 'haven' that can serve as the 'base of operations' or 'research laboratory' tropes as needed.
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Anti Metal |
Antarctic Vibranium, known as anti-metal, emits a vibration that can liquefy and shatter any metal. This includes unbreakable metals such as Adamantium. It is more coveted than even Wakandan Vibranium and infinitely more rare.
Through a resource intensive and dangerous process T'Challa has learned how to convert Wakandan Vibranium into Anti-Metal. This process risks destroying not only Wakanda but also the continent of Africa as a sufficient quantity of anti-metal could detonate the Wakandan Vibranium mound.
Irregardless, T'Challa has converted created a small but sufficient quantity of anti-metal which is available for his use and experimentation (in plots).
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Wakanda |
One of his greatest strengths is also his greatest weaknesses. In a warrior society there is always someone who is attempting to prove he is stronger and take over as the King of Wakanda. He must defend his title annually in a test of combat against any who seek to rule themselves. A country with near total control over the most valuable natural substance on Earth is always subject to villains, nations, and corporations who seek to take a piece for themselves. T'Challa is not a man who can ever have a careless moment. Constant is his fight to do what is right for his people. This brings with it a number of psychological flaws including paranoia, obsessive behavior, standoffishness, and a distrust of outsiders to name a few |
Grey Hat |
Given the variety of roles that T'Challa must fill he sometimes seems arrogant, often standoffish, and is most certainly a pragmatist. The best way to put down a threat is to truly put it down. He will use lethal force against those who would threaten stability of his country, the life of an innocent person, or whose aggression has proven that they seek to take his own life.
His morality makes him a heroic personality but the level of violence he will level against his foes can unnerve white-hats or those with a code against killing.
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Not Secret Identity |
While the average person will likely not know that 'the Black Panther' is the title of the High Priest of Bast who is also the King of Wakanda it's also not something that's very difficult for someone to find out.
Particularly when the guy in the panther suit shows up every time King T'Challa is in town and staying in the embassy with the flag that has a black panther head on it.
When someone witnesses the Black Panther in action its far from impossible to figure out who might be in the costume.
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Bast |
Failing to uphold his role as the High Priest of Bast or taking actions against his people will cause him to lose Bast's favor. She is powerful enough to revoke the power of the Heart-Shaped Herb and her blessing. Such a downgrade would leave him more vulnerable and she would most certainly urge someone to challenge his dominion over Wakanda so that they could serve as the Black Panther.
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Problem Solver |
Curiosity killed the cat and certainly the Black Panther seems to fall victim to this colloquialism. A good problem or 'impossible challenge' tends to catch his interest and he will devote a good amount of time and resources to solving the matter just to prove that nothing is beyond his capability.
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Relationships
Image |
Name |
Relation |
Information |
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Character Name |
Friend |
Insert a description of the relationship here. |
Notes
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