Zachary Torren [Approved 1-5]

Name: Zachary Torren
Nickname: Zach
Title: Dr. Torren
Gender: Male
Age: 28
Occupation: Medical Doctor

Appearance

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Blue-Gray
Overall Appearance:

Personality

Personality: When it comes to Zach's personality, a lot of generalities about him can be guessed from his appearance, thought there is still more to him than meets the eye. For starters, the first thing most people assume about Zach from meeting him is that he is an intelligent person; the second being that he is not that friendly. While this first assumption is one hundred percent correct, the second one is not so much. Now, it is true that outwardly Zach does not exhibit the classic signs of being a sociable person; it is really caused by the standard coping mechanisms of his job. This is not to say that he closes himself off from others or even is affected too much by death, but simply put, to be an effective doctor, he has to be able to distance himself from his patients to an extent. Of course, this does not mean that he is rude to them, as that is quite the opposite, however, he has to make sure not to become to "attached" to any of his patients both because of the standards set by the medical association, but because it is the only way to be effective at what he does. Unfortunately, a bit of this disassociation does carry over to his personality even when he isn't working, and as such causes others to believe he is antisocial. Then again, when his hobbies include reading and research, he really isn't always the most sociable person out there. Along with this, Zach is also a rather pragmatic individual; a trait both linked with his intelligence and can sometimes lead others to this conclusion that he is not sociable. He is definitely not pessimistic, but instead judges a situation both at face value as well as from his personal experience and knowledge.

Now, while these traits definitely could be the signs of an antisocial individual, it is the positive traits that prove Zach is otherwise. For starters, while his disassociation can sometime be an issue, Zach generally is a generous person, and actually does find solace in the bonds of friendship forged with others. While it may occasionally be difficult to become friends with him, he by no means tries to drive others away from himself. Along with this, he also has a sense of humor, and can actually be found making a joke or two from time to time, just not too frequently. When it comes to his personality when dealing with patients, while there is still the distance he maintains to remain professional, he still treats them with respect and dignity. While he may not smile much, he does still try to treat all of his patients in a way that they can feel comfortable with. Because really, it's not that he cannot be kind to his patients, it is simply that he must maintain his professional standards. Along with all of this, Zach is also actually a rather polite individual, at least so long as the other party also maintains at least some level of civility. Of course, for those that choose to disrespect him, Zach will usually have a few choice words, or simply ignore them.

When it comes to Zach's views on spiritual beings, his are actually rather unique and even a little odd; though if only because of his pragmatism and scientific studies. That being said, because he has actually had quite a few personal interactions with spiritual beings over the years, ranging from plus to hollow to shinigami; instead of just hearing about them. Unlike some other humans, Zach has no real apprehension or fear regarding spiritual beings, only curiosity. Through taking a scientific approach Zach has actually learned a lot more about spiritual beings than most other humans know of them. While some of his personal research has been motivated by the fact that he possess spiritual powers himself, the majority of it was simply to sate his own curiosity and for medical applications. Of course, because of his occupation and beliefs, Zach is against the governments of the world turning those with spiritual powers into living weapons. Now, that is not to say that he is against war in general, as though he may not like it he can admit that it has it's purposes, and he even understands researching spiritual beings and spiritual energy to create weapons to combat it, but once you start trying to turn people into weapons he draws the line. Then again, he is not some kind of radical rebelling against the government because of his beliefs, but he definitely does not condone many of the actions and at least lets it be known that he doesn't.

Although one may not guess so, Zach does actually know how to hold his own in a fight; both against another human and a spiritual being. Ever since he discovered his power he's made sure to know how to use it, and as such, he's learned how to protect himself over the years. While he may not be a violent man, there are always times where anyone would be forced to fight, and Zach trains so that he will be prepared for said times. Of course, when it does come to combat, Zach's personality doesn't really change too much. The only real difference is that when he has to fight, he becomes more focused on the battle at hand; meaning that he is usually quieter than he normally is. Also, he tends to be a bit more direct when dealing with others during combat, such as working with allies. Generally speaking, he prefers not to kill an opponent, though he does make exceptions for creatures such as hollows. While he generally doesn't start fights, there are a few situations that will cause him to, such as trying to protect others, because he is still a relatively nice guy, and as a doctor; it is his duty to help others.

Aside from all of the serious factors, Zach is still a human, and as such, he has a few hobbies and such. As stated earlier, he enjoys reading and independent research, but his interests go further than that. For starters, Zach likes cars; specifically fast cars. While it may be hard to guess from his appearance and occupation, he is a bit of a gear head when it comes to cars. Of course, thanks to the income provided to him, he has been able to purchase one of his dream cars; an Aston Martin One-77. It may be a little old by now, but it is still in perfect condition, and Zach makes sure to take good care of it on his days off. As with most men his age, Zach also enjoys drinking to an extent, though not too much. While he does have a moderately high tolerance for alcohol, he still prefers to moderate his consumption. Oh, and his favorite drink is Scotch whisky. When it comes to women... well, Zach is definitely attracted to them and has his preferences, but because of work and his own personality, he hasn't had much luck yet. Of course, what really attributes to this is that fact that, when it come to women, he is rather oblivious. Sure, he may be an intelligent guy, but as soon as you start trying to flirt with him, he's clueless. It's not a hopeless endeavor for him, but it would definitely take the right kind of woman for him to finally realize.

Natural Abilities

High Intellect: Both through natural talent and his years spent in medical school, Zach is gifted with an unnaturally high level of intelligence for someone of his age; let alone a human in general. Of course, his intelligence goes beyond just medicine, and extends to most subjects; mathematics and scientific studies in particular. While this trait is quite useful in general, Zach's intelligence also extends to aid him during combat. This allows him to analyze a situation quickly and make more precise judgements than others; leading to the ability to devise multiple and more accurate strategies than others. Oh, and don't take him on in a game of trivial pursuit; chances are he would win.

Medical Knowledge: As with his intellect, because of both a natural aptitude and his years in medical school (not to mention his occupation as a doctor), Zach has a vast amount of medical knowledge. While this obviously does include knowledge on diseases and medicines, it also extends further to areas such as anatomy and neuroscience. While this may not seem like that useful of a skill outside of his occupation, it does actually have a few useful applications to combat. Most notably is Zach's ability to be able to determine fairly accurately the anatomy of most any humanoid life form he encounters with a bit of study. This, along with a general understanding of how spiritual energy works, Zach is usually able to pinpoint weak spots on an opponent through combining his medical and spiritual knowledge. Aside from this, his general knowledge of spiritual energy allows for him to apply some (but not all) of his medical knowledge to treating spiritual beings, so long as he has the appropriate tools. That being said, the majority of his medical knowledge is still based around humans, and as such, he is much more adept at treating them than other beings.

Powers

Power: Parasitic Drive
When it comes to powers, Zach’s is considerably a little odd. As implied by its name, his power works off of the principles of parasitism; meaning that he uses little to none of his own energy. While this alone may not be that special, seeing as both Quincy and some other humans rely on energy outside of their own bodies, the way in which Zach uses this ability sets him apart. For starters, while others use the surrounding energy to fuel their powers, Zach’s “Parasitic Drive” uses a decidedly different source; namely his target’s energy. To accomplish this, Zach’s powers allow him to create special “Parasitic Pylons”, basically large dart-like crystals that he can attach to either an opponent or any inanimate object that contains some amount of spiritual energy, which then siphons off energy from the target to produce a number of different effects. Because these pylons are created with the intention of draining energy, they themselves actually contain hardly any energy at all when first created, meaning that Zach is not limited by an energy cost when creating and using them, save for creating massive quantities of them at the same time. Not only that, but because this power requires a miniscule amount of Zach’s own energy to create, he himself has a very low spiritual pressure (save for through one or two abilities); meaning that it is very difficult to sense his presence when he is not engaged in combat, and has allowed him to keep the fact that he even has spiritual powers concealed for the most part. While there are many different abilities associated with this power, the main form of combat using the “Parasitic Pylons” is to either fire them off like darts once created (which takes the most energy, but provides good speed and spread), to physically throw them like darts (which provides the greatest accuracy and provides sniper-like distance by absorbing a small amount of the surrounding energy to continue its propulsion), or to get up close to the opponent and literally stab the pylon’s into his opponent one by one (obviously the most dangerous, but the best option to get past armor and very evasive opponents). Because each individual pylon is relatively small, a little larger than the size of an average dart, his standard attack with each pylon only drains a limited amount of energy, but does so with great speed, usually taking around or less than a second depending on how much energy the opponent has. Once each individual pylon becomes full, they will explode; not only burning off the energy stolen from an opponent or object, but also causing damage to them as the energy is no longer their own after this process. While this generally means that each individual pylon can only cause a small to medium amount of damage on its own, they truly become dangerous when multiple pylons are used in unison or after many successful hits. Not only that, but when the pylons are used against 0-tier opponents, because of the larger amount of energy, the pylons can actually drain a slightly larger amount of energy than they can hold in the same amount of time; not just making a more volatile and powerful explosion, but also becoming much more effective on stronger opponents. Along with this, Zach can also combine his attacks with both his understanding of spiritual energies and the anatomy of both humans and spiritual beings to target weak points upon an opponent’s body to cause the greatest amount of damage to them. Of course, as with any power, Zach’s “Parasitic Drive” is by no means a perfect ability. Not only is it completely useless against non-powered opponents or opponents that rely on outside energy (such as Quincy and both Gōngnéng and Shílì humans) under normal conditions, but while in the human world they are actually relatively easy to counter; being defeated by simply hiding behind a solid, non-spiritual brick wall. Under these circumstances, Zach must instead rely upon the other abilities associated with his power, making him a much less effective fighter.

Abilities:
Pylon Sword: While the main way in which Zach uses his “Parasitic Drive” power may be through his dart-like pylons, there is a secondary way in which he can use it, focused around close range combat. Instead of creating the individual darts, Zach will instead form multiple darts into a single pylon, basically creating a pylon sword. While the sword still functions through the same general principles of parasitism, because the sword is just one large pylon and because it is no longer used as a projectile, the actual way in which it functions during combat is slightly different. To put it simply, instead of draining the energy from an opponent or object and then exploding, the sword drains its energy from any object containing spiritual energy that it comes into contact with to fuel its strength. For example, if the sword comes into contact with another spiritual weapon, such as a Shinigami’s Zanpakuto, the sword will actually drain some of that weapons energy to power itself; usually an amount to make both weapons of equal strength. At the same time, if the sword is used to actually slash an opponent, it will drain a set amount of energy depending on both the amount of contact the slash makes with the opponent as well as their level of energy. For example, an opponent with a low level of energy would only give the sword a very small amount of energy, meaning that the slash could actually end up being so weak that it does not even cause any damage. Inversely, when a strong opponent with a high level of energy is slashed by the sword, it becomes much more powerful, and can even cause some very serious wounds. Of course, as with his base power, this sword is virtually useless when trying to damage an opponent that uses external spiritual energy, though if they use any spiritual weapons it can still be used to block their attacks. However, there is one new weakness introduced with the pylon sword; not only can it not damage non-spiritual objects, but anything like a solid brick wall can easily shatter the sword if Zach were to swing at it, causing him to have to reform the sword from scratch. Because the sword is much larger than any of his single pylons, Zach must wait one post after its creation to be able to use the pylons as projectiles at the same time, and must also wait one post after its destruction to be able to create it again.
Appearance:

Spoiler:

Power Pylon: While the majority of Zach’s power and abilities are based upon attacking a target, given that they use the target’s energy against it, the “Power Pylon” ability is probably one of his only passive abilities; and works through more conventional means. To use this ability, Zach once again combines singular “Parasitic Pylons” into one large pylon, but this time he create two large, stationary pylons. Once created, the two large pylons begin to absorb spiritual energy from the surrounding area and then transfer it to Zach to bolster his attack, defense, and speed. Because the pylons absorb outside energy, the strength and duration of these physical enhancements vary depending upon the amount of available energy within the surrounding area, meaning that they are more effective in areas with a high concentration of spiritual energy; such as the Soul Society. Also, because the pylons are stationary, once they absorb all of the available energy within fifty foot radius Zach’s physical enhancements will wear off; forcing him to deconstruct and relocate the pylons. As for what energy these pylons can use, they will not drain any spiritual energy from an opponent within their radius, but can still absorb it from buildings composed of reishi (such as those found in the Soul Society). As for drawbacks, these stationary pylons can be destroyed if they receive enough damage, though they are able to absorb energy-based attacks used against them to maintain Zach’s physical enhancements. Not only that, but if they are placed within the hit range of an area attack or ability, the pylons will first drain energy from said attack/ability before draining the ambient spiritual energy; weakening said attacks/abilities and potentially even stopping them given the amount of time. Because this ability uses the surrounding energy and not a target’s energy, the physical enhancements granted by this ability can be used against non-powered opponents and those who use external energy, though they still suffer the same drawbacks. However, because this ability actually transfers energy to him and increases his physical abilities, Zach can be sensed with ease while using this ability and it becomes clear that he has spiritual powers. Because of their size, Zach cannot use his normal dart-like pylons during the same post in which he creates these pylons, and after either their destruction or they drain all of the available energy he must wait one post per pylon to use this ability again.
Appearance:

Spoiler:

Defense Pylon: Unlike most of his other abilities, “Defense Pylon” is very similar to the normal usage of his power, and as implied by its name, is a defensive technique. To use this ability, Zach simply needs to create a larger sized “Parasitic Pylon” than used for his normal attacks, about half the size of the sword he creates, and then fire it off. Because of the larger size, this pylon is not generally suited for offensive uses as it is slower and he can only fire off one at a time. However, because of the increased size, they are perfect to use for his own defense, as he can fire them off into an oncoming energy-based attack to have it not only absorb a portion of the attacks energy, but also to allow it to explode and negate the oncoming attack. Because of the nature of an energy-based attack, being that it is fully composed of energy, the parasitic draw of the pylon occurs at an even quicker rate than his normal attacks; both absorbing the energy and then exploding at almost the exact same moment it comes into contact with the targeted attack. While this ability is best used for defense, there is another practical usage; against spiritual barriers or armor. While his normal attacks may be able to cause damage to spiritual barriers or armor, it is gradual and can take a few hits before causing enough damage to break them. Using this ability, not only can Zach drain enough energy to weaken the barriers or armor, but they can also then cause enough damage to break them; or at least break a hole in them.

Aquilla Shower: Not so much a different way of using his power or the “Parasitic Pylons” but instead more of an attack technique, “Aquilla Shower” is so named because… well, honestly, Zach simply thought that the name sounded cool. To use this ability, Zach must first create a single large pylon, roughly twice the size of those used for his “Power Pylon” ability that floats above the battlefield. Once the pylon is fully formed, he then fires off a single of the dart-like pylons into it; causing it to shatter upon impact and rain down thousands upon thousands of miniature pylons, nicknamed the “Aquilla’s Feathers” by Zach. Due to both the large size of the initial pylon and then the small sizes of the pylons created from it’s shattering, this attack has a hit radius of up to half a mile; though that area can be compressed down to hit a smaller area with more pylons. While each individual pylon is about half the size of his normal attack, thus only being able to absorb half as much energy and cause half as much damage, the true threat of this attack comes from its area of effect. For those caught in this ability, it is unlikely for them to be struck by anything less than a hundred pylons; meaning that they will take at least medium to heavy damage; depending on their own level of energy. Of course, aside from the standard drawback this ability shares with his main power, it is also a very time consuming attack in comparison. Once the ability has been started, it takes one whole post for the large pylon to be completed, and because the attack is akin to rain, if an opponent knows what signs to look for they can generally escape the target area with ease; as Zach can only course correct the large pylon be a few yards. Now, that being said, this attack can still be very useful for taking out a large group of enemies, as well as single opponents to smaller groups within a confined area. However, because this ability is nondiscriminatory between friend and foe, Zach almost never uses it in a confined space while fighting with allies. After successfully using this ability, Zach must wait for five posts before he can use it again.

Background

History: When it comes to his past, Zach has had… well, a relatively normal life, all things considered. Aside from their jobs, his parents were both pretty normal; his father being a lawyer and his mother being a doctor. Of course, given the occupations, both of his parents were usually busy during his childhood, and through most of his life, but Zach never felt neglected. Given their money, they were able to afford hiring a nanny to take care of him when they were working, but made sure to spend their time off together as a family. However, it wasn’t just unconditional love that they showed their son; as given both of their education and generally serious natures, they wanted to make sure that their son was given every opportunity to succeed. So, while his parents showed him love, they were also more on the “strict” side; making sure that Zach did not squander the chances he had been given. While as a younger child Zach might have had some issues with this (though nothing more than any ordinary child would), in the long run, he is quite thankful for how his parents raised him.

When it came time to enter school, needless to say, Zach was able to attend some of the best in the area; both thanks to money and, after the first few grades, his own talent and intelligence. Even in the first few years, it was quite obvious that his parent’s parenting had paid off. Aside from excelling in school, as well as even skipping a grade, nothing much of importance happened during his early school years. Of course, given his personality, Zach was never the most popular kid, though he really didn’t care, but he was still able to make some friends. Still, it wasn’t until he was in High School that the next major development in his life came about; the discovery of his powers.

It all started out as a normal day; Zach woke up, went to school, came back home, and his parents, as usual, were working late. By this time in his life, he was quite able to take care of himself, and on the days his parents worked late he simply came home alone and made dinner for himself. This day, however, especially on his way home, he began to notice that things… weren’t quite right. All throughout the day he had noticed a few people that just didn’t seem to fit in. Not only were they dressed weirdly, buts some seemed to have chains protruding from their chests, and yet others appeared to be carrying around swords. While at first it was quite a shocking sight, Zach was able to deduce that whatever these people were, only he could see them, at least within his school. Because of this, he opted not to bring this matter up to anyone; given that since only he seemed to notice them, most people would simply assume that he was crazy. Though he did not know it at the time, this day marked the beginning of his awakening to the spiritual world.

Upon returning home, instead of doing homework or going online, Zach instead chose to take the time to actually sit and think over what had happened that day with the weird sightings. After a while, he came to the conclusion that he most likely wasn’t going crazy, as the people only he had seen didn’t seem to share any traits that would link them to being hallucinations, and from what he could tell they were actually there, as they seemed to have the ability to interact with some physical objects. While thinking, and unbeknownst to him, there was actually a hollow, which had been active in the city that day, currently within close proximity to his house. Deciding that he needed some fresh air to clear his mind, Zach went outside at the same moment said hollow was passing by.

As he came face to face with the beast, Zach was understandably taken aback; shocked by the large monster currently in front of him. Thankfully, it took the hollow a few moments to realize that Zach was there, long enough for him to overcome the initial shock. Still, given the situation, there wasn’t really much for him to do. As it stood, running wasn’t really a practical option given both his and the hollow’s positions, and given the beasts size, chances were it would easily be strong enough to get past the front door should he return to the house. Of course, while Zach had to think carefully about what to do, the creature before him was driven only by instinct; and seeing as Zach had the highest spiritual pressure within the area, there was only one real outcome. Suddenly, the hollow charged him, and having no other option, Zach simply readied his footing and held his hands out in front of himself to try and take some of the impact.

It was at this moment, when his life was in danger, that Zach’s latent powers finally decided to activate. Without even knowing what he was doing, as Zach braced for impact, he fired off one of his parasitic pylons. With unparalleled luck, the pylon actually managed to pierce the center of the hollow’s mask before exploding and killing the hollow. Standing there simply in shock for a few moments, Zach eventually regained his composure and returned to his house. For the rest of the night he spent his time trying to replicate the miraculous attack that had saved his life, and after a few attempts he was able to use the attack at will. Exhausted from the whole ordeal and then the usage of his newfound powers, Zach ended up passing out for the night, and ended up sleeping through most of the next day. Once he woke up, and through the years that followed, Zach eventually learned that the creature that had attacked him was a hollow, that he had “spiritual powers”, and that the mysterious people he had seen before were Shinigami and plus. Though over time he would even get the opportunity to speak to such beings, because of the nature of his power, he managed to keep the fact that he even had powers a well kept secret; allowing him to live his normal life.

While he did experiment with his powers, and did have some thoughts of using them to help out others, Zach was smart enough to figure out how others might react to seeing a normal human using supernatural powers, and chose to keep the fact that he had them hidden. Of course, he did not neglect his powers, and along with living his normal life, he made sure to train with them as well; not only for his own protection, but also to make sure he had enough control over them to keep them hidden. And, because of his efforts, the rest of Zach’s life up until now remained relatively normal. After high school, Zach went to college, and after graduating went to medical school where he eventually got his doctorate. Currently living on his own, he works at a local clinic to get his first real job as a true doctor under his belt; still managing both being a doctor and having spiritual powers.

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Tier: 1-5

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