JOHNNIE O'BRIEN
(JOB)

PLAYER: David Antolovich

Story: Johnnie grew up in Falls Road on the rough side of Belfast. He ended up running with a local IRA related gang to try to get ahead. That he managed to thrive in this environment was as much a testament to his luck as his growing skills. Upon reaching puberty, he began to manifest psychic abilities that grew throughout his teen years and allowed him to assume a leading role in the gang and an influential behind the scenes role in the IRA itself.

Johnnie probably would have continued on this track, if he had not been involved in a bombing gone bad. It turns out a company tricked the gang into hitting a target that had noting to do with Irish freedom. In a blink of an eye, several families of innocents were annihilated in fiery doom. Johnnie took a good look at himself and what he had done and decided to go inactive with the gang. He wandered the world aimlessly for a while and gradually came to the realization violence may be necessary, but that it is rarely the best answer to life’s bigger problems.

As he drifted he took some periodic jobs. Sometimes he worked as a street samurai, usually in the bodyguard role. And, at other times he used some of his softer skills to make a living doing other forms of security work. Johnnie has even been featured a few times on Maim TV for his almost cinematic quality sword fighting prowess.

Now Johnnie has come to the Neo York and its infamous Zero Zone. For the first time in a while he seems to have purpose to his life again. However, what that purpose is still remains to be seen.

Personality/Motivation: Johnnie is a fairly happy go lucky sort, with periodic moody bouts – perhaps not surprising given his feelings for his past and the way he views the state of the world around him. A rarity nowadays, Johnnie is basically an honest and helpful soul who frequently ends up in situations because he sticks his nose where it does not belong. Although in all fairness, some of those situations can be attributed to a fair enjoyment of mischief and a ‘devil may care’ attitude. Despite that, he has not only seen a lot in life already, but has had some time to reflect on his experiences. This gives him a sort of wisdom beyond his years, but he rarely applies it before trouble begins.

Johnnie’s philosophy is to savor life by enjoying relationships, things and events to the fullest. He knows the life he leads will not likely end with him dying peacefully during his sleep in his old age. And, Johnnie accepts this as the fair price of living a full life, versus just ‘existing’ for along time.

He places high value on family and friends and frequently goes out of his way to help both his parents and his siblings. He is also dissatisfied with the way the world is heading. And, although he is well aware that he can not change the world by himself, he is darned if he won’t try at least a make a small differences when and where he can.

quotes: "Aye now, just like mooks ta brings guns tae a sword fight."
"Maybe you be wantin to rethink that, while you still have something left tae think with."

Powers/Tactics: Johnnie is a psychokinetic with a fairly potent if limited set of powers associated with physical enhancement as well as some minor telepathic abilities. He is very fast, quick, and strong. He can also leap long distances and generate various forms of force around himself and/or melee weapons to enhance their damage. His telepathic powers are indeed quite minor and work almost subconsciously. Johnnie can sense an opponent’s weaknesses and can react to their actions, sometimes even before they make them.

While Johnnie may talk, and sometimes act, like some stereotypical Irish hero out of myth, it never gets in the way when he is on the job. He will not hesitate to use any information he can find when researching his foes. If he can trick someone into an unfavorable situation, attack an opponent in a surprising way, or exploit an opponent’s weaknesses, he will usually do so.

In combat Johnnie will usually try to end up fighting the type of battle that his opponents are weakest at. His preference is to end up in melee range where he can almost literally shred his foes with his swords, but that won’t sway Johnnie if long range sniping is what is called for. In ether case, Johnnie prefers to strike from ambush and/or use his superior maneuverability to get behind them and keep them off balance. The only time he will grand stand is if he feels it can be used to avoid an unnecessary fight.

Appearance: Johnnie is appears as almost the ideal male, 6'3" tall, very well built, with an infectious smile and a certain rougish charm that makes him look almost the stereotypical image of an Irish hero from legend. He has long almost flaming red hair and piercing green eyes and nearly perfect skin, with the exception of a few small scars that appear to be the result of bladed weapons.

He typically dresses in finally tailored clothes usually picking conservative colors such as grays, black and dark blue. Johnnie is almost always carrying two swords in scabbards across his back. One sword and scabbard is pure white in color (Maiden’s Kiss) the other set is jet black (Widow Maker). When on the job or expecting trouble he usually wears a full length duster under which it may be obvious that he is packing heat.


Return to Kazei 5 PBEM 2030 Player Characters