John "Riel-Deal" Riel

=• Biography •= John lived a fairly normal early life. Born and raised in Colebrook, New Hampshire, he often spent much of his time outdoors. He got his hunting license as early as possible, and prided himself on his hunting and tracking skills. Taking a great interest in guns, he was quite knowledgeable and skilled in their use at an early age. Wanting to put his skills with firearms to use, he joined the US Marines at age 18. His ability to use anima first emerged in early 2006. For one year he practiced with it, learning to use his firearms as a channel for his anima. He kept his training a secret, or so he thought. The Illuminati had caught on to his abilities. One fateful day in June of 2007 in Afghanistan, John and his squad-mates stumbled upon a cave infested with the Filth. John alone survived the fight. Shortly after the battle, John received a signal on the radio from a member of the Illuminati. Within a few days, they had organized for him to be sent back to the United States, where he reported to the Labyrinth and was further trained in how to utilize his anima. He then returned to the Marines to finish his service. In 2012, he had finished his 8 year term of service, and, looking for a cover job, looked to private military contracting. John found a job in for a security firm as a cover job. The Illuminati manipulate the company to get him off of any assignments he is on when they need him. =• Personality •= John, often called Jack or Riel-Deal, tends to be quiet and avoid conversations. Not even he is sure as to why, but he simply has little desire to speak. When on a mission, he tries block out any emotions he feels, detaching himself from the situation in order to work as effectively as possible. He aspires to complete the objectives of any mission with minimal losses to his squad, civilians, and resources, and expects those with him to do the same. This can make him difficult to get close to, especially since he has come to avoid becoming close to anyone after his squad was killed by the Filth, but despite his emotional separation, he keeps the lives of those he is working with as one of his top priorities. If one can gain John's trust, there is little he won't do for them. While the job is usually the most important thing to him, he hates to have civilians or other bystanders harmed for any reason, and will do his whatever he thinks necessary to avoid it, as long as it doesn't severely compromise whatever mission he is on. If anything goes wrong on a mission, he is the first to accept blame. Despite his best attempts to keep a level head, he is often unable to when combating the Filth. Since the death of his squad-mates, he has come to harbor a personal hatred for the Filth, and if left unchecked, will go about trying to slaughter anything that has been infected out of a desire for revenge. He was given the nickname Riel-Deal by some of his friends, due to his tendency to refer to himself as a realist. When predicting a situation, he tends to avoid being optimistic or pessimistic, thinking more about what will actually happen instead of the best or worst case scenarios. He tends to go by the motto "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, expect something in-between."

=• Appearance •= John carries with him the look of a professional soldier. There is something deeper, though. In his eyes, it is clear that he has seen horrors he was not prepared for, had mysteries revealed to him before he was ready. His first true exposure to the Secret World was a bloody one, and that has left its mark. A grim determination is clear in him, though what it is exactly is will remain hidden to most, until, of course, they see him fighting the Filth.

John is 5'8" tall with a muscular build. He doesn't have any tattoos, finding them a waste of money. His casual clothing tends to be a simple t-shirt and jeans, usually with a pair of hiking boots. On a mission, he'll usually wear a combat jacket, fingerless gloves, and jeans. His wallet is made from the leather of the first buck he killed.

=• Relationships •= John and his parents get along well enough. They care for each other, but he rarely visits or speaks with them.