This character was made for a group roleplay set in a world not made by myself, in an almost post-apocalyptic setting, some 50~100 years in the future. The veil between the real world and the realm of fantasy has begun to break down, leading to a war between humankind and the supernatural. 

In an attempt to fight back, scientists began harvesting the DNA of captured "Others" and experimenting with the integration of that into human volunteers in an attempt to create Super Soldiers capaple of fighting back. Often times it goes horribly, sometimes it goes well enough, but with little real benefit, and on the rare occaission it goes spectacularly. The original RP also dealt with experimenting on the clinically insane. 

But in a freak glitch accident the rp and characters were all magically lost from the forum it was on (and you KNOW we were all good little RPers and backed up our stuff -- yeah right). It died before it really ever got started. That was about a year or so ago. 

Now, RagingPsyco, who probably put the most work into this*, is keen to get it back up again, but she's tweaked a few things. The experimentees are no longer necissarily insane, for one. 

*Just look at her baebs. Garth, Simon, and Boris. 

All in all, The original Marjol was lost, and I'm a year late getting him back together. There are a lot of changes, but he's still based on the same original idea I had. While he is not technically a Schizoid, he is still based upon such, at least to a small degree; though, the experimental side effects contradict the key trait of emotional numbness. Of course, that's intentional. I thought it would be interesting to roleplay a character who, on occaission, has to deal with emotions he has little to no experience with. 

His SS(Super Soldier) formula also no longer pulls from an actual figure of real-life lore, as the original RP mandated. Firstly, I forgot what it was. Secondly, I wasn't too happy with the original to begin with. His is now custom made, and simply marked "UNKNOWN." It appeals to my desire to shake Marjol out of his comfort zone, and lets me play with the theme of the schizoid as well -- the delusions and formula nickname pulling from the internal fantasy world of the schizoid. The matrix reference found under Notes ties in here as well. 

Considered by some to be a paragon of stability, for better or worse. Marjol is distant and calculating, seemingly emotionless and without humor. In the face of danger, retains his calm nature more easily than most. Never lingering on worry, he simply removes himself from problems that cannot be fixed. 

He has no respect for authority in and of itself. While he works obediently and effectively when he accepts an order given, he will flat out refuse if he thinks a task isn't worth his time, or the time of his men. Busy work disgusts him, as does disciplinary work if it's simply another name for the former. Wasted time and wasted resources will cause authority figures to lose his respect rather than gain it. If he does happen to hold his superiors is high regard, he might be so willing to suffer through what he otherwise wouldn't, but he will still make his thoughts and opinions clear on the matter.

In his free time, he prefers his peace and solitude, and will spend his time in quiet meditation or through reading. If he does chose to be social, he tends to prefer more lax activities, such as drinking or playing cards. Loud music and overcrowded areas tend to give him headaches, and may lead to a very unpleasant Marjol.

He is neither particularly kind nor mean, though he can be both if the situation is deserving. Blunt and honest are usually the first words people tend to use when describing him. When left to his own devices, he prefers to linger at the edge of a room, lost in his own thoughts, of quietly studying those around him. Even with companions, he is usually brief in conversation.

UNKNOWN formula dubbed by some as the ALICE formula, WONDERLAND formula, or perhaps the most popular CHESHIRE formula. Speculation is that in the beginning, before the regulations had been refined, it had been poorly kept. Eventually found by one of the scientists, it lacked any clear label, as well as notes or any other identifying marker. They were skeptical to use it, but curious. Little about the tests and trials were made public. Due to it's nickname, and perhaps in some attempt to be humorous in a time of darkness, one scientist labeled the formula with a small tag reading "Drink Me."

The first successful application left them unsure of what to think. The subject, Subject 1, didn't seem very different at first, but it became clear that their mind wandered often, but that too wasn't as it seemed. The subject had become delusional; thankfully, pleasantly so. The subject would talk to beings that weren't there, and laugh and play. As the delusions grew stronger, they were no longer limited to the subject. The more the subject accepted the delusions as real, the more real they became. When the scientist began to question their own sanity, the subject was isolated, cared for at a remote facility with rotating staff.

The markedly worse scenario on record revolved around a subject, Subject Z, with a history of drug abuse, especially hallucinogenics, though he had been clean for years. The scientists hoped that his experience with such would help him to remain in touch with reality. His delusions came much more quickly, but they were not the pleasant things of the prior success. He denied their existence, vocally and loudly, but they frightened and confused him. Upon solidification, they tested him as wild beasts would, surrounded him. Scientists only truly began to worry when one of the figured regarded a hidden camera that the subject himself had failed to notice. They were not able to safely get to the patient in time, before his own demons tore him to pieces. They lingered after his vital signs were lost, but eventually faded away again. The question of what exactly the creatures of delusion were, as previously considered illusions controlled by the mind of the subjects, or Other entities called forth by the mind, continued to puzzle scientists.

For years, the formula was stored away again until the day that the scientists either knew more about what they were dealing with, or dared to try again. There was little change in the condition of Subject 1, who continued to live a very happy life. When interviewed, the subject couldn't tell anyone what their friends were, but simply who. Whatever they were, scientists' best guess was that the attitude manifested reflected that of the subject, acceptance for acceptance, affection for affection, malice for malice, hatred for hatred. They were less certain about the causes of the manifestation in the first place. According to the staff taking care of the first subject, sedation tended to cause many, if not all, of the figures to fade away, though they would sometimes appear at night if the subject was restless. In the beginning, Subject 1's figured were slow to manifest, whereas Subject Z's took little time to form.

The formula went untouched for nearly a decade until another scientist, Professor Serrant, began spending time with Subject 1. He was fascinated by the whole thing, and spent much of his time reading old reports or simply watching Subject 1 interact with the figures. In time, he felt confident enough to attempt to get to know the creatures himself, with Subject 1's blessing and encouragement. There was never a point where he feared for his sanity nor his safety, but in the end he was unable to determine anything more. However, he did consider the benefit of friendly cohorts in the Super Soldier campaign.

The first volunteer the scientist found lived through the procedure, but immediately after slipped into a coma and has shown no signs of possible recovery. Sustained on life support, he remains under the watch of doctors and scientists alike. Sometimes, the nurses report strange voices and sounds, but they're never truly certain.

When Marjol volunteered, scientists debated among themselves what formula would best be used on a man of his disposition. Prof. Serrant pleaded that Marjol be left in his care and be given the CHESHIRE formula. Thinking he wouldn't agree to such, the others gave in under the condition that Marjol accepted. Not caring one way or another, Marjol agreed.

Marjol, much like Subject 1, showed no change at first, but it was much longer before he began experiencing anything at all, and what he did experience was hard to link to the formula. A flash of light here and there, or something he thought he saw -- nothing significant at all. After a few months, they began to wonder if he had changed at all. Eventually, one thing came to light. He was no longer able to shrug off emotions as he had been before.

In time, Prof. Serrant was able to link Marjol's supernatural experiences with his level of emotional instability. At his worst, those experiences might not have pleased Marjol, but he never felt as though he was in any danger. Marjol also didn't see how anything he had gained would come to be of any use, but only time would tell.

Advantages :

Drawbacks :

• Risk of emotional instability

Side Effects :

• A really pesky raven

Fun Facts :

• He takes two pills interchangeably: a blue one when he's fighting to remain stable, and a red one when he wants to ease towards the right (either to explore more of the SS results, or in fear that if he doesn't he might lose control and get thrown to the right with far less grace and dignity). The colors of the pills were chosen as another playful jest in relation to the formula, much to Marjol's chagrin.
  "You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes."
• When asked what happened to his eye, he'll sometimes retort with something along the lines of, "A little birdy took it," which it untrue... and also true. The Cheshire Raven, as he sometimes likes to call it, stole his glass eye and refuses to give it back until Marjol either answers a hundred riddles or grants the raven three wishes. Marjol considers the thing lost for good, but has yet to replace it.

Almost entirely indistinguishable from any other raven, Marjol never knows if a bird in a tree is the one, or just another animal. Even on the rare occasion he was curious enough to approach and ask, the raven rarely acknowledged him, sometimes mumbling something quietly as Marjol turned to leave. Marjol was quick to learn that the raven interacted on its own terms, and was usually unlikely to engage. When it did, it tended to enjoy teasing or playing tricks.

The Cheshire Raven has made appearances when all else was calm and stable, quietly suggesting to Marjol that his mental and emotional state has nothing, or very little, to do with its presence. Similarly, he could make no connection between times when all could see it, or when the thing appeared to him alone, making the human seem to chat or bicker with himself.

The thing is keen on pestering him when his stability begins to weaken. 'You cannot honestly think you are stable when you are so far out of balance. The pendulum must swing. Hold it up as you do, and you will turn it into a wrecking ball.'