L a n d o n • 
"...Bon alors!" a dit Landon après un moment - un peu plus fort que nécessaire - dans le silence choqué et stupéfait qui a suivi l'annonce, et il a tourné sur son talon et a poussé son chemin à la porte qui avait fermé derrière eux. "Vous avez entendu l'annonce, nous devons faire sauter ce joint dès que possible, et j'ai juste le truc ici!"
Avec l'aisance pratique, Landon sortit de son sac et commença à attacher une variété d'engins explosifs à la porte. L'annonce fonctionnait toujours dans son cerveau, mais il s'occupait de ne pas trop y penser. Pour quelqu'un qui voulait vivre éternellement, l'idée qu'il pouvait mourir dans ce jeu était la dernière idée qu'il voulait contempler. Si c'était vrai, et s'il pouvait retourner dans le monde réel, il allait poursuivre cette société pour autant d'argent...
Avant de le savoir, il avait truqué une série de charges de détonation reliées par un fusible qui les traversait chacune en séquence. Les mines attachables auraient été utiles dans les pièges à mettre en place pour les autres pour kite monstres directement dans eux, mais en jugeant par la façon dont les monstres agissaient maintenant, il était prêt à parier qu'un tel piège évident ne allait pas fonctionner cette fois-ci.
Le technicien aux cheveux blonds se met aux pieds et se brosse les mains, puis s'éloigne rapidement des charges. « Tout le monde recule, cinquante pas, les mains sur les oreilles et les bouches ouvertes - aide à vous empêcher de devenir sourd », a-t-il aboyé alors qu'il atteignait la distance minimale de sécurité lui-même et a ensuite pris plusieurs autres mesures juste pour être en sécurité. Il s'est cassé les doigts et a ajusté ses lunettes. "Hé, Red, fais-moi une faveur et allume le fusible pour moi, si? Et mon cig aussi." Landon venait juste de sortir une cigarette et de la mettre dans sa bouche, se sentant un peu satisfait de lui-même.
Le mage de feu se conformait - peut-être un peu trop avide, mais Landon pouvait apprécier une femme appréciant son travail - et l'explosion semblait secouer tout le donjon comme la fumée soufflait devant Landon, qui profitait juste d'une traction de la cigarette alors qu'il se retournait pour voir...
Le bâton blanc brûlant est tombé de ses lèvres soudainement boiteuses et a frappé le sol en pierre du donjon avec un robinet non-impressif. La fumée s'est dégagée, seulement pour révéler que la porte n'avait reçu aucune égratignure de l'un quelconque des explosifs. Il ne restait que des marques de brûlure où les explosifs avaient été soigneusement attachés, et la décoloration semblait déjà s'effacer.
"C'est impossible!" Landon étouffa alors qu'il tomba à l'envers sur son cul, stupéfait. Bien sûr, ce résultat n'était pas imprévu; les donjons avaient toujours été particulièrement résistants aux dommages, le plus susceptible d'empêcher les aventuriers de simplement sauter leur chemin à travers les pièges et les monstres en faisant tomber les murs. Mais il avait désespérément voulu que ce plan fonctionne, et il avait deviné que si les monstres agissaient de manière plus réaliste, peut-être que la physique du donjon coopérerait mieux aussi. Pas de chance, comme il s'est avéré.
Et s'ils ne pouvaient pas revenir en arrière... alors la seule issue serait de battre le donjon. Ou... c'est la mort qui essaie.
W A T T S /// L A N D O N

"Hey, chum - gimme a light, wouldja? Stop whining, I smoke in my workshop all the time, and there's only been one explosion!"
 O V E R V I E W 
N A M EWatts Broker
A V A T A RLandon Longcross
A G E88 (visage appears much younger!)
G E N D E RMale
V I S A G EThough Watts is nearly ninety years old, he has always been more comfortable with younger people, for he is young at heart. This is why his avatar in Pariah is a representation of himself back during what he considered to be his prime, back when he was in the middle of establishing his fame and career.
His avatar, Landon Longcross, looks like a blonde-haired blue-eyed man in great shape. Though otherwise well-groomed, he leaves his hair a little spiky, and he has a thin omnipresent layer of rugged stubble around his jawline (he cannot seem to grow a mustache, which is a source of minor frustration). He stands about five foot ten, though he slouches a bit and this makes him look shorter than he is. He is rarely seen without something sticking out of his mouth - usually a cigarette, but sometimes a pen or tool. There is just a hint of tightness around his eyes that makes him appear severe at times.
He is usually dressed in a long brown coat of leather, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, over a simple white shirt with suspenders and a few buttons by the collar, sturdy multi-pocketed pants, a toolbelt with a few of his favorite tools, heavy steel-toed boots, fingerless brown leather gloves, and a pair of dark goggles worn around his neck or on his forehead. He often carries a light frame backpack for carrying extra gadgets and tools, or for carrying back supplies or treasure, and whenever combat is expected, he always has a quiver full of crossbow bolts of various types.
P E R S O N A L I T YWatts grew up with tinker toys and an interest in how things work, which has carried over from his youth into the rest of his life. Even before Pariah, he was always working on a project in his garage, whether it was a car or other vehicle, a new turbine for gathering wind power, or a lightbulb that absorbs sunlight and slowly releases it over time. He maintains a sense of wonder about the world that belies his age, and loves to share it with younger people around him. He tempers this with a streak of practicality, as he is interested in solutions and not dreams. Nevertheless, he is more than willing to combine the scientific knowledge of the real world with the unique magical resources of Pariah, and thus achieve results neither could accomplish alone. He glories in learning all he can about Pariah. Though immediately gruff and standoffish with strangers, he usually warms up once he gets to know someone, and those who know him quickly know that the prickly attitude is more bark than bite.
Though trained as a soldier, Watts doesn't strictly enjoy fighting - it always feels like an interruption to more productive, important things. And, truth be told, he is a bit of a coward. Nevertheless, he recognizes the need for combat even - and perhaps especially - in the world of Pariah, so he has built his own wrist-mounted crossbow to give him the tool he needs to end a fight quickly. He much prefers to fight in a party, where he can support the team from a distance with direct attacks, crowd control and debuffs for the enemy, or healing and strengthening his team with infusions in his crossbow bolts.
Watts came to Pariah to stave off his approaching death by stretching out the time he has left. But as he has stayed in the game, he is wondering if, just maybe, there might be a way to make a discovery in age reversal that could translate into a solution he could use outside of Pariah. He revels in the freedom and vitality he feels in Pariah, and is constantly motivated in his quest for immortality every time he is forced to return to his arthritis-ridden body after a gaming session. He has even considered the idea of attempting to upload himself into Pariah permanently, but as desperate as he is in his quest to defy death, he is cautious of any action that might have consequences worse than his present circumstances.
Watts regrets some things he missed out on during his busy life. One of these is that he never found the time to have a relationship with a member of the opposite sex. It wasn't because of a lack of interest, but because of a lack of time. Now that he has essentially gotten a "second life," Watts as Landon has become flirtatious. He tries to remain classy about it, but an eagerness to make up for lost time sometimes comes out in a pickup line or two. He has also picked up a smoking habit that he never would have started outside of Pariah, using it more for the extra edge to his image he presents than any other reason.
Oh, and he's a decent cook, too.
B A C K G R O U N DWatts Broker is dying.
He had been a creative young man who had served in his country's military as a combat engineer, where he had to put his talents for on-the-spot solutions to the test as he disarmed mines and bombs. He then turned his talents to more productive ends with some inventions that harnessed the powers of alternative energy sources, eventually leading into a company that produced many of the world's most energy efficient technologies and left him wealthy. He was free to spend time with the young people of his community during his golden years, where he enjoyed their youthful exuberance...
...until Watts fell sick and became homebound. All the money in the world could not find a doctor or specialist who could help him. After all, even in the twenty-second century, humans had not achieved the technology to reverse the aging process.
Watts grew desperate. The truth is that, despite a long and fulfilled life, he was afraid to die. He felt there was too much he still could offer to the world - and he had regrets, things he meant to do left untried. He invested much of his remaining wealth into every possible solution to extend his lifespan and restore his vitality. Nothing worked. He could probably keep living for a few more years, but his health had deteriorated to the point he was bedridden. He was trapped in his own body.
This led to a dabbling in technologies to at least let him interact with the world electronically, and he heard about Pariah. His interest was piqued by Pariah's claim to allow players to experience time subjectively - he could literally extend his dwindling life and act for himself once again! He did not hesitate to spend the money on the system and its installation in his room for his convenience. The game exceeded his expectations, and has rekindled his hope.
Watts Broker is dying. But through Pariah, he may have the time he needs to discover the secret of immortality...and save himself.
 A T T R I B U T E S 
R O L ESupport
A F F I L A T I O NQueon
P R O F E S S I O NGadgeteer
E L E M E N T A L D O M A I NWater
A R C A N E D O M A I NAlchemy
W E A P O N O F C H O I C EWrist-mounted Crossbow
R O U G H V I R T U A L H I S T O R YLandon Longcross is an accomplished member of the Queon pathos, having readily contributed several time-saving inventions that utilize magical power sources. Many of these inventions are now standard magic laboratory equipment. He is most known for these and for his eccentric habit of spending time with younger people from all the pathos groups - this is tolerated since he is usually sharing his inventions and insight with them, but there is a sizable contingent among the echelons of Queon that disdain entertaining children when the time could be better used for more science. Landon disregards these stuffy labcoat types entirely, except for the cuter women among them, who he makes passes at. In fact, he is regarded with a fond exasperation among women in general, and he has gotten used to getting turned down, just as nearly every female around has gotten used to his flirtatious advances.
And his talent for magical infusion and potion making has not gone unnoticed, either. There is a constant need for magical arrows or other projectiles for adventurers, not to mention the healing and curing potions so essential to a life of danger. Despite his contributions, however, he has managed to fade into the background of life in his pathos, which suits him fine since it lets him continue his studies in relative peace. And he earns enough from providing a steady supply of potions, magical ammo and the odd clockwork gadget that he lives comfortably enough, when he isn't acquiring loot more directly in field expeditions.
It is only those who know him best that can see past his kind and helpful persona to connect the dots of his desperate research into all things restorative. In every moment of time away from others, he is going through the collected libraries of his fellow pathos members, particularly the herbalists and magicians who specialize wholly in the discipline of healing and resurrection. He has even gone so far as to try to obtain ingredients and potions from the black market of Pariah, though he draws the line at knowingly purchasing or using anything derived from harming other human beings. Though how long he will continue to hold that standard depends on how long it takes for him to find what he is looking for...