Character Profile: Captain Rens Houben/Shadur t'Kharn

Rens Houben is a human, but host to a shadow dragon. Unless he takes steps to disguise himself, but this shows through in his eyes (totally jet black, no irises or pupils) and his shadow (dragon-shaped, sometimes moves when he doesn't). He doesn't usually bother to disguise himself beyond wearing a set of Blues-Brothers-style sunglasses, which he wears on those rare occasions that he's active during the day. (He doesn't need sleep, just doesn't like being outside during light hours - probably psychological, but he's not sure). He generally wears black: Black shoes and jeans, with a black t-shirt leaving the upper arms bare, and a black leather jacket that looks like it's seen better lifetimes.

In dragon shape, Shadur is 15 feet high and 30 feet from snout to tail, completely jet black, with a wingspan of about 20 feet.

Captain in TRES Corps (CO of Zeta squad).
Initiate in the 10th company of the Chosen of Khorne.

As stated before, Rens and Shadur are separate entities, sharing the same body. This fact used to have a negative effect on Rens's study results, especially in classes that bored him. (It's hard to concentrate on a dull droning voice nattering on about something dumb, but it's even worse when someone else is explicitly stating his opinions on the teacher, the subject and several hundred other facts that Shadur considers more interesting). Because they constantly share each other's thoughts, memories and experiences, both of them are gradually changing, becoming more like the other, starting to literally think as one.
Rens is something of an enigma. Brilliantly philosophical one moment, crazy enough to make Keebler raise an eyebrow the next, and totally unpredictable at either time. He's good at strategy, but less good at giving orders from afar and waiting what happens - he wants to be there, in the thick of it.

Shadur joined with Rens during the latter's 15th year, when he'd injured himself critically falling from a tree. They were still exploring the effects of the joining when, in the spring of 1996, a group of wyrm-minions entered the Schwarzwald in order to build a clandestine TV station there to spread the Hellwyrm's influence to Europe. In doing so, they trespassed on what Shadur claimed as his territory and pissed him off by attacking him when he asked them what the hell they were doing there. (Good advice: Never tick off a dragon in his own territory. They died quickly but messily.)

Shadur wanted to kill all of them outright, but Rens convinced him to leave one survivor to take a message back. The Hellwyrm subsequently kidnapped Rens's parents and brother and sister, trying to blackmail him into allowing the TV station to be built and protecting it from the Jihad.

Realising that submitting would only cause this "Barney" to continue the blackmail as long as whatever it was had a use for him, Rens/Shadur flew across the Atlantic to locate this "Jihad" which this "Barney" seemed to worry about, to find out if they could help him.

After making contact, he learned just what kind of danger the Hellwyrm presented to all sentient life and decided to join the Jihad. With the help of TRES Corps, he was able to rescue his parents and his brother and sister, as well as wiping the construction site in the Schwarzwald off the face of the Earth.

Shapechanging: Rens can change into dragon form, but only when he's standing in shadows or at night. Changing back doesn't have that problem, though.

Flying: Shadur can fly about 100 kph, with no known altitude limit. Shadur doesn't mind the cold, and breathing is more of an affectation anyway.

Firebreathing.

Shadowforming: Rens can change into a shadow form from either shape. No matter which form he used before the change, his shadow form is that of Shadur - a dragon. When completely in shadow form, Shadur/Rens can move at a speed of about 300 kph.

Telekinesis: Rens had a minor talent for it, and through the bonding, it increased immensely; he can knock down a multi-story building with one shove (although he'd be down for the count as well if he used that much power), and has learned to focus it on small things (locks, molecules, etc.).

Heightened senses/reflexes: Rens/Shadur is living proof of the expression "two see more than one." He can see perfectly, and in absolute darkness as easily as in bright daylight. His other senses are augmented as well.

Stamina: At night, or when he's in the shade, Shadur can recuperate energy much faster than he expends it. The exception to this seems to be his telekinesis, which can knock him out pretty quickly if he over-strains himself.

Shadur is also capable of severing the link between him and Rens for short periods (about two hours). When he does, Rens loses all abilities that originate with Shadur and becomes a perfectly normal human being.
Well, almost normal, anyway.
If they remain apart for too long, they both start weakening and would probably eventually die (they think. They've never tried it out). Rens needs to be in a shadowed area in order to rejoin with Shadur.

Shadow manipulation: When in human form, Shadur can shape and manipulate shadows into any form he wants, even solidity.

Weapons: His favorite melee weapon are two daggers, which he just shapes from solid shadows whenever he needs them.

Firearms: Whether Rens just has a natural talent for firearms or whether Shadur's senses allow him to aim better is an academic question, but whatever the reason, he is a natural expert with any gun.

At the time they joined, Rens already held a brown belt in Judo. Shadur was fascinated by the concept of martial arts, and prompted Rens to practice more of them. He currently holds a blue belt in Tae Kwon Do and a black belt in Judo.

Rens has a talent for sciences, and learned a lot of chemistry and physics from his father as well as in school. In combination with the fact that he has recently figured out how to manipulate molecular bonds through telekinesis, this allows him to cook up interesting surprises almost literally out of thin air. Can you say MacGyver?

Shadur is sensitive to high temperatures. If the ambient temperature increases above 30 degrees Celsius, he starts slowing down in much the same way as a snake. If the temperature increases even further, he will go into a coma and eventually die unless he retreats into the shadow plane, leaving Rens vulnerable. (This is why he always prefers a nocturnal cycle. It's much cooler in the night sky.)

When Shadur detaches from Rens, the latter is just as vulnerable and mortal as any other human being, and when/if he is killed, Shadur will weaken and die quickly.

Rens isn't a very good driver, and Shadur's tendency to view vehicles with more than two wheels as large projectiles doesn't help. He sometimes claims, "If God had wanted dragons to drive, he'd have given us wheels." On the other hand, he's death from the skies in anything that moves in at least three dimensions, his favorite (after his dragon form) being a Zeta-modified Pyro-GX (the ship from Descent / Descent II).

Rens/Shadur has some pretty awesome abilities, but most of them spring from the connection between both: Shadur has the raw power, but Rens is the one who knows how to focus it to maximum effect. The whole is a lot greater than the sum of the parts, so he/they're at their weakest when they're not joined. Of course, getting him into a position when they're separated and taking them both down by surprise would take some doing.

Rens also suffers from a very basic problem that every creature that ever shifted shape or size knows and sympathizes with: When you turn into a size 50 dragon inside size 10 clothes, something has got to give...generally, it's the clothes that go. He's found a partial way around it by somehow "bonding" with specific items, making them part of his body during a shift. This process takes a lot of time, and he needs to do it with every piece of clothing he wants to keep intact. This is the main reason why he almost always wears the same clothes.

Friendship: Being the last of one's kind tends to get you down at times. He doesn't make friends easily, but is fiercely loyal to those he has, and tends to drop everything he's doing and come running (or flying) when a friend calls.

Most of my personality profile is a lot like the way I am IRL and on IRC. I'm also on Chundernet a lot of the time, so if you have any questions, ask me and the question'll get to me whether I'm present or away. I'll try and leave e-mail or a note with HoeBot to get back to you.