[DornKoon] Dr Talbot Grimes

"To understand the human condition, one must rise above it."

General Information
Name:
Dr. Talbot Grimes
Alias:
The Blight
Age:
Unknown
Origin Game:
Dead by Daylight
Homeland:
The City (Currently reside in The Realm)
Faction:
N/A
Gender:
Male
History:
Talbot Grimes was born in the Town and spent most of his formative years there. As a boy, he was a popular child—bright, charismatic, and unafraid to challenge authority—yet despite his social graces, he was fiercely independent, spending much of his time exploring the sprawling fields near his Town alone.

On one of his many outings, Talbot encountered what would later become his obsession: plants. What began as a child's curiosity nearly cost him his life after discovering a patch of poisonous foxgloves. Talbot became very ill and spent several days in bed, dripping with sweat and throwing up any food he tried to eat.

He did recover, but afterwards, it was not fear that plagued him. Instead, he had become fascinated with how easily one single flower had been able almost to end his life. There was indeed power there, hidden among the plants and herbs.

As an adult, these ambitions grew closer to an obsession, and Talbot developed as quickly as his questionable methods. He left the Town and began to study in the City, where he attended the School of Medicine, where he excelled despite several reprimands. His willingness to push the limits secured him a position with The Insitute, and within just a few years, he was made head chemist. During his time there, his most outstanding achievement was developing a chemical that could increase a worker's productivity while reducing their need for rest.

This chemical quickly spread away from the city and into the warzone. Though most side effects were minor, there were rumours that a small number of soldiers went mad. In feral states, they massacred villages, impaling the populace on bayonets and leaving them hanging from trees. There were no official reports on the subject, and Talbot refused to blame himself for what could only be exaggerated war stories.

Though his callous brilliance seemed calm, he was ignorant of the enemies his questionable work had amassed over the years.

The realisation struck him quite literally—with a steel pipe to the back of his head during a trip to the Warzone. He was bound and loaded into a wagon. When his blindfold was removed, a sickly man showed him a mass grave filled with hundreds of bodies. He did not know that the drug he had created had killed an entire factory's worth of workers and that many of the rumours regarding the side effects had been more than just war stories. There was little he could do at the time to defend himself from the retribution of the survivors; all he could do was curl up as the blows from the steel pipe rained down.

His body was thrown into the grave and left for dead. Surrounded by the victims of his drugs, he could do nothing, and he was too weak to free himself.

Then, from the edge of death, he was brought back. He found himself on a small bed, and a kindly, wrinkled face looked over him. He was nursed back to health with each pained breath. A secret order had saved him, one focused on studying forbidden texts, striving to expand the human mind in the search for other dimensions—believing one to be connected to the other. Talbot's knowledge proved indispensable, his mind-altering chemicals integrating seamlessly with theories of neural expansion. He realised then that his salvation was no coincidence—he was plucked from the pit to advance the school's knowledge. He agreed to help until his recovery was complete, being tasked with researching what the monks called the soul chemical, a compound derived from the pineal gland that could open the mind's eye.

What began as a favour to his saviours soon became an obsession. Poring over the school's archives of lost texts, he uncovered scientific formulas that confirmed previously unthinkable ideas. It could be enough to give him solace and redeem himself for his past wrongdoings. As he came closer to a breakthrough, the demeanour of his saviours shifted. The gentle smiles they offered were paired with uneasy eyes that quickly darted away when spotted.

The last thing he would see of the school was the cracked ceiling above his bed, branching like a dendrite through plaster. What followed was a shattered mosaic of images and sensations. Smearing lights, horse hoofs on cobblestone, coarse burlap scratching at his cheeks, and sharp bites into his arm. He awoke inside an Opium Den and immediately tried to find his notes… but they were nowhere to be seen.

Still, a faint memory returned: the soul chemical, his notes, the verge of a breakthrough. A faraway voice entered his mind, a whisper that could just have been his confused thoughts… He fumbled with a stone, sharpening it with shaking hands. In the dim light of the den, amongst the catatonic occupants, he carved his research from memory into the walls. He wrote for hours until his fingers bled, moving to the floor, taking in everything the voice whispered despite his inability to comprehend it. He gripped the stone and carved the message into his chest when there was nowhere to write. Stained with blood, he witnessed a miracle before him — a magnificent field of lush, orange flowers. The whispered voice beckoned to him, urging him to enter the field and discover worlds and dimensions beyond human comprehension. For a moment, Talbot felt the sense of wonder he possessed as a child.

As the den residents slowly awoke, they found the floor and walls covered with blood. Talbot had vanished, and as their eyes adjusted to the darkened room, the jagged lettering scrawled began to appear. There was but one single line written over and over without end: Death is only the beginning.

Talbot had found himself in The Realm… and his work would continue from there.

Drive:

"Progress requires drastic change."

Talbot is obsessed with creating the perfect drug to unlock the universe's secrets and all in it to expand mortal understanding and beyond!

Visuals

Talbot Grimes



The Blight



Personality

Ambitious and driven, Talbot Grimes is undoubtedly a genius. When he wants, he can be charismatic, polite, and well-spoken. Despite his somewhat dishevelled and worn appearance, he often takes on the air of a gentleman. Still, he can come off as more passionate about his work, even if he does not strike people as having an unhealthy obsession from the first meeting. That usually shows itself once they spend much time in his company. Because Dr Grimes is more than a little obsessed with his work, whatever it might be at any given moment. He can be angry if one disrespects his work or questions how important it could be... But, if a person keeps a respectful tone around Talbot, he is often pleasant. On the inside, he thinks of nothing but his research and perceives duties for the betterment of the world.

Talbot is willing to go to almost any length to fulfil this purpose, even if he uses his flesh for an experiment. No, Talbot is less inclined to experiment on others, being traumatized by the lives he did not know he ruined in the past, and he always prefers to test any drugs and concoctions on himself before anyone else. It is a blessing, however small it might be. As such, he has little respect for his health and well-being, seeing it as a small price to pay for the great prize that waits in the future for the betterment of mankind.

Talbot believes he is in the right and is justified in what he does because he has a noble cause. He was never a man to take much stock on the outward appearance, and if he has to become a monster to reach his magnum opus, then so be it!

Equipment

Bonebuster



An elegant accessory specially weighted to deliver a deceptively brutal blow, the Bonebuster is also a more durable weapon than expected, making it possible to block incoming attacks.

Pustula Serum



Talbot is never without several vials of his Postula Serum, which he attracts from yellow flowers worldwide; he has an innate feeling for where these plants may be found and is always drawn to them. He also has all the needed equipment to attract and process the liquid. But, the tools can also be used to create other, less important, potions and remedies. Others can also use the serum, and the corrupting effect will only take place after prolonged use... the addiction, on the other hand... is instant.

Abilities/Powers

Exceptional Chemist

"In a wasteland of forgotten dreams and endless routine, the man with a way out is God."

Talbot is a genius in chemicals, how plants work, and the creation of different potions, drugs, and serums. He is one of the leading experts on enhancements and medication, able to extract the essence found in plants and turn them into all manner of amazing things. Less known is his expertise in extracting similar serums from living bodies, making it possible for him to harvest different glands found in a person, collecting the valuable chemicals within. Such simple things as healing and mana-oriented potions are child's play for Talbot and, honestly, rather boring.

Blighted Corruption




"Pustula Serum courses through the veins, corrupting the mind and body, yet granting unnatural physical abilities."

One of Talbot's greatest creations, a serum made from beautiful yellow flowers, also became his greatest mistake. Using the serum empowers him, but the prolonged use also results in him being corrupted into the entity known as "The Blight". Using the serum grants incredible boosts to all physical attributes, be it stamina, speed, strength and endurance. Turning the otherwise sickly Talbot into a monster of raw power. Sadly, the effect of the serum is incredibly addictive, and Talbot cannot live without it; he needs to take the shot at regular intervals; releasing The Blight is just a side-effect in his mind.

Dragon's Grip



"Such potential in this compound... even the slightest trace causes unnatural effects."

Using a specially designed compound, Talbot can mark a location or object. If another creature tampers with or gets too close to the compound, it will cause them to scream unintentionally and alert Talbot of their presence. This compound can be useful to protect an area, functioning as an alarm that someone is nearby. This does not work on creatures that cannot smell, and having a stuffy nose is enough to protect oneself against it.

Blood Favour



"It would be no leap of the imagination to suggest that the Trials are a biological response of sorts."

Talbot's claws, fangs, and weapon are infused with a blood-based poison distilled from his body. As such, enemies and victims harmed by him will find it more challenging to heal these wounds, as they will not do so naturally. Potions, or healing magic, are needed to close these, and even then, it takes a lot more effort for the would-be healer, even if possible.

Undying



Due to the addictive use, Talbor has had with his drugs and chemicals, he is no longer alive, but at the same time, he is not dead; his body has adapted itself to the constant abuse, and as such, he is closer to an undead monster than the living breathing man he once was. He cannot die from such things as blood loss and can easily mend himself from damage that would be otherwise fatal, using his selection of drugs or just old-fashioned needle and thread. What makes The Blight unique as an undead is that he is kept this way by chemicals from the Pustula flower, not magic, so he doesn't have an aversion to the Light, like many other undead of the kind found commonly in The Realm, at at times, The Wasteland.

Roleplay Sample