Jotun

Jotun is my entry into the Trinity City campaign, set in the coastal areas of Texas in the modern era. Erik Anzo is a bartender in the Paragon club, having recently moved to Trinity after his discovery that he is able to transform-or perhaps switch places with-a frost giant.

Personality

The key distinction to understanding the character is that there are two personalities. One is Erik, and one is Jotun. It may be a multiple personality disorder, or it may be that Jotun is actually another being from Jotunheimr. Whatever the truth is, the fact is that Erik is different than Jotun.

Erik is a fairly bright, fun loving guy-but he's got a little edge to him since he found out that he's effectively a warden to a prison holding a frost giant. (That may not be the best analogy, but it works.) He feels that he's effectively the keeper of a weapon of mass destruction, and that he's the one who determines if Jotun gets let out. Worse still: he doesn't know what happens in the world while Jotun is active, and he doesn't remember anything about the intervening time between calling the giant and returning to the world. His only impression is being stuck in "the Dark", which is like sleep except without the hope of waking up on your own, and without dreams.

This is actually pretty much how Jotun explains the Dark, too. Jotun is a boisterous bruiser sort of guy-he doesn't much respect the Aesir (Norse gods of Asgard), is coming to appreciate humans, and generally likes a good brawl. He'll tend to stick with nonlethal attack modes as long as his opponents do; if they break out lethality, though, he's happy to match it, and he'll throw away little details like restraint at that point (think lots of power attacks at full height: DC 32 damage is no joke; even a max roll with toughness 10 is going to get a bruise). Outside of fighting, he enjoys a cold drink, and seems to enjoy his time out of the Dark. But there is always a bit of reluctance to return to the Dark to bring back Erik-he sees it as a prison as well, and he doesn't know why he is in it, or how Erik came to be the warden. But he feels Erik is a good man, and will not condemn him to the Dark forever-and so willingly returns.

Ironically, this may provide proof that Jotun isn't what he thinks he is: after all, mythological frost giants were not the self-sacrificing type. But then, when all the stories about you are myth, who can say what is true and what is not?

History

Erik's Story

Erik Anzo isn't a guy with a lot of prospects. Graduated college a couple years ago with a liberal arts degree, but thanks to the economy, finding a decent job was a bit out of the question-at least, in his home town.

It also didn't help that, during a campout, he found himself attacked by a bear-and he blacked out. When he came to, there were strange symbols of ice on the ground next to him-and the head of the bear frozen in a solid block of ice. And there was a...pressure...of sorts, in Erik's head. Experimentation alone demonstrated to him that somehow, he had either changed or brought forth a frost giant, and with an act of will, he could bring the giant to this world from...well, wherever he came from. Realizing that he had the power to bring forth what was effectively a weapon of mass destruction, he decided that he needed to go to a place with a history of dealing with superhuman beings: Trinity City. It didn't take him long to get a job as a bartender at the Paragon nightclub, and he's proven pretty good at the job, and is even enjoying himself. He almost managed to convince himself that he might never have to let the giant out again.

Almost.

That went to hell on Remembrance Day at Trinity City, the day where heroes-formerly the superhuman type, but expanded to police, paramedics, firefighters-were celebrated. On this day, however, the villain Dr. Fang returned, as well as one of the heroes of yesterday, Space Ace-and metahuman powers reignited for the first time in thirty years on a large scale. Erik found himself in a situation where he felt he had to let Jotun out to fight Fang, and the existence of Jotun was publicly revealed to the world.

A few days later, Erik made an appointment with Dr. Vale, a former superhuman himself and a curator at a superhuman museum, to try to work out a way to deal with the fact that he was one of the people-directly or indirectly-responsible for driving off Fang and that Jotun might have to be used in a very changed world. This led to Erik joining the media-christened "Trinity City Titans", where he unleashes Jotun as needed against metahuman threats. He now tries to balance the life of a superhero with that of an ordinary bartender at the Paragon.

Jotun's Story

Jotun is a...well, a jotun, a frost giant from Jotunheimr, one of the Norse "Nine Worlds", a land of ice and snow. At least, that's what he claims. Strangely, he can speak English-or at least, those who listen can understand him as if he were speaking English; who can say? And he is rather small for an actual giant: he's only about 6 foot, 8 inches. He is seemingly made of watery-blue ice, with some white rimefrost around his chin looking almost like a beard. And while he seems short for a giant...he can grow to a height of thirty feet, much closer to the image people have of such beings! Jotun is aware that this ability to change his size is not one historically associated with frost giants, and it only bothers him when he allows himself to dwell on it.

What matters to him is that, thanks to the intervention of this human, Erik, he can stride Midgard as a giant among men. The Aesir and their ilk seem to have abandoned Midgard, which suits him just fine. Jotun doesn't seem to truly bear humanity ill will, though-in fact, he's just as happy to protect it. Jotun wonders if it's some influence that Erik is having on him through their connection; or perhaps there's more to it. In the end, though, it doesn't matter: there are foes to fight, battles to be won, and glory to be found on the streets of Trinity City.

To date, Jotun has been a valued member of the media-christened "Trinity City Titans", and in that capacity-when called by Erik-he has fought Fang, backed off police from a tense negotiation with the metahuman Heavy Metal, fought a group of undead Nazi sailors and prevented a spectral U-Boat from smashing into a populated building

Mutants and Masterminds Statistics

Jotun - PL 10

Strength 10, Stamina 12, Agility 1, Dexterity 1, Fighting 3, Intellect 0, Awareness 0, Presence 1

Advantages
All-out Attack, Close Attack 5, Equipment 1, Favored Environment: Cold Environments (below freezing), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Languages: Old Norse, Power Attack, Ultimate Effort: Break Bonds

Skills
Athletics 4 (+14), Expertise: Drink Mixing 4 (+4), Investigation 2 (+2)

Powers
Giant Form (Activation: Standard Action, Advantages: All-out Attack, Close Attack 5, Favored Environment: Cold Environments (below freezing), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Languages: Old Norse, Power Attack, Ultimate Effort: Break Bonds)

A Lifetime of Experience in Battle: Enhanced Trait 25 (mythic, training, Dodge +11 (+8), Parry +9 (+8), Intimidation +8 (+13), Close Combat +2 (+5))

Can Lift Mountains: Enhanced Strength 5 (mythic, +5 STR; Limited to Lifting)

Freezing Aura: Damage 4 (mythic, cold, DC 19; Reaction 3: reaction)

Giant Size

Growth: Growth 8 (Linked; mythic, +8 STR, +8 STA, +4 Intimidate, -8 Stealth, -4 active defenses, +2 size ranks, +8 mass ranks, +1 spee)

Impervious Defense: Impervious Toughness 10 (Linked; mythic)

Not As Giant Sized

Growth: Growth 4 (Linked; mythic, +4 STR, +4 STA, +2 Intimidate, -4 Stealth, -2 active defenses, +1 size rank, +4 mass ranks)

Impervious Defense: Impervious Toughness 6 (Linked; mythic)

Ice Shapes: Create 7 (mythic, cold, ice, Volume: 125 cft., DC 17; Impervious, Innate, Precise; Permanent, Quirk: Considered Disabled against fire/heat effects (so its toughness is at -5 to resist))

Ice Walking: Movement 1 (mythic, Environmental Adaptation: Ice)

Ice Weaponry: Strength-based Damage 2 (mythic, cold, ice, DC 27; Variable Descriptor: close group - Bludgeon/Slashing/Piercing)

Thrown Ice Weapons: Strength-based Damage 2 (Alternate; mythic, cold, ice, DC 27; Increased Range: ranged, Variable Descriptor: close group - Bludgeon/Slashing/Piercing; Diminished Range 2)

Immunity to Cold: Immunity 10 (mythic, cold, Common Descriptor: Cold)

Equipment
Trinity HQ

Offense
Initiative +1
Freezing Aura: Damage 4, +8 (DC 19)
Grab, +10 (DC Spec 20)
Ice Weaponry: Strength-based Damage 2, +8 (DC 27)
Throw, +1 (DC 25)
Thrown Ice Weapons: Strength-based Damage 2, +1 (DC 27)
Unarmed, +8 (DC 25)

Complications
Identity: Erik's not exactly keen on letting people know that he is Jotun. Given that he does not have his powers active at all times, he's wary about being killed in his sleep. Plus, it's hard to score dates when women know your alter-ego is a 30 foot frost giant.
Illiterate: Jotun, while he can speak and understand English, has no functional ability to read it (although he can read Old Norse). If there is a sign that says "Danger", he *will* ignore it. (One can argue he might ignore it anyway, but the fact remains...)
Memory Loss: Erik has no memory of the time he spends as Jotun. Jotun also has no memory of the time he spends as Erik. There is enough bleedthrough to understand who friends and enemies of the two are, but it's not absolute. Erik is not sure if he is actually transforming into someone else, if it's a multiple personality, or if he's somehow switching places with Jotun.
Motivation: Responsibility: Erik didn't ask to transform into a frost giant (or switch places with one; he's never been really sure which). But he knows that simply hiding this power isn't an answer. If he's got this ability, then he needs to make sure it's used wisely. It's a work in progress.
Weakness: Jotun is vulnerable in his Giant Form to heat and fire. Effects with those descriptors are considered to be one rank higher when applied against him, and he may not use his Giant Form toughness/fortitude to resist those attacks.

Languages
English

Defense
Dodge 8/-3, Parry 8/-1, Fortitude 12, Toughness 12, Will 4

Power Points
Abilities 24 + Powers 121 + Advantages 1 + Skills 5 (10 ranks) + Defenses 4 = 155

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Note

The statistics above presume full Growth in use. Statistics change as he goes to Not As Giant Sized and normal sized.

Trivia

Jotun was inspired in part by a character concept developed for the MMORPG City of Heroes that never really got off the ground.