User:Diano/Diano

Doctor Diano Delacroix Cervantes, leader of the South Paynterton Aces.

Level: 41

Group: South Paynterton Aces

Home Turf: the Gracewood Building, Paynterton

About Diano

	South Paynterton Aces
	This user is a member of the South Paynterton Aces

I'm Doctor Diano Delacroix Cervantes (or simply Diano, which I prefer). I'm one of the two leaders of the South Paynterton Aces. Along with my co-leader EzriSun, I do my best to keep things running in the south end of Paynterton, handing out revives and holding back the rotters as best I can. I'm considered the local fashion magnate, as I always do my best to dress nicely despite the zombies outside. I mean, really -- is there any excuse not to look your best? I think not.

I guess this is where I put in a little information about me. I was born in Haiti, I'm a voodouisant, and I've got a doctorate in Necrology. I stepped up to help lead the Aces after Will Smogg, Rex Pearson, and Tyne Morru vanished, and I think so far I'm doing a good job. Hopefully you agree.

	NecroTech Corp. R&D
	Diano is a NecroTech Research and Development Necrologist.

Description

Human

Diano is a five-foot-seven dark-skinned Haitian man in his late twenties. His face is round and friendly, with sorrel brown eyes that carry the hint of dark, tired circles beneath them. His jet black hair is kept short and styled in tousled spikes, with an immaculately-trimmed goatee adorning his chin and upper lip around a mouth that seems to have smiled often once, but much less in the past few years. A pair of purple-lensed sunglasses with silver rims sits on the bridge of his handsome nose, shading his eyes and mirroring the curve of his high cheekbones. He wears a wine purple silk shirt somehow kept pressed and neat, held with silver cufflinks and buttons in the shape of the cross, and over that is a beaten-up flak jacket hanging open at the center, the name "Diano" sewn over the left breast. An obsidian tie is draped down the center of his torso, and on it is sewn an Ace of Hearts, the heart painted in as an actual cardiac organ rather than an icon. His black slacks lead down to shell cordovan shoes barely touched by the grime and gore of Malton, and around his waist is a gun belt holding a Colt double-action revolver and a string of NecroTech syringes. A black silk top hat perches atop his head, a Joker and an Ace of Spades sticking out of one side, with the Joker's face painted as a skull. A shotgun is slung over his back next to a small brown knapsack. He carries a worn fire axe in one hand and a DNA extractor in the other, and his fingers twitch warily whenever he hears a sound. Those close enough to him may catch a whiff of Vurt cologne, and anyone who has looked at him closely enough without his shirt on will notice the cross-and-caskets veve of Baron Samedi on his right arm and the heart-and-crosses veve of Maman Brigitte on his left arm, matching the veves he's etched into his fire axe, shotgun, and pistol.

Zombie

A five-foot-seven Haitian zombie with dark, rotting skin, Diano shambles about on legs that seem uneven until the realization is made that one of them has rigor mortis of the foot, causing him to walk tip-toed on his left. His black silk top hat manages to stay on despite his uneven gait and the crooked tilt of his head, and behind his purple-lensed sunglasses one of his eyes seems fused shut while the other gapes open madly, putrid green ichor oozing out the corner. There is gore in his otherwise immaculate goatee, and his perfect teeth seem to have blood seeping through them from a much-chewed tongue. His fingers grip the hilt of a worn fire axe near the hilt, occasionally smacking the ground with the haft, whereas his other hand plays absently with his obsidian silk tie, caressing the Ace of Hearts sewn into the cloth. Occasionally the knapsack and shotgun at his back clunk loudly, but this zombie is otherwise silent. Perhaps you should revive him.

Vital Information

Diano

Full Name: Doctor Diano Delacroix Cervantes

Group: South Paynterton Aces (Leader)

Home: the Gracewood Building, Paynterton (with occasional forays into Starlingtown and Pitneybank)

Age: 28

Sex: Male

Height: 5'7" (1.7 m)

Weight & Body Type: 137 lbs (62 kg), short and lean

Eye Color: Sorrel Brown

Hair Style: Jet black hair cut short and gelled into a slightly spiky tousle, paired with an immaculately-trimmed goatee. Diano keeps a lot of hair care and hygiene products in his personal quarters.0

Clothing: Wine purple silk shirt, black slacks, black shell cordovan shoes, expensive black tie with an Ace of Hearts clipped on it, black silk top hat, purple-lensed sunglasses with silver frames, battered flak jacket, revolver holster.

General Attitude: Diano was previously very nervous and wary, but leading the Aces and accepting the zombie scourge as an act of the loa has made him more confident. He covers the worst of his anxiety by focusing on making syringes, keeping himself hygienic and fashionable, watching over his team, and praying to the loas.

Pet Peeves: Grime, bad fashion, zombie invasions, bounty hunters and other predators

Personality: Dr. Cervantes is an intelligent problem solver with an analytical mind. He seems to take a great deal of care with his hygiene and appearance despite the circumstances; he bathes, shaves, and prepares himself daily, and takes exceptionally good care of his clothes. He likewise seems to go out of his way to help others dress well despite the state of emergency, and seems to have a strange knack for showing up at headquarters with a fashionable but serviceable outfit for those Aces in need of new duds. He tends to sleep only when he passes out from exhaustion or when surrounded by dozens of people looking out for him, as he is paranoid about attacks occurring while he's unconscious. He is dedicated to his profession as a necrologist, venturing forth to the cemetery to revive the dead, but quickly searches for cover thereafter and rarely stays out of doors for long. In quieter times when he cannot sleep, he can sometimes be heard praying to the loa Guede Baron Samedi or Maman Brigitte to "turn aside their anger." Though he has on occasion shown a great deal of bravery and self-sacrifice for his fellow Aces, Diano is primarily a calculated leader, rarely taking risks.

Opinions: Diano is very obviously scared nigh unto death of the zombies, and frequently has nightmares that they are coming for him; because of this, he is often sleep-deprived or overly tense. He fears them, but he pities them as well, understanding their condition better than most due to his profession as a necrologist and his devotion to voodou, as well as knowing it is his duty to cure them, just as others like him must do--necrologists and voodouisants both. He is fiercely loyal to the South Paynterton Aces, without whom he would still be a mindless, shambling monster. He has a horror-filled loathing for those survivors who prey on their own kind, victimizing them and attacking them out of anarchic madness, and has exhibited a visceral revulsion at the self-proclaimed "bounty hunters"; who stalk these criminals in an ersatz profession or out of a twisted sense of justice. Despite all of this, Diano maintains a great deal of optimism about the circumstances and hopes for Malton to return to normal, though it's obvious that he holds to this more out of a need to cling to sanity than anything else. Strangest of all is his fixation on style, which seems to be a last-ditch, desperate attachment to a part of his life that was so important before the zombie menace, and which can be infectious to those who spend too much time around him (or let him find clothes for them).

Survival Style: Diano is the leader of the Aces now, and he's bellying up to that task as best he can, though it's obvious he needs the more moderate influence of EzriSun around in order to properly cope. Diano is a revivification specialist, having been employed by NecroTech as a necrologist before the outbreak. He focuses primarily on the creation of syringes and the revivification of zombies. He's good in a tight spot for a fight, but as he's extremely cautious, that generally only comes up by accident (and he'd prefer to run, if it came down to it).

Weapon of Choice: A revivification syringe and DNA extractor, but failing that it's the shotgun at his back (which he has nicknamed "Anesthetic"), the revolver at his hip, and his trusty fire axe (in that order).

Background Info

Hometown: Dame-Sophie, Haiti

History: Diano Cervantes grew up in the small Haitian fishing village of Dame-Sophie, the third of seven children. His parents were dedicated followers of voodou, and Diano grew up as a voodouisant himself; he may have grown up to be a houngan under different circumstances. His unusually high test scores as a child allowed him the fortune of a national merit scholarship to a private school, and from there his academic achievements gained him a scholarship to Oxford. While studying there, his religious beliefs brought him into studying thanatology, and he was selected and quietly recruited into NecroTech's research training program. He earned his Doctorate in Necrology shortly after turning twenty-one. The generous wages of his fascinating new job allowed him to assist his family back in Haiti, as well as indulge in what had previously been a secret love of fashion and style.

Diano was in Malton at a NecroTech laboratory studying rigor mortis data when the state of emergency was declared and the active necrologists were mobilized, but Diano himself was too afraid to join them, instead hopping in his car and heading toward the edge of the city. A car accident blocked his path, and when he got out to investigate, he was dragged down by a zombie horde and infected, after which he rose as a zombie.

By the time he was revived by Will Smogg, he had traveled half the length of the city and lost nearly all of his possessions. He joined the South Paynterton Aces at first out of fear and the need for protection, but soon became one of their staunchest field technicians despite his nervous, gunshy attitude. His weird acceptance of the zombies due to his voodou beliefs and his education in necrology, combined with his anxiety and seemingly on-edge grip on sanity, can be occasionally off-putting, but overall he performs better than most under the extreme circumstances.

Journal of Current Events

2008 - January 28, Monday: The Paynterton NT buildings are up and running, most with generators. The Malton Rangers and H-UNIT are currently in-territory, helping to keep things going. Much to-do is occurring with Starlingtown; EzriSun is making things happen down there, watching over 3 revive points to my piddling 2.

2008 - January 14, Monday: Many of the Paynterton buildings are ruined. There are sparse zombie packs all about. I have been doling out revives as best I can from my retreat in St. Lazarus' Church, which thankfully has not fallen. Most of the Aces are in Starlingtown, working from the Veryard Building with [User:EzriSun|EzriSun], which is for the best. For now, I'm just hoping we can retake Gracewood soon.

2008 - January 05, Saturday: The NT buildings in south Paynterton are falling, and most of the Aces are getting out. The rally point is currently Giddings Mall, as it is a stronghold against the Big Bash II. I am still in Paynterton, hiding out and trying to administer revives to those at our cemetery, who are counting on me.

2007 - December 01, Friday: There was recently a break-in at the Gracewood Building, which we are trying to deal with. Three rotters are causing havoc and attacking Aces and guests.

2007 - October 17, Wednesday: I made this profile. I'm currently in the Gracewood Building in Paynterton, as usual. Scrabbling for syringes, putting up barricades, and recruiting, in that order. A preponderance of zeds and the oncoming Big Bash 2 have everyone up in arms.

Templates I Believe In

	South Paynterton Aces
	This user is a member of the South Paynterton Aces

	The Golden Empire
	This User or Group is a proud member of The Golden Empire.

	The Mongolian Horde
	This User or Group is protected by The Mongolian Horde under the alliance of the The Golden Empire.

	(To The) Four Winds Ally
	This user or group is an ally of (To The) Four Winds.

	CR Whiners Suck
	Diano considers zombies who "avenge"/complain about combat revives to be whiny hypocritical babies.

	Reviver
	This user will Revive

	Revivification Requests
	Undead? Want to breathe again? Make a Revivification Request!

	Sacred Ground Policy Supporter
	This user supports the Sacred Ground Policy.

	Planned Revivification
	This user or group supports organized revivification.

	No Random Revives Supporter
	This User or Group supports the No Random Revive Policy by utilizing Revivification Request tools.

	Malton Hospitals Group
	This user or group supports MHG in their attempt to restore health care in Malton.

	Doctor
	This user is a Doctor and is probably off healing someone.

	Medic
	This user is a medic and is probably off healing the troops.

	Scientist
	This user is a Scientist and is probably off reviving someone.