OC Doctor Xaal -ref-sheet-

Bio: A renown pathologist and geneticist who fell into obscurity after the death of his wife, Xaal would later return to prominence when he joined a team of researchers on an expedition to find one of the abandoned crypt-cities of the phantoms. Said venture was to last only a month or two, but after nearly a year, only Xaal returned. The doctor never spoke of what happened, but he became very distant, and began to obsess over his work, readily delving into areas of science that others were reluctant to even attempt. Dubbing him a madman, the world slowly forgot about Xaal -- which didn't bother him one bit. If anything, it afforded him more freedom to do as he pleased. 

Even before "the incident," Xaal had always desired to find ways to incorporate magic with science, and lamented the fact that he lacked any magical abilities. After said incident, he got the idea that proficiency in magic might be genetic. And who better to study than the one race whose every member was magically inclined -- the phantoms, arguably the most powerful magic-users in the world. While most beings hadn't even seen a phantom in over a thousand years, Xaal still managed to find test-subjects through various connections. He tried gene-splicing on other (involuntary) human subjects before growing impatient and trying it on himself. The result was both a success and a disaster. Superficially, Xaal was a near-perfect -- albeit corpse-like -- hybrid of human and phantom. However, internally, the change wreaked havoc on his eyes -- rendering him blind -- and his immune system. The majority of his body had to be covered at all times to avoid infection, and his lungs are so sensitive that he must wear a helmet/respirator to filter his every breath. Regardless of the cons, Xaal deemed the project a success, and, despite becoming hyper-aware of his health, he never regretted any of it.

Backed by a mysterious entity who took an interest in Xaal's work, the mad doc now heads a massive team of doctors and technicians working on something much bigger than gene-splicing...

Abilities and other facts: Originally specializing in pathology and genetics alone, Xaal now studies in many other fields of medicine, and even dabbles in prosthesis and robotics. He was also an accomplished surgeon before going blind.

One aspect in which Xaal's transformation was a success is that he did acquire one magical ability: a form of energy "echolocation." With it, he can sense every particle of energy within ten to twenty feet of himself, and use that information to map out his surroundings in his head. With enough concentration, he can focus this power on something like a surgery, although the results will be... messy. He can also use it to probe subjects for illnesses and other anomalies. 

Art/interaction dos and don'ts: Xaal is a total flirt with women, but has no desire for any serious relationship. His poor health won't allow him any sort of intimacy anyway. I don't mind gore if done in moderation, so nothing R-rated, please. If you expect me to respect your wishes regarding your own OCs and other creations, please respect mine. Thank you.

Edit (8/29/13): Cleaning up his info a bit.

EDIT (9/15/15): Description overhaul. 


Dr. Xaal (c) CorNocte