Lautan Kostoris

Lautan Kostoris is an unaffiliated freelancer looking for work and former mechanic hailing from Mistral. Hard times and an unfortunate turn of events set him out from his home and into the streets of Vale, looking for any way to get by.

Appearance
Kostoris stands at a respectable height of 5'10, with no abnormal features. Hair is purposefully kept short and the prickly black sea is usually left uncovered, although he is known to wear hats on special occasions. His eyes are a plain shade of brown, also left uncovered, as he views accessories like sunglasses and goggles to be "tacky" despite not actually knowing the definition of the word.

He maintains different types of outfits depending on the situation at hand, for example, his normal civilian wear consists of clothing meant to attract as little attention to him as possible, often times acting more reserved than usual. Generally, he dons a pair of khakis, a sweatshirt, and higher-end shoes, not particularly catching anyone’s gaze but maintaining some resemblance of style for when he does. Those who would try and attempt to steal his money or belongings would be met by the barrel of his weapon. One constant present in most of his other outfits is missing here; a lightweight, synthetic armor vest made up of a mixture of steel, high-tensile polymers, and gemstone weave fibers, due to it’s conspicuous outline which "draws too much attention".

For operations where there is a chance of combat, he switches out the more civilian-minded clothing for an outfit with additional "utility" while still retaining an inconspicuous outward appearance. The sweatshirt is swapped out for a pocket-lined drab gray military jacket with all sorts of attachment possibilities such as a hood or wool inserts, and whatever shirt he would wear underneath is replaced with the sleeveless armor vest that rivals average military composite or kevlar armor in terms of protection. This vest is good at blocking ballistic projectiles, but is less so at blocking melee attacks. To cover up the vest’s reflective exterior, he dons a black long-sleeved shirt. Simplistic khakis are then replaced with dark blue cargo pants with knee pad slots. Shining, new kicks are replaced with older ones.

When a violent confrontation is inevitable, he goes for a more lightweight approach, removing the jacket and moving the vest above the shirt, often rolling his sleeves up as well. Shoes are swapped for combat boots, and knee pads are put into place. Any magazines are moved into the many pant leg pockets in absence of a jacket.

Accessory-wise, he'll always wear a watch, and he owns a collection of timepieces for all occasions.

Personality
Kostoris is somewhat skeptical of others and their motives ever since "the incident", although he is certainly anything but angry at the world. He does try to be as friendly as possible to others, but at times his disadvantaged "dark side" can come out, usually during or after combat

Being raised in the slums and having experience several life-changing events gives him a sense of humility, and he rarely boasts about an achievement.

He views violence as a necessary evil but never a first option, preferring to diffuse a situation before moving in with guns out. Any type of combat, in his personal doctrine, should be kept brief and painless. This was a driving force in the selection of his weapon.

Relationships were never a strong suit for Lautan, aside from his mentor and former girlfriend. He continues to place them in a lesser priority when compared to his work, but is always willing to chat with those who don't shoot first.

Weapon
Kostoris' tool of destruction is a modified gauss pistol dubbed "Lamprey" for it's imposing profile when staring down the shortened 4-inch barrel. An extension to the rear of the weapon's slide houses a dust crystal which a series of mechanisms use to power the weapon and is easily replaceable, although not hastily in the field. Most often, he uses an impact crystal in order to amplify the weapon's effects on heavily armored targets.

For ammunition, the Lamprey houses seven solid, shaped ferro-nickel alloy slugs within a stout, single-stacked magazine. Each slug measures 32.4mm in length and 12.2mm in base diameter and weigh in at several ounces each. They are best noted for stopping power, leaving a large wound channel as it passes through the body, and are capable of penetrating thick natural armor plating.

The Lamprey is fitted with a pair of standard tritium-illuminated iron sights for easier target tracking a close range. A red dot or scope can be added based on personal or mission preference, but can serve to throw off the weapon's delicate balance and make it harder to operate.

It is capable of transformation into a melee mode, in which the forward half of Lamprey's grip flips outward and over the barrel, increasing the weapon's length by roughly three inches and turning it into a short-ranged stabbing weapon. Nearly full-metal construction makes for a very potent and sharp blade when put into this configuration, but the barrel becomes blocked and the weapon is unable to fire when in melee mode. Nonetheless, it allows Kostoris to more effectively fight in extremely close-quarters scenarios or when he runs out of ammunition.

While not technically a transformation, a carbine conversion kit is available for the Lamprey, extending it's barrel to 7 inches and nearly doubling it's effective range. Magazine capacity remains low, although when the conversion kit is busted out it is often an overt combat situation that he is getting into, justifying an increase in ammunition. In carbine mode, the weapon cannot enter melee mode.

Perhaps the most dangerous downside to the weapon is it's dust crystal placement, as they are extremely volatile in their composition and can explode at even the slightest touch. It is exposed heavily from the sides, meaning that a direct melee strike or penetration via ballistic can cause a catastrophic explosion. While the weapon has a specially designed chamber that vents explosive gases away from the shooter's face, it still renders the weapon inoperable until the offending chamber has been removed and replaced. Extremely severe reactions can still send shards from the chamber into the operator's face, an experience which is described as "catching a load of small flechette darts to the face". Should he suffer from an explosion, melee mode can still function.

Second on a list of disadvantages is that ammunition for the weapon is powerful, but heavy. Only a few magazines can be taken to preserve agility, meaning that rapid fire is heavily discouraged.

The weapon's high velocity, penetration, and stopping power is considered both a blessing and a curse. Higher velocity means that one has to lead less, although the unorthodox design of a heavy gun can make operating difficult; the Lamprey weighs as much as many loaded magnum revolvers when empty. Good penetration means that slugs often pass through a victim, retaining enough velocity and power to penetrate a wall and potentially kill a bystander.

Abilities
Kostoris is capable of engaging targets at short range when using Lamprey in it's ranged form, and shorter ranges in melee form. When in pistol configuration, the weapon is effective up to distances of 200 meters, with an optimal range being 350 with a conversion kit.

Short range combat is perhaps his strongest and only suit, as his weapon fills two crucial close range roles, and any engagements started at a long range are lost. In addition, his melee skills are below-average, as aside from basic disarming or stabbing motions he is helpless to a proficient melee fighter if caught within their grasp. Tracking fast moving targets at close range, particularly due to the weapon's weight but also his own reflexes, is difficult, making it easy to out-maneuver him.

He has a knack for operating motor vehicles, although airborne craft are out of the question.

Combat Tactics
Lautan's behavior in combat depends on whether he is working in tandem with another, preferring to take it slowly if alone. While a vest does protect most vital organs, his arms, legs, and in head are still exposed to threats. If possible, he swaps cover often, suppressing an entrenched foe or plowing through enemy cover as he moves into a more favorable position. This is not a spectacular sight when compared to more flashy fighting styles of hunters and huntresses, but it works.

When in a team, he tries to coordinate bounding overwatch and fire-and-movement tactics, with the aim of locking down enemies and taking them out with minimal injury to friendly assets. Through and through, he considers himself to be a team player, but at times conflicts with those who prefer faster-paced combat.

History
Lautan Trent Kostoris was born in Mistral, to a lower-class family with few possessions on the "bad side of town". His father left at the age of 3, leaving him to be the man of the house and without a suitable role model. At an early age of 14, he showed little interest in schoolwork or becoming a world-famous hunter, preferring to go out and do whatever he wanted. Gradually, he fell into gang life, with nowhere else to go, and at the age of sixteen dropped out of high school to become a full-time gang member, toting unmarked handguns and dealing in less-than-legal substances on the streets of Mistral. He had also purchased Lamprey during this time, although he kept it hidden from plain view in his house for much of his years.

Shortly after he turned seventeen, he shot and wounded a civilian who refused to pay his fellow gangbanger in the chest with a 9mm handgun, missing his vitals completely and leaving him to be dragged off to a back alley to get looted and bleed out from a sizable hole in his torso. He was never caught for the murder, but the memories and guilt still frequently come back and haunt him. This experience, despite his efforts to try and hide it from his overly aggressive peers, drastically changed his outlook on life as he began to reflect later in life as a changed man.

He then sought his mother's guidance, who quickly taught him what working hard could help him maintain, eventually taking up an apprenticeship at a small mechanic shop under a chubby male, learning life skills while earning wages on the side. While doing this, he started picking up proficiency in vehicle operation. The future became brighter and brighter for an 18 year-old Kostoris.

At the age of 20, with a girlfriend and proper occupation, he received the deal of a lifetime from a childhood friend; one million Lien for his assistance in escorting a Dust shipment. He immediately abandoned his girlfriend and mentor, heading off to Vacuo so he could take part.

Lo and behold, a group of unknown bandits ambushed and destroyed their train without a chance to return fire, killing most of the crew but leaving Lautan and a few associates relatively unscathed. A rescue transport found them a few hours later, picking them up and transporting them to Vale, where the seriously injured were taken to a hospital and the rest left marooned.

With nothing but a friend's apartment, 500 Lien, his skin, some recovered clothing, and Lamprey, he was forced to scour the streets for work, unable to get a proper job and resorting to doing freelance dirty work for shadier customers.

One of his most recent tasks is to find a concerned client's missing child.

Trivia
Lautan means Ocean in Malay. I'm really original.