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WALTER STRICKLER
Monsters are the patron saints of imperfection. -Guillermo del Toro TROLLHUNTERS
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As a high school history teacher, Mr. Strickler is a caring mentor and friendly source of guidance. But unbeknownst to most, Strickler is a Changeling (a Troll spy who can take human form). Charming, manipulative, and literally two-faced, he is the threat closest to home for the Trollhunter and his loved ones.
Walter has changed a lot. Formerly an underling of Gunmar, he was once the perfect example of a changeling spy. Deceitful, self-serving and cruel, Walter cared for little other than the end goal of freeing his master. He is not completely devoid of his old negative traits, but his moral compass has finally found direction. He has learned to admire the kindness and courage of humans, and foster those traits in himself.
Walter is secretive by nature. Rather than completely lie, he usually compartmentalizes true information and divulges it based on circumstances. He has divided many of his own personality traits between his human and troll selves: He could either be a charming history teacher with a soft spot for his students; or an intimidating monster among his troll colleagues. Both of these personas are accurate to him as a whole. However, he seems to favor his human traits the most. Even in the presence of other trolls and changelings, Walter opts to remain in his disguise. He loves human history, culture, and the advancements of the modern world. He enjoys teaching and sometimes goes the extra mile in caring for his students, offering advice and support. After his experiences in dealing with the younger Trollhunters, he has also learned not to judge the abilities or perspectives of children. Walter has strong conversational skills and is good at putting on a charming facade. He is very polite, well-spoken, and humorous. He enjoys telling cheesy historical jokes to his students. He's good at turning circumstances to his favor and working out deals. He can also manipulate the tone of a conversation, going from affable to intimidating on a dime. He's a skilled tactician; generally understanding when to act, wait, or flee. He spent centuries studying the strategies of warfare and espionage. It is possible for his common sense to be clouded by ambition and a hunger for power, but he won't be quick to make those sorts of mistakes again, especially after the results of his last power grab. He doesn't care about the truth of good and evil, only how it affects himself and the people he cares about. He's become more aware of how his actions can affect other people, and he doesn't want to cause any undue harm. He would do anything to protect the people he cares about, even risking his own life. While he won't go out of his way to help total strangers, he is more open to developing real relationships. His new positive traits do not necessarily make him a good person. He's still an aggressive fighter and has no qualms with murder. He is petty and vengeful, and will frequently use underhanded tactics to get the edge on his opponents. His respect for the capabilities of young people also means that he can accept them as opponents in battle. The combination of his positive and negative traits also make him very pragmatic in dire situations. He is able to set aside common moral standards in order to do what must be done. Unsavory options are always on the table, but he will try to exhaust every other possibility first.
Changeling Transformation (canon):
Walter can shift between his human and troll forms at will. In his troll form he is about 7 ft tall, and has a wingspan of about 15 ft at full extension. He is much stronger than a human, but not as strong as a full troll. He can probably lift a small car, but not a tank. He is more agile, and sturdier against attacks due to his stone skin. His wings are also made of stone, and enable him to fly for long distances. He is armed with sharp teeth and large lower fangs, and has long claws.
Walter has described a noticeable difference in his emotional states between his forms, and seems to draw upon repressed feelings of aggression. He will display more animalistic behaviors and instincts while he's a troll, and may be more impulsive in his decision making. His wardrobe also changes when he transforms: he wears a loin cloth under a long dark cloak, the collar of which is frilled with feather-like throwing knives. He can make the entire cloak appear and disappear, which is useful for when he needs mobility in his wings. His senses of sight, smell, and hearing are more keen than a human's, even while he is in his human form. His human form is NOT like a glamor or an illusion, the shift causes him to switch completely from one species to another. There are almost no outward clues that he is not human, and most people will not be able to tell from looking. But if he is overcome by strong emotions in his human form, his eyes will glow yellow. Contact with pure iron will also force him to transform. Some magical creatures and humans who use magic may be able to notice that something is amiss. A few trolls and the wizard Merlin have been able to recognize him as a changeling even in his human form. This is likely due to some sort of supernatural presence about him, thanks to the fact that he is the byproduct of dark magic. While in his troll form, he is extremely sensitive to sunlight and artificial UV light, which will cause his flesh to burn. Too much exposure could prove fatal and make him to crumble into dust. Knife Summoning (non canon): Walter is now able to create knives from out of thin air. He will usually summon throwing knives, but he can specify the style and size of the knife if he concentrates. He can only summon about a half-dozen before they start to disappear, so his supply is not endless. Likewise, the knives disappear if he leaves them unattended or stops concentrating, so he can't give them to other people. He can't summon large bladed weapons. Only knives. Binding Spell (non canon): Walter can bind his fate to another person against their will. His victims will instantly sustain any injuries that he does, but he will also receive theirs. This is not a very good spell during a fight, but it can successfully create a stalemate if neither party wants to die or suffer a serious injury. However, Walter has a very high pain tolerance, and could feasibly use this spell to incapacitate someone who isn't used to pain. He needs to make physical contact with his target in order to begin the spell and end it. He can only bind himself to one person at a time. Walter can also touch an injured person and transfer their wounds onto himself. The results can be extremely painful and even life-threatening if he isn't careful. He can break the bond before taking on the injury to its full extent, leaving him and the target with mirrored, lesser versions of the original wound. He cannot give his injuries to another person, only take them. CANONPOINT: Post-Series AGE: 50s / Centuries HEIGHT: 6'2" / 7' BUILD: Lean HAIR: Black & Silver EYES: Green / Gold APPEARANCE: Link RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Committed OCCUPATION: Teacher & Spy RESIDENCE: ??? BACKTAGGING: Y 4TH-WALLING: Y THREADJACKING: Y MIND READING: Y FIGHTING: Y ROMANCE: M INJURY: Y KILLING: Y (Run it by me first!) gif by |
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