A/N: How's everyone? Staying safe, I hope?
With Arc III in the books, we can get to the bonus content of the Arc. As usual, we have Kombatant Koncepts with this installment focusing on Dakini, Okada, and Ilah. But before that is this bonus section.
Since the Maddox Siblings are arguably my most popular OCs, I want to do something special with them in this installment.
Introducing OCP or Original Character Parallels: The Maddox Siblings & The Demon Twins!
Benji and Callie share traits with Koga and Tara, and I want to touch on that and their differences, including my approach to writing them all. The similarities are shorter than the differences, so let's talk about them first.
The brothers are the older siblings, which makes the sisters younger. In the last installment, I stated that Callie and Benji, in concept, are my oldest OCs being around since the Lost Project. However, Koga and Tara were my first completed OCs in looks, personality, combat style, powers if they had any, and relationships with other cast members.
They're all the protagonists of their individual stories. Seeing as Koga and Tara's story is on hiatus, you either didn't know that after meeting them in Moments of Inspiration or forgotten since I haven't updated Ultimate Adventure. The similarities end there.
Let's talk about the differences.
Benji
If I commission an artist to draw Benji, I'll give them the following notes: Above average height bordering tall as a Blasian or tanned Asian man. Long black hair slicked back, a few locks falling in front of him with thick eyebrows and a small beard. Black Duster, a white long-sleeved shirt and the same colored bandana hanging from his back pocket of dark khaki pants or around his neck with black laced boots. Not a lot of color in his wardrobe, save for the Earthrealm symbol on his bandana or his khakis.
As we all know, Benji is a Necromancer, a Summoner to be specific who summons birds both realistic and of mythological planes. He fights with Pencak Silat based Pankration and once in a while (i.e., when I remember) uses a metal baton.
Benji has a very refined English dialect, but moments of broken English slip through in moments of anger. Besides Mai, Wes, Shun, and Huey, he's my most well-spoken OC. I have to be cautious about what words Benji uses. Writing for him is a constant challenge to my vocabulary because I can't make him sound like a regular hoodrat. He has to talk like a well-spoken hoodrat who made it out. Whereas Koga is like me talking since he's the closest thing to a self-insert I've made.
Koga
If commissioning for Koga: A tall black man with medium length curly hair, thick eyebrows, and clean-shaven with stitches over the bridge of his nose. Dark faded golden brown coat, hands taped up. (white preferably, you can also cover those with blood) Black slightly Blood-Spattered long-sleeved shirt with chainmail hidden under it. Faded black/grey slacks that are ripped. (If you want a more modern choice, replace Slacks with Jeans) Black cuffed boots. Also, since Koga and Tara are tribals (which I based off of Yakuza from the same name), they have irezumis.
In the previous koncepts, I wrote that Benji, Okada, and Mai have irezumis but hold nowhere near as much significance as Koga and Tara's. Koga's is the Eye of Truth since he guards the Mask of Truth. So I would ask the artist to draw Koga's shirtless back so we can see the Eye of Truth on his back. It holds a lot of meaning because it signifies a rite of passage. When I create Koga in SC, I put an Eye on the back of his coat since chainmail can't be broken off in SC. (Cervantes mains stand up!)
Koga is an Electric Elemental, his body continuously generating electricity. When applicable, he can release it through his hands, feet, fingers, and mouth. The longer he waits to use it, the more destructive and powerful it becomes. If you never played Majora's Mask, the Mask of Truth originated from there, and in the context of the story, it functions like the Eye of Truth in OoT. It allows the wearer to see through illusions, lies, and any kind of deceit. That works well since Koga is a detective, but he doesn't use it unless necessary. He fights with a very refined sense of streetfighting, which I tend to call Disciplinary Streetfighting.
Proofreading each guy is two separate experiences.
Callie
To make the facial features of Callie simple, think of Zelina Vega. She looks remarkably similar to her. If I had a face model for Callie, it would be Zelina without her voice. Cal's voice when I imagine it isn't slightly deep or raspy. It's a pretty smooth medium sounding voice, like Karin from Shadow Hearts Covenant. (Let's see how many people know her)
As for her wardrobe, like Benji, she wears a Black Duster, but her left sleeve is torn off due to her final battle against Skarlet. There are tatters at the bottom with a Tank Top underneath. She wears gray military fatigues and black combat boots. Her hair is generally in a ponytail but leaves a couple of bangs hanging from the sides. Her hands have fingerless gloves while keeping her Combat Knife and Combat Dagger in a leg holster on the left leg. (Most, if not all my OCs who use weapons are left-handed because I am) So Callie looks like a modern-day Army Girl. As mentioned earlier, she has hidden pistol mechanics on her right arm that her duster hides.
Callie employs CQC with a Combat Knife, and soon enough, she'll immerse her Scythe into her battles. She rarely uses her large firearms in combat situations, opting to use her hidden pistol when the enemy's weakened.
We all know that Callie flaunts her confidence, and she expresses it in how she speaks. She can be a bit snarky and animated at times and also well-spoken like Benji. Added to that, Callie speaks with simplicity letting cracks of complexity slip through once in a while. Especially when she talks about a topic she knows well, her life experiences.
Tara
As I recently started calling her, Tara or Tea has two dominant colors; red and purple.
Her physical features resemble a Gerudo Woman from OoT and Majora's Mask. Dark skin, red hair, and yellow/gold eyes. Those are the only similarities she has to the Gerudos. She doesn't have their facial shape, only their hair, and eye color, along with a similar skin tone. Her attire consists of a red coat with a purple t-shirt, a red swirl in the middle underneath. On her arms are the Silver Gauntlets from OoT with grey slacks and matching cuff boots. Her irezumi is either a Hannya or a Skulltula. Depending on the incarnation as her and Koga, like Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf, have different embodiments. Like Callie, her hair is also kept in a ponytail but goes down to her lower back.
Before I started calling her Tea, Tara's nickname was Tula. Back when UA was getting regular uploads, the Imp Tribe had two branches: Skull Branch and the Eye Branch. When they grow of age, they gain a Tribe Name, and it always started with Skull. So Tea's was Skull Tula, referring to a Skulltula. But that plot point was scrapped a few months ago.
Tea is a Sand Elemental, but unlike Koga, she doesn't create the substance, only controlling it whenever nearby. That's why she carries a gourd that stores sand inside. It also makes her weapon, a Scimitar named Komodo. She can also fight unarmed, but when doing so, she fights extremely dirty. Eye pokes, Low blows, Choking, as well as punches and kicks. The Art of Thuggery is what I call it. She used to carry a dagger in her coat but only used it when angry, but I got rid of that part of her personality. She's blunt, sarcastic, vulgar, and in some ways, her English is purposefully broken and incomplete.
Callie and Tea are on the more natural side of OCs I write for, and they are also the most fun in terms of dialogue. They either have a small filter or none in Tea's case. Some other OCs I love writing for is Kin, Kole, and the one instance, Boogie.
Fun Fact
Both sets of siblings were born on the same day. However, Benji and Callie have a thousand-year gap, making them twins in spirit and why they barely act the same. Koga and Tea were born the same day and year, meaning they're fraternal twins. They are more similar than Benji and Callie. However, out of the Demon Twins, Tea is more expressive during their downtime.
With all that done, we can get on to the Kombatant Koncepts section starting with the lost child of the Maddox family: Dakini Maddox!
Dakini, daughter of Benji and Jade
Dakini hit the drawing board shortly after Nightwolf was released in MK11. I saw his ending showing a female as the next Nightwolf. That has only mentioned in scenes or in dialogue, never in actual gameplay or used in the plot or character concept on FF. That changed when I created her.
In all honesty, Dakini was always going to be a part of this story. However, if I didn't come up with her being the next Nightwolf, she would've debuted later in the story and wouldn't receive much screen time as she does now. In hindsight, debuting her at the beginning of Arc III was the right decision. Initially, there was supposed to be another Maddox kid with her, but I scrapped him. He will not appear in the main story nor in the Bonus Chapters. Maybe in a sequel, I'll consider inserting him in.
Hamlet wasn't originally a Summon for Dakini or supposed to be one at all. I decided to make him one as a tribute to one of my close friend's Husky, who passed away a few months ago. She will be greatly missed.
For her personality, I wanted to make Dakini a conflicted child who, with divine help, beat her stupor. But as you saw in the finale, she's quick to anger if someone threatens what she considers a complete family. We saw a glimpse of her fighting style after defeating Darrius. Tae Kwon Do blended with Savate. Of course, she uses the typical Nightwolf weapons: Tomahawks, Spirit Bow, and Arrow. She doesn't have the Rhino Charge but will in time.
Dakini and Hamlet were born! A character and her pet that is very likable, difficult to hate. It's no spoiler that they will not die in this story, not on screen anyway. I'm not a monster and looking forward to seeing how her character evolves as one of my newer OCs.
Okada of the Netherrealm
Originally, Okada was supposed to be a character in name only, never to appear as an actual cast member. However, I made him a character who appears as a tragic mentor figure, a trend that follows Edenia's elderly with Mai and Ilah as well.
I made him a loving but strict teacher to Benji, who hides how powerful he really is by apprehending Quan Chi and silencing Shao Kahn with relative ease. I don't plan on making him fight anyone as he's one of the most powerful characters in this verse. I still plan on giving him his own character arc, and with Ilah alive, she can be a driving force behind it.
Speaking of...
Ilah, the Lost Edenian Hunter
Ilah going back to Netherrealm isn't the last we'll see of her. She'll have a more involved role with the Maddox Family as their newest friend and ally, though didn't give them the best first impression. Ilah will be there to ground Okada and show that the ultimately altruistic things he can accomplish can be done in less risky and dumb ways.
While her initial time with the Maddox Siblings was short, she enjoyed herself and looks forward to seeing them again, even if the feeling isn't mutual. Sidenote, Ilah hasn't aged since trapping her own soul, so while she's in her 70,000s, she looks 10,000 years younger.
Through her friendship with Mai, Ilah will get more involved in the later Arcs, proving her usefulness to our heroes. As if what she did to poor Dairou was enough. She also made mistakes involving Sindel that she'll briefly regret later. All I'll say about that.
Ilah had a small role during Arc III because I debated bringing her back or not, or letting Okada fail at the resurrection and have him pay. However, it gave me an excuse to introduce you all to another cast member. Besides, I feel like she deserves time in the spotlight.
A/N: And that should be all for this entry of Kombatant Koncepts. Next will be the Arc III dialogues, including Ilah and Dakini. I hope you enjoyed this installment and see you all soon.