Characters/Dante Knox

## Character Description

Dante is a notorious mercenary residing on the archipelago of Panau. He is a fairy well-built male and is covered in tattoos, particularly on the upper body. Various images and patterns span across his neck, shoulders, chest, and arms. Knox has charcoal black hair and bright blue eyes, one covered by an eyepatch after a combat injury during his time in the Enforcers. Dante is addicted to getting high and has stripped Dante of his previous personality causing him to develop psychosis and becoming extremely unpredictable. He is frequently seen smoking marijuana.

## Background

Dante grew up in East London with his older brother, Anton. A keen sportsman with a strong competitive interest in mixed martial arts, the younger Knox had a normal lifestyle and was an average student at his school. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Dante decided to enlist into the Royal Marines Commando. Picking up the skill of handling firearms, he quickly showed his skill as a Marksman and it wasn’t long before the SBS recruited him as a prized sharpshooter.

#### *Operation Nightfall*

After the fall of Pandak Panay, Knox and several other SBS soldiers were deployed to Panau to attempt to gain intelligence on the former regime. . Several days into the operation the squad were ambushed by Panay loyalists and captured. Potent substances such as heroin, cocaine and meth were forced upon the squad to keep them docile whilst subduing them to horrific torture. Days of being beaten mercilessly blinded Dante in his right eye. Many of Dante’s squad died from an overdose. During the execution of the remaining SBS taskforce, Knox was liberated by the Roach Criminal Organisation purging the old military rule from their territory.

## Panau

### The Mafia

Needing to fuel his new drug dependency, the Roaches seemed like the easiest option for Dante. After carrying out raids on former-Panay owned laboratories, Dante looted an experimental cybernetic eye which replaced the vision in his right eye. Knox quickly became an excellent sharpshooter, surpassing his talent in the SBS, joining the Roaches Sniper Division. Dante rose through the ranks quickly and his drug-use became frequent, though word of Knox’s fighting ability quickly spread. He was notoriously accurate and became known as an expert with Marksman rifles. Dante eventually achieved the rank of Hitman Sniper I and became a recognised member of the Roach Council under Director Stanley Richard. Knox would form the Recon department with his friend, and trusted ally, James Roth Solomon. Tasked to infiltrate the Government in a covert operation, Dante would never return to the Roaches.

### The Force

Dante later would go undercover in the Peacekeepers, a new Government policing initiative, on behalf of the Roaches – briefly becoming their first Chief during Viktor Woltz presidential term. After the assassination of Woltz, Knox was made a scapegoat and his position as Chief was heavily questioned. Parallel to this, the Roaches began facing difficulty during the inter-faction war in Panau and the money began to run out. Dante abandoned both the roaches and peacekeepers for higher capital gains.

### The Law

Desperate for his killing proficiency, the Enforcers enlisted him into their ranks with generous benefits. Making powerful allies during his military career and always being on the front-line, Dante excelled in the Enforcers. Knox worked closely with Dexter Moser and Nikolai Starkovsky, excelling as combat tacticians. He quickly rose to the rank Major Marksman under the rule of Supreme General Denis Marusich. Whilst in the military, Knox fought hundreds of battles against the Reapers and managed to expel the enemy to expand Enforcer territory. Dante had become a major threat with a sniper rifle is his hands, former servicemen often describe enemy combatants actively targeting him.

#### Operation DLE-42

2 marksman led by Major Knox were tasked with protecting a small weapons part convoy at Kem Sungai Sejuk. Ular insurgents, unknown to Dante, ambushed the convoy by driving an explosive filled vehicle into a Fengding EC2. Distracted by the explosion, an unknown marksman expertly placed a 7.62mm round through the scope of Dante’s sniper. It’s rumoured the legendary, former pupil, Charles Noxton took the shot, though some speculate only Richard Grimm could pull off such a display of marksmanship. Luckily, the bullet lost most of its velocity as it entered the scope on an awkward angle and so Dante survived. However, his legendary right cybernetic eye did not. Embarrassed and handicapped, Knox deserted the Enforcers during the operation and went AWOL.

### The Reds

Notorious pilot Vestre Leonis Light, a former, now AWOL, Enforcer friend of Knox, recruited him into the reapers. Though he was not as efficient as a marksman, his combat abilities were still a cut above the rest and now conning an eyepatch. During this time, he worked closely Vestre who taught him how to fly the Si-47 Leopard multirole combat aircraft. Quickly learning and mastering the aircraft, with the help of cocaine, Knox would surpass his teacher in dogfighting capabilities. Developing his aircraft combat skills quickly during Reapers campaign against the Enforcers, Knox became known as a legendary pilot and is often mentioned as one of the best to fly the aircraft. Under Commander Oliver McQueen and Geoff Kensinger, Dante rose to the rank of Avenger Pilot I and gained control of the skies with his air force. His greatest rivals were Arthur Cartwright, James Suarez and his former teacher. Knox also took the time to pass on his dogfighting expertise to various students. Dante’s drug use rendered him completely insane during his final days as a Reaper, being discharged from the faction.

### The Boys

Learning of his mercenary nature, the Ular Boys presented Knox with an irrefutable deal to fight for them. Dante discovered that his brother, Anton had been fighting for the Ular Boys already as a high-ranking ghost. Insanity, jealousy, and paranoia drove Dante to try to kill his brother by throwing him off the top of the PBC Tower. He took his place as Ghost Pilot of the Ular Boys under Shaman Tuna Bluefin and Jeffrey Baker. It was reported that Dante was unreasonable, schizophrenic, and dangerous to be around.

##### Mushrooms & Spirits

Dante would eventually go missing from the Ular ranks, supposedly he ran off in a fit of lunacy deep into the jungle. He briefly resided with the jungle natives living hidden from public eye and consumed inhumane amounts of ayahuasca, claiming to have seen “God”.

### Return of the King

Dante showed up years later living in a Pocumtuck Nomad motorhome where he began growing, making, and selling drugs. Though most of it was consumed by himself. Frequently taking magic mushrooms he’d find in the jungle; Dante would begin frequently claiming there is a higher power controlling him. His poorly executed business plan in the drug market left Dante without any capital and desperate for cash. Dante was once again re-enlisted into the Enforcers as an ace pilot to bring order to Panau’s sky under Chiefs Walter Pate Postimies and Danny Eagle. He’s reportedly much more mellow and claims that he is being controlled by a sentient being from another universe, but he does smoke a lot more marijuana.

## Assets

Dante’s accumulated wealth has allowed him to acquire a collection of various vehicles ranging with use, purpose and price.

### Sakura Aquila Metro ST

Dante’s favourite car. Fully customised with a low-profile body kit, custom sound system with subwoofers, carbon-black alloys, turquoise pearlescent paint and a V12 Civadier 999 engine. He is often seen driving this around the roads of Panau for leisure. Knox utilises a nitrous oxide injection kit to be the fastest on the roads.

### Si-47 Leopard

Dante’s personal Si-47 Leopard. Most noticeable by the shark jaws painted on the nose of the aircraft. Those who get close enough can see various clothing brand stickers around the edge of the cockpit that Dante has collected over the years. Fluffy pink dice hang from above the cockpit and a Dwight Shrute bobble head is superglued to the interior. The right wing has a small centimetre scratch for each aircraft that Dante has shot down, it is almost entirely covered. The armament features twin Zuni Rocket Pods and twin miniguns that fire 25mm stealth cannon rounds.

## Armory

Dante is proficient in a wide arsenal of weaponry, though he often favours marksman rifles accompanied by an effective sidearm.

### “Bullseye” Marksman Rifle

Dante has a custom FAL Assault Rifle which has been designed to accommodate for all ranges of engagement, though he prefers to keep it for medium to long distances. He has attached a 3.25x Hybrid Scout optic with an Integral Reflex Sight to deal with both short- and long-range engagements. In addition, it features a custom stock built for Dante’s shoulder, grip tape, an under barrel foregrip for rapid target acquisition and a monolithic suppressor for stealth operations.

### M19 Handgun

A nimble sidearm used in fast paced, close quarters combat. It features a custom XRK L Super Barrel with a seven-deadly sin themed engraved platinum design. Knox attached a lightweight suppressor and trigger for stealthy quick engagements, complimenting this with a 1mW laser and an extended 24-round magazine. A rubber grip tape keeps this firearm tight in hand. Dante has described this over-the-top design pistol as his “family heirloom”.

## Affliations

Dante has been affiliated with two notable organisations outside of the faction civil war in Panau.

#### Blackwatch

Dante joined the Blackwatch pirates initially, recruited by Carthik Bradshei. Acting as a lethal combatant with their war against SPECTRE, he was enticed with money, drugs and the promise of unlimited wealth once their aims had been achieved. His loyalty was short-lived.

#### SPECTRE

Lilith Talon Shepherd lured Dante’s greed to their side of the inter-organisation war. He helped take down Blackwatch with his legendary piloting skills. Becoming a respected and higher ranked member of SPECTRE, he engaged in multiple operations before faking his death and purging members of the organisation in his drug-fuelled insanity.