Ahab

* Civilian
* Captain

*"The head of the Saltwater Syndicate, a pirate-themed criminal gang known throughout Schippersburg for their daring heists of valuable objects. He lives by a strict code of honor."* -Ahab's character profile

**Ahab** is a major antagonist and love interest in Glory Hounds. He is the head of the Saltwater Syndicate, a pirate-themed criminal gang known throughout Schippersburg for their daring heists of valuable objects.

## Appearance

Ahab is an extremely tall and bulky whale with bluish gray skin and blue eyes. He is muscular, with prominent biceps and pecs, and has a large fluked tail. Ahab has various tattoos on his upper body, including Xs in a multitude of sizes, a winged anchor, and a heart in the center of his chest. His chin is very prominent, with grooves on it typical of a baleen whale. His baleen can be seen in place of teeth when he smiles or speaks.

In his civilian outfit, Ahab wears a navy blue tank top that reveals much of his musculature and a pair of board shorts decorated with a tropical, botanical pattern. He has several pieces of golden jewelry, including two bracelets on each wrist, three rings on his right hand, and two necklaces. He also has a third necklace made of red, blue, and black beads with a golden anchor-shaped charm hanging from it. He wears tan slip-on shoes, as well as a tropical fruit-scented fragrance.

In his Captain's outfit, Ahab wears a sleeveless red and blue pirate coat with golden trim and buttons, black pants with a flashy blue, red, black, and yellow waistband, and brown heeled boots. He also dons a black pirate captain's hat with a white fishbone pattern along the top and a trailing red, green, and yellow feather, as well as white gloves, a white belt cinched diagonally across his hips, and detached wrist cuffs patterned with red, white, and gold. Ahab leaves his coat unbuttoned, showing off his bare chest and muscles. He retains the necklaces he wears in his civilian outfit.

Ahab speaks with an Irish-like brogue and frequently uses pirate lingo. At times, the upper part of Ahab's sprite is cut off by the border of the screen in order to comically exaggerate his size.

## Personality

Ahab is endlessly confident and highly intelligent, qualities that earn him a high level of respect from his subordinates and enemies alike. He is a boisterous character who takes joy in what he does no matter the context, and takes bold risks that are often backed up by his strength and size. Ahab seems to have an affinity for pirates and privateering, demonstrated in the way he speaks and styles himself, his love of daring heists, and the swashbuckling code of behavior he has devised for members of the Saltwater Syndicate. Despite acting like a traditionally ruthless pirate in most senses, Ahab has a strong sense of honor when it comes to the Syndicate's heists: he ensures that victims and witnesses are left unharmed and that all targets receive calling cards ahead of time as a warning. Ahab seems to abhor swearing, refraining from it and banning it among his subordinates as well.

When not acting as the imposing boss of the Saltwater Syndicate, Ahab shows a more charming side. He seems to enjoy flirting, and even asks Alex out on a date upon their first meeting despite being in the midst of a heist, then honors this engagement even after their confrontation. He ironically possesses a strong moral compass as well, to the point that he personally apologizes to Mrs. de Bruin, reimburses her for damages, and singlehandedly fixes her broken store window following an incident with one of his subordinates attempting to rob her.

Ahab seems to be able to divorce his private life from his criminal endeavors, casually considering his heists to be "work." Despite his massive size he may have a low pain tolerance, as Alex easily incapacitates him into surrendering with a single hit to his more sensitive parts.

## Story

### Prior to Glory Hounds

Much of Ahab's origins are an enigma, including whether or not Ahab is even his real name. At some point before Glory Hounds Ahab came to power in Schippersburg's criminal underground and began operating his own gang called the Saltwater Syndicate. Secretly operating out of a a seedy restaurant called De Zoute Zeeman, the Syndicate quickly claimed a large portion of the city's underwater Saltwater District as their "turf." The Syndicate's main goal seems to be pulling off lucrative heists from high-end establishments; the gang quickly gained a reputation for being uncatchable, with witnesses able to recount little more than the size and booming laugh of the Syndicate's commander himself.

Despite the Syndicate's criminal nature, Ahab has laid down a series of strict morals for his subordinates. He forbids cursing or committing serious harm to others, and frowns on victimizing those who are in less fortunate economic situations, since opulent establishments seem to be the Syndicate's primary targets. He has also established a protocol to warn each location the Syndicate plans to rob by sending a calling card ahead of their heist.

The longest-serving member of Ahab's crew is his second-in-command, a parrot named Paul to whom he gave the nickname Polly. Ahab later came across a small-time criminal causing trouble on the Syndicate's turf and adopted him into the group in order to keep him from further rabble-rousing, granting him the nickname Ishmael. Some time shortly before the events of Issue #2, Ahab was approached by a fellow criminal named Khameau, who brought his attention to the highly valuable Money Talks gown on display a gallery called Opgedoekt and proposed an alliance with the Syndicate in order to steal it.

### Issue #1

Though Ahab does not appear in person during the events of Issue #1, he is mentioned by Ishmael and Dawn Hound. Ishmael claims to be committing a heist on behalf of the Syndicate and his captain, but Dawn Hound notes that Ahab would be ashamed to see one of his subordinates robbing a defenseless old woman. After Ishmael flees, Dawn Hound tells Alex about Ahab's role as the Syndicate's leader in more detail. A charm of Ahab can also be seen hanging from Ishmael's pistol.

### Issue #2

Ahab makes his first physical appearance at the start of Issue #2, as the titular "Whale of [the] Tale." He interrupts a dispute between Polly and Ishmael, then scolds Ishmael for breaking the Syndicate's code during the events of Issue #1. He also tells the pair about an upcoming heist that he requires their help with, and introduces Khameau as a collaborating party.

After sending a calling card to Opgedoekt to announce the Syndicate's intention to steal the Money Talks gown, Ahab and his crew begin phase one of their plan by entering the gallery incognito, dressed as cleaning staff, so that they may discreetly escape with their score. Alex comes to Opgedoekt in his civilian clothes to perform solo reconnaissance and initially mistakes Ahab for a statue due to his size. Disguised as the head janitor, Ahab is surprised to see a patron at the otherwise closed gallery and attempts to figure out what Alex is doing there. Upon hearing him mention the Saltwater Syndicate, Ahab warns Alex of the danger they pose and encourages him to leave. Before departing, Ahab notes with amusement that Alex is clearly infatuated with him, and calls him cute before asking him out on a date down at the pub later that night in order to "celebrate a job well done."

Afterward, Ahab presumably learns from Ishmael that Alex was the one who foiled his previous robbery rather than a hapless bystander coincidentally visiting the gallery and sheds his disguise to complete the heist. Ahab has Khameau pack up the Money Talks gown and instructs him to put a captured Lou in "the brig" (a janitor's closet) with Fenna. Before this can be completed however, the pair are surprised by the arrival of Dawn and Dusk Hound. Ahab makes short work of the heroes, using his strength to toss Dusk Hound into Dawn Hound while they are distracted rescuing Lou, knocking them unconscious, and then absconding with his crew and the Money Talks gown.

To celebrate their successful heist, the Syndicate returns to De Zoute Zeeman. There, Ahab commends Khameau on the success of his plan and questions his decision to leave the Syndicate following the heist. Before he can ask about Khameau's plans for the future, the group is once again interrupted by Dawn Hound and Dusk Hound. Ahab challenges the pair once more and proves to be even more formidable underwater due to the extra speed and range of motion he possesses. Confronting Dusk Hound directly proves to be a mistake, however, and Ahab is inadvertently incapacitated when the hero launches a grappling hook into his "crown jewels." Afterward, Ahab is quick to surrender and commands his subordinates to do the same, including giving up the stolen gown. Unbeknownst to him, Khameau has already escaped with it and the capsule Ahab turns over to the heroes is empty.

Despite being foiled, Ahab is left a free man after the supposed recovery of the gown and shortly afterward receives a text from Alex asking to meet, which he accepts. Ahab reveals that he knows Alex and Dusk Hound are one and the same, but does not hold Alex's actions during the fight against him and remains confident that he will not lose in their next encounter. Ahab is surprised and angered to hear that Khameau stole the Money Talks gown out from under his nose and agrees to tell Alex everything he knows about him, following some "convincing." The pair then head off to the pub together before eventually making their way back to Alex's apartment for the night.

### Issue #3

During his date with Alex, Ahab relates everything he knows about Khameau. The following morning, Alex wakes up on top of Ahab and the two flirt. As he departs, Ahab playfully assures Alex that the next time they meet, it will be as enemies once again and wishes him luck in catching Khameau. At the Haen’s anniversary later that evening, Mrs. de Bruin mentions that Ahab came to her store earlier that day and personally apologized on behalf of Ishmael before fixing her window and paying for all of her damaged merchandise.

## Relationships

### Alex

Although being on opposing sides of the law puts them at odds, Ahab and Alex share an amicable (and even romantic) relationship outside of their "work." Ahab finds Alex and his blatant attraction toward him cute and quickly asks him out on a date upon their first meeting. Ahab recognizes Alex as Dusk Hound, but keeps this fact to himself and upholds their engagement, citing no hard feelings. The date apparently goes well, and Ahab ends up returning to Alex's apartment with him later that night.

### Ishmael

Ishmael is the newest member of the Saltwater Syndicate, and was recruited by Ahab so he would stop making trouble as an independent small-time criminal. Ahab appears annoyed by Ishmael's frequent blunders and disobedience, reprimanding him sternly for his attempted robbery of Mrs. de Bruin, but ultimately treats him with leniency, both because it is his first major transgression and because Ahab needs 'all hands on deck' for the planned heist of the Money Talks gown.

### Polly

Polly is Ahab's second-in-command and the first person he recruited into the Syndicate. Ahab evidently trusts him given his high ranking within the organization and assures Alex that his heart is in the right place, though he acknowledges Polly’s eccentricities and appears annoyed by his constant petty squabbling with Ishmael. Polly serves as the parrot to Ahab's pirate captain motif, and Ahab apparently even allows him to ride around on his shoulder at times.

### Khameau

Ahab is first approached by Khameau with a scheme to steal the Money Talks gown from Opgedoekt by disguising themselves as janitors. Ahab takes Khameau up on this plan, regarding him as a new recruit for the Syndicate despite him acting as an independent party, and then commends him when their heist is executed successfully. Ahab's attitude toward his fellow villain quickly sours after Khameau betrays the Syndicate and makes off with the Money Talks gown, leading him to collaborate with Dusk Hound in order to eventually track Khameau down.

## Trivia

* Ahab is pansexual.
* At nearly ten feet tall, Ahab is the tallest character of any Echo Project game. He is also the only character to have a full-body sprite, which is used to emphasize his size in various scenes.
* Unlike Raoul and Milo, who were conceptualized as love interests for Alex from the outset, Ahab was confirmed to be a potential option for romance only after his debut appearance in Issue 2.

## Gallery

Default (full body)Captain's outfit (full body)A shadowed version of Ahab's captain sprite.A promotional picture of Ahab used in his introductory post.Promo art for Glory Hounds Issue #3- Of Models, Monsters, and Mortality featuring Ahab's eye (to the right of Milo.) Illustrated by Jasper.The charm of Ahab that hangs from Ishmael's flintlock pistol.