Hawking Vander

Hawking Vander is a Canis pirate warlord that founded what is now known as the North Sea Raiders. Originally a high ranking admiral of the Kepian Navy, Hawking witnessed firsthand and often ordered the destruction that resulted from the Kepian civil war against Fikiri.

Disgusted by the various atrocities he both saw and committed, Hawking abandoned his post, taking a large number of the navy with him. Kepia, due to the sudden drop in manpower, failed to annex Fikiri at a critical point, leading to a loss of momentum that would have otherwise secured Kepia's victory. In retaliation, Hawking was declared to be a pirate and traitor. His group was also designated with the name ‘North Sea Raiders’, thus cementing his status as an evildoer in the eyes of the general public.

## History

A Leandorian orphan who grew up in the slums of Ifricon, Hawking was intellectually gifted ever since he was a child. A natural born leader, he was able to unite the various slum children in his area into a sort of unofficial guild known as the Breakers of Sky that worked together in order to survive.

Although initially a small group of around 12 or so members, Hawking's guild would eventually grow to include or at least be connected to every child living in the Poyarz district, eventually even drawing the attention of the local slum guild.

Hawking would eventually join the military in search of a better life, and was promptly followed by many of his friends who worked with him to create the Breakers of Sky. They remained as extremely close friends throughout their entire time in training, and would all follow him to create the North Sea Raider years later when Hawking announced his desertion.

Intelligent and talented in military tactics, Hawking quickly rose up in the Kepian navy. He participated heavily in the Leandorian Invasion, and played a vital role in a number of coastal victories by Kepia. Due to his contributions during the war, he became the first and currently only Leandorian to have ever achieved the rank of admiral.

Later on during the Kepia-Fikiri war, Hawking learned about the secret of The Catalog and Passion. Unlike Filianor who accepted it as proper reason to attack Fikiri, Hawking refused to accept it as justification for the atrocities being committed by the Kepian government, and attempted to leave the navy. However, due to his high status and regard amongst his peers in the navy caused him to unintentionally set off the largest desertion event in the history of Kepia, causing more than half of the existing navy at that point to join his side.

Horrified at what he had set into motion, Hawking attempted desperately to convince his companions to go back, but at that point it was too late and the entire group had been dubbed as the North Sea Raiders.

## Personality

### Optimistic

Hawking was optimistic and carefree during his younger years. Possessing a relatively positive outlook on life and humanity as a whole, he was able to amass a relatively large group of friends prior to being recruited into the Kepian Navy. A number of these childhood friends would enlist with him into navy, and stayed by his side throughout his rise to the rank of admiral, the most notable of which is his blood brother Alwin Krootz.

Although much more realistic in his expectations now, Hawking has retained a very small portion of the optimism of his earlier life. He often believes that things will ultimately end for the better good, and will generally not panic in hopeless situations, choosing instead to believe in his allies.

### Genius

Having managed to secure himself as the fleet commander of the Kepian Navy, Hawking is undeniably a military genius. Able to come up with plans spontaneously and adapt in real time to the strategies of his enemies, his presence and leadership singlehandedly made Kepia into a globally recognized sea power. Though the government wouldn't admit it, most of its modern strategies and methods were originally devised by Hawking during his 40 something years of service, including but not limited to:

* Incorporating the properties of Sky Sand into shipbuilding, thus creating the Stormfury.
* Incorporating the properties of Sky Sand into artillery, thus creating a bastardized version of the Wrath of the Thunder King, which paved the way for the development of the actual potion.
* Incorporating the properties of Minstrite into shipbuilding, thus creating the Retribution.
* The Guillotine, a naval maneuver that involves trapping a fleet from the sides using Tank Fleets and battering them from the front with heavy artillery.
* Wave Crushing, which involves controlled demolition of nearby waters to create artificial waves.
* Star Blasting, which involves using Element of Dawns with Retributions to obstruct enemy visibility.

### Unhygienic

> *For god's sake Vander, even pirates clean themselves at least once a month. TAKE A SHOWER GOD DAMMIT! -Roxanne Boristov*
>
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Growing up in poverty did no favors of Hawking's sense of hygiene and social decorum. Being a Canis orphan did even less, and Hawking was never quite able to develop the habit of properly cleaning himself. Though being in the navy made it mandatory that he took care of himself to a certain point, he quickly fell back to his old habits after forming the North Sea Fleet. In many cases, his crewmates have to force him to clean himself once they get tired of the smell.

### Introspective

Hawking's genius intellect also came with a strong sense of introspection. Hawking is generally very aware of his emotional state, and can emotionally isolate himself during stressful situations to make optimal decisions. Hawking constantly analyzes his own feelings an actions, and try his best to remain true to his original ideals when he founded the North Sea Raiders.

### Rebellious

Despite once being the admiral of the Kepian navy, Hawking's strong moral code has caused him to come into conflict with the Kepian government on multiple occasions. After serving for so many years, this reluctance to go against his morals has turned into a contempt for and general reluctance to obey higher authority. One of Hawking's ultimate goals is freedom for himself and his fleet, something his subordinates all echo with equal intensity.