Irving Headstrong

**Irving Headstrong the Headless Man** is an stranger character that known about Headless Man appear in Hallowteens as playable.

## Origins

Irving was abandoned when he was a young child as his shallow minded family was disgusted by his deformed face that he had since birth.

He was left to die in the woods but despite his young age he was able to quickly learn how to survive on his own but when people came by to the woods and he begs to be saved they would run in fear due to his appearance.

He became disgusted at how others judged him, he also became disgusted with his own face and thus he began to cover it up with a bag in hopes people wouldn’t be frightened of him but they would still run because a young man wearing a mask in the woods isn’t a good sign.

He gave up in trying to be saved and instead grew to despise humanity. He also became envious of how every person he sees had a “normal head”. He wanted a head like that but instead he was born to be deformed.

Since then as years went by he waited for unexpected “visitors” to enter his forest and with good timing he could decapitate them with some sharp tools he crafted himself.

Irving after all is a fast learner, he kept his victims head inside a secret hut in the woods but he also stolen any valuables he had such as food, water, medicine, clothes and even items he considers worth grabbing. Mainly books which was how he was able to learn so fast quickly.

One day he saw a man walk into the woods riding on a horse but the problem was the horse apparently wasn’t treated well as it went very slow and was sick.  The rider of course didn’t care about the condition of the horse but when the latter fainted due to this the rider demanded the horse to get back up but the horse was too sick and tired to continue.

The rider wouldn’t have none of it as he then brings out a sword and gets ready to put the horse down. Irving from the distance watched this and he was reminded on how he was abandoned for something that wasn’t his fault so when he made himself known in front of the rider he immediately decapitated the man.

Irving thanks to years of reading he was able to heal the horse up himself and in no time the horse was all better. The horse felt in debt to Irving and treated her with respect and Irving felt the same way and in the first time in years he felt touched to finally have a friend.

Since he never heard the former owner refer to the horse by her actual name; Irving inspired by how the horse is a literal “Black Beauty” he decided to name her “Annapolis” after the Black Beauty author Anna Sewell.

He also took “Annapolis’s” former owner’s clothes and sword too believing that it was a striking image as after looking at the Annapolis and the fact he decapitates others reminded him of a story book he once took from a victim called the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” which involved a headless horseman going around decapitating anyone he sees gave him the idea to copy just that.

With his new horse ally he was able to get to any unexpected victims faster, he would at first approach them with his sword in hand, wearing a sack over his head but then frighten them when he removes the sack to show he has “headless” when in reality he is tucking his head down his collar.

Any person lucky enough to escape was able to tell the stories of their nightmarish experience but Irving somehow was always able to stay out of sight when being on the lookout by police, Irving could take them out but if they let himself be known to the police they could easily catch him.

Since he never made his appearance known Irving’s existence was brushed off as an urban legend.  Although they didn’t ignore the fact there were decapitated victims in the woods.

Due to being similar to the famous Headless Horseman; people as a joke started calling him the “Legend of BlackHollow”.

Irving became quite the scare, and any people who attempted urban exploration about his legend didn’t survive either.

The more people he killed, the more heads he collected the more he began to learn more about life outside the woods with books, journals, pictures. Irving may be a killer but he was uncivilized.

He kept doing this until the curse struck on Halloween Night 2006. At first he didn’t realize it took effect but then he sees that his entire vision began to fade, along with the ability to speak, hear, smell or even think for a while.

But seconds later he stands up and much to his horror he finds himself completely headless but despite this; his other senses such as sight and hearing came back which should be impossible as without a head he shouldn’t be able to but yet he does.

Meanwhile his horse Annapolis of course was unaffected by the curse but was unfazed by the fact her loving owner has become literally headless.

When Wiseman made himself known throughout the city and explains what he has done to the town and how everyone is trapped and the only to leave if one was left standing; Irving wasted no time.

He rides on Annapolis and explores out of the woods and heads straight to the city of BlackHollow. Humanity abandoned him; and he despised them back. Now with the entire city out to kill each other it was time to take revenge.

## Gameplay

### Powers and Abilities

As the Headless Man...well this is odd; just regular sword play.  Nothing supernatural. Sure he has the projectile he can create by swinging his sword around but other than that he's just a sword fighter making him the first character in this to have the most normal moves. So yeah's a sword character i mean what else can you do with the Headless Horseman you know? But hey at least i did more than what i can imagine for him.

## Movelist

### Special Moves

* **Decapitation Slice:** Irving will slash out his sword to create a crescent shaped projectile with the wave of his sword. Light aims low which hits off the ground, Medium is aimed in front and Heavy is aimed upwards at an angle. Pressing any attack button again during this will have Irving wave out a second projectile mapped in the same direction as the button pressed.
* **Haunting Rush:** Irving will rush forward while thrusting his sword forwards which does multiple hits and causes a hard knockdown. On the ground he’ll go straight forwards while in the air he goes downwards at an angle which causes a ground bounce instead. Pressing Light again while on the ground has Irving continue to dash forward but instead he’ll pass by the opponent instead of pushing them forward in which while doing so he does a quick cut to the opponents neck which causes a crumple state at the cost of meter.
* **Guillotine:** Irving will walk forward while slashing his sword downwards, upwards and then downwards again which causes a ground bounce. Pressing Medium again during this move has him swing his sword out horizontally instead which causes a wall bounce at the cost of meter.
* **Between The Eyes:** Irving will quickly duck down and then stabs his sword upwards at an angle to stab the opponent between the eyes with it which causes good stun. Pressing Heavy again immediately after this move has Irving rise upwards while delivering a upwards sword slash which causes a launcher.
* **Black Beauty:** Irving calls in his horse Annapolis to rush across the screen to hit the opponent as she passes by which causes a wall bounce. Pressing Light again during this attack has Irving jump onto Annapolis which does more damage, causes multiple hits and it hits off the ground at the cost of meter.
* **Hatchet Throw:** Irving will bring out his hatchet and then throws it at the opponent and if it hits it causes good stun. On both ground and in the air he’ll throw it straight ahead (but on the ground it can easily be avoided by ducking). Pressing Light again while on the ground instead has him rush forward holding the hatchet instead and when he is near the opponent he’ll slam the hatchet downwards which causes a ground bounce at the cost of meter.
* **Sword Parry:** Irving will go into a parry stance with his sword; if the opponent physically attacks him while he is like this he’ll counter attack by stabbing the opponent in the chest  before bringing out his hatchet and then slams it down into the opponents skull before taking both weapons out and kicks them away which causes a hard knockdown.

### Terror Moves

* **Noble Steed:** Irving will say “Come Annapolis!” as he then jumps on his passing horse and then rushes forward at a high speed to hit the opponent, does multiple hits and hits off the ground.
* **The Shredder:** Irving will “Perish!” as he then dives forward while spinning his sword out multiple times to deal damage to the opponent. The player can control which direction Irving will fly towards to during this Terror Move.

### Nightmare Fuel

* **The Legend of BlackHollow:** Irving throws his hatchet into the opponent's head, damaging the skull. He’ll then take out the hatchet and then pierces his sword into the opponent’s chest, breaking the rips. He’ll then pierce his sword into the opponents throat damaging the windpipe before twisting the sword inside to deal further damage and twist the spine.

### Finishing Moves

#### Night Terrors

* **Off With Your Head!:** Irving looks at the opponent as if he is trying to think of a strategy before bringing out his sword and then concentrates his swing and in a flash he goes so fast he doesn’t look like he has moved as a line appears across the opponents neck which then begins to bleed out before the opponent drops dead to reveal Irving has decapitated them. He’ll then pick up the opponents head and raises it in the air with victory.
* **A Splitting Headache:** Irving brings out his hatchet and throws it at the opponents face causing it to dig into their skull and makes the opponent go on their knees. Irving then walks forward and snatches his hatchet out of the opponent's head showing the opponents head split into two ways before dropping to the floor dead.

## Sequences

### Battle Intro

Irving is seen riding on Annapolis at high speeds with his mask on before having her stop as he sees the opponent. He’ll then say “I apologize…” before getting off and calls Annapolis away and then walks forward towards the opponent and says “But your head…” before taking off his mask to reveal he is headless and then says “Is mine!” then draws his sword.

### Victory Pose

Irving walks towards the defeated opponent and then lets out a battle cry as he then slashes his sword downwards. It then cuts to Irving riding Annapolis through the woods with him holding the decapitated opponent's head.