Enoch Descartes/Rekel

Rekel is a Taeski who appears in the side story "Novels and Nightmares" under the alias of "Enoch Descartes". He is hiding out on Earth and makes a living as a prize fighter.

Background
Rekel was a self-defense instructor for the Crimson Dominion on Altar thirty years prior to the start of "Novels and Nightmares". He had a wife and a daughter, and a prosperous job, and things couldn't have looked brighter. One day, however, he was falsely accused of murder by the local blacksmith. As a Taeski blacksmith's word is often treated as law, he was found guilty without a trial and sentenced to life in prison. An Alintean staying on the planet at the time thought him to be innocent and broke him out of jail, fleeing across the surface of Altar to reach Azure Empire territory. From there, the two of them boarded a ship and fled the planet, seeking to never return. Rekel sought to reunite with his family, but the Crimson Dominion was intent on recapturing him and he was forced to remain in hiding.

The Alintean, Rasnarde, suggested that the two hide out on Earth, where the Crimson Dominion would be loath to go for fear of incurring the attentions of the Senate. Rekel agreed, and the two descended to Earth and began searching for a place to hide. Ultimately, they got word of The Ring, and Rekel decided to enter it to support them, using his talents and self-defense training. He adopted the guise of "Enoch Descartes" and won the ten-round tournament twice in a row. This angered the criminal organizations in the area who had to pay him, and he eventually struck a deal with them: if they provided for his basic needs on a minimal level, he would continue to fight as a showman but never win the tenth round. Eventually though, Rasnarde fell into poor health as a result of losing his LifeMate. Enoch was forced to fight more and more, taking the cash prizes from the lower levels in order to pay for expensive machines to keep him alive. This put Enoch in poor standing with several of the criminal organizations, but not enough to warrant severe backlash.

Appearance
Enoch Descartes appears to be a younger man, possibly in his mid-thirties, with shaggy black hair and gray eyes. He also has a thin line on his forehead which looks to be a scar of sorts (in reality, it is his Cyulei). Enoch dresses casually, often going with black jeans and a t-shirt and leather coat or duster. He is very fond of fingerless gloves and combat boots as well.

Rekel, on the other hand, looks far older than his human guise lets on. His scaly skin is tan, almost bronze, in color and is scarred in numerous places across his body. His eyes are fully black, including the sclera, with green irises, and the line of his Cyulei is very pronounced. Part of his serpentine hood is damaged; the right side looking as if it has been chewed on or shot. He also has a traditional Taeski carving on his shoulder, depicting a rune which means "LIFE".

Abilities
Enoch is extremely limber, being a Taeski, which makes him extremely difficult to defeat in unarmed combat. His knowledge of multiple forms of Taeski martial arts also makes him a lethal and dangerous adversary if crossed. Furthermore, his Dryulei enables him to see what his opponents are about to do, which gives him ample time to plan and execute complex counterattacks. He is also well versed in multiple types of armed combat as well, including Heil weapons, Fanelia and firearms from the Taeski and Scain.

Personality
Both personas put up a front of jocularity, often poking fun at others or taunting them. During his fights, Enoch is notorious for showing off and putting himself in needless danger. This mask, however, crumbles away when he is tired and reveals him to be somber and serious. He also has a vengeful streak, and hates the blacksmith who condemned him. He cares deeply for Rasnarde and looks up to the elder alien, seeing him as something of a brother.