Just so you know, Haka actually IS my favorite character :)) And Eternal Haka just shows that he's intelligent and well spoken and all that jazz; just look at Ta Moko's flavor text. Given all that, however, I still do love imagining him shouting "HAKA CRUSH" when he, er, uses Crush. Especially after powering up with a 25+ damage Haka of Battle.
Also, Christopher, thank you for that tidbit about Haka being able to tell Legacy off. Now I love him even more <3 err, a question! Is Haka actually immortal, or just long lived, or what? EGGING!
I love that Haka has that combination of 'savagery' and 'wisdom'. If anything i'd imagine he would actively cultivate a savage appearance.
Anyone who has seen the haka performed in real life, such as before the New Zealand All Blacks play, would tell you it's meant to look savage. It's a war dance and is intended to intimidate the opposition, they roll their eyes and grunt and scream.
I'd imagine Haka would be just fine with his enemies believing him to be a wild savage. Let them underestimate him and more fool them for it, no?
Just my thoughts on it. He seems like a nicely rounded out character.
Yeah, his Hakas are about him being a champion of a culture and people who have rejected him. They're also about focus. Sure, they look wild and savage, but they're carefully practiced and deliberate movements and phrases.
As for his age, not even Haka knows. He has lived for a long time and will continue to live for a long time. He takes nothing for granted, knowing that some day, his time will come. And he will face it with the grace and humility that he strives to practice every day.
Thats pretty cool, other than Haka and Fanatic, do you find people misinterpret your other characters? I've wondered if Visionary is always so morose and stoic or if there is ever a time when she can be at ease. I realize she has that anuerism, preventing a future with Iron Legacy, saving her young self, and her dark side to contend with, but I just hate to her going through all of this for nothing.
I personally like to think of Haka as a soft spoken and pleasant fellow to be around most of the time. He teaches children, and has lifetimes of experience with them. You gotta be careful raising your voice around the kiddos if you're as imposing as Haka.
And I totally get the focusing on his chants. If Ambuscade busts into Haka's classroom filled with children, he can't afford to lose control and hurt them. Haka's a teacher, and he has to do his best to provide an example for his students. He's a bruiser and can tear things limb from limb, but his chants focus his power rather than unleash it. I get the feeling that he wouldn't ever Rampage unless his teammates fully understood and accepted that cutting lose is the best option (which is often what happens at the table, as well).
The biggest reason why I think Haka wouldn't go completely wild is his Eternal Haka ACC. Haka doesn't fight for himself. He doesn't look at enemies and think of how he'll be able to smash and bash them. He thinks about what he needs to do to protect innocent people from getting hurt. Note that when there isn't anyone left to protect, he stays inside and reads T.S. Eliot. He'll scare off any cryptids that come his way, but he just wants to be left alone with his books. I think that illustrates how gentle Haka's soul really is. He fights to protect rather than to hurt.
This should totally be a one-shot. Argent was a bartender and probably not all familiar with either the literary or musical classics. He spends time with Haka who educates him in these matters which allows him to access a previously unknown source of power. The Argent learns something about himself and Haka and the two become better friends.
Now find a way to toss in Tempest, Fanatic, and the other guy and then follow it up with an attack by Akash'Bhuta and then we've got why the Prime Wardens joined forces.
I can imagine during a fight against the Matriarch, Argent Adept turns to Haka at one point and says "If she asks me to play Free Bird ONE more time..."
As a side note, I had always viewed Haka more akin to the Hulk than anything. But after reading this thread, I think he is more Hank McCoy than Bruce Banner
I've always thought of Haka as a mix between the two. Sure, he enjoys the finer things in life, but he always enjoys a good smashing. I mean, look at the text of "Rocket Punch." I guess he enjoys the simpler things from time to time.
As for Argent Adept, I really would love to have him get some . Perhaps an Issiac-like buisness guns when he perfroms a piece that allows an ally to do something useful? He is a bartender, after all…
Also, same here! I always thought of Haka as the Hulk character (Hence, Haka Smash!), but after reading your post, NOW I can see the Hank McCoy connection. It's a lovely connection too, whatwith Hank being the Beast, a similarly, er, misleading name regarding his savagery.
Also Bunker, and possibly even Wraith. The F5 are not short on snark!
For Ra, my nostalgia for Mumm ies Al ive compells me to suggest "By the power of Ra!"
When I play Fanat ic, one of my ma in goals is to get out Zealous Offens ive early, and use it every turn, so I tend to see its flavor text, "Repent!" as a catchphrase of sorts.
Let's not forget that all Tachyon one-liners MUST be spoken in the voice of a female Neil Patrick Harris.
And after the "birthday party scenario" that was cooked up a while ago, I've been visualizing Haka as a raging berserker character during battle, but constantly smiling. And when he's not fighting, he's standing up straight and smiling. He just seems really happy all the time.
We had a game tonight with Omnitron X and we were playing in Insula Prim - and the Pteradactyl Thiefs appeared. We RPG Launchered it (Or Tachys card that does away with an environment? I dont recall one of us delt with it) but all i can think of is a Fully Loaded for Bear OX (and he had 2 electro units, his armor, 2 rocket punches, and two coil blasters, reactive sub routines, and the throw your armor on going all out) walking through IP, suddenly swarmed by a cloud of Pteradactyls, left with only a few subroutines ...