Desperately Struggle
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"We all make our choices, but in the end, our choices make us."
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History
Booker DeWitt is a New Yorker of partial Native American descent, who was born on April 19, 1874. At the age of sixteen, he was part of the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, and took part in the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890. At Wounded Knee, a sergeant had accused him of having Native American lineage in front of the men in his unit. To avoid being stigmatized by his comrades, he scalped Native American victims and burned teepees with men, women and children still inside. Due to his gruesome actions, other members of his regiment, including Cornelius Slate, gave him the nickname "The White Injun," because of his taking trophies from his victims.
Although he was seen as a hero to his fellow soldiers, Booker felt shame and regret for his part in the massacre. After the battle, Booker, fraught with guilt, attended a river baptism led by Preacher Witting to be reborn as a new man and be absolved of his past actions. However, Booker rejected his baptism at the last second, thinking that his sins could not be washed away by a mere "dunk in the river."
In January of 1892, Booker became an employee of the Pinkerton's National Detective Agency. While working as a Pinkerton, Booker garnered a reputation by ending labor strikes with very extreme violence. Around this time, he met a woman named Annabelle Watson, who shortly after became pregnant. She died while giving birth to a daughter, Anna. This sent him into a depression. He turned to alcohol and gambling, which drove him far into debt. He was then subsequently dismissed for behavior beyond the acceptable bounds of the Agency, but considers his actions with the Pinkertons in quelling labour strikes to be among his many sins.
He continues to work as a private investigator from New York City, referring to himself as an "independent contractor". Outwardly, he cares little for the extraordinary, provided that it does not interfere with his ability to do his job; internally, he is disturbed by both his role in the events at Wounded Knee and recurring visions of New York City under attack from the air. Booker is skeptical of faith, unwilling to accept the idea that he can be absolved of his sins by embracing religion, as he considers his sins to be so extreme as to demand a penance rather than forgiveness.
In October of 1893, Robert Lutece came to his office, representing Father Comstock. Comstock set forth an agreement to wipe DeWitt of all of his mounting debts in exchange for DeWitt's daughter. Desperate, DeWitt sold Anna to Lutece and Comstock, but, immediately wrought with guilt, Booker pursued the men to retrieve Anna. Booker arrived as the three were about to enter a Tear to another dimension with Rosalind Lutece. As the men and the baby entered the Tear, DeWitt struggled with Comstock to get his daughter back. Comstock succeeded in pulling her through the Tear but as the Tear closed, the tip of Anna's pinky finger was severed.
Booker fell further into depression and later branded his right hand with Anna's initials, "A.D." Nearly twenty years later, in 1912, Robert and Rosalind Lutece returned once more, opening a Tear for Booker to enter. As he entered, he suffered the effects of transfusing into another dimension as Robert Lutece theorized, with his mind creating new memories from his old. Booker confused the sale of his daughter twenty years ago with the task at hand, going with the Lutece's to a lighthouse on the coast of Maine, adhering to their demands of...
"Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt..."
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Abilities & Powers
Abilities
Booker DeWitt is an experienced detective and former US Army Calvary soldier. This has given him the skill set needed to survive his trip to Columbia. Most apparent of these skill are his combat abilities. He is able to fight and kill dozens of enemies with little regard utilizing weapons and Vigors he had never seen before as he adapts quickly to his surroundings. While he certainly learned to fight while in the US Army, nearly twenty years in a violent and corrupt Gilded Age New York City honed those skill greatly. Being a detective Booker demonstrates a high degree of skill in manipulating and lying to people, even playing the double agent. He is also very adept in accurately reading other peoples personalities and realizing when he is in a dangerous situation. These skills notably tend to fail when dealing with Elizabeth however.
From his time with the U.S. Seventh Cavalry Booker learned to be an expert horseman, and his skills in leadership are shown by the slain Revolutionary Booker from the Vox Revolt Reality who was able to attain a position of prominence among the Vox Populi in a very short period of time. Another alternate, while under the guise of Zachary Hale Comstock, he makes use of his leadership and public speaking skills to convince the US Congress to fund the building of Columbia and then ultimately become it's ruler.
Booker is able to do high order math and understand Quantum Physics as it is explained to him, though he tends to hide his intelligence and acquired knowledge under a surly and blissfully ignorant visage. He was, however never really motivated or had the drive toward a higher education, though self taught in a lot of ways, Booker is quite knowledgeable.
The former detective also has a very particular capability to quickly adapt and figure out how to use the new weapons he encounters as well as his being able to pick up on how to pilot the Columbia Zeppelins without any prior training. It is this knack for learning quickly that has kept Booker DeWitt alive for so long considering his lifestyle and choices made.
Booker may very well be unrealized musical genius, as for the most part, he plays unprofessionally. He is a talented vocalist, and is also able to accompany himself and/or others on the acoustic guitar.
Powers
Vigors are the wondrous tonics of Columbia, granting extraordinary abilities to its user after consumption. They are powered by Salts which can be found in phials in their raw form or by consuming special foods. Vigors do cause notable side effects, visible on the user's arms, eyes, and other physical. They also affect the user's mental stability by provoking short hallucinations when consuming a new type of Vigor. However, Vigors (with the exception of one) have an alternate use activated by charging it, ranging from enhanced attacks to stationary traps dealing four times as much damage.
Vigor: Bucking Bronco
Cast: Temporarily levitates enemies, rendering them defenseless.
Charged Effect: Deploys the Vigor as a stationary trap, levitating nearby enemies for longer when sprung.
Vigor: Charge
Cast: Grants the ability to ram into the target from a distance and damage them.
Charged Effect: Increases the charge's damage the longer the Vigor is held.
Vigor: Devil's Kiss
Cast: Throws a flaming projectile which detonates after a short while, burning nearby enemies and environmental hazards.
Charged Effect: Deploys the Vigor as a stationary trap, burning surrounding enemies for higher damage when sprung.
Vigor: Murder of Crows
Cast: Sics a murder of crows onto the targeted enemies, damaging and temporarily distracting them.
Charged Effect: Deploys the Vigor as a stationary trap, releasing crows onto all nearby enemies when sprung.
Vigor: Possession
Cast: Turns the targeted enemy or machine to the caster's side, causing vending machines to give out a cash bounty and fighter automatons to fight for the user.
Charged Effect: Deploys the Vigor as a stationary trap, possessing surrounding enemies when sprung.
Vigor: Return to Sender
Cast: Creates a temporary shield, blocking all incoming gunfire.
Charged Effect: While charging, absorbs all incoming bullets and projectiles. Upon release, either deploys as a stationary trap or explodes upon direct contact with an enemy, inflicting damage proportionate to the damage absorbed.
Vigor: Shock Jockey
Cast: Shocks the target, temporarily stunning them and doubling the damage they take. Deals critical damage against enemies in contact with water. Can also activate electric generators.
Charged Effect: Deploys the Vigor as a stationary electrified field, shocking any enemy who approaches it.
Vigor: Undertow
Cast: Throws all targets in front of the user back with a watery tendril, momentarily knocking them to the floor if they hit the ground.
Charged Effect: Pulls the selected target to the user and holds them in the air via a tentacle made of water, temporarily stunning them and increasing the damage they take.
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