Dean Deluge [THE ARGONAUT][CONTEST]

Real Name: Dean Deluge
Hero Name: Argonaut
Title: Diver 13
Alignment: Neutral Good
Age: 134
Gender: Male
Race: Formerly human
Hair: Sandy brown, with streaks of green and blue.
Eyes: Green eyes that seem to hold all the depth of the mighty sea within them.
Height: Five foot nine inches.
Weight: One-hundred and ninety-eight pounds.
Blood type: O Positive

While in the armor, Dean looks like a muscular 20 - 30 something. He has a scruff of sandy brown facial hair, with blue and green highlights in it. Peaking just beneath the helmet, one can spot similarly colored hair, much longer than his facial hair.

Without the armor, Deans face becomes more similar in style to a fish. Smooth,  dark pink slimy scales, sharp fangs, black eyes perfectly adapted to the depths, claws sharp enough to gouge a mans throat out without even a second thought. The creature can be bipedal, or quadrupedal; with a long eel-like tail.

Dean has had a rough life. While on the outside, he might be friendly, even sociable, on the inside is a man struggling with a burden he never was supposed to carry, and while Dean is against killing for the most part; he will not hesitate to do so if one of his charges are in danger.

Dean has a bit of an overdeveloped sense of justice, revenge, and honor. He cannot seem to turn down a duel, so long as one has been offered. Dean is also what many might consider a gentleman in this day and age, and despite a harsh home environment; will not raise a hand against a lady unless she offers one in kind.

When in his mer form, Dean loses the majority of his higher brain functions, causing him to go feral. Any of these personality traits listed above will be lost until he can be forced into the argonaut armor again.

Dean Deluge started life in the small town of Newport, Rhode Island. His father, a proud and robust fisherman, taught him never to allow his life to be taken for granted. His father was a great man. That was until he went down with his ship not long after Dean’s 5th birthday. Poor little Dean was left with his mother. After his father’s death, his mother had to find a way to provide for their family.

Over the next few months, she would find many suitors; but would turn them all down until the situation became dire. Finally, after several failed attempts, she met a man named Robert Sheehan, an Irishman. At first, earlier in their relationship, the man seemed perfectly reasonable and even kind to young Dean. But when the two married, there was much strife.

Robert was a right bastard and often came home drunk. "You'll never amount to anything, Dean." He would tell the boy in his rage. The man almost always smelled of whiskey and hid his devil's gaze from the outside world. To his friends, he was a stand-up citizen. A great man. But his wife and stepson knew better.

Soon, Deans mother became pregnant again. She would give birth to a little girl they named Amanda Sheehan. Following the birth of Amanda, Robert improved by a high degree. That is to say, with his mother. Dean was forced to get a job.

He decided to become a salvager for a newly founded salvage crew. They were good people.
There was Joey, a former huckster. He was from from Maine, but who felt that his occupation came with a few too many risks and not enough adventure. Joey would take Dean below deck to play cards every Sunday. He taught him the ways of life and how to be a man.

There was Samson. A man of God who never let his faith waiver in the Lord. He taught him the value of living in the moment.

And there was, of course, the Captain, who became more like a father to Dean than Robert ever could have been.

After he took the prerequisite training; Dean left his small town on a boat they called the Lady Fortuna. It was just the thing he needed. Over the next few years, he would raid pirate ships, naval wrecks, sunken castles, and flooded homes.

About a year later they were sitting down for dinner. "Hey, you." Said the new hire, pointing to Dean with his fork. He was a bulky, shadowy type. Dean was reasonably sure he recalled his name as "Dale." "I tell you about that wreck down south?" Dean shook his head. The man went on to explain that within this wreck was untold treasures. Gold, jewels, statues made of gems and gold. A salvager’s dream. The door clanged open. "Before you get all fire-eyed, Dean…" The Captain said with scorn in his voice. "We aren't going on a fairy tale. Tell him why Dale."

Dale grumbled something under his breath. The Captain slammed on the table. "Speak up son, not one of us can hear you." He shouted. Dean jumped in his seat.
"It's too god damn deep. Our equipment on this ship couldn't handle it." Dale said, sounding upset. "Exactly right. We're bleeding money as is." The Captain said dishing himself up some grub.

"I'll go." Said Dean, to which everyone stopped. The Captain laughed. "Funny, boy. There's no way you'll survive." He said derisively. "Never know until we try. How far south are we talking, Dale?" Dean asked Dale, who had brightened up considerably. "Around 40 miles. I tell you kid, this site? It's easily worth 3 times this ship. Hell, it's probably worth 4 times your life."

The Captain snarled but knew they were desperate. "Dean, you volunteered for this. Just remember that. You'll be going down in a divers bell, and if I get even a whiff of trouble; you'll be pulled free." Dean nodded, and the rest of the night; the crew stayed dead silent.

Arriving at the spot, Dean put on his gear and sat inside the bell. He heard clanging on the side. "Listen here, Dean. You're going around 90 meters down. That's fuckin' deep for the equipment we're using, but you already know that. If you have any trouble at all, you will grab your hose and start clanging on the bell. You got it?" The Captain asked. "Loud and clear cap, I'll be back before you know it with more riches than you can shake a stick at."

And with that, he was plunged into the waves. The diving bell shook and strained against the water pressure outside. Seeing the light go dim, it hadn't entirely occurred to him just how far down he would be going. Was this a mistake? An error? What if he never saw the crew again? Oh god, what if he never saw his mother again? He was so busy thinking about how much the company needed him, that the fear of losing everything hadn't completely sunk in. Then he thought about the Captain. He was counting on him. The old man was only a few years from retirement, and if anyone deserved a long and happy retirement without needing to worry about money, it was him.
He straightened his back, took a good gulp of air, and plunged into the icy depths. The Stygian gloom of his surroundings keeping his eyes blinded. It was so dark. He had nothing to equate it to. It was like midnight if the moon had been left lying in a pool of blood. Another deep breath, careful to ensure that he only took in enough to steady himself.

Soon, however, he was able to see at the very least what he needed to. The pirate ship was only a few feet in front of him. The tattered sail hid amongst the black. There was no doubt that he had found the right place. He nearly shouted in delight but knew that'd be a waste of precious oxygen. He moved toward the ship, almost salivating at the thought of the treasures inside.

Walking along the sea floor, he found his way to the colossal hole cracked in the middle. There it was. Gold, diamonds, even bottles of booze that they might've sold to make a profit. Call it pirate wine or something, he didn't know quite yet, but he did know that he was ready to call the crew down. He never even noticed the figure in the corner.

Something tugged on his chord, and then the suit started filling with water. Shit! He had to get back to the bell. But when he turned around, he saw the diving bell rising through the water and back up to the ship. Oh god. He was gonna die down here! He had spent his entire life on a ship,
never realizing just how much he had missed out on. Never had a girl, never got to really meet his younger sister, never even said that he was sorry to his mother. Was this the legacy he left behind? A cautionary tale for divers to avoid the wreck?

That's when he saw it, the ugliest creature he had ever seen. It looked like a hagfish if the beast had taken the name more literally than usual. It was a humanoid figure on the top, with an eel-like tail on the back. Emitting slime like a pump had been turned on somewhere in its lower half.

Just as his helmet was filling with water, Dean heard a raspy voice say. "Yes… this one will do."

He did not remember what would occur to him over the next couple of years. The only thing he honestly did remember, was awakening to the face of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was tearing the head off the monster that had nearly drowned him. She then swam over to him, about to do the same thing; when he raised his arms in a defensive position. Seeing that he was conscious again, she simply knocked him out.

The next thing he knew,  he was in a full suit of armor. Something he sort of recognized from his dives. Greek armor. Probably ancient. It had a kind of greenish tint to it, and an odd luminescence to it.

"Finally awake?" Asked a melodic voice. He nodded. ""Where am I?"  "Dean asked trying to locate the source of the voice. ""Atlantis, and before you ask; that armor is not a gift. We need you." That's when he saw the face of his savior again.

She explained to him that they needed a guardian. That the forces of the Trench had begun getting stronger and stronger, and that he was their only hope to stop Lord Dagon.
At first, he tried to refuse. To return to the surface, but then they explained his predicament. The Hagfish was a creation of Lord Dagon, a master of the mystic arts of Lemuria. She had transformed him into one of her personal guard using her toxic slime. If he tried to leave without the armor; he would be killed by the depressurization on his body. Also, even if his body somehow managed to survive; there would be no way that he could ever live a normal life. There was a monster hiding under his skin, and the armor only protected him from the curse so long as he wore it. They could promise him a life here. He may look like a surface dweller, but it was better than looking like a freak on the surface. He sighed and agreed.

Dean would spend the next 24 years as a guardian of Atlantis. They finally released him from his bonds to the city when they felt like he had properly paid them back. Dean went to the surface, ready to see his friends and family once again. However, the world had changed while he was under the ocean floor.

There were men who could fly, and technology that he had never even dreamt of. He thought perhaps he might be able to cope with this change, he would just need a guide. He went to his family home, to find it abandoned. Robert and his mother must've vacated the residence while he was gone. It was okay, he was sure that he could still find them. Especially with the new technology. Perhaps the old crew could assist-
A voice from behind him told him to get the hell off her property. "No, no. I live here!" He told the young woman on the side of the road. "No one has lived in the Sheehan residence for over 50 years, now get the hell off m property. 50 years? That couldn't be right. Could it? He was only gone for 27 years at the most.

He had to find out the truth. He went to the graveyard and poked around until he found it. His mothers grave. Roberts grave... even the Captains grave. He kneeled down and discovered writing. The ship went down and taken the lives of his crew in a freak accident... on the same day that Dean had gone for the salvage. Dear God, what had occurred?

Dean had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what it was.  He had to come to terms with that before he could ever return, took a last look around and sunk back to the world he knew.

"Mutation" - Through the interference of an ancient Hagfish witch and her mutating mucus, Dean Deluge transformed into a monstrous creature of untold horror.
Claws - The claws of this beast are incredibly hard, and sharp. Easily able to pierce kevlar and iron. They also regenerate at an accelerated pace, allowing each claw to grow back in a matter of hours. Also, the claws are similar to hypodermic needles and filled with a hallucinogenic toxin. This toxin puts a person in a dreamlike state for a short period, and slowly causes necrosis in the skin.
Slime -  Instead of classical durability, Dean's mer form has a thick mucus covering his scales. It's incredibly slippery, and most things, especially blunt weapons and bullets, slide right off. This slime regenerates after a few minutes.
Strength - Dean in his mer form, can easily lift upwards of 300 tons.
Acidic Breath - When transformed, Deans breath becomes highly toxic and corrosive. Able to melt through solid concrete.

The claws have a small weak point on the underside of the needle-like fingernails. If touched by anything harder than iron, like meta-humanly tough skin, they will break; and be forced to regenerate.

The toxin can be stopped relatively easy through the use of any number of other poisons, and rattlesnake antivenom.

While born from water, the slime can be washed off with a good power wash; leaving whatever part of his body it touches nearly defenseless.  

The slime also has a tendency to dry out, and within 15 minutes of being out of the water, becomes hardened and loses its slippery tendency.

For whatever reason, the acidic capabilities of his breath are incapable of cutting through compounds similar to housing plaster.

Argonaut Armor - This armor grants Dean incredible strength and stamina while in his human form. Strength equal to his mer form. Also, this keeps his mer form at bay while giving him protection against the horrors of the deep. He can take a hit that has force upwards of 30k pounds.
Weakness: This armor requires him to remain wet. If he dries out, the armor loses almost all of its effectiveness. The only thing that remains is its ability to contain Deans mer form.

The Spear of Odysseus - The spear of Odysseus allows him to output far more force into every blow. Allowing him to output almost twice his physical strength when using it to attack.
Weakness - The spear, while protected against physical force, has no such protection against fire. If licked by flame, it will go up like kindling soaked in lighter fluid.  

Underwater Survival - Dean's physiological changes allow him to survive the crushing depths of the oceans. The cold, the dark, the pressure.