Appearance:
Long brown hair, Deep emerald eyes. Tall.
Name:
Age(or estimated guess): 18
Canon(What fandom are they from?): Firefly
Biography(at least a short synopsis):
"River was more than gifted. She was a gift. Everything she did, music, math, theoretical physics—even dance—there was nothing that didn't come as naturally to her as breathing does to us."
Calling River Tam a child prodigy may not do her justice. Everything she attempted she didn't just do well, she excelled at it. Whether she put her efforts to writing, science, history, mathematics, foreign language, art, music, or even dance she was able to perform a task as if it was designed for her. River's brother Simon Tam was gifted as well, but was nowhere near the level of genius that was his sister. At the age of three she was correcting his spelling, and not long after would find errors in their textbooks. River and Simon's background was one of privilege. Their parents were wealthy, and capable of nurturing their bright, young children.
River is the teenage sister of Dr. Simon Tam, both of whom take refuge aboard Serenity. She was considered a prodigy from a very young age, intelligent beyond her years and athletically gifted. Simon stated that compared to her, he is an "idiot child," despite having graduated from medical school near the top of his class and finished his internship a full four months earlier than his classmates. River grew up with her brother Simon, with whom she was very close, as part of the wealthy Tam family on the "core" (Alliance-dominated) planet of Osiris. Having a high intellect and a ready grasp of complex subjects, she was sent to a government learning facility known only as "The Academy" at the age of fourteen. While her parents and Simon believed the Academy was a private school meant to nurture the gifts of the most academically talented children in the Alliance, it was in fact a cover for a government experiment in creating the perfect assassin. While in the hands of the Alliance doctors and scientists, River was secretly and extensively experimented on, including surgery that removed most of her amygdala, preventing River from being able to control her emotions. She has abrupt periods of mental instability and nurtures psychic and "intuitive" abilities, but although it seems that she may have already had some form of latent psychic abilities prior to being recruited, how and when this translated into her apparently full-fledged mind-reading abilities is unknown.
Under the guise of a government sponsored school, the Academy performed a wide range of barbaric psychological and medical tests on River. The extent of the tests performed on River is not fully known. River's brain was mutilated, repeatedly. They performed unnecessary brain surgery; the regions of her brain that control emotion were cut into repeatedly, disallowing her from tuning out any emotion and forcing her to feel everything that normally could be pushed out of conscious focus. She was trained to kill, her body honed to be the perfect living weapon. She had psychological triggers put into her memory so that her handlers could use visual or vocal queues to do anything from enter her into a state where she would kill or put her into an unconscious state.
Personality
The experiments performed on River have had a definite damaging effect on her psyche. River's emotional state can change rapidly between somber, happy and energetic, hysterical fear and crying, to a "killer mode". Specific events may trigger personality changes within her including extreme stimulus, danger, or mental triggers implanted by the Alliance. She is occasionally and perhaps inexplicably prone to delusions where she may perceive items or scenarios in the real world as metaphorical counterparts, which can result in dangerous situations for those around her. Simon continues to work with River, attempting to find a combination of psychoactive medication that will help her cope. Thus far there has only been marginal progress, however as time progresses River seems to be learning to deal with her past and her abilities (although at this point her personality still remains volatile).
Strengths/Abilities:
River's full potential may not have been explored yet. She is of genius level intelligence, and is capable of excelling at virtually any task she puts her mind to. Her studies have given her an in-depth knowledge of a variety of fields. She is a weapons expert, particularly proficient in the use of blades and handguns. She is also an expert at hand-to-hand combat, using hybrid forms of fighting that incorporate aspects of multiple martial arts as well as the grace of a trained dancer. When fighting River is capable of matching as well and defeating large numbers of opponents at once. River is capable of flying ships.
River has exhibited a number of psychic abilities. She has demonstrated mild telepathic/empathic abilities. She can read the thoughts and intentions of those in close proximity to her, allowing her to tell when people are lying and knowing what people will think or say before it happens. She is sometimes over-powered when the emotions of those around her run high. She has some connection to the dead, and was overwhelmed with the voices of the dead when on a planet where all of the inhabitants had died. River is also capable of at least mild precognition and is able to sense danger before it happens.
She is often quiet keeping to herself, and seen looking at things most wouldn't take the time to look at. Like fish, or a leaf in the wind. She is seldom seen with shoes, and is more often barefoot and in a dress. She also will wear the occasional steel-toe combat boots, which often appear incongruous with the dresses she wears.
With her ability to "read" in a psychic manner, River often suffers from total breakdowns, hearing voices in her head and even seeing visions, either at different points in time, or different points in space. These can also set her off on a rampage, in which she uses her
incredible combat skills to attack and
decimate anything and anyone in her way.
Equipment:
She uses and carries a
knife that Jayne gave her strapped to her thigh (Personally, I think he was just happy to see her go), Brown
combat boots, a
dress (With a
backup in the
satchel she has, usually flowy, flexible dresses.) A wallet with pictures of her brother, parents, and the crew of serenity. (Foreign for an earlier time) money, a stolen ID card for a hospital, some food.
and a •
handgun.
Weaknesses/Fears:
River has seem to show that when it's a friend or family member in danger or trouble, there's nothing anyone can do to stop her. She'll go to the ends of the earth to save them, which is why it makes it a weakness and a fear.
Her psychic powers and empathetic/telepathic powers can be overloaded by emotions, fears, the dead and voices that she can't stop from running through her head.
As it was said by her Doctor brother,
"She feels everything. She can't not."
Familiar of choice: OR Weapon of choice:
Staff of Illusions
** Dippy fresh is the best **
