Eternal Phoenix's Character Factory and Archetype Blendarama

[EternalPhoenix]

Tana, of the Waves

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 195/195

 

STR: +3 (16), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +2 (14)

 

Tough: +7, Fort: +8, Ref: +11, Will: +8

 

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 13 (+15), Diplomacy 8 (+10), Gather Information 8 (+10), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 8 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 8 (+10), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 7 (+10)

 

Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Feint, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 4, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Increase Gravity (Paralyze 7)), Improved Critical 2 (Oceanic Strike (Strike 4)), Improved Critical 2 (Water Blast (Blast 11)), Improved Critical 2 (Water Bolts (Blast 7)), Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Gather Info, Notice, Sense Motive), Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Enchanted Durability (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness)

Omnilingual (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all)

Shadow Sea, Briny Tide (Device 9) (Easy to lose)

   Ocean Proof (Immunity 5) (environmental condition: Cold, environmental condition: Pressure, environmental condition: Vacuum, suffocation (all))

   Oceanic Senses (Super-Senses 7) (accurate (type): Auditory, darkvision, ultra-hearing)

   Oceanic Strike (Strike 4) (DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Oceanic Strike (Strike 4)); Mighty)

   Pocket Ocean (Linked)

      Ocean Control (Move Object 9) (Linked; Strength: 45, Carry: 4.3k / 4.3 tons / 6.4 tons / 12.8 tons; Limited Material (Water))

      Ocean Generation (Features 9) (Linked; Notes: Generates enough water to fill a 250' radius area.)

   Swimming 7 (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd; Environmental Adaptation)

Star Ocean Magic (Array 14) (default power: blast)

   Blinding Shadow Blast (Dazzle 11) (Array; affects: visual senses, DC 21; Alternate Save (Will))

   Increase Gravity (Paralyze 7) (Array; DC 17, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Increase Gravity (Paralyze 7)); Range (ranged); Accurate 2 (+4), Improved Range (175 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 1750 feet))

   Null-G Field (Move Object 9) (Array; Strength: 45, Carry: 4.3k / 4.3 tons / 6.4 tons / 12.8 tons; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Secondary Effect; Limited Direction)

   Shadow Field (Obscure 9) (Array; affects: visual senses, Radius: 2500 ft.; Selective Attack)

   Shadow Walk (Teleport 7) (Array; 700 ft. as move action, 200 miles as full action, DC 17; Accurate, Affects Others; Medium; Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Progression, Mass 3 (carry 1000 lbs), Turnabout)

   Water Blast (Blast 11) (Default; DC 26, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Water Blast (Blast 11)))

   Water Bolts (Blast 7) (Array; DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Water Bolts (Blast 7)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 2 (+4), Improved Range (175 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 1750 feet))

   Water Burst (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General))

   Whirlpool (Move Object 9) (Array; Strength: 45, Carry: 4.3k / 4.3 tons / 6.4 tons / 12.8 tons, DC 24; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Damaging; Limited Direction (towards center of area))

 

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +7, Melee: +11, Grapple: +14)

 

Attacks: Blinding Shadow Blast (Dazzle 11), +7 (DC Will 21), Increase Gravity (Paralyze 7), +11 (DC Staged/Will 17), Oceanic Strike (Strike 4), +11 (DC 22), Unarmed Attack, +11 (DC 18), Water Blast (Blast 11), +7 (DC 26), Water Bolts (Blast 7), +11 (DC 22), Water Burst (Blast 9) (DC 24), Whirlpool (Move Object 9) (DC 24)

 

Defense: +11  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +7

 

Languages: Native Language

 

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 22 (88 ranks) + Feats 22 + Powers 73 + Combat 28 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 195

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): Unkown (known to be at least 200 years, chronologically), early 20s (biological)

Height: 5’ 9”

Weight: 165 lbs

Ethnicity: Japanese

Hair: Dark Brown

Eyes: Dark Brown

 

Background: Tana, of the Waves never wanted any of this. He was a peasant, born to a woodcutter/charcoal burner family in Kubota Domain, Dewa Province (now Senboku District, Akita Prefecture). The eldest of five with a father who was ailing before Tana reached the age of ten, Tana had to grow up faster than most children. They didn’t have a lot, but they ate well. They had each other for company, even after his father’s passing. They even went to Kakunodate (now part of the small city of Semboku) every September for the Kakunodate-matsuri, a semi-religious festival with a grand parade and dancing. Their daimyo was Sataka Yoshihiro, the 10^th in the domain’s history. For obvious reasons, Tana and his family had nothing to do with him. It was the last century of the Edo Period, not than anyone actually knew that. Kubota knew peace, as most deeply rural and underpopulated areas do. Mostly. Because as most deeply rural and underpopulated areas do (even in the modern era), they had monster problems.

Demons, as modern Christianity might call them, though that’s only accurate so far as yokai, mazoku, and akuma are supernatural beings who are generally hostile to humanity. Many of them do not have infernal origins at all. And, of course, some of them were never supernatural to begin with. Japan has had its fair share of evil and/or mad wizards and sorcerers. Onmyodo was the term for their tradition, and onmyoji was the term for an actual practitioner. Like all mages, there were heroes, mercenaries, scam artists, and genuine villains in their ranks. And the endless battles between heroic samurai and onmyoji against the villainous versions of same, especially in the Sengoku period, left a nasty legacy. Monsters. Bakemono. It was goddamn dangerous to be outside after dark before the advent of electricity and modern lighting. Sometimes, it still is. In the United States alone, over 600K people go missing every year (though it has been trending downward since the 90s), though approximately 90K are missing at any given time. Most are found. Only about 2200 remain missing each year. More disturbingly, 4400 unidentified bodies are found every year. Many of these have died of natural causes, to be sure. But not all. This is in the modern United States of America. Where help, at least in urban areas, is seldom far away and just about everyone carries a mobile communication device capable of summoning such aid. In such an advanced nation, people can still disappear forever. And even if their bodies are found, they may never been identified. Rural Japan two centuries ago (without smartphones, electricity, or even handguns) was much worse. Only fools and the desperate travelled at night. Everyone knew yokai, mazoku, akuma, and bakemono prowled then.

This is why Tana stayed at the edge of Kakunodate that night. Even though he thought he could make it home before it was fully dark, it was the smart thing to do. He had brought firewood and charcoal to be sold. Everything was gone, as usual. He was 14 years old. His father had been dead for two years, but their family was surviving. He was going to bring food supplies home. They couldn’t grow their own rice, alone deep in the mountain forests as they were. Charcoal burners were always kept far away from settlements. The risk of fire and the occupation’s oddly unsavory reputation ensured this. There was a small inn for such travelers, and Tana used it. In the morning, he returned home to horror. The front door, the edge of their threshold that should have kept anything supernatural out, smashed down. Inside, a massacre. It was not bandits. They had nothing worth stealing, and those wounds were far too savage to be from a  sword. He did the only thing he could do. Scream in horror. Until his younger sister Nika stirred, moaning softly. His mother and siblings were very dead, but if Nika was only wounded she could be saved if he hurried with her back to Kakunodate. So he did the only thing he could do right now. He strapped her to his back and started walking as fast he could. She woke up on his back, and fidgeted enough that he fell off the path and into the forest. Obviously, he let go to stop his own fall, and they faced each other. Nika’s eyes had changed. She’d grown fangs. She was snarling. What in the world…and then she tried to bite him. He held her back with the shaft of his woodcutting axe, begging and pleading with her to stop. This was the worst day of his life, and looking to be the last if he couldn’t convince his last remaining family member not to kill and eat him. For an instant it seemed like he was making headway, then a violent wind gust tore them apart, sending Nika flying into a tree and knocking her out. The source of the wind was a swordsman, tall and too tanned to be from this part of Japan. Those sigils on his clothes…a Devil Hunter! His eyes were cold and unfeeling.

This was Kiske, of the Thousand. Tana begged, and then went rebuked for his mental weakness, fought. This went exactly as well as one would expect. Untrained child versus warrior with century of experience and training. Yet Tana’s outside the box thinking (he’d planned for Kiske being better than him, not that it worked) impressed the veteran Devil Hunter. Nika waking up and protecting her unconscious brother instead of eating him was equally impressive. He decided to keep them, and said as much when Akiko, the Phoenix and the rest of their squad caught up to him. Thus Tana and Nika became Tana, of the Waves and Nika, the Heartfire.

The rookie Devil Hunters were teamed up with Zuki, the Thunderer and Isora, of Beast Blood. The team was well constructed, for the most part. Tana was the steady leader. Isora’s initial fearless aggression covered for Zuki’s initial terrified reticence. Nika was brilliant in a support role, even if her injuries had forever silenced her. They were all great friends, growing together from green rookies to seasoned veterans. It wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination, but they survived. Plenty of other rookie squads got decimated. Returning from a mission short a member, or with someone maimed/crippled was common. Tana supposed it was the guidance of Kiske that helped them where others faltered. Tana was explicitly his protégé, and nevermind that Isora didn’t care and Zuki was too wrapped up in his own head to notice. It mattered to Tana, as Kiske was a great hero. A good man. Or so Tana thought. Then Kiske took over the Devil Hunter Society, and things started to change.

The Devil Hunter Society that Tana and Nika came to was a lively place, full of light, love, and hope. There were always losses, and a undertone of pain, but there was also a sense of community. Family. Their lives were often hard and painful both physically and emotionally, but those who came home had their wounds lovingly bound, and those who did not were truly mourned. They were good and noble heroes, expected to behave with dignity, compassion, and honor. Until Kiske decided that they had suffered enough. Tana did not and to this day does not know what Kiske did to become Supreme Commander. He does know that Kiske’s changes were not what he was initially taught, and that they ran counter to everything he believed in. Still, Tana was grateful to him for saving Nika, and his sister did not communicate any displeasure with the new way of things. So Tana grit his teeth and put up with it. Even if he slowly distanced himself from Kiske and their prior close relationship. He simply couldn’t be the man’s protégé anymore.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was Zuki agreeing with Kiske’s philosophy. What the hell, Zuki? Seriously, what the hell? The conversation turned into a debate which turned into an argument which turned into their team breaking. Tana practically exploded into Kiske’s office. They had an absolutely blazing argument which practically half the Society heard it was so loud. Kiske’s arrogance and trauma wouldn’t allow him to budge on this issue. The suffering and death of their own had to end. That was the priority. Tana’s conscience and sense of justice wouldn’t allow him to budge, either. Some things were more important than even one’s life or the lives of one’s friends and allies, dammit. It was the kind of argument that only two people who know and at least used to care about each other very much can have. They couldn’t have wounded each other more deeply that day if they’d used their swords. Tana left the Devil Hunter Society that day, never to return. Nika, for all she loved Zuki and Isora, loved her brother more and thus went with him. Isora was furious, as he didn’t give a single solitary shit about anything but his squad and killing as many demons as humanly possible. And now his squad was breaking apart because of stupid bullshit that (in his mind) didn’t matter. It was, however, Zuki’s broken and hopeless “Where would I go?” that Tana found most haunting.

And thus Tana and Nika quietly vanished into history. Or rather, they would have if not for a certain ninetailed fox man and his halfassed suggestions. Methion and Valine were not about to piss off Kiske by poaching any of his people. That’d be awful rude. Kiske’s takeover, however, left some renegades in its wake. While most of them were either eventually killed by Kiske loyalists or changed their minds and rejoined, there was one duo who had seemed to just…vanish. Well, well, well. Time for some subtle chronomancy, and a long talk between the two and Valine. With several key details sorted, Squad D’s first two members were recruited. Because yes, Methion pulled the siblings through time to the present after they agreed to join Valine. But why would they agree to such a thing? Specifically, why would Tana agree to such a thing? Methion is no better than Kiske, after all. It starts with the STG being autonomous under Valine. And even Valine leaves his squads to do their work. It was a second chance to do a Devil Hunter’s work. There was nothing wrong with a trail period to see how it would work. And while Tana has to occasionally keep Calamity Jane and Thespian from being excessively criminal, the Outsiders are hell on wheels against supernatural menaces. It’s been an acceptable three years, in Tana’s view.

 

Powers & Tactics: Tana is both a skilled swordsman and magician. He has a potent enchanted sword and his body is also well enchanted. Shadow Sea, Briny Tide can only be properly used by him. For anyone else it is an ordinary Damage 3 (Might, Improved Crit) Sword. This is because it was originally drawn from his soul in a rather intense magical ceremony and corporealized into a nigh unbreakable blade with a special magical ability. It is much more effective than normal swords in his hands, having more power and sharpness than other blades. The special powers of Devil Hunter swords traditionally fall into the realms of Flame, Frost, or Shock. He is a small exception to this, falling into the Water Subclan of Frost Clan. His special powers basically make him near peerless underwater and let him create an underwater environment on demand.  He is also resistant to water and shadow effects.

As a magician, he uses Star Ocean Magic. This allows him to create water, shadow, and gravitic effects. His water effects are basically for damage. Water Blast is regular damage. Water Bolts is a barrage of more accurate but less damaging fire. Water Burst does damage over an area. Whirlpool is a little special in that it draws targets caught in the area of effect back into it, but otherwise it’s another damaging spell. His use of shadow, however, is more esoteric. Blinding Shadow Blast crams shadows into the target’s eyes, rending them unable to see unless their willpower is up to resisting the spell.  Shadow Field can cloak up to half a mile in absolute darkness. And Shadow Walk is literally teleportation, with the requirement that the start and end points be in darkness or shadow. His gravitic spells continue the esoterica.  Increase Gravity can freeze a target in place, unable to move under their new weight. Unless, of course, their willpower is up to resisting the spell. And Null G Field can send targets and objects in an area soaring into the air to either hang helplessly or get tossed away.

The enchantments to his body are relatively subtle by comparison. His physical durability is significantly higher and he can speak, read, and understand all languages. This includes all sign languages, so he can still communicate with his silent sister.

 

Tactically, Tana tends to be straightforward. His favorite thing to do is use Pocket Ocean and then attack using his sword and greater maneuverability underwater. Plan B is Whirlpool or Shadow Field. If these aren’t viable, he’ll start digging into his combat spells in no particular order. Shadow Walk is extremely useful to stay mobile if Pocket Ocean isn’t good enough. He has Improved Acrobatic Bluff and Feint to aid in hitting, and all four cap moving feats to keep things interesting. Like most Devil Hunters, he has a plethora of possible power stunts. Most of these are just descriptor swapping on his existing spells, however. Shadow Blast, Gravitic Bolts, Blinding Water Splash (a Fort save instead of Will, but still), Singularity (Whirlpool with Gravity instead of Water), etc. However, he can do anything a water or shadow controller can do if he puts his mind to it. Not so much with gravity. He’s still learning there.

 

Personality: Tana is a good man, if not a law abiding one. He’s almost a proper superhero. Almost. The problem with him is that he’s not as different from Kiske as he thinks he is. He wants to protect lives from monsters and demons, regardless of what he has to do to see it done. He’s not willing to genuinely harm even evil people…but he is willing to sanction others doing it. Or at the very least look the other way and pretend he saw and heard nothing of consequence. He is an extremely compassionate and empathetic soul, but he is also a well trained and well seasoned Devil Hunter. They used to and still do often do good work, but they’ve been isolated from the world from centuries. Mortal rules only get in the way of his job. His job is to track down and kill the supernatural monsters of the world. It is not his job to clean up after the fight or protect livelihoods during it.

Honestly, he has a kind, loving heart, but he’s been through a hell of a lot. He’s the type of young man who will keep trying even when he’s exhausted. Even when it’s literally killing him. It’s his way of trying to make up for not having been there that night. He doesn’t talk about it, but he saw his mother and young siblings clawed apart and partially eaten. His humble home covered in their blood. He’s not the type to hate whatever did it. He’s not angry. He just hurts. If it is in his power to do anything about it, no one will ever feel this pain ever again. No one will ever have to see what he saw ever again. Nobody, as long as he has breath in his body, will have their hearts broken and worlds shattered that way.

[EternalPhoenix]

Nika, the Heartfire

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 180/180

 

STR: +7 (14/25), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +7 (14/25), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +11, Fort: +7, Ref: +7, Will: +10

 

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 7 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 7 (+10), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 12 (+15), Swim 3 (+10)

 

Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Specialization 2 (Unarmed Attack), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Startle, Improved Critical 2 (Fire Blast (Blast 11)), Improved Critical 2 (Fire Bolts (Blast 7)), Improved Critical 2 (Heartfelt Strike (Strike 4)), Improved Critical 2 (Heartfire Blast (Blast 7)), Improved Trick, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Redirect, Ritualist, Set-Up, Startle, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Enchanted Durability (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness)

Heartfire Magic (Array 14) (default power: blast)

   Fire Blast (Blast 11) (Default; DC 26, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Fire Blast (Blast 11)))

   Fire Bolts (Blast 7) (Array; DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Fire Bolts (Blast 7)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 2 (+4), Improved Range (175 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 1750 feet))

   Fire Burst (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Burst Area (45-90 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area (area x2))

   Heartfire Blast (Blast 7) (Array; DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Heartfire Blast (Blast 7)); Alternate Save (Will); Accurate 2 (+4), Improved Range (175 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 1750 feet))

   Heartfire Regeneration (Healing 7) (Array; Action (standard), Total; Personal; Persistent, Regrowth)

   Infernal Shapeshifting (Morph 7) (Array; morph: any form, +35 Disguise; Duration (continuous))

   Mana Burn (Nullify 9) (Array; counters: all powers of (type) - magic, DC 19; Range (perception); Reversible)

   Passionate Hypnosis (Mind Control 9) (Array; DC 19; Conscious, Instant Command; Sense-Dependent (Visual); Mental Link)

Omnilingual (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all)

Passion's Heart, Hell Fire (Device 9) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)

   Heartfelt Strike (Strike 4) (DC 26, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Heartfelt Strike (Strike 4)); Mighty, Precise)

   Infernal Leaping (Leaping 4) (Jumping distance: x25)

   Infernal Resilience (Impervious Toughness 7)

   Infernal Speed (Speed 4) (Speed: 100 mph, 880 ft./rnd)

   Infernal Stamina (Enhanced Constitution 11) (+11 CON)

   Infernal Strength (Enhanced Strength 11) (+11 STR)

 

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +7, Melee: +7, Grapple: +14)

 

Attacks: Fire Blast (Blast 11), +7 (DC 26), Fire Bolts (Blast 7), +11 (DC 22), Fire Burst (Blast 9) (DC 24), Heartfelt Strike (Strike 4), +7 (DC 26), Heartfire Blast (Blast 7), +11 (DC Will 22), Mana Burn (Nullify 9) (DC Will 19), Passionate Hypnosis (Mind Control 9) (DC Will 19), Unarmed Attack, +11 (DC 22)

 

Defense: +7  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -9

 

Initiative: +3

 

Drawbacks: Disability, very common, moderate, Mute

 

Languages: Japanese Native

 

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 21 (84 ranks) + Feats 18 + Powers 74 + Combat 28 + Saves 11 - Drawbacks 4 = 180

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): Unkown (known to be at least 200 years, chronologically), late teens (biological)

Height: 5’ 2”

Weight: 110 lbs

Ethnicity: Japanese

Hair: Black

Eyes: Magenta

 

Background: Nika, the Heartfire never expected her life to turn out this way. She was a peasant, born to a woodcutter/charcoal burner family in Kubota Domain, Dewa Province (now Senboku District, Akita Prefecture). The second of five with a father who was ailing before the eldest reached the age of ten, Nika had to grow up faster than most children. They didn’t have a lot, but they ate well. They had each other for company, even after her father’s passing. They even went to Kakunodate (now part of the small city of Semboku) every September for the Kakunodate-matsuri, a semi-religious festival with a grand parade and dancing. Their daimyo was Sataka Yoshihiro, the 10^th in the domain’s history. For obvious reasons, Nika and her family had nothing to do with him. It was the last century of the Edo Period, not than anyone actually knew that. Kubota knew peace, as most deeply rural and underpopulated areas do. Mostly. Because as most deeply rural and underpopulated areas do (even in the modern era), they had monster problems.

Demons, as modern Christianity might call them, though that’s only accurate so far as yokai, mazoku, and akuma are supernatural beings who are generally hostile to humanity. Many of them do not have infernal origins at all. And, of course, some of them were never supernatural to begin with. Japan has had its fair share of evil and/or mad wizards and sorcerers. Onmyodo was the term for their tradition, and onmyoji was the term for an actual practitioner. Like all mages, there were heroes, mercenaries, scam artists, and genuine villains in their ranks. And the endless battles between heroic samurai and onmyoji against the villainous versions of same, especially in the Sengoku period, left a nasty legacy. Monsters. Bakemono. It was goddamn dangerous to be outside after dark before the advent of electricity and modern lighting. Sometimes, it still is. In the United States alone, over 600K people go missing every year (though it has been trending downward since the 90s), though approximately 90K are missing at any given time. Most are found. Only about 2200 remain missing each year. More disturbingly, 4400 unidentified bodies are found every year. Many of these have died of natural causes, to be sure. But not all. This is in the modern United States of America. Where help, at least in urban areas, is seldom far away and just about everyone carries a mobile communication device capable of summoning such aid. In such an advanced nation, people can still disappear forever. And even if their bodies are found, they may never been identified. Rural Japan two centuries ago (without smartphones, electricity, or even handguns) was much worse. Only fools and the desperate travelled at night. Everyone knew yokai, mazoku, akuma, and bakemono prowled then.

Nika doesn’t quite remember what happened that night. Her elder brother Tana was away in Kakunodate, selling firewood and charcoal. He would be back the following day. He’d have little gifts for everyone. Last time he got her this lovely comb. The family had dinner without him, and went to bed. The door was shut. Their threshold was secure. No yokai, mazoku, or akuma could enter without being invited in. She fell asleep as normal, but she had a very strange dream. Something dark and terrible came into their home. (How did the door get knocked down?) Something impossibly hungry. It gave her a little bite on the neck and her thoughts went all funny. (Was it eating her baby brother’s heart?) Everything was so funny she had to sit down and laugh. Only no sound came out, which was funnier still. (Oh, was that what her mother’s intestines looked like?) Giggling madly but silently, she crawled to her front doorway in search of a reprieve from the sheer hilarity of seeing her walls redecorated with flung red dye. (Shouldn’t it be cold by the door? Why did she feel so hot?) She was, however, finally able to stop laughing. The dream subsided into disordered and nonsensical thoughts as she fell deeper into sleep.

The next thing she knew, Tana was trying to wake her. That was silly. She should have been awake long before Tana got back. Then she listened to what he was actually saying. Begging her not to turn into a demon? Why would she be doing that? She tried to open her eyes, only to realize that they were already open. A terrible hunger gnawed at her belly. Incredible rage sang through her veins. And her brother was struggling to keep her teeth away from his neck. Then she went flying through the air and everything went dark again. The next thing she knew, Tana was being knocked out by some samurai looking guy. Rational thought wasn’t involved. Her brother was in trouble. She moved. She put her body between Tana and the Devil Hunter. If he wanted to kill her brother, he’d have to get past her. And her fangs. And her claws. And that weird fire she could now summon. Kiske, of the Thousand, flattened her with the same ease he’d flattened her brother. He was impressed with the siblings, however, and so did not kill either of them. He decided to keep them, and said as much when Akiko, the Phoenix and the rest of their squad caught up to him. Thus Tana and Nika became Tana, of the Waves and Nika, the Heartfire.

The rookie Devil Hunters were teamed up with Zuki, the Thunderer and Isora, of Beast Blood. The team was well constructed, for the most part. Tana was the steady leader. Isora’s initial fearless aggression covered for Zuki’s initial terrified reticence. Nika was brilliant in a support role, even if her injuries had forever silenced her. They were all great friends, growing together from green rookies to seasoned veterans. It wasn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination, but they survived. Plenty of other rookie squads got decimated. Returning from a mission short a member, or with someone maimed/crippled was common. Nika was the heart of the team, despite her inability to speak. She healed their wounds and softened their hearts. Zuki fell hopelessly in love with her. Even Isora loved her like a younger brother would. Nika really wished she could return their feelings properly, but there was an numb place where her emotions used to be. She knew they were still there by various physiological reactions associated with them, but she herself couldn’t feel them. Which was why Kiske’s takeover didn’t have any effect on her, really.

The Devil Hunter Society that Tana and Nika came to was a lively place, full of light, love, and hope. There were always losses, and a undertone of pain, but there was also a sense of community. Family. Their lives were often hard and painful both physically and emotionally, but those who came home had their wounds lovingly bound, and those who did not were truly mourned. They were good and noble heroes, expected to behave with dignity, compassion, and honor. Until Kiske decided that they had suffered enough. Tana, however, was her shining light. She noticed he was basically Kiske’s protégé even if Isora and Zuki did not. She also noticed that their relationship started falling apart after the takeover.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was Zuki agreeing with Kiske’s philosophy. The conversation turned into a debate which turned into an argument which turned into their team breaking. Nika was close enough to hear it. Close enough that Tana stormed past her on his way to practically explode into Kiske’s office. Tana and Kiske had an absolutely blazing argument which practically half the Society heard it was so loud. Kiske’s arrogance and trauma wouldn’t allow him to budge on this issue. The suffering and death of their own had to end. That was the priority. Tana’s conscience and sense of justice wouldn’t allow him to budge, either. Some things were more important than even one’s life or the lives of one’s friends and allies, dammit. Nika knew her brother. She knew which way the wind was blowing. So she gathered her teammates by the doors to the Clan offices. Tana stormed out, and Nika waved to the others to follow. Tana was leaving the Devil Hunter Society, never to return. Nika, for all she was loyal to Zuki and Isora, clung to the only emotion she could still feel. Her love for her brother. So of course she went with him. Isora was furious, as he didn’t give a single solitary shit about anything but his squad and killing as many demons as humanly possible. And now his squad was breaking apart because of stupid bullshit that (in his mind) didn’t matter. The only thing Zuki could say was a broken and hopeless “Where would I go?”. Nika only knew she was sad because tears started rolling down her face as they were walking away.

And thus Tana and Nika quietly vanished into history. Or rather, they would have if not for a certain ninetailed fox man and his halfassed suggestions. Methion and Valine were not about to piss off Kiske by poaching any of his people. That’d be awful rude. Kiske’s takeover, however, left some renegades in its wake. While most of them were either eventually killed by Kiske loyalists or changed their minds and rejoined, there was one duo who had seemed to just…vanish. Well, well, well. Time for some subtle chronomancy, and a long talk between the two and Valine. With several key details sorted, Squad D’s first two members were recruited. Because yes, Methion pulled the siblings through time to the present after they agreed to join Valine. But why would they agree to such a thing? Specifically, why would Nika agree to such a thing? There is a spell on her, naturally. Not to change something about her, but to preserve it. Her love and devotion for her brother are the only emotions she can still feel. She’ll follow him to the ends of the earth.

 

Powers & Tactics: Nika is both a decent swordswoman and expert magician. She has a potent enchanted sword and her body is also well enchanted. Passion's Heart, Hell's Fire can only be properly used by her. For anyone else it is an ordinary Damage 3 (Might, Improved Crit) Sword. This is because it was originally drawn from her damaged soul in a rather intense magical ceremony and corporealized into a nigh unbreakable blade with a special magical ability. It is much more effective than normal swords in her hands, having more power and sharpness than other blades. The special powers of Devil Hunter swords traditionally fall into the realms of Flame, Frost, or Shock. Officially, Nika fell into Fire Clan. Perfectly normal. Except she was not one of them at all. What happened to her on the night her family died is…puzzling. It bore a resemblance to, of all things, a vampiric transformation minus the death requirement and plus the ability to use Hellfire. What the in the literal Hell attacked them that night? The demonic infection was contained in Passion’s Heart, Hell’s Fire. Her powers from it, aside from the Hellfire, are all in the sword. Enhanced physical strength, durability, and speed.

As a magician, she uses Star Heartfire Magic. This allows the rechanneled Hellfire powers to manifest safely in various mind affecting ways instead of the originally demonstrated destructive force. Heartfelt Illusions (Illusions that affect all senses over a 100 foot area), Infernal Shapeshifting (she and any one person she touches can turn into literally anything without changing their other abilities), and Passionate Hypnosis (basically mind control, but limited to making one command of the target) are this. She can also use regular fire magic for both damage and more exotic warmth based effects. Fire Blast is regular damage. Fire Bolts is a barrage of more accurate but less damaging fire. Fire Burst does damage over an area. Heartfire Blast attacks the mind and soul with flames. Heartfire Regeneration allows her to heal herself or others of even the most grievous of injuries. And Mana Burn burns away magical effects

The enchantments to her  body are relatively subtle by comparison. Her physical durability is significantly higher and she can speak, read, and understand all languages, Her inability to speak means she gets less use out of this than some, but all languages does include all sign languages, so she and Tana can communicate if nothing else.

 

Tactically, Nika no longer purely plays a supporting role. While she is good at it with Heartfelt Illusions and Heartfire Regeneration aiding allies at avoiding and recovering from damage, the Devil Hunters had her under close observation for any signs of infernal aggression. She was encouraged to behave as supportively and mild tempered as possible while a member of the Society. She isn’t one anymore. She uses all of her spells in combat aside from Infernal Shapeshifting, which has better out of combat uses. Fire Blast provides raw damage, Fire Bolts is more accurate, and Fire Burst can hit multiple targets. Heartfire Blast target Will saves, which is useful against foes with high Toughness. Her old ally aiding ways can still be seen with Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Demoralize, and Startle available for use with Set Up. She’s even willing to use her sword to slash foes apart. She has both Accurate and All Out Attack to improve attack accuracy, and Power Attack to improve raw damage. Nika can be extremely effective out of combat as well, with Heartfelt Illusions, Infernal Shapeshifting, and Passionate Hypnosis making detecting the Outsiders during a non combat mission virtually impossible. Unlike most Devil Hunters, she doesn’t ever power stunt.

 

Personality: Since that night, Nika has been missing a piece of herself. She’s growing ever more desperate to get it back. Her emotions are completely numb. She was a warm, loving, and compassionate girl before. She still tries to be. But she can’t feel anything but cold. It’s like when one of a person’s limbs falls asleep. They can detect that it’s there with their senses. They can maybe even move it a little. But they can’t feel the limb itself. Now imagine that it’s every limb, and one would have an inkling of what it’s like for her. She’s been this way for several years. It is not getting better. It is not getting worse. She is simply numb.

This is why she’s changed her approach in combat. Because the impact of her sword against a target is something she can still feel. So is the mana she weaves into her spells. So is physical pain from being injured. So is fatigue from a long fight. The one emotion she can still feel is love for her brother Tana. So she stays with him, fights for what he believes in, and protects him with her life. Maybe, one day, they’ll find how to get that piece of herself back.

[EternalPhoenix]

Rudolphus "Rudy" Evander

 

Power Level: 10; Power Points Spent: 180/180

 

STR: +5 (20), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +10 (30), INT: +0 (10), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +0 (10)

 

Tough: +10, Fort: +10, Ref: +10, Will: +7

 

Skills: Acrobatics 8 (+10), Craft (artistic) 5 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 5 (+5), Diplomacy 5 (+5), Gather Information 5 (+5), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 5 (+5), Knowledge (earth sciences) 5 (+5), Knowledge (history) 10 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 5 (+5), Language 7 (+7), Notice 12 (+15), Search 10 (+10), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 8 (+10), Survival 7 (+10)

 

Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Artificer, Attack Focus (melee) 5, Attack Specialization (Unarmed Attack), Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Mini Rocket (Blast 12)), Improved Critical 2 (Normal Shot (Blast 8)), Power Attack, Precise Shot, Prone Fighting, Quick Draw, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Exorcism Gun (Device 6) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)

   Cartridges (Array 13) (default power: blast)

      Explosive (Blast (Array; DC 23; Burst Area (35-80 ft. radius - General); Progression, Decrease Area (-1 ranks), Progression, Increase Area (area x2))

      Full Gatling (Blast (Array; DC 23; Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 2 (+4))

      Laser Beam (Blast (Array; DC 23; Penetrating, Range (perception); Unreliable (5 uses))

      Mini Rocket (Blast 12) (Array; DC 27, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Mini Rocket (Blast 12)))

      Normal Shot (Blast (Default; DC 23, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Normal Shot (Blast 8)); Penetrating [6 ranks only]; Accurate 2 (+4))

Infernal Synthetic Physiology (Container, Passive 5)

   Immunity 8 (aging, disease, enviromental conditions (all), poison)

   Impervious Toughness 10

   Super-Senses 3 (acute: Olfactory, infravision, ultravision)

   Super-Strength 2 (+10 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 1.6k lbs; +2 STR to some checks)

Locking On (Features 2) (Notes: Extra Effort/Hero Point to Aim as Move Action)

 

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +13, Grapple: +18/+20)

 

Attacks: Explosive (Blast (DC 23), Full Gatling (Blast 8), +12 (DC 23), Laser Beam (Blast (DC 23), Mini Rocket (Blast 12), +8 (DC 27), Normal Shot (Blast 8), +12 (DC 23), Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 20)

 

Defense: +10  (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -10

 

Initiative: +2

 

Languages: Arabic, Aramaic Native, Chinese (Mandarin), English, Greek, Hebrew, Persian, Syriac

 

Totals: Abilities 40 + Skills 28 (109 ranks) + Feats 19 + Powers 47 + Combat 34 + Saves 12 + Drawbacks 0 = 180

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): Over 1900 years (chronological) , early 20s (appearance)

Height: 5’ 7”

Weight: 165 lbs (looks 130 lbs)

Ethnicity: Assyrian (visually similar to Turkish, Kurdish, and/or Arabic; appearance), Synthetic Metal Lifeform (underneath)

Hair: Dark Brown

Eyes: Dark Brown

 

Background: Asteroth, the vampire wizard, has a lengthy history. He has outlived, so to speak, most of his enemies and massively outpowers the rest. And after the LA Hellgate Event (long story short, he ripped the power out of several demon armies to punish them, rescue an ally’s soul, and resurrect her), even the forces of Hell avoid instigating encounters with him. That, however, is the situation in 2019. It was not in 115. No, a digit is not missing from that year. Not quite a full century after his encounter with the Nazarene carpenter who some call the Messiah and Son of God (people at the time through history to now disagree on who He actually was), he was already causing trouble. The earthquake, however, was not his fault. He was actually clumsily trying to stop it. Which leads us to Rudolphus “Rudy” Evander

Rudy was not born. He was created by a man he knew only as Grandfather (in Aramaic, but still). He created him for a specific purpose. To kill demons, devils, and monsters. There were a lot of those in 2^nd Century Syria. Grandfather gave him his Exorcism Gun, taught him how to make new Cartridges for when he ran short, and sent him off to work. He was Antioch’s protector from the shadows. This was one of the reasons the Roman Emperor Trajan was in town that fateful day. Rumors had gotten all the way to Rome, and well two birds with one stone, right? Well, no, because that saying hadn’t been coined yet, but still. For some reason, Grandfather insisted on hiding. It was okay. Rudy had something to do anyway. At the time, Antioch had a relatively extensive cave system outside the city. It is long gone in 2019, mind. He had a evil plot to destroy the city to foil. December 13, that was. Classic thing. Evil sorcerer mad at the Empire. Emperor was in town, let’s kill him dramatically blah blah blah. Rudy did not actually care. He was a bad person who was trying to kill basically everbody Rudy knew, so he had to die. Asteroth had similar ideas. Antioch was his town. He lived there. It’d be mighty inconvenient for some asshole with a grudge to level the place. Unfortunately, since the vampire had begun his training as a wizard at this point, Rudy mistook him and the evil sorcerer for allies and attacked both. It was a shitshow. The earthquake happened more or less on schedule, if stripped of some of its power. And Antioch was devastated. Ironically, Trajan and his successor in two years, Hadrian, were totally unharmed. Grandfather was not. His house fell on him. This was the first (but not the last) time Rudy would know the pain of loss.

Rudy continued being Antioch’s protector in the shadows until 526. May of that year, to be specific. It was a vampiric plot, this time. A more skilled Asteroth had returned to town specifically to thwart the schemes of his “brother” Amon. The two did not fight this time, casually teaming up in the same cavern where they’d first met. And their actions arguably saved the Byzantine Empire from being shattered by a chain of earthquakes that would theoretically have left the vampires of the area to feast without consequence. Rudy had even brought a swordsman friend to help fight. But while their overall actions were a success, this meant little to Antioch, which was again devastated. Rudy helped with the search and rescue, his centuries of experience with the city pinpointing where buildings had fallen on people. However, the fires were simply too much for one set of hands to deal with. The destruction broke his heart. The swordsman’s entire family had been killed, and he fell on his sword before Rudy could do more than twitch. 250k people had been killed, according to records. Rudy’s entire social circle was a pile of corpses. When the fires were out at last, he left the city. He would never return.

Rudy pursued the surviving Amons relentlessly, all the way to Persia, thwarting their schemes on many occasions. Alone, however, he could not stop their plans from partially succeeding one last time. December 22, 856. Near modern day Damghan, Iran. Persia itself wasn’t shattered, but the province of Qumis certainly was. He did, however, finally finish exterminating that particular sect of vampires. The over three centuries saw him pick up many allies in his valiant quest against evil. But humans are fragile, mortal creatures. They break so easily. They age. He buried many friends killed too young, and held too many aged hands at too many deathbeds. With a heart full of grief, he returned (slowly) to Syria. Slowly because he couldn’t stop being a hero and monster hunter any more than he could stop being alive. He settled in Aleppo just in time for the First Crusade to come sweeping into what they called the Holy Land.

Ironically, Aleppo itself was not taken over as part of the Crusader states. Rudy was honestly a little befuddled. When he left Syria in the 5^th Century, it had still been Roman Christian. When he finally returned in the 11^th, it was very Arabic Muslim. Religious faith in general baffled him. So the Byzantines being kicked out (he heard rumors after it happened) was shocking. Killing in the name of God. Well. Maybe it was just the Muslims that were like that. Except no. The First Crusaders weren’t any better. Once again, he was befuddled. Still, there were new to the region. They didn’t understand it like he did. So he helped. Not with the actual warfare, but there are things that haunt battlefields looking to pick the wounded or merely unaware. Yes, even in 2019, though modern electrical lighting makes that much more difficult. As a lovely reward, the Crusaders generally tried to kill him. Religious fervor+his advanced weapon they couldn’t possibly understand+looking like a native=gotta be evil, so we gotta chop and bash. Whatever, said Rudy. They couldn’t, as a rule, actually hurt him. So he’d just beat them up and deal with the actual supernatural monster. Which brings up to Asteroth. Or rather, Kasi’n, since the Romani had decided to restore his soul which unbeknownst to them, was that of a sadistic psychopath. Oops. Kasi’n spent most of that period in Europe, but he got a little bored with torturing and murdering Crusader families and decided to get some Crusaders himself. Or rather, steal an old plan made by someone else. A little practice on the Jazira plain (in 1137), and he was ready to go. What Kasi’n was not ready for was for Rudy to catch wind of his plot and show up with a full team of warriors and mages. Like basically all of his plots, it fell to pieces and he had to fling around the hard earned power of Asteroth’s wizardry to carry the day. Or in this case, not get his ass kicked. He may have been a shitty planner, but he was one hell of a killer. He was also an idiot who almost got buried unalive as his busted plan triggered a massive earthquake that devastated Aleppo and many places in the surrounding countryside. October 11, 1138 was a hell of a day in Syria. Two beings crawled out of the broken and shattered earth. Kasi’n. And Rudy. While the villain escaped, Rudy pulled out who he could. This was not everyone. Those too badly injured to recover in a day or two were left behind. This was hot pursuit.

Hot pursuit, in fact, all that way to the city of Ganja in modern day Azerbaijan. At the time it was part of the Great Seljuk Empire. There was a little ally recruitment, and several dramatic clashes in the area grabbed imperial attention. This was uh, really bad, as it garned the attention of the White Court of Wizards who were and are notoriously vehement about destroying magic users who don’t adhere to their rules. A three front battle ensued on September 30, 1139…which triggered yet another earthquake that severely damaged Ganja and the surrounding countryside. To the degree that the neighboring Kingdom of Georgia was able to casually steal the city and many of its valuables from the Seljuks. It…broke something in Rudy. The poor guy felt cursed. 1000 years, and earthquakes still destroyed cities he fought to save. He did not return with his surviving allies to Syria. He went east. And then north, because the friggin’ Caspian Sea was in the way. He went north specifically because Persia was to the south and he didn’t want to go back there.

There are many stories from many places in what is now Kazakhstan and northwestern China. The foreigner with the strange weapon. The monster killer. A demigod. But aside from such legends, from Sept 30 1139 to Sept 25 1303 his location is not even vaguely known. It is on that second date that he once again appears in recorded history. The reason he wasn’t recorded in Kazakhstan was because of the Mongols invading after he’d passed through. By the time he’d entered China, he was actively avoiding their armies. War. Again. No, thank you. There was a severe (entirely natural) earthquake in what is now Shanxi Province on that September day. 100k people were killed outright, the primary cause of death being their loess cave homes collapsing on them. Over a century and a half of relative solitude had healed some of Rudy’s heart, and he pulled many people out of the broken wreckage of their homes. He also blasted holes in the strange (to him) creatures that came to feed on the carnage and chaos. Unsurprisingly, the Yuan Dynasty had trouble finding  him afterward, but he didn’t leave China. He only returned to the neighboring province of Shaanxi. No, that’s not a typo. Extra a=different province. He returned specifically to Xiyue Temple, where he’d apparently been living for a little while. Xiyue was an is a temple dedicated to the practice of Taoism. In the modern People’s Republic of China Taoism is permitted if not accepted as a religious, cultural, and philosophical practice. Anything further is frowned on to persecuted as “silly superstitions”. Unless, of course, it is under the government’s direct control. But during the Yuan and following Ming Dynasties? Alchemy. Chi. Magic. Martial Arts. The age of what is now called Wuxia after the media genre that dramatizes it.

Rudy was directly involved in the Ch'ing-yang event of 1490. History doesn’t have that one quite right, either. It wasn’t a meteor shower or an air burst. It was the fragments of a 1000 foot asteroid Rudy blew up with one potent shot from his Exorcism Gun. There was a divination from the priests at Xiyue, so he was in the right place at the right time to pull the trigger and basically save all of China. And no, 10k people weren’t killed. That many were injured, some severely, but there were few fatalities. The straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak, was 1556. February 2, to be precise. The 12th day of the 12 month of the year Jiajing 34, locally. Rudy couldn’t help but make new friends and allies in his monster hunting ways, with two legitimate True Companions in Zhang Wei the master swordsman and Wu Yuying the Taoist wizardess. On that day struck what was probably the strongest earthquake in Chinese history, killing over 100k people and displacing or starving over 700k more. Rudy knew nothing about it, because he was indirectly one of the casualties. Rumor had it that the infamous Asteroth had blown into Shaanxi province with his current traveling companion Dhana. Rudy recruited his two friends and several other allies, and set out to rid the world of the vampire wizard once and for all.

They engaged in battle in an underground cave. Asteroth, more or less as capable then as he is now, wiped the floor with them effortlessly. Dhana had to work harder, being only a young vampire and no spellcaster. Asteroth overwhelmed even Rudy’s best shot; the same one that shattered that asteroid. That spell slammed him into a cave wall with enough force to kill anyone human. For Rudy, it broke his Exorcism Gun and severed his arm at the elbow. The vampires could have killed everyone there, but Asteroth showed uncharacteristic (in those days) mercy. He just…walked away, with Dhana following behind. And then the earthquake hit. It was all Zhang Wei and Wu Yuying could do to get Rudy out of the caves. They brought his broken weapon, and for reasons they couldn’t adequately explain even to themselves, his arm. He was unconscious for several days, and when he finally woke, more about him was broken than his arm and weapon. His monster hunting days were over. Another failure and another devastating earthquake had broken his will to continue. The damage to his weapon and loss of his arm just piled more onto the despair. It was a loss of his very identity.

In the end, he married Wu Yuying, had a family, and stayed out of things. She and Wei proved themselves true friends in pulling him out of his funk. However. They were mortals. They aged. He did not. It is a unique kind of agony, to outlive one’s own grandchildren, let alone one’s beloved wife and best friend. There were heroes in his lineage, to be sure, but he was out. With each successive generation, he became more and more removed from society. Haunted by a thousand thousand ghosts he lived at Xiyue in a small room. He helped the priests with menial tasks in return for sharing their food supply. And he spoke to no one. This is how it stayed until 2016, when the Strength Revolution’s Special Tactics Group was being expanded. A very drunk and perhaps a little melancholy fox man mentioned Asteroth and his loose ends to Valine. Valine spoke to Methion, and the Grand Wizard visited a certain former hotel in Los Angeles. Asteroth showed Methion the caves under Shaanxi, and let him figure out how to trace a being gone from that spot for over 450 years. A little chronomantic postcognition lead the two to Xiyue and one emotionally and physically broken monster hunter. Asteroth took one look at the pathetic figure, and departed. Methion, however, remained. He offered Rudy a chance to be healed and resuming his monster hunting activities. Rudy could no more refuse that spontaneously drop dead. So he’s a member is good standing on STG Squad D, The Outsiders. It has just as much meaning to him as living at Xiyue.

 

Powers & Tactics: Rudy is not a human being. He’s not even organic. He’s that rarest kind of synthetic being, an infernal android. He’s probably the only one left. The knowledge of how to make them was lost centuries ago. His body is made of steel shaped by blacksmithing and alchemy. Normally a demon is installed to run it with Hellfire. Hence them being called “infernal” However, any kind of animating spirit can do it. And somehow, the man Rudy called Grandfather got his hands on a brand new, unused human soul. It does beg the question of exactly who Grandfather was. And how he knew how to smelt and work steel to modern quality levels in the middle of the Iron Age, let alone how he had the alchemy skills to reshape it into Rudy’s body and internal structures.

At any rate, for the time he was made, Rudy was virtually indestructible. It took potent magic or a really burly man with a really big weapon to actually harm him. Immune to the ravages of age, disease, poison, and the environment, he still has to eat, drink, and breathe. He can see into the ultraviolet and infrared spectrums. His sense of smell is quite keen. He’s even a bit stronger tan even the mightiest unpowered human ever could be. His existence does, however, have downsides. His physical abilities are fixed, and have been since his creation. Improving himself mentally is challenging at best. And unlike humans, he cannot decide who and what he is. He is a monster hunter. An implacable foe of any creatures that would harm humans. The end. It literally cannot occur to him to be anything else.

His Exorcism Gun is a work of art. It, like Rudy, was constructed of steel and alchemy. It is magically keyed to him with the equivalent of a biometric lock. If it is not his finger on the trigger and his hand on the stock, the Gun will not fire. The Cartridges also feature the use of steel and alchemy. They, without exception, do damage. It’s how they do it that sets them apart from one another. The standard use is, obviously, Normal Shot. It’s basically an oversized armor piercing gunshot. Full Gatling exchanged the armor piercing for a barrage of shots. Explosive, obviously, spreads the damage over an area. It is the final two that are a little different. Laser Beam is a literal laser beam. Completely undodgable and goes right through armor. They’re difficult to make, however, and so he only has about five of them with him at a given time. Mini Rocket does not have this problem. It is, as the name says, a miniature rocket that hits with the force of a cruise missile.

He has one last special ability that is rather unusual. Aiming is something that takes time to do properly. The kind of aiming where one takes their time and makes doubly sure they’re on target. The kind of thing sharpshooters who have the time invariably do well. Rudy, naturally, can do this. However, in a pinch he’s shown the ability to do it faster. The whole principle behind taking time to aim is that it takes time. But Rudy, when he genuinely needs to, can carefully aim and then fire in less than half the time it takes virtually everyone else in the world to do it. It is not clear if this is part of his design or something he learned to do along the way. If it is the latter, then his physical abilities may not be as fixed as once believed…

 

Tactically, Rudy is extremely straightforward. He does not feint. He does not demoralize. He fires a suitable Cartridge from his Exorcism Gun at the enemy target, preferably from cover. Normal Shot is, obviously, the standard attack. Explosive can decimate groups. Full Gatling is an acceptable substitute for Normal Shot, especially for enemies that can’t dodge well. However, if they have very high Toughness, Mini Rocket is probably better. Laser Beam is reserved specifically for enemies he’s having or knows he would have serious trouble hitting. With Accurate and All Out Attack to help him hit, that means something. There’s also Power Attack for when high damage is needed. Don’t forget he meets offensive caps with his fists, too. The Gun is for monsters and demons, not people. Normally. There’s always exceptions. He never power stunts.

 

Personality: Rudy is, in a very real sense, nothing more than a robot. This does not mean that he does not have feelings, and it does not mean that he cannot make his own decisions. What it means is that he is not free to be anything other than what he is. A monster hunter. An implacable foe of any creatures that would harm humans. And a warm and caring heart so that he would never in the normal course of events question this drive. It should go without saying that the normal course of events did not occur. Whatever Grandfather’s plans for Rudy were died with the man. It has been left to Rudy to make his own way, and it has left him deeply melancholic. 19 centuries of loss, failure, and grief have frozen that warm heart and stripped him of his ability to genuinely care about anyone. He’s just kind of going through the motions.

A thousand thousand ghosts. He doesn’t remember all their names. He should remember all their names. In Antioch. In Qumis. In Aleppo. In Ganja. Faces flit through his memory. Grandfather. The swordsman in 526. The team in Aleppo and Ganja. Zhang Wei. Wu Yuying. By the gods, Yuying. She lived to 105. It was not nearly long enough. The world should stop when people die. It certainly feels that way. Why doesn’t it stop? How many holes can be punched into a world before it isn’t one anymore? How many pieces of one’s heart can one lose before there’s nothing left of it? Rudy has no answers. He’s not even sure he cares anymore. One thing in the world remains, however. There are monsters. He hunts them. Whether that’s enough or not doesn’t matter. He doesn’t speak. He doesn’t quite remember how, after centuries of silence. And he doesn’t, as a rule, emote. He has his normal everyday face, and his serious face. That’s it.

[EternalPhoenix]

Calamity Jane (Judith & Amalia Richter)

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 165/165

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +2 (14), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +6 (22)

 

Tough: +2/+3, Fort: +5, Ref: +14, Will: +5

 

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 14 (+20), Diplomacy 9 (+15), Disable Device 13 (+15), Escape Artist 12 (+15), Gather Information 9 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 3 (+5), Knowledge (current events) 3 (+5), Knowledge (history) 3 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 3 (+5), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 3 (+5), Language 6 (+6), Notice 13 (+15), Search 8 (+10), Sense Motive 13 (+15), Sleight of Hand 12 (+15), Stealth 12 (+15)

 

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (ranged) 4, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Distract (Bluff), Dodge Focus 7, Equipment 2, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Cattle Whip (Strike 2)), Improved Critical 2 (Custom Heavy Revolver (Blast 4)), Improved Critical 2 (Custom Stun Gun (Stun 6)), Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Redirect, Set-Up, Skill Mastery 2 (Acro, Bluff, Dis Dev, Gather Info, Notice, Sen Mot, SoH, Stealth), Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Calamitous Arsenal (Device 4) (Easy to lose)

   Calamitous Arsenal (Array (default power: blast)

      Cattle Whip (Strike 2) (Array; DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Cattle Whip (Strike 2)); Penetrating; Accurate 3 (+6), Extended Reach 3 (15 ft.), Mighty, Precise, Ricochet (1 bounce), Variable Descriptor (Narrow group - Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing))

      Custom Heavy Revolver (Blast 4) (Default; DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Custom Heavy Revolver (Blast 4)); Penetrating [2 ranks only]; Accurate (+2), Precise, Variable Descriptor 2 (Broad group - Ballistic/Any Magic))

      Custom Stun Gun (Stun 6) (Array; DC 16, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Custom Stun Gun (Stun 6)); Accurate 2 (+4))

      Flash Bomb (Dazzle 5) (Array; affects: visual senses, DC 15; Burst Area (25-50 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area (area x2))

      Rope Lasso (Snare 6) (Array; DC 16; Range (touch); Accurate 2 (+4), Custom (Binds Mouth (target can't speak)), Extended Reach 3 (15 ft.), Obscure Sense (Visual), Precise, Reversible, Subtle (subtle))

Living Calamity (Luck Control 1) (force a re-roll; Subtle 2 (unnoticable))

 

Equipment: Mission Specific Equipment 10

 

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +12, Melee: +8, Grapple: +10)

 

Attacks: Cattle Whip (Strike 2), +14 (DC 19), Custom Heavy Revolver (Blast 4), +14 (DC 19), Custom Stun Gun (Stun 6), +12 (DC Fort/Staged 16), Flash Bomb (Dazzle 5) (DC Fort/Ref 15), Rope Lasso (Snare 6), +12 (DC Ref/Staged 16), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +14  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -1

 

Initiative: +7

 

Languages: Arabic, English, German Native, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 34 + Skills 37 (148 ranks) + Feats 30 + Powers 17 + Combat 30 + Saves 17 + Drawbacks 0 = 165

 

Ages (as of Jan 2019): 21 years old

Heights: 5’ 2”

Weights: 100 lbs

Ethnicities: German

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Light Brown

 

Background: Judith and Amalia Richter are identical twins. Born into a wealthy aristocratic family with a strong patriarch in their stern grandfather, they’ve chafed against authority from an early age. Their grandfather put aside substantial funds for all of his children and grandchildren, but they would only receive it if they fulfilled two conditions. They must reach their 25^th birthday and have a college degree. Not so complicated or especially difficult, right? Well. Judith and Amalia respectfully disagree. Money now, please. The idea was to teach the twins responsibility. Instead they learned to steal what they wanted. This sounds like they didn’t think it through. But they did. They abused the inherent advantage of being identical twins by dressing and accessorizing identically. They even practiced each other’s mannerisms so that each could pretend to be the other. The then 15 year olds then searched up “how to do X”, officially because they were taking up stage magic as a hobby. But in reality, stage magicians need to know how to distract attention, pick locks, escape bonds, and move around without attracting attention. These skills are also quite useful for thieves.

They were attending an elite privately owned school. Their school uniforms made for wonderful disguises. They were two of over a thousand students, with no way of confirming they actually attended. The key was to never steal from anyone who knew them, and for only one to do it while the other was somewhere else with a lot of witnesses. One person can’t be in two places at once, right? And, of course, her school friends were the beneficiaries of her crime spree. Truthfully, though? It wasn’t enough. It felt so…bush league, you know? Amateur hour. They could do better than shoplifting, pickpocketing, and the occasional burglary. The real money was in banks. Jewelry. Fine art. They’d need some specialized gear, and a gimmick. A 4^th of July celebration (Germany’s weird, okay?) gave the twins an idea. They took their name from the America’s Wild West days. Calamity Jane. That got the gear theme sorted out, too. And so the twins became one (1) supervillain.

You know what? Thievery is a good line of work, but contract thievery? That’ll make you rich. So two teenagers, preparing for the Abitur exam by day, by night supplemented their income by pulling off some genuinely brazen thefts in different parts of a city or even different cities. After all, how can anyone be in two places at once? Did you know that if you’re good at picking locks and really quick, the average price of a new car at any dealership is 0 Euros? Of course, your shopping should be done long after they have closed. The same principle applies to jewelry, accessories, and electronics. However, all good things must come to an end. Seriously, the twins went on a relentless two year plus some months spree. With the open borders of the EU, this spanned virtually all of Europe. It was a fantastic way to get on Interpol’s shit list. Germany also has a veteran costumed detective. So by 2016, 18 year old Calamity Jane (both of them) were in a lot of trouble. One last high profile theft, and they couldn’t so much as pop a lock without having half a dozen guns pointed at them thanks to a hot tip from that costumed detective (assuming he didn’t just show up in person instead). This was clearly unacceptable. It got worse when he deduced who they were, and showed up to their university (as they were attending one at this point). Fortunately, INTERPOL kind of laughed at him when he suggested that Calamity Jane was just a set of twins. As far as law enforcement was concerned, there was no way it was that simple. It had to be superpowers or advanced tech. What kind of idiot would think that simply being identical twins was any kind of legal protection?

So, Judith and Amalia holed up in the Spanish city of Alicante to lie low for a while, attending classes online. Since they were very tired of that costumed detective punching, kicking, and flinging boomerangs into them with near impunity, they decided to get some professional combat training. And Alicante just so happened to be the city where one Ricardo “Rico” Castillo (uncle to STG Squad A’s Nimbus) was running a boxing gym. One thing led to another, and then another. Both Calamity Janes met Nimbus and then Valine. And then joined Squad D. The twins run circles around INTERPOL now, but they’re also well paid so there’s no need to steal what they want when they can just…buy it.

 

Powers & Tactics: Contrary to that costumed detective’s files, the twin Janes do have a superhuman power. They are mutants able to unpredictably alter probability, turning success at a given task into a crapshoot on demand. Though, naturally, that depends on the odds of success in the first place. Suffice it to say that s her enemies don’t succeed at many difficult things. This is impressively difficult to detect unless one’s senses are attuned to mutant powers. She does have to be careful not to overuse it, however, or she’ll be the one suffering a calamity. Probability doesn’t like to be toyed with, and when it snaps back it tends to be a little nasty. (In game terms this means she’s given out too many Hero Points and so the heroes just kind of roll over her.)

She also carries some Western themed weaponry. Any cowgirl worth the name ought to have a proper revolver. Janes’ are high powered and specially made to use a wide variety of enchanted ammunition to take advantage of supernatural weaknesses. It also fires regular bullets, to the infinite surprise of that one guy who thought his being immune to magic made him immune to the revolver. He was incorrect. They also carry a customized stun gun (like a cattle prod, but for people!) for shocking enemies into submission, a length of rope that can lasso and hogtie even the orneriest of cowpokes, and a customized whip with a small knife on the end. It can strike around one (1) corner…if used right. The last item is a Flash Bomb. While admittedly not on theme, blinding everyone within a 25 to 50 foot radius is absurdly useful.

 

Tactically, it’s uh, complicated. The twins are still maintaining the plausible deniability twin thing, so only one is in the field at a time. And each twin has their own preferred tactics to a degree. Judith prefers the Cattle Whip and Rope Lasso, then the Custom Revolver and Flash Bomb, then if she must the Custom Stun Gun. Amalia prefers the Custom Stun Gun and Flash Bomb, then the Custom Revolver and Rope Lasso, then if she must the Cattle Whip. Judith prefers Improved Acrobatic Bluff and using that Bluff score to Trick and Redirect missed attacks against her. Amalia is a fan of using Feint plus Improved Taunt plus Set Up so somebody with heavy damage like Rudy can destroy the enemy. This does not mean they won’t use what the other does if needed. It’s a preference, nothing more. They both use Move By Action liberally, and have access to Defensive and Power Attack. The first thing they have in common is a preference for running away at the first opportunity while solo and sticking around with the Outsiders. The second thing is neither of them actively tries to inflict lethal damage on humans. Supernatural creatures get killed, period.Though Judith noticeably doesn’t care if any collaborating people bite it, and Amalia does. The third and final thing is using Living Calamity to screw over any attacking enemies. Attack rolls, skill checks, and saves are all equal opportunity calamity triggers. Their only power stunt is turning Living Calamity into Living Boon. It’s still Luck Control, but with the Force Reroll option swapped out for the Spend Hero Point For Another option. So for a while they’re benefitting their allies instead of screwing their enemies. If, by some miracle, both Calamities Jane were on the battlefield at the same time, one of them would absolutely do this.

 

Personality: This is, once again, separated by twin. They’re different people, really. The caveat is that they’ve been practicing to pretend to be the other for several years so this isn’t actually a good way of telling them apart unless one has the Sense Motive to reliably pierce their average Bluff check of 30. With that said. Judith is the classic femme fatale. Sexy, dangerous, and she knows it. Flirtatious and ever teasing. Charismatic and uses her body as weapon as often as she uses her literal weapons. You know the character archetype. Amalia, however, is a spoiled brat. Smug, arrogant, and annoying. She keeps up a running commentary of how much the enemies suck, even when she’s induced it via Living Calamity. A sharp tongue used as a weapon as often as she uses her actual weapons.

Both twins, however, are deeply selfish, self centered, and entitled. At a fundamental level, what they want overrides everything else. This does not mean they can’t be diligent and hardworking. It also does not mean that they lack a conscience, or empathy. It means that everything they do is targeted at benefitting them first and foremost. The definition of benefit here includes financial considerations, to be sure, but also making sure that friends and allies don’t suffer from calamities if they can avoid it without too much discomfort or danger. If the benefit to them (in money, peace of mind, or similar) outweighs the cost (what she has to do to get said benefit) then they’ll do it.

[EternalPhoenix]

Thespian (Claudia Baker)

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 165/165

 

STR: +1 (12), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +2 (14), INT: +5 (20), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +2/+12, Fort: +6, Ref: +6, Will: +9

 

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Bluff 7 (+10), Craft (electronic) 10 (+15), Craft (mechanical) 10 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 2 (+5), Knowledge (art) 5 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 10 (+15), Knowledge (technology) 10 (+15), Language 8 (+8), Notice 12 (+15), Perform (acting) 7 (+10), Sense Motive 2 (+5), Stealth 14 (+15)

 

Feats: All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged), Attack Specialization 3 (Silenced Shot (Blast 6)), Beginner's Luck, Dodge Focus, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 1, Improved Aim, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Power Attack, Precise Shot 2, Skill Mastery (Craft (elec & mech), Notice, Stealth)

 

Powers:

Concealed Heavy Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle))

   Liqui-Flex Plating (Protection 10) (+10 Toughness; Impervious [7 ranks only]; Subtle (subtle))

   Protected Vitals (Immunity 2) (critical hits)

Power Emulator (Device 6) (Hard to lose)

   Power Emulator (Mimic 10) (mimic: any one of (type) - powers; Duration (continuous), Perception; Check Required (KN (physical sciences)))

      Nimbus's Flying Cloud (Power Setting) (Powers: Flying Cloud (Flight 10))

         Flying Cloud (Flight 10) (Speed: 10000 mph, 88000 ft./rnd; Affects Others, Burst Area (50 ft. radius - General); Platform; Selective)

Silenced Sniper Rifle (Device 5) (Easy to lose)

   Scope (Super-Senses 4) (extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft), infravision, ultravision)

   Silenced Shot (Blast 6) (DC 21; Penetrating [3 ranks only]; Improved Range 2 (300 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range 2 (max range x5, 3000 feet), Subtle 2 (unnoticable))

 

Power Settings:

Nimbus's Flying Cloud (Power Setting) (Powers: Flying Cloud (Flight 10))

 

Equipment: Mission Specific Equipment 5

 

Attack Bonus: +5 (Ranged: +6, Melee: +5, Grapple: +6)

 

Attacks: Silenced Shot (Blast 6), +12 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +5 (DC 16)

 

Defense: +6  (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -9

 

Initiative: +1

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Russian, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 30 + Skills 27 (108 ranks) + Feats 17 + Powers 56 + Combat 20 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 165

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 30

Height: 5’ 7”

Weight: 135 lbs.

Ethnicity: English

Hair: Green

Eyes: Blue

 

Background: Claudia Baker is fabulous. Amazing. Spectacular. Ask her, she’ll tell you. Born beautiful, wealthy, and intelligent, she has lacked for nothing for her entire life. She graduated from Oxford (years early due to a soon to be familiar obsessive dedication) with a double Master’s in Drama and Electrical Engineering, and looked to have an extremely boring life. Her marriage had been arranged for her. Her employment had beeb arranged for her. Her life had been arranged for her. And then the pre-expansion STG had a mission in London. Claudia was also in London, wrapping up a few last wedding details with the caterer. Or rather, her assistant was doing it and she was there to lend the force of authority to the proceedings. She was dying of boredom, despite the sudden commotion outside. And then Nimbus came crashing through the front window of the catering shop. To be clear, she’d been thrown through it by a superhero outside. Who she then dropped with a bullet to the chest after shrugging off the bad landing. Nimbus’s costume hides her identity, not her figure. And it had been damaged from the fighting outside, revealing a strip of her face featuring her eye. Nimbus stepped on her flying cloud (!!!, thought Claudia) and flew back out the window to continue the fight. But the damage had been done. She was beautiful, her power was cool as hell, and she was such a badass. Oh, yes. Claudia had fallen in love.

Simply finding out who it was that crashed into the catering shop took significant time and effort, as law enforcement doesn’t simply tell civilians (even wealthy white women) case relevant information. Journalists who might cover it were strangers and thus not inclined to share information, either. She had to search half the internet before discovering the codename of her beloved. Nimbus. Known for working with members of the Strength Revolution’s Special Tactics Group. Suspected of being the newest member. Ahhh. Nimbus. How appropriate. Claudia was maintaining the pretense of nothing having changed, still. So she went through with the wedding and the honeymoon and started her new job. All the while going steadily more obsessed with someone she’d barely met. She eagerly gobbled up every scrap on information she could find on the internet. Every picture, every article, every piece of fan fiction (and she wrote a fair bit, herself). Everything she could find. But it was not enough. She needed the real thing. So all she had to do was what all of global law enforcement could not. Find Nimbus. She was a genius, after all. How hard could it be?

Very hard. Very, very hard. Her pretense had frayed noticeably by this stage. After all, when your phone background and work desktop are different pictures of the same international masked criminal, it’s difficult for others not to notice. But it hit her. She was struggling to find Nimbus because she was unworthy of meeting her. Nimbus had powers, a costume, and a weapon. Claudia had, uh, none of that. Doing something technological was possible, but she needed a gimmick. A proper supervillain had a gimmick. It had to be worthy of Nimbus’s attention. More importantly, it had to be worthy of Claudia. Doing a gmmick a dozen other wannabes and losers had done simply wouldn’t do. It was then that the idea struck her coming from her studies for her Master’s in Drama. Mimicry. Power mimicry. She started work immediately on her Power Emulator. This was also very, very hard. She gave up trying to make defensive abilities work and committed a little light corporate espionage to gain access to Morgan Knight’s Liqui-Flex material formula.

With the armor situation worked out, creating the Power Emulator was significantly easier. At the same time, she also made a breakthrough on finding Nimbus, tracing her probable civilian identity of Riley Chong to Ricardo Castillo, currently living in Alicante, Spain. Law enforcement had already done this much, but without proof Riley was Nimbus they couldn’t do a lot about it. Claudia was not law enforcement. But first, she needed to be someone. She took the name and mask of Thespian, and both her new armor, Power Emulator, and a rifle. She set out to make a bit of a name for herself. It was uh, a memorable occasion in the history of Chelsea. She partnered with another fledgling supervillain she had met on the internet. He was a metahuman with mild superhuman strength. They did the classic loud, flashy bank robbery. The cops showed up and he thrashed them. Claudia, having trained her sharpshooting skills, picked off any cops drawing a bead on him with rubber bullets. Then the superheroes showed up and thrashed that young man in return. The police thought she was just a riflewoman in bulletproof armor, so they tackled and cuffed her. She uh, was not just that. She copied the now unconscious young man’s strength, and one of the superheroes’ ability to fly. She effortlessly escaped.

Thespian began popping up around several cities in England and Wales. She wasn’t even attempting to keep up the pretense anyway. She quit her job. Her husband was naturally quite concerned about the changes in her, but then he had an unfortunate accident on their country estate. He fell, broke his neck and died in the woods. And no one found him for several days, long after any possible evidence had been washed away by rain or destroyed by decomposition. Quite terrible. Very sad. Claudia was suitably distraught at the funeral, and publically vowed never to remarry. She was free to do as she pleased. And as Thespian had made a name for herself, Claudia took a vacation to Alicante, Spain. She began frequenting the boxing gym of one Ricardo “Rico” Castillo. She trained a little, since her hand to hand was pathetic at the time. But mostly she was marking time, waiting for Riley Chong to show up. How long could it possibly take?

Not long, as it turned out. Riley had to sleep somewhere, and with a top speed of about Mach 13 and willingness to fly 15-20 minutes for a safe bed, well…basically if she was in Europe, the Western quarter of Asia, or the Northern third of Africa she’d go sleep with at her Uncle Rico’s house. So it was only a few days before she was there when Claudia came to train early in the morning. Claudia introduced herself, and the whirlwind romance began…at least according to her, anyway. In what felt like no time they were good friends and then literal partners in crime. Because Nimbus/Riley can miss the little red flags that indicate a more dangerous obsession like anyone else. Thespian really learned a lot from Nimbus, but the red flags began to grow in size. First to small. Then to moderate. Next to major, and hoo boy. Nimbus is not crazy, and she can recognize when somebody is. But her attempt to discuss it with Thespian (with help from Uncle Rico, as oh god she’s not a people person) jacked those red flags up to massive size. Please help, Valine. Before I have to kill her or she kills me for rejecting her for being batshit fucking crazy. By sheer coincidence, this was when the STG was being expanded, and the Outsiders were still a couple short. Said please help me conversation was the same one in which Calamity Jane was discussed and recommended. And so, to keep Nimbus and Thespian separate without the latter turning into A Big Fucking Problem, she became the final member of the Outsiders.

Three years down the road, and everyone involved (Methion, Valine, Nimbus, and Squad Captain Tana, of the Waves) except Thespian is keenly aware she’s being strung along to prevent having to permanently deal with her. They all know that day will come sooner or later, but in the meantime she does good work for her beloved. The longer they can stretch that out, the happier they will be. Especially Tana, who isn’t a fan of solving problems with murder.

 

Powers & Tactics: Thespian, unfortunately (from her point of view), has no superhuman powers. She is a tech specialist who relies on three devices, only one of which was her own design. Her Silenced Sniper Rifle she merely purchased the parts and assembled. It has the expected range, and a scope that lets her see further and into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums. Her Concealed Heavy Armor is outright a stolen design. Liqui-Flex Plating is a reactive armor plating meant for armored vehicles and tanks, not people. She did manage to adapt the design for a person and make it herself, however. It is, obviously, quite protective armor. It also eliminates any vulnerable spots a lucky hit might strike. It doesn’t even look like armor to the untrained eye.

It is her Power Emulator that is her shining achievement. The superhuman power analysis suite in it alone is worth virtually uncountable billions. But the Emulator, which takes that information and can mimic virtually any superhuman power, is practically priceless. The only ones it can’t mimic are powers that would considerably alter her physiology such as actual shapeshifting/being undead and truly esoteric abilities like Phoenix Fire that are explicitly unable to be copied without severe punishment. Naturally, the one power she keeps in the Emulator’s database is her beloved Nimbus’s Flying Cloud. Everything else she periodically deletes, as there’s only but so much data storage available. The only downside of this is that it takes a hell of a lot of physics expertise to understand how powers work. She has the expertise to do this, most of the time, but if she fails to grasp what the analysis suite is telling her she can’t program the Emulator to mimic it. For the record, the Emulator can’t technically use magic or supernatural forces. It does all of its mimicry with the four fundamental forces (weak force, strong force, electromagnetism, and gravity) and hard light projections for anything physical like elongation or weapons. So she’s not any help against a foe that can only be damage by magic or other supernatural descriptors. And it can only emulate actual powers. Natural parts of a being’s physiology or abilities resulting from extensive training (such as Chi powers) are overlooked by the analysis suite. Devices restricted to a select group she is not in or only the user she likewise cannot copy powers from.

 

Tactically, normally Thespian fights like Nimbus. A sniper riding a flying cloud. Minor and even moderate enemies the squad as a whole is fully capable of handling, and thus are unworthy of her full powers. She All Out Power Attacks with near impunity at this stage, as she simply doesn’t care if she kills anyone and her armor will protect her from reprisals. Significant challenges, however, are another story. Here she relies quite heavily on her Power Emulator to keep up with superhuman adversaries. Naturally, how this would work depends on who she’s up against and what powers they have. The key point to remember is that she doesn’t try to outperform a given enemy with their own powers, but to use several in concert to disorient and overwhelm. Also keep in mind that both her Captain Tana and squadmate Nika have nice big arrays for her to mimic powers from, if nothing else. And she has Inventor, just to make life more difficult for any opposition. Naturally, she doesn’t power stunt at all.

 

Personality: Thespian is a complete sociopath. She’s deceitful, arrogant, impulsive, manipulative and controlling, with a blithe disregard for her personal safety and a startling lack of empathy. It is the arrogance that takes center stage, however. It does not manifest entirely in the usual boasting, rather its primary focus is her obsessive drive to prove that she’s better than anyone else. To prove to her love Nimbus that she’s worthy of her. This brings us to the other dominant part of her personality, her deeply obsessive nature. Once she has fixated on a particular goal, she Will. Not. Stop. Until it is achieved. When it was merely succeeding at her studies, this wasn’t a problem for society. When it became winning the affections of an international criminal, however, it became everyone’s problem.

This makes her seem relatively one dimensional as a person, and…yes? Mostly? She’s a sociopath with an Awesome Ego who is in love and lust with Nimbus and will do whatever it takes for her feelings to be returned in kind. She considers working with the Outsiders as a stepping stone to that goal, and will cooperate however necessary to support the squad. She’s also a vain, rich, aristocratic bitch with negative tolerance for supernatural schemes/bullshit and a truly impressive amount of self control. Don’t get her expensive clothes and especially shoes dirty, though. She’ll kill you. She’ll kill you dead. Just like if you get in the way of any of her other obsessions. Like yes, impressing Nimbus, but also being the smartest person in the room. She worked very hard to get a very good education, thank you very much. Sleeping in on the weekend. She needs her beauty sleep to stay gorgeous. Making her bleed her own blood and feel pain. You’ve attempted to scar Thespian’s flawless skin? How dare you. Among others. She’s crazy, okay? Straight out fuckin’ nuts. Just, you know, it only comes out sometimes. It’s self control, not self restraint. Control as in aiming the inevitable murder at the correct target, and selecting an appropriate time when they’re not longer of any use to her. Restraint would not be murdering at all. So normally she’s calm, cool, and collected.

[EternalPhoenix]

Military Action Group

 

Overview

 

The Military Action Group. This is where the bulk of the Strength Revolution’s forces are located. Approximately 10,000 people scattered across four divisions and a small transport unit. Approximately 2400 people per division, with 400 in Transport. Recon is made up of snipers, assassins, spies, and thieves. Sneaky people who do sneaky things sneakily. Heavy is full of demomen, terrorists and various experts in the usage of machine guns, explosives, and artillery. Assault are typically the ones who make the news footage. Blazing away with assault rifles and chucking grenades. If the soldiers of the MAG are engaged in a blazing firefight, they’re always right in the middle of it. Because that’s what Assault is made of. Former soldiers, organized crime enforcers, and similar people. Support is a mixed bag. They’re half field soldiery (field medics, combat engineers, and the like) and virtual noncombatants (doctors, medical staff, engineers, scientists, and various other technical specialists).Transport is comprised of pilots, their planes/helicopters, and the mechanics that service them. Their job is to get the other divisions where they need to go.

 

The MAG has existed throughout the Revolution’s history. Recon’s had several different names and their weapons and methods have changed, but they’ve been there from the start. Assault used to feature literal cavalry. Heavy was named Siege, and both it and Support were miniscule before modern science, weapons, and technology arrived on the scene. The 10k strong part is also a part of the modern age, as well, because roll back a few centuries and that’s a huge army Methion would now have to feed. No, chop those numbers to just a thousand or so. Assault was the biggest, followed by Recon. Heavy and Support took last place. What the MAG is now, however, is the Revolution’s own private army. They masquerade as several different private military companies and generally get done whatever mundane work needs doing.

 

Tactics

 

This is the Strength Revolution’s endless mook hordes. They have significant bases in every major country and most of the others, too. So they can appear in whatever country the campaign takes place in. They’re mostly regular criminals, not supervillains, so use the Minion rules for everyone but named commanding officers. Heroes’ first encounter with the Revolution is likely through them, and probably Assault or Recon. In urban areas, this is most likely Recon as they have all the thieves and sneaky criminals. Escalation of the threat can bring in Assault and maybe Heavy. Followed by Lieutenants and Captains. Further escalation would ultimately involve members of the Special Tactics Group.

 

Whichever division it is, the common membership is PL 5-6. Heavy’s use of explosives can jump their technical offensive PL to 10 (because of the sheer power of Rocket Launchers), however. It’s table time.

 

Division	Weapons	Armor/Toughness
Recon	Sniper Rifle (Blast 5, Improved Range 2 [250 ft increments]) Submachine Gun (Blast 4, Autofire) Heavy Pistol (Blast 4) Light Pistol (Blast 3) Knife (Strike 1, Mighty [no more than +3 Damage])	+5 Toughness (snipers, assassins) Undercover Vest (Protection 3, Subtle)   +4 Toughness (spies, thieves) Undercover Shirt (Protection 2, Subtle)
Assault	Assault Rifle (Blast 5, Autofire) Submachine Gun (Blast 4, Autofire) Heavy Pistol (Blast 4) Shotgun (Blast 6) Sword/Axe/Hammer (Strike 3, Mighty (no more than +6 Damage) Knife (Strike 1, Mighty [no more than +3 Damage]) Flash Bangs (Dazle 4 [Visual & Auditory], Burst Area) Fragmentation Grenades (Blast 5, Burst Area)	+7 Toughness Tactical Vest (Protection 4)
Heavy	7.62mm Machine Gun (Blast 6, Autofire) Heavy Pistol (Blast 4) Sword/Axe/Hammer (Strike 3, Mighty (+6 Damage) Flash Bangs (Dazzle 4 [Visual & Auditory], Burst Area) Fragmentation Grenades (Blast 5, Burst Area) Claymore Mine (Strike 6, Cone Area) Rocket Launcher (Blast 10, Burst Area, Limited to One Use)	+8 Toughness Tactical Armor (Protection 5)
Support	Submachine Gun (Blast 4, Autofire) Heavy Pistol (Blast 4) Knife (Strike 1, Mighty [no more than +3 Damage]) Flash Bangs (Dazle 4 [Visual & Auditory], Burst Area) Fragmentation Grenades (Blast 5, Burst Area)	+6 Toughness (field types) Tactical Vest (Protection 4)   +3/+4 Toughness (background types) Undercover Shirt (Protection 2, Subtle)
Transport (PL 5s only)	On Foot Submachine Gun (Blast 4, Autofire) (pilots only) Heavy Pistol (Blast 4) Knife (Strike 1, Mighty [no more than +3 Damage]) Hammer (Strike 3, Mighty (no more than +5 Damage) (mechanics only)   In Plane/Copter (Pilots only) Light Machine Gun (Blast 6, Autofire) Mini Missles (Blast 6, Burst Area) or Rockets (Blast 9, Burst Area, 5 Uses) Both use STR 40 (+15) and Flight 6 (500 MPH, 4400 ft/rnd)	+4 Toughness (pilots) Undercover Shirt (Protection 2, Subtle)   +3/+4 Toughness (mechanics) Undercover Shirt (Protection 2, Subtle)   In Plane/Helicopter +11 Toughness -4 Defense (or 1d20+10, but can’t attack that round)

 

If they’re a PL 5 they have(10 – Damage Rank) Attack Bonus with that weapon. If they’re PL 6 it’s (12 – Damage Rank). Naturally this doesn’t apply to Area Attacks. Defense Rank is (10 – Toughness) if they’re PL 5 and (12 – Toughness) if they’re PL 6. Reflex saves are the same number, while Fort and Will saves are +3 for PL 5s and +4 for PL 6. Please be advised that individual MAG members do not necessarily carry all the listed weapons. Recon division uses Suppressors (adds Subtle) on  all firearms. Depending on the mission, Assault may do so as well. All armor has the Second Chance (Toughness vs. Ballistics) feat. Heavy division armor has a second rank of it vs. Explosive. All divisions have whatever non weapon or armor Equipment they require to perform their missions. They’re mooks, don’t worry about EP costs. Nicknames for individual members, should you desire to have some, can be found here. Ranks below Captain and Lieutenant are Sergeant, Squad Leader, and Squaddie. All Captains and Lieutenants are non-Minions. Sergeants may be non-Minions at GM discretion, however, all Squad Leaders and Squaddies are Minions.

 

In combat, MAG soldiers take full advantage of Autofire’s Multiple Targets, Covering Fire, and Suppression Fire options. They also take full advantage of Team Attacks and Cover. Even a mook squad that knows what it’s doing can be dangerous to a solo PL 8 hero. So be careful out there.

[EternalPhoenix]

Walter Mackey

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 150/150

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +2 (14), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +2 (14)

 

Tough: +2/+6, Fort: +5, Ref: +12, Will: +7

 

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Bluff 3 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 3 (+5), Gather Information 3 (+5), Intimidate 6 (+8), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 13 (+15), Language 5 (+5), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 5 (+8), Stealth 14 (+15)

 

Feats: All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged) 6, Attack Specialization (Unarmed Attack), Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 5, Equipment 3, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 6)), Improved Initiative, Master Plan, Master Plan 2 (tactics), Power Attack, Precise Shot 2, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Skill Mastery (KN (tactics), Medicine, Notice, Stealth), Ultimate Effort (Aim), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

MAG Recon Captain's Armor (Device 5) (Hard to lose)

   Active Camoflage (Concealment 4) (all visual senses; Blending)

   Integral Grapple Gun (Linked)

      Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd)

      Super-Movement 2 (Linked; wall-crawling 2 (full speed))

   Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))

   Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))

   Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

Sniper Rifle w/ Scope (Device 5) (Easy to lose; Subtle (subtle))

   Scope (Super-Senses 2) (extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft))

   Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 6) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 6)); Penetrating [3 ranks only]; Improved Range 2 (300 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range 2 (max range x5, 3000 feet), Subtle 2 (unnoticable))

 

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Masterwork Suppressed Light Pistol, Suppressed Heavy Pistol, Suppressed Submachine Gun)

 

Attack Bonus: +6 (Ranged: +12, Melee: +6, Grapple: +8)

 

Attacks: Masterwork Suppressed Light Pistol, +13 (DC 18), Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 6), +12 (DC 21), Suppressed Heavy Pistol, +12 (DC 19), Suppressed Submachine Gun, +12 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +12  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +5

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, Russian, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 24 + Skills 19 (76 ranks) + Feats 27 + Powers 36 + Combat 26 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 150

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 68

Height: 5’ 9”

Weight: 155 lbs

Ethnicity: English

Hair: Black (dyed, naturally White)

Eyes: Blue

 

Background: Walter Mackey is old as shite. Ask him, he’ll tell you. The extremely long term veteran mercenary has shot people in the head or center of torso on 5 continents. 5 because Australia and Antarctica have never had a proper war for him to do it in, and have you tried getting in and out of either with a fucking murder rifle? Fucking impossible, innit? Very young Walter was a dutiful son from a military family who joined the British Army and was promptly sent to Northern Fucking Ireland. Fucking Irish, he says. Both sides were stupid bastards, he says. Troubles? That’s one way of putting it, he says. Bunch of stubborn dickheads being stubborn and dickheaded at each other. He served his term and got the fuck out. He says that the Good Friday Agreement was something they should’ve done 30 fucking years earlier and saved everyone the bloodshed. After that, he was a gun for hire for a bit. Did some shooting in Vietnam and neighboring places. A little more in South America, but he can’t talk about that in mixed company. Client’s Non Disclosure Agreement (because of all the war crimes, so DON’T BLOODY ASK) is still in effect. Fell in with the Strength Revolution around ’86. Eventually Katrea made him Captain of the Recon Division and therefore responsible for keeping their training up to snuff. He’s still around, somehow. Just hasn’t managed to get killed or imprisoned. And what the fuck would he do if he retired? Sit on some beach and have fruity drinks? Sounds incredibly fucking dreary. Also these shite for brains recruits would never learn how not to get dead or nabbed. Christ, it’s like they get stupider every year. Call of Duty is not reality, you enormous dipshits. His current Lieutenants are the Israeli Rose “Zulu” Ross and the Mexican Patricia “Shadow” Garza.

 

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Mackey has no superhuman powers. He has a primary weapon in his Sniper Rifle w/ Scope, his MAG Recon Captain's Armor, and a Backup Arsenal. The Rifle has the expected range and the Scope extends his vision. The Backup Arsenal consists of a Suppressed Submachine Gun, a Suppressed Heavy Pistol, and a Masterwork Suppressed Light Pistol.

It is the MAG Recon Captain’s Armor that is remarkable. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea and his troops. A grapple gun for ascending heights rapidly. The expected body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. Goggles that extend his vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums. But the big element is the Active Camouflage. Between sensors and electro sensitive pigments on the armor, Mackey can basically disappear from sight as long as he doesn’t move too quickly. And why would an old sniper move quickly to begin with?

 

Tactically, Mackey is a sniper. Old school recon man. Find a good vantage point, get to it with Integral Grapple Gun, and turn on Active Camouflage. Between his Tactical Goggles and Scope, he’s likely got superior visual command of the battlefield. He can keep in touch with his division or whoever he’s working with, letting them know what he sees. He can also deal out steel jacketed death from further away that most can see without aid. With enough height and good sight lines he’s basically invincible for any enemies who don’t have enhanced senses. Do not forget that he can engage a Master Plan and grant all of his allies a +3 to all skill checks and, more importantly, attack rolls for three rounds. Then a +2 and finally a +1 for one round each. He’s basically a one man force multiplier. He can’t power stunt. One last thing. There’s a saying. Fear the old man in a profession where men die young. He’s a 68 year old criminal mercenary. He doesn’t make mistakes.

 

Personality: Walter Mackey is an asshole. A grumpy old man who nothing is ever good enough for, and just such an asshole. His policy is to treat everyone alike: just like shit. Nobody actually likes him, but he’s been with the Strength Revolution for longer than anyone who isn’t actively immortal in some way. It’s genuinely impressive, actually, how long he’s survived. So pretty much everybody respects him. And you know, he doesn’t use actual slurs. Not because he’s politically correct or particularly “woke”, but because insulting you for something you were born as and can’t change is weak and unimaginative. Any ignorant hack can drop slurs all over the place. It takes a real artist to make a grown man cry over his own life choices. Once again, he’s an asshole.

[EternalPhoenix]

Rose "Zulu" Ross

 

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 135/135

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +2 (14), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +2 (14)

 

Tough: +2/+6, Fort: +5, Ref: +10, Will: +6

 

Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+5), Bluff 3 (+5), Concentration 7 (+10), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 3 (+5), Gather Information 3 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Language 6 (+6), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 2 (+5), Stealth 12 (+15), Survival 2 (+5)

 

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 2, Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 3, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 6)), Improved Initiative, Precise Shot 2, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Skill Mastery (Craft (mech), Notice, Stealth, Survival), Ultimate Effort (Aim), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Archangel Zulu Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose)

   Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))

   Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))

   Silenced Jet Pack (Flight 2) (Vertical Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd, Horizontal Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd; Levitate [1 rank only]; Subtle (subtle))

   Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

Sniper Rifle w/ Scope (Device 5) (Easy to lose; Subtle (subtle))

   Scope (Super-Senses 2) (extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft))

   Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 6) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 6)); Penetrating [3 ranks only]; Improved Range 2 (300 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range 2 (max range x5, 3000 feet), Subtle 2 (unnoticable))

 

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Masterwork Knife, Suppressed Heavy Pistol, Suppressed Submachine Gun)

 

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +8, Grapple: +10)

 

Attacks: Masterwork Knife, +9 (DC 18), Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 6), +10 (DC 21), Suppressed Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Suppressed Submachine Gun, +10 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +10  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +7

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Hebrew Native, Russian, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 17 (68 ranks) + Feats 15 + Powers 32 + Combat 30 + Saves 13 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 30

Height: 5’ 10”

Weight: 140 lbs

Ethnicity: Israeli

Hair: Dark Brown

Eyes: Light Brown

 

Background: Rose “Zulu” Ross is ex-Israeli Ground Forces. She was conscripted at age 18, same as any citizen of Israel. Unlike roughly a third young women, however, she did not get a religious exemption and volunteer for Sherut Leumi. Her physical profile was also very high, enough to join the Infantry Corps. This is where she received her initial sharpshooter training. She was good, so she was fully trained as a sniper and served in a sniper platoon within her larger unit. Then her term of service ended, and she left military service. It had never suited her, anyway. MAG Recon Captain Walter Mackey keeps an eye out for potential recruits, and she fit the bill. The pay is good. Her personality meshes well with her Captain. And the rules of the MAG are more…flexible than those of military service. Fucking officers.She’s aromantic and asexual, and thus has less than no desire to get married or birth her own children. Adoption, maybe. Someday. Or perhaps that’s just the guilt from not giving her mother grandchildren yet.

 

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Zulu has no superhuman powers. She has a primary weapon in her Sniper Rifle w/ Scope, her Archangel Zulu Armor, and a Backup Arsenal. The Rifle has the expected range and the Scope extends her vision. The Backup Arsenal consists of a Suppressed Submachine Gun, a Suppressed Heavy Pistol, and a Masterwork Knife.

It is the Archangel Zulu Armor that is remarkable. A radio for staying in touch with Captain Mackey and her troops. The expected body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. Goggles that extend her vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums. But the big element is the Silenced Jet Pack. She can fly. Slowly, true, and ascending is faster, but she can fly. Since it’s silenced, she can sneak around at the same time. This is unlike most flight methods.

 

Tactically, she’s a sniper and a scout. So she’s either shooting from further away than most people can see, or she’s passively observing and reporting. She is always flying. People don’t look up much, especially over a hundred feet up. She does not power stunt.

 

Personality: Zulu is, ironically from someone born in a desert country, frigid. Ice fucking cold. Like a Russian in Siberia in February cold. She is in a permanent state of just not giving one single fuck. She’s 100% professional, with a dry wit designed to take more years off lifespans than her weapons.However, she is surprisingly adherent to the Jewish faith, if not culture. She doesn’t keep perfect kosher, but what heavily traveling person can? A strange woman, that Zulu.

[EternalPhoenix]

Patricia "Shadow" Garza

 

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 135/135

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +2 (14), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +2 (14)

 

Tough: +2/+6, Fort: +5, Ref: +10, Will: +6

 

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 3 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 3 (+5), Gather Information 3 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Language 5 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 2 (+5), Stealth 12 (+15), Survival 2 (+5)

 

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 2, Attack Specialization (Masterwork Knife), Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 3, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 6)), Improved Initiative, Precise Shot 2, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Craft (mech), Notice, Stealth), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Shadow Chameleon Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose)

   Active Camouflage (Concealment 4) (all visual senses; Blending)

   Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))

   Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))

   Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

Sniper Rifle w/ Scope (Device 5) (Easy to lose; Subtle (subtle))

   Scope (Super-Senses 2) (extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft))

   Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 6) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 6)); Penetrating [3 ranks only]; Improved Range 2 (300 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range 2 (max range x5, 3000 feet), Subtle 2 (unnoticable))

 

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Masterwork Knife, Suppressed Heavy Pistol, Suppressed Submachine Gun)

 

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +8, Grapple: +10)

 

Attacks: Masterwork Knife, +11 (DC 18), Sniper Rifle Shot (Blast 6), +10 (DC 21), Suppressed Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Suppressed Submachine Gun, +10 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +10  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +7

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Russian, Spanish Native

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 17 (68 ranks) + Feats 15 + Powers 32 + Combat 30 + Saves 13 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 27

Height: 5’ 6”

Weight: 125 lbs

Ethnicity: Mexican

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Dark Brown

 

Background: Patricia "Shadow" Garza is a former Sinaloa Cartel enforcer. Hitwoman? Assassin? Look, she didn’t have a job title. She just shot people and cut throats when the boss said so. She started in her mid teens, worked her way up the ladder a little bit, and then BLACK swept down on her boss like the wrath of God. She was neither stupid nor loyal enough to die for her greedy misogynist asshole of a boss, so she ran the fuck away from that shitshow/massacre. MAG Recon Captain Walter Mackey keeps an eye out for potential recruits, and she fit the bill. The pay is good. She doesn’t have to worry about fucking BLACK swooping in out of nowhere. And while her Captain is a fucking asshole, he’s never tried to stiff her on her pay, get in her pants, or hold her pay hostage to get in her pants. So whatever.This was explicitly a pain in her ass because she’s a lesbian and has less romantic/sexual interest in men than she has in the average block of wood. She is in a committed relationship with a woman in Support, but they do not plan on having or adopting any children.

 

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Shadow has no superhuman powers. She has a primary weapon in her Sniper Rifle w/ Scope, her Shadow Chameleon Armor, and a Backup Arsenal. The Rifle has the expected range and the Scope extends her vision. The Backup Arsenal consists of a Suppressed Submachine Gun, a Suppressed Heavy Pistol, and a Masterwork Knife.

It is the Shadow Chameleon Armor that is remarkable. A radio for staying in touch with Captain Mackey and her troops. The expected body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. Goggles that extend her vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums. But the big element is the Active Camouflage. Between sensors and electro sensitive pigments on the armor, Shadow can basically disappear from sight as long as she doesn’t move too quickly.

 

Tactically, she’s assassin and spy. Flexible. A sniper shot and/or distant observation is good, but some targets can only be killed and some things can only be discovered up close, which is where Active Camouflage comes in handy. She’s from the up close and personal side of Recon, so her Backup Arsenal ain’t quite as “backup” as it is Mackey or Zulu. Especially her Masterwork Knife.

 

Personality: Shadow is an unrepentant killer. However, she’s not mentally ill or anything. World’s dog eat dog, you know? Sometimes you have to kill to survive, and not because your life is in direct danger, but because it’s your only marketable skill. She’s a very practical and pragmatic woman. If it’s not getting her paid and keeping a roof over her head, she doesn’t give a shit about it. She only softens around her partner, and they don’t go on missions together for that exact reason.

[EternalPhoenix]

Simon Vyntra

 

Power Level: 10; Power Points Spent: 150/150

 

STR: +3 (16), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +1 (12), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+10, Fort: +7, Ref: +10, Will: +4

 

Skills: Bluff 2 (+5), Craft (chemical) 12 (+15), Diplomacy 2 (+5), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 12 (+15), Knowledge (tactics) 2 (+5), Language 5 (+5), Notice 4 (+5), Sense Motive 4 (+5), Stealth 9 (+10)

 

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 3, Attack Specialization (Masterwork Light Pistol), Attack Specialization (Masterwork Warhammer), Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 4, Evasion 2, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Precise Shot, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Explosives Belt (Device (Hard to lose)

   Explosives (Array 17) (default power: blast)

      Flash BANG (Dazzle (Array; affects: 1 type + visual - visual & auditory, DC 18; Burst Area (40 ft. radius - General); Triggered 2 (any trigger))

      Flechette STORM (Strike 10) (Array; DC 25; Cone Area (100-500 ft. cone - General), Penetrating; Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5), Triggered 2 (any trigger))

      Ka-BOOMER (Blast 10) (Array; DC 25; Burst Area (50-250 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5), Triggered 2 (any trigger))

      Ol' Smokey (Obscure (Array; affects: visual senses, Radius: 1000 ft.; Duration (continuous), Selective Attack, Total Fade; Fades)

      Super EMP (Nullify 10) (Array; counters: all powers of (type) - technological, DC 20; Burst Area (50-250 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5), Triggered 2 (any trigger))

      Targeted Bomb (Blast (Default; DC 23; Burst Area (40 ft. radius - General), Selective Attack; Triggered 2 (any trigger))

      Wall BANGER (Drain (Array; drains: single trait - toughness, DC 18; Affects Objects, Burst Area (40 ft. radius - General), Range (ranged); Triggered 2 (any trigger))

MAG Heavy Captain's Armor (Device 5) (Hard to lose)

   Environmental Support Gear (Immunity 4) (environmental condition: Heat, environmental condition: Radiation, suffocation (all))

   Heavy Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 7) (+7 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))

   Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))

   Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 4) (distance sense, infravision, time sense, ultravision)

 

Equipment: Arsenal (Masterwork Assault Rifle, Masterwork Light Pistol, Masterwork Warhammer), Toolkit (Basic)

 

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +7, Grapple: +10)

 

Attacks: Flash BANG (Dazzle (DC Fort/Ref 18), Flechette STORM (Strike 10) (DC 25), Ka-BOOMER (Blast 10) (DC 25), Masterwork Assault Rifle, +11 (DC 20), Masterwork Light Pistol, +13 (DC 18), Masterwork Warhammer, +10 (DC 21), Super EMP (Nullify 10) (DC Will 20), Targeted Bomb (Blast (DC 23), Unarmed Attack, +7 (DC 18), Wall BANGER (Drain (DC Fort/Staged 18)

 

Defense: +6  (Flat-footed: +2), Knockback: -5

 

Initiative: +1

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, Greek Native, Russian, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 16 (64 ranks) + Feats 18 + Powers 52 + Combat 20 + Saves 16 + Drawbacks 0 = 150

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 25

Height: 5’ 9”

Weight: 180 lbs

Ethnicity: Greek

Hair: Dark Brown

Eyes: Grey

 

Background: Simon Vyntra was literally a bomb throwing anarchist. He grew up idolizing the terrorist group Black Star, and was fascinated by explosive chemistry. At age 15 he made his big debut as a terrorist by blowing up a half a dozen parked (and empty) police cars in Athens. He declared his political leanings and blasted the (in his very young opinion) cowards who hide instead of truly fighting imperialism, the establishment, and capitalism. He might have gone on a real reign of terror…except Katrea was in town. And she liked his spirit. She had a word with Methion, and the Grand Wizard recruited the teenage boy personally. The stabilizing factor that prevented a disaster was Walter Mackey. Katrea had correctly identified the teenager as a born contrarian. And Mackey, who would tell God to His face that He’s a bit shit, honestly, was the perfect person to get the best out of him. Vyntra became a useful member of the MAG basically just to spite him. He was made Captain specifically to keep him in contact with Mackey and so that he wouldn’t drive his Captain up the wall. He only had to answer to Katrea. It is his current Lieutenants, the American Sergio “Tectonic” Marquez and the Irish Casey “Casino” Duff who command the Heavy division. And the bomb throwing Revolutionary wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Vyntra has no superhuman powers. He has primary weapons in his Explosives Belt, his MAG Heavy Captain's Armor, and an Arsenal of mundane firearms. There are several different types of explosives in the Belt. An overpowered flash bang. What’s basically a claymore mine taken up to eleven with steel flechettes instead of balls. A huge smoke grenade. A mighty electromagnetic pulse bomb. Literal thermite for burning through walls. And two very large bombs, one of which is weaker but can be directed. The other is just a massive explosion. Everything in the belt except the smoke grenade he can trigger instantly or set up for later. A remote control, a timer, pressure plates, tripwires, he’s got a lot of methods to trigger them.

The MAG Heavy Captain’s Armor is useful. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea and his troops. Protection against heat and radiation, along with an air supply. Goggles that extend his vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.  And very heavy body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. The latter of which is very useful in his line of work.

The Arsenal consists of a Masterwork Assault Rifle, a Masterwork Light Pistol, and a Masterwork Warhammer.

 

Tactically, well…it depends. He can be both the unhinged terrorist and the professional demoman. It depends what the mission needs. The former doesn’t use a lot of Triggered while the latter absolutely does. Flash BANG and Ol’ Smokey are to cover escapes, really. Super EMP is able to shut down tech in up to a 250 foot radius, which is useful for escapes too, but also has its uses as a distraction against heroes (especially tech specialists) and it’s an excellent terrorist weapon. The rest are pretty regular explosives, by which I mean he uses them to kill people and knock down walls and buildings. The Arsenal is for when explosions would be…unwise. Please note that he uses KN (physical sciences) for Inventor. Because he has that, he never power stunts.

 

Personality: Simon Vyntra is a fucking lunatic. He’s basically a pyromaniac, except instead of liking to make things burn he likes to make them explode. This doesn’t mean he is unable to contain himself. After a decade, he’s a fervent believer in Revolutionary ideals. He scares the shit out of rank and file MAG soldiers with his enthusiasm for explosives and the Revolution. Even the officers are uneasy around him. Except Walter Mackey, who as noted doesn’t give a shit.

[EternalPhoenix]

Sergio “Tectonic” Marquez

 

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 135/135

 

STR: +5 (20), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+8, Fort: +8, Ref: +8, Will: +5

 

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Bluff 2 (+5), Craft (chemical) 3 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 2 (+5), Gather Information 2 (+5), Intimidate 7 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Language 6 (+6), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 4 (+5), Survival 8 (+10)

 

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 3, Attack Specialization (Masterwork Battleaxe), Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 4, Improved Critical 2 (Heavy Machine Gun (Blast 8)), Precise Shot, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Skill Mastery (Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth, Survival), Startle, Teamwork 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Heavy Weapons (Device 5) (Easy to lose; Custom (Multiple Weapons))

   Heavy Machine Gun (Blast (DC 23; Autofire (interval 2, max +5))

      Rocket Launcher (Blast 10) (Alternate; DC 23; Burst Area (40-250 ft. radius - General); Unreliable (5 Uses); Progression, Decrease Area 2 (-2 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5))

MAG Lieutenant's Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose)

   Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))

   Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 5) (+5 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))

   Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

 

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Flash-Bang, Fragmentation Grenade, Heavy Pistol, Masterwork Battleaxe)

 

Attack Bonus: +5 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +5, Grapple: +10)

 

Attacks: Flash-Bang, +8 (DC Fort/Ref 14), Fragmentation Grenade, +8 (DC Ref 15), Heavy Machine Gun (Blast 8), +8 (DC 23), Heavy Pistol, +8 (DC 19), Masterwork Battleaxe, +8 (DC 23), Rocket Launcher (Blast 10) (DC 23), Unarmed Attack, +5 (DC 20)

 

Defense: +8  (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -4

 

Initiative: +1

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 17 (68 ranks) + Feats 19 + Powers 32 + Combat 20 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 42

Height: 6’ 6”

Weight: 280 lbs

Ethnicity: Hispanic

Hair: Dark Brown

Eyes: Dark Brown

 

Background: Sergio “Tectonic” Marquez was too damn big for the Army. When you’re the size of a NFL offensive lineman, the Army doesn’t want you. Fortunately, the French Foreign Legion isn’t quite so strict. It took a little doing, but he joined up and served many years. He finally mustered out in 2009 after 14 years of service. Medical discharge due to a knee injury. He was a French citizen, and happily so. Married to a lovely French lady with three lovely half French children (all girls, ages as of Jan 2019 are 20, 17, and 14). It took about six months before he was bored out of his skull. In fairness, his wife and kids were also going nuts. Their relationships worked because he wasn’t always there. And then he was, and they didn’t work anymore. He responded to the equivalent of a help wanted ad, and found himself joining the MAG. The docs in Support managed to rebuild his knee. Tectonic himself managed to rebuild his relationships with his wife and daughters. Even added a infant son to the roster in the process (age 9 as of Jan 2019).  Understandably, the mercenary Tectonic is not known to be Sergio Marquez. He is the de facto captain of Heavy division, as Simon Vyntra only has the rank to spare everyone having to deal with his inevitable disobedience and disruptiveness to unit cohesion. Vyntra doesn’t mind this, as it grants him the freedom to operate as he pleases and he knows Tectonic is a better leader anyway.

 

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Tectonic has no superhuman powers. He has two primary weapons in his Heavy Weapons, his MAG Lieutenant’s Armor, and a Backup Arsenal. The Heavy Weapons consist of a Heavy Machine Gun and a Rocket Launcher. The Heavy Machine Gun is exactly what it says it is. Normally these are mounted on large vehicles or anchored to the ground, but this is a version with cutting edge firearms technology making it about as man portable as a mundane Light Machine Gun (aka the 7.62mm Machine Gun the rank and file use). Tectonic is strong as hell for an unpowered human, so he handles it with ease. The Rocket Launcher is also exactly what it says it is. The full yield is variable and unlike the rank and file his RL is reloadable with the other four rockets he carries on him. The Backup Arsenal consists of Flash Bangs, Fragmentation Grenades, a Heavy Pistol, and a Masterwork Battleaxe.

The MAG Lieutenant’s Armor is useful. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea and his troops. Goggles that extend his vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.  And heavy body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. The latter of which is very useful in his line of work.

 

Tactically, Tectonic has options. Flash Bangs or Startle can help him hit. Fragmentation Grenades can clear out groups, as he reserves his limited Rocket supply for harder targets like tanks, helicopters, or potent superheroes. He can Aid Another with Teamwork to increase their odds of hitting. And there’s always the axe. But mainly he’s behind cover blasting away with his Heavy Machine Gun.

 

Personality: Ultimately, Tectonic is a selfish creature. He’s not a coward, a sadist, sociopathic, or in any way dramatically evil. He’s not a thief, and there’s plenty that’s happened historically on the battlefield that he would not allow in his presence. However, he’s perfectly content to take large chunks of money to be functionally a murderer and a terrorist. He is selfish in that he wants what he wants, and that’s the end of the discussion. And what he wants, as it turns out, is to be a well paid soldier for a cause that actually meant anything to him. Mission accomplished.

[EternalPhoenix]

Casey "Casino" Duff

 

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 135/135

 

STR: +3 (16), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+8, Fort: +5, Ref: +8, Will: +8

 

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Bluff 7 (+10), Climb 2 (+5), Craft (chemical) 3 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 2 (+5), Gather Information 2 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Language 6 (+6), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 4 (+5), Survival 8 (+10)

 

Feats: Attack Specialization (Sword), Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 4, Improved Aim, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Precise Shot 2, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Skill Mastery (Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth, Survival), Takedown Attack, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Heavy Weapons (Device 5) (Easy to lose; Custom (Multiple Weapons))

   Heavy Machine Gun (Blast (DC 23; Autofire (interval 2, max +5))

      Rocket Launcher (Blast 10) (Alternate; DC 23; Burst Area (40-250 ft. radius - General); Unreliable (5 Uses); Progression, Decrease Area 2 (-2 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5))

MAG Lieutenant's Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose)

   Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))

   Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 5) (+5 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))

   Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

 

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Flash-Bang, Fragmentation Grenade, Heavy Pistol, Sword)

 

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +8, Grapple: +11)

 

Attacks: Flash-Bang, +8 (DC Fort/Ref 14), Fragmentation Grenade, +8 (DC Ref 15), Heavy Machine Gun (Blast 8), +8 (DC 23), Heavy Pistol, +8 (DC 19), Rocket Launcher (Blast 10) (DC 23), Sword, +10 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 18)

 

Defense: +8  (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -4

 

Initiative: +5

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, German, Irish, Russian, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 17 (68 ranks) + Feats 17 + Powers 32 + Combat 26 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 30

Height: 5’ 11”

Weight: 170 lbs.

Ethnicity: Irish

Hair: Black

Eyes: Blue

 

Background: Casey "Casino" Duff is a former member of Ireland’s Defense Forces (the Army, specifically). It’s a volunteer organization, and has been from the start. Forced conscription has a ugly history in Ireland, and actually played a key role in triggering the Irish War of Independence. Casino didn’t find what she wanted in the service due to Irish neutrality, and mustered out when she could. She bounced between a few mercenary groups, which brought her to the attention of Katrea. Sergio “Tectonic” Marquez personally recruited her into the unit. Heavy division is a bit of a sausage fest, but she’s held her own enough to join him as a Lieutenant. She has a husband and two children (a 10 year old son and an 8 year old daughter) at home in Ireland. Understandably, the mercenary Casino is not known to be Casey Duff.

 

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Casino has no superhuman powers. She has two primary weapons in his Heavy Weapons, his MAG Lieutenant’s Armor, and a Backup Arsenal. The Heavy Weapons consist of a Heavy Machine Gun and a Rocket Launcher. The Heavy Machine Gun is exactly what it says it is. Normally these are mounted on large vehicles or anchored to the ground, but this is a version with cutting edge firearms technology making it about as man portable as a mundane Light Machine Gun (aka the 7.62mm Machine Gun the rank and file use). Casino is a burly woman, but even she can have a little trouble with it. The Rocket Launcher is also exactly what it says it is. The full yield is variable and unlike the rank and file his RL is reloadable with the other four rockets she carries on her. The Backup Arsenal consists of Flash Bangs, Fragmentation Grenades, a Heavy Pistol, and a Sword.

The MAG Lieutenant’s Armor is useful. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea, Tectonic, and her troops. Goggles that extend her vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.  And heavy body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. The latter of which is very useful in her line of work.

 

Tactically, she’s very aggressive. She spends her Rockets pretty quickly, reserving only the last one for any tougher targets like tanks, helicopters, or superheroes. Fragmentation Grenades aren’t as powerful but aren’t as limited in number for her. Flash Bangs, Feinting, and Improved Aim can be used to help her hit. And she loves any opportunity to use her Sword. But mainly she’s blasting away from behind cover with her Heavy Machine Gun.

 

Personality: Ireland may be neutral, but Casino isn’t. She’s an aggressive woman who loves a good fight. She’d have been right at home back in the Celtic tribal days. Naked and screaming with a huge sword in her hands as she charged the Romans or whoever. She’s a ferocious warrior woman at work, and a cuddly warm mother at home. The two sides are both equally her. It’s just that her MAG work lets the former not spill over into modern society, where aggression and a love of violence are uh…frowned upon.

[EternalPhoenix]

Victor "Shotsy" Leroy

 

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 135/135

 

STR: +3 (16), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +5, Ref: +10, Will: +6

 

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 2 (+5), Gather Information 2 (+5), Intimidate 7 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Language 6 (+6), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 9 (+10), Survival 8 (+10)

 

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 3, Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 4, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)), Improved Initiative, Master Plan, Master Plan 2 (tactics), Move-by Action, Precise Shot, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Skill Mastery (Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth, Survival), Startle, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Heavy Assault Rifle (Device 4) (Easy to lose)

   Automatic Fire (Blast 6) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5))

MAG Captain's Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose)

   Integral Grapple Gun (Linked)

      Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd)

      Super-Movement 2 (Linked; wall-crawling 2 (full speed))

   Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))

   Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))

   Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

 

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Flash-Bang, Fragmentation Grenade, Shotgun, Suppressed Heavy Pistol, Suppressed Submachine Gun)

 

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +7, Grapple: +10)

 

Attacks: Automatic Fire (Blast 6), +10 (DC 21), Flash-Bang, +10 (DC Fort/Ref 14), Fragmentation Grenade, +10 (DC Ref 15), Shotgun, +10 (DC 21 ), Suppressed Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Suppressed Submachine Gun, +10 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +7 (DC 18)

 

Defense: +10  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +5

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, Japanese, Kurdish, Russian, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 17 (68 ranks) + Feats 19 + Powers 28 + Combat 28 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 41

Height: 6’ 1”

Weight: 200 lbs

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Brown

 

Background: Victor "Shotsy" Leroy is a former US Army Ranger. Like many, he joined the Army out of high school. Easy work, for those that could do it. And he could. He worked his way to Sergeant and attended Ranger School, where he met Jack “Android” Martin. The brutal trials of the 61 days of Ranger School bonded the two men together, and they became firm partners. In 2003 both men deployed to Iraq as a part of the invasion, and remained throughout the Iraqi War. They did rotate home, but both also volunteered for additional duty. At the end of the war, Leroy decided not to extend his service contract, and so was honorably discharged. He finished as a Master Sergeant. He was immediately headhunted by several private military corporations, with a front of the Military Action Group winning out. He began serving in the Assault Division, with Martin joining him a year later after his honorable discharge. A combat casualty in 2014 saw Leroy promoted to Lieutenant, and the Captain’s retirement in 2016 saw him chosen to replace the man. He put his old friend Martin in the new vacancy with the approval of the other Lieutenant, the Japanese Shigeru “Dice” Miyamoto.

Leroy has seen some shit. He worked alongside (not “with”, he’d have been court martialed for “with”) BLACK on several occasions back in his days in the 75^th Battalion. When the Iraqi government fell, government services fell with it. It turned into a supervillain and monster free for all. To be fair, the Middle East’s superheroes did respond as best they could. However, many of them were also opposed to the, yanno, foreign occupying army. Official US military policy was to treat them the same as any other enemy. And the 75^th Ranger Battalion was smack in the middle of the situation, tasked with keeping a lid on…uh…everything. Victor “Shotsy” Leroy has seen some shit. This was why he didn’t reenlist. He was sick to death of seeing good soldiers get maimed, crippled, and/or killed for the dumbest fucking reasons. He was tired of being thrown into situations without adequate intel and having to scramble for his life and for his men’s lives. Yeah, he got a few medals. Yeah, he got a few commendations. They were both cold comfort after witnessing something out of a horror movie rip the life out of a man he’d trained and fought alongside for years. Or having to rapidly shoot down the now flaming mutant lizard monsters streaming out of a mad scientist’s lab after an air strike failed to kill everything in it. Or praying as you retreat (run like hell away from, actually) from a bulletproof something that bears an alarming resemblance to traditional depictions of the Devil as BLACK fights him tooth and nail. Yeah. He’s seen some shit.

 

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Leroy has no superhuman powers. He has a primary weapon in his Heavy Assault Rifle his MAG Captain's Armor, and a Backup Arsenal. The Rifle is just a more powerful version of a mundane Assault Rifle. The Backup Arsenal consists of Flash Bangs, Fragmentation Grenades, a Suppressed Submachine Gun, a Suppressed Heavy Pistol, and a Shotgun.

His MAG Captain’s Armor has several features. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea and his troops. A grapple gun for ascending heights rapidly. The expected body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. And goggles that extend his vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.

 

Tactically, like any MAG soldier he takes full advantage of Autofire’s Multiple Targets, Covering Fire, and Suppression Fire options. He also is generally found behind significant cover if at all possible. He has Startle and Flash Bangs to help him hit his targets, and Fragmentation Grenades to help thin out groups. He can move and shoot with Move By Action, too. With time to prep, he can even engage a Master Plan and grant his allies a +2 to skill check and, more importantly, attack rolls for 3 rounds. Followed by +1 for another round before the effect ends. Other than that, he’s a guy with a big assault rifle. Obviously, he doesn’t power stunt.

 

Personality: “Shotsy” is a straight up soldier. A stoic, professional ass kicker. Rangers lead the way, after all. But…how to put it. He got tired of being an invader. Of fighting for a cause he didn’t believe in. Of officers more concerned with pleasing the big brass and covering their asses as opposed to looking after their men and doing the job right. It wasn’t all of ‘em, but it damn sure was enough of ‘em. The MAG doesn’t have any of that. Katrea only rewards excellence, not ass kissing. The Revolution is a cause he can believe in. And the pay is a hell of a lot better.

[EternalPhoenix]

Jack “Android” Martin

 

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 135/135

 

STR: +3 (16), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +5, Ref: +10, Will: +6

 

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 2 (+5), Gather Information 2 (+5), Intimidate 7 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Language 6 (+6), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 9 (+10), Survival 8 (+10)

 

Feats: Attack Specialization (Bayonet Stab (Strike 3)), Attack Specialization (Masterwork Assault Rifle), Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 5, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Bayonet Stab (Strike 3)), Improved Critical 2 (Solid Slug (Blast 8)), Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Precise Shot, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Skill Mastery (Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth, Survival), Startle, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Heavy Shotgun (Device 4) (Easy to lose)

   Solid Slug (Blast (DC 23, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Solid Slug (Blast 8)))

      Bayonet Stab (Strike 3) (Alternate; DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Bayonet Stab (Strike 3)); Mighty)

      Wide Spread (Strike (Alternate; DC 23; Cone Area (80 ft. cone - General))

MAG Lieutenant's Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose)

   Integral Grapple Gun (Linked)

      Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd)

      Super-Movement 2 (Linked; wall-crawling 2 (full speed))

   Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))

   Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))

   Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

 

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Flash-Bang, Fragmentation Grenade, Knife, Masterwork Assault Rifle, Suppressed Heavy Pistol, Suppressed Submachine Gun), Mission Specific Equipment 3

 

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +8, Grapple: +11)

 

Attacks: Bayonet Stab (Strike 3), +10 (DC 21), Flash-Bang, +8 (DC Fort/Ref 14), Fragmentation Grenade, +8 (DC Ref 15), Knife, +8 (DC 19), Masterwork Assault Rifle, +11 (DC 20), Solid Slug (Blast 8), +8 (DC 23), Suppressed Heavy Pistol, +8 (DC 19), Suppressed Submachine Gun, +8 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 18), Wide Spread (Strike (DC 23)

 

Defense: +10  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +5

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, Japanese, Kurdish, Russian, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 17 (68 ranks) + Feats 17 + Powers 28 + Combat 30 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

 

Age (as of Jan 2019):

Height: 6’

Weight: 195 lbs

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Hair: Sandy Brown

Eyes: Light Brown

 

Background: Scroll back up, to the entry on Victor “Shotsy” Leroy. Android has an identical life story. He’s been Shotsy’s right hand since Ranger School, with the only gap being the year between Shotsy’s discharge and his own. So everything Shotsy’s been through, Android has been through too. And they’re of similar minds about it. ‘Nuff said.

 

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Android has no superhuman powers. He has a primary weapon in his Heavy Shotgun, his MAG Lieutenant's Armor, and a Backup Arsenal. The Shotgun is a more powerful version of a mundane Shotgun, with the ability to fire solid slugs, a wide spread of heavy buckshot, or simply stab away with the attached bayonet. The Backup Arsenal consists of Flash Bangs, Fragmentation Grenades, a Suppressed Submachine Gun, a Suppressed Heavy Pistol, a Masterwork Assault Rifle, and a Knife.

His MAG Lieutenant’s Armor has several features. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea, Shotsy, and his troops. A grapple gun for ascending heights rapidly. The expected body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. And goggles that extend his vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.

 

Tactically, Android is primarily a shotgun surgeon. His Heavy Shotgun has ranged, melee, and area damage available, after all. But sometimes you need to take out a group of enemies that are over there. Fragmentation Grenades are good for that. Flash Bangs and Startle can help single target attacks hit. And yes, he does use the Masterwork Assault Rifle when Autofire’s Covering Fire, and Suppression Fire options are called for. He doesn’t forget about cover, either.

 

Personality: “Android” is a straight up soldier. A professional ass kicker. Rangers lead the way, after all. Hooah. He joined the Army for the usual patriotic reasons.  Mom. The flag. Apple pie. Protect the homeland. Etc. Ad nauseam. But you know, you see some shit. And then you see some more shit. And then you see some more shit. And you realize that’s just the line the recruiters feed you to get you to sign up. You see enough shit, you get disillusioned and you don’t reenlist. Simple as that. He joined the MAG because Shotsy did, and seemed to be having a good time. He hasn’t regretted it. He’s a cheerful soul, really. Albeit in the soldier’s gallows humor way. To use a touch of copyrighted material, think of him as the Ken to Shotsy’s Ryu. Nice guy. Don’t be on the wrong end of his weapons.

[EternalPhoenix]

Shigeru “Dice” Miyamoto

 

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 135/135

 

STR: +3 (16), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +5, Ref: +10, Will: +6

 

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Bluff 7 (+10), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 2 (+5), Gather Information 2 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Language 6 (+6), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 9 (+10), Survival 8 (+10)

 

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 3, Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 4, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)), Improved Initiative, Improved Trick, Move-by Action, Precise Shot, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Skill Mastery (Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth, Survival), Teamwork 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Heavy Assault Rifle (Device 4) (Easy to lose)

   Automatic Fire (Blast 6) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5))

MAG Lieutenant’s Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose)

   Integral Grapple Gun (Linked)

      Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd)

      Super-Movement 2 (Linked; wall-crawling 2 (full speed))

   Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))

   Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))

   Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

 

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Flash-Bang, Fragmentation Grenade, Shotgun, Suppressed Heavy Pistol, Suppressed Submachine Gun)

 

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +7, Grapple: +10)

 

Attacks: Automatic Fire (Blast 6), +10 (DC 21), Flash-Bang, +10 (DC Fort/Ref 14), Fragmentation Grenade, +10 (DC Ref 15), Shotgun, +10 (DC 21 ), Suppressed Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Suppressed Submachine Gun, +10 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +7 (DC 18)

 

Defense: +10  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +5

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, Japanese Native, Korean, Russian, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 17 (68 ranks) + Feats 19 + Powers 28 + Combat 28 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

 

Age (as of Jan 2019):

Height: 5’ 9”

Weight: 170 lbs

Ethnicity: Japanese

Hair: Black

Eyes: Dark Brown

 

Background: Everyone assumes Shigeru “Dice” Miyamoto is ex Japanese Self Defense Force, and he lets them think that. The truth is far stranger, because prior to joining the MAG, Dice didn’t exist. Literally didn’t. As in the recording of th security camera looking at the front door of where the interviews were being held that day shows his suddenly appear. Literally not there in one frame and there in the next, in between two people who had just been standing next to each other in the previous frame. All of his records were in order, and people remembered serving with him in the JSDF. The trouble was they also remembered when they hadn’t because he didn’t exist and they remembered when the records didn’t have him in them. Basically nobody knows what the fuck is going on. Methion says time is just being weird as hell again, and not to worry about it. Occasionally people get retconned into existence, it’s not a big deal. Yeah, sure. Okay. That’s comforting. Right. In the meantime Dice has become one of the two Lieutenants in Assault division. He actually predates Shotsy as a Lieutenant, but has declined promotion to Captain at every opportunity.

 

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Dice has no superhuman powers. He has a primary weapon in his Heavy Assault Rifle, his MAG Lieutenant 's Armor, and a Backup Arsenal. The Rifle is just a more powerful version of a mundane Assault Rifle. The Backup Arsenal consists of Flash Bangs, Fragmentation Grenades, a Suppressed Submachine Gun, a Suppressed Heavy Pistol, and a Shotgun.

His MAG Lieutenant’s Armor has several features. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea, Captain Leroy, and his troops. A grapple gun for ascending heights rapidly. The expected body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. And goggles that extend his vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.

 

Tactically, Dice is a teamwork fiend. He uses both the Covering Fire and Suppressing Fire options for Autofire liberally, along with Aid Actions to help allies hit. With Teamwork 2, that’s a nice bonus. He chucks Flash Bangs and Fragmentation Grenades at every enemy group to knock them down. He feints and, surprisingly for the MAG, tricks with fair regularity. He does not power stunt.

 

Personality: Dice is a weird freakin’ dude. Japanese level weird. Japanese soldiers are stereotyped as these stoic, honorable warriors and uh he is…not that. It’s not that he’s unprofessional. It’s that he’s a strange man with strange tastes in entertainment and fashion and, now that he’s outside of Japan, no shame in letting his freak flag fly. No matter what culture one was raised in, he is simply bizarre. That’s just. How it is.

[EternalPhoenix]

Mahmoud "Combo" Isra (Captain, Support Division)

 

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 135/135

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +5, Ref: +10, Will: +6

 

Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+5), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Language 4 (+4), Medicine 8 (+10), Notice 8 (+10), Search 3 (+5), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 8 (+10)

 

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 3, Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 5, Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)), Precise Shot, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Skill Mastery (Medicine, Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Heavy Assault Rifle (Device 4) (Easy to lose)

   Automatic Fire (Blast 6) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5))

MAG Captain's Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose)

   Integral Grapple Gun (Linked)

      Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd)

      Super-Movement 2 (Linked; wall-crawling 2 (full speed))

   Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))

   Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))

   Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

Medic's Bag (Device 2) (Hard to lose)

   Drug Injection (Healing 5) (Action (standard), Total; Limited to Others, Temporary)

 

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Flash-Bang, Fragmentation Grenade, Heavy Pistol, Masterwork Knife, Smoke Grenade, Suppressed Heavy Pistol, Suppressed Submachine Gun), Medkit (Basic), Special Medical Equipment 2

 

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +7, Grapple: +9)

 

Attacks: Automatic Fire (Blast 6), +10 (DC 21), Flash-Bang, +10 (DC Fort/Ref 14), Fragmentation Grenade, +10 (DC Ref 15), Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Masterwork Knife, +8 (DC 18), Smoke Grenade, +10 (DC 15), Suppressed Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Suppressed Submachine Gun, +10 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +7 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +10  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +2

 

Languages: Arabic Native, English, French, Hebrew, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 15 (60 ranks) + Feats 14 + Powers 36 + Combat 28 + Saves 14 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 35

Height: 5’ 9”

Weight: 170 lbs

Ethnicity: Egyptian Arabic

Hair: Black

Eyes: Dark Brown

 

Background: Mahmoud "Combo" Isra is a fprmer member of the El-Sa‘ka Forces, Egypt’s special forces unit of military commandoes. He was initially a conscript, serving the three year term of those without a college degree. However, he was able to reenlist and became a professional. He was recommended by a superior for the Thunderbolts (the meaning of El-Sa’ka in English) and joined the group. He worked hard, serving with distinction in several operations against the Sinai insurgency before his discharge just prior to Operation Martyr’s Right. Normally an army would hang on to a skilled commando like Isra, however he had privately voiced some concerns to superiors about the Army’s medical mistreatment of prisoners from said insurgency. It was a combination of those who found the situation embarrassing and those who simply didn’t see the problem. Both sorts preferred that Isra shut up to avoid a public scandal, so he was quietly discharged.

Methion and Katrea aren’t the types to let a skilled commando get away for any reason, and Isra needed employment. The Military Action Group (in the guise of several different PMCs) pays very well, so Isra signed on in 2016. The Captain at the time liked him, and after an imprisonment created a vacancy made him one of his Lieutenants. That Captain was killed in action in 2018, resulting in Isra being chosen over his co-Lieutenant, the proudly Quebecois Cecile “Prophet” Fournier. Isra sends plenty of money home to his wife and children, does his best to keep his soldiers well trained, alive, and free, and tries not to think too hard about the missions he’s asked to assist in completing. Fournier is now one of Isra’s Lieutenants, and he named the Mexican Raul “Bonus” Torres to fill the vacancy caused by his promotion.

 

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Isra has no superhuman powers. He has a primary weapon in his Heavy Assault Rifle, his MAG Captain's Armor, a special Medic’s Bag, and a Backup Arsenal. The Rifle is just a more powerful version of a mundane Assault Rifle. The Medic’s Bag has several syringes of a drug cocktail that can get injured soldiers back up for fighting for a while if proper medical care is not an option. The Backup Arsenal consists of Flash Bangs, Fragmentation Grenades, Smoke Grenades, a Suppressed Submachine Gun, a Suppressed Heavy Pistol, and a Masterwork Knife. He also carries a Medkit and whatever special medical equipment he thinks he may need in the field.

His MAG Captain’s Armor has several features. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea and his troops. A grapple gun for ascending heights rapidly. The expected body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. And goggles that extend his vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.

 

Tactically, Isra adheres to the code of the field medic. He and the field half of his division are there for support purposes (hence the division’s name). He’ll absolutely defend himself and provide supporting fire if needed, but his focus is on keeping his soldiers alive. So he gets as much use out of his Medkit and Smoke Grenades as he does his Heavy Assault Rifle. He gets injured allies evacuated if possible and gives them a Drug Injection if not. Don’t forget the Flash Bangs. Enemies that can’t see can’t hurt his allies. He can’t power stunt.

 

Personality: Isra may be an elite commando, but he’s also a veteran field medic. It’s this duality that earned him his nickname of “Combo”. Because really, he doesn’t want anyone to die if it can be avoided. Unfortunately, he’s a soldier, and in combat people get killed. He’s not a bad guy, really. He just…doesn’t know how to be anything other than a soldier. His country gave him the boot for no apparent reason. The MAG accepted him anyway. It’s not perfect, but it’s what he has.

[EternalPhoenix]

Cecile “Prophet” Fournier

 

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 135/135

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +5, Ref: +10, Will: +6

 

Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+5), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Language 4 (+4), Medicine 8 (+10), Notice 8 (+10), Search 3 (+5), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 8 (+10)

 

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 3, Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 5, Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)), Precise Shot, Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive), Skill Mastery (Medicine, Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Heavy Assault Rifle (Device 4) (Easy to lose)

   Automatic Fire (Blast 6) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Fire (Blast 6)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5))

MAG Lieutenant's Armor (Device 4) (Hard to lose)

   Integral Grapple Gun (Linked)

      Speed 1 (Linked; Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd)

      Super-Movement 2 (Linked; wall-crawling 2 (full speed))

   Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))

   Kevlar Weave & Ceramic Plating (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 3 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic, Piercing, & Explosive))

   Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

Smoke Grenade Belt (Device 2) (Hard to lose)

   Smoke Grenade (Obscure 3) (affects: visual senses, Radius: 25-50 ft.; Duration (continuous), Total Fade; Fades; Progression, Increase Area (area x2))

 

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Flash-Bang, Fragmentation Grenade, Heavy Pistol, Masterwork Knife, Masterwork Taser, Suppressed Heavy Pistol, Suppressed Submachine Gun), Medkit (Basic), Special Medical Equipment 2

 

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +7, Grapple: +9)

 

Attacks: Automatic Fire (Blast 6), +10 (DC 21), Flash-Bang, +10 (DC Fort/Ref 14), Fragmentation Grenade, +10 (DC Ref 15), Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Masterwork Knife, +8 (DC 18), Masterwork Taser, +11 (DC Fort 15), Suppressed Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Suppressed Submachine Gun, +10 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +7 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +10  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +2

 

Languages: Arabic, English, French Native, German, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 15 (60 ranks) + Feats 14 + Powers 36 + Combat 28 + Saves 14 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 38

Height: 5’ 4”

Weight: 120 lbs

Ethnicity: French

Hair: Blonde

Eyes: Blue

 

Background: People think Cecile “Prophet” Fournier is French, with the way she speaks and behaves. Non. She is Quebecois, you uncultured swine. Former Royal Canadian Mounted Police. “C” Division in Quebec. Emergency Response Team. She left specifically because it did not pay enough for her liking. She was originally a Primary Care Paramedic before joining the Mounties, so she got a lot of VIP bodyguard work (excuse moi, there was also witness protection work). This was useful going into the private sector, which paid more. But sadly, not enough. So she went back to school and got her Medical Doctorate at McGill University Faculty of Medicine. She is, technically, Doctor Cecile Fournier, Ph.D. After graduating, she did not go into internship or residency, specifically because the MAG had come calling. A little negotiation, and she was paid quite well for her services. She can shoot people and she can save people after they have been shot. It suits her nicely. She does not desire to be Support’s Captain. Too much work.

 

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Prophet has no superhuman powers. She has a primary weapon in her Heavy Assault Rifle, her MAG Lieutenant 's Armor, a special Smoke Grenade Belt, and a Backup Arsenal. The Rifle is just a more powerful version of a mundane Assault Rifle. Her Smoke Grenade Belt has special smoke grenades that cover much more ground than the mundane variety. The normal 10 feet radius is enhanced up to 5 times for a 50 foot radius. The Backup Arsenal consists of Flash Bangs, Fragmentation Grenades, a Masterwork Knife, a Masterwork Taser, a Suppressed Submachine Gun, and a Suppressed Heavy Pistol. She also carries a Medkit and whatever special medical equipment she thinks she may need in the field.

Her MAG Lieutenant’s Armor has several features. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea, Captain Isra, and her troops. A grapple gun for ascending heights rapidly. The expected body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, arrows, and explosions. And goggles that extend her vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.

 

Tactically, Prophet plays aggressive defense. It’s her whole job. She uses both the Covering Fire and Suppressing Fire options for Autofire liberally. One of her special Smoke Grenades can screen off a significant portion if not all of the battlefield. Flash Bangs are also useful for blinding enemies. Her job is to provide supporting fire where needed, protect and evacuate injured allies, and get untargeted noncombatants away from the operational area. That last bit can sound confusing, but it’s out of practicality and not concern for their safety. The MAG isn’t in the business, normally, of intentionally killing civilians (terrorist style attacks function under a different rulebook) and anyone who’s ever been in the military or law enforcement knows how unpredictable untrained civilians can be when the fecal matter hits the oscillating device. The latter can get soldiers killed, and that’s unacceptable.

 

Personality: Prophet is…very self possessed. She knows what she wants. It’s called money and action. She has a lot of pride in herself. Too much to be a thief, but not enough to actually be outright arrogant much less egomaniacal. But humble? Mon deux, no. She is good at her job and she knows it, and she has less than no tolerance for anyone who doesn’t agree. Show her proper professional respect, however, and she’ll treat you in kind. Quite simple, really.

[EternalPhoenix]

Raul "Bonus" Torres

 

Power Level: 7; Power Points Spent: 105/105

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +2 (14), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +2 (14)

 

Tough: +2/+5, Fort: +5, Ref: +9, Will: +7

 

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Bluff 3 (+5), Craft (chemical) 2 (+5), Diplomacy 8 (+10), Gather Information 8 (+10), Knowledge (behavioral science) 2 (+5), Knowledge (business) 2 (+5), Knowledge (civics) 2 (+5), Knowledge (life sciences) 12 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 2 (+5), Knowledge (technology) 2 (+5), Language 7 (+7), Medicine 12 (+15), Notice 7 (+10), Sense Motive 7 (+10), Stealth 4 (+5)

 

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 2, Attack Specialization (Masterwork Baton), Challenge - Fast Task Revive, Challenge - Fast Task Stabilize, Dodge Focus 4, Equipment 7, Improvised Tools, Skill Mastery (Diplomacy, Medicine, Notice, Sense Motive), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Equipment: Arsenal (Masterwork Baton, Masterwork Heavy Pistol, Stun Gun, Taser), Current Headquarters 13, Medkit (Basic), Undercover Vest

 

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +7, Grapple: +9)

 

Attacks: Masterwork Baton, +10 (DC 19), Masterwork Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Stun Gun, +7 (DC Fort 17), Taser, +9 (DC Fort 15), Unarmed Attack, +7 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +9  (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -2

 

Initiative: +1

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Spanish Native

 

Totals: Abilities 26 + Skills 21 (84 ranks) + Feats 19 + Powers 0 + Combat 24 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 105

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 45

Height: 5’ 7”

Weight: 150 lbs

Ethnicity: Mexican

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Brown

 

Background: Raul "Bonus" Torres is not a soldier. He is not a police officer. He never worked for any criminal organizations. He was a surgeon in the Mexican Navy. A commissioned officer, to be sure, as all Naval medical personnel are, but he never thought of it that way. He attended Mexico’s Naval Medical School in Mexico City, graduated, and was commissioned. He served honorably and well, and moved up the ranks. His official rank when everything went wrong was Capitán de corbeta, approximately equivalent to Lieutenant Commander in the US.  The problem was that he was freelancing during his leave time and any off hours. As a surgeon who only served Mexican Naval personnel, his calendar wasn’t exactly full. And he wasn’t really all that interested in actual Naval stuff. Mustering out would have likely solved all of his problems, but  he liked being an officer. Being saluted and called “senor”. Lovely stuff. The problem with his freelancing was that he didn’t ask any questions. Or report any injuries. He was happy just to accept payment for services rendered, preferably in cash.

Mexico has a long history with drug cartels. They fight the law. They fight each other. They fight superheroes. And injured people need medical attention. Having a fully trained doctor to rely on is a rare and precious thing. More valuable than diamonds or gold. One that doesn’t ask any unnecessary questions is priceless. But you know how it is. All good things must come to an end. The Federal Police had both informants and intel, and brought his comfortable life to a sudden end. He was court martialed and dishonorably discharged. He hadn’t actually committed any serious crimes, but the ethical violations were significant. So. No medical license. No job. A reputation thoroughly ruined so he couldn’t get an honest job. And so the MAG picked him up. They let him be a surgeon again. His superior management skills served him well when the division’s Captain was killed in 2018. His Lieutenant, Mahmoud "Combo" Isra became the new Captain and surprisingly chose him to replace Isra as Lieutenant.

 

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Torres has no superhuman powers. He doesn’t even have any special devices. What he does have is an Undercover Vest and a small Arsenal. He has a Masterwork Baton, a Stun Gun, a Taser, and a Masterwork Heavy Pistol. He carries a Medkit and is responsible for whatever makeshift facility he and his people are operating out of this time.

 

Tactically he’s a doctor, not a soldier. He may be the last of his people out the door, but he’s running the fuck away. They’re largely noncombatants anyway, with a few professionals acting as security. Obviously, he’ll fight to defend his people and patients, but the goal to get the hell away. He has no real preference among his weapons, and for obvious reasons cannot power stunt.

 

Personality: Torres, again, is a doctor, not a soldier. The fact that he’s a skilled combatant now is just icing on the cake. A bonus, if you will. He swore two oaths when he graduated Naval Medical School. One was to Mexico and her Navy, but he could not keep it properly. It unfortunately conflicted with his first oath. The Oath of Maimondes. Money is not important. Reputation is not important. Who his patients are is not important. He is a doctor, and a damned fine one. It is his moral obligation to help as many people as he possibly can. This is, in many ways, the problem with him. A complete and utter refusal to discriminate against any potential patient and a strong willingness to seek out patients when he has none have brought him here. As a criminal and an outcast among the medical community. He regrets nothing, because he has done nothing wrong.

[EternalPhoenix]

Jedda "Fast Lane" Briggs

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 135/135

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +2 (14), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +2/+4, Fort: +5, Ref: +10, Will: +6

 

Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+5), Bluff 2 (+5), Craft (electronic) 3 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 8 (+10), Diplomacy 2 (+5), Drive 7 (+10), Gather Information 2 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 3 (+5), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+5), Language 8 (+8), Notice 8 (+10), Pilot 12 (+15), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 2 (+5), Survival 3 (+5)

 

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 2, Attack Specialization (Heavy Pistol), Attack Specialization (Masterwork Knife), Benefit 2 (World Class Pilot (Evasive Maneuvers may be performed as free action)), Challenge - One Hand On The Wheel (Pilot), Dodge Focus 5, Equipment 14, Improved Critical 2 (Burst Fire (Blast 4)), Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Precise Shot, Second Chance 2 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic & Piercing,), Skill Mastery (Craft (mech), Pilot, Notice, Sense Motive), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Customized Submachine Gun (Device 3) (Easy to lose)

   Burst Fire (Blast 4) (DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Burst Fire (Blast 4)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate (+2))

MAG Transport Captain's Armor (Device 3) (Hard to lose)

   Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))

   Kevlar Weave (Protection 2) (+2 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 2 (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic & Piercing,))

   Parachute (Super-Movement 1) (slow fall)

   Tactical Goggles (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

 

Equipment: Backup Arsenal (Heavy Pistol, Masterwork Knife, Smoke Grenade), Toolkit (Basic), VTOL Personnel Transport

 

Attack Bonus: +6 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +6, Grapple: +8)

 

Attacks: Burst Fire (Blast 4), +10 (DC 19), Heavy Pistol, +10 (DC 19), Masterwork Knife, +9 (DC 18), Smoke Grenade, +8 (DC 15), Unarmed Attack, +6 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +10  (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -2

 

Initiative: +7

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 19 (76 ranks) + Feats 31 + Powers 21 + Combat 22 + Saves 14 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

 

****************************************************************************************

 

VTOL Personnel Transport

 

Power Level: 9; Equipment Points Spent: 59

 

STR: +15 (40)

 

Toughness: +11

 

Features: Navigation System 2

 

Powers:

High Powered Jet Engines (Flight (Speed: 2500 mph, 22000 ft./rnd)

Light Scattering Systems (Concealment 4) (all visual senses)

Radarproof Airframe and Paintjob (Concealment 1) (other sense: Radio; Permanent)

Reactive Armor Plating (Impervious Toughness 7)

Weaponry (Array 10) (default power: blast)

   Light Machine Guns (Blast 6) (Default; DC 21; Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 2 (+4))

   Rockets (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Burst Area (45-225 ft. radius - General); Unreliable (5 Uses); Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5))

 

Attacks: Light Machine Guns (Blast 6), +12 (DC 21), Rockets (Blast 9) (DC 24)

 

Defense: -4, Size: Gargantuan

 

Totals: Abilities 0 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 2 + Powers 54 + Combat 3 + Saves 0 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 59

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 35

Height: 5’ 2”

Weight: 115 lbs

Ethnicity: Aboriginal Australian

Hair: Black

Eyes: Dark Brown

 

Background: Jedda "Fast Lane" Briggs is a graduate of the University of New South Wales. Specifically, the School of Aviation in Sydney where she earned a Bachelor’s of Aviation. She got a job as a commercial pilot right out of school, and held onto it just long enough to earn enough money for her own plane. When she had that, she quit and went solo. Fast Lane Transport, for all your minor cargo delivery and travel needs. She was reliable, she didn’t ask questions, she didn’t open packages, and she accepted cash. This meant she had several regular clients, both on the legal and illegal side of things. So she was well paid, and living the good life. She did have her fair share of run ins with the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force, but proving actual wrongdoing was virtually impossible due to her methods. Such as using a GPS recorder on every flight, that not asking questions thing, fully cooperating with law enforcement, and resolutely insisting on smugglers of all varieties keeping her exposure to a fuckin’ minimum. The Strength Revolution was one of her clients. So when the AFP had had just about enough of her shit and acted to get her either firmly under their thumb as an informant or in fuckin’ prison already because nobody is this ignorant, the MAG (in the form of Katrea) swooped in with a job offer. She’s been there every since, becoming Transport’s Captain after the last managed to get exploded in their plane.

 

Powers & Tactics: Like all of the MAG, Fast Lane has no superhuman powers. She has a primary weapon in her Customized Submachine Gun, her MAG Transport Captain's Armor, a Backup Arsenal, and her VTOL Personnel Transport plane. The Submachine Gun is just a slightly upgraded version of a mundane Submachine Gun. The Backup Arsenal consists of Smoke Grenades, a Masterwork Knife, and a Heavy Pistol. She also carries a Toolkit to make quick repairs to her plane when necessary.

Her MAG Transport Captain's Armor has several features. A radio for staying in touch with Commander Katrea, Captain Isra, and her troops. A parachute for surviving jumping out of her plane should she need to. The expected body armor, with it being more effective against bullets, knives, shrapnel, and arrows. And goggles that extend her vision into the infrared and ultraviolet spectrums.

Her VTOL Personnel Transport is equipped with several things. High Powered Jet Engines that give it a top speed exceeding Mach 3. Weaponry in a set of Light Machine Guns and 5 Rockets. Reactive Armor Plating that can shrug off most man portable weaponry. A Radarproof Airframe and Paintjob. And Light Scattering Systems that, when activated, make the plane completely invisible.

 

Tactically, Fast Lane will most likely be encountered in her VTOL Personnel Transport. If the heroes can’t keep up with rank 8 flight speed, she is gone. If they can’t detect her in spite of her Light Scattering Systems, she is gone. If they can’t outfly her (Pilot vs Acrobatics checks, most likely) she is gone. Engaging her in a aerial dogfight means dealing with her weapons. And given the slightest inch to escape, she is once again, gone. Keep her Benefit and Challenge Feat in mind. She can use a Pilot check to set her plane’s Defense Score (25 w/ Skill Mastery- 4 Size = 21, equal to a +11 Defense Bonus) for the round and in the same round attack with one of its weapons for no penalty, while still having a move action to, well, move with. And all of that does not include her having 5-10 MAG soldiers inside the plane, who may open the bay doors and start using their own weapons against the heroes. Because that’s her job and all of Transport’s job. Getting the other divisions where they need to go, and getting them the hell out when needed. Their job is not to kick ass. On foot, she’s running away. And her preferred method of escape is her plane. Liberal uses of Smoke Grenades, Burst Fire, and Move By Action. She’s two PL down on foot, and she’s aware of the disparity in combat ability. So yes, she’s in full retreat to her plane. Unless, of course, it’s been already disabled or destroyed. In which case she gets really fucking angry and does her level best to kill the person responsible. Naturally, she can’t power stunt.

 

Personality: Fast Lane is a jovial woman. Stereotypically Aussie is most respects. However, piloting (commercial, private, and criminal) is a male dominated field. And she’s in a minority group that has been heavily discriminated against. And and she’s relatively small as a person. So while she may be jovial, happy go lucky, devil may care, or whatever adjective you prefer to use, if one decides press her buttons they get a uh…vigorous…demonstration what she will and will not tolerate. She shuts down any bullshit before it has a ghost of a chance to escalate. Mostly this only needs words, but sometimes it’s required bullets. She’s tough as fuckin’ nails, is what I’m saying. Even if she doesn’t look or initially act like it.

[EternalPhoenix]

Psi-Divison

 

Overview

 

It all started with Jacob Cross. He’d been part of the Strength Revolution for a little while, but cooperating with the STG or MAG didn’t suit him. This was prior to the STG’s expansion, as well, so they were uh, busy as bees. So, in 2012, he put together his own version of the FBI’s Psi-Division. Or tried to. His standards are…high, ethically speaking. It’s understandably difficult to find people whose motivations are in line with his own on the wrong side of the law. So he ran through prospective members rather rapidly. It was quite a pain in the ass, honestly. And, of course, investigation without the backing of a government agency was inherently risky. Basically anyone he took a liking to got killed or injured enough to quit, and anyone he didn’t like he got arrested and jailed because they were scum. This excludes the few hitmen from who were still trying to goddamn kill him because their employers were incapable of letting a grudge go.

Then came the Nihonto Incident. Ten thousand players trapped in a virtual reality game by a malevolent AI until unexpectedly freed by an unknown force. Dr. Kenta Saito may not have been the villain of the piece, but he was not innocent. He had his own private theories about being able to awaken psionic powers in people. Everybody had them inherently, he thought. It was just the simple matter of activating them. That is what the VR helmets he designed were meant to do. And that AI, Makaze Violet, did absolutely nothing to stop them from working in that manner. Dr. Saito, unfortunately, did not live to see that he was wrong and right at the same time. His method of finding potentials needed some work, but his awakening method? Completely correct. It only took a few weeks for a significant percentage of the several thousand survivors of the Incident to realize they now had superhuman powers.

Among them was Hayate Ishikawa. Jacob Cross came across him while investigating the Incident. And that was where it started. The rescue of Arielle Cadieux. The recruitment of Hayate and Arielle’s old in game friends Valentina Alvarez and Miriam Mizrahi. Hayate’s cousin Ichika discovering her aiding in Arielle’s rescue trigged her own powers. And the affair with the last of the Sweetheart Slasher Guild, player killers from the game turned killers in the real world, that brought Kaede Kobayashi to the team. It has been a wild ride. Little do they know that is it not over yet. Deep in a secret laboratory somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. In the beating heart of one of the most high powered computer systems ever built, a young man named Juno, a young woman named Celia, and the broken remains of three Sword Goddesses await the arrival of their sister and the swordsman in black.

 

Tactics

 

Psi-Division functions as a more or less purely investigative unit, contrary to what the Drone Horde, Special Tactics Group, and Military Action Group do. Each member of the team has their own specialty in addition to their abilities in combat. Cross is the one with the contacts who tracks down the cases and calls everyone together. Hayate is the computer programmer and crime scene investigator. Arielle brings knowledge of high society, the business world, and the law. Valentina is the both tech specialist and forensic scientist. Miriam is the psychologist and profiler. Ichika is the supernatural specialist and historian. And Kaede is the reconnaissance specialist. Dealing with them is challenging, as their investigations adhere to the letter of the law as much as possible. To the degree that only Jacob Cross is the one who is the one known to be a lawbreaker.

When they do commit crimes, they’re most likely to be classified as obstruction of justice. However, if you’ve seen lots of police procedurals, you have a general idea how they operate. Kidnapping. False imprisonment. Impersonating law enforcement. Assault. Breaking and entering. Evidence tampering. You know, the stuff cops in police procedurals mostly get away with because of their badges. Throw in a side of espionage, theft, computer hacking, and (when the law becomes inadequate) assassination, and you have how Psi-Division operates.

For transportation and general equipment purposes, they take advantage of the unlimited resources of the Revolution as a whole. So they usually have at least three land vehicles and a private plane, in addition to temporary headquarters with whatever general gear is appropriate.

[EternalPhoenix]

Hayate Ishikawa

 

Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 210/210

 

STR: +3 (16), DEX: +5 (20), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +15 (16/40)

 

Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +6, Ref: +9/+15, Will: +12

 

Skills: Acrobatics 15 (+20), Bluff 7 (+22), Computers 12 (+15), Craft (electronic) 2 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 2 (+5), Diplomacy 7 (+22), Gather Information 5 (+20), Intimidate 5 (+20), Investigate 2 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 2 (+5), Knowledge (technology) 2 (+5), Language 5 (+5), Notice 10 (+15), Search 12 (+15), Sense Motive 10 (+15), Stealth 10 (+15)

 

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 6, Attractive 2 (+8), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Feint, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 3, Dodge Focus 6, Evasion 2, Improved Critical 2 (Dual Sword Strikes (Strike 6)), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Interpose, Lionheart, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Computers, Sense Motive, Stealth), Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Dual Swords (Device 6) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)

   Dual Sword Strikes (Strike 6) (DC 24, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Dual Sword Strikes (Strike 6)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [3 extra ranks], Penetrating; Extended Reach 2 (10 ft.), Knockback 3, Mighty, Precise)

Psionic Amplification (Container, Passive 12)

   Psionic Charisma (Enhanced Charisma 24) (+24 CHA, Feats: Attractive 2 (+8); Limited (Same rules as Attractive Feat))

   Psionic Quickness (Quickness 12) (Perform routine tasks at 10000x speed)

   Psionic Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 31) (Traits: Attack Bonus +3 (+9), Defense Bonus +3 (+15), Attack Focus (melee) 6 +3 (+6), Dodge Focus 6 +3 (+6), Reflex +6 (+15), Evasion 2 +1 (+2), Feats: Defensive Roll 3, Improved Initiative 3)

   Psionic Speed (Speed 3) (Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd)

 

Attack Bonus: +6/+9 (Ranged: +6/+9, Melee: +9/+15, Grapple: +12/+18)

 

Attacks: Dual Sword Strikes (Strike 6), +15 (DC 24), Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 18)

 

Defense: +12/+15  (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +17

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Japanese Native, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 44 + Skills 27 (108 ranks) + Feats 21 + Powers 80 + Combat 24 + Saves 14 + Drawbacks 0 = 210

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 22

Height: 5’ 8”

Weight: 165 lbs

Ethnicity: Japanese

Hair: Black

Eyes: Dark Brown

 

Background: Imagine being a mostly ordinary 15 year old kid. You go to school. You hang out at home with your cousin on days off, though she’s more like your sister really. You have ordinary worries and ordinary cares. Ordinary hopes and ordinary dreams. But you know…you’re really excited about the new MMORPG starting soon, especially since you helped beta test it. Luck of the draw and you got to see some of the finished product, along with a lot of unfinished ideas. So you put on the incredible new tech of the VR helmet, turn it on, and log in. You have a good time in the game, show some of the rookies how the game systems work, and maybe make some new friends to play with later. Who knows? It’s a start. But there’s a problem. You can’t log out. You can’t even take the helmet off. Your avatar is moving fine, but you aren’t. Something is wrong. And then you learn why. You’re trapped. It’s a world of superheroes, right? Surely someone will save all of you? Except, no. The only way out is to beat the game. And if your character is defeated…if you ever run out of health…you die for real. Now, you can’t be sure if that’s true, but the ones who do run out of health don’t respawn. They’re just…gone. And still nobody saves you. It’s apparently up to the several thousand of you in the game to save yourselves. And this goes on and on. For two whole years.

Humans can get used to anything. Yeah, there was a lot of disbelief initially. Yeah, there were suicides in the early days as people lost friends they’d known for years or otherwise couldn’t handle it. But humans can get used to anything. That’s our strength as a species. Adaptability. For better and for worse. There was no other choice. A person either went insane, died, or continued on. Merciless, ain’t it? Such is life. Hayate, naturally, was one of the ones who continued on. He was a protector from the shadows, more or less, never forming a party after the first one kind of…all died except for him. He used his advanced knowledge of the game from being a beta tester to advance his level to the highest of anyone in the game. He did not do either of these things out of any kind of nobility or heroic spirit. He was a good kid, but mostly he was scared and traumatized kid. Afraid of dying. Afraid of getting close to anyone lest they die and hurt him again. And afraid of being the kind of person who would just let people die because he was afraid. Paradoxical, but emotions often are. And a scared and traumatized kid he would have stayed, if not for Arielle Cadieux.

The (at the time) imperious Captain of the Rose Knights guild simply wanted one of the strongest players in the game on her team. She’d risen very high from the clueless rookie he’d saved and then briefly teamed up with in the first week. Hayate could have been doing a lot more to help everyone get out faster, and she didn’t have time for his gloomy bullshit. Different people cope in different ways. You know how it is. It’s a tale as old as time. Boy meets girl. They fall in love. Each of them seeing past the coping behaviors to the wounded heart underneath. Support. Respect. A start to healing. And a genuinely badass team. Seriously. They were considered by virtually all players to be the duo with the highest levels and greatest skill in combat. Like many players at the time, they started to see the game as a home. They took time off of the front lines of conquering the game’s dungeons and bosses to just hang out in their own space. Hell, in a stunning display of how little teenagers think about the long term, they got married and bought a house together. In the game. That they were fighting to get out of. Ah, well. Love makes people do crazy things, and their commitment to each other was and is no less valid because of how it started. And I suppose when one is facing death almost every day, the long term becomes irrelevant.

Of course, all good things must come to an end. There were one hundred dungeons in the game, and probably half again that many boss and guardian monsters. They had finally cleared the 75^th, with great struggle and sacrifice. When they went for the 76^th, they found it empty. There were trash mobs and mooks, to be sure. They regenerated. But the bosses and guardians did not. And they were gone on the 77^th, 78^th, 79^th, hey hold on a minute how far does this…80^th, 90^th, 95^th, 99^th, and holy shit. The 100^th was also cleared. The game was beaten. Celebrations broke out spontaneously throughout the game as the announcement echoed through it. At long last, they logged out and returned to the physical world. Hayate was a middle class kid. His parents didn’t have the money to keep him in a hospital and well taken care of for two years. So he woke up in a public hospital ward, his body wasted and weak. The one thought in his head was to go find Arielle. He’d forgotten she was French, and thus halfway around the world from him. It took months of grinding physical therapy to get his body back again, only to find out that Arielle and 99 other hadn’t woken up. Wait, what?

Hayate’s attempts to investigate the reasons behind this led him to encounter Jacob Cross, who was doing the same thing. Nothing like a good old fashioned team up. The third spoke on that wheel was Hayate’s cousin Ichika, because there’s places guys can’t go that girls can and she wanted to help her cousin/brother resolve his lingering issues. Ain’t familial love grand? To make a long story much shorter, Arielle had a fiancé. Rich guy. Overly possessive asshole. Wanted to develop mind control/warping tech from the VR helmets, despite that not being how they worked at all. Financed the development of an entire new VR game just to see if it was possible. And also kind of kidnapped 100 (including Arielle) of the Nihonto Incident playerbase to experiment on. A lovely fellow all around, he wanted to change Arielle from the independent young woman she was into his personal submissive slave. And yes, it’s as creepy, sexual, and creepily sexual as you’re thinking. Fortunately, the trio’s investigation (Jacob in the real, Hayate and Ichika in the new game) exposed him as the extremely criminal person he was. Arielle discovered her powers and escaped her digital confinement in the process. And everyone involved got incredibly arrested and jailed. Except for Mr. Fiancee, who literally flew all the way to Japan to attempt to murder Hayate for stealing his girl. Fortunately for Hayate, his powers were there to save his ass and leave Mr. Fiancee as the dead one. Granted, that was the first time Hayate had ever used them. And that was yet more blood on his hands. So, not ideal. But the evil was defeated. The girl was saved. Could’ve gone worse.

Following this, Jacob Cross invited both of them into Psi-Division. Having been privy to his entire investigation, Hayate accepted. Arielle did too, after she was fully briefed.  This led, rather quickly, to a partial Rose Knight reunion, as Valentina Alvarez and Miriam Mizrahi (valuable support players in those two virtual years) joined after Arielle got in touch with them. And as it turned out, sharing both DNA and living space with an uncontrolled psionic can trigger powers. Ichika contacted her cousin/brother for help and ended up a part of the team.

But the legacy of the Nihonto Incident was not yet finished. The Sweetheart Slasher Guild had yet to be full reckoned with. Remember when I said there was three choices for the trapped players? Go insane, die, or continue on? Some of those who went insane went murderously insane. And some of these were unable to recover after being freed. Most of these were relatively easily handled by law enforcement and normal superheroes. In the real world it is much more difficult to kill people and continually get away with it. Some, however, retained some intelligence and cunning. More like they were addicted to the act of murder than were suffering from an inability to recognize reality. These were the Sweetheart Slashers. Yeet even they could not entirely escape the dogged persuit of law enforcement and superheroes, and by the time Jacob Cross, Hayate, and company re enter their story they were down to their last, most dangerous members. All of whom held a grudge against one Hayate Ishikawa for helping break their power in the virtual.

There was another VR game to come out in the wake of the Nihonto Incident. Kaede Kobayashi was one of its best players. But there was a problem. Every time they held a PvP tournament, one of the players who lost was violently murdered with a knife. The game company said it was coincidental, but after the third tournament nobody was buying it. Psi-Division investigated, brought the last of the Sweetheart Slashers to justice during the fourth tournament, and ended up with Kaede as a new recruit in the process. Done and done.

 

Powers & Tactics: Hayate is a mutant psionic. His powers are best understood as Psionic Amplification. This means that his normal human abilities are being augmented by his willpower. His particularly power set can be found in metahuman psionics, as well, but as his powers were activated by an outside source and not his own genetics he is classified as a mutant. His specific powers mainly make him faster, accelerating his physical movement. However, this does not really manifest as pure land speed. He can keep up with automobiles moving at city speeds, but he’s approximately a thousand times quicker than he is fast. This quickness, or Psionic Reflexes, augments his attack accuracy, dodging abilities, and even damage avoidance.

The remaining element of his Psionic Amplification is his Psionic Charisma. It is a very…unusual power. Several factors, most of them poorly understood at a scientific level, govern social interaction. Charisma and “it factor”, for lack of more precise terms. It’s not merely physical attractiveness. Confidence when speaking and body language (posture, movement, etc) are also important. Beyond that it gets more and more ephemeral. Her Psionic Charisma augments all of these factors. It is apparently a telepathic effect, somehow, as it only seems to work on people who would be romantically or sexually attracted to him. For these people, his personal charisma and “it factor” are off the charts. Even the most outlandish lies sound plausible when he speaks them, and even bitter foes have gone from actively homicidal to being one of his newest friends in the course of a single brief conversation. Even more strangely, it doesn’t seem to work on Arielle (despite her known romantic and sexual attraction to him) and it does work on Ichika (who has neither of those things). More research is needed. It should go without saying that Hayate is unaware that this power even exists.

He carries a matched set of two blacksteel swords. With his Psionic Reflexes, they can carve stone like butter and even potentially damage steel. He attacks with a blizzard of strikes that someone without his powers could not hope to match. In anyone else’s hands, they’d be a normal (if quite durable) set of swords (Strike 3, Mighty, Improved Crit).

 

Tactically, Hayate is a swordsman. He slashes with his swords. He has both Improved Acrobatic Bluff and Improved Feint to hit easier. Obviously, the latter of those is more effect when his target is Attracted to him. He’s got Power Attackt to do more damage and Takedown Attack 2 to mow through mooks. He has Move By Action to stay out of range of foes strong enough to crush him or skilled enough to consistently hit him. He does prefer to use Stealth to get a good first hit in. He’s even got Interpost to protect all of his female teammates. What a gentleman. He’s capable of power stunting, but to date has not.

 

Personality: Hayate is a good man. Mostly. There’s a part of him that’s harder and more unyielding than the steel of his swords. He left something of himself behind in the virtual. Everyone trapped there for those two years did, really. Killing Arielle’s fiancée was an accident. He moved like he was still in the virtual and it worked. He should have been horrified. He knows he should have been horrified. But he wasn’t. Mr. Fiancee was a bastard of the highest order, and it had been self defense. Not premeditated murder. There was an argument to be made that it was justice. An argument that Jacob Cross made at the time. And over time and many cases later, Hayate has come to agree. Most firmly agree.

The real world isn’t that much different than the virtual. You take too much damage, you die. No second chances. There are plenty of people vulnerable to those who would harm them. Treat them like their lives meant nothing. Like their thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams meant nothing. No. Unacceptable. He has the power to do something about it. He can put his body and his swords between evil and the vulnerable. He loves Arielle with every fiber of his being. Ichika is his little sister in all the ways that matter. The rest are his good friends. He will protect them. He will protect everyone in the world. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do to make sure the vulnerable and helpless are safeguarded. Nothing.

[EternalPhoenix]

Arielle Cadieux

 

Power Level: 10; Power Points Spent: 195/195

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+7, Fort: +6, Ref: +9/+12, Will: +12

 

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Computers 3 (+5), Craft (electronic) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 12 (+15), Gather Information 7 (+10), Knowledge (art) 8 (+10), Knowledge (business) 8 (+10), Knowledge (civics) 8 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+5), Language 5 (+5), Notice 7 (+10), Perform (keyboards) 2 (+5), Perform (singing) 2 (+5), Perform (stringed instruments) 2 (+5), Search 8 (+10), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 7 (+10)

 

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Specialization (Kinetic Rapier (Device 4)), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Elusive Target, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Rapier Strike (Strike 4)), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 3, Improved Trick, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Redirect, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Sense Motive), Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Kinetic Rapier (Device 4) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)

   Amplified Rapier Strike (Strike 4) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Rapier Strike (Strike 4)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [2 extra ranks], Penetrating [2 extra ranks]; Mighty, Precise)

Psionic Amplification (Container, Passive 9)

   Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 2) (DC 19; Mighty)

   Psionic Quickness (Quickness 6) (Perform routine tasks at 100x speed)

   Psionic Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 18) (Traits: Attack Bonus +3 (+12), Defense Bonus +3 (+12), Reflex +3 (+12), Feats: Improved Initiative 3)

   Psionic Resilience (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness; Impervious [3 extra ranks])

   Psionic Speed (Speed 6) (Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd)

   Wall and Water Running (Super-Movement 3) (wall-crawling 2 (full speed), water walking; Limited (to while moving))

 

Attack Bonus: +9/+12 (Ranged: +9/+12, Melee: +9/+12, Grapple: +11/+14)

 

Attacks: Amplified Rapier Strike (Strike 4), +14 (DC 21), Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 2), +12 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +9/+12  (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -6

 

Initiative: +15

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French Native, Japanese, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 31 (124 ranks) + Feats 19 + Powers 59 + Combat 36 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 195

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 22

Height: 5’ 7”

Weight: 125 lbs

Ethnicity: French

Hair: Sandy Blonde

Eyes: Hazel

 

Background: 15 year old Arielle Cadieux was many things, but ordinary wasn’t one of them. Wealthy heiress. Amateur fencing champion. Student at one of the most prestigious private Catholic schools in France. A rising star, sure to be a fantastic addition to her family’s history and legacy. But she was still a person. She had friends. One was going to try out this new game, would Arielle like to join? Please say yes, her friend’s original partner got sick and couldn’t make it. Arielle had never played a proper video game before. Little time wasting phone games, yes. But nothing more serious. Well…like any teenager, she was curious about the new experience and it seemed harmless enough to kill a free afternoon. Right? She even had a good time, goofing around with her friend and simply exploring the initial town and open areas nearby. But time has moved on, and she ought to head home for dinner. Except there was a problem. Neither of them could log out. This wouldn’t normally have been a huge problem, as they could simply take the VR helmets off. Weird software glitch, but whatever, right? New games were always kind of buggy, or so her friend said. Except they couldn’t do that, either. Their avatars made the motions, certainly, but it wasn’t working. Their bodies weren’t moving. And then came the announcement of why. Can you imagine the panic? The disbelief and terror? Surely someone would save them from this nightmare? Or maybe it was all just a joke? Admittedly one in very poor taste, but still. Right? Except, no. The only way out was to beat the game. That neither girl really knew how to play. Arielle especially. Oh, and if you died in the game you would die for real. They were trapped. No one was coming to save them. It was, apparently, up to everyone in the game to save themselves. And so the struggle to do so went on for two whole years.

Humans can get used to anything. Can being the operative word in that sentence. Can doesn’t necessarily mean they do. Arielle’s friend panicked, and then just…shut down. Catatonic. There was a monster. Then several of them. Arielle did not know what she was doing, and any margin for error had evaporated. Was this how she died? No. This was her first encounter with the elusive swordsman in black. She didn’t know his name, then. Wielding dual tachi, he cut through the monsters like he’d been doing this his entire life, and disappeared before she could thank him. Or say anything to him, actually. Arielle was left to haul her friend back to town on her own. Superb. Thanks for the help, random rude guy.

A few days later the players had gotten slightly more organized and were about to take on the first dungeon. The trash mobs and random monsters weren’t really a problem. Everyone on this raid had gotten in some practice (including Arielle, who was learning how to put her fencing expertise to use with a tsurugi instead of an epee or foil) and they had plenty of healing items to work with. So the mundane enemies were no problem at all. It was the dungeon boss that screwed up everything. It was, charitably put, a learning experience. The first few to try fighting it were rather unceremoniously killed. Panic started setting in as the fragile authority of early leaders fractured and more players fell. It would have likely been a very ugly massacre if not for the return of the swordsman in black. Hayate showed everyone how it was done. But Arielle wasn’t going to just stand around and let him doing everything. She wanted to go home as fast as possible. So it was the swordsman in black and the beautiful French fencer teamed up for the very first time. And for the very first time, the true nature of the gameplay (being reliant on teamwork and rapid swapping between two or more players) became apparent. As stated, it was indeed a learning experience. They conquered the boss, making it look easier than it actually was (with Arielle learning on the fly). Hayate disappeared again afterward, curse him. She didn’t even know his name.

Arielle used the fame from this to found the Rose Knights guild. And as the weeks turned into months and the months turned into a full year, she found herself more and more in a higher position of respect and authority among the players. The Rose Knights were never the biggest guild, but they were just about the most effective on raids. As much as Arielle would like to claim this was all her leadership, she knows she can’t. It was actually the guildmates she selected, such as the master crafter Valentina Alvarez and morale officer Miriam Mizrahi. It was probably way too much pressure to be putting on a teenage girl, even if she’d been training half her life for this kind of leadership position. But someone had to do it and so she stepped up to the task. And as a selector of the finest guildmates, she wanted the finest players possible in her guild. She wanted the swordman in black.

Hayate was not an easy person to find, especially because she still didn’t know his damn name. But she had influence now. All she had to do was ask around. It took some doing, but she both found him and bullied him into joining the Rose Knights. She’s not exactly…proud…of how she behaved then. The psychological strain on her, Miriam says, was immense. Her friend had quietly committed suicide not a full month in. Just…jumped off a cliff and took enough falling damage that her avatar ran out of health and died. Now dozens of people were depending on her. Every day there was a new story about someone cracking up and losing it. Or about the player killer guilds. God, the player killer guilds. The Sweetheart Slashers. The Joker’s Wild. The Darkness Ghosts. So she was kind of a bitch. But actually spending time around each other afterward, well…you know how it goes. Sad pretty boy with wounded heart. Lonely and scared girl. Love, love, love. What could be better? Both of them managed to see past their coping behaviors, and well…it’s like trying to explain magic. Support. Respect. A start to healing. And a genuinely badass team.

Seriously. Arielle and Hayate were considered by virtually all players to be the duo with the highest levels and greatest skill in combat. Like many players at the time, they started to see the game as a home. They took time off of the front lines of conquering the game’s dungeons and bosses to just hang out in their own space. Hell, in a stunning display of how little teenagers think about the long term, they got married and bought a house together. In the game. That they were fighting to get out of. Ah, well. Love makes people do crazy things, and their commitment to each other was and is no less valid because of how it started. And I suppose when one is facing death almost every day, the long term becomes irrelevant.

Of course, all good things must come to an end. There were one hundred dungeons in the game, and probably half again that many boss and guardian monsters. They had finally cleared the 75^th, with great struggle and sacrifice. When they went for the 76^th, they found it empty. There were trash mobs and mooks, to be sure. They regenerated. But the bosses and guardians did not. And they were gone on the 77^th, 78^th, 79^th, hey hold on a minute how far does this…80^th, 90^th, 95^th, 99^th, and holy shit. The 100^th was also cleared. The game was beaten. Celebrations broke out spontaneously throughout the game as the announcement echoed through it. At long last, they logged out and returned to the physical world. Except Arielle didn’t. She merely exchanged one nightmarish virtual world for another. Background. She had a fiancée. Technically. She only met him when her father had office parties. They exchanged emails sometimes, but he had work and she had school and fencing. She was pretty sure she wanted to and could get out of before being trapped in virtual reality for two years and meeting the love of her life. It’s not like he was a bad guy, but eh she wasn’t interested. On the flip side, it turned out that he was very, very interested in her. To a creepy, obsessive, literally create an entirely different virtual reality video game to imprison her inside until he successfully brainwashed her into being his love slave degree. Well. There went any chance of her ever having any interest in him, to say the least.

Fortunately, he was also a severe misogynist. Never believed she’d outwit him, figure out the code to that stupid birdcage (if anything she was a flower, not a bird), and escape. On the other side o the door was…a research facility? In virtual reality? Why? Bah. Who cared? She was leaving. She ducked researchers and scientists, some of them with the weirdest avatars (Tentacles? Seriously dude?) and figured out she was one of 100 Mr. Fiancee had kept. The bastard. And of course the actual exit to whatever was outside was locked. And of course her attempt to open it set off every alarm in the place. Frustrated, she punched the door as hard as she could…and knocked it off the hinges. A thing about the VR helmets (and the core programming required for any game or simulation made for them) that no one had yet noticed was that they permitted the use of one’s psionic powers while active. And so an Amplified Unarmed Strike had done what with any other computer system was impossible. Arielle went out the door…and reunited with Hayate, who was literally storming Heaven (well, Asgard, but whatever) with a host of allies including Ichika. Uh. What?

Explanations were required. Hayate had teamed up with his cousin/sister Ichika and Jacob Cross to investigate exactly why Arielle and the other 99 hadn’t woken up. Their investigation had led them to Mr. Fiancee and his team. And while Cross worked with someone named Digital Shadow to expose all of his sins, Hayate used his status as one of the heroes of the Nihonto Incident to rally a decent portion of the playerbase of the vaguely Norse theme game Mr. Fiancee and his team had come up with as a cover and financing for their activities. He rallied them specificiallly to storm Asgard, home of the gods, and rescue the maiden fair from the clutches of wicked Loki (who had, naturally usurped the throne). A cover story, but a good one. The maiden fair? Arielle, of course. Low quality photos of her in that stupid birdcage had been circulating on the servers for some time. So…you know…all of that happened. And Arielle finally got to get back to the real world. Where physical therapy and intensive schooling to make up for two missed years awaited. Such joy. You have no idea.

However, following this, Jacob Cross invited both of them into Psi-Division. Having been privy to his entire investigation, Hayate accepted. Arielle did too, after she was fully briefed.  This led, rather quickly, to a partial Rose Knight reunion, as Valentina Alvarez and Miriam Mizrahi joined after Arielle got in touch with them. And as it turned out, sharing both DNA and living space with an uncontrolled psionic can trigger powers. Ichika contacted her cousin/brother for help and ended up a part of the team.

But the legacy of the Nihonto Incident was not yet finished. The Sweetheart Slasher Guild had yet to be full reckoned with. There was three choices for the trapped players. Go insane, die, or continue on. Arielle’s friend chose death, and obviously she continued on. However, as for those who went insane, some of them went murderously insane. And some of these were unable to recover after being freed. Most of these were relatively easily handled by law enforcement and normal superheroes. In the real world it is much more difficult to kill people and continually get away with it. Some, however, retained some intelligence and cunning. More like they were addicted to the act of murder than were suffering from an inability to recognize reality. These were the Sweetheart Slashers. Yet even they could not entirely escape the dogged pursuit of law enforcement and superheroes, and by the time Jacob Cross, Arielle, and company re-enter their story they were down to their last, most dangerous members. All of whom held a grudge against not only one Hayate Ishikawa, but also one Arielle Cadieux for helping break their power in the virtual.

There was another VR game to come out in the wake of the Nihonto Incident. Kaede Kobayashi was one of its best players. But there was a problem. Every time they held a PvP tournament, one of the players who lost was violently murdered with a knife. The game company said it was coincidental, but after the third tournament nobody was buying it. Psi-Division investigated, brought the last of the Sweetheart Slashers to justice during the fourth tournament, and ended up with Kaede as a new recruit in the process. Done and done.

 

Powers & Tactics: Arielle is a mutant psionic. Her powers are best understood as Psionic Amplification. This means that her normal human abilities are being augmented by her willpower. Her particular power set can be found in metahuman psionics, as well, but as her powers were activated by an outside source and not her own genetics she is classified as a mutant. Her specific powers mainly make her faster, accelerating her physical movement. She can casually outrun virtually any automobile, run up walls and across water without falling or sinking, and her accuracy and dodging ability are significantly improved.

However, that is not all that she can do. She also has a small measure of subconscious telekinetic ability, enhancing both the damage of any unarmed strikes and any melee weapon she might wield. Such as her Kinetic Rapier, which was specifically designed to withstand such use by Valentina Alvarez. With it, she is free to strike as rapidly as she chooses, without fear of breaking the weapon or scarring the delicate skin of her hand. The latter is unlikely, however, due to her final power of Psionic Resilience. It boosts her durability and renders her more or less invulnerable to mundane firearms. Still, the Rapier both hits harder and penetrates armor better anyway.

 

Tactically, she’s just a swordswoman, really. Albeit one who can dash in and out of range with Move By Action. She can also Acrobatic Bluff, Feint, Trick, and Taunt all at the Improved level, with Redirect and Takedown Attack 2 making things interesting against multiple opponents. And both Defensive and Power Attack are on the table should they be needed. She doesn’t normally power stunt. If she did, it would most likely be swapping Autofire on Amplified Rapier Strike for Targeted Area Burst. This would be a 30 ft burst.

 

Personality: Arielle supposes she isn’t much different than the player killer guilds that brought their grisly work to the real. She can’t quite stop being the Captain of the Rose Knights. No, she’s not desperately scrapping with powerful monsters to escape virtual reality. But the skills and habits developed in the virtual have carried over to the real. Heroism in medieval/fantasy tradition. People are in danger? Or have already been harmed? Find the source of the problem. Negotiate it away if you can, as violence is a last resort. But if you must resort to violence, kill ‘em stone fuckin’ dead. Those were the rules of the game, and real life isn’t so different when you get down to it.

She knows she left part of herself behind in the virtual. Everyone trapped there for those two years did, really. She was…softer, then. She misses it, sometimes. The innocence. That version of herself who’d never seen what happens when people simply break. Who’d never put mad dogs down for the safety of everyone else. Who’d never heard the last desperate pleas of someone about to die. The Rose Knights lost people over those two years. Some died nobly. Some died stupidly. Some were her friends. Some were practically strangers. Some died believing in their Captain. Some died cursing her name. What they went through…it has to mean something. It has to. So she’s still their Captain. Anything less would be a betrayal of their memory. She loves Hayate with every fiber of her being. The others are the sisters she never had. She will protect them. She will protect everyone. Take the responsibility onto herself, and hold on no matter how heavy the weight of it proves to be. That’s the Captain’s job. That’s who she is. Even if she doesn’t bear the literal title anymore.

[EternalPhoenix]

Valentina Alvarez

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 180/180

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +2 (14)

 

Tough: +3/+12, Fort: +9, Ref: +6, Will: +9

 

Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+5), Bluff 3 (+5), Concentration 8 (+10), Craft (electronic) 2 (+5), Diplomacy 3 (+5), Gather Information 8 (+10), Investigate 12 (+15), Knowledge (earth sciences) 7 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 7 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 7 (+10), Language 5 (+5), Notice 8 (+10), Search 12 (+15), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 3 (+5)

 

Feats: Attack Focus (melee) 2, Dodge Focus, Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Hammer Strike (Strike 4)), Improved Critical 2 (Telekinetic Blast (Blast 6)), Improvised Tools, Inventor, Quick Change

 

Powers:

Kinetic Armor (Device 3) (Hard to lose, Only you can use)

   Amplified Psionic Resilience (Protection 6) (+6 Toughness, Feats: Quick Change; Impervious; Subtle (subtle))

Kinetic Blaster (Device 3) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)

   Telekinetic Blast (Blast 6) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Telekinetic Blast (Blast 6)); Accurate (+2))

Kinetic Hammer (Device 2) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)

   Amplified Hammer Strike (Strike 4) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Hammer Strike (Strike 4)); Penetrating [3 ranks only]; Mighty)

Psionic Amplification (Container, Passive 9)

   Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 2) (DC 19; Mighty)

   Psionic Gadgeteering (Enhanced Trait (Traits: Craft (mechanical) +12 (+15), Knowledge (technology) +12 (+15), Feats: Improvised Tools, Inventor)

   Psionic Resilience (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness; Impervious)

   Telekinesis (Move Object 9) (Strength: 45, Carry: 4.3k / 4.3 tons / 6.4 tons / 12.8 tons; Range (perception); Precise)

 

Attack Bonus: +10 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +12, Grapple: +14)

 

Attacks: Amplified Hammer Strike (Strike 4), +12 (DC 21), Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 2), +12 (DC 19), Telekinetic Blast (Blast 6), +12 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +6  (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -10

 

Initiative: +2

 

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Japanese, Spanish Native

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 24 (96 ranks) + Feats 3 + Powers 78 + Combat 30 + Saves 17 + Drawbacks 0 = 180

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 23

Height: 5’ 6”

Weight: 130 lbs

Ethnicity: Argentinean

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Brown

 

Background: Valentina Alvarez was always interested in engineering and technology. From a young age she enjoyed taking things apart, seeing how they worked, and at least trying to put them back together again. So, naturally, she was interested in video games. And, equally naturally, when one was coming out that had the latest cutting edge technology integrated into it, she was incredibly interested.  She’d followed the dev cycle of 4 Swords Network from the beginning. Surfing social media and websites in Japanese, English, and her native Spanish just to get the tiniest tidbits of information about it. So when the limited official release date came, she was all over that like cheese on a burger. Which, of course, led to her being one of the 10,000 trapped in it. Talk about not good.

Shock. Horror. Disbelief. Terror. Despair. We’ve been over this in Hayate and Arielle’s entries. The choices were insanity, suicide, or endurance. Obviously, Valentina chose endurance. She was among the first to dig into the game’s crafting system. She was a poor fighter, as she had chosen a class (Nagamaki, one of four available) that was ill-suited to her abilities. But what she could do was craft better weapons and equipment for those who had chosen both endurance and a class they were well suited for. And while nobody from the outside could free them, this did not mean that they could not help. A few particularly clever superheroes started expanding on the somewhat…limited early release designs available for crafting. These custom designs allowed even Valentina to stand on the battlefield from time to time, which was good as several designs had level requirements to craft.

When Arielle Cadieux formed the Rose Knights in the wake of the first dungeon being conquered, Valentina was among the first to join. Mainly because the beautiful French fencer was exactly that. Beautiful. Not her face and body specifically, though those were nice enough. It was her fighting style that garnered the crafter’s attention. Valentina had never seen fencing before, and had certainly never seen it being adapted to use with a tsurugi. She became the Rose Knights’ crafter, and then master crafter (in charge of her own small team of crafters). She made sure the Rose Knights had the best weapons and gear possible. Because it broke her heart, too, when they came back from a dungeon raid short anyone. Still, she had to venture out into the field for materials sometimes, too, which is how she met Hayate.

Only Valentina had the crafting skill and overall level to harvest the rarest of materials. So when a rumor blew in of truly rare and special materials, she just had to go have a look. She went alone because 1) It was just a rumor, 2) that mountainous zone’s guardian had been defeated weeks before, and 3) it was far from known player killer guilds operations. It was supposed to be a quick scouting mission. If there was any truth to the rumor, she’d head back and ask Arielle to organize a raiding party. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d done things this way, but it was for damn sure the last. Because the zone’s guardian had done something no guardian had yet done. The winged silver dragon had respawned. She was totally dead. It had taken several dozen players of her approximate level to kill this thing the first time, and they were all better at actually fighting than she was. The damn thing could fly faster than she could run, so escape was all but impossible. She had just enough time to apologize to both the Rose Knights and her parents for her mistake before Hayate showed up.

Saying that Hayate whipped the dragon’s ass and saved the day would be grossly inaccurate. Highly overleveled as he was, not even he could defeat such a guardian on his own. Mainly because it had ranged attacks and could fly, and he had neither of those things. Fortunately, he wasn’t on his own. Valentina was there. Using the mountains themselves as both cover, they struck at the great dragon until it lost the ability to fly and crashed to earth. Then Hayate cut it apart and saved the day. He escorted Valentina to an area close to town, then pulled his patented disappearing act. She didn’t get his name, either. Arielle was a little annoyed with her, but more grateful that her friend had returned safely from uch danger. And the incident only intensified the interest that the Rose Knights’ Captain had in the swordsman in black. Valentina was only too happy to upgrade his weapons and gear when Arielle finally recruited him.

Of course, all good things must come to an end. There were one hundred dungeons in the game, and probably half again that many boss and guardian monsters. They had finally cleared the 75^th, with great struggle and sacrifice. When they went for the 76^th, they found it empty. There were trash mobs and mooks, to be sure. They regenerated. But the bosses and guardians did not. And they were gone on the 77^th, 78^th, 79^th, hey hold on a minute how far does this…80^th, 90^th, 95^th, 99^th, and holy shit. The 100^th was also cleared. The game was beaten. Celebrations broke out spontaneously throughout the game as the announcement echoed through it. At long last, they logged out and returned to the physical world. She was not present for the rescue of Arielle from her malevolent fiancée. She was undergoing physical therapy and remedial education like Hayate was during that investigation, but due to her being on an entirely different continent and Hayate not having her contact information she was completely unaware of the events until the freed Arielle briefed her personally. During this phone call, Arielle mentioned joining Psi-Division and her new powers. By sheer coincidence, Valentina also had some new powers and leapt at the chance to reunite with her Captain and friend in the real world. She was arguably more beautiful than her avatar ever was. Miriam Mizrahi, their old morale officer, joined at this time as well, and Valentina was happy to see her in the real as well. So cute! And Hayate’s buxom cousin Ichika wasn’t far behind. Valentina wasn’t mad about this at all.

But the legacy of the Nihonto Incident was not yet finished. The Sweetheart Slasher Guild had yet to be full reckoned with. There was three choices for the trapped players. Go insane, die, or continue on. Obviously, Valentina continued on. However, some of those who went insane went murderously insane. And some of these were unable to recover after being freed. Most of these were relatively easily handled by law enforcement and normal superheroes. In the real world it is much more difficult to kill people and continually get away with it. Some, however, retained some intelligence and cunning. More like they were addicted to the act of murder than were suffering from an inability to recognize reality. These were the Sweetheart Slashers. Yet even they could not entirely escape the dogged pursuit of law enforcement and superheroes, and by the time Jacob Cross, Valentina, and company re-enter their story they were down to their last, most dangerous members. All of whom held a grudge against not only one Hayate Ishikawa, but also one Arielle Cadieux for helping break their power in the virtual.

There was another VR game to come out in the wake of the Nihonto Incident. Kaede Kobayashi was one of its best players. But there was a problem. Every time they held a PvP tournament, one of the players who lost was violently murdered with a knife. The game company said it was coincidental, but after the third tournament nobody was buying it. Psi-Division investigated, brought the last of the Sweetheart Slashers to justice during the fourth tournament, and ended up with Kaede as a new recruit in the process. Done and done.

 

Powers & Tactics: Valentina is a mutant psionic. Her powers are best understood as Psionic Amplification. This means that her normal human abilities are being augmented by her willpower. Most of her particular power set can be found in metahuman psionics, as well, but as her powers were activated by an outside source and not her own genetics she is classified as a mutant. Her specific powers primarily manifest in both subconscious and conscious telekinetic abilities. The subconscious manifests in enhanced damage to her unarmed strikes and any weapon she might wield, as well as enhanced physical resilience. Enough that minor damage like a regular unpowered punch has no effect. The conscious manifests in regular telekinesis, naturally, with a maximum lifting capacity in the double digit tons. She cannot directly inflict damage with it, though she can use it for tasks requiring fine dexterity and precision. Her final power, however, is the one that metahuman psionics are incapable of manifesting. She has an intuitive and instinctual understanding of how to build, maintain, repair, and use all sorts of purely mechanical devices with or without tools other than her telekinesis.

As such, she has built three devices that amplify her telekinetic abilities for combat. Her Kinetic Hammer is, well, a big hammer built to withstand the stress of repeatedly hitting things as hard as it channeling her melee damage boost allows. Her Kinetic Armor does something similar for her boosted resilience, making her seem more like a tank than a human being and preventing even artillery fire from harming her. It doesn’t look like it does this, however, and she can put it on remarkably quickly. Her final device is her Kinetic Blaster, which channels her telekinesis into a damaging blast of force, solving the problem of not being able to do damage with it. Naturally, she is the only one who can make these devices function. Anyone without her specific powers can’t do it at all.

 

Tactically, Valentina is still kind of crap at combat, relying on her Devices far more than actual skill. This is fine, as frontline combat is not and never has been her job. Her Kinetic Blaster is her favorite. The Kinetic Hammer can see use in melee. Seriously, she doesn’t have any special feats or movement powers. She’s got a blaster, a hammer, and whatever she’s made with Inventor this time. It would likely never occur to her to use Telekinesis as a combat ability. That’s not what it’s for, in her mind. So naturally, she will never power stunt.

 

Personality: Valentina is…fun. She’s a flirtatious, energetic, cheerful personality. And that’s all most people who interact with her will ever see. She didn’t serve on the front lines like Hayate and Arielle. She doesn’t have those memories and occasional nightmares of terrifying fights to the death. What she has instead are ghosts. People she painstakingly built gear for, who didn’t return. Friends who received her best work, and died anyway. What does one do with that? That pain? That guilt? Therapy is lovely, and it’s helped a lot. But someone who wasn’t there could never understand. The pieces of herself she left behind in the virtual.

Because everyone who was there did leave something of themselves behind. And so, Valentina keeps her energy level up. She keeps flirting with everyone she finds attractive, whatever their gender, so she has a warm body to hang onto at night. Because she did come back with mind and body intact. So many didn’t. And when she’s tired and alone, they come to visit. Not literally, of course. They’re only memories, after all. They’re memories of people she failed. And that is why she joined Psi-Division. Why she leapt at the chance to work with Arielle again. Because her intellect, skills, and powers can still be of use to the frontliners. Even if the fight is different now. It’ll be different this time. It is different, this time. It does not, however, make the ghosts go away.

[EternalPhoenix]

Miriam Mizrahi

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 180/180

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+9, Fort: +6, Ref: +6/+9, Will: +9

 

Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+5), Bluff 12 (+15), Diplomacy 12 (+15), Gather Information 12 (+15), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (art) 3 (+5), Knowledge (behavioral science) 8 (+10), Knowledge (civics) 3 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 3 (+5), Notice 7 (+10), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 7 (+10)

 

Feats: Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 4, Improved Critical (Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 1)), Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Short Sword Strike (Strike 3)), Power Attack, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Sense Motive), Teamwork, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Kinetic Shield (Device 3) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)

   Amplified Psionic Resilience (Force Field 3) (+3 Toughness; Impervious [3 extra ranks])

   Psionic Deflection (Enhanced Trait 6) (Traits: Dodge Focus 4 +3 (+4), Reflex +3 (+9))

Kinetic Short Sword (Device 2) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)

   Amplified Short Sword Strike (Strike 3) (DC 20, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Short Sword Strike (Strike 3)); Penetrating [2 ranks only]; Accurate 2 (+4), Mighty)

Psionic Amplification (Container, Passive 3)

   Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 1) (DC 18, Feats: Improved Critical (Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 1)); Mighty)

   Psionic Resilience (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness; Impervious)

   Telepathic Translation (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all)

Psionic Manifestations (Array 20) (default power: summon)

   Nightmare Constructs (Create Object 9) (Array; Max Size: 9x 5' cubes, DC 19; Impervious, Movable (Radius: 45 ft., Strength: 45, Force: 6.4 tons); Precise, Subtle (subtle))

   Nightmarish Imagery (Illusion 9) (Array; affects: all sense types, DC 19; Duration (sustained); Phantasms; Progression, Area 4 (100 ft. radius))

   Summon Nightmare Dragon (Summon 9) (Default; Fanatical, Heroic; Mental Link, Sacrifice)

   Summon Lesser Nightmares (Summon 6) (Array; Fanatical, Horde, Type (Broad); Mental Link, Progression, # Minions 2 (5 minions), Sacrifice)

 

Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +9, Grapple: +11)

 

Attacks: Amplified Short Sword Strike (Strike 3), +13 (DC 20), Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 1), +9 (DC 18), Unarmed Attack, +9 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +9  (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -9

 

Initiative: +3

 

Languages: Hebrew Native

 

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 24 (96 ranks) + Feats 7 + Powers 77 + Combat 28 + Saves 12 + Drawbacks 0 = 180

 

***************************************************************************************

 

Nightmare Dragon

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 135/135

 

STR: +12 (35), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +9 (28), INT: +0 (-), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +0 (-)

 

Tough: +12, Fort: +9, Ref: +6, Will: +3

 

Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+10), Concentration 7 (+10), Notice 9 (+12), Sense Motive 9 (+12), Stealth 14 (+9), Survival 2 (+5)

 

Feats: All-Out Attack, Improved Grapple, Improved Pin, Power Attack

 

Powers:

Dragon Scales (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness; Impervious [6 extra ranks])

Dragon's Wings (Flight 5) (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd)

Dragons Are Big (Growth 9) (+18 STR, +9 CON, +2 size categories; Permanent; Innate)

Fear Aura (Emotion Control 9) (DC 19; Action 3 (reaction), Perception Area (General), Selective Attack; Duration 2 (instant), Limited to Emotion (Fear), Range 2 (touch), Sense-Dependent (Visual))

Nightmarish Might (Super-Strength 3) (+15 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 51.2 tons; +3 STR to some checks)

Nightmarish Senses (Super-Senses 2) (darkvision)

 

Attack Bonus: +6 (Ranged: +6, Melee: +6, Grapple: +28/+31)

 

Attacks: Fear Aura (Emotion Control 9) (DC Staged/Will 19), Unarmed Attack, +6 (DC 27)

 

Defense: +6  (Flat-footed: +3), Size: Huge, Knockback: -18

 

Initiative: +3

 

Languages: Native Language

 

Totals: Abilities 8 + Skills 12 (48 ranks) + Feats 4 + Powers 76 + Combat 32 + Saves 3 + Drawbacks 0 = 135

 

****************************************************************************************

 

Nightmare Creature Template

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 45/90

 

STR: +5 (20), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +5 (20), INT: +0 (-), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +0 (-)

 

Tough: +5, Fort: +5, Ref: +3, Will: +3

 

Skills: Notice 2 (+5), Sense Motive 2 (+5)

 

Powers:

Fear Aura (Emotion Control 6) (DC 16; Action 3 (reaction), Perception Area (General), Selective Attack; Duration 2 (instant), Limited to Emotion (Fear), Range 2 (touch), Sense-Dependent (Visual))

 

Attack Bonus: +5 (Ranged: +5, Melee: +5, Grapple: +10)

 

Attacks: Fear Aura (Emotion Control 6) (DC Staged/Will 16), Unarmed Attack, +5 (DC 20)

 

Defense: +5  (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -2

 

Initiative: +3

 

Languages: Native Language

 

Totals: Abilities 12 + Skills 1 (4 ranks) + Feats 0 + Powers 12 + Combat 20 + Saves 0 + Drawbacks 0 = 45

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 19

Height: 5’ 2”

Weight: 100 lbs

Ethnicity: Israeli

Hair: Dark Brown

Eyes: Dark Brown

 

Background: The rabbi always said you shouldn’t lie for selfish reasons. Miriam Mizrahi, being 12 years old, didn’t think lying to a Japanese corporation about her age really counted. She wanted to play Cyberdimension Tsurugi-chan!: 4 Swords Network, and wasn’t about to let being short some months in her age get in the way. She’d been saving money since her last birthday to buy the VR helmet. And the game had the audacity to suggest she should wait for her next one? Nope, not happening. The Miri of today acknowledges this as one hell of a mistake, but she really couldn’t have known better at the time. Just shy of ten thousand other people, older and more educated, made it too. Her story was a lot like theirs, too. She made her avatar, picked a class (Yajiri), and started playing. But she was getting hungry for lunch after a while, so she tried to log out. And couldn’t. She couldn’t take the helmet off, either. And then she and just shy of ten thousand other people found out why.

Of course she cried. This did not solve the problem, but it did get the emotion out. Which, as it turned out, was kind of important. Because just about everyone in the game was older than her, and a whole lot of them flipped out. Shock. Horror. Disbelief. Terror. Despair. Etcetera. We’ve been over this. So a few days later, when the first organized group decided to challenge the first dungeon, she tagged along to see what she could do to help. The answer to that was “not much”. She was distinctly mediocre at being a Yajiri, and almost nobody had learned any of the combat tactics they’d later master on pain of literal death. So things went badly, and then Hayate and Arielle stepped in, and things went better. The Miri of today recognizes that she was still a bit in the disbelief stage then. The people who died didn’t register to her as having really done so at that time.

At any rate, Yajiri (even mediocre ones) were quickly recognized to be an absolute necessity for traversing dungeon and battling bosses. Miri found herself in high demand. So why Arielle and the nascent Rose Knights? Well, even back then she had a bit of a nose for people and their personalities. It’s not perfect now and it certainly wasn’t then, but she could tell that Arielle didn’t have the negative qualities a leader didn’t need. She had the right feel, for lack of a better word. Kids aren’t stupid, you know? They just don’t know stuff. The Miri of today has plenty of fancy words for Arielle’s personality, but they’re not necessary here. And to put it bluntly, most of those early guilds fell apart and the rest experienced significant reorganization at some point. She doesn’t know the details and she doesn’t want to.

Arielle, to her credit, recognized early that Miri wasn’t primary frontline material. In fact, she was much better as a welcoming face to return to. A kind of mascot that helped keep spirits up with her own personality. Officially dubbed the Rose Knights’ morale officer, she served very well in that role and likely prevented more than a few Rose Knights from going off the deep end and kept several more sharp when they would have dulled and died. This, however, was not enough to make a little girl feel useful. All she was doing was talking, while everyone else seemed to be doing something useful. She knows better, now, but back then she felt useless. Especially when a team of Knights came back smaller than it left. So she resolved to get better at fighting. She just needed more practice, that’s all. Gain a few quick levels in a cleared area. If she proved she could fight just as well as the others, she could go with them again. Dungeon raids were terrifying, but they beat the waiting around in the guild hall.

This was not actually a mistake. It being a mistake would have required her knowing that the Darkness Ghosts player killer guild had drifted back into the forested zone she had chosen, and nobody knew that until after she’d already left. For the Ghosts, it was the perfect situation. One player, alone. A Yajiri, even, who were all but helpless against melee fighters they couldn’t get away from. They could take their time with this one. Miri should have died. She would have died. Except for Hayate, the swordsman in black, at what was probably the pinnacle of his brooding badass loner status. His level was so much higher than any of theirs that they couldn’t significantly harm him. The opposite was not true. He gave them a choice. Repeatedly. Run. Or die. Player killer guilds were not known for caring whether or not they survived, as long as they got to kill. The Darkness Ghosts were no exception. Against most opponents, this would have been terrifying. Of course, they could measurably damage most opponents. So Hayate killed them all. And from the blank disinterested look in his eyes, this was far from the first time he’d had to do so. Miri was actually more frightened of him than the Ghosts, right up until he offered her an escort back to town. There was kindness in his eyes then, and a great sadness too. He pulled his patented disappearing act close to town, without giving his name. Leaving Miri to return to the guild hall alone and (she thought) get yelled at for being careless. Instead, she was welcomed back with great relief, which only grew when she told her story. In fact, the solution to her feeling useless was a lot simpler than she thought it was. All she had to do was ask to join some of the lesser raids, and Arielle would have been perfectly happy to let her go. Sometimes, the Miri of today says, people can overcomplicate and overthink things that are easily resolved by basic communication. And she was no exception. So, from that point on, Miri did her part. Arielle kept her morale officer out of the most dangerous dungeon raids, but her arrows kept more than a few Rose Knights alive after tough battles. And she was mostly satisfied with that. The rst of her satisfaction came from seeing just how worried her guildmates were about her. Even the mightiest of warriors needs a welcoming face to come home to, and being one was also an important job.

Of course, all good things must come to an end. There were one hundred dungeons in the game, and probably half again that many boss and guardian monsters. They had finally cleared the 75^th, with great struggle and sacrifice. When they went for the 76^th, they found it empty. There were trash mobs and mooks, to be sure. They regenerated. But the bosses and guardians did not. And they were gone on the 77^th, 78^th, 79^th, hey hold on a minute how far does this…80^th, 90^th, 95^th, 99^th, and holy shit. The 100^th was also cleared. The game was beaten. Celebrations broke out spontaneously throughout the game as the announcement echoed through it. At long last, they logged out and returned to the physical world. Miri was not present for the rescue of Arielle from her malevolent fiancée. She was undergoing physical therapy and remedial education like Hayate was during that investigation, but due to her being on an entirely different continent and Hayate not having her contact information she was completely unaware of the events until the freed Arielle briefed her personally. During this phone call, Arielle mentioned joining Psi-Division and her new powers. Mossad was extremely interested in learning how Miri’s new powers worked, so she took the opportunity to get the heck out of Israel and rejoin her old comrades in the real world. She was happy to see all three of them. Hayate, Arielle, and Valentina. A good foursome, commanded by Jacob Cross, quickly became a fivesome with Hayate’s cousin Ichika joining up.

But the legacy of the Nihonto Incident was not yet finished. The Sweetheart Slasher Guild had yet to be fully reckoned with. There was three choices for the trapped players. Go insane, die, or continue on. Miri had always been pretty stable emotionally and mentally, so she continued on. However, some of those who went insane went murderously insane. Like the Darkness Ghosts who almost killed her. And some of these were unable to recover after being freed. Most of these were relatively easily handled by law enforcement and normal superheroes. In the real world it is much more difficult to kill people and continually get away with it. Some, however, retained some intelligence and cunning. More like they were addicted to the act of murder than were suffering from an inability to recognize reality. These were the Sweetheart Slashers. Yet even they could not entirely escape the dogged pursuit of law enforcement and superheroes, and by the time Jacob Cross, Miriam, and company re-enter their story they were down to their last, most dangerous members. All of whom held a grudge against not only one Hayate Ishikawa, but also one Arielle Cadieux for helping break their power in the virtual.

There was another VR game to come out in the wake of the Nihonto Incident. Kaede Kobayashi was one of its best players. But there was a problem. Every time they held a PvP tournament, one of the players who lost was violently murdered with a knife. The game company said it was coincidental, but after the third tournament nobody was buying it. Psi-Division investigated, brought the last of the Sweetheart Slashers to justice during the fourth tournament, and ended up with Kaede as a new recruit in the process. Done and done.

 

Powers & Tactics: Miriam is a mutant psionic. Her powers are best understood as Psionic Amplification and Psionic Manifestation. The former means that her normal human abilities are being augmented by her willpower. This can be found in metahuman psionics, as well, but as her powers were activated by an outside source and not her own genetics she is classified as a mutant. These powers primarily manifest in subconscious telekinetic abilities. The subconscious manifests in enhanced damage to her unarmed strikes and any weapon she might wield, as well as enhanced physical resilience. Enough that minor damage like a regular unpowered punch has no effect. The other third of her Psionic Amplification is the telepathic ability to read, speak, and understand any language. It is a little strange that this still works both when she’s quite alone and with extremely dead or outright extraterrestrial languages, however. That limited bit of telepathy seems to be tapping in the collective unconscious.

This would make her Psionic Manifestations make much more sense, if true. Because every single one of those powers is straight out of the realm of nightmares. This may perhaps be light hyperbole, but it is certainly not metaphor. No metahuman psionic has ever displayed the unnerving abilities she possesses in this regard. She can make telekinetic constructs of both impossible geometry and form that both shifts while observed and can move double digit tons of weight. Said constructs are capable of withstanding artillery fire with no visible damage. And then there’s the telepathic illusions of things best discussed in the bright light of day and not dwelt on at night lest they intrude on one’s sleep. Most alarmingly, she can actually summon such beings into the world and out of her own mind. Or the collective unconscious, as the theory goes. Such beings are easily dispatched in combat by professional superhumans due to their inability to absorb any degree of damage. Resisting said damage is another (somewhat variable) matter, but in the end they are only a real combat threat against mundane opposition. However they do project a field of absolute terror that one must steel one’s mind against or be found cowering in terror. The counter point to their relative weakness is that Miri can and usually does summon them in groups of five. And then there’s the Nightmare Dragon. It is more powerful in every respect, fully capable of standing against professional superhumans in combat and with a terror field significantly increased in potency. It out masses all mundane animals by a considerable margin, and is even larger than many smaller buildings. It is capable rending steel with its disturbing hands. In Psi-Division, its resilience is only matched by Valentina in her armor. It can fly at 747 speeds and carry weight up to the triple digit tons. It is, in all respects, truly a creature of nightmares.

Speaking of Valetina, she has graciously crafted a shield and short sword for Miri that work in concert with her subconscious telekinesis. The sword strikes fairly hard and enhances her accuracy with it. The shield bolsters her durability, physical resilience, and damage avoidance by quite a bit.

 

Tactically, when solo Miriam herself prefers to talk things out instead of fighting. Nightmarish Imagery isn’t, strictly speaking, limited to obviously scary illusions. As such, her illusions can bolster her formidable people skills. Failinig that, the 5 Lesser Nightmares can get get most opposition headed for the hills or beaten down. Failing even that, Nightmare Constructs can block passage, trap foes, and control the battlefield. And if even this isn’t good enough, she’ll summon the Dragon. She prefers to remains out of direct combat, and will Sacrifice her summons to take damage for her. This seems more evil than it is, as her summons are not real and do not have minds of their own. Or minds at all. What changes in team combat is that the talking phase has passed. She does not use Nightmarish Imagery, as it would distract her teammated. Instead she layers in Feinting and Demoralizing with Set Up and Aid Actions where possible. This continues this even if Nightmarish Constructs prove inadequate and the Lesser Nightmares are defeated. The Nightmare Dragon is her escape plan, so if it is defeated and she’s the last standing member of Psi-Division she’ll surrender rather than get her ass kicked. Unless, naturally, the enemy looks ragged enough from all that combat that she could conceivable defeat them by herself. She’s never killed anyone in the real world, and she’s not about to start now. She can technically power stunt, summoning Lesser Dream Creatures or a bigger dream animal, but they’re not very useful for anything other than calming people down. Maybe putting them in a dreamy daze? Meh, kind of lame.

 

Personality: Miri is a psychologist. That’s like a morale officer, but professionally trained. Rather than having a instinctive and sometimes faulty understanding of how people work, she has a well educated and rarely faulty one. Psychology is only as perfect as the person using it, and unfortunately (or not) Miri is not perfect. What she is, however, is that rare master manipulator who isn’t in urgent need of psychiatric treatment. In the field, her own distinctive personality largely doesn’t exist, as she shifts from moment to moment based on need. People respond differently to different stimuli. Some need a nurturing mother. Others need a cute and caring little sister. Some prefer to be seduced by a sultry sexpot. And still others respond best to an apparently psychopathic woman with a sword. Her approach depends upon the person and the mission’s goals.

But honestly…people don’t change from when they were young. They just get better at dealing with life’s various trials and tribulations. She knows she left a piece of herself behind in the virtual. Everyone who was there did, after all. They all have nightmares. They’re all coping with it in perhaps an unhealthy way with Psi-Division. It is…difficult, to simply go home and be normal. If you weren’t there, you wouldn’t understand. Though, she does admit, there are war veterans who can get close enough. She wanted to get away from Mossad, originally, but she could mostly handle them now. She stays because these re her friends, and the work has value. A trained psychologist knows all about the very human motivations that can render the law inadequate. Someone still has to stand up for the victims and those left in the wreckage in that case. Though, if she was being honest…she still can’t stand to see people hurting, and those who hurt them going unpunished for it. If the law won’t do it, then Psi-Division will.

[EternalPhoenix]

Ichika Ishikawa

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 180/180

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+9, Fort: +6, Ref: +9, Will: +9

 

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 8 (+10), Knowledge (history) 8 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 8 (+10), Language 4 (+4), Notice 12 (+15), Search 3 (+5), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 7 (+10)

 

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee) 3, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Feint, Dodge Focus 4, Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Sword Strike (Strike 4)), Move-by Action, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Acrobaics, Bluff, Notice, Sense Motive), Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Touch)

 

Powers:

Kinetic Sword (Device 2) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)

   Amplified Sword Strike (Strike 4) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Amplified Sword Strike (Strike 4)); Mighty)

Psionic "Magic" (Array 14) (default power: move object)

   Telekinesis (Move Object 9) (Default; Strength: 45, Carry: 4.3k / 4.3 tons / 6.4 tons / 12.8 tons, DC 24; Damaging; Precise)

   Telekinetic Burst (Blast 6) (Array; DC 21; Burst Area (20-150 ft. radius - General), Selective Attack; Progression, Decrease Area 2 (-2 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5))

   Telekinetic Snare (Snare 9) (Array; DC 19; Transparent)

Psionic Amplification (Container, Passive 3)

   Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 2) (DC 19; Mighty)

   Psionic Resilience (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness; Impervious [3 extra ranks])

   Telekinetic Senses (Super-Senses 3) (danger sense: Touch, distance sense, ranged: Touch)

Telekinetic Armor (Force Field 3) (+3 Toughness; Impervious)

Telekinetic Flight (Flight 3) (Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd)

 

Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +12, Grapple: +14)

 

Attacks: Amplified Sword Strike (Strike 4), +12 (DC 21), Amplified Unarmed Strike (Strike 2), +12 (DC 19), Telekinesis (Move Object 9), +9 (DC 24), Telekinetic Burst (Blast 6) (DC 21), Telekinetic Snare (Snare 9), +9 (DC Ref/Staged 19), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +9  (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -9

 

Initiative: +3

 

Languages: English, French, Greek, Japanese Native, Latin

 

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 25 (100 ranks) + Feats 15 + Powers 65 + Combat 28 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 180

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 21

Height: 5’ 6”

Weight: 140 lbs

Ethnicity: Japanese

Hair: Blonde (dyed, naturally Black)

Eyes: Green (contacts, naturally Dark Brown)

 

Background: Ichika Ishikawa is Hayate Ishikawa’s cousin. However, they were raised together in the same house, so they’re effectively siblings. It’s a strong bond, but Hayate has no idea how strong. 4 Swords Network, the game everyone in the Nihonto Incident was trapped in, was a online video game. This meant that people could watch if they wanted to. Now, the various avatars looking nothing like the actual people behind them meant that all the survivors have a degree of anonymity, even from each other (assuming they didn’t tell each other their real names like many close knit guilds like the Rose Knights did). This did not and does not mean that people who knew them could not recognize their voices or certain mannerisms. Thus Ichika figured out the real identity of a certain swordsman in black fairly early on, and followed his exploits with great interest. She already loved her brother, but watching his evolution from isolated, traumatized loner to basically a superhero with the most badass girlfriend of all time (in her opinion, mind) turned him into her personal hero. She still has not told him this. She has not told anyone this.

For Ichika, you see, had always been enraptured by tales of heroes from the past. Whether they were mythological or historical was irrelevant to her. Since she was born in and had never (at the time) left Japan, her favorites were Japanese. Fujiwara no Hidesato and Taira no Sadamori. Nomi no Sukune (who was likely a metahuman with improved strength). Yamato Takeru. Her favorites, however, were the Shitenno, or“Four Guardian Kings”, the servants of Minamoto no Yorimitsu (more often known by his nickname of Raiko). Kintaro (Sakata Kintoki, the actual person behind that legend, was likely a metahuman with superhuman strength as well), Urabe no Suetake (who, based on how he is recorded under three different names, was possibly either multiple people or able to duplicate himself), Usui Sadamitsu (who may well have been a woman or merely transmasculine), and the oni slaying Watanabe no Tsuna (it is strongly suspected he was an undercover member of the Devil Hunter Society).

So when her brother returned to the real world, she was only too happy to help him in his physical recovery. And when he needed help saving his badass girlfriend from whoever was holding her prisoner, well…it was a chance to quest like Raiko and Shitenno. Like hell she was going to do nothing. She shoehorned her way into the investigation, and it was good that she did as Jacob Cross didn’t understand online gamers and Hayate wasn’t much of a people person at the time. This was good, as it was Ichika who gathered the gamer allies they needed to storm Asgard. They may have been following Hayate as the legendary swordsman in black, but it was Ichika who did all the legwork in finding and contacting the guildmasters. So, you know. One Arielle Cadieux rescued. A job well done. Apparently her brother killed Ari’s fiancée in the aftermath. Whatever, he seriously deserved it. But now the two of them were joining up with that Cross guy and they had superpowers and oh my god it was like a Shitenno forming in front of her very eyes. So naturally she wanted in. The problem was that they all thought she didn’t have any superpowers. This was wrong, obviously, because she did. What she told them was that they were new, she needed help controlling them, and she wanted to help them. Ichika Ishikawa was lying through her teeth.

Not about the wanting to help. But the rest? Oh, yeah. She first noticed other people weren’t telekinetic when she was five years old. Before that, she thought it just wasn’t polite to use them when one’s arms still worked. Or something like that. She was a toddler making up a reason Mommy and Daddy weren’t pulling things across the room and flying everywhere. The car accident a year later made sure nobody living knew about her powers in addition to giving her an older brother and a new set of parents. At least, that’s the optimistic version she tells herself so she won’t feel sad anymore. There isn’t exactly a manual on how to become a superhero. It didn’t seem right to just…put on a mask and go look for crime happening. Wasn’t that what the police were for? She didn’t want to get in the way or step on anyone’s toes. So, Ichika contented herself with stories, games, and imagining until after Hayate’s return from the virtual world. She, Arielle, Valentina Alvarez, and Miriam Mizrahi quickly became firm friends. All was well.

But the legacy of the Nihonto Incident was not yet finished. The Sweetheart Slasher Guild had yet to be fully reckoned with. There was three choices for the trapped players. Go insane, die, or continue on. As Ichika knew, Hayate, Arielle, Valetina, and Miriam had managed to continue on. However, as she also knew from watching Hayate and then the Rose Knights, some of those who went insane went murderously insane. The player killer guilds, damn them. And some of these were unable to recover after being freed. Most of these were relatively easily handled by law enforcement and normal superheroes. In the real world it is much more difficult to kill people and continually get away with it. Some, however, retained some intelligence and cunning. More like they were addicted to the act of murder than were suffering from an inability to recognize reality. These were the Sweetheart Slashers. Yet even they could not entirely escape the dogged pursuit of law enforcement and superheroes, and by the time Jacob Cross, Ichika, and company re-enter their story they were down to their last, most dangerous members. All of whom held a grudge against not only one Hayate Ishikawa, but also one Arielle Cadieux for helping break their power in the virtual.

There was another VR game to come out in the wake of the Nihonto Incident. Kaede Kobayashi was one of its best players. But there was a problem. Every time they held a PvP tournament, one of the players who lost was violently murdered with a knife. The game company said it was coincidental, but after the third tournament nobody was buying it. Psi-Division investigated, brought the last of the Sweetheart Slashers to justice during the fourth tournament, and ended up with Kaede as a new recruit in the process. Done and done.

 

Powers & Tactics:Ichika is a metahuman psionic. Her powers are best understood as Psionic Amplification. This means that her normal human abilities are being augmented by her willpower. Her specific powers manifest in both subconscious and conscious telekinetic abilities. The subconscious manifests in enhanced damage to her unarmed strikes and any weapon she might wield, as well as enhanced physical resilience. Enough that most mundane man portable firearms cannot harm her. The conscious manifests in several ways. Regular telekinesis, naturally, with a maximum lifting capacity in the double digit tons and enough attack power to easily smash stone with it. She can throw damage in an area and even manifest constructs to bind targets with. She can also fly at about the speed of an automobile in a city and augment her resilience to artillery ignoring levels. Lastly, she’s basically impossible to sneak up on, as she’s continually generating a telekinetic field of miniscule power that she can feel disturbances in as if it was her skin.

She also has a Kinetic Sword from Valentina Alvarez, as she’s been a skilled Kendo practicioner since she was 12 years old. It hits harder than a normal sword due to her subconscious telekinetic abilities and is far less likely to break from use.

 

Tactically, Ichika has a few options. Regular attacks in both melee and ranged form. Area damage to clean up mooks. Grappling with Telekinesis or binding with Telekinetic Snare. She can fly out of range of ground based melee fighters. Telekinesis is probably her favorite, however. She has Improved Acrobatic Bluff and Feint to help her hit, and Move By Action and Power Attack to mix things up. Along with Takedown Attack to knock down groups in a second way. She has one power stunt. Telekinetic Constructs (Create Object 6, Moveable).

 

Personality: Ichika believes in heroes. Valiant warriors wandering the land, conquering monsters and evildoers to protect the innocent. She sees Psi-Division as doings of mighty deeds, like a modern day Shitenno (placing Jacob Cross in the role of Raiko). Though there’s more than four of them. So obviously it’s not a perfect comparison. However, if there’s evil afoot, they’re on the job. They investigate, and if getting the villain of the piece arrested is good enough, then they do that. If not, well…they’ll draw their swords to protect the defenseless. She was a bit squeamish about how deeply unpleasant killing a person is, but she’s gotten used to it. Can’t be a proper hero without killing the evildoers the law can’t touch, right?

The thing she doesn’t quite understand is that Raiko was a Minamoto. An aristocrat operating under the orders and authority of the legal government of the period. Which, naturally, meant that the Shitenno (as his servants) were operating under a similar level of authorization. Psi-Division is uh, not operating under the orders or authority of anyone but themselves. And occasionally the Grand Wizard Methion. It’d genuinely break her heart to realize she’s working for the bad guys. Because that would mean that Hayate isn’t a hero like she thought. Neither is Arielle. And certainly not herself. Honestly she is operating on heroic morality, it’s just a heroic morality that’s a few to several centuries out of date.