EternalPhoenix Posted August 16, 2022 Author Posted August 16, 2022 Starman I (John Thompkins) Power Level: 16; Power Points Spent: 255/255 STR: +20 (20/50), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +20 (20/50), INT: +0 (10), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +5 (20) Tough: +20, Fort: +20, Ref: +12, Will: +10 Skills: Bluff 5 (+10), Craft (structural) 10 (+10), Diplomacy 5 (+10), Intimidate 10 (+15), Knowledge (business) 5 (+5), Knowledge (civics) 5 (+5), Knowledge (earth sciences) 5 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 5 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15) Feats: All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 5, Dodge Focus 3, Improved Initiative, Luck 4, Power Attack, Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Ultimate Effort (Strength checks), Ultimate Effort (Toughness checks), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Untapped Potential Powers: Starheart Augmented Physiology (Container, Passive 17) Stellar Durability (Impervious Toughness 15) Stellar Might (Super-Strength 5) (+25 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 13.4m tons; +5 STR to some checks) Stellar Resilience (Enhanced Constitution 30) (+30 CON) Stellar Strength (Enhanced Strength 30) (+30 STR) Stellar Flight (Flight 5) (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd) Stellar Might Tricks (Array 15) (default power: super-strength) Shockwave (Strike 15) (Array; DC 30; Cone Area (150 ft. cone - General)) Sleeper Hold (Stun 15) (Array; DC 25; Duration (concentration); Requires Grapple) Stellar Might Boost (Super-Strength 15) (Default; +75 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 13.4m tons; +15 STR to some checks) Super-Breath (Trip 15) (Array; Cone Area (150 ft. cone - General), Knockback; Range (touch)) Thunderclap (Dazzle 15) (Array; affects: 1 sense type - auditory, DC 25; Burst Area (75 ft. radius - General), Selective Attack; Range (touch)) Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +7, Melee: +12, Grapple: +32/+52) Attacks: Shockwave (Strike 15) (DC 30), Sleeper Hold (Stun 15), +12 (DC Fort/Staged 25), Super-Breath (Trip 15) (DC 25), Thunderclap (Dazzle 15) (DC Fort/Ref 25), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 35) Defense: +12 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -17 Initiative: +5 Drawbacks: Vulnerable, uncommon, major, Mind Control effects Languages: English Native Totals: Abilities 38 + Skills 19 (74 ranks) + Feats 22 + Powers 129 + Combat 32 + Saves 18 - Drawbacks 3 = 255 ***************************************************************************************** Starwoman I (Judy Thompkins) Power Level: 16; Power Points Spent: 240/240 STR: +1 (12), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +4 (18), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +4/+9, Fort: +10, Ref: +10/+20, Will: +10 Skills: Acrobatics 8 (+10), Bluff 7 (+10), Craft (chemical) 7 (+10), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Knowledge (current events) 2 (+5), Knowledge (earth sciences) 7 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 7 (+10), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15) Feats: Accurate Attack, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 3, Dodge Focus 3, Evasion 2, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Star Bolts (Blast 12)), Improved Initiative 5, Interpose, Luck 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Ultimate Effort (Flight Speed checks), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Starheart Speed (Container, Passive 18) Stellar Flight (Flight 10) (Speed: 10000 mph, 88000 ft./rnd) Stellar Quickness (Quickness 10) (Perform routine tasks at 2500x speed) Stellar Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 58) (Traits: Attack Bonus +10 (+12), Defense Bonus +8 (+20), Reflex +10 (+20), Dodge Focus 3 +2 (+3), Feats: Defensive Roll 3, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative 5) Stellar Resilience (Protection 2) (+2 Toughness) Stellar Energy Manipulation (Array 20) (default power: blast) Stellar Flight Boost (Flight 10) (Alternate; Speed: 10000 mph, 88000 ft./rnd; Stacks with (Stellar Flight (Flight 10))) Stellar Quickness Boost (Quickness 10) (Alternate; Perform routine tasks at 2500x speed; Stacks with (Stellar Quickness (Quickness 10))) Star Blast (Blast 20) (Default; DC 35) Star Bolts (Blast 12) (Array; DC 27, Feats: Improved Critical (Star Bolts (Blast 12)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [10 ranks only]; Accurate 4 (+8)) Star Energy Field (Strike 10) (Array; DC 25; Shapeable Area (10 cubes of 125 cu. ft. (5x5x5) - General), Duration (concentration), Selective Attack) Stellar Energy Objects (Create Object 12) (Array; Max Size: 12x 25' cubes, DC 22; Movable (Radius: 60 ft., Strength: 60, Force: 51.2 tons); Progression, Object Size 2, Selective, Stationary) Attack Bonus: +2/+12 (Ranged: +2/+12, Melee: +2/+12, Grapple: +3/+13) Attacks: Star Blast (Blast 20), +12 (DC 35), Star Bolts (Blast 12), +20 (DC 27), Star Energy Field (Strike 10) (DC 25), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 16) Defense: +12/+20 (Flat-footed: +9), Knockback: -4 Initiative: +22 Languages: Native Language Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 19 (76 ranks) + Feats 12 + Powers 134 + Combat 22 + Saves 21 + Drawbacks 0 = 240 Age (as of Jan 2019): Deceased in 1993 at ages 63 (Starman I), and 61 (Starwoman I) Height: 6’ 6” (Starman I), 5’ 6” (Starwoman I) Weight: 300 (Starman I), 120 (Starwoman I) Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Brown (partly gray at retirement, entirely grey at death) Eyes: Brown Background: John Thompkins was nobody. Just a construction worker. 31 years old. Married a few years to his beloved Judy. One day, after a 12 hour shift, he headed home. He had to cross a small park on the way. He did not get all the way across it. The next thing he knew he was laying in an area of scorched grass at least thirty feet wide. He felt very strange, and couldn’t quite think straight. So he continued home. Judy had dinner ready, but first things went first. He gave her a hug and a kiss. An extremely bright light shone brilliantly out of their windows for several seconds before going dark. Neither of them knew anything about it, because they were on the floor unconscious. In the morning, there was nothing to do but react like an adult, you know? Set an appointment to see the doctor and make sure they were okay. But in the meantime, John still had to go to work. Judy still had plans for her day. John’s day was surprisingly easy. Like he’d gotten stronger since yesterday. How funny. Judy dashed across a street to beat the light and got there fast enough to surprise the hell out of the people already there. Well, she’d always been a good runner. Day two after was a whole different kettle of fish. A rope snapped and dropped a pile of I beams on John, who’d pushed his best pal out of the way beforehand. Everyone was hurting for how to tell poor Judy when John just…stood up. Shrugged off tons of weight like it was water. He definitely couldn’t do that the other day. Everyone tried to play it off like the I beams had landed just right. John was a big strong guy, right? His helmet had protected him. It did break. They just had to have seen what happened wrong, that’s all. Judy had had her own adventure, accidently running out of town and blowing up a tree with her first Star Blast. John may have been of average intelligence, but Judy was whip smart. She knew they had superpowers now. It was John, however, who suggested the whole costume and codename thing. It is important to note that there were no publically operating superheroes in 1961. Between J. Edgar Hoover in the shadows and Congressmen like Joseph McCarthy more publically, most superheroes (and everyone publically operating at that time) retired or was jailed. After all, what was more communist than protecting the welfare of all men and women and fighting injustice wherever it appeared, apparently. And while the senator and his philosophy had largely been discredited by 1961, the memories lingered. It hadn’t been a full decade since genuine war heroes were being asked “are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist party?”. Having their identities exposed by the FBI or being harassed to out their identities themselves. Things had changed. McCarthy was both gone and dead. But Hoover was still there. And he still hated masked heroes. So John asking this of his wife was a bold move in the context of the period. Still, they decided together to become superheroes. And with a little practice to get the hang of their new powers, they debuted as Starman and Stargirl. The Silver Age of heroes had begun. It is impossible to emphasize enough how much Starman set the gold standard for what a superhero was supposed to be. He said power inherently came with responsibility, and by god he lived it. Iconic doesn’t even begin to cover it. When everyone else fell down defeated, he kept standing. He endured more punishment than any other hero in recorded history. He dished out more than his fair share, as well. He saved so many lives. 25 years of sheer excellence. He pushed himself above and behind his supposed limits so often it became a meme before the internet. To put his impact in perspective, prior to his debut in 1961 it was not all that unusual for heroes to kill their enemies. Protecting the innocent and vulnerable took priority, naturally, but in the Golden Age, the Mystery Men Era before it, and further back it just wasn’t unusual for heroes to put a permanent end to villains and criminals local law enforcement couldn’t handle. Not all heroes did, mind, but a lot of the Mystery Men’s claims to fame were “good detective, very determined, and will shoot bad guys with their gun if they need to”. Starman refused both to kill and to put up with anyone who did. His powers were to protect life, not take it. Power came with responsibility, after all. To say this sent shockwaves through the heroic community just as it was beginning to revive is a massive understatement. At the time Starman seemed to be the most powerful hero who’d ever lived. And he refused to kill anyone, deliberately handicapping himself so he wouldn’t. So yeah, he was a big deal. And he was like this right from the start. Stargirl got pregnant pretty early on. This left Starman to his own devices pretty regularly for the next 15 years. Jesse Thompkins was born in 1962, and Jacqueline “Jackie” Thompkins was born in 1964. Seeing as it was the 60s and then the 70s, Stargirl (who changed to Starwoman the year after Jackie was born) was a homemaker who stayed home with the children. She was a feminist, but there weren’t any legal repercussions for leaving the married mother of two unemployed until after it no longer really mattered. Starwoman wasn’t particularly prominent in the movement, but Judy? Oh hell yeah. Anyone who complained to John about her got glared at until they backed down. He may have not quite been on the “support all women” train at the start, but he absolutely was on the “support my wife” train. Which was the great thing about their marriage. They had each other’s backs entirely, and remained very much in love to anyone with eyes and a brain throughout their careers. The reason Starwoman wasn’t more prominent was about Starman’s desire to remain as apolitical as possible while in costume. In 1968, Starman, Starwoman, Gunsmith I, Megagirl, Arriba, Nega I, Alsea, and Countess formed the Champions of Justice in response to the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr and Robert F. Kennedy. Gunsmith had physically been at the former event (as in literally in the room when the shot was fired), and was still recovering at the time from a violent confrontation with what he would claim until his death in 1992 was a highly skilled professional sniper team. If he had any proof of this, it was in his manor which burned to the ground shortly before said death. Megagirl had been covering the Kennedy campaign in her civilian identity for the San Francisco Chronicle, and personally flew RFK’s ambulance to the hospital. She had not literally been in the room, and regretted not trying to be for a very long time. And so they formed the first and to date only major superteam in the United States. The 1970s saw Starman ascend from well known in the United States to one of the most famous people on the planet. He was the clear star as the Champions repelled the first alien invasion in recorded history. They, and especially he, made it look easy. It wasn’t, exactly, but whatever. He was the mighty, invincible Starman. So obviously supervillains poured out of the woodwork to take him down and make their names. Obviously, they all failed, which only enhanced his reputation. Starwoman was, as ever, key to his success and a famous superheroine in her own right. But things changed forever in 1975, when their son discovered he had inherited their combined powers. Both mother and father were ecstatic. Overjoyed. They weren’t sure if this would happen, and they’d never lied to their children about who they were, once they were old enough to understand it wasn’t something to tell people. And so that year saw the debut of Starboy I. He didn’t have the raw power of either of his parents, but he was also 13 years old. So, patience. As expected, their daughter’s powers emerged in 1977. Shortly thereafter she debuted as Stargirl II. The Starfamily had arrived. It wouldn’t last forever or even all that long, but for a brief moment, they were the most famous family of all time. The father. The mother. The older brother. And the younger sister. A team as mighty and invincible as Starman himself. Well, until the following year of 1978, where the monster Armageddon punched a big ragged hole in that idea. Where it came from, nobody knows and nobody wants to. The Starkids weren’t strong enough to hurt him, and he bulldozed through most of the Champions with ease. Starman went hand to hand with the monster, with support from Starwoman, Megagirl, and Arriba. He fought the damn thing all day, and eventually even his Starwoman and Megagirl fell away, too injured to continue. The main problem is that, as always, they were fighting to subdue instead of kill. Which, as it turned out, as impossible. So the exhausted Arriba caused one last distraction, and Starman hit Armageddon with all the strength and power he could muster. Earth has had asteroids impact with less force. The monster’s skull shattered and it died instantly. The battle was over. The monster was dead. And so was, unfortunately, the idea that Starman couldn’t be stopped. It took him a few months to recover from his injuries, when before he had never needed more than a week at worst. He walked with a limp for the rest of his life and his left shoulder was never quite the same. He carried several new ragged scars, too, including one over his left eye. But the Champions and the Starfamily rolled on. Though there is good reason to think that this was when he first started thinking about retirement. It was 1982 when he first spoke of it to anyone. Specifically, after the invasion of Kuros The Conqueror. This wasn’t one threat to fight. It was a thousand spread across the face of the planet. It was, arguably, the Champions’ finest hour. Virtually every superhero on the planet pitched in. Even old enemies (like the Baroness Valia, who they’d battled a time or three, especially Megagirl) threw in to defend the world. And because Starman was the kind of man he was with the kind of principles he had, he took on Kuros by himself. The official story is that he won. He kicked Kuros off the planet as his usual heroic self. This is false. Kuros was badly injured when he fled, this much is true. However, Starman had basically lost the fight by that point. For the first time since before that day long ago in 1961, he’d met an opponent he simply couldn’t beat no matter how hard he tried. Someone with a lesser constitution would have died on the spot. John Thompkins, professional stubborn bastard, stood up again and lifted his fists. The fact that he was still apparently still able to fight despite the horrific injuries Kuros had already inflicted terrified the Conqueror into abandoning his invasion entirely. In Kuros’s defense, if the man you just thought you finished violently and brutally beating to death, who’d already hurt you pretty badly, got up apparently ready for another round you’d piss yourself and run too. To his final day last year he was only frightened of two things. Nick Phoenix (who whooped his ass when he returned for revenge in ’92), and those who wear the Star. So yes, Kuros The Annihilator just about pissed himself in terror when Starman III and Starwoman II showed up to whoop his ass. He wasn’t overpowered; he was “oh fuck”-ing about them too hard to fight effectively. However, the reality was that virtually every hero who’s ever lived but Starman would have died from that beating. Including Nick Phoenix. Aside from the fact that he regenerates too fast for damage to build up that much from anything. The once mighty and invincible Starman was in critical condition for weeks. Nobody could operate. The equipment didn’t exist. Even setting his broken bones required the strength of Megagirl, who wasn’t in great shape herself after the invasion. Relieving the pressure on his brain required Starwoman, his wife, to cut into his skull with a precision Star Blast because nothing else could penetrate. All anyone could do after that was hope. Obviously, he pulled through, but he was never the same. Nowadays, the symptoms match those of someone suffering from a traumatic brain injury. Dizziness. Headaches. Memory loss. Confusion. His limp was now pronounced. Most of his joints (shoulders, hips, elbows, knees, etc) had suffered some kind of permanent damage. He couldn’t even stand up straight anymore. At least, not for long. But he was still Starman, professional stubborn bastard. He hung on. He wasn’t sure if his son was ready. The Starfamily also broke up, with Stargirl moving to Los Angeles for a variety of reasons. His powers starting to fail in 1985 made the decision for him. He couldn’t go with the Champions on their space trip. He just didn’t have enough in the tank. It was time, or close enough. Starman finally retired the year after (he hung on hoping for them to come back, but they never did as far as he knew), and Starboy took on the mantle of his father. Starwoman retired with her husband. His mental problems were slowly getting worse (even if he wouldn’t admit it), and he needed her more than ever. And Stargirl stopped appearing entirely down in Los Angeles, with her going entirely into civilian life. Starman II had managed to empower his wife as Starqueen I, but something had gone wrong. She wasn’t as powerful as the rest. And she showed no aptitude for hero work, anyway. Her instincts were all wrong, and she was chronically hesitant. So she didn’t go out wearing the Star very often. The Starfamily was well and truly gone. The story of his death has been told. What was omitted from that account is that Starman II was there. He offered to take his father up himself. Let his mother live. Both of them declined. So Jesse Thompkins got to have an emotional farewell to his parents John and Judy, and then he got to watch the explosion that marked their end. The rest is known. The legacy of the original Starman was ultimately a depressing one until the Endgame. A son who died young, a daughter who walked away from the life by age 21, and grandchildren who didn’t seem particularly interested in putting on the Star full time. Even the appearance of Starguy lent credence (due to his being far less powerful) to the idea that his legacy was fading out into nothingness. And then Jack and Jennifer Thompkins shattered that idea, along with Kuros’s confidence. As 2019 dawns, reports of Starman III and Starwoman II visiting the inheritors of the Champions’ legacies have surfaced. Gunsmith II in St. Louis. Andale in El Paso. Chloro in San Diego. Between that and the refusal (vehement on Jack’s behalf) of both to join the Icons, there may be a new supergroup in the very new future. After all, Jack Thompkins is the same age as his grandfather when he started… Powers & Tactics: Starman and Starwoman were, technically, mutants. To this day, 58 years after it happened, nobody has any idea what happened to John Thompkins to change him. We do, however, have an idea of why he didn’t get the powers his descendants did, and why his wife got them instead. John Thompkins was originally a metahuman, with a minor enhancement to his physical resilience. We know this because in his early 20s John got into a significant amount of bar fights, and always was able to walk away under his own power. No unpowered human is that tough. So, however the transformation/alteration/mutation process that grants the Starpowers followed the model already laid out for it, and apparently couldn’t do the rest, which caused said rest to jump to his wife Judy. However, both of their powers functioned in the same now legendary way. They both had a nuclear fusion reaction inside their chests, pumping out energy as only they can. It is known as a Starheart. Physiological alterations channeled that power into their respective abilities. For Starman, it was genuinely phenomenal strength and resilience, along with the ability to fly at subsonic speeds. Starman set the platinum standard in both of his major categories. Nobody without abilities on a cosmic scale has ever exceeded or even matched his strength. Not Cory of the Exiles, though he’s not bad. Not Tex Austin of the Icons. Not Big Ben over in the United Kingdom. Not even his own son could match him. He carried aircraft carries without noticeable effort. Held up skyscrapers. Diverted asteroids. The best estimate of his full lifting capacity was several million tons, and this was widely regarded as a lowball estimate. His ability to absorb punishment (not resist it) was equally unparalleled. Cory, Tex, and Ben each have equally impressive damage resistance, however, not of them are in Starman’s league when that alone is not enough. Cory’s not bad, but all of them will go down and stay there if enough damage is applied. He never did. This was thought to be the legacy of his metahuman genetics…until his son did it, at the last, against Armageddon. Something about the Starpowers makes the possessor able to stand and fight when they should be down and out, if not outright dying. Indeed, he was the mighty, invincible Starman…until he wasn’t. For Starwoman, it was genuinely phenomenal speed, equal quickness and reflexes, and the ability to emit and manipulate said stellar energy. And again, she set the platinum standard in all categories. Nobody without abilities on a cosmic scale has ever exceeded her speed and blasting power. Her speed was matched by Arriba, but he was partly empowered by one of those folks on the cosmic scale and he could not fly. She could. As of this writing, the only known non cosmic powered being that has matched her blasting power is Drone Prime (The Prince). And he is an ageless immortal at the peak of his power. She wasn’t immortal at all. Everyone else has fallen short. To be clear, she wasn’t merely hypersonic. She wasn’t merely beyond hypersonic. She could go from immobile to a significant fraction of the speed of light almost instantaneously. Some modern historians downplay her abilities, but she was every bit as powerful and important to the success of the Champions as Starman himself. She wasn’t merely his wife or even his right hand. They were equal partners from the beginning to the very end. Starman, over time, developed some tricks he could do with his strength. He could clap his hand together in a couple of different ways to create either a damaging shockwave or a deafening thunderclap. He could exhale extra hard and blow foes away. Or he could just put the opponent in a sleeper hold after grappling them, and put them to sleep. Starwoman had more ways to manipulate stellar energy than her standard blast. She could also use rapid fire bolts, create temporary solid objects (a power her son also possessed) and uniquely, at least so far, could maintain a damaging field of energy around herself in whatever shape she chose. As an interesting note, she (like the entire Starfamily) couldn’t use her full speed and emit energy at the same time. This is very likely because energy being emitted was not energy being used for her speed. Tactically, they were a well oiled machine even by ’62. Starman got in close and punched hard. Starwoman would hang back and blast away. But as always, the devil’s in the details. Ordinary thugs literally couldn’t hurt Starman. Hell, ordinary supervillains couldn’t hurt him. Toughness 20, Impervious 15 is functionally invincible unless one can overcome the Impervious without using Penetrating. So he’d just wade in disarming the thuggery. Maybe he’d use Thunderclap to distract them. He routinely cut Strength or Shockwave ranks to avoid doing lethal damage to ordinary supervillains. It’s really what the Stellar Might Tricks were for. Clearing out the foes who couldn’t really hurt him but could hurt his allies or unevacuated bystanders. For anyone with power and durability approaching his own, he brought out his legendary full power punches. He had both All Out Attack and Startle to help those punches hit, and Power Attack on the rare occasion he needed to hit even harder. He also had Interpose, to take punishment others could not endure. Take note of Ultimate Strength, Ultimate Toughness, and Untapped Potential. For when the need was dire, the mighty and invincible Starman could surpass his limits and momentarily possess the power of a god. Starwoman took a similar approach, but again the devil’s in the details. Instead of being unable to hurt her, common thuggery is unable to hit her. Even ordinary supervillains struggled. So she leaned on disarming the thuggery too. Sometimes she trapped them in Stellar Energy Object instead. She routinely cut Star Bolts ranks to avoid doing lethal damage and used Autofire’s Multiple Targets option on groups. Not like she was likely to miss, right? Accurate Attack could cut damage ranks while boosting, well, Accuracy, so it was her go to here. Defensive Attack could boost her Defense. Power Attack could add damage. She abused Move by Action relentlessly. Her using Multiple Targets with Star Bolts and Move by Action was by far the most common thing she did and generally how she is remembered acting in combat. This does not mean she never used Star Blast or Star Energy Field. It’s just that with Power Attack available, she rarely needed to use the former and with Multiple Targets the latter wasn’t always the best option. Stellar Energy Objects gave her a way of lifting things, too, which was very useful. Especially when Starman or Megagirl’s hands were full. These builds represent them from 1962 to 1982. Starwoman doesn’t actually change after ’82, however. In ’61 they had Stellar Speed instead of Stellar Flight, and they didn’t know they could fly until close to the end of the year. Starman, after recovering from the battle with Kuros, had his INT reduced to 8 (-1) and his WIS reduced to 14 (+2). His Craft and Knowledge skills do not change, but his Notice and Sense Motive drop to +10. Additonally, he drops two ranks of Base Attack and Defense, reducing him to PL 15. In 1985, with his powers starting to fail, Stellar Strength and Stellar Resilience drop to 25 ranks each. Stellar Durability drops two ranks, to 13. Stellar Might Tricks is drops two ranks as well, to 13, and all array settings are reduced accordingly. His Base Attack and Defense drop one more point, leaving him PL 13. It is not known how much further he declined in his retirement. He was, however, noticeably frail looking and virtually immobile without using Stellar Flight. So it was probably very bad. Personality: People these days like to pretend that John Thompkins was a saint on earth. That Starman was this flawless ideal. He wasn’t. He was just a man. Not the smartest. Not the wisest. Just a man born in the US Midwest in the Great Depression. He never thought he’d be anybody. He never thought he’d make more of a difference in the world than by raising his kids with the principles he’d been raised with. And then that changed. People misunderstand who he was so much. They think he was one of those heroes driven by compassion and love for his fellow people. That he couldn’t stand to let bad things happen to good people. This is false. There is no record of him being anything other than your average helpful bystander before 1961. John Thompkins believed in responsibility. The more power one had, the more responsibility they had. This responsibility was to do for others what they could not reasonably be expected for themselves. So yes, he helped short people reach things. Maybe escorted an old lady or three across the street. Little things, because he was only a man. A big, strong man, but only a man. And then, once again, that changed. But John didn’t. He was no different, on this front, in 1986 than he was in 1961. The thing that was different, well…by 2019 standards the 1961 version of John was a little racist and sexist. To be fair, this was ignorance, not malice. Things were different back then, and to his credit his long friendships with Gunsmith (himself a Black man), Megagirl, and Arriba (and learning to actually listen to his wife instead of unthinkingly support her) educated him on the subjects. The 1986 version of John was a good man indeed, but one who was glad to put his responsibility down. He never enjoyed being a hero, contrary to most of his contemporaries. This isn’t to say that he hated it. John wasn’t a man of deep thoughts or complex emotions. He had the power, so he had the responsibility. End of thought process. His feelings about it weren’t relevant. But in 1986 he was tired. His body hurt. He limped. He couldn’t always get his thoughts focused anymore. And he was pushing 60. His son was more than ready. So John Thompkins took off his Starman shirt for the last time, and went home without a backward glance. Some people might say this makes him not the hero they thought he was. To them I say…he did a job he didn’t enjoy for 25 years. He threw everything he had into it, and never accepted any reward beyond a decent meal and a place to sleep. It destroyed his body, damaged his mind, and wore away at his sanity. He had saved more people than any of us will ever meet before the Champions were founded. And your complaint is that he found it all too easy to retire? Well. Aren’t you picky. People like to characterize Starwoman as little more than a dutiful housewife who never did anything but support her husband. This is inaccurate. She was a dedicated feminist to the end of her days. While she may have deferred to her husband’s desires to remain apolitical while in costume, Judy Thompkins had no such limitations. Those who knew her say that she was a cheerful, intelligent woman with a strong sense of humor and a slow burning but volcanic temper. Her journals detail a woman who didn’t have any choice but to get married if she wanted to ever leave the small town she grew up in, endless frustration with the limitations forced on women for no other reason than the fact that they were women, and the lack of opportunities for her to use her very fine mind. She was deeply passionate about geology and chemistry. She wanted to be someone, to make her mark on history. She had so many dreams, and being Starwoman basically allowed to live most of them. Her knowledge of earth science came in handy many times. She was famous, she was someone who mattered, and she made a nice big mark on history. So why was it that she was the one who had to stay home with the children while Starman got to go adventuring with the Champions? She was feminist, right? Why would she put up with that? Well, first that’s making a lot of assumptions about a woman who could move at a significant percentage of the speed of light. Second, it was about public relations. It was never a secret that Starman and Stargirl had had children. They announced the pregnancies in the Tribune, for heaven’s sake. Perhaps not the wisest of moves, but their new baby excitement knew no bounds. So they agreed it was best if they avoided the press asking who was watching the children, and in the 60s and 70s that meant Stargirl/woman was the one who was “staying home”. Officially, anyway. She was around a lot more than most people think, especially in 1975 after Jackie started middle school and Starboy debuted.
EternalPhoenix Posted August 16, 2022 Author Posted August 16, 2022 Gunsmith I (Connor Morris) Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 255/255 STR: +3 (16), DEX: +5 (20), CON: +3 (16), INT: +5 (20), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +3/+7, Fort: +8, Ref: +14, Will: +11 Skills: Acrobatics 10 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Craft (electronic) 10 (+15), Craft (mechanical) 10 (+15), Disable Device 10 (+15), Gather Information 12 (+15), Intimidate 12 (+15), Investigate 10 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 10 (+15), Knowledge (streetwise) 10 (+15), Knowledge (technology) 10 (+15), Language 4 (+4), Notice 12 (+15), Search 10 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 10 (+15), Survival 12 (+15) Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged) 6, Attack Specialization 2 (Unarmed Attack), Beginner's Luck, Benefit 2 (Wealth (millionaire)), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Startle, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Connected, Contacts, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Dodge Focus 5, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 14, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Improved Trick, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Luck 3, Master Plan, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Second Chance (Toughnes saves vs. Ballistic), Skill Mastery 4 (+15 bonus skills), Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Well-Informed Powers: Gunsmith Combat Suit (Device 5) (Hard to lose) Combat Armor (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance (Toughnes saves vs. Ballistic)) Cowl (Super-Senses 10) (analytical (type): Visual, extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft), low-light vision, microscopic vision 1 (dust-size), radio, tracking: Visual 2 (normal speed)) Utility Belt (Array 4) (default power: obscure) Glider Pack (Flight 4) (Array; Speed: 100 mph, 880 ft./rnd; Duration (continuous); Gliding) Grapple Gun (Linked) Speed 2 (Linked; Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd) Super-Movement 3 (Linked; slow fall, swinging, wall-crawling 1 (half speed)) Medkit (Healing 4) (Array; Action (standard); Temporary) Smoke Pellets (Obscure 4) (Default; affects: visual senses, Radius: 50 ft.; Duration (continuous); Fades) Tech Rifle (Device 6) (Hard to lose) Rifle Settings (Array 11) (default power: blast; Precise, Subtle (subtle), Variable Descriptor 2 (Broad group - Any Technological); Custom (Array 10.5)) Full Auto (Blast 7) (Default; DC 22; Autofire (interval 2, max +5)) Heavy Shot (Blast 7) (Array; DC 22; Penetrating) Tech Grenade Launcher (Blast 7) (Array; DC 22; Burst Area (35 ft. radius - General)) Tranquilizer Rounds (Fatigue 7) (Array; DC 17; Range (ranged)) Variable Bolo Launcher (Snare 7) (Array; DC 17; Autofire (interval 2, max +5)) Variable Dazzle (Dazzle 7) (Array; affects: 1 type + visual - visual & auditory, DC 17) Equipment: SmithMobile, The Smithy Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +15, Melee: +9, Grapple: +12) Attacks: Full Auto (Blast 7), +15 (DC 22), Heavy Shot (Blast 7), +15 (DC 22), Tech Grenade Launcher (Blast 7) (DC 22), Tranquilizer Rounds (Fatigue 7), +15 (DC Fort 17), Unarmed Attack, +13 (DC 18), Variable Bolo Launcher (Snare 7), +15 (DC Ref/Staged 17), Variable Dazzle (Dazzle 7), +15 (DC Fort/Ref 17) Defense: +14 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -3 Initiative: +9 Languages: Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, Russian, Vietnamese Totals: Abilities 44 + Skills 44 (176 ranks) + Feats 65 + Powers 44 + Combat 36 + Saves 22 + Drawbacks 0 = 255 ****************************************************************************************** SmithMobile Power Level: 11; Equipment Points Spent: 52 STR: +17 (45) Toughness: +10 Features: Alarm 3, Caltrops, Hidden Compartments 3, Navigation System 1, Remote Control, Smokescreen Powers: Impervious Toughness 6 Mounted Guns (Array 11) (default power: blast; Precise, Variable Descriptor 2 (Broad group - Any Technological); Custom (Array 10.5)) Full Auto (Blast 7) (Default; DC 22; Autofire (interval 2, max +5)) Mini Rocket (Blast 7) (Array; DC 22; Burst Area (35 ft. radius - General)) Speed 5 (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd) Attacks: Full Auto (Blast 7), +15 (DC 22), Mini Rocket (Blast 7) (DC 22) Defense: -2, Size: Huge Totals: Abilities 3 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 10 + Powers 36 + Combat 2 + Saves 1 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 52 ****************************************************************************************** The Smithy Power Level: 11; Equipment Points Spent: 18 Toughness: +10 Features: Communications, Computer, Dock, Garage, Gym, Hangar, Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Power System, Security System 3, Workshop Size: Large Totals: Abilities 0 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 15 + Powers 0 + Combat 2 + Saves 1 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 18 Age (as of Jan 2019): Deceased in 1992 at age 56. Height: 5’ 10” Weight: 175 lbs Ethnicity: African American Hair: Black (salt and pepper at time of death) Eyes: Dark Brown Background: Gunsmith is a…controversial figure. On the one hand we have a genuinely selfless hero who saved lives and solved crimes without expectation of reward or even notice, and on the other we have the militant civil rights activist who was never afraid to knock Whitey on his ass. Connor Morris was a complicated man. The official histories have him as debuting in 1962. This is only partially correct. Connor actually started operating as a nameless vigilante in 1957, remembering HUAC and the J. Edgar Hoover’s animosity towards costumed heroics. But after Starman and Stargirl didn’t get shutdown in their first year, he took the leap of getting a proper costume and name. He is noted or spending a lot of time with Malcolm X, especially after his public debut. The two men were genuinely friends, and there are indications that Malcolm knew who was under the mask. It is suspected that he advised Malcolm to cut ties with the Nation of Islam and go his own way. He did not follow Malcolm to Africa, which was the only point after Gunsmith’s official debut the two were known to be apart for a significant amount of time. As such, he was by Malcolm’s side during that all too brief meeting with Martin Luther King on March 26, 1964. Gunsmith is in several of the pictures in the Phoenixverse. This day was key not for the historic meeting between civil rights leaders (which barely lasted long enough for the pictures to be taken), but because Connor had never met MLK (who had wanted to meet him for some time). There was a conversation, neither short nor particularly long, between the two men. It changed nothing that day. Not very long after that, Malcolm flew to Saudia Arabia, and shockingly Gunsmith did not go with him. There is some evidence they communicated frequently via telephone. However, there is also some evidence Connor also communicated with MLK via telephone during this period. With that said, he still flew out to meet with Malcolm in the UK, and was present for the debate at the Oxford Union Society. This may have spiked British interest higher than it would have been otherwise, as the debate was televised nationally due to said interest. Or Malcolm himself could have been enough. It is not known. Whether Gunsmith would have broken with Malcolm is unclear. Both men had changed much since they physical parting in April. The two are known to have had several intense conversations over the following two months ater the debate. And then it was a moot point, because Malcolm X was dead. Gunsmith was about a yard away from Malcolm when he was assassinated. Gunsmith pursued the assassins out of the ballroom, his friend’s lifeblood soaking into his costume. What happened after that is not known. He always said when asked that the assassins faced justice and that he didn’t kill them. He never had anything more to say on the subject, at least to anyone who would share it. It is, however, notable that several members of the Nation of Islam disappeared off the face of the Earth over the next several weeks and that most of them were exposed as working for either the FBI or CIA shortly before said disappearances. This, more than anything else, earned Gunsmith the undying enmity of J. Edgar Hoover and other likeminded individuals in the federal alphabet soup. And then he started effectively bodyguarding Martin Luther King, Jr. Again, what Gunsmith himself knew is unclear. All of his papers were lost in the fire that consumed his manor near the time of his death. But this was not true of other heroes and civilians, and the implications are startling. Gunsmith apparently believed in a government conspiracy among certain unelected civil servants. How vast it was depended on who he was talking to, so he may have been exaggerating or downplaying it at times. At any rate, he was literally in the hotel room in Memphis when MLK was assassinated. Connor had seen enough bullet wounds at this point to know that it was all over but the dying, and chased after the assassin. Who, he said to the end o his days, turned out to be assassins, plural. Polished professionals good enough to surprise a veteran hero (one half blind with rage and grief, granted) and injure him enough that he couldn’t pursue them any further. Further investigation was stymied by his own reputation. After the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy not quite four months later, enough was enough. The 8 most prominent heroes of the age (Starman, Starwoman, Gunsmith himself, Megagirl, Arriba, Nega, Alsea, and Countess) banded together to form the Champions of Justice. The first, and to date, only major superteam in the United States. The 70s saw a shift in Gunsmith’s activities. Far from being solely a street level figure, he became one of the most famous people on the planet. Clashing with supervillains. Foiling terrorist plots. Possibly having sidekicks. No, seriously. There is anecdotal evidence that he possibly took on younger partners. A handful of photographs and a few inquisitive newspaper articles. Curiously, despite wearing similar costumes, based on their sizes, apparent genders, and builds, these sidekicks seem to be five different people. While one of them is very likely a disguised Starboy I (the timeline fits, and Starwoman wrote about having sent her son to St. Louis off and on that year in her journal), another may well be Stargirl II (if it was done for one sibling it was probably done for the other), and a third probably isn’t a young Fletcher but you never know (Morris is known to have been a big fan of Gunsmith and wanted to meet him; the timeline almost fits but Morris never wrote about meeting his hero, which is very strange if he did); this leaves one unknown male (two if that isn’t Fletcher) and one unknown female. Who they were, what codenames they may have possessed, and what happened to them is totally unknown. It was also in the 70s that Gunsmith established his reputation as probably the best costumed detective until the advent of Terrifica. Caviezel and Carla Perkins fail the “costumed” requirement, so they don’t count unless it is removed. This is actually a remarkable achievement, considering that the Mystery Men Era and Golden Age were stuffed to bursting with various forms of super scientists and costumed detectives. He wasn’t the smartest or the most perceptive, but he had it. Call it instinct, luck, or whatever else. He was good, and the Champions valued him highly, even if they didn’t all get along with him. But, of course, that’s just the genuine hero side to him. He did not ditch the militant civil rights activist, associating with the Black Panther Party to varying degrees through much of the 70s. They actually reached out to him in mid 1968, but as previously stated he was uh, busy. It wasn’t until 1969 where he started associating with them on a limited basis, with the murder of Fred Hampton in December greatly strengthening ties with the group. However, as is well known, there were elements in the Panthers that were little more than self-justifying criminals out to rob and murder. And so his relationship with the group was as paradoxical as the rest of his activities. He did, however, thwart the FBI’s COINTELPRO wherever he found it operating (and was key in providing enough evidence of its existence to the newsmedia to provoke the burgling of an FBI field office in Media, Pennsylvania), which drove Hoover nuts. And he opposed any successor programs until the end of his days. Yet even here he was paradoxical, as after the end of COINTELPRO he aided the FBI in busting Mafia members, foreign terrorists, and supervillains. Gunsmith distanced himself from the Panthers in 1974, and it took heroic efforts by then leader Elaine Brown for him not to cut ties entirely. Gunsmith openly hated Huey P. Newton, Eldridge Cleaver, and their ilk. When Newton returned and took over the Panthers in 1977, sending Brown fleeing, Gunsmith publically cut ties. This is how the general public and historians finally started to understand his particular ideology, and also added to his ever expanding enemies list. Why Connor Morris or Gunsmith never put together or attempted to assume a leadership role in a civil rights organization is unknown. The main theory is that after 1965, scarcely a month could go by without someone trying to kill him, some vicious rumor being spread to discredit him, or his being framed for a violent crime (usually homicide, but not always). The founding of the Champions did nothing to slow this. If anything, it accelerated it slightly. The last assassination attempt was shortly before he cut ties with the Panthers. Well, second to last. And the frame jobs slowly faded away as they became a “boy who cried wolf” situation where simply nobody believed it anymore. But the rumormongering never stopped. To this day it is a little challenging to determine what he actually did and what was invented lies to make him look bad. His reputation was and is startlingly poor for a man who did as much documented good in the world as he did. By the 80s, age and accumulated injuries were slowly catching up, but Gunsmith still accompanied the Champions (sans Starman and Stargirl) on that final mission in 1985. He quietly returned to Earth at the end of that year, and never spoke of what happened. In fact, few knew he had returned, as he made no further public appearances. His hero work in St. Louis continued, but his prior activities were quite abruptly curtailed. There is no evidence he ever met with Starman again, let alone Starwoman or any of the rest of the Starfamily. Yet, without a doubt, everyone who’s studied the man knows that if he’d been alive for Kuros’s invasion in 1992, he’d have pitched in despite being 56 and fading badly. Unfortunately, he’d already been dead for a few months. There was one last assassination attempt that year, and it was a doozy. Broken remnants of every conspiracy he’d ever smashed had been well, conspiring. Former FBI agents, Klansmen, and others who had plenty of reason to hate the man who had (in their opinion) destroyed their lives systematically took his history apart and figured out his secret identity of Connor Morris, millionaire entrepreneur who’d built himself up from nothing. 100 well armed men stormed the Morris manor in St. Louis. The battle was epic, but Gunsmith-no, Connor, had a problem. Nonlethal tactics weren’t working. These men had fanatical hatred and a certain drug cocktail in their veins. They could not be knocked unconscious or disabled for more than a few seconds without causing potentially lethal damage. So the angry, aging hero said Fuck It. His home was on fire, neither the police nor the fire department had arrived (and he knew what that meant), and there were 100 men so fanatically devoted to his violent and brutal death they’d literally taken drugs that would kill them in under a day. So he started killing them. In fact, he killed them all. But his home and all he owned burned to the ground. Plus he was badly injured, with his costume shredded beyond recognition. When St. Louis police finally arrived that night, all they saw was a raving black man waving a rifle around, while several white men lay dead around him. So they shot him. Repeatedly. So ended the life of Gunsmith, aka Connor Morris. He left a deeply complicated legacy that has been at times deliberately obscured and distorted. He’s been dead for 27 years but the visceral hatred he inspired in his enemies is still going strong in 2019. He was a good man and a great hero. He was also an uncompromising son of a bitch who never so much as bent a micron on his own personal principles, no matter how much it cost him. Compassionate and generous contrasting with angry and violent. Connor Morris was a man of contradictions. I can only tell you, Dear Reader, to draw your own conclusions about the type of man he was. However…he does appear to have inspired a legacy hero. Since 2009 a new Gunsmith has been operating in the St. Louis area. Nobody knows that it is his grand nephew on his father’s side. The former Marine Corps Sergeant Duncan Morris. Additionally, shortly after the Endgame Starman III was seen in St. Louis. What this means is yet to be seen. Powers & Tactics: Gunsmith had no superhuman powers of any kind. What he had was a vast array of skills including being a tech specialist. As a tech specialist, he had a pair of devices to help him. He was additionally an expert martial artist, using mainly Karate. He seemed to have some basic training in boxing and Wing Chun, as well. His two devices were his Gunsmith Combat Suit and his Tech Rifle. His Gunsmith Combat Suit was armored in a lightweight version of modern Kevlar. Considering he first started wearing it in 1962, this is more of an scientific achievement than it sounds like. Kevlar wasn’t developed until three years later, nd didn’t see widespread use as armor until the mid 70s. Naturally, his was more resistant to bullets than anything else, but it did its job well enough over the years. His cowl was comparable to modern super tech. Lots of visual improvements on the naked eye, including visual extension, microscopic vision, and an analysis suite. Of course, what people remember best is the utility belt around his waist. It’s most common contents were a glider pack in the back (which again it was years before mundane tech caught up to it), a grapple gun to rappel and swing from place to place (which still hasn’t been duplicated by other than super tech), some smoke pellets (these have been duplicated, and a medkit to temporarily patch up injuries. His Tech Rifle was his main weapon, and would be impressive in 2019, let alone 1962. The original model in his first known appearance in 1957 was a heavily modified M-1 Garand that stretched the abilities of that rifle most severely. It has an armor penetrating round, underbarrel grenade launcher, the fatigue inducing rounds, restraint launcher, and the vision and hearing dazzling ammo. It should, however, be noted that his base model was an Armalife AR-15 upon his official debut in 1962. By 1969, however, with the Champions established, it was clearly an M-16. This is the best remembered version, as he’d added fully automatic fire and his dazzlingly wide variety of ammunition types. Seriously, this thing spit fire, ice, lighting, lasers, gravitic force, friggin’ elemental darkness, and many more. This was actually rather useful in the Silver Age, as every other supervillain apparently had a specific weakness. And when it was identified, Gunsmith always had the ammo type to hit it and hit it hard. He was known to have both a car he called his Smithmobile (in a rare moment of levity from the man) and kept his personal headquarters (The Smithy) in a subbasement under the Morris manor in St. Louis. The Smithmobile had duplicates of a couple of his Tech Rifles mounted on, unlimited specialty ammunition included. It was only capable of firing full auto or mini rocket variants of his grenades. It was also completely impervious to all hand portable firearms of era, barring beefy shotguns or genuine military ordinance produced for the war in Vietnam. It really was a hell of a car. Tactically, Gunsmith had a lot of options. He was perhaps most famous for firing on Full Auto or unleashing another Tech Grenade. A Variable Bolo or Variable Dazzle turned many a battle in the heavier hitters’ favor in addition to his own. Even Heavy Shot and Tranquilizer Rounds are remembered for coming in handy more than once. However, this was during battles against super villains and/or with the Champions. Against rank and file thuggery, he never even drew his Tech Rifle. He just beat the shit out of them with his bare hands. Maybe a rank or two of Power Attack sometimes, but his bare hands. Just Takedown Attack 2 through all of them. With that said, that’s just attacking. He was much more complex than that. Between his Grapple Gun and his Glider Pack, he could reposition at need. His Medkit could get anyone upright again for an hour or so, including himself. And, of course, Smoke Pellets will always have their uses to a costumed detective. He had Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Demoralize, Feint, Startle, Taunt, and even Trick. Also known as all possible ways to ruin an enemy’s day. He had All Out, Defensive, and Power Attack to adjust his caps. He was known to use them quite a bit. Move by Action also falls into this category. Between Connected, Contacts, and Well-Informed, he always seemed to know what type of ammunition to use against an enemy. And just to keep enemies guessing at his full abilities, he also has Master Plan (the regular version, not using KN Tactics) and Inventor. He was never known to power stunt. This build represents Gunsmith from 1969 to 1982. From ’57 to 63, he was a PL 9 with Effect Rank 6 on his Tech Rifle, and no Full Auto setting. His Accuracy was +12, as was his Defense Bonus. His Toughness was, obviously, +6. From ’64 to ’68 he was a PL 10. Accuracy +14, then, and Toughness at +8. He still did not have Full Auto. After ’82, he finally was getting old and slipped back down to PL 10. Accuracy +13 and Defense back to +12. And at his final battle in ’92 he was PL 9 again. Accuracy +11 and Defense +10. It is not known when between ’85 and ’92 the shift down from PL 10 to PL 9 occurred. Personality: Bluntly, we don’t know. We can only guess. He was rarely interviewed (for reasons that should be obvious to you, Dear Reader), and when he was he was a man of few words. We don’t know anything about what the man himself thought. Anything he may have written privately was destroyed in the fire that claimed his home. The only thing left is the words of the people who knew him and his documented actions. There were plenty of people that liked and respected him. There were also plenty of people who absolutely loathed him. But that doesn’t help very much, as militant African American civil rights activist would do that by itself. Especially in that era. Still, a few things can be gleaned. Diplomacy was his weak point. He was quite intelligent and well read. He had no patience with anyone who would waste his time. He was a dedicated foe of corruption, crime, and what we now call hate crimes. There are records of him performing some pretty dramatic rescues during floods, fires, and similar emergency situations. His courage and determination were aspects of him that have never been in question. With that said, he also had an angry, violent side. He controlled it very well, but there was clearly a side of him that enjoyed hurting people he thought deserved it. There are documented instances of him beating the living shit out of Klansmen, lynch mobs, uncooperative gangsters, drug dealers, and so on. He was not known to mince words, equivocate, or beat around the bush. He was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a nice guy. And yet…life was clearly very important to him. He never killed anyone until his last day alive, and went out of his way to protect the defenseless every chance he got. Even if they were a hated enemy, he still always tried to save their lives first. Gunsmith truly was a complicated man of many contradictions. But he was a hero. That too, has never been in question.
EternalPhoenix Posted August 16, 2022 Author Posted August 16, 2022 Megagirl (Megan Price) Power Level: 15; Power Points Spent: 300/300 STR: +15 (12/40), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +15 (14/40), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +5 (20) Tough: +15, Fort: +15, Ref: +15, Will: +15 Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+5), Diplomacy 10 (+15), Gather Information 5 (+10), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 2 (+5), Knowledge (current events) 7 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 2 (+5), Language 5 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Search 2 (+5), Sense Motive 12 (+15) Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 6, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 6, Improved Initiative 3, Interpose, Power Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Ultimate Effort (Toughness saves), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Movement (Array 9) (default power: flight) Flight Boost (Flight 5) (Default; [5 active, 18/18 PP, 2/r], Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd; Stacks with (Unexplained Flight (Flight 10+5))) Foot Speed (Speed 10) (Array; [0 active, 18/18 PP, 1/r], Speed: 10000 mph, 88000 ft./rnd) Hybrid Quickness Boost (Quickness (Array; [8 active, 18/18 PP, 1/r], Perform routine tasks at 500x speed; Stacks with (Hybrid Quickness (Quickness 7+8))) Photosynthetic Hybrid Physiology (Container, Passive 22) Hybrid Durability (Impervious Toughness 15) Hybrid Might (Super-Strength 2) (+10 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 419.4k tons; +2 STR to some checks) Hybrid Quickness (Quickness 7+8) ([Stacking ranks: +8], Perform routine tasks at 100000x speed) Hybrid Resilience (Enhanced Constitution 26) (+26 CON) Hybrid Strength (Enhanced Strength 28) (+28 STR) Longevity (Features 1) (Notes: Not quite an aging immunity or even half of one, Megagirl's aging process is unusual. She aged at 2/3 human speed until she hit the biological age of 25 (approximately 37.5 years after her date of birth), at which point it slowed to at least 1/3 human speed. It may have slowed even further in her absence.) Photosynthesis (Immunity 9) (life support) Unexplained Flight (Flight 10+5) ([Stacking ranks: +5], Speed: 500000 mph, 4400000 ft./rnd) Strength And Speed Tricks (Array 15) (default power: super-strength) Full Strength (Super-Strength 15) (Default; +75 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 419.4k tons; +15 STR to some checks) Hypersonic Punches In Bunches ((Strength Bonus) Strike 15) (Array; Autofire (interval 2, max +5), Penetrating) Punch Everyone ((Strength Bonus) Strike 15) (Array; Burst Area (75 ft. radius - Targeted), Selective Attack) Sleeper Hold (Stun 15) (Array; DC 25; Duration (concentration); Requires Grapple) Super-Breath (Trip 15) (Array; Cone Area (150 ft. cone - General), Knockback; Range (touch)) Tornado Effect (Move Object 15) (Array; Strength: 75, Carry: 136.2 tons / 272.9 tons / 409.6 tons / 819.2 tons; Cone Area (150 ft. cone - General); Range (touch)) Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +15, Grapple: +30/+47) Attacks: Sleeper Hold (Stun 15), +15 (DC Fort/Staged 25), Super-Breath (Trip 15) (DC 25), Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 30) Defense: +15 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -15 Initiative: +14 Languages: Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 15 (60 ranks) + Feats 24 + Powers 168 + Combat 36 + Saves 25 + Drawbacks 0 = 300 Age (as of Jan 2019): 74 (chronological) 38 at most (biological) Height: 4’ 10” Weight: 80 lbs Ethnicity: ½ Caucasian, ½ Extraterrestrial Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Background: Megan Price is not fully human. To make a long story short…doomed planet. Desperate scientists. Last hope. Frozen eggs on a satellites. Yes, literally. An alien race took up a collection of eggs from the female of the species, froze them, and crammed them into satellites that searched the universe for compatible races. Because their world was dying, their race would die with it and there was no escape from either. As it turned out, humanity can be compatible. Occasionally. So, one day Megan’s mom Margaret ovulated. Earth’s satellite detected the compatibility, and used its teleporter to perform an egg swap. And Margaret and her husband Jonas were excited to welcome their first child, Megan. This can be seen as horribly invasive and incredibly wrong. And it is…if you’re a human being raised on Earth. That long gone species, with a culture utterly alien to anything we know and under the impossible pressure facing total extinction, did what they thought was best. Margaret’s fertility was unaffected, but it was already compromised. So Megan turned out to be an only child. She was small, and grew slowly. Naturally, two farmers from Merced, California with no idea of the egg substitution worried about their girl. But doctor tests came back normal enough. They couldn’t know she was aging at 2/3 human rate. She went through school, hit all of the usual physical development milestones (if a year or two late), and graduated from Merced high School having done pretty okay. She and her parents, however, were keeping a secret. She had superpowers. So when she moved to San Francisco to chase her dreams of being a newspaper journalist, her first costume was tucked into her luggage. It was 1963. Starman and Stargirl (she hadn’t changed names yet) had debuted two years prior. Gunsmith had gone public the year before. Genuine excitement was in the air that not even the assassination of JFK that year could fully dampen. She secured a pretty crappy apartment and a pretty crappy job with the San Francisco Chronicle (ironically, they thought she was a boy in those early days). Then she put on that costume, and caught a plane. With her bare hands, saving the lives of everyone on board. In those days, she wore a redhead wig to help hide her identity. So with her red long sleeved leotard with red skirt sewn on and yellow M across her chest, she was a sight to behold. Wearing red and yellow in the middle of the Cold War without a care. She even had a red cape and boots. San Francisco’s protector had arrived. Megan was living the dream. Palling around with Art Hoppe, Charles McCabe, and Herb Caen. Well…okay she wasn’t, actually. She was just a copy girl. A secretary on the bottom of the hierarchy. Also attending classes at San Francisco State University, working for the university newspaper (The Daily Gater) and being a superhero around town, she was busier than a bee. A normal woman couldn’t have made it all work, but her superepowers came to the rescue. Superhuman speed got the writing done in a jiffy, which was good because holy cow did Megagirl have a lot to do sometimes. Bank robberies. Ships in trouble at sea. All the car accidents. The police called her in to help find missing people sometimes. And oh, man, Valia. There was a ne’er do well if ever there was one. Megan did not understand why the heiress was so mad at her. But there was that interesting guy at the Chronicle, beat reporter Trevor Taylor, and everything else she was up to. San Francisco was a hotbed of supernatural intrigue, even back then, so Megagirl was busy busy busy. Including calming the riots after the assassinations of Malcolm X and especially Martin Luther King, Jr. By the latter, she had her Bachelor’s in Journalism and was the junior political beat reporter with Trevor being senior. This is how she was in the next room when RFK was shot. She has never stopped regretting not being in the room. She could have stopped it has she just insisted on being in the room. But no, that was Trevor’s job. This guilt led her to be the one who got in touch with Starman, Starwoman, Gunsmith, Arriba, Nega, Alsea, and Countess. Together they formed the Champions of Justice. The first and, to date, only major superteam in the United States. They battled supervillains, terrorists, mad gods, demons, and even a pair of alien invasions. The world owes the Champions a debt it can never repay (not that they’d ask), and the person who held them together when they would have otherwise fallen apart was Megagirl. Starman was too passive, Starwoman too absent, Gunsmith too prickly, Arriba too accepting, Nega too stubborn, Alsea too soft, and Countess too remote to do it. So she did it, every time, without fail. Until that day out in space in ’85 where everything fell apart. But Megan doesn’t like to think about that. The 70s were their prime time. And it was also the now Baroness Valia’s, as well. The two archnemesises battled over and over. Valia was genuinely trying to kill her by this point, and even Gunsmith had difficult in proving Valia herself had done anything. San Francisco’s supernatural problems got worse. Megan was promoted to staff reporter, along with Trevor. She revealed her identity to him in ’71 (in the aftermath of the world’s first alien invasion), and they were married in ’72. It was a good decade for her. She should have been incredibly happy. But she wasn’t. She felt like a hamster on the wheel. It wasn’t that she was dissatisfied. She was living all of her dreams. And yet. Something was missing. Something important. She didn’t know it at the time, but this was the call of the alien half of her DNA. She had thought she was just some kind of strange mutant or something for her entire life, and indeed, throughout the 70s. She had no idea how wrong she was. The Moscone-Milk assassinations in November 1978 in particular shook her hard. She’d been covering Moscone since 1970, as Trevor was the national and out of town state politics reporter while Megan covered in town state and local politics. She knew the man, fairly well at that. Especially after he was elected mayor in ’74 and had more regular interactions with her as Megagirl. And Harvey Milk was a friend she’d been covering since he first came to prominence in ’72. And now they were both gone, because of one angry man with a gun. No conspiracy. No superpowered evildoer. Just the hardest kind of killing to stop. One angry man with a gun. Damn it. Her genuinely moving guest column eulogizing both men nearly won her a Pulitzer Prize, and was read across the country. Still, Megan persevered with the help of Trevor, the fellas in the Chronicle bullpen, and the Champions. It was 1982 where her world was shattered. The invasion of Kuros The Conqueror. While Starman may have faced him in single combat, the rest of the Champions (and many of the world’s heroes) battled his armada and land forces. Multiple enemies clocked her as an alien, and even identified the species. The information in the computer systems left behind after the invasion’s defeat exploded who and what she thought she was. Apparently the maternal half of her DNA was common enough to be in galactic databases. But this was not all. Merced had been attacked by a small force before being driven off by the National Guard and a handful of local heroes. Margaret Price was dead. Her mother was dead. The photograph of Megagirl sobbing inconsolably into Starman’s arms won that year’s Pulitzer Prize. Everyone thought it was because she was relieved her friend and teammate was still alive after the beating he’d received. This was not true. She’d just gotten word from Trevor, who’d gotten word from an emotionally broken Jonas. The following three years saw a change in Megan. She was still the same hero and political beat reporter. But she didn’t smile nearly as much. She could feel half of herself yearning for something. Something that wasn’t Earth and her human life. She mourned her mother deeply. She and Trevor were biologically incompatible. They couldn’t have children. Starman hadn’t been the same since the fight with Kuros. He had permanent injuries, and was getting old on top of it. Gunsmith was starting to slow down. Arriba seemed the same, but she could see the lines slowly deepening on his face. And even Nega’s hair was silvering. Her friends and allies were getting older. Slowing down. And she wasn’t. Then came that fateful mission to space. She will not discuss what happened. Gunsmith and poor Arriba wanted to return to Earth. Nega had the whole Nega Corps to help rebuild. Alsea and Countess were gone. And Megan had a lead on the other half of herself. She wrote letters to Trevor, Jonas, and the Chronicle. Wrapping up her human life for the foreseeable future. Gunsmith promised to deliver them (and he did). She expected him to talk to Starman or Starwoman when he got back to at least partially explain what happened (as far as anyone knows, he did not). And then, Megan Price ceased to exist for a while. She really didn’t mean to be gone for so long. When Nick Phoenix told her it had been over forty years she was shocked. She knew it had been a long time, but that long? She had gotten her answers about her origins, and had been superheroing around space wherever she was needed. Her goal was always to go home, but you know how it is. People needed help, she was in a position to give it, and space is huge. She thought it had been maybe ten or fifteen years. Twenty at the most. But over forty? Her father was surely dead. Trevor himself might be dead, as he was a few years older than Megan. She thought about being like Jackie (who had avoided Nick on that occasion) and simply staying gone. But no. She was, surprisingly, suddenly quite homesick. She missed Earth. She missed San Francisco. She missed Trevor. She hoped he would forgive her for being gone for so long. She said her goodbyes to Jackie, ending their decade long partnership, and then started on her way home. After 43 years, the last of the active Champions of Justice was on her way home. She is not aware that she missed an entire year. There had been rumors of Kuros being on the move for quite a while, but she knew nothing of the struggles of the Icons back on Earth. And, in her small one person ship, she was not aware of being Dusted during a nap. She will be quite surprised when she thinks to check the date again, after her ship drifted empty through space for a year. Meanwhile, she has a successor nobody knows about. Earth’s egg holding satellite has not be entirely idle. There is a young man in Ohio, who answers to the hero name of Mr. Superb. He is on a minor superteam, the Buckeyes of Justice, with the bearer of the Staff of Aura Halo, the investigative journalist and legacy heroine Whipmistress, younger sister of Countess (not that anyone knows) Duchess, and the former minor super villain Velvet Glove (he went by Iron Fist back then). He does not know his origins any more than Megan did back in the day, but the similarities between the two are gradually being noticed… Powers & Tactics: Megagirl is an alien-human hybrid. As such, all her powers are from photosynthetic (-ish) alien genetics. Though, interestingly, her human genetics seems to have turbo charged them compared with other hybridized species. She is very strong, very fast, and very tough. Her strength is phenomenal. She can crack titanium with a casual punch and lift fully loaded aircraft carriers with ease. Her speed is beyond hypersonic, and she can fly in the bargain. And the only tougher member of the Champions was Starman himself. Seriously. She can ignore the main guns of battleships. It takes something on the scale of a ballistic missile to potentially harm her. Those are only the headline acts, however. People tend to forget she technically didn’t have any need to breathe. No disease or poison could harm her. Nor can environmental heat, cold, pressure, radiation, or the vacuum of space. So, unlike the Stars, she didn’t need gear to go to space. People also tend to forget that she could see and hear further than most people can without gear. And finally, the reason she’s still relatively young, physically speaking. The reason she lost track o time out in space, aside from not having the rising and setting of a sun to help. A slowed aging rate that’s been slowing more as she’s gotten older. She aged two biological years for every three chronological years. So yes, she was physically 12 years old when she debuted, even if the calendar said 18. And she wasn’t quite physically 14 when the Champions were formed. This lasted until she was physically 25, about twenty years after her debut. So, late ‘82/early ’83. Her aging slowed dramatically at this point, to one biological year for every three chronological years, and showed signs of potentially slowing further in the future. So, her listed biological age is a guess at best. It’s how old she would be if her aging has not slowed any further. Originally, she didn’t have any way to apply her strength and speed other than standard punches. Her combat training basically didn’t exist. It was her training with the Champions (specifically Starman and Arriba) that got her up to snutf in that regard. So from Starman she learned proper lifting technique, how to perform a proper sleeper hold, and how to exploit the power of her exhalations. Just because she didn’t need to breath did not and does not mean that she can’t. From Arriba she learned how to punch at a dizzying speed, hit everyone in an area, or manipulate the winds by moving her arms really fast. Tactically, the last thing Megagirl wanted to do was hit anyone. And with a Toughness save that high and with a boatload of Impervious (even from the beginning), she could get away with trying very hard to talk things out. So she was the type to use disarming, cut down Super-Breath, or Tornado Effect to simply disable common thuggery until the police were in position to nab them. Most ordinary supervillains disarming doesn’t stop, so that’s cut out in favor of Sleeper Hold. Her grapple is good enough to hold most of them. For the rest, there’s Punch Everyone and Hypersonic Punches In Bunches. Just because she prefers not to do violence doesn’t mean she won’t. And that’s about it. She doesn’t Feint or Demoralize. She does have Accurate, All Out, Defensive, and Power Attack, but they’re not super well used? +15 Accuracy, Damage, and Defense is generally enough. You know? She’s capable of doing other powerhouse or speedster power stunts, but generally there’s no need. Her PL has spiked over time. While her Strength and Toughness bonuses haven’t moved, the rest has. Her debut in ’63 she was PL 10. Attack & Defense Bonuses plus Flight rank were 5. They went up slowly at first, and then sharply after the formation of the Champions in ’68. She also didn’t have any of the settings on her Array except Full Strength until ‘69/’70. She was her current PL 15 self by the invasion in ’72. It is not known yet what seeking out her origins has done for her powers. Is she stronger? Faster? Tougher? Something else? It remains to be seen upon her return. Personality: The easiest way to understand Megagirl is to understand the one thing she has always held onto, above everything else. It’s a simple idea, really. Disaster can be averted. Deaths, prevented. Suffering, eased. All anyone has to do is try. Decades of life experience have worn away any naiveté. She knows people can and do suck. This has done nothing to dull her optimism and faith in the good in people. She is still very kind, nice, compassionate, empathetic, and sweet. A cheerful, happy woman. It’s just tempered now. She was basically a child in ’63. Innocent of the ways of the world. Of all the many and varied ways people can be cruel to each other. It was innocence then. It’s not now. It’s defiance. Her dad always said, you can’t let the world break your heart. So yeah, people suck. They hurt each other for stupid and petty reasons. One could say, if they were inclined, that they don’t deserve to be helped, saved, protected, etc. But it’s not about what people deserve. It’s about the kind of person Megan wants to be. She wants to believe in people. She wants to see the good in them and not the bad. She wants to protect them when they’re in trouble. She wants to believe in love, light, and hope. It could be argued that she’s being selfish. But that’s not quite right. There’s a line between selfishness and self-determination. Deciding what your identity is and sticking to it is not a selfish act. It can lead to selfish acts, certainly, but it can just as easily lead to selfless ones as well. But she’s not a fool, either. She knows that even the mightiest and wisest cannot always avert disaster, prevent death, and ease suffering without kicking some ass. Words and other nonviolent actions are not always sufficient to stop misguided or outright bad people from doing bad things. It’s not a failure on her behalf. It’s simply the way things are. She’s not a saint, exactly. If someone has done something bad enough (like those men did to those women in Vietnam that one time), she will turn her back and purposefully not notice that they’re in danger. She was and is a good person. The best of us. She’ll forgive or overlook a lot. Like, a hell of a lot. But there are lines.
EternalPhoenix Posted August 16, 2022 Author Posted August 16, 2022 Arriba (Jose Vega) Power Level: 15; Power Points Spent: 285/285 STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +4 (18), INT: +1 (12), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +5 (20) Tough: +4/+7, Fort: +8, Ref: +10/+20, Will: +11 Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 10 (+15), Climb 3 (+5), Concentration 8 (+10), Diplomacy 5 (+10), Gather Information 5 (+10), Knowledge (current events) 4 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 4 (+5), Language 1 (+1), Medicine 3 (+5), Notice 13 (+15), Perform (oratory) 10 (+15), Search 4 (+5), Sense Motive 13 (+15), Stealth 2 (+5), Swim 3 (+5) Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, Benefit (Pacer's Chosen), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 3, Elusive Target, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative 10, Improved Trick, Luck 7, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Redirect, Seize Initiative, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Ultimate Effort (Speed checks), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Metahuman Speed & Blessings of Pacer (Container, Passive 24) Enhanced Attack & Defense (Enhanced Trait 50) (Traits: Attack Bonus +10 (+15), Defense Bonus +10 (+20), Reflex +10 (+20)) Enhanced Feats (Enhanced Trait 22) (Traits: Luck 7 +4 (+7), Feats: Defensive Roll 3, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative 10, Move-by Action, Seize Initiative, Ultimate Effort (Speed checks)) Incredible Quickness (Quickness 20) (Perform routine tasks at 5000000x speed) Incredible Speed (Speed 20) (Speed: 25000000 mph, 2.2e+08 ft./rnd) Speedy Dodge (Luck Control 1) (force a re-roll; Limited 2 (Attacks against Arriba)) Super-Movement 7 (sure-footed 4 (no penalty), wall-crawling 2 (full speed), water walking; Limited (to while moving)) Speed Tricks (Array 15) (default power: strike) Accelerated Recovery (Healing 6) (Array; Action (standard), Restoration, Secondary Effect, Total; Personal) Hypersonic Punch (Strike 15) (Array; DC 30; Penetrating) Punch Everyone (Strike 15) (Array; DC 30; Burst Area (75 ft. radius - Targeted)) Punches In Bunches (Strike 15) (Default; DC 30; Autofire (interval 2, max +5)) Sonic Boom (Stun 10) (Array; DC 20; Burst Area (50 ft. radius - General)) Thrown Item (Blast 15) (Array; DC 30) Tornado Effect (Move Object 15) (Array; Strength: 75, Carry: 136.2 tons / 272.9 tons / 409.6 tons / 819.2 tons) Vertigo Attack (Nauseate 15) (Array; DC 25) Vibrational Phasing (Insubstantial 4) (Array; Incorporeal) Attack Bonus: +5/+15 (Ranged: +5/+15, Melee: +5/+15, Grapple: +7/+17) Attacks: Hypersonic Punch (Strike 15), +15 (DC 30), Punch Everyone (Strike 15), +15 (DC 30), Punches In Bunches (Strike 15), +15 (DC 30), Sonic Boom (Stun 10) (DC Fort/Staged 20), Thrown Item (Blast 15), +15 (DC 30), Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 17), Vertigo Attack (Nauseate 15), +15 (DC Fort/Staged 25) Defense: +10/+20 (Flat-footed: +10), Knockback: -3 Initiative: +43 Languages: English Native, Spanish Totals: Abilities 34 + Skills 25 (100 ranks) + Feats 18 + Powers 158 + Combat 30 + Saves 20 + Drawbacks 0 = 285 Age (as of Jan 2019): 78 Height: 5’ 8” Weight: 165 lbs Ethnicity: Mexican-American Hair: Black Eyes: Dark Brown Background: Jose Vega was a luchador enmascarado. A masked professional wrestler in the Mexican pseudo sport of lucha libre. He had no intention of ever being anything else, until two things happened. The first was a robbery, which he stopped with his mask and ring gear on. A man had robbed the box office of the arena at gunpoint, and like a good tecnico Arriba stopped the bad man with his metahuman super speed powers. It was kind of…fun? And easy? He owned his mask, so he could do as he liked with it. So he started helping out with mundane crime or occasionally rescuing people whenever he had a booking in the area. Just a little. Nothing much. It was good publicity for the event. He got to do some good deed, and help the promotion and his fellow luchadores make a little more money. Everybody won. It was the least he could do, as he was young and still learning how to wrestle well. The second thing, however, was much more fateful. He met a certain tiny woman by the name of Mona. Mona was and is Mona Simms, alias Pacer. The fastest being the universe will ever know. Speed Incarnate. A cosmic energy being becoming he soul of one mortal human. The Avatar of Speed. Faster than sound. Faster than light. Faster than time. The version Jose Vega met is impossibly old and capable of impossible things like running up a person’s timeline to get to a point in their past and punching someone today and hitting them yesterday. They talked many times, even if they seemed to be out of sequence for Jose. But in the end, she decided to grant him a measure of her power. Because he was a good man, and she liked him. It was like meeting God, Jose has always said (perhaps jokingly; it is difficult to tell sometimes with him), and finding out He had a real sense of humor. Cosmic lightning bonded to Jose Vega’s body and soul. And he was forever changed. This was 1965. Arriba publically debuted as a real superhero, instead of a minor vigilante. He has always said it was like being given a holy mission, but perhaps he was joking here, too. It was, of course, not quite so simple. Phoenixverse speedsters find it somewhat…difficult…to break even the sound barrier. Movement speed alone, that was possible. Supersonic jets alone showed that. But the quickness and the reflexes that would go with it, well…it seemed flesh and blood alone was only capable of so much. Without psionic powers, outside help (like from tech, magic, or divine powers), or cheating by manipulating time, consistently surpassing speed of sound remained an impossible dream for all speedsters. Except, apparently, the new hero Arriba. And the infamous Agency noticed. By this point, Dear Reader, you know how they operate. Even in the 60s they were fully operational as they are in 2019. So Arriba’s life got, uh, interesting in a hurry. Agency Agents were able to operate with less subtlety in the Silver Age, and so one Agent or another was basically his entire Rogues’ Gallery. It was at no point a fun time. At any rate, in 1968 he helped form the Champions of Justice. He’d worked with Starman, Gunsmith, and Megagirl on occasion, and he’d heard of Nega, Alsea, and Countess. It was for a good cause, and bluntly he needed the backup. One of the first things the Champions did in ’69 was start dismantling Agency operations in Texas. This, naturally, eased the pressure on Arriba, and he could more easily contribute to the group’s activities. There are two things, from ’69 to ’78, that must be addressed. Certain hero historians, especially of the period, tend to…dismiss him as a clown. Naming himself after the saying of a famous cartoon character did not help in this regard. To be blunt, he was in a similar position to Gunsmith. The Silver Age was great for heroes, but racism against African and Mexican Americans was not so easily defeated as your average supervillain. Unlike Gunsmith, he did not inspire visceral hatred so much as a certain…dimisnishment…of his accomplishments. To put it in no uncertain terms, Arriba set the platinum standard for what a speedster hero was supposed to do and be. He stood side by side with the other Champions as an equal, not a charity case. But because he was both a Mexican and a jokester (before the modern appreciation for quippy heroes) he gained a reputation as a clown. Someone who never lived up to his enormous potential. It is…most unfortunate. And completely and utterly flase, as was shown in ’78. Because it was 1978 where his abilities became undeniable. The monster Armageddon. Starwoman faltered. Megagirl faltered. Gunsmith, Nega, Alsea, and Countess simply weren’t powerful enough to do anything except get swatted aside. It came down to Starman and Arriba. While Starman may have struck the final blow that killed the monster, Arriba being the last other Champion standing did not go unnoticed. He had at last made his name, but the response was…mixed. There were plenty who gave him the respect he deserved at last. There were also plenty who thought it made the Champions look like the Chumps if some (if you’ll please pardon the language) “wetback greaser” could show them up. Arriba, as always, never showed any sign of it getting to him. He simply continued on as he always had. It was quite admirable, really. He and Megagirl were the heart and soul of the team after Starman’s injuries in ’82. However, all good things must come to an end. What happened to him on the Champions’ trip to space in 1985 is unclear. Neither he nor Gunsmith ever discussed it with anyone, and they were the only two of them to return as of the start of 2019. What is clear, however, is the effect it had on him. Arriba may have gone to space, but it was only Jose Vega who returned. Broken in mind and spirit. The mask of Arriba was quietly retired, and he has never so much as looked at it again. Even the thought of it made him shaky. That is, until a few years ago when his nephew Diego revealed his identity as local speedster hero Andale to his beloved Uncle Jose and Mona returned looking no different than when she left. Several conversations later, Andale was as fast as Arriba was, and had a mentor in the bargain. Jose does not feel up to revealing he’s still around, however. So when Starman III swung by to speak to Andale, he stayed away and asked his nephew to say nothing of him. Mentoring is one thing. But coming back? He is still not ready. He may never be. Powers & Tactics: Arriba is a metahuman with enhanced physical speed, quickness, and reflexes. He was further enhanced by an infusion of cosmic energy from Pacer, Speed Incarnate. Arriba is goddamn fast. Nobody without abilities on a cosmic scale has ever exceeded his speed. His speed has only ever been matched by Starwoman, but she was doing it through flight. Arriba kept up with her on land. You know, with the terrain adding more distance and obstacles than she would have in the air. To be clear, he isn’t merely hypersonic. He isn’t merely beyond hypersonic. He could go from immobile to a significant fraction of the speed of light almost instantaneously. It might take him an extra step these days, but he’s goddamn seventy-eight. Some slack can be cut. His speed improves both his dodging ability and his accuracy. The former rather drastically. The list of people who have successfully tagged Arriba with a melee or ranged attack is vanishingly small. The accuracy increase is still impressive, however. Going from minimum professional grade to genuine master level is incredible. But of course, speed’s a bit useless if you don’t do anything with it. Arriba has a bunch of tricks he picked up over the years. Standard speedster stuff, mostly, though it wasn’t standard until he proved it could be. A single very fast punch that can penetrate any armor. Punching everyone in an area. Absolutely pummeling one target. Throwing random debris at high speed. Or spinning one’s arms very fast to create enough wind to move things. Very heavy things, if one’s fast enough. Those are the basics he established. They were not, however, everything in his regular arsenal. He could consciously rev up his metabolism briefly to rapidly heal from injuries. A quick spin could break the sound barrier hard, creating a concussive wave from him that could stun or render unconscious anyone in the area. Giving a target a rapid spinning to engage their vertigo and potentially sicken them. And vibrating in place so quickly he was functionally incorporeal. Tactically, Arriba was (because he hasn’t fought anyone in over 30 years) of Punch Everyone and Punches In Bunches. Dropped lots of supervillains that way. Though truthfully it was Sonic Boom that dropped ordinary thuggery most often. Thrown Item was very useful for flying enemies or ones that were merely on the other side of a big gap in the floor. Tornado Effect let him help out with the heavy lifting duties. There’s more of those than one would think. Especially during rescue missions after hurricanes like Camille in ’69. Vibrational Phasing got him into areas he otherwise couldn’t penetrate. Vertigo Attack was for the forcefield and heavy armor users. Hypersonic Punch was for that rare creature, a supervillain at or near his power level but that was really tough but could dodge really well. Like Megagirl, but evil. Accelerated Recovery was what kept him in fights (like the one with Armageddon) when others might falter and fall. He had Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Feint, Trick and Taunt. There was also Redirect for his own personal amusment. He had both Accurate, Defensive, and Power Attack. As for power stunts, well…there weren’t many by ’85. Most of them had migrated into the regular Speed Tricks array. The only one left, really, was a power he didn’t like. Vacuum (Strike 10, Alt Save Fort, Burst Area). Kind of mean. And the Fatigue version (only Burst Area, no Alt Save) wasn’t quite strong enough for his liking. So they stayed occasional uses. Arriba grew over time, like all of the Champions. This build represents him from probably ’71 to ’85. It’s probably him now, with some allowances (like a Con score of 14 (+2) and an Extra rank of Defensive Roll to keep his Toughness topped up) for his age. His debut in ’65 he was PL 8. This didn’t last the year, as he kept exploring just how capable he was. Basically he jumped two PLs a year. So by the founding of the Champions he was PL 14, and by ’69 he was basically this guy. Though he developed his array along the way. Accelerated Healing was a power stunt until ’78 and Armageddon, for example. The last one to join the array, for the record. Personality: Arriba’s reputation as a clown and a jokester was not…entirely undeserved. He served as the comic relief on the Champions. Not that he ever looked foolish himself, mind. He just rarely seemed to take situations seriously when the media was around. Because he wasn’t merely Mexican-American. No, sir. He was Chicano. In 2019, the way he acted is a comedic stereotype, but back then it was serious business. Jose Vega knew who he was. The first major superhero who was both Mexican and American. He was both a role model and a representative of his people to the broader swath of Americans who weren’t familiar with it beyond broad stereotypes. Like the cartoon character he took his name from. So his somewhat cartoonish persona was deliberate. He had to seem as harmless as possible to the general public so that the rest of who he was did not get vehemently rejected. He was a luchador. A professional wrestler. He knew exactly how to present himself. A manly, macho man. Full of honor and pride in his heritage. But ultimately harmless to the mainstream culture of the period, which was almost uniformly Caucasian. Completely kid-friendly, if you will. It wasn’t an assimilationist ideology by any means, mind. It was just his way of trying to convince white folks (or at least their children) that Mexican-Americans-no, Chicanos, weren’t a threat to be destroyed. They were a friend to be embraced. Just because a culture is different from one’s own does not automatically make it an enemy. How well this worked, ah well…who knows, really? But he tried. This, however, was not who Jose Vega himself was. He was a good man. A hero. Yes, he was a man of honor, but there was no pride in himself. A humbler man, most would never meet. Neither was the hyper-masculinity his real self, either. He was a man, to be sure,and a passionate one. But what he was passionate about wasn’t women, the way he looked, or even his reputation. It was about living up to the expectations Mona unintentionally placed on him. Honestly, he always felt a little out of his depth. There was much he could do to help, and by the Blessed Virgin he wanted to do it. In modern terms, he thought of himself as just Some Dude ™. He wasn’t like Starman, Gunsmith, and all the rest. They always seemed so confident to him. But he always had doubts about himself and his worthiness. Still, all a man can do is his best, and Jose Vega (alias Arriba), did his for twenty years. Until his mind and spirit were broken, anyway. During the past 30 plus years, his mind has recovered. He can joke again. He has been a good member of his familia. But the part of him that made him a hero was broken. The part of him that paid no heed to danger. The part of him that believed and believed hard in doing good for other people. Protecting them when they were in trouble. Helping them when they were in need. It is broken. He can still run. But he cannot act. He is too afraid. It shakes his mind apart and he does the one thing a speedster should never do. Freeze up unable to move. Shaking like a leaf. This was true in ’92. It was true in ’01. And it was true for the Endgame. Radical Dreamer and the Exiles did not come to get him, only Andale. But he is not ashamed, not anymore. He saw Eddie Guerrero’s tribute act to to him. Mona told him when she came back that she was proud of him. Twenty years is more than enough. So, Jose Vega is out. And that’s okay.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 24, 2022 Author Posted September 24, 2022 Nega I (Hal Scott) Power Level: 14; Power Points Spent: 285/285 STR: +3 (16), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +3/+15, Fort: +8, Ref: +7/+13, Will: +12 Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Concentration 15 (+20), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 12 (+15), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 2 (+5), Knowledge (behavioral science) 2 (+5), Knowledge (civics) 7 (+10), Knowledge (Galactic) 12 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 2 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 7 (+10), Knowledge (tactics) 12 (+15), Notice 10 (+15), Sense Motive 10 (+15), Stealth 9 (+10) Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee), Attack Specialization 2 (Nega Bands (Array 18)), Benefit (Rank (Colonel/Commander in Chief, Nega Corps)), Contacts, Improved Critical 2 (Force Bolts (Blast 12)), Improved Initiative, Inspire 2 (+2), Interpose, Leadership, Lionheart, Luck 4, Master Plan, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Gather Info, KN (tactics), Notice, Sense Motive), Startle, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Well-Informed Powers: Nega Anti-Aging Treatment (Immunity 1) (aging; Limited - Half Effect) Nega Badge (Device 30) (Hard to lose, Only you can use) Life Support Systems (Immunity 9) (life support) Nega Bands (Array 18) (default power: blast) Force Bolts (Blast 12) (Default; DC 27, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Force Bolts (Blast 12)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [10 ranks only]) Force Effect (Move Object 12) (Array; Strength: 60, Carry: 17 tons / 34 tons / 51.2 tons / 102.4 tons; Duration (continuous)) Force Shield (Create Object 12) (Array; Max Size: 12x 5' cubes, DC 22; Impervious) Restraint Effect (Snare 12) (Array; DC 22; Transparent) Nega Comms (Communication 12) (sense type: radio) Nega Flight (Flight 12) (Speed: 50000 mph, 440000 ft./rnd) Nega Sensors (Super-Senses 18) (analytical (type): Visual, darkvision, direction sense, distance sense, extended (type): Visual 2 (-1 per 1k ft), infravision, microscopic vision 2 (cell-size), radio, time sense, tracking: Visual 1 (half speed), ultravision) Primary Force Shielding (Linked) Enhanced Trait 6 (Linked; Traits: Reflex +6 (+13)) Force Field 12 (Linked; +12 Toughness; Impervious) Shield 6 (Linked; +6 dodge bonus) Space Travel (fastest) (Super-Movement 3) (extra ranks 3) Universal Translator (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all) Willful (Immunity 30) (will saves; Limited - Half Effect) Attack Bonus: +12 (Ranged: +12, Melee: +13, Grapple: +16) Attacks: Force Bolts (Blast 12), +16 (DC 27), Restraint Effect (Snare 12), +16 (DC Ref/Staged 22), Unarmed Attack, +13 (DC 18) Defense: +13 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -13 Initiative: +5 Languages: English Native Totals: Abilities 36 + Skills 31 (123 ranks) + Feats 24 + Powers 138 + Combat 38 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 285 Age (as of Jan 2019): 91 (chronological), 60 (biological/appearance) Height: 6’ 3” Weight: 225 lbs Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Mostly Grey, a little Brown left Eyes: Grey Base of Operations: San Bernadino & Los Angeles, California Background: Hal Scott has always loved flying. He wasn’t old enough to get into World War 2. A year too young. But he thrilled to the tales on both European and Pacific fronts of daring aviators. If he’d been born about 4 years later than he was, he’d have been just in time for the first attending class of the US Air Force Academy in 1954. Instead he went to West Point. The United States Military Academy, to be precise. Interestingly, it was his second year (1947) in which the Air Force was officially separated from the Army. This means he was a part of the Class of 1950, who graduated a scant two weeks before the start of the Korean War. “The class the crosses fell on”, as the war caused them to suffer greater casualties than any other 20th Century class had. So yes, Second (and later First) Lieutenant Hal Scott flew in the Korean War. Specifically, in an F-86 Sabre with the 4th Fighter Wing, because Hal Scott was one hell of a pilot back in the day. But like all things good and bad, the Korean War came to an end. The 4th moved to Chitose Air Base, Hokkaido, Japan after the armistice was signed, and stayed there until close to the end of 1957. Hal was a highly regarded young officer, and was promoted to Captain with ease and has recently been promoted to Major on the day it happened. The 4th had been inactivated on the 1st of July 1957. Everybody knew they were leaving sooner rather than later. Hal was able to get a few days leave, and summer was pretty nice in the town of Chitose. There’s a beautiful lake, named Shikotsu. He went there. Camped out. If he’d stayed on base, in town, or just gone somewhere else…no telling what would have happened. Somebody else would have become Nega, probably. Or maybe that guy would have just died alone and forgotten. Hal thinks about that, sometimes. The life he missed out on because he saw something fall flaming from the sky, heard it land nearby, and decided to investigate. What he found was not a human being, and it-he, was dying from several hideous wounds. The alien gave his Nega Badge to Hal, told him to guard it until someone in his uniform came or it, and expired on the spot. The problem with that is that the alien forgot to turn the Badge off first. So Hal had to physically remove it from the now dead alien. Having absolutely no idea what he was doing, he screwed it up. To make a long story short, the Badge attached to Hal, detected an untrained rookie, and dragged his ass off the face of the Earth. Through a few million light years of space, all the way to Nega Corps HQ in an entirely different galaxy. The Nega Corps. Self appointed galactic peacekeepers and space cops. Today, they’re the real deal. Heroes all. In ’57, well…not so much. They were originally founded to replace the demolished Phoenix Corps. The Phoenix Corps were demolished by the man who made them, Nick Phoenix. The idea was the same. Space cops. Emergency response. You know, super hero shit. Nick literally can’t be everywhere, so he split off miniscule fragments of his power, embedding them in crystals, and handed them out to people he thought were worthy. To be fair, he was right. They were worthy. The Phoenix Corps did a lot of good in the early days. But their successors, when they inevitably aged and retired or were killed in action? They were not chosen quite so carefully, and certainly not by Nick. He’d gone off to handle other matters, trusting in the thing he’d built to hold strong. And it did. For a while. It’s an old tale, you know? Power corrupts. And in the end, when Nick finally returned, he had to destroy what he had created. It’s a sad tale, too. Pride, greed, and unchecked ambition. But the Phoenix Corps ceased to be, and the Nega Corps was built to replace it using technology instead of a gift from a god like being. And it’s the same story. The first idealistic generation set the tone. And the next one, or two, or three kept it going. But it’s the same old story. The creeping moral decay of a once proud organization. They weren’t evil in ’57, per se. But they were…cops. Bastards have always been attracted to positions of power over others. Law enforcement is no exception. Neither was the Nega Corps. Major Hal Scott, USAF, knew none of this, of course. He had the “space cops” part explained, and he explained what had happened in turn. To tell the truth, he could have rejected being a Nega then and there. But then he’d be just another Sape lost in the universe, a few million light years from home. The Nega Corps existed in a tenuous peace with Kuros The Conqueror’s universe spanning empire, and it wasn’t worth risking intergalactic war just to return one guy to a galaxy the tyrant had claimed for himself. Hal would have been completely on his own. This was not the only problem with refusing to join up. Hal was a West Pointer. The motto of the Academy is “Duty, Honor, Country”. It’s a little hard to serve your country a few million light years from it, but the rest? He had a duty to get home as fast as he could, and a duty to represent the USAF and the USA itself as positively as possible in the process. And it would be dishonorable, in his view, to not provide as much aid and assistance as he could to those who needed it in the process. So Major Hal Scott became the newest of the Nega Corps. Intergalactic peacekeepers. Space cops. Superheroes. Neat. Hal was already a military officer, so he got an accelerated training program. He was introduced to the major intergalactic powers who weren’t a part of Kuros’s empire. The ancient and slowly declining Nobellian Federation. The staunchly conservative yet ever steady Sionil Union. The endlessly squabbling Borustan Tribal Confederation and their Ingenti Republic allies. And, of course, Sapes. Humans. Homo sapiens has existed more or less in its current state for over a hundred thousand years on Earth. And for most of that time, alien slavers, unethical scientists, or bored rich people have been occasionally swinging through and doing some kidnapping. The number of humans required to sustain genetic diversity is approximately ten thousand. Between cloning and those occasional infusions of fresh DNA, there’s plenty of humans out there in space. Virtually none of whom have ever heard of Earth besides tales passed down through the ages. They’re the fifth most populous species out there. The Nobellians, despite their decline, are still in first. Uncounted millennia of growth simply doesn’t fade away in anything approaching a hurry. The explosively growing Borustans are second, despite the endless brushfire conflicts among them. The slowly but steadily growing Sionil are third. And in 1957, the Ingenti were somewhat narrowly fourth. Sapes have surpassed them in 2019. There are, of course, dozens if not hundreds of other sentient species. However, their numbers and influence on intergalactic society either don’t come close to the aforementioned, or they were refugees with the main bulk of their civilization firmly under Kuros’s mailed fist. These are the things Hal Scott learned in his three years of training and three year term of initial service. He intended to return to Earth immediately after that, but a significant Borustan ethnic dispute (more serious than the usual poradic brushfire conflicts) kicked off and he was delayed. He finally returned to Earth and the USAF in late 1964. The first thing he had to do was resign his commission and retire. Not because he was AWOL (he’d basically been accidently kidnapped, and there’s provisions for that), but because of the Treaty of Havana following the Cuban Missile Crisis, which prohibited super powered people from serving in the military. Thanks to his Nega Badge, Hal Scott now fell into that category. The relationship between him and the federal government/military was thus restructured into a different arrangement. He was, in theory, a paid government consultant on the supers scene. In practice, Nega debuted as a new superhero in 1965, a couple of months after Arriba. He wasn’t always on Earth. Events in space could call him away for weeks at a stretch. One such occasion was the assassination of RFK. He returned a few days after, and immediately agreed to help form the Champions. And that’s kind of the story. He was firmly in the second tier of the Champions, raw power-wise. But he was still a skilled pilot and capable field leader in addition to the powers from his Nega Badge. If anyone was directing traffic, so to speak, during crisis situations it was him. He was the highest regarded in the time period, outside of Starman himself. It makes sense. Ex-military, white, and male. Tall, muscular, and physically fit. He also functioned as a secondary detective, when Gunsmith was unavailable. He was also responsible for keeping the Champions from intervening in Vietnam, getting everyone to agree to wait for a request from the government. Said request never came, and so they never went over for the duration of the war, much to well, the entire team’s frustration on one level or another. It is, however known that Megagirl flew over at least once on her own initiative, and the speed of Arriba could have had him there and back in scant seconds. So there’s no telling except that the Stars and Hal himself never went. He was there for the invasions in ’71 and ’82, both times managing to successfully portray himself as a rogue Nega, doing as he pleased. Once was interesting, but the second time? Kuros’s forces should have known better. It bothered him that it was so easy. And so the reason the Champions left in ’85 was to back him up in checking it out. The Corps knew he was on Earth. Knew he wouldn’t stand aside and let it be conquered. Knew he had powerful allies, too. He doesn’t talk about what happened, either. The result, however, is known out there in space. Due to their investigation and direct actions, the Nega Corps shattered. Rooting out the internal corruption and decay brought the storied organization to its knees, ready to utterly collapse. The only reason it didn’t was Hal Scott. He stayed, and Megagirl stayed with him. Both to initially help and for her own reasons. Gunsmith and poor Arriba went back to Earth. Alsea and Countess were gone. The Champions had parted ways for the last time. Hal Scott has spent the past 34 years rebuilding the Nega Corps into what it was supposed to be. Truth and justice. Real peacekeepers. He took over leadership and structured it based on the USAF. He’s the Colonel, what he officially retired from the USAF as. Below him are a few Majors, some Captains, and a bunch of Lieutenants in the officer corps. First Sergeants, Master Sergeants, Spacers, and Trainees make up the noncommissioned ranks. He has no plans to ever return to Earth. He had no siblings, his parents were both dead by ’85, and he was never close with the rest of his family. He has nothing to go back for. His family is the Nega Corps, now. Though he has assigned Captain Kylie Stewart to Earth, along with Spacer Simon Gardner (fresh out of Trainee-hood) to serve as her partner. His old partner Alan Jordan is one of his most dependable Majors. His legacy on Earth is good. His legacy in space, however, is untouchable. Even with Nega bio-medical tech, he’s starting to get old. Retirement isn’t as far away as it used to be. The complete annihilation of Kuros’s forces has left him with a lot of work to do. The Corps is busier than ever as the Nobellians, Sionil, and Borustans work out how to provide long term humanitarian aid and manage entire galaxies who’ve just lost their political, military, and administrative infrastructure. While they work that out, the Nega Corps is already doing what it can. Duty, Honor, and Country, after all. He’s Colonel Hal Scott, ex-United States Air Force ,Commander in Chief of the Nega Corps, and legendary superhero. And he’s not done yet. Powers & Tactics: Hal Scott himself has only one superhuman power, administered by the Nega Corps to all new recruits. A customized anti-aging treatment that slows their aging process to one half normal speed. While useful for Sape, Borustans, and Igenti, it can make the already long lived Nobellians and Sionil seem almost immortal. The rest of Hal’s powers from the advanced technological device known as a Nega Badge. A Nega Badge’s powers are ruled by how much willpower the user has. They’re also impossible to use without a high degree of resistance to having said willpower taxed. They do a lot of very specific things directly tied to said willpower’s strength. Life support systems, high speed superluminal travel, and a universal translator, as they’re meant to travel through deep space on their own, encountering all sorts of species. These three aren’t tied to willpower, being standard on all Nega Badges, but the rest are. Communications systems (the range is determined by willpower), flight systems (speed determined by again, willpower) and a sensor suite (the extent of which is determined by, you guessed it, willpower). There are caveats, here. Skill and experience using a Nega Badge also play a role. Normally, the range of Nega comms stops at approximately 200k miles. This is about the distance from Earth to its Moon. Hal’s skill and experience has extended this to 20 million miles, considerably farther. The sensor suite is a similar story, and is customized by each Nega to fit their needs. A species that can’t see doesn’t need any visual enhancements, for example. Hal, being human, has focused almost entirely on improving his visual senses. His suite extends across the entire light spectrum and is unimpeded by darkness. There is both telescopic and microscopic functionality, along with an analysis suite. And he can visual track whoever or whatever he chooses. Additionally, there is a basic navigation system, clock, and radio wave reception. In combat, a Nega calls on their Force Shielding and Nega Bands. The former is customizable, able to provide both resilience and attack deflection. They are literally pure force, crafted out of willpower in a way similar but not identical to the way telekinetics can do it. Negas who have great natural resilience or high defensive skill may select to not use a element, instead trusting in their own abilities. Hal, being human and not an elite combatant on his own, uses both. With his willpower, the increase to resilience allows him to outright ignore even mundane explosive rockets and blaster cannons. The Nega Bands, on the other hand, provide the offense. The standard effects are quite simply. Damage. Restraining criminal offenders. Moving heavy objects with pure force. And extending their Force Shielding to defend others, potentially across a wide area. Most Negas use a single armor penetrating Force Blast, but Hal (with his stronger willpower and high ranged accuracy), has elected to use rapidfire Force Bolts. The other three, however, are Nega standard. Hal’s willpower allows him to move objects that weigh over a hundred tons. Tactically, Hal is a by the book Nega. Restraint Effect is, uh, effective in most cases, and Force Effect is a good substitute for those who can evade it. Force Shield is good for protecting civilians. He has Startle to help him it if he needs it, and can demoralize when necessary. Mostly it isn’t. He’s too busy using Move by Action to stay out of the line of fire. Accurate and All Out Attack get him the hits his high accuracy can’t. Power Attack cranks up the effect ranks for the really tough opponents. He’s not sure he wants to meet the being that’s both an unrepentant criminal and can break out of a rank 17 (because of Power Attack) Snare effect. Inspire 2, Leadership, and Master Plan make his allies better, as a good commanding officer should. And, of course, Interpose is for those his Force Shields can’t cover effectively. Some Negas can do interesting things with power stunting, but Hal isn’t one of them. 100% by the book. No power stunts ever. A PL note: This build represents Hal in the modern day. He returned to Earth and debuted as a superhero at PL 10. Toughness and Effect Rank +12, Attack and Defense +8. He was a fully balanced PL 12 from the formation of the Champions in ’68 to their last mission in ’85. His build has been approximately this for the last 20 years. Personality: Hal Scott has what is still called “the right stuff”. Courage, confidence, dependability, mental toughness, and just enough of a daring streak to keep things unpredictable and interesting. He has never been a particularly happy seeming or friendly man, and that’s what got him stuck with the historical reputation of a humorless military man. A bit unfair, but when everyone on the team but the former Air Force fighter jockey (Hal) and the perpetually angry costumed detective who’d clearly never been within 30 feet of military discipline (Gunsmith) are known to smile at least sometimes, that’s the the rep one gets. It’s very wrong, though. What defines Hal is supreme focus. He is not a man of deep philosophical thoughts or extensive self-inquiry. He is a man of proper preparation and decisive action. The military man part is correct. The humorless part is not. It’s like they’d never met a fighter jock before, sheesh. Though compared to some, he’s a tamer personality. No flashy stunts, just quiet steady excellence. That’s Hal Scott. He is a man of no wasted motion and no wasted effort. So no, he’s not warm and friendly. But kind? Fair? Honorable? You bet. His sense of justice is strong. His determination is stronger. This is a man who took a virtually collapsed organization that spanned the entire known universe and rebuilt it from the ground up in less than three decades. He’s got the knack for leadership, motivation, organization, and finding the best people to get a given job done. Calling him humble would be, well, wrong. He’s still a fighter jock, after all. But he’s got no problem admitting fault or that someone’s simply better than him at something. He’s only human, and there’s always someone better. The Nega Corps would storm Hell for him. As previously stated, he’s got “the right stuff”. AKA exactly what he needs to make him a top of the line commander in chief, space cop, and superhero. End of story.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 24, 2022 Author Posted September 24, 2022 Alsea Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 255/255 STR: +12 (35), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +12 (34), INT: +0 (10), WIS: +7 (24), CHA: +0 (10) Tough: +12, Fort: +12, Ref: +12, Will: +12 Skills: Concentration 8 (+15), Diplomacy 5 (+5), Gather Information 10 (+10), Knowledge (earth sciences) 5 (+5), Knowledge (life sciences) 5 (+5), Language 1 (+1), Notice 8 (+15), Search 10 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+15) Feats: Accurate Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 3, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 3, Improved Grab, Improved Pin, Interpose, Luck 4, Power Attack, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Extraterrestrial Plant Physiology (Container, Passive 15) Algaic Seaweed Being (Insubstantial 1) (Fluid; Permanent) Inhuman Might (Super-Strength 6) (+30 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 102.4 tons; +6 STR to some checks) Photosynthesis (Immunity 3) (aging, disease, starvation & thirst) Photosynthetic Recovery (Regeneration 32) (ability damage 8 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (bruised) 3 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (disabled) 8 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (injured) 6 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (staggered) 6 (recover 1 / round without rest), resurrection 1 (1 week); Source (Sunlight)) Stretchable Limbs (Elongation 6) (Elongation: 250 ft., range incr 60 ft., +6 Escape & Grapple) Telepathic Link (Communication 12) (sense type: mental; Omni-Directional Area) Telepathic Senses (Super-Senses 9) (accurate (type): Mental, acute (type): Mental, radius (type): Mental, ranged: Mental) Telepathy & Telekinesis (Array 12) (default power: mind reading) Telekinetic Armor (Impervious Toughness 12) (Alternate; Duration (continuous); Duration (sustained)) Telekinetic Flight (Flight 6) (Alternate; Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd) ESP 6 (Array; affects: 3 types, inc. visual - visual, auditory, & mental) Illusion 6 (Array; affects: all sense types, DC 16; Selective Attack; Phantasms) Mind Reading 12 (Default; DC 22; Duration (sustained)) Mind Stun (Stun 6) (Array; DC 16; Range 2 (perception)) Mind Thrust (Damage 6) (Array; DC 21; Alternate Save (Will), Range 2 (perception)) Telekinesis (Move Object (Array; Strength: 40, Carry: 2.1k / 4.3k / 3.2 tons / 6.4 tons; Range (perception)) Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +12, Grapple: +24/+36) Attacks: Mind Reading 12 (DC Will 22), Mind Stun (Stun 6) (DC Fort/Staged 16), Mind Thrust (Damage 6) (DC Staged/Will 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 27) Defense: +12 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -6 Initiative: +1 Languages: English Native, Spanish Totals: Abilities 65 + Skills 15 (60 ranks) + Feats 18 + Powers 105 + Combat 36 + Saves 16 + Drawbacks 0 = 255 Age (as of Jan 2019): Unknown, deceased in 1985 Height: Variable within 4 to 8 feet Weight: Variable within 50 to 500 lbs Ethnicity: Algae-Seaweed Creature Hair: None Eyes: None, technically. Not blind, just no human eyes. Base of Operations: San Diego, California Background: The first time anyone had ever heard from or seen Alsea was when he crawled out of the sea to and stopped that boat hijacking. Also known as his debut in 1967. This was actually kind of terrifying, as he was not at any point a human being. He was basically a plant monster, made of algae and seaweed. So when he started stretching his “limbs”, tossing bad guys around, and assaulting their minds he was like something out of a horror movie. Everyone reacted accordingly, which brought a visit from Megagirl. San Francisco and San Diego aren’t that far for a hypersonic flier. They didn’t fight. There was no reason to. Alsea was fully sentient, and not evil at all. As evidenced by how he didn’t actually kill anyone during his starting heroics before she showed up. And, as it turned out, he was most likely the first hero to be inspired by the tiny paragon from San Fran. So San Diego received its first great defender. He bore the name she gave him with pride until the end of his days. His connection with Megagirl was what got him drawn into the Champions of Justice the following year. He basically brought some much needed versatility to the team. He was in the second tier of power among them, but telepathy and telekinesis were powers most of them couldn’t access. Especially telepathy. And that’s kind of…it, really. There was his lifelong quest to find out his origins, but they were never traced past “mutagenic chemicals in the ocean” in his lifetime. And after it, well, everyone who cared was either gone, unable to care, or didn’t see the point anymore. His reputation was that of Champions supporting cast, secondary to most of them. He and Countess faded in the background all the time, letting the others hog the spotlight. In Alsea’s case this wasn’t intentional, exactly? He was basically a year old when the Champions started. He had no idea how to promote himself. He just helped people and went away afterward. The whole speeches, public appearances, and press conferences aspect of heroics wasn’t something he ever showed any interest in. So in a way, his reputation was kind of his own fault, in a way. Surprisingly, the one inhuman Champion was the one that the least is known about. It’s not clear where he was and what he was doing when he wasn’t doing hero work. He didn’t appear to have a secret identity. It’s a giant question mark. Which brings us to 1985, and the Champions’ mission to space. The details are unclear and on Earth the final fates of the members who did not return (Megagirl, Nega, Alsea himself, and Countess) are unknown. In space, however, they are. Alsea is accorded one of the universe’s greatest heroes. His sacrifice is respected by all upstanding individuals outside of Kuros’s former territory. And even by many inside it. His death was a major contributing factor to the breakup of the Champions in the wake of that mission, but far from the only one. Megagirl and Nega had their own reasons to staying in space, and Countess’s time was (ironically enough) up. So she too was gone. And that was the story of Alsea…until a last year aka 2018, when a similar plant being crawled up out of the ocean. Calling himself Chloro, he has made it clear that he is the successor to the original plant monster hero. Gunsmith did do one thing for his old friend. He placed his remains in the ocean off San Diego, and as always he came back. Eventually. Sort of. Chloro knows everything that happened prior to mission departure, but these are things that happened to someone else. Chloro is his own being. What happened to cause this is anyone’s guess. Like all of the known inheritors of the Champions, the third Starman has been seen visiting him in San Diego. Powers & Tactics: Alsea was a mutated combination of algae and seaweed, which as it turns out are pretty closely related actually. So that makes more sense than most would expect. A mutated plant monster with the psionic powers of telepathy and telekinesis. As such, the full catalogue of his powers is, uh, not short. As a being of algae and seaweed, he wasn’t ever exactly a solid object, and in fact bore more resemblance to a liquid most of the time. Despite this, he was very strong, with the ability to shatter steel with a casual “punch” (he didn’t exactly have hands, see) and a peak lifting capacity measured in the hundreds of tons. Compared with Megagirl and especially Starman it wasn’t much, but it was still quite useful on many occasions when those two had their hands full. His durability was of a similar quality, though he couldn’t ignore attacks without the use of his telekinesis. He didn’t appear to age, diseases had no effect on him, and he basically didn’t need to eat or drink. Only needed sunlight under normal circumstances. Photosynthesis. Speaking of, under sunlight (or any light, really) he healed startlingly rapidly from injury. There’s even tales of his resurrecting entirely after being killed, which seems impossible. Yet there he was, a week after being apparently killed. So draw your own conclusions. As his usual shape was more or less voluntary compression of all of himself, he could stretch his “limbs” about 250 feet. Alsea’s telepathy and telekinesis worked in several ways. He was perhaps best known for augmenting his natural durability with a telekinetic force field and flying. However, he could also redirect that psionic energy into seeing locations up to 20 miles away, telepathic illusions, reading minds, stunning, stabbing enemies in the brain, or vanilla telekinesis with a much lower weight limit (single digit tons) that his physical abilities. This is without mentioning his telepathic communication (with anyone up to 20 million miles away!) and general mental awareness, which meant that he did not need light or sound to detect people. These may seem somewhat standard today, but at the time telepathy and telekinesis together and at his power level was virtually unheard of. Even today it’s rare to find his strength outside of Phoenix mutates, and this is for the two power sets separately. Combine the two with his physical abilities, and one has a very rare individual. Tactically, Alsea usually operated much like an off-tank to Starman and Megagirl using his Telekinetic Armor and Telekinetic Flight. If it was daylight, he was arguably more durable than the latter over time doing this. That, however, was merely Plan A. Clairsentience let him scout where it was unfeasible for Arriba to phase through. Mind Reading could give clues to mysteries when even Gunsmith and Countess were stumped. His Hallucinations could play merry hell with always fraught supervillain team cohesion. And between Mind Stun and Mind Thrust he had attacks that 1) couldn’t miss and 2) weren’t physical violence. Even his Telekinesis came in handy from time to time. But mainly? It was his Telepathic Link that jacked up the Champions’ team coordination in a crisis. He apparently had no talent for or desire to feint and demoralize opponent, but he still had some combat skills for using during Plan A. Accurate, Defensive, and Power Attack could adjust his caps. Improved Grab and Improved Pin put that beefy grapple bonus to work and was his favored method of dealing with mundane criminals. Takedown Attack could mow through lesser foes. And Interpose could protect the innocent with his own body. He could power stunt just fine, and if I went through the list we’d be here all day. If it’s a telepathic or telekinetic power he doesn’t have, he tried it out at least once and more likely several times. Put that Luck 4 to work. PL notes: He was actually PL 8 on his debut, with everything ranked 12 on the sheet ranked 8, 8s were 6s, and 6s were 4s. However, he was definitely PL 10 after joining the Champions and in the current sheet by the invasion of ’71, where Megagirl and Nega were clearly communicating through him despite being in space over opposite sides of the planet. Personality: Alsea was not a complicated being. He was basically everyone’s introvert friend. Likeable and helpful, but also shy and private. The thing that made him different, the example that he set, had to do with the fact that he was genuinely a mutant monster. He was not human. Not at all. That was why he was so friendly and nice. That was why he kept being a superhero after that initial boat hijacking. Because, by human standards, he was a freakish monster. With incomprehensible, utterly inhuman thought processes. And he knew it. Humans have a bad tendency to murder the shit out of anything freakish, monstrous, and inhuman. Alsea wasn’t afraid for himself. Not really. He could be a tricky opponent to prevent escaping, and he could fight if he needed to. But the next monster might not be so lucky in their abilities. Beings that only want peaceful coexistence could be slaughtered by terrified humans. Or even worse, be the ones doing the slaughtering in self defense. He found neither of those options acceptable. So the least that he could do was set the standard for monster behavior. Show the humans that not all monsters were scary killers like those awful movies said. So who was Alsea really? Well, it works like this. Telepathy either engenders great compassion or great misanthropy in sentient beings. There is no in between. Not really. People can and do suck. Sometimes a lot. But not always, and not all the time. From time to time and on occasion, people can be truly extraordinary. The misanthropes either don’t see that or find in woefully inadequate. But Alsea? Nah. This mutant seaborne plant monster saw us in more or less our entirety, and decided we were worth it. He fell on the great compassion side of that divide, and harder than most. ‘Nuff said.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 24, 2022 Author Posted September 24, 2022 Countess Power Level: 10; Power Points Spent: 270/270 STR: +5 (20), DEX: +5 (20), CON: +5 (20), INT: +7 (24), WIS: +7 (24), CHA: +7 (24) Tough: +5/+15, Fort: +10, Ref: +5, Will: +12 Skills: Craft (artistic) 8 (+15), Craft (electronic) 8 (+15), Craft (mechanical) 8 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 8 (+15), Knowledge (earth sciences) 8 (+15), Knowledge (life sciences) 8 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 8 (+15), Knowledge (technology) 8 (+15), Notice 13 (+20), Sense Motive 13 (+20) Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, Artificer, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Attack, Eidetic Memory, Improved Initiative, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Luck 3, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Craft, KN skills), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Magi-Tech Armored Clothing (Device 10) (Hard to lose) Mage Armor (Force Field 5) (+5 Toughness; Impervious) Magi-Tech Sensor Mask (Super-Senses 26) (accurate (type): Auditory, analytical (type): Visual, awareness: Magic (visual), counters concealment: Auditory, counters concealment: Visual, counters illusion: Auditory, counters illusion: Visual, counters obscure (all): Auditory, counters obscure (all): Visual, ultravision) Tech Armor Weave (Protection 5) (+5 Toughness; Impervious) Universal Translator (Comprehend 2) (languages - understand all, languages - you're understood) Magi-Tech Circuitry (Gadgets 10) (Action 2 (free)) Magi-Tech Circuitry Settings: Magister Circuitry (Power Setting) (Powers: Magister's Flight (Flight 5), Magister's Spellcasting (Array 15)) Magister Circuitry (Power Setting) (Powers: Magister's Flight (Flight 5), Magister's Spellcasting (Array 15)) Magister's Flight (Flight 5) (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd) Magister's Spellcasting (Array 15) (default power: blast; Variable Descriptor 2 (Broad group - Any Magic)) Create Object 10 (Array; Max Size: 10x 5' cubes, DC 20; Impervious) Illusion 10 (Array; affects: 1 type + visual - visual & auditory, DC 20) Move Object 15 (Array; Strength: 75, Carry: 136.2 tons / 272.9 tons / 409.6 tons / 819.2 tons) Mystic Blast (Blast 15) (Default; DC 30) Mystic Bonds (Snare 15) (Array; DC 25) Mystic Burst (Blast 10) (Array; DC 25; Burst Area (50 ft. radius - General)) Mystic Passage (Teleport 10) (Array; 1000 ft. as move action, 200000 miles as full action; Accurate) Scrying (ESP 10) (Array; affects: 2 types, inc. visual - visual & auditory) Telepathy 10 (Array; DC 20, Adds: Communication 10, Mind Reading 10; Duration (sustained)) Communication 10 (sense type: mental) Mind Reading 10 (DC 20) Paragon Circuitry (Power Setting) (Powers: Paragon's Flight (Flight 10), Paragon's Resilience (Immunity 7), Paragon's Strength (Enhanced Strength 20)) Paragon Circuitry (Power Setting) (Powers: Paragon's Flight (Flight 10), Paragon's Resilience (Immunity 7), Paragon's Strength (Enhanced Strength 20)) Paragon's Flight (Flight 10) ([0 active, 0/20 PP, 2/r], Speed: 10000 mph, 88000 ft./rnd) Paragon's Might (Super-Strength 10) (Alternate; [0 active, 0/20 PP, 2/r], +50 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 3.3k tons; +10 STR to some checks) Paragon's Resilience (Immunity 7) (enviromental conditions (all), suffocation (all)) Paragon's Strength (Enhanced Strength 20) (+20 STR) Sensorium Circuitry (Power Setting) (Powers: Illusionism (Array 11), Melee Targeting Support (Enhanced Trait 10), Sensorium Support (Super-Senses 16)) Sensorium Circuitry (Power Setting) (Powers: Illusionism (Array 11), Melee Targeting Support (Enhanced Trait 10), Sensorium Support (Super-Senses 16)) Illusionism (Array 11) (default power: illusion) Concealment 10 (Array; all senses; Close Range, Precise) Illusion 5 (Default; affects: all sense types, DC 15; Progression, Area 2 (25 ft. radius)) Obscure 5 (Array; affects: all sense types, Radius: 100 ft.; Indirect (in front of you, directed away), Precise) Melee Targeting Support (Enhanced Trait 10) (Feats: Attack Focus (melee) 10) Sensorium Support (Super-Senses 16) (analytical (type): Auditory, analytical (type): Visual, extended (type): Auditory 3 (-1 per 2 mi), extended (type): Visual 3 (-1 per 2 mi)) Attack Bonus: +5 (Ranged: +5, Melee: +5, Grapple: +10) Attacks: Mind Reading 10 (DC Will 20), Mystic Blast (Blast 15), +5 (DC 30), Mystic Bonds (Snare 15), +5 (DC Ref/Staged 25), Mystic Burst (Blast 10) (DC 25), Telepathy 10 (DC Will 20), Unarmed Attack, +5 (DC 20) Defense: +5 (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -12 Initiative: +9 Languages: Native Language Totals: Abilities 72 + Skills 23 (90 ranks) + Feats 15 + Powers 130 + Combat 20 + Saves 10 + Drawbacks 0 = 270 Age (as of Jan 2019): ??? (chronological), late 20s to early 30s (appearance) Height: 5’ 6” Weight: 120 lbs Ethnicity: Ambiguously Brown Hair: Dark Brown Eyes: Brown Base of Operations: New Orleans, Louisana Background: Countess was and is the most mysterious of the Champions of Justice, and indeed, the entire Silver Age. She never kept her origins and mission a secret, mind. It was that it was so outlandish, even by Silver Age standards, that nobody but the Champions themselves really believed her. Then again, who would want to believe that, in the distant future, the universe comes to an end when an utterly unstoppable horde of red insectoid horrors rush over it in an unending tide, eating literally everything made of matter and not energy, including the corpses of their fellows, killed by various heroes and military forces before they too succumbed to the ceaseless assault. And that she’s a time traveler from the last city standing after that happened, several centuries later. The city is protected by a concealing energy barrier, which those horror (which are still out there, apparently feeding on each other in the absence of anything else) both cannot see through and have no interest in. It gets more absurd. She wasn’t in the present to stop those horrors from awakening, or to seek help combating them. Nobody knows where they came from in the first place, to start with, and the entire extended Starfamily of the period (with numbers in the double digits) and space navies with weapons that could shatter solar systems all died trying to stop them. If they couldn’t handle it, nothing in this era can either, she says with a shrug. No, she wasn’t here for help. She was a historian on a research trip. Many records were lost with the invasion of the horrors, and the only way to get them back is time travel. So, she debuted as New Orleans’s newest superhero in 1967, and finagled an invitation into the premier superteam of the era, the Champions. She was arguably the least powerful member, and the general public knew it. However, she made up for it in sheer versatility and resilience, and they knew that too. She and Gunsmith were, combined, the brains of the team. He was the detective, she was the scientist and researcher. She had stepped seamlessly into the role of a real person in the limited historical records of her time. A real person who was, apparently, her the entire time. Time travel. It’s weird. Her brother, who disapproved of her unauthorized trip, fell just as naturally into his role as her archnemesis, the Duke.. They battled back and forth for the whole era. Curiously, neither of them took it too far, caused civilian casualties, significant property damage, or anything else. They were both quite careful not to seriously damage any lives or livelihoods. She was a respected hero, he was a feared villain. Good work all around. Because, as came out in space in ’85, the “unauthorized” part was a lie Duke told. He was on the same mission, just on the other side of the fence. It came out because the historical records the two had access to indicated that Countess and Duke had both disappeared that year. Truthfully, it had never been clear if she’d even gone with Champions to space. It had been a risk, and Duke had argued against it. But after over a decade and a half, these were her friends. She knew this was the end of their team. The breaking of their long fellowship. She knew Alsea died on this mission. She had to see it through. And so, after the resolution of that incident, it was time for her to go home. She took off her disguising mask and showed her friends her real, brown face for the first time. She said goodbye, and went back to the future. But not forever. And from her perspective, not even all that long. The records say that Countess returned to New Orleans at the end of 2018, shortly after the dissolution of the empire of Kuros The Conqueror. And, coincidentally, many of the records for that era are still incomplete. Her niece has gone ahead, taking the role of Duchess in Ohio. She took about a month for counseling (it’s difficult to abandon friends you know will be dead when you return, and harder still to see one die in front of you) and age rejuvenation (she had been getting a little up there after 18 years in the field). Then, she once again returned to our era. It is not yet known that this new Countess is the same person as the old and not a successor. But it will be, soon. The only thing that’s different is her mask no longer disguising her ethnicity. The rest of her gear is exactly the same, and she is using it in similar fashion. As for what happens next, well…spoilers, sweetie. Powers & Tactics: Countess technically has no superhuman powers, just incredibly advanced devices. Genetic engineering, however, was perfected ages ago in her time. So she’s a once a in generatioin phhsyical specimen and a genuinely rare mental one. She herself was not altered to become this way; it’s that her abilities are nearly average in her time thanks to said genetic engineering. (To be mechanically specific, it’s the 20 [+5] and ATK & DEF Bonuses of +5 that are average Bystander level in her native time period.) It is Countess’s devices that define her heroic abilities best. They’re both, again, incredibly advanced. However, they’re not magic or technology. Remarkably, they’re both. Her future is unimaginably distant that the disciplines of magic & wizardry have blended with science & technology to the point where they’re almost indistinguishable from each other. As such, anyone trying to shut her down by disabling one or the other would always fail miserably. She always referred to her Magi-Tech Armored Clothing as ordinary fieldwear for researchers in her line, which begs the interesting question of what exactly soldiers and warriors wear in her era. For the Tech Armor Weave alone seems impossible. An unknown fabric and an unknown metal alloy woven together into a lightweight garment that is just as protective as our era’s heaviest mundane armor and is impervious to small arms fire in the bargain. The Mage Armor function activates a force field that that increases her resilience an equal amount and renders her impervious to even artillery fire. It has a Universal Translator because obviously, she doesn’t speak any language of our era. Her mask was bloated with a big sensor suite. Mostly allowing her eyes and ears to utterly ignore any sort of concealment, illusions, or other obscurement. This was useful, as it also had a visual analysis suite, visual magical detection, and an echolocation function. However, what she was best known for in the Silver Age was her Magi-Tech Circuitry. This contained all of her offensive, mobility, and esoteric options. She admitted to requisitioning one of these special for her work, as she knew she would need the flexibility. And flexibility is certainly one way to put it. With twin versatility of all of technology and all of magic at her disposal, there did not seem to be anything she could not do with the appropriate set of themed circuitry. Magister Circuitry allowed to function as a high powered wizard, slinging around whatever potent spells she chose. Paragon Circuitry gave her might above Alsea (but still miles from Megagirl and especially Starman) and the ability to survive in space. Sensorium Circuitry allowed her to screw with enemy senses in a variety of ways, increased her own sensory abilities, and corrected one of the big knocks on her (that being a lack of attack accuracy). These were not all of the circuitries she uses over 18 years of her work, but simply the most common trio. Her versatility and flexibility were extreme. Tactically, well…it’s probably best to speak broadly. Magister was for ranged fighting. Paragon for close up brawling. And Sensorium was probably used the most. The thing to remember is that she operated in support of the rest of the Champions. She had the lowest power level of all of them and she was well aware of it. She was all too happy to let Starman, Starwoman, Megagirl, and Arriba hit the front lines while she used Sensorium to make their lives easier or snuck around with Gunsmith to do something disruptive. She has both Accurate Attack to hit easier and Power Attack to do more damage. But the thing to remember is that the listed circuitries are not the limit of what she could do. She’s used Hyperspeed Circuitry to be a speedster type, Singularity Circuitry to control gravity, Photonic Circuitry to master light, and the list goes on and on. Don’t forget Artificier and Inventor. With such broad capabilities, she has never power stunted and never will. Personality: Countess is, uh, fun. Friendly and playful, in an unexpectedly platonic fashion. It’s strange, actually. She seems to be simultaneously professionally detached and living as intensely as possible. It would make much more sense if one knew anything about her future beyond what she’s already laid out. She’s always said her time is dreadfully boring and changed the subject when asked about it. Boring is, well, one way to put it. The last city in the universe has been a city under siege for centuries. Generations have grown up, had children, grown old, and died behind an opaque silver energy shield with nothing on the other side of it but a gruesome horrible death. Reproduction is strictly regulated. They have no manufacturing. No raw materials. So when something wears out and breaks, if it isn’t a vital part of their food, power, or defense systems it tends to stay broken. Especially if needs new parts that don’t exist. It’s not an unhappy life, per se. People do find ways to entertain each other, even in the darkest times. And this is not quite that. What the city is, however, is culturally stagnant. The same million stories have been told a million times. The same million songs have been sung a million times. The same is true for holovision shows and games. There are no spices in the nutrient paste they call food, and indeed little flavoring at all. The last city in the universe is dying a slow death through ideological starvation. Hence why they send historians out into the past to shore up their records. Countess isn’t simply getting the bare facts to fill out the gaps in their databases. She’s bringing back the complete text of millions of books, as many music albums as she can quantum store, and hordes of movies, television shows, and video games. They have several million yottabytes of empty data storage in the city. So no, Countess isn’t lying when she says it’s dreadfully boring in her era. New Orleans was and is a far more interesting place to be. She has been freed from Dullsville, so to speak, and she’s going to enjoy ever millisecond that she can. But on the flip side of that, she does have a job to do and a timeline not to unnecessarily distort. And like most any denizen of the last city in the universe, she’s not about to allow anyone to be harmed if she has the power to do something about it. And with her Magi-Tech, she absolutely does. She is going to sampling pleasures culinary, literary, and audiovisual as often as possible. She’s going to meet new people with very different ideas than the ones back home, make friends, and spents as much time with them as possible. And since she’s rigged for holovision recording, even her superheroic adventures both have been and will be fodder to further culturally enrich the last city in the universe.
EternalPhoenix Posted September 24, 2022 Author Posted September 24, 2022 Starman II (Jesse Thompkins) Power Level: 14; Power Points Spent: 285/285 STR: +17 (15/45), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +17 (15/45), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +17, Fort: +17, Ref: +7/+11, Will: +11 Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+5), Bluff 12 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Intimidate 7 (+10), Knowledge (current events) 8 (+10), Knowledge (history) 3 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 3 (+5), Language 1 (+1), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 2 (+5) Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative 4, Interpose, Luck 4, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Ultimate Effort (Strength checks), Ultimate Effort (Toughness checks), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Starheart Augmented Physiology (Container, Passive 18) Stellar Durability (Impervious Toughness 14) Stellar Might (Super-Strength (+40 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 209.7k tons; +8 STR to some checks) Stellar Resilience (Enhanced Constitution 30) (+30 CON) Stellar Strength (Enhanced Strength 30) (+30 STR) Starheart Speed (Container, Passive 10) Stellar Flight (Flight 8+7) ([Stacking ranks: +7], Speed: 500000 mph, 4400000 ft./rnd) Stellar Quickness (Quickness 8+7) ([Stacking ranks: +7], Perform routine tasks at 100000x speed) Stellar Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 26) (Traits: Attack Bonus +4 (+11), Defense Bonus +4 (+11), Reflex +4 (+11), Feats: Evasion 2, Improved Initiative 4) Stellar Energy Manipulation (Array 18) (default power: blast; Custom (Array 17.5)) Stellar Flight Boost (Flight 7) (Alternate; Speed: 1000 mph, 8800 ft./rnd; Stacks with (Stellar Flight (Flight 8+7))) Stellar Quickness Boost (Quickness 7) (Alternate; Perform routine tasks at 250x speed; Stacks with (Stellar Quickness (Quickness 8+7))) Stellar Strength Boost (Super-Strength 7) (Alternate; +35 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 209.7k tons; +7 STR to some checks) Star Blast (Blast 17) (Default; DC 32; Precise) Star Bolts (Blast 11) (Array; DC 26; Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [10 ranks only]; Accurate 3 (+6)) Star Burst (Blast 11) (Array; DC 26; Burst Area (55 ft. radius - General)) Stellar Energy Objects (Create Object 10) (Array; Max Size: 10x 50' cubes, DC 20; Movable (Radius: 50 ft., Strength: 50, Force: 12.8 tons); Progression, Object Size 3, Selective, Stationary) Attack Bonus: +7/+11 (Ranged: +7/+11, Melee: +7/+11, Grapple: +24/+43) Attacks: Star Blast (Blast 17), +11 (DC 32), Star Bolts (Blast 11), +17 (DC 26), Star Burst (Blast 11) (DC 26), Unarmed Attack, +11 (DC 32) Defense: +7/+11 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -15 Initiative: +19 Languages: English Native, Spanish Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 19 (76 ranks) + Feats 15 + Powers 179 + Combat 28 + Saves 12 + Drawbacks 0 = 285 Age (as of Jan 2019): Deceased in 2001 at age 39 Height: 6’ 1” Weight: 200 lbs Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Base of Operations: Chicago, Illinois Background: The first best day of Jesse Thompkins’s life occurred when he was 13 years old, in 1975. It was, in fact, 14 years to the day when the sperm of John Thompkins met the egg of Judy Thompkins, and the newly combined cells started duplicating. It was probably 14 years to the hour, minute, or even second, but Jesse was sleeping at that time. It was a school night, ya know? It was still the first best day of his life. It wasn’t just that he had superpowers. That was great. But it was 1975. Starman and Starwoman were some of the most famous people on the planet. Legendary superheroes. Everybody knew they had kids. And holy shit, they were Jesse and his sister Jackie. Well. He’d known that since he was ten. But he didn’t have powers, you know? He was just a kid whose parents happened to be some of the most famous superheroes in the world. And then he woke up one day and he wasn’t. Can you imagine? John and Judy were good parents who children adored them as much as any children adore their parents. But they were also, again, legendary superheroes. Saying young Jesse idolized them is, well, understating matters. And then he got to be one of them! Like, seriously. The first best day of his life. He wasn’t as powerful or as fast, but he was also just a kid. So he didn’t mind. Because he was freakin’ Starboy! Like, he has to learn how not to accidently kill people with his strength or a Star Blast, but he also had two very experienced teachers in Mom and Dad. And just like that, he got to fight beside them. To shield people beside them. To save lives beside them. And, after he started high school the year after, on his own sometimes. It…wasn’t as glamorous as he thought. But it was still important. It still needed doing. No, it wasn’t a thrill a minute like he thought. It was much more important that something like that. Admirable philosophy from a teenage boy. But you know, he was still technically that teenage boy. Girls. Oh, yeah. But not just any girl, oh no. Jody Rice, good god. What an angel, said teenage Jesse. In reality there were probably ten thousand more attractive and/or charismatic girls in Chicago alone, but that’s just how it is when Cupid’s metaphorical arrow strikes. He talked to his dad. He talked to his mom. He talked to his sister (who was still in Stargirl training at that time, her powers having just emerged). And then he talked to Jody. He wooed her, won her, and they were going steady. Nice. This was important, because her house gave him someplace else to go and someone else to talk to after Armageddon attacked and his dad was hurt. He’d been no help at all, despite getting much stronger in the past three years. He hadn’t reached the power of his mom and dad yet. And he started to think he never would. At any rate, this was when Jody learned he was Starboy, and their relationship broke for a while because of the secret kept from her. It broke again when Jody went away for college. Jesse stayed in Chicago to help protect it. This was 1980, and to help make ends meet he started breaking into professional cartooning. As opposed to the amateur stuff in the school newspaper. The money wasn’t much, so he also kept up a steady stream of part time jobs, in addition to art school at Columbia College Chicago and still being a superhero. A very busy schedule for someone not as fast as a Star. Then came 1982, and the invasion of Kuros the Conqueror. He distinguished himself, to be sure, but his father was badly hurt. Jesse was 20 years old. A grown man. He offered to take over and let his father retire due to injury, but John Thompkins, Professional Stubborn Bastard, declined. This is also when Jody returned to Chicago, knowing Jesse had to be hurting. She transferred into the University of Chicago. They were married in ’83. The second best day of his life. They graduated college in ’84, and starting living together full time. The Champions went away to space and didn’t come back in ’85. Jesse spent the rest of his days thinking he should have gone with them. But it’s hard, you know? They were his father’s friends, not his. The adults in the room, so to speak. He didn’t know how to ask. Him, a grown man of 23 years, didn’t know how to talk to them. Jesse’s (his sister’s, too) fatal flaw appearing again. How could he ever measure up to giants? A decade gone, and they still left him starstruck and tonguetied. And of course, they didn’t think to ask him. He was Starboy. A kid to protect, not an equal to stand beside. Not that this was a conscious thought, mind. One watches a kid grow up, and it’s…hard, to shake that mental image of them as that kid. And his father would have never agreed to it, they thought. Wrongly, as the following year (1986) Starman formally retired from superheroics and took his wife with him. But he did not, however, take his name. Starboy became Starman. He found out the powers could be given to other people by accident, by giving them to Jody. But Starqueen didn’t have the aptitude for hero work. Instincts all wrong. Constantly forgetting her powers. Etc. She wasn’t as powerful as he was, either. Something didn’t go right in the transfer. So, pretty much a failure all around. Their first child, Jack (after his sister), was born in 1988. Their second, Jennifer, was born in 1990. The third and fourth best days of his life. Kuros came back in ’92, but Nick Phoenix took care of it before Jesse could do a lot. He was ready to do what he could, though. And then came the undisputed worst day of his life. 1993. The day his parents died. The story has been told. John Thompkins’s Starheart was about to explode. Judy offered to take him away into space. Jesse offered to do it, as he could probably survive the explosion. But no. Judy didn’t want to stick around without her John. They were connected forever. He wanted to scream and cry. To beg them not to leave him. But that, however, would not have been anything like the man they raised. So Jesse could do nothing but watch as Starwoman carried the original Starman into space at a significant fraction of the speed of light. And he watched as the miniature supernova took both of them from him. Then he had to go in their house and call his sister to tell her what happened. He was the one who told the media, too. For people who have never lost a parent, there is no explaining the agony he was in. For those who have, there is no need to do so. That was it. He was Starman. The only one. The only active Star at all. His parents were gone. His sister was…well, she was finished being a superhero, at least. He worried about her, but what could he do besides visit sometimes? And Jody hadn’t worked out at all. He was the most famous and powerful superhero in the world. Well, Nick had him beat to stardust on the power front, but he wasn’t always around. The generation of his father and the ones inspired by him seemed to fade away as the world got darker and meaner. Jesse seemed like a relic of another age, sometimes. He worked himself harder and harder. Even a Star has physical limits and from time to time he managed to find them. It wasn’t so bad when his parents were still alive, you know? But with them gone it was like the Devil himself was whipping him onward. He worked all over the globe. Money wasn’t a problem. He was the artist behind several comic strips in various newspapers and weekly publications. Jesse Thompkins kind of had it made as a cartoonist, by this point. He went through periods where he ate little, slept less, and ended up looking about as bedraggled as a man with that many running comic strips and no powers would look. It was something he and Jody had more than a few blazing arguments about. Their relationship had always been on the tempestuous side, as opposed to the steady tranquility of John and Judy, and this was just making it worse. They loved each other dearly, but there were times where they didn’t like each other very much at all. Then came the fifth best day of his life. He and his sister weren’t special. The Starpowers were inheritable. Jack had just developed them. Jesse was as overjoyed as John had been on that day 26 years before. Thus the second Starboy put on the Star and joined his father in the field. This, however, was 2001. The story of that terrible day in September has been told. But not from Jesse’s perspective. The return of a monster his dad and his friends had narrowly killed over two decades before. His family, attacked. His wife and son, injured. Panic, anger, and determination. This wouldn’t be like ’92. Nick Phoenix had left in June, after congratulating the new Starboy. Troubles in space and time, of course. He’d be back, but for now Jessee was on his own. It had bothered Jesse, a bit, at the time, the look in Nick’s eye when he said his goodbyes. There’d be time to talk about it when he came back. And so the second Starman charged into a battle he wasn’t sure he could win, but one that needed to be fought. One that there was probably no other hero on the planet could fight, as far as he knew. And like his father in ’78 and ’82, he got beaten within an inch of his life. Hell, further. He fought until he had nothing left. And then fought some more. He wasn’t strong enough. That was the knock on him from the start from the news media. Hell, he couldn’t help making the comparison himself. He didn’t have the power or the speed of his parents. He had to fight harder than they ever did against some of the same foes. He knew he could never be what they were. Knew it deep in his bones. That didn’t mean he couldn’t do anything. He was more powerful than basically every hero who but Nick. And Nick wasn’t always around. So the safety of the world was on his shoulders. But you know how it is. His parents were still around. A backup plan in case things really went pear shaped and the fecal matter hit the oscillating device. It wasn’t a conscious idea, mind. It’s just…in some ways a child thinks Mommy and Daddy are always going to be there for them when they need the two. Parents are immortal and all knowing beings. Sources of advice and support. They may age and diminish a little, perhaps, but they are eternal, virtually unchanging parts of the child’s world. Until one day they aren’t. Suddenly John and Judy were gone, and the backup plan was gone. Jesse was well and truly on his own. So he had to try harder. And harder. And harder. It was all up to him, now. He couldn’t get up. His body refused to obey him. Caviezel (when did he get here?) was taking his run at Armageddon. The monster was absolutely going to kill him. Jesse knew this. And he couldn’t get up. All his insecurities crashed down on him in a wave. He wasn’t strong enough. He wasn’t good enough. He’d never been good enough to be Starman. Why did his father ever trust him with this? His body hurt so much. He was bleeding so much. He wanted to cry. Dying hurts, Daddy. Why didn’t you tell me? But. A quiet little voice at the core of who he was, at the core of who all heroes who stick with it are, refused his body’s refusal. It refused the physical trauma. It refused the mental anguish. It refused the reality of the situation itself. And so, for the first time in his life, Jesse Thompkins reached for more power. Not for himself, but for others. To help. To protect. To save. And yes, to not be a failure. His memories flashed through his mind. Toddling over to Mommy at home, the earliest clear one. Standing beside his father at the beach, full of joy in and love for him. The first time he flew, Mom and Dad beside him. The first time he saw Jody. Times with friends. Jody holding him as he wept for his broken father. The day they were married, once again full of joy in and love for someone else. The birth of Jack. The birth of Jennifer. Such joy and happiness he’d known in those days. But pain and sadness, too. Watching his parents get old. His sister getting lost in her own insecurities and depression, while feeling helpless to do anything for her. Super fights, god so many super fights. Watching his parents die. Every verbal fight with Jody. How she wasn’t superhero material at all. The big joys and little happinesses. The agony of loss and the little pain of minor mistakes. You know, life. Jesse Thompkins, all of him, reached for more power. And his Starheart answered. It suddenly didn’t matter that his ribs were broken and his skull cracked. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t get his vision focused, and he couldn’t hear out of one ear. It didn’t matter that he was in more pain than any mortal ought to be able to endure and stay conscious, much less upright. It didn’t matter that he was literally dying on the spot. He still had people to protect. And a Star will never stay down when there’s people to protect. He literally shone with power. Armageddon didn’t stand a chance. He beat the monster down in seconds, smashed it into the air, and incinerated it with a Star Blast more powerful than anything Nick Phoenix had done in ’92. But reality can only be held at bay for so long. With the crisis now passed, Jesse’s power boost faded away and he collapsed to the ground. He died in his wife’s arms less than five minutes later. Thus passed the second Starman. And with him, an entire era of heroics. However, his death was not in vain. It was not in the general vicinity of in vain. Hell, it’s not even in the same galaxy. More heroes have risen (directly and indirectly) because of that day than existed in the entire Mystery Men era and Golden Age combined. It’s a funny thing. Jesse thought he could never escape his father’s shadow. That he could never measure up to the legend. He was wrong. Jesse Thompkins was a superhero for 26 years. One year longer than his father’s 25. 15 of those were spent as Starman. He only stopped being a superhero because he literally died. Nothing else would have stopped him short of complete physical infirmity. He was as worthy as anyone to stand beside his father, and worthier than almost any other. And with the emergence of his son and daughter as the new Starman and Starwoman, his legacy now appears secure. Rest well, hero. You earned it. Powers & Tactics: Starman II was, technically, a mutant. His powers functioned in a way made legendary by first his parents and then himself. He had a nuclear fusion reaction inside his chest, pumping out energy as only they can. It is known as a Starheart. Physiological alterations channeled that power into his abilities, namely enhanced strength, speed, resilience and stellar energy manipulation. He was never quite able to match his parents in their peak categories, but the combination of their powers proved highly effective on its own. His peak lifting strength was in the hundreds of thousands of tons. His top flight speed was beyond hypersonic. His speed also made him better at dodging and more accurate. One would still need a ballistic missile to begin to consider actually hurting him, as he could ignore even a battleship’s main guns. He could smash through titanium with a punch or a Star Blast. Speaking of the latter, he could emit that stellar energy as lower powered rapidfire bolts or a big burst of energy over an area. He could even make solid object out of the energy, something only his mother thus far has been able to do. He wasn’t the strongest, the toughest, the fastest, or the most powerful blaster ever. However, nobody exceeded him in every category at any point, so he always had options. Until Armageddon provided a brutal reminder of the hierarchy of power. And, of course, the irony is that he absolutely could have been just as powerful as his parents were. To equal them in every area. The measurable output of his Starheart was greater than either of theirs. But he never believed that he could, and the belief of the user is a huge factor in deciding a Starperson’s limits. It is not know how exactly he summoned as much raw power as he did in those last seconds of his life. His mother and father did demonstrate extreme levels of power when sorely pressed, yes, but nothing like that. His Starheart may have been stronger than theirs, but not by that much. Nor is it clear if his parents could have output that much power, or if his sister, his children, or her children can also do so. Even after 58 years, the full capabilities of the Starpowers remain a mystery. Tactically. Starman II was much like both of his parents. They were the ones who trained him, after all. He may have not been as tough as his father, but basic thuggery couldn’t hurt him. Even ordinary supervillains couldn’t hurt him. Toughness 17, Impervious 14 is almost as functionally invincible as 20 and 15, after all. So he could casually disarm all of them, trap them in Stellar Energy Objects until the police were in position, or just lay the full +5 Accurate Attack smack down as needed. Fancy tactics were only required for the beefier supervillains, who got rarer and rarer as time went on. Still. He had Star Bolts, Star Burst, and Takedown Attack 2 for groups. Fancy tactics included All Out Attack, Move by Action, Taunt, and abusing his advantages over a given foe. Not all of them could fly, and none of them could fly as fast. The advantages of ranged attacks versus melee only fighters are well known. The advantages of super strength grappling versus those who are not super strong or especially skilled or dexterous are also well known. He used Interpose a lot, too. Ultimate Strength and Toughness less so. Not a lot of call for that much juice. He had a few power stunts as teen Starboy, but as Starman he really never used them again. Stuff like using a created Stellar Energy Objects as a bludgeon (Strike 2, Mighty), bindings (Snare) or a bright flash of light (Dazzle [visual senses]). PL Notes: Starboy debuted in 1975 as a PL 8. +6 Attack, Defense, Flight, and Quickness. +10 Strength and Toughness bonuses. Lifting strength probably about 60, so topping out at over a hundred tons. He’d reached PL 11 by ’78 and the first battle with Armageddon. +7 Attack, Defense, Flight, and Quickness. +15 Strength and Toughness. He was basically this build for the invasion in ’82, but he wasn’t quite as experienced and (paradoxically enough) confident in his abilities at 20 years old as he’d be later in life. This build, however, absolutely represents him as Starman for the entirety of his career. Right up until his death. Personality: The problem with Jesse was that he never once believed he had it in him to be a legendary superhero in his own right. His parents were legends, their friends were legends, and he…he was just Jesse. You know? He put the Champions and especially his parents on an unreachable pedestal. Far above where he could ever reach himself. The problem part comes in where the deepest, dearest wish of his heart was to stand on that pedestal with them. Even though he never thought he ever could, he still desperately wanted to. To the very last day of his life he kept trying to prove himself. To whom, well. That is a very good question. It wasn’t his parents, who believed in him unquestioningly. It wasn’t his sister, his wife, or his children, who were much the same. Trying to make the tabloids speak well of you is a waste of time. Maybe it was simply himself. No way to know, now. With that said, Jesse was a good man with a large, warm heart. And the strong sense of humor his parents kind of lacked. He wasn’t a jokester as Starman (that was teen Starboy) but he still had the ability to snark and joke with the best of them. He was the type of person who makes friends wherever they go, you know? A likeable guy who made friends easily and stayed loyal to them if they kept on deserving it. A easygoing, humble guy, but with strong principles and ideals he wouldn’t discard for anyone. A nice man. A kind man. A forgiving man. But not a soft man. Kind of the ideal superhero, if one ignores the previous paragraph. And that was the point. It wasn’t a façade or anything. This was genuinely who he was. But it was also who he wanted to be. Who he’d spent his whole life trying to become. He inarguably succeeded, and the world was better off for it. He truly, genuinely, fought until he had nothing left. He served as Starboy and Starman with honor, integrity, and distinction through two alien invasions, the darkest age in heroic history, and battled the monster Armageddon twice. He built his own legend while not believing he could, and left just as strong an example to follow as his father did. He was Jesse Thompkins. He was a son. He was a friend. He was a husband. He was a father. He was Starboy. He was Starman. And his rest is well earned.
EternalPhoenix Posted October 29, 2022 Author Posted October 29, 2022 Stargirl II (Jacqueline “Jackie” Thompkins) Power Level: 13; Power Points Spent: 285/285 STR: +17 (15/45), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +17 (15/45), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +17, Fort: +17, Ref: +6/+9, Will: +10 Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+5), Bluff 7 (+10), Diplomacy 2 (+5), Gather Information 7 (+10), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (civics) 3 (+5), Knowledge (Galactic) 8 (+10), Knowledge (streetwise) 3 (+5), Language 2 (+2), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 2 (+5) Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Equipment 3, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative 3, Interpose, Luck 4, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Ultimate Effort (Strength checks), Ultimate Effort (Toughness checks), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Breath Mask (Device 2) (Hard to lose) Mask Sensors (Super-Senses 5) (distance sense, infravision, time sense, tracking: Visual 1 (half speed), ultravision) Spaceproof (Immunity 5) (environmental condition: Cold, environmental condition: Radiation, environmental condition: Vacuum, suffocation (all)) Edgerunner Communicator (Device 3) (Hard to lose) Long Range Radio (Communication (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle)) Universal Translator (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all) Starheart Augmented Physiology (Container, Passive 17) Stellar Durability (Impervious Toughness 13) Stellar Might (Super-Strength 6) (+30 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 209.7k tons; +6 STR to some checks) Stellar Resilience (Enhanced Constitution 30) (+30 CON) Stellar Strength (Enhanced Strength 30) (+30 STR) Starheart Speed (Container, Passive Stellar Blurring (Concealment 4) (all visual senses; Partial, Passive) Stellar Flight (Flight 6+6) ([Stacking ranks: +6], Speed: 50000 mph, 440000 ft./rnd) Stellar Quickness (Quickness 6+6) ([Stacking ranks: +6], Perform routine tasks at 10000x speed) Stellar Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 20) (Traits: Attack Bonus +3 (+9), Defense Bonus +3 (+9), Reflex +3 (+9), Feats: Evasion 2, Improved Initiative 3) Stellar Energy Manipulation (Array 18) (default power: blast; Custom (Array 17.5)) Stellar Flight Boost (Flight 6) (Alternate; Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd; Stacks with (Stellar Flight (Flight 6+6))) Stellar Quickness Boost (Quickness 6) (Alternate; Perform routine tasks at 100x speed; Stacks with (Stellar Quickness (Quickness 6+6))) Stellar Strength Boost (Super-Strength 9) (Alternate; +45 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 209.7k tons; +9 STR to some checks) Star Blast (Blast 17) (Default; DC 32; Precise) Star Bolts (Blast 11) (Array; DC 26; Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [10 ranks only]; Accurate 3 (+6)) Star Burst (Blast 11) (Array; DC 26; Burst Area (55 ft. radius - General)) Equipment: The Edgerunner Attack Bonus: +6/+9 (Ranged: +6/+9, Melee: +6/+9, Grapple: +23/+41) Attacks: Star Blast (Blast 17), +9 (DC 32), Star Bolts (Blast 11), +15 (DC 26), Star Burst (Blast 11) (DC 26), Unarmed Attack, +9 (DC 32) Defense: +6/+9 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -15 Initiative: +15 Languages: Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, Spanish Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 18 (72 ranks) + Feats 18 + Powers 183 + Combat 24 + Saves 10 + Drawbacks 0 = 285 ****************************************************************************************** The Edgerunner Power Level: 13; Equipment Points Spent: 15 Toughness: +15 Features: Communications, Computer, Fire Prevention System, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Power System, Security System 1, Workshop Powers: Energy Channeling (Features 1) (Notes: Jackie may use her Star Blasts, Star Bolts, or Star Burst attacks while piloting the ship.) Ion Drive (Flight 12) (Speed: 50000 mph, 440000 ft./rnd) Superluminal Drive (Super-Movement 3) (extra ranks 3) Totals: Abilities 0 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 9 + Powers 3 + Combat 1 + Saves 2 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 15 Age (as of Jan 2019): 55 Height: 5’ 11” Weight: 190 lbs. Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Brown w/ streaks of grey Eyes: Brown Base of Operations: Chicago, Illinois (1977-1982); Los Angeles, California (1982-2009), Outer Space (2009-present) Background: You, Dear Reader, cannot possibly imagine what it was like. Being the second child of two of the most famous people on the planet. The child of a legend cannot possibly measure up to the original. Jesse, bless him, wanted to try anyone. He was thrilled to his toes when he got his powers and could be Starboy. Jackie knew better. Other people’s expectations on their own are a heavy weight. Put them together with one’s own and said weight can become crushing. Of course she put on the Star. Of course she became Stargirl when her powers inevitably came in. Living in that house? With those three? How could she not? She loved her father. She loved her mother. She loved her brother. She couldn’t bear to disappoint them. Even though she always knew she would. Or to put it in better terms, she put John and Judy Thompkins up on a pedestal before they told her they were Starman and Starwoman. They were all so happy when Jesse became Starboy. She couldn’t say no. She couldn’t. The looks in their eyes would be unbearable. As would the understanding they would give her. Then there was Armageddon, and Daddy got hurt. And then there was the invasion of ’82 and Kuros, and Daddy got hurt real bad. She moved away. She was 18. She had dreams of Hollywood stardom. And she couldn’t bear to look at Daddy. He was so broken, and it hurt her heart even to look at him. And away from home she didn’t have to put on the Star so much. But Los Angeles wasn’t what she thought. She wasn’t that good of an actress, really. And she also wasn’t willing to do the things that got mediocre but still attractive actresses good roles. So she did a lot of waitressing and bartending. A lot of fruitless auditioning. And you know how it. Eventually they’ve seen enough of her and she didn’t even get to the auditioning stage anymore. That isn’t to say she never got any roles at all. But she never got anything good or high paying. She couldn’t go home, and her career plan had fizzled. Someone without her powers might have gotten lost in drugs and partying. And to be fair, she tried for a little while. The last time she put on the Star was the invasion of ’92, and that was quite brief. She basically hadn’t put it on in 7 years, but a massive alien invasion one makes exceptions for. Her parents died the following year, and it broke something in her. She threw herself in the Los Angeles party scene. It was extremely difficult for her to get drunk or high, but by God she really tried. She moved several times, bouncing from short term job to short term job. Someone without her powers may have met a very bad end. Instead she simply got lost for a bunch of years. She has no idea who Jessica’s father is. Turns out there are drugs strong enough to affect her like a normal. Of course, they’d kill said normal stone dead, but whatever. She’d been raised to be something resembling responsible, so she got out of the life. Got something stable. Of course, for a mere high school graduate in Los Angeles that required two jobs. Even for a Star, that was a lot of working hours. So on that terrible day in September, she came home dead tired and passed out into dreamland. Bombs going off wouldn’t have woken her. A helpful neighbor was watching Jessica. Her brother and his family were fighting for their lives, and she was asleep. Her brother fucking DIED, and she slept through it. The guilt she felt later in the day is unimaginable. Paralyzing. She fell into old habits amid a deep depression. She doesn’t know who Jonathan’s father is, either. She knows she wasn’t a very good mother. Always working. Emotionally unavailable. Strung out on something powerful half the time. You’re such a good girl, Jessica. Helping look after your baby brother. Can you imagine? A tiny Los Angeles apartment. Occupied by a woman and her two children. No parents. No siblings. No way to contact Jody or her kids, plus like hell they wanted to hear from the failure of the family. This wasn’t what she imagined her life to be, back in ’85. But she wasn’t bitter. She just didn’t care. She’d gone numb. Nothing mattered. Nothing except taking care of Jessica and Jonathan. They didn’t deserve to suffer because of her. She could keep them fed, clothed, and housed. She could keep it together enough to do that. And she did. She may have not had anything warm and nurturing left in her at the time, but she could earn money and buy things. Yes, indeed. Until 2009, when she got literally abducted by aliens. It’s not an uncommon story, throughout the ages of humanity. Worlds that haven’t yet developed genuine space travel are and always have been a source of slave labor, experimental test subjects, or uh. Pets. Her depression swamped mind basically said “well, this might as well happen”. With that said, she was not the only person kidnapped off the planet. And this was the unethical scientists doing experimental tests illegal elsewhere kind of things. She mostly didn’t care what happened to her, but her inaction wasn’t going to get other people harmed or killed. No. So that was one batch of villains slapped down. The problem was, she didn’t know where in the universe she was. The people she was with needed looking after, and they weren’t all human. So she made one more crappy choice. She didn’t exactly have to rush to find her way home, right? She could be free of everything for a little while, right? That wasn’t so bad, right? Dammit, Jackie. A little while has stretched into ten years as she’s found one thing after another to do. She’s gotten her own ship. She’s gathered an interesting crew of allies and friends, named after that ship. The Edgerunners. Calling all of them but her heroes would be uh, stretching it. But they’ve done good work. The name of the ship is a logical one. The Edge is the border between free space and Kuros’s empire of claimed galaxies. A demilitarized zone on an intergalactic scale. Or rather, it was. Now, with the disappearance of all of his forces, it’s complicated. At any rate, refugees were always fleeing. Rebel groups were always battling the tyrant and his forces. So, supplies, equipment, information, and sometimes even people needed to be smuggled under the noses of the Nega Corps and Kuros’s forces. Most of the people who tried it didn’t last. Mostly because they approached it stupidly. Reckless violence and intimidation don’t work on groups who either don’t care about losses because they’re easily replaceable (Kuros’s forces) or dedicated hardasses who don’t afraid of anything (the Nega Corps). And even the fastest ships in the universe with the hottest of the hotshot pilots need to refuel and resupply. The ones who last are the ones who play it smart and quiet. Like Jackie and the Edgerunners. But of course, the first person Jackie ran into out in space after the initial abduction event was friggin’ Megagirl. Of all people. She was kind of happy the heroine wasn’t dead. Who wouldn’t be? Besides Valia, yeah yeah we know. Astonishingly, she didn’t recognize Jackie. Granted, it had been 24 years since Megagirl had disappeared and 3 more since she’d seen Jackie, but…did she really look that different? Did 27 years of hard living and two kids really change the way she looked so much that someone who knew her back then didn’t recognize the former Stargirl? (Spoiler: It did not, but if the former Stargirl wanted to be someone else who was Megagirl to judge? As far as the tiny heroine knew, there was nothing keeping her on Earth if she wanted to leave. Starboy had probably taken over as Starman by now, and it wasn’t like Jackie had kids or something, right? If only you knew, Megan.) This was great, actually. Jackie pretended to be someone who wasn’t Stargirl, and they partnered up. Megagirl was never properly an Edgerunner. Morals too inflexible for that. And she had her own commitments anyway, which meant she wasn’t always on the ship with the growing crew. Speaking of that crew, how did they get together? Well, the first go around brought Jackie together with some mercenary outlaws in the ever mysterious Nobellian sniper Esme*, the cybernetic self defined Borustan ronin Tetsukaze*, and the albino Nobellian mage Zima*. A lot happened, but ultimately the four’s actions uncovered a fast spreading religious cult was a front for an extradimensional alien invasion. Specifically, by taking over bodies in the regular universe and slowly transforming them into red insectoid horrors. Fortunately, Esme turned out to be an old hand at tracing and destroying their nests. Between that, Jackie’s raw power, Tetsukaze’s tactical skill and savagery, and Zima’s surprisingly versatile hydromancy, the threat was averted. For now. A grateful Nobellian megacorporation gave the foursome a big chunk of money after their offer of permanent employment was declined by all four. They decided to remain a team, and most of said money went towards buying and outfitting the Edgerunner. The second event was just as hair raising. To make a long story much shorter, a Draconian (reptile men, but stronger and tougher than that implies) decided she wanted to access the intergalactic infoweb via direct neural interface. The problem with this idea is that a direct neural interface requires connecting the tech involved directly (hence the name) to the brain. Which is inside the skull. Which has to have holes drilled in it for that specific purpose. Draconian bones are, generally speaking, harder and more impenetrable than titanium. So, it was either a medical procedure with a length measured in probably days using inordinately expensive and rare equipment…or doing something a bit, well, easier. It would have been better if that Draconian woman had chosen the procedure. Again, long story much shorter, she financed research into nanotech able to perform direct neural interfacing. This was a success. She used it. And then things went directly to hell. First. By nature of being inside the body and thus vunerable to the immune system, the nanotech had to both be able to repair and replicate itself. Second. Mega corporations have been experimenting with artificial intelligence for centuries. Flesh and blood employees are so…inefficient, after all, compared with machines. Their discarded and escaped prototypes and formerly enslaved AIs haunt the darker corners of the infoweb. Third. The lovely thing about normal direct neural interfaces is that the base of the equipment is fairly analog for the reasons just stated. Said base is a plug in that drilled hole in the skull. So if the user encounters any…issues…on the infoweb, all the user has to do is literally unplug from it. You can see where this is going. That Draconian woman doesn’t exist anymore, though her body probably does, piloted by a very angry AI. The planet she was on was lost in hours. The situation rapidly spiraled out of control, and the entire sector was lost in days. The Nega Corps worked fast and efficiently, but it still took them time to figure out what they were up against. And by then saving that entire galaxy was a losing battle. One they’re technically still waging to evacuate as many uninfected civilians as possible, with heavy military backup from the Nobellian and Sionil navies. This is where the Edgerunners come in. There was a priority list for evacuees, and an verification process to make sure they weren’t infected. Money and the political influence thereof being what they are, three guesses who was at the top of the list for evacuation. And any ships from inside that tried to run the galactic blockade got shot to pieces by the Nobellian and Sionil fleets. The Nega Corps had no choice but to cooperate. They have neither the ships nor the manpower to do it by themselves. This, naturally, led to attempts to run the blockade from outside. Plenty of people inside have enough money to temp outlaw crews into taking a run at it. Getting in? Pretty easy. Getting out again? Congratuations, you’re actually trying to run the galactic blockade now. In the Edgerunner’s case, the Borustan independent delta holoscreener (or D-Screener, the Earth equivalent is a V-Tuber) Roxy Jett*. She, her Nobellian bodyguard/lover Geojang*, and Sionil tech support Mirage* wanted out. So, Jackie and the Edgerunners went and got them out. That makes it sound much, much easier than it was. It was kind of like an Earth zombie movie, actually. Except the “zombie” virus in this case was partially airborne, and the “zombies” weren’t anywhere near mindless or shambling. Fortunately, something about Jackie’s stellar energy shorted the nanotech right out when it was outside the protection of flesh, and Zima’s hydromancy could wash them out of the air just as easily. There were still a few fights, and a few space fights. Dodging Negas and blockade ships. And, of course, the general chaos and madness of a galaxy gripped by absolute terror. They got Roxy and company out, but…well. Roxy’s holovid proclaiming her freedom was, quite frankly, a piss poor idea in retrospect. It made her an intergalactic outlaw. So, without any real choice in the matter, she’s stuck being on the crew of the Edgerunner. And Geojang and Mirage are stuck with her. There was one weird thing, however. The AIs, after a little while, recognized Jackie’s stellar energy. Not from her, or from Earth, but from somewhere else. It was the very first hint ever about exactly what had happened to John Thompkins over 50 years earlier, but there was no time to pursue it. Yet. In the mean time, Megagirl ran into Nick Phoenix, causing she and the Edgerunners to part ways. Over the course of their running the Edge, Jackie and the Edgerunners had met a bunch of people. Most of whom even survived the encounter and its aftermath, and thus were free to meet them again. You know, contacts. Friendly faces at certain ports of call and/or watering holes. So they’d gradually become aware of the Crystals of Power, or at least the four that were out in the universe at the time. But nobody thought about taking one for themselves. For one, the people who had each one, well…you’d need to be both crazy and have a full fledged army to take just one. For another, once you did still one you’d have a bullseye on your back the size of a galaxy. You’d have to be the biggest badass who ever lived, and also never sleep again, in order to keep just one. So nobody seriously thought they’d ever be united. Not even Kuros was that goddamn crazy and badass. Right? Well…about that…nothing like the biggest, most badass battle fleet yet assembled dropping out of superluminal in the Sionil system where the Earth Crystal was kept as a statement of intent. Sionil military philosophy is, very broadly, about discipline, defense, and never bending a micron no matter how much they get hammered. This system in particular was thought to be among their most impregnable fortresses. 12 layers of mines, mobile turrets, heavily armored dreadnoughts and mighty battlestations. The battle was short and outstandingly violent. It wasn’t that Kuros’s fleet didn’t take hideous casualties, because it did. It was that it simply didn’t matter. This wasn’t a tactical victory. It was simple brute force. Even the mightiest stone wall can be smashed by sufficient force. The system in which the Earth Crystal formerly resided was left a shattered glass ruin. And the half of the universe Kuros didn’t already rule immediately panicked. The Edgerunners weren’t much of an exception. So, as Kuros outsavaged to Borustans (whose military philosophy mainly revolves around overwhelming firepower and the most efficient application thereof) for the Fire Crystal and kicked seven shades of hell out of the Nobellians (whose military philosophy generally revolves around subtle bits of finesse, precision strikes, and intelligent, flexible tactics) for the Will Crystal, the Edgerunners were hunting for the ones that were missing. The revelation that Kuros had the Soul Crystal to begin with helped narrow things down. The Edgerunners were not alone in their hunt by a long, long shot. However, they had an advantage in Jackie, who (not being an idiot) knew where this was going. Earth may not have been the literal center of the universe, but metaphorically? It sure seemed like it sometimes. So they raced to get to Earth to warn Earth’s heroes (having left almost a decade before, she knew the Icons existed). Nobody expected Kuros to use the Soul Crystal to break into Tian (the Chinese Divine Heavens) as a shortcut to Earth, so things went to hell in a handbasket. Thus the Eternity War event kicked off. And every one of the Edgerunners except Esme (as usual, said the mysterious Nobellian sniper) ended up Dusted. Jackie and her crew came back when that was undone, and participated in the resulting final battle of the Endgame which saw the end of Kuros and his empire. Including seeing her niece and nephew finally take up the Star for good. She carefully avoided them during the battle. With that finished, and Esme having said her goodbyes (she did spend a year with the Icons, after all), Jackie and the Edgerunners departed Earth. There was a lot to do in space. Tidal and baby Lei Zi were tagging along. He needed a ride for a little while. Tetsukaze wanted to visit the Red Ronin to restore his fraying control over his cyberpsychosis, and Geojang thought it might be good for her own, as well. Zima had encountered her former comrades during the Endgame battle (seeing them again trigged her memories of them to return), and she was in need of someone to deprogram the trio’s minds and awaken them from the strange comas they had fallen into after Kuros’s demise. Shockingly, they didn’t die with him. And she was still missing the rest of her memories. If they could fill in any of the blanks she would be extremely grateful. As Jackie herself? She hadn’t forgotten the words of those AI when they picked up Roxy and company. Somewhere out there, in the vastness of the universe, was the origin of the Starpowers. So, a lot to do. But one last thing before they flew off into the chaos of a universe without Kuros and his forces. A thing Jackie does not rightfully know why she did, aside from a ghost of a memory of a dream she had while she was Dusted. The indistinct voices of her father, mother, and brother. Standing in the airlock as the Edgerunner started taking off, she threw a single Star Blast into the air that exploded into a brilliant five pointed star. The Star. Then she went back inside, closed the airlock doors, and departed for that universe in chaos. *Names are translated into their closest Earth language equivalent. Powers & Tactics: Jackie is, technically, a mutant and she has a pair of technological devices. Her powers function in a way made legendary by first her parents and then her brother. She has a nuclear fusion reaction inside her chest, pumping out energy as only they can. It is known as a Starheart. Physiological alterations channel that power into her abilities, namely enhanced strength, speed, resilience and stellar energy manipulation. She’s never bothered trying to match his parents in their peak categories, but the combination of their powers has proved highly effective by itself. Her peak lifting strength is in the hundreds of thousands of tons. Her top flight speed is hypersonic. Her speed also makes her better at dodging and more accurate. One would still need a ballistic missile to begin to consider actually hurting her, as she can ignore even a Earth battleship’s main guns. She can smash through titanium with a punch or a Star Blast. Speaking of the latter, she can emit that stellar energy as lower powered rapidfire bolts or a big burst of energy over an area. She’s never tried to figure out how to do anything else. It is, however, quite strange. The stellar energy of Starwoman and Starman II manifested as glowing, amorphous shapes aside from where they turned into solid objects. Jackie’s, on the other hand, has always been jagged and crackling like electricity. This did not help her self esteem issues. Not at all. Clearly, there is more to the properties of stellar energy than is currently known. Her devices are rather simple affairs and necessary for a space traveler. Her Breath Mask has a minor sensor suite that helps when it gets dark and to track people and objects. It also renders her immune to the biggest problems in space, namely suffocation and exposure to cold, vacuum, and radiation. Her second device is her Edgerunner Communicator. Every member of the crew has one. They have a 2k mile communication range and a universal translator because they all (Jackie especially) don’t speak the same languages. The Edgerunner is her ship. It flies as fast as she does, has the superluminal drive that gets them from system to system and galaxy to galaxy, and in place of weapons it can channel her own Star Blasts/Bolts/Bursts. This is occasionally useful, as they can pretend to be unarmed couriers or whatever. But it’s not just a method of transportation. It’s the crew’s home, too, with a bunch of features that any super headquarters needs. Tactically, Jackie isn’t quite the girl her parents trained anymore. She has killed people out there in space. Granted, this was in ship to ship combat when their ship exploded, but still. Her definition of Acceptable Targets has expanded to a degree, past what her father would have ever found acceptable. And she’s long since stopped batting so much as an eyelash when the rest of the Edgerunners are as lethal as possible in combat. But Jackie herself in person to person combat still holds back so as not to kill. She’s still careful about collateral damage, at least in civilian spaces. And she’ll still Interpose and put her mostly invulnerable body between the defenseless and certain doom. Star Blast and punching are really for harder targets. Star Burst and Takedown Attack 2 are for groups of enemies. It’s Star Bolts that, like her mother, she gets the most use out of. Accurate Attack is useful for avoiding lethal damage. All Out Attack is for more accuracy, because the list of ranged weapons that can cause actual injury to someone with Toughness 17, Impervious 13 is pretty fuckin’ short. Startle can also help with hitting. Power Attack can ratchet up the damage on the rare occasion that’s needed. And Move by Action keeps her mobile. Like every Star, she has Ultimate Strength and Toughness for those exceptionally needy occasions. Surprisingly with that much Luck, she’s not really a power stunter. It’s just unnecessary when you have a full crew of allies and have what’s basically godlike power compared to virtually everyone else. PL Notes: Jackie debuted in 1977 as a PL 8 with a more or less identical build to her brother’s from two years eariler. +6 Attack, Defense, Flight, and Quickness. +10 Strength and Toughness bonuses. Lifting strength probably about 60, so topping out at over a hundred tons. She’d only reached PL 9 by ’78 and the first battle with Armageddon. +8 Attack, Defense, Flight, and Quickness. Still +10 Strength and Toughness. She was PL 12, however, for the invasion in ’82. +9 Attack, Defense, Flight, and Quickness. +15 Strength and Toughness. She was this build in ’85 when she hung it up, and hasn’t noticeably changed since. Personality: Jackie is a woman who has spent almost her entire adult life running away. From the weight of expectation. From the burden of being cared for. From the guilt at never being good enough in her own eyes. From well, everything really. She’s made a lot of terrible decisions in search of a place to finally stop running. A place where she can simply be herself. Not Stargirl. Not the second Thompkins child. Not even Mommy. Just…Jackie. This is, of course, a rationalization so she can live with herself. She knows she could have tried harder. At being Stargirl. At being the second Thompkins child. And at being Mommy. She could have done a much better job, and it eats at her. Out in space is the first place where she’s apparently capable of doing both good and right simultaneously. And so she stays. The problem with Jackie is that she has never once believed in herself. No self-confidence. No self-esteem. No matter how hard she tried, something would always go sideways. She’d always fall short next to her parents and brother. Always and forever. Whether she wanted to or not. She would never stop being a disappointment and/or a failure. And as is known, whether one believes they can do something or not, they’re right. A self fulfilling prophecy, if you will. The thing is, she does have it in her to be just as good as they were. The past ten years have shown this. She’s a real superhero out there in space. Even if the Edgerunners kind of…aren’t, exactly. And while she’s out there in space, she believes she can be good enough. All that baggage of her life on Earth stays there. With that said, you try having parents as absolutely legendary as Starman and Starwoman. You try having them expect great things from you in both as both a superhero and a civilian. Measuring up to them as they actually were is difficult, but doable. Measuring up to their legend, especially the one in Jackie’s mind? Completely impossible. All the love, support, and encouragement in the world wouldn’t be enough if the person involved doesn’t believe in their heart that they can. And it’s something one can never explain properly without sounding pathetic and whiny. At least, she thinks so. Her brother, the crazy man, tried. He couldn’t do it, and it only drove him to try harder. Jackie was never that strong back then. She still thinks she isn’t. She is wrong. However, no matter how long and how far she runs, she is still the child of her parents. Of Starman and Starwoman. She still has the values and ideals drilled into her from an early age. She cannot allow people she knows are in trouble and/or danger to come to harm because of her inaction. She may be suffering from depression and a self esteem that often registers in the negatives, but despite Jackie’s attempts to destroy her Stargirl still endures somewhere inside. She isn’t a bad person. Not really. She’s made lots of bad choices, been a pretty selfish jerk, and rationalized very hard. But she has never succumbed to wickedness, malice or evil. This is…probably of little comfort to Jessica and Jonathan, who most likely think she’s simply dead. She knows that. She hopes desperately that they’ve been better off without her. That she was never worthy of them to begin with. Because otherwise she’d have to accept that she willingly abandoned them. That every time life got too challenging, she gave up and ran away. She believes she’s not strong enough to face the condemnation she thinks she deserves for this, let alone the impossibility of forgiveness. She’s wrong about that, too.
EternalPhoenix Posted January 3, 2023 Author Posted January 3, 2023 The Edgerunners Overview They’re all running from something. The name itself comes from their ship, the Edgerunner. The name of their ship comes from what they’ve been doing with it. Traveling (or “running”) the Edge, the barrier zone between the universe spanning empire of Kuros the Conqueror and, well…everyone else. And that name will likely live on for some time despite the disappearance of Kuros and all of his forces. But the name Edgerunner is accurate to each of them on a personal level, too. As stated, they’re all running from something. Jackie’s running from both her past and herself. Esme’s running from the secrets inherent in her very existence. Tetsukaze is running the unforgiveable sins he committed when he was young. Zima literally doesn’t remember what she running from due to her amnesia. Roxy Jett is simply running from the law in the form of the Nega Corps and kind of every major government. Geojang, after years of being a assassin, is running from her own conscience and (for lack of a better word) humanity. And Mirage is running from 1) being a technopath in the first place because 2) most of the top megacorps would be delighted to strap him to a table to figure out how technopathy actually works so they can both duplicate and monetize it. They operate like more or less any other mercenary outlaw group slipping around in the cracks between the great powers. Various people, corporations and mega corporations need deniable assets to get certain things done that they can’t be known to have been behind. Or they just need an extra set of hands. Basically they have money and are willing to pay for assumedly competent assistance. The people with the money work through professional intermediaries, who get in touch with the talent. Like the Edgerunners. Without Jackie, they’d probably live right up to the stereotype such outlaw mercenary groups have. Namely, they shoot people in the face for money. Yanno. Thieves. Kidnappers. Assassins. Terrorists. Not the kind of people anyone decent wants to meet in a dark alley, or anywhere else for that matter. Violent, antisocial psychopaths. Etcetera. Ad nauseam. I could go on, but you get it. Like all stereotypes, it skips over all of the nuance, subtlety, and nagging little inconvenient contradictory details to provide an easily digestible factoid for the masses to unthinkingly swallow. The universe is full of people, and therefore it is full of prejudices both big and small. So yeah, without Jackie they’d have to take jobs that were more unsavory, but much less dangerous. The aforementioned assassinations and violent terrorism for hire. Got to keep body and soul together somehow, right? It isn’t Jackie’s moral code alone that changed things for the Edgerunners. It’s also the fact that she can tank plasma torpedoes, blow big holes in heavily armored battleships, and probably bench press the same ship. Being able to fly is just a sweet bonus. Morality is nice, but without the power to back it up folks just get manipulated, used, and then killed when they become inconvenient. That’s life in the shadows, kids. And we all know what vast power minus any morality looks like, now don’t we? That’s right, the megacorps. So someone with both is rather unique and interesting. With Jackie leading the crew, they don’t need to take those high pay and relatively low risk but you’re a total bastard jobs. They can instead take the other jobs that are high risk and high pay (if you live to get it) and the low pay but high morals jobs. The former can be a little morally…dubious…but at least they’re not, yanno, bastard jobs. And it lets them take more of the latter. Gotta keep body and soul together somehow, right? How the Edgerunners got together is in Jackie’s entry here, so repeating the stories now is unnecessary. The Edgerunners Jackie Esme Tetsukaze Zima Roxy Jett Geojang Mirage
EternalPhoenix Posted January 3, 2023 Author Posted January 3, 2023 Esme Power Level: 15; Power Points Spent: 300/300 STR: +2 (14), DEX: +5 (18/20), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +5 (16/20) Tough: +3/+10, Fort: +7, Ref: +15/+20, Will: +12 Skills: Acrobatics 10 (+15), Bluff 10 (+15), Diplomacy 10 (+15), Gather Information 10 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 2 (+5), Knowledge (current events) 2 (+5), Knowledge (Galactic) 7 (+10), Knowledge (history) 17 (+20), Knowledge (physical sciences) 2 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 7 (+10), Knowledge (technology) 2 (+5), Language 6 (+6), Notice 20 (+25), Sense Motive 10 (+15), Stealth 15 (+20), Survival 10 (+15) Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged) 6, Attack Specialization 2 (Anti-Material Blaster Rifle (Blast 10)), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus, Evasion 2, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Anti-Material Blaster Rifle (Blast 10)), Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Blaster Pistol (Blast 6)), Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Blaster Rifle (Blast 8)), Improved Critical 2 (Heavy Blaster Pistol (Blast 6)), Improved Initiative, Improved Initiative 4, Luck 4, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot 2, Quick Draw, Second Chance (Toughness saves vs. Force), Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Notice, Sense Motive, Stealth), Ultimate Effort (Aim), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Blaster Supremacy (Probability Control 1) (Minimum Result: 1; Limited 2 (Blasters)) Edgerunner Communicator (Device 3) (Hard to lose) Long Range Radio (Communication (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle)) Universal Translator (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all) Esme's Outfit (Device 2) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle)) Energy Scattering Fabric (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance (Toughness saves vs. Force); Subtle (subtle)) Integral Grapple Gun (Super-Movement 2) (slow fall, wall-crawling 1 (half speed)) Internal Quintessence (Container, Passive 13) Enhanced Quickness (Quickness 5) (Perform routine tasks at 50x speed; Stacks with (Nobellian Quickness (Quickness 1+5))) Enhanced Recovery (Regeneration 14) (recovery bonus 6 (+6 to recover), recovery rate (bruised) 2 (recover 1 / action), recovery rate (disabled) 2 (recover 1 / hour), recovery rate (injured) 2 (recover 1 / 5 mins), recovery rate (staggered) 2 (recover 1 / 5 mins); Persistent) Enhanced Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 25) (Traits: Attack Bonus +4 (+10), Defense Bonus +4 (+20), Reflex +4 (+20), Evasion 2 +1 (+2), Feats: Improved Initiative 4) Enhanced Resilience (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness) Enhanced Senses (Super-Senses 9) (darkvision, extended (type): Visual 2 (-1 per 1k ft), infravision, tracking: Visual 2 (normal speed)) Enhanced Speed (Speed 2) (Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd; Stacks with (Nobellian Speed (Speed 1+2))) Quintessence Cloak (Concealment 6) (all aural senses, all visual senses; Blending) Nobellian Immortality (Immunity 1) (aging) Nobellian Physiology (Container, Passive 3) Nobellian Abilities (Enhanced Trait 6) (Traits: Dexterity +2 (20, +5), Charisma +4 (20, +5)) Nobellian Quickness (Quickness 1+5) ([Stacking ranks: +5], Perform routine tasks at 100x speed) Nobellian Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 5) (Traits: Attack Bonus +1 (+10), Reflex +1 (+20), Feats: Dodge Focus, Improved Initiative) Nobellian Speed (Speed 1+2) ([Stacking ranks: +2], Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd) Starlight Vision (Super-Senses 2) (low-light vision, ultravision) Veteran's Arsenal (Device 9) (Easy to lose; Custom 7 (Multiple Weapons 7)) Weapons (Array 19) (default power: blast) Anti-Material Blaster Rifle (Blast 10) (Default; DC 25, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Anti-Material Blaster Rifle (Blast 10)); Penetrating [5 ranks only]; Improved Range 4 (2500 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range 4 (max range x25, 25000 feet), Subtle 2 (unnoticable)) Automatic Blaster Pistol (Blast 6) (Array; DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Blaster Pistol (Blast 6)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5), Penetrating [3 ranks only]; Improved Range 2 (300 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range 2 (max range x5, 3000 feet), Subtle (subtle)) Automatic Blaster Rifle (Blast (Array; DC 23, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Blaster Rifle (Blast 8)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5), Penetrating [4 ranks only]; Improved Range 2 (400 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range 2 (max range x5, 4000 feet), Subtle (subtle)) Heavy Blaster Pistol (Blast 6) (Array; DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Heavy Blaster Pistol (Blast 6)); Penetrating [3 ranks only]; Improved Range 2 (300 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range 2 (max range x5, 3000 feet), Subtle (subtle)) Heavy Flash Bangs (Dazzle (Array; affects: 1 type + visual - visual & auditory, DC 18; Burst Area (40 ft. radius - General); Improved Range (200 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 2000 feet)) Heavy Plasma Grenades (Blast (Array; DC 23; Burst Area (40 ft. radius - General), Secondary Effect; Improved Range (200 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 2000 feet)) Heavy Stun Gas Grenades (Stun (Array; DC 18; Cloud Area (40-80 ft. diameter, lingers - General), Range (ranged); Improved Range (200 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Area (area x2), Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 2000 feet)) Thermal Smoke Grenades (Obscure (Array; affects: visual senses, Radius: 1000 ft.; Duration (continuous), Total Fade; Fades) Attack Bonus: +5/+10 (Ranged: +11/+16, Melee: +5/+10, Grapple: +7/+12) Attacks: Anti-Material Blaster Rifle (Blast 10), +20 (DC 25), Automatic Blaster Pistol (Blast 6), +16 (DC 21), Automatic Blaster Rifle (Blast 8), +16 (DC 23), Heavy Blaster Pistol (Blast 6), +16 (DC 21), Heavy Flash Bangs (Dazzle (DC Fort/Ref 18), Heavy Plasma Grenades (Blast (DC 23), Heavy Stun Gas Grenades (Stun (DC Fort/Staged 18), Unarmed Attack, +10 (DC 17) Defense: +16/+20 (Flat-footed: +10), Knockback: -5 Initiative: +25 Languages: Neo-Nobellian, Old Nobellian , Old Sionil, Outer Borustan, Outer Ingenti, Querethiel Native, Trade Sionil Totals: Abilities 40 + Skills 35 (140 ranks) + Feats 26 + Powers 138 + Combat 40 + Saves 21 + Drawbacks 0 = 300 Age (as of Jan 2019): Over 25,000 Earth years (chronological), early 20s (human biological equivalent) Height: 5’ 11” Weight: 115 lbs Ethnicity: Nobellian (Vietnamese equivalent) Hair: Black Eyes: Dark Brown Background: Esme is extremely old. Chronologically speaking, that is. She’s a Nobellian Immortal. The real deal. She hasn’t biologically aged so much as a nanosecond since before the Classic Nobellian Renaissance 25 thousand Earth years ago. She was born on Old Nobellia being, well, Old. She predates her people’s invention of space travel. She predates their invention of firearms. This is, in many ways, the source of all her problems. She was not the first Nobellian Immortal, and she was very far from the last. Esme is not the name given to her by her parents. She doesn’t quite remember their names or faces anymore. She’s a little sad about that. Her entire ethnic group was then under the thumb of some Imperial neighbors to the north. It was…an interesting age. Where anyone with skill and daring could make their own names. And Immortals do not know what they are. It only becomes apparent much later. So she became a freedom fighter and revolutionary at a very young age. Learned to harness her internal Quintessence, becoming a highly skilled archer. This was a rare and valued thing in those days, before sheer weight of numbers made those capable reasonably common. However, like all things good and bad, revolutions end. Victoriously, in this case. Her people had their own kingdom again. But the new kingdom had no need of such a skilled warrior, and was additionally leery of keeping a Quintessence adept around at all. Magic users invariably caused or brought down unwanted trouble. So she left home and became a traveling adventurer. The tales from those days could fill a book. They have, in fact. She’s written several memoirs disguised as fiction over the millennia. But of course, even Nobellians eventually start to feel time pressing on them. The trouble with Esme is that she kept moving on from an area after a while. She never witnessed old comrades and friends getting older and settling down, because she simply left for her next adventure. She was still young, right? Well. She wasn’t an idiot. There was no way. After a certain point, not having noticeably aged becomes obvious. So she figured out what she was, even if it took her a little while longer than one would expect. The trouble was that she wasn’t the only one paying attention. She refuses to remember their stupid group name. A random conversation with Jackie gave her the word Illuminati. It fits well enough. They wanted her to be one of them. To control Nobellia from the shadows while living in the lap of luxury. Kings were paupers next to them. And honestly? Nah. She liked her life the way it was, thanks. Ah, to be that young and naïve again. These were not the type of people who took rejection well. She was either with them or she had to be silenced. Permanently. Superb. Esme spent from that hectic day until basically the actual Renaissance (which was at least a few thousand Earth years) hiding from those assholes. Said event, as previously noted, catapaulted the Nobellians into space as explorers and conquerors. And Esme (having learned to use firearms and other modern weapons at the same level of proficiency centuries earlier) was on the front lines. Easiest way to duck a group of assholes is to not be on the same planet they are. This too was a very interesting era, until the First Nobellian Civil War kind of broke everything. She fought in the war, of course. Against the Imperials of that era, who had a few familiar faces in their ranks. Dammit. Of course, this just made her problems kind of…worse. Nobellian Immortality was an open secret by the time of the Renaissance, and continued that way up until the First Civil War. It was known to be theoretically possible, but if anyone had it they weren’t exactly advertising. But the First Civil War blew the lid off of the secret. And, uh. Well. What happened was more or less exactly what one would expect to happen if humans discovered there was a tiny subsection of the species that didn’t age to death. At all. Ever. And kept that shit a secret for the entirely of human history. Yeah. It got ugly. Officially, the new Imperial Dynasty said they didn’t exist. It was all wishes and dreams. Unofficially…most of that Illuminati got assassinated or strapped to a lab table in both magical and scientific varieties. So, instead of a relative handful of people with infinite money looking to have her found and killed, she had most of her own people keeping a wary eye on her to see if she was aging. Obviously, she wasn’t. At all. One can imagine how this made her life extremely dynamic and interesting. Never a dull decade. Nooope. This was, of course, when the other dominant feature of her life started, too. The whole…sole survivor…thing. Team up with a group o fellow mercenary outlaws. Work well with each other for a while. Maybe form some bonds of camaraderie and friendship. And then a mission goes sideways and they all die. With Esme being a sniper, she’s always a significant distance away and hidden from the attackers chasing her team. So escaping? Not difficult. Saving her allies and perhaps even friends? Eventually it’s impossible. She knows it’s just part of the life they lead. The only special part is that she doesn’t get old and physically weak/prone to bad decisions due to age pressure. She’ll never have to take that “one big score before retirement” because she will never be old enough to need to retire. So she kind of gets it. It does not make it any better when another team bites it. But one can get used to anything, given time. And time is one thing Esme has in abundance. She fought in the Second Nobellian Civil War too, of course. Chattel slavery was both morally abhorrent and wildly financially irresponsible now that robots were cheap and plentiful. It was only the Nobellian superiority complex and sheer arrogance that kept it going. The First Civil War had been violent, yes, but the second was outstandingly more violent. The first was an internal rebellion, really. Nobellian against Nobellian. Personal. Intimate. See, in the First all Nobellians more or less they agreed they were better than anyone else and thus deserved better treatment. Think of it as a family feud. Yes, there was a lot of anger. Yes, there was a lot of violence. Yes, a whole lot of people died. But Nobellian society itself didn’t fracture. The Empire as a whole never stopped doing its business of exploring, conquering, and exploiting. It just slowed down for a while. The Second, however, was Imperial Nobellian versus well, everyone else in the Empire. The arrogant bastards who sat above the entire universe as gods among mortals opposing a much more egalitarian philosophy held by a wildly diverse group. This was the war that threw siblings against each other. This was real, genuine hatred. Parts of the military mutinied. Everyone from the richest to the poorest ultimately took up arms in one way or another. The war crimes were numerous and absolutely horrendous. Worlds burned. Stars were snuffed out or exploded. Let’s put this in perspective. The First Civil War didn’t kill a full hundred trillion Nobellians. Yes, there were less of them then, but still. The Second killed almost five hundred trillion Nobellians alone. This was the absolute height of Nobellian power and population. There were over two quadrillion Nobellians before the war started. Nobellian society shattered. Imperial business stopped dead. Hundreds of galaxies convulsed with unholy levels of violence, as the rest of the known universe stared in shock and horror. This is what Esme was in the middle of. It is not something she enjoys talking about. The bright side to the Second War is that all but a scarce few of the tattered remnants of the Illuminati were cast down, killed, or strapped to one of those lab tables. And that scarce few were basically as much on the run now as Esme was. If with more resources to their various names. The shadowed side is that Immortal Hunting was no longer under Imperial control, as nothing Imperial existed anymore. So the mega corporations could literally do whatever they wanted, as long as it wasn’t overt enough for the new Nobellian Federation to notice. So her life got yet more dynamic and interesting. It was one thing to distrust any Nobellian who approached her because they might be an Imperial agent. It’s quite another when literally anyone of any species who approaches her might be a corporate agent. To be fair, her specific physical appearance is not known. Looking like a hundred trillion other Nobellians has benefits. And she changes identities and residences pretty regularly to throw them off the scent. Those parts are easy. But evading detection in other more specific ways is not. She’s older than most corporeal beings in the universe, supernatural or mundane. There are both magical and technological means to detect this. It is fantastically awkward for her to discover she’s being hunted in her current city of residence because the local waste treatment plant installed some new sensors and they pinged an irregularity. Which then got investigated. It’s also a bit awkward when a fledgling mage uses a ritual to contact an ancient being for information…and interrupts her in the middle of a meal. Whether she knows what they want to know (often enough, as it turns out) is beside the damn point. She’s clearly just some random Nobellian and they must’ve botched the spell until they either realize that’s not quite true or discuss the matter with someone who does. Or she lets something a Nobellian of her apparent age could not possibly know slip to someone she shouldn’t. Look, she’s a permanent fugitive unless she wants to die or become a lab rat until she eventually dies of it. The bounty for information leading to the successful capture of an Immortal Nobellian is large enough for most people to literally retire immediately from whatever they were doing. It’s a pain in the ass. So that was Esme’s life up until about ten years ago, when she, Jackie, Tetsukaze, and Zima joined up to root out those red insectoid monsters. Of course she had experience doing it. She’s been running around space killing things since long before the dawn of what passes for human civilization. What doesn’t she have experience tracking and killing? She didn’t tell them that, though. She also didn’t tell them any specifics about the nightmare scenarios she got this specific experience in. Before the general protocol for them becoming uncontainable on a planet was to simply quarantine and then glass the whole thing. Oh, yes. Her very long life has been dynamic and interesting. Very dynamic and very interesting. Like the run where they ended up stuck with Roxy, Geojang, and Mirage on the crew. And yes, Kuros Dusting all of the Edgerunners but her was unsurprising. She’s outlived so many teams it’s simply the expected result now. Still. She helped Spike retrieve the new Fire Crystal as part of undoing all that, and then participated in the final battle of the Endgame with the rest of the Edgerunners and Earth’s heroes. For her it was little more than a shooting gallery. But like all things good and bad, it came to an end. She said her goodbyes to the Icons and the Edgerunners departed Earth, directly into the chaos of a Kuros-free universe. Which, uh, well…there’s obviously a lot more of Esme’s life in the Before Kuros Came column than in the After. But this was a guy who basically could completely ignore his capital dreadnought exploding with him on it. This was a being that seemed to be impossible to meaningfully harm, let alone kill. She knows the list of incredibly powerful combatants (both magical and mundane) he crushed like insects. Sometimes in single combat, sometimes after they ambushed him, and sometimes after he ambushed them. This was Kuros The Goddamn Conqueror, terror of the known universe. If he wanted something, he simply took it without anyone being able to stop him no matter how fiercely they tried. And a small group of barely civilized apes from a backwater planet in an unremarkable galaxy thwarted him three times in the past 60 years. And then, just now, killed him and his entire universe spanning military forces. Saying “What the fuck?!” is deeply inadequate for this situation. Yes, they did it with the nigh infinite cosmic power he’d informed them existed in the first place, but still. The entire known universe lived in fear of his next invasion. The very Edge the Edgerunners take their name from was literally the border between his territory and literally everyone else’s. The only living mortals who remember a time before Kuros are Nobellians. And they’re old as shit. So saying that a suddenly Kuros-free universe is in chaos is a rather dramatic understatement. So. You know. Esme’s life isn’t about to get any less dynamic or interesting any time soon. Especially as Jackie, Tetsukaze, and Zima all have goals they’d like to chase after. Well. At least everyone will be too busy to do any effective Immortal Hunting for a while. Powers & Tactics: Esme has a lot going on. She’s an Immortal Nobellian, who have a few minor advantages over humans. See the Nobellian Federation entry for that. She’s one of The Adroit, using her internal Quintessence (the residual mana every being generates simply by being alive) to magically augment her natural abilities. The closest human approximation is Chi, but it’s not quite the same thing. Chi is functionally excess life force, not mana, and it takes years of martial training to produce more than a trickle. The Adroit can do what they do from birth, and only get stronger and better at it through age and practice. So it should go without saying that Esme is very, very good at what she does. Though even she will admit that she’s not using all of her power anymore. She kind of…doesn’t need it? Natural skill became more than adequate long ago, so she just needs a regular boost any high level Adroit could do rather than her full powers. You know. Basic stuff. Enhanced movement speed, physical quickness, attack accuracy, and attack evasion. Improved natural healing powers and physical resilience. Admittedly, the enhanced to her visual senses (extended range and eliminating the need for natural light to see) are more for a specialist sniper than anything else, but still fairly basic. The one thing that might clue someone in that she’s not a normal Adroit is her Quintessence Cloak. There are Adroit who can chameleonize their skin or make their body better at absorbing sound (thus silencing their movements). That’s high level, but not unusual. You see, The Adroit don’t “cast spells” as such. They channel mana and give themselves magic powers that pointedly never affect anything other than themselves directly. Wizards and sorcerers work in the opposite way. If they change anything about themselves with spellwork, they’re doing it from the outside. And, of course, they can affect whatever they want with their spells. Esme is probably the only Adroit alive who knows that this dividing line is not nearly as sharp as it appears to be. It, like everything involving magic, is blurry. Full of exceptions and “grey areas”. Her Quintessence Cloak is one of these. What it actually does is absorb ambient light and sound, rendering her both invisible and silent as long as she doesn’t move particularly fast. So let’s review. She’s faster than any land animal, can recover from even the most grievous of injuries in under two hours, and can blow an insect’s wings off with any ranged weapon placed into her hands. She’s a dangerous woman. For the record, using more of her powers isn’t an Extra Effort thing. It’s a “meditate off screen in between sessions to spend that at least 60 PP she’s not currently using” thing. In addition to being an Immortal Nobellian and one of The Adroit, she also has a big ol’ bunch of Devices. You know, like any self respecting mercenary outlaw would. There is her Edgerunner Communicator with its 2000 miles of range and universal translator. There’s her Outfit with its increase to resilience and integral grapple gun to get to nice sniper nests. The name is a slight misnomer. She has several Outfits but is obviously only wearing one at any given time. And then there’s her arsenal of custom weaponry. Her baby is her Anti-Material Blaster Rifle. The range on it is honestly ludicrous. The maximum, well…there are smaller mountains. She’s shot aerial transports out of the air. Admittedly while they were taking off or landing, not cruising, but still. Over 4 and a half miles is more range than there is distance to the horizon on most habitable planets. And the hitting power is just nonsense for a commonly available man portable weapon, even with the advanced tech out in the universe. The rest is just an assortment of mostly standard blasters and grenades. The range on these is also enhanced, but not nearly as much. Nothing like having something for all occasions, says Esme. It make seem like a lot to carry, but the blasters are partially collapsible and they’re all made of advanced lightweight materials so they’re not nearly as heavy and awkward as the Earth equivalent of her gear would be. Tactically, Esme is a sniper first. She’s got a hell of a lot of range to work with. So outside of dense urban areas she’s not actually beside the Edgerunners in combat. She’s actually behind them or off to the side, using her Anti-Material Blaster Rifle to cover them in sniper overwatch. Naturally, this isn’t always possible. That’s what all her other weapons are for. Like she says, she’s got something for all occasions. Including the previous, she has 4 different single target attacking Blasters of varying effectiveness, Heavy Plasma Grenades to clear out areas, Heavy Stun Gas Grenades for nonviolent takedowns. Heavy Flash Bangs for aid in hitting and/or escaping, and Thermal Smoke Grenades just for escaping. Her sniping ways are aided and abetted by Quinessence Cloak, Improved Aim, Precise Shot 2, and Ultimate Aim. All Out Power Attack can punch through virtually any amount of armoring. When not sniping, Improved Acrobatic Bluff can help her hit, Defensive Attack is on tap for extra accurate enemies, Move by Action keeps her mobile, and Quick Draw lets her swap weapons effortlessly. Take note of how high her Notice is, and those 4 ranks of Luck. She can power stunt, but she never does. Personality: Esme is very…chill. Calm. Levelheaded. People tend to think of snipers as being either cold or friendly, with no other options available. And to be fair, for the majority this is true. Esme, however, was an archer first. She is neither the cold and solitary killer nor a friendly and gregarious sharpshooter. She is that rarest of things, even in the vastness of the universe. A consummate professional and a born survivor. A cold sniper doesn’t work well with a team, which means when the fecal matter hits the oscillating device there is no one to help them. A friendly sniper dies a little inside every time they lose a teammate and friend to such situations. Die enough inside and eventually there’s nothing left of you. So, saying Esme cares deeply about her current teammates in the Edgerunners would be a lie. The key is to get close enough that they will instinctively protect her, but not too close that it tears her heart out when they inevitably die. Of old age, if nothing else. Esme knows. In less than half a century Jackie, Tetsukaze, and Roxy will be dust on the wind. A miniscule amount of time to someone who has lived as long as she has. Even the centuries Zima, Geojang, and Mirage have left aren’t much compared with the infinite time she has. Yet she would never say it doesn’t matter. That their lives never meant anything. It’s the kind of perspective only an Immortal like her could develop, really. One who stayed among the people instead of lording over them like some kind of god. She’s not a god. She eats. She shits. She bleeds. She’s fully capable of dying through violence, disease, or poison like as anyone else. She just doesn’t age. That’s the only difference between her and the rest of the Edgerunners. Between her and most anyone, really. So people’s lives do matter. They’re not boring. They’re alive. They drink. They swear. They laugh. They fuck. Damn, do Roxy and Geojang ever fuck. It does, however, beg the question. How can one who thinks this way have killed as many people as there are stars in a given galaxy? Well…Esme is a survivor first. High ideals are meaningless to a corpse. The above is not an idealistic attitude. It’s a realistic and practical one. And the reality is that sometimes, if one wants to keep living, someone else has to die for it. Their lives may matter, but that doesn’t make them special or irreplaceable. The only life that’s irreplaceable to Esme is Esme’s. for reasons that should be obvious. She’s not a cynic. She’s seen hope, faith, and camaraderie turn the tide too often for that. But she’s also seem them fail miserably, too. The only thing in the universe a person can always rely on is their self. Everyone and everything else is fundamentally unreliable. The part that makes this a realistic take and not a cynical one is that she knows very well that this unreliability is variable from person to person and thing to thing. Almost always is not the same as always. Neither is mostly, sometimes, or whatever other word one cares to use. To put it more bluntly, it doesn’t matter who you are or how much she likes you. She’s not getting killed or captured for you. She knows her own capabilities. She has a vast amount of experience in various types of combat in various locales. If in her judgement (which isn’t infallible, hence her caution) a given mission, job, or whatever is more likely to get her captured or killed than no, she’s not going to do it. Period. The end. Except. Now there’s Jackie. Just Jackie. The rest of the Edgerunners, well…she’s seen these stories play out a hundred times before, to endings happy, sad, and entirely mundane. In Jackie, Esme has found a genuine friend she can completely trust for the first time in…well, she was still using a bow in those days so you do the math. She still won’t march into certain (or too uncertain) doom, but you know…sometime about Jackie seems to make certain doom impossible. Something about Earth’s…what do them call them again? “Superheroes”? She spent a year on Jackie’s homeworld with these people, who turn the improbable into the probable and the impossible into the possible with incredible ease. Without a thought to risk, recognition, or reward. She wants to call them idiots. She wants to call them every kind of fool in the book. This is not how the universe is supposed to work. The worst of odds can only be dared so often before they catch whoever dares them. But she knows they’re not. Instead she simply feels a little inadequate next to them. And so she understands exactly how Jackie feels all the time. For the first time in literal millennia, Esme doubts. She’s not about to switch her blasters to the stun setting, but for the first time since before she left Old Nobellia she wonders. Is survival alone enough? Could she have done better? Done more? She does not have an answer. Yet.
EternalPhoenix Posted January 3, 2023 Author Posted January 3, 2023 Tetsukaze (Takeo Takeda) Power Level: 14; Power Points Spent: 255/255 STR: +10 (16/30), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +7 (18/24), INT: +1 (12), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +2 (14) Tough: +7/+16, Fort: +10, Ref: +6/+12, Will: +8 Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+10), Diplomacy 8 (+10), Gather Information 8 (+10), Intimidate 18 (+20), Knowledge (Galactic) 4 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 9 (+10), Knowledge (tactics) 14 (+15), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 4 (+5), Language 1 (+1), Medicine 3 (+5), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Sleight of Hand 2 (+5), Stealth 7 (+10), Survival 3 (+5) Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Startle, Defensive Attack, Elusive Target, Endurance (+4), Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Blaster Pistol (Blast 6)), Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Blaster Rile (Blast 8)), Improved Critical 2 (Heavy Blaster Pistol (Blast 6)), Improved Critical 2 (Katana (Strike 4)), Improved Initiative 3, Improved Sunder, Interpose, Luck 4, Master Plan, Master Plan 2 (tactics), Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Second Chance 2 (Toughness saves vs. Force & Plasma), Skill Mastery (Intimidate, KN (tactics), Survival), Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Weapon Break, Well-Informed Powers: Arsenal of Iron Wind (Device 7) (Easy to lose; Custom 7 (Multiple Weapons 7)) Weapons (Array 14) (default power: blast) Automatic Blaster Pistol (Blast 6) (Array; DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Blaster Pistol (Blast 6)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate (+2), Precise) Automatic Blaster Rile (Blast (Default; DC 23, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Automatic Blaster Rile (Blast 8)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate (+2), Precise) Flash Bangs (Dazzle 7) (Array; affects: 1 type + visual - visual & auditory, DC 17; Burst Area (35 ft. radius - General)) Heavy Blaster Pistol (Blast 6) (Array; DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Heavy Blaster Pistol (Blast 6)); Accurate (+2), Precise) Katana (Strike 4) (Array; DC 29, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Katana (Strike 4)); Penetrating [3 extra ranks]; Mighty) Plasma Grenades (Blast 7) (Array; DC 22; Burst Area (35 ft. radius - General), Secondary Effect) Stun Gas Grenades (Stun 7) (Array; DC 17; Cloud Area (35 ft. diameter, lingers - General), Range (ranged)) Thermal Smoke Grenades (Obscure 7) (Array; affects: visual senses, Radius: 500 ft.; Duration (continuous), Total Fade; Fades) Borustan Physiology (Container, Passive 3) Borustan Abilities (Enhanced Trait 13) (Traits: Strength +6 (30, +10), Constitution +6 (24, +7), Feats: Endurance (+4)) Starlight Vision (Super-Senses 2) (low-light vision, ultravision) Cybernetics (Container, Passive 15) Cyber Armor (Protection 6) (+6 Toughness) Cyber Quickness (Quickness 6) (Perform routine tasks at 100x speed) Cyber Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 33) (Traits: Attack Bonus +6 (+14), Defense Bonus +6 (+12), Reflex +6 (+12), Feats: Improved Initiative 3) Cyber Senses (Super-Senses 5) (darkvision, extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft), infravision) Cyber Speed (Speed 3) (Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd) Cyberarm Might (Super-Strength 7) (+35 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 102.4 tons; +7 STR to some checks) Cyberarms Strength (Enhanced Strength (+8 STR) Edgerunner Communicator (Device 3) (Hard to lose) Long Range Radio (Communication (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle)) Universal Translator (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all) Standard Mil-Spec Armor (Device 1) (Hard to lose) Armor (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 2 (Toughness saves vs. Force & Plasma)) Attack Bonus: +8/+14 (Ranged: +8/+14, Melee: +8/+14, Grapple: +18/+31) Attacks: Automatic Blaster Pistol (Blast 6), +16 (DC 21), Automatic Blaster Rile (Blast 8), +16 (DC 23), Flash Bangs (Dazzle 7) (DC Fort/Ref 17), Heavy Blaster Pistol (Blast 6), +16 (DC 21), Katana (Strike 4), +14 (DC 29), Plasma Grenades (Blast 7) (DC 22), Stun Gas Grenades (Stun 7) (DC Fort/Staged 17), Unarmed Attack, +14 (DC 25) Defense: +6/+12 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -8 Initiative: +15 Languages: Neo-Nobellian, Nipporustan Native Totals: Abilities 30 + Skills 26 (104 ranks) + Feats 25 + Powers 134 + Combat 28 + Saves 12 + Drawbacks 0 = 255 Age (as of Jan 2019): 40 (chronological), approx 48 (human biological equivalent) Height: 6’ 10” Weight: 450 lbs Ethnicity: Borustan (Japanese equivalent) Hair: Black Eyes: Dark Brown Background: Nipporustans are one of the 108 Borustan tribes. Even divided by 108, there’s still at least a couple trillion members of each tribe, so no they don’t all know each other. Each tribe’s culture and traditions share the common Borustran traits of aggression and rebellion. But the rest is, oddly enough, a different take on a Nobellian culture. Both have many similarities to past eras of Earth’s Japan, albeit as intergalactic spacefaring civilizations instead of much small medieval kingdoms. The Nihogellians are most similar to the Edo period, which was relatively peaceful and a boom period for art and literature. Though swords and honor are still important, they favor flowers and poetry, not blood and steel. The Nipporustans are basically the opposite, being more similar to the Sengoku (or Warring States) period. They weren’t actually strict adherents of Bushido (having never heard of it for obvious reasons) until an Earth samurai (ironically enough, kidnapped from the Edo period) brought it to them. Sengoku period samurai didn’t follow Bushido at all (as it was more or less made up in the Edo period afterward), so Nipporustan culture had only gotten more interesting in the past few Earth centuries. However, the one thing the Nihogellians and Nipporustans completely share as a prominent part of their cultures is endless political maneuvering. With the former at most it results in social embarrassment. Failing the grand game enough can even have economic consequences for the executive class. But people rarely die from such maneuverings. Nipporustans go to war instead. It is the cowardly Nobellians who don’t put their life’s blood where their mouth is. The problem with this is that they’re just as prone to having leadership that is utterly indifferent to life as anyone else. And those such leaders command are just as prone to being too young and too stupid to know they’re committing atrocities and war crimes instead of heroically defending their own from a menace. One such story is that of the sins of Tetsukaze. Takeo Takeda (the closest translation of his real name to Earth languages) believed, once. He wasn’t special. Put him in a holovid, or a game, and he was just another faceless mook. At least, back then. Now he’s uh, a bit better. But then he was just another bright eyed young Borustan issued a blaster rifle and a katana in service of his tribe. He served for three Earth years before the incident. He was a well respected sergeant, but not officer grade. This was fine. He’d have made an excellent career noncom. There was a clan of Venandi. They had served the Nipporustans faithfully and loyally (for Venandi, anyway) for generations. They owned some land. Had their own town and little Nipporustan style Venandi society. But the endless squabbling of Borustan society brought a new faction into power in the tribe. The Venandi lost the political battle before they ever knew it was happening. Indeed, they remained ignorant up until the end. It’s an old story. The new regime didn’t want any “foreigners” in their great nation. Or tribe, in this case. They’d resist being simply removed, and they had allies who could make things difficult. So instead they were framed for treason. A delegation of clan leaders was sent to address this, but they were betrayed and murdered. At the same time, a force was sent to eradicate their town and everyone in it. This is the force Takeo Takeda was on. Tetsukaze is the nearest Earth translation of his nickname in Nipporustan. In English, it means Iron Wind. Even at 18 years old (which is a little older for a Borustan than a human, but still a young adult) he had acquired a reputation for dynamic swordplay, cutting through enemies like, well, an iron wind. Hence the nickname. Nobody said it was a clever nickname. He believed, in those days. Call it misplaced faith. Call it youthful naiveté. Call it whatever you want. The fact of the matter is that he didn’t see anything wrong with wiping a town full of treasonous, backstabbing traitors off the map. He was a soldier. These were his orders. He carried them out. It sounds colder and more unfeeling than it was. The other fact of the matter is that it wasn’t entirely his fault. He and his unit were exuberant young purveyors of violence. They were given a righteous cause to fight for, wound up, and let loose. In the moment, when events are coming fast and furious, professional soldiers (even out in space) trained to act instead of think. It is later, when buildings are on fire, corpses litter the streets, and things are quiet, that there is time to think. Think about the little inconsistencies in the mission brief and reality. There was no military buildup here. There were no secret comm centers. No weapons stockpiles. This was just a Nipporustan town like any other, except populated mostly by Venandi instead of Borustans. His unit didn’t really care. It’s not like they were Nipporustan, let along Borustan, right? So whatever. Let the brass sort it out. They did their job. The mighty warrior Tetsukaze shouldn’t have been bothered, either. This was a great victory to add to his growing reputation. However, he was also Takeo Takeda. A regular Borustan you might find anywhere in the Confederation. And Takeo saw the bodies of children and the elderly lying in the street like garbage, and treated as much by his fellow soldiers. Some of them were even looting while they could. Scattered shots could be heard in the background as pockets of resistance remained. If the cause truly was righteous, he could live with this. It was a horror, but he could, in fact, live with it. He could. Dammit. But if it wasn’t… He remembers their names, you know. His squad. His brothers. The smallest units weren’t gender integrated. Less for them to fight over. Corporal Saito. His right hand. Corporal Kawashima. The sharpshooter. Corporal Miyazawa. Tech support. And Private Nagase. FNG and medic. You think you know people when you serve with them. Hell, they were supposed to be able to discuss anything with each other. Drop the ranks on the floor and avoid coming to blows if they disagreed on matters. They shared a bond of deep brotherhood, or so he thought. So yeah, he thought he could discuss it with them in that moment. He found out he was the only one who cared. Nagase was just green enough that he still trusted the big brass, if not regular officers. Miyazawa was serving his term, doing his job, getting a nice cushy corpo job with his training, and forgetting everything. Honor didn’t even enter into the equation. Kawashima turned out to be casually xenophobic. They weren’t Borustan, so why did it matter if they were being dishonorable? But it was Saito that broke everything. His right hand. His best friend these last three years was, as it turned out, a Nipporustan tribal supremacist. Virulently xenophobic and racist in the bargain. He’d be all too happy to oppress and, more importantly, enslave his fellow Borustans for the horrible crime of not being born into the Nipporustan tribe. Takeo and Saito disagreed with each other, and no amount of talking was going to solve it. So they solved it the traditional Borustan way. With fists and then weapons. The trouble with this was that Kawashima objected to the use of fists and Miyazawa objected to the use of weapons, and as such both were drawn into the dispute. And by dispute I mean 4 way swordfight between relatively evenly matched opponents. Who, at first, didn’t really want to kill each other. They got angrier, the violence escalated…and the Iron Wind cut down three of his most trusted comrades. He says it that way because he doesn’t remember doing it. He was already decently chromed up at the time, but had shown no signs of cyberpsychosis before that day. The stress must have caused him to snap for the first time. Thus the first of Tetsukaze’s many sins were committed. When the regime that ordered the massacre fell shortly afterward and its deceptions were revealed, it only compounded Takeo’s feelings of guilt, remorse and dishonor. Nagase’s testimony had kept him out of prison, and the fall only made his government want to wash their hands of him even harder. So he was discharged from service before the end of his term. He did consider killing himself. Honorable suicide was a way to solve everything. But he’d need a second, and the only person he could possibly ask was Nagase. Who refused, angry that his former squad leader would even consider such a thing. Neither of those positions are strange in Nipporustan society. There is an continuing debate about when and if ritual suicide is honorable. What changed his position on the subject was Nagase saying that sounded more like something Corporal Saito would say than Sergeant Takeda. Takeo expected to become angry at this comparison, but he did not. He instead became thoughtful, running over the memories of his friend and coming to the realization that he, like everyone else, saw what he wanted to see and little else. He bore no responsibility for what he had done except for what he assigned to himself. He had been deceived. By his government. By Saito. By Kawashima. And a little by Miyazawa. Indeed, times were difficult now, but he could endure. Of course, forgiving one’s self is much easier said that done. Takeo and Nagase parted ways, and while they may have kept in contact, never met in person again. And of course, keeping body and soul together with a skill set that consists of “good at killing people” and “good at leading people who are good at killing people” is uh, difficult. Especially when Takeo’s relatively minor infamy preceded him. So, he fell into the mercenary outlaw trade. Shooting people in the face for money, as the stereotype goes. It’s much more complicated that than, but for a man who believed wholeheartedly in Righteousness, Compassion, and Honor, well…his sins list tallied higher and higher. And that’s when his gradually increasing cyber psychosis episodes didn’t lead to another massacre as the Iron Wind cut down everything in its path. He replaced more and more of his body with cybernetics, which wasn’t helping on that front. He didn’t want to kill himself, but he did want to become numb. Unfeeling. Like all methods of coping with severe emotional distress, it was not really working. And this was the situation when he took that fateful first job with a couple of very different Nobellians and a very unusual Sape named Jackie. The conclusion of that series of events led to the formation of the Edgerunners. Tetsukaze has been with them the entire time. Job after job. He’s been able to finally exercise his Righteousness, Compassion, and Honor more often. They recruited Roxy Jett, Geojang, and Mirage after rescuing them from that blighted galaxy. Roxy shouldn’t have made that video. But at least he’s found something of a kindred spirit in Geojang. He’s acting as somewhat of a mentor figure to the Nobellian, despite them being approximately the same age. He was there for the Eternity War and was dusted along with everyone but Esme. He returned for the Endgame with the rest, as the Iron Wind cut his way through Kuros’s forces like a force of nature. But the biggest blow came after this, when he got the message he’d been missing for most of a year due to being, yanno, dead. He was expecting a message backlog from Nagase. There was only one message for him, however. The initial chaos of the Dusting had claimed now Captain Nagase’s life. He had died as he lived, personifying the Nipporustan virtues of Courage and Compassion. Half the crew of a transport with thousands of passengers on it had turned to dust and crumbled, including the entire bridge complement. It was Captain Nagase’s heroic actions that saved the lives of everyone on that transport and then kept them that way until they could be rescued. Unfortunately, he could not do the same for himself, dying of his own injuries. He had no spouse, children, or family. Only a life devoted to service and one friend to leave all the pay he’d never spent due to that devotion to service. His old squad leader Takeo Takeda, now the infamous mercenary outlaw Tetsukaze. It’s funny the things will make someone decide to finally take care of themselves, isn’t it? The Red Ronin have the expertise to repair/realign/rewhatever his neurology to ease his cyberpsychosis symptoms. Jackie put it on the To Do List. Your Sergeant is sorry, Nagase. Sorry for waiting so long to realize you were carrying your own burdens from that day. He will, as you requested long ago now, continue to live on for however much time he has left. Powers & Tactics: Tetsukaze is a Borustan who is augmented with a hell of a lot of cybernetics, and who carries a hell of a lot of weapons and devices. This is all technological in nature. His cybernetics would perhaps be bleeding edge by Earth standards, but out in the universe they’re not all that special, really. What makes him stand out is the sheer degree of augmentation, to the degree that he at first glance appears to be more machine than Borustan. This is not entirely inaccurate. He has replaced all 4 of his limbs completely, augmented his strength (to triple digit tons) and speed (to at least 50 MPH). Ten times as much speed is technically possible from cybernetics, but generally nobody outside of those who routinely hit the fringes of known space bothers. Hovercars, in leased, rental, or taxi form, are simply too plentiful to spend the money on something so unnecessary. They also make the owner of such fast legs stand out, which is the last thing anyone in the mercenary outlaw trade like Tetsukaze wants. Implanted in his torso are cybernetics that enhance his reflexes and quickness significantly. This gives boosts to both his attack accuracy and dodging ability. Even his eyes have cyber that enhances his vision past Borustan standard. But the part that makes him look like an actual robot are the durable metal plates literally bolted onto his body protecting the vital organs in his torso and the joints on his cyberlimbs. The metal and plastics genuinely outweigh what’s left of his organic body, though on pure size they’re about even. As for his weapons and devices, well, there is his Edgerunner Communicator with its 2000 miles of range and universal translator, the armor from his Army days, and a weapon for almost every occasion. These weapons are the usual assortment of blasters and grenades, plus what every Nipporustan soldier carried to distinguish them from other tribes. A katana. The kidnapped Earth Edo period samurai who brought Bushido to the tribe also brought his sword. While the use of melee weapons like swords wasn’t exactly new to, well, the entire universe (and the katana’s design wasn’t, either) it was the mythologizing of the weapon as part of the warrior’s identity and soul that the Nipporustans went a bit mad for. In the ensuring Earth centuries, such ideas have spread much further than that particular samurai would have ever dreamed of. So, yes, the alien from a distant galaxy has multiple ranged energy weapons, plasma based explosives, and even mild chemical weapons. He’s also got a strip of razor sharp carbon steel/titanium alloy that, with his cybernetic might, can slash just about anything right the hell open without snapping like a twig. Believe it or not, melee weapons made of energy or that vibrate are decidedly unpopular among veteran soldiers and mercenary outlaws. Primarily because such weapons are powered by batteries, which both require recharging and can run out at the most inconvenient moment. And all batteries eventually go bad, requiring replacement. Ranged energy weapons already have those problems, but counter them with well, being ranged. A sharp piece of metal has none of those problems, and if well made, can always be relied upon to deliver death at need. This reliability is the entire point of a backup weapon, as any melee weapon ought to be in either trade. Tactically, Tetsukaze is the frontline of the Edgerunners. His Toughness is very high, and he can soak damage the rest of them, except for Jackie, absolutely can’t. His normal first weapon picked is his Automatic Blaster Rifle. Plasma Grenades, Stun Gas Grenades, and Flash Bangs support his blaster fire. Thermal Smoke can provide an escape when things get too hairy. His weapon of choice, however, is his Katana. It’s just that melee combat is not always an option. He has Accurate, All out, Defensive, and Power Attack to shift his caps around with, Improved Demoralize and Improved Startle elevate his overall effectiveness, and Interpose lets him take hits for allies. Improved Aim can increase his accuracy, as well. Move By Action keeps him mobile. When he can use his Katana, Elusive Target helps me avoid being hit, Improved Sunder and Weapon Break let him destroy opposing weapons with ease, and Takedown Attack 2 is how he got the nickname of “Iron Wind” in the first place. Interestingly, he’s the Edgerunner’s tactican, with Master Plan 2 to elevate their bonuses temporarily if he had a few minutes to plan things out. And Well Informed means that while he may not be the most knowledgeable about a given subject, he knows something. Those last two are surprising from someone who looks like nothing more than dumb muscle. He does not power stunt. Personality: The Eight Virtues of every Nipporustan’s Bushido Code is a bit different, as people are gonna be people, even if they’re aliens. This, however, is the broad strokes. Righteousness: This is one of the complex ones with multiple interpretations. After all, ask any ten people what it means to be righteous and you’ll get ten different answers. At the core, however, is a relatively simple idea. One should maintain their integrity at all times and once a decision is made, do not hesitate to carry it out. Strive to be fair and just at all times. It’s the moral purity virtue. Courage: This one is deceptive. Many think it’s about risking your life in combat, and not much else. Bushido being the code of a warrior, after all. This is not true. Courage is about not faltering in the face of negative consequences, no matter how severe. Yes, it is about facing death at the hands of an enemy. It is also about facing the anger of a friend who has erred or public ridicule for one’s own mistakes. Fear is fear, regardless of the circumstance, and a true warrior will always overcome it. Compassion: This is also known as Benevolence or Kindness, depending on who you ask, which should say a lot about how many interpretations of this one there are. But basically, anyone can be a killer. Or whatever the occupation in question is. It takes someone with Compassion, Benevolence, or Kindness to genuinely do good out there in the universe outside of that. Especially if they’re a killer and not, like, a doctor or something. Those with a high level of skill in their chosen occupation have an obligation to aid, protect, and defend others at every opportunity. If an opportunity does not arise, they go out of their way to find one. Respect: This is another where the surface level (of using proper manners and politeness) is all many understand. This is more properly understood being secure in the knowledge of one’s own abilities. A true warrior has no need to prove their self to anyone. Their pride is not stung by casual insults. They use proper manners and politeness because it is the correct way to treat others and for no other reason. A true warrior’s strength is for real battle, not salving his injured ego with petty cruelties. Even when it is the most difficult, a warrior endures all hardships without complaint. Honesty: This is the third one where the initial meaning is deceptive. Just don’t lie, mean what one says, and do what one says they will do. There is no need for “promises” or “giving one’s word”. If a true warrior says they will do a thing, they will do it. End of discussion, barring a significant change in circumstances that makes the thing impossible where it was not before. And even then, the effort will be made regardless. That’s the surface. The deeper level is being honest with one’s self. To view one’s own actions and feelings without deceptions or excuses. Honor: This, like Righteousness, is something with a different meaning to pretty much everyone. So I’ll only state the core idea. Ultimately, the person one is most accountable to for their words and actions is one’s self. This is the morals and conscience virtue, so you, Dear Reader, can understand exactly how difficult it is to narrow down any further than this. However, many consider not bringing down shame on their friends, family, ancestors, and/or the organization they work for to be a part of it as well. Loyalty: This one would perhaps be better named as Responsibility, as only the surface understanding consists of merely not actively betraying those who have placed their trust in the warrior. No, if the warrior commits to being someone’s ally, he must back them until the end of the line or the bond between them is severed. Such a bond can (and as some say, should) endure through death and beyond. Be it parent and child, soldier and superior officer, or friend and friend, each bond has its own slate of responsibilities that a true warrior will carry out as needed. Even if actual lives are not in the warrior’s care, this does not diminish his responsibilities to the other person. Self-Control: Temperance. Everything in moderation. Don’t be a drug addict, drunk, or a dirty stinking slob. Welcome, again, to the surface level. Going deeper means moderating one’s unhealthy behaviors, which is a whole lot more difficult than simply being careful about intoxicating substances. It’s about not doing anything to such excess that it affects the warrior’s ability to observe the other virtues. Food, sex, games, gossiping, brooding, whatever. A true warrior shows the same care for his body and mind that he does for the bodies and minds of others. These are the things that Tetsukaze believes in and attempts to hold to with everything that he is. His overall lifelong success at this, like for most people, has been mixed at best. But he’s always tried, and with the Edgerunners it’s been an easier road. Of course, this makes him sound a little like an Earth superhero, and…kind of? Except not really. Nipporustan Bushido is much more flexible than the standard superhero creed. It does not discourage killing, and isn’t held to nearly so unyieldingly by most. Tetsukaze is no hero. He’d tell you so himself. He’s just an old warrior, holding on to nothing but his code and hope that life will get better. Cyberpsychosis affects everyone who has it differently. The stereotype is that of violent, rampaging maniacs, but those are merely the ones who catch the news headlines for reasons that should be obvious. The only common trait when it is active is a sudden onset of sociopathy and increased susceptibility to both becoming angry and losing one’s temper. The rest depends on the person who, as should be carefully noted, does not undergo any other type of personality shift. So, when someone is already heavily armed and prone to violently losing one’s temper, three guess what happens when they have a cyberpsychotic episode. Tetsukaze was a professional soldier, not a thug who learned to fight scrapping in back alleys. So while he can rampage just fine, it’s more of a controlled and directed thing and not a direct result of a break. He could somewhat control when he went into and came out off a break, as well. However, he’s slowly losing that ability, which is the problem he wants to see the Red Ronin about. Cyberpsychosis has no known cure, but there are treatments. And he’s come into a little money now. He knows Nagase would approve of him taking care of himself, regardless.
EternalPhoenix Posted January 3, 2023 Author Posted January 3, 2023 Zima (Marina Morozov) Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 255/255 STR: +6 (16/22), DEX: +8 (20/26), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +6 (18/22) Tough: +3/+8, Fort: +7, Ref: +10/+14, Will: +12 Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+15), Bluff 14 (+20), Diplomacy 4 (+10), Gather Information 4 (+10), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 13 (+15), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 8 (+10), Notice 7 (+10), Perform (singing) 9 (+15), Sense Motive 7 (+10), Stealth 7 (+15) Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Dodge Focus, Evasion, Improved Critical (Hydro Blast (Blast 12)), Improved Critical 2 (Heavy Blaster Shot (Blast 6)), Improved Critical 2 (Icy Bindings (Snare 12)), Improved Critical 2 (Rapier Strikes (Strike 2)), Improved Initiative, Improved Initiative 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ritualist, Second Chance (Toughness saves vs. Force), Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Bluff, KN (arcane lore), Perform (sing)), Takedown Attack, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Discreetly Armored Dress (Device 1) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle)) Energy Scattering Fabric (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance (Toughness saves vs. Force); Subtle (subtle)) Edgerunner Communicator (Device 3) (Hard to lose) Long Range Radio (Communication (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle)) Universal Translator (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all) Heavy Blaster Pistol (Device 3) (Easy to lose) Heavy Blaster Shot (Blast 6) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Heavy Blaster Shot (Blast 6)); Accurate (+2)) Nobellian Hydromancy (Array 13) (default power: blast) Basic Hydromancy (Move Object 12) (Array; Strength: 60, Carry: 17 tons / 34 tons / 51.2 tons / 102.4 tons; Range (perception); Limited Material (Water)) Hydro Blast (Blast 12) (Default; DC 27, Feats: Improved Critical (Hydro Blast (Blast 12)); Variable Descriptor (Narrow group - Ice/Water/Heat (Steam))) Hydro Burst (Blast (Array; DC 23; Burst Area (40-80 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area (area x2), Variable Descriptor (Narrow group - Ice/Water/Heat (Steam))) Hydro Burst (Blast (Array; DC 23; Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 2 (+4), Variable Descriptor (Narrow group - Ice/Water/Heat (Steam)); Full Power) Hydro Shifting (Transform 5) (Array; affects: narrow > narrow - form of water into other form of water, Transforms: 25 lbs., DC 15; Duration (continuous)) Ice Constructs (Create Object (Array; Max Size: 8x 5' cubes, DC 18; Impervious; Precise, Stationary) Icy Bindings (Snare 12) (Array; DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Icy Bindings (Snare 12))) Mist (Obscure (Array; affects: visual senses, Radius: 1000 ft.; Selective Attack) Nobellian Longevity (Features 1) Nobellian Physiology (Container, Passive 3) Nobellian Abilities (Enhanced Trait 6) (Traits: Dexterity +2 (26, +8), Charisma +4 (22, +6)) Nobellian Quickness (Quickness 1+5) ([Stacking ranks: +5], Perform routine tasks at 100x speed) Nobellian Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 5+5) ([Stacking ranks: +5], Attack Bonus +1 (+12), Reflex +1 (+14), Feats: Dodge Focus, Improved Initiative) Nobellian Speed (Speed 1) (Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd) Starlight Vision (Super-Senses 2) (low-light vision, ultravision) Rapier (Device 3) (Easy to lose) Rapier Strikes (Strike 2) (DC 23, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Rapier Strikes (Strike 2)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [6 extra ranks]; Mighty, Precise, Subtle (subtle)) Support Enchantments (Container, Passive Chronomantic Quickness (Quickness 5) (Perform routine tasks at 50x speed; Stacks with (Nobellian Quickness (Quickness 1+5))) Chronomantic Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 18) (Traits: Attack Bonus +3 (+12), Defense Bonus +3 (+14), Reflex +3 (+14), Feats: Improved Initiative 3) Chronomantic Speed (Speed 5) (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd; Stacks with (Nobellian Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 5+5))) Cryomatic Adhesion (Super-Movement 2) (wall-crawling 2 (full speed); Limited (to Ice Surfaces)) Enhanced Abilities (Enhanced Trait 10) (Traits: Strength +6 (22, +6), Dexterity +4 (26, +8)) Attack Bonus: +8/+12 (Ranged: +8/+12, Melee: +12/+16, Grapple: +18/+22) Attacks: Heavy Blaster Shot (Blast 6), +14 (DC 21), Hydro Blast (Blast 12), +12 (DC 27), Hydro Burst (Blast (DC 23), Hydro Burst (Blast 8), +16 (DC 23), Hydro Shifting (Transform 5), +12 (DC Fort 15), Icy Bindings (Snare 12), +12 (DC Ref/Staged 22), Rapier Strikes (Strike 2), +16 (DC 23), Unarmed Attack, +16 (DC 21) Defense: +11/+14 (Flat-footed: +7), Knockback: -4 Initiative: +24 Languages: Neo-Nobellian Native Totals: Abilities 40 + Skills 20 (80 ranks) + Feats 20 + Powers 124 + Combat 36 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 255 Age (as of Jan 2019): At least 100 Earth years (chronological), early 20s (human biological equivalent) Height: 5’ 2” (5’ 6 in usual footwear) Weight: 90 lbs. Ethnicity: Nobellian (Russian equivalent) Hair: White Eyes: Blue Background: Zima doesn’t know. She has no idea. The end. No, seriously. Zima has amnesia. She does not have the faintest idea who Marina Morozov is. It’s not the medical condition, either. She’s had herself checked out. There’s nothing medically wrong with her brain. She woke up naked in a back alley in one of the most wretched hives in the universe, knowing nothing but her own name. She was Zima, alias Marina Morozov. And for some reason, she was clutching a rapier in her left hand. The next few days were, um, interesting. She was left handed, which explained why she was clutching her rapier in that hand. Left handedness was rare in Nobellians, which was the name of her species. As was albinism, which she learned she had after a very painful sunburn and that medical check. She could do magic. Control water and a little of her own time. She knew how to use that rapier. She was a very skilled person when it came to killing people, and apparently used to doing so. She was even an excellent singer. She knew how to function in society. The little things like how to use money, wear clothes, eat with utensils, and socialize without sounding like a clueless idiot. Everything else, such as any personal memories of how these skills and abilities were acquired, was blank. Well, not quite blank. How does one explain almost remembering something? She could feel the shape of the memories. She knew they were there. It was like not having the right holovid player to view a particular file format. She didn’t even know how old she was, for heaven’s sake. Still, she earned passage off that wretched hive of a planet. One would think a simple web search would solve this issue. How hard could it be to find a left handed albino Nobellian woman named Marina Morozov? Apparently? Impossible, as Marina Morozov did not exist. She could find Nobellians with all of her search parameters, but none of them looking anything like what she saw in the mirror. Admittedly, she was an amateur at searching the infoweb. There was nothing to do but find a place to stay and build up funds to pay a professional. And as she didn’t have a legal identity (or at least one that she knew existed) the work she had to take was either mercenary or sexual in nature. You, Dear Reader, would not believe the deviants that would line up around the sector to have their way with a beautiful left handed albino Nobellian woman. No thank you, said Zima. Mercenary work it was. Which, of course, led her to the series of events that teamed her up with Jackie, Esme, and Tetsukaze. Those…things…were quite frankly horrifying and she was all too pleased to assist in dispatching them. And thus were formed the Edgerunners. She needed allies, after all, and these were suitable. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, of course. Her abilities got plenty of use with the Edgerunners. And the more she used them, the more often she would get quite frankly disturbing flashes of memory. And the more of them she experienced, the more she began to think that the person she had been, well…she wasn’t a very good person at all. Quite monstrous, actually. Furthermore, she began to think she’d never meet anyone who knew her because she killed them all. It is, as stated, a disturbing thought. More disturbing still are the fragments of her original personality that keep popping up. The forgotten part of her seems to be genuinely callous, vicious, cruel, and sadistic, and she can sometimes feel it trying to reassert itself. It frightens the person she is now, who is mostly none of those things. The question of what happens to the person she is now if the old one comes back is quite frankly a terrifying one. So, you know, a lot going on there. Time, however, does not stop moving. Zima was with the Edgerunners on that job which brought Roxy Jett, Geojang, and Mirage into their lives. Her Nobellian Hydromancy was arguably the most effective at neutralizing the airborne nanomachines. Between Zima keeping the team from infection and Jackie shorting out the already affected with those energy blasts of hers, they successfully extracted those three from that planet. And then Roxy had to make a holovid about it and annoy, well, everyone. A remarkably foolish decision, in her view, but so it goes. The Edgerunners went from four members to seven. They could take on larger jobs, which was good. Geojang and Mirage were competent professionals, which was also good. Roxy was, well, learning, which was fine. It was fine. And then it was time to chase Kuros to Jackie’s homeworld. It…didn’t work out, and they kind of died. Dusted, is the terminology being used. But it’s…strange. Esme was indeed the only one who it didn’t happen to. Zima may well be the only one who something entirely different happened to. Naturally, she doesn’t remember it clearly. She turned into ice and snow (not dust), and was only dead in the most technical sense. But she knows she was still aware, somehow. She knew time was passing. Extremely odd. But she was literally unable to think about it while it was happening, and afterward was also fairly hectic, considering it was the final battle of the Endgame and all. Further distracting her was the sudden appearance of three old friends (wait, she had those?) working for Kuros The Conqueror. Alsayph with that sniper scythe she’d made herself (why does she know this?), Tuile the Penambru stealth specialist (seriously, how?), and Harifa the Adroit brawler (Alsyaph’s older sister, and again how?). this was not a fight that came to a conclusion, as Kuros and all of his forces were turned to dust and ash and blew away. Except the aforementioned three, who simply collapsed like puppets with their strings cut. Comatose. For no apparent reason. (Thanks…Medic, was it? What an appropriate codename.) She remembered them. Bits and pieces, almost incoherent. But she remembered them. The trouble was that nobody else did. Mirage couldn’t find any mention of Zima and the three of them singly or in any combination. They seemed to simply not exist. This was, simply put, impossible. Nobellian record keeping is meticulous and borderline fanatical. It is only surpassed by the literally fanatical record keeping of the Sionil Union. Who’d never heard of any of them either. Down to their literal DNA. There weren’t even any familial matches, curse it. So either they didn’t exist (which was impossible because they were physically right here) or they had been systematically and meticulously removed from every record in known space without leaving any trace whatsoever. Including the memories of people who had seen the four or their records. Or, it was the more terrifyingly mysterious third option. That they were never in those records to begin with. Zima cannot even begin to grasp what that might mean. So. The Edgerunners are off to the chaos of a universe without Kuros. Jackie has something she wants to look into. Tetsukaze wants to meet with the Red Ronin and get some medical help that won’t break the bank. And Zima wants to find someone, anyone, who can wake even one of the trio of her “old friends” up. She’s no longer sure she wants her memories back at all, but she would at least like to know who she was. And if she really was the monster that those little snippets of memory she has paint her as. Powers & Tactics: Zima is a Nobellian, a wizard with a variety of spells and supporting enchantments, and carries multiple devices. All of her dresses (she doesn’t wear pants or skirts) are discreetly armored, with a focus on negating blaster fire. She has an Edgerunner communicator with its long ranged radio and universal translator. And she carries two weapons in a Heavy Blaster and her Rapier. The former is because magic is a lot more traceable than a blaster bolt. The aforementioned are all technological, but her Rapier is technically an enchanted object, but Zima doesn’t know what the enchantment is, what it does, or how to activate it, so for now it’s a only pointy metal stick she stabs people with. It’s kind of funny, actually. She’s already partly using the enchantment to deliver multiple strikes per attack and doesn’t realize it because it’s perfectly natural to her. The mind forgets, but the body remembers. As a wizard, she specializes in Nobellian Hydromancy. She does not know if she’s capable of casting other types of spells. Nobellian Hydromancy is different from every other form of hydromancy, hence the special name. As a rule, hydromancers can only generate and/or control liquid water. Some of them do some very creative and special things with that idea, but do not exceed its inherent limitations. Nobellian Hydromancy, however, can generate and control water in all of its forms. Solid ice, liquid water, and water vapor. This expands the potential list of powers/spells a whole hell of a lot. So, not only does she have access to all of the tricks normal hydromancers do, but she also has access to some cryomantic, aeromantic, and even pyromantic effects. She could even, theoretically, use water in its plasma form. Though she lacks any normal way to mitigate the extreme temperature of it, rendering it a poor idea. Steam is hot enough. With that said, anyone who is immune to water based effects would basically negate most of her spells. She’d be stuck using nothing but ice and ice only. Her support enchantments are primarily some relatively light chronomancy, cryomancy, and physical buffs. The physical buffs make her stronger and more agile. The cryomancy lets her stick to ice, including the ice she creates with her spells. The chronomancy is a bit beefier. Her ground speed is faster than most hovercars, her quickness is an even match to it, and her reflexes are heightened. This increases both attack accuracy and attack evasion. This does qualify as relatively light, since proper chronomancers can do a hell of a lot more than just “be fast”. Tactically, Zima primarily operates as a battlefield controller and a bit of a switch hitter. With Ice Constructs can alter the battlefield at will, granting cover and concealment to whoever she wants whenever she wants. With her ground speed and ability to stick to said ice, she can end up in places enemies may not expect. Mist is a more traditional “block the enemies’ view but not her allies’” thing. It can also be very effective, especially when it’s time to get the hell out. Beyond that, Hydro Barrage, Blast, and Burst assure ranged domination. Icy Bindings can be supportive in this endeavor. Hydro Shifting is definitely a utility spell. Don’t underestimate of suddenly turning 25 pounds of ice to steam or vice versa. As stated, the Heavy Blaster is for when her magic is unavailable. Her Rapier, on the other hand, gets more use. Since she has a high stealth bonus, can basically grant herself cover whenever she wants, and can reposition into unexpected places with ease, well…in more closed battlefields she does more rapier stabbing than one might expect. She has Accurate, Defensive, and Power Attack for use at need. Improved Feint and Improved Taunt make her more effective overall in combat. Acrobatic Bluff is available, technically, and Move By Action keeps her mobile. Don’t forget Ritualist, which is generally used to pump up her Nobellian Hydromancy for a bit. As for Power Stunts, she doesn’t do them often, but her list of possible ones is very, very long. Every possible water control trick. Every possible cold control trick that uses ice, including all that use snow (as snowflakes are nothing but tiny ice crystals). Every fire control trick that uses pure heat instead of fire, as she can use steam for similar results. And a large list of wind control tricks, as she can manipulate water vapor in many of the same ways. Personality: Have you ever had a feeling you were sure wasn’t yours? Zima has. Quite a few times now, actually. Though that makes it sound like her past self is another personality lurking under her own, and that’s not accurate. It’s more like she’s a woman at odds with herself. The person she is now is very different from the person she was. A person she can only remember in tiny snatches of memory that vanish when she stops paying attention to them. The person she was appears to have been very, very evil. Transparently psychopathic. However, the person she is now is not. And yet…the fragments of her past self can be seen in her, just significantly lessened. Arrogance. Callousness. Viciousness. Cruelty. Sadism. Her past self appears to have been swimming in such traits. In the modern Zima, they are minor at best, tempered by a fully functioning conscience and compassionate heart. Not that she’d ever admit to the latter, as the aforementioned arrogance is perhaps the one old trait that isn’t quite so minor. Well, she is Nobellian. And a wizard. It’s only to be expected that she’d find admitting any level of weakness a humiliating experience equivalent to the level of weakness involved. She’s quite the sharp tongued princess, as a result. This is kind of a problem, actually, rather than merely an endearing character quirk. Because Zima is scared. Flat out terrified, actually. It’s one thing to look in the mirror, see one’s reflection, and wonder who that person is. It’s quite another to look in that same mirror and not recognize the person in it. Meeting her old trio of allies during the Endgame unlocked memories of them. And her. They were not pleasant, even if as a quartet they were surprisingly kind to each other. And so, for the first time since she woke up in that alley, she wonders what exactly happens to her when whatever is causing her amnesia is broken and her memories return. Does the current Zima simply…go away? That’s kind of a terrifying prospect, actually. Basically, she’s beginning to have one hell of an identity crisis. Mirror what’s this thing I see Who is staring back at me A stranger to my heart has filled my mind Mirror, help me Who am I?
EternalPhoenix Posted January 3, 2023 Author Posted January 3, 2023 Roxy Jett (Celia Cruz) Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 255/255 STR: +5 (14/20), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +6 (16/22), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +5 (20) Tough: +6/+10, Fort: +10, Ref: +9/+12, Will: +11 Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+10), Bluff 10 (+15), Computers 3 (+5), Diplomacy 10 (+15), Gather Information 10 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 3 (+5), Knowledge (art) 8 (+10), Knowledge (current events) 8 (+10), Knowledge (Galactic) 3 (+5), Knowledge (popular culture) 13 (+15), Knowledge (streetwise) 8 (+10), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+5), Language 1 (+1), Notice 8 (+10), Perform (dance) 5 (+10), Perform (singing) 15 (+20), Perform (stringed instruments) 10 (+15), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 7 (+10) Feats: All-Out Attack, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Distract (Bluff), Endurance (+4), Evasion, Fascinate (Bluff), Improved Initiative 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Second Chance 2 (Toughness saves vs Force & Slashing), Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Perform (aing & strings)), Takedown Attack, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Borustan Physiology (Container, Passive 3) Borustan Abilities (Enhanced Trait 13) (Traits: Strength +6 (20, +5), Constitution +6 (22, +6), Feats: Endurance (+4)) Starlight Vision (Super-Senses 2) (low-light vision, ultravision) D-Screener Masquer (Device 1) (Easy to lose, Restricted use (Requires Roxy's Password)) Roxy's World (Illusion 2) (affects: 1 type + visual - visual & auditory, DC 12; Limited (to machines); Progression, Area (10 ft. radius)) Discreetly Armored Leather Outfit (Device 1) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle)) Energy Scattering Leather (Protection 2) (+2 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 2 (Toughness saves vs Force & Slashing); Subtle (subtle)) Edgerunner Communicator (Device 3) (Hard to lose) Long Range Radio (Communication (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle)) Universal Translator (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all) Internal Quintessence (Container, Passive 13) Enhanced Hearing (Super-Senses 1) (analytical: Auditory) Enhanced Quickness (Quickness 6) (Perform routine tasks at 100x speed) Enhanced Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 18) (Traits: Attack Bonus +3 (+12), Defense Bonus +3 (+12), Reflex +3 (+12), Feats: Improved Initiative 3) Enhanced Resilience (Protection 2) (+2 Toughness) Enhanced Speed (Speed 3) (Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd) Fascinating Voice (Mind Control 10) (DC 20; Perception Area (General), Duration (sustained), Effortless, Selective Attack; Limited (to holding attention), Range 2 (touch), Sense-Dependent (Auditory); Custom (Insidious), Subtle 2 (unnoticable)) Perfect Pitch (Features 1) Vocal Mimicry (Features 1) Roxy's Knives (Device 4) (Easy to lose, Only you can use) Knife Fighting Techniques (Array 9) (default power: blast) Fan of Knives (Strike 1) (Array; DC 21; Cone Area (60-120 ft. cone - General) [5 extra ranks]; Mighty, Progression, Increase Area (area x2)) Knife Slashes (Strike 1) (Array; DC 21; Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [5 extra ranks]; Accurate 2 (+4), Mighty) Throwing Knife Barrage (Blast 1) (Default; DC 21; Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [5 extra ranks]; Accurate 2 (+4), Improved Range 2 (50 ft. incr), Mighty 5 (+5 to damage), Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 250 feet)) Attack Bonus: +9/+12 (Ranged: +9/+12, Melee: +9/+12, Grapple: +14/+17) Attacks: Fan of Knives (Strike 1) (DC 21), Fascinating Voice (Mind Control 10) (DC Will 20), Knife Slashes (Strike 1), +16 (DC 21), Throwing Knife Barrage (Blast 1), +16 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 20) Defense: +9/+12 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -5 Initiative: +15 Languages: Iberustan Native, Neo-Nobellian Totals: Abilities 34 + Skills 35 (140 ranks) + Feats 16 + Powers 115 + Combat 36 + Saves 19 + Drawbacks 0 = 255 Age (as of Jan 2019): 20 Earth years (chronological), approx 24 (human biological equivalent) Height: 5’ 11” Weight: 225 Ethnicity: Borustan (Spanish equivalent) Hair: Brown Eyes: Light Brown Background: People forget just how vast the universe is, you know? Attempting to map it through visual methods from any one point in it is a waste of time. Whatever one is seeing from that point happened many Earth years ago. In the case of neighboring galaxies, this amount of time can be measured in centuries if not millennia. Objects in space do not stay still. The distance between galaxies is staggering. The amount of space inside any one galaxy can be equally staggering. This makes the administration of the major powers, all of whom span multiple galaxies, an astonishing feat of engineering. And it explains the Unclaimed Regions. It takes a lot of time, effort, and material for even the largest powers like the Nobellian Federation and Sionil Union to claim new galaxies for themselves. They’re not going to even try unless they’re full prepared and the galaxy in question has been explored and analyzed within an inch of its life. The megacorps are even less interested in that level of financial risk. This does not mean that no one ever is. Since the dawn of intergalactic civilization, plenty of dreamers, freaks, weirdoes, and outcasts have sailed off into the void full of hope. So while the Unclaimed Regions may be unclaimed and not under the authority of any of the major powers, this does not mean they are empty or lowly populated. This brings us to Celia Cruz, or as she’s better known, Roxy Jett. She may be Borustan, but she’s never set foot in the Tribal Confederation. She’d never even left her home planet in the flesh before, well, we’ll get to that. But virtually? She’s been a delta holoscreener (or D-Screener, the Earth equivalent is a V-tuber) since she was 12 Earth years old. That’s a little older than it sounds for the shorter lived Borustans, but still firmly underage. Parents? Please. They had a dozen other kids to worry about (Borustans have multiple births far more often than single) and it’s not like she was going to smoky bars and performing in a tank top and miniskirt. Fake background plus an initially cheap avatar and she was recording streams. She did gaming streams, sure, but more often she was singing while playing the guitar she’d gotten for her last birthday. Well. It’s not a guitar, exactly (being as space is not Earth), but close enough. You know, covering local hit songs in her sector and galaxy. Just like on Earth, this can be a pretty easy way to make money if you’re good at it, attractive, and get lucky. Unlike on Earth, there’s plenty of shady financial institutions who don’t particularly care about the age of their clientele. Three guesses what happened to Roxy Jett. She showed surprising foresight in really only upgrading her software and computer with the money, just letting it collect otherwise. And she got bigger and bigger. Especially when she started writing her own songs and singing them instead. Goodbye, sharing profits with record corps. But you know how it is. Corps are gonna corp. And a popular indy musician outselling their alleged stars and refusing their advances was utterly unacceptable. So they started digging for leverage to force her into a contract on their terms. Leverage like her real identity and the identities of her family because corp execs, as a rule, don’t play nice unless they’re forced to. The holovid service and shady financial institution she was using stonewalled the investigation while counting the money they were making off of her and laughing. But there was always outsourcing matters to a team of mercenary outlaws, like usual. By this time the Roxy Jett fan community was not small, and word got out that someone was digging into her hard. Someone slipped her a message, and she went hiring some mercenary outlaws of her own. Granted, she was the rookie at doing so and the record corps were the professionals, but she had the advantsge of her own squad working as much for love of her as the money she was paying out. Said squad of mercenary outlaws (assembled for the first time for her job, as they weren’t a regular team) included Geojang (the two started banging with shocking speed) and Mirage (he isn’t the meat in their sandwich, infoweb, jeez) among others. Thus began a stalemate that probably wouldn’t have lasted. Corps have more money and more reach than any individual, even one with a strong fan community backing them up. And most who defy corporate will for too long without being useful in some other way end up the victim of what everyone knows but nobody can prove is an assassination. Sometimes the actual killer even goes to jail, but that’s what mercenary outlaws are for, right? Deniable assets the corps don’t have to care about if they get caught. Before anything like that could happen, though, the AI possessed nanotech apocalypse came swarming over their galaxy. The corp execs and high politicos were, of course, the first ones getting the hell out. The disorganized nature of this part of the Unclaimed Regions worked against it, and the Nobellian and Sionil navies were blasting any wannabe blockade runners into their constituent atoms. But you know, Roxy Jett had money too, damn it. And so the Edgerunners came to her, her family’s and her squad of mercenary outlaws’ rescue. Just in time for that AI possessed nanotech apocalypse to come swarming over her own planet. It got very, very bad. A horror movie in real life bad. Her squad was pruned down to Geojang and Mirage. There wasn’t time to gather her older siblings (as they were adults and living away from home), so they were left behind. And she personally put one of her throwing knives between her father’s eyes as something else looked out through them for the first time. But they got the hell out, Jackie blew a goddamn hole though a Sionil battlecruiser, and Celia Cruz departed the galaxy of her birth. The triumphant holovid announcing her escape and survival even she will admit was a pretty big mistake. Mainly because the Nobellian Federation, Sionil Union, and Nega Corps were all now actively looking for Roxy Jett. Turns out major intergalactic powers don’t like it when someone flouts their authority. Um. Oops. Her holovid service kept right on stonewalling with bare minimum of cooperation, laughing and counting the money she was making them. She did, however, have to find another shady financial institution, as that trio took the one she’d be using apart to get at her and her money. Thanks to Mirage she didn’t lose everything, but she did lose a bundle. And the rest was mostly gobbled up by getting her mother and younger siblings set up somewhere they wouldn’t be easy to find. In the ensuring years, she’s had to jump from one shady financial institution to another as they’ve crumbled under Nobellian precision, Sionil stubbornness, and the relentless Negas. Well. She can’t build up a nice nest egg again, but her family hasn’t gone hungry and neither has she. So whatever. Geojang’s one woman plays and occasionally persuading Zima to sing with her doesn’t hurt her bottom line at all. Ironically, being Dusted for a year boosted her popularity. She’d had a couple vids in the queue already, but the lack of commentary on the Dusting and sudden radio silence after years of steady streams and holovids brought her surviving fans together in mourning, and created many new ones. So her triumphant return is likely to go over really big. But first things first. Geojang needs help, and has finally admitted it to herself. So they’ll do that, and get back to life as usual. Powers & Tactics: Roxy Jett is a Borustan with multiple different technological devices and the powers of one of the Adroit. The devices are all actually pretty simple. Her D-Screener Masquer is what she uses for live broadcasts. It alters the visual and auditory input of technological devices sensing her location. More precisely, within a ten foot radius of her location. So it’s background and disguise all in one. Her leather outfits are discreetly armored, with a focus on resisting slashing weapons and blaster fire. She has an Edgerunner Communicator, with its long range radio and universal translator. Last is her set of throwing knives. She has a lot of these. She has more knives than shirts. Or pants. Not panties, though. A girl can’t have enough underwear, she says. Anyway, she can throw the knives in an wide arc, throw a bunch at once, or just slash away with them. For anyone without her knife fighting talents and Adroit speed, they’re just a bunch of regular knives one can find anywhere. She was the typically untrained rookie Adroit when she joined the crew, but training with the most experience Adroit alive in Esme has sent her soaring leaps and bounds past any peers her age. She’s got the standard enhanced ground speed, physical quickness, and attack accuracy and evasion boosting reflexes. That, however, is where the standard ends. Every Adroit is different, and she is no exception. More of her additional abilities are relatively minor, and make her a even better musician than she already was. Analyzing any sound she hears, having perfect pitch, and being able to mimic any voice aren’t nothing, but they’re not especially potent in social or combat situations. Her Fascinating Voice, however, is. It isn’t a spell. It’s a magical alteration to her vocal cords that lets them manipulate sound of her voice to essentially control minds. The only thing she can do with this is force anyone she wants who can hear her to pay attention to her. And only her. This is much more useful than it sounds. She’s literally a walking distraction who only has to speak. Or, as she prefers, start singing. The additional effect is undetectable both to the affected and any observers without the appropriate special senses to detect subtle sound manipulation. Tactically, Roxy uses her knives more than anything. Fascinating Voice, while sometimes helpful to her allies, can get absolutely get her killed in heavy combat. So, you know. Fan of Knives as an area attack, Knife Slashes in melee, and Throwing Knife Barrage at range. With that said, she mainly plays support in group combat. Improved Feint and Improved Taunt used with Set Up makes the whole team better. She even has Distract (Bluff). She has All Out, Defensive, and Power Attack to mix things up, Move By Action to stay mobile, and Fascinate (Bluff) for non combat occasions. So while she can fight on her own just fine, when the fecal matter hits the oscillating device she’s setting up Jackie’s anything or Tetsukaze’s Katana for a devastating hit. She’d only power stunt if you, Dear Reader, can think of something else she can do with her Knife Fighting Techniques. Personality: Roxy Jett has a lot in common with the typical D-Screener. A big, extroverted personality. A super attractive avatar that look nothing like the person under it. Here for a good time, not a long time. Rock hard, party harder. Alluring, yet dangerous. Like all D-Screeners, Roxy Jett is an appealing fantasy. All of a person’s positive traits, none of the negative. The part that makes her different is that she’s a musician first. Most D-Screeners’ holovid are them talking. Playing games, reviewing stuff, visiting places, hang out streaming sessions. Like youtubers and V-tubers do on Earth. Roxy does do this type of thing, but it’s the side dish. The main course is her virtual concerts. Anyone with the right gear and a bit of money can log in and get a live concert. Like she says, Roxy isn’t in this to make money or be famous. She’s the approximate equivalent of an anarchist punk rocker. Her particular fantasy is that of the rebellious bad girl, after all. Your own manic pixie dream girl in leather and lace, here to rock your face off. This is who Celia Cruz is too, mostly. But unlike Roxy, she’s a fully three dimensional person. She is far from the typical mercenary outlaw. She’s warmhearted, fun, and spontaneous. She’s been through some stuff, sure, but Borustans recover quickly from psychological trauma and she’s fast even by her species’s standards. She still, after years in the trade, maintains part of her civilian perspective. She’s not some highly trained soldier or spy. She doesn’t use a blaster. She’s a musician. A real life rock star. This has actually the problem with her, as far as being an Edgerunner is concerned. She’s still, after years with them, quite young for a Borustan. She’s spent her life so far living fast, partying hard, and not caring all that much about the condition of her corpse. Because the young are immortal in their own minds, and young Borustans especially sometimes forget they can die at all. So she was extremely reckless and impulsive. Young enough to not truly think herself mortal, enthusiastic about life to a fault, and deeply in love. Oh, dear. Enter being Dusted. Because, you know, it had been years. Celia wasn’t blind or an idiot. She was actually maturing, if a little slowly for a Borustan. To put it in human terms, the way one sees the world at 18 is very much not the same as the way one sees it at 21 and now at 24. She died. Geojang died. Everyone died. She’s not about to turn into some boring ass “responsible adult”, but she knows there’s more to life than flipping off The Man (so to speak), having vigorous sex with her love, and chasing the next thrill. Gods help her, she actually wants to live to be, well, not old, but a few more years would be nice, you know? She’s not exactly looking to settle down, gods no. But she’s worried about Geojang. It was one of those things where she was being a bit protective at first, but now? When she can clearly see that her love is Not Okay? It’s time to change things up a bit. The full throttle life was getting a bit tedious and boring, anyway.
EternalPhoenix Posted January 3, 2023 Author Posted January 3, 2023 Geojang (Shin Min-ah) Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 255/255 STR: +5 (16/20), DEX: +5 (18/20), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +7 (20/24) Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +7, Ref: +9/+16, Will: +10 Skills: Acrobatics 15 (+20), Bluff 13 (+20), Craft (chemical) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 13 (+20), Disguise 8 (+15/+40), Gather Information 8 (+15), Knowledge (behavioral science) 3 (+5), Knowledge (current events) 3 (+5), Knowledge (Galactic) 3 (+5), Knowledge (life sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 8 (+10), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+5), Language 2 (+2), Notice 10 (+15), Perform (acting) 8 (+15), Sense Motive 15 (+20), Stealth 15 (+20) Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Dodge Focus, Evasion, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Initiative 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Second Chance (Toughness saves vs Force), Skill Mastery 2 (Acro, Bluff, Disguise, Diplo, Gather Info, Notice, Sen Mot, Stealth), Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Cybernetics (Container, Passive 15) (Subtle (subtle)) Chameleon Cloak (Concealment 4) (all visual senses; Blending) Cyber Quickness (Quickness 5) (Perform routine tasks at 50x speed; Stacks with (Nobellian Quickness (Quickness 1+5))) Cyber Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 33) (Traits: Attack Bonus +6 (+15), Defense Bonus +6 (+16), Reflex +6 (+16), Feats: Improved Initiative 3) Cyber Senses (Super-Senses 7) (acute: Normal Olfactory, analytical: Normal Olfactory, analytical: Normal Gustatory, analytical (type): Auditory, infravision, ultra-hearing) Cyber Speed (Speed 2) (Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd; Stacks with (Nobellian Speed (Speed 1+2))) Cyberlimbs Strength (Enhanced Strength 4) (+4 STR) Data Upload Cable (Datalink 1) (sense type: radio) Dream Recorder (Features 1) Sensory Data Recorder (Features 1) Smuggling Compartment (Features 1) (Notes: Big enough to fit her Silenced Heavy Blaster or something of similar (Diminutive) size) Synthskin, Adjustable Facial & Body Implants (Morph 5) (morph: broad group, +25 Disguise; Duration (continuous)) Vocal Range Expander (Features 1) (Notes: +10 to Bluff to disguise voice/mimic other voices) Discreetly Armored Clothing (Device 1) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle)) Energy Scattering Fabric (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance (Toughness saves vs Force); Subtle (subtle)) Edgerunner Communicator (Device 3) (Hard to lose) Long Range Radio (Communication (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle)) Universal Translator (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all) Nobellian Longevity (Features 1) Nobellian Physiology (Container, Passive 3) Nobellian Abilities (Enhanced Trait 6) (Traits: Dexterity +2 (20, +5), Charisma +4 (24, +7)) Nobellian Quickness (Quickness 1+5) ([Stacking ranks: +5], Perform routine tasks at 100x speed) Nobellian Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 5) (Traits: Attack Bonus +1 (+15), Reflex +1 (+16), Feats: Dodge Focus, Improved Initiative) Nobellian Speed (Speed 1+2) ([Stacking ranks: +2], Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd) Starlight Vision (Super-Senses 2) (low-light vision, ultravision) Silenced Heavy Blaster (Device 3) (Easy to lose) Silenced Shot (Blast 6) (DC 21; Precise, Subtle 2 (unnoticable)) Attack Bonus: +8/+15 (Ranged: +9/+16, Melee: +8/+15, Grapple: +13/+20) Attacks: Silenced Shot (Blast 6), +16 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 20) Defense: +10/+16 (Flat-footed: +8), Knockback: -3 Initiative: +21 Languages: Jeju-Nobellian, Neo-Nobellian Native, Outer Borustan Totals: Abilities 44 + Skills 34 (136 ranks) + Feats 12 + Powers 118 + Combat 34 + Saves 13 + Drawbacks 0 = 255 Age (as of Jan 2019): 40 Earth years (chronological), late teens (human biological equivalent) Height: 5’ 7” Weight: 105 lbs Ethnicity: Nobellian (Korean equivalent) Hair: Black Eyes: Dark Brown Theme Song: [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yrirRsRT4s]Can’t Go Back, by Fabvl featuring DizzyEight and Sinewave Fox[/url] Background: Geojang is tied for most dangerous Edgerunner with Esme. Anyone who’s read the latter’s entry willknow just how impressive that is. She’s not the most powerful, obviously, but it’s what she is that’s damn scary. A relic of an age long gone. The old name was Imperial Shadow, and officially they never existed in the first place. Many not in the know have wondered just how the old Nobellian Empire endured for so long. A brutal streak a light year long and a highly effective intelligence agency only go so far. Especially with literally intergalactic distances to account for. Enter the Imperial Shadows. The pop cultural image of them is not all that different from Earth’s super spy movies. Certainly many of the same narrative tropes are in play, whether the Shadow in question is a heroic Shadow gone rogue or a villainous Imperial out for blood. The reality, however, would not be nearly as interesting to see as a holovid. There were three Shadow Houses, each working directly for the Imperial Throne. House Harmony was to encourage unity among pro-Imperial factions as subtly as possible and eliminate all threats to unity among said factions. House Discord was entirely the reverse. They were to encourage disunity and infighting among anti-Imperial factions, and eliminate any unifying forces amongst them. House Dream acted both as handler, technical and magical support, and when necessary, clean up crew. The three Houses were frighteningly effective. Modern historians estimate the Imperial Shadows delayed both Nobellian Civil Wars by up to a thousand years. Each. And made them both longer and more devastating than they would have otherwise been. The thing that made them frightening was that they very much were not purely assassins. They did most of their work through social manipulation. The push and pull of trust and betrayal. Secrets and blackmail. And an intuitive understanding of psychology built into their training. The right words, spoken at the right time, can change the fates of billions. The same is true of the wrong words spoken at the wrong time, the wrong words at the right time, and the right words at the wrong time. This was what they did. It has been said that a skilled Shadow didn’t even need to be in the same galaxy to kill someone. But as the saying goes, all things both good and bad must come to an end. With everything Imperial gone, the question becomes what happened to the Shadows? Well, remember they didn’t officially exist? And, as has been implied, that they were embedded in basically every level and aspect of Nobellian society? If they couldn’t work off the books for the government, they could work for the megacorps. They knew them quite well at this point, after all. They were now Shadows, Inc., a consulting firm. And probably the best one in the universe. To be clear, the pop culture image of a Shadow is not entirely incorrect. There’s a large degree of dramatic license taken in most adaptations, as stated. The part about Shadows going rogue, however, has always been true. No amount of non-psychopathic training can remove a person’s conscience, no matter their species. And psychopathic training would crush a Shadow’s greatest asset, their ability to empathize and understand others. Anyone can train living weapons and virtually unstoppable assassins. It takes a far defter hand to craft untraceable undercover agents with the skills of a master con artist and the discretion of a priest. So yes, sometimes Shadows turn their coats. For honor, for liberty, for greed, and for spite. There are as many reasons as there are renegade Shadows. This is another reason both Civil Wars lasted as long as they did. Shadows on both sides causing and resolving various types of mayhem and mischief. This, however, brings us at last to Shin Min-ah. The young woman who would one day become Geojang. Being a Shadow is a job now, not some noble calling for earnest Nobellian patriots. It’s a very lucrative job, but it is only a job. Shin is from a high ranking family in the Nobellian Outer Reaches. Wealthy. Powerful. Etc. And a large portion of that wealth and power came from their long affiliation with House Discord. She was trained from a very young age in a Shadow’s work. She showed great promise, as most do not, so she was incorporated into House Discord’s Shadows. She was not a sorcerer or one of the Adroit, and she displayed little aptitude for wizardry. So, to keep pace with those who were, she chose to be extensively cybernetically augmented. When she chose to retire from Shadow work, she’d have far more than enough money to have her limbs and organs magically regenerated if she wanted. She was, in a very real sense, House Discord’s young prodigy. So naturally she was partnered with House Harmony’s young prodigy, Rana. At first they didn’t like each other. Then they did. And then they really did. Ah, young love. Is there anything more beautiful? Romance between partners wasn’t, strictly speaking, forbidden. Nobellian culture has had over 25 thousand years to get way the hell over any problems with non-heterosexual attraction, and the Shadows are not and never were a military organization that would forbid fraternization. Occasionally, it was even encouraged as it made the Shadows in question better at the work. And this was the case for Shin and Rana. A little too good, as it turned out. The relationships between megacorps are…well, let’s just say open warfare would involved a more decisive conclusion and a lower overall body count. Lots of political maneuvering. Use and sacrifice of pawns and deniable assets. Very messy. Relationships between high level employees of the same megacorp are less bloody, to be sure, but that’s only because some employees are critical to the functioning of the megacorp in question. The goal is to improve their personal fortunes, not damage their employer’s ability to make money. So the Shadows are kept busy on all fronts. Until a coward’s scheme is revealed and they sell out everyone else involved to save their own skin. The scheme was revealed because said coward was known to be…minimally competent, at best. But his department starting showing subtle improvements while his competitors’ performance starting subtly degrading. It was a trap set up to catch and finally remove a subpar performer, and despite the advice of two young prodigy Shadows said coward fell right into it. This got Rana captured. She was working in said coward’s department as a House Harmony Shadow should be. Revealed Shadows cannot be trusted under any circumstances. One never knows who else they’re working for. Shin had an opportunity to save her, but their handlers in House Dream forbade it. Wheels within wheels and plots within schemes for Shadow, Inc.. Plus it was a risky move, and there was no reason to lose two prodigy Shadows that day. Shin was a good Shadow. Well trained. She obeyed. Rana was killed. And her mind fractured into cyberpsychosis from the strain on her mind. The clash of intellectual and emotional loyalty overloaded her cybernetically strained neurology. So she was able to lie when debriefed and reassigned. She was fine and all was well. This was a very huge lie. Shadow, Inc. and the Imperial Shadows had managed a rather remarkable feat. No competent member of any of the three Houses ever managed to go renegade without it being detected before any real damage to the Houses themselves could be done. Their work has been compromised, certainly. Shadows have most definitely been lost. But the Houses themselves (administration, teachers, Shadows in training, and all sorts of necessary non-field staff) had never suffered any real damage or loss. Until Shin Min-ah turned her discord causing skills against her own House. Against all three Houses. It was extremely effective. House Harmony and House Dream had no idea what was happening. House Discord leadership only figured it out just in time for her to return unexpectedly and start killing them. She left House Discord’s main headquarters in flames with its primary leadership burning to ashes inside as Shadow fought Shadow outside. Meanwhile Houses Harmony and Dream were left dissolving into chaos and violence as rivalries and grudges both old and new boiled over. Shadow Inc., was set back decades. This was the revenge of Shin Min-ah. Something she would have never done or even considered if she were not a cyberpsychotic. Of course, now she had nowhere to go. She had always had a place to return to before, but now she had none. She could not, could never, go back again. It was a strangely lonely feeling, but money had to be earned. So she fell into the mercenary outlaw trade. Oddly enough, her first job was protecting the D-Screener Roxy Jett, alias Celia Cruz with a few others including Mirage. The two fell in love and lust at first sight, and very soon after that the nanotech apocalypse hit the galaxy they were in. And shortly after that they were stuck being Edgerunners after Celia pissed off most of known space with the holovid announcing their escape. This has not been as bad as it sounds. At least Geojang thinks so. She’s discovered a love of acting, and her one woman plays on Roxy’s channel get almost as many views as her recorded concerts and streams. Live concerts, not so much, but it doesn’t bother her. What bothered her was watching Celia turn to dust and blow away. Well, start blowing away, as Geojang was doing the same thing at the time. She didn’t have time to grieve, as she was, you know, also dead. But it was still a reminder of just how short life can be. Especially considering Celia was a Borustan, and thus would be (in the best case scenario) dying of old age long before Shin herself looked much older than she did right now. How to put it? It’s one thing to know that something’s not quite right with you. It’s quite another to be brutally reminded of just how short life can be. So, she at last admitted to herself that something was wrong with her. And what it probably was. So when Tetsukaze wanted to go see the Red Ronin about his cyberpsychosis, she stepped up beside him and asked to come along. What happens after they realign her neurology, she doesn’t know. Note: All names are translated to Earth equivalents. Powers & Tactics: Geojang has a hell of a lot of cybernetics augmenting her, and she carries a handful of technological devices. More than half of her isn’t organic. Her limbs, parts of her torso and head, and even most of her skin have been replaced. They’re advanced cybernetics, so this isn’t as immediately noticeable as, say, Tetsukaze’s chromed out self. Without careful examination or cyber detectors, Geojang appears to be entirely unaugmented. Her cybernetics have the usual strength, land speed, quickness, and reflexes (increasing attack accuracy and evasion) boost, all at a high level. It’s the other more specialized custom Shadow cyber that is remarkable. Her skin alone is a masterwork of engineering. It contains both her Chameleon Cloak and her Synthskin. The Chameleon Cloak is a camera and light projection system that effectively renders her transparent as long as she doesn’t move particularly fast. Her Synthskin is part of a system of implants in her face and internal body that allow to her to change into any Nobellian female, and the change holds until she changes it again. So she can sleep in her current appearance or even be knocked unconscious without it reverting. She can change into any Nobellian female body type, within limits. She can alter the size of her bust the thickness of her limbs and torso, the dimensions of her face, and the shape of every facial feature. Her hair and eye colors may also be altered at need. However, she cannot change her height and she can only put on but so much “weight”. “Weight” in in quotes because she does not gain additional mass and so may end up significantly lighter than she appears if impersonating an overweight Nobellian woman. The bulk of her remaining headware is sensory augmentations. Her inner ears and parts of her nose and tongue are synthetic, broadening their capabilities. She can hear high frequency sound, detect subtle differences in smells and tastes, and has analysis suites for hearing, smell, and taste. Her remaining augmentations are relatively minor. A recorders for both her dreams and all that sensory data she gets. A 10 foot cable to upload that recorded to the infoweb. An expansion to her natural vocal range, allowing her to disguise her voice/mimic others’ voices to infiltrate places and organizations even more effectively than she already could. And a smuggling compartment large enough to hide her Silenced Heavy Blaster from view. Because her Silenced Heavy Blaster is the weapon out of her trio of devices, and its shots are undetectable without specialized senses or equipment. Otherwise it’s a fairly normal Heavy Blaster. The other two are her wardrobe full of discreetly armored clothing (extra effective against blaster fire) and her Edgerunner Communicator (with its long range radio and universal translator). Tactically, Geojang is not the type to go in blasters blazing. She’s a very subtle woman. She’s an infiltrator, spy, and occasionally assassin, not a front line combatant. Her only offensive weapons are her Silenced Heavy Blaster and her martial arts skills. Direct combat is simply not something she can be forced into doing by opposition. Between Chameleon Cloak, high Stealth ranks, and her Morph. Her specialty is getting her opposition to shoot each other while being unaware of her presence entirely. Or, failing that, shooting them in the back via surprise. With that said, she has Improved Acrobatic Bluff, and Bluff ranks to feint with impunity. She also has the Diplomacy ranks to talk enemies down from being hostile in the first place. Or she could simply start mimicking enemy voices with Chameleon Cloak on, and sow…well…discord. If you’ll pardon the wordplay. All Out Attack and Power Attack are deck for sneak attacks, Move by Action can keep her mobile if she’s not using the Cloak, and Improved Defense is good for when one enemy is persuaded to stop fighting but the rest still prefer her to have more holes in her than she was born with. She does not power stunt. Personality: Cyberpsychosis affects everyone who has it differently. The stereotype is that of violent, rampaging maniacs, but those are merely the ones who catch the news headlines for reasons that should be obvious. The only common traits when it is active is a sudden disappearance of the ability to feel guilt or remorse, increased recklessness, and the affected’s remaining emotions become significantly stronger and more difficult to control. The rest depends on the person who, as should be carefully noted, does not undergo any other type of personality shift. So, when someone is already heavily armed and prone to violently losing one’s temper, three guess what happens when they have a cyberpsychotic episode. The previous has been said before, but is even more important to remember with Geojang. Shadows are not back alley thugs or professional soldiers. They are trained to remain in control of their emotions through extremely difficult circumstances and act with forethought instead of impulsively. Furthermore, they are selected for their high aptitude in those very skills. In a universe with advanced magical abilities and advanced technology that can sometimes seem indistinguishable from said magic, all of a Shadow’s other skills can be augmented in. Aptitude in them is not necessary. So when she initially entered her cyberpsychotic break, she simply didn’t notice. She had other things on her mind. She was a prodigy, after all. A young woman of relatively weak emotions and high natural control before she underwent any training. Weak emotions, that is, except for one. Love. Shin Min-ah loves with every fiber of her being. So yes, she wreaked a intricate, elaborate, vicious revenge on the system that took Rana from her. And if she noticed she didn’t feel bad about betraying, destroying, and finally outright killing people who were previously as close to her as her own family, she chalked it up to a sudden change of feelings being quite appropriate under the circumstances. Meeting Rana was like being born again. Meeting Roxy was not like that. D-Screeners all adopt somewhat similar larger than life personas. Meeting Celia, however, was. It was like a second chance with Rana. Who wouldn’t take it? Geojang was taught to control her emotions, not deal with them in a healthy manner. It has been years, but her grief for Rana has not abated. Her unyielding rage at Shadow, Inc for permitting it burns deep inside her. Her anger at herself for not defying her handlers then and there is also a potent thing. And isn’t it funny how wreaking a devastating and bloody revenge does nothing to satisfy such emotions? In someone else, such emotions would likely lead to spiral of violence and destruction, culminating in their death. However, like she was taught, she put them away. She was in control. Except for the part where nobody in the entire gods damned universe would take Celia Cruz from her. In someone else this obsessive overprotectiveness would doom the relationship. But again, she was in control. And she was very well trained in the diplomatic and deceptive arts. If this sounds like a villainous origin story, it ought to. Except for one little thing. Geojang is very young for a Nobellian. With said youth comes a degree of inexperience and, bluntly, stupidity. It is a universal truth that children, teenagers, and young adults of any species are prone to moments of incredible stupidity. In Geojang’s case, it was that she thought she was doing excellently at hiding her true emotional state. While in close quarters with five other people and extremely close quarters with a sixth. For years. With a heavy sigh. You are not a unique blindspot for all of your crewmates, Shin Min-ah. She was Not Okay, she knew everyone else knew it, and she was not and had never been the type to not do anything about a problem. That, and watching Celia get Dusted slapped a lot more stress on her already strained psyche. It was time to utter the dreaded word cyberpsychosis. It was time to see if she could get some help. And, perhaps, unburden a heart that was heavier than most. Because she knows. She has not been a particularly good person, even by mercenary outlaw standards, in a very long time. If indeed she ever was to begin with. And honestly? She’d kind of like to be.
EternalPhoenix Posted January 3, 2023 Author Posted January 3, 2023 Mirage Power Level: 10; Power Points Spent: 240/240 STR: +5 (16/20), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +5 (16/20), INT: +5 (20), WIS: +3 (14/16), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +5/+8, Fort: +8, Ref: +8/+12, Will: +9/+10 Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Computers 15 (+20), Concentration 7 (+10), Craft (electronic) 15 (+20), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Knowledge (technology) 15 (+20), Language 3 (+3), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 7 (+10), Stealth 4 (+5) Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 3, Beginner's Luck, Contacts, Eidetic Memory, Improved Initiative 4, Luck 2, Online Research, Second Chance (Toughness saves vs. Force), Skill Mastery (Computers), Ultimate Effort (Computers checks), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Well-Informed Powers: Discreetly Armored Clothing (Device 1) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle)) Energy Scattering Fabric (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance (Toughness saves vs. Force); Subtle (subtle)) Edgerunner Communicator (Device 3) (Hard to lose) Long Range Radio (Communication (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle)) Universal Translator (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all) Heavy Blaster (Device 3) (Easy to lose) Heavy Blaster Shot (Blast 6) (DC 21; Accurate (+2), Precise, Subtle (subtle)) Sionil Longevity (Features 1) Sionil Physiology (Container, Passive 3) Lightless Vision (Super-Senses 3) (darkvision, infravision) Sionil Abilities (Enhanced Trait 11) (Traits: Strength +4 (20, +5), Constitution +4 (20, +5), Wisdom +2 (16, +3), Will +1 (+10)) Sionil Resistance (Immunity 2) (disease, poison; Limited - Half Effect) Technopathy (Active) (Array 21) (default power: mind control) Control Technology (Mind Control 10) (Default; DC 20; Affects Objects (Only), Alternate Save (Fortitude), Conscious, Effortless, Instant Command; Limited (Technology); Mental Link, Subtle (subtle)) Deactivate Technology (Nullify 10) (Array; counters: all powers of (type) - technology, DC 20; Burst Area (50 ft. radius - General), Effortless; Precise, Subtle (subtle)) Reprogramming (Transform (Mental) (Array; affects: alter mind, DC 18; Duration (continuous), Range (perception); Limited (to Technology); Precise, Subtle (subtle)) Sensor Network (ESP 10) (Array; affects: 2 types, inc. visual; No Conduit, Simultaneous; Medium; Subtle 2 (unnoticable)) Technopathy (Passive) (Container, Passive Combat Analytics (Enhanced Trait 24) (Traits: Attack Bonus +4 (+9), Defense Bonus +4 (+12), Reflex +4 (+12), Feats: Improved Initiative 4) Infoweb Uplink (Datalink 4) (sense type: radio; Cyberspace, Subtle 2 (unnoticable)) Interface (Comprehend 2) (machines / electronics - speak to, machines / electronics - understand) Technopathic Mind (Quickness (Perform routine tasks at 500x speed; One Type (Mental)) Technopathic Vision (Super-Senses 1) (awareness: Infoweb (visual)) Attack Bonus: +5/+9 (Ranged: +8/+12, Melee: +5/+9, Grapple: +10/+14) Attacks: Control Technology (Mind Control 10) (DC Fort 20), Deactivate Technology (Nullify 10) (DC Will 20), Heavy Blaster Shot (Blast 6), +14 (DC 21), Reprogramming (Transform (Mental) (DC Will 18), Unarmed Attack, +9 (DC 20) Defense: +8/+12 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -4 Initiative: +17 Languages: Hijazi-Sionil Native, Neo-Nobellian, Netspeak, Outer Sionil Totals: Abilities 34 + Skills 24 (96 ranks) + Feats 13 + Powers 127 + Combat 26 + Saves 16 + Drawbacks 0 = 240 Age (as of Jan 2019): 30 Earth years (chronological), late teens/early 20s (human biological equivalent) Height: 4’ 9” Weight: 180 lbs Ethnicity: Sionil (Arabic equivalent) Hair: Black Eyes: Blue Background: It’s a familiar story wherever there’s at least a perceived gender binary. Boy meets girl. They fall in love. They chase their dreams together. When the young are in love, even the impossible seems possible. Technopaths are a terrifying prospect for a society that relies on computers and advanced technology like any spacefaring civilization does. Just one can plunge a planet or even a sector into chaos. This too, is a familiar story. A small percentage of a minority group turns to fanatical terrorism. They are by far the most publically prominent members of that minority. So, the expected happens. Fear. Oppression. Dehumanization, so to speak. There is, of course, pushback from the minority group and decent people who don’t surrender to fear. There always is. And so, the worst doesn’t happen. This is sometimes cold comfort, as the fear and suspicion never go away. Being a technopath is..not an easy life, at the best of times. There’s no telling who will accept it, who will reject it, or who will become violent over it. So it goes. Mirage (any other name he may have had has been erased from all databases and likely only exists within his memory alone) met Amina. They were both technopaths. They fell in love. They had big dreams. Redeeming technopaths in the eyes of the public. Making enough money to comfortably retire while still young. Maybe have some kids. You know, live the good life. Here is where the story deviates from the familiar. Reality is usually not nearly so dramatic. What happened was the stuff of ordinary lower class life. The young may have big dreams, but they also need to eat and pay rent. Years had gone by, and they had made no progress. Out of sheer frustration, they dipped their toes into the must more lucrative mercenary outlaw trade. And then, as happens to many who try to do it part time, fell into it full time. This was a slow and steady erosion of youth and idealism into, well, not age and cynicism, exactly, but a better understand of just how small the two of them were in the grand scheme of the universe. There was, realistically, very little they could do to change the course of intergalactic civilization. Amina couldn’t handle it. Well. It wasn’t like Mirage was coping perfectly fine, either. The familiarity of the story returns here. A charismatic figure who promises liberation for the downtrodden. A revolutionary. A savior. And he does appear to be effective. He does appear to be getting results. Steps on the road. He just needed a little help. Yeah. Amina and Mirage joined up. Him more for her than zeal for the cause. But Amina still wanted to believe, and got spoonfed everything she needed to keep doing it. Such descents are not as rapid as they appear, but still. It’s a little too easy to wake up one morning, realize you’re one of those terrorists you used to revile, and not mind all that much. Hatred’s easy. Anger’s easy. Amina may have been the one of the two of them who wanted to believe, but Mirage wasn’t exactly fleeing those talks either. The story continues in that familiar way. More and more drastic actions. More and more drastic reprisals from the authorities. Normally, this ends in the terrorist group being viciously suppressed. All their hopes and dreams cut to pieces in hail after hail of blaster fire and high powered explosives. But here again, the tale deviates from the familiar for just a bit. Mr. Charismatic Leader had a plan. One last big dramatic play to finally get people to listen. They hit an infoweb node. Each node is the hub for an entire sector. Without the node, the infoweb in that sector shuts down. No infoweb, everything that relies on it for power is left at best hours of backup battery power, and everything that relies on it for data locks up. So…saying that the nodes are well hidden and well guarded is like saying a Nobellian supermodel isn’t too bad looking. It’s technically correct (the best kind of correct), but rather dramatically understates the issue. So this was a massive operation featuring every member of every cell the terrorist group had. Every scrap of information, every bit of advanced tech, and every armament they’d ever gathered was deployed here. And Amina and Mirage were in the middle of it. And it was Amina who figuratively held the door shut while Mirage deployed the viral bomb that destroyed the node’s operating system. That bit above about no infoweb, everything goes bye bye? It’s one thing to know that it’s possible to do it. It’s quite another to realize that there is no backup plan in place for it happening. There were no safeties. No micronodes. The main power and communication source for an entire stellar sector (billions of people!) was just…gone. And it stayed gone for over a week. No transportation. No communication. No power. No food. No medicine. No help. Anything or anyone carefully balanced and monitored by tech was no longer so. The death toll was appalling. And Mirage was the person who figuratively pulled the trigger. Amina was thrilled. They had to listen to the technopaths now! Because if they could do this, they could do worse! Meanwhile, images of dead children danced in Mirage’s head. He knew better. Corp execs would just say that technopaths were too dangerous to be left both uncontrolled and alive. Big governments would never be bullied to the negotiating table by tactics like this. Amina didn’t want to hear it. They had a blazing argument. And then Mirage walked away. He’d already deleted his prior identity before that last mission. All that was left was to abandon the crappy one he was using with her. The woman he loved didn’t exist anymore. Though to be fair, the man she fell in love with didn’t, either. He went back to being a regular mercenary outlaw. After a while, he picked up the job that led him to Roxy Jett, and the rest is history. He doesn’t mind being an Edgerunner, not really. Having a steady crew is better than not having one. Especially if they’re badasses like Jackie, Esme, and Tetsukaze. Dying a year ago kind of sucked, but he came back so whatever. He’s just here doing tech support. He likes his coworkers. The pay is good. And he doesn’t have to be a bastard. He doesn’t want ever to be a bastard again if he can possibly avoid it. He would, to survive, but he wouldn’t like it. Powers & Tactics: Mirage is a Sionil technopath with a handful of technological devices. Technopaths will require a bit of a primer. They’re technically classified as mutants, but unlike Earth technopaths anti-mutant tech or spells has no effect on them. If anything they manipulate the infoweb like wizards do Quintessence. To be clear, what they do isn’t magic and it isn’t learned like wizard spells are. The working theory among public sources is that generations of exposure to the infoweb’s energies have resulted in, on rare occasions, individuals being born able to manipulate said energies. For the record, this is a genuinely impressive amount of bullshittery to cover a staggering amount of ignorance on the subject. In reality, they’re much like AI, with the notable caveats of being weaker overall and rooted to the body they’re born into unless they feel like being dead. They can take control of any technological device connect to the infoweb and do whatever the hell they want with it. They don’t even need to do proper hacking most of the time to do it. And since basically everything is connected to the infoweb, well…anyone can see why they’re scary to the masses. The very technology modern intergalactic life depends on can be turned against, well, anyone by one person who doesn’t look any different or indeed like they’re doing anything at all. This, of course, ignores that they’re people like anyone else. Something the masses generally tend to do on reflex. Regardless, the power they have makes them insanely valuable to various governments and especially the megacorporations, who stop at nothing to get their hands on every technopath they can find through whatever methods get the job done. They use them as weapons, volunteer test subjects, lab rats, and even murder and dissect them. The goal is, as ever, to figure out exactly how technopathy works, how to reproduce it, and (for the megacorps) how to monetize it. The brutal insensitivity to sentient life and its rights is, as always, par for the course. Nothing unexpected here. Until the Summerisle Incident, which brought the problem out of the shadows and into the light. Now the Nega Corps and Nobellian Federation (the non-corrupt sections, even) are paying attention. Young adolescents (at least outside of the Unclaimed Regions) are no longer being kidnapped off the street, murdered to prevent such a kidnapping, or the unholy combination of the two. Because even a techopath’s reasonably intact corpse still had research value. Somewhat long tangent aside, Mirage is an example of a technopath trained in combat instead of the usual “mighty mind, weak body” stereotype. His ability to link to the infoweb is and speak with anything connected to it is absolutely bog standard, as is the quickness of his mind and his ability to see the infoweb connections all around him (and what they’re doing). It is the rest that speaks of significant combat training and experience. A minor alternation to his personal infoweb connection gives him his own personal heads up display. Said display uses the computing power o the infoweb to deliver real time combat analytics, increasing his attack accuracy, evasion, and reaction time. His ability to take control of or shut down technology isn’t unusual, per se. However, he’s stronger than the average technopath with both, and can work around unexpected resistance with greater ease than that average technopath. Additionally, that average technopath would have to give verbal commands to the device they’ve taken control of, and can only deactivate one device at a time. Mirage can do the former mentally, and can shut down a full area of technology. It is the other two of his actively used technopathic powers that show off his combat training and experience. The average technopath wouldn’t even think of reprogramming a device so it keeps obeying them once they’ve departed the area. And while most can look through video cameras and the like, they forget to shield their own senses and rarely think to extend their range outside of their neighborhood. Mirage’s range reaches the average distance Earth is from it’s moon, and it requires sensitive, specialized equipment to detect his presence. His devices are simple enough. A wardrobe full of discreetly armored clothing that’s stronger against blaster fire. An Edgerunner Communicator with its long range radio and universal translator. And a partially silenced Heavy Blaster, because sometimes it’s simpler just to shoot people instead of hack something. Many techopaths can forget this. Not Mirage. Tactically, Mirage is nothing special. He’s just a guy with a Heavy Blaster. No feinting. No demoralizing. No Accurate, All Out, Defensive, or Power Attacking. His strengths aren’t on the physical battlefield; they’re in information gathering, computer hacking, and general tech support. Between Contacts, a +5 INT bonus, Eidetic Memory, Online Research, and Well Informed there is precious little he doesn’t know or can’t find out shortly. Consider him Mr. Exposition for matters that aren’t covered under History (that’s Esme), Tactics (that’s Tetsukaze), Arcane Lore (that’s Zima), or Pop Culture (that’s Roxy). That’s a pretty damn long list. With that said, Deactivate Technology can switch off cybernetics almost at will, and Sensor Network is as useful for scouting for a group as it is for an individual. Control Technology nd Reprogramming’s uses are generally outside of combat, as stated. Though there is nothing like turning the giant fucking battle drone who just smacked Tetsukaze through a wall against its owners. Heh. He does have a handful of power stunts. A beefy enough flying drone could serve as a Transport Platform for the whole group. Flight with Affects Others and Burst Area. He’s used Sensor Masking in the past for the Edgerunners. Concealment (all senses) with Affects Others and Burst Area, but Limited (to technology). And Bricking, which is for just destroying technology. Damage with Alt Save (Will) and Range 2 (perception) but Limited (to technology). Personality: Mirage is, in many ways, a typical member of the mercenary outlaw trade. You know, except for the whole…technopath…thing. He’s a consummate professional, fully capable of shooting people in the face for money. He wouldn’t enjoy it, but whatever keeps body and soul together. He’s not cynical, just a little jaded despite his relatively young age. Except when it comes to the sort of passionate idealism he used to have. He’s not, like, nasty to people who have it, but he has no love for “heroes”. The real deal is a different thing. He can respect someone who’s taken a good hard look at this cruel, shitty universe and still decided to do something good and worthwhile. But anyone with grandiose plans to “change the universe for the better” or “save X minority group for their systemic oppression” is at best a naïve idiot and at worst a dangerous lunatic capable of killing as many people as they deem necessary. He’ll have no part of that. Not again. He doesn’t regret what he did. Regret implies he wishes it didn’t happen or that he didn’t do it. This isn’t exactly true. Because Mr. Charismatic Leader’s plan (may he continue rotting in a suitably awful afterlife) kind of worked. Nbody throws rocks in the street at techopaths anymore. No more amateur hunters. Only the pros. If one can’t get respect from the masses, fear will suffice. He does, however, wish that the price of this had not been so dear. Millions of lives, plus the self-respect and ability to sleep soundly of one Free Sionil technopath. But you know, if he was sent back to the moment…knowing what it would cost…he might well do it all over again. Because while the price may have been high, and he may hate that with a furious intensity…he can certainly live with it. Oh, yes. He can live with it. If it means that the next generation of technopaths won’t grow up afraid of revealing the slightest hint of their powers for fear of losing their lives or freedom…he can live with it. If it means that no technopath will ever be disaffected, alienated, and angry enough to do what he (may he, too, eventually rot in a suitably awful afterlife) did to all those people, by the gods to those fucking babies…he absolutely can live with it. This makes him sound, well…pretty damn awful. He won’t deny it. He’s a bad man, but he ain’t that pretty. Heh. He doesn’t expect forgiveness or even understanding. He doesn’t even talk about it. Because part of him is still angry. Part of him is still not satisfied. Part of him is still damn angry. Part of him cheered wildly at the demise of so many of his oppressors, and thrilled to their lamentations. But unlike Amina (may she, three, eventually rot in a suitably awful afterlife), that part of him doesn’t get to sit in the driver’s seat. The last time he so much as listened to it, millions died. Children. Gods help him, babies. He doesn’t have the strength to endure something like that again. So. He’s just a guy who works with a crew and does his job. He’s cordial to his coworkers, backs them up when they need it, and tries to be a good friend when they need that. Jury’s still out on how well he’s doing at the friend part. Everything else was buried in the past behind him when he walked away. He’s just your typical mercenary outlaw, except for he’s also a technopath. He’s a consummate professional. And nothing else.
EternalPhoenix Posted February 20, 2023 Author Posted February 20, 2023 Heroes of Britain Overview The United Kingdom has never had a proper superhero team, and even established groups have proven to be rare, with the only major group currently operating being the Knight Family. This is partly due to the UK being smaller in both geography and population than the United States (arguably the nexus of heroics since the Mystery Men Era). Less ground to cover and less people to do it. The other reasons are Big Ben, the periodic appearances of Keaira, and whoever was The Knight at the time. Anything large scale, Ben could likely handle on his own. When he couldn’t Keaira showed up. Anything more moderate The Knight handled. It’s not like there weren’t other heroes helping and doing good work throughout the nation, however with those three on the job there has never been any need for any large scale banding together. His/Her Majesty’s Government has also…gently discouraged…such a thing. It’s much easier to keep track of and guide a relative handful of independent heroes than any super teams or groups. In the modern age, this gentle control is beginning to fracture primarily thanks to the ever inspirational Sir Randall Knight. He is effectively uncontrollable with such gentle methods, as men of strong convictions always are. Not much can be done about him for multiple reasons. The respect he has in Britain’s hero community, especially with Ben and Keaira. His wife Morgan’s corporation is a critical part of the British economy. And he’s apparently favored of mythical Avalon, as the Knight Family is now operating three of the legendary armors. Crusader, Templar, and the original Knight. Where Hospitaller (no, not the rookie hero, though her choosing that name is…concerning) and Cavalier are is not known to Her Majesty’s Government. Well. At any rate, Britain’s hero scene appears to be on the rise. In addition to Ben, Keaira, and the Knight Family, several other heroes have debuted in the last decade. Some quite recently like Yeoman, Hospitaller, and XX. Some a few years ago like Tattoo. And some several years ago, like Paragon, Umbrella Queen, and Nisse. The Knight Family Crusader (Sir Randall Knight) Lady Alchemist (Morgan Knight) Lady Knight (Emily Knight) The Alchemist Knight (Sophie Knight) Templar (Daniel Page) UQ Trio Umbrella Queen (Siobhanna) Nisse (Alwyn Kendrick) Tattoo (Josephine "Finn" Kent) Miscellanous British Heroes Big Ben (Benjamin Prestwich) Keaira, Princess of Avalon Paragon (Syed Nawaz) Yeoman (Joshua Birch) Hospitaller (Abigail "Abby" Priest) To Be Named (Elastic Detective Type)
EternalPhoenix Posted February 20, 2023 Author Posted February 20, 2023 Lady Alchemist (Morgan Knight) Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 210/210 STR: +0 (10), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +2 (14), INT: +7 (24), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +1 (12) Tough: +2/+14, Fort: +5/+8, Ref: +4, Will: +12 Skills: Craft (chemical) 13 (+20), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+10), Diplomacy 4 (+5), Gather Information 4 (+5), Investigate 3 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 8 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 13 (+20), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+10), Language 6 (+6), Notice 8 (+10), Search 3 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 4, Benefit (Fame (World's Finest Chemist)), Benefit (Status (President of Knight Industries)), Benefit 3 (Wealth (virtually limitless)), Challenge - Improved Fast Work (Craft [chemical]) 2; quarter crafting speed 2, Dodge Focus, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 15, Evasion 2, Improved Critical 2 (Tranquilizer Round (Fatigue 6)), Improvised Tools, Inventor, Luck 3, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Second Chance (Craft (chemical) checks for Inventor), Second Chance (KN (phy sci) checks for Inventor), Skill Mastery (Craft (chemical & mechanical), KN (physical science & technology)), Teamwork 2, Ultimate Effort (Craft (chemical) checks), Ultimate Effort (KN (phys sci) checks), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Alchemist's Coat (Device 6) (Hard to lose) Chemically Treated Fabric (Protection 12) (+12 Toughness) Grenade Proofing (Enhanced Trait 2) (Feats: Evasion 2) Hat & Goggles (Immunity 5) (dazzle effects; Limited - Half Effect) One Sturdy Coat (Super-Strength 2) (+10 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 400 lbs; +2 STR to some checks; Limited (to Carrying Capacity)) Slippery Outer Fabric (Immunity 5) (entrapment) Sticky Gloves & Boots (Super-Movement 3) (slow fall, wall-crawling 1 (half speed), water walking) Alchemist's Grenade Satchel (Device 9) (Hard to lose) Alchemical Grenades (Array 18) (default power: snare) Acid Grenade (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Secondary Effect) Adhesive Grenade (Snare 9) (Default; DC 19; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Regenerating) Flash Bang Grenade (Dazzle 9) (Array; affects: 1 type + visual, DC 19; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General)) Healing Tonic (Healing 9) (Array; DC 19; Action (standard), Restoration) Neural Reset Grenade (Stun 9) (Array; DC 19; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Range (ranged)) Noise Cancelling Smoke Grenade (Obscure 6) (Array; affects: 1 type + visual, Radius: 250 ft.; Duration (continuous), Selective Attack, Total Fade; Fades) Shock Gel Grenade (Paralyze 9) (Array; DC 19; Alternate Save (Fortitude), Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Range (ranged)) Stink Bomb (Nauseate 9) (Array; DC 19; Cloud Area (45 ft. diameter, lingers - General), Range (ranged)) Very High Explosives (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Burst Area (30-450 ft. radius - General); Progression, Decrease Area 3 (-3 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 3 (area x10), Triggered 2 (any trigger)) Alchemist's Tranquilizer Rifle (Device 6) (Easy to lose) Tranquilizer Round (Fatigue 6) (DC 16, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Tranquilizer Round (Fatigue 6)); Range (ranged), Secondary Effect; Accurate 2 (+4), Precise, Subtle (subtle)) Enhanced Biochemistry (Linked) Enhanced Trait 3 (Linked; Traits: Fortitude +3 (+8)) Immunity 9 (Linked; life support; Limited - Half Effect) Regeneration 3 (Linked; recovery bonus 3 (+3 to recover); Regrowth) World's Finest Chemist (Quickness 6) (Perform routine tasks at 100x speed; One Task (Inventor Design Checks)) Equipment: Knight Family Car (example), Knight Family Estate, Knight Family Helicopter (example) Attack Bonus: +4 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +4, Grapple: +4/+6) Attacks: Acid Grenade (Blast 9) (DC 24), Adhesive Grenade (Snare 9) (DC Ref/Staged 19), Flash Bang Grenade (Dazzle 9) (DC Fort/Ref 19), Neural Reset Grenade (Stun 9) (DC Fort/Staged 19), Shock Gel Grenade (Paralyze 9) (DC Fort/Staged 19), Stink Bomb (Nauseate 9) (DC Fort/Staged 19), Tranquilizer Round (Fatigue 6), +12 (DC Fort 16), Unarmed Attack, +4 (DC 15), Very High Explosives (Blast 9) (DC 24) Defense: +4 (Flat-footed: +2), Knockback: -7 Initiative: +1 Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, German, Russian, Spanish Totals: Abilities 26 + Skills 19 (76 ranks) + Feats 43 + Powers 92 + Combat 14 + Saves 16 + Drawbacks 0 = 210 ***************************************************************************************** Knight Family Estate Power Level: 9; Equipment Points Spent: 26 Toughness: +20 Features: Communications, Computer, Defense System, Fire Prevention System, Garage, Gym, Hangar, Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Pool, Power System, Security System 3, Workshop Size: Colossal Totals: Abilities 0 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 18 + Powers 0 + Combat 5 + Saves 3 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 26 ***************************************************************************************** Knight Family Car (example) Power Level: 9; Equipment Points Spent: 30 STR: +15 (40) Toughness: +15 Features: Alarm 3, Caltrops, Navigation System 2, Oil Slick, Remote Control, Smokescreen Powers: Jump Jets (Leaping 3) (Jumping distance: x10) Sticky Tires (Super-Movement 1) (wall-crawling 1 (half speed)) Superfuel Engine (Speed 6) (Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd) Defense: -2, Size: Huge Totals: Abilities 2 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 9 + Powers 11 + Combat 2 + Saves 6 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 30 ***************************************************************************************** Knight Family Helicopter (example) Power Level: 9; Equipment Points Spent: 19 STR: +12 (35) Toughness: +10 Features: Navigation System 2, Remote Control Powers: Superfuel Engine (Flight 6) (Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd) Defense: -2, Size: Huge Totals: Abilities 1 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 3 + Powers 12 + Combat 2 + Saves 1 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 19 Age (as of Jan 2019): 49 (chronological), 28 (biological) Height: 5’ 6” Weight: 115 lbs Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Base of Operations: London, England, United Kingdom Background: Morgan Jones was, well, nobody. Just another lower middle class girl. Everything about her was totally ordinary, except for one thing. She wasn’t particularly athletic. She wasn’t particularly acrobatic. She wasn’t particularly pretty. She was just a face in the crowd. Except for that one thing. She was, indisputably and unmistakably, a genius. Not a regular genius, either, but standing at the pinnacle of human intellect. The United Kingdom is extremely reluctant to have any students skip grades, no matter how well they’re doing. So Morgan stayed in her age group all the way throughout her compulsory schooling and education. She absolutely aced her GCSE exams and all four of her A Levels (Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, & Physical Science). This got her admitted on a scholarship to the University of Cambridge’s Department of Chemistry, living in Murray Edwards College. Fortunately, Cambridge is a bit more flexible than the English public school system, and Morgan was able to accelerate her education. Because the young woman was carrying pretty big dreams for a supposed nobody, and she was falling in love. Rewind to six years prior, when she was 12 years old. 1982. The massive invasion of Kuros The Conqueror, in which the world’s heroes all teamed up with the USA’s Champions of Justice to ultimately defeat it. Young Morgan wasn’t silly enough to think she could have made a difference on the front lines this time or next time. To make a long story much shorter, she found the world’s chemical infrastructure woefully inadequate. Fuels, armor, medicines, etc. Not. Good. Enough. She could do better. She would do better. And so, two years later at age 14, she debuted at the superheroine Alchemist Girl to test her chemical inventions on the battlefield. The redebut of Sir Randall Knight as the fourth Knight after his father’s death had nothing to do with it. She had not met either man at the time, and Sir Sheldon Knight had not been well liked. She actually met Sir Randall a few years later. The Knight and Alchemist Girl teamed up for the first time. Randall was a perfect gentleman (he was keenly aware of being significantly older than the young heroine), and Morgan found her heart twitch for a boy for the very first time. They teamed up several more times before she was off to Cambridge. She didn’t want to stop seeing him, so she told him who she was and invited him to visit her at university. What followed was something quite old fashioned and courtly, as a friendship (on Randall’s end) evolved into something more. Randall and Morgan were married two years into her university education (in 1990), and Emily was born in 1991. Alchemist Girl changed names to Lady Alchemist in response. The following year, three things happened. Morgan started racking up advanced degrees from her accelerated studies. She started Knight Industries, her chemical company. And Kuros came back for revenge. With Emily still a baby, Morgan was stuck caring for her during the brief bit of excitement before Nick Phoenix swatted the invasion and Kuros aside like annoying insects. Once Emily was old enough to not need her mother around almost constantly, Lady Alchemist was back in business. Morgan’s chemical innovations began to make her fabulously wealthy. And that’s…basically the story. Yes, there was a pause for the birth of Sophie in ’98, and Emily began to accompany her parents on their tamer adventures under the name Miss Page. The death of Starman II in 2001 had no real effect on them. In 2005 Emily got a little alienated, the poor girl, and took the name Lady Knight. She did this became young Daniel Page became the new Squire, and Emily had wanted that for herself. Well, said Morgan, it wasn’t Daniel’s fault. So she welcomed him into the family as if he was her own child. Speaking of, this was also the year Sophie started taking after her mother, becoming the second Alchemist Girl. Ah, Morgan was so very proud. She will, however, admit to being worried about losing Randall after these events. All three of his predecessors as The Knight had died seven years after the debut of their Squire. However, this is not what happened. Instead, in 2012 they went to Glastonbury Tor as a family, succeeded at some challenges and fought some battles (you know, the usual for a hero) and two new armors were revealed. From Knight to Crusader. From Squire to Templar. And, most surprisingly to Morgan, from Alchemist Girl to Alchemist Knight. And in the process, Emily managed to resolve her alienation. Quite lovely, even if Morgan didn’t quite understand all the fuss about choosing the sword or the shield. And again, that’s basically the story. She’s the matriarch of the Knight Family and the World’s Finest Chemist. She has a lovely husband, three wonderful children (one of whom isn’t so, legally speaking, but that’s irrelevant to Morgan), and a thriving multibillion dollar business. What else is there to be said, really? Well, there is one thing. You know all those heroes with higher tier gear than is normally commercially available? That they couldn’t have possibly made themselves? Those are Morgan Knight designs. Lady Alchemist is the most prominent source for armor and non lethal munitions that one can’t buy at the store. For repeat customers who have earned her trust, she doesn’t even charge for the work. Knight Industries, her company, is also the primary source of power nullification drugs and serums. Metahumans are easy. Each of their type of powers works in the same way. Mutants require something custom made to their biology. If they’re still biological in nature. Magicians can be kept in check with an agent that disrupts their ability to fully concentrate. Cyborgs or those with divine powers she refers the client to the Baroness Valia. Her nullification devices are more effective but much more expensive because Valia is only ever helpful when it suits her purposes. Powers & Tactics: Lady Alchemist had no superhuman powers before she enhanced her own biochemistry with an experimental serum. However, she is a genius chemist and skilled mechanical engineer with three unique devices. Her enhancements to her biochemistry basically just increase her bodily integrity and resistance to environmental hazards like mundane diseases, poisons, heat, cold, and a lack of oxygen. She could probably give herself much more potent superpowers, but mutation is…unpredictable, at best. She’d really rather not accidently turn into something inhuman. She very much likes being human. So instead she has her devices. On that subject, the starting point is her Tranquilizer Rifle. It is highly accurate, silenced, and rarely fails to render targets unconscious or virtually too sleepy to function properly. That is, if they’re not superhuman in powers or training. Then its effectiveness is chancier. She refuses to make it any stronger, as it’s quite easy to accidently kill with narcotics and other sleep inducing agents, actually. So she won’t be doing that, no. Moving on, there is her Grenade Satchel. This is as literal a name as the last. Though none of the grenades in question are available for sale anywhere. Not even from her. She’s got powerful acid, self repairing adhesives, flash bangs, electrical stunning, electrical paralysis, truly nasty stink bombs, and very powerful explosives in the Satchel. The remaining two, however, are not offensive weapons but genuinely ingenious support gear. After all, most would not expect her smoke grenades to also absorb all sound in their area of effect. And the healing tonics virtually invoke Clarke’s Law. It is the chemical formula she most closely guards, as a few ounces of ingested liquid can cause any living creature to instantly heal their worst injury, be it from violence, disease, or poison. The last is her Alchemist’s Coat. Coat is a bit of a misnomer, as it comes with a hat and goggles that increase her resistance to having her senses dazzled, and sticky gloves and boots that allow her to blunt falls, climb walls, and literally walk on water. The coat part itself is better armored than most tanks, is structured so that her carrying capacity is literally quadrupled with it on, and the outer fabric is virtually frictionless (meaning she cannot be grappled or bound in any way, as they simply slide off). The last thing it does is increase her ability to avoid area of effect attacks. Though Randall was the original sole owner, as a married couple they own the Knight Family Estate together. And it’s her money that keeps it, the cars, and the helicopters the family uses to get to parts of the UK that aren’t London. It’s also her money that buys the new ones once they inevitably get broken because supervillains have no respect for personal property. Tactically, well. Lady Alchemist has a lot of options. Her Tranquilizer Rifle and Adhesive Grenades can make short work of most opposition when operating alone or nearly so. For group combat, the aforementioned is still Plan A, but she’ll layer in Flash Bangs, Neural Reset Grenades, Shock Gel Grenades, and Stink Bombs. She does not ever use Acid Grenades or Very High Explosives on living beings or where they could cause a lot of unnecessary property damage. Healing Tonics work both on her and any allies she might have. With that said, she’s also shockingly poor of a fighter for a hero with her decades of experience. So she relies entirely on her Devices. There’s no feinting, no demoralizing, no moving her caps around, nothing. Due to the size of the array in her grenade satchel (9 settings!) she very rarely power stunts. I have saved Inventor for last, because what she can do is wild stuff. Under normal, not pressured circumstances, she can take 20 and design a 30 point chemical Invention in 5 hours. This would take just about anyone else 500 hours. And then she can use Ultimate Craft (chemical) to hit the construction check target, and Improved Fast Work 2 to slash the usual construction time of 120 hours to a mere 30 hours. A grand total of 35 hours from start of design to finished Invention where anyone else with her skill would need 620 hours to do it. And this assumes she doesn’t use her Second Chance (Craft) feat with Jury Rigging to whip out a 15 point chemical Invention in a minute and a half. World’s Finest Chemist, indeed. Personality: How to put this? Morgan is basically a benevolent mad scientist. No, seriously. She’s always been a little eccentric, and her grip on reality and what’s actually possible is a bit…looser…than most people’s. Additionally she shows several symptoms of having autism and ADHD. The world outside of her lab can effectively disappear for her at times. During these periods of hyperfixation she can forget to dress, wash, or even eat. These are also the times when she’s at her most brilliant and wildly creative as a chemist, so it is merely a double edged sword instead of potentially a liability. So most people who meet her have trouble believing that she’s THE Morgan Knight. Surely someone so brilliant couldn’t be so…eccentric. She’s a cheerful, upbeat, and optimistic woman…who’s prone to rambling on about things irrelevant to the current topic of conversation and making rather baffling and dramatic leaps of logic that most who haven’t learned how her mind works simply can’t follow. She’s just a weirdo who oscillates from hilarious to pathetic to terrifying often enough make people wonder why she’s allowed to walk around alone in public…until it’s time for serious business. Because while her personality and habits may be strange, there is an incredible genius intellect in there, with a strength of will that makes steel look soft and a warm, compassionate heart to rival any other hero in the world.
EternalPhoenix Posted February 20, 2023 Author Posted February 20, 2023 Lady Knight (Emily Knight) Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 195/195 STR: +3 (16), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +6/+9, Ref: +12, Will: +9 Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 7 (+10), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Intimidate 12 (+15), Investigate 7 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 2 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 7 (+10), Knowledge (streetwise) 12 (+15), Knowledge (tactics) 12 (+15), Language 2 (+2), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Search 7 (+10), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 12 (+15) Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Attack Specialization 2 (Compound Bow (Blast 3)), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Startle, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 1, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Block, Improved Critical 2 (Sword (Strike 3)), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trick, Lionheart, Luck 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Quick Change, Quick Draw, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Intimidate, Notice, Stealth), Startle, Stunning Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Teamwork 3, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Weapon Bind Powers: Archaic Arsenal (Device 2) (Easy to lose; Custom (Multiple Weapons)) Archaic Arsenal (Array 5) (default power: strike; Custom (Array 4.5)) Compound Bow (Blast 3) (Array; DC 21; Mighty 3 (+3 to damage)) Sword (Strike 3) (Default; DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Sword (Strike 3)); Penetrating; Mighty) Avalonian Training (Container, Passive 1) Flash Step (Teleport 2) (200 ft. as move action; Limited (to places she can physically reach); Subtle (subtle)) Longspringer (Leaping 1) (Jumping distance: x2) Longstrider (Speed 1+2) ([Stacking ranks: +2], Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd) Concealed Body Armor (Device 3) (Hard to lose) Concealed Kevlar Weave (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Quick Change; Subtle (subtle)) Grapple Harness (Linked) Speed 2 (Linked; Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd; Stacks with (Longstrider (Speed 1+2))) Super-Movement 4 (Linked; slow fall, swinging, wall-crawling 2 (full speed)) Enhanced Biochemistry (Linked) Enhanced Trait 3 (Linked; Traits: Fortitude +3 (+9)) Immunity 9 (Linked; life support; Limited - Half Effect) Equipment: Mission Specific Equipment 5 Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +12, Grapple: +15) Attacks: Compound Bow (Blast 3), +12 (DC 21), Sword (Strike 3), +12 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 18) Defense: +12 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -3 Initiative: +7 Languages: English Native, French, Polish Totals: Abilities 36 + Skills 33 (132 ranks) + Feats 42 + Powers 32 + Combat 34 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 195 Age (as of Jan 2019): 28 Height: 5’ 7” Weight: 130 lbs Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Base of Operations: London, England, United Kingdom Theme Song: [url=]Spark, by Zach B featuring McGwire[/url] Background: Emily Knight spent half of her life wanting to be The Squire with all of her heart and soul. Then she spent another quarter of it hating the dammed armor for picking someone else and being angry with her father for allowing it. She was an angry, bitter person. And she’s spent the most recent quarter being a better person instead. That is the short and simple explanation of her life. Of course, as everyone ought to know, explaining someone’s life in short and simple terms misses a hell of a lot. Like what it was like being the firstborn child of one of the most famous people in Britain. She was never merely Emily. She was The Heir To The Knight Legacy. To be clear, she never found this a burden. She was quite proud of her father. Still is, actually. This isn’t one of those stories, where the weight of being the successor crushes the poor heir. On the contrary, it was the source of much of her self-worth and self-esteem. It didn’t give her a swelled head and make her a brat. Once again, on the contrary. If she was to be worth of someday being The Squire, and fighting by her father’s side…if she was to someday become the fifth Knight…she had to act like it. So she tried to be the most polite, courteous, and well behaved little girl one could ever meet. Of course, this didn’t particularly endear her to other children. No one likes a suckup. But it was worth it, because one day she’d be The Squire. She had a critical misunderstanding. The one that, in time, would drive a wedge between her and her father. For now, however, she could at last take up the spear and armor of Miss Page. It wasn’t like her mother and father took her into battle with murderous supervillains. Heavens, no. She was seven. She could defend herself to a degree, yes, but she was a child. She had school and various mind expanding extracurriculars. She remembers the adventures they went on very fondly. How many other children got to visit other realities or play with Fae children? Not many, that’s who. So it was good. She was even helpful on occasion, instead of just along for the ride. The best quarter of her life, aside from the ending. School was actually even less fun than before. No one likes a suckup, after all. The more maturely she tried to deal with things, the more her schoolmates seemed to hate her. Not all of them, of course. Even as children, people are wide and varied. Suffice it to say she was a very polarizing figure, and she had her own coterie of suckups. She was one of those girls. Apparently good at everything. Very helpful to everyone. Benevolence personified. Well, more or less. She was still a child, after all. Elementary school wasn’t so bad, but the pre-teen to teenage years, well…she could deal with the violent ones and ignore childish insults. Legitimate social exclusion, however, stung. School social hierarchies aren’t so different from adult ones. Other girls were thinking about romance, fashion, music, and pop culture. They cut loose. Had fun. Emily was preparing for life as The Squire. Making absolutely sure that she was as worthy as possible. She was driven and serious in a way that many young girls simply aren’t. And, well, part of being worthy was allowing no injustice to stand. A stick in the mud, pain in the ass goodie two shoes. Obnoxious in her commitment to virtue and doing her best at all times. The type kids will generally think are acting like they’re better than everyone else. Whether that’s true or not is irrelevant. So, by the time she was 14, she had no friends and her social calendar was completely bare. And there was some venomous hatred for her among some of her peers. Ah, teenage insecurities and juvenile misunderstandings. But it was worth it. It was worth it. Because she was going to be The Squire. A hero. A champion of justice, if one will pardon the wordplay. And then that didn’t happen. That dammed armor chose wimpy Daniel Page, and in the process, shattered her world. Because she was still wrong. That thing she misunderstood drove that wedge between her and her father. She tossed away the spear and armor of Miss Page, and took up the sword and bow of Lady Knight. This wasn’t merely childish rebellion. This was anger, bitterness, confusion, and a broken heart. She had worked so hard, given up so much, and endured so many hardships. For what? Well then, to hell with Daniel Page. To hell with that dammed armor. And to hell with Sir Randall Knight. She didn’t need any of them to pursue justice. She had weapons. She had training. She could do it by herself. Miss Page was her parents’ sidekick, absolutely. Lady Knight worked alone in the shadows. Yes, the literal teenager went angsty, brooding, and excessively violent anti-hero. How cliché. Even in her personal life, she no longer had any reason to completely behave. To those not privy to the inner workings of the Knight Family, it seemed like she’d finally snapped from the stress of being Little Miss Perfect all the time. Her studies suffered. She missed school days. The teacher’s pet converted into a rowdy delinquent. She turned up with unexplained injuries and slept in class. Sometimes she didn’t turn up at all. Her enemies in school were delighted at her fall and then terrified of how rapid it seemed to be. But in truth? Her moral code never wavered. Lady Knight was violent, yes, but nobody died. She’d simply stopped caring about anything but being the hero she’d always wanted to be. So she was out late every night. Sometimes that entailed partying with shady individuals who neither knew nor cared how old she was to get information. Sometimes that entailed bringing a sword and a bow to a gunfight. The daughter of billionaire Morgan Knight didn’t need to go to university. So she could commit full time to stabbing criminals and supervillains with sharp metal objects. It wasn’t exactly spiraling downward, but anger and bitterness fade. She was beginning not to care even about justice and merely go through the motions. Sooner or later she was going to get herself killed. Because she still, at age 21, did not know the difference between the sword and the shield. And thus did not know why she had been found so unworthy despite all of her efforts. Emily only came along to Glasonbury Tor because her mother asked. The invitation was for the entire Knight Family. Fine, mum. I’ll put up with Father and Daniel for a bit. For you. She did not expect to succeed in the trials they were faced with, and she was not surprised when she was again found unworthy of the new armors. Her father got the superior Crusader armor. Daniel got the superior Templar armor. Yes, yes, pat the chosen good boys on the back. Whatever. What surprised her was her younger sister Sophie getting to be the new Knight. This led to a blazing argument with Avalon’s Marshal-At-Arms in which her misunderstanding was finally cleared up. The sword, you see, is an avenger. It seeks out evil and destroys it. It can ultimately protect nothing, for it is a weapon. The shield, by contrast, is a guardian. It stays with and protects those evil would harm. However, it has trouble attacking, for it is a defensive tool and not a weapon. Neither is wrong, per se. With that said, a knight by the Avalonian definition is a servant and protector of the people. Someone who favors the shield over the sword. Emily had spent her entire life training and then being the opposite, much like her paternal ancestors Emerson and Cedric. She could change her ways now, true, but that would be out of self interest and not genuine belief. Plus she had a bit too much pride, anyway. Still…how to put it? Finally knowing why someone else had been chosen was a weight off of her shoulders. It wasn’t Daniel’s, her father’s, or even that damned armor’s fault. Not really. She was the one who had the wrong idea. She was the one who never asked about her father’s ideology and just assumed. She wasn’t even unworthy as a human being. Just as an Avalonian armored knight. Which, as the Marshal-At-Arms pointed out, was not the only valid way to be a hero. After all, a shield functioned best when paired with a sword, yes? It was freeing, actually. The past seven years have been the best of Emily’s life. Regularly teaming with her sister or Daniel. Being the contact point for the “UQ Trio” of Umbrella Queen, Nisse, and (later) Tattoo. Oh, she’s still living up to the anti-hero archetype, but it’s calculated and practical now. Nobody, realistically speaking, is afraid of anyone in the Knight Family. Except her. Randall & Daniel are very honorable men. They’ll kick lots of ass, and even kill if the villain in question forces the issue, but ultimately there’s no reason to fear what they might do. Morgan has crossed some lines to protect her family, but she’s also a rigidly ethical scientist who’s never knowingly harmed anyone. And the idea of soft little Sophie scaring anyone ever Emily finds absolutely hilarious. Her family is full of very nice people, really. Full of compassion and the milk of human kindness. Emily is not. She’s been through it a bit, and she’s seen some shit in the process. Organized crime, from the suits on top to the street gangs at the bottom, is not full of people who’ve learned the value of mercy and compassion. Supervillains can be worse. Operative word being “can”. They aren’t always or even most of the time. So, Emily is the one they have to worry about having visit them in their bedroom at night. You know, for a cuppa and a chat. All friendly like. Savvy? Though if she’s being honest, it’s not particularly chivalrous behavior. So she’s considering a name change. What is the British equivalent of a ninja, anyway? Powers & Tactics: Lady Knight has no superhuman powers, except that bit from the serum her mother gave her a while back. Said serum enhanced her biochemistry, making her more resistant to uh…everything. But especially environmental concerns, disease, poison, and suffocation. Useful. Thanks, Mum. Otherwise she uses one technological device and a set of two archaic weapons. The weapons are a sword and a bow. The bow is a modern design. The sword is not. But they’re both just weapons. The device is her armor. It’s not much different than a mundane bulletproof vest, except for the grapple harness built into it. It lets her swing around London or wherever, rapidly ascend walls, and catch herself when falling. Lastly, there is her Avalonian training from the Marshal-At-Arms. She runs a bit faster, jumps a bit higher, but the main event is the Flash Step. For just a instant, she can move at the speed of light. She can’t go very far (only 200 feet), and she can’t go through anything (like walls, locked doors, or over open canyons) that she couldn’t normally. But it’s still kind of badass. Tactically, Lady Knight fights with a sword in melee and a bow at range. That’s it. Very uncomplicated. It’s everywhere else that she’s got a lot going on. She is a movement god. Running, swinging, and Flash Stepping all over the battlefield. Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Improved Demoralize, Improved Trick, and Improved Startle are on deck. Defensive Attack to protect herself, Move by Action to stay mobile, and Power Attack to do more damage when needed. Improved Aim is useful for those longer bow shots from Stealth. Set Up lets her be a team player on demand. Stunning Attack is more polite violence. And Takedown Attack 2 makes her a minion slashing machine. She does not power stunt. Personality: What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore and then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load? Or does it explode? -Harlem, by Langston Hughes. Lady Knight is kind of, uh, terrifying. If you’ve never met Emily Knight out of costume, anyway. She seems more like a masked force of nature than a human being. With no powers or extraordinary devices, she puts a lot of effort into having a fearsome reputation. So yes, she’s cut off fingers, ears, toes, etc. Occasionally her opponents need emergency medical attention to uh, not die. Indeed, she’s the type to cut a man down, then bandage his wounds and call him an ambulance and stay until they take him away. Her reputation isn’t fearsome because she’s a killer. It’s fearsome because killing her enemies is the one thing she won’t do to them. Again, this is reputation. She lightly maims a guy here, and partially cripples a man there, and it’s remembered that she’s capable of that. It’s not something she enjoys or something that happens all that often. Just often enough to keep criminals (that suspicious and cowardly lot) on their toes. And honestly, you don’t need that hand anyway, Mr. Paedophile. “Technically, it’s ephibo-“ Oh, are you saying you don’t want the other one either? Emily Knight, on the other hand (if you’ll pardon the wordplay), well…she’s a very driven woman. Some would say she’s arrogant, but is it arrogance to know your worth and insist upon it? Is it really having a chip on your shoulder if you’re really as good as you say you are? If you really work as hard as you say you do? You’re goddamned right she has something to prove. She’s only member of the family who isn’t a genius or “worthy”. She’s the only one who isn’t special in some way. Part of her is and forever will be that 14 year old girl who had worked her entire life for something that was casually given to someone else. Part of her will always be stuck in that moment, feeling betrayed by the entire universe. Learning that effort, sacrifice, and desire by themselves are sometimes not enough is a brutal lesson, and before God it still hurts her. Part of her is and forever will be that 14 year old girl who cried herself to sleep over how unfair it was. By the same token, part of her is and will forever be that same 14 year old girl who woke up the next morning and decided all of that could go directly to hell. If nobody would make her special, she’d do it for herself. And, of course, this angry, angsty rebellion was just as pointless as her prior hard work. Nobody cared, and she was only hurting people (her father and Daniel, mainly, but her mother and Sophie a little too) who didn’t deserve it. In the end she was nothing more than a spoiled little girl throwing a tantrum out of sheer entitlement. She was the one who’d never asked what it took to be The Squire. She was the one who simply assumed it would be hers if she worked hard. And then she was the one who got mad when the fantasy she’d built up in her head turned out not to be reality. All the hurt, anger, and confusion was her own dumbass fault. What else could she do but laugh? And also cry. Because it hurt. It hurt a lot. Righteous self-images shattered tends to hurt like a bastard. She is in this, ironically enough, her mother’s daughter. One’s failures are not what matters, says Morgan Knight, it is what you learn from the experience. The implicit assumption being that of course you’ll try again. So Emily Knight picked herself up, dusted herself off, and decided to try to be a better person. ‘Nuff said.
EternalPhoenix Posted February 20, 2023 Author Posted February 20, 2023 The Alchemist Knight (Sophie Knight) Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 180/180 STR: +5 (14/20), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +5 (20), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +3/+9, Fort: +6/+9, Ref: +6/+9, Will: +9 Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+10), Craft (chemical) 10 (+15), Craft (mechanical) 5 (+10), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Investigate 5 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 10 (+15), Knowledge (popular culture) 5 (+10), Knowledge (technology) 5 (+10), Notice 7 (+10), Search 5 (+10), Sense Motive 7 (+10) Feats: Attack Focus (melee) 3, Attack Specialization (Sword Strike (Strike 3)), Defensive Attack, Eidetic Memory, Evasion 2, Improved Critical 2 (Alchemist Knight's Sword (Device 2)), Improved Defense, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Power Attack, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Alchemist Knight's Armor (Device 6) (Hard to lose; Indestructible, Subtle (subtle)) Armored Might (Super-Strength 4) (+20 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 3.2 tons; +4 STR to some checks) Armored Strength (Enhanced Strength 6) (+6 STR) Scale Mail (Protection 6) (+6 Toughness; Impervious) Translation Enchantments (Comprehend 2) (languages - speak all, languages - understand all) Alchemist Knight's Shield (Device 3) (Easy to lose; Indestructible, Subtle (subtle)) Shield Blocking (Impervious Toughness 3) (Duration (continuous); Duration (sustained)) Shield Deflection (Enhanced Trait 12) (Traits: Defense Bonus +3 (+9), Reflex +3 (+9), Feats: Evasion 2, Improved Defense) Alchemist Knight's Sword (Device 2) (Easy to lose; Indestructible, Subtle (subtle)) Sword Strike (Strike 3) (DC 23, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Alchemist Knight's Sword (Device 2)); Penetrating [1 extra rank]; Mighty) Alchemist's Grenade Satchel (Device 6) (Hard to lose) Alchemical Grenades (Array 12) (default power: snare) Acid Grenade (Blast 6) (Array; DC 21; Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General), Secondary Effect) Adhesive Grenade (Snare 6) (Default; DC 16; Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General), Regenerating) Flash Bang Grenade (Dazzle 6) (Array; affects: 1 type + visual, DC 16; Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General)) Healing Tonic (Healing 6) (Array; DC 16; Action (standard), Restoration) Neural Reset Grenade (Stun 6) (Array; DC 16; Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General), Range (ranged)) Shock Gel Grenade (Paralyze 6) (Array; DC 16; Alternate Save (Fortitude), Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General), Range (ranged)) Stink Bomb (Nauseate 6) (Array; DC 16; Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General), Range (ranged)) Enhanced Biochemistry (Linked) Enhanced Trait 3 (Linked; Traits: Fortitude +3 (+9)) Immunity 9 (Linked; life support; Limited - Half Effect) Attack Bonus: +5 (Ranged: +5, Melee: +8, Grapple: +13/+17) Attacks: Acid Grenade (Blast 6) (DC 21), Adhesive Grenade (Snare 6) (DC Ref/Staged 16), Flash Bang Grenade (Dazzle 6) (DC Fort/Ref 16), Neural Reset Grenade (Stun 6) (DC Fort/Staged 16), Shock Gel Grenade (Paralyze 6) (DC Fort/Staged 16), Stink Bomb (Nauseate 6) (DC Fort/Staged 16), Sword Strike (Strike 3), +10 (DC 23), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 20) Defense: +6/+9 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -9 Initiative: +3 Languages: English Native Totals: Abilities 38 + Skills 20 (80 ranks) + Feats 11 + Powers 77 + Combat 22 + Saves 12 + Drawbacks 0 = 180 Age (as of Jan 2019): 21 Height: 5’ 5” Weight: 120 lbs Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown Base of Operations: University of Cambridge, England, United Kingdom Background: Until 2012, Sophie Knight had spent all 14 years of her life firmly in the background. There were no public expectations set on her. Not really. She could just be a normal girl. Except she was neither blind nor deaf, and certainly not an idiot. She remembers Emily, prior to 2005. She misses that version of her sister, sometimes. The one who wasn’t so hurt and angry. She misses when they were just a regular family, without any of the drama from the ensuing years. She knows that her being like Mom (a chemistry genius) made Emily feel more alone. Like she didn’t belong. But honestly, Sophie was nothing more than a background character. She did everything she could to get good grades, behave in school, and in general not make anybody in the family’s life any harder than it already was. She didn’t know how to fix any of their problems, but at least she couldn’t add to them. And she could offer hugs. This is why she took up her mother’s mantle of Alchemist Girl. Emily was off doing Lady Knight things and Mom and Dad were sad about it. So she got out her mother’s old costume and original grenade satchel. A seven year old offering emotional support in the form of replacing her sister when they went out on less dangerous adventures. They were very happy, so she was helping, right? Right? Right. It had to be. Sophie had settled into a classic example of the “good child”. The one who deals with their own problems by themselves, so the parents they adore have more time for both their own issues and those of the “bad child”. Randall was being slapped in the face with his own mortality and had to get totally untrained Daniel up to speed. Morgan was scatterbrained, not the most emotionally astute, and had a billion dollar company to run. Emily was going through her brooding anti-hero period. And Daniel was suddenly thrown into a whole new life. Everyone had their own problems, but at least Sophie couldn’t add to them. And as Alchemist Girl she could do more than just offer hugs. Even if she was scared. Even if sometimes it was really terrible and she didn’t know what to do. Emily could do it because she was tough. Sophie didn’t think she was tough at all. This brings us to 2012. Glastonbury Tor. Of course Alchemist Girl accompany The Knight and Lady Alchemist there. She was their emotional support daughter, after all. To be clear, the previous is in her own mind. Randall and Morgan leaned much more on each other than on their younger daughter. Sophie was simply unaware of that fact. They, Emily, and Daniel went through the trials and fought the battles. Sophie was scared as usual but forged ahead anyway. And now she bears her father’s armor. He got a new one. Daniel did too. Emily still got next to nothing. This did not make Sophie feel better. Not at all. She privately asked the Marshal-At-Arms to take it back. To give it to her sister. She didn’t want it in the slightest. She wasn’t even a sword…person, for heaven’s sake She threw chemical grenades! To which that frustrating man said that made her only more worthy to have it. Sophie really didn’t and still doesn’t understand that line of reasoning. So now she got to be a new thing. The Alchemist Knight. How was she even supposed to do this? As of the current year, she’s arguably still not figured it out. She doesn’t work with her parents all the time anymore. She’s at Cambridge, so it makes sense. Sometimes she works with her sister and sometimes with Daniel. The latter of which is always quite solicitious of her welfare. He’s not trying to chat her up. That’d be weird, they’ve known each other since Sophie was in Grade 2. They’re practically brother and sister. But he does seem to be looking after her more than he did before. She doesn’t know what’s up with that. And that’s the story, really. She hasn’t picked a Squire because she doesn’t want to. Shortly before she left for university, the armor twitched a little like it was going to go somewhere soon. So, she weighed it down with cold iron and put it inside a magic circle in the weapons storage room at home. Her life is complicated enough. She doesn’t need another face in it. Powers & Tactics: The Alchemist Knight has no superhuman powers aside from having received the same biochemistry enhancement serum that all Knight Family members have. It makes her more resistant to uh…everything. But especially environmental concerns, disease, poison, and suffocation. Thanks for the formula, Mum. Aside from that she has three magical devices in the armor, sword, and shield of The Knight, and one technological device in her satchel full of chemical grenades. The shield and sword of The Knight are just that; a protective shield that helps block and deflect attacks and a nice sharp sword. The armor, however, increases physical strength and lifting capacity in addition to being functionally bulletproof scale mail. The weight limit on its strength is a little less than 6 and a half tons. The last item is a set of translation enchantments that let the wearer both speak and understand any language. The combination of armor and shield can permit her to ignore artillery fire. She knows this because her father did it. All three devices are indestructible by any known means, and can disguise themselves as regular clothing and items. Her Grenade Satchel contains acid, self repairing adhesive, flash bang, electrical stun, electrical paralysis, and stink bomb grenades. The remaining item is reverse engineered, as her mother guards the formula for her healing tonics closely. Sophie’s are inferior, like her grenades. However, they still virtually invoke Clarke’s Law. A few ounces of ingested liquid can cause any living creature to instantly heal their worst injury, be it from violence, disease, or poison. The inferior part is that it can fail to work on those without strong constitutions. It will fail to heal the average person approximately 15 percent of the time. This seems like a nonproblem, however the equivalent failure rate of her mother’s formula is 0 percent. Ah, well. She’ll figure it out one of these days. Tactically, The Alchemist Knight is not a natural at combat. She’s still more or less in swordmanship training. So she still relies on her chemical grenades. Acid Grenade is not used on living beings, period. Adhesive Grenade is her go to. She is rarely fighting solo, so Flash Bang Grenades and Stink Bombs are Plan B. If she has to handle things herself, Neural Reset and Shock Gel Grenades can handle that if the others aren’t working. The sword is Plan D, as she genuinely doesn’t want to actually injure anyone. As mentioned, she’s not a combat natural by any means. So no feinting or demoralizing. She does have Defensive Attack to protect herself, Power Attack to do more damange, and Takedown Attack to cut down enemies should she actually use her sword. This is, however, unlikely. Don’t forget that while she’s not the chemist her mother is, she still has Inventor. Power stunts would be other chemical grenades. But getting them is easily accomplished with Inventor, so she doesn’t normally bother. It’d be something like Sleep Gas Grenades (Fatigue 6 with Cloud Area and Range [ranged]). Personality: The meme is a little old now, at the time of writing, but Sophie Knight is a precious cinnamon roll. Too good for this world. Too pure. Nothing but a sweetheart who wants to help people more than anything. She is a kindhearted, compassionate girl who does her best and doesn’t make trouble for anyone. This is, in many ways, the problem with her. She just keeps swallowing her teeth, metaphorically speaking. She can’t get angry and complain. She can’t be visibly sad. That might make her parents or someone else unhappy. Everyone has enough to worry about without adding her to the list. She has developed into the kind of person who refuses to allow herself to become a bother. The type who will likely literally die before asking for any kind of help. To be clear, she has also developed into a very good superhero. Many people owe her their lives and she’s very well liked. But her smile and cheerful, positive attitude are things she puts on with her clothes in the morning. She pretends to be just fine all the time. Nobody has to worry about this Knight, be she Sophie or The Alchemist. But by the same token, nobody really knows her, either. She’s not lying, exactly. The smile and the attitude are legitimately hers. With that said, everyone feels bad sometimes. Angry. Scared. Sad. Whatever. Sophie shoves this down inside and keeps smiling. For everyone else’s sakes. She’s self sacrificial to a fault. An example of what happens when someone favors the shield too much and the sword not at all. As a final note, it should be said that she has inherited most of her mother’s autism and ADHD symptoms. However, instead of reveling in her eccentricities, she suppresses most of them. Can’t cause trouble for the people she cares about, after all. So she’s under a lot of strain on top of what is mentioned above.
EternalPhoenix Posted February 20, 2023 Author Posted February 20, 2023 Templar (Daniel Page) Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 210/210 STR: +7 (14/25), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16) Tough: +3/+12, Fort: +6/+9, Ref: +10, Will: +11 Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Disable Device 3 (+5), Drive 2 (+5), Escape Artist 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 8 (+10), Knowledge (business) 8 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 13 (+15), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 8 (+10), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Search 3 (+5), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Sleight of Hand 2 (+5), Stealth 2 (+5), Survival 2 (+5) Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Assessment, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Attack Specialization 2 (Glaive Throw (Blast 3)), Benefit (Wealth), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus, Elusive Target, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Glaive Strike (Strike 3)), Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trick, Interpose, Luck 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Stunning Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Enhanced Biochemistry (Linked) Enhanced Trait 3 (Linked; Traits: Fortitude +3 (+9)) Immunity 9 (Linked; life support; Limited - Half Effect) Templar's Armor (Device 9) (Hard to lose, Only you can use; Indestructible, Subtle (subtle)) Armored Might (Super-Strength 6) (+30 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 25.6 tons; +6 STR to some checks) Armored Strength (Enhanced Strength 11) (+11 STR) Heavy Plate (Protection 9) (+9 Toughness; Impervious) Translation Enchantments (Comprehend 2) (languages - speak all, languages - understand all) Templar's Glaive (Device 3) (Easy to lose, Only you can use; Indestructible, Subtle (subtle)) Glaive Strike (Strike 3) (DC 25, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Glaive Strike (Strike 3)); Penetrating [2 extra ranks]; Extended Reach 2 (10 ft.), Mighty, Precise) Glaive Throw (Blast 3) (Alternate; DC 25; Mighty 7 (+7 to damage), Precise) Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +12, Grapple: +19/+25) Attacks: Glaive Strike (Strike 3), +12 (DC 25), Glaive Throw (Blast 3), +12 (DC 25), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 22) Defense: +10 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -10 Initiative: +7 Languages: English Native Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 32 (128 ranks) + Feats 33 + Powers 61 + Combat 34 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 210 Age (as of Jan 2019): 28 Height: 6’ 2” Weight: 185 lbs Ethnicity: Black British Hair: Black Eyes: Dark Brown Base of Operations: London, England, United Kingdom Background: The tale of Daniel Page is that of a young man who almost became a supervillain, thanks to the immortal nemesis of the Knight Family, Blackguard. On paper, it was just another one of his dastardly schemes to kill Sir Randall and end the legacy of The Knight for good. He caused Diane Page (Daniel’s mother) to fall deathly ill with his nefarious powers, and then manipulated the young man into luring Sir Randall into a trap with a promise of healing. This was, obviously, a long term scheme. Sir Randall and Daniel had met on a few occasions, and the young man knew how to contact the fourth Knight. This wasn’t entirely unusual, either. Sir Randall being who he is, there are several people who have earned, for lack of a better way to put it, the right to have his personal contact information. He knows that they won’t call him for nothing or merely to say hello. In Daniel’s case, he was starting to go down the wrong path. When one is too young to get a job and help their mother out with the bills (and she wouldn’t permit it regardless), one begins to explore other, less legal options. Like burglary and pickpocketing. The ever duplicitous Blackguard weaseled his way into the young man’s life. He deceived, tricked, and duped him. He left the poor lad hoodwinked, bamboozled, and thoroughly conned. And so was Sir Randall ensnared, helpless, with his life in the balance. However, before the vile and iniquitous Blackguard could strike the final blow, 14 year old Daniel Page stepped between the two. He would not allow this to happen. One of the finest swordsmen in Europe versus and unarmed and untrained boy. It would have gone exactly as expected. Except. At that exact moment, miles away in the Knight Family Estate, the enchanted chain mail and short sword of The Squire glowed in its storage area and disappeared. If The Knight would not select his Squire, then the mail would select one for him. Specifically, Daniel. Now the fight was slightly more even. He could and did hold off the enraged Blackguard long enough for Lady Alchemist to arrive and aid her husband with a Healing Tonic. Then the Knight and his new Squire drove off the villain before collapsing from their injuries. So. Daniel Page was The Squire. His mother was too ill to take care of him, so she went to the hospital (with all bills sent to Knight Industries) and the Knight Family took him in. Emily hated him on sight for (in her mind) stealing her birthright, and it was hard for Daniel to disagree. Morgan seems to wince a little whenever she saw him, which kind of made sense once he learned the basic family history. Meaning he was her husband’s replacement when he died in probably less than a decade. But she was still quite kind, if incredibly eccentric. Sophie was quite young, but clearly doing her best to not cause problems of her own. Her taking up her mother’s old heroic mantle of Alchemist Girl was proof of that. And Sir Randall, well…Daniel still admires him for looking at the literal proof in the form of an lightly armored teenage boy that his death was preordained in an all too short amount of time and…not even blinking. Randall both trained and treated Daniel quite well when another man wouldn’t have done either out of fear. He’ll always ben quite greatful to Sir Randall for that. At any rate, his life was school (then Oxford), training, and being The Squire. Sir Randall set a blistering pace as a hero, almost exactly like a man who knew he was running out of time. 2012. Glastonbury Tor. Sir Randall was not running out of time. The Knight Family went together, including the still ailing Diane Page. Despite modern medicine and even Morgan’s best efforts, she was still very ill. They had managed to keep her alive, but were at their wits end. Which is really saying something for The World’s Finest Chemist. There were some fights, some trials of character, and something entirely unexpected happened. Avalon granted Sir Randall and Daniel new, superior armors. Sir Randall became Crusader and Daniel became Templar. Sophie became the new Knight or, as she put it, The Alchemist Knight. Emily stopped hating him after she learned it was never her birthright in the first place. That was nice. Avalon is a place of healing, and so they took Diane in to see what they could do. Even better. As a last thing, the Marshal-At-Arms pulled him aside and asked him to look after Sophie a bit. She was very good at taking care of everyone else, but a bit rubbish at taking care of herself. Like mother, like daughter, albeit in different ways, said Daniel. He could do that. These days Daniel works for Knight Industries under Morgan. He has his MBA from Oxford. She spends much more time in the lab then the boardroom. This has been a problem in the past, so Daniel keeps an eye on business matters and any ambitious employees. Officially he’s a consultant, but everyone knows he’s her eyes and ears. He gets up to see Sophie at Cambridge when he can. He works with both her and Emily fairly often on heroic matters. It is, however, when the former Knight and his former Squire team up again that the British supervillain community groans aloud. Crusader and Templar have impeccable teamwork and only the toughest villains in all Britain make them so much as break a sweat. Avalon managed to cure his mother’s illness. She just has to stay there. Fair enough. All in all, it’s not a bad life. Powers & Tactics: Templar has no superhuman powers aside from having received the same biochemistry enhancement serum that all Knight Family members have. It makes him more resistant to uh…everything. But especially environmental concerns, disease, poison, and suffocation. Thanks for the formula, Mrs. Morgan. Aside from that, he has two enchanted devices in the form of the armor and glaive of Templar. Templar’s armor is heavy plate capable of ignoring artillery fire. It increases his strength significantly, with a maximum lifting capacity of over 50 tons. It has translation enchantments that permit him to speak and understand any language. For the record, a glaive is a polearm weapon with a single edged slashing blade as its main attacking point. A blade on a stick, if we’re being simplistic. The blade is quite sharp and cuts very well with much more range than non-polearm weapons have. Surprisingly, he can also throw it for ranged damage as if it was an ordinary spear. A chain attaches from the armor and retrieves it immediately after each throw. Daniel has not yet figured out if he can use that chain in other ways, like preventing himself from being disarmed or making some sort of attack. And if he can, how would he even use it? Thoughts for another day. Both armor and weapon are indestructible by any known method and can disguise themselves. This includes, for the glaive, being collapsible. Tactically, Templar only has the two attack options. One in melee and the other at range. So that part’s simple enough. The rest, well. People tend not to expect a man in heavy plate to move like he’s wearing spandex instead. Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Improved Feint, Improved Trick, and Improved Taunt make his enemies’ lives more difficult. It’s amazing how annoying being concerned for someone’s welfare can be if phrased correctly. Accurate, All Out, Defensive, and Power Attack let him shift his caps around to his heart’s content. Assessment informs him of which is best. Interpose keeps the vulnerable nice and healthy. He does prefer the shield over the sword, after all. Move by Action keeps him mobile, especially in a ranged fight. Stunning Attack applies a more polite version of violence to today’s foes. And Takedown Attack 2 plus the range on the Glaive means no minions are safe. Personality: To be clear, Templar doesn’t think poorly of himself. The interpersonal troubles the Knight Family has endured are not his fault. He is, however, the cause. If he had not been chosen as the Squire…if he had not betrayed Sir Randall that day…well, who can say? Perhaps Emily and her father wouldn’t have endured seven years of estrangement. Perhaps Sophie would take care of herself better. It is not his fault that these things aren’t so. He knows that. Britain and the world are undeniably better off because he was chosen. Lives saved, schemes thwarted, and villains imprisioned. He knows that. But the moment that chain mail appeared on his body, the Knight Family fundamentally broke in a way it still hasn’t recovered from. That it may never recover from. It may not be his fault, but he chooses to make it his responsibility to do something about it. Even if it’s only being a loyal friend and crimefighting partner to all four of them as often as possible. Templar is remarkably like his mentor and partner. He is kind and generous with both his time and his money. He is polite and respectful, treating everyone the level of deference they deserve. Indeed, Daniel Page strives only to be a good man. A man of kindness and forgiveness. Of empathy and compassion. Of courage and valor. And of honor and respect. With that said, Sir Randall is just a bit…stuffy. Daniel idolizes the man as many do, but he is not the type of man who would be considered “fun” in the traditional sense. Daniel, on the other hand, is a bit more socially graceful. He has a easy smile and a quick laugh. Sir Randall is the best possible version of your dad. Inspirational, yes. Relatable, no. By contrast Daniel is everyone’s best mate. Easygoing until it’s time not to be. A man with a quite relaxed nature who nonetheless can be deathly serious at need.
EternalPhoenix Posted February 20, 2023 Author Posted February 20, 2023 Umbrella Queen (Siobhanna) Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 165/165 STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +5 (20) Tough: +3/+9, Fort: +6, Ref: +6/+9, Will: +9 Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+10), Bluff 10 (+15), Diplomacy 10 (+15), Escape Artist 2 (+5), Gather Information 5 (+10), Knowledge (art) 13 (+15), Knowledge (business) 3 (+5), Knowledge (current events) 3 (+5), Knowledge (popular culture) 8 (+10), Medicine 3 (+5), Notice 8 (+10), Perform (acting) 5 (+10), Perform (dance) 10 (+15), Perform (singing) 10 (+15), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 7 (+10) Feats: All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 8, Benefit 2 (Wealth), Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Evasion 2, Improved Critical 2 (Umbrella Smack (Strike 4)), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Lionheart, Luck 3, Power Attack, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Bluff, Medicine, Perform (dancing & singing)), Stunning Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Teamwork 3, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Shield Umbrella (Device 3) (Easy to lose, Only you can use; Indestructible, Subtle (subtle)) Shield Blocking (Impervious Toughness 3) (Duration (continuous); Duration (sustained)) Shield Deflection (Enhanced Trait 12) (Traits: Defense Bonus +3 (+9), Reflex +3 (+9), Feats: Evasion 2, Improved Defense) Striking Umbrella (Device 2) (Easy to lose; Indestructible, Subtle (subtle)) Umbrella Smack (Strike 4) (DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Umbrella Smack (Strike 4)); Penetrating [3 ranks only]; Mighty) Umbrella Coat (Device 4) (Hard to lose, Only you can use; Indestructible) Umbrella Plating (Protection 6) (+6 Toughness; Impervious) Waterproof+Miscell Immunities (Immunity (critical hits, damage type: Water, environmental condition: Radiation) Attack Bonus: +4 (Ranged: +4, Melee: +12, Grapple: +14) Attacks: Umbrella Smack (Strike 4), +12 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17) Defense: +6/+9 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -9 Initiative: +7 Languages: English Native Totals: Abilities 34 + Skills 28 (112 ranks) + Feats 30 + Powers 40 + Combat 20 + Saves 13 + Drawbacks 0 = 165 Age (as of Jan 2019): 26 Height: 5’ 8” Weight: 140 lbs Ethnicity: Afro-Barbadian Hair: Black Eyes: Dark Brown Base of Operations: London, England, United Kingdom Background: It wasn’t any one thing. Siobhanna (pronounced Sheh-vaughn-na) doesn’t have some fancy backstory motivating her. Not all heroes do, you know. There’s no great tragedy to angst over, either. Truthfully, the beginning of a heroic career is often quite mundane. And so it was with the new Umbrella Queen. She didn’t quite know when she’d gotten her powers, exactly. A storm whipped through London, breaking a lot of umbrellas with high winds. So far, so normal. Hers, however, was torn out of her hands instead. Still reasonably normally. A quality umbrella can be pretty sturdy, and she had the money to afford one at the time. Best selling debut albums tend to give the artist a boatload of cash, after all. It blew into the street, and the normality ended as it smacked into a windshield and cracked it. It landed softly in the road, and a different car broken it’s bumper running into it. The umbrella sustained no damage of any kind. Siobhanna managed to both play it off as and parlay it into a sponsorship deal with the company that made the umbrella in the first place. The company itself was not able to duplicate the effect. She, however, was. With a different model from a different company. Huh. Of all the random superpowers to have. How random. She could make umbrellas rock hard and indestructible to anything the average person would have around the house. And it was just umbrellas. She tested a dozen different household items with a steak knife. And then she tested the steak knife, just in case. She spent some time thinking about what she wanted to do about it. She wasn’t someone who secretly wanted to be a superhero for her entire life, you know? Buuuuuut. Honestly, what the hell else was it good for? And it wasn’t like she didn’t care about people or want to help them. It’s just that there were other ways for an ordinary young woman with no special skills to do that which weren’t punching crime in the face. Bad guys had guns and she wasn’t bulletproof. Except now she could be, maybe? She just had to put together a little something something, and yeah she could give this a shot. A club, a shield, and some armor? Yeah. Umbrella Queen hit the streets. She’s never really left. However, a rewind is required for greater context. Remember that debut album mentioned in passing? In 2019, Siobhanna is one of the most famous musical artists on the planet. Pop and R&B are her genres. So one of the most famous people on the planet has spent the last several years (when she wasn’t recording, touring, or attending to personal matters) going out at night in a mask and costume to club criminals in the head with an extremely hard umbrella. Like…that’s not the entire story. There’s been organized crime drama, keep her secret identity from the paparazzi drama, and helping her best mate Nisse with his endless Fae drama. She’ll let Nisse tell the story of how they partnered up and Tattoo tell the story of how the dynamic duo became a terrific trio. That is, however, the gist of it. So if you’re in a spot of trouble in London Town, look up the Umbrella Queen and her partners. You can shelter from just about anything under her umbrella. Ella. Ella. A. A. A. Powers & Tactics: Umbrella Queen (UQ for short) has one extremely unusual mutant power and three special devices which utilize it. She can make ordinary everyday umbrellas completely indestructible to all known methods. This process also makes them harder than any known substance. The blunt tines on the end of one have scratched diamonds. Somehow. Though she has discovered that this is slightly incorrect. Most umbrellas are made of nylon with two separate coatings on the underside and top. This particular fabric made in this specific way is what her powers actually affect. It’s simply not a precise effect, bleeding over easily onto the metal frames of most umbrellas. The metal by itself she can’t do anything to, and any other material in the umbrella is totally unaffected. So, the umbrellas she uses as Umbrella Queen are somewhat specially made. No glue, plastic, or wood. 100% stitchwork holding the nylon onto the frame, which is engineered to fit together without welding or glue. Said devices are quite simple in function, really. One umbrella to smack with, one to be a shield against attacks, and a long coat partially made from that nylon fabric. Not completely made from it, because dear god that’d be hot. She’d be invincible, sure, but she’d also die of heat prostration. No, thanks. Being bulletproof plus a few other things (like how water just slides right off of it) is quite enough. Considering that combined with the shielding umbrella she can ignore artillery fire. Yeah, that’s good enough. For the record, the martial art she uses with her striking umbrella and hand to hand is bartitsu. She’s an expert in it. It combines elements of boxing, jujitsu, cane fighting, and savate. Tactically, she’s a melee fighter who hits people with a very hard club. With that said, she has both Improved Feint and Improved Taunt. All Out Attack, Defensive Attack, and Power Attack let her move her caps around at need. She can slide into team player mode with Set Up and Teamwork 3. Lionheart gives her +4 vs Fear. Stunning Attack is for more polite violence than clubbing bad guys about the head and shoulders. And Takedown Attack 2 lets her smash through whole goon squads real easy. (If we’re telling the truth here, her gear and fighting style is inspired by Sir Randall Knight’s days as the fourth Knight, but she’ll never admit to that.) Personality: Umbrella Queen is, well, fun. Also extremely loyal and immensely trustworthy. She has a certain “joy of life” that most don’t. She’s a very happy person, and it’s fairly infectious. With that said, don’t get confused. She’ll move heaven and earth, metaphorically speaking, to help a friend or keep a promise. Fear, fatigue, pain, and injury are kind of irrelevant to doing so. She can be quite saucy and smartmouthed at times. An interesting character quirk is that, while wearing the mask she refers to trouble of any sort as rain. And who better to shield people from the rain than the queen of umbrellas? Honestly, there isn’t any one big motivation for going out there as often as she does. It’s a bunch of little things, you know? Helping people is good. Fighting crime is good. Having Nisse and Tattoo’s backs is good. People rely on her to be around now, so there’s another little reason. And you know, it’s pretty damn cathartic to beat jerkasses about the head and shoulders. Really if she sat down and thought about it she could probably work out some kind of ideology, but bah. Too much effort. The part that matters is that she’s out there anyway. The rest is basically irrelevant.
EternalPhoenix Posted February 20, 2023 Author Posted February 20, 2023 Nisse (Alwyn Kendrick) Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 165/165 STR: +0 (10), DEX: +3 (12/16), CON: +2 (14), INT: +5 (16/20), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +5 (20) Tough: +2/+6, Fort: +5, Ref: +8/+12, Will: +10 Skills: Bluff 10 (+15), Diplomacy 10 (+15), Gather Information 5 (+10), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 10 (+15), Language 3 (+3), Notice 7 (+10), Sense Motive 7 (+10) Feats: Artificer, Attack Focus (ranged) 4, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Evasion, Improved Defense 2, Ritualist, Taunt, Teamwork 3, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Enchanted Senses (Super-Senses 10) (awareness: Magic (visual), counters concealment: Visual, counters illusion: Visual, counters obscure (all): Visual) Faerie Magic (Array 10) (default power: blast) Flight Disc (Flight 6) (Array; Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd; Affects Others, Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General); Platform; Selective, Subtle (subtle)) Illusory Glamours (Illusion 6) (Array; affects: 1 type + visual - visual & auditory, DC 16) Mystic Blast (Blast 10) (Array; DC 25) Mystic Bolts (Blast 6) (Default; DC 21; Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 2 (+4)) Mystic Telekinesis (Move Object 6) (Array; Strength: 30, Carry: 532 / 1.1k / 1.6k / 3.2k; Range (perception); Precise, Subtle (subtle)) Solid Glamours (Create Object 6) (Array; Max Size: 6x 5' cubes, DC 16; Duration (continuous); Precise, Subtle (subtle)) Half-Elven Physiology (Container, Passive 3) Enhanced Dexterity 4 (+4 DEX) Enhanced Intelligence 4 (+4 INT) Immunity 4 (aging, disease, sleep, starvation & thirst; Limited - Half Effect) Leaping 1 (Jumping distance: x2) Super-Senses 4 (extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft), low-light vision, ultra-hearing) Shield Amulet (Device 5) (Hard to lose, Only you can use) Illusory Shielding (Enhanced Trait 15) (Traits: Defense Bonus +4 (+12), Reflex +4 (+12), Feats: Evasion, Improved Defense 2) Mystic Armor (Force Field 4) (+4 Toughness; Impervious [2 extra ranks]) Attack Bonus: +4 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +4, Grapple: +4) Attacks: Mystic Blast (Blast 10), +8 (DC 25), Mystic Bolts (Blast 6), +12 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +4 (DC 15) Defense: +8/+12 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -6 Initiative: +3 Languages: Elven, English Native, French, Welsh Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 13 (52 ranks) + Feats 13 + Powers 72 + Combat 24 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 165 Age (as of Jan 2019): 38 (chronological), 19 (biological) Height: 5’ 9’ Weight: 160 lbs Ethnicity: ½ Elven, ½ Caucasian (Welsh, to be specific) Hair: Blonde Eyes: One Green, One Blue (has heterochromia) Base of Operations: Background: Not every half Elven kid comes from a loving relationship. Neither are all they mistreated or abused as children. Ms. Kendrick was quite young then. She went to a party, met a very charming and sensual gentleman, and had one very good night. She doesn’t mind not recalling all of the specific details, as she got rather inebriated that night. She isn’t quite as clear on why she didn’t get an abortion. She says it simply didn’t occur to her. Alwyn knows what that is. The Winter Court is full of predators of all types. His father is one. It would be pathetically easy for Alwyn himself to geass a young drunk woman into having his child. His father is significantly more powerful and persuasive than he is. It would have been child’s play. Growing up at half speed sucks in general. Doing with a single unwed mother sucks more. Doing it while smallish and pretty sucks yet more. Kids can be such assholes. It was a long, lonely childhood. But whatever. See, neither of his names nor the identity of his moher were accidents. Alwyn means Son of Elves. Kendrick (his mother’s surname) is derived from Cynwrig, which means Greatest Champion. So naturally, great expectations were placed on him for the day he was born. Expectations his father, who had never met, finally deigned to tell him about when he was 16. Chronologically 16, that is. So what was basically an 8 year old had the weight of Ultimate Inescapable Destiny dumped on his shoulders. Superb timing, Father. Well done. Son of Elves and Greatest Champion? To hell with that. Who did he think he was? Showing up after a decade and a half? Honestly. It should now be mentioned that young Alwyn was born a sorcerer. This was also not an accident. His father, in the manner of the Fae, didn’t so much as train him as assign tasks. Tasks that, if not completed, would endanger him, his mother, and/or innocent people. Naturally, this wasn’t every day, every week, or even every month. But often enough. So it was that he grew older and more proficient out of sheer necessity. Nothing more than a puppet whose conscience supplies their own strings. It was in this state that he met Umbrella Queen, and things began to change. She was a rookie in those days, and thought him, well, a colleague. A fellow superhero. With shock, he realized that she wasn’t exactly wrong. He enjoyed her company quite a lot, and so they became partners. Of course, humans are ever unpredictable creatures, capable of disrupting even the best laid plans. Because when, years afterward, Alwyn’s father came to take him to the Winter Court for the next phase of his training, she did not do as Alwyn did and simply accept it as if it were inevitable as the rising and setting of the sun. She got angry. She defended him. She stood in front of the entire Winter Court and told them off, without a care as to what they could do to her. And then she fought his father for him, and won. Her winning had a lot more to do with the steel (AKA cold iron) in her umbrellas than her being more powerful or skilled than a Fae Knight. Alwyn Kendrick, alias Nisse, was now free of everything but his Ultimate Inescapable Destiny. This has not made his life any easier. Becoming free of his father also meant becoming free of a high ranking Fae noble’s protection. So the Son of Elves and Greatest Champion was now fair game to everyone who wanted to prevent him from reaching his Ultimate Inescapable Destiny. Summer Court. Wild Fae. Random wizards. Vampires. Seriously, does everyone know what he’s going to do someday but him? Ahem. Anyway. He’ll also let Tattoo tell the story of how he and UQ’s dynamic duo included her to become a terrific trio. For his part, well. It’s been a ride. His life has not been easy, but now he has a pair of loyal partners by his side. There is just…the one thing, really. If you’re reading this, please. He knows how he looks. Long blond hair. Effeminate natural features. A slim and slight build. Even his sense of fashion isn’t exactly, well. Look, he knows he looks like the bottom in just about every trashy stereotypical male-male romance ever written, all right? He knows. His manner isn’t even particularly imposing, furthering the illusion. But if everyone could please stop assuming that he’s actually like those fictional characters, that would be absolutely wonderful. For the record, he’s quite straight and it is exceedingly tiresome to have to continually disappoint all those gentlemen who try to chat him up. He’s…he believes they call it gender non-conforming, these days? Eh, whatever. He looks how he looks and he likes what he likes, Neither of those has no bearing on his orientation. For heaven’s sake, it’s 2019. Powers & Tactics: Nisse is half-Elven, a sorcerer, and an artificier. He has one magical device. Half of his blood come from the mystical Fae increases his physical dexterity and intellect. He ages at half speed, has a higher resistance to mundane diseases, and less need for food, water, and sleep. He can also leap higher, hear higher frequencies, and see both further and in less light. Relatively minor advantages, but a bit useful. As a sorcerer, his innate magic is Faerie Magic. It is based on the usage of glamours, which are not merely illusions. It is creating something false that then operates as if it was real. The core of it is tricking and deceiving reality itself into believing what the magician is doing is real. An illusion, yes, but one perpetuated on reality and not any one individual’s senses. As such, it’s rather important to not let reality know it is being tricked. Like that one individual, if it knows about the trick, then the illusion doesn’t work. Of course, letting reality know isn’t much more difficult than letting that one individual know. So the tradition works quite well, really. A very flexible and useful one. There is, however, a hell of a downside in modern life. It can be effortlessly countered with use of iron or steel, and if anything made of either is touching his skin, he can’t use it at all. Anyway. Nisse mostly does basic magician stuff with it. A big damaging blast. Rapidfire bolts. Telekinesis. Creating objects that linger until he dismisses them. The illusions expected from Fae magics. The last one, however, is a wide disc that he uses to fly. Since it’s 60 feet in diameter, he can carry multiple people. The speed is subsonic, but rivals modern airliners. This is how the “UQ Trio” gets places further away than around the block. Furthermore, he’s augmented his vision so that it detect magical effects and simply not be deceived by anything. For him, the invisible is visible, visual illusions might as well not exist, and smoke bombs are a waste of time. His device is a shield amulet. It gives him a force field which increases his natural resilience to the point that he can ignore bullets, and subtly alters where he appears to be, making him significantly harder to hit. The latter is especially true when he is focusing on defense. It is not made with Faerie Magic. Artificing is a separate magical discipline. This means attacks using iron or steel will not pass through his defenses like they don’t exist. He learned that lesson after being shot with a steel jacketed bullet quite early in his partnership with UQ. Tactically, he’s more likely to be controlling the battlefield with Illusory or Solid Glamours. He’s not opposed to using Mystic Bolts or doing the car throw with Mystic Telekinesis. Mystic Blast is reserved for tougher foes that won’t take lethal damage from it. Flight Disc is, as mentioned, how he functions as team bus so to speak. He has both Improved Feint and Improved Taunt, and can further support allies with Teamwork 3. And that’s about it. Ritualist uses Faerie Magic as a base, but as mentioned Artificier is a separate thing entirely. Like any magician worth the name, he has a handful of power stunts. Mystic Burst (Blast 6, Burst Area). Mystic Bindings (Snare 10). Full Power Telekinesis (Move Object 10). However, he power stunts rather rarely. Personality: Alwyn didn’t ask for any of this. He didn’t ask to be born. He didn’t ask to be only half human. He didn’t ask to be a sorcerer. He didn’t ask to be Son of Elves and Greatest Champion. Everything that ever happened to him prior to meeting Umbrella Queen was something that happened regardless of anything he thought, felt, or said. Ironically enough for someone with as big of a destiny as he allegedly has, he felt totally powerless to do, well, anything. It was a life of utter monotony with occasional breaks of desperation and terror. A life of gradually increasing despair, and gradually decreasing ability to care about anything at all. And then it wasn’t. He thinks UQ put it best when she defended him in front of the entire Winter Court. The only thing any of them saw was Son of Elves & Greatest Champion. Alwyn Kendrick was irrelevant. UQ, though? She saw him. Perhaps not everything, but she knew he wasn’t happy and she knew why. She had a point, too. A Champion isn’t a Champion because they’re powerful, skilled combatants. A Champion is a Champion because they give a shite. Quite strongly, in fact. And it was that exact thing his father’s training was slowly beating out of him. Matters of the heart of a Summer Court domain. Time goes on. It could fairly be said that Nisse has regained what he lost and acquired more besides. But to tell the truth, he’d really rather be ordinary. Please, don’t misunderstand. He considers his hero work important. Saving people and defending the helpless…they’re good and right. He should be doing this with the power that he has. He’s not disgruntled, or anything. It’s a good life with good friends. But he still has the weight of that Ultimate Inescapable Destiny on his shoulders. Whether he likes it or not, he was special from the moment of his conception. Created specifically for the role he is in. Virtually every other hero on the planet can simply stop. Put the costume away and never help, defend, or save ever again. There is nothing bad that will happen explicitly because they stopped. Alwyn does not have this liberty. This is what he means when he says he’d really rather be ordinary. To never have to wake up and wonder if today’s the day his destiny arrives. It’s quite a lot of pressure. And honestly, he’s just a person. He doesn’t know if he can live up to the expectations placed on him. Well. At least UQ and Tattoo have his back for everything until then. It’s something, at least.
EternalPhoenix Posted February 20, 2023 Author Posted February 20, 2023 Tattoo (Josephine "Finn" Kent) Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 180/180 STR: +2 (+14) (Base, Jaime, & Renee) +5 (14/20) (Satsuki), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +2 (14), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +2 (14) Tough: +2 (Base) +4/+6 (Jaime) +2/+6 (Renee) +6/+8 (Satsuki), Fort: +7, Ref: +8 (Base) +12 (Jaime & Renee) +10 (Satsuki), Will: +9 (Base) +11 (Jaime & Renee) +13 (Satsuki) Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+5/+15 Jaime), Concentration 8 (+10), Craft (electronic) 3 (+5/+15 Satsuki), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+5/+15 Satsuki), Diplomacy 3 (+5/+15 Renee), Drive 3 (+5/+15 Jaime), Escape Artist 3 (+5/+15 Jaime), Gather Information 3 (+5/+15 Renee), Intimidate 3 (+5/+15 Renee), Investigate 3 (+5/+15 Renee), Knowledge (earth sciences) 3 (+5/+15 Jaime), Knowledge (life sciences) 3 (+5/+15 Satsuki), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5/+15 Satsuki), Knowledge (streetwise) 3 (+5/+15 Renee), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+5/+15 Satsuki), Medicine 3 (+5/+15 Satsuki), Notice 8 (+10), Search 3 (+5/+15 Renee), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 3 (+5/+15 Jaime), Survival 3 (+5/+15 Jaime) Feats (Base): Beginner's Luck, Equipment 2, Improved Critical 2 (Renee's Pistol Shot (Blast 4)), Jack-of-All-Trades, Luck 2, Second Chance (Concentration checks to maintain powers), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Feats (w/Jaime): Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Dodge Focus 4, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Takedown Attack 2 Feats (w/Renee): Attack Focus (ranged) 6, Connected, Contacts, Defensive Roll 2, Dodge Focus 4, Improved Aim, Move-by Action, Precise Shot 2, Quick Draw, Skill Mastery (Diplomacy, Gather Info, Intimidate, Investigate), Startle, Well-Informed Feats (w/Satsuki): Attack Focus (melee), Attack Specialization 2 (Unarmed Attack), Defensive Roll, Improved Grab, Improved Grapple, Improved Pin, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Takedown Attack Powers: Psychometric Soul Tattoos (Mimic 9) (mimic: all traits, Feats: Beginner's Luck, Jack-of-All-Trades; Residual; Channeling (Must have loved the deceased to mimic)) Psychometry (Super-Senses 4) (postcognition; Limited (to touched objects)) Renee's Pistol (Device 2) (Easy to lose) Renee's Pistol Shot (Blast 4) (DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Renee's Pistol Shot (Blast 4))) Satsuki's Safe Scientific Gear (Device 6) (Hard to lose, Restricted use (Must know Satsuki's password (that Tattoo must be active))) Analysis Goggles (Super-Senses (analytical (type): Visual, extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft), infravision, microscopic vision 2 (cell-size), ultravision) Gripper Arms Backpack (Linked) Additional Limbs 2 (Linked; 2 extra limbs; +2 to Grapple when not using Imp. Grapple, Feats: Improved Grapple) Elongation 3 (Linked; Elongation: 25 ft., range incr 30 ft., +3 Escape & Grapple; Projection) Enhanced Strength 6 (Linked; +6 STR) Super-Strength 3 (Linked; +15 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 3.2k lbs; +3 STR to some checks) Hover Disc (Flight 2) (Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd; Platform) Psychometric Soul Tattoos Settings: Jaime Langford (Blaze Knuckle) (Power Setting) (Powers: Martial Arts (Strike 2), Pain Tolerance (Protection 2), Acrobatics +10 (+15), Drive +10 (+15), Escape Artist +10 (+15), Knowledge (earth sciences) +10 (+15), Stealth +10 (+15), Survival +10 (+15), Reflex +4 (+12), Will +2 (+11), Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Dodge Focus 4, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Takedown Attack 2) Martial Arts (Strike 2) (DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Martial Arts (Strike 2)); Accurate (+2), Mighty) Pain Tolerance (Protection 2) (+2 Toughness) Renee Allen (Query) (Power Setting) (Powers: Evidence Gathering (Quickness 3), No Evidence Left Behind (Super-Senses 2), Diplomacy +10 (+15), Gather Information +10 (+15), Intimidate +10 (+15), Investigate +10 (+15), Knowledge (streetwise) +10 (+15), Search +10 (+15), Reflex +4 (+12), Will +2 (+11), Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 6, Connected, Contacts, Defensive Roll 2, Dodge Focus 4, Improved Aim, Move-by Action, Precise Shot 2, Quick Draw, Skill Mastery (Diplomacy, Gather Info, Intimidate, Investigate), Startle, Well-Informed) Evidence Gathering (Quickness 3) (Perform routine tasks at 10x speed; One Task (Search checks to gather evidence)) No Evidence Left Behind (Super-Senses 2) (counters concealment: Visual; Limited (to Search checks)) Satsuki Tanahashi (Miss Fixer) (Power Setting) (Powers: High Pain Tolerance (Protection 4), Low Level Telepathy (Communication 3), Polymath (Quickness 4), Craft (electronic) +10 (+15), Craft (mechanical) +10 (+15), Knowledge (life sciences) +10 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) +10 (+15), Knowledge (technology) +10 (+15), Medicine +10 (+15), Defense Bonus +2 (+10), Reflex +2 (+10), Will +4 (+13), Feats: Attack Focus (melee), Attack Specialization 2 (Unarmed Attack), Defensive Roll, Improved Grab, Improved Pin, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Takedown Attack) High Pain Tolerance (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness) Low Level Telepathy (Communication 3) (sense type: mental; Omni-Directional Area; Limited (Only with friends/loved ones)) Polymath (Quickness 4) (Perform routine tasks at 25x speed; One Type) Equipment: Blaze Knuckle’s Sash 0, Jaime's Motorcycle, Miss Fixer’s Watch 0, Query’s Fedora 0 Attack Bonus (Base): +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +8, Grapple: +10) Attack Bonus (Jaime Langford): +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +12, Grapple: +14) Attack Bonus (Renee Allen): +8 (Ranged: +14, Melee: +8, Grapple: +10) Attack Bonus (Satsuki Tanahashi): +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +8, Grapple: +13/+19) Attacks (Base): Renee's Pistol Shot (Blast 4), +8 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 17) Attacks (Jaime Langford): Martial Arts (Strike 2), +14 (DC 22), Renee's Pistol Shot (Blast 4), +8 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 17) Attacks (Renee Allen): Renee's Pistol Shot (Blast 4), +14 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 17) Attacks (Satsuki Tanahashi): Renee's Pistol Shot (Blast 4), +8 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack (Gripper Arms), +13 (DC 20), Unarmed Attack (regular arms), +8 (DC 17) Defense (Base): +8 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -1 Defense (Jaime Langford): +12 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -2/-3 Defense (Renee Allen): +12 (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -1/-3 Defense (Satsuki Tanahashi): +10 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -3/-4 Initiative: +2 (+6 Jaime) Languages: English Native Totals: Abilities 24 + Skills 20 (78 ranks) + Feats 6 + Powers 80 + Combat 32 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 180 **************************************************************************************** Jaime's Motorcycle Power Level: 9; Equipment Points Spent: 10 STR: +5 (20) Toughness: +8 Powers: Speed 5 (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd) Defense: +0 Totals: Abilities 2 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 0 + Powers 5 + Combat 0 + Saves 3 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 10 Age (as of Jan 2019): 27 Height: 5’ 10” Weight: 150 Ethnicity: ½ Black British, ½ Caucasian Hair: Brown Eyes: Light Brown Base of Operations: London, England, United Kingdom Background: Every Five Year Vet knows the stats. 90% of rookie heroes don’t make it to the second year. 90% of the remainder that finish that first year don’t get to the full five. This is not necessarily as dire as it sounds. A lot can change for the usually young rookie hero. Any number of things could happen that has absolutely nothing to do with their hero life but nonetheless require them to quit. With that said, hero work is extremely dangerous and rookies/the inexperienced can quickly find themselves in over their heads with no backup. Friends and family can be menaced and harmed. It tends to be forgotten, sometimes, but not everyone is the Exiles. Or The Seawings. Or the Icons. Not everyone can pull miracles out of desperate situations. The heroes who do it regularly tend to have expert medican attention if not outright healing powers available on demand. And the demand for their services is often quite high. With all that mind, there are three stories to be told. That of Jaime Langford, Renee Allen, and Satsuki Tanahashi. Or (as they attempted to be better known as) Blaze Knuckle, Query, and Miss Fixer. Jaime Langford was an occasional dojo sparring partner of Emily Knight. At the time, she was actually better than the heroine. This prompted Jaime to consider heroics herself. And she was actually quite good at it. The martial artist Blaze Knuckle was arguably the most promising rookie in a while. Teen martial artist who had “it”. She got through her first year, which was impressive. She got through her second and looked on track to coast through the five year boundary. Behind the scenes, however, she was starting to fall apart. It’s one thing to be a high school student, maintain a social lifef, and do superhero work. It’s quite another to add a part time job and swap high school for university on top of it. So when she was out with her beloved girlfriend (Josephine "Finn" Kent) and that drunk driver ran the light, she was simply too exhausted to react quickly. She shoved Finn out of the way, but was herself struck. She died there in the street before the ambulance even arrived. Inspector Renee Allen of Scotland Yard led the investigation that sent the drunk driver to prison. She was a respected member of law enforcement, having worked with Paragon, Big Ben, and even Sir Randall Knight. She was a skilled detective, a crack shot by police standards, and compassionate towards crime victims. The latter of which is why she kept in touch with a heartbroken Finn, which led to a romantic relationship between the two. However, every detective worthy of the term has That One Case. Such things cannot usually be solved within the restrictions that law enforcement operates under, so Renee Allen put on a mask and became Query. She was neither a prodigy nor incompetent; just a typical rookie hero. With that said, she was an example of someone who put on the mask for the wrong reasons. She did it out of obsession, not altruism. She was never quite as good as she thought she was, either. She got in over her head, and into a situation she could not easily get out of. She was shot and left for dead. She survived long enough to get home. She died in Finn’s arms before the ambulance could arrive. Paragon, however, had been keeping tabs on her. He recruited Umbrella Queen and Nisse. Together they finished what Query had started. This was UQ and Nisse’s first encounter with Finn. It would not be the last. Finn thought she was cursed, haunted, or going crazy. Heartbroken twice over, she had moved to a new neighborhood and was attempting to live a quiet life as a barista. Satsuki Tanahashi was a regular customer, and always stared at Finn whenever Finn’s issues started to act up. Turns out, Satsuki knew Finn was not cursed, haunted, or going crazy. She has psychometry. Extremely strong psychometry. She needed help to learn to control it. Help Satsuki was all too happy to provide. She had three other things going on, only two of which she shared with Finn. First, she was a genius tech specialist, operating as the hero Miss Fixer. She was post first year, but pre fifth year. Second, she was just as knowledgeable about medical science and biology as she was about physics and technology. Hence how she knew about Finn’s powers just by observing her over several weeks. Third, however, was what she did not tell Finn at all. The reason behind those first two items. She was younger than Finn was at this point, and had spent much of her childhood in and out of hospitals for leukemia. There was always room for hope, but by her teen years Satsuki admitted to herself she wasn’t living to be old. It had come back before when thought gone, and undoubtedly would again. Hence a bit of training while she was still relatively healthy and doing the best she could for everyone else. She did not expect to fall in love for the first time. This is where Umbrella Queen and Nisse re enter the tale. The British hero community is smaller and more tightly knit than the American one. Who else could you trust with the woman you love after you’re gone but a duo of Five Year Vets? So, some introductions were made and everyone was hitting it off swimmingly. Just in time for Satsuki to get sick again. This time, however, her oncologist (cancer specialist doctor) uttered the dread word “metastasized”. You, Dear Reader, know how this ends. With Finn holding another love in her arms as they died. This time, however, she was not left alone. There was a pair of superhero friends to console her. There was also the appearance of Lady Knight and Paragon. Miss Fixer had it both right and wrong. Finn was neither haunted nor going crazy…but she had been cursed. Paragon knew why. He’d recruited Lady Knight (the rest of her family were unavailable), and left it to Nisse to explain and counter the spell holding Finn’s powers back. And for the first time in her 24 years, Finn Kent gained full access to her powers in a powerful surge of psionic energy. It was time to kick ass. What was happening? A conspiracy of supervillains had been working to cut off new heroes at the source. The original Chasseur over in Quebec, Canada, had systematically eradicated all heroes in that province this way. His only failings were trying to do everything himself instead employing a little teamwork and not employing nearly enough finesse for a trick archer. Blaze Knuckle (Jaime Langford) was so exhausted because she’d been up against their machinations, and it was a matter of time before she made a mistake. Query (Renee Allen) had actually discovered much of what they were doing before her murder, which drew in the more cautious and experience Paragon. And Miss Fixer (Satsuki Tanahashi) had been deliberately poisoned at the coffee shop Finn worked at, causing her leukemia to recur stronger than ever. Finn and her psychometry linked the whole thing together, and guess who was helping her to get it under control. Oh, yes. It was absolutely time to kick ass. So. You know. Lady Knight, Paragon, Umbrella Queen, Nisse, and the newly christened Tattoo rolled out and absolutely stomped the conspiracy. The fight itself wasn’t some spectacular city spanning affair. These were relatively low rent supervillains, after all. It was spectacular for a steel level battle, to be sure, but only that. Didn’t even leave the block. Afterwards, they went their separate ways. Lady Knight and Paragon both left alone after promising to keep in touch. UQ & Nisse, however, stuck by their friend. Thus was formed the “UQ Trio”, and they’ve been working together for the past few years. Powers & Tactics: Tattoo is both a metahuman and a mutant. It’s incredibly rare, but sometimes the use of someone’s metahuman powers functions as the trigger to activate their mutant ones. She is a psionic with both powers, and carries two technological devices. As a metahuman, she is a psychometric, able to see the past of any object she touches. It is her mutant psionic power, however, that is fascinating. It works in tandem with her psychometry to let her apparently mimic the knowledge, skills and abilities of the person who owned the item in question. Please note the past tense. The owner of the item has to be dead. Not only that, but she needs to have had a strong emotional connection to that owner. It can seem like she’s summoning their spirit and letting it partially possess her. Especially since she talks about them like they’re in her head with her. The three small tattoos on her chest of their faces don’t help her power not seem supernatural. But it isn’t. The knowledge, skills, and abilities she gains are activated via psychometry, yes, but they’re specifically her own perception of what Jaime, Renee, and Satsuki were capable of. The originals weren’t quite as good as she perceived them to be. So, ironically enough, her rose colored glasses for her three late girlfriends make her better in some ways than they ever were. That’s how psionics work. The mind and will makes it real. As a note, it is possible that the strong emotional connection to the item’s owner and the item’s owner being dead are psychological limits she places on herself unconsciously, and not the actual limitations of her powers. Furthermore, it is unknown if she can replicate actual superpowers, as the three she has did not have any themselves (with one very small exception). Jaime Langford, alias Blaze Knuckle, was a martial artist. She was a practitioner of kickboxing, muay thai, and a compatible Changquan style (Changquan being the classic acrobatic and kick heavy style of Chinese martial arts). Years of dedicated training had made her a better striker than grappler, and heightened her resistance to pain. She was a skilled acrobat and driver, and was knowledgeable in geography, geology, and wilderness survival. The items Tattoo keeps to access her are her motorcycle (willed to Finn, one way in which Jaime was smart about things) and the sash she wore as Blaze Knuckle. Renee Allen, alias Query, was a highly skilled detective and crack shot with handguns. Her detective work was excellent in all three dimensions. Few knew the criminal world better, including the actual criminals. Questioning suspects, interviewing potential witnesses, and gathering physical evidence. She could do it all. The latter of which she could do quite rapidly compared to many. She never seemed to miss anything that was hidden when evidence gathering, either. The items Tattoo keeps to access her are her Pistol (not turned in to Scotland Yard, naughty Finn) and the fedora Renee wore as part of her Query outfit. The Pistol can be used without Renee being active, but she’s the one who’s highly accurate with it. So normally pointless. Satsuki Tanahashi, alias Miss Fixer, was a highly skilled scientist (in both life and physical sciences). She was additionally a tech specialist, inventor, and doctor. A lifetime of leukemia treatment had increased her pain tolerance to about human maximum. Finn may not be able to replicate her natural genius intellect, but she can replicate the sheer speed with which Satsuki figured things out. It is Finn’s replication of Satsuki’s very limited telepathy (under a mile range and only with people she has a strong emotional connection with) that shows that Finn could very well be able to replicate actual superhuman powers. The items Tattoo keeps to access her are the watch she wore as Miss Fixer (it’s time for science was her catchphrase, because nerd) and her Safe Scientific Gear. The Gear consists of Analysis Goggles, a Gripper Arms Backpack, and a Hover Disc. The first and last are basically what they say they are. It’s tough to do science if you can’t see what you’re doing, and an analysis suite is just helpful. The Disc was quite useful for observing situations where being on the ground was, uh, hazardous. Also sometimes she was too tired to walk. The Gripper Arms Backpack, however. was explicitly an assist device. Satsuki spent her entire life small, and much of it weak and exhausted. Her arms and hands could not be trusted. So she made a second set. Stronger than she would ever be, and able to reach much further than her short arms ever could. The maximum lifting capacity of the arms is over 3 tons, so they’re pretty good at hitting and grappling people too. As a side note, Finn cannot use the Safe Scientific Gear without Satsuki being active. Using it requires a password that only Satsuki knows. Why Finn can’t remember or use it without her active is apparently another psychological limitation, as it was one that Satsuki had herself. Tactically, Tattoo isn’t as complicated as she appears to be. Jaime is the normal go to for combat situations, and she’s a pure unarmed fighter who uses Improved Acrobatic Bluff to hit better and Takedown Attack 2 to goonsweep like a champ. It’s not that Renee and Satsuki can’t defend themselves. They certainly can. It’s that their primary skillsets are detective work and sciencing things. Jaime is an ass beater. Renee does a lot more with her investigative skills, Connected, Contacts, and Well Informed than she does with Startle and a Pistol Shot. Satsuki is a hell of a grappler with her Gripper Arms, but her strengths lie in her medical and technical skills along with using Inventor to help solve the problem du jour. So, ultimately, Tattoo is a bit of a Swiss Army Knife as heroes go. Especially with Beginner’s Luck and Jack of All Trades supporting her endeavors. She absolutely does not power stunt. Personality: Tattoo, well, she’s been through a lot. Losing a loved one is hard enough. One dying in someone’s arms is harder still. She’s been through this three times. Calling her a cheeful, gregarious person would be a lie. She’s very clearly bearing some strong emotional scars. She just isn’t a people person. Quiet, you know? Withdrawn. Keeps to herself. This is a lack of desire, not a lack of ability. She does socialize more or less enough to remain in practice, but not enough to make new friends. Everyone who isn’t Umbrella Queen or Nisse is kept at arm’s length. Grief is heavy enough for someone without the ability to pick up an object and literally relive part of the lost loved one’s life. Humans can get used to anything, but it’s been both a heavy ask and a long road. With that said, these last few years she’s developed a new appreciation for life and how precious it really is. She has loved and been loved by three extraordinary women. She’s still a hero after that first outing for a few reasons, the most obvious of which is honoring Jaime, Renee, and Satsuki. There is also that new appreciation spurring a desire to never see anyone hurt or heaven forbid killed if she can do anything about it. The third reason is that she has a deep and intimate knowledge of how short life can be. Jaime was 18 when she died. Satsuki was 20. Even Renee was only 28. There is no way of knowing when the end is going to come. So it’s important to her to live her life as fully as possible. Normally when someone says this they mean social bonding, thrill chasing, and general hedonism. What Finn means is that she wants to do as much good as she possibly can in the time she has left. Whether that time comes to an end next Tuesday or when she’s 117 is beside the point.
EternalPhoenix Posted February 20, 2023 Author Posted February 20, 2023 Big Ben (Benjamin Prestwich) Power Level: 15; Power Points Spent: 285/285 STR: +20 (50), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +20 (50), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +5 (20) Tough: +20, Fort: +20, Ref: +4/+10, Will: +9/+12 Skills: Bluff 5 (+10), Diplomacy 5 (+10), Gather Information 5 (+10), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 3 (+5), Knowledge (history) 3 (+5), Knowledge (popular culture) 3 (+5), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10) Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Evasion, Improved Initiative 6, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) Powers: Enchanted Agelessness (Immunity 2) (aging, disease) Enchanted Durability (Impervious Toughness 15) Enchanted Might (Super-Strength 18) (+90 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 3.4m tons; +18 STR to some checks) Enchanted Quickness (Quickness 12) (Perform routine tasks at 10000x speed) Enchanted Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 37) (Traits: Attack Bonus +6 (+10), Defense Bonus +6 (+10), Reflex +6 (+10), Feats: Evasion, Improved Initiative 6) Enchanted Speed (Flight 12) (Speed: 50000 mph, 440000 ft./rnd) Mental Fortress (Linked) Enhanced Trait 3 (Linked; Traits: Will +3 (+12)) Immunity 30 (Linked; will saves; Limited - Half Effect) Attack Bonus: +4/+10 (Ranged: +4/+10, Melee: +4/+10, Grapple: +24/+48) Attacks: Unarmed Attack, +10 (DC 35) Defense: +4/+10 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -17 Initiative: +26 Drawbacks: Normal Identity, uncommon Languages: English Native Totals: Abilities 102 + Skills 10 (40 ranks) + Feats 7 + Powers 144 + Combat 16 + Saves 9 - Drawbacks 3 = 285 Age (as of Jan 2019): 132 (chronological), mid 20s (transformed appearance), 8 (untransformed) Height: 6” 4’ (transformed), 4’ 2” (untransformed) Weight: 280 (transformed), 55 lbs (untransformed) Ethnicity: Caucasian Hair: Dark Brown Eyes: Brown Base of Operations: London, England, United Kingdom Background: Benjamin Prestwich, at first glance, is a frustrating case of untapped potential. He’s one of the longest tenured heroes on the planet at a century and counting. He’s one of the most powerful heroes to ever strap on a pair of tights. He’s undoubtably one of Britain and the world’s brightest heroic lights. It can, however, easily be argued that he’s substantially underachieved. A hero with his raw power and his long tenure ought to be the single most famous person on the planet. It can be argued that the first Starman should have never had the chance to be what he was, because Big Ben was already there and had been for decades. With that said, the strangeness of this goes away when one learns that Benjamin Prestwich is eight years old. He’s been eight years old for over a hundred years, and shows no signs of ever growing or maturing in any way. As for why this is the case, we have to go back those over a hundred years. Specificallly, to 1895, in Egypt. Benjamin’s father was an aristocrat and archaeologist studying the pyramids at Giza and elsewhere. Ben was out of school for the summer, and so was accompanying his father on what was for the young man a glorious adventure of a vacation. His mother was his father’s assistant, which was how they’d met, fell in love, and married in the first place. It was rather romantic, really. The Prestwiches, acting on a tip from a local expert, tracked down an undiscovered tomb. It was a thrilling time for all three. But it was not to last. The tomb had never been touched. There were looted tombs that still contained riches. An undiscovered, unopened, and unlooted tomb could contain wealth beyond dreams of avarice. Or so thought Ben’s father’s other assistant. That greedy man turned the digging crew (all locals) against the Prestwiches with promises of incredible wealth. The tomb’s entrance was at last excavated. Opening it was when things went started going sideways for everyone involved. One of the more knowledgeable members of the work crew recognized a symbol on the entrance. The entire work crew panicked and fled into the desert. Mr. Greedy took the opportunity to murder the adult Prestwiches without any witnesses. He intended to kill Ben, as well, but the boy had wandered away on his adventurous ramblings. And returned at the worst possible time. Right as Mr. Greedy was cracking the tomb above Mr. Prestwich’s corpse. Mr. Greedy started chasing the terrified boy around the work camp. Fleeing into the desert was not an option, as a sandstorm had started whipping up the second Mr. Greedy had started on the tomb entrance. So Ben fled the only place he could think of. Into the now opened tomb. It wasn’t quite a mistake. The tomb, as is probably obvious by now, had a potent and terrible curse on it. However, it had been several thousand years since the curse had been laid. The way magic functioned for the tradition that laid it had changed. Originally, it was supposed to simply wither whoever entered with age until they turned to dust. However, as stated, the rules governing it had changed. And it was intended to punish a greedy adult, not an innocent child fleeing his parents’ murderer. And so, for the first time, Benjamin Prestwich transformed into who would one day be called Big Ben. Mr. Greedy was not so lucky. Not being an innocent child, the curse worked a bit more properly and he died in agony two steps inside the tomb. His corpse (for the curse still did not work as intended) would rise decades later as the dangerous undead menace Karnak. As for Benjamin…the tomb had not been a tomb, but a prison for several dangerous creatures the ancient Egyptians lacked the power to permanently deal with. He wanted to grieve, and figure out his new situation. But that had to wait. People were in deadly danger. He was a good, responsible boy. He had to act. At first, Ben only intended to warn people, but he soon realized just how powerful he had become, and handled the situation himself. Such monsters may have been a dangerous threat to the wizards and warriors of the era, but Ben’s new powers outclassed them. So he put them down. Permanently. In rather public fashion. And then broke down sobbing. Considering he looked like a fairly large grown man and not an eight year old boy, this was rather surprising to everyone in the vicinity. But eventually authority figures showed up and he managed to both calm down and tell his story. Events proceeded rather quickly after that. Benjamin simply went home. He could fly now, after all. His parents took longer to return to England. He couldn’t bear to carry them there. But he had the family butler, and the family maid. He seemed to be a grown man, after all. He didn’t need an excessive amount of looking after. The Mystery Men Era kicked into gear a few years later. Ben was one of the headline acts, as he is now. However, as it went on, his weaknesses became more and more apparent. He was, after all, just a boy in the body of a grown man. Fear wasn’t a problem. It was horror, innocence and naivete. He did not have the psychological or emotional maturity the handle the more complex and difficult elements of the heroic life. This could have sparked disdain and rejection, but this was Ben. He was very clearly always trying his best. Heroes being who they are, they instead supported him. There was, after all, a lot that he could do. And they could handle the rest. Basically the British hero community (and indeed Scotland Yard and other police deparments) took on a protective, parental adjacent role. This is why Ben remained on the home front during the first and second World Wars. His sheer power would have been immensely useful, but war is no place for a boy. Indeed, Benjamin has spent his heroic career battling robots, twisted monsters of mad science, and various supernatural creatures far more than street criminals or murderous supervillains. He saves people from burning buildings and sinking ships. He doesn’t chase drug traffickers or combat terrorists. The rest of Britain’s hero community handles such matters so that he doesn’t have to. This carries through to the invasions of ’71 and ’82. The former he basically did most o the work defending Britain by himself, smashing and bashing ship and vehicle after ship and vehicle. Of course, when someone told him there were people inside those ships and vehicles…that they were not robots…he was…rather upset. This affected his effectiveness in ’82, but even with that he was practically holding the line by himself. The battle was going to be lost, however, until Countess (of the Champions of Justice) unsealed the gates of mythical Avalon and a full detachment of their forces (led by their Princess, Keaira) boiled out and instantly turned things around. It is not known exactly where Benjamin was on that terrible day in September 2001. He was somewhere in the Scottish Highlands, doing off grid camping with his butler Alfred and maid Ace. Cell phones were a thing, but reception in the middle of the wilderness in 2001 basically didn’t exist. There was no need for an emergency satellite phone with the hypersonic flying Benjamin literally right there. That day was a Tuesday. The trio had left early the day before, and did not return to civilization until late Friday. Early the following morning, London time, Benjamin scorched air getting to New York City and Chicago to help as best he could. His effectiveness was somewhat limited, as the tragedy in New York and losing who he counted as a dear friend in the second Starman was almost overwhelming for the poor boy. In current times, well, nothing has changed. Benjamin is still Benjamin. Alfred and Ace take care of him and his finances. It’s widely accepted that “Alfred” and “Ace” are codenames, as Benjamin has buried multiple butlers and maids of those names only for another to appear later. It’s also widely accepted (at least among the hero community) that after 2001 the service families each comes from was co-opted and trained by MI5 to prevent Benjamin ever being out of contact like that again. In the meantime, Big Ben continues on as he always has. He’s ageless and unchanging, after all. A source of hope in dark times for all Britons. As a side note, his name comes from his name, being quite a large person in his adult form, and that one time he held his namesake up for over 12 hours after a terrorist bombing until it could be properly braced for repairs. This was quite early in his heroic career, and the idea of a large man named Ben holding up Big Ben with physical strength alone was compelling enough that the name stuck. Powers & Tactics: Big Ben is, ever so technically, under a magical curse. Because of the changing rules under which the curse was cast, the circumstances under which he received the curse, and his innocent child’s heart, it sort of had the opposite effect it was meant to. Mostly. What the curse was supposed to do was rapidly age its target while withering their mind and body to nothing so the net result was that the target died in seconds in agonizing pain. This, uh, did not happen to Benjamin. Instead of rapidly aging, he became unable to age at all. Instead of his body withering, he received vast superhuman strength, resilience, and speed along with the ability to fly. Instead of his mind withering, it was turned into an almost impregnable mental fortress. By unable to age, this means both physically and psychologically. He is and will forever be, until the curse is lifted and he loses all powers from it, the same eight year old he was on the day he was initially cursed. His striking strength is phenomenal; on par with the original Starman and Tex Austin, and carrying capacity actually surpasses the latter. His upper limit is difficult to measure, as the equipment doesn’t exist, but it’s decidedly in the millions of tons. His resilience is equivalent. It’s estimated to take a nuclear device or a direct hit from a battleship’s main guns to even potentially injure him. His speed, quickness, and reflexes are beyond hypersonic. This significantly increases both his attack accuracy and evasion, which is good as he’s basically an untrained fighter and thus needs the help. As for his mind, it would take about as much raw power to get into his head as it would to injure his body, and that level of power is much rarer on the mental side of things. As a note, the above is true of his adult form. He can revert to his regular eight year old self, losing everything but the inability to age. There’s no requirement for him to do so (and in fact he initially couldn’t until the current Merlin lent a magical hand), but he likes to. The kid version he sees as his “real” self. It also doesn’t suffer from the sheer fame that his adult form does. So he can catch a movie, or a football match. Maybe play with some kids his own age for a while. It’s quite nice, really. To put being “Big Ben” down for a bit and just be a regular kid for a while. Tactically, well, it depends. If it’s an Acceptable Target (a robot, science monster, or supernatural creature for example), he’s a terrifying force of unstoppable yet cheerful destruction. However, it they count as a person to him, then he will do everything he can not to hit them. Because he is about as pure an unarmed fighter as it’s possible to be. He doesn’t feint, trick, or demoralize. Mainly because he’s never had any need to with his power and resilience. All Out Attack gets him the accuracy he needs, and reprisals normally just bounce off of him. Accurate Attack is basically just for people, so he can grab them and hold on until they surrender. Hopefully? Other heroes tend to be a little…rougher…on anyone who gives him a hard time, so most do surrender, actually. He also has Power Attack for genuinely smashing Acceptable Targets, and Takedown Attack 2 to chain smashings together. He also has Move by Action to keep him mobile between smashings. Personality: Benjamin is a good, responsible boy, but he is only that. He is a sort of psychological stasis. There are extreme limitations on his ability to grow or change as a person. No matter how beneficial it is to him and Britain, he is still technically under a curse. So the good, responsible boy who is full of optimism, good cheer, and a genuine desire to help others has remained the same for over a century. That’s the positive bit. The negative bit is that he is, still, just a boy. He lacks maturity and the self control and understanding of the world that an adult has. He is neither stupid nor foolish, but there are certain matters (like relationship dynamics between consenting adults) that he’s simply not going to understand. Additionally, he’s perpetually rather innocent. Some of the worst things humans do to each other can horrify him into uselessness. The curse does not permit him to “get used to it”, so to speak. With that said, he’s not made of glass. He’s more resilient than some think and to some degree aware of his limitations. When treated with sensitivity, compassion, and respect for said limitations he can be extremely effective as a hero. His reputation is not bullshit. As long as the fact that he is just a boy is accounted for and accommodated, he is one of Britain’s brightest lights. Because he is a hero. He wants to protect people. He wants to help. He has power and the willingness to use that power for both justice and the greater good of all. And it’s not all bad. Sometimes his simpler outlook on matters is useful. Cutting through the Gordian knot, so to speak. He believes in Good and Right with an absolute certainty that can really only be found in children. It can and has inspired people at their lowest points. He’s not just a hero because he punches out monsters and saves people from burning buildings. He’s a hero because he inspires people to be better than they are. That inspiration has had mixed results at best, as wealthy aristocrats gonna wealthy aristocrat. But it doesn’t make it any less necessary or important.
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