The Primal Spirit - Draft (PL 10)

[Zero Prime]

The Primal Spirit

 

 

Player Name: Zen Gypsy
Character Name:  The Primal Spirit
Power Level: 10 (150/150PP)
Trade-Offs: +3 Attack / -3 Damage, +3 Defense / -3 Toughness
Unspent Power Points: 0
In Brief: African Prince, imbued with the strength and power of the Totem spirits.

Residence: Modestly decorated Parkside Flat, overlooking Liberty Park.
Base of Operations: Bangallan Embassy.
Catchphrase: "The jungle stirs ... RUN!" 

Alternate Identity:  Tau Abioye-Imari
Identity: Public
Birthplace:  Dimbé, Bangalla
Occupation:  Prince of Bangalla.  National Spokesperson, Ambassador & Diplomat
Affiliations:  Abioye-Imari Royal Family, Bangallan Military & Armed Forces (Captain), Rhodes Foundation (National Liason) 
Family:  Kwezi Abioye-Imari (Father, Deceased), Sabella Abioye-Imari (Mother, Aged 59 ), Jaheem Abioye-Imari (Brother, Aged 32 yrs.)

Description:
Age: 27 (DoB: January 27^th, 1989)
Gender:  Male.
Ethnicity: Afroasiatic
Height: 5'11" (1.8m)
Weight: 209 lbs. (94kg)
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

 

As a Bangallan Prince, Tau is always neatly groomed and well dressed, clean shaven, with a strong jaw and a broad smile.  He wears his hair short, with a neatly manicured side fade, his broad shoulders taper down to a narrow waist, forming an almost perfectly symmetrical V.  He typically wears slim tailored suits, solid colors and slim notched lapels, from Garrison Bespoke, a small family owned business in the West End known for it's exceptional service and meticulous attention to detail.  While he generally disdains the affectations and attitudes of the rich and social elite, he does possess an extensive collection of watches, some hand crafted by the Haas brothers in their exclusive shop.

 

There are two possessions that he wears without fail, the first is his signet ring, worn on the little finger of his left hand.  It is a thick band crafted from the silver that his nation is known for, and on it is the symbol of the Abioye-Imari Family, an African tribal shield, with crossed spears behind, set in front of a simple throne which itself is flanked by two rearing lions, all set in an onyx stone.  The other is a seemingly disparate leather thong necklace, sporting two beads, separated by small shells, and in the middle a large single tiger claw.

 

Power Descriptions:

 

History:

 

Bangalla is a country in East Africa. With its capital, Dimbé, nestled in the high peaks of the mountain range that bisects the nation, it is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast. The northeastern and eastern parts of Bangalla have an extensive coastline along the Red Sea.  The country is virtually bisected by a branch of the East African Rift. It has fertile lands to the west, descending to desert in the east. A massive archipelago and its fishing grounds are situated off the sandy and arid coastline at the southern end of the Red Sea.  Bangalla can be split into three ecoregions. To the east of the highlands are the hot, arid coastal plains stretching down to the southeast of the country. The cooler, more fertile highlands, reaching up to 3000m has a different habitat. Habitats here vary from the sub-tropical rainforest to the precipitous cliffs and canyons of the southern highlands.  These diverse geographic regions have aided the emerging nation, as it is the source of a considerable wealth of natural resources, hydro-electric energy from it's wide rivers, and towering waterfalls, to mineral wealth in the form of nickel and silver.

 

The Kingdom of Abioye was a trading empire centered in modern day Bandalla and northern Ethiopia which came to prominence in 100 AD and lasted perhaps three centuries before fracturing into various tribes in the region.   The people of Abioye Kingdom erected a number of large obelisks, which served a religious purpose in pre-Christian times. One of these granite columns, the Obelisk of Abioye, is the largest such structure in the world, standing at 180 feet tall.  The Obelisk stands sentry over an ancient site, where are large archaeological site has been discovered that contains, oddly enough, both Egyptian and Atlantean iconography and relics.

 

It is the last that drew the attention of Wilhelm Kantor,  Overshadow, his experience with the Thule Society in the early 1940's had awakened him to his past lives, one of which had been the sorcerer-priest Tan-Aktor.  The priest had been been executed for his betrayal of the Pharaoh, his remains transported and sealed away in a land far from his native Egypt.  In an effort to expand his knowledge of, and connection with, his past lives, he began to devise a plan to infiltrate and destabilize the emerging nation of Bangalla.  As such he began to manipulate various factions within the country to depose of the Abioye-Imari family through a military coup.  He would replace them with General Adegoke, a man whose desire for both wealth and power, coupled with his hatred of King Kwezi's conservative polices made him a strong ally for Overshadow's operation.

 

In 1996, an African summit was held in Bangalla, it's goal to aid emerging nations, socially, and economically, heads of state and dignitaries were present representing some of the wealthiest nations in Africa, and indeed, the world.  As King Kwezi began to speak, Adegoke, and the Bangallan military, aided, and influenced by the Kantor's Shadow organization struck.  The massacre was immediate, and it's consequences far reaching, as several Bangallan government officials were killed outright.  The media in attendance were able to capture the brutal violence of the coup, the most powerful image of the coup though was the King, Kwezi, staring down General Adegoke, as a member of the Royal families security detail, a young man named Tariq, secured the King's family, the King spoke, demanding loyalty from his troops, and several members of the coup seemed to hesitate before Adegoke assassinated the King with a dismissive shot from his sidearm.

 

Also in attendance at the summit was then Prince M'Balla, heir to the power of the White Lion, M'Balla was able to protect the Dakan delegates during the coup, though, to his regret, he was unable to prevent Kwezi's murder at the hands of General Adegoke.  Tariq managed to secure the royal family on a helicopter, and lift off, as it neared the edge of Dimbé, a member of Overshadow's organization shot it down with a surface to air missile.  The force of the explosion threw Tau, and his brother Jaheem over a cliff edge that ran along the airport's south eastern border, over looking the nations lower southern plains.  A unit of Overshadow's organization approached the impact site, and quickly found the two boys hanging below the precipice,  as the White Lion engaged, they fired their weapons towards the boys, causing them to fall to their apparent death in the verdant jungles below.

 

The two Abioye-Imari boys were found, broken, twisted and unconscious by a lowland tribesman.  The tribesman secured the two in a makeshift travois, and dragged them towards the Obelisk, unaware that the sacred stone was in fact erected by the ancestors of the boys whose life he had saved that day.  Over the next two days the hunter, Adebowale, a shaman and mystic for his people, healed the twisted and broken bodies of the two boys.  Jaheem had shattered his leg and his ribs, which had in turned punctured his lungs.  Adebowale was able to apply poultices to Jaheem's chest, and with the aid of tribal healing practices, aid the young man so he could breath, and though it was painful, within the month he was able to walk, aided only by a long branch fashioned as a crutch.

 

Tau's injuries though were much more severe, for though he lived, his back had been twisted and broken from the fall, and despite Adebowale's best efforts the boy would not awake from his fever dreams.  It was during this time that Jaheem, fearful for his brother's life, told the shaman their story and Adebowale discovered that the two boys whose injuries he was attending, were both direct descendants of the Abioye royal line.  The very line that had erected the Obelisks which dotted the lowlands, the Obelisks which invoked the spirits of the jungle to guide and protect the land from tyranny and oppression.   His course was clear, that night he wrapped the young broken Tau in linens and cloth, and then with sacred ochres and paints applied the runes that had been carved into the Obelisks millennia ago.

 

He travelled to the Obelisk, and laid the young boys body at it's base, and then he sang the sacred song, invoking the spirits of the sky, of the sea, and the earth to fill the young boy with their strength, so that he might rise up and be their instrument made flesh, that he may be made whole once again to fight for his family, for his people, for his nation.  The song went on for what seemed ages, Adebowale's endurance was tested, as was his faith, he sang and dance the night, and it was only by the light of the rising sun that he saw it's coming.  A rhythmic pounding that matched the drums he had been playing for a night and a day, the jungle erupted as a massive albino elephant stepped into the clearing, Zihon, the spirit of strength, wisdom, and royalty.  The spirit made flesh walked slowly to the young boy, its large trunk hovering over his face, tasting, testing for life, for breath, for spirit.  Zihon lowered himself to his kneeds, gently, but a peal of thunder rolled through the sky.  It touched the boy once on the forehead, bowed it's head, Adebowale observed the great spirits movement with awe struck wonder.

 

Zihon rose, and as it did so he brought his trunk over his head, and reared back on his hind legs.  The shaman thought the great spirit had come to end the Prince's suffering, as it returned to four legs with a momentous crash, it brayed a loud trumpet, the sound deep and loud, it echoed as if from the earth itself.  The skies darkened, and thunder echoed over the jungle.  Suddenly it was raining with such force that it hurt, the droplets falling the size of a man's thumb, throwing dirt into the air, spattering the calves of the massive spirit.  With a blinding flash lightning descended the heavens, and struck the Obelisk, the runes inscribed seemed to glow from within, and those self same runes, replicated with care and precision by Adebowale, began to glow on the flesh of the young Prince.

 

Adebowale's vision returned, the clearing was dry, and Zihon nowhere to be seen, instead Prince Tau stood where the spirit totem had been, his body unbent, and unbroken.  Over the new few years Tau and his brother lived among Adebowale's lowland tribe, learning the ways of their ancestors, hunters and gatherers, they learned how to live as part of the land and not separate from it.  In time though, they came to learn of the depredations of General Adegoke's regime, he had earned the nickname, Trophy, for his grisly penchant of collection such from both his rivals and his victims.  The lowland tribes fought a losing battle against the mercenaries and Bangallan military that protected the many new projects meant to both rob the nation of it's resources, and to discover the final resting place of the Egyptian relics that Overshadow was determined to obtain, as they would allow him access to the knowledge of his former incarnation, the sorcerer-priest Kan-Ator.

 

It soon came to Adegoke's attention that King Kwezi's sons, Jaheem and Tau, had survived the coup, and as such he began a focused operation against the lowland tribesman in an attempt to find the Abioye-Imari children.  The resulting ethnic cleansing soon gained attention from the global community, and M'Balla, now King of Dakana, realized that the heirs he had failed to save in 1996, had somehow survived and were in need of aid.  As such, with the assistance of the newly reformed Freedom League, the White Lion was able to locate and extract the Aboye-Imari children.  As the rightful heirs to the Bangallan throne, Dakana offered the Bangallan heirs political asylum in 2001, as well as providing safety for the many refugees fleeing Adegoke's ethnic purges.

 

They were joyfully reunited with their mother, who had survived the military coup with the aid of the Dakan king, having believed she had lost both her husband and her sons, she was thrilled that her husbands legacy would carry on. Over the course of several years the boys were raised, educated, and mentored by the Dakan King, M'Balla. Jaheem grew to be a respected and insightful statesman, while Tau's strengths lie closer to those of his mentor, M'Balla, martial prowess. He trained with the Adebowale and M'Balla, to master his connection to the spirits that suffused him, and to pay homage to his ancestral roots he learned the combative arts of the Abioye tribal warrior from the King of Dakan himself.

Aided by M'Balla, and together with his brother, they spent some years rooting out the agents and corruption thatthe coup had sown through their government, in 2013 they were able to reclaim their nation.  While many of the Military Regime that supported General Adegoke's military coup were imprisoned, Adegoke himself was able to evade incarceration.  Jaheem instituted sweeping political changes, including democratic elections, Bangalla soon had a newly elected Prime Minister, Nyarai Folarin, who worked closely with her King to establish a constitutional monarchy.  Bangalla was soon a nation that paid respect to it's roots as a tribal monarchy, and looked towards the future as a democratic nation.  Amid a joyous national celebration Jaheem Abioye-Imari was able to ascend to the throne that for over a decade had been absent a King. As Bangalla had now come to even more global attention, the small nation began to construct a series of embassies throughout the world. As the White Lion had worked with, and spoken highly of, the Freedom League, one of the nations first embassies began construction in Freedom City.

 

Personality & Motivation:

 

Above all things, Tau idolizes his father, Kwezi Abioye-Imari.  He taught both of his sons that they have an obligation to, and responsibility for, their fellow man, not due to the rank and station that they were born to, but because only by working together can man hope to better himself, and his nation.  Tau witnessed his father's bravery first hand, when during the '96 African Summit, King Kwezi, alone and unarmed, demanded an entire squad of General Adegoke's men to drop their weapons.  He saw their hesitation as his father's words inspired those men to search their hearts, to turn from a course of action that was both treacherous, and unjust.  He also witnessed, first hand, that some men are beyond redemption, their hearts as black as night, dry and withered, incapable of any emotion other than jealousy, treachery and betrayal.

 

Soon thereafter, Tau, was welcomed to the spirit world by the great white elephant, Zihon.  The spirits of the jungle, of his ancestors, of his nation, infused him, strengthened him and empowered him.  He soon hunted with the tribesmen of the lowland plains, and from both the tribesman, and the spirits themselves, he learned an appreciation for the beauty and savagery of the natural world.  He watched great predators hunt and kill, and once sated walk past their prey without a care, for the breasts carried no hatred, or fear, in their hearts, they were pure, natural instinct.  Tau holds the natural world in high regard, he pays respect to the spirits of both his ancestors, and the totems that they worshiped in ancient times.

 

Calm, disciplined and reserved, Tau endeavors to be a strong, stoic, exemplar for the Bangallan people.  He possesses a strong will, and while he often appears taciturn and serious, his broad smile belies a passionate nature.  Dedicated to the welfare and safety of his people, he truly cares for the well being of his fellow man and will go to extreme lengths to aid those he cares for.  He is, above all else, a warrior-prince, and any decisions he makes are for the betterment of his people, he has sacrificed personal desire to ensure that he can fulfill his duty as Protector and Champion of Bangalla, and wouldn't hesitate to do so again.    

 

Powers & Tactics:

 

Tau is an implacable opponent, his body has been imbued with both the spirits of his ancestors and their totems, he possesses the strength, stamina and speed of the fiercest jungle predator.  Like those predators he can move quickly and quietly, striking or stalking his opponents from a concealed position, his ferocity is awe inspiring, and can easily cause an opponent to hesitate and provide him an opening with which to end the confrontation.

 

His physical prowess is further augmented by his ability to mimic the strengths, traits and blessings of his ancestors totem spirits.  With the aid of the spirits he can easily stalk his prey, and once he decides they are most vulnerable he will pounce, using the spirits strength to ensure that his prey doesn't escape justice and can be punished by the laws of men. 
 

Complications:

Fame: Prince & Hero: The Abioye-Imari name is synonymous with the Royalty of Bangalla, and the fight against corruption and injustice. Tau takes no effort to conceal his activities as the Primal Spirit. He acts in a manner that will bring honor and respect to his homeland, both as Prince Abioye-Imari, and the Primal Spirit. This does mean, however, that those who question his actions or motives know exactly where to find him, and much to the concern of his security detail, any news crew, paparazzi, or common citizens seeking to enlist his aid, can find him with a minimum of effort.

 

Honor: Noblesse Oblige: Tau acts with a high degree of respect and responsibility towards the nation of his birth, Bangalla, and understands that his every action reflects upon that same nation. When he looks at his fellow man, from the tribesman to the wealthy industrialist, he judges each man by their character and spirit, not the circumstances of their birth.  He has little tolerance for men who would use their strength, wealth or power to prey upon those weaker, or less fortunate than themselves. And while he does not give his word lightly, nor anger quickly, his word once given is iron-clad, and his anger once roused is fearsome to behold.

 

Motivation: Responsibility: Legacy of the King:  Tau feels that he has been entrusted with the strength and power of the tribal totems for a purpose. His father, Jabari, the King of Bangalla, gave his life to protect his sons from the Overshadow's attack on the royal family. This final display of his father's courage and conviction is Tau's defining memory, and an image that drives him towards perfection. He uses every weapon in his arsenal, his strength, cunning and intellect, couple with the totemic spirits which protect him to combat the depredations of corrupt and evil men where ever he may find them.

 

Power Loss: Totemic Strength & Favor:  The totemic spirits which infuse Tau, are susceptible to magical bindings and rituals, a foe sufficiently skilled in the shamanic arts would be able to prepare a ritual that could steal, or imprison, the ability of these spirits to infuse the Prince with their power. Tau must also be wary that he pay respect to the spiritual and shamanic traditions of his ancestors lest he lose the favor of his spirit animals. Either situation would result in the loss of the abilities granted by his Spiritual Champion & Protector power set.

 

Responsibility: Prince of Bangalla:  Tau must be careful that he balances his role as a Prince of Bangalla, a spokesperson for his home nation, and a spiritual protector of his people and their customs. Lesser men would struggle with the increasing demands of both the modern and spiritual world, but Tau Abioye-Imari is far from a weak man. Both disciplined, determined and driven, he fulfills the many duties required of him with pride; through his words and deeds he demands the respect of those around.

 

Relationship: The Ties that Bind: Tau, as a Prince of Bangalla, is required to have a security detail with him at all times. Due to his connection with the totemic spirits, he is more than capable of defending himself, rendering the detail largely redundant, but he ensures that they are kept apprised of his affairs when acting as the Totem. Tau particularly values and respects Tariq, the head of his security detail, and will often seek him out for advice, speaking to him as an equal, seeking his advice, and point of view as a citizen of the nation which he has sworn his life to protect.

 

Though Queen Sabella abdicated the Throne of Bangalla for her elder son, Tau's brother, Jaheem, she maintains a vital position in the life of her two sons. Sabella is highly regarded by her sons, and the common citizenry of her nation, for her noble and just demeanor. She often councils the more difficult road, and advises her sons to pay particular attention to the morality of any given situation, despite the vagaries of fate and circumstance.

 

The Rhodes Foundation hosted a Gala for the new Bangallan Embassy during it's initial construction in Freedom City, as such the Foundation was entrusted with rare ancestral artifacts of the Bangalla people. During the gala, Tau became enamored with Sophia Cruz, the current CEO of the Foundation, due to her strength of character, and noble spirit. The Power Division attacked the gala in an attempt to steal the Bangallan artifacts, Tau was eventually able to defeat the mercenaries in a game of cat and mouse, the armor-clad mercenaries were incarcerated, but not before Cruz herself had sustained injuries. Over the course of the next week he visited her often in the hospital, where the two developed a mutual affection that has grown into a romantic liaison. She is aware of the fact that Tau opposes Overshadow and his various operations, and desires to see that organization brought to justice, but she has yet to reveal to him the true nature of the Foundation and it's relation to the Scarab and their own feud with the re-incarnation of Tan-Aktor

Abilities: 14 + 14 + 14 + 2 + 6 + 4 = 54PP
Strength: 24 (+7)
Dexterity: 24 (+7)
Constitution: 24 (+7)
Intelligence: 12 (+1)
Wisdom: 16 (+3)
Charisma: 14 (+2)


Combat: 14 + 14 = 28PP
Initiative: +7
Attack: +13 Melee (+7 Base, +6 Attack Focus), +7 Ranged
Grapple: +20  (+7 Strength, +7 Attack, +6 Attack Focus)
Defense: +13 (+7 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +4 Flat-Footed
Knockback: -3


Saving Throws: 1 + 1 + 5 = 7PP
Toughness: +7 (+7 Con)
Fortitude: +8 (+7 Con, +1)
Reflex: +8 (+7 Dex, +1)
Will: +8 (+3 Wis, +5)


Skills: 72R = 18PP
Acrobatics 8 (+15) ^{Acrobatic Bluff, Skill Mastery}

Climb 3 (+10) ^{Skill Mastery}

Diplomacy 8 (+10)

Intimidate 8 (+10)

Knowledge (Civics) 4 (+5)

Knowledge (Current events) 4 (+5)

Knowledge (Shamanic Traditions) 4 (+5)

Languages 4 (Amharic (Native), Arabic, English, French, Swahili)

Notice 7 (+10)

Sense Motive 7 (+10)

Stealth 8 (+15) ^{Hide in Plain Sight, Skill Mastery}

Survival 7 (+10) ^{Skill Mastery}

 

Feats: 25PP
Acrobatic Bluff

All-Out Attack
Attack Focus (Melee) 6

Benefit (Royal Family, Security Clearance, Wealth)

Defensive Attack

Dodge Focus 6

Hide in Plain Sight

Move-by Action

Power Attack

Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Climb, Stealth, Survival)

Takedown Attack 1

Track

Uncanny Dodge (Audio)

Powers: 18PP

Animal Mimicry 2 (Spiritual Champion & Protector) [18PP]  (Magic, Spirit)

• Power Setting: Aerial Huntsman (Eagle, Falcon, Hawk)
  • Flight 3 (Feats: Improved Defense)  [7PP]
  • Super-senses 3 (Extended Vision: -1/1000', Ultravision)  [3PP]
• Power Setting:  Blessed by the Trickster (Hyena, Monkey, Spider)
  • Enhanced Trait 4 (Challenge - Improved Feint, Improved Defense, Redirect, Set-Up)  [4PP]
  • Speed 2  [2PP]
  • Super-Movement 2 (Safe Fall, Wall-Crawling 1)  [4PP]
• Power Setting:  Guardian Spirit (Gorilla, Elephant, Rhinoceros)
  • Enhanced Trait 3 (Grappling Finesse, Improved Grab, Improved Pin)  [3PP]
  • Immunity 2 (Critical Hits) [2PP]
  • Super-Strength 2 (Bracing) [5PP]
• Power Setting:  Spirit of the Predator (Lion, Panther, Tiger)
  • Enhanced Trait 4 (Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed), Improved Trip, Takedown 1) [4PP]
  • Speed 3 [3PP]
  • Super-senses 3 (Acute (Scent), Low-Light Vision, Tracking 1 (Scent)) [3PP]

DC Block

ATTACK              RANGE      SAVE                           EFFECT
Unarmed             Touch      DC 22 Toughness                Damage (Physical)
 

Totals: Abilities (54) + Combat (28) + Saving Throws (7) + Skills (18) + Feats (25) + Powers (18) = 150/150 Power Points

 

Work in Progress; Character Info & Background to follow ...

 

Any comments, concerns, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Edited April 10, 2016 by Zen Gypsy

[Raveled]

Why would someone who is an acknowledged superhero need a security detail? I know he's a prince and presumably next-in-line as head of state for his country, but why does he need bodyguards if he's all but bulletproof? What purpose do they serve?

[Zero Prime]

While a fair question, I feel that a Head of State, empowered or not, would still have a security detail assigned to them.  Were Steve Rogers elected to Office, I don't feel the Secret Service would stop protecting the President, despite the fact he can defend himself better than his team could.

 

Also, I think it may very well be of cultural significance to the people of Bangalla, stemming from their appreciation for the history of their nation, and it's tribal roots.

[Raveled]

Given that you're making this guy the head of state of a fictional country, I don't think you can fall back on deep cultural roots to explain illogical behavior.

 

What happens when his heroic activities spread into the realm of illegality?

Edited April 2, 2016 by Raveled

[Zero Prime]

Fair enough.  I think we'll just need to agree to disagree, I feel that Bangalla is central to the character, and as such should feel plausible.  A Head of State will always have a Security Detail, not every member of the Bangallan Royal Family is a super-hero, as such they would need to protect Tau, despite his ability to defend himself.

 

You do bring up an interesting question, my guess would be it activates his complication he would gain a HP and be forced to weigh his need to pursue justice, and possibly break the law, or represent his nation and obey the law of the nation in which he is residing, at the expense of allowing an injustice to occur.  Great RP there ...