The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

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Eddie O'Neill
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Guilt is a terrible thing. And, like many terrible things, it can inspire acts of great courage and compassion. Or it can inspire callousness and cowardice. So it goes.

Edgar O'Neill was, in 2009, a rising star in Argus' research and development division, and was initially surprised to be tapped for a mission by the intelligence division. But he soon came to understand their reasoning, and accepted with pleasure. Being sent undercover as a research assistant for the notorious Dr. Canning was a serious risk, particularly for someone not trained for undercover work, but he was probably the best candidate to understand the mad scientist's plans.

For several weeks, he made coffee, cleaned flasks, listened patiently to rants, mollified a gargantuan ego, and secretly took careful notes about everything that he was seeing and hearing. He learned a great deal in that period, probably more than he'd ever learned at any school or even at Argus. But most of all, he learned that Dr. Canning was perhaps half as clever as he imagined himself ... which was still a terrifying brilliance.

Finally, Canning was ready to begin his latest project, and handed Eddie a vial, ordering him to adulterate the food of twenty people with his formula. Eddie thought he had a fairly idea of what went into the vial, and so he proceeded to adultrate its contents with a special formula that he'd brought from Argus, designed to neutralize the majority of mutagenic agents. That done, he proceeded to follow Canning's instructions.

Twenty-four hours later, five people were in the hospital complaining of serious stomach upset, seven were dead, seven were showing no signs of any ill-effect, and Amit Rajadwe had become Polymorph. Had Canning changed the formula without Eddie realizing it? Had the counteragent actually enhanced what it was supposed to neutralize? How was anyone ever supposed to know this? Canning, when he was taken into custody, refused to say anything about the subject except to utter the usual horrific threats.

Argus' board of inquiry cleared Eddie of any wrong-doing. He'd behaved, in their view, with all due diligence. That didn't satisfy Eddie, and it seems likely that nothing ever will. He could have written his own ticket at R&D, but the assignment he asked for, in the end was as Polymorph's handler. He does everything he can to help the hero, hiring him for some of his most productive part-time jobs. But he also very much wants to study him just a bit more than would be really healthy for his subject, so as to confirm, as much as possible, that he's not responsible for what happened to all those other people.

Eddie O'Neill -- PL 4

Abilities:
STR 0 | STA 1 | AGL 1 | DEX 1 | FGT 3 | INT 3 | AWE 2 | PRE 2

Advantages:
Contacts, Defensive Roll, Equipment 4, Ranged Attack 2.

Equipment:
Meta-taser Pistol (Ranged Affliction 5 (Ranged Affliction 5 [Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated]), Clean Suit (Immunity 3 [disease, poison, radiation]), Smartphone and 5 other points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+3), Deception 4 (+6), Expertise: Science 5 (+8), Expertise: Current Events 2 (+5), Insight 4 (+6), Intimidation 2 (+4), Investigation 5 (+8), Perception 5 (+7), Persuasion 4 (+6), Technology 6 (+8), Vehicles 4 (+5).

Offense:
Init +1
Unarmed +3 (Damage 1)
Meta-taser Pistol +3 (Ranged Fortitude 5)

Defense:
Dodge 4, Parry 4, Fortitude 2, Toughness 3/1, Will 4.

Totals:
Abilities 26 + Powers 0 + Advantages 9 + Skills 22 + Defenses 7 = 64 points

Complications:
Guilt--Motivation. Secret
(Argus agent).
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Snowfall
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Neva Janssen (born Neva Pérez, in 1992) doesn't really remember much of the first five years of her life, spent in Barcelona. She remembers her mother crying almost all the time, and she remembers a few terribly frightening moments spent in the presence of the man who fathered her. Then one day he was gone, and she and her mother left their barrio, the city, and Spain all together. Somehow, and Neva isn't terribly sure how, they made their way all the way to the Netherlands, where her mother met the next man she would marry, who had a daughter from his previous marriage. Neva wasn't really sure what to make of Kirsten Janssen, but she soon came to love her as a sister.

Some superhumans develop their abilities in stages. From the time that she was born, Neva was largely unaware of hot or low temperatures; neither the most boiling summer day nor the most frigid winter night bothered her in the least. Kirsten was the first person to recognize what this might mean, and she encouraged her little sister to keep it a secret, and bundle up in winter all the same. Mystified, Neva went along with this. It might have been better if she didn't.

The second stage came on when she was fourteen, and she started generating ice sculptures in the middle of July. Unfortunately, this happened while she was at school, and during the height of a period of global anti-super rhetoric (sponsored by Billie Zane as part of the lead-up to her first attempt at world conquest.) Called a freak, a monster and much worse names, Neva promptly ran away from home. She spent the next four years hiding out in the Zoom-Kalmhoutse Heide national park, occasionally straying over onto the Belgian side.

In 2010, Kirsten finally tracked her down, and all but begged Neva to return to civilization and their family. (Of course her parents are still alive. What, you thought they might have died at sea? Come on.) She hesitantly did so, and found a much more accepting milieu when she did. She started to use her powers to help people in her neighborhood, and eventually became a well-regarded hero throughout Amsterdam. Then it happened that Basilea visited the city, and she and Neva found themselves teamed up against Nocticula. Impressed by the young woman's power and control, Basilea arranged her invitation to the Powerhouse, becoming its newest (and to date final) member.

Snowfall (or Sneeuwval) has seen her worldwide popularity explode as the result of a certain movie. She's not convinced of Blakestone's argument that she, and the other members of the Ultra Girls, are tapping into a stream of the collective unconsciousness inspired by that movie and those like it, but she willingly lends her power to the group's efforts all the same, and admits to feeling a camaraderie with them that's greater than what she feels with most of the Powerhouse, or even with her sister.

While she had a brief relationship with Nereus, she doubts that they'll ever really get back together. (Havfrue is much more his type, anyway.) On a recent trip to Morocco, she encountered the entity known as the Green Inferno, and found herself bewilderingly fascinated by him. (Her? Them? The Inferno's gender identity is not clear.) Despite the danger that the other elemental presents, she's drawn towards them nonetheless ...

Snowfall -- PL 10

Abilities:
STR 10/2 | STA 2 | AGL 2 | DEX 2 | FGT 6 | INT 0 | AWE 1 | PRE 2

Powers:
Ice Control: Array (21 points)
  • Ice Blast: Ranged Damage 10, Variable (crushing or piercing) - 21 points
  • Cold Blast: Ranged Damage 7, Resisted by Fortitude - 1 point
  • Ice Shaping: Continuous Create 6, Innate, Precise - 1 point
  • Ice Snare: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 7 (Resisted by Dodge; Hindered and Vulnerable, Immobile and Defenseless), Extra Condition, Limited to Two Degrees - 1 point
  • Icy Surfaces: Environment 7 (extreme cold, impede movement 1) - 1 point
No, The Cold DOESN'T Bother Me; Nor Does The Heat: Immunity 2 (cold, heat) - 2 points
Silver Skates: Flight 7 (250 MPH), Platform - 7 points
Transformation: Enhanced Strength 8; Immunity 13 (cold damage, life support); Impervious Protection 8; Senses 2 (tracking infravision); Move Action - 46 points

Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Favored Environment (cold weather), Improved Initiative, Language 2 (Belgian, Dutch, English, French, [Spanish is native]), Power Attack, Teamwork.

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+7), Deception 8 (+10), Expertise: Survival 8 (+8), Perception 7 (+9), Persuasion 6 (+8), Ranged Combat: Ice Control 8 (+10)

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 10/2)
Cold Blast +10 (Ranged Damage 7, Resisted by Fortitude)
Ice Blast +10 (Ranged Damage 10)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 7, Fortitude 8, Toughness 12/10, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 34 + Powers 79 + Advantages 8 + Skills 21 + Defense 19 = 161 points

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Emotionally Reserved. Fame. Family (parents, sister).
Last edited by Davies on Mon Aug 03, 2020 12:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Kirsten Janssen
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Five years older than her younger sister (not stepsister, she's not part of a set of stairs) Kirsten did everything to make the younger girl feel at home, having been told something about Neva's very unhappy life to that point. All she wanted was to make her understand that she was safe, and when she went off to university, she felt sure that she'd done that. So when Neva ran away from home in her second year, Kirsten took it a bit personally.

Because her parents insisted on it, Kirsten stayed in school and finished her degree rather than joining the two of them in their search. Once that was done, though, there was nothing stopping her. She came home to find that her father was getting help from some people he'd known in his days with the government, who now worked for something called Argus. They had some interesting methods, but Kirsten pointed out some flaws in their approach. Consequently, after they finally found Neva and brought her home, Kirsten ended up with a job offer.

Despite what you might be thinking, Kirsten is not Snowfall's handler. She's requested the assignment more than once, since attempts to infiltrate someone into Neva's life have failed repeatedly. But Argus has a policy against using the family of an asset as their agents, out of simple concern that the agent will most likely place too high a priority on the asset's welfare. So she's always been refused.

This would become a refusal and a reprimand if they were aware of Kirsten's real motives. At college, Kirsten went through some personal discoveries, which she still hasn't seen fit to share with the rest of her family. And definitely not with Neva, who went from a cute little girl to the most beautiful woman Kirsten has ever known in their years apart. It's wrong, from a moral point of view, but the heart wants what it wants. And the fact that her heart isn't getting what it wants is causing Kirsten a great deal of pain ... and anger.

Kirsten Janssen -- PL 6

Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 3 | AGL 2 | DEX 3 | FGT 6 | INT 3 | AWE 4 | PRE 2

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Assessment, Contacts, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 5, Evasion, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Languages 2 (English, French, German, Italian, [Dutch is native]), Ranged Attack 4, Uncanny Dodge

Equipment:
Escrima Stick (Strength-based Damage 2), Light Pistol (Ranged Damage 3), Meta-taser Pistol (Ranged Affliction 5 [Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated]), and 13 points of equipment as neeeded.

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+7), Athletics 6 (+7), Close Combat: Club 2 (+8), Deception 3 (+5), Expertise: Civics 4 (+7), Expertise: Current Events 4 (+7), Insight 5 (+9), Investigation 4 (+7), Perception 4 (+8), Persuasion 4 (+6), Stealth 4 (+6), Technology 3 (+6), Treatment 2 (+5), Vehicles 4 (+5).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 1)
Escrima Stick +8 (Close Damage 3)
Light Pistol +7 (Close Damage 3)
Meta-Taser Pistol +7 (Ranged Fortitude 5)

Defense:
Dodge 7, Parry 6, Fortitude 6, Toughness 5/3, Will 6.

Totals:
Abilities 48 + Advantages 22 + Skills 27 + Defenses 10 = 107 points

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Family (parents). Relationship (Neva). Secret (Argus agent).
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Logan Stormstrider
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Born in Arizona to a trailer park family, all that Logan Williams wanted in the world, even at the age of five, was to get as far away from that place as he possibly could. He got his wish, unfortunately. While stargazing one night, he saw a particularly large light descend from the sky towards the hills outside the trailer park, and ran out into the night to see what it was. He was excited beyond measure to discover that it was a spaceship, from which a kind-looking but clearly inhuman entity emerged, and greeted him -- by name -- with the news that he was a chosen one, with a grand celestial destiny that would be revealed once he came aboard the ship. So of course he did.

The slavers who operated that vessel had expected to be picking through the ashes of a planet devastated by Cerebron, and were pleased to have a much wider selection of merchandise. They managed to pick up more than a dozen humans with the good old 'chosen one' story and some telepathy tricks before they detected the local hypercops on their trail. They promptly bugged out, beginning the months long voyage to the Crimson Imperium, with their cargo secured in coldsleep.

A sharp kid, Logan figured out that he'd been told a pack of lies even before he was sold to a farming family on a dying world thousands of parsecs away from Earth. His 'owners' weren't ever really unkind to him, but despite the fact that they were clearly of the same species, they definitely regarded him as a lesser lifeform. From things they said, he got the impression that they would have preferred to run their farm through robot labor, but that this had been outlawed some time before. He once got up the nerve to ask why they didn't just hire people to do the slaves jobs, and was cuffed on the head and sent off to his room with no supper at the end of the day. He stopped asking questions at that point.

Time passsed, and Logan grew into a young man, strengthened by his labors. He also received some rudimentary education about the Crimson Imperium from the crazy old hermit who lived in a private residence on his owners' estate, and who was one of the few people to treat him like an actual human being, even if he didn't really do anything about Logan's living conditions. According to old Eflas, everything that was wrong in the Crimson Imperium was the result of the Crimson King seizing power, fifty-odd years before, and there was no point in trying to fix the symptoms of that tyranny without doing something about the root cause of it all.

And then, when Logan was around nineteen, a young man came to the estate, spoke briefly with the master and mistress, and somewhat longer with the hermit. The end result of their conversation was that Eflas prepared to depart in order to begin what he admitted was a foolish, idealistic crusade to accomplish just what he'd always been talking about ... and that he purchased Logan from his owners, gave him his freedom, and asked if he wanted to come along. "I can sense a destiny in you," said Eflas.

Despite thinking that this was exactly how he'd gotten into this mess in the first place, Logan went along. He was pleased to find out that Eflas wasn't running a con on him. Through their countless battles with the forces of the Crimson Imperium, Logan was instructed in the ways of the Source, a mystical tradition that had kept the peace and order of the Imperium before the Crimson King suppressed it. He also learned more traditional military skills, and engaged in quite a few thrilling heroics with his friends.

When the small army to which he now belonged, under the name Logan Stormstrider, finally achieved its first real victory and destroyed a major enemy base, it was decided that they should disband and wait for the situation to cool down a bit. Logan personally would have preferred to press their advantage while they had it, but he was overruled. He parted ways with his friends, and flew his starfighter from the Crimson Imperium to the Technate, where he soon found himself working with the Last Men Standing in their fight against the forces of Abraxas. This in turn led to him meeting people from Earth, when the Lasters joined forces with the Powerhouse.

Logan accompanied the Powerhouse back to Earth, and is considered an honored guest of the team. He was offered membership, but still plans to reunite with his fellow revolutionaries in about two solar years. In the meanwhile, he's spending some time on Earth, learning about how the world he left behind has changed, and testing himself against some of the forces he finds there. Super-Giant called this a sort of "musha shugyo", or warrior's pilgrammage, and Logan thinks that's probably true. That said, he is grateful that El Dorado modified his laser sword so that it can just disrupt people it strikes rather than dismembering them.

The downside of all this, though, is that he's brought the Crimson Imperium's attention down on Earth, in the form of an Inquisitor known as Shaitan Topaz, who's pursued him across the galaxy. They've fought many times, always without achieving a final reckoning, and Logan is honestly more worried about the prospect that his enemy is going to summon reinforcements to attack the planet than he is about the prospect of dying on her blade. But it's also a bit worrying that she keeps insisting that he's the bad guy in all this.

Possibly because of his journeys, Logan is starting to question a lot of what he's been told by Eflas and his other friends in the revolution. All of them -- almost all of them -- seem to think that all they need to do is overthrow the Crimson King and that everything will be sunshine and lollipops after that. But what about Abraxas and his armies? What about the Konan Armada, or the Vaask? What about all the people who think the Crimson King is the best thing that ever happened to the Imperium?

Well, at least he has someone to talk with about all of this, even if Virginia Jones keeps telling him to just enjoy the ride and not worry about the future. He thinks that's a terrible attitude, though it also sort of reminds him of someone he misses a great deal, but the alternative that he keeps coming to -- someone needs to take charge of a post-Crimson King Imperium, and it might as well be him -- is also sort of terrible ...

Logan Stormstrider -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR 3 | STA 3 | AGL 5 | DEX 5 | FGT 8 | INT 2 | AWE 3 | PRE 2

Powers:
Bonded Laser Sword: Damage 6, Penetrating 6, Accurate; Easily Removable (-5 points) - 7 points
Draw On The Source: Impervious Will 6; Regeneration 5 - 11 points
Sense The Source: Enhanced Defense 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4); Senses 5 (Accurate, Acute, Ranged Danger Sense) - 13 points
Work With The Source: Array (19 points)
  • Mind Over Matter: Perception Range Move Object 6, Subtle - 19 points
  • Word Over Mind: Hearing-Dependent Perception Range Cumulative Affliction 6 (Dazed, Compelled, Controlled), Subtle - 1 point
Advantages:
Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Diehard, Equipment 12, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Languages 2 (Imperium Standard, Technate Standard, others [English is native]), Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close; Concealment), Takedown, Uncanny Dodge

Equipment:
Space Fighter: Size: Huge; Strength: 10; Speed: 14 (air/space); Defense 6; Toughness 11; Powers: Blaster Cannons (Ranged Damage 8), Warp Drive (Movement 2 [space travel]).

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+13), Athletics 8 (+11), Close Combat: Laser Sword 2 (+10), Expertise: Galactic 6 (+8), Insight 9 (+12), Perception 6 (+9), Persuasion 6 (+8), Ranged Combat: Blaster 5 (+10), Stealth 4 (+9), Technology 6 (+8), Vehicles 8 (+13).

Offense:
Initiative +9
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 3)
Laser Sword +12 (Close Damage 6)

Defense:
Dodge 12/8, Parry 12/8, Fortitude 5, Toughness 5/3, Will 11.

Totals:
Abilities 62 + Powers 51 + Advantages 22 + Skills 34 + Defenses 13 = 181 points

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Friends (many). Nemesis (Shaitan Topaz). Temptation of Power.
Last edited by Davies on Mon Aug 03, 2020 12:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Virginia Jones*
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Her mother was a member of the British peerage and widely regarded as one of the worst things to ever happen to archaeology in the history of the discipline. Her father was a gigantic question mark. By the time that Virginia, largely raised by the family servants, was old enough to wonder about the identity of that question mark, her mother had disappeared on yet another one of the adventures that inspired a series of ridiculously popular computer games. Virginia -- call her Ginny and she will shoot you -- was left with countless unanswered questions and a ridiculous amount of money that she wasn't allowed to touch without the permission of dozens of estate managers.

Inevitably, in her late teens, Virginia started going out and having adventures just like those she imagined her mother had once had. Unfortunately, quite possibly because of the adventures that her mother had once had, laws against this sort of thing were somewhat more vigorously enforced. Since she didn't have access to the sort of money that she'd need to bribe her way out of legal trouble, she often found herself in it. At last, sitting in a jail cell and waiting impatiently for her lawyer to bail her out, Virginia found herself confronted by someone interested in offering her a job.

Virginia has a mixed reputation among her fellow Argus agents. On the one hand, she's incredibly good at her job, a brilliant investigator, an ace infiltrator and one of the best fighters that the organization has ever produced. On the other hand, she's quite clearly insane. She will openly admit that she's just in it for the excitement, and doesn't care whether she succeeds or fails in her missions ... regardless of whether that failure results in her life or death, or that of anyone she works with. Her mother, for all her flaws, cared deeply about discovering things, whether the secrets of the past or the enigmas of her own life. Virginia has apparently decided not to care about anything.

Which is why this current assignment is so bewildering to her. She's worked handler detail in the past, and it never went well. So why in the world are they expecting her to look after some space wizard on his tour of Earth? It was frustrating enough that she even tried to scrub the mission by telling him straight up that she was working for Argus, and all that he did was shrug and say, "I thought so." He didn't care! She's the one who's not supposed to care about things!

So why is she starting to care so much about this weirdo, and why is she worrying that the nihilism she's always embraced as a shield against life's cruelties will rub off on him? And why is she even analyzing herself like that?

Virginia Jones -- PL 7

Abilities:
STR 2 | STA 3 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 6 | INT 5 | AWE 4 | PRE 2

Powers:
None.

Advantages:
Benefit 3 (Millionaire), Close Attack 2, Connected, Contacts, Defensive Roll, Equipment 10, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-all-trades, Languages 3 (many), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 5, Skill Mastery (Perception), Tracking, Well-informed.

Equipment:
Assault Rifle: Ranged Multiattack Damage 5 - 15 points
Heavy Pistol: Ranged Damage 4, Accurate - 1 point
Motorcycle: Size Medium; Strength 1; Speed 6 [ground]; Defense 10; Toughness 8 - 10 points
Skaeheld: Size Large; Toughness 8; Features: Communications, Computer, Garage, Gym, Isolated, Library, Living Space, Power System, Security System - 12 points
Smartphone - 2 points
Ten points of equipment as needed

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+10), Athletics 6 (+8), Expertise: History 6 (+11), Expertise: Survival 4 (+9), Insight 5 (+9), Intimidation 8 (+10), Investigation 6 (+11), Perception 5 (+9), Persuasion 7 (+9), Stealth 6 (+9), Vehicles 6 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +7
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 2)
Heavy Pistol +10 (Ranged Damage 4)
Assault Rifle +8 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5)

Defense:
Dodge 9, Parry 9, Fortitude 7, Toughness 5/3, Will 6

Totals:
Abilities 56 + Advantages 33 + Skills 35 + Defenses 21 = 145 points

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Reputation (crazy). Responsibility (family estate). Secret (Argus agent).

* "I'm complicated, okay?"
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Shaitan Topaz
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Forty standard years before she was born -- roughly forty-eight turnings of this depraved planet around its insignificant sun -- the Imperium was in complete chaos. A senate comprised of thousands of greedy, self-interested politicians claimed to rule, but only argued and schemed against each other, leaving the cosmos in chaos. A collection of vapid mystics claimed to keep the peace, but sat idle as long as nothing threatened the garden world where they trained their apprentices. Warlords freely rampaged, supported by armies of robots, often turning the industrial robots of the worlds that they targeted to revolution and slaughter.

There was no peace. There was no order. There was very definitely no good government. All that is what the Crimson King undid when he took command of the ship of state, with the help of the only one of the mystics whose meditations did not leave him blind to reality. All this is what the romantic psychopaths of the insurgency would restore, in order to return to an imaginary golden age. All this and all that is what Shaitan Topaz, Inquisitor of the Crimson Imperium, will never allow to return, using every skill she has learned from her mentor, the Crimson King's great ally.

Until the devastation of Gelesh, Shaitan believed that the insurgency was simply yet another group of deluded fools who would meet a pointless death by way of the weapons of the Guard. Then they destroyed an entire fortress city, killing not only a full regiment of the Guard, but a squadron of the Grand Fleet, six score units of Marines, tens of thousands of civilian workers ... and last but not least, her mentor. Too late, she understood why the Imperium must never tolerate such folly, and swore to avenge the man who rose her up from nothing.

It took her a month to learn the identity of the so-called warrior of the source who had brought about Gelesh's fall, another month to find the trail that he'd left in his journey to the Technate -- itself proof of the insanity of the insurgency's claims, since all those who'd disapproved of the Crimson King's new order had been, then and now, free to relocate there -- and another month to follow him there. By the time she arrived, he had already moved on, to some miserable little pre-contact planet beyond the Technate's borders. It might have been wiser to turn back, then, and report her findings, and let the Crimson King decide what was to be done. But her oath drove her onward, and what could some pre-space primitives do to stop her?

Plenty, it would seem, Shaitan answered her own question as she escaped from the burning wreck of her vessel, battered by those whom she'd come to know as the Powerhouse. She'd thought that the Technate left this world alone out of regard for the Imperium's traditions concerning worlds without space travel. Now it was clearly the case that they left it alone out of cowardice ... or, to give them more credit than they merited, appropriate caution. Her mission remained the same, however.

So far, she has known failure after failure. If she knew that her enemy fears that she might summon reinforcements from the Imperium, Shaitan would be torn between laughter and frustrated screams. Even if she had the ability, she would not exercise it. This is her quest, and no one else's. (What she cannot admit, even to herself, is that she is in complete defiance of the order she claims to uphold. No one ordered her on this hunt, and she has violated numerous commandments in its pursuit.)

She recently humbled herself enough to try and contact a Terran authority which seemed somewhat reasonable, in order to try and recruit them as allies. But this Argus attempted to take her into custody as an invader, claiming that she violated their planetary and national sovereignties! As though such things could possibly matter! Even worse is the way that her target poses as some manner of hero to these barbarians. Given the near anarchy in which they live, it's not surprising that they would admire him. (Another thing she won't admit to herself is that she felt a slight twinge of sympathy for Logan when she learned of his origins as a slave taken from Earth. Slavery is ... unfortunate.)

For now, she bases herself out of Bhutan, finding it sickening that she, a guardian of order, must rely on the chaos caused by a genuine invader of this planet. Despite her continuing failure to defeat her enemy, she is confident that right is on her side, and will lead to her victory. (And not even once does she wonder why the name her mentor gave her means something in a language she's too arrogant to learn.)

Shaitan Topaz -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR
2 | STA 2 | AGL 6 | DEX 6 | FGT 7 | INT 2 | AWE 3 | PRE 2

Powers:
Bonded Laser Sword:
Damage 5, Penetrating 5, Accurate; Easily Removable (-4 points) - 7 points
Draw On The Source: Impervious Will 6; Regeneration 5 - 11 points
Sense The Source: Enhanced Defense 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4); Senses 5 (Accurate, Acute, Ranged Danger Sense) - 13 points
Translator Implant: Comprehend Language 1 (understand all languages) - 3 points
Work With The Source: Array (25 points)
  • Mind Over Matter: Perception Range Move Object 8, Subtle - 25 points
  • Mind To Mind: Cumulative Mind Reading 8, Subtle - 1 point
  • Word Over Mind: Hearing-Dependent Perception Range Cumulative Affliction 8 (Dazed, Compelled, Controlled), Subtle - 1 point
Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Close Attack 2, Defensive Roll 2, Diehard, Equipment 10, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close; Concealment), Skill Mastery (Intimidation), Startle, Takedown, Uncanny Dodge

Equipment:
Sky-Bike: Size Medium; Strength 5; Speed 8 (air); Defense 12; Toughness 5; Features Subtle Flight, Affects Others and Self Concealment 3 (visual, radio), Quirk (low altitude flight only)

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+14), Athletics 8 (+10), Close Combat: Laser Sword 2 (+9), Deception 10 (+12), Expertise: Galactic 10 (+12), Insight 8 (+11), Intimidation 12 (+14), Perception 10 (+13), Persuasion 6 (+8), Ranged Weapon: Blaster 4 (+10), Stealth 4 (+10), Technology 6 (+8), Vehicles 6 (+12).

Offense:
Initiative +9
Unarmed +9 (Close Damage 2)
Laser Sword +13 (Close Damage 5)

Defense:
Dodge 11/7, Parry 11/7, Fortitude 5, Toughness 7/2, Will 9.

Totals:
Abilities 60 + Powers 61 + Advantages 24 + Skills 46 + Defenses 10 = 201 points

Complications:
Vengeance--Motivation. Arrogant. Temper.
Last edited by Davies on Mon Aug 03, 2020 12:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Voltron64 »

Luke Skywalker and Lara Croft, now that's a pairing I never expected.

Also, did Logan ever reestablish contact with his birth family in Arizona?
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Voltron64 wrote: Sun May 24, 2020 6:00 pm Also, did Logan ever reestablish contact with his birth family in Arizona?
Unfortunately, his parents were both dead (a tornado six years after, and a suicide three years after that) by the time that he returned to Earth, and while he has living aunts, uncles and cousins, he'd never met them before his abduction and isn't intruding on their lives now.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

The Emperor
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There are many questions about the background of Gan In Geun, the man who would become the third Emperor of Korea. His official biography states that he was born on July 28, 1953, but there is considerable doubt about this, with most experts believing that he is somewhat younger than that, possibly by as many as six years. Needless to say, his claim of descent from the Joseon dynasty is not taken seriously outside of Korea, but it is the official truth of his state.

Again according to his official biography (believed to be self-written) his parents were early converts to the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, sometimes called the Unification Church. Raised in the religion, he supposedly began to experience doubts about Reverend Moon's claims to be the Messiah when he was in his late teens, not long after his birth parents passed away. For a while he took some succor in the study of Confucian literature, but this ultimately failed to satisfy him. Based on some possibly apocryphal writings, his main concern with these philosophies was that they didn't predict or describe his own inevitable rise to power.

By 1979, Gan In Geun was well on his way to making a fortune in commodity trading. It seems likely that he was also dealing in drugs at this time, working with the so-called Yang-eun Faction, and it's possible that he had been involved in the Ho-nam Faction's rise to power and ultimate division. He carefully maintained an impeccable public image as a philanthropist and scholar, giving no hint of any criminal activities. He helped to sponsor the 1985 Asian Games and the 1988 Summer Olympics. It is thought that the latter event led to his association with the Pythonian Insurgency.

Understandably, there is no proof that Gan In Geun was responsible for persuading the Pythons to begin their attempt to seize control of North Korea in 1991, nor any that he influenced the South Korean invasion of the North in response to their takeover and massacre of the Kim dynasty. Companies under his control were very involved in the reconstruction of the north, and are credited with averting the famine which could have gripped both countries in the mid-nineties following the reunification.

Around this time, between 1994 and 1996 is when he associated with Robert Richmond, which he regards with great personal sorrow. He had high hopes for the young man, whose obvious racial inferiority he graciously overlooked, and even came to view him as a son of sorts. And yet he was betrayed -- exactly how is not terribly clear -- and suffered serious material losses as a result. (It is believed that Richmond may have prevented him from achieving true immortality, as opposed to his unaging state.) He kept tabs on his enemy, and has always known exactly who Darkwing is. He is quietly certain that there will be a final reckoning one day. He is notably not in any hurry to bring that about.

In 1998, Gan In Geun was elected as President of the United Republic of Korea. From that position of authority, it took him less than three years to install his hand-picked men in all levels of the government and military, such that he was able to suspend the constitution and declare himself Emperor. As this declaration came the week after Cerebron's attack, world reaction was relatively muted; most expected the so-called Emperor to be torn down from his throne within a few months. Of course, that didn't happen, and the Empire of Korea is, twenty years later, reluctantly accepted as a legitimate nation.

The Emperor considers himself an enlightened and benevolent ruler. The notion of killing one of his minions for failing him is utterly abhorrent; such a one should be gently and patiently reassigned to duties where his failure will not repeat. Only repeated failure should bring such absolute punishment, which is always to be regretted. (Briefly, at least.) Betrayal is quite another matter, and will be punished in ways that will definitely discourage such acts in others.

Having all the time in the world, the Emperor is deliberately delaying his next conquest -- that of Japan -- until such time as its current protectors are feebler than they are now. Eventually, he will rule the entire world, as providence always intended.

The Emperor -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR 2 | STA 3 | AGL 2 | DEX 4 | FGT 8 | INT 6 | AWE 5 | PRE 7

Powers:
Hypnosis: Sight-Dependent Perception Range Cumulative Affliction 9 (Dazed, Compelled), Limited Degree - 18 points
Longevity: Immunity 1 (aging) - 1 point
Strength of Will: Impervious Will 10 - 10 points

Advantages:
Assessment, Benefit 6 (Billionaire, Status), Connected, Contacts, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment X, Fascinate (Persuasion), Improved Initiative, Inspire 2, Languages 4, Minions X, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 2, Set-up, Speed of Thought, Well-informed.

Skills:
Close Combat: Sword 4 (+12), Deception 8 (+15), Expertise: Business 7 (+13), Expertise: Criminal 6 (+12), Expertise: Politics 8 (+14), Expertise: Science 4 (+10), Insight 10 (+15), Intimidation 8 (+15), Investigation 8 (+14), Perception 8 (+12), Persuasion 12 (+19), Ranged Combat: Guns 5 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +10
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 2)
Sword +12 (Close Damage 5)
Gun +11 (by weapon)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 10, Fortitude 8, Toughness 8/3, Will 10

Totals:
Abilities 74 + Powers 29 + Advantages 26 + Skills 44 + Defenses 18 = 191 points

Complications:
Power--Motivation. Megalomania. Nemesis (Darkwing).
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Railgun
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It started out nice. Erika Ohmstede was a typical Cleveland college student in 2007, working a part-time job to cover what student loans didn't, and still frequently short of cash. She happened to read about an experiment in the student newspaper that would apparently pay good money to any qualified subject, and realized that she fit the description rather nicely. In one way, Erika wasn't typical at all, as she'd had, from birth, a perfect sense of direction, and that was exactly what they were looking for.

So she went and applied, and some polite young men in lab coats told her to lay down, drink a digusting-tasting liquid, and have a mild electrical current run through her body. Erika was never really sure what they were trying to do, but she doubts that what happened -- her first explosion of electromagnetic energy -- was what they had in mind. Given that some of them didn't get out of the hospital for a few weeks, it doesn't seem too likely that it was, but you never really know, do you?

So now she had more power than she really knew what to do with, no particular grudge against society, but no real heroic impulse, either. Nevertheless, Erika tried to use her powers to help people in a fairly low key way on campus, attracting a fair bit of attention in the process. It wasn't unpleasant, really, but it did make her a bit anxious, to the point where she felt a bit sick at times. She spoke with her doctor and got started on a regular dose of paroxetine, and things started to get better.

Then she met him. The Blue Bolt came looking for her, expressing an interest in her 'heroic career'. Erika was flattered, especially since he seemed to be flirting with her. While she still wasn't really interested in putting on a costume and challenging the forces of evil, spending time with this cute customer might make that a bit more appealing. He dropped in on her when he was in the area, with her passing on things she'd heard about that might be more his speed -- pardon the pun -- and him passing on things she could do to help out.

After about a year, they realized that they were dating, and the Bolt revealed his secret identity to her. She'd managed to get her degree and was looking for a steady job, and Jimmy encouraged her to seriously consider superheroics. Nereus managed to make it pay reasonably well, and the Powerhouse had a policy of paying off its members' outstanding debts when they joined, in order to make sure that they didn't have to worry about that. Still a bit uncomfortable, Erika did develop a red costume that she thought contrasted with the Bolt's, and joined him on a couple of missions.

It was about as un-fun as she was expecting, and she came to the conclusion that while she did want to keep up a relationship with Jimmy, she didn't want one with the Blue Bolt. She was trying to figure out how to explain this to him when he invited her to come have dinner with him and his parents. That was a major step! She decided to go pick up a new refill of her prescription, taking a pill a bit out of schedule, before she went to the restaurant and met Jimmy, who apologized for the fact that his parents had had to cancel.

That was when she realized that he was trying to kill her, and naturally, defended herself by trying to kill him right back. She didn't succeed, but he was incapacitated enough that he wasn't able to pursue her when she made her escape. She spent a long night thinking about everything that had happened to her in the last few years, and realized that some sinister force had clearly been manipulating events to bring about her demise. In hindsight, the hints were all obvious. Now she just had to find out who was out to get her, and bring them down.

The exact nature of what Railgun, as she now calls herself, believes about her persecutor varies from day to day. The only real constant is that the Blue Bolt, and the other members of the Powerhouse, are all clearly its minions, as are all law enforcement types. Other heroes or villains might be working for the enemy as well, or they might be innocent pawns. The same is true for pretty much everyone else in the world. No one is to be trusted. No one is safe. And if she has to destroy the world in order to defeat the enemy, that's just what she'll do.

And while it's easy to dismiss Railgun as delusional, that doesn't explain why the pharmacy clerk who gave her the last dose of paroxetine she ever took was found dead in the river of a gunshot the next day. Just because you're paranoid, after all ...

Railgun -- PL 11

Abilities:
STR
0 | STA 2 | AGL 2 | DEX 2 | FGT 4 | INT 4 | AWE 2 | PRE 2

Powers:
Bump of Direction: Senses 1 (direction sense) - 1 point
Electromagnetic Control: Array (28 points)
  • Bolt Launch: Ranged Damage 14 - 28 points
  • Control Metal: Perception Range Move Object 14, Limited to metal - 1 point
  • Magnetic Pulse: Burst Area Nullify Electronics 9, Broad - 1 point
  • Metallic Bonds: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 9 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobilized), Extra Condition, Limited Degree - 1 point
Jamming: Burst Area Nullify Surveillance and Transmission 11, Sustained -- 44 points
Magnetic Riding: Flight 7 (250 MPH), Platform - 7 points
Magnetic Shield: Sustained Protection 12, Impervious 8 - 20 points

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged, Cover)

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+7), Athletics 5 (+5), Expertise: Science 5 (+9), Intimidation 8 (+10), Perception 6 (+8), Ranged Combat: Elemental Control 6 (+8), Stealth 4 (+6), Technology 5 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +2
Unarmed +4 (Close Damage 0)
Bolt Launch +8 (Ranged Damage 14)
Metallic Bonds +8 (Ranged Affliction 9, Resisted by Dodge)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 6, Fortitude 6, Toughness 14/2, Will 9.

Totals:
Abilities 36 + Powers 103 + Advantages 3 + Skills 22 + Defense 19 = 183 points

Complications:
Destruction--Motivation. Nemesis (Blue Bolt). Paranoia.
Last edited by Davies on Mon Aug 03, 2020 12:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Cerebron
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Considering how much his visit to Earth changed the course of history, it's somewhat startling how little is known about the android assailaint known as Cerebron. Perhaps the most disturbing fact comes from an offhand remark he made during his first public address, not long after the destruction of Air Force One, when he commented that he was surprised that the world he'd viewed as a dull little mudball, when he last visited a century ago, had developed so quickly. This has led to all sorts of speculation -- Cerebron caused Tunguska! -- which cannot be confirmed or denied.

Even contact with extraterrestrial civilizations has not helped. The Technate, which has fought off attacks by Cerebron on its member planets many times in its history, knows no more than Earth's defenders do about his origins or motivations. Their Cosmic Intelligence Agency believes that he has an alliance with the Crimson King, but this may be simply prejudice on their part, based as it is on the fact that androids, unlike robots, are still quite common in the Crimson Imperium. On the other hand, Logan Stormstrider has confirmed that, as far as he knows, Cerebron has not attacked any worlds in the Imperium since the Crimson King took power.

However, Cerebron clearly existed long before the Imperium (established a bit more than three hundred and fifty Terran years ago) took form. The records of his attack on Anacreon clearly establish that. That attack followed the exact same pattern as the attack on Earth did, as all documented attacks on Technate worlds did. It's a pattern that bewilders those who've studied it.

While interested in gathering up what he considers to be interesting examples of technology advanced above a planet's 'normal' levels, and in acquiring 'estoteric' knowledge -- what is considered magical on Earth, or the workings of the Source in the Imperium -- Cerebron is primarily oriented towards extracting resources from the planets he attacks. But this makes no sense. Virtually all of the resources he was interested in gaining could be gathered from the uninhabited planets of the solar system, or from the asteroid belt. Instead, Cerebron deliberately chooses targets where he will be able to terrify and overawe the local populace, even if their resistance will reduce the efficiency of his resource extraction.

Considering his esoteric abilities, it's not impossible that he's feeding on the fear of his victims.

Regardless, his attack on Earth, in 2001, has not been repeated. Although he was able to escape the attack of the nascent Powerhouse on his vessel, he had to abandon his ship and all the resources he'd been attempting to gather. He has returned to the Sol system on four different occasions since then, attacking Mars and Mercury in separate incidents, fighting the Powerhouse in the asteroid belt on another occasion*, and making a brief foray against Jupiter, which was abandoned before the Powerhouse could mobilize against him. (The residents of Jupiter, dubbed 'flumphs' for their similarity to creatures in a tabletop role-playing game, claimed to have not even noticed what was happening, which lends credence to the 'feeding on fear' hypothesis.)

It is considered a virtual certainty that Cerebron will attack Earth again in the near future, and that he will have learned from the previous incident, as well as gaining additional power from episodes that humanity knows nothing about. Whether Earth's defenders will be ready when that happens is an open question.

Cerebron -- PL 12

Abilities:
STR 2 | STA 3 | AGL 2 | DEX 3 | FGT 3 | INT 11 | AWE 6 | PRE 6

Powers:
Cyberweb: Quickness 8, Limited to mental; Radio Communication 3; Comprehend Machines 2; Remote Sensing 13 (all senses), Feedback, Medium (machinery) - 57 points
Force Field: Sustained Impervious Protection 12 - 24 points**
Esoteric Knowledge of Countless Worlds: Array (37 points)
  • Psychokinesis: Perception Range Move Object 12 - 1 point
  • Telepathic Assault: Perception Range Damage 9, Resisted by Will - 1 point
  • Telepathic Broadcast: Selective Area Mental Communication 4 and Comprehend Languages 3 - 37 point
  • Telepathic Command: Perception Range Affliction 12 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled) - 1 point
  • Telepathic Probe: Cumulative Mind Reading 12 - 1 point
No Human Weaknesses: Immunity 30 (Fortitude effect) - 30 points

Advantages:
Assessment, Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Equipment X, Fearless 2, Improved Initiative, Inventor, Speed of Thought, Well-informed

Skills:
Deception 12 (+18), Expertise: Science 6 (+17), Insight 10 (+16), Intimidation 10 (+16), Investigation 7 (+18), Perception 11 (+17), Technology 6 (+17).

Offense:
Initiative +15
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage 2)
Telepathic Assault -- (Perception Range Damage 9, Resisted by Will)
Telepathic Command -- (Perception Range Will 12)

Defense:
Dodge 9, Parry 7, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 15/3, Will 12.

Totals:
Abilities 72 + Powers 162 + Advantages 9 + Skills 31 + Defenses 17 = 281 points

Complications:
Greed--Motivation. Fascinated by "Advanced" Technology. Feeds on Fear (?).

* Based on his initial trajectory, it's believed that he was planning on attacking Venus during this episode.
** It is not clear whether this power is Technological or Esoteric in nature.
Last edited by Davies on Mon Aug 03, 2020 12:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Jodie Crowley
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Image
Image
Image
Just some of the faces this individual has used.

Despite what you might think, and despite occasional claims to the contrary, the individual using the alias Jodie Crowley is almost certainly not a descendant of the individual you're thinking about. Of his five documented children, three survived childhood and two had children of their own, but none of those children are the right age to have become 'Jodie Crowley', who was born, according to the best estimate of their actual age, around 1964. Of course, all of this could be incorrect.

They -- the term is used deliberately -- first appeared as a fully-grown adult in 1986, operating under a male guise as a consultant hired by the Pythonian Insurgency to reinforce their troops' loyalties through chemical means. Crowley engaged in what would become a familiar pattern of behavior -- they produced some minor results that quieted the suspicions of certain Pythons, then exploited lapses in security to steal artifacts of apparently mystical significance that the Pythons had claimed as trophies. It would be tempting to regard this as paying evil unto evil, and somewhat admirable, had they not also murdered a sixteen year-old girl, the daughter of Pythia, in the process.

Jodie Crowley has a fairly simple set of desires. They want to be the most powerful practitioner of magic on Earth, if not the only one. Every other person that they interact with is a means to that end, or an obstacle to it in need of removal. Except that there are also cases where they seem to just pick an individual at random, insert themselves into that person's life, usually as a romantic partner, and gradually make things go wrong until their victim becomes utterly desperate and isolated from every other person in their life ... at which point they persuade their victim to engage in a murder-suicide that turns out to be just a murder. What Crowley gets out of this, beyond a sick thrill, is not terribly clear.

Blakestone managed to rescue one potential victim of such a scheme, and has tried to prevent other incidents of this sort. Since then, Crowley has been actively trying to kill her, with the fact that this would allow Crowley to claim ownership of the House of Riddles as a decidedly secondary concern. (It's quite possible that Crowley has no interest in being tied down to a fixed location, as Blakestone is to a certain degree.) Blakestone's allies have allowed her to survive these assassination attempts, so far.

Observing this led to Crowley joining forces with other villains, such as Nocticula. They always seek to assert themselves as the dominant partner in the relationship, which, given the nature of their associates, keeps such partnerships temporary. The experience has started to give them ideas, however. Perhaps the best way to assume the role of Earth's only magic-user would be to start a religion in which they were the high priest of an actually present god. Finding such an entity who is both powerful enough to fill the role and malleable enough to let Crowley do whatever they want has not been easy. The sole remaining Olympian is obviously ill-suited, and the Titans they've learned about don't impress them either. Perhaps something more primal would fit the ticket.

They wonder, though, why their most recent sortilege on the subject produced the word, "Abracadabra."

Jodie Crowley -- PL 11

Abilities:
STR
0 | STA 0 | AGL 1 | DEX 3 | FGT 3 | INT 3 | AWE 6 | PRE 5

Powers:
Sorcery:
Array (44 points)
  • Gift of Gyges: Concealment 10, Affects Others, Passive, Dynamic - 2 points
  • Lord of Illusions: Illusion 11 (all senses), Resistable, Dynamic - 45 points
  • Scrying: Remote Sensing 8 (all senses), Subtle 2, Dynamic - 2 points
  • Sensory Shattering: Perception Range Cumulative Affliction 11 (Resisted by Will; Impaired & Vulnerable, Disabled & Defenseless), Extra Condition, Limited Degree, Dynamic - 2 points
  • Strength of Will: Perception Range Damaging Move Object 11, Dynamic - 2 points
  • Warding Spell: Immunity 80 (Toughness), Concentration - 1 point
Two-Faced: Morph 2, Continuous - 12 points

Advantages:
Daze (Deception), Defensive Roll 2, Fascinate (Deception), Ritualist.

Skills:
Deception 13 (+18), Expertise: Magic 8 (+13), Insight 6 (+12), Intimidation 8 (+13), Perception 8 (+14), Persuasion 8 (+13), Sleight of Hand 9 (+12), Stealth 12 (+13).

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage 0)
Sensory Shattering -- (Perception Range Will 11)
Strength of Will -- (Perception Range Damaging Move Object 11)

Defense:
Dodge 9, Parry 9, Fortitude 6, Toughness 5/0, Will 11

Totals:
Abilities 42 + Powers 66 + Advantages 5 + Skills 36 + Defenses 25 = 174 points

Complications:
Power--Motivations. Greed (for artifacts and grimoires). Nemesis (Blakestone).
Last edited by Davies on Mon May 25, 2020 8:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Voltron64 »

The twist? Crowley's shape-shifting ability isn't magical in nature at all.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Voltron64 wrote: Mon May 25, 2020 7:44 pm The twist? Crowley's shape-shifting ability isn't magical in nature at all.
Maybe.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

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El Diablo Rojo
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Most people don't believe that the Ecuadorian based gangster who uses the alias 'El Diablo Rojo' is actually some sort of demon from hell. The rumors that he can read people's minds and make their nightmares come to life have plenty of other explanations, after all. And while he is a cruel and vicious individual, he's not that much worse than other gangsters. There are other rumors, though, that if you sufficiently annoy him, you'll be summoned to a final, private meeting where his mask comes off and you burn in flames.

The latter rumors are true, of course, but he's not a demon from hell. Derat Bahasta, to use the name that his spawner gave him, is an alien. His species' homeworld is one of the many planets of the Crimson Imperium, but he was born to a family that fled that state for the Technate, where he grew up as a refugee. At an early age, Bahasta came to the conclusion that the Technate's government was never going to help him, so it was up to him to help himself. So he apprenticed himself to one of the gangsters who preyed on refugees like him, and began working his way up the food chain.

Around 1996, while disposing of some bodies, Bahasta discovered a crashed spaceship in one of the deserts of his home planet. The pilots had long since mummified, but one of them was clutching a pentagonal prism in a death grip. Bahasta recognized the object from stories he'd heard from older criminals, and his pulse quickened. He quickly broke the hand that held it, seized it for himself, and watched a red force field form around himself. Bahasta let out a laugh. Now he had real power, and now the world was his artichoke!

Except not. All that he'd really done was paint a target on himself, as someone who'd probably stolen a powerful weapon from people who were likely to take offense to that. Other criminals weren't interested in cooperating with him, and those whom he forced to work with him did so grudgingly and looked for opportunities to sell him out. The authorities devoted far more efforts to stopping him now that he had the prism, and while he wasn't outgunned, he was seriously outnumbered. And then he heard rumors that other people equipped with prisms were in fact hunting him, with the government's complete endorsement.

Ironically, given his species' resistance to high temperatures, he'd made his current situation too hot for him, and had to flee. But where was he supposed to hide out? The Imperium? No, that would be a good way to commit suicide. And then he remembered that crazy rumor, about one of the Technate's explorer vessels discovering a pre-Space planet occupied by a Chiraben-like species, which they'd left strictly alone for some reason. It was a crazy risk, but Bahasta didn't have any better options. So he used the prism to generate a spacewarp that should take him there.

Since 1998, soon after his arrival, El Diablo Rojo has become a major player in the Ecuadorian underworld, dealing in contraband and vice. His initial fight with O Homen de Ouro arose from panic, as he thought that the other individual was a 'legitimate' power prism user, come to hunt him. He's since learned better, but now wants to eliminate 'El Dorado' on general principles as well as the likelihood that the other is likely to attract attention from the people he fled. He's also had a few clashes with the adventurers known as the Discovery Company, who prevented him expanding his operations to Australia. That was just business, but he'd be willing to undermine them all the same. His most amicable association with other supercriminals is a partnership with the Combination, but both sides keep the other at a comfortable distance.

Interestingly, El Diablo is quietly working to build a consortium with the intent of constructing an orbital elevator in Ecuador. His intention would be to use the counterweight station as a base to connect his organization to interstellar criminal operations, smuggling in xenotech without running the risk of the smugglers being detected in the atmosphere and shot down. That the construct might benefit humanity is something that he doesn't really think about.

El Diablo Rojo -- PL 11

Abilities:
STR 6 | STA 4 | AGL 4 | DEX 3 | FGT 4 | INT 3 | AWE 3 | PRE 5

Powers:
Power Prism: Removable (-24 points)
* Disguise Field: Morph 1 (mundane human appearance) - 5 points
* Force Field: Sustained Impervious Protection 12, Linked Sustained Immunity 10 (life support) - 34 points
* Offensive Applications: Array (27 points)
  • Agonizer Beam: Ranged Affliction 13 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed & Impaired, Disabled & Stunned), Extra Condition, Limited Degree - 1 point
  • Basic Blast: Ranged Damage 13 - 1 point
  • Explosive Blast: Ranged Burst Area Damage 9 - 27 points
  • Force Constructs: Create 9, Moveable - 1 point
  • Hallucinator: Illusion 9 (All Senses), Limited to One Subject, Resisted by Will - 1 point
  • Mind Probe: Cumulative Mind-Reading 9 - 1 point
  • Tractor/Pressor Beam: Move Object 13 - 1 point
* Phased Flight: Flight 11 (4000 MPH), Aquatic; Insubstantial 3; Movement 3 (environmental adaptation [zero-g], space flight 2) - 46 points
Where I Come From, It's REALLY Hot: Immunity 5 (fire damage), Limited to Half Effect - 3 points

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Benefit 3 (Millionaire), Improved Initiative, Language 2 (English, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish), Move-by Action, Power Attack, Redirect, Ultimate Effort (Deception), Uncanny Dodge.

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+12), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+8), Deception 11 (+16), Expertise: Criminal 11 (+14), Expertise: Science 4 (+7), Insight 6 (+9), Intimidation 8 (+13), Perception 7 (+10), Persuasion 7 (+12), Ranged Combat: Power Prism 6 (+9), Technology 8 (+11).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 6)
Basic Blast +9 (Ranged Damage 13)
Explosive Blast -- (Ranged Burst Area Damage 9)
Agonizer Beam +9 (Ranged Fortitude 13)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 6, Fortitude 9, Toughness 16/4, Will 13

Totals:
Abilities 64 + Powers 97 + Advantages 12 + Skills 40 + Defenses 19 = 232 points

Complications:
Greed--Motivation. Nemesis
(El Dorado). Secret (alien). Unusual Looks.
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