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

Post by Davies »

Siren
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Madelyn Regan was born (in 1987) with her powers already active, though they were relatively weak in her childhood. They were still strong enough that she had pretty much her entire family wrapped around her finger, and grew up as thoroughly spoiled as you'd expect. In high school, with her powers fully developed, she was the school's queen bee, raising up other girls to join her clique and casting them down at her whim. And then, in her sophomore year, she made the critical mistake of trying to use her gifts on the school's chemistry teacher ... who'd been one of JSOT's top scientists, and was well acquainted with people trying to control her mind.

Argus was called in, and Madelyn's powers were nullified. Suddenly, people were talking about putting her on trial, but that had to be nonsense, right? She'd never done anything illegal. (She more or less tuned out the explanations about the precedents established by the Anselmo case of 1967, and you probably wouldn't find them interesting either.) As soon as an opportunity presented itelf, she made her escape and got rid of the nullifier. The physical pain of that, and the humiliation and embarassment that she'd suffered, convinced her that she might as well be a criminal if everyone was going to treat her like one. And she'd be a great and terrible criminal.

Her first scam took place in Chicago, where she tried to put Darkwing and Talon under her control. Annoyingly, Darkwing proved too much for her, and she was once again nullified and put in handcuffs. She managed to trick her way out of the situation, and fled for a less windy city. But the same thing kept happening -- she might put the local hero under her sway for a while, but they always broke free and she always ended up in jail for entirely too long (a second being about all that she could stand) before escaping. She even tried heading to Portland in 2008, after the local heroes had either died or vanished, and expected to have an easy time of it. She doesn't talk about what happened there, but she left in a hurry.

Now more aware that she was a fairly small fish in a very big ocean, Madelyn tried to run schemes that wouldn't attract superheroic or, well, super attention. While doing so, she met and worked with Michael Selvon. Their styles were too incompatible to mesh well, at least back then, but he taught her a fair bit about con-artistry and she allowed him to study how her powers actually worked, allowing him to develop some technological ways of blocking them. Consequently, when he started to put together the Combination, she was the first person he called.

Siren expected to be used to mind control people into obeying them, and was somewhat startled when there wasn't very much of that. Instead, Kingfisher gave her a great deal of authority, specifically focusing on the city's entertainment industry and the media. She quickly realized how clever that was; by controlling what people saw on television or read in the newspapers, she could control vast numbers of people without exercising any of her power at all.

She was less enthused when he also had her take control of the prostitution trade, but has run it rather well, most notably joining forces with Akane to take out a serial killer who was, predictably, preying on the working girls. It was just disgusting, particularly the way that the filthy harlots were so grateful to her. Bleugh. She takes much more pleasure in revitalizing the city's theatre district, having always dreamed of having her own Broadway or Vegas show. While her face is a bit too famous for that, she can and does direct like a dictator.

Siren is widely assumed to have to speak to people in order to use her mind control powers on them. She doesn't, but keeps this very close to her chest. Kingfisher knows, of course, but agrees that holding that in reserve is probably a good idea. Eventually, of course, it's a good idea that she's going to use against him when she's finally had enough of taking orders from him, no matter how politely expressed they might be, but she's still waiting for the right moment for that. It's sort of annoying that the right moment hasn't come in seven years, but that's just how it goes, right?

Siren -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR
-1 | STA 1 | AGL 2 | DEX 0 | FGT 0 | INT 2 | AWE 5 | PRE 7

Powers:
Mind Control: Progressive Cumulative Perception-Range Affliction 9 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled), Insidious; Linked to Senses 1 (Communication Link with Target) - 56 points

Advantages:
Assessment, Attractive, Connected, Contacts, Daze (Deception), Defensive Roll, Fascinate (Deception), Teamwork.

Skills:
Deception 6 (+13), Expertise: Criminal 9 (+11), Expertise: Performance 8 (+15), Insight 8 (+13), Intimidation 5 (+12), Perception 5 (+10), Persuasion 7 (+14), Stealth 8 (+10).

Offense:
Initiative +0
Unarmed 0 (Close Damage -1)
Mind Control -- (Perception Range Will 9)

Defense:
Dodge 7, Parry 5, Fortitude 5, Toughness 3/1, Will 13

Totals:
Abilities 32 + Powers 56 + Advantages 8 + Skills 28 + Defense 22 = 145 points

Complications:
Greed--Motivation. Desire for Fame. Total Snob, And Vain, Too.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Voltron64
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Voltron64 »

Davies wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 9:43 am She was less enthused when he also had her take control of the prostitution trade, but has run it rather well, most notably joining forces with Akane to take out a serial killer who was, predictably, preying on the working girls. It was just disgusting, particularly the way that the filthy harlots were so grateful to her. Bleugh.
The worst part of it all was how she and Akane had to handle the serial killer's carcass.
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Carl Crusher
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As a kid, Carl Kurschner fully expected the world to be his oyster. He was strong, fast and tough, and he loved to show it, and was always one of the first picked for any sports team in gym class. It was hard to be humble when he was perfect in every way, but he somehow managed. Besides, the cheers and adulation weren't really what he was after. He prized that magic moment when he knew that he was pushing himself to his limits.

And then someone noticed that his limits were just a bit beyond what any kid his age should be able to do. (Which has always seriously pissed him off! Who decided what people 'should' be able to do?) Some testing was done, and those suspicions were confirmed. Carl's superpowers resulted in him being banned from high school athletics, with his dream of playing professional football closed off forever.

Despite his anger over this, Carl adapted fairly well, and started to look into joining the Ultimate Wrestling Federation instead. But his time there was every bit as frustrating, as he kept getting booked as a heel instead of the babyface that he wanted to be, and going under for people who were weaker but more appealing to the crowds than he was. He never got the opportunity to push his limits.

In 2010, five years into his career as a sports entertainer, he and a few other wrestlers were hired as musclemen for one of Kingfisher's schemes. The fight, with Paragon himself, no less, was the most fun he'd had in years! The next time his contract came up for renewal, he told the bosses that they could take this job and shove it, and went off to be a hired thug. Sure, it wasn't glamorous, and he usually ended up in jail, but he got to push himself as he used to.

Anyway, when the Kingfisher was putting the Combination together, he had his pick of tough guys, but Carl Crusher was the first one that he called! Once they were in charge, Selvon gave Carl the job of looking after the city's industry and its unions, keeping them in line. Carl set to this task with a will, doing his best to imitate the boss's management style.

But something strange has gradually happened over the years since then. Imitating that style meant listening to the union leadership, just like Kingfisher makes a point of listening to the rest of the Combination. And Carl has started to find himself understanding the unions' perspective. All they want is to keep their people working and safe, and Carl can understand that. In both wrestling and thuggery, he's seen plenty of people get treated like crap by their employer, and while it was all he could do to look after himself, these days he has enough power that he can maybe help some other people out, if it's not too much trouble.

Gradually, Carl is becoming alienated from the rest of the Combination, and could represent another weak point in their organization. However, he still enjoys getting in fights with superheroes, and it could be difficult to convince him that doing so isn't really in the long-term interests of the other guys.

Carl Crusher -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR
9/2 | STA 8/3 | AGL 1 | DEX 1 | FGT 6 | INT 1 | AWE 2 | PRE 1

Powers:
Faster Than He Looks: Enhanced Defenses 4 (Dodge 2, Parry 2); Speed 4 (30 MPH) - 8 points
Resilient: Enhanced Stamina 5; Enhanced Strength 7; Enhanced Strength 6, Limited to Lifting; Immunity 10 (life support), Limited to half effect; Impervious Toughness 8 - 43 points

Advantages:
Beginner’s Luck, Close Attack 2, Defensive Attack, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improvised Weapon, Power Attack, Takedown 2, Teamwork

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+12), Close Combat: Unarmed 1 (+7), Expertise: Streetwise 8 (+9), Insight 6 (+8), Intimidation 10 (+11), Perception 8 (+10), Ranged: Combat: Throwing 6 (+7), Stealth 8 (+9)

Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +9 (Close Damage 9)

Defense:
Dodge 10, Parry 10, Fortitude 11, Toughness 8, Will 4

Totals:
Abilities 34 + Powers 51 + Advantages 12 + Skills 25 + Defense 14 = 136 points

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Growing A SOCIAL Conscience. Temper.
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Voltron64
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Voltron64 »

Not just one, but now at least TWO weak links in the chain? Truly smart PCs could get them both to turn and set off a chain reaction leaving the whole operation falling apart.

Which come to think of it, how else to beat a grifter other than cutting a Gordian knot through brute force? Beat them at their own tactics.
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

The situation is set up for a group of capable PCs to unravel, as opposed to the much more entrenched forces of villainy elsewhere in the world.
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Voltron64
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Voltron64 »

Davies wrote: Fri May 29, 2020 10:07 pm The situation is set up for a group of capable PCs to unravel, as opposed to the much more entrenched forces of villainy elsewhere in the world.
And who knows? Maybe their actions against The Combination set off a chain reaction that begins to dislodge the other forces of villainy as well.

Like I don't know, Kingfisher had been doing/making some deals/in-roads with Portland and that leads to something even bigger and so forth.
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Dr. Genome
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Uniquely among the members of the Combination, Dr. George Nommensen, Ph.D., M.D., was not someone that Michael Selvon had worked with in the past, either under his real name or as Kingfisher. They knew each other only by reputation, and thus the man called Dr. Genome was not even momentarily fooled by claims that he was the first person Selvon had contacted. Flattered, perhaps, but not fooled. He agreed to the meet out of curiosity, and to the project because it intrigued him.

Doctor Genome got his start as a criminal scientist, as distinguished from a mad scientist, in the eighties while working for the Pythonian Insurgency. He claims, now, to have had no interest in the Pythons' political goals, and that he would have been perfectly happy to sell his skills to the JSOT. But the Pythons were willing to pay him as his skills deserved, and the American government was not. (Claims like this should perhaps be regarded with skepticism.)

Captured in 1992 during the fall of the Pythons, Doctor Genome was too much the pragmatist to commit suicide like so many of his colleagues, but not enough of a sell-out to testify against the rest, either. So he wound up with a twenty year prison sentence, since no one could directly lay any deaths at his hands. Still, as he was already in his fifties when he began his imprisonment, everyone expected him to die in prison. Everyone was in for a surprise.

He served his time quietly and patiently, protected by a small cadre of former Pythons and Python-admirers. In 2012, he was finally released, and hobbled out of the prison gates, took the bus to the nearest city, and quickly dropped out of sight of Argus' cursory attempts to keep him under surveillance. Making his way to a hidden laboratory, which had managed to avoid being looted in the previous decades, he quickly developed a revitalizing formula that rolled back the years so that he was once more in his physical prime. Thus restored, he put an advertisement for his services on that 'CraigsList' thing one of his security detail had told him about, and waited for the job offers to start. As it happened, Kingfisher was the first to contact him.

Doctor Genome helped to build the bombs and nullifiers that were so critical to the Combination's success, and committed a number of assassinations in the early stages of their conquest. Since then, he's largely focused his efforts on improving the city's infrastructure -- in ways that primarily benefit the Combination, of course -- and on keeping caught up on scientific and technical developments that passed him by while in prison. He was also given charge of the city's drug trade, and is making quite a profit from it. (He'd actually encouraged the Pythons to involve themselves in the drug business, but they viewed it as beneath them.) His biggest success has been marketing a weaker version of his own revitalizer to the public -- it only shaves off five years or so, but that's more than enough for most people.

Opponents expecting a cerebral assassin are in for a shock. As someone well associated with the strengths and weaknesses of the human body, Dr. Genome has always sought to cultivate his physical abilities as well as his mental ones, and is a dangerous hand-to-hand fighter -- not a master of the martial arts, but no one to be trifled with. He augments these talents with a collection of poisons, and frequently supplements them further with experimental ones, viewing enemies as ideal test subjects.

Despite his arrogance, easily the equal of Kingfisher's, Doctor Genome is singularly unlikely to ever betray the Combination's leader, except by inaction. He doesn't accept Kingfisher as his intellectual equal -- he would probably not accept Billie Zane as his intellectual equal -- but does recognize that the other man is much better at getting other people to do his will than he is. Being in charge of anything larger than a laboratory complex has never appealed to him, and so he's content to allow Kingfisher -- or whoever can overthrow Kingfisher -- to be the big man, as long as he's free to do his work.

Doctor Genome -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR
2 | STA 3 | AGL 1 | DEX 1 | FGT 6 | INT 7 | AWE 1 | PRE 1

Powers:
Armored Costume: Immunity 2 (suffocation), Limited to half effect; Protection 5, Removable (-1 point) - 6 points
Tests Own Product: Immunity 1 (poison); Senses 3 (acute and analytical scent, time sense) - 4 point
Venom Weapons: Array (21 points); Removable (-5 points)
  • Basic Poison: Weaken Stamina 10 (Resisted by Fortitude), Accurate - 21 points
  • Delayed Action Poison: Weaken Stamina 9 (Resisted by Fortitude), Insidious, Triggered 2 - 1 point
  • Hallucinogenic Poison: Cumulative Affliction 10 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed and Impaired, Compelled and Disabled, Controlled and Unaware), Extra Condition, Limited to Random Actions Rather Than Obeying Orders, Accurate - 1 point
  • Paralytic Poison: Cumulative Affliction 10 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Paralyzed), Accurate - 1 point
  • Poison Spray: Line Area Weaken Stamina 7 (Resisted by Fortitude) - 1 point
Advantages:
Benefit 3 (millionaire), Eidetic Memory, Improved Initiative, Inventor, Power Attack, Second Chance (Will resistance against mind control), Skill Mastery (Technology), Teamwork

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+6), Deception 8 (+9), Expertise: Criminal 6 (+13), Expertise: Science 8 (+15), Expertise: Streetwise 5 (+12), Intimidation 6 (+7), Perception 9 (+10), Sleight of Hand 7 (+8), Stealth 10 (+11), Technology 7 (+14), Treatment 4 (+11).

Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 2)
Basic Poison +8 (Close Fortitude 10)
Delayed Action Poison +6 (Close Fortitude 9)
Hallucinogenic Poison +8 (Close Fortitude 10)
Paralytic Poison +8 (Close Fortitude 10)
Poison Spray -- (Line Area Fortitude 7)

Defense:
Dodge 10, Parry 9, Fortitude 7, Toughness 8/3, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 44 + Powers 30 + Advantages 10 + Skills 36 + Defenses 24 = 144 points

Complications:
Greed--Motivation. Scientific Curiosity. Weakness (must consume regular revitalizer doses or become Disabled on all physical abilities and Fighting, and Hindered).
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

And that's that for the Combination. I'll be taking tomorrow off, then returning on Sunday with some more of the Ultra Girls.
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

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Belle Dormond
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Belle is an example, perhaps the best known example, of one of the rarest types of superhuman abilities -- a type that becomes less powerful, or at least more limited, as the subject grows older and develops a greater ability to control it. In her infancy, she frequently baffled her parents and caretakers by conjuring into being living geometrical patterns, none of which did anything but hang in the air above her cradle. As she grew older, the patterns began to be replaced by animal- or plant-like creatures, some of which could talk, but only at the same level that she did. The only constant was that all this happened while Belle was sleeping.

In 2011, when she was fifteen years old, her father made the difficult decision that she had to be sent to the private school managed by Exelion in Cardiff. Just how an apparently mundane financier knew about the supposedly secret academy is something he's never deigned to explain. Regardless, while she was traveling there from London, Belle was kidnapped by a pair of goons usually employed by Guy Gisborne, who viewed her father as a significant rival. Their initial plan was to hold her for ransom, but on discovering that she had powers, they realized that they could make much more money by selling her to the Bureau.

Panicking, her father contacted Blakestone -- again, how he knew how to do this is not something he's ever made clear -- and begged her to rescue Belle. She agreed, of course, but for reasons she herself didn't and doesn't fully understand, didn't turn to any of the detectives she'd worked with for help. Instead, she contacted an Argus agent she'd met on a recent trip to Italy, one Danielle Caponegro, and brought her on the mission instead. Dani was no less bewildered by this than Blakestone herself, but they worked rather well together all the same.

The unlikely pair managed to rescue Belle, though not before she manifested the ultimate form of her power in her own defense, deliberately dropping into a trance and summoning a human figure from her own consciousness for the first time, specifically that of the Prince. Once she was safe, Blakestone claims that she noticed something strange for the first time. "Belle Dormond," she said aloud. "Belle ... Dormant? Sleeping ... wait a minute."

Much like Snowfall, who joined the group that formed somewhat later, Belle isn't sure whether she believes the hypothesis that Blakestone formed at that point, about the group of them tapping into the collective unconsciousness as it relates to fairy tales and other media relating to a certain group of female archetypes. Aside from her sleeping, her association with a Prince and later a Witch, she doesn't really think she matches the archetype she's been 'assigned'. There was definitely no christening ceremony where someone who wasn't invited leveled a curse on her instead of a blessing, and the later, nastier parts of the legend are also something she's keen to avoid.

Regardless, Belle spent six years studying at Exelion's school, frequently sneaking out to have adventures with either the Ultra Girls or groups of students, much to the headmaster's annoyance. He was never able to fully convince her of his philosophy of pacifism. She does show his influence in trying to resolve matters with wit and skill in preference to violence, but won't hesitate to pull out her big guns if that's the only way to handle things. She does worry that her only use to the Ultra Girls is the use of her summons, meaning that she herself might as well fall unconscious any time she gets a call. But so far, she's managing rather well.

While her summons are fully-realized human beings, they don't seem to have a great deal of personal depth. Neither of them has a personal name, nor finds anything strange about being addressed as 'Prince' or 'Witch'. It's not clear if they retain memories of previous episodes where they were summoned; both of them have died on missions, and then returned fully intact the next time Belle has need of them. The Prince is, of course, charming but not terribly sincere, and while he'll flirt with just about anyone, has never gone further than that. The Witch tends to make macabre jokes, even about her teammates, but has never done anything to an ally without their consent.

It has been theorized that Belle could potentially put any of her summons' abilities to use while conscious, but she has never done so as of yet.

Belle Dormond -- PL 8

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

Powers:
Beautiful Dreamer: Enhanced Advantage 1 (Trance)
Dream Allies: Array (32 points)
  • Summoned Prince: Summon 8, Heroic, Mental Link, Quirk (must be in trance or asleep) - 32 points
  • Summoned Witch: Summon 8, Heroic, Mental Link, Quirk (must be in trance or asleep) - 1 point
Advantages:
Defensive Roll 2, Evasion, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Defense, Improved Trip, Trance

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+7), Deception 4 (+6), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+8), Investigation 6 (+8), Perception 4 (+6), Persuasion 6 (+8), Sleight of Hand 5 (+7) Stealth 6 (+8).

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

Totals:
Abilities 32 + Powers 34 + Advantages 6 + Skills 20 + Defenses 18 = 110 points

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Concerned About Her Lack of Agency. Uncontrolled Power.

Prince -- PL 8
Image

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

Powers:
Magic Sword: Strength-based Damage 3, Penetrating 3; Easily Removable (-2 points) - 4 points
More Than Mortal: Immunity 2 (need for sleep, starvation & thirst); Regeneration 2; Speed 2 (8 MPH) - 8 points

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Attractive, Defensive Roll, Evasion 2, Improved Critical (sword) 2, Inspire, Leadership, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close; Concealment), Skill Mastery (Persuasion), Uncanny Dodge

Skills:
Acrobatics 12 (+17), Athletics 8 (+9), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+10), Close Combat: Sword 6 (+12), Deception 10 (+10), Insight 8 (+8), Expertise: High Society 6 (+6), Expertise: Riding 7 (+12), Perception 7 (+7), Persuasion 10 (+10), Sleight of Hand 4 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 1)
Sword +12 (Close Damage 4, Crit 18-20)

Defense:
Dodge 12, Parry 13, Fortitude 9/7, Toughness 3/1, Will 6.

Totals:
Abilities 36 + Powers 10 + Advantages 14 + Skills 41 + Defenses 28 = 120 points

Witch -- PL 8
Image

Abilities:
STR 0 | STA 0 | AGL 1 | DEX 3 | FGT 4 | INT 3 | AWE 5 | PRE 4

Powers:
Levitation: Flight 4 - 8 points
Mystic Shield: Sustained Protection 8, Impervious 6 - 14 points
Witchcraft: Array (16 points)
  • Hex Blast: Ranged Damage 8 - 16 points
  • Hex Chains: Ranged Affliction 8 (Resisted by Will; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobile), Extra Condition, Limited Degree - 1 point
  • Hex Curse: Ranged Weaken 5, Broad (Any Physical Ability), Resisted by Will - 1 point
  • Might of the Dragon: Enhanced Advantage 4 (Close Attack 4); Enhanced Strength 8 - 1 point
  • Wall of Thorns: Ranged Shapeable Area 2 Damage 5 - 1 point
Advantages:
Fearless, Ranged Attack 5, Well-Informed

Skills:
Expertise: Magic 6 (+10), Intimidation 4 (+8), Perception 4 (+9), Persuasion 4 (+8)

Defenses:
Dodge 8, Parry 8, Fortitude 4, Toughness 8/0, Will 10

Totals:
Abilities 40 + Powers 42 + Advantages 7 + Skills 9 + Defenses 22 = 120 points
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Danielle Caponegro
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Her initial reaction to the suggestion that she was somehow a fairy tale character come to life was disbelief, followed by hilarity when she realized that Blakestone was actually serious. Then she found out that 'Danielle' has been used as the name for a certain scullerymaid turned princess in a number of retellings of her story, took a long look at the events of her life, and spent a few moments swearing. By now, she's more or less resigned to the notion, but Dani still doesn't refer to her armorer as her fairy godmother, because he'd probably take it rather poorly.

Danielle's father was an executive in a certain well-known automobile manufacturer; her mother died when she was eight. Far too soon, he remarried to a retired actress with two daughters of her own, who proceeded to make Dani's life hell for the next decade. They didn't exactly treat her as their maid, but she was subjected to verbal and physical bullying, and denied the opportunity to attend private schooling because it was too expensive (read: too good) for her. Her father was no help, as he was descending into senility by the time Dani was in her early teens, and just told her to smile more. Her stepmother made vague attempts to rein in her daughters from time to time, but usually to no avail.

She responded to all this by spending time in the family's library, one room that her stepsisters would almost never enter. Dani particularly enjoyed reading her father's collection of thrillers, but also read his eclectic assortment of books on mechanics with interest, learning a lot of things that came in handy later on. It was also while hiding in the library that she overheard her stepmother casually talking on the phone with someone named Vittorio about murdering the President's son during an upcoming gala as part of some grand scheme.

Having found her life turned into one of the thrillers that she read so avidly, Dani knew that there was no point in trying to contact the authorities. She had no proof, and no way of knowing who else was involved in the conspiracy. If this whole scheme was to be brought down, and the woman who'd ruined her life punished for something, it was up to Danielle. She jury-rigged some burglary gear and, after her stepfamily headed off to the ball, hotwired one of their other cars to go after them.

Adopting a disguise, Dani snuck into the ball and set out to find the assassins before they could strike. The biggest obstacle to this goal turned out to be their target, who interrupted her search with an offer to dance. Seizing the opportunity, Dani tried to convince him that his life was in danger, but he laughed off her concerns. After all, the host of this affair had even hired Argus to make doubly sure that there were no problems, and as the President's son he had a security detail of his own. He pointed out the head of his detail to her, saying, "Vittorio would never let anything happen to me."

Deciding that the name was probably not a coincidence, Dani resumed her search and, long story short, wound up preventing the assasination and exposing Vittorio's treachery, then ducked out of the ball, abandoning her dress in the process. When the Carabineri showed up to arrest her stepmother, Vittorio having squealed like a pig, the President's son was accompanying them. (The unlikeliness of this didn't register with Dani at this point, but in retrospect ... well, never mind.) He handed her the dress she'd left behind, and inquired whether they could have coffee at some point.

The two of them did date for a while, but the age difference was just a bit too much for the relationship. And Dani was much more interested in the job offer that she received not long after the episode's conclusion. Argus claimed that they'd been suspicious of Vittorio and offering him just enough rope to hang himself, but that she'd resolved the situation in a better way than the agents on site would have been able to do. So off she went for some agent training.

In her first two years on the job, she helped to rescue a number of kidnap victims, one of whom was scheduled to be a human sacrifice. That was how she met Blakestone, but she was nevertheless surprised when, a year later, the superhero contacted her in search of her help. So she became involved in the formation of the Ultra Girls, and went from being a semi-secret agent to a part-time super-hero-in-espionage-like-dress. She's technically the team's handler, but her bosses know that the group knows that she's an agent, so they don't ask too much of her, or too often.

Dani thinks that the Ultra Girls are doing good work, but that they could be better. She feels tremendous guilt over the loss of a certain young lady from Damascus whom the team was unable to save before her murder by Ayesha, and is determined to never let that happen again. She's also a bit annoyed that the group's two supposed leaders tend to put their membership in the Powerhouse ahead of the Ultra Girls' needs, but unlike Magnolia, she doesn't think she should be in charge. The fact that she is a plain vanilla mortal makes her question her sanity in fighting alongside latter-day gods, but she keeps going all the same.

Danielle Caponegro -- PL 7

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

Powers:
None.

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Contacts, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 10, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improvised Tools, Languages 2 (English, French, Greek, Spanish, [Italian is native]), Luck 3, Move-by Action, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 4, Seize Initiative, Skill Mastery (Deception).

Equipment:
Body armor (Protection 3), smartphone, and 45 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+8), Athletics 5 (+6), Close Combat: Unarmed 1 (+6), Deception 7 (+9), Expertise: High Society 6 (+8), Insight 4 (+7), Investigation 6 (+8), Perception 4 (+7), Persuasion 6 (+8), Sleight of Hand 5 (+7), Stealth 6 (+9), Technology 6 (+8), Vehicles 3 (+6).

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 5, Fortitude 4, Toughness 8/5/4/2, Will 6.

Totals:
Abilities 42 + Advantages 32 + Skills 32 + Defenses 8 = 114 points

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Duty (to Argus). TERRIBLE Romantic Luck.
Last edited by Davies on Mon Aug 03, 2020 12:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Voltron64
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Voltron64 »

Davies wrote: Sun May 31, 2020 10:30 am In 2011, when she was fifteen years old, her father made the difficult decision that she had to be sent to the private school managed by Exelion in Cardiff. Just how an apparently mundane financier knew about the supposedly secret academy is something he's never deigned to explain. Regardless, while she was traveling there from London, Belle was kidnapped by a pair of goons usually employed by Guy Gisborne, who viewed her father as a significant rival. Their initial plan was to hold her for ransom, but on discovering that she had powers, they realized that they could make much more money by selling her to the Bureau.
Ok, you probably should start telling us about this Gisborne fellow, because besides him obviously in bed with the fascist government, he comes across as the UK equivalent to The Schemer (although I imagine Austin Loomis considers Gisborne an uptight taint).
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Well, he was, but these days he doesn't command much influence outside of the prison where he's confined until around 2035. Also, this.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Magnolia/Juéshì Jiànkè/Peerless Swordswoman
Image

Supposedly, Lin Ni-cheng did mentally draw comparisons between her own situations and that of the legendary figure whose name she's taken when she reported for basic training with the People's Liberation Army as a young man rather than a young woman. But she dismissed the thought, as the differences were too great. She was not demonstrating filial piety in doing this, and her father, who'd gone to prison as a dissident, would not have been proud of her. But this was what she felt that she had to do nonetheless, to become the change she sought to see in the world. (Just how she managed to get through the intrusive physical examinations that would have been conducted on a young soldier without her true gender being discovered, is not something she's ever discussed.)

Twenty-one months into her twenty-four month service obligation, Ni-cheng found herself increasingly in confusion regarding her previous conclusions. Assigned to the Western Theatre, she was witness to a great deal of brutality against the Tibetan populace, as well as a fair amount of corruption and graft. Her obvious distaste for all this, as well as her secretive and private nature (necessary to conceal the rather large secret she was keeping) left her isolated in her unit.

In the end, something happened -- again, she has never gone into details -- that made it clear that the dreams that she'd always dreamed would not be allowed to flower in this environment. Ni-cheng deserted her unit after leaving evidence of her lieutenant's misdeeds with the commissar, and fled west into India. Over the next two years, she slowly crossed Asia, having a number of minor adventures during this time, during which she discovered her talent for swordfighting. She crossed paths with Baba Yaga during this time, though it's not clear whether they met as allies or enemies. (Or possibly both.)

She'd been in Damascus only a few days when she joined forces with the Ultra Girls in their fight against Ayesha, the Queen of Flames. Blakestone explained her theory about the collective unconsciousness to her, and Ni-cheng agreed that it seemed a plausible explanation for the events of her life. Thus, she was completely amenable to joining the team under the name Magnolia -- Riverwind's suggestion that she go by 'Steel Magnolia' was not well-received -- and accompanied them back to their headquarters in Paris. While not assisting the team, she explored the city for a while, before deciding that it had enough superheroes as to make her superfluous. Thus, she relocated to Berlin.

She hasn't exactly been welcomed there, but the Polizei has made it clear that she'll be tolerated as long as no bodies with sword wounds start showing up. So far, she's managed to keep that agreement, and avoided occasional attempts by PLA special forces teams to capture her and return her to China for re-education. If this has resulted in diplomatic difficulties between China and East Germany, it's going on well above her head, and she has other stuff to worry about.

The biggest concern in her life is whether or not she's going to be taking a much more active role in leading the Ultra Girls. While Blakestone and Snowfall have no problems with her providing tactical direction during their fights, Magnolia is increasingly stressing the notion that she should be the group's titular commander, and that it should operate more like a military unit. That ... isn't going over all that well with most of the group's membership, and it's causing a fair amount of strain in the group. The Ultra Girls have always been a somewhat loose association, and changing that doesn't sit well with some of its freer spirits.

For that matter, Ni-cheng nurses private doubts that she might turn into the sort of leader that prompted her to flee her homeland if she gets what she wants ...

Magnolia/Juéshì Jiànkè/Peerless Swordswoman -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR
2 | STA 2 | AGL 4 | DEX 4 | FGT 9 | INT 0 | AWE 2 | PRE 1

Powers:
Catlike Balance: Leaping 2 (30 feet); Movement 1 (Safe Fall) - 4 points

Advantages:
Assessment, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 1, Improved Critical (sword), Improved Initiative, Inspire, Languages 3 (Arabic, English, French, German, others, [Mandarin is native]), Leadership, Non-Lethal Tactics*, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Skill Mastery (Insight), Takedown, Teamwork

Equipment:
Sword (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical)

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+12), Athletics 8 (+10), Close Combat: Sword 2 (+11), Insight 8 (+10), Expertise: Military 7 (+7), Expertise: Streetwise 7 (+7), Intimidation 8 (+10), Perception 6 (+8), Persuasion 8 (+9), Stealth 4 (+8), Vehicles 6 (+10).

Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +9 (Close Damage 2)
Sword +11 (Close Damage 5, Crit 18-20)

Defense:
Dodge 11, Parry 12, Fortitude 7, Toughness 4/2, Will 9.

Totals:
Abilities 56 + Powers 4 + Advantages 17 + Skills 36 + Defenses 20 = 133 points

Complications:
Doing Good--Motivation. Responsibility (other Power Girls). Secrets (many).

* This advantage, from Time Traveller's Codex, lets her do non-lethal damage with her sword, which would normally be automatically lethal.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Havfrue
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The best guess, or rather the consensus of the best guesses of several interested parties, is that Hanna was probably abandoned as a child by her biological family, either out of poverty or out of paranoia for the powers that she demonstrated even in infancy. (All of the people who've come forward to try and claim some relation to her have turned out to be delusional or con artists.) She clearly wasn't a feral child, however, for while she tends to say very little and let her actions speak for her, she does have a native command of Danish. What happened to her, where and how she lived, between her infancy and when she washed up on Ofelia Beach in 2009, aged around fifteen, are all lost in the daze of the amnesia from which she suffered and still suffers.

The initial sensation surrounding Hanna (given the name after the author Andersen, since no one wanted to name her 'Ariel' and risk a lawsuit) was less about the mystery of her origins and the fact that she seemed to be a genuine mermaid. Almost as soon as she woke up in the hospital, however, her tail transformed into a perfectly normal set of legs, and she showed no signs of hardship in walking -- definitely not acting as though she was walking on broken glass.

Nonetheless, Nereus showed up to take a personal interest in her case, wondering whether she might be connected to his own uncertain origins. A basic DNA test indicated that they weren't at all closely related, and the two settled into a friendship that gradually became romantic as Hanna grew older. (She thinks he and Snowfall make a better couple, though.) In the process, Havfrue (Danish for 'mermaid') also met and worked with many of the other members of the Powerhouse, and considers all of them her friends, just as she's friends with all of the Ultra Girls, and la Belle, and la Bête -- well, sort of -- and ...

Some have noted that Hanna tends to treat others as friends very easily, and may be a bit too trusting. She very definitely becomes extremely agitated and uncomfortable at any sign of dissension or argument between people she considers friends, and has been known to assign blame for such situations to herself, even when there's no reason to do so. She's channeled this fear into becoming a peacemaker, always seeking to ease tensions, but it can still paralyze her at times.

Havrue was the first person that Blakestone invited to join the Ultra Girls after the team formed, since it seemed fairly obvious that she was associated with the same set of myths as the rest of them. (She's never watched 'her' movie, incidentally, and can't sing with a darn.) Her strength and toughness have generally proven more useful to the team than her ability to live underwater, but the versatility of her abilities is not to be underestimated, either. She can become as flexible as an octopus, sting like a manta ray, and scent blood like a shark, among many other talents.

It has also been suggested that the way that her abilities focus on marine animals is due to a psychic block, and that she could hypothetically develop the abilities of any animal life ... which would definitely include any superhuman and the majority of aliens. But aside from sometimes watching birds fly with a wistful expression, Hanna has shown very little interest in pushing beyond the current limits of her powers.

Havfrue -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR 9/1 | STA 9/4 | AGL 2 | DEX 2 | FGT 4 | INT 0 | AWE 3 | PRE 2

Powers:
Animal Mimicry: Variable 8 (animal powers), Continuous - 64 points

Default Abilities: Enhanced Stamina 5; Enhanced Strength 8; Immunity 3 (cold, drowning, pressure); Movement 1 (environmental adaptation [aquatic]); Senses 1 (low-light vision); Swimming 8 (120 MPH)

Advantages:
Animal Empathy, Daze (Persuasion), Language 2 (English, French, Swedish, others [Danish is native]), Set-up, Teamwork

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+15/+7), Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+7), Insight 6 (+9), Perception 6 (+8), Persuasion 4 (+6), Stealth 5 (+7).

Offense:
Initiative +2
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 9/1)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 7, Fortitude 9/4, Toughness 9/4, Will 5

Totals:
Abilities 36 + Powers 64 + Advantages 6 + Skills 15 + Defenses 8 = 129

Complications:
Doing Good--Motivation. Fear (conflicts between friends). Mysterious Origins. Relationship (Nereus).
Last edited by Davies on Mon Aug 03, 2020 12:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Le Charme
Image

Zamarad Lamrani is, in many ways, the odd woman out among the Ultra Girls. The story that she's supposedly drawing on -- and she is deeply and profoundly skeptical about the entire thesis, in any case -- is not one of wonder and enchantment, as with the rest of the group, but rather a tragedy which was given a happy ending when a certain studio turned it into a cartoon. And while she is a dancer, as well as an acrobat and traceur, she's not of Romany origin. She was born in Paris, but quite some distance from Notre-Dame, and her family were originally from Morocco. And most of all, Zamarad has exactly no interest in engaging in any heroic deeds.

It's not that she's not grateful that they saved her life, right after they met her for the first time. Dying at the hands of a crazy woman was not something she really wanted to happen. And she's certainly more than willing to try to save other women from that psychopath, or to help her friends out with other problems that they run into. But they all expect her to act like a superhero, and Zamarad doesn't even remotely want to run around in a set of underwear and fight crime. She's an artist. An artist with super-powers, but an artist first, foremost and only.

But things keep happening, and, like it or not, she keeps getting pulled into affairs that don't really concern her. Blakestone has complimented her for sticking with them through it all, despite how clearly unenjoyable she finds these situations, perhaps not realizing that Le Charme has tried to make her escape a few times already. (Or perhaps she realizes, and just thinks that if Zamarad really didn't want to be involved, they'd never find her to bring her along in the first place. She may be right on that score.) Her realistic, mundane perspective often clashes with the much more idealistic attitudes of her teammates.

Well, at the very least, she is never spoiled for inspiration for her work, often using her powers to recreate the images that she witnessed in her performances. She makes a very good living that way, but constantly worries that the crowds will turn against her like they did to her supposed namesake. (Again, she doesn't believe any of this, but it's become fairly clear to her that the universe doesn't really care what she believes, and is going to do to her exactly as it pleases.) Well, maybe her friends will save her one more time if that happens.

It's a nice thought, anyway.

Le Charme -- PL 8

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

Powers:
Image Casting: Array (48 points)
  • Le Cauchemar: Selective Visual Perception Area Perception Range Damage 8, Resisted by Will - 48 points
  • Le Rêve: Illusion 8 (all senses), Independent - 1 point
Advantages:
Agile Feint, Attractive, Benefit 1 (well-off), Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Defense, Improved Defense, Instant Up, Language 2 (English, others, [French is native]).

Skills:
Acrobatics 8 (+11), Athletics 5 (+6), Deception 4 (+8), Expertise: Art 8 (+10), Expertise: Dance 10 (+12), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+8), Insight 6 (+9), Perception 4 (+7), Persuasion 6 (+10), Stealth 5 (+8).

Offense:
Initiative +3
Unarmed +2 (Close Damage 1)
Nightmare -- (Perception Range Damage 8, Resisted by Will)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 5, Fortitude 4, Toughness 4/2, Will 9.

Totals:
Abilities 36 + Powers 49 + Advantages 10 + Skills 32 + Defenses 14 = 141 points

Complications:
Creating Art--Motivation. Loyal to Friends. Prejudice (Moroccan, Muslim.)
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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