Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Freedom Legion! The Guard! Seekers of Fate!

[A Series of Growls And Whines That Cannot Be Transliterated Into the Roman Alphabet]/Bumppo



In what used to be the Lor Republic, and is now the Stellar Imperium, people have a certain stereotype of the Cholaxian species. They imagine that all of them live in great forests, swinging through trees, singing and dancing ancient songs and dances. And, to be fair, those places exist -- as large public parks where the Cholaxian people can go when they want to get back to nature. But for the most part, they live in cities much like those on other Lor planets -- maybe a little smaller -- with arcologies and businesses and academies, where one particular Cholaxian studied mechanical engineering and earned a degree equivalent to a doctorate in that field.

Unfortunately, when that particular Cholaxian developed what his people call "the big star yearning", he soon found out that his degree wasn't recognized by off-world employers. He also discovered that while translator technology is fairly common among the wealthy members of Lor society, it's much less common down among the lower classes where he found himself. His inability to speak the common Lor language marked him as a barbarian, even if he could understand what other people were saying quite well.

Fortunately, he managed to run into a few people who could -- sort of -- communicate in Cholaxian. Unfortunately, they weren't particularly interested in his brains, but his brawn. While he was nowhere nearly as developed as the most noteworthy members of his species -- practically dwarfish, in fact -- he still had more strength and endurance than any Lor, and found those put to use in manual labor. He wasn't thrilled about this, but a job was a job, and it put food in his mouth and a roof over his head.

The jobs he found were often unstable, and he was traded from business to business, from planet to planet. When the Republic collapsed, he and his then-employer -- the one who gave him the nickname that he uses to simplify things -- found themselves stranded on a nameless, numbered planet orbiting a backwater star. There they stayed until about a year and a half ago, when the events that led to him ending up doing work for the Republic Alliance transpired. He has no idea where his old employer got to, but that's not exactly a novel experience.

Bumppo isn't really sure what to make of the Alliance. They honestly don't seem any different from the Lor he's met up to this point, maybe a bit more high-minded -- or at least louder when they talk about their high-mindedness. Their leader seems just like the more slick politicians from back home, but on the other hand she brought him with them when it would have been just as easy to abandon him. On the other other hand, that could have been because she wanted the kid to approve.

He likes the kid. Out of everyone he's met, Hrolent was the first person to make a genuine go at pronouncing his real name. (Couldn't do it, of course, any more than Bumppo could pronounce his, but it's the though that counts.) He was also the first person to ask him where he'd learned to do all the repairs that he was doing, instead of just assuming that he'd been taught by his Lor employers. If there were more Lor like the kid, Bumppo suspects that this whole situation would never have come to pass. Well, that might not be fair, some of the kid's other friends are almost as good, though they've got a ways to go.

Well, this whole crazy Alliance has a way to go, as was demonstrated last month, when -- in order to curry favor with a Cholaxian-run crime syndicate -- they had him pretend to be in charge. He doubts Boss Karooga was actually fooled by this, but he was at least impressed enough to offer Bumppo a job. It was tempting to accept, but he decided to stick with the Alliance for the time being. Hopefully, Boss Karooga won't be too upset at having been turned down.

[A Series of Growls And Whines That Cannot Be Transliterated Into the Roman Alphabet]/Bumppo -- PL 8

Abilities: STR 6 | STA 6 | AGL 5 | DEX 3 | FGT 6 | INT 2 | AWE 3 | PRE 1
Powers: Fur (Feature 1 [fur]; Immunity 1 [cold]), Power Lifting (Enhanced Strength 2, Limited to lifting), Senses (Senses 4 [acute tracking scent, low-light vision, ultra-hearing])
Equipment: Blaster rifle (Ranged Damage 8).
Advantages: Agile Feint, Defensive Roll, Equipment 4, Great Endurance, Improvised Tools, Language (Lorcan, Cholaxian is native), Power Attack.
Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+9), Athletics 4 (+10), Expertise: Engineering 6 (+8), Insight 6 (+9), Intimidation 6 (+7), Perception 8 (+11), Ranged Combat: Blaster Rifle 4 (+7), Stealth 6 (+11), Technology 12 (+14).
Offense: Initiative +5, Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 6), Blaster Rifle +7 (Ranged Damage 8).
Defense: Dodge 7, Parry 8, Fortitude 9, Toughness 8/6, Will 6.
Totals: Abilities 64 + Powers 8 + Advantages 9 + Skills 28 + Defenses 10 = 119 points
Complications: Survival--Motivation. Bookish. Cannot Speak Other Languages, Only Understand. Huge Appetite.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Freedom Legion! The Guard! Seekers of Fate!

Kanoko Davens



A descendant from a heavy worlder family with a long history with the Republic Military, Kanoko Davens had just completed her second year at the prestigious Warrai military academy when Collapsar destroyed Magna-Lor and the universe went mad. She found herself and the rest of her squad rushed to graduation, commissioned, and assigned to a grav tank unit in the newly formed Army of the Stellar Imperium. As she had never concerned herself with politics, Kanoko accepted this development calmly, and led her team through many battles, eventually rising to the rank of Captain and command of the entire unit.

It didn't take her very long to realize that the ideals of the Republic her family had served for so long were not shared by the Imperium. Kanoko ignored her misgivings about this for quite some time, putting her duty to her unit and her fellows ahead of any other consideration. And then the high command sent her unit to bombard a city into rubble, with orders to ignore any attempt to surrender and no distinction between civilian and combatant. Something broke inside of Kanoko, then, and she calmly engaged in mutiny, shooting her political officer and leading a brilliant attack on other elements of the Army present that gave the people of the city time to evacuate.

In the end, she told the members of her unit that they should follow their own consciences, but that she would be defecting to the Republic Alliance. Each and every one of them followed her when she did, and they ended up as a fairly significant element in the Alliance's military strength, eventually assigned to the cell run by Senator Yurusha Elaynu. As the Senator rarely engaged in direct military assaults, this left them with a great deal of time to themselves, time which Kanoko spent worrying about the possibility that she would one day end up facing off against a member of her very large family, most of whom were still fighting for the Imperium.

As if that wasn't bad enough, she also found herself worrying that she might be going crazy. While conducting an exercise with her troops, Kanoko spotted a Ravoho warrior riding a war beast not far from their position. Which wouldn't have been so terrible, if they weren't in space and the warrior seemed to be riding without a space suit or indeed need for a surface on which to ride. The fact that there hadn't been any Ravoho warriors since Kanoko's ancestors had conquered her home planet and taken it away from the indigenous residents didn't help, either.

Then it got worse, because she realized that she knew the face of this particular warrior. He was the great chief Ke-san-te-ha, who'd earned the respect and admiration even of his enemies ... which had not stopped those enemies from killing him, centuries before, and then decimating his people. That helped to confirm the whole 'going crazy' hypothesis, since even if that was in fact his ghost, or something, there was no way that he would appear to a descendant of those enemies, after all.

When Hrolent joined the Alliance cell, Kanoko sought him out in the hope that he might have some power to confirm whether she was really crazy or not, or possibly be able to exorcise the ghost if that's really what it was. He did manage to figure out that she was very troubled, but guessed that it was because the cell was relying so much on his talents. "I understand why you'd feel that way, it must be hard to trust something no one else can see. But sometimes you just have to." Then he frowned. "Why did I put it like that? Shouldn't it have been 'something you can't see'? Sorry, sometimes I just say stuff," he apologized, as she saw the great chief standing not too far away.

She thanked Hrolent, and then walked up to the ghost, and quietly said, "All right. What does all this mean?" The conversation that followed was very confusing, as Ke-san-te-ha spoke in metaphors that would have been hard for her to figure out under any circumstances. But what she came to understand was that, despite being the descendant of his enemies, her ancestors included his people as well -- which was a complete surprise to her -- and that he and others would help her to fight and win this war of mind and soul.

Her squad are a bit confused why she's painted their grav tank in Ravoho battle colors, but put it down as just a charming personal eccentricity of the person they'd walk through literal fire for ...

Kanoko Davens -- PL 8

Abilities: STR 1 | STA 2 | AGL 4 | DEX 4 | FGT 5 | INT 2 | AWE 2 | PRE 1
Powers: Blessing of the Ancestors (Immunity 20 [mental effects]).
Equipment: Armored Space Suit (Immunity 10 [life support]; Protection 4), Blaster Pistol (Ranged Damage 5), Commlink, Gravtank (Size: Gargantuan, Strength: 12, Speed: 11 (air/space), Toughness: 16 (Impervious), Defense 6, Powers: Comms [Selective Area Radio Communication 3], Main Gun [Array: Ranged Damage 12, AP: Ranged Burst Area Damage 8], Secondary Guns [Ranged Multiattack Damage 8])*
* The cost of this item is shared between her and the four other members of its crew.
Advantages: Assessment, Equipment 8, Evasion 2, Great Endurance, Improved Initiative, Interpose, Leadership, Teamwork.
Skills: Athletics 4 (+5), Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+8), Expertise: Tactics 10 (+12), Insight 8 (+10), Perception 8 (+10), Ranged Combat: Blaster 3 (+7), Ranged Combat: Tank Guns 4 (+8), Stealth 4 (+8), Treatment 4 (+6), Vehicles 8 (+12).
Offense: Initiative +8, Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 1), Blaster Pistol +7 (Ranged Damage 5).
Defense: Dodge 10, Parry 8, Fortitude 7, Tougness 6/2, Will 9.
Totals: Abilities 42 + Powers 20 + Advantages 16 + Skills 28 + Defenses 21=127 points
Complications: Responsibility--Motivation. Family (most on the other side of the war). Haunted.

Her squadmates are Imperium Troopers (Cosmic Handbook, p. 93) with Equipment 8 (as above), Ranged Combat: Tank Guns 4 (+5), Vehicles 8 (+9), and Duty (to Kanoko)--Motivation. (One of them also has Improved Aim, and fires the main gun).

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- Freedom Legion! The Guard! Seekers of Fate!

Lady Avobombe



On perhaps a double handful of the worlds of the Lor Republic-that-was, there existed various forms of aristocracy that had survived the annexation of these worlds into the Republic. In every case, these aristocrats were firmly barred from actual political power, but they were generally quite wealthy -- or at least, possessed wealth that their creditors were unwilling to take the risk to claim. The majority of them cultivated the art of wielding power through subtle and discrete means, and made their services in this field available to others ... for a price.

Lady Avobombe of Upper Quindalla was known, in certain rarefied circles, as one of the most effective of these aristocratic spymasters. Not too well known, of course, for one could be an effective spy or a famous spy, not both. Her talents led to her being recommended to Senator Yurusha Elaynu early in the latter's senatorial career, and she performed a number of missions that turned out to be critical to the Senator's ongoing success. This fact, and the fact that Elaynu had no idea that Avobombe had also run a number of missions against her on the behalf of her rivals, led Elaynu to contact her when she was establishing her cell of the Republic Alliance.

Avobombe agreed to work for her, and even to work for free for the duration of the conflict, apparently out of anger that Upper Quindalla's shipyards had been nationalized by the Imperium, putting millions of her fellow Quindallans out of work. The notion that she would ever be motivated by concern for her fellow anything is one of the many charming naivetes that Avobombe has sought to encourage in her employer. The truth is that if she could end the war tomorrow, she wouldn't. The game she is playing is ever so much more interesting than simple victory could be, and so she seeks to prolong it as much as possible.

As a consequence of this, Avobombe is far more willing to take personal risks than a typical spymaster of her experience, who usually sends about a dozen agents into the field, each with a different idea about what they're supposed to accomplish. For her part, she leads from the front. Success or failure of these operations, and the lives or deaths of her operatives, don't matter to her as much as the excitement she's able to feel while risking her life, as long as she can spin a story which portrays the outcome as all part of her plan.

If she has an endgame, it is probably this -- the Imperium will fall, but the Republic will not rise again. Instead it will be succeeded by dozens of little empires. She sees no reason that Quindalla -- perhaps even under her 'enlightened leadership' -- should not become the center of one such successor state. But she might find something that she wants more before that happens. Who knows what she'll do?

Lady Avobombe -- PL 9

Abilities: STR 1 | STA 3 | AGL 4 | DEX 4 | FGT 7 | INT 3 | AWE 2 | PRE 3
Powers: Striking Strength (Strength-based Damage 2).
Equipment: Knock Out Lipstick (Cumulative Affliction 5 [Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated], Grapple-based, Insidious), Customized Blaster Pistol (Ranged Damage 5, Accurate, Subtle), Universal Translator (Comprehend Languages 2), and 51 points of equipment as needed for any mission.
Advantages: Attractive 2, Benefit (Millionaire), Connected, Defensive Roll, Equipment 15, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-all-trades, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 7, Skill Mastery 2 (Investigation, Stealth), Tracking, Well-Informed.
Skills: Close Combat: Unarmed 6 (+13), Deception 6 (+9), Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+7), Insight 5 (+7), Investigation 8 (+11), Perception 5 (+7), Sleight of Hand 6 (+10), Stealth 8 (+12).
Offense: Initiative +8, Unarmed +13 (Close Damage 3), Knock-Out Lipstick +13 (Close Fortitude 5), Blaster Pistol +13 (Ranged Damage 5).
Defense: Dodge 9, Parry 11, Fortitude 7, Toughness 5/3, Will 9.
Totals: Abilities 54 + Powers 2 + Advantages 36 + Skills 24 + Defenses 18 = 134 points.
Complications: Thrills--Motivation. Snob. Craves Creature Comforts.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- The Republic Alliance!

Now It Can Be Told!

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- The Republic Alliance!

Admiral Muk'ra Thus



Illithus, a gloomy planet on the edge of the Grue Unity, is fairly typical of the worlds conquered by the Grue. Its primary export is slave soldiers, who fight and die for the Grue's benefit without ever having the slightest hope of seeing their homeworld ever again. There is an underground devoted to freeing the planet from the Grue, but everyone on Illithus knows that it is run by the Grue themselves to isolate and exterminate would-be rebels. Even beyond that, nobody has any way of knowing whether the person with whom they're conversing is actually a Grue metamorph, so most people just don't bother talking to each other.

Which made the accomplishment of Muk'ra Thus and his hundred confederates, in stealing a Grue space hulk and using it to flee into space controlled by the Lor Republic, all the more remarkable. Their operation benefited from taking place during a time of great confusion in the Unity, immediately after the Metamind's defeat by the Earthlings in 2004, but it is nonetheless the greatest escape ever documented in known space. Of course, their accomplishment very nearly resulted in their deaths when the space hulk came under fire by the Lor Navy, but the hulk was captured rather than destroyed out of hand.

Thus and his band were examined by Lor Mentats for more than a year, to ensure that there was no possibility of them being Grue metamorphs. (Unspoken went the fact that they were also being examined for the possibility that any of them might have the psychic powers that Illithusians were said to possess before the Grue conquest.) Eventually, they were released, and became the most celebrated immigrants to the Republic in recent history. Supposedly uncomfortable with this celebrity, Muk'ra Thus quietly accepted a consultancy with the Navy's Office of Intelligence, discussing what he'd learned about the function of Grue star ships with the people most likely to blow holes in them.

He was consulting with the Naval office on Upper Quindalla about the best ways to design ships to fight the Grue when the news of the destruction of Magna-Lor came in. Just how he got involved with the subsequent mutiny of a group of Naval officers who rejected the birth of the Stellar Imperium is a story that he has refused to discuss, as it involves many secrets that are not his own to tell. Muk'ra found himself placed in command of one of the Grue-fighting battleships he'd helped to design, and placed it and his crew at the disposal of the Republic Alliance.

Until the arrival of Captain Bailesu -- he's being courteous by giving him that title, and will not use the phrase 'Dread Space Pirate' under any circumstances -- Muk'ra was both the commanding officer of Senator Elaynu's entire military force and the captain of its flagship, The Gripping Hand. The title of flagship has been transferred to The Jolly Vorriger, a faster and more maneuverable vessel, even if it lacks the Hand's incredibly powerful weaponry. While Muk'ra maintains an office on the Vorriger, it has been made very clear to him what will happen if he tries to exercise any admiral-type privileges while on board. Muk'ra is not happy about this, but has chosen to endure it for the present.

He's good at enduring things, that's how he got this job in the first place ... his ability to endure under the slaver's yoke while keeping his intelligence is what attracted one of the hidden Illithid priests to him. They recruited him, gave him deep hypnotic programming, and sent him on his great escape. He doubts any of his masters had envisioned that the mission would last this long, or take these turns. He was only supposed to guide the Lor into a war with the Grue that both sides would lose, leaving Illithus free to achieve its destiny. If he were to try to guide the Stellar Imperium into that war, it just might win, leaving Illithus under a different alien master and one no better.

So his goal of restoring the Republic so that it can be smashed into the Grue happily coincides with the goals of the Republic Alliance, for now. And as long as no one finds out the truth, this pleasant situation can continue ...

Admiral Muk'ra Thus -- PL 7

Abilities: STR 2 | STA 3 | AGL 4 | DEX 4 | FGT 7 | INT 2 | AWE 1 | PRE 1
Powers: Illithusian (Extra Limbs 3; Immunity 1 [drowning]; Senses 2 [darkvision]; Swimming 2), Ink Cloud (Burst Area Visual Concealment Attack 2).
Equipment: Armored Space Suit (Immunity 10 [life support]; Protection 4), Blaster Pistol (Ranged Damage 5), The Gripping Hand (Size: Colossal; Strength: 20; Speed: 12 [air/space]; Toughness: 15; Defense: 5; Features: Navigation System; Powers: Comms [Selective Area Radio Communication 3], Hyperdrive [Movement 3 (space travel)], Weapons Systems [Array: Burst Area Ranged Damage 12, AP: Cone Area 3 Damage 18, Side Effect [always; -5 Toughness, cannot fire weapons or use hyperdrive, DC 25 Technology check repairs all], AP: Perception Ranged Move Object 12]).
Advantages: Defensive Attack, Equipment 27, Favored Enemy (Grue), Favored Environment (Aquatic), Improved Grab, Language (Lorcan, Illithusian is native), Leadership, Ranged Attack 5.
Skills: Deception 12 (+13), Expertise: Naval Strategy 10 (+12), Insight 8 (+9), Perception 8 (+9), Technology 8 (+10), Vehicles 8 (+12).
Offense: Initiative +4, Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 2), Blaster Pistol +9 (Ranged Damage 5).
Defense: Dodge 7, Parry 7, Fortitude 7, Toughness 7/3, Will 7.
Totals: Abilities 48 + Powers 14 + Advantages 37 + Skills 27 + Defenses 13 = 139
Complications: Loyalty (to Illithus)--Motivation. Hatred (Grue). Secret.

The crew of The Gripping Hand are Imperium Troopers (Cosmic Handbook, p. 93) with 2 extra points of equipment (Space Suit [Immunity 10 [life support]).

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- The Republic Alliance!

The Jinx Gestalt



Twenty-one solar cycles ago, Wahina Morwaine (right) and Mui Dannen (left) were students at the somewhat-less-than-prestigious Harren military academy on the Lor planet Mesu-Junt. They were two big fish in a rather small pond, constantly vying for the highest marks, the best results in physical tests, and the interest of the male students. It was a friendly rivalry, and one that the academicians sought to encourage, even as they lamented the fact that none of their other students seemed to produce work of comparable quality.

Shortly before their graduation, one of their classmates apparently snapped under the pressure of being constantly measured against these two prodigies and attacked Mui, who avoided any real injury. An outside review of the school's procedures was begun, and the auditors noticed an oddity in the class records of the past three years. When both Mui and Wahina were present, they were the only students to produce quality work, but on those occasions when either of them was absent, the work done by their fellows improved dramatically. The peculiarity was noteworthy enough that a mentat was called in to investigate and determine whether Mui or Wahina had been cheating, somehow.

In a way, they had been. The investigation discovered that the two young women each possessed the ability to deleteriously alter probabilities around them, 'jinxing' their fellow students. This ability had not been discovered during the typical grammar school tests for psychic abilities because they could only use it when in sight of each other -- an incredibly rare psychic gestalt, and a quite powerful one. Normally, Lor citizens with such a gift would be immediately recruited by the mentat union.

However, the very nature of that gestalt limited their usefulness. Mentats were expected to operate alone, or with backup from the security branch, rather than as a team. But when alone, neither Wahina nor Mui demonstrated any psychic abilities at all. The decision was finally made to allow them to complete their education and monitor their subsequent activities.

Excited by their discovery, the two decided not to follow their graduation with the expected entrance into the military, but rather to go into private business as 'mentats for hire', offering their services as investigators, trouble-shooters, and of course jinxes to anyone willing to pay for their services. There had never been any such organization before, and yet there were also no laws against such an operation. The two women ended up making a great deal of money, which flowed through their hands like water, and enjoyed a great deal of excitement and notoriety.

But all good things must come to an end. When the Lor Republic became the Stellar Imperium, mentats for hire were no less threatened by the Star Khan's peculiar institution than guild mentats were. Wahina and Mui sought shelter with the Sacred Assembly, and had no choice but to use their skills for the benefit of the Assembly's prophets rather than their own profit. They are still famous, but there's no longer any real fun in their activities. Worse, the situations they keep getting sent in to handle always seem to explode into extreme violence, regardless of whether they try to jinx things or simply handle them with more mundane methods.

Despite everything, though, the duo stick true to their code of honor, elucidated in a Terran song that became very popular in the Republic when they were at the academy. "Stand tall/don't think small/don't get your back against the wall/Shoot straight/Don't wait/Aim for the center of mass/And fire away." Wahina and Mui will look after each other no matter what.

Everything else in the universe better watch out for them.

Wahina Morwaine and Mui Dannen -- PL 9

Abilities: STR 1 | STA 3 | AGL 4 | DEX 5 | FGT 9 | INT 1 | AWE 2 | PRE 2
Powers: Jinx (Burst Area 2 Affliction 9 [Resisted and Overcome by Will; Impaired and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Disabled], Extra Condition, Limited Degree, Indirect 4, Insidious, Subtle 2), Jinxproof (Immunity 2 [own powers, partner's powers]), Striking Strength (Strength-based Damage 2).
Equipment:
Wahina: Blaster Rifle (Ranged Damage 8), Boomerang Blade (Ranged Damage 1), Half of Moon Glow (as Pegasus Spaceplane, see Gadget Guide p. 121) and 12 points of other equipment as needed.
Mui: Blaster Rifle (Ranged Damage 8), Lenses (Senses 2 [extended vision, low-light vision]), Half of Moon Glow, and 12 other points of equipment as needed.
Advantages: Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Attractive, Defensive Roll 3, Equipment 10, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4. Wahina has Improved Critical (Boomerang Blade) 4. Mui has Assessment, Grappling Finesse, and Precise Attack 2 (Ranged/Both).
Skills: Acrobatics 8 (+12), Athletics 6 (+7), Deception 6 (+8), Expertise: Streetwise 8 (+9), Insight 5 (+7), Intimidation 6 (+8), Investigation 4 (+5), Perception 8 (+10), Sleight of Hand 5 (+10), Stealth 8 (+12), Vehicles 6 (+11). Wahina has Ranged Combat: Boomerang Blade 8 (+13). Mui has Technology 8 (+9).
Offense: Initiative +8, Unarmed +9 (Close Damage 3), Blaster Rifle +9 (Ranged Damage 8). Wahina also has Boomerang Blade +17 (Ranged Damage 1, Critical 16-20).
Defense: Dodge 11, Parry 9, Fortitude 6, Toughness 7/3, Will 5.
Totals: Abilities 54 + Powers 38 + Advantages 29 + Skills 39 + Defenses 13 = 173 points
Complications: Survival--Motivation. Power Loss (must be able to accurately sense partner to use Jinx). Responsibility (Assembly). Loyal to Each Other. Everybody Else Can Just Die, Really.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- The Republic Alliance!

Zagan



Zagan of Akadar's Get is the youngest of the nine fleet commanders under the direction of the Star-Khan, and the only one of them not to have served both Kinan Khan and his legendary mother. He is also quite convinced that he is the most miserable of those fleet commanders, and laments his fate daily and nightly. The awful old men are too stupid to regret their circumstances, but Zagan was chosen for his sagacity and cunning. He knows better, scant comfort though that is.

When he was given command of the fleet, a decade ago, things seemed so much brighter than they do now. He was joining the select circle of advisors for the greatest warrior and ruler in the cosmos. The Star-Khan confided in him that his appointment marked the first time that he had gone against his counsellors' advice and chosen a younger commander instead of another of his mother's commanders, and that it would fall to Zagan's generation of war leaders to correct the mistakes of previous decades and bring glory to the sons of Zultas. In light of this, the Khan granted his new liegeman the gift of a suit of armor which had been one of a series of prototypes developed in the construction of his own armor. Moved by this demonstration of faith, Zagan swore to follow the Star-Khan into a black hole if fate demanded it. (Of course, he had already sworn that oath, but the repetition was significant.)

But what has happened? When at last the opportunity to lead the fleets into battle against what was left of the Lor Republic, no battle was fought. The Star-Khan did ... something that caused those fleets to be unmolested as they arrived. And now he rules over a bizarre Stellar Imperium. None of this makes any sense to Zagan. They were supposed to slam up against the pitiful remnants of the Lor Navy, slaughter them to a man, pillage the planets and take their trophies and prisoners back to Zultas. Now those pitiful remnants are incorporated into the various fleets of the awful old men.

It's not that Zagan isn't grateful that the Star-Khan has minimized the amount of time Zagan needs to spend in conversation with the disgusting perverts and ... things ... of the former republic. But it's almost as though his master intends to actually rule these people, rather than punishing them for their presumptions and exterminating those who have offended against Zultas in the past. But that makes no sense, for the Star-Khan cares only for conquest, as a true Zultasian warrior should, not rulership. The only peace that they should be making is a wasteland.

Zagan consoles himself with the idea that the great leader must be planning a genuine campaign against some other foe -- the Grue, perhaps, or the Saeduun. So he waits for the day when the Star-Khan finally reveals his true intentions, sure that they will be magnficent in scope. But he's been waiting for years, now, and every day that passes without that revelation is one on which Zagan grows more sick at heart at the waste of his talents. He finds some entertainment in the reports of occasional atrocities that his men commit against the subjects of the Imperium in the sector his fleet commands, but it's a sad, pallid reflection of what should be happening, and he's unable to join in the fun.

As it happens, Zagan's sector is also the one where Senator Elaynu's cell of the Republic Alliance is active. Zagan is only dimly aware that there is such an organization, regarding it as yet another symptom of the problem that affects the Zultasian forces. If the extent of his malaise were to be discovered, and an operation undertaken to convince him that Kinan Khan has settled into a comfortable rule and no longer cares for conquest, he could become a weak link in the occupying forces. If it were to be discovered (or invented) that the Star-Khan has been lying to him since they first met, that he has never enjoyed the tyrant's trust, then he could become a problem that the Star-Khan would have to use up resources to deal with.

There are so many different possibilities. Assassinating him to end the atrocities is also an option, though whoever replaces him might be worse ...

Zagan - PL 11

Abilities: STR 10/4 | STA 4 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 12 | INT 1 | AWE 1 | PRE 1
Powers: Battlesuit (Subspace Communication 5, Subtle; Enhanced Strength 6; Immunity 10 [life support]; Impervious Protection 6; Senses 7 [darkvision, direction sense, distance sense, extended vision 2]; Array: Ranged Damage 8, AP: Linked Damage 8 and Weaken Toughness 8, Affects Objects Only; Removable).
Equipment: Valiant Riding Beast (Imperium Star Cruiser; see Gadget Guide, p. 121).
Advantages: Benefit (Commander of the Seventh Fleet), Equipment 19, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 9, Takedown.
Skills: Athletics 2 (+12), Close Combat: Disruptor Blade 2 (+14), Deception 5 (+6), Expertise: Military 8 (+9), Insight 6 (+7), Intimidation 10 (+11), Perception 8 (+9), Persuasion 5 (+6), Ranged Combat: Armor Blaster 2 (+5), Stealth 8 (+11), Technology 4 (+5), Vehicles 6 (+9).
Offense: Initiative +7, Unarmed +12 (Close Damage 10/4), Disruptor Blade +14 (Close Damage 8 and Weaken Toughness 8), Armor Blaster +14 (Ranged Damage 8).
Defense: Dodge 12, Parry 12, Fortitude 9, Toughness 10/4, Will 7.
Totals: Abilities 58 + Powers 63 + Advantages 33 + Skills 33 + Defenses 20 = 207 points
Complication: Boredom--Motivation. Intolerance (Non-Zultasians). Loyal to the Star-Khan. Not Nearly As Smart As He Thinks He Is.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- The Republic Alliance!

Okay, when I was posting Bumppo's stats, I had somehow managed to forget that Cholaxians get a species write-up in the back of Cosmic Handbook. So I'm editing his character sheet to bring him into line with that official description of his people.

[A Series of Growls And Whines That Cannot Be Transliterated Into the Roman Alphabet]/Bumppo



In what used to be the Lor Republic, and is now the Stellar Imperium, people have a certain stereotype of the Cholaxian species. They imagine that all of them live in great forests, swinging through trees, singing and dancing ancient songs and dances. And, to be fair, those places exist -- as large public parks where the Cholaxian people can go when they want to get back to nature. But for the most part, they live in cities much like those on other Lor planets -- maybe a little smaller -- with arcologies and businesses and academies, where one particular Cholaxian studied mechanical engineering and earned a degree equivalent to a doctorate in that field.

Unfortunately, when that particular Cholaxian developed what his people call "the big star yearning", he soon found out that his degree wasn't recognized by off-world employers. He also discovered that while translator technology is fairly common among the wealthy members of Lor society, it's much less common down among the lower classes where he found himself. His inability to speak the common Lor language marked him as a barbarian, even if he could understand what other people were saying quite well.

Fortunately, he managed to run into a few people who could -- sort of -- communicate in Cholaxian. Unfortunately, they weren't particularly interested in his brains, but his brawn. While he was nowhere nearly as developed as the most noteworthy members of his species -- practically dwarfish, in fact -- he still had more strength and endurance than any Lor, and found those put to use in manual labor. He wasn't thrilled about this, but a job was a job, and it put food in his mouth and a roof over his head.

The jobs he found were often unstable, and he was traded from business to business, from planet to planet. When the Republic collapsed, he and his then-employer -- the one who gave him the nickname that he uses to simplify things -- found themselves stranded on a nameless, numbered planet orbiting a backwater star. There they stayed until about a year and a half ago, when the events that led to him ending up doing work for the Republic Alliance transpired. He has no idea where his old employer got to, but that's not exactly a novel experience.

Bumppo isn't really sure what to make of the Alliance. They honestly don't seem any different from the Lor he's met up to this point, maybe a bit more high-minded -- or at least louder when they talk about their high-mindedness. Their leader seems just like the more slick politicians from back home, but on the other hand she brought him with them when it would have been just as easy to abandon him. On the other other hand, that could have been because she wanted the kid to approve.

He likes the kid. Out of everyone he's met, Hrolent was the first person to make a genuine go at pronouncing his real name. (Couldn't do it, of course, any more than Bumppo could pronounce his, but it's the though that counts.) He was also the first person to ask him where he'd learned to do all the repairs that he was doing, instead of just assuming that he'd been taught by his Lor employers. If there were more Lor like the kid, Bumppo suspects that this whole situation would never have come to pass. Well, that might not be fair, some of the kid's other friends are almost as good, though they've got a ways to go.

Well, this whole crazy Alliance has a way to go, as was demonstrated last month, when -- in order to curry favor with a Cholaxian-run crime syndicate -- they had him pretend to be in charge. He doubts Boss Karooga was actually fooled by this, but he was at least impressed enough to offer Bumppo a job. It was tempting to accept, but he decided to stick with the Alliance for the time being. Hopefully, Boss Karooga won't be too upset at having been turned down.

[A Series of Growls And Whines That Cannot Be Transliterated Into the Roman Alphabet]/Bumppo -- PL 8

Abilities: STR 9 | STA 9 | AGL 5 | DEX 3 | FGT 6 | INT 2 | AWE 3 | PRE 1
Powers: Fur (Immunity 1 [cold]), Large Size (Permanent Growth 4, Innate), Mighty Bounds (Leap 5), Senses (Senses 4 [acute tracking scent, low-light vision, ultra-hearing])
Equipment: Blaster rifle (Ranged Damage 8).
Advantages: Agile Feint, Equipment 4, Great Endurance, Improvised Tools, Language (Lorcan, Cholaxian is native), Power Attack.
Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+9), Athletics 4 (+10), Expertise: Engineering 6 (+8), Insight 6 (+9), Intimidation 6 (+7), Perception 8 (+11), Ranged Combat: Blaster Rifle 4 (+7), Stealth 6 (+11), Technology 12 (+14).
Offense: Initiative +5, Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 9), Blaster Rifle +7 (Ranged Damage 8).
Defense: Dodge 7, Parry 7, Fortitude 9, Toughness 9, Will 6.
Totals: Abilities 60 + Powers 19 + Advantages 9 + Skills 28 + Defenses 10 = 126 points
Complications: Survival--Motivation. Bookish. Cannot Speak Other Languages, Only Understand. Huge Appetite.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- The Republic Alliance!

Mistress Oblivion



Once, she was a hero. It was so long ago that the words we have for time are meaningless, for the era of Phos took place long before the universe of Earth-Prime emerged from the Cosmic Coil like a flower coming into bloom. Like all the Phosians, she was corrupted by what Omega showed her within the Doom Coil, and joined him in his war on reality. Yet what she saw was not quite what Omega had seen, though it would take her an eternity to come to grips with it.

Mistress Oblivion was the only other member of that first generation of heroes-become-monsters to endure into the present day, as all the others fell in battle or attempted to revolt against Omega and were crushed for their temerity. It wasn't that she was bothered by their fates, exactly, and yet every time it happened, every time a new hero was corrupted to become an Annihilist, her dissatisfaction grew slightly. She stood apart, and kept her own counsel.

And then it transpired. Omega and his forces invaded a newly discovered world, and, for the first time, were cast back. A minor setback, soon to be rectified, cried the propagandists, and yet Mistress Oblivion knew better. Here was the answer to the question she had not even realized she was asking. Rather than attack Omega, as too many of her fellows had failed to do, she simply left Nihilor behind, travelled to her private world-citadel, and announced that she would no longer follow Omega's orders.

Oh, how he raged. The punishment circuits that all the Annihilists bear date from this time. Yet, while Omega was fairly certain that he could destroy Mistress Oblivion, just as he had destroyed all the other Phosians who dared oppose him, he knew that the battle would consume resources that he would need for his war on the Centurion and the other heroes of Earth-Prime. Better, then, to wait until that score had been settled ... or rather to allow her to wait, and dread his coming.

Meanwhile, Mistress Oblivion's activities didn't include much in the way of dreading. Having taken with her the wrecked form of an Annihilist who had pledged themselves to her service long before, she dispatched her knight's essence to various points in time and space, quietly guiding the fates of various worlds towards her own concept of entropy -- rather than the shrieking destruction that Omega brings, a stillness and silence in which nonexistence steals upon people as though they are going to sleep. She patiently waited through two more failures by Omega to claim Earth-Prime, waiting until he was dealt serious wounds in a campaign against a different world.

Then, and only then, did she start the long process of bringing her Oblivion Knight to Earth-Prime, a process that reached its crescendo in June of 2016. She has complete confidence that her servant will transform that world into a more fitting capital for the powers of Entropy than Nihilor could ever be, and that she will be able to use that victory to persuade Omega's servants to follow her instead, punishment circuit or no punishment circuit. Nothing could possibly go wrong ...

... and yet she has made a terrible mistake. For one of Mistress Oblivion's great weaknesses, against which all her powers avail her not, is love. While many of the Oblivion Knights have felt lust or desire for their master, not until Amanthi Abesuriya have any of them felt genuine love for her. Who can say what will become of this?

Mistress Oblivion -- PL 18

Abilities: STR 18 | STA 16 | AGL 4 | DEX 4 | FGT 14 | INT 3 | AWE 5 | PRE 6
Powers: Armor (Comprehend Languages 2; Flight 10; Protection 6; Impervious Toughness 16; Removable), Eternal (Immunity 13 [aging, life support, own powers, sleep]), Oblivion Powers (Array: Cumulative Perception Area (Sight) Affliction 18 (Resisted by Will; Impaired and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Disabled, Incapacitated and Paralyzed), Extra Condition, AP: Ranged Damage 22, Secondary Effect, Split 6, AP: Linked Burst Area 2 Damage 12 and Burst Area 2 Weaken Toughness 12, Objects Only, AP: Extended Only Teleport 18, Portal, AP: Selective Burst Area Movement 1 [Dimensional Movement 1 ('stasis zone')] Attack 18), Six Arms (Extra Limbs 4), Walks Through Time (Movement 6 [dimensional travel 3, time travel 3]).
Advantages: All-Out Attack, Close Attack 4, Fearless, Power Attack, Takedown 2.
Skills: Deception 8 (+14), Insight 8 (+13), Intimidation 10 (+16), Perception 8 (+13), Ranged Combat: Oblivion Powers 10 (+14), Technology 8 (+11).
Offense: Initiative +4, Unarmed +18 (Close Damage 18), Body Modification +14 (Ranged Damage 22, Secondary Effect, Split 6), Terrifying Image -- (Perception Area Will 18), Dust to Dust -- (Burst Area 2 Damage 12 and Weaken Toughness 12, Objects Only), Stasis Shift -- (Burst Area Will 18).
Defenses: Dodge 14, Parry 14, Fortitude 16, Toughness 22, Will 16.
Totals: Abilities 140 + Powers 143 + Advantages 9 + Skills 26 + Defenses 21 = 339 points
Complications: Nihilist--Motivation. Enemy (Omega). Weakness (positive emotions, such as peace, hope, and [genuine] love).

With thanks to John Polojac, aka greycrusader.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- The Republic Alliance!

An updated character. It's sequel time!

Dracula



The above is a reasonably good representation of what he really looks like. His shapechanging abilities allow him to look much younger when he pleases.

...

After one such earthquake in 1893, [Dracula] embarked on his first great war against the world. The full details of his travels to England have only recently come to light; suffice it to say that he failed to gain the foothold in the West that he sought, and yet retained many agents of his will even after he was forced to flee into the shadows. Such has been the consequence of every one of his campaigns since then -- he never wins, and yet he always ends up with a few advantages that he didn't have before. He keeps getting stronger.

And now, with so many of his old enemies fallen, and so many advantages within his grasp, he has begun a new war. He has traveled to the new center of the Western World -- New York -- and gathered up all the agents he has recruited over the years. He treats with other masterminds as he never has before. So far, only the Raven has learned of what haunts New York's nights, though he has begun to gather old allies and new against this threat. Perhaps it will be enough.

Or perhaps a new dark age, where monsters freely roam, will begin.

Gigantosaur



...

This is Dracula's ultimate goal. With the help of his servants, he can easily reduce thousands and even a few millions of people to terrified servitude, but he thinks bigger than that. His dream is a world like what he imagines his ancestor experienced, where people quake in fear of the unknown that lives right next door, let alone the terrors that live so far away that no one they know has ever seen them. A dark age, where monsters rule, where just beyond the borders of the known you will find it written ... here there be dragons.

He has chosen New York not only because it is the center of the world, but also because it is the headquarters of the United Nations and thus of UNISON, who are the administrators of Kaiju Island. With the powers of the Dream Demon, he will seize control of UNISON and have unfettered access to the island. With the Lemurian sorcery of Hus'aus-l'yi, bolstered by countless sacrifices taken by the Harvester, they will devise a means to control the monsters there and summon more of them, many, many more of them, from the world on the other side of the gateway. Cities will burn. Nations will fall. And through it all, the Prince of Darkness will observe from his position atop the crown of the mightiest kaiju of them all, the king of monsters mastered by the king of vampires.

So that didn't work. Whether the Harvester had been prevented by New York's dark heroes from accomplishing all the sacrifices the plan required, or perhaps Hus'aus-l'yi not understanding the spell as well as he claimed, Dracula was only able to gain control of a handful of kaiju within a short distance of their ritual site, and Gigantosaur was not one of them. Making matters worse, the invocation of the ancient Lemurian magic somehow attracted the attention of Ormor of Amphitrite, who lead a small army of Amphitritean soldiers to oppose whatever blasphemy was taking place. Once the situation was explained to them, the Amphitriteans reluctantly joined forces with the Raven and his allies, and battle was joined.

The deep one sorcerer Hus'aus-l'yi came under focused attack in the melee that followed, and was apparently killed by Ormor. All three of Dracula vampire brides also perished -- or at least, that's what Dracula believed happened. In fact, his precious Mina had been working on a spell of her own to break the link between herself and Dracula, using the raw magic raised by the ritual to supplement her own feeble skills. This accomplished, she assisted the heroes in taking down the other two brides, before escaping into the shadows. (Rumors since then have placed her in London once more, seeking to kidnap the vampire Lucy Westenra from her government keepers.)

The battle raged until the break of day, at which point Dracula was forced to reluctantly concede the field and faked his own destruction as he has so many times before. Yet it can be fairly said that the Raven and his allies have managed to achieve a victory over Dracula greater than any group of vampire hunters have ever managed, for this time he suffered losses of resources far greater than those he managed to retain. Furthermore, he had overextended himself, and now that all the sites believed to be his "castle" were under UNISON surveillance, he would find it more difficult to return to his homeland to rest and await a better day. His remaining agents mostly spend their efforts collecting the native soil he requires for his rest outside that lost homeland.

It is of course somewhat unsurprising that Dracula is a tad bit upset about all of this. Yet whenever the Devil closes a door, he opens a window. After taking up a temporary lair in Bay City, recruiting some new mortal pawns, he found himself approached by an individual who believed that they could be useful to one another. She calls herself Legendary Angel Herald Sisyphus, agent of the Lord of Bitter Laughter, and she has a plan. Dracula has every intention of betraying his new ally once he's gotten what he wants from the deal, and yet he's uncomfortably certain that Herald Sisyphus must know this, and does not care.

What their plan is, who else it will draw in, and why it requires them to operate out of Denver ... all remain to be seen.

Dracula -- PL 13

STR 7 | STA - | AGL 5 | DEX 5 | FGT 10 | INT 5 | AWE 4 | PRE 7
Powers: Blood Drain (Weaken Stamina 12 [Resisted by Fortitude], Grab-Based, Limited to Draining 1 rank per round), Blood Link (Mental Communication 3, Limited to anyone who drinks his blood; Mind-Reading 8, Sensory Link, Limited to anyone who drinks his blood), Shapechanging (Morph 4; AP: Concealment 5 [all visual and hearing] and Insubstantial 2), Sorcery (Perception Ranged Cumulative Affliction 13 [Resisted and Overcome by Will; Impaired, Disabled, Incapacitated], Dynamic, Insidious, Subtle, Variable Descriptor [Emotions], DAP: Summon Animals 2 (Bats, Rats, or Wolves), Horde, Mental Link, Multiple Minions 6, DAP: Environment 10 (3 points of effect), Selective), Spider-Climb (Movement 1 [Clinging]), Undead Invulnerability (Immortality 6, Limited [not when staked or beheaded]; Immunity 30 [Fortitude effects]; Impervious Protection 12, Limited [not against holy weapons], Regeneration 10, Source [blood]).
Advantages: Benefit 4 (Wealth), Connected, Fascinate (Persuasion), Improved Critical (Blood Drain), Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-all-trades, Leadership, Power Attack, Ritualist, Startle
Skills: Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+14), Deception 12 (+19), Expertise: Magic 14 (+19), Insight 4 (+8), Intimidation 12 (+19), Perception 8 (+12), Persuasion 12 (+19), Stealth 8 (+13)
Offense: Initiative +9, Unarmed +14 (Close Damage 7), Blood Drain +14 (Close Weaken Stamina 12, Critical 19-20)
Defenses: Dodge 14, Parry 14, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 12, Will 13.
Totals: Abilities 76 + Powers 155 + Advantages 14 + Skills 37 + Defenses 22 = 297
Complications: Power--Motivation. Compulsion (Must be invited into any dwelling he does not own). Power Loss (All powers except Undead Invulnerability cannot be used in daylight hours.) Weakness (Can be held back by a holy symbol in the hands of a believer or by garlic).

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- The Republic Alliance!

Galendil Crest



As with many other things, the story begins with the Centurion. In 1949, he was abducted by aliens who used an exotic paralysis ray to render him helpless for the duration of their month-long flight to Zultas. There, he was to have his first meeting and conflict with the Zultasian Queen Khana, who sought to take him as her husband. (How she had learned of the Centurion's existence, given the lack of contact between Earth and Zultas up to this point, remains something of a mystery.) The fictional version of these events, presented in the Centurion's comic book, portrayed him as escaping from Zultas and flying back to Earth on his own power; it also revealed that Zultas was simply the native name for the planet Mars.

Of course, Zultas is not Mars, and the Centurion neither then nor ever possessed the power to fly faster than the speed of light. His escape was facilitated by a stolen Zultasian flying saucer, which he piloted back to the Sol system and Earth. But the Centurion was inexperienced at piloting such a vessel, and his journey led to his encounters with several mysteries in space before he finally achieved his goal. One such mystery was a giant space station floating in an interstellar void, empty of life. The Centurion's arrival awakened the place, however, and its robots took him prisoner and through him into a biological 'holding cell'. The Centurion was able to free himself and escape the station, resuming his journey towards Earth.

What he did not know, and indeed never learned, was that the 'holding cell' took samples of his cellular material and began analyzing it. The space station did not return to dormancy when he left. Instead, it became more and more active, combining the Centurion's mutated DNA with various other samples that had been acquired over the millennia, looking for the ideal match. At last, one was found, and the activities of the station shifted into a different mode, as a lifeform was created from that match within the station's birthing matrix.

It wouldn't be until the late 1970s that the new being created by the station emerged from the matrix, having been given a subliminal education while he was waiting to be born. And now, at last, he was ready ... for what? The station gave him no answers. It had been designed to create him, or something like him, but there did not seem to be any indication that its creators had intended him to do anything in particular. What then was the point of his existence? He did not know the answer, but it was clear that he would not find it here.

So he departed, to explore the universe which bore him. A travelling companion early in his journeys gave him the name Galendil Crest, named after the first humanoid life form in one world's mythology. Though that friend is long gone, Galendil has kept the name in their memory.

It is very likely that no other being, other than the Primals themselves, has seen as much of the Milky Way galaxy as Galendil has, for his journeys have taken him to parts of it never seen by any Star Knight, much less explorers of the Lor Republic. Everywhere, he has found innocents in need of help, and something within him has always driven him to assist them in any way he can. As it happens, the most common way that he has been able to help people is through the directed application of force, which he rather enjoys -- though afterwards he is always ashamed of himself, as though realizing that there were probably other ways he could have accomplished his ends that didn't require him to hurt anyone.

Quite recently, Galendil's long circuit of the galaxy brought him back to the station where he was born, which had been taken over by space pirates led by the Astral Queen. He drove them out, but found himself bothered by the Astral Queen's last transmission to him, asking him why he had done so when he had left this place long before and never looked back. This moved him to do something with the station's resources, and he decided to see if it was possible to create a sibling or child for himself from the birthing matrix. And in fact, it was, and so was born the creature he dubbed Petrea Stardance.

He was beginning to educate his sister/daughter in the proper use of her powers when his attunement to the cosmos alerted him that something was going terribly wrong on the planet Earth. Asking Petrea to remain on the station while he went to see what the matter was (and missing the mischief in her smile when she promised that she would) he departed for Earth. Hopefully, he will arrive in time to oppose the forces of Entropy that are becoming active there once more.

Galendil Crest -- PL 13

Abilities: STR 16/1 | STA 12 | AGL 6 | DEX 4 | FGT 10 | INT 6 | AWE 8 | PRE 6
Powers: Attuned to the Cosmos (Mental Communication 1; Comprehend Languages 4; Senses 7 [hyper-extended 3* cosmic awareness]), Born of the Stars (Immunity 12 [aging, life support, sleep]; Protection 2; Impervious Toughness 12), Cosmic Power (Array: Ranged Damage 15, AP: Enhanced Strength 15, AP: Enhanced Flight 15, AP: Senses 30 [hyper-extended 15* vision], AP: Restorative Healing 9, Persistent, Stabilize, AP: Close Burst Area 2 Nullify Entropy 10, Broad), Cosmic Traveler (Flight 10; Movement 3 [space-travel])
*Hyper-extended senses require 2 ranks per level and use the Long-Range Sensing rules from the Cosmic Handbook, p. 24.
Advantages: Agile Feint, Animal Empathy, Defensive Attack, Eidetic Memory, Fearless, Improved Initiative 2, Interpose, Move-by Action.
Skills: Expertise: Science 8 (+14), Expertise: The Galaxy 15 (+21), Perception 10 (+18), Ranged Combat: Cosmic Power 7 (+11), Treatment 10 (+16).
Offense: Initiative +14, Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 16/1), Cosmic Blast +11 (Ranged Damage 15).
Defense: Dodge 12, Parry 12, Fortitude 12, Toughness 14, Will 14.
Totals: Abilities 106 + Powers 110 + Advantages 9 + Skills 25 + Defenses 14 = 264 points
Complications: Doing Good--Motivation. Loves Battle, But Hates Himself For Doing So. Alien Appearance. Social Difficulties.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- The Republic Alliance!

Petrea Stardance



Petrea's origins are largely discussed in Galendil's background. One thing that isn't mentioned there is the fact that Galendil, not wanting to simply produce a clone of himself, added genetic material taken from one of the female pirates who had been using the station as a lair. (Said pirate had met a very messy end while fighting him; he felt predictably guilty about that, and may have been trying to make up for it.) It's not clear if this necessarily resulted in the birth of a female example of their kind, and it certainly isn't clear whether it resulted in a thrill-seeking hedonist of their kind.

In her defence, she's only four-and-a-half years old. Nobody should possibly be expected to behave in a responsible and mature manner when they're four-and-a-half years old. Galendil should have known that, on being left to his own devices, she would immediately ignore his instructions to go see as much of the universe as she possibly can in the no doubt short interval that her mentor will be gone. So off she flew into the boondocks of the Stellar Imperium.

While Petrea is mostly interested in showing herself a really good time, she has run up against the forces of the Stellar Imperium a few times now, and has a bounty on her head. She finds that a bit flattering, and so doesn't take it all that seriously. Some of her exploits have inadvertently helped out the Republic Alliance, but Petrea has never even heard of them, nor would she be really interested in fighting for their cause. Or any cause. And honestly, fighting is something she avoids when she can. On the other hand, she has developed something of an interest in the art and science of laser swordplay, and would probably welcome the opportunity to test her skills against a worthy opponent.

And on the day that a picture of her reaches the desk of one Lady Avobombe, the latter will have the strangest feeling that she's looking at the other half of her soul, before cynicism reasserts itself and she starts thinking of ways to use this wild card.

Petrea Stardance -- PL 10

Abilities: STR 10/0 | STA 8 | AGL 5 | DEX 4 | FGT 8 | INT 2 | AWE 5 | PRE 3
Powers: Attuned to the Cosmos (Mental Communication 1; Comprehend Languages 4; Senses 7 [hyper-extended 3 cosmic awareness]), Born of the Stars (Immunity 10 [life support]; Impervious Toughness 8), Cosmic Power (Array: Ranged Damage 10, AP: Enhanced Strength 10, AP: Enhanced Flight 10, AP: Senses 20 [hyper-extended 10 vision]), Cosmic Traveler (Flight 10; Movement 3 [space-travel]).
Equipment: Laser Sword (Damage 6, Penetrating 6).
Advantages: Agile Feint, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 3, Fearless, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action.
Skills: Close Combat: Laser Sword 6 (+14), Perception 6 (+11), Ranged Combat: Cosmic Power 4 (+8).
Offense: Initiative +9, Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 10/0), Laser Sword +14 (Close Damage 6), Cosmic Blast +8 (Ranged Damage 10).
Defense: Dodge 12, Parry 12, Fortitude 9, Toughness 8, Will 7.
Totals: Abilities 70 + Powers 90 + Advantages 8 + Skills 8 + Defenses 14 = 190 points
Complications: Thrills--Motivation. Well, Thrills And A Comfortable Place to Sleep. And Some Yummy Food Might Be Nice, Too. Pleasant Company Also Adds A Certain Spice To Life. Respects Galendil, But Thrills Et Cetera Come First.

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- The Republic Alliance!

Splotch



A few weeks ago, it occurred to Joel Stein that he'd been going about as Splotch for twenty-five years. Twenty-five years! Where had the time gone? And so began a rather depressing flashback sequence that seemed to have the definite concluson that he'd wasted those years of his life doing this sort of thing. Shorn of the rather harsh and self-judgmental aspects, what he remembered was as follows.

At the age of 17, he and his younger brother Joshua had, while going through some old family photos, discovered the shadow ring that their paternal grandfather George had used to fight crime under the alias Ink Stain, alongside his eventual bride Jenny "Sprockets" Wendell. It was a profound surprise to both of them that it was in the possession of their father, Noah Stein, who despised all superheroes, especially his parents, and done his level best to make sure that neither of his sons knew anything about them. It was Joshua who decided that they had the responsibilty to use their grandfather's ring to try and make the world of the early Nineties into a better place, with Joel going along only reluctantly.

As Ink and Splotch, they became shadowy crime fighters in their native Boston. Ink was the more successful example, while Splotch kept messing up and embarassing himself. The problems carried over into their private lives, too, with Joshua becoming a successful lawyer and Joel dropping out of med school because he couldn't handle the pressure of combining it with his crime fighting. (Oddly, the fact that he'd wanted to be an artist in his youth, and was forced into med school by his father, never seems to figure in his recollections. Wonder why.)

When they'd been doing it for around ten years, disaster struck. Ink was targetted for assassination by Orion the Hunter, and became one of the several superhumans who fell to the bounty hunter before Lady Liberty handed him his first defeat later that same year. Or so it seemed, for Joshua actually survived the explosion Orion set up, but was left comatose with not much chance of recovery. Noah Stein went ballistic, claiming (at every opportunity) that his son had been attacked by Ink, Spotch and Orion working in cahoots to get to him! (The truth of the matter remains something of a mystery, for Orion has never revealed who hired him to take out Ink, beyond saying that he would have taken either Ink or Splotch, depending on who showed up.)

Joel's sense of responsibility wouldn't allow him to just quit superheroing, even though he really wanted to. He redoubled his efforts, and found his abilities growing, as though the shadow ring was growing more focused on him now that it only had one user. (In fact, that had nothing to do with it. The shadow ring is a psychic crutch for Joel's innate abilities, inherited from both Ink Stain and Jenny Sprockets. Several of his allies have figured it out, but elected not to reveal this to him as they're uncertain what the results would be.) His private life was a shambles, as the only place he could find work was his father's television station, where he received exactly no pay, and one of his father's appartment buildings, where he received free rent in exchange for managing the property.

Things finally began to look up for him in 2005, when he was recruited to serve as the Boston representative of the Freedom League. This began a long series of cases where he'd team up with various other members of the League and other heroes from Freedom City, most notably the Atom Family, who were profoundly grateful to him for proving their innocence when the Meta-Grue started a Boston crime spree posing as them. He was startled to realize that he was actually a well-respected member of the superheroic community, rather than the perpetual screw up he'd always been convinced that he was.

Joshua awoke from his coma in 2011, but was paralyzed from the waist down. For the first time, though, Joel's self-recriminations were met with an answer -- Joshua was honestly angry that his brother blamed himself for all this, rather than putting the blame squarely on Orion. Joshua ended up moving out of Boston to get away from his toxic father, and urged Joel to get as far from Noah as possible. Joel hesitated, though, and would up staying in Boston, out of a genuine love for the city.

The next big change in his life came in 2013, when yet another team-up with Chase Atom led to the younger hero accidentally discovering Joel's secret identity. (Well, as accidentally as it can be when the mind-reading revealed every atom of his consciousness screaming the words 'I mustn't let him know that I'm Joel Stein!') Chase learned a great deal about his family's friend in that episode, and was horrified by how unhappy the apparently ebulient superhero actually was. It reminded him of just how sad his sister Vickie was that, despite having had as many 'team-ups' as Splotch, she'd never had a serious romance ... and that consideration rather gave him to think.

A somewhat confused blind date later, and Joel found himself having more fun than he'd ever imagined someone could have outside of a costume. He's a little uncomfortable at the decade plus age difference between himself and Vicky, but she's not bothered, and it's been pointed out (by Chase) that there was an even greater gap between the ages of his grandparents. For the most part, though, this relationship has made them both very happy.

And then his father referred to Vicky as a harlot on his televison show.

It's sort of strange, isn't it? He'd heard his father call him (and his brother) far worse things. He'd heard him talk about some of the most amazing people he'd ever met as though they were the scum of the earth. But suddently Joel couldn't stop himself, he marched into his father's office, put on the ring and let loose a verbal tirade that made his father's rants look like kindergarten debates. He addressed his unhappiness with the way his father had treated his own parents, his anger over the way that Noah had exploited his other son, and twenty-plus years of frustration at engaging in slave labor for an unappreciative weasel of a man! "You can't fire me, I quit!" he shouted, took off the ring, and stomped out of the office.

For the next twenty-four hours, Joel hid under his bed, terrified that exposing his secret identity like that would have terrible reprecussions. But for whatever reasonn, Noah Stein has not revealed this ace up his sleeve. Perhaps he fears that having it known that he's the only member of his family who isn't a superhero will lead people to an unpleasant conclusion. Or perhaps he's having some sort of nervous breakdown. Joel hasn't spoken to the man since, and has no idea what's going on with him.

Of course, all this has resulted in some upheaval in his personal life. However, he's managed to find a new and slightly better apartment, and has a fairly good amount of money coming in as the result of a little-known Freedom League policy that pays the team's members a living wage if they don't have other employment. He also spends a great deal of time "commuting" between Boston and Freedom City, where he lives part-time at the Nucleus. (Even if he wasn't dating Vicky, he'd be welcome there, having saved Maximus' wife and kids on at least one occasion where the Atom Family couldn't be there to do so.)

So after reflecting on the way that his life was a waste, he went back to spend time with his extended family and many friends, all of whom were happy to come together to celebrate his birthday. He laughed, he cried, and he suspects that he'll be doing both for the rest of his life.

Splotch -- PL 11

Abilities: STR 8/3 | STA 2 | AGL 14/4 | DEX 10/2 | FGT 8 | INT 2 | AWE 3 | PRE 3
Powers: Doesn't Fear The Shadows (Immunity 2 [darkness powers]; Senses 2 [darkvision]), Shadowy Guise (Enhanced Agility 10; Enhanced Dexterity 8; Enhanced Strength 5; Morph 1), Shadowy Moves (Concealment 2 [visual], Limited to Shadows and Darkness; Movement 3 [slithering, wall-crawling 2]), Turn On The Dark (Array: Ranged Damage 12, AP: Ranged Progressive Affliction 8 [Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Will; Impaired, Disabled, Unaware), Limited to Vision, AP: Cumulative Ranged Affliction 8 [Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobilized, AP: Moveable Create 8, AP: Ranged Burst Area 3 Visual Concealment 4 Attack)
Advantages: Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-Out Attack, Evasion 2, Extraordinary Effort, Improved Grab, Improved Trip, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot (Ranged/Cover), Seize Initiative, Taunt, Teamwork.
Skills: Acrobatics 6 (+20/+10), Athletics 4 (+12/+7), Deception 10 (+13), Expertise: Cameraman 9 (+11), Insight 8 (+11), Investigation 8 (+10), Perception 10 (+13), Sleight of Hand 3 (+13/+5), Treatment 6 (+8).
Offense: Initiative +14, Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 8), Ink Jet +10 (Ranged Damage 12), Blinding Jet +10 (Ranged Affliction 8, Resisted by Dodge), Ebon Bindings +10 (Ranged Affliction 8, Resisted by Dodge).
Defense: Dodge 14, Parry 14, Fortitude 5, Toughness 8/2, Will 11.
Totals: Abilities 54 + Powers 80 + Advantages 14 + Skills 32 + Defenses 17 = 197 points
Complications: Responsibility--Motivation. Enemy (Noah Stein). Family (Joshua ... and technically their father, but ...). Relationship (Vicky Atom.) Secret Identity (that's nowhere nearly as secret as he'd like.) Power Loss (cannot use any powers without the shadow ring.)

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- The Republic Alliance!

As suggested by Arkrite:

Takeuchi Wakaba, The Seeker of the Cards



Born in the last year of the twentieth century, Wakaba Takeuchi is of mixed Japanese and French-Canadian origin. Her father passed away when she was five, and she was raised by her mother and some of her cousins while living in Vancouver, British Columbia. She never even considered the possibility that she might one day go to Japan until shortly after her thirteenth birthday, when her mother revealed that her father's legacy included a scholarship allowing Wakaba to attend middle school at Japan's prestigious Akazuchi Academy.

A little nervous, and nearly certain that she'd be rejected by everyone there for her non-Japanese looks, she nonetheless boarded a plane that took her away from everything she knew. While she did encounter some prejudice, most notably in the form of people who refused to believe that she actually spoke Japanese as well as she did, by and large the populace of the Academy was welcoming and accepting. Wakaba missed her mother fiercely, but Skype chats took care of most of that. She was really starting to settle in when life threw her yet another curveball.

She was attending a lecture on the Tarot, more to keep one of her more occult-obsessed friends company, and trying not to nod off from the very boring speaker, when she suddenly blinked awake as she stared at the very large portrait of the Fool that the lecturer had just revealed. Wakaba was fairly sure that she'd never seen this painting before, and yet there was something very familiar about it. Right before the lecturer asked if there were any questions, Wakaba realized that it was a painting of her, and she stood up to demand to know what the big idea was, displaying a painting of a middle school girl without her permission like this.

Things became rather confusing after that. By the time they settled down, she was alone in the lecture hall with the speaker, he'd stopped yelling something about how this shouldn't be happening, and a giant hologram or something like it of the Fool had walked over towards her and merged into her. The speaker, now calmed down, explained that the Tarot deck he'd taken his pictures from was a unique one that he and someone called Eldritch had helped to assemble back in the 1980s. Not only had that particular card merged with her, the magical energy of the other cards had exploded out into the world and merged with various other people. And as the holder of the Fool card, it was her responsibility to gather the rest of them.

"But I'm thirteen years old!" she protested.

"I'm afraid the call doesn't care how old you are," the professor told her, and explained that the cards would distort their holders and cause all sorts of havoc in a rather blatant attempt to guilt her into collecting them. When she continued to play the 'too young for this' card, he turned around to appeal to her greed, as she would be able to call on the powers of the cards as she gathered them. That, and a promise that he'd have someone take all her classes for her while she was out doing this, was what finally got her motivated.

Over the last three years, Wakaba has managed to collect half of the Major Arcana, and enough of the Minor Arcana to give her some considerable combat abilities. The process is fairly straightforward -- she follows hints in the news about people who've started acting strangely, waits for a chance to confront them, does so in a way that draws out the card, and beats its manifestation using her magic, then claims the card. There have been a few hiccups, like the time that there were two card holders working together, but she's managed to overcome these difficulties with wit and courage.

In the process, she's grown a little, too. Gaining all this power is kind of cool, but she's seen lots of people horribly abusing the powers that the cards give them and knows that she doesn't want to turn into that. She collects the cards because it's something that needs to be done, rather than the ambition that initially drove her.

However, after a lengthy dry spell, she's come to the conclusion that she's managed to collect all the cards that were in Japan, and needs to move on if she's going to find the rest. Her first expedition outside of the country took her to Emerald City, where she met the magical girl Herald Phineus and worked together to fight a foe who was a card-holder (the Devil, to be precise) employing Phineus' usual Hunger Monster enemies for his own purposes. The card-holder got away, unfortunately, but Phineus promised her that she'd help her on the follow-up, too.

Unfortunately, that promise was made right before a bunch of other magical girls showed up to kidnap Herald Phineus. Wakaba intends to rescue her, but she knows that she needs help. Maybe those Sentinels might be willing?

Takeuchi Wakaba, the Card Seeker -- PL 10
Abilities: STR 9/-1 | STA 10/0 | AGL 2 | DEX 2 | FGT 2 | INT 12/2 | AWE 4 | PRE 12/2
Powers: Embodies the Fool (Immunity 30 [Will]), Invocation of the Major Arcana (Array: Perception Area Affliction 10 [Resisted by Will; Hindered, Immobilized, Paralyzed], AP: Progressive Affliction 10 [Dazed, Compelled, Controlled], Limited to making target behave as though in love with another accurately perceived target, AP: Enhanced Intellect 10, AP: Enhanced Presence 10, AP: Enhanced Stamina 10, AP: Enhanced Strength 10, AP: Flight 10, AP: Healing 10, AP: Selective Area Luck Control 4, AP: Remote Sensing 10 [visual]), Invocation of the Minor Arcana (Ranged Damage 10, Check Required [Expertise: Magic, DC 15]; Enhanced Ranged Damage 4, Tiring), Mystic Senses (Mind-Reading 10, Limited to Emotions; Senses 3 [acute extended mystical awareness])
Advantages: Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 2 (independently wealthy), Improvised Tools, Language 2 (English, French, [Japanese is native]), Luck 4, Ritualist, Taunt.
Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+6), Deception 8 (+10/+20), Expertise: Magic 4 (+6/+16), Insight 8 (+12), Investigation 4 (+6/+16), Perception 8 (+12), Ranged Combat: Invocation of the Minor Arcana 4 (+6), Stealth 6 (+8).
Offense: Initiative +2, Unarmed +2 (Close Damage 9/-1), Invocation of the Minor Arcana +6 (Ranged Damage 14)
Defense: Dodge 8, Parry 6, Fortitude 10/0, Toughness 10/0, Will Immunity.
Totals: Abilities 26 + Powers 59 + Advantages 13 + Skills 23 + Defenses 10 = 159 points.
Complications: Collecting the Cards--Motivation. Minor. Overconfidence. Untrained (Wakaba does not know how to analyze evidence).

The Major Arcana associated with the effects of her array are as follows:

The Magician: Enhanced Intellect
The High Priestess: Healing
The Emperor: Enhanced Presence
The Empress: Perception Area Affliction
The Hierophant: Remote Sensing [visual]
The Lovers: Progressive Affliction
The Chariot: Flight
Strength: Enhanced Strength
The Hermit: Enhanced Stamina
Wheel of Fortune: Luck Control

What powers are granted by the other cards of the Major Arcana is left open to be developed. If Wakaba should ever gather all 78 cards, she will gain access to Mastery of the Major and Minor Arcana (Variable 8, Free Action).

[Davies]

Re: Davies' Character Thread: World of Freedom 3.2 -- The Republic Alliance!

Princess (as of June 2016)



The quest for the Precursor Stones and the battle against Collapsar were incredibly gruelling, calling on all the Sentinels (and the Freedom League, too!) to push their abilities to and past what they'd thought of as limits. Just as in her childhood, though, when Princess pushed up against a limit, the limit moved back as though afraid of her, and she became faster, higher and stronger as a result. As a consequence, while Rocky and (especially) Centuria hit harder than she does, she is Centuria's peer when it comes to lifting strength. That's a little terrifying, especially in combination with her growing speed.

However, her relationship with Centuria is less a rivalry than a strong friendship, forged during the quest and having continued up to the present. Kate sees Princess as a role model when she considers the notion of being the leader of the Freedom League, but also is genuinely impressed that she's a woman with power who, without any legacy or 'chosen one' status, decided to use her abilities to help others. For her part, Jessica thinks the world of Centuria, and believes that some day, the Centurion will be most noteworthy for having been her father, instead of the other way around.

Princess has also befriended Lady Liberty, though they're more at a 'friend of a friend' levels of friendship. That said, in the way that one can sometimes recognize another, Princess has figured out that Lady Liberty's powers are dependent on her level of self-confidence. She's considered offering to teach the younger heroine some of the strategies she uses for regaining lost self-confidence, but hesitates, knowing that this could come off as condescending and also aware that Sonia faces challenges every day that Jessica has no idea how she'd handle. Despite this, the two of them recently cooperated very well against Madame Guillotine.

Unfortunately, all the wins sometimes make the losses that much worse, as when she, Kid Robot, and Xeno were beaten up by two Japanese magical girls who were abducting the young heroine Herald Phineus. It makes no sense to Princess that she should be able to take part in defeating a cosmic threat like Collapsar, and then get find herself overcome by a pair of teenagers with an attitude problem. Her normally easy-going attitude has vanished as a result, and she really wants a rematch, soon.

At least, definitely before her wedding to Mitch, which is scheduled for August. He finally popped the question right before she departed on the Collapsar mission, and Jessica eagerly agreed. Determined not to be a Bridezilla, she intends for it to be a quiet, private ceremony ... though given that the guests will include members of the Sentinels who don't have her secret identity, she is preparing for a wedding day bash nonetheless.

She might have prepared for more than that, if she knew that, on the day of the proposal, Dolorosa jerked awake from a dreamless sleep with a startled cry on her lips ... and began considering leaving this world as soon as possible.

Princess -- PL 11

Abilities: STR 13 | STA 13 | AGL 6 | DEX 4 | FGT 7 | INT 2 | AWE 2 | PRE 2
Powers: Fast (Quickness 2; Speed 8), Leaping (Leaping 12), Resilient (Immunity 5 [cold, heat, pressure, radiation, vacuum]; Immunity 2 [suffocation], Limited to half effect; Impervious Toughness 13; Regeneration 5), Super-Strength (Enhanced Strength 4, Limited to lifting), Unrecognizable (Feature [no one can tell Jessica and Princess are the same person]).
Advantages: Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Attractive, Diehard, Extraordinary Effort, Improved Initiative, Inspire 2, Interpose, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Second Chance (mind control), Ultimate Effort (Toughness checks), Well-Informed.
Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+9), Athletics 2 (+15), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+9), Expertise: Medicine 7 (+9), Intimidation 6 (+8), Perception 8 (+10), Ranged Combat: Throwing 3 (+7), Treatment 7 (+9)
Offense: Initiative +10, Unarmed +9 (Close Damage 13).
Defense: Dodge 9, Parry 9, Fortitude 13, Toughness 13, Will 9.
Totals: Abilities 98 + Powers 51 + Advantages 14 + Skills 19 + Defenses 12 = 194 points
Complications: Doing Good--Motivation. Power Loss (loss of confidence). Relationship. Secret Identity.