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[Mutants & Masterminds] A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic
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<blockquote data-quote="Davies" data-source="post: 8955039" data-attributes="member: 30538"><p><span style="font-size: 26px"><span style="color: blue">Tiankui/天魁</span></span></p><p><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-6VTMkHQ/0/87cd46ee/Th/oEqWvf-Th.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p><em>Tiankui</em> is one of the names for the star known as Alpha Ursae Majoris in western astronomy. In the Chinese classic known as <em>Water Margin</em>, the 108 stars associated with that constellation were associated with an identical number of the bandits of Mount Liang, said to be the reborn forms of 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly Fiends. Tiankui was associated with their eventual leader, Song Jiang, portrayed in the text as an honest magistrate forced into banditry by corrupt opponents. While he was victorious and eventually redeemed, his enemies put him in a position where he was forced to drink poison or become a traitor once again. He chose the former.</p><p></p><p>All this was well known to Song Meng, who had studied the classics and annals since he was a child. If anyone had suggested that his family name meant that he had some connection to this legendary rebel, he would have chuckled, shook his head, and perhaps tried to educate the poor fool about the difference between verifiable history and historical romance. The Song family was immense and ancient, and his branch could only trace its 6,history back less than five hundred years. As for his personal inclinations, Meng was content to use his abilities -- both his sharp intellect and the extraordinary talents he had discovered in his early adolescence -- to help people quietly, without drawing attention to himself.</p><p></p><p>Alas, contentment was not to be his lot. Forced into action during the events of 2006, Meng managed to keep his identity secret while still protecting other superpowers and civilians from the forces of Saturn. In the aftermath, he spent a nervous week wondering whether his precautions had failed before the government announced its new policy of toleration for independent superpower agents, at which point he let out a sigh of relief ... that died in his lungs as he realized the trap that was being built. </p><p></p><p>These new superheroes would be tolerated just long enough for the state to learn enough about their weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and then those traits would be exploited to the fullest. Organization was going to be needed. And so he began to create the Sīfa Zhuānjiā, embracing his connection to Song Jiang under the alias Tiankui. (At least, that is the story he usually told. Once, however, when asked why he had been so sure about the intentions of the state, he remarked that he had received an unmistakable warning about them, but declined to elaborate what he meant by that.)</p><p></p><p>For seven years, Tiankui led the Sīfa to the best of his ability, aided by his ability to cloak himself and others from other attempts at psychic surveillance. But no luck endures forever, and he was finally put in a position where he had to choose between his own ability to escape and that of his people. He did not hesitate and was placed under arrest, brought to a secret facility inside the Beijing null field. There he was given another choice -- he could either accept psychic surgery to turn him into a loyal servant of the government or, in honor of his legacy, drink poison. Here, he hesitated, but chose the poison.</p><p></p><p>"That was the wrong choice," said his interrogator, drawing a pistol "You're supposed to arrange for 'Li Kui' to die with you, remember?" Before he could answer that there was no 'Li Kui'-equivalent in the Sīfa, the gun went off, and Song Meng died with a vague sense of amusement that people assumed he was following the classics so closely.</p><p></p><p><strong>Tiankui -- PL 11</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Abilities:</strong></p><p><strong>STR</strong> 2 | <strong>STA</strong> 3 | <strong>AGL</strong> 2 | <strong>DEX</strong> 3 | <strong>FGT</strong> 4 | <strong>INT</strong> 7 | <strong>AWE</strong> 5 | <strong>PRE</strong> 5</p><p></p><p><strong>Powers:</strong></p><p><strong><em>呼保義/"Protector of Righteousness":</em></strong> Selective Burst Area 3 Affects Others and Self Concealment 2 (mental senses) - 14 points</p><p><strong><em>Shielded Mind:</em></strong> Impervious Will 12, Limited to mental effects - 6 points</p><p><strong><em>Telepathic Communication and Probe:</em></strong> Selective Area Mental Communication 3 (regional); Cumulative Mind Reading 11 - 41 points</p><p><strong><em>Telepathic Defenses:</em></strong> Enhanced Advantages 14 (Close Attack 3, Defensive Roll 2, Evasion 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2, Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge), Limited, Only against sapient opponents without Immunity to Mental Effects or Impervious Will 12; Enhanced Defenses 16 (Dodge 8, Parry 8), Limited, Only against sapient opponents without Immunity to Mental Effects or Impervious Will 12; Senses 2 (acute psychic awareness) - 17 points</p><p></p><p><strong>Advantages:</strong></p><p>Assessment, <em>Close Attack 3,</em> Contacts, <em>Defensive Roll 2, Evasion 2,</em> Fascinate (Persuasion), <em>Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2,</em> Inspire 2, Jack-of-all-trades, Leadership, <em>Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge,</em> Well-informed.</p><p></p><p><strong>Skills:</strong></p><p>Deception 6 (+11), Expertise: Civics 6 (+13), Expertise: History 5 (+12), Insight 8 (+13), Investigation 5 (+12), Perception 6 (+11), Persuasion 8 (+13), Treatment 4 (+11).</p><p></p><p><strong>Offense:</strong></p><p>Initiative +10/+2</p><p>Unarmed +7/+4 (Close Damage 2)</p><p></p><p><strong>Defense:</strong></p><p>Dodge 14/6, Parry 14/6, Fortitude 5, Toughness 8/3, Will 15</p><p></p><p><strong>Totals:</strong></p><p>Abilities 62 + Powers 78 + Advantages 8 + Skills 24 + Skills 18 = 190 points</p><p></p><p><strong>Offensive PL:</strong> 11</p><p><strong>Defensive PL:</strong> 11</p><p><strong>Resistance PL:</strong> 10</p><p><strong>Skill PL:</strong> 8</p><p></p><p><strong>Complications:</strong></p><p><strong><em>Responsibility--Motivation. Hunted by Authorities. Secret Identity.</em></strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Davies, post: 8955039, member: 30538"] [size=150][color=blue]Tiankui/天魁[/color][/size] [img]https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-6VTMkHQ/0/87cd46ee/Th/oEqWvf-Th.jpg[/img] [i]Tiankui[/i] is one of the names for the star known as Alpha Ursae Majoris in western astronomy. In the Chinese classic known as [i]Water Margin[/i], the 108 stars associated with that constellation were associated with an identical number of the bandits of Mount Liang, said to be the reborn forms of 36 Heavenly Spirits and 72 Earthly Fiends. Tiankui was associated with their eventual leader, Song Jiang, portrayed in the text as an honest magistrate forced into banditry by corrupt opponents. While he was victorious and eventually redeemed, his enemies put him in a position where he was forced to drink poison or become a traitor once again. He chose the former. All this was well known to Song Meng, who had studied the classics and annals since he was a child. If anyone had suggested that his family name meant that he had some connection to this legendary rebel, he would have chuckled, shook his head, and perhaps tried to educate the poor fool about the difference between verifiable history and historical romance. The Song family was immense and ancient, and his branch could only trace its 6,history back less than five hundred years. As for his personal inclinations, Meng was content to use his abilities -- both his sharp intellect and the extraordinary talents he had discovered in his early adolescence -- to help people quietly, without drawing attention to himself. Alas, contentment was not to be his lot. Forced into action during the events of 2006, Meng managed to keep his identity secret while still protecting other superpowers and civilians from the forces of Saturn. In the aftermath, he spent a nervous week wondering whether his precautions had failed before the government announced its new policy of toleration for independent superpower agents, at which point he let out a sigh of relief ... that died in his lungs as he realized the trap that was being built. These new superheroes would be tolerated just long enough for the state to learn enough about their weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and then those traits would be exploited to the fullest. Organization was going to be needed. And so he began to create the Sīfa Zhuānjiā, embracing his connection to Song Jiang under the alias Tiankui. (At least, that is the story he usually told. Once, however, when asked why he had been so sure about the intentions of the state, he remarked that he had received an unmistakable warning about them, but declined to elaborate what he meant by that.) For seven years, Tiankui led the Sīfa to the best of his ability, aided by his ability to cloak himself and others from other attempts at psychic surveillance. But no luck endures forever, and he was finally put in a position where he had to choose between his own ability to escape and that of his people. He did not hesitate and was placed under arrest, brought to a secret facility inside the Beijing null field. There he was given another choice -- he could either accept psychic surgery to turn him into a loyal servant of the government or, in honor of his legacy, drink poison. Here, he hesitated, but chose the poison. "That was the wrong choice," said his interrogator, drawing a pistol "You're supposed to arrange for 'Li Kui' to die with you, remember?" Before he could answer that there was no 'Li Kui'-equivalent in the Sīfa, the gun went off, and Song Meng died with a vague sense of amusement that people assumed he was following the classics so closely. [b]Tiankui -- PL 11 Abilities: STR[/b] 2 | [b]STA[/b] 3 | [b]AGL[/b] 2 | [b]DEX[/b] 3 | [b]FGT[/b] 4 | [b]INT[/b] 7 | [b]AWE[/b] 5 | [b]PRE[/b] 5 [b]Powers: [i]呼保義/"Protector of Righteousness":[/i][/b] Selective Burst Area 3 Affects Others and Self Concealment 2 (mental senses) - 14 points [b][i]Shielded Mind:[/i][/b] Impervious Will 12, Limited to mental effects - 6 points [b][i]Telepathic Communication and Probe:[/i][/b] Selective Area Mental Communication 3 (regional); Cumulative Mind Reading 11 - 41 points [b][i]Telepathic Defenses:[/i][/b] Enhanced Advantages 14 (Close Attack 3, Defensive Roll 2, Evasion 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2, Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge), Limited, Only against sapient opponents without Immunity to Mental Effects or Impervious Will 12; Enhanced Defenses 16 (Dodge 8, Parry 8), Limited, Only against sapient opponents without Immunity to Mental Effects or Impervious Will 12; Senses 2 (acute psychic awareness) - 17 points [b]Advantages:[/b] Assessment, [i]Close Attack 3,[/i] Contacts, [i]Defensive Roll 2, Evasion 2,[/i] Fascinate (Persuasion), [i]Improved Defense, Improved Initiative 2,[/i] Inspire 2, Jack-of-all-trades, Leadership, [i]Seize Initiative, Uncanny Dodge,[/i] Well-informed. [b]Skills:[/b] Deception 6 (+11), Expertise: Civics 6 (+13), Expertise: History 5 (+12), Insight 8 (+13), Investigation 5 (+12), Perception 6 (+11), Persuasion 8 (+13), Treatment 4 (+11). [b]Offense:[/b] Initiative +10/+2 Unarmed +7/+4 (Close Damage 2) [b]Defense:[/b] Dodge 14/6, Parry 14/6, Fortitude 5, Toughness 8/3, Will 15 [b]Totals:[/b] Abilities 62 + Powers 78 + Advantages 8 + Skills 24 + Skills 18 = 190 points [b]Offensive PL:[/b] 11 [b]Defensive PL:[/b] 11 [b]Resistance PL:[/b] 10 [b]Skill PL:[/b] 8 [b]Complications: [i]Responsibility--Motivation. Hunted by Authorities. Secret Identity.[/i][/b] [/QUOTE]
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