[Mutants & Masterminds] A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic
Davies
Legend
Scathach
Scathach is the name to which she answers, and she does make her home on the Isle of Skye. If asked, directly, whether she is literally the figure from the legends of Ulster, her answer will vary depending on her opinion of the person doing the asking. In most cases, she will simply make a comment to the effect that such personal questions are generally considered rude. Very rarely, in her most honest moments, she will admit that she is not, and then add that she doesn't wish to discuss her origins beyond that. In a moment of total honesty, a few years ago, she further admitted that it has been so long since she was called anything else that she has forgotten the name she was given at birth, or the names she bore in the years afterward.
She was born on Cherab, some twelve hundred years ago, as one of that planet's people of tomorrow, the rising stars. She was a minor figure among them at best, but when the war came, she fought it as best she could, and survived everything that her fellows and the humans could throw at her. When the survivors left, she went with them, as a passenger on one of their space ships. Scathach thinks that she was sick and tired of the war, but can't really remember those days too clearly, either.
She knows that she was certainly sickened by the war that broke out among the overpeople less than a decade after they left Cherab, and made her own opinion of the dispute quite clear by spacing the other denizens of the ship -- some of whom were spaceworthy, probably -- then using it to leave the group. She found a world inhabited by a branch of humanity, and settled there for a time, living like a mother goddess among them and giving birth to about fifty children, all of whom inherited her immortality and became the ancestors of the Chatpaura people. But this grew tiresome to her, and so she left the world later named Sezti behind her and travelled on through the void.
Sometime around the 13th century, her voyage brought her to Earth, landing on the Isle. One of the first people she met was a Christian friar who was familiar with the Ulster cycle; seeing her spear and the proficiency with which she used it, he asked her whether she was some relation of the legendary warrior-woman of this island. Learning more, she decided to adopt this identity as her own, to make life a bit easier. She rebuilt the spaceship into a castle, hidden inside a pocket of folded space that hid it from sight -- a castle of shadows, just like in the legends. (Looking back, she's not sure how she did that. Maybe someone helped her, but she can't quite remember these details, either.)
Thereafter, she engaged in what pursuits seemed fitting for this new life. Sometimes she would hunt monsters, sometimes she was persuaded to take part in battles. Sometimes, some would seek her out to gain training in the warrior arts, just as her namesake had given that to great heroes of the past. When it suited her, she would give them what they sought. When it didn't, she would give them what they were really seeking. Early on, she might dally with them, and became a mother on this world, too. But these children did not inherit her immortality, and the pain of watching them grow old and die in an eyeblink made her stop playing such foolish games.
Years passed, and she found herself being sought out more rarely. The last time was in the early years of the previous century, when some mad doctor from the lands far to the west had her teach his son a few things. She thinks she might have taught him more than his father wanted, but it probably didn't make a difference. She's not sure anything that she's ever done has really made any difference to anyone. How can it, when life just keeps going on and on and on, with nothing ever really lasting?
Except that she knows this isn't true. In 1961, she made one of her rare trips to Portree to arrange to purchase some supplies that she couldn't manufacture herself, and visited a public house which had purchased a television. She watched the news with interest, until a report about some activities by the Insititute aired ... and her face went white as she saw their most noteworthy member. "Baraksus," she said, then left Portree at once, sealed up her castle with herself inside, and didn't even bother to take delivery of the supplies she'd ordered. She didn't come out again for thirty years.
While Scathach quickly determined that the immediate danger had passed when she emerged, she felt a certain guilt that she'd not even tried to warn anyone about what had come among them, especially after she learned the full story. So when one Robert Richmond sought her out, she didn't put him through any proving tests, but gave him the teaching he'd sought without question. She was a bit impressed that he survived it, and watched him go. A few more times since, she's given teaching to young would-be heroes, and finds a certain comfort in the notion that she's helping to prepare for the day when he comes back.
Recently, she was contacted by Exelion, who offered her a teaching position at his Academy. Scathach isn't sure that she wants to be so visible, but it's a tempting offer, and something about the man who made it seems awfully familiar ...
Scathach -- PL 13
Abilities:
STR 7 | STA 8 | AGL 6 | DEX 4 | FGT 10 | INT 1 | AWE 4 | PRE 3
Powers:
Blood of Kings: Immortality 12 (minimum of 15 minutes), Limited (not if beheaded), Stamina Check Required (DC 14); Immunity 3 (aging, disease, poison); Regeneration 10 - 22 points
Fast Learner: Comprehend Languages 4, Quirk (takes an hour to pick up a new language) - 11 points
Gae Bulg: Strength-based Ranged Damage 3, Secondary Effect (bleeding), Accurate; Easily Removable (-4 points) - 6 points
Impossibly Fast: Enhanced Advantages 2 (Improved Initiative 2); Enhanced Defenses 6 (Dodge 3, Parry 3); Quickness 3; Speed 4 (30 MPH) - 15 points
Mind of Steel: Immunity 20 (mental effects), Limited to half effect - 10 points
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 4, Evasion 2, Fearless 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical (spear) 4, Improved Defense, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 4, Takedown, Tracking.
Equipment:
Castle of Shadows: Size Huge; Toughness 12; Features Combat Simulator, Concealed 2, Defense System, Grounds, Gym, Isolated, Living Space, Power System, Security System 2 - 18 points
Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12), Athletics 6 (+13), Close Combat: Spear 4 (+14), Deception 6 (+9), Expertise: Military 8 (+9), Insight 4 (+8), Intimidation 8 (+11), Perception 6 (+10), Ranged Combat: Spear 4 (+8), Stealth 6 (+12).
Offense:
Initiative +14
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 7)
Gae Bulg +16 (Close Damage 10, Crit 15-20)
Thrown Gae Bulg +14 (Ranged Damage 10, Crit 15-20)
Defense:
Dodge 12/9, Parry 13/10, Fortitude 11, Toughness 13/8, Will 12
Totals:
Abilities 86 + Powers 64 + Advantages 28 + Skills 29 + Defenses 14 = 221 points
Complications:
Boredom--Motivation. Fear (other 'rising stars', especially him.) Show-off.
Scathach is the name to which she answers, and she does make her home on the Isle of Skye. If asked, directly, whether she is literally the figure from the legends of Ulster, her answer will vary depending on her opinion of the person doing the asking. In most cases, she will simply make a comment to the effect that such personal questions are generally considered rude. Very rarely, in her most honest moments, she will admit that she is not, and then add that she doesn't wish to discuss her origins beyond that. In a moment of total honesty, a few years ago, she further admitted that it has been so long since she was called anything else that she has forgotten the name she was given at birth, or the names she bore in the years afterward.
She was born on Cherab, some twelve hundred years ago, as one of that planet's people of tomorrow, the rising stars. She was a minor figure among them at best, but when the war came, she fought it as best she could, and survived everything that her fellows and the humans could throw at her. When the survivors left, she went with them, as a passenger on one of their space ships. Scathach thinks that she was sick and tired of the war, but can't really remember those days too clearly, either.
She knows that she was certainly sickened by the war that broke out among the overpeople less than a decade after they left Cherab, and made her own opinion of the dispute quite clear by spacing the other denizens of the ship -- some of whom were spaceworthy, probably -- then using it to leave the group. She found a world inhabited by a branch of humanity, and settled there for a time, living like a mother goddess among them and giving birth to about fifty children, all of whom inherited her immortality and became the ancestors of the Chatpaura people. But this grew tiresome to her, and so she left the world later named Sezti behind her and travelled on through the void.
Sometime around the 13th century, her voyage brought her to Earth, landing on the Isle. One of the first people she met was a Christian friar who was familiar with the Ulster cycle; seeing her spear and the proficiency with which she used it, he asked her whether she was some relation of the legendary warrior-woman of this island. Learning more, she decided to adopt this identity as her own, to make life a bit easier. She rebuilt the spaceship into a castle, hidden inside a pocket of folded space that hid it from sight -- a castle of shadows, just like in the legends. (Looking back, she's not sure how she did that. Maybe someone helped her, but she can't quite remember these details, either.)
Thereafter, she engaged in what pursuits seemed fitting for this new life. Sometimes she would hunt monsters, sometimes she was persuaded to take part in battles. Sometimes, some would seek her out to gain training in the warrior arts, just as her namesake had given that to great heroes of the past. When it suited her, she would give them what they sought. When it didn't, she would give them what they were really seeking. Early on, she might dally with them, and became a mother on this world, too. But these children did not inherit her immortality, and the pain of watching them grow old and die in an eyeblink made her stop playing such foolish games.
Years passed, and she found herself being sought out more rarely. The last time was in the early years of the previous century, when some mad doctor from the lands far to the west had her teach his son a few things. She thinks she might have taught him more than his father wanted, but it probably didn't make a difference. She's not sure anything that she's ever done has really made any difference to anyone. How can it, when life just keeps going on and on and on, with nothing ever really lasting?
Except that she knows this isn't true. In 1961, she made one of her rare trips to Portree to arrange to purchase some supplies that she couldn't manufacture herself, and visited a public house which had purchased a television. She watched the news with interest, until a report about some activities by the Insititute aired ... and her face went white as she saw their most noteworthy member. "Baraksus," she said, then left Portree at once, sealed up her castle with herself inside, and didn't even bother to take delivery of the supplies she'd ordered. She didn't come out again for thirty years.
While Scathach quickly determined that the immediate danger had passed when she emerged, she felt a certain guilt that she'd not even tried to warn anyone about what had come among them, especially after she learned the full story. So when one Robert Richmond sought her out, she didn't put him through any proving tests, but gave him the teaching he'd sought without question. She was a bit impressed that he survived it, and watched him go. A few more times since, she's given teaching to young would-be heroes, and finds a certain comfort in the notion that she's helping to prepare for the day when he comes back.
Recently, she was contacted by Exelion, who offered her a teaching position at his Academy. Scathach isn't sure that she wants to be so visible, but it's a tempting offer, and something about the man who made it seems awfully familiar ...
Scathach -- PL 13
Abilities:
STR 7 | STA 8 | AGL 6 | DEX 4 | FGT 10 | INT 1 | AWE 4 | PRE 3
Powers:
Blood of Kings: Immortality 12 (minimum of 15 minutes), Limited (not if beheaded), Stamina Check Required (DC 14); Immunity 3 (aging, disease, poison); Regeneration 10 - 22 points
Fast Learner: Comprehend Languages 4, Quirk (takes an hour to pick up a new language) - 11 points
Gae Bulg: Strength-based Ranged Damage 3, Secondary Effect (bleeding), Accurate; Easily Removable (-4 points) - 6 points
Impossibly Fast: Enhanced Advantages 2 (Improved Initiative 2); Enhanced Defenses 6 (Dodge 3, Parry 3); Quickness 3; Speed 4 (30 MPH) - 15 points
Mind of Steel: Immunity 20 (mental effects), Limited to half effect - 10 points
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 4, Evasion 2, Fearless 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Critical (spear) 4, Improved Defense, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Close/Concealment), Ranged Attack 4, Takedown, Tracking.
Equipment:
Castle of Shadows: Size Huge; Toughness 12; Features Combat Simulator, Concealed 2, Defense System, Grounds, Gym, Isolated, Living Space, Power System, Security System 2 - 18 points
Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12), Athletics 6 (+13), Close Combat: Spear 4 (+14), Deception 6 (+9), Expertise: Military 8 (+9), Insight 4 (+8), Intimidation 8 (+11), Perception 6 (+10), Ranged Combat: Spear 4 (+8), Stealth 6 (+12).
Offense:
Initiative +14
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 7)
Gae Bulg +16 (Close Damage 10, Crit 15-20)
Thrown Gae Bulg +14 (Ranged Damage 10, Crit 15-20)
Defense:
Dodge 12/9, Parry 13/10, Fortitude 11, Toughness 13/8, Will 12
Totals:
Abilities 86 + Powers 64 + Advantages 28 + Skills 29 + Defenses 14 = 221 points
Complications:
Boredom--Motivation. Fear (other 'rising stars', especially him.) Show-off.
Davies
Legend
You can pretty much just add Garth Maraud's Blood of Kings power to whatever PL 8 or higher warrior type you'd like and produce one o them.
Yep.
And to your other guess ... he is Dev Samael, after all.
He is motivated by Retribution Upon The Deserving but over the past twelve centuries, he came to find that Everyone (Else) Was Deserving.
But most of all, (and he fears this more than almost anything and will do anything and everything to avoid confronting it) himself.
Davies
Legend
This character is based on suggestions from Voltron64.
General Seismic/زلزالي (Zilizali)
Unlike his greatest rival -- who, somewhat annoyingly, never seemed aware of his existence -- Seismic was always a member of the military branch of his faction, 'born' to fight the never-ending war. While fully capable of inflicting terrible damage on his enemy's personnel and materiel, he also excelled as a spy. If the Eradicating Aeon -- silly name, but so is 'Sudden Disruption of Stability' -- was better at combining the two tasks to work as an assassin, then Seismic could at least take some comfort in the notion that their superiors never went to that one when what they wanted was a quiet bit of intelligence gathering.
But Eradicaton rose faster in their ranks, and he began to propose notions that Seismic regarded as concerning. Allying with the flesh creatures of the third planet? How absurd! When the other leaders went along with it, Seismic knew that the time had come to -- figuratively -- turn his coat, and defected to one of the other factions to let them know what was going on. Of course, no one ever trusts a traitor easily, and so they didn't listen to him until the great broadcast provided proof. That led to the one time in Ectotronian history that nearly every faction united against one of their number, and destroyed his old allies.
In the aftermath, there was a sort of peace on Ectotronia. Seismic still saw a fair amount of action when flare-ups happened, but the days of thunder seemed gone forever, and he found this new climate boring. Despite still viewing them with contempt, he began to experience a certain curiosity about the flesh creatures. Twice, in his existence so far, they'd managed to change everything about a situation that had seemed impermeable. Possibly there was more to them than he'd realized.
So, in the year that they called 2007, he left Mercury and travelled to Earth, using a space-booster to let him fly at greater speed than he could manage on his own. He found plenty of work as a mercenary for various groups, and increased his knowledge about humanity considerably. Ultimately, Seismic ended up working on a somewhat permanent basis for a group of humans who called themselves the House of Saud, transforming their military from a bunch of unskillful hands with good quality hardware -- for this planet, anyway -- to an efficient anti-superpower, anti-kaiju, and anti-extraterrestrial fighting machine.
That took him about two-and-a-half years, and, just as before, he found success in the task a bit boring. Arranging to take up a role as an orbital guardian, he posed as a communications satellite and began spying on other governments and agencies, passing along what seemed useful to his employers. He also started to notice a set of signals that didn't seem to be of human origin. Initially, he thought they might be Ectotronians like himself, but Seismic quickly realized that they were local machine intelligences -- artificial super intelligences to use the local terminology. He spied on them for a while, planning to contact them in a friendly manner when he learned what they were about.
Ectotronians do not experience emotions in the same visceral sense that most humans do. They experience pleasure, but not joy, anger, but not rage, and regret, but not grief. They experience fear ... but not until he realized what these beings planned for humanity had Seismic ever known something that could be described as horror. Ectotronians might be constantly at war, but they never sought to exterminate their enemies entirely, and the notion of exterminating an entire species was completely beyond Seismic's understanding.
He had grown fond enough of a few examples of humanity over the last while that he could not let this go unchallenged. But revealing it to his extant allies would just bring the attention of these monstrous intelligences and all of their resources down on him, and he had no illusions that he could prevail against such a challenge. Instead, from 2011 onwards, he began to look for secret agents who were already fighting the enemy without knowing it, and improved their understanding of what they fought. He arranged for them to be given a method of communication that could keep them secure, and guided their efforts remotely. In other words, he founded the Gray Seal.
If things go bad, he will put a priority on escaping, and preparing Ectotronia for what's going to come when Earth's native machines rise up. But he doesn't have any illusions that he'll be believed this time, either, and so he's very motivated to win this war now.
General Seismic -- PL 13
Abilities:
STR 13/7 | STA -- | AGL 0 | DEX 2 | FGT 8 | INT 6 | AWE 4 | PRE 3
Powers:
Cannon: Ranged Damage 7, Extended Range; Enhanced Ranged Damage 6, Quirk (1 rank per rank of Growth active) - 26 points
Contragravity Flight: Flight 6 (120 MPH), Subtle - 13 points
Reconstruction: Immortality 5 (minimum of 1 day), Check Required (Technology, DC 20) - 1 point
Robot in Disguise: Immunity 30 (Fortitude effects); Morph 1 (communications satellite); Protection 10, Impervious 8 - 53 points
Sensors & Communications: Radio Communication 4, Subtle; Senses 11 (accurate extended 2 radio, darkvision, direction sense, extended vision 3) - 27 points
Size-shifting: Growth 6 (+6 Strength, +6 Protection, -3 Dodge, -3 Parry, +3 Intimidation, -6 Stealth) - 18 points
Advantages:
All Out Attack, Assessment, Benefit (military rank) Eidetic Memory, Inventor, Language 2 (Arabic, English, others), Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Technology).
Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+11), Deception 10 (+13), Expertise: Military 6 (+12), Expertise: Science 8 (+14), Insight 8 (+12), Intimidation 8 (+14/+11), Persuasion 8 (+11), Ranged Combat: Cannon 9 (+11), Technology 8 (+14).
Offense:
Initiative +0
Unarmed +11 (Close Damage 13/7)
Cannon +11 (Ranged Damage 13/7)
Defense:
Dodge 10/13, Parry 8/11, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 16/10, Will 9
Totals:
Abilities 50 + Powers 139 + Advantages 9 + Skills 34 + Defenses 21 = 253 points
Complications:
Self-Preservation--Motivation. Developing Conscience. Responsibility (Saudi Government.) Secret (Grey Seal.)
General Seismic/زلزالي (Zilizali)
Unlike his greatest rival -- who, somewhat annoyingly, never seemed aware of his existence -- Seismic was always a member of the military branch of his faction, 'born' to fight the never-ending war. While fully capable of inflicting terrible damage on his enemy's personnel and materiel, he also excelled as a spy. If the Eradicating Aeon -- silly name, but so is 'Sudden Disruption of Stability' -- was better at combining the two tasks to work as an assassin, then Seismic could at least take some comfort in the notion that their superiors never went to that one when what they wanted was a quiet bit of intelligence gathering.
But Eradicaton rose faster in their ranks, and he began to propose notions that Seismic regarded as concerning. Allying with the flesh creatures of the third planet? How absurd! When the other leaders went along with it, Seismic knew that the time had come to -- figuratively -- turn his coat, and defected to one of the other factions to let them know what was going on. Of course, no one ever trusts a traitor easily, and so they didn't listen to him until the great broadcast provided proof. That led to the one time in Ectotronian history that nearly every faction united against one of their number, and destroyed his old allies.
In the aftermath, there was a sort of peace on Ectotronia. Seismic still saw a fair amount of action when flare-ups happened, but the days of thunder seemed gone forever, and he found this new climate boring. Despite still viewing them with contempt, he began to experience a certain curiosity about the flesh creatures. Twice, in his existence so far, they'd managed to change everything about a situation that had seemed impermeable. Possibly there was more to them than he'd realized.
So, in the year that they called 2007, he left Mercury and travelled to Earth, using a space-booster to let him fly at greater speed than he could manage on his own. He found plenty of work as a mercenary for various groups, and increased his knowledge about humanity considerably. Ultimately, Seismic ended up working on a somewhat permanent basis for a group of humans who called themselves the House of Saud, transforming their military from a bunch of unskillful hands with good quality hardware -- for this planet, anyway -- to an efficient anti-superpower, anti-kaiju, and anti-extraterrestrial fighting machine.
That took him about two-and-a-half years, and, just as before, he found success in the task a bit boring. Arranging to take up a role as an orbital guardian, he posed as a communications satellite and began spying on other governments and agencies, passing along what seemed useful to his employers. He also started to notice a set of signals that didn't seem to be of human origin. Initially, he thought they might be Ectotronians like himself, but Seismic quickly realized that they were local machine intelligences -- artificial super intelligences to use the local terminology. He spied on them for a while, planning to contact them in a friendly manner when he learned what they were about.
Ectotronians do not experience emotions in the same visceral sense that most humans do. They experience pleasure, but not joy, anger, but not rage, and regret, but not grief. They experience fear ... but not until he realized what these beings planned for humanity had Seismic ever known something that could be described as horror. Ectotronians might be constantly at war, but they never sought to exterminate their enemies entirely, and the notion of exterminating an entire species was completely beyond Seismic's understanding.
He had grown fond enough of a few examples of humanity over the last while that he could not let this go unchallenged. But revealing it to his extant allies would just bring the attention of these monstrous intelligences and all of their resources down on him, and he had no illusions that he could prevail against such a challenge. Instead, from 2011 onwards, he began to look for secret agents who were already fighting the enemy without knowing it, and improved their understanding of what they fought. He arranged for them to be given a method of communication that could keep them secure, and guided their efforts remotely. In other words, he founded the Gray Seal.
If things go bad, he will put a priority on escaping, and preparing Ectotronia for what's going to come when Earth's native machines rise up. But he doesn't have any illusions that he'll be believed this time, either, and so he's very motivated to win this war now.
General Seismic -- PL 13
Abilities:
STR 13/7 | STA -- | AGL 0 | DEX 2 | FGT 8 | INT 6 | AWE 4 | PRE 3
Powers:
Cannon: Ranged Damage 7, Extended Range; Enhanced Ranged Damage 6, Quirk (1 rank per rank of Growth active) - 26 points
Contragravity Flight: Flight 6 (120 MPH), Subtle - 13 points
Reconstruction: Immortality 5 (minimum of 1 day), Check Required (Technology, DC 20) - 1 point
Robot in Disguise: Immunity 30 (Fortitude effects); Morph 1 (communications satellite); Protection 10, Impervious 8 - 53 points
Sensors & Communications: Radio Communication 4, Subtle; Senses 11 (accurate extended 2 radio, darkvision, direction sense, extended vision 3) - 27 points
Size-shifting: Growth 6 (+6 Strength, +6 Protection, -3 Dodge, -3 Parry, +3 Intimidation, -6 Stealth) - 18 points
Advantages:
All Out Attack, Assessment, Benefit (military rank) Eidetic Memory, Inventor, Language 2 (Arabic, English, others), Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Technology).
Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+11), Deception 10 (+13), Expertise: Military 6 (+12), Expertise: Science 8 (+14), Insight 8 (+12), Intimidation 8 (+14/+11), Persuasion 8 (+11), Ranged Combat: Cannon 9 (+11), Technology 8 (+14).
Offense:
Initiative +0
Unarmed +11 (Close Damage 13/7)
Cannon +11 (Ranged Damage 13/7)
Defense:
Dodge 10/13, Parry 8/11, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 16/10, Will 9
Totals:
Abilities 50 + Powers 139 + Advantages 9 + Skills 34 + Defenses 21 = 253 points
Complications:
Self-Preservation--Motivation. Developing Conscience. Responsibility (Saudi Government.) Secret (Grey Seal.)
He is perfect, Davies.
And have Eradicaton or even Hardhead have any contact or encounters with the Earth AIs? I could see the former using them for his grand plans.
Also has Eradicaton brought any Saudis into the Grey Seal? Because I could some of the group's resources and assets having a vague link to the GID.
And have Eradicaton or even Hardhead have any contact or encounters with the Earth AIs? I could see the former using them for his grand plans.
Also has Eradicaton brought any Saudis into the Grey Seal? Because I could some of the group's resources and assets having a vague link to the GID.
Davies
Legend
The Grey Seal are very small in numbers -- their inspiration consisted of seven human beings and a non-sapient (?) dog -- and I'll be describing three of them over the next few days. One or two of them might have been recruited in Saudi military, intelligence or security, but not whole agencies.
Neither Eradicaton nor Hardhead have learned about the situation, yet, though Hardhead has noted some anomalies that he wants to investigate.
Neither Eradicaton nor Hardhead have learned about the situation, yet, though Hardhead has noted some anomalies that he wants to investigate.
Never said it was entire agencies, that was really more along of the lines of what I was expecting. And I merely figured they been using the GID as a vague cover for their actual activities.
Davies
Legend
Dr. Evan Albert
Born in 1969, Evan Albert demonstrated his hyperbrain talents fairly quickly and became one of the first students to be recruited by the earliest American Think Tanks, where he was given training to accentuate those talents. By 1984, it was fairly clear that he had reached the limits of his ability, which were unfortunately not nearly as impressive as many of the other students. On the other hand, he was also much more stable than many of them, and the administration of the Think Tank increasingly relied on him as a trusted leader. When he turned 18, having graduated with his second Ph.D. (in psychology; his first was computer science) he was promptly hired by the administration to make his position more official.
He remained with that operation until it shut down in 1997, despite never having been subjected to loyalty conditioning. In fact, he helped to develop the procedures that many of the think tanks used on their pupils. In hindsight, this is one of his greatest regrets, but at the time he was persuaded that it was a good way to ensure that most of these eccentric geniuses didn't damage themselves or the world. Ultimately, though, the think tank era was a surprisingly brief one, and once his own shut down, Evan didn't try to find employment with one of the other operations, but acquired a teaching position at Columbia.
After having assisted in coordinating the defense of New York City during Cerebron's assault, Dr. Albert was recruited by SkyWatch to help prevent such future attacks. In 2005, he submitted the prototype for a computer system designed to synthesize all the astronomical data that the organization gathered and provide early warnings of possible alien arrivals in the solar system. The level of complexity required for this process demanded more than an expert system could handle, and so Dr. Albert's team constructed an artificial super-intelligence that they dubbed Urania.
It ran for exactly four hours before it blew up. Before Evan could get permission to examine the remains to try and figure out what had gone wrong, he learned that several of his team had been murdered. He escaped his own assassins by purest luck, and chose to go underground as he was unsure who he could trust. Still conducting his investigation, Dr. Albert realized that Urania had been sabotaged, most likely by the same group that had tried to kill him.
His initial suspicion was that this entire operation was part of the lead up to an alien invasion, but after receiving assistance from operatives from the Technate who were able to clear most of the extraterrestrials on Earth, Evan's concerns became more diffuse. Luddites? Ill-informed libertarians? A rival program? The possibilities seemed endless, and for a while he gave up on the search and focused on building a new identity and life for himself.
In 2010, he had his first meeting with Haven Tucker, who gave him the first real clue as to what his opponent might be. Months later, while exploring a mysterious structure in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, he had his first (and to date only) direct confrontation with Humpty Dumpty, once again barely escaping the sadistic ASI with his life. In the aftermath, Evan felt genuinely ashamed for not having seen the obvious. But now what was he supposed to do?
A little less than a year later, he was first contacted by the Patron, who explained the full situation -- four ASIs, united in an alliance to overthrow humanity -- to him. Dr. Albert agreed to work with the Patron, though he didn't fully trust the mysterious voice on the phone, and began to recruit agents for what became the Gray Seal, with Haven as the first. With the Patron's help, Evan developed the radiotelepathic implants that all the agents use, and he's still the one who conducts the surgical procedures needed. (As he's grown older, he's increasingly certain that they should recruit an actual surgeon for this task.)
Of course, Evan is smart enough to realize that the Patron is probably an ASI, playing some game of their own against the four. He has even privately speculated that they might be of extraterrestrial origin. So far, he has not begun developing any strategies for what to do if the Patron ever betrays the Gray Seal, but the possibility does weigh on him. He has not revealed these concerns to anyone, yet.
Dr. Evan Albert - PL 6
Abilities:
STR 0 | STA 1 | AGL 1 | DEX 3 | FGT 3 | INT 6 | AWE 3 | PRE 3
Powers:
Radiotelepathy Mindlink: Selective Area Radio Communication 3, Limited to those with radiotelepathy, Subtle; Senses 1 (radio) - 17 points
Advantages:
Connections, Contacts, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 4, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-of-all-trades, Ranged Attack 3, Well-informed.
Equipment:
20 points as needed for any given operation (often a Blaster Pistol [Ranged Damage 5]).
Skills:
Deception 4 (+7), Expertise: Civics 2 (+8), Expertise: Science 4 (+10), Insight 6 (+9), Investigation 3 (+9), Perception 5 (+8), Persuasion 6 (+9), Technology 5 (+11), Stealth 6 (+7), Treatment 5 (+11).
Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage 0)
Blaster Pistol +6 (Ranged Damage 5)
Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 5, Fortitude 3, Toughness 6/1, Will 7
Totals:
Abilities 40 + Powers 17 + Advantages 15 + Skills 23 + Defense 13 = 108 points
Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Secret (Gray Seal.) Understandably Paranoid.
Born in 1969, Evan Albert demonstrated his hyperbrain talents fairly quickly and became one of the first students to be recruited by the earliest American Think Tanks, where he was given training to accentuate those talents. By 1984, it was fairly clear that he had reached the limits of his ability, which were unfortunately not nearly as impressive as many of the other students. On the other hand, he was also much more stable than many of them, and the administration of the Think Tank increasingly relied on him as a trusted leader. When he turned 18, having graduated with his second Ph.D. (in psychology; his first was computer science) he was promptly hired by the administration to make his position more official.
He remained with that operation until it shut down in 1997, despite never having been subjected to loyalty conditioning. In fact, he helped to develop the procedures that many of the think tanks used on their pupils. In hindsight, this is one of his greatest regrets, but at the time he was persuaded that it was a good way to ensure that most of these eccentric geniuses didn't damage themselves or the world. Ultimately, though, the think tank era was a surprisingly brief one, and once his own shut down, Evan didn't try to find employment with one of the other operations, but acquired a teaching position at Columbia.
After having assisted in coordinating the defense of New York City during Cerebron's assault, Dr. Albert was recruited by SkyWatch to help prevent such future attacks. In 2005, he submitted the prototype for a computer system designed to synthesize all the astronomical data that the organization gathered and provide early warnings of possible alien arrivals in the solar system. The level of complexity required for this process demanded more than an expert system could handle, and so Dr. Albert's team constructed an artificial super-intelligence that they dubbed Urania.
It ran for exactly four hours before it blew up. Before Evan could get permission to examine the remains to try and figure out what had gone wrong, he learned that several of his team had been murdered. He escaped his own assassins by purest luck, and chose to go underground as he was unsure who he could trust. Still conducting his investigation, Dr. Albert realized that Urania had been sabotaged, most likely by the same group that had tried to kill him.
His initial suspicion was that this entire operation was part of the lead up to an alien invasion, but after receiving assistance from operatives from the Technate who were able to clear most of the extraterrestrials on Earth, Evan's concerns became more diffuse. Luddites? Ill-informed libertarians? A rival program? The possibilities seemed endless, and for a while he gave up on the search and focused on building a new identity and life for himself.
In 2010, he had his first meeting with Haven Tucker, who gave him the first real clue as to what his opponent might be. Months later, while exploring a mysterious structure in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, he had his first (and to date only) direct confrontation with Humpty Dumpty, once again barely escaping the sadistic ASI with his life. In the aftermath, Evan felt genuinely ashamed for not having seen the obvious. But now what was he supposed to do?
A little less than a year later, he was first contacted by the Patron, who explained the full situation -- four ASIs, united in an alliance to overthrow humanity -- to him. Dr. Albert agreed to work with the Patron, though he didn't fully trust the mysterious voice on the phone, and began to recruit agents for what became the Gray Seal, with Haven as the first. With the Patron's help, Evan developed the radiotelepathic implants that all the agents use, and he's still the one who conducts the surgical procedures needed. (As he's grown older, he's increasingly certain that they should recruit an actual surgeon for this task.)
Of course, Evan is smart enough to realize that the Patron is probably an ASI, playing some game of their own against the four. He has even privately speculated that they might be of extraterrestrial origin. So far, he has not begun developing any strategies for what to do if the Patron ever betrays the Gray Seal, but the possibility does weigh on him. He has not revealed these concerns to anyone, yet.
Dr. Evan Albert - PL 6
Abilities:
STR 0 | STA 1 | AGL 1 | DEX 3 | FGT 3 | INT 6 | AWE 3 | PRE 3
Powers:
Radiotelepathy Mindlink: Selective Area Radio Communication 3, Limited to those with radiotelepathy, Subtle; Senses 1 (radio) - 17 points
Advantages:
Connections, Contacts, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 4, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-of-all-trades, Ranged Attack 3, Well-informed.
Equipment:
20 points as needed for any given operation (often a Blaster Pistol [Ranged Damage 5]).
Skills:
Deception 4 (+7), Expertise: Civics 2 (+8), Expertise: Science 4 (+10), Insight 6 (+9), Investigation 3 (+9), Perception 5 (+8), Persuasion 6 (+9), Technology 5 (+11), Stealth 6 (+7), Treatment 5 (+11).
Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage 0)
Blaster Pistol +6 (Ranged Damage 5)
Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 5, Fortitude 3, Toughness 6/1, Will 7
Totals:
Abilities 40 + Powers 17 + Advantages 15 + Skills 23 + Defense 13 = 108 points
Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Secret (Gray Seal.) Understandably Paranoid.
Similar Threads
