[Mutants & Masterminds] A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

[Davies]

Blakestone (I, II, III)

When Jennifer Chase won a riddle game with the spirit of the House of Riddles in 2004, she had already learned a few details about the previous individuals to win mastery of the House and with it the name Blakestone. In the years since then, she has continued to seek out more information about her precursors in the role, out of both genuine curiosity and a sneaking suspicion that their stories might yet impact her own, or those of people she cares about. It has been difficult, but she thrives on challenges like this. Here is what she knows.

The first Blakestone is and likely will remain the most mysterious. He appeared as if from nowhere in south London in 1922 to acquire the lot on which the House of Riddles was to be built over the next two years. The title for the property is framed on the wall of the main office of the House, and plainly states that it is in the name of "Blakestone T. Magician". It seems likely that his stage name was inspired by the American magician Harry Bouton Blackstone, but no one has ever discovered any indication that he used any other name for any purposes.

He justified his title of magician by performing stage magic for children in the vicinity of the House, with witnesses not seeing any evidence that he used any occult powers in these performances -- save for the illusory guise which he used at all times. While easily identified as an illusion, it proved impossible for anyone, no matter how adept, to see through it or neutralize it. Aside from these episodes, he rarely departed from the House. Invitations sent to his address would receive polite demurrals; visitors would be greeted at the threshold but gently turned away. Those who broke in were never seen again; the current Blakestone has found evidence that at least one such would-be intruder left by means other than the front door.

Blakestone The Magician passed away quietly in 1949, and his will left the management of his personal fortune and of the House in the administration of a trust run by his attorney, one Hadrian Murtaugh. According to the terms of that trust, the House would pass into the ownership of any individual who was able to spend a night within it and emerge with their reason intact, and the new owner would also receive the right to be called Blakestone, provided that they maintained the House in good condition and returned to it for at least one day out of every subsequent month. Failure to do so would cause the property to revert to the trust.

Nowhere mentioned within these legal documents was that the House itself, or more accurately its genius loci, would challenge each prospective owner to a riddle contest, with their sanity as the stakes. It is not known precisely how many would-be Blakestones came into the House between 1949 and 1956, nor has the current Blakestone had much success in determining their eventual fates. Hadrian Murtaugh was known to be the benefactor of a number of sanitariums throughout the United Kingdom. There is, interestingly, evidence that someone succeeded in winning the contest in 1950, but whoever did so abandoned the House within less than a month.

The first person to win and retain the House was one Charles Cameron Calder, about who somewhat more has been discovered. Born in late 1926 and raised in a Westminster orphanage, it seems likely that he was one of the children entertained by Blakestone The Magician during his childhood. At the age of twelve, his own magical talents were discovered and he was offered a scholarship at New Worminghall, one of several endowed by the government of the United Kingdom with the intention of eventually employing these gifted students for the secret benefit of the realm. They were to be disappointed in Calder, who was only interested in his own gain.

Prior to becoming the second Blakestone, he had been engaged in a career of chicanery against many of the ancient families of Great Britain, appropriating their treasure and lore. It does not seem that he had any larger goal in mind, such as world domination or immortality, focusing entirely on acquisition for its own sake. Gaining the name of Blakestone afforded him greater opportunities for schemes of this nature, and he embraced these possibilities with gusto. While not the most famous sorcerous villain of the first age of superheroics, he was more frequently successful in his aims due to his avoidance of conflict with superheroes whenever possible. However, the second Blakestone was ultimately killed in 1972, after an unknown person stole his enchanted corselet and an angry victim of his attacked him outside the House while bereft of his defenses. The identity of the thief, and the whereabouts of the corselet, remain mysteries.

At the time that the House became vacant, Leonard Valentine would have seemed an unlikely candidate for its mastery. While also a New Worminghall graduate who had been known in the mystical community since 1967, and had occasionally corresponded with Jeremiah Wander, Valentine had no noteworthy accomplishments to his name at that point. Nor did he seem to have any interest in achieving such, focusing on advancing his own knowledge of the arcane for its own sake rather than for any purpose, whether criminal or altruistic, as well as satisfying his somewhat hedonistic impulses.

That changed in 1974, when a botched magical experiment endowed him with self-regenerating capabilities and caused a dramatic shift in his personality, as though the energy which allowed him to rapidly recover from injuries demanded that it be used to that end, compelling him to a more violent way of life. To that end, he traveled extensively throughout the world, notably visiting the United States and Brazil, where he became involved in many occult mysteries, and crossed paths with numerous luminaries of the era.

Returning to his native London in 1983, he seemed to settle into the role of Blakestone almost as an afterthought. His was a much shorter mastery than either of his predecessors, as he was assassinated in 1987 by persons unknown using a bullet that suppressed his auto-regenerative abilities. It is believed by the current Blakestone that he was killed because of his refusal to assist the British government in its response to the Pythons, in an act that left them even more vulnerable to a different threat.

As of February 2022, Jennifer Chase has held the mastery of the House of Riddles for almost eighteen years, longer than any person since the original Blakestone. It is a streak that could end at any moment, thanks to her current situation, and she wonders what subsequent masters will think of her. She does not bother to think about the two previous masters. "They were both jerks."


Blakestone (I) -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR 0 | STA 1 | AGL 0 | DEX 2 | FGT 1 | INT 3 | AWE 4 | PRE 5

Powers:
Disguise Spell: Continuous Morph 2 (humanoids) - 12 points
Mystical Awareness: Senses 4 (acute analytical radius mystic awareness) - 4 points
Shield Spell: Linked Enhanced Advantage 2 (Defensive Roll 2); Enhanced Defenses 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4); Subtle - 11 points

Advantages:
Benefit 3 (millionaire), Connected, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 3, Fascinate (Persuasion), Multilingual, Ritualist, Trance.

Skills:
Deception 6 (+11), Expertise: Magic 8 (+13), Insight 8 (+12), Investigation 6 (+9), Perception 6 (+10), Persuasion 6 (+11).

Offense:
Initiative +0
Unarmed +1 (Close Damage 0)

Defense:
Dodge 4/0, Parry 5/1, Fortitude 3, Toughness 6/1, Will 9.

Totals:
Abilities 32 + Powers 27 + Advantages 11 + Skills 20 + Defenses 7 = 97 points

Offensive PL: 1*
Defensive PL: 6
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 8

Complications:
Comfort (?)--Motivation. Secrets (many!)



Blakestone (II) -- PL 9

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

Powers:
Corselet of Adamant: Protection 12, Impervious 6; Removable (-3 points) - 15 points
Mystical Awareness: Senses 4 (acute radius mystic awareness) - 3 points
Sorcery: Array (24 points)

• Mystic Blast: Ranged Damage 12 - 24 point
• Mystic Binding: Ranged Affliction 12 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Will; Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseless & Immobile), Concentration, Instant Recovery - 1 point
• Mystic Passage: Extended Teleport 8 - 1 point
• Scrying: Remote Sensing (vision) 8, No Conduit - 1 point

Advantages:
Connected, Daze (Intimidation), Equipment 3, Ritualist, Startle.

Skills:
Expertise: Crime 6 (+9), Expertise: Magic 7 (+11), Intimidation 6 (+10), Perception 6 (+8), Persuasion 4 (+8), Ranged Combat: Sorcery 5 (+6), Sleight of Hand 6 (+7), Stealth 6 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +0
Unarmed +0 (Close Damage -1)
Mystic Blast +6 (Ranged Damage 12)
Mystic Binding +6 (Ranged Affliction 12, Resisted by Dodge)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 4, Fortitude 2, Toughness 12/0, Will 8

Totals:
Abilities 18 + Powers 45 + Advantages 7 + Skills 23 + Defenses 18 = 111 points

Offensive PL: 9
Defensive PL: 9
Resistance PL: 5
Skill PL: 6

Complications:
Greed--Motivation. Power Loss (Sorcery, if unable to speak and gesture; at half-power if only one.) Reacts Badly To Surprises (Surprise Attacks render him Defenseless instead of Vulnerable.)


Blakestone (III) -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 11/3 | AGL 2 | DEX 3 | FGT 3 | INT 2 | AWE 3 | PRE 4

Powers:
Healing Factor: Enhanced Stamina 8; Immunity 3 (disease, need for sleep, poison); Regeneration 10 - 29 points
Mystical Awareness: Senses 4 (acute radius mystic awareness) - 3 points
Synchronicity: Variable 5 (apparently random events), Check Required (Expertise: Magic, DC 20), Free Action, Insidious, Subtle, Unreliable -- 32 points

Advantages:
Contacts, Equipment 3, Fascinate (Intimidation), Fearless 2, Improvised Weapon, Ritualist, Uncanny Dodge.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+7), Expertise: Magic 8 (+12), Expertise: Streetwise 8 (+10), Insight 8 (+11), Intimidation 6 (+10), Investigation 6 (+8), Perception 6 (+9), Stealth 6 (+8).

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

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

Totals:
Abilities 42 + Powers 64 + Advantages 10 + Skills 26 + Defenses 11 = 153 points

Offensive PL: 4*
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 9
Skill PL: 7

Complications:
Discovery--Motivation. Cruel. Numerous Vices (drink, drugs, sex, others.)

 

[Davies]

Jerry Gimlin

Art by Gary Hanna

Back in September, things were going pretty good for twelve-year old Jerry Gimlin. While the summer camp that he and the rest of his Boy Scout troop had been planning to attend had been delayed because of that whole alien invasion thing, so had the start of the school year, so they got to go on an early autumn camp instead. It was in a different part of the Ponderosa State Park than they usually visited, so it was all new to him, and he was really excited! And this is the point in the narrative when he usually lowers his voice to add, "I could never have known the horror that was about to begin."

While he was occupying himself with a study of some of the trees in the Meadow Marsh area, Jerry stumbled across a hidden cache that contained a weird fur suit. It was so out of place that it took him a moment to recognize it as intending to look like a Bigfoot. Clearly, someone had intended to film a hoax video or possibly scare some tourists, but had been unable to do so. (Likely for the same reason that everything else had been a little out of schedule lately.) In a moment of impulsive mischief that he would really regret, Jerry decided to put the costume on and give the troop a little scare.

As soon as he was inside the thing, Jerry realized that something strange had just happened when he looked down and realized that he had somehow grown about three feet in height, and could not figure out how to get out of the costume. Panicking, he ran back to the campsite and proceeded to give the other scouts and their leaders a much bigger scare than he had intended, since he could not make himself understood, either. After fleeing back into the forest, he watched in horror as the rest of the troop left in their vehicles, abandoning him to the tender mercy of whatever hunters showed up to deal with the situation.

Fortunately, the first hunter on the scene was one Maureen Summerisle. Recognizing that the monster had not harmed anyone yet, she was only interested in trying to capture it, and worked out what was going on. With difficulty, she was able to teach Jerry how to get out of the "sark", as she called it, but the thing was bonded to him now and for the foreseeable future. Reuniting him with his parents, she recommended that they contact the Bethany Ryan School for Accelerated Studies, whose teachers would hopefully be better equipped to handle their now-superpower son.

All this has cured whatever mischief remained in Jerry; he is now completely devoted to using his strange talent to make sure that no one else is ever as alone or afraid as he was for the week before Maureen rescued him. During that period, he constantly recited the Boy Scout Oath to himself to keep his panic at bay, and has thoroughly internalized it by this point. His tutors have not yet realized that this intense focus on doing the right thing at all times has caused him to develop a hidden resistance to any sort of mental influence. His teammates in Kids Unlimited often view him as a bit of a cornball, but appreciate his courage and might.

Jerry Gimlin -- PL 6

Abilities:
STR 8/-1 | STA 8/-1 | AGL 0 | DEX 1 | FGT 0 | INT 1 | AWE 1 | PRE 0

Powers:
Pure Heart: Immunity 20 (mental effects) - 20 points
Transformation: Linked Enhanced Advantages 4 (Great Endurance, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Smash); Linked Enhanced Stamina 5; Linked Enhanced Strength 5; Linked Continuous Growth 4; Linked Immunity 1 (cold); Linked Protection 1, Impervious 7; Linked Senses 1 (low-light vision); Activation (Standard Action) - 48 points

Advantages:
Evasion, Great Endurance, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+4), Expertise: Survival 2 (+3), Insight 2 (+3), Intimidation 0 (+2/+0), Perception 4 (+5), Stealth 6 (+6/+2).

Offense:
Initiative +4
Unarmed +4 (Close Damage 8)

Defense:
Dodge 3/2, Parry 4/3, Fortitude 8/-1, Toughness 9/-1, Will 4

Totals:
Abilities 2 + Powers 68 + Advantages 3 + Skills 9 + Defenses 10 = 92 points

Offensive PL: 6
Defensive PL: 6
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 1

Complications:
Doing Good--Motivation. Difficult Speech (in alternative identity only.) Minor OR Monstrous Appearance.

 

[Davies]

The Erlking

There is a romantic notion that the further one goes back in time, the more that people of that time had respect for the natural world. From a certain perspective, that is true ... but only if one confuses respect for fear. In the world lit only by fire, most people regarded the world beyond their village palisades with suspicion and mistrust, and even those cast out beyond their protection typically came together in smaller communities, for a human being alone in the wilderness was sure to become a victim of it.

Except when they did not, as did the man who became the Erlking. Even in his earliest mortal life, in the Jutland of the 9th century, he was someone who rejected his own humanity and sought to live in the wild. In part, this was due to his disgust and disdain for other humans, but there was also a part that could be explained by his psychic connection to plant life. Had he been another, more empathetic person, his story might have been a different one.

As it happened, he was to become part of the story of the man who became Merlin. Just how their paths crossed is something that neither of them chooses to discuss, but if (as seems likely) they initially met in battle, they reached an understanding of sorts that kept it from becoming a terminal affair. Merlin claims to have been impressed that the man, despite lacking any real talent for magic, had learned enough to manage some limited feats. He decided to show him how to do more in the expectation that he would become a menace that would-be heroes could overcome, expecting him to be destroyed by one of them eventually.

And the Erlking did indeed become such a potential threat, notably crossing paths with the Jutish chieftain Amleth at one point, but he proved more resilient than Merlin expected and more talented. As with Merlin, he found a way to bind his soul into the substance of another plane of reality and become immortal. Also as with Merlin, this proved to be his last act before falling into a deep sleep that would last up until the current year, when he was awakened by the Dreamdancer.

The Erlking despises the world into which he has awakened. There are so many people now, and they no longer tremble in the darkness but light up their nights. He is not, as one might expect, angered by the environmental situation, as the modern view of nature as something fragile and in need of protection is not something he is intellectually or emotionally equipped to accept. Even if someone were to explain the goals of the environmental movement to him, he would reject them as something designed to allow humans to continue to prosper. He does not desire the respect of humans but rather their fear.

His primary agents in his misanthropic aims are his "daughters", smaller plant creatures who present as human females. (It takes him roughly a month to grow one of them, so they are not Summoned minions as such; however, they are plants and can be used as mediums for his Greenbond.) He has dispatched several of them to spy on human communities and find ways to sabotage and destroy them, with some of them playing the old trick of luring vulnerable humans into the woods to be murdered and used as fertilizer for more daughters.

One of them, however, has come to develop a certain sympathy for humans, specifically the nature-loving group into whose company she has fallen, and has taken the human name Manon Kilde. This betrayal infuriates the Erlking, but the fact that it happened at all means that the other daughters might do so as well. His paranoia forces him to keep an eye on all of them, and so he has been unable to devote as many resources to destroying the traitor as he would like.

The Erlking -- PL 13

Abilities:
STR 9 | STA 8 | AGL 3 | DEX -1 | FGT 10 | INT 3 | AWE 2 | PRE 0

Powers:
Ascendant: Ascendant: Immortality 5 (one day), Only When On Home Plane; Immunity 1 (aging); Movement 1 (dimensional travel to home plane), Reaction (death); Movement 2 (dimensional travel to mystical dimensions), Standard Action - 10 points
Greenbond: Remote Sensing 5 (Auditory, Olfactory, Visual; 30 miles), Medium (plants), Simultaneous, Subtle 2; Senses 4 (postcognition), Limited to while in vegetation - 20 points
Just A Tree: Continuous Morph 1 (tree) - 6 points
Large Plant: Elongation 4; Permanent Growth 4 (14 feet; Strength +4, Stamina +4, Intimidation +2, Dodge -2, Parry -2, Stealth -4), Innate; Immunity 3 (need for sleep, starvation & thirst, suffocation); Protection 6; Regeneration 10 - 36 points
Plant Influence: Array (52 points)

• Pollen Cloud: Perception Range Cloud Area Affliction 13 (Resisted by Fortitude; Fatigued, Exhausted, Asleep) - 52 points
• Rapid Growth: Continuous Create 12, Moveable, Subtle - 1 point
• Root Shift: Accurate Extended Teleport 13 (30 miles/8000 miles), Easy, Medium (plant life) - 1 point
• Tanglevines: Selective Burst Area Cumulative Affliction 12 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobile), Extra Condition, Limited Degree, Indirect 3 - 1 point

Sense Immortal: Senses 2 (ranged detect immortal) - 2 points

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Chokehold, Equipment 5, Improved Grab, Improved Smash, Ritualist, Startle, Tracking, Trance.

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+11), Close Combat: Grab 2 (+12), Expertise: Magic 10 (+10), Expertise: Survival 8 (+11), Intimidation 6 (+8), Perception 8 (+10), Stealth 10 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +3
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 9)
Grab +12 (Close Grab 13)
Pollen Cloud -- (Perception Range Cloud Area Fortitude 13)
Tanglevines -- (Burst Area Affliction 12)

Defense:
Dodge 10, Parry 12, Fortitude 11, Toughness 14, Will 10.

Totals:
Abilities 52 + Powers 129 + Advantages 13 + Skills 23 + Defenses 20 = 237 points

Offensive PL: 13
Defensive PL: 13
Resistance PL: 11
Skill PL: 6

Complications:
Misanthropy--Motivation. Paranoid. Unfamiliar With Modern World or Technology (or environmentalism.)


Daughters of the Erlking -- PL 8/MR 7

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

Powers:
Human Disguise: Morph 1 (human form) - 5 points
Plant Creature: Immunity 3 (need for sleep, starvation, suffocation); Impervious Protection 6, Noticeable; Regeneration 10; Visual Concealment 4, Limited to while in vegetation - 28 points

Advantages:
Daze (Deception), Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Taunt, Tracking.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+7), Deception 6 (+8), Insight 3 (+6), Investigation 6 (+6), Perception 6 (+9), Stealth 4 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 4)

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

Totals:
Abilities 38 + Powers 33 + Advantages 7 + Skills 13 + Defenses 13 = 105 points

Offensive PL: 6
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 7
Skill PL: 4

Complications:
Obedience--Motivation. Secret (inhuman.) Others as Needed.

Note: Manon Kilde is a non-minion Daughter with Acceptance as a Motivation, and the additional complication Friends.

 

[Davies]

Biānpào/鞭炮

As one of the most publicly visible members of the Sīfa Zhuānjiā, much has been revealed (and confirmed) about the personal history of Yang Dongmei, alias Biānpào ("Firecracker"). Born in Beijing in 1992, she was only thirteen years old when, for the first time in decades, fireworks were permitted as part of the celebrations for the Spring Festival. She remembers staring up in amazement at the lights in the sky, and claims that she knew what she wanted to do with her life at that moment.

The latter part might be exaggerated, but she did grow up to work in a fireworks factory (and suffered a serious hearing loss while doing so.) Her dream was that one day she would get to work in designing the displays. To that end, she did a great deal of private study of how they worked, in the process developing a number of inventions of her own.

Unfortunately, by the time she was in her early twenties, public opinion had shifted against fireworks once again, and Dongmei found herself not only frustrated in her ambitions, but out of even the job she was doing to support them. Supposedly, she considered using her inventions to go on a criminal rampage, but stopped herself before she started. She was someone who wanted to share beauty with the world, not terror. To do that, she was going to have to break the law, but she would have to do this in a smart way.

So she got in touch with the Sīfa and began to use her talents and inventions for them. In the process, she learned that she had a very minor superpower and was able to calculate the passage of time down to the thousandth of a second, which she employs to set up her fireworks to go off with exacting precision. Dongmei has also studied with the hyperbrains of the group, unable to imitate their discoveries but able to incorporate some of them into her devices.

Biānpào is currently planning to accompany a small group of the Sīfa on an expedition to the Sprawl, and expects to learn a lot to advance her gear. Plus, it sounds like a blast! (While taking her work of bringing beauty -- and thus truth -- to the world seriously, she also intends to have as much fun as she can doing so.)

Biānpào -- PL 10

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

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-out Attack, Attractive, Defensive Roll 2, Evasion, Fearless, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Uncanny Dodge.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+9), Deception 7 (+8), Insight 10 (+10), Perception 10 (+10), Persuasion 8 (+9), Ranged Combat: Fireworks 6 (+9), Sleight of Hand 8 (+11), Technology 7 (+12), Vehicles 6 (+9).

Powers:
Expert Timing: Senses 1 (time sense) - 1 point
Firecracker Arsenal: Array (25 point); Removable (-6 points)

• 反沖/Blowback: Linked Ranged Burst Area Damage 5; Linked Burst Area Move Object 5, Limited to moving away from the center of the effect - 25 points
• 輝煌/Brilliance: Linked Ranged Damage 6; Linked Ranged Cumulative Affliction 6 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Fortitude; Visually Impaired, Visually Disabled, Visually Unaware), Limited to One Sense - 1 point
• 燃燒/Combustion: Ranged Damage 8, Secondary Effect - 1 point
• 混亂/Confusion: Ranged Cumulative Perception Area Affliction 8 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled), Limited to compelling or controlling erratic behavior - 1 point
• 閃電/Fulmination: Ranged Multiattack Damage 8 - 1 point
• 著迷/Spellbound: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 6 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Will; Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseless & Immobile, Paralyzed), Extra Condition - 1 point

Protective Costume: Protection 2; Removable (-0 points) - 2 points

Offense:
Initiative +2
Unarmed +9 (Close Damage 0)
Fulmination +12 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 8)
Combustion +12 (Ranged Damage 8)
Brilliance +12 (Ranged Damage 6 and Affliction 6, Resisted by Dodge)
Spellbound +12 (Ranged Affliction 6, Resisted by Dodge)
Blowback -- (Ranged Burst Area Damage 5)
Confusion -- (Ranged Perception Area Fortitude 8)

Defense:
Dodge 7, Parry 9, Fortitude 5, Toughness 10/8/5/3, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 40 + Powers 27 + Advantages 14 + Skills 33 + Defenses 17 = 131 points

Offensive PL: 10
Defensive PL: 10
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 7

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Hard of Hearing (wears hearing aid, Disabled on auditory Perception checks without it.) Hunted by the Authorities. "Let's Get Loud" (subtlety is not an option.)

Note: Inspired by EternalPhoenix's Firecracker archetype.

 

[Davies]

Connor Roberts

Imagine being a kid with superpowers. Now imagine being a kid who wanted to have superpowers, and now has them ... but finds that they do nothing to make people, especially those who also have powers, accept him as an adult. Such is the life of Connor Roberts, made slightly worse by his strange certainty that if things were just a tiny bit different, he would have what he wants. He is not sure why he believes that, but he does.

Most kids want to be a superhero at some point in their lives, other than those who want to be a supervillain. (Definitions being as subjective as they are, there is a fair amount of crossover between these groups.) Connor certainly did, but was not blessed with superpowers in his youth, or his early adolescence. He decided to train himself to be ready for a chance to gain them, studying and practicing at a variety of subjects that he thought might be useful. He was helped in this by the benign neglect of his parents, more focused on the problems of his two older siblings and grateful that he seemed to be keeping out of trouble.

Definitions being as subjective as they are, it should not come as a surprise that a fair chunk of what Connor did could have gotten him into a lot of trouble. Case in point: exploring closed off mines in the Wyoming Valley was what some might consider trespassing, and many might consider dangerous. That said, Connor would have claimed that he was being careful, using a "Digital Canary" app on his smart phone to avoid gas concentrations. While making his escape from one of them, he tripped over a weird-looking rock that he reflexively picked up.

Only when he got back to the surface and examined his finding did he start to get excited. It looked just like the power prisms that he had seen being used by both El Dorados and their mysterious female ally. And, sure enough, it allowed him to surround himself in a force field and take flight just like they could. His dream was coming true! He shaped his force field to disguise himself, and began venturing out as Kid Comet, dealing with street crime in his native Scranton.

Fairly quickly, his activities came to the attention of those other power prisms, right when the original El Dorado returned from his journey in space. Initially, Connor was grateful to have the help of these more experienced heroes, especially when he found himself menaced, first by the villainous power prism user who also showed up and then by the Saturn-affiliated street gang that included his older brother. But that gratitude turned to anger when the old -- ahem -- when Edeth said that she had never heard of someone as young as Connor being trusted with a prism before.

The El Dorados apparently convinced her not to take action but it was clear to him that he was not going to be welcome in their company for a while to come. Well, so what? He would join the Minor League, or maybe attend the Futurian Academy, and be welcome among them instead! Except that both groups indicated that, at fourteen, he was just a bit younger than they wanted. So he has found himself packed off to the Bethany Ryan School, with the other super-babies. It is beyond frustrating.

Nevertheless, Connor fully intends to go on being a superhero, rather than letting the anger he feels turn him down a dangerous path. The question now is how subjective his definitions of superheroing will be ...

Connor Roberts -- PL 7

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

Powers:
Power Prism: Removable (-12 points)

• Flight Mode: Flight 7 (250 MPH), Aquatic; Insubstantial 3, Standard Action - 24 points
• Force Field: Linked Sustained Protection 8; Linked Sustained Immunity 10 (Life Support) - 18 points
• Offensive Applications: Array (16 points)
  • Basic Blast: Ranged Damage 8 - 16 points
  • Exo-Armor: Enhanced Strength 5, Affects Corporeal 6 - 1 points
  • Force Objects: Moveable Create 5 - 1 point
  • Tractor-Pressor Beam: Move Object 8 (6 tons) - 1 point

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Redirect.

Skills:
Athletics 3 (+4), Deception 3 (+4), Expertise: History 2 (+4), Expertise: Science 3 (+5), Insight 3 (+5), Investigation 3 (+5), Perception 3 (+5), Ranged Combat: Power Prism 3 (+6), Treatment 1 (+3).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +2 (Close Damage 6/1)
Basic Blast +6 (Ranged Damage 8)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 3, Fortitude 4, Toughness 9/1, Will 6.

Totals:
Abilities 28 + Powers 49 + Advantages 5 + Skills 12 + Defenses 11 = 105 points

Offensive PL: 7
Defensive PL: 7
Resistance PL: 5
Skill PL: 0

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Hates Being Treated as "A Kid". Power Loss (prism energy depletes.)

Note: Based on a character concept by Voltron64.

 

[Voltron64]

The El Dorados apparently convinced her not to take action but it was clear to him that he was not going to be welcome in their company for a while to come. Well, so what? He would join the Minor League, or maybe attend the Futurian Academy, and be welcome among them instead! Except that both groups indicated that, at fourteen, he was just a bit younger than they wanted. So he has found himself packed off to the Bethany Ryan School, with the other super-babies. It is beyond frustrating.

He'll grow into it.

 

[Davies]

He'll grow into it.

 

[Davies]

Magnificat

In the years after Tanelorn was established, and its interdimensional gates began to see regular use, it saw many arrivals from other worlds, both sapient and otherwise. While the portals could be controlled, and dangerous visitors were usually prevented from entering, things nevertheless slipped through. One of them was a large orange tomcat which resembled a Persian Tabby, who strolled through the portal from which he emerged with a facial expression that conveyed a detached lack of concern, verging on disdain, for his surroundings.

The cat was soon witnessed engaged in contests of dominance with the local cats, who had been mutated like all life in Tanelorn. Most of them were able to assume a two dimensional state ("flatcats", to use their nickname) while the new arrival demonstrated a different power. He was able to switch between an immense, 24 foot tall form and his normal size, which seemed to demonstrate unusually fast reactions. Having been accepted as dominant by most other cats in the city, he soon found himself dubbed Magnificat by human observers.

Just what he thinks of that name is unclear, as is what he thinks about everything else. While demonstrating human-level intelligence, attempts to communicate with Magnificat have universally failed. He does not respond when spoken to by persons able to communicate with animals, and his mind is almost impossible to target for psychic probing. Judging by his expression, it seems apparent that he views responding to any communication by humans, regardless of source, as completely beneath his dignity. However, this lack of interest should not be confused with hostility. Magnificat has occasionally demonstrated a sort of regal kindness towards human children who interact with him, even suffering to allow himself to be held and his tail to be pulled ... within limits.

While some observers believe that he shows some signs of aging in the decades since his arrival in Tanelorn, he has outlived most of the cats who were present at that time. He has fathered a handful of mixed breed children with the local cats, none of whom have demonstrated powers like his own. Despite that, he apparently does not regard kittens as a threat to his territory, instead viewing them with the same sublime indifference as he regards everything else.

Magnificat -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR 7/-3 | STA 6/-2 | AGL 3 | DEX 0 | FGT 3 | INT -1 | AWE 3 | PRE -1

Powers:
Feline Senses: Senses 5 (low-light vision, extended acute scent, extended ultrahearing) - 5 points
Shielded Mind: Permanent Mental Concealment 2 - 4 points
Sizemorphing: Array (30 points); Quirk (full power only)

• Huge Size: Continuous Growth 8 (24 feet; Strength +8, Stamina +8, Speed +1, Intimidation +4, Dodge -4, Parry -4, Stealth -8); Impervious Toughness 6 - 48 points
• Tiny Size: Continuous Shrinking 8 (~1 foot; Strength -2, Intimidation -4, Speed -1, Dodge +4, Parry +4, Stealth +8); Enhanced Defenses 12 (Dodge 6, Parry 6); Speed 1 (4 MPH) - 1 point

Unusual Longevity: Immunity 3 (aging, disease, poison) - 3 points

Advantages:
Defensive Roll 2, Evasion, Fast Grab, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Initiative, Prone Fighting, Uncanny Dodge.

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+8), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+7), Deception 8 (+7), Insight 6 (+9), Perception 7 (+10), Stealth 0 (+11/-5)

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

Defense:
Dodge 13/7/3, Parry 13/7/3, Fortitude 8/0, Toughness 11/6/3/-2, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 8 + Powers 60 + Advantages 8 + Skills 15 + Defenses 6 = 97 points

Offensive PL: 7
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 8
Skill PL: 5

Complications:
Survival--Motivation. Does Not Speak. Poor Manipulators. Proud.

"... still I am the Cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to me." -- Rudyard Kipling

 

[Davies]

Nyx

Art by Jacob E. Blackmon

Long ago -- longer ago than this language has words to describe -- a group of extraordinarily powerful entities, whom we could call the Old Ones, realized that they needed still more power in order to accomplish a task that they had set for themselves. The Ascendants of the World More Sorcerous, heirs to the Old Ones, have only legends of this time and the decisions that were made then. But according to at least some of those legends, the decision to hide the creature later dubbed Ananke in a reality less magical than their own, where the powers of entropy were notably weaker, was made to ensure that she would be forever out of the reach of the Old One who embodied those powers. If so, then Nyx, last of the Old Ones, has had the last laugh, for he has endured long enough to see that reality become one that he can reach. Can, and will.

As "Hierarch" of Entropy, it was his ostensible responsibility to oversee the corruption and destruction of mortal life. While callously permitting any number of schemes towards those ends, it was obvious to most observers that his own plans were exclusively directed towards preserving his own position in the hierarchy, which necessarily required him to preserve that hierarchy itself. To do this, he was quite willing, at times, to cooperate with Ascendants of the four spheres of Life, though he frequently manipulated them to bad ends. By the time of the Anachronic Calamity, however, he had apparently become sufficiently certain of his position that he believed he could survive even the disintegration of reality that the Calamity would cause if allowed to continue.

Strangely, however, he did not believe that he could survive an assault by an unprecedented alliance of renegade Entropics and a collection of Eaters of Worlds, and agreed to support the plan to stop the Calamity if the Argonauts would protect him from them. This oddity was noted by some at the time, and has been speculated on since. It seems likely that he had known of the prospective ambush (though perhaps not of the rebellion) beforehand, and chose to allow it to continue in order to evaluate the capabilities of the assembled defenders of reality. For he had seen an opportunity taking form, and his actions were all carefully chosen to allow him to seize it.

And now the World Less Magical is no more, and entropy in that reality possesses its spiritual qualities that it previously lacked. So Entropics can travel there safely. Nyx will not go there himself, initially; he will send a catspaw to clear the way for him, likely a certain rebellious Shadow Dragon who has a grudge against creatures from that distant future. But once the way has been cleared, he intends to travel there and seize power in that era, escaping the doom that it sure to come to him if he remains in the World More Sorcerous that will now end a few scant hundreds of millions of years from now. Nothing in that reality can hope to challenge him ...

... but perhaps, if they do, that will be interesting as well.

Nyx -- PL 18

Abilities:
STR 15 | STA 18 | AGL 4 | DEX 3 | FGT 9 | INT 9 | AWE 9 | PRE 8

Powers:
Ascendant: Immortality 5 (one day), Only When On Home Plane*; Immunity 1 (aging); Movement 1 (dimensional travel to home plane), Reaction (death); Movement 2 (dimensional travel to planes of the Sphere of Entropy)**, Standard Action - 10 points
Chill of the Grave: Perception Range Damage 18, Resisted by Will**, Insidious, Subtle - 74 points
Divine Body: Immunity 10 (life support); Impervious Toughness 16 - 26 points
Divine Mind: Impervious Will 16, Limited to Mental Effects; Reaction Damage 6 (when subject of mental attack, mental communication or mind reading), Resisted by Will; Senses 7 (vision counters all concealment, vision counters illusions) - 45 points
"For The Dead Travel Fast": Accurate Extended Teleport 13 (30 miles/8000 miles), Turnabout; Enhanced Advantages 6 (Close Attack 2, Evasion, Improved Initiative 3), Quirk (Close Attack is only enhanced against targets with a lower Initiative total); Enhanced Defenses 18 (Dodge 9, Parry 9) - 76 points
Grip of the Grave: Affects Insubstantial 2 on Strength Damage - 2 points
Sense Immortal: Senses 2 (ranged detect immortal) - 2 points
Tentacles: Extra Limbs 4; Elongation 2 - 6 points

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Assessment, Chokehold, Close Attack 2, Evasion, Fast Grab, Fearless, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative 3, Jack-of-all-trades, Power Attack, Uncanny Dodge.

Skills:
Deception 8 (+16), Expertise: Dimensional 7 (+16), Expertise: Magic 7 (+15), Insight 8 (+17), Intimidation 10 (+18), Perception 8 (+17), Persuasion 8 (+16).

Offense:
Initiative +18
Unarmed +11/+9 (Close Damage 15)
Chill of the Grave -- (Perception Range Damage 18)

Defense:
Dodge 18/9, Parry 18/9, Fortitude 18, Toughness 18, Will 18.

Totals:
Abilities 150 + Powers 241 + Advantages 9 + Skills 28 + Defenses 14 = 444 points

Offensive PL: 18
Defensive PL: 18
Resistance PL: 18
Skill PL: 13

Complications:
Power--Motivation. Aura of Death (kills mundane insects and plant life in his immediate vicinity.) Obviously Inhuman. Whimsical Sadism.

* When he emerges in the present, he does not have a Home Plane. This represents an opportunity to permanently destroy him. However, he will be aware of this vulnerability and seek to correct it. If he succeeds, add Equipment 5 (Home Plane) to his sheet. (It should also be present on his sheet in any depiction of him in the World More Sorcerous.)
** This division of reality does not exist in the current era; given time, it will become "mystical dimensions". Allowing him that time may be unwise.
*** Characters with Immunity (aging) are also immune to this effect, unless the GM gives them a Power Loss complication. ("How does it feel to be a billion years old?")

 

[Davies]

Alharund

Three are the stereotypical traits of the wood elves of Elphaim, and to an extent of all elves. They are all skilled magic-wielders. Utterly false, even absurd -- sorcerous abilities are not given to every member of any of the peoples of the world. They are all brilliant archers. While it is a given that every elf has learned to string the bow and to let fly, the accuracy with which they do so varies from person to person, and the hunters of Elphaim are more prone to use spears in their chase than the bow in any event. They are all merry and cheerful, gamboling about in the woods in a never-ending celebration of -- Oh, no, no, no. This one really irritates those of their kindred who strive for a stern and serious demeanor.

Alharund, a wandering soldier of fortune currently employed by the Republic of Tohrukin to train their archers, is one such stern and serious elf who has grown quite irritated with the stereotypes. That he is an amazing archer would seem to reinforce one of them, but he will strive to disabuse anyone of the notion that his skills, acquired through long training and hard work, are any sort of "natural talent". As he is also a private individual, he will not often speak of the sorrow that these skills have brought him.

In his youth, roughly a century past, an orphaned Alharund was given into the care of one of the masters of the ancient art of yakha, a meditative discipline that used archery as a metaphor for the development of a focused mind. He applied himself to his lessons, and soon developed the mentality that his master sought, in which he no longer depended on his imperfect bow or untrustworthy hand to strike the targets before him. Pleased with his development, his master declared that Alharund would now move on to the next phase of yakha, in which the bow itself was set aside.

That was where the problem started. The young elf had not realized that he was supposed to eventually let go of the bow, rather than use it for its ostensible purpose. That purpose was deeply tied to a desire he had hidden in his heart all this time, the desire to hunt the beastfolk that had orphaned him decades before. His master, frustrated to realize that he had failed to purge Alharund of such base and worldly desires, warned him that he was setting out on a road that led only to a meaningless death, but the archer refused to hear anything of it. So he left his master and eventually his homeland.

Unfortunately, he was soon to find that only in Elphaim were beastfolk considered monsters to be slain out of hand. In the lands beyond the forest, they were as often honest citizens as they were raiders and bandits, and Alharund ended up spending more than one night in the stocks after he assaulted an innocent bystander. He has never quite gotten past his suspicion of their kind, but generally just tries to avoid them in his current life. His personal goal is to advance his skill at shooting until it becomes perfect and he achieves the sort of enlightenment that his master insisted could only be found if he stopped using a physical bow instead of the arrows of the mind. He is certain that he can eventually do this, and would welcome the opportunity to test himself against unusual threats -- or mundane ones that happened to be beastfolk.

It seems likely that his master was right, and Alharund is walking a path that leads nowhere. But perhaps his master did not know as much as he thought, even if he was an Ascendant of Mind posing as a mortal ...

Alharund -- PL 7

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

Powers:
"Aim With the Eye, Shoot With The Mind": Enhanced Advantage 1 (Benefit [make Ranged Combat: Bow checks with Awareness]) - 1 point
Ranger: Movement 2 (safe-fall, sure-footed); Speed 2 - 6 points
Wood Elven Gifts: Immunity 3 (aging, disease, need for sleep); Regeneration 2; Senses 1 (low-light vision) - 6 points

Advantages:
Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 2, Evasion, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (bow) 2, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Quick Draw, Trance, Ultimate Aim.

Equipment:
Sword (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical), Bow (Ranged Damage 3), and 3 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+7), Athletics 6 (+8), Close Combat: Sword 3 (+7), Deception 4 (+6), Expertise: Magic 4 (+6)*, Expertise: Philosophy 6 (+8), Perception 4 (+10), Ranged Combat: Bow 5 (+11), Stealth 5 (+9), Treatment 4 (+6).
* INT-based.

Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +4 (close Damage 2)
Sword +7 (Close Damage 5, Crit 19-20)
Bow +11 (Ranged Damage 3, Crit 18-20)

Defense:
Dodge 7, Parry 7, Fortitude 4, Toughness 7/2, Will 8

Totals:
Abilities 50 + Powers 13 + Advantages 12 + Skills 22 + Defenses 10 = 107 points

Offensive PL: 7
Defensive PL: 7
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 5

Complications:
Self-Improvement--Motivation. Hatred (beastfolk.) Tactical Preference (seeks the high ground.)

 

[Davies]

Elwasse

Everyone knows that bards are spies. Everyone takes it for granted that, as the bards wander about looking for tales to turn into songs, they learn all sorts of other interesting and dangerous things that they invariably pass on to their patrons, who are typically magnates of the various realms. So most people are careful about what they reveal when they think a bard might be listening. And nobody really believes in the so-called free bards, who claim to owe no allegiance to any lord but only to their craft.

Elwasse of Surbrook is a free bard. Raised by the first of her calling from the gutters of the city from which she takes her name, she sells her songs for food and lodging, but never sells the secrets that she has learned to anyone, high or low. Most who have learned a bit about the free bards assume that their first, the playwright Calum Pikesway, acts as their patron, collecting the secrets that they gather and secretly selling them to the highest bidder. They are wrong.

While Calum has, from time to time, advised Elwasse of matters that she might want to investigate, he never asks her to report on anything, trusting in the sense of duty he has instilled in her to keep her on the right path. Her adventures are guided by that sense of duty, by her faith, and by her periodic glimpses of potential futures, most of which show her things that she seeks to prevent. She does her best to keep these visions a secret, as she fears that she would be regarded as a servant of one of the prideful Ascendants if they became known. (Her belief is that such beings are deceivers seeking to prevent mortals from coming to the understanding of the Shaper of Worlds.)

Typically, on learning of a situation that demands her involvement, Elwasse will recruit allies from other adventurers, ideally those with whom she has worked well in the past. When needs must, though, she will take whatever help she can get, and hope for the best. This might lead to her being allied with nearly anyone, depending on the circumstances. The ally of today might be the enemy of tomorrow, after all.

Sometimes, she wonders why Calum chose to train her, and the other free bards, in this way. In her darkest moments, she fears that he might be a pawn of one of the Ascendants, making her one by proxy. He wears a symbol that she has seen nowhere else, a sort of stylized eye. When she asked about it, he told her a strange tale, of a giant with many eyes who was lulled to sleep and then killed as part of some scheme. "So I wear this so that one of the eyes of Argus is always open. Wherever and whenever."

The name meant nothing to her, of course.

Elwasse -- PL 5

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

Powers:
Oracular: Senses 4 (precognition), Unreliable - 2 points

Advantages:
Attractive, Connections, Contacts, Equipment 3, Fascinate (Performance), Improved Defense, Jack-of-all-trades, Uncanny Dodge.

Equipment:
Armor (Protection 2), Rapier (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical), Throwing Knives (Ranged Multiattack Damage 1), Masterwork Fiddle (+2 circumstance bonus to Performance checks) and 7 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Close Combat: Rapier 2 (+5), Deception 2 (+6), Expertise: History 6 (+9), Expertise: Magic 4 (+7)*, Expertise: Performance 6 (+10), Insight 8 (+10), Investigation 4 (+7), Perception 6 (+8), Persuasion 4 (+8), Ranged Combat: Throwing 4 (+5), Stealth 4 (+6).
* INT-based.

Offense:
Initiative +2
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage 0)
Rapier +5 (Close Damage 3, Crit 19-20)
Throwing Knives +5 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 1)

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

Totals:
Abilities 32 + Powers 2 + Advantages 10 + Skills 23 + Defenses 13 = 80 points

Offensive PL: 4
Defensive PL: 4
Resistance PL: 5
Skill PL: 5

Complications:
Duty--Motivation. Faith. Honor (code of the free bards.) Secret (oracular visions.)

 

[Davies]

Maggan

Art by Danila Kalinin.

Much like the island of Teyango, the Paaxetani archipelago was absorbed into the Empire of Troas long ago but treated just as a source of sorghum rather than a potential colony. Unlike the people of Teyango, who were content to largely ignore their rulers in return, adventurous children of the archipelago frequently came to metropolitan Troas in search of fame and fortune. Most found only disappointment and death instead, but that is true of all who would walk the glory road. And then there is one Etani who has managed to find both.

Maggan Rimasdar believed that she was on the way to achieving something worthwhile with her life. She had been accepted into the college of heralds within Troas itself, to be taught arts both magical and martial in the service of ... not so much the Empire itself but the ideals of stability and security that it seemed to represent. She was aware that there were those who thought that an Etani had no business striving to stand among her betters in this way, but hoped that she could show them her worth and earn their respect.

Last month, she awoke from what she remembers as a nightmare that never ended, where she rose high in the college of heralds, earning honors both worldly and arcane, only for every victory to turn to ashes in her mouth, for every friend she ever made to die or betray her or both, and for her life to end by a lengthy and painful public execution. Just a dream, she told herself in the moments after awakening, just a horrible dream. Then she met her face in the glass and saw that her hair had turned white, as it was at the end of the nightmare, and she realized that she had all the magical might that she had gained in those imaginary years.

Something has happened. Maggan remembers stories claiming that those who die before fulfilling their destinies are sometimes given another chance by the immortals on some other world. But this is no other world but the one she knew, or thought she knew. She has already encountered events that seem to recall similar ones from her memories of the early parts of the bad dream, which she has chosen to turn differently. Most notable of these are the choice to walk away from the college of heralds despite working so hard to earn entrance into it, confusing friend and foe alike.

She cannot guess what consequences such choices will have. She only knows that she does not want to live through that nightmare again. The problem is that she did not then, and does not now, truly understand the events that brought her to the end that she remembers. She needs to gain that understanding, and where she withdrew from the world in that life she recalls, she will be in the world if not of it in this second chance.

Maggan -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR 3 | STA 4 | AGL 1 | DEX 2 | FGT 5 | INT 2 | AWE 3 | PRE 3

Powers:
Aura of Healing: Array (16 points)

• Lifegiving: Healing 8, Resurrection, Side Effect (target takes Damage 8 on a failed check) - 16 points
• Painstaking: Restorative Empathic Healing 8 - 1 point
• Shadowslaying: Burst Area Damage 8, Resisted by Will, Limited to Entropic creatures - 1 point

Enchanted Sword: Strength-based Damage 3, Accurate, Affects Insubstantial, Improved Critical, Penetrating 6; Easily Removable (-4 points) - 8 points

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Equipment 3, Fearless, Improved Critical (sword), Improved Disarm, Inspire, Leadership, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 3, Takedown 2, Teamwork, Weapon Bind.

Equipment:
Armor (Protection 5) and 10 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+8), Close Combat: Sword 3 (+8), Expertise: Magic 4 (+7), Expertise: Theology 6 (+8), Expertise: Warfare 7 (+9), Insight 5 (+8), Intimidation 5 (+8), Perception 3 (+6), Persuasion 4 (+7).

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +5 (Close Damage 3)
Sword +10 (Close Damage 6, Crit 18-20)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 7, Fortitude 7, Toughness 9/4, Will 8

Totals:
Abilities 46 + Powers 26 + Advantages 17 + Skills 21 + Defenses 14 = 124 points

Offensive PL: 8
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 8
Skill PL: 3

Complications:
Change Fate--Motivation. Confused Memories Of What Might Be. Friends (other heralds.)

 

[Davies]

Kestreks

Art by Sandra Duchiewicz

Out of the Bandit Kingdom rode Kestreks the Killer, astride his warlizard Mahalana, seeking what employment he could find as a mercenary soldier. He chose, for the most part, to take the distrust that most prospective employers had for him as appropriate fear for a gargun warrior, and only retaliated when that distrust led to actual attacks. Eventually, he found an employer desperate enough to accept him, and proved worthy of his hire, advising the caravan leader of secret tricks that the bandits would and did use, and killing those who did without scruple. He has done so repeatedly these past three years, all through the northwest. No one fully trusts him, but they have grown accustomed to his presence.

Kestreks largely speaks through his actions, seldom employing words. Some fools imagine that he cannot manage the common tongue, or speaks with some wretched accent and misused pronouns. In fact, he speaks Troatian better than many of his colleagues, and is both fully literate and well-read on the subject of military tactics. He has little if any curiosity about "softer" subjects, though, but recognizes that anything -- object or idea -- can become a weapon if used correctly.

He never speaks about what led him to leave the Bandit Kingdom, where (according to rumors) he was once a lieutenant to the current king and might well have led many of the raids that he has helped to throw back had things gone differently. If he finds anything amusing, it is the stories that others have made up about why he chose to ride away from that enviable situation. The ones where he fell in love with someone and decided that there had to be more to life than unending battle have even made him laugh, though the sound of that is easily mistaken for a sigh.

The truth is that he discovered the secret of the "current" king -- that he is, like every king before him, a hollow shell employed by Farran, the vampyre who has secretly ruled the Bandit Kingdom for centuries, surviving every purge and stealing the soul of each new ambitious would-be leader. As Kestreks was himself an ambitious would-be leader, he found himself not best pleased at the idea that he could only ever become a mask for someone else. But opposing the king, and his army, was a ticket to swift death and he knew that he could trust no one to stand with him against the vampyre.

So with the one thing he could trust -- his axe -- and a mostly reliable companion -- his warlizard -- he rode away to begin building an army and finding allies who would not be tainted by the touch of Farran. With only a few decades left before old age begins to steal away his might, Kestreks wants to get this done soon ... but he wants to get it done well.

Kestreks -- PL 7

STR 5 | STA 6 | AGL 0 | DEX 3 | FGT 5 | INT 0 | AWE 2 | PRE 2

Powers:
Healing Factor: Immunity 2 (disease, poison); Regeneration 2 - 4 points

Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Asssessment, Chokehold, Defensive Roll, Equipment, Fearless 2, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Inspire, Power Attack, Sidekick 12, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Break.

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

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+4), Athletics 2 (+7), Close Combat: Axe 1 (+6), Expertise: Warfare 8 (+8), Insight 4 (+6), Intimidation 5 (+7), Perception 4 (+6), Stealth 6 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +4
Unarmed +5 (Close Damage 5)
Axe +6 (Close Damage 8, Crit 19-20)

Defense:
Dodge 4, Parry 6, Fortitude 7, Toughness 8/6, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 46 + Powers 4 + Advantages 27 + Skills 17 + Defenses 13 = 107 points

Offensive PL: 7
Defensive PL: 7
Resistance PL: 7
Skill PL: 3

Complications:
Survival--Motivation. Hunted (followers of Farran.) Keeps All Promises. Prejudice (gargun.)

Mahalana -- PL 7

Abilities:
STR 7 | STA 7 | AGL 1 | DEX 0 | FGT 3 | INT -4 | AWE 1 | PRE -4

Powers:
Keen Nose: Senses 2 (acute extended scent) - 2 points
Large Size: Permanent Growth 3, Innate, Protection 1; Speed 1 - 12 points
Natural Weapons: Strength-based Damage 2, Reach 1 - 3 points
Toxic Bite: Weaken Stamina 7 (Resisted by Fortitude; Grab-based, Secondary Effect) - 7 points

Advantages:
Fast Grab, Great Endurance, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Startle.

Skills:
Athletics 1 (+8), Cloe Combat: Unarmed 2 (+5), Intimidation 10 (+7), Perception 5 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +5 (Close Damage 9)
Toxic Bite +5 (Close Damage 9 and Fortitude 7)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 5, Fortitude 7, Toughness 8, Will 5

Totals:
Abilities 10 + Powers 24 + Advantages 5 + Skills 9 + Defenses 12 = 60 points

Offensive PL: 7
Defensive PL: 7
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 3

Complications:
Hunger--Motivation. No Fine Manipulators or Speech. Tamed But Not Domestic.

 

[Davies]

Rartigan

There are enough stories about the various deeds of the wizard called Rartigan -- no adjective, thank you, he just goes by his name -- that even those who believe many of them suspect that they cannot all be true. Less credulous commentators claim that the wizard blithely accepts the credit for countless acts actually performed by diverse hands, then change the subject when someone points out that there are few if any who have tried to claim credit for anything he is supposed to have done. More enlightened observers suspect that the wizard must be an identity employed by one of the Ascendants, or possibly even more than one.

Wrong in every particular. While blessed with long years thanks to regular doses of certain herbs, the wizard is entirely mortal. He is a favored agent of one particular Ascendant, but his deeds are his own. He is, to be frank, overworked and under-rewarded, and yet keeps any complaints about any of this to himself. He expects to be offered Ascendance one of these days, either by his patron or her own, and looks forward to the look on their faces when he turns them down flat. The thought of finally being able to refuse the offer of more hard work presented as a boon is all that keeps him going at times.

Rartigan was born a bit less than two centuries ago in the Holy Islands of Harnedi, but shows this only when he allows himself to speak freely in his native accent. This is rare, for he will more often choose to use language and a manner of speech that matches his current company, the better to advise and guide them. He is aided in this by the hooded cloak that he wears; its primary enchantment allows him to change his features, but he has learned to change his voice, as well.

Such is the nature of wizardry in a World More Sorcerous -- learning how best to use the magic that exists in all things and in all creatures, including oneself. Most of his most famous spells are actually carved into his oaken staff; his own capabilities seem to be just being more aware of magic than most. That knowledge also extends to knowing who to seek out for assistance in the various weighty matters with which he is entrusted, and how to convince them to lend their aid.

As he grows older without aging, he finds himself reflecting more and more on those he has employed in these schemes, and wondering if the world that they often died to defend is truly worthy of that enormous sacrifice. But Rartigan reminds himself, again and again, that the only real choice that anyone has is what to do with the time that is given them. That was true for all of them, and it is true of himself, as well.

Rartigan -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 2 | AGL 1 | DEX 3 | FGT 3 | INT 3 | AWE 4 | PRE 5

Powers:
Disguise Cloak: Continuous Morph 2 (humanoids), Precise; Removable (-2 points) - 11 points
Mystical Awareness: Senses 4 (acute analytical radius mystic awareness) - 4 points
Shield Spell: Linked Enhanced Advantage 1 (Defensive Roll); Enhanced Defenses 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4); Subtle - 10 points
Staff of Power: Easily Removable (-10 points)

• Call Light: Environment 1 (light) - 1 point
• Imbued Spells:Array (21 points)
  • Fireball: Ranged Burst Area Damage 7 - 21 points
  • Ice Binding: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 7 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseless & Immobile) - 1 point
  • Lightning Bolt: Ranged Multiattack Damage 7 - 1 point
  • Mage Hand: Perception Range Move Object 7 - 1 point
  • "Plus, I Can Also HIT You With This Stick, You Know?": Strength-based Damage 2, Accurate - 1 point

Unaging: Immunity 3 (aging, disease, poison) - 3 points

Advantages:
Fascinate (Persuasion), Multilingual, Ritualist, Trance, Well-informed.

Skills:
Deception 6 (+11), Expertise: Magic 8 (+13), Insight 8 (+12), Investigation 6 (+9), Perception 6 (+10), Persuasion 6 (+11), Ranged Combat: Magic 8 (+11)

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage 1)
Staff +5 (Close Damage 3)
Lightning Bolt +11 (Ranged Damage 7)
Ice Binding +11 (Ranged Affliction 7, Resisted by Dodge)
Fireball -- (Ranged Burst Area Damage 7)

Defense:
Dodge 11/7, Parry 9/5, Fortitude 6, Toughness 4/2, Will 12

Totals:
Abilities 44 + Powers 44 + Advantages 5 + Skills 24 + Defenses 20 = 137 points

Offensive PL: 9
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 9
Skill PL: 8

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Fame. Power Loss (Unaging, without regular herbal treatment.) Secrets (many.)

Walk doddering into the last days
Weave the air into flowers or light
Try to remember more, fading spells
To make children laugh in delight

Hear them gasp, see them smile
Look into their dazzled eyes
Which will grow to wizardly might?
Smile, and never tell them it’s all lies.

 

[Davies]

Starfinder

In 1969, shortly before humans from Earth took one small step that was also a giant leap, the superhero Meteor found himself investigating a series of heists committed in the Orlando area. Because he kept his extraterrestrial origins a secret, he was unable to reveal to anyone that the items that had been stolen had ingredients that could be combined to produce an extremely powerful explosive, as this was a discovery that had yet to be made by terrestrial mad scientists, or so he had believed. He feared that this might be the return of Vaskhane, and so pursued his leads forcefully.

That eventually allowed him to identify the perpetrators, whom he pursued into the Everglades. When Meteor caught up to them, however, they were quick to surrender and offer apologies for the deception. They had engaged in these acts not for any terroristic purpose, but to attract the attention of someone on Earth who was familiar with the greater galaxy, such as Meteor. Having done so, they proceeded to beg for his help, and Meteor listened to what was, even for him, an amazing story.

Forty-three* years earlier, a pair of young royals from Paraza, a single planet stellar government on the trailing border of the Technate, had escaped from a revolution on their home world and went into exile. Their journey had led them to Earth, where they had chosen to go into hiding, according to the last report that their supporters back home had received. Decades* later, sanity had finally returned to their home and the young royals were being called back to take up their rule once more. But when the ship that was supposed to carry them back had arrived, the signals that were supposed to alert their passengers had gone unanswered.

The aliens needed help to find out what had happened, and while Meteor had some problems with the narrative, he agreed to assist so as to answer his own questions. As it turned out, the two young royals had passed away in an accident four years earlier, leaving their sixteen-year-old daughter, named Stella, in the care of some family friends. Meteor arranged for her to meet with the people who were looking for her family. Against his advice, Stella eagerly agreed to return with the aliens to the world where her parents had been born, but promised Meteor that she would never forget where she had come from. Meteor watched their ship depart with mixed feelings, uncertain whether he had done the right thing, but suspecting that he would never really know.

On Paraza, Stella was subjected to certain rituals designed to awaken the hereditary powers of her family, the so-called Starfinders. These proved successful, turning her into a superpower who became the primary defender of her home world against alien invasion -- specifically by the Konan Armada, who made several attempts to conquer them. Recognizing that she could not (and should not) do everything, she built up a conventional military, and also occasionally made attempts to introduce democratic reforms to the planetary government, but most were not successful as she made a better general than a politician.

Quite recently, news reached her about the planned Konan invasion of Earth. Aghast at the thought of the world she had never ... completely forgotten (though she rarely thought about it all that much), Starfinder commanded one of her fleets to follow her to Earth and then flew as high into hyperspace as she could manage, hoping to arrive in time to assist in the liberation of the planet. She arrived last week to learn that the invasion had been repelled, and that her fleet should arrive in a few months.

That she did all this for no good reason is somewhat embarrassing, and Stella has not had to cope with serious embarrassment in some time. She has not been told 'no' in even longer, being used to having her wishes immediately answered. That said, she recognizes that this is not her world to rule, and wants to make allies of its people and heroes if at all possible. Argus, which likewise desires friendly relations with her planet, has asked the alien heroes known as the Vagabonds to accompany her in her journeys on Earth. So far, no disasters have happened, though the one called Wissen is quite testing her patience ... even if he does understand about how great the Beatles were.

Starfinder -- PL 12

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

Powers:
"And A Star to Steer Her By": Feature 1 (+2 circumstance bonus for Expertise: Galactic checks for hyperspace navigation) - 1 point
Starborn: Immunity 31 (aging, energy damage, life support); Protection 4, Impervious 8 - 43 points
Starflare: Array (24 points)

• Basic Blast: Ranged Damage 12 - 24 points
• Burst Fire: Ranged Multiattack Damage 8 - 1 point
• Flashy Display: Burst Area Cumulative Affliction 12 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Fortitude; Visually Impaired, Visually Disabled, Visually Unaware), Limited to Visual Senses - 1 point
• Focused Fire: Ranged Damage 9, Penetrating 6 - 1 point

Starflght: Flight 15 (64000 MPH); Movement 2 (splace flight 2) - 34 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Attractive, Benefit (Queen of Paraza), Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Initiative, Leadership, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Seize Initiative.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+10), Expertise: Galactic 9 (+11), Expertise: Military 8 (+10), Insight 4 (+9), Intimidation 8 (+12), Perception 6 (+11), Persuasion 4 (+8), Ranged Combat: Starflare 7 (+12)

Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 6)
Basic Blast +12 (Ranged Damage 12)
Burst Fire +12 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 8)
Focused Fire +12 (Ranged Damage 9)
Flashy Display -- (Burst Area Affliction 12, Resisted by Dodge)

Defense:
Dodge 12, Parry 10, Fortitude 8, Toughness 12/10, Will 9.

Totals:
Abilities 76 + Powers 104 + Advantages 12 + Skills 25 + Defenses 18 = 235 points

Offensive PL: 12
Defensive PL: 12
Resistance PL: 9
Skill PL: 7

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Allergies (many Earth foods, unpredictable effects.) Imperious. Unfamiliar With Earth Culture (more accurately, the changes since 1969.)

 

[Davies]

Kuklafron

Vaskhane, like most major criminal organizations, makes a great show of complete indifference to the origins of its agents, as long as they display the cardinal virtues of competence, loyalty, and ruthlessness. This is largely a façade, as plenty of high-ranking Vaskhane care a great deal about where their agents come from, if only because they want to have blackmail material on them to keep them in line. The biography that follows is derived from the private databases of a number of these Vaskhane leaders -- all dead and gone -- as well as the thick file of information collected by the Technate Bureau of Law Enforcement.

The alien known as Kuklafron -- a somewhat blasphemous deformation of the name of an obscure god of laughter -- first came to the attention of Vaskhane a bit more than sixty years* ago on the planet Reldon, a factory world in the heart of the Technate. At that point, he was operating an unlicensed medical clinic in the lower residential areas, and Vaskhane operatives quickly became some of his most frequent clients, as well as supplying him with illicit pharmaceuticals. It soon became apparent that his medical practice was only a cover for his interests in conducting highly illegal and dangerous experimentation, and the head of Vaskhane on that particular planet chose to become his patron.

He was allegedly from a planet in the Unclaimed Regions that he referred to as Akuar, giving several different sets of coordinates for it when questioned. After assisting his current boss in developing countermeasures against attacks by a group of Isakari, the superficial similarities between him and the hunters led to speculation, in certain quarters, that he was an odd example of their species who lacked their physical strength but had greater intelligence to compensate. Kuklafron is known to have found this insinuation amusing, to a point, and sometimes played up the idea that he consumed sapient brains. There is no proof that he did not do so.

After roughly a decade, having outlasted a number of employers, he convinced the leaders of the Seven Strains that he should be given the task of rebuilding Vaskhane operations on the backwater planet of Earth. It seems likely that they viewed this as a good way to get rid of an ambitious and perhaps overly competent underling, and expected him to suffer the same fate as Aunat and Taddely in an even shorter amount of time. By a coincidence that neither they nor Kuklafron himself could have predicted, however, the Super-Wizard had departed from Earth before he arrived, and many of the other superpowers had fallen.

Kuklafron pursued countless schemes over the next decade, allying with the Pythonians not long after they formed. He was a constant, behind-the-scenes nemesis to virtually every superpower agency active in the seventies and eighties, often only failing to triumph because he grew bored with a given scheme and abandoned it for something more immediately interesting. Despite this somewhat dilletante attitude, attempts by Vaskhane to bring him to heel universally failed, and often ended up with those sent to control him becoming assets to his plans, as was the case with Atara.

However, no luck lasts forever, and Kuklafron was apparently killed in the destruction of his base beneath Lake Michigan in 1991. In fact, he survived, but has remained in suspended animation right up until the present, awaiting release from his watery grave. Whether that will ever happen remains to be seen, but it is possible ... especially if a certain regularly transmitted code sequence, designed to be intelligible only to members of his own species, if ever detected and answered.

Kuklafron -- PL 10

Abilities:
STR 3 | STA 4 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 5 | INT 9 | AWE 3 | PRE 1

Powers:
Field Generator Belt: Removable (-15 points)

• Camouflage Field: Concealment 5 (normal hearing, normal sight, radio), Blending - 5 points
• Deflector Field: Enhanced Defenses 8 (Dodge 4, Parry 4) - 8 points
• Disguise Field: Morph 2 (humanoids) - 10 points
• Life Support Field: Immunity 10 (life support) - 10 points
• Psychic Amplification Field: Impervious Will 12, Limited to Mental effects - 6 points
• Tractor/Pressor Field: Perception Range Damaging Move Object 9, Precise - 37 points

Advantages:
Connected, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 20, Inventor, Skill Mastery (Technology), Well-informed.

Skills:
Deception 10 (+11), Expertise: Crime 4 (+13), Expertise: Science 5 (+14), Insight 9 (+12), Intimidation 11 (+12), Perception 8 (+11), Persuasion 10 (+11), Technology 5 (+14), Treatment 2 (+11).

Defense:
Dodge 9/5, Parry 11/7, Fortitude 6, Toughness 9/4, Will 12

Totals:
Abilities 62 + Powers 61 + Advantages 26 + Skills 32 + Defenses 15 = 196 points

Offensive PL: 9
Defensive PL: 10
Resistance PL: 9
Skill PL: 9

Motivation:
Sadism--Motivation. Easily Distracted. Obvious Alien.

 

[Davies]

Teleute

If there is one thing that any entity who finds themself in a confrontation with Teleute, Hierarch of the Sphere of Entropy, should never forget, it is this: she is not Ananke, the ruler of Daath for uncounted eons. Ananke is no more, having ceased to exist during the Anachronic Calamity. It would not be inaccurate to claim that Teleute is to Ananke as a child might be to a parent. It would also not be inaccurate to claim that Teleute is to Ananke as a wrapper is to a candy bar -- something discarded. Neither of these would be prudent analogies to make in her hearing.

The point is, though, that she is not the ancient being that Ananke was. She has existed for only a bit longer than a month, by most chronologies, and she knows it. Her knowledge of the universe is incomplete -- in large part because that universe itself has changed -- and her ability to gain more knowledge is somewhat more limited. Most of all, she is much more vulnerable than Ananke, who could ignore reality as she saw fit. Being reminded of this latter diminishment tends to anger her, as she is unused to pain. It may be that she will become more used to it as time passes ... but likely not.

There are compensations, of course. If her ability to resist the intrusion of reality on her person has lessened, her ability to intrude on that reality herself, through her Nine Words of Mastery, has grown. And she can recover from fatal injuries, now, though this is not an ability that she plans to test anytime soon, given how she regards injury as a horror. (If she cannot immediately destroy whatever caused her injury, she is likely to retreat promptly.)

Her most potent ability is one that she never expected to receive. One of the demands that Mephistopheles made while negotiating his temporary alliance -- and thus that of the Sphere of Entropy -- with the other Ascendants was that the Hierarch of Entropy would have the right to refuse to allow ascendance to be bestowed without their permission. It seems likely, to her mind, that the False Friend intended for himself to rise into that seat and enjoy that privelige, but he has refused to discuss it in favor of loudly proclaiming himself her most loyal servant. Nevertheless, she quickly decided that reality needed no more ascendants, and planned to refuse all such petitions.

And then the Mnajimu came before her with his tale of a future that would bring about her fall, after only a brief reign, and then great and terrible disasters to follow. (The former part was all that concerned her.) All of this could only be prevented if another ascendant of the sphere of Time arose. Despite her suspicion, she was convinced of his sincerity, but set a high price for her agreement. He agreed, and so became the first ascendant in this new cosmological framework to die at her words, replaced by his red-robed colleague.

This illustrates the ultimate difference between herself and Ananke. The former was content to do nothing for eons, waiting for the time of her own ending. Teleute has an agenda of her own, and will take action to advance it. Ultimately, she seeks the triumph of entropy, the dissolution of everything into its most primal state ... and yet one from which there can be a rebirth. Something old becoming something new.

Teleute -- PL 16

Abilities:
STR 4 | STA 12 | AGL 4 | DEX 3 | FGT 6 | INT 10 | AWE 7 | PRE 7

Powers:
Ascendant: Ascendant: Immortality 5 (one day), Only When On Home Plane; Immunity 1 (aging); Movement 1 (dimensional travel to home plane), Reaction (death); Movement 2 (dimensional travel to mystical dimensions), Standard Action - 10 points
Divine Body: Immunity 10 (life support); Insubstantial 4, Standard Action; Protection 4, Impervious 16 - 46 points
Divine Mind: Impervious Will 16, Limited to mental effects; Senses 7 (visual senses counter all concealment and illusions) - 23 points
Divine Veto: Feature 1 (no being can become an ascendant without her agreement) - 1 point
Nine Words of Mastery: Array (49 points)

• Word of Banishment: Perception Range Movement 1 Attack (dimensional travel to prison dimension), Resisted by Will, Increased Resistance 14, Reversible - 1 points
• Word of Death: Perception Range Damage 16, Resisted by Will, Hearing-Dependent, Reversible - 49 point
• Word of Life: Perception Range Healing 12, Others Only, Resurrection, Reversible - 1 point
• Word of Motion: Accurate Easy Extended Teleport 12, Extended Only - 1 point
• Word of Pain: Perception Range Cumulative Affliction 16 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated), Hearing-Dependent, Reversible - 1 point
• Word of Rule: Perception Range Cumulative Affliction 16 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled), Hearing-Dependent, Reversible - 1 point
• Word of Sight: Remove Sensing 15 (visual), No Conduit, Dimensional 2 (mystical) - 1 point
• Word of Stillness: Perception Range Nullify Magic 16, Broad - 1 point
• Word of Terror: Perception Range Affliction 16 (Resisted by Will; Impaired and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Disabled, Incapacitated and Paralyzed), Extra Condition, Hearing-Dependent, Reversible - 1 point

Advantages:
Assessment, Equipment 5, Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Persuasion), Jack-of-all-trades, Seize Initiative, Speed of Thought, Warp, Well-informed.

Equipment:
Home Plane: Size Gargantuan; Toughness 20; Features Communications, Concealed, Defense System, Grounds, Isolated, Library, Living Space, Power System, Personnel, Security System (DC 30) - 22 points.

Skills:
Expertise: Dimensional 10 (+20), Expertise: Galactic 11 (+21), Insight 12 (+19), Intimidation 12 (+19), Perception 13 (+20), Persuasion 12 (+19).

Offense:
Initiative +10
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 4)
Word of Mastery -- (Perception Range Will 15)

Defense:
Dodge 14, Parry 12, Fortitude 12, Toughness 16, Will 16.

Totals:
Abilities 106 + Powers 137 + Advantages 13 + Skills 35 + Defenses 25 = 316 points

Offensive PL: 16
Defensive PL: 15
Resistance PL: 14
Skill PL: 16

Complications:
Entropy--Motivation. Callous and Indifferent. Temper (when suffers injury.)

"You are losing my interest," the rustling voice interrupted him again, "and that is very dangerous. In a moment I will have forgotten you quite entirely, and will never be able to remember just what I did with you. What I forget not only ceases to exist, but never really existed in the first place."

 

[Davies]

Fijiag

On the one hand, the Sprawl changes so fast that the events of even ten years ago might as well have happened to a previous generation. Even the terms used by Patois vary immensely depending on when you learned it. So someone who navigates cyberspace might be called a vagero, a pirato, or several other generally uncomplimentary names. On the other hand, most of those changes are entirely superficial, and once the new terminology is known, one finds that the job remains the same after actual generations.

The man who goes by the name Fijiag ("fee-JYAG") has been active as a cyberspace navigator -- he prefers the term "cortarado" -- for roughly fifty years, longer than anyone else in the same line of work. Remarks he has made suggest that he has undergone at least one rejuvenation treatment in that time, but most of his longevity is owed to being the best there is at what he does. He has flown black and white flags at various points in his career, working as an independent mercenary and hired on a long term basis by the corps. Where most people who get hired by the corps are bound to lifetime contracts, he has always negotiated his terms of his employment to his own advantage, frequently escaping from conditions he finds intolerable.

Little is known about the man behind the legend. He was probably no older than a teenager when he began his career, and did not (despite what flattened histories would suggest) immediately become notorious. But over the course of his life, he has either contributed to advances in both computer security and computer intrusion techniques, or been solely responsible for some. While most of his work has been imitated or even improved upon by other hands, some of his best work remains proprietary.

The most notorious of the latter would probably be what he refers to as his Catspawn system. Generally, people who engage in cyberspace activities must expose themselves to the risk that their nervous system might be overloaded by programs designed to cause damage to computer systems, which is generally fatal. As some have put it, when you die in cyberspace, your meat body will die too. But the Catspawn system is able to shield his brain from such injuries, allowing him to respawn his avatar up to eight times in quick succession and giving him the nine lives of a cat. (It is actually only four times, but Fijiag will go to some lengths to keep that a secret.)

As one who has switched sides many times in his life, Fijiag is a bit -- no, a lot -- cynical about causes. He has seen villains face death with bravery and dignity and so-called heroes break under the strain. So he has declined to formally ally himself with those forces working to improve life in the Sprawl now that it is part of a world again, working with them solely on a case by case basis. But he has become aware that there is someone active in cyberspace with intentions that are hostile to the Sprawl as a whole.

And it might be a hellhole run by awful people. But it is his home, and he will defend it.

Fijiag -- PL 10

Abilities:
STR 2/0 | STA 1 | AGL 4/2 | DEX 2 | FGT 5/3 | INT 6 | AWE 5 | PRE 3

Powers:
Cyberspace Dive: Movement 1 (dimensional [cyberspace]), Side Effect (body is incapacitated) - 1 point
Implanted Communicator: Radio Communication 3 (regional), Subtle; Comprehend Machines 2; Senses 3 (acute tracking radio) - 22 points
Overclocked Avatar: Concealment 10, Partial; Enhanced Advantages 5 (Evasion 2, Improved Initiative 2, Move-by Action); Linked Enhanced Defenses 12 (Dodge 6, Parry 6); Enhanced Skill 3 (Close Combat: Unarmed 6); Linked Enhanced Strength 2; Linked Enhanced Fighting 2; Linked Enhanced Agility 2; Linked Impervious Will 10; Linked Sustained Protection 6; Limited, Only in Cyberspace - 26 points
Respawn: Linked Immortality 20; Linked Teleport 1, Reaction (dying); Limited, Only in Cyberspace, Unreliable (5 uses) - 13 points

Advantages:
Benefit 6 (cipher 2, millionaire, makes gather information checks with Technology), Equipment 8, Evasion 2, Improed Initiative 2, Improvised Tools, Move-by Action, Ranged Attack 4, Skill Mastery (Technology), Speed of Thought, Ultimate Effort (Technology).

Equipment:
40 points of gear needed for any given assignment, usually offensive programs (various effects, Limited, Only in Cyberspace.)

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 6 (+11), Deception 8 (+11), Expertise: Criminal 6 (+12), Expertise: History 4 (+10), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+12), Insight 7 (+12), Intimidation 6 (+9), Perception 6 (+11), Techology 7 (+13).

Offense:
Initiative +14/+6
Unarmed +11/+5 (Close Damage 2)

Defense:
Dodge 13/7, Parry 11/5, Fortitude 5, Toughness 7/1, Will 11.

Totals:
Abilities 44 + Powers 62 + Advantages 25 + Skills 25 + Defenses 17 = 173 points

Offensive PL: 7/4*
Defensive PL: 10/4
Resistance PL: 8
Skill PL: 8

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Fame. Secret Identity. Weakness (becomes Dazed/Stunned if subject to Nullify Technology.)

 

[Davies]

La Bomba

Maria Carpintero likes to think of herself as an easy-going person. In the ring, she might fight with ferocity if she is appearing as a heel -- pretty often, given how often she works in Japan these days -- and with determination if she has drawn the face. But wrestling is entertainment, not battle. Out of the ring, she tries her best to avoid fights and calm everyone down, only answering violence with violence if innocent bystanders would otherwise be put at risk, and minimizing the damage that she does. Unless someone brings up one of the subjects that set her off, she can maintain her pose.

And when they do, she snaps, loses it and tries to discover new ways that the human form can be twisted until she feels calm again.

So, in the interest of preventing that, let us explore those subjects in this safe space. First and foremost, one should never suggest that her abilities, while unquestionably superpower -- she can lift a ton and has greatly enhanced reaction speed -- are hereditary. She got this way through incredibly hard work, not because of who her parents were. And definitely not because of any completely unfounded allegations that her abuela ran around with El Sabio back in the Seventies! Suggesting that is a great way to arouse her curiosity about the color of your internal organs.

Secondly, yes, she did get tricked into fighting Tlaloc that one time. Talking about this will not anger her, and she will be frank about how embarrassed she was to realize that she had been manipulated into fighting someone who deliberately held back and didn't drop lightning bolts on her. Asking about how it would have gone if she had not reached that realization, however, will anger her with the implication that she would not have eventually won before he decided that he had no choice but to use the weather as a weapon.

Thirdly, she is not dating Rakni. She has known him since he joined UWF, and thinks he is a great contender and a wonderful person. Suggesting that their relationship has ever gone further will only make her laugh, as he is much too young for her. Suggesting that she would enjoy having herself webbed will seriously annoy her. (Suggesting that eight years is not really all that much younger utterly annoys her.)

Finally, yes, she has undergone therapy for this little problem of hers, and believed she was making progress towards overcoming it. Then the lousy headshrinker started to talk about how she had to come to terms with -- no, that topic is probably not safe to be discussed even here. Hopefully, it will never come up again. That poor man. He might walk again some day.

La Bomba -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR 4 | STA 4 | AGL 6 | DEX 4 | FGT 8 | INT 1 | AWE 4 | PRE 3

Powers:
Power Lifting: Enhanced Strength 2, Limited to lifting (1 ton) - 2 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Chokehold, Daze (Intimidation), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Diehard, Fast Grab, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Prone Fighting, Takedown, Weapon Bind.

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

Offense:
Initiative +10
Unarmed +12 (Close Damage 4)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 10, Fortitude 7, Toughness 6/4, Will 7.

Totals:
Abilities 68 + Powers 2 + Advantages 17 + Skills 30 + Defenses 10 = 127 points

Offensive PL: 8
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 7
Skill PL: 7

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Hair-Trigger Temper (only about certain subjects.)

 

[Davies]

Mount Graham Correctional Facility

The difficulties involved in imprisoning superpower criminals were demonstrated early in the Golden Age, after the capture (and subsequent escape) of the Russian agent known as the Untouchable. Not all "supervillains" were as difficult to imprison as a man who could become intangible, but enough were able to strain the abilities of the authorities to cause numerous sleepless nights. There were many attempts to create methods of incarceration which could handle these challenges, but for every success, such as those used to hold De Damp, there were many more of which the best could be said that they only failed without creating more menaces to society.

But the successes accumulated, and in 1981, the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons announced that they would be constructing a special prison in New Mexico which was intended to hold both federal and state prisoners who had demonstrated that they could not be held by more mundane facilities. Various events too well-known to be discussed here delayed the opening of this facility, nicknamed Tartarus, until 1986. While Tartarus suffered many escapes during its twenty years of operations, they were far enough between to keep the Department of Justice and the executive reasonably satisfied ... until 2006, when the entire facility was destroyed during the coup attempt that year.

Plans for a replacement facility were begun almost immediately, using the same theories as the original but incorporating advances in technology that had been discovered in the interim. However, the decision was made not to base the installation in New Mexico, but rather Arizona, within the Pinaleño Mountains, specifically their High Peak, or Mount Graham. Exactly why this decision was made is the subject of a two hundred page proposal too complicated to be summarized here. Conspiracy theories hold that the area was chosen to take advantage of certain properties of the mountain, considered sacred by the Western Apache Nation.

Since its establishment in 2008, the Big Rock (as it is known, taking inspiration from the famous nickname of Alcatraz) has not seen any successful escapes*, and the number of attempted escapes has dwindled since the installation of Korean power suppression technology in 2012. That said, the prison staff are not complacent, and 2022 saw a further advance in their resources, with the introduction of a new set of powered armor employed by the guards, manufactured by Cadmus Enterprises.

Unfortunately, a disturbingly high number of those guards work for Saturn, as do many of the prison staff. Warden Daniel Collins is notably not one of these, but he is aware of them and believes that the only reason that he has not been assassinated by his supposed colleagues is that they are uncertain that one of them would be chosen as his replacement. Therefore, he does little to impede the activities of this conspiracy, which are at least not threatening law-abiding citizens. Besides, he also has frequent nightmares about the Emperor of Korea deciding to whimsically shut down the power suppression gear, and about the other Pythonian inspired group among the prisoners, and -- he is not a happy man.

Mount Graham Correctional Facility
Size Colossal; Toughness 16; Features Communications, Concealed 3, Fire Prevention System, Hangar, Holding Cells 3, Infirmary, Isolated, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Power System, Security System 3 - 27 points

Prison Guards -- PL 9/MR 8

Abilities:
STR 8/1 | STA 1 | AGL 3/1 | DEX 2 | FGT 5/3 | INT 0 | AWE 1 | PRE 0

Powers:
Spartoi "Fylakas" Powered Armor: Removable (-19 points)

• Armored Shell: Impervious Protection 8 - 16 points
• Chest Lamp: Environment 1 (light) - 1 point
• Comm System: Radio Communication 3 (regional), Subtle - 10 points
• Cybernetic Controls: Enhanced Agility 2; Enhanced Defenses 6 (Dodge 3, Parry 3); Enhanced Fighting 2 - 14 points
• Rocket Boosters: Flight 8 (500 MPH) - 16 points
• Sealed Systems: Immunity 10 (life support) - 10 points
• Sensors: Senses 10 (accurate extended 2 radio, direction sense, distance sense, infravision, ultravision, time sense) - 10 points
• Weapons Systems: Array (16 points)
  • Chest Lamp Flare: Cone Area Cumulative Affliction 8 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Fortitude; Visually Impaired, Visually Disabled, Visually Unaware), Limited to One Sense - 16 points
  • Cybernetic Muscles: Enhanced Advantage 2 (Close Attack); Enhanced Strength 7 - 1 point
  • Mounted Blaster: Ranged Damage 8 - 1 point

Advantages:
Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Teamwork.

Skills:
Close Combat: Grab 2 (+7/+5), Expertise: Current Events 2 (+2), Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+4), Intimidation 6 (+6), Investigation 2 (+2), Perception 2 (+3), Technology 4 (+4).

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +7/+3 (Close Damage 8/1)
Grab +9/+5 (Close Grab 8/1)
Mounted Blaster +4 (Ranged Damage 8)

Defense:
Dodge 9/3, Parry 9/3, Fortitude 3, Toughness 9/1, Will 3.

Totals:
Abilities 18 + Powers 76 + Advantages 4 + Skills 11 + Defenses 6 = 115 points

Offensive PL: 9
Defensive PL: 9
Resistance PL: 3
Skill PL: 1

Complications:
Professional--Motivation. Alternatively, Power--Motivation. Maintenance. Others as Needed.

* This is only accurate as far as the staff are aware. In fact, the vampire Carmilla found herself imprisoned here for several weeks in 2011, during a time when she had been temporarily rendered a living vampire, but was able to fake her death once she once again became undead, facilitating her escape.