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

[Davies]

Aperion

Located slightly more than a thousand parsecs coreward from Earth, not far from those sectors of space that have been conquered by the Dark Side, the planet Aperion is the capital -- and sole inhabited planet -- of a tiny pocket of space that those forces have not yet challenged. It seems likely that this is due to the fact that it is the home base of those who use the Power Prism, who have never used any less awkward collective name. This is where the Power Prisms are created, and the Technate believes that this is also where those who use them are chosen and trained.

That last belief is not completely accurate, but the Council of Aperion does absolutely nothing to disabuse the Technate of that notion. The fact of the matter is that the majority of Power Prisms change hands completely at random, passing from one failing hand to another. Matters being as they are, it is a quite common occurrence for the new possessor of a Power Prism to be the individual who ended the life of its previous possessor. Not all of those who use this instrument are law-upholding, or even law-abiding, and the Prism will function regardless of the user's character. The case of Derat Bahasta, alias el Diablo Rojo, should be ample evidence of that.

There are two main authorities on Aperion. The Council is composed of current and retired users of the Prism, recruited from countless worlds within the Technate, the Unclaimed Regions, and further afield. They handle the planet's defense, diplomacy and most other daily business, having been established to do all this some four hundred years* ago by the other authority. These are the beings known as the Lightsmiths, who run the machinery that create the Prisms. As a certain entity claimed, telling a half-truth, they are a species who consist of a giant human-like brain attached to a vestigial semi-humanoid body.

The Lightsmiths' sole interest is in creating new Power Prisms and observing their development. Aside from what little effort they expend on the basics of life -- feeding, resting, and other biological functions -- and on study to improve their abilities, this is literally all that they do. They possess instrumentation which can detect the whereabouts of any Power Prism that they created anywhere in known space, and which can inform them as to how developed they have become through regular use. They do not have the ability to detect anything about the entities who use them. Nor would they be interested in having that ability. With only one exception, they don't care who uses their Power Prisms, as long as they are used.

That exception is that they were, at one point in the past, able to focus enough of their attention on other matters to realize that, if they gave this power to any individual without concern, the possibility existed that it might be used against themselves. To prevent that possibility, they created the Council after vetting its immediate members for such ambitions, and charged them with defending Aperion in general, and the Lightsmiths in particular, from all threats. In the early centuries of its existence, the Council acted like any military focused group would do, often engaging in pre-emptive attacks against potential threats to Aperion. More recently, since shortly before the formation of the Technate, the Council has begun to act more like a combination of a law enforcement agency and emergency services provider, working with friendly governments against mutual threats, so as to discourage potentially hostile activity.

Regardless, the Council receives information about the whereabouts of those Power Prisms which are in use from the Lightsmiths. While the latter are not generally interested in the character of those who use their creations, the same is not true of the Councilors, who dispatch agents to investigate the activities and nature of such individuals. Those who are using their abilities in what these agents believe to be an inappropriate manner will have their Prisms removed, and probably be turned over to local law enforcement where possible. Others will be invited to return to Aperion for a time in order to learn more about their abilities. If that invitation is refused, they won't (generally) press the issue.

The Power Prism that is used by Victor Furtado was, for most of his career, assumed to still be in the possession of B'zz Trgal, who had indicated a complete lack of interest in journeying to Aperion when he was confronted, on several different occasions, by agents of the Council. After the Powerhouse joined forces with the Last Men Standing, however, the intelligence that it had passed to another hand was shared with them, and an experienced agent, Edeth, was sent to investigate. This took longer than it should have due to some other problems, involving defending the planet from the Dark Side, and resulted in something of a comedy of errors following Victor Furtado's departure from Earth for a journey to Aperion.

The greatest secret of the Lightsmiths is that their factory is powered by a single object -- one of the five Cosmic Gems of interstellar legend, arguably the prototype for the Power Prisms themselves. It would be possible to remove the Power Gem from their factory, and this would not affect the Prisms that exist in any way. But it would make it impossible to create further Prisms, and the Lightsmiths would spare no effort to retrieve it, for they literally cannot imagine any existence that does not involve making more Prisms for all eternity.

Aperion Lightsmith -- PL 13

Abilities:
STR -1 | STA 0 | AGL 3 | DEX 4 | FGT 6 | INT 11 | AWE 8 | PRE 6

Powers:
Basic Telepathy: Mental Communication 4; Comprehend Languages 3 - 28 points
Defensive Field: Enhanced Defenses 16 (Dodge 8, Parry 8); Sustained Protection 8 - 32 points
Psychic Functions: Array (52 points)

• Clairsentience: Remote Viewing 18 (250,000 miles; visual, mental), Dynamic - 2 points
• Memory Alteration: Perception-Ranged Cumulative Affliction 13 (Resisted by Will; dazed, stunned, transformed) - 1 point
• Mind Probe: Cumulative Effortless Mind Reading 13, Dynamic - 53 points
• Mind Thrust: Perception-Ranged Damage 12, Resisted by Will, Split Attack 2, Subtle 2 - 1 point
• Parakinesis: Perception-Ranged Shapeable Area Damage 12, Variable 2 (energy), Dynamic - 2 point
• Psychokinesis: Perception-Ranged Damaging Move Object 12, Precise, Subtle 2, Dynamic - 2 point

Psychic Senses: Senses 9 (detect life [accurate, acute, analytical, radius, ranged], darkvision) - 9 points
Psychokinetic Flight: Continuous Flight 6 (125 MPH) - 18 points
Shielded Mind: Impervious Will 13, Limited to Mental Effects - 7 points

Advantages:
Assessment, Beginner's Luck, Extraordinary Effort, Improved Defense, Jack-of-all-Trades, Speed of Thought, Teamwork, Well-informed.

Skills:
Deception 8 (+14), Expertise: Galactic 5 (+16), Expertise: Science 7 (+18), Insight 9 (+17), Perception 5 (+13), Persuasion 9 (+15), Technology 7 (+18)

Offense:
Initiative +11
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage -1)
Memory Alteration -- (Perception Range Will 13)
Mind Thrust -- (Perception Range Damage 12, Resisted by Will)
Parakinesis -- (Perception Range Shapeable Area Damage 12)
Psychokinesis -- (Perception Range Damaging Move Object 12)

Defense:
Dodge 16/8, Parry 18/10, Fortitude 6, Toughness 8/0, Will 13

Totals:
Abilities 74 + Powers 156 + Advantages 8 + Skills 25 + Defenses 20 = 283 points

Offensive PL: 13
Defensive PL: 13
Resistance PL: 10
Skill PL: 13

Complications:
Obsession--Motivation. Slow Movement (becomes Hindered if Flight is nullified.)


The Power Gem

Actual size

Power Gem: Removable (-31 points)
Force Field: Sustained Impervious Protection 20; Sustained Immunity 10 (life support) - 50 points
Phased Flight: Flight 18 (500,000 MPH), Aquatic; Insubstantial 3; Movement 3 (environmental adaptation [zero-g], space travel 2) - 58 points
Power Uses: Array (45 points)

• Basic Blast: Ranged Damage 20, Accurate 2, Affects Insubstantial - 45 points
• Exo-Armor: Enhanced Advantage 5 (Close Attack 5); Enhanced Strength 16; Enhanced Strength 8, Limited to Lifting (400 kilotons, minimum) - 1 point
• Explosive Blast: Ranged Burst Area 3 Damage 11, Affects Insubstantial - 1 point
• Force Objects: Moveable Impervious Create 10, Precise - 1 point
• Reactive Armor: Reaction Damage 11, Affects Insubstantial - 1 point
• Stun Blast: Ranged Affliction 22 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated) - 1 point
• Tractor-Presser Beam: Move Object 22 (100 kilotons), Precise - 1 point

Note: It is not possible to replicate all the abilities of a Power Prism with the Power Gem; the former creations are infused with the psychic energies of the Lightsmiths, and someone adept in their use can do things with them that the Power Gem cannot do. In theory, it would be possible for someone using a Power Prism to achieve levels of power comparable to that of the Power Gem and the Mind Gem ... but the Lightsmiths believe that it would take more than a thousand years of training.

 

[Voltron64]

The greatest secret of the Lightsmiths is that their factory is powered by a single object -- one of the five Cosmic Gems of interstellar legend, arguably the prototype for the Power Prisms themselves.

Ananke and/or the Great Ones wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the Cosmic Gems, would they?

 

[Davies]

Ananke and/or the Great Ones wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the Cosmic Gems, would they?

Nope, not this time.

 

[Davies]

Yusei

\

The rulers of Yusei, capital of the Yusei Star Kingdom, have taken some pains to misinform the neighboring Crimson Imperium concerning their state. The Kingdom is believed by most (notably not by the Crimson King and some of his agents) to be about as large as the Imperium, when it in fact encompasses a smaller volume of space and fewer inhabited worlds than any other current interstellar state, with the exception of Aperion's Protectorate. On the other hand, the scholars of the Crimson Imperium believe that the human race native to Yusei is, as with the majority of humanity within the Imperium, descended from Chiraben sources, despite the Yusei's insistence that they are not. Ironically, that insistence is only a partial truth.

The roots of Yusei date back to the start of the 800s CE on Earth, specifically to the nation of Japan. In the first decade of that century, a woodcutter from a village in that country discovered a crashed spacecraft containing a living passenger, specifically an Albadine aristocrat. He and his wife nursed her back to health, in some awe of her obviously supernatural origins. Reports of this "heavenly maiden" circulated throughout the empire of Japan, and even reached the Imperial court. If one is to believe the somewhat fictionalized account of these events -- Taketori Monogatari, or The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter -- the "maiden" may even have been courted by the Emperor of that time, but refused him as she planned to return to her own country.

She had not yet departed by 812, however, at which point Japan was afflicted with an epidemic of smallpox that killed more than half of its population. To save the lives of those that she had come to care about, the Albadine used her supply of technology to vaccinate the populace of the village, violently breaking her own people's cultural taboos in the process. Further, she grew concerned that her action could lead to greater harm to those she sought to protect, who might be dissected to determine why they lived while so many others died. Thus, when at last a vessel of the Gardeners answered her summons, she explained her concerns to the villagers and asked them to accompany her on her voyage. Overwhelmingly, they agreed.

The Gardeners transported the Albadine and her followers to a planet far away from Earth, the world of purple seas and skies that would later be known as Yusei. Briefed on what her hosts knew of this world, chiefly the presence of megafauna there, the 'princess' trained several of the villagers in the fighting and psychic arts of her people, so that they would be able to defend the colony that they would found. It would take a long while for the people of Yusei to grow used to their new world, but they were adaptable and resourceful, were fruitful and multiplied. Their 'princess' eventually left them after a generation had passed, but promised to one day return. More than a thousand years later, it is still an article of faith with some of the population that she will do so, but most accept that she is long dead.

After a few centuries*, however, a different group of strange visitors from another world arrived on Yusei. 'Rising stars' from Cherab, they had fled their home world and were now in search of another. While the guardians of the Yusei were potent, they could not match these beings' power. A different solution was sought, and an agreement was negotiated with some of these would-be gods that they would receive the idolization they desired if some of the more malevolent members of their party were expelled. As these individuals had already annoyed many of their peers, this was considered an acceptable arrangement.

Some of the scapegoats were killed, others fled, and in the end the remaining overfolk settled in as Yusei's new gods. Gradually, they established kinship with many of the leading families of the Yusei, either legitimately or otherwise. With their help, both technological and otherwise, the Yusei conquered what remained of their planet, and then nearby planets as well. A thousand years later, a few of the first generation of the gods are still alive, though they are all quite elderly and rarely leave their fortified temples save for brief excursions. (Actual immortality was possessed by relatively few of their people.) They still exert much influence over the Yusei people, but rule is in the hands of the Star King and his court -- distantly related to all the gods, and thus obligated to none of them.

The Yusei would prefer it if they could ignore the presence of the Crimson Imperium not far from their borders, as they did for centuries. But that is not an option, and they are resigned to the fact that a war between their two powers is inevitable. Their leaders are doing all in their power to ensure that it is a war they will win, but their strategic projection is that unless the Crimson Imperium is distracted by a major civil war or invasion from another party, they are doomed. Their troops' quality is high, and their technology superior, but the sheer numbers that the Imperium can call upon will bring about their inevitable doom, with the likely collapse of their opponent in the aftermath a comfort as cold as interstellar space.

Some of the Yusei leadership have responded to this grim scenario by descending into decadence and focusing on petty games of influence. In the course of one such struggle, which even drew the Royal House into it, a remarkable treasure came into the hands of the current Star King. Neither he nor any of the sages of his court have realized that the gem of unknown origin that they now possess, and have stashed in the royal treasury, is one of the five Cosmic Gems of interstellar legend. As such, as long as they do not know what they own, they might be willing to trade this priceless wonder for something of much lesser worth but apparently similar rarity. Or someone could try stealing it, and probably face hundreds of the Star Kingdom's crack troops in the process.

Yusei Soldier -- PL 8/MR 9

Abilities:
STR 4 | STA 5 | AGL 4 | DEX 5 | FGT 8 | INT 1 | AWE 2 | PRE 1

Powers:
Defensive Shielding: Immunity 10 (life support); Sustained Protection 2, Impervious 4 - 16 points
Flight Gear: Flight 13/7 (16000 MPH/250 MPH), Higher level is only in microgravity; Removable (-4 points) - 16 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Equipment 4, Improved Defense, Power Attack.

Equipment:
Blaster Staff (Strength-based Damage 2; Ranged Damage 8), Commlink, 2 points as needed

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+8), Athletics 3 (+7), Close Combat: Staff 2 (+10), Expertise: Military 5 (+6), Insight 6 (+8), Intimidation 7 (+8), Perception 6 (+8), Ranged Combat: Blaster 3 (+8), Vehicles 4 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +4
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 4)
Staff +10 (Close Damage 6)
Blaster +8 (Ranged Damage 8)

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

Totals:
Abilities 60 + Powers 32 + Advantages 8 + Skills 20 + Defense 12 = 125 points

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

Complications:
Duty--Motivation. Others as Needed.

Note: This is an inexperienced Yusei soldier. For a more experienced PL 9 veteran, increase STR to 5, FGT to 9, add Improved Initiative and Teamwork, increase Close Combat to 3 ranks, Expertise: Military to 6 ranks, Perception to 8 ranks, Ranged Combat to 5 ranks, Dodge to 11, and consider adding Expertise: Magic at 6 ranks (or higher for a specialist, who might also have Senses 1 [mystic awareness].)

Matter Gem

Actual size

Matter Gem: Removable (-24 points)
Body Hardening: Enhanced Stamina 10, Impervious - 30 points
Matter Control Powers: Array (84 points)

• Disintegration: Linked Ranged Weaken Toughness 12, Affects Objects, Secondary Effect; Linked Ranged Damage 12, Secondary Effect - 84 points
• Transmutation: Continuous Ranged Transform 12 (anything into anything) - 1 point

Matter Perception: Senses 5 (analytical vision, vision penetrates concealment) - 5 points

 

[Voltron64]

Well that certainly puts a dent to my Olympian offshoot theory...

I admit Heian period-era villagers uplifted by Space Galadriel who happens to be the basis for Princess Kaguya certainly is a good one.

 

[Davies]

She looked like this, incidentally.

 

[Davies]

The Underworld

Whether there is an existence for an individual's consciousness after their biological existence ends remains an unanswered question. The existence of hauntings suggests that something might endure, but not perhaps the whole of a person's identity. All these uncertainties are not made a bit clearer by the existence of the reality known as the Underworld, which just raises even more questions.

The Underworld exists within a computer complex located beneath the continent now known as Antarctica. Created thousands of years ago, during the height of the Olympian era, it was intended as both a reward for individuals whom the Olympians favored and an additional punishment for those whom they felt deserved such matters. The computer, monitoring the minds of every human being on Earth, would record those minds at the moment of their death, and introduce these recorded consciousnesses into a virtual reality program -- the Underworld. And it has continued to do so long after the Olympians who created it have ceased to exist.

The Underworld is generally a fairly grim and uncomfortable place, though there are pleasant regions as well, designed to make 'deserving' humans feel at home. (However, even these regions were designed with Stone Age humans in mind, not contemporary ones.) Whether comfortable or uncomfortable, however, the existence of a human consciousness within the Underworld is relatively brief. It is rare for these entities to exist for more than about a decade before they dissolve into nothingness, with a few rare persons of great willpower enduring for up to two centuries before that happens. Even in the Underworld, nothing ever lasts forever.

With one exception. The virtual realm is managed by the recorded consciousness of the Olympian known as Irkalla, known as its queen. (She remembers having volunteered for the position. Whether that memory is authentic is open to question.) She seems to be a very mercurial entity, sometimes acting as a cruel tyrant to the souls here, inflicting tortures for the slightest perceived transgression, sometimes as a much more benevolent ruler, offering care and consolation. Regardless of how she might acts, she always answers threats to herself with terrible force, but there are indications that she can be and has been beaten. However, she is always restored to the system from backups within a day, though the backups will be of a version of Irkalla who likely does not remember her most recent demise.

It is only in recent years that serious challenges have been made to Irkalla's rule over the Underworld, by the recordings of noteworthy superheroes and supervillains. These include many of the members of the Institute, who have endured since their physical deaths. Currently led Doctor Freeze and his father, and in an uneasy alliance with a group of villains led by Diavolus, these champions intend to liberate all the souls held in bondage in this place and somehow escape back to their former reality. They are certain that Irkalla curses their names nightly.

She has completely fooled them. The truth of Irkalla is that she is a profoundly lonely entity, who mourns the departure of each soul from her kingdom, and whose actions -- whether cruel or kind -- are always chosen to extend the time that someone exists within the Underworld before dissolving. Her duty is to protect the Underworld; caring for its inhabitants, seeing that they receive what she thinks they need, is her voluntary choice. She is amazed at the strength of will and the courage that these heroes (and even the villains) demonstrate, and considers the fact that they oppose her to be the greatest honor she has ever been granted. Irkalla will oppose them, because she must, but she loves them, and will go down fighting, again and again, always with a smile on her face.

The computer complex that creates this virtual reality is empowered by one of the Cosmic Gems of interstellar legend. If the Mind Gem were to be removed from its circuitry, it would no longer be able to capture additional consciousnesses, and would enter a sleep state when all those within it finally fade. (Irkalla has vague memories that this happened at some point in the past, but can't remember any details.) It would be also be theoretically possible to use that facility to download a consciousness from within the Underworld to a new body -- whether organic or otherwise -- but getting to the complex, covered by tons of ice and rock and never intended to be accessed in this manner, is no easy task.

Irkalla -- PL 14

Abilities:
STR 10 | STA 14 | AGL 5 | DEX 4 | FGT 12 | INT 5 | AWE 7 | PRE 6

Powers:
Ancient and Eternal: Comprehend Languages 4; Immortality 5 (1 day); Immunity 11 (aging, life support); Impervious Toughness 12 - 45 points
Authority of the Underworld's Queen: Array (44 points)

• Chains You Forged In Life: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 14 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseless & Immobilized), Extra Condition, Limited Degree - 1 point
• Flames of Perdition: Linked Ranged Damage 12; Linked Ranged Burst Area Damage 6 - 1 point
• Gaze of Doom: Perception Ranged Cumulative Affliction 14 (Resisted and Overcome by Will; Impaired, Stunned, Paralyzed), Vision Dependent - 1 points
• Knows All: Cumulative Mind Reading 14, Subtle 2 - 44 points
• Sees All: Remote Sensing 7 (120 miles; all senses, Simultaneous), Subtle 2 - 1 point
• To Dream of Heaven: Perception Ranged Affliction 14 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated) - 1 points

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Evasion, Fearless 2, Power Attack, Seize Initiative, Skill Mastery (Intimidation), Startle

Skills:
Expertise: History 8 (+13), Expertise: Magic 6 (+12), Insight 8 (+15), Intimidation 8 (+14), Perception 4 (+11), Persuasion 6 (+12), Ranged Combat: Authority 10 (+14), Stealth 8 (+13).

Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +12 (Close Damage 11)
Flames +14 (Ranged Damage 12 and Ranged Burst Area Damage 6)
Chains +14 (Ranged Affliction 14, Resisted by Dodge)
Gaze -- (Perception Range Will 14)
Dream -- (Perception Range Will 14)

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

Totals:
Abilities 126 + Powers 84 + Advantages 8 + Skills 29 + Defenses 13 = 260 points

Offensive PL: 14
Defensive PL: 14
Resistance PL: 13
Skill PL: 10

Complications:
Duty--Motivation. Lonely. Sense of Duty (the dead.) Virtual Entity (cannot leave the Underworld.)

The Mind Gem

Actual size

Mind Gem: Removable (-23 points)
Cosmic Knowledge: Mental Communication 5; Comprehend Languages 4; Enhanced Advantages 3 (Jack-of-all-trades, Speed of Thought, Well-Informed) - 35 points
Shielded Mind: Enhanced Will 14, Impervious Limited to Mental Effects - 21 points
Telepathic Powers: Array (58 points)

• Mind Burn: Perception Range Damage 14, Resisted by Will, Subtle 2 - 1 point
• Mind Cloud: Continuous Concealment 10, Passive, Resisted by Will; Illusion 11 (all but mental) - 1 point
• Mind Freeze: Cumulative Perception Range Affliction 14 (Resisted by Will; Vulnerable, Defenseless, Paralyzed), Subtle 2 - 1 point
• Mind Mastery: Cumulative Perception Range Affliction 14 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Compelled, Controlled), Subtle 2 - 1 point
• Mind Mold: Cumulative Perception Range Affliction 14 (Dazed, Stunned, Transformed [memories altered]), Subtle 2 - 1 point
• Mind Probe: Cumulative Effortless Mind Reading 14, Subtle 2 - 58 points

 

[Davies]

Gedaugen

As with nearly all the luminaries of Daath, what is known about the man called Gedaugen -- 'the Vanguard', in an archaic dialect of Imperium Standard -- is based largely on accounts given to Aun Taxad by his mentors, and thus of questionable accuracy. In this unique case, however, Much of it is supported by certain statements that the man himself made to Vittara while he was training her. She remembers him as a cruel taskmaster, but not one who engaged in any deceptions or mind games while she was under his tutelage, and believes that he was largely truthful. It remains to be seen if this is the case.

According to the compiled narrative, roughly one hundred and fifty years* ago, a small group of Technate citizens grew disenchanted with their government, and chose to leave their nation's borders to create a new colony which would be more to their liking. This was a fairly common movement at that time in the Technate's history, with the colonies of Pyrnn and Trantia both being established by similarly-motivated groups within about a decade* of that point. The founders of the breakaway colony of Gemnollen were more like Trantia in that they did not reject contemporary technology, but their focus was on developing a life that did not depend upon it.

Gemnollen's leaders believed that all of life's problems could be solved through the practice of certain esoteric martial arts which had supposedly been preserved when their forebears fled the Imperium. (It should be noted that if these martial arts were actually practiced there, they aren't any longer, and there are no records of them having been practiced. Given how readily the Imperium censors its own history, this may not mean much.) They also believed in celibacy, among other disciplines, and intended that their colony would grow through the arrival of new students from within the Technate. When this failed to materialize after a few decades*, they turned to cloning to create a new generation of students.

The man called Gedaugen was allegedly a clone of the original founder of the Gemnollen colony, and soon demonstrated that he was an extremely talented practitioner of their martial arts practices. It was apparently suggested within their community that he had actually been geneforged, with material supposedly preserved from pre-space Chirab, that of one of the so-called 'rising stars'. That would explain why he was able to use these martial arts to shape, control and even reverse the effects of entropy on himself and other living creatures, to a much greater degree than any of his colleagues. By the time that he had reached adulthood, the leaders of the colony asked him to join them as their Grand Master of Rot.

He refused. His only interest was in developing his talents further, and taking part in the administrative and political duties of the Grand Master would get in the way of that. When they seemed unwilling to accept his refusal, Gedaugen decided to leave Gemnollen and take his studies of entropy out into the much larger universe beyond its skies. He did so, and, eventually, his journey took him to Daath in pursuit of ultimate power. He received some gift from Ananke, and paid for it with some loss -- possibly the bonding of his metal armor to his skin -- and took up the rule of a small principality on Daath.

When the wars of the Dark Side began, some time after his arrival, he was summoned by Abraxas and asked what he would contribute. Gedaugen offered to be the trainer of the most elite among the armies that were being raised, which surprised those who were familiar with him; his strategic acumen had been demonstrated in a number of the petty wars that had been waged before Abraxas' arrival. Abraxas ignored this and installed Gedaugen as the Dark Side's official master drill sergeant, and so he has served ever since.

While not turning the Dark Side's soldiers into killer angels, Gedaugen largely remains in his own principality. It is a harsh realm, but not the most unpleasant place on Daath. He is not kind to those he rules, but not cruel to those who manage to live beneath his notice. Furthermore, according to Tavipahter, he has apparently negotiated some sort of arrangement with the commanders of the Dark Side by which his service as a trainer removes any obligation for his subjects to be conscripted for their armies. They are still subjected to propaganda which incites them to do so voluntarily, but the numbers of those who do are quite small. What motivates this is a secret known only to Gedaugen.

This is not the greatest secret kept by Gedaugen, however. That would be the fact that, during his cosmic travels, he somehow became the possessor of one of the Cosmic Gems of interstellar legend. The Entropy Gem is perhaps the weakest of the five, perhaps because the concept of "entropy" in the World Less Magical lacks certain spiritual associations that it might possess in other realities. It can grant its wielder powers much like those possessed by Gedaugen ... but he has never used it himself, relying entirely on his own abilities. Nevertheless, he would guard it ferociously and unrelentingly pursue any individual who stole it from him. However it came into his hands, guarding the Gem has become one of his primary goals in life. Perhaps it is simply the symbol of all he hopes to become, something pure that has endured even in the abyss where he now abides.

Alternatively, it's possible that he just doesn't want anyone to become a greater wielder of entropic energy than himself.

Gedaugen -- PL 13

Abilities:
STR 11 | STA 11 | AGL 4 | DEX 2 | FGT 9 | INT 3 | AWE 6 | PRE 6

Powers:
Abiding: Immunity 11 (aging, life support); Impervious Toughness 7 - 18 points
Entropic Catalysts: Array (36 points)

• Boundary: Healing 12, Others Only, Selective Burst Area - 36 points
• Cascade: Affliction 12 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Fortitude; Vision Impaired, Vision Disabled, Vision Unaware), Selective Burst Area, Limited to One Sense - 1 point
• Exergy: Damage 9, Alternate Resistance (Fortitude), Selective Burst Area - 1 point
• Mitigation: Healing 9, Self Only, Reaction (when damaged) - 1 point
• Momentum: Move Object 9, Selective Burst Area 2, Limited to Moving Away - 1 point
• Reaction: Affliction 12 (Resisted by Fortitude; Impaired, Disabled), Limited Degree, Selective Burst Area - 1 point

Force Shield: Enhanced Defenses 4 (Dodge 2, Parry 2); Strength-based Damage 4; Activation (Move Action, -1) - 7 points
Translation Circuit: Comprehend Languages 3 - 9 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Fearless, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Takedown 2, Weapon Break.

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+10), Athletics 3 (+14), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+13), Deception 4 (+10), Expertise: Galactic 8 (+11), Expertise: Military 12 (+15), Insight 4 (+10), Intimidation 6 (+12), Perception 6 (+12), Technology 6 (+9), Vehicles 9 (+11)

Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +13 (Close Damage 11)
Shield Bash +9 (Close Damage 15)

Defense:
Dodge 13/11, Parry 15/13, Fortitude 13, Toughness 11, Will 11.

Totals:
Abilities 104 + Powers 75 + Advantages 12 + Skills 34 + Defenses 18 = 243 points

Offensive PL: 12
Defensive PL: 13
Resistance PL: 12
Skill PL: 10

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Brutal and Merciless. Obedient to Daath's Ruler and Viceroy.

The Entropy Gem

Actual size

Entropy Gem: Removable (-12 points)
Abiding: Abiding: Immunity 11 (aging, life support) - 11 points
Entropic Powers: Array (48 points)

• Boundary: Healing 16, Others Only, Selective Burst Area - 48 points
• Cascade: Affliction 16 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Fortitude; Vision Impaired, Vision Disabled, Vision Unaware), Selective Burst Area, Limited to One Sense - 1 point
• Exergy: Damage 12, Alternate Resistance (Fortitude), Selective Burst Area - 1 point
• Mitigation: Healing 12, Self Only, Reaction (when damaged) - 1 point
• Momentum: Move Object 12, Selective Burst Area 2, Limited to Moving Away - 1 point
• Reaction: Affliction 16 (Resisted by Fortitude; Impaired, Disabled), Limited Degree, Selective Burst Area - 1 point

 

[Voltron64]

This is not the greatest secret kept by Gedaugen, however. That would be the fact that, during his cosmic travels, he somehow became the possessor of one of the Cosmic Gems of interstellar legend. The Entropy Gem is perhaps the weakest of the five, perhaps because the concept of "entropy" in the World Less Magical lacks certain spiritual associations that it might possess in other realities. It can grant its wielder powers much like those possessed by Gedaugen ... but he has never used it himself, relying entirely on his own abilities. Nevertheless, he would guard it ferociously and unrelentingly pursue any individual who stole it from him. However it came into his hands, guarding the Gem has become one of his primary goals in life. Perhaps it is simply the symbol of all he hopes to become, something pure that has endured even in the abyss where he now abides.

Alternatively, it's possible that he just doesn't want anyone to become a greater wielder of entropic energy than himself.

Those two things need not be mutually exclusive.

 

[Davies]

True.