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

[Davies]

Jack Dore

When the Department of Defense began to organize the Joint Special Operations Task Force in late 1982, one of their first candidates for the organization's overall commander was Lieutenant John 'Jack' Dore, an officer with a proven history of leadership ability and tactical brilliance. He was ultimately not chosen for that role, in favor of Lieutenant Commander Stephen Waverly of the Navy SEALs. Dore was still recruited for the program, ultimately succeeding Waverly as the Task Force's overall commander following the former's death in combat in 1987, and proceeding to lead JSOT to its ultimate victory. He remained in the Army after the fall of Delphi, served in Syria, and had earned a Colonel's rank by the time he died coordinating the defense of Cheyenne Mountain in 2001.

Those are the bare facts of Jack Dore's life. There was much more to the story, however. Born in 1949, he was the oldest son of Captain Joseph Dore, commander of the Army's notorious Grim Brigade in both World War II and Korea, and later the leader of a similarly-named group while working for the Office of Scientific Investigations. He was twelve years old when his father died, and the incident, and his father's absence, shaped his character more than any other factor. Three years later, he and his younger brother William were orphaned when their mother died in an automobile accident, and taken in by one of her cousins.

It was fortunate for all involved that Jack was only in this house for about two and a half years, as his trial for murder would have put a damper on his admittance into West Point. He generally despised his so-called uncle, specifically despised the man's blatant contempt and disdain for Captain Dore, and later blamed him for the fact that William rejected the army. (Most of the time, at least; at other times, he believed that William's own personal flaws had led to that.) Regardless, he focused completely on his career after this, acting as though he neither had nor needed any living family. He was also left with a decided bias against civilian life in the aftermath, which colored many of his attitudes.

Somewhat to his annoyance, his own talents meant that he was not given an immediate combat assignment after graduating from the Point, but rather was sent to Washington to work in the Pentagon. Not until 1972 would he be sent to Vietnam, after the worst was over. Despite this, he soon earned a reputation as a competent (though sometimes harsh) commander during the reconstruction of the country. This episode, along with what he'd discovered in old records concerning his father's last mission for the Office, increased his distrust of the superpowers. He was able to work with the superpower allies of the Taskforce during the Insurgency, and came to respect some on a personal level, but he encouraged those who had more problems (such as Blake Rogers) to remain vigilant and wary. He might have regretted this, given time.

After his discovery that Delphi had exactly predicted the moment of her death, twenty year earlier, many of Dore's prior certainties were shattered. He began to suspect that his life, that every life, was being manipulated for the sadistic amusement of unimaginable entities. After some time to recover, though not before his relationship with Shannon Hazzard was broken beyond repair, he came to a somewhat existential viewpoint -- if that was true, then nothing was under his personal control except his own emotions, and so he would accept what life brought him with a calm heart. And it seems he managed to do that in the time that remained to him.

Jack Dore/Raptor -- PL 6

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

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Assessment, Benefit (military rank), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 5, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (rifle), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Inspire, Leadership, Move-by Action, Prone Fighting, Ranged Attack 2, Set-Up, Teamwork.

Equipment:
Assault Rifle (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5), Frag Grenades (Ranged Burst Area Damage 5), Combat Knife (Strength-based Damage 1, Improved Critical), commlink, 7 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+6), Athletics 5 (+7), Close Combat: Knife 2 (+7), Deception 2 (+5), Expertise: Current Events 4 (+5), Expertise: Military 7 (+8), Expertise: Streetwise 3 (+4), Insight 4 (+5), Intimidation 6 (+9), Investigation 6 (+7), Perception 6 (+7), Persuasion 2 (+5), Ranged Combat: Guns 2 (+5), Stealth 4 (+6), Technology 2 (+3), Treatment 2 (+3), Vehicles 3 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +2
Unarmed +5 (Close Damage 2)
Combat Knife +7 (Close Damage 3, Crit 19-20)
Assault Rifle +7 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5, Crit 19-20)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 7, Fortitude 5, Toughness 5/3, Will 6.

Totals:
Abilities 40 + Advantages 23 + Skills 30 + Defenses 13 = 106 points

Complications:
Patriotism--Motivation. Burden of Leadership. Intolerance (civilians.)

Note: After 1988, he is issued a Blaster Rifle (Ranged Damage 8), his Ranged Attack improves to 3 ranks, and he becomes PL 7.

 

[Davies]

Edward Mackenzie

By 1984, the operators of the Joint Special Operations Task Force were starting to think that they'd seen everything that the Pythons could possibly throw against him. Invariably, thoughts of this nature are an invitation to disaster, and a number of casualties were incurred by the team who were sent to investigate reports of suspicious activity at a dilapidated manor house in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, and so had JSOT's first encounter with Dr. Vincent Frankenstein, a relatively recent recruit to the opposition. However, they did successful interrupt the experimentation that he was conducting, though rescuing the victims of same permitted the scientist to escape.

While some of the surviving victims had suffered only minor violations of their anatomy, and were treated in conventional hospitals, one of them had suffered far greater trauma. While articulate, he claimed to have no memory of any prior existence. It seemed likely that this amnesia was psychological in nature, as while parts of his body had been replaced and augmented, his head and torso were unaltered, strongly suggesting that he was not actually a surgically reanimated corpse. He eventually accepted the name 'Edward Mackenzie', the name of a missing person from elsewhere in Los Angeles whom he somewhat resembled, though he came to prefer his code name -- 'Frank'.

Unable and unwilling to return to Edward Mackenzie's life, 'Frank' volunteered to serve as a member of JSOT. The brass was not enthusiastic about this notion, as there were some who suspected that this whole affair had been a set-up to insert a programmed double agent into the Task Force. After a mind-reader borrowed from the RCMP confirmed a complete lack of any such programming, however, 'Frank' was given permission to undertake JSOT's rigorous training program, and exceeded all expectations. He was granted an honorary lance corporal's rank in the USMC, and became the first openly superpower member of JSOT.

Needless to say, this did not win him many friends, nor did his demonstrated obsession with hunting Dr. Frankenstein, becoming somewhat unmanageable when he was rumored to be in the area. His stated goal was to prevent what had happened to him from happening to anyone else, but most accounts of these incidents portrayed Frank as entirely motivated by a desire for personal vengeance. This tendency was quickly identified by the Pythons and employed as psychological warfare against him, with the fortunate result that he learned his lesson and developed some restraint in the matter. Despite everything, he was a frequent asset to the Task Force, as often commended as reprimanded.

During the invasion of Delphi, his obsession with Dr. Frankenstein overpowered all considerations, and he went on a rampage to find him. During the cleanup, he was discovered standing over the scientist's corpse. Despite the initial impression, it did not seem that Frank had actually killed his target -- the doctor's cause of death had been poison, rather than blunt force trauma, blaster impact or gunshot wounds. However, Frank proved completely unresponsive to conversation when he was discovered, and had to be carried back to base. He never spoke again after this, nor gave any other sign of awareness, and was committed to a psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts following his medical discharge. He remained there until 2001, when the facility was destroyed during Cerebron's assault, causing his death.

In 2011, new research suggested that the actual Edward Mackenzie had actually relocated from Los Angeles to Portland, changing his name to Richard Thomas and living, without any knowledge of the individual assumed to be him, until 1987 when he died of a drug overdose. This renewed the question of the actual identity of 'Frank', but after nearly forty years and the deaths of nearly all involved, it is a mystery unlikely to be resolved.

Edward Mackenzie/Frank -- PL 7

Abilities:
STR 5/3 | STA 5 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 7 | INT 1 | AWE 2 | PRE 1

Powers:
Fury of the Damned: Linked Enhanced Advantages 3 (Close Attack 2, Improved Initiative); Linked Enhanced Strength 2; Linked Sustained Immunity 5 (Interaction Skills) - 10 points
Recovery Factor: Immunity 2 (disease, poison); Regeneration 10 - 12 points

Advantages:
Chokehold, Diehard, Equipment 4, Great Endurance, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Power Attack, Takedown

Equipment:
Assault Rifle (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5), Frag Grenades (Ranged Burst Area Damage 5), Commlink and 3 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+9), Expertise: Military 6 (+7), Insight 4 (+6), Intimidation 6 (+7), Perception 6 (+8), Ranged Combat: Guns 4 (+7), Stealth 4 (+7).

Offense:
Initiative +7/+3
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 3)
Fury of the Damned +9 (Close Damage 5)
Assault Rifle +7 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5)
Frag Grenade -- (Ranged Burst Area Damage 5)

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

Totals:
Abilities 50 + Powers 22 + Advantages 11 + Skills 18 + Defenses 7 = 108 points

Complications:
Revenge--Motivation. Grim and Humorless. Unnatural Appearance.

Note: After 1988, he is equipped with a Blaster Rifle (Ranged Damage 8) and gains Ranged Attack 1.

 

[Davies]

Caroline Swensen

Caroline

Her tank

By 1985, when the Pythonian Insurgency had lasted three years, the commanders of the Joint Special Operations Taskforce began to consider more radical options in answering the threat they posed. One of these, perhaps the most famous, was a program designed by Wisconsin-born roboticist Gunter Swensen, which he claimed would be able to automate most of the functions of a tank or other armored fighting vehicle so that it could be operated by a single driver, a critical consideration for the relatively small number of personnel who qualified for JSOT. His proof of concept vehicle, demonstrated for the brass, was a prototype Porsche Wiesel AWC.

The demonstration impressed the observers with the modified vehicle's mobility and reaction time. After the test operation concluded, the observers were further startled when the driver was revealed to be Swensen's 19-year old daughter Caroline, who had enlisted in the Army and was scheduled to report for basic training a week after the demonstration. Their overall opinion was that it had been a stunt intended to demonstrate that the vehicle had been easily operated with Swensen's modifications, but Commander Waverly quietly held a different opinion, and resolved to keep an eye on Ms. Swensen.

While the Swensen system was implemented on a number of US tankettes for use by JSOT, their service usage did not in the main live up to expectations that the demonstration had created; the official operators reported that the vehicles were unusually cramped, even for a tank, and found it hard to adjust to its different demands. Waverly's opinion, that the new form of vehicle demanded an operator who wasn't limited by the preconceptions about how it 'ought' to work, seemed to have been borne out. He contacted Private Swensen's superiors and arranged for her to be transferred to the JSOT training program. She managed to pass by the skin of her teeth, and was assigned to supervise the armored unit, training a new generation of drivers to operate according to the new paradigm.

Under the codename Max Factor, Corporal Swensen did just that for the remaining seven years of the war with the Pythons. While her unit was somewhat notorious for the amount of collateral damage that occurred in the course of their operations, it was generally held that by the time they took the field, most of the damage had already been inflicted by the opposition forces. Swensen and her teammates were some of the first units sent into battle during the assault on Delphi, and the survivors, including Caroline herself, were officially commended in the aftermath.

Unfortunately, Sergeant Swensen's post-Insurgency career was tragically short. She remained with the Army and was sent into battle in Syria, fighting against insurgents who'd learned from the experience of the Pythons. Her vehicle was critically damaged by anti-tank weapons, and she was killed in action in 1995, less than ten years after the demonstration that started it all.

Caroline Swensen/Max Factor -- PL 7

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

Advantages:
Assessment, Defensive Roll, Equipment 12, Improved Initiative, Leadership, Ranged Attack 2.

Equipment:
Heavy Pistol (Ranged Damage 4), Commlink and 4 points of equipment as needed.
Mini-Tank: Size Huge; Strength 10; Speed 6 (ground); Defense 7; Toughness 12; Powers: Armor (Impervious Toughness 8), Cannon (Ranged Damage 10, Burst Area 6), Mini-gun (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5) - 47 points

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+5), Expertise: Military 4 (+5), Insight 4 (+6), Intimidation 3 (+5), Investigation 4 (+5), Perception 4 (+6), Ranged Attack: Guns 2 (+4), Vehicles 5 (+7).

Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +5 (Close Damage 1)
Pistol +6 (Ranged Damage 3)
Cannon +4 (Ranged Damage 10, Ranged Burst Area Damage 6)
Mini-Gun +6 (Ranged Damage 5)

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

Totals:
Abilities 26 + Powers 0 + Advantages 18 + Skills 16 + Defenses 12 = 72 points

Complications:
Patriotism--Motivation. Accident/Logical Consequences of the Use of Heavy Artillery in an Urban Environment.

Note: From 1988 onwards, she's equipped with a Blaster Pistol (Ranged Damage 5) instead.

 

[Davies]

John Maddox

One of the most senior of the field operators of the Task Force, the circumstances of Maddox's recruitment also made him one of the most famous, to the point where his code name ("Striker") was rarely used, especially after the film made about them was released three years later. He was known to be ambivalent about this, despite recognizing the importance of the propaganda the film represented at a time when the United States was facing an unprecedented crisis, particularly because of the way that it featured his daughter, Virginia, as a character, while she was still recovering from the trauma she'd endured during the real life events that inspired the film.

John Maddox was born in Malibu, California in 1942, and lived a fairly carefree and happy life there, as a member of several rock-and-roll bands, a surfer, beachcomber, and body builder. In 1966, however, something made him completely change his way of life, and he enlisted in the Army. He never discussed this episode; some have claimed that a former Army Ranger saved his life, or that of a friend, but when told about this, his only response was laughter. He demonstrated considerable proficiency in Basic Training, and wound up assigned to Ranger School himself, serving with distinction during the last years of the Vietnam War and surviving its apocalyptic climax, notably saving the lives of several other troopers in the process.

The latter episode brought the young Staff Sergeant to the attention of Colonel Jefferson Churchward, who recruited him for the special operations unit that he was founding, unofficially dubbed C-Team, one of the predecessors of JSOT. While initially enthusiastic, Maddox gradually came to uncomfortable with the activities C-Team engaged in. He'd hoped to be part of a rescue operation, not a hit squad. He nevertheless remained with the group until 1978, and their mission in Iran, where matters finally came to a head after one of his colleagues, Darcy, went decidedly off-book. While Darcy was dishonorably discharged, Maddox had finally had enough, and took early retirement.

Another factor that contributed to this decision was the loss of his wife, Sofia, in 1977. They'd met and married in 1970, and had their only daughter within a year, but had rarely had much time together in the interval. After her sudden death from illness, Virginia was initially left in the care of her aunt Alyssa, but Maddox decided that he needed to take a much more active role in caring for her. Something of a culture clash ensued, but by 1982 they'd settled into a happy relationship.

And then the world began to end. The assassinations that he heard about on the news were bad enough, but then Churchward contacted him with the news that other former members of C-Team had also been successfully targeted, and that he was likely to come under fire as well. Ironically, the assassins of the unit were not connected to the Pythonian Insurgency -- though a connection was manufactured in the film -- but rather the personal operatives of a South American dictator that the C-Team had helped to overthrow. He intended to take revenge by forcing Maddox to commit assassinations on his behalf, threatening Virginia's life if he refused.

The results are too well-documented to be repeated here, though most of the names were changed. In the aftermath, Churchward convinced Maddox to return to active duty, and he became one of the first recruited operators for JSOT. Virginia was placed in a special school with other dependents of the Task Force, and declared her intention to eventually follow her father into the "family business". Maddox was not too thrilled about that, but hoped that the Insurgency would end before it became an issue. It didn't, and Virginia became a JSOT trooper under the code name Vendetta in 1991, notably taking part in the Mars operation while her father remained on Earth. (For some reason, the notion of going to Mars made him very uncomfortable, as though he had bad memories concerning it.)

Tragically, John Maddox was one of the highest profile fatalities of the raid on Delphi, killed in action while saving the lives of his teammates. Virginia Maddox remained in the Army until 1996, after which she was recruited by Argus. Retiring from field work after in 2006, she is currently the Chief Administrator of the company's Los Angeles field office.

John Maddox -- PL 6

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

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Benefit (rank), Close Attack, Defensive Roll, Diehard, Equipment 6, Evasion, Fast Grab, Fearless 2, Great Endurance, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improvised Weapon, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Set-Up, Teamwork.

Equipment:
Light Machine Gun (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5), Commlink and 14 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+9), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+7), Deception 4 (+5), Expertise: Current Events 3 (+4), Expertise: Military 6 (+7), Expertise: Performance 2 (+3), Expertise: Survival 7 (+8), Intimidation 8 (+9), Insight 5 (+7), Investigation 4 (+5), Perception 6 (+8), Persuasion 2 (+3), Ranged Combat: Guns 4 (+7), Stealth 4 (+6), Technology 2 (+3), Treatment 2 (+3), Vehicles 3 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 3)
Light Machine Gun +7 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5)

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

Totals:
Abilities 42 + Advantages 24 + Skills 35 + Defenses 9 = 110 points

Complications:
Duty--Motivation. Family (daughter). Sarcastic as Heck.

Note: After 1998, he is issued an Autoblaster (Ranged Multiattack Damage 8, Accurate), Body Armor (Protection 2) and has Ranged Attack 1, becoming PL 7.

 

[Davies]

Ken Griffin

Born in Belgium to American citizens, educated (in a conventional manner) in the United Kingdom, and frequently accompanying his parents -- both soldiers of fortune -- wherever they were deployed in any given month; such was the life of Kenneth Griffin (1953-1992). To their credit, Robert and Katherine Griffin hoped that their only child wouldn't follow them into their profession. But by his early adolescence it was clear that the mercenary life was calling to him, as he patiently learned more from his parent's associates than he ever did from from his schoolmasters.

Some of those associates were superpowers; by Ken's late adolescence, he'd started to develop certain psychic gifts of his own, making him into a hand-to-hand fighting machine. As this allowed him to charge more for his services, even if he generally fought with conventional weapons, it was clearly a good thing. The full story of his activities in the early and mid-70s, after he parted ways with his parents (shortly before their own partnership dissolved), has never been fully told. He was active in South East Asia for much of this period, and is known to have crossed paths with Hazard on at least two different occasions, as an ally and as an enemy (and beneficiary of the man's mercurial humor.)

In 1978, while Ken was passing through Argentina on other business, he chanced to run into his father, who attempted to persuade him to sign up with the new outfit he'd joined. The offer sounded intriguing enough, but something about the man accompanying his father set Ken's teeth on edge, mostly the way that he kept glaring at him as though Ken's very existence was an offense. When Ken finally turned down the offer, he had the distinct feeling that the only reason he was allowed to walk out of the bar alive was his father's presence. That was the first time he ever encountered General Estrella, and the last time he saw his father alive.

Four years later, the Pythonian Insurgency burst out onto the world. It created a lot of work for mercenaries, training various private armies to defend against them -- or occasionally to be recruited by them. Ken found the latter work to be distasteful, but he wasn't in a position to turn it down when it came his way. Not even the report of his father's death in battle really moved him; such was the nature of a mercenary's business, and it made no sense to take such things personally.

And then, in 1984, he had his first direct confrontation with his nemesis, leading a small group of Burmese soldiers against a much larger force of Pythons led by General Estrella. Single combat between champions was something that belonged to a prior age of warfare, and yet that was how it worked out on that day as well, with the two of them clashing heedless of the fighting around them. It was a draw, ultimately, and they were separated before either of them could press onward to bring matters to a conclusion. But Ken realized that he had made an enemy that would pursue him until one of them died.

If he was an enemy to one of the senior members of the Pythonian Insurgency, it simply made sense to find allies among their enemies. He briefly worked with the United Kingdom's Active Force, but found that its commanders were (with one major exception) unwilling to take the fight to the enemy's door. So he started attempts to persuade the American JSOT to accept him instead, a process complicated by his history of mercenary activity, a good chunk of which had involved activities against American interests. Swallowing his pride, Ken managed to convince enough of the group's leadership that his actions had always been intended to support such interests -- a ruse, in other words. It seems likely that this was the source of his code name when he was finally accepted into the Task Force as a Lieutenant, and the group's second openly superpower soldier.

He had the support he needed, and would challenge General Estrella many times in the next few years, though never managing to bring matters to a decisive end, one way or another. Their final confrontation would come on Mars, in a fight that sent them out through the walls of the pyramid-like structure that the Pythonians had inhabited, out onto the Martian landscape. There they fought, and Ken was able to prevent his enemy from escaping back into shelter until he finally expired from lack of oxygen.

Ken took a moment to consider his circumstances. While seriously injured, he could probably make it back to the others and receive medical treatment on the way back to Earth. But he'd been exposed to the radioactive material that covered the Martian landscape, and so the odds seemed good that he'd only be extending his pain if he did that, and the medical personnel would probably do better to help those who could still be helped. The truth was, he realized with a faint smile on his face, that he was already dead. He lay down to let the process complete itself, and in a few moments, it was all over.

Ken Griffin/Ruse -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR 3 | STA 3 | AGL 5 | DEX 5 | FGT 8 | INT 1 | AWE 4 | PRE 3

Powers:
Martial Power: Array (3 points)

• Projected Strength: Line Area Damage 6, Distracting, Tiring - 3 points
• Striking Strength: Strength-based Damage 3 - 1 points

Meditation: Sustained Immunity 4 (need for sleep, starvation & thirst, suffocation) - 4 points
Sense Those of Comparable Power: Senses 3 (acute tracking psychic awareness) - 3 points
Weightless Step: Leaping 3 (60 feet); Movement 1 (trackless) - 5 points

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-out Attack, Benefit (military rank) Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 4, Extraordinary Effort, Fast Grab, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Language 2 (French, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish), Move-by Action, Power Attack, Taunt

Equipment:
Assault Rifle (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5), Commlink, 4 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+9), Athletics 6 (+9), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+10), Deception 6 (+9), Expertise: Military 6 (+7), Insight 4 (+8), Perception 4 (+8), Ranged Combat: Guns 4 (+9), Stealth 4 (+9), Vehicles 4 (+9)

Offense:
Initiative +9
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 6)
Assault Rifle +9 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5)
Projected Strength -- (Line Area Damage 6)

Defense:
Dodge 9, Parry 11, Fortitude 7, Toughness 5/3, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 64 + Powers 16 + Advantages 19 + Skills 22 + Defenses 14 = 135 points

Complications:
Justice--Motivation. Nemesis (General Estrella.) Responsibility (soldiers under his command.) Won't Use The Same Attack Twice in Succession.

Note: After 1988, he is equipped with a Blaster Rifle (Ranged Damage 8) and has Ranged Attack 1.

 

[Davies]

The Void Specter

From a holographic perspective, the Enigma Sector, as it's called by Technate astronomers, doesn't look like it should be anything extraordinary. Located coreward of the Technate's home stars, it has seen a few colonization attempts over the last century, which have established three permanent settlements with a total population of around three million Technate citizens. But then you start noticing the space warps, and the star system where dozens of different variations of the Hive are battling each other for supremacy, and the world in that system where the Hive presence was exterminated by an even more virulent ecology, and the dozens of worlds dotted with ruins of the Old Ones, and the Olympians, and the Albadine. And then you find out about what Terrans might call a Dyson sphere around one particular star, and the home world (or a home world) of the Gardeners, and -- if you know more than you should know about certain things -- the Pillars of Eternity.

And if you know all this -- or even most of it -- then it probably starts to make sense to you that this region of space has a guardian, one who bears the Power Prism and wields it openly and with great skill. The Gynesians, who had explored the region before the rise of the Technate, claim that the Void Specter had been keeping the peace there when they first ventured there, and that it's been the same individual all this time. More sober historians suggest that it's a lineage of individuals, with the title of the Void Specter passing from parent to child to create an illusion of immortality.

They're almost right. The Void Specter is an identity passed down, but not from a parent to a child, but technically between siblings. Some two hundred years* ago, a certain Power Prism-wielder -- their personal name has long been forgotten, and it's not clear if they were agender as their descendants are -- discovered some of the strangeness of this region of space, and, after consulting with the Gardeners, decided to become this region's protector. But they were already an elderly Chiraben by the time that they began this vigil, and knew that they could not maintain the task for very long. So they cloned themselves, trained the younger clone to take their place, then committed a ritual suicide. This transfer of the identity has happened a total of twelve times over the last two centuries.

The Void Specter has no real life outside of their work. They have a number of cover identities on the Technate worlds that have grown up in the last century, but these are simply false names that they use to conduct their investigation with a measure of discretion. They avoid making personal connections, in particular romance. The closest that they come to friendship is with other wielders of the Power Prism. The breadth of their experience has made them famous among this small community, prompting others to seek them out to serve as a mentor, which they're happy to do, within reason. Even these individuals rarely see them without their mask on, and simply refer to them as the Specter.

Currently, the Void Specter works alone. That will likely change if they receive word that some old business has come home. Three decades* ago, the immediate predecessor of the current Void Specter encountered an individual who had acquired a Power Prism under somewhat dubious circumstances. As this happens fairly frequently, the only noteworthy aspect of the situation was the way that this person refused to use the instrumentality appropriately or learn how to do so, which resulted in a conflict neither of them wanted. The opposition escaped, but the Void Specter reported the incident to Aperion. Quite recently, reports of that particular Prism being used reached them, and the Council dispatched someone to investigate. Events didn't work out in that individual's favor, but when the Terran known as O Homen de Oro reaches Aperion, the Void Specter will likely be consulted on the situation ...

The Void Specter -- PL 12

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

Powers:
"A Trick or Two": Feature 1 (can hide Power Prism within his body but cannot use it in in this state.) - 1 point
Power Prism: Removable (-22 points)

• Force Field: Linked Sustained Impervious Protection 12; Linked Sustained Immunity 10 (life support) - 34 points
• Offensive Applications: Array (27 points)
  • Basic Blast: Ranged Damage 13, Affects Insubstantial - 27 points
  • Exo-Armor: Enhanced Advantage 3 (Close Attack 3); Enhanced Strength 12 - 1 point
  • Ghost Blast: Ranged Damage 9, Affects Substantial - 1 point
  • Hallucinator: Illusion 9 (all senses), Limited to One Subject, Resistable by Will - 1 point
  • Stun Blast: Ranged Affliction 13 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated), Affects Insubstantial - 1 point
  • Tractor-Presser Beam: Move Object 13, Precise - 1 point
• Phased Flight: Flight 11 (4000 MPH), Aquatic; Insubstantial 3; Movement 3 (environmental adaptation [zero-g], space flight 2) - 44 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Equipment 10, Improved Initiative, Language 5 (many, though none used on Earth), Move-by Action, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Investigation).

Equipment:
Space Cruiser: Size Colossal; Strength 14; Speed 13 (air/space); Defense 5; Toughness 13; Powers Ghost Field (Concealment 6 [visual, radio]), Star Drive (Movement 2 [space travel 2]) - 49 points

Skills:
Deception 8 (+10), Expertise: Galactic 9 (+12), Expertise History 6 (+9), Expertise: Science 6 (+9), Insight 6 (+12), Intimidation 7 (+9), Investigation 9 (+12), Perception 5 (+11), Ranged Combat: Power Prism 7 (+11), Stealth 5 (+9), Technology 6 (+9), Vehicles 6 (+10).

Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 2)
Exo-Armor +9 (Close Damage 14)
Basic Blast +11 (Ranged Damage 13)
Ghost Blast +11 (Ranged Damage 9)
Stun Blast +11 (Ranged Will 13)

Defense:
Dodge 9, Parry 9, Fortitude 6, Toughness 15/3, Will 14

Totals:
Abilities 60 + Powers 98 + Advantages 21 + Skills 40 + Defenses 18 = 237 points

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Secret Identity. Total Commitment to Job.

 

[Davies]

Deleh Massovy

Art source unknown, I discovered this image months ago and haven't been able to find it again since.

The Gynesian people had 'only' discovered the warp drive and begun exploring their local stellar neighborhood for a few centuries, having a few minor clashes with the nearby Hazlan nations, when the Technate quite abruptly established itself, entirely too close for comfort to Aganesh. Observing the conflicts that the Technate fought with the Hazlan, much larger wars than the Gynesians had ever fought since the establishment of their unified world government, convinced the Gynesian authorities that they did not want a war with these new neightbors. But the Gynesians were well aware that the Technate had a culture of fear for those who had innate powers, such as the Gynesians' innate psychic abilities, and feared that a war was inevitable. Fortunately, they were able to negotiate an entry into the Technate on peaceful terms, but at the cost of becoming a somewhat isolationist society. Very few Gynesians have ever become famous within Technate society.

Deleh Massovy -- properly C'shn D'leh G'ati -- is the great exception, and she would have been regardless of the path she chose. In every generation, a handful of Gynesians are born without the species' innate psychic abilities, and are instead immune and invisible to mental powers. Of course, such talents are not at all indicative of any flaw or lack of personal worth in the person, and should receive all the love and care that any child of the people receives -- or at least, such is the official word. In practice, the child who would be Deleh was abandoned by her parents and ignored by her society, likely to have died young, had she not come into the care of a Technate Space Agency officer, Itel Massovy, who adopted her as a daughter.

Deleh naturally followed her mother into the agency when she matured, and served in the science and medical departments of several vessels, before her assignment to the TSV Adventure under the command of Commander Arlan Hayez. The voyages that they undertook vaulted her into the ranks of the living legends of the Technate, as well as creating the greatest friendship she would ever know. When the Adventure was finally decommissioned, she was offered a number of posts within the TSA, as well as being contacted by the Gynesian Authority and offered a high-ranking position within their government, in recognition of her remarkable accomplishments despite being a -- and that was as far as the Gynesian making the offer got before Deleh slapped them across the face in public.

Deleh has never returned to Aganesh, and probably never will. Her official residence is on Muraddin, in a house that she shares with Arlan Hayez, though she's there no more often than he is. Her official position is the Surgeon-General of the TSA Homeworld Fleet, but this is largely an administrative fiction. In practice, her activities could best be described as those of a roaming trouble-shooter, somewhere between an ambassador and a spy. Currently, her solitary voyages have brought her to Aperion, as there are rumors that its council is developing an alliance with the Last Men Standing. It is not desirable for that resistance group to have closer ties to the source of the Power Prisms than the Technate enjoys, and so Deleh is striving to strengthen the Technate's ties ... ideally without damaging either group's relationship with the Lasters, but if needs must ...

In her youth, Deleh often deliberately strove for a very cold and ultra-rational demeanor. She's matured since then, and while she still values logic and reason, she is perfectly willing to express herself emotionally. Her greatest personal weakness is her scientific curiosity, which can distract her from the more immediate and pragmatic goals that she's expected to pursue. This makes her current assignment especially dangerous, as the Council of Aperion does not look at all fondly on anyone who tries to discover the secret of how the Prisms are manufactured. And that is practically dangling bait in front of her ...

Deleh Massovy-- PL 7

Abilities:
STR 2 | STA 2 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 4 | INT 7 | AWE 4 | PRE 3

Powers:
Psychic Null: Permanent Concealment 2 (mental); Immunity 20 (mental effects) - 24 points

Advantages:
Attractive, Defensive Attack, Equipment 5, Evasion 2, Fearless 2, Improved Disarm, Jack-of-all-Trades, Speed of Thought, Well-Informed.

Equipment:
Blaster Pistol (Ranged Damage 5, AE: Ranged Affliction 5 [Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated]), Commlink, Protective Uniform (Protection 4, Subtle), and 8 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+7), Athletics 2 (+4), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+8), Deception 4 (+7), Expertise: Galactic 4 (+11), Expertise: Medicine 2 (+9), Expertise: Science 4 (+11), Insight 5 (+9), Intimidation 2 (+5), Investigation 2 (+9), Persuasion 2 (+5), Ranged Combat: Blaster 4 (+7), Sleight of Hand 3 (+6), Stealth 2 (+5), Technology 3 (+10), Treatment 2 (+9), Vehicles 3 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +7
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 2)
Blast Setting +7 (Ranged Damage 5)
Stun setting +7 (Ranged Fortitude 5)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 8, Fortitude 3, Toughness 6/2, Will 7.

Totals:
Abilities 58 + Powers 24 + Advantages 15 + Skills 26 + Defenses 15 = 138 points

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Curiosity. Relationship (Arlan Hayez.) Secret (covert operations.)

 

[Davies]

Giant Space Tardigrade

Art by Ramul

The Technate Standard word for them is 'zuzgwang', itself a loanword from a long-dead Chirab language where it meant, apparently, 'space bear'. If legend is to be believed, they were once fairly common in the space around Chirab, and a large group of them are reputed to have bombarded the planet at one point. Centuries later, though, they've become all but unknown in those regions, while an occasional menace in the sectors claimed by the Technate. They also appear to be quite common in the Vaask Hegemony, but it's believed that the numbers there are dwindling, as the Vaask hunt them for both their meat -- a frequent appetizer in their food culture -- and for the natural hyperfuels that number among their bodily fluids.

The intelligence of these colossal creatures is a hotly debated topic. They do not appear to communicate with each other, much less with any other species, but demonstrate enough problem-solving abilities to recognize and avoid situations that are dangerous even to creatures of their size, such as meteor showers, whether naturally occurring or artificially induced. Their reproduction appears to be parthenogenic, with females of the species being slightly larger -- on the order of tens of meters of greater length. While able to consume biological matter, they also possess an ability similar to photosynthesis that converts most forms of electromagnetic energy into chemical energy, and can go for extended periods without feeding.

On detecting an energy source -- such as the output of a starship's thrusters and scanning mechanisms -- though their own extremely sophisticated sensory system, a zuzgwang will begin moving towards it, intending to feed. The creature will gorge itself until it can no longer detect any energy signature, and then drift off. For a vessel to avoid destruction in this process will normally require that it shut down all systems, including those required for life support. Only a handful of incidents have had such a positive outcome, and it is believed that many other vessels believed to have fallen victim to their attacks attempted to shut down but were too badly damaged to reactivate crucial systems in the aftermath.

Despite this, public opinion in the Technate is against trying to kill the creatures, in large part because of wide-spread repugnance for the Vaask's hunting of them. More humane methods of eliminating the threat that they propose are generally preferred. For example, when one particularly large zuzgwang attacked a colony on the Vaask Fringe, Captain Mystic managed to trick the creature into following a remotely operated starship out of the system, while the colony shut down anything that could attract the creature's senses. Once the zuzgwang caught up to and destroyed the bait ship, they returned to a somnolent state and drifted further away from the colony. It's unclear if such methods will suffice if a large number of the creatures ever attack a Technate settlement ...

Giant Space Tardigrade -- PL 15

Abilities:
STR 16 | STA 18 | AGL 3 | DEX 0 | FGT 6 | INT -2 | AWE 3 | PRE -2

Powers:
Colossal Size: Permanent Growth 16 (Strength +16, Stamina +16, Intimidation +8, Dodge -8, Parry -8, Stealth -16); Impervious Toughness 12 - 60 points
Energy Beam: Ranged Damage 18, Extended Range 4 - 40 points
Energy Detection: Senses 12 (hyper-extended 4 accurate tracking energy awareness) - 12 points
Space Worthy: Flight 12 (8000 MPH), Aquatic; Immunity 30 (life support, mental effects); Immunity 20 (energy effects), Limited to half effect; Movement 2 (space travel 2) - 69 points

Advantages:
None.

Skills:
Perception 10 (+13), Ranged Combat: Energy Beam 12 (+12).

Offense:
Initiative +3
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 16, Reach 3)
Energy Beam +12 (Ranged Damage 18)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 6, Fortitude 18, Toughness 18, Will 6.

Total:
Abilities 24 + Powers 181 + Advantages 0 + Skills 11 + Defenses 24 = 240 points

Complications:
Hunger--Motivation. No Ground Movement. Not Really Conscious of Other Life Forms.

 

[Davies]

Manguai

The amphibious filter-feeding entities known as the Manguai are known to have one of the longest recorded histories in charted space, dating back some four thousand years. That history, originally inscribed in stone blocks on the Manguai home world of Bavelon, begins with a recording of religious holidays, but very quickly turns secular with an increasing focus on exacting and precise details about the gifts exchanged in these ceremonies, somewhat presaging the Manguai's focus on commercial exchange. It would be more than two thousand years before they developed space travel and the warp drive and became interstellar merchant princes, however.

Once they'd done so, however, they quickly became the dominant force in the regions of space that would later become the Imperium, with the Augrah, the Dhakamites, and the Gebela as their clients -- all cultures that bought their warp drive from the Manguai, and typically much of the rest of their technological basis as well. Their only real rivals were the Seshai and the Vautaro, and the whole history of the next millennium was basically a long sequence of alliances between and against these powers, punctuated by occasional civil wars and rebellions. The arrival of the Chiraben in this region of space eventually led to the formation of the Imperium, which the Manguai are fond of claiming as their own idea.

While the Manguai were involved in the development of technomancy -- their ethical flexibility kept them from much success with the Starlight path of mysticism, but their lack of cruelty typically limited their access to the Nightmare path -- they found the results of the civil war that these discoveries provoked to be sufficiently sickening that the majority of their kind foreswore its use in the aftermath. A small number did not, and accompanied the Armada when it departed, becoming the ancestors of the small number of Manguai who reside in the Technate. As these Manguai found Muraddin's environment somewhat unsatisfactory -- it lacks oceans -- they were some of the major sponsors of the polity's first wave of colonial expansion, fortunately discovering a number of water worlds orbiting nearby stars. (It is also reported that a Manguai cyberneticist was a leading member of the team which created the Minds, meaning that both the major stellar civilizations have their origins with the Manguai.)

The Manguai have found the Crimson Imperium to be somewhat displeasing to their sensibilities. While they have ample opportunities for commercial ventures, and those few who have made merchant contacts within the Yusei Star Kingdom are doing quite well for themselves, the gradual impoverishment of their customers within the Imperium is not at all to their liking. A number of the Manguai have responded to this by becoming covert supporters of the Insurgency, though none have joined the fighting as yet.

When and if the Manguai learn about the cultures of the Sol System, they will be initially excited to discover a new market, which will cool off quite a bit when they realize that most of the local civilizations don't have any resources that the Manguai can't get somewhere else. This will in turn transform to horror when they learn about the Atlanteans on Earth (and Venus.) Their oldest myths claim that they were frequently hunted by aquatic humanoids who are a fairly close match to them, and the notion that their old enemies have survived is likely to upset them quite a bit ...

Manguai Magnate -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR 6 | STA 8 | AGL 1 | DEX 0 | FGT 5 | INT 4 | AWE 3 | PRE 3

Powers:
Aquatic: Immunity 3 (drowning, pressure, cold); Swimming 6 (16 MPH) - 9 points
Large Size: Permanent Growth 6 (+6 Strength, +6 Stamina, +3 Intimidation, -3 Dodge, -3 Parry, -6 Stealth), Innate; Protection 1 - 20 points
Natural Senses: Senses 8 (acute extended 2 tracking scent, acute ranged detect electrical signals, low-light vision) - 8 points
Species-Specific Telepathy: Mental Communication 4, Limited to other Manguai - 12 points
Tentacles: Extra Limbs 2; Elongation 2, Limited to Extra Limbs - 4 points

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Benefit 4 (multi-millionaire), Chokehold, Connected, Eidetic Memory, Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Jack-of-all-trades, Well-Informed.

Skills:
Expertise: Business 6 (+10), Expertise: History 4 (+8), Insight 6 (+9), Intimidation 5 (+11), Perception 8 (+11), Persuasion 8 (+11), Stealth 9 (+7).

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +5 (Close Damage 6, Reach 3)

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

Totals:
Abilities 36 + Powers 53 + Advantages 12 + Skills 23 + Defenses 18 = 142 points

Complications:
Profit--Motivation. Enlightened Self-Interest. Weakness (must be immersed in water for at least one hour in every six.)

Note: There are not as many Manguai with billionaire levels of wealth as you might expect, but they do exist, and generally have higher levels of Expertise: Business.

 

[Davies]

The Gardeners

It's not known what they call themselves. Like many species who have well-developed telepathic abilities, they usually use their voices only to communicate with other peoples who aren't so gifted, employing the others' languages to that end. When doing so, those who have learned of the name by which they are known have usually indicated that it seems fitting. They do seek to care for plant life (as well as fungal and moneral life) and to catalog and study it, the better to care for it, and so they are, indeed, the gardeners of the universe.

The largest concentration of their settlements can be found on a planet in what's called the Enigma Sector. Again, it's not known if this world is the world on which their people evolved, or if it is one that they settled as they spread throughout space. It's not even clear when they did that; the Albadine claim to have been mentored by them, long ago, though the two peoples rarely have much to do with each other. If it is true that the Albadine once ruled an empire in the regions of space which are now the Technate, some fifteen hundred years* in the past, it seems likely that they did so despite the Gardeners' teachings, rather than because of them.

The Gardeners prefer to avoid interacting with other sapient life as much as possible. When visiting the worlds of other peoples, they do so covertly, limiting their contact as much as possible so as to avoid any possible conflict. That said, they will engage with others when necessary; many voyagers stranded on alien worlds, or on damaged space vehicles, have been rescued by the Gardeners and transported to safer circumstances. Even when this occurs, though, there will be very little interaction between their passenger and themselves. Some believe that they fear the consequences of contact, either for themselves or for others. Or it could be a shyness that is almost pathological.

The Gardeners are known to practice a form of mysticism that is unlike either of the well-known schools of thought known in the Imperium, though some of what is known about the Yusei practice is similar. It is known that they refer to this as 'the greenbond', and that it involves sharing energy between examples of plant life in a way that can revitalize and even heal the injuries of other forms of life, as well as using them as a medium to receive sensory impressions, animating plants to serve as allies, and -- most spectacularly -- drawing on that energy to perform feats of telekinesis. They generally prefer to use these abilities to escape from conflicts rather than prolong them.

Apparently, they have visited the Sol System (specifically Venus, Earth and Mars) many times in the past, most recently in the early 1960s, but seem to have satisfied themselves with the knowledge that they gained in those previous expeditions rather than embarking on new ones. Whether, as Captain Mystic speculated, they were the inspiration for the 'grey aliens' of Earthly folklore is not known, though they do not generally act in the callous and cruel manner that such creatures are reputed to do ... unless they are hiding the existence of renegades who pursue a very different agenda than the rest of their species.

Adult Gardener -- PL 9

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

Powers:
Greenbond: Array (36 points)

• Aura of Vitality: Burst Area Energizing Healing 10, Affects Objects (Limited to Inanimate Plants), Others Only - 1 point
• Green Network: Remote Sensing 12 (visual, auditory, tactile), Medium (Plants) - 1 point
• Mind Over Matter: Perception-Ranged Move Object 12 - 1 point
• Natural Allies: Summon Animated Plants 9, Controlled, General Type - 36 points

Shielded Thoughts: Impervious Will 10, Limited to mental effects - 5 points
Small Size: Permanent Shrinking 4 (+2 Dodge, +2 Parry, +4 Stealth, -1 Strength) - 2 points
Species-Specific Telepathy: Mental Communication 4, Limited to Gardeners - 12 points

Advantages:
Animal Empathy, Defensive Roll, Improved Defense.

Skills:
Expertise: Science 6 (+11), Insight 8 (+11), Investigation 4 (+9), Perception 6 (+9), Persuasion 6 (+9), Stealth 4 (+10), Technology 4 (+9), Treatment 4 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +2
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage -1)*

Defense:
Dodge 4, Parry 3, Fortitude 5, Toughness 5/2, Will 13.

Totals:
Abilities 38 + Powers 55 + Advantages 3 + Skills 21 + Defenses 14 = 131 points

Complications:
Discovery--Motivation. Pacifism. Power Loss (Greenbond, while in areas without plant life.) Weakness (environmental damage.)

* Included solely for completeness; it is difficult to imagine any Gardener resorting to this.

Note: Younger examples of the Gardeners will have a weaker Greenbond (28 points), which removes Burst Area from their Healing and restricts their Green Network, Mind Over Matter and Natural Allies powers to 9, 9 rand 7 ranks, respectively. Elder examples will have stronger Greenbonds, and may be Medium-sized creatures. It is almost unknown for a Gardener to be able to remove the Others Only limitation from a power stunted version of their Healing; those who have accomplished this are regarded by their peers as having performed a miracle.