Renegade's just preparing himself for the day when Zane finally totally snaps, puts on some power armor and tries to personally kill him, ending with Renegade liquifing her skull with his fist I take it?
[Mutants & Masterminds] A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic
Davies
Legend
To elaborate on this, in preparation for tomorrow's entry ...
The exact nature of the beings known as Olympians is something of a mystery in the World More Grim. The official position of the authorities is that Dionysus, Pallas, and the others who've visited or reside on Earth are just aliens who reside on the Jovian moon Ganymede, and who have adopted names from Earth's cultural mythology for as-yet-unknown reasons. Pallas' personal recollection is that she's the daughter of a former ruler of their nation and one of his mistresses, and was put in suspended animation and sent to Earth during a conflict on Ganymede roughly 80+/-5 years ago. Therefore she's not really in a position to provide much insight about their history or culture. Though she's travelled to Ganymede once since her awakening, three years ago, she is apparently not welcome there.
Davies
Legend
Manneken
The year was 2014, the place a hospital in Philadelphia, and the man was old, and sick, and dying. He had been many things in his time -- a decorated Marine, a celebrated artist, a lover -- though not as much as he wished -- and a good friend to have. But time runs out for the best of us, and despite how much pain he was in, the man nevertheless found himself wishing for just a little more time. He expected that this was a futile dream, however, so he started to drift off to sleep, unsure whether or not he would awaken.
Then he realized that he wasn't alone in his hospital room. He blinked in confusion, since visiting hours were long over, and he couldn't recognize the woman who was sitting in a chair gazing at him. And it occurred to him that this might be because her appearance changed at every moment, in every conceivable way. "Uh ... good evening, ma'am," he said, since his mother hadn't raised him to be rude. "Who might you be?"
"I have many names," she answered.
"Oh no."
"Not any of the ones you just thought of, though. You've led an interesting life, Mr. Montrose, particularly given my interests. Three times, in your life, you encountered my work --"
"Ohhhh no."
"Please calm down," the woman said, in tones of great restraint. "I'm actually a bit impressed, and you don't know how rare that is. You helped them. You gained nothing by doing so, and put yourself at considerable risk in the process. Yet nevertheless, you helped three pairs of incredibly star-crossed lovers come together against all odds. Why?"
He managed to shrug. "I believe in love, I guess. It's pretty much all I do believe in."
He couldn't really tell, but he thought she was smiling. "Me too," she said softly. "And so, I will grant you a bounty. Now, before you ask," she continued, suddenly businesslike, "there are some profound limitations on what I can actually do. I cannot cure what ails you, first of all. But there are two possibilities. I can take away your pain, so that when your end comes, you will go gently. Orrr I can give you what you just wished for -- more time. But you may spend much of that time cursing me. Which is it to be?"
He made his choice, the choice he suspects she knew that he was going to make, and the world went dark for a time. The next thing he knew, he found himself on a hill watching a funeral at Arlington, and recognized many of his friends among the guests, and guessed who the funeral was for. Feeling a bit dizzy, he raised his hand to his forehead -- then paused as he stared at the wrist of that hand, which had a visible joint. There were other, smaller ones in each of the fingers. He'd been turned into a mannequin.
"Well, I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised, given what you said about your work," he said, shaking his head. And then he walked down the hill, away from the funeral.
Since then, Manneken -- he sometimes goes by Ken, but never uses the name he used in his first life -- has quietly tried to make the best of his extended time. Unlike certain animate mannequins he's known, he remains animate no matter how many people are looking at him, but on the other hand, he never appears as a realistic looking human being, either. He's not a superhero, despite having greater than human strength and toughness, as he doesn't go looking to get mixed up in trouble. That said, if he discovers that someone is having some difficulties that he can help with, especially in the area of romance, he'll always try to help them as much as he can. He once thought about abandoning a particularly annoying pair to their own devices, but found himself stiffening into immobility when he tried, only regaining his ability to move when he agreed to go back and help.
Despite all this, and other frustrations of his existence -- he can know love himself, but his ability to enjoy sex is very limited -- he hasn't ever cursed the being who did this to him. Despite everything, he still believes in Love.
Manneken -- PL 8
Abilities:
STR 5 | STA -- | AGL 0 | DEX 0 | FGT 8 | INT 0 | AWE 4 | PRE 4
Powers:
Mannequin: Immunity 30 (Fortitude); Protection 8 - 38 points
Mystical Self-Repair: Immortality 5 (1 day); Regeneration 2 - 12 points
Advantages:
Attractive, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-all-Trades, Power Attack
Skills:
Close Combat: Grab 3 (+11), Deception 4 (+8), Expertise: Art 6 (+6), Expertise: Magic 5 (+9), Investigation 2 (+7), Perception 5 (+9), Persuasion 4 (+8), Stealth 5 (+5).
Offense:
Initiative +4
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 5)
Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 8, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 8, Will 7
Totals:
Abilities 32 + Powers 50 + Advantages 5 + Skills 17 + Defenses 9 = 113 points
Complications:
Doing Good--Motivation. Obviously Inhuman (but can disguise himself somewhat.) Weakness (must help lovers in difficult circumstances, or become progressively Hindered, Immobile, and Paralyzed.)
They say we're crazy/Let's prove them right!/Keep holding my hand and we'll get through this night ...
The year was 2014, the place a hospital in Philadelphia, and the man was old, and sick, and dying. He had been many things in his time -- a decorated Marine, a celebrated artist, a lover -- though not as much as he wished -- and a good friend to have. But time runs out for the best of us, and despite how much pain he was in, the man nevertheless found himself wishing for just a little more time. He expected that this was a futile dream, however, so he started to drift off to sleep, unsure whether or not he would awaken.
Then he realized that he wasn't alone in his hospital room. He blinked in confusion, since visiting hours were long over, and he couldn't recognize the woman who was sitting in a chair gazing at him. And it occurred to him that this might be because her appearance changed at every moment, in every conceivable way. "Uh ... good evening, ma'am," he said, since his mother hadn't raised him to be rude. "Who might you be?"
"I have many names," she answered.
"Oh no."
"Not any of the ones you just thought of, though. You've led an interesting life, Mr. Montrose, particularly given my interests. Three times, in your life, you encountered my work --"
"Ohhhh no."
"Please calm down," the woman said, in tones of great restraint. "I'm actually a bit impressed, and you don't know how rare that is. You helped them. You gained nothing by doing so, and put yourself at considerable risk in the process. Yet nevertheless, you helped three pairs of incredibly star-crossed lovers come together against all odds. Why?"
He managed to shrug. "I believe in love, I guess. It's pretty much all I do believe in."
He couldn't really tell, but he thought she was smiling. "Me too," she said softly. "And so, I will grant you a bounty. Now, before you ask," she continued, suddenly businesslike, "there are some profound limitations on what I can actually do. I cannot cure what ails you, first of all. But there are two possibilities. I can take away your pain, so that when your end comes, you will go gently. Orrr I can give you what you just wished for -- more time. But you may spend much of that time cursing me. Which is it to be?"
He made his choice, the choice he suspects she knew that he was going to make, and the world went dark for a time. The next thing he knew, he found himself on a hill watching a funeral at Arlington, and recognized many of his friends among the guests, and guessed who the funeral was for. Feeling a bit dizzy, he raised his hand to his forehead -- then paused as he stared at the wrist of that hand, which had a visible joint. There were other, smaller ones in each of the fingers. He'd been turned into a mannequin.
"Well, I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised, given what you said about your work," he said, shaking his head. And then he walked down the hill, away from the funeral.
Since then, Manneken -- he sometimes goes by Ken, but never uses the name he used in his first life -- has quietly tried to make the best of his extended time. Unlike certain animate mannequins he's known, he remains animate no matter how many people are looking at him, but on the other hand, he never appears as a realistic looking human being, either. He's not a superhero, despite having greater than human strength and toughness, as he doesn't go looking to get mixed up in trouble. That said, if he discovers that someone is having some difficulties that he can help with, especially in the area of romance, he'll always try to help them as much as he can. He once thought about abandoning a particularly annoying pair to their own devices, but found himself stiffening into immobility when he tried, only regaining his ability to move when he agreed to go back and help.
Despite all this, and other frustrations of his existence -- he can know love himself, but his ability to enjoy sex is very limited -- he hasn't ever cursed the being who did this to him. Despite everything, he still believes in Love.
Manneken -- PL 8
Abilities:
STR 5 | STA -- | AGL 0 | DEX 0 | FGT 8 | INT 0 | AWE 4 | PRE 4
Powers:
Mannequin: Immunity 30 (Fortitude); Protection 8 - 38 points
Mystical Self-Repair: Immortality 5 (1 day); Regeneration 2 - 12 points
Advantages:
Attractive, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-all-Trades, Power Attack
Skills:
Close Combat: Grab 3 (+11), Deception 4 (+8), Expertise: Art 6 (+6), Expertise: Magic 5 (+9), Investigation 2 (+7), Perception 5 (+9), Persuasion 4 (+8), Stealth 5 (+5).
Offense:
Initiative +4
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 5)
Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 8, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 8, Will 7
Totals:
Abilities 32 + Powers 50 + Advantages 5 + Skills 17 + Defenses 9 = 113 points
Complications:
Doing Good--Motivation. Obviously Inhuman (but can disguise himself somewhat.) Weakness (must help lovers in difficult circumstances, or become progressively Hindered, Immobile, and Paralyzed.)
They say we're crazy/Let's prove them right!/Keep holding my hand and we'll get through this night ...
Yep, all that's left is to link and index them.
Davies
Legend
The Scavengers
David (Art by Slugg-o)
Jude (Art by Brian Rubinfeld)
Joshua (Art by Yngvar Apslund)
It seems unlikely that Dr. John B. Calhoun would have approved of the other experiments that were being conducted by employees of the National Institute of Mental Health at the Casey farm in 1962. His objections wouldn't have been founded on any sentimental considerations about what they were doing to the mice and rats, but rather on his belief that using 'mad science' on creatures intended for 'serious science' experiments could contaminate the results. That said, the most noteworthy experiments occurred after Dr. Calhoun had departed for California, with the creation of sapient and iconographic mice and rats, and their escape from the laboratory, taking place towards the end of the year.
The escaped rodents were broken up into several smaller groups by various circumstances, and while most of those who survived reunited somewhat later, many were thought lost for good. One of these lost rats was a pregnant female who used the name Judith, who gave bith to a litter of nine infants soon after the escape. Three of them survived to maturity. One of the first books that Judith ever read was a collection of stories about the Nine Worthies, and she named her children after three of them -- Joshua, David and Judah.
The rat pups' physical maturity outpaced their mental and emotional maturity by quite a bit, though they rarely spoke of their youth later on, and so many questions about this period remain unanswered. They travelled along with their mother, moving across the United States as tramps, until Judith died, apparently due to misadventure, in 1972. All three of the brothers' personalities were largely shaped by this loss -- David became determined to become able to protect what was left of his family, Joshua was left angry at the world and everything in it, and Judah -- or Jude, as he began calling himself -- developed a whimsical and easy-going attitude.
Despite their differences, they stayed together for several more years, right up until everything changed for them. In 1977, while passing through Denver, they were caught up in one of the last great battles of the first age of heroes and exposed to further mutating effects that caused them to increase in size many times over, until they were each roughly five feet in height. It was an extremely painful process that left them all but helpless for several hours, and so their existence was discovered by a human being.
Fortunately, Katsuki Junko could best be described as unflappable. The strange creatures she found hiding out in the basement of the flophouse where she was temporarily residing were in need of help. She took her responsibility to help all living creatures seriously, and therefore gave them what aid she could and listened with interest to the story of their lives so far. Observing their athletic and stealthy talents with interest, Junko hesitantly offered to give them instruction in how to use those natural abilities to better results, through the use of the martial arts.
They had to move a few times over the course of their training, but by 1984, when they were living in Detroit, the three brothers were highly accomplished martial artists and infiltrators, having developed combat styles that made use of weapons that they'd constructed from scavenged equipment. They referred to themselves as the Scavengers, and frequently used their training to protect humans as well as themselves and their Little Mother. In the process, they found themselves clashing with a criminal martial artist, Tobidashi, who was pursuing certain schemes in association with the Pythons and with an extraterrestrial stranded on Earth. It was the start of a great deal of strangeness, but the Scavengers found themselves enjoying being heroes, even if they were regarded as monsters by the public.
Tobidashi disappeared in 1987, most likely executed by his superiors for his repeated failures. The alien, Kulkafron, continued his experiments for a few more years, but also disappeared after a security team from the TSV Adventure, led by Otodevol, assisted the Scavengers in finally destroying his base of operations. The brothers were invited to travel to the Technate in order to give testimony concerning the activities of Vaskhane that they'd witnessed, and agreed once it was also mentioned that the Technate's medical treatment could assist their sensei with some difficulties she'd been sufffering in recent months.
Not much is known about the Scavengers' activities after they left Earth. It's believed that they may have worked alongside fellow Terran-expatriate Captain Mystic as agents of the Bureau of Law Enforcement, but if so they did so in secret. It's possible that they eventually settled in Manehil, a city on Muraddin largely occupied by the Xavin people, whom they somewhat resemble, and possible that by now a new generation of adolescent transgenic shinobi rats are active there.
The Scavengers -- PL 6
Abilities:
STR 3 | STA 4 | AGL 3 | DEX 2 | FGT 6 | INT 2 | AWE 2 | PRE 1
Powers:
Keen Senses: Senses 3 (Low-light Vision, Acute and Tracking Olfactory) - 3 points
Mobility: Movement 2 (slithering, wall-crawling 1); Speed 2 (8 MPH) - 6 points
Advantages:
All: Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improvised Tools, Instant Up, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Takedown, Teamwork.
David: Equipment 2, Inspire, Interpose, Leadership
Jude: Close Attack, Equipment 1, Redirect, Set-up, Skill Mastery (Deception)
Joshua: Favored Environment (neighborhood), Great Endurance, Uncanny Dodge
Equipment:
David: Sickles (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical, Split Attack) and 5 points
Jude: Staff (Strength-based Damage 2, Split Attack) and 7 points
Joshua: Bow (Ranged Damage 3), Sword (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical) and 3 points
Skills:
All: Acrobatics 6 (+9), Athletics 4 (+7), Deception 6 (+7), Perception 4 (+6), Sleight of Hand 6 (+8), Stealth 6 (+9), Technology 4 (+6).
David: Expertise: Philosophy 6 (+8), Treatment 6 (+8).
Jude: Expertise: Popular Culture 6 (+8), Vehicles 6 (+8).
Joshua: Intimidation 6 (+7), Ranged Attack: Bow 6 (+8).
Offense:
Initiative +7
David: Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 3), Sickles +6 (Close Damage 6, Crit 19-20)
Jude: Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 3), Staff +7 (Close Damage 5)
Joshua: Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 3) Sword +6 (Close Damage 6, Crit 19-20), Bow +8 (Ranged Damage 3)
Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 6, Fortitude 5, Toughness 6/4, Will 5
Totals:
Abilities 46 + Powers 9 + Advantages 18 + Skills 21 + Defenses 6 = 100 points
Complications:
All: Survival--Motivation. Obviously Inhuman. Scavenged Equipment (frequently breaks down.)
David: Overconfident.
Jude: Easy-Going.
Joshua: Temper.
David (Art by Slugg-o)
Jude (Art by Brian Rubinfeld)
Joshua (Art by Yngvar Apslund)
It seems unlikely that Dr. John B. Calhoun would have approved of the other experiments that were being conducted by employees of the National Institute of Mental Health at the Casey farm in 1962. His objections wouldn't have been founded on any sentimental considerations about what they were doing to the mice and rats, but rather on his belief that using 'mad science' on creatures intended for 'serious science' experiments could contaminate the results. That said, the most noteworthy experiments occurred after Dr. Calhoun had departed for California, with the creation of sapient and iconographic mice and rats, and their escape from the laboratory, taking place towards the end of the year.
The escaped rodents were broken up into several smaller groups by various circumstances, and while most of those who survived reunited somewhat later, many were thought lost for good. One of these lost rats was a pregnant female who used the name Judith, who gave bith to a litter of nine infants soon after the escape. Three of them survived to maturity. One of the first books that Judith ever read was a collection of stories about the Nine Worthies, and she named her children after three of them -- Joshua, David and Judah.
The rat pups' physical maturity outpaced their mental and emotional maturity by quite a bit, though they rarely spoke of their youth later on, and so many questions about this period remain unanswered. They travelled along with their mother, moving across the United States as tramps, until Judith died, apparently due to misadventure, in 1972. All three of the brothers' personalities were largely shaped by this loss -- David became determined to become able to protect what was left of his family, Joshua was left angry at the world and everything in it, and Judah -- or Jude, as he began calling himself -- developed a whimsical and easy-going attitude.
Despite their differences, they stayed together for several more years, right up until everything changed for them. In 1977, while passing through Denver, they were caught up in one of the last great battles of the first age of heroes and exposed to further mutating effects that caused them to increase in size many times over, until they were each roughly five feet in height. It was an extremely painful process that left them all but helpless for several hours, and so their existence was discovered by a human being.
Fortunately, Katsuki Junko could best be described as unflappable. The strange creatures she found hiding out in the basement of the flophouse where she was temporarily residing were in need of help. She took her responsibility to help all living creatures seriously, and therefore gave them what aid she could and listened with interest to the story of their lives so far. Observing their athletic and stealthy talents with interest, Junko hesitantly offered to give them instruction in how to use those natural abilities to better results, through the use of the martial arts.
They had to move a few times over the course of their training, but by 1984, when they were living in Detroit, the three brothers were highly accomplished martial artists and infiltrators, having developed combat styles that made use of weapons that they'd constructed from scavenged equipment. They referred to themselves as the Scavengers, and frequently used their training to protect humans as well as themselves and their Little Mother. In the process, they found themselves clashing with a criminal martial artist, Tobidashi, who was pursuing certain schemes in association with the Pythons and with an extraterrestrial stranded on Earth. It was the start of a great deal of strangeness, but the Scavengers found themselves enjoying being heroes, even if they were regarded as monsters by the public.
Tobidashi disappeared in 1987, most likely executed by his superiors for his repeated failures. The alien, Kulkafron, continued his experiments for a few more years, but also disappeared after a security team from the TSV Adventure, led by Otodevol, assisted the Scavengers in finally destroying his base of operations. The brothers were invited to travel to the Technate in order to give testimony concerning the activities of Vaskhane that they'd witnessed, and agreed once it was also mentioned that the Technate's medical treatment could assist their sensei with some difficulties she'd been sufffering in recent months.
Not much is known about the Scavengers' activities after they left Earth. It's believed that they may have worked alongside fellow Terran-expatriate Captain Mystic as agents of the Bureau of Law Enforcement, but if so they did so in secret. It's possible that they eventually settled in Manehil, a city on Muraddin largely occupied by the Xavin people, whom they somewhat resemble, and possible that by now a new generation of adolescent transgenic shinobi rats are active there.
The Scavengers -- PL 6
Abilities:
STR 3 | STA 4 | AGL 3 | DEX 2 | FGT 6 | INT 2 | AWE 2 | PRE 1
Powers:
Keen Senses: Senses 3 (Low-light Vision, Acute and Tracking Olfactory) - 3 points
Mobility: Movement 2 (slithering, wall-crawling 1); Speed 2 (8 MPH) - 6 points
Advantages:
All: Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improvised Tools, Instant Up, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Takedown, Teamwork.
David: Equipment 2, Inspire, Interpose, Leadership
Jude: Close Attack, Equipment 1, Redirect, Set-up, Skill Mastery (Deception)
Joshua: Favored Environment (neighborhood), Great Endurance, Uncanny Dodge
Equipment:
David: Sickles (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical, Split Attack) and 5 points
Jude: Staff (Strength-based Damage 2, Split Attack) and 7 points
Joshua: Bow (Ranged Damage 3), Sword (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical) and 3 points
Skills:
All: Acrobatics 6 (+9), Athletics 4 (+7), Deception 6 (+7), Perception 4 (+6), Sleight of Hand 6 (+8), Stealth 6 (+9), Technology 4 (+6).
David: Expertise: Philosophy 6 (+8), Treatment 6 (+8).
Jude: Expertise: Popular Culture 6 (+8), Vehicles 6 (+8).
Joshua: Intimidation 6 (+7), Ranged Attack: Bow 6 (+8).
Offense:
Initiative +7
David: Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 3), Sickles +6 (Close Damage 6, Crit 19-20)
Jude: Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 3), Staff +7 (Close Damage 5)
Joshua: Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 3) Sword +6 (Close Damage 6, Crit 19-20), Bow +8 (Ranged Damage 3)
Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 6, Fortitude 5, Toughness 6/4, Will 5
Totals:
Abilities 46 + Powers 9 + Advantages 18 + Skills 21 + Defenses 6 = 100 points
Complications:
All: Survival--Motivation. Obviously Inhuman. Scavenged Equipment (frequently breaks down.)
David: Overconfident.
Jude: Easy-Going.
Joshua: Temper.
Davies
Legend
Katsuki Junko
Debuting in 1964, Japan's first superhero was the self-proclaimed 'scientific ninja' known by his alias of Jiraiya, after the famous ninja of folklore. And debuting three years later, Jiraiya found himself (somewhat reluctantly) saddled with a partner, who naturally took the alias Tsunade as she fought by his side. Looking back on those days, many years later, Katsuki Junko preferred to remember the good times, and was laughingly grateful that they never ran into anyone who insisted on being called Orochimaru. When asked whether her relationship with Jiraiya had been romantic as well as professional, she gently tapped Jude on the head with a spoon and replied that a lady never answered questions like that.
Junko's career as Japan's first superheroine began in her early twenties, after she received training from the same man who had trained Kageyama Sarutobi: the mad scientist known only as Professor Chi. The professor claimed to have stripped the various esoteric techniques employed by generations of would-be martial artists of their superstitious dross, leaving only practical methods that anyone could use. Despite this, he trained only two students in his methods, and they would both pay a steep price for their power, though they wouldn't learn that until after the professor died, in 1968.
Access to the professor's notes painted a clearer portrait of what he had done to them, and began to drive a wedge between the two heroes. Between these revelations and the cataclysm in Vietnam, Sarutobi began to increasingly reject the materialist and technological society that had produced him in favor of more traditional approaches to the martial arts and life in general. While Junko sympathized with such goals, she was unable to fully embrace them. Therefore, the two parted with a fair amount of acrimony in 1974, with Sarutobi beginning to lay the foundations for what he would call the Shadow School, and Junko departing for the United States.
Little is known of her life between her arrival in America and her meeting with the Scavengers, three years later. At some point in that time, she learned the horrific cost of the abilities she'd mastered -- they caused her to age much more rapidly than she should. By the time she began teaching David, Jude and Joshua, she resembled a woman in her early forties, ten years older than her actual age. Sarutobi suffered from the same affliction, which would ultimately kill him in 1992. For this reason, as much as her lack of access to the tools used in her training, she did not instruct the Scavengers in these techniques.
Generally, during the Scavengers' adventures, Junko remained behind and offered only counsel and advice to them. She encouraged David's quest to become a worthy leader to his brothers, laughed at Jude's pranks though never at the prankster, and tried to soften the sharp edges of Joshua's bad attitude. She was pleased when they began to make other human friends, such as Julie Martens, since she feared what would happen when her death left them alone in the world. She did not think of herself as their mother, exactly, and actually found the 'Little Mother' name she was saddled with to be somewhat irksome, particularly after she found out what inspired it. But she was always their biggest fan.
Ultimately, in the name of saving her life, the Scavengers left Earth behind in 1991, by which point she looked like a woman in her seventies. If their fate is something of a mystery, hers is even more so. It may be that what was done to her was repaired, and even reversed, though the miracles of Technate medicine. But perhaps it was too late, and her ashes rest in an urn somewhere on some alien world.
Katsuki Junko -- PL 8
Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 1 | AGL 3 | DEX 4 | FGT 6 | INT 1 | AWE 6 | PRE 1
Powers:
Abundant Step: Leaping 3 (60 feet); Movement 1 (trackless) - 5 points
Chi Mastery: Array (8 points)
Assessment, Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Fast Grab, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Language (English, [Japanese is native]), Prone Fighting, Tracking, Trance, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Well-informed.
Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+9), Athletics 6 (+7), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+8), Deception 8 (+9), Expertise: Philosophy 8 (+9), Insight 5 (+11), Perception 4 (+10), Persuasion 7 (+8), Sleight of Hand 6 (+10), Stealth 6 (+9), Treatment 6 (+7).
Offense:
Initiative +7
Unarmed or Improvised Weapon +8 (Close Damage 3 or more)
Flury of Blows -- (Close Burst Area Damage 4)
Nerve Strike +8 (Close Fortitude 8)
Defenses:
Dodge 5, Parry 6, Fortitude 3, Toughness 3/1, Will 11
Totals:
Abilities 46 + Powers 15 + Advantages 20 + Skills 32 + Defenses 9 = 121 points
Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Family (the Scavengers.) Prejudice (homeless.) Rapid Aging.
Note: This represents Junko's abilities in the late 70s and early 80s. A decade earlier, while active as Tsunade, her AGL, DEX and FGT would all have been two ranks higher, she would have Close Attack 2 instead of Close Combat: Unarmed, Ranged Attack: Thrown 4 (+10), the abilities of her Chi Mastery would not have the Tiring limitation, and she would have carried an Equipment package identical to that used by Kiyohime. By the early nineties, she was in significantly worse condition than this; reduce all physical abilities and FGT by 2.
Debuting in 1964, Japan's first superhero was the self-proclaimed 'scientific ninja' known by his alias of Jiraiya, after the famous ninja of folklore. And debuting three years later, Jiraiya found himself (somewhat reluctantly) saddled with a partner, who naturally took the alias Tsunade as she fought by his side. Looking back on those days, many years later, Katsuki Junko preferred to remember the good times, and was laughingly grateful that they never ran into anyone who insisted on being called Orochimaru. When asked whether her relationship with Jiraiya had been romantic as well as professional, she gently tapped Jude on the head with a spoon and replied that a lady never answered questions like that.
Junko's career as Japan's first superheroine began in her early twenties, after she received training from the same man who had trained Kageyama Sarutobi: the mad scientist known only as Professor Chi. The professor claimed to have stripped the various esoteric techniques employed by generations of would-be martial artists of their superstitious dross, leaving only practical methods that anyone could use. Despite this, he trained only two students in his methods, and they would both pay a steep price for their power, though they wouldn't learn that until after the professor died, in 1968.
Access to the professor's notes painted a clearer portrait of what he had done to them, and began to drive a wedge between the two heroes. Between these revelations and the cataclysm in Vietnam, Sarutobi began to increasingly reject the materialist and technological society that had produced him in favor of more traditional approaches to the martial arts and life in general. While Junko sympathized with such goals, she was unable to fully embrace them. Therefore, the two parted with a fair amount of acrimony in 1974, with Sarutobi beginning to lay the foundations for what he would call the Shadow School, and Junko departing for the United States.
Little is known of her life between her arrival in America and her meeting with the Scavengers, three years later. At some point in that time, she learned the horrific cost of the abilities she'd mastered -- they caused her to age much more rapidly than she should. By the time she began teaching David, Jude and Joshua, she resembled a woman in her early forties, ten years older than her actual age. Sarutobi suffered from the same affliction, which would ultimately kill him in 1992. For this reason, as much as her lack of access to the tools used in her training, she did not instruct the Scavengers in these techniques.
Generally, during the Scavengers' adventures, Junko remained behind and offered only counsel and advice to them. She encouraged David's quest to become a worthy leader to his brothers, laughed at Jude's pranks though never at the prankster, and tried to soften the sharp edges of Joshua's bad attitude. She was pleased when they began to make other human friends, such as Julie Martens, since she feared what would happen when her death left them alone in the world. She did not think of herself as their mother, exactly, and actually found the 'Little Mother' name she was saddled with to be somewhat irksome, particularly after she found out what inspired it. But she was always their biggest fan.
Ultimately, in the name of saving her life, the Scavengers left Earth behind in 1991, by which point she looked like a woman in her seventies. If their fate is something of a mystery, hers is even more so. It may be that what was done to her was repaired, and even reversed, though the miracles of Technate medicine. But perhaps it was too late, and her ashes rest in an urn somewhere on some alien world.
Katsuki Junko -- PL 8
Abilities:
STR 1 | STA 1 | AGL 3 | DEX 4 | FGT 6 | INT 1 | AWE 6 | PRE 1
Powers:
Abundant Step: Leaping 3 (60 feet); Movement 1 (trackless) - 5 points
Chi Mastery: Array (8 points)
- Flurry of Blows: Selective Burst Area Damage 4, Tiring - 8 points[/li]
- Nerve Strike: Cumulative Affliction 8 (Resisted and Overcome by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Paralyzed), Tiring - 1 point
- Restoration: Healing 8, Tiring - 1 point
Assessment, Chokehold, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Fast Grab, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Initiative, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Language (English, [Japanese is native]), Prone Fighting, Tracking, Trance, Uncanny Dodge, Weapon Bind, Well-informed.
Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+9), Athletics 6 (+7), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+8), Deception 8 (+9), Expertise: Philosophy 8 (+9), Insight 5 (+11), Perception 4 (+10), Persuasion 7 (+8), Sleight of Hand 6 (+10), Stealth 6 (+9), Treatment 6 (+7).
Offense:
Initiative +7
Unarmed or Improvised Weapon +8 (Close Damage 3 or more)
Flury of Blows -- (Close Burst Area Damage 4)
Nerve Strike +8 (Close Fortitude 8)
Defenses:
Dodge 5, Parry 6, Fortitude 3, Toughness 3/1, Will 11
Totals:
Abilities 46 + Powers 15 + Advantages 20 + Skills 32 + Defenses 9 = 121 points
Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Family (the Scavengers.) Prejudice (homeless.) Rapid Aging.
Note: This represents Junko's abilities in the late 70s and early 80s. A decade earlier, while active as Tsunade, her AGL, DEX and FGT would all have been two ranks higher, she would have Close Attack 2 instead of Close Combat: Unarmed, Ranged Attack: Thrown 4 (+10), the abilities of her Chi Mastery would not have the Tiring limitation, and she would have carried an Equipment package identical to that used by Kiyohime. By the early nineties, she was in significantly worse condition than this; reduce all physical abilities and FGT by 2.
Similar Threads
