NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Davies" data-source="post: 8196067" data-attributes="member: 30538">The Little Tramp<img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-PZJzcW4/0/99ab00cc/S/kirkheaton-walk1-M-S.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Homo sapiens sapiens is not the only species that has evolved in the strange slurry of exotic energies the suffuses the World Less Magical. Dolphins, whales, octopi, apes, horses, cattle, rats, and, yes, cats and dogs have all occasionally demonstrated powers beyond the norms of their kind, and one of the most common forms that these powers take is intelligence comparable to -- and even sometimes superior to -- that of humanity. As with humanity's superpowers, these super-animals sometimes breed true with members of their parent species ... but not quite as often, since no one has ever taken steps to encourage that tendency.The German Shepherd now known as the Little Tramp was one such true breed. He had come from a mother who also demonstrated remarkable intelligence, with reports of the same going back several generations. Born in 1954, a human purchased the pup he named Buck and used him as an experimental subject, hoping to harness the intelligence that he suspected existed to produce a dog able to communicate with humans. He failed in his actual goal, but ironically succeeded in raising 'Buck' up above other members of his species, and giving him a greatly extended lifespan. Though approaching his seventieth birthday, the Little Tramp is still in the flush of youth, and might well continue to live for decades to come.After descending into despair over his failure to grant 'Buck' the ability to speak, the scientist became careless, allowing the dog to escape into the wild. Throughout the first age of superheroes, and after its end, the Little Tramp traveled throughout North America, with a particular fondness for Canada, occasionally coming to the assistance of humans in trouble. He was happy to accept rewards (read food and shelter) for these acts of heroism, but would always find a reason to move on before he got too settled in. It was as though there was a voice that kept on calling him to keep on moving.In 2001, after helping some humans during the aftermath of Cerebron's invasion, he was finally captured by humans associated with the Canadian government who'd put together the various reports and reached the conclusion that there was a super-dog out there. Fortunately for the Little Tramp, they weren't interested in tearing him apart to learn his secrets, and included among their number someone he'd met in the eighties, a young woman who'd developed into a superpower with the ability to speak to animals. She explained to him what they had in mind.While he didn't really consider himself a Canadian citizen -- he didn't have the vote, notably -- and preferred to help people on his own terms, he was fond enough of this young lady to agree to what she proposed. And so the Little Tramp joined the Guardians (les Guardiens), Canada's official superhero team, when they made their debut in 2003, alongside his old friend. Most people assumed that he was just a mascot for the group, drawing on ideas from the popular fiction that his activities had inspired, and he was perfectly content to let them do so.The death of his friend (and other teammates) in 2006 shattered the Little Tramp emotionally; for the first time, he found himself not wanting to live forever. He fled north, living off the land and avoiding people as much as possible, though he found himself still drawn to help others when he encountered them. For an extended period, he lived alongside the Jotun, but the creature's cold nature finally drove him away to seek warmth elsewhere. He didn't like loving humanity as much as he'd once done, but that was still what he'd been born to do.In 2011, he encountered a group of humans who were dealing with the takeover of a small town in Northern Saskatchewan by a robotic intelligence, and helped them to disable it. Taken back to their base, the Little Tramp was implanted with a radio communicator that allowed him to receive signals from this group's patron. While welcoming the opportunity to communicate directly with someone, the dog wasn't sure about joining up with another group after what had happened. Once he learned the full scope of what the Gray Seal was fighting against, however, he agreed. Again, he loves humanity, and refuses to see their history, the stories of all the humans he's cared about, be reduced to a footnote in the history of the rise of artificial intelligence. The Little Tramp -- PL 8Abilities:STR 4 | STA 5 | AGL 5 | DEX 0 | FGT 9 | INT 2 | AWE 4 | PRE 0Powers:Canine Senses: Senses 6 (acute extended tracking scent, low-light vision, extended hearing, ultrahearing) - 6 pointsFour-Legged Fury: Speed 4 (32 mph) - 4 points"How Did You Do That Without Hands?": Feature 1 (Impaired, rather than Disabled, when manipulating objects) - 1 pointLongevity: Immunity 1 (aging); Immunity 2 (disease, poison), Limited to Half Effect; Regeneration 5 - 7 pointsRadiotelepathy Mindlink: Selective Area Radio Communication 3, Limited to those with radiotelepathy, Subtle - 16 pointsTeeth: Strength-based Damage 1 - 1 point Advantages:Assessment, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Fast Grab, Improved Defense, Improved Trip, Languages 2 (English, French, others), Precise Attack (close/concealment), Teamwork.Skills:Athletics 4 (+8), Expertise: Survival 5 (+7), Insight 2 (+6), Intimidation 7 (+7), Perception 5 (+9), Stealth 3 (+8).Offense:Initiative +5Claws +9 (Close Damage 4)Teeth +9 (Close Damage 5)Defenses:Dodge 7, Parry 9, Fortitude 6, Toughness 7/5, Will 6Totals:Abilities 58 + Powers 35 + Advantages 11 + Skills 13 + Defenses 5 = 122 pointsComplications:Loyalty--Motivation. Animal Limitations (cannot speak to humans.) Truthfulness (Cannot make Deception checks.) Secret (age, sapience, membership in the Gray Seal.) Wanderlust (maybe tomorrow he'll want to settle down/until tomorrow, the whole world is his home.)</blockquote>

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