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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Davies" data-source="post: 8431219" data-attributes="member: 30538">Yusei<img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-8rJDLVV/0/612cea55/S/PlanetJuraiHQ-S.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />\The rulers of Yusei, capital of the Yusei Star Kingdom, have taken some pains to misinform the neighboring Crimson Imperium concerning their state. The Kingdom is believed by most (notably not by the Crimson King and some of his agents) to be about as large as the Imperium, when it in fact encompasses a smaller volume of space and fewer inhabited worlds than any other current interstellar state, with the exception of Aperion's Protectorate. On the other hand, the scholars of the Crimson Imperium believe that the human race native to Yusei is, as with the majority of humanity within the Imperium, descended from Chiraben sources, despite the Yusei's insistence that they are not. Ironically, that insistence is only a partial truth.The roots of Yusei date back to the start of the 800s CE on Earth, specifically to the nation of Japan. In the first decade of that century, a woodcutter from a village in that country discovered a crashed spacecraft containing a living passenger, specifically an Albadine aristocrat. He and his wife nursed her back to health, in some awe of her obviously supernatural origins. Reports of this "heavenly maiden" circulated throughout the empire of Japan, and even reached the Imperial court. If one is to believe the somewhat fictionalized account of these events -- Taketori Monogatari, or The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter -- the "maiden" may even have been courted by the Emperor of that time, but refused him as she planned to return to her own country.She had not yet departed by 812, however, at which point Japan was afflicted with an epidemic of smallpox that killed more than half of its population. To save the lives of those that she had come to care about, the Albadine used her supply of technology to vaccinate the populace of the village, violently breaking her own people's cultural taboos in the process. Further, she grew concerned that her action could lead to greater harm to those she sought to protect, who might be dissected to determine why they lived while so many others died. Thus, when at last a vessel of the Gardeners answered her summons, she explained her concerns to the villagers and asked them to accompany her on her voyage. Overwhelmingly, they agreed.The Gardeners transported the Albadine and her followers to a planet far away from Earth, the world of purple seas and skies that would later be known as Yusei. Briefed on what her hosts knew of this world, chiefly the presence of megafauna there, the 'princess' trained several of the villagers in the fighting and psychic arts of her people, so that they would be able to defend the colony that they would found. It would take a long while for the people of Yusei to grow used to their new world, but they were adaptable and resourceful, were fruitful and multiplied. Their 'princess' eventually left them after a generation had passed, but promised to one day return. More than a thousand years later, it is still an article of faith with some of the population that she will do so, but most accept that she is long dead.After a few centuries*, however, a different group of strange visitors from another world arrived on Yusei. 'Rising stars' from Cherab, they had fled their home world and were now in search of another. While the guardians of the Yusei were potent, they could not match these beings' power. A different solution was sought, and an agreement was negotiated with some of these would-be gods that they would receive the idolization they desired if some of the more malevolent members of their party were expelled. As these individuals had already annoyed many of their peers, this was considered an acceptable arrangement. Some of the scapegoats were killed, others fled, and in the end the remaining overfolk settled in as Yusei's new gods. Gradually, they established kinship with many of the leading families of the Yusei, either legitimately or otherwise. With their help, both technological and otherwise, the Yusei conquered what remained of their planet, and then nearby planets as well. A thousand years later, a few of the first generation of the gods are still alive, though they are all quite elderly and rarely leave their fortified temples save for brief excursions. (Actual immortality was possessed by relatively few of their people.) They still exert much influence over the Yusei people, but rule is in the hands of the Star King and his court -- distantly related to all the gods, and thus obligated to none of them.The Yusei would prefer it if they could ignore the presence of the Crimson Imperium not far from their borders, as they did for centuries. But that is not an option, and they are resigned to the fact that a war between their two powers is inevitable. Their leaders are doing all in their power to ensure that it is a war they will win, but their strategic projection is that unless the Crimson Imperium is distracted by a major civil war or invasion from another party, they are doomed. Their troops' quality is high, and their technology superior, but the sheer numbers that the Imperium can call upon will bring about their inevitable doom, with the likely collapse of their opponent in the aftermath a comfort as cold as interstellar space.Some of the Yusei leadership have responded to this grim scenario by descending into decadence and focusing on petty games of influence. In the course of one such struggle, which even drew the Royal House into it, a remarkable treasure came into the hands of the current Star King. Neither he nor any of the sages of his court have realized that the gem of unknown origin that they now possess, and have stashed in the royal treasury, is one of the five Cosmic Gems of interstellar legend. As such, as long as they do not know what they own, they might be willing to trade this priceless wonder for something of much lesser worth but apparently similar rarity. Or someone could try stealing it, and probably face hundreds of the Star Kingdom's crack troops in the process.Yusei Soldier -- PL 8/MR 9<img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-RG5MSCw/0/0159a624/S/Uniform_AAS_Undersuit-S.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Abilities:STR 4 | STA 5 | AGL 4 | DEX 5 | FGT 8 | INT 1 | AWE 2 | PRE 1Powers:Defensive Shielding: Immunity 10 (life support); Sustained Protection 2, Impervious 4 - 16 pointsFlight Gear: Flight 13/7 (16000 MPH/250 MPH), Higher level is only in microgravity; Removable (-4 points) - 16 pointsAdvantages:Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Equipment 4, Improved Defense, Power Attack.Equipment:Blaster Staff (Strength-based Damage 2; Ranged Damage 8), Commlink, 2 points as neededSkills:Acrobatics 4 (+8), Athletics 3 (+7), Close Combat: Staff 2 (+10), Expertise: Military 5 (+6), Insight 6 (+8), Intimidation 7 (+8), Perception 6 (+8), Ranged Combat: Blaster 3 (+8), Vehicles 4 (+9).Offense:Initiative +4Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 4)Staff +10 (Close Damage 6)Blaster +8 (Ranged Damage 8)Defense:Dodge 9, Parry 8, Fortitude 5, Toughness 7/5, Will 8Totals:Abilities 60 + Powers 32 + Advantages 8 + Skills 20 + Defense 12 = 125 pointsOffensive PL: 8Defensive PL: 8Resistance PL: 7Skill PL: 4Complications:Duty--Motivation. Others as Needed.Note: This is an inexperienced Yusei soldier. For a more experienced PL 9 veteran, increase STR to 5, FGT to 9, add Improved Initiative and Teamwork, increase Close Combat to 3 ranks, Expertise: Military to 6 ranks, Perception to 8 ranks, Ranged Combat to 5 ranks, Dodge to 11, and consider adding Expertise: Magic at 6 ranks (or higher for a specialist, who might also have Senses 1 [mystic awareness].)Matter Gem<img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-mpxn62H/0/2a0e6455/M/Matter-M.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Actual sizeMatter Gem: Removable (-24 points)Body Hardening: Enhanced Stamina 10, Impervious - 30 pointsMatter Control Powers: Array (84 points) <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Disintegration: Linked Ranged Weaken Toughness 12, Affects Objects, Secondary Effect; Linked Ranged Damage 12, Secondary Effect - 84 points </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Transmutation: Continuous Ranged Transform 12 (anything into anything) - 1 point</li> </ul>Matter Perception: Senses 5 (analytical vision, vision penetrates concealment) - 5 points</blockquote>

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