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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Davies" data-source="post: 8515142" data-attributes="member: 30538">Bezenst<img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-bjpbf7B/0/cf247207/M/15cf4255bd17afea51c3424427e81501-M.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Disguised form. In normal form, Bezenst resembles a normal member of their species."Heaven has no rage like a love to hatred turned," is a proverb well-known in the Imperium. (It is also part of a phrase known on Earth, by an odd coincidence.) But what few consider is what sort of rage might be inspired by a hatred turned to love. Or whether the indifference that is the edge of this particular coin might inspire something else again.Prior to her first brush with notoriety, some forty years* ago, no one expected much of Hahlana Haiwright, then in the first year of her enlistment with the Crimson Imperium Marines. She had not been noted as possessing any unusual talents during her training, and it seemed most likely that she would spend her life in the service of the Imperium long before she would be released from service, and that she would not be missed. And then, through some quirk of good fortune or quick wits, she became the lone survivor of the first contact between the Imperium and the Hivers.In the aftermath, she was made into a hero of the Imperium, which had its perks but was not something she really enjoyed, particularly the way that others kept turning to her for advice and counsel about how to contain the creatures. As her advice was always the same -- "If you even suspect that they might be somewhere, bombard the site from orbit." -- she found herself frustrated that it was rarely if ever heeded, and that her services were often called upon to deal with infestations in a much less efficient and much more dangerous manner. Hahlana always survived. Others were not so fortunate, and she came to be viewed as a jinx, of sorts.After about a decade* of this, she was finally rotated to a different sort of assignment, though one she expected to enjoy even less: protection detail for the heir to the Crimson King and his new bride. She imagined that the young prince would be a spoiled, decadent cad, and his wife a petulant shrew. She was surprised to find him a kind, gentle creature who dreamed of making the Imperium a more just place, and her almost as strong-willed as Hahlana herself, but better-humored. She was definitely surprised to fall in love with them, and pledge her allegiance to their plans to reform the Imperium.But no sooner had she done that than her history once more came calling, with her recruited for one more bughunt. She was suspicious about the timing, concerned that her relationship with them might have been discovered. But there was no real opportunity to discover the truth, for it was time for her to discover that even heroes of the Imperium cannot choose which battles they will win, and that this is why all of them die in the end. Hahlana Haiwright found herself infected by a fresh Hiver egg, and failed in her attempt to end her own life before the warrior was born from her. She died alone and afraid.And then a remarkable thing happened, both due to the remarkable determination of this latest victim of the Hive and to the death of its queen at nearly the same moment that the warrior emerged. All Hiver warriors are able to call up memories of their prior existence to assist in creating their disguise, but this warrior possessed all of the memories of Hahlana, and had none of the normal Hiver urges to protect or expand the Hive. They successfully hid from the survivors of the assault, and found a way off the asteroid where they had been born, traveling to a nearby inhabited planet and hiding themselves there. Eventually, they named themselves Bezenst, after the Imperium Standard word for the disease known elsewhere as rabies.While Bezenst has no interest in rebuilding their original Hive nor in creating a new one -- possible by stealing the reputed "royal jelly" from another Hive -- they also have no remaining loyalty to their original species or nation. Whatever remained vanished after learning that her prince and princess had died. They travel across the Imperium, striving to stay at least one step ahead of the Inquisition and the Border Patrol task force that hunts Hivers. Bezenst invariably kills beings who discover their true nature or seem likely to do so, but is not otherwise cruel or malicious. The worst that could be said is that they are utterly indifferent to the lives of any other creature.With one exception. If Bezenst were ever to learn about the existence and activities of Shaitan Topaz, the daughter of that royal couple, all the loyalty that Hahlana possessed would return in force. And the Imperium would learn the fury of a chilling indifference turned to love.Bezenst -- PL 12Abilities:STR 8 | STA 6 | AGL 3 | DEX 4 | FGT 12 | INT 2 | AWE 4 | PRE 1Powers:Alien Movement: Movement 3 (slithering, wall-crawling 2); Speed 2 (8 MPH) - 8 pointsAlien Senses: Senses 2 (accurate tracking hearing) - 3 pointsArmored Chitin: Immunity 11 (corrosive blood, life support); Protection 4 - 15 pointsCorrosive Blood: Reaction Burst Area Damage 7 (triggered by lethal damage), Secondary Effect - 42 pointsDance in the Skin of an Enemy: Morph 1 (original Chiraben appearance), Standard Action - 3 pointsTeeth and Claws: Strength-based Damage 3 - 3 pointsTranslator Implant: Comprehend Languages 2 (understand all languages, speak any language) - 6 pointsVoice of the Hive: Mental Communication 3, Limited to Hivers - 9 pointsAdvantages:All-out Attack, Equipment 15, Fearless, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Set-up, Startle, Teamwork.Equipment:Blaster Rifle (Ranged Damage 8), Starship (see below.)Skills:Athletics 2 (+10), Deception 8 (+9), Expertise: Galactic 6 (+8), Expertise: Military 6 (+8), Intimidation 6 (+7), Insight 6 (+9), Perception 7 (+11), Ranged Combat: Blaster 6 (+10), Stealth 5 (+7), Vehicles 4 (+8).Offense:Initiative +7Unarmed +12 (Close Damage 8)Teeth and Claws +12 (Close Damage 11)Blaster Rifle +10 (Ranged Damage 8)Corrosive Blood -- (Burst Area Damage 7, when takes lethal damage)Defense:Dodge 10, Parry 12, Fortitude 9, Toughness 10, Will 13Totals:Abilities 80 + Powers 99 + Advantages 26 + Skills 18 + Defenses 19 = 242 pointsOffensive PL: 12Defensive PL: 11Resistance PL: 11Skill PL: 6Complications:Survival--Motivation. Family (Shaitan Topaz.)* Hunted by the Imperium. Secret Identity.* Eventually.Heavily Modified Moshambik-class Freighter - 59 pointsSize Gargantuan; Strength 12; Speed 12 (air/space); Defense 6; Toughness 13Features:Autopilot (+4), Communications, Computer Living Space, Navigation System, Remote Control.Powers: Guns: Ranged Damage 9 - 18 pointsHyperspace Drive: Movement 2 (space travel 2) - 4 points</blockquote>

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