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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Davies" data-source="post: 8603637" data-attributes="member: 30538">Dyspemous<img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-GChcrNf/0/3df41903/M/db8ased-512bec7b-5a90-40df-bc14-b73279b13cf7-M.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />Vahalatho, a planet in the Unclaimed Regions, was settled by Chiraben explorers some eight hundred years* ago. Far from the larger communities of their diaspora, the planet was left to its own devices following the collapse of the Chiraben League and the rise of the Imperium. The planet was eventually unified under the rule of the Khlarish family, ostensibly because of their commercial and military advantages. The real story was that they had discovered or acquired what they referred to as "the virus of power" -- a biological weapon that bestowed mind control abilities on most of those whom it infected. The Khlarish duly infected every member of their family with this virus, and nearly every member developed the power. But "nearly every" is not all.Born roughly sixty-five years ago, Dyspemous Khlarish of Vahalatho was one member of the dynasty who had failed to manifest the symptoms of the virus, leaving him an outcast among his family. Due to his other talents -- a keen interpersonal insight and strategic abilities -- he was nevertheless given a position as the governor of one of the more rebellious territories of their empire. But Dyspemous was under no illusions that he was expected to rule successfully. He was intended to serve as a martyr whose death at the hands of revolutionaries would justify still harsher treatment for the people of this province by one of his older half-siblings or cousins.His family had underestimated him, however, and he was able to overcome many of the schemes against him through skillful and compassionate leadership, and through the cultivation of allies among the people whom he was supposed to be oppressing. Sadly, Dyspemous and his friends had the misfortune to be living at a time when the virus of power had begun to mutate, no longer spreading only through blood transfusions but also infecting those whom the power was used against. And one such victim developed the most potent form of mind control that their world had ever seen, and used it to wreak havoc against all those whom he blamed for his misfortunes -- and Dyspemous was one of those whom he targeted.To Dyspemous, it was as though a great darkness had descended on his mind, demanding that he do as he had been commanded and destroy those who trusted him. Somehow, he was able to resist that demand -- perhaps due to his own strong will, perhaps due to his earlier exposure to the unmutated form of the virus -- but to do so required all that he had, and he felt certain that eventually he would succumb. He was a proud man, the Prince of Vahalatho, but in that moment, in the silence of his soul, he cried out for someone, anyone, to help him.His cry was heard. In a cell elsewhere on the planet, a captured alien sensed his struggle, and further sensed that this young being had much still to accomplish in his life. Without apparent hesitation, the alien commanded their power prism to transport itself to Dyspemous and aid his struggle, and then died immediately without the life support field their prism had provided. Bonded to the power prism, Dyspemous used its energies to overcome the virus of power, and then to defeat the one who had tried to use it against him.That was the beginning of a decade*-long struggle between Dyspemous and the rest of his family, as well as others who had acquired the virus of power. He would eventually be contacted by others who wielded the power prism and informed of its nature; in time, after he had helped to establish a more egalitarian world order than had heretofore existed, Dyspemous agreed to travel to the planet Aperion and learn still more. After another decade* spent in the service of the Council which governs both planet and power prisms, he was chosen to serve as one of its members, and has done so for roughly twenty years*.Dyspemous is someone who has always been driven to fulfill the duties asked of him, and to exceed the expectations of those who ask them of him. How much of this is due to his childhood, where he was viewed as completely inadequate by most of family, and how much of it has developed since then, is impossible to say. He is an extremely competitive person, who finds it hard to resist turning most group activities into contentions between the participants, but he always competes fairly and honestly, and genuinely admires those who are able to surpass him and encourages those who cannot to keep trying. (Deliberately throwing such competitions is one sure way to anger him, however.)His greatest fear concerns the possibility that he did not overcome the virus of power, all those years ago, and that it is still hidden within his psyche, influencing him in subtle ways. He has subjected himself to repeated psychic examinations by other counsellors and allied psychics, and they have never found anything of the sort. And yet that is exactly what they would find if he was employing the powers of the virus to deceive them ...Dyspemous -- PL 13Abilities:STR 12/1 | STA 2 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 2 | INT 4 | AWE 6 | PRE 4Powers:Power Prism: Removable (-26 points)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Force Field: Linked Sustained Protection 16, Impervious 12; Linked Sustained Immunity 10 (life support) - 38 points</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Offensive Applications: Array (30 points)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Basic Blast: Ranged Damage 13, Accurate 3, Split Attack - 30 points</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Exo-Field: Enhanced Advantage 8 (Close Attack 8); Enhanced Strength 11 - 1 point</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Hallucinator: Illusion 10 (all senses), Limited to One Subject, Resistible by Will - 1 point</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Mind Probe: Cumulative Mind Reading 10 - 1 point</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Stun Blast: Ranged Affliction 13 (Resisted by Will; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated), Accurate 3, Reversible - 1 point</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Tractor-Presser Beam: Move Object 15 (800 tons) - 1 point</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Phased Flight: Flight 15 (64000 MPH), Aquatic; Insubstantial 3; Movement 3 (environmental adaptation [zero-g], space flight 2) - 51 points</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Sensory Applications: Senses 10 (hyper-extended 3 accurate analytical radio) - 10 points</li> </ul>Terrifying Resolve: Immunity 10 (interaction effects); Immunity 20 (mental effects), Limited to Half Effect - 20 pointsAdvantages:Assessment, Attractive, Benefit (Councilor of Aperion), Close Attack 8, Defensive Attack, Extraordinary Effort, Fascinate (Persuasion), Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Inspire 2, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Skill Mastery (Persuasion).Skills:Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+6), Expertise: Galactic 8 (+12), Expertise: Politics 7 (+11), Insight 5 (+11), Intimidation 6 (+10), Investigation 4 (+8), Perception 3 (+9), Persuasion 9 (+13), Ranged Combat: Blaster 2 (+5), Vehicles 4 (+7).Offense:Initiative +7Unarmed +14/6 (Close Damage 12/1)Basic Blast +13 (Ranged Damage 13)Stun Blast +13 (Ranged Will 13)Defense:Dodge 8, Parry 6, Fortitude 5, Toughness 18/2, Will 13Totals:Abilities 50 + Powers 128 + Advantages 17 + Skills 26 + Defenses 19 = 240 pointsOffensive PL: 13Defensive PL: 13Resistance PL: 9Skill PL: 8Complications:Responsibility--Motivation. Bureaucratic and Ceremonial Duties. Competitive. Temptation of Power."Although [he] did not realize it, he was already infected with the virus of power -- to which, by a psychological quirk in his brain, he did not have enough resistance!" Green Lantern [1960] #7, written by John Broome.</blockquote>

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