The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Masogue
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Very few Zakashi joined the Armada, as the overwhelming majority of their people were firmly allied with the mystics during the Schism War. Those who did were members of the ship clans, a minority culture of the Zakashi who spent most of their lives aboard star-faring craft, largely abandoning the traditional Zakashi faith. According to legend, the clans were hired to ferry the exodus part of the way to their destination, only to realize that there was no real possibility of return, and so accompanied the rest of the fleet to Muraddin, and have been at the forefront of the Technate's space exploration ever since.

One of the consequences of this is that every Zakashi in the Technate knows every other Zakashi, sometimes only by reputation but more usually due to their family connections. Due to the fame that Masogue (MASS-oh-GWAY) earned a decade* ago, as the pilot that achieved a still-unbroken record in completing the Zebulon Run, he seems to run into members of his very extended family with somewhat disturbing frequency. On one recent mission to an unoccupied world, his teammate Hutryea quipped that if they encountered anyone here, it would probably be one of Masogue's relations. Before Masogue could reproach the robot for this absurdity, a ship piloted by a distant cousin hailed them. Masogue chose to say nothing.

After his success as a racer, Masogue went into the traditional business of transportation, ferrying people across the Technate. During one such trip, five years* ago, he found himself having the unique company of Captain Mystic. Normally, Masogue avoided conversing with his passengers, since he values his privacy and expects that they should do the same, but on this occasion he found himself curious, as it seemed likely that he would never have the chance to talk with someone who was able to fly through space without the use of a ship. They talked shop, in other words, and found that their respective intuitive understandings of the intricacies of hyperspace navigation were quite similar.

Some time later, Masogue was recruited by the Bureau of Law Enforcement to act as the official pilot for a certain group of agents -- Yuriko Tyler's class. The Captain gave him a ring from the small collection of artifacts she'd discovered on her home world and brought with her, known to Technate sources as the Ring of Corsere. (Exactly how this girasol ring ended up on Earth, specifically in Russia, sometime in the 19th century remains something of a mystery.) As she had theorized, Masogue's perspectives on space and time allowed him to use the ring's quantum computing mechanism to become a technomancer, like the Captain herself -- and frankly, to do more with that talent than she could.

Masogue is fascinated by the new world that has opened up to him through technomancy. While certainly interested in using his talents to help the group perform their investigations and protect the innocent, he's much more motivated by a desire to explore and learn -- to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. That curiosity has led him this far, and though it is possible that it will lead to many mistakes, he's convinced that without it, he will go absolutely nowhere.

Masogue -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR
2 | STA 3 | AGL 5 | DEX 4 | FGT 5 | INT 4 | AWE 3 | PRE 1

Powers:
Multiple Arms: Extra Limbs 2 - 2 points
Ring of Corsere: Removable (-13 points)
* Force Field: Linked Sustained Immunity 10 (life support); Linked Sustained Impervious Protection 6 - 22 points
* Psychic Radio: Mental Communication 3; Effortless Mind Reading 9, Limited to Surface Thoughts, Subtle - 34 points
* Quantum Computer: Comprehend Languages 3; Enhanced Advantages 2 (Eidetic Memory, Technomancer); Quickness 6, Limited to Mental - 13 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Benefit (Bureau agent), Defensive Attack, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 4, Fast Grab, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Language (Technate Standard, [Xanshi is native]), Move-by Action, Skill Mastery (Vehicles), Teamwork, Technomancer.

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+9), Expertise: Galactic 5 (+9), Insight 7 (+10), Investigation 5 (+9), Perception 6 (+9), Ranged Combat: Blaster 4 (+8), Technology 8 (+12), Vehicles 9 (+13).

Offense:
Initiative +9
Unarmed +9 (Close Damage 2)
Blaster +8 (Ranged Damage 5)

Defense:
Dodge 9, Parry 9, Fortitude 6, Toughness 9/3, Will 10

Totals:
Abilities 58 + Powers 56 + Advantages 14 + Skills 27 + Defenses 18 = 173 points

Complications:
Discovery--Motivation. Family. Private and Secretive.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Hutryea
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Robot rights activists in the Technate have noted and commented on a number of significant changes in the way that robots are manufactured as citizens of the Technate, when compared to the way that they were manufactured prior to their emancipation. These changes all add up to the fact that robots designed to be free tend to be a bit less resistant to damage than their earlier counterparts. While most manufacturers insist that this is simply the result of the changing economics of the robotic manufacturing industry, rather than any sinister motivation, most find this an unconvincing argument.

For roughly the first two-thirds of the thirty-five years* since his activation, Hutryea was more or less oblivious to such concerns. He had been constructed to work as an administrative worker within the Bureau of Law Enforcement, not a field agent, and rarely encountered anything more dangerous than occasionally riotous office parties. The notion that he would ever end up stepping softly in a danger zone would have made him use his voice synthesizer to make the series of random beeping noises that functions as his laughter.

Around twelve years* ago, however, things began to change. He had occasionally received and checked the reports submitted by Yuriko Tyler before that point, and admired the way that they were always complete and didn't leave out important information like those from other operatives, no names mentioned. But then it chanced to occur that the Captain personally submitted her report on her last mission as a field agent before she transferred to the academy, and Hutryea took the opportunity to thank her for her excellent paperwork and offer her congratulations. (Occasionally, he finds himself wishing that he'd kept his overactive vozer offline.)

Yuriko accepted his thanks warmly, and then hesitantly asked if he'd be willing to use his personal time to help her out with some unfamiliar paperwork that she'd run into while preparing for her transfer. As Hutryea generally spent his personal time linked up to an entertainment feed that was probably only a little less boring than watching static, he was happy to agree. Somehow, and he's not entirely clear about how, this resulted in him being permanently transferred out of his comfortable position into a much more exciting (read terrifying) and adventurous (read seriously terrifying) one as the administrative assistant to the Captain's class of lunatics.

Don't misunderstand; he still likes Yuriko, and is proud to call her friend. And he's come to think of many of her students in the same light, and wants to help them as much as possible. But putting his life in jeopardy in the service of anyone, even his friends, is not really what he ever expected to do. It's made him very much aware of how fragile and poorly equipped for battle he is, given that his only armament is a contact stunner with a limited number of shots. The Captain offered to give him one of her Artifacts, but the difficulties involved -- he'd have to have it incorporated into his systems so that his circuitry could interact with its psi-electronics, and this would not be a safe or trivial procedure -- convinced him to turn the offer down.

Regardless, Hutryea continues to act as the team's official computer expert and administrator, trying to avoid going into the field as much as possible, though his chemical analysis systems are sometimes put to use whether he likes it or not. Unfortunately, even when he does hang back, he's still at risk, as the places they use as headquarters are rarely as secure as he'd like. Well, at least he's accumulating a lot of stories that he'll probably turn into a book one of these days. That would be nice.

Hutryea -- PL 9

Abilities:
STR
2 | STA -- | AGL 4 | DEX 2 | FGT 6 | INT 6 | AWE 2 | PRE 1

Powers:
Machine Interface: Radio Communication 1; Comprehend Machines 2 - 11 points
Reconstruction: Immortality 5 (minimum of 1 day), Check Required (Technology, DC 20), Quirk (loss of all memories)- 1 point
Robotic Body: Immunity 50 (Fortitude effects, mental effects); Protection 6 - 56 points
Sensory Package: Senses 7 (acute analytical scent, darkvision, extended radio, ultra-hearing) - 5 points
Small Size: Permanent Shrinking 4 (Strength -1, Dodge +2, Parry +2, Stealth +4, Intimidation -1) - 4 points
Stunner: Affliction 8 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated), Unreliable - 4 points
Translator Circuits: Comprehend Languages 2 (understand and read all languages) - 6 points
Treads: Speed 4 (30 MPH) - 4 points

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Bureau agent, make Gather Information checks with Technology), Eidetic Memory, Improved Defense, Improvised Tools, Jack-of-all-Trades, Skill Mastery (Technology), Speed of Thought, Well-informed.

Skills:
Deception 8 (+9), Close Combat: Stunner 4 (+10), Expertise: Administration 4 (+10), Expertise: Galactic 3 (+9), Expertise: Science 3 (+9), Investigation 3 (+9), Perception 8 (+10), Persuasion 6 (+7), Stealth 3 (+11), Technology 6 (+12), Vehicles 6 (+8).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 2)
Stunner +10 (Close Fortitude 8)

Defense:
Dodge 12, Parry 10, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 6, Will 6

Totals:
Abilities 36 + Powers 91 + Advantages 9 + Skills 27 + Defenses 11 = 174 points

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Avoids Combat. Physical (cannot climb or swim, one arm.) Requires Maintenance.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Myr Hlnsky
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Chazzikz, the home world of the Wazoshen people, was claimed as the territory of one of the Hazlan nations roughly one hundred and sixty years* ago, when the Wazoshen were an Iron Age culture. Fortunately, this particular Hazlan nation wasn't interested in subjugating or annihilating the sapient life of worlds in their sway, unlike others that existed at the time, but only in hunting the local wildlife. However, their lack of regard for the Wazoshen resulted in a low-level insurgency against their planet's new masters, which only ended when the Hazlan nation in question fell to the Technate.

As the Technate had no interest in colonizing or exploiting Chazzikz, being solely interested in the system from a strategic perspective, they were quick to assure the Wazoshen that they could return to their former lives. While many were content to do just that, other Wazoshen felt that they needed to continue to fight against their former conquerors and learn from their new 'allies', and offered their services to the Technate as irregulars and scouts. This began a tradition that has continued right up to the present day.

Myr Hlnsky is one of the current generation of Wazoshe scouts in the Technate service, expected to learn all that is possible from the starfolk and then bring it back to Chazzikz so that what is useful can be put to use building up their own culture; if the Technate one day falls, the Wazoshen intend to be able to stand on their own. While he was initially working with the Frontier Patrol, Hlnsky's talents in this area quickly found use by the Cosmic Intelligence Agency, and it was there that he first crossed paths with Captain Mystic on one of the rare occasions that the Agency and the Bureau were forced to work together.

Yuriko Tyler quickly realized that her new associate wasn't all that happy in his current posting, and worked out why. Psychic talents are not uncommon among the Wazoshen, but those who possess them typically wind up as counsellors and sages rather than risking their lives as scouts. Hlnsky had somehow managed to conceal his empathic abilities from everyone up until the present, using them sparingly, but now they were making him miserable as they exposed him to the -- shall we say -- somewhat amoral personalities of his superiors. Impressed with his discipline, the Captain offered to help him, and impressed with her integrity, Hlnsky agreed.

Consequently, Hlnsky ended up transferred to the Bureau and became one of the Captain's favored students, receiving an Artifact dubbed the Cloak of Sh'Halla. It enhanced his already formidable talents for infiltration, practically making him into one of the 'ninja' that Yuriko told him about. Consequently, he has put a lot of effort into developing his abilities as an unarmed combatant, leading to his rivalry with his teammate Haiyu, who approaches the martial arts from an entirely opposite perspective. Hlnsky sometimes finds her unceasingly competitive behavior annoying and would generally prefer to focus on getting the mission done rather than who does so. Still, he has her back, and would admit that it's a rather broad back that has lots of potential uses and -- in combat, combat, not what you're thinking!

Myr Hlnsky - PL 9

Abilities:
STR
3 | STA 4 | AGL 5 | DEX 5 | FGT 8 | INT 4 | AWE 2 | PRE 3

Powers:
Cloak of Sh'Halla: Array (20 points); Removable (-4 points)
  • Cloaking Field: Concealment 10, Affects Others, Passive - 20 points
  • Defense Field: Reaction Damage 5 (when touched) - 1 point
  • Disguise Field: Morph 4 - 1 point
Empathy: Mind Reading 9, Limited to Emotions - 9 points
Gliding: Flight 3 (16 MPH), Gliding - 3 points
Keen Senses: Senses 3 (low-light vision, scent) - 3 points
Striking Strength: Strength-based Damage 2 - 2 points

Advantages:
Assessment, Benefit (Bureau agent), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 4, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Aim, Improved Initiative, Languages 3 (Technate Standard, others, [native language]), Move-by Action, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Stealth), Tracking

Equipment:
Blaster Pistol (Ranged Damage 5, Subtle, ALT: Ranged Affliction 5 [Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated], Subtle), Goggles (+2 to resist visual afflictions) and 7 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+9), Athletics 6 (+9), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+10), Deception 6 (+9), Expertise: Survival 6 (+10), Insight 7 (+9), Investigation 8 (+12), Perception 9 (+11), Ranged Combat: Blaster 6 (+11), Sleight of Hand 6 (+11), Stealth 8 (+13).

Offense:
Initiative +9
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 5)
Blaster +11 (Ranged Damage 5)
Defense Field -- (Close Damage 5)

Defenses:
Dodge 12, Parry 10, Fortitude 7, Toughness 6/4, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 68 + Powers 35 + Advantages 18 + Skills 34 + Defenses 17 = 172 points

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Favors Low-Tech Solutions. Rivalry (?) (Haiyu.)
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by greycrusader »

Just wanted to say how much I continue to enjoy your setting and characters, Davies. The Black Hood, Brute, and Glorianna especially are worthy of inclusion in any professionally published superhero universe, the Hood in particular, whose concept could frankly carry a feature film or television series.

All my best.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Thank you so much!

Next up: Some more of Argus' finest.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Christine Dell
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A long time ago -- or so she's been told by someone who seemed to know what he was talking about -- Christine Dell's ancestors had the power to literally smell valuable ores hidden within the ground, advising miners where to dig. Gradually, they lost that power as the wealth that it gained them drew them further and further away from their roots, with only rare members of the family demonstrating the talent. How and why it mutated, in Christine's own case, so that she can only smell metal that is specifically used in coinage, as well as ink and paper used as currency, is not something that Mr. Statia was able to explain to her.

Being able to exactly determine how much money a person has on them makes for a nice party trick, but it's becoming increasingly useless as time passes and people make more use of credit cards, debit cards, electronic transactions and cryptocurrencies, none of which trigger her sense of smell. Still, the talent caused her to have an interest in finance from her teenage years onward, which eventually led to becoming a CPA in her home state of New York, with her education underwritten by Argus. Christine went to work for the company, expecting to help keep their books in order, only to find herself assigned to the Financial Crimes division and investigating all sorts of weird scams. It was, she'll admit, exciting in retrospect.

After a year of this, she was given a different assignment, transferred from Financial Crimes to Extraterrestrial Contact in order to assist a visitor to Earth establish herself in Chicago. In the process, she ended up learning a fair bit about the current state of the cosmos, which was rather humbling. Still, the assignment seemed easy enough, and thing were going rather well ... and then Edeth wound up meeting some recent acquaintances and getting herself (and Christine) dragged into a huge thing with the Vagabonds, and some of the Powerhouse, and Jodie Crowley, and Fortuna Imperatrix, and probably some other scary people that Christine was lucky enough not to actually meet.

From her own perspective, the most important part of the whole fracas was the fact that Christine became a 'known quantity' to the Vagabonds, someone that they regarded as reasonably trustworthy, so that she could be assigned to work with them as their handler while they're learning about being superheroes or whatever it is that they're doing. They know that she works for Argus, as the company is being upfront with them as some other parties sometimes aren't, so that they'll be more inclined to give trust in return. Good relations with friendly extraterrestrial agencies are considered absolutely essential to Earth's security.

Of course, this is all a bit much for a simple girl from the Bronx. She works with a group of interstellar freedom fighters, one of whom is apparently an interdimensional starship. She has gone all over the world in their company, and faced things she never would have imagined -- and none of this is anything she ever trained to handle. And yet she keeps going, somehow, because she gets the distinct impression that if she ever slows down to think about any of this, she'll probably break under the strain.

And the weirdest part of it? It's nothing, really, but halfway through the first bit of this craziness, she realized that Darkwing's crazy girl sidekick, Dancer, was smiling at her for some reason. Before Christine could say anything, the woman spoke up and said, "You're going to do fine. Argus is lucky to have you." And she hadn't even mentioned who she worked for at that point! What the heck was that all about?

Christine Dell - PL 4

Abilities:
STR
0 | STA 1 | AGL 2 | DEX 2 | FGT 3 | INT 2 | AWE 3 | PRE 2

Powers:
Scent of Money: Senses 4 (acute analytical ranged detect money [olfactory]) - 4 points

Advantages:
Beginner's Luck, Contacts, Defensive Roll, Equipment 4, Ranged Attack.

Equipment:
Meta-taser (Ranged Affliction 5 [Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated]), handcuffs, smartphone, 7 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4), Deception 4 (+6), Expertise: Business 5 (+7), Expertise: Civics 4 (+6), Expertise: Current Events 4 (+6), Expertise: Galactic 3 (+5), Insight 3 (+6), Intimidation 3 (+5), Investigation 6 (+8), Perception 6 (+9), Persuasion 4 (+6), Stealth 2 (+4), Technology 3 (+5), Vehicles 3 (+5).

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +3 (Damage 1)
Meta-Taser +3 (Ranged Fortitude 5)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 4, Fortitude 3, Toughness 3/1, Will 5.

Totals:
Abilities 26 + Powers 4 + Advantages 8 + Skills 27 + Defenses 8 = 73 points

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Secret (Argus agent.) Somewhat Overawed.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

David Kerrigan
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David Niko Kerrigan was born in New Zealand in 1988. From almost the time that he could walk, he wanted to fly. Fate did not see fit to grant him superpowers, however, and so he spent his adolescence in study in order to become an officer cadet in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, earning his pilot officer stripe in 2011.* He flew numerous missions over the next five years, notably assisting in the defense of the island against a Megapteran, and was considered a likely candidate to eventually serve as a squadron leader. Unfortunately, this was not to be.

In 2016, Kerrigan developed retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that normally manifests in childhood and causes night blindness and a gradual loss of peripheral vision. As no member of his family had ever had this disability, its development was doubly mystifying. Regardless, he was given a choice of transferring to a ground-based unit or receiving a medical discharge; frustrated at the loss of his dream of flight, Kerrigan accepted the latter, expecting to wind up working at his father's grocery store in Nelson.

Fate was not quite done throwing him curveballs, however; Kerrigan wound up recruited to work for Argus. As the agency doesn't have much presence in New Zealand -- or at least not much visible presence, as he was soon to learn -- this came as something of a surprise. The offer of an exciting life and the possibility of at least some flight operations was further sweetened by the notion that he could be put on a waiting list to receive a treatment that might reverse the retinitis. With all that in mind, Kerrigan agreed to take the offer.

He's proved to be a fairly talented agent. Working under the supervision of near-legendary analyst Violet Hayes, he helped to thwart a number of Korean-sponsored operations throughout the Pacific rim between 2017 and 2020. Consequently, he was given a new assignment -- following her first appearance as a superhero in California, he was tasked with contacting Basilea's exiled daughter Nzarde and becoming her handler. He decided to approach her in much the same way that Hayes had approached her mother, while she was engaged in a social setting, and saying, "Hello, I'm an agent for --"

When he woke up in the hospital, Kerrigan began to suspect that this might not be the best approach. Hayes, who was waiting for him to regain consciousness, agreed, helpfully pointing out that he'd walked up to her while she was drinking in a dive bar in a manner that suggested that she did not welcome company. He's made a few more attempts since then, without suffering actual injury but also without achieving any real success. Until he gets pulled off this assignment, though, he's going to keep giving it his best possible effort.

For her part, Nzarde usually puts any encounters she has with him firmly out of her mind as soon as they're over, never even bothering to remember his face.

David Kerrigan - PL 6

Abilities:
STR
2 | STA 3 | AGL 2 | DEX 3 | FGT 5 | INT 3 | AWE 3 | PRE 3

Advantages:
All-out Attack, Assessment, Contacts, Defensive Roll, Equipment 5, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Languages 2 (Indonesian, Korean, Samoan, Spanish), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Tracking, Uncanny Dodge

Equipment:
Light Pistol (Ranged Damage 3), Meta-taser Pistol (Ranged Affliction 5 [Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated]), Smartphone, Car and 2 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+5), Athletics 5 (+7), Close Combat: Unarmed 1 (+6), Expertise: Civics 4 (+7), Expertise: Current Events 4 (+7), Expertise: Military 4 (+7), Insight 5 (+8), Intimidation 3 (+6), Investigation 4 (+7), Perception 4 (+7), Persuasion 4 (+7), Stealth 4 (+6), Technology 3 (+6), Treatment 2 (+5), Vehicles 6 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 2)
Light Pistol +7 (Close Damage 3)
Meta-Taser Pistol +7 (Ranged Fortitude 5)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 7, Fortitude 6, Toughness 5/3, Will 5.

Totals:
Abilities 48 + Advantages 21 + Skills 28 + Defenses 10 = 107 points

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Brusque and Direct. Physical (suffers increased visibility penalties, poor peripheral vision.) Secret (Argus agent.)

* In our world's history, the RNZAF disbanded its air combat squadrons in 2001. This seems unlikely to have happened in a world where New Zealand is occasionally threatened by kaiju.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Pamela Maxwell
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Some people just end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Pamela Maxwell (not Pam, never Pammy) fully expected to graduate from Brown with a degree, maybe do some postgrad work, and then probably end up doing some sort of job that would never put her actual education, focused on history and sociology, to use. In 1996, however, she wound up stumbling on to a scheme by a group of mad scientist wannabes to open a portal to Dimension Q or something like that -- look, she wasn't interested in the details of what the crazy people wanted to do, only in the fact that it was probably going to destroy Rhode Island at minimum, and she felt obligated to prevent that since she was, you know, on Rhode Island.

As it turned out, the recently formed Argus Security had been tracking the purchases of one of the mad scientists involved in this little plot, and showed up to take control of the situation about ten minutes after the portal would have opened up if Pamela hadn't interfered. They arranged for the arrest of the crazy people and interviewed Pamela about what had happened, then thanked her for her courage and ingenuity. Pamela took this with good grace and appreciated that they gave her some cover to take a sick day after all this, but fully expected that this would be the only time that her life would involve such bizarre phenomena.

Surprise! Surprise! She was wrong about that, too. Three more times in the next year, she ended up discovering some sort of evil scheme and interfering with it before Argus got involved. In the interview about the last of this insane episodes, one Dr. van Vliet offered the hypothesis that Pamela had some sort of unconsciously-employed superpower that bent probability to attract these sorts of experiences, dubbing her a strange attractor. If this was the case, then it only made sense for her to come work for Argus, where her talents could be put to good use and she could receive training and assistance in dealing with these situations.

The 'and assistance' was what sold her. Courage and ingenuity are great, but she would pick backup over both.

Pamela ended up being given a cover job as a teacher, often inserted into various high schools across the nation where Argus suspected that young superheroes were being educated. (She regards her time in Newark, attempting to act as a mentor to Megawatt, as the worst failure of her entire career.) As she generally ended up teach social studies, she was actually getting to use her education, and that was nice. In 2017, while working at a certain public school in Philadelphia, she received notice that the True Believer was going to be working there shortly and that Pamela was now assigned as her new handler, as her previous one couldn't manage the relocation from San Francisco. So she befriended Janet Hinkley when she arrived, and has helped her out covertly ever since. She actually quite likes the star-spangled heroine, and has backed her to the hilt in disputes with Argus.

No one was expecting, when this began, for True Believer to end up mentoring a group of young superpowers. Pamela was initially a bit concerned at the prospect of acting as the handler for both True and the nascent Minor League, and was relieved when another agent was put in the latter position. This relief has turned to annoyance as she's gotten to know Martin Callahan, and become frustrated at what she sees as a bitter, sullen old man. Frankly, Pamela's looking forward to Callahan's retirement as much as he himself is, even if it does mean that she's going to get a lot more work added to her plate. She knows that she'll do better at it than him ...

... which may explain why Clarity is having some disturbing visions about her.

Pamela Maxwell - PL 5

Abilities:
STR
1 | STA 1 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 4 | INT 1 | AWE 3 | PRE 1

Advantages:
Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Daze (Deception), Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 4, Evasion 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Improvised Tools, Luck 3, Ranged Attack, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge

Equipment:
Meta-Taser (Ranged Affliction 5 [Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated]), smartphone, 8 points of equipment as needed.

Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+5), Athletics 2 (+3), Deception 6 (+7), Expertise: Current Events 6 (+7), Expertise: History 5 (+6), Insight 5 (+8), Investigation 4 (+5), Perception 4 (+7), Persuasion 6 (+7), Sleight of Hand 3 (+6), Stealth 5 (+8), Technology 4 (+5), Vehicles 2 (+5).

Offense:
Initiative +3
Unarmed +4 (Close Damage 1)
Meta-Taser +4 (Close Fortitude 5)

Defense:
Dodge 4, Parry 4, Fortitude 3, Toughness 6/1, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 38 + Advantages 19 + Skills 27 + Defenses 7 = 91 points

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Rivalry
(Martin Callahan). Secret (Argus agent). Strange Attractor (if there's craziness in her vicinity, she will get dragged into it.)
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Hodan Yasin
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Sometimes Argus acquires its agents in a decidedly twisted manner. Hodan Yasin, the Chief Administrator of the company's offices in Nairobi, started her professional career as an employee of one of Argus' competitors. WonderWorkers Incorporated was established by her father, Hassan Yasin, in 1999, and intended to provide the same sort of services that Argus did and does, but focusing its efforts in East Africa. It did this well enough that when Argus finally negotiated the acquisition of WWI in 2008, Hassan was offered a director's seat and occupied it until he passed away from old age in 2017.

The terms of that merger were largely negotiated by Hodan, who had been her father's right hand for the last few years of WWI's existence, as well as acting as a field operative before that. While her own company was right on the verge of going under, she nevertheless convinced Argus that WWI had much more to offer them as a partner than as a subsidiary. Putting her father in a director's chair was both a retirement present for the old man and also a way to ensure that there was an African on the board. (Hodan privately finds the Director General's pretensions to African identity to be absurd, despite his birth and the unusual circumstances under which he was raised.)

Hodan's goals are to preserve the safety and freedom of Africa, in general, and specifically that of the sub-Saharan region. If the nations of this continent are to rise to the potential she believes that they possess, they will have to do it themselves, not because of saviors from the West or the East. However, alliances with powers from beyond the region, like Argus, are helpful if their resources can be applied in an appropriate manner. And Hodan is quietly convinced that she is the best available person to perform that application.

One of her subsidiary goals has been to improve the relationship that exists between Kenya's hero, the Ghost Hunter, and the branch of Argus under her administration. This has been a very frustrating experience; the Hunter has managed to foil every effort to even contact him, much less to establish some sort of alliance. It makes no sense to Hodan. She knows that the Ghost Hunter must be at least as clearsighted as she is, so surely he can see the advantages that connecting with her would grant him. With his talents combined with Argus' resources, they'd both be able to do so much more good than they can do alone. Why is he avoiding her, then?

She isn't willing to believe that the Ghost Hunter has realized her intentions, and decided he doesn't want any part of any of it.

Hodan Yasin - PL 5

Abilities:
STR
0 | STA 1 | AGL 1 | DEX 2 | FGT 4 | INT 5 | AWE 4 | PRE 3

Advantages:
Benefit 4 (multi-millionaire), Connections, Contacts, Defensive Roll, Equipment 4, Evasion, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Languages 3 (English, French, Swahili, others, [Somali is native]), Ranged Attack 3, Redirect.

Equipment:
20 points as needed.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+7), Deception 6 (+9), Expertise: Business 5 (+10), Expertise: Civics 3 (+8), Expertise: Streetwise 2 (+7), Insight 4 (+8), Investigation 3 (+8), Perception 3 (+7), Persuasion 6 (+9), Stealth 6 (+7), Technology 2 (+7), Vehicles 5 (+7).

Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 0)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 7, Fortitude 3, Toughness 3/0, Will 7.

Totals:
Abilities 40 + Advantages 24 + Skills 24 + Defenses 12 = 100 points

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Ambitious.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Dr. Rupert Maxwell, Jr.
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It might seem strange that Argus feels a need to have an agent undercover inside the Morrison Institute, as the latter group is one of their major clients and they routinely share information with each other. Of course, they don't share all information, and Argus security personnel assigned to Morrison Institute facilities have occasionally been blindsided by experiments that they knew nothing about; naturally, this is something that they'd prefer to avoid. So when one of the Institute's top researchers contacted Argus with the offer to act as a mole, they were pleased to accept, though naturally suspicious of his motives.

More than a decade later, that suspicion has eased, and Dr. Rupert Maxwell, Jr., is a trusted ally of Argus, especially since he was well-positioned, as the Director of Morrison Europa, to become the handler for La Donna Universale, who frequently consults with the Institute. While he has not yet been able to discover much about her life before her debut as Italy's most noteworthy superhero, he has provided Argus with ample intelligence regarding her activities, especially in light of her recent invitation to join the Powerhouse. And he is very firm that she is not and cannot be a descendant of Leonardo da Vinci.

Dr. Maxwell is quite certain that he has never fathered any offspring.

In 1519, a great genius lay dying of the latest of a series of strokes that had already robbed him of the use of his right arm, and were now to rob him of all else. Despite all that he had accomplished in his life, he mourned the fact that he had failed to practice his art as he should have done, for the betterment of humanity and the glorification of God. Just as he expressed these sentiments, however, one of those attending his final hours, who called himself a traveler from a very distant country, asked Leonardo if he truly desired another chance to improve on what he had accomplished, rather than a peaceful rest. With what little strength he had left, da Vinci affirmed that he wished for more time, then lost consciousness, expecting to never again awaken.

In fact, he did, and in a completely different place and time. His acquaintance, one Bruce Rutherford, was a time traveler who had brought him to a distant future on a different planet, where his maladies and the damage of his old age could be repaired. (An inanimate biological duplicate was left behind to be buried in his place.) Restored to what Leonardo himself considered his physical prime -- his mid-forties, when he worked on The Last Supper -- the polymath travelled with Rutherford and his leman, Weena, on many of their journeys through time and space. He learned much, and accomplished much, but always knew that he would have to return to the world of his birth and fulfill his promise to use his art as it should be used.

As it happened, he finally did so when he and the Rutherfords paid a visit to Earth in the year 1972. After establishing a cover identity as scientist Dr. Rupert Maxwell (named after James Clerk Maxwell), he bid his friends farewell and set out to explore this particular era on his own. He soon found employment with the recently established Morrison Institute, teaching (while avoiding doing damage to history) and learning, just as he always had. He also befriended the founder of the institute, Dietrich Reid, as well as his niece and nephew.

Reid's sudden death in 1975 caught Maxwell by surprise. While older than his own apparent age, there had been no indications that his friend was sick, and something about the matter triggered his suspicions. Investigating the affair, he discovered that Reid's death had occurred at almost the exact moment that a certain baby girl had been born. Correlation was not causation, of course, but the fact that a number of other unexplained deaths of brilliant scientists occurred over that next year convinced him of the validity of this particular hypothesis. Shortly after attending Lucy Reid's wedding to Ryan Richmond in 1976, Maxwell fled that era, using one of Rutherford's cached time machines to jump forward more than three decades.

He emerged in 2008, to find world greatly changed, and the Mind-Eater (as he thought of her) in hiding. The Morrison Institute was still in operation, and he arranged to find employment there again, this time posing as Dr. Robert Maxwell, Jr., his (fictitious) son. (Many people within the Institute suspect that the two Dr. Maxwells are the same individual, though none have realized the full truth; people with unusual longevity are not that rare, after all.) Dr. Rupert has remained there ever since, serving as a member of the group's Board of Management while declining opportunities to actually lead, claiming that he prefers the laboratory and the workshop to the boardroom.

The Doctor is still working through the problem of the Mind-Eater. Something must be done, but he doubts that a direct assault will get anywhere. Working with La Donna has given him renewed hope that something can be done, as has a recent encounter he had with Dancer. He has begun to establish connections with the other handlers who work with members of the Powerhouse, as well as other superheroes of potential significance. He is clearly building something, but just what that might be is a design known only to him.

Dr. Rupert Maxwell, Jr. -- PL 11

Abilities:
STR
2 | STA 5 | AGL 3 | DEX 4 | FGT 4 | INT 10 | AWE 6 | PRE 5

Powers:
Keen Senses: Senses 5 (analytical auditory, analytical visual, acute olfactory, acute taste, rapid sight) - 5 points
Master Linguist: Comprehend Languages 3, Quirk (takes at least a scene to pick up a new language) - 8 points
Rejuvenation: Immunity 3 (aging, disease, poison); Regeneration 5 - 8 points

Advantages:
Assessment, Benefit 3 (millionaire), Connected, Contacts, Defensive Roll, Improved Defense, Jack-of-all-trades, Skill Mastery (Perception), Uncanny Dodge, Well-Informed.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 6 (+10), Deception 8 (+13), Expertise: Art 5 (+15), Expertise: Science 5 (+15), Insight 6 (+12), Investigation 2 (+12), Perception 8 (+14), Persuasion 8 (+13), Sleight of Hand 6 (+10), Stealth 8 (+11), Technology 6 (+16), Treatment 4 (+14), Vehicles 8 (+12).

Offense:
Initiative +3
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 2)

Defense:
Dodge 9, Parry 11, Fortitude 5, Toughness 7/5, Will 11.

Totals:
Abilities 78 + Powers 21 + Advantages 12 + Skills 40 + Defenses 18 = 169 points

Complications:
Responsibility, Or Something Like That--Motivation. Fear (Billie Zane.) Secrets (oh so many.)
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Harnos
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Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2020 2:03 am

Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Harnos »

That is some astonishing effort to write all these characters with detailed backstories and lots of plots and mysteries. There are really lovely pastiches and parodies too. I especially liked Abraxas. A human becoming an immortal dictator in a far away planet is really cool and better executed here than Magus- Adam Warlock without the time travel stuff. I liked aliens not bothering for a invasion but come down for the occasional slave raid too.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Harnos wrote: Fri Aug 13, 2021 6:35 pm That is some astonishing effort to write all these characters with detailed backstories and lots of plots and mysteries. There are really lovely pastiches and parodies too. I especially liked Abraxas. A human becoming an immortal dictator in a far away planet is really cool and better executed here than Magus- Adam Warlock without the time travel stuff. I liked aliens not bothering for a invasion but come down for the occasional slave raid too.
Thanks!

That last one is kind of ironic, though, giving that I'm building up to the first real alien invasion happening this year. :)
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Haupoe of Dread Island
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The Mahani people have lived on one small corner of Dread Island for thousands of years. Their ancestors likely came here as part of the great diaspora of the Polynesian peoples, sailing across the ocean in boats much like those that the Mahani still use for fishing, though they lose them (and their crews) too often to rely on such things. They also practice a small amount of agriculture and animal husbandry, but a good part of their food supply comes from hunting in the most dangerous natural environment on Earth. So they've gotten pretty good at this.

Haupoe is recognized and acknowledged as one of the best hunters of her generation, and the elders will privately admit that she is in the running to be the finest hunter that their people have ever produced. Unfortunately, she is also considered to be completely insane, and likely to spread her insanity to others. (Modern notions of mental health have not yet come to the Mahani, unfortunately.) So she lives somewhat apart from the rest of her people, although they are grateful when she brings back bounty from the rest of the island.

It's not the fact that she is a hunter and a woman that causes them to think her unbalanced; the Mahani do not associate the various professions with specific genders, as they can't afford that sort of stratification under their circumstances. Nor is it the fact that she has tamed -- or, she will insist, befriended -- a dreadwolf she has named Hakela, binding him to her with part of her own name, who accompanies her on her hunts. That's certainly odd, as it's something that no other Mahani has ever succeeded in doing, but there are stories of others trying and failing to do this in the past, told as cautionary tales.

What makes other Mahani consider Haupoe to be insane is the way that she is fascinated by the Ayole -- the outsiders who occasionally come among the people and do dumb things. The Mahani are not hostile towards the Ayole, as it's understood that it's not their fault that they have no understanding of the realities of the island. (If a group of Ayole were ever to engage in hostile actions towards the Mahani, though, any and all who are associated with that group would swiftly come under attack, with the goal being to drive them into the regions where monsters dwell and let them settle the issue.) The Ayole have nothing to teach the Mahani, their ways and the places that they come from are not at all important, and it's best to just let them do the dumb things that will inevitably get them killed and stay out of their way.

Haupoe, because she's crazy, doesn't agree with any of that. She wants to know about the Ayole, and would be interested in possibly leaving the island and seeing the places that these dumb people come from. Consequently, she is more than happy to act as a potential ally and information source about the island and the creatures who live there. She frequently associates with the Ayole who are part of the Morrison Institute, answering their questions to the best of her ability and acting as a guide and protector. (She might find the dumb things they do to be funny, at times, but she won't just stand back and let them get themselves killed.)

She's also interested in tying to make friends with the Forgotten Woman, who's not considered an Ayole because she actually listens to what she's told, though she hasn't had as much success there.

Haupoe -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR
3 | STA 3 | AGL 3 | DEX 3 | FGT 6 | INT 1 | AWE 5 | PRE 3

Powers:
Swift Movement: Leaping 3 (60 feet); Movement 1 (wall-crawling); Speed 2 (8 MPH); Swimming 2 (4 MPH) - 9 points

Advantages:
Animal Empathy, Assessment, Close Attack, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 5, Evasion, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Set Up, Sidekick 20, Skill Mastery (Perception), Tracking, Uncanny Dodge.

Equipment:
Spear (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical), Knife (Strength-based Damage 1, Improved Critical)

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+9), Athletics 6 (+8), Close Attack: Spear 3 (+9), Expertise: Survival 10 (+11), Insight 4 (+9), Perception 6 (+11), Stealth 8 (+11).

Offense:
Initiative +7
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 3)
Spear +10 (Close Damage 6)
Knife +7 (Close Damage 4)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 8, Fortitude 5, Toughness 8/3, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 54 + Powers Advantages 40 + Skills 21 + Defenses 9 = 133 points

Offensive PL: 8
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 6

Complications:
Survival--Motivation. Interested in Life Beyond the Island. Reputation (thought crazy by other Mahani.)

Note: Hakela is a dreadwolf, exactly as described in an earlier entry.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

The Morrison Institute
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Farrah Reid, Morrison Institute spokesperson

During the first age of superheroes, Professor Dietrich Reid was often thought of as the friendly face of mad science, frequently consulted by the press about the many strange phenomena of the day to offer a reassuring -- but never coddling or deceptive -- perspective about them. One of the leading researchers of the Office of Scientific Investigation, he'd turned down requests to work for other government agencies after the Office shut down, claiming that he'd had enough of the adventuring life. Instead, he settled in at Brown to conduct private research, notably on interdimensional physics, and answer frantic questions from excited young men and women from the newspapers.

That was the public view, at least. In reality, Reid never stopped going out into the field to personally investigate and analyze strange phenomena, simply doing it on his own dime instead of the taxpayers'. In this investigations -- Reid had scorching words for anyone who dared use the word 'adventures' in his presence -- he was often accompanied by Lucy and Peter Reid, the children of his younger brother. Given the sorts of things that he investigated, the lives of these young people were often put in danger, and so Reid chose to hire a bodyguard for them, one Donald Morrison, late of Her Majesty's Royal Navy. While their focus was always on answering the unanswered, this quartet often found themselves preventing the schemes of criminals along the way. It was an exciting time for all.

Tragically, the group was sundered in the aftermath of the Battle of Vietnam, in which Donald Morrison died after volunteering his services to assist the coalition. His death, and the destruction of the Battle, convinced Reid that however much he personally did to unveil the mysteries of the world, it could never be enough. Together with other reputable scientists, Reid founded what he named the Morrison Institute, in the memory of their friend. The newly-founded agency's first task was to begin studying the aftermath of the Battle, and, if possible, to start cleaning up the mess that was left.

Unfortunately, the tough times kept coming. Dietrich Reid was himself not long for the world, passing away quite suddenly in 1975, and for a while it seemed that the Institute was soon to follow its founder into the pages of history. In 1977, however, Peter Reid convinced the Institute's Board of Management to install him as its new Director, despite the fact that he had only narrowly graduated from college that very year and had neither business nor scientific expertise. Just how he convinced them is a well-kept secret, but the Institute began a new direction under his leadership, no longer studying phenomena but also persons, in hopes of finally answering the countless questions that the superpowers had raised.

Many of these inquiries had to be tabled in the next decade, with much of the Morrison Institute's efforts instead directed to performing research and development for the anti-Pythonian forces. Dr. John Black Wolf developed the first mass produced blaster weaponry while working at the Institute, and countless other scientists associated with it accompanied JSOT and other military responses to the Python threat, often risking and sometimes losing their lives in efforts to understand and defend against the enemy's weird science. Peter Reid, for whom the struggle was a profoundly personal one, was one of the pilots who flew the Constitution to Mars.

Nor did the Morrison Institute go into a slump in the aftermath of the Insurgency, but continued its quest to probe and uncover the truth that was often quite a bit out there, which has continued right up to the present day. There are Morrison Institute facilities on every continent (though the Antarctic one is a tiny lab in McMurdo Station) and on the Moon, within MoonBase Alpha. The group has friendly relations with the Powerhouse and numerous other superpower associations, and often works in conjunction with Argus.

One of the most active field researchers and spokespersons for the Morrison Institute in recent years has been Farrah Reid, the daughter of Peter Reid. (Those who remember her aunt have often commented that she's a dead ringer for her.) While only twenty-three years old, she has already completed her first doctorate, and looks to be well on her way to supporting the family business. In fact, she wants to do more than just support it, she intends to see the Institute go higher, further and faster. Her father flew to Mars, but stayed on the ship for the duration of her stay; Farrah intends to lead the party that returns to the Martian Surface for the first time in thirty years.

While Farrah prefers to use her brain to get herself and her colleagues out of dangerous situations, she's well aware that she can't out-think every possible threat, and has become quite skilled at tae kwon do and a crack shot as well. That said, she doesn't carry weapons with her, preferring to improvise them from available materials when needed. (This tendency really annoys her cousin Virginia, with whom she's had several recent run-ins.)

Farrah Reid -- PL 7

Abilities:
STR
0 | STA 2 | AGL 2 | DEX 3 | FGT 4 | INT 5 | AWE 4 | PRE 3

Advantages:
Benefit 3 (millionaire), Connected, Defensive Roll, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 6, Evasion, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improvised Tools, Improvised Weapon, Inventor, Languages 4 (many), Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Well-informed.

Equipment:
Smartphone and 28 points of equipment as needed (usually including a vehicle.)

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+7), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+8), Deception 6 (+9), Expertise: Business 3 (+8), Expertise: Science 7 (+12), Insight 5 (+9), Investigation 4 (+9), Perception 3 (+7), Persuasion 5 (+8), Stealth 8 (+10), Technology 6 (+11), Treatment 2 (+7), Vehicles 6 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 0)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 8, Fortitude 4, Toughness 4/2, Will 8

Totals:
Abilities 46 + Advantages 31 + Skills 33 + Defenses 16 = 126 points

Offensive PL: 4*
Defensive PL: 6
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 7

Complications:
Discovery/Thrills--Motivation. Family (father.)

Unofficial Morrison Institute theme music. May or may not be the theme music I imagine any movie about blue-suited scientist-explorer-superheroes using.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Bruce Rutherford and Weena
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Bruce
Image
Weena

Those who know of him sometimes call him the first human time traveler, but he sometimes wonders whether, in a world where effect can clearly precede cause, there can truly be anything that occurs 'for the first time'. He knows for a fact that there were those who travelled forward in time before he did, whether of their own volition or that of another. He believed, at one point, that he was the first to travel far into the future, and then return (however briefly) to his point of origin, but he has developed doubts about even that as his journeys have continued. In the dark and forgotten past of humanity, it is entirely possible that there were others who built mechanisms (or devised processes) by which just this sort of voyage was possible. Every new discovery may be someone else's old news.

Regardless, when Bruce Rutherford built his Time Machine between 1886 and 1888, he did so in the belief that there had never been such an engine before. To impress some dinner guests, he journeyed forward in time to what he believed to be the year 802,701, and discovered that the future history of humanity was far from the glorious triumph he had imagined. After some painful experiences, he journeyed further forward, encountering even further grim vistas, and then returned home a humbled and broken man. His guests, in the main, believed not a word of his wild tale -- understandable, as he found it hard to believe himself -- but in the end he would embark on another voyage, from which had not returned by the time his correspondent, Wells, related it as a serial novel.

That was how the story started. It hasn't ended yet. Rutherford's second journey demolished much of what he thought he'd learned in the first, as he learned that his estimation of the date was off by quite a bit, that he had voyaged even closer to a million years into the future, that the history of the Eloi and the Morlocks was vastly more complicated than his initial understanding of it. On this second journey to their era, he was able to rescue the Eloi whom he had befriended, Weena, from the fate he had unwittingly created for her, and brought her with him on his voyages. (He would later learn that she hadn't actually died in the fire, and would likely have lived a completely normal life if he hadn't interfered -- which was good, because had he changed history, he would have destroyed himself in the process.)

Weena came voluntarily, as she believed (and, despite everything, still believes) that next to this person was probably the safest place in all of reality. Given the opportunity to learn and grow, she gradually did so, and came to be Rutherford's partner and peer instead of an accessory and companion dependent on him. She was the one who ultimately persuaded him to transport examples of both the Eloi and the Morlocks (as well as other species of their era) back to his own time, where they were settled in the Saknussen Caverns beneath the Atlantic. They check in on them from time to time, watching how they continue to evolve.

The Rutherfords (as they are somewhat inaccurately called; their relationship has never been officiated) have often acquired other travelling companions in their voyages, and worked with other time travelers, most notably Exelion. While he generally strives to do good wherever he goes, they generally only act in self-defense in the course of their explorations, with occasional exceptions made when dealing with truly monstrous evils. They also venture much further into the future and the past than Exelion, who hasn't voyaged more than five millennia from his point of origin in either direction.

Both of them have undertaken some medical upgrades in the course of their adventures, ensuring that they remain young and healthy under most circumstances and can understand all spoken and written language. Another talent, one that they keep close to their respective vests, is that they can silently communicate with each other regardless of any distances or barriers between them. This is not a psychic ability -- indeed, Weena is completely unaffected by such phenomena, like all of her species -- and neither of them fully understand it. But it's useful for when they get split up, which tends to happen quite frequently.

One major difference between the two of them comes from their respective attitudes towards such dangers. Rutherford, having learned just how dangerous direct action can be, prefers to out-wit his opponents or devise solutions from the situations he encounters. Weena, to the contrary, has learned the value of having weapons at hand. She doesn't use them lightly, and prefers to use her dart gun instead of the knife she carries, but she'll use either if it will end a fight. She is still, and probably always will be, afraid of the dark and what could be in the dark.

Bruce Rutherford -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR
0 | STA 4 | AGL 2 | DEX 3 | FGT 4 | INT 7 | AWE 4 | PRE 3

Powers:
Rejuvenation: Immunity 3 (aging, disease, poison); Regeneration 5 - 8 points
Strange Bond: Senses 1 (communication link with Weena) - 1 point
Translator Circuit: Comprehend Languages 3 - 9 points

Advantages:
Assessment, Connected, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 15, Grabbing Finesse, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improvised Tools, Inspire, Inventor, Jack-of-all-trades, Set-up, Taunt, Well-informed.

Equipment:
9 points of equipment as needed.
The Time Machine: Size Large; Strength 6; Speed 6 (air; 120 MPH); Defense 9; Toughness 7; Features: Remote Control; Powers: Linked Concealment 10 (all); Linked Insubstantial 4; Movement 6 (space travel 3, time travel 3) - 66 points

Skills:
Deception 6 (+9), Expertise: Galactic 3 (+10), Expertise: History 4 (+11), Expertise: Science 5 (+12), Insight 6 (+10), Perception 4 (+8), Persuasion 5 (+8), Sleight of Hand 4 (+7), Stealth 6 (+8), Technology 5 (+12), Vehicles 6 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +4 (Close Damage 0)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 6, Fortitude 5, Toughness 6/4, Will 11

Totals:
Abilities 54 + Powers 18 + Advantages 31 + Skills 27 + Defenses 13 = 143 points

Offensive PL: 2*
Defensive PL: 6
Resistance PL: 8
Skill PL: 7

Complications:
Discovery--Motivation. Relationship (Weena.) Secret (time traveler.) Stiff Upper Lip.

Weena -- PL 7

Abilities:
STR
-1 | STA 4 | AGL 3 | DEX 4 | FGT 5 | INT 1 | AWE 3 | PRE 2

Powers:
Rejuvenation: Immunity 3 (aging, disease, poison); Regeneration 5 - 8 points
Strange Bond: Senses 1 (communication link with Rutherford) - 1 point
Translator Circuit: Comprehend Languages 3 (understand, speak, read) - 9 points
Unearthly Child: Permanent Concealment 2 (mental); Immunity 20 (mental effects) - 24 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Animal Empathy, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 2, Evasion, Fearless 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Instant Up, Move-by Action, Quick Draw, Redirect.

Equipment:
Knife (Strength-based Damage 1, Improved Critical), Dart Gun (Ranged Affliction 5 [Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated], Quirk [not against targets with Impervious Toughness])

Skills:
Acrobatics 5 (+8), Athletics 6 (+5), Close Combat: Knife 3 (+8), Deception 5 (+7), Expertise: Galactic 5 (+6), Expertise: History 5 (+6), Insight 4 (+7), Perception 6 (+9), Ranged Combat: Dart Gun 5 (+9), Sleight of Hand 4 (+8), Stealth 6 (+10), Vehicles 2 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +5 (Close Damage -1)
Knife +8 (Close Damage 0)
Dart Gun +9 (Ranged Fortitude 5)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 8, Fortitude 7, Toughness 6/4, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 42 + Powers 42 + Advantages 18 + Skills 28 + Defenses 13 = 143 points

Offensive PL: 7
Defensive PL: 7
Resistance PL: 7
Skill PL: 5

Complications:
Discovery--Motivation. Phobia (darkness.) Relationship (Rutherford.) Secret (time traveler.)
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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