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

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EternalPhoenix
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Another power prism user. Neat.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

EternalPhoenix wrote: Wed Apr 13, 2022 6:17 am Another power prism user. Neat.
Well, there are at least 1080 of them. :) Thanks!
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Well, as always, I look forward to whatever you do next.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Gebela
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Professor Adossegm Rogrigam

Perhaps because their early history -- like that of Chiraben humanity (and like Terran humanity as well) -- was largely shaped by the rivers of their home world, Gebel historians often view time itself as a river, with a course that can be changed by external factors; unlike other species, who take it for granted that things could only have happened as they did, Gebela contemplate the "what ifs" as much as they do the "what was". Perhaps the greatest of their "what ifs" is the question of what could have happened had the Manguai not discovered their home world fairly early in their exploration, something that even the Manguai concede was an accident. Would they have been able to stand alone as a fourth great power? Would that have delayed the start of the Imperium, or brought about its rise earlier?

At the time of that first contact, the Gebela had begun to explore their solar system, sending robotic probes to one of the three moons that orbits Hacadikem. They were excited to learn that they were not alone in the universe. Like so many other peoples, they were quick to trade the material wealth of their solar system in exchange for the star drive and other technology that could allow them to explore and learn more. But some canny negotiator among the Gebela managed to persuade their fellows to ask for the rights to those resources to revert to them after a few centuries. The Manguai negotiators hurriedly agreed to these terms; they may have planned to put the Gebela further in their debt later, but events did not play out that way.

In the meanwhile, Gebela explorers charted nearby sectors of space far more thoroughly than the Manguai did, selling the astromomical data and resource rights to their patrons and generally making themselves useful. In the process, they, not the Manguai, made first contact with the Vautaro, and dealt with them far more peacefully than their patrons might have done. Many Gebela became enchanted by the mystical world view of their new associates, and became the first non-Vautaro students to study with them. They did not realize that the Manguai would see this as a betrayal of their client status, that this would spark the first great war in this region of space. Could they have? Perhaps.

Regardless, the first war was brief by comparison to those which would follow, but still horrifying to the Gebela. Those of them who were loyal to their Vautaro mentors and those who honored their Manguai patrons met in secret and discussed these events, and resolved that, regardless of their philosophies, Gebel would never again fight Gebel, no matter what. There are those who wonder whether this agreement might have resulted from the influence of the Geretil, who observe a similar ethic and are known to have tried to persuade other species to embrace it. Regardless, the Gebela commitment to this principle lasted for centuries.

It lasted right up until the rise of technomancy, which proved to be every bit as appealing to the Gebela as mysticism had been before it, dividing their species as surely as it did the rest of the Imperium. In the fury of the Schism Wars, their ethic was abandoned, and immense damage done to Hacadikem in the process. When all was said and done, the surviving Gebela almost uniformly joined the Armada -- in fact, it is sometimes claimed that their shipyards contributed two in every five of the ships that transported the exiles away from the Imperium, more than any other species -- with only a handful of those profoundly loyal to the mystic order remaining behind.

In the Technate, the Gebela embraced the sciences, setting aside both technomancy and mysticism. The stereotype of the Gebela is a multidisciplinary scientist who has a list of degrees longer than their arms who professes at an academy. As with most stereotypes, this is nonsense; there are not nearly enough academies or teaching positions for that, and there are Gebela who run small businesses, manage agricultural projects and provide transportation for hire. That said, even the cab drivers will probably be better educated than most of their Chiraben passengers.

Perhaps the most famous Gebel in recent history has been Adossegm Rogrigam, formerly the Chief Engineer of the TSV Adventure during its legendary voyages. After supervising the refit of the ship, he accepted a position as Dean of Engineering at the TSA Academy, passing on the lessons he learned from the often deadly missions he had survived. The Professor has also remained in communication with his former shipmate Otodevol, who keeps him informed about the parts of their current activities that do not feature in official reports. When he learns, from one source or another, about the damage that "his" ship has suffered while defending Earth during the recent Konan invasion, his first impulse will be to travel there to assist in the repairs. Whether that will be permitted remains to be seen.

While the Gebelaare an amphibious species, they are strictly fresh water dwellers, unlike their former Manguai patrons who can exist in both. Much like the slugs they somewhat resemble, Gebela suffer dehydration when exposed to salt, and can die from this if they do not rehydrate quickly. (Deliberately salting them is considered attempted murder under Technate law.) It should also be noted that the Gebela, again like slugs, are hermaphroditic, but uniformly use male pronouns when speaking Technate Standard for the sake of convenience.

Gebel Scientist -- PL 4/MR 4

Abilities:
STR
0 | STA 0 | AGL 1 | DEX 1 | FGT 1 | INT 6 | AWE 4 | PRE 1

Powers:
Amphibious: Movement 1 (environmental adaptation [aquatic]); Senses 1 (low-light vision); Swimming 2 (2 MPH) - 5 points
Slime: Environment 1 (impede movement 2), Limited Uses - 1 point

Advantages:
Equipment 6, Improved Initiative, Second Chance (Aid checks).

Equipment:
Protective Uniform (Protection 4, Subtle), Stunbeamer (Ranged Affliction 5 [Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated]) and 15 points as needed.

Skills:
Expertise: Galactic 2 (+8), Expertise: Science 3 (+9), Insight 2 (+6), Perception 3 (+7), Persuasion 4 (+5), Ranged Combat: Stunbeamer 2 (+3), Technology 1 (+7), Vehicles 3 (+4).

Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +1 (Close Damage 1)
Stunbeamer +3 (Ranged Fortitude 5)

Defense:
Dodge 4, Parry 2, Fortitude 3, Toughness 4/0, Will 5.

Totals:
Abilities 28 + Powers 6 + Advantages 8 + Skills 10 + Defenses 8 = 60 points

Offensive PL: 4
Defensive PL: 4
Resistance PL: 4
Skill PL: 4

Complications:
Discovery--Motivation. Susceptibility (salt.) Others as Needed.

Note: This is a typical Gebel scientist; there are exceptional individuals who have higher INT scores and higher skills, often in much more specialized Expertises than I normally use for characters. However, it is rare to find one with a total skill bonus of greater than +14. Professor Rodrigam, a PL 8 character, has Expertise: Science +12 and Technology +13, along with comparably higher skills in other areas.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Bridget Helm
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In 1911, German novelist Hanns Heinz Ewers published a novel entitled Alraune, a scientifically updated version of the so-called mandrake myth, which held that women could independently conceive female offspring by consuming that root, believed to spring from the final ejaculations of hanged men. The novel described a woman created through artificial insemination, portrayed as incapable of love, who became involved with one Frank Braun, the protagonist of two other novels by Ewers. As Braun was something of a self-portrait of the author, there are those who have suggested that this novel depicted certain "adventures" of his from the first decade of the twentieth century. No one knows for sure, of course.

Exactly one hundred years after the publication of Alraune, however, an individual who went by the name Professor Erich ten Brinck (born Albert Ludlum) announced to the world that he had, eighteen years earlier, recreated the mandrake myth, inseminating a woman with artificially created sperm to produce what he called "the modern Alraune", a young woman named Bridget Helm, whom he now introduced to the public. The "Professor" loudly declared that, with this advancement, science had at last destroyed the so-called "natural order" and killed "god". This naturally attracted the attention of a number of disturbed indviduals who attempted to assassinate both the mad scientist and his beautiful daughter in vengeance for this perceived blasphemy.

As this had all happened in Seattle, Trouble took an interest in the case and acted to prevent one of the assassination attempts that seemed likely to succeed. In the process, the living weapon wound up befriending the modern Alraune. As someone who was herself the product of mad science, she felt a certain empathy for Ms. Helm, while coming to strongly dislike the professor. It seemed to her that he was deliberately inflaming the public, and that his rants about the absurdity of the claim that his creation had no soul (which had started before anyone made that claim) seemed to be suggesting just that. Trouble had come to the conclusion that Bridget Helm was somewhat amoral and callous but not a soulless monster, and began to investigate further.

She was horrified but not really all that surprised to learn that the account of her origins given by the professor was a lie in almost every particular. First, and perhaps most disturbingly, while he had indeed begun the experiments that would result in her birth eighteen years before, he had only achieved a successful result fourteen years before. Ludlum, to use his real name, had sped up her physical maturation through chemical treatments, and conducted a number of other grotesque experiments on her. In the process, he had learned that his creation could recover from nearly any form of injury, something he had gone to some lengths to test.

The ultimate irony was that none of this had been what he wanted. "Deliberately inflaming the public" had been his goal all along, in order to provoke them into the outlawing of experiments of this sort and any form of non-traditional reproduction. The fact that his creation apparently could not die meant the ruination of his plans, even without the involvement of Trouble -- who went to some lengths of her own to ensure that he wound up behind bars. Having done so, she was left with the problem of what to do about Bridget. With help from Sam Hazzard, the young woman was placed in foster care with a couple whom the two women trusted, in hopes that they could help her adjust to a more mundane existence.

It did not work. Bridget lived with them for four years, until she aged out of the foster care system, and still thinks of them fondly, but she remained apathetic and indifferent towards the rest of humanity. For a long while she treated those whom she encountered as sources of entertainment and comfort, manipulating them through her charisma and discarding them when she needed them no longer. In recent years, though, she has started to grow out of this behavior; while still indulging in it occasionally, she now prefers to live and let live when possible, and has even sometimes manipulated others in ways that improve their lives, in her view. (Of course, not everyone appreciates these supposed improvements.) When asked about this, she commented that she has come to understand that she is going to be around for a long while, and a world of general misery does not really appeal to her. Bringing up her origins, however, has been known to provoke very vicious responses from her.

Unfortunately, the somewhat enlightened attitude she now possesses has come too late for her to avoid winding up on the "monster list" of Maureen Summerisle, after the latter witnessed her casually wrecking the lives of everyone (other than Maureen) who happened to be in a old-fashioned soda shop at the same time as them. Maureen has succeeded in killing Bridget several times, but has yet to devise a way to do so permanently, with the "best" she was able to manage leaving the Alraune out of action for a full month before the concrete cracked enough for her to squeeze herself out. Bridget finds this annoying, to say the least, but just tries to avoid Summerisle when possible, as she is not nearly as vindictive as her nemesis.

Besides, they are one who cannot love and one who chooses not to. "Ain't we a pair?" she commented once.

Bridget Helm -- PL 6

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

Powers:
Undying: Immortality 5 (1 day); Immunity 3 (aging, disease, poison); Regeneration 20 - 33 points

Advantages:
Attractive 2, Daze (Deception), Evasion 2, Fascinate (Deception), Defensive Roll, Great Endurance, Improvised Weapon, Jack-of-all-trades, Set-up, Taunt, Ultimate Effort (Deception).

Skills:
Deception 5 (+10), Expertise: High Society 5 (+7), Expertise: Popular Culture 5 (+7), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+8), Insight 6 (+9), Perception 4 (+7), Persuasion 6 (+11), Sleight of Hand 5 (+5), Stealth 6 (+7).

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +2 (Close Damage -1)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 5, Fortitude 5, Toughness 7/5, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 34 + Powers 33 + Advantages 13 + Skills 24 + Defenses 11 = 115 points

Offensive PL: 1*
Defensive PL: 6
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 6

Complications:
Peace--Motivation. Enemy (Maureen Summerisle.) Manipulative (but not always detrimentally so.) Temper (particularly concerning her origins.)
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by greycrusader »

Very intriguing character, Davies! While I was reading along I was expecting a version of Tomie (never read the manga, but familiar with the character), and was pleasantly surprised by the turns you took. I can almost picture a Netflix series focusing on Bridget Helm channeling her sociopathic tendencies to manipulate others "benevolently"...with mixed results. All the while hunted by her nemesis, to whom she is indifferent.

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

Post by Davies »

greycrusader wrote: Wed Apr 20, 2022 1:23 am Very intriguing character, Davies! While I was reading along I was expecting a version of Tomie
That was her other major source! Just as the films sometimes allow Alraune to become a more complex person than the novel does, I found myself wondering what a Tomie who started to be less of a materialistic user would be like. Thank you so much!
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Usagi-ouji/Prince of Rabbits/うさぎ王子
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Shimizu Keiji has been given a power he never asked for and inducted into an organization he had never heard about, much less wanted to join. If he fails in the tasks that this situation demands of him, he will die. If he succeeds in those tasks, he will speed up the extinction of the human race ... and probably be killed anyway, once that has been accomplished. There are no good options here and not even any "less bad" ones. So he takes whatever comfort he can in doing what he loves, running and jumping and tumbling through life. Sometimes, while doing that, he can forget. But only sometimes.

The first occupant of the house of the Rabbit in the Shēngxiào was a woman who went by the alias Gun-Bunny*, and seemed to draw on the somewhat vaguely defined spirit of "the girl with a gun". Possessed of powers similar to those of Megan Excalbur, but with a focus on firearms, as well as an ability that allowed her to "respawn" at a different location after suffering lethal injuries, she committed a number of assassinations between 2009 and 2015, when she was captured under circumstances that prevented her from respawning by suicide. She was the first member of the Shēngxiào to ever be captured alive and the last as well.

Keiji was unaware of any of that on the afternoon that life as he knew it ended. He was looking forward to some free-running practice in downtown Osaka, the first time he had been able to do so after a week of rain. Unfortunately, he slipped on some roofing that had not dried as much as he had thought, and plunged to what he expected to be serious injury if not death. His fall was arrested by one of a pair of women on the street below, which was the upside. He would come to know the woman using some sort of telekinesis to hold him aloft as Hebi-Onna, and that the woman who addressed him was Diorite; that was the downside.

Diorite made it clear that, having saved his life, she now owned it, and would shortly be granting him the spirit of the Rabbit once it departed from its previous host. Although his opinion was not really consulted, Keiji nevertheless frantically agreed to this. With that out of the way, Diorite brought him along when she teleported to the location where Gun-Bunny was being held. She promptly declared that the former occupant had failed her for the last time and melted her while Keiji watched in horror, then teleported them away again before the guards could react. The realities of his situation had been made completely clear to him.

Keiji does not possess any of the powers of his forebear. The mantle of the Rabbit has given him slight physical enhancement, such that he is capable of moving very quickly and jumping great distances, which also allows him to make powerful kicks and strikes. For the most part, he is employed as a courier by his fellows in the Shēngxiào, who only ever meet in person at the express command of Diorite. However, he has also performed a number of robberies and assaults at their request -- mostly as distractions from other schemes, something that the Ghost Sweepers have started to realize -- as he is terrified that any failure of any of them could become his own "for the last time".

He is no longer in contact with any members of his former life. He trusts absolutely no one. Everyone in the world is his enemy and if they catch him they will kill him. But first they have to catch him.

Usagi-ouji -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR
3 | STA 3 | AGL 3 | DEX 1 | FGT 6 | INT 0 | AWE 1 | PRE 0

Powers:
Bunny Hop: Immunity 5 (falling damage); Leaping 5 (250 feet); Movement 1 (environmental adaptation [urban]); Speed 3 (16 MPH) - 18 points
Little Nose: Senses 1 (acute olfactory) - 1 point
Rabbit Punch/Super-Kick: Strength-based Damage 3 - 3 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Beginner's Luck, Defensive Roll 2, Great Endurance, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics), Teamwork.

Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+9), Athletics 4 (+7), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+10), Expertise: Magic (INT-based) 4 (+4), Expertise: Streetwise 8 (+8), Intimidation 6 (+6), Perception 4 (+5), Technology 4 (+4).

Offense:
Initiative +7
Unarmed +10 (Close Damage 6)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 8, Fortitude 4, Toughness 8, Will 7.

Totals:
Abilities 34 + Powers 22 + Advantages 11 + Skills 21 + Defenses 14 = 102 points

Offensive PL: 8
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 4

Complications:
Fear--Motivation. Bravado, Not Bravery. Subject to Orders.

* Her real name has never been discovered; she sometimes used the alias "Fumimura Hoko", but there is no record of any individual by that name.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Would you say that he's a prince with a thousand enemies? :mrgreen:
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Yep, pretty much!
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Jack Neutron, The Metamorphic Man
Image

As Michael Faulks lay on the street with a crushed rib cage, feeling his life ebbing away as he stared up at the strangely clear sky, he found that his life did not pass before his eyes. Maybe things would speed up in the final moments and he would glimpse scenes of the first forty-eight years of his life. Right now, though, all that he could think about was how things had been going so well in the last few months, and then had gone so horribly wrong in the last twenty-four hours.

During the Konan assault on Earth, he had seized the initiative and led his agents on lightning fast strikes against the suspected locations of many of the bombs set by the Combination to prevent outside intrusion against their rule over St. Louis. They had been even more successful than they had dared to hope; from intercepted communications, he learned that there was only one still active, and Faulks swore to find that last threat and eliminate it before the year was out. Unfortunately, his superiors at Argus believed that it would be more productive to launch an assault against the Combination despite the remaining bomb, disagreeing with Faulks on "acceptable losses" and (to be fair) concerned that new bombs could be constructed and render all that effort pointless. He spent as much time arguing with the bosses as he did directing the search.

Unfortunately, someone else was listening in on the arguments. Billie Zane had even less concern for the collateral damage that would result from the detonation of the last bomb than Argus did, and saw an opportunity to eliminate members of the superpower oligarchy by attacking the Combination with a large army of Saturn agents. The Powerhouse responded to the attack, making an unlikely alliance with the Combination. Faulks gave the order to his people to help in the defense of St. Louis, and wound up in the thick of it, firing a blaster rifle at point blank range towards Zane in her powered armor. It did nothing, and she bashed him aside without a second glance.

From what he could hear, the battle sounded like it was winding down. He wondered who had won. Much more than that, he wondered whether any of the people who had trusted his leadership were going to survive this. He wondered a lot of things, really.

And then ...

And then, my friends, something strange happened. When a woman who had died when he was nine years old walked up to where he was lying on the street with a somber look on her face, Faulks thought that he had actually passed without realizing it. And then she spoke. "You did a brave thing, just now," said Janey Quantum. "I'd like to apologize for what my daughter did, but ... no, never mind. Here's the thing. If I do nothing, you're going to die, and then I'm going to die shortly afterward. Or I can do something, and then one of us doesn't have to die. I wish I could offer you a choice, but we're all out of time and choices, here." And with that, her hand glowing, she bent down and touched his chest. The world went as white as the gutters of a comic book page.

When he woke up, his ribs were no longer crushed, and Faulks had never felt so alive -- confused as could be, but so alive. He got up and half-stumbled over to where the Powerhouse and the Combination were having a confrontation in the aftermath of the battle, with Kingfisher threatening to detonate all the bombs if the heroes failed to depart immediately. It annoyed him, and before he realized what he was doing, he projected an explosive blast right at the winged bandit, knocking him back quite a bit. "Hi, guys," he said to Paragon and the others. "Could I get a lift? We've got some stuff to talk about."

At the Argo, it was determined that whatever Janey Quantum had done before returning to the past (and her death) had infused him with powers like those she had possessed, but that Faulks was still learning how to use. One of the first abilities that he mastered was the knack of transforming his clothes and the air around him into a flexible shell of woven steel and cavorite, granting him protection and the power of flight. With this means of concealing his identity, he assumed the ops moniker -- or rather nomme de guerre -- of Jack Neutron, the Metamorphic Man. (His middle name is John, hence Jack.)

His life has changed a lot in the two weeks since all that happened. He was fired from Argus, as he was expecting, but the new Director of Combination Activities is someone he helped to train and trusts. On the other hand, he has been promptly recruited by the Powerhouse, who are understandably concerned about the power that he demonstrated. He recognizes that he has a long ways to go before his skill at using that power makes him worthy of the title "superhero", but through the Powerhouse he has access to some of the best teachers in the world for this peculiar occupation. In the meanwhile, he has settled in as the first resident hero of St. Louis since the Combination took over, letting Kingfisher know that the authorities are aware that there is only one bomb left, and that they will know if he builds more. The never-ending battle continues, but the forces of evil seem to be on the back foot right now.

There are just two things that make Michael Faulks a bit uncertain about his new role in life. The first is the look of horror and grief that he glimpsed, for just a moment, on the face of Dancer when he created his shell for the first time, while she was watching. He does not know what could have caused that, which worries him. The other concern, probably more serious, is why he keeps hearing the voice of Janey Quantum in his head ... not talking to him, just talking. At least, so far.

Jack Neutron, the Metamorphic Man -- PL 9

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

Powers:
Cavorite-Steel Shelled: Flight 7 (125 MPH); Impervious Protection 9; Strength-based Damage 3; Activation (Standard Action) - 33 points
Transmutation: Array (54 points)
  • Basics: Continuous Transform 9 (400 lbs; anything into anything) - 54 points
  • Corrosion: Linked Damage 10, Secondary Effect; Linked Weaken Toughness 10, Affects Object, Secondary Effect - 1 point
  • Explosion: Linked Ranged Damage 9; Linked Ranged Selective Burst Area Damage 9 - 1 point
Advantages:
All-out Attack, Assessment, Connected, Contacts, Defensive Roll, Evasion, Fearless, Inspire 2, Leadership, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot (Ranged/Cover), Teamwork.

Skills:
Acrobatics 3 (+4), Athletics 3 (+4), Deception 4 (+7), Expertise: Military 5 (+6), Expertise: Science 3 (+4), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+7), Insight 4 (+6), Intimidation 5 (+8), Investigation 6 (+7), Perception 4 (+6), Persuasion 2 (+5), Ranged Combat: Transmutation 3 (+5), Sleight of Hand 2 (+4), Stealth 4 (+5), Technology 4 (+5), Vehicles 4 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +5 (Close Damage 4/1)
Corrosion +5 (Close Damage 10 and Weaken Toughness 10)
Explosion +5 (Ranged Damage 9 and Ranged Burst Damage 9)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 5, Fortitude 5, Toughness 13/11/4/2, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 34 + Powers 89 + Advantages 14 + Skills 30 + Defense 12 = 179 points

Offensive PL: 9
Defensive PL: 9
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 3

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Nemesis (the Combination). Physical Limitation (artificial leg can be disabled by Nullify Electrical, leaving him Hindered and Vulnerable). Voices In His Head (not hostile ones, just distracting at times.)
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by RainOnTheSun »

Hey, the Combination! I like those guys.
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

The next one, come Monday, will be a little familiar to you as well. Thanks!
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Ah, heck with waiting until Monday. Life is too short.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

La Dame Bleu
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Until a short time ago, la Dame Bleu -- Maryse Beaucheme, to use the civilian name that everyone knew and pretended not to know in response to her insistence that her identity was a closely kept secret -- was perhaps the most powerful and most respected superhero of Europe. Respected, but not admired. Her haughty, patronizing manner ensured that she was not well-liked, even in her native Belgium. On the other hand, the worst that anyone could say about her was that she was a snob, and that she often became bored by the less exciting aspects of superheroism, such as cleanup or charity appearances. Her death, during the early stages of the Konan assault, came as a shock, and she was sincerely mourned ... but mostly because it was thought that, had she not died, then other losses of more beloved heroes later in the conflict, such as the Swedish hero Grader or the Austrian Jodler, might have avoided.

Born in 1987, Maryse was the only child of Jules Beaucheme and his second wife, Madelca Meusz, a younger sister (or possibly half-sister) of the notorious Gordion Meusz. Madelca displayed none of the gravity-influencing talents of her family, and it is something of a mystery why her daughter possessed such formidable talents of this sort, which she first demonstrated at the age of fourteen. Her father had passed away six years before that, leaving the training of these talents entirely in the hands of her mother, who "encouraged" Maryse to develop all of her abilities -- mental, physical, and extranormal -- to remarkable degrees. From what has since been learned, it seems likely that Madelca intended for her daughter to literally conquer the world on her behalf, simply to show up the main branch of the Meusz family.

Fortunately, by the time that she deemed herself ready, at the age of eighteen, Maryse found the notion of ruling the world to be utterly absurd. She was smart enough to realize that she could never administer a global state by herself, and that the handful of individuals whom she trusted -- all servants at the Beaucheme manor -- would likewise be ill-suited to such roles, requiring her to recruit people who might potentially betray her. The whole thing would just be work, work, work, and she gave it up as a bad idea, preferring to indulge herself by engaging in such altruism as suited her whims. (The possibility that she was rebelling against her domineering mother has been suggested.)

Regardless, by 2008 she had developed enough of a reputation for competence, if perhaps not for tact, that she was offered membership in the Powerhouse, which she rather rudely declined. It has since been suggested that she expected the group to press the issue, and was offended when they took her first refusal for her final word on the subject. Regardless, her interactions with the other members of the team were at best coldly polite in the aftermath, with much of her spite being directed at the one whom she most frequently encountered: Blakestone, particularly after the formation of the Ultra Girls, who also received a great deal of scornful treatment from la Dame. Later, it would be suggested that she resented the fact that Blakestone had been considered important enough join the Powerhouse while still a teenager.

Her history with the Ultra Girls led to an awkward situation when she was forced to swallow her pride and seek help from them in 2015, when la Dame Bleu was attacked with a power nullification ray by alleged Korean agents while visiting Paris, leaving her depowered for nearly a week. It was a miserable experience for all involved, with Maryse and Blakestone almost coming to blows on a few occasions during that long, long week. However, while la Dame departed without uttering a word of thanks after her powers were finally restored, Danielle noted that there had been a moment of hesitation where it seemed that Maryse had almost been about to offer some gratitude. Blakestone just rolled her eyes at that.

La Dame Bleu was noted for having a good working relationship with Argus, with a "handler" who was open about his affiliation with the group and did a great deal to keep her feathers unruffled. (This is believed to have involved a lot of flattery.) Because of this, she was quickly advised of the Konan threat and unhesitatingly joined forces with those heroes who were gathered to plan a response. She accompanied Paragon, Super-Giant, Bombast and other spaceworthy fighters into battle when the Konan fleet arrived in orbit, and accounted for three of the mass driver-equipped cruisers before she came under coordinated fire from their gunships. Stunned by the first barrage, her shield dropped and she was nearly torn apart by the second.

Blakestone found herself strangely bereft when she learned of the death of her rival. After the affair was over, she took it on herself to travel to Beaucheme manor and express her regrets. Her meeting with the elderly Madelca was, if possible, even more unpleasant than any of her interactions with Maryse had been, as the old woman seemed quite certain that la Dame was only faking her death to annoy her. The narcissism that Madelca displayed was horrifyingly reminiscent of behaviors that Blakestone had seen in her own mother, and she sought to escape quickly. However, she also met some elderly servants who were sincerely mourning the death, and learned from them that Maryse had genuinely envied the happiness Blakestone had been able to find in her life, and also regretted that her upbringing had left her often unable to express any of her actual feelings in a public manner.

Unsure how to take any of this, Blakestone returned to her House of Riddles, and made a point of telling those whom she loved how much they meant to her, something that she has also had difficulties doing in the past. It may be said, then, that la Dame Bleu won a great victory even after she left the field.

La Dame Bleu -- PL 13

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

Powers:
Gravity Control: Perception Range Move Object 7 (3 tons) - 21 points
Gravitic Shield: Linked Sustained Protection 14, Impervious 12; Linked Sustained Immunity 10 (life support); Deflect 8, Limited to physical - 44 points
Gravity Techniques: Array (27 points)
  • Advanced Gravity Control: Enhanced Perception Range Move Object 13 (25 kilotons), Concentration - 1 point
  • Gravitic Blast: Ranged Damage 13, Precise - 27 points
  • Gravitic Drag: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 13 (Resisted and Overcome by Strength; Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseless & Immobilized), Extra Condition, Limited Degree - 1 point
  • Gravitic Pulse: Linked Burst Area Damage 9; Linked Close Burst Area Move Object 9, Limited Direction (away from self) - 1 point
  • Gravitic Whip: Ranged Damage 11, Indirect 4; Enhanced Advantage 1 (Improved Trip) - 1 point
Transatmospheric Flight: Flight 8 (500 MPH); Enhanced Flight 7 (64,000 MPH), Distracting; Movement 1 (environmental adaptation [zero gravity]) - 27 points

Advantages:
Benefit 4 (multimillionaire), Connections, Defensive Attack, Extraordinary Effort, Improved Defense, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Well-informed.

Skills:
Expertise: Science 3 (+8), Expertise: High Society 4 (+9), Intimidation 7 (+10), Perception 3 (+6), Ranged Combat: Gravity Powers 7 (+11), Stealth 2 (+6), Technology 2 (+7)

Offense:
Initiative +4
Unarmed +6 (Close Damage 3)
Gravitic Blast +11 (Ranged Damage 13)
Gravitic Drag +11 (Ranged Affliction 13, Resisted by Strength)
Gravitic Whip +11 (Ranged Damage 11)
Gravity Pulse -- (Burst Area Damage 9 and Move Object 9)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 6, Fortitude 7, Toughness 18/4, Will 11

Totals:
Abilities 64 + Powers 123 + Advantages 10 + Skills 10 + Defenses 15 = 222 points

Offensive PL: 12
Defensive PL: 13
Resistance PL: 9
Skills PL: 4

Complications:
Thrills--Motivation. Delusion ("I have a secret identity, despite doing nothing to disguise myself.") Easily Bored. Utter Snob.

Note: Should stats for the PL 11 "Year One" version of la Dame Bleu be needed, modify as follows: reduce STR, STA, AGL, DEX and FGT by 1 rank each; drop Improved Defense; reduce Sustained Protection to 13 ranks and Deflect to 6 ranks; reduce Gravity Mastery Array to 22 points and drop Gravitic Pulse (reduce most slots to 11 ranks and Gravitic Whip to 8 ranks); reduce Enhanced Flight to 5 ranks; reduce Dodge to 6, Will to 8.

One track mind, one track heart
If I fail, I'll fall apart
Maybe it is all a test
'Cause, I feel like I'm the worst
So I always act like I'm the best
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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