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

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Davies
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Dr. Valerie Petrie (Villain)

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Dr. Valerie Petrie
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Let it be clear, she is a legitimate doctor. (When in a good mood, she will unsmilingly declare, "I have a Doctorate in Philosophy from Yale, a Doctorate in Civil Law from McGill, and a Doctorate in Medicine from John Hopkins. My friends, out of courtesy, call me Doctor.") But if she ever held a license to practice medicine, it has certainly been revoked given the well-documented crimes to which she has been party. Dr. Valerie Petrie is perhaps the foremost medical mercenary in the world, with only Sorayama Hiroshi, the great artist of cybernetics, standing as a peer.

The earliest record of a Valerie Petrie dates to 1981, when she arrived, alone, at the doors of a think tank operating in Rochester, New York. According to her stated biography, she was then fourteen, and the only daughter of the late Roland Petrie, associated with the Morrison Institute before his death in 1979 and a former employee of a somewhat notorious private hospital in upstate New York. All subsequent attempts to discover corroboration of this background have failed. Nevertheless, she was accepted as a member of the think tank and soon distinguished herself in its medical research program.

She remained at the think tank well after she would have been free to leave, only departing when she was expelled under obscure circumstances in 1997. According to her statements, she had even then begun to feel that the think tank concept had served its purpose and that much of the research currently being pursued there was pathological and/or directed towards impractical ends. The handful of fellow students from that institution who are willing to talk about her will claim, in hushed tones, that she was expelled for practicing reanimation, having even then come into possession of the Frankenstein papers as an inheritance from a cousin of hers named West. (She denies any relation to the individual by that name who was active in the 1980s, but will not deny a possible connection to his alleged ancestor.)

Since then, having not aged perceptibly since departing the think tank, she has unhesitatingly put her scientific and medical skills to the use of the highest bidder. While regarding ethics as largely irrelevant to her concerns, Dr. Petrie does observe certain personal standards. She is not interested in putting her skills to use for the sake of romantic nihilism under the pretense of "for science!" When she agrees to work on a project, it must have a specific goal that she considers achievable. If she later determines that the goal is unachievable after she has accepted payment for her work, she may (depending on her evaluation of the stability of her employer) make one attempt to convince them of the impossibility of what they want. If that fails, or if she believes doing so would be unsafe, she will continue to work on the project while making plans for her personal escape from the fiasco sure to follow.

During the course of several such fiascos, she has crossed paths with most of the Powerhouse and other noteworthy superheroes, maintaining a somewhat collegial association with la Donna Universale despite having been on opposing sides of several conflicts. When confronted by superpowered opposition she will unhesitatingly surrender, having no illusions about her ability to successfully fight against such beings. She is more inclined towards homicidal self-defense when confronted by more mundane opposition, and can and has given lessons in the combat applications of the scalpel.

As already mentioned, Dr. Petrie has been alleged to be in possession of the papers of one George Frankenstein, outlining his process for returning life to unliving tissue. These rumors are correct. However, Dr. Petrie does not engage in these practices. (This is not to say that she has not, only that she no longer does so.) She believes in staying bought, and considers the decision by Adam and Mary Frankenstein to allow her to remain living after they learned of her ownership of these documents, as long as she was willing to agree to use them only as they request, as having purchased her services in a coin she values dearly.

Buried in the archives of the think tank where she was supposedly trained, now held by the library of the University of Rochester, are the results of the physical examination she was given on arriving at that institution. They confirm that she was a typical fourteen year old female human, but note one oddity -- the presence of scarring on her head, covered by her hair. Scarring typical of someone who had been the subject of brain surgery -- extremely radical brain surgery. Those marks have largely been effaced by time and treatments she herself has developed, and she does not welcome inquiries about them. At all.

Dr. Valerie Petrie -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR
1 | STA 2 | AGL 2 | DEX 2 | FGT 4 | INT 7 | AWE 3 | PRE 5

Powers:
Longevity: Immunity 3 (aging, disease, poison) - 3 points
Unfazeable: Immunity 5 (interaction skills) - 5 points

Advantages:
Attractive, Daze (Deception), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 10, Evasion, Improved Critical (knife) 2, Improved Initiative, Jack-of-all-trades, Medical Miracleworker*, Multilingual, Non-Lethal Tactics, Redirect, Skill Mastery (Treatment), Uncanny Dodge, Well-informed.
* As Invention, but using Expertise: Science to design and Treatment to "build".

Equipment:
50 points of gear as needed for current operations, usually including a knife (Strength-based Damage 1, Improved Critical) and a headquarters (always including Infirmary and Laboratory.)

Skills:
Close Combat: Knife 5 (+9), Deception 5 (+10), Expertise: Criminal 5 (+12), Expertise: Science 6 (+13), Insight 5 (+8), Intimidation 7 (+11), Investigation 4 (+11), Perception 5 (+8), Technology 2 (+9), Treatment 6 (+13).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +4 (Close Damage 1)
Scalpel +9 (Close Damage 2, Crit 17-20)

Defense:
Dodge 7, Parry 9, Fortitude 4, Toughness 7/2, Will 10

Totals:
Abilities 52 + Powers 8 + Advantages 26 + Skills 25 + Defenses 19 = 130 points

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

Complications:
Mercenary--Motivation. Honor (stays bought.) Power Loss (Longevity, without regular treatments.) Secret (custodian of Frankenstein papers.) Somewhat Vain.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Davies
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Kalama Mazainin (Villain)

Post by Davies »

Kalama Mazainin
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Art by Moonsoo Lee

Not so very long ago, on a planet on the trailing side of the Technate, a middle-aged woman, beat down by years, sat at the bar in a broken down public house, nursing an alcoholic beverage. She lifted her head slightly at the unfamiliar sound of thrusters not so far away, then nodded to herself. "'Tis about to get a bit dangerous in here, gents, so you'd all wisely be elsewhere," she announced, then glanced over her shoulder to discover that the tavern had emptied out even before she spoke. With a shrug, she returned to her drink.

Then the doors to the house burst inward as a younger woman, strongly resembling the older one, kicked them in. (Her hands were filled with a pair of blasters, you see.) "You chuttin' slag!" she shouted as her fiery eyes settled on the sole occupant of the house. (It should not be difficult to figure out the English equivalents of the naughty words being used in this conversation, but the originals will nevertheless be used in their stead.)

"Fair mornin' to ye, Kalama," replied the chutting slag without a glance in the direction of the one who so addressed her. "You're out sooner than I thought."

"Oh, I daresay you thought you'd never see me again, Maza," replied Kalama, making the word for mother into a curse. "But I showed 'em like I'm about to show you and --"

"I knew you'd be back," the old woman said, before taking a deep draught that almost drained the contents of the flagon before her.

"Damned liar!" Kalama shouted. "If you'd thought I'd be back, you'd have been lars away from here by now! Or what, did the dosh from the buros not cover a ticket on a fast ship for ye?"

"You could say that, right enow," her mother replied agreeably, licking her lips to get what remained of the drink on them.

Kalama let out a disgusted grunt. "Spent it all on drink, I s'pect."

"Now that you can't say. There was no money, Kalama. The buros offered me some, aye, but I told 'em where to keep it. I never sold ye out, girl. I gave ye up for free."

Kalama was shocked enough that the blasters in each of her hands dropped their line of fire from the old woman to the floor of the house. "For free?" she repeated, hoarsely. "You turned me into the chuttin' Bureau of Law Enforcement, knowin' what they would do to me, knowin' they'd try to turn my mind inside out, and you never even took their dosh? Why? What was the point of it, then?"

"The point," said her mother, finally sure that there was no more drink to be had, "was to trade the endless wonderin' of when you'd decide to finish me off for at least a little time where I knew you couldn't. I hoped for a month, but a week will have to do." With that, she finally turned to face Kalama head on, regarding her with furious loathing. "So get on with it, damn ye, you've been tryin' to end me since you was in me guts!"

The sound of Kalama shrieking in outrage almost drowned out the roar of blaster fire.

Kalama Mazainin ("Mothered-Not") is one of the most notorious pirates of the trailing regions of the Technate, frequently raiding into the Vaask Hegemony and territories claimed by the Konan Armada. There is a substantial bounty on her head, but most people are understandably reluctant to take the risks involved in claiming it, given what she is known to have done to the last individual who turned her in for the reward. (The true story of that, presented above, is known only to herself.)

She has subjected herself to extensive cybernetic modification in order to keep her body beyond the razor edge needed to be a successful space pirate, as well as keeping herself alive after the serious injuries she has suffered in her pursuit of infamy. None of this has done anything good for her psychological balance, which was not all that great in the first place. Kalama is notorious, even among pirates, for being a mercurial and unpredictable commander, showering her crew with riches on day and shooting them in cold blood over minor infractions of ship policy the next. Fortunately, the stories about paying well attract the interest of people who imagine that the other sort could never happen to them.

Recently, Kalama happened to overhear an old rival-slash-ally-of-convenience, one Naharuk, recruiting crew for a visit to some obscure planet in the Unclaimed Regions that had been invaded by Konan and threw them back. The incident has seized her curiosity, as she wonders how much profit could be gained from raiding a system that would be barely recovered from the damage that invasion caused ...

Kalama Mazainin -- PL 9

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

Powers:
Mobility: Enhanced Advantages 4 (Evasion, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action); Leaping 2 (30 feet); Movement 2 (environmental adaptation-zero gravity; wall-crawling); Speed 2 (8 MPH) - 12 points
Twin Stars: Ranged Damage 10, Improved Critical 2, Split Attack; Easily Removable (-8) - 15 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, All-out Attack, Benefit (make climbing checks with Acrobatics), Defensive Roll 2, Equipment 17, Evasion, Improved Initiative 2, Leadership, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 2, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics), Startle.

Equipment:
Maza: Size Gargantuan; Strength 14; Speed 14 (space only; 32,000 MPH); Defense 6; Toughness 14; Features Communications, Hidden Compartments, Holding Cells, Infirmary, Living Space, Navigation System, Remote Control.
Powers:
Stardrive: Movement 2 (space travel 2) - 4 points
Weapons: Array (54 points)
  • Torpedoes: Linked Ranged Damage 12; Linked Ranged Burst Damage 10 - 54 points
  • Tractor Beam: Move Object 14 - 1 point
Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+7), Deception 6 (+8), Expertise: Galactic 7 (+10), Insight 6 (+8), Intimidation 9 (+11), Stealth 4 (+9), Technology 6 (+9), Vehicles 6 (+12).

Offense:
Initiative +13
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 3)
Blaster +8 (Ranged Damage 10, Crit 18-20)

Defense:
Dodge 11, Parry 10, Fortitude 5, Toughness 7/2, Will 7

Offensive PL: 9
Defensive PL: 9
Resistance PL: 6
Skill PL: 7

Totals:
Abilities 56 + Powers 27 + Advantages 29 + Skills 27 + Defenses 19 = 172 points

Complications:
Greed--Motivation. Paranoia. Weakness (becomes Vulnerable if subject to Nullify Electrical.)

"I tread a lurching timber world, a reeking salt-caked hell;
And yet, perhaps, no worse a world than yours ..."
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Is she Chiraben?
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by Davies »

EternalPhoenix wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 8:44 pm Is she Chiraben?
Yep. (Her facial markings are tattoos.)
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by Davies »

Next week -- more villains!
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by Davies »

Also ...
Davies wrote: Fri Oct 14, 2022 8:31 pm Guardian Flora
Image
Davies wrote: Mon Jan 16, 2023 9:04 pm The Erlking
Image
Davies wrote: Tue Sep 20, 2022 1:31 am Guardian Lucis
Image
Davies wrote: Tue Mar 07, 2023 10:25 pm Amnar
Image
... I wonder if anyone has noticed a pattern ...
Davies wrote: Thu Oct 06, 2022 7:34 pm Guardian Pyros
Image
Davies wrote: Fri Dec 11, 2020 7:49 pm Infernus
Image
Guardian Umbra
Image[/quote]
Davies wrote: Fri Nov 05, 2021 5:24 am The Shadow Dragon
Image
Humanoid form
... and having noticed it ...
Davies wrote: Thu Sep 29, 2022 1:41 am Guardian Technon
Image
... wondered what might complete it?

Think. Big.
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Gilliam
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by Gilliam »

My picks are Elsa or Megatron.
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Davies
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by Davies »

Gilliam wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 7:40 pm My picks are Elsa or Megatron.
One of those is ... close.

But. Think. Bigger.
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by Gilliam »

Davies wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 8:17 pm
Gilliam wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 7:40 pm My picks are Elsa or Megatron.
One of those is ... close.

But. Think. Bigger.
Hmmm ... Bigger.

I will see what else I can come up with.
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by Davies »

Gilliam wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 8:50 pm
Davies wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 8:17 pm
Gilliam wrote: Sat Mar 18, 2023 7:40 pm My picks are Elsa or Megatron.
One of those is ... close.

But. Think. Bigger.
Hmmm ... Bigger.

I will see what else I can come up with.
Hint:
Spoiler
"No one summons Megatron!"
"Then it pleases me to be the first."
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by Gilliam »

Thanks for the clue and I am looking forward to their appearance.
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Proctor (Villain)

Post by Davies »

Proctor
Image

The saying goes, "If you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras" -- in rather more words, it is foolish to make unlikely conclusions from data when there are more plausible ones to be made. So it is that, when a robot appears and starts attacking people, most people will assume that it is a creation of a human mad scientist, even if they are aware of the existence of sapient robots on the planet Mercury. (The fact that the largest manufacturers of hostile robots on Earth are also robots is known to few.) Sometimes, however, the hoofbeats will be those of zebras.

The robot known as Proctor first appeared in 2018, operating in Denver and luring the Blue Bolt and Polymorph into a trap-filled facility that made heavy use of its attack drones as both remote weapons and spies. While the two heroes were able to easily deal with the traps -- to the point where they spent a fair amount of time reminiscing about more effective means of imprisonment to which they had been subjected to in the past -- and incapacitate the robot, they were unable to determine who had created it and set it loose. They turned the inactive robot over to the authorities and sauntered off whistling, expecting this to be their only encounter with the robot.

They were technically correct, in that they have yet to encounter Proctor as a duo since then, though each of them has had a subsequent encounter with the robot, as have a number of other superheroes. (By this point, it has become clear that it is operating independently of whoever constructed it.) The robot has seemed more interested in capturing and studying its opponents than permanently eliminating them. This is doubly fortunate, as the designs and implementation of its plans have improved greatly from its initial debut, frequently striking against the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of its targets.

Recently, however, those schemes have become considerably more lethal than they have in the past, with the Milwaukee-based hero Scanner barely escaping with his life after an encounter with Proctor. Scanner passed on information about this episode to the Powerhouse as a courtesy, while admitting that he was unsure whether the danger had been greater because of changes in the operations of the robot or his own complacency. As Proctor rarely speaks to its motives in making these attacks, just what might have prompted such changes remains as much a mystery as anything else about it.

Proctor -- a self-granted designation -- was created by a hyper-advanced civilization that lies far beyond the regions of space explored by aliens familiar with Earth, much closer towards the galactic core. These entities are much more familiar with and able to exploit the higher regions of hyperspace than is permitted by the technology employed by the Technate and Imperium. As such, they were able to perceive a disturbance that propagated through those regions of hyperspace at trillions of times the speed of light, and track it back to its source on Earth, where extradimensional energies had briefly touched reality from the other side. A robot explorer was dispatched to Earth to investigate this situation further, operated by a gestalt consciousness based on the entire leadership of its creators.

Proctor discovered traces of these extradimensional energies on a variety of subjects, especially "superheroes" associated with the organization known as the Powerhouse. But its investigations would not discover their source for nearly a year, when it learned of the existence of the entity known as the Avatar -- a projection of the consciousness and power of an actual entity from beyond reality onto this plane of existence. This was humbling and terrifying. Proctor nevertheless continued its investigations, now focusing on studying the effects that the presence of this being had on the inhabitants of this planet.

They have continued even as beings from this planet have apparently altered the way that the entire universe relates to those extradimensional energy sources in recent months, further terrifying Proctor. This residents of this planet have clearly demonstrated that they are a serious threat to all other civilizations in this reality, including its creators, and so its investigations have become much more forceful than they have been in the past. Proctor still does not want to destroy Earth or its residents, but their continued experimentation with reality-altering technologies, whether informational, mechanical or psi-electronic, has to stop. And if the only way to do that is to stop them from doing anything ... well, it is a cold and unforgiving universe.

Proctor -- PL 11

Abilities:
STR
6 | STA -- | AGL 5 | DEX 7 | FGT 5 | INT 6 | AWE 6 | PRE 5

Powers:
Advanced Sensors: Senses 9 (direction sense, distance sense, infravision, radar [radius accurate radio], time sense, ultravision) - 9 points
Attack Orbs: Summon 8, Controlled, Heroic, Horde, Mental Link, Multiple Minions 3, Sacrifice - 98 points
Built-In Weaponry: Array (24 points)
  • Basic Blaster: Ranged Damage 12 - 24 points
  • Capturebeam: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 8 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Damage; Hindered & Vulnerable, Defenseles & Immobile), Extra Condition, Limited Degree - 1 point
  • Gravbeam: Damaging Move Object 8 - 1 point
  • Stunbeam: Ranged Cumulative Affliction 8 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed, Stunned, Incapacitated) - 1 point
Phased Flight: Flight 11 (4000 MPH), Aquatic; Insubstantial 3; Movement 4 (environmental adaptation [zero-g], space flight 3) - 46 points
Robotic Body: Immortality 5 (minimum of 1 day), Check Required (Technology, DC 20); Immunity 30 (Fortitude); Impervious Protection 11; Regeneration 1 - 54 points

Advantages:
Eidetic Memory, Multilingual, Skill Mastery (Technology), Ranged Attack 3, Speed of Thought, Well-informed.

Skills:
Expertise: Galactic 6 (+12), Investigation 5 (+11), Perception 6 (+12), Stealth 6 (+11), Technology 7 (+13).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +5 (Close Damage 6)
Basic Blaster +10 (Ranged Damage 12)
Capturebeam +10 (Ranged Affliction 8, Resisted by Dodge)
Stunbeam +1 (Ranged Fortitude 8)

Defense:
Dodge 9, Parry 7, Fortitude Immmune, Toughness 11, Will 10

Totals:
Abilities 70 + Powers 234 + Advantages 8 + Skills 15 + Defenses 11 = 328 points

Offensive PL: 11
Defensive PL: 10
Resistance PL: 10
Skill PL: 8

Complications:
Observation and Judgment--Motivation. Fear (magic and supertechnology.)

Attack Orbs -- PL 8

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

Powers:
Advanced Sensors:
Senses 9 (direction sense, distance sense, infravision, radar [radius accurate radio], time sense, ultravision) - 9 points
Built-in Weaponry: Array (16 points)
  • Blaster: Ranged Damage 8 - 16 points
  • Gravbeam: Damaging Move Object 5 - 1 point
Microjets: Flight 8 (500 MPH), Aquatic - 17 points
Recorders: Feature (audio/video recording equipment) - 1 point
Robotic Body: Immunity 30 (Fortitude); Impervious Protection 8; Regeneration 1 - 47 points
Small Size: Permanent Shrinking 12 (6 inches; Dodge +6, Parry +6, Stealth +12, Strength -3, Speed -1, Intimidation -6) - 12 point

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Ranged Attack 4, Teamwork

Skills:
Perception 10 (+13), Stealth 0 (+14).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +2 (Close Damage 0)
Blaster +8 (Ranged Damage 8)

Defense:
Dodge 8, Parry 8, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 8, Will 8

Totals:
Abilities -2 + Powers 103 + Advatages 9 + Skills 5 + Defenses 5 = 120 points

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

Complications:
Duty--Motivation. No Manipulators or Speech.
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Naturally, simply having a conversation about the problem with say, the Powerhouse, has never crossed its mind as a plausible course of action. Even if they wanted to be of help, there's no way they actually could be, right? And neither has that destroying the planet wouldn't actually solve the problem as there's a handful of humans (including a few that were directly involved in that last bit of business) that don't live there anymore. This is without mentioning the influence Earth's supers have already had on the universe and making a rather dramatic assumption that the attempt to destroy the planet would even be successful. Communication, Mr. Proctor. It's important.
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by Davies »

EternalPhoenix wrote: Mon Mar 20, 2023 8:56 pm Naturally, simply having a conversation about the problem with say, the Powerhouse, has never crossed its mind as a plausible course of action.
It's what happens when your consciousness is patterned on a group whose members achieved their positions through ruthless opportunism and exploitation.
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Re: The World In The Aftermath (Formerly A World Less Magical)

Post by Commander Titan »

I enjoyed reading Carmilla for the first time over the 2021 holiday season. And I appreciate that she's fundamentally a serial killer (I've had an argument with a friend about this as it applies to the character in the novel), albeit one with enough control and intellect to follow an agenda and maybe cause complications for Dracula.

Jim, Agent of Saturn is a great riff, and what a shame his attempts at... if not reform, then repentance, are going straight to the ASI.

I like Gedaugen, especially now that he's stepping up and into the fray after years as a trainer. "Neutral no more" and all that. Especially with his philosophy. I was a fan of the lore of the game Destiny (and Destiny 2) which similarly had characters who wanted to turn the universe to war as part of their ethos.

For Dr. Petrie -- do the mysteriously referenced upstate facility, and the markings on her head, have anything to do with a certain polymath bronze doctor? Or am I completely barking up the wrong tree?

A star pirate raid is a good contrast from the typical Nth military alien invasion a lot of superhero settings see. I'm toying with something similar for the history of Ember Point, if I ever get that far. And god, what a harsh (in a good way!) little vignette to show how rough some star frontiers can be.

I like Proctor - Earth / humans are certainly messing with dangerous forces, and its hard not to see that, from a ruthlessly pragmatic alien perspective, taking us out might be the wisest option.
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