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 »

Just an additional timeline update:

2021
* Having learned of Nike's existence during the invasion, Tiamat approaches her in humanoid form, revealing herself as Nike's biological mother and shattering the Last Olympian's previous conceptions of her identity.
* Hadron attempts to assassinate Billie Zane while she is imprisoned, but is crippled by her newly manifested psychic powers. She joins forces with Cerebron, and together they steal the TSV Adventure, departing the solar system on a course for the Enigma Sector.
* With the assistance of Herr Eisenfaust, Tania seizes control of "Saturn", officially giving the organization that name.
* The metasupremacist movement fractures into a dozen mutually hostile factions following Hadron's incapacitation.

2022
* On the first day of the new year, Dancer is ambushed by the Purple Haze, who informs Dancer of her identity and machinations. The Purple Haze then shoves Dancer off the side of a rooftop and watches her plunge to her doom. This act, resulting in Dancer's death more than two years before she died in her original timeline, ShaTTers TiME AND

Signal Lost

This is the end …
But the moment has been prepared for.
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Commander Titan
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Commander Titan »

That’s not good (for the inhabitants of AWLMBNLF).

But it’s also good (for those of us curious to see more of your setting)!
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Vampires
Image
Art by Carmen Cornet.

Terrestrial human beings who have been transformed, generally by another vampire, into a creature with certain mystical abilities and limitations, most notably the requirement that they consume human blood. They were first called "the undead" in the late 19th century, as they have few of the weaknesses of living beings while still being animate. The exact number of vampires extant on Earth at the present time is unknown but is believed to be less than one thousand individuals, worldwide.

During the Olympian era, some 15 thousand years ago, the Olympians sought to prevent Terrestrial humans from investigating certain regions which had been the sites of activity and industry by the Titans and created certain entities to guard them. These entities had bodies composed of gaseous matter, largely invisible and intangible but capable of exerting force on the material world in the same way as the wind. Able to reproduce through a process like mitosis, these beings endured long after the fall of the Olympians, with humans coming to associate them with the violation of other taboos beyond those that they had been designed to uphold. Eventually they would become known as edimmu or ekimmu in the mythology of Babylonia and other states, and known as preta in Sanskrit, with both groups incorrectly assuming them to have been formerly living humans who had either done wrong or had wrong done to them, causing their spirits to remain in the world after their deaths.

At some point in the early historical era, a method was discovered or developed by an unknown individual which would compel one of these entities to "possess" a human being, granting them certain powers and limitations. These possessed beings were known by many names in many different cultures, notably as jiangshi in China, ghouls in Persia, strix in Greece and Rome, or upiór in Eastern Europe. (It has been alleged that similar practices were used to create beings known as zombies in West Africa and later the Caribbean.) How much of the mentality of the possessed human remained varied from case to case, with many examples demonstrating almost feral behavior and rare instances possessing more sophisticated tendencies. In all instances, however, the possessing entity was in control of the merged being.

In the late 1500s, however, the scholar and mystic John Dracula de Band studied the Book of the Great Scorpion, which contained records of how to cause this transformation. From this basis, Dracula developed a variation on these ancient practices which he believed would allow the human mind to dominate the merger, and successfully experimented on himself, transforming himself into the first "modern" vampire. He shared this discovery with a few fellow students, modifying the process so that they would fall under his control, and transformed several other pawns directly. They have since transformed others, creating a handful of "generations" of vampires over the last four centuries.

Vampiric transformation cannot be reversed by any means known to contemporary mysticism or science. It has been hypothesized that a careful reading of the Book of the Great Scorpion might reveal a method to restore an ekimmu-possessed human being to their original state, and that a method of returning a vampire to humanity could be developed from that basis, paralleling the earlier research of Dracula. This hypothesis remains untested, and Jeremiah Wander commented that if it worked, it would only be effective on a recently transformed vampire, with all others suffering rapid physical aging so that physical age matched their chronological one, almost certainly killing those who had already outlived a typical human lifespan.

The creatures known as ekimmu were used by the Olympians on many different planets in their empire. As far as is known, the practices that resulted in the development of proto-vampires, and later vampires, have not occurred on any planet other than Earth. But the galaxy is vast, ancient, and filled with horrors …

Average Vampire -- PL 8/MR 10

Abilities:
STR
6 | STA -- | AGL 1 | DEX 2 | FGT 6 | INT 1 | AWE 3 | PRE 3

Powers:
Blood Drain: Linked Damage 1 and Weaken Stamina 9 (Resisted by Fortitude), Grab-Based, Limited to Draining 1 rank per round, Quirk (only against targets who could be affected by the Damage effect, whether or not they are) - 3 points
Blood Link: Mental Communication 3 (regional), Limited to anyone who has drunk their blood; Mind-Reading 6, Sensory Link, Limited to anyone who has drunk their blood - 21 points
Ghostly: Permanent Concealment 8 (audio, radio, visual), Limited to machines, Quirk (no reflection in mirrors) - 7 points
Spider-Climb: Movement 1 (wall-crawling) - 2 points
Undead Invulnerability: Immortality 6 (16 hours), Limited (not when staked or beheaded); Immunity 30 (Fortitude Effects); Impervious Protection 6, Limited, Not against mystical damage; Regeneration 10, Source (coffin lined with soil from region of birth.) - 47 points

Advantages:
Fascinate (Deception), Fearless 2, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Startle.

Skills:
Close Combat: Unarmed 1 (+7), Deception 5 (+8), Expertise: Magic 4 (+7)*, Insight 4 (+7), Intimidation 6 (+9), Perception 5 (+8), Persuasion 3 (+6), Stealth 6 (+7)
* May be INT-based in some examples.

Offense:
Initiative +5
Unarmed +7 (Close Damage 6)
Blood Drain +6 (Close Damage 1 and Close Weaken Stamina 9)

Defense:
Dodge 6, Parry 7, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 6, Will 8

Totals:
Abilities 34 + Powers 81 + Advantages 7 + Skills 17 + Defenses 11 = 150 points

Offensive PL: 8
Defensive PL: 7
Resistance PL: 8
Skill PL: 4

Complications:
Power or Greed or Bloodlust--Motivation. Compulsion (must be invited into any dwelling that is not owned by self or by superior.) Power Loss (no powers except Undead Invulnerability can be used in daylight hours.) Weakness (Can be held back by a holy symbol in the hands of a believer or by garlic.) Others As Needed.
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Commander Titan
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Commander Titan »

Davies wrote: Sun Jul 24, 2022 10:22 am The creatures known as ekimmu were used by the Olympians on many different planets in their empire. As far as is known, the practices that resulted in the development of proto-vampires, and later vampires, have not occurred on any planet other than Earth. But the galaxy is vast, ancient, and filled with horrors …
I'm always interested in what happens when settings include supernatural beasties out in the cosmos, not just on Earth.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

The Anachronic Argonauts

While the disaster -- some might even call it a crisis -- began on 21st century Earth, it has quickly expanded beyond there, and not just in the four dimensions of space-time, but the fifth and sixth as well, affecting parallel realities and tangential dimensions. The only sequent of reality not completely affected is the timestream itself, the dimension through which time travel occurs, and even that has been impacted. And yet the victims of that impact might be the only ones to have any hope of repairing what has begun.

During their journeys in time, the Rutherfords have frequently acquired additional traveling companions from among the people they meet. These fellow travelers, if you will excuse the term, generally accompany the time travelers for only a short interval before they return to their original place and time, settle in some new region and/or era, or -- fortunately rarely -- suffer a misfortune that puts a permanent end to their journeys. While the person known variously as Leonardo da Vinci and Dr. Rupert Maxwell, among other aliases, is perhaps the most famous of their associates, he is far from the only one to have provided critical assistance in the past.

When the crisis began to affect the timestream, four versions of the Rutherfords and their time machine were impacted, with the various vessels merging into a single entity. The respective Bruce Rutherfords and Weenas using these machines have vanished; what has become of them remains unclear. The four companions with whom they were traveling have been dropped into a situation none of them was ever prepared for, and forced to work with people about whom they had only ever heard vague rumors, if that, in order to extricate themselves from this situation, to rescue their friends and then possibly consider how to fix time.

Unfortunately, one of them is a traitor.

Well, that's something of an overstatement. One of them is -- or possibly was -- going to become, at some point further along in their individual journeys, the infamous Lord Carnifex. The exact circumstances under which that will happen are not terribly clear, and while the Rutherford and Weena who were traveling with them likely knew what was to happen, they themselves likely do not know. And possibly, just possibly, if time is truly broken, then perhaps that future can be averted. This is a situation that has never happened before, and no one knows what the rules might be.

While the group begins with four members, just as they themselves were gathered by necessity and seeming coincidence, so too will others be gathered in the course of this extraordinary voyage, from among the heroes, villains and complicated folks of many worlds and times. Eventually, there might even be a full legion of them ...

Author's Note: And we're back, with the four starters of the Anachronic Argonauts to follow.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Martha Benedict
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They explained it to her. The things that she took for manifestations of the love of God were unusual talents of her mind, a legacy of her heritage as part of the scheme of a madman. She listened to their explanations, and calmly refuted them. "Who made my mind, then?" she asked, and to that they did not have a convincing answer. She forgave them their skepticism and went on with her pilgrimage through time, mindful always that of all her gifts, the greatest of blessings was love.

Marte -- family names did not exist at that time, but she supposes that De Tharascone would suffice -- was born in the Tenth century to a land-owner in the region of Provence, a younger daughter. Possessed of an unusually strong Christian faith, even for that era, she sought to persuade her father to not engage her to the son of one of their neighbors but to allow her to be consecrated as a Benedictine nun. She believed that she had done so, but then the dragon came up out of the Rhône and there were other matters of concern than this. The dragon had just terrified people, not yet harming anyone, when her older brother declared that he would seek its lair and kill it there. He departed in full pomp, but when he had not returned after a week, Marte grew concerned. Somewhat impulsively, she followed the trail he had left and made her way to the cave where, indeed, the dragon laired.

She was first relieved when she found that there was no corpse to be found therein, but then found something else to be concerned about. Marte had believed that this monster was a dangerous creature of Satan, but it took only a short while in its presence for her to come to a clearer understanding. It was just an animal, a strange and most unusual animal, yet one that was as frightened of her as she was of it. Calming the beast, she decided to guide it back to the town so that the residents could see how harmless it was and ease their fears as well. To her horror, as she was explaining this, the townsfolk set upon the animal and slaughtered it out of hand, led by her brother, who claimed that it had earlier set him to flight. Marte found herself infuriated by this senseless cruelty, and proceeded to lecture the townsfolk about how the creature had meant no harm to any of them ... and that was when the other, much larger dragon showed up and demonstrated its own anger over this situation, attacking the town.

Fortunately, two unusual travelers managed to convince the larger dragon (which they later told her was likely the mother of the one she had tamed) to withdraw and take the body of the smaller one with it, but not before a great deal of damage had been done and many lives had been lost. Her father among the fallen, Marte now found herself doubly grieved, but nevertheless asker her older brother to keep the promise their father had made and send her to a nunnery. The horror was not over, however, for now there was a light of madness in his eyes as he told her that he would neither do that, nor marry her off to someone else. He had other, monstrous plans for her, but was halted in them by the two travelers, who offered to take Marte with them. So it was that she began her voyages in time.

(She has since learned that these events have been completely misrepresented by later generations, ascribing her role in all this to Saint Martha, her namesake, and portraying it as something that happened hundreds of years before she was even born. Martha is not sure whether to laugh or cry about this, but believes that the story is correct about the important parts -- that the tarasque was tamed and then cruelly slain -- and so chooses not to get too upset about it.)

Martha Benedict (a pseudonym referencing the order she once hoped to join) has since learned about the many different forms that the Christian faith will take over the millennia, many of which startle her in how they differ from what she was taught as a child. (She is only slightly less well-informed about other faiths, which she believes to be false; however, she also believes that those who do good in the names of these strange ideas are doing God's work whether they know it or not, and prays for them, especially the Buddhist, Muslim and atheist with whom she currently travels.) She has come to embrace the idea that the body, far from being something that should be ignored, is a temple of the Lord, and strives to keep hers as healthy as possible. She will only fight in defense of herself or others, but still becomes outraged at cruelty to all creatures great and small.

Is Martha the traitor? It seems unlikely -- her belief in a loving God is utterly at odds with the nihilistic attitudes that Lord Carnifex displays, and she has next to no technical aptitude, unlike the mastery of the enemy. But if her faith was to suffer some terrible blow, and she could not recover, then who can say what might take its place? And the oracular talents that she displays are much like certain abilities that the temporal raider has also shown ...

Martha Benedict -- PL 8

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

Powers:
Laying on Hands: Healing 6, Energizing, Restorative - 24 points
Oracular: Senses 9 (postcognition, precognition, time sense) - 9 points
Temporal Anomaly: Features 2 (chronal bulwark, chronal memory) - 2 points

Advantages:
Animal Empathy, Defensive Roll 2, Equipment, Evasion, Fearless, Great Endurance, Improved Defense, Inspire 2, Tracking, Trance, Uncanny Dodge.

Equipment:
Cudgel (Strength-based Damage 2), commlink translator.

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+6), Close Combat: Cudgel 2 (+5), Expertise: History 5 (+7), Expertise: Religion 7 (+9), Insight 4 (+8), Perception 2 (+6), Persuasion 6 (+10), Stealth 5 (+6).

Offense:
Initiative +1
Unarmed +3 (Close Damage 1)
Cudgel +5 (Close Damage 3)

Defense:
Dodge 7, Parry 5, Fortitude 5, Toughness 8/3, Will 9.

Totals:
Abilities 38 + Powers 35 + Advantages 13 + Skills 18 + Defenses 15 = 119 points

Offensive PL: 4
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 7
Skill PL: 5

Complications:
Faith--Motivation. Merciful (and outright despises senseless violence.) Non-Technical (Disabled on any checks to understand or use any technology more complicated than simple mechanics.) Physical Fitness Enthusiast.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Car Caspian
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On the planet Dacksen, one of the countless gleaming worlds of what had once been an Imperium that had been seized by Earth-descended humans by the twenty-eighth century, the scientific elite determined that the most efficient military that they could create would be a small regiment of superpower soldiers commanding a much larger army of robots. So they created their military, and for a full rotation of their planet -- roughly three years on Old Earth -- their soldiers, super- and robot-, defended them against all the threats the cosmos could throw at them. Nevertheless, these savants were still surprised and outraged when their army bloodlessly seized control of the planet, having determined that doing so was the most efficient way to defend it.

Car Caspian was one of the leaders of this army of super-soldiers. Ironically, he had been one of the few commanders who argued against the coup, claiming that the savants had a better understanding of civilian administration than any of them did, but nevertheless agreed to support it when the consensus clearly favored it. And he completed his tasks -- ones that he recognized were not mission critical, but which he still took seriously -- with skill and daring. In the aftermath, he was surprised to find himself selected by that self-same consensus to serve as the new Chief Planetary Administrator, or Peacelord. (It sounds better in their language.)

It did not take him long to recognize that he had been set up to fail. Trusted by neither what remnants of the original administration had persisted, nor by many of his fellow soldiers, he was forced to repeatedly take personal action in order to deal with the many problems that Dacksen faced during his time in office, relying on a handful of associates whose activities he personally supervised. Caspian did not fully grasp that his personal supervision suggested to them that he did not trust them to complete their assigned tasks, eroding their own trust and respect for him. For his part, he was just trying to lead in the same way that he always had.

Matters finally reached their boiling point in an affair that would have been a planetary disaster if not for the intervention of the Rutherfords, who happened to be visiting this world and time. Caspian found himself seriously considered impressing the two time travelers into government service, since it seemed likely that their help would be critical in future situations, but ultimately rejected this as a dishonorable notion. Instead, he stepped outside of his comfort zone and asked them for advice on how to deal with the unwinnable position in which he found himself.

Bruce Rutherford listened to his explanation, and then considered only a moment before asking what he believed to be the most significant question. How long was his assignment as Peacelord supposed to last? Confused, Caspian explained that he was assigned to the position until removed from office, whether due to death or debility or the decision of the consensus. Then Bruce asked the follow-up question: "Are you allowed to resign?"

It was an idea that he had never even imagined. No member of their regiment had ever voluntarily resigned their commission; even in those first few moments, the notion of doing so felt like admitting defeat. And yet, he had been put into this position with the expectation that he would, eventually, be defeated by the burdens of the office. When he thought about it like that, the notion of being the one who made the decision of when the situation ended was a rather appealing one. He promptly returned to the planetary capitol, submitted his report on the most recent episode, and then also submitted his resignation.

The consensus was every bit as bewildered by the idea of his resigning as he was, and tried to persuade him to reconsider, offering all sorts of concessions. For the first time in ages, Caspian laughed as he realized that none of them wanted the job either! He declined to go on being their scapegoat, and walked away from their arguments about who to put in his place. The Rutherfords were waiting, and he inquired whether he might repay their help by accompanying them. So he began his voyages in time.

Superhuman in physique and trained in technologies vastly advanced above those in use in the 21st century, Cal Caspian remains a soldier at heart. Unfortunately, he is still just learning when and how to trust his subordinates -- or teammates -- to do their jobs rather than hovering over them to supervise their activities. Working alongside another noteworthy military commander, who had to do so due to a lack of communication, is helping him to do this, but it remains a work in progress.

Is Caspian the traitor? Sadly, he is probably the most likely suspect, particularly since he helped to invent the weapon he refers to as the stasis beam, something frequently employed by Lord Carnifex. Yet on the other hand, that is apparently an innate ability of the temporal raider, which suggests that something else might be going on ...

Car Caspian -- PL 8

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

Powers:
Flying Harness: Flight 5; Removable (-2 points) - 8 points
Power Lift: Enhanced Strength 1, Limited to lifting (1800 lbs) - 1 point
Stasis Generator: Ranged Affliction 8 (Resisted by Dodge, Overcome by Will; Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobile, Paralyzed and Unaware), Extra Condition; Reversible, Easily Removable (-10 points) - 15 points
Temporal Anomaly: Features 2 (chronal bulwark, chronal memory) - 2 points

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Assessment, Defensive Attack, Diehard, Equipment, Improved Aim, Improved Initiative, Improvised Tools, Leadership, Move-by Action, Ranged Attack 3.

Equipment:
Body armor (Protection 4), commlink translator.

Skills:
Acrobatics 4 (+6), Athletics 4 (+9), Close Combat: Unarmed 3 (+8), Expertise: Military 6 (+9), Insight 5 (+8), Perception 5 (+8), Ranged Combat: Stasis Generator 2 (+5), Technology 6 (+9), Treatment 4 (+7), Vehicles 5 (+8).

Offense:
Initiative +6
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 5)
Stasis Generator +8 (Ranged Affliction 8, Resisted by Dodge)

Defense:
Dodge 5, Parry 7, Fortitude 6, Toughness 9/5, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 56 + Powers 26 + Advantages 13 + Skills 20 + Defenses 10 = 125 points

Offensive PL: 8
Defensive PL: 8
Resistance PL: 7
Skill PL: 4

Complications:
Responsibility--Motivation. Huge Appetite. Obviously Superhuman. Still Learning to Delegate.
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Harnos
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Harnos »

Davies wrote: Tue Jun 09, 2020 12:51 pm Khezar Lansam*
Image

The name of Khezar Lansam is something of a legend in hives of scum and villainy across the Crimson Imperium. They are rumored to be the last surviving member of the Dashai Supercommandos, driven from their homeworld decades ago. They are the product of a experimental supersoldier project from the dawn of the Crimson King's rule. They are a giant bird-creature beneath all that armor. No one is really sure where that last one got started, but it's no less likely than any of the other wild tales surrounding the most famous bounty hunter in the Imperium.

She (for Khezar is female) was an experiment. But the point was not to create a supersoldier, but rather to see if blending the genes of the Dhakamites and the Chiraben would create a species that retained Dhakamite powers under any planetary conditions. The experiment was a qualified success, as she was stronger, faster and tougher than any unaugmentedd Chiraben could be, but nowhere nearly as powerful as a typical Dhakamite. Nevertheless, she was raised as the collective daughter of the laboratory colony where she had been engineered.

When she was eleven years old, the pirates struck, and killed most of Khezar's family. She escaped, acquired weapons and armor, and set out to take revenge. This proved surprisingly profitable, for the pirates in question all had substantial bounties on their heads, and it seemed fairly likely that the Imperium's justice would be far more creative in coming up with punishments for them than she could be. Keeping her weapons in good condition turned out to be expensive, and so she found herself more or less stuck in her new career.

Well, no great loss. It wasn't like she belonged anywhere else. She was too powerful to fit in with Chiraben, and too weak to belong among the Dhakamites. So she decided that the spaceways would be her home, and got used to sleeping lightly at the controls of her ship. Sometimes Khezar tried to work with a partner, to have someone to watch her back, if nothing else, but none of these associations ever lasted more than a few weeks.

The start of an insurgency against the Imperium was also the start of a booming business for bounty hunters, and so she should have been happy. But the rumors she was hearing tied the insurgency to the survivors of the pirates, and Khezar was inclined to take that a bit personally. Rather than do things the easy way and catch the odd revolutionary off-guard and then drag them off to be judged, she decided to go undercover and capture their leadership, putting an end to the whole affair at once.

The problem was that she soon found out that the rumors were wrong. Not only was the insurgency not working with the pirates, they were actually doing more to help settlements who came under pirate attack than the Imperium's Navy ever had, as far as Khezar knew. Whatever she thought about their ideology -- and the words 'idealistic to the point of naivete' fit the bill -- she couldn't really argue with their methods. She ended up working with them quite a bit, not just for the money, but because she started to make some of the first real friends she'd had since the scientists died.

Of course, then Gelesh happened, and she had to go back to the life of a mercenary bounty hunter in order to cover up her role in all of that. And that's what she's been doing for the last little while, though she worries that someone's going to notice that she experiences uncharacteristic failures when she accepts bounties on people associated with the insurgency. She's also heard rumors claiming that a certain particularly notorious rebel has flown all the way to that half-legendary planet where the super-people hang out. Of course, Logan couldn't possibly be dumb enough to head for his home planet where the clippers would be bound to go looking for him and --

-- yes he could, couldn't he? Well, fine, she'll clearly have to go rescue the stupid wannabe mystic from the consequences of his own idiocy. He's important to the movement, after all. It's not personal, it's just politics. Definitely not a situation where she has some sort of fond feelings for him or anything like that! Uh-uh! Nope, not at all ...

Khezar Lansam -- PL 9

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

Powers:
Battlearmor: Removable (-10 points)
* Armored Shell: Impervious Protection 4 - 8 points
* Communication System: Radio Communication 2 - 8 points
* Boot Jets: Enhanced Speed 2 (60 MPH); Leaping 5 (250 feet); Movement 1 (Safe Fall) - 9 points
* Sealed Systems: Immunity 10 (life support) - 10 points
* Sensors: Senses 4 (infravision, low-light vision, tracking visual, ultravision) - 4 points
* Weapon Systems: Array (16 points)
  • Basic Blaster: Ranged Damage 8 - 16 points
  • Freeze Beam: Ranged Affliction 8 (Resisted by Fortitude; Hindered, Immobilized, Paralyzed) - 1 point
  • Mini-Missiles: Ranged Burst Area Damage 5 - 1 point
  • Multi-Blaster: Ranged Multiattack Damage 5, Accurate - 1 point
Innate Speed: Enhanced Advantages 4 (Improved Initiative 2, Interpose, Move-by Action); Enhanced Defense 4 (Dodge 2, Parry 2); Speed 3 (16 MPH) - 11 points
Innate Toughness: Impervious Toughness 4; Regeneration 5 - 9 points

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-out Attack, Assessment, Equipment 12, Improved Initiative 2, Interpose, Move-by Action, Ranged Attack 3

Equipment:
Space Fighter: Size: Huge; Strength: 10; Speed: 14 (air/space); Defense 6; Toughness 11; Powers: Blaster Cannons (Ranged Damage 8), Warp Drive (Movement 2 [space travel]).

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+8), Acrobatics 4 (+8), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+8), Deception 5 (+7), Expertise: Galactic 6 (+8), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+8), Insight 7 (+9), Intimidation 5 (+7), Perception 7 (+9), Ranged Combat: Weapon System 2 (+7), Stealth 4 (+8), Vehicles 4 (+9).

Offense:
Initiative +12
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 6)
Basic Blaster +10 (Ranged Damage 8)
Freeze Beam +10 (Ranged Fortitude 8)
Mini-Missiles - (Ranged Burst Area Damage 5)
Multi-Blaster +12 (Ranged Multiattack Damage 5)

Defense:
Dodge 8/6, Parry 8/6, Fortitude 9, Toughness 10/6, Will 6

Totals:
Abilities 66 + Powers 58 + Advantages 18 + Skills 27 + Defenses 9 = 178 points

Complications:
Justice--Motivation. Hatred (pirates and slavers). Prejudice (hybrid). Somewhat Mercenary.

* "I'm complicated, okay?"
So, does she really look like a bird-like humanoid? I assume she is more a human alien since she has feels for the human mystic?
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Harnos wrote: Sat Sep 03, 2022 2:01 pm So, does she really look like a bird-like humanoid? I assume she is more a human alien since she has feels for the human mystic?
No, that was an injoke. She looks like this:

Image

I've put up a number of unmasked portraits of the masked figures of the World Less Magical on my site.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Harnos
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Harnos »

Davies wrote: Sat Sep 03, 2022 8:28 pm
Harnos wrote: Sat Sep 03, 2022 2:01 pm So, does she really look like a bird-like humanoid? I assume she is more a human alien since she has feels for the human mystic?
No, that was an injoke. She looks like this:

Image

I've put up a number of unmasked portraits of the masked figures of the World Less Magical on my site.
Hmmh, quite smashable by Terran standarts.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Daibhid C »

Davies wrote: Sat Sep 03, 2022 8:28 pm
Harnos wrote: Sat Sep 03, 2022 2:01 pm So, does she really look like a bird-like humanoid? I assume she is more a human alien since she has feels for the human mystic?
No, that was an injoke.
Animaniacs?
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Davies
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Daibhid C wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 9:36 am
Davies wrote: Sat Sep 03, 2022 8:28 pm
Harnos wrote: Sat Sep 03, 2022 2:01 pm So, does she really look like a bird-like humanoid? I assume she is more a human alien since she has feels for the human mystic?
No, that was an injoke.
Animaniacs?
Yep! "You wear a disguise/to look like human guys/but you're not a man/you're a chicken, boo!" :D
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Thorpocalypse
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Thorpocalypse »

Davies wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 5:25 pm
Daibhid C wrote: Mon Sep 05, 2022 9:36 am
Davies wrote: Sat Sep 03, 2022 8:28 pm

No, that was an injoke.
Animaniacs?
Yep! "You wear a disguise/to look like human guys/but you're not a man/you're a chicken, boo!" :D
*thumbs up* 8-)
Me fail English? That's unpossible. - Ralph Wiggum
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by Davies »

Uesugi Kenshin/上杉 謙信
Image

Uesugi Kenshin (1530–1578) was a Japanese magnate, or daimyo, who was born as Nagao Kagetora of the Nagao clan and, after adoption into the Uesugi clan, ruled Echigo Province in the Sengoku period of Japan. One of the most powerful daimyo of the period, he was known as the "Dragon of Echigo", and while chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield as a military genius, Kenshin is also regarded as an extremely skillful administrator who fostered the growth of local industries and trade, whose rule saw a marked rise in the standard of living of Echigo. Kenshin was famed for his honorable conduct, his military expertise, a long-standing rivalry with Takeda Shingen, his numerous defensive campaigns to restore order in the Kantō region as the Kanto Kanrei, and his belief in the Buddhist god of war, Bishamonten.

Centuries after his death, an unusual theory gained traction in some circles, suggesting that Uesugi Kenshin had been a woman, based on a combination of specious evidence and some oddities, such as the fact that Kenshin had never had any biological offspring and the fact that early depictions had portrayed the daimyo with feminine features. While frequently employed in popular fiction, this theory is regarded as absurd by most mainstream historians. And they are, in this instance, correct.

Or at least, closer to correct.

For his entire life, the person who became known as Uesugi Kenshin identified as male. However, he was somewhat fortunate to be misgendered by the authorities of his era, as he would likely have otherwise have become another victim of the Nagao family infighting that began when he was seven. Instead, the individual regarded as a daughter was sent to the Risen-ji temple to become a bhikkuni, or nun. Fortune continued to favor him, for there he met a sympathetic mentor who allowed him to live what he knew to be true, and trained him in Zen and the martial arts.

At the age of fourteen, some acquaintances of his late father contacted Kagetora and persuaded him to contest the rule of his older brother. It seems likely that they sought to use him as a political decoy for their own ambitions, but they were in for numerous surprises. He succeeded in taking away rulership of the Nagao clan from his older brother, and then arranged to become the heir to the Uesugi clan and thus the province. He was still establishing his rule in his early twenties when conflicts with other daimyo began, most notably his repeated wars with Takeda Shingen.

It was during what would come to be called the Second Battle of Kawanajima (1555) that Kenshin first crossed paths with the Rutherfords, who were pursuing a psychotic cultist who planned to eliminate both Kenshin himself and also Shingen to ensure that the eventual rise of Oda Nobunaga faced weaker opposition, the better to dominate Japan. While this could never have worked, Kenshin was in a position to realize that the foreigners who assisted him on this occasion were clearly possessed of technologies beyond his understanding. Naturally, he wanted to know more, and with the assurance that they would be able to return him to his original time and place, he accompanied them on a journey ... which was interrupted by the start of the Crisis.

In the course of his adventures alongside the Anachronic Argonauts, Kenshin has learned much of what will come, both to Japan and to his own life. He has seriously considered seeking an early treatment for the cancer that will, in his late forties, result in his death, but is uncertain whether his current immunity to temporal paradox will endure after the current situation ends. If not, would he not be destroying himself by doing so? While troubled by these thoughts, Kenshin prefers to focus on his more immediate problems, using his military brilliance and understanding of logistics to keep himself and his allies alive.

Is Kenshin the traitor? It is possible, particularly if he ultimately does choose to fake his death. Despite his honorable and even compassionate reputation, Kenshin is a general from a time of constant warfare, and is perfectly willing to expend lives in his service in order to achieve his strategic goals. He is not as removed from the wargamer mentality that drives Lord Carnifex as he might prefer.

Uesugi Kenshin -- PL 8

Abilities:
STR
2 | STA 1 | AGL 4 | DEX 3 | FGT 6 | INT 2 | AWE 2 | PRE 3

Powers:
Temporal Anomaly: Features 2 (chronal bulwark, chronal memory) - 2 points

Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-out Attack, Close Attack 2, Daze (Intimidate), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Equipment 3, Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Startle, Takedown Attack, Weapon Bind, Weapon Break.

Equipment:
Battle Armor (Protection 2), Yumi (Ranged Damage 3), Katana (Strength-based Damage 3, Improved Critical), commlink translator.

Skills:
Athletics 6 (+10), Close Combat: Sword 3 (+9), Expertise: Civics 8 (+10), Expertise: Military 8 (+10), Expertise: Religion 6 (+8), Insight 7 (+9), Intimidation 8 (+11), Perception 7 (+9), Persuasion 8 (+11), Ranged Combat: Bow 7 (+10).

Offense:
Initiative +8
Unarmed +8 (Close Damage 2)
Katana +11 (Close Damage 5, Critical 19-20)
Yumi +10 (Ranged Damage 3)

Defense:
Dodge 9, Parry 11, Fortitude 4, Toughness 5/3/3/1, Will 7

Totals:
Abilities 46 + Powers 2 + Advantages 19 + Skills 34 + Defenses 18 = 120 points

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

Complications:
Duty--Motivation. Ailing. Mild Death Wish.
Last edited by Davies on Tue Sep 13, 2022 3:46 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: A World Less Magical But No Less Fantastic

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Yay, the third one! :mrgreen:
The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse!)
The Archetype Blendarama!
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