The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Red Ronin! Netsuko Nishimura! Rinako Saeki! Fujiko Yoshihara! Masaru Kido!)

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Commander Titan
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Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: 1st Anniversary! Edgerunners First Half! Esme! Tetsukaze! Zima!)

Post by Commander Titan »

Honestly that's more than fair - dark content can have its place, but sitting with it too long can be an issue.

I dig Esme's background. It really puts the whole scope of Nobellian history, and the general scale of your cosmic setting, in context for me. I do appreciate when we get to see what the "mutants" of alien species are like in different settings, even if the rules are different, rather than alien teams just all being made of people with the same inherent powers. Likewise, that she and Zima mix magic with the technological in space, rather than the setting having an arbitrary divide between the two.

Tetsukaze has a lot to atone for, and I appreciate that the most "traditional" in terms of mirroring historical Earth values is also the most inherently technological (of the Edgerunners displayed so far). The image of a high tech samurai is evergreen in its appeal. Honestly, there are quite a few good swordfighters in the Phoenixverse, and it would be fun to stick them all into a room and see who comes out in one piece! (The answer is probably enough of them are honorable warriors to team up and break out of the room, and take down whoever stuck them in there!). I'd also be curious to hear more about the other 107 Borustan tribes, if you have more details.

Zima and her struggle with identity, and her former comrades, is compelling! There's a lot of drama and pathos in becoming horrified as you learn more about who you were, and not knowing if you can't stop yourself from reverting to that person. Water for a space character is a neat choice of powerset & context, and I really like the chronomantic enchantments - all too often it seems like unless someone is a Doctor Strange-style wizard in a super setting, they are only allowed to have a narrowly single magical theme, nothing that diverges even if a magic-user might be reasonably expected to have picked up different areas. Speaking of elements & themes, Were Alsayph, Tuile, and Harifa perhaps employing the other three classical elements? Or am I reading too much into Zima's power set?

Altogether, I can see how the Edgerunners all really hold well to the theme of being caught between different "edges" themselves. And the music choices are a welcome addition as well - I appreciate them any time they're dropped!

That said, bring on Umbrella Queen and the rest!
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EternalPhoenix
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Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: 1st Anniversary! Edgerunners First Half! Esme! Tetsukaze! Zima!)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Commander Titan wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:12 am Honestly that's more than fair - dark content can have its place, but sitting with it too long can be an issue.

That said, bring on Umbrella Queen and the rest!
Not what I meant. :sweat_smile: More like I was announcing a delay in the continued postings. Roxy, Geojang, and Mirage are the next three entries I'll post. It's just gonna be a little longer than expected considering I was a big writing session or two from being finished with them. I'm stuck on how I want Mirage's powers to work, because it'll also kind of define how hacking works out in the universe, and ughhhh. Because of how my brain works, I can't proceed without solving that one. And then brain got frustrated with not being able to solve it. Then bored with the lack of progress and actively irritated by the songs I've been using for them all. BORED NOW, NEW THING. ADHD is a blight on my existence. :|
Commander Titan wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:12 amI dig Esme's background. It really puts the whole scope of Nobellian history, and the general scale of your cosmic setting, in context for me. I do appreciate when we get to see what the "mutants" of alien species are like in different settings, even if the rules are different, rather than alien teams just all being made of people with the same inherent powers. Likewise, that she and Zima mix magic with the technological in space, rather than the setting having an arbitrary divide between the two.
Everyone being the same would bore me and all of you.
Commander Titan wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:12 amTetsukaze has a lot to atone for, and I appreciate that the most "traditional" in terms of mirroring historical Earth values is also the most inherently technological (of the Edgerunners displayed so far). The image of a high tech samurai is evergreen in its appeal. Honestly, there are quite a few good swordfighters in the Phoenixverse, and it would be fun to stick them all into a room and see who comes out in one piece! (The answer is probably enough of them are honorable warriors to team up and break out of the room, and take down whoever stuck them in there!). I'd also be curious to hear more about the other 107 Borustan tribes, if you have more details.
I like swordfighters. I like them a lot. The more badass, the better and the more, the merrier.
Commander Titan wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:12 amZima and her struggle with identity, and her former comrades, is compelling! There's a lot of drama and pathos in becoming horrified as you learn more about who you were, and not knowing if you can't stop yourself from reverting to that person. Water for a space character is a neat choice of powerset & context, and I really like the chronomantic enchantments - all too often it seems like unless someone is a Doctor Strange-style wizard in a super setting, they are only allowed to have a narrowly single magical theme, nothing that diverges even if a magic-user might be reasonably expected to have picked up different areas. Speaking of elements & themes, Were Alsayph, Tuile, and Harifa perhaps employing the other three classical elements? Or am I reading too much into Zima's power set?
There's an argument to be made if someone where to tilt their head and squint that Alsayph, Tuile, and Harifa represent Earth, Wind, and Fire respectively, but it's not as literal as it is with Zima. But also I haven't built them yet, so...
Commander Titan wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 3:12 amAltogether, I can see how the Edgerunners all really hold well to the theme of being caught between different "edges" themselves. And the music choices are a welcome addition as well - I appreciate them any time they're dropped!
Truly? The music is useful? I've been wondering, as nobody's said anything about it during The Strength Revolution and The Icons. If it wasn't doing anything or people weren't listening, there'd be no reason to continue doing it. I could just keep my inspo music to myself.
The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse!)
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Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: 1st Anniversary! Edgerunners First Half! Esme! Tetsukaze! Zima!)

Post by Commander Titan »

EternalPhoenix wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 12:30 am Truly? The music is useful? I've been wondering, as nobody's said anything about it during The Strength Revolution and The Icons. If it wasn't doing anything or people weren't listening, there'd be no reason to continue doing it. I could just keep my inspo music to myself.
I'm not very musically, uh, "literate" - never played an instrument as a child, and mostly just listen to whatever strikes my mood at a given moment, so unlike say character backstories and roles, I feel there's not much I can comment on beyond saying "ah, good vibes!" each time, but it does help me understand how you envision these characters.
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Re: Tetsukaze (Takeo Takeda)

Post by Jabroniville »

EternalPhoenix wrote: Fri Jan 27, 2023 5:12 pm Tetsukaze (Takeo Takeda)

Power Level: 14; Power Points Spent: 255/255
WOO- remembered another one!! So this one's a mid-tier powerhouse, but exceptionally accurate. Big guns, too. And holy shit that Katana damage. Is everyone on this team kitted out to the teeth? It's curious how the team is Space-Faring Heroes but are WAY beyond the level of say, the Guardians of the Galaxy or even most Legion of Super-Heroes members. More like god-tier Gun Guys.

"Nihogellians" and "Nipporustans"- cute. I'm digging the almost Star Trek-esque backstory of deliberately taking part of a human culture. Takeo's backstory is solid- a "yes-man" young soldier realizing how dirty his war was, but committing a horrible crime in the process of realizing it, compounding his guilt. I'm digging that his mercenary work and extreme cybernetic augmentation F'd him up even further.
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Re: Tetsukaze (Takeo Takeda)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Jabroniville wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 6:00 am WOO- remembered another one!! So this one's a mid-tier powerhouse, but exceptionally accurate. Big guns, too. And holy shit that Katana damage. Is everyone on this team kitted out to the teeth? It's curious how the team is Space-Faring Heroes but are WAY beyond the level of say, the Guardians of the Galaxy or even most Legion of Super-Heroes members. More like god-tier Gun Guys.
Nah. It's the starting trio that's beefy AF. The captain Jackie (Stargirl II, the last Icons entry), Esme, and Tetsukaze here. Zima's a 12, Roxy & Geojang are 11s, and Mirage is a 10. Spoilers, I guess? My groups are always front loaded on higher PLs and trail off the deeper they go. The Icons were a slight exception, but not a big one. Outside of the one weapon, both Esme and Tetsukaze are PL 12 offensively. So their effectiveness drops if their favored weapon is unavailable for use for whatever reason.
Jabroniville wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 6:00 am"Nihogellians" and "Nipporustans"- cute. I'm digging the almost Star Trek-esque backstory of deliberately taking part of a human culture. Takeo's backstory is solid- a "yes-man" young soldier realizing how dirty his war was, but committing a horrible crime in the process of realizing it, compounding his guilt. I'm digging that his mercenary work and extreme cybernetic augmentation F'd him up even further.
I see you get it. This is good, thank you.
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Edgerunners/Heroes of Britain/Borealian Vanguard/Roth Investigations Update 5

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Edgerunners/Heroes of Britain/Borealian Vanguard/Roth Investigations update 5 lets do it

The Edgerunners
Spoiler
Overview (100% finished)

Jackie (featured in The Icons entries as Stargirl II)
Esme (100% finished)
Tetsukaze (100% finished)
Zima (100% finished)
Roxy Jett (Build finished, Background & Personality finished, Power & Tactics to do)
Geojang (Build finished, Personality finished, Background in progress, Powers & Tactics to do)
Mirage (Build finished, Background in progress, rest to do)
*******************************************************************************

Heroes of Britain (after Edgerunners, so on hold for now)
Spoiler
Overview (mostly finished)

The Knight Family
Crusader (Sir Randall Knight) (featured in The Icons entries)
Lady Alchemist (Morgan Knight) (100% finished)
Lady Knight (Emily Knight) (Build finished, Background in Progress, rest to do)
The Alchemist Knight (Sophie Knight) (Build finished)
Templar (Daniel Page) (Build finished)

UQ Trio
Umbrella Queen (Siobhanna) (Build finished)
Nisse (Alwyn Kendrick) (Build finished)
Tattoo (Josephine "Finn" Kent) (Build finished)

Miscellanous British Heroes
Big Ben (Benjamin Prestwich) (Build finished, Background in progress, rest to do)
Keaira, Princess of Avalon (Build finished, Background in progress, rest to do)
Paragon (Syed Nawaz) (Build finished)
Yeoman (Joshua Birch) (Build finished)
Hospitaller (Abigail "Abby" Priest) (Build finished)
To Be Named (Elastic Detective Type) (Build finished, I'll take your Hero Name suggestions)
*******************************************************************************

Borealian Vanguard (after Edgerunners and Britain, so on hold for now)
Spoiler
Overview (mostly finished)

Main Squad
Prairie Sprinter/Turbodash (Grace Harper) (Build finished, Background in progress, rest to do)
Dormin (Phil Cantor) (Build finished)
Blindspot (Cindy Liu) (Build finished)
Armory (Leon Wilson) (Build finished)
Bulletman (Jason "Jay" Martin) (Build finished)
Felin-garou (Rosalie Lavoie) (Build finished)
Valiant (Steve Clark) (Build finished, Background in progress, rest to do)

The Reserves
Moonshadow (Donovan Tarkik) (Build finished, Background in progress, rest to do)
Undine (true name unknown) (Build finished)
Fornax (Maxwell "Max" Drake) (Build finished)
Chasseur (Jules Bouchard) (Build finished)
Gajasura (Arjun Vijaya) (Build finished)
Sister Angeline (Raphelle Fortin) (Build finished)
Red Sleeves (Daiyu Hong) (Build finished)
*******************************************************************************

Roth Investigations (after Edgerunners, Britain, and Canada, so on hold for now)
Spoiler
Overview (unwritten)

The Originals
Asteroth (Adam Roth) (Build finished, Background & Personality finished, Powers & Tactics to do much later)
Christine Gale (Build finished)
Nyoan Ayano (Build unfinished, undergoing total revamp)
Shandra Hawkins (Build unfinished, expansion needed)
Ryan Masterson/??? (Build unfinished, lots to do)
Chiaki Ayano (Build unfinished, total revamp needed)

Bloodfang Alpha
Priest (Lloyd Adams) (Build finished)
Female Werewolf (Build unfinished, lots to do)
Taranis (Build unfinished, lots to do)
Asmodeus Psychevore (Build unfinished, finishing touches)
??? (Starting line, basically. Bleh.)

The Hunters
Ex-Cop (Build unfinished, lots to do)
Valkyrie (Build unfinished, lots to do)
Spirit Riflewoman (Build unfinished, lots to do)
*******************************************************************************

I have not been idle, even if the thread has been. Much writing done for the Brits and Canadians. Hell, Lady Alchemist is entirely finished. I've been brainstorming, too. I'll get back to the Edgerunners eventually. And maybe sooner than you think.
Last edited by EternalPhoenix on Fri Feb 17, 2023 2:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Roxy Jett (Celia Cruz)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Roxy Jett (Celia Cruz)

Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 255/255

STR: +5 (14/20), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +6 (16/22), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +5 (20)

Tough: +6/+10, Fort: +10, Ref: +9/+12, Will: +11

Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+10), Bluff 10 (+15), Computers 3 (+5), Diplomacy 10 (+15), Gather Information 10 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 3 (+5), Knowledge (art) 8 (+10), Knowledge (current events) 8 (+10), Knowledge (Galactic) 3 (+5), Knowledge (popular culture) 13 (+15), Knowledge (streetwise) 8 (+10), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+5), Language 1 (+1), Notice 8 (+10), Perform (dance) 5 (+10), Perform (singing) 15 (+20), Perform (stringed instruments) 10 (+15), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 7 (+10)

Feats: All-Out Attack, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Distract (Bluff), Endurance (+4), Evasion, Fascinate (Bluff), Improved Initiative 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Second Chance 2 (Toughness saves vs Force & Slashing), Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Perform (aing & strings)), Takedown Attack, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Borustan Physiology (Container, Passive 3)
. . Borustan Abilities (Enhanced Trait 13) (Traits: Strength +6 (20, +5), Constitution +6 (22, +6), Feats: Endurance (+4))
. . Starlight Vision (Super-Senses 2) (low-light vision, ultravision)

D-Screener Masquer (Device 1) (Easy to lose, Restricted use (Requires Roxy's Password))
. . Roxy's World (Illusion 2) (affects: 1 type + visual - visual & auditory, DC 12; Limited (to technology); Progression, Area (10 ft. radius))

Discreetly Armored Leather Outfit (Device 1) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle))
. . Energy Scattering Leather (Protection 2) (+2 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance 2 (Toughness saves vs Force & Slashing); Subtle (subtle))

Edgerunner Communicator (Device 3) (Hard to lose)
. . Long Range Radio (Communication 8) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))
. . Universal Translator (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all)

Internal Quintessence (Container, Passive 13)
. . Enhanced Hearing (Super-Senses 1) (analytical: Auditory)
. . Enhanced Quickness (Quickness 6) (Perform routine tasks at 100x speed)
. . Enhanced Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 18) (Traits: Attack Bonus +3 (+12), Defense Bonus +3 (+12), Reflex +3 (+12), Feats: Improved Initiative 3)
. . Enhanced Resilience (Protection 2) (+2 Toughness)
. . Enhanced Speed (Speed 3) (Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd)
. . Fascinating Voice (Mind Control 10) (DC 20; Perception Area (General), Duration (sustained), Effortless, Selective Attack; Limited (to holding attention), Range 2 (touch), Sense-Dependent (Auditory); Custom (Insidious), Subtle 2 (unnoticable))
. . Perfect Pitch (Features 1)
. . Vocal Mimicry (Features 1)

Roxy's Knives (Device 4) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)
. . Knife Fighting Techniques (Array 9) (default power: blast)
. . . . Fan of Knives (Strike 1) (Array; DC 21; Cone Area (60-120 ft. cone - General) [5 extra ranks]; Mighty, Progression, Increase Area (area x2))
. . . . Knife Slashes (Strike 1) (Array; DC 21; Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [5 extra ranks]; Accurate 2 (+4), Mighty)
. . . . Throwing Knife Barrage (Blast 1) (Default; DC 21; Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [5 extra ranks]; Accurate 2 (+4), Improved Range 2 (50 ft. incr), Mighty 5 (+5 to damage), Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 250 feet))

Attack Bonus: +9/+12 (Ranged: +9/+12, Melee: +9/+12, Grapple: +14/+17)

Attacks: Fan of Knives (Strike 1) (DC 21), Fascinating Voice (Mind Control 10) (DC Will 20), Knife Slashes (Strike 1), +16 (DC 21), Throwing Knife Barrage (Blast 1), +16 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 20)

Defense: +9/+12 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -5

Initiative: +15

Languages: Iberustan Native, Neo-Nobellian

Totals: Abilities 34 + Skills 35 (140 ranks) + Feats 16 + Powers 115 + Combat 36 + Saves 19 + Drawbacks 0 = 255

Age (as of Jan 2019): 20 Earth years (chronological), approx 24 (human biological equivalent)
Height: 5’ 11”
Weight: 225
Ethnicity: Borustan (Spanish equivalent)
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Light Brown

Theme Song: Moonwalker, by Fabvl

Background: People forget just how vast the universe is, you know? Attempting to map it through visual methods from any one point in it is a waste of time. Whatever one is seeing from that point happened many Earth years ago. In the case of neighboring galaxies, this amount of time can be measured in centuries if not millennia. Objects in space do not stay still. The distance between galaxies is staggering. The amount of space inside any one galaxy can be equally staggering. This makes the administration of the major powers, all of whom span multiple galaxies, an astonishing feat of engineering. And it explains the Unclaimed Regions. It takes a lot of time, effort, and material for even the largest powers like the Nobellian Federation and Sionil Union to claim new galaxies for themselves. They’re not going to even try unless they’re full prepared and the galaxy in question has been explored and analyzed within an inch of its life. The megacorps are even less interested in that level of financial risk. This does not mean that no one ever is. Since the dawn of intergalactic civilization, plenty of dreamers, freaks, weirdoes, and outcasts have sailed off into the void full of hope. So while the Unclaimed Regions may be unclaimed and not under the authority of any of the major powers, this does not mean they are empty or lowly populated.

. . This brings us to Celia Cruz, or as she’s better known, Roxy Jett. She may be Borustan, but she’s never set foot in the Tribal Confederation. She’d never even left her home planet in the flesh before, well, we’ll get to that. But virtually? She’s been a delta holoscreener (or D-Screener, the Earth equivalent is a V-tuber) since she was 12 Earth years old. That’s a little older than it sounds for the shorter lived Borustans, but still firmly underage. Parents? Please. They had a dozen other kids to worry about (Borustans have multiple births far more often than single) and it’s not like she was going to smoky bars and performing in a tank top and miniskirt. Fake background plus an initially cheap avatar and she was recording streams. She did gaming streams, sure, but more often she was singing while playing the guitar she’d gotten for her last birthday. Well. It’s not a guitar, exactly (being as space is not Earth), but close enough. You know, covering local hit songs in her sector and galaxy. Just like on Earth, this can be a pretty easy way to make money if you’re good at it, attractive, and get lucky. Unlike on Earth, there’s plenty of shady financial institutions who don’t particularly care about the age of their clientele. Three guesses what happened to Roxy Jett. She showed surprising foresight in really only upgrading her software and computer with the money, just letting it collect otherwise. And she got bigger and bigger. Especially when she started writing her own songs and singing them instead. Goodbye, sharing profits with record corps.

. . But you know how it is. Corps are gonna corp. And a popular indy musician outselling their alleged stars and refusing their advances was utterly unacceptable. So they started digging for leverage to force her into a contract on their terms. Leverage like her real identity and the identities of her family because corp execs, as a rule, don’t play nice unless they’re forced to. The holovid service and shady financial institution she was using stonewalled the investigation while counting the money they were making off of her and laughing. But there was always outsourcing matters to a team of mercenary outlaws, like usual. By this time the Roxy Jett fan community was not small, and word got out that someone was digging into her hard. Someone slipped her a message, and she went hiring some mercenary outlaws of her own. Granted, she was the rookie at doing so and the record corps were the professionals, but she had the advantsge of her own squad working as much for love of her as the money she was paying out. Said squad of mercenary outlaws (assembled for the first time for her job, as they weren’t a regular team) included Geojang (the two started banging with shocking speed) and Mirage (he isn’t the meat in their sandwich, infoweb, jeez) among others. Thus began a stalemate that probably wouldn’t have lasted. Corps have more money and more reach than any individual, even one with a strong fan community backing them up. And most who defy corporate will for too long without being useful in some other way end up the victim of what everyone knows but nobody can prove is an assassination. Sometimes the actual killer even goes to jail, but that’s what mercenary outlaws are for, right? Deniable assets the corps don’t have to care about if they get caught.

. . Before anything like that could happen, though, the AI possessed nanotech apocalypse came swarming over their galaxy. The corp execs and high politicos were, of course, the first ones getting the hell out. The disorganized nature of this part of the Unclaimed Regions worked against it, and the Nobellian and Sionil navies were blasting any wannabe blockade runners into their constituent atoms. But you know, Roxy Jett had money too, damn it. And so the Edgerunners came to her, her family’s and her squad of mercenary outlaws’ rescue. Just in time for that AI possessed nanotech apocalypse to come swarming over her own planet. It got very, very bad. A horror movie in real life bad. Her squad was pruned down to Geojang and Mirage. There wasn’t time to gather her older siblings (as they were adults and living away from home), so they were left behind. And she personally put one of her throwing knives between her father’s eyes as something else looked out through them for the first time. But they got the hell out, Jackie blew a goddamn hole though a Sionil battlecruiser, and Celia Cruz departed the galaxy of her birth.

. . The triumphant holovid announcing her escape and survival even she will admit was a pretty big mistake. Mainly because the Nobellian Federation, Sionil Union, and Nega Corps were all now actively looking for Roxy Jett. Turns out major intergalactic powers don’t like it when someone flouts their authority. Um. Oops. Her holovid service kept right on stonewalling with bare minimum of cooperation, laughing and counting the money she was making them. She did, however, have to find another shady financial institution, as that trio took the one she’d be using apart to get at her and her money. Thanks to Mirage she didn’t lose everything, but she did lose a bundle. And the rest was mostly gobbled up by getting her mother and younger siblings set up somewhere they wouldn’t be easy to find. In the ensuring years, she’s had to jump from one shady financial institution to another as they’ve crumbled under Nobellian precision, Sionil stubbornness, and the relentless Negas. Well. She can’t build up a nice nest egg again, but her family hasn’t gone hungry and neither has she. So whatever. Geojang’s one woman plays and occasionally persuading Zima to sing with her doesn’t hurt her bottom line at all.

. . Ironically, being Dusted for a year boosted her popularity. She’d had a couple vids in the queue already, but the lack of commentary on the Dusting and sudden radio silence after years of steady streams and holovids brought her surviving fans together in mourning, and created many new ones. So her triumphant return is likely to go over really big. But first things first. Geojang needs help, and has finally admitted it to herself. So they’ll do that, and get back to life as usual.

Powers & Tactics: Roxy Jett is a Borustan with multiple different technological devices and the powers of one of the Adroit. The devices are all actually pretty simple. Her D-Screener Masquer is what she uses for live broadcasts. It alters the visual and auditory input of technological devices sensing her location. More precisely, within a ten foot radius of her location. So it’s background and disguise all in one. Her leather outfits are discreetly armored, with a focus on resisting slashing weapons and blaster fire. She has an Edgerunner Communicator, with it’s long range radio and universal translator. Last is her set of throwing knives. She has a lot of these. She has more knives than shirts. Or pants. Not panties, though. A girl can’t have enough underwear, she says. Anyway, she can throw the knives in an wide arc, throw a bunch at once, or just slash away with them. For anyone without her knife fighting talents and Adroit speed, they’re just a bunch of regular knives one can find anywhere.

. . She was the typical untrained rookie Adroit when she joined the crew, but training with the most experienced Adroit alive in Esme has sent her soaring leaps and bounds past any peers her age. She’s got the standard enhanced ground speed, physical quickness, and attack accuracy and evasion boosting reflexes. That, however, is where the standard ends. Every Adroit is different, and she is no exception. More of her additional abilities are relatively minor, and make her a even better musician than she already was. Analyzing any sound she hears, having perfect pitch, and being able to mimic any voice aren’t nothing, but they’re not especially potent in social or combat situations. Her Fascinating Voice, however, is. It isn’t a spell. It’s a magical alteration to her vocal cords that lets them manipulate sound of her voice to essentially control minds. The only thing she can do with this is force anyone she wants who can hear her to pay attention to her. And only her. This is much more useful than it sounds. She’s literally a walking distraction who only has to speak. Or, as she prefers, start singing. The additional effect is undetectable both to the affected and any observers without the appropriate special senses to detect subtle sound manipulation.

. . Tactically, Roxy uses her knives more than anything. Fascinating Voice, while sometimes helpful to her allies, can get absolutely get her killed in heavy combat. So, you know. Fan of Knives as an area attack, Knife Slashes in melee, and Throwing Knife Barrage at range. With that said, she mainly plays support in group combat. Improved Feint and Improved Taunt used with Set Up makes the whole team better. She even has Distract (Bluff). She has All Out, Defensive, and Power Attack to mix things up, Move By Action to stay mobile, and Fascinate (Bluff) for non combat occasions. So while she can fight on her own just fine, when the fecal matter hits the oscillating device she’s setting up Jackie’s anything or Tetsukaze’s Katana for a devastating hit. She’d only power stunt if you, Dear Reader, can think of something else she can do with her Knife Fighting Techniques.

Personality: Roxy Jett has a lot in common with the typical D-Screener. A big, extroverted personality. A super attractive avatar that look nothing like the person under it. Here for a good time, not a long time. Rock hard, party harder. Alluring, yet dangerous. Like all D-Screeners, Roxy Jett is an appealing fantasy. All of a person’s positive traits, none of the negative. The part that makes her different is that she’s a musician first. Most D-Screeners’ holovid are them talking. Playing games, reviewing stuff, visiting places, hang out streaming sessions. Like youtubers and V-tubers do on Earth. Roxy does do this type of thing, but it’s the side dish. The main course is her virtual concerts. Anyone with the right gear and a bit of money can log in and get a live concert. Like she says, Roxy isn’t in this to make money or be famous. She’s the approximate equivalent of an anarchist punk rocker. Her particular fantasy is that of the rebellious bad girl, after all. Your own manic pixie dream girl in leather and lace, here to rock your face off.

. . This is who Celia Cruz is too, mostly. But unlike Roxy, she’s a fully three dimensional person. She is far from the typical mercenary outlaw. She’s warmhearted, fun, and spontaneous. She’s been through some stuff, sure, but Borustans recover quickly from psychological trauma and she’s fast even by her species’s standards. She still, after years in the trade, maintains part of her civilian perspective. She’s not some highly trained soldier or spy. She doesn’t use a blaster. She’s a musician. A real life rock star. This has actually the problem with her, as far as being an Edgerunner is concerned. She’s still, after years with them, quite young for a Borustan. She’s spent her life so far living fast, partying hard, and not caring all that much about the condition of her corpse. Because the young are immortal in their own minds, and young Borustans especially sometimes forget they can die at all. So she was extremely reckless and impulsive. Young enough to not truly think herself mortal, enthusiastic about life to a fault, and deeply in love. Oh, dear. Enter being Dusted.

. . Because, you know, it had been years. Celia wasn’t blind or an idiot. She was actually maturing, if a little slowly for a Borustan. To put it in human terms, the way one sees the world at 18 is very much not the same as the way one sees it at 21 and now at 24. She died. Geojang died. Everyone died. She’s not about to turn into some boring ass “responsible adult”, but she knows there’s more to life than flipping off The Man (so to speak), having vigorous sex with her love, and chasing the next thrill. Gods help her, she actually wants to live to be, well, not old, but a few more years would be nice, you know? She’s not exactly looking to settle down, gods no. But she’s worried about Geojang. It was one of those things where she was being a bit protective at first, but now? When she can clearly see that her love is Not Okay? It’s time to change things up a bit. The full throttle life was getting a bit tedious and boring, anyway.
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Geojang (Shin Min-ah)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Geojang (Shin Min-ah)

Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 255/255

STR: +5 (16/20), DEX: +5 (18/20), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +7 (20/24)

Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +7, Ref: +9/+16, Will: +10

Skills: Acrobatics 15 (+20), Bluff 13 (+20), Craft (chemical) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 13 (+20), Disguise 8 (+15/+40), Gather Information 8 (+15), Knowledge (behavioral science) 3 (+5), Knowledge (current events) 3 (+5), Knowledge (Galactic) 3 (+5), Knowledge (life sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 8 (+10), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+5), Language 2 (+2), Notice 10 (+15), Perform (acting) 8 (+15), Sense Motive 15 (+20), Stealth 15 (+20)

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Dodge Focus, Evasion, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Improved Initiative 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Second Chance (Toughness saves vs Force), Skill Mastery 2 (Acro, Bluff, Disguise, Diplo, Gather Info, Notice, Sen Mot, Stealth), Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Cybernetics (Container, Passive 15) (Subtle (subtle))
. . Chameleon Cloak (Concealment 4) (all visual senses; Blending)
. . Cyber Quickness (Quickness 5) (Perform routine tasks at 50x speed; Stacks with (Nobellian Quickness (Quickness 1+5)))
. . Cyber Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 33) (Traits: Attack Bonus +6 (+15), Defense Bonus +6 (+16), Reflex +6 (+16), Feats: Improved Initiative 3)
. . Cyber Senses (Super-Senses 7) (acute: Normal Olfactory, analytical: Normal Olfactory, analytical: Normal Gustatory, analytical (type): Auditory, infravision, ultra-hearing)
. . Cyber Speed (Speed 2) (Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd; Stacks with (Nobellian Speed (Speed 1+2)))
. . Cyberlimbs Strength (Enhanced Strength 4) (+4 STR)
. . Data Upload Cable (Datalink 1) (sense type: radio)
. . Dream Recorder (Features 1)
. . Sensory Data Recorder (Features 1)
. . Smuggling Compartment (Features 1) (Notes: Big enough to fit her Silenced Heavy Blaster or something of similar (Diminutive) size)
. . Synthskin+Adjustable Facial & Body Implants (Morph 5) (morph: broad group, +25 Disguise; Duration (continuous))
. . Vocal Range Expander (Features 1) (Notes: +10 to Bluff to disguise voice/mimic other voices)

Discreetly Armored Clothing (Device 1) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle))
. . Energy Scattering Fabric (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance (Toughness saves vs Force); Subtle (subtle))

Edgerunner Communicator (Device 3) (Hard to lose)
. . Long Range Radio (Communication 8) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))
. . Universal Translator (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all)

Nobellian Longevity (Features 1)

Nobellian Physiology (Container, Passive 3)
. . Nobellian Abilities (Enhanced Trait 6) (Traits: Dexterity +2 (20, +5), Charisma +4 (24, +7))
. . Nobellian Quickness (Quickness 1+5) ([Stacking ranks: +5], Perform routine tasks at 100x speed)
. . Nobellian Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 5) (Traits: Attack Bonus +1 (+15), Reflex +1 (+16), Feats: Dodge Focus, Improved Initiative)
. . Nobellian Speed (Speed 1+2) ([Stacking ranks: +2], Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd)
. . Starlight Vision (Super-Senses 2) (low-light vision, ultravision)

Silenced Heavy Blaster (Device 3) (Easy to lose)
. . Silenced Shot (Blast 6) (DC 21; Precise, Subtle 2 (unnoticable))

Attack Bonus: +8/+15 (Ranged: +9/+16, Melee: +8/+15, Grapple: +13/+20)

Attacks: Silenced Shot (Blast 6), +16 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 20)

Defense: +10/+16 (Flat-footed: +8), Knockback: -3

Initiative: +21

Languages: Jeju-Nobellian, Neo-Nobellian Native, Outer Borustan

Totals: Abilities 44 + Skills 34 (136 ranks) + Feats 12 + Powers 118 + Combat 34 + Saves 13 + Drawbacks 0 = 255

Age (as of Jan 2019): 40 Earth years (chronological), late teens (human biological equivalent)
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 105 lbs
Ethnicity: Nobellian (Korean equivalent)
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark Brown

Theme Song: Can’t Go Back, by Fabvl featuring DizzyEight and Sinewave Fox

Background: Geojang is tied for most dangerous Edgerunner with Esme. Anyone who’s read the latter’s entry will know just how impressive that is. She’s not the most powerful, obviously, but it’s what she is that’s damn scary. A relic of an age long gone. The old name was Imperial Shadow, and officially they never existed in the first place. Many not in the know have wondered just how the old Nobellian Empire endured for so long. A brutal streak a light year long and a highly effective intelligence agency only go so far. Especially with literally intergalactic distances to account for. Enter the Imperial Shadows. The pop cultural image of them is not all that different from Earth’s super spy movies. Certainly many of the same narrative tropes are in play, whether the Shadow in question is a heroic Shadow gone rogue or a villainous Imperial out for blood. The reality, however, would not be nearly as interesting to see as a holovid. There were three Shadow Houses, each working directly for the Imperial Throne. House Harmony was to encourage unity among pro-Imperial factions as subtly as possible and eliminate all threats to unity among said factions. House Discord was entirely the reverse. They were to encourage disunity and infighting among anti-Imperial factions, and eliminate any unifying forces amongst them. House Dream acted both as handler, technical and magical support, and when necessary, clean up crew. The three Houses were frighteningly effective.

. . Modern historians estimate the Imperial Shadows delayed both Nobellian Civil Wars by up to a thousand years. Each. And made them both longer and more devastating than they would have otherwise been. The thing that made them frightening was that they very much were not purely assassins. They did most of their work through social manipulation. The push and pull of trust and betrayal. Secrets and blackmail. And an intuitive understanding of psychology built into their training. The right words, spoken at the right time, can change the fates of billions. The same is true of the wrong words spoken at the wrong time, the wrong words at the right time, and the right words at the wrong time. This was what they did. It has been said that a skilled Shadow didn’t even need to be in the same galaxy to kill someone. But as the saying goes, all things both good and bad must come to an end. With everything Imperial gone, the question becomes what happened to the Shadows? Well, remember they didn’t officially exist? And, as has been implied, that they were embedded in basically every level and aspect of Nobellian society? If they couldn’t work off the books for the government, they could work for the megacorps. They knew them quite well at this point, after all. They were now Shadows, Inc., a consulting firm. And probably the best one in the universe.

. . To be clear, the pop culture image of a Shadow is not entirely incorrect. There’s a large degree of dramatic license taken in most adaptations, as stated. The part about Shadows going rogue, however, has always been true. No amount of non-psychopathic training can remove a person’s conscience, no matter their species. And psychopathic training would crush a Shadow’s greatest asset, their ability to empathize and understand others. Anyone can train living weapons and virtually unstoppable assassins. It takes a far defter hand to craft untraceable undercover agents with the skills of a master con artist and the discretion of a priest. So yes, sometimes Shadows turn their coats. For honor, for liberty, for greed, and for spite. There are as many reasons as there are renegade Shadows. This is another reason both Civil Wars lasted as long as they did. Shadows on both sides causing and resolving various types of mayhem and mischief. This, however, brings us at last to Shin Min-ah. The young woman who would one day become Geojang.

. . Being a Shadow is a job now, not some noble calling for earnest Nobellian patriots. It’s a very lucrative job, but it is only a job. Shin is from a high ranking family in the Nobellian Outer Reaches. Wealthy. Powerful. Etc. And a large portion of that wealth and power came from their long affiliation with House Discord. She was trained from a very young age in a Shadow’s work. She showed great promise, as most do not, so she was incorporated into House Discord’s Shadows. She was not a sorcerer or one of the Adroit, and she displayed little aptitude for wizardry. So, to keep pace with those who were, she chose to be extensively cybernetically augmented. When she chose to retire from Shadow work, she’d have far more than enough money to have her limbs and organs magically regenerated if she wanted. She was, in a very real sense, House Discord’s young prodigy. So naturally she was partnered with House Harmony’s young prodigy, Rana. At first they didn’t like each other. Then they did. And then they really did. Ah, young love. Is there anything more beautiful? Romance between partners wasn’t, strictly speaking, forbidden. Nobellian culture has had over 25 thousand years to get way the hell over any problems with non-heterosexual attraction, and the Shadows are not and never were a military organization that would forbid fraternization. Occasionally, it was even encouraged as it made the Shadows in question better at the work. And this was the case for Shin and Rana. A little too good, as it turned out.

. . The relationships between megacorps are…well, let’s just say open warfare would involved a more decisive conclusion and a lower overall body count. Lots of political maneuvering. Use and sacrifice of pawns and deniable assets. Very messy. Relationships between high level employees of the same megacorp are less bloody, to be sure, but that’s only because some employees are critical to the functioning of the megacorp in question. The goal is to improve their personal fortunes, not damage their employer’s ability to make money. So the Shadows are kept busy on all fronts. Until a coward’s scheme is revealed and they sell out everyone else involved to save their own skin. The scheme was revealed because said coward was known to be…minimally competent, at best. But his department starting showing subtle improvements while his competitors’ performance starting subtly degrading. It was a trap set up to catch and finally remove a subpar performer, and despite the advice of two young prodigy Shadows said coward fell right into it. This got Rana captured. She was working in said coward’s department as a House Harmony Shadow should be. Revealed Shadows cannot be trusted under any circumstances. One never knows who else they’re working for. Shin had an opportunity to save her, but their handlers in House Dream forbade it. Wheels within wheels and plots within schemes for Shadow, Inc.. Plus it was a risky move, and there was no reason to lose two prodigy Shadows that day. Shin was a good Shadow. Well trained. She obeyed. Rana was killed. And her mind fractured into cyberpsychosis from the strain on her mind. The clash of intellectual and emotional loyalty overloaded her cybernetically strained neurology. So she was able to lie when debriefed and reassigned. She was fine and all was well.

. . This was a very huge lie. Shadow, Inc. and the Imperial Shadows had managed a rather remarkable feat. No competent member of any of the three Houses ever managed to go renegade without it being detected before any real damage to the Houses themselves could be done. Their work has been compromised, certainly. Shadows have most definitely been lost. But the Houses themselves (administration, teachers, Shadows in training, and all sorts of necessary non-field staff) had never suffered any real damage or loss. Until Shin Min-ah turned her discord causing skills against her own House. Against all three Houses. It was extremely effective. House Harmony and House Dream had no idea what was happening. House Discord leadership only figured it out just in time for her to return unexpectedly and start killing them. She left House Discord’s main headquarters in flames with its primary leadership burning to ashes inside as Shadow fought Shadow outside. Meanwhile Houses Harmony and Dream were left dissolving into chaos and violence as rivalries and grudges both old and new boiled over. Shadow Inc., was set back decades. This was the revenge of Shin Min-ah. Something she would have never done or even considered if she were not a cyberpsychotic.

. . Of course, now she had nowhere to go. She had always had a place to return to before, but now she had none. She could not, could never, go back again. It was a strangely lonely feeling, but money had to be earned. So she fell into the mercenary outlaw trade. Oddly enough, her first job was protecting the D-Screener Roxy Jett, alias Celia Cruz with a few others including Mirage. The two fell in love and lust at first sight, and very soon after that the nanotech apocalypse hit the galaxy they were in. And shortly after that they were stuck being Edgerunners after Celia pissed off most of known space with the holovid announcing their escape. This has not been as bad as it sounds. At least Geojang thinks so. She’s discovered a love of acting, and her one woman plays on Roxy’s channel get almost as many views as her recorded concerts and streams. Live concerts, not so much, but it doesn’t bother her.

. . What bothered her was watching Celia turn to dust and blow away. Well, start blowing away, as Geojang was doing the same thing at the time. She didn’t have time to grieve, as she was, you know, also dead. But it was still a reminder of just how short life can be. Especially considering Celia was a Borustan, and thus would be (in the best case scenario) dying of old age long before Shin herself looked much older than she did right now. How to put it? It’s one thing to know that something’s not quite right with you. It’s quite another to be brutally reminded of just how short life can be. So, she at last admitted to herself that something was wrong with her. And what it probably was. So when Tetsukaze wanted to go see the Red Ronin about his cyberpsychosis, she stepped up beside him and asked to come along. What happens after they realign her neurology, she doesn’t know.

Note: All names are translated to Earth equivalents.

Powers & Tactics: Geojang has a hell of a lot of cybernetics augmenting her, and she carries a handful of technological devices. More than half of her isn’t organic. Her limbs, parts of her torso and head, and even most of her skin have been replaced. They’re advanced cybernetics, so this isn’t as immediately noticeable as, say, Tetsukaze’s chromed out self. Without careful examination or cyber detectors, Geojang appears to be entirely unaugmented. Her cybernetics have the usual strength, land speed, quickness, and reflexes (increasing attack accuracy and evasion) boost, all at a high level. It’s the other more specialized custom Shadow cyber that is remarkable. Her skin alone is a masterwork of engineering. It contains both her Chameleon Cloak and her Synthskin. The Chameleon Cloak is a camera and light projection system that effectively renders her transparent as long as she doesn’t move particularly fast. Her Synthskin is part of a system of implants in her face and internal body that allow to her to change into any Nobellian female, and the change holds until she changes it again. So she can sleep in her current appearance or even be knocked unconscious without it reverting. She can change into any Nobellian female body type, within limits. She can alter the size of her bust the thickness of her limbs and torso, the dimensions of her face, and the shape of every facial feature. Her hair and eye colors may also be altered at need. However, she cannot change her height and she can only put on but so much “weight”. “Weight” in in quotes because she does not gain additional mass and so may end up significantly lighter than she appears if impersonating an overweight Nobellian woman. The bulk of her remaining headware is sensory augmentations. Her inner ears and parts of her nose and tongue are synthetic, broadening their capabilities. She can hear high frequency sound, detect subtle differences in smells and tastes, and has analysis suites for hearing, smell, and taste. Her remaining augmentations are relatively minor. A recorders for both her dreams and all that sensory data she gets. A 10 foot cable to upload that recorded to the infoweb. An expansion to her natural vocal range, allowing her to disguise her voice/mimic others’ voices to infiltrate places and organizations even more effectively than she already could. And a smuggling compartment large enough to hide her Silenced Heavy Blaster from view.

. . Because her Silenced Heavy Blaster is the weapon out of her trio of devices, and its shots are undetectable without specialized senses or equipment. Otherwise it’s a fairly normal Heavy Blaster. The other two are her wardrobe full of discreetly armored clothing (extra effective against blaster fire) and her Edgerunner Communicator (with its long range radio and universal translator).

. . Tactically, Geojang is not the type to go in blasters blazing. She’s a very subtle woman. She’s an infiltrator, spy, and occasionally assassin, not a front line combatant. Her only offensive weapons are her Silenced Heavy Blaster and her martial arts skills. Direct combat is simply not something she can be forced into doing by opposition. Between Chameleon Cloak, high Stealth ranks, and her Morph. Her specialty is getting her opposition to shoot each other while being unaware of her presence entirely. Or, failing that, shooting them in the back via surprise. With that said, she has Improved Acrobatic Bluff, and Bluff ranks to feint with impunity. She also has the Diplomacy ranks to talk enemies down from being hostile in the first place. Or she could simply start mimicking enemy voices with Chameleon Cloak on, and sow…well…discord. If you’ll pardon the wordplay. All Out Attack and Power Attack are deck for sneak attacks, Move by Action can keep her mobile if she’s not using the Cloak, and Improved Defense is good for when one enemy is persuaded to stop fighting but the rest still prefer her to have more holes in her than she was born with. She does not power stunt.

Personality: Cyberpsychosis affects everyone who has it differently. The stereotype is that of violent, rampaging maniacs, but those are merely the ones who catch the news headlines for reasons that should be obvious. The only common traits when it is active is a sudden disappearance of the ability to feel guilt or remorse, increased recklessness, and the affected’s remaining emotions become significantly stronger and more difficult to control. The rest depends on the person who, as should be carefully noted, does not undergo any other type of personality shift. So, when someone is already heavily armed and prone to violently losing one’s temper, three guess what happens when they have a cyberpsychotic episode.

. . The previous has been said before, but is even more important to remember with Geojang. Shadows are not back alley thugs or professional soldiers. They are trained to remain in control of their emotions through extremely difficult circumstances and act with forethought instead of impulsively. Furthermore, they are selected for their high aptitude in those very skills. In a universe with advanced magical abilities and advanced technology that can sometimes seem indistinguishable from said magic, all of a Shadow’s other skills can be augmented in. Aptitude in them is not necessary. So when she initially entered her cyberpsychotic break, she simply didn’t notice. She had other things on her mind. She was a prodigy, after all. A young woman of relatively weak emotions and high natural control before she underwent any training.

. . Weak emotions, that is, except for one. Love. Shin Min-ah loves with every fiber of her being. So yes, she wreaked a intricate, elaborate, vicious revenge on the system that took Rana from her. And if she noticed she didn’t feel bad about betraying, destroying, and finally outright killing people who were previously as close to her as her own family, she chalked it up to a sudden change of feelings being quite appropriate under the circumstances. Meeting Rana was like being born again. Meeting Roxy was not like that. D-Screeners all adopt somewhat similar larger than life personas. Meeting Celia, however, was. It was like a second chance with Rana. Who wouldn’t take it?

. . Geojang was taught to control her emotions, not deal with them in a healthy manner. It has been years, but her grief for Rana has not abated. Her unyielding rage at Shadow, Inc for permitting it burns deep inside her. Her anger at herself for not defying her handlers then and there is also a potent thing. And isn’t it funny how wreaking a devastating and bloody revenge does nothing to satisfy such emotions? In someone else, such emotions would likely lead to spiral of violence and destruction, culminating in their death. However, like she was taught, she put them away. She was in control. Except for the part where nobody in the entire gods damned universe would take Celia Cruz from her. In someone else this obsessive overprotectiveness would doom the relationship. But again, she was in control. And she was very well trained in the diplomatic and deceptive arts.

. . If this sounds like a villainous origin story, it ought to. Except for one little thing. Geojang is very young for a Nobellian. With said youth comes a degree of inexperience and, bluntly, stupidity. It is a universal truth that children, teenagers, and young adults of any species are prone to moments of incredible stupidity. In Geojang’s case, it was that she thought she was doing excellently at hiding her true emotional state. While in close quarters with five other people and extremely close quarters with a sixth. For years. With a heavy sigh. You are not a unique blindspot for all of your crewmates, Shin Min-ah. She was Not Okay, she knew everyone else knew it, and she was not and had never been the type to not do anything about a problem. That, and watching Celia get Dusted slapped a lot more stress on her already strained psyche. It was time to utter the dreaded word cyberpsychosis. It was time to see if she could get some help. And, perhaps, unburden a heart that was heavier than most. Because she knows. She has not been a particularly good person, even by mercenary outlaw standards, in a very long time. If indeed she ever was to begin with. And honestly? She’d kind of like to be.
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Mirage

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Mirage

Power Level: 10; Power Points Spent: 240/240

STR: +5 (16/20), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +5 (16/20), INT: +5 (20), WIS: +3 (14/16), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +5/+8, Fort: +8, Ref: +8/+12, Will: +9/+10

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Computers 15 (+20), Concentration 7 (+10), Craft (electronic) 15 (+20), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Knowledge (technology) 15 (+20), Language 3 (+3), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 7 (+10), Stealth 4 (+5)

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 3, Beginner's Luck, Contacts, Eidetic Memory, Improved Initiative 4, Luck 2, Online Research, Second Chance (Toughness saves vs. Force), Skill Mastery (Computers), Ultimate Effort (Computers checks), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Well-Informed

Powers:
Discreetly Armored Clothing (Device 1) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle))
. . Energy Scattering Fabric (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance (Toughness saves vs. Force); Subtle (subtle))

Edgerunner Communicator (Device 3) (Hard to lose)
. . Long Range Radio (Communication 8) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))
. . Universal Translator (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all)

Heavy Blaster (Device 3) (Easy to lose)
. . Heavy Blaster Shot (Blast 6) (DC 21; Accurate (+2), Precise, Subtle (subtle))

Sionil Longevity (Features 1)

Sionil Physiology (Container, Passive 3)
. . Lightless Vision (Super-Senses 3) (darkvision, infravision)
. . Sionil Abilities (Enhanced Trait 11) (Traits: Strength +4 (20, +5), Constitution +4 (20, +5), Wisdom +2 (16, +3), Will +1 (+10))
. . Sionil Resistance (Immunity 2) (disease, poison; Limited - Half Effect)

Technopathy (Active) (Array 21) (default power: mind control)
. . Control Technology (Mind Control 10) (Default; DC 20; Affects Objects (Only), Alternate Save (Fortitude), Conscious, Effortless, Instant Command; Limited (Technology); Mental Link, Subtle (subtle))
. . Deactivate Technology (Nullify 10) (Array; counters: all powers of (type) - technology, DC 20; Burst Area (50 ft. radius - General), Effortless; Precise, Subtle (subtle))
. . Reprogramming (Transform (Mental) 8) (Array; affects: alter mind, DC 18; Duration (continuous), Range (perception); Limited (to Technology); Precise, Subtle (subtle))
. . Sensor Network (ESP 10) (Array; affects: 2 types, inc. visual; No Conduit, Simultaneous; Medium; Subtle 2 (unnoticable))

Technopathy (Passive) (Container, Passive 8)
. . Combat Analytics (Enhanced Trait 24) (Traits: Attack Bonus +4 (+9), Defense Bonus +4 (+12), Reflex +4 (+12), Feats: Improved Initiative 4)
. . Infoweb Uplink (Datalink 4) (sense type: radio; Cyberspace, Subtle 2 (unnoticable))
. . Interface (Comprehend 2) (machines / electronics - speak to, machines / electronics - understand)
. . Technopathic Mind (Quickness 8) (Perform routine tasks at 500x speed; One Type (Mental))
. . Technopathic Vision (Super-Senses 1) (awareness: Infoweb (visual))

Attack Bonus: +5/+9 (Ranged: +8/+12, Melee: +5/+9, Grapple: +10/+14)

Attacks: Control Technology (Mind Control 10) (DC Fort 20), Deactivate Technology (Nullify 10) (DC Will 20), Heavy Blaster Shot (Blast 6), +14 (DC 21), Reprogramming (Transform (Mental) 8) (DC Will 18), Unarmed Attack, +9 (DC 20)

Defense: +8/+12 (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -4

Initiative: +17

Languages: Hijazi-Sionil Native, Neo-Nobellian, Netspeak, Outer Sionil

Totals: Abilities 34 + Skills 24 (96 ranks) + Feats 13 + Powers 127 + Combat 26 + Saves 16 + Drawbacks 0 = 240

Age (as of Jan 2019): 30 Earth years (chronological), late teens/early 20s (human biological equivalent)
Height: 4’ 9”
Weight: 180 lbs
Ethnicity: Sionil (Arabic equivalent)
Hair: Black
Eyes: Blue

Background: It’s a familiar story wherever there’s at least a perceived gender binary. Boy meets girl. They fall in love. They chase their dreams together. When the young are in love, even the impossible seems possible. Technopaths are a terrifying prospect for a society that relies on computers and advanced technology like any spacefaring civilization does. Just one can plunge a planet or even a sector into chaos. This too, is a familiar story. A small percentage of a minority group turns to fanatical terrorism. They are by far the most publically prominent members of that minority. So, the expected happens. Fear. Oppression. Dehumanization, so to speak. There is, of course, pushback from the minority group and decent people who don’t surrender to fear. There always is. And so, the worst doesn’t happen. This is sometimes cold comfort, as the fear and suspicion never go away. Being a technopath is..not an easy life, at the best of times. There’s no telling who will accept it, who will reject it, or who will become violent over it. So it goes.

. . Mirage (any other name he may have had has been erased from all databases and likely only exists within his memory alone) met Amina. They were both technopaths. They fell in love. They had big dreams. Redeeming technopaths in the eyes of the public. Making enough money to comfortably retire while still young. Maybe have some kids. You know, live the good life. Here is where the story deviates from the familiar. Reality is usually not nearly so dramatic. What happened was the stuff of ordinary lower class life. The young may have big dreams, but they also need to eat and pay rent. Years had gone by, and they had made no progress. Out of sheer frustration, they dipped their toes into the much more lucrative mercenary outlaw trade. And then, as happens to many who try to do it part time, fell into it full time. This was a slow and steady erosion of youth and idealism into, well, not age and cynicism, exactly, but a better understanding of just how small the two of them were in the grand scheme of the universe. There was, realistically, very little they could do to change the course of intergalactic civilization. Amina couldn’t handle it. Well. It wasn’t like Mirage was coping perfectly fine, either.

. . The familiarity of the story returns here. A charismatic figure who promises liberation for the downtrodden. A revolutionary. A savior. And he does appear to be effective. He does appear to be getting results. Steps on the road. He just needed a little help. Yeah. Amina and Mirage joined up. Him more for her than zeal for the cause. But Amina still wanted to believe, and got spoonfed everything she needed to keep doing it. Such descents are not as rapid as they appear, but still. It’s a little too easy to wake up one morning, realize you’re one of those terrorists you used to revile, and not mind all that much. Hatred’s easy. Anger’s easy. Amina may have been the one of the two of them who wanted to believe, but Mirage wasn’t exactly fleeing those talks either. The story continues in that familiar way. More and more drastic actions. More and more drastic reprisals from the authorities. Normally, this ends in the terrorist group being viciously suppressed. All their hopes and dreams cut to pieces in hail after hail of blaster fire and high powered explosives. But here again, the tale deviates from the familiar for good. Mr. Charismatic Leader had a plan. One last big dramatic play to finally get people to listen.

. . They hit an infoweb node. Each node is the hub for an entire sector. Without the node, the infoweb in that sector shuts down. No infoweb, everything that relies on it for power is left at best hours of backup battery power, and everything that relies on it for data locks up. So…saying that the nodes are well hidden and well guarded is like saying a Nobellian supermodel isn’t too bad looking. It’s technically correct (the best kind of correct), but rather dramatically understates the issue. So this was a massive operation featuring every member of every cell the terrorist group had. Every scrap of information, every bit of advanced tech, and every armament they’d ever gathered was deployed here. And Amina and Mirage were in the middle of it. And it was Amina who figuratively held the door shut while Mirage deployed the viral bomb that destroyed the node’s operating system. This was the Summerisle Incident. It has not been forgotten.

. . That bit above about no infoweb, everything goes bye bye? It’s one thing to know that it’s possible to do it. It’s quite another to realize that there is no backup plan in place for it happening. There were no safeties. No micronodes. The main power and communication source for an entire stellar sector (billions of people!) was just…gone. And it stayed gone for over a week. No transportation. No communication. No power. No food. No medicine. No help. Anything or anyone carefully balanced and monitored by tech was no longer so. The death toll was appalling. And Mirage was the person who figuratively pulled the trigger. Amina was thrilled. They had to listen to the technopaths now! Because if they could do this, they could do worse! Meanwhile, images of dead children danced in Mirage’s head. He knew better. Corp execs would just say that technopaths were too dangerous to be left both uncontrolled and alive. Big governments would never be bullied to the negotiating table by tactics like this. Amina didn’t want to hear it. They had a blazing argument. And then Mirage walked away. He’d already deleted his prior identity before that last mission. All that was left was to abandon the crappy one he was using with her. The woman he loved didn’t exist anymore. Though to be fair, the man she fell in love with didn’t, either.

. . He went back to being a regular mercenary outlaw. After a while, he picked up the job that led him to Roxy Jett, and the rest is history. He doesn’t mind being an Edgerunner, not really. Having a steady crew is better than not having one. Especially if they’re badasses like Jackie, Esme, and Tetsukaze. Dying a year ago kind of sucked, but he came back so whatever. He’s just here doing tech support. He likes his coworkers. The pay is good. And he doesn’t have to be a bastard. He doesn’t want ever to be a bastard again if he can possibly avoid it. He would, to survive, but he wouldn’t like it.

Powers & Tactics: Mirage is a Sionil technopath with a handful of technological devices. Technopaths will require a bit of a primer. They’re technically classified as mutants, but unlike Earth technopaths anti-mutant tech or spells has no effect on them. If anything they manipulate the infoweb like wizards do Quintessence. To be clear, what they do isn’t magic and it isn’t learned like wizard spells are. The working theory among public sources is that generations of exposure to the infoweb’s energies have resulted in, on rare occasions, individuals being born able to manipulate said energies. For the record, this is a genuinely impressive amount of bullshittery to cover a staggering amount of ignorance on the subject. In reality, they’re much like AI, with the notable caveats of being weaker overall and rooted to the body they’re born into unless they feel like being dead. They can take control of any technological device connect to the infoweb and do whatever the hell they want with it. They don’t even need to do proper hacking most of the time to do it. And since basically everything is connected to the infoweb, well…anyone can see why they’re scary to the masses. The very technology modern intergalactic life depends on can be turned against, well, anyone by one person who doesn’t look any different or indeed like they’re doing anything at all. This, of course, ignores that they’re people like anyone else. Something the masses generally tend to do on reflex.

. . Regardless, the power they have makes them insanely valuable to various governments and especially the megacorporations, who stop at nothing to get their hands on every technopath they can find through whatever methods get the job done. They use them as weapons, volunteer test subjects, lab rats, and even murder and dissect them. The goal is, as ever, to figure out exactly how technopathy works, how to reproduce it, and (for the megacorps) how to monetize it. The brutal insensitivity to sentient life and its rights is, as always, par for the course. Nothing unexpected here. Until the Summerisle Incident, which brought the problem out of the shadows and into the light. Now the Nega Corps and Nobellian Federation (the non-corrupt sections, even) are paying attention. Young adolescents (at least outside of the Unclaimed Regions) are no longer being kidnapped off the street, murdered to prevent such a kidnapping, or the unholy combination of the two. Because even a techopath’s reasonably intact corpse still had research value.

. . Somewhat long tangent aside, Mirage is an example of a technopath trained in combat instead of the usual “mighty mind, weak body” stereotype. His ability to link to the infoweb is and speak with anything connected to it is absolutely bog standard, as is the quickness of his mind and his ability to see the infoweb connections all around him (and what they’re doing). It is the rest that speaks of significant combat training and experience. A minor alternation to his personal infoweb connection gives him his own personal heads up display. Said display uses the computing power o the infoweb to deliver real time combat analytics, increasing his attack accuracy, evasion, and reaction time. His ability to take control of or shut down technology isn’t unusual, per se. However, he’s stronger than the average technopath with both, and can work around unexpected resistance with greater ease than that average technopath. Additionally, that average technopath would have to give verbal commands to the device they’ve taken control of, and can only deactivate one device at a time. Mirage can do the former mentally, and can shut down a full area of technology. It is the other two of his actively used technopathic powers that show off his combat training and experience. The average technopath wouldn’t even think of reprogramming a device so it keeps obeying them once they’ve departed the area. And while most can look through video cameras and the like, they forget to shield their own senses and rarely think to extend their range outside of their neighborhood. Mirage’s range reaches the average distance Earth is from it’s moon, and it requires sensitive, specialized equipment to detect his presence.

. . His devices are simple enough. A wardrobe full of discreetly armored clothing that’s stronger against blaster fire. An Edgerunner Communicator with its long range radio and universal translator. And a partially silenced Heavy Blaster, because sometimes it’s simpler just to shoot people instead of hack something. Many techopaths can forget this. Not Mirage.

. . Tactically, Mirage is nothing special. He’s just a guy with a Heavy Blaster. No feinting. No demoralizing. No Accurate, All Out, Defensive, or Power Attacking. His strengths aren’t on the physical battlefield; they’re in information gathering, computer hacking, and general tech support. Between Contacts, a +5 INT bonus, Eidetic Memory, Online Research, and Well Informed there is precious little he doesn’t know or can’t find out shortly. Consider him Mr. Exposition for matters that aren’t covered under History (that’s Esme), Tactics (that’s Tetsukaze), Arcane Lore (that’s Zima), or Pop Culture (that’s Roxy). That’s a pretty damn long list. With that said, Deactivate Technology can switch off cybernetics almost at will, and Sensor Network is as useful scouting for a group as it is for an individual. Control Technology and Reprogramming’s uses are generally outside of combat, as stated. Though there is nothing like turning the giant fucking battle drone who just smacked Tetsukaze through a wall against its owners. Heh. He does have a handful of power stunts. A beefy enough flying drone could serve as a Transport Platform for the whole group. Flight with Affects Others and Burst Area. He’s used Sensor Masking in the past for the Edgerunners. Concealment (all senses) with Affects Others and Burst Area, but Limited (to technology). And Bricking, which is for just destroying technology. Damage with Alt Save (Will) and Range 2 (perception) but Limited (to technology).

Personality: Mirage is, in many ways, a typical member of the mercenary outlaw trade. You know, except for the whole…technopath…thing. He’s a consummate professional, fully capable of shooting people in the face for money. He wouldn’t enjoy it, but whatever keeps body and soul together. He’s not cynical, just a little jaded despite his relatively young age. Except when it comes to the sort of passionate idealism he used to have. He’s not, like, nasty to people who have it, but he has no love for “heroes”. The real deal is a different thing. He can respect someone who’s taken a good hard look at this cruel, shitty universe and still decided to do something good and worthwhile. But anyone with grandiose plans to “change the universe for the better” or “save X minority group for their systemic oppression” is at best a naïve idiot and at worst a dangerous lunatic capable of killing as many people as they deem necessary. He’ll have no part of that. Not again.

. . He doesn’t regret what he did. Regret implies he wishes it didn’t happen or that he didn’t do it. This isn’t exactly true. Because Mr. Charismatic Leader’s plan (may he eventually rot in a suitably awful afterlife) kind of worked. Nbody throws rocks in the street at techopaths anymore. No more amateur hunters. Only the pros. If one can’t get respect from the masses, fear will suffice. He does, however, wish that the price of this had not been so dear. Millions of lives, plus the self-respect and ability to sleep soundly of one Free Sionil technopath. But you know, if he was sent back to the moment…knowing what it would cost…he might well do it all over again. Because while the price may have been high, and he may hate that with a furious intensity…he can certainly live with it. Oh, yes. He can live with it. If it means that the next generation of technopaths won’t grow up afraid of revealing the slightest hint of their powers for fear of losing their lives or freedom…he can live with it. If it means that no technopath will ever be disaffected, alienated, and angry enough to do what he (may he, too, eventually rot in a suitably awful afterlife) did to all those people, by the gods to those fucking babies…he absolutely can live with it.

. . This makes him sound, well…pretty damn awful. He won’t deny it. He’s a bad man, but he ain’t that pretty. Heh. He doesn’t expect forgiveness or even understanding. He doesn’t even talk about it. Because part of him is still angry. Part of him is still not satisfied. Part of him is still damn angry. Part of him cheered wildly at the demise of so many of his oppressors, and thrilled to their lamentations. But unlike Amina (may she, three, eventually rot in a suitably awful afterlife), that part of him doesn’t get to sit in the driver’s seat. The last time he so much as listened to it, millions died. Children. Gods help him, babies. He doesn’t have the strength to endure something like that again.

. . So. He’s just a guy who works with a crew and does his job. He’s cordial to his coworkers, backs them up when they need it, and tries to be a good friend when they need that. Jury’s still out on how well he’s doing at the friend part. Everything else was buried in the past behind him when he walked away. He’s just your typical mercenary outlaw, except for he’s also a technopath. He’s a consummate professional. And nothing else.
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Edgerunners Complete! Not On Break!

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Just, you know. Gonna work on the Brits and Canadians a bit more, especially the former. More entries in a little while.
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Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: Edgerunners! Esme! Tetsukaze! Zima! Roxy Jett! Geojang! Mirage!)

Post by EternalPhoenix »

Heroes of Britain on Saturday. Specifically, The Knight Family. Look forward to it.
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Re: The Phoenixverse (A 2e OC 'verse; Newest: Edgerunners! Esme! Tetsukaze! Zima! Roxy Jett! Geojang! Mirage!)

Post by Davies »

I am, [British understatement]just a bit[/British understatement].
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Heroes of Britain

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Heroes of Britain

Overview

. . The United Kingdom has never had a proper superhero team, and even established groups have proven to be rare, with the only major group currently operating being the Knight Family. This is partly due to the UK being smaller in both geography and population than the United States (arguably the nexus of heroics since the Mystery Men Era). Less ground to cover and less people to do it. The other reasons are Big Ben, the periodic appearances of Keaira, and whoever was The Knight at the time. Anything large scale, Ben could likely handle on his own. When he couldn’t Keaira showed up. Anything more moderate The Knight handled. It’s not like there weren’t other heroes helping and doing good work throughout the nation, however with those three on the job there has never been any need for any large scale banding together. His/Her Majesty’s Government has also…gently discouraged…such a thing. It’s much easier to keep track of and guide a relative handful of independent heroes than any super teams or groups. In the modern age, this gentle control is beginning to fracture primarily thanks to the ever inspirational Sir Randall Knight. He is effectively uncontrollable with such gentle methods, as men of strong convictions always are. Not much can be done about him for multiple reasons. The respect he has in Britain’s hero community, especially with Ben and Keaira. His wife Morgan’s corporation is a critical part of the British economy. And he’s apparently favored of mythical Avalon, as the Knight Family is now operating three of the legendary armors. Crusader, Templar, and the original Knight. Where Hospitaller (no, not the rookie hero, though her choosing that name is…concerning) and Cavalier are is not known to Her Majesty’s Government.

. . A cultural note. North American heroes were heavily influenced by the first Starman and his no kill rule, so nobody there who genuinely calls their self a superhero ever kills anyone. Starman had an influence across the sea, too, but it was a little less. It’s not considered a moral failing for heroes to kill in Britain (and indeed throughout Europe) when the circumstances are dire enough. Such as in direct defense of a significant amount of lives or the villain in question simply can’t be stopped in any other way. This does not mean that most British heroes are killers. Far from it. Most ofthem aren’t, as it is seen as part of a hero’s job to avoid those situations if they can. With that said, of the heroes in this section there are a few are both willing and have gone that far. Crusader (Sir Randall Knight), Templar (Daniel Page), and Keaira, Princess of Avalon are known to kill if the circumstances dictate its necessity. It is, as stated, an absolute last resort. If it comes down to it, however, those three do not and have never hesitated.

. . Well. At any rate, Britain’s hero scene appears to be on the rise. In addition to Ben, Keaira, and the Knight Family, several other heroes have debuted in the last decade. Some quite recently like Yeoman, Hospitaller, and Gumshoe. Some a few years ago like Tattoo. And some several years ago, like Paragon, Umbrella Queen, and Nisse.

The Knight Family
Crusader (Sir Randall Knight) (posted in the Icons entries here)
Lady Alchemist (Morgan Knight)
Lady Knight (Emily Knight)
The Alchemist Knight (Sophie Knight)
Templar (Daniel Page)

UQ Trio
Umbrella Queen (Siobhanna)
Nisse (Alwyn Kendrick)
Tattoo (Josephine "Finn" Kent)

Other British Heroes
Big Ben (Benjamin Prestwich)
Keaira, Princess of Avalon
Paragon (Syed Nawaz)
Yeoman (Joshua Birch)
Hospitaller (Abigail "Abby" Priest)
Gumshoe (Simon Cooper)
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Lady Alchemist (Morgan Knight)

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Lady Alchemist (Morgan Knight)

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 210/210

STR: +0 (10), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +2 (14), INT: +7 (24), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +1 (12)

Tough: +2/+14, Fort: +5/+8, Ref: +4, Will: +12

Skills: Craft (chemical) 13 (+20), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+10), Diplomacy 4 (+5), Gather Information 4 (+5), Investigate 3 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 8 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 13 (+20), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+10), Language 6 (+6), Notice 8 (+10), Search 3 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10)

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 4, Benefit (Fame (World's Finest Chemist)), Benefit (Status (President of Knight Industries)), Benefit 3 (Wealth (virtually limitless)), Challenge - Improved Fast Work (Craft [chemical]) 2; quarter crafting speed 2, Dodge Focus, Eidetic Memory, Equipment 15, Evasion 2, Improved Critical 2 (Tranquilizer Round (Fatigue 6)), Improvised Tools, Inventor, Luck 3, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Second Chance (Craft (chemical) checks for Inventor), Second Chance (KN (phy sci) checks for Inventor), Skill Mastery (Craft (chemical & mechanical), KN (physical science & technology)), Teamwork 2, Ultimate Effort (Craft (chemical) checks), Ultimate Effort (KN (phys sci) checks), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

Powers:
Alchemist's Coat (Device 6) (Hard to lose)
. . Chemically Treated Fabric (Protection 12) (+12 Toughness)
. . Grenade Proofing (Enhanced Trait 2) (Feats: Evasion 2)
. . Hat & Goggles (Immunity 5) (dazzle effects; Limited - Half Effect)
. . One Sturdy Coat (Super-Strength 2) (+10 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 400 lbs; +2 STR to some checks; Limited (to Carrying Capacity))
. . Slippery Outer Fabric (Immunity 5) (entrapment)
. . Sticky Gloves & Boots (Super-Movement 3) (slow fall, wall-crawling 1 (half speed), water walking)

Alchemist's Grenade Satchel (Device 9) (Hard to lose)
. . Alchemical Grenades (Array 18) (default power: snare)
. . . . Acid Grenade (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Secondary Effect)
. . . . Adhesive Grenade (Snare 9) (Default; DC 19; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Regenerating)
. . . . Flash Bang Grenade (Dazzle 9) (Array; affects: 1 type + visual, DC 19; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General))
. . . . Healing Tonic (Healing 9) (Array; DC 19; Action (standard), Restoration)
. . . . Neural Reset Grenade (Stun 9) (Array; DC 19; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Range (ranged))
. . . . Noise Cancelling Smoke Grenade (Obscure 6) (Array; affects: 1 type + visual, Radius: 250 ft.; Duration (continuous), Selective Attack, Total Fade; Fades)
. . . . Shock Gel Grenade (Paralyze 9) (Array; DC 19; Alternate Save (Fortitude), Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Range (ranged))
. . . . Stink Bomb (Nauseate 9) (Array; DC 19; Cloud Area (45 ft. diameter, lingers - General), Range (ranged))
. . . . Very High Explosives (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Burst Area (30-450 ft. radius - General); Progression, Decrease Area 3 (-3 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 3 (area x10), Triggered 2 (any trigger))

Alchemist's Tranquilizer Rifle (Device 6) (Easy to lose)
. . Tranquilizer Round (Fatigue 6) (DC 16, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Tranquilizer Round (Fatigue 6)); Range (ranged), Secondary Effect; Accurate 2 (+4), Precise, Subtle (subtle))

Enhanced Biochemistry (Linked)
. . Enhanced Trait 3 (Linked; Traits: Fortitude +3 (+8))
. . Immunity 9 (Linked; life support; Limited - Half Effect)
. . Regeneration 3 (Linked; recovery bonus 3 (+3 to recover); Regrowth)

World's Finest Chemist (Quickness 6) (Perform routine tasks at 100x speed; One Task (Inventor Design Checks))

Equipment: Knight Family Car (example), Knight Family Estate, Knight Family Helicopter (example)

Attack Bonus: +4 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +4, Grapple: +4/+6)

Attacks: Acid Grenade (Blast 9) (DC 24), Adhesive Grenade (Snare 9) (DC Ref/Staged 19), Flash Bang Grenade (Dazzle 9) (DC Fort/Ref 19), Neural Reset Grenade (Stun 9) (DC Fort/Staged 19), Shock Gel Grenade (Paralyze 9) (DC Fort/Staged 19), Stink Bomb (Nauseate 9) (DC Fort/Staged 19), Tranquilizer Round (Fatigue 6), +12 (DC Fort 16), Unarmed Attack, +4 (DC 15), Very High Explosives (Blast 9) (DC 24)

Defense: +4 (Flat-footed: +2), Knockback: -7

Initiative: +1

Languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, German, Russian, Spanish

Totals: Abilities 26 + Skills 19 (76 ranks) + Feats 43 + Powers 92 + Combat 14 + Saves 16 + Drawbacks 0 = 210

*****************************************************************************************

Knight Family Estate

Power Level: 9; Equipment Points Spent: 26

Toughness: +20

Features: Communications, Computer, Defense System, Fire Prevention System, Garage, Gym, Hangar, Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Personnel, Pool, Power System, Security System 3, Workshop

Size: Colossal

Totals: Abilities 0 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 18 + Powers 0 + Combat 5 + Saves 3 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 26

*****************************************************************************************

Knight Family Car (example)

Power Level: 9; Equipment Points Spent: 30

STR: +15 (40)

Toughness: +15

Features: Alarm 3, Caltrops, Navigation System 2, Oil Slick, Remote Control, Smokescreen

Powers:
Jump Jets (Leaping 3) (Jumping distance: x10)
Sticky Tires (Super-Movement 1) (wall-crawling 1 (half speed))
Superfuel Engine (Speed 6) (Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd)

Defense: -2, Size: Huge

Totals: Abilities 2 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 9 + Powers 11 + Combat 2 + Saves 6 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 30

*****************************************************************************************

Knight Family Helicopter (example)

Power Level: 9; Equipment Points Spent: 19

STR: +12 (35)

Toughness: +10

Features: Navigation System 2, Remote Control

Powers:
Superfuel Engine (Flight 6) (Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd)

Defense: -2, Size: Huge

Totals: Abilities 1 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 3 + Powers 12 + Combat 2 + Saves 1 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 19

Age (as of Jan 2019): 49 (chronological), 28 (biological)
Height: 5’ 6”
Weight: 115 lbs
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Base of Operations: London, England, United Kingdom

Theme Song: Fortunate, by Zach B featuring Sailorurlove

Background: Morgan Jones was, well, nobody. Just another lower middle class girl. Everything about her was totally ordinary, except for one thing. She wasn’t particularly athletic. She wasn’t particularly acrobatic. She wasn’t particularly pretty. She was just a face in the crowd. Except for that one thing. She was, indisputably and unmistakably, a genius. Not a regular genius, either, but standing at the pinnacle of human intellect. The United Kingdom is extremely reluctant to have any students skip grades, no matter how well they’re doing. So Morgan stayed in her age group all the way throughout her compulsory schooling and education. She absolutely aced her GCSE exams and all four of her A Levels (Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, & Physical Science). This got her admitted on a scholarship to the University of Cambridge’s Department of Chemistry, living in Murray Edwards College. Fortunately, Cambridge is a bit more flexible than the English public school system, and Morgan was able to accelerate her education. Because the young woman was carrying pretty big dreams for a supposed nobody, and she was falling in love.

. . Rewind to six years prior, when she was 12 years old. 1982. The massive invasion of Kuros The Conqueror, in which the world’s heroes all teamed up with the USA’s Champions of Justice to ultimately defeat it. Young Morgan wasn’t silly enough to think she could have made a difference on the front lines this time or next time. To make a long story much shorter, she found the world’s chemical infrastructure woefully inadequate. Fuels, armor, medicines, etc. Not. Good. Enough. She could do better. She would do better. And so, two years later at age 14, she debuted at the superheroine Alchemist Girl to test her chemical inventions on the battlefield. The redebut of Sir Randall Knight as the fourth Knight after his father’s death had nothing to do with it. She had not met either man at the time, and Sir Sheldon Knight had not been well liked. She actually met Sir Randall a few years later. The Knight and Alchemist Girl teamed up for the first time. Randall was a perfect gentleman (he was keenly aware of being significantly older than the young heroine), and Morgan found her heart twitch for a boy for the very first time. They teamed up several more times before she was off to Cambridge. She didn’t want to stop seeing him, so she told him who she was and invited him to visit her at university. What followed was something quite old fashioned and courtly, as a friendship (on Randall’s end) evolved into something more.

. . Randall and Morgan were married two years into her university education (in 1990), and Emily was born in 1991. Alchemist Girl changed names to Lady Alchemist in response. The following year, three things happened. Morgan started racking up advanced degrees from her accelerated studies. She started Knight Industries, her chemical company. And Kuros came back for revenge. With Emily still a baby, Morgan was stuck caring for her during the brief bit of excitement before Nick Phoenix swatted the invasion and Kuros aside like annoying insects. Once Emily was old enough to not need her mother around almost constantly, Lady Alchemist was back in business. Morgan’s chemical innovations began to make her fabulously wealthy. And that’s…basically the story. Yes, there was a pause for the birth of Sophie in ’98, and Emily began to accompany her parents on their tamer adventures under the name Miss Page. The death of Starman II in 2001 had no real effect on them.

. . In 2005 Emily got a little alienated, the poor girl, and took the name Lady Knight. She did this became young Daniel Page became the new Squire, and Emily had wanted that for herself. Well, said Morgan, it wasn’t Daniel’s fault. So she welcomed him into the family as if he was her own child. Speaking of, this was also the year Sophie started taking after her mother, becoming the second Alchemist Girl. Ah, Morgan was so very proud. She will, however, admit to being worried about losing Randall after these events. All three of his predecessors as The Knight had died seven years after the debut of their Squire. However, this is not what happened. Instead, in 2012 they went to Glastonbury Tor as a family, succeeded at some challenges and fought some battles (you know, the usual for a hero) and two new armors were revealed. From Knight to Crusader. From Squire to Templar. And, most surprisingly to Morgan, from Alchemist Girl to Alchemist Knight. And in the process, Emily managed to resolve her alienation. Quite lovely, even if Morgan didn’t quite understand all the fuss about choosing the sword or the shield. And again, that’s basically the story. She’s the matriarch of the Knight Family and the World’s Finest Chemist. She has a lovely husband, three wonderful children (one of whom isn’t so, legally speaking, but that’s irrelevant to Morgan), and a thriving multibillion dollar business. What else is there to be said, really?

. . Well, there is one thing. You know all those heroes with higher tier gear than is normally commercially available? That they couldn’t have possibly made themselves? Those are Morgan Knight designs. Lady Alchemist is the most prominent source for armor and non lethal munitions that one can’t buy at the store. For repeat customers who have earned her trust, she doesn’t even charge for the work. Knight Industries, her company, is also the primary source of power nullification drugs and serums. Metahumans are easy. Each of their types of powers works in the same way. Mutants require something custom made to their biology. If they’re still biological in nature. Magicians can be kept in check with an agent that disrupts their ability to fully concentrate. Cyborgs or those with divine powers she refers the client to the Baroness Valia. Her nullification devices are more effective but much more expensive because Valia is only ever helpful when it suits her purposes.

Powers & Tactics: Lady Alchemist had no superhuman powers before she enhanced her own biochemistry with an experimental serum. However, she is a genius chemist and skilled mechanical engineer with three unique devices. Her enhancements to her biochemistry basically just increase her bodily integrity and resistance to environmental hazards like mundane diseases, poisons, heat, cold, and a lack of oxygen. She could probably give herself much more potent superpowers, but mutation is…unpredictable, at best. She’d really rather not accidently turn into something inhuman. She very much likes being human. So instead she has her devices.

. . On that subject, the starting point is her Tranquilizer Rifle. It is highly accurate, silenced, and rarely fails to render targets unconscious or virtually too sleepy to function properly. That is, if they’re not superhuman in powers or training. Then its effectiveness is chancier. She refuses to make it any stronger, as it’s quite easy to accidently kill with narcotics and other sleep inducing agents, actually. So she won’t be doing that, no.

. . Moving on, there is her Grenade Satchel. This is as literal a name as the last. Though none of the grenades in question are available for sale anywhere. Not even from her. She’s got powerful acid, self repairing adhesives, flash bangs, electrical stunning, electrical paralysis, truly nasty stink bombs, and very powerful explosives in the Satchel. The remaining two, however, are not offensive weapons but genuinely ingenious support gear. After all, most would not expect her smoke grenades to also absorb all sound in their area of effect. And the healing tonics virtually invoke Clarke’s Law. It is the chemical formula she most closely guards, as a few ounces of ingested liquid can cause any living creature to instantly heal their worst injury, be it from violence, disease, or poison.

. . The last is her Alchemist’s Coat. Coat is a bit of a misnomer, as it comes with a hat and goggles that increase her resistance to having her senses dazzled, and sticky gloves and boots that allow her to blunt falls, climb walls, and literally walk on water. The coat part itself is better armored than most tanks, is structured so that her carrying capacity is literally quadrupled with it on, and the outer fabric is virtually frictionless (meaning she cannot be grappled or bound in any way, as they simply slide off). The last thing it does is increase her ability to avoid area of effect attacks.

. . Though Randall was the original sole owner, as a married couple they own the Knight Family Estate together. And it’s her money that keeps it, the cars, and the helicopters the family uses to get to parts of the UK that aren’t London. It’s also her money that buys the new ones once they inevitably get broken because supervillains have no respect for personal property.

. . Tactically, well. Lady Alchemist has a lot of options. Her Tranquilizer Rifle and Adhesive Grenades can make short work of most opposition when operating alone or nearly so. For group combat, the aforementioned is still Plan A, but she’ll layer in Flash Bangs, Neural Reset Grenades, Shock Gel Grenades, and Stink Bombs. She does not ever use Acid Grenades or Very High Explosives on living beings or where they could cause a lot of unnecessary property damage. Healing Tonics work both on her and any allies she might have. With that said, she’s also shockingly poor of a fighter for a hero with her decades of experience. So she relies entirely on her Devices. There’s no feinting, no demoralizing, no moving her caps around, nothing. Due to the size of the array in her grenade satchel (9 settings!) she very rarely power stunts. I have saved Inventor for last, because what she can do is wild stuff. Under normal, not pressured circumstances, she can take 20 and design a 30 point chemical Invention in 5 hours. This would take just about anyone else 500 hours. And then she can use Ultimate Craft (chemical) to hit the construction check target, and Improved Fast Work 2 to slash the usual construction time of 120 hours to a mere 30 hours. A grand total of 35 hours from start of design to finished Invention where anyone else with her skill would need 620 hours to do it. And this assumes she doesn’t use her Second Chance (Craft) feat with Jury Rigging to whip out a 15 point chemical Invention in a minute and a half. World’s Finest Chemist, indeed.

Personality: How to put this? Morgan is basically a benevolent mad scientist. No, seriously. She’s always been a little eccentric, and her grip on reality and what’s actually possible is a bit…looser…than most people’s. Additionally she shows several symptoms of having autism and ADHD. The world outside of her lab can effectively disappear for her at times. During these periods of hyperfixation she can forget to dress, wash, or even eat. These are also the times when she’s at her most brilliant and wildly creative as a chemist, so it is merely a double edged sword instead of potentially a liability. So most people who meet her have trouble believing that she’s THE Morgan Knight. Surely someone so brilliant couldn’t be so…eccentric.

. . She’s a cheerful, upbeat, and optimistic woman…who’s prone to rambling on about things irrelevant to the current topic of conversation and making rather baffling and dramatic leaps of logic that most who haven’t learned how her mind works simply can’t follow. She’s just a weirdo who oscillates from hilarious to pathetic to terrifying often enough make people wonder why she’s allowed to walk around alone in public…until it’s time for serious business. Because while her personality and habits may be strange, there is an incredible genius intellect in there, with a strength of will that makes steel look soft and a warm, compassionate heart to rival any other hero in the world.
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EternalPhoenix
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Lady Knight (Emily Knight)

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Lady Knight (Emily Knight)

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 195/195

STR: +3 (16), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +6/+9, Ref: +12, Will: +9

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 7 (+10), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Intimidate 12 (+15), Investigate 7 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 2 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 7 (+10), Knowledge (streetwise) 12 (+15), Knowledge (tactics) 12 (+15), Language 2 (+2), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Search 7 (+10), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 12 (+15)

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Attack Specialization 2 (Compound Bow (Blast 3)), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Startle, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 1, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Block, Improved Critical 2 (Sword (Strike 3)), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trick, Lionheart, Luck 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Quick Change, Quick Draw, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Intimidate, Notice, Stealth), Startle, Stunning Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Teamwork 3, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Weapon Bind

Powers:
Archaic Arsenal (Device 2) (Easy to lose; Custom (Multiple Weapons))
. . Archaic Arsenal (Array 5) (default power: strike; Custom (Array 4.5))
. . . . Compound Bow (Blast 3) (Array; DC 21; Mighty 3 (+3 to damage))
. . . . Sword (Strike 3) (Default; DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Sword (Strike 3)); Penetrating; Mighty)

Avalonian Training (Container, Passive 1)
. . Flash Step (Teleport 2) (200 ft. as move action; Limited (to places she can physically reach); Subtle (subtle))
. . Longspringer (Leaping 1) (Jumping distance: x2)
. . Longstrider (Speed 1+2) ([Stacking ranks: +2], Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd)

Concealed Body Armor (Device 3) (Hard to lose)
. . Concealed Kevlar Weave (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Quick Change; Subtle (subtle))
. . Grapple Harness (Linked)
. . . . Speed 2 (Linked; Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd; Stacks with (Longstrider (Speed 1+2)))
. . . . Super-Movement 4 (Linked; slow fall, swinging, wall-crawling 2 (full speed))

Enhanced Biochemistry (Linked)
. . Enhanced Trait 3 (Linked; Traits: Fortitude +3 (+9))
. . Immunity 9 (Linked; life support; Limited - Half Effect)

Equipment: Mission Specific Equipment 5

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +12, Grapple: +15)

Attacks: Compound Bow (Blast 3), +12 (DC 21), Sword (Strike 3), +12 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 18)

Defense: +12 (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -3

Initiative: +7

Languages: English Native, French, Polish

Totals: Abilities 36 + Skills 33 (132 ranks) + Feats 42 + Powers 32 + Combat 34 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 195

Age (as of Jan 2019): 28
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 130 lbs
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Base of Operations: London, England, United Kingdom

Theme Song: Spark, by Zach B featuring McGwire

Background: Emily Knight spent half of her life wanting to be The Squire with all of her heart and soul. Then she spent another quarter of it hating the dammed armor for picking someone else and being angry with her father for allowing it. She was an angry, bitter person. And she’s spent the most recent quarter being a better person instead. That is the short and simple explanation of her life. Of course, as everyone ought to know, explaining someone’s life in short and simple terms misses a hell of a lot. Like what it was like being the firstborn child of one of the most famous people in Britain. She was never merely Emily. She was The Heir To The Knight Legacy. To be clear, she never found this a burden. She was quite proud of her father. Still is, actually. This isn’t one of those stories, where the weight of being the successor crushes the poor heir. On the contrary, it was the source of much of her self-worth and self-esteem. It didn’t give her a swelled head and make her a brat. Once again, on the contrary. If she was to be worth of someday being The Squire, and fighting by her father’s side…if she was to someday become the fifth Knight…she had to act like it. So she tried to be the most polite, courteous, and well behaved little girl one could ever meet. Of course, this didn’t particularly endear her to other children. No one likes a suckup. But it was worth it, because one day she’d be The Squire. She had a critical misunderstanding. The one that, in time, would drive a wedge between her and her father.

. . For now, however, she could at last take up the spear and armor of Miss Page. It wasn’t like her mother and father took her into battle with murderous supervillains. Heavens, no. She was seven. She could defend herself to a degree, yes, but she was a child. She had school and various mind expanding extracurriculars. She remembers the adventures they went on very fondly. How many other children got to visit other realities or play with Fae children? Not many, that’s who. So it was good. She was even helpful on occasion, instead of just along for the ride. The best quarter of her life, aside from the ending. School was actually even less fun than before. No one likes a suckup, after all. The more maturely she tried to deal with things, the more her schoolmates seemed to hate her. Not all of them, of course. Even as children, people are wide and varied. Suffice it to say she was a very polarizing figure, and she had her own coterie of suckups. She was one of those girls. Apparently good at everything. Very helpful to everyone. Benevolence personified. Well, more or less. She was still a child, after all. Elementary school wasn’t so bad, but the pre-teen to teenage years, well…she could deal with the violent ones and ignore childish insults. Legitimate social exclusion, however, stung. School social hierarchies aren’t so different from adult ones. Other girls were thinking about romance, fashion, music, and pop culture. They cut loose. Had fun. Emily was preparing for life as The Squire. Making absolutely sure that she was as worthy as possible. She was driven and serious in a way that many young girls simply aren’t. And, well, part of being worthy was allowing no injustice to stand. A stick in the mud, pain in the ass goodie two shoes. Obnoxious in her commitment to virtue and doing her best at all times. The type kids will generally think are acting like they’re better than everyone else. Whether that’s true or not is irrelevant. So, by the time she was 14, she had no friends and her social calendar was completely bare. And there was some venomous hatred for her among some of her peers. Ah, teenage insecurities and juvenile misunderstandings. But it was worth it. It was worth it. Because she was going to be The Squire. A hero. A champion of justice, if one will pardon the wordplay. And then that didn’t happen. That dammed armor chose wimpy Daniel Page, and in the process, shattered her world. Because she was still wrong. That thing she misunderstood drove that wedge between her and her father. She tossed away the spear and armor of Miss Page, and took up the sword and bow of Lady Knight.

. . This wasn’t merely childish rebellion. This was anger, bitterness, confusion, and a broken heart. She had worked so hard, given up so much, and endured so many hardships. For what? Well then, to hell with Daniel Page. To hell with that dammed armor. And to hell with Sir Randall Knight. She didn’t need any of them to pursue justice. She had weapons. She had training. She could do it by herself. Miss Page was her parents’ sidekick, absolutely. Lady Knight worked alone in the shadows. Yes, the literal teenager went angsty, brooding, and excessively violent anti-hero. How cliché. Even in her personal life, she no longer had any reason to completely behave. To those not privy to the inner workings of the Knight Family, it seemed like she’d finally snapped from the stress of being Little Miss Perfect all the time. Her studies suffered. She missed school days. The teacher’s pet converted into a rowdy delinquent. She turned up with unexplained injuries and slept in class. Sometimes she didn’t turn up at all. Her enemies in school were delighted at her fall and then terrified of how rapid it seemed to be. But in truth? Her moral code never wavered. Lady Knight was violent, yes, but nobody died. She’d simply stopped caring about anything but being the hero she’d always wanted to be. So she was out late every night. Sometimes that entailed partying with shady individuals who neither knew nor cared how old she was to get information. Sometimes that entailed bringing a sword and a bow to a gunfight. The daughter of billionaire Morgan Knight didn’t need to go to university. So she could commit full time to stabbing criminals and supervillains with sharp metal objects. It wasn’t exactly spiraling downward, but anger and bitterness fade. She was beginning not to care even about justice and merely go through the motions. Sooner or later she was going to get herself killed. Because she still, at age 21, did not know the difference between the sword and the shield. And thus did not know why she had been found so unworthy despite all of her efforts.

. . Emily only came along to Glasonbury Tor because her mother asked. The invitation was for the entire Knight Family. Fine, Mum. I’ll put up with Father and Daniel for a bit. For you. She did not expect to succeed in the trials they were faced with, and she was not surprised when she was again found unworthy of the new armors. Her father got the superior Crusader armor. Daniel got the superior Templar armor. Yes, yes, pat the chosen good boys on the back. Whatever. What surprised her was her younger sister Sophie getting to be the new Knight. This led to a blazing argument with Avalon’s Marshal-At-Arms in which her misunderstanding was finally cleared up. The sword, you see, is an avenger. It seeks out evil and destroys it. It can ultimately protect nothing, for it is a weapon. The shield, by contrast, is a guardian. It stays with and protects those evil would harm. However, it has trouble attacking, for it is a defensive tool and not a weapon. Neither is wrong, per se. With that said, a knight by the Avalonian definition is a servant and protector of the people. Someone who favors the shield over the sword. Emily had spent her entire life training and then being the opposite, much like her paternal ancestors Emerson and Cedric. She could change her ways now, true, but that would be out of self interest and not genuine belief. Plus she had a bit too much pride, anyway. Still…how to put it? Finally knowing why someone else had been chosen was a weight off of her shoulders. It wasn’t Daniel’s, her father’s, or even that damned armor’s fault. Not really. She was the one who had the wrong idea. She was the one who never asked about her father’s ideology and just assumed. She wasn’t even unworthy as a human being. Just as an Avalonian armored knight. Which, as the Marshal-At-Arms pointed out, was not the only valid way to be a hero. After all, a shield functioned best when paired with a sword, yes?

. . It was freeing, actually. The past seven years have been the best of Emily’s life. Regularly teaming with her sister or Daniel. Being the contact point for the “UQ Trio” of Umbrella Queen, Nisse, and (later) Tattoo. Oh, she’s still living up to the anti-hero archetype, but it’s calculated and practical now. Nobody, realistically speaking, is afraid of anyone in the Knight Family. Except her. Randall & Daniel are very honorable men. They’ll kick lots of ass, and even kill if the villain in question forces the issue, but ultimately there’s no reason to fear what they might do. Morgan has crossed some lines to protect her family, but she’s also a rigidly ethical scientist who’s never knowingly harmed anyone. And the idea of soft little Sophie scaring anyone ever Emily finds absolutely hilarious. Her family is full of very nice people, really. Full of compassion and the milk of human kindness. Emily is not. She’s been through it a bit, and she’s seen some shit in the process. Organized crime, from the suits on top to the street gangs at the bottom, is not full of people who’ve learned the value of mercy and compassion. Supervillains can be worse. Operative word being “can”. They aren’t always or even most of the time. So, Emily is the one they have to worry about having visit them in their bedroom at night. You know, for a cuppa and a chat. All friendly like. Savvy? Though if she’s being honest, it’s not particularly chivalrous behavior. So she’s considering a name change. What is the British equivalent of a ninja, anyway?

Powers & Tactics: Lady Knight has no superhuman powers, except that bit from the serum her mother gave her a while back. Said serum enhanced her biochemistry, making her more resistant to uh…everything. But especially environmental concerns, disease, poison, and suffocation. Useful. Thanks, Mum. Otherwise she uses one technological device and a set of two archaic weapons. The weapons are a sword and a bow. The bow is a modern design. The sword is not. But they’re both just weapons. The device is her armor. It’s not much different than a mundane bulletproof vest, except for the grapple harness built into it. It lets her swing around London or wherever, rapidly ascend walls, and catch herself when falling. Lastly, there is her Avalonian training from the Marshal-At-Arms. She runs a bit faster, jumps a bit higher, but the main event is the Flash Step. For just a instant, she can move at the speed of light. She can’t go very far (only 200 feet), and she can’t go through anything (like walls, locked doors, or over open canyons) that she couldn’t normally. But it’s still kind of badass.

. . Tactically, Lady Knight fights with a sword in melee and a bow at range. That’s it. Very uncomplicated. It’s everywhere else that she’s got a lot going on. She is a movement god. Running, swinging, and Flash Stepping all over the battlefield. Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Improved Demoralize, Improved Trick, and Improved Startle are on deck. Defensive Attack to protect herself, Move by Action to stay mobile, and Power Attack to do more damage when needed. Improved Aim is useful for those longer bow shots from Stealth. Set Up lets her be a team player on demand. Stunning Attack is more polite violence. And Takedown Attack 2 makes her a minion slashing machine. She does not power stunt.

Personality: What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore and then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load? Or does it explode? -Harlem, by Langston Hughes.

. .Lady Knight is kind of, uh, terrifying. If you’ve never met Emily Knight out of costume, anyway. She seems more like a masked force of nature than a human being. With no powers or extraordinary devices, she puts a lot of effort into having a fearsome reputation. So yes, she’s cut off fingers, ears, toes, etc. Occasionally her opponents need emergency medical attention to uh, not die. Indeed, she’s the type to cut a man down, then bandage his wounds and call him an ambulance and stay until they take him away. Her reputation isn’t fearsome because she’s a killer. It’s fearsome because killing her enemies is the one thing she won’t do to them. Again, this is reputation. She lightly maims a guy here, and partially cripples a man there, and it’s remembered that she’s capable of that. It’s not something she enjoys or something that happens all that often. Just often enough to keep criminals (that suspicious and cowardly lot) on their toes. And honestly, you don’t need that hand anyway, Mr. Paedophile. “Technically, it’s ephibo-“ Oh, are you saying you don’t want the other one either?

. . Emily Knight, on the other hand (if you’ll pardon the wordplay), well…she’s a very driven woman. Some would say she’s arrogant, but is it arrogance to know your worth and insist upon it? Is it really having a chip on your shoulder if you’re really as good as you say you are? If you really work as hard as you say you do? You’re goddamned right she has something to prove. She’s only member of the family who isn’t a genius or “worthy”. She’s the only one who isn’t special in some way. Part of her is and forever will be that 14 year old girl who had worked her entire life for something that was casually given to someone else. Part of her will always be stuck in that moment, feeling betrayed by the entire universe. Learning that effort, sacrifice, and desire by themselves are sometimes not enough is a brutal lesson, and before God it still hurts her. Part of her is and forever will be that 14 year old girl who cried herself to sleep over how unfair it was.

. . By the same token, part of her is and will forever be that same 14 year old girl who woke up the next morning and decided all of that could go directly to hell. If nobody would make her special, she’d do it for herself. And, of course, this angry, angsty rebellion was just as pointless as her prior hard work. Nobody cared, and she was only hurting people (her father and Daniel, mainly, but her mother and Sophie a little too) who didn’t deserve it. In the end she was nothing more than a spoiled little girl throwing a tantrum out of sheer entitlement. She was the one who’d never asked what it took to be The Squire. She was the one who simply assumed it would be hers if she worked hard. And then she was the one who got mad when the fantasy she’d built up in her head turned out not to be reality. All the hurt, anger, and confusion was her own dumbass fault. What else could she do but laugh? And also cry. Because it hurt. It hurt a lot. Righteous self-images shattered tends to hurt like a bastard. She is in this, ironically enough, her mother’s daughter. One’s failures are not what matters, says Morgan Knight, it is what you learn from the experience. The implicit assumption being that of course you’ll try again. So Emily Knight picked herself up, dusted herself off, and decided to try to be a better person. ‘Nuff said.
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You, Dear Reader, may comment on any build at any time. I will be happy regardless.
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