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Keaira, Princess of Avalon

 

Power Level: 14; Power Points Spent: 270/270

 

STR: +10 (30), DEX: +5 (20), CON: +4 (-/18), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +5 (20)

 

Tough: +4/+12, Fort: Immune, Ref: +12/+16, Will: +9

 

Skills: Acrobatics 10 (+15), Diplomacy 10 (+15), Intimidate 15 (+20), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 3 (+5), Knowledge (history) 8 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 8 (+10), Language 2 (+2), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 5 (+10)

 

Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Specialization 2 (Grapple), Attack Specialization 2 (Unarmed Attack), Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Startle, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Stone Sword Strike (Strike 4)), Improved Initiative, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Intimidate, Notice, Sense Motive), Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

"Living Stone" (Container, Passive 10)

   Immunity 30 (fortitude saves)

   Protection 8 (+8 Toughness; Impervious)

   Super-Strength 2 (+10 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 3.3k tons; +2 STR to some checks)

Belt of Ogma (Device 4) (Hard to lose)

   Super-Strength 10 (+50 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 3.3k tons; +10 STR to some checks)

Choker of Dian Cécht (Device 😎 (Hard to lose)

   Enhanced Constitution 18 (+18 CON)

   Regeneration 20 (recovery bonus 5 (+5 to recover), recovery rate (bruised) 3 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (disabled) 4 (recover 1 / 5 mins), recovery rate (injured) 4 (recover 1 / round), recovery rate (staggered) 4 (recover 1 / round); Persistent, Regrowth)

Sandals of Lugh (Device 😎 (Hard to lose)

   Enhanced Trait 24 (Traits: Attack Bonus +4 (+14), Defense Bonus +4 (+16), Reflex +4 (+16), Feats: Attack Specialization 2 (Grapple), Attack Specialization 2 (Unarmed Attack))

   Quickness 8 (Perform routine tasks at 500x speed)

   Speed 8 (Speed: 2500 mph, 22000 ft./rnd)

Stone Sword of Goibniu (Device 2) (Easy to lose)

   Stone Sword Strike (Strike 4) (DC 29, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Stone Sword Strike (Strike 4)); Extended Reach (5 ft.), Mighty, Precise, Variable Descriptor (Narrow group - Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing))

 

Attack Bonus: +10/+14 (Ranged: +10/+14, Melee: +10/+14, Grapple: +24/+40)

 

Attacks: Stone Sword Strike (Strike 4), +14 (DC 29), Unarmed Attack, +18 (DC 25)

 

Defense: +12/+16  (Flat-footed: +8), Knockback: -10

 

Initiative: +9

 

Languages: English, Gaelic, Welsh

 

Totals: Abilities 40 + Skills 22 (85 ranks) + Feats 17 + Powers 136 + Combat 42 + Saves 13 + Drawbacks 0 = 270

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 2325+ (chronological), early 20s (appearance)

Height: 6’

Weight: 165 lbs

Ethnicity: Insular Celt

Hair: Ginger

Eyes: Green

Base of Operations: Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

 

Background: A very long time ago. Keaira isn’t sure when, honestly. Pre-Roman Britain. She thinks it was before the Iron Age, but she wouldn’t bet on it. A man lost his village, his sight, and his infant daughter to enemies. The only thing the man had left was his gift for sculpture. So, by touch alone, he carved a twin to his deceased child, and wept bitter tears. Until the gods took pity on him. Not his own pantheon, but the Tuatha de Danann. Or maybe they were his pantheon to begin with. Again, it was a very long time ago and Keaira doesn’t really know. The gods are also silent on the matter. What she does know is that the being now known as the deity Dian Cécht gifted the blind sculptor a choker. This choker, when placed on his new sculpture’s neck, brought it to life. The gods carried both father and child to mysterious and mystical Avalon. This is the tale Keaira’s father tells her about how she was born, and she has never seen any reason to doubt his word.

Like all infants, Keaira grew up into a child and then into a adult. Among apple trees, great healers, and warriors of legendary prowess, in that timeless place, did the young woman of living stone come to adulthood. But the time comes when the young must see more of the world than their home. So she wandered Celtic Britain for a while. Scotland. Wales. Cornwall. Kent. Sussex. Etc. On her journey she met a foreigner, by the name of Pytheas of Massalia (Massalia being present day Marseille, France; this being before surnames existed). He offered to take her with him on his remaining travels. She agreed to accompany him, and did return with him to Massalia, but beyond that the two never met again. She was gone for a very long time, traveling through Europe and West Asia. Curiously, there is no mention of her in Roman sources, meaning she must have either skirted the entire nation or behaved herself in ways she absolutely did not elsewhere. Anecdotal tales of a demigoddess/demonness with hair of literal fire and inhuman green eyes have been originate in what is now eastern Germany, dance through Poland and Eastern Europe to Russia. From there, tales crop up in what is now a bunch of former Soviet republics, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and even western India before they peter out. She was known as a mighty and terrifying warrior whom no weapon could harm and needed none to crush bone even through iron armor. By any definition, a fearsome monster, regardless of her then unknown origins.

But then again, these are anecdotal and difficult to date precisely, for the exact reason that she somehow avoided appearing in Roman records…until 60 CE. It is not known when or how Keaira returned to Britain, but this is the first time she was known by her title. If anyone in the world was as angry as Boudica was at the woman’s mistreatment, it was the Princess of Avalon. Boudica’s revolt was accompanied by a contingent of Avalonian warriors led by Keaira herself. And so the whispered monster from outside Roman lands was arguably key to the temporary success of the uprising. Three settlements sacked and burned. Camulodunum (modern Colchester), Verulamium (a bit southwest of modern St Albans in Hertfordshire), and Londinium (modern London). At least 70,000 Romans and Britons killed. And the indelible image of an enraged Keaira smashing and flinging Roman Legionnaires like toys. Of course, the question now becomes how was Boudica’s uprising ever defeated with an ally like Keaira on her side. The answer is simple. Keaira had wildly exceeded the authority she’d been given. The warriors with her had also gone too far. The whole set was recalled to Avalon and given a stern rebuke. Boudica and her revolt were left to their historical fates.

Evidently, the rebuke wasn’t stern enough. Or perhaps she’d been authorized. A woman matching her description appears in Roman records (specifically the recollections of Roman general Flavius Aetius during his brief eile) at the side of no less than Atilla The Hun. The Romans obviously didn’t know it was the same person as it had been literally over a century, and she wasn’t calling herself the Princess of Avalon at that time. However, a redheaded and green eyed woman who was taller than most of Atilla’s entire alliance kind of stands out. What Keaira says is that he earned her respect and so she helped him out with this and that. She was not present for the Battle of the Catalunian Fields. There were Celts on the opposing side and she refused to fight her own people. The last Aetius speaks of her is a chance meeting after the battle. It was quite a strange encounter. She apologized to him and said she should have killed the other one. She departed after that, and none of his men were able to stop her. She does not appear in Roman records again, be they from the West or the East.

She does not appear again in any records anywhere for quite some time, before Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote in his personal papers of a young man with red hair and green eyes who was of much assistance in finding the old tales that became The History of the Kings of Britain. This young man was referred to Geoffrey by their mutual friend Walter, Archdeacon of Oxford. There was no “very ancient book”. It was this young man who was, apparently, far older than he seemed and had a very good knowledge of the kings of old. Poor Geoffrey could not possibly have known Keira was lying to him about kind of…everything. She wasn’t a man, she wasn’t young, and her stories (while they had sources from earlier writers like Gildas and Bede) were cobbled together from half remembered names of Welsh kings (she’d met a few of them, actually), events she’d witnessed or been party to, and vague bullshitting. All of which Geoffrey was more than happy to apply his own imagination to. The major revelation from these personal papers is that a disguised Keaira both knew and worked for Charlemagne and Roland (in the late 8th century), being one of the 12 paladins. While the later stories of them were wholly fictional, they did exist. Tales of legendary heroes always endure, even if the retellings begin to get the names wrong after several centuries. Seriously, who the hell was Olivier? And if Arthur resembled a 6th century king she knew and fought beside at Badon Hill, well. There’s nothing wrong with honoring a friend long gone. The entire point of the exercise, however, appears to have been to get the memory of Avalon back into public knowledge. That part was in no way a lie or fabrication. Multiple waves of invaders (Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, and at last William The Conqueror and his Normans) had pushed the original Celtic settlers of Britain into Scotland and Wales, the latter of which Avalon knew would not last forever against the ambitions of England’s kings. The knowledge of older things needed to be preserved, and so they were. After this, Keaira drops off the map again.

She reappears in, of all places, the Duchy of Poland. And she reappears as, of all things, a monster hunter. Europe, like every other continent, had problems with a thousand and one different types of inhuman creatures killing people or worse. Vampires, wereanimals, rogue Fae, demons, and stranger things. Plenty of places for them to hide, still, especially in Eastern Europe’s mountains. The Catholic Church’s Paladin Order was quite busy, but they couldn’t be everywhere. Demon Hunters (powered by one of the Seven Sorceries, and distinct from the Devil Hunter Society, who was not active in Europe at this time) were at the height of their numbers and influence and thus were just as busy. Even the White Court of Wizards got in on the action here and there. And, of course, there are always heroes defending the defenseless and helping the helpless. One of these was Keaira. She was, apparently, there from the 13th century to the middle of the 15th. It doesn’t seem to a consistent presence. The surviving records have gaps in them where she seems to completely disappear for up to a few decades at a time. However, red hair, green eyes, female, very tall, very strong, and all but immune to conventional weapons of the period. Who else could it be? With the end of the Jagiellon dynasty in 1569, she vanishes again. But not for very long.

In 1607, she reappears sailing with John Smith and Oliver Roche (the future Desert and later Pacific Stranger) founding James fort (later Jamestown). Keaira and Oliver’s occupations are listed rather correctly as “adventurer”. Though it’s more likely both were brought on to provide security against hostile natives, given their powers and skill sets. Strengthening this argument is that John Smith took them with him on his explorations in the summer of 1608. It was on these explorations that the Keaira and Oliver discovered the truth of what happened o the lost colony of Roanoke. It’s not a complicated story. Food ran short and then ran out. A lot of them died. And so they merged with a local indigenous tribe. It had ben nearly 20 years. The survivors had children. They wanted their secret kept. So the two kept it. And also fought off whatever the hell that monster was that was menacing the tribe. Oliver is listed as one of the Jamestown casualties during the Starving Times but in truth he simply disappeared one day. First Supply brought a message for Keaira, and she sailed back to England with the ship. Once again, she drops out of history after this. She stepped off the ship and vanished into London. This time, she was gone for a very long time.

Over three hundred years went by before Keaira emerged from the hidden door on Glastonbury Tor. The message was that her father had at last died. Avalon is a realm of great healing and medicine. Age does not press on mortals so harshly there. But the steady march to the end of one’s days never quite stops, not even in Avalon. Her father died very old, but content. Keaira, however, was quite devastated. She found herself, for the first time, in need of Avalon’s healers. Her adventures had taken her far and wide, but they’d never given her what she wanted. Not really. And now her father was gone. The one person she had in all the world. Parents ought to be immortal. And so Avalon’s beloved princess tended the fruit trees, sparred with the warriors, aided the physicians, and even studied for a while. A slow, quiet life. There was no reason to leave. The person she would tell the tales of her adventures to was gone. The one person who wasn’t scared of her in some way. Who didn’t see her as a monster. Existence itself seemed pointless. She may have simply reverted to being a statue one day out of despair, except something rather extraordinary happened. The accelerating pace of technological development had rendered older things like how to contact Avalon mostly forgotten. Until 1916. World War 1. The Battle of the Somme. Its opening day was the bloodiest in the history of the British Army, and men kept dying in droves as it went on. There were so many injured, so many sick, and so many dying that the collective grief and pain breached Avalon’s ancient wards, set down the gods themselves. Help was needed. Help was sent.

Keaira led a detachment of healers and warriors to protect them. Where they walked, men recovered and lived. The warriors were there to protect the healers. Keaira’s job, however, was to find a way to end the war. Her partners in this endeavor were Sir Emerson Knight and the brave men of his unit. And the Princess of Avalon had, for the first time, not come unarmed. Her choker had been upgraded, and she now carried the stone sword granted to her by Goibniu. To make a long story much shorter, there was a hell of a lot going on behind the scene of World War 1. The Black Court of Necromancers and Red Court of Vampires were making big moves. The White Court of Wizards and Catholic Church’s Paladin Order were independently (thanks for that ever so much, King James) trying to counter them. Heroes and villains allied themselves with their nation more than the sides of good or evil. Mad scientists had freer hands than at any point before in history. Even Asteroth himself was deeply involved in a number of events. A thousand and one things happened that never made the history books. A thousand and one more were papered over with a more believable cover story. It was that kind of era, and the hell of it was it was only a preview compared to the following war. So it was nearly as simple as “stop the war”. Keaira became deeply entangled in unfolding events as well, to the degree that when the war finally ended, she was recognized as one of Britain’s pre-eminent heroes alongside Emerson and Big Ben. She did not return to Avalon. She remained in Britain until Emerson’s death in 1928. She wished his son and successor Cedric good luck, and departed to see how much the world had changed in over three centuries. Minor spoiler: She did not have to do nearly as much walking, and ship travel were much faster. A week or two compared with two to three months was no contest. What dazzled her mind, however, was the existence of, well, all of the New World nations. Precisely zero of them had existed 300 years before. So she had a lot to explore, and thus effectively disappeared from history. Again.

She had returned to Avalon by 1939, however, because its gates were sealed shut by Nazi sympathizing wizards for the duration of World War 2 and beyond. This was a thing thought impossible to do from the outside. The seal was broken in 1982 by no less than Countess (of the USA’s Champions of Justice). Keaira boiled out of Glastonbury Tor with a full complement of Avalonian warriors, magicians, and healers and instantly turned the tide in the battle for Britain against the forces of Kuros The Conqueror. She had the Belt of Ogma and the Sandals of Lugh now, so she was a one woman army leading an actual army. The Avalonians went home after the invasion was routed, but she stayed. Relatively speaking. Until 2012, Avalon was where she literally lived. So she was kind of commuting to Britain periodically to do hero stuff, and going home when she’d had enough. 2012 is, as mentioned, when this changed. The Knight Family came to Glastonbury Tor, and a lot happened. The result is that Keaira, Princess of Avalon, is the Avalonian Ambassador to the United Kingdom. She works out of Cardiff, living there full time. This isn’t to say that she’s not still one of Britain’s premier heroes, because she absolutely is. However, it simply isn’t her only role. It’s been a long road, and precious little of it has been paved with gold, so to speak. But the warrior princess of Avalon will keep walking it nonetheless.

 

Powers & Tactics: Keira is not a human being. She is a sculpture brought to life by the divine power of Dian Cécht, god of healing for the Tuatha De Danann. As such she is, technically, made of stone and thus lacks any frailties of the mortal condition. She has physical resilience that surpasses any unpowered human and can basically ignore anything short of vehicle mounted weaponry. She is strong enough crack steel with a casual punch and can lift just short of 6 and a half tons. She was a hellish opponent in Antiquity and the Middle Ages, where the vast majority of her enemies couldn’t even harm her. The downside is that she doesn’t heal naturally, so if she did get injured it stayed until she went back to Avalon to recover. Or she wouldn’t, if not for the Choker of Dian Cécht.

The Choker is one of four divine artifacts gifted to her by the Tuatha De Danann. The others are the Stone Sword of Goibniu, the Belt of Ogma, and the Sandals of Lugh. The Choker originally just allowed Keaira to heal naturally while keeping her animate. Upgraded by the god in time for World War 1, it actually fully brings her to life, increases her physical resilience further in the process, and increases her natural recovery’s speed to relatively blistering speeds. She can recover from even the most grevious of injuries in under ten minutes. But it’s more than that. She has a heartbeat. She doesn’t have to fake breathing, eating, drinking, toilet time, and sleeping. She still has no need to do any of them, but it’s…nice, you know? To be a little more human. The Stone Sword is literally just that. It’s a really big sword with more reach, and it can bludgeon and pierce as well as slash, but yeah. It’s a sword. The Belt increases her carrying capacity approximately a thousand-fold, making it a little over 6 and a half thousand tons. And the Sandals give her superhuman speed, quickness, and reflexes. She can run at a bit more than Mach 3, and those reflexes increase her attack accuracy and evasion.

 

Tactically, Keaira is not complex. She’s a swordswoman who can also punch extremely accurately. Her Intimidate is very high, however, and so both Improved Demoralize and Improved Startle can be extremely effective. She has Acrobatic Bluff as a backup in case the enemy is Fearless or something similar. She has Accurate, All Out, Defensive, and Power Attack to modify her caps with. There’s also Move by Action to keep her mobile and Takedown Attack 2 to mow through minions with. It’s not that she can’t power stunt. It’s that she doesn’t know that’s a thing she could possibly do. Other people, yes, but not her.

 

Personality: Keaira is a pretty big personality. When she’s “on”, she can seem to fill an entire room by herself. Excitable, energetic and enthusiastic. She’s a very charming young-seeming woman. She’s very honest, makes friends easily, and keeps her word when she gives it. She loves a good fight, and is generally the social aggressor in a given situation. She likes to tease, but not actually hurt anyone’s feelings. She’s a hell of a lot of fun to be around, honestly. A more loyal friend cannot be found. The downside of her being “on” is that her emotions can simply run away with her, and she can become rather dramatically insensitive and uncaring. After all, if she’s having a good time/Doing The Right Thing, what’s the problem? She also has a legendary temper. Put the two together and we have the Keaira who helped burn three settlements to the ground and kill thousands. The literally fire-haired and poison-eyed demigoddess/demonness who lays waste to all who cross her. A genuine monster, terrifying to behold.

Her rational mind, however, does eventually catch up with her emotions. And that’s when she turns “off”. Because she’s not a bad sort, really. She can just get carried away sometimes. The regret, remorse, and guilt can be rather overwhelming. She doesn’t want to be a monster. She never wanted to be a monster. Please, by the gods, don’t let her be a monster. Let her be a proper hero this time, like her father wanted. Like she was trained to be. A proper Avalonian warrior. So during these “off” periods she’s quite subdued and apologetic. Overly cautious and restrained in her behavior. It doesn’t last forever, of course. Someone like her can only stay repressed for but so long before something switches her back “on” again. And to her credit, she generally doesn’t make the same mistake twice.

On balance, she’s a genuine hero. Just an imperfect one from the oldest of the old school, where executing the bastards right then and there was a by far more efficient use of time and resources than transporting them for imprisonment. Back when justice and revenge were a lot less different from each other. The current era is a lot kinder and more merciful than the world she started out and indeed spent most of her life in. She doesn’t mind the change. Not really. It’s a lot harder to find a good fight when she needs to work some aggression out, but on balance it’s a far safer world for the common people. And that is an Avalonian ideal if ever there was one. So Avalon’s Princess (it’s not a royal title, exactly) can and will support it wholeheartedly.

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  • EternalPhoenix

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Paragon (Syed Nawaz)

 

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

 

STR: +7 (16/25), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+7, Fort: +7, Ref: +13, Will: +10

 

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 12 (+15), Intimidate 12 (+15), Investigate 12 (+15), Knowledge (business) 7 (+10), Knowledge (current events) 7 (+10), Knowledge (earth sciences) 7 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 7 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 12 (+15), Knowledge (streetwise) 12 (+15), Knowledge (tactics) 12 (+15), Knowledge (technology) 12 (+15), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 2 (+5), Language 4 (+4), Notice 12 (+15), Search 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 12 (+15), Survival 7 (+10)

 

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Benefit 2 (Wealth (millionaire)), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Startle, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 4, Elusive Target, Equipment 2, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Custom Bolos (Snare 7)), Improved Critical 2 (Shock Knuckles (Stun 7)), Improved Initiative, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Master Plan, Master Plan 2 (tactics), Move-by Action, Power Attack, Second Chance (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic), Skill Mastery 2 (Acro, Gather Info, Intim, Invest, KN (tactics), Noti, Sen Mot, Stea), Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Paragon Suit (Device 12) (Hard to lose)

   Integral Radio (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Subtle (subtle))

   Movement Systems (Array 3) (default power: flight)

      Climbing Spikes (Super-Movement 1) (Alternate; wall-crawling 1 (half speed))

      Hydraulic Pistons (Leaping 2) (Alternate; Jumping distance: x5)

      Servomotors (Speed 2) (Alternate; Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd)

      Boot Jets (Flight 3) (Default; Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd; Total Fade; Fades (Refueling))

      Gliding Cape (Flight 4) (Array; Speed: 100 mph, 880 ft./rnd; Gliding; Subtle (subtle))

   Secondary Systems (Array 4) (default power: concealment)

      Additional Strength (Super-Strength 4) (Array; +20 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 6.4 tons; +4 STR to some checks)

      Stealth Field (Concealment 4) (Default; all visual senses)

   Semi-Sealed Systems (Immunity 4) (environmental condition: Heat, environmental condition: Cold, uncommon descriptor: Gas)

   Suit Armoring (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic))

   Suit Sensors (Super-Senses 18) (accurate (type): Auditory, analytical (type): Visual, distance sense, extended (type): Auditory 1 (-1 per 100 ft), extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft), infravision, radio, time sense, tracking: Visual 1 (half speed), ultra-hearing, ultravision)

   Suit Strength (Enhanced Strength 9) (+9 STR)

Utility Belt (Device 5) (Hard to lose)

   Utility Gear (Array 9) (default power: dazzle)

      Custom Bolos (Snare 7) (Array; DC 17, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Custom Bolos (Snare 7)); Accurate 2 (+4))

      Flash Bomb (Dazzle 6) (Default; affects: visual senses, DC 16; Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General))

      High Explosives (Blast 6) (Array; DC 21; Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General))

      High Powered Cutting Laser (Linked)

         Cutting Laser Burn (Drain 3) (Linked; drains: single trait - toughness, DC 13; Affects Objects)

         Cutting Laser Cut (Strike 3) (Linked; DC 18; Penetrating; Precise)

      Shock Knuckles (Stun 7) (Array; DC 17, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Shock Knuckles (Stun 7)))

      Sleep Gas Grenades (Fatigue 4) (Array; DC 14; Cloud Area (20-100 ft. diameter, lingers - General), Range (ranged); Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5))

      Smoke Bomb (Obscure 6) (Array; affects: visual senses, Radius: 250 ft.; Duration (continuous), Total Fade; Fades)

      Throwing Discs (Blast 2) (Array; DC 24; Penetrating [1 extra rank]; Accurate (+2), Improved Range (50 ft. incr), Mighty 7 (+7 to damage), Precise, Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 500 feet))

 

Equipment: Paragon HQ

 

Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +13, Grapple: +20/+24)

 

Attacks: Custom Bolos (Snare 7), +13 (DC Ref/Staged 17), Cutting Laser Burn (Drain 3), +13 (DC Fort/Staged 13), Cutting Laser Cut (Strike 3), +13 (DC 18), Flash Bomb (Dazzle 6) (DC Fort/Ref 16), High Explosives (Blast 6) (DC 21), Shock Knuckles (Stun 7), +13 (DC Fort/Staged 17), Sleep Gas Grenades (Fatigue 4) (DC Fort 14), Throwing Discs (Blast 2), +11 (DC 24), Unarmed Attack, +13 (DC 22)

 

Defense: +13  (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +7

 

Languages: English Native, French, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu

 

Totals: Abilities 36 + Skills 48 (192 ranks) + Feats 31 + Powers 68 + Combat 36 + Saves 21 + Drawbacks 0 = 240

 

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

 

Paragon HQ

 

Power Level: 10; Equipment Points Spent: 10

 

Toughness: +10

 

Features: Communications, Computer, Concealed 2, Gym, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Power System, Workshop

 

Size: Tiny

 

Totals: Abilities 0 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 10 + Powers 0 - Combat 1 + Saves 1 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 10

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 31

Height: 6’

Weight: 185 lbs

Ethnicity: Asian British (Pakistani, to be precise)

Hair: Dark Brown

Eyes: Brown

Base of Operations: London, England, United Kingdom

 

Background: “That which can be broken can be fixed.” This is not something Syed Nawaz came up with himself. It was told to him by Lady Knight over a decade ago, when Syed was not yet Paragon. It was one of her mother’s sayings, but it stuck with him. Since Emily was in brooding violent anti-hero mode in those days, this understandable sounds odd. So, a little background. Syed is of Pakistani stock. He is Muslim. He was 14 years old on that terrible September day in 2001. In some ways, it felt like the world suddenly turned on the entire religion of Islam. This wasn’t entirely so, but for a 14 year old in a sea of Christians, it certainly felt that way. Teenagers can be such assholes. And then on a lovely summer day in July 2005, London itself was rocked by four bombings. It is all too easy for a young man already alienated by nearly four years of suspicion, distrust, and harassment to become radicalized. It is all too easy for such a young man to decide that a country and government that permit such things is completely broken. And that the only solution is violent revolution.

This was how Syed met Lady Knight. He’d scraped together some money, acquired the services of some like minded individuals, and gotten some combat training. He thought he was ready to launch his crusade, right up until a teenage girl with nothing more than a sword and a bow demonstrated the difference between thuggery (even experienced pros) and a card carrying member of the supers scene. He unleashed an angry rant about his motives, having been prepared for something like this for ages. She rolled her eyes and shattered his entire worldview with that one line before she kicked his ass. He did escape Scotland Yard, but his men did not. In under 20 minutes she’d undone all of his careful preparations and shattered his worldview in the bargain. Someone else would have been angry. Sworn vengeance. Syed Namaz laughed his ass off. Because her implication was right. He was being a huge idiot. That which can be broken can be fixed, eh? Okay. He’d fix it.

The costumed detective Paragon debuted a couple years later. More time spent training and preparing. For the record, Paragon is actually kind of a midpoint between the incredibly provocative Gunsmith and the almost entirely inoffensive Moonshadow. So while he’s not using his ethnicity or religion as a cudgel like the former would, neither is he particular diplomatic about his targets and goals. Britain is still a broken country, with a government that encourages the brokenness to maintain its own power. At least as long as it stays behind the scenes. Paragon doesn’t permit to stay there. To put it better, after a decade MI5 is still not entirely sure whether to classify him as a superhero or as a threat to domestic security. He’s had a similarly contentious relationship with Scotland Yard. The problem they have with him, mainly, is that he resolutely refuses to care about fallout. He doesn’t care if the criminal in question is a homeless bum or the Prime Minister. They do the crime, he takes them down. High status individuals have their crimes exposed and schemes defeated exactly the same as low status individuals. Zero preferential treatment. This sounds admirable in theory. However, in practice using the same combat tactics to subdue street toughs and aristocrats doesn’t win him any friends. And his habit of routinely leaking the details of his investigations to wide group of reporters (if the person in question went free for some reason) actively makes him enemies.

Meanwhile, Syed Nawaz is a smarmy business consultant and luxury importer/exporter worth millions who nobody would ever associate with such an upright individual as Paragon. Everybody just knows he’s into shady illegal dealings. He knows just enough shady people and does just enough unethical things to keep that reputation going. His reputation hides that every so often a few of those shady people he knows get picked up by the law. It would never get attached to him, as everyone knows he has more to lose if the police focus on him. Oddly enough, this makes detective heroes think of him as a useful information source. This how he was contacted by Query and learned about the rookie hero elimination conspiracy that resulted in the debut of Tattoo and the completion of the “UQ Trio” Ironically enough, that conspiracy is in some ways his fault. A skilled costumed detective like Paragon without his own devoted and expansive Rogue’s Gallery is absolutely hellish on crime in a given city. The conspiracy began to prevent another Paragon from ever happening again, and to kill him specifically if they could. As has been written elsewhere, his years long investigation (while bearing fruit here and there) eventually let him to Finn Kent and her psychometry. He recruited some allies, she became Tattoo, and the conspiracy was smashed. Today Paragon continues to be a large pain is the ass to criminals both high class and low. And no, he has not mentioned that conspiracy had anything to do with him. Indeed, it’s not entirely clear if he’s even bothered to remember as it’s over now. He has other investigations to think about.

 

Powers & Tactics: Paragon has no superhuman powers. He is a martial artist and tech specialist with two technological devices. His martial arts are boxing, karate, wrestling, and jujitsu. His devices are his Paragon Suit and his Utility Belt.

The Paragon Suit is, technically speaking, a battlesuit. It’s just not the usual type that’s apparently designed to be a person sized artillery platform. It’s much smaller scale, using polymers and fabric much more than metal. A suit built for the streets, not the modern battlefield. Still, its features list is long. An integral radio with a 20 mile range. Partially sealed systems that protect the wearer from heat, cold, and gasses. Armor, of course. It’s especially resistant to bullets. Enhanced strength, right up to absolute human peak. And a hell of a lot of sensors. Full light spectrum vision. Sonar. Extended range on both. And a full HUD displaying visual analytics, GPS navigation, and a precise clock. He can even track with those visual enhancement and hear any radio transmissions in his general vicinity. He has three different alternate movement systems built in.50 MPH rocket jets in the boots, though the fuel limits total flight time to a shade over 30 seconds without refueling. He won’t fall clear out of the sky, however, because there’s also a gliding cape to land safely with or just cover impressive aerial distances. The other increases his speed and leaping ability along with climbing claws to stick to walls with. The secondary systems at the moment have only two options. Increase normal carrying capacity from a max of 1.6k pounds to 12.8 tons. Or producing a light negative field that effectively renders the wearer invisible.

His Utility Belt has a large variety of items in it. Bolos, flash bombs, high explosives, a beefy cutting laser, electrified brass knuckles, sleep gas grenades, smoke bombs, and discs he can throw as a ranged damage attack. It’s pretty standard kit for a costumed detective. It’s only that there’s so much variety and that they’re higher powered than the average which makes them remarkable.

Furthermore, he keeps an headquarters under his home in Belgravia. The former owner had to make a sudden sale to pay some legal bills, courtesy of Paragon, so he got it for a relative song. He may well be the poorest person in the neighborhood, despite being a multi-millionaire. He gets away with being a little obvious about having it there by the simple fact of it being his main address, whereas his neighbors most don’t live there for even half of the year. Just another eccentric wealthy person being eccentric and wealthy.

 

Tactically, Paragon has a lot of options. What he does is kind of…situational. Basically, he doesn’t play fair. Ever. Flash Bombs, Sleep Gas Grenades, and Smoke Bombs keep him from being swarmed by thuggery and makes dealing with them much easier. Custom Bolos can take out tougher single targets, at least temporarily. Shock Knuckles are in place of initially Power Attacking if he meets Impervious Toughness, or if he’s concerned about doing lethal damage with his fists. High Explosives and High Powered Cutting Laser are exclusively used on objects, but this does not mean he doesn’t use them offensively. He’s a man who’s perfectly fine with letting the environment do his dirty work and can be very creative in this endeavor. Seriously, he’s a cheating bastard. Throwing Discs are used on supervillains, as they won’t take lethal damage from them normally. And of course, his martial arts skills are always available.Do not forge that Stealth Field turns him invisible and has no limitations. Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Demoralize, and Startle make the enemies’ lives unpleasant. He has Defensive and Power Attack to move his caps around, Move by Action to stay mobile, and Takedown Attack 2 to scythe through minions while they’re blinded. Master Plan can give him a boost if he has the time to make one. +3 to all of his skill checks and attack rolls for 3 rounds, and then +2 and +1 for 1 round each. Don’t forget Inventor, and that he’s a cheating bastard who only fights fair when he doesn’t have any choice in the matter. He does not power stunt. That’s why his array is so wide and why he has Inventor.

 

Personality: Paragon is a divisive figure. There’s no denying that he’s a hero. There’s no denying that he cares about protecting people and seeking justice for crimes. He just doesn’t. Fuckin’. Listen. He’s the lone wolfiest of the lone wolves. The most solo of the solo operators. The list of times he’s called for help in an over ten year career can be counted on one hand without using all the fingers. It’s a subtle bit of arrogance, really. Because he’s still that guy Lady Knight beat the shit out of back then. He still believes he’s the only man for the job of repairing what’s broken about Britain. The only lesson he learned that night is that tearing it all down and starting again will meet with too much resistance, and so it’s better to try to fix what’s broken instead of throwing it away.

If this makes him sounds like an asshole, well…yes? But again, he’s a genuine hero. That bit of subtle arrogance comes from caring about other people. He genuinely wants to make Britain and the world better. He’s doing it in more or less the right way. And it’s not like he talks about how he feels. Time spent talking about something is time better spent doing it, he says. He comes across as humorless and ultra focused while in the suit, not a dickhead braggart. If anyone is going to take the risks involved with this job it’s going to be him. Basically he doesn’t appear to respect anyone’s competence but his own. This, however, drives him to do as much as he can as often as he can despite the risks. He’s thus not so easily categorized. It’s a pain in the ass for everyone.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Yeoman (Joshua Birch)

 

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 150/150

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +2 (14), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +2 (14)

 

Tough: +2/+8, Fort: +7, Ref: +8, Will: +9

 

Skills: Bluff 3 (+5), Concentration 7 (+10), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 8 (+10), Drive 2 (+5), Gather Information 8 (+10), Intimidate 8 (+10), Knowledge (streetwise) 3 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 7 (+10), Search 3 (+5), Sense Motive 7 (+10), Stealth 7 (+10)

 

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 2, Dodge Focus, Improved Critical 2 (Aura Saber (Strike 4)), Improved Initiative, Luck 2, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Second Chance (Concentration checks to maintain powers), Startle, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Ring of Aura (Device 11) (Hard to lose, Restricted use (Those of exceptionally noble and heroic spirit))

   Aura Body Armor (Force Field 6) (+6 Toughness; Impervious)

   Aura Comms (Communication 6) (sense type: radio; Variable Descriptor 2 (Broad group - Any Tech))

   Aura Database (Variable 1) (acquire: any one of (type) - skills; Action 2 (free); Limited (Knowledge Skills))

   Aura Force (Array 9) (default power: blast)

      Aura Assault Rifle (Blast 6) (Default; DC 21; Autofire (interval 2, max +5))

      Aura Constructs (Force Constructs 6) (Array; Max Size: 30 cu. ft.; Impervious)

      Aura Grenade Launcher (Blast 6) (Array; DC 21; Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General))

      Aura Might (Move Object 6) (Array; Strength: 30, Carry: 532 / 1.1k / 1.6k / 3.2k; Range (perception))

      Aura Saber (Strike 4) (Array; DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Aura Saber (Strike 4)); Penetrating [2 extra ranks]; Accurate (+2), Mighty)

   Aura Hovercycle (Flight 5) (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd; Platform)

   Aura Sensors (Super-Senses 2) (infravision, ultravision)

   Aura VI (Features 1)

 

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +8, Grapple: +10)

 

Attacks: Aura Assault Rifle (Blast 6), +10 (DC 21), Aura Grenade Launcher (Blast 6) (DC 21), Aura Saber (Strike 4), +10 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +8  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -7

 

Initiative: +7

 

Languages: English Native

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 19 (76 ranks) + Feats 12 + Powers 45 + Combat 30 + Saves 16 + Drawbacks 0 = 150

 

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This is the first of the British “sample PCs”. They’re canon, to be sure, but I don’t think they need full entries. This is the descendant of the Ring of Aura wielding British Army officer from the American Revolution mentioned in the entries of Queenie and Magna. I have him built here as an ex-Army guy. You, however, may rebuild him to your liking and even change his hero name. Maybe he’s an artist. Or an architect. Or a mechanic. A Ring of Aura can do anything the user imagines, so feel free to get creative with Joshua Birch in your Phoenixverse.

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Hospitaller (Abigail "Abby" Priest)

 

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 150/150

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +2 (14), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +2/+3, Fort: +4, Ref: +8/+12, Will: +8

 

Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+10), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 3 (+5), Language 1 (+1), Medicine 3 (+5), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 7 (+10)

 

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (ranged) 4, Attack Specialization 2 (Hatchet (Device 1)), Defensive Roll, Dodge Focus, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Hatchet Strike (Strike 2)), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Bow (Device 2) (Easy to lose)

   Arrows (Array 4) (default power: blast)

      Bolo Arrow (Snare 4) (Array; DC 14)

      Normal Arrow (Blast 4) (Default; DC 19)

      Swingline Arrow (Linked)

         Speed 2 (Linked; Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd)

         Super-Movement 3 (Linked; slow fall, swinging, wall-crawling 1 (half speed))

Hatchet (Device 1) (Easy to lose)

   Hatchet Strike (Strike 2) (DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical (Hatchet Strike (Strike 2)); Mighty, Precise)

Telekinesis (Move Object 4) (Strength: 20, Carry: 133 / 266 / 400 / 800; Range (perception))

Telekinetic Guidance (Enhanced Trait 4) (Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 4)

Telekinetic Shield (Enhanced Trait 12) (Traits: Defense Bonus +4 (+12), Reflex +4 (+12))

Telepathy (Container, Passive 4)

   Communication 4 (sense type: mental; Omni-Directional Area)

   Comprehend 2 (languages - speak all, languages - understand all)

   Mind Reading 4 (DC 14; Duration (sustained))

 

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +12, Melee: +8, Grapple: +10)

 

Attacks: Bolo Arrow (Snare 4), +12 (DC Ref/Staged 14), Hatchet Strike (Strike 2), +12 (DC 19), Mind Reading 4 (DC Will 14), Normal Arrow (Blast 4), +12 (DC 19), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +8/+12  (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -1

 

Initiative: +3

 

Languages: English Native, Latin

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 14 (54 ranks) + Feats 8 + Powers 57 + Combat 30 + Saves 13 + Drawbacks 0 = 150

 

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Abby here (who is canon to my Phoenixverse in this form) is the second of the British “sample PCs” She’s inspired a bit by the Lara Croft reboot. As built she’s a minor metahuman psionic with telepathic and telekinetic powers who uses them to both protect herself and be better at her limited version of trick archery. I figure she’s a college student who’s both pre-med at a religious university and does the hero thing in her spare time. With that said, you get to decide her Background, Tactics, and Personality in your Phoenixverse.

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Gumshoe (Simon Cooper)

 

Power Level: 8; Power Points Spent: 150/150

 

STR: +4 (14/18), DEX: +4 (14/18), CON: +4 (14/18), INT: +4 (18), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +2 (14)

 

Tough: +4/+8, Fort: +6, Ref: +8, Will: +7

 

Skills: Acrobatics 6 (+10), Diplomacy 8 (+10), Escape Artist 2 (+6/+10), Gather Information 8 (+10), Investigate 6 (+10), Knowledge (behavioral science) 1 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 6 (+10), Knowledge (streetwise) 6 (+10), Knowledge (technology) 1 (+5), Notice 8 (+10), Search 6 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Stealth 6 (+10)

 

Feats: Accurate Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Contacts, Dodge Focus 4, Improved Critical 2 (Natural Weapons (Strike 4)), Interpose, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Skill Mastery (Investigate, Notice, Search, Sense Motive), Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Well-Informed

 

Powers:

Elastic Physiology (Container, Passive 12)

   Bouncing Legs (Leaping 4) (Jumping distance: x25)

   Enhanced Abilities (Enhanced Trait 12) (Traits: Constitution +4 (18, +4), Dexterity +4 (18, +4), Strength +4 (18, +4))

   Impact Resistant (Immunity 20) (very common descriptor: Bludgeoning; Limited - Half Effect)

   Natural Weapons (Strike 4) (DC 23, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Natural Weapons (Strike 4)); Mighty, Variable Descriptor (Narrow group - Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing))

   Rubbery Body (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness)

   Shockproof (Immunity 10) (common descriptor: Electricity)

   Stretching (Elongation 4) (Elongation: 50 ft., range incr 40 ft., +4 Escape & Grapple)

   Stretching Stride (Speed 4) (Speed: 100 mph, 880 ft./rnd)

   Swinging Arms/Living Parachute (Super-Movement 2) (slow fall, swinging)

 

Attack Bonus: +4 (Ranged: +4, Melee: +8, Grapple: +12/+16)

 

Attacks: Natural Weapons (Strike 4), +8 (DC 23), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 19)

 

Defense: +8  (Flat-footed: +2), Knockback: -4

 

Initiative: +4

 

Languages: English Native

 

Totals: Abilities 28 + Skills 18 (72 ranks) + Feats 17 + Powers 60 + Combat 16 + Saves 11 + Drawbacks 0 = 150

 

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Gumshoe is also a Phoenixverse canon rookie hero. He is the third example of a “sample PC”. He stretches, he’s got detective skills, what’s not to like? I figure he’s a mutant and probably a private detective. He can get around town quite quickly, and can fight in melee or at range with Elongation. Electricity simply can’t harm him, and he’ll probably shrug off punches under +7 damage. I think he’s neat. You, however, get to decide his Background, Tactics, and Personality for your Phoenixverse.

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Borealian Vanguard

 

Overview

 

Canada’s official government superteam, the Borealian Vanguard, cannot be discussed without taking things back to the origins of organized superheroics in Canada. Specifically, 1940. War raged in Europe. The heroes of Britain and France were already deeply committed. The heroes of Poland had already been shattered. The US may have wanted to remain neutral or at least not actively involved. However, the heroes of Canada knew very well that Britain may well soon call for their aid. To that end, and to deal with the rising menace of fifth columnist, spys, and saboteurs, five of Canada’s most prominent Golden Age heroes joined forces as the Maple Leaf Society. Perhaps not the most imaginative name, but there wasn’t a writer or journalist in the bunch. Canadian Eagle (wings and melee weapons), Cascade (electricity generation and control; also a detective), Bulletman (hypersonic flight & steel hard skin), Spotlight (the wizard and mundane magician), and Loggerhead (Paul Bunyan, except Quebecois). They and a handful they recruited along the way (like Psi-Ren, the first Voyageur and the original Chanson) battle villainous element for 11 years. They were even a part of D-Day, storming Juno Beach beside the Canadian Army. However, in 1951 they disappeared. There was no formal notice. In fact, the full Society had gone on a mission to root out one last Nazi scientist in the Yukon wilderness. Neither they nor that Nazi scientist were ever seen again. With the exception of Bulletman, whose story will be told later.

 

The disappearance of the MLS and their community leadership crippled Canadian heroics as effectively as Hoover and McCarthy did further south. The emergence of Starman, like in the States, kicked off a whole new age in Canada. However, it took until 1971 for a new supergroup to be formed. Specifically, after the alien invasion the Champions handled more or less by themselves. The Canadian government was not full of giant idiots. The existence of the Champions was practically blind luck. So, something somewhat unique in the West occurred. A national government formed a superteam and virtually legalized superheroics in their nation. The first Borealian Vanguard was formed. Captain Action. Spotlight’s granddaughter Limelight. The second Voyageur. Yukon Bill. The Golden Rusher. This was the team Moonshadow joined in ’81. They had plenty of successes, but unfortunately also became known for suffering from a case of what is, in the modern day, named The Worf Effect. Any villain who wanted to become a Big Deal most often ended up taking on the Vanguard first. They didn’t succeed as often as pop culture would have people think, but y’know it happened. And if any mystic monsters wanted to stride out of the mysterious and mystical wilderness, it was probably going to be on Vanguard turf. So casualties were, uh, higher than one would expect from the top hero team of an entire nation. The team line up was anything but steady, as recovery, retirement, and death from injuries all took their toll. A civilian team may have crumbled. The Vanguard did not. Until that terrible day in September.

 

Prairie Sprinter was on the team at this point. Dormin was basically a rookie. Moonshadow was healthy and active. Even long time leader Captain Action had recently been reinvigorated. So when the monster Armageddon smashed his way through Texas (and Tex Austin) and Nebraska (and The Shining Guardian), he made an executive decision. As a government run team, they normally had to get permission to operate outside of Canada. But this was a clear crisis situation, and the Captain led the team across the border and into battle. It has been suggested that he thought they could win. This is false. He knew very well that the Vanguard would only be buying time for Starman II to appear, and probably with some of their lives. As it turned out, this happened to be kind of all of their lives. The Vanguard met Armageddon on the banks of the Mississippi River. Dormin was severely injured. Prairie Sprinter was sent for Starman II after it became known where he was. And Moonshadow used everything he had, and then got ignored. The rest of the team died at the hands of Armageddon. Between this and the violation of the rules, the Vanguard was, well…not officially disbanded, per se. But definitely back burnered, as far as government priorities went. No new members. No official missions. Moonshadow was the leader in the paperwork, now, but with three members it really wasn’t much of a team at all.

Until 2009, when Prairie Sprinter took it on herself to get things going again. Moonshadow, as leader, had the authority to recruit new members. She got both Moonshadow and Dormin on board, and started recruitment. They got through Blindspot, Undine, and Fornax before the government took notice of the activity. It had been eight years, and so far from being annoyed, then-Corporal Leon Wilson and the Mobile Weapon System were assigned to the team as Armory. And they talked Bulletman into coming out of retirement. 2016 (and events in the States) saw a further expansion, as Felin-garou, Chasseur, and Gajasura also joined the team. 2017’s Dusting left the team a bit understaffed, so in  2018 Valiant, Sister Angeline, and Red Sleeves were brought in to cover the shortfall as best they could. More or less just in time for the Endgame, which brought the lost members back. 14 members was a bit…much for an official field team, so it was chopped clean in half. 7 in the active team, and 7 in the reserves. It was also an opportunity to make the active team a bit more…marketable. A bunch of people who at least looked human, weren’t a little weird in the head, and also weren’t on the run from any foreign criminal organizations. Moonshadow is still technically in overall command, but Prairie Sprinter leads in the field now. They’re a real superhero team. It does, however, remain to be see if they’re as prone to The Worf Effect as the prior iteration of the squad. So far they’ve always managed a comeback, even if they’ve gotten whipped the first time around.

 

Borealian Vanguard

 

Main Team

Prairie Sprinter (Grace Harper) (field leader)

Dormin (Phil Cantor)

Blindspot (Cindy Liu)

Armory (Sergeant Leon Wilson)

Bulletman (Jason “Jay” Martin)

Felin-garou (Rosalie Lavoie)

Valiant (Steve Clark)

 

Reservists

Moonshadow (Donovan Tarkik) (team leader)

Undine (true name unknown)

Fornax (Maxwell “Max” Drake)

Chasseur (Jules Bouchard)

Gajasura (Arjun Vijaya)

Sister Angeline (Raphelle Fortin)

Red Sleeves (Daiyu Hong)

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Prairie Sprinter (Grace Harper)

 

Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 240/240

 

STR: +6 (16/22), DEX: +9 (16/28), CON: +6 (16/22), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +5 (20)

 

Tough: +9, Fort: +6, Ref: +15, Will: +12

 

Skills: Acrobatics 11 (+20), Diplomacy 10 (+15), Gather Information 10 (+15), Knowledge (civics) 7 (+10), Knowledge (current events) 7 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 2 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 7 (+10), Knowledge (tactics) 2 (+5), Language 2 (+2), Notice 12 (+15), Search 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 6 (+15)

 

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Benefit (Field Leader, Borealian Vanguard), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 6, Elusive Target, Evasion 2, Improved Critical 2 (Blur Of Fists (Strike 3)), Improved Critical 2 (Crowd Control (Strike 3)), Improved Initiative 6, Inspire 4 (+4), Interpose, Leadership, Luck 4, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Diplomacy, Gather Info, Sense Motive), Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Well-Informed

 

Powers:

Psionic Agility (Enhanced Dexterity 12) (+12 DEX)

Psionic Quickness (Quickness 12) (Perform routine tasks at 10000x speed)

Psionic Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 24) (Traits: Attack Bonus +6 (+15), Feats: Dodge Focus 6, Improved Initiative 6)

Psionic Resilience (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness; Impervious [3 extra ranks])

Psionic Speed (Speed 12) (Speed: 50000 mph, 440000 ft./rnd)

Psionic Stamina (Enhanced Constitution 6) (+6 CON)

Psionic Strength (Enhanced Strength 6) (+6 STR)

Speed Tricks (Array 😎 (default power: strike; Custom (Array 7.5))

   Blur Of Fists (Strike 3) (Default; bludgeoning, DC 24, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Blur Of Fists (Strike 3)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [6 extra ranks]; Mighty)

   Crowd Control (Strike 3) (Array; bludgeoning, DC 24, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Crowd Control (Strike 3)); Burst Area (45 ft. radius - Targeted) [6 extra ranks]; Mighty)

   Sonic Boom (Strike 6) (Array; air, DC 21; Trail Area (100-300 ft. trail - General); Progression, Decrease Area 2 (-2 ranks), Progression, Increase Area (area x2))

   Thrown Ball Bearing (Blast 3) (Array; bludgeoning, DC 24; Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Mighty 6 (+6 to damage))

   Tornado Burst (Move Object 12) (Array; air, Strength: 60, Carry: 17 tons / 34 tons / 51.2 tons / 102.4 tons; Cone Area (120 ft. cone - General); Limited Direction (Towards and Away), Range (touch))

 

Attack Bonus: +9/+15 (Ranged: +9/+15, Melee: +9/+15, Grapple: +15/+21)

 

Attacks: Blur Of Fists (Strike 3), +15 (DC 24), Crowd Control (Strike 3), +15 (DC 24), Sonic Boom (Strike 6) (DC 21), Thrown Ball Bearing (Blast 3), +15 (DC 24), Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 21)

 

Defense: +15  (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -7

 

Initiative: +33

 

Languages: English Native, French, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 40 + Skills 25 (100 ranks) + Feats 24 + Powers 100 + Combat 36 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 240

 

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 43

Height: 5’ 7”

Weight: 135 lbs

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Hair: Dirty Blonde

Eyes: Blue

Base of Operations: Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta (primary), Saskatoon and Winnipeg, Manitoba (secondary)

 

Background: Prairie Sprinter (real name Grace Harper) is probably the most famous active speedster on the planet. She’s definitely the most famous in North America. She’s been a professional superhero for over half of her life. In her civilian life, she’s a high ranking lawyer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (specifically CBC News). In her superhero life, she’s the field leader of Canada’s government superhero team, the Borealian Vanguard. She is married to Paul Stinson, and then have two sons (15 year old Ian and 9 year old Liam) and a daughter (12 year old Jeannette). It does not take any stretching of the imagination to say that she has had a very successful life. She’s risen to the virtual pinnacle in both lives. There is a reason for this unceasing drive toward excellence. Once upon a time, she wasn’t anybody special. Just a post rookie year hero with super speed powers she was still struggling to use half as well as the legendary Arriba used his. In time, that rookie would have likely done all right for herself. Certainly the Vanguard of the period saw something in her, as she was brought on board and given training. She was progressing well enough in their eyes until that terrible day in September 2001.

While the rest of the Vanguard fought the monster Armageddon, she was sent to get Starman II, the world’s mightiest hero at the time as Nick Phoenix was away. From the banks of the Mississippi River in Missouri, she ran though Mexico, Central, and South America, all the way to Ushuaia, Argentina at the southern tip of South America. Sprinting through deserts, jungles, mountains, and cities. For Starman II was in Antarctica, helping out some scientists with their experiments. With a quick pause to pull on her cold weather gear, Grace kept running. Where exactly in Antarctica was a bit of a challenge. The only directions were by sea charts, which she did not know how to friggin’ read, and GPS, which was rather limited at the bottom of the world. So she had to visually search for one dock and handful of buildings. On the coast of an entire continent. Antarctica is goddamn cold. She found the place, all right, but by then she was sliding from mild to moderate hypothermia. Starman II (the first and only time she ever met him) made her stay with the scientists and get warmed up. She still remembers the seriousness on his face when she told him it was Armageddon attacking. By the time she was warmed up enough for the site’s doctor to permit her to leave, everything was over. Armageddon was dead. Starman was dead. Most of the Vanguard was dead. There was nothing for her to do but help clean up.

That’s a recipe for feeling useless if ever there was one. Some people in her situation would have simply hung up the tights. But Grace Harper was not and is not one of these people. As turned out, being one of only two major heroes in Canada (before Dormin recovered from his injuries and made it three) made her work all the harder. She went from mediocre hero and junior member of a team to premier hero who functionally was the whole team in a little over 7 years of grinding effort. For that period of time, she was the only hero in Canada or the United States who could respond to any crisis in under five minutes, no matter where it was. And it was her idea to resurrect the Vanguard. She, well, may have not come up with any of the new members, but she did do provide the spark to start over at last. And now she’s the field leader of the entire team. Which, admittedly, mostly vanished in the Dusting, hence the recruitment of Valiant, Sister Angeline, and Red Sleeves. But everyone’s back now, thanks to the America’s Icons and the full expanded team showed up for the final battle of the Endgame. The reorganization orders wre a little unexpected, but she’s making the best of it. As she always has and always will.

 

Powers & Tactics: Prairie Sprinter is a metahuman psionic. Her powers are exclusively physical and make her mostly a speedster. She is one of the vanishingly rare people whose pure movement speed can consistently exceed the speed of sound without any strain. She is the only known person who can do this that is literally hypersonic. Her casual running speed has been clocked at close to Mach 7. She’s been clocked sprinting at just shy of Mach 30 and in a pinch has been clocked at double that speed. There are no active speedsters known to be faster in the entire world. Her quickness and reflexes are equivalent to her speed, the latter of which increases her attack accuracy and evasion. Remember that mostly? Yeah, she’s got noticeable boosts to her strength, agility, stamina, and resilience, too. The latter of which renders her able to outright ignore virtually all man portable mundane weaponry.

But of course it’s not just speed that’s important. It’s what she does with it. These “speed tricks” are pretty typical for speedsters. What makes them different from the tricks of other speedsters is that more than half of them are driven more by her physical strength than by sheer speed. These are rapidfire punching, punching everyone in an area, and throwing something small and hard. In her case a handful of ball bearings she keeps in a pouch at her waist. The other two, however, are pure speed. Generating a sonic boom to damage over potentially a vast area or spinning her arms rapidly to create a tornado that lifts things. Max carrying capacity of over 100 tons.

 

Tactically, Prairie Sprinter is initially relatively simple. Blur of Fists for single targets, Crowd Control for groups, Thrown and Ball Bearings for ranged as needed. Sonic Boom is available in case the numbers get out of control, and Tornado Burst is a support ability. Not a combat attack. Obviously, she holds her strength back a great deal if not entirely against rank and file thuggery via the Accurate Attack maneuver (she doesn’t have the feat) and simply not using her full strength bonus. She takes the gloves off versus supervillains, though, because they can almost always take it. She has Improved Acrobatic Bluff to hit easier and Move by Action to keep her mobile. Defensive and Power Attack are on tap as needed. She can even Interpose if necessary. However, what defines her as more than just another speedster, what defines her as a hell of a leader, is Inspire 4 and Leadership combined with Luck 4. Effectively shoving her teammates up 2 Power Levels for a round can turn the tide of combat very quickly, as can removing an inhibiting condition from a key member. She can power stunt with all that Luck, too. Pick a speedster trick, fit it into her array’s limit of 15 PP without going over her PL of 12, and she can do it.  

 

Personality: NEVER. GIVE. UP. Grace Harper is not someone life can break. It’s not endless optimism. It’s not sheer contrariness or spite. It’s not even about pride or some philosophical point. It’s about whether or not she consents to a given thing happen. If she doesn’t, it doesn’t happen. End of story. This doesn’t mean she’s stubborn to the point of stupidity. She’s not even particularly uncooperative, generally speaking. She’s a very reasonable woman, really. She’s a genuine superhero who wants to help as many people as she possibly can. But once she decides not to bend on a particular issue, she’ll change her position shortly after the heat death of the universe.

She’s also an extremely driven woman. Driven, specifically, to be the best version of herself that she can possibly be. To do as much good in the world as she possibly can. This does not mean just as Prairie Sprinter or as the field leader of the Borealian Vanguard. It means at all times and in all ways. This is one of those issues she will bend on shortly after the heat death of the universe. She’s the kind of person other people will follow into hell. The kind of person that makes other people not believe in impossible. Even by superheroic standards of impossible.

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Dormin (Phil Cantor)

 

Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 240/240

 

STR: +3 (16) (base & Tiny)/ +15 (40) (Giant), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +3 (16), INT: +5 (20), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +2 (14)

 

Tough: +3 (Base)/+15 (Giant)/+9 (Tiny), Fort: +9 (Base & Tiny)/+15 (Giant), Ref: +9 (Base & Giant)/+15 (Tiny), Will: +9

 

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5/+15 Tiny), Bluff 8 (+10), Concentration 7 (+10), Craft (chemical) 10 (+15), Craft (electronic) 10 (+15), Craft (mechanical) 10 (+15), Diplomacy 8 (+10), Disguise 3 (+5), Gather Information 8 (+10), Intimidate (+2/+20 Giant), Investigate 5 (+10), Knowledge (earth sciences) 10 (+15), Knowledge (life sciences) 10 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 10 (+15), Knowledge (technology) 10 (+15), Language 2 (+2), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 7 (+10), Search 5 (+10), Sense Motive 7 (+10), Stealth 4 (+5/+25 Tiny)

 

Feats: Beginner's Luck, Benefit (Member of Borealian Vanguard), Eidetic Memory, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Luck 4, Power Attack, Second Chance (Concentration checks to maintain powers), Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Feats (w/ Giant): Accurate Attack, Improved Grapple, Improved Pin, Improved Sunder, Interpose, Ultimate Effort (Toughness saves)

 

Feats (w/ Tiny): Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Defensive Attack, Evasion 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Defense 2, Improved Trick, Set-Up, Teamwork 3

 

Powers:

Size Changing (Alternate Form 20)

 

Size Changing Settings:

Giant (Alternate Form) (Powers: Gargantuan Might (Super-Strength 9), Gargantuan Resilience (Protection 6), Gargantuan Sized (Growth 12), Gargantuan Vision (Super-Senses 3), Attack Bonus +4 (+9), Defense Bonus +4 (+9), Intimidate +12 (+20), Feats: Accurate Attack, Improved Grapple, Improved Pin, Improved Sunder, Interpose, Ultimate Effort (Toughness saves))

      Gargantuan Might (Super-Strength 9) (+45 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 13.1k tons; +9 STR to some checks)

      Gargantuan Resilience (Protection 6) (+6 Toughness; Impervious [6 extra ranks])

      Gargantuan Sized (Growth 12) (+24 STR, +12 CON, +3 size categories)

      Gargantuan Vision (Super-Senses 3) (extended (type): Vision 1 (-1 per 100 ft), low-light vision)

Tiny (Alternate Form) (Powers: Diminutive Resilience (Protection 6), Diminutive Sized (Shrinking 12), Retractable Wings (Flight 3), Stinger (Blast 9), Attack Bonus +2 (+15), Defense Bonus +2 (+15), Acrobatics +10 (+15), Reflex +6 (+15), Stealth +8 (+25), Survival +2 (+5), Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Defensive Attack, Evasion 2, Hide in Plain Sight, Improved Defense 2, Improved Trick, Set-Up, Teamwork 3)

      Diminutive Resilience (Protection 6) (+6 Toughness)

      Diminutive Sized (Shrinking 12) (-3 size categories, 1/4 movement speed; Normal Strength, Normal Toughness; Custom (Normal Toughness counter Flaw); Custom (Normal Toughness as feat))

      Retractable Wings (Flight 3) (Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd; Subtle 2 (unnoticable))

      Stinger (Blast 9) (DC 24, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Stinger (Blast 9)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5))

 

Attack Bonus (Base): +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +9, Grapple: +12)

Attack Bonus (Giant): +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +9, Grapple: +49)

Attack Bonus (Tiny): +15 (Ranged: +15, Melee: +15, Grapple: +2)

 

Attacks (Base):  Unarmed Attack, +9 (DC 18)

Attacks (Giant):  Unarmed Attack, +9 (DC 30)

Attacks (Tiny): Stinger (Blast 9), +15 (DC 24), Unarmed Attack, +15 (DC 18)

 

Defense (Base): +9  (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -1

Defense (Giant): +9  (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -25

Defense (Tiny): +15  (Flat-footed: +8), Knockback: -1

 

Initiative: +1

 

Languages: English Native, French, Hebrew

 

Totals: Abilities 34 + Skills 35 (140 ranks) + Feats 14 + Powers 101 + Combat 36 + Saves 20 + Drawbacks 0 = 240

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 40

Height: 6’ (Base), 48’ (Giant), 8” (Tiny)

Weight: 185 lbs (Base), 88k lbs/44 tons (Giant), 7 ounces (Tiny)

Ethnicity: Jewish Caucasian

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Blue

Base of Operations: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

Background: Phil Cantor shouldn’t even be here. He doesn’t even know what happened. He was a Master’s degree student, okay? It wasn’t even the actual experiment. It wasn’t supposed to actually work. It was the control, for heaven’s sake. He knows more about mutant powers now. He understands that it was his trigger, unknowable until it happened. But at the time? A 48 foot tall man panicking is rather, uh, hard to miss. Especially when he’s stumbling out of the shattered ruins of a York University lab at 3AM. Toronto, much like New York, is not a city that sleeps. So this was a whole, uh, thing. He was, of course, quite clumsy at his new size. Police responded, things got extra messy when an officer panicked and started shooting, ugh it was such as disaster. Well. It was until Moonshadow showed up with the bright idea to actually talk to Phil. He’ll forever be grateful to the man for that.

Of course, Moonshadow talked into joining the Borealian Vanguard to train with his new powers. He took the codename Dormin, and the Vanguard smoothed everything over with the University and City of Toronto. All was not, however, well. Phil did not get to finish his first full year as a hero before that terrible day in September 2001. He…he tried. But he, like all of the Vanguard, was simply out of his weight class by a substantial margin. He feels quite badly for Moonshadow, who gave everything he had except his life. The organization he’d joined not a full year before practically ceased to exist. Lying in his hospital bed, the only person the monster Armageddon had actually hit but miraculously not killed (size helped with that, who knew?), he wondered if he really ought to stick with this hero thing. He thought about it through the initial stages of his recovery. He’d just about decided to quit, when he met his outpatient physical therapist. Her name was Judith. Still is, but you know. Past tense.

Phil isn’t quite sure how to explain it. Chemistry. Magic. The Hand of God. Fate. Someone meets the exact person they need exactly when they need them. In both directions. Judith is…not a quitter, haha. She convinced him to keep going, even as they slowly fell in love. She helped him discover both his bipolar disorder and ability to shrink+fly+blast. They were married in 2003 and, well…that’s the story. Time has not stopped moving. They have five beautiful children (14 year old Sarah, 12 year old Asher, 10 year old Elijah, 8 year old Leah, and 6 year old Eliana). Phil has earned multiple doctorates while teaching at York University. When Prairie Sprinter approached him to reform the Vanguard, he didn’t want to. His life has been truly blessed. The last time he went out with the Vanguard they all died and he nearly did. Still. Grace was his friend. Still is, but you know. Past tense. He talked it over with Judith like ever major decision, and she encouraged him to do it. With the two most important women in his life (His mother had died early in his marriage, unfortunately. Fucking cancer. No, he will not be calm about it.) on the same side, what was he to do  but agree? He’s put in a lot of work training his skills and powers. He wants to be of use. But you know how it is. The lingering feelings of inadequacy never quite go away. His life has been truly blessed, and he waits for the other shoe to drop.

 

Powers & Tactics: Dormin is a mutant with the power to change his size. Normally, one would expect this to happen via the temporary absorption or shedding of mass, but nope. The best explanation he (a man with multiple science doctorates) has come with is that he can change the size of the atoms and molecules in his body. Despite how staggeringly impossible that ought to be. Anyway, while doing this he has two standard forms. Giant and Tiny.

Giant is 48 feet tall and weighs 44 tons. In this form, he’s strong enough to crack titanium with a casual punch and his maximum lifting capacity is over 26 thousand tons. Unlike most growing size changers, his physical resilience measures up to this. He’s ignored rocket fire, and his attack accuracy and evasion seem totally unaffected by the change in size. Furthermore, his larger eyes extend his field of vision and he’s a surprisingly intimidating figure to those who see him out of the form. He is the strongest and toughest member of the current Borealian Vanguard in this form…but it doesn’t exactly fit inside most buildings.

Tiny, however, absolutely does. This form is 8 inches tall and weighs about 7 ounces. It’s not nearly as tough, but it can still take a surprising amount of damage for something so small. His size, naturally, increases both his attack accuracy and evasion. His physical strength appears entirely unaffected. He even gains surprising acrobatic ability. The remarkable powers are the retractable insect wings and bio electric energy bolts he calls his Stingers. In this form, he’s not only the stealthiest member of the Vanguard, but possibly the stealthiest person in the entire world. His wings function in virtual silence, and he seems to be able to totally disappear at will. It’s really quite impressive.

 

Tactically, Dormin is most often in his Tiny form in combat. It’s the one that fits inside buildings, after all, and +9 Autofire damage is generally more than enough to deal with opponents. His Stingers are his only attack in that case, but has Improved Acrobatic Bluff and Hide In Plain Sight along with high bonuses to abuse them with. Improved Trick is also on tap. Set Up can transfer the effects of either Improved feat to someone else, and Teamwork completes his consummate team player nature. To round things out, Defensive Attack and Improved Defense 2 can make him impressively difficult to hit without a nat 20.

If there’s both the room and the need, however, switching to Giant is a whole new ballgame. While Giant he’s mainly a grappler with Improved Grapple letting him use both hands and Improved Pin decreasing the enemy’s already low chance of escape. Not that he can’t throw one hell of a punch, though. Accurate Attack helps him hit there, and he’s got enough Intimidate to convince anyone to stand down. Since he’s so huge, Interposing for others is easy enough, and Improved Sunder lets him break any opposing devices that are being annoying. To wrap up, there’s Ultimate Toughness for when he really needs to soak some damage.

Generally speaking, however, he’s an Inventor with 4 ranks of Luck who can Power Attack if he needs to and has Takedown Attack to mow through minions. Don’t underestimate Beginner’s Luck, either. He can technically power stunt, however those are weaker versions of his two forms. Generally being larger than Giant or smaller than Tiny. Doesn’t come up a lot.

 

Personality: Dormin has (appropriately enough) one of the world’s largest cases of Imposter Syndrome. It’s not that he thinks he’s incompetent, or anything. Heavens, no. He’s studied and trained too long and too hard to think of himself as some sort of loser. But standing next to Prairie Sprinter. Blindspot. Bulletman. Moonshadow. They’re such exceptional people, and he’s just Professor Phil Cantor, father of five. He’s not some special person. He’s just had some lucky breaks, gotten a few unearned blessings, and done the best he could with both of those. It wouldn’t quite be accurate to say that he lives in fear of being found out. It’s just a source of anxiety. He knows he’s not worthy to stand beside such persons, but he’ll do his best regardless.

What Professor Phil Cantor, father of five doesn’t understand is that his wife, friends, and teammates like him. The mighty hero Dormin is irrelevant. He is a kind, hard working man with a humble demeanor. The kind of man who may well have gone unnoticed entirely if not for that accident all those years ago. It is not luck, and he is not any more blessed than any other Jewish person. It is him. He is, in fact, a unique and special person. Those exceptioinal people associate with him because they see him as one of them, and they are not incorrect. He is arguably the number two hero in Canada by merit, and not happenstance. However, by the very nature of who he is he is simply incapable of seeing it.

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Blindspot (Cindy Liu)

 

Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 210/210

 

STR: +3 (16), DEX: +7 (24), CON: +3 (16), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +7 (24), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+5, Fort: +8, Ref: +15, Will: +10

 

Skills: Acrobatics 8 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Concentration 8 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 12 (+15), Knowledge (streetwise) 7 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 12 (+15), Language 3 (+3), Notice 8 (+15), Sense Motive 8 (+15), Stealth 8 (+15)

 

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Attack Specialization 2 (Magic Sword Chungou (Purity) (Device 9)), Benefit (Member of Borealian Vanguard), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 2, Dodge Focus 7, Elusive Target, Evasion 2, Improved Critical 2 (Sword Attack (Strike 3)), Improved Initiative 2, Improved Trick, Luck 3, Power Attack, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Bluff, Notice, Stealth), Takedown Attack 2, Teamwork 3, Ultimate Effort (Will saves), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Magic Sword Chungou (Purity) (Device 9) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)

   Magic Powers (Array 11) (default power: move object)

      Ghost Form (Insubstantial 4) (Array; Incorporeal; Precise, Subtle (subtle))

      Mystic Passage (Teleport 6) (Array; 600 ft. as move action, 20 miles as full action; Accurate; Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Subtle (subtle))

      Scrying (ESP 😎 (Array; affects: 1 type - auditory; No Conduit; Custom 4 (Rapid 4 x10000), Subtle 2 (unnoticable))

      Telekinesis (Move Object 6) (Default; Strength: 30, Carry: 532 / 1.1k / 1.6k / 3.2k; Range (perception); Indirect 2 (any point, directed away), Precise, Subtle (subtle))

   Sword Attack (Strike 3) (slashing, DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Sword Attack (Strike 3)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [3 extra ranks], Penetrating [3 extra ranks]; Affects Insubstantial 2 (full power), Mighty)

Metahuman Sonar (Super-Senses 5) (accurate (type): Auditory, ultra-hearing)

Purified Hearing (Super-Senses 11) (counters concealment: Auditory, counters illusion: Auditory, counters obscure (all): Auditory, extended (type): Auditory 1 (-1 per 100 ft))

 

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

 

Attacks: Sword Attack (Strike 3), +16 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 18)

 

Defense: +15  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -2

 

Initiative: +15

 

Languages: Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, Punjabi

 

Totals: Abilities 52 + Skills 25 (100 ranks) + Feats 40 + Powers 45 + Combat 32 + Saves 16 + Drawbacks 0 = 210

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 35

Height: 5’ 3”

Weight: 120 lbs

Ethnicity: Chinese-Canadian

Hair: Black

Eyes: Dark Brown

Base of Operations: Vancouver. British Columbia

 

Background: Cindy Liu was born both small and blind. Her parents coddled her incessantly, doing everything for her. She wanted for nothing, except the freedom to do as she wished. This was not precisely out of compassion. They acted as if her blindness had robbed her of the ability to ever be competent at, well, anything. So they had to protect her from everything they could.  Extremely overprotective, and in her father’s case, misogynist as well. The plan was to find her a good husband so that she would want for nothing. She would be safe and taken care of all the days of her life. The plan did not account for Cindy Liu having an entirely different opinion about how she wanted to live her life. The plan needed Cindy Liu to a meek, obedient girl with a sweet nature and kind heart. Cindy Liu only met the last of these qualifications. So her parents were quite surprised when she refused the marriage they had arranged for her because she was very much a lesbian, told them she had a job and was moving out, and managed to do both of those things without leaving anyone feeling personally insulted. She then surprised them further by French kissing the young woman they thought was her gym rat of a best friend and riding off on said best friend’s motorcycle. This was at the party her parents threw her at their home for her high school graduation. Her 18th birthday had been earlier in the year. All follow up conversations with her father have ended up in screaming matches and all the ones with her mother have been massive guilt trips. She doesn’t call them very often anymore.

The sword Chungou (Or Chunjun, as both mean Purity) was forged approximately 2500 years ago by the legendary swordsmith Ou Yezi. It was one of five he forged on behalf of Gan Jiang (himself a legendary swordsmith) for King Zhao of Chu (his posthumous name, he was born Xiong Zhen). Neither smith was an ordinary one. China 500 years before the birth of a certain Nazarene carpenter might as well have been a different planet. Any swordsmith could make a mundane sword. One did not become legendary by making mundane swords, no matter their quality. For a sword to have a name, it has to be more. And so Chungou was more. With a pattern of stars on the blade, it was genuinely magical. Over and over again since its forging has the sword appeared in Chinese history, always in the hands of a blind female virgin. This does not necessarily mean it has always been wielded for righteous causes. The sword is on the mercurial side, operating on a morality strange to humans. It has found its way into the hands of thieves and murderers as well as heroes and champions. But times change. There were thousands of magic swords in the old days, and most have been lost. Chungou was thought one of them, having last been seen in the hands of a young woman under the command of Pirate Queen Ching Shih (real name Zheng Yi Sao). Thought one of them until a blind female virgin named Cindy Liu found it in a small back room in Vancouver Community College.

However, merely finding a sword does not turn a person into a superhero. There was more to it than that. When she placed her hand on the hilt, something fundamental about her changed. It is difficult to explain, but the 20 year old who walked into that room was not quite the 20 year old who walked out. She was not given knowledge. She did not meet a god. It was like the restoration of a piece of herself that she had not even known was missing. That she had been born without. Before she entered, the stars in Chungou’s constellation pattern had numbered 107. One for each woman who had wielded it. Despite being an inanimate object, the sword remembered them. After she left that forgotten back room, sword in hand, the stars in that pattern numbered 108 and she too, remembered them. She remembered them the way the sword did, as old friends long gone, with the details of their lives fuzzed and scattered by years of separation. She did, however, remember all 107 of their names, and that none of them died old in their beds. So it goes.

Blindspot debuted that month. Vancouver was noticeably safer by the end of the year. She wasn’t and isn’t exclusive to the supernatural scene of the city, either, despite being a literal magic swordswoman. Vancouver is one of the busiest port cities in the world. It’s one of Canada’s largest industrial centers. It’s the third largest TV and film production hubs in North America. Countless corporations have their headquarters or a major outpost here. Where there’s money, there’s crime. It’s one of the most multiculurally diverse cities in Canada. Nearly half of the population speaks a native language other than English or French. More than half are visibly nonwhite. It’s a busy goddamn city. She doesn’t lack for things to do, especially as more than a quarter (in general, not of that more than half) are of Chinese descent. It means a lot to the community to have the city represented by an actual Chinese-Canadian person.

This is how she met Moonshadow. They worked together more than a few times, to the degree that when Prairie Sprinter, Dormin, and he were revitalizing the Borealian Vanguard, Blindspot was the first name he thought of. She accepted the offer and has been a member of the team ever since. She’s the supernatural specialist on the main team. By day she runs a used bookstore (badly) in the West End. As a side note, the virginity requirement she’s researched as it didn’t make sense when she was 20 and sure as hell doesn’t now. Long story short, as long as her partner doesn’t have a penis it doesn’t count. Somehow. You know what? She’s good with that. A penis-free lifestyle suits her just fine.

 

Powers & Tactics: Blindspot is a master swordswoman (one of the best in the world, actually) and metahuman with one power. She also has a magical power that augments her metahuman power and one magical device. Her metahuman power is quite simple. She can hear virtually every frequency of sound. Her brain uses each frequency individually to determine the location of all surrounding objects, her distance to them, and even their textures. It’s sonar, but cranked up to an accuracy level normally only found in sight. Her parents never believed her when she talked about it. Her magical power, from being chosen by the magical sword Chungou, augments this by rendering her hearing immune to all types of concealment, illusion, and obscurement. Furthermore, it extends her auditory range significantly.

Her magical device is, of course, the magical sword Chungou. It is a jian, or double edged sword. It is not some ordinary sword. It is sharp enough to cut through just about anything, even after 2500 years of existence. In fact, the more solid the hit, the more it cuts. Not even spirits, energy beings, and the like aren’t safe. It cuts them just the same as it does the corporeal. Additioinally, it has a number of magical powers for the wielder to use. A ghost form, so that attacks may pass through while she may still strike. Teleporting up to 20 miles away without notice. Scrying through up to 2000 miles worth of sounds to find what she’s looking for. And some basic telekinesis with a mas carrying capacity of 3200 pounds (1.6 tons).

For the record, she uses Taijijian as her sword style. It is an extension of her practice of the martial art Taijiquan, better known in the West as Tai Chi. Very broadly, the point of both is not to oppose the enemy’s “hardness” or “softness” with one’s own. So she’s more about finesse. Using the proper technique at the proper moment. Opposing strength with strength is not something she does. She makes no claims about being any good at the more…philosophical elements of Tai Chi.

 

Tactically, Blindspot is a swordswoman with a few potent tricks. Ghost Form with Precise means she can attack without fear of being attacked back in most cases, but it limits her mobility. Meaning she can’t use Mystic Passage to bounce around the battlefield while Ghost Form is active. Both are excellent ways to do things, so it’s a round by round decision. Scrying and Telekinesis are support powers. Scrying can search its entire 2000 mile area in a round and a half. If she takes 20, it’ll take a minute and a half. It’s very fast at what it does. Telekinesis has enough strength to carry multiple people out of harms way while Blindspot herself also stays out of harm’s way. Or she could do the car throw, whatever. She has both Defensive and Power Attack to use as needed. Improved Acrobatic Bluff and Improved Trick to ruin the enemies’ day. Set Up and Teamwork 3 for maximum team player status. And Takedown Attack 2 lets her cut through mooks like it’s going out of style. Note Luck 2, Ultimate Will Save, and Ritualist. She can power stunt a Mystic Blast (Blast 10, Accurate 2) off of her sword’s array, but it’s rare. She’s a swordswoman, not a mystic.

 

Personality: Blindspot chose that name specifically because she’s blind. Everyone’s in her blindspot, see? It’s a joke. It is not a good joke. This should say much about the type of person she is. She’s sarcastic, snarky, and totally unserious in most situations. She likes to prank people in small, inconsequential ways. Like shouting “Hey, look at that!” while pointing at nothing. In fact, a good way to know when the fecal matter has once again hit the oscillating device is that she’s stopped joking around. She’s basically a hell of a lot of fun, if one doesn’t have a stick shoved up their backside. She calls it “therapeutic deflation of egos”.

A psychologist would call it a coping mechanism. Being blind is kind of a pain in the ass, actually. The world revolves around the sighted. Fair enough, there’s like ten thousand times more of them. But you know, she doesn’t listen to the television. Acting and animation rely on a lot of visual cues, which she cannot pick up when they’re on a screen. Her outfits have to be carefully organized and marked so she doesn’t go out looking like she got dressed in the dark. Even if that’s kind of true, in a way. And oh god, how sighted people can treat you like you’re an invalid is infuriating. It isn’t everyone, of course. Some people are pretty awesome about it, actually. However, that just akes the ones who aren’t so awesome stand out even more. She finds nothing more aggravating than someone assuming she can’t do something simply because her eyes don’t work. For the record, they do. It’s a neurological problem that prevents her from having anything but a vague sense of the current light level. That’s why she wears the blindfold as Blindspot and the sunglasses as Cindy.

To be clear, she doesn’t hate being blind. Not at all. She’s never known anything else to judge by, anyway. It’s just part of who she is, for better or worse. What bothers her is how the world is not set up for people with disabilities, and that some people overcompensate for that to an excessive degree. She’s not made of glass, a helpless invalid, or a useless idiot. She’s an adult, with an adult’s knowledge of what she can and cannot do. And even if she was one of those things, she would still expect her agency and personhood to be respected, dammit.

That’s not her motivation, though. It’s not why she’s Blindspot and not just Cindy Liu plus some random sword maybe. Honestly, she couldn’t explain it if she tried. The hero thing just feels right. Like something she should be doing. She’s not dumb. She knows she’s the last wielder of Chungou. She knows she’s not going to die old in her bed, either. She’s genuinely not looking forward to getting shot, stabbed, blown up, or whatever it is that kills her. And maybe the girl she was before she walked into that forgotten back room would’ve quit by now. Or maybe not. She just knows the woman who walked out of it won’t ever.

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Armory (Leon Wilson)

 

Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 210/210

 

STR: +15 (16/40), DEX: +1 (12), CON: +5 (16/20), INT: +0 (10), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +2 (14)

 

Tough: +5/+15, Fort: +7/+10, Ref: +7, Will: +6/+10

 

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+5), Bluff 3 (+5), Craft (electronic) 5 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 5 (+5), Diplomacy 3 (+5), Gather Information 3 (+5), Intimidate 6 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 5 (+5), Knowledge (tactics) 10 (+10), Knowledge (technology) 5 (+5), Language 1 (+1), Medicine 3 (+5), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10), Survival 3 (+5)

 

Feats: All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged) 8, Benefit (Member of Borealian Vanguard), Equipment 5, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Anti-Material Rifle (Blast 7)), Interpose, Luck, Power Attack, Precise Shot 2, Takedown Attack

 

Powers:

Mobile Weapon System (Device 30) (Hard to lose)

   Big Machine (Growth 4) (+8 STR, +4 CON, +1 size category; Permanent)

   Combat Computer (Enhanced Trait 16) (Traits: Attack Bonus +1 (+7), Defense Bonus +1 (+7), Precise Shot 2 +1 (+2), Feats: All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged) 8, Improved Aim, Power Attack)

   Enhanced Defenses (Enhanced Trait 7) (Traits: Fortitude +3 (+10), Will +4 (+10))

   Heavy Armor Plating (Protection 10) (+10 Toughness; Impervious)

   Internal Radio (Communication 7) (sense type: radio; Omni-Directional Area; Selective, Subtle (subtle))

   Life Support Module (Immunity 9) (life support)

   MWS Armament (Array 16) (default power: blast)

      Anti-Material Rifle (Blast 7) (Array; ballistic, DC 22, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Anti-Material Rifle (Blast 7)); Penetrating; Improved Range 3 (700 ft. incr), Knockback 2, Precise, Progression, Increase Range 3 (max range x10, 7000 feet))

      Flamethrower (Strike 7) (Array; fire, DC 22; Cone Area (50-350 ft. cone - General), Penetrating, Selective Attack; Progression, Decrease Area 2 (-2 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5))

      Heavy Machine Gun (Blast 7) (Default; ballistic, DC 22; Autofire (interval 2, max +5), Penetrating; Improved Range (175 ft. incr), Knockback 2, Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 1750 feet))

      Light Field Artillery (Blast 😎 (Array; explosive, DC 23; Burst Area (40 ft. radius - General); Improved Range 4 (2000 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range 4 (max range x25, 20000 feet))

      Medium Mortar (Blast 7) (Array; explosive, DC 22; Burst Area (35-175 ft. radius - General), Selective Attack; Improved Range (175 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5), Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 1750 feet))

      Power Knuckles & Internal Hydraulics (Linked)

         Enhanced Strength 16 (Linked; +16 STR)

         Super-Strength 8 (Linked; +40 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 1.6k tons; +8 STR to some checks)

      Rocket Launcher (Blast 10) (Array; explosive, DC 25; Burst Area (50-250 ft. radius - General); Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5))

   Radarproof (Concealment 2) (other sense type: Radio; Permanent)

   Sensor Suite (Super-Senses 13) (accurate: Radio, darkvision, extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft), extended (type): Radio 2 (-1 per 1k ft), infravision, radio)

   Turbine Engine (Flight 7) (Speed: 1000 mph, 8800 ft./rnd)

      Continuous Track (Speed 6) (Alternate; Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd)

      Hydraulic Jacks (Leaping 6) (Alternate; Jumping distance: x100)

      Super-Movement 1 (Alternate; slow fall)

 

Equipment: Commlink, Soldier's Arms (Assault Rifle, Flash-Bang, Fragmentation Grenade, Masterwork Heavy Pistol), Undercover Shirt

 

Attack Bonus: +6/+7 (Ranged: +14/+15, Melee: +6/+7, Grapple: +26/+35)

 

Attacks: Anti-Material Rifle (Blast 7), +15 (DC 22), Assault Rifle, +15 (DC 20), Flamethrower (Strike 7) (DC 22), Flash-Bang, +15 (DC Fort/Ref 14), Fragmentation Grenade, +15 (DC Ref 15), Heavy Machine Gun (Blast 7), +15 (DC 22), Light Field Artillery (Blast 😎 (DC 23), Masterwork Heavy Pistol, +16 (DC 19), Medium Mortar (Blast 7) (DC 22), Rocket Launcher (Blast 10) (DC 25), Unarmed Attack, +7 (DC 30)

 

Defense: +6/+7  (Flat-footed: +4), Size: Medium/Large, Knockback: -16

 

Initiative: +1

 

Languages: English Native, French

 

Totals: Abilities 22 + Skills 18 (72 ranks) + Feats 10 + Powers 120 + Combat 28 + Saves 12 + Drawbacks 0 = 210

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 31

Height: 5’ 10” (Leon), 8’ (Mobile Weapon System)

Weight: 180 lbs (Leon), 4000 lbs/2 tons (Mobile Weapon System)

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Hair: Sandy Brown

Eyes: Grey

Base of Operations: Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, Quebec

 

Theme Song: [url=]Always Hated Goodbyes, by Divide Music[/url]

 

Background: Leon Wilson is just a small town guy who joined the army out of high school and is making the best of things. Lumsden, Saskatchewan is a farming town of less than two thousand people. It’s close enough to Regina that folks can easily drive up there if they need anything special, but you know how it is. Small town living. Farmers and minor league hockey players. Leon didn’t join the army to get the hell out of there, exactly, but he’s not entirely complaining about that side benefit. He signed up because he wanted to serve his country and get some good done in the world.

At least, that’s what he wants everyone to believe. His secret isn’t some bombshell, however. It’s a simple thing. His great-grandfather was Canadian Eagle. One of the five founders of the Maple Leaf Society, Canada’s original superhero group. It’s maybe dumb kid stuff, but Leon kind of wanted to be like him growing up. But you know, they don’t exactly stock “how to become a superhero” books at the Lumsden Public Library. And he didn’t have any powers. So a kid like that from a tiny town like Lumsden is of course going to think the only way they can live even a fraction of his dream is to join the army.

And you know, he was a good soldier. They wouldn’t have picked him for the project otherwise. The prototype Mobile Weapon System needed a pilot. The tech specialists at Defence R&D Canada - Valcartier has been developing it since that terrible day in September 2001. Perhaps if the original Borealian Vanguard had had something like it, more of them would have survived. 7 years of painstaking labor later, they had a mostly functional prototype. Battlesuit tech design is extremely challenging, especially when no innovations from Terry Cruz or Baroness Valia can be used to speed things along and there’s none of those incredible superhero tech geniuses on the payroll. So 7 years from blank sheet of paper to functional prototype? Pretty good speed, actually. For the record, Terry’s tech was politically tainted following his criminal convictions and many of the core ideas were appropriated by the United States government, making them not easily available to Canada. Valia, on the other hand, would be all too happy to help for a substantial fee. But she’s, you know, Valia. So that’s off the table. That’s the story with basically all the other possible tech they could’ve used, too. It’s either not publically available or in use by an active supervillain. So it goes.

Anyway, Leon went through a year’s worth of shakedown missions. No combat, really. Just ironing out a lot of bugs. The type you only find when you turn the machine on and start making it do what it’s designed to do. And then the Borealian Vanguard was getting their act back together. Since it’s a government run team, they can put who they want on it. They chose Leon. To be clear, in the Mobile Weapon System with the codename Armory. It’s been ten years, you know? Good times. Some desperate ones. Hero game is a lot more exciting than soldiering, and that’s a fact. Leon’s no fool, though. He knows the rumors. Ten years of field testing data and the big brain boys are developing the second generation of the Mobile Weapon System. They’re unlikely to put a Sergeant over the age of 30 into it. So, Leon’s likely on borrowed time. The end of the road isn’t far ahead. He’s not sure what to do about that. He doesn’t want to leave the Vanguard, but well, it’s not up to him. All a soldier can do is follow orders. (Incidentally, he’s wrong about this. There will be an MWS Mark II this year, but he’s going to be assigned to mentor the new guy.)

 

Powers & Tactics: Leon Wilson has no superhuman powers. He’s not a tech specialist or a martial artist. He is, quite frankly nothing more than a damn fine soldier. He does carry an Assault Rifle, Masterwork Heavy Pistol, and carry a few Fragmentation Grenades and Flash Bangs just in case. He wears an Undercover Shirt for the same reason. However, everything that he does as Armory comes from his technological device, the Mobile Weapon System.

The Mobile Weapon System is essentially a flying tank that only needs one person to man it. At 12 feet tall and weighing 2 tons, it’s bigger than many cars. Its combat computer turns Leon from a highly skilled professional shooter into a masterful one. There are supports for his bodily integrity and willpower. Its heavy armor plating has ignored rocket fire. The internal radio’s ranged stretches 200 miles, and often keeps the entire Vanguard in communication with each other. The life support module entirely seals the machine’s systems, allowing the pilot to function at identical efficiency at the bottom of the ocean, in the middle of the Arctic, flying a thousand feet above the Rockies, or literally in space. It is even invisible to mundane radar. Its sensor suite has wide ranging radar and can see further than most people without requiring visible light. It has powerful turbine engines and retractable wings that let it fly above the speed of sound, and a continuous track and hydraulic jacks for alternate transport.

It is, however, the weapons that give Leon his codename. It is truly a smorgasbord of modern military weaponry. From longest ranged to shortest. Light Field Artillery. The explosive area isn’t huge, but the range is appropriately ludicrous. Using radar to detect targets, this can hit from literal miles away and is likely the only warning supervillains in unpopulated areas get before Bulletman literally crashes in and Prairie Sprinter shows up with Dormin and Blindspot. Anti-Material Rifle. A sniper rifle scaled up to .50 caliber and without any sound or flash suppression. So it’s loud. Anti-Material Rifles are meant to disable armored vehicles. So it packs a bit of a punch and basically ignored all but the strongest armor plating.  Heavy Machine Gun and Medium Mortar are tied. The former is also .50 cal, and usually mounted on vehicles. It arguable still is, heh. The latter, while perhaps lacking a little in power compared with other options, has a rather large potential explosive area and more importantly the charge can be directed to a degree so that only desired targets in that explosive area are hit. Rocket Launcher. Exactly what it says it is. It has th emost power and largest explosive are available, for when those are necessary. Flamethrower. Largest overall damage area, and uses an energy type instead of a physical one. This has occasionally useful. Furthermore, it punches through armor like nothin’. Power Knuckles & Internal Hydraulics. Ever had a 12 foot, 2 ton humanoid metal machine punch you? It hurts. This the strongest attack available, however the flaws of melee only and limited accuracy hinder it. Still, the physical strength available here is second only to Dormin in his Giant form, with an upper limit of approximately 3.3 thousand tons. Figuring out how to be stronk af was the easiest part for the eggheads at Defence R&D Canada – Valcartier.

 

Tactically, Armory is extremely variable. He’s capable of doing damage at all ranges. He isn’t deployed against rank and file thuggery, so accidentally doing lethal damage isn’t something he normally has to worry about. Power Knuckles are more or less exclusively for teaching bricks who can bull through his other attacks some humility via punches to the face. Flamethrower, as stated, is more or less a trump card against enemies resistant/immune to physical damage or more vulnerable to fire. Rocket Launcher is generally the option before Power Knuckles for high Toughness enemies, but as an Area attack has it’s uses for Acceptable Target minions as well. Heavy Machine Gun and Medium Mortar are actually the standard attack options in most circumstances. The former for single targets and the latter for groups. Enough power to likely do damage, not enough to accidently do lethal damage. Anti-Material Rifle is for overwatch. Hanging 500 feet back and supporting the team with precision fire. It’s really good for its original purpose of disabling vehicles, too. Light Field Artillery is straight up used for artillery purposes. Attacking villainous bases and whatnot, softening up potential resistance and opening entry points for the rest of the team (save Bulletman, who makes his own).

 

The MWS’s combat computer grants Armory All Out and Power Attack, along with Improved Aim for use as needed. Leon himself can Interpose, has a rank of Luck, and can bulldoze through minions (if surprised out of the MWS) with Takedown Attack. That’s it. He’s not really all that good at Feinting, though he can try a Demoralize in the MWS. But his purpose is really to be a hitter. Attack vigorously and hit hard. ‘Nuff said. Though, one final note. The superhero Armory does not have a license to freely kill the enemies of the Vanguard. Sergeant Leon Wilson, however, would not be prosecuted if he did something outside of the MWS with his government issued weapons. Such a situation would be clear self defense, after all. So far it’s never come up, but it’s still a possibility.

 

Personality: Leon Wilson was a small town boy with a dream. A dream that came true in a way he never expected it to. But really? He’s a sergeant. A consummate soldier. Reliable, responsible, and respectful. Orders are orders, he says, no matter if they’re coming from Prairie Sprinter, Moonshadow, or his CO at Valcartier. Honestly, he’s a nice guy. People like him. Armory is a well respected superhero in Canada. But you know…while Armory may be a superhero, Leon Wilson isn’t. Don’t misunderstand. He’s heroic, but it’s on the human scale of heroic. It’s not to the degree that the “super” prefix can be applied. He’s just a guy, you know? Not loads better than you’d find anywhere, like an actual superhero tends to be.

This is not an inferiority complex or anything else. It’s simple fact. Outside of the MWS, Leon is only a man. No powers, special skills, or fancy devices. He’s an elite soldier skills wise, but that’s barely clinging on the bottom rung on the supers scene. But it’s more than that. He doesn’t have that extra psychological gear all Five Year Vets and those who can become them have. You know. When they grit their teeth, plant their feet, and tell the impossible to fuck off. Leon’s got the “get a cat out of a tree” and “jump into burning building a kid” parts, sure. Heroism on the human scale he absolutely has, as previously stated. But that extra gear? Nope. So it goes.

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Bulletman (Jason "Jay" Martin)

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 180/180

 

STR: +0 (10), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +0 (10), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +0/+9, Fort: +5, Ref: +6/+9, Will: +10

 

Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+10), Bluff 2 (+5), Concentration 12 (+15), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Disguise 2 (+5), Gather Information 7 (+10), Knowledge (history) 12 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 7 (+10), Knowledge (tactics) 2 (+5), Language 2 (+2), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 12 (+15)

 

Feats: All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 3, Benefit (Member of Borealian Vanguard), Dodge Focus 3, Elusive Target, Evasion, Improved Initiative, Luck 3, Quick Change, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Well-Informed

 

Powers:

Bulletman Tricks (Array 10) (default power: strike)

   Bullet Punch (Strike 😎 (Default; bludgeoning, DC 23; Penetrating; Accurate 2 (+4))

   Kinetic Theft (Paralyze 😎 (Array; DC 18; Accurate 2 (+4))

   Sonic Boom (Damage 9) (Array; air, DC 24; Trail Area (225-1125 ft. trail - General); Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5))

Human Bullet (Container, Passive 9)

   Enhanced Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 9) (Traits: Defense Bonus +3 (+9), Reflex +3 (+9))

   Some Strength Left Yet (Super-Strength 3) (+15 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 800 lbs; +3 STR to some checks)

   Steel Hard Skin (Protection 9) (+9 Toughness; Impervious)

   Unstoppable Ramming (Immovable 6) (Resist Movement: +24, Resist Knockback: -6; Unstoppable)

Hypersonic Bullet (Flight 12) (Speed: 50000 mph, 440000 ft./rnd)

 

Attack Bonus: +3 (Ranged: +3, Melee: +6, Grapple: +6/+9)

 

Attacks: Bullet Punch (Strike 8), +10 (DC 23), Kinetic Theft (Paralyze 8), +10 (DC Staged/Will 18), Sonic Boom (Damage 9) (DC Staged/Tou ), Unarmed Attack, +6 (DC 15)

 

Defense: +6/+9  (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -9/-15

 

Initiative: +7

 

Languages: English Native, French, German

 

Totals: Abilities 24 + Skills 21 (84 ranks) + Feats 17 + Powers 91 + Combat 12 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 180

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 114 (chronological), 67 (biological)

Height: 5’ 2”

Weight: 105 lbs

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Hair: Grey w/ streaks of Blonde

Eyes: Blue

Base of Operations: Halifax, Nova Scotia

 

Background: Canadian Eagle. Cascade. Spotlight. Loggerhead. Jay Martin remembers them. They were his friends, after all. Psi-Ren. Voyageur (the first one). Chanson (also the first one). And all the rest. It was 1940, a year far enough from 2019 Jay never dreamed he’d ever see it. He and those first four formed the Maple Leaf Society to counter the Nazi menace. Jay was 35, and like the other four, a veteran hero of the Mystery Men Era. He’d debuted a decade earlier to give the people hope. The Great Depression wasn’t any kinder to Canada than it was to anywhere else. The bulk of their activities took place in Canada, however, the MLS took pride in being the first foreign superteam to voluntarily go over to Europe and aid the war effort. The entire team (save Loggerhead, who couldn’t leave Canada and Voyageur, who wouldn’t) were there on D-Day (storming Juno Beach alongside the Canadian Army), and stayed until after V-E Day.

Aribert Reimer escaped after the collapse of the Third Reich. He was Thule Society. It wasn’t…quite dissolved in 1925, as the actual wizards kept it alive in secret, the way only wizards seem to be able to do. Ironically, Reimler himself wasn’t a wizard. He was a mad scientist, though “mad” only applies in the slang of the time. He was quite sane. It was the Thule Society’s twisted experiments that birthed most of Nazi Germany’s super-operatives, with the rest being the shattered and brainwashed remnants of conquered nations’ heroes and villains. In the chaos of the final days of the war, with the Reich collapsing under Allied heroic and military pressure and the Society collapsing under Aliied and White Court Wizard pressure, Reimler fled first to Spain, then to Italy, and at last to Quebec. He was naturalized under a false name. While he was still sane, the “mad” part now applied. He was quite angry. His revenge plots kept the Maple Leaf Society busy for the next six years, until his final scheme ended in victory. Bulletman and the rest of the MLS were petrified at his now smashed remote mountain fortress. His identity exposed in the process, he escaped Canada in hopes of getting to South America like many other Nazis had. He did not make it. He was tracked down in El Salvador by Lisa Lindsay (formerly Lady Liberty of Project Blue Liberty) in her role working for the CIA. She put a large caliber bullet in his head and delivered his body to a Mossad agent. She knew nothing of what he had done to the MLS, and hadn’t given the notorious mad scientist a chance to do anything but die. So the disappearance of virtually all of Canada’s top heroes remained a mystery for two and a half decades.

Until 1976. The original Borealian Vanguard, after another mission, found themselves at the site, now decayed and overrun by wilderness. Team leader Captain Action. Spotlight’s granddaughter Limelight. The second Voyageur. And the Golden Rusher. Others. Not Yukon Bill, though. He was dead. Turned out “angry bearded man with shotgun” wasn’t very good against actual, genuine supervillains. A pity. It was Limelight, however, who recognized the only statue that remained intact. She had a picture of the man next to her grandfather literally in her house. And having recognized one, she and the rest now recognized the rest. Her mystic senses were able to detect the truth. This was where the Maple Leaf Society had met their end. Limelight could easily reverse the petrification with a magic ritual, but there was no point. They were all broken and worn by time besides. Repair was impossible. All she’d be doing is bringing them back just to die. Captain Action, however, persuaded to try with the apparently intact Bulletman. And it worked! Jay Martin was a human being again, and uninjured in the bargain. Hooray. Ish.

Because Jay Martin, alias Bulletman, had not been conscious for that time. 25 years had passed by in the blink of an eye. He had not aged a day. The world had simply gone on without him. Without any of them. The Vanguard was happy to return him to Halifax, as the disappearance of the MLS was finally solved. They would have been happy to have him on the team, but he respectfully declined. He wanted to reconnect with his wife (who had surprisingly to him not remarried) and children, as well as actually meet his grandchildren. The thing that a man from his era would obviously not say is that he was grieving his friends. From his perspective they had been at his side just the other day, and now they were not. Just like that. And so the years passed. He was sort of retired. He did light hero work around Halifax, but otherwise lived quietly. He realized after burying his wife several years later that he wasn’t aging correctly. Some residual effect of either the petrification or the ritual used to break it.

The loss of the Vanguard on that terrible day in September 2001 was quite shocking. But well…how to put it? He was retired. It wasn’t his problem anymore. Or so he tried to convince himself. But you know…the war was 60 years ago. His petrification was 50 years ago. God help him, he was starting to bury his own children. He had great grand children that were actual legal adults. So, he started doing a little more around Halifax. And a little more. And a little more. Teaching himself how to use his powers all over again, as his once great strength had faded. He wasn’t intentionally trying to be the foremost hero in Nova Scotia. He really wasn’t. He was a retired old man just trying to keep busy. The ones who didn’t keep busy in their retirement were the ones who dropped dead fast. So when Prairie Sprinter, Dormin, and Moonshadow came to convince him to join the reinvigorated Vanguard, he was again ready to decline. With respect to Donovan and Phil, if it was just the two of them he would have actually declined entirely. They’re good men and more than worthy heroes, but…it’s hard to explain. It was something about Grace. Reminded him of very old friends long gone. And of an oath sworn among five men nearly 70 years prior. For her, he said yes and has spent the ensuing decade being the sort of wise, grandfatherly mentor figure Moonshadow is incapable of being. Though in fairness Donovan’s never been to war.

For the record, his physical after the Endgame showed that whatever was slowing his aging is now gone. Probably because he was Dusted and brought back. So, Jay doesn’t have a lot of time left realistically speaking. His powers have already failed him in one way (his strength is down to near nothing). Matter of time before they start failing in others. Soon enough, the Bulletman will fade away. But not now, and not yet. And in a large truck in the small Halifax house of the aging Jason “Jay” Martin, the petrified remains of the Maple Leaf Society await someone with the power to repair them and turn them back to flesh and blood.

 

Powers & Tactics: Bulletman is a mutant. There was an accident at Halifax Shipyard which buried him in molten metal, causing his powers to trigger. Originally he had superhuman strength to go with his flight and steel hard skin, but alas it has almost entirely faded away. His flight and skin, however, remain. And he has developed some tricks that the younger Bulletman never needed that provoke questions about what his powers actually do. Starting with his skin, it’s tough enough to ignore artillery fire. That hasn’t changed. However, he’s gotten old. His stamina isn’t what it once was, thus making him less resilient overall than he was 70 and even 60 years ago. Tapping more into his flight powers has allowed him to counter this and maintain his overall power level. Said flight is absolutely hypersonic. Because he doesn’t have any additional quickness as speedsters do, he never thought he could develop the reflexes they have. Until he needed it and so developed just a bit of enhanced evasive abilities. His strength may be faded, but even if his punching strength is gone his carrying capacity is still nearly a full ton.

With his strength faded, he needed some new tricks and thus developed his “Bullet Punch” aka punching with superhuman speed. He can purposefully enhanced the sonic boom he causes by flying at speed to cause big damage over a vast area behind him. His weirdest ability is stealing kinetic energy from a target, which can lead to their temporary paralysis. He…he doesn’t quite know why he can do that. (For the record, part of his suite is kinetic energy absorption with an unknown level of manipulation)That’s the one that raises the question of what his powers actually do in the first place. But at any rate, he still has the strongest weapon in his arsenal. Slamming into a target at top flight speed.

 

Tactically, Bulletman is pretty simple. A slam attack is a hell of an opener for any targets tough enough to not take lethal damage from +12 damage. Bolt on some All Out Attack for additional accuracy, and whew. With that said, Bullet Punch and Kinetic Theft are more likely to be used on lower Toughness foes. +2 Accurate Attack on fhe former, and he can handle mooks just fine. Sonic Boom is simply too large to be used in an urban area. But anywhere else (rural, mid air, underwater for some reason), watch out. And that’s about it. He’s old. His combat skills have atrophied. Note his Luck 3, however. In a pinch he could Heroic Feat Takedown Attack or stunt some Kinetic Control power he doesn’t quite realize he can do.

 

Personality: Bulletman is a pretty classic hero from the Golden Age. Intelligent, strong willed, and responsible. A kind and empathetic man who answered the call to action that getting his powers represented. However, it cannot be said that he did not enjoy being a hero to start with. Saving the day, back in the day, was generally pretty fun on the whole. Getting older has changed him not one whit in this regard. However, he’s neither a young hero trying to make his name and Do Right nor is he the veteran leading the charge. He’s a mentor figure now, advising the younger and less experienced members of the Vanguard (which is basically everyone but Prairie Sprinter, Dormin, and Moonshadow) in just how this hero thing is done. To be clear, this is done in a friendly and paternal way. To the degree that it’s difficult to find anyone who dislikes him. It also includes plenty of encouragement and a little self depreciation as he’s not what he was in his youth.

With that said, the fate of his friends in the Maple Leaf Society does hang over him. He has their petrified remains in his house, after all. That’s not the mark of a man who’s moved on from their loss or given up hope that they could be recovered. And in his darker moments he will admit that perhaps he should have taken the original Vanguard up on that offer to join them. He’s not quite fool enough to think he could have defeated Armageddon himself, but perhaps that day could have gone differently. Even if only a little. However, these are not things to be dwelled on. He has grandchildren, great grandchildren, and even a few very young great great grandchildren to spent time with. There is still plenty of heroing to be done before his powers or his aging body fail him. And so the Bulletman flies on.

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Felin-garou (Rosalie Lavoie)

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 180/180

 

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

 

Tough: +6, Fort: +7, Ref: +12, Will: +8

 

Skills: Acrobatics 6 (+11/+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Concentration 7 (+10), Diplomacy 2 (+5), Disable Device 12 (+15), Disguise 2 (+5/+25), Gather Information 2 (+5), Handle Animal 2 (+5), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 2 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 12 (+15), Language 1 (+1), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 7 (+10), Sense Motive 7 (+10), Stealth 6 (+11/+15), Survival 2 (+5)

 

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 5, Benefit (Member of Borealian Vanguard), Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 5, Evasion, Improved Critical (Claws & Fangs (Strike 1)), Improved Initiative, Improved Trick, Luck 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Second Chance (Concentration checks to maintain powers), Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Bluff, Disguise, Stealth), Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Teamwork 3, Uncanny Dodge (Olfactory)

 

Powers:

Feline Affinity (Features 1) (Notes: Cats see her as one of their own and are unthreatened by her.)

Lucky Cat (Luck Control 3) (force a re-roll, negate gm fiat, spend hero point for another, Feats: Luck 3)

Werecat Shift (Alternate Form 9)

   Werecat (Alternate Form) (Powers: Claws & Fangs (Strike 1), Felin-garou Shift (Morph 4), Feline Leaping (Leaping 3), Feline Movement (Super-Movement 3), Feline Senses (Super-Senses 4), Feline Speed (Speed 3), Shifter's Toughness (Protection 1), Wall Run (Super-Movement 1), Strength +6 (20, +5), Dexterity +6 (20, +5), Acrobatics +4 (+15), Stealth +4 (+15), Constitution +6 (20, +5))

      Claws & Fangs (Strike 1) (slashing, DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical (Claws & Fangs (Strike 1)); Mighty)

      Felin-garou Shift (Morph 4) (morph: single appearance, +20 Disguise)

      Feline Leaping (Leaping 3) (Jumping distance: x10)

      Feline Movement (Super-Movement 3) (slow fall, sure-footed 1 (25% penalty reduction), trackless)

      Feline Senses (Super-Senses 4) (acute (type): Olfactory, low-light vision, tracking: Olfactory 1 (half speed))

      Feline Speed (Speed 3) (Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd)

      Shifter's Toughness (Protection 1) (+1 Toughness)

      Wall Run (Super-Movement 1) (wall-crawling 1 (half speed); Limited (to one move action))

 

Power Settings:

Werecat (Alternate Form) (Powers: Claws & Fangs (Strike 1), Felin-garou Shift (Morph 4), Feline Leaping (Leaping 3), Feline Movement (Super-Movement 3), Feline Senses (Super-Senses 4), Feline Speed (Speed 3), Shifter's Toughness (Protection 1), Wall Run (Super-Movement 1), Strength +6 (20, +5), Dexterity +6 (20, +5), Acrobatics +4 (+15), Stealth +4 (+15), Constitution +6 (20, +5))

 

Attack Bonus: +7 (Ranged: +7, Melee: +12, Grapple: +17)

 

Attacks: Claws & Fangs (Strike 1), +12 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 20)

 

Defense: +12  (Flat-footed: +4), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +9

 

Languages: English, French Native

 

Totals: Abilities 30 + Skills 21 (84 ranks) + Feats 29 + Powers 58 + Combat 28 + Saves 14 + Drawbacks 0 = 180

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 23

Height: 5’ 1” (untransformed), 5’ 7” (as Werecat)

Weight: 110 lbs (untransformed), 135 lbs (as Werecat)

Ethnicity: French-Canadian

Hair: Pink (naturally Black untransformed), Pink with Black spots and overlaying stripes (as Werecat)

Eyes: Green

Base of Operations: Montreal, Quebec

 

Theme Song: [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZgXFRSzkf8]Beginning of the End, by Divide Music[/url]

 

Background: France has a werewolf problem. A wereanimal problem, really. Always has. Nothing newsworthy here. If a you’re a starving peasant in the Middle Ages and a sketchy wizard type offers to let you hunt your own food with claws and teeth instead of depending on subsidence farming that can fail if a new plant disease shows up or the rains doesn’t come/comes way too much, you’re gonna take what seems like the more reliable deal. Maybe not so much in plentiful times, but when famine strikes? Your children are going hungry? Your family? Yeah. But you know how it is. Power goes to people’s heads. Carnivorous predators experience lean times, too. And the taboo against cannibalism slips away out of sheer hunger and desperation eventually when the ones doing the eating can’t turn into human sized wolves, cats, or whatever else. Yeah, France has a wereanimal problem. It wasn’t just France, of course. All of Europe had the probem back in the day, if we’re telling the whole truth. But it was French folks who brought it with them when they were settling what would become Quebec. There are lots of reasons for that. Cannibalizing one’s neighbors is guaranteed to make the survivors feel ill disposed towards the cannibalizers in question. The Catholic Church, well, let’s just say having super powers of any kind (let alone something supernatural like therianthropy) was obvious evidence of devil worship, heresy, or whatever else. Gotta go. Not allowed to exist. Sorry, not sorry. The reason it was a tempting idea in Europe didn’t magically disappear once they went to a new continent. Gotta eat somehow. What if the new crops fail? Lots of reasons, see?

So, Quebec, all the way through to modern times, has had a wereanimal problem. The days of hunting them down and slaughtering them are gone, but so are the days of hunger induced cannibalism. Shoplifting: Easy than hiding a body or covering up a disappearance. Also, you know. Subsidence farming? A thing of the past. Food is plentiful in modern society. The Church has, shall we say, revised its stance over the centuries to be a bit less BURN THE HERETIC. So the old reasons to even bother becoming a therianthrope are gone. Okay, that’s a lie. There’s another old reason. The oldest, actually. Power. Plenty of folks live lives that leave them feeling powerless. Other folks just wanna feel powerful. And still others see the potential to use therianthropy for their own benefit. This is where we start the story or Rosalie Lavoie. Because there’s one very good reason to not become one. Hunters driven not by revenge or religious fervor (though both still exist as wicked therianthropes still do), but a desire for cold hard cash. Wereanimal pelts sell for damn fine money on the black market, to the type of people who could not possibly care any less where their pretty comes from as long as they get it.

Rosalie Lavoie was an ordinary 13 year old girl in Montreal. She had two loving parents and while they may not have had much, they had each other. Until the hunters came in the middle of the night. Her father was only human, so they simply killed him. Her mother, however, they used a paralytic on after she changed to protect her daughter, and then skinned her alive. Rosalie managed to escape thanks to her mother’s sacrifice play, and the hunters burned down the house to attempt to cover the double homicide. Her yell of grief and rage turned into a yowl as her powers formally activated for the first time. She would have vengeance. Fortunately, she wasn’t the only therianthropic loose end left behind. She soon had allies and intel. They were all children. Smaller pelts sold for less, after all. Rosalie Lavoie was the one who changed their quest from fruitless to fruitful, solely because she was lucky. Like, literally probability alteringly lucky.

So. A gang of therianthropic children cut a bloody swath through the Montreal underworld, helping set the stage for the reborn Borealian Vanguard to take down the original Chasseur. And, of course, with the head of the snake chopped off there was room for some new blood. It wasn’t exactly the plan, but when vengeance is satisfied folks still have to eat. So Montreal had, for several years, a wereanimal gang problem. Simply rooting them out would’ve been difficult and bloody. However, while they were technically criminals (burglary, smuggling, some violent assaults), those who committed unjustifiable homicide were turned over to the law.  Iindeed, this gang with a reputation for being red in tooth and claw where behaving like they owned the city of Montreal and cared about the health and well being of its citizens.  Not superheroes. Heavens no. But both possessive (vs other criminal groups) and protective (with regular citizens)? Yes indeed. In America, the governments involved would have likely continued to be Tough On Crime, and the situation would have not changed except to deteriorate. Canada, Quebec, and Montreal decided to take a different tack. Opening a line of communication. Specifically with the leader of the gang, one Rosalie Lavoie.

They discovered an entire subculture living underneath the metaphorical and sometimes literal surface of Montreal. First off, the original gang had expanded, split, reformed, and whatever else so many times that there wasn’t just the one gang anymore. There were several, of which Rosalie only officially led one. Though as the founders’ leader her words carried immense weight. Second, their criminal activity was almost entirely about money and food. A mix of street kids who’d grown up, those who hadn’t quite yet, and the low income versions of same did not exactly sport valuable job skills. In fact, they really didn’t have any adult life skills at all. Many didn’t have access to their birth certificates or had any idea what a SIN even was. This, naturally, explained why they were criminals in the first place. Sheer lack of options in a deeply insular subculture. Let the negotiations begin. Rehabilitation was the goal here, not any punitive measures. Law enforcement could not handle the therianthrope gangs by themselves, and Quebec’s hero community was still recovering from what the original Chasseur had done to it. The only option would’ve been to call in the Borealian Vanguard, and that would have gotten very messy very quickly.

The solution that was come up with was deputizing the gang leadership into Montreal/Quebec’s police force, and having Rosalie herself join the Vanguard. This was functionally the job they were already doing, if not quite to superheroic moral standards. With the leader of the founders (now going by Felin-garou or Werecat in no doubt terrible French; she isn’t Chat-garou because a chat in English is something quite different and explaining would get very irritating after a while) putting a good face of something that had been low key terrifying for Montreal and Quebec for several years. It’s been surprisingly fine. Rosalie has had to smack down a handful connards and salopes that thought just bcause she was off playing superhero her fangs fell out, but otherwise things have worked out pretty well. So much so that she’s the only “nonhuman” member of the Vanguard to say on the main team after the post Endgame reorganization. Why they picked her over Gajasura when they both have human forms, she has no idea. Maybe it’s that she’s a cute kitty and he’s a giant foutu elephant. Such is life.

 

Powers & Tactics: Felin-garou is a mutant werecat with luck powers. Her mutations were magically induced by one of several relatively simple rituals that only work on those whose bloodline has at least one magically induced therianthrope in it. While one of said rituals always works, there’s no guarantee which one it will be or of what animal the person it’s used on will get. Wolves, cats, birds of prey, rats, bears, and more are all possible. At any rate, as stated, Rosalie transforms into a humanoid feline. As can be expected, she gains enhanced physical strength, speed, and resilience. Her senses are upgraded to feline standard night vision and scent detection/tracking. Her ability to jump is greatly improved. She can fall safely from any distance and cannot be visually tracked. Her acrobatic and stealth skills are enhanced. And, of course, she has a feline’s claws and teeth. Furthermore, while she is transformed or not cats of all types both wild and domesticated see her as one of their own and are unthreatened by her. This means stray cats don’t run from her on sight, for example.

Her luck powers, on the other hand, are an example of the unpredictability of mutation. No one else in the therianthrope gangs has them, and it’s not clear how they work aside from “magic”. Which, to be clear, she does not know how to do. At any rate, probability can bend to her will for a little while, aiding herself and allies or hindering enemies. Of course, luck always runs out and so she has to suffer some misfortunes or simply take a break and let it recharge (Recover? Regenerate? Again, it’s not clear how it works). So it’s more of a trump card than something to be relied upon.

 

Tactically, Felin-garou is just a very mobile set of claws and fangs. Running at 50 mph and leaping dozens of feet while having Move by Action is pretty damn mobile. She’s got Acrobatic Bluff and Taunt, and she can Feint, too. Improved Trick is also on deck. All Out, Defensive, and Power Attack move her caps around as needed. Takedown Attack 2 lets her claw through mooks with no issues. Set Up and Teamwork 3 make her a consummate team player. Lucky Cat simply augments everything she does. Forcing rerolls inhibits enemies. Negating GM Fiat helps herself and allies, and Spending a HP for someone else just enhances her team player-ness. She can’t power stunt.

 

Personality: Felin-garou has the dirty mouth of a Navy sailor, the dirty mind of a veteran call girl, and the kind heart of a saint. Indeed, she is the resident “bad girl” in the Vanguard. She says what she wants, does as she pleases, and if anyone who tries to confront her about it gets told “Je m’en fous” (which is French for I don’t give a fuck). Life is to be lived, she says, not confined in a labyrinthine series of rules, social mores, and codes of behavior. Understandably, she doesn’t get to speak for the Vanguard much, and there’s a lot of stodgy older types who don’t like her in the slightest. Yet it should be carefully noted that despite her foul mouth and hedonistic ways, actual meanness and cruelty never once appears. In fact, if one looks behind her words and lifestyle a pretty compassionate person can be found.

Appearances, after all, can be quite deceiving. Even if every fifth word is a swear word, she has more active sexual partners than teammates, she eats huge meals, drinks like a fish, is more than a little arrogant, and really has never met a moral failing she hasn’t indulged in just for funsies…she’s still a hero. Her lifestyle is on her own time. She’s a professional about using her claws and fangs for justice, protecting the defenseless, and safeguarding lives. As a member of the Vanguard she has not killed, stolen, or otherwise come within shouting distance of intentionally breaking the law. And besides…nobody ought to go through what she went through ever again. Or do the things that she did because of it.

Examples of Rosalie’s colorful language: https://www.frenchasyoulikeit.com/french-swear-words/

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Valiant (Steve Clark)

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 165/165

 

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

 

Tough: +3/+6, Fort: +7, Ref: +9/+12, Will: +8

 

Skills: Acrobatics 10 (+15), Bluff 3 (+5), Concentration 7 (+10), Craft (structural) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 8 (+10), Gather Information 8 (+10), Intimidate 3 (+5), Investigate 3 (+5), Knowledge (current events) 3 (+5), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 8 (+10), Knowledge (tactics) 13 (+15), Language 1 (+1), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Search 3 (+5), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 10 (+15)

 

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Attack Specialization 2 (Shield Toss (Blast 3)), Benefit (Member of Borealian Vanguard), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 3, Evasion 2, Improved Critical 2 (Shield Bash (Strike 3)), Improved Defense 2, Improved Initiative, Luck 3, Master Plan, Master Plan 2 (tactics), Power Attack, Second Chance (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic), Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, KN (tactics), Sense Motive, Stealth), Takedown Attack 2, Teamwork 3, Ultimate Effort (Toughness saves), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Parkour Training (Container, Passive 1)

   Trained Falling (Super-Movement 1) (slow fall)

   Trained Leaps (Leaping 1) (Jumping distance: x2)

   Trained Speed (Speed 1) (Speed: 10 mph, 88 ft./rnd)

   Wall Run (Super-Movement 1) (wall-crawling 1 (half speed); Limited (to one move action))

Valiant Costume (Device 1) (Hard to lose)

   Advanced Kevlar (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness, Feats: Second Chance (Toughness saves vs. Ballistic); Subtle (subtle))

Valiant Shield (Device 6) (Easy to lose, Only you can use)

   Shield Attacks (Array 6) (default power: strike)

      Shield Bash (Strike 3) (Default; bludgeoning, DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Shield Bash (Strike 3)); Penetrating [3 extra ranks]; Mighty)

      Shield Toss (Blast 3) (Array; bludgeoning, DC 21; Mighty 3 (+3 to damage), Precise, Ricochet 2 (2 bounces))

      Stun Bash (Stun 6) (Array; bludgeoning, DC 16)

   Shield Blocking (Impervious Toughness 6) (Feats: Ultimate Effort (Toughness saves); Duration (continuous); Duration (sustained))

   Shield Deflecting (Enhanced Trait 9) (Traits: Reflex +3 (+12), Evasion 2 +1 (+2), Feats: Dodge Focus 3, Improved Defense 2)

 

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

 

Attacks: Shield Bash (Strike 3), +12 (DC 21), Shield Toss (Blast 3), +12 (DC 21), Stun Bash (Stun 6), +12 (DC Fort/Staged 16), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 18)

 

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

 

Initiative: +9

 

Languages: English Native, French

 

Totals: Abilities 36 + Skills 28 (112 ranks) + Feats 25 + Powers 29 + Combat 34 + Saves 13 + Drawbacks 0 = 165

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 24

Height: 6’ 1”

Weight: 225 lbs

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Hair: Light Brown

Eyes: Hazel

Base of Operations: Ottawa, Ontario

 

Theme Song: [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZgXFRSzkf8]Beginning of the End, by Divide Music[/url]

 

Background: Steve Clark, it could be argued, never really lived in the first place. One of those kids who never really had a chance to begin with. An unknown father. A mother who was a drunk. A school full of teachers who hated him and enjoying seeing him fail. To be fair, he was kind of a violent asshole. A delinquent and a street punk, with a foul mouth and a fouler right hook. There was the one girl who saw past his bullshit to the wounded kid who’d simply never been given a fair chance in his life. Maybe he could have made something of himself, with a devoted girl like that by his side. He’ll never know, now. Because that damn kid ran into the street. Couldn’t have been more than three years old. Chasing after his ball, clueless to the giant Mack truck bearing down on him. The driver would have never even seen the kid. So Steve Clark, delinquent asshole who almost nobody in the entire world liked, did something wildly out of character. This was the end of his life, not the end of him. His last living thought before being Mack truck’d was not minding. Hell, it was a relief. Bring on the hellfire, or whatever. He’d earned it.

Human free will is impossible to plan for. The kid would’ve suffered at most a broken arm as his mother desperately yanked him out of the way at the last possible second. Steve Clark was not supposed to die that day. So, what to do about it? The gods don’t make mistakes, right? Divine infallibility? So these contingencies were put in place for a reason, despite that for a person like Steve it’s a clear rules violation, right? Well, maybe we won’t get in trouble. Go ahead, reincarnate him. What do you mean, he’s refusing?! Kid, let’s have a talk. You thought nobody gave a shit about you, right? This is your funeral. Take a good long look at the turnout. Your mom, of course. That girl who saw through your tough guy act. Those guys you were always beating in fights because they never stopped challenging you. Some of your teachers, the ones who encouraged you even after you brushed them off. That one cop who bothered to talk to you instead of try to arrest you. Your social worker who was always a hardass with her words but kept cutting you breaks. You see how upset they all are, kid? You were more important to people than you knew. It’s always like that. Nah, you can’t be brought back. Resurrection’s against the rules. But reincarnation? Into a different world? Yeah, we can do that. All right, kid. Stow the woeful expression. We’ll get it done pronto. And kid? Good luck in the new life.

Steve Clark didn’t remember his first life until he was six years old. He didn’t believe it until he was twelve years old. And he didn’t have a clue what to do about it until he was eighteen years old. The public mourning following the loss of Starman and the original Borealian Vanguard triggered his memories at six. There wasn’t a special even that made him believe those memories. Just time and growing up. You know, again. There were some rather dramatic shifts in demeanor over those six years. From bratty kid walking the same path he did before to model student. It was the least he could do. For everyone in his old life and everyone in his new one, whether he knew about them or not. So he was just…living a better life than before. Was that…enough? Was it? The Borealian Vanguard rebooted, sure, but that kind of didn’t even ruffle his hair. The thing that triggered a decision on what to do about it was the Shining Guardian, Shadowspirit, and Queenie defeating that Neo-Nazi plot in the States. This itself didn’t touch his life. The news coverage of it, however, reminded him of the last movie he’d seen in his old life. A spy thriller starring a shield wielding hero. He’d really liked that movie, but said hero didn’t exist at all in this new world of his second life. He could do something about that. Oh, yes. A year of physical and martial arts training combined with two crash courses (one in blacksmithing, the other in small unit tactics), and the hero Valiant took to the field. This wasn’t that other guy’s name, but well…Steve wasn’t exactly an American, was he?

Valiant endured his rookie year…and then the Dusting happened. Moonshadow personally recruited him to support the vastly depleted Vanguard. Thus he was around for the Endgame and fought beside everyone on the restored team. Honestly, he expected to be let go afterward. He’d done what was asked, after all. He did not expect to be placed on the main team after the reorganization. Above Moonshadow, Undine, Chasseur, and Gajasura? Like, he got that Moonshadow was old, Undine wasn’t human, Chasseur was a dick, and Gajasura made the religious types deeply uncomfortable, but really? Him? Well. All a man can do is his best. He may be only human, so he can’t literally do this all day. But the spirit is there, and he thinks that’s what counts.

 

Powers & Tactics: Valiant has no superhuman powers. He is an expert martial artist with parkour training and two technological devices. As a martial artist, he has cross trained in a wide variety of disciplines. Boxing. Kickboxing. Tae Kwan Do. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Judo, and Freestyle Wrestling. His parkour training lets him fall safely, run faster, jump further, and even briefly defy gravity and run on walls.

His two devices are his armored costume and his damn fine shield he made himself. His costume is armored, but it doesn’t really look like it to the untrained eye, and said armor is more resistant to bullets than anything else. His shield, however, is much more. It is both defensive object and offensive weapon. Defensively, it increases his attack evasion and can block damage from most mundane man portable weaponry. In a pinch, it can even fully or partially block attacks of staggering power. This can potentially damage the shield, however. Offensively, well, it’s mainly a bludgeon capable of dealing out both damaging and stunning blows. He can, however, make like that hero from the movie a little and throw his shield as a ranged attack. He’s even practiced enough to ricochet it off a thing or two to hit enemies he wouldn’t be able to hit with a straight line throw. He retrieves it with a directed magnet on his glove if he can’t get it to bounce back on its own. Titanium/carbon steel alloy doesn’t quite bounce around as well as the fictional metals in that hero’s shield do, unfortunately.

 

Tactically, Valiant is almost entirely a melee fighter with Shield Bash and Stun Bash. Shield Toss is a supplement, not the main dish. Improved Acrobatic Bluff helps him hit. Defensive and Power Attack can trade out some of his accuracy for more defense or power, respectively. He’s a solid team player with Teamwork 3. And Takedown Attack 2 lets him bash his way through legions of mooks with ease. The things that elevate him, however, are Luck 3 and Master Plan 2. Luck 3 is more or less self explanatory. However, Master Plan 2 lets him roll KN Tactics to give him and his allies a temporary boost if he has time to plan. On his average roll of 25, he and his allies will get a +3 to all skill and attack checks for three rounds, followed by +2 and +1 for a round each. Working solo, he does this whenever possible and so is operating a PL and a half higher offensively during those critical first few rounds of combat. This is even more effective working with the Vanguard, as most of them hit considerably harder than he does. He does not power stunt. Luck 3 is for other uses o HP.

 

Personality: Steve Clark, in his last life, was an antisocial and foul mouthed punk. Perpetually angry, often violent, and with very little respect for anyone. The kid never really had a chance. On some level, he knew it, which was why he was so angry all the time. People don’t ask to be born, you know? Let alone to a teenage drunk. And the harsh reactions of authority figures to his perfectly understandable attitude problems just made him worse. Angry and bitter at the world. Afraid of being rejected by the few people who did put up with him. And, of course, a bone deep feeling of inferiority. The only thing he really understood or was good at was inflicting violence. Oh, yes. The original version of Steve Clark was a very unpleasant young man indeed…but he still had a heart of gold buried inside.

The current version of Steve Clark is a better man. Because he was a kid and blinded by his own issues, he couldn’t see the people who cared about him properly. At least, not until it was far too late. He was given a second chance, and he’s not going to waste it. His past is his motivation in his present. He has chosen to try to be better the second time around, and the act of choosing by itself has made him a better person. He has chosen to never forget the lessons of his first life. He has chosen to be a hero, with all that entails. He may not literally be able to do this all day, but he’ll never stop trying. Though it must be said that he really feels like the odd man out on the main team. No powers, no special weapons, and the least amount of experience. He’s quite self conscious about it.

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Moonshadow (Donovan Tarkik)

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 255/255

 

STR: +6 (12/22), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +1 (12), INT: +5 (20), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +5 (20)

 

Tough: +1/+8, Fort: +5, Ref: +9, Will: +10

 

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Computers 5 (+10), Craft (chemical) 5 (+10), Craft (electronic) 5 (+10), Craft (mechanical) 5 (+10), Diplomacy 10 (+15), Disable Device 10 (+15), Drive 7 (+10), Escape Artist 7 (+10), Gather Information 10 (+15), Intimidate 10 (+15), Investigate 10 (+15), Knowledge (behavioral science) 10 (+15), Knowledge (business) 5 (+10), Knowledge (civics) 5 (+10), Knowledge (earth sciences) 5 (+10), Knowledge (life sciences) 10 (+15), Knowledge (physical sciences) 10 (+15), Knowledge (streetwise) 10 (+15), Knowledge (tactics) 10 (+15), Knowledge (technology) 5 (+10), Language 4 (+4), Notice 10 (+15), Pilot 7 (+10), Search 10 (+15), Sense Motive 10 (+15), Sleight of Hand 7 (+10), Stealth 12 (+15), Survival 10 (+15)

 

Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Benefit (Team Captain, Borealian Vanguard), Benefit 3 (Wealth (Near Limitless)), Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Startle, Connected, Contacts, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Dodge Focus 4, Equipment 18, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Shadowrang Barrage (Blast 3)), Improved Defense 2, Improved Initiative, Improvised Tools, Inventor, Jack-of-All-Trades, Luck 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Skill Mastery 4 (All skills at +15), Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Well-Informed

 

Powers:

Support Harness + Costume (Device 😎 (Hard to lose)

   Cowl Sensor Suite (Super-Senses 6) (analytical (type): Visual, infravision, radio, ultra-hearing)

   Grapple Gun (Linked)

      Speed 3 (Linked; Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd)

      Super-Movement 3 (Linked; slow fall, swinging, wall-crawling 1 (half speed))

   Heavy Body Armor (Protection 6) (+6 Toughness)

   Hydraulic Strength (Enhanced Strength 10) (+10 STR)

   Integral Radio (Communication 5) (sense type: radio)

   Kinetic Strike Plates (Strike 3) (bludgeoning, DC 24; Mighty)

Utility Belt (Device 6) (Hard to lose)

   Utility Belt (Array 12) (default power: blast)

      Bolos (Snare 9) (Array; bludgeoning, DC 19)

      Flash Bangs (Dazzle 6) (Array; light, sonic, affects: 1 type + visual - auditory, DC 16; Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General))

      Heavy Explosives (Blast 6) (Array; explosive, DC 21; Burst Area (20-150 ft. radius - General); Progression, Decrease Area 2 (-2 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5), Triggered 2 (any trigger))

      Shadowrang Barrage (Blast 3) (Default; bludgeoning, DC 24, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Shadowrang Barrage (Blast 3)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5) [3 extra ranks], Penetrating; Mighty 6 (+6 to damage), Precise)

      Sleep Gas Capsule (Fatigue 6) (Array; chemical, DC 16; Cloud Area (30 ft. diameter, lingers - General), Range (ranged))

      Smoke Bomb (Obscure 6) (Array; affects: visual senses, Radius: 250 ft.; Duration (continuous), Total Fade; Fades)

      Stun Grenade (Stun 6) (Array; electricity, DC 16; Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General), Range (ranged))

 

Equipment: Moonshadow Cave, Shadow Jet, Shadowmobile

 

Attack Bonus: +9 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +9, Grapple: +15)

 

Attacks: Bolos (Snare 9), +9 (DC Ref/Staged 19), Flash Bangs (Dazzle 6) (DC Fort/Ref 16), Heavy Explosives (Blast 6) (DC 21), Kinetic Strike Plates (Strike 3), +9 (DC 24), Shadowrang Barrage (Blast 3), +9 (DC 24), Sleep Gas Capsule (Fatigue 6) (DC Fort 16), Stun Grenade (Stun 6) (DC Fort/Staged 16), Unarmed Attack, +9 (DC 21)

 

Defense: +9  (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -4

 

Initiative: +7

 

Languages: Chinese (Mandarin), English Native, French, Inuktitut, Punjabi

 

Totals: Abilities 40 + Skills 59 (236 ranks) + Feats 57 + Powers 56 + Combat 28 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 255

 

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

 

Moonshadow Cave

 

Power Level: 9; Equipment Points Spent: 22

 

Toughness: +10

 

Features: Communications, Computer, Concealed 2, Defense System, Dock, Fire Prevention System, Garage, Gym, Hangar, Infirmary, Laboratory, Library, Living Space, Pool, Power System, Security System 2, Workshop

 

Size: Large

 

Totals: Abilities 0 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 19 + Powers 0 + Combat 2 + Saves 1 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 22

 

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

 

Shadowmobile

 

Power Level: 9; Equipment Points Spent: 16

 

STR: +12 (35)

 

Toughness: +10

 

Features: Alarm 2, Hidden Compartments 1, Navigation System 1, Oil Slick, Remote Control

 

Powers:

Speed 6 (Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd)

 

Defense: -2, Size: Huge

 

Totals: Abilities 1 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 6 + Powers 6 + Combat 2 + Saves 1 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 16

 

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

 

Moonshadow Jet

 

Power Level: 9; Equipment Points Spent: 52

 

STR: +20 (50)

 

Toughness: +11

 

Powers:

Armament (Array 14) (default power: blast)

   Heavy Machine Gun (Blast 7) (Default; DC 22; Autofire (interval 2, max +5), Penetrating [4 ranks only]; Accurate (+2), Improved Range (175 ft. incr), Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 1750 feet))

   Missiles (Blast 9) (Array; DC 24; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General); Homing (1 attempt))

Flight 9 (Speed: 5000 mph, 44000 ft./rnd)

 

Attacks: Heavy Machine Gun (Blast 7), +11 (DC 22), Missiles (Blast 9) (DC 24)

 

Defense: -4, Size: Gargantuan

 

Totals: Abilities 2 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 0 + Powers 47 + Combat 3 + Saves 0 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 52

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 64

Height: 5’ 9”

Weight: 165 lbs

Ethnicity: Inuit

Hair: Black

Eyes: Dark Brown

Base of Operations: Toronto, Ontario (primary), Vancouver, British Columbia (secondary)

 

Theme Song: [url=]Can’t Do Enough, by Fabvl[/url]

 

Background: Donovan Tarkik stopped being a child at eight years old, on the day his parents were murdered in a Toronto back alley. Shot to death for the grave sin of not having any money or jewelry to give a strung out, desperate junkie. Canada’s foster care system, at the time, was rather…unkind, to the indigenous. The succession of foster families that took him in were perhaps well intentioned, but they were still trying to take the Inuit part out of the Inuit boy. When that was all he had left of the parents who he had loved dearly. A different last name. Different clothes. Speak English, boy, don’t mutter in a language no one else here understands. Shoved into church and church activities. Basically trying to make him as culturally Euro-Canadian and religiously Christian as possible. This was a fairly common thing to do in that era. Faith is a helluva drug, as is belief in the inherent superiority of one’s own culture. Naturally, this wasn’t everyone’s perspective. It was, however, certainly the perspective of the succession of foster parents who attempted to raise young Donovan. He ran away when he was 16, and did not return to Canada for five years. He departed from Vancouver on a fishing trawler after lying about his age.

Donovan had a faith of his own. It had nothing to do with religion or gods. He was born in 1955. His parents died in 1963. Starman I had debuted two years before. He ran away in 1971, using the post invasion chaos to his advantage. He had grown up watching the members of the Champions of Justice debut, get together, and excel. News of the founding of the first Borealian Vanguard followed him out to sea. Donovan had faith in justice. He believed that as long as people tried, good would always result. Perhaps a bit naïve of him, but he was 16. And it was more definitely a coping mechanism for dealing with the loss of his parents. So. He wasn’t running away from his problems. He was going overseas to get trained. He was gone for five years, and tracing his whereabouts during that time is difficult at best. He was an undocumented traveling worker. He returned, however, fluent in Mandarin and Punjabi, so that’s kind of a big clue as to how long he was in China and India, at least. He also returned with a significant nest egg of cash to start his business, Eclipse Enterprises. With his name reclaimed and his company up and running, he was finally able to put on the mask of Moonshadow and go fight crime.

There have been many costumed detectives. The Mystery Men Era was full of ‘em. Many endured into the Golden Age. It was Gunsmith who set the modern standard for their skill set. However, he did not set the best example to follow as far as gear went. No, the guy most modern costumed detective are copying when it comes to their equipment layout is Moonshadow. Gunsmith was a legend, but he also made his primary weapon a gun (even if a tech’ed out gun) to be intentionally provocative. Most costumed detectives aren’t trying to be deliberately provocative, so instead they follow the example of Moonshadow’s “fancy boomerangs and martial arts”. However, between the two they were arguably the top two costumed detectives of the Silver Age. The Vanguard came calling after he became a Five Year Vet in ’81, and he was with the team when they took the field against Kuros’s invasion in ’82. Aside from that, Moonshadow was one of the hardest working heroes in the biz, and Donovan Tarkik was one of the hardest working company presidents.

Like all things good and bad, the Silver Age ended. Donovan kept working, but adopted an orphaned child of Polish immigrants. Albin. And well, everyone knows how these stories go. Young Albin soon became Moonshadow’s sidekick, Crescent. As time went on, it was clear Moonshadow was training Crescent to be his successor. They patrolled Toronto and Vancouver relentlessly. Eclipse Enterprises made them richer and richer. It was the proudest day of Donovan and Albin’s lives when Crescent was recruited into the Vanguard. As a duo they were quite dynamic, after all. It made the whole Vanguard better. It wasn’t easy. None of it was easy. The Iron Age was often more like a warzone than any prior era. Moonshadow was still one of those hardest working heroes in the biz, even if Donovan Tarkik had taken his foot off the gas a little as a company president. However, the other phase used in these stories is that all good things must come to an end.

September, 2001. That terrible day. The US state of Missouri, on the banks on the Mississippi River. This was where the first iteration of the Borealian Vanguard came to a bloody and violent end due to the unstoppable monster Armageddon. Heroes Moonshadow had known for two decades died at the hands on the monster. Crescent died at the hands of that monster. He was ready to die there, too. His utility belt empty, he was ready to fist fight the dammed thing just to buy a little more time. To make sure his friends and his son had not died in vain. Armageddon looked at him, snorted, and leapt over far over his head. Faster than Moonshadow could possibly follow. He was left with both his life and his grief. At that time he wished to have neither. His faith in justice fractured and broke.

Donovan Tarkik handed the presidency of his company to a man he trusted, while he kept full ownership. Moonshadow started working harder than ever. He had to make up for the absence of the whole Vanguard and Crescent, after all. People needed to be protected. But of course, as always, one man in one place at one time could only do so much. It was never enough. He just couldn’t do enough. No matter how hard he fought. No matter how hard he tried. He simply couldn’t do enough. He wasn’t getting any younger. Injuries were catching up to him. And then Prairie Sprinter was picking up more and more of the slack. She reminded him that, on paper, he was the leader of the Borealian Vanguard. They could start again. Donovan was all out of faith. He did, however, have plenty of trust left in Grace Harper and Phil Cantor. He agreed to do it, and had the first three prospective recruits on the tip of his brain. Because of course he did. Blindspot, Undine, and Fornax.

Things have proceeded from there. The team was able to put the original Chasseur out of business for a initial statement win, and honestly they’ve been doing better than the original team were. They were his friends, but even he will admit the original Borealian Vanguard played the role of “jobber to the stars” more than any of them liked. The only downside was the Dusting, which gutted the team and necessitated emergency recruitments to fill the gap. Fortunately everyone came back. Moonshadow would have opposed the reorganization and done it on his own terms, but he’s old now. He’s neither stupid nor blind. He’s lost several steps from his prime. And the reasoning is sound. The public members of the team should be as broadly appealing as possible. The reservists, aside from himself, are frighteningly inhuman to the average citizen or just frightening in general. He will not, however, retire. He’s going to keep being Moonshadow until some criminal gets lucky or he physically cannot continue. He is deaf to all arguments otherwise.

 

Powers & Tactics: Moonshadow has no superhuman powers. 20 years ago he was a master martial artist in more disciplines than people have fingers and toes. Age and injury have dulled his mastery to mere moderate expertise. He simply doesn’t have the reflexes or deftness for proper technique anymore. However, he’s still a good but not exceptional tech specialist with two devices.

His first device is his costume, which has had a support harness in it for several years now. It is heavily armored, increases his strength, has both a radio and grapple gun integrated, incorporates strike plates for more damaging unarmed strikes, and sports a sensor suite in the cowl. Said sensor suite allows him analyze what he sees, see into the infrared spectrum, and hear both radio signals and almost all sound frequencies. The integral grapple gun is fairly standard. Swing through the air, up walls, and catch himself from falls. All at about 50 mph. The integral radio has a range of about five miles.

His second device is his famous utility belt. Bolos. Flash Bangs. Heavy Explosives. Sleep Gas Capsules. Smoke Bombs. Stun Grenades. And of course, his famous Shadowrangs. He’s used this arsenal or something very like it for over 40 years. Technology marches on, of course, and Morgan Knight’s chemical formulae have been a real boon, but this is what most rookie costumed detectives seem to emulate. Tough to argue with 4 decades of success.

Additionally, he has a full headquarters in a cave under his Toronto mansion, one very fast car, and one well armed hypersonic jet. As a billionaire, he has access to a dizzying variety of mundane equipment as well, should he have any need of it.

 

Tactically, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Basically everything but his fists, Shadowrangs, and High Explosives can get the job done, depending on who the target is. Flash Bangs or Smoke Grenades rob targets of the ability to detect him, at least temporarily. Sleep Gas Capsules and Stun Grenades work well to take out groups. And Bolos can totally incapacitate single targets. Heavy Explosives are used on nonliving targets and the environment. If he has to use a Shadowrang Barrage or his Kinetic Strike Plates, he’s Accurate Attacking to drop his damage down against thuggery. Genuine supervillains, however, he has no need to hold back like that for. He has Improved Demoralize, Improved Startle, and Acrobatic Bluff to make enemies’ lives miserable. Accurate, All Out, Defensive, and Power Attack can shift his caps all over the place as needed. Improved Defense 2 can help him protect himself in a crisis, Move by Action keeps him mobile, and Takedown Attack 2 lets him smash through mooks in melee. Contacts and Well Informed ensure he seems to know something about everything. Connected and Inventor lets him pull just about anything out of his metaphorical hat at need. And with that Luck 3, he can pull something different and unexpected out of his Utility Belt. He’s kind of known for doing this, actually. He apparently always has one more trick up his sleeve.

 

Personality: Moonshadow, well…he’s not a bad guy, actually. Many costumed detectives are, well, asssholes in one way or another. He’s a pretty nice guy. This does not mean he can’t flip the switch and scare a bunch of thugs shitless, mind. It’s just when that’s not required he’s a genial and friendly man. It’s a bit surprising, actually. A man who’s been a costumed detective for over 40 years and experienced as much tragedy as he has is still a kind man who doesn’t mind sitting and having a chat with people. But of course, that’s just a bit of a mask. Look at him when he’s not paying attention, and one can see the melancholy in his eyes. Donovan Tarkik has no close associates and lives alone in his Toronto mansion.

Moonshadow is a man who has given decades of his life to heroism. He’s saved more lives than currently live in the greater Toronto metropolitan area. He is genuinely a legend. A bloody icon, so to speak. The heroes who have been inspired by him is a very long list. The respect he has in the hero community is indescribably immense. And all of that means nothing to him, because it’s not enough. Over 40 years of his life. The lives of his friends. The life of his son. It’s not a lament that nothing has changed. Much has. But not enough. As stated above, he is feeling the press of being one man in one place at one time. He simply can’t do enough to protect the defenseless, help the helpless, and pursue justice. No one person. But it still eats at him. People suffer because he can’t do enough. His closest friends, his goddamn son, and even his parents (bless their memory) died because he couldn’t do enough.

Don’t misunderstand. This isn’t some…emotional rant. It’s not driving him to do something desperate, stupid, and/or insane. It’s a feeling of fundamental inadequacy. No matter how many lives he saves, there will always be others who died because he wasn’t there. No matter how many crimes he solves, there will be ones he simply does not have the time to get to. He just can’t do enough. He’s always been this way, really, but it’s gradually getting worse and worse. The ratio of “good he’s done” to “good he could have done” was never going to scale in his favor. He’s not an idiot. He knows that. But that terrible day in September broke something in him. That scale will never balance, but he has to try. Because if he doesn’t, only the bad side of it will ever increase again.

He is still alive. He is still fit for his age, old injuries be damned. He can still do more. The work is going to kill him. He knows that. He accepts it. He’s not looking for death by any means. In fact, he’s doing everything he can to put it off. Can’t do good anymore if he’s dead. But he’s getting older and slower. Old injuries hurt more, and new ones take longer and longer to heal fully. One day somebody’s going to get lucky, and he will be simply be gone. But he will not ever stop. He will never retire. How on earth could he? There’s so much more he can still do. Even if he just can’t do enough, by God he can still do more.

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Undine (true name unknown)

 

Power Level: 10; Power Points Spent: 195/195

 

STR: +1 (12), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +2 (14), INT: +0 (10), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +0 (10)

 

Tough: +2/+10, Fort: +7, Ref: +7, Will: +10

 

Skills: Bluff 10 (+10), Diplomacy 10 (+10), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 10 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 10 (+10), Language 2 (+2), Notice 7 (+10), Sense Motive 7 (+10)

 

Feats: Accurate Attack, Attack Focus (ranged) 5, Attack Specialization 3 (Undine's Bindings (Snare 9)), Benefit (Member of Borealian Vanguard), Dodge Focus 5, Luck 2, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Living Water Physiology (Container, Passive 15)

   Aquatic Recovery (Regeneration 36) (ability damage 4 (recover 1 / 5 mins), recovery bonus 7 (+7 to recover), recovery rate (bruised) 3 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (disabled) 8 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (injured) 6 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (staggered) 6 (recover 1 / round without rest), resurrection 2 (1 day); Source (Water))

   Blend Into Water (Concealment 4) (all visual senses; Limited (in water))

   Elemental Resilience (Protection 😎 (+8 Toughness; Impervious [2 extra ranks])

   Human-Looking Form (Morph 1) (morph: single appearance, +5 Disguise)

   Made of Water (Insubstantial 1) (Fluid; Permanent; Subtle (subtle))

   Stretching (Elongation 5) (Elongation: 100 ft., range incr 50 ft., +5 Escape & Grapple; Improved Range (125 ft. incr))

   Water Elemental (Immunity 22) (aging, common descriptor: Water, critical hits, life support)

Water Control (Array 10) (default power: blast)

   Dehydrate (Fatigue 6) (Array; water, DC 16; Range (ranged); Accurate 2 (+4))

   Drown (Blast 6) (Array; DC 21; Alternate Save (Fortitude); Accurate 2 (+4))

   Hydro Blast (Blast 10) (Default; water, DC 25)

   Hydro Snare (Snare 10) (Array; water, DC 20)

   Hydrosplosion (Strike 10) (Array; water, DC 25; Burst Area (50 ft. radius - General))

   Move Water (Move Object 10) (Array; Strength: 50, Carry: 4.3 tons / 8.5 tons / 12.8 tons / 25.6 tons; Range (perception); Limited Material (Water))

   Undine's Bindings (Snare 9) (Array; DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Undine's Bindings (Snare 9)); Duration 2 (sustained); Feedback, Range (touch))

Water Elemental Movement (Array 3) (default power: - multiple powers -)

   Flowing Water (Super-Movement 1) (Alternate; slithering)

   Rushing River (Speed 4) (Alternate; Speed: 100 mph, 880 ft./rnd)

   No Swifter Current (Swimming 5) (Array; Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd; Environmental Adaptation)

 

Attack Bonus: +5 (Ranged: +10, Melee: +5, Grapple: +6/+11)

 

Attacks: Dehydrate (Fatigue 6), +14 (DC Fort 16), Drown (Blast 6), +14 (DC Fort 21), Hydro Blast (Blast 10), +10 (DC 25), Hydro Snare (Snare 10), +10 (DC Ref/Staged 20), Hydrosplosion (Strike 10) (DC 25), Unarmed Attack, +5 (DC 16), Undine's Bindings (Snare 9), +11 (DC Ref/Staged 19)

 

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

 

Initiative: +2

 

Languages: Aquan Native, English, French

 

Totals: Abilities 16 + Skills 14 (56 ranks) + Feats 20 + Powers 108 + Combat 20 + Saves 17 + Drawbacks 0 = 195

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): A lady never tells.

Height: Variable between 4’ and 8’

Weight: 110 lbs

Ethnicity: Water Spirit

Hair: Blue

Eyes: Blue

Base of Operations: Toronto, Ontario

 

Theme Song: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFi0FFhsYDM]Sloth Sin, by Divide Music[/url]

 

Background: This story should sound familiar. The wrathful Summer Queen of Faerie. A Elemental Lord who did not quietly acquiesce to her wishes. Who opposed the exile of the Lord of Fire and spoke truth, that the Elemental Lords were not required to obey the Summer Queen. Ever had it been so. For her insouciance, said Elemental Lord found herself…shall we say…unwelcome…anywhere  in Summer. So, she spent more and more time in her own watery domains. One of which connects to Lake Ontario in Canada, and a little orphan boy named Max Drake. She may have been the master of an entire element and  a potent if somewhat mercurial ally to the Borealian Vanguard, but to Max she was simply Mom.

Here is where the story takes a turn. Originally, the Elemental Lord was killed by a powerful fire demon who had take Max hostage, opportunistically striking while the Vanguard was defending Canada against Kuros’s invasion in ’82. Max’s time travel undid this. And the next time she died. And the next. And the next. Until she stood by the Vanguard on the banks of the Mississippi on that terrible September day in 2001. She wasn’t killed this time (instead being rendered comatose), thwarting Max’s time travel trick and shoving him into Plan B. The only way for her to be healed is to return to her realms. Which the Summer Queen will not allow, having been quietly manipulating every ending to the Elemental Lord’s story. Even, to a degree, Armageddon. Max’s Plan B is where Undine comes in.

Undine, of course, is not her name. She is the Princess of Water. The Elemental Lord’s younger sister. She should be the Regent, but the Summer Queen will not permit her to sit the Throne of Water. Neither will her people, who blame her for her sister’s condition. Because Undine was blowing off her job to aid the Vanguard upon request, the Elemental Lord went in her place. The trouble with that is that Undine was in fact on Watery Realms business. Protecting some water spirits from an angry Inuit shaman. A situation that had been set up by the Summer Queen to distract Undine and force her sister to honor their obligations. So, Undine has effectively exiled since late 2001. This is, of course, a situation she wants to change. Even with Max’s help, challenging the Summer Queen’s power is an impossible task for a mere water spirit. There was nothing she could do but continue to honor the Watery Realms’ obligation to the Vanguard through service to the mortal city of Toronto.

And here is where the reborn Vanguard comes in. Allies in country, to fend off any of the Summer Queen’s trickery to get her or Max killed off. Lines of communication to other heroes further away. Of course she agreed to assist them as a full member. She can’t leave Toronto for too long, however, as her sister’s comatose body lies at the bottom of Lake Ontario. Easy prey for any assassins should she be gone from the area for too long. So she welcomes the restructuring after the Endgame. She and Max have more time now. They have been in contact with not one, not two, and not even three but four heroes related to the Fae and willing to challenge them. Opera of the Exiles, who has his own grudge with the Summer Queen. Sonya Harmon of NPC Investigations, the reincarnated Elemental Lord of Fire. Palila Nui, Winter Court scion and Stormwarden in training. And Nisse out of England. Son of Elves, Greatest Champion. Each has promised to bring their some or all of their mortal allies. The time is coming. The Summer Queen will answer for her sins, and the Elemental Lord of Water will return to her throne. Undine swears it.

 

Powers & Tactics: Undine is not a human being. She is a water spirit, and not any water spirit. She is the younger sister of the Elemental Lord of Water, and thus rather strong for a water spirit. She is not a literal undine, nor a nixie, naiad, or any other similar being. Those are river or lake spirits that are tied to one specific location and cannot leave. Undine is an older class of being, and can go wherever she pleases. And no, she’s never drowned a man for fun. Fun fact, humans can fall into water and drown all on their own! They don’t need any supernatural help! With that said, creatures that drown humans for fun and/or sustenance do exist. They’re just rarely exclusively human drowners. Plenty of air breathing animals that aren’t humans, you know! Who don’t have the sentience and intelligence to make up legends about the monster in the lake!

Ahem. Anyway. Being living water, as Undine is, has a lot of benefits compared with being human. The first being that she’s, you know, water. Attacks, effects, and whatever else designed to inhibit and constrain the movments of solids simply don’t work on her. Other benefits include: rapidly healing when exposed to water, being invisible when immersed in water, high resilience that can ignore even artillery fire, and limbs that can extend up to 100 feet. She’s immune to aging and has no vulnerable spots. She has no need to breathe, mundane poisons and diseases have no effect on her, and she can even ignore environmental effects that humans struggle with. And, of course, she’s immune to anything water can do to her in general. The last power is unusual for a water spirit, and purely because she’s a royal. She can transform her watery body just enough so that she to all senses appears to be human.

However, none of those things are very useful as a hero and member of the Vanguard without some attack power. It’s not that complicated, really. She can just move water around. Out of mortal bodies, dehydrating them. Into mortal lungs, drowning them (in combat, not for fun!). Blasting them with a damaging high pressure stream, binding them with magically hardened water. A big explosion of water. Etc. Furthermore, she has no need to stand upright while she’s doing these attacks. After all, what is “upright” to a being made entirely of living water? She can flow at 100 mph along the ground, or half that in the water. She is not inhibited, naturally, by being underwater.

Being a water spirit, however, does have some weaknesses. While she doesn’t have to worry about being frozen or evaporated by mere weather, she is more vulnerable to actual attacks which could freeze or boil her than most humans are. She cannot survive being frozen or evaporated any more than a human could. The other big downside of being made of living water is that human society is, uh, not made to be wet. And Undine makes everything she touches wet. So. You know. Kind of an issue for all electronics. Paper products. Wood. Etc.

 

Tactically, Undine is mostly a ranged blaster. Hydro Blast and Hydro Snare are her standard attacking weapons, with Dehydrate and Drown being mixed in at need. Hydrosplosion is for when the foes are getting too dang close for comfort. Move Water is pure utility. Thought it must be said, dropping a few tons of water on an area is a pretty effective attack. A pity it’s only effective in areas with that much water readily available. Undine’s Bindings is her special technique, used with Stretching. Unlike Hydro Snare, as long as she’s paying attention targets that can’t get out of it normally will not actually be able to escape eventually. And it’s a physical attack, not a magical one. Basically she’s grappling them and holding them in place. So it has its uses.  And that’s almost it. She can try to Feint, but eh. She does have Accurate and Power Attack to move offensive caps around. Accurate Attack is especially useful for not accidentally doing lethal damage to thuggery. She has a few power stunts. Dense Fog (Obscure 6, Visual Senses, Selective Attack). Current Control (Swimming 4, Affects Others Only, Burst Area, Selective). Hydro Portal (Teleport 6, Accurate, Portal, Long-Range, Medium [Bodies of Water]).

 

Personality: Undine is, well, like water. A big body of it, to be precise. Serene. Peaceful. Relaxed. Totally harmless. Like any lake, sea, or even ocean, she’s not one to get all stirred up over something minor. So she’s every inch the competent, professional princess. A total social chameleon, able to fit into any social situation. She does, however, show some signs of being a stereotypical younger sibling thrust into a role they weren’t quite ready for. A bit of the enthusiasm and confidence of youth combined with a little disbelief that they could ever fill the older sibling’s shoes. The type that was previously “the unreliable one” and is fighting against it. Simple little things like that. Of course, properly upsetting a water spirit is as piss poor an idea as going swimming during a hurricane. Honestly, that might actually be a quicker end.

To be clear, it was her sister that was the more responsible, maternal one. And she is the one Undine seeks to emulate. However, her natural role is that of the less reliable, more immature younger sister. She is not a human being, thus she does not have the free will to change who she is like that. So no matter how long she pretends to be like her sister, she herself will never actually change. She knows this…but someone has to be the leader of the Watery Realms while her sister is indisposed. Even if she can’t fully suppress her impulsive side, impish sense of humor, and tendency to be smug when things are going well and she doesn’t like the opposing side.

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Fornax (Maxwell "Max" Drake)

 

Power Level: 10; Power Points Spent: 195/195

 

STR: +10 (14/30), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +2 (14), INT: +0 (10), WIS: +2 (14), CHA: +0 (10)

 

Tough: +2/+12, Fort: +8, Ref: +8, Will: +8

 

Skills: Concentration 8 (+10), Diplomacy 5 (+5), Intimidate 15 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 10 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 10 (+10), Notice 8 (+10), Sense Motive 8 (+10)

 

Feats: Accurate Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Attack Specialization (Unarmed Attack), Attack Specialization 2 (Fire Blast (Blast 12)), Benefit (Member of Borealian Vanguard), Distract (Intimidate), Dodge Focus 4, Luck 2, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Startle, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Containment Suit (Device 6) (Hard to lose)

   (Strength Bonus) Strike 10 (Affects Corporeal)

   Enhanced Strength 16 (+16 STR)

   Super-Strength 2 (+10 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 3.2 tons; +2 STR to some checks)

Fire Control (Array 12) (default power: blast)

   Fire Ball (Blast 😎 (Array; fire, DC 23; Burst Area (40 ft. radius - General))

   Fire Blast (Blast 12) (Default; fire, DC 27)

   Fireflash (Dazzle 😎 (Array; affects: visual senses, DC 18; Perception Area (General), Selective Attack; Range (touch))

   Flame Shapes (Strike 6) (Array; fire, DC 21; Shapeable Area (6 cubes of 125 cu. ft. (5x5x5) - General), Duration 2 (sustained))

Flaming Rockets (Flight 5) (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd)

Living Flame Physiology (Container, Passive 10) (Custom 4 (Container 9.2))

   Elemental Resilience (Protection 10) (+10 Toughness)

   Fire Elemental (Immunity 21) (common descriptor: Fire/Heat, critical hits, life support)

   Made of Flame (Insubstantial 3) (Energy; Permanent)

 

Attack Bonus: +4 (Ranged: +4, Melee: +8, Grapple: +18/+20)

 

Attacks: Fire Ball (Blast 😎 (DC 23), Fire Blast (Blast 12), +8 (DC 27), Fireflash (Dazzle 😎 (DC Fort/Ref 18), Flame Shapes (Strike 6) (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +10 (DC 25)

 

Defense: +8  (Flat-footed: +2), Knockback: -6

 

Initiative: +2

 

Languages: English Native

 

Totals: Abilities 16 + Skills 16 (64 ranks) + Feats 22 + Powers 107 + Combat 16 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 195

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 54 (chronological), No idea anymore (mental), 15 (as a fire spirit)

Height: 6’ (in containment suit), Varies between 4’ to 8” (outside of it)

Weight: None (energy being)

Ethnicity: Fire Spirit (currently), Caucasian (former)

Hair: Literal Fire

Eyes: Literal Fire

Base of Operations: Toronto, Ontario

 

Theme Song: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDE8IdJjOn4]Turn The Page, by Divide Music[/url]

 

Background: Max Drake was an orphan kid living in Toronto. To this day he doesn’t know how she did it, but the Elemental Lord of Water strolled out of Lake Ontario and despite not having a legal identity somehow became his foster mother. He shrugs and calls it magic. As she was an ally to the Borealian Vanguard, that made young Max kind of the team mascot. No, he didn’t tag along on any dangerous missions. More like photo ops. Press conferences. Group dinners. You know, social occasions. Some of these turned into dangerous missions when supervillains attacked, but that was the nature of the Silver Age. They did their best to protect him, and he was never seriously hurt. It was kind of an idyllic childhood, if he’s being honest. He really liked those guys. But it all came to a crashing halt in 1982.

Kuros invaded. The Vanguard responded like every hero in the world did. He saw none of the fighting. He’d been kidnapped by a powerful fire demon. His mother saved him and killed it, but died of her injuries. He was heartbroken at being orphaned for the second time. Max Drake’s life from this point would have been quite unremarkable…except that a few years later he met the self proclaimed “time pirate” and chronomancer Kendra Farron, along with her quirky crew. She gave him a second chance. He doesn’t really understand how it worked, but she sent him back in time in his own body. He could live his life over again with the knowledge he now had. He could save his mom. And you know what? He did. Because she believed him when he told her. This was how he met Undine. The two sisters tag teamed the fire demon and beat it without being killed. Max could not have known this was only the first step in a cycle.

His mother was killed. He was heartbroken. A few years went by. Kendra showed up to help. He went back to 1971 and the start of things. He saved her from the previous deaths and the new one. Again. And again. And again. She lived longer each time, but the cycle seemed never ending. Forever stuck on an unhappy ending to their story together. Until they reached 2001, and that terrible day in September. For a change of pace, his mother was not killed. Armageddon merely knocked her into a coma. Undine retrieved her unconscious body from the Mississippi Delta somewhere. The trigger that Kendra’s chronomantic ritual had been keying on was the death of the Elemental Lord of Water, so when the “time pirate” returned in 2004, she couldn’t send him back again.

There was, however, an alternative option. They had discussed Plan B, but Max had never thought they would need it. Undine couldn’t get back to the Watery Realms, but another water spirit could with her as guide. Max, after some exhaustive research and with Kendra’s support, prepared to be transformed. There was a problem he did not count on. The being that wanted his mother dead or at least out of the way was the Summer Queen of Faerie. So instead of becoming a water spirit, he turned into the elemental opposite. Pure fire. Something that could not exist in the Watery Realms. The Summer Queen’s mocking laughter echoed throughout the ritual chamber, but the joke turned out the partially on her. Max may not have planned for this, but Kendra did. She whipped out the containment suit, and informed Max of the “little extra” he had a trump card. After a little more research and talking with Undine, her heroic partner Fornax was born. And over in Italy, a minor deity was tickled pink to be remembered.

And here is where the reborn Vanguard comes in. Max is grateful to have allies in Canada again, to fend off any of the Summer Queen’s trickery to get him or Undine killed off. They’ve even got lines of communication to other heroes further away. But you know, it’s a thrill and a half to be on the same team his old heroes were. What was he gonna do, say no? Ha! He can’t leave Toronto for too long, however, as her mother’s comatose body lies at the bottom of Lake Ontario. Easy prey for any assassins should he be gone from the area for too long. In his containment suit, he was still visit her. So he didn’t mind the restructuring after the Endgame. He and Undine have more time now. They have been in contact with not one, not two, and not even three but four heroes related to the Fae and willing to challenge them. Opera of the Exiles, who has his own grudge with the Summer Queen. Sonya Harmon of NPC Investigations, the reincarnated Elemental Lord of Fire. Palila Nui, Winter Court scion and Stormwarden in training. And Nisse out of England. Son of Elves, Greatest Champion. Each has promised to bring their some or all of their mortal allies. The time is coming. The Summer Queen will answer for her sins, and the Elemental Lord of Water will return to her throne. Max promises. And over in Italy, a forgotten deity thinks she owes him a favor for reminding the world of her name…

 

Powers & Tactics: Max Drake had no superhuman powers, special training, or tricked out devices. Well. Originally. Living his life over and over again made him kind of a discount polymath and omnicompetent fighter. He knew something about everything, and could fight competently with any weapon, including his bare hands. Unfortunately, the changes in his physiology that turned him into Fornax cost him much of that and is a now just a potent fire spirit with one technological device.

Don’t get it wrong, being a fire spirit has a trainload of advantages over flesh and blood. He’s not bitter, exactly. The big advantage is that he’s literally made of fire. A living combustion reaction, fueled by the magical potential of his soul instead of wood or something else that can burn. Physical attacks literally can’t touch him. He can simply walk through anything fire can pass through. He has no vulnerable spots. He has no need to breathe, mundane poisons and diseases have no effect on her, and he can even ignore environmental effects that humans struggle with. And, of course, he’s immune to anything fire can do to him in general. He’s quite resilient, as well, although he can’t outright ignore any of the significantly shorter (compared to regular humans) list of attacks that can harm him.

He can emit large quantities of fire, as well. This is useful for him to fly at top of the line racecar speeds. However, he can also throw damage around in the form of a single target blast of flame (powerful enough to melt through steel in one shot), an explosive fireball (not quite as strong as before, but still), and objects made of fire he can sustain for a long as he likes (weakest yet, but benefits outweigh it). He can also emit a brilliant flash of fiery light that can blind anyone who can see it directly or indirectly.

His device is the containment suit that permits him to affect the physical world (because living fire can’t other than to burn/melt it). It’s advanced tech from the far future. So far, in fact, that Countess (of the Champions of Justice) may have recognized the design. How Kendra Farron got her hands on it…is a very good question. She says she stole it. She is a time pirate, after all. At any rate, other than permitting him to interact with the physical world without lighting it on fire, it also grants him a measure of superhuman strength. He can crack steel with a casual punch, and has a maximum lifting capacity of approximately 6.4 tons. As an important note, the suit being advanced future tech means it like him can’t be touched or damaged by physical or fire attacks under normal circumstances. With that said, non-fire energy attacks can damage it if they hit a vulnerable spot. This basically causes it to rupture and become unusable until one of Kendra’s crew can repair it.

Rad as it may sound, there are some weaknesses to being made of living fiame. The aforementioned not being able to touch stuff without lighting it on fire, for example. However, it’s more than that. Without his containment suit, effects that extinguish fires work like damaging attacks on him. Suffocating chemicals like from a fire extinguisher. Being sprayed with or immersed in water. Basically anything that cuts off oxygen flow can rapidly weaken and kill him outside of his suit. Even inside the suit, his manual dexterity is kind of crap. His sense of touch does not go through it, so he can’t use touch screens, type, or even write better than a kindergartner.

As a final note…that “little extra”? He can surge up to the first tier of PL X. Once. Specifically, he can burn up the rest of his lifespan to reach that level of power, but only for a few minutes before his fires go out forever. This is something he’s saving to oppose the Summer Queen with. He does not know that the favor the minor goddess who’s name he has borrowed  intends to grant him a one time free pass on doing so. She is the goddess of the oven and baking, after all. Even if almost nobody remembers her anymore and even in her own days Vestia usurped her festival for herself.

 

Tactically, Fornax is a flying blaster. He’s got a single target attack, an area attack, a dazzle, and something more sustainable for battlefield control. He’s not some master tactician or anything. His job is mostly doing damage. Granted, he uses Accurate Attack and cuts damage ranks when necessary to avoid accidently doing lethal damage. But he’s not up against rank and file thuggery all that often. And when he is, Flame Shapes and Fireflash are generally what he uses. It’s dangerous to throw Fire Balls around in urban areas, you know. He reserves full strength Fire Blasts for the somewhat uncommon enemies who can take that much damage. He does wade into melee sometimes, when blasting is unfeasible or irresponsible, but uses the same tactics as with Fire Blast. For aid in hitting, he has Startle and the aforementioned Accurate Attack. He has Power Attack in the somewhat rare event he needs to do more damage. Move by Action keeps him mobile. Distract (Intimidate) gives him a third thing to do when he can’t blast or punch. And Takedown Attack is on deck because sometimes a man just has to mow down some minions with his bare knuckles to feel alive, dammit. He can power stunt just fine. Pick a Fire Control trick, squeeze it into 24 PP, and you’re good to go. Use that Luck 2.

 

Personality: Fornax is, well, kind of a horndog. Flirtatious to a fault. But in that harmless way, because he can’t do a goddamn thing with a woman as a fire spirit, and that’s a firm part of his playboy act. Because it is an act, and he doesn’t pretend otherwise. It’s just kind of…something to occupy his time. He’s not human anymore, you know? There’s a lot less things to do when you’re shapeless fire in a containment suit. No eating. No drinking. No bathing. No need for a day job. Day time TV sucks so much, you have no idea. A man has to occupy his time somehow, right? And it’s not like he’ll press the issue if the lady’s uncomfortable. Hell, no.

Max Drake, on the other hand, well…NEVER. GIVE. UP. Perseverance is the name of the game. Endurance is the way the game is played. This is just another step on the road to saving his mom. No big deal. Truthfully? He’s been through hell and back a dozen times over. He’s…hardened, you know? Mortal minds aren’t meant to live as long and fight as hard as he has. Not without sustaining damage. He’s the warrior who’s been on the battlefield a little too long. He hasn’t lost himself, but the Max Drake who reset back to 6 years old the first time around is not the same man who voluntarily gave up his humanity just for a chance to save his mom. And he sure as hell isn’t the same man who’s planning on nuking the entire Summer Court as hard as he can so that his mother will be safe in the future without him.

Don’t misunderstand, he’s got heroic traits. He’d pass almost any tests of heroic spirit anyone put in front of him. But anything approaching innocence or naiveté is long, long gone. What’s left behind is a ruthless determination to succeed and an utter refusal to fail his mother again. NEVER. GIVE. UP. Savvy?

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Chasseur (Jules Bouchard)

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 180/180

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +3/+5, Fort: +5, Ref: +12, Will: +7

 

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Bluff 12 (+15), Craft (chemical) 3 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 3 (+5), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Disguise 2 (+5), Drive 7 (+10), Escape Artist 2 (+5), Gather Information 7 (+10), Investigate 8 (+10), Knowledge (physical sciences) 3 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 13 (+15), Language 1 (+1), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Search 8 (+10), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Stealth 12 (+15), Survival 2 (+5)

 

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (ranged) 4, Attack Specialization 2 (Unarmed Attack), Benefit (Member of Borealian Vanguard), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Feint, Challenge - Improved Taunt, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Dodge Focus 3, Equipment 2, Evasion, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Arrow Barrage (Blast 6)), Improved Initiative, Luck 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot 2, Quick Draw, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Bluff, Notice, Stealth), Takedown Attack, Taunt, Teamwork 3, Ultimate Effort (Aim), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Bow and Arrows (Device 6) (Easy to lose)

   Arrows (Array 12) (default power: blast)

      Arrow Barrage (Blast 6) (Default; piercing, DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Arrow Barrage (Blast 6)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Improved Range (150 ft. incr), Precise, Progression, Increase Range (max range x2, 1500 feet), Ricochet (1 bounce))

      Explosive Arrow (Blast 6) (Array; explosive, DC 21; Burst Area (20-150 ft. radius - General); Progression, Decrease Area 2 (-2 ranks), Progression, Increase Area 2 (area x5), Triggered 2 (any trigger))

      Flash Bang Arrow (Dazzle 6) (Array; light, sonic, affects: 1 type + visual - auditory, DC 16; Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General))

      Net Arrow (Snare 6) (Array; DC 16; Regenerating, Transparent)

      Sleep Gas Arrow (Fatigue 6) (Array; chemical, DC 16; Cloud Area (30 ft. diameter, lingers - General), Range (ranged))

      Smoke Arrow (Obscure 6) (Array; affects: visual senses, Radius: 250 ft.)

      Stun Burst Arrow (Stun 6) (Array; electricity, DC 16; Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General), Range (ranged))

Goggles (Device 1) (Hard to lose)

   Super-Senses 5 (direction sense, distance sense, extended (type): Visual 1 (-1 per 100 ft), infravision)

Grapple Gun (Device 2) (Easy to lose)

   Grapple Gun (Linked)

      Speed 2 (Linked; Speed: 25 mph, 220 ft./rnd)

      Super-Movement 4 (Linked; slow fall, swinging, wall-crawling 2 (full speed))

 

Equipment: Leather Jacket, Motorcycle

 

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +12, Melee: +8, Grapple: +10)

 

Attacks: Arrow Barrage (Blast 6), +12 (DC 21), Explosive Arrow (Blast 6) (DC 21), Flash Bang Arrow (Dazzle 6) (DC Fort/Ref 16), Net Arrow (Snare 6), +12 (DC Ref/Staged 16), Sleep Gas Arrow (Fatigue 6) (DC Fort 16), Stun Burst Arrow (Stun 6) (DC Fort/Staged 16), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +12  (Flat-footed: +5), Knockback: -2

 

Initiative: +7

 

Languages: English, French Native

 

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 32 (128 ranks) + Feats 39 + Powers 28 + Combat 34 + Saves 15 + Drawbacks 0 = 180

 

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

 

Motorcycle

 

Power Level: 9; Equipment Points Spent: 9

 

STR: +2 (15)

 

Toughness: +8

 

Powers:

Speed 5 (Speed: 250 mph, 2200 ft./rnd)

 

Defense: +0

 

Totals: Abilities 1 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 0 + Powers 5 + Combat 0 + Saves 3 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 9

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 24

Height: 5’ 10”

Weight: 175 lbs

Ethnicity: Quebecois

Hair: Brown

Eyes: Grey

Base of Operations: Montreal, Quebec

 

Theme Song: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUrSCP_C320]Royalty, by DizzyEight featuring VI Seconds[/url]

 

Background: Jules Bouchard, alias Chasseur, is one of the few active heroes in North American who was an honest to god supervillain. Terrorist. Murderer. 100% pure bastard. What changed? He got his ass kicked. He went to jail. And, oh yeah, he grew up. Because, if we want to be technical, he’s the second Chasseur. The first was his father, a legendary Canadian supervillain. A violent Qubecois separatist, to be further precise. So of course he raised his son to be his clone. And the original Chasseur was, as far as planning and combat went, a total badass. Clashing with Prairie Sprinter, Dromin, and Moonshadow and getting away scott free. Even Blindspot, Undine, and Fornax couldn’t so much as reign him in. Sometimes his schemes were thwarted, and sometimes blood flowed on the pavement. If La Belle Province’s current hero crop seems young, it’s because the first Chasseur killed any veterans or promising newcomers that weren’t in the Borealian Vanguard on that terrible September day in 2001.

So what happened? The new Borealian Vanguard. Reformed and ready for action. The guy who’d stymied each of them (save Armory) individually, collectively was another matter. The original Chasseur gathered some like minded individuals along with his bright eyed boy, but this was le grand debut. The outcome was never in doubt. A legend fell. His small organization was smashed. The original Chasseur died rather than surrender. Leaving the legal system the question of what to do with a 14 year old boy who’d been commiting crimes beside his father for the past 6 years. But it also had to be taken in account that his father was a total fanatic, if rational and methodical. Young Jules was essentially an indoctrinated child soldier. So once again, if we’re being technical, Jules did not go to adult prison. He was placed in intense rehabilitative custody. For four years.

The jury is still out on how well this worked, but when he was released there was zero chance he’d commit homicide or terrorism again barring something totally unforeseen. Because he wasn’t quite as indoctrinated as initially thought. He did what he did for love of his father (whom he idolized), for beautiful Quebec (which he loved as much as his father ever did), and for his own burning pride in having part of both be a part of him. What the deprogramming really entailed was exposing him to a small legion of people who weren’t true believers in a free Quebec to the degree that they’d commit terrorist acts. As Jules puts it, his father was too close to things to see that the cause could be served in better ways. Jules is a big fat liar. He does not know how to reconcile the father who loved him with the monster everyone else knew. So he’s not trying. Once released, being attractive and charismatic, he started schmoozing the way his father used to get cash. This was, naturally, a little alarming. Until he started operating as a superhero (under his father’s old codename, no less) in Montreal. With a steady heiress girlfriend bankrolling this and that.

Truthfully, he was brought into the Vanguard basically to keep an eye on him. He makes no secret of his loyalty to a free Quebec and in many ways seems not to have changed at all. Except instead of going out and doing murder and terrorism, he’s putting his life on the line to protect other people and stop crime. His monitors are baffled by his behavior, but it makes perfect sense to him. If the dream is to be achieved, it is not through violence but popular support. And he has no stomach and less desire to behave like the person he was before. What else is there to be said?

 

Powers & Tactics: Chasseur has no superhuman powers. He is an expert martial artist (in kickboxing) and, much more importantly, an expert archer with three technological devices. Two of these are relatively minor. A set of goggles that extends his visual range while adding infrared and a small HUD displaying direction and distance to a given target. And a fairly standard grapple gun that lets him swing around, catch himself when falling, and zoom up walls.

The main event, however, is his bow and quiver full of trick arrows. He’s a trick archer in the classic mold pioneered by Fletcher (among others) back in the Silver Age. He’s got standard arrows, explosive arrows, arrows that are flash bangs, arrows that explode into netting, arrows that release sleep gas, arrows that release large amounts of smoke, and arrows that unleash a stunning burst of electricity. That is not all. The range on his standard arrows is quite good. The explosive arrows can be rigged with a large variety of potential triggers. The net arrows of made of a mesh that’s dense enough to practically repair itself, and attacks from outside simply pass through it. The smoke arrows cover a 500 ft diameter area, and turn off when he turns them off. They won’t run out of fuel in the normal course of events.

As for Equipment, he has a motorcycle for transport and a Leather Jacket for just a bit of extra armor.

 

Tactically, Chasseur is a pain to deal with. Arrow Barrage gives him range. Explosive Arrow lets him cheat and set up a trap. Flash Bang, Sleep Gas, and Stun Burst all cover a 30 foot area and aren’t damage, so he can use them freely even in populated areas. Yes, he’s enough of a dick to flashbang, sleep gas, or basically taser civilians if it gets him the bad guys. Though Net Arrow is available for those duties, as well, and rank and file thuggery tend to find it inescapable. Additionally, Smoke Arrow is damn effective battlefield control if none of the enemies have Counters Obscure on their vision. His Grapple Gun lets him reposition quickly out of untenable positions while still attacking, too. He has absolutely no problem running away temporarily if civilians aren’t in danger. It’s called a tactical retreat, and with his Goggles he likely has a visual range advantage to aid in his repositioning.

Feat-wise, he has Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Improved Feint, and Improved Taunt to ruin opposing days with. All Out, Defensive, and Power Attack move his caps around as needed. Improved Aim aids in hitting when he needs it, especially with a nice, stealthy first attack. Quick Draw gets his bow in his hands at blinding speeds. Takedown Attack is for the rare occasion he uses his fists. Set Up and Teamwork 3 mark him as a superior team player. Luck 3 and Ultimate Aim means when he absolutely needs to make the shot, he simply does. His array is big enough that he doesn’t power stunt all that much. At best he’ll pull out a Poison Arrow (Arrow Barrage with Alt Save Fort instead of Autofire) or a Glue Bomb Arrow (Net Arrow with Burst Area instead of Transparent). He uses that Luck 3 more for rerolls and Ult Aim than stunting.

 

Personality: Chasseur is such an arrogant son of a bitch that even the most prideful Quebecois want to tell him to cool it. His pride burns hot, and is his single more defining personality trait. He makes no secret of how much he thinks he’s the hottest shit imaginable, and just how much other people’s opinions on the subject are irrelevant. He is the son of the legendary original Chasseur. He can trace his bloodline to the House of Bourbon and Charlemagne. Can they say the same? This makes him sound completely insufferable, and some would agree. Others see the kindness dispensed along with the preening. The overwhelming pride of Jules Bouchard drives him to excel in everything he does. This is not limited to things he can do like archery, but the content of his character. He’s still kind of a bastard who holds his late father and his ideals of a free Quebec in high regard and doesn’t care who knows. But he’s also a genuine superhero who is one of the hardest working in all Canada.

To put it a bit better, he’s got the mind of a devil with the heart of an angel. He didn’t fall from heaven like most heroes. He created his own halo. Like the quote goes, is it better to be born good, or overcome one’s evil nature through great effort? So yes, Jules is simply too damn prideful to be a bad guy. He is driven to be the best archer, the best hero, the best man he can be. But don’t let that fool you. Because under that pride he has already largely succeeded in becoming a good man, who cares about his neighbors.

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Gajasura (Arjun Vijaya)

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 180/180

 

STR: +10 (12/30), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +7 (12/24), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +7/+12, Fort: +9, Ref: +6, Will: +9

 

Skills: Diplomacy 12 (+15), Gather Information 7 (+10), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 13 (+15), Knowledge (life sciences) 13 (+15), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 13 (+15), Language 3 (+3), Medicine 12 (+15), Notice 7 (+10), Sense Motive 12 (+15)

 

Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Attack Focus (melee) 3, Attack Specialization (Unarmed Attack), Benefit (Member of Borealian Vanguard), Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 3, Improved Critical 2 (Tusks (Strike 2)), Improved Grab, Improved Grapple, Improved Pin, Improved Throw, Improved Trip, Interpose, Luck 3, Power Attack, Ritualist, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Diplomacy, Intimidate, Medicine, Sense Motive), Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Teamwork 3, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Divine Elephant Physiology (Container, Passive 11)

   Elephantine Stamina (Enhanced Constitution 12) (+12 CON)

   Elephantine Strength (Enhanced Strength 18) (+18 STR)

   Massive (Immovable 3) (Resist Movement: +12, Resist Knockback: -3)

   Thick Hide (Protection 5) (+5 Toughness; Impervious [4 extra ranks])

   Trunk (Linked)

      Additional Limbs 1 (Linked; 1 extra limb; +1 to Grapple when not using Imp. Grapple, Feats: Improved Grapple)

      Elongation 2 (Linked; Elongation: 10 ft., range incr 20 ft., +2 Escape & Grapple)

   Tusks (Strike 2) (slashing, DC 27, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Tusks (Strike 2)); Mighty)

Strength Tricks (Array 9) (default power: super-strength)

   Groundstrike (Trip 9) (Array; bludgeoning; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General); Range (touch))

   Pachyderm Might (Super-Strength 9) (Default; +45 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 409.6 tons; +9 STR to some checks)

   Shockwave (Strike 9) (Array; bludgeoning, DC 24; Cone Area (90 ft. cone - General))

   Thunderclap (Stun 9) (Array; sonic, DC 19; Cone Area (90 ft. cone - General); Daze)

 

Attack Bonus: +3 (Ranged: +3, Melee: +6, Grapple: +16/+27)

 

Attacks: Groundstrike (Trip 9) (DC 19), Shockwave (Strike 9) (DC 24), Thunderclap (Stun 9) (DC Fort/Staged 19), Tusks (Strike 2), +6 (DC 27), Unarmed Attack, +8 (DC 25)

 

Defense: +6  (Flat-footed: +2), Knockback: -10/-13

 

Initiative: +2

 

Languages: English Native, French, Punjabi, Vedic Sanskrit

 

Totals: Abilities 24 + Skills 26 (104 ranks) + Feats 30 + Powers 76 + Combat 12 + Saves 12 + Drawbacks 0 = 180

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 30

Height: 5’ 6” (as Arjun), 7’ (as Gajasura)

Weight: 150 lbs (as Arjun), 500 lbs (as Gajasura)

Ethnicity: Indian (as Arjun), Humanoid Indian Elephant (as Gajasura)

Hair: Black (as Arjun), None (as Gajasura)

Eyes: Dark Brown

Base of Operations: Surrey, British Columbia

 

Theme Song: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W4zei78ERk]The Wind Rises, by Zach Boucher[/url]

 

Background: Arjun Vijaya had a long series of years up to now. First was the meeting with the Hindu deity Ganesh. Truthfully, he thought it was a dream for a long time. Him, entrusted with redemption for an ancient asura? A ordinary medical student? Of course he had faith, and he used the powers he was granted to the best of his abilities, but well. You know. There are a few different stories about Gajasura the elephant asura. Asura aren’t demons, regardless of what modern Christianity says. Arjun knows this, as he was also a religious student at university. The stories differ, having been written down by different people at different times. The nature of Hindu cosmology means that they can all be true at the same time. Operative word being “can”. It’s complicated. The common thread is that Gajasura was profoundly unpleasant in some way to the destroyer deity Shiva (who is male and does not have ice powers, looking at you Japan), and he was killed for it, probably by Shiva. One of the stories has Ganesh was given his head and tusks and his skin worn to Vishnu. In others Shiva took the lot, as Ganesh has multiple stories of his origins. As usual, there is no one truth to the situation and it was several thousand years ago. Ganesh (if it was him; Arjun believes so but does not know for certain) did not elaborate on any further events and Arjun did not dare ask. Gajasura was now a divine servant on the path of redemption, and since he was dead required a host body. Arjun said yes.

Second was marrying his beloved Kalyani and having their daughter Asha. This sounds joyful, but it was not. Kalyani required a C-section, and when the doctors cut her open they discovered malignant tumors all throughout her abdomen. The pregnancy had been difficult, and so young the first thought was certainly not cancer. Modern medical science can work wonders, especially with a personal plea for help to Morgan Knight. Kalyani shouldn’t have lived two months. She got almost two years. Arjun was and is quite grateful for the extra time with his beloved. It was long enough for him to complete his medical internship. He knows that it was necessary to secure Asha’s future. Much money is required to raise a child, and he could not damage his career prospects by setting a slower pace than his fellows. He also knows, however, that this time could have been spent by his beloved Kalyani’s side. It was a choice most cruel, and one he questions to this day.

The third was, well, the Borealian Vanguard. The hero Gajasura was surprisingly difficult to find. Though considering he was a small Indian man in his off hours, this was not strange. He had worked with Blindspot and Moonshadow before, but he simply didn’t hang around after the action was over. Again, this was not strange. He has a young daughter to get home to. So the two had to literally resort to tracking him like a criminal. Moonshadow did the finding, and Blindspot (or rather, Cindy Liu) had to do the convincing. Arjun is the type of man who needs to be convinced of his worthiness. Still, the last three years have been all right. He does more work at the Vanguard’s resident physician than transformed into Gajasura, especially after the reorganization. Asha is at that age where she is wondering about her mother, and where her father goes on his “work trips”. They will have to have a talk soon, he thinks.

 

Powers & Tactics: Arjun Vijaya technically has no superhuman powers. He’s just a man. It is when he calls the name of Gajasura with the appropriate intent that this changes. In an instant he gains a foot and a half in height. His weight more than triples. His body turns from human to humanoid elephant, complete with tusks and long trunk. In this form his strength is superhuman, leaving him able to crack steel with a casual punch and with a maximum carrying capacity of over 800 tons. He can do additional damage by slashing with his elephant tusks. His resilience is on pace with his damage potential. The thick elephantine hide can ignore even artillery fire. He’s far more difficult to move with attacks and effects than he seems. And his elephant’s trunk extends his unarmed range by 10 feet, giving it a slight advantage over his tusks. He also has a small handful of tricks that he can do with his great strength. Tripping everyone in a 90 ft radius of himself with a big stomp. And damaging or stunning everyone in a 90 ft cone in front him by clapping in one of two ways..

To be clear, Arjun doesn’t have the voice of an ancient asura (redeemed into a divine servant or not) whispering into his head. There’s nobody at all, actually, and he’s not sure which bothers him more. Neither are these the powers of the actual Gajasura. Arjun knows more than enough about Hinduism to know that. He wishes he had dared ask what the deal was all those years ago. However, until then, he will bear the name and do his best. It is all a man can do.

 

Tactically, Gajasura favors Thunderclap for dealing with thuggery. They literally can’t hurt him, and Stun 9 will drop them fast without harming any innocent bystanders (that he can’t grapple away from their pursuers with his trunk). Groundstrike also plays a role here in crowd control. Can’t keep pointing a gun at an old lady’s head if you’ve falled down. He has never used any form of damage against thuggery. Supervillains, however? He prefers to grapple , pin, and use Diplomacy to convince them to surrender. With that said, punching, the Tusks and Shockwave are all in play along with the previous duo. He does make use of Accurate Attack to both hit better and avoid doing lethal damage. He also has All Out, Defensive, and Power Attack to make him a well rounded combatant. He does have Startle, but it mainly used with Set Up to aid allies in hitting, not himself. Interpose lets him protect civilians and his more vulnerable teammates. Improved Grab and Improved Pin mark him as a expert grappler. Improved Throw and Improved Trip make Groundstrike more effective. Teamwork 3 marks him as a great team player. Takedown Attack 2 lets him mow through Acceptable Targets at need. He would prefer to never do such a thing to people. Don’t forget Ritualist and Luck 3. As a final note, nobody expects the large elephant man to use Medicine and Skill Mastery to remove the Dazed, Stunned, or Unconscious conditions from teammates and civilians. Or use it to Stabilize anyone who’s Dying. He does not know how to power stunt. He’s seen other Vanguard members do it, mind. He just doesn’t know how to do it himself.

 

Personality: Arjun is a peaceful, humble man. He is a man of who tends towards quiet, calm and melancholy instead of joyful, chaotic noise. He’s not especially sad or depressed, per se, but he isn’t a man of strong emotional expression. He is kind and soliticious as a good doctor ought to be. Loyal and discreet as a friend. Moral and ethical as both a hero and a doctor. His life’s ambitions have been achieved, with one of the three being lost afterward. He’s quite low key, really. That aura of peace travels with him wherever he goes, and can have a calming effect on others.

But you know…a person never quite gets over losing the love of their life. The hole in the world created by their absence does not go away. The grief is merely something someone gets used to. It hasn’t made him a better man or a better hero. It hasn’t made him value life anymore than he already did. He’s a doctor, after all. He already valued life. Sometimes there is no life lesson to be had in the loss of a loved one. Sometimes there is only pain, memories, and thoughts of what could have been. With that said, he has Asha to dote on. Both Kalyani’s parents and his own are still alive and well. Indian families can tend toward the large, so he is not alone. He has no reason to sit around and be sad. There is much to do. In his chosen profession, as a hero, and on the Vanguard.

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Sister Angeline (Raphelle Fortin)

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 165/165

 

STR: +0 (10), DEX: +2 (14), CON: +0 (10), INT: +3 (16), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +0/+12, Fort: +6, Ref: +6, Will: +12

 

Skills: Concentration 5 (+10), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Gather Information 7 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 7 (+10), Language 2 (+2), Notice 5 (+10), Search 2 (+5), Sense Motive 5 (+10)

 

Feats: Attack Focus (ranged) 6, Benefit (Member of Borealian Vanguard), Dodge Focus 3, Interpose, Luck 3, Second Chance (Concentration checks to maintain powers)

 

Powers:

Levitation (Flight 3) (Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd)

Telekinesis (Move Object 12) (Strength: 60, Carry: 17 tons / 34 tons / 51.2 tons / 102.4 tons; Range (perception); Precise)

Telekinetic Shield (Force Field 12) (+12 Toughness; Impervious [9 ranks only])

Telekinetic Tricks (Array 9) (default power: blast)

   Telekinetic Bolt (Blast 9) (Default; bludgeoning, DC 24)

   Telekinetic Constructs (Create Object 6) (Array; psionic, Max Size: 6x 5' cubes, DC 16; Movable (Radius: 30 ft., Strength: 30, Force: 1.6k lbs.))

   Telekinetic Hammer (Blast 6) (Array; bludgeoning, DC 21; Burst Area (30 ft. radius - General))

   Telekinetic Snare (Snare 9) (Array; psionic, DC 19)

 

Attack Bonus: +3 (Ranged: +9, Melee: +3, Grapple: +3)

 

Attacks: Telekinetic Bolt (Blast 9), +9 (DC 24), Telekinetic Hammer (Blast 6) (DC 21), Telekinetic Snare (Snare 9), +9 (DC Ref/Staged 19), Unarmed Attack, +3 (DC 15)

 

Defense: +6  (Flat-footed: +2), Knockback: -10

 

Initiative: +2

 

Languages: English, French Native, Latin

 

Totals: Abilities 26 + Skills 10 (40 ranks) + Feats 15 + Powers 85 + Combat 12 + Saves 17 + Drawbacks 0 = 165

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 18

Height: 5’ 1”

Weight: 100 lbs

Ethnicity: French Canadian

Hair: Black

Eyes: Dark Brown

Base of Operations: Quebec City, Quebec

 

Theme Song: [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySxTlmwhVJU]I Need You, by DizzyEight[/url]

 

Background: Quebec City was the place that the shattered remnants of the original Chasseur’s organization ran to after his defeat and death. Every time a new hero attempted to rise from it, they cut them down before the six month mark. This, however, only served to let local police and the Mounties know where they were. More and more of them were arrested until they were a shell of what they had been when they fell back to the city. Meaning their effectiveness as a force was at rock bottom, but not quite finished off. The point of this is that Quebec City, even after the defeat and death of the original Chasseur, was a city functionally without heroes. Until a thirteen year old girl decided to do something about that.

Raphelle Fortin was and is a young woman of strong, passionate faith. Since she was born and raised in Quebec, this is a Catholic faith. As stated above, she wasn’t the first hero to take up the work in the city. She was, however, the only one in the city when she did. Which was part of why she did. It’s a very old heroic motivation. “Someone has to do something.” She attended private Catholic school, and actually used the uniform as her costume. Because you know, a kid who hadn’t cleared this with her parents has no costume money. What happened when the dregs of the original Chasseur’s organization decided to get rid of her isn’t quite clear. It was absolutely a mistake. Quebec City PD rolled up onto the scene after Sister Angeline had already beaten them black and blue. How a thirteen year old girl (admittedly a powerful telekinetic) overcame several grown men specialized in taking down rookie heroes with any injuries whatsoever has never been adequately explained. Raphelle attributes it to the hand of God. The men aren’t talking.

Regardless, Sister Angeline was now established. To be clear, Quebec City PD did attempt to discourage the young girl from pursuing heroism. It’s dangerous enough for an adult, let alone a young teenager. Raphelle politely thanked them for their concern, and went right on doing what she was doing. People needed help. She could help them. It was her Christian duty to do so. End of discussion. She had always been this way. She was a strange child to many, interested not in toys and television, but in liturgical matters and Church doctrine. At any rate, her grades did not suffer. Her social relationships were with priests and nuns, not her peer group, so they did not suffer either. Naturally, when Moonshadow came to recruit her to the Vanguard because of the desperate emergency of the Dusting, she agreed without a moment’s hesitation. Almost as if she knew he was coming. She has remained a member, albeit in the reserves, after the post-Endgame reorganization.

Raphelle’s current status? She’s in the process of “discernment”. It is the first step in becoming a Catholic nun. It is a year or two in which she is spending time speaking with nuns, visiting convents, going on retreats, and praying. She does not know if she will remain Sister Angeline if she does join a convent. It is the first time she has ever been uncertain in her entire life.

 

Powers & Tactics: Sister Angeline is a metahuman psionic. She is a very strong telekinetic, able to move objects with the power of her will and form constructs out of pure force. The lifting capacity of her telekinesis by itself is over 100 tons. As long as she can see the target, she can lift it. She can also lift herself, flying at about 50 mph. It is the constructs, however, that she arguably does more with. A powerful shield to protect her that can ignore even artillery fire. And a variety of attack tricks. Such as a damaging bolt of force. Smashing an area. Binding an opponent with constructs. The last common trick is actual constructs that can both support and move 1600 lbs. It is when she combines this with her regular telekinesis that she can lift genuinely incredible weight with nothing more than the power of her will.

 

Tactically, Sister Angeline reserves her Telekinetic Bolt for supervillains. However, Telekinetic Constructs can trap thuggery. Telekinetic Hammer can smash them aside. And Telekinetic Snare can bind them individually. She does not Feint or Demoralize in any way. She does not have any cap shifting feats, either, leaving both Bolt and Snare alterable only up to +2. Even so, she doesn’t really do even that much. The main feats to mention are Interpose and Luck 3. Interpose lets her use the beefy Toughness save she has with Telekinetic Shield up to defend allies and civilians. Luck 3, well, more HP is also more useful. Especially for power stunting. Her list of possible power stunts is much too long to get into here. If telekinesis or a create object type power can do it, so can she. As long as it squeezes into 18 PP, anyway.

 

Personality: People find Sister Angeline rather…unsettling. She is, let us say, extremely Catholic. A teenage girl of strong, passionate faith, who does not hide it in the slightest? Perhaps not entirely uncommon, but one with the emotional maturity/stability of someone at least thrice her age? Now that’s creepy. She always seems to have the air and eyes of someone who knows more than she’s telling, you know? Considering the how strong and unbreakable her faith is, perhaps this is even justified. To be clear, this isn’t arrogance. At least, not intentionally so. She is appropriately kind, compassionate, and humble as a good nun ought to be. The flip side of that is that she can lay down the law like an old nun, too.

On the inside, however, Raphelle is at a crossroads and is deeply uncertain for the first time in her entire 18 years of life. She knows she was called to be a superhero. That’s what her having powers, their great strength, and the total absence of heroes in Quebec City meant. However, she feels an equally strong call to nunhood. She does not believe she can do both. She’s spent her entire life striving to serve God as best she can. And now her future seems to be completely up to her. The sudden lack of certainty, of knowing what to do next, is paralyzing. She does not know how to handle it. Nor does she know who to talk to about it. In this she is, at last, a typical teenager. Assuming what people may say before she speaks with them. Well. At any rate, she has a year or two to figure it out.

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Red Sleeves (Daiyu Hong)

 

Power Level: 9; Power Points Spent: 165/165

 

STR: +2 (14), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +2 (14), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +0 (10)

 

Tough: +2/+4, Fort: +6, Ref: +6/+12, Will: +9

 

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Knowledge (streetwise) 3 (+5), Language 2 (+2), Notice 12 (+15), Sense Motive 7 (+10), Stealth 12 (+15)

 

Feats: Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee) 6, Benefit (Member of Borealian Vanguard), Defensive Roll 2, Dodge Focus 6, Evasion 2, Improved Critical 2 (Telekinetic Weapon (Strike 6)), Improved Defense 2, Improved Initiative 3, Luck 2, Power Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Mental)

 

Powers:

Mental Awareness (Super-Senses 7) (accurate: Mental Awareness, acute: Mental Awareness, awareness: Mental (mental), danger sense: Mental, radius: Mental Awareness, ranged: Mental Awareness)

Precognitive Reactions (Enhanced Trait 20) (Traits: Reflex +6 (+12), Improved Initiative 3 +2 (+3), Feats: Defensive Roll 2, Dodge Focus 6, Evasion 2, Improved Defense 2)

Psionics (Array 9) (default power: strike)

   Limited Clairsentience (ESP 6) (Array; psionic, affects: 2 types, inc. visual - visual & auditory)

   Psi-Knife (Strike 6) (Array; psionic, DC 21; Alternate Save (Will), Penetrating)

   Telekinetic Weapon (Strike 6) (Default; DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Telekinetic Weapon (Strike 6)); Penetrating; Affects Insubstantial 2 (full power), Extended Reach (5 ft.), Variable Descriptor (Narrow group - Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing))

Telepathy (Container, Passive 6)

   Communication 6 (sense type: mental; Omni-Directional Area)

   Mind Reading 9 (psionic, DC 19; Duration (sustained))

 

Attack Bonus: +6 (Ranged: +6, Melee: +12, Grapple: +14)

 

Attacks: Mind Reading 9 (DC Will 19), Psi-Knife (Strike 6), +12 (DC Will 21), Telekinetic Weapon (Strike 6), +12 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +12  (Flat-footed: +3), Knockback: -2

 

Initiative: +7/+15

 

Languages: Chinese (Cantonese) Native, Chinese (Mandarin), English

 

Totals: Abilities 24 + Skills 12 (48 ranks) + Feats 15 + Powers 77 + Combat 24 + Saves 13 + Drawbacks 0 = 165

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 21

Height: 5’ 5”

Weight: 125 lbs

Ethnicity: Han Chinese

Hair: Black

Eyes: Dark Brown

Base of Operations: Vancouver, British Columbia

 

Theme Song: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-JvIcAkylI]No Way Out by Divide Music featuring ChewieCatt[/url]

 

Background: Outsiders generally don’t profit from crime in Hong Kong. Even the government (both back when it was in London and now that it is in Beijing) knows better than to mess with business in the Hong Kong criminal underworld. Why? Everyone knows the Hong Kong criminal underworld is run by the Triads. They have their fingers in many pies and are troublesome in many places. Almost no one thinks to question further than this. Organized crime is organized crime, correct? There is nothing new to be seen here, correct? No. Incorrect. The Triads may run Hong Kong, but the Jade Dragon Society runs the Triads. A secret society of psionics, Taoist magicians, and Chi using martial arts masters that goes back over a century. Precisely how long is a matter of some debate. Hong Kong has an extremely low murder rate, This does not account for people who quietly disappear. It also does not account for those who successfully flee the city, but do not escape with their lives. Furthermore, these are the murders that are successfully reported.

The government of China has the ability to crush the Jade Dragons through sheer weight of numbers if nothing else. There are more superpowered individuals in mainland China than there is in the entirety of North America. This make sense. There are over a billion people in mainland China compared to not half that in the US, Canada, and Mexico combined. China’s ability to crush the Jade Dragons makes further sense when it is strongly suspected that China is violating the Treaty of Havana, which strongly restricts use of superpowered individuals in military service. However, even outside observers know that such a battle would likely both be extremely bloody and greatly damage the important economic center that is Hong Kong. Psionic powers feature telepathy, mind control, and precognition. These are challenging at best to prepare for. Taoist wizards, like all wizards, can do some wild shit if they have time to prepare. And martial artists sufficiently skilled in the use of Chi can easily be confused with a literal army. Even a modern one, depending on their abilities. It is far easier for China to use the Jade Dragons in much the same way as Japan uses the ninja clans. Spies and occasional assassins.

This is what brings us at last to Daiyu Hong. That is an assumed name. Her original one is kept secret to prevent the Jade Dragons from finding her easily. Her mother is the current leader of the Jade Dragons. She trained her daughter ruthlessly so that she would become a psionic warrior without compare. A remorseless killing machine, fit to succeed her one day. It was, after all, the family way. Unfortunately, the girl didn’t quite take to it. The physical training was fine. It was the psychological elements she had trouble with. This was, perhaps unexpectedly, not because she had any problems killing people or merely inflicting horrific violence upon their bodies or minds. The girl wanted her mother’s approval and love. It would have been an easier task to get both out of a literal dragon carved from jade than the leader of the Jade Dragons. Things came to a head. There was a sparring match that her mother turned into a real fight. She refused to seriously injure her mother, even with healers on hand. Her mother, viciously angered, dealt her a terrible blow. She still has the scar from the cut, from her forehead skipping over her eye and down her cheek. She is very lucky she flinched back just far enough to keep that eye. Her younger brother was perhaps not as naturally gifted of a warrior, but he had the viciousness in his nature that she lacked. Their mother disinherited her, and gave her heir position to her brother.

This made her situation quite precarious in the Jade Dragons. She was no one. Her mother’s sister made a call to Canada. Vancouver, to be precise. To a somewhat distant cousin. Cindy Liu, also known as the Borealian Vanguard member Blindspot. There was some…conflict in Hong Kong over Cindy’s arrival. Some fighting before the newly minted Daiyu and her aunt fled to Canada with Blindspot. It was quite the tense week. Blindspot used her influence as a Vanguard member to get the two in as refugees.Daiyu was 16 years old. She has never seen the inside of a school. She did not speak English very well. There has been a lot of unlearning old habits, and a lot of learning how to be a citizen of Canada in general. After she turned 18, Blindspot started taking her out on patrol with her. She took the name Red Sleeves. It is the translation of a legendary Chinese folk heroine’s name. Hongfu was one of the Three Heroes of the Wind and Dust, and Daiyu had perhaps always admired her a little. Her aunt’s stories, you see.

Being a hero when one is trained to be a violent killer is…harder than it sounds. She has made many mistakes. Still, both her aunt and Blindspot have always held to their faith in her. So much so that when Blindspot was Dusted along with much of the Vanguard, Moonshadow sought out Red Sleeves on the Dusted heroine’s personal recommendation. She was shunted to the reserves during the post Endgame reorganization for a very simple reason. The Jade Dragon Society is looking for their lost child after her public appearances with the team between Dusting and Endgame. What they plan to do with her is unknown, but unlikely to be pleasant. And they have shown no qualms about going through civilians, law enforcement, or other heroes to get to her. She still works with Blindspot in Vancouver, however, and has been branching out on her own more and more. Especially since the Endgame.

 

Powers & Tactics: Red Sleeves is a metahuman psionic. She is mainly a telepath, but has relatively minor precognitive and very minor telekinetic powers. Her telepathy manifests as the usual ability to sense, communicate with, and read minds. Interestingly, she can operate as a “mental switchboard”, letting anyone she’s in touch with communicate with each other through her powers.  Her range is about 20 miles. Her precognition is actually relatively powerful. Otherwise it’s severely limited. She can’t actually see the future; she can only react to it. This means that it’s useful for dodging attacks in combat and striking before an opponent’s even twitched. Her very minor telekinetic powers are featuring among her psionic tricks. It’s arguably her personal trademark. She projects a small amount of force shaped into a melee weapon. Any melee weapon type that can cause physical damage. Her preference is a jian (double edged sword) much like her mentor Blindspot’s Chungou, but she can pull out any type of slashing, piercing, or bludgeoning weapon. Her other attacking power is a Jade Dragon trademark. Similar to the previous, it can look like any melee weapon. However, it is a telepathic attack that strikes directly at the mind. Many are the poor souls who have had their mind fried by a Jade Dragon’s Psi-Knife. Her last regularly used trick is a fairly typical telepathic one. She displaces her vision and hearing up to 20 miles away. This can be done more rapidly than simply walking and looking around, so it has its uses.

 

Tactically, Red Sleeves prefers her Telekinetic Weapon over her Psi-Knife. The latter is both an assassin’s weapon and extremely distinctive in both appearance and results, even if she isn’t going for lethal damage anymore. Since both are Penetrating, she doesn’t have to worry about Impervious, either. Limited Clairsentience and Mind Reading are utility powers. Communication keeps all allies in touch with each other without audibly speaking, as long as she’s not stunned or unconscious. She prefers to get the first hit from Stealth, but otherwise Acrobatic Bluff is available. Power Attack adds more damage when necessary. Takedown Attack 2 lets her blur through minions like it’ll be banned tomorrow. And Luck 2 fuels a handful of power stunts in addition to the usual rerolls. Power stunts such as Psi-Blast (Perception Range Damage 4 with Alt Save Will), Psionic Invisibililty (Concealment [Visual & Auditory] with Affects Others, Burst Area, and the Flaw Phantasm), and Sleep Touch (Fatigue 6 with Alt Save Will, Insidious, and Subtle 2).

 

Personality: Red Sleeves spent her formative years being groomed to become a murderous supervillain. She arguably was one by the time she moved to Canada. At least, as far as physical and mental training goes. The trouble with her is that she’s always had a heart. And that is something that’s a bit harder to train away. She is neither an idiot or a fool. She knows her mother was horrible. She knows her aunt and Blindspot are better people. She knows that she’s become a better one for following the latter. But. How do you turn that desire for acceptance by the one who bore you off? How do you stop wanting to make them love you the way you love them? As ever, her head and heart aren’t connected.

Vancouver is not home. The bookstore and second floor apartment of Cindy Liu is not home. Home is in Hong Kong. Home is the Jade Dragon compound. And Daiyu Hong is homesick. Again, she knows she was abused there. She knows that this is better. But there was good in Hong Kong, too. Many Jade Dragons were, well, not kind by current standards. Supportive, perhaps. She has plenty of good memories to go with the bad. It is…confusing. She is, essentially, at a very fundamental decision point. The point where she decides who she is for herself instead of being defined by others. She followed her mother and the Jade Dragons and did what they said was right. She followed her aunt and Blindspot and did what they said was right. Now is the time where Biyu must stop following others and find her own way. If only she had the faintest idea how to do that.

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  • 1 month later...

Roth Investigations

 

Overview

 

Theme Song: [url=]Sanctuary, by Darling Violetta[/url]

 

Roth Investigations is not a team. They barely qualify as a group these days. There is precious little internal unity, with Christine Gale and Shandra Hawkins off doing their own hunting thing and Nyoan Ayano and Ryan Masterson frequently absent. And Asteroth himself, the founder, is as mercurial as ever. So the only person keeping the original detective agency going is Nyoan’s older sister Chiaki. Chiaki is not a detective. At all. Fortunately, Bloodfang Alpha’s recent reunion has lent a much needed hand. Honestly, the original membership hasn’t been in one place (broadly speaking) since that fateful day in Los Angeles.

 

May 19, 2006 to be precise. The Los Angeles Hellgate Event, in which Hell learned the steep price for crossing the Wild Card. To be specific, Asteroth opened an actual, literal Hellgate, potentially dooming the entire world because he was angry with the demons on the other side of it. They thought they manipulated him into doing this, and so infernal armies began to pour into downtown Los Angeles. Admittedly in the middle of the night when downtown LA is at its most ghost town-ish, but still. And then his second ritual spell, the one he’d spent the past seven years preparing, activated. The infernal armies were obliterated, and the spell reached through the Hellgate to smash multiple levels and strongholds of Hell itself. That spell tore vast amounts of power out of Hell, and funneled into two things. Breaching the gates of Purgatory, where the soul of Christine Gale resided after events three years before, and resurrecting her in a new body virtually identical to her original one. Then he closed the Hellgate with a wave of his hand, because he’d gotten what he wanted and the lesson had been taught. The injustice done to his ally years prior had been corrected, and the entirely of Hell had been most firmly reminded of the first rule of dealing with the Wild Card. DON”T. FUCK. WITH ASTEROTH.

 

But of course, Nyoan had died earlier in the day helping set up this final phase. Shandra was bleeding to death on the pavement nearby after her efforts. And Ryan had only just begun to surface from under Xaphan. Chiaki was battered, but fine. Downtown Los Angeles, on the other hand, looked a little like it had been in a war. Which, arguably, it just had. It was not, however, just that. The interdimensional law firm (it did not have one name, but it didn’t need one) who had been behind most of the agency’s antagonists now did not exist. The ritual had annihilated the entire firm in every dimension they were in. Higher ones, too. Every single salaried employee was dead. Every building in ruins. Every place they held power broken and shattered. In this dimension, the vast majority of salaried employees were human, and destroying the buildings caught hourly employees as well. Christine was furious. Not only had he endangered the safety of the entire world, he’d murdered several thousand people in this dimension alone to do it. Asteroth, characteristically, didn’t see the problem. He had corrected the injustice they had done to Christine. They had been punished for their wickedness in doing that, and many other things. The world-no, the multiverse-was demonstrably better without them in it. And, well, they knew who they were making an enemy of. The two parted acrimoniously. Shandra pulled up outside Christine’s apartment that September, and neither of the two have voluntarily set foot in Los Angeles since.

 

As a side note, Roth Investigations was founded by Asteroth, Christine Gale, and Nyoan/Chiaki’s brother Glenn. Glenn, however, pulled a heroic sacrifice before the year was out. Nyoan came looking for him after leaving home, and ended up staying with the other two. Shandra was a local monster hunter who gradually got more and more entangled in the agency’s affairs until she formally joined. Ryan, however, was found in a parallel dimension. It was a whole thing. More in his entry. Chiaki rolled in last of all, having actually kind of died except not really because magic. It was an escalation of messier and messier affairs until May 19, 2006.

 

To get a bit meta, as I’ve said before the supernatural side of the supers scene has a tendency to consume people. This isn’t always literal. None of these people have normal lives at all anymore. Admittedly, Asteroth, Chiaki Ayano, and Lloyd Adams have never really had normal lives, so to speak. The rest, however, were human twenty years ago. Most were little more than civilians. And then they got involved with the supernatural in one way or another, and their lives deteriorated into their present states. To be clear, they’re all technically criminals. It’s not like they’re guilty of multiple homicides, armed robberies, or large scale drug dealing. More like credit card fraud, destruction of property, trespassing, and of course tax evasion. So none of them operate openly.

 

To get even more meta, well…these aren’t really going to be happy stories. Not a whole lot of uplifting moments to be found amount them. I will be 100% on my bullshit. Intricately connected backstories. Severe emotional trauma. Grey morality. Sprinkle in some found family. These people are, in many ways, walking tragedies. So, uh…nobody say they weren’t warned, okay? 😅

 

The Originals

Asteroth (Adam Roth)

Christine Gale

Nyoan Ayano

Shandra Hawkins

Ryan Masterson/Xaphan

Chiaki Ayano

 

Bloodfang Alpha

Priest (Lloyd Adams)

Ashfang (Heidi Roberts)

Herald (Alejo Escarra)

Verity Campbell

Scion (Seth Roth)

 

The Hunters

Robin McKinnon

Estrid Silubra of Asgard

Marisol Almeida

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Asteroth

 

Power Level: 16; Power Points Spent: 500/500

 

STR: +12 (11/35), DEX: +5 (20), CON: +0 (-), INT: +5 (20), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +5 (20)

 

Tough: +0/+20, Fort: Immune, Ref: +8/+12, Will: +20

 

Skills: Bluff 20 (+25), Concentration 20 (+25), Diplomacy 5 (+10), Intimidate 20 (+25), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 20 (+25), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 20 (+25), Notice 20 (+25), Sense Motive 20 (+25)

 

Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Artificer, Benefit (Status (The Wild Card)), Eidetic Memory, Evasion, Fascinate (Bluff), Fascinate (Intimidate), Improved Grab, Improved Initiative 4, Jack-of-All-Trades, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Ritualist, Skill Mastery (Craft (art), Intimidate, KN (arcane lore, theo & philo),), Taunt, Ultimate Effort (Will saves), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Well-Informed

 

Powers:

Ancient Vampire (Container, Passive 40)

   Blood Drain (Drain 😎 (drains: single trait - con, DC 18; Requires Grapple)

   Undead (Immunity 30) (fortitude saves)

   Vampiric Leaping (Leaping 😎 (Jumping distance: x500)

   Vampiric Might (Super-Strength 12) (+60 STR carry capacity, heavy load: 6.6k tons; +12 STR to some checks)

   Vampiric Quickness (Quickness 😎 (Perform routine tasks at 500x speed)

   Vampiric Reflexes (Enhanced Trait 24) (Traits: Attack Bonus +4 (+12), Defense Bonus +4 (+12), Reflex +4 (+12), Feats: Improved Initiative 4)

   Vampiric Regeneration (Regeneration 36) (ability damage 7 (recover 1 / action), recovery bonus 14 (+14 to recover), recovery rate (disabled) 8 (recover 1 / round without rest), recovery rate (injured) 6 (recover 1 / round without rest), resurrection 1 (1 week); Persistent, Regrowth)

   Vampiric Resilience (Protection 12) (+12 Toughness)

   Vampiric Senses (Super-Senses 20) (darkvision, extended (type): Visual 2 (-1 per 1k ft), extended (type): Auditory 2 (-1 per 1k ft), extended (type): Olfactory 2 (-1 per 1k ft), infravision, scent, tracking: Olfactory 3 (all-out), ultra-hearing)

   Vampiric Speed (Speed 😎 (Speed: 2500 mph, 22000 ft./rnd)

   Vampiric Strength (Enhanced Strength 24) (+24 STR)

Arcane Armor (Force Field 😎 (+8 Toughness; Impervious [7 ranks only])

Arcane Magic (Array 56) (default power: - linked powers -; Variable Descriptor 2 (Broad group - Any Magic))

   - Linked Powers -

      Concealment 10 (Linked; all senses; Duration (continuous); Close Range)

      Obscure 16 (Linked; affects: all sense types, Radius: 500000 ft.; Duration (continuous), Selective Attack; Range (touch))

   BE GONE (Linked)

      BE GONE Damage (Blast 16) (Linked; DC 31; Range (perception))

      BE GONE Drain (Drain 16) (Linked; drains: single trait - toughness, DC 26; Affects Objects, Range 2 (perception))

   Counter Spell (Nullify 16) (Array; counters: all powers of (type) - magic, DC 26; Burst Area (80-2000 ft. radius - Targeted), Effortless, Range (perception), Selective Attack; Progression, Increase Area 4 (area x25))

   GO AWAY (Linked)

      GO AWAY Damage (Strike 16) (Linked; DC 31; Perception Area (General), Selective Attack)

      GO AWAY Drain (Drain 16) (Linked; drains: single trait - toughness, DC 26; Affects Objects, Perception Area (General), Selective Attack)

   Illusion 16 (Array; affects: all sense types, DC 26; Duration (sustained), Selective Attack; Progression, Area 4 (100 ft. radius))

   Move Object 28 (Array; Strength: 140, Carry: 1.1m tons / 2.2m tons / 3.4m tons / 6.7m tons; Duration (continuous), Range (perception))

   Object Summoning (Create Object 16) (Array; Max Size: 16x 25' cubes, DC 26; Duration (continuous), Impervious, Movable (Radius: 80 ft., Strength: 80, Force: 819.2 tons), Range (perception); Progression, Object Size 2, Selective, Stationary)

   Scrying (ESP 20) (Array; affects: all types; No Conduit; Subtle 2 (unnoticable))

   Sudden Appearance (Teleport 20) (Array; 2000 ft. as move action, Anywhere in the universe as full action; Accurate; Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Precise, Progression, Mass 13 (carry 2500000 lbs), Subtle 2 (unnoticable), Turnabout)

   Super-Movement 6 (Array; dimensional 3 (any dimension), temporal move 3 (any time); Precise)

   Transform 14 (Array; affects: anything, Transforms: 25000 lbs., DC 24; Duration (continuous), Range (perception))

Arcane Senses (Super-Senses 14) (acute (type): Mental, analytical (type): Mental, awareness: Divine (mental), awareness: Magic (mental), awareness: Demonic (mental), extended (type): Mental 2 (-1 per 1k ft), radius (type): Mental, ranged: Mental)

Omnilingual (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all)

Passive Enchantments (Super-Movement 2) (slow fall, trackless)

 

Attack Bonus: +8/+12 (Ranged: +8/+12, Melee: +8/+12, Grapple: +20/+36)

 

Attacks: BE GONE Damage (Blast 16) (DC 31), BE GONE Drain (Drain 16) (DC Fort/Staged 26), Blood Drain (Drain 8), +12 (DC Fort/Staged 18), Counter Spell (Nullify 16) (DC Will 26), GO AWAY Damage (Strike 16) (DC 31), GO AWAY Drain (Drain 16) (DC Fort/Staged 26), Transform 14 (DC Fort 24), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 27)

 

Defense: +8/+12  (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -13

 

Initiative: +21

 

Languages: Ancient Sumerian Native

 

Totals: Abilities 31 + Skills 37 (145 ranks) + Feats 19 + Powers 363 + Combat 32 + Saves 18 + Drawbacks 0 = 500

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): Approximately 6000 years (chronological), it’s complicated (actual), early-mid 20s (appearance)

Height: 5’ 8”

Weight: 145 lbs

Ethnicity: Sumerian (roughly equivalent to modern Greek or Turkish)

Hair: Black

Eyes: Dark Brown

 

Theme Songs: [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjPIOuFtWAI]The Kill (Bury Me), by 30 Seconds To Mars[/url] & [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaYhi5QRlBU]Confess, by Divide Music[/url]

 

Background: Where to start with Asteroth? There was a young man, a farmer. A mere peasant for the Sumerian city of Ur. No one at all. A neighbor slighted him, and the young man planned to kill him for the transgression. He did not get the chance. These were the old days, before humanity drove demons out of the world. One of them killed the young man by draining all of his blood in a manner which it had killed one human earlier and another later. And the second vampire to ever walk the world rose. They took their names from denizens of the Pit. Asmodeus the eldest. Asteroth the middle spawn, and Amon the youngest. They learned together what they were capable of. It was not what anyone would call a warm relationship, for they were soulless bloodsucking monsters. And indeed, Asmodeus and Amon conspired and betrayed Asteroth, turning him into little more than a mindless rampaging animal.

This state of being lasted millennia. Until a few decades after BC became AD, as a matter of fact. Asteroth sought to make a meal of a group of 12 men, but their friend (a certain Nazarene carpenter) intervened and unexpectedly restored the now ancient vampire’s mind. It would be inaccurate to say he joined that group after that. He remained a demon, after all. A soulless monster. And yet, he remained loyal and in the general vicinity. Akin to a dog, but significantly more dangerous. They only parted company after the Crucifixion. Where Asteroth went after that is unclear. There are, however, rumors of a mysterious disciple to various wizards and sorcerers. A man who came and went at night, and remained well masked. Aside from a brief appearance in Antioch in the 2nd century, Asteroth does not appear in documented history again until the 5th. At this time, it seems he had thrown off his former loyalty. As the Middle Ages dawned, Europe grew to fear his name. He tortured, he maimed, he killed. My goodness, did he ever kill. He drifted through Africa. Bounced through Asia. There were allies of convenience, of course. Vampire hunters and sorcerers alike came for him, as well. They died. Eventually. But then, as he came through the southern Balkans, the newly arrived Romani threw a new wrinkle at him. They restored his human soul. It was the very last thing they should have done.

In their defense, they could not have known his human side was a sadistic sociopath who never became a monster as a human because a real monster got him first (as related above). With that said, the intent was to make him destroy himself with guilt. For the demon side, this was a smashing success. With the Crusaders away and Asteroth drowning in guilt for the first time in his existence, Kasi’n (as he dubbed himself) had a very lovely few centuries full of blood, pain, and death before the entire White Court of Wizards (featuring the original Merlin) altered the curse to free Asteroth (by far the lesser of two evils) and seal Kasi’n away inside him. It took all of them because they had to defeat him in combat and then keep him restrained long enough for the ritual. It was a bloody, nasty affair, and there was realistically no one left to stop him from escaping. He was expected to resume his behavior from before the ensouling, but he…didn’t. Oh, there was a massacre here and there, but it was like his heart wasn’t in it. A strange thing to say about a murderous vampire. And then he met a young North African girl, and everything changed again.

1485. Spain. The Mediterranean coast. Her name was Dhana, and she was that generation’s Demon Hunter from Africa. I should explain. Demon Hunters are a part of the Seven Sorceries. The Seven Sorceries are incredibly potent enchantment created near the dawn of civilization to protect humankind from the monsters and demons of the day. Every erg of magic and life in seven of the mightiest magicians to ever walk the earth is in one of the Sorceries. Together, a full 49 are represented. Demon Hunters specifically have increased physical strength, speed, and durability, to the extent that a fully developed one can go hand to hand with lesser Demon Lords. They won’t win, but they can do it. There is one born for each of all seven continents every “generation” (approximately 15 years). Since nobody lived in Antarctica at the time, the seventh randomly bounces from continent to continent. Their powers lay dormant at birth, activating only with the next generation’s birth. Which brings us back to Dhana. A girl from a small village starts demonstrating incredible physical strength? In that era? Obviously, she’s made a deal with a demon or evil sorcerer. Stone the witch. She did not know what was happening, and her powers being new she was still quite vulnerable to normal human strength. Asteroth stepped in like a conquering hero, and the villagers fled. Thus a terrifying partnership was forged. A decade and a half of mayhem, as the vampire wizard taught his protégé well in the ways of pain and death. He himself did not do much, as before. But Dhana, as emotionally vulnerable as it was possible for a teenage girl to be, reveled in the first person to ever give a damn about her. She was an eager and apt pupil.

But as the saying goes, the enemy only has to get lucky once. She lay dying for a mortal wound, and an uncharacteristically desperate Asteroth saved her the only way he knew how. There was, however, a wrinkle. He did not want a demon wearing her corpse. He wanted her. He was, at this point, a master wizard. So when Dhana rose as a vampire, her soul remained inside her. In a way, once again, the actions taken to stop Asteroth actually made a bad situation worse. For Dhana retained her Demon Hunter powers as a vampire, and both of them were pissed. More than that, it was the beginning of an infamous and long running partnership. They roamed the entire world. Slipped through time. There were other allies, of course. Including all three of the demon hybrid Ayano siblings (they were immune to magic, which was quite useful at times). Some of these were even quite long term until they either departed or Asteroth tired of them and killed them. The wizardly master villain and his doting master melee fighter of a daughter. This is where is his legends truly come from. This period. It lasted for several centuries until a fateful day in 1917.

A psychic sorceress managed to catch Asteroth by surprise and strip him of much of his magical might. If he wanted it (and his peace of mind, because she was in his head) back, he had to save a girl on a train. He and Dhana were on a break for a decade or two at the time. So he went to the train. The girl was Elizabeth. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Incorruptible pure pureness. Indomitable will. Faith so mighty she could sling divine power entirely on her own, which was incredibly remarkable. He saved her from the menace on the train, but that wasn’t the end of it. They ended up teaming up with a Taoist wizard, the literal Mata Hari, the middle of the Ayano siblings, and the psychic sorceress’s son (who possessed similar powers, though at a weaker level). It was a set of True Companions if ever there was one, but Asteroth and Elizabeth’s bond went beyond that. They never spoke of it to each other, but they did truly love each other. Paradoxical as that may sound. The world was saved from Roger Simon (driven temporarily mad by his deathless nature), but nothing in the world is without price. Mid way through the adventure, half of Shanghai burned to the ground as Asteroth was forced into a mindless and savage rampage. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back, karmically speaking. The disembodied rage of all of his victims over the near two millennia reached critical mass, and gained enough sentience to hunt him down and utterly destroy him. With his magics still weakened, he may well have been erased from existence. Except Elizabeth took his place. She died in his arms, a few days after Roger Simon’s defeat. A willing sacrifice to save him, one of the worst monsters who’d ever existed. To this day he still doesn’t understand. The group scattered after that, going off to various destinies. Six months later (as the first World War began to rage in earnest), the consequences of crushing Roger Simon were slowly made clear (he was actually trying to stop a Elder God from entering our reality, but his methods were…bloody to say the least) and Asteroth ended up teaming with a whole new set of True Companions (including the eldest Ayano sibling, who he’d meet again later). He only went along with it in the first place for a chance a resurrecting Elizabeth, but this went shockingly poorly. The attempt somehow both failed and succeeded in such a way that time itself broke in two until the resurrected Elizabeth died once again of old age. At that point, they merged back together. Unfortunately, Asteroth was in the timeline where the attempt failed, and had knowledge of what had actually happened for a long time after that. After overcoming another power sealing curse, Asteroth unleashed his full wizardly power for the first time ever and kicked said Elder God out of our reality. He held the gate to the battle’s pocket dimension open long enough for everyone else to escape. He did not escape. He had no intention of doing so. The pocket dimension collapsed, and one of the most terrible monsters of all time died.

This, of course, did not last. Nearly 80 years later, a cult devoted to his memory managed to resurrect him from oblivion. They expected a master to lead them to dominance of the world. What they received was a gruesome, horrible death. He was in the small Maryland town of Americana. His magical abilities had burned out facing the Elder God. They would recover, in time, but he did not care. He found an abandoned manor to exist quietly in, and stayed there. Until the rookie Demon Hunter Harry Brandle’s battle with a vampire crashed into his living room. Harry killed it with Asteroth’s direction (wooden stakes don’t work on plant controlling Asmodeus types, you want silver). Taking the name Adam Roth, he mentored Harry in the shadows (for he already had a mentor) for two and a half years, until Dhana breezed into town. With her, he gave the “evil overlord” thing one last go. It didn’t take. Frustrated, he killed Dhana with his bare hands and let Harry think Harry had killed him. He then left town, going to Los Angeles.

It was in Los Angeles he (unwillingly at first) formed Roth Investigations. The eldest Ayano sibling (now calling himself Glenn), in the decades since they’d met, had been given a form of precognition. He got to know when an innocent was in danger. This had most definitely reformed him, sort of. Instead of being murderous, he was now merely living quietly.  With the two of them and the literal paladin Christine Gale (who had departed Harry Brandle’s crew after high school graduation), the team was set. And then Glenn died sacrificing himself for a group of demon hybrids. He passed his vision powers to Christine before he left. His half sister (meaning entirely human) Nyoan came looking for him shortly afterward. The young occultist ended up on the team as his quasi replacement. Later came the monster hunter Shandra Hawkins, and later still ex-physicist Ryan Masterson. Even later still came Chiaki, the youngest Ayano sibling. They are all detailed in their entries. It has been a mess. Christine, Nyoan, Shandra, and Ryan have all (technically) died and been resurrected. Dhana came back once. Asteroth has done some shockingly evil things. To demons, monsters, and people who gleefully leapt over the Moral Event Horizon, admittedly, but still. His magical abilities have fully recovered. They’re not really a functioning team anymore, but he still considers them all his own. May God help anyone who crosses them, because there’s no one else on earth who can.

 

Powers & Tactics: Asteroth is two things. One of the three progenitors of all vampire bloodlines. And he’s a wizard. Not just any wizard, no. He’s the second most skilled wizard on the planet, behind only Methion. And not even the Grand Wizard has more power. Every other magic user, even wise Merlin, pales in comparison. You name it, Asteroth has a spell for it. So he can kind of do whatever the hell he wants, magically speaking.

His vampiric abilities, however, require some elaboration. The various powers of the Asteroth bloodline grow stronger with time, and as the progenitor he’s the oldest one. Not that there’s any left that are much more than a century old, as he hunted down and destroyed every single one he could find in the summer of 1917. So his bloodline is, uh, miniscule by comparison with the other two (Asmodeus and Amon). First and foremost, he is of course undead. Totally immune to all biological concerns. His physical strength is very high. Steel breaks under his fists and his carrying capacity tops out at over 13 thousand tons. His speed is hypersonic. His quickness and reflexes keep pace, increasing his attack accuracy and evasion. As far as supers go, he’s not actually that good at either so the speed helps. His leaping ability is genuinely phenomenal. Half a mile straight up, and that’s the weakest. His long jump, both standing and running, are greater. His resilience is quite high for a vampire, even if Asteroths can’t ignore any damage under normal circumstances. Always have to resist it. He recovers from damage at warp speed, shrugging off crippling injuries in scant seconds. And his senses are completely ridiculous. He can see, hear, and smell for miles. His eyes don’t need light, but infrared will do if there isn’t anything else. His ears are like sonar dishes. Bloodhounds are envious of his scent tracking.

As for vampire weaknesses, he’s old enough as a vampire that he basically doesn’t need to drink blood anymore for any reason. Not even to power his regeneration. He still can and still does (he has a whole pocket dimension with a pseudo wine cellar full of the stuff, and his fangs have gone nowhere) but he hasn’t bitten anyone in a very long time. The Ritual of Eternal Night prevents the sun from ever touching him at the low, low price of the sun doesn’t exist for him. Even at midday in broad daylight he looks like he’s in deep shade. Holy stuff specifically related to Christian theology has no effect. For some reason the Son considers him an ally. Holy stuff from every other religion works just fine, though. Apparently everyone else disagrees. So it goes.

Magically, again any active spell he’s capable of using. With that said, he’s also got a force field that adds a lot more resilience to him, and allows him to ignore mundane man portable weaponry for the most part. Stacking onto his already prodigious senses, he can mentally detect divine, magical, and infernal effects at the same miles away range. He can read, speak, and understand any language. And neither falling nor being visually tracked is a problem.

 

Tactically, well…Asteroth tends to duck direct fights with himself. It’s not cowardice. He’s just kind of lazy. He can basically snap his fingers and evaporate everything within about 8.5 miles with GO AWAY, or a single target within the same range with BE GONE. Plus he’s been through all of the heroic and villainous posturing. It’s so goddamn tiresome, sometimes. So why bother, you know? Anybody who’s actually a threat to him he cannot evade so easily. Though those know better than to confront him directly. Because he’s a vicious motherfucker. Wizards typically are based around cheating and trickery because they’re frail, fragile humans underneath all the magic. And while he can do that (and it’s a vicious surprise to those who think he can’t) he’s a much bigger fan of the direct approach. Hence his two main attack spells being BE GONE and GO AWAY. For movement he has his land speed and Sudden Appearance Teleport. Everything else in his array is subjective and can be swapped out for something else within that voluminous 112 PP limit. He has Accurate, All Out, and Power Attack to be used in case he’s doing melee or ranged in place of perception range attacks. Startle, Taunt, and his ridiculous bonuses can knock enemies out of their comfort zones. Move by Action keeps him mobile. Ultimate Will with his Will save is equally ridiculous. And he has both Artificier and Ritualist, just to keep things as ridiculous as possible.

The important thing to not forget is that he can very easily function as a PL X wizard. This build is him not tapping into everything because mostly he doesn’t have to. This does not in any way indicate an unwillingness to do so. And if a set of antagonists proves annoying enough, he’ll absolutely do it. This is how he defeated that Elder God and drove it out of reality. It’s also how he performed the ritual back on May 19, 2006.

 

Personality: Asteroth is a monster. Evil to the core of his being. Ask him, he’ll tell you. And yet he’s done more for the cause of light in the past two decades than his next two closest competitors combined. He’s a snarky asshole who few really like. And yet three different women have managed to fall deeply in love with him (Dhana, Elizabeth, and Christine). He’s supposedly cruel, manipulative, and doesn’t care about anyone but himself. And yet he’s managed to acquire not one but four sets of True Companions over the years. There’s something else going on there. The truth is complicated, but boils down to one basic fact. Demons were never meant to have a human conscience. What would happen if a being who’s every instinct is to gleefully enjoy being a cruel, sadistic, murderous monster (and indeed had done so for some time) suddenly gained one? Guilt, regret, and remorse by the truckload? Flooded with the sudden and intimate knowledge of just how much of a bastard they were? And had the strength of will to resist drowning entirely in them? Why, you have Asteroth, who empaths can’t get within a city block of. Guilt gnaws at him constantly. Despair dogs his every step. Rage simmers underneath, ready to explode out at the necessary provocation. And yet…he would have it no other way. For he remembers their smiles. Dhana. Elizabeth. The Ayanos. Christine and the rest. In the ocean of agony that is his existence, there are those islands of respite. He hasn’t smiled or laughed in the better part of a millennium. At times, he is actively suicidal. But in the end he endures.

He is, in fact, quite evil. But not in the actively malicious sense of the term. He’s simply utterly selfish. His world completely revolves around him and what he wants. Because he’s a still a demon, and one’s essential nature is not so easily ignored. This can make him seem dashing and heroic, but it’s rarely true. This does not mean he does not care about people. It’s simply filtered through that selfish lens. And yet…selfless kindness is not beyond him. He has a deep and intimate knowledge of what it means to truly hurt. Those in deep emotional distress or outright despair will find him a kind and generous ally. He may deceive, but he rarely lies. He deeply disapproves of anyone who treats true evil like a toy. There’s an sense of Old World honor about him, as well. He speaks politely (even when snarking) unless he has no problem starting a fight with the being. He considers guests in his home under his protection (though they can cause him to retract this though request or bad behavior).

Honestly, he’s immensely frustrating no matter which side of the good/evil axis one sits on. He simply does whatever the hell he wants at any given time. Even if that’s nothing at all. He will not be manipulated or controlled, and those who have tried have suffered genuinely horrific consequences. He listens to reason when he feels like it, and seems to revel in being somewhat unpredictable, arbitrary, and just plain stubborn to people who don’t know him well enough to call him on his bullshit. He’s genuinely one of the most ruthlessly evil motherfuckers the multiverse has ever known. And yet, when one is ready to dismiss him as nothing more than another wicked vampire his kindness comes out again. He does something selfless and self sacrificing with any thought of reward actually offending him. At the risk of sounding cliché, he’s not on anyone’s side but his own. To put it another way, the one constant in his actions in the modern era is that they always end up self destructive. This is unintentional. He simply does not appear to know how to make choices that don’t end up hurting him in the end. And he’s too dammed stubborn to listen to others about it and too dammed physically and mentally indestructible to actually destroy himself with said choices.

Imagine how it feels. Pulled in two directions. Demonic evil. Conscience led good. And his own stubborn and uncooperative personality in the way. He can’t be a pure villain anymore. He’s tried. With the soul insideof him, it’s just not in him to be that evil again. The flip side of that is that he can’t quite believe he can be a hero, either. He’s a literal God dammed demon possessing the corpse of a sadistic sociopath. He has neither the patience nor the inclination to waste his time handling his business the alleged “moral” way. And he can’t just stay out of things. He’s simply too big of a chess piece to leave unaccounted for in the plans of forces both good and evil. This is also the reason he can’t simply die and be finished with everything. Because somebody will bring him back. Too big of a chess piece to leave off the board, too. Could he remove the soul inside of him? Yes, absolutely. But then he’d be the being he was originally, who did such terrible things and felt nothing. No, that’s not a viable option. He’s just…stuck. Again, he’s an immensely frustrating being to deal with.

There is one more “and yet”. He loved Elizabeth with everything he had. He loves Christine just as much. He cares for his other allies deeply. He would never do anything to intentionally hurt any of them, and would do anything his power to protect and aid them. This is, in many ways, part of the problem with him. Emotional honesty? Not his thing. He’s a being of sweeping and majesty displays of loyalty, not the little moments that cement such things after it. So when things are dire and it’s the middle of a crisis, he’s an easy friend to have. When things are quiet and nothing much is happening, well…his personal relationships tend to…erode under his basic selfishness.

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Christine Gale

 

Power Level: 12; Power Points Spent: 255/255

 

STR: +9 (16/28), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +9 (16/28), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +5 (20), CHA: +5 (20)

 

Tough: +12, Fort: +15/+12, Ref: +12, Will: +12

 

Skills: Acrobatics 12 (+15), Concentration 10 (+15), Diplomacy 10 (+15), Gather Information 10 (+15), Intimidate 10 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 3 (+5), Knowledge (popular culture) 8 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 13 (+15), Language 2 (+2), Medicine 5 (+10), Notice 10 (+15), Sense Motive 10 (+15), Sleight of Hand 2 (+5), Stealth 7 (+10)

 

Feats: Accurate Attack, Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus (melee), Challenge - Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Startle, Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 3, Elusive Target, Evasion, Fearless, Improved Critical 2 (Sword Strike (Strike 3)), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Inspire 5 (+5), Leadership, Luck 3, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Rallying Cry, Set-Up, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Diplomacy, KN (theo & philo), Sense Motive), Startle, Takedown Attack 2, Teamwork 3, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory), Weapon Bind

 

Powers:

Blessed Steel Sword (Device 2) (Easy to lose)

   Sword Strike (Strike 3) (DC 27, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Sword Strike (Strike 3)); Penetrating; Mighty, Precise)

Blessings Of Faith (Array 5) (default power: emotion control)

   Aura of Faith (Emotion Control 9) (Default; DC 19; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Selective Attack; Limited to Emotion (Hope), Range 2 (touch))

   Exorcism (Nullify 6) (Array; counters: any power of (type) - demonic/infernal/hellfire, DC 16)

   Holy Ward (Mind Control 9) (Array; DC 19; Burst Area (45 ft. radius - General), Duration (sustained), Secondary Effect; Limited (No Effect on targets without any Demonic/Infernal/Hellfire Powers), One Command (Stay Out Of Area), Range 2 (touch))

   Smite Evil (Drain 6) (Array; drains: single trait, DC 16; Affects Objects, Linked (Sword Strike (Strike 3)); Limited (No Effect on targets without any Demonic/Infernal/Hellfire powers))

   Symbol of Light (Stun 9) (Array; DC 19; Alternate Save (Will), Perception Area (General); Limited (No Effect on targets without any Demonic/Infernal/Hellfire powers), Limited (Requires Blessed Steel Sword))

Demonic Transformation (Alternate Form 12)

   Demon Form (Alternate Form) (Powers: Demonic Leaping (Leaping 3), Demonic Quickness (Quickness 3), Demonic Senses (Super-Senses 2), Demonic Speed (Speed 3), Infernal Energy Blast (Blast 12), Strength +12 (28, +9), Constitution +12 (28, +9), Fortitude -3 (+12), Attack Bonus +3 (+12), Attack Focus (melee) -3 (+0))

      Demonic Leaping (Leaping 3) (Jumping distance: x10)

      Demonic Quickness (Quickness 3) (Perform routine tasks at 10x speed)

      Demonic Senses (Super-Senses 2) (darkvision)

      Demonic Speed (Speed 3) (Speed: 50 mph, 440 ft./rnd)

      Infernal Energy Blast (Blast 12) (DC 27)

         Infernal Energy Burst (Blast 😎 (Alternate; DC 23; Burst Area (40 ft. radius - General))

Holy Light (Environmental Control 2) (light, Radius: 10 ft.; Range (touch))

Toughened (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness)

Visions From Above (Super-Senses 4) (precognition; Uncontrolled)

 

Attack Bonus: +9/+12 (Ranged: +9/+12, Melee: +12, Grapple: +21)

 

Attacks: Aura of Faith (Emotion Control 9) (DC Staged/Will 19), Exorcism (Nullify 6), +12 (DC Will 16), Holy Ward (Mind Control 9) (DC Will 19), Infernal Energy Blast (Blast 12), +12 (DC 27), Infernal Energy Burst (Blast 😎 (DC 23), Smite Evil (Drain 6), +12 (DC Fort/Staged 16), Sword Strike (Strike 3), +12 (DC 27), Symbol of Light (Stun 9) (DC Staged/Will 19), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 24)

 

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

 

Initiative: +7

 

Languages: English Native, Latin, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 42 + Skills 28 (112 ranks) + Feats 41 + Powers 86 + Combat 36 + Saves 22 + Drawbacks 0 = 255

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 38

Height: 5’ 7”

Weight: 145 lbs

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Hair: Blonde (untransformed), White (Demon Form)

Eyes: Blue (untransformed), Red (Demon Form)

 

Theme Songs: [url=]Clarity, by Zedd featuring Foxes[/url] & [url=]One For All, by DizzyEight featuring Errol Allen[/url]

 

Background: Christine Gale was an orphan taken in by the Catholic Church. Specifically, the Paladin Order. The fortunes of the order had, shall we say, declined since their heyday centuries prior. Between fallout from the Inquisition, the Protestant Reformation, and the Industrial Revolution gradually replacing the supernatural in people’s minds with the scientific, the Order’s numbers had dwindled. And in the small Maryland town of Americana, they were reduced to training a handful of orphans in how to battle the denizens of the night. Americana needed the help. There are places in the world where the dimensional walls are thin and things can slip through. Many of them are in Oceania, but not all. One in particular was in that small Maryland town. Plagued by vampires, demons, and wicked magicians seeking power, a squad of sword wielding teenage do gooders was nothing but a boon to the town. They may well have never left. Except in all placed in all of North America, a Demon Hunter awoke to their power there. Harry goddamn Brandle.

Demon Hunters are a part of the Seven Sorceries. Seven of the mightiest wizards of an age long gone gave up their lives to grant this power to humankind. Unlike the other six Sorceries, this one isn’t one to a customer. It’s seven. Or rather, it was, but we’ll get to that. One Demon Hunter per continent awoke to their powers approximately every 15 years, approximately 15 years after the day of their birth. Since nobody’s ever lived on Antarctica, there’s always been a spare bouncing around the other six continents every decade and a half. New ones awakening had no impact on the last “generation” or the ones before that if they still happened to be alive. Mostly, they’ve ended up being heroes and/or monster hunters, even if they’ve almost never died old in their beds. The first thing to carefully note here is that their powers are heritable if both parents are Demon Hunters. And the second is that for every one that successfully awakens, there are six that don’t (or rather didn’t, but we’ll get there) and remain human the rest of their lives. This second one was inflicted on them by the Paladin Order, shortly after waging war on them. There were thousands of Demon Hunters in Europe at one point. Whole communities devoted to either battling the denizens of the night or supporting those who did. Until it was decided that their numbers and potential military power was simply too great. They were a threat to the power of the Holy Church and Europe’s sovereigns. So they had to go. One covert and betrayal laden war later, the Demon Hunters had been shattered and virtually destroyed. Persona no grata throughout Europe and the lands of Islam (because their power was derived from magic, a big no no). The Paladin Order was on the front line of that covert war. So, when Harry Brandle starting battling the local vampire population, Americana’s little branch of the Order was unhappy.

This was high school. Sophomore year. Tenth grade. Christine was the undisputed queen bee of Americana High. She ruled the cliques with an iron fist. Inside a velvet glove, admittedly, but still. Harry Brandle only had his handful of dork ass loser friends. So by day Christine was his clear superior. By night, however, his Demon Hunter powers (basically absolute peak human abilities) left her unpowered human self in the dust. Even with her squad of fellow Paladin orphans (including her best friend, the still human Verity Campbell) it was all she could do to keep up with him. And this was when he was a straight up rookie. When he started getting better and better, she simply couldn’t keep up with him anymore. The two of them despised each other during sophomore year. The rivalry was both fierce and bitter. However, Christine was and is stubbornly her own person. So junior year went a little differently. The stories she was told about the horrible, wicked, evil Demon Hunters did not match the reality of Harry Brandle, selfless hero. The rivalry continued, to be sure, but softened into something less bitter and more friendly. No matter what Mother Superior had to say about the matter. She was, in fact, working with Harry and his little group as much as her own Paladins (who, after some injuries, had lost enthusiasm for daily training and going out heroing at night). Senior year Christine had effectively ceded the role of queen bee to Verity, and was spending more and more time with Harry and his group. She did not officially split with her Paladin squad, but most of them were going to hang it up after graduation. Christine had no plans to do so. It was graduation day that kind of ruined everything. It’s a long story that involves another Demon Hunter named Joy Rodriguez. Basically the mayor of Americana had been gathering resources all year so he could sacrifice basically the entire town and apparently ascend to godhood? Christine doesn’t really get it, even now. Her Paladins, having slacked off in their training for years now, were in no state to be of any real help with the problem. She wasn’t strong enough to handle it herself and protect them. So she teamed up with Harry and his group publically and openly for the first time. It worked. They saved the town. The mayor died. And the Paladin Order kicked her out for working with a Demon Hunter. No money. No job. No reason to stay in town. Lots of reasons to leave. So she did, chasing the only dream she’d ever had that wasn’t stabbing evil in the face. Los Angeles. Acting. Maybe she’d be good at it?

Long story short, nope. Hers was the life of the struggling Hollywood actress. Working a crappy job and occasionally auditioning by day, attending parties to network and schmooze by night. Until she ran into Asteroth again. They’d known of each other back in Americana, to be sure. They were both more or less satellite members of Harry’s group, after all. But they hadn’t had a lot of interaction there. She wasn’t a Paladin anymore. She had no reason to go battling the forces of darkness. Really. And that she was still keeping in practice with her sword was just for the exercise. It was nice to see him, though. And to find out that he was being steered by Glenn Ayano’s divine visions. Fair enough. Point and click. They point. Mr. Roth goes smash. Things, uh, developed from there. She kind of hired herself as his secretary after an prestigious audition opportunity turned out to be a vampire’s hunting method. Superb. She did NOT need his help dispatching the creature, but it was greatly appreciated. The first Roth Investigations team was assembled.

This status quo barely lasted six months. Glenn sacrificed his life to save some half demon children, and in so doing gifted his visions to Christine. His sister Nyoan rolled into town looking for him less than a week later. There was, however, a sort of stability to things. A change in address after their original office was blown up by a demon, to be sure. Recruiting Shandra Hawkins and Ryan Masterson into the ranks, you bet. But the pattern was pretty set. She’d get a vision, the team would investigate, butt would be kicked and monsters would be slain. A happy ending. This was possible because Christine was keeping a secret. The visions were killing her. Systematically destroying her brain with basically increasingly severe concussions with every vision. They were never meant to be possessed by unpowered humans. And at the start of the third year of Roth Investigations, she was given a choice by a being masquerading as an angel of the Lord. 1) Do nothing, and have the back of her head explode. Obviously, this is the death option. 2) A cosmic retcon so that she never ran into Asteroth at all two years prior, and never joined/helped found the agency. She’d be a real TV star in this one. Her hard work paying off. Or 3) Go against the tenets of the Order and faith she still held to and take on some demonic physiology so that her body could handle the visions without trouble. After some drama fiddling with option 2, she chose 3.

This, of course, was a trick. It was not an angel, but Asteroth’s love (and Christine’s ancestor) Elizabeth behind everything. Through some complicated maneuverings, she took control of Christine’s body, slept with his son Seth Roth, and basically gave birth to herself. Elizabeth momentarily took over the world this way, with Seth and a demonically puppeted version Christine as her right hands until the Roth Investigations team put an end to it. Asteroth obliterated Christine’s body personally (while promising to undo it later), and Seth betrayed Elizabeth and killed her before he could. And so Christine was actually, really dead. Sort of. Small loophole that needed exploiting. And was indeed exploited on May 19, 2006. She wasn’t exactly, well, idle in death. She was watching events from Purgatory. Her voice was not silent, and there were those who listened and did the little that was permitted to influence events.

The argument between her and Asteroth has already been detailed. Regardless, the Roth team split up that day and has not fully reunited since. In fact, she and Shandra rode out of Los Angeles that September. It’s been 12 years of increasingly complicated events since. Between the machinations of various demons, fallen angels, dark elves, jotunn, and on one memorable even, the god of mischief Loki himself (not to fret, he turned coat on the villains of the piece) Christine, Shandra, Robin McKinnon (an old associate from the early days in LA), an genuine Norse valkyrie in Estrid Silubra, and Marisol Almeida (living link to one of the original Seven Soldiers) have been kept quite busy. In fact, Christine and Shandra have found themselves unlikely leaders in the North American monster hunter community, in opposition to Harry Brandle’s alliance of Demon Hunters and supporting players. Told you we’d get here.

In 2004 (May, to be precise), Harry’s rogue wizard ally Su McDonald undid the binding that kept the potential Demon Hunters from being them. He (and by extension, Harry and the rest of their group) thought this would be under a few hundred newly awakened, many of which would be kind of old. No biggie. Except destiny, as usual, has a sense of humor. The bloodlines of the old Demon Hunters were not extinct, and potentials unknowingly having children with each other had also kept things going. So there ended up being at least six times as many as expected (the full census is, uh, ongoing), rather abruptly forming a new supernatural power block. With still selfless hero Harry as defacto King of a new, unofficial Court. As the following decade and a half has gone by, and Harry has consolidated this power block, those who wanted nothing to do with him or it needed their own leadership. Harry is a genuine hero, but his views on morality and ethics are a little too…inflexible for some people’s tastes. Life and people are both complicated and complex. Full of shades of grey. Harry thinks he understands this, but he’s one of those people who is naturally good hearted and lacks many of the wicked impulses others have. Such always have trouble understanding those who must work to be good, and often falter and fail at it. And so the rivalry between Christine and Harry has been, unlikely as it may seem, renewed.

 

Powers & Tactics: Christine has a lot going on. She has a divine device (or artifact), several divine powers, a little something from training and experience, and a potent demonic transformation. The training bit is simple. She’s just significantly tougher than she looks. The device isn’t complicated, either. It’s a simply a damn fine sword. The kicker is that it isn’t merely a slashing weapon. It is a divinely blessed slashing weapon, having been made from steel blessed by a priest and quenched throughout the forging process in holy water. So, targets that are only vulnerable to or extra vulnerable to divine powers receive an unpleasant surprise when slashed.

Most of her divine powers are from her Paladin training and therefore powered by her faith. The one that isn’t is her visions. Often incoherent fragments of someone’s potential future, they’re always warnings of danger for others and occasionally herself. She does not know from where they come aside from their divinity, but she chooses to believe it is the Almighty. As for the rest, the one that isn’t a direct attack is emitting light that reaches out to a 25 foot radius. The attack effects are specific, named techniques. Aura of Faith outright dispels fear and/or despair from targets she designates in a circular area. Exorcism is a potent melee counter to any demonic powers, dispelling and nullifying them with a touch. Holy Ward designates a circular area in which the demonically powered cannot enter with a strong will. Smite Evil juices her sword to make it more effective against demonic opponents. Naturally, she can’t do this without her sword. The last, Symbol of Light, also requires her sword. The demonically powered are stunned or even rendered unconscious just by looking at it, if their wills are not strong enough.

However, when she needs a bit more power, she can transform into a full half breed demon. Her strength becomes legitimately superhuman, with a max carrying capacity of 2400 lbs. Her resilience keeps pace. Her mobility spikes as her speed, quickness, and leaping ability increase. She no longer needs light to see. The main event, however, is that she can now fire energy blasts of infernal energy in both powerful single target and weaker area varieties. The downside of using this transformation is that the above mentioned Exorcism, Holy Ward and Symbol of Light now apply to her as well as her targets. She must resist them if she uses them, and Smite Evil is entirely inaccessible.

 

Tactically, Christine is mostly a swordswoman. Her divine powers are specialized in combating vampires, demons, and those with infernal powers. So against them she can be hell on wheels. Aura of Faith and Holy Ward are excellent support abilities. Exorcism can remove  powers or banish summoned creatures. Smite Evil and Symbol of Light can bring the pain. But when a PL 9 swordswoman isn’t enough, she can jump up to PL 12 and stomp ass. She has Improved Acrobatic Bluff, Demoralize, and Startle to ruin enemy days with. Accurate, Defensive, and Power Attack are on deck as needed. Improved Disarm and Weapon Bind can mess up other weapon users. Move Bby Action keeps her mobile, and Takedown Attack 2 lets her mow through minions easily. It is, however, Inspire 5, Leadership, Rallying Cry, Set Up, and Teamwork 3 that mark her as leadership material and a super team player. She has one extremely rare power stunt off her Blessings of Faith array. Lay On Hands (Healing 3, Action [standard]). Otherwise she doesn’t power stunt at all.

 

Personality: The first key to understanding Christine is that she was literally a child soldier. Admittedly in perhaps one of the noblest of causes, but a child soldier nonetheless. The second key is that she is self sacrificial an infinite distance beyond to a fault. She is about as purely heroic a person as one can find in the world. But that second key has led her to simply never evolve past the first key. The Paladin Order threw her out, but they couldn’t untrain her. They couldn’t unteach her the lessons she had learned there. Let’s be 100% clear here. She, an incredibly devout Christian to the point where her faith gives her literal superpowers, had the chance to go to Heaven and turned it down. Because she earnestly believed she could still be of service. Because there were still people who needed her. That’s who Christine is.

It’s a thing that’s difficult to criticize. Except that she doesn’t take it up to eleven. She takes it up to thirteen. There is nothing about herself that she will not sacrifice to help someone. Personal possessions, personal relationships, her literal humanity, not being a criminal, and the list goes on and on. Everything for The Mission. It is her entire identity. And you, Dear Reader, are probably thinking “that’s not so bad if she doesn’t realize what she’s doing”. But she does. She chooses to be this way. Every day. Every single day she chooses to value the lives, health, and happiness of everyone else in the world over her own. If she can Do Good, then any pain and suffering she accrues in the process is both worth it and irrelevant.

And, dammit, she’s not like this because she hates herself or something. She likes herself just fine, thank you very much. She’s an extremely kind, empathetic, and compassionate person. She’s also an incredibly frustrating person to care about. She is always ending up emotionally and/or physically harmed while out there being a hero, and is totally deaf to any talk about taking better care of herself in any way. She’s not even rude about it. She’s genuinely and earnestly grateful for the concern. But she’s not going to change the way she lives her life. She’s humble without being self-deprecating, which is a neat trick. She is, on almost levels, a genuinely wonderful person. Except for that one damn thing.

Because that one damn thing at the core of her is how she’s similar to Asteroth, and why they love each other so much despite the…everything else. She’s every inch as stubbornly devoted to being her own person and making her own decisions free of outside influence as he is. As stated above, she was one of those uber-popular girls in high school. Ruled the cliques with an iron fist. She’s got a devious hellbitch inside. It may be well camouflaged by her positive traits, but she’s every inch as selfish as Asteroth is. She is the way she is not because it’s Good and Right. It’s not purely an ideological thing. She decided a long time ago the type of person she wanted to be, and she’ll change her mind on that at some point after eternity ends. So watching the two banter was genuinely amusing. Until it wasn’t anymore.

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Nyoan Ayano

 

Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 240/240

 

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

 

Tough: +2/+7, Fort: +6, Ref: +12, Will: +12

 

Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+10), Bluff 8 (+10), Diplomacy 8 (+10), Disable Device 5 (+10), Gather Information 13 (+15), Intimidate 8 (+10), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 15 (+20), Knowledge (history) 5 (+10), Knowledge (theology & philosophy) 10 (+15), Language 9 (+9), Notice 13 (+15), Sense Motive 13 (+15), Stealth 7 (+10), Survival 3 (+5)

 

Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Artificer, Assessment, Attack Focus (melee) 4, Attack Specialization 2 (Rune Engraved Pistol (Blast 6)), Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Dodge Focus 3, Evasion, Improved Critical 2 (Collapsible Rune Engraved Sword (Strike 4)), Improved Critical 2 (Hunger Bolts Damage (Blast 8)), Improved Critical 2 (Hunger Bolts Drain (Drain 8)), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Ritualist, Skill Mastery (Bluff, Gather Information, Intimidate, KN (arcane lore)), Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Hidden Arsenal (Device 3) (Easy to lose; Custom (Multiple Weapons), Subtle (subtle))

   Weapons (Array 7) (default power: strike)

      Collapsible Rune Engraved Sword (Strike 4) (Default; DC 21, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Collapsible Rune Engraved Sword (Strike 4)); Penetrating [3 ranks only]; Accurate 2 (+4), Mighty, Precise, Subtle (subtle))

      Rune Engraved Pistol (Blast 6) (Array; DC 21; Accurate 2 (+4))

Hunger Magic-Limosimancy (Array 35) (default power: - linked powers -)

   Devour Magic (Nullify 14) (Array; counters: all powers of (type) - magic, DC 24; Duration 2 (sustained), Effortless)

   Hunger Blast (Linked)

      Hunger Blast Damage (Blast 14) (Linked; DC 29)

      Hunger Blast Drain (Drain 14) (Linked; drains: single trait - toughness, DC 24; Affects Objects, Range (ranged))

   Hunger Bolts (Linked)

      Hunger Bolts Damage (Blast 😎 (Linked; DC 23, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Hunger Bolts Damage (Blast 8)); Autofire (interval 2, max +5); Accurate 3 (+6))

      Hunger Bolts Drain (Drain 😎 (Linked; drains: single trait - toughness, DC 18, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Hunger Bolts Drain (Drain 8)); Affects Objects, Autofire (interval 2, max +5), Range (ranged); Accurate 3 (+6))

   Hunger Burst (Linked)

      Hunger Burst Damage (Blast 10) (Linked; DC 25; Burst Area (50 ft. radius - General))

      Hunger Burst Drain (Drain 10) (Linked; drains: single trait - toughness, DC 20; Affects Objects, Burst Area (50 ft. radius - General), Range (ranged))

   Starving Blast (Linked)

      Drain 14 (Linked; drains: single trait - con, DC 24; Range (ranged))

      Fatigue 14 (Linked; DC 24; Range (ranged))

Rune Engraved Amulet (Device 1) (Hard to lose; Subtle (subtle))

   Engraved Runes (Protection 4) (+4 Toughness; Subtle (subtle))

Super-Senses 1 (awareness: Magical (visual))

 

Attack Bonus: +8 (Ranged: +8, Melee: +12, Grapple: +14)

 

Attacks: Collapsible Rune Engraved Sword (Strike 4), +16 (DC 21), Devour Magic (Nullify 14), +8 (DC Will 24), Drain 14, +8 (DC Fort/Staged 24), Fatigue 14, +8 (DC Fort 24), Hunger Blast Damage (Blast 14), +8 (DC 29), Hunger Blast Drain (Drain 14), +8 (DC Fort/Staged 24), Hunger Bolts Damage (Blast 8), +14 (DC 23), Hunger Bolts Drain (Drain 8), +14 (DC Fort/Staged 18), Hunger Burst Damage (Blast 10) (DC 25), Hunger Burst Drain (Drain 10) (DC Fort/Staged 20), Rune Engraved Pistol (Blast 6), +16 (DC 21), Unarmed Attack, +12 (DC 17)

 

Defense: +14  (Flat-footed: +6), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +7

 

Languages: Ancient Egyptian, Aramaic, Elven, English Native, Greek, Hebrew, Irish, Japanese, Latin, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 32 + Skills 31 (124 ranks) + Feats 25 + Powers 91 + Combat 38 + Saves 23 + Drawbacks 0 = 240

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): 38

Height: 5’ 8”

Weight: 120 lbs

Ethnicity: Japanese-American

Hair: Black

Eyes: Dark Brown

 

Theme Song: [url=]Falling, by Fabvl featuring somebody[/url]

 

Background: Nyoan Ayano was an innocent, naïve, fresh faced 18 year old once. Looking at the person she has become, 20 years later, it can be hard to believe. Nyoan herself sometimes can’t believe it. She’d finally had it with Mama Ayano, and moved out. Her older brother Glenn had been the only one who gave her the time of day. He lived in Los Angeles, so she went there. Only to find out that he had died less than a week prior to her arrival. His friend Christine Gale, ever a generous soul, invited her to stick around. Nyoan had nowhere else to go. Her sister and other brother were god knows where. Besides, they’d only ever treated her with at best benevolent disinterest. She knew it was because she had a different father than the other three. She knew it was because she was pure human and they were half demon. It did not make it sting any less.

Still, she stuck around and joined the Roth Investigations team, such as it was. Events in the second year of operations actually left her running the place. Asteroth had been more of a dick than usual (a resurrected former flame in Dhana had been messing with his head) and this was his way of making up for things. Stepping back and willingly taking orders. Christine certainly didn’t want to do it, and Shandra was and is ill suited to a leadershihp role. So it was Nyoan who was running Roth for a little while. Perhaps a year. Until she made a mistake. Well, several. She really did think that Asteroth was going to kill his son Seth, who was only a baby at the time. It wasn’t her fault that the prophecy she translated was a lie intentionally planted to mislead those who read it. It was, however, her fault for not telling anyone about said prophecy. It was her fault that she kidnapped baby Seth to keep him safe. And it was her fault that she trusted the wrong person, got her throat cut, and nearly died. Poor Seth ended up in a parallel dimension. Nyoan had to leave Roth and all of her friends (which now included her one sided love in Ryan Masterson) because they all now hated her. Asteroth himself was in kill on sight mode. So. That was the first thing that hardened her mentality.

Rescuing Asteroth from the bottom of the ocean the following year (after not so baby Seth, an old enemy, and the bitch who betrayed her put him there) when no one else knew where he was went a long way towards mending fences. She was involved in the whole Elizabeth incident after that. Then the law firm they’d been working against offered them the keys to the LA office to do with as they wished. A strong opportunity that they took. There was, however, a quirk to that deal. Asteroth had taken it to give not so baby Seth a better life than he’d have as the severely traumatized son of the legendary Asteroth. So the vampire wizard was the only one who remembered Seth. That is, until Nyoan broke the spell because she once again didn’t trust him not to have wicked intentions when he said he didn’t. That was the second thing that hardened her mentality. This was also the year her sister Chiaki exploded into their lives. The two barely acknowledged sharing a parent. It had only ever been genealogy between the two. Not love.  Not hate either, but certainly not love. Though the time spent near each other began to change this.

Nyoan continued to serve as a member of the team through the death and rebirth of Ryan into Xaphan, the whole long series of events with the original incarnation of Bloodfang Alpha, and the Council of The Forsaken. The latter of which led to her death on May 19, 2006. The demon wizard and member of the Council that she’d been sent to kill proved to be a much more capable wizard than she was. So it goes. And so he went when Xaphan showed up, having completed his task. Nyoan died almost laughing. No matter what she did, she was always the inferior one. Normally, death is the end of a human being. The whole mortality thing, you see. But on vanishingly rare occasions, for exceptional individuals in unique circumstances, exceptions are made. Nyoan was resurrected, but shackled. She no longer had the free will to ignore orders from On High. This was the third thing that hardened her mentality.

Time has gone on since then. The shackles divinely placed on her body and soul have been eaten by her magic. She still technically works for Roth in its current minimally functional state, but she’s more likely to be found out and about. Searching for ancient magical secrets the way she always has. Indulging her hunger for more. Ryan, as they’ve been a couple for most of this time, accompanies her. She has aided Christine and Shandra on her travels, as well. If Christine can be said to be riding the line between hero and tweener, Nyoan is riding the line between tweener and villain.

 

Powers & Tactics: Nyoan is a wizard with three magical devices, two of which comes as a set. The devices are pretty simple. A couple of weapons in a sword and pistol, and a protective amulet that increases her resilience. All three are engraved with runes to channel the magic properly. Said runes make the sword and pistol both more damaging and more accurate. The sword is collapsible and fits up her sleeve. The runes make the amulet protective to begin with, as otherwise it’d simply be cheap jewelry.

As a wizard she specializes in both Limosimancy and Artificing. The former is perhaps better known as Hunger Magic or the type of power used by one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. It is a mean and nasty thing not meant for mortal hands, capable of nothing but consuming all it is turned on whether it is animate, inanimate, or even energy. As noted, this is a specialty. She is also capable of using spells from the other three Horsemen’s domains of War, Pestilence, and Death. In fact, War is where the runes for her devices come from. Her Artificing, while it is a separate magical discipline from any others, can still be influenced by said others. She can additionally see magical effects. Basic, but surprisingly useful sometimes.

 

Tactically, Nyoan favors her sword and pistol against human enemies, and Hunger Magic against supernatural foes. Hunger Bolts is usually enough to turn most vampires, demons, rogue Fae, etc to dust with an application or two. Hunger Burst is reserved for locations less, uh, inherently fragile than the middle of a modern city. Hunger Blast is for something too tough for Hunger Bolts to handle. Devour Magic is vicious on enemy magicians. Starving Blast works great on living supernatural creatures. Not so much vampires and other undead, though. And the sword and pistol are light enough on damage that she doesn’t have to worry about doing lethal damage with most human opponents. Except, as in the case of Amy Allen, when she wants to. She can Bluff and Taunt a bit, but it’s far from her strong suit. She does, however, have Accurate, All Out, Defensive, and Power Attack. A Power Attack with Hunger Blast is a terrifying prospect. She also has Takedown Attack 2 so she can cut through minions like butter. Since her magical trainer was Asteroth, who never met a magical tradition he didn’t master, she does potentially have access to a vast variety of different spells. This is her primary use of Ritualist. Either a spell by itself, or a bunch of Horseman APs for her standard array. Artificier, on the other hand, is used a lot like Inventor usually would be. Straight up problem solving via a purpose built device. She does actually power stunt outside of using Ritualist, but it’s basic magic like Mystic Telekinesis (Move Object 14), Levitation Disc (Flight 14, Affects Others, Burst Area, Selective), or Scrying (ESP [all senses] 8, No Conduit, Simultaneous, Duration [sustained]).

 

Personality: Nyoan is…well…some parties (the White Court of Wizards, for example) are genuinely surprised she hasn’t snapped and gone full evil by now. This is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of who she is. She is a woman who was taught both early and often that not only would she never receive enough love and affection to meet her needs, but that “not enough” that she did receive was conditional. She had to be special. She had to stand out. She was competing with half demon siblings. The only way an unpowered human could do that was with knowledge and training. Asteroth was her magical trainer. Christine was her swordsmanship trainer. She worked hard and when it inevitably wasn’t enough because of the innate fallibility she shares with every mortal being, she only worked harder to get back into everyone’s good graces.

It is said that a wizard’s magic represents who they are, and this is more or less true for Nyoan. Her craving, her hunger for love and affection has grown beyond something that can be satisfied. The reason she doesn’t slide over the villain line is that she knows it would cost her Ryan and her place in Roth. And she does have a functioning conscience. It’s just a bit buried beneath the everything else. She’s still a bookish nerd, but she moves with a sort of lean, desperate confidence these days. She knows very well how fragile personal relationships can be. So if any of her friends call, she’ll come running. To save their lives, to be sure, but moreover to maintain the relationship.

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Shandra Hawkins

 

Power Level: 11; Power Points Spent: 210/210

 

STR: +3 (16), DEX: +3 (16), CON: +3 (16), INT: +2 (14), WIS: +3 (16), CHA: +3 (16)

 

Tough: +6/+7, Fort: +8, Ref: +14, Will: +8

 

Skills: Acrobatics 7 (+10), Bluff 7 (+10), Climb 2 (+5), Craft (electronic) 3 (+5), Craft (mechanical) 8 (+10), Craft (structural) 8 (+10), Diplomacy 7 (+10), Disable Device 13 (+15), Drive 12 (+15), Gather Information 7 (+10), Intimidate 12 (+15), Knowledge (arcane Lore) 3 (+5), Knowledge (art) 3 (+5), Knowledge (history) 13 (+15), Knowledge (popular culture) 3 (+5), Knowledge (streetwise) 8 (+10), Knowledge (tactics) 8 (+10), Knowledge (technology) 3 (+5), Language 2 (+2), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 12 (+15), Search 3 (+5), Sense Motive 12 (+15), Sleight of Hand 2 (+5), Stealth 7 (+10), Survival 7 (+10), Swim 2 (+5)

 

Feats: Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Beginner's Luck, Challenge - Improved Demoralize, Challenge - Improved Startle, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll, Dodge Focus, Elusive Target, Endurance (+4), Equipment 3, Evasion, Grappling Finesse, Improved Critical (Custom Hand Crossbow (Blast 4)), Improved Critical (Throwing Axes (Blast 5)), Improved Critical 2 (Hubcap Axe (Strike 5)), Improved Critical 2 (Wooden Stake (Strike 1)), Improved Initiative, Jack-of-All-Trades, Lionheart, Move-by Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Skill Mastery (Drive, Intimidate, Notice, Sense Motive), Startle, Stunning Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Uncanny Dodge (Auditory)

 

Powers:

Archaic Arsenal (Device 3) (Easy to lose; Custom 3 (Multiple Weapons 3))

   Weapons (Array 6) (default power: strike)

      Custom Hand Crossbow (Blast 4) (Array; DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical (Custom Hand Crossbow (Blast 4)); Improved Range (100 ft. incr), Precise, Subtle (subtle))

      Hubcap Axe (Strike 5) (Default; DC 23, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Hubcap Axe (Strike 5)); Penetrating [4 ranks only]; Mighty)

      Throwing Axes (Blast 5) (Array; DC 23, Feats: Improved Critical (Throwing Axes (Blast 5)); Mighty 3 (+3 to damage); Reduced Range 2 (max range 125 ft.))

      Wooden Stake (Strike 1) (Array; DC 19, Feats: Improved Critical 2 (Wooden Stake (Strike 1)); Penetrating [3 extra ranks]; Mighty, Subtle (subtle))

Omnilingual (Comprehend 3) (languages - read all, languages - speak all, languages - understand all; Power Loss (vs. Non-human languages))

Regeneration 8 (recovery bonus 6 (+6 to recover), resurrection 2 (1 day); Persistent)

Toughened (Protection 3) (+3 Toughness)

 

Equipment: '73 Pontiac Firebird

 

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

 

Attacks: Custom Hand Crossbow (Blast 4), +14 (DC 19), Hubcap Axe (Strike 5), +14 (DC 23), Throwing Axes (Blast 5), +14 (DC 23), Unarmed Attack, +14 (DC 18), Wooden Stake (Strike 1), +14 (DC 19)

 

Defense: +14  (Flat-footed: +7), Knockback: -3

 

Initiative: +7

 

Languages: English Native, French, Spanish

 

Totals: Abilities 34 + Skills 44 (176 ranks) + Feats 28 + Powers 29 + Combat 54 + Saves 21 + Drawbacks 0 = 210

 

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

 

'73 Pontiac Firebird

 

Power Level: 11; Equipment Points Spent: 15

 

STR: +12 (35)

 

Toughness: +10

 

Features: Alarm 2, Hidden Compartments 2, Navigation System 1

 

Powers:

Blazing Speed (Speed 6) (Speed: 500 mph, 4400 ft./rnd)

 

Defense: -2, Size: Huge

 

Totals: Abilities 1 + Skills 0 (0 ranks) + Feats 0 + Features 5 + Powers 6 + Combat 2 + Saves 1 + Drawbacks 0 + Equipment 0 (0 ep) + Weapons & Armor 0 (0 ep) = 15

 

Age (as of Jan 2019): Close to a millennium and a half (total of all lives), 42 (current life)

Height: 5’ 11”

Weight: 165 lbs

Ethnicity: African American

Hair: Black

Eyes: Dark Brown

 

Theme Song: [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fQzPDnafrc]Eulogy, by McGwire[/url]

 

Background: Over ten thousand years ago, before humanity started settling down in some dank river valleys and inventing agriculture was the first time the woman currently known as Shandra Hawkins was born. It’s not a complicated story, really, and she doesn’t remember most of the fine details. Basically she pissed off something a lot more powerful than any human, and got cursed. A very specific curse. She would reincarnate. As there were 24 hours in a day, so she would live 24 lives. As there were 60 minutes in an hour, so each life would last at least 60 years. Where was this first life? Uh. Africa? India? Look, there was a lot of freakin’ jungle and everyone was deep brown skinned, okay? So you know. Shandra’s been around a while. Specifically because this lifetime was supposed to be the last one. She thinks. Was it reincarnate 24 times or live 24 lives (meaning only 23 reincarnations)? Look, there’s a lot of years between then and now she doesn’t know anymore.

It doesn’t matter a lot anyway. She’s been, well, a lot of things in 24 lifetimes. Daughter, sister, cousin, mother, grandmather, niece, grandchild, friend, lover, and wife. Priestess, princess, farmer, baker, brewer, prostitute, blacksmith, and the list goes on. She’s lived in virtually every climate and on five out of seven continents. The one constant, however, is that she has been a warrior. And, before modernity and the Industrial Revolution, if one was a warrior and not a soldier (not mutually exclusive, but not the same thing either) then one was a monster hunter by definition. She’s spent over twenty lifetimes killing things unnatural. Her current life wasn’t much different. Vampires. Demons. Other things. Punch. Hammer. Stab. Slash. Whatever. Maybe shoot. Guns were both better than ever and easier than ever to acquire. Though the latter may have had something to do with gang-ridden 90s Los Angeles. Was she the leader of her little neighborhood protecting band? Yeah. Was she going to amount to anything otherwise this time? No.

And then she met Asteroth, who needed a competent sword arm. He remembered her from a prior life. Despite the complete change in her appearance. She remembered him, too, which is why she told him to go fuck himself. When this did not result in a massacre she realized he was different now. So what the hell. He paid. She worked. How did she get enfolded into Roth’s continuing series of events? Again, he paid. She worked. And then Christine earned her respect, she started liking Nyoan’s brand of dorky competence, and most importantly there was Ryan to fall madly in love with. She broke ties with the old gang, and was with Roth full time. Her relationship with Ryan endured through much. However, stealing his revenge on the woman who booted him into the very unpleasant dimension they found him in was a bridge too far. She was the killer, not Ryan. Except he disagreed. So their relationship fell apart. Other than that, her role remained the same. That of a competent sword arm. The muscle, which is ironic as both Asteroth and Christine’s demon form are stronger.

She did, technically, die on May 19 2006. Bled out in the street after Asteroth’s little ritual. She’d taken out a nest of vampires serving the Council of The Forsaken. Outnumbered at least a dozen to one, after which she stopped counting and started swinging weapons. That day is when she found out that he’d altered her little curse from reincarnation to resurrection. And he’d recharged it in the bargain. She knows he thought he was doing something nice for her. And it’s difficult to be, you know, mad about not being dead. She left Los Angeles and took Christine with her because he felt the need to hide what he’d done. To not tell her about it. She is not a child and he is not her guardian. So the two of them rolled out in Shandra’s ’73 Firebird that September. It’s been 12 years of increasingly complicated events since. Between the machinations of various demons, fallen angels, dark elves, jotunn, and on one memorable event, the god of mischief Loki himself (not to fret, he turned coat on the villains of the piece). Christine, Shandra, Robin McKinnon (an old associate from the early days in LA), an genuine Norse valkyrie in Estrid Silubra, and Marisol Almeida (living link to one of the original Seven Soldiers) have been kept quite busy. In fact, Christine and Shandra have found themselves unlikely leaders in the North American monster hunter community, in opposition to Harry Brandle’s alliance of Demon Hunters and supporting players. To tell the truth, she doesn’t like Harry much. She knows his type. When all someone knows how to be is a good person, they don’t understand very well the people who struggle with it or simply don’t give a shit. He’s not a bad guy. Quite the opposite. That’s kind of the problem. Eh, whatever. Back to work. Monsters to kill, you know.

 

Powers & Tactics: Shandra only has the one, relatively minor superhuman power. Whenever she dies, she comes back a day later. Barring any shenanigans with her corpse, which doesn’t rot in the interim, or her soul, which happened once. Hellhounds. Don’t ask. Otherwise all she has is weapons, training, and experience. The training and experience mean she’s tougher than she looks and she basically can speak any human language. Over twenty lifetimes will open a person’s eyes to how language works, more or less.

Her weapons are a bit varied and interesting, if ultimately mundane. She has two ranged and two melee options, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. In melee, her Hubcap Axe is arguably her trademark weapon. It hits hard, is quite sharp, and can penetrate armor. What it is not, however, is particularly subtle or concealable. Which is where her Wooden Stake comes in. It’s weaker, yes, but is easily concealed up a sleeve and can still penetrate some armor. At range, her Throwing Axes can really bring the damage. However, as throwing weapons their range is quite short and like the Hubcap Axe they’re not particularly subtle or easy to hide weapons. Her Custom Hand Crossbow, on the other hand, can easily fit up her other sleeve, has superior range, and doesn’t make much noise when used. One of the most important parts of being a warrior is having the right tool for the job, after all.

This is why she traded in her dumpy old pickup and nabbed a cherry ’73 Pontiac Firebird. She retuned the engine so that it’s fast as all hell. Plenty of hidden compartments for weapons if needed, too.

 

Tactically, Shandra has some options. Custom Hand Crossbow has the longest reach, for when enemies are over there. When they’re a bit closer but still out of melee, she has her Throwing Axes. In actual melee she has her trademark Hubcap Axe. And for more subtle situations in which she can’t bring obvious weapons (or if she’s been disarmed) her Wooden Stake is always up one sleeve. She’s got Improved Demoralize and Startle to mess with enemies. Accurate, All Out, Defensive, and Power Attack are on deck if needed. Move by Action keeps her mobile. Stunning Attack is for more polite violence. Takedown Attack 2 lets her hack through minions effortlessly, especially when using her Hubcap Axe. Lionheart, with its +4 vs fear, means she’s harder to scare than most expect. And with Beginner’s Luck and Jack of All Trades (from her many lifetimes) she can try her hand at anything and probably do well. She can’t power stunt.

 

Personality: Shandra is not a hero. She is a warrior and a monster hunter. These are not the same thing. She is a warrior. A professional killer. To be clear, like 90+% of what she kills isn’t human, animal, vegetable, or mineral. To put it better, she simply doesn’t care about the grand struggle of good vs evil. It’s irrelevant to someone in the trenches doing the work. You know, like her. It’s not about saving human lives directly. It’s about killing the literally inhuman fuckers who routinely take or ruin said lives. Stuff all that noble bullshit. She’s busy splitting a vampire’s head in half with an axe. A practical woman, our Shandra. So by that token, she’ll kill people just as easily. She has no sympathy and less mercy for those who willingly surrender to such creatures. She’s not technically opposed to saving them from the thrall of the whatever, you know? But if, in the moment, it’s down to her or someone else? She’ll send flowers. Maybe write a eulogy if she knew them at all.

With that said, 24 lifetimes is a long time to pile up regrets. She’s done some terrible things. She’s made enough mistakes for all of those lives. She’s fought wars for power. Killed friends who trusted her. Betrayed family to their doom. She makes no claims of being or having been a saint. So, you know. Sometimes it bothers her. Sometimes she lies in bed at night and contemplates that she’s very likely getting one of the punishment afterlives. It’s…kind of a sobering thought, honestly. And she shoves that sobering thought back in its box. Because it’s time to get back to work. She’s a simple woman. Hunting monsters. Diner food. Cheap motels. Cheaper booze. One night stands with interested parties. All paid for with some light credit card fraud. Eh, compared to a few lifetimes ago it’s paradise. So whatever.

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