Jump to content

Starshot News


Supercape

Recommended Posts

The Interview

1. Where is your hero from?

Berlin, Earth

2. How would your hero physically describe him/herself? Is this different from how others would?

In perfect shape!

3. Does your hero have distinguishing speech characteristics or recurring mannerisms?

My England is not the perfect.

4. What is your hero's motivation?

The thrill of hunting the beast. To compensate for my past.

5. What are your hero's greatest strengths and weaknesses?

I am an excellent hunter and crack shot. Sometimes people can say I am to military or authoritarian on my ship.

6. What does your hero love? What does your hero hate?

I love excitement and adventure. I hate treachery and disloyalty.

7. How would you describe your character's mental and emotional state?

Happy, but guilty about the past. I still have the odd nightmare.

8. What does your hero fear the most?

Even after all these years, the Nazi party!

9. What is your character's greatest ambition?

To become the greatest Hunter in the Galaxy!

10. How does your hero feel about the state of the world and his/her place in it?

It has been a long time since I lived on Earth, and I don’t visit on. It seems to be doing better than when I left it. I don’t feel so much part of it these days.

11. Does your hero have any prejudices? How does he/she get along with others?

I get along well, but some find I can be too the military freak control.

12. Where do your heroes loyalties lie? In what order?

To my crew, most all.

13. Does your hero have a lover or partner? How do they feel about the hero now?

Not right now. Are you asking?

14. Does your hero have a family? What is the relationship there like?

Not alive. I have distant relatives on Earth from my sisters.

15. How would the people closest to your hero describe him or her?

Loyal, driven, adventurous.

16. Is your hero a role model?

For some, yes.

17. How spiritual is your hero? Does your hero follow a relgious tradition?

I do not believe in religion, but I find the Zen of the Hunt is spiritual.

18. Is your hero part of a team, or would he/she like to be? Why?

Not at the present. I could be in the future. My crew are my team.

19. How does your hero feel about the place of metahumans and aliens on Earth?

Makes the Earth less small.

20. If you could give one piece of advice to your hero, what would it be? 

Go seeking new worlds. Go seeking new civilizations. To be going bold where no man has bold gone
 the before. 

Link to comment

HellQ
Introduction
 
Who are you? Sum yourself up in one sentence.
Galactic Space Hunter
 
Do you have any nicknames, street names, titles, or nom de plume?
Starshot
 
What is your full birth name?
Oskar Otto
 
Where do you live?
Space
 
How old are you? What year were you born (if applicable)?
99, Born in 1915
 
Physical Traits
 
 
What is your gender? If not applicable, please explain.
Male
 
How would you describe your heritage?
German-Austrian
 
How tall are you?
6’
 
What is your body type?
Lean, muscular.
 
Do you have any particular weaknesses, such as allergies or physical disabilities?
I lost my left hand in the war, although I now have an artificial replacement. Electric shocks are rather painful to me, due to cybernetic implants.
 
How do you carry yourself? Are you graceful, or heavy on your feet? Can you be stealthy, do you walk with confidence?
Like a cross between a bear and a panther. I can be very stealthy if I wish to be.
 
Describe your skin, eye, and hair color.
Tanned, blue eyes, brown hair.
 
How do you wear your hair, if applicable? Do you have facial hair?
Medium long, floppy. A bit of stubble.
 
Do you consider yourself attractive? Do others?
Yes
 
Do you have any scars, tattoos, piercings, or birthmarks?
I have a scar on my left temple and another on my chest, both large.
 
Do you resemble anyone famous?
No
 
Do you have a dominant hand?
Initially I was left handed, but when I lost my hand in the war, I learned how to use my right. I am now ambidextrous
 
What kind of clothing do you wear?
An old rugged military jacket. Space trousers and Space boots. Often open chested. I don’t feel the cold.
 
Do you wear makeup?
No
 
What is your vocal range? Is your voice distinctive in some way?
Baritone

Do you have any distinctive habits, nervous tics, or mannerisms? Where did they come from, and what causes them? Do other people notice and remark on these habits? Do they annoy you or other people?
I stick my tongue out and to the side when aiming. Helps me focus, for some reason.
 
 
History
 
Where do you come from?
Berlin
 
Have you made any major moves, or do you live in your hometown?
When I was 28, I was captured by a galactic safari hunter who made me his aide.
 
Do you feel loyal to your country of citizenship? Do you consider yourself patriotic? How do you feel about the government of your country?
Not really. I fought for Germany in World War II. I am far from proud of it.
 
How do you feel about the place you come from?
Uncomfortable.
 
Where is your home town? What was/is it like?
Berlin. It changed through the years. I have fond memories of my childhood, but then the Nazi party rose to power…
 
Growing up, were most of the people you knew similar to you, or were you somehow a minority? How did that affect you?
Pretty similar.
 
Is there something you've always been really good at or really bad at? How has that affected your life?
I learned how to be a crack shot pretty early on. That made me a good soldier, and I was promoted to captain.
 
Were there any traumatic experiences in your early years (death of a family member, abandonment, orphaned at an early age)?
No
 
Briefly describe a defining moment in your childhood and how it influenced your life.
My father teaching me how to shoot.
 
What stupid things did you do when you were younger?
Play with guns (my father’s), all sorts of thrill seeking. 
 
Where did you go to school? How much school did you have, and did you enjoy it?
Berlin. I had an average schooling. I got good grades, but was never quite top of the class. More like the second place. I enjoyed it as a whole. I enjoyed most subjects, from science to art.
 
Do you have any mementos of your childhood? What are they, and why did you keep them? If you have none, why not?
None, all lost.
 
When did you decide to become a hero? Why? Did anyone influence you one way or another in the decision?
When Zaul Zeno, the cyborg who captured me, disappeared, I requisitioned his ship and resolved to undo what he had made me do. I guess fighting in WW 2 is always at the back of my mind. I would like to undo that, too.
 
Is the reason you give people for becoming a hero different than your real reason? If so, why?
No.
 
Do you have any deep, dark secrets in the past that may come back to haunt you?
Some of my actions in World War II were pretty reprehensible. It was a reprehensible time.
 
Do you represent yourself as being different from who you really are? Why?
No
 
If you do have these secrets, what do you fear would happen if the truth became known? How far would you go to protect those secrets?
I would rather keep them private and not broadcast them, but I don’t go out of my way to keep them unknown.
 
Do you have any sort of criminal record? If so, is it public knowledge?
Yes, I had some minor infractions with the Lor when working for Zaul Zeno.
 
Family
 
 
What are your biological parents' names?
Gustaf Otto and Heidi Otto
 
Were you raised by them? If not, please explain and describe who raised you.
Yes
 
What was their standing in the community? What did/do they do for a living?
Gustaf was a gunsmith, Heidi was a cook.
 
Where are your parents now?
Dead
 
Did your family stay in one area or move around a lot?
Stayed in Berlin
 
How did you get along with their parents? How do you get along with them now (if applicable).
I got on well with both of them, although Gustaf was not slow to spank me black and blue.
 
How do your parents view you now, or how would they?
I have no idea, time has changed so much. I think they would be glad I survived above everything else.
 
Do you have any siblings? If so how many and what are their names? Describe your relationship with them.
I used to have two Sisters, Eva and Julia
 
 
What was your birth order in the family?
Oldest
 
Where are your siblings now (if applicable)? Do they have families of their own? What do they do?
Dead. They had children and grandchildren, so I have distant relatives.
 
Do you stay in touch with them or have you become estranged?
No
 
Do you love or hate one member of the family in particular?
No
 
Is any member of the family special to you in any way (perhaps, as a confidant, mentor, or arch-rival)?
No
 
Are there any black (or white) sheep in the family (including you)? If so, please explain.
No
 
Do you have a notorious or celebrated ancestor? If so, please explain, including how it has affected your life.
No
 
Do you have a partner and children currently? If so, please describe them.
No
 
If you do not have a partner or children, do you want them someday? How firm are you in your opinion on this, and what might change your mind?
Yes, but not firm in my mind. I understand my genetic alterations make me infertile, however.
 
What type of person would be your ideal mate?
Loving, beautiful.
 
 
Relationships
 
Do you have any close friends? If so, please describe them, and how you came to be close to them.
Kimba Filp. A sexy Lor lady who handles the complexities of administration for the Xeno, its services, and registrations.
Kren Makk, another sexy Lor lady socialite, who likes to go  hunting and sends me custom from wealthy society of Lor.
 
Do you have a best friend? If so, how did they become your best friend? How close are you to your best friend?
No
 
If you were to go missing, who would worry about you?
Kimba and Kren, and some people who deal with me in the Lor.
 
Have you lost any loves? If so, how did it happen, and what did you do?
No
 
Do you have any bitter enemies? If so, please describe them and their history with you.
Zaul Zeno, obviously, who effectively kept me in servitude for several dozen years.
 
 
If you have enemies, how do you think they might attempt to work against you in the future?
I have no idea, as Zaul disappeared.
 
What is the worst thing someone has done to you?
Commanded me to kill innocents in World War 2.
 
Where do your loyalties lie? In what order?
My crew (including Helm, Gun, and Hand), and to the people I wronged in the past. Also, I would protect Earth, my homeworld, and the Lor.
 
Who or what do you trust the most? Why?
Myself and my capabilities. But I trust most people up to a point. I have to trust any crew I travel with.
 
Who or what do you despise? Why?
Zaul Zeno, slavery, cruelty to animals, the Nazi party.
 
What qualities do you admire most in other people? Are these qualities you possess?
Loyalty and comraderie most of all. And I do have those qualities.
 
What qualities do you hate most in other people? Do you have any of those qualities?
Treachery, cruelty, unsportsmanlike behaviour.
 
Do you have a secret identity? If so, who knows it? Do you hide it from people who are close to you? Why?
No
 
Do you work well on teams and in groups? Are you a leader or a follower?
Both, but I tend to lead.
 
Are you on a super team? If so, how do you get along with your comrades? Do you trust them, or do you have secrets from them?
No
 
Are you a member of any church, fraternal organization, club, committee, political party, or other group? How much time do you spend on that?
I am a member of the Galactic Hunters Guild. I don’t spend an awful lot of time with them, although we do hang out in the Space Station “Primusâ€, where guild members meet, sit on leather chairs and tell stories.
 
 
Personality & Beliefs
 
Who are your heroes?
Some of the big game hunters of earth. Some famous military leaders.
 
Did you ever become disillusioned with former heroes or idols? If so, why and what were the circumstances?
No
 
Do you like being a hero? If so, what is the most rewarding part? If not, what makes you keep doing it?
Yes, it helps me undo the past!
 
Is there anything that would make you give up hero work, or even switch sides?
Ultimately I need to make a living too…
 
What are your short term goals (what would you like to be doing within a year)?
Get the Xeno up and running, get a name for myself.
 
What are your long term goals (what would you like to be doing twenty years from now)?
Become the best damn hunter in the galaxy!
 
What is your greatest fear? Why? What do you do when something triggers this fear?
The Nazi party, the horrors of world war 2. These give me nightmares and can paralyse me with fear.
 
Is there anything you would give your life for?
I am not sure. I am a survivor. My crew, maybe.
 
How do you feel about money and material wealth? Do you desire it or disdain it? Are you miserly with what you have, or do you like to share? Is it a mark of success, or a means to an end?
I need it, but not a lot of it.
 
How do you generally treat others?
Firm but fair.
 
Are you a trusting person? Has your trust ever been abused?
No, but I am not overtly suspicious either. If you are on my ship, then trust is given.
 
 
Are you introverted (shy and withdrawn) or extroverted (outgoing)? Do you have a lot of self-confidence?
A bit of both, a bit of neither, but I am not short of confidence.
 
How do you act around attractive, available members of your preferred sex?
I engage with them…
 
What are your most annoying habits?
I can be a bit “military†and precise at times.
 
Do you feel contempt for any general category of people? Who are they, and why?
Hunters who have no respect for their prey.
 
 
What is your favorite food? Do you prefer any particular type of food? Do you take the time to enjoy your food, or do you eat as fast as you can?
Tyrillian spice curries. Or eating out in the wild, roasting a new kill.
 
What is your favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)?
Vozarian Gin.
 
 
What is your favorite treat (dessert)?
I don’t have a sweet tooth!
 
Are there any specific foodstuffs that you find disgusting or refuse to eat?
Brains?
 
What is your favorite color? Are there any colors you dislike?
Deep Red
 
What sort of music do you like? Is there any that you hate?
Big Band and Swing
 
If you have a favorite scent, what is it?
No
 
Do you have a favorite animal?
No, there are too many!
 
What is your most treasured possession? Why?
My jacket
 
Do you enjoy "roughing it", or do you prefer your creature comforts?
Roughing it, generally, sleeping and camping out in the wild. That said, when on my ship, I like the luxuries too.
 
Is there a job or a task you would absolutely refuse to do?
Enslavement.
 
Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? If so, how do your beliefs affect your life?How important is it to you?
Not any more. I was born Catholic, but Space is too wide to accommodate belief in God any more.
 
Was your faith influenced or molded by anyone special?
My parents. The local priest.
 
Could you kill? Have you killed?
Yes, and yes. But not lightly.
 
What circumstances led to you forming that conviction, or taking that action?
Because sometimes it is Kill or be Killed. Sometimes people have to be stopped from actions of terrible nature. And if that means killing them, then that’s what I will do.
 
Are there circumstances under which you believe it is permissible to kill? What are they?
Yes, to stop something even worse happening.
 
How would you react to watching someone kill another person? Would your reaction be different if the killer was a friend or an enemy of yours?
It would depend entirely in the context. I am no stranger to killing, fighting in the war and hunting animals.
 
How would you react if something important was stolen from you?
Pretty angry, but not mad.
 
How would you react to public humiliation?
Frustrated, I guess.
 
How would you react if a good friend or relative were purposely or accidentally killed? Has it happened to you?
Damn mad. Furious, if they were on my ship or crew. Revenge? Yes, you bet!
 
What do you consider to be the worst crime someone could commit and why?
Slavery
 
If your life were to end in 24 hours, what five things would you do in those remaining hours?
Get drunk, get laid, Sing, and pilot my ship to the wildest part of the galaxy, and get mauled to death by a ferocious wild animal.
 
 
Career & Training
 
 
Do you have any special training in your hero skills? If so, where and how did you get it?
Plenty, first as an army officer and then as a space hunter on the job.
 
Who taught you the most about your heroing abilities? What was your relationship with that person?
Myself, at the end of the day. Zaul taught me a fair bit about the galaxy.

Do you have any particularly unusual skills? How did you acquire them?
I have learned how to hunt, skin, and stuff animals?
 
Do you do something besides hero work for a living? Have you ever done anything else, or do you plan to?
I operate a Safari business. No plans for anything else right now.
 
What is your preferred combat style?
Sniping.
 
Have you ever received any awards or honours?
No
 
What skill areas would you like most to improve in? Is there anything you can't do that you wish desperately you could?
Better aim, more silent feet.
 
How do you act around people who are more skilled than you in areas you'd like to improve? Are you jealous, or do you try and learn?
I try to learn, although there would be a little bit of envy. Mixed in with respect.
 
 
Lifestyle & Hobbies
 
What is a normal day for you? How do you feel when something interrupts this routine?
I have no normal day!
 
Do you have any hobbies, or interests outside hero work? What are they, and where did you pick them up?
Taxidermy, I keep plants too.
 
What do you do for fun?
Drink, gamble, drive fast, fraternize with ladies.
 
Do you have a costume? What does it look like?
Not really. I wear my old army jacket.
 
How do you normally dress when not in costume?
Plain simple Space-fatigues!
 
What do you wear to bed most nights?
Nothing
 
Do you wear any special jewelry? What is it, and what does it look like?
No
 
 
Do you have a special place where you keep your valuables?
My ship.
 
What's your preferred means of local travel? How about long distance?
My ship!
 
 
Miscellaneous
 
Have you ever made a will, or tried to make arrangements for your death? What provisions did you make?
No, I aim to live forever.
 
If your features were to be destroyed beyond recognition, is there any other way of identifying your body?
Cybernetic implants.
 
What would you like to be remembered for after your death?
[its not important to be remembered. People who want to be remembered will do memorable things, not right things.
 
Do you believe you pose a threat to the public? Why or why not?
No.
 
What do you perceive as your greatest strength?
My aim and my determination.
 
What do you perceive as your greatest weakness?
An existential restlessness.
 
As a player, if you could, what advice would you give your character? Speak as if he/she were sitting right here in front of you. Use proper tone so they might heed your advice...
There is always a bigger fish.

Link to comment

Origin Vignette:

 

Human Zoo

 

Somewhere in the Swiss Alps, 1942

 

The air was bitter cold, and rations were running low. They had lost one man on the way, tumbling off rock and ice into snow far below them.

 

What were they doing here anyway? A crazy mission for a crazy squad.

 

And now, they were pinned down in a gunfight with what Oskar could only imagine were British Paratroopers.

 

The German Army didn’t know what to do with a competent captain who trod a fine line between obedience and insubordination. Who questioned the horrors of the War and even the Nazi party. So they gave him command of the worst soldiers in the army, and sent him off on some pointless military exercise in the Alps.

 

Visibility was poor, snow was falling, it was cold, it was dangerous. Gunfire came in intermittent staccato. Nobody really had the heart to shoot.

 

Oskars hands pulled up from the soldier beneath them. He was gone. He had breathed his last. He knew it really, you don’t take a bullet like he had and live. But somehow, despite everything, he had tried to keep him alive. Because…because it was kind, even if it was futile.

 

What they were fighting over, he didn’t know. Most likely, the British didn’t either. Surely it could not be over a useless lump of icy rock that they stood on? Perhaps it could. This was war, and war was mad.

 

A whistling noise came over head. It almost sang. Oskar had a fraction of a section to see something above them. In the wind and the snow, one couldn’t see very far, or very well. He heard the rumble of engines, and some large, no something huge, in the sky. What was it? A Zepplin? No…bigger. Sleeker.

 

And then the missile hit.

 

He felt the heat, felt the force. Everything white with snow. Shrapnel and rock flying like broken glass. He felt himself falling, tumbling. There was pain, too, he was distantly aware of it. But it was as if it was happening to somebody else. Then he lost consciousness.

 

Some time later…

 

The face studying him as he opened his eyes was not human. Two eyes, a mouth. A sort of nose. But that was where the resemblance ended. The massive creature was hairless, like a giant worm, with four arms and rolls of scaly flesh. It seemed to be wearing an elaborate silver mouthpiece.

 

A burble of sounds came from its mouth, incomprehensible and appropriately alien. After a tiny lag, the mouth piece spat on his words in a synthetic, tinny voice.

 

“Ah forgive my mistake, Human. I did not know your species was sentient. I had heard tales of your Earth, and was keen to acquire a specimen of its dominant species…â€

 

Somehow, Oskar knew he was in pain, but some kind of sedative painkiller made that pain drift away, meaningless. It was almost a pleasant state of drug induced stupor.

 

“Sentient?†he asked, weakly. “What…what are you?†he said, eyes still swimming into Focus.

 

“My name…†said the beast, dramatically. “Is Zaul Zeno. I am a trader, of sorts. I deal in livestock. Or deadstock, if there is a price for it. People will pay excellent money for rare and unusual species. Usually alive. Sometimes dead†he smiled. It was not a pleasant smile.

 

“You are on board the Starship Xeno. An unarmed Yacht Class A vessel, if you want the technical term. Except whilst it is unarmed, I am not†he explained, gesturing to an enormous bazooka like weapon leaning in the corner of the ship. It looked like it was built for power, rather than accuracy.

 

“Tell me, Earthman, what were you and your Earthmen doing, killing each other?†he asked, with a sliver of politeness.

 

It was good question, and one that Oskar asked himself many a time.

 

“We were…soldiers…fighting a war…â€

 

Zaul gave a laugh that was spiced with a burp of amusement.

 

“Ah..war is everywhere. Good for business, they say, but I try and avoid themâ€

 

“Where are my men…†asked Zaul, growing concerned.

 

“Dead†answered Zaul bluntly.

 

“What? Why, you killed them you murderer!†he said, anger fuelling his voice into a rage.

 

He tried to get out of bed, as an instinct rather than a plan. Unarmed, or even armed, Zaul was several times his size and weight and would have swatted him like a fly. On top of that, he felt slowed by the narcotics Zaul had given him.

 

Then he felt his hand. Or rather, he realised he was missing one. His left arm ended in a stump.

 

“What did you do to me?†he asked, fearful now.

 

“I saved your life. In many cultures, including my own, that makes your life mine. Which is why I try to avoid anybody saving my life unless I am employing them†he answered smugly.

 

“And it strikes me you Earthman are a man of initiative, yes? A man used to violence, a soldier?†mused the huge Alien.

 

“I grow weary of all the physical exertion necessary for my line of work. A man such as you, now there is a man I can use for all the practicalities of my work…â€

 

“Go to Hell, beast! I am not your slave, or your soldier! And I won’t go blowing up and killing innocent people!â€

 

“Won’t you know?†laughed Zaul.

 

Oskar felt a numbness explode from his neck. He slumped back to the medical bed, unable to move.

 

“Don’t get up†said Zaul, with a smile.

 

“You are most ungrateful for my saving of your life. You were close to death. Multiple fractures, burns, organ failure. Fortunately, I am an expert in medicine, of all species. I repaired you. And…I made some improvement…â€

 

Oskar merely glowed and festered.

 

“Your spine has been equipped with a neuralysing cut out. Under my control, of course. Painless, but effective. As you can see.

 

Your human DNA has also been, modified. Some mistakes in the evolution there, easily rectified. I do want you fighting fit, you see. Together with nerve wiring and genetic recording, you will find your new body much to your liking. Stronger, faster, better. Everything will work better than ever before…â€

 

Zaul pointed at the stump on Oskars left arm.

 

“As for that, I have an excellent idea. A cybernetic hand. Something strong. A weapon as well as hand†he Said, tapping his chin with two hands.

 

“And what about my Men? You killed them!†grunted Oskar. His body was paralysed, but he could still speak, although he slurred.

“Ah yes, my unfortunate mistake. Do not take me for a murderer or sadist. I have no interest in causing pain or death. Only in my art and my business†he explained, almost apologetically.

 

“I recovered three bodies. Quite dead, I am afraid. But, if it ails you so much, I can save their brains. Well, not their brains as such. No, I am afraid those are quite dead. But their minds, yes. Those I can store, on computers!†he said, quite pleased with himself.

 

“Is such a thing possible?†replied Oskar, his fear and anger now tempered by wonder, and even excitement.

 

“It is, it is†smiled Zaul, warming up. “And you shall have those saved minds yourself. Yes, why not! A little comradarie in battle is a good thing, yes?â€

 

Without waiting for response, Zaul continued on his musings.

 

“I can foresee you as a great man. A hunter of the Stars, the finest in the galaxy! Thanks to my help, of course. Yes, quite a partnership! Fame and Glory await you! But…but you need a name…â€

 

Zaul Paused, drumming his fingers on his flabby chest.

 

All of a sudden, all four hands snapped their fingers.

 

“Yes! I have it! You shall be known as Starshot!â€

Link to comment
×
×
  • Create New...