Jump to content

[Alternity] The Crew


Dave ST

Recommended Posts

2ngho4z.jpg

,,

Name: Deezy Klatta
Race: Human
Profession: Tech Op

Attributes (60/60pts)
Str 7
Dex 11
Con 8
Int 14
Wil 11
Per 9

Action Check: 13
Actions/Round: 2
Combat Move:
- Sprint 18
- Run 12
- Walk 4
Durability
- Stun 8
- Wound 8
- Mortal 4
- Fatigue 4

Race Traits
- Bonus Skills (+1 broad skills, +5 skill points)
- Attribute range 4-14 on all.

Tech Op Profession
- Action Check Increase, +1
- Accelerated Learning, +1 skill point/lvl (lvls 2+)

Skills:
Athletics
Vehicle Op
Stamina
- Endurance (4)
Knowledge
- Computer Operation (1)
Awareness
- Intuition (3)
- Perception (2)
Interaction

Modern Ranged Weapons (6)
Physical Science (6) *
Computer Science (6) *
- Hardware (3) *
- Hacking (4) *
Technical Science (6) *
- Invention +3 (9) *
- Jury Rig +3 (6) *
- Repair +3 (6) *
- Technical Knowledge +3 (6) *
System Operation (3) *
- Engineering +3 (6) *

Skill Points 77/77

Perks/Flaws
Observant (3)
Delicate (-3)

Motivation: FUCK THE POWER! (especially the Concord)
Moral Attitude: Gallant
Traits:
- Energetic
- Cheerful

Equipment
Cash: 65

Zero-G 9mm Pistol, 500
Battle vest, 600

Backpack, 100
Boots, 100
Casual Dress, 50
Utility Harness, 25
Protective Goggles, 25

Toolkit, 100
IR goggles, 250
Magnetic boots, 350
Flashlight, 25
Duct Tape, 10

Dataslate (PL6 O), 600

Background: (have to create a 'publically accessible' version of this)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Samuel Connell

Physical Traits:
Weight: 160 lb.

Height: 5'10"
Age: 16-18
Gender: Male
Ethnic Background: Caucasian
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Orange-Red

Handedness: Right

Public Information: Samuel or Sam - as others might choose to refer to him, came to join the Esperanza in the company of Cherry, making them the 4th and 5th in chronological order of the crew. Initially, they booked passage on the ship, but throwing in some minor work for a little money and time's passage ended up leading to them becoming full members of the crew.

Samuel, though young, is a demonstrated capable sniper, tracker, scout and even knows a bit of first aid. He has, however, shown a distinct refusal to discuss his past, or how and why Cherry came to be his companion. When [insert crew member] suggested out loud Samuel might have seduced Cherry, his embarrassed flush lasted only a second before turning into an annoyed glare.

But it's clearly not that, anyway.

Sheet
Level 1
Achievement Points: 0

Race: Human
Career: Scout/Sharpshooter
Profession: Free Trader

Abilities: STR 8, DEX 12, CON 10, INT 10, WILL 12, PER 8
Untrained: STR 4, DEX 6, CON 5, INT 5, WILL 6, PER 4
Resistance Mods: STR 0, DEX +2, CON -, INT 0, WILL +1, PER -

Stun Boxes: 10
Wound Boxes: 10
Mortal Boxes: 5
Fatigue Boxes: 5

Last Resort Points: 1 Current / 2 Maximum
Actions Per Round: 2
Action Check: Marginal 14+ / Ordinary 13 / Good 6 / Amazing 3

SKILLS
(Skill Points: 30 + 30 Int + 5 for Human, Broad Skills Purchasable: 6)

Athletics: Ordinary 8/ Good 4/ Amazing 2

Vehicle Op: Ordinary 12/ Good 6/ Amazing 3
Modern Ranged Weapons: Ordinary 12/ Good 6/ Amazing 3
- Pistol (rank 1): Ordinary 13/ Good 6/ Amazing 3
- Rifle (rank 3): Ordinary 15/ Good 7/ Amazing 3
Stealth: Ordinary 12/ Good 6/ Amazing 3
- Hide (rank 1): Ordinary 13/ Good 6/ Amazing 3
- Sneak (rank 1): Ordinary 13/ Good 6/ Amazing 3

Stamina: Ordinary 10/ Good 5/ Amazing 2
Movement: Ordinary 10/ Good 5/ Amazing 2
- Swim (rank 1): Ordinary 11/ Good 5/ Amazing 2
- Trailblazing (rank 1): Ordinary 11/ Good 5/ Amazing 2
Survival: Ordinary 10/ Good 5/ Amazing 2

Knowledge: Ordinary 10/ Good 5/ Amazing 2
- First Aid (rank 1): Ordinary 11/Good 5/ Amazing 2

Awareness: Ordinary 12/ Good 6/ Amazing 3
- Perception (rank 2): Ordinary 14/ Good 7/ Amazing 3
- Intuition (rank 1): Ordinary 13/ Good 6/ Amazing 3
Investigate: Ordinary 12/ Good 6/ Amazing 3
- Search (rank 1): Ordinary 13/ Good 6/ Amazing 3
- Track (rank 2): Ordinary 14/ Good 7/ Amazing 3
Resolve: Ordinary 12/ Good 6/ Amazing 3

Interaction: Ordinary 8/ Good 4/ Amazing 2

PERKS & FLAWS
Flaws: Powerful Enemy (Concord Military), Bad Luck

ATTRIBUTES
Motivation: Staying Alive/Vengeance
Moral Attitude: Ethical
Character Traits: Courageous, Honest, Helpful, Hateful (Towards the Concord)

EQUIPMENT
9mm Pistol (Actions: 3, Acc 0, Mode F, Range 6/12/50, Type HI/O, Damage d4+1w/d4+2w/d4m, Clip Size: 15, Hide +3)
7.62mm Sniper Rifle (Actions: 2, Acc -1, Mode F, Range 200/400/800, Type HI/O, Damage d6+1w/2d4+1w/d4+1m, Clip Size: 5, Hide -)
Battle Vest (AP 0, Type O, LI d6-3/HI d6-2/En d4-2, Hide +2)
First Aid Kit

Belt
Wallet
Worn Clothes
Lighter
Flashlight
Backpack
Survival Gear
Rations
Duct Tape
Holster

Link to comment
Share on other sites

th_2012-11-05_235851.pngth_MassEffect_game_potential_avie19.pngth_MassEffect_game_potential_avie8.pngth_2012-11-05_235732.pngth_MassEffect_game_potential_avie17-1.jpth_2012-11-06_000932.png

((Yes, I am using screencaptures of my own custom femshep from Mass Effect. Don't hate. ;) ))

CHARACTER SHEET:

Click to See
Birth Name: Cherry Lu
Youxia Heroic Title: Yuanli
Other Sobriquets: Yedianqie, la Cereza, Red
Profession/Career: Combat Spec/Youxia
Legal Status: Outside the law
Marital Status: single
Known Relatives: deceased
Concept: Wandering force of justice; knight-errant
Attributes (Motivation/Morality/Traits): Helping Others/Honorable/Courageous & Precise

Level: 1

STR 13 (+2)
DEX 11 (+1)
CON 10 (+0)
INT 9 (+0)
WIL 10 (+0)
PER 7 (+0)

Durability: 5/10/10/5
Move: sprint 24, run 16, walk 6, swim 6, easy swim 3
Action Check: 14/13/6/3
# Actions: 2
Last Resorts: 0

SKILLS: ((3*9 INT= 27) base + 5 Racial bonus + 30 + 13 from Flaws = 75 skill points total; 68 spent on Skills; 7 spent on Perks)
STR:
Athletics [13/6/3] -free
Climb 1 [14/7/3] - 2

Jump 1 [14/7/3] - 1

Throw 1 [14/7/3] - 2
Melee Weapons [13/6/3] - 5 (Profession bonus, -1 Step base die)
Blade 3 [16/8/4] - 6
Unarmed Attack [13/6/3] - 4
Power Martial Arts 1 [14/7/3] - 4

DEX:
Acrobatics [11/5/2] - 7
Dodge 3 [14/7/3] - 9

Fall 1 [12/6/3] - 3
Zero-G Training 1 [12/6/3] - 1
Ranged Weapons [11/5/2] - 5
Rifle 1 [12/6/3] - 3
Vehicle Operations [11/5/2] -free

CON:
Stamina [10/5/2] -free

Endurance 1 [11/5/2] - 3
Survival [10/5/2] - 4

INT:
Knowledge [9/4/2] -free

First Aid 1 [10/5/2] - 2

WIL:
Awareness [10/5/2] -free
Perception 1 [11/5/2] - 2
Street Smart [10/5/2] - 5

PER:
Interaction [7/3/1] -free

,,

PERKS/FLAWS:

Perks:

Ambidextrous (4): Works as described in the Player's Handbook book, simple as that.
Great Looks (3): Also works as described.
Infamy/Reputation (0): This is Cherry's reputation - and infamy - as a youxia. The "knights-errant" from Xiangyun are well-known, if poorly understood, throughout the Verge (and beyond it, now that the Concord has returned) but individual youxia are still mostly faceless adventurers. Certain of them, however, have built enough of a reputation (usually through heroic deeds) that their name is well-known throughout wulin society, and sometimes even beyond that. Cherry has begun to build that sort of a reputation. Hers is primarily based on her exploits during the Vergers' war with the Concord, and on her already very impressive skills with the blade (and speaking of which, the Wu Yu's reputation has washed off on hers to some extent as well).

Most of the Xiangyun jianghu underworld, particularly its wulin subculture, has heard the name "Yuanli", as has much of the Verger underworld society outside of Xiangyun. Even amongst the more mainstream portions of Verge society there are some who've heard her name bandied about (usually these are people in law-enforcement, reporting, or similar professions), and of course the Galactic Concord has definitely heard of her. It's important to bear in mind, though, that Cherry's reputation is as the youxia hero known as "Yuanli" (though her other sobriquets - Yedianqie, la Cereza, and Red - are also used, if much less often) ; only those who know her, or are just "in the know", would recognize the name Cherry Lu.

Flaws:
Code of Honor (-3): Cherry has a very strong personal code of honor, and one that she adheres to at seemingly all times. This code is defined by five primary precepts: Chivalry, meaning that she will always stand up for those who cannot protect themselves; Gallantry, meaning that she always strives to act with courage and to treat others with courtesy and respect, even if they may not deserve it; Virtue, meaning simply moral excellence and a pattern of thought and behavior based on such; Righteousness, which is not meant in the Judeo-Christian sense, but rather in the more general sense of acting in a way that is justified, or 'right'; Loyalty, whose meaning should be obvious, though it's worth mentioning that this loyalty isn't blind - even the closest of friends should be opposed if remaining loyal to them would mean violating one of the other precepts of the youxia code. This 'Fivefold Code' might seem extreme to some, but it gives Cherry a strength of will and determination that others can only marvel at. On the other hand, it also restricts her to a narrow path from which she can never stray, even when adhering to that code puts her life on the line.
Divided Loyalty (-4): Though Loyalty is the last precept of the Fivefold Code, it is still a central tenant of the youxia way of life. Loyalties and personal obligations are never shirked or treated lightly by any youxia worthy of the title. Though Cherry has certainly saved more than her fair share of lives, she's also had her own life saved more than once as well, and not always by people or groups with whom she would have chosen to associate with, had she been given the choice (i.e. pirates, mercenary thugs, and other sorts of criminals). This flaw represents the hold those people have over her - while they certainly can't demand that she murder someone for them they can request aid from her, up to and including such things as help in evading the authorities or other criminal elements that might be pursuing them.


Powerful Enemy (-6): This is actually a collection of disparate criminal groups who're all out to make her life terrible.

,,

WEAPONS, ARMOR & GEAR:

Click to See
ARMOR:

Finely-crafted CF Bodysuit: d4/d4/d4+1; Hide +3; Mass (4); Customized CF Bodysuit.

cherry_reachrunner_zpsbbb8171c.jpg

,,

WEAPONS:
Unarmed (Power M.Arts w/Hardened Gloves: Acc (+0); LI/O; d6+3s/d6+5s/d4+3w; Actions (4); Hide (n/a); Mass (n/a)

th_tactical_cropped.png
Knife: Acc (+0); LI/O; d4+1w/d4+2w/d4+3w; Actions (4); Hide (+2); Mass (0.5)

th_WLOCK_modded.png
M9 9mm Charge Pistol: Acc (-1); Mode (F); Range [8/16/60]; HI/O; d4+1w/d6+1w/d4m; Actions (4); Clip (15); Hide (+3); Mass (1)

Crow_Feathers_thumb.png
Wu Yu Blades (x2): Acc (-1); LI/O; d4+2w/d6+2w/d4+1m; Actions (3); Hide (+1); Mass (3 – each)

taa2690.jpg
Shotgun, 10 gauge (balanced): Acc (-1); Mode (F); Range [8/16/40]; HI/O; d4+1w/d6+1w/d4+1m; Actions (2); Clip (2); Hide (n/a); Mass (3.5); this is an imitation antique side-lever, side-by-side (SxS), breach-loading shotgun, it holds a single shell in each of its two barrels, rather than 3 in a pump-action loader, but it only weighs 8lbs 2oz (3.5 kg).

,,

GEAR:
Leather Duster (with Repellant Weave)
Hat (Cowboy style, appears to be made of straw; with Repellant Weave)
Gloves (Built into CF suit, hardened knuckles & finger-joints add +1 to unarmed damage)
Belt (w/Hidden knife sheath)
Pouch (fanny)
ToolTote Harness
Sunglasses
Cell Phone
Wallet
Clothes/Underclothes
Lighter
Flashlight
Backpack
Grappling Hook
Rope
Survival Gear
Rations
Duct Tape
Bioscabbard (x2; for use with Wu Yu blades)
Holster (x2; for use with firearms; shotgun uses an over-the-shoulder variety)
Shotgun Saddlebag (fits over the rifle’s butt, otherwise works as described)

,,

CYBERWARE:

Click to See
Cyborg_eyes.png
Artificial Eyes (x2): SZ (2); Quality: Ordinary; Magnification x10, -1 skill bonus where visual acuity would be important, plus image enhancement; these are of military design and specification, meaning that no effort was made to conceal what they are and, as a result, they are very obviously cybernetic.
Optic Screen: SZ (n/a); Quality: Ordinary; heads-up display.
Gunsight Interface: SZ (n/a); Quality: Good; provides -2 skill bonus to attack checks with ranged weapons.
Time & Calendar Interface: SZ (n/a); Quality: Ordinary; as the “biowatch”, only installed as an app for her Optic Screen.
Comm Port: SZ (n/a); Quality: Ordinary; transceiver, transmits comm. signals, video feed, or datastream.
Five Elements Armor: MS (1); SZ (2); Quality: Ordinary; Combines with Respirator Implant (below) to provide the following Environmental Tolerance ratings: gravity (n/a), radiation (R1-R2), atmosphere (A1-A3), pressure (P1-P3), heat (H1-H2). Runs off of internal, rechargeable battery good for up to 50 hours of operation at maximum charge.
Gill A4 Respirator Implant: SZ (n/a); Quality: Ordinary; Combines with Five Elements Armor (above) to provide and increase atmospheric and pressure tolerances.
Nanocomputer: SZ (1); Quality: Ordinary; provides 4 slots for use in controlling cyberware; -1 Step processor bonus.
Systemic Reinforcement: MS (3); SZ (-2); Quality: Good; removes 2 points from her Size total.
,,
MassEffect_game_potential_avie24_zps4d0e
Personal Information:
Birth Name: Cherry Lu
Youxia Heroic Title: Yuanli (Mandarin; sounds like “Yuen Lee”; typically translated as “to be far from “, but is comprised of words that can mean “distant, remote or profound” and “rare beast” or “strange and elegant creature”; contextually, it describes a mythic creature of the sort that is beautiful or wondrous to see when viewed from afar, but very dangerous up close)
Other Sobriquets: Yedianqie (Mandarin; sounds like “Yeh-dien-che”; means “Deadly Nightshade” (i.e. the plant Atropa Belladonna)), la Cereza (Spanish; means “Cherry”), Red
Profession/Career: Combat Spec/Youxia (Mandarin; sounds like “Yo-shah”; literally translates to “wandering force”, but refers to a “chivalrous hero” or “knight-errant”)
Legal Status: Outside the law
Marital Status: single
Known Relatives: deceased
Concept: Wandering force of justice; knight-errant
Attributes (Motivation/Morality/Traits): Helping Others/Honorable/Calm & Courageous

Physical Traits:
Weight: 66.68kg/147lbs (with cybernetics)
Height: 1.68m/5’6”
Age: late twenties
Gender: female
Ethnic Background: mixed (50% Caucasian, 25% Black, 25% Asian)
Nationality (place of origin): Fuzhounese (Xin Fuzhou)
Eye Color: amber (cybernetic)
Hair Color: black
Handedness: both

Distinguishing Marks: Her amber-colored eyes, which have distinctly mechanical-looking irises. The amber-colored mechanical elements of her cyberoptics catch and reflect light like pyrite, and the lenses reflect light differently than normal eyes do, making them very noticeable even in dim lighting unless Cherry wears sunglasses or goggles.

Additionally, she has three-quarter bioart tattoo sleeves on each arm. The right sleeve is of a black tortoise and a white snake over dark waters with a lotus flower floating in it; the bioart elements give the water a rippling motion and make the lotus flower appear to be genuinely floating on its surface. The left sleeve is of a dark green dragon with iridescent scales coiling amongst the clouds in a nighttime sky with a flaming red phoenix circling underneath it; the bioart elements give the coiling dragon the illusion of motion, while the phoenix's flames glow in burning reds and oranges. Finally, a large and finely detailed tattoo of a cherry blossom tree blowing in the wind with two large white cranes under it covers most of her back; the bioart elements cause cherry blossoms to drift away lazily in the invisible wind, while the outstretched wings of one of the cranes and the tail plumage of the other can also be seen to ruffle subtly in the breeze. These tattoos are typically covered by her clothing, however.

General Appearance: Cherry is an exotic, extraordinary and rare beauty. Looking more like a holo star than a rough-and-tumble youxia, she is of roughly average height with a well-formed and extremely fit body, hair as black as space, dusky skin and full, sensual lips. Her heritage is a mixed one, as is often the case in the ethnic melting pot that are the systems of the Verge, and her exotic looks bear witness to this.

Skills & Personality:
Abilities/Special Skills: There are a few things that Cherry is well-known for, both within the jianghu underworld of the Ghost Suns and its wulin subculture of wuxia and youxia, and in the underworld cultures beyond Xiangyun. Firstly, her deadly skill in combat, particularly when wielding the legendary Wu Yu blades; Cherry’s lethal skill has earned her many admirers and even more enemies. Secondly, her uncanny speed and agility; Cherry’s ability to dance across the battlefield is as well-known as her skill in melee. Thirdly, her extensive experience with and knowledge of the youxia underworld (and, to a lesser extent, her experience with the underworld of the Verge in general).


Personality: Hard as diamonds and just as beautiful, Cherry is both honorable and upright, and as tough as they come. She is also Youxia to the core. She will always help those in need, never back down in the face of evil, or turn from the Fivefold Code of the Xiangyun Wulin. Taking her personal code of honor so seriously means that Cherry is a very serious young woman as a consequence, but she still knows how to smile and laugh when opportunities present themselves. She is pragmatic but open-minded, with an iron will, a broad perspective and a sensitive streak that she tries to hide from everyone. Something of a loner, Cherry doesn’t normally speak unless it’s necessary, and when she does her manner of speech is usually direct and straightforward, but not without a sense of humor. Because of her stoic and silent nature, people are often surprised to discover just how passionate and vibrant her personality really is.

Background:

The woman called Yuenli is known to many as a real-life youxia of the Xiangyun jianghu underworld. The rumors say that Yuenli hails from the infamous Ghost Suns of the Xiangyun Nebula; that she was born in the Ghost Six system, among the moons of the semi-mythical super-jovian known as Jade Heaven; that her homeworld is Xin Fuzhou, birthplace of the corrupt Celestial Empire, with its exotic culture and strange tech. They say she carries some of the Ghost-tech inside her, and that she can walk through fire unscathed, breathe water, and swim the Black itself without an e-suit, and that her glittering mechanical eyes can see things no flesh-and-blood eyes can. Those same rumors say that the two space-black swords she carries with her are the fabled Wu Yu - the Crowfeather blades, of uncertain origin and older than human presence in the Verge - and that they were taken from the corpse of her parents' killer. Some of those rumors even claim that she fought on the losing side during the falls of Karzai, Maneen, and Dulcinea to Concord forces and somehow still lives to tell the tale of it.

But those rumors - whether they're all entirely true or the sort of tall tales only a Frontier dirt-farmer would believe - all speak of Yuenli the youxia, not Cherry Lu, taciturn spacehand serving on the Esperanza. And that suits Cherry Lu, taciturn spacehand serving on the Esperanza, just fine.

For her own part, Cherry isn't one to go on at length about herself, but her crewmates on the Esperanza all know that there is some truth to those rumors. She is from Xiangyun space, she does have a reputation in the jianghu and it's wulin subculture, she is carrying around some unusual cybertech inside her, she also carries around two nifty-lookin' swords that do a mighty fine job of slicing up things, and she did fight with Verger rebel forces during the War against the Concord. Beyond that it's anyone's guess, but most of the crew only care that she's one of theirs, and that she's handy to have around in a fight.

Cherry wound up joining the crew of the Esperanza at the same time as Sam Connell, with whom she shares some past connection of which neither of them speaks, after the two of them booked passage on the Esperanza while she was in dock in the Hughes system. Though the initial terms of their arrangement for passage included helping the Captain and her small crew with a job they'd been hired to complete in exchange for passage to a safe system, Sam and his wuxia shadow both proved to be very handy to have around when things got hairy (as they did on that job), and upon the job's completion Capt. Chase offered them both paying positions on her crew. They agreed. What happened after that? Well, that's another story for another time....

Appendix

Notes:

Jianghu: Pronounced “Jyung-Hoo”; literally translates as “rivers and lakes”, but is used more commonly to denote a specific environment or sub-community within a larger society. The Xiangyun jianghu refers to the entirety of its underworld culture, including criminals, wuxia, and youxia.

Wulin: Pronounced “Woo-lin”; means “martial forest” and traditionally referred to a fictional and lawless underworld society filled with martial artists and criminals. On Xin Fuzhou a real-world counterpart developed, which takes its name and inspiration from this fictional setting. The jianghu is the word used for the underworld in Xiangyun space as a whole; the wulin is that part of the jianghu comprised wholly, or mostly, of wuxia and those who make a living through physical violence.

Wuxia: Pronounced “Woo-shaw”; wu means “martial” or “armed”, while xia translates to “honorable” or “hero”, together the words are typically translated as “martial hero”. In the Xiangyun systems most mercenaries, body guards, martial artists, and street fighters (as well as some ex-soldiers and even criminal strongmen) have grouped together into a subculture that has come to be called “wulin”, after the fictional subcultures of the same name from which it draws inspiration, and are themselves referred to as wuxia. Xiangyun wuxia are not necessarily “heroic” or even particularly nice, and they may even be involved in criminal activity – their status as “wuxia” indicates only that they “live by the fist/sword/charge pistol” and adhere to a general code of behavior dictated by the larger wulin culture. The military forces of the Xiangyun nebula have a similar culture, but are not considered to be part of the jianghu underworld.

Youxia: Pronounced “Yo-shah”; literally translates to “wandering force”, but refers to a “chivalrous hero” or “knight-errant”; in ancient Chinese literature, the youxia were the historical and semi-mythical precursors to the later wuxia. In Xiangyun society, the youxia, as a class, are considered to be a part of the world of jianghu, and to be related to the wuxia, but are ultimately viewed as a class apart. No two youxia are alike, but they all (in principal, if not in reality) hold to a set of ideals that compel them to right wrongs and protect the weak, even if it means defying the law or putting their life at risk, and that stresses justice and freedom above all else, placing personal loyalty and obligation over both loyalty to one’s family and to one’s country. In the empire of the Ghost suns youxia are, on the one hand, revered as living sword-saints and heroes and, on the other hand, feared by the general public and mistrusted by the Imperial government for their unpredictable and rebellious (and frequently violent) ways. It is generally agreed that living up to the title of youxia is much harder than living up to that of wuxia, and so the latter are accorded more respect in wulin society than any other class (aside from the nobility of Yu Tian), provided that they can live up to the title - those who can't are guaranteed a place of infamy within jianghu society.

Xin Fuzhou: Pronounced “Shin Fujow”; xin means “new” and Fuzhou is a large and very ancient city in China. Capital world of the Celestial Empire.

Xiangyun Nebula: Pronounced “Shung-yoon”; means “magic cloud” or “cloud of good fortune”. Contains the Ghost suns and their systems.

The Celestial Empire: Official Mandarin name of “Tianchao Dedidi Yu Tian”, pronounced “Tyen-chow Deh-dee-dee Oo-Tyen” (which is quite the mouthful), meaning “The Celestial Empire of the Jade Heavens”. Usually referred to as something along the lines of “Yu Tian”, “Jade Heaven”, “the empire”, “the Ghost suns”, or “Xiangyun” instead. It’s people are usually referred to as “Xiangyunese”, “Tianese”, or “[planet name]-ese/an” (i.e. “Fuzhounese”, “Yunraman”, etc). The empire consists of the nine inhabited systems of the Xiangyun nebula, along with a handful of holdings outside of it, and is ruled from the imperial seat on Xin Fuzhou.

The Ghost Suns: The systems of the Xiangyun nebula. The stars of the Xiangyun nebula were named using the ancient Chinese naming convention, where all the stars in a given constellation are assigned an asterism (“Ghost” in this case) and a number, dependant on the star’s position within the constellation. Xin Fuzhou, for example, is found within the system of the star designated “Ghost Six”.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

,,

Wu Yu Blades (The Crow’s Feathers, or the Two Ladies):

Crow_Feathers_thumb.png

,,

The Crowfeather Blades: Pronounced “Woo Yoo”, this is the name for the two ornately patterned obsidian blades that Cherry took from the corpse of her parents’ killer. Wu Yu means “crow feathers” or “the crow’s feathers”, depending on context. The blades are very old (possibly older than the colony on Xin Fuzhou), and are famous within wuxia and youxia subcultures, to the extent that they appear in an old Fuzhounese poem with the line, “The crow’s feathers/That fall like an ill omen”.


The Two Ladies: Individually, the Wu Yu are known as The Starless Queen and Black Contessa (Hui Hou and Qihei Guizu in Mandarin) respectively, and are sometimes called The Two Ladies (Shuang Nushi in Mandarin) collectively. Both blades are equally deadly; the only real difference between them is that the Queen’s handle is molded for best use in the right hand, while the Contessa’s is molded for the left.

,,

The Xiangyun Jianghu:

Click to See
Overview:

"Ten years make a scholar, but not a jianghu veteran."

"Jianghu" means "rivers and lakes", and the word is meant to evoke an image of the countryside and the idea of "a world separate from that of the cities (meaning 'proper' civilization)". Even within the systems of the Ghost suns, the jianghu is often thought of as synonymous with crime and those who practice it, but this is an oversimplification of things. The best "simple" description of the jianghu is to call it the world of secret societies and bandits. It is a world filled with wanderers of slender means, vagrants with no fixed abode, pirates, thieves, priests, rebels, cultists, smugglers, the unemployed, beggars, disbanded soldiers, gangsters, and other outcasts of society. And then, of course, there are the youxia.


What sets the jianghu and its denizens apart from the rest of Yu Tian society is that The Government is not the ultimate authority within its society and The Law does not define the rules. In jianghu circles, Loyalty, Honor, and Reputation are the ultimate authority and the rules are simple: your word is your bond; never betray a member of the jianghu to someone who isn't; your reputation is your only real currency - without it you have nothing to offer anyone. So while many who are most definitely a part of the jianghu do not make a regular habit of breaking the law, all of them are willing to if necessary, especially if its required to protect another member of the jianghu. (And this is the biggest reason that the youxia are considered to be somewhat outside of the jianghu - in their world "Honor" is defined by the careful maintenance of all five of their central precepts, and they hold Loyalty to be the least of the five while Reputation isn't even included in the list.)

The jianghu looks out for its own.

Criminal Elements of the Jianghu:
"Those who deprive others of their property are either bandits or burglars. The former work in groups and use violence unreservedly; they kill and rob in broad daylight, in open defiance of the law. On the other hand, the latter work in cliques of three to five; they sneak about at night, and only resort to violence when their lives are at stake."

An interesting element of Yu Tian society is the relationship between its government and its criminal elements. Firstly, so long as the crime in question was committed by one member of the jianghu against another member of the jianghu, Tianese law enforcement is very slow to get involved. Violence, thievery, and pirating are largely left to the jianghu elements involved to sort out between themselves. Outright murder - especially on a large or particularly violent scale - will be investigated and punished, but not to the extent that it would have been if non-jianghu elements were involved. In all cases, the goal of whatever law enforcement personnel are involved is simply to minimize the impact of the criminal activities in question on non-jianghu society in the Jade Heavens.

To a point.

The second interesting element of this relationship between law enforcement and the Xiangyun jianghu is quite simply that the government even allows it to exist in the first place. The reality is that the Celestial Empire allows the jianghu to operate because it's profitable. As an example, pirating is rampant throughout much of Xiangyun space, to the degree that they practically operate right out in the open in systems like Jiu Shan. Occasionally imperial forces show up and blast a few pirate vessels out of the sky, raid a couple of pirate enclaves, arrest some folks... that sort of thing. And then things go right back to the way they were and nothing really changes. The explanation for this is simple: the pirates pay the government for the privilege of being allowed to conduct their "business". A great deal of the pirating in Xiangyun space involves smuggling into or out of the Celestial Empire, and a careful review of incident reports (which the imperial government would strongly discourage) would show that a significant majority of the ships raided or stolen during pirate raids aren't Tianese. Many of them are actually non-Tianese criminal elements (usually smugglers) who are intruding into jianghu territory, but even when they aren't the imperial government is often inclined to turn a blind eye because their own citizens aren't being hurt (usually) and because as long as the pirates are turning a profit so are they.

Similar arrangements exist between the Celestial government and the other criminal societies in Xiangyun space.

Xiangyun Wulin Society:
"Your kung fu is no good!"

The wulin is a sub-society of the Xiangyun jianghu. The word means "martial forest" and, like the "rivers and lakes" of the larger jianghu, it's meant to evoke the idea of a separate world hidden inside of a larger one. Those who belong to wulin society are known as wuxia and are treated as a special class in jianghu culture. In one sense, the wuxia of Xiangyun are sort of like "junior youxia", in that they also live and die by the strength of their own fists and will, much like the youxia, and their own code of conduct is harsher and more precise than that of the larger jianghu. In the end, however, the wulin is the world of the outlaw. Some wuxia shun fame or glory, as do the youxia, while others seek after it avidly; some fight for justice while others sell their skills to the highest bidder. Mercenaries, ex-soldiers, rebel groups and cultists, and even the more honorable bandits and pirates, are all included in the world of the wulin.

What identifies someone as a wuxia and a member of wulin society, and not merely another member of the larger jianghu underworld, is that they follow the code of the wulin. This code is similar to, but markedly different from, the Fivefold Code of the youxia. Those of the wulin live and die by four precepts, which are: Martial Virtue (i.e. "fight with honor", "the rule of one versus one", "the warrior approaches his enemy openly", "ambushes are for cowards", etc); Chivalry (which works as it does for the youxia); Gallantry (which also works as it does for the youxia); and Vengeance (wrongs must be addressed, honor defended, and so on).

In theory all wuxia live and die by these four precepts; in practice they are not all so selfless or disciplined. Also, the two precepts of Martial Virtue and Vengeance are frequently held above those of Chivalry or Gallantry, and so long as a man displays honorable behavior in battle and is quick to always address any wrongs against himself or his companions in appropriate fashion, he can be assured that his title of "martial hero" is secure. In the best cases, however, the wuxia blur the line between the youxia and the rest of the jianghu.

The Youxia Subculture of Yu Tian:
"He treasures friendship, duty, promises, kindness, vengeance, honor, and righteousness more than his own life."

The youxia culture that grew out of the Warring States period of Xin Fuzhou's history embodies the highest ideals of jianghu society. Its code is harsher, stricter, and more demanding than all others. Though it is true that not all youxia interpret the Fivefold Code in the same way, it is also true that nearly all youxia take its precepts very seriously indeed. An informal "peer review" system ensures that this continues to be the case; any pretenders who claim to be youxia but live in violation of the fivefold way are living on borrowed time, because sooner or later a real youxia will appear and demand an accounting. Such pretenders often do not survive these "peer reviews".

In time this might change, but for now it is the one thing the youxia can truly take pride in: they are exactly who they claim to be.

As a result, the youxia are simultanously revered and feared in Tianese society. They are the champions of justice on the one hand, and violently anachronistic vagabonds who threaten the very stability of society on the other. At their best the youxia are true heroes, selflessly putting their lives on the line for people to whom they owe nothing for the betterment of a world they might not even live to enjoy. At their worst they are cocky and arrogant thugs, sticking their self-righteous noses where they don't belong and exercising authority they don't have. The reality is that most youxia are a little bit of both.

In addition to the five central precepts of youxia culture (chivalry, gallantry, virtue, righteousness, and loyalty), there are other ideals that most youxia consider very important. Firstly, there is the shunning of worldly wealth or glory. While most knights-errant stop short of swearing a "vow of poverty", those youxia who make a habit of accruing an excess of material goods or wealth can expect a chilly response from their fellows. Glory, on the other hand, is all but inevitable for any youxia who is truly living according to the fivefold way; their deeds of bravery, heroism and sacrifice (or their failures at the same) will usually result in a growing reputation of some kind. What's important is only that the youxiaisn't actively seeking that fame. Secondly, there is the matter of vengeance, which is implied in the precepts of virtue, righteousness and loyalty; the wicked must be punished and the innocent must be avenged. Youxia must always be careful in any quest for vengeance, however, as more than one of them has fallen from the fivefold way in its pursuit.

What truly set the youxia apart from all others, however, is their individualism and their willingness to use force to achieve their aims. Youxia walk their own paths, seek their own destinies, live their own lives; they do not respect status, lineage, or authority, but reserve their respect only for those who have earned it. They are outsiders, and the rules of conventional society are not for them.

Inside of the Xiangyun nebula, known youxia are accorded a tremendous amount of respect and are granted almost carte blanche authority to pursue their agendas - so long as they keep their distance from more "proper" areas of society. Assuming a youxia abides by this unofficial policy, he or she can expect full cooperation from the authorities in his or her pursuit of justice for innocents or punishment for those who prey upon them. Outside of Xiangyun space things are not so cut and dried, and youxia often find themselves at odds with - or even on the run from - the law enforcement agencies of one Verge system or another.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Character Sheet:
Birth Name: Hadicall Cerauno
Profession/Career: Combat Spec/Mercenary Pilot
Legal Status: On unfriendly terms with the law.
Marital Status: Divorced
Known Relatives: Daughter (Sable Cerauno)
Concept: Tryin’ to make a livin’.
Attributes (Motivation/Morality/Traits): Staying Alive / Honorable / Calm & Confident

,,

Level: 1

STR 12 (+1)
DEX 11 (+1)
CON 12

INT 9 (+0)
WIL 9 (+0)
PER 8

Durability: 13/13/6/6
Move: sprint 22, run 14, walk 4, swim 4, easy swim 2
Action Check: 14/13/6/3
# Actions: 2
Last Resorts: 0

SKILLS:

-STR-

Armor Operation [12/6/3]

Combat Armor 1 [13/6/3]
Athletics [12/6/3]
Melee Weapons [12/6/3]
Blade 1 [13/6/3]
Unarmed Attack [13/6/3]
Brawl 1 [13/6/3]

-DEX-
Ranged Weapons [11/5/2] (Combat Spec -1 Step Bonus)

Pistol 1 [12/6/3]
Rifle 3 [14/7/3]

SMG 1 [12/6/3]
Vehicle Operations [11/5/2]

Space 3 [14/7/3]

-CON-
Stamina [12/6/6]

-INT-
Knowledge [9/4/2]

Technical Science [9/4/2]

Repair 1 [10/5/2]

-WIL-
Awareness [9/4/2]


-PER-
Interaction [8/4/2]

PERKS/FLAWS:
Perks:
Heightened Ability (10): +1 Constitution.
Vigor (2/4): +1 Stun, +1 Wound

Flaws:
Code of Honor (-3): Out in the Black all man has is his dignity. The things he does that day are the things he’ll have to sleep with that night.
Divided Loyalty (-4): Hadicall has a job to do, but he also has a little girl to raise. Sometimes, those two don’t mesh to well.
Powerful Enemy (-2): He’s pissed in a few bowls of Cheerios in his day. This represents those who might still bear a grudge against him.

CYBERWARE:

ARMOR:
Worn Battle Jacket: AP +1 (0*); Type O; d6-1/d4+1/d4-1; Hide +1; Mass 8
*Hadical’s Armor Operation Skill negates the Action Step and Dexterity penalty.

WEAPONS:
Unarmed (Brawl): Acc (+0); LI/O; d4+1s/d4+2s/d4+3s; Actions (4)

Combat Knife: Acc (+0); LI/O; d4+2w/d4+3w/d4+4w; Actions (4); Hide (+3); Mass (1)

454 Casull Revolver: Acc (-1); Mode (F); Range [8/14/70]; HI/O; d6w/d6+1w/d6m; Actions (2); Clip (6); Hide (+1); Mass (2)

-Few people in the Verge want to be on the wrong end of “Cassy”. Usually, just her pointed at someone is enough to end a fight before it starts.

416 Assault Rifle: Acc (0); Md (F/B/A); LI/O; d6+1w/2d4+1w/d4+1m; Actions (3); Hide (-); Mass (5)

GEAR:
Belt (w/Hidden knife sheath)
Wallet
Worn Clothes
Lighter
Flashlight (Mass 0.1)
Backpack (Mass 1)
Survival Gear (Mass 3)
Rations (Mass 2)
Duct Tape
Holster (for Cassy)

,,

Background: Hadicall doesn’t talk much about his past. People know he’s in his mid thirties, been married up until a few years ago and he has a daughter, Sable Cerauno, who is with him on the Esperanza. He fought in the war some years back, but doesn’t talk about it much. It’s obvious though that it made him tough as nails.

,,

Despite his use to the captain as a military trained war veteran, Hadicall doesn’t take up arms for Captain Chase, in fact, he doesn’t’ take up arms at all. He’s the ship’s pilot and he prefers to stay with her than be out there shooting and getting shot at all the time. Everyone with two cells in their brainpan to rub together knows that there’s more to the story than that. Maybe it’s his daughter that keeps him from fighting, or maybe there’s something deeper there. Either way, he doesn’t bring it up. That’s notto say he’s a total pacifist, he’ll still knock someone on their ass in a bar brawl (ask the Captain about Hengsha Station some time…), he just doesn’t seem to take a liking to perforating people anymore. This seems mighty strange to the crew, since he carries the largest handgun any of them have ever seen.

,,

Not a smart man, Hadicall was raised in the Frontier and possesses a Fronteir education, which is to say, not much. He calls the Amarillo System home but hasn’t been back to his home planet, Laredo, since before he joined the war. He’s a decent guy, honest and forthright in all his words and thoughts. If he has something to say, he says it, even if it’s not quite what others may want hear. He knows he’s a stupid man, but takes pride in the fact that he can always get smarter.

,,

His daughter Sable, is the light of his life. He does everything he can to school on the ship, spending his earnings buying all sorts of educational material for her from X3Ds containing literature and math and science to just old books she can read on long trips. He does his best to teach her, assigning her homework and such but it’s getting harder since she’s already smarter than he’ll ever be. He hopes one day she’ll have a brighter future than living on a ship taking whatever scraps the Verge throws her way. Sable is fourteen and everything a southern belle should be. She’s pretty, sweet, smart, and always curious about all there is to be curious about. She’s obsessed with hearing every story about every job the Captain and the crew does, much to Hadicall’s worry, as it makes him feel she’s getting to comfortable with the dream of being adventurers in The Black.

,,

The Rest of the Crew:

,,

Captain Chase - He respects the Captain, she's a good woman. Honest and upfront in all her dealings and that goes a long way with him. He doesn't always agree with her and their shouting matches on the ship are near legendary. Of course, the Captain always gets her way, except in the case of Sable. When it comes to his daughter, Hadi and Captain sometimes clash on what's appropriate for her to be picking up as 'trade skills'.

,,

Deezy - Deez and Hadicall have about the same tenure on the ship. Shortly after the Captain hired on Hadicall she also hired on Deezy... and they've been arguing ever since. Not that they don't get along, hell Hadi loves the lil sweetie. The problem is she's always fixing things that Hadicall feels don't need fixing. It's not uncommon to hear them going back and forth about this repair or the next then ten minutes later laughing in the galley and telling a story about this, that, or something else.

,,

Samuel - Sam seems alright. Hadicall doesn't know the boy to well but never stops calling him 'kid'. What he does know is that Sam is too close in age to Sable and they're both 'gettin to that age'. As such, regardless of Sam's true intentions, as a father, Hadicall has put Sam on permanent notice... something the rest of the crew finds hilarious.

,,

Cherry - There's some tension here. Hadicall doesn't get along with Cherry at all and it's no secret (Hadicall doesn't do secrets) it's because she possesses cyberware. He's of the opinion that it strips away the humanity in a person and makes them a cykotek. He respects her well enough in the Captain's halls and doesn't go out of his way to start trouble (will even work with her if ordered), but he doesn't have a whole lot of nice things to say. Put bluntly, he's afraid of her and afraid for his family for the day she looses it and kills them all...

,,

Caleb - As a fellow Frontiersman, Hadicall and Caleb have a lot to talk about. Chief among them seems to be how Caleb got 'The Gay'. He doesn't find anything wrong with how a man or woman chooses to live and would never tell anyone they're wrong. It's just his simple mind don't get the 'whys' of it. Anytime it comes up in conversation it usually ends with Caleb rolling his eyes and walking away when Hadicall says 'it just doesn't make sense' for the umpteenth time.

,,

Lainey - Perhaps it's the father in him, but Hadicall tends to pamper the resident psychic. It's obvious that she's in pain a lot of the time or suffers from some condition or another that he doesn't quite understand and it's on those days he asks Sable take extra care of her or does it himself. He doesn't get all that psychic jargon or how it works. Hell, he doesn't understand why she doesn't just use the nav computer like everyone else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Name: Lainey
Profession/Career: Mindwalker PsiGuard
Legal Status: We don't talk anymore.
Marital Status: Unmarried
Known Relatives: None Known
Concept: Banged Up But Not Broken Yet
Attributes (Motivation/Morality/Traits): Staying One Step Ahead, Honorable But Practical, Focused & Loyal

Mechanics
Level: 1
Race: Human
Profession: Mindwalker
Career: Psiguard

STR 9 (+0)
DEX 9 (+0)
CON 9
INT 10 (+0)
WIL 14 (+2)
PER 9

Durability: 9/9/5/5
Action Check: M 11+ / 10 / 5/ 2
Move: sprint 18, Run 12, walk 4, easy swim 2, swim 4
No. Actions: 2
Last Resort: 1

Perks and Flaws:
Danger Sense (-2 bonus to Awareness-intuition checks)
Psionic Awareness (INT check to detect the use of psionics in player vicinity)
Fast Recovery 2 (Regain psionic energy points after only 4 hours of rest.

Powerful Enemy 4 (Concord Military)
Old Injury 1 (migraines, head trauma)
Infamy 4

Psionic Energy Points: 14
Cyber Tolerance Score: 9

-Psionic Skills-
-INT-
ESP [10/5/2]
-Battle Mind 2 [12/6/3]
-Navcognition 2 [12/6/3] (Astrogation, Drivespace)

-WIL-
Telekinesis [14/7/3] (-1 step bonus with all telekinesis skills)
-Electrokinesis 1 [15/7/3]
-Kinetic Shield 3 [17/8/4]
-Pyrokinesis 1 [15/7/3]

-Skills-
-STR-
Athletics [9/4/2]
Unarmed Attack [9/4/2]
-Power Martial Arts (Kenpo) 1 [10/5/2] ,,

-DEX-
Vehicle Op [9/4/2]
Ranged Weapon, Mod. [9/4/2]
-Pistol 1 [10/5/2]

,,

-CON-
Stamina [9/4/2]

-INT-
Knowledge [10/5/2]

-WIL-
Awareness [14/7/3]
-Intuition 1 [15/7/3]

,,

-PER-
Interaction [9/4/2]

Attacks:
Power Martial Arts [11/5/2], +0, LI/O, Personal, d6s/d6+2s/d4w
9mm semi-auto pistol [11/5/2], +0, F, 8/16/60, HI/O, d4+1w/d4+2w/d4m
Defenses:
Carbon Fiber Long Coat (LI d4/HI d4/ En d6-2)

Gear: 9mm semi-auto pistol, combat knife, various clothing and minor equipment.

Cyber Gear:
None

Mutations:
None



Background: Like much of the crew, Lainey doesn't like to talk about her life before joining the ship. Whatever she did, it gave her the fighting skills that makes her useful; being psychic helps and hurts in about equal measure and she really doesn't like talking about how all that came about. Pointy knives and gun barrel levels of not talking about it. Her accent marks her as not from the Verge, but she's never given the Captain reason to doubt her loyalty to the ship or the crew. ,,

She's the newest member of the crew, having joined almost accidentally after a bar fight that got out of control (even for a bar fight in the Verge). Several less-than-scrupled men thought Cpt. Chase would be an easy target in the growing fracas and tried to corner the woman to take her off to god-only-knows where. Probably a slave block by the end of it. It was one Lainey's bad days, which meant she was trying to drown the headaches out in a beer-soak, but the sneering men and their arrogant assumptions about women being easy pickings cut through the pain and just pissed her off. She lashed out with power at them, giving Chase the advantage she needed to leave the men groaning on the ground and ending any chance Lainey had of sticking around on the hot and godforsaken hell hole of a planet she'd had the misfortune of landing on anyways. After she and Chase had made it away from small riot, the captain offered to take her out to a non-rioting bar for a victory drink; Lainey declined and asked if the woman knew of any ships heading out from port soon. Curious and grateful for the assist, Chase offered passage on the Esperanza, at a discount even; Lainey accepted and the captain managed to pull the reticent woman enough out of her shell on the trip for Lainey to offer Sable self-defense lessons.

,,

She seemed to get along fine with most of the crew, though she wasn't the social butterfly of the ship by any means. At their next port, Chase offered for Lainey to stay on as crew for a trip, if she was looking for work; Lainey took the offer like a life-line and has been serving as extra muscle and psychic wildcard for the ship ever since. She still sticks pretty close to her quarters most of the time, especially on bad days, but she's taken a older-sibling shine to the younger members of the crew doesn't seem to have anyone she actively dislikes or can't get along with, though she's had to insist a little pointedly on the privacy of her past when more curious crewmates (most especially young southern belles) have tried to wheedle more details out of her.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Captain

,,

Personal Information:
Name: Captain Van Chase
Aliases/Nicknames: Cap'n, El Capitan, Miz Chase, Reina de la Roja
Career/Profession: Free Agent/Smuggler
Legal Status: Must've left my permits in my other coat. One sec...
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: None
Concept: Corsair o' the Black
Attributes (Motivation/Morality/Traits): Freedom is Life / Anti-authority / TBD (Too many options!)

,,

Physical Traits:
Weight: 133lbs
Height: 5'3"
Apparent Age: Early twenties
Gender: Female
Ethnic Background: Predominantly Caucasian
Nationality (place of origin): Vandollan (Vandolla, Baladir system)
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Dark auburn
Handedness: Right

Distinguishing Marks: None

General Appearance: The Captain is a relatively small young woman with short hair, faintly vulpine features, and a mouth well-suited to the somewhat crooked smile that she wears most often. With a little effort and makeup, her smoky brown eyes and creamy olive skin would make her stunning, but she's not the least bit interested in dolling herself up like some Core-bound debutante. She looks younger than she actually is, owing to her good genes and petite stature, which causes no end of annoyance for her- it's hard for people to take a ship Captain seriously when she looks like someone's kid sister and has to stand on tiptoe to get in your face. Her wardrobe doesn't veer far from the "Practical and Utilitarian" section of the catalog, with the exception of a fine, hand-tooled leather jacket and an outsized gold ring set with a large red stone that she wears on her left thumb.

Captain's Jacket
6163FFC2_zps0475e2d7.jpg

Captain's Ring
156666916_big-red-ruby-viper-snake-gold-


Skills & Personality:
Abilities/Special Skills: Captain Chase is working damned hard to be the best Purveyor-of-Articles-Which-May-or-May-Not-Have-Been-Nefariously-Acquired in the Black... but she's not there yet. She claims a man on her home planet, the same man who left her the Esperanza, taught her most of what she knows about bartering, trading, making deals, and getting out of the ones that go bad; she laments the fact that he didn't teach her everything he knew.


Personality: The Captain's a bit of a wild card. She's got enough sass, bluster, and downright stubbornness to take the ship to Aegis and back if Deezy could just figure out how to convert any of it to fuel, but she never turns down the hard-luck jobs or blows off a crew member who needs a favor. She's got no qualms about lying, cheating, or stealing if it gets the job done and gets them paid, but won't break her word once she makes a promise. She consistently puts the well-being of the ship and the crew ahead of anyone else's in the 'verse, and has an eccentric tendency to consider the Esperanza herself a part of the group; various crew mates have caught Chase carrying on muted, one-sided conversations with her from time to time, mostly when it's quiet and the Captain's not expecting company. She's said before that she accepts two kinds on the ship: those smart enough to know she's probably just going to do whatever it is she wanted anyway, or those crazy enough to think it was a good plan in the first place. It's hard to be sure whether she was joking.

Background:

Timeline

2623: Captain Chase is born on Vandolla, second planet in the Baladir system. Probably the most important thing to ever happen in the Verge. Historians take note.

2634: A war breaks out with the Concord. This is kind of a big deal, and makes a lot of people real unhappy.

2635: At the tender age of 12 summers, the Captain meets up with Mariano Reyes, an aging scrap dealer, and her saga begins. A new hope arises. A legend is- Well, maybe “born” isn't the right word, but you get my meaning. Right away, Reyes sees something in her that... uh... Okay, that annoys the crap out of him. Movin' on.

2635-2639: The Captain pesters Reyes almost daily with questions about this pile of junk or that, not because she wants to dress up some rusted heap and go to the races or anything, but just because she wants to know the old ships' stories: where they came from, what they did, how they ended up with him. That sort of thing. He's a gruff old war veteran, and she's a plucky, precocious kid. Naturally, he can't stand her. She keeps comin' by anyway, establishing a gluttony for punishment that'll stick with her through her whole career.

2639: After four years of harrassment, Reyes finally concedes defeat, thinking it'd be easier to just put the girl to work than try to hide a body in a small town. For every week she works for him without complaining, he agrees to tell her about one of the aging ships for sale out back. He regrets this decision almost immediately, but a deal's a deal, and he doesn't figure she'll last more than a few days scrubbing rust and dried bird-bombs off the few salvageable vessels anyway.

2639-2645: In six years, Chase learns more about the eating habits of the local avian population than she ever wanted to know, and earns Reyes's grudging approval, along with (eventually) the tales of how every ship that's passed through his lot wound up there. Except one. Of course, this just drives the Captain crazy with curiosity, and after the first few months, Reyes ups the ante for entertainment's sake: They'll play cards once a week, and if she beats him, he'll tell her the story. If she loses, she owes him another month's worth of work. Poor kid.

2645: More and more outsiders start to show up at the shop to talk to Reyes, and he finally admits over their weekly card game that a big part of his business is moving supplies for the resistance.

2646: The Concord officially lays claim to the whole Baladir system, and Vandolla along with it. That doesn't sit well with most of the people- ranchers and farmers who've been working the land for generations- and the Captain pushes Reyes to let her help out in a somewhat more active capacity. He figures she'll do it anyway, so she might as well have some supervision.

2647: Captain Chase finally wins her card game, and Reyes holds up his end of the bargain. Every boat he has, except one, gets scrapped for parts or tuned up and sold dirt-cheap to people looking to get off-world. Later that same year, she gets word that the old man's passed on, and he's left The Ship and everything on it to her, on the condition that she never sells it.

2648: With a little bit of skill and a lot of luck, Chase somehow avoids getting herself shot or crashing the ship in her first few months as Captain of the Esperanza. She manages a few standard courier runs, making just enough to keep the old girl spaceworthy, before meeting up with the curiously-named Hadicall Cerauno and his daughter, Sable, on a backwater rock. Tired of talking to herself and in need of a pilot who's a lot less likely to smash the ship into an asteroid or break her up in atmo, she hires him on. By the time they hit Dulcinea, even Haddie's skills are barely enough to keep them going; tape, prayers, and percussive maintenance only go so far, after all. They land for repairs, and damned if the Captain's gift for impeccable timing doesn't put them just ahead of a massive Concord strike against the planet. A canny Dulcinean calling herself Deezy strikes a quick bargain- her tech-savvy for post-haste passage off the doomed world- and Chase gets herself an engineer.

2649: In dire need of funds and parts to maintain the ship, the Captain takes a job carting medical supplies in the Hughes system. It's supposed to be an easy run, but the Esperanza has been getting some unwanted attention and her would-be suitors are damnably persistent about acquiring the once-stately old maid. She hires on a couple of mercenaries, Sam and Cherry, for a little temporary added muscle. The kid seems savvy enough, and though Chase is more than a little put off by the other woman's unusual tech adaptations, both of them prove their salt when the intended recipients of the cargo turn out to be a contingent of Concord troops gone rogue. After a long discussion with Haddie and Deezy, she offers the mercs a more permanent spot on the crew.

2650: During a much-needed bit of downtime, the good Captain finds herself in a bit of a bind. Some less-than-savory types with a keen interest in Chase's bedroom capabilities and potential worth to the right buyer start a ruckus that turns a simple barroom brawl into full-scale mayhem. Another patron steps in, and the resulting chaos is enough to give them an out. The remainder of the crew is quickly rounded up, and Lainey comes aboard as they high-tail it out of there.

Thoughts on the Crew:

The

Esperanza- I wonder, sometimes, if the old man knew what he was doin' givin' you to me. I know I'm not the captain you deserve right now, but give me a chance and I swear I'll do my best to be worthy of the name.

Hadicall- There's a reason he's my First Mate. Well, if I'm bein' honest, there're a lot of reasons, and most of 'em involve him pullin' our trousers outta the fire. He's good with the ship, too, treats her like a lady, so I guess I can't complain too much about him not actually using that cannon he wears on his hip. I just wish he'd ease up on that daughter of his once in a while, let her work things out on her own. Then again, must be nice to just have a dad in the first place.

,,

Deezy- This girl is smart. Crazy smart. Little more emphasis on the first part, but she's a hell of a lot of fun to have around. There's no way I'd have made it this long without her help. I can always count on her to keep things movin' and people on their toes. She's also the best damned gearhead I've ever seen- maybe better than Reyes, even- and sharper than those creepy swords Cherry totes around. If one of her little projects doesn't kill us all, she'll keep the Esperanza runnin' the Black 'til the stars burn out, or we all retire, whichever comes first.

,,

Samuel- I'm still not sure what to make of the kid. He came aboard with Cherry, and hasn't screwed us over yet, but I'm pretty sure I've gotten more fruitful conversation out of her than him... And she hardly talks at all. I mean, it's not that he doesn't say anything, ever. He just doesn't say anything personal. We've all got secrets, sure, but it's hard to fathom what'd make somebody that young shut everything up inside. I suppose that's his business, at least 'til it becomes somebody else's problem.

,,

Cherry- She's been with us a while now, and she's good people- takes herself too seriously most days, of course- but... I've gotta admit, she still makes me a little uncomfortable. I'm not sure if it's the implants, or how blasted quiet she is prowlin' around the ship sometimes, or what. It's like, a body's eyes are the windows to their soul, right? I'm not sure what it means that hers are machined. I've seen her in action, though, and I guess if she'd meant us harm, we'd already be kibble for the cykoteks, so I suppose that's worth somethin'.

,,

Lainey- I feel bad for the girl. She's great in a scuffle and earns her keep, does her part on the ship and all, but there's somethin' sternly awry in that head of hers. Some days she's fine, some days she can't do more than hide in her quarters. I don't know how to help sort people's problems and I've got no business pokin' around in what a body doesn't want to share, so for now I'm leavin' it be. If it becomes an issue, well- I guess we'll burn that bridge when we get to it.

,,

Character Sheet:

,,
Work in progress

Level: 1

STR 9 (+1) (Free Agent Resistance Bonus)
DEX 12 (+1)
CON 9

INT 9 (+0)
WIL 11 (+1)
PER 10

Durability: 9/9/5/5
Move: sprint 20, run 12, walk 4, swim 4, easy swim 2
Action Check: 13/12/6/3
# Actions: 2
Last Resorts: 2

SKILLS:

STR Skills              Rank    Score       Die
Athletics                       [9/4/2]     +d4
Throw                      1    [10/5/2]    +d0

DEX Skills              Rank    Score        Die
Acrobatics                      [12/6/3]    +d4
Dodge                      1    [13/6/3]    +d0
Modern Ranged Weapons           [12/6/3]    +d4
Pistol                     1    [13/6/3]    +d0
SMG                        1    [13/6/3]    +d0
Vehicle Operation               [12/6/3]    +d4
Space Vehicle: Space       1    [13/6/3]    +d0

CON Skills              Rank    Score        Die
Movement                        [4/2/1]     +d4
Stamina                         [9/4/2]     +d4
Survival                        [4/2/1]     +d4

INT Skills              Rank    Score        Die
Business                        [9/4/2]     +d4
Illicit business           1    [10/5/2]    +d0
Computer Science                [4/2/1]     +d4
Demolitions                     [4/2/1]     +d4
Knowledge                       [9/4/2]     +d4
Law                             [4/2/1]     +d4
Life Science                    [4/2/1]     +d4
Medical Science                 [4/2/1]     +d4
Navigation                      [9/4/2]     +d4
System Astrogation         1    [10/5/2]    +d0
Physical Science                [4/2/1]     +d4
Security                        [4/2/1]     +d4
System Operation                [9/4/2]     +d4
Weapons                    1    [10/5/2]    +d0
Tactics                         [4/2/1]     +d4
Technical Science               [4/2/1]     +d4

WIL Skills              Rank    Score        Die
Administration                  [5/2/1]     +d4
Animal Handling                 [5/2/1]     +d4
Awareness                       [11/5/2]    +d4
Intuition                  1    [12/6/3]    +d0
Perception                 1    [12/6/3]    +d0
Creativity                      [5/2/1]     +d4
Investigate                     [5/2/1]     +d4
Resolve                         [5/2/1]     +d4
Street Smart                    [5/2/1]     +d4
Teach                           [5/2/1]     +d4

PER Skills              Rank    Score        Die
Culture                         [5/2/1]     +d4
Deception                       [10/5/2]    +d4
Bluff                      1    [11/5/2]    +d0
Gamble                     1    [11/5/2]    +d0
Entertainment                   [5/2/1]     +d4
Interaction                     [10/5/2]    +d4
Bargain                    1    [11/5/2]    +d0
Leadership                      [5/2/1]     +d4

PERKS/FLAWS:
Perks:
Reputation (+3): Chase is known for fair dealings, for keeping her word, and being cutthroat only in the context of a card game. If she makes a deal with you, she'll go out of her way to keep up her end of it. She may be a pirate, a smuggler, and an unrepentant outlaw where the Concord is concerned, but a body's got to have decent manners to succeed in business. If crossed, though... Well, just pray she doesn't promise to do something unpleasant as a consequence.

Flaws:
Code of Honor (-3): There are some things Chase won't do, even if most anything else is fair game, but a smuggler with a conscience is going to have a rough time of it.
Infamy (-2): Ahem. "Piiiraaaate." Sure, she can call herself a "corsair," or an "entrepreneur," or any number of other fancy things, but no matter how she dresses it up, the Captain of the Esperanza is a criminal in the eyes of the Union and most decent folk, and she knows it. (And so do they.)
Powerful Enemy (-2):
Between the ship's notoriety and the crew's collective shenanigans, Chase has gotten under the skin of more than one Concord official, syndicate bigwig, or bandit leader. Not all of them have forgotten it.

Temper (-2): When something threatens the Esperanza, the normally affable Captain is replaced by a grim, fiery-eyed doppelganger who deals with the problem in the most direct way possible. Usually, an utterly earnest threat's all that's needed, and that's as far as it goes.

,,

Gear: TBD

,,

Chase's History:

,,

Top Secret

We're no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do I
A full commitment's what I'm thinking of
You wouldn't get this from any other guy

I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Gotta make you understand

Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

We've known each other for so long
Your heart's been aching, but
You're too shy to say it
Inside, we both know what's been going on
We know the game and we're gonna play it

And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Don't tell me you're too blind to see

Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

(Still in progress)

,,

Birth Name: Elliot Kane
Profession/Career: Doctor/Ladies' Man
Legal Status: Unknown
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Unknown
Concept: Down-on-his-luck Wandering Doc/Gambling Man/Womanizer
Attributes (Motivation/Morality/Traits):

Level: 1

STR 9 (+0)
DEX 10 (+0)
CON 9
INT 12 (+1)
WIL 8 (+0)
PER 12

Durability: 9/9/4/4
Move: sprint 18, run 12, walk 4, swim 4, easy swim 2
Action Check: 13/12/6/3
# Actions: 2
Last Resorts: 2

SKILLS:
-STR-
Athletics [9/4/2]
Unarmed Attack [9/4/2]
Brawl 1 [10/5/2]

-DEX-
Ranged Weapons [10/5/2]
Pistol 1 [11/5/2]
Vehicle Operations [11/5/2]

-CON-
Stamina [12/6/6]

-INT-
Knowledge [12/6/3]
Medical Science [12/6/3]
Forensics 1 [13/6/3]
Medical Knowledge 3 [15/7/3]
Surgery 3 [15/7/3]
Treatment 3 [15/7/3]

-WIL-
Awareness [8/4/2]

-PER-
Deception [12/6/3]
Gamble 1 [13/6/3]
Interaction [8/4/2]
Charm 3 [15/7/3]
Seduce 2 [14/7/3]

PERKS/FLAWS:
Perks:
Great Looks (3)

Flaws:
Clueless (Gambling) (+2)
Powerful Enemy (Underworld Bookie) (+4)
Temper (Loss of his medical career) (+2)

CYBERWARE:
None

ARMOR:
None

WEAPONS:
Unarmed (Brawl): Acc (+0); LI/O; d4s/d4+1s/d4+2s; Actions (4)

10mm Semi-Auto Pistol: Acc (0); Mode (F); Range [6/12/40]; HI/O; d4+1w/d4+2w/d4+1m; Actions (3); Clip (9); Hide (+2); Mass (1)

GEAR:
Expensive Casual Clothes (Wardrobe)
Expensive Formal Suit (1 outfit)
Wallet
Holster
MedCare One First Aid Kit (3 uses)
Surgical Kit (1 use, then must be refilled for $250)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...