Desert Raiders: Steampunk in the Sands (OoC - Always Open!)

[Kare]

THE IC THREAD


Summary:

In a steampunk world threatened by war, trains rocket across a desert to bring vital equipment and materials to a vicious, volatile nation. Your mission is to distract, de-rail, destroy, steal from, stop or anything – just don't let those supplies reach their destinations. This thread is under construction, and information may be changed as I iron out the creases. I'll probably flag up if anything's been edited. This RP will always be open to new characters and new players. It looks like there's loads of stuff you need to know, but most of it's there for reference. If you're interested, don't be intimidated. Everybody here is lovely, especially me, and, if you feel confused or put off by anything, talk to me, and hopefully, we can sort it out.

The Basics:

So, we are the members of the Kolibra, romping about a desert and de-railing trains. Sound fun? Good. When this kicks off, I'll have the tip-off issue the captain with a few missions, and we'll see where we go from there. If we as a group decide a long-term plot is what we need, then that is what I shall develop. If anybody has any ideas for missions or plots, again, talk to me. Communication is awesome.

The Rules:

1. Have fun! That's what it's all about.
2. Talk to me! There's no such thing as a stupid question, and no such thing as a bad idea. Unsure? Ask. Creative? Tell.
3. This is the advanced section. A few mistakes are okay, but I'm expecting a decent para or two minimum per post, and grammatical accuracy is a must.
4. Play nice! Be nice, happy, friendly people.
5. Powerplaying and GMing – obviously no. A little bit of bunnying (carrying another player's character along with your character's actions, within reason) is probably acceptable, but be respectful.
6. Please be active! I don't expect people to post every day, but definitely be about in this OoC thread so we know where you are. If you vanish, and the plot stalls, I will powerplay your character to keep the plot going. They may even be killed off.
7. Please make sure you read one anothers' posts and character sheets, to avoid IC contradictions.

New Characters:

I love adding new characters. It spices up the plot and keeps players' interest - it keeps the whole thing from going stale. That's why the RP will never be closed to new players.
If you're a new player and want to get stuck in, submit a sheet. I'll do summaries of chapters that have passed - I won't expect you to trawl through the whole IC. If the RP is underway, I'll probably want to talk to you about your character's role and whatnot, and you will, of course, probably need to wait for a decent opportunity to actually get your character into play.
If you're a current player, and would like to swap out your character for a new one, let me know. It won't be hard to arrange the plot to kill off a character or have them leave in some way, and adding in a new character should be pretty easy, too.

Mir is a continent with many nations. Tanrika, on the far East of Mir, has been getting greedy. Through political maneouvers, the smaller nations around Tanrika have been swallowed into its empire, and she's hungry for more. She is rapidly arming herself and building up her armies. Soon, she will be unstoppable. There are four more nations on Mir; Kandinia and Ekosa both openly criticise Tanrika's behaviour, but know that if things continue, they will be powerless to stop her expansion. Fraycia is hedging her bets, but has started to believe it would be best to start an informal alliance with Tanrika, and is supplying her with the natural deposits of iron and coal of which Fraycia has so many. However, Fraycia is on almost the other side of Mir, and needs to go through either Kandinia, Ekosa, or the final nation, Jenvia. Going through Jenvia is technically the longer way round, but the least opposed. A huge country, Jenvia has very little government or anything, really. It is basically a wasteland with a selection of shanty-towns that nobody else wants, due to how ridiculously impractical it would be to invade. However, Fraycia and Tanrika have, between them, set up an elaborate rail network to rapidly transfer Fraycia's ores to Tanrika, where they will be manufacted into weaponry.



This map shows the continent of Mir, and the five nations upon it. As you can see, Fraycia must transport its goods a long way to reach Tanrika. At first they were generally shipped through the Kandor Sea to the east of Kandinia - needless to say, these ships were easily lost and expensive to replace, what with Kandinia's powerful navy. As a result, the trains across Jenvia, using complex networks, were incredibly hard to trace, predict, and, what with Jenvia's complete ambivalance to the war and non-existent military, woul be, in theory, almost entirely unopposed. With Jenvia being a largely desertous wasteland, any organised military would easily get swallowed up by the landscape, while the trains could simply go around any obstacles. The tracks, made entirely of an almost indestructable alloy named Alloy S.D. 453. In one huge effort, and thanks to cooperation from Jenvian land-owners, this network was erected in just under a year. Some trains reach Tanrika by the route to the West of Ekosa, others go the longer, but safer, way to Grantsport in the West of Jenvia, before the materials are shipped just a little way South to their destination: Tanrika.

The privateer group known as the Kolibra currently operate in the area I have marked with a purple circle. This region is called The Kranor Valley. The largest city there is, appropriately, named Kranor. It is not massive, but is reasonably large and affluent by Jenvia's own standards.

The 'cash' people carry takes the form of small metal batons (called 'Bits'). These bits are coated with a very thin layer of Alloy S.D. 453, with notches cut into them (like the gradient on a ruler) relative to the worth of the bit. A smaller baton with five notches is worth five 'meixe', one with ten is worth ten. These smaller bits(pocket money) would be about half the size of your little finger, and have the value of them etched on as a numeral. Bits of the following values (5M, 10M, 20M, 50M, 100M, and 500M) exist in this size. Most people don't need to look at a bit to know its value, and are simply used to the feel of the notches on their fingers - 5M Bits feel very different to 10M bits.
Of course, for big money lots and lots of 100-meixe bits are very inconvenient - as a result, larger bits (often known as Full-bits), about the size of your first finger, are also in circulation. They are exactly the same - they are just larger, to allow for more notches. They exist in sizes of 10,000M and 20,000M.
These bits are a relatively new (20 years old) Jenvian currency. Older coins were previously melted down by civilians for their constituent parts, and forgery was rife. Bits, while containing the valuable Alloy S.D. 453, contain a minute amount as a coating. Because this surface is so hard, a notch costs more than 1M to install (to those without specialist equipment). As a result, the bits have no value apart from as currency, and it's almost impossible to forge them fraudulently. They are named after the man, Marius Meix, who invented them.
They are Jenvia-only currency, with Fraycia, Ekosa, Kandinia and Tanria all using the Universal Credit (metal discs, more traditional coins). As one can imagine, the UC is much stronger than the Meixe. 1 UC is worth approximately 78M. The actual value of Meixe depends greatly on where one is in Jenvia.

For Kandinia and Ekosa, military operations to de-rail the trains are not an option. Mountain ranges and the harsh terrain make it extremely impractical. The rail itself is well-defended, and made from almost indestructable alloys. The trains themselves, though? Now, they all have bounties on them. Privateers, sometimes called pirates, working on tips leaked by mysterious sources, rush the trains and stop them. Needless to say, the trains are well-armed, and it usually means breaking on-board and taking it apart from the inside. Once a train has been de-railed, a signal is sent out to groups called Scavengers, who swarm the wreckage and plunder from it. It's rarely up to privateers to dispose of the loot themselves – they may generously help themselves of course, but are paid mainly in bounties.
Fraycia and Tanrika have begun to cotton onto the actions of privateers, and has sent emissaries into the desert to hunt them.

This is a steampunk universe that hasn't quite made it to the skies yet. In Jenvia, however, methods of hovering have been developed as means of skimming over the brutal terrain; aptly named skimmers. These are circular vehicles, with, usually, no roof. With the use of steam-powered-propellers, skimmers can hover and move very quickly across the desert. Unfortunately, they are usually thrown together from scraps, and so are hugely unreliable and unpredictable. They vary wildly, but privateers generally equip their skimmers with a cannon or two, but they usually can't be heavily armed, because they cannot hold too much weight.

This is a steampunk world, and so all non-melee weapons are powered by steam or pressurised air. In urban areas, tanks and heavy weapons are being developed, but in Jenvia, such technology is not appropriate. Below is a list of equipment, including weapons that one might find in Jenvia. Not only do privateers use them, but also foreign emissaries and guards on the trains.

Melee Weapons: Because of the trains' (and their guards') generally plated armour, melee weapons like hammers or large sturdy wrenches are more effective than
Cannister: a metal silo, between one and two feet tall and about half a foot in circumference. They are usually strapped to the back. These are used as fuel for small steam-powered devices, such as hand-cannons and arm cannons, to which they connect by pipes. Such pipes may emerge from either the top or bottom of the silo. They contain a finite amount of pressurised air, which will immediately and violently escape if the cannister is punctured.
Spare: a huge cannister, very heavy, which can be brought on a raid to refuel other team members' cannisters in moments of rest. It too has a finite supply of pressure, but obviously much more.
Boiler: a large cannister-like object which does not contain prepared steam. Instead, it has a lever, which, when cranked, compresses the air inside. This air can be used directly from the generator, or transferred to a cannister in order to replenish it. Generators are very bulky, and take a lot of effort to actually operate. “Boiler” is technically a misnomer (since they don't boil anything), but it's what they've become known as. There'll definitely be one or two boilers on a Skimmer, but they aren't often taken on raids.
Hand-Cannon: a small, revolver-sized (and shaped) cannon, connect to, usually, a cannister. They may or may not have a cylinder, but those that do tend to be weaker, because cylinders tend to reduce air-tightness. They generally fire tiny steel spheres called shots, which are directly inserted down the barrel. The trigger connects the barrel to the pressurised cannister, which accelerates the shot. A good choice for those with keen eyes and a steady hand – they're not loaded with firepower, but they can incapacitate somebody if you're accurate.
Arm-Cannon: a larger cannon, which is generally bound to the forearm for carrying convenience. They generally don't have a handle of any kind, and are simply a cylinder, with a barrel. Instead of the tiny shots, arm-cannons fire a broader range of ammo, usually scraps of metal that have just been found. Arm-cannons are simpler to make and use, sturdier, more powerful, and easier to reload, but they are bulky and extremely inconvenient as a result, as well as slower to reload. They may be strapped to one's back for convenience, but they take a long time to set up. The barrel, which often extends beyond the arm, can be used as a crude melee weapon and battering ram. They are loaded through a hatch in the barrel. Cranking a small lever connects the barrel to the cannister, just like the hand-cannon. A good choice for somebody that doesn't really have to aim, but just needs to break stuff.
Psychic Set: a headset worn on, funnily enough, the head. These vary hugely, and the only thing consistent with them is that they connect to the earlobe, and hold sensors around the head – usually in front of the forehead, but more intricate sets will have sensors all over the head. Psychic sets register and amplify beta waves coming from the brain, which can be used in conjuction with other pieces of kit. Other nearby humans will cause interference with psychic sets, especially if they are also wearing sets. Because other people disrupt the sensors, these are largely unheard of outside Jenvia. Bulkier sets may be robust – more stripped-back sets will be flimsy.
Comm Set: a second kind of psychic headset, also powered in the same way. However, it requires much less concentration to use, and can generally be operated whenever. It's also much harder to disrupt a comm set, since they don't need so much beta input. They connect to other sets psychically, and use earpieces and mouthpieces to enable communication over distances of up to one hundred metres. The sets usually use the wearers' subconscious to decide whether or not to connect incoming communications. Pretty much everybody involved in this RP will use one.
Gauntlet: heavy, metal gloves that are generally very restrictive on the wearer. They connect to psychic sets with electrical wires, and can directly expel the beta waves in such a way that the user can direct them to move objects: ie, telekinesis. It takes a lot of concentration to use them, and pain or sensory overloads will quickly shut it down. Generally, people only use one glove because they can't easily be removed and will likely stop the user actually holding anything. They are generally pretty tough and punching an enemy with them will hurt (both of you) pretty badly. They are one of the more effective means of operating a boiler's lever. Their range is generally about fifteen metres.
Broadcaster: a small handheld device resembling a science fiction laser gun. Generally it has a handle with a trigger that is pulled to operate the device. Its 'barrel' is usually snubby with a little blunt point and often a small revolving node on the end. A metal ring, between a third and half a foot in diameter is usually attached to this node by two chains at opposing ends of the ring. Normally the ring hangs limply, but it rises to the chains' full length and spins to show when the device is operational. Like the gauntlets, the broadcaster is attached to a psychic set, and intense concentration is required to use the device. What does it do? The broadcaster connects to psychic and comm sets that it is pointed at, and can interact directly with the target's brain. Essentially, the broadcaster enables telepathy – the user can read the target's thoughts, suggest or implant ideas, and, if the user is extremely strong, directly override the target's brain and control their body directly. Targets with psychic sets are more susceptible to broadcasting because they have more wave-sensors. They can have a range of up to thirty metres, but take a fair bit more focus than a gauntlet to operate. Works like a dream (pun intended) on unconscious targets, and direct control is usually pretty easy. Targets equipped with Disrupters may be able to activate them subconsciously, but the general resistance levels will be very very low.
Goggles: there's a lot of sand in the desert, which is whipped up by the Kolibra if nothing else. Bring goggles.
Eye Set: usually integrated into goggles in some way, they are powered psychically. They may be connected to psychic sets, but they don't take much power to operate, so can be powered by their own sensors if a psychic set is unavailable or undesirable. Eye sets consist of a series of lenses that are lowered over one or both eyes to affect what the wearer sees: magnification is a common choice for those toting cannons, but there are other variations, including ones that pick up sensors through walls and over distances, alerting the user to anybody present.
Wires: connected to the psychic set. In theory, any part of one's equipment can be psychically-automated if you've got the skills to do it. However, it does mean that a wirejacker can hi-jack these wires to shut down your equipment - or take control of it.
Wirejacks: similar to the broadcaster in operation and appearance. Instead of going for the target's brain, however, the jammer instead targets wires and devices involved in psychic, comm, and eye sets. They can cause such devices to malfunction, or shut them down entirely. In extreme cases, they can hi-jack wire-based technology entirely; putting automated pieces of equipment on a kind of manual override. This can be very dangerous, and lead to hacking into a whole team's communications system and even take over heavily-automated battlesuits. Equally as dangerously, they can jam and prevent disrupters from operating properly - exposing victims to broadcasters. Recovery time for any of these devices varies, but disrupters are often heavily affected, and can take up to ten minutes to become operational again.
Disrupters: usually attached to head-gear of some kind. These resemble sensors, but essentially do the opposite job: they jam brain signals, coming in and out. It is the only true protection against broadcasting and wirejacking. If one suspects their set is being hacked in anyway, they simply need to will the disrupters to become operational, which will jam all signals, and prevent broadcasting or wirejacking (almost) entirely. Absolutely vital, especially for those with lots of, or strong, psychic sensors.
Head Piece: for those with many sets. This is just the term for disrupters and sets that are combined into one larger set to increase efficiency of the sets themselves, to defend them, and to keep annoying wires and bits of tech all in one place. Generally a good idea. They may also incorporate goggles. The head piece may well be incorporated into or onto a hat of some kind for comfort.
Clothes: fabrics that one wears. Obviously. Comfort, support, and practicality are key. Consider other pieces of equipment you will be wearing – buckles and straps are good for holding things, particularly cannisters and generators. It's best not to have to ferret through a bag, so pouches and pockets for smaller items are good choices. Remember you'll be running around trains, climbing on and off the Kolibra, and, you know, fighting in a desert; fancy dresses and dapper suits probably aren't good choices. For the ladies, traditional corsets aren't a great choice, but they may be adapted to keep buxom parts of the anatomy under control. Everybody should wear boots. Hats aren't obstructive, and are often integrated into head-pieces, but may well fall off in the high winds of the desert, so it may be best to keep them attached or weighted in some way. This is set in some slightly antiquated world, though, so there a certain element of smartness and propriety is expected from everybody. Practicality comes first, but nobody likes a slob.
Armour: for wimps. You will be fighting, but, in this job, speed is probably more important than defence. It's usually about getting the first strike in, and cumbersome metal worn on the body will slow you down, and, frankly, weigh down the Kolibra, and we can't have that. Leather may be a good choice to cushion blows, but armour plates should only be used in extremis. Non-privateers, such as the guards of trains, will be much more inclined to use armour, though, so, beware.


Tips:
Waste nothing. Everything is expensive, and hard to get one's hands on in Jenvia. This is true of electrical wires, rubber pipes, and even scrap metal. It can all be used, so don't just throw anything away.
Two psychic tools can't be used simultaneously by the same person.
Everything breaks! Be prepared.

The Kolibra refers to two things: one particular Skimmer, and the crew that pilots it. They are a group of privateers hunting trains and trying to bring them down just like anybody else. The difference is, this is us. The vessel is owned by its pilot, an odd young man named Larry, who is technically the boss of the whole outfit. However, a complete lack of natural leadership skills means that he actually operates under a surrogate captain.



The abomination you are looking at is the Kolibra. Its structure is typical of its type, being originally a Skimmer used for quick transport around the farm from which it was stolen, but it has since been adapted, of course, to better suit the privateers' needs. The basic chassis is made of heavily reinforced steel and bronze - new plates of metal are regularly added to the ring as the tolls of raiding and the abrasive desert generally wear away at the surface.
On the underside of the circular body is a hemisphere cage of sorts, containing bars not particularly close together - this is to contain the propellor, and stop crew members from getting caught in it by mistake. Both propellor and bars are made of very very strong stuff, and very rarely need to be replaced as a result - the cage, due to its shape and strength, is easily strong enough to support the whole Kolibra. With the help of a few stabalizing struts, that's exactly what it does when 'parked'. The propellor is angled gently by the pilot at the control panel (the odd grey box, in the diagram) and propels the Kolibra up off the ground and forward, whichever way forward is; an advantage of this analogue Skimmer is that any direction is forward, allowing for easy maneouvers in the hands of a skilled pilot.
The Kolibra packs a proper actual steam engine on one side, which the engineer or the pilot stokes with fuel. The inside of the chassis is a complex network of pipes for the pressure - obviously, the majority of these pipes lead to the propellor, but the Kolibra is littered with ports that most pressure-powered devices and gadgets can be connected to. Three very heavy-duty arm cannons that would be very impractical to take on missions are left on-board the Kolibra at all times, and give the old girl a decent bit of bite. They are usually balanced on the ring-ledge for stability.
The centre of the Kolibra is an oddly comfortable affair - Larry has scavanged a selection of old chairs, and nailed them to the floor with springs and bolts. While other privateers normally stand, the crew of the Kolibra may lounge in relative comfort until they engage the target. The floor, meanwhile, is a bit of a facade: the true floor of the Kolibra is three feet lower than what the crew stands on. What they actually stand on is an impressive storage system built and devised by Larry himself. It is built of what amounts to lots of light but strong metal crates, which can be lifted out of the floor by handles. Said crates generally hold the crew's smaller pieces of equipment while on raids, and also Larry's spare gear (a small arsenal, frankly) - they can be locked, and as are safe to leave in the Kolibra overnight.
While Skimmers generally have no rooves or covering of any time, Larry is a man of practicality, and the Kolibra yields to his will: he keeps a huge canvas sheet in the storage compartments, which can be thrown over the whole vehicle and secured to the outside to make a makeshift tent. This is Larry's home, and he extends this hospitality to all the members of the crew.

Captain: De-facto leader. Plans the mission and issues orders to other members of the crew. Naturally. Is skilled all around the board, and will use equipment to make up for any deficiencies in the team. May well also fulfil other roles (except engineers or pilots). Communication is key - taken by Kare
Pilot: Pilots the Kolibra. Does not actually participate in raids, keeping the Skimmer moving alongside the train for evacuation. In constant contact with captain during raids, alerting them to emissaries or anything else closing in. Also signals for scavengers to begin plundering. Second-in-command – NPC, played by Kare.
Back-Heavy (BH): Carries stuff, usually including a spare, or a few extra normal cannisters, as well as some heavy tools like wrenches and hammers. Probably a man, he'll need to be pretty bulky, and is basically the team's donkey. Generally, a BH is equipped with either an arm-cannon, as a weapon that is easy to operate that doesn't need to be aimed precisely, or a gauntlet, which is probably a bit more defensive – keeping guards at bay. If you need something, go to the BH. He will have ammunition, tools, weapons, and can refuel you if you're out.
Hand-Heavy (HH): Complements the Back-Heavy, and almost always stays with him during a raid. Since the BH usually has his hands full, and is such a tank that it would be impractical for him to actually use any of his equipment, the HH does this for him. Often this takes the form of retrieving and replacing whatever gear is needed – directly off the BH's body. For this reason, the HH needs to have their hands free at all times, and to be carrying as little as possible. They may have access to a hand-cannon attached to the BH, a broadcaster, and may well use some small weapon like a knife. On some missions, power-tools (as of yet undisclosed – think chainsaws, or full-sized cannons) may be necessary. In such a scenario, it is impractical for a BH to both carry the fuel needed for them and to use them at the same time – in this case, the HH will set them up and operate them. The BH will still carry them, though.
Engineer: Somebody with the savvy to break the train as effectively as possible, and, off raids, will generally assist and answer to the pilot. More than one engineer may be a plus. They may well make use of a melee weapon or maybe a hand-cannon. However, they can't have their hands full as, if the plan is to reach the engine itself and shut that down (usually integral to a raid), they will need not to be burdened with bulky kit. Probably the most fundamentally important members of the crew, as the people best equipped to actually break the train.
Marksmen: Eye-sets and hand-cannons, going for key parts of the target's body, but often the fire-power is only enough to damage their equipment, like breaking pipes, damaging electrical wires or destroying disrupters or sensors. Aim and analysis is crucial. They don't need to be particularly quick, and so can carry a reasonable amount of stuff.
Bruiser: Here, have a hammer. Smash things. May swap out for an arm-cannon from the BH if necessary. These two weapons are great for smashing through armour. That is all. Needs to keep light, if melee-oriented.
Psycher: The only member of the team that really needs a broadcaster. Their job is to scan to see where guards are, and often manipulate them so that they can be ambushed. If luck has it, they may even be able to influence guards to make mistakes or control them entirely. Probably equipped with a wirejack, too.
Brain: As the name would imply, the subtle member of the team. They usually have a complicated eye-piece to divine lots of information, and relay the information to the captain. In particular, it is the brain's job to work out how many guards they are facing on the train and to find out what equipment the team may face. Otherwise acts as an auxiliary to the psycher, using, particularly, a wirejack or gauntlet. May double up as the HH.

Tip-off: A secret figure that does not operate on board the Kolibra, but issues the captain missions and gives them information about the targets. NPC, played (if necessary) by Kare.

This is a general guide for the forms I expect a team to take on-board.

Please fill out this form if you'd like to join up! Interesting, varied characters are a must. Brooders will be viewed with supreme suspicion.

Name:
Age:
Gender:
Post: What do you do on The Kolibra? Please refer to The Team section, and don't invent a role without discussing it with me first.
Headshot: A realistic photograph or drawing of your character, including the head and neck only. In spoilers, if you'd be so kind.
Appearance: Written description of your character's bodily appearance, including information from the headshot. You can mention relevant information about equipment, weaponry, or clothes, but it also belongs in the set-up section below.
Equipment: a straight-forward list of everything you usually use while on a raid, with relevant details about functionality. Physical descriptions and details about weapons or tools working in conjunction should be reserved for the following section:
Setup: While on a raid, what you wear, what you carry, and what you use. Feel free to go to town on descriptions. If you would like to use a hyperlink to a source picture, do so, but only embedded into a descriptive paragraph.
Other proficiencies:
Personality: How you behave. Detail is good, here.
Background: I haven't given too much information about Mir, so feel free to invent your own locations, locales, traditions, anything. Please make sure you explain how you came to be working on the Kolibra.
Motive: Explain, in ten words or fewer, why you have become a privateer

Current Team:


Skip: Captain

The congenial, hot-headed captain of the Kolibra.
He has been privateering for as long as the trains have been running, and pulls double-duty on any roles that aren't being filled.
His right eye has been replaced by a rather gruesome machine.



Henry Butcher - Kare




Larry: Pilot

The Kolibra is piloted, owned and run by Larry, who doesn't have the social skills to captain the team.
Apparently lacking any emotions or personality, he almost always wears a heavy face-mask.



Laurence Barkley - Kare




Lenore: Engineer / Hand-Heavy

The Kolibra's engineer has a secret: she built the trains she's now working so hard to tear apart.
A newcomer to the whole enterprise, she keeps her feelings of guilt hidden behind an upbeat exterior.



Eleanor Baines - Catherine





Karl: Bruiser

The brutal-looking bruiser is not the barbarian he appears to be. Strong, sure, but psycho, no.
Despite the nature of his work, he tries to keep things at least a little bit civilised.



Karl Shanks - Sir Beowulf




Fickle Lil: Psycher

The Kolibra's resident psycher is the young, but promising, Fickle Lil.
She had a rough start to life, and privateering keeps her from being locked to a life of shanty-town backstreets.
On the surface, she is as vivacious as they come - underneath, there are darker layers of her mind.



Lilith Stone - februari



Rick: Marksman

The Kolibra's marksman came to the team after the disastrous dissolution of his own.
Rick works with the others only out of necessity - not that you'd know.
He's effortlessly charming, but focussed on his own ends.



Richard Howell - SDando12




James: Brain

The quiet, contemplative Brain of the team, James has spent half of his life in Tanrika.
Reserved and principled, he wants to prevent a war with Tanrika for personal, as well as moral, reasons.



James Milt - Sobriquet





Former Team-Members

Doc: former Psycher / Medic

Having become rather wealthy on the Kolibra, Doc left the team on good terms following a decline in his health.
When the team needs serious medical treatment or an extremely complex set designed, they petition for his help.
A close friend of the captain's, he built his eye set and designed the rest of his psychic set, too.



Bartholomew Hewitt - NPC

Mission One:

On line #37 in The Kranor Valley, cargo train registered as HYG-10034 will be passing through in twenty-four hours' time. The rails here are among the oldest in Jenvia, and are due to be reinforced in twenty hours' time. They're cutting it fine in an attempt to throw us off the scent. Your mission is to prevent the engineers from completing their work. Needless to say, they will probably have an escort.
With line #37 de-commissioned, HYG-10034 will either continue and de-rail itself, or be forced to stop - vulnerable.

Your objective is to neutralise the train's defences, expose it, and notify local scavengers.
Reward: 720,850 M.

[Closet Nerd]

Speaking of you...totally think you should play a badass cowboy steamborg (because steamorg, the proper shorthand, looks stupid).

If by 'you' you mean me then that's sort of what I'm doing. I'll have him be slightly engineer so he would be able to properly operate his equipment, so that'll take away from the cowboy a bit. And the only 'borg' part of him will be his prosthetic hand and maybe some sort of breathing mask if I can think of an injury that would have need of one.

[Catherine]

A couple alternatives (that I can easily edit) to the picture I asked about before: Option 1 and Option 2. Can crop either, or edit colors or whatever. I'll let you pick, though I think I may be leaning more toward option 2, I think. For now. Opinion may change.

And I didn't mean you, CN. I meant the person who had their title as "Badass Cowboy Cyborg" (think that was the order).

Anyway, thinking part engineer, part Hand-Heavy. Leather (possibly studded leather) sleeves, but very likely no armor otherwise. Maybe a leather breastplate. Which would essentially amount to a leather bra. She'd be wearing other clothes, too, obviously. I like my characters covered up.

[Kare]

Either is good if you can crop them a little bit to be a bit more headshot-ty.
I nearly choked when you said 'leather bra'! Then unchoked when you mentioned other clothes. Trying to imagine somebody basically nude in a desert travelling at high speeds in what basically amounts to a flying convertible... hmm. :P

[Catherine]

Have another alternative, if I can find this model in a pose that doesn't involve her on the floor on her stomach. Not enough black people in these RPs (there are more transgender people than black people in one I'm in and I'd try to fix that if I didn't already have like 10 characters in that RP) and she's...wait...I just remembered seeing one of her standing. Why did I not save it? Oh. Yeah. Hand on her chin. Covering like half her face.

Still looking in other words. This part usually takes the longest for me. >< Stupid perfectionist instincts. Actually...will take second longest. Name will take the longest.

Final image (I think):

(Though tempted to change the hair, unless you tell me not to)

[Kare]

Both have been a bit of a pain for me, too! (Grumble grumble)
The headshot doesn't need to be steampunk, though. It's just what your character looks like - with your appearance section, you can iron out any differences (hair, any visible clothes, even facial expression) to make life easier.

[Catherine]

Name: Eleanor Baines
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Post: Part engineer, part hand-heavy.
Appearance:

She mostly looks like the picture, except with bright auburn hair with a slight wave. She's rather small in stature, at only 5'1" and 128 lbs, with well-toned, but nearly invisible muscles. Over her chest is a shaped, padded leather breastplate, and her arms have separate studded leather sleeves. She has a legionnaire-esque skirt over studded leather leg...sleeves. Her knees and elbows are still vulnerable, as they're uncovered save for a layer of thick cloth. She has some level of femininity, however, demonstrated with the lace trim on the edges of all the leather, and the short petticoats under her skirt. Underneath the breastplate, and slightly into the skirt, is a white blouse, boned somewhat like a corset, and fitted very well, while still allowing movement. She wears her goggles almost all the time, though unless she's using their lenses, she keeps them on the top of head. While the skimmer is moving, or while she's sabotaging trains, her mouth and nose are covered with a heavy cloth bandana. All leather is dark brown, and all cloth save for the bandana is white. The bandana is brown, as well. All metal is, obviously, brass.

Goggles, Bandana, Revolver Hand-Cannon, Eye Set, Narrow Blade, Flight Boots, Wrench, Hammer

Setup: While her goggles aren't necessarily very complex on their own, they do have some extra lenses, mainly for short-range magnification to better see up close for fine manipulation of small gears. They're purely mechanical in nature, however, with her needing to manually raise and lower them. When not in use, they can pivot to be parallel to the outside of the goggles. Her hand cannon doesn't have much power, as it relies on its mini-canisters fitted into its (albeit very large for a revolver) 5-chambered cylinder. Each chamber also contains a shot (making the weapon dangerous to reload once each is re-pressurized). The holster is strapped to her leg on the bottom and waist on top. The trigger is protected from misfires most of the time, but it can still happen if a canister bursts. She tries not to use the gun if she has access to a back-heavy's arm-cannon, even if it's more convenient, more accurate, less dangerous to load, and less painful for her to fire given her small size. The narrow blade she keeps in her left leather sleeve is hidden, but easy to access, and is nearly a foot long from the base of the handle to the tip; roughly the length of her lower arm. She wears flight boots that let her jump from the Kolibra to the trains and back. They're heavy, but don't impede her movement as much as one would expect. The name is slightly misleading, as they don't allow flight. They activate as she jumps, and send bursts of pressurized air to launch her and aid in the jump. They're usually only good for two jumps (one with each foot), so she has to be careful when she's moving through and across the trains. She keeps her wrench and hammer hanging on the opposite side of her body as her revolver, in a similar holster-like leather pouch.

Other Proficiencies: While it's expected of her to be a competent engineer, she's also pretty good with arm-cannons and other guns. Despite only having needed them fairly recently, she's also quite competent with her flight boots. One might go as far as to say she's actually better with them than without them at this point. She'd definitely say it.

Personality: Cheerful, but not overly active. She tends to not show it as strongly as she feels it. She's also particularly curious, insofar as to join a pirate gang and play with machines. In most situations, she'd much prefer not to hurt anyone, but if they shoot first, out come the guns. She rather enjoys bloodshed if she feels it's justified. Despite her background, she'd never actually been on a moving train before joining the Kolibra, but tries to keep that a secret, as it's likely the only reason they took her in. She doesn't speak while on trains, not because she sounds terrified, but because she doesn't want to get recognized by anyone on the trains. On a quick note, she also prefers to be called Lenore, but doesn't force the issue. She thinks the E at the beginning makes her sound soft. She feels tremendously guilty for designing and building the trains so well. She keeps where she worked a secret from the rest, though. For now.

Background: Born in Ilten, one of the many villages of Jenvia, and her region-specific accent is still thick. She left for Tanrika when she was sixteen to study engineering at the best university in the country. This led to her designing and helping build trains in Tanrika for the last 4 years, but left a few months ago when she found out what the trains were to be used for. She thinks of herself as one of the few Tanrikans not to fall for all the propaganda, and believes strongly that being raised in Jenvia, with such a strong culture of questioning all outsiders, had something to do with that. She still considered herself Jenvian, first and foremost, after all.

That isn't to say she doesn't trust anyone, just that she questions their motives. She did so immediately with the Kolibra. Originally she had only heard of a skimmer that needed another engineer. But then she found out about its main purpose. Once she found out the reason and who they were, she felt morally compelled to help. She believed Jenvia would get pulled into the war somehow if one were to start, if they weren't crushed immediately. She still isn't completely used to riding on the Kolibra yet, and before she made her flight boots, she was prone to stumbling when landing on it. The problem was getting so bad that she designed the flight boots to make the jumps less awkward and dangerous, as well as to have a lower center of gravity so she wouldn't be as likely to fall during rides.

Motive: Redemption, even if only she knows.

[Kare]

Equipment: a list of stuff the character has on them that has a purpose. In Eleanor's case, you have mentioned she makes use of a bandana and goggles. You would list these in equipment, as well as any tools she may use or any part of her outfit that is intentionally worn for a practical function. Say she uses a hand cannon and carries a wrench and a cannister, they would all be listed there, just so that, at a glance, I, and other players, can work out what kind of heat you're packing.

The setup is the ensemble, in detail. How all the pieces work, and how they work together. What they look like, how your character uses them. Are there any finer details? For example, while 'Equipment' is just a list, 'Setup' should be an extensive description:

"Mr Example's headpiece is a complex affair, built into a top hat. From the brim of the top hat extends a few metal protusions with the sensors needed for the psychic set he makes use of. Three sensors hover symmetrically over his forehead, while two, extending from inside the top hat, down the back of his neck, and curl up behind his ears, where they clip to the lobes. All five of these sensors combine to create quite a powerful psychic set. The top hat actually has a leather dome on the inside for added protection, and this dome is directly connected to his brass goggles; that is to say, his goggles, his top hat, and his psychic set are all one item that can be adorned or removed in one go."
Hopefully that's a decent example of what I mean.

Other proficiencies are other stuff your character can do. I'm currently working out the pilot. Now, as the pilot, he has no need to fire a gun - which isn't to say he can't do it if he gets his hands on a hand cannon. This section is for other skills your character can use that they don't necessarily perform all that often. As much detail as you like.

If you don't want to go into mega-details, don't feel obliged to. But, hell, it's steampunk, and it's design and details that count, right?

[Catherine]

What are some examples of proficiencies, then? I can make them up better if I know what exactly qualifies as a proficiency.

[Kare]

If I put a gadget in Eleanor's hand that she doesn't normally use, and yet she doesn't need to be instructed in its operation to use it competently, then that is an Other Proficiency. In the example I gave, the pilot, whose equipment basically comes down to 'The Kolibra' and the clothes he's wearing, is still a competent marksman, even though most people have never seen him use a pistol. It's best to think what equipment Eleanor, in her role, is likely to use. Then, check the list of equipment for stuff she isn't likely use - mention any of it that you feel she should be competent with, even if she doesn't use it very often.