Skills: Par is good at negotiation and bargaining, but is best when operating technology both low and high. He can jury-rig vehicles, retrofit ships with advanced weaponry, and disarm explosives. Basically, anything to do with tech that isn't hacking or programming, Par can do well. Not merely that, but Par is also physically agile, able to run and move fast, as well as being moderately stealthy.
However, he does have flaws; Par does not have the strength and endurance for a prolonged engagement, nor the ability to handle weapons heavier than a sniper rifle, and when chased, can only outrace the enemy for a few minutes until he is forced to slow down. Basically, someone not fit for close combat.
Standard Equipment: Laser Pistol, Laser Sniper Rifle, Combat Knife, Omni-Tool, Repair Kit, First Aid Kit, Grenades, Money.
Bio: The son of Arthur and Miranda Rapids, the founders and current heads of the Guild of Free and Fair Trade, Par was born in safety and peace, but it was clear that he was not meant to grow 'soft' in safety and peace, and that while he would be taken care of, he was expected to give back to those who raised him, and do so honestly, as soon as possible. And, so, as soon as he can walk, Par began learning, not just academics, but also practical technology and the art of bargaining. Because of this, he was heading out on trading journeys with his parents and uncles by the age of 13, although he was still closely watched. At the age of 16, he was piloting his own ship, and two years later, he led his first expedition.
Now, at 19, Par is one of the Fleet Admirals of the Guild of Free and Fair Trade, and the designated heir to the Guild as a whole. However, his uncles have begun to complain that while Par's expeditions were bringing home enough profit to cover their costs, the boy himself was doing more than defend against the Sphinx Domination; he was actively sponsoring, even leading, various assaults on Sphinx assets and holdings, and was also arguing that the Guild needed to take a more active role in unifying the Sector, a thought that was anathema even to Par's parents, who, although good people, still hated the idea of losing profit in a bloody war. Par would, when confronted with such views, reply that:
"The Sphinx Domination is a threat to everyone who lives in the sector. They want to enslave us all, deprive us of our technology, and put us under their jackboot. They have to be destroyed, and we can do it. If we don't, there will be no profit in the long run, because then we won't exist, not as we are."
Even when people refused to listen, even when people didn't want to listen, Par continued on anyway, supporting mercenaries, smugglers, adventurers, anyone who can fight against the Sphinx, and even trying to reconcile with the other factions that contested control of the Eliza Sector...
Appearance: Alan Anderson is a black-haired, blue-eyed, and square-jawed man with a tall, commanding presence, and a facial set and nose that make him look regal. His build is well-muscled, not to the extent of a bodybuilder, but closer to that of a soldier, one with a lot of experience. Outside of battle, he prefers a black-and-white business suit, and in war, his face is obscured by his Power Armor (think Mass Effect, not Fallout), which in turn is immaculately clean, as well as painted in bright purple colors.
Starting Faction: Sphinx Domination
Skills: Alan Anderson is a brawler first and foremost, with immense strength and endurance only amplified by his armor. Able to hit fast, run fast, and dodge fast, he is also proficient in a wide variety of weapons both heavy and light, but prefers the former. However, he is also moderately skilled in military strategy and tactics, and also above average in charisma. However, his main weakness is that his charisma is limited to his own troops and those close to him, and he has a talent for uniting people against him, not a good long-term trait.
Standard Equipment: Power Armor, First Aid Kit, Assault Rifle, Shotgun, Combat Sword, Combat Knife, Grenades, Omni-Tool, Money.
Bio: Alan Anderson was born to the Royal Family of the Sphinx Domination, as the firstborn son and thus the heir to the throne. Lacking nothing in life, Alan learned to enjoy abusing his inferiors - mostly slaves and lesser nobles - from early on, and at the age of 15 to 16, had already fathered illegitimate children via unfortunate high-born ladies and low-born slaves. He also made sure that his younger brothers and sisters all met 'accidents', or were sent off to futile expeditions against the other factions, in order to ensure that he became the sole Emperor of the Sphinx Domination once he killed his parents as well. After he had done so, he began to prepare for the conquest of the rest of the Eliza Sector, only to find that he didn't have the strength to do so...yet.
Then, he was approached by a set of mysterious figures, part of an organization, nay, a force, that wanted to extend their influence into the Sector. If the Sphinx Domination gave his support to them, they would grant the Emperor technological power that he cannot even imagine.
When Alan responded that the entire point of the Sphinx Domination was that it was supposed to free Humanity from dependence on High Technology, the mysterious figures asked:
"Do you really believe that?" before promising him pleasure as well. That was when Alan resolved to listen, and what he heard was...enticing.
And so he resolved to aid these mysterious figures, for he knew this in his heart: that all ideals were useless except for Power and Pleasure, which are the only truths of life...
Name: Charles Harris Age: 42 Appearance: Starting Faction: The Guild of Free and Fair Trade Skills: Trade, command, strategy, computer engineering, novice martial arts Standard Equipment: Personal starship Bio: Born on New Amsterdam he started his own business as a young man, buying junk robots and rebuilding them. He eventually sold his company and invested the money in an off-world robotics manufacturer. When it was sold to a larger company ten years later he made a fortune, which he invested in building a mining and manufacturing colony in the Tyrias System.
He runs a mining operation in the Tyrias system, a place where a rouge planetoid hit a Mars sized planet in the Goldilocks zone of the star, creating a band of mineral-rich asteroids. His base is in the largest asteroid in the belt. There are three known wormholes in the system, though it is a fairly remote system, as the aren't well traveled and therefore more difficult to navigate.
Name: Samatha Oliver Age: 32 Appearance: Starting Faction: The Guild of Free and Fair Trade Skills: electronics, computer use, persuasion, Master Martial artist, piloting Standard Equipment: Nano-weave body suit, earpeice transmitter, vibro nano-katana Bio: Born on New Amsterdam, she got a job as Mr. Harris's assistant while he was an invester in various off-world companies. She used her martial arts skills to defend him against an irrate employee he was firing, he increased her salary and had her become his body guard as well.
When he cashed in his stock in his largest investment company and moved to the Tyrias system, she went with him as more than just an employee.
Appearance: Jack is an able-bodied individual with the elegant, defined features stereotypical of nobility. He is both graceful yet quick in general physical attitude, akin to a silky exterior hiding raw steel. He is universally well-groomed and often dons intimidating armor. His blonde hair and blue eyes as well make him an Aryan ideal overall, if perhaps a mocking one.
Starting Faction: If anything, Jack is aligned with the Guild of Free Trade as that way lies a good few of his old bosses, yet in all honesty he's a lone wolf. Of course, his current contractor is Charles Harris.
Skills: Jack is highly skilled in close combat and long-ranged shooting, quite able with his family's most treasured heirloom and high-caliber sniper weaponry. For maintenance of his own craft and equipment, he knows the basics of engineering, yet is incapable of repairing things from utter scratch. Finally, he is obviously accustomed to the realities of nobility, with the 'metagaming' and politicking implied.
Standard Equipment: Jack has access to various quality implements due to his connections and influence as both a bountyhunter and high-class gentleman. These include, but are not necessarily limited to;
'Black Knight'; a nearly unique custom spacecraft, triangular in shape and with three extra-large fusion generators. More specific information is in a different section.
'Hunter-Tracker' Powered Armor; Jack is almost always wearing his individually-fitted light power armor. Assisting his movements with synthetic musculature, it massively enhances his endurance. While they also enhance his actual strength to a lesser extent, the motorized systems are primarily meant to capitalize on his ability to stay in the field for weeks with minimal rest. This is further enhanced by a small suite of medical injectors able to introduce pain killers, healing stimulants, and various other drugs. The suit also features mobility enhancement systems, such as zero-G capable maneuvering thrusters and an optional Heads Up Display with a simplified 3D rendition of his surroundings as seen by his suits' optics and other sensors. Finally, the suit is airtight, insulated, and is armored, if on the much lighter side.
'Judge' Heavy Pistol: The 'Judge' was based off of a generic, heavier pistol. While it's simply average in most respects, the asset that really sets it apart is the unique 'Block Switching' capability. Unlike most modern firearms, the 'Judge' has the capability to eject the ammunition block in the field with ease like gunpowder era "magazines". While ammunition is not a problem, the properties of each ammunition in the field is. The ability to swap the specific properties of the Judges' rounds gives Jericho an edge in nearly any gunfight, adding adaptability to his lighter weapons setup. Currently, the 'Judge' has access to standard kinetic, anti-armor, incendiary, sedative, and finally high explosive blocks.
The Bannen Blade: While melee weapons are fairly unnecessary (to say the least) in today's time, they still have their uses. They can be quieter then guns in certain situations, and are simply intimidating. Not to mention, in Jack's case, it's a fairly decent weapon that few train against that requires no maintenance aside from the occasional sharpening, and simply has sentimental value to Jack. In any case, the 'Bannen Blade' as it's known for simplicity is a 'bastard sword' with a length of 130 centimeters. It has a visually interesting 'Wavey' blade that somewhat improves cutting potential, while being well balanced. Finally, it features a longer handle able to accommodate two hands at once if needed. Jack really wants to find a blacksmith with technological knowhow somewhere to give it a "modern edge" (pun intended), yet swordsmiths who know how to enhance a blade into a thermal, vibrating, or monomolecular one are obviously few and far between.
Bio: Born of noble blood, Jack was the middle child in a very large set of children, and in his youth was not particularly interesting in any one parameter. This cursed him to be ignored by his family members, which did not mesh well with his naturally troubled mindset. He eventually snapped when he reached of age, strangling his father and second eldest brother to unconsciousness and getting away with his few personal possessions, alongside a good fraction of the family fortune and their most prized heirloom: A venerable old sword used in some impossibly ancient war, a hand-and-a-half with a flame-like blade. On the run, he eventually found out he did have an unusual 'skill', the fact he didn't really mind his actions at all, and if anything wanted to do things like that more. Soon afterwards, he coerced 'someone who knew things' to clear his record, and used his remaining funds to acquire a bounty hunting license, equipment, and train himself.
The Black Knight: Jack's primary method of transportation and his equivalent of a home, the Black Knight is a triangular craft approximately 55 meters wide at the longest, and 8 meters thick. With lighter armoring and three heavy fusion generators directly powering hydrogen turborockets, it is extremely maneuverable and fast. With such a massive amount of power, the fact that it has six self-defense lasers and powerful kinetic barriers shouldn't be too surprising.
It can easily take down anything civilian, yet a proper military vessel larger then itself will force a retreat. The craft flies with the flat 'top' as the front, and the six laser beam turrets are situated with two at each point of the triangle. The ship also features three launch tubes able to fire micro missile pods (Large missiles that can fire off smaller ones), proper guided torpedoes, or even anti-surface bombardment munitions.
Internally, it has everything you'd expect from a bounty hunting ship, and is set up logically and simply. The center room of the craft acts as the inside-outside airlock, and all around it lies the circular primary hub. It connects to three small rooms, including a mess area, armory, and computer room, and three large ones. The large ones feature independent reactor subsystems and additional rooms including the barracks, bridge, munitions storage, and shield generator, among others.
Ahnciel stands at roughly 5ft often clad in a large white hooded coat "Lab coat". The coat itself comes down to his knees and is kept with the hood up to obscure traits. The coat is cut to the shoulder on the right arm where a porcelain-esque plasteel prosthetic works from. Questionable for its function and even moreso for its infliction on morale, Ahnciel is almost always clad in a gas mask which he explains as being standard lab gear. 'Standard attire' has him in his fleet-scientist garb included below.
The Rebellion of Thirteen Winters
The entirety the faction, all stemmed from the liberation from Triganavia. Triganavia is where it all began; Initially, a facility orbiting Venus was responsible for offering to solve food crises as well as grafting vanity by genetically engineering human-animal hybrids as livestock. Coupled with advancing technology, it was quite lucrative and simple to make the clones until the idea came to try to manipulate the code to make different kinds of clones for other purposes. Labor, soldiers, the like. In the process of giving a few subjects sentient capabilities, there were a plethora of morality issues within the staff. It only took a few instances of trying to help the subjugated creations before they rose up, learning to play dumb until given the opportunity to attack. After the facility fell, transport ships were used as trojan horses of sorts to wander about the solar system and engaging in pirate-esque doings to gradually build onto their 'fleet' with newly hijacked ships. The code for their own creation in their hands, they made creatures designed to run the flotilla's functions. The beasts are made without grace or finesse and are often highly unstable...when they work. This "Fleet of Thirteen Winters" is savage and occasionally splits to cover more area as well as evade total destruction since very few of the 'Creatures of the Legion' are skilled pilots, making them fairly easy picking for civil defense where numbers fail them. Contact usually ends poorly due to their profound distaste for humanity and bouts of self-righteousness. However, successful diplomacy has been made in small instances usually in the ways of slave trade and the exchange of technology and other elicit activities such as smuggling. Whatever they can do to keep afloat.
The patrons of the Legion are small humanoid variants called 'Lapin' who stand around 5ft tall on average though sport animalistic traits usually involving ears and tails. The original products of Triganavia, they are stable but few. They serve as the face, mind and soul of the legion since the rest mostly consist of horrific genetic abominations of questionable intelligence and sanity. Often soft spoken and willing to talk rather than fight, they are the oldest of the variants and understand the need to survive at any cost. However, the Legion is mostly known from the end of the abominations who serve as vicious, expendable soldiers who've been responsible for numerous grizzly boarding parties and occasional demonic effigies left painting the walls of smaller ships. Left as warnings or to denote territory, its widely unclear why they do it...or if they were simply taught to do it and do so, instinctively.
The lapin have a slight bioluminescence to their hair which is normally white with amber, blue or greenish hues and eyes for reasons that were ideal when they were originally created. Being small and glowing in the dark made it nearly impossible to hide from or fight their scientist keepers back on Venus. The newest versions tote sharp upper and lower k9s as weapons in a pinch, though they are the most disciplined when it comes to marksmanship and swordplay. Lapin are almost never seen as the crew of the ships they run defend them with ferocious conditioned devotion.
Politics differ greatly from one section to the next.
The capitol of the Fleet. The pride and joy of all those still sane enough to know they're free. Ran tightly by the Lapin, the Spire is a fixed up Sol Flagship that was pieced back together numerous times with various expansions. While it may not be the fastest ship in the sea, you'd best answer the hails since the Lapin are a highly distrusting and paranoid type. They'll trade, but have no use for money and hate having their time wasted. Arrogant little creatures, the Lapin would rather overcome their problems and 'benevolently' offer help where its begged for than ever ask for aid. Their pride is as tough as the Spire's hull and intuition keen like a razor. If pirates had a uniform government, this would be its capitol. This capitol, adrift and a legend whispered by the perceived psychologically unsound, host to the 'Nightmare Machine' where the twisted aspirations of all that the shadow of the word 'Hate' can cast itself upon. The Spire is the main factory for the Fleet's workforce, the abominations. Experimental weapons of various sizes and shapes dot the vessel. Some work, some even work well, some are just there for decoration and are unpowered, but regardless, the Lapin aren't afraid to use them if they feel threatened.
At some point, the genetic code to produce undefined unstable horrors was made to make them more intelligent. The idea was that they'd be more aware and considering of their value. Instead, the monsters of the Legion realized the Lapin assigned to govern them in their away parties had been giving them the raw deal. Their handlers are used as figureheads while the Legion of beasts wage unholy piracy upon most they encounter, taking over ships and steering them back to the capitol for later collection and dismantling. As beneficial as this is for the capitol, the Legion is met with nothing but shame for their actions, as all that humanity has to base the Fleet on is the barbaric horrors brought about by insane monsters of various shapes and sizes. A check in the mail to remind the Fleet of all of their mistakes while their kin suffer as slaves. The Legion is volatile and inherently hostile to humanity. They would size up targets before striking, but are not above blind aggression, even against insurmountable odds.
Every society has their secrets, even the newest of them. 'No Sky to Dark' is a peace keeping crew of the Fleet that openly boasts their colors: A black hull with a white underside and a thin strip of red and green around its center. A mark of a crow skull is painted in a tribal manner on its wings. 'No Sky to Dark' is a compact frigate that serves to hunt down rampant Legion ships that no longer answer to the Fleet's directive. As all abominations will eventually spiral into discord, the effort must be made to clean up mistakes. This frigate is jury-rigged with a tether mine (a trap to misalign ships' navigation and magnetically spiral), two long range flack cannons as well as two chambers for short-range drill-torpedos to cut through hulls and kill crew on a pass for the sake of salvaging their target. Standard weaponry includes a single experimental gauss cannon on a 180 degree backward swivel to cut through weaponry and hull after a pass. Rudimentary and esoteric in its design and tactics, No Sky to Dark has peaceful rules-of-engagement in regards to humanity, since its primary mission is to undo the Fleet's mistakes...violently. However, its solid crew of Lapin do not tolerate interference. Interlopers into its affairs are certain to receive uncolorful and aggressive questionings on the behalf of one 'Commander Aarkenhan 131 Nyvaal'. "No Sky" is the most advanced and properly manned/armed/nimble of the Fleet of Thirteen winters. For its size, it is easily a palpable threat with a singular mission. For all of the animosity that the Fleet has towards humanity, No Sky is its best attempt at an apology: an olive branch in one hand and a revolver in the other.
Skills: - Advanced biomechanical background: "machines all have working parts and anatomy is no different. The pluming may change as well as the parts, but taking something apart will certainly give reference to put something back together...right?" Well versed in anatomy, though to a lesser degree with first aid, Ahnciel can probably pull a bullet out of you or fix up a damaged cyber limb. Don't expect it to be painless or pretty, but he gets the job done with minimal residual damage. His experience is better suited to work on 'aberrant' anatomy, but with the understanding of how a cardiovascular and digestive system works, a small hint can go a long way in putting something/someone back together.
- Scientific backwards-engineering: "Does the working version work? Does math and science explain how it works? Do we have the material and means to replicate the technology's function? I can give you the most compelling eighty-seven percent certainty that you'll ever know. If not, I will make it work!" Ahnciel's job back on the nameless wreck he was pulled from was to jury-rig technology into working order or pry the useful components out of scrapped cybernetics for later repurposing. Hes not much of an inventor, but, given enough time and the right tools, could probably dismantle a ship and put it back together in mostly working condition. Still, with specific instruction, he could serve as a fairly competent mechanic.
- Diminutive stature: Where others may be large and imposing, all Lapin are trained to take down larger targets. None of the Fleet's patrons are fully unarmed, and all fight with a makeshift martial arts which is often hit or miss in its potency. Beyond this, the Lapin are more keen on hiding and running than combat; because of this, the warriors of their breed are all the more imposing. The Lapin are trained in free running and guerrilla tactics but suffer heavily in actual hand-to-hand combat without the element of surprise. Most Lapin are skilled in swordplay, especially fencing as its seen as a 'gentleman's sport'.
- Prosthetic 'Arm'ament: While Ahnciel is poorly trained and/or experienced with projectile armaments, the proficiency with his prosthetic arm's built-in UV cannon serves well enough as a photon shotgun of sorts. Its original design was to house tools in a compartment located in his upper arm while the forearm is equipped with a UV emitter. The emitter is intended as a flashlight with a nearly infinite battery as long as he takes time to charge it, though enough tinkering converted the device into a respectable weapon to be used in a pinch. The integrated battery will only hold about two pulses with the third one potentially offlining the arm. Rapid succession will offline the arm due to overheating.
Starting Equipment: - An oversized space suit equipped with 12-18 hours of air.(Soon to be lost) - Apollo-Archetype "HexTech" prosthetic arm: Full capabilities of a normal arm as well as a chargeable pulse rifle which charges off of UV light. The blasts bombard targets with condensed UV energy, roasting biological material while leaving technology mostly untouched. *Includes an integrated repair/salvaging kit. - Medkit with an unconventional stock (Subject to change)
Bio: Ahnciel is number 74 of the most recent batch produced by Triganavia before its fall. His existence began more like the rest of his kind with harsh cognitive conditioning to understand anatomy as well as engineering, this has led to a strangely unfair confusion between the two at times, though mostly in the anatomy department. With the establishment of the Spire, due to the lack of personnel, Ahnciel was mostly responsible for functioning with the team that collectively combined the flagship's control to a central point. While he is knowledgeable of all of the Spire's weak points, it will take quite a bit to get him to talk about it. Ahnciel was eventually sent off with a small section of the flotilla on a 'reclamation excursion' which ended with the abomination crew going rogue half way into their mission. Frequently beaten and abused, his existence hinged on his usefulness in a particular project with reverse-manufacturing a gauss cannon from a frigate which had cost his section considerable losses. The thought was that his success would make value from the loss...that was until 'No Sky' came to knock. The technology wasn't yet done and the nameless ship Ahnciel stood as a prisoner to was woefully unequipped to deal with the superior armamentarium that later corrected the damages done to the science officer. The loss of one of his arms and most of his skin repaid, he was loaded as a gift into an otherwise stripped military fighter before being launched deep into the human territory of the Eliza sector with the hope of their cooperation for the sake of transhumanic diplomacy. There are bigger threats on the horizon, and Ahnciel greatly resents the part he was forced to play.
Name: Alexander Cavel Age: 73 Appearance: Tall, with dark boots that reach to his knees and an over-covering outfit with black pants that covers his almost full body armor, which in turn covers his patchwork of old, scarred skin. He always wears gloves similar to the design of his boots. His face is a little young looking for what is age really is, but the age does show; nobody could mistake him for being younger than late 40's (and he looked that same way for people some 30 years ago as well). The most distinctive feature of his face are his blue eyes; from a distance they look normal, but up close one can see many sparkles of white inside that the more technologically literate would take as obvious indications of artificial eyes. (Imagine the boots to be a little more... modern, with a similar gist but less clank-y, armor to be more modern and less peel-y as well, and trim a bit of the neck thing off the outfit and stick the proper gloves in there. Although come to think of it, perhaps the ideal gloves are in between the two types? Gah, this is why I hate using internet pictures :P) Starting Faction: The Society of Steel Skills: He's been around long enough to have some very set ways, something that the advancing nature of his faction has never been able to undo. Early on he was inspired enough to rise up the ranks and smart enough to move into leadership positions; these days he has a skeptical and has not a little pessimistic outlook on things. He'll help anyone who is against the Sphinx if there's enough in for him and he sees success as likely with a minimum of damage to his nation (or, more likely, himself), but at the end of the day he is his own agent with a faction to run, and a faction he will do everything to protect the many secrets of. And oh yes, he does keep secrets. Standard Equipment: Very durable external light-plate armor under his normal clothes, including particularly strong boots and gloves; his eyes can be considered equipment due to their scanning capabilities; and a phaseblade of his own design. Bio: Alexander Cavel was born into a special breeding program by the Human Federation designed to produce a generation of enhanced intelligence humans. His generation was supposed to be the "stepping stone" to another that would serve as the final stage of the government's attempts to create biologically superior humans in physical and mental areas. He spent his early life in a lab, first being loaded with knowledge, modified DNA and physical enhancements, and then being set loose on the project's network systems to scan the code for errors while his sperm was collected to create the next generation. Alexander was very good at the job, and in fact found one error that was pinned as part of the cause of future issues.
The second generation proved a complete disaster, and resulted in the whole project being terminated and him being thrown to the streets of an unknown world.
He made a comeback when he joined the government in its last years of existence again, this time working as a technical field agent; while others busted open rebel facilities, he busted their computers. Before the government fell apart completely and he severed all connection, he was doing the infiltration (or assault) in addition to the hacking, thanks to a special procedure he underwent that gave him a light-titanium bone structure; an immediate advantage over almost anyone around him. He was additionally involved in several top secret government projects that, should they have been completed in time, could have turned the tide of the chaos.
When the government did go into total chaos, he met up with two others who felt the secrets of the government needed to be preserved by capable hands. With the two others he gathered a following of ex-government employees, engineers and others who would help transform his homeworld of Kolban IV, a former government outpost with barely sufficient atmosphere to make do, into a fairly capable industrial powerhouse. The majority of the Society of Steel is now on that planet, as well as a few surrounding moons and space objects. Cavel has made the faction extremely independent and advanced; but the population is low, and the military forces he has command of are only sustained by a mixture of brain-in-jar systems and lesser computer architecture. Still, he holds quite a bit of influence in the sector, although he usually takes a non-active side of conflicts and instead steers the faction in the direction of creating technologies that he must fend off challenges from other factions daily to keep secret. Indeed, he has hated the Sphinx Domination ever since it sent an assassin after him a decade ago (although, to be fair, he never really liked them before that either) who stabbed him in his left shoulder with his own phaseblade; he still feels the effects of the wound to this day, and it is a constant remind of who to never do business with.
Reuben is of only average height for a human, reaching about 5'10, however this point is largely moot due to the rest of him. Being one of the heavily augmented soldiers of the Society of Steel virtually his entire body has been replaced with cool unyielding metal. Skin, muscle and bone are gone, replaced with the powerful robotic body of a Steel Ranger(the soldiers of the S.O.S), as well as many of his internal organs. His brain remains human, as are his stomach(heavily augmented), nervous system(heavily augmented), spinal cord(heavily augmented) and lungs(heavily augmented. His heart as well as his other organs have been replaced with far more durable, reliable and effecient cybernetic sudstitutee courtesy of the advanced technology of the Society. His mind even has circuitry embedded, and his lungs are far more effecient and powerful, and the additonal cybernetic lung underneath them give him a back up as well as an increased amount of oxygen flow. He does not have a mmouth in the classic sense, rather all the nutrients he needs are derived from pastes and liquids he may ingest without the need for a true mouth. The simple 'uniform' is a standard blue rangers cloak. picture (The one on the left including gun)
Starting faction: Society of Steel(Stell Rangers)
Sills
Cybernetic durability: Reuben can sustain far more damage than organic humans. With the lack of most vital organs and the existence of quite a few cybernetic ones in addition to the cyborg bodies armor plating Steel Rangers are very hard to take down and can continue figting in spite of truly horrific injuries due to the lack of a eed for many of their cybernetic and organic systems.
Mind of a computer and a man: Part of becoming a Steel Ranger is heavy augmentation to the brain. Essentially, in addition to his human mind Reuben has an additional artificial 'mind' to assist in calculations, combat scenarios and any number of tasks. It also allows him to multitask far more than an ordinary human.
Programmed for Combat: Steel Rangers are not only trained pre-augmentation, but their minds are essentially programmed for combat artificially. A Steel Ranger does not experience the ordinary motions of remorse, guilt or loss during combat, as well as being exceptional Marksmen with their Haywire rifles and well versed in small unit tactics. In addition, all Steel Guard have a programmed knowledge of mechanical engineering, field repair and rudimentary hacking and computational skill.
Standard equipment:Haywire rifle(in picture above): An extremely advanced weapon, the Haywire rifle uses a strange specialty ammunition and fires using a unique mechanism. The ammunition are small radioactive canisters, proppeled at extreme speed due to an electromagnetic pulse throughout the barrel. The cannister rapirdly disintegrates at terminal velocity into a form of super-heated plasma that tears through armor as a semi-solid super-heated projectile.
Fragmentation grenades: Self explanatory
Cyborg body: Could be considered 'eqipment' has multiple data ports for quick information access, very strong and extremely durable.
Bio: Born and raised in the Society of Steel Reuben Jerger was taught to rever technology, and to follow the ever forward march of progress, thet the Human federation had not respected the machine abd had fallen as consequence. The society was better than the Federation, and their path was the only true path. Reuben took this to heart, and was a true patriot of the Society, though it was difficult for Reuben as he was uncertain of how he could best serve the Society in his adult life. He was not marked out as a scientist or an engineer, he had not the skill in trade or politics required for merchants or politicians, all he had was his body.
And so he gave it, if he was to serve the Society he would, and entered into the test to become a Steel Ranger. The test involved both academics and extreme physical training, and Reuben worked tirelessly to pass both. In the end, he was one of only 10 in a class of 20,000 to pass and be selected to become Steel Rangers. He worked, and was trained to prepare for his new role, until he was gifted the body of steel.
He has been a Steel Ranger for nearly all his life now, and he can hardly remember what it meant to be a flesh and blood human. Recently, a new asignment has been given to the Steel Ranger, for the Society has found an inroad with the Guild of Free and Fair Trade, for the son and heir one Par Rapids has shown his hatred for the Sphinx domination, the Societies greatest foe. As a token of good will, and to hopefully bring Par into the fold, the Steel Ranger has been ordered to locate the young heir, and guard him from any threats, a rare gift. For the Steel Rangers are dogmaticaally loyal to the society, and to recieve one as a guard is something an outsider wil rarely recieve.
Appearance: A short, bald, heavyset man with a great big brown busy beard, a big nose, and playful blue eyes. He wears comfortable, loose fitting clothing of bright coloration if he can possible help it. The mans whole aspect brings to mind Santa Claus if he were on vacation.
Starting Faction: Baskerville Security, the name in personal cyber-organic protection. Baskerville, co-founded by Rudolf himself 20 years ago and named for its first product, focuses on the genetic and cybernetic modification of animals for use as personal security devices/pets and the company rose to prominence so quickly that any creature of that type, even those made by imitators and competitors, is referred to as a Baskerville in popular parlance. Though the corporate headquarters is based on New Amsterdam, branch offices can be found on nearly any civilized world to provide troubleshooting and maintenance for a growing Baskerville population. Though many of its products are high end custom jobs for rich clients it has made every effort to keep mass produced Baskeville's affordable to the average citizen.
What separates a Baskerville from the bio-organic weapons created by the Gardeners is heavy cybernetic enhancement, in particular a on-board computer allowing a VI to interface directly with the Baskervilles brain. Instead of overtaking and controlling the creature brain, however, it instead acts to augment the creatures combat abilities. It assesses situations, picks targets, and provides strategic suggestions to the Baskerville in combat, but the Baskerville is never forced or coerced by the VI allowing it to rely on its natural instincts when necessary. The two work in tandem, like an animal and its handler, allowing the Baskerville to make quick and efficient decisions in a dangerous situation.
Official Baskervilles are typically quadrupedal, based on dogs or large cats, but competitors and a thriving hobbyist black market has ensured that you can find a Baskerville model of any creature under the sun, including humans. This leads to a large range of sizes, but typically the biggest Baskerville is twice the size of the creature it was based on. Armament, again, varies wildly across models. Some favor heavy armor, some favor appearing as much like a normal animal as possible, some have mounted guns, others favor melee. No matter what every Baskerville is a deadly weapon in its own way.
The "standard" model Baskerville on the market today, the CM-9 Rover, is the size and in the general shape of a large dog. Featuring both a subdermal layer of flexible armor able to withstand most small arms fire and and a single long manipulator tentacle protruding from the back of its neck. It's head is encased in the mono eyed helmet typical of official Baskerville design, and internal cybernetic enhancements allow it to run up to 75 miles per hour for prolonged stretches and give it the jaw strength to crush a bowling ball into powder. It also features hardpoints placed strategically on the body, allowing heavy armor and weapon systems to be attached as necessary (armor and weaponry sold separately).
Official Baskervilles are known for their calm, stoic temperament and safety record. To this point no official Baskerville product has willfully turned on its owner of its own accord, and the line is typified for great loyalty. This safety was played up in a controversial early ad campaign where Baskerville co-founder Remmy Zaroff allowed his infant child to be carried in the closed mouth of the companies then new FM-2 Khan and in the companies slogan:
Whatever happens You have got A Baskerville and they have not
Behavior is, however, another thing that varies among competitors and black market Baskervilles. There have been more than a few tragic incidents to stain the Baskerville name. Black market models in particular have developed a reputation for violence.
Despite this many Baskervilles can be safely treated as a family pet, and act as such until they sense danger. A Baskerville, while coming pre-trained, can receive additional training from its owner allowing for a great deal of flexibility. While it will always place the safety of its owners first they can be taught to protect a whole area, to work with soldiers or other Baskervilles as a unit, to guard and herd other creatures, and to play games.
A Baskerville is created young. While still a baby it is given a variety of gene modifications and implant surgeries to achieve the desired shape and capabilities, with the only cybernetic enhancement being the VI interface. After being given time to grow and aquatint itself with any new limbs it is put through a training regiment designed to foster loyalty, good nature, discipline, and combat ability. If the Baskerville is to be a custom model it is introduced to its future owner at this point. After basic training and a health assessment the rest of its cybernetic implants are installed in another series of surgeries. After this comes another round of training much like the first and a second health and technical assessment to ensure that the Baskerville is both healthy and cooperating with its VI.
Baskervilles can be fed like any other pet, though the amount may be greater than normal. All official Baskervilles are sterile, though this is not necessarily true of black market models. Any problem with a Baskervilles health should prompt contact with a Baskerville branch office, who will send a trained medical/technical professional to diagnose the problem. Do not attempt to fix your Baskerville yourself, or "mod" it, as that would void the warranty.
Skills: It is not a complete exaggeration to say that, with the right tools, Rudolf could take apart any animal and put it back together better than new. The man is an excellent veterinarian, zoologist, and botanist, classically trained by the Gardeners, as well as an animal handler. He can get just about any animal to calm down and obey him, and seems to exert an almost supernatural control over Baskervilles in particular. In addition he is, by necessity, and expert in cybernetics and an extremely capable technician.
Standard Equipment: Rudolf travels with what he considers his masterpiece, a Baskerville the size of a small car he calls Giant Gorg or GG for short. A giant, fiercely loyal, quadrupedal monstrosity that looks like it might have been a puma or something once upon a time, GG is protected by a trifecta of subdermal armor, a sleek armored exoskeleton, and a kinetic shield. From its back sprouts not only two long manipulator tentacles strong enough to squeeze a man in half but a battery of six guns, three on either side, that lie flush to its back until needed which are controlled by the VI. It's great size belies is equally great speed and surprising agility, and its claws and fangs are strong enough to tear through the hull of a spaceship as one unfortunate group of pirates discovered. Like all Baskerville models it features an extra armored head covering with a single visible electronic eye set in the middle.
Bio: Born and raised a Gardener, Rudolf was nevertheless enchanted with the extensive cybernetics employed by the Society of Steel. After years of long and fruitful study he made his way to where he thought he would find the resources combine his passions for genetic and cybernetic enhancement in true mad scientist fashion. New Amsterdam seemed the best place and, after shopping his mad ideas around for a while, he made a friend in a fledgling entrepreneur named Remmy Zaroff. With is help Rudolf was able to find resources, create a working prototype, and attract investors. Later that year the two co-founded founded Baskerville Security with Remmy handling the management of the business while Rudolf focused on research and development. The business exploded and the two ended up creating an entire new industry which Baskerville still leads.
Things haven't been all champagne and caviar, however. As the number of Baskervilles on the market increased violent incidents have also been on the rise, in particular among the black market models assembled by what Rudolf disdainfully refers to as "hobbyists." These incidents have not only weakened the brand name but have raised question about the ethicality of creating Baskervilles at all. More and more Rudolf has been out on his own putting out fires, investigating the growing black market, and recovering abandoned and illegally modded Baskervilles. Remmy dislikes this, but allows it because it's good PR for the company and Rudolf isn't strictly necessary in the lab anymore.
