Murdek

Tales of the Crimson Legion - Galaxy at War

The feeling of victory of having survived the massive asteroid quickly wained when Macklyn realized how close he was to certain death. His instincts took over and he managed to keep himself alive but suddenly he felt as if he'd had stared deeply into the void and it changed him in some way. He felt a tickle in this throat and his hands hurt. He was probably gripping the yolk harder than he knew he could. The Lancer was in a calm vector following the Fang as they approached the derelict ship and Macklyn allowed himself to relax his grip just enough to notice his hands were shaking.

"Alright try to land in the aft end of the hanger, it looks like a bunch of the military transports are still docked there. We should be able to hide ourselves with them so when company arrives our ships don't stick out like a sore thumb and get dusted by whoever follows us. Or at the very least try not to blow anything up... " Sven's voice sounded stern over the Lancers comm.

"Oh... ya you got it' partn... ner" Macklyn's adrenaline was coursing and interrupted his own speech patterns. He cleared his throat. "Copy, back of the hanger an' quiet like."

Slowly gliding through the hangar of the Balrog and looking for a place to touch down, Macklyn was deep in thought. Life back home in his war torn unnamed home planet, life was easy for him, all things considering. But out here, the stakes are high and people were relying on him. There were more lives in his hands than just his own when operating on a team such as a Crimson Legion and he'd have to take a step back and consider his choices a little carefully going forward. "Can't always shoot from the hip, boy. Sometimes you gotta line your irons b'fore to take the shot." Macklyn repeated to himself quietly these words he had once heard from an old Gunslinger back home.

The Lancer landed and Macklyn took notice of Silas floating near by. "...shit" He took a deep breath, attached his portable source of air and opened the Lancers canopy.

"Thanks to your stunt plans have changed, me and you are going to restore power now hurry up and follow me."

Macklyn had nothing to say, he activated his grav boots, armed each hand with the Plasma Pistols and attempted to focus. He followed Silas after an affirming nod. The ship was a disaster and traversing the corridors of the Balrog was making Macklyn extremely anxious.

"Blood 'n no guts, Boss" mumbled Macklyn. No reply from Silas but Macklyn was too overwhelmed to wonder about his silence, besides silence of the derelict was too loud to recognize any other silence as it were.

Finally Silas spoke "Any thoughts at what caused this?".

Macklyn was about to name a folklore monster he knew of as a kid to break the tension when Sven's voice chirped over suit comms informing them that there were ships on the way and made it a point to emphasis in such a way to point is voice at Macklyn. There was no deny it. It was his fault the mission just got a lot more difficult.

"...shit" Macklyn whispered to himself again. Silas just confirmed they were almost to the Generator room and Macklyn decided he'd face what's due him when the time comes. Right now was the time to focus up and keep the boss covered so they could get out of this horrible place before it's too late. For a moment he considered what he feared most: The bloody derelict, the fleet of people want'n to kill them... or facing Silas should they survive the first two horrors.

Dyst

@Arthanusyep, save for those few things we discussed, feel free to post to Character tab

Dyst

@ArthanusSweet Thane is finished! And badass! Feel free to post him to the characters Tab.

Dyst

Deckards Ship:

The Vengeance

Pictured here docked within' the Imperial Skylands.

History: Before the ship was retrofitted and renamed, it was christened the SSF Otto. Commissioned in a simpler age, the SSF Otto was designed after the effective Frigates that the Empire commonly used as battleship support ships and Skyforce law enforcement. Due to the lasting stalemate the time would eventually come that Pirates were more a threat to the Skyforce than Gracian Forces and SSF Frigates became the first line of defense against them. Due to their balance between speed and armament there was no more effective a Pirate hunting model of airship than the Frigates.

The SSF Otto functioned in this capacity from the get go and was captained by the young Bounty Hunter Deckard Murdoch. He had proven himself a skillful Airship combatant when the death of a superior officer forced Deckards hand in taking command of a warship he was piloting at the time. This feat awarded him his own ship and role within the Skyforce.

After the events of the Murdoch family tragedy, the SSF Otto was stolen by it's captain who abandoned the Skyforce and renamed the ship The Vengeance.

Armaments:

• 6 Steam Pressurized Cannons, 3 Port and 3 Starboard.
• Hookshot Launcher on the bow. 100 yard range with pressurized winch.
• 4 Spider Silk counter net launchers, 2 Port and 2 Starboard.
• Solarium Gem equipped Steam Engine with propeller boosters. 4 Props total, Aft port and starboard and Forward port and starboard.

Crew and Culture: Deckard captains a crew of 18 men who run The Vengeance like clockwork. They are loyal and get paid well. The chef, Lee Dukenton, affectionately referred to as Le Duke, prepares meals regularly and takes his work very seriously. WIP

Dyst

Name: Caspra Sneedles
Gender: Female
Race: Jantari

Appearance: The following imagine except her Jantari eyes have an Amber glow and often wears welders goggles to hide them.



Age: 41

Equipment and Natural Abilities: WIP

Bio: Hailed as a genius by some and a heretic by others, Dr. Caspra Sneedles is well known in academic circles. She's been employed at the Academy of Alchemy for over 10 years and teaches a wide range of topics, but her truest passion is Quantum Metaphysics, of which she is the worlds only doctoral expert. She's a wild character and therefore loved by her students by keeping her lessons interesting but her peers are often disturbed by her perspective on the universe. Rumors say her mind was warped after peering into The Veil, an other worldly theoretical dimension of some sort. Though when pressed on the subject she simply laughs and says "Now wouldn't THAT be interesting?".

Recently she has run into a bit of hot water after delivering a lecture at a conference where she demonstrated that a few well known physical theories were wrong, theories that have been, practically, scientific scripture for centuries. Through the use of seven Solarium gems, a few natural Dyst crystals, the composition of which Caspra keeps secret, and a mechanism of her own design, she managed to move an apple from one table to another instantly. "Teleportation, tried and true and as real as Sol too". The demonstration didn't go as Caspra had hoped. The concept was too advanced for even the brightest of her peers to comprehend and so she had been accused of misconduct. Accused of setting up an elaborate illusion in an attempt to secure more Imperial funding.

In an attempt to better explain her concepts and keep her position at the Academy of Alchemy, Caspra was ordered to reveal her secrets to The Board. However, and to her horror, Professor Sneedles discovered her journals were stolen from her office. Unable to provide proof that her teleportation mechanism really worked, she was assumed to be an illusionist and a crook and was removed from her position.

Caspra had a hunch who took her belongings, drafted a contract and hired Deckard Murdoch to help her find her missing property. She's been with the crew for a few weeks by the time our game starts.

Personality: Whimsical, wild, unpredictable and curious. She treats people with kindness in general but has little regard for people who offer little value to the world. She's quick to judgment but doesn't use her immense intelligence to feel superior, she just assumes she can figure people out quicker than most. It's possible her Jantari sensibilities help to inform these judgments. She finds the natural world fascinating and the super natural world boring and ridiculous. She often treats dedicated believers in The Flame somewhat poorly.

Relationships:

Deckard - "BORING!"

Vendro - "What a fascinating little enigma Vendro is ya? Old brain and a cocktail of adolescent hormones just wuzzing about as he tries to be a manchine (pronounced Man-sheen. Solarian slang for Gracian). How does'e keep 'is grapple hand from tanglin' durin' retraction I wonder? I'll havta ask 'im if I get the chance Haha! Bloody sad bout 'is roots though ya? Shit, poor boychine don' know his own story. Tragic. I say we all be extra kind the wee lad iffen habit permits. Right?"

Thane - "Manchines personality is as robotic as 'is suit, ya ask me. Snooze! Haha! But bloody facinatin' when'e talks about 'istroy, 'e is. 'E's been there and seen stuff I only read about. Still I cant help but wonder if 'e thinks in ones and zeroes ya? Ironic when 'e's kept more of 'is man parts than any other Gracian I've ever known. Wouldn't want to cross Mr. Cross and make 'im cross ya get me? HAHAHAHA no but really dont. Probably a bad idea. Hahaha. But seriosuly. *ahem*"

Tilly - WIP

Thevros - "Ah the wanker! Haha, been on this ship not but a few weeks an' already we've been chatty bout this and that. 'It not polite to talk of religion and politics' say the weak minded fools on the ground. But not Thevros, nah. E'll talk ya till you're eyes go dull about 'is precious Flame. Bloody fantasy. Ain'y no science innit. Thevros don' care, e'll say "Its a matter of faith" or some such. E's an Amber eyes like yours truly and I can feel it when I get on 'is nerves. Haha bloody fun it is. I respect 'is conviction ya? Ain't no Amber eyes, humey, or manchine ever gonna convince me the Flame is real, an' I expect the opposite is true for Thevros."

Dyst

Name: Vendro
Gender: Male
Race: Gracian

Appearance:


Age: 71

Equipment and Modifications: Left Palm Data Jack. Right hand can launch 12 feet with retractable cable reel. Single side arm Solarium fusion plasma pistol. Carried with him an array of knives and daggers and flashbang grenades of his own creation.

Bio: It is uncommon to see Gracian children among the millions that exist within' the city. It is rarer still to witness a poor soul who had died and been resurrected at an early age. Thus is the case with Vendro. Murdered at the organic age of 10 and resurrected by a charitable outreach non-profit in Gracia, Vendro was given a junker body and second hand organ replacements and then thrown to the streets. His memory of the incident is flawed being that only organic portions of his brain retained any information. All that he could remember was a silhouette of a fellow Gracian and the sound of 7 gun shots. Convinced this was a murder of passion, Vendro set out to discover his killer, his killers motive and ultimately, hopefully, who he is.

His investigation took him to every corner of Gracia and for this reason he is extremely familiar with the city. This made him a valuable asset for Deckard Murdoch, who often takes contracts that require a visit to their city. So Deckard offered Vendro a home on his ship and a portion of his bounties. Vendro accepted, realizing that 50 years within' Gracia had yielded too few leads and elected to continue his search for answers outside of Gracian territory.

For over 20 years Vendro has sailed the skies with Deckard and the others and used his pay to upgrade his body, download expensive but advanced combat muscle memory programs and a data jack to comb The Grid for information regarding his past.

Personality: WIP

Relationships: WIP

Dyst

Name: Deckard Murdoch
Gender: Male
Race: Human

Appearance:


Age: 51

Equipment: Stolen poorly functioning Imperial Ember Blade and a Solarium powered fusion plasma pistol of Gracian origin.

Bio:  Captain Deckard Murdock is very open about his past and it is commonly known that he once captained this very ship in the Sky Fleet for the Empire.  At some point during, he had been given a mission that became too personal, by order of a Sky Fleet Admiral, Deckard was to use his own daughter as bait against a rival Plague Doctor Pirate who had a personal vendetta against him. While Deckard hated this tactic it was his wife, dedicated to the Empire above all, who demanded this be done in hopes to finally put the pirate lord down and be able to live in peace. However the worst possible fate befell the Murdoch family. In the final confrontation with the Plague Doctor Pirate, Deckards wife was struck down and his daughter taken.

And so, devastated by the outcome of the mission Deckard Murdoch swore to abandon his loyalty to the Emperor, avenge his wife and hope to rescue his daughter someday. His first step to this end was stealing the ship he has grown accustomed to flying. Customizing it to his liking and re-naming it The Vengeance.

Deckard began a life of freelance work, picking up contracts from anything between cargo heists to transit of public officials. Anything to keep The Vengeance flying in hopes that one say he'd find the Pirate Lord who so wronged him and enact his revenge. From time to time he would be identified by Imperial officers and let free. Deckard can only assume that this is the gift of the Emporer, some small way to try and make up for his Admirals's terrible actions.

Personality: Deckard tries to stay positive but his dark past informs a tortured under layer to everything he does. He thinks of his crew like a family and treats them as such. Tough love when necessary and encouragement when necessary. Lately he's been a little more reckless than usual and doesn't take the time to justify it to his crew.

Relationships:

Vendro - "Vendro is a complicated guy. He's got years upon years of life experiance but he's trapped in an adolescent head. I feel for him sometimes, but he doesn't seem to mind being the way he is... sometimes I envy him really. Still he's the closest person I've got to a first mate. Takes care of everything on the ship needing taking care of and I never have to ask him to do so. That and I've never known a Gracian with as much knowledge on the streets of the Gracian cities as Vendro. And my Flame is he deadly in a pinch. He's loyal, dependable and frankly, he's the closest friend I have in these skys. Just dont tell him I said so. "

Caspra - "Well... I cant say I approve of someone coming along to see a contract through but I understand it's quite personal for her. She seems a bit off to me. Hard to put my finger on it but the way she stares off into the distance, or how she appears to be engaged in a conversation with you only to realise she's just somewhere else entirely in her mind when you solicit a response from her. She's kind of rude I guess but I dont mind. Sort of refreshing I'd say. Over all I'm not sure what I think yet."

Thane - "Being a military man myself I must admit its refreshing to work with someone who doesn't pull any punches. Thane gives it to you straight and pulls valuable wisdom from his extensive experiance. He's an asset to The Vengeance in more ways than I can count. Being that he fought for the Gracian side of the conflict, I go to him often for insight on Gracian military tactics and movement."

Tilly - WIP

Thevros - "Thevros... yeah he's one of the good ones. While it frustrates me I cant get him to kill anyone needs killin', the man lives by a code and I respect that. And anytime I'm in need of a respectable representative, well, Thevros has never said no to playing that role for us. Lately we've had a run of good luck, taking on contracts from wealthy backers and that is due in no small part of Thevros's way with fancy words. People trust him, for good or for ill, they do, and often give us their business. On top of all that, should you ever need guidance in your faith in the Flame, he's your source for wisdom and serenity and I so often do."

Tales of the Crimson Legion - Galaxy at War

Macklyn hadn't much use for words as the team assembled for the plan. It sounded good and he was ready to prove his worth to the team. On their way out he opted to take a pair of Plasma Pistols but brought Ebony and Ivory along anyway just in case there was still an atmosphere on the derelict ship.

He boarded The Lancer and begun the powerup sequence. He laid his head back and appreciated the hum of his creation as his annunciation lights flickered to life section by section. Primary flight display, check, navigation computer, check, quick ELAC inspection. Check check and check.

"That's my girl." he said quietly to his ship. For a split second after he worried he has been heard talking to his ship but confirmed comms were off and shot his glare toward Sven through the windshield. Sven looked busy and Macklyn suddenly felt very solitary.  It wasn't a problem but realized if the Fang were to crash, he'd be out of a job. Everyone was boarding it. "Better keep that boat sailing". he said to himself.

Macklyn powered up his vertical stabilizers and lifted off the hangar floor before the Fang took to flight. He throttled out of the docking bay doors and performed a few fancy maneuvers before hovering his ship within eyesight of Sven as if to suggest "what's the hold up?".

Finally after the proper checks were presumably accomplished he saw Sven take to flight and the Fang accelerate by and up towards the dense part of the asteroid field. The Lancer followed suit.

As the density of rocks and chunks of ice began to increase the Lancers comms chirped loudly. "Watch yourself kid, asteroid fields are kinda tricky you can't just follow my trail if you do you might end up flat against a rock." Macklyn scoffed as his reached to press the open comms channel "Okay Sven thanks for the warning" He said in a dry voice, almost as of you can hear him rolling his eyes. "But I think I can handle a few AHHHHHHH!!!" Narrowly dodging a rock, Macklyn spins and pulls up. "I'm okay I'm okay just a clo AaHhhhh!" Another near miss from above the Lancer jolts to the left and slightly rolls to move it's right wing just barely out of the way. Macklyn accelerated to catch up to the Fang.

"Sven I need a little OH SHI..." Sven can see in his positional radar The Lancer spinning to a fro wildly all over. Intermittently the comms open within the Fang with Macklyns panicked knee jerk reactions resounding through the flight deck.

Macklyns heart was racing. It took all he had to remain focused enough to effectively dodge everything. "Sven how the hell are you flyin' so casually? Oh my god...  no no no no n....."

The Lancer disappeared from the radar adjacent to the largest asteroid in the immediate area. The radio was silent until a large flash of light illuminated the debris in the area.  Out of a none descript side of that large asteroid was an explosion of blue and red. The Fangs radio chirped "YAAHOOOO!". Out of the explosion The Lancer rocketed as the massive asteroid began to crumble behind it.

Macklyn got caught up in the moment and forgot what he's best at... shooting things! Suddenly he flew with a renewed confidence. Instead of dodging and weaving, he was rolling his ship around and blasting the rocks that got near into particulates too small to damage the Lancers armor. He found his rhythm and before long he was able to catch up to the Fang and maintain a steady course near it.

Dyst

@Arthanus So far so good! Thane sounds badass

Tales of the Crimson Legion - Galaxy at War

I finally got around to adding the relationships section to Macklyn's character sheet. I went ahead and edited a bit of his back story to include the construction of his ship, thanks @Arthanus and @ShiningSector for giving me the go ahead. And added a bit of information about the ship while I was at it.