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  • Locked thread
K Prime
Nov 4, 2009



Welcome to the new recruit thread for IDEAL GUARDIANS, a game about keeping the earth safe with giant robots.

There are 4 slots for people already in the game, leaving 2 for new folks to become part of the 6 person team keeping the earth safe from the insidious invaders!

Is thread in progress. . You don't have to read everything, but try to get an idea of where we are, at least, and what you're getting into. Obviously, the system is changing to OVA. Then, make a character using the following guidelines:

Up to
+10/-5 for your Pilot. You are a relatively normal human being- the most out there item you can have on your pilot is Telekinesis. Anything "weirder" than that will require a lot of justification!

+10/-3 for your Mecha. Obviously these skills and weaknesses cannot be used when you're not in the machine. Weaknesses and strengths need to make sense for a giant robot- "Airheaded" could be "Sensors Suck," for example, but it'll be hard to explain say, "Love Magnet." Unless your mecha name is "Valsione."

Pick a theme song for your pilot, and a different one for your machine!

In general, the theme of the game over time has been the costs, and the benefits, of believing in something. Try to write that into your character concepts.

And have fun defending the earth!

K Prime fucked around with this message at 05:32 on Feb 22, 2015

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Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...
Expressing interest in this.

Green Intern
Dec 29, 2008

Loon, Crazy and Laughable

Pretty excited to see how this all shakes out once we switch over!

I think it was unanimously agreed on that this was Harriman's Mecha Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs4fHY6YiT0

If anyone needs a bit of guidance for what sort of genres are viable, our current roster has three separate characters with influences from Gundam, Macross, and Evangelion. They get along fine (only occasionally beating the poo poo out of each other)!

Bendigeidfran
Dec 17, 2013

Wait a minute...
Postin' interest.

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
So I need to convert Cecil and the Geirdriful to OVA? Uh, okay, then. I'm definitely going to need some help on that :cheeky:

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.

Davin Valkri posted:

So I need to convert Cecil and the Geirdriful to OVA? Uh, okay, then. I'm definitely going to need some help on that :cheeky:

Don't worry, we'll help!

KPrime recently found the perfect theme for Teresa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRTfQ16wbjM

sentrygun
Dec 29, 2009

i say~
hey start:nya-sh
I'm not sure if it's stepping on anyone's toes, but I got an idea for super support mecha I'm gonna write up. No it does not involve a +5 in Arcane Magic, I wouldn't even do that as a mean joke.

Green Intern
Dec 29, 2008

Loon, Crazy and Laughable

Comrade Gorbash posted:

Don't worry, we'll help!

KPrime recently found the perfect theme for Teresa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRTfQ16wbjM

Oh my god they have a scottish fold kitten in that video. That stands out to me more than anything else, it's so out of place.

Green Intern
Dec 29, 2008

Loon, Crazy and Laughable

Here's Harriman, remade (WIP). Copying Gorbash's format, because it looks good!

Harriman Castle

Mega Man X2 'Intruder Alert'' [Magna Centipede Stage] by Washudoll

Although born in the AUG, Harriman found himself recruited by the science teams of the MHC while he was still a professor at the AUG's premiere university. With the knowledge that he would likely be branded a traitor by his home country, he nonetheless accepted the offer in order to work with some of the most advanced physicists and scientists in the world. What few regrets he had about leaving his own nation behind were overshadowed by the potential gains. The project was something he was well-acquainted with: theoretical applications of magnetics, gravitation, and zero-point energy manipulation; the scale, however was something else. The MHC was attempting to weaponize the technology, and the Asto Vidatu was the ultimate goal. He swallowed his reservations about building a weapon of potentially world-altering power, and put himself to work.

What followed were long years of grueling calculations, metallurgy and materials science, and countless failures. Harriman saw many of his fellow scientists and test pilots disappear from the project, victims of malfunctions, dangerous lab conditions, and internal politics. And then the day came when the prototype was ready for it's proving. The test, however, was delayed by strange atmospheric readings, which the science team dismissed as an unlucky freak occurrence, or a glitch in the observation instruments. All except Harriman, who did a little extra digging on his own, and found the Surrender message buried within the waveform. He tried to bring it to the attention of his superiors, of the MHC's leaders, but he was laughed out of the room every time. Then he got a message from the IG, and he knew what he needed to do.

The night before the next test, Harriman gathered his belongings, cashed out his savings account, and silently went to the lab. The Asto Vidatu stood before him. Although still technically an untested prototype, Harriman knew that the calculations were accurate, the construction sound, and the potential applications unquestionably violent. He'd be branded a traitor for the second time, but he knew that the fate of the world depended on this machine fighting the incoming invasion, not the other nations of Earth. After the smoke cleared, all that could be found of Harriman and the prototype was a note, saying that he'd make sure that the Asto Vidatu was put through its paces.

Concept: Fugitive Genius

Pilot posted:

Abilities +10:
Smart 3
Passion (Pride) 1
Knowledge (Theoretical Energy Systems) 2
Iron-Willed 1
Attack 1
Strong 1
Perceptive 1
Vigorous 1

Weaknesses -5:
Wanted -3
Impulsive -1
Stubborn -1

NS360-Asto Vidatu[/b]


Theme Songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs4fHY6YiT0

A prototype gravi-magnetic mecha designed and built by the MHC, it was stolen before its scheduled first test by its current pilot, Harriman Castle. Named for the Daeva that snares souls ascending to heaven, The Asto Vidatu harnesses the power of the Earth's magnetic and gravitational field to focus its own Ferrogravitic Core. It sports two Dynamic Gravitational Control Projectors as its main armament, as well as a smaller (yet still formidable) gauss rifle. The Asto Vidatu is intended for a support, artillery, and battlefield command/control role, but a pilot proficient enough with its systems could find potential applications for close-combat situations.

The Asto Vidatu was not designed as a mobile fighter. In order for its Ferrogravitic Core to function at maximum efficiency, the entire infrastructure of the mech was designed as a sort of resonating system with the FG Core. The inevitable side effect of this is the tendency for the structure of the mech to "stick" to whatever it's standing on, due to the intense magnetic and gravitational field that the FG Core generates. The upside is that it's incredibly stable.

Dynamic Gravitational Control Projectors: The Asto Vidatu's main armament. The twin dynamos on the Asto Vidatu's shoulders power these devices, which are powerful enough to launch wide-area gravity waves, but precise enough to fire individual gravimagnetic tractor tethers to draw single targets away from mission-critical areas. Equally effective against ground and air targets. The pilot must be cognizant at all times of possible collateral damage, as well as the risk of overtaxing the infrastructure of the mech itself.

The power source of the Asto Vidatu is the Ferrogravitic Core, which is a Car-sized mechanism that utilizes the strength of the Earth's Magnetic Field to focus and contain the gravitational anomalies which are the mecha's main armament. When in operation, the Core actually creates an area of heavier-than-normal gravity, necessitating that the pilot wear wear special circulatory and respiratory aids to prevent near constant brown-and blackouts, as well as the use of mental stimulants to prevent fatigue.

Mecha posted:


Abilities +10
Armored +2
Barrier +2
Combat Expert +1
Vigorous +1
Strong +1
Dynamic Gravity Projectors (Telekinesis) +3
Flight +1
Life Support +1


Weaknesses -3
Slow -1
Suppressed Power: Telekinesis (On The Ground) -2

I've been informed by K Prime that Knowledge is purchased at .5/Rank. Will adjust things accordingly later when I have the book in front of me.

Green Intern fucked around with this message at 03:05 on Feb 24, 2015

Bendigeidfran
Dec 17, 2013

Wait a minute...
Tae Matsukaze - Forward-looking Country Samurai
The One-Eyed Warrior



"Revive our old glory? Silence that foolish tongue of yours! Times have changed. Though the people no longer serve our clan, it is still our duty as samurai to protect this land. I, Matsukaze Tae, hereby renounce my father's will and his mad dreams of conquest. To all who would challenge my judgment: stand and face my blade!"

Tae is the head of a humble samurai enclave nestled in the foothills of the Akaishi mountains. Long ago her clan controlled vast swathes of territory, their names spoken with terror throughout Japan. Even after the official fall of the samurai the clan clutched onto its old estates like starved lions. But those days are long past. Now the clan headquarters is choked by creeping strands of ivy, its once-proud walls collapsing to the earth as each season took its toll. Tae, her father's only healthy child, was raised with dreams of a day when the Matsukaze clan would once again rule supreme. Trained in the arts of stealth, mecha piloting, and traditional swordsmanship, she was to be the spear that would destroy all who stood in their way.

But as Tae grew older she began to doubt her father's words. She saw innocent men and women killed for straying too close to their operations, war machines of terrifying power gathered under clan banners. Would they use this power against their own countrymen? Her doubts got the better of her, and she snuck out of the clan's guarded compound to a neighboring village. She saw a place filled with laughing children and kind faces, not the monsters she'd been told to exterminate. There was a life there she had never seen within the compound walls. It was on that fateful day that her father stole the crown jewel of his arsenal: the MK-4 Sutoku Stealth Assault Unit. As sunset approached she left the village, and was suddenly drawn to the sound of clashing metal: her father, in a fit of madness, had started his conquest early.

Consumed with rage, Tae rushed to the site and cut down her father's guards before chasing him to a nearby cliff-side. Steel cut flesh. Tae left alone. Now the supreme head to the Matsukaze clan, she marched home with blood streaming from her slashed-apart left eye. The terrified pilot of the Sutoku surrendered the machine to her almost immediately. A new age had dawned for the Matsukaze clan. For the past few years she has been cleaning up the damage caused by her father's ambitions. Local Yakuza were thrown out on their asses, and all contacts with the black market were renounced. Assassination attempts followed and were defeated with contemptuous ease. News of her exploits spread and she attracted the attention of a new group: the Ideal Guardians. She would join in secret, destroying her targets before anyone had a chance to notice. While she silently worried about her mother and her sickly little brother, this was the least she could do for the world.

MK-4 Sutoku Stealth Assault Unit
Swift Battle | Help Appears from the Shadows!

The greatest swordsmen need no swords.

The MK-4 Sutoku is a terror of a machine. Outfitted with a state-of-the-art cloaking device and the strongest thrusters in its class, it was designed to infiltrate its way into any battle and escape unscathed. While the arms company that created it remains unknown, no others have been seen since the incident with Tae's father. As far as we know, she possesses the only one in the world.

Eschewing ranged weapons, it instead features a set of ultra-alloy sheathed claws and servos strong enough to rend battleship armor. An experimental battle computer mounted in its chest synthesizes data from countless sensors, giving it an almost preternatural ability to avoid incoming fire. Tae's own mastery of close-quarters combat has strengthened the MK-4 even further. Through constant training she has taught the Unit an impressive array of Matsukaze School strikes, disarms, and grappling techniques. This precision allows her to defeat mecha far larger than her own by striking vulnerable points. While its fuel reserves can't maintain atmospheric flight for as long as other machines can, this weakness seldom comes up in her missions.

Pilot posted:

Tae Matsukaze:

Ability:
Pilot +2
Art of Invisibility +2
Combat Expert +2
Evasive +1
Strong +1
Charismatic +1
Intimidating +1

Total: 10

Weaknesses:
Bizarre Appearance (eyepatch) -1
Code of Conduct -2
Kind-hearted -1
Guardian -1

Total: -5

Health: 40 Endurance: 40

Mecha posted:

MK-4 Sutoku Stealth Assault Unit:

Ability:

Arc-Forged Ultra-Alloy Claws (Attack) +2

Sample Attacks:
100 Crack Strikes of the Matsukaze School: (net cost: 10)
--Armor Piercing (+5), Overwhelming (+15), Effective (+5)
--Elaborate Gestures (-5), Activation (-10)

Autumn Storm Blade Dance: (net cost: 5)
--Multiple Targets*2 (+20)
--Delayed (-5), Ineffective (-5), Cancel-Enemies that aren't Mooks (-5)

Iron Mountain Crushing Grasp: (net cost: 0)
--Paralyzing(+10), Disarming (+10)
--No Damage (-20)

Secret Technique! Heaven's Unbreakable Charge (net cost: 15)
--Barrier Buster(+5), Armor Piercing (+5), Overwhelming (+15), Accurate (+5), Effective*3 (+15)
--Elaborate Gestures (-5), Activation (-10), Recoil (-10), Requirement-Lots of unoccupied air-space (-5)

EM/Thermal Cloaking Device (Invisibility) +2
Fusion-Powered Vernier Thrusters (Quick) +2
Titanic Servomotors (Strong) +2
Muscle Memory Computer (Agile) +1
Durable Systems (Vigorous) +1
Folding Wings (Flight) +1
NBC-secure cockpit (Life Support) +1

Total: +10

Weaknesses:
Cloaking Interference (Impaired Sense: Radar/Long-range Comms) -1
Cursed by Blood (Compulsion: Rip and Tear opponents that have harmed the MK-4) -1
Small Fuel Reserve (Endurance use on Flight) -1

Total: -3

Health: 40 Endurance: 50


Bendigeidfran fucked around with this message at 17:52 on Feb 25, 2015

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Teresa Mai Kurita-Steiner

Character Theme | teresa.txt

Beauty and brains. Teresa has both to spare, and she knows it. Teresa isn't afraid to let others know it either. The daughter of Frederick Hiroshi Kurita-Steiner and Dr. Meixiu Kurita-Steiner, Teresa is heir of a legacy of brilliance tinged with madness. The Steiners, famous if unstable scientists, originated in Germany before fleeing the HJS after a major scandal. They made their way to Japan and married into the Kurita family, wealthy industrialists with concerns all over the world. Teresa is used to a life of privilege and of getting what she wants. Her involvement would be easy to dismiss as mere nepotism, if not for her ability.

Her determination, coupled with incredible analytical skills and an utterly ruthless approach problem solving, means she rarely fails. Part of her success stems from turning that ruthlessness on herself. Though she considers herself an unsurpassed genius, her pride is based on her ability to process information, not on the views that process results in. No new piece of data is dismissed until it has been thoroughly dissected, and each could potentially lead to a radical shift in Teresa's conclusions and her strategies.

This almost paradoxical combination of almost pathological self-assurance with the willingness to change course at a moment's notice has lead her into seemingly impossible situations, and then back out again. She is extremely unpredictable, and willing to try anything that gives her an edge. More than once she's left her enemies shaking their heads in combined fury and astonishment at an utterly unexpected stratagem.

Of course, her acerbic personality means she makes plenty of enemies. Her patience for those she considers foolish is as short as her temper, and she has no compunction about letting others know exactly what she thinks. Teresa has a reputation for fearlessness bordering on recklessness, though she claims it is nothing of the sort. From her perspective, it's simply that others don't properly account for her ability when assessing the risks she takes. If others less capable get hurt trying to keep up with her when they shouldn't, that was their own fault.

Teresa is a powerful and dangerous ally, to friend and foe alike. Her commitment to opposing the alien threat is strong, but so is her desire to test herself, and to learn more about the enemy. It's unclear how far she will go to accomplish her goals - or what those goals ultimately represent.

Concept:

Pilot posted:

Abilities: +10
Attack +1
Combat Expert +1
Beautiful +2
Intimidating +1
Iron-Willed +1
Smart +3
Wealthy +1

Weaknesses: -5
Arrogant -2
Rude -1
Short-Tempered -1
Stubborn -1

ON1-F66 Manticore

Mecha Theme - Normal Shift | Mecha Theme - Berserk Shift

Of all the IG Project's mecha, the ON1-F66 Manticore is the most controversial. Designed to sow confusion and fear among the enemy, its expansive scanning and communications systems collate up-to-the-nanosecond data in order to disrupt, spoof, or even co-opt enemy sensors and systems. Powerful holoprojectors mean even visual confirmation cannot be relied upon when the Manticore is in the field. When its ECM suite and support systems are fully active, the Manticore can hide and entire army - or create one out of dust and echoes. Integrating the advanced systems of the ON1-F66 required an equally advanced operating system - the Daemon AI. Rather than a separate intelligence, it is intended as an identity amplification system that enhances the capabilities of its pilot, making them more than merely human.

This does not mean the ON1-F66 lacks combat capability of its own - far from it. The Mark II Harpy self regenerating talons and Mark IV Wyvern rail flechette launchers on each hand provide close combat capability, while a Mark X Basilisk directed energy beam cannon is mounted in the head. These systems make it deadly enough, but when the limiters on the integrated AI and experimental psuedobiological components are removed, the Manticore enters a berserk state that increases its combat capability for a short time.

Underlying these capabilities is a frightening secret. Much of the technology integrated into the Manticore is not of human origin. The psuedobiological self-healing armor that protects it, the artificial muscles that move its limbs, the imaginary particle sensors that give it unrivaled vision, the inertial propulsion unit that allows it to fly, the zero-point generator that powers everything, were all salvaged from captured alien wrecks. They have been extensively re-engineered and modified for human use, but their provenance is otherwordly.

As critical as these system are, they pale in comparison to the dark heart of the machine. The Daemon AI was adapted from designs within the GE5 transmission. The message's source code was extracted and then allowed to act upon artificial seed intelligences. The weak examples were culled, and a new generation derived from the strong. Extensive pruning of undesirable traits combined with directed heuristic reprogramming eventually shaped it into its current form. Once integrated into the Manticore, it created a machine that is more than the sum of its parts.

To control this appropriated weapon, IG installed extensive physical and electronic limiters. But these limiters can be relaxed in a crisis to increase the Manticore's capabilities. Ultimately, no one knows if the limiters will hold indefinately, or what will happen if they fail. The purpose of the transmission's deep code remains mysterious, and the Daemon may have its own agenda.

The Manticore's pilot risks herself every time she activates it. Several test pilots suffered physical and psychological damage during development, and for a time the project was nearly abandoned in favor of a design of lesser capability but purely human construction. Then a pilot was found who could withstand the stress, and even expand its effectiveness. Rumors persist that her suitability was not an accident of genetics...

Mecha posted:

Abilities: +10
Self-Healing Ferropolymer (Armored) +1
C3 Expert System (Combat Expert) +3
Inertial Propulsion Unit (Flight) +1
Obake ECM Suite (Illusionist) +3
Active Camouflage (Invisibility) +1
Life Support +1
Microscopical Polyacetylene Musculature (Strong) +2

Weaknesses: -3
The Daemon (Room for Two) -1
Berserk Shift/Combat (Suppressed Power [Combat Expert]) -1
Berserk Shift/Strength (Suppressed Power [Strong]) -1

Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 07:09 on Mar 1, 2015

K Prime
Nov 4, 2009

Something I forgot to note: Taking levels in Pilot marks you as an ace pilot specifically. Everyone is assumed to have a baseline competence with their machines.

All machines are assumed to have Flight and Life Support at +1.

K Prime fucked around with this message at 00:33 on Feb 23, 2015

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
Okay, here we go! Let's do this! The background is pretty much copy/pasted from the original recruit thing. Which is probably okay, because Cecil hasn't really had an "arc" yet like Teresa.

Cecil "Valkyrie" Skye

Theme One / Theme Two

In a world of mecha and wunderwaffen, the humble fighter airplane still finds ways to stay relevant in modern conflict, whether by being cheap or by freeing up mechs for other areas of battle. Some people, like Cecil Skye, even volunteer for the role, instead of washing out from mecha flight programs. Even horror stories of fighter craft being shot down by the squadron by the first mecha did little to dissuade him; it just made him hit the books, sims, and live trainers on defensive maneuvering a little bit harder. The callsign? He looks like a girl, even with his head shaved, and he flies, and he sings pretty well too.

For one fateful training test late in his cadet training, Cecil simulated a one-person air patrol over a number of populated islands over the Pacific. The test was intended as a procedural training--proper requests for takeoff, proper radio doctrine--but had a reputation among cadets for pulling out the strangest tricks, from an absolutely uneventful but still nail-biting sortie to another AUG flight in the area attempting to defect. In this case, Cecil ran into a full invasion force--ships, fighters, and mecha--all headed directly for one of the populated islands. Standard Operation Procedure would have been to radio in the contacts and remain at standoff distance for reinforcements. Cecil elected to radio in the contacts and dive in to intercept. He literally ran out of ammo engaging and stalling the invasion force before being "shot down" and "killed". And while his immediate instructing officer berated him for not following procedure, further analysis from other trainers revealed that (a) the simulated invasion force was being remotely piloted by other instructors and guest aces, and would definitely have made landfall without outside intervention, (b) Cecil neutralized one third of the enemy all on his own, (c) reinforcements would have arrived well before Cecil had been "shot down", and (d) if it were a real battle, Cecil would have been a shoo-in for the Medal of Honor...most likely posthumously.

On one last leave before deployment to an AUG base somewhere on the borderlands, Cecil met someone who said they were from a group called the Ideal Guardians. He talked about aliens and calls for Earth to surrender and the need for heroes to save the earth. Cecil didn't believe much of it at first, but even after he was convinced he asked: Why me? I'm an AUG pilot, not a superhero. I don't even fly mecha, I fly a fighter plane. A second line fighter plane. And I've never actually flown in combat! I'm not the man you want!

And the other man said: Perhaps it is fate. Perhaps you're the man we need.

And perhaps having "a chooser of the slain" as a callsign will turn out remarkably accurate...

Pilot Advantages/Disadvantages +10/-5
Beautiful +1
Intuitive +2
Knowledge +2 (Conventional Air War Tactics)
Perceptive +1
Pilot +1
Quick +1
Smart +2

Kind Hearted -2
Quirk -1 (Jet pilot, mecha world)
Servitude -1 (AUG Armed Forces)
Weak Willed/Unique Weakness? -1 (I shouldn't be here...)

SSF-01A "GEIRDRIFUL" Prototype Space-Capable Multirole Fighter

Theme 1 / Theme 2

The "GEIRDRIFUL" (old Norse, "Spear-flinger") Space Superiority Fighter shows what happens when the best and brightest ideas of fighter planes from around the world get stolen and put into a single frame with the objective of controlling outer space. Namely, a rather expensive craft that would be a challenge for a mech, provided the pilot was particularly skilled. The result may be neither fish nor fowl, especially in the era of the mecha, but it is a fighter craft with a number of advantages compared to others of its kind. Its use of multiple directed energy lasers as the primary weapon system and a micro-missile manufacturing system in an external pod allow it a very long "time in combat" without sacrificing punch, and its unique cockpit design and multiple thrust vectoring systems allow for sustained 15g+ maneuvering in both atmosphere and vacuum, with no special precautions required beyond the standard skintight g-suit design for the pilot. (Admittedly, such an arrangement would result in very low survivability were the cockpit ever breached, especially since it uses the high-visibility "bubble" canopy standard on Western fighter craft for centuries.) Its fuel requirements are similarly minimal, as it is equipped with a new prototype fusion drive power plant, which powers all engines (main thrust, retros, and maneuvering) and all onboard electronics, and can be theoretically fueled by the residual hydrogen in space. (Admittedly, said power plant has never been fully vetted for this use.) And while not strictly as heavily armored as a mech, the fighter is lighter and faster than any humanoid design could hope to be, and even has room for some active point defense to compensate for its lack of RHA-equivalent thickness, a rarity on mecha designs. One minor compromise is that the craft is also designed to operate at full efficiency in atmosphere; as such, all of the control surfaces expected on a terrestrial plane are still there, even in space where they do nothing.

Aircraft Advantages/Disadvantages +10/-3
High Sustained G-Rating (Agile) +2
Missile and Laser Loadout (Attack) +2
Active Point Defense (Barrier) +1
Evasive Action (Evasive) +2
Fighter plane, duh! (Flight) +2 (1 free + 1)
Radar and Sensor Suite (Heightened Senses) +1
Onboard Oxygen System (Life Support) +1 (1 free)
Rapid Thrust Vectoring (Quick) +1

Low RHA-equivalent Armor (Frail -1)
It's a Goddamn Fighter Plane! (Quirk -1)
Single Expensive Prototype (Unique Weakness -1?)

Davin Valkri fucked around with this message at 02:25 on Mar 1, 2015

sentrygun
Dec 29, 2009

i say~
hey start:nya-sh
Isabelle Marine



So, you probably already know the Marine name. My dad heads up some of the biggest research on those aliens, he's a xenobiologist and basically one of the most important people in his field. So, um, that doesn't leave me with a whole lot of time to spend with him. Even when he's at home he's usually stuck answering a lot of calls and shuffling around AR documents. We can barely even eat dinner together. But it's okay, I know dad's just super busy since, well, the world basically depends on this stuff, doesn't it?

Me? Um, I'm just in high school. Was. Was just in high school. I got pulled from a pilot training program I was doing as a kind of after-school thing and ended up getting assigned to train with a bunch of people doing actually important stuff. I thought there's supposed to be a whole academy for this kind of thing, but they just kinda threw me in despite me totally not having the best grades or even the best performance.

I'm still not sure why they picked me out of the tons of other people they could have picked. Maybe it's because dad's pretty important, or because I maybe kind of snuck into dad's private files and read a whole lot about how the aliens work, and maybe accidentally wrote some stuff that was probably classified information on one of my tests without really thinking about it. Or, when I visited dad's work for Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, I maybe snuck into one of the prototype mecha and figured out how to turn it on and move it around before they caught me. Those are kind of the only things I can think of, but being assigned to use a scrapped star exploration mech to support a bunch of ace pilots seems like a lot just for all that!

Dad's not really happy about me putting myself in danger, but the mech they gave me is supposed to be able to turn invisible if I end up really getting in danger, and I'm supposed to be in the back lines anyways. I should be fine, and it's kind of exciting! Okay, it's really exciting, it's like I'm in some kind of cartoon or something, but for real! Plus, if I get to be really important maybe I'll get to see dad more, and we won't have to worry about him getting dragged away from his work so much. Maybe I'll even get to work alongside him! It's a lot better than being stuck at home alone, at least. I just hope the other pilots don't treat me like a kid, I'm like, sixteen already! That's basically like being an adult, right?

quote:

Concept: Latchkey Kid In Over Her Head

Abilities:
Kinda Short (Art of Invisiblity) +1
Adorable Little Kid (Cute!) +2
What Keycard? (Dextrous) +1
Excessive Carbs (Endurance Reserve) +2
Naturally Nosy (Intuitive) +2
Dad's Files (Knowledge: Alien Physiology) +2
Right Behind You (Passion: Back Line) +1

Weaknesses:
...Kinda Short (Awkward Size) -1
Just A Peek (Compulsion: Snooping) -1
Too Young For This (Ageism) -1
Spoiled Rotten (Soft Spot: Confections) -2

Red Dwarf



That's the robot I'm in! And I'm not just in it because we're both short! The Dwarf's got these huge launchers I can shoot into the air randomly, and it bursts into flak so that anyone trying to fly through is gonna get messed up real bad. I can also point it straight at things, but it's pretty tough and I haven't really gotten the hang of it yet. Oh, it's also got a bunch of heat seeking missiles if I want to make sure I'm hitting something right in the face, and a ton of little buddies I can launch out into the field. If something tries shooting my friends, they'll get surrounded by a bunch of flashing lights and noises so they can't really aim!

Oh, why's all that stuff on there? Um, well, the Dwarf was being built to get shot into the sun and other stars and explore inside them. It was supposed to have this stuff to make it basically invincible to all that heat, but then the aliens came along and they stopped building the Dwarf, so it never got finished.

Apparently they wheeled it out since it was still useful, tossed a couple launchers on it, tweaked how the 'exploratory drones' worked, and called it good for battle. It's just got ki~ind of a little problem where you can't see anything while you're in it because they didn't really need that for launching a robot into the sun. So I have to depend on sonar and radar and stuff, anything that gets up close is a real problem!

Oh yeah, and I'm really bad with it, but since it needed to travel through space it's capable of operating at lightspeed. It's kinda tough though, haven't quite gotten the hang of it, and it makes me a little queasy every time I use it. Mostly I've been using it to make reloading the cannons faster, but it's supposed to be good for other stuff.


quote:

Concept: Re-purposed Star Expedition Mech

Abilities:
Icarus Plating (Armored) +1
Reactive Mirroring System (Barrier) +1
Shoulder-Mounted Launchers (Attack) +2
Predictive Arc Targeting (Combat Expert) +1
Labyrinthine Lightspeed Projector (Time Freeze) +2
Dull Light Emission (Invisibility) +2
Field Repairs and Replacements Kit (Vigorous) +1
Standard Issue Life Support (Life Support) +1
Standard Issue Thrusters and Flight Stabilizers (Flight) +1

Weaknesses:
Lack of Immediate Vicinity Sensors (Impaired Sense: Sight) -2
Labyrinthine Charging Panel (Trigger: UV Light, for Time Freeze) -1


Attacks:
Flak Cannon, Area Denial Mode: HIT 3 DX 3 END 0
-Ranged +0
-Area Effect +10
-Feather Blow -5
-Low Penetration -5

Flak Cannon, Suppressing Mode: HIT 4 DX 5 END 15
-Ranged +0
-Overwhelming +15
-Accurate +5
-Effective x2 +10
-Unwieldy x2 -10
-Low Penetration -5

Disruptor Drone Swarm: HIT 3 DX 0 END 5
-Ranged +0
-Will Attack +0
-Trap +5
-Blinding +20
-No Damage -20

Heat Seeking Missiles: HIT 6 DX 3 END ??
-Ranged +0
-Multiple Targets +10
-Accurate x3 +15
-Buildup -5
-Ammunition x2 -10
-Cancel (No Heat Signature) -??

sentrygun fucked around with this message at 05:43 on Mar 16, 2015

Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...

Aoko
Bright-Eyed, Genetically-Engineered Psychic Pilot
Theme 1 Theme 2

What is it that makes great soldiers truly great? Is it simply experience on the battlefield? Things like reaction speed and muscle memory? Is it their training? Do great soldiers stand on the shoulders of giant, having accumulated the results of military theory thousands of years old? Is it a matter of discipline, knowing when to take the correct action and then forcing themselves to actually do it?

Or is it something more? Is there anything really special about Great Soldiers or, perhaps, are they just Great Men that happen to fight? And for that matter, what makes Great Men great? Are they built by society? Is it simply a matter of having a fine mind and good genetics? Or perhaps, is it a matter of having a Great Soul?

But then... how does one make a Great Soul?

Aoko is the end result of a secret project that aims to do just that. Created by Dr. Itagaki, she is a genetically engineered 'Next-Gen Human' made with the goal of exceeding humanity in 'all the ways that matter.' Though her primary purpose, for now, is to pilot the mecha Suisho-Kyokan, Itagaki seems to have even greater hopes for her.

While Aoko's talents are generally well-rounded, there is one aspect to her which stands out well above anything else: her mental abilities. Sensitive to the forces of the world and of the human mind to an extreme degree, she can react unnaturally fast to stimuli, sense things that 'aren't there', and form an almost disconcerting emphatic bond with other people. This has, naturally, been exploited to power a giant robot with her brain.

In person, Aoko carries a very kind, calm, and gentle aura, which has made her popular around the base. She is so bright-eyed and gentle-hearted it seems infectious, like she just somehow automatically brightens people's days by being there.

As the example of a 'Next-Gen Human', Aoko has been forced to become a symbol of hope and everything that humanity can be. So far, she has been pretty well suited to this task; after all, being good, kind, and hopeful is part of her natural personality. And everybody has been pretty kind and nice to her so far, as well. But will her faith in humanity hold up when their moral complexities become more apparent?

The exact details of Aoko's origins are a mystery to her. She has no memories of her earliest days, and so far, Itagaki has avoided talking about the subject. Currently this is not much of a concern, but there are likely to be important questions in the future...


Dr. Arthur Itagaki
Transhumanist Scientist
Theme

Behind the project that created Aoko is Dr. Arthur Itagaki (pictured above testing a pilot suit of his own design), a man whose background is somewhat of a mystery. Still, when someone shows up with a psychic super-soldier and a giant robot and offers to help, nobody really asks more questions than necessary.

He says that he is 'simply a humanitarian' who simply uses science to 'help out humanity as a whole'. The alien threat seems to only be of secondary importance, except when it's directly threatening him.


Akiko
Enigmatic Sister
Theme

Akiko is Aoko's 'older sister', and yet Aoko doesn't even realize that she exists. Dr. Itagaki hasn't mentioned anything about her, either.

The two sisters seem like opposite sides of the same coin; in looks, stature, and ability they are almost the same, but their personalities are miles apart. Where Aoko is calm, honest and gentle, Akiko is forceful, cunning, and aggressive.

Who is Akiko, really? And what does she want?

quote:

Aoko, Artificially Engineered Psychic

Health: 40
Endurance: 40

Abilities (+10):

Beautiful +2
Charismatic +2
Perceptive +2
Psychic +1
Quick +1
Sixth Sense +1
Smart +1

Weaknesses (-5):
Amnesia -1
Crybaby -1
Kind-Hearted -2
Servitude (Dr. Itagaki) -1


quote:

Special Attacks for Aoko

Psychic Interference - Roll 3? DX 1 End 10?
Psychic sensitivity is a double-edged sword. As much as it lets you listen to soft mental whispers, it leaves you open to that same voice shouting in your ear. Aoko can exploit this by concentrating her mental power.
Will Attack (0)
Ranged (0)
Strike Through (+5)
Stunning (+10)
Cancel: Only Works on Other Psychics (-5?)
Affinity: Psychic

Psychic Burst - Roll 2? DX 1 End 15
It is possible, also, to concentrate and let out so much psychic power that it can affect more mundane minds. But it is not very safe.
Will Attack (0)
Ranged (0)
Multiple Targets (+10)
Strike Through (+5)
Stunning (+10)
Overwhelming (+15)
Concentration (-20)
Backlash (-5)
Affinity: Psychic


Suisho-Kyokan
The Crystal Giant
Theme

If Aoko was designed to be as well-rounded as a human could, Suisho-Kyokan is a tool designed to be as focused as a weapon should.

Almost every aspect of its design, from its control interfaces, to its shields and weapons, to the very nature of the circuits powering of the thing, is built to take advantage of the excessive mental capacity of the (presumably psychic) pilot inside.

At its heart is the Psycho-Drive, the machine that makes this all possible by transforming raw brainwaves into the energy which powers the robot and its systems. This Psycho-Resonant Energy, in addition to providing simple power and locomotion, is amplified to provide the cutting power of its blade and beam weaponry, as well as the shielding power of its psycho-kinetic barriers.

Control of the robot is efficiently handled with a 1:1 neuro-mapping system, which allows the pilot to move the humanoid machine as if it were their own body. This allows for fine, precise movements, and conveniently does not interfere with any faster-than-human reflexes its pilot may have.

quote:

Suisho-Kyokan, The Crystal Giant

Health: 30
Endurance: 60

Abilities (+10):
Full-Body Neuro-Mapped Controls (Agile) +1
Psycho-Resonant Blade/Beams (Attack) +2
Crystalline Armor (Armored) +1
Psycho-Kinetic Barrier (Barrier) +2
1:1 Control System (Dexterous) +1
Psycho-Kinetic Levitation System (Flight) +1 [Free]
Life Support Systems (Life Support) +1 [Free]
Lag-Free Psycho-Inputs (Quick) +1
The Psycho-Drive (Vigorous) +2

Weaknesses (-3):
Lightweight Structure (Frail) -1
Unsecured Psycho-Circuits (Vulnerability, Psychic Attacks) -1
High-Energy Shielding (Endurance Use, Barrier) -1

quote:

Special Attacks for Suisho-Kyokan

Psycho-Resonant Sword - Roll 3 DX 3 End 0
A sword that resonates with high-frequency psychic power, which even at minimal energy levels gives it extraordinary cutting ability.
Armor Piercing (+5)
Weapon (-5)

Psycho-Resonant Sword: Harmonic Strike - Roll 3 DX 5 End 10
When charged with psycho-resonant power, the sword can cut through almost anything.
Armor Piercing (+5)
Effective x2 (+10)
Barrier Buster (+5)
Weapon (-5)
Buildup (-5)
Affinity: Psychic

Psycho-Resonant Beam - Roll 5 DX 4 End 15
A beam of energy, charged up and fired from a long prism in the front of the Suisho-Kyokan's horn.
Ranged (+0)
Accurate x2 (+10)
Effective (+5)
Impairing (+10)
Activation (-10)
Affinity: Psychic

Psychic Overload - Roll 3 DX 5 End 15
It is possible to use the Psycho-Drive's amplifier to deliver a burst of psycho-energy so large it could disrupt giant aliens. This is not an intended of the Psycho-Drive, nor is it a safe use of it.
Will Attack (+0)
Effective x2 (+10)
Overwhelming (+15)
Paralyzing x2 (+20)
Open To Attack (-25)
Backlash (-5)
Affinity: Psychic

Takanago fucked around with this message at 02:36 on Apr 16, 2015

Green Intern
Dec 29, 2008

Loon, Crazy and Laughable

FYI K Prime said that all mechs get rank 1 life support and flight for free. I'm not sure if you meant for yours to have extra or not.

Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...

Green Intern posted:

FYI K Prime said that all mechs get rank 1 life support and flight for free. I'm not sure if you meant for yours to have extra or not.

Oh, well would you look at that. I'll redo my numbers when its not horribly late

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Marika Zingel / Extraterrestrial Assessment and Combat Intelligence (EACI) Unit, Codename "Coppélia"



Marika Zingel was the Chief Security Officer of Arali 4, an orbital research station that worked on space-based experiments for the MHC. A former police lieutenant with a stellar record and years of services of the Caliphate, she took her duty seriously and kept everyone's well-being at the station her highest priority. She lost her life three years ago, along with the lives of many engineers and staff, in what is known today as the Arali Tragedy.

Arali 4 at the time detected a massive signal from space approach the station at an alarming speed. The staff feared the threat of space debris (or worse, a raid or sabotage attempt from the EH), so Marika and her officers launched to space with their mechs to intercept it. They discovered instead the visage of a terrifying alien craft, which would be recognized later on as a scout-class ship. The alien decimated half of Marika's squadron a single barrage, then emitted a signal that somehow turned the rest against her. It afterwards descended upon Arali 4, gutted the station, and started to… harvest the people and experimental weaponry inside. It killed everyone inside in only a few minutes.

Marika fought through her former friends and endured terrible damage on her mech, but it was too late to save the depressurized station. Alone, outgunned, about to break herself, she did the only thing she that made sense to her that time. With a vengeful cry, she hacked the space station and forced it to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. She then struggled and pinned the alien craft against the surface of Arali 4, even as the incredible friction lit them all aflame. The alien smashed her, gutted her mecha, tried to mind control her. She held on until the very end.

The public only knows the official story: a freak meteor storm utterly tore the station into pieces, leaving no survivors. The remains of Marika and the alien scout disappeared without any trace.

Project Coppélia had a simple thesis: an artificial intelligence capable of counteracting the unpredictable nature of the alien threat. While artificial intelligences already existed in various civilian and military applications, they were only as capable as the programmers behind them. The Ideal Guardians needed an computer not only capable of learning for herself, but also felt driven to do so. An intelligence that already understood the alien threat and what would happen if it failed.

Marika Ziegel was the rare few who faced an alien head on and fought back without hesitation. The IG used her brain patterns (and data lifted from the alien scout) as the basis for what eventually became the prototype EACI Unit. The results exceeded their expectations. The intelligence not only adopted Marika's memories and knowledge, but also her personality, hopes, dreams, and pent-up anger. Effectively, the EACI became Marika, as she woke up from a long nap with an overwhelming drive to finish what she started with the alien scout.

Rather than curb this strange development, the IG gave the AI exactly what she wanted to take the fight to the aliens: a new, 40-foot body.

Marika believes in her own humanity and the humanity in others. Convinced that she has been brought back to life, she wants to avenge the people who died on her watch and ensure that these invaders could not harm other again. While she's not ignorant of her true nature, the notion that she has transformed into something as inhuman as the aliens is not something she dwells long on.

Concept: Combat Drone With A Heroic Soul

Pilot posted:

Abilities: +10
Robotic Chassis (Armored) +1
Lifelike Synthskin (Beautiful) +1
Self-Defense Techniques (Combat Expert) +1
Knowledge – Alien Tactics +2
Knowledge – Computers +2
Digitized Mind (Life Support) +2
Advanced Sensors (Perceptive – Sight) +1
Quantum Calculations (Quick) +2

Weaknesses: -7
Lapses of Machine Logic (Airhead) -1
Lack Of Nervous System (Impaired Sense – Touch) -2
Obsession – Destroy the Alien Threat -2
Can't Stray From Irkalla (Restricted Freedom) -1
Product of Project Coppélia (Servitude) -1

ECX-S17 Irkalla



A prototype weapons system reverse-engineered from the alien scout craft, the Irkalla is geared for anti-extraterrestrial combat. It boasts a strange and sleek body, its body made up many segmented pieces held together by a powerful electromagnetic array. The Irkalla can not only manipulate metallic objects around it, but it can also manipulate its own segments in ways that even the most flexible robots would envy. This opens many unconventional options for combat, where the Irkalla can hurl superheated parts of itself towards enemies, or split itself apart to avoid attacks, or even disassemble and reassemble itself across normally impassable spaces. It can even reassemble itself into a massive railgun, a destructive option saved as a last resort.

While Marika's AI Core resides at the Irkalla itself, she can also deploy and remotely control a human-sized drone to protect and socialize with people in ways a giant robot can't. Built for endurance and extreme environment conditions, this drone also looks a lot like how she used to look three years ago. Marika insisted on the option herself, even though her engineers find the whole thing superfluous. It turns out that she's more effective in battle when she can better interact with the world she's fighting to protect.

(Think EDI from Mass Effect 3, if she were housed in a giant robot instead of a spaceship.)

Mecha posted:

Abilities: +10
High Density Damascus Alloy (Armored) +1
EACI Unit "Coppélia" (Combat Expert) +2
Electromagnet Array with Superheated Weaponry (Attack) +2
Segmented Displacement (Teleport) +3
Redundant Energy Systems (Vigorous) +2
Electromagnetic Propulsion (Flight) +1
Sealed AI Core Chamber (Life Support) +1

Weaknesses: -3
Unconventional Design (Bizarre Appearance) -1
Prone to Overheating (Endurance Use – Teleport) -1
Sensitive to EM Interference (Vulnerability – Electricity) -1

Mitama fucked around with this message at 13:29 on Mar 1, 2015

K Prime
Nov 4, 2009

C-c-commentary (the musical)

Everyone's looking excellent so far! I have no questions for those of you who are previous posters, so here's some for the new people!

Tae, when the Empire of Heaven subsumed Japan a hundred years ago, what did your family do? Do you seek Japan's freedom? Or dominance over the Empire that now calls it Province?

Isabelle, your father's absences are finally being cleared up for you- he was hired by a secret organization, the same one now asking for your help. Do you forgive him?

Aoko, how did Aoko get pulled into the IG? Does your "father" work for them completely now, or is he still being kept at arm's length/keeping them at arm's length? What price did he ask for for his help?

Marika, your new self recently discovered that her death was covered up by the MHC, so as not to show weakness to what might have been a play by some other power. What was her reaction? Is she going to do something about it now, as the war starts to move from the shadows to the light?

sentrygun
Dec 29, 2009

i say~
hey start:nya-sh

K Prime posted:

Isabelle, your father's absences are finally being cleared up for you- he was hired by a secret organization, the same one now asking for your help. Do you forgive him?


Pff, forgive Dad? It's totally no big deal in the first place, of course I forgive him. It'd just, y'know, be nice if we got to watch a movie or something without him being blinded by notifications at the best parts. But, uh, I kind of knew already, at least a little bit. I know it's super outdated, but Dad's always liked using paper over AR, so he's got a lot of files printed out and stored away. And I maybe unlocked it once before he left for work with his keys and took a look inside after he was gone. Okay, fine, maybe a couple of times.

So, I spotted a couple of papers about what he was doing now, and while almost all of the stuff made basically no sense to me, it did have a header and all that junk and it wasn't the same as the biotech company he'd been working for. He hadn't told me he switched jobs and we didn't have to move, so I didn't really suspect anything. Really I just thought it was a promotion when I noticed, and it still kinda seems that way.

But way more importantly, now that they want me piloting the Dwarf, I sorta get to work with Dad! We, uh, still don't get to see each other a whole lot because he's obviously super mega busy at work, but still, this is basically the best! And I don't even have to go to school anymore! Dad's not as happy about that part, I guess.

Bendigeidfran
Dec 17, 2013

Wait a minute...

K Prime posted:

Tae, when the Empire of Heaven subsumed Japan a hundred years ago, what did your family do? Do you seek Japan's freedom? Or dominance over the Empire that now calls it Province?

Our clan fought admirably in that war! For all the shameful deeds that we have done since, our defense of the homeland is a point of pride among we Matsukaze. I've loved stories of that time since I was a child. Every day after dinner, Grandfather Heihachiro would boast of his own grandfather's campaigns as we strolled through the compound under the moonlight. He was, I must add, quite drunk whenever this happened. But do not worry! I promise that what I tell you now is true.

The Empire of Heaven sent the General of The Left, a man called Li Sun Jin, to pursue Japan's remnant forces hiding near the Akaishi mountains. Now this was and remains the territory of Matsukaze. Our patriarch Kenzo had assumed control of the soldiers there in all but name. It was good that he did, for their last commander was a contemptible coward who threw away his men's lives and stole from the people. I will not disgrace this tale with his name. Kenzo drew General Li's forces into the great mountain range and fought with the speed of Yoshitsune, the resolve of Ieyasu, and the cunning of Koumei. The Empire's men attacked courageously, but for all of General Li's skill he could not break our defenses.

At Japan's final surrender our clan was treated...well. Kenzo and his retainers avoided the execution that greeted many other commanders. Yes, our war effort had drained what little we had left in those days. But the Empire's government left us unharmed. You already know my father's thoughts on the situation.

Freedom? Ah, you mean the old Imperial clan and their plans. If the flames of war must engulf Japan once more, then I would gladly go into battle against the Empire. But only if they must. I will not gamble with the lives of my countrymen. For now the Matsukaze clan preserves peace against any and all who threaten it. I'm afraid I don't trust a new Empress to do the same.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

K Prime posted:

Marika, your new self recently discovered that her death was covered up by the MHC, so as not to show weakness to what might have been a play by some other power. What was her reaction? Is she going to do something about it now, as the war starts to move from the shadows to the light?


It makes sense. The government didn’t know all the details at the time, much less have any ability to prove the existence of extraterrestrials. If they allowed the truth to go public, it would have done more harm than good. Panic increases the chances of casualties in the long run. I’ve run all the possible scenarios and outcomes. Logically, the MHC made the best option at the time.

...but I'm more than just that. A large part of Mari- of myself understands that it's more than just numbers. After all I did for my country, I was swept aside to save their skin. Every person that died in Arali 4, I knew and worked alongside with for years I remember every name and voice, and thanks to quantum storage, I will remember them forever. They will never be recognized for their sacrifice against the alien threat.

I'm proud to have served the MHC, it is not only the aliens who need to account for what happened in Arali 4. If this new life must mean something, it will be for them.

K Prime
Nov 4, 2009

Reposting these world details here (Aspects are still descriptive so dadgum I'm keeping them)

Major Earth Factions

AUG: Allied United Governments
Aspects: Live Free or Die, On the Warpath, Kings of the Open Sky
Location: United States, Canada, Northern Mexico, occupying Britain and the Iberian Peninsula

Originally formed as HJS settlers fleeing for more secular climes integrated with the natives of the "New World," the roots of the AUG are freedom and beating the hell out of anyone who looks at them funny. Presently, that's the HJS, in retaliation for repeated "forced conversion attempts" during a period of internal turmoil caused by a worker's revolt. Unfortunately for the HJS, the attempts reunited the United Governments and things have rapidly gone for the worse since, especially due to the AUG's incredible air superiority.

HJS: Holy Jehovan Society
Aspects: Holy Land, Martial Tradition, God is With Us
Location: Most of Europe, Turkey

Centered on the Church, the HJS has been united since the fall of the Empire that spawned it and the slow struggle to rebuild that followed. That struggle produced a hardy and faithful sort of people, not ones to give in in the face of adversity. They'll need it- besieged by the AUG, and with their other neighbors sensing weakness and sniffing for the kill, the HJS may be facing its darkest hour since the lions.

MHC: Most Holy Caliphate
Aspects: Wisdom in Peace, Sleeping Lion, Center of Knowledge
Location: Arabian Peninsula, Middle East

For centuries now the MHC has served as the buffer between the EH and the rest of the world. The EH is cautious of provoking its mostly peaceful neighbor, as they are well aware that the MHC walks softly and carries a 20 megawatt plasma cannon. Unless prodded, the MHC is happy to keep to itself.

EH: The Empire of Heaven
Aspects 8000 Years of History, Numbers Advantage, Technology Kings
Location: China, Vietnam, Siberia, Japan, Korea, Indonesia

The EH is mighty frustrated at the moment. Stalemated with the ISP in the south, and unwilling to provoke the MHC in the west, the aggressively expansionist EH is at a standstill for the first time in a long time. Last heard, it was massing its forces on it's border with the HJS in the far north- perhaps to take advantage of the war with AUG.

PRA: People's Republic of Africa
Aspects: Resource Rich, Secular by Necessity, Cultural Flourishing
Location: Africa

The PRA is doing what it has always done with wars, since the end of the long war to unite the continent: Stay out of them. Instead, the PRA has focused inward, and within it arts and quality of life are improving- in fact, in terms of happiness it is the best place to live in the world.

Tawantinsuyu
Aspects: We Take Prisoners, Internal Suppression, Outside the Box Thinkers
Location: Central and South America

Tawantinsuyu are another set of stymied conquerors, their attempt at taking chunks out of the AUG repeatedly halted by the impenetrable screen that is the AUG air force. Unlike the EH, they've got enough to keep them busy- some of their Central American factions have decided that maybe they should be in charge... Tawantinsuyu is handling the situation, but they're a little too busy to be shooting at anyone else. For now.

ISP: Indo-Siam Pact
Aspects: Teeth Clenched Teamwork, United by Necessity, Prisoner's Dilemma
Location: India and Southeast Asia

The ISP only exists because the EH does, and the moment the EH lets up the pact will fall once again, as it as for centuries. The Kingdom of Siam and the Republic of India are too individualistic to remain united for long, but neither can afford to withdraw and let the EH run rampant across them both. So they stay, but the moment there is an opportunity someone is going to get backstabbed.

Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...

K Prime posted:

Aoko, how did Aoko get pulled into the IG? Does your "father" work for them completely now, or is he still being kept at arm's length/keeping them at arm's length? What price did he ask for for his help?


Before we were here, we worked at a lab in the Empire of Heaven. It wasn't a very nice place. The whole lab was very cold, sterile, hundreds of meters below the ground, and built like a maze. I never did figure out how that place was laid out; they never gave me much time to myself and they especially didn't like me wandering around.

Everybody there was really under some kind of intense pressure. They'd always be scrambling to meet some kind of quota or deadline. "We've got to get these test results done in an hour!" "The Psycho-Amplifier Mark 2 needs to be calibrated by tomorrow!" You didn't have time to relax, you didn't have time to ask questions, you just needed to do what you needed to do before someone got really mad.

I know that the Professor really didn't like any of this. Most of the research staff there was usually kind of tired, but he always seemed to be actively angry at something. Never at me. But there was always something about the direction of the project that day that was not something he wanted to be doing.

Then, one night, when they had forgotten to keep me monitored, I happened to close my eyes for a moment and reach out. I saw the Professor's aura. It was flaring up like I hadn't seen before. And then I listened.

"No, you don't understand a thing! Can't you see the potential?! These aren't just weapons! These are extensions of the Soul!" He was in an argument with someone important. Someone I didn't know.

A few hours later, the power went completely out and everything became pitch black. Not long after, the Professor pried open the door to my room and said, "We're going." We took the Suisho-Kyokan on the way out. I don't think the Professor much cared for it, but I don't think we could have made it out of that complex on foot. And as it turned out, it would also be our bargaining chip later.

After that, we ran and we hid. This only lasted as long as it took for us to really get away. The Professor was never really happy when he wasn't in the lab. He didn't like being idle. I didn't really mind it, it was actually kind of nice to be free for a change. But I didn't want to stay like that if it meant the Professor was unhappy.

Eventually he contacted the IG through some researchers that he knew. He offered his services, as well as mine and the Suisho-Kyokan's. And in return, he asked for his own lab where he could operate without anybody looking over his shoulder and constantly keeping an eye on him. So, to answer your question, I'd say that he's keeping them at arm's length.

I don't know if he's asked for anything more, but I doubt it. I think he just wants to be able to work on whatever he wants, and to not be disturbed while doing it. I think he's really trying to 'say something' through his work.

Takanago fucked around with this message at 19:24 on Mar 8, 2015

K Prime
Nov 4, 2009

Ok we're closing down- I'll have picks by the end of the week! I meant to do this this weekend but it turned out to be more hectic than heck.

K Prime
Nov 4, 2009

Tak, Sentrygun, you're in. I'll have a new post up by midweek. I hate my schedule right now.

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Congrats to the newbies!

sentrygun
Dec 29, 2009

i say~
hey start:nya-sh


~ta da~


Yeah! So, the other people I'm with.

Mister Castle, he's so old. Like, it's kind of weird thinking that he's probably as old as my grandpa, and that crazy big robot that makes things float is something he built all by himself! Or, he was in charge of making it. Can't remember. Anyways, I maybe found some files scattered around about him off a few people's AR devices they totally just happened to leave sitting around, and from the looks of things he's probably in a lot of trouble. But if he's here fighting the aliens, he's gotta be a good guy, right? Wonder why people would still be mad at him.

Teresa is like, mega cool! She's super rich, super tough, and super smart. I totally hope I end up like her when I grow up! Well, okay, maybe not so angry almost mostly all the time. Kind of hard to figure out when she's just gonna snap at me and when she's okay to talk with. I don't think she really trusts me piloting the Dwarf yet, just 'cause I messed up once or twice... Or ten-ce...

Valkyrie! I didn't really know robots could be planes, turns out how much I know! Wait, it's just a really cool plane? Whoa! That must mean he's even better than really, really good at piloting! Man, there's no way I could do the kinda stuff he does. Too bad he seems so quiet. I barely even know what he's like outside of the couple of drills we've done. I'll bet he's got a ton of secrets he's hiding.

Aoko. Hmph! She totally just showed up and started being nice to everyone, and everyone totally loves having her around. She's busting in on my game! How am I supposed to figure out what everyone's up to when all they wanna tell me is how fantastic that stupid super perfect robot girl is! Just to make things even worse, she's way better than I can even hope to be with her weird robot she pilots too. Of course she would be, a robot piloting a robot is 100% cheating! I don't care if she isn't actually a robot! Blah!

Marika, now she's actually a robot. In fact, I think she's technically supposed to be the big robot, and when she comes out it's just some kind of drone, like the little guys the Dwarf shoots out except human-sized instead of hockey puck-sized! How weird! But, um, I maybe found some stuff that talks about her actually being a person before. It's not much, so it's hard to go off of, but it's really strange. Can people really be turned into robots after they die?


Also, edited in a theme song for my mech because I forgot to do that before!

sentrygun fucked around with this message at 06:10 on Mar 17, 2015

Davin Valkri
Apr 8, 2011

Maybe you're weighing the moral pros and cons but let me assure you that OH MY GOD
SHOOT ME IN THE GODDAMNED FACE
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
Trix changed up her PC. She used to be a cowboy pilot from the AUG. Now she's an AI constructed using a deceased person's mind as a template.

sentrygun
Dec 29, 2009

i say~
hey start:nya-sh
Ahah, I kind of assumed but wasn't entirely sure. I'll toss in an impression for Marika when I'm not in dire need of sleep.

Oh, also, I didn't want to worry about it much unless I actually got in, but what would the endurance credit be on the Dwarf's Heat Seeking Missiles weakness? "-Cancel (No Heat Signature) -??" I have no idea if this would be incredibly common amongst aliens and refund a bunch (I'd probably shift in some more cost in that case) or only affect a few special units and not give me that much of an endurance credit.

sentrygun fucked around with this message at 05:59 on Mar 16, 2015

Green Intern
Dec 29, 2008

Loon, Crazy and Laughable

Welcome to the new players! Way to lower the average age of the PCs!

Takanago where did you get your art? I'm impressed that you have a full matching set of stuff.

Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...

Green Intern posted:

Welcome to the new players! Way to lower the average age of the PCs!

Takanago where did you get your art? I'm impressed that you have a full matching set of stuff.

I was lucky enough to find this guy, MKCT on Pixiv (partial nsfw warning if you have an account with that stuff enabled there). Pretty much everything I used came from this one album in particular. It really suited my "spend forever looking for art then fit something to what ya got" character-making style.

There's a bunch of other stuff there too, even using the same original characters. But most of them are unlikely to be canon.

or are they

K Prime
Nov 4, 2009

WE ARE A GO GO TO THREAD AND ROLL

Takanago
Jun 2, 2007

You'll see...
I added some special attacks to Aoko's/The Crystal Giant's char sheets. There are a few things that I'm not quiiite sure about, but I think it's good enough for now.

e: goddammit just right after I made these attacks I found the section in the book explaining Drama Dice/Miracles. Might re-consider some of these special attacks later

Takanago fucked around with this message at 02:51 on Apr 16, 2015

Comrade Gorbash
Jul 12, 2011

My paper soldiers form a wall, five paces thick and twice as tall.
Have a present.








Also, for the GM:



Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 01:25 on Jul 4, 2015

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sentrygun
Dec 29, 2009

i say~
hey start:nya-sh
Sorry for kind of vanishing, but I think I'm about good and settled in from my move by now (until I have to move again in a couple months) and at least have an outlet and environment for the other problems I was having. Let me know if/how you want Isabelle sticking back in, given that it wouldn't be terribly surprising for her to hang back and just freak out over actual real alien break-in.

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