Crow [WIP]
'a peculiar niche between rogue and sorcerer'
Rogues are any characters that rely on luck, wits, and street smarts to overcome their problems. They can be thieves, merchants, assassins, swashbuckling pirates, highwaymen, or anyone else who lives by breaking the rules.
Karloff Marx, a bandit by any other name. Robbery of the innocent, sabotage of the gallant, and highway murder of the lovers? Yes, you have come looking at the right person.
*highway's man
He is not a native to this universe where mighty men adorn capes or gallant women adorn strength to move mountain, he is a refugee from a simpler time and space where mighty knights slay dragons with wingspans that dwarf mountain ranges. Commonplace magi-tech and advanced human capability comes grander competitive territory. Icarus-types competing with other airborne humanoids. Underwater games and sports in low-Earth orbit — the competitive horizon is endless. The world he is currently in is alien, but some things remain the same. Currency is still obtainable by brute force, and there is liquor to drink.
Crow is an omen of change. Crows live in the void and have no sense of time, therefore being able to see past, present and future simultaneously. They unite both the light and the dark, both the inner and the outer. Crow is the totem of the Great Spirit and must be held with utmost respected. They are representations of creation and spiritual strength.
Authority figures, they are not his friends. However, they are not his enemies. A crook can be good acquaintances with a crooked cop. Blackened hands can be an asset for an unscrupulous merchant, or a lonely women who may need to be relieved of their bumbling partners.
On the rocky planet Goylem, humans have managed to gain a spotty foothold. They live in the valleys with fertile soil and fight occasional battles for territory and general dominance. Said battles prominently involve the semi-intelligent 'homunculus', who are specialised for particular combative functions through breeding programs that have been conducted since time immemorial.
As a child he wore and walked like a street urchin, because he is a beggar. He gets ignored, as poverty is similar to being unseen. He can be anywhere and get jumbled up as part of the background activities. He never wore the face of a suffering loner, being as happy as can be.
Part of his native galaxy's most wanted. Crow is an unparalleled rogue. Enhanced alchemically, synthetically, and genetically he is the product of a Council of Magicians constabulary unit. He remembers very little before becoming what he is today. He is credited with over two hundred heists/robberies and some of his major crimes involve the organ theft of an elder dragon, the destruction of an alien mothership, setting off devastating explosives on Goylem, and plagiarism. By vandalism he absorbed a sizeable amount of magical data from the grand library. The Magicians call that plagiarism. He has never been 'caught' and those that caught him have lived. He carries one signature weapon; a type of enchanted dagger. This blade, however, seems to be a 'defect' he must have stolen as it is capable of slicing through Mohs 12 like porridge.
Casual Appearance:
He wouldn't look like a rogue unless the situation calls for it. Black leather, shivs and the masks along with his hood will make him easy targets out in the open. Most often times he wears the stolen clothes of others, plain and mundane while maintaining the measures to hide his face. The look is plain as that he would pass as a normal ordinary responsible person. Hair just enough, sometimes thinning, moustaches are only an occasional flair, catch phrases are nonexistent, titles are interchangeable, names are as bland as beige (not as bland as white). Hidden in plain sight.
Whenever he takes on a disguise he would add a ludicrous characteristic, generally normal but with a feature that will set him apart, say a birth mark that looks like Ukraine on his cheek or better yet on his forehead, a very memorable thing that will render him effectively 'gone' when it is removed from his person. So that eye witness would be lured to divulging the wrong information to the authorities over the real details, and that the officers would be chasing down a weirdo with Ukraine on their cheek rather than the man enjoying his coffee at the library.
Even an elegant whore can slash a neck and leave with a bag full of goods. If he has no needs to don his kill-suit then he wouldn't. At Goylem he would take on the look of an Elite of a highborn lineage, carrying 'rich' wherever he went. Interestingly that 'rich' was acquired through a series of muggings and plunder. There will always be a 'someone' who would attempt to out him, or have a try at one of his friends which would never come to pass as the guards have the rogue in nobleman's clothing on his most comfortable. They try, and he lets them play a game. Little people trying to escape the strings laid out by a social parasite.
His looks can be normal, even a friendly insurance agent or a man in work uniform. But he can be a villain, a crook and a vandal. He is unique. Sine once people notice that even the normal looking bank teller can turn vicious by a 'trigger' then they might end with a robbery from the inside.
For others he might be the filthiest fighter they may have laid eyes on, words that even have the slightest connotation of 'fair play' are ripped out from his dictionary. He will use hostages, ambush people during sex (or during birth), envenom, deceive, dig stilettos into the womb, lie so others may fight for his wishes, lie so others may turn against their allies, using people's characters against one another (exploiting the goodwill of others), and having contingencies for every person that he has made friends with.
He never gives his real information to those outside of his inner circle. Those with information are kept at all times, never outside of his notice. His appearance is mercurial, ever shifting from one location to another. Extra wear, and enough requirement to captivate the belief of whatever 'persona' that he wishes to be. A guitar or a trumpet for a bard, along with gaudy clothing. A craftsman with workers gloves, lead lined boots, and a hammer. A merchant, an air of greed and hired arms as guardsmen. The best rogue is one that nobody knows about.
Never the one afraid of going alone, never being afraid to retreat, and never starting conflict that he cannot end. Three exits prepared before entry, and more 'created' after he is on the zone. Always seeking creative places to vanish, in scenery and his person. Never being cocky, but act enough to convince the rest.
Using the application of false social status, or disguises, forgeries and adaptive charm to sack a house he makes a good living. Rather than shuffling around and actually physically investigating on month-long stakeouts, he is simply given the necessaries from his targets over time. He will 'change' himself either with distinct, but false features to throw enforcers off his scent, or impersonate a 'who' who has some justification for being there on the chance he gets spotted. With the disguise on, he does whatever he damn pleases.
He will never tell others that he is a Puckish Rogue. He would say Menace instead. Sometimes he will reveal certain aspects of his skill sets, but only enough to give ambivalence. He has more cover identities than old men have liver spots, and he DOES possess the trade-craft to support his claims. He doesn't always pillage as he is tryiyng to treat his kleptomania. He will hear the word of others, know places to trespass, who has big money bags to pilfer, where to purchase the hands of more rougher elements of manual labour. Having friends in the criminal underworld. Taking things isn't the end all be all of a Rogue. Ignoring rules and taking every advantage, no matter how unrefined. Not about what is just, but what can he get away with. A rogue is a person who is best at using trickery and underhanded methods to get what they want.
The golden glow is no the king of all treasures, the power of knowledge. Information. Is. As a rogue he has acted as a spy and information broker. Others will pay him large amount for just a single sentence that the crow listens while being perched above a council of lords.
Everyone has their price, but it is not the same from one to another. It may not even be something of material goods. Nothing is for free, and crow prepares to pay for something or in is case to steal for it. It can be information, an item, a favor, a deed or even a life. Bribing and underhanded pay are tradition in the life of a Rogue. Giving golden pieces to exhausted guardsmen to enjoy a jug of ale in the saloon. Donating a few silver pieces to a bunch of beggars so they can vanish from organ markets, kingpins and other weirdos.
Fighting methods:
His moves are taken from the dirty skills of bandits, the ferocious weapon-skills of barbarians, and the speed of an assassins blade. All shoved together in a smorgasbord by rogues who wish to refine their dastardly skills. It focuses on two things, speed and misdirection. The speed part is a pre-requisite, and tests are routinely given to keep the quality of the members. They specialise on moves that are so fast that their targets do not even realise that they have been hurt, death before their nerves manage to record the pain of the impact. Sleight of hand techniques for speed and versatility, and the dagger, war-hammer, blade, stiletto and club for associated weapons. It is never taught in public or in any common location, few people would disregard it as a rumour and most did not even know of its general existence. It remains in the dark, just like the activities of the rogues. Mastery is given to the initiated.
Archetypes:
- Martial artist: A category of rogues who are are masters in martial arts. Most rogues in this category have no or almost no superpowers, but are very athletic and trained.
- Blaster: A rogue whose primary power is a distant attack. This category can be divided in:
- Mage: A rogue who uses magic or the supernatural
- Marksman: A rogue who uses projectile weapons like crossbow and bolt. Throwing knives fit in this category too.
- Gadgeteer: A rogue who uses special gadgets and apparatus to give him superpowers.
- Mentalist: A rogue who possesses psychic powers.
- Speedster: A rogue who as superhuman speed and reflexes.
- Shapeshifter: A rogue who can manipulate his body and therefore can take many forms and shapes.
Homunculus:
As an infant he was conceived using the mandrake method, in which a whore is inseminated with sperm from a hanged murderer to create a man devoid of morals or conscience. Since they were young, the homunculus were taught to funnel their anger into intellectual activities and sports. They learned martial arts. A few became engrossed in a weightless form of Mixed Martial Arts that has developed quite a following on Goylem. There are two unique problems one encounters that separates this from the gravity-bound situation with which a martial artist normally deals. First, there is no “down” and no gravity to assist in applying locks. In fact, most “groundwork” will no longer be of relevance. The second is that without gravity and a ground with which to push against, Newton’s Third Law (action and reaction are equal and opposite) makes itself very obvious. You hit someone with a straight punch, and both of you fly apart. One brought together a covert group to kill magicians who may pose a threat to them. Several are prodigies who work in biological thaumathurgy.
- removing the knock out risk. Simple as knock outs pretty much only happen when struck in specific places (jaw, temple, behind the ear), though if opponents hit overhumanly hard he had a more complex protection of the brain. Like the wood pecker's adaptations for not getting concussed.
- fixing/moving the vagus nerve so liver and solar plexus hits won't drop him.
- Reinforcing the wind pipe and neck arteries so he can't get choked - and simply install an oxygen backup system in the brain.
- Engineering joints so they can't overextend or making them double-jointed so they can just bend backwards, so arm and leg locks won't work.
- Engineering joints so they can lock in position would also help offensively for chokes and limb locks.
- Tough membranes to cover the eyes so he can't get gouged.
- Testicles 'fixed'
- Pointy, metal hard knuckles and reinforced hand bones that won't break.
- Sensors on the hands and other parts of his body, so his hands don't block your vision when you guard your head, and he can "see" more of the opponent's position when ground fighting.
- An expert system that guided him like a ring corner.
A man who impales himself with a sword, and then undergoes "unendurable torment", his eyes become blood, he spews forth his flesh, and changes into "the opposite of himself, into a mutilated anthroparion (a Greek alchemical concept of a being somewhat similar to a golem but possessing a sense of will and intelligence), and he tore his flesh with his own teeth, and sank into himself". Commonly, the homunculi "submit themselves to unendurable torment" and undergo alchemical transformation. Made of air, that his [magician] creative power was not just like but the same as and indeed greater than God’s, for he had created a man out of air, “which was a thing more difficult than creating him of earth.” Thus the Homunculus of the Council was not physical, it was an energy blockage, made out of air and energy.
This is the sword that the grand magician kept by his side at all times. The name Azure is inscribed on its pommel. The sword is rumored to have extreme power, though the nature of this power is unknown: it might be a panacea, a cure for all known diseases, or it might contain a demon. Thus, great care should be taken in wielding this sword.
Sor-Sigils:
He gained these things as he was abducted from the streets, used as experimentation by a court of wizards. Scarred for life after years of probing, his memory wiped every time the experiments started anew. To serve as a caretaker for a great library.
- Superhuman Speed: Speedsters seem 'normal', normals seem 'slow' [just exist moving much faster. In hid eyes, humans move in super slow-motion.], slowpokes are 'still'
- Gaseous state: any gas [Nitrogen - Can suffocate a person by increasing the nitrogen in the air. He can make nitroglycerin, a highly combustible substance. He can also freeze people by creating liquid nitrogen.]
- Psychometrics: one touch and history is his [It can be used to find out the weakness of an opponent and it can be used to "Learn" the skills needed to use an object i.e a psychometric character can learn the skills of a master swordsman just by touching the blade.]
- Teleportation: multiple places at once [Spatial manipulation - can be used to teleport, cross dimensions, pull objects out of a dimension, BFR people to wherever you want, and chrono lock.]
Crows are messengers, telling us about the creation and magic all around us, that is available to us just for the asking. Look for opportunities to bring into being the magic of life. The striking black colour of the crow represents the colour of creation. It is the womb out of which the new comes into existence. Black is the colour of the night, giving birth to the light of a new day.
The "Crow" is the enforcer sent by the council of magicians. The purpose of the crow is to neutralize threats outside the council. Threats being those individuals using unsanctioned magic and or using the magics for destructive purposes, purposes that could result in another incident such as the one that destroyed the central kingdom. Most often the crow will destroy the user and return the artefact to whatever magician it belongs to. He would also be exploited as a spy or an operative of his nation. Skulking, subterfuge, and Breaking & Entering are important skills for such crow, and are sometimes good ways to raise extralegal funds for his master, that don't have to be accounted for in the Council of Magicians.
Organ Theft:
Deviled Weapon(s):
Prick is his weapon that he picked up from of of the vivisection trays, it was a scalpel back then used to dismantle wondrous beings. After his escape it became his link to his past, reforged multiple times as the devil kept itself inside the shifting forms.
- Vampiric Dagger (for his poisons): This blade saps life from its opponent, bestowing you with the creature’s lost vitality. His favourite is through the armpit and straight to the heart.
- vampire sucks energy through touching a pulse point
- Gains energy and bulk in direct proportion to its donor's / victim's weakening.
A weapon hidden inside his vambrace, compact and can be used to parry for smaller weapons. It uses a gravity rune to propel his arrows with upwards of superhuman power.
- Everload Crossbow: This enchantment can only be placed on projectile weapons that use separate ammunition such as bows, crossbows, and slings. A weapon with this enchantment magically creates a single arrow, bolt, bullet or other type of ammunition each time it is drawn or readied. This ammunition is considered non-magical, even though it vanishes after 3 rounds (whether fired or not). The arrow takes on any magical properties conferred by a magically enchanced weapon (such as a flaming bow), just as if loaded with a normal piece of ammunition.
Barrage Bolts ~When fired, the bolt is consumed and a barrage of force blasts are created. The force blasts look a like a swarm of tiny comets striking one after the other. Each energy blast is visible, about the size of a softball with a vapor trail, and fast moving. Once unleashed against a target, the "barrage" continues until all blasts are used up. Even if the victim runs, flies up, or dives for cover, the barrage will follow him like tiny guided missiles. However, because the blast pulses are reasonably large and visible, the character can try to dodge or parry them with a weapon.
- Focused Shockwave Bolts ~ When fired, the spell of focused shockwave is activated. The bolt is consumed by the magic and a a cone of magical force is fired. These arrows have a limited range compared to some arrow types but are extremely useful at knocking down opponents and taking down missiles.
Hawk Bolts ~ These bolts have twice the range of normal arrows and have a better chance to hit than normal arrows.
Levitation Video Camera Bolts ~ These bolts are similar in general purpose as standard video camera arrow heads but use the levitation spell to stay in the air instead of a parachute. The arrow is much harder to see in the sky as a result. As well, the camera is powered by techno-wizard batteries for a virtually unlimited duration (about six months.) Camera sees in visible light as well as infrared. Can transmit video to a cybernetic implant and/or video screen, including a heads up display. When fired upwards, has a maximum altitude of around 1000 feet (304.8 meters) and can see up to a range of around one mile (1.6 km.) Bolts can usually be recharged.
Lightning Bolts ~When fired, the arrow transformed into a lightning bolt using the spell of "Sub-Particle Acceleration" and the bolt is consumed by the magic.
Ricochet Strike Bolts ~ When this bolt is fired, it can be used to hit up to three targets through ricocheting. The shooter concentrate on the targets which the arrow will hit once fired. The shooter can chose for the arrow to hit a target, ricochet, hit a second target, and ricochet again hitting the original target. If the arrow is parried, it will continue to ricochet.
Teleport Portal Bolts ~ This enchantment allows the arrow to teleport to the target although the enchantment does not allow the arrow to teleport directly into a target. The arrow disappears as soon as it leaves the bow string and appears to pass into a magic portal. The shooter of the arrow must decide when the arrow will become solid. It appears the reverse way it disappears with the head appearing first and the rest of the body appears as if it is exiting a portal. Where the arrow enters and exits must be on a direct straight line, no appearing in a direction different from where the arrow is fired. These arrows can hit a target even if there is solid objects such as a wall between the shooter and the target of the arrow. There must be enough open space for the arrow to re-manifest between any solid object and the target. This means that the arrow will not work on people in power armors and many vehicles.
Volley Storm Bolts ~ when fired multiplies to become a whole volley of bolts. The additional bolts appear just as the bow leaves the bow string. While the original bolt may survive the use, the additional arrows are destroyed and their enchantment is dispelled.
Wraith Bolts ~ Special enchanted bolt which when fired becomes intangible until it strikes it opponent. The arrow will penetrate any normal material and is only stopped by magical armor / shield and force fields. There are stories of arrows being shot at a person inside of a tank and hitting them but the shots are normally considered blind. Against force fields and magical armors, the weapon will inflict double damage and not penetrate. Due to being intangible, the arrow is virtually impossible to parry. The armors are effective against vampires even while in mist and normally have a silver tip for heart shots against vampires. Effects creatures which in intangible by various means.
Head-biter is a weapon from a more experienced age, where he uses intimidation instead of outright brutality to force others to give in into his whims. It gives out jewellery faster than any man standing behind the counter.
- Mace of Smiting: moderate transmutation, shorter than a one handed sword but used similarly. Ignores the hardness or damage reduction of any object or creature it strikes. Used to defend the occasional sword stroke.
Crows are sly and can be deceptive in their actions. They have been known to build false nests high in treetops to confuse predators. Their nests are built very high up, giving them the chance to watch everything that is going on around them.
Wands are his alternative to grenades, disposable after limited charges.
Staff/Wand type | Effect |
cancellation | Reveals invisible or disguised opponents |
cold | ice |
drain life | Only usable when he is at the verge of death |
fire | flame |
haste | speeds opponents up |
light | the corridor glows and then fades |
lightning | bolt of lightning |
magic missile | The missile vanishes in a puff of smoke. |
polymorph | Turns opponent into another type of opponent (and not necessarily an opponent that's easier to kill!) |
slow monster | slows opponent down |
striking | does serious damage to opponent |
teleport away | moves opponent to a different room |
teleport to | moves opponent right next to him |
vorpalized weapon | OHK |
nothing (used up) | nothing happens |
undefined | what a bizarre schtick! |
He is never unarmed, as he takes into faith to always have an alternative weapon. Even when he is buck naked and has been subjected to cavity search. When a bastard tells him to drop his mace, his dagger, and the bolts on his waist they may forget the one under his wrist. Or the hidden blades under the plates of armour. Perhaps the axe that is shaped like a wooden ukulele. And certainly not the assortment of wands that can turn a rainy day into a sunshine. He is fit enough to equip the headbiter mace, and most strangers tend to back off in fear of getting their eggs smashed into scramble. When a lummox shows up a hand full of chaff to the eyes is a good deterrent. Preparation is king. Teleport Sor-Sigil works both ways. Ropes, garrotte wire, meat hooks, needles, spanners, axes, incense, chains, nets, and a mix of herbal medicine. Whatever the moment needs. Creativity is king in another castle.
Costume:
- Spellmask: generate fear and anger. Maskaphobia, or fear of masks, is surprisingly common, especially among children. Masks distort the wearer’s appearance, causing him to look strange and unusual. Most masks do not feature moving mouths, so when the wearer speaks, the sound appears to come out of nowhere.
- Ghost Shroud: An insubstantial shroud. In addition, all your melee attacks can affect incorporeal creatures as if he were wielding a ghost touch weapon.
- Adamantine Light Armour: It’s made from a blend of lightweight, flexible materials. To let martial artists compete at full speed with weapons in much the way bare-fisted fighters currently do in mixed-martial arts competitions such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Major Skills:
- Sneak~ a crow has to get around those pesky guards.
- One Handed~ a crow is skilled in the art of the blade.
- Illusion~ the Talent lets the crow turn invisible and muffle his footsteps.
- Alchemy~ crow is expert with all forms of poisons
He is a great pickpocket, nabbing small items during social encounters (swipe a bracelet while shaking a hand, etc).
Minor Skills:
- Archery~ crow is skilled with all bows as well as blades
- Smithing~ a crow has to keep his weapons sharp
Weakness:
He has always been attracted to shiny objects as a child, this continued on as he grew out to become a street urchin.
- Kleptomaniac [Steal everything that isn't bolted down. Then, steal the bolts. Then, steal everything that WAS bolted down.]
- Roguelike
- Old Values
- A man out of time, literally.
Interactions: Ronin's Rest, Smoke of All Talk, Blade and Boulder
Don't steal from the party.
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