[X] - Clear things up at home (Pick 3)
-- [X] - A farewell get together with friends and company
-- [X] - Talk with mother and father some more, sort things out before you leave (what about?)
---[X] - Just be in each others presence and experience the love of family. For all the powers that we possess we are still their child and we love them.
-- [X] - Find the people whose lives you saved. Establish rapport, inform them of what's next.
Father avoided Abigail for the next few days, despite her efforts. Mother, however, was delighted to hear about Abigail's plans before she left for the academy, and accompanied her to the households and neighborhoods of their friends and neighbors, and the people Abigail had personally saved. The two of them were at one such household now, the occupants a pair of C.S. Air Force veterans originally from somewhere in Ohio, the McMurrays, along with their numerous children, and Tom!
"Elana! Oh, and our daredevil Abigail, too, what brings you both around here?" the soft-spoken voice of Mr. McMurray called out from his porch, the man himself wearing an old hoodie, a white gallon hat, and funny looking boots, as befits a funny man. Beside him, an antique, chemical-propellant rifle, well-maintained without signs of wear.
"Morning to you as well, Alex! We brought some apple pie and cookies for you, though Abby did most of the work," mother exclaimed. "She wanted to invite you all to a little celebration." Abigail waved at him, presenting the aforementioned offerings and tribute.
"Oh wow, that's awesome. Thanks, little miss."
The rest of the morning went similarly, and the mother-daughter duo performed excellently, the combination of sunny personalities, enthusiasm and bribery winning many hearts, especially from those who regarded "little miss Dorote" as a savior of sorts, and moreso when Abigail shared her plans and ambitions for the future. Another Coalition hero in the making, some said, with such a bright mind and full heart. From them, Abigail acquired many contacts, as the majority of citizens in frontier settlements were either descendants of people originally from those states, or military veterans. Said veterans suggested a lot of reading material, including old classics such as the Ranger's Handbook, which she would definitely be making use of.
Abby's personal social group returned more mixed results. How unfortunate that so many of them would be busy and couldn't make it to any gatherings. Nothing to do with their parents discreetly discouraging them from being near a dangerous influence. But those that did come, and broke bread with them for the splendid New Year's celebration, Abigail found to be truer friends. Tom especially looked up to her now, telling her that he was going to follow in his parents' footsteps, and that he'd be enlisting as soon as he was 16 to be an RPA in the C.S. Air Force.
The final day before her departure, mother and daughter engaged in glorious battle in the snow covered streets, fighting against those who sought to challenge them, the McMurrays reaping their just desserts in form of snowballs and icy fury for their treachery, daring to besmirch the honor of some sports team or other, Abigail didn't really know, she was just looking for a proper casus belli for a snowball fight. She ended up trapped under Jerry the dog, Tom sprinkling snow in her eyes whilst Mrs. McMurray battled viciously with her husband against mother, until the Dorotes swore to renounce their loyalty to the Kansas team and recognize the supremacy of Ohio in all things. But an oath taken under duress is a ruse of war!
"Dan's got his head up somewhere, if he thinks you're different from our little girl before. I know you're gonna be fine. You've got friends here, and we'll always have each other, Abby," mother said from where she hugged her. "Never forget that." I won't.
"Until we see each other again," she nodded. "Stay safe," mother replied. At least she supports me.
Abigail was escorted by four C.S. infantrymen, their sleek, skull covered armor and helmets rendering them slightly unapproachable, to their vehicular convoy. One of them took her luggage and placed it in the back of his big ATV, another man waving out of the compartment. Wide-eyed, she looked at the big swivel-mounted railgun before hurrying inside her transport. So cool!
Her itinerary said they'd be making several stops along Interstate 81, down from Concordia to Salina, taking Interstate 70 all the way to Kansas City, then the 35 up to Des Moines, Iowa, then straight east along Interstate 80 to Chi-Town, picking up more people along the way. All in all, the journey should probably be fine, according to the soldiers.
What to do on the way?
[] Read the Ranger's Handbook
[] Converse with the soldiers (what about)
[] Sleep off the journey
A busy week for me, but the update that was promised is here.
Apparently dad really doesn't want to socialize, crit failed the interaction. Everything else was good to great though.
Prologue Turn 1: Chi-Town Academy for Psionic Development
One of the soldiers handed her what looked like a white hardhat with a smiley face on it. "Strap in, kid, ride'll be a bit rough." The other soldiers snickered, the sound distorted behind their polarized face plates. Bemused, Abigail put the hat on and fiddled with the safety harness in her seat.
"Watchdog, this is Citadel, proceed to Checkpoint Alpha, treat any Guests well and get our supplies moving, out," a voice proclaimed. "Acknowledged," the soldier who gave her the hat replied, all professional now. Abigail could sense the complex machinery and electrical systems in the four vehicles, especially the engines, weapons, like that big gun, and to a limited extent, the bodies of the soldiers themselves, especially in the eyes and ears. Cybernetics, she recalled.
"Wilson, maintain forward distance, 100 meters, O'Connor, Rear Security, Miles, right behind us. I don't wanna be here no more than necessary, long drive ahead," the Hat Soldier said, to which a chorus of other voices responded through the radio with some variation of, "Yes, sergeant," some of the responses more colorful than others. Music blared from the lead vehicle, some of the soldiers singing along, "THROUGH THE GATES OF HELL, WE MAKE OUR WAY TO HEAVEN."At least they're trying, she sighed.
As the convoy finally started moving, she mustered the courage to start a conversation with the soldier next to her. "Have you been to Chi-Town before? I heard it's really big." The expressionless helmet turned slightly to face her, silver skull of the Coalition proudly displayed. "Matter of fact, I 'ave," he replied lazily, with a weird, warm drawl. "Graduated from the same place you're headin to, I reckon, if that lightshow I heard 'bout be true. Got my coin 'round 'ere somewhere, always losin' the thing."
"What's it like? And wait, you're like me, too? How many people are there like us, and what can you do," she questioned him excitedly. "Whoa, slow down, kid," he patted the air as if to settle her down. "Ain't nothin' too special 'ere myself. I just set things on fire, mostly. A few other tricks, but my best talent is cookin' up a noice barby," the soldier chuckled. "But yeah, you can tell us folk apart by the patch on the uniform here, left shoulder patch," he thumped it, showing off a stylized PSI insignia, intersected with a fancy X shape from a lightning bolt and rifle, along with a teardrop – Specialist – patch.
Another hour of conversation passed easily, the soldier, Paxter as she learned his name was, describing the administrative heart of the Coalition States that was Chi-Town, a veritable Metropolis by today's standards, home to 8 million people. Paxter proved to be an excellent conversationalist. He told her about two other Psychics assigned to their convoy, the really smart Specialist Roy who was their resident Guest detector, their term for supernatural creatures, and another man, Specialist Black, a man with a ton of sensory abilities. He told her about how the Chi-Town Academy for Psychic Development specialized in producing people like them, able and willing to utilize their talents for the benefit of humanity. The Academy was pretty much an advanced school of sorts, paid for by the government, with a focus on practical education, though many electives were available, "if you care 'bout history, that is. Knowin' what we fight for made a difference for me." He didn't know anything about the other people they were going to escort, just that they were Psychics, and that there was only one more Psychic they were picking up, since Kansas was pretty far out of the way, other places took care of the closer locations.
Many questions exhausted, Abigail finally asked him about the railgun. "Have you all shot that big gun before? It's so cool! The electrical output from that thing is amazing. Is that a miniaturized molten salt fission reactor? How do you stabilize the output enough to safely use in weapons? Isn't that really dangerous if the weapon gets damaged, unless you have a some kind of sodium plug to cut the reaction off before it gets too bad, but wait, how did you time the sequencing of the magnetic coils to efficiently project the bullet, whilst also accounting for rail warp and welding? The railgun I tried to build one when I was 7 blew up from the voltage reversal and I electrocuted myself, but I was fine. I really should have added some rectifiers to modulate the voltage with a pulse forming network, that would have stopped the whole ringdown voltage reversal thing, and better inductors would have been really handy. I wish I had better 3-d printers on hand, could have grown a proper graphene bi-layer as a supercapacitor instead of-"
"Whoa, whoa whoa, hold up, you're killin me," he laughed. "I understood maybe half the words you said right then, and I wouldn't know anything about any of that anyway, kid. We just shoot the gun, and bring it back when it doesn't shoot anymore. Spare barrels and such," he replied, waving her down again, as if to ward off an overly affectionate puppy.
"Well, I really just want to shoot it. Pretty please," she begged, using every tactic that worked on mother.
"Hey, sergeant," Paxter called, "lil' dynamo here wants to shoot the big gun, whatcha think?"
"Wasteful use of government resources solely for the amusement of a child, Specialist? What do you take me for, a showoff," the Hat Soldier called back.
The silence stretched. "WHEN THE WINGED HUSSARS ARRIVED!"
"Fuck it."
It was awesome.
"Watchdog, this is Citadel, we picked up high energy output for a moment there, everything all right?"
"Citadel, this is Watchdog, just a bit of Reconaissance by Fire. Nothing poked up, so it seems we're fine."
Once the conversation died down, the silence was only filled with sounds of the road, and the music coming from the lead vehicle even from 100 meters away, as well as the radio communication between the Hat Soldier and this "Citadel," as well as the other soldiers in the convoy. She even made decent progress on the Ranger's Handbook, well into the 3rd Section on Fire Support and what it entailed. The book was dense reading, with lots of terms and acronyms she had to ask about to figure out what they were, but now she had a basic idea of how infantrymen organized themselves, history of the Rangers, and even some leadership advice. The key point seemed to be information, and especially knowing what was not known, as contradictory as that seemed. Interesting stuff, at least until the convoy suddenly came to a halt about 6 hours into the trip, a little while after they picked up the second Psychic, a shy girl named Toreah.
"What do you mean a Blue Zone just popped up? We literally used this Highway on the way over," the Hat Soldier complained, after ordering a halt of the convoy.
"The lighting makes it hard to see, Sergeant, but Roy says he can sense it from this close."
"Damn it, I'll call it in."
A few minutes later, they were heading via an alternate route through the North, around the Blue Zone. Time to read some more.
The approach to Chi-Town was very interesting. The roads were very well maintained, at least the roads towards actual civilization, and not the St Louis Exclusion Zone or other dead metropoles, and there was a lot of vehicular traffic as well. On a few occasions, the convoy would halt and order oncoming traffic to clear the road so they could pass. "Don't want to take any chances with folks around here. Never know what they might be up to," Paxter would say. Buildings kept building up every direction, now that they were in "civilized" country. The convoy passed several other patrols, a couple helicopters flew over, and they also had to cross multiple Army Checkpoints. It was around 20:00 that they finally arrived at their destination, and she had to say goodbye to the soldiers. As she was walking off with a couple of suited government folk, the Hat Soldier told her she could keep the helmet. She blew a raspberry at him and took it off.
The structure of the Academy seemed simple enough. According to Director Clark, the Academy heavily promoted self-study, mentorship, and tutoring. Her tuition was free so long as a contract was signed guaranteeing at least 6 years of military service at age 16, which she had decided she probably wanted to do, and apparently, it was a good background for becoming an officer after the first term as well, if she had what it takes to be a leader. There were also lots of instructors around for tons of different subjects, as well as military veterans and former Psi-Operatives. Lots of students, too, some of them a lot older than 16. Time to make the most of it. Y'all got 6 1-year turns to take classes, research, improve, practice, or just laze around and relax if preferred. 7 picks free, with 3 personal options. You can sacrifice up to 3 personal actions for more of the above, and also make Willpower rolls to add more stuff, but that comes at the risk of massive burnout from having no freetime. But hey, maybe Abigail will turn out to be a Workaholic if she gets enough positive rolls, meaning she doesn't know how to have downtime.
Options Include:
Academics (Topic): Abigail already has the equivalent of a middle school to college level education in some topics due to Electrokinesis and Telemechanics making her a minor electrical systems god and also being really intelligent, but she's lacking in specialized education, such as History, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics that don't include shooting things with a Railgun, Biology, etc. Make suggestions for things to learn. 1 point per subject, more points to advance further. Multiplier to anything electrical or mechanical.
Physical Training: This whole military thing is going to require some physical fitness. Should probably get started on that. Up to 3 points.
Psychic Training (What kind of training?): There are lots of mentors available to challenge you, just have to pick an area of focus.
Military Theory: There's got to be more books out there like the Ranger's Handbook. A solid grounding in military theory will surely help with the whole military thing. Anything from Small Unit Tactics to Land Navigation to Air Assault. There's a book for everything.
Write-in:
Personal Options:
Socializing!:
Reading for Fun:
Visiting Family for the Holidays:
Write-in:
AN: I got pretty distracted by some issues that I wanted to correct instead of actually writing, I get pretty single-minded at times. Sorry! The good news is that I've worked out the geostrategic situation of the Coalition States pretty well, and it is worse than I expected. Nice?
In regards to the Quest, questions are always welcome.
Also, option organization is currently subpar. If anyone has advice for better organization, that would be cool, too.
Current Skill Options: Examples for categories
Communication Category: Creative Writing, Advanced English, Other Language (Basic), Performance, Public Speaking, Radio (using radios, not how they operate), Music (Singing, Strings, etc)
Lore Category: Supernatural Lore (North America), Pre-apocalypse History, Post-apocalypse History (Last 100 years), Animal Lore, Magical Lore, Psionic Theory, Religious Lore, lots of lore
Domestic Category: Cooking, Dancing, Sewing, etc
Electronics Category: Computer Repair, Electrical Engineering, Advanced Electrical Theory
Medical Category: First Aid, Paramedic (First Aid+), Field Surgery, Cybermedicine, Forensics, etc
Military Skills: Military Etiquette, Small Unit Tactics, Company Tactics, Naval Tactics, Mechanized Unit Tactics, Campaign Guide, Battle Strategy and Doctrine, Combined Arms and Tactics, Staff and Leadership, Air Assault and Coordination, Combined Arms, etc
Things were not as they should be. Too many variables, changed. Time arranged differently. How could this have happened? Coordination with other entities, flawless execution of plan, yet the result was not what was foreseen. All available evidence determined that this was, indeed, the correct dimension. Where had these newcomers come from? Meddlers in the game? Some of them claimed lineage and seniority. Unacceptable.
Things were not as they were. The predominant species here were like that ever so meddlesome race of creatures, the dragons, climbing higher and higher than they had any right to. Is that what would happen? Unknown. Were they the ones who made the changes? No. How could that be? What was responsible? Unknown. An alien feeling arose, which many lower beings would liken to frustration.
A loophole still exists. Not all options closed. Connections must be forged anew, agents contacted. Plan, altered. This dimension may have averted the traditional, well-regarded "end of all things" plots that had spent millennia cooking, but perhaps through unorthodox means, some amusement may yet be derived.
The plan goes forward.
February 8, P.A. 95 (2193), Chi-Town Times
THE COALITION MARCHES NORTH! FOR TOO LONG, THE RIFTS OF DETROIT-WINDSOR AND CHICAGO HAVE BEEN LEFT UNCONTAINED. FOR YEARS, OUR GREAT NATION HAS HEROICALLY HELD THE LINE AGAINST ALL MANNER OF DIMENSIONAL INVADERS, THE OLD WORLD CITY OF ST LOUIS AND THE GREAT MISSISSPPI WARDED AGAINST BY YOUR NATION'S FINEST. ACCORDING TO THE ACCLAIMED ARMY GENERAL PROSEK, THIS MOVE HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
"Imagine that Earth is a dam, and these Epicenters are places where the dam has taken structural damage. In order to truly repair our world, we must first plug the supply of water, so that our work will not be undone. Of the 11 major land-based epicenters, 10 of them are located in North America. Two of them are currently contained in the St Louis Exclusion Zone. It isn't as simple as going in, shooting everything, and walking out. A permanent garrison must be maintained, like that over the Mississippi River Network. And that's what we're going to do."
THIS MOVE HAS BEEN HEAVILY CRITICIZED BY MANY OFFICIALS, PARTICULARLY THE AIR FORCE CHIEF OF STAFF, GENERAL REED, WELL KNOWN FOR HIS INSISTENCE THAT THE COALITION RE-INITIATE CAMPAIGNS AGAINST THE DESPICABLE FEDERATION OF MAGIC. THE PREVAILING VIEW, HOWEVER, IS THAT TOO MANY FORCES ARE CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AGAINST THE VAMPIRES OCCUPYING MEXICO FOR A RELIABLE SUCCESS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?
MORE ON PAGE 8
AN: I was rolling up a 10 year plan with various diplomacy rolls, foreign interactions, random events, and general policy decisions for the Coalition States and all other actors on the American continent, the product of a few nights thinking and planning. Those plans became irrelevant after Year 3 due to a fantastical series of critical rolls that could only be explained, for those of you vaguely familiar with the Rifts Timeline, as the spirit of Palladium Rifts itself wanting to correct the timeline a bit. For those that care, the Coalition WAS going to focus on containing the Rifts, developing infrastructure, and pushing the Sabbat past the Rio Grande and into Northern Mexico. This will be rough.
Additionally, I'll tally up votes and get the next section going in about 7 hours.
Interlude: August 20th, P.A. 95 Daniel Dorote (Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 194th Infantry Division, VI Corps, 3rd Army, 1st Army Group, San Antonio, Texas)
Daniel wasn't a particularly noteworthy man. Tougher than most, sure. Taller, too. Could dig his heels in with the best of them, literally and metaphorically. But under all that, he was sharper than most gave him credit for. Nothing like his daughter, but she was in a league of her own, no shame in that. He was just a normal man. No one special. And he was going to die any day now, like most of the other Firemen had. Another jet dove through the clouds, unleashing it's by now familiar payload, six, 500-pound napalm bombs, laser guided to their destinations, namely, the hardpoints of the city of San Antonio, which of course, had already been shelled for the better part of a week by mortar and howitzer fire, not all of it from his side. This chaos and death. Flames everywhere. Rushing forms setting buildings alight, their enemies shooting back at them. Fellow men, like them, but mercenaries. How anyone could fight for the Vampires, monstrous as they were, he had no idea.
But yeah, don't think about the fighting. Heart pounding hard in his chest, body encased within the CA-2 Heavy Infantry Armor, Fireman Variant, he waved back at the other Fireman to move up. The environmentally sealed heat resistant mesh and hardened alloy plating kept him protected from bullets and flames alike, as his own flamethrower made the hell so clearly reflected in this place just a little bit more intimately reflected upon his enemies. He wasn't going to make it out of this, he knew that. He'd promised Elana to not take any chances. To make it home safe after his time in Active Duty was done. All men who were fit for combat were trained in the Reserves, and the rest were registered in the draft, only a matter of time before his second call came up. Elana volunteered to be with him, the fool woman, somewhere in one of the logistics battalions much further away. It was here, having almost died in training twice from accidents, then more times than he could count in the first damn week of deployment, that he regretted lying to her.
A heavy thumping on his right shoulder brought him back into the present. "KEEP MOVING, PRIVATE, DON'T STOP MOVING," a soldier shouted at him. The same Fireman, he realized, a natural one, no equipment on him, just radiating flames all about him. Reluctantly, he brought himself back into the present, shock induced reflection retreating for the moment. He followed the Fireman into the city, the armor hindering his vision. The fires everywhere were fucking up his thermal sights as well, so he swapped back to infrared, grateful for the UV lamps that deterred the worst of the monsters, at least for a while.
Oh, there were monsters, they'd all seen them. Reanimated dead, for one, often wearing their own Coalition Infantry Armor, a pain to put down given their shown proclivity to not stay dead, but hardly the worst. The human soldiers and conscripts, those were mostly garbage fodder as well, only the mercs and sorcerers giving them any real trouble. The demons and monsters, though, those were perhaps the worst, with the Vampires themselves coming a close second. The Shifters would bring what seemed like a new type of creature every day, and they'd lose men every time until Military Intelligence and "Field Reports" put together what that new fiend's weaknesses were, assuming the reports weren't botched anyway, bought at the cost of whatever unfortunate soul had the misfortune to meet some new devilry. Thousands of monsters every day, bringing the bloodsuckers the raw shock and sustained combat ability their conscripts lacked, especially with the sorcerers.
Speaking of, there goes one now, laughing about some doom or other. The Firemen brought the sorcerer down quickly, containing it in a telekinetic field and incinerating it until nothing but ashes marked the ground. He'd spit on it if he could, but needs must. Stay focused, Danny boy. See if we can't put off that end a little longer. Their advance continued almost until nightfall before they withdrew back to the fortified areas the engineers built within the city, the UV lights and open fires keeping them safer than anything else would. The nights were the worst...
6 months later, near crippled from his latest close call with a goddamned bloodsucker, it turned out he'd be making it home after all, even a little earlier than expected. Not even in a body bag. Waiting for the cybernetic replacements for the majority of his body, he knew what was going on the moment Chaplain Curtis and Staff Sergeant Hind walked in, bedecked in full service uniform. "Private 1st Class Daniel T. Dorote," the Chaplain began, "the Secretary of the Army has asked me to express…" Vote:
[] – I'm not going back home after this. I can't bear it. Better to die on the front. [Extremely high risk of death, almost guaranteed to be awarded high honors posthumously at a minimum.]
[] – As much as it hurts, I was spared for a reason. My little girl needs at least one of her parents. [Try to fix relationship with Abigail, live for Elana.]
[] – They didn't find the body. I have to find Elana, she never should have been near the front. [Go AWOL and find Elana.]
[] – Write-in:
Interlude: Texas Tribunal, October 30, 95 P.A.
THE VAMPIRE MENACE HAS BEEN HALTED IN IT'S ADVANCE, THE GREAT CITY OF SAN ANGELO RECLAIMED. AFTER THE LOSS OF THE ENTIRE II ARMY CORPS FOLLOWING A BLITZ INTO CENTRAL TEXAS, THE 1ST ARMY GROUP IN TURN HAS ISOLATED AND DESTROYED THE MAIN THRUST OF THE OPPOSITION, AND IS READY TO PURSUE THEM BACK INTO MEXICO. A VINDICATED GENERAL OF THE ARMY PROSEK, AFTER REPLACING HIS FAILED COUNTERPART ON THE FRONT, STATED, "As the dark always gives way to light, so too must the Vampire give way before our righteous cause, no matter what progress they make. The sacrifices that our soldiers make must be honored, and our future secured. We will no rest until, by whole stem and foul root, the misbegotten wretches of the night are purged from wherever they parasitically implant themselves."
ADDITIONALLY, COALITION FORCES HAVE MADE SLOW BUT STEADY PROGRESS CONTAINING THE RIFTS IN CHIGAGO AND DETROIT-WINDSOR, WITH GENERAL SCOTT REPORTING THAT THE 12TH ARMY SHOULD BE FINISHED BY THE SECOND QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR. ALL OVER, ENEMIES OF THE COALITION FALL. MORE ON PAGE 3 The rolls were absolutely ridiculous this year. There should be less than a 1 percent chance for EITHER of the absolute highest and lowest results COMBINED, and there were 5 of those this time, mostly related to the wars. Coalition is getting bloodied, having to call in reserves early. ABSOLUTE WORST POSSIBLE RESULT on spending the holidays with the family. The dad got drafted, and succeeded on every single survival roll by within 2 points, and 3 of them were exact matches. Got some commendations and medals for meritorious service though. Secret badass? Rest of the events should be up soon.
[X] Plan More Electricity
-[X][Free] Academics(Mathematics)
-[X][Free] Academics(Physics)
-[X][Free] Academics(Chemistry)
-[X][Free] Academics(Advanced Electrical Theory)
-[X][Free] Physical Training
-[X][Free] Psychic Training(Geokinesis)
-[X][Free] Psychic Training(Electrokinesis)
-[X][Personal] Socializing
-[X][Personal] Socializing #2
-[X][Personal] Visiting Family for the Holidays
[X] – As much as it hurts, I was spared for a reason. My little girl needs at least one of her parents. [Try to fix relationship with Abigail, live for Elana.]
Here in the Heartland at last, Bastion of North America, or so it was named by others. From Illinois to Arkansas, ranging the powerful Mississippi, it was here that the United States of America made an impossible choice; to cut their losses and run. The entire Eastern Seaboard abandoned to the riots, to the chaos, to the monsters in the dark, and to the darkness of men. The South in shambles, in the wake of dimensional anomalies and more of the same. The West shrouded in the ashes of Yellowstone, Long Valley and Valles. It was here, the Heart of the Nation, that a final desperate stand was made, which, against all odds, succeeded, as the Rifts of St. Louis were contained, the Mississippi brought under control, and the riots, brought to heel. A decision that was neither forgotten nor forgiven by those who were left behind. Perhaps it shouldn't be.
What does Abigail think about the Coming of the Rifts, and the actions taken in that time? (All votes considered)
[] Write in
If the Heartland was a great bastion, then Chi-Town was the citadel, the crown jewel of it all, a powerful metropolis forged from the early struggles. Populated by refugees from all around the country, it was the people of Chicago, and to a lesser extent, Detroit, both metropoles consumed by the Rifts, that comprised the majority of the city. At first an unofficial nickname for a bastard city, Chi-Town came to represent in many peoples' hearts and minds the grim future of humanity; holed up in the dark, afraid of the outside world, and for good reason. Built from the ground up firstly as a massive fortified emergency holding center, more and more personnel, supplies and equipment from various doomed military bases were either brought here or destroyed on site. As years passed, Chi-Town was developed as the first of many theoretical urban arcology projects, walled, partitioned, and nearly self-sufficient, with expansion in all directions. Technologies and techniques that had been known for over a century regarding aquaponics, geothermal energy, fusion technologies, thorium reactors, and dozens of other ideas, formed a glorious technological synthesis, spurred ever onwards by the dual drives of necessity and purpose. Towering skyscrapers filled with habitation and aquaponics units, sophisticated mag-rails and transportation networks all throughout, 3D forges powered by nuclear reactors, the citadel fortified and garrisoned with humanity's finest; Chi-Town IS the future. Self-sufficient. Mighty. Isolated.
How does Abigail feel about humanity's future? (All votes considered)
[] Write in
Illinois was nothing like Kansas. Kansas was a frontier, newly forested, with no great cities like those to be found here. Illinois was an ancient battlefield, littered with the scars of a century of conflict. There were hardly any small settlements, only cities, automated mines, and garrisons. In many ways, Kansas was safer. At home, the biggest threat was other people. No big rifts to alien dimensions. No hostile polities fighting a war. Just lots of people leaving and only sometimes coming back, dying on some distant battlefield. What did she know about the rest of America, let alone the rest of the Coalition? All she had was book knowledge and peoples' stories. The number of people that were alive before the Coming of the Rifts dropped every day. Her friends would tell her that she was getting all contemplative again. But wasn't that a good thing? To think and think and think? She just had this feeling that things weren't going to get better, that this was all a delay of some kind. Like a game. Was she a player? Or was she being played? Was there really a God out there? Would her family really be proud of her, or was she deluding herself? Moving away from home brought everything into perspective. Here she was, around more people than she'd ever seen in her life, let alone other Psychics, the people she thought she could forge a true connection with. Why did she feel so alone?
How does Abigail deal with being away from home? (All votes considered)
[] Write in
The first weeks crept by like a cat stalking a blue jay. The Psi-Academy head, a short, dark-skinned woman, equally proud and considerate of others, introduced Abigail to the various programs and processes that would comprise her education here. Mrs. White described a surprisingly lax system, at least compared to what Abigail was used to. All students took various entry level examinations to judge their talents, then allowed to pursue whatever branches interested them, with many certificates available for those who qualified. A heavy emphasis was of course placed on Psionic development, shocking, but there were few restrictions here. "Everyone must find where they excel, and what motivates them. Do that, and you'll go far, no matter what you end up doing. If you have any questions for me or my staff, please, seek us out. Farewell, child." She didn't seek them out.
The Psi-Academy was organized like a combination of boarding school and college on a massive scale, with the benefit of a massive budget, subsidized by the Coalition Government. Classes and training were available throughout the year, with a 2 week break every 3 months. The harder a student pushed, the more they could accomplish. Professional trainers and instructors were available for many different fields, with a staggering amount of material for self-study available on the local database. There was just so much information. Could anyone ever learn everything there was to know? No. Specialization was key.
The first few Psi-Development classes were mostly about safety and responsibility. As people with extraordinary gifts, Psychics must ensure that said gifts were used responsibly, for everyone's benefit. Without trust from the public, they'd all be hunted down and killed, which nobody particularly desired. Archons were Coalition Psychics with a vast array of abilities, always on hand to police the institution, as well as prevent abuse and exploitation either by or of the students. When asked about how they could be trusted to wield such authority, the Archon present stated that they'd all volunteered to an extensive and invasive screening process, and only those who passed were even considered for the position. Abigail didn't feel like this adequately addressed the potential faults in the system, but the thought of drawing the attention of such powerful individuals didn't sit well with her yet. She didn't even have any - well, really cool - extrasensory abilities, yet she could feel the power these "Archons" radiated when they weren't consciously reining themselves in. Almost electric, making her jumpy and tense. Later, she was told that she, too, had the beginnings of such a presence. It was during these developmental classes that Abigail learned about the official Psi-Classification Index, basic Psionic Theory and other matters of note.
ACADEMIC REVIEW
"Abigail Dorote, 11, is an exceptional student in all fields she applies herself in, especially in Electrical vocations, to the surprise of no one, and Chemistry, which is indeed a bit of a surprise. Equally surprising is her utter boredom and lack of application in any Mathematics more sophisticated than Algebra. Exceptionally charming and intelligent, the board is certain that she would make an excellent scholar, but alas, she seems rather more drawn to, as she calls it, experimental archaeology and practical science. More plainly, she likes to make things explode, and the more it relates to that goal, the better she performs. Her newfound understanding of high school Physics has only exacerbated this. She is particularly lacking in any social or political understanding, and would benefit greatly from a civics course, amongst others. Overall grades would easily see her accepted in a more traditional academic setting, but whether such an institution would survive her eccentricities is another matter entirely. Channeling her drive in a healthy direction for a young girl will be a crucial matter for our Academy." Professor Henry Crawford, Teaching Team 3 Lead, to Dorote Household, End of the Year Review.
Abigail Dorote awarded Certificate of Vocational Competence in Electrical Engineering.
PHYSICAL TRAINING
"So you're trying to become stronger?" Abigail nodded. "Frame like yours, you could probably put on some decent muscle, but you're too young, kid. Don't want to strain yourself too much. I recommend you just start running, and don't use your abilities if you're trying to improve your fitness." Seemed easy, or at least, so she thought at the time.
Running sucks. There's no other way to put it. Difficult to multitask while doing it. She'd have to come up with something when she wasn't dying from running a mile. Her time was trash. Everything hurt. Maybe some more tomorrow.
She didn't run.
"You've got to come up with a schedule, listen to some music maybe, do something while you run. Get a buddy or two, motivate each other." Perhaps she had been underestimating the human element. Time to conscript some unfortunate souls.
It turned out to be really simple, barely a challenge at all. She ended up just running alongside a really old man. He mostly just listened to music and didn't do much, but the struggle proved sufficient to keep her engaged. Barely.
She was getting better at this, having left the old man in the dust a while back. She did learn he listened to some really old music, weird darkwave stuff, or so he claimed. Said it really symbolized the whole dark techno-future schtick humanity had fallen into, though he was partial to that New West aesthetic going on nowadays. Kansas, right? Before her time. Had a whole collection of old music if she cared to listen to it, didn't matter much to him no more. He also said he wasn't that old, only 52, thank you very much. Oops.
Anyway, she'd formed a pattern now, and she was getting faster, her running speed was only pathetic now instead of complete garbage. And she'd made another friend, a girl named Norma Brown. She was a Burster, liked to make pretty shapes and animate fiery butterflies, and she was fast.
Now that she wasn't dying while running anymore, Abigail had come up with a system to incorporate Psionic training into her fitness regimen. Extremely precise manipulation of telekinetic fields, electrical currents, and exertion of will power against an invincible steel ball bearing proved to be more than sufficient. Did cut into the run quality though. Ah well.
PSIONIC TRAINING
"¡Ay, chica loca! Dude! Entiendo que querías mejorar tus habilidades, pero tienes que parar con este, ¡dios mio!" Abigail's friend/mentor kept complaining. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, but alas, she was very busy experimenting with something incredibly awesome – in theory. Most people wouldn't associate something like the Earth with electricity, but those people also probably didn't know much about electromagnetic waves, radio theory, and the like. Admittedly, Abigail also didn't know much about those things. However, what she did know was that specific metals conduct electricity, there were a few types of magnetism generated by different types of rocky bits as well, and that she was going to brute force this problem until she could manipulate metal like she saw on this ancient cartoon. Which is where Sophia came in, one of her fellow students near graduate, aged 15. "Como, remind me again how exactly superheating and blasting copper with freaking lightning is going to help with this again? Porque parece a mi que es for fun, chica."
"Firstly," she replied, "you aren't wrong." Sophia raised one of her eyebrows from her position behind a hardened polymer shield. "I hypothesized that this would help me feel out the material and build a connection to it. So far, I'm just getting really good at blasting things with electricity, but that's part of science."
"Blasting things with electricity is science, muy bien. And you're just going to shield us both if something explodes," she continued, still skeptical.
"That is correct." She'd practiced generating telekinetic force fields for weeks, to be sure. Practiced with an instructor, and he okayed it.
Sophia looked at her for a long moment. "Now what exactly am I supposed to do?"
"I am so glad you asked, my friend. You just have to use your precognition to let me know when I am about to do something unfortunate or awesome. Save us some time."
"This is a terrible plan."
It wasn't that bad of a plan. It was pretty fun though.
"Have you considered asking someone else for help, chica," Sophia questioned. "An actual Geokinetic for a start seems pretty good."
"I asked you, didn't I?" The steel ball bearings sparked with energy from within the insulated container. If Sophia had bothered to do any asking around herself, she'd know that no one suitable was present in the current class of 15,000 students, or Abigail would have consulted them a long time ago. Needs must.
"You're the dumbest genius I ever met, Abs." Hmph.
"UNLIMITED POWER!!!" she whooped as she jogged her last lap on one of the fitness pads within the academy, startling the man next to her from his own inner thoughts. It turns out, brute force does work. She had blown through at least 17 ball bearings on her runs, but such is the price of progress. I can bend metal with my mind! Time to go bigger!
Who figured that manipulation of electromagnetism would be so fun? Take Faraday Cages for example. Properly formed electromagnetic fields can route electricity safely and efficiently, requiring staggering amounts of power to overwhelm. The same principle is how armor designers for the Coalition shield electronics and personnel, though the specifics are a bit complicated. "THIS IS AWESOME," Sophia cried from within a carefully controlled Telekinetic Faraday Bubble. "I KNOW!!!" Using similar principles from an orthogonal direction, she had enhanced the power of her electrical generation and discharges, as well as precision from the many months of carefully electrocuting everything she could get away with in a variety of innovative ways.
HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE
Her fellow students ranged from young to old. At 11, she was among the youngest, though as she had suspected, there was no upper age limit. The vast majority of people were from Texas or the Heartland, but she had an eye set on her fellow Kansas natives. As such, she had quickly established a solid friendship with a couple of older girls from Kansas City, a Puerto Rican descendant named Sophia Mendoza Gonzales-Mesa, 15 years of age, and Norma Brown, 14 years of age, German ancestry apparently, but nobody in her family spoke it. The usual satellites and ancillaries formed, but Sophia and Norma were true friends, both deciding, completely on their own volition, no finessing at all, to take Abigail under their collective wings. The three of them and a few others would routinely explore Chi-Town, where Abigail was mentored about the ways of urban folk, delving into female lore which shall not be repeated before the eyes of the profane. It was nice to have friends here.
It was through forging these connections, that Abigail realized something important about people. (All votes considered)
[] Everyone is the same. Abilities or no, 50% of people are dumber than average, and I'm well above average. Whatever link I was looking for, sharing Psionics wasn't it. People are all the same. People.
[] Everyone is different. There exists an unbridgable gap between Psychics and non-Psychics, just as there is a gap between the strong and the weak, the fast and the slow. I will never find a bond based on simple categorization.
[] Write in
Why? She knew that people died, she wasn't just a kid. I killed someone! But she wasn't expecting this. Her last conversation with her mother, she said she'd always be there for her. She thought there'd be more time. She didn't, what did, what, how? The words on the letter had long since become too blurry to read. Dead. And this is what she wanted for herself? To fight and die? How many more noble souls would be consumed by this world? All her life, she'd heard people say the damnedest things about living and dying. Was any of it true?
What does Abigail take away from this tragedy? (All votes considered)
[] Apathy. Forget it. Don't think about it.
[] Despair. God exists, and He hates us all.
[] Resolution. All the more reason to fight one day.
[] Write in
Year 2 Actions: 6 points to spend (7 - 1 LOCKED IN). Subtracting 1 point here grants 2 Personal Actions, or vice versa.
[] Improve an Attribute (Up to 3 points): Very difficult to improve non-physical attributes.
[] Martial Training (Up to 3 points): Examples include small arms training, unarmed/armed melee (can decide type), etc
[] Physical Training: (Up to 3 points) -1 point LOCKED IN to maintain attribute and skill gains.
[] Psionic Training (Up to 3 points): Select either a new ability to learn, or improve an ability that Abigail already has. Can stack up on the same ability.
[] Study Academics (Pick a Subject, 1 point each): See Academic Review for more examples, as well as Turn 1 Vote.
Personal Actions: 2 points to spend (3 - 1 LOCKED IN)
[] Isolation: I need time to think. Away from others.
[] Meet New People: There are a lot of interesting people around.
[] Read Literature: "You can have peace, or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having both at once." - Robert Heinlein
[] Read Literature (Write in what kind): Been trying to expand the library.
[X] Socialize with Friends: LOCKED IN. Your friends are concerned about you. They won't let you isolate yourself too much.
[] Visit Family (Doesn't cost an action): It's time.
[] Write in:
Comment: This has not been the best year for Abigail. On the bright side, there's no way the next year can be worse, right?
I like how Veekie formatted his vote, so I'll be using it as a template for future votes.
[X] Plan EXAMPLE
-[X][Action] +2 Personal Actions
-[X][Action] Martial Training: (Boxing/Wrestling)
-[X][Action] Psionic Training: See Aura
-[X][Action] Physical Training: LOCKED IN to maintain attribute and skill gains.
-[X][Action] Psionic Training: Presence Sense
-[X][Action] Psionic Training: Clairvoyance
-[X][Action] Study Academics: Civics
-[X][Personal] Isolation: I need time to think. Away from others.
-[X][Personal] Read Literature: "You can have peace, or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having both at once." - Robert Heinlein
-[X][Personal] Socialize with Friends: LOCKED IN. Your friends are concerned about you. They won't let you isolate yourself too much.
-[X][Personal] Tinker: Fiddling with electronics always made made me feel better.
-[X][Free] Visit Family (Doesn't cost an action): It's time.
AN: It's been a while! Lot of difficulties on my end concerning resumption of studies and life events. However, we're back in business. Got caught up in how I wanted to tackle this portion of the quest, and am dissatisfied with it. Ultimately, decided to brute force it without sacrificing too much quality. I also have questions for those of you still following this. Do you want to see a summary of the rolls that I am making in the background, or prefer to have those hidden? Currently, the rolls are hidden, both for stylistic reasons and due to their complexity. Most things that happen in this Quest are the result of at least 1, or more often a combination of rolls. I try to avoid having things happen because Will of QM. Additionally, do you all want to see more Interludes about things going on in other parts of the world? I had a lot of fun with those, and would take suggestions. Either way, I will be writing more Informational posts. I'm also being transparent now for which votes are standard votes, and which ones consider everything people voted for, previous examples being the vote on what motivates Abigail. That's all for now.
Edit: THAT'S A LOT OF LINE BREAKS.
Edit 2: I am going to end some of these line breaks' careers
Name: SPC Dorete, Abigail
From: Concordia, Kansas
Parents: Daniel and Elana (Deceased 95 P.A.)
Concordia Friends: Tom McMurray (son of Alex and Jeanine)
School Friends: Sophia, Norma.
Many acquaintances.
Base Attributes:
Charisma: 16 (+2 Cha mod)
Constitution: 18* (+3 Con mod)
Dexterity: 18* (+3 Dex mod) +9 Heightened Reflexes = 23.5 (+7 mod)
Intelligence: 20 (+4 Int mod)
Strength: 13* (+1 Str mod) +16 Telekinetic Enhancement = 24.5 (+8 mod)
Willpower: 16 (+2 Wil mod)
*Modified due to optimized bioelectrical and electromagnetic fields, from 16, 16 and 9.
Note: Values above 20 are explicitly superhuman. Values above 20 take 2 points to improve instead of 1.
Physical Statistics:
Age: 17, Born on December 22, 84 P.A. (Year 2181)
Height: 6'3''
Weight: 191
Size mod: +1
Physical Health Points: 55/55
Mental Health Points: 48/48
Deployment History:
First Deployment: Assigned on September 27th, 2198 (100 P.A.) to 1st Army Group, 2nd PSI-Battalion, Alpha Company, 2nd Platoon, B Squad.
Rank: Specialist.
Combat Statistics: Telekinetic Force Field: Reduces incoming damage by 16 (Willpower Attribute). Overflow damage goes through to Armor, then PHP. Resistances: All damage received is divided by 2, then subtracted by Psi-Control, before reducing PHP. Telekinetic Enhancement: Bonuses to Strength proportionate to TK and Dynamokinetic Abilities. Aerokinesis: Most random damage, can affect massive areas. Tornadoes, wind tunnels, general weather manipulation. Electrokinesis: Semi-random damage, farthest range, smallest range penalties. Lightning is hard to avoid. Area denial, extremely lethal to unshielded personnel. EM Manipulation can protect versus radiation, disrupt radio signals, potential uses limited by creativity. Geokinesis: Second most consistent damage, great potential in urban conflict for cover generation. Ferrokinesis hard counters most regular soldiers (can crush them with their own armor and weapons). Hydrokinesis: Most consistent damage, very flexible, requires some creativity to use. Area control. Pyrokinesis: Greatest damage output, second most random damage, lots of collateral damage. Extremely effective versus Vampires.
Total Armor Value (19): Reduces incoming damage by 19. Body: 11 Armor Value, 5 Penetration Resistance. Head: 8 Armor Value, 4 Penetration Resistance. Vulnerable to concussion weapons.
Weapons: C-12 Heavy Assault Rifle: Damage: 2d10+1 . Armor Penetration: 4. Range: 300 feet. RoF: 7, Automatic. Recoil: 2 (-1 due supported firing positions). 100/100 belt magazine. Halved range penalty, +2 to hit at Short Range. A noble weapon, for the queen of battle. PR-476 Plasma Cannon: Damage: 4d10 direct hit, + 1d10 in a 10 foot radius around the target (double indoors). Armor Penetration: 6. Can be dumb fired or guided. 1/1 magazine, 3 extra rockets. Range: 200 feet. Good chance of disabling even the heaviest vehicles if it connects. MIP-21 Maxi-Ion Pistol: Damage: 2d8+1. Armor Penetration: 2. Range: 30 feet. RoF: 7. Recoil: 1. (-1 due to supported firing positions). 12/12 magazine. Perhaps the most powerful sidearm currently issued by the Coalition Military. Vibro-Saber: Damage: 1d12+1d8 (+8 Str mod). Ignores 6 AV. Not just for decoration, this weapon will kill. Plasma Grenade: Damage: 4d10 on a direct hit, + 1d12 in a 10 foot radius around the target. 4/4. A bit finicky, but packs a bigger punch then a regular fragmentation grenade. Incendiary Grenade: Damage: 1d8*1d8 on a direct hit, 1d6*1d6 radius damage (20 feet). 2/2. For the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be consumed like flowers in the fields.
Current Equipment:
CA-1 Heavy Infantry Armor, Special Forces Variant [Exceptional Quality]. Features include CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear) protection, advanced air filters and 4 hour oxygen supply, a load-bearing exoskeleton that supports firing positions and can walk a wounded soldier off the battlefield, thermal regulation for hot and cold weather, full body protection with modern alloy and graphene plating, nano-fiber textiles reinforced with STF (shear-thickening fluids), and a visored solid alloy helmet with an assortment of modern optics and targeting systems. This exoskeletal armor will hold up to a lot, but can be compromised overtime.
C-12 Heavy Assault Rifle: Weighs approximately 24 pounds loaded, this railgun is too heavy to be comfortably used as a standard infantry rifle, but the load bearing features of the CA-1 Heavy Infantry Armor enable easy carrying of the unwieldy weapon. It features an integrated laser targeting system that can lock on to targets, multi-optic interface, an under-slung 40mm grenade launcher, and a bayonet socket.
PR-476 Plasma Cannon: An evolution of previous man-portable rocket launchers, the PR-476 fires a shaped charge rocket, delivering a superheated payload to burn through the target with frightening ease and swiftness.
MIP-21 Maxi-Ion Pistol: The MIP-21 fires high density plasma "charges" that lose cohesion upon impact, through a complex electromagnetic process. Exotic.
Plasma Grenade: Highly volatile payload, fires superheated metal "shrapnel" and is extremely effective against lightly armored targets.
Incendiary Grenade: An innovative blend of conventional high explosives, thermite, and exotic gases. Extremely effective against many types of supernatural threats.
Vibro-Saber: Modeled after the U.S. 1860 Light Cavalry Saber, this weapon has been built with modern alloys and fabrication techniques, the specific vibrations of the blade emits an exotic energy field, effective versus armor. For a blade.
"Avatar: The Last Space Marine:" Abigail has full control over solid, liquid, gaseous, and plasmatic states of matter, granting unparalleled Psionic control over the environment. Living things must test using Fortitude or Psi-Control, whichever is greater, to resist being manipulated themselves.
Bioelectrical and Electromagnetic Systems Optimization (BESO): Due to years of fine tuning and tinkering with cellular electromagnetic fields and bioelectricity, your bodily systems operate at peak efficiency. All physical attributes raise to the next highest category (Constitution from 16 to 18, Strength from 9 to 13, Dexterity from 16 to 18).
Challenge Seeker: Will seek interesting and challenging activities to improve. Potentially risky. Bonus to Willpower under appropriate circumstances, can add one additional die to a roll and drop the lowest result an additional time per day (Willpower Modification +1 = +3).
Coalition Elite: Fear is the mind slayer. Fortunately, Abigail's fears try a short leash after extensive mental conditioning.
Day Dreamer: When left on her own, there is a high chance that Abigail will ponder things at random.
Master Class Psychic: +3 to Psi-Control, +1 to Fortitude. Power changes people.
Middle Class Frontiersman: Abigail has lived a fairly typical, if austere, life out in Kansas, and will tend to view things from that perspective.
Psi-Academy Graduate: Abigail has developed and perfected numerous techniques over years of rigorous testing.
Socializer: Abigail knows the benefits of building a strong social network. Reduced difficulty to manage social relationships.
Tinkerer: Messing with machinery on the fly comes easily, even for a Telemechanic. Reduced difficulty for field modifications.
PSIONIC ABILITIES: A Master Class Dynamokinetic with Telemechanic and Mentalist synergies, Abigail has access to an array of extremely potent and versatile abilities, which are only further heightened through her extreme intelligence, memory and creativity, which the Psi-Academy and Special Forces selection programs have only further heightened.
Aerokinesis (3): Abigail can efficiently project power through gaseous mediums, and has taken on some part of the nature of air, as with other Dynamokinetic Abilities that she has mastered. Additionally, her sensory capabilities are even more efficient through this medium, allowing for ludicrous acoustic feats. Additional Ability: Heightened Reflexes.
Electrokinesis (3 + 2 Specialization): Abigail can sense electricity in the environment around her. Not sensitive enough to detect people, but very useful for machinery. Additionally, she can generate and direct electrical discharges, lightning barriers, electrical fields, and other conceivable effects. They instinctively shaped by Abigail's great grasp over Electromagnetic fields and Telekinesis. Additionally, she is nearly immune to energy damage, taking her yet another step away from humanity. Additional Ability: Invulnerable to Energy.
Electrokinesis Specializations: Improved Range, Improved Precision.
Enhanced Perception: Abigail has developed supernatural perception, enhancing her capabilities to the extreme. Psi-Control/2 to Perception tests.
Geokinesis (3): Abigail is adept at directing her abilities through metal, and to a lesser extent, simple earth, due to how she first approached developing this ability. Additionally, she has an acute vibrational sense through earth and metal, though she has yet to test the extent of her abilities due to living in a large urban area. Through electromagnetic field manipulation, she has access to an array of more esoteric uses, all of them mostly untested, regarding things such as generating radiation, light, microwaves, etc. As her ability to control earth deepens, so too has her body forged a mystic connection to the element, making her ludicrously resistant to physical damage. And another step removed from humanity. Additional Ability: Invulnerable to Damage.
Hydrokinesis (3): Abigail is adept at manipulating liquid states of matter and projecting power through them, as well as further increasing her sensory capabilities through said mediums. Additional Ability: Invulnerable to Cold.
Synergy with Pyrokinesis: Full-spectrum thermal manipulation! Abigail can control the vibration of molecules to a very fine degree. Interesting applications.
Meditate: Abigail can center herself and focus on exploring her abilities and restoring her energy reserves.
Mind Block (Personal and Group): Abigail can shield her own mind and others from Psychic intrusion.
Pyrokinesis (3): Abigail is very skilled at full spectrum thermal manipulation with this ability in combination with her other Dynamokinetic Masteries, as well as providing yet another source of sensory information. Additional Ability: Invulnerable to Heat.
Synergy with Hydrokinesis: Full-spectrum thermal manipulation! Abigail can control the vibration of molecules to a very fine degree. Interesting applications.
Radiate Power: Powerful Psychics have a certain undefinable quality to them that instills a sense of unease in others, which can be consciously amplified to produce fear or awe. Psi-Control /2 to Morale and Leadership.
Telemechanics: Additional Ability, Machine Bond: Abigail has an almost mystical understanding of machinery, in addition to the ability to form Psionic bonds with machines, bringing her capabilities to pretty much magical levels when utilizing her abilities.
Telekinesis (Superior): Additional Abilities: TK Acceleration Attack, TK Enhancement, TK Force Field. Numerous Synergies with all the Dynamokinetic Abilities: TK Point Defense, EM Field Manipulation, etc: Abigail is an extremely powerful Telekinetic, even disregarding her Dyanmokinetic capabilities. She can lift, crush, and pull objects many times her body weight, and exert force in a radius around herself. Very lethal. As such, Abigail doesn't know what it is like to truly be afraid of someone.
Total Recall: Abigail has further honed her mind and can now remember and recall everything that happens. +1 to Intelligence.
Academic Skills (+4 Skill +4 Int = +8): You forget nothing.
Acrobatics (+4 Skill +7 Dex = +11): Supernatural physical prowess, you never miss a step.
Acting (+0 Skill +2 Cha = +2): People don't tend to believe what you say. Something about your demeanor.
Animal Handling (+1 Skill +4 Int = +5): Book knowledge and experience with animals means you generally know what you're doing.
Archery (-4 Skill +7 Dex = +3): The arrows just go where you want them to, despite not really knowing what you're doing.
Arts (+2 Skill +4 Int = +6): Experience sketching designs for various projects lends itself well to creative pursuits.
Climbing (+4 Skill +7 Dex = +11): Height is no obstacle to you.
Crafts (+2 Skill +4 Int = +6): Natural talent and due experience allows for the creation and modification various nifty devices.
Dancing (+2 Skill +7 Dex = +9): Supernatural physical prowess, your movements are eerie and inhumanly smooth.
Demolition (+4 Skill +4 Int = +8): Nothing quite like plastic explosives to bring an end to your enemies.
Dodging (+5 Skill +7 Dex = 12/2 = +6): A supernatural knack for avoiding things you don't want to be struck by.
Driving (+3 Skill +7 Dex +9 [Telemechanics + Machine Bond] = +19): You have an intuitive sense of any vehicle that you drive, paired with inhuman reflexes.
Fortitude (+2 Skill +2 Wil = +4): Your mind is an ordered one, and poses a significant barrier even to masters of the mental arts.
Heavy Weapons (+6 Skill +7 Dex = +13): Supernatural reflexes and general mastery make any weapon system you control incredibly lethal.
Land Navigation (+5 Skill +4 Int = +9): Land Navigation, that ancient art. A bitch to learn, though you've learned it well.
Leadership (+1 Skill +2 Cha +4 Ability = +7): Even those that technically hold authority over you pay you due respect. Leading others is simple.
Marine Navigation (+4 Skill +3 Int = +7): You remember the book on marine navigation now.
Mechanics (+5 Skill +4 Int = +9): Easily the equal of an experienced machinist even disregarding your abilities.
Medicine (+5 Skill +4 Int = +9): You've mastered First Aid and can perform advanced medical procedures with the appropriate tools.
Melee – Armed (+3 Skill +1/+8 Str = +4/+11): With a weapon in hand, you'd take most conventional opponents to task barring truly skilled fighters and supernatural monsters. With TK, you're ludicrously strong.
Melee – Unarmed (+1 Skill +1/+8 Str = +2/+9): You'd lose to the majority of the Armed Forces and quite a few civilians in a conventional fistfight, but that's what unparalleled Psionic might is for.
Perception ([+4 Skill +4 Int]/2 +4 Ability = +8): Your senses are incredible.
Piloting (+5 Skill +7 Dex +9 [Telemechanics + Machine Bond] = +21): You consistently perform beyond the conventional limits of RPAs you control. Only Psi-Operators have a hope at matching you.
Psi-Control (+4 Skill +2 Wil +3 Trait = +9): Following extensive training and conditioning, only true field applications will improve your impressive control further.
Riding (Locked): When's the last time anyone's seen a horse?
Science Skills: (+4 Skill +4 Int = +8): You forget nothing.
Seamanship (Locked): Maintaining a boat is kind of difficult without any background knowledge or experience.
Small Arms (+5 Skill +7 Dex = +12): Inhuman accuracy and precision with small arms, honed by constant practice.
Social Skills (+3 Skill +2 Cha = +5): Getting to know people and managing social ties is something you have a lot of experience in.
Sorcery (Locked): Learning sorcery has been banned for a long time.
Stamina (Base 8 +5 Skill +3 Con = 16 Stamina): You can run a marathon if you had to.
Stealth (+2 Skill +7 Dex = +9): Despite your size, you step like a cat.
Streetwise (-5 Skill +4 Int = -1): You have no idea how the underground works, but you know how to stay off the streets at least.
Swimming (+1 Skill +7 Dex = +8): Supernatural grace makes up for your lack of skill in the water.
Technical Skills (+5 Skill +4 Int = +9): You forget nothing.
Tempo (30 +Str x5 = 70): You're faster than you should be, moreso when aided by Telekinesis.
Throwing (+1 Skill +7 Dex = +8): Supernatural hand-eye coordination puts thrown objects where you want them to go.
Trickery (+2 Skill +7 Dex = +9): Deft movements are key in a firefight, and your movements have been drilled again, again and again.
Wilderness Survival (+5 Skill +4 Int = +9): You forget nothing.
World Lore (+5 Skill +4 Int = +9): You forget nothing.
AN:It's been too long since last I've written for us all. Over the course of this first quest, I've learned many things. Foremost among them is my newfound spite for extended prologues, thusly impeding my motivation to write. Therefore, we're going to be skipping ahead the next few years to refocus on what I want this Quest to be about, and what no doubt a few of you were sticking through for the promise of a more interesting future. Inconsistency has hindered progress for too long. On that cheery note, have an update.
Only the PEOPLE vote was split.
[X][Rifts] Terrifying. Something like that just came out of nowhere, and broke the world without any warning or anything that could be done to stop it.
[X][Future] Optimistic. People are getting more and more awesome, and they don't look likely to stop getting awesome any time soon.
[X][Home] Sad. You wish they could be here.
[X] Everyone is different. There exists an unbridgeable gap between Psychics and non-Psychics, just as there is a gap between the strong and the weak, the fast and the slow. I will never find a bond based on simple categorization.
[X][Tragedy] Conviction. Things won't fix themselves on hopes and wishes. So people will have to do it for everyone else.
[X] Plan Better Senses, Remember Everything
-[X][Action] Study Academics: Physics
-[X][Action] Study Academics: Mathematics
-[X][Action] Study Academics: Civics
-[X][Action] Physical Training: LOCKED IN to maintain attribute and skill gains.
-[X][Action] Psychic Training: Geokinesis
-[X][Action] Psychic Training: Total Recall
-[X][Action] Psychic Training: Enhanced Perception
-[X][Personal] Socialize with Friends: LOCKED IN. Your friends are concerned about you. They won't let you isolate yourself too much.
-[X][Personal] Tinker: Fiddling with electronics always made made me feel better.
-[X][Personal] Read Literature (Space Opera - Lensmen): Been trying to expand the library.
-[X][Free] Visit Family (Doesn't cost an action): It's time.
What did any of these concepts and ideas truly mean? Humanity. Citizenship. Conflict. Freedom. Justice, liberty, authority, the list went on. How could so much import be given to artificial rules and laws? On the contrary, the world seemed quite arbitrary, and from that randomness was terror borne. Of this and more, Abigail learned. Studied. Dreamt of many things. Wondrous and terrible things. A time before the Rifts. Idolized it even, she admitted. And yet, the Documents of Freedom told a different story. The instructor was an old cynic, and yet from his cynicism he drew out much wisdom, about the nature of things. In the absence of conflict, man would make his own. Of the necessity of might and force of arms, the power to fight for the right to exist. It called to mind the Lensmen and their struggles to enforce peace despite the great powers they wielded. Complicated business. Business that would take a lot more time to sort and parse through. About why people fight, and what things were worth fighting for, or even if it was worth fighting at all, beyond that drive of self-preservation. In the end, it all came back to people. The people she cared about. The people who had forged the Coalition from the three great Old World Empires decades prior. The people who had powers, the people who held power, and the people who didn't. Couldn't. The hammer struck down.
For a vast distance had been developing between Abigail and her peers. She knew not what it meant to be afraid of those with more power than her, easily being capable of killing anyone she wanted back in Concordia. She had killed. She was aware of it, aware of so many things now, aware of the sound of grass growing, of the winds high above her, of the heartbeats of animals and men. Of whispered conversations, discourses and crude gatherings. And as she wandered the storied lanes of Chi-Town, she witnessed it all. Humanity. Eyes like an eagle's, ears that could hear more than ever before, a body nearly impervious to harm, the power to warp metal, electricity, and the very energies of the earth itself, she had become something very far removed from humanity. For she remembered everything now, very movement, every color, every slight, every thought, everything she had ever read, overheard, everything. Every joy and triumph, every sorrow and loss, she remembered it all. And yet the only feeling she experienced now was emptiness. Like she should be feeling overwhelmed, or distraught, and yet all there was, was detachment. The lectures had become dull, the exercises unnecessary, the therapy unwanted. The hammer struck down.
Constant talk about duty, service, responsibility. Responsibility. Whose responsibility was it? People had failed to lie down and die. It was more than just stubborn determination, it was hope, that somehow, someway, they'd pull through. Those that lacked that hope gave up a long time ago. It was up to humanity to keep growing, to become more powerful, to push back harder and stronger. No truer example of this existed than her own father, it seemed, who'd made it back when mother hadn't. She had seen his battered form. Felt the currents running through his limbs, the replaced organs, the very metals themselves. Though his body may have been shattered, his spirit rose up. Their reunion broke through the emotional distance she'd developed, if only briefly, mirrored tears rolling down her face as she recalled their time together. It was up to people, with whatever talents and abilities they had, to rise higher and higher, to push farther. To take one more step. The hammer struck down.
She looked upon those attempts by others to draw her out, to engage her. But now, her patience was shorter than ever before. She knew now the cyclical nature of living, of people going through the motions, having witnessed it all her life, simply with insufficient clarity. She had what she wanted. She could relive every moment she had ever spent with mother. With anyone. She had done so now many times. And now, adding to her collection, she could remember with perfect clarity every time she did so. The rewards, the benefits, could any of it make up for this? This bittersweet existence. She remembered each of her conclusions at different times, different emotional states. She had to be careful now. So careful. To preserve herself. To be Abigail and not some sad mockery. Mockery. The hammer struck down.
Time passed. The hammer struck down.
Was it worth it?
[] Yes.
[] No. I shall handle the rest of the education from here, following the premise of not wasting time on things people would logically do anyway. Character Sheet UPDATED. Y'all have got 10 points to distribute for learning new Psionic abilities or investing in abilities you already have, which will grant 1 point of Specialization. Specialization points improve some aspect of the ability, and have no theoretical upper limit. This could be increased range, precision, refining synergies, etc. After this, onwards.
Electrokinesis Specialization:
[] Write-in.
Further Psionic Growth (Plan Vote) [] Specialization (What kind?).
[] Development (What ability?).
Clarification on the Vote.
Specialization: Each point can be used to Specialize in an ability that Abigail already has. Sepcialization takes an aspect of an ability and improves it in a powerful way. It stacks, and is arguably as potent as developing a new ability. Examples: TELEKINESIS (IMPROVED RANGE), ELECTROKINESIS (IMPROVED ACCURACY), GEOKINESIS (IMPROVED PSI-CONTROL). Improving Presence Sense can extend it to Psychics, sorcerers and even regular people. If you've got an idea, go for it.
Development: Alternatively, each point can be used to gain a new ability. Abilities can be selected from any of the below categories as long as prerequisites are met. Abilities that list multiple ranks must be invested in multiple times to gain those ranks.
Developing new Psionic Abilities may have additional consequences, such as further detachment from humanity, insanity, delusions, etc. Total Recall is the first one on which Abigail rolled really badly.
ABIGAIL'S CURRENT PSIONIC ABILITIES:
Electrokinesis (Master +1 Specialization): Abigail can sense electricity in the environment around her. Not sensitive enough to detect people, but very useful for machinery. Additionally, she can generate and direct electrical discharges, lightning barriers, electrical fields, and other conceivable effects. They instinctively shaped by Abigail's great grasp over Electromagnetic fields and Telekinesis. Additionally, she is nearly immune to energy damage, taking her yet another step away from humanity. Additional Ability: Invulnerable to Energy.
Enhanced Perception: Abigail has developed supernatural perception, enhancing her capabilities to the extreme. Psi-Control/2 to Perception tests.
Geokinesis (Master): Abigail is adept at directing her abilities through metal, and to a lesser extent, simple earth, due to how she first approached developing this ability. Additionally, she has an acute vibrational sense through earth and metal, though she has yet to test the extent of her abilities due to living in a large urban area. Through electromagnetic field manipulation, she has access to an array of more esoteric uses, all of them mostly untested, regarding things such as generating radiation, light, microwaves, etc. As her ability to control earth deepens, so too has her body forged a mystic connection to the element, making her ludicrously resistant to physical damage. And another step removed from humanity. Additional Ability: Invulnerable to Damage.
Meditate: Abigail can center herself and focus on exploring her abilities and restoring her energy reserves.
Mind Block (Personal and Group): Abigail can shield her own mind and others from Psychic intrusion.
Radiate Power: Powerful Psychics have a certain undefinable quality to them that instills a sense of unease in others, which can be consciously amplified to produce fear or awe.
Telemechanics: Additional Ability, Machine Bond: Abigail has an almost mystical understanding of machinery, in addition to the ability to form Psionic bonds with machines, bringing her capabilities to pretty much magical levels when utilizing her abilities.
Telekinesis (Superior): Additional Abilities: TK Acceleration Attack, TK Enhancement, TK Force Field. Synergy with Electrokinesis (3) and Geokinesis (3): TK Point Defense, EM Field Manipulation: Abigail is an extremely powerful Telekinetic, even disregarding elemental control over electricity and earth. She can lift, crush, and pull objects many times her body weight, and exert force in a radius around herself. Very lethal. As such, Abigail doesn't know what it is like to truly be afraid of someone.
Total Recall: Abigail has further honed her mind and can now remember everything that happens. +1 to Intelligence.
LIST OF PSIONIC ABILITIES (REPOSTED FROM PSIONIC ABILITIES VOTE THREADMARK)
Bio-Manipulation: (Biokinesis - Major)
Range: Self, Touch, Telekinesis
Allows the Psychic to Blind, Deafen, Inflict Pain, Mute, Paralyze, Stun, or otherwise manipulate the body of their target, including messing with the nervous system, hemorrhaging, and other effects like granting Nightvision. Prerequisite for Psychic Surgery, Bio-Regeneration. Synergizes with Perception Class Abilities and Telekinesis. Requires Deaden Pain and Senses, and Neural Touch/Strike. More sophisticated, bonuses to rolls.
Bio-Regeneration: (Biokinesis - Major)
Range: Self
Allows the Psychic to enter a regenerative trance, as the body rapidly puts itself back together. Suffers skill rolls for a few hours per use, due to the strain put on the system. Potentially life-saving. Improved with Shape Life.
Deaden Senses: (Biokinesis - Minor)
Range: Self, Touch, Telekinesis
Can be used to negate penalties from injuries, cause penalties from being unable to properly sense things, etc. Prerequisite for Bio-Manipulation. Penalties upgraded with Bio-Manipulation.
Healing Touch: (Biokinesis - Minor)
Range: Touch
An intuitive understanding of biology allows the Psychic to render aid and treatment at a much higher level than normal.
Improve Natural Healing: (Biokinesis - Minor)
Range: Self, Touch, Telekinesis
Puts the target into a healing trance, doubling, tripling or quadrupling their rate of natural healing at Minor, Major and Master Class power respectively.
Neural Touch and Strike: (Biokinesis - Minor)
Range: Touch, Telekinesis
Can inflict weak jolts, stun, and disorient targets, inflict minor paralysis, damage the nervous system. Prerequisite for Bio-Manipulation. Level of effects improved with Bio-Manipulation.
Nightvision: (Biokinesis - Minor)
Range: Self (Touch/Telekinesis with Bio-Manipulation)
Grants perfect nightvision out to 600 feet. Will suffer penalties from sudden light exposure. Can also decrease light sensitivity. Standalone ability, improved by Bio-Manipulation.
Shape Life: (Biokinesis - Master)
Range: Self, Touch, Telekinesis
Allows the Psychic to manipulate and shape life at a masterful level, even creating new life forms. Microorganisms count. Select this for biological terrorism. I mean, responsible use furthering humanity. Requires Bio-Manipulation.
Stop Bleeding: (Biokinesis - Minor)
Range: Self, Touch, Telekinesis
Halts blood loss as long as contact is maintained.
Aerokinesis: (Dynamokinesis - Minor - Major - Master)
At Minor rank, this ability provides sensory information from the atmosphere in a large radius around the Psychic, including weather prediction.
At Major rank, this ability grants Enhanced Reflexes for free, as the Psychic becomes like elemental Air.
At Master Rank, Enhanced Reflexes is improved to Heightened Reflexes, becoming as swift and flexible as wind.
TELEKINESIS SYNERGY: Adding the Force Aspect to this power allows the Psychic to enhance their Telekinetic abilities with Elemental Air, creating blades of air, Psi-Tornadoes, suffocating opponents, and other fearsome expressions of power.
SYNERGIES WITH OTHER DYNAMOKINETIC POWERS: Surely y'all can think of something. Fire tornadoes are possible, as you become the "gas source" for them. More combinations aplenty.
Electrokinesis: (Dynamokinesis - Minor - Major - Master)
At Minor rank, this ability grants sensory information about electrical sources all around the Psychic, and is mildly beneficial for operating technology.
At Major Rank, this ability grants Resist Energy for free, as the Psychic becomes attuned to elemental Lightning, and the Psychic can generate and discharge minor electrical currents,
At Master Rank, this ability grants Impervious to Energy, making all but the strongest electrical sources do nothing but energize the Psychic, further fueling his power.
SYNERGY WITH TELEKINESIS: Adding the Force Aspect to this power allows the Psychic to enhance their Telekinetic abilities with Elemental Lightning, generating true bolts of lightning, lightning novas, and draining electricity from power sources such as nuclear reactors. And don't forget that one synergy that was revealed on the Zapper file, that guy gets a lightning shield for point defense!
SYNERGIES WITH OTHER DYNAMOKINETIC POWERS: Y'all got this.
Geokinesis: (DYNAMOKINESIS - Minor - Major - Master)
At Minor rank, this ability grants sensory information about the earth and minerals around the Psychic, improving with power level until they can sense the slightest vibration with accuracy.
At Major rank, this ability grants Resist Damage for free, as the Psychic becomes attuned to Elemental Earth, hardening the body and making them difficult to kill.
At Master rank, this ability further improves Resist Damage to Impervious to Damage, as the Psychic becomes a Psychic Juggernaut capable of weathering most conventional attacks. HEAT rockets recommended if available.
SYNERGY WITH TELEKINESIS: Adding the Force aspect to this power allows the Psychic to enhance their Telekinetic abilities with Elemental Earth, shaping and manipulating earth and even metal with ease. Terrifying displays of power such as leveling whole towns, opening up Earth to trap and crush man and machine, pillars of earth to block and strike, and more. Basically an Earthbender from Avatar. SYNERGIES WITH OTHER DYNAMOKINETIC POWERS: Idk, cool shit probably.
Hydrokinesis (Dynamokinesis - Minor - Major - Master)
At Minor rank, this ability grants sensory information about the waters around the Psychic, including chemical composition, purity, etc.
At Major rank, this ability grants Resist Cold for free, as the Psychic becomes more attuned to Elemental Water, resistant to temperature changes.
At Master rank, Resist Cold is further improved to Impervious to Cold, as the Psychic becomes at home in the freezing waters and wastes of the North.
SYNERGIES WITH TELEKINESIS: Adding the Force Aspect to this power allows the Psychic to enhance their Telekinetic abilities with Elemental Water, shaping and manipulating water around the Psychic easily. Hydraulic lances of water, dessication of bodies, and other expressions of horrific Hydrokinesis. Such mastery over water even allows the Psychic to alter it's state from liquid to solid, forming ice.
SYNERGIES WITH OTHER DYNAMOKINETIC POWERS: Pyrokinesis is a big one, granting full range of thermal manipulation from completely frozen to fiery and explosive. Boiling enemies alive in a blast of superheated steam is a potential combo.
Pyrokinesis (Dynamokinesis - Minor - Major - Master)
At Minor rank, this ability allows the Psychic to sense thermal energy around them, whether it be in the form on living things or the evoked fire.
At Major rank, this ability grants Resist Fire for free, as the Psychic becomes more attuned to Elemental Fire.
At Master rank, Resist Fire is further improved to Impervious to Fire, able to withstand almost all conventional sources of heat, from the mighty Yellowstone to even the blaze of dragon's breath.
SYNERGIES WITH TELEKINESIS: Adding the Force Aspect to this power make the Psychic one of the most commonly thought of Psionic Archetypes in North America, the famed Burster. See Burster File.
SYNERGIES WITH OTHER DYNAMOKINETIC POWERS: Man, I wonder what thermal manipulation could do with the ability to manipulate earths and metals. Hmm...
Anti-Phase: (Matter and Energy – Major)
Range: Self, Touch, Telekinesis
Allows the Psychic to attempt to negate D-Shifting and Temporal abilities. Unlikely to really be useful, but cool.
Close Dimensional Rifts: (Matter and Energy – Master)
Range: Close enough to be affected by the Rift.
Costs a tremendous amount of energy (which doesn't matter because there's a big awesome rift to draw from), but if successful, it will shut down the Rift. Good luck getting close enough.
D-Shift Blink (Matter and Energy – Master)
Through manipulation of the fabric of reality, effectively allows teleportation over moderate distances. Requires D-Shift Ghost. Can be synergized with D-Shift Distance. Synergy with Telekinesis: = Phase Warp: Displacement: Teleport other people instead! Synergy with D-Shift Phase: Delete them by teleporting them into objects! Denser mass wins.
D-Shift Distance (Matter and Energy – Major)
Range: Self, Telekinesis
Allows the Psychic to manipulate their movement through reality, up to a multiple of 10. Very strange visual effect. Synergy with Telekinesis = Phase Warp: Confusion: It's kind of hard to fight if nothing goes where you want it to. Doesn't work through force fields.
D-Shift Ghost (Matter and Energy – Minor)
Range: Self
Allows the Psychic to shunt most of their mass to another dimension, becoming insubstantial. Can move any direction at a slow pace (including up and down), but not through solid objects and Force Fields. SYNERGY WITH D-SHIFT PHASE: Oh look, now you can go through solid objects. Force Fields still don't count though.
D-Shift Phase (Matter and Energy – Major)
Allows localized warping of reality around the Psychic, walk through solid matter. Requires D-Shift Ghost. Not completing the Phase is bad for your health. SYNERGY WITH PHASE BLAST: Have you tried coating objects with these effects? Turns out it is pretty effective versus armored targets.
D-Shift Recall (Matter and Energy – Major)
Can attune objects, scaling with power, and Recall them to you instantly from anywhere as long as they aren't trapped in a Force Field of some description. At Master, Recall yourself to any object/location you are attuned to as long as you aren't trapped by a Force Field.
Ectoplasm (Matter and Energy – Major)
Allows the Psychic to shape Psionic energy into solid, liquid or gaseous forms. Needs Telekinesis in order to control it. Ectoplasm in Vapor form can pick up and physically manipulate small objects. Can only be seen by the creator, See Invisible, supernatural beings and infrared optics. Must be able to see the ectoplasm to maneuver it. Ectoplasm in Solid form can take the shape of an extra limb, a full figure, a face, etc. Ecto-Combat: Requires Telekinesis Superior. Make attacks with the Ectoplasm in accordance with Telekinesis rules. Prerequisite for Ectoplasmic Disguise. Requires Telekinesis.
Ectoplasmic Disguise (Matter and Energy – Major)
Psychic can form a perfect disguise. No penalties. Granted for free on taking Telekinesis Major. Ecto-Combat: Psychic can create efficient battle forms, grant armor and weapons as well as specialized limbs from Ectoplasm. Requires Ectoplasm, Telekinesis Superior. SYNERGY = ASTRAL GOLEM: Turns out, being able to manipulate Ectoplasm is pretty important in the Astral Realm. Now you can hurt the creatures that dwell there...
Exorcism (Matter and Energy – Minor)
Allows the Psychic to perform a Rite of Exorcism, using psionic energy to expel a supernatural force from the host's body. Also works on other forms of possession and control.
Multi-Phase (Matter and Energy – Master)
Allows the Psychic to project illusionary duplicates of himself. SYNERGY WITH D-SHIFT BLINK: Psychic can swap places with Duplicates instantly. Synergy with any combat powers: Can launch attacks from Duplicates for maximum trickery.
Phase Blast (Matter and Energy – Master)
Range: Touch, Thrown, Telekinesis
A blast of pure psionic energy that will severely fuck up somebody's day. Ignores Armor Value. Stopped by Force fields. Can be hand held, thrown or projected via Telekinesis. SYNERGY WITH DYNAMOKINETIC POWERS: FIRES THAT BURN ALL AAAIUHIEHEBE [cut transmission]
Phase Field (Matter and Energy – Master)
Allows the Psychic to generate a incoming attacks have their damage dispersed. Only magical and psionic attacks are unaffected. Divide damage by 10. Only works against kinetic energy.
Psi-Bolt (Matter and Energy – Master)
Range: Touch, Thrown Telekinesis
The trademark ability of a Master Class Psychic is to manipulate pure Psionic Energy into physical shapes. In this case, a bolt. Very lethal. Synergizes with Telekinesis, Dynamokinesis.
Psi-Shield (Matter and Energy – Master)
The trademark ability of a Master Class Psychic is to manipulate pure Psionic Energy into physical shapes. In this case, a shield, to not get fucked up by pure Psionic Energy. SYNERGY WITH TELEKINETIC BODY FIELD AND FORCE FIELD: Expand the size of the shield to full body protection!
Psi-Sword (Matter and Energy – Master)
The trademark ability of a Master Class Psychic is to manipulate pure Psionic energy into physical shapes. Doesn't even have to be a sword, just something psychologically connected in the human subconscious to damage, like an axe or spear. Swords are the most popular though. THE USUAL SYNERGIES WITH TELEKINETIC POWERS.
Psychic Surgery (Matter and Energy - Major)
Range: Touch, Telekinesis.
Can repair broken bones, internal injuries and remove foreign objects without tools or instruments. Equivalent to professional hospital treatment. Must use Psychic Diagnosis first. SYNERGY ABILITY: REAVE: Offensive application of Psychic Surgery. Delete opponent's will to play this fucking game by severing spines inside their bodies and other fucked up applications. Who said you had to heal them?Requires Bio-Manipulation, D-Shift Phase. SYNERGIES WITH TELEKINESIS AND PERCEPTION CLASS ABILITIES: Who said you had to touch them?!?
Spatial Distortion (Matter and Energy – Major)
Allows the Psychic to twist reality. Matrix dodging and other shenanigans.
Alter Aura (Mentalism – Minor)
Range: Self, Touch
Allows the psychic to alter the appearance of Auras. Alterations include appearing more or less powerful, concealing true nature, aptitude, age, etc. Can apply this to others as well. Good for framing.
Alter Memory (Mentalism – Master)
Range: Telepathy
Can alter memories as desired. On a critical failure to resist, the alterations are permanent. Requires Mind Wipe.
Alter Personality (Mentalism – Master)
Range: Telepathy
Can alter the target's personality in any way the Psychic desires. On a critical failure to resist, the alteration is permanent. Requires Alter Memory.
Cause Hallucination (Mentalism – Major)
Range: Telepathy
Psychic inflicts hallucinations upon the target, can be whatever the Psychic wishes. On a critical failure to resist, they subject can even take Psychic damage from them and be knocked unconscious, believing themselves to be injured or dead. Requires Telepathy.
Empathic Transmission (Mentalism – Major)
Range: Empathy
This ability instills emotions in another living creature, entity or supernatural being. Affects any targets within range. Example Emotions include: Despair (critical failure results in attempted suicide, failure results in target lying down in apathy until the power ends; target is allowed to defend themselves with complete contempt for death if attacked [+6 mod to morale, +2 mod to Wil in relation to Stamina, will fight offensively whenever possible]); Confusion (target is utterly disoriented, receiving penalties to melee, missile and initiative); Fear (Critical Failure makes the target Terrified for 1d6 rounds, Failure makes the target Fearful for 1d6 rounds, and Semi-success makes the target Nervous for 1d6 rounds); Rage (+6 mod to morale, +2 mod to Wil in relation to Stamina, will fight offensively whenever possible, and additionally, there is a chance [Random DD Willpower] that the target will attack their own allies); Peacefulness (if target fails, they are not allowed to attack unless attacked first); Trust (raises the target's relationship by 1), and so on. Requires Empathy. And some actual empathy to not do the fucked up shit.
Group Mind Block (Mentalism - Major)
The psychic instantly erects a mental barrier to protect himself and those around him within the area. Works just like Mind Block.
Hypnotic Control (Mentalism – Major)
Range: Conversation, eye contact
Target obeys commands given to them. Cannot take actions independent of commands. Fully conscious. Traumatizing. Upgrades to Telepathic Control if Psychic has Telepathy.
Hypnotic Suggestion (Mentalism – Minor)
Range: Conversation, eye contact.
Can relax/calm a target, put a target to sleep, focus on a subject, implant subtle ideas, etc. Cannot make the target directly/knowingly injure themselves or allies. Must be worked into a sentence or statement. Upgrades to Telepathic Suggestion if the Psychic has Telepathy.
Induce Amnesia (Mentalism – Minor)
Range: Touch, Telepathy
Makes target temporarily forget certain memories, Psychic's discretion. Required for Mind Wipe.
Induce Insanity (Mentalism – Master)
Range: Telepathy
Causes insanity in the target. Horrifying.
Induce Sleep (Mentalism - Minor)
Range: Touch, Telepathy.
Subject is put into a light sleep (heavy sleep if Major, permanent sleep if Master). Will awake up either at end of power or Psychic's discretion. If at all.
Intuitive Combat (Mentalism – Minor_
A form of combat trance, brings subconscious to the fore, notices responds and reacts better in combat.
Life Drain (Mentalism – Master)
Range: Touch, Telepathy
Psychic drains the life energy of the target and heals simultaneously. Common Mind Bleeder power.
Mask Psionics (Mentalism – Minor)
Range: Self.
Completely masks all psionic energy and powers, even from powers meant to detect them. Requires Alter Aura.
Mentally Control Others (Mentalism – Major)
Range: Telepathy.
Remote control others like a puppet. Only controls the body. Dream like state, will remember most things upon freedom. Required for Mentally Possess Others.
Mentally Possess Others (Mentalism – Master)
Range: Telepathy
Allows the psychic to completely control another person's body, as if they were that person without the memories. The possessed target will have no memory of the experience, and will wake up once the power expires. Requires Telepathy, Mentally Control Others.
Mind Blast (Mentalism – Master)
Range: Telepathy
Directly attack the mind of the target. Reduces all rolls. Stacks. Deals Mental Health Damage. Successive Mind Blasts can kill the target (dropping Mental Health to 0 with this ability). May cause psychological and neurological disorders, may never fully recover. Extremely traumatizing. Requires Telepathy Superior.
Mind Block (Mentalism – Minor)
Range: Self.
The classic defensive Mentalism technique. Roll twice to resist mental effects (3x at Master) and take the best result.
Mind Bond (Mentalism – Major)
Range: Touch, Telepathy
Creates an instant bond with the target, psychic's choice of whether the bond is 1-way (and direction) or 2-way. Learns everything about the subject for a duration of time up to the Psychic's discretion. Requires Telepathy and Empathy.
Mind Spike (Group Mind Spike 2 points) (Mentalism - Major)
Range: Telepathy
Allows the psychic to shut down another psychic's powers. Target rolls twice to resist.
Mind Trip (Mentalism – Minor)
Range: Touch, Telepathy
Significantly increase target's chances to fumble.
Mind Wipe (Mentalism – Major)
Allows the psychic to wipe any memory or memories from the target, either temporarily or permanently. Requires Induce Amnesia, Telepathy.
Psionic Purge (Mentalism - Minor)
Range: Touch
Purges psionic effects on target, such as suggestion, compulsion, illusion, nightmares. Does not restore memories and personality. Requires Psychic Diagnosis.
Psionic Invisibility (Mentalism – Minor)
Range: Self
Makes the Psychic harder to detect. Scales with power. Not actually invisible. SYNERGY WITH TELEMECHANICS: Applies to technology, untraceable.
Psychosomatic Disease (Mentalism – Major)
Range: Conversation, Telepathy.
Requires Hypnotic Suggestion. Makes target think they suffer symptoms of a disease. Potentially lethal. Must be healed by Psychic Healer or magical curse breaking.
Restore Memory (Mentalism – Major)
Range: Touch, Telepathy
This is a simple but useful power that can restore a small block of memory lost earlier due to natural causes, aging/disease, physical or mental trauma, magic, or psionics. The memory that is restored can be any single skill, event, or part of the patient's personality. Multiple or total memory loss or Mind Wipe must be restored one skill, event, memory, etc. at a time. Requires Telepathy, Psychic Diagnosis.
Shared Perception (Mentalism – Major)
Range: Telepathy
This psionic power gives the psychic the ability to share his perception with someone else, or spy on someone else's perception. This sharing of perception includes all sensory input. The other person also perceives whatever the person whose perception is being shared out sees, hears, smells, touches, or tastes. This power can be incredibly useful for spying or sharing information with allies. Victims of this power whose perception is being shared out to the psychic will feel as if someone is watching or looking over their shoulder. Requires Telepathy, Mind Bond.
Speed Reading (Mentalism – Minor)
Range: Self
Read 15-30 pages a minutes, and retain information as normal. Very effective for quickly attaining knowledge. +1 Intelligence.
Skill Drain (Mentalism - Minor)
Range: Touch, Telepathy
Drain skills, retain them for longer durations, up to permanent at Master. Skills don't come back.
Telepathy (Mentalism – Minor)
Range: Scales with power
Allows the psychic to eavesdrop on what another person is thinking. Can focus on individuals. Cannot read multiple people at once. TELEPATHY SUPERIOR (2 points): Allows the psychic to access deeper and subconscious thoughts, can read thoughts on any subject they wish, such as the target's passwords, true name, skills, psychic abilities, and memories.
Death Trance (Mind Over Matter – Minor)
Range: Self.
Suspended animation, appears to be dead even to medical analysis, does not respond to anything, including Psychic Probes or magical scans. Even drugs, toxins and chemicals cease their effects until the trance is over. Requires Resist Thirst, Resist Hunger, Resist Fatigue.
Energy Vampire (Drain Energy) (Mind Over Matter – Major)
Drain energies of Rifts Earth, Supernatural, Psychics and Practitioners of Magic. Predatory instinct, don't have to go with it. +1 to combat rolls versus them. Use energies of those you kill to power yourself. Sustain yourself entirely off of that energy.
Enhance Reflexes (Mind Over Matter - Minor)
Range: Self
Improved reflexes, reaction times, very beneficial in combat.
Psionic Purification (Mind Over Matter – Minor)
Range: Touch, Self
Halts the progress of all chemicals, poisons, drugs and toxins in the body, destroying them at the end of the trance. Damage sustained prior to Psychic Purification remains. Synergizes with Resist Poison/Toxins: Total immunity to poisons and toxins.
Resist Biokinesis (Mind Over Matter – Minor)
Exceptional defense versus Biokinetic effects.
Resist Damage (Mind Over Matter – Minor)
Range: Self.
An impressive power, Psychic is resistant to low caliber bullets and hard to put down.
Resist Energy (Mind Over Matter - Minor)
Range: Self
The Psychic becomes resistant to plasma and energy, including electricity.
Resist Fatigue (Mind Over Matter – Minor)
Range: Self.
No longer take penalties from tiredness, only need 4 hours of sleep to be considered restful. Can go many days without sleep.
Resist Fire (Mind Over Matter – Minor)
Range: Self.
The Psychic becomes resistant to fire and heat in general.
Resist Hunger (Mind Over Matter - Minor)
Range: Self.
Will not suffer penalties from hunger. Can survive a maximum of 60+ days without food before collapsing into a coma and dying.
Resist Poison/Toxin (Mind Over Matter – Minor)
Range: Self.
Psychic becomes resistant to conventional poisons and toxins.
Resist Thirst (Mind Over Matter – Minor)
Range: Self.
Will not suffer penalties from thirst. Duration of time without water = 3 x at Major, 4x at Master.
Summon Inner Strength (Mind Over Matter - Minor)
Range: Self.
The Psychic draws upon inner reserves, becoming tougher, stronger, more enduring. Also increases the benefits of any/all of the Resist abilities. Requires Resist Thirst, Resist Fatigue, Resist Hunger.
Suppress Fear (Mind Over Matter – Minor)
Range: Self, Touch, Telepathy
Subject does not suffer penalties from Morale for the duration of the power. Affects others with Telepathy, all minds desired at Telepathy Superior.
Supercharge (Mind Over Matter – Master)
Range: Self
This power channels the ambient energies of Rifts Earth into the Psychic's body, becoming supernaturally tough and strong and dextrous. Increases the bonus from Ley Lines and Rifts by 50%. Requires Strength of Mind
Strength of Mind (Mind Over Matter – Major)
Range: Self
The psychic channels their own energy into their body, further increasing physical attributes. Requires Summon Inner Strength.
Astral Projection (Perception – Minor)
Enter the Astral Plane. Time flows strangely here, and many dangers abound. It's pretty lit though. Spirit World analogue.
Clairvoyance (Perception – Minor)
Range: Self.
Allows the psychic to see or feel glimpses of possible futures, the past, and the present. Common during sleep. Unpredictable, Quest Master discretion.
Clairvoyant Prediction (Perception – Minor)
Range: Self.
The psychic can see the results of actions before they take them, whether it be dice rolls or the immediate consequences of a non-combat action. Additionally, they may also receive information at the Quest Master's discretion, about general probabilities and outcomes of other decisions and actions (like the likelihood of a mission's success). At Master, passive insights subtly benefit the character at a subconscious level, granting small bonuses to all rolls. Requires Clairvoyance.
Commune with Spirits (Perception – Minor)
Range: Self.
Allows the psychic to communicate with ghosts, entities, etc.
Disclose Observation (Perception – Major)
Range: eh...
Psychic knows that they are being watched, and from which direction. SYNERGY WITH TELEMECHANICS: Disclose Observation now applies to cameras and recording devices. Requires Sixth Sense.
Empathy (Perception – Minor)
Range: Scales with power
This ability allows the psychic to sense the emotions of people, animals and supernatural creatures. Can be used to sense other creatures are nearby. Cannot pinpoint location. Useful for identifying and communicating with ghosts and other entities. EMPATHY SUPERIOR (2 points): Can sense underlying emotions and the source, critical success, knows targets true feelings on something and parts of memories.
Empathic Charisma (PEOPLE and/or ANIMALS, 1 point each) (Perception - Minor)
Range: Self.
People and/or Animals like the Psychic more. Requires Empathy.
Enhanced Perception (Perception – Minor)
Range: Self
Grants the Psychic improved senses. HEIGHTENED PERCEPTION (2 points): Powerful Psi-Druids with this ability say they can hear the Earth move, feel the grass grow, the singing of the Sky, the caress of Water, and the heartbeat of the world, obtaining knowledge of all things on Earth.
Mind's Eye (Perception – Master)
Range: Scales with power.
. Like Psychic Omni-Sight, but can be used on the go, just better. All perception abilities stack with it. Everything is known like Psychic Radar. Nothing can hide unless using a very powerful ability. Requires Psychic Omni-Sight
Object Read (Perception – Minor)
Range: Touch.
Allows the psychic to receive feelings and images from an object by concentrating on a specific line of thought or opening up to general impressions. Impressions include: temperament of last owner; emotional state; general purpose of object; current state of owner (dead or alive); whether object has been used by psychics or supernatural; if the object is enchanted; if the object contains an entity (and the alignment and temperament of the entity); and if the object is possessed. Images: approximate age, height, weight, build, race, sex, occupation, hair color and length; special features; events; object is always involved in some way. Potentially can see where the last owner of the object currently is, their state of mind, appearance, general location, features, and possibly specific location. Required for Psionic Mark/Seeking.
Presence Sense (Perception - Minor)
Range: Scales with power
Presence Sense alerts the psychic to the presence of supernatural beings, creatures of magic and other monstrous life forms. Will give a general impression of how close the presence is, how many there are and how powerful they are. ENHANCED PRESENCE SENSE (2 points): Probe to indicate the presence of psionic/magic energy in an area. The probe can be used to pinpoint the exact location of psychic energy, including the power level (weak, medium, strong). This ability will indicate whether an individual is psychic when directed at him or her. It will not reveal type or strength beyond weak, medium or high. It will indicate if a Mind Block is in effect and if subject is psionically possessed. Add Fortitude Proficiency to Tracking to hunt Psionic and Magical signatures. HEIGHTENED PRESENCE SENSE (3 points): Also indicates life in general at quarter range. Each improvement doubles radius.
Psionic Mark/Seeking (Perception – Major)
Range: Miles
After establishing a link to a target, the Psychic can track them. Requires some way to perceive Psionic signatures, such as Presence Sense, See Aura, etc.
Psychic Diagnosis (Perception – Minor)
Range: Touch (Line of Sight with See Aura/Psychic Sight)
Senses physical pain, damage, injuries, disease and possession with absolute clarity. Required to perform Psychic Surgery. Combat Application: Shatterpoint. Perceive vulnerabilities of a target.
Psychic Omni-Sight (Perception – Major)
Range: Scales with power
An advanced form of extrasensory perception that allows the psychic to have a sort of controlled out of body experience. and enter into a trance state. While entranced, his spirit or essence seems to rise 10-20 feet above his physical body (this is not visible to anybody but other psychic sensitives who can see the invisible, auras or spirits). From this vantage point, combined with heightened awareness, the psychic sees through his mind's eye, without having to use his normal vision or senses. Enables the psychic to see in all directions at once, to see radiation, thermal patterns, the invisible, and to literally see any movement, even of the wind! This power enables the psychic to guard or survey a campsite for signs of wayward group members or approaching. It can also be used to survey an area for things that might otherwise escape normal sight or take much longer to locate and identify. Requires Remote Viewing, See Aura, See the Invisible.
Remote Viewing (Perception – Minor)
Range: Self.
Requires image of target to focus on, whether it be a person or specific place. Alternative, can ask questions, number scaling with power, and get a response.
See Aura (Perception – Minor)
Range: Line of Sight.
Aura is the manifestation of a being's life force and energy. See Aura will indicate: general level of experience; presence of psychic abilities; presence of possession by an entity; indicate alignment; serious illness, ailments, aberrations, etc. Prerequisite to See Invisible.
See Invisible (Perception – Minor)
Range: Line of Sight.
Can see entities, beings, forces, objects and creatures which are normally invisible. Even beings without physical forms can still be seen. Upgrades See Aura.
Sense Time (Mentalism - Minor)
Range: Self.
Psychic can accurately measure the passage of time. Permanent +1 Intelligence. A very good idea for Astral Projection, and has other uses for dealing with mental manipulation, such as understanding that there exists a gap in memory if Mind Wiped.
Sixth Sense (Perception – Minor)
Range: Self
This ability allows the Psychic to sense, within 3-5 minutes of being in danger, that they are in danger. The impressions are vague, but carry the degree of urgency. If the danger is life-threatening, Sixth Sense kicks up a knotch, allowing them to always make an attempt to not get killed. Examples include suddenly dodging sniper shots they couldn't have known were coming, changing course to avoid a land mine, etc. Not foolproof, but pretty good. SYNERGY WITH CLAIVOYANT PREDICTION: Battle Precognition: the combat application of Clairvoyant Prediction. Opponents don't receive defensive bonuses due to movement and cover versus you, and offensive rolls against you are modified by your Perception skill.
Levitation (Telekinesis – Minor)
Range: Limited
Limited form of Telekinesis, not particularly useful, but can be used to lighten impacts and such from base jumping, and get that extra couple feet from a long jump. Requires for Telekinesis.
Telekinesis (Telekinesis - Major)
Range: Moderate
A much more useful ability. Allows for the exertion of pure force, can manipulate objects relative to Psionic power, knock people down fairly easily. SYNERGIZES WITH DYNAMOKINETIC ABILITIES. Prerequisite for Telekinesis Superior, Telekinetic Enhancement, Telekinetic Body Field, and Ectoplasm. Requires Levitation.
Telekinesis (Superior) (Telekinesis – Master)
Range: Extensive
Now this is power. Can lift increasingly heavy objects, accelerate them rapidly, crush, pull, and launch shockwaves. SYNERGIZES HARD WITH DYNAMOKINETIC AND OTHER PSYCHIC ABILITIES.
Edit: It has come to my attention that this bad boy wasn't here
TELEKINETIC ACCELERATION ATTACK (Telekinesis - Master)
Rapidly accelerate object even faster, very nice damage.
SYNERGIES WITH LOTS OF COMBAT ABILITIES: EVEN MORE DAMAGE
Telekinetic Body Field (Telekinesis – Major)
Range: Self
Generate a Force Field around self, capable of stopping low caliber firearms. Prerequisite for Telekinetic Force Field. Upgrades to Telekinetic Force Field at Telekinesis Superior. TELEKINETIC FORCE FIELD: A more flexible and powerful Force Field, can be created around an area of the Psychic's choosing, layered and stacked, and generally is much more powerful.
Telekinetic Enhancement (Telekinesis – Major)
Telekinetically empower all physical actions of the Psychic. Hit harder, move faster, jump higher!
Telemechanics (Telemechanics – Minor)
Range: Short
Grants full understanding of machinery. Bonuses to Mechanics, Technology, Computer skills. Telepathically communicate with sufficiently advanced computers.
Telemechanic Machine Bond (Telemechanics - Major)
I AM ONE WITH THE MACHINE, AAAAAA
Telemechanic Machine Ghost (Telemechanics - Major)
Range: Telemechanics
Acquires knowledge from a machine. Can access stored information. Can hear and see data as if he were accessing it conventionally. Process information 10 times faster. The mind conceptualizes the computer network as if it were the real world, or a game. Even more tech and computer bonuses.
Telemechanic Mental Operation (Telemechanics - Master)
Range: Telemechanics
Can operate machinery from a distance as long as he's in range. Stacking -1 mod to all skills for each machine operated this way. Requires Telemechanic Possession.
Telemechanic Paralysis (Telemechanics - Major)
Range: Telemechanics
Can shut down or block systems in a machine. Particularly effective against cyborgs who require life support.
Telemechanic Possession (Telemechanics - Major)
Range: Telemechanics
Possess any machine, like rifles or suits of power armor. Can only possess one machine at a time. Required for Telemechanic Mental Operation.
AN: Some of the geographic stuff on the map is a bit wonky, due to my having adapted it from previously existing maps, but it shall suffice. As usual, differences between this Quest and the original settings are due to changes I've made. Lines on the map represent where the States can be reasonably said to control the land.
EXCERPTS FROM AUTHOR SMITH, ALEXEI I., "Dawn of a New America: Challenges for the 23rd Century." Published 2196.
The Empires of the Old World faced many challenges, though with some degree of reticence, I too must conclude that they may well never have been presented with such an interesting clusterfuck of a situation as our current circumstances represent. For over a century, humanity has been on the brink of complete annihilation from external forces. Armchair philosophers and softheaded fools may purport such self-destructive principles, when displaying any principles, contradictory as they may be, at all, as the high pillars of pacifism, diplomacy, and reason, foremost among them, the misguided, xeno-loving, reckless Erin Tarn of Lazlo, self-declared rogue scholar. And yet it is by force of arms and violence that humanity is free to even deliberate such matters, as self-evident as they are. Through martial might, the monsters at the gates were slain, through force of arms, the Night Demons have been stemmed, and through that oh so primitive reaction to the unknown and the different that said pseudo-intellectuals criticize, that humanity has maintained its right to self-governance at all. So by all means, continue with this drivel that creatures operating on a completely different framework of interaction can be coexisted with peaceably without them turning on their lessers with nary a care when the opportunity presents itself. We live in the now, ladies and gentlemen, a time of chaos and constant carnage. A world full, as always, of fools, beggars and corpses, all of which will certainly be our fate should we not rectify our situation posthaste, for we are faced on all fronts by enemies. Look no further than dear Mexico, our fallen brethren, and the constant Crusades of blood and darkness at the hands of the Sabbat to view firsthand our fate should we falter on our path. No, we're in it for the long haul. Let us be on to the meat of the matter, rather than continue to waste precious time.
THE AGE OF METROPOLISES
For the lifespan of our entire species, humanity has been limited by the factors of land, labor and capital. Matters such as arability, human hands to work, finances and exchange of services to run the entire system. Despite the tools having been available even a hundred years prior to the Coming of the Rifts, humanity never made the shift that mechanization, genetic engineering, energy production and aquaponics allowed for. For transportation had already been solved with the innovation of the railroad, complex machines were capable of performing labor, and simple culture held back further progress. That all changed when billions of people perished in that great conflagration a century ago. Necessity once more wed itself to humanity, and great metropolises were constructed, linked to each other and to resource extractors via magrails, serviced by a growing class of technicians and specialists, and the need for soldiers swept up those unsuitable for intellectual pursuits. In that great irony, the greatest issues of such sweeping societal restructuring, namely the mass unemployment, lack of purpose and inability of the less gifted to adjust, had oh so kindly delayed itself from rearing its ugly head.
Chi-Town, Springfield, Indianopolis, Little Rock, and others became the centers of human civilization, quaint towns and villages serving merely to hold land and no more. The power of the state became total, a role it gracefully took up as it threw more and more soldiers into the vortices of battle. Once more, humanity experienced a great wave of religiosity, as the tides seemed to turn once more and ground was regained against the night, as the ideas of a century before were implemented gloriously. The Empires of Canada and Mexico joined themselves to America, and the innovations here spread outward. And in a truly impressive diplomatic coup, the Chiefs of Staff attained executive authority, then suborned the autonomy of our sister Empires.
GEOPOLITICAL CHALLENGES: Isolation
The States of the Coalition are fractured geographically into distinct regions. The Heartland is the geographic and political core of the Coalition, with the largest number of metropoles and industries. To the North, the Kingdoms of the Great Lakes have aggregated, and remain on tense terms, skirmishes breaking out with some degree of regularity, and they obstruct land access to Canada, the third most populous region of the Coalition. The Navies of the Coalition are divided between the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi Bay in the South, the Great Lakes in the North, and hemmed in on both sides by the Splugorth slavers, unable to unify. The annexation and restoration of Sovereign American rule in any of the kingdoms would solve this issue with ease, but none of them bow easily. Texas constantly fends off the Vampires, Canada struggles to impose dominion over the sparsely populated Canadian Shield, and Alaska is the only State in the Northwest of the country that can project any degree of power, from the urban stronghold of Fairbanks. Additionally, the St. Louis Rifts and the Magic Zone impede North-South travel along the old Highways, the same going for Detroit-Windsor and Chicago.
The Great Lakes and the North
Individually, each of the Kingdoms presents a difficult nut to crack, for different reasons. All of them pose obstacles to unification. Managing the political challenges of opposing foreign aims with Coalition diplomatic reputation and perceived warmongering is necessary to prevent them all from acting preemptively against the nation. Canada is particularly at risk due to being completely cut off from the majority of the Coalition's strength except through Lake Michigan and the various waterways.
Council of Lazlo: Perhaps the least friendly to the Coalition, Lazlo formed in Little England when one of the Dragon-Mages brought stability to the area, encouraging magic and intellectualism. They constantly criticize the Coalition for petty matters such as conscription, the inhibition to free enterprise, and whatnot. Anything the Coalition does well is turned into some failing regardless of merit. They should have been integrated a long time ago.
Kingdom of Psyscape: Psycape's territories center around the Old World city of Cleveland, and they are pioneers in Psionics. However, their egalitarian nature leaves them susceptible to demagoguery, and their ears have been turned against the Coalition by Lazlo and all the other enemies of humanity who wish to see us divided. They, too, block the highways to Canada.
Manistique Imperium: Named after its founding city of Manistique, the Imperium lost hands of it a few years back during a brutal war with Ishpeming. A poor showing here doesn't mean they should be underestimated. Despite being only a regional power, especially after the war, their soldiers are disciplined, their equipment second only to the Coalition, and they are well versed in conquest, as their blitz of Michigan demonstrates. They won't be forgiving Ishpeming for a long while. They are the most friendly to the Coalition in the region, though they are too prideful to submit.
Kingdom of Ishpeming: Ishpeming was the major rival of Manistique in the North for decades, with advantages in manufacturing and production. However, they put paid to any notion of being only a mercantile state when their fleet sank the Imperium's in drydock, and they won the siege of Manistique in only a week. They pursue profit in all things, and their people are untrustworthy. They can be used, but it'll have a price.
Kingdom of Tolkeen: By far the most dangerous power, Tolkeen rests on one of the largest Epicenters in North America, a Rift that they've contained and use to fuel their technowizardry. An Old World Mystery Cult, known as the Technological Adepts, founded the kingdom shortly after the Coming, and they spread their Magic in addition to hosting large numbers of sorcerers, psychics, mercenaries, and scientists. However, the Coalition and Tolkeen has common cause in facing the alien Xiticix, and they've suffered greatly in the past decade. Subjugation or transformation into a bulwark would serve best here.
Xiticix Swarm: The Xiticix are an alien race seemingly hellbent on colonizing our world, with vast underground networks and impressive combat intelligence. Growth rates project them to increase by 300% by the end of this decade alone. Of all the threats to humanity, this one warrants collaboration with nearly anything to prevent it from spreading out of control in the unpopulated North. This danger cannot be understated. (The document goes into great detail on their breeding habits, biology, tactics, and records of Tolkeen's battles and Coalition public records.)
The East
Political unification came swiftly to these parts, aided no doubt by supernatural beings with their propensity for discord and chaos. First arose the Federation of Magic, followed swiftly by the Confederacy, then the Union. Clearly, their naming conventions could use work.
The Federation of Magic: The Federation is comprised of the states of Tenessee, Kentucky, and parts of their surrounding territories. They, too, control one of the largest Epicenters on the continent, and their Mages and sorcerers are utterly opposed to the Coalition. The last war was 20 years ago, with only intermittent skirmishing breaking out nowadays. The Coalition doesn't have the resources to spare to properly bring them to heel.
The Confederacy: Formed from the States of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia, on paper they appear to be natural allies, wisely discouraging the use of magic and sorcery. Unfortunately, they hold no such compunction towards the Xeno, and there is a high level of Vampiric infiltration in their society from another sect of Vampires, this one known as the Camarilla. However, they have also fought against the Splugorth and the Sabbat, making them somewhat useful.
The Union of New England: The Union, like the Federation, is populated by many Mages and sorcerers, though their cause is motivated primarily through the pursuit of republican ideals, claiming hold over the legacy of the Old World Empires. Fortunately, they appear to hold theological disagreements with the Federation, or some other nonsense, which has thus far prevented them from joining causes. Ensuring that this state of affairs continues is paramount for continued security.
The Splugorth Empire: Of them all, the Splugorth are responsible for sabotaging the Coalition's dockyards and preventing any effort at disrupting their parasitism from their dimension hopping continent of Atlantis. Slave Barges raid the coasts, though the Coalition is targeted almost exclusively, with only the Confederacy suffering from their raiding. Across the Atlantic, they establish mercantile outposts, garrisons, and naval bases, ramping up their operations for the forseeable future. They are also no doubt responsible for raiding naval convoys across the Atlantic, inhibiting trade and contact with the New German Republic, France, Spain and Russia, though the Arctic remains under Coalition naval control. There's no easy way to dislodge them, making them likely to be the longest term threat in North America.
The South
The Vampire Kingdoms: The Sabbat view themselves as our superiors, having shed any faint sense of humanity long ago. 60 years ago, they almost slew the Coalition in its infancy, and continue to reign over Mexico. Ruthless pragmatism has seen them raise the largest population of humans outside of the Coalition on the continent, and those numbers continue to rise. Every battle, they send their neonates to fight, following a Darwinian doctrine, selecting the greatest of their ranks for promotion, even turning our own soldiers against us. They have to be purged, and the resources of the South returned to our hands. Bringing these territories to heel would remove our greatest enemy, allowing the Coalition to focus on medium and long-term objectives. The United Central American States have successfully held the line against the Sabbat, and are responsible for keeping much of their strength in their further territories. Seeking further cooperation with the UCAS would not interfere with restoring sovereign rule to the Coalition of North American States.
The Future
The Coalition faces no fewer than 4 existential threats. A potential Axis between the Union, the Federation, Tolkeen and potentially Lazlo has enough mystical might between them to spell an extremely hard fought campaign. The Federation alone has enough strength to pose a massive challenge, let alone two or three at the same time. To the North, the Xiticix continue to spread almost unchecked, encroaching further and further into populated lands, with exponential speed. The Splugorth possess the capacity to strike us down at any moment without reprisal, within easy striking distance of our fleets and shielded by the mystic storms in the Atlantic. Finally, and most immediately, the Sabbat constantly war in Texas, draining manpower and material, in addition to the usual sabotage and infiltration. The coinciding of these threats must be avoided at all costs. These challenges, and methods to resolve them, are each discussed in detail in the subsequent chapters.
Hope this was interesting. As usual beware viewpoint bias.
AN: From this point onward, there is no plot armor. This is the only warning. From fellow humans, to demonic entities, a myriad of supernatural creatures, and beings better described as gods, this Quest shall deal with the life of a single individual in a ludicrously dangerous world. Death is an acceptable, even a likely, outcome. Good luck. Character Sheet to be updated soon.
Personnel Profile: SPC Dorote, Abigail (16) ("That young, huh?") Subject completed training September 21, 2198.
Subject has no deployment history.
Subject is a Master Class Psi-Operative, displaying vast capabilities ranging multiple categories, predominantly in the fields of Dynamokinesis, but with potent hybridization regarding information gathering and processing. Subject has received training in the operation and maintenance of RPAs, and is effectively superhuman regarding their usage. In addition to incredible Psionic versatility and fine control, the subject has received training for the following mission types:
Counterinsurgency
Direct Action
Foreign Internal Defense
Unconventional Warfare
Special Reconnaissance
Subject is in excellent physical condition, with no outstanding psychological disorders. Subject has no outstanding legal issues. Subject currently deployable.
The personnel officer skimmed through the majority of the text, focused only on general terms and capabilities. Leave it to the office techs to crunch the numbers on specifics. "Ma'am." She accepted the coffee from the junior enlisted with all the grace of a wizened bureaucrat, drinking deeply from the potent draught. Now, where to send her? Pretty much every unit requested the sort of force multiplier a Master Class Psychic could provide, but there just weren't enough to go around with the manpower crunch from the Federation and Tolkeen's assault a few years back. Burned a swath through Missouri before they lost the momentum. Dreadful business. Funny that they're working with Tolkeen now, but such is politics.
OTHER ASSIGNMENTS LOCKED DUE TO CRITICAL UNDER MANNING OF THE FOLLOWING BATTALIONS. UNITS LISTED BY MANPOWER REQUIREMENT.
[ ] 2nd PSI-Battalion: Attached to the 1st Army Group on the Mexican Front, this unit is almost desperately undermanned after the last few months of operations, facing against the worst the Sabbat can field and suffering from immense attrition. Highly prestigious unit history, responsible for several breakthroughs, including the recapture of the city of San Antonio following several days of Urban Warfare, as well as the destruction of several field commanders near Nuevo Laredo. Due to be rotated out in 2 months.
[ ] 4th PSI-Battalion: Assigned to the St. Louis Exclusion Zone, this unit coordinates with the local garrison in responding to any critical situations regarding the containment of the two Rifts. Not the most glamourous of assignments, but the Zone has its own dangers. Anything could come through the twin portals. Due to be rotated out in 1 year. This life, too, shall be claimed by the Zone...
[ ] 1st PSI-Battalion: Attached to the 2nd Army Group in the Great Lakes Region, this unit is responsible for the training of local militias and foreign militaries for coordination against the Xiticix Swarm, in addition to various clandestine assignments, as well as eventual Direct Action against the aliens. Risk of subversion by foreign elements. Will not be rotated out until another unit is ready to take their place or the mission is completed.
30 minutes later and arcane forms submitted, she took the rail-system back to her suburban housing unit to relax with her cat and play with her children, inured by many years of personnel assignments to the servicemen and women she'd sentenced to die. Another day to retirement.
"You left one of the Rangers behind, Captain?" A voice rang out, dangerously calm.
"He wasn't able to keep up. Besides, he knows how to evade capture, I'm sure he'll turn up some time," replied the impetuous William Shoemaker, his own voice swallowed up in the silence that had manifested in the Command Section of the 1st Army Group's Headquarters.
"So you've said, boy." An antique grandfather clock ticked and tocked as the confrontation unfolded, the watchful eyes of the other officers observing the spectacle.
"Besides, the intelligence I've collected will allow us to strike at bloodsuckers' defensive matrices that are interfering with our CAS and guided ordinances. A few short hours, and we can flatten Monterrey beneath the full might of our Air Fo-"
"Enough. I don't want to see your face until either I'm satisfied that you've made every effort possible, or you've recovered your goddamn soldier. I'm certain that you'll not neglect your responsibility in the future."
"Of course, General Prosek. I'll assemble a team at onc-"
"You'll take more than a team, damn you. Blood the new Psi-Operatives while you're at it." The Captain exited the makeshift War Room under the scornful gaze of one of the most prominent figures in the Coalition military.
General of the Army, Karl Prosek, Commanding Officer of the 1st Army Group.
Dorete arrived at duty station on the 3rd of October, whereupon her initial month was full of briefings on essential information on how things are run around the 2nd Psi-Battalion. 2nd Lieutenant Ferrant, her Platoon Leader, showed the batch of new Psi-Operatives around their barracks, where all the local services were, and commiserated with them on the honor they had of fighting against the enemies of humanity, to which there was a resounding cheer of "HOOAH," only matched by the joy those present felt at finally being out of Special Forces selection training. Unlike the vast majority of frontline combat units, Psi-Operatives actually had a sizable proportion of females, something like 10%, their powerful capabilities offering great competitive advantages.
It was to the collective surprise of the new Psi-Operatives that General Prosek himself actually came to commend them for their service and offer them a few words. The man was of average height, middle-aged, and worn by many years of command. Yet his vitality and presence had no difficulty finding purchase in a room of some of the most dangerous men and women in the Coalition.
"At ease, fellas, everyone relax, thank you," he spoke, waving everyone back to where they were, "I know you're all surprised to see me around here, and to be clear, I do have things to do later, so I'll make this quick. Firstly, I wish to congratulate all of you for making it through the rigorous training the boys put you through. I know I wouldn't have made it in your place. " A chorus of excuses rose up from the soldiers, reassuring the weathered General.
"No, don't try to sugar coat it, the hell you've all been put through, the capabilities you have, and above all the desire to go above and beyond the call of duty makes you lot the greatest men and women of the greatest Armed Forces on Earth. Though all of us go with the grace of God, it is within you that He has vested such great power. You are soldiers of humanity, and I ask you to commit everything you have not just for me, but for the future of our very species. I cannot stress this enough. It is people like you who safeguard the future of humanity, and from what I see before me, there's no doubt in my mind that we'll see this bloody strife through to the end. It may not be in our lifetimes, but we will!" The General waited for the chorus of "HOOAH"s to subside before continuing.
"We are the inheritors of a great legacy, the greatest nations of the Old World, and by our force of arms, we shall continue this legacy. Our legacy. Even through the chaos and terror of the Coming of the Rifts, we banded together against all those who sought to bar our way instead of succumbing to petty infighting and backbiting. I won't let some upjumped bloodsuckers with delusions of nobility stop me from rebuilding our world, and neither will you! You are the Coalition Elite, and you'll show them who really has a taste for blood!"
Months passed as the 1st Army Group fought it's way across the Northern Deserts of Mexico, pushing past Nuevo Laredo and encroaching on population centers in the mountain valleys. Here, the 1AG ground to a halt as they came across the entrenched positions of the Sabbat and the fortified metropolis of Monterrey. Human Sorcerers had established a defensive matrix of Rifts at key points throughout the region, the energies disrupting advanced electronics along with a host of other assorted effects, and out-of-season storms refused to let up in the desert, further hindering the use of CAS. Gargoyles and other demons controlled the skies, and Sabbat Strike Teams countered Coalition Reconnaissance units at every turn. Long range bombing was ineffective, and the deployed tactical nukes were swallowed up by localized Rifts before they hit their targets. Finally, Alpha Company received its orders.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: ELIMINATE SABBAT SORCERERS AND DESTABLIZE THE RIFT NETWORK. This will allow Coalition CAS to move in and begin bombardment of Sabbat hardpoints and armoured columns.
SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: RESCUE POWS AND SABOTAGE MILITARY INFRASTRUCTURE. Do not compromise Primary Objective.
Alpha Company is sending 1st Platoon in alongside several RPA and Infantry units throughout various locations within the city. No alternative Extraction Zones exist due to inclement weather, Sabbat AA Defenses, and disruption of advanced computers. Feel free to ask further questions.
Local Forces: In addition to the following, Local Forces may also request artillery bombardment via Short Range Radio (Chance of disruption).
1 Company of Coalition Infantry (125 Active)
1 Platoon of Coalition Rangers (41 Active)
1 Squad of Coalition SAMAS (13 Active)
1 Squad of Coalition Psi-Operatives (13 Active)
1 Team of Coalition Death Knights (4 Active)
Equipment Requisition Vote: All of the following will be of highest available quality. Pick either Infantry or Powered Armor.
[] Infantry. All Coalition Infantry Armors feature a load-bearing exoskeleton with armored plates and full environmental features, and the exoskeleton is mostly mechanical, so EMPs are a non-issue.
-[] Light. CA-2 Light Infantry Armor, C10-Light Assault Rifle/Grenade Launcher, ML-557 Mini-Missile Rifle (Crew Served), and a Vibro-Knife.
-[] Medium. CA-3 Medium infantry Armor, C14-Assault Rifle/Grenade Launcher, CR-1 Rocket Launcher, and a Vibro-Bayonet.
-[] Heavy. CA-1 Heavy Infantry Armor, C-12 Heavy Assault Rifle, PR-476 Plasma Cannon, MIP-21 Maxi-Ion Pistol, 4 Plasma Grenades, 2 Incendiary Grenades, and a Vibro-Saber.
[] Powered Armor. The exoskeleton elevates the user's Strength to a great degree, in addition to bearing extremely heavy armor and an assortment of weaponry. However, the more advanced systems are disabled due to the Rift instability, and flying wouldn't be advised anyway. -[] CNAS-005FT Strategic Flying Military Power Armor (Titan): A lightweight design, and usually highly mobile, the local environment defeats many of its usual advantages.
-[] CNAS-06A Strategic Armored Military Assault Suit (SAMAS): A solid middleground between mobility and firepower, the SAMAS stands at 8 feet tall, with a variable wing position when not in flight, and comes with an assortment of weapon systems. Comes with the C-40R SAMAS Railgun, a CM-2 Rocket Launcher, and multiple lasers for point defense.
-[] CNAS-G20 Armored Military Assault Mech (Death Knight): A truly fierce machine, the Death Knight (a design based on the Chromium Guardsman) stands at 10 and a half feet, can either be equipped with the signature Boom Gun, or a Ballistic Barrier and Anti-Material Rifle as primary weapons, in addition to a laser point defense system.
--[] Take the RG-14 Rapid Acceleration Electromagnetic Railgun.
--[] Go for the Ballistic Barrier and Anti-Material Rifle.
Social Vote: How heavily should social interactions feature outside of battle?
[] Heavily, the human element is essential.
[] Balanced, as appropriate.
[] Minimally, I just want to see action.
Action Vote: How shall actions be taken in the coming battle?
[] Short Term Tactical Focus: Get detailed about what y'all want to do at regular intervals.
[] Long Term General Focus: Describe generally what y'all want to do and I'll take care of the rest.
[] Write-in:
AN: Been a while, been busy with my own affairs. Let's get this siege going.
