The Crystal Sphere, Gold Plated Version [Fantasy Mecha Quest]

Chapter 1: A Cataphract Pilot
[X] Reman Empire

You are born in what is considered the most powerful empire in all of Abarath if not the sphere. The tales of the birth of the city of Reme to the founding of the Republic and the Empire have been ingrained into your memories since the moment you could talk. A nation that stands upon the accomplishments of great men who expanded and kept the empire united and strong against external and internal foes alike. The marble of the streets of Reme is paved in gold while its monuments stand eternal in remembrance of those legendary heroes. Status the size of towers adorn the gates of every city and in each forum. With this pride in mind, it should come as no surprise that eventually, you were driven into seeking the path of glory.

You still remember the first time you entered the cockpit of one of Reme's cataphracts, you settled down on its rather tight seat and looked at the small portholes to see the world outside. The gauges, runes, switches, and levers appeared overwhelming to someone as green as you but even then a smile had crept onto your face at the thought of piloting one of these behemoths in service to the empire. You looked back at what brought you to this position and how things came to be...

First, your name, every Reman citizen has a name.

You start with 10 Character Points.

Name
[X] Random
[X] Write-In

Gender
[X] Male
[X] Female

Background
[X] Pleb (0 CP): "Rare but not impossible, this kiddo must have impressed an officer to join the Cataphract Corp."
[X] Citizen (1 CP): "Common enough. They make up the bulk of the class since they don't know how to do actual math."
[X] Equites (2 CP): "Minor aristocracy and still as glory-seeking as the old days. It's often a roll of the dice with these guys."
[X] Patrician (5 CP): "Rare but not unwelcome, well connected that they may rise rapidly through the ranks."
[X] Imperial (8 CP): "Did you double-check this one? Huh, must be some political power play I am too pleb to understand."

Cohort -> The experience of the cataphract cohort you are assigned to.
[X] Urban (0 CP): "We need the numbers, convince the governor to reassign them to military duty."
[X] Green (1 CP): "Rookies, but they will do as reinforcements. I expected nothing else."
[X] Veteran (3 CP): "Good news all around, the legion needs these kind of units."
[X] Palatini (5 CP): "We are blessed by Mars to receive such quality reinforcements, send our thanks to the Emperor."

Stats
[X] Piloting (2 CP): You are very dexterous at pulling levers and working the complicated interfaces of the striders.
[X] Accuracy (2 CP): Aiming as a giant humanoid is easier when you have the power of visualization and good eyesight.
[X] Melee (2 CP): Mass and speed are concepts that your brain manages to work rather well into combat situations.
[X] Leadership (2 CP): Something about your voice and choice of words leads to people paying you attention when you speak.

Abilities
[X] Iron Will (1 CP): Never give up, never surrender! Moral penalties are for the weak.
[X] Machine Savant (3 CP): The connection man-machine is strong with you and sometimes allows you to get the most out of your cataphract.
[X] Crystal Clear (1 CP): You make the most of the limited visibility of your Cataphract.
[X] Quick Learner (2 CP): You enjoy learning and in particular things related to cataphracts usage.
[X] Reflexive Dodge (1 CP): Your reflexes move faster than your mind when it comes to dodging the enemy's attacks.
[X] Battle Sense (1 CP): You are able to notice changes in the battlefield and may not be as easily surprised.

Legion Duties
[X] Colonial (1 CP): Relegated to colonial duty in one of the many planets, moons, and planetoids of the Sphere. Expect minor intensity conflicts, allowing you to learn the basics in a sort of low-risk environment.
[X] Standard (0 CP): The empire has many enemies and your legion is assigned to quelling the fires wherever they may arise. Medium-intensity conflict is expected.
[X] Vanguard (+1 CP): Your legion is amongst the empire's finest leading to the legion being used as a fire extinguisher of last resort against powerful threats to the empire across the shore.

Misc
[X] Companion (1 CP): "You can always count on me! Pinky promise!"
[X] Mechanic (2 CP): "If we just adjust this valve, we can get 5% more efficiency and 1% increased chances of random explosion!"
[X] Magic (2 CP): The arcane arts have their place, even among the machines of war.
[X] Gladius (1 CP): A civilized weapon from more civilized times.
[X] Bishonen/Bishojo (1 CP): Somehow you make piloting look glamorous.

The times when you were a mere cadet are now gone, you are a recently graduated rookie pilot and are now assigned to a cohort in one of the many legions of the empire to serve and fight as necessary. The empire has many enemies and rivals at home and abroad, meaning plenty of opportunities for valor and death equally so. Who knows maybe you will become a Hero of Reme and enter the annals of history? or perhaps simply suffer a sad fate when a solar wyrm decides that you are a tasty snack?

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OOC: Plan vote! Also, feel free to ask any questions.
 
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[ ] Companion (1 CP): "You can always count on me! Pinky promise!"
[ ] Mechanic (2 CP): "If we just adjust this valve, we can get 5% more efficiency and 1% increased chances of random explosion!"
[ ] Magic (2 CP): The arcane arts have their place, even among the machines of war.
[ ] Gladius (1 CP): A civilized weapon from more civilized times.
[ ] Bishonen (1 CP): Somehow you make piloting look glamorous.

I want all of the above. @_@; Though yeah, how much CP really? Or are we supposed to buy back the Debt via banes/disadvantages later down the line?
 
So, I know the update is already posted, but looking at the poll, I'm pretty sure the Remen empire tied with the Hyperion corporation.

This would be correct, the thing is. I was supposed to write the update on Thursday, after finishing the update for TGMTI, however, I had no internet connection that day and only managed to do the tally the previous day. But I still thank you all for the votes.
 
[X] Plan: The Warrior
-[X] Write-In
-[X] Male
-[X] Pleb (0 CP): "Rare but not impossible, this kiddo must have impressed an officer to join the Cataphract Corp."
-[X] Urban (0 CP): "We need the numbers, convince the governor to reassign them to military duty."
-[X] Piloting (2 CP): You are very dexterous at pulling levers and working the complicated interfaces of the striders.
-[X] Accuracy (2 CP): Aiming as a giant humanoid is easier when you have the power of visualization and good eyesight.
-[X] Melee (2 CP): Mass and speed are concepts that your brain manages to work rather well into combat situations.
-[X] Iron Will (1 CP): Never give up, never surrender! Moral penalties are for the weak.
-[X] Quick Learner (2 CP): You enjoy learning and in particular things related to cataphracts usage.
-[X] Reflexive Dodge (1 CP): Your reflexes move faster than your mind when it comes to dodging the enemy's attacks.
-[X] Battle Sense (1 CP): You are able to notice changes in the battlefield and may not be as easily surprised.
-[X] Vanguard (+1 CP): Your legion is amongst the empire's finest leading to the legion being used as a fire extinguisher of last resort against powerful threats to the empire across the shore.
 
[X] Plan: Little Mechanic
-[X] Ignia Minor
-[X] Female
-[X] Pleb (0 CP): "Rare but not impossible, this kiddo must have impressed an officer to join the Cataphract Corp."
-[X] Green (1 CP): "Rookies, but they will do to reinforce our legion. I expected nothing else."
-[X] Piloting (2 CP): You are very dexterous at pulling levers and working the complicated interfaces of the striders.
-[X] Melee (2 CP): Mass and speed are concepts that your brain manages to work rather well into combat situations.
-[X] Quick Learner (2 CP): You enjoy learning and in particular things related to cataphracts usage.
-[X] Colonial (1 CP): Relegated to colonial duty in one of the many planets, moons, and planetoids of the Sphere. Expect minor intensity conflicts, allowing you to learn the basics in a sort of low-risk environment.
-[X] Mechanic (2 CP): "If we just adjust this valve, we can get 5% more efficiency and 1% increased chances of random explosion!"
 
[X] Plan: Leading the Masses to Glory
-[X] Random
-[X] Female
-[X] Equites (2 CP): "Minor aristocracy and still as glory-seeking as the old days. It's often a roll of the dice with these guys."
-[X] Green (1 CP): "Rookies, but they will do to reinforce our legion. I expected nothing else."
-[X] Melee (2 CP): Mass and speed are concepts that your brain manages to work rather well into combat situations.
-[X] Leadership (2 CP): Something about your voice and choice of words leads to people paying you attention when you speak.
-[X] Reflexive Dodge (1 CP): Your reflexes move faster than your mind when it comes to dodging the enemy's attacks.
-[X] Battle Sense (1 CP): You are able to notice changes in the battlefield and may not be as easily surprised.
-[X] Gladius (1 CP): A civilized weapon from more civilized times.
-[X] Bishonen (1 CP): Somehow you make piloting look glamorous.
-[X] Vanguard (+1 CP): Your legion is amongst the empire's finest leading to the legion being used as a fire extinguisher of last resort against powerful threats to the empire across the shore.

This is a squad leader focused plan with melee skills so we don't die before we earn our position. I think we'll be able to increase our skill with experience until we gain that I'm increasing our defense with the dodge ability and situational awareness with Battle Sense so we can get away from traps before they fully envelop us.

[X] Plan: Impoverished Aristocrat
 
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[X] Plan: Impoverished Aristocrat
-[X] Random
-[X] Female
-[X] Equites (2 CP): "Minor aristocracy and still as glory-seeking as the old days. It's often a roll of the dice with these guys."
-[X] Green (1 CP): "Rookies, but they will do to reinforce our legion. I expected nothing else."
-[X] Leadership (2 CP): Something about your voice and choice of words leads to people paying you attention when you speak.
-[X] Crystal Clear (1 CP): You make the most of the limited visibility of your Cataphract.
-[X] Reflexive Dodge (1 CP): Your reflexes move faster than your mind when it comes to dodging the enemy's attacks.
-[X] Battle Sense (1 CP): You are able to notice changes in the battlefield and may not be as easily surprised.
-[X] Vanguard (+1 CP): Your legion is amongst the empire's finest leading to the legion being used as a fire extinguisher of last resort against powerful threats to the empire across the shore.
-[X] Magic (2 CP): The arcane arts have their place, even among the machines of war.
-[X] Bishonen (1 CP): Somehow you make piloting look glamorous.

Ok, the rationale behind this is to speedrun the setup bit by being an aristocrat. I don't even mind if it's in name only, as long as it skips us from the pleb/citizen lines of 80% of generic MCs.

On the character build itself, Green is to have us not die or have to work from zero, while the stats and abilities mono-focus on leadership, even if it'll be small squad based leadership with our rookie legion.

On the Vanguard, it's more of a trial by fire thing and to see if/when we stumble and add grit/character to our character (I specifically avoided much of the usual min/max options intentionally). As long as we don't get too bad a result, I expect whatever we get can open us up to a variety of possible storyline options, depending on where the QM takes us.

Magic and Bishonen is there to make us more distinctive, helpful whatever it is we decide to do.

I'd have loved to squeeze in Companion too, but I didn't have anything I wanted to remove in favor of it.
 
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[X] Plan: Average Silent Ace Combat/Armored Core Protagonist
-[X] Faust(unknown name; Faust would be his callsign)
-[X] Male
-[X] Citizen (1 CP): "Common enough. They make up the bulk of the class since they don't know how to do actual math."
-[X] Green (1 CP): "Rookies, but they will do as reinforcements. I expected nothing else."
-[X] Piloting (2 CP): You are very dexterous at pulling levers and working the complicated interfaces of the striders.
-[X] Crystal Clear (1 CP): You make the most of the limited visibility of your Cataphract.
-[X] Quick Learner (2 CP): You enjoy learning and in particular things related to cataphracts usage.
-[X] Reflexive Dodge (1 CP): Your reflexes move faster than your mind when it comes to dodging the enemy's attacks.
-[X] Battle Sense (1 CP): You are able to notice changes in the battlefield and may not be as easily surprised.
-[X] Vanguard (+1 CP): Your legion is amongst the empire's finest leading to the legion being used as a fire extinguisher of last resort against powerful threats to the empire across the shore.
-[X] Mechanic (2 CP): "If we just adjust this valve, we can get 5% more efficiency and 1% increased chances of random explosion!"

Ok So we play as your average Ace Combat/Armored Core Protagonist, we go full rambo. We dont need companions they tend to die off anyways go full battle autist like a video game mech pilot protagonist should.

Besides since the other people in our cohort are merely greenhorn's it would be easier to distinguish ourselves.

Basically:
 
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[X] Plan: Average Silent Ace Combat/Armored Core Protagonist
 
This is basically just my plan but with worse stats though?
Here's the thing I dont want the MC to be totally starting at the bottom of the totem pole also I dont want the MC's allies to be total canon fodder, they are cannon fodder right now but they should last a bit longer(since they are 1CP/Green) than the one's in 0CP/Urban also my character can see better and can make the most out of his mech with the mechanic trait, sure his starting stats wont have as high melee and Accuracy but thats what the Quick Learner trait is for, it will be a trial by fire for the MC as he grow's from mission to mission.

edit: the mechanic trait could be useful in certain situations like conducting makeshift repairs should we be trapped behind enemy lines, logistics is king after all. There would be situations where having the mechanical know how can also be used for a wide variety of things to repair not to mention we can also repair our ally mechs too if need be.
 
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