+- Drunkard's Walk Forums (http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums)
+-- Forum: General (http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=1)
+--- Forum: Fenspace (http://www.accessdenied-rms.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?fid=12)
+--- Thread: Character Thread (/showthread.php?tid=1945)
Character Thread - M Fnord - 12-24-2006
Quote:Not a bad idea at that. So consider this a thread for posting character writeups.---
Hrm. Maybe we should try character writeups? Get things clear and in the open, like.
Mr. Fnord
http://fnord.sandwich.net/
http://www.jihad.net/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery
FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information
"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"
Re: Character Thread - KJ - 12-24-2006
Wondering when this'd come up. Using the basic template Valles brought up...
KJ, written by same
Notable Mundane Attributes:
* Don't try this at home!: Trained engineer/machinist
*If everything's under control, you're not going fast enough.: Better than average piloting skills, with the enthusiasm to use them.
* Wir kamen, wir sehen, wir tranken ihr Bier: Of the Explain Star crew, with all that entails.
'Wavium Abilities:
* But I've never been to Jusenkyo!: Changes gender when hit with water.
Quirks:
* We need guns...: Tinkers with hardtech weaponry for fun, and has a small collection salted away in various storage spaces.
*Hey y'all, watch this!: Prone to putting up with more quirks in 'wavetech equipment than most people consider safe, if it's worth the trouble.
*Bah, I'm just the scruffy engineer.: Avoids as much contact with "big decisions" as possible.
*What's the point of transportation if you can't race it?: Racing fanatic; still follows Formula 1 back on Earth, and helped found racing in space.
*Somewhat irate science: Tinkerer in general; not to the extent of the Professor, generally more in lines of trying to combine 'wavetech with hardtech.
*Stupid airline seats...: 6'2 in male form, only an inch shorter as a female, with the mass from the height reduction going into longer hair (red, for some reason) and... assets.
*blinkblink* - Rieverre - 12-24-2006
Quote:Doesn't the Gazetteer/Encyclopedia thread take care of this already?
Not a bad idea at that. So consider this a thread for posting character writeups.
-Griever
When tact is required, use brute force. When force is required, use greater force.
When the greatest force is required, use your head. Surprise is everything. - The Book of Cataclysm
Re: *blinkblink* - Valles - 12-24-2006
I don't think so. The impression I got of that was that it was more about bigger things - factions, aspects of universal function... expanded glossary articles, really. Impersonal, like.
Ja, -n
===============================================
"Puripuri puripuri... Bang!"
added goodies - Foxboy - 12-24-2006
Thomas and Allison Dobbs, written by Foxboy
Notable Mundane Attributes:
* Back off man, I'm a CPA!: Allison is an accountant. A good one. Including the ethics most folks don't attribute to acountants and lawyers.
*Semper fidelis: Thomas is a veteran of the Second Iraq war, having attained the rank of Gunnery Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, receiving several Purple Hearts.
* In sickness and in health: The Dobbses still love each other, despite the weird changes they've recently undergone. Allison is currently Thomas' rock, while adjustments are still being made.
'Wavium Abilities:
* Anna, Uni, and Ringo Puma:The Dobbses look like Shirow's Puma Sisters, as reimagined by MEE of Hyper Police Fame. That is, Blonde, curvy, and REALLY cute. Unusual for biomods, the Dobbses have identical bodies, and are very similar to "Tabitha's" mod.
* Snikt!: The keratin analogue in their fingernails is very tough, making their apparently well-manicured nails into servicable claws, with homeostasis causing them to grow back to "weapon" length no matter how often Tom bites them off. [the only way they can be cut with common tools]
* Did you hear that?: They have appropriate senses for their cat ears and slitted eyes, as well as the innate grace and flexibility of most Feline-inspired biomods.
Quirks:
* Sweet nectar...: The Dobbses require Fanta soda in their diet, or they get irritable. Allison prefers Strawberry, and Thomas prefers Grape. They both get drunk on Root Beer of any brand.
* Overcompensation: Since regrowth from Homeostasis prevents Thomas from significantly altering her appearance [A crew cut grows out to Glam length in three days], she acts EXTREMELY macho. Also, she is the "weapons nut" of the crew.
* Fashionplate: Allison enjoys her new figure and dresses to impress her husband.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
-- James Nicoll
Re: Character Thread - Valles - 12-24-2006
Natalie Baker
Primary Writer: Valles
Notable Mundane Attributes:
* Hey, I've Heard of Her: 'First Fan', one of the initial wave of biomods and active Fen to enter the public awareness
* The Woman From UNCLE: CIA... Agent? Front? Analyst? All of the above?
'Wavium Abilities:
* Okay, Who Spiked the Punch?: Pretty girl with huge... tracts of land.
Quirks:
* Case of the Blahs: Goes into funks when asked to self-motivate
* Not Quite Ben Stein: Doesn't do very well setting up 'wavium systems.
* Where'd I Put My Glasses?: Nearsighted
* Stupid Tall People: Short (5' 1")
* Shameless Pinko: Favors Social Democratic politics. Vocally, and sometimes at length.
* Gravity is Not My Friend: 42-24-33
* Sshh: CIA alliegance.
===============================================
"Puripuri puripuri... Bang!"
Re: Character Thread - M Fnord - 12-24-2006
S. Malaclypse Fnord
Primary Writer: M. Fnord
Notable Mundane Attributes:
* Billions And Billions: BNF of the Carl Sagan variety.
* Wanted In Twelve Systems: Still not popular with the Ameridane establishment.
* Talent On Loan From Chuck Yeager: Crack(headed) pilot.
'Wavium Abilities:
* n/a
Quirks:
* Fan Panther: Believes Fenspace should cut all ties with the 'danelaw, and isn't afraid to say so.
* Can't See! Frank Can't See! Nearsighted. Really needs bifocals, but won't admit it.
* The Goggles! They Do Nothing! Wears tanker's goggles, though never over the eyes for some reason.
* What's Wrong With My Jumper? Tends to wear the same style outfit all the damn time.
* For The Last Time, I'm Not A Browncoat! Everybody thinks he's a Whedonite, much to his eternal annoyance.---
Mr. Fnord
http://fnord.sandwich.net/
http://www.jihad.net/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery
FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information
"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"
Re: Character Thread - ECSNorway - 12-24-2006
Chris Marsden
Primary Writer: ECSNorway
Notable Mundane Attributes:
* Rockhound: Owner and CEO of Rockhounds, Inc. Not really the founder of the asteroid-mining industry, but the man who made it work, and still makes it profitable for fen today.
'Wavium Abilities
* None as of start of story
Quirks
* Shameless Yankee: Maintains American citizenship, pays taxes, votes.
* Cat Person: Quite fond of cats.
* Shut Up, Pinko Commie Traitor!: Absolutely despises socialism in any form beyond the small group level. Once got into a lengthy screaming row with Natalie Baker about this at a con.
* I need my space: Hates living in close quarters, one of the primary motivations behind his decision to use Greenwood as his primary residence. (Indeed, guests at said facility have said that even the budget hotel rooms there make crew quarters on the Enterprise-D look cramped.)
* Governor of the State of...: At the last con, one particularly obnoxious fan was heard to bellow at him, "You like the 'danelaw so much, why don't you go ahead and apply for statehood? Make it all official?" And he just smiled and said, "Not yet..."--
"I give you the beautiful... the talented... the tirelessly atomic-powered...
R!
DOROTHY!
WAYNERIGHT!
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.
Re: added goodies - Rieverre - 12-25-2006
Okay, then.
Katz Schrdinger
Primary writer: Griever
Notable Mundane Attributes:
* Tread Softly ... - it's less an attribute than it is a state of being. He often does it without noticing - see Quirks: The Hermit. Some mistake the results of this for proficiency in shinobi-iri. Even shinobi. He usually doesn't bother to correct them.
* ... and Carry a Big Stick? - he's never quite gotten the hang of edged weapons, even after finding it necessary to arm up. He does carry whenever he goes out, these days, but most of it is things like the H-type Grenades and a 'plain' jo he got at Hidden Asteroid.
* The bird of Hermes is my name ... - despite not being on the active roster, he maintains ties with Hermes Universal Deliveries and some of the contacts he made during and after its founding. Most notable are Mr.Morden and the Jovian Lizard.
* ... eating my wings to make me tame - the flip side of 'Tread Softly ...'. He's on top of it, most of the time, but he knows keeping things bottled up is a Bad Thing. Hence, the occasional bit of leeway. Or, simply put, when he does let himself get angry, he doesn't do half-measures.
'Wavium Abilities:
* See no evil, hear no evil - he's always been good at reading background buzz. Enough so that he could tell there was a muted TV or other piece of electronics on inside a room before even going in. In recent years, this seems to have expanded to inculde 'wavetech. At least, to some extent.
* What was this supposed to do, again? - where most people who work with Handwavium, especially early Solids, get some sort of gadgeteer or scientist 'upgrade', Katz got a talent for working with force fields of various types ... and none of the knowledge to go along with it. His attempts end up delivering, most of the time. _What_ they deliver, on the other hand ... the only mostly quirk free design was the original Speed Drive of the Uncertainty. Energy sails got him Trigon. Gooping the hull made it meow and demand tribute on occasion. His first force field design worked on the hunch that beefing up the structural integrity array could do the job, ended up being a Drive Unit, and turned whatever it was hooked up to a shocking, neon pink, with sparkly effects added in for good measure, whenever it was on. He ended up selling it to the Senshi.
* Tastes like guacamole - ingested Handwavium has no noticable effect on him, hence he exhibits a notable lack of fear when ordering mexican.
Quirks:
* The Hermit - he tends towards introspection at odd times, and likes his peace and quiet. See 'Tread Softly ...'.
* Kakashi Gaiden - he remains oblivious to things like his haircolor. You'd have to point it out to him, specifically, to have him realize that's not the way he started out. Case in point, his grey hair.
* Hey, little sister, coilgun! - has dabbled in weapons design, succesfully enough that the test models were employed by Hidden Asteroid patrol craft.
-Griever
When tact is required, use brute force. When force is required, use greater force.
When the greatest force is required, use your head. Surprise is everything. - The Book of Cataclysm
Re: added goodies - robkelk - 12-27-2006
Noah Scott
Primary Writer: Rob Kelk
Notable Mundane Attributes:
* Filthy Rich - Has noticeable cash reserves, and owns a space station.
* What bureaucracy? - Decent administrator.
'Wavium Abilities:
* none directly, but "owns" four 'wavetech AIs (skilled allies).
Quirks:
* Oh, that bureaucracy - Needs to handle more paperwork than most fen do, on a regular basis.
* But this works perfectly well - Prefers hardtech over wavetech.
* No, it isn't all fun and games - "Owns" four 'wavetech AIs, so has to tend to their (sometimes conflicting) unusual dependencies.
* Who hid my glasses this time? - Nearsighted.
* I'm in shape; round is a shape - Noticeably overweight.
* But there's a new episode on... - Poorly-socialized fan.
* Thank Ghu it's over; I'm going to collapse now - Incapacitating "post-combat shakes".
* Oh, it's mister moneybags - Reputation for being a "rich bastard" (partially deserved).
* Oh, $#!+ ... Take cover! - Reputation for being dangerously trigger-happy (overblown) and bloodthirsty (deserved). Barred from some stations, discouraged from visiting areas inhabited primarily by pacifistic factions.
* Get a gun, already - Intolerant of Hidden Asteroid and other hand-to-hand-fighter fen.
Faction: Non-aligned (Generalist)
Sora Hasegawa
Primary Writer: Rob Kelk
Notable Mundane Attributes:
* Hand me the 3/8ths socket driver - Crack engineer.
'Wavium Abilities:
* "Fembot"? What's a "Fembot"? - AI Robot: Doesn't Sleep, Doesn't Need to Eat, Doesn't Age, potentially immortal.
Quirks:
* What's a "Replicant"? - 'Wavium-powered AI Robot: Has an unusual dependency (to be revealed), distrusted by 'danes and paranoid fen.
* Eek! - Pacifist, avoids anything resembling combat.
* Where's my glasses? - Nearsighted.
* Yes, plenty of people think I look like her - Based closely on a fictional character, which allows strangers to predict her reactions with some accuracy if they've found and reviewed the source material.
* No, I'm old enough to drink - Often mistaken for a young-teenager.
* But... but... I'm old enough to drink... - Over-sensitive about being mistaken for a young-teenager.
Faction: Non-aligned (Generalist)
Trivia: Sora's birthday (i.e. the day she first "woke up") is May 21, 2008.
Yayoi Fujisawa
Primary Writer: Rob Kelk
Notable Mundane Attributes:
* Top Gun - Hotshot pilot, and has 3-D absolute direction.
* What crisis? - Cool under fire.
* Two Days a Month - Senshi Sailors Armed Militia reservist.
'Wavium Abilities:
* No, I will not say "danger, Will Robinson" - AI Robot: Doesn't Sleep, Doesn't Need to Eat, Doesn't Age, potentially immortal.
Quirks:
* I won't say "by your command," either - 'Wavium-powered AI Robot: Has an unusual dependency (to be revealed), distrusted by 'danes and paranoid fen.
* Can't see worth spit without my glasses - Nearsighted.
* I've been told the resemblance is amazing - Based closely on a fictional character, which allows strangers to predict her reactions with some accuracy if they've found and reviewed the source material.
Faction: Non-aligned (True Neutral, despite being a reserve Senshi)
Trivia:
* Yayoi's birthday is May 23, 2008.
* The (rather small) "Stellvia" fandom has found out about Yayoi and treat her as a goddes incarnate. She hates this, and avoids "Stellvia" fandom whenever possible.
Kohran Li
Primary Writer: Rob Kelk
Notable Mundane Attributes:
* We can increase the power here to compensate - Crack engineer.
'Wavium Abilities:
* What were you expecting, KITT with legs? - AI Robot: Doesn't Sleep, Doesn't Need to Eat, Doesn't Age, potentially immortal.
* So that's how it works... - Able to understand existing (but not create new) Mad Science if it makes things explode (a very rare occurrence).
Quirks:
* But I don't know the words to "A Bicycle Built for Two" - 'Wavium-powered AI Robot: Has an unusual dependency (to be revealed), distrusted by 'danes and paranoid fen.
* Blind as a bat without my specs - Nearsighted.
* You really think I look like her? - Based closely on a fictional character (image of said fictional character), which allows strangers to predict her reactions with some accuracy if they've found and reviewed the source material.
* Make it go BOOOM!!! - Pyromaniac (explosives-type).
Faction: Non-aligned (Generalist)
Trivia: Kohran's birthday is May 22, 2008.
Yoriko Nikaido
Primary Writer: Rob Kelk
Notable Mundane Attributes:
* People Person - Gets along well with others, and honestly cares about strangers.
* Nice, tight grouping - Good shot.
* Hmmm, here's a clue - Decent investigator.
'Wavium Abilities:
* I am not a "Sexaroid"! - AI Robot: Doesn't Sleep, Doesn't Need to Eat, Doesn't Age, potentially immortal.
* The right place... - Lucky.
Quirks:
* Well, maybe I'm a "Marionette"... but I'm not a "Saber Marionette" - 'Wavium-powered AI Robot: Has an unusual dependency (to be revealed), distrusted by 'danes and paranoid fen.
* Sorry, but I need them to see - Nearsighted.
* Lots of people say there's a resemblance - Based closely on a fictional character, which allows strangers to predict her reactions with some accuracy if they've found and reviewed the source material.
* Did you hear about... - Gossip.
Faction: Non-aligned (True Neutral)
Trivia:
* Moonlights for the Daily Illuminator, but her articles aren't printed very often because most Fen really don't care about what happens on Stellvia.
* Yoriko's birthday is May 22, 2008.
Edit: Sora, Yayoi, and Kohran's voices are based on the each character's Japanese seiyuu, but (because of licencing issues) are not exact matches. Yoriko's voice is based on the character's English voice actress', but again is not an exact match. Noah is a not-particularly-melodic tenor.
-Rob Kelk
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
Re: added goodies - Black Aeronaut - 01-03-2007
Benjamin Rhodes
Primary Writer: BlackAeronaut
Appreance:
*Height: 5'7"
*Weight: 140 lbs.
*Build: Light
*Hair: Long (see quirks for details) Dark Brown (looks almost black)
*Eyes: Brown
Mundane Atributes:
*Neat and Clean: Ben likes to keep all things neat and orderly, but still allows a certain degree of 'lived in'.
*Tenchi Masaki Syndrome: Through sheer luck in his draw from the genetic deck, Ben has the sort of looks that attract vast quantities of border-line under-age femme-fens.
*Mario Andretti, eat your heart out: He's a racing FIEND! The whole courier thing just helps support it.
Handwavium Ability:
He has Kazuma Torisuna's right arm, complete with transformation abilities and super-charged attacks.
Handwavium Quirks:
*"What's the Magic Word?": In order to use the special Shell Bullet attacks, Ben has to use Kazuma's attack lines, "Shocking Fist BULLET!" etc...
*Daramtic Wavy Hair of Doom: One of two side effects that the Handwavium was able to get away with under the Professor's guidance was that Ben's hair gained a mind of its own and whips around as though it were in a constant breeze, exponentially increasing his dramatic air and Fen-girl attraction factor.
*James Dean's got nothing on me: The other side effect. If he wears a scarf, it whips around just like the hair.
Black Aeronaut Technologies Group
Aerospace Solutions for the discerning spacer
"To the commissary we should go," Yoda declared firmly. "News
of this kind a danish requires."
Added goodies - Foxboy - 01-04-2007
Joseph Corcoran
Primary Writer: Foxboy
Appearance:
*Height: Between 5'4" and 6'4"
*Weight: 200 lbs.
*Build: Variable
*Hair: Variable
*Eyes: Variable
Mundane Atributes:
*Community theater: Trained singer, and orator, with experience in several musicals. His dancing is lackluster.
*O sole mio!: Has good enough people skills to have made oodles of money as a "Gondolier."
*Sesquipedalianism is the pinnacle of erudition: Extensive vocabulary
Handwavium Ability:
Through a handwavium-laced physiology, he can assume the form of any humanoid within six inches height of his "neutral" height of 5'10". Mass remains constant, so a teeny female form will have very dense bones and musculature, while a huge bodybuilder is mostly air.
Handwavium Quirks:
*Popeye's addiction: in order to activate a metamorphosis, he must scarf a serving of Spotted Dick. To that end, he keeps several cases of a canned version of the English dessert aboard the Pinafore
*I DON'T LIKE SPAM!: he finds that he needs "English" cuisine to feel "normal." Bangers and Mash, Fish and Chips, and so on. He loves pasties [pronounced PAST- ease] but never eats them aboard the Pinafore due to a Cornish superstition about them and ships.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
-- James Nicoll
Oops... - Duane Peters - 01-05-2007
Rereading some, I realized I never posted to *this* thread, so...
Duane E. Peters
Written by same...what, it's *supposed* to be a self-insert, right? [grin]
Mundane attributes:
Don't you DARE eat that!: Diabetic, type II, insulin-dependent. Currently controlled with Avandia/metformin/diet.
What's a nice belly like yours doing on a divan like this?: Badly overweight couch potato. (I'm working on buying this one off IRL...)
Huh, huh, huh, he said "wood"...: Trained woodworker (not carpenter, not cabinetmaker). Was planning a career working RenFests and Cons when the 'Wave first came on the scene...
You're like a brother to me, I think I could tell you anything...: Never taken seriously in a romantic manner by women. Has had this problem so long, he's named it "Teddybear Syndrome (TM)".
'Wavium effects:
Shomebody get me *hic* anodder glass and 50 meters of #10 copper wire.... Allergic to ingested 'Wavium. Effects simulate being very, VERY drunk.
Well, judging from that trajectory and speed...DUCK!: Wavium biomod. Manifested in GURPS advantages Lightning Calculator and Mathematical Ability, second-level. Can calculate six-dimensional non-Euclidian trajectories in his head. No apparent physical changes that he's noticed, but he hasn't been in for a MRI recently...
Quirks:
Bangbangbangbangbang Single Action Shooting Society member. Participates in Cowboy Action shooting. Class III FFL holder; has a fairly extensive collection of firearms.
The government that governs *least* governs *best* Card-carrying Libertarian.
I'm a belt-and-suspenders man... Doesn't trust Handwavium and dislikes induced qiurks in constructed devices. The Bus irritates him on *so* many levels, it's a wonder he can pilot it at all. Refuses to depend on 'Wavium if there's a hard-tech method of doing something.
Prithee, my fair flower, wouldst thou care for a pavanne? Renaissance Festival participant in various capacities for over 25 years at the time of the story. (18 years at Kansas City Renaissance Festival as of 2007 IRL...)
Re: Whee - Vangeek - 01-05-2007
Well, let's give this a shot...
E. Van Oorebeek, nicks/aliases being Van'beek, Vangeek, 'lena, and 'B'. 'bout 5'5", a little plump but pretty, brown eyes.
Mundane Attributes:
Books! So many...Books!: Avid reader, writer, and poet
I am NOT Emeril: Good cook
Flyboy! Wait, no...Flygirl!: Got her pilot's licence (at Mal's insistence, apparently he thought she'd be good at it) and has enjoyed it ever since.
I'm a what?: BNF....sort of
'Wavium Abilities:
No...fucking...way: Due to an unfortunate incident (partially explained below) involving handwavium, a bath, and a scattered approach to organization, Elena now has hair (and possibly the Voice) suspiciously similar to that of Susan Sto-Helit of the Discworld novels. That being incredibly bushy, wild, and stark white, with a single streak of black. She has no control over it, literally, and the hair has been known to switch hairstyles randomly or remain stubbornly resistant to styling. While she is/was very pleased with the end result of her accident, she is often very annoyed with it and misses her normal blonde hair. This leads to her dying it blonde on occaison, though the colour fades within a few days.
Quirks:
Huh...wait, what?: Sometimes known as absentminded professorism. Can get completely absorbed or distracted at times by something else, also is sometimes forgetful. This is primarily what lead to the 'accident' with her hair.
Cool under pressure, or not: Elena is, normally, a very careful pilot. Under certain circumstances, however, she becomes a very dangerous pilot, with the odd habit of being a better flyer the faster she goes. It is guaranteed that she will *nearly* crash any ship she flies in this state, but never actually does.
Sweet saccharine hell!: Sugar has approximately the same effect on Elena as a combination of Jolt and alcohol might have on someone else, with the frightening side effect of having much better reaction times. Oddly enough, an excess of caffeine doesn't do much.
Hey mon, just chill: Is laid back and generally very friendly and talkative with people. Tends to be a little nervous at first a big gatherings but soon settles in. Also gets annoyed with some of the more extreme fen out there.
*twitchtwitch*: The only things that Elena can truly not stand is country music, cat and or fangirls, Trekkies, and fast 'bubblegum pink' j-pop. She carries around a real mace (named: the Mace[tm]) to deal with such things, but at other (and more rational) advice, carries a foam mace as well for actual physical contact.
I'm not really a generalist, I think: While having varied interests in several fandoms, and deeper interest in a two or three, Elena is not very hardcore (compared to others). Her only truly passionate fan interest is Terry Pratchett's Discworld.
Musically inclined: She loves to sing. A lot. And perform, once in a while. Music almost always will be playing when she's on duty.
Temper, temper: Once in a while, very rarely, has explosive outbursts of temper. Warning signs are increased control over her usually uncontrollable hair (start running), and what so far has only been rumour, the mysterious 'Voice' (don't stop running).
Oh yeah: And she can be very, very stubborn. And is interested in just various fandoms but...well, a lot of things. Crime, science!, gardening, costuming making...
** Just a quick edit, on her weapons. Through a gross fault on my part, I completely forgot about the poker, which, given the character, is a vital weapon to include. So she carries around an old fashioned brass fireplace poker as a companion weapon to the Mace.
![[Image: wink.gif]](http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/wink.gif)
Why not? - Bluemage - 01-07-2007
Allen James
Primary writer: Bluemage... though very suitable as a bit character for anybody who wants him.
Height: 6'3"
Race: White (incredibly pale, usually)
Weight: 217 lbs.
Hair: Copper, shoulder-length, in messy ponytail
Eyes: Variable (Hazel, mud-brown, devil-green, or glowing blue w/ red streaks- see 'Splitting Minds' below)
Mundane Attributes:
-Self-Reliance: Jack-of-most-trades, capable of, through freakish levels of generalism, working almost anything he needs... and no more.
(Upshot: Never has to ask for help getting something to work. Knows enough to make a staggering array of gadgets. Variety and synergy used to replace efficiency.
Downshot: Never knows enough to make gadgets/devices as effective as the ones that other fen/'danes get. Reliant on stuff he's created to higher than normal degree (generally will reengineer others' devices, if possible, before use). Needs lots of Things for any sort of efficacy whatsoever.)
-Master of His Domain: Lives near-exclusively in his private miniature, mobile space station (not a ship, but a space station with a bizarre stardrive and quarters for seven). The station is almost self-sufficient, and roams fenspace, searching for junk to use, knowledge to gain, and fun places to be.
-I don't know what they're doing: Near-totally unaware of the current technological state of fenspace. On the upside, Allen makes things that other fen never dreamed of actually seeing. On the downside, they have little to do with the collective technological paradigm of fenspace- his computers are generally incompatible, his drives work at cross purposes with common stardrives, and all his other gadgets tend to cause mutual screw-ups with those of other fen.
'Wavium Abilities:
-Your mind and my goop are going north and south: Has a talent for making 'wavium gadgets do incredibly useful things, but through methods incomprehensible to any other person.
(Upshot- nobody can steal his stuff, and get it to work, since they'd have to understand it to operate it, and nobody else can. Heck, he can't always understand his own stuff sometimes.
Downshot: He can't trade his stuff to other fen, loan it out, or even have a visitor pilot his station while he mans the guns. The only way that other people can operate his stuff is if he's standing there, telling them how to do it- even then, it won't work as advertised.)
-Splitting Minds: Exposure to 'wavium over time has made Allen's physical, mental, and social abilities dependent on frame of mind, as shown by eye color, as a half-physical, half-mental extension of his preexisting mental imbalances. Switches are generally triggered emotionally, but also tend to happen for no apprent reason.
Brown: Social. Allen is gregarious, easy to please, and generally a happy, friendly guy. Most of his skills are limited, as his focus is on interpersonal relationships and fun. If he does do something, it'll be done with exaggerated casualness- reading a book while shooting at pirate ships, or setting a course without looking, while talking to a visitor. Generally seeks to avoid conflict whenever possible; if foced to fight, he'll use an absolute minimum of force. Triggered through intensive relaxation, great satisfaction, or cosmic whim.
Green: Business. Allen, in this mode, is totally focused on his objective, to the pointed exclusion of anything else. This is the only state in which his entire mental capacity can be focused on less than three functions at the same time. He shows massive intelligence, incredible dedication, and dexterity sufficient to not accidentally screw things up. Situational awareness goes from almost nil to considerable. All social skills are ignored- in this mode, Allen is blunt and to the point, totally honest, speaks in a monotone, and is generally quite rude. He is also quite dangerous, as human life ceases to hold meaning to him. He won't take it unnecessarily, but if it achieves his objective, he'll have no qualms whatsoever about killing or destroying. Triggered through intense concentration, repressed anger, or great need.
Hazel: Mixed. Able to interact with others less than Brown, but more emotional, driven, and capable than Green. Notable for its average skills, lack of glaring vulnerabilities (averaged out, along with most of the skills Green and Brown have), and tendency to feel melancholy, depressed, and angsty. Tends to act a bit like a broken-down veteran soldier. Most often seen if Allen is left alone for a long time, but also as a post-stress state after a crisis that made him go Green, or when Brown gets depressed.
Glowing blue w/ red streaks: Data trance. Generally seen if Allen left his eyes open while plugged into his station computer, of if his green-eyed self focused all his brainpower on a single problem, which he was trying to solve in his head. This color tends to flicker in and out when Allen's thinking deeply, and only stays during periods of total mental focus.
Quirks:
-I can do that too: Chronic multitasking, to the point that Allen can't focus on any less than three things at the same time. Typically, it's more like five. No more than 1/3 of his total intelligence or attention may be directed towards any one thing at a time.
-Oops: Not very dextrous. Effects range from shaking hands to misspelled words, accidental breakage, inadvertently knocking people down, connecting the wrong wires, and bad aim.
-Mental Manipulation: Whenever presented with a new idea, will reflexibly (and often, subconsciously) devote brainpower to reversing it, reapplying it, combining it with other concepts, or rescaling it in the extreme.
-Quicksilver: Changes moods almost inhumanly fast.
-Loner: Unable to spend long periods in the company of others without experiencing acute emotional instability. In the short term, must spend one day per week without human contact (three hours per day, every day, or one full day), or suffer psychological problems.
-Archivist: Partially fixated on collecting and storing all the knowledge that he possibly can. Odds are, he knows something about whatever you're doing. Problem is, he doesn't necessarily know that he knows, or act on his knowledge...
-Unaffiliated: Generally unaware of the political state of fenspace, and thus belongs to no polity, associates with no particular faction, and is essentially a state unto himself. If the Boskonians were polite and helpful enough, he'd do them favors- same with the 'danes, and all varieties of fan.Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines...
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
Re: added goodies - Rieverre - 01-09-2007
Nikodemus Riddle, aka 'Scales'
Primary writer: Griever
Notable Mundane Attributes:
*People Person - he's a naturally personable individual who knows 'a Friend of a Friend' in almost every part of Fenspace.
*Do it like this ... - has a talent for asset management, whether it's logistics or investment.
*The Jovian Lizard - noted as the 'First Fan To Set Foot On Jupiter' back in the Fall of '09, somewhat erroneously since as it was more of a diving expedition.
Wavium Abilities:
*Carnbyfication - accidental bio-modification resulting in the manifestation of reptilian traits. His skin is covered in scales of varying size, in various shades of blue - mostly light. In addition to that, his tongue has become forked and black, his sense of smell has increased appropriately, and he's rumored to possess an enhanced ability to sense vibration. Fortunately, he's not gone deaf and his eyes have remained as they'd been prior to the accident.
Quirks:
*The difference is, I make this look _good_ - for some reason, he insists on dressing like Larry Laffer. And making it work. How the hell he manages that is a mystery not even the Professor can decipher.
*Surf's up, dude! - addicted to cloud surfing. Partakes whenever he has some free time saved up, which isn't all that often. Has held a spot in the Top Ten, Irregular Class of the Venusian Cloud Rider Circuit for four years running, despite only sporadic visits to the planet.
*Well, if you put it that way - don't say 'bite me' around him. Just don't.
*Lounge Lizard - is convinced he can play Jazz. He's not wrong. He's just not much good at it.
When tact is required, use brute force. When force is required, use greater force.
When the greatest force is required, use your head. Surprise is everything. - The Book of Cataclysm
Re: added goodies - Foxboy - 01-09-2007
Gervasio Faustino de Leon
Open character- Villain/heavy created by Foxboy
Mundane abilities
*First you get the money - Has a LOT of money
*Then you get the power - Colombian drug lord
*Then you get the WOMEN - Charismatic bad boy. Hey, rich, attractive, why wouldn't he be a ladies' man?
'wavium abilities
None, yet
Characterization
Think Tony Montana from Scarface and half the drug lords on CSI: Miami. His personal "creativity" doesn't mesh well with 'wavium. In fact, "raw" Handwavium is actively repulsed by him. Besides the already well-documented Zwilnik propensities, he wants his boat back.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat
them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.''
-- James Nicoll
Re: Re: added goodies - CattyNebulart - 01-10-2007
Indiana
Open Character/created by Catty Nebulart
Nicknames
Hassan, his real name which he hates.
Indy, what most people use.
Junior, used only by the Professor.
The (Professors) Apprentice, mostly used by mundies, though some fen who don't know him use it too.
Mundane Abilities
Don't call me Junior! one of the fenkinder.
Nothing shocks me. I'm a scientist. Trained Arechologist, Antropologist, Linguist, Physichist, Philosophist, Theologist, Mathematician, and Mad Scientist. His focus is Archeology, but since he's baned from earth he makes do with engine research, focusing on making superluminal drives, with the eventual goal of making a limit break.
Didn't any of you guys ever go to Sunday school? Knows every major religious text by heart.
We're abandoning the boat. Owns the Hades Research Station.
Wavium Abilities
We don't need the diary. Super learning, Indy can learn at ludicrus speeds.
Quirks
You want to talk to God? Let's go see him together, I've got nothing better to do He is deeply religious, but his religion tends to switch to whatever religion he last read about. sometimes mentioning a religion is enough to cause him to convert.
Archaeology is the search for fact... not truth. He wants to be Indiana Johnes and sometimes forgets he isn't.
Characterization
Friendly and excitable he runs Hades, though other people have set up buisness in the asteroid, most notably the resturant at the end of the universe. He Insists on being the archeologist called in if any sing of an alien civilization is found. He wil often use religuos quotations (or quotes from Indiana Johnes movies) to emphazise his point. He loves a good debate. A Man of Science(TM) like the Professor, though less obsessed with it and more leaning towards the softer sciences of sociology rather than the pure math, though he is accomplished in the hard sciences too, and in the mad. How could he not be, being trained by the Professor?
Build by the Professor and Indiana wierd begins to describe the station but doesn't do it justice. The looks are a combination of mad science and ancient civilisation, with stong influences from the early greeks, late mesopotamiain and astec. It is in a semi stable orbit around the L3 Lagrange point of Pluto-Charron where it crosses the Limit once every 6.4 days, although occasionally it goes out of orbit to stay on either side of the limit for a little longer. It's main purpose is to study the Limit, which is why it's stationed at this remote location.
It's owner is Indiana, who is one of the fenchildern. He eascaped from the middle east on a rusty bicicle and managed to make it to the Sol Bianca. He wanted to grow up and become a scientist you see, and so the Professor took him in and thaught him. When Indiana joined the Sol Bianca he could read arabic and do some basic arithmetic, when he left he was fluent in 3 languages and he had written an influentional paper on higher order hyperbolic geometry. Indiana is almost as science obsessed as the Professor, though he channels it slightly differently.
Indiana really wants to become an archeologist, but with the mundnae authorities as they are at the moment he has some trouble with that, which is why he is studing the Limit, astrophysisist is his second choice. He feels misunderstood by the mundane archeologists who fear for their dig sites from the Professor's Apprentice.
His real name is Hassan but he took the name Indiana after one of his greatest heros. The Professor keeps calling him Junior, much to Indiana's annoyance.
E: "Did they... did they just endorse the combination of the JSDF and US Army by showing them as two lesbian lolicons moving in together and holding hands and talking about how 'intimate' they were?"
B: "Have you forgotten so soon? They're phasing out Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Julian - Sirrocco - 01-15-2007
Julian Friez (clone)
Open Character(s) created by Sirrocco
Notable Mundane Attributes
Job Skills: He's a skilled professional plumber, competent professional handiman, and talented amateur auto mechanic. Those skills were a lot more useful back on earth.
'Dane as they come This guy really doesn't belong in space. He prefers the company of folks who aren't Fen. The less Fen they are, the more he likes them. When there's a space station large enough to support more than one of him, will frequently hang out with himself. He also does not like looking out on the empty void of space or alien environments, and will take interior rooms whenever he can. Those Dane groups that have to be in space for some reason find him comfortingly predictable.
You can never really go home again. Julian really belongs on Earth, among people like himself. He knows this. Unfortunately, his obvious biomods mean that people like himsef don't want to have anything to do with him. He knows this, too. It makes him sad, and he tries not to think about it too much. A number of the Julians have started drinking heavily when not on duty.
Wavium Abilities
Plumbing's plumbing, right? Has a strong intuitive understanding of how 'wavium environmental systems work, regardless of what principles they work on. If it's supposed to keep people alive in space, he can figure out what's wrong with it and how to fix it. May also have some insight into how to make small but meaningful improvements.
Well, I've done a bit of work on cars before. Lemme see. Has a similar intuitive understading of the workings of engines and other fundamental vehicular parts (though not as strong). If it is vital for getting your vehicle to move from point A to point B, he can probably figure out what's wrong with it, given time, and how to fix it so it works again.
Quirks
One...Two...Waiiit a moment... Clone Julian is a result of one of the Prof's machines mixing a chunk of biomass and a chunk of handwavium. It was not a single-use machine. Individual Julians will tend to pick a place, (generally a space station or particularly large spaceship) go there, set up shop, and never want to leave. He's had *enough* tourism for one life, thankyouverymuch. Regardless, there will be a copy of him in any sufficiently large location where the plot calls for one.
Dane As They Come, Dammit! Absolutely refuses to believe that his insights are in any way unusual. He's a professional plumber and an amateur auto mechanic. That's all. Any attempt to convince him otherwise will cause him to react...badly.
Well...except... In addition to the intuitive grasp of wavetech, each clone has sprouted some blatantly obvious physical oddity, often requiring at least moderate modification to clothing. Julian doesn't like to talk about it.
Oh, hell. Not *him* again! Some may argue that this is actually more normal than quirky, but, whatever the case, Julian is deathly afraid of the Professor, and will lock himself in his room and hide whenever he thinks the guy might be on the same station. Actually being in the Professor's presence will cause him to react by, for example, shrieking, dropping to his knees, covering his face with his arms and crying out "What more do you want from me? Why can't you just leave me alone?" It generally takes him a day or two to totally recover from a close call, and as much as a week to recover from a face-to-face meeting. This is complicated by the fact that the Professor has a natural interest in the ongoing status of his various experiments, and considers the Julians to be one such.
Re: Julian - Kokuten - 01-15-2007
The Hoff, AKA Wilton Knight
Original Writeup: Wiregeek
Status: Open Character, request edits from kokuten at tertiary.net
Notable Mundane Attributes:
* Secret Identity: The Hoff is not David Hasslehoff. His physical appearance is dead accurate for David.. in his prime. Noone knows who The Hoff _really_ is.
* Sexy: The Hoff has a very high Charisma, and knows it.
* Driver: The Hoff has learned a lot of 'stunt' and 'extreme' driving ala Knight Rider TV series, and is capable of pulling off most of the stunts depicted in the show.
* Boss: The Hoff was approached by an underground group dedicated to restoring the Truth and Liberty to The American Way. Accepting their offer, the Hoff has assumed leadership of a group of people roving America in 'Waved cars, righting wrongs and fighting for truth and honor.. They call them the Knight Riders, the Knight Riders call him and his interests the Knight foundation. His most public identity is as Wilton Knight, and all identity checks he's been subject to have passed. The Hoff is a nickname internal to the Knight Riders, and is generally not used to his face.
'Wavium Abilities: None, the Hoff works with 'Waved cars and some biomodded people, but has no blatant biomods. He does not appear to be nervous around Handwavium, implying a preexisting 'mod.
Quirks:
* Damnit, I'm a STAR: The Hoff turned out to be a skilled administrator, but he doesn't really like to get his hands dirty.Per him, he's used to having _people_ to _do_ things like that.
* Recognizable: The Hoff has a VERY well known face, and while he gets disguised fairly well, he still tries to avoid going out in public as the 'head of the Knight Foundation', but some appearances are neccesary.Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979
Re: Julian - Kokuten - 01-16-2007
Character: Wire Geek, written by Kokuten
Notable Mundane Attributes:
*Yeah, I know a guy: For pretty much anything, he knows someone who can make it happen, or knows somone who knows someone.. not a fixer, a fixer _finder_.
*Yeah, I know a guy.. I'll have _him_ call _you_: Sure he can get you a thousand frammistats, or find someone who can supply you with young flesh (nutritional, sacramental, or sexual?) But you'll never get contact information, you'll get contacted. WG covers his sources religiously and in a most paranoid fashion.
* Wait, wait, wait, do it _this_ way: WG learns systems rather quickly, though he's never really 'mastered' anything other than mining and oresmithing. Can-do good enough to get by on almost anything, and can learn himself up enough to get by.
* It's all just Pascal to me!: WG cannot code, and has an active interest in not learning.
* Not In Charge Here: WG is not a leader, and avoids command of anything over a small squad, say 10 people tops.
'Wavium Abilities: The 'Wavium biomod occured shortly before he left the planet, and worked out about as he planned. Going in a normal human, WG came out a dwarf.
* You'll have... My Axe!: WG resembles a Tolkien dwarf, except he's usually wearing scrubby overalls, or black jeans and t-shirts. The resemblance is not just skin deep, he's relentlessly strong, works with earths and ores, and wields an axe to great effect.
* Can't see shit, captain: While WG doesn't have very good far vision, his sense of touch, hearing, and smell, as well as his near vision, are very good. VERY good. Operating a bit outside the higher range of normal human ability, WG is able to effectively leverage his enhanced senses to work better with all manner of mining-related or technological tools.
Quirks:
* Oh, did I say that?: WG can only handle so much personal interaction before the filters between his brain and his mouth start to fail. Depending on what he thinks, this may get him slapped, punched, or shot. These three have all occured before. This was a part of him, and it got signifigantly worse with the 'Wavium. Normally kicks in after three days of close quarters with strange people.
* Oh, that's.. you?: Low Charisma. The Wavium left him lumpy and bumpy. Can pass in a crowd with well tailored clothing.. usually.
* WOOO!: WG doesn't attend cons - but he's been known to throw very boisterous, short lived parties. Boisterous, to the tune of asteroids vaporized or gone missing, personnel showing up on the other side of the system afterwards with embarassing tattoos, and some of the best late-70's classic rock ever broadcast on conventional radio.
* Because We Can!: Approximately 40% of WG's time is spent on projects that are.. nonsensical, nine times out of ten. A Trout-powered optical interpolation engine (should have gotten 50 or 60 megapixels of data out of a 2 megapixel image, ended up getting .05 megapixels out of a 2 megapixel image), a cosmic scale potato cannon (can fire the common potato at .3c, whereupon.. it immediately disintegrates in the cosmic particle wash), and on, and on.
Occasionaly, the nonsense projects pan out. Indeed, most of WG's profit comes from sales of a simple, easy to use communications module, which translates across almost all comm systems, and can clip into the interwave transmitters to rebroadcast, usually 802.11w, the current 5.8ghz wi-fi spec.
Edit: Added leadership quirk, mirroring Real LifeWire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979Wire Geek - Burning the weak and trampling the dead since 1979
Eric Zhu - Acyl - 01-19-2007
This is relevant...mainly to anyone intending to use the Island as a story setting, passing reference, or home port for their craft. I know BlackAeronaut (Benjamin Rhodes) does, and had a short exchange with Island ATC in one of his early mini-fic fragments. Though I'll be doing my own stories eventually. When RL permits.
Eric Zhu
Written by Acyl
Appearance:
* Height: 5'7"
* Weight: 183 lbs
* Build: Medium
* Hair: Black
* Eyes: Brown
Mundane Atributes:
* Honest Businessman: Eric Zhu is the proprietor of the Floating Island, one of the first true space stations. It's also the pioneer Fen-centric shopping mall, hotel, and convention centre...as well as catering to more prosaic space travel concerns like repair, refueling, and resupply.
* Fringe Fen: Eric is on the fringes of Fen-dom. He watches a lot of anime, reads SF, but isn't committed to it. It's a hobby, not a way of life. This explains why he entered space the way he did, rather than whizzing around in a little starship. That's also why his Island is open to all Fen, but holds no allegiance to any faction.
* Frowny-Face: Serious and grumpy. Or so it seems. Eric's actually got a pretty weird sense of humour. Likewise, he projects the image of a hardass boss...but is really a slacker who delegates most work. His junior employees are scared of him, but the senior crew (and many Island regulars) see through the act.
* Browncoat: Always wears dark and earthen-tone clothing, particularly brown jackets. He is not, however, a Firefly fan, and gets annoyed whenever Fen assume this. Happens fairly often.
Handwavium Ability:
* Born on an Island in the Heavens: It ain't widely known, but isn't exactly secret. Eric is part of the Island. Or maybe the Island's part of him. It's hard to tell. He's linked to the place by a sort of strange 'wavium bond. He's got a permanent background awareness of the station's status...number of people aboard, which areas are busy, etc. If something significant happens, he usually knows when and where, if not what. He can mentally control some systems - the "original" ones, like engines and power. He has a much fuzzier connection to later additions. Eric can see through the security cameras, but usually doesn't. Not because he respects people's privacy...it just gives him a headache.
* Inner Space: There's actually a reason that (and other tricks) give him headaches. His biomod is a physical alteration to his brain and nervous system, sort of an integral 'wavium wireless connection...except purely biological. Well. Maybe. Gwen, the Island's resident scientist, keeps wanting to 'examine' him. Eric keeps refusing; he likes his head where it is. Will, station medic, just gives him aspirin.
* Holy Ground: The downside of his biomod is...Eric can't turn it off. He's always aware of the station, making it tricky to sleep if there's a wild party going on somewhere. Serious malfunctions may well affect his health. Going-ons in the Island affect his mood. The connection diminishes with distance, but that has its own problem...it's quite possible he'll die if he goes too far from the Island. Thankfully, the Island's auxillary spacecraft (ie. modified from the same 'wavium) count as "part of it" for Eric's purposes, making travel merely risky rather than outright fatal. Even in one of the small craft, though, travelling away from the main station makes him distinctly uncomfortable.
* Go Forth and Multiply: The Island's AI, Simon-Peter, is actually an offshoot of Eric's personality. Simon appeared in the station's computers shortly after Eric's 'wavium change. Simon is now an independent being, but he and Eric still hit the same wavelength from time to time, and that's just creepy for anyone else in the conversation.
Quirks:
* Part-Time Beng: Swears in Hokkien Chinese. And Mandarin Chinese. And occasionally bits of Malay.
* Walk Softly: Always carries a wooden stick, about 4 feet long. Since Eric doesn't have a limp, and lacks any formal martial arts training, this is a bit of a puzzle. It's relatively harmless compared to the alternative, though - in emergencies, he insists on carrying an M16 rifle. And he does know how to use that one.
* Get Off My Lawn: Eric does not react well to threats against his station. He reacts even worse to threats against his people.
-- Acyl
Re: Island Crew - Acyl - 01-21-2007
The following are mini-profiles for the Island crew, as hinted in the ship registry and Eric's entry. Most of 'em are based very loosely on friends of mine - but the characters ain't them, just inspired by 'em. With blessings, as appropriate. This is mostly for my own reference, once I start writing. But if it helps or entertains anyone...
Dr. William "Will" Kao (Ops Chief)
Mundane Attributes:
- Veep: Dr. Kao's title is "Operations Chief", but he's (theoretically) second-in-command of the Island. Far as any sort of command structure applies to a Fenspace trading and recreation station. Most folks call him "Will". A rather pleasant man, good conversationalist. Unless you happen to be a catgirl.
- A Real Doctor: In the first days (2008 to early 2009) of the Island's existence, Will was also the station medic. He's still in charge of the medical centre, but leaves actual treatment to new employees. That's a good thing, a very good thing. Because while he's got a doctorate, he's a doctor of Literature, not medicine.
- D20 Bard: Will created, and often pilots, the Island's "bodyguard" spaceship, the armed craft that patrols its airspace - the Shakespeare.
Handwavium Ability:
- New Challenger: Strength/speed enhancements. Cat-style kung-fu, but...and this is very important...no feline physical features. He appears entirely human. See Quirks.
Quirks:
- C.A.T.: Obsession with cat imagery. Wears a cat uniform. But does not own a cat, and isn't particularly fond of actually handling cats. Devoted to the theory of cat, as it were. Violent aversion to catgirls (they're abominations to his religion).
- Dragonlance: A Fantasy Fen, given his area of expertise.
...
Matthew "Matt" West (Deputy Ops Chief)
Mundane Attributes:
- Number Three: Deputy Ops Chief, meaning he's third-in-command after Eric and Will. Given the respective...er...quirks....of his bosses, Matt's the guy who often ends up really running the show.
- Boo Bear: He's always got an angle. Positively Machiavellian, if he weren't such a nice guy. Friendly. Creative. Your Best Friend. He's a big cuddly teddy bear, really. Of course, he's also big. And bear-like. You don't want to see him angry...
- Idea Man: One of the key folks in actually getting the Island aloft. Someone had to lie, bribe, and cheat their way around the Nigerian authorities, pretending to be foreign investors, hiding the fact they were planning to abscond with a very large chunk of countryside...
Handwavium Ability:
- Afro: Yes. An afro. A very large afro. Which is kinda scary, once you realise he's an Excel Saga fan. The advantages of Afrospace are obvious, though with his height and hair, going through doors can be problematic. It also sets off metal detectors, jams radio transmissions...
Quirks:
- Afro: 'nuff said.
...
Dr. Gwendolyn "Gwen" Lee (Science Officer)
Mundane Attributes:
- Ms. Spock: Science Officer. Which says it all. Resident 'wavium expert of the station, though her real speciality...
- Ms. Moreau: ...is in the effects of handwavium on animals. As opposed to humans. You know, dogs, rats, fruit flies, politicians. That said, she's also responsible for the Island's life support system, which is entirely plant-based. She insists there's no 'wavium in that, though.
Handwavium Ability:
- Area 51: She has one. All that time in the lab...yes, she has one. But that's above your clearance level, citizen.
Quirks:
- Lab Rat: Workaholic, totally intense about her work. Literally lives in her lab.
- Fangirl: If she's not breaking the brains of the scientific community (and any friends and crewmates she expounds her theories to)... she's breaking the brains of female fen, online. Half of the Venus project love her. The other half think she's an agent of the Dark Kingdom and should be eliminated for love and justice.
...
Katie Lee (Go-Between)
Mundane Attributes:
- Hanger-On: She's not really on the Island's committee (read, founding crew). She joined later. But she's Gwen's twin sister, and has wormed her way into the "in-crowd". De-facto liaison between the senior staff and the hired help. Also handles customers actually on the station, letting others make the big outside decisions.
Handwavium Ability:
- Dual Cycle: She's either insanely hyperactive, or so asleep her heart virtually stops. Either found nearly ricocheting off walls, or passed out on tables, chairs, floors, occasionally other people.
Quirks:
- Sailor Nothing: Used to run with the Venus Terraforming Project. Occasionally dresses like she still is. The reason she left isn't known, but perhaps she was too bouncy and generally weird...even for them.
...
Ginnette "Jin" Leung (Marketing, Business)
Mundane Attributes:
- Fish, Water?: Not really Fen. Fendane at best. But her friends were part of the original Island venture, and sometimes you just get dragged along for the ride.
- Ms. Peel: Assisted Eric and Matt with the...somewhat dubious financial deals behind their land purchase, and acquiring the various materials for the project.
- Spin Doctor: Heads up advertising and marketing for the station. Oversees retail and deals with dirtside suppliers.
Handwavium Ability: None known.
Quirks:
- Sitcom Heroine: Pretty, funny, petite, and absolutely neurotic. In a cute way, of course. And if you say otherwise, she'll hunt you down and kill you.
...
Lin Xing ("Xing Lin" in Western parlance) (Marketing, Business)
Mundane Attributes:
- Spin Nurse: The other half of marketing and business management, along with Jin. She deals more with Fen businesses - Babylon .5, Fenbucks, Rockhounds, and independent suppliers. Jin yells at 'danes.
- Resident Artist: Someone's gotta make things pretty.
Handwavium Ability: None known.
Quirks:
- Theresa: Calm, quiet, kind, compassionate. Patience of a saint. Den mother. One wonders how she manages, considering her co-workers.
...
Thomas "Tom" Zhu (Engineer)
Mundane Attributes:
- Nepotism: Eric Zhu's cousin. They're best buddies some of the time. Mortal enemies others. Eric can't kick Tom off the station, though, and Tom refuses to leave.
- Scotty: Tom is an aerospace engineer by trade, and was instrumental in getting the Island spaceworthy. Gwen did most of the 'wavium, but he did the hardtech.
Handwavium Ability:
- Shocker Legit: Immune to electrocution. Strange affinity for electricity. May well be a power source. On the other hand, he always has bad hair days, and dear GOD that beard...
Quirks:
- Frankenstein: Since the Island's been spaceborne, Tom's ideas have been getting increasingly odd, even by Fen standards. He's an avid follower of the Professor, and that whole incident with the nuclear-powered Audi sedan made everyone nervous.
- Four Legs Good: He's messy as a pig. And about as weird, politically speaking, as ones from Animal Farm. Socialist with a side of anarchy, disdains 'danelaw. He's a comedian, though, so it's devilishly hard to tell if his political diatribes are serious.
...
Titan (Dog)
Mundane Attributes:
- Woof: Station Mascot. Golden Retriever.
Handwavium Ability:
- Woof?: Possibly sentient. Dr. Gwen Lee seems to pay a lot of attention to him.
Quirks:
- Woof!: Will's eternal nemesis. The man has a cat fetish, remember...
...
Simon-Peter (AI)
Mundane Attributes:
- Babbage: Handles the station's accounts, since none of the senior crew are particularly good at math.
- Nowhere Man: As the station AI, Simon pretty much has a link to every onboard system.
Handwavium Ability: N/A
Quirks:
- New Testament: Models himself (and his visual appearance) after Simon-Peter, the disciple of Jesus. Occasionally, as the mood suits him, emulates other robed thinkers and leaders - Plato, Gandhi, etc. Is a fairly cool and relaxed dude despite this. The whole robe thing may be simply because he likes a) expanding his mind, and b) not wearing pants.
- Binary Bond: Originally an offshoot of Eric Zhu's personality...Eric's 'wavium biomod is a permanent link to the Island's systems. In effect, Simon is a saner, more balanced Eric. The voice of reason, as it were. He's grown into what Eric wants to run the station.
...
Ally Sinclair (Employee)
Mundane Attributes:
- Long Sufferer: 'dane. Not even Fendane, just 'dane. Signed on to help oversee the station's hotel, and coordinate the retail business. It doesn't help that she reports to Jin and Katie, the two most crazy people on the Island. Maybe this wasn't...y'know...her wisest career choice. Or was it?
Handwavium Ability: None known.
Quirks:
- Blood Pressure: Stressed, totally out of her depth, completely lost in dealing with Fen. She started off with contacts, a snappy dresser. Now she's rubbing bleary eyes behind glasses, and her outfits are getting increasingly sloppy. Eventually, something's gotta snap.
...
Wentworth "Wen" Talbott (Fisherbot Shepherd)
Mundane Attributes:
- Foreman: In charge of the station's robot drones, the "Fisherbots".
Handwavium Ability:
- Bishoujo, Bishounen?: Male, but nearly androgynous. His biomod has given him a rather...large following of admirers. Pity about the side effect: he doesn't care.
Quirks:
- What me, worry?: Wen is eternally patient. But he isn't calm and friendly (like Xing is). He's vague and aloof. He's not quite a cold fish...he's nice enough, really, perhaps even charming. After a while, though, you might notice...he doesn't seem to be paying attention. He's always slightly distracted, like he's not entirely there.
...
The Fisherbots (Maintenance Droids, Errand Boys, Redshirts)
Mundane Attributes:
- Workforce Solution: When the crew first started building what would become the Island, they could safely use local labour. Hiring construction workers to seal up the buildings, dig tunnels, and so on. After all, they chose to boost from Nigeria, due to cheaper real estate, cheaper labour, and looser laws. But there's a limit, really. When they got to the really sensitive and strange structural modifications, they had to do it themselves. Can't trust outsiders, even if you're paying them well. So...
- I Will Make You Fishers Of Men: ...Tom Zhu and Wen made the Fisherbots. Of course, these days it's the Fisherbots themselves who make other Fisherbots...
Handwavium Ability: See Quirks
Quirks:
- Ages 5 and Up: The Fisherbots are brightly-coloured mechanoids, of assorted configurations. No two are identical, since they're built from bits and pieces...although they tend to be mostly plastic. The average Fisherbot is four feet tall. Some have legs. Some have wheels. They look like children's toys. They don't talk. They chitter.
- Collect Them All: Individually, the Fisherbots are not sentient. But collectively, they have some kind of group consciousness. It's not a very smart collective, however. You need to give them very specific instructions, very precisely worded. That said, they keep the Island clean and in good repair. It's just...it ain't safe to let them work without supervision.
- For The Empire: And the Fisherbots need to be kept busy. If they've got too much free time, they get really strange. None of the behaviour is destructive, though. Broadly speaking, it's benign. But it's really annoying when little robots form a congo line through the main docking bay. Or insist on hugging every single person on the station. Lest you think they're cute, though, they've also been known to raid stores and steal all the beer. A drunk Fisherbot is a very scary thing.
...
-- Acyl
Re: Island Crew - Ebony - 01-22-2007
Quote:Just a nit: The character (played by Diana Rigg) was Mrs. Peel. The reason that John and Emma never hooked up in the television series was that she was married.Ebony the Black Dragon
- Ms. Peel: Assisted Eric and Matt with the...somewhat dubious financial deals behind their land purchase, and acquiring the various materials for the project.
Senior Editor, Living Room Games
http://www.lrgames.com
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com
"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."
Re: Island Crew - Acyl - 01-31-2007
There can only be one Mrs. Peel. This one isn't that Peel. =)
Inspired by an incident last year. I broke down laughing at a book sale, just totally cracked. Friend asked me why. I wasn't able to reply, just held up this paperback novel. Then he laughed.
It was an Avengers book, obviously... and it had two author credits. But the person who got top billing...
Was Peel.
Not that Peel, of course, but...
-- Acyl