Spaceships, Sixguns, and... 'sura...?

[sparkletwist]

[ooc]With Steerpike's permission and encouragement, I will be GMing a game set in the "Sixguns" world, using the Asura System as mechanic. To avoid stepping on any toes, my game will be set in the setting's past a bit, during the War of the Unfathomables.

The game is now scheduled for 3pm EST on Monday, January 9.

What follows is some general mission background, as well as pre-generated characters. Of course, if you want to come up with your own character, feel free!
[/ooc]

[ic=Background]The main belligerents in the War are the Sovereigntist Alliance, centered in the Miskatonic System, and the Xothic League, centered, of course, in the Xoth system. Humans form the backbone of both factions, but the sinister, enigmatic Polypous Race are the mysterious hidden overlords of Xoth. The Sovereigntist Alliance is much more inclusive, also counting among its members numerous other races, most significantly the Ghouls, Deep Ones, Tcho-Tcho, and Mi-go. Naturally, there is a good amount of tension between all of these differing species, but the Sovereigntist Alliance is in general characterized by a general live and let live attitude, driven by a strong need for unity in the face of the Xothic menace.

The Sovereigntists have recently won some great and resounding victories against the Xothic League, but they have come at a high price. Sovereigntist Alliance resources, never as vast as the League's to begin with, are left spread dangerously thin, and the Alliance command worries that a Xothic League counterattack could break their advantage and send their forces into a full-scale retreat.[/ic]

[ic=The Mission]Early in the War, a battle in the Arcturus system had skirmishers break off dangerously close to Fomalhaut, resulting in several Xoth ships disturbing Cthugha. Enraged, Cthugha lashed out; while the exact circumstances of the Great Old One's reaction are not known to the Alliance, it is known that a nearby nearly-complete Xothic space station that was under construction was subsequently abandoned and left adrift. This abandoned station has recently drifted back into the Arcturus system, which is currently tenuously held by the Sovereigntists. As the station is a formidable one, built using a mixture of the finest human, Xothic, and Yith technology, it would be quite the defensive asset to the Alliance... if it can be secured and made operational.

Given the general lack of resources that the Sovereigntist Alliance has available, a full-scale occupation of the station is not currently possible. It has decided to instead send in a small, elite team in order to secure the station-- aboard none other than the fastest ship in the fleet, the newly-constructed Demoiselle d'Ys. If there is any enemy activity, they will certainly be quite outnumbered, but, hopefully, not outmatched. The team has, for the most part, been hand-picked by Major Karl Hahn, aside for the inclusion of George Murphy that was forced upon the Major.[/ic]

[ic=Characters]
None other than Lt. Gideon Carter (claimed by Xathan)
[note]Because he needs to survive in order to be in the other Sixguns game, Gideon Carter has a certain degree of "plot immunity." However, he also suffered a nasty injury that lost him his arm, and Steerpike and Xathan have both agreed that the circumstances of that injury can be retconned if necessary. So, if it should happen that Gideon is 'killed,' he'll be incapacitated and suffer grievous injury, leaving him still alive but out of the adventure.[/note]
As Major Hahn's XO and protege, a certain (younger) Lt. Gideon Carter was placed in command of the mission aboard the station after the Major was forced to give up command. Both men hate this turn of events, but orders are orders, and Major Hahn has complete confidence in the younger soldier to head up the team.
[spoiler=Stats]Power: 5, Grace: 5, Vitality: 5, Senses: 7, Mind: 5
Hit Points: 5, Mind Points: 5, Stunt Points: 6
Consequence MV: 2/4/6
Skills: Firearms (+4), Alertness (+3), Tactics (+2), Athletics (+2), Rapport (+2), Engineering (+1), Willpower (+1), Supernatural (+1)
Advantages: Skill Flair [Gunslinger]
Principles:
- It's Fine Long as it's not a Polyp or Xothic
- No One Left Behind
- Cats. Why did it have to be cats?
- Always best to be armed
[/spoiler]

Sgt. Xer W'ton
Xer W'ton is a full-blooded Deep One, resembling something like a cross between a fish and a frog, and quite an imposing one at that. He stands well over six feet tall, with a form that possesses both significant bulk as well as significant muscle. He is gruff and rude, and his gurgling, croaking manner of speech seems to only emphasize his frequently antisocial demeanor. He is nearly always ready with a curse word or ten, be it in English, R'lyehian, or some other tongue. He usually wears a shabby uniform, and his helmet, which barely fits his bulbous head, resembles an old-style stahlhelm as opposed to the current issue of the Sovereigntist Alliance.

However, what makes him in demand is not his social skills (which is fortunate, considering how he lacks them) but rather his significant combat prowess. He first caught Major Hahn's attention when he led a daring ambush on the Xoth in the swamps outside of New Arkham, wiping out two entire squads of Xoth aberrations before taking out their obscenemancer commanders. Since that time, Sgt. W'ton has led several other bold strikes at the League, and proven himself worthy of membership on any elite combat team. He is a good shot with nearly any firearm, but is particularly fond of his high-power Suwei Series 77 quantum metaplasma rifle. His melee combat expertise is no less impressive. Additionally, he has a small degree of control over the element of water, through ancient Deep One rituals passed down through the cults of Father Dagon and Mother Hydra; he does believe, albeit not as fervently as some of his kind. When using this power, his croaking voice takes on an otherworldly resonance, and a revolting smell of rotting fish seems to permeate wherever he is.

He is always armed with a waterproofed Suwei Series 77 quantum metaplasma rifle, possessing superior hitting power and accuracy but a slower rate of fire than conventional metaplasma coils. Should enemies be unfortunate enough to find themselves close enough to him that the clean, quick death of being shot dead by him is not an option, he prefers to cut them down with his hand weapon, resembling a corroded, jagged, serrated scimitar. It seems to be some sort of centuries-old Deep One relic, and is apparently a prized possession of his.
[spoiler=Stats]Power: 7, Grace: 3, Vitality: 7, Senses: 5, Mind: 4
Hit Points: 7, Mind Points: 7, Stunt Points: 5
Consequence MV: 2/4/6
Power: Deep One Water Magic (+1)
Skills: Firearms (+4), Alertness (+3), Melee (+2), Supernatural (+1), Acrobatics (+1), Athletics (+1), Tactics (+1), Brawling (+1)
Advantages: Deep One Physiology, Specialization [Firearms: Quantum metaplasma rifles]
Principles:
- Rarely backs away from a fight
- Protects his prized blade
- "Honor Father Dagon and Mother Hydra."
- "Tact is for people too weak to say what they mean."
[/spoiler]

Sgt. Hiroko Suzuki
Hiroko Suzuki was a platoon leader during the Second battle of Sol, skilled at the more abstract planning aspects of combat as well as actual fighting. She bravely beat back the Xothic League's ground forces as well as the Elder Things residing on Earth that, while not formally allied with Xoth, certainly considered the Sovereigntists their primary foe. Her greatest moment of triumph (and also her greatest tragedy) was when, upon realizing her metaplasma rifle could no longer fire, she picked up some kind of Elder Thing weapon that had been dropped on the battlefield and charged forth with her men, spewing purple energies that impacted with the screech of banshees. She fired this weapon until she could no longer, inflicting heavy casualties on the Xothic forces. She eventually collapsed, shivering and babbling in some dialect of R'lyehian.

While she retains the visage of a relatively attractive young Asian woman, her hair has turned prematurely white, and her eyes are now hued with an inhuman purple shade. While she was initially thought to be lost forever, frequent visits from her family as well as her commanding officers (such as Gideon, as well as the Major) eventually brought her back to some semblance of sanity, though she was a very changed person. She now spoke only R'lyehian, and barely spoke it at that, only capable of short, nearly nonsensical locutions. Yet, those around her soon noticed that, no matter how little she spoke, they always seemed to understand her intent, even relatively complex thoughts that nonverbal communication would not seem to be able to convey. More remarkably, this gift of universal communication she seems to have acquired also applied to animals, other species, and... stranger things entirely. Now recovered, Sgt. Suzuki has returned to duty, this time as a part of the Alliance's new Special Operations Council. She is pleased to be back under the command of Gideon, whom she trusts greatly.

After her experience, she seems a bit mellowed, and tends to try to use her faculties for communication to solve problems before resorting to violence. Should it become necessary, she is still a great shot with her Anathema M-55 metaplasma rifle, however.
[spoiler=Stats]Power: 5, Grace: 6, Vitality: 5, Senses: 6, Mind: 6
Hit Points: 5, Mind Points: 5, Stunt Points: 5
Consequence MV: 2/4/6
Skills: Rapport (+4), Firearms (+3), Supernatural (+2), Engineering (+2), Tactics (+2), Acrobatics (+1), Willpower (+1)
Advantages: Skill Flair [Universal Rapport]
Principles:
- Follow her commander
- Ask questions first, shoot later
- "Logistics and tactics win wars, not foolhardy bravery."
[/spoiler]

Ndembu (claimed by Weave)
Over fifty thousand years ago, before the dawn of time, Ndembu was a warrior and hunter on the plains of Africa. He was a strong, confident young man, who always aspired to more than the primeval, nomadic existence his place in history seemed to destine for him. It was his aspirations that led him far beyond the ancestral home of his tribe, and out into the great wilds of the south, where he saw things no man had ever seen, or perhaps was ever meant to see. He emerged in the lands of the so-called "great-headed brown people," a civilization of humanoids of great technological acumen, thanks to their absorption of many Atlantean and Yith secrets. They initially welcomed him, but, when one of their greatest generals was pulled back in time by the Yith, the strange newcomer was blamed for the mysterious events, and Ndembu was captured and sentenced to eternal imprisonment. He was kept in a semi-conscious, dreamlike state, basically unaware of the passage of time yet not entirely unaware of it, either. His prison, buried underground in one of the many cataclysms that befell the Earth, continued to operate long after the civilization that had incarcerated him had been destroyed. Finally, during the First Battle of Sol, it was broken open, and Ndembu emerged, bewildered, into a much-changed world.

Wandering about, he was promptly captured by Sovereigntist forces operating in the area. He was completely out of place in this new world, yet, he was also a man of astute intellect, and possessing interesting perspectives on a wide variety of ancient and modern problems. Fifty thousand years of thought allowed him to independently derive many of the fruits of civilization, and he proved to have a keen philosophical and mathematical mind. He learned to speak the modern language, albeit haltingly, and he still carefully enunciates every word. He is a generally cheerful man and a quick study, having mastered many fundamentals of modern technology and engineering. However, popular culture generally eludes him, and he is quick to anger when he believes himself to be the butt of a joke. On the other hand, he loves to tell stories of hunting on the great plains or of his time with the now long-extinct great-headed brown people.

With nowhere else to go, and the heart of a warrior still strong within him, he joined the Special Operations Council. He is an expert at hand-to-hand combat, but also has submitted somewhat to modern ways, frequently using a Bugbear Model 3X metaplasma carbine.
[spoiler=Stats]Power: 6, Grace: 5, Vitality: 5, Senses: 5, Mind: 6
Hit Points: 5, Mind Points: 5, Stunt Points: 5
Consequence MV: 2/4/6
Skills: Brawling (+4), Athletics (+3), Engineering (+2), Rapport (+2), Firearms (+2), Alertness (+1), Ancient Knowledge (+1), Supernatural (+1)
Advantages: Combat Poise 1, Nonperson
Principles:
- Honor and glory is the way of the warrior
- Quick to anger, but also quick to forgive
- "This is a strange new world, but my destiny here is greater than it could ever be as a nomad on the plains."
[/spoiler]

The Doctor (provisionally claimed by Light Dragon)
As his name is utterly unpronounceable to most humanoids, the Mi-go medic of the team is known as simply "The Doctor." While his (or, more properly, its, for gender has no meaning to the Mi-go) lack of familiarity with humanoid social graces as well as his bizarre appearance may initially put someone off, he is actually quite a likable fellow (or fungus, as the case may be), albeit with a sense of humor that seems to be entirely incomprehensible to most. What he lacks in bedside manner, he certainly makes up for in talent, possessing the chiurgical skills for which his race is renowned. He also has an insatiable curiosity, and a diverse smattering of knowledge in a wide variety of scientific and esoteric topics.

The Doctor first worked with then-Lieutenant Hahn during the First battle of Sol, patching up men thought beyond saving with a mixture of forbidden Mi-go technique and good old fashioned medical instinct. Indeed, some of his work was too effective, leaving men alive in states that a sane man would have rather died from. However, in general, his work was quite good, and Hahn hand-selected him for this mission, both for his medical expertise as well as for his various esoteric knowledge that will certainly come in handy.

While the Doctor much prefers to save life rather than take it, he always carries on his person a small voidglass jar containing a small black crustacean-like creature he calls "Douglas." Douglas can survive nearly any temperature extreme, has teeth and claws harder than diamonds, moves at inhuman speed, and is able to regurgitate a potent acid once per encounter. If the Doctor has any problems in a combat situation, Douglas is typically able to deal with them quite well.

[spoiler=Stats]Power: 5, Grace: 3, Vitality: 6, Senses: 5, Mind: 7
Hit Points: 7, Mind Points: 6, Stunt Points: 5
Consequence MV: 2/4/6
Skills: Medicine (+5), Mi-go Knowledge (+3), Supernatural (+2), Willpower (+2), Alertness (+1)
Advantages: Fungal Regeneration, Minion [Douglas]
Principles:
- Always intellectually curious
- No injury need be fatal with the proper tools and techniques
- Quite fond of Douglas
[/spoiler]

George Murphy (claimed by CoyoteCamouflage)
Wherever there is trouble, George Murphy is rarely far behind. Gambler, prestidigitator, and occultist, he is a man of many talents, although few of them thought useful by more pragmatic sorts. Although short and a bit scrawny, he's also wry of wit and quite plucky, generally relying on his sharp tongue and the flexibility and mobility of his smaller size to get him out of tough situations. Some people find him genial, handsome, and likable, though, to others, including Major Hahn, he exudes an aura of sleaziness, self-centeredness, and being entirely more trouble than he's worth.

He is not a member of the normal military chain of command, having been assigned directly to Major Hahn's command by the Alliance's Occult Bureau. That is, he was not a choice of the Major, but rather was chosen for him. The reason, of course, is Murphy's ace in the hole: having studied numerous occult texts and other things that humanity was perhaps not meant to know, he has gained a fairly competent grasp of the telekinetic arts. He has also developed the mental discipline to (usually) withstand the deleterious effects on his psyche that the unleashing of such powers usually causes.

Originally, he gained this knowledge simply to cheat at various games of chance, but acquiring forbidden knowledge turned out to even more addictive than gambling. Over the course of further study, he gained the ability to move larger objects. While he can make the small motions required to cheat at cards and dice without being detected, any significant application of his power causes his eyes to blaze in an unholy fashion, and his entire body to be surrounded by harmless but profoundly disturbing eldritch blue flames.

When his powers fail him, he can always fall back on his fast-talking, his self-taught Arcturan Kickboxing techniques, or his trusty Morella pocket pistol.
[spoiler=Stats]Power: 4, Grace: 7, Vitality: 5, Senses: 5, Mind: 5
Hit Points: 5, Mind Points: 7, Stunt Points: 5
Consequence MV: 2/4/6
Power: Telekinesis (+2)
Skills: Roguery (+3), Supernatural (+3), Deceit (+2), Rapport (+2), Alertness (+1), Martial Arts (+1), Firearms (+1), Willpower (+1)
Advantages: Mental Fortitude 1
Principles:
- Look out for number one
- Don't underestimate the little guy
- Loves to gamble, especially when he can cheat
- "Things man was not meant to know? No such thing!"
[/spoiler]

Marie-Anne "Flayer" Kalma (Created and claimed by Steerpike)
Half Ghoul by birth, Marie-Anne Kalma grew up with her (human) father in the gloomy wilderness of Achlys, a frontier world of dank forests, gloomy mountains, shadowy badlands, and murky fens.  Here she learned to shoot, stalk, and trap, hunting feral Ghasts and the six-legged elk-like beasts common on the steppes where she was raised.  By twelve she was able to take down a charging Gnoph-keh using her father's old Barghest 97 laser-rifle at well over 400 yards; to strip a Zoog of fur and eviscerate it in under a minute; to sneak up on a herd of wild Vortlups without startling them.  Her father taught her to always say thanks to Nodens, Elder God of the hunt, after a kill; to track a creature by its spoor; to find shelter in a storm.  Far from civilization, her childhood was free of the prejudice that afflicts most Ghouls and other quasi-humans.  Making their home in a small cabin in the hills far from Nova Stygia and the other cities of Achlys, Marie-Anne and her father led a simple but contented life.

Everything changed when the Xothic League launched their incursion, annexing Achlys and setting up their garrisons.  Sovereigntist rebels took shelter in the hills and woods around their home, and sometimes Marie-Anne's father would give them spare meat or firewood or directions.  The Leaguers came in the middle of the night, kicked down the door and subdued her father with a hastily muttered spell from their magus-officer.  Their interrogation was brutal: they needed to know everything her father could tell them about the rebels: their location, numbers, equipment, etcetera.  Some of their torture-methods were mundane, others more exotic.  When they were finished her father's body and mind were both in tatters, though he'd held on to the Sovereigntists' secrets, refused to tell the Leaguers anything.  Marrie-Anne had watched from a hiding place under the stairs, having promised her father not to interfere.  When they were finished they shot him in the head and set the cabin on fire.

She fled the burning wreckage with her father's Barghest 97 clutched in her grasp and her trusty skinning knife in her belt.  The Leaguers were mounted, but Marrie-Anne knew all the shortcuts and secret ways, could stalk them swiftly and silently.  When they came to the pass that led up towards their mountain-fortress, she was waiting with rifle in hand, crouched high on a crag, well-concealed.  Five shots, in quick succession, took care of the lot.  She left the empty skins of the Leaguers hanging from tree-branches for other Xothic troops to find and fed the fleshless bodies to the local fauna as a sacrifice to Nodens.  Shortly later she joined a group of rebels.  In a few months she found herself in the Sovereigntist Ranger Training Program, having achieved record-breaking scores on stealth, survival, and sniping assessments.  Some time after that she transferred to Special Ops.  Since then Marie-Anne has seen action on a dozen worlds, killed dozens of Xothic officers, taken part in a number of key covert assaults, and provided invaluable reconnaissance for Sovereigntist troops.  Her penchant for skinning her victims earned her the nickname "Flayer," a moniker she silently accepted.

Physically Marie-Anne Kalma is rather unremarkable, her Ghoul blood noticeable only on close inspection: pronounced canine teeth, red irises, pointed ears, greyish skin, claw-like nails, a very slight whiff of something like an open grave.  She is now eighteen years old.  Wiry in musculature, she keeps her head shaved and typically wears some form of camouflage – or, failing that, a Special Operations Sovereigntist uniform.

[spoiler=Stats]Power: 4, Grace: 6, Vitality: 5, Senses: 7, Mind: 5
Hit Points: 5, Mind Points: 5, Stunt Points: 5
Consequence MV: 2/4/6
Skills: Stealth (+3), Firearms (+3), Alertness (+2), Survival Knowledge (+2), Resilience (+2), Athletics (+1), Martial Arts (+1)
Advantages: Advantages: Skill Linkage [Animal Instincts], Specialization [Martial Arts: Knives]
Principles:
- Xothic Leaguers are a pack of rabid dogs
- Leaves the skins behind
- Nose like a bloodhound
- "Praise be to Nodens for this bounty. Y'hah."
[/spoiler]


[/ic]

[Steerpike]

This is going to be awesome!

I would obviously like to play.

Suzuki would be cool as would the Doctor.  I won't call dibs, though, just yet.

I'm really excited to see Asura in action.  I have a strong suspicion that following this I'll probably ditch my spit-n'-string quickplay system and switch over properly, with a few extremely minor cosmetic tweaks.

EDIT: Not that things like canonicity mean much to me, really, but I WILL consider this scenario canon, for any who are curious.  Sparkle and I worked out some details of the War together and everything that needs it has had my OK.

[CoyoteCamouflage]

Seems very cool. And by very cool, I mean yes.

Admittedly, I know next to nothing about the system for Asura, so I'd probably need to be coached on that briefly before the game (Or just directed to a relevant post somewhere) for smooth operating.

Suzuki is my favorite, but I doubt I would be able to play the character right. My initial pick, should it matter (because 'dibs' is so crude a word. :P ) is for Mr. Murphy. Anyone who delves into forbidden lore just to better cheat at cards is definitely insane enough for me to have a hell of a grand time playing. Can't say I'm too much of a gambler myself, but I don't think that it's still gambling if you're fixing the games. :D

[LD]

Hm. I won't choose any character yet; but I'll express interest, pending what time is set for the game.

[SabrWolf]

I second LD's reply.

[sparkletwist]

It might be good to set a time, then. Wednesdays are consistently bad for me but otherwise my schedule is pretty flexible these days as long as I have a few days in advance to clear the time. I could, conceivably, go ahead as soon as this Friday, but if next week or after Christmas are better for others those also remain possibilities.

[LD]

The most important thing for me is that the event take place after 6:30PM EST at the earliest... and 7:15PM EST would be safer since I often find myself held later at work than expected. Thursdays are not a good day for me usually.

I actually, at this time, could attend a Friday game at 7:15PM EST (with luck).

[Xathan]

I'm in! Once finals end, I'm available all over the place depending on when work allows.

Also, pretty much everyone but Hahn interests me: I'd end up just playing a variant on Gideon if I played him. However, if everyone wants to play one of the existing characters, would it be possible to make a new one?

[Steerpike]

I think sparkletwist mentioned you could make your own.  I'm writing one up just in case the others get taken, or if sparkle just wants some more laser-fodder...

[LD]

Also, I'm interested in the Doctor, assuming that time works out.

[Xathan]

As mentioned earlier, next friday is out for me due to a preexisting meetup with my tabletop group: next monday would be great for me, and tuesday prior to 3:30pm CST

[CoyoteCamouflage]

This Friday (16) is fine for me. Monday the 19th would work for me, so long as I know it's planned. Tuesday would not work that late, I'd only be around for an hour or two. I would prefer to get this done before Christmas, just because my schedule of being where, when, gets kinda screwy until the week after the New Year.

[sparkletwist]

Monday could work, though it's the same day as the Gloria game, assuming that's still on. Earlier in the day might be ok, as long as there was a little time in between to allow people in both to mentally recover. I think Friday or Monday are the leading options now, so I'll just go with whatever the most interested parties can get to-- although if we don't decide quickly, it'll probably end up defaulting to Monday because games on ridiculous short notice don't usually go that well. Except if Xathan is running them, I guess.  :grin:

There's also the weekend in between, but sometimes those get a little bit complicated.  :P

[Steerpike]

Friday or Monday work fine for me.  Tuesday won't: I'll be several thousand feet in the air.

[Xathan]

I'm majorly in favor of the earlier Monday time, which comes as no surprise to you. Also, seriously pondering playing major Hahn in the same archetype as Gideon, just because that's so much fun to play.