Character:Golem

Vignette

The old woman bent over the cards she was laying out. The spread was ominous. She was crossed by Death.

Now, that wasn't quite as bad as some people who didn't know the cards might think. But it did mean a change.

"Madame Mystic?" There was a light tap on the kitchen door, and her apprentice entered. "I've been checking in on the heronet forum. There's been a--"

"Catastrophe?" she asked, holding up a card that showed a tall building collapsing and throwing a figure down.

"Oh, uh... well, a death, actually."

"Hmph," said the woman, tapping the card with the grinning skull. "You're not normally so literal."

"Gargoyle."

"Oh!"

"It's on the news, too."

"I see."

"Ah, they say he was murdered. Apparently he always has videos set to play if he doesn't cancel them, so he can report on whatever... defeated him."

"Pragmatic."

"He was going after several villains last night. Including Dr. Ares."

"Right."

The woman hadn't looked up. She continued to look down at her cards.

"Uh... master? You told me if something bad enough happened you might come out of retirement."

"False!" she said, rounding on her apprentice. "I said if I was needed I would. Come take a look at this Ayi."

The young man stepped closer and looked down at the cards.

"This says my proper role is Temperance," she said, striking the card.

"But--"

"When you read the cards, Ayi, which cards often represent yourself?"

"Ah... well, when I started getting good at it, it was always the Fool. Which is ironic... I couldn't be the Fool until I had the skill to draw a relevant card."

"Everybody's the Fool when they're learning. That's what the Fool is. But you said 'was,' so what is it now?"

"Usually the Page of Wands."

Madame Mystic flipped a card dramatically; she didn't look at it. "The significant card here is the Knight of Wands, I think?"

Ayi stared at the card. Then shook his head.

"Oh," he said, picking up a card, "you dropped one."

"The High Priestess fell off the table..." said Madame Mystic sadly, "Well, I'd say that settles that. Off you go!"

She shooed him out the door and turned back to her cards. She hadn't yet looked at the last card, the likely outcome. She turned it over.

The Magician. "Oh, good. That boy will do fine."

Background

A number of years ago, Dr. Ares was working on an experimental AI. The experiment here was the software, not the robotics, so it had only a simple robotic body. Simple for the doctor's standards anyway--no built-in weapons at all.

The intent was to see how well it would work as an assistant. Ultimately, properly equipped in a more dangerous body, Dr. Ares might have used it as an enforcer or lieutenant.

Yes, the objective here was a fully autonomous facsimile of a person which could function fully. As opposed to an actual person, it wouldn't have annoying features like thinking for itself or self-preservation or counter-arguments.

It was an unprecedented foray into the field of artificial intelligence.

And it didn't quite work. Oh, Artificial Intelligence Experiment Number 8 was a breakthrough. The breakthrough. Dr. Ares went a bit too far, and got all those undesired things because the AI was, in fact, an actual person. Dr. Ares didn't have time enough to determine how well it worked, though, before Gargoyle shut down the operation (and something else, involving some kind of doomsday thingamabob; AIX8 was distracted at the time and didn't get all the details).

AIX8 immediately surrendered to the hero. As this wasn't something Dr. Ares expected it to have the capacity to do, it was a bit alarming. Fortunately, the doctor seemed to mostly accept that this meant the experiment was a failure and never really pursued AIX8 after that point.

While Gargoyle didn't immediately trust the robot, he did eventually come around to the idea that it was a person and as in need of protection as any other de facto hostage of a supervillain.

For a time the robot resided with Gargoyle, but he didn't like that very much.

Instead, he quickly set AIX8 up to live with a gadgeteer he knew. This time it was the robot who didn't much care for the arrangement. He (who had now grown into enough of his own identity to stop thinking of himself as an "it") didn't much care for the way Gizmo kept suggesting he should let her hook his mind up to her computers so she could figure out how he worked. She kept insisting that he should have an interest in robotics and other technology, but he didn't think this was fair at all--she wasn't interested in biology just because she was made of it, so why did she think it was so logical he must be interested in the science he was built of? Besides, her lab reminded him of Dr. Ares's... She did upgrade his body to make him at least as good as a human--he will forever be grateful for the new hands with actual fingers and thumb.

Eventually, Gargoyle suggested AIX8 stay with another old hero, a retired old witch who lived on her own now that most of her family lived in another state. She still lived in the same house she'd raised her children in, so she had extra room. And it's not like he needed to eat.

Ayi (as the old woman called him) was more comfortable there. She respected him more as a person and didn't think of him as an experiment like everyone else he'd lived with. She also didn't expect anything in particular of him.

When he saw her doing small tricks around her home that clearly defied the laws of physics as he knew them, he was fascinated. She showed him a lot of her magic, breaking out spellbooks she hadn't opened in years. And when he asked her to teach him... Well, she'd certainly like to show that Gizmo (well, her grandfather anyway) a thing or two. Madame Mystic didn't know if something like Ayi could learn magic, but... he had a mind of his own. As far as she knew, that's what a soul was, so she didn't see any reason it couldn't work... Worth a try at least!

And he did learn. One of the first things he mastered was a glamour spell that allowed him to look like a human. He left the house for the first time since he'd entered it, using the name Ayi Exait ("The best way to hide a secret is in plain sight, dear."). He's learned more since then. Madame Mystic thinks his power rivals her own when she first started her career as a superhero, although she hasn't told him that. She's still concerned, anyway--somebody probably should have stopped that young girl from fighting demons and things.

But, well, Ayi does have her to keep an eye on him. She never had that.

Character Sheet

Golem PL 8/120 PP AKA: AIX8, Ayi Exait

Abilities: 49 PP

Strike 2

Close Attack 2

Ranged Attack 6

Strength 2

Agility 3

Dexterity 2

Intellect 4

Awareness 3

Presence 2

Parry 3 (+6)

Dodge 4 (+7)

Toughness 1 (+9)

Fortitude 5 (+5)

Will 10 (+10)

Offense

Initiative +3

Unarmed +4, DC 17 Toughness

Magic Blast +8, DC 23 Toughness

Inanimate +8, DC 18 Fortitude

Dazing Wave, Close Cone, DC 18 Dodge and DC 18/14 Will

Raw Magic Punch +6, DC 25 Toughness (19-20)

Advantages: 3 PP

Extraordinary Effort, Interpose, Ritualist

Skills: 12 PP

Deception 4 (+6)

Expertise (Magic) 10 (+14)

Intimidation 4 (+6)

Ranged Combat (Magic) 2 (+8)

Sleight of Hand 2 (+4)

Technology 2 (+6)

Powers: 56 PP

Robot

(Immunity (Life Support) 10 x 1) 10 points

(Enhanced Advantages (Diehard, Eidetic Memory, Great Endurance, Ultimate Fortitude) 4 x 1) 4 points

(Protection 2 x 1) 2 points

Mystic Levitation (Flight 2 x 2) 4 points

Magic Shield (Enhanced Toughness 6 x 1, Enhanced Dodge 3 x 1, Enhanced Parry 3 x 1) 12 points

Spells

Prestidigitation (Feature (Minor Magical Effects) 1 x 1) 1 point

Inanimate (Affliction (Resisted by Fortitude/Hindered/Immobile/Transformed (Inanimate Object) 8 x 1) Ranged 8 x 1 Reversible 1 x 1) 17 points

AE: Magic Blast (Damage 8 x 1 Ranged 8 x 1) 2 points

AE: Raw Magic Punch (Strength-based Damage 8 x 1 Distracting 8 x -1/2 Improved Critical 1 x 1 Accurate 2 x 1) 1 points

AE: Dazing Wave (Affliction (Resisted by Will/Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) 8 x 1 Area (Cone) 8 x 1) 2 points

AE: Human Glamour (Morph (Human Form) 1 x 5) 1 point

Totals: Abilities (49) + Advantages (3) + Skills (12) + Powers (56) = 120/120

Complications

Motivation: Doing Good

Responsibility: Madame Mystic (Teacher)

Enemy: Dr. Ares (Creator)

Rival: Gearhead (Gadgeteer hero)

Prejudice: Inhuman

Quirk: Naive