Crimson Shield
<from the diary of Colin Vilnius>
I guess I was about 5 when my grandfather started telling me stories about Crimson Shield. The stories were always told first person as if he were the man behind the shield. War, Nazis and exotic locales always kept my interest. All the way up through middle school, I imagined how it must have been to be the Shield. We played heroes and villains on the playground like kids many years ago played cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians.
Then, just before high school, heroes became 'uncool'. In history class, the teachers skimmed over the effect of the Liberty League and other heroess during the war. But my grandfather still told the same stories. It seemed like that's all that mattered to him. That's when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and everyone took the stories as always having been part of his dementia. I guess I did a little too. At least until that day he died.
Somehow he'd wandered off down the street to his old neighborhood. He'd stopped in to the local market for some oranges, and was paying when the skinheads busted into the store and started smashing up things. All I've found out is that after one of the skinheads hit the owner over the head and tried to hit grandpa, grandpa went besrek almost. In a couple of minutes, he'd put four skinheads on the ground unconscious and was going after the last when the ganger shot him with some kind of electrical gun. Grandpa fell, and by the time thy got him to the hospital, he was gone.
The funeral was the hardest thing I've been through. Mom was the one who had to clean out his stuff from the house so we could get it ready to sell. I was cleaning out an old wardrobe in the attic when I guess a shirt caught on something and I heard a whirring. I watched in amazement as the back of the wardrobe slid open to reveal a dusty reddish costume along with a dusty red shield. When I took hold of the shield, I was amazed at the lightweight but apparent sturdiness of it. I remembered that the old stories had told about the Crimson Shield's shield being made of some kind of metal that was unique to the time. I kept the find to myself and asked mom if I could have the wardrobe. I was relieved when she said yes. Now, that wardrobe is in my apartment and I open it up from time to time when I hear about some bad news on the TV or 'net. I know that the Sentinels have a lady named Guardian with something similar, but they're not always around and are also usually dealing with bigger fish.
The way things have gone with sports, and most physical activities it's almost like he passed down whatever it was that gave him his parahuman abilities. History said the Crimson Shield was enhanced by the government. I'm not sure whether that was true or not, but I know sports and such have come easy. ANything that requires throwing too is a piece of cake. If I was one for fame I might take up sports as a career. Not sure what going to do now though. I imagine grandpa in his day would have had something to say about all the crime and violence on the streets. He might even have just done something about it. I wonder if he'd mind if I did it for him.
Crimson Shield - PL 9
Strength 5, Stamina 4, Agility 5, Dexterity 5, Fighting 5, Intellect 1, Awareness 1, Presence 0
Advantages
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 3, Diehard, Equipment 1, Evasion, Great Endurance, Languages 2, Precise Attack (Ranged, Concealment), Skill Mastery: Athletics, Uncanny Dodge
Skills
Acrobatics 10 (+15), Athletics 10 (+15), Close Combat: Shield Bash 6 (+11), Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+9), Deception 4 (+4), Expertise: Physics 6 (+7), Expertise: Streetwise 4 (+5), Expertise: Teaching 2 (+3), Insight 6 (+7), Investigation 4 (+5), Perception 10 (+11), Persuasion 4 (+4), Ranged Combat: Shield Throw 4 (+9), Stealth 2 (+7)
Powers
Crimson Shield (Easily Removable)
- Blocking: Deflect 10 (Diminished Range 3) (Range: 20/50/100)
- Shield Bash: Strength-based Damage 2 (DC 22; Penetrating 5)
- Shield Throw: Strength-based Damage 2 (DC 22; Increased Range: ranged, Ricochet 4: 4 bounces; Diminished Range) (Range: 20/50/100)
Legacy Serum
- Regeneration: Regeneration 4 (Every 2.5 rounds)
- Speed: Speed 2 (Speed: 8 miles/hour, 120 feet/round)
Equipment
Utility Belt (Cell Phone, Flashlight, Multi-tool, Rebreather, Restraints)
Offense
Initiative +5
Grab, +5 (DC Spec 15)
Shield Bash: Strength-based Damage 2, +11 (DC 22)
Shield Throw: Strength-based Damage 2, +9 (DC 22)
Throw, +5 (DC 20)
Unarmed, +5 (DC 20)
Complications
Identity: Gavin Franklin, High School Substitute Physics Teacher
Motivation: Responsibility: Grandson of the original Crimson Shield, looking to live up to that legacy.
Colin's mother still lives in the neighborhood where she grew up with Colin's grandfather. That neighborhood has gotten kinf od rough the past few years and Colin is concerned.
Relationship: Colin has a girlfriend working for the Herald newspaper. Kathy is a human-interest reporter and always looking for a good story to cheer people up. However, her opinion on the various 'heroic' personalities is borderline so Colin will need to tread carefully if he doesn't want to affect the relationship.
Languages
English, Hebrew, Russian
Defense
Dodge 10, Parry 8, Fortitude 8, Toughness 7/4, Will 8
Power Points
Abilities 52 + Powers 11 + Advantages 15 + Skills 38 (76 ranks) + Defenses 19 = 135
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