Nell Corbie

Nell Corbie, The Death Knell or The Thief of Time

"I wonder sometimes whether I cheated Death or whether Death cheated me." Background Character Name: Nell Corbie Role: Rank: Seasoned XP Total: 4 Description: mythic Avion death spirit Attributes Agility d6 Smarts d4 Spirit d8 Strength d4 Vigor d10 Secondary Statistics Pace 5 (walking), 12 (flying), d4 running die Parry 12 (with the Dulled Scythe, otherwise just 7) Toughness 12(6) Bennies 3/3 Edges Arcane Background: Super Powers what it says on the tin Brave +2 to Fear checks, substract 2 from fear table Counterattack Free attack against first enemy to miss Nerves of Steel Ignore 1 point of Wound penalties Hindrances Dependent Minor Her husband, elven antiques dealer Galan Wrensong Impulsive Major Shamed Major Stubborn minor Skills Skill Attribute Rank Modifiers Academics Smarts - Athletics Agility d6 -2 when swimming Battle Smarts - Boating Agility - Common Knowledge Smarts d4 Driving Agility - Electronics Smarts - Fighting Agility d10 Focus Spirit d8 Gambling Smarts - Hacking Smarts - Healing Smarts - Intimidation Spirit - Notice Smarts d6 Occult Smarts - Performance Spirit - Persuasion Spirit d8 Piloting Agility - Repair Smarts - Research Smarts - Riding Agility - Science Smarts - Shooting Agility - Stealth Agility d6 Survival Smarts - Taunt Smarts - Thievery Agility d8 Powers Armor 3 (AP 6) Point Cost: 5 Notes The shadows around her deflect incoming damage. Doesn't Breathe 1 Point Cost: 1 Modifiers: Extreme 1, Device -1 Notes The Vulture's Veil Melee Attack 4 Point Cost: 9 Modifiers: Special Weapon 2, Device -2, Armor Piercing 4 (AP 8), Heavy Weapon 1 Notes: Str+2d6 damage, with Dulled Scythe using Staff statblock for Str+d4+3d6 damage The legendary Dulled Scythe, formerly belonding to Death itself. Heightened Senses Point Cost: 2 Modifiers: Infravision 1, Low-light vision 1 Notes She can see in pitch darkness. She can see your pulse. Infection 2 Point Cost: 5 Modifiers: Affliction 2, Strong 2, Lethal 1, Requires Touch -2 (Contingent on a Melee Attack) Notes The very touch of death! Jinx 4 Point Cost: 6 Modifiers: Greater Jinx 2 Notes You better not miss, or you'll pay dearly for your hubris as you are caught in fate's strings. Object Reading 2 Point Cost: 2 Modifiers: none Notes A deep connection to fate and death provides a glimpse into the past. Obscure 4 Point Cost: 5 Modifiers: Strong 2, Self -1 Notes The shadows are one with her. Parry 4 Point Cost: 2 Modifiers: Device -2 Notes The Dulled Scythe's divinity bends fate around it and its wielder. Regeneration 10 Point Cost: 10 Modifiers: none Notes Nell's life was hard-won and she won't let go so easily.

Special Gear

CAN'T SWIM: Avions' wings are a hazard in water. They subtract 2 from Athletics (swimming) rolls and each inch moved in water costs them 3″ of Pace. FLIGHT: Avions fly at Pace 12 per round. Use Athletics when maneuvering. FRAIL: Avions have −1 Toughness due to their hollow bones. KEEN SENSES: Avions are more perceptive than most. They begin with a d6 in Notice (instead of d4) and may raise the skill to d12 + 1. REDUCED PACE: Dependence on flight and bulky wings make avions slightly slower when walking. Decrease their walking Pace by 1 and their running die by one step.

The Story of the Stolen Sunrise: an origin myth

A cold winter left many starving, and among them an orphaned girl with raggedy black wings like those of a crow, stubbornly surviving where others had long given up.

One day, Death itself finally came for her, and scooped her up, and began to carry her to whatever afterlife awaited beyond the grim winter sky.

But halfway there the little crow girl escaped, and flew back down to the mortal world. So Death had to go fetch her a second time.

And a second time the little crow girl broke free and flew back down.

"Strange little bird, why do you fight so when there is nothing for you down below?"

The little crow girl replied stubbornly, "I do not know you, and I will not go with you."

"But you have known my shadow all your life, and it is written that you will go."

And so Death folded her into its many arms as it ascended a third time. But refusing defeat, the little crow girl beat her wings in Death's face so annoyingly and made such a loud racket that Death itself lost its way, and could not find the gates to the final destination.

Then, by chance, it spied the cold lights of its own domain, tucked away into a castle between waking and dreaming, and decided it would rest for a little while there. Surely, it thought, the little crow girl would get bored eventually.

But it was not so. "This castle is so big, you'll never find me!" the little crow girl laughed as she disappeared into the halls of eternity.

And it is said that by the time Death found her again she had made quite a mess. She had spooked the pale horse, and she had tied knots in the threads of fate, and she had wedged the reaper's scythe into the gears of time and dulled its blade.

"Strange little bird, why will you not rest?" Death asked. "Why are you this way?"

"I don't know any other way to be!"

The little crow girl threw sand in Death's face, and she ran to the book in which all is written, and she began to tear out pages and scatter them to the winds.

"Strange little bird, you will break the world. Stop now before it is too late, and I will break the rules for you. Just this one time."

"You'll let me live?" the little crow girl asked, pausing her wanton destruction for a moment.

"It will not be a normal life, for you have meddled with shadow and fate, and so shadow shall be your blood and fate shall be your sinew."

"But you'll let me live."

Death nodded. And so a mythic figure was born where a child should have died. Many stories would come after, but the fact remained that every sunrise she saw after that was a stolen gift.