Amazing Deliveries: Icarus

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Icarus - HERMES Priority Courier

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"A wolf in sheep's clothing is just a poodle"

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Physical d10 || Mental d8 || Social d6

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Fight d8

Fix d6

Fly d12

- Precision Flight d6

Focus d6

Move d6

Notice d8

Operate d10

- Computer-Assisted Weaponry d6

Distinctions d8

Aerial Courier - Icarus applied to the Olympus program, and was sponsored by GeneRig. He beat out thousands of other applicants to be one of the rare few to operate a HERMES, and has been trained extensively on its use.

Check002.png Hinder: Sometimes a distinction works against you. Roll d4 instead of d8 to gain 1 PP
Check002.png Priority Courier: HERMES couriers have an impeccable reputation tied to their incredible dedication and skill. Spend 1 PP to use Fly instead of Influence when the character is interacting with someone who is utilizing the Deliverers for package delivery (as sender or recipient).​

(G)engineered For Survival - Icarus was born to a family selected for the GeneRig Advanced Startup Program (GRASP). Extra equipment and health care were provided in exchange for regular monitoring and testing to determine future improvements. As he grew to adulthood, Icarus noticed he had an unusual ability to stay outdoors far longer than his other family members. Up to this point, GeneRig's doctors have been the only ones to examine him, but they say he is perfectly healthy. He regularly eats an algae-based dietary supplement prescribed by his doctors.

Check002.png Hinder: Sometimes a distinction works against you. Roll d4 instead of d8 to gain 1 PP
Check002.png Just Won't Die: Icarus' body can seal wounds and organs are capable of functioning even with severe damage. Icarus worries more about whether the cargo is intact than his own survival. When you take a Complication representing physical harm, spend 1 PP to step it back or rename it as a mental or social Complication.​

Run, Hide, Fight!: When danger is near, the strategy is clear. Get out of the way, find cover, and if it's still after you, take it down.

Check002.png Hinder: Sometimes a distinction works against you. Roll d4 instead of d8 to gain 1 PP

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H.E.R.M.E.S. (Hostile Environment Rapid Movement Elevation Suit) d8 - The HERMES is designed to protect against the intense environmental conditions of the outdoors, especially heat. It contains a powerful cooling system, an oxygen recycler, and the suit is designed to absorb, filter, and store moisture. The proprietary power system is sealed (and quite possibly radioactive) but the maximum operation time is effectively unlimited. The HERMES is mounted with multiple mini-turbines that allow flight up to a theoretical altitude of 2000 feet (though normal operating height is only a few meters above the ground). Fly replaces Move for all relevant tests when the flight system is operating. The suit does not have enough sustained power to keep the turbines and cooling system both running at maximum, so the pilot will heat up during flight. Artemis Defense System d6 - This shoulder-mounted turret is linked to the HERMES heads-up display, and automatically tracks threats to the wearer with its sensor array. It fires course-correcting gyrojet rounds. The system uses Operate for the weapon and scanning capabilities.

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Background

GeneRig was the first to recognize the problem - there weren't very many good farming spots left. The population was outstripping the current resources, and even the improvements in efficiency weren't enough to prevent disaster. That is why the GeneRig Advanced Startup Program (GRASP) was created. Farmers were given more equipment, free servicing, and high-quality health care, and people flocked to the program. There were, however, a few catches. The land was subpar - areas were prone to flooding, too far from the Dome for adequate protection from raiders, or near spawning grounds of nightmarish creatures. The death rate of GRASP participants was unusually high and the medical services were frequently used. Though the deaths were not publicized, several participants began nicknaming the program 'GASP'.

That brings us to the second catch - experimentation. Participants were secretly given experimental genetic modifications designed to help with survival. Rejection rates in the first years were high, though children were the most likely to successfully adapt. The GRASP program ran for over a decade, and at the end GeneRig had developed treatments that were exceptionally effective and were only occasionally fatal. The farms that managed to survive were sufficient to stabilize the food supply, and the benefits of the treatments were then funneled towards more lucrative clients.

Adam Sullivan grew up on a farm collective of ten different families working together. By the time he reached the age of 15, eight of those families had died, as well as several other families that had come to replace them. His father was one of the many casualties, and the remaining two core families were combined into a single family unit - Adam now has one father and two mothers. The medics visited often, and seemed impressed with Adam's ability to operate machinery for hours in the harsh conditions outdoors. When a spot opened up in the prestigious HERMES program, Adam spoke to his doctors and they agreed to get GeneRig to back his application. The trials were grueling, but in the end Adam beat out thousands of other applicants, including several wealthy individuals who said a poor farmer would never succeed - it was like Icarus flying too close to the sun. Adam didn't know anything about the myth at the time, but he took the callsign Icarus to spite them.

Once training was complete, Icarus made many priority deliveries with his H.E.R.M.E.S. (Hostile Environment Rapid Movement Elevation Suit), carrying lightweight but important packages. His most notable achievement was making it to Mill City and back in an hour's time, the suit scalding hot as it passed through the secured flight hatch at the top of the dome during low tide. He went to the penthouse address he was given, and stayed just long enough to see what he had delivered...a fancy dress for a rich teenager's ball. That's when he realized he wasn't making a difference for Boston...just for the rich folks at the top. The next day, he put in a transfer request to be assigned to a Rig.

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