Arden 689-C
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Background
Erehwon Colony is on Sophie, a moon of the Gas Giant Zeus, in the Kaldasa Arden 689-C
689 is not the number of children in his Crèche, Arden has often had to explain. He were born in the summer of 2489, and thus 6/89. The rest of his crèche approximately 24 children born that month share his numerical ID. And C means that he is the third of his “class.”
Erehwon Colony is on Sophie, a moon of the Gas Giant Zeus, in the Kaldasa System (a Rim Planet). Sophie is unremarkable except being a fairly dim planet, suitable for miners and others unaccustomed to the light of day. Its principal spaceport serves the mining center of Purgatory, a small city of dubious moral character. "No one is happy to be in Purgatory, but it is better than some places, and eventually you can leave. “Sophie” was not terraformed. It has .95G gravity and a breathable if tainted atmosphere. Its rich mineral deposits would endure better in this poor environment, so the decision was made to keep it. Most natives can get by with a simple combination of supplements and an oxygen mister to supplement the weak atmosphere. Non natives tend to wear breathing masks or even full spacesuits. Its primary claim to fame is being a source of porous hydrogen bearing rock, Sophite, which was used as a raw fuel source by the Independents during the war. This fact was not discovered until late in the war, when it was no longer relevant to the outcome. Sophie survived the war mostly unscathed.
Erehwon Colony was founded by a Utopian society bent on not replicating the problems of Earth that Was. The founders made their plans aboard the Arks en route to the Verse and quickly found themselves the object of some ridicule by the other colonists. By the time they reached the 'Verse they decided to colonize one of the more remote planets, and settled on the moon of Zeus. The mining colony wasn't likely to attract any untoward interest. They would be free to develop their own society, without interference.
Erewhon Colony was built into a large crater on the southern hemisphere of the planet. A closer to normal atmosphere is pumped into the crater producing relatively normal (untainted) air to breathe and an environment suitable to growing vegetables and such. It also provides considerable isolation. The crater is approximate five kilometers in diameter and 200 meters deep at its base. A lake of water covers the base of the crater is keep recycling and fresh by pumps and filters in the city, much of which floats on the lake.
Erehwon Colony is approximately 5000 people, born in Crèches when the population warrants it. It is not a growing colony; its 5000 population mirrors that of the original colonists. Each year a number of children are created from a combination of genetic materials from the existing colonists and from a "gene-bank" which came with them from Earth that Was. Many of the children today are the children of Earth the Was. Your Crèche was remarkable for a minor cataclysm wherein two thirds of the original children died shortly after birth. It was believed the genetic materials had been compromised somehow, the remaining children did exceptionally well both physically and mentally. Several of them were recruited in youth by special schools in the core. You were kept in the colony and nothing was heard from the others. Your Crèche always had a stigma attached to it, as though your abilities were bought at the expense of your siblings somehow.
The people of Erehwon are a taciturn and cerebral lot. They often refer to themselves as No One or Nobody from Nowhere to emphasize their role in a collective. Their education is classical and fairly rigorous. There is no economy to speak of, people simply get what they need and do what they can or what is needed. There is no leadership, it is a true anarchy, but each 'nobody' is taught from youth to think of the needs of the collective when decisions need to be made. Discussions use consensus to arrive at their decisions when needed. There is little or no sense of ownership to ideas or hurt feelings when decisions are made without ones consent. Close personal or romantic relationships were discouraged, though some 'play' was permitted. That said, to an outsider it looks little different from well run corporation, church or school.
Arden was clearly above normal in intellect and was told it was for that reason he was sent to Osiris for medical training (to update the colony on new techniques). He was given a cursory introduction to the culture of the 'verse some cash and a ticket off world. His days in Osiris were difficult, but rewarding. He always assumed that he would return to Erewhon, but he enjoyed the variety of people, and the women. He rarely was able to get the courage to do anything about it, but he certainly had his fantasies.
When he returned to Erewhon he was not greeted with much affection or interest. He did note that none of his crèche mates were around, and there was something else amiss. He seemed to be almost shunned by others. Initially he thought it was their parochialism, or his own foreign traits picked up at medical school. But soon he realized that it was something else. He was investigating the disappearance of the others from his crèche when he was nearly killed he went on a jaunt to Purgatory to check out the transport records. When he activated the vehicle it began to overheat and something told him this was no usual engine problem. He fled the scene just before the car exploded. He decided that it wasn't safe to stay in the colony and he hitched a ride on a supply vehicle from the mining center that stopped by.
He searched the cortex in Purgatory and found an ad for Colony Doctor on Jiangyin, he booked passage to Bernadette on an ore freighter and then aboard the MakeMake. The rest is history.
Physical Appearance
Psychological Profile
Character Sheet
ATTRIBUTES
Agility d4
Strength d8
Vitality d8
Alertness d10
Intelligence d12
Willpower d6
ASSETS
- Highly Educated (d6): Alden excelled in school, he actually paid attention to the teachers, and retained what he learned. He wanted to learn. Comes in handy during social events and gameshow appearances, though his extensive booklearning can sometimes makes Alden stand out on a Border planet.
Benefit: You gain a +2 step Attribute bonus to Intelligence for any Knowledge-based Skill roll when you try to recall some information (though it won’t help you when you’re taking actions). For example, if you are a doctor trying to match someone’s symptoms to a particular disease, you receive the bonus; it does not apply to rolls affecting your treatment of the patient. - Nose for Trouble (d6): Arden’s got a mental alarm that sounds when something’s about to go wrong. He's always been able to tell when a no-good guay toh guay nown is lying his ass off and a creepy feeling that someone is standing behind that door lying in the wait.
Benefit: You can make an Intelligence- or Alertness-based roll to sense trouble even when circumstances might not normally permit it (you’re dancing at a hoe-down), and you gain a +2 step bonus to either Attribute when the circumstances warrant (you’re sneaking into the hide-out of the local crime boss). As a Major Trait, you may also spend 1 Plot Point to negate all effects of surprise, as you sense trouble just in the nick of time to avoid getting caught with your trousers down.
COMPLICATIONS
- Amorous (d4): Sex might not be the only thing on Alden's mind, but it definitely ranks up there at the top. Alden's always chasing skirts and looking to find intimate companionship whenever possible.
Penalty: You’ll make a pass at almost any person of your sexual preference and you don’t put up any barriers when someone is coming on to you. This can cause a –2 step Skill penalty to Influence-based actions when the other party is offended by your advances. You also suffer a –2-step Willpower Attribute penalty when attempting to resist the wiles of someone who is your “type.” - Deadly Enemy (d2): Alden has made himself a dangerous enemy— someone who’ll go to great lengths to either capture or kill him. Too bad that Alden has absolutely no idea who that enemy is. He suspects that it is someone from his home colony, but it is only a suspicion, not a confirmed fact.
Penalty: Someone is out to get you. You don’t have to specify the nature of your nemesis, though your personal background may provide you or the GM with ideas. Your enemy might be extremely powerful and dangerous, posing a direct threat every 3 to 5 adventures, at the GM’s discretion. You’ll never be completely free of the danger until you buy off this Complication—so even if you think you’ve gotten rid of your enemy, the threat remains in one form or another at the discretion of the GM. For example, if you kill a major enemy, his brother or best friend will swear vengeance and take up the hunt. - Straight Shooter (d2): Normally considered a virtue, honesty is not always the best policy—especially in diplomacy, business, or barrooms. Alden hasn't learned this yet.
Penalty: You speak the truth without regard for other people’s feelings, or the circumstances involved. You might consider telling a falsehood only in dire emergencies, and even then you suffer a –2 step Skill penalty to Influence-based actions, as your lie is written all over your face.
SKILLS
- Covert d6: Sneaky maneuvers, usually illegal. You can use this Skill to move silently, hide, blow a safe, or pick someone’s pocket.
- Open Locks d8
- Disable Device d8
- Guns d6: Anyone might be able to squeeze a trigger, but that’s not the same thing as actually knowing how to shoot. The ‘Verse is a dangerous place, and it’s best not to strap on iron unless you have the know-how needed to use it.
- Pistols d8
- Medical Expertise d6: You know what they say: "there are always places to see, people to break". And when folk do break, you’ll be there to put ‘em back together with your bag of modern medical wonders. You can slap an aid-strip on a scratch and tell them to take two aspirins in the morning without this Skill, but anything more serious requires medical school, internships, residency, and knowing when to holler "clear!"
- General Practice d8
- Pharmacology d10
- Internal Medicine d8
- surgery d10
- Perception d6: This Skill helps you pick up on subtleties in your surroundings. You notice little things such as the tiny crack on the marble floor that less attentive folk could easily miss. Can’t slip a gnat past you, if you get really good at it. Naturally, you can’t take certain Specialties that rely on a particular sense if you are partially or fully disabled in that sense—awfully hard to justify takin' "sight" when you’re blind, for instance–although a blind person might take this Skill in hearing. Note that Skill use against other characters is opposed, so some of the following examples could vary in actual play.
- intuition d10
- investigation d8
- Planetary Vehicles d6: Your ability to drive, operate, and maintain vehicles used planetside—on the ground, on or under water. Most folks are capable of driving a car, steering a boat, or riding a horse, but when things get a mite tricky, you’ll need to roll the dice to see how well you perform. Note that basic maintenance for vehicles is covered under this Skill. Serious repairs must be performed by those with Mechanical Engineering.
- Technical Engineering d6: With this Skill you can use machines that run on complicated electronics and computerized components, as well as engage in computer hacking and programming. You can wave-order deliveries and open programs without this Skill, though anything more complicated, and you’ll be staring at a screenful of error logs.
- Computer Programming d8
- Hacking d8
- Unarmed Combat d4: They say never hit a man with a closed fist, but it is—on occasion—necessary. And sometimes nothing brings more satisfaction to one’s soul than delivering a good old-fashioned punch to the jaw. For those who relish those occasions, this is the skill to use, whether it’s a knee to the groin, kick to the shin, hook to the chin, chop to the throat or gouge to the eye. Note that while Unarmed Combat doesn’t involve the use of weapons, this and the Brawling specialty can allow you to use weapons of opportunity (beer bottles, etc.).
