OUBLIETTE 2E: Ja'fari, Bethany Fischer

[Michuru81]

MANTICORE (Power Level 8)

Real Name: Lexus Rauf
Height / Weight: 6’0” / 180 lbs.
Hair / Eyes: Dirty-blonde / Green
Place of Birth: London, England (March 21, 1993)
First Appearance: New Vindicators—European Academy #1

Physical Description: Lexus’s dirty-blonde hair is spiky and his skin is light brown; his eyes are as piercing as the fang-like teeth that fill his mouth. In his youth, he was seldom seen without an arrogant, determined smile; since his expulsion from the school, his strong jaw has been locked in a serious scowl.

Lexus wears a black, winter coat with a hood trimmed in white fur. A white ‘V’ slashes over his shoulders and down his chest. He wears loose-fitting black jeans and open-toed shoes.

Biography: Tevfik Rauf and Elena Vogel both passed on their Neo-Sapien abilities to their son, Lexus. The Turkish Tevfik bestowed his ability to conjure a coat of poisonous spines over his body while his wife, the daughter of Richard Vogel (Lionheart), imbued her son with her father’s ability to transform into an anthropomorphic lion.

As Manticore, Lexus has the Neo-Sapien ability to transform into an anthropomorphic lion with a barbed tail that carries a potent toxin—abilities that made him a candidate for enrollment at the New Vindicators Academy of Europe.

On his first day of class, he met Cornelis Noteboom, a Neo-Sapien from the Netherlands. The two boys quickly became good friends and as the year continued, their friendship evolved into something more…

The night they decided to take their secret relationship further, they were discovered by the headmaster: Lexus’ grandfather, Richard Vogel…

Disapproving of their relationship, the headmaster planned to separate the boys. Feeling it would be a disservice to Cornelis to expel him, the man instead expelled his grandson from the school—notifying Lexus’ parents of what had happened and hoping that they would straighten him out…

NVAE: quaere verum—Lexus began to sneak back onto the campus, offering cryptic warnings to the newer students. Slowly, the boy’s involvement with a terrorist organization, Laputa, came into suspect. It was only when one student—Vlad Radikovich, Candyman—defected to Laputa’s camp that the truth came out: Lexus’ parents had joined the group and installed him into the organization as well. Lexus’ loyalty remained with the school; however, due to a psychic trigger implanted by Lacuna, Lexus risked being possessed by the villain if he directly exposed the society’s aims.

STR 15 [25] (+7), DEX 14 (+2), CON 15 [25] (+7), INT 10, WIS 14 (+2), CHA 10

SKILLS: Climb 0 (+12), Intimidate 4 (+8), Notice 4 (+10), Sense Motive 4 (+6), Stealth 0 (+6)

FEATS: Attack Focus 2 (melee), Benefit 1 (Status [Dynasty]), Dodge Focus 2, Fearless, Power Attack, Takedown Attack 2

POWERS: Container 17 (Lion Form; Additional Limbs 1 [prehensile tail], Enhanced Constitution 10, Enhanced Skills 4 (Climb 4, Intimidate 4, Notice 4, Stealth 4), Enhanced Strength 10, Leaping 2, Pain 4 [Extras: Aura {+1}, Duration {Sustained, +1}, Linked {Paralyze, +0}, Poison {+1}; Flaws: Range {Touch, -2}], Paralyze 4 [Extras: Aura {+1}, Duration {Sustained, +2}, Linked {Pain, +0}, Poison {+1}], Protection 3, Speed 2, Strike 3 [Power Feats: Mighty], Super-Movement 1 [Slow Fall], Super-Senses 2 [Additional Senses: Low-Light Vision, Scent])

COMBAT: Attack +2 (+4 melee), Grapple +11, Damage +7 (+10 strike), Defense +4 (+1 flat-footed), Knockback -5, Initiative +2

SAVES: Toughness +10, Fortitude +13, Reflex +4, Will +4

COMPLICATIONS: Secrets

Abilities 18 + Skills 3 (12 ranks) + Feats 8 + Powers 85 + Combat 8 + Saves 10 = 137 points

I've said before that I'm not too keen on posting a build that I intend for my players to fight. As I wanted to keep Manticore's alignment a secret, that meant withholding his build (my reasoning is that if I had posted him, the players in my PBP game would have figured out that he's really on their side). Still, by this point in the campaign, it's OOC knowledge of why he's been so cryptic and that he's one of the good guys. Plus, posting him seemed like the Elemenoh thing to do.

I'm not happy that he came out over budget. Sadly, this has been trimmed down from 150 points. What makes him so costly is the pair of auras he sports--his poison quills. The simplest solution would be to drop them a rank or two but I can't shake the feeling that he'd hardly be that imposing.

[Michuru81]

JA’FARI (Power Level 8)

Real Name: Ja’fari
Height / Weight: 5’10” / 158 lbs.
Hair / Eyes: Black / Brown
Place of Birth: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (October 2, 1992)
First Appearance: New Vindicators Academy of Europe #8

Physical Appearance: Ja’fari appears as a physically imposing teenage boy of Middle Eastern decent. Broad shouldered, he wears toned muscle under his thawb and a keffiyeh atop his skull.

Relationships: Jihad (father), Hanafi (half-brother), Hanbali (half-brother), Maliki (half-brother), Shafi’i (half-brother; deceased), Zaidi (half-brother), Ibadi (half-brother), Zahiri (half-brother)

Biography: In 1990, leaders of Al-Akhwan, a network of militant Islamists, observed a wondrous demonstration: an American scientist, Doctor Noah Meinstein, had found a way to bestow select Neo-Sapien abilities on children in vitro. Seeing the potential for this, Al-Akhwan, purchased eight Primes—all boys to be fathered by one of their members—a mysterious figure who would be known universal over a decade later as Jihad.

Though the world would not learn of Jihad’s Neo-Sapien ability until September 11, 2001, Al-Akhwan knew: Jihad was a man capable of creating seemingly limitless duplicates of himself. It was hoped that the eight children would manifest more than the absconded abilities they paid for and that each of the children would also possess their biological father’s talent for cloning himself.

Indeed, seven of the eight Primes showed themselves capable of creating duplicates of themselves. Each of the children was subjected to martial training and special training in the use of their respective abilities.

In Ja’fari’s case, this ability was one inherited from the Vindicator known as Onyx: Ja’fari is capable of transforming into living rock…

NEW VINDICATORS ACADEMY OF EUROPE: quaere verum—What began as a simple search and rescue mission took a turn for the worse... Led by Current and Quintessence, Greystone, Impasse and Sublime had journeyed to Oran, Algeria in search of the missing Mouloud Poundstone. The trail led them to the Islamic Relief Foundation and, posing as an Algerian, Greystone won passage into the group’s lower levels. There, he met three of Jihad’s clones and Ja’fari…

STR 16 [28] (+9), DEX 10, CON 16 (+3), INT 12 (+1), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 10

SKILLS: Bluff 4, Computers 4, Craft (chemical) 6, Craft (electronic) 6, Craft (mechanical) 4, Drive 4, Gather Information 1, Intimidate 6, Knowledge (philosophy and theology) 3, Language 2 (Arabic [base], English, French), Pilot 4, Search 4

FEATS: Attack Focus 4 (melee), Dedicated, Dodge Focus 2, Equipment 3, Favored Opponent 1 (soldiers), Fearless, Power Attack, Set-Up, Startle, Teamwork 2

POWERS: Alternate Form 8 (Solid [gemstone]; Density 6 [Extras: Duration {Continuous, +1}; Flaws: Permanent {-1}], Immunity 9 [life support], Protection 5 [Extras: Impervious {+1}]), Duplication 8 (Power Feats: Progression 2)

Equipment: fragmentation grenade (Blast Explosion 5); 10 free equipment points

COMBAT: Attack +2 (+6 melee), Grapple +8 (+19 alternate form), Damage +2 (+3 versus soldiers, +9 alternate form [+10 versus soldiers]), Defense +4 (+1 flat-footed), Knockback -1 (-8 alternate form), Initiative +0

SAVES: Toughness +3 (+10 [+7 impervious], Fortitude +9, Reflex +2, Will +4

COMPLICATIONS: Hatred (The West)

Abilities 18 + Skills 12 (48 ranks) + Feats 14 + Powers 58 + Combat 8 + Saves 10 = 120 points

How To Mess With Your Players
1) Post a build like Manticore and say how you don't post a build the players haven't fought yet.
2) Post the build of a character that currently looks to be their next opponent.
3) Watch them wonder if the posted build means they're not going to be fighting said character.

Some time ago, I was hit by the idea that in the Oubliverse, Neo-Sapiens could be more devastating than nuclear weapons. To that end, I aspired to be lame and conceive a story where rather than a "that evil country is totally building nuclear weapons" we had "that country is totally putting together a team of Neo-Sapiens!" The result? A militant group buys a few Primes off of Doctor Meinstein.

Originally, I was going to mix and match abilities. Imagine a Prime with the Iron Curtain and Lodestone's power, or Oynx and Halogen's (invisible tank, anyone?). I eventually settled on duplicating Vindicators--because Duplication is a fun power. Still, I didn't want to be too abusive--which is why Ja'fari here can only make five duplicates and only one at a time. Oh, and they're not heroic. They may sport an obscenely high Toughness save, but once they fail, they go pop. Each of Ja'fari's brothers will have a variation on this--with Jihad hinting in the game that Hanafi comes closest to him...

Just like his dad, Ja'fari's power makes him a great suicide bomber--not because of the duplication though, but because his ranks in impervious will eat the bomb blast. A great tactic for him is to spread out his duplicates in an area and have them all trigger their respective explosions--possibly weakening a team before the real fight can begin.

[Michuru81]

BETHANY FISHER (Power Level 5)

Real Name: Doctor Bethany Fisher
Height / Weight: 5’10” / 147 lbs.
Hair / Eyes: Grey-Blonde / Blue
Place of Birth: Manhattan, New York (February 11, 1959)
First Appearance: New Vindicators Academy of Europe #1

Physical Description: Bethany appears a handsome woman in her late-forties: a grey streaks her bobbed hair and crow’s feet are visible at the edges of her eyes. She carries a little extra weight around her hips and tries to hide this behind the jackets of pantsuits—which she is seldom seen outside of.

Relationships: Amy Bedford (sister; deceased), General Arthur Colbenson (ex-husband), Autumn Colbenson (daughter), Doctor Cheryl Colbenson (daughter), Forrest Bedford (brother-in-law; technically deceased), Mortimer Bedford (nephew; deceased), Chienne Bedford (niece)

Biography: Though she had a modest upbringing as the daughter of a taxi cab driver and a housekeeper, everyone always assumed that Bethany Fischer was destined for greatness. Skipping the fourth- and seventh-grade, Bethany graduated high school at the age of sixteen-years-old and had to obtain her parents’ permission to marry her classmate, Arthur Colbenson.

A year later, while plowing through her undergraduate work, Bethany gave birth to her first child, Cheryl. Six years later—and with her doctorate in view—Bethany conceived again…

In August of 1982, America became embroiled in the Lebanese Civil War. Arthur—then sergeant first class—was deployed. Bethany, working on her doctorate in human development and family studies, met a roguish man who introduced himself as Sam White. One night of passion left her pregnant with her second child, Autumn. The United States withdrew from the conflict in 1984 and Arthur—able to perform basic math—realized her infidelity.

Though he was willing to forgive her, Bethany blamed him putting his career as a soldier ahead of their family as the catalyst behind her unfaithfulness. The two separated, with them sharing custody of Cheryl and Bethany retaining sole custody of Autumn.

Years passed; Bethany tried and failed to find Sam White while Arthur succeeded at climbing the rungs of the military ladder. Meanwhile, something began to grow inside of Autumn: abilities inherited from her father began to display themselves… Able to manifest a dome of translucent, white energy around her, it wasn’t until a secondary effect of her abilities was discovered that the United States government took interest in the child. Given his connection to the girl’s mother, Arthur was ordered to retrieve Autumn.

As Autumn had been given her step-father’s surname upon her birth, Arthur claimed that the child was biologically his. With the backing of the United States government, paternity tests were falsified to support his claims and he fought for sole custody of the girl.

In order to secure a victory, Autumn’s psychosis was brought into question: the girl claimed she heard voices that urged her to do horrible things and given her mother’s background in psychology, the woman’s professional reputation was discredited. Ultimately, she was declared an unfit mother and stripped of her right to raise either of her girls.

Determined not to give up on winning her children back but realizing she would not win such a battle in the United States, Bethany Fischer became an expatriate…

The woman began campaigning in several European countries, looking for the means to appeal the ruling and secure even visitation rights. Her attempts failed and soon, both girls were considered adults. Bethany’s repeated efforts to rejuvenate her relationship with her eldest were met with hostility, with Cheryl blaming her mother and half-sister for tearing apart their family.

Though Autumn turned 18-years-old in 2000, Bethany’s attempts to locate her daughter—let alone contact her—have thus far yielded no results…

NEW VINDICATORS: quaere verum—As the 2008-2009 school year began at the New Vindicators Academy of Europe, the United Nations’ Department of SPB Affairs invited Doctor Fischer to join the faculty at the New Vindicators Academy of Europe as one of the two headmasters, joining Sir Isaac Newton in administrating the school for teenage Neo-Sapiens. Seeing it as a chance to redeem herself as a mother and protect other super-powered children (much like her youngest daughter), the woman jumped at the chance…

NEW VINDICATORS: condemnant quod non intellegunt—Doctor Fischer hired members of Crimson Shadow to abduct her daughter, Doctor Cheryl Colbenson, in order to allow her to interrogate her as to the whereabouts of Autumn… At Cheryl’s prodding, Bethany was able to connect the dots and realized that certain events during the White War hinted at Autumn’s presence somewhere in New York City…

STR 10, DEX 10, CON 10, INT 17 (+3), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 13 (+1)

SKILLS: Diplomacy 4 (+5), Languages 2 (English [base], French, German), Knowledge (behavioral sciences) 10 (+13), Knowledge (civics) 2 (+5), Knowledge (current events) 2 (+5), Knowledge (history) 3, Knowledge (theology and philosophy) 2 (+5), Medicine 3 (+4), Profession (psychologist) 8 (+9), Sense Motive 4 (+5)

FEATS: Equipment 1

POWERS: none

Equipment: cell phone, desktop computer

COMBAT: Attack +0, Grapple +0, Damage +0, Defense +0, Knockback -0, Initiative +0

SAVES: Toughness +0, Fortitude +1, Reflex +1, Will +5

COMPLICATIONS: Obsession (Protecting Children), Responsibility (NVAE), Secret (Senator Amy Bedford’s Sister, Doctor Cheryl Colbenson’s Mother)

Abilities 13 + Skills 10 (40 ranks) + Feats 1 + Powers 0 + Combat 0 + Saves 6 = 30 points

She may not look like it but Beth here is one of the bigger players in the Oubliverse at this point... Not only is she the woman in charge over in the NVAE PBP RPG but she's connected to some of the more important NPCs over in the tabletop game.

[Arthur Eld]

I like the addendum of Forrest being technically deceased. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of him before too long-unfortunately.

[Horsenhero]

Wow. Ja'fari looks like a formidable s.o.b. If the rest of the brothers are that formidable Jack, Lex and company have their work cut out for them.

Love Dr. Fischer. Her build just shows, important characters don't have to be able to crush bricks barehanded or fly to the moon or whatever to be formidable. Sometimes wealth and connections are the greatest super-powers.

[SandersonCooper]

You know, I wouldn't mind seeing Merlin's build now that he's erm, not with us anymore.