Fate of the World part 2: Natural Order

There have always been exceptional individuals. However they were few and far between. In 1924 the Dutchman opened the Crime College in order to find and train these individuals to further his ambitions. This lead to far more exceptional individuals in a far smaller geographic space. These men and women were trained in all manner of skills and technologies. They created wondrous devices and esoteric techniques. They wore bright colors and robbed banks, bold as brass. these were the first Villains. In order to face this new threat, heroes were forced to wear masks and delve into the esoteric. Many strange skills and bizarre inventions were used in the fight against crime. The public ate it right up. These were heroes right out of the pulps, facing evil villains in a never ending struggle of good against evil. That was the lie the papers sold them. the truth was far murkier. Many of the supposed heroes were nothing more than thugs in masks, shaking down villains. Some stood tall, but others became the very thing they were fighting against. It was a dark time, and justice was blind.

Rules for making Naturals in Jadepunk: 

1. Naturals may take any technique that does not break the laws of physics(discuss how far you want that to go within your group). 

2. Naturals may have any device, though the larger it is, or the stranger, the more likely it is to have the troubling flaw(everyone wants it, or it breaks all the time)

3. Allies are unchanged, these would be your gang, or your cop pals who feed you information.

Ivan Dahl von Teler

AKA: The Dutchman, the Ghost, George Anderson, Dutch

Born to a wealthy Danish family, Ivan was trained in everything the sone of a rich man was to know. A prodigy Ivan began learning everything that was available. By the age of eight he had read every book his father owned or could procure as well as burning through seventeen private tutors. At age eleven, tragedy struck. His father's fortunes waned and the family was forced to move to america. Things continued to deteriorate throughout his teen years and by the his sixteenth year his family lived in a detroit slum. During this time something cam unhinged in young Ivan. He began to see that he was different than other children, and in his isolation he focused even more on his studies. While he could no longer afford proper schooling as he was used to he began to train his body. Becoming strong and swift, able to do nearly impossible feats. He began to suspect that there were others like him out in the world. With that in mind he began his plan. He would build an organization of the greatest humanity could offer, and organization that could never fail, because it only accepted the best. To build this organization he needed capital. he began a string of robberies, and discovered he liked it. Ivan wished to remain anonymous and yet he also wished to be known for his expertise. And so the Dutchman was born. Dressed as a ghostly Pirate, he would rob banks and other high security locations. in 1921 he robbed an armored mail truck for over two million dollars in jewels and cash. He finally had enough money to put his plan into action. Over the next year he cemented his hold on a section of Chicago, and managed to pull together a few other unique individuals like himself. In 1923 he began work on the Crime College, developing recruitment tests and building a following of lesser crooks. His dream was about to take flight.

Portrayal: King of Crime

Background: Unhinged Prodigy

Inciting Incident: Out of the Ashes I Rise

Belief: Those With The Means Shall Rule

Trouble: It Is Never Enough

Professions: Scholar +3, Aristocrat and Engineer +2, Explorer and Scoundrel +1, Fighter +0

Assets

Technique: Mind Is The Best Defense

He has trained his body through the use of his mind. In a fight he can predict where an opponent's blow will land and be elsewhere. Fighting the Dutchman is like fighting the wind.

Guiding Aspect: Unhinged Prodigy

Features: Focus 2(+2 to fighter), Protective 2(reduce incoming harm from a successful attack by 2)

Flaws: Situational(only for defense and must described as part of the plan)

Technique: Master Mind

The Dutchman is brilliant at planing and getting people to do what he wants. He is a student of the mind, and the mind holds few mysteries for him.

Guiding Aspect: King of Crime

Features: Focus 2(+2 to scoundrel), Focus 2(+1 to aristocrat and engineer)

Flaws: Situational(only when dealing with followers or working toward a grand plan)

Stress: [] [] []

Refresh: 3

And that is my take on the Naturals for my setting. Let me know what you think, and perhaps what I am missing. Next up I will delve into the bizarre genetics of the Chimera. its gonna be pretty sweet.

Fate of the World Part 1: An Rambling Introduction

I got a lot of good feedback on the last series of posts I did(for those who forgot or missed it, I did DC superheroes using Jadepunk's setting and mechanics). At the end of that series of posts I asked what I should do next. I laid out a few ideas I had and I got a response. It was unanimous, everyone wanted me to do TMNT.

Well I say everyone, when really I mean, four people. So I set to work doing something approaching TMNT in Jadepunk, and I realized a couple of things. First, all the turtles are mechanically identical, save for the aspects(and even those are pretty darn close). And second, doing a straight port of TMNT did not really play to my strengths. Namely that I am a world builder primarily. I love making up worlds and settings and all that sort of stuff. So I decided to go with fusing a bunch of ideas I have had for a long while and build a setting that utilizes Jadepunk's rules, while giving you a whole new world to play in.

First, a story. A while back I saw the movie, Watchmen. I liked it. Specifically I liked the ending, I know I am going to get flack for that but I really think it works. But that is besides the point. what I loved about the movie was the way in which the "heroes" were portrayed. They were one step below superhuman really. I mean, in the comic they were shown as really competent, sure. It was only when I saw the movie that the idea struck. What if people could train themselves to that level. Not a lot of people or anything, but a small number like two hundred people world wide. So I started digging, and holy crap there really are some terrifying people out there. I mean, Houdini sure, but there were all kinds of awesome folks. Like The Mighty Atom, Howard Hill, and Christopher Lee, all these folks I looked into had amazing lives that are crazy. So I got to work. I started working on a way to do supers as I envisioned them, starting in the late twenties(for reasons I will eventually get into) and going through the end of WW II.

The problem I had with the setting was a lack of supers. If I was going to base it off of Watchmen, even tangentially, that means there really can't be superhumans...well there can, but they need to be almost inhuman to work. Enter my love of Aberrant and Progenitor. They had Dr. Manhattan-esque supers, and they had a fair number of them. So into the toolbox they went. Also, aberrant had a backstory that worked with what I was doing with my 1920s, it was nearly a perfect fit.

Alright so that is my old setting I want to revamp, so far so good. How then, do I get TMNT and all that into my setting. Recently I have been replaying Prototype 2, and the idea struck me(ouch), I could use an event like that, I could make that work. I already have people who can do the impossible, and people with knowledge and training at nearly superhuman levels, it would not take much to push one of them a little too far and create something truly...interesting. Enter Jurassic Park. I love that book/movie, love it/them. Anyway, one of the things I love is Ingen and its competitors. I love the world Crichton gives us. A world where technology and innovation have vastly moved faster than the laws could keep up with. the way Ingen was described, it reminds me very much of Umbrella Corp and other companies that do bad kinds of research. I need a company, or maybe a coupe of companies, that do the cutting edge genetic research and are moving so far ahead that there is no way to keep track of it much less legislate it. Also it will alow me to move into the Bourne Legacy type thing too.

So I have now three basic types of character in this. I have the singular individuals the Doctor Manhattan types, and the genetic hybrids. I think I can work with this.

I don't want this to turn into another World of Darkness, we already have two of those and they do a fine job. This can't be based on our world all that much ether, as things rapidly spiral out of control that way. So this is an alternate world where everything is a little more extreme. The darks are darker, but the lights are lighter. There is not a whole lot in between. If people tend toward selfishness, it is closer to Weyland-yutani from Aliens. Corporations are all money grubbing and evil, the government i out to get you(well the bad "rogue" factions are), but the good guys really are good guys, yeah?

So lets come up with names for things and a basic history.

Naturals
There are some people who are just better than the rest. With seven billion people on the planet, every now and again one will show up and excel at everything. Whether through natural talent, skill, luck, or some combination of all three, these folks stand above the rank and file. They are 1% of 1% of 1%. The best of the best. They are the area where our world began to change. It started in the twenties with masked villains, and rumors of the Crime College. During the twenties and thirties these masked criminals all were under the thumb of The Dutchman, a supposedly ghostly criminal genius. He showed up on the scene in the early twenties and managed to rob some 3 million in money and jewels over a three year period. He gathered up some of the brightest minds of his age and formed the Crime College, an underground lab and crime training facility.

In the thirties the Crime College began to recruit bright young students and training them in the engineering of crime. This led to the masked criminals being better trained and equipped than other criminals and even than the army. Some of their devices were twenty to thirty years in advance of the standard tech levels. During this time the cops couldn't stop the crime wave, and many were afraid of going against the Dutchman and his cronies. Some cops got together and decided to fight fire with fire. They put on masks and walked the night hunting criminals. As time wore on they too gathered up unique devices and skills. The papers loved it. Until the 1936 Summer Olympics, and the advent of the super-human.

Chimeras
The Nazis had discovered a method to alter the genetics and form of a person, allowing for beyond human abilities. They introduced the world to these beings during the summer Olympics of 1936. They could run at nearly sixty miles an hour, jump over thirty feet from a standstill and were able to lift well over a ton. They never told anyone the downside of the project, only one in 50 survived the process(they got it down to one in ten by the end of the war), and there were side effects. a small percentage of them became cannibals, they felt a compulsion to kill and eat the flesh of humans. These cannibals tended to be the more powerful of the hybridized super soldiers. needless to say, this changed the war. small groups of super soldiers could do far more than three times their number. During the war the government gave amnesty and a full pardon to any of the masked vigilantes and villains who wished to fight. Many advanced and strange devices were used against the super soldiers. the war went longer than in our reality, lasting until 1949. The bombs were dropped, first on Berlin and then on Tokyo. It was a horror show.

twenty years later an amateur treasure hunter discovered a Nazi U-boat in the south pacific. in it were many artifacts and plans. Specifically all the Nazi research into genetic modification. He managed to keep his find to himself and founded the first corporation with the goal of creating genetic engineered products. This is Alpha Corp, and today they are in everything. Alpha Corp crops are virus and pest resist and while granting greater nutrition and faster growth times. Alpha Corp cattle are larger with less fat. Alpha Corp is in everything...even you. You see they had started out to unlock the potential in the genes, and as time went on they began to make slight modifications to humanity, making us more resistant to disease and radiation and other harmful environmental effects. All of this went bad during game seven of the 1986 world series. A pathogen was released that awakened something in all of Alpha Corp's altered genes. People began changing, and New York City had to be quarantined. For those effected the pathogen had differing effects. It altered brain chemistry and bodies. Most people became shambling mindless eating machines. Some retained more intellect, but were altered in more subtle ways, becoming something more than human, and something less. They still hungered for the flesh of humans, but they could take that flesh and use it to repair themselves and other stranger effects. These became the first Chimeras, able to alter their own bodies at will through the use of stolen genetic material. Many Parts of New York City are still under quarantine, as every now and again the pathogen will flare up. Needless to say, Alpha Corp is now a dead company, most of the scientists and executives are in prison. However, this event unleashed a flurry of new activity in the fields of genetic engineering. Many new innovations sprang from the horror of that event.

Channels
In 1956 in a nuclear testing lab, something happened. An accident in one of the test chambers led to the supposed death of one of the scientists. He came back a weak later, reconstituted himself. He cam back changed. He could now manipulate the fundamental forces of the universe. as the years went on he became more alien and strange, eventually leaving in the early 1980s to, "see the universe and perhaps find myself." he has not been seen since. However, there have been other accidents, and others people have gained a bit of what he had. they too can manipulate the fundamental forces, though not to such a degree as the original. These people have become known as Channels, conduits for a power far beyond our tiny understanding of the cosmos.


Okay, so that is kind of where I am starting with the setting. I will be using the rules in Jadepunk to develop powers and characters for this setting, so please let me know what you think. Specifically let me know if you would like something specific added in, or if you see holes in my setting that need filled or explained.

Jianghu League: History of Violence

Because I am so overjoyed by the digital release of Jadepunk, I have used that excess joy to create a bunch of DC characters using Jadepunk's mechanics and setting. This is less a hack and more a re-imagining so the heroes and villains will fit within the world we created with Jadepunk.

Superman
Wonder Woman
Batman
Green Lantern
Aquaman
Hawkman
The Joker
Dru-Zod and Lex Luthor

Today I am doing the last in this line of thought and I will be moving onto another project that I have been kind of thinking about...actually there are three alternate lines of thought I could go with the next set of Jadepunk Posts, but more on that when I get to the end of this one.

Fugyara Min, Fastest Woman Alive
Min was one of the all time great relic hunters. She had robbed dozens of tombs on four continents. Until she was betrayed. One of her rivals spread the word of a great lost city, deep in the jungle south of Ahlmac territory. There were claims of Ruby Skulls and pyramids of gold. The rival, Tobias Schmidt, did not spread these rumors for Min's benefit, no. He spread them in the court of her largest patron, Inoue Shen. Shen ignored Min's warnings that this was a trap and sent her to gather these riches.

In the harshest jungle, far from civilization, walking into what she knew to be a trap, Min made a mistake. She dropped her compass. Of such small mistakes, mighty catastrophes grow. This was one such mistake. Unable to make an accurate bearing she was forced to use the sun and stars. In the deepest jungle, she got turned around, she became lost. Wandering for days without proper supplies, she was becoming dehydrated and delirious. In this state she came upon an ancient Teltac temple to Cicoh Chac, god of the Divine Wind and blood sacrifice.

Within the temple she drank of the holy waters and ate of the sacred mushroom. While in an ecstatic state, brought about by her exhaustion and the mushrooms, she had a great vision of the god Cicoh Chac. It came to her in the form of Spotted Panther and spoke of many things. Dark secrets were revealed to Min and she accepted a great burden. She would become Cicoh Chac's will made manifest. She donned the sacred garb of the Teltac Warrior Priests and set out to find a new empire for her dark master.

In Kausao City the people will listen to anyone who gives them hope. Min has done more than that, she has given them a twisted sense of power. She leads a small cult of the underclasses, they feed her information and when the need strikes they bring to her a blood sacrifice. Within her small district she has built a kingdom of blood. Right now it is beneath the notice of those in power. On the day they do take notice, pray that it is not to late. Min dreams of a city awash in blood and fear. She dreams of a burning empire from horizon to horizon.

Portrayal: Jaguar Queen of the Panther Cult
Background: History exists to grant me power
Inciting Incident: I am his will made flesh
Belief: May his shadow fall over all the world
Trouble: Things are moving too slowly
\
Professions: Explorer +3, Aristocrat and Scholar +2, Scoundrel and Fighter +1, Engineer +0

Assets
Device: Sacred Panther Cloak
The ancient Teltac high priests had cloaks made from the skins of the holy panthers, they would thread blue and white jade into the cloaks to aid in speed and stealth. This cloak is one of the last in existence, and makes Min the fastest biped on the planet.

Function Aspect: Holy Cloak of Speed
Features: Exceptional(can appear and disappear from a scene at will provided she can run), Focus 4(Fighter +2 and Explorer +2), Protective 2(reduce incoming shift value of an attack against you by two)
Flaws: Situational(only when wearing the cloak), Troubling(Voices in my head make me irrational)

Refresh: 3


Alright so that is my take on Cheetah for Jadepunk. Let me know what you think. Also my next Jadepunk project on this site will be one of three things, and I have not decided which I will do, so I need your help.
Should I do a Future Space Opera setting for the rules set, a version of TMNT for Jadepunk, or should I convert the characters and monsters from Girl Genius? I could go Either way with this, and to be frank, I will probably end up doing all three eventually. Let me know what you would like to see.

Jianghu League: And They Shall Kneel

I am celebrating Jadepunk's digital release by doing Jadepunk hacks of famous DC heroes and Villains. 

Superman

Wonder Woman
Batman
Green Lantern
Aquaman
Hawkman
Joker

Today I am going big. I am doing two of my favorite villains, Dru-Zod and Lex Luthor. It is going to be pretty epic up in here.

General Xiao, Master of the World
Twenty years ago a young popular general of the Tuyangan Army staged an ill fated coups attempt on the throne. His rebel army was wiped out and he fled the country in disgrace. While he had lost in his bid for power, General Xiao never gave up on his desire for power. His key to victory came to him when he arrived in the Kingdom of Kent. Hiring himself out as a mercenary he met the Lord Clark's chief engineer, Alexis Luthor. She was ambitious and amoral, much like Xiao. Over the course of a year he managed to gain her confidence and together they orchestrated the largest coups in recent history.

Since becoming High Lord of Kent, Xiao has dedicated his life to conquest. His people slave away in the white jade mines and manufactories, building him a massive war fleet of skyships. However, despite his successes, Xiao is still haunted by his failure. He lives in fear the the son of Clark, the true ruler of Kent, will one day return and depose him. this thought keeps him up nights. He cannot merely kill the man, as then he makes a martyr of him. he must capture and subjugate this supposed rival. He must. Xiao has sent several teams of bounty hunters after Johnathan Clark with this in mind. None have returned.

Portrayal: Wanna-be World Conqueror
Background: Master Of War
Inciting Incident: Kneel Before Xiao!
Belief: Only the Strong Shall Rule
Trouble: Temperamental Paranoid

Professions: Fighter +3, Scoundrel and Aristocrat +2, Explorer and Scholar +1, Engineer +0

Assets
Technique: Poison Fist Strike
Xiao holds that strength in conflict is the most efficient way of winning. He believes this on both the large and the small scale. In a fight he will strike with such force that he has been known to penetrate even the strongest armor. This is known as his Poison Fist Strike.

Guiding Aspect: Only the Strong Shall Rule
Features: Harmful 4(Four extra harm on a successful strike)
Flaws: Troubling(My Enemies Know My Moves)

Technique: Master of the Field of Battle
Despite is flaws, Xiao is a brilliant general. On the field, few can defeat him in direct conflict. He has studied all the great wars and military tactics ever recorded. He has, himself, been the leader in many campaigns. To go against Xiao in battle is a dangerous gambit.

Guiding Aspect: Master of War
Features: Focus 2(+2 fighting)
Flaws: Situational(only when leading men in battle)

Device: Royal Armor of Kent
The Armor of Kent has belonged to the Clark line for as long as any can remember. It was worn by the Kings of Kent in defense of the homeland only. It was said that the armor would protect Kent so longh as even one of the Clark line remains. When Xiao conquered Kent he began wearing the armor as a sign of his authority. However, to the people of Kent, the Bold S shaped seal on the chest is a reminder that one Clark still lives. It tells them that their is still hope.

Function Aspect: Green and White Jade Plate Armor
Features: Protective 2(reduce incoming harm of successful attack by two), Resilient 2(two extra stress boxes)
Flaws: Demanding(you must make a fighter roll vs a difficulty of +2 in order to put the armor on or take it off)

Doctor Alexis Luthor
The world is full of fools. Fools with power and fools without it. This is the sad truth that Luthor has had to endure her entire life. She may be the greatest mind humanity has ever produced. She should rule it, control it. Who else is better qualified? Yet at every step some fool comes along and blocks her success. First it was money, so she became chief engineer for the king. Then it was authority, and she was forced to deal with the simpleton Xiao. Now she is nearing her goal. Complete domination is within her grasp, if only Xiao would cease with his petty paranoias and conspiracies. There will come a day when he is no longer useful to her. Perhaps that day is nearer than she initially projected. Soon all the world will be brilliantly efficient and simple. No longer will the simpletons and fools who lucked into power run things like their own personal play ground. Soon.

Portrayal: World's Greatest Mind
Background: Knowledge Is The Only Weapon I Need
Inciting incident: Anything Is Permitted
Belief: Only I Deserve To Rule
Trouble: I Am Surrounded By Fools

Professions: Engineer +3, Scholar and Scoundrel +2, Aristocrat and Explorer +1, Fighter +0

Assets
Technique: Behold My Genius!
Truly their is no finer mind for invention of planning than the mind of Alexis Luthor. She has litle patience for using old plans of devices. Everything she comes up with is an inovation. None can accuse Luthor of copying or tinkering. She is a genius.

Guiding Aspect: World's Greatest Mind
Features: Focus 2(+2 engineer)
Flaws: Situational(Only when making something new, never for repair. She would rather start over from scratch that try and fix whatever is wrong with the thing)

Technique: Plans Within Plans
She has already won. You don't realize it, because your simple mind can only plan four or maybe five moves ahead. You only think you are winning because she is so far ahead of you that she is lapping you. When she needs to Luthor can utilize her magnificent mind to deal with any situation she can plan for.

Guiding Aspect: Knowledge Is The Only Weapon I Need
Features: Flexible(you may use Scholar in place of fighter)
Flaws: Situational(Only when you have an aspect on the scene representing your preplanning of events or understanding of things)

Alright there are my versions of Lex Luthor and Dru-Zod. let me know what you think.  Next up I think I may start working on Cheetah, should be good fun.

Jianghu League: The Laughing Man

As some of you know, I have been doing some conversions of DC heroes to celebrate Jadepunk's Digital Release. I have done Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Hawkman. Now that I have laid out some of the big players in my version, I have decided to do some of the Big Bads. I am starting with the one that need teh least introduction. The Joker.

The Laughing Man
A little over a year ago bodies began to show up on the riverfront. They seemed unrelated in all ways, men, women, children, Naramel, Aerish, Kaiyumi, Tuyangan, nothing connected them. Nothing except the method of murder. Every one of the victims had bleached white skin and a terrible smile on their faces.

During the first week seventeen bodies were found. Every week since, has had at least three murders. The pressed dubbed this killer, "The Laughing Man." In the back alleys and along the riverbanks, the stilt walkers and mudskimmers speak of a devil walking the midnight streets. Strange shadows and maddened laughter are often heard, though none have ever seen him face to face. In the last few months, The Laughing Man has begun to taunt the Watch, sending them pieces of the victims and leaving random seeming notes.

If you walk the nighttime streets of the Riverfront, learn to walk in groups. And pray to whatever gods will have you. Pray that you never meat the laughing man.

Portrayal: The Smiling Killer
Background: A Mystery Even To Himself
Inciting Incident: All It Takes Is One. Bad. Day.
Belief: Madness Is The Only Truth
Trouble: Murder On The Mind

Professions: Scoundrel +3, Engineer and Fighting +2, Explorer and Scholar +1, Aristocrat +0

Assets
Device: The Smiling Death
His victims are known by their rictus grin. He invented a black jade powder that, when inhaled, causes hallucinations and death. Upon dying victims' faces stretch into a horrible grin and their skin is drained of color.

Function Aspect: Black Jade Death Dust
Features: Harmful 4(does four extra harm on a successful attack)
Flaws: Situational(must be close to The Laughing Man and must breath it in)

Refresh: 5(he is really lucky)

Let me know what you think of my version of the Joker. he is not that different from the source material, but there is only so much to work with when he has no real backstory to speak of. Next i think i will work on Lex Luthor.

Jianghu League: Maddening Skies

Continuing on in my celebration of Jadepunk's digital release, I am going to keep doing Jadepunk versions of classic DC heroes. I have already done workups for Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern, and Aquaman. Today I delve into the awesomeness that is Hawkman.

Eshak Safavi, The Hawk

The Kingdom of Nohket is long gone. All that remains are a few Ruined Temples and Terracotta Statues, half buried in the southern savannas. Little is known of the culture or history of the Nohket people. The statues fetch a massive price on the black market, as they are quite rare and the region is dangerous to explorers. Large hungry beasts stalk the land, and several tiny kingdoms will hunt and kill any outsider found defiling their land. 

To the experienced Naramel Treasure Hunter, Eshak Safavi, the danger was part of the fun. He had raided temples, graves, and treasure rooms on every continent. This would be no different. Upon landing his ship things went south swiftly and with gusto. He lost his wife, Aiyade, to a rampaging Nunda(A feline the size of a horse) on the first day. As they were laying her body to rest, the Huaple people attacked and Eshak was wounded in the escape. As he lay, grieving and in pain, the ship's doctor gave him Black Poppy for the pain. This mixture of Opium and Black Jade dust showed Eshak the truth.

Eshak was truly the reincarnated king of Nohket, and his wife was the reincarnated queen. Cursed to never leave this realm for the afterlife, Aiyade and Eshak had found each other in a hundred lifetimes over a thousand years. He saw in this vision that he was cursed for defiling the graves of so many. To remove this curse he must become a hero, and save the history of all peoples.

Eshak woke from his fever dreams with the clarity of madness. He set sail for Kausao City, for it was there that the rich and the corrupt had sent him out of to steal history from its rightful lands. In the short time he has been in Kausao CIty he has gathered an arsenal, and begun to prey on the tomb robbers and desacrators. Often the last a sky pirate or smuggler will see, is the shadow of the Watchtower as it descends upon them. He has taken the symbols of the Nohket, the flail and the Hawk, as his symbol. He is the Hawk, terror of the skies.

Portrayal: Grief Maddened Skyship Captain

Background: Knows the Skies Like the Back of His Hand

Inciting Incident: Reincarnated Godking of Nohket

Belief: History Is the Soul of the World

Trouble: Delusional Freedom Fighter

Professions: Explorer +3, Aristocrat and Scholar +2, Fighter and Scoundrel +1, Engineer +0

Assets

Device: Sky Ship Watchtower

Re-purposed long distance cargo hauler, this ship is quite large for its crew size, and has been outfitted for carrying valuable pieces of history. It contains many artifacts that have yet to be delivered back to their homelands, as well as provisions for long distance travel. It requires only a small crew to run her properly. Eshak won her in a game of cards with a fellow ne'er do well, back in his old pirate days.

Function Aspect: White Jade Airship

Features: Aspect (Massive Exploration Ship), Exceptional (instantly leave or appear in a scene,

as long as there’s a way in or out), Sturdy 1

Flaws: Demanding (requires a Fair [+2] Explorer roll to get the ship underway), Situational

(only with a crew of at least six members who are dedicated to the task of working the ship,

and nothing else)

Device: Nohket Style Wing Harness

In his visions, Eshak saw the kings of Nohket utilizing wings to ascend to their heavenlly palaces. When he arrived in Kausao, he had such wings made for him. They allow him to fly, but they also make him a target as he is a well known pirate and has recently begun hunting down the Governor's ships. The governor does like to have beautiful things, many of which were stolen from their respective peoples.

Function Aspect: White Jade Wings

Features: Sturdy 2(Two extra Stress boxes), Exceptional(Can appear and leave a scene at will by flying)

Flaws: Demanding 2(Takes a turn and an Explorer roll of +2 difficulty to start flying), Troubling(Hunted By The Governor's Forces)

Device: Kahtar's Royal Flail

As he had the wings crafted, he also had crafted a mighty flail. In his delusion, he discovered the flail in the tomb of his first incarnation. 

Function aspect: Blue Jade Flail

Features: Harmful 2(does two extra harm on a successful attack)

Flaws: Troubling(Illegal to Own Such a Weapon)

Techniques: Rage of the Ancients

When he is battle, he often has flashbacks to, "similar situations," that occurred in his, "previous lives." This grants him a fair degree of insight into his foes actions and tactical know-how. Though none can really explain why hallucinating would help him win battles. 

Guiding Aspect: Reincarnated Godking of Nohket

Features: Focus 2(+2 fighter)

Flaws: Situational(only with the flail), Troubling(Dangerously Delusional)

Ally: Watchtower’s Crew

The crew are loyal to Eshak. They really and truly are. However, they are quite concerned with his recent behavior. They are worried it will get worse. A man loses his wife, it is understandable he goes a little nuts, but this? This is different. They stay with him for now, but all are asking themselves, "How far is too far?"

Function Aspect: Crew of the Watchtower

Features: Professional 2 (Engineer +1, Exploration +2), Numerous 3 (eight crew members),

Resilient (one mild consequence), Sturdy (one stress box)

Flaws: Troubling Aspect (Do not trust their Captain Completely): The captain has clearly gone insane, the crew does not know what to do about it yet

Refresh 1

And that is my take on Hawkman for Jadepunk. What do you think? Any comments, critiques, or thoughts would be appreciated. Next I think I will do a version of the Green Arrow. 

Jianghu League: Lord of the Storm Sea

I have been getting a lot of likes and pluses and stuff with this series, so I thought I would continue on with it for a bit longer. These posts are all using the rules found in Jadepunk, available in electronic format right now! I have previously done Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and the Green Lantern. Today I am digging into that hero of heroes, Aquaman. BOOM!

Arthur, Lord of the Storm Sea
Python Mining Corporation is always looking for new ways to use jade, and new sources of jade. twenty years back, someone in the company came to the conclusion that the ocean floor was an untapped potential source of jade. Several development projects were started to deal with the issues of mining the ocean floor. The Aquaman Project was one such.

The goal was to make a human worker able to survive in the ocean for great lengths of time. They wanted to rebuild men into a slave race of jade miners at the bottom of the sea. The experiment was both a greater success and a greater failure than they could have anticipated. Their subject had phenomenal strength and endurance, could breath water, and even some sort of empathic bond with ocean life. However, they could not break his spirit. One year ago, their Aquaman destroyed the lab and ran away. Now they hunt him, seeking to take him apart and rediscover what they lost in his escape.

Arthur has only vague memories of his life before the experiments. He remembers being cold and hungry a lot. He remembers someone, maybe his mother, getting a large sum of money. He remembers that he had to leave with the men this lady gave him to. That is all he remembers from before. 15 years later he escaped. Arthur escaped the constant pain, the constant experimentation. He escaped into a world he could barely understand. For the last year he has been on the run from Python Mining, and the mercenaries they have hired to track him down. During his time in the world he has helped many people. Fishermen and sea captains speak of the Lord of the Storm Sea, a being of elemental power who brings the creatures of the sea to aid foundering ships.

Arthur has now arrived in Kausao after hearing of other people like him, the Jianghu. Hunted by the authorities, he makes his way as a hero of the people. If you need help, and if you can find him, maybe you can enlist the aid of the Aquaman.

Portrayal: Heart Of The Ocean
Background: Escaped Experiment
Inciting Incident: Never Again
Belief: People Must Be Free
Trouble: No Knowledge Of The World Of Men

Professions: Fighting +3, Explorer and Scoundrel +2, Scholar and Engineer +1, Aristocrat +0

Assets

Device: Blue and White Jade tattoos

These tattoos are of an intricate and archaic design. They allow the Aquaman to hold his breath indefinitly underwater(or nearly so) and withstand great pressure(the protective feature). They also had the side effect of allowing the Aquaman to exert some control over marine animal life(this falls under the allies, mechanically, but in fiction this is due to his tattoos) This design was the creation of a brilliant Jade Alchemist who died during Arthur's escape. These designs are the reason Python Mining is after him with such fervor.

Function Aspect: Experimental Jade Tattoos

Features: Protective 1(reduce shift value of attack against you by one), Exceptional(does not need to breath)

Flaws: Troubling(hunted by the Python Mining Corporation), Situational(only in water)

Allies: The Fish of the Seas

He controls marine life. This is kind of a lot of power. 

Function Aspect: Let My Armies Be The Fish In The Sea

Features: Professional( Fighter +1), Resilient 2(two minor consequences), Sturdy 2(4 stress boxes), Independent, Numerous 4(16 critters at a time)

Flaws: Situational(only in or near the water)

Refresh 2

Alrighty then, that was my take on a Jadepunk Aquaman. I am not entirely happy with how it turned out, though I cannot point to anything specific as to why. Any comments, concerns, or critiques would be most welcome. I can't improve if I cannot even see where I fail. Next I think I will do Green Arrow...Or Hawkman...or maybe the Flash? I don't know.