Mass Effect: Terminus Rising [Currently Full]

Started by Mr Self Destruct, October 04, 2011, 07:40:44 PM

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Mr Self Destruct


Set two hundred years after the devastation of the Reaper Invasion, Mass Effect: Terminus Rising has once more brought conflict to the universe.  The Terminus Systems have always been a loose coalition of bandits, pirates, and ruthless mercenaries, but after years of operating in relative anonymity, a new force has emerged, ready to challenge the Alliance.  Calling themselves the Terminus Coalition, the force is an army of mercenaries, pirates, and various criminal organizations that have been drawn in by the enigmatic Shadow Man.

Nobody knows who or what he is.  Whenever he addresses his minions or challenges the Alliance via the HoloNet, he appears as nothing more than a dark figure, his appearance a shadow amid a white backdrop.  His anti-Alliance rhetoric isn’t as simplistic, however, and he earned the enmity of the Alliance Military after calling out Colonel David Shepard, the great-grandson of the hero Commander Shepard, who saved the Alliance from destruction during the Reaper Invasion.  During the ensuing conflict, the armada shuttle that Colonel Shepard led his fleet from was destroyed, the colonel dying with the rest of his crew.

The day heralded the beginning of the Terminus Uprising, and plunged the galaxy into war.

An elite force of operatives throughout the Alliance and beyond has been formed to combat the Shadow Man and the threat that a united Terminus force represents.  This group was formed by the Council, and tasked with finding, and eliminating, the Shadow Man, beginning with his underlings and working their way to the hierarchy of the Terminus Coalition. 

Will these brave heroes survive their tumultuous mission?  Or will their actions only plunge the galaxy into further darkness?

Approved Characters


Caestus Dakkal - Turian Spectre - Played by Wargtass
Melissa 'Tiny' Laplace - Human Biotic (Adept) - Played by Latooni Subota
Ascarra - Asari Spectre - Played by Xanatos
Elina K'Sar - Asari Biotic - Played by Linna
Sera'Zarda - Quarian Scientist (Hacker) - Played by thebobmaster
David Sen - Drell Assassin - Played by DigitLninja
Staff Lieutenant Serena Martin – Human Warrior – Played by https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?action=profile;u=3142]Destiny Ascension[/url]♀
Viele – Geth Warrior – Played by https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?action=profile;u=12025]Geradine[/url]♂


Links


Out of Character Thread
Game Thread


Setting Information

As stated above, the timeline is two hundred years after the conclusion of Mass Effect 3.  Since the game itself hasn’t come out yet, this is all guess work, but it stands to reason that the Reaper force is somehow defeated and life returns to normal, as it does in all great works of fiction.  In this setting, things have changed, and not all of them for the better.

The Alliance

The Alliance remains a bastion of justice and commerce throughout the galaxy.  The Council, a quintet of representatives that act as the voice of each member race, remains the elected leaders of the Alliance, heralding two centuries of peace after the Reaper Invasion.  The Council has grown in number, with a representative from each of the following races: Turian, Asari, Salarian, Human, and Quarian.  The Migrant Fleet has joined the Alliance after being nearly destroyed by a single Reaper, and they petitioned for asylum with the Citadel.  It was granted, and a significant sector was added to the Citadel to house them and care for their special environmental needs.

The Alliance has the Citadel as its base of operations, and the massive structure has only grown as more races have come to see the Alliance as their best chance at surviving another conflict.

The Alliance Military
Formerly an exclusively human army, the Alliance Military has expanded its roster with the placement of a human on the Council.  They accept Turian, Salarian, and Quarian recruits into their ranks, and the anti-alien intolerance of years past has become taboo.  There are those who still echo their father’s racial hatred, but they are few and far between, and are often penalized with lack of rank and dead end duty posts, should their opinions become known.  The Alliance Military doesn’t tolerate any division in its ranks, and has no qualms in teaching the intolerant a lesson when it comes to racism.

Cerberus

Still a pro-human organization, the complex network of spies and operatives still seeks to better the lot of humanity through any means necessary.  Surprisingly, the organization is still led by the Illusive Man, making him over two hundred years old.  There is speculation that he isn’t human after all, or that he has undergone extensive cybernetic enhancements to keep him alive.  Physically, he still appears the same as he did during Commander Shepard’s time, though his radical views have grown progressively worse when it comes to alien species. 

Over the last two hundred years, Cerberus has only grown in prominence.  It has operatives in many Alliance positions of power, and there are ugly rumors circulating that the human Alliance member on the Council is actually a member of the organization.  There is little proof, other than his impatience with the often indecisive views on external threats, but there are those among the Alliance who watch the councilor closely.

Terminus Coalition

More a criminal organization than a government, the Coalition does have its own form of law enforcement.  Based out of the heart of the Terminus Systems, their base of operations resides on Omega.  The leaders of the movement work closely with Aria, the unofficial leader of Omega, and do their best to keep her happy and well compensated for allowing their presence.  It’s rumored that the asari crimelord is the Shadow Man’s lover, though this has not been confirmed.  There have been tales of Aria shooting anyone on the spot who even mentions the rumor, a response that could confirm such a relationship, or the lack thereof.

The mercenary organizations known as the Blue Suns, Blood Pack, and Eclipse have all been absorbed into the organization, their rivalries declared anathema to the overall goals of the Coalition.  The Vorcha, ever a strong if unwelcome presence on the space station, have been brought into the fold, as well, albeit as slave troops.  They are the fodder unleashed against any Alliance force, their purpose to fight, and die, to weaken the Alliance defenses enough for the rest of the Coalition forces to push through.  The Vorcha breed quickly and frequently, giving the Terminus Coalition an ever-replenishing source of shock troops.

The Shadow Broker

The Shadow Broker organization deals with the trading of information throughout the galaxy. They buy, sell, collect and steal information at the command of the Broker and his/her customers. The information gathered is then sold to the highest bidder. To remain in business the Broker never sells information that would give one customer a significant advantage, meaning customers continue to return for more. Whoever becomes a nuisance for the operations of the Broker are usually dealt with by influencing local authorities, framing them for crimes or something equally subtle, but if necessary the organization does not shirk from using deadly force to keep itself running and it's secrets safe. Likewise, all traitors to the network share only one possible fate in the eyes of their betrayed peers: death.

Due to its immense influence, numerous contacts and incredible budget, the Shadow Broker network is one of the strongest covert organizations in the galaxy. The Broker has agents nearly everywhere, commands a whole battle-fleet scattered around the galaxy and has a seemingly endless private army at his/her beck and call. Despite that, the organization rarely involves itself in affairs that do not directly concern it's interests, and as such the Shadow Broker is widely known as the greatest and most neutral information merchant in the galaxy, a reputation the power behind the organization tends to act by at all times.

The Krogan Empire

Due to the genophage, the Krogan have not been able to produce offspring for many, many years.  But that hasn’t stopped the organization from growing in number.  Through coercion and blackmail, and outright threats of hostility, the Krogan have enlisted Salarian aid to clone the biggest and strongest of their kind.  These clones share all the battle lust and physical might of their templates, but are programmed to be subservient to true Krogan.  They are trained in the ways of battle, of survival, and the history of their ‘ancestors’, but they are considered a lesser class by true Krogan, who seem them as a necessary evil.

The Krogan Empire maintains neutrality with the Alliance and the Terminus Systems.  So long as they are not centered in a conflict with either side, they remain out of the influence and conflicts of both sides.  Individual Krogan have joined those organizations, however, though they are not considered representatives of their race.  Krogan have always been soldiers for hire, and that much remains true about the warrior race.

The Turian Hierarchy

Once reviled by humanity for being their initial enemies in the First Contact War, the Turians have come to accept the presence of humanity among the Council races.  They support the Alliance wholeheartedly, and have various representatives in official offices throughout the Citadel.  While their war fleets are still on active patrol throughout the Turian system, they seek to maintain peace, rather than ignite war.  Saren’s betrayal of the Alliance was a dark stain on their race, and was mitigated somewhat by the heroic actions of Garus Vakarian, who has become a national hero, a statue in his honor gracing the capital of the Turian homeworld.

The Turian homeworld has various Alliance Military bases, as well as training facilities that cater to the various races that have become part of the Alliance Military.  Their openness to the inclusion of other races has some older Turians at odds with the current regime, but that dissension has yet to spill over into all out civil war.

The Asari Republic

The Asari have no government, per se.  Policy is decided through the ebb and flow of public opinion in a sprawling but well-organized electronic democracy.  The closest analogue to an executive decision-making body is the opinion of the Matriarchs.  In a crisis, the public turns to the experience of these millennia-old "wise women" for advice.

The Asari military resembles a collection of tribal warrior bands with no national structure, though the greatest among them often seek out specialized training, to earn the rank of Asari Commando, the honorific title given to the best of their race.  Each community organizes its own unit as the locals see fit, and elect a leader to command them.  Units from populous cities are large and well-equipped, while those from farm villages may be only a few women with small arms. There is no uniform; everyone wears what they like.  The Asari military is not an irregular militia, however; those who serve are full-time professionals.

The Asari Republics have very few politicians, but enough to keep things in order.  Most politicians are Matriarchs since their opinions are highly valued by Asari Culture and they have a strong following.  The Councilor and Ambassador positions however, are open to any Matron aged Asari and upwards.  The Asari exist as they always have, forming relationships with other species and studying the galaxy for the betterment of their own people, and the Alliance.

Character Creation

Players interested in joining may create characters using the following information.

Playable Races



Class

Every character must choose a class.  Class represents specialized training in one field of expertise, something that makes the character stand out among the rest of his kind.  The following classes are available at character creation, with examples given for how to differentiate your character’s training from another of the same class.

Warrior: The Warrior class is one dedicated to violence, either for personal gain or to protect a person or group of people from harm.  Often soldiers or mercenaries, they are trained to react with violence to any threat.  Their training includes hand-to-hand combat, weapons training, survival techniques, and battle tactics.  Further specialized fields of training include: assassin, bodyguard, fighter pilot, guerilla fighter, and demolitions expert.

Scientist: Scientists represent the best and brightest minds that the galaxy has to offer.  Intelligence is always a prized commodity, and those with it are often separated from their peers, and put to specialized tutelage, that they might expand their knowledge and serve their community.  Their training can include a mixture of the following fields: medical, biological, chemical, technical, or physiological.  They are often doctors or disease researches, but can also be explorers seeking new worlds in which to categorize and study.  Further specialized fields of training include: surgeon, medic, tech specialist, hacker, and archaeologist.

Noble:  Often the representatives of their race, or their local community, the Noble class is one of importance, though how much depends on the individual.  Nobles can be ambassadors to foreign lands, government officials, politicians, or businessmen.  They use their oratory and political skills to work toward peace or conflict, to sway others to their way of thinking.  Nobles often have refined tastes for food and drink, but not all are ambivalent toward their fellow man, and many have darker tastes still.  Further specialized fields of training include: attorney (criminal or corporational), politician, foreign dignitary, and prince or princess.

Spectre: Spectres are agents entrusted with extraordinary authority by the Citadel Council, including the power of life and death over the inhabitants of the galaxy. They form an elite group selected from a number of different species, and their primary responsibility is to preserve galactic stability by whatever means necessary. Though they are generally considered as being above the law and have complete discretion as to the methods used to accomplish their mission, an individual's status as a Spectre can be revoked by the Council in a case of a gross misconduct. Spectres work either alone or in small groups according to nature of a particular task and to their personal preference. "Spectre" is a syllabic abbreviation of Special Tactics and Reconnaissance.  Spectres have no further specialized fields of training, but are considered trained with any and all types of weaponry.
Please Note: All Spectre positions are filled, and no more will be accepted.

Biotic: This class is restricted, for various reasons.  In order to become a Biotic, a character must be of a race that uses Biotic powers naturally (Asari and Krogan), or by having undergone extensive manipulation on a cellular level (infants exposed to Element Zero in uterus, biotic-capable children implanted with BioAmps).  Not all the Asari or Krogan choose to train their abilities upon realization of their potential, and there are those among humanity who have turned away from their biotic potential, for one reason or another.  Those who have been exposed to Element Zero or were implanted with BioAmps to amplify their abilities often suffer from biofeedback, in which the lingering exposure to Element Zero causes intense bodily aches and pains, often centered in their heads (intense headaches, sensitivity to loud noise and bright lights, nausea and dizziness).  This near-constant pain leads to many suicides, and many more to lashing out at those who manipulated them, making Biotics a dangerous and often misunderstood people.  There are those who use their talent for the betterment of their kind, and they often seek out positions of influence that will allow them to do that.  Biotic characters may only choose three biotic powers at character creation.  Further specialized fields of training include: Asari Commando, Krogan Battlemaster, Vanguard, Adept, and Sentinel.

Biotic Powers

Barrier: As the name states, the Barrier ability creates a shield around a person or persons.  This barrier is capable of withstanding numerous bullet hits, though the stronger the impact and ammunition, the less effective the barrier becomes.  There are stories about Asari Matriarchs powerful enough to surround entire starships with this ability, though they have yet to be proven.

Charge: This ability is used to augment speed and strength, and culminates in the user charging across the battlefield towards a target. This results in a powerful collision that sends unprotected enemies flying backward, inflicting massive damage. The collision negates the mass of an enemy, allowing for even the largest of enemies to be sent flying backwards.  This power also compensates for impeding obstacles, by allowing the user to 'phase' through solid objects en route to their target. It can also be used on enemies who have been levitated by other biotic talents, and can multiply physics damage to send them off into the distance.

Dominate: This ability allows the wielder to take momentary control of a subject or subjects, influencing their minds into doing as the weilder wishes.  While the effect of this ability is temporary, there are tales of dominated mind slaves that have had their thoughts altered so many times as to make them completely loyal, and completely mindless, slaves to the user of this ability.

Pull:  Pull is just as its name implies, a sudden and powerful tug on a person or object.  The weilder reaches out with his biotic ability, and with a powerful retraction of his arm, he sends the target of this ability careening toward him.  This is useful for pulling a teammate out of harm’s way, or tugging an enemy combatant into a group of his own squad, distracting them long enough to be gunned down.  The extent of this ability has been studied among various elder Asari, and they have mastered the ability to such an extent as to literally pull a starship from the sky with only the power of their minds.

Reave: The power employs mass effect fields to biotically attack the target's nervous or synthetic systems and prevent healing. Restores health and gives a temporary health bonus when the power is used against unprotected organics. Reave also does double damage to armor and barriers.  Reave has a disabling effect when used to leech health from most sapient organics, who will double over momentarily before being forced to a standing position as the leech effect continues. This can be used to set up victims for the killing shot as they are helpless and largely immobile.

Shockwave: The weilder unleashes a powerful biotic wave of energy that spreads out in a globe shaped pattern in front of the weilder.  It bypasses physical obstacles, instead focusing on any enemies in sight, even airborne targets.  This power also temporarily short circuits electronic shields, momentarily stunning an enemy, allowing the user and his team time to line up their shots for more effective shooting.

Singularity: The power launches a dark energy sphere to create an intense mass effect field. The field creates a warp in the space-time continuum, creating a gravity well akin to a black hole. Unprotected enemies are drawn into the Singularity and held briefly helpless in orbit while protected enemies are held in place. The singularity will drain any shields, armor, or biotic barriers of enemies over time. Unlike singularity in Mass Effect, any enemy wandering into the gravity well of a singularity after it has been created will also be pulled into orbit.

Slam: This power lifts a target into the air, and slams him back down with tremendous force.  The impact is enough to shatter bone and send a foe into unconsciousness.  This ability also works well to lift objects and slam them atop an opponent, often flattening whomever was unfortunate enough to get caught beneath the slamming object.

Stasis: Stasis causes an enemy to be temporarily locked in a mass effect field, freezing the target in place and making them unable to attack. Enemies in Stasis also become impervious to damage.  It also puts enemies at risk from flying debris, because it becomes impossible to dodge and their shields won't take the damage.

Throw: Throw is mostly used in combat to keep opponents at a distance, by either launching them away or knocking them over, rendering them helpless when they land. In certain areas Throw will knock enemies off ledges so they fall to their death. If used near destructible objects, Throw can break them and hit enemies with debris. Any moveable boxes can also be Thrown into them, injuring them further because their shields cannot absorb the damage.

Warp: Warp lowers the armor on a target, increasing the damage the enemy takes, as well as dealing damage over time.  The power spawns a mass effect field that damages enemy targets and stops health regeneration. It deals double damage to barriers and armor and will detonate any biotic powers affecting the target, such as Pull or Singularity. The detonated target takes double damage from Warp, and all targets within the Detonation Radius receive full damage, regardless of any protection they might have. If they are also being affected by a biotic power, then they also take double damage.


Character Sheet


Please use the following format for your character sheets.


[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b]
[b]Class:[/b]
[b]Class Specialization:[/b] (if any)
[b]Appearance:[/b] (insert links where appropriate)
[b]History:[/b]
[b]Biotic Powers:[/b] (if any)
[b]Weaponry:[/b] (3 per character-1 sidearm, 1 rifle, 1 heavy weapon)
[b]Sexual Orientation:[/b] (Straight, Gay, Bisexual)
[b]Preferred Position:[/b] (Dominant, Submissive, Neither)


Notes & Miscellaneous

I would prefer that there are no more than two of the same species/class combination.  Be creative with your characters, and post them here for approval.  This is not a first come, first serve game.  Characters that are well thought out and detailed will likely receive quicker approval than those who are mere baseline cut outs.  Let your imagination run free with this one, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

There are numerous character pictures of the various species scattered throughout the internet.  If a Google image search doesn't give you what you're looking for, try searching Deviant Art, the Bioware forums, or Mass Effect concept art.  If you're not sure about certain bits of the Mass Effect setting or history, don't hesitate to ask. 

All in all, I'm looking for 6-8 characters for this game. 

For the basics of how long shields last, let's try it this way:

Heavy Armor - 10 hits negate shields, and take six posts to recharge.
Medium Armor - 6 hits negate shields, and take four posts to recharge.
Light Armor - 4 hits negate shields, and take two posts to recharge.

With character-on-character violence, auto-hits are, of course, forbidden.
For GM hits, they're considered auto-hits, so long as everyone is alright with me doing so.

I want to make it clear that not everyone will survive the story.  Tragedy is part of the Mass Effect games (I almost cried when it came to sacrificing Kaiden or Ashley in the first game), and will be part of this one, too.  There won't be any OOC prejudice in the decision of who makes it and who doesn't, but I do plan on this being a long-term game, so those unfortunately necessary deaths won't happen for some time.

Latooni Subota

Color me VERY interested, since the Mass Effect game I was in is pretty much dead. I have a concept (and most of a character) for a Quarian Scientist, and a Human Biotic, though I'd like to know more details about what the state of the Quarians are before i commit to a concept. The Quarian concept relies heavily on the Quarians still mainly being the Migrant Fleet, and not having managed to fix their immune system issues yet.
ONs and OFFs be here: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=64984.0

If I'm needed to post somewhere, PLEASE PM me about it. Sometimes I lose track of threads and need to be reminded about things.

Mr Self Destruct

The Migrant Fleet is now a part of the Citadel...most of the Fleet was destroyed by a lone Reaper attack, and the survivors fled, barely escaping.  They petitioned for asylum on the Citadel, and the Council granted their request.  They now make their home on the Citadel, in a specially crafted sector of the Wards.  It is hermetically sealed to keep out infection and disease, and other than their new location, life for the Quarians remains the same.  They still take their Pilgrimages, they still salvage what they can, and while some are working to rebuild the Migrant Fleet, the majority of the Quarian want to stay on the Citadel, as they now have a member of their race on the Council.


Wargtass

I am interested, I'll be back shortly with a Turian character.
O/O

Latooni Subota

Going with a Human Biotic (Adept) this time around it seems. I'll have the application up in a little while.
ONs and OFFs be here: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=64984.0

If I'm needed to post somewhere, PLEASE PM me about it. Sometimes I lose track of threads and need to be reminded about things.

Mr Self Destruct


Wargtass

#6
Name: Caestus Dakkal
Race: Turian
Class: Spectre
Class Specialization: Terror tactics and guerilla warfare

Personality: Caestus never had any social savvy to begin with and his life's direction have not helped him at all. In social situations he usually depends on his ruthless personality and forceful manners to inspire fear or awe. In that way he has found a social adaptation of his tactical expertise, even though it is fundamentally flawed.

The Council has become painfully aware of Caestus tactical flexibility through trial and error. It doesn't matter what objectives are given, Caestus forces them into his own format, using his particular brand of terrorism for any obstacle. This, however, is of little consequences now that the Council make sure to send him on missions that fit him well.

Even among other Turians Caestus manages to stand out. His inability to adapt socially makes him a pariah in almost any situation. Most have commented that he should find a mate before his age catches up, but even if he had any interest in that particular subject, the search would be difficult enough.


(image by Meken at DA, all credits go to him)

History: Caestus Dakkal was born on a backwater colony, a planet nearly forgotten by the Turian Hierarchy. From an early age he was tought the importance of survival in the planets extremely varied climates. Whether it be in the storm wracked, icy mountains of the north, the glazing lava deserts of the equator or the deep jungles of the south, he managed to conquer them all. So when the Hierarchy finally layed their eyes on the colony, Caestus took the chance to enlist himself in the Turian fleet.

Having settled finely in the strict discipline of the military, Caestus saw his first action in the Lambda Psi system, fighting an insurgency composed of primitive races. High Command saw much potential in the youth, who was ruthless in his culling of the enemy, seeing it fit to educate him further. Caestus rised further after a high ranking officer made a mistake on an isolated skirmish mission into the Terminus Systems. He relieved the officer of command and lead the survivors in a six month long guerilla war, spreading terror through the enemy ranks.

After the successful skirmish it started to dawn on his superiors that Caestus might be a loose gun. The final straw was the controversial Vehmian Campaign, were Caestus terror tactics extended to harassing civilians. Answering to the charges, Caestus meant that the only way to bring down the corrupt government behind the conflict was to alter the civilian population's eagerness through extremes measures. In the end he took full responsibility, even though his tactics had been approved by High Command. What could have been a scandal for the whole Turian Fleet was reduced to Caestus forced retirement at the mere age of 22, ending his military career as Lieutenant.

The Council's attention was brought to Caestus when his former superior finally brought the truth behind the scandal to surface, five years later. Caestus responsibility for the Vehmian Campaign was lifted, but he was still refused to return to service. An eccentric yet respected Turian Admiral reviewed his records and was quick to recommend Caestus' inclusion in the Spectres. While they doubted the liability of Caestus, they finally agreed to at least meet with him in person. While his methods were unorthodox, he had great potential in suppressing rebellions and dangerous totalitarian movements that had become frequent in Alliance territory. In the end, the Turian councillor refused, stating that Caestus records wore an eerie resemblance to those of Saren. Caestus replied that he possessed neither the racial hatreds nor the naïveté of the scorned Spectre. After several hours of interviews the Council agreed to let Caestus trial for a position.

His first mission was picked to break him. It had striking similarities to the Vehemian Campaign, a planet risen in revolution against the Alliance. The human colonials gathered under a totalitarian autocrat who lobbied for inclusion of the system into the Terminus Coalition. Leading a covert team of mostly Salarians in a month long terrorist operation, the mission concluded with the assassination of the autocrat and installing of an Alliance-friendly freedom fighter. Even though Caestus had used his usual unorthodox methods, the mission was a success. Caestus had become a Spectre, but his actions was to be put through thorough scrutiny by the Council. He, however, didn't care. He was back where he belonged.

As he approached his 30th birthday he was chosen for a covert ops into the Terminus Coalition. His expertise and special talents fit the mission perfectly, since it was meant to undermine rather than reduce. Even though Caestus realized early on that such a mission would be suicidal at best, he revelled in it. What better way to retire from service than to complete a mission with an estimated 0% survival rate?

Weaponry: M-5 Phalanx Heavy Pistol, M-97 Viper Sniper Rifle, Arc Projector

Sexual Orientation: (Bisexual)
Preferred Position: (Dominant)
O/O

Mr Self Destruct

A good write up, Wargtass, but there's a few problems with your character concept.

Saren's betrayal and the resulting destruction caused by the Reapers was so horrible that there's no way the Council would make someone like him a Spectre.  With the Council races numbering five, a Turian among them, any chance of him being given Spectre status, even in times of complete desperation, is very, very small.  The Turians remember Saren and the horror he was responsible for well.  The Turian councilor would deny Caestus such an elevated level of power, no matter his redeeming qualities.

That's not to say that he couldn't be part of the warrior class, as an ex-soldier, perhaps?  He could be a loose cannon still, but whilst under the command of those with greater authority, the Council might see him as a weapon that can be controlled.  But as a Spectre, he just wouldn't fit into the setting of this rp.

Wargtass

#8
I think I'd rather change some things in the history then. The almost terrorist feel that I have for this character wouldn't fit very well on a Warrior class, I feel. The Spectres almost free reins fits the terror tactics bit better in my opinion. I'll go through and edit some of it while saving a current copy for reference and see what I can do.

Unless you are of another opinion, to which I could go for a Warrior class. A bitter veteran pulled back from retirement is as intriguing as any other.
O/O

Mr Self Destruct

The bitter veteran concept could work...his skills make him an asset to this newly formed team, despite the history of his less-than-stellar service career.  Grizzled veterans make for cool characters. :)

Latooni Subota

#10
I hope this works for you. Her main draw for being in the team is her assistance in stopping an anti-Citadel terrorist attack, and her knowledge of how the Terminus Systems tend to do things.




Name: Melissa 'Tiny' Laplace
Race: Human
Class: Biotic
Class Specialization: Adept

Appearance: Melissa stands at a meager five feet tall, with a lightly curvy (but altogether attractive) figure. Her hair is a nice shade of auburn, hanging straight and loose down to the nape of her neck, her eyes a slightly lighter hazel. She prefers to wear more working-class clothing for her casuals, mainly light boots, vests, and the like. She does have a (slightly old) set of Phoenix Light Armor though, customized for class 1 enviromental hazard protection. That's just how she rolls.



History: Melissa Laplace, known affectionately as 'Tiny' due to her diminutive height, is a petite human woman born (of all places) on Omega. The daughter of an Eclipse sniper, as well as an arms maker, she grew up no stranger to violence and weapons technology. Interestingly enough, due to an Element Zero accident shortly before her birth, she grew up with an unusually high potential for biotics. Sadly, the . . . less than optimal conditions and materials on Omega, she was fitted with a second-hand L4d implant, basically a relic in this day and age. This capped her growth as a biotic somewhat, and lead to the same chronic headaches and light sensitivity that have plagued biotics for hundreds of years.

With her parents' insistances, she learned to not just rely on her biotics, but train with weapons as well. As she grew older she gained a bit of notority around Omega as a likable girl, always placing high in any contests having to do with pistols or sniper rifles. She even has logged a bit of time in heavy weapons training, but only with weapons that have lower amounts of kickback. Melissa has never claimed to be a strong girl.

In her teenage years she made friends with a Quarian girl on pilgrimage, the girl providing technical expertise and a more-than-intimate friendship. Melissa kept her safe from most of the more . . troublesome people on Omega. All and all, it was an arrangement and suited them both just fine. Through the next few years she was accepted completely into the Eclipse mercs, going on steadily larger missions, and excelling. Unfortunately, the little biotic had a crisis of faith, due to an accident in a mission.

In a conflict between the Eclipse and Blue Suns, Melissa was using a new missile launcher that fired short range missiles that popped off into an array of explosive charges, capable of mowing down large groups at once. A stray blast of biotic power knocked her aim off-target though, sending a full payload of explosives into a residential block, killing dozens. Her commander said it was a brilliant move, inspiring fear in the civilians and keeping them from assisting the Blue Suns in the engagement. Melissa felt that it was an utter crime. Fighting other mercs was one thing, but hurting all those people? She couldn't accept that sort of thing.

After this her missions began to involve more and more dangerous runs, and more collateral damage, to the point that she was considering fleeing with her Quarian friend to the Citadel. Family be damned, she didn't like being such a renegade. Deep down Melissa believed that she was a good person, after all. When the Quarian learned of a terrorist attack being planned out jointly by the various merc groups, aimed at destroying a huge chunk of one of the Citadel's wards, she had to stop it.

Using her Eclipse contacts she managed to work her way into the group with her friend. Through a combination of her biotics, and her friend's technical expertise, they managed to sabotage the enemy ship. The pair put the ship on a security lockdown, and barricaded themselves in the engine room until an Alliance cruiser could arrive and take the terrorists into custody. This earned the pair a sizable reward, and the information they brought back was deemed a worthy Pilgrimage, since it benefited not just the Quarians but the Citadel as a whole. Since then Melissa stayed on the Citadel, assisting Alliance military with her knowledge of Terminus Systems affairs.

Biotic Powers: Barrier,  Pull, Throw

Weaponry: Slightly aged M-3 Predator pistol and an M-92 Mantis sniper rifle. She rarely carries heavy weaponry.

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual (Prefers Men)

Preferred Position: Submissive
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Xanatos

I was thinking of an Asari Spectre Dark. Would that work? I know Spectre is probably a popular choice, so if you prefer only one or two, I can do something else unless I'm the first to ask aside from Wargtass.

What kind of elements will be in this story? Is it going to be dark, any comedy? High on violence or no? I assume it will be high on RP yes? Will (or should) the characters already know each other to smooth over the eternally awkward and slow paced introductions?

Mr Self Destruct

I'm thinking that perhaps the Spectre roll might have been a bad inclusion, since everyone wants to play them lol

But the concept isn't a bad one.  Figure out a backstory to go along with your character sheet, and we'll see how it works out.

Conflict will be one element, given the adversarial task given by the Council.  What I loved about the Mass Effect games was the pacing of the stories...it started with an initial mystery, followed soon after by a sudden realization.  A desperate plan to stop a catastrophe came next, followed by grief as hard decisions had to be made.  While there will be some storytelling on my part to keep the story going, the emphasis on character-to-character interactions will be equally as important.

If folks would like to tie their backstories together, I'm not against it, though it is unlikely that everyone knows everyone, given the variety of worlds and the multitude of citizens of each race.  I recall reading that the Citadel holds around 50,000 citizens in just one of its wards, so there's a chance, albeit very very small, that more than a few characters will know one another.

Glad to see you interested, Xanatos. :)  There were a few of my old rp partners that I had hoped to draw in with this idea, and you were one of them.

Xanatos

Thank you for the compliment. I noted you were GM and that did influence my interest, -smirks-.

I'll give my Asari Spectre concept a whirl then. If you decide you don't want to allow Spectres after all, then I'll understand. I'll see what I can get done before I have to hit the sack.

Oh and a note, sometimes I have a hard time with backgrounds, so sorry if any background I come up with is lame. I do better once I actually start RPing, but you already know this.

Mr Self Destruct

If you have any questions on the backstory or the setting, feel free to PM me. 

Wargtass

Modified my post with an altered story, but will start working on a more Warrior-fitting one as well.
O/O

Mr Self Destruct

Your new concept works, Wargtass.  Welcome aboard, sir.  I like the chance for redemption in his test by the Council, and that they're wary of him, but accepted him into the Spectres anyway.

Now he just has to behave himself. lol

Latooni, your character is almost approved.  Being from Omega, the daughter of a mercenary likely isn't so innocent.  There's a chance that she'd been involved in at least one bad situation in her life, something that she had to push herself through in order to survive.  She might not like it, she might even seek to cover it up in order to save face, but one doesn't live long in a place like Omega without getting their hands dirty at one point or another.  You also have five biotic powers instead of the allowed three at character creation.  Narrow your list down to three, and while it isn't mandatory, I'd like to see some bit of controversy in her past.  Other than that, you're good.

Latooni Subota

Oh, sorry. I must've not noticed where it said we were limited to three. I'll edit that, and think up a little more depth. More likely it will end up being actually working as an Eclipse merc on mostly above-board missions, that slowly started becoming more blatently anti-Citadel, and with a bit too much collateral damage. Would that be fine?
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If I'm needed to post somewhere, PLEASE PM me about it. Sometimes I lose track of threads and need to be reminded about things.

Mr Self Destruct

That's what I get for burying it in the bottom of the paragraph about Biotics lol

Maybe during a conflict between the Eclipse and the Blue Suns, she inadvertantly launched a barrage of missiles into a building of innocent civilians?  Omega is a crowded place, and accidents do happen.  Something that would so emotionally scar the young woman could easily make her remorseful and set her about the task of stopping further bloodshed, even if it meant betraying the mercs she was one part of.

Wargtass

Huzzah, I shall bring out the dextro-amino based champagne! And start practising the role, of course.

Also the accidental deaths of civilians in Melissa's background would make for a good contrast to Caestus intentional ones. Would make for a good future conflict in interest between the two.
O/O

Mr Self Destruct


Latooni Subota

And now we have a reason why Melissa refuses to use large-scale heavy weapons. That works for me.
ONs and OFFs be here: https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=64984.0

If I'm needed to post somewhere, PLEASE PM me about it. Sometimes I lose track of threads and need to be reminded about things.

Mr Self Destruct


Latooni Subota

Edited. And I envisioned the gun as firing a guided missile, that once it reaches the required distance, splits into a multitude of high-explosive shells/bombs, to cover a wide area. Imagine the DOOM of firing that thing into the middle of a residential block? Poor Melissa D:
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If I'm needed to post somewhere, PLEASE PM me about it. Sometimes I lose track of threads and need to be reminded about things.

Mr Self Destruct

Nice touch! You're approved and ready for play.