Starcraft + School = More-or-less weekly updates to this, sadly
Roll 11
Locations:Centauri University of the Unknown-Exam Arena
-Military hall (Everyone)
Actions:Kayle Silvertaugh-Kayle enjoyed herself with the karaoke. It wasn't that she did this often, but karaoke was common in practically every corner of the galaxy.
Her turn, she shouted,
"Burning hot and I feel like I'm ready to roll," noticing from other's reactions that she seemed pretty good at singing. Upon stepping off the stage, she talked to Varron, tipping her head toward the machine.
"Whew, that was fun. What are you planning on?" Varron Carse-[4] Varron sat back with a glass in his hand, sipping occasionally. Chuckling slightly, he waited for his turn.
Then, Kayle asked him, and he reluctantly walked up to the gold-and red machine, bristling with lights, and pushed the 'shuffle' button.
"I'm not sure... Maybe this?"A series of discs and gears spun and whirred within the machine. All this could be seen through the glass sphere that the machine was modeled within. Finally, when one of many high-quality discs clicked into place, Varron smiled and made his way to the stage. One of the stage-lights was in his eye, but he ignored it and sang.
"She was more like a Beauty Queen, from a movie scene!"Suddenly, the machine stopped playing, and the audience let out a long "aww." The culprit was a man in a suit, looking very tired or simply upset, standing next to the machine, his hand on the 'stop' lever. He walked up to Varron.
"Of all places you could be, you're over here?! Singing?!"
"Where else would I be? I'm just waiting.""I expected a place that's a bit more... suiting to a graduate. Anyway, I apologize for the inconvenience, but we kind of need some help. Do any of you have experience with bullet wounds?"
Jaffar Cole-[3] Disclaimer: I don't know french. Therefore, instead of butchering the language using Google translate, I'll write in English. Story-wise, it's french, no matter what it looks like.
Jaffar plugged the chip into his computer. Opening up airshatter, his cracking program of choice, in a terminal, he began typing.
-Input password:
>Swordfish
-Password incorrect. Engaging firewall.
Jaffar scowled. He had no idea there was a firewall. He just realized that it was obvious there would be one... but regardless, that was stupid of him. He should have tried some of the other tools first before guessing a password. Man...
Oh hey, it's talking.
-How are you.
That's weird. The firewall was speaking to him in ancient french... firewalls are usually made with organic components, allowing them to imitate sentience to a remarkable degree. Thus, they could be taught almost any language. But
french? Why would it know french? It was a dead language. Nobody used it anymore. He had never heard it outside of his "Dead Languages" course here at the university.
>Let me in. I must update your software version.
-Hahahahaha, you sir, are a failure at life. If you were trying to update me, you would have known the password.
>What if I forgot it? Just let me in!
-Nope. No military officer forgets the password.
>Is this some kind of catch 22?
-I don't know what you are talking about, let me look that up.
Hmm, now was his chance. While the firewall was connecting to the internet, perhaps he could slow it down and maybe crash it. Suddenly, he heard the lead solo from the first symphony of the Polaric Highlander's Orchestra. That as his ringtone.
"I've heard you're working better when under stress. If so, then from time to time, you may find yourself wishing for someone to shout inspirational orders right through your ear and into your heart, and every member of the Seathunder family has a talent for doing exactly that. Whenever you're unsure if you can do something, call me on comm."
That's totally inspiring.
"How about you get me the bypass code to a Gigacore TB Semi-Sentient Security Firewall that speaks Ancient French..."
"Sorry, I'm more of a muse than an artiste; I'm inspiring people, not doing their work for them. If you have someone who knows the code, give me a rubber hose and I'll convince them to share. If not, I can only give you a hint or two on bruteforcing the system.
It's semi-sentient, so it's got to have a negative reaction to some basic feeling or it'd be overly hard to control. Rewire some robo-body to feel pain, tiredness, tickling and stuff like that, then plug the firewall in and shuffle through the feelings until you find the weak spot. If it tries to block out the feelings, it'll become more vulnerable - the responsible centers compose a huge part of the soul, and I have yet to see a lifeform immune to the effects of getting its soul torn into pieces.
Oh, and don't forget telling it jokes and calling it hurtful names. To stop getting distracted by these two, the system will have to block out the higher emotions as well as the feelings, and without either, thinking gets reduced to a non-sentient level, with good old binary logic and all the loopholes that come with it."
"All good ideas...thanks for the help. I owe you a drink.
Assuming you like to drink reactor fluid smoothies."
Now back tot he firewall. Jaffar instinctively started reaching for his computer's wireless antenna, but then he hesitated. Taking it out with simply cause the firewall to stop its search.
Caplus Orange-[3] Caplus got up, out of his seat, and a thought went through his mind. All this talk about ranged weaponry reminded him: he didn't have a close-range weapon to fall back on. He started prowling the third floor of the five story library for some information as to where he could find one. While looking, he spotted a display case on the wall. He was in a bit of a hurry, and he almost knocked over a rare Vulcan Lavaleaf plant.
Those plants were known for their ability to root into stone, but they were extremely rare, as no life form can resist the firestorms of planet Vulcanus without some cover. These plants needed light, so finding one thriving on the surface was more-or-less a reason to celebrate. Celebrate the fact that you are now going to be rich, of course.
Anyway, back tot he display. It was rather high on the wall, so Caplus could only observe it. But what was inside--was a large hammer with various meters and lights. Caplus looked for the librarian, but she wasn't around.
Amatin Seathunder-[4] Amatin set the book back in its place and thought about what he just read. Life itself... the force that lets us all live. Controlling it could greatly help to one's success. However, the concept of runes interested him the most. He picked up a book on runes and runecrafting and began to read.
...A rune is known as the physical manifestation of an individual's non-physical abilities. When one crafts a rune, part of his energy is drawn into the rune. This energy is known as mana. However, the term mana is never really used because 1) it is irrelevant as most people have a lot of it, and 2) it is directly linked to physical exhaustion. When one is tired, one is mostly incapable of using one's abilities...
...Crafting a rune is thus a highly exhausting task. However, its benefits are great in that carving a rune into an object, for example, will endow said object with certain permanent abilities...
...To craft a rune, one must focus his/her energy into creating the rune. While a physical aid is often necessarily to physically carve the rune, the arcane energy imbued within the rune takes the space of the previous material. Thus, as the rune grows deeper and larger, more energy is stored. Carving a deep rune within an object will greatly focus its abilities, while carving a massive rune on the ground will disperse said abilities. This has application for healing, for example. Carving a rune empowered with living energy into the floor will lessen the wounds of an individual standing atop the rune. Carving a 'drain life' rune onto a weapon, on the other hand, will instantly rot the hand of whomever wields it...
Milia Kurasaki-[3] Milia set the book down on the table, left it there, and walked out of the aisle of books, entering a new one. She walked past Caplus, who seemed to be jumping and reaching toward a display case, and picked up a book on magic weapons, sat down at once of the gold-plated tables, and started reading.
...When one places his/her energy into something, they are extending a part of themselves into the weapon. his is not a physical, but rather metaphysical part which happens to regenerate. Forgive the bad analogy. Notwithstanding, in my studies I have determined that those who channel their energy into projectiles, even subconsciously, tend to have a higher accuracy rating in their activities, be they military or recreational. Studies and records of high-speed footage have shown that the projectiles inexplicably change course to hit their target. My hypothesis is that this ability, when the user is conscious of it, can be used to dramatically alter a projectile's trajectory. I have been searching for an individual with embuement powers strong enough to test my hypothesis, however, such individuals are not common int he slightest. I am not sure whether an individual this powerful even exists.
Signed,
Dr. Friedman Hadoff, Valhalla Research Facility.
Ability gained! Alter TrajectoryHerros Machlan-[1] Herros, as much as he tries, cannot muster the strength to string the bow.
Ivan the Adventurer-[2]
"Doctor! Doooooctor!"The head of the shooting range rushed into the room .he glanced at Ivan's wound, scratched his head in amazement, then helped Ivan to his feet, asking for some combat dressing.
"Stay calm... but there's one thing I have to tell you... the only doctor in the university at the moment is... uh..."
The man showed signs of stress on his face.
"Uhh... incapacitated, at the bar. That is all."
Well hey, could be worse, right? *Hack hack cough cough*
Current Time: 1130Kayle Silvertaugh
Race: Cyrian
Traits: Strong | Overly Honest | Cyrian
Skills: Adept Marksman | Skilled Fighter | Competant Ambusher | Rusty Liar
Passive Abilities: Detection Field
Active Abilities: Drain Life
Armor: Black Bodysuit | Nanosteel Hazardous Environment Suit [19]
Equipped: GC MKIII Capacitance Laser Rifle [5] (24/30) | Custom VibroBlade (Sheathed) [5]
Inventory(42/150 kg)
Backpack [5]
-4x Reserve Oxygen Tank [4]
-10x High-Quality Class 12 Energy Cell [10]
-4x Class 12 Energy Cell (restores 25/30) [4]
Caplus Orange
Traits: Electromaniac | Debater | Ross
Skills: Novice Navigator | Proficent Repair | Adept Sniper | Proficent Gunslinger | Adequate Crossbowman
Passive Abilities: Liberty Field
Active Abilities: EMP
Armor: Patriot Medium Power Armor [30]
Equipped: M45 Gauss Rifle (6/10) [14] (2-handed)
Inventory(78/125 kg):
HKM-40 UPP (10/30) [5]
Ruger Mark VII Laser Pistol (9/9) [3]
Backpack [5]
-Binoculars [2]
-Duct Tape [2]
-Wrench [1]
Magazine Belt [1]
-3x 20mm Gauss Magazine [9]
-7x Class 9 Energy Cell [3]
-7x 7mm UPP Magazine [3]
Herros Machlan
Traits: Wacky Tinker | Sociopath | Centauri
Skills: Talented Tinkerer | Adequate Ranged Weaponary | Not Observer | Not Judge of Intent | Rusty Manual Labour
Passive Ability: One Sided Tech
Active Ability: Energy Surge
Armour: 4C3 Herroid High Mobility Frame [25]
Equiped: V9R Patented Patent Pending Disruptor Gauntlet [3] | S1NGE Magnetically Coupled Particle Accelerator Rifle (203/300) [7]
Inventory(50/150 kg):
10x Class 15 Energy Cell [10]
Toolkit [3]
Dragon Bone Compound Bow 25% [2]
Bow Plans
Ivan
Traits: Curious | Hearty
Skills: Competent Striker | Competent Dodger | Competent Pacifier | Competant Armor-User | Competent Swimmer
Passive Abilities: Must... Press.... Buttons...
Active Abilities: Randospelliousus
-Random Element Ball
Armor: Leather Cap | Leather Pants | Leather Jacket | Leather Shoes (All this [3])
Equipped: Silver Longsword [7]
Inventory(20/100 kg):
HKM-40 UPP (9/30) [5]
5x Stone [2]
20x Strawberry [1]
Health:
Both Arms
Upper Body
Left Leg
Punctured Lung
Milia Kurasaki
Traits: Deadeye | Nervous | Aroth | Backwater Aroth
Skills: Adept Archer | Adequate Tracker | Adequate Dodger | Adequate First Aid | Adequate Arrow Recovery
Passive Abilities: Heightened Senses
Active Abilities: Imbue Shot
-Alter Trajectory
Armor: Leather Quiver [7] | Sturdy Clothing | Anti-Ballistics Barrier Shirt [2]
Equipped: Well-crafted Longbow [3]
Hunting Knife [1] (Sheathed)
Inventory(15/100 kg):
6x Bandaid
Herbal Medicine [1]
Disinfectant Spray (3/3) [1]
Amatin Seathunder
Traits: Point-Blank Fighter | Prone to Rage | Aroth
Skills: Talented Leader | Talented Explosives User | Rusty Stealth | Rusty Diplomacy
Passive Abilities: Fearsome Presence
Active Abilities: Detonate | Life Transfer
Armor: Impact Suppression Pads ASP02 [5] | Heat-Insulation Suit AIS15 [3]
Equipped: Durgen Industries Impact Hammer [8]
Inventory(56/100 kg):
HKM-40 UPP (15/30) [5]
Revolver Missile Launcher WRL93 (3/6) [4]
NovaTech Direct Conduit Laser Projector (50/25) [7]
6x 7mm UPP Magazine [3]
2x Class 12 Energy Cells [2]
1x Class 15 Energy Cell [1]
3x 50mm Heat-Seeking Missile [6]
1x Lead Brick [10]
Durgen Industries Loudspeaker [2]
Durgen Industries Superglue
4x Dragon Fangs
Jaffar Cole
Traits: Thrives on Tension | Low Born | Polaric
Skills: Proficent Repair | Proficient Fighter | Talented Scavenger | Proficient Tinkerer | Diplomacy | Not Dodger
Passive Abilities: Toxin Resistance
Active Abilities: Heartless
Armor: Blue Jumpsuit | Hanover Lt-13 Engineers RIG [10]
Equipped: Tangiers XX Sonic Mace [4]
Inventory(61/100 kg):
MiliTech B4Z O-0KA (0/1) [4]
Blastech Plasma Energy Bolter (45/50) [10]
Unidentified Fusion Cell [8]
5lr 3He Tank [3]
Robot Parts [5]
Targeting System [5]
Utility Belt
-2x 70mm Shrapnel Rocket [2]
-2x 70mm AT Rocket [2]
-1x 70mm HE Rocket [1]
-Anti-Radiation Pills (4/4) [1]
-Plasma Recharger Sphere (5/5) [5]
-Toolbox
--Holo-Mapping System (currently empty)
--4x Oxygen Tank [4]
--Spacer's Rations (3/3) [2]
Varron Carse
Traits: Reactionary | Headstrong | Polaric
Skills: Skilled Melee Fighter | Talented Dodger | Competant Armor User | Competant Gunslinger
Passive Abilities: Motion Sense
Active Abilities: Gravitokinesis
Armor: Clothing | Cobalt Steel Plating [14]
Equipped: X-12 PPC (11/15) [4] | ExxTech VibroBlade (Sheathed) [5]
Inventory(32/100 kg):
Backpack [5]
-Plasma Recharger Sphere (5/5) [5]
-Rations (10/10) [4]
The Colonization:- Earth is the original home of the human race.
- Five colony ships--Centauri, Ross, Arcturus, Polaris, and Sirius--were built as a testament to mankind's engineering prowess. Construction began in 2024 and took seventy years to complete. Various factors hindered the construction, but as new technologies were developed to counteract natural disasters, construction of the five resumed.
- When the colony ship program first began, governments worldwide began to implement new political measures under the justification that anyone who disagrees can be stuck in a colony ship and sent off.
- Governments began to more-or-less unite in the footsteps of the European Union. Wars settled down and nations started to more-or-less coexist.
- When the colony ships left in 2100, an interplanetary navy formed to escort the colony ships out of the system. Some crews volunteered to escort the colonies all the way to their destinations, essentially travelling in the colony ship's hyperspace wake.
- The navy expanded its ranks as piracy inevitably became more prevalent throughout the system. Asteroid mining became more lucrative than on Earth, resulting in a steady economic boom as more companies formed to exploit the asteroid belt's natural resources.
- In 2105, the Centauri arrived at its target star, Proxima Centauri. Prior to 2020, it was thought to be a barren system without resources. From that year on, a habitable planet was discovered and the future colonists managed to safely settle on the surface.
- In 2110, the Sirius crash-landed on its target planet. All communication was lost (communication at this time was conducted using hyperspace probes, which carried messages faster than light) and the colony ship was presumed destroyed within a year of no contact.
- A year after the crash, in 2111 the Ross arrived at Ross 154. Scans of the system revealed two habitable planets, Ross Major and Minor. The colony ship was damaged by an asteroid and was forced to make an emergency landing on Ross Minor--a temporary setback. Colonization of Ross Major commenced about a decade later.
- The fourth colony ship to arrive, the Arcturus, did so in 2140, but suffered a major system failure due to a completely unexpected virus mid-transit. Nearly all data assets were purged as a result, including starmaps and instructions. The location of Sol was also lost, so no communications could be established. Fortunately, when expected date of arrival came, the colony on Arcturus was contacted from Earth, and previous notions that the colony ship was lost were disregarded. The colony called themselves the Aroth as a direct result of losing language records. The population agreed to choose a name that would stand out for centuries to come.
- In 2150, a man known as Mikail Cyrus assembled the remnants of the Sirius under his own name. A new dynasty was born decades after the inhabitants of Sirius were forced to return to a tribal-like state where bands led by chieftains prowled the surface of the planet. Though ruthless, Cyrus united the colony and forced its industrialization, allowing it to catch up to the other nations. Their arrogant mindset pushed them onwards to recover from the crash, and and less than four years later, a message was sent to Earth, containing but one phrase: "Cyrus lives!"
The zeal which the Cyrians had for their nation led to numerous groups of fanatics arising out of nothing, maligning the Cyrians as thieves and Pirates. Their damaged reputation far outlasted Cyrus himself. - The last colony ship to arrive was Polaris, over a full hundred years after launch in 2202. Despite this, all of science had dictated that it would take no less than four hundred with current forms of travel, but the Polarians knew better than to sit there and wait. In 2147, a man--whose name has since eluded records--managed to find a way to boost the ship's top speed tremendously. The previous colony ships had used hyperspace solely as a means to accelerate to near light speed. It was deemed a great risk to remain in hyperspace for too long, as an unexpected gravity well could shift a vessel's course and the resulting shift could lead to being lost in space. However, The mysterious individual managed to somehow shift the vessel into a higher plane of reality during hyperspace transit, thus avoiding any gravity wells that would otherwise cause major problems. The amount of energy required was immense, and where this energy came from is still a mystery beyond comprehension.
- Today, it is the year 2999. The start of a new year is usually when corporations unveil new technologies, but a certain archaeology team claimed they found something that would revolutionize all of science. They plan to reveal it on Planet Centauri in a mere 7 days, the amount of time before planet Earth once again finishes its orbit. Some still wonder why Earth years are still used--the common answer, of course, is for simplicity's sake.
The Worlds:- Partially owing to its small size and unique atmosphere, Planet Cyrus is to this day little more than a barren wasteland populated by humans. Centuries ago, when the Cyrian revolution began, the rapid construction of productive infrastructure led to the planet being absolutely over-polluted. What used to be a planet almost completely covered in diverse jungles became an endless desert, with overgrown forests being replaced with rocky plains over time. Many species were lost forever to extinction, and Cyrians to this day are accustomed to harsh conditions due to the extreme nature of the planet's new environment.
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Topic: Space Wizard RTD: Rolls. (Read 87242 times)