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Player Name: Cubey
Personal LJ: geometric-angst
AIM Contact: cubey@aol.pl
Character Name: Alessandra Langelier of House Consenesco
Source Canon: Original Canon (A Fistful of SCIENCE!)
Community Tag: alessandra langelier
Notes: I wonder how much German and Latin did I mangle in this app? Also, includes a lot of obvious spoilers, so read at your own risk.
Background: Setting background first.
Since as early as the middle of 20th century,there was a secret society on Earth. Known as Capax Infiniti, it was a group of enlightened scientists and visionaries. They hoped to learn the truth that governs the world, not just laws of physics but the greater truth behind that. And, should there ever be such a need, use this truth to change the world itself. And as there were differing ideas of what the truth exactly was supposed to be and how to achieve it, schism was imminent.
The secret society collapsed, forming four Houses (still pretty secret though) - each one with a differing ideology. House Lacertus believed in the need to act as a strong, unified human front, conservative and unchanging. House Flumen was the opposite, theirs was the way of finding one's fortune by exploiting opportunity as it appears. House Consenesco were the romantic idealists, who wanted only to live their life to the fullest - because they were aware, and accepting. of imminent death at the end. Finally, House Accedo believed in harmony with yourself and others, as omnipresent influences work on you by the whole world all the time - in a way, everyone is only a part of the larger picture.
Each house took a color as its banner, and even more importantly - one of the fundamental forces of physics, as this science was the most prized by the Capax Infiniti.
Lacertus was yellow and dedicated to studying the strong nuclear force.
Flumen was blue and dedicated to studying the electromagnetic force.
Consenesco was red and dedicated to studying the weak nuclear force.
Accedo was green and dedicated to studying the force of gravity.
A fifth house was then set up - it was tiny but influential, as its sole role was to act as a mediator between the conflicting houses. It was the House Conventus - its color was white and it was the house of the Grand Unified Theory.
For many years, the Houses did... nothing that important, actually. They occassionaly warred with each other but they had no say nor pull in major wars and other events. But their members knew that the day of importance will come eventually - and it did. After the Second Impact, it took the survivors years to find and gather themselves together. But once they did, Conventus made an announcement: the houses should move to now-devastated America (or whatever else fits the game masters), as there is plenty of place for expansion there. And more importantly, they should make preparations - in ten years, they will fight against each other. It's not war, but a trial by champion: each house will field theirs, who was deliberately raised in this role since childhood, and the last one standing will show their superiority. They will be the ones to join Conventus and, together, recreate the devastated world.
That's a handful. Now for the character:
Alessandra is the chosen champion of House Consenesco. It runs in the blood - her family was always the one to champion for the house during conflicts. Speaking of the family: her parents died during the Second Impact, like so many other people, secret society or not. She was only five at that time, but at least she had the House to take care of her. During the Houses' gathering, she met other champions-to-be. And because they were all roughly the same age, the group of kids became childhood friends with each other. Too bad that their paths had to seperate again once every House went its own way towards the promised land.
When House Consenesco reached America (or whatever), they set up a large estate somewhere in the wilderness. That's where Alessandra trained in preparation for the fight. She didn't really leave it that often - she was sheltered for most of her life, with as little contact with the outside world and as much luxury (but also everyday combat practice) as possible, and it for sure didn't change now. Just a few weeks before her introduction into the game, Alessandra's mentor/older brother figure decides that she is ready: it is time to engage the other Houses! His squad went into the wilderness as forward scouts, and Alessandra and her escorts were to join him - but just as it happened, she was ambushed by House Flumen. With her escort destroyed or forced to retreat, what will happen next!
Notes: Despite the LJ title, Alessandra is not, in fact, a princess. House Consenesco might have hereditary champions but it doesn't believe in royalty.
Personality: Loud, energetic, bombastic - Alessandra is truly the daughter of House Consenesco. She was pampered all her life, so approaching others from a commanding and respected position feels natural to her. She rarely hesitates and if she feels like doing something, then it will be done. However, as annoying her hammy personality may be, she is not arrogant or spoiled. Everything is a new experience for her, and she approaches it with passion and determination.
Speaking of which, Alessandra is sheltered and her life experience is limited. She is a good combatant (in and out of her mecha), and studied philosophy, sciences and etiquette, but that's mostly it. She never had to perform menial work or chores, rarely saw places or people not affiliated with her own house, and even didn't have contact with many technological devices others take for granted. For example, most electronic items. She is willing to learn, but a lot of fumbling in unfamiliar environments will be included. So despite being well-educated, she may come across as quite ditzy at times.
As far as other people are concerned, Alessandra tries to act in a generous and benevolent fashion. She's not bossing around but that still carries implications of authority so some might get annoyed. She is empathic to tragedy and tries to fix wrongdoings when she sees them, but is also accepting of loss if it cannot be prevented. Everyone will die one day, even her - grieve, but then move on. Take both good and bad things in stride.
Alessandra's speech patterns and mannerisms may seem dissonant to others - it's like if she was a historical character, or to be more precise, how the general population views historical characters. All part of her House's upbringing, of course. She likes to talk in a grandiose way, with lots of big and unnecessary words. That happens even when she is annoyed or stressed. ESPECIALLY if she is annoyed or stressed.
Capabilities and Resources: Having trained with various weapons since she was strong enough to wield them, Alessandra is quite the fighter. Her skill in melee combat, on foot or inside her mecha, is exceptional: although still within normal human limits. As for ranged combat, she practiced shooting as well but it is not her specialty. So she's adequate here but not much more.
Being the champion of House Consenesco, Alessandra has the whole organisation willing to help her. Too bad the house is weakest of the four, especially with its forces destroyed in Flumen's ambush. Still, as soon as she finds survivors, Alessandra can use them for information gathering, minor support and repairs or even cleaning her room - *when* she manages to find them.
Robot Name: Memento Mori
Robot Description: Memento Mori stands at 15 meters (~45 feet tall). Visually it resembles the armor worn by its user, including many impractical elements like large jewels and other decorations. It differs color-wise, being red with a silver core and details. It's constructed using modern materials, but has a steampunk-ish feel to its design: there is even a short, stocky smokestack at its back, although it is not really a smokestack at all. It is a camouflaged set of vernier thrusters.
This robot has two exceptional systems. First of all, the cockpit does not have standard controls but rather a motion trace system. As long as the pilot wears a special outfit (which just happens to be Alessandra's standard armor), the mecha will mimic her moves. The second system is even more unique: the Fundamental Engine which serves as Memento Mori's generator. The power it provides comes from fundamental forces themselves: a process that occurs on Earth contantly and everywhere, so the generator virtually never runs out of power. Also, its output can be overcharged - but this can be only done when the pilot's biometrics are in a specific way, which requires her mind to focus on a certain mindset. In Memento Mori's case, it is the feeling of inescapable demise, but also acceptance of it. Alessandra can easily maintain this mindset for a second or two, but doing so for a longer period of time is still outside her grasp.
Memento Mori's basic arms are a pair of mecha-sized blades: a rapier and a main gauche, that is a smaller weapon dedicated to parrying. These are physical weapons, not beam or heated ones - but to provide an additional kick, an electric shock generator is installed in the rapier. Mecha hit by it can get a nasty zap. If this is not enough, Memento Mori also carries a huge two-handed axe for times when a little brutal power is required; and to deal with pesky bastards who stay out of melee range we have: a pair of submachine guns, cunningly disguised to look like antique flintlock pistols. For its special attack, it has the Beta Shower: a physics-defying ability that requires the Fundamental Engine to enter overcharge mode for a split second. When it's active, whatever Memento Mori grabs will start emitting an intensive stream of beta particles - normally they are not that dangerous, but in this quantity it causes extensive damage to the target's inner circuitry, and may even kill its pilot due to radioactivity. Alessandra can control the strength of this effect, so she will try to avoid causing deaths this way. The target isn't the only thing that takes damage, as beta radiation affects others near its vincinity, even if to a smaller extent. This means the target doesn't even have to be a mecha - even a rock will do.
There is one more use of the Fundamental Engine, but Alessandra cannot (at first) access it. When the biometrics are maintained for a longer time and at absolutely the required values (which means she has to concentrate even harder on that fatalistic mindset), Memento Mori enters Exemplum Mode. In this mode, it is emiting a white aura and its strength, speed and power are all increased. Unfortunately, Exemplum also causes the generator to overheat, so it can be turned on only for a few actions.
By the way, each Fundamental Engine has a control gem. If it's missing, the mech cannot enter overcharge or Exemplum Mode. These gems are what the Houses are fighting for - to lose yours is proof that your house was weak and failed.
Terrain Stats:
Land: A, S in Exemplum Mode
Air: C, B in Exemplum Mode
Sea: C, A in Exemplum Mode
Space: B, A in Exemplum Mode
Upgrades: Eventually, Alessandra learns how to use Exemplum. But even later, she receives an entirely new machine! Okay, kind of.
Robot Name: Carpe Diem
Robot Description: Once she realizes that the weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces are actually one and the same, both scientifically and ideologically, Alessandra unlocks Memento Mori's true potential - it is not a Weak Nuclear, but an Electroweak robot! Okay, that didn't sound too impressive, but anyway... She decides to rename it Carpe Diem. Its red color was repainted into majestic, royal violet... purple? ... Let's call it magenta? ... Fine. It's pink. Carpe Diem is pink. Also, Alessandra had a second smokestack/vernier installed, so now there's two, and the previous one was relocated so that each smokestack is near the mecha's shoulder rather than in the middle of its back.
In terms of basic weaponry, Carpe Diem remains unchanged. However, due to its Electroweak nature, the Fundamental Engine works differently: now, it enters overcharge (and Exemplum) mode when its pilot enters a mindset of enjoying the present, living life to the fullest and not regretting it: Something which comes to Alessandra much easier. In addition to Memento Mori's Beta Shower special attack, there is something new: Electron Stream, which allows Carpe Diem to shoot a bolt of electricity from its hands. The bolt can cause damage to whatever it hits, or it can draw the target closer or push it away - if the victim is made of conductive metal, that is.
Terrain Stats:
Land: A, S in Exemplum Mode
Air: A, S in Exemplum Mode
Sea: B, A in Exemplum Mode
Space: A, S in Exemplum Mode
Notes: This look like a good opportunity to describe other mecha of the canon.
Famulus
This is a basic, mook unit that is used by all Houses. It is only 10 meters tall and, because it is often piloted by hired mercenaries, it can be operated via a standard cockpit - although it has the motion trace capability as well. Famulii, like all units from this canon, have steampunky aesthetics and vernier thrusters hidden as smokestacks. They also wear tabards in their House's colors.
House Lacertus has relatively few units of this type. Their design is based on a French carabinier, but their colors are utilitarian - usually dull brown. All Famulus units of this house are armed in the same way, with a bayonetted two-handed rifle that fires conventional, if powerful slugs.
House Flumen bases its Famulii on a German landsknecht. Each unit is slightly different because they are customized by their pilots. They are armed with whatever weapons they can get their hands on, which mostly means a gun in one hand and a melee weapon in the other.
House Consenesco has Famulus units inspired by Schwarze Reiters. Just like the name suggests, they are black except for the red tabards. They carry either a two-handed electric shock pike, or a one-handed gun and a mecha shield combination.
House Accedo's units are most plentiful of all the four. They have a rusty, worn look to them - and are covered in tribal-looking drawings and marks. But since Accedo is full of hipsters, these drawings are all ironic and do not mean anything. They carry shields and either short electric shock spears or one-handed guns.
Proeliator
This model is used by House elites. It is as tall as Champion units - 15 meters tall. It has a motion trace system, but no Fundamental Engine. Visually, Proeliators resemble Famulii. They are however more elaborate in their detailing, not to mention much larger.
House Lacertus has most Proeliators. They are all alike - wearing long cloaks and shako-like helmet decorations. Their equipment consists of an electric shock sword and shield for close combat, and a sniper rifle for taking out things from afar.
House Flumen has three Proeliator units. All three are heavily customized:
-Proeliator Tigris has two gigantic shields built into its hands. The shields can be magnetized - so if they hit the enemy, they stick. And once they stick, they can unleash an electric current attack. Tigris has no long-ranged weapons and the shields weight it down, making it slower than other units of its type - but also tougher.
-Proeliator Anguis has a jaw-like crusher installed in place of its right hand. It is a powerful but very short-ranged weapon, so its pilot must use the unit's mobility to catch enemies unaware. The left hand wields a light pistol - its shots used as a distraction, not to cause any real damage.
-Proeliator Lupus dual-wields large sabers. They are used only for defense and to finish off disabled opponents - its main weapon are two wrist launchers, capable of shooting out throwing knives in rapid succession. Each knife causes minimal damage on its own, but also has an electric shock generator. So several hits can overwhelm most units.
House Consenesco has only one Proeliator remaining. It is dark red in color, not black - and its equipment is a giant, heavy crushing maul. The maul's handle is hollow and server as a missile launcher.
House Accedo has no Proeliator units. Sucks to be them.
Custos
These elite units are the Proeliator equivalent for House Conventus. There are only three of them in existence, so they have to be very powerful - despite not having a Fundamental Engine, the Conventus elites are so skilled that these units perform on the level of house Champion mecha. They are stark white and have little features and no decoration. Even their verniers are standard, flight-capable and hidden under their cloaks! Indeed, Custosi have cloaks - all-covering and hard enough to count as shields. They fight in melee exclusively, making good use of their great speed, agility and razor-sharp, clawed hands. If the latter is not enough, they can purge the outer cloak (it gets in the way) and activate an emergency weapon: a pair of destructive chainsaws, one for each hand.
Exegi Monumentum
House Famulus's Champion unit, Exegi Monumentum towers above others at 20 meters of height. Its design is more impractical than usually for the house, and based on a Carabinier-a-Cheval... only without a horse. Also, except for blue, red and white detailing it is all gold. Exegi Monumentum wields only a single saber for its weaponry, but that is all it needs - it relies solely on its own power, durability, as well as the pilot's skill. And it has plenty of all of these things. Its Fundamental Engine allows the unit to become totally invulnerable for very short periods of time (Nucleus Bind) - this is best used to block long-ranged attacks that the pilot sees coming. Its overcharge and Exemplum Mode are activated with a mindset of absolute confidence and stability.
Hoc Age
No, not the Hokage. This is the Champion unit of House Flumen, and looks like someone stripped a Proeliator off its whole decorations... and then installed different ones: mecha-sized goggles, as well as a pilot's fur jacket and scarf. These aren't parts but actual pieces of clothing, scaled up to mecha size by some kind of crazy artisans. Hoc Age's thrusters are much more powerful than other Champions' (as well as looking like, well, actual thrusters), and it can fly in the sky freely. It dual-wields a gigantic chain cannon and a net-gun. Its Fundamental Engine's overcharge requires an opportunistic mindset - absolute concentration on chances that appear around you and the willingness to use and abuse them for personal gain. In return, it lets Hoc Age shoot electricity from its palms - like Carpe Diem's, these bolts can either damage, draw forward or push back.
Concordia Salus
House Accedo's Champion unit is perhaps the strangest of them all. No taller than others, but it is very thin so looks stick-like in comparison. Also, it is deformed by weird growths that give it a highly irregular shape (all of it is not a side effect or a flaw - it's an intended feature in the robot's design!). It does not wield any weapons, and its pilot has to content himself with using improvised weaponry or just punching and kicking the crap out of others. The Fundamental Engine of Concordia Salus has the ability of Relative Pull: it allows the unit to modify gravitic force of any object the unit touches - make them pull either each other or everything else much weaker or stronger than usual (which mostly means stronger, unless the target is Earth itself). Although limited in its abilities, this unit should not be underestimated - the Champion is a master in using the overcharged ability to devastating effects. Speaking of which, both overcharge and Exemplum require a feeling of being one with the world.
Capax Infiniti
The ultimate machine with the ability to change the world. It is 40 meters tall and very heavy-looking, with huge thick limbs but a very thin torso and a barely existing head. And yet, despite that bulk it can float in the air like nobody's business. Its surface is rough, made of unpainted metal and covered in all kinds of gears, tesla coils and similar contraptions - all of them operating non-stop. The unit is equipped with the most powerful Fundamental Engine of them all. It has the ability to perform all four of the Champions' special abilities: Nuclear Bind, Electron Stream, Beta Shower and Relative Pull, and that is without having to enter overcharged or Exemplum mode. Not that it is able to (unless the players fail to stop it), because in Exemplum mode, it would have the power to manipulate all laws of physics as its pilot wishes, effectively recreating all of reality. Although even without Exemplum Mode, it is more powerful than a Champion unit with one activated.
Job: Champion of House Consenesco!
Notes: When writing down the suggested events, I tried to make this canon easy to incorporate with other missions. So of course feel free to change details to make it even easier. This is a suggested events list after all.
Suggested Event List:
1. Radioactive Decay
The White Chalice sends out a patrol to investigate a battlefield... or maybe they just stumble upon it as a part of another mission. Anyway! The battle is between Alessandra's Memento Mori (her guards are destroyed by this point) and a group of House Flumen Famulii. Also present are Proeliator Tigris and Anguis - so despite having a superior machine, Alessandra is on the defensive and calls to the newcomers for assistance. And if they don't want to help, Flumens will force their hand by attacking them as well!
The Proeliators work as a team, Tigris acting as a shield for Anguis's bite. Each unit flees when heavily damaged, and when both retreat, enemy reinforcement appears: the Hoc Age, which was only observing from afar but now sees an opportunity to strike! It has no weapons (just this time, there will be a standard loadout in future encounters) but don't worry about that - it immediately starts to shoot lightning around. In return, Memento Mori uses Shining Fin... I mean, Beta Shower! Unwilling to take further risks, Hoc Age flees.
Important NPC debuts:
Rana McLatchy: a stylish but manipulative young woman, she is the pilot of Hoc Age and House Flumen's chosen Champion. She generally seems laidback and not too concerned about anything, but it's just a pose: she is quick to backstab almost anyone (including childhood friends like Alessandra!) for personal again if there is an opportunity, and just as quick to admit it. It's nothing personal - just business, you see.
Cordell Gubser: pilot of Proeliator Tigris, he is not a typical member of Flumen. This mountain of a man is loyal and straightforward, and serves the house because he believes its openness to opportunity is the best this world can hope for if it is to be ever repaired. He considers those less skilled than him to be rookies - not that he'll go easy on such enemies, but is willing to let them live if they stop fighting.
Arnoldo Fulwiler: Proeliator Anguis's chosen pilot is Cordell's opposite, and yet somehow the two have excellent teamwork together. He is sleazy and opportunistic, prostrating before and willing to placate those stronger than him but with nothing but contempt to those below him. A craven coward, if left unsupervised he tries to flee at first sight of trouble.
2. A Stochastic Process
The White Chalice receives a distress signal. It is Alessandra's mentor, whose group is chased by house Flumen. So if anyone picks this one up, especially little Alessa, could you please rescue us? Thanks!
The group had to protect themselves in a cave/asteroid thicket/abandoned city/whatever fits the game masters' intentions. There are only a few Consenesco Famulii left, as well as the Proeliator. On the enemy side, we have Proeliators Anguis, Lupus, an assortment of mooks - and Hoc Age once again! Memento Mori tries to break the siege, only to immediately get surrounded: but this is when the Consenesco Proeliator attacks, heavily damaging Lupus from a surprise attack. This angers Rana, who wordlessly activates Exemplum Mode - and goes straight at Memento Mori. Alessandra recognizes the super mode but is incapable of defending against it! She almost has her unit fried by concentrated electric bolts, but then a new contestant swoops down to seperate the fighting Champions. It is a Custos, whose pilot states that Consenesco's, nor any other House's, champion can be defeated until they master Exemplum Mode. Flumen should leave now - and they concur, grudgingly. The Custos disappears, leaving Alessandra angry at her loss.
During that time, the rest of the group should fight the rest of the Flumen forces. Lupus retreats once Hoc Age enters Exemplum Mode, but Proeliator Anguis can (and should) be destroyed. Instant karma!
Important NPC debuts:
Waylon Casgrove: Alessandra's mentor and older brother figure. He's even more jovial and energetic than her, but also wise and worldly... in a way. He also calls her "little Alessa", which annoys her a lot. He likes to work in the wild so soon after rescuing he will leave to scout around for other Houses and their locations - promising not to let himself get trapped like that again.
Filiberto McLatchy: Pilot of Proeliator Lupus, and so it happens: Rana's younger brother. To describe him in one word, emo. He is always angsty, depressed and whiny, mostly because she was chosen as a Champion and not him. Still, he cares for his sister deeply, and the opposite. He too is a childhood friend of Alessandra.
Jarod Gargani: A Custos pilot from House Conventus. He is a cool cat, always calm and composed - and never says more than necessary. He enters dramatically, does what he was ordered to do, and disappears. An archetypical mysterious servant character, possibly with his own agenda.
3. Density Gradient
This time, Alessandra (and the rest of White Chalice by proxy) receives an invitation. House Accedo wishes her no harm and invites her to pay them a visit, in a natural grove of wilderness where they live. That's where the heroine meets Concordia Salus's pilot, who explains to her that to unlock the secret of Exemplum Mode, she should personify her House's ideals: act as if she was their living avatar. He would teach her, but his House's ideals are already in his heart, and besides House Lacertus warned they will attack and should be here... right about... now.
Indeed, Lacertus units attack - a huge group of Famulii, working in 3-4 smaller teams: each led by an anonymous Proeliator. Accedo fields its own units against the assault, but their Famulii are no match and retreat when Memento Mori and allies appear - including Concordia Salus. But what is that? Concordia Salus starts fighting against the White Chalice forces! It is as it should be, its pilot explains again. When fighting under such pressure, Alessandra will either learn the secret of Exemplum - or be defeated. Also, he and his house might be weakest: but they should not be underestimated just because they are weak!
Facing Lacertus units from one side and a master of gravity from the other, Alessandra realizes she is going to be defeated. And yet... somehow it does not worry her at all. This is when she unlocks Exemplum Mode of her own - but Concordia Salus counters with Exemplum as well! The two launch a simultaneous attack: but in a contest of brute force, Memento Mori is the winner. Alessandra spares her friend's life, but takes his unit's control gem. This is when a Custos appears out of nowhere - to collect the gem and quickly depart.
Important NPC debuts:
Kasey Glise: the Accedo Champion is pretty much a pretentious hippy. He loves long, meandering rambling before getting straight to the point one sentence later. And yet, he fully understands his principles and is calm and happy-go-lucky in all but the most dire situations. A big fan of learning-by-doing. Unlike other Champions, his childhood friendship with Alessandra stayed warm even after all the passing years.
Faustina Killus: Another Custos pilot, she speaks formally and acts in a logical and professional way. A rather boring character, really. No plot importance at all here, no siree.
4. Strong Interaction
A warning! White Chalice will be attacked, and should prepare itself to minimize civilian casualties. Best wishes, signed - the attackers, House Lacertus. The large attacking force is not interested in death and property damage, only in victory: so the bulk of the squad goes straight for Memento Mori.
And by the bulk, I mean Exegi Monumentum! The Lacertus Champion is here, and she wants to engage in a duel with Alessandra. Calling her weak all the time, the Champion no-sells all attacks that fall on her with the power of Nucleus Bind. This forces Memento Mori to enter Exemplum Mode - at which case a Custos tries to intervene, its pilot (Faustina, like last mission) calmly warning not to continue the assault. Apparently Lacertus did not master Exemplum yet... but then, Exegi Monumentum enters the super mode anyway! Apparently its pilot only needed to witness it in action and understand how many things are unified and strongly tied together - which includes the House Champions as well. The four are very much alike.
Exemplum vs Exemplum - both units are evenly matched, but then Alessandra does the strange thing by turning her own super mode off. This is because the Weak Nuclear force might be weaker than the Strong one (well, duh!) - but its effects are the latter's nemesis, as if the world explicitly tailored them that way! She strikes with Beta Shower, and Exegi Monumentum's generator is too hot to counter with Nucleus Bind. The unit is down! And since Faustina is already here, she might as well collect the control gem. House Lacertus retreats in disgrace...
Important NPC debuts:
Wai Gasquet: The House Lacertus champion. She believes in strength and discipline and belittles those who have little (read: less than her) of both. Although she has a foul temper, her actions are honorable: she always helds her given word and tries to minimize battlefield casualties, both her side's and the enemies'. Doesn't mean she won't call the losers weaklings, of course.
5. Electroweak Hypothesis
Guess whom we didn't hear of for a while? House Flumen AND also Alessandra's mentor, Waylon. So it's just in time that the former has captured the latter hostage and they want her to appear at a designated location. Or else...
The Flumen do not care if Alessandra brings allies or not - they are outnumbered anyway. The House brought all of its Proeliators (two), and as many lesser mooks as it could muster. And Hoc Age, of course. Time to fight! To taunt the Consenesco, Rana gets into an ideological exchange in the middle of battle: accepting the inevitable is ridiculous. Live every day with a lookout for opportunities: not just for yourself, but for others! What will blind fatalism do to restore the devastated world? Nothing!
Alessandra has to agree, which was like if a signal for Rana: full power, Exemplum Mode and Electron Stream are on! Memento Mori is immobilized, on the verge of destruction, and its pilot can only ponder how, even though she knew this day would come, she was still happy about everything that happened so far. That's it! What she was doing is searching for opportunities all that time - not just for herself, for others too! This is not exclusive with Consenesco's standards at all. If anything, it reinforces them. This means the Electromagnetic and Weak Nuclear forces are one: and Memento Mori can manipulate both.
Rana realizes something is bad when Alessandra counters with an Electrom Stream of her own. Time for a change of tactics - strike at the captured Famulus with Waylon inside. The unit goes down and explodes - Alessandra's emotions turn into rage! Furiously, she does what she just learnt about opportunities: and abuses Rana's newly-created opening to finish her off. Rana's brother Filiberto cries out in despair. It turns out him and Cordell didn't like this dirty trick, and covertly removed Alessandra's mentor from the captive unit. He is alive - but now, Filiberto's sister is dead! He swears vengeance, but orders all units to retreat for now. And, swallowing his pride, at least asks to retrieve his sister's body. Alessandra agrees, and mere minutes later Custodi arrive. After inspecting the fallen Hoc Age, Faustina is upset: the McLatchy brother took not only his sister's corpse, but the control gem as well! It does not matter, Jarod says. They all know that, unlikely as it might have been at the beginning, House Consenesco is the winner. Alessandra is invited to the secret House Conventus residence, where she will help rebuild the world. But first, a touching reunion with her mentor - who against all odds, turned out to be alive after all.
6. Half-Life
The White Chalice crew probably suspects a trap. Alessandra at least doesn't feel comfortable in moving out on her own. At the residence's grounds (which turn out to be some kind of a giant metallic tower with a large multi-level exterior) you can already spot units from houses Lacertus and Flumen. They are not here to fight though. Memento Mori... pardon me, Carpe Diem enters the inner chamber, where Alessandra meets the leader of House Conventus - an old man named Benton Barnak. He is very happy for her, but before he can say anything other than congratulary smalltalk, he is cut down mid-speech. The assassin is no one else but the Custos pilot Faustina! She explains, still sounding calm and professional (although now that she's up close, Alessandra cannot help but notice her many face's many nervous twitches), how the world is devastated beyond repair. Under the Grand Unified Theory, all forces and matter is the same, just in different states: so the logical thing to do is not to repair the world, but undo it. And now that she has all the required control gems, the Champions' biorhythms recorded inside them (ah, so that's what they were for!), she can use Capax Infiniti to make this wish come true.
As for Alessandra, she should just disappear. Faustina announces publically that the beloved mediator Benton is dead, and Alessandra killed him. In an act of cruel mercy, enough time was given for the Champion to get into her mecha - and once she does, an army of infuriated Flumens and Lacertii chases after her and her friends. Also, the Custos units give chase - not just the last two, but a new third unit as well. To make this situation even more one-sided, Jarod stole Alessandra's control gem while she was away from Carpe Diem. So much for Fundamental Engine's advanced uses - time to get out, and fast!
During the escape, which will probably involve madcap chases down the tower's huge balconies and catwalks, Cordell's Proeliator Tigris receives a sudden message. Nobody but him knows what it is about, but it's enough for him to change sides and cover Alessandra's escape rather than try to stop it. Who might have sent it? Speaking of which, Filiberto and his unit were absent this mission... but anyway, for his loyalty Cordell pays with life, as the three Custodi cut him down mercilessly. At least the White Chalice people got away safely...
And once they do, it turns out Alessandra was being followed. Approaching her is no one else but Filiberto McLatchy - who says he should stab her where she stands right now, even if it was unlikely he'd succeed. But he saw Benton cut down by his own guards, just as he was sneaking into the chamber to get his revenge. And he knows Alessandra didn't do it. So, against every fibre in his body, he decided to do this: and gives the Consenesco a control gem. It belonged to my sister, Filiberto says. Use it to clear your name. After all... we all were friends once.
Important NPC debuts:
Benton Barnak: leader of House Conventus and pretty much the whole secret society. He really meant well, even if his methods were rather... unconventional. Well, he is dead now - we barely knew ye. He may or may not have been Zombie Einstein in disguise.
Mose Holtgrefe: the third Custos pilot. He's a cypher - no real personality unless the game masters invent one for him. Just like Jarod, ultimately his loyalty lies with Faustina, not Benton.
7. The Grand Unified Theory
Good news is that apparently three gems are not enough, even if there are only three fundamental forces (with the whole Electroweak stuff) - Faustina needs all four to cause the end of the world, and doesn't know where the fourth is now. The bad news is that her unit, Capax Infiniti, is now flying around, looking for the last gem and gathering followers out for Alessandra's blood.
The obvious solution is a head-on confrontation. A confrontation that reveals a veritable army of units from all Houses - including all (still alive) champions, even if Kasey doesn't seem too happy to be there. But wait, what's this? Waylon Casgrove is there as well, leading a unit of Consenesco Famulii! He does not want to fight though, only for Alessandra to get out of there. He will not take no for an answer, and will use force if... forced to. He has no killing intent, neither does his student and (hopefully) her allies, but a fight is inevitable anyway.
The fighting draws in the rest of the enemy forces - not good! But before they can attack, someone yells out at them to stop. It is Filiberto once again: he repeats what he told Alessandra earlier, to little effect: Famulii and Proeliators attack anyway. Wai's Exegi Monumentum moves for the blow as well - but her attack is intercepted by Filiberto, who takes it straight into his unit. Then does she realize that for someone so revenge-obsessed to go as far as to risk life for the object of his revenge... he must have been telling the truth.
It looks like the Houses will not follow her anymore, so Faustina turns Capax Infiniti against them - using its destructive power to wipe out most of the mook units, with Mose and Jarod in their Custos units helping. To even out the playing field, the other Champions need their control gems: so they hold Capax Infiniti's limbs, while Alessandra tries to break into the boss unit. But that's not possible, due to that pesky Nuclear Bind thing going on. So instead, she uses the power of the childhood friend whom did she kill herself: using the Electron Stream, she manipulates the (apparently metal) gems inside Capax Infiniti's body, ripping them out of the Fundamental Engine and out into the open! Concordia Salus and Exegi Monumentum quickly grab what is theirs, and proceed to quickly make the gems part of their Engines once again. This takes some time though - time during which everyone has to endure the fury of Faustina and her two powerful lackeys!
But once the installation process is complete, it is time to finish this. A unit that mastered all four (or three, whatever) fundamental forces shall be destroyed by a union of such forces! Concordia Salus uses its gravity powers to literally get itself and Exegi Monumentum in Capax Infiniti's face - and then the latter tanks the boss's attacks, until it can tank no longer. The two mecha are destroyed, but time was bought - it was enough for Kasey to "glue" Carpe Diem right next to Capax Infiniti's cockpit. What follows next? A full-powered Beta Shower, with enough radioactive force to fry anything inside the enemy mecha, be it circuits or living mechanisms.
It was nasty business. But it had to be done. On the plus side, both Kasey and Wai survived, even if their machines didn't. Add Filiberto into the mix and the friends are together again! Well, mostly. Anyway, they leave on good terms. Capax Infiniti and its secret of manipulating all creation and laws of physics is dead. But they can repair the world with their own hands - each in their own way. As for Waylon, he's back in the wilderness already. The man just can't help it!
Sample Post: Here
And some more!
Personal LJ: geometric-angst
AIM Contact: cubey@aol.pl
Character Name: Alessandra Langelier of House Consenesco
Source Canon: Original Canon (A Fistful of SCIENCE!)
Community Tag: alessandra langelier
Notes: I wonder how much German and Latin did I mangle in this app? Also, includes a lot of obvious spoilers, so read at your own risk.
Background: Setting background first.
Since as early as the middle of 20th century,there was a secret society on Earth. Known as Capax Infiniti, it was a group of enlightened scientists and visionaries. They hoped to learn the truth that governs the world, not just laws of physics but the greater truth behind that. And, should there ever be such a need, use this truth to change the world itself. And as there were differing ideas of what the truth exactly was supposed to be and how to achieve it, schism was imminent.
The secret society collapsed, forming four Houses (still pretty secret though) - each one with a differing ideology. House Lacertus believed in the need to act as a strong, unified human front, conservative and unchanging. House Flumen was the opposite, theirs was the way of finding one's fortune by exploiting opportunity as it appears. House Consenesco were the romantic idealists, who wanted only to live their life to the fullest - because they were aware, and accepting. of imminent death at the end. Finally, House Accedo believed in harmony with yourself and others, as omnipresent influences work on you by the whole world all the time - in a way, everyone is only a part of the larger picture.
Each house took a color as its banner, and even more importantly - one of the fundamental forces of physics, as this science was the most prized by the Capax Infiniti.
Lacertus was yellow and dedicated to studying the strong nuclear force.
Flumen was blue and dedicated to studying the electromagnetic force.
Consenesco was red and dedicated to studying the weak nuclear force.
Accedo was green and dedicated to studying the force of gravity.
A fifth house was then set up - it was tiny but influential, as its sole role was to act as a mediator between the conflicting houses. It was the House Conventus - its color was white and it was the house of the Grand Unified Theory.
For many years, the Houses did... nothing that important, actually. They occassionaly warred with each other but they had no say nor pull in major wars and other events. But their members knew that the day of importance will come eventually - and it did. After the Second Impact, it took the survivors years to find and gather themselves together. But once they did, Conventus made an announcement: the houses should move to now-devastated America (or whatever else fits the game masters), as there is plenty of place for expansion there. And more importantly, they should make preparations - in ten years, they will fight against each other. It's not war, but a trial by champion: each house will field theirs, who was deliberately raised in this role since childhood, and the last one standing will show their superiority. They will be the ones to join Conventus and, together, recreate the devastated world.
That's a handful. Now for the character:
Alessandra is the chosen champion of House Consenesco. It runs in the blood - her family was always the one to champion for the house during conflicts. Speaking of the family: her parents died during the Second Impact, like so many other people, secret society or not. She was only five at that time, but at least she had the House to take care of her. During the Houses' gathering, she met other champions-to-be. And because they were all roughly the same age, the group of kids became childhood friends with each other. Too bad that their paths had to seperate again once every House went its own way towards the promised land.
When House Consenesco reached America (or whatever), they set up a large estate somewhere in the wilderness. That's where Alessandra trained in preparation for the fight. She didn't really leave it that often - she was sheltered for most of her life, with as little contact with the outside world and as much luxury (but also everyday combat practice) as possible, and it for sure didn't change now. Just a few weeks before her introduction into the game, Alessandra's mentor/older brother figure decides that she is ready: it is time to engage the other Houses! His squad went into the wilderness as forward scouts, and Alessandra and her escorts were to join him - but just as it happened, she was ambushed by House Flumen. With her escort destroyed or forced to retreat, what will happen next!
Notes: Despite the LJ title, Alessandra is not, in fact, a princess. House Consenesco might have hereditary champions but it doesn't believe in royalty.
Personality: Loud, energetic, bombastic - Alessandra is truly the daughter of House Consenesco. She was pampered all her life, so approaching others from a commanding and respected position feels natural to her. She rarely hesitates and if she feels like doing something, then it will be done. However, as annoying her hammy personality may be, she is not arrogant or spoiled. Everything is a new experience for her, and she approaches it with passion and determination.
Speaking of which, Alessandra is sheltered and her life experience is limited. She is a good combatant (in and out of her mecha), and studied philosophy, sciences and etiquette, but that's mostly it. She never had to perform menial work or chores, rarely saw places or people not affiliated with her own house, and even didn't have contact with many technological devices others take for granted. For example, most electronic items. She is willing to learn, but a lot of fumbling in unfamiliar environments will be included. So despite being well-educated, she may come across as quite ditzy at times.
As far as other people are concerned, Alessandra tries to act in a generous and benevolent fashion. She's not bossing around but that still carries implications of authority so some might get annoyed. She is empathic to tragedy and tries to fix wrongdoings when she sees them, but is also accepting of loss if it cannot be prevented. Everyone will die one day, even her - grieve, but then move on. Take both good and bad things in stride.
Alessandra's speech patterns and mannerisms may seem dissonant to others - it's like if she was a historical character, or to be more precise, how the general population views historical characters. All part of her House's upbringing, of course. She likes to talk in a grandiose way, with lots of big and unnecessary words. That happens even when she is annoyed or stressed. ESPECIALLY if she is annoyed or stressed.
Capabilities and Resources: Having trained with various weapons since she was strong enough to wield them, Alessandra is quite the fighter. Her skill in melee combat, on foot or inside her mecha, is exceptional: although still within normal human limits. As for ranged combat, she practiced shooting as well but it is not her specialty. So she's adequate here but not much more.
Being the champion of House Consenesco, Alessandra has the whole organisation willing to help her. Too bad the house is weakest of the four, especially with its forces destroyed in Flumen's ambush. Still, as soon as she finds survivors, Alessandra can use them for information gathering, minor support and repairs or even cleaning her room - *when* she manages to find them.
Robot Name: Memento Mori
Robot Description: Memento Mori stands at 15 meters (~45 feet tall). Visually it resembles the armor worn by its user, including many impractical elements like large jewels and other decorations. It differs color-wise, being red with a silver core and details. It's constructed using modern materials, but has a steampunk-ish feel to its design: there is even a short, stocky smokestack at its back, although it is not really a smokestack at all. It is a camouflaged set of vernier thrusters.
This robot has two exceptional systems. First of all, the cockpit does not have standard controls but rather a motion trace system. As long as the pilot wears a special outfit (which just happens to be Alessandra's standard armor), the mecha will mimic her moves. The second system is even more unique: the Fundamental Engine which serves as Memento Mori's generator. The power it provides comes from fundamental forces themselves: a process that occurs on Earth contantly and everywhere, so the generator virtually never runs out of power. Also, its output can be overcharged - but this can be only done when the pilot's biometrics are in a specific way, which requires her mind to focus on a certain mindset. In Memento Mori's case, it is the feeling of inescapable demise, but also acceptance of it. Alessandra can easily maintain this mindset for a second or two, but doing so for a longer period of time is still outside her grasp.
Memento Mori's basic arms are a pair of mecha-sized blades: a rapier and a main gauche, that is a smaller weapon dedicated to parrying. These are physical weapons, not beam or heated ones - but to provide an additional kick, an electric shock generator is installed in the rapier. Mecha hit by it can get a nasty zap. If this is not enough, Memento Mori also carries a huge two-handed axe for times when a little brutal power is required; and to deal with pesky bastards who stay out of melee range we have: a pair of submachine guns, cunningly disguised to look like antique flintlock pistols. For its special attack, it has the Beta Shower: a physics-defying ability that requires the Fundamental Engine to enter overcharge mode for a split second. When it's active, whatever Memento Mori grabs will start emitting an intensive stream of beta particles - normally they are not that dangerous, but in this quantity it causes extensive damage to the target's inner circuitry, and may even kill its pilot due to radioactivity. Alessandra can control the strength of this effect, so she will try to avoid causing deaths this way. The target isn't the only thing that takes damage, as beta radiation affects others near its vincinity, even if to a smaller extent. This means the target doesn't even have to be a mecha - even a rock will do.
There is one more use of the Fundamental Engine, but Alessandra cannot (at first) access it. When the biometrics are maintained for a longer time and at absolutely the required values (which means she has to concentrate even harder on that fatalistic mindset), Memento Mori enters Exemplum Mode. In this mode, it is emiting a white aura and its strength, speed and power are all increased. Unfortunately, Exemplum also causes the generator to overheat, so it can be turned on only for a few actions.
By the way, each Fundamental Engine has a control gem. If it's missing, the mech cannot enter overcharge or Exemplum Mode. These gems are what the Houses are fighting for - to lose yours is proof that your house was weak and failed.
Terrain Stats:
Land: A, S in Exemplum Mode
Air: C, B in Exemplum Mode
Sea: C, A in Exemplum Mode
Space: B, A in Exemplum Mode
Upgrades: Eventually, Alessandra learns how to use Exemplum. But even later, she receives an entirely new machine! Okay, kind of.
Robot Name: Carpe Diem
Robot Description: Once she realizes that the weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces are actually one and the same, both scientifically and ideologically, Alessandra unlocks Memento Mori's true potential - it is not a Weak Nuclear, but an Electroweak robot! Okay, that didn't sound too impressive, but anyway... She decides to rename it Carpe Diem. Its red color was repainted into majestic, royal violet... purple? ... Let's call it magenta? ... Fine. It's pink. Carpe Diem is pink. Also, Alessandra had a second smokestack/vernier installed, so now there's two, and the previous one was relocated so that each smokestack is near the mecha's shoulder rather than in the middle of its back.
In terms of basic weaponry, Carpe Diem remains unchanged. However, due to its Electroweak nature, the Fundamental Engine works differently: now, it enters overcharge (and Exemplum) mode when its pilot enters a mindset of enjoying the present, living life to the fullest and not regretting it: Something which comes to Alessandra much easier. In addition to Memento Mori's Beta Shower special attack, there is something new: Electron Stream, which allows Carpe Diem to shoot a bolt of electricity from its hands. The bolt can cause damage to whatever it hits, or it can draw the target closer or push it away - if the victim is made of conductive metal, that is.
Terrain Stats:
Land: A, S in Exemplum Mode
Air: A, S in Exemplum Mode
Sea: B, A in Exemplum Mode
Space: A, S in Exemplum Mode
Notes: This look like a good opportunity to describe other mecha of the canon.
Famulus
This is a basic, mook unit that is used by all Houses. It is only 10 meters tall and, because it is often piloted by hired mercenaries, it can be operated via a standard cockpit - although it has the motion trace capability as well. Famulii, like all units from this canon, have steampunky aesthetics and vernier thrusters hidden as smokestacks. They also wear tabards in their House's colors.
House Lacertus has relatively few units of this type. Their design is based on a French carabinier, but their colors are utilitarian - usually dull brown. All Famulus units of this house are armed in the same way, with a bayonetted two-handed rifle that fires conventional, if powerful slugs.
House Flumen bases its Famulii on a German landsknecht. Each unit is slightly different because they are customized by their pilots. They are armed with whatever weapons they can get their hands on, which mostly means a gun in one hand and a melee weapon in the other.
House Consenesco has Famulus units inspired by Schwarze Reiters. Just like the name suggests, they are black except for the red tabards. They carry either a two-handed electric shock pike, or a one-handed gun and a mecha shield combination.
House Accedo's units are most plentiful of all the four. They have a rusty, worn look to them - and are covered in tribal-looking drawings and marks. But since Accedo is full of hipsters, these drawings are all ironic and do not mean anything. They carry shields and either short electric shock spears or one-handed guns.
Proeliator
This model is used by House elites. It is as tall as Champion units - 15 meters tall. It has a motion trace system, but no Fundamental Engine. Visually, Proeliators resemble Famulii. They are however more elaborate in their detailing, not to mention much larger.
House Lacertus has most Proeliators. They are all alike - wearing long cloaks and shako-like helmet decorations. Their equipment consists of an electric shock sword and shield for close combat, and a sniper rifle for taking out things from afar.
House Flumen has three Proeliator units. All three are heavily customized:
-Proeliator Tigris has two gigantic shields built into its hands. The shields can be magnetized - so if they hit the enemy, they stick. And once they stick, they can unleash an electric current attack. Tigris has no long-ranged weapons and the shields weight it down, making it slower than other units of its type - but also tougher.
-Proeliator Anguis has a jaw-like crusher installed in place of its right hand. It is a powerful but very short-ranged weapon, so its pilot must use the unit's mobility to catch enemies unaware. The left hand wields a light pistol - its shots used as a distraction, not to cause any real damage.
-Proeliator Lupus dual-wields large sabers. They are used only for defense and to finish off disabled opponents - its main weapon are two wrist launchers, capable of shooting out throwing knives in rapid succession. Each knife causes minimal damage on its own, but also has an electric shock generator. So several hits can overwhelm most units.
House Consenesco has only one Proeliator remaining. It is dark red in color, not black - and its equipment is a giant, heavy crushing maul. The maul's handle is hollow and server as a missile launcher.
House Accedo has no Proeliator units. Sucks to be them.
Custos
These elite units are the Proeliator equivalent for House Conventus. There are only three of them in existence, so they have to be very powerful - despite not having a Fundamental Engine, the Conventus elites are so skilled that these units perform on the level of house Champion mecha. They are stark white and have little features and no decoration. Even their verniers are standard, flight-capable and hidden under their cloaks! Indeed, Custosi have cloaks - all-covering and hard enough to count as shields. They fight in melee exclusively, making good use of their great speed, agility and razor-sharp, clawed hands. If the latter is not enough, they can purge the outer cloak (it gets in the way) and activate an emergency weapon: a pair of destructive chainsaws, one for each hand.
Exegi Monumentum
House Famulus's Champion unit, Exegi Monumentum towers above others at 20 meters of height. Its design is more impractical than usually for the house, and based on a Carabinier-a-Cheval... only without a horse. Also, except for blue, red and white detailing it is all gold. Exegi Monumentum wields only a single saber for its weaponry, but that is all it needs - it relies solely on its own power, durability, as well as the pilot's skill. And it has plenty of all of these things. Its Fundamental Engine allows the unit to become totally invulnerable for very short periods of time (Nucleus Bind) - this is best used to block long-ranged attacks that the pilot sees coming. Its overcharge and Exemplum Mode are activated with a mindset of absolute confidence and stability.
Hoc Age
No, not the Hokage. This is the Champion unit of House Flumen, and looks like someone stripped a Proeliator off its whole decorations... and then installed different ones: mecha-sized goggles, as well as a pilot's fur jacket and scarf. These aren't parts but actual pieces of clothing, scaled up to mecha size by some kind of crazy artisans. Hoc Age's thrusters are much more powerful than other Champions' (as well as looking like, well, actual thrusters), and it can fly in the sky freely. It dual-wields a gigantic chain cannon and a net-gun. Its Fundamental Engine's overcharge requires an opportunistic mindset - absolute concentration on chances that appear around you and the willingness to use and abuse them for personal gain. In return, it lets Hoc Age shoot electricity from its palms - like Carpe Diem's, these bolts can either damage, draw forward or push back.
Concordia Salus
House Accedo's Champion unit is perhaps the strangest of them all. No taller than others, but it is very thin so looks stick-like in comparison. Also, it is deformed by weird growths that give it a highly irregular shape (all of it is not a side effect or a flaw - it's an intended feature in the robot's design!). It does not wield any weapons, and its pilot has to content himself with using improvised weaponry or just punching and kicking the crap out of others. The Fundamental Engine of Concordia Salus has the ability of Relative Pull: it allows the unit to modify gravitic force of any object the unit touches - make them pull either each other or everything else much weaker or stronger than usual (which mostly means stronger, unless the target is Earth itself). Although limited in its abilities, this unit should not be underestimated - the Champion is a master in using the overcharged ability to devastating effects. Speaking of which, both overcharge and Exemplum require a feeling of being one with the world.
Capax Infiniti
The ultimate machine with the ability to change the world. It is 40 meters tall and very heavy-looking, with huge thick limbs but a very thin torso and a barely existing head. And yet, despite that bulk it can float in the air like nobody's business. Its surface is rough, made of unpainted metal and covered in all kinds of gears, tesla coils and similar contraptions - all of them operating non-stop. The unit is equipped with the most powerful Fundamental Engine of them all. It has the ability to perform all four of the Champions' special abilities: Nuclear Bind, Electron Stream, Beta Shower and Relative Pull, and that is without having to enter overcharged or Exemplum mode. Not that it is able to (unless the players fail to stop it), because in Exemplum mode, it would have the power to manipulate all laws of physics as its pilot wishes, effectively recreating all of reality. Although even without Exemplum Mode, it is more powerful than a Champion unit with one activated.
Job: Champion of House Consenesco!
Notes: When writing down the suggested events, I tried to make this canon easy to incorporate with other missions. So of course feel free to change details to make it even easier. This is a suggested events list after all.
Suggested Event List:
1. Radioactive Decay
The White Chalice sends out a patrol to investigate a battlefield... or maybe they just stumble upon it as a part of another mission. Anyway! The battle is between Alessandra's Memento Mori (her guards are destroyed by this point) and a group of House Flumen Famulii. Also present are Proeliator Tigris and Anguis - so despite having a superior machine, Alessandra is on the defensive and calls to the newcomers for assistance. And if they don't want to help, Flumens will force their hand by attacking them as well!
The Proeliators work as a team, Tigris acting as a shield for Anguis's bite. Each unit flees when heavily damaged, and when both retreat, enemy reinforcement appears: the Hoc Age, which was only observing from afar but now sees an opportunity to strike! It has no weapons (just this time, there will be a standard loadout in future encounters) but don't worry about that - it immediately starts to shoot lightning around. In return, Memento Mori uses Shining Fin... I mean, Beta Shower! Unwilling to take further risks, Hoc Age flees.
Important NPC debuts:
Rana McLatchy: a stylish but manipulative young woman, she is the pilot of Hoc Age and House Flumen's chosen Champion. She generally seems laidback and not too concerned about anything, but it's just a pose: she is quick to backstab almost anyone (including childhood friends like Alessandra!) for personal again if there is an opportunity, and just as quick to admit it. It's nothing personal - just business, you see.
Cordell Gubser: pilot of Proeliator Tigris, he is not a typical member of Flumen. This mountain of a man is loyal and straightforward, and serves the house because he believes its openness to opportunity is the best this world can hope for if it is to be ever repaired. He considers those less skilled than him to be rookies - not that he'll go easy on such enemies, but is willing to let them live if they stop fighting.
Arnoldo Fulwiler: Proeliator Anguis's chosen pilot is Cordell's opposite, and yet somehow the two have excellent teamwork together. He is sleazy and opportunistic, prostrating before and willing to placate those stronger than him but with nothing but contempt to those below him. A craven coward, if left unsupervised he tries to flee at first sight of trouble.
2. A Stochastic Process
The White Chalice receives a distress signal. It is Alessandra's mentor, whose group is chased by house Flumen. So if anyone picks this one up, especially little Alessa, could you please rescue us? Thanks!
The group had to protect themselves in a cave/asteroid thicket/abandoned city/whatever fits the game masters' intentions. There are only a few Consenesco Famulii left, as well as the Proeliator. On the enemy side, we have Proeliators Anguis, Lupus, an assortment of mooks - and Hoc Age once again! Memento Mori tries to break the siege, only to immediately get surrounded: but this is when the Consenesco Proeliator attacks, heavily damaging Lupus from a surprise attack. This angers Rana, who wordlessly activates Exemplum Mode - and goes straight at Memento Mori. Alessandra recognizes the super mode but is incapable of defending against it! She almost has her unit fried by concentrated electric bolts, but then a new contestant swoops down to seperate the fighting Champions. It is a Custos, whose pilot states that Consenesco's, nor any other House's, champion can be defeated until they master Exemplum Mode. Flumen should leave now - and they concur, grudgingly. The Custos disappears, leaving Alessandra angry at her loss.
During that time, the rest of the group should fight the rest of the Flumen forces. Lupus retreats once Hoc Age enters Exemplum Mode, but Proeliator Anguis can (and should) be destroyed. Instant karma!
Important NPC debuts:
Waylon Casgrove: Alessandra's mentor and older brother figure. He's even more jovial and energetic than her, but also wise and worldly... in a way. He also calls her "little Alessa", which annoys her a lot. He likes to work in the wild so soon after rescuing he will leave to scout around for other Houses and their locations - promising not to let himself get trapped like that again.
Filiberto McLatchy: Pilot of Proeliator Lupus, and so it happens: Rana's younger brother. To describe him in one word, emo. He is always angsty, depressed and whiny, mostly because she was chosen as a Champion and not him. Still, he cares for his sister deeply, and the opposite. He too is a childhood friend of Alessandra.
Jarod Gargani: A Custos pilot from House Conventus. He is a cool cat, always calm and composed - and never says more than necessary. He enters dramatically, does what he was ordered to do, and disappears. An archetypical mysterious servant character, possibly with his own agenda.
3. Density Gradient
This time, Alessandra (and the rest of White Chalice by proxy) receives an invitation. House Accedo wishes her no harm and invites her to pay them a visit, in a natural grove of wilderness where they live. That's where the heroine meets Concordia Salus's pilot, who explains to her that to unlock the secret of Exemplum Mode, she should personify her House's ideals: act as if she was their living avatar. He would teach her, but his House's ideals are already in his heart, and besides House Lacertus warned they will attack and should be here... right about... now.
Indeed, Lacertus units attack - a huge group of Famulii, working in 3-4 smaller teams: each led by an anonymous Proeliator. Accedo fields its own units against the assault, but their Famulii are no match and retreat when Memento Mori and allies appear - including Concordia Salus. But what is that? Concordia Salus starts fighting against the White Chalice forces! It is as it should be, its pilot explains again. When fighting under such pressure, Alessandra will either learn the secret of Exemplum - or be defeated. Also, he and his house might be weakest: but they should not be underestimated just because they are weak!
Facing Lacertus units from one side and a master of gravity from the other, Alessandra realizes she is going to be defeated. And yet... somehow it does not worry her at all. This is when she unlocks Exemplum Mode of her own - but Concordia Salus counters with Exemplum as well! The two launch a simultaneous attack: but in a contest of brute force, Memento Mori is the winner. Alessandra spares her friend's life, but takes his unit's control gem. This is when a Custos appears out of nowhere - to collect the gem and quickly depart.
Important NPC debuts:
Kasey Glise: the Accedo Champion is pretty much a pretentious hippy. He loves long, meandering rambling before getting straight to the point one sentence later. And yet, he fully understands his principles and is calm and happy-go-lucky in all but the most dire situations. A big fan of learning-by-doing. Unlike other Champions, his childhood friendship with Alessandra stayed warm even after all the passing years.
Faustina Killus: Another Custos pilot, she speaks formally and acts in a logical and professional way. A rather boring character, really. No plot importance at all here, no siree.
4. Strong Interaction
A warning! White Chalice will be attacked, and should prepare itself to minimize civilian casualties. Best wishes, signed - the attackers, House Lacertus. The large attacking force is not interested in death and property damage, only in victory: so the bulk of the squad goes straight for Memento Mori.
And by the bulk, I mean Exegi Monumentum! The Lacertus Champion is here, and she wants to engage in a duel with Alessandra. Calling her weak all the time, the Champion no-sells all attacks that fall on her with the power of Nucleus Bind. This forces Memento Mori to enter Exemplum Mode - at which case a Custos tries to intervene, its pilot (Faustina, like last mission) calmly warning not to continue the assault. Apparently Lacertus did not master Exemplum yet... but then, Exegi Monumentum enters the super mode anyway! Apparently its pilot only needed to witness it in action and understand how many things are unified and strongly tied together - which includes the House Champions as well. The four are very much alike.
Exemplum vs Exemplum - both units are evenly matched, but then Alessandra does the strange thing by turning her own super mode off. This is because the Weak Nuclear force might be weaker than the Strong one (well, duh!) - but its effects are the latter's nemesis, as if the world explicitly tailored them that way! She strikes with Beta Shower, and Exegi Monumentum's generator is too hot to counter with Nucleus Bind. The unit is down! And since Faustina is already here, she might as well collect the control gem. House Lacertus retreats in disgrace...
Important NPC debuts:
Wai Gasquet: The House Lacertus champion. She believes in strength and discipline and belittles those who have little (read: less than her) of both. Although she has a foul temper, her actions are honorable: she always helds her given word and tries to minimize battlefield casualties, both her side's and the enemies'. Doesn't mean she won't call the losers weaklings, of course.
5. Electroweak Hypothesis
Guess whom we didn't hear of for a while? House Flumen AND also Alessandra's mentor, Waylon. So it's just in time that the former has captured the latter hostage and they want her to appear at a designated location. Or else...
The Flumen do not care if Alessandra brings allies or not - they are outnumbered anyway. The House brought all of its Proeliators (two), and as many lesser mooks as it could muster. And Hoc Age, of course. Time to fight! To taunt the Consenesco, Rana gets into an ideological exchange in the middle of battle: accepting the inevitable is ridiculous. Live every day with a lookout for opportunities: not just for yourself, but for others! What will blind fatalism do to restore the devastated world? Nothing!
Alessandra has to agree, which was like if a signal for Rana: full power, Exemplum Mode and Electron Stream are on! Memento Mori is immobilized, on the verge of destruction, and its pilot can only ponder how, even though she knew this day would come, she was still happy about everything that happened so far. That's it! What she was doing is searching for opportunities all that time - not just for herself, for others too! This is not exclusive with Consenesco's standards at all. If anything, it reinforces them. This means the Electromagnetic and Weak Nuclear forces are one: and Memento Mori can manipulate both.
Rana realizes something is bad when Alessandra counters with an Electrom Stream of her own. Time for a change of tactics - strike at the captured Famulus with Waylon inside. The unit goes down and explodes - Alessandra's emotions turn into rage! Furiously, she does what she just learnt about opportunities: and abuses Rana's newly-created opening to finish her off. Rana's brother Filiberto cries out in despair. It turns out him and Cordell didn't like this dirty trick, and covertly removed Alessandra's mentor from the captive unit. He is alive - but now, Filiberto's sister is dead! He swears vengeance, but orders all units to retreat for now. And, swallowing his pride, at least asks to retrieve his sister's body. Alessandra agrees, and mere minutes later Custodi arrive. After inspecting the fallen Hoc Age, Faustina is upset: the McLatchy brother took not only his sister's corpse, but the control gem as well! It does not matter, Jarod says. They all know that, unlikely as it might have been at the beginning, House Consenesco is the winner. Alessandra is invited to the secret House Conventus residence, where she will help rebuild the world. But first, a touching reunion with her mentor - who against all odds, turned out to be alive after all.
6. Half-Life
The White Chalice crew probably suspects a trap. Alessandra at least doesn't feel comfortable in moving out on her own. At the residence's grounds (which turn out to be some kind of a giant metallic tower with a large multi-level exterior) you can already spot units from houses Lacertus and Flumen. They are not here to fight though. Memento Mori... pardon me, Carpe Diem enters the inner chamber, where Alessandra meets the leader of House Conventus - an old man named Benton Barnak. He is very happy for her, but before he can say anything other than congratulary smalltalk, he is cut down mid-speech. The assassin is no one else but the Custos pilot Faustina! She explains, still sounding calm and professional (although now that she's up close, Alessandra cannot help but notice her many face's many nervous twitches), how the world is devastated beyond repair. Under the Grand Unified Theory, all forces and matter is the same, just in different states: so the logical thing to do is not to repair the world, but undo it. And now that she has all the required control gems, the Champions' biorhythms recorded inside them (ah, so that's what they were for!), she can use Capax Infiniti to make this wish come true.
As for Alessandra, she should just disappear. Faustina announces publically that the beloved mediator Benton is dead, and Alessandra killed him. In an act of cruel mercy, enough time was given for the Champion to get into her mecha - and once she does, an army of infuriated Flumens and Lacertii chases after her and her friends. Also, the Custos units give chase - not just the last two, but a new third unit as well. To make this situation even more one-sided, Jarod stole Alessandra's control gem while she was away from Carpe Diem. So much for Fundamental Engine's advanced uses - time to get out, and fast!
During the escape, which will probably involve madcap chases down the tower's huge balconies and catwalks, Cordell's Proeliator Tigris receives a sudden message. Nobody but him knows what it is about, but it's enough for him to change sides and cover Alessandra's escape rather than try to stop it. Who might have sent it? Speaking of which, Filiberto and his unit were absent this mission... but anyway, for his loyalty Cordell pays with life, as the three Custodi cut him down mercilessly. At least the White Chalice people got away safely...
And once they do, it turns out Alessandra was being followed. Approaching her is no one else but Filiberto McLatchy - who says he should stab her where she stands right now, even if it was unlikely he'd succeed. But he saw Benton cut down by his own guards, just as he was sneaking into the chamber to get his revenge. And he knows Alessandra didn't do it. So, against every fibre in his body, he decided to do this: and gives the Consenesco a control gem. It belonged to my sister, Filiberto says. Use it to clear your name. After all... we all were friends once.
Important NPC debuts:
Benton Barnak: leader of House Conventus and pretty much the whole secret society. He really meant well, even if his methods were rather... unconventional. Well, he is dead now - we barely knew ye. He may or may not have been Zombie Einstein in disguise.
Mose Holtgrefe: the third Custos pilot. He's a cypher - no real personality unless the game masters invent one for him. Just like Jarod, ultimately his loyalty lies with Faustina, not Benton.
7. The Grand Unified Theory
Good news is that apparently three gems are not enough, even if there are only three fundamental forces (with the whole Electroweak stuff) - Faustina needs all four to cause the end of the world, and doesn't know where the fourth is now. The bad news is that her unit, Capax Infiniti, is now flying around, looking for the last gem and gathering followers out for Alessandra's blood.
The obvious solution is a head-on confrontation. A confrontation that reveals a veritable army of units from all Houses - including all (still alive) champions, even if Kasey doesn't seem too happy to be there. But wait, what's this? Waylon Casgrove is there as well, leading a unit of Consenesco Famulii! He does not want to fight though, only for Alessandra to get out of there. He will not take no for an answer, and will use force if... forced to. He has no killing intent, neither does his student and (hopefully) her allies, but a fight is inevitable anyway.
The fighting draws in the rest of the enemy forces - not good! But before they can attack, someone yells out at them to stop. It is Filiberto once again: he repeats what he told Alessandra earlier, to little effect: Famulii and Proeliators attack anyway. Wai's Exegi Monumentum moves for the blow as well - but her attack is intercepted by Filiberto, who takes it straight into his unit. Then does she realize that for someone so revenge-obsessed to go as far as to risk life for the object of his revenge... he must have been telling the truth.
It looks like the Houses will not follow her anymore, so Faustina turns Capax Infiniti against them - using its destructive power to wipe out most of the mook units, with Mose and Jarod in their Custos units helping. To even out the playing field, the other Champions need their control gems: so they hold Capax Infiniti's limbs, while Alessandra tries to break into the boss unit. But that's not possible, due to that pesky Nuclear Bind thing going on. So instead, she uses the power of the childhood friend whom did she kill herself: using the Electron Stream, she manipulates the (apparently metal) gems inside Capax Infiniti's body, ripping them out of the Fundamental Engine and out into the open! Concordia Salus and Exegi Monumentum quickly grab what is theirs, and proceed to quickly make the gems part of their Engines once again. This takes some time though - time during which everyone has to endure the fury of Faustina and her two powerful lackeys!
But once the installation process is complete, it is time to finish this. A unit that mastered all four (or three, whatever) fundamental forces shall be destroyed by a union of such forces! Concordia Salus uses its gravity powers to literally get itself and Exegi Monumentum in Capax Infiniti's face - and then the latter tanks the boss's attacks, until it can tank no longer. The two mecha are destroyed, but time was bought - it was enough for Kasey to "glue" Carpe Diem right next to Capax Infiniti's cockpit. What follows next? A full-powered Beta Shower, with enough radioactive force to fry anything inside the enemy mecha, be it circuits or living mechanisms.
It was nasty business. But it had to be done. On the plus side, both Kasey and Wai survived, even if their machines didn't. Add Filiberto into the mix and the friends are together again! Well, mostly. Anyway, they leave on good terms. Capax Infiniti and its secret of manipulating all creation and laws of physics is dead. But they can repair the world with their own hands - each in their own way. As for Waylon, he's back in the wilderness already. The man just can't help it!
Sample Post: Here
And some more!
