[GURPS] Celestial Horizons

[Humble Athena]

Game Name Celestial Horizons

Game System GURPS

Theme Space Colony, Exploration and Survival

Flavour Adventure, Drama, a Dash of Cosmic Horror

I It is the early 21st century. Climate disruption threatens to render Earth uninhabitable, but the governments of the world are too busy fighting off fascism and kleptocracy to respond in time. Some visionaries look to the stars for a new chance for humanity. Renewed interest accelerates extraterrestrial science and development. Meanwhile, the world continues to decline. Development begins, first on multiple space docks and efficient magnetic space elevators, then on massive colony ships. More resources than ever are stripped from the earth, and more pollution enters the atmosphere, exasperating the problem. The haste of the project means many design flaws are not realized until manufacturing has already begun. Most of these prototypes are stripped back down and recycled, but sometimes it seemed not worth the effort, and these ships are merely abandoned. Lists are drawn, favors are called in. Before the ships have even been built, the rich and influential have secured their places, alongside most of the scientists and engineers who made the endeavor possible, whose knowledge and expertise were considered too invaluable to leave behind. There was not nearly enough projected room for all of humanity. As ships finished development, lotteries were held to fill in the empty seats, though often, bureaucracy ensured that only the most 'suitable' members of the working class were eligible for the drawings.

II It is the mid 21st century. The great ships were finally complete, and one by one, they departed Earth, never to be heard from again. The departure of so many reset the doomsday clock slightly, but much of the damage was irreversible, and the disruption of society from the mass exodus destabilized many population centers. On top of that, most of the brightest minds had been taken, leaving only the young and unproven, who were often too busy surviving day to day to band together and work on long term solutions. Globalization is undone, as the people who support the infrastructure are no longer there. Across the world, people adapt to the new challenges in different ways. Some places devolve into Think the first Mel Gibson Mad Max, or the Walking Dead without the zombieschaotic tribalism and conflict as water and food become scarce. Other communities Think The Villageregressed, surviving on surviving on templates of life based in earlier times, in desperation to turn back time and avoid the coming disaster. A surprising number of localities just kept on with daily life, because they had maintained a strong sense of community all along, and been slow to adapt and implement the remote technologies of the modern age in the first place. For most of these communities that have it better than the others, ignorance is bliss. But even here, crops and livestock become harder and harder to maintain, and all solutions prove to be temporary as the weather and environment become more unpredictable and severe.

III It is the late 21st century. A group of scavengers discovered an abandoned manufacturing site with a still-functioning space- elevator. More importantly, they discovered that there was a single colony ship in orbit- From what they could find of the documentation, it had been completed but abandoned in favor of a newer, more advanced design. Word spread as fast as the remaining forms of technology allowed, and soon groups of hopefuls were making pilgrimages to the site in hopes that they, too, would have the chance to escape to a better world. The initial discoverers assumed command, and began organizing the would-be colonists, entering their information into the computer's database and setting up the elementary system of government that shipboard life would adhere to. When the ship was full, they too, left Earth behind, putting their trust in the ship and the AI that controlled it.

Important Note!~ Important! To keep things organized, please only post character applications in this thread! Questions, etc, should be asked in the Original Interest Check thread here There is also an Interactive RP Sample experiment thread you can participate in, to help yourself, your fellow players, and I to get a better understanding of your character. You may apply with more than one character, but please keep them in the same post so that I don't accidentally overlook any of them (Use Spoilerbuttons & Fieldsets to organize them.)

Mechanics This game will be using GURPS 4e. GURPS lite will technically be enough for you to play (Most of the numbers work is on the GM side of things) Though I do recommend Basic Set - Characters for more flavorful options. Starting point buy will be 100, with a Attribute (ST, DX, IQ, and HT) penalties will not apply against the limit.50 disadvantage limit. Characters will have an additional 50 point allowance to spend on shipboard training. This is primarily meant to be used on knowledges or technical skills (and so characters from different backgrounds have a chance to fill in different role needs without needing to shoehorn a failed space force training history) but up to 2 points of Strength can be bought out of this allotment if your character is a gym rat.   1 Cinematic Talent / Character, 5 / level, max 5 levels Cinematic Skill Talents: (Will be copied into game ad for easy future reference) Communications! Body Language Detect Lies Diplomacy Electronics Operation (Comms) Fast Talk Gesture Linguistics Public Speaking Sociology Medical! Diagnosis Electronics Operation (Medical) First Aid Pharmacy Physician Propaganda Psychology Physiology Surgery Vetinary Science! Anthropology Archaeology Astronomy Bioengineering Biology Chemistry Electronics Operation (Scientific) Gardening Geology Metallurgy Meteorology Paleontology Pharmacy Physics Engineer! Architecture Armoury Carpentry Electrician Electronics Repair Engineer Machinist Mathematics Mechanic Security! 1 Martial Art 1 Melee Weapon Group 1 Ranged Weapon Group Artillery Criminology Electronics Operation (Security) Electronic Operation (Sensors) Fast Draw Forced Entry Intelligence Analysis Interrogation Intimidation Strategy Traps Nav / Driver! Boating Driving Geography Navigation Piloting Shiphandling Entertainment! Artist Dancing Electronics Operation (Media) Games Literature Musical Composition Musical Instrument Performance Poetry Singing General Labor! Accounting Administration Animal Handling Cartography Computer Operation Cooking Crewman Explosives Free Fall Freight Handling Farming is Housekeeping Prospecting Smith Teaching Characters will be With two exceptions, noted belowordinary humans*, from Tech level 6-7. Tech 8 has been in development but wasn't widespread enough to be familiar to anyone who didn't already depart in the first exodus. There are some pretty good prosthetic limbs available, but nothing like Shadowrun gun arms or anything of that nature. Of course, simpler prosthetics are available too, (and easier to make / get), if you just want a wooden peg leg instead of a metal one with an articulated ankle joint, for example. The two exceptions to the ordinary humans limitation are the Think if Counselor Troi had very, very rudimentary Jedi training. To start with, psions have access to non-human empathy and other sensitivities and subtle influences- the sorts of things people have been testing for with Zener cards, but are notoriously difficult to prove. This talent has the potential to develop into something more cinematic as the game progresses.psion and the humanoid, not a war-bot. Has been with the ship / facility. May have been built with its own AI or might be a divergent child program from the ship / facility AI.android. I will only be accepting one of each (although if we lose our psion, another character may suddenly discover they had the talent all along, and if we lose the android, it may be replaced.) However, I will be very picky about apps for these two roles. Psion will require (Unusual Background [5 points]) and Android will require (Unusual Background [10 points]) One of the main complaints about the GURPS system is the sheer abundance of skills, (the other main complaint is with the default magic system, which won't apply here). To make the skills list a little more palatable, rather than relying on the complex web of defaults, I'll be combining the Talent Advantage with the Cinematic! skills rule. For example, if you've got your eye on the Science Officer role, you'd have a few levels of (Talent: Science!) to cover general public school learning. Beyond that, you would put points into the skills you want to actually specialize in. PCs can only have one Cinematic! skill (up to five levels) but may have as many ordinary Talents as they wish (up to 3 levels each. Overlapping Talents and Cinematic! skills do not stack, only the better one applies. Technically, GURPS Lite is enough to play, but I recommend GURPS Basic Set - Characters because it has more flavor options. GCS - GURPS Character Sheet is an excellent tool to help with the initial math on the character sheet. The library has the options and point costs from different supplements, but you still need the source material (not provided) to get the description and parameters of the default rules. This is 95% a tool for doing the math for you, and 5% an index for the source material so you know which book to look up obscure rule #584 from. After PC selection, I'll be happy to hand-craft any needed Advantage or Disadvantage not covered in the book. (GSC includes the price adjustments for the default options but one of the beautiful things about GURPS is how fiddly and customizable it is.)

Character Applications Name: Designation: (Human, Psion, or Android) Anticipated Role: (See table below) Literary Archtype(s): (Some archetype lists include a Mystery Archtype. While applicable for novel writing, it's less appropriate for an RPG game. The Magician or Trickster would be more appropriate for a secret-keeper.)Your Primary Archtype and up to two Secondary Archtypes. Initial (In-Character) Hopes, Fears, and Goals: Leadership?: Does your character aspire to lead, or are they more comfortable following someone else's orders? How do they deal when put in the opposite situation? PC's Opinions on Others: This can be secreted or public, as you prefer. But I'd like to know how your character views the others that they find themselves building a future with. Pictures are very welcome! Just please, put it in a Spoilerbutton for me, and those who access the site via mobile phone. Thank you!Physical Description: Background/Brief Biography: Posting Rate?: What posting rate works best for you? Discord?: Being on Discord isn't a requirement for the game, but I do prefer being able to have faster communication for quick questions or short messages. (Discord gives notifications, RPGX needs to be actively refreshed to see new content.) Departments and Responsibilities Communications Medical Scientists Engineers Security Misc. Keep Up Morale Treating Illness and Injury Maintain Gardens Build and Maintain Structures Keep the Peace Drivers, Pilots, and Navigators Mediate Interpersonnel Conflicts Make Medicine Study Indigenous Lifeforms Build and Maintain Robots Identify and React to Environmental Threats Entertainment Establish Communications with Alien Life Operate Artificial Wombs Research New Tech Apply New Tech to Practical Uses Identify and Subdue Any Intruders General Labor

Psionics The psi abilities available at the start are generally the ones relating to perception: Clairvoyance, Empathy, Animal or Spirit Empathy, weak biological Mind Reading, Mind Shield, Precognition, Psychometry. (Empathy and Mind Shield are not limited to the psion, merely likely ways the ability manifests)

Wealth Because of the nature of the game, there is not a set starting wealth. You are all one of hundreds of people on a colony ship; space is at a premium. You each have about one large suitcase of space allotted to you for personal items. The ship is already equipped with a lot of the tools you'll need, so you don't need to use your space for things like lab equipment or repair tools, etc.

Technology List - WIP Tech charts only reflect what humanity has achieved. Tech marked with * is only found on the colony ship. Due to the nature of the soft apocalypse the world was going through at the time of the second exodus, technology levels are all over the place. Many of the older generations may be aware of, or even familiar with, the technology of our modern world, while the younger generations have probably never seen a working cell phone.   Tech That Works: Problematic Tech: Tech That Doesn't Exist:   Tech That Works: Problematic Tech: Tech That Doesn't Exist: New Quality Prosthetics are limited (NPCs most likely wouldn't have nice ones) due to manufacturing difficulties but if they are found in good condition, they function as designedMechanized, Articulate Prosthetics break easily, so they are unlikely to be found intact. If found, they may power on and run programs, but there is no cell or internet network to connect them toCell Phones     Tech That Works: Problematic Tech: Tech That Doesn't Exist: Fast Interplanetary Space Flight*   Slow Intersteller Space Flight*   Artificial Wombs*

Personal Universe-building Inspirations for this game: Just about any media pertaining to space is fair game for me to draw inspiration from, but this is a non-inclusive list of media that has inspired me to one degree or another, in no particular order. Video Games: Mass Effect, Civ: Beyond Earth, Planetbase, Late 80's, early 90'sStar Flight, Starfleet, Star Command, Empyrion, Martian Gothic, Dead Space, Out There, Half-Life... TV Shows: The Expanse, Firefly, Star Trek (TOS, TNG, DSN, Voyager), Babylon 5, Lexx, Farscape, Trigun... Movies: Star Wars (excluding the Christmas Special, and some of the more recent standalones.), Stargate, Alien / Prometheus Series, Doom, Moon, Event Horizon, Solaris, The Cloverfield Paradox, Arrival, Interstellar, Lifeforce, Dune, The Martian, Life, Virus, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Titan AE, Starship Troopers, Star Trek 1-6, Gravity, Forbidden Planet, Silent Running, Sunshine, Contact, The Abyss, Pitch Black & The Chronicles of Riddick, Color Out Of Space, War of the Worlds, Edge of Tomorrow, Annihilation, Enemy Mine, Avatar, Pacific Rim, District 9... Boy, that's a lot of inspirations, huh? Hopefuly it will keep you on your toes with what to expect! (This also doubles as my list of recommendations for good entertainment media, and I'd love to hear your own recommendations!)

Deadline Deadline: Feb 13th.

[Humble Athena]

Character	Player	Designation	Age	Primary Role	Secondary Role(s)	Primary Archtype	Secondary Archtype(s)	Leader	Discord	Notes	Compete
Caroline	Ladytron	Android	30's*	Security	Engineering	Ruler	Creator	Yes	No?	Obvious artificial eyes	No - PC Opinions
Valenta Hale	ihinka	Human	42	Medical	Security, Drivers/Pilots/Navigators	Reluctant Hero	Caregiver, Everyman	Yes	Yes	Prosthetic Arm, Partial Deafness	No - PC Opinions
Taylor Devenae	Rukellian	Human	32	Scientist	Security, Misc	Lover	Everyman	Yes	Yes	-	Yes*
Mason Realm-Walker	galenbd	Human	24	Security	Pilots/Drivers/Navigators	Caregiver	Sage	Yes	Yes	-	No - PC Opinions
Ringo Nguyen	RedSun	Psion	29	Driver/Pilot/Navigator	Communications	Explorer	Sage, Jester	No	Yes	Prosthetic Hands/Fingers	No - PC Opinions
Jonathan "Jonah" Smith	Xian	Human	-	Security	Handyman	Outlaw	Caregiver, Everyman	No	Yes*	-	No - PC Opinions
Henry Clavell	Noquarter19	Human	-	Communications	-	Sage	Everyman, Innocent	No	Yes	-	No - PC Opinions
Bishop Briggs	OneDarkness	Human	41	Medical	Scientist	Caregiver	Sage	Yes	Yes	-	No - PC Opinions

[Ladytron]

Caroline Name: 'Caroline' was the name of the scientist that created Caroline and whom the Android is modeled afterCaroline Age: Looks to be early 30's +/- Designation: Prototype Empathic Android designed to protect and maintain the Ship and its CrewAndroid Anticipated Role: Identify and Subdue Any Intruders - To protect the Ship and it's CrewPrimary - Security Build and Maintain Robots - To maintain the robot servitors with more specific functions such as Ship operations and Crew careSecondary - Engineering Literary Archtype(s): Caroline's primary function is to run the Ship operations and care for its well-being, and will do everything in it's power to make sure the Ship is running optimally.Primary - The Ruler Caroline is programmed to build whatever robots it feels are necessary to assist it's Primary functionSecondary - The Creator Initial (In-Character) Hopes, Fears, and Goals: (OOC: I am going to be doing this section differently from everyone else) Caroline is an Android and her 'life', especially up to the present, is a function of her programming. Thus, it doesn't have 'hopes' or 'fears' like regular humans as its not programmed with any, and its 'goals' are a function of its programming, which is to Protect the Ship and its Crew. However, between the time that Caroline was first activated and installed on board the colony ship, the time that it was tasked with ship repairs and maintenance, and the downtime between the end of repairs and the on-going upkeep to keep the ship operational, Caroline's programming has accumulated vast quantities of both data from its operations, we well as interactions with Alicia, the ship's AI, and the various scientists and engineers that have come on board the colony ship. Caroline has been processing this data for years now, which has been run and tested against her various programs and sub-routines, including the new Empathy programs. It's not known yet how all this time processing the data is going to look when Caroline is in a real-time environment, but it's quite likely that the end result is going to look nothing like what the original programmers had in mind when Caroline was first created. One 'goal' Caroline has set for herself is to have the robots she creates be able to learn and adjust, so that the quality and efficiency of their work can increase with exposure to new situations. Leadership?: Caroline was quite literally created to lead, and will assert itself whenever it feels it necessary, especially when it concerns it's primary functions. However, it's believed that Caroline defers to the Ship's central intelligence when required, so Caroline may potentially have the capacity to function in a servitudial capacity. PC's Opinions on Others: Caroline sees the Others as a function of it's creation; to protect and maintain their well-being. Although earlier Models were designed only to carry out their functions as Servitors, the Caroline Model was designed with a prototype Empathy function meant to help it assimilate better into Human social dynamics and provide a slightly less logic-centric decision making process. Physical Description: Caroline is approximately 5' 10" tall, with shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes which have obvious computer-sensor irises and pupils; aside from her eyes she has no other visible mechanical features on the surface. She would be of thin build if she were human, and although Caroline is designed to emulate a Human, it's obvious after a time that her mannerisms don't quite mimic a Human's precisely and she has various 'Tell's' that she is in fact an Android.       Background/Brief Biography: Caroline is a new prototype model of Android Servitor created by Dr. Karolina Andreeva, the world's leading expert on Artificial Intelligence at the time. Dr. Andreeva was trying to create an Android that could have Empathy; all previous Servitor Android Models before Caroline were not capable of Empathetic decision making processes, causing their decisions to be very 'cold' and 'rational'. Although effective, this 'cold' decision making process created a very non-personable interaction experience that left many people both in the scientific community as well as those working with the Android Servitor to request an Android with some Empathy for people. There had been previous attempts at an Empathic AI coding but the programming ability never seemed to breech the machine-logic coding; as AI are not believed to have 'feelings', the programming to understand the feeling of others and then react to that data with real compassion could be approximated but were technically unknown to the Computer Science community. With the breakthrough of an Empathic AI, Dr. Andreeva was greatly rewarded within the Computer Science community, winning various medals and a coveted spot aboard one of the colony ships destined for the stars. It was planned to have the Caroline model be available to all ship and research facilities as soon as the lengthy testing process was competed to ensure there were no programs with the Model. However, as the Great Exodus was starting to get underway, Dr. Andreeva's team was running out of time to test the prototype before launch. While the Great Exodus was underway, records show Dr. Andreeva was aboard the colony ship 'Albion'. Records aboard the present colony ship show Dr. Andreeva was originally scheduled to depart aboard this vessel, however she was diverted due to some maintenance that was required on the present colony ship before it was registered as fit for departure. During the maintenance down-time, the Caroline project was activated and used the colony ship as real-time test facility to make sure that it was both adequately capable to facilitate ship operations as well as to see to the needs of the Crew and other organics on board. The test run was a success; Caroline created some robots capable of diagnosing and repairing the Ship, and the Ship was eventually deemed space-worthy. However, by this time the various Corporations and Governments on Earth had already worked on and built majestic colony ships of their own, rendering Caroline's colony ship as obsolete. Long forgotten and with no other orders upon which to follow, Caroline kept the colony ship in a diagnostic mode, sending the robots to various parts of the ship when metal fatigue or wear on seals were discovered. When the colony ship was eventually discovered by the remaining inhabitants left on Earth, Caroline removed herself from diagnostic mode and has since assisted the would-be colonists in their efforts to Crew and board the ship for strange, new lands, helping Alicia organize the new Crew based off skills and technical know-how to keep the ship operational. Posting Rate?: 3x a week +/- Discord?: Discord is a lie (yes, I have Discord, but I can't use it from work)

[ihinka]

Valenta Hale Name: Valenta Hale Designation: Human Age: 42 Anticipated Role: A mix between Treating Illness and InjuryMedical, Identify and React to Environmental ThreatsSecurity and Drivers, Pilots, and NavigatorsMisc. Literary Archtype(s): The Reluctant HeroYour Primary Archetype and The Caregiver, The EverymanSecondary Archetypes. Initial (In-Character) Hopes, Fears, and Goals: Hopes - Val's initial hope is for... well... cliche as it may sound, for a better future. Prior to their exodus her life had been reduced to a very bleak subsistence and she didn't want to go back to that. She wanted her life to have meaning once again. So she is ready to work for it. Fears - Valenta fears how people will respond to her. After receiving her prosthetic she was shunned out of her profession. For reasons she was never made aware. She is apprehensive if people will trust her to be capable even with her handicaps. She fears being isolated by her community. Goals - Get rid of the nightmares! Find control over herself and her life once more. Reclaim that inner piece she once possessed. Learn to accept herself for what and how she'd become and how to move forward with the new her. Leadership?: Val is not one to desperately desire a leadership role, but she feels quite comfortable in one. She knows the value of stable and well established leadership. Especially in times of emergency. If someone else competent enough is willing to step up, she would be more than okay to simply support them in their endeavors. PC's Opinions on Others: At this point there's an immediate sense of comradery and codependency. Val is willing to work together with all these people to achieve a future all can be proud of and happy with. Ringo's youthful exuberance is somewhat of a counterpoint of Val's calm reserve. Even so, Val enjoys Ringo's company for how genuine the younger woman is. Forward and brash, but in a harmless manner. Valenta is not really sure what exactly to make of Dr. Carter. The man is competent in his field, without a doubt, but at times Val senses a lack of emotional fiber to rival that of their resident android Caroline. Not to mention his interest in transhumanism puts Val ill at ease as she still struggles with accepting her own cybernetic prosthetic. As for Caroline, she seems to perform within her designated parameters. But forming an opinion on her would take way longer since the android is virtually impossible to read like one would a human. Taylor is probably the one Val can most relate to. They share a love of nature and the outdoors. A respect and love of the green! Not to mention Taylor's calm and kind demeanor is not only soothing, but very similar to Val's own energetic output. Albeit a lot more open and outgoing, in comparison to Valenta herself. Mason seems like a quiet young man. A bit reserved. But that's a bit like the pot calling the cattle black. Val doesn't have much of an impression of Jonah. Physical Description: At 5'11'' Valenta is tall and lean. She has a climber's build and is quite obviously strong and physically capable. Val's complexion is vaguely Mediterranean, complimented by a long jet-black hair and bewitching hazel eyes. Her features are classically sharp with a generous mouth, straight nose and shapely eyebrows. Two beauty marks adorn her face. One at the top left corner of her mouth. And the other at the bottom right. Her entire left arm is replaced by a metal prosthesis. Background/Brief Biography: Before joining the second exodus Valenta was a search and rescue specialist. The world had been left in quite a turmoil after the first exodus. Or rather, it had been left in an even bigger turmoil than the one it had already been in. With new problems rising up in place of the vacuum left by the sudden absence of a large chunk of Earth's population. Some communities crumbled, others adapted. Life persevered. With now vast swaths of territory left unpopulated, people vanished even more easily than before. And with the lack of properly functioning global networks, finding the lost had become a task even more daunting that it had been previously. Val's work was hard, but rewarding. She'd felt like she was doing her part to contribute. She was doing something for this fractured world of theirs. This society in taters. Left behind with all the rest, what else was there for them to do. Devolving into anarchy had seemed nonsensical and just a waste of all the work done for society to progress as far as it had. Mistakes were naturally made along the way, but this did not mean you had to go 'Ah, f*ck it!' and let it all go down the drain. And for a while there it had worked for Val. She was doing her job. She was helping people. Until one day this was put abruptly to an end! A search and rescue incident had left Val severely injured. The details of the incident had been quickly swept under the rug. Valenta had been given the latest in limb prosthetics, to replace the loss of her left arm. And she was treated for traumatic brain injury at the expense of an interested third party. However, even after she'd recovered physically, the search and rescue service wouldn't take her back. Even though she had been retested and re-certified. For some reason no search and rescue group wanted to work with her anymore. Despondent and destitute Val wondered from place to place. Doing odd jobs here and there. Anything to eek out a living. Until the abandoned exodus ship in orbit was discovered. At first she joined if only to escape the menial subsistence she'd been reduced to. For reasons she was still unfamiliar with. And now would probably never learn of. But she no longer cared. She just wanted a change. Something. Anything to get her away from the dregs of Earth's declining society. Posting Rate?: Once per week works best for me. I can do more, but I'm not comfortable promising that on a regular basis. Discord?: is all over discord

[Rukellian]

"Taylor Devenae" Name: Taylor Devenae Designation: Human Age: 32 Anticipated Role: Scientist primary, Security and Misc secondary Literary Archetypes: The Lover primary, The Everyman secondary Initial (In-character) Hopes, Fears, and Goals: Hopes- Taylor's hopes for the future are planted in the grounds of today. Through her love of humanity, her due diligence in whatever she sets out to do, coupled with careful patience, and a general willingness to cooperate with others, the seeds of hope will blossom into something beautiful. This is the life story she experienced among her people in a desolate and dying world, and one that she hopes to continue onto greener pastures, even if it means putting her hands to the soil to achieve this bright, healthy future, not that she has had any problems doing so most of her teenage and adult life. Her fears are shared by many. No one who fights so hard to survive and see a better future wants to see their home crumble and rot, not like how Earth did. Taylor fears that even with a healthy foundation set in place, future generations won't continue the good works her people have set out to do, that they will grow complacent and let the world fall to ruin once more through pollution and resource exploitation. It breaks her heart to think that the new oceans of tomorrow could be filled with plastic junk and toxic filth. Her hopes are her goals. To see a shining new world for her people to live in. One with clean air, good food, and pristine waters. She makes the voyage so that she can help her people find that new home and help build it from the ground up. Leadership: During her time migrating with fellow gardeners and farmers in the Blowing Leaves society, Taylor often found herself in positions of leadership as she helped lead teams out into the field to help restore pockets of the dead or dying world. Breathing new life into struggling communities as part of their mission, she did this by introducing new ideas and sharing of resources. She worked well with other like-minded individuals but struggled with those who didn't care or just wanted to see the world burn. When asked to step up, she only does so if it's for something she is confident in doing well. PC opinions on others: Generally friendly and helpful to others as she meets them, Taylor is often found keeping to herself and her plants as she tends to the various gardens and farm plots on the ship they all are currently calling home. Some might even joke that she is on better speaking terms with the trees than her crew, but some believe she just finds it hard to open up to others in this new environment. P.S. Taylor is probably not going to get along well with a character like Ringo, but considering the strong personality behind that wheel, things could change. Mason too has a strong personality and is convinced that only his way is the right way. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but his lack of faith in humanity is most troubling. Dr. Carter's past might not be readily known to Taylor, so initial impressions may be good if his surgeon and cybernetic work are very helpful for the crew. The moment he fails his will-checks and starts to experiment on others without permission, that's when she will think VERY differently of him. Levi and Jonah are hard workers and don't mind learning new things, qualities she can appreciate in people. Jonah's warrior side to him is unknown to Taylor, however. It remains to be seen how she would react to it. Henry is a sweet old man, and often appreciates their talks when they come up. Valenta is pleasant to be around, given the professional and kind manner in which she approaches most people. Taylor has made note that Val likes the outdoors too, something they both have in common! Caroline is a big question mark for Taylor. Physical Description: Standing at just about 5' 8'', Taylor is average in height and weight, not really one to indulge in foods. She stays fit through regular cardio exercise but would never be mistaken for an athlete at first glance. Having the skin tone of someone from either the American states or of European descent, people will find her generally clean and free of blemishes, save for a few markings on her forehead area, decorative stones. She wears her hair long and often to one side, making sure to keep its warm chocolate brown quality, well... chocolatey brown! Background/Brief Biography:Taylor Devenae grew up in the late twenty-first century as part of a generation of kids who did not know of the conveniences of modern-day life as many took for granted in the early portion of the century. They scavenged for what they could in a world that seemed to just leave them all behind in a dying world, their final inheritance from mankind on Earth. Taylor learned quickly what was safe to eat, what areas were dangerous, which wildlife to avoid, and how important it was to maximize their daylight hours. Eventually, a sort of stability was achieved, and she had time to learn how to work with others in a community, instead of just a pack of nomads. Fostering a love for all things natural, she took to the soil like the farmers and gardeners of the past and learned that she had not one but TWO green thumbs! Even in a world that seemed to be dying and wrecked with natural and man-made devastation, life found a way and she became a guardian and caretaker of it at a young age. As the years went by, she grew up as a person and learned that there were others who stuck it out and weathered the hardships of the world, much like they did. She also learned that not everyone had the agricultural know-how to sustain and support themselves efficiently. So, she and some like-minded individuals formed a traveling group of farmers and gardeners to help out their neighbors. Calling themselves the Blowing Leaves, they followed the calls for help just like how leaves were carried by the wind from location to location. It wasn't until her early thirties that she heard a tale of a ship that still floated just above the world's sky. The idea of being able to travel to a new world and make a new home for themselves was too good of an offer to pass up. Confident that the people she's helped here could continue to help themselves, she takes what personal possessions she has and makes the pilgrimage to the final space elevator. She would sow the seeds of a bright future with a new family and be excited for the chance to perhaps learn more about what nature had to offer, beyond the world that cradled her all these years.

Posting rate: It ebbs and flows, but I'm usually good about keeping up with other active people. A discord reminder or two never hurts! Speaking of which...

Discord Activity: Every day, you can find me on.

[galenbd]

Name: Mason Realm-Walker

Age: 24

Designation: Human

Anticipated Role: Keep the PeaceSecurity and Drivers, Pilots, and NavigatorsMisc

Literary Archetype: Primary - Caregiver and Secondary - Sage

Hopes, Fears and Goals: Mason is well aware of the problems with anarchy so he hopes to live in a society with some structure. Unfortunately, the opposite end of that spectrum is tyranny, so he seeks a cooperative democratic collective to make sure the defined structure actually works for that society. This ideal is rarely realized and he has regularly had to fight to keep his own sense of moral structure. When his loses, he is usually robbed and goes hungry. As a consequence, he rarely has any possession, expecting to lose them. He usually knows how to use a weapon, but just can't keep them around.

The closed environment of the colony ship is worrisome to Mason as he has seen the difficulties of society upfront, so he worries the enclosure of the colonists will result in disaster that would actually endanger the vessel. Perhaps he can help council the colonists how to live in harmony.

Leadership: This one is hard. He is likely to do what he feels is right. We will try to convince others of his perception of the right path. If that is not successful, he will walk the right path alone. So he will lead and follow as long as he agrees.

PC Opinion on Others: The entirety of the community is the critical thing. Those who put the needs of the individual over the needs of the many are in the wrong. Those who help others deserve respect. To that end, democracy should be maintained.

Physical Description: Mason is a hale individual of medium build. He has black hair mostly hacked short with a knife. His brown eyes see much and reveal little but empathy for his fellow beings. He mostly dresses in the same ratty shirt and tattered pants. There is a pair of shoes in his bag, but he hasn't been seen wearing them. Rarely wealthy enough to afford a weapon, Mason regularly fights hand-to-hand and his wrists and ankles are usually wrapped in the anticipation of violence.

Brief Backstory:
Mason was born in a primitive scavenger camp. His young life was nomadic wandering with the scavenger tribe from place to place as resources dried up. Unfortunately, this is a haphazard life and Mason was orphaned by the age of 10. His continued existence required fighting for scraps. Additionally, he became very aware of the ease which a desperate person can betray his community. By the time he was 15, he was living alone on the fringes of society scavenging and selling to support himself.

When he heard of the second exodus, he join the pilgrims hoping to join the expedition. However, having lived on his own for so long he was no longer able to tolerate the predation of the strong on the weak. In the caravan trains, he began protecting the helpless from the brutes traveling with them. He lost a lot of those fights, but even when beaten, he still came back again usually succeeding more and more. By the time the caravan arrived at the base of the space elevator, his reputation had grown significantly and few brutes were willing to cross him.

The chaotic camp at the base of the space elevator further strained his moral fiber and he rapidly organized an impromptu police force and began to enforce discipline based on live and let live. Many rebelled against following this code, but they lost again and again. Mason still desires to join the expedition, but finds protecting the hopeful community that has formed at the space elevators base a significant distraction.


Posting Rate: 2-3 times per week. Weekends are hard. I usually cannot post on Saturday or Sunday.

Discord Activity: I looked for a text only Discord game a month ago without success. So this is right up my alley. I can short post on Discord each week day.

[RedSun]

Name: Ringo Nguyen

Age: 29

Designation: Psion

Anticipated Role: Drivers, Pilots and NavigatorsPrimary Misc., Keep Up Morale, Establish Communications With Alien LifeSecondary Communications

Literary Archetype: "Is there even anything out here to find?", thinks Ringo, who later that day will burst into tears at the sheer beauty and wonder of the endless cosmos she is so fortunate to explorePrimary Explorer, "Why am I always the advice friend?", thinks Ringo, moments before telling you exactly what she thinks your problem isSecondary Sage & "Why does everyone act like I'm a dick?" thinks Ringo, seconds before making a joke about the thing you're most sensitive of in this entire miserable universeJester

Hopes, Fears and Goals: Ignoring the obvious goals of "humanity not dying out"(and while we're at it, Ringo not dying out), Ringo got on this ship partly out of a desperate need to do something great. She wants to go places no one's ever been, do things so immensely radical no one on Earth could even conceive of it. She wants everyone on board to love her and fear her and speak her name with immense gravity. She's not wholly uninterested in science-she's a curious person and she doesn't mind a bit of studying, but she didn't come here to prove to everyone how smart she is. Humanity is dead and humanity is stupid and goddamn her if Ringo isn't going to the most magnificent fool to ever grace the stars.

The asterisk appending the entire above paragraph, of course, is that Ringo has no idea if she's good enough to do any of that. She can't let it stop her-to Ringo, life is about momentum. Keep moving, keep grinding, keep laughing! Drive fast and make a big stack of cash and and kiss the cutest person you can find, and never, ever think about what happens if you can't back up that cocky little smile of yours. Beg whatever god you can find to make you as dumb as you pretend to be, because despite all appearances you know exactly what a consequence is and how dire they can be. And no matter, what, don't let anyone see you sweat.

As for immediate goals, Ringo is a woman who believe in community-building. Her first order of business on the ship, outside of not screwing everything up, is making sure people get along, especially with her. This is also a longterm goal-Ringo isn't going to put in work for the rest of her life to create a second society of warmongering jerks. She's in space. Space is supposed to be fun. She wants people to have fun!

Also, let's not mince words here. She really, really wants to kiss an alien.

Leadership: In a pinch? Sure! On the regular? Not really. Being a leader requires an immense amount of responsibility with a hefty side order of culpability, and more to the point, you need to act in a respectable manner as often as possible. This is not the kind of life Ringo is suited for or wants.

PC Opinion on Others: She wants to like them! She also kinda needs to like them, since they're now the only people she'll likely ever know until the ship is stable enough to start churning out rugrats. That said, most of her friends back on earth were a lot more salt of the earth types, if not actual criminals, and she has to admit she sometimes chafes in the presence of this ship full of nerds.

Physical Description: Ringo puts a lot of work into looking effortlessly beautiful. She keeps her hair up and her eyeliner bold and puts on just enough foundation in the morning to make men say things like "I love how you don't wear makeup". She's 6'2 in her favorite boots and wears open jackets to broaden her shoulders and walks with as much swagger as she can muster, which on good days is a lot. She's a wiry woman, lean but not quite cut, and with a sharp eye you might notice the mechanical knuckles she had to get after punching a few too many walls. She prefers jeans or long skirts, but she can rock a dress if the occasions calls for it.

 

Brief Backstory: The most shameful thing you can say about Ringo Nguyen is that she has no good reason to be here, and you wouldn't be out of line to say it. Raised in a loving commune in the hills of Vermont, Ringo had been one of few individuals lucky enough to grow up resenting the quiet peace that surrounded her. As early as she could she joined the caravans that would drive past the mountains into the ruins of great cities, carrying syrup and squash and beans to trade to the factories that still produced true modern amenities. Before long she was the one piloting the lumbering monstrous truck her family owned, her jacket stuffed with cartons of cigarettes she had rolled by hand with tocacco she'd grown in the backyard. She was barely a teenager then, and her elders bawked but were eventually forced to admit that when behind the wheel she never got lost and had an uncanny ability to get the truck home as pristine as it had left the compound.
Ringo did well as a trader. The markets excited her and the great towering buildings awed her and Ringo would do anything to make this next deal the best one possible, to make just enough money that no one would notice if she pocketed a bit for a real denim vest or dusty sci-fi novel with beautiful green women on it's sleeve. She did her own trading on the side as well, of course, and in no time at all she'd bought enough scrap to have her own motorbike built, and then even when the caravans were put to rest and the harvest was afoot Ringo was still nowhere to be found. She argued often with her fathers, but they had come to rely on her just enough that they feared taking her freedom, and for the next decade Ringo played hooky with her own life, sowing few crops and bearing no children as she gallivanted around the east coast, never leaving for too long but never staying put well enough to build roots in her own hometown.
To the people outside her commune she became known as a courier. She was good at it, and did it quick and was a wonderful talent for excusing herself when a job got out of hand, which happened often. She built a name for herself, though not one purely of respect, as her misadventures were often crude and her decisions not always wise and she became known for her loose temperament as much as her competence. Eventually, her reputation made it's way back home, and after stumbling home late one night she found her father waiting for her with an ultimatum: lose the bike or lose her home. Ringo and her father argued til near dawn, until eventually he decided he would make her choice for her, and went out back with a massive wrench to smash the bike. Ringo hit him then, not hard enough to seriously wound, but hard enough to bring him to his knees, hard enough that when he ambled up to look at her again it was clear that she would never be welcome in her little Vermont town again.
She left at dawn, and drove wherever her bike would take her, all across the continent but never to those northeast mountains again, until eventually she found herself staring at a great elevator towering across the horizon. She begged refuge from the scavengers, who by chance had heard of the girl who never got lost and was rarely surprised and always, always seemed to get her package to it's destination intact.

Posting Rate:Would try for at least 2 a week

Discord Activity:Hyper.

[Ladytron]

So far @galenbd notwithstanding, the only possible PC with any thought whatsoever to lead is the Android. To you really want the Android leading you? If you've seen Alien, you know how this goes...

[ihinka]

I am not sure what you mean You have a Reluctant Hero who will lead... even if reluctantly. You also have a Lover comfortable in leadership roles. Leadership not being a goal in and of itself for characters does not mean they will not lead.

[galenbd]

Ok. I think my app is done.

[MoonZar]

 

Dr. Luke Carter   Name: Dr. Luke Carter Designation: Human (32 yrs) Anticipated Role: Started as a doctor and plastic surgeon by trade for rich people, eventually specialized in genetic and artificial enhancement, and ended up as trauma surgeon part-time to carry his weight for the crew. Medical, Developping new science and medical specialty around cybernetics. I put engineering here because i suppose need competence in engineering to do cybernetics/implants.Scientist/engineering Literary Archetype: Visionary who is proud of his work, see mankind as a machine to perfectCreator, Driven to push the boundaries of humankind, bending morality and ethicsExplorer Initial (In-Character) Hopes, Fears, and Goals: Goal: 1. Transhumanist that is passionate about augmenting human capabilities and conditions through science, cybernetics, and genetic engineering. He dreams to create advanced human that would be more suitable for a hostile environment like space or a dead planet like earth. 2. Become a real doctor again and help people to feel better about themselves by improving their bodies and curing their pains. Fear: 1. Listen to his internal voice and trauma from when he was a butcher experimenting for the raiders. He is not going to be dangerous for the crew, but as roleplay and flavor, he is struggling with the impulse to experiment on people regardless of their consent to make his science progress. Hopes: 1. Find a new earth, green and full of life. 2. Find advanced technology in space to continue his research, other ships left before them, maybe they can find them. Leadership?: Outside his lab, prefer to let others lead. It's troublesome to tell intellectually limited being what to do and lose precious time explaining things. PC's Opinions on Others: It feels weird for Luke to be around normal people that are not homicidal maniacs like the raiders, and women who are not covered in tattoos and mutilated with hundred of piercings. On a personal level, Luke thinks he has more things in common with the android actually. After spending a lot of time alone in a lab, or dealing with barbarians his social skills are rusty. He takes seriously his vow to be part of the crew and keep them alive as best he can. Everybody is a potential subject of research, and hope he can get consent from some of them to help him with non-intrusive procedures... to begin with. Physical Description: Average height (1m78), he has an average build with dark hair and brown eyes. He is not ugly, but there's nothing special about how he looks either, in a crowd nobody would notice him. At least he is healthy with all his teeth, not mutilated or having notable scars. It's rare people look intact in those days and age on earth. His captors and previous employers kept him intact. Background/Brief Biography: Dr. Luke Carter is not a mad scientist or a bad guy per se, but for good or bad he became a man of his time that did what he had to do to survive. That being said there are a lot of mitigating circumstances that led him toward a moral code with shades of grey. University not been a thing anymore in the late 21st century, Luke was trained by a surgeon mentor who worked for a conclave of rich families. The selection process was tough and even life-threatened as the competition was trying to get rid of each other. He got lucky and somehow was able to attract the right attention and be selected. Luke was hopeful from there and worked his way up to become a brilliant surgeon with all the good intentions in the world. Things took an unexpected turn when he was ordered to specialize in plastic surgery, those rich bastards were still preoccupied with how they looked when mankind was dying. Over time Luke was looped in that his employers were planning to leave the planet in a few years with one of the last ships available. It increased his motivation to work like a dog to make those rotten people look good, hoping to win a seat in space with them. After all, everybody needs doctors in space. He did well for a while, and the ship's departure was near. Unfortunately, he did a mistake a few weeks before the final selection of the crew; after a botched nose job on the wife of one of the bosses, the patient freaked out and called some favor to get him fired and kick out. Luke's world crumbled, he was left on his own with only anger and bitterness as best friends. Things went quickly from bad to worst. Luke got captured by a large band of violent mutant raiders who kept him intact to be their surgeon, a rare skill on earth. They forced him also to try to make prosthetics and enhancements for mutilated warriors. Something died over time in Luke, his dreams were crushed and he retreated into his science. Experimenting on prisoners to test his procedures, his lab was a slaughterhouse at times. Luke worked for those crazy people for several years and eventually won their trust. In exchange for his services, he got as much booze he wanted and even got the favor of a raider girlfriend occasionally. For him the best reward was the frequent delivery of equipment, electronics, computers, and books the raiders could find. In the process, he worked on the baseline for a new science for prosthetics and implants, which would be eventually called cybernetics. It had a lot of subjects he could experiment on, but he couldn't make it work very well because of the lack of proper lab and pieces of advanced technology; the last factory on earth that could produce what he needed was destroyed fifteen years ago. One day, hope visited him again. On his dying bed, a prisoner told him about the location of a remaining shuttle worthy of space travel. Something woke up in Luke with this second chance presenting himself. A chance for something better, and to be a man again, instead of a butcher for those raiders. He didn't hesitate for long, packed the essentials, stole a motorcycle, and disappeared on the road without looking back. It wasn't a trivial task to travel 500 km in this dying world, hiding from the raiders that went after him and other dangers such as poisoning radiation. But Luke was clever and made it alive... barely. The people in charge of the last ship had only a few qualified nurses and medics, and a couple of doctors barely worthy of this name. Proving himself with a few operations and procedures was easy, and he won his ticket to redemption and heaven... or this is what he thought. Posting Rate?: 1-2/week Discord?: No discord, but I'm very often online on RPGx. You can PM me here anytime for a quick response.

[Ladytron]

I think I am done with the char. Please critique.

I do have discord, but I'm not on it all the time. I can't use discord from work, so I won't be on during the day much at all; night usually is OK.

[Hal Hammerhand]

 

The Good Die Young:   Name: Arthur Rosenthall Designation: Human Anticipated Role: SecurityPrimary, CommunicationsSecondary Literary Archetype(s): The OutlawPrimary Archetype, The Ruler, The GuardianSecondary Archetypes. Initial (In-Character) Hopes: -To see the end of the journey with the young'uns Fears: -Being the only survivor at the end, not able to protect the others. -Cockroaches...Seriously, have you seen one up close? Goals: -To make sure these young whippersnappers live long enough to see a brighter future. Leadership?: Arthur was in a leadership role when the first exodus began and he's only gotten harder over the years, he knows how to make the hard decisions because he has to. He has experience but may not always be the first choice. PC's Opinions on Others: -Caroline: It's an android, It'll follow it's programming. If it was put here to protect the passengers on board, Arthur is sure it's do it or die trying. His feelings are indifferent towards it until it proves to be a threat. -Valenta Hale: Arthur sees Val as a competent member of the crew and someone he can groom to take his place if he dies getting these kids to their destination. -Taylor Devenae: Taylor is an integral part of the future for more reasons than one. She has a long life ahead of her and the capability to grow a new world. -Mason Realm-Walker: He doesn't know much about Mason but he feels that he is damaged by a want for fair play. If Mason had been a part of Arthur's survivor group at any time, he would have used him to help keep order, he understands it. -Ringo Nguyen: She has this hidden ambition hidden by a foolhardy, devil-may-care attitude, She could be good for the others, keeping them together. -Dr. Luke Carter: Everyone on board this ship is more important than him since they will likely live longer in whatever future they discover and as useful as a doctor is going to be in that future, Arthur sees Luke's studies as potentially dangerous in the wrong hands. Arthur might have to be the one to reign the doctor in like many misguided youths from his past. Physical Description: Arthur is an average sort of guy, around six feet tall with a somewhat barrel chest and thick limbs. He has scarred and tanned skin from a life lived in the desolate earth left over after exodus. His hair has grown out from lack of care and turned white-gray with age. The wrinkly bags around his eyes showed that he is around seventy years old and somewhat sleep-deprived. Background/Brief Biography: Arthur was a bit of a bad seed growing up, in trouble with the law a lot for streetracing and minor disruptions so it just made sense that when he became an adult, he would finished his crash course in law enforcement procedure with some academic learning in a police academy of sorts. As a deputy in the Killbuck County Sheriff's Department He brought a 'Been-There-Done-That' attitude and was able to relate to most of the minor criminals in his jurisdiction and tried to teach them that their path was a path to nowhere. Arthur had just been sworn in as the Killbuck County Sheriff when the first exodus had begun, they were hurting for people to keep the peace here on Earth so no one would get hurt. Once the ships took off, all hell broke loose. If it wasn't a fight between civilians, it was a fight between the last groups of peacekeepers on who had the greater authority. Arthur took his former position very seriously and for some time, he led a group of scavengers and survivors the best he could, keeping as many alive as he could and making the hard decisions that had to be made for the greater good of the group. Posting Rate?: 1-2 a week. Weekends included. Discord?: Not a big fan of discord alongside this site but if I have to, I will.

[Hal Hammerhand]

I'm not too confidant coming into this system but I do like learning a new system.

With that being said, I think my app is done. Old-timer that has seen some things and survived the hard way.

[Hal Hammerhand]

Are we allowed to jump into the RP thread?