Remnants of the Earth

The voice which sang an alien lullaby by the empty docking bay was soft and sweet, yet had a slightly gravelly edge to it, as if the female's vocal cords had been slightly damaged, had the singer been using them to begin with. The voice was alien and inhuman, though one could tell the former owner of the voice had been a female, one advanced in age, and anyone who had heard the present singer speak could tell right off that the Draconain mechanic sang this tune in another's voice as she assembled a ship seemingly from nothing, though the trained eye could discern the lines of magic being converted into physical matter in the form of parts to the small spacecraft.

Sarah occasionally stopped to check her work, looking over every detail with an eye far more critical even than her usual inspections and QC checks. The reason for this new construct also fueled the overly critical inspections: This ship had to be absolutely perfect, down to the last rivet. No less would suffice for the journey. Next to her, on the dock, sat the helmet to the armor she now wore, a mix of titanium and carbon mesh from a world that had just barely figured out that many of the technologies employed in its ground, air, and submarine vehicles could be adapted for space, provided they could get jets to work without air. The armor's surface had been perfectionistically polished and then given a blood red sheen through the use of magic. As the ship she was building neared completion, Sarah cast another glance at the Sassy Juice. It wasn't as if she was leaving forever, but it still felt odd to be about to leave port on another ship, especially when she'd be out of the system.

Sarah had almost been surprised that she'd been given the time, but it had been given, and, now that the ship she'd been making was complete, she had somewhere to go. Sarah put the few items she was taking with her into the cargo bay, one a bit larger than she really needed (after all, she did plan on bringing back a few things, including (maybe. She hadn't decided quite yet.) a gift or two for Ari), then closed the hatch and hopped into the cockpit. The ship's construction had been completed on schedule, but there was still a long wait for clearance to take off as Sarah checked that all controls were functioning and the navigation data was up to date. When she finally received clearance twenty minutes later, Sarah pulled somewhat jerkily from the docking clamps, them piloted the ship out of the bay. Once clear, she engaged the autopilot, plugged in the coordinates for Hesta, then settled in for a nap as the homemade ship's borrowed AI took over. A ring of white light formed as the Draconian drifted off into sleep, a circle which then filled itself in. The cockpit filled with cryo-fluid as the temperature fell, the fluid acting as a means of inducing hibernation, preventing hibernation sickness, and providing the energy and nutrients she would need upon waking. As the semi-liquid fluid froze, the ship passed through the warp gate, then accelerated to FTL top speed as those on the station who happened to be looking outside the docking bay at the right angle saw the circle of white light shatter and disperse.

[if someone wants to stow away, feel free. Sarah's going to go visit the graves of a couple old friends, though, so she probably won't be too happy to have company on this trip.]

I think I'll skip the pleasantry shit and cut straight to the bone.

Word on the street is that you've got yourself a Libran prisoner. Normally, I wouldn't particularly care, but I've heard he's a military man. Prize like that's bound to have some juicy little titbits of information, and I'd like to have a go at gleaning them. I don't expect this to be free, of course, and I am prepared to pay you for the pleasure. What say you?

Sarah had been to many types of places in her long (compared to most humans, anyway) life. Deserts, swamps, forests, space stations, ships, towns, villages, even the odd city or two. She'd always seemed to manage just fine as far as finding her way around went, with only the city requiring her to use a map.

It was for this reason that she found it odd and slightly frustrating to be standing around, looking at a map she'd bought at a budget store, unable to even figure out where she was (this one had no 'you are here' feature), let alone where she was going. The Draconian mechanic tugged at one of the straps of her red overalls (which often earned her stares on the Cancer), holding the map in the other as she tried to make sense of it. A voice beside her broke her concentration.

"Hey, watch out for pickpockets.", the voice warned.

<Thanks.>, Sarah responded, her left hand immediately going to check the pocket that held the datapad she used for accessing customer files when her work took her out of her workshop. Relieved it was still there, the dwarf returned most of her attention to the task at hand, with only just enough focus on her surroundings to tell if someone tried to steal the datapad.

A'ight, Drake. Let's dance. *slams a questionnaire down in front of him*

Mandatory Questions

    What about you is heroic?
Heroic? I'm a pirate, remember?

    What about you is social? What do you like about people?
I can party when I feel like it. Other than that, two of the only things I like about people is their booty. Take that as you will.

    Of what benefit could you be to the current group?
I'm the leader of the goddamn band. I sign their checks, and, if they don't like it, they can scrub the airlock.

    Why would you choose to join the current group?
I'm an orphan. It was piracy or scrubbing toilets.

    Invent an adventure/plot that you would actively undertake (as opposed to just tagging along)?
Boarding a Draconian dreadnought. I'd probably wind up dead along with anyone stupid enough to go with me, but if one needed to be boarded, I wouldn't miss that boarding for the world.

Personal Questions

    What is your real, birth name? What name do you use?
Drake Morgan. Add a captain to that.

    Do you have a nickname? What is it, and where did you get it?
Plenty. Got one for every port and wanted list in the Andromeda.

    What do you look like? (Include height, weight, hair, eyes, skin, apparent age, and distinguishing features)


    How do you dress most of the time?
Practically, for the most part. Some black armored boots I killed an Aresian guard off of, some black pants I took when ol' Barboa's first mate took issue to my... replacing him as captain and commander, a personal energy shield I bought off an old friend, a simple navy blue shirt I got at a department store on the Dishonor, and, my favorite article, a chocolate-brown jacket Alice, the lass I've got captaining the Avarice, made for me. Titanium armor sandwiched between some of the toughest shredder silk money can buy. She even sewed in the insignia I use for the Warmonger.

    How do you “dress up”?
    How do you “dress down”?
    What do you wear when you go to sleep?
Nothing but my shield and a motion-sensor alarm. And my arm.

    Do you wear any jewelry?
I have been known to occasionally wear simple, yet expensive, earrings. Not all of which were legally purchased. Or acquired while the former owner was living.

    In your opinion, what is your best feature?
My left arm.

    What’s your real birth date?
The one listed on my birth certificate.

    Where do you live? Describe it: Is it messy, neat, avant-garde, sparse, etc.?
I live in my quarters on my ship, which has been decorated quite expensively.

    Do you own a car? Describe it.
Nope. Why bother with a car when most of my time is spent on stations and ships?

    What is your most prized mundane possession? Why do you value it so much?


    What one word best describes you?
Sociopath.

Familial Questions

    What was your family like?
    Who was your father, and what was he like?
    Who was your mother, and what was she like?
    What was your parents marriage like? Were they married? Did they remain married?
    What were your siblings names? What were they like?
    What’s the worst thing one of your siblings ever did to you? What’s the worst thing you’ve done to one of your siblings?
    When’s the last time you saw any member of your family? Where are they now?
    Did you ever meet any other family members? Who were they? What did you think of them?
One word: ORPHAN.

 Childhood Questions

     What is your first memory?

    What was your favorite toy?
    What was your favorite game?
    Any non-family member adults stick out in your mind? Who were they, and how did you know them? Why do they stick out?
    Who was your best friend when you were growing up?
    What is your fondest, childhood memory?
    What is your worst childhood memory?

Adolescent Questions

    How old were you when you went on your first date?
    It is common for one’s view of authority to develop in their adolescent years. What is your view of authority, and what event most affected it?
    What were you like in high school? What “clique” did you best fit in with?
    What were your high school goals?
    Who was your idol when you were growing up? Who did you first fantasize about in your life?
    What is your favorite memory from adolescence?
    What is your worst memory from adolescence?

Occupational Questions

    Do you have a job? What is it? Do you like it? If no job, where does your money come from?
I'm a pirate.

    What is your boss or employer like? (Or publisher, or agent, or whatever.)
He's a sociopath, one and the same as me.

    What are your co-workers like? Do you get along with them? Any in particular? Which ones don’t you get along with?


    What is something you had to learn that you hated?


    Do you tend to save or spend your money? Why?
Spend it. There's no point in saving my money when I can't take it with me when I die. I save some for emergencies, but I spend the majority of it.

Likes & Dislikes Questions

    What hobbies do you have?
    Who is your closest mundane friend? Describe them and how you relate to them.
    Who is your worst mundane enemy? Describe them and why you don’t get along.
    What bands do you like? Do you even pay attention?
    What tape or CD hasn’t left your player since your purchased it? Why?
    What song is “your song?” Why?
    What’s been your favorite movie of all time?
    Read any good books? What were they?
    What do you watch on the Television?
    When it comes to mundane politics, do you care? If so, which way do you tend to vote? If not, why don’t you care?
    What type of places do you hang out in with your mundane friends?
    What type of places do you hang out in with your normal friends?
    What annoys you more than anything else?
    What would be the perfect gift for you?
    What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
    What time of day is your favorite?
    What kind of weather is your favorite?
    What is your favorite food? What is your least favorite food?
    What is your favorite drink? (Coffee, Coke, Juice, Beer, Wine, etc.)
    What’s your favorite animal? Why?
    Do you have any pets? Do you want any pets? What kind?
    What do you find most relaxing? (Not as in stress relief, but as something that actually calms you down.)
    What habit that others have annoys you most?
    What kind of things embarrass you? Why?
    What don’t you like about yourself?
    How would you like to look?

Sex & Intimacy Questions

    Would you consider yourself straight, gay, bi, or something else? Why?
    Who was the first person you had sex with? When did it happen? What was it like? How well did it go?
    Have you ever had a same-sex experience? Who with, what was it like, and how did it go?
    What is your deepest, most well-hidden sexual fantasy? Would you ever try it?
    What was the wildest thing you’ve ever done, sexually? Who was it with and when did it happen?
    Is there any sexual activity that you enjoy and/or practice regularly that can be considered non-standard? (Bondage, Fantasy Play, etc.) Why do you like it?
    Is there any sexual activity that you will not, under any circumstances, do?
    Do you currently have a lover? What is their name, and what is your relationship like? What are they like? Why are you attracted to them?
    What is the perfect romantic date?
    Describe the perfect romantic partner for you.
    Do you ever want to get married and have children? When do you see this happening?
    What is more important - sex or intimacy? Why?
    What was your most recent relationship like? Who was it with? (Does not need to be sexual, merely romantic.)
    What’s the worst thing you’ve done to someone you loved?

 Drug & Alcohol Questions

    How old were you when you first got drunk? What was the experience like? Did anything good come out of it? Did anything bad come out of it?
    Do you drink on any kind of regular basis?
    What kind of alcohol do you prefer?
    Have you ever tried any other kind of “mood altering” substance? Which one(s)? What did you think of each?
    What do you think of drugs and alcohol? Are there any people should not do? Why or why not?

 Morality Questions

    What one act in your past are you most ashamed of? What one act in your past are you most proud of?
    Have you ever been in an argument before? Over what, with who, and who won?
    Have you ever been in a physical fight before? Over what, with who, and who won?
    What do you feel most strongly about?
    What do you pretend to feel strongly about, just to impress people?
    What trait do you find most admirable, and how often do you find it?
    Is there anything you think should not be incorporated into the media or art (sex, violence, greed, etc.,)? If so, what and why, and if not, why not?
    Do you have any feelings in general that you are disturbed by? What are they? Why do they disturb you?
    What is your religious view of things? What religion, if any, do you call your own?
    Do you think the future is hopeful? Why?
    Is an ounce of prevention really worth a pound of cure? Which is more valuable? Why do you feel this way?
    What’s the worst thing that can be done to another person? Why?
    What’s the worst thing you could actually do to someone you hated?
    Are you a better leader or follower? Why do you think that? If you think the whole leader-follower archetype is a crock of shit, say so, and explain why?
    What is your responsibility to the world, if any? Why do you think that?
    Do you think redemption is possible? If so, can anyone be redeemed, or are there only certain circumstances that can be? If not, why do you think nothing can redeem itself?
    Is it okay for you to cry? When was the last time you cried?
    What do you think is wrong with MOST people, overall?

Post-Supernatural Awareness Questions

    When did you go through whatever made you supernatural? What was it like (in your opinion)?
    What do you think now of being supernatural? Is it cool, or have you been screwed?
    Do you have a mentor? Who are they? How did you become their student?
    Do you have any magical items? Where did you get them?
    What do you think of the other denizens of the World of Darkness? Why for each? (If you haven’t met something, do you think it exists, and if it does, is that bad or good?)
    Think of a major event that happened during your training/initiation. What was it?
    What is something you had to learn during your training that you hated? Why did you hate it?

 Miscellaneous Questions

    What is the thing that has frightened you most? Do you think there is anything out there that’s scarier than that? What do you think that would be?
    Has anyone or anything you’ve ever cared about died? How did you feel about it? What happened?
    What was the worst injury you’ve ever received? How did it happen?
    How ticklish are you? Where are you ticklish?
    What is your current long term goal?
    What is your current short term goal?
    Do you have any bad habits? If so, what are they, and do you plan to get rid of them?
    If you were a mundane person, what would you do with your life? What occupation would you want, and how would you spend all your time?
    What time period do you wish you had lived in? Why? (Looking at this as an attempt to change history doesn’t count.) What appeals to you about this era?
    How private of a person are you? Why?
    If you were to gain an obscenely large sum of money (via an inheritance, a lawsuit, a lottery, or anything else) what would you do with it?
    What would you wish for if you found a genie?
    What do you do when you are bored?
    What is the most frightening potential handicap or disfigurement you can conceive of? What makes it so frightening?

This may be a stupid question, but are we allowed to change the headings in the Character form (IE: History to Service Record, etc?)?

The smell of blood hung in the air of the cargo bay as a large, unmarked ship made ready to dock with TRIM. No one had bothered with cleaning off the captive, and she'd not just sat by and waited for them to place the collar which now clung to her neck, barely loose enough for her to breath. As she awaited her fate, Eva berated herself for not having taken a team with her. A team, after all, could have watched her back. A team could have possibly prevented her from being captured. <Destroy tags.>, she thought to herself, a chip in her brain sending the command to a small device affixed to each of her service tags. The devices promptly sent the tags to the Void, removing Eva's identification, while another one dissolved the capsule embedded in her left thigh. The Draconian, as far as anyone else knew, no longer had any identification. Within a few days to a few months, her military records would list her as KIA, unless her superiors felt it prudent to send a rescue team. <I doubt it. A pilot like me's not that important...>, she thought as she waited.

Moments later, the ship's cargo hatch opened, and several armed guards entered to escort Eva into the facility to be processed.

[sorry for the shortness...]

<No, you're not getting a discount just because you insisted I use mundane crafting methods. You were specifically told it would take longer than normal due to how irritatingly long mundane fabrication takes. Several. Times. Now pay up. You aren't my only customer, and I'm not above beating it out of you.>. Sarah's sharp words were accompanied by an angry hiss, and her tail flashing past his ear, resulting in her customer hurriedly paying his tab and practically fleeing to his ship. <Honestly... If I had a pebble of salt for every customer who thought slowing me down was their ticket to a discount, I'd have moved to Libra by now...>, she 'muttered' to herself as she checked the sale's record, then began tinkering with a strange contraption a previous customer had given her.

It wasn't long before the scent of a human drew her attention from her work, despite the old-fashioned electric-eye-operated bell she'd put together from various odds and ends she'd had lying around failing to even register. <I'll be with you in a moment.>, she almost automatically called out as she worked one last difficult part into place. After a short debate on whether or not to test it now, Sarah made her way to the counter. <Sorry for the wait. How shall I assist you today?>, she asked, straightening the tan coveralls she was wearing at the moment.

"Drop those canisters and I drop you, shitsack. That's enough there to buy a cruiser once we find the right buyer, or blow half this dock even higher.", Drake snapped at one of the men unloading cargo from his Warmonger's sister ship Avarice, "Everyone who isn't busy unloading or lining up buyers can check with Judith or one of Ravager's terminals for your cut of the money we've made so far, then hit the shore for some leave. The rest of you lot had better double time that unloading. We lose money every hour we're docked in the unloading zone, and I will be taking it out of your cuts. I said careful with those!", Drake continued, shooting a scathing glare at the offending crewmember, who very quickly recovered his grip and hurried out of sight as Drake headed to the cargo hold to assist with the unloading.


Two hours later found Drake in a rather seedy bar, several shot glasses of strong green liquor in front of him, as well as several holographic maps displaying various systems and galaxies, including one map of estimated Libran patrol routes, and another highlighting Union patrols of the Andromeda's Ophiuchus and Purustas Pühap systems, the latter a rare system centered around a group of five stars collectively referred to as a 'shattered sun' by the Draconians. "There's money to be made off of those black crystal merchants... Especially to those who know how to magick it into shadowsteel... But those damned lizards run patrols on those routes tighter than a math savant's grasp of numbers. Only time they don't is when their flag dreads are passing through, and I wouldn't cross one of those behemoths if I had a million Swordbreaker-Class ships...", Drake muttered, knocking back a shot of his favorite drink. "I suppose I could just go crew-sharking again... It'd be nice to not have to shut down the ships for a week just to get them clean... You'd think the damned military would have had spare parts for the cleaning bots loaded long before the ships were operational...". Another presence interrupted the pirate's thoughts. "Hello. Seat next to me's taken, unless you happen to be seriously useful, or seriously good lookin'.", he growled, jerking his thumb toward the exit in a 'get lost' manner.

Code:
__________________QUICK STATS
Name Imperial Knight-Commander (Equivalent to Brigadier General) Wilhelm von Athí?na von Néa Elláda von Olýmpou von Tartarus
Age 223
Gender Male
Species Draconian second stock
Ethnicity Tartarian
Height 8 meters
Occupation Heavy-class Spec Ops
Residence Human-Draconian Alliance-class meteor cruiser With Joined Hands

__________________IN-DEPTH STUFF

Physical Description
Wilhelm has a particularly bulky build for a Draconian, bearing a closer resemblance to a carnivorous dinosaur than to the elegant and sleek dragonman-like appearance usual to his species. His scales are a dark blue bordering on black, and he is rarely seen without his power armor, armor which makes him look like a black-and-gold mech, rather than a living being. His armor can be outfitted with various specially-made armaments, depending on the demands of his mission. Wilhelm has brown eyes, and his arms and tail, lost some time over the last couple centuries, are prosthetic, with the corresponding parts of his armor built in.

Personality
Patient and docile almost to the point of being non-reactive, one wouldn't really think Wilhelm to be at all a combat troop were it not for his armor. He rarely, if ever, is angered, and displays kindness bordering stupidity. That is, until his comrades are in danger, or he's been issued orders. Those situations tend to call for violence, and Wilhelm is okay with dishing it out and demanding answers, not unlike a female. Wilhelm is always the sort of person who can be counted ton to get the job done, and is always willing to give all for his friends, family, empire, and deities.

Magic/Abilities
1: Telepathy: No. This is NOT mind-reading. This is sending thoughts to others, mostly other Draconians, but can be sent to anyone the speaker wishes provided they can receive (basically, if they want to hear him and don’t have something blocking their mind, such as psychic barriers and the like. Tinfoil won’t work, but wanting to ignore him will.). Draconians can also receive from anyone capable of sending, but only if they are sending to them (either directly, or through sending to ‘anyone in range’). The maximum effective range is 1000 meters, though it can be extended by piggy-backing it on radio transmissions (though, if the transmission can’t get through, the telepathy fails, too, in this method), phone calls, or, in extreme cases and with reduced clarity, electrical wires.

2: Armorlike skin: All Draconians have skin (scales, really) that protect them like armor. While the protection isn’t perfect, it is good and is especially effective against heat, energy, and electrical weapons, though at a cost of effectiveness against swords and other bladed/piercing weapons of materials with a hardness of 6 (Moh’s scale) or greater.

3: Superior bone structure: All Draconians have skeletons of such durability that broken bones caused by falls and other accidents are extremely rare. This does not, however, mean said bones are impenetrable.

4: Poison/disease immunity: Draconians are able to quickly destroy any poison which takes more than an hour to kill them, including their own (which is only deadly after multiple doses in a short time, and, in such a case, takes weeks, even months to kill the victim.). Their immune systems are also very swift to respond, using magic to destroy harmful microorganisms and viruses.

5: Speed/strength: Draconians, though large, are much faster than humans, often exceeding 1000 times the speed. Draconians are also many times stronger than humans, hailing from a world with nearly seven times Earth’s gravity, and exibit strength easily in excess of 900 times that of a human at full growth.

6: Time perception: Draconians perceive time much more slowly than humans, at about 1/1000th of the rate. While this does mean they can catch things humans would miss, it also means pain and suffering seem to last much longer for them, and it can often lead to speaking much too fast for human perception.

7: Death Rage: Wilhelm is one of a relatively small percentage of Draconian males who have the ability to continue fighting even after being killed. This ability lasts a short while, but, during the rage, Wilhelm can only be killed by destroying his body as magics allow the force of his will to keep him fighting. As the magics wear off, so will his combat ability until it fades completely, at which point he will be dead for real.

8: Enhanced vision: Wilhelm naturally possesses night vision, like all of his race, and has less acute day vision, but his helmet features such enhancements as thermal, EM, radiation, and even spiritual and magic modes which enable him to see the flow of magic around him, as well as the spiritual plane.

Relationships
[none so far]

History
[so far, all I've worked out is his origin as a Heavy]
Wilhelm, at the age of 16, became one of the first Draconians to become part of an all-male group of special forces troops known as Heavies (for their use of human heavy weapons, such as tank cannons, missile launchers, rail guns, heavy plasma cannons, Gatling guns normally only mounted on heavy mechs, etc.). The first few decades constituted a 'trial period', the purpose of which was to get the Draconian emperor to approve of expansion to the group from 13 members to 300, and, as expected, the pressure was immense. Every mission failure was harshly criticized, and punishments meted out in much the same manner.

__________________THREAD TRACKER

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