A Guardian Under the Yellow Sun

In this second of a series dedicated to NPCs available for different games, I offer up a superhero born of hero-worship and delusion. This is a hero like another, purposefully shaping himself toward being just like someone else, with varying reasons and means dependent on the game system you want to use them in.

I present to you... Sentinel

The following Aberrant character was created using the standard rules from the Core Rulebook, but could probably make a closer approximation of the character desired if drawn from more sources. Also, it's noted in the description that Trevon is close to the edge of Taint, but has no starting Permanent or Temporary Taint, as this should be up to the Storyteller.


Trevon "Sentinel" Parker
Background:
Trevon Parker was a simple young man. Moderate at all pursuits, not excelling in anything or having much motivation beyond cruising along at whatever speed life took him at, but not a trouble-maker, just a normal guy.

This all changed in 1998. Shortly after the Galatea incident, Trevon was on the roof of his apartment building reading a Superman comic when he heard what sounded like a woman crying. Turning around, the young man witnessed a horrific sight - the sobbing woman, holding a baby, took a step off the roof.

Trevon erupted.

Before he knew it, he had the woman nestled in his arms and was touching down on the street below, to cheers of onlookers. The young man soaked it up. Superman had recently become a motivational tool for Trevon and now he was Superman! A black Superman, at least, calling himself "Sentinel" (the first 'S' word he thought of when asked who he was), he was quickly taken in by Project Utopia in their first recruiting drives. The young man picked up on how to control his quantum energies fast, and through practice, force of will, and knowledge gained by the classes Utopia provided in quantum physics, he began to shape his powers to emulate his hero.

After commissioning a costume that resembles Superman's, Trevon left Utopia with the hopes of starting his own team, but is having a hard time finding more novas that share characteristics of the Justice League, because Trevon is actually starting to think he is Superman, even going so far as recently trying to get a journalism job at a major metropolitan newspaper. The constant practices with his powers and pushing himself will soon form taint, and he's already well on his way to suffering a delusion derangement, which may only be strengthened with the corruption of his M-R Node.

Image: Trevon certainly strikes an imposing image since his eruption. His muscles have become more pronounced and the young man seems to have an almost perfect athletic build, the likes of which the Greeks depicted in their statuary. Despite this, Trevon's features are rather plain, his height at a little over two meters being his most notable feature when people don't recognize him as Supe....err...Sentinel.

Gear: Red, blue, and yellow costume.
 Nature: Survivor (The strongest manifestation of his growing delusions, as he thinks he survived the destruction of an alien planet)
Allegiance: His not-yet-formed Justice League
Attributes: Strength 5, Dexterity 3, Stamina 5, Perception 4, Intelligence 2, Wits 2, Appearance 2, Manipulation 1, Charisma 3
Abilities: Academics 1, Arts 1, Athletics 2, Awareness 2, Brawl 5, Computer 2, Endurance 5, Etiquette 1, Interrogation 1, Investigation 2, Might 5, Rapport 2, Resistance 5, Streetwise 2, Survival 1
Backgrounds: Cipher 2, Eufiber 1, Node 2, Resources 2
Quantum 2, Quantum Pool 24, Willpower 6
Powers: Mega-Strength 2 (Lifter), Mega-Dexterity 1 (Enhanced Movement), Mega-Stamina 2 (Hardbody), Flight 1, Quantum Bolt 1 (Frost Breath), Quantum Bolt 1 (Heat Ray)


This Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game rendition of Sentinel was also created using the standard character creation rules for an inexperienced hero in the game, and as a result has wildly varying stats from what one might expect due to the randomness of the card draws, card placement, and limits based on "inexperienced".

Trevon "Sentinel" Parker
Strength: 9C (9 str)
Intellect: 6D (6 wil)
Agility: 5D (5 str)
Willpower: 3X (3 doom)
Edge: 1
Hand Size: 3
Calling: Responsibility of Power
Hindrances: Addicted (Serum must be consumed daily or all abilities drop to 0), Mental Disability (Delusional - If another hero gets more glory or is the one to succeed in a scene, Willpower drops to 0 until he "redeems" himself), Obsessive (Sentry - must act in manner consistent with or rush to meet if Sentry is present or all abilities drop to 0)
Personality: Desperate, dependant, guilt-ridden, duty-bound
History: Trevon Parker was a mutant, once. His powers were miniscule, only an ability to make subtle shifts in the ambient light levels of his surroundings, and small flashes of light akin to the striking of a lighter or match. "The Boy Dazzler", as some of his friends call him, however, did not take well to the thought of being different or the seeming ridicule over his powers and turned to help through the only place he knew to look, Dr. Henry McCoy, leading mutant biologist.
Dr. McCoy found in Trevon a kindred spirit, reminding him of himself in his youth, and in due course let slip that he, himself, had created a serum that he hoped would cure his own mutant condition. Though meant as a cautionary tale, Trevon latched onto this nugget of information and began researching his own such serum, a chance to be normal again.
Then, the Sentry burst onto the scene. Trevon became obsessively jealous of this man's manipulation of light and great heroics, and redoubled his efforts to cure himself. Through research into Sentry, and coupled with his own findings and the Beast's notes, Trevon finally finished his serum, an oddly glowing mixture he was certain would reverse his genetic malady.
If only the young man had left the Sentry serum research out, he may have succeeded. Instead, the serum intensified Trevon's light control powers and gave him an enhanced suite of abilities. Now, Trevon's wishes to be normal are vastly intensified, but at the same time he feels like he should use his abilities for good while he has them, to show those back home that he is more than Kid Dazzler, or whatever.
Trevon's powers are permanent, but his need to succeed in curing himself pushes him to tweak his serum recipe daily and try its effects. So far this has caused no change to his abilities. In addition to his obesssion to cure himself, Trevon has become obsessed with the idea of being like Sentry and needing Sentry's guidance since he has gained a similar suite of powers, and maybe heaping a little bit of blame on the hero. He desires to live up to the ideals of Sentry so much that if he is not the first to succeed, he loses hope in most situations.
Skills: Strength - Brawling, Sonic Slam; Agility - Flinging; Intellect - Biochemistry
Powers: Energy Blast 7, Flight 8, Invulnerability 10 (Kinetics), Light Control 7 ( 7 Int)(Fireworks)

A Game-Related Writing Experiment

Recently, I was kind of given a slight push to actually try to begin writing again. I've freelanced before, making a whopping $28 dollars from my submissions to date, and have pretty much resigned myself to not doing much since.

This is slightly different, as I've been wanting to try my hand at screenwriting, and decided to go with writing a trailer for a movie I would like to see.

When it comes down to it, this is for my own benefit. If others like it, awesome. If not, you can blame the person that inspired me to write it! As always, feedback is welcome.

IN PROGRESS NEWS SHOW (a la Larry King, et al.)

We’re treated to lined or grainy news footage showing a slight sliver of light in the daytime sky. Over this footage, discussion takes place over a recent satellite explosion. Overplaying the footage is what seems to be a broadcast transmission.

TRANSMITTED VOICE

…Please, tell our kids…

(static)

HOST

That, of course, being the last words received from

the station. Really moving stuff.

GUEST

(solemn)

Absolutely.

HOST

And you, doctor, feel this will have no impact on the

future of our space program as it exists now?

GUEST

Quite the opposite, in fact! What more revitalization

could NASA’s program need than the Galatea incident?

I posit tha…

(cut off)

CITY STREET

A camera quickly pans around, showing the scene of a grisly traffic accident. In the background, a school bus is overturned and bursts into flames as the camera squares onto a female reporter.

REPORTER

(horrified)

Frame me in this.

(adjusting position)

What?

(composing breath)

We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast

to bring you breaking news from the heart of the

city. Here, moments ago, this bus that you see behind

me overturned when struck by another vehicle.

(turns as more sirens get closer)

A fire team has arrived to…

(screams and ducks)

At this time, the bus completely erupts in flames. Children can be heard screaming from within. The cameraman focuses on the bus, then beyond to the rescue teams. One firefighter stands dumbstruck after hopping down from his engine, then falls to his knees, as if losing all hope.

CAMERMAN

(offscreen, framing firefighter)

What’s that? What’s he doing?!

REPORTER

(now offscreen)

What? What do you mean?

(looks into camera as comes into frame, then away)

The horror of these incidents can affect even the

bravest among us.

At this, the camera zooms, as the reporter was talking, the fireman’s eyes have become points of light, but now we see that they almost seem to blaze like the bus’ fire.

FIREMAN

(mouthing)

No.

A scream of displaced air takes place as the fire is sucked out of the bus and toward the fireman. He opens his eyes and mouth wide, as if to scream, but no sound other than the torrent of flame can be heard.

With the last of the flame, the shot draws in as the fireman seems to literally eat the fire. His open mouth shape held by flame as the camera seems to pan back out into blackness to reveal the spot as the open part of a capital “A”, which then turns black as the letter itself shifts to bright yellow.

“ABERRANT”

Music picks up here, dramatic, classically cinematic. Snippets of action, preferably NOT included in film shown here, to highlight the sheer number of Novas in the world. One of the first clips shown is of the Fireman’s eruption.

Caestus Pax holding a building erect while inhabitants escape. A woman sneaking about and teleporting to evade baseline or Nova security. A boardroom; a woman at the table’s eyes flash and everyone else at the table nods and signs a form as she smiles.

Camera seems to pan out some with every snippet, becoming walleye as it does, then resolving to the world. A man “stands” above it all, seen to be in orbit as he rotates past a satellite. Divis Mal is revealed in half-light of the distant sun and smiles.

Screen blacks.

Date of release.

Property ownership and production companies.

End trailer.