EDIT:
Lyntael is now of age and ready to get this under-way. Still welcoming advice and suggestions and/or discussion, but I'm now seriously looking toward getting this fixed up and ready to be embarked upon.
Light in the Storm
Part 1: Courting Shadows
Navis: Lyntael.exe, Caminus.exe (story only), Sevare.exe (story only), Vigilance.exe
Operators: Rogan O'Conaill, Eric O'Conaill (story only), ??? (Unknown operator of Vigilance.exe)
Other Characters: Varda Afonin (story only)
Officially, Rogan is a professional photographer, however the majority of his real work comes in the form of data manipulation, retrieval, and theft, where he operates under the alias Night-Wisp. On a recent contract set to him by one Varda Afonin, an employer with powerful Sharon connections, herself working for someone even more shadowed, Rogan was hired to appropriate and clean specific documents from a small home-brew electronics business in the suburbs of ACDC town. A strange request, but Rogan would not have asked questions, except for a discovery that led him to realise that the business was operating on projects far, far outside what its means ought to have been, and that it was, in fact, simply a front for some very heavy duty research projects, funded and controlled by a person or organisation that did not wish to be noticed. (Read about it Here, and Here)
His curiosity now aroused, after formally concluding his contract (Like This), Rogan dug further, and found traces of clues that pointed him towards someone working out of SciLabs. Following the trail, (with a little help Here, and Here) this led Rogan to uncovering an individual employee operating under a very well constructed ID and using some of SciLab's facilities for purposes that weren't recorded anywhere else on their records. This was just the sort of discovery that Rogan, couldn't resist chasing down further, and so he now goes in person to investigate the scene of the deception in the small hours of the morning.
Normally, remaining untraceable through an excursion to some of the darker corners of SciLabs would be a task beyond Rogan's more grounded methods, but with Lyntael to handle some of the more behind-the-wires aspects of the job, he's willing to try. Lyntael herself is understandably hesitant about continuing to assist work of such dubious legality, but, as usual, continues to put his needs ahead of her own comfort.
The real-world side of such an infiltration is no problem for Rogan; fixing his appearance and acquiring clearances that won't raise eyebrows or start alarms proves no hassle, but his concern is, as always, being as untraceable as possible afterwards, if anything should raises suspicions, and this is where Lyntael comes in. Most areas in SciLabs, certainly the areas where Rogan means to be exploring, have quite comprehensive, blind-spot free surveillance. Traversing the interior net alongside him, Lyntael is able to access the system that manages the recording feeds for the area they are in, and temporarily create a 'safe' loop on any given camera. In a pinch she can also static-out a feed temporarily, though this is much less desirable; blips happen, but too many of them in the one area is sure to raise flags. At very worst case, Rogan can make use of his own scrambling device which is much more wide-spread and indiscriminate, and almost certainly going to be noticed if used.
(Game1 => getting to the lab cleanly)
(Game maps (both real world and net world) would be drawn up and posted by me, 'enemy' positioning and movement handled from that point on by the Mod overseeing the game)
UPDATE: Game grids are done and ready. Kept meaning to get around to it, but didn't until now.
Real World Grid
Net Grid
Real World Camera Guide
Rogan and Lyntael begin at a synchronised point. Lyntael's net-space is not exactly transposed with the hallways in the real-world that Rogan will be walking, but there are similarities.
Rogan will move towards his goal, in contact with Lyntael, and has three actions per round. He can use these to move one space, to wait where he is for one action, or to deal with other people that might get in his way. Dealing with people is not optional, for Rogan: if he is accosted, he must spend an action standing still, to deflect them safely without incident. This is the case both if he comes into contact with a dangerous individual/group in his own actions, OR if one meets him during theirs; in the latter case, his -First- action next round must be to deal with them.
This area of SciLabs is not particularly busy at this time of night/morning, but in a complex that never truly sleeps, there will always be a few individuals or small groups going about various tasks and moving from place to place. Most will pay him no heed, but some may attempt to greet him or otherwise engage Rogan in a misguided sense of scientific camaraderie. These are the ones that he must pause to deal with. Though they will be very few, any passing employee could prove to be so inclined.
In game terms, this is represented by all 'normal' employee or employee groups being marked as blue, while troublesome ones will be green. As is the way of scientists in their thoughts, any individual or group may become distracted or engrossed, or otherwise busy (go blue), or become more likely to notice him (go green), at any point. Both types of normal employees will generally be going somewhere, and they may appear onto and disappear from the 'board' at any point (think turning into doorways, or emerging from them), though they may pause or dither as well, and clusters of employees can always split up. Being of the meandering sort, normal employees, whether blue or green, will move one position per turn. In the case of a newly appearing scientist, assume that their movement from whatever doorway they have emerged from, to a valid junction point, to be their one move for that turn.
There are also individuals that Rogan cannot come into contact with; the department head for the area, who will know that Rogan is not an employee if he gets a good look at him face to face, and the security guard who is in the area, and is liable to remember a face he hasn't seen before, no matter how unmemorable Rogan himself tends to be. Rogan may need to back-track and change where he's going to avoid coming into direct contact with these individuals. Unlike other scientists that may wander, pause and appear or disappear by surprise, these two will always be walking the halls, and will move two spaces each round in a moderately predictable fashion. In game terms, these two individuals would be denoted in red, with an arrow denoting what direction they will move in next; where possible they will always make both movements in a straight line.
If Rogan is left face to face with either of these two individuals, the game will be failed automatically. In either case, he will be able to talk his way past the problem, but not without leaving an impression that will be remembered, which is what he is seeking to avoid. (Automatic Game Outcome 3)
Lyntael's job will be to ensure that whatever space Rogan is in is not reporting its camera feed faithfully, and to keep this up until he reaches his goal. Every space in the hallways will be covered by at least one camera.
Lyntael has four actions per round, which can be treated as coming at any time in relation to Rogan's; before, after or during, so long as they are played so. She can use them to move through her equivalent net-space, and when she is in the right location, to create a safe loop on a camera (this takes two actions), or to scramble the camera (one action). Either way, that camera spot is safe for the action that it is dealt with, (second action only for looping, not the first), and remains so for two additional actions afterwards, after which point it returns to reporting faithfully. Additionally, Lyntael can, if need be, remain at a 'safe' camera, and extend its safe time, one action for one action (essentially treading water). If the camera was about to return to normal when she uses an action to extend it, then it will return to normal the moment she stops doing so; if it would have had two actions of safe time left when she extends, it will still have those two when she stops.
Lyntael's net grid mirrors the actual camera locations to a certain extent, but travelling between the relevant locations for working with them is much simpler for her; most of the camera nodes can reach most other nodes with only a single movement, however, none of them can reach all others, so decisions may need to be made with more care than it first appears. In particular, many junctions are covered by more than one camera, and in those cases, both must be made safe in order for Rogan to be safe at that location.
If Rogan reaches his goal without too much scrambling of cameras, or getting caught out and risking being remembered, this will yield Game Outcome 1, the best result.
If Lyntael has to perform more than 5 scramble actions (extending an already scrambled camera does -not- count towards this), this will be suspicious and might cause worrisome flags to be raised and investigations to occur, but assuming Rogan doesn't actually get caught or directly exposed, he will still be more or less untraceable, yielding Game Outcome 2.
In a pinch, Rogan can use his own scrambler to knock all security cameras in the area offline for long enough for him to reach his destination, but this is highly visible, and will count as a failure. If Rogan is exposed to a faithfully reporting camera once, it is something he will be able to fix post-hoc, later on, with care. A second time, however will force him to use his scrambler, failing the game and yielding Game Outcome 3
Some examples of functioning:
Rogan located in space A, Camera A is Looped (1 action remaining), Lyntael is at Camera B, which is reporting faithfully.
L1 Loop (Begin)
L2 Loop (Complete)
L3 Move to Camera C
L4 Loop
R1 Wait
R2 Move to space B
R3 Wait
In this case, the event was set up so that the camera for the space he began on reverted at the same time that he moved away, and also so that the camera he moved to went safe at the same time as he moved to it. Both are considered 'Safe' moves; leniency is bi-directional in this sense, meaning that he must be well and truly caught in the open to be exposed.
Example of exposure:
Rogan located in space A, Camera A is Looped (0 action remaining), Lyntael is at camera B, which is faithful. An employee has just greeted Rogan.
L1 Loop (Begin)
L2 Loop (Complete)
L3 Move to Camera C
L4 Loop
R1 Deflect
R2 Move to space B
R3 Wait
Here, Rogan was still on space A, for a whole and complete action, after Camera A had reverted, and thus was seen. He could not move sooner, required to deal with people, besides which moving sooner would have gotten him seen by camera B, before it was 'safe'. This would be Rogan's 'One Time', for the game. A second slip like this would mean failure.
(End Game1)
Having reached the lab, Rogan slips inside and begins his search. Lyntael ends up in an almost identical counterpart to the lab in question, down to a quite astounding level of detail, the fundamental difference being that Rogan's Real-World lab isn't occupied by a previously quite bored, and now very much alerted navi, while Lyntael's, unfortunately, is.
Vigilance.exe is quite excited to be intruded upon by Lyntael, but is very self-assured in telling the girl that there's little point in her running off, since he's going to report her intrusion, like he was instructed to if anyone came snooping. It becomes clear as he talks (gloats, really), that he believes Lyntael to be completely on her own, and unoperated, revealing that he has no awareness of the real-world equivalent of the lab, or Rogan. Why he would suspect this automatically is not clear. As long as he taunts her, however, it appears he will not actually get around to relaying the intrusion.
Rogan instructs Lyntael to keep him busy somehow until he's done searching. Meanwhile Vigilance suggests that if she runs, he'll just do his job, and that won't be any fun at all, but if she thinks she can stop him, he might be more interested in dealing with her. Amidst creepily heavy implications of where he intends the fight to go, and what reward he expects to claim after he wins, Lyntael comes to the quite certain knowledge that actually fighting and beating this jerk is way out of her league. Nevertheless, Rogan is counting on her to keep things quiet until he's done, so she buckles down her mounting fear and resolves to do what she can.
(Battle1 => Lyntael Vs. Vigilance)
As she currently is, Lyntael has little to no chance of actually besting a navi like Vigilance. By the same token, however, he seems to be more interested in toying with her, rather than going right for the kill. Since he's assuming her to be a rogue, unoperated navi, and given his taunts, it seems likely he very much does not want to actually delete her, but merely weaken her enough to quell her fight, and is perhaps being careful of that. Or maybe he just enjoys the cat and mouse game.
One way or the other, outright victory isn't an option here. If at any point Lyntael is reduced to 10 hp or less, the fight is over; Vigilance displays no desire to risk damaging her further, and Lyntael herself will be too weakened to fight any more. Before Vigilance can attempt to make good on claiming his victory, Lyntael jacks-out in a justifiably terrified panic, revealing to him in the process that she is, in fact, operated and blowing Rogan's cover before time. Rogan concludes his search in a hurry and slips from SciLabs amidst the confusion of, of all things, several of the area's sprinkler systems going off.
If, during the fight at any point, Rogan's presence is revealed to Vigilance in some other way, either through his actions, or hers (such as him sending her a chip, or her talking to him directly aloud where Vigilance can hear), the fight also ends there, with Rogan extracting Lyntael and finishing his search in a hurry, as above.
If the fight continues for only one to three turns, Lyntael is overcome with brutal ease, and this yields Battle Outcome 3, the worst.
If Lyntael holds out for four to seven turns, this yields Battle Outcome 2, moderate.
If, against all odds, Lyntael can stall Vigilance for eight or more turns, Rogan has enough time to conclude his search thoroughly, and pull Lyntael out in a comfortable fashion when he is ready to go, yielding Battle Outcome 1, the best result.
Even if the best result is achieved, Vigilance will still realise that Lyntael had an operator accomplice, and will still perform his duty and report after she has left. Likewise, the sprinkler systems will still go off, the confusion will still allow Rogan to escape unnoticed.
(End Battle 1)
Outside, once he is well away from SciLabs, Lyntael will receive a call which she will put through to Rogan without a word. On the other end is Varda Afonin, contact of his previous employer, and somehow she knows something about what Rogan was just up to, but doesn't reveal what, or how. Regardless, her people have another task for a man of his skills, and how well the night has gone for Rogan, and Lyntael's own mental state at this point, will have a small impact on how this negotiation goes.
(End Chapter 1 Sub-Plot)
For this sub-plot, reward value would ideally be in cash only. The two balancing factors being how costly a headache it will be for Rogan to sufficiently cover his tracks (Defined by Game1), and how much other useful/valuable but non-integral data and information that can be on-sold by him to appropriate buyers, he managed to acquire while getting what he needed (Defined by Battle1).
In the best case scenario, the score would be 2 (Outcome 1 on both game and battle), leaving him no clean-up work to do and the most amount of useful extras, meaning the largest profit margin overall.
The worst case scenario would leave him with a score of 6 (Outcome 3 on both), meaning some costly legwork to cover his trail, and very little to show for it, save a potentially mentally scarred young navi, yielding no gain at all: the story has progressed but Rogan and Lyntael have nothing to show for it for now.
A score of 5, however it's reached will yield a very minor profit reward, 4 a slightly larger one. A score of 3 will yield a much more satisfying margin of profit, only a little less than the best outcome.
Now, in *Numbers!*
3, 3 (6) => worst
3, 2 (5), 2, 3 (5),
1, 3 (4), 3, 1 (4), 2, 2 (4)
2, 1 (3), 1, 2 (3)
1, 1 (2) => best
As for exact values, that's one area I need help in. I have no clue whatsoever what an appropriate reward actually is. My only key thought here was that the worst possible outcome may well yield no profit at all. It's been suggested that I'm being too harsh on myself in that regard, but, as I said, I've got no real clue.
So... Thoughts? Comments, criticisms? Advice? Synopsis post and Registry for Vigilance to follow.
-Rogan
Light in the Storm
last edited by
Event Synopsis:
--Story-Telling. Rogan and Lyntael prepare to infiltrate SciLabs
--Game: Rogan heads for the lab he needs, Lyntael attempts to keep the cameras blind to him.
--Story-Telling: Rogan begins to search the lab, Lyntael encounters Vigilance.
--Story-Telling: Vigilance unaware of Rogan, Rogan tells Lyn to stall while he searches.
--Battle: Lyntael attempts to stall Vigilance and stop him from reporting.
--Story-Telling: Search concluded, Lyntael extracted. Vigilance reports to unknown operator.
--Story-Telling: Confusion as sprinklers start without warning. Rogan escapes undetected.
--Story-Telling: A call from Varda, and a new contract.
--Story-Telling. Rogan and Lyntael prepare to infiltrate SciLabs
--Game: Rogan heads for the lab he needs, Lyntael attempts to keep the cameras blind to him.
--Story-Telling: Rogan begins to search the lab, Lyntael encounters Vigilance.
--Story-Telling: Vigilance unaware of Rogan, Rogan tells Lyn to stall while he searches.
--Battle: Lyntael attempts to stall Vigilance and stop him from reporting.
--Story-Telling: Search concluded, Lyntael extracted. Vigilance reports to unknown operator.
--Story-Telling: Confusion as sprinklers start without warning. Rogan escapes undetected.
--Story-Telling: A call from Varda, and a new contract.
last edited by
New Character/Boss Registry:
Vigilance.exe
Hp: 660
Level: 25 [Speed upgrades (6), Folder (6), NC Expand x (4) , HpMem x (8), Effect Upgrade (1)]
Element: Normal
Subtype: Speed
Actions: 6
Appearance:
Vigilance bears a mostly normal humanoid form, and for that is quite well proportioned. He rests a little bit above average height, but not quite enough so that he would be called 'tall', and is also ever so slightly on the whipish side; slender, but comfortably so, by no means skinny or scrawny.
His skin tone, what of it can be seen, is an almost swarthy tan, though his facial features fail to reflect any particular heritage; eyes a light hazel bordering towards green, and hair that appears dull and brown, and cut short, but neat compliment a plain bone structure to make a more or less unmemorable face. His most common expression is a confident one-sided grin, that the less charitable would probably call a sneer, showing one side of teeth that remain neat, but aren't quite straight. One of them is capped with silver, as though it had been broken once in times past... being a navi, though, this might as easily be a simple affectation.
A waist-length coat rests comfortably on his shoulders; it's black, but looks old and well worn, the coat of a person most interested in functionality over appearance. The coat has several visible pockets, but they are all empty and the front hangs open, the clasps unused. Vigilance keeps the collar turned up, the topmost part reaching his jawline and the nape of his neck. The cuffs of the coat are turned back, flaring slightly, and as well as possessing a rich green trim, occasional glimpses of a velvety green inner lining are visible to the careful eye. Beneath the coat, he wears a shirt of a green dark enough to almost be called black itself; it is only visible as green by virtue of being worn alongside the coat.
A belt at his waist is thin and black leather, with a simple, but well-kept silver buckle, and is used, in the fashion of most belts, to support trousers that fit his legs closely, without actually hugging. Just enough looseness remains to disguise the exact shape of his legs. They are a uniform dull, matte black, highlighted by visibly emblazoned line-work on the outside of each leg in a deep, dull green, bordered by a thin line of equally dull silver seaming. His boots are solid, plain and altogether sensible; brown and worn, they're the boots of a man who understand just how important a good pair of boots is.
There is, at most times, an air of readiness to him, and it remains even though he'll generally spend any spare time waiting, variously leaning or slouching against whatever wall or surface happens to be available. Generally speaking, he toys casually with a short-bladed knife in one hand, turning it over his fingers or trimming his nails, or any number of other innocuous activities.
Personality:
Vigilance is, first and foremost, something of a guard dog. He's completely comfortable waiting around at a location or watching a specific individual, if that's what's needed of him by his operator. This also means that he is distinctly unconcerned and even relaxed if jacked in and abandoned for a length of time by his operator, as often happens. His mindset is one that knows how to look after himself, and is confident and comfortable in that certainty.
Beyond this, Vigilance is also a distinctly practical, functional navi. In most things, he doesn't bother with frivolity or flashiness, but he also welcomes seeing it in others, since, to his mind, that sort of behaviour leaves weakness and opportunity. Flamboyancy is careless, and it's far easier to break a neck that's too busy show-boating to notice you. He has something of a don't ask, don't tell relationship with his operator; the ends are what matters, between both of them, and if Vigilance is given a job, he'll do it, but he'll do it in his own way. Likewise, so long as it gets done, whatever it is, then his operator doesn't particularly care how he does it, or whatever small indulgences he takes along the way. This suits both of them perfectly.
One of the main points of contention that have seen Vigilance on the wrong side of the law more than once is that his life so far has led him to the philosophy that, if you cannot protect what is yours, then it is only right that it be taken by someone else, and that if you can take something, and keep it, then it is your right to do so. He doesn't mind that the laws disagree with him on this score, nor does he resent other people for not seeing things that way, but he does hold it to be a universal truth, regardless of whether others see it that way or not, which has led to him being accused of having no mercy or compassion on more than one occasion, a claim that he would honestly deny, from his perspective.
Vigilance only has a few small pleasures that he really enjoys. Most of the time he is calm, alert, ready, and content, and very little makes him truly angry, or even annoyed, but one of those things is to be denied the freedom to pursue his few pleasures when the opportunity presents itself. Specifically, Vigilance enjoys testing himself against others, but this is the background for his actual pleasure, which is expressing his dominance over another individual, and revelling in that superiority... even if no testing is necessary, Vigilance will fully take advantage of being in a position of power over another, as thoroughly as time and circumstance permits him to. For Vigilance, this is not about winning, or about being the best in any general sense: it is very personally about the individual, and about making them, whoever they are, Know, inescapably, that he is better than them, and in this sense, he is as happy both for eluding and giving a stronger opponent the slip, as he is dominating a weaker one.
In truth, this also becomes something of weakness for him, as it is the one place where he lets his otherwise single-minded practicality slip. If ever he loses sight of his job, or delays in completing an objective, you can be absolutely certain that it is because he has found a ripe opportunity to enjoy himself with this 'game', as he sees it.
Buster:
Stats: 1/1/1
Element: (none)
Effect: Pull Shot
Though Vigilance carries a traditional footpad's knife, his actual buster is somewhat more standard in function. It is based on a raw energy shot, fired from either hand in traditional design, saving that the fire point emerges from the base of his palm, at the join of the wrist, and thus doesn't compromise his hand at any point during the firing process, save requiring that his wrist be turned up to keep his fingers out of the way. The shot that is fired takes the shape of a narrow-bladed knife with a small hilt, but lacks any detail beyond that, being comprised solely of light energy. The other notable difference is that a razor thin line of energy remains to connect the first shot to his wrist, and, just before the shot dissipates, the energy reflexes, delivering a surprisingly powerful pull to anything it contacted. Charging up his buster lets it release an increased number of such knife shots, each with their own grapnel-style connection.
He will, of course, still use his real knife in combat when not utilising his buster, and if he ever has occasion to throw it, or the several others that rest in easy and fast reach within his sleeves, it's revealed that these knives, too, are secured for retraction on more literal razor wires, which Vigilance can demonstrate a remarkable level of precision control with.
NaviCust:
Points: 60/60
Hp+400 (30)
First Armour x 3 (30pt armour) (15)
Fast Armour (15)
Folder:
(30/30)
[Vigilance has a folder containing 30 chips, contributing six levels, however, in this chapter, he is in a state of separation from his Operator, his PET unattended, and will not have access or use of any of them. When he shows up in future chapters, under active operation, I'll detail his folder then.]
Signatures:
Level 26, Cap is 60 + 26 x 40 = 1100.
Max Cap per Sig: 260 (390)/40
Points: 1100/1100
Name: Quicksilver
Description: Vigilance has always been nimble, and the longer he has lived, the further he's refined his ability to be where the punishment is not.
Effect: Passive Haste, Self only.
Cost: 160pts (40 x 4)
Cooldown: Passive
Name: All the Angles
Description: The surest way to break an opponent is to first find out what works best. Vigilance is no stranger to feeling an opponent out, and here makes a fast series of light attacks, each in a different fashion, in order to test the waters and see what hurts the most. Delivered in melee range, he attacks in a flurry, both with his knives, and with strikes using his arms or legs in blunter fashion. It begins with a strike designed to draw out any preparedness his target may have, then a wilder slash to ensure his foe is where they're supposed to be, then followed up by a pair more solid strikes aimed at battering through any remaining defences they might have.
Effect: Multi-Stage: First (10, Nullify), Then (10, Slashing), Then (20, Impact), Then (20, Break). Cost: 120pts
Cooldown: 3TCD
Name: Hand's Off
Description: Any opponent with the gall to actually try attacking Vigilance had best be ready to pay the punishment of trying to strike one's betters. Always on the razor's edge of evasion, sometimes Vigilance feels the need to deliver swift response to an attacker that's simply too slow to hit him; whether the attempt comes from afar, or up close and personal, he'll dodge in past their attempt, aim well, and return them a brutal payback with enough power to throw them away like a ragdoll. He usually delivers this particular counter attack with a quite hands-on upper-cut or roundhouse kick.
Effect: Counter (Any Incoming Attack): Multi-Stage: First (Feint), Then (Take Aim), Then (50, Knock-Back x3).
Cost: 120pts
Cooldown: 3TCD
Name: Whisper
Description: One good way to flaunt how much control you have over a situation, and how much power you have over your opponent, is to forcefully take away their own control of themselves, and to do with and absolutely casual air. Vigilance has honed this technique to an art-form, and will often slip behind and opponent long enough to touch them with a soft finger, delicately caressing, and whisper of how helpless they are before him, right into their ear... or whatever else his opponent happens to use to detect sound.... before darting away again. The words linger, taking root, just as the sensation of his touch remains like a seed and shadow of doubt, until the actual force of the technique manifests fully a short while later, rooting his victim to the spot and leaving them barely able to defend themselves, dazed and shaken. A sufficiently determined willpower will be able to shake off the trick, of course, and the effects will dissipate on their own quite quickly anyway... but the mental impression of what he can do with so casual a word has been known to shake some badly very badly indeed.
Effect: Time Delay (2 turns): (Freeze, Slow, Stun)
Cost: 120pts
Cooldown: 3TCD
Name: Personal Matters
Description: When his desire for flaunting his control is high, Vigilance will often take the opportunity to mercilessly taunt his opponent. Despite his slender looks, he is highly adept at hand-to-hand restraint methods and ways to lock up an opponent, even if it means locking up his own options with them. It makes these situations close, personal and intimate as he whispers to them mid-combat. In particular, Vigilance is fond of grappling his target to a mutual stale-mate, a trick he finds often quite easy, since his opponents usually struggle to win, while he only needs to work to draw. Holding his target to a position of compromise, he does not attempt to capitalise on it at once, but rather holds and taunts, letting his soft, confident murmurs sink into his opponent and rattle their ability to resist him. Indeed, the more he unsettles or upsets his enemy like this, the more Vigilance himself seems to enjoy it. Being the compromising trick that it is, the manoeuvre takes something of a toll on Vigilance as well, but he does his best not to let that show.
Effect: (Hold, 10 Drain, Stun x3, Self-Slow, Off-target)
Cost: 160pts
Cooldown: 2TCD (4, -2 Tcd for 80pts of nerf)
Name: Soft Touch
Description: There are few ways to more firmly expound your domination of a foe, fewer ways to prove without doubt your own superiority over them, than by showing them that they are, quite literally, a rag-doll in your hands. Vigilance is especially fond of this tactic, and his usual lopsided grin becomes a full blown hungry snarl, eyes alight, as he executes it. He opens by delivering a blow fierce enough to hurl his target away, only to follow it with a lightning quick buster grapple, dragging them back again. They're met with another harsh blow, knocked away further than before, usually in a different direction, then immediately pulled back in with another flash from his buster. This time the victim is met with a far more potent burst of raw force, unleashed from his palm with the help of his buster, forceful enough to stop their body and hurl them painfully away at great speed. Where he can, he directs this blast at something solid to smash his target into, usually just the nearest wall, to make sure they don't get too far away. He finishes up, however, with an equally strong gravity burst, unleashed from his other buster, designed to drag his target back towards him again at painfully furious speeds. He then meets their return with a last vicious gut-punch as a way of stopping them at last. For this little combo, vigilance needs a certain amount of energy stored up in his buster ready for rapid use in advance, and he usually spends time afterwards simply taunting and mocking his opponent, because, though he'd be loathe to let it show, the exertion of this trick does take it out of him.
Effect: Multi-Stage: First (Knock-Back), Then (Buster Shot (10, Pull)), Then (Knock-Back), Then (Buster Shot (10, Pull)), Then (Microburst), Then (Gravity), Then (20 Null), (Charge-Burner 1, Recovery Time 1, 15Hp Sacrifice)
Cost: 180pts
Cooldown: 3TCD (5, -2Tcd for 80pts of nerf)
Name: Now You See Me
Description: The feint is a time-honoured tactic, both in large scale and small, and Vigilance is right at home feigning fear, weakness or retreat as a means of turning a situation around. In particular, when vigilance is on his own, he finds himself lacking in ability to deal with combat at long range. Then answer, remove the range from the equation. When pinpointed by an enemy at range, Vigilance will often pretend unpreparedness, scrambling away from the foe before teleporting. Rather than going for safety, however, his scramble will pose him just correctly to grab and grapple his opponent as he teleports directly behind them. He attempts to grapple them into complete lockdown with the added element of surprise and, if he can, score in a quick few slashes with his knife, designed more to demonstrate his control than to actually harm. On targets that he thinks it will particularly upset the most, he has been known to aim deliberately for clothing rather than flesh, when using this trick. Teleporting is not naturally in Vigilance's repertoire, and requires that he channel a full charge of his buster into the external system that allows it, in advance. Even then, it takes a short while for the system, which is actually stabilised in his coat, to be ready, and the strain the teleportation takes on his body takes its toll on him afterwards as well.
Effect: Trap (Damage-Dealing Shot or other Ranged type attack): On Set: (Charge Burner 2, Charge time 1) On Trigger: Multi-stage: First (Feint), Then (Teleport), Then (Hold, Freeze), Then (10, Null x 3 Hits), Then (Recovery Time 1,)
Cost: 240pts
Cooldown: 2TCD (6, -4Tcd for 120pts of nerf)
Vigilance.exe
Hp: 660
Level: 25 [Speed upgrades (6), Folder (6), NC Expand x (4) , HpMem x (8), Effect Upgrade (1)]
Element: Normal
Subtype: Speed
Actions: 6
Appearance:
Vigilance bears a mostly normal humanoid form, and for that is quite well proportioned. He rests a little bit above average height, but not quite enough so that he would be called 'tall', and is also ever so slightly on the whipish side; slender, but comfortably so, by no means skinny or scrawny.
His skin tone, what of it can be seen, is an almost swarthy tan, though his facial features fail to reflect any particular heritage; eyes a light hazel bordering towards green, and hair that appears dull and brown, and cut short, but neat compliment a plain bone structure to make a more or less unmemorable face. His most common expression is a confident one-sided grin, that the less charitable would probably call a sneer, showing one side of teeth that remain neat, but aren't quite straight. One of them is capped with silver, as though it had been broken once in times past... being a navi, though, this might as easily be a simple affectation.
A waist-length coat rests comfortably on his shoulders; it's black, but looks old and well worn, the coat of a person most interested in functionality over appearance. The coat has several visible pockets, but they are all empty and the front hangs open, the clasps unused. Vigilance keeps the collar turned up, the topmost part reaching his jawline and the nape of his neck. The cuffs of the coat are turned back, flaring slightly, and as well as possessing a rich green trim, occasional glimpses of a velvety green inner lining are visible to the careful eye. Beneath the coat, he wears a shirt of a green dark enough to almost be called black itself; it is only visible as green by virtue of being worn alongside the coat.
A belt at his waist is thin and black leather, with a simple, but well-kept silver buckle, and is used, in the fashion of most belts, to support trousers that fit his legs closely, without actually hugging. Just enough looseness remains to disguise the exact shape of his legs. They are a uniform dull, matte black, highlighted by visibly emblazoned line-work on the outside of each leg in a deep, dull green, bordered by a thin line of equally dull silver seaming. His boots are solid, plain and altogether sensible; brown and worn, they're the boots of a man who understand just how important a good pair of boots is.
There is, at most times, an air of readiness to him, and it remains even though he'll generally spend any spare time waiting, variously leaning or slouching against whatever wall or surface happens to be available. Generally speaking, he toys casually with a short-bladed knife in one hand, turning it over his fingers or trimming his nails, or any number of other innocuous activities.
Personality:
Vigilance is, first and foremost, something of a guard dog. He's completely comfortable waiting around at a location or watching a specific individual, if that's what's needed of him by his operator. This also means that he is distinctly unconcerned and even relaxed if jacked in and abandoned for a length of time by his operator, as often happens. His mindset is one that knows how to look after himself, and is confident and comfortable in that certainty.
Beyond this, Vigilance is also a distinctly practical, functional navi. In most things, he doesn't bother with frivolity or flashiness, but he also welcomes seeing it in others, since, to his mind, that sort of behaviour leaves weakness and opportunity. Flamboyancy is careless, and it's far easier to break a neck that's too busy show-boating to notice you. He has something of a don't ask, don't tell relationship with his operator; the ends are what matters, between both of them, and if Vigilance is given a job, he'll do it, but he'll do it in his own way. Likewise, so long as it gets done, whatever it is, then his operator doesn't particularly care how he does it, or whatever small indulgences he takes along the way. This suits both of them perfectly.
One of the main points of contention that have seen Vigilance on the wrong side of the law more than once is that his life so far has led him to the philosophy that, if you cannot protect what is yours, then it is only right that it be taken by someone else, and that if you can take something, and keep it, then it is your right to do so. He doesn't mind that the laws disagree with him on this score, nor does he resent other people for not seeing things that way, but he does hold it to be a universal truth, regardless of whether others see it that way or not, which has led to him being accused of having no mercy or compassion on more than one occasion, a claim that he would honestly deny, from his perspective.
Vigilance only has a few small pleasures that he really enjoys. Most of the time he is calm, alert, ready, and content, and very little makes him truly angry, or even annoyed, but one of those things is to be denied the freedom to pursue his few pleasures when the opportunity presents itself. Specifically, Vigilance enjoys testing himself against others, but this is the background for his actual pleasure, which is expressing his dominance over another individual, and revelling in that superiority... even if no testing is necessary, Vigilance will fully take advantage of being in a position of power over another, as thoroughly as time and circumstance permits him to. For Vigilance, this is not about winning, or about being the best in any general sense: it is very personally about the individual, and about making them, whoever they are, Know, inescapably, that he is better than them, and in this sense, he is as happy both for eluding and giving a stronger opponent the slip, as he is dominating a weaker one.
In truth, this also becomes something of weakness for him, as it is the one place where he lets his otherwise single-minded practicality slip. If ever he loses sight of his job, or delays in completing an objective, you can be absolutely certain that it is because he has found a ripe opportunity to enjoy himself with this 'game', as he sees it.
Buster:
Stats: 1/1/1
Element: (none)
Effect: Pull Shot
Though Vigilance carries a traditional footpad's knife, his actual buster is somewhat more standard in function. It is based on a raw energy shot, fired from either hand in traditional design, saving that the fire point emerges from the base of his palm, at the join of the wrist, and thus doesn't compromise his hand at any point during the firing process, save requiring that his wrist be turned up to keep his fingers out of the way. The shot that is fired takes the shape of a narrow-bladed knife with a small hilt, but lacks any detail beyond that, being comprised solely of light energy. The other notable difference is that a razor thin line of energy remains to connect the first shot to his wrist, and, just before the shot dissipates, the energy reflexes, delivering a surprisingly powerful pull to anything it contacted. Charging up his buster lets it release an increased number of such knife shots, each with their own grapnel-style connection.
He will, of course, still use his real knife in combat when not utilising his buster, and if he ever has occasion to throw it, or the several others that rest in easy and fast reach within his sleeves, it's revealed that these knives, too, are secured for retraction on more literal razor wires, which Vigilance can demonstrate a remarkable level of precision control with.
NaviCust:
Points: 60/60
Hp+400 (30)
First Armour x 3 (30pt armour) (15)
Fast Armour (15)
Folder:
(30/30)
[Vigilance has a folder containing 30 chips, contributing six levels, however, in this chapter, he is in a state of separation from his Operator, his PET unattended, and will not have access or use of any of them. When he shows up in future chapters, under active operation, I'll detail his folder then.]
Signatures:
Level 26, Cap is 60 + 26 x 40 = 1100.
Max Cap per Sig: 260 (390)/40
Points: 1100/1100
Name: Quicksilver
Description: Vigilance has always been nimble, and the longer he has lived, the further he's refined his ability to be where the punishment is not.
Effect: Passive Haste, Self only.
Cost: 160pts (40 x 4)
Cooldown: Passive
Name: All the Angles
Description: The surest way to break an opponent is to first find out what works best. Vigilance is no stranger to feeling an opponent out, and here makes a fast series of light attacks, each in a different fashion, in order to test the waters and see what hurts the most. Delivered in melee range, he attacks in a flurry, both with his knives, and with strikes using his arms or legs in blunter fashion. It begins with a strike designed to draw out any preparedness his target may have, then a wilder slash to ensure his foe is where they're supposed to be, then followed up by a pair more solid strikes aimed at battering through any remaining defences they might have.
Effect: Multi-Stage: First (10, Nullify), Then (10, Slashing), Then (20, Impact), Then (20, Break). Cost: 120pts
Cooldown: 3TCD
Name: Hand's Off
Description: Any opponent with the gall to actually try attacking Vigilance had best be ready to pay the punishment of trying to strike one's betters. Always on the razor's edge of evasion, sometimes Vigilance feels the need to deliver swift response to an attacker that's simply too slow to hit him; whether the attempt comes from afar, or up close and personal, he'll dodge in past their attempt, aim well, and return them a brutal payback with enough power to throw them away like a ragdoll. He usually delivers this particular counter attack with a quite hands-on upper-cut or roundhouse kick.
Effect: Counter (Any Incoming Attack): Multi-Stage: First (Feint), Then (Take Aim), Then (50, Knock-Back x3).
Cost: 120pts
Cooldown: 3TCD
Name: Whisper
Description: One good way to flaunt how much control you have over a situation, and how much power you have over your opponent, is to forcefully take away their own control of themselves, and to do with and absolutely casual air. Vigilance has honed this technique to an art-form, and will often slip behind and opponent long enough to touch them with a soft finger, delicately caressing, and whisper of how helpless they are before him, right into their ear... or whatever else his opponent happens to use to detect sound.... before darting away again. The words linger, taking root, just as the sensation of his touch remains like a seed and shadow of doubt, until the actual force of the technique manifests fully a short while later, rooting his victim to the spot and leaving them barely able to defend themselves, dazed and shaken. A sufficiently determined willpower will be able to shake off the trick, of course, and the effects will dissipate on their own quite quickly anyway... but the mental impression of what he can do with so casual a word has been known to shake some badly very badly indeed.
Effect: Time Delay (2 turns): (Freeze, Slow, Stun)
Cost: 120pts
Cooldown: 3TCD
Name: Personal Matters
Description: When his desire for flaunting his control is high, Vigilance will often take the opportunity to mercilessly taunt his opponent. Despite his slender looks, he is highly adept at hand-to-hand restraint methods and ways to lock up an opponent, even if it means locking up his own options with them. It makes these situations close, personal and intimate as he whispers to them mid-combat. In particular, Vigilance is fond of grappling his target to a mutual stale-mate, a trick he finds often quite easy, since his opponents usually struggle to win, while he only needs to work to draw. Holding his target to a position of compromise, he does not attempt to capitalise on it at once, but rather holds and taunts, letting his soft, confident murmurs sink into his opponent and rattle their ability to resist him. Indeed, the more he unsettles or upsets his enemy like this, the more Vigilance himself seems to enjoy it. Being the compromising trick that it is, the manoeuvre takes something of a toll on Vigilance as well, but he does his best not to let that show.
Effect: (Hold, 10 Drain, Stun x3, Self-Slow, Off-target)
Cost: 160pts
Cooldown: 2TCD (4, -2 Tcd for 80pts of nerf)
Name: Soft Touch
Description: There are few ways to more firmly expound your domination of a foe, fewer ways to prove without doubt your own superiority over them, than by showing them that they are, quite literally, a rag-doll in your hands. Vigilance is especially fond of this tactic, and his usual lopsided grin becomes a full blown hungry snarl, eyes alight, as he executes it. He opens by delivering a blow fierce enough to hurl his target away, only to follow it with a lightning quick buster grapple, dragging them back again. They're met with another harsh blow, knocked away further than before, usually in a different direction, then immediately pulled back in with another flash from his buster. This time the victim is met with a far more potent burst of raw force, unleashed from his palm with the help of his buster, forceful enough to stop their body and hurl them painfully away at great speed. Where he can, he directs this blast at something solid to smash his target into, usually just the nearest wall, to make sure they don't get too far away. He finishes up, however, with an equally strong gravity burst, unleashed from his other buster, designed to drag his target back towards him again at painfully furious speeds. He then meets their return with a last vicious gut-punch as a way of stopping them at last. For this little combo, vigilance needs a certain amount of energy stored up in his buster ready for rapid use in advance, and he usually spends time afterwards simply taunting and mocking his opponent, because, though he'd be loathe to let it show, the exertion of this trick does take it out of him.
Effect: Multi-Stage: First (Knock-Back), Then (Buster Shot (10, Pull)), Then (Knock-Back), Then (Buster Shot (10, Pull)), Then (Microburst), Then (Gravity), Then (20 Null), (Charge-Burner 1, Recovery Time 1, 15Hp Sacrifice)
Cost: 180pts
Cooldown: 3TCD (5, -2Tcd for 80pts of nerf)
Name: Now You See Me
Description: The feint is a time-honoured tactic, both in large scale and small, and Vigilance is right at home feigning fear, weakness or retreat as a means of turning a situation around. In particular, when vigilance is on his own, he finds himself lacking in ability to deal with combat at long range. Then answer, remove the range from the equation. When pinpointed by an enemy at range, Vigilance will often pretend unpreparedness, scrambling away from the foe before teleporting. Rather than going for safety, however, his scramble will pose him just correctly to grab and grapple his opponent as he teleports directly behind them. He attempts to grapple them into complete lockdown with the added element of surprise and, if he can, score in a quick few slashes with his knife, designed more to demonstrate his control than to actually harm. On targets that he thinks it will particularly upset the most, he has been known to aim deliberately for clothing rather than flesh, when using this trick. Teleporting is not naturally in Vigilance's repertoire, and requires that he channel a full charge of his buster into the external system that allows it, in advance. Even then, it takes a short while for the system, which is actually stabilised in his coat, to be ready, and the strain the teleportation takes on his body takes its toll on him afterwards as well.
Effect: Trap (Damage-Dealing Shot or other Ranged type attack): On Set: (Charge Burner 2, Charge time 1) On Trigger: Multi-stage: First (Feint), Then (Teleport), Then (Hold, Freeze), Then (10, Null x 3 Hits), Then (Recovery Time 1,)
Cost: 240pts
Cooldown: 2TCD (6, -4Tcd for 120pts of nerf)
last edited by
So, I'm more or less back, at least partially.
We have a temporary connection here at home until they can get us sorted, and while I still won't be around often, I'll be able to at least check in most days.
This means that I'm ready to think about taking Lyn out on her next adventure, which I think is going to be this preliminary sub-plot. the purpose of this plot is primarily character development and setting up some story elements, rather than anything particular about the growth of Lyntael herself, which will come in future chapters for her and Rogan...
The question then is, what else ought I do now to get this whipped into shape and ready to start? Since I last discussed it with anyone in real-time, I've made up and linked in the maps that will be relevant for the mini-game section, but, what else?
-Rogan
We have a temporary connection here at home until they can get us sorted, and while I still won't be around often, I'll be able to at least check in most days.
This means that I'm ready to think about taking Lyn out on her next adventure, which I think is going to be this preliminary sub-plot. the purpose of this plot is primarily character development and setting up some story elements, rather than anything particular about the growth of Lyntael herself, which will come in future chapters for her and Rogan...
The question then is, what else ought I do now to get this whipped into shape and ready to start? Since I last discussed it with anyone in real-time, I've made up and linked in the maps that will be relevant for the mini-game section, but, what else?
-Rogan
last edited by
1-YOUR SUBPLOT IS SO LONG D: ...but I still made sure to read it thoroughly.
2-"Little help", you say. Suuuuuuuuuuuuure. Though I suppose if it wasn't for Lyn, Martia would STILL be falling into holes trying to get close to those Twisty, so I'll let you have that one.
3-Game grids sound like something that should be a video game mechanic somewhere.
4-Vigilance is LV 26? SplashMan mocks this chump.
5-On a related note, his HP's messed up a bit. It should be 100+400+180, or 680. Or he can just have 8 HPMemories, and one less level. Your call.
Those are my thoughts on this. Anyway, I'll handle the mod business for this, so now it just needs admin/official approval.
2-"Little help", you say. Suuuuuuuuuuuuure. Though I suppose if it wasn't for Lyn, Martia would STILL be falling into holes trying to get close to those Twisty, so I'll let you have that one.
3-Game grids sound like something that should be a video game mechanic somewhere.
4-Vigilance is LV 26? SplashMan mocks this chump.
5-On a related note, his HP's messed up a bit. It should be 100+400+180, or 680. Or he can just have 8 HPMemories, and one less level. Your call.
Those are my thoughts on this. Anyway, I'll handle the mod business for this, so now it just needs admin/official approval.
last edited by
HP Maths Fixed: Now Lvl 25, 660, and 8 HpMems.
Yes I know your Splashman would blow him away, but he should still be way out of Lyn's league, which is what matters. Think of it like that boss fight you're supposed to lose at the beginning of a game.
Yes I know your Splashman would blow him away, but he should still be way out of Lyn's league, which is what matters. Think of it like that boss fight you're supposed to lose at the beginning of a game.
last edited by
When it came down to actually playing with it, MC reminded me that, regardless of when costs and nerfs are paid in the progression, anyhting with any sort of avasion modifier can't sit comfortably with Recovery Time, thus one of Vigilance's signatures was illegal, so we worked out a fair revision for functionality for the rest of the fight.
Now you See Me
Was:
Becomes:
We discussed this when it came up, but posting it here for record-keeping as well.
Now you See Me
Was:
Quote ()
Effect: Trap (Damage-Dealing Shot or other Ranged type attack): On Set: (Charge Burner 2, Charge time 1) On Trigger: Multi-stage: First (Feint), Then (Teleport), Then (Hold, Freeze), Then (10, Null x 3 Hits), Then (Recovery Time 1,)
Cost: 240pts
Cooldown: 2TCD (6, -4Tcd for 120pts of nerf)
Becomes:
Quote ()
Effect: Trap (Damage-Dealing Shot or other Ranged type attack): On Set: (Charge Burner 2, Charge time 1) On Trigger: Multi-stage: First, (Teleport), Then (Hold, Freeze), Then (20, Null x 3 Hits), Then (Self-Slow)
Cost: 240pts
Cooldown: 2TCD (6, -4Tcd for 120pts of nerf)
We discussed this when it came up, but posting it here for record-keeping as well.