the Eidolon Empress
F Gd 10 |
A Gd 10 |
S Rm 30 |
E Rm 30 |
R Ex 20 |
I Gd 10 |
P In 40 |
Res In 40 |
Pop Sh 0 |
*off Ex 20 |
*dex Ex 20 |
*mgt Rm 30 |
*res Ex 20 |
*log Ex 20 |
*alt Ty 6 |
*will Rm 30 |
*mat Am 50 |
*pub Sh 0 |
*def Ty 6 |
*bal Ty 6 |
*vgr Rm 30 |
*sta In 40 |
*mem Ex 20 |
*awr Ex 20 |
*pre Am 50 |
*$ Rm 30 |
*sec Sh 0 |
Health: Karma: |
80 70 |
NH: MH: |
72 112 |
Origin:
The enigmatic being known only as the Eidolon Empress has a grab bag of origins for her many super-human capabilities. She was born a mutant, having the power to cling to various solid surfaces in spite of gravity. She was later transformed into a vampire, which has led to her extended existence. And finally, she has begun to develop natural psionics as a member of the Anthropy Society.
Known Powers:
Agelessness: as undead creatures, conventional vampires are close to immortal. As long as she continues to prey upon the living for their blood, and isn't slain by direct violence perpetrated against her person, the Empress may persist in her existence indefinitely. If at full Health, Eidolon retains the appearance she possessed upon her demise - though admittedly, in a slightly more pale state.
Biological Vampirism: the classic, blood-sucking vampire has a strongly limited form of this power, which allows them to derive sustenance solely from the living blood of animal creatures. On contact with a potential target, the Empress may begin to feed upon him or her if they cannot pass a Psyche (will) FEAT roll against this Excellent (20) ranked capability, a FEAT allowed on each turn of feeding.
This assumes that Eidolon has managed to access their bloodstream, of course, which involves either opening the target's skin (most often with fangs) or by clamping her mouth onto an already open wound. In a single turn, the Empress may draw out up to twenty ounces of blood, which is enough to render a normal human dizzy - but won't actually inflict lethal harm in and of itself.
Unless such a singular attack would remove all her victim's Health, that is. The Empress may continue to drain blood from her victim after this initial attack, though this furthers the risk of killing the victim (thus creating more vampires), as well as the possibility of the victim shrugging off the attack and gaining immunity to her blood draining ability (thus becoming a potential nemesis).
At any rate, Eidolon may use the drained blood to replace her own, lost Health points. If at full Health when drinking her power rank number in ounces of blood, the Empress will experience a +1 CS to her Strength, Endurance and Psyche ability scores, as well as all her power ranks save for this one, for 1d100 turns. An additional boost of like power requires another infusion of fresh blood (after the first expires).
On the other hand, the Empress suffers a -1 CS penalty to the aforementioned ability scores and power ranks for each day she abstains from feeding (whether voluntarily or otherwise). If Eidolon's ability scores and power ranks slip to Shift 0 levels from an extended lack of blood, she will not die so much as slip into stasis - at least, until someone is foolish enough to wander into melee distance of her...!
As an undead creature, the Eidolon Empress cannot defeat her dependence on blood - she literally needs it to survive.
Clinging: one of the world's oldest surviving mutants, the Empress was born with the ability to walk on walls and ceilings, as can an insect. This power functions for her at Amazing (50) rank, allowing her to cling to most standard surfaces. While this power isn't related to her vampirism, she has proven capable of passing it on to her 'children', as she has with Armula.
Damage Reduction: classical vampires are notable for their considerable resistance to conventional injury. While not quite immune to such, the Empress is able to shrug off attacks that would readily kill a normal human quite easily, their applied force being reduced by -2 CS. This damage reduction applies to both physical and vampiric attacks used against Eidolon in the course of play.
Environmental Independence: as anti-life monstrosities, vampires only need to satisfy the limitations of their vampiric power to subsist. In other words, while Eidolon must feed upon the blood of others to live, she no longer needs - nor can derive sustenance from - ordinary food or water, and no longer needs to breathe to maintain her bodily functions. The Empress still sleeps during the day, however.
Fangs: the Empress is equipped with retractable fangs, which are slightly different than the 'classical' portrayal of vampires in the media, as all of her teeth can grow into needle-like fangs. These physical weapons can be used to inflict her considerable Strength rank in Edged Attack damage. Mind you, Eidolon most often causes just enough harm with her fangs to access her target's bloodstream.
Regeneration: traditional vampires have the ability to rapidly repair damage inflicted upon their bodies - assuming they have recently fed. As long as the Empress is not suffering any negative Column Shifts due to a lack of blood, she receives the benefit of Good (10) ranked regeneration. This allows Eidolon to heal ten lost Health points each minute (or 1 Health point per turn).
Transformation / Self: though she cannot change into a bat or a wolf, the Empress can transform into eerie mist. Eidolon's gaseous form provides her an additional 2 CS of damage reduction against physical attacks, as well as Feeble (2) ranked flight (thirty miles per hour). In this form, the Empress may force herself into a foe's lungs, gaining control over their body per mesmerism (Endurance (res) FEAT to resist).
Believer Psionics (Superpsi Powers):
Self Control (s): acquired naturally through years of deep introspection, this Amazing (50) ranked superpsionic substitutes its rank for Eidolon's Reason (mem) score, her Intuition for initiative purposes, and her Psyche (will) for the purposes of resisting mind control. Since she lacks a soul, however, the Empress seemingly cannot develop her Anthropic abilities any further.
Natural Psionics (Empathic Powers):
Empathic Hammer (t): awakened via the power of Alabaster Jackson-Jones' belief, the Empress has developed this talent into a regular ability. She can now rapidly and randomly alter the emotions of an opponent, inflicting Remarkable (30) Karmic damage with each terrible attack. She worked hard to maintain this talent in her mind, to better keep her various vampiric minions in line.
Limitations / Enhancements:
Vampiric Weaknesses: while immortals are permanently slain only by total body disintegration, destruction on their home plane, or being killed by a fellow immortal, traditional vampires are instead beholden to a completely different set of weaknesses. The Eidolon Empress is no exception to this rule, and is subject to a large number of character limitations that came along with her impressive vampiric powers.
* Aversion and Susceptibility / Running Water: Eidolon has an aversion to crossing running water, such as a river. She must pass a red Psyche (will) FEAT roll to do so. Furthermore, if the Empress is submerged in running water, she will lose one fourth of her maximum Health total each turn, which isn't countered by her regeneration any, until she either gets out of the water or dissolves within it.
* Originator's Onus: while many vampires (such as the Eidolon Empress) lack the power of mesmerism in a general sense, all vampires possess this ability, or are subject to it, in regards to their progenitors or descendants. In other words, a vampire can use this power at their Psyche (will) rank to command vampires they are responsible for creating, and resist commands from their creators at a -2 CS.
* Requirement / Home Soil: the Eidolon Empress requires a touch (several pounds) of her native, Mongolian soil with her for some unknown reason. If such soil isn't adjacent to her while she sleeps during the day, the Empress cannot heal damage inflicted to her body that night - either using her regeneration power or by dint of the consumed blood of her many, many victims.
* Requirement / Permission to Enter: while many vampires of the traditional variety do not possess this psychological barrier, the Empress definitely does. Suffering under this constraint, Eidolon may not, under any circumstances, enter a private space without explicit permission. Doing so will cause her to lose one quarter of her total Health score for each turn during which she trespasses.
* Susceptibility / Direct Sunlight: if exposed to direct sunlight (not mere daylight conditions but actual rays of light from the sun, whether directly or via a reflected surface), the Empress will lose half of her total Health score in damage each turn. This is usually enough to turn her undead self to dust in short order - which is why she typically rests in a darkened underground vault during the day.
* Susceptibility and Weakness / Garlic: many classical vampires have showcased an inability to function in the face of garlic. When encountering (adjacent to) the substance, the Empress will be reduced to Feeble (2) rank in all ability scores, and cannot use her supernatural powers. If forced to ingest garlic somehow, Eidolon will immediately lose one quarter of her total Health score.
* Susceptibility / Wooden Stakes: if the Empress is ever pierced in the heart (with a Killing blow) via some wooden object, she will instantly lose all her remaining Health. Unless she can pass a red Endurance FEAT roll immediately afterwards, Eidolon will crumble to dust in rapid order, the anti-life which sustains her monstrous existence fleeing her now-uninhabitable corpse all at once.
Equipment:
(none)
Quirks:
Jealousy: having grown up a pauper so many centuries ago, the Empress has decided that she wants it all. Everything. The whole world is to be hers, and those who have things that she wants must yield them... or else. Perhaps her one telling character flaw, she must pass a Psyche (will) FEAT at -2 CS to put her pangs of jealousy to bed when they strike - which makes being diplomatic difficult.
Talents:
Business / Finance: having started from nothing twice now, the Eidolon Empress has built vast criminal and financial networks from scratch. While her second is nowhere near as large as her original, the fact remains that building up these money structures is almost like second nature to her. As such, she should receive a +1 CS on all Reason FEAT rolls concerning financial knowledge.
Crime: having first-hand knowledge of crime and criminals for almost eight hundred years, the Empress can be considered a mastermind of such. She excels in the formation and management of illicit enterprises, and has a singular knack for keeping her law-breaking minions in line. No matter what aspect of illegal activity she engages in, Eidolon should receive a +1 CS on any applicable FEAT rolls.
Manipulation: you don't build a massive secret empire over the course of almost a thousand years without knowing a thing or two about pulling others' strings. The Empress excels at getting others to do her bidding, whether with promises of reward or the threats of violence. She should receive a +1 CS on such efforts, greatly improving her odds of getting what she wants at all times.
Contacts:
The Eidolon Empress has many contacts in various circles, for she is trying to worm her way into power over the entire planet. She has numerous criminals, politicians, law enforcement officials, and even super villains in her pocket. This on top of her own, personal staff of servants, who she has conditioned to blindly follow her, and her amicable association with Anthropy Society founder Alabaster Jackson-Jones.
Costume:
The Eidolon Empress has worn a variety of costumes, uniforms, and other ensembles over the centuries, usually those that identify her as a member of some ruling class or another - it's how she perceives herself, after all. Her current look tends to primarily involve exquisitely tailored business suits, in varying colors, since it's the financial industry that has pretty much purchased the world outright.
Personality:
One might consider the Eidolon Empress cold, calculating, and detached. But then, that's the persona she goes to great lengths to project. No, ever since her upbringing in Mongolia so many centuries ago, reared in abject poverty and practically starving, she has coveted all the wealth of the world. So much so, in fact, that he can't help but slip 'out of character' when denied anything she wishes.
Real Name: unknown, even to herself
Occupation: criminal entrepreneur, would-be world dominatrix
Legal Status: citizen of the United States currently, with no known criminal record
Marital Status: widower
Alias(es), if any: various, though currently Jacqueline Wu
Group Affiliation: the Anthropy Society
Height: 5' 6"
Hair: black
Eyes: brown
Weight: 115 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: the Eidolon Empress appears somewhat pale, but otherwise normal.
Story:
Long, long ago, during the rise of Genghis Khan, she who would grow to become the Eidolon Empress grew up in abject poverty, her tribe overrun and subsumed into the Khan's. Treated as little more than property, she was forced to perform menial labor to secure the minimal fruits of life, her parents having long since been slain. Her prospects looked dim, but then, it can always get worse.
As they tend to do in times of great conflict, vampires flocked to the scene of Khan's many and various battles, because the man made it easy to secure a meal. One of these undead in particular tired of feasting on the dead and dying, however, and targeted several of the serving girls supporting the horde's advance. And as it turned out, the very first of these happened to be the future Empress.
Her vital bodily fluids drained by this monster, she was left for dead along with several others. Luckily for her, however, the future Empress awoke anew well before others realized what was going on, and made her escape before the Mongols purged the rest of the sudden undead as they began to rise and attack. Watching from afar, she saw all of her undead 'siblings' put to death against overwhelming odds.
Making her way elsewhere, the future Eidolon quickly learned the benefits and constraints of her new existence. Most importantly, she found out that her will was somewhat beholden to that of the vampire who created her... as well as those who, in turn, caused it to come into being. Vowing to never be subject to the rule of anyone else ever again, she then went underground - and began to hunt down her progenitors!
Doing so through human mercenaries and later, vampire hunters, the Empress required resources to wage her war against those who could conceivably control her. Acquiring the small amounts she required to get started was easy enough, though as her efforts and reputation grew, she slowly became known to the criminal underworld as the Eidolon Empress, a phantom crime lord who never stayed in one place long.
Seizing what resources and manpower she could from her more experienced, more entrenched forebears as she went, the Empress quickly grew fantastically rich. By the time her war ended, since she could trace her undead lineage back no further, Eidolon had more resources than anyone else would know what to do with. Of course, the Empress' ambitions were great, indeed, being aimed at domination of the world itself!
Over the centuries, the Empress has worked hard to worm her way into the pockets of many criminals, politicians, and soldiers, and could readily influence world powers by the beginning of the twentieth century. Things seemed to be moving along nicely for her plans, however, until a chance encounter with a particularly ancient vampire robbed her of all her hard work. The worst part was that she didn't even see it coming!
Left alive, so to speak, Eidolon was forced to suffer the fact that all her effort was for naught. Despondent, she pondered ending her existence, but happened upon a chance bit of human philosophy that intrigued her. Reading up on the propaganda of the so-called Anthropy Society, Eidolon thought she should at least investigate its claims before voluntarily ending her otherwise endless existence.
Gaining an audience with the group's founder, Alabaster Jackson-Jones, Eidolon tried to feel him out, see if he was some sort of con man. Most who claim to help others find meaning in life are, after all. But as it turned out, Jackson-Jones was much better at manipulating others than Eidolon ever was, and was able to suss out her true story - not to mention what it was that was holding her back.
Though he was leery of aiding an undead creature at first, Alabaster found himself inexplicably smitten with Eidolon, and thus worked with her to help her find her true self. Through years of inward meditation and constant vigil about the state of her own mental well-being, the Empress finally had a breakthrough. Becoming one with her true, inner self, she then asked Alabaster to help her achieve her goals.
Using his rarely-wielded ability to awaken the psionics inherent to almost all sentient beings, Jackson-Jones indeed activated a potent empathic capability within Eidolon. She then set about gaining revenge for the indignity her vampiric ancestor had inflicted upon her. Using Jones' contacts in the super-human community, she was able to locate the psi known as Ultra Xiang, and tipped him off to about her former empire.
Before she knew it, the vampire-obsessed youth rained down a terrible demise upon the ancient vampire who had stolen what belonged to her, doing so along with his compatriots in the Variety Show. Though the vast, vast majority of her resources was lost with the death of the vampire who started her very line of undead, the Eidolon Empress is not without skill, and has slowly begun to rebuild her criminal network.
Though these days, she does so with super-humans in mind. They are, after all, as dangerous as they are useful!
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