Geodesy

Strength 5c

Agility 7x

Intellect 6c

Willpower 9x

Hand Size: Edge:

3 (17) 1

Origin:

Marissa is a dwarf, an extraplanar entity with a special affinity for the earth - elemental earth, at least. She is from the plane of Nidavellir, and in addition to her impressive physical powers, she has demonstrated a considerable mastery of earth-specific geomancy!

Powers:

Infravision (w): Marissa has the ability to see in the dark - and quite well, in fact. Even in complete darkness underground, she has the intensity 4 ability to pierce the black veil, though she may not perceive color information while doing so.

Longevity (s): in addition to her affinity with the earth, Marissa is possessed of exceptional longevity, having a lifespan that is much longer than that of mere humans. She wields this power at intensity 2, giving her a 560 year eventual lifespan, as determined by this formula:

normal human lifespan (70) times power intensity cubed (8) = eventual dwarven lifespan (560 years)

Nature Sense / Earth (w): in tune with any earth around her, Marissa can tell how far below the surface she is, no matter how deep she travels. This extremely limited, intensity 5 ability can usually also tell her if she is standing on an incline or a flat surface.

Schooling: Disciple / Geomancy (Earth Specialist):

While most dwarves tend to learn how to fight at an early age, Marissa spent her time studying the mysterious ways of the mystic ever since she learned how to read. Thus far, she's developed the following magic powers and tricks:

Nature Control / Earth (s) (i): the core spell of Marissa's wizardry, this power allows her to shape the earth with ease. Functioning at intensity 11, she can use this spell to move, mold or manipulate natural earth in offensive, defensive, or other capacities as desired.

Bands (u) (a): Marissa can immobilize a target with powerful tendrils of earth. Doing so requires a grapple maneuver with this intensity 12 spell, and if Marissa succeeds with this attack, there is a small chance her opponent is bound, gagged and/or blinded.

Magic Sense (p) (w): Marissa can perceive the lines of mystic force that permeate the multiverse, whether or not they relate to earthly magics. She can see such energies with intensity 15 ability, though she cannot do so unless she spends the time to cast this spell first.

Dimensional Interface (d) (i): one of Marissa's most dangerous abilities allows her to interface her body with an elemental realm of earth. When doing this, she literally transforms into a portal to said realm, and can pass material back and forth with intensity 14 ability.

While this is mainly useful for interdimensional transport, Marissa can use this potent spell as a devastating attack, producing high-velocity rock that inflicts spell intensity bashing or slashing damage (depending on its current shape and/or hardness).

Swirl (s) (i): Marissa may collect a large amount of the earth, spinning it around her body in a tornado-like fashion to protect herself from injury. She can do this with intensity 12 ability, thus acquiring like (or +3) protection from conventional injury.

Telepathy (p) (w): as long as someone is standing on the same earthly body as she is, Marissa can communicate with them telepathically. She can do this with intensity 12 ability, allowing contact with any earth-bound being within 10,000 miles.

Hindrances / Augmentations:

(none)

Equipment:

Rock Hammer (s): made from Nidavellir stone, this hammer is a handy mystic implement. Possessing a material strength of 20, Marissa can use this weapon to inflict her Strength +4 in brutal, bashing damage - but wait, there's more. Lots more!

Marissa can fling her hammer at any opponent only to see it fly back to her person unimpeded, assuming no power of intensity 20 or greater interrupts this trip. If such a potent ability acts to block the hammer's return, it will not do so until said ability quits working.

Most dangerously though, Marissa's hammer can cause a minor earthquake. When she strikes it against the ground, it will give off a devastating, intensity 15 ripple of vibration that will affect everything within firing distance of her person, which is often enough to topple weaker structures!

Skills:

Boxing (s): while she's no combat monster, Marissa was taught how to defend herself when necessary; in a realm where giants walk the earth, this is vital. She can divide her pre-card play action score between two unarmed attacks, the last of which occurs as a contingent action.

Hammers (s): not quite a fan of the 'axe' crowd, Marissa learned how to use a hammer during her childhood; at the very least, she figured she could expand this skill into carpentry if necessary. She can wield hammers of any type at one difficulty level lower than is normally necessary.

Languages / Dwarven, English, French, German, Hebrew, and Spanish (i): a major portion of Marissa's studies involve mastering obscure languages. As such, she's easily picked up these languages, being able to speak, read and write in each of these tongues.

Lore (i): having studied the ways of magic for years, Marissa can be considered an expert in such matters. As such, she should receive a difficulty reduction on all actions regarding occult knowledge, especially regarding specific magical people / places / things / entities of power.

Contacts:

Marissa has plenty of contacts in the form of the villains and secret societies that she contracts her services out to; they value her work, and may occasionally help her out of she asks for assistance (though not for free, mind you). She's even done work for a vigilante group or two.

Calling:

Adventurer: while Marissa is mostly concerned with doing her job - and doing it well - it's important for her to be challenged when doing so. If she doesn't feel at least a little bit challenged when working, she'll quickly grow bored with it, and may find herself 'improvising' when she shouldn't...

Costume:

Marissa doesn't wear Spandex ™, unlike her clients.

No, when working she simply wears a white T-shirt under a blue denim pair of overalls. She complements this with a tool belt chock full of handy items and devices, not to mention brown leather, steel-toed work boots and the occasional yellow construction helmet.

Personality:

Marissa is an orderly young dwarf who has come far in her chosen field. Professional and morally ambiguous, she has no problem working for anybody, good or evil, but doesn't engage in criminal enterprise herself. She easily grows bored if not challenged in her work, however.

Real Name: Marissa Hewn
Occupation: craftswoman
Legal Status: naturalized American citizen with no known criminal record (this thanks to the efforts of a more helpful client, one who specializes in creating 'paper trails' when necessary)
Marital Status: single
Alias(es), if any: none
Group Affiliation: none

Height: 4' 4"
Hair: brown
Eyes: brown
Weight: 170 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: Marissa is short by human standards, having a particularly stocky build - though she looks perfectly normal according to dwarven eyes.

Story:

Born on the craggy plane of Nidavellir, Marissa grew up disdaining the behavior of the various chaotic entities that occupied her world. Mind you, dwarves are a generally structured people, but Marissa is excessively so; she even finds her fellow dwarves to be flighty.

As such, she didn't waste her youth duking it out with her fellows, much less learning how to mix it up in a fight. Instead, Marissa spent most of her childhood learning how to speak, read and write in a plethora of different languages, not to mention studying spellcraft.

Though she can still throw a mean hammer if she has to.

Being that dwarves typically work with and/or under the earth, Marissa specialized in like magic, allowing her to shape such matter to her will. While some dwarves considered this 'cheating', Marissa made quite a successful business for herself constructing underground chambers.

The only problem was that she eventually grew bored with building pits that other people would fine-tune into their family crypts and treasure troves and whatnot. So, she set out from her home in Axe Head and began to wander far and wide, but didn't find what she was looking for.

That's why she started walking the planes.

Several misadventures later, Marissa wound up on earth, and decided she likes it here. As its people are seemingly untouched by magic, she's found a market for her services, helping those people that require her special services. The only problem is that they're usually insane.

This because there's always some evil genius or would-be world-conquering army that needs an expansive underground headquarters, and frankly, it's hard to dig a hole over a mile deep. So, Marissa just offers her services as an earth mover to people that need such facilities.

She knows they're usually up to no good, but Marissa doesn't care. She wants a challenge, and the bizarre specifications laid out by people in Spandex ™ that go by names like 'Destructinator' or 'Colonel Corpulence' usually push even her considerable abilities to their limits.

She's not into the whole criminal enterprise thing herself, though.

Marissa has received several offers from her customers for further employment as an enforcer or bodyguard, but she's respectfully declined. After all, she knows that these guys have enemies - in fact, plenty of her business involves setting up replacement bases.

While she's highly regarded in villainous circles as a professional who doesn't ask questions, Marissa does have an enemy, and a powerful one at that. This enemy comes in the form of the Society of Explicated Brethren, a mystic brotherhood that works to promote an 'ideal magical society'.

The only problem is that they want to meter the magic society has access to, while hoarding the rest. Marissa doesn't feel this is right, what with competition being the best motivator to do good work in her eyes. Thus, she refused to join the group when they offered her membership.

Since then, the Brethren have been amping up the pressure on Marissa, either to join them or to quit using her magic for hire. They don't think it's proper that all these other people are reaping the benefits of magic without their stewardship, and are bent on putting a stop to it.

Luckily, Marissa's customers need her services enough that they are more than willing to occasionally step in (for a discount on their next order, of course) and 'discourage' would-be Society 'persuaders'. This is rare though, for Marissa is more than capable of taking care of herself!

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