Armula Strength Agility Intellect Willpower 14d 3d 3x 4x Hand Size: 3 (17) Edge: 1 Origin: Simon Furst was a notorious low-rent mutant thug whose sole power was his extra limbs. This changed when he was killed after being fed upon by a vampire with sinister designs on his person, and he rose anew as one of the undead. Rechristening himself the dread Armula, Simon is now a high-ranking member of the Mutant Legion... and an unwitting plant for his ersatz benefactor! Powers: Additional Limbs / Arms (a): his slight super-human strength notwithstanding, Simon's mutation mainly involves the manifestation of two additional arms, nestled beneath his first set of such. Thanks to these appendages, Simon may divide his pre-card play action score between two attacks - one using his primary arms, and one using his 'extras'. Agelessness (s): as one of the undead, Simon is close to immortal. As long as he continues to prey upon the living for their blood, and isn't slain by direct violence perpetrated against his person, Simon may persist in his strange existence indefinitely. In fact, if at full Health, Simon will generally retain the appearance he possessed upon his demise - he was already somewhat pale to begin with. Biological Vampirism (i): 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, Simon may begin to feed upon him or her if he can pass an easy difficulty Biological Vampirism (willpower) action against them, which isn't too difficult with his intensity of 10. This assumes that Simon has managed to access his target's bloodstream, of course, which involves either opening the target's skin (most often with his fangs) or by clamping his mouth onto an already open wound. In a single exchange, Simon may draw out up to ten 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 the victim's Health, that is. Simon may continue to drain blood from his 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 his draining ability (thus becoming a potential nemesis). At any rate, Simon may use the drained blood to replace his own, lost Health. If at full Health when drinking his power intensity in ounces of blood, Simon will experience a +1 to his Strength and Willpower scores, as well as all his power intensities save for this one, for the duration of the encounter. An additional boost of like power requires another infusion of fresh blood (after the first expires). On the other hand, Simon will suffer a -1 penalty to the aforementioned ability scores and power intensities for each day he abstains from feeding (whether voluntarily or otherwise). If Simon's ability scores and power intensities slip to zero (0) from an extended lack of blood, he will not die so much as slip into stasis - at least, until someone is foolish enough to wander into melee distance of him...! As an undead creature, Simon cannot defeat his dependence on blood - he literally need it to survive. Clinging (a): Simon has demonstrated the supernatural power to walk on walls and ceilings like an insect. This power functions for Simon at intensity 16, which allows him to cling to most standard surfaces, as long as such things aren't lubricated with, say, Buckyballs. Such surfaces are much more difficult for a vampire - or anyone else, for that matter - to cling to! Environmental Independence (s): as anti-life monstrosities, vampires only need to satisfy the limitations of their vampiric power to subsist. In other words, while Simon must feed upon the blood of others to live, he no longer needs - nor can he derive sustenance from - ordinary food or water, and no longer need breathe to maintain his bodily functions. Simon still sleeps during the day, however. Fangs (s): Simon is equipped with retractable fangs, which are slightly different than the 'classical' portrayal of vampires in the media, as all of his teeth can grow into needle-like fangs. Simon may bring these physical weapons to bear to inflict his Strength +2 in slashing damage. Mind you, Simon often causes just enough harm with his fangs to access his target's bloodstream (the better to avoid killing his lunch outright). Regeneration (s): Simon has the ability to rapidly repair damage inflicted upon his person - assuming that he has recently dined upon an unwitting human. As long as Simon is not suffering a penalty due to a lack of blood, he receives the benefit of intensity 8 regeneration. This allows him to heal a card of lost health on a non-negative draw of less than eight each exchange. Resistance to Physical and Vampiric Attack (s): classical vampires are notable for their considerable resistance to conventional injury. While not quite immune to such, Simon can easily shrug off attacks that would readily kill a normal human, their applied force being reduced by -3 (intensity 12). This damage reduction applies to both physical and vampiric attacks used against Simon. Transformation / Self (a): though he cannot change into animals, Simon can transform into eerie mist with intensity 6 ability. Simon's gaseous form provides him an additional +2 resistance to physical attacks, as well as intensity 1 flight (thirty miles per hour). In this form Simon may force himself into a foe's lungs, gaining control over their body per the mesmerism power (easy difficulty Transformation / Self (strength) action). Hindrances / Augmentations: 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. Simon is no exception to this rule, and is subject to a large number of character hindrances that came along with his impressive vampiric powers. * Aversion and Susceptibility / Running Water: Simon has an aversion to crossing running water, such as a river. He must pass a challenging difficulty Willpower action to do so. Furthermore, if Simon is submerged in running water, he'll lose one card of Health each exchange, which isn't countered by his regeneration any, until he either gets out of the water or dissolves within it. * Originator's Onus: while many vampires (such as Simon) 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 Willpower intensity to command vampires they are responsible for creating, and resist commands from their creators as if their Willpower was zero (0). * Requirement / Home Soil: Simon requires a touch (several pounds) of his native, Pittsburgh soil with him for some unknown reason. If such soil isn't adjacent to him while he sleeps during the day, Simon cannot heal damage inflicted to his body that night - either using his regeneration power or by dint of the consumed blood of his many victims. * Requirement / Permission to Enter: while many vampires of the traditional variety do not possess this psychological barrier, Simon definitely does. Suffering under this constraint, Simon may not, under any circumstances, enter a private space without explicit permission. Doing so will cause him to lose one card of Health on each exchange during which he continues to trespass. * 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), Simon will lose a card of Health in damage each exchange. This is more than enough to turn him to dust in short order - which is why he typically rests in a darkened underground vault during the day. * Susceptibility / Wooden Stakes: if Simon is ever pierced in the heart (with a killing blow) via some wooden object, he will instantly lose all of his remaining Health. Unless he can pass a daunting difficulty Strength action immediately, Simon will crumble to dust in rapid order, the anti-life which sustains his undead existence fleeing his now-uninhabitable corpse all at once. * Susceptibility and Weakness / Garlic: many classical vampires, like Simon, have showcased an inability to function in the face of garlic. When within close combat distance of the substance, Simon will be reduced to zero (0) in all ability scores, and cannot use his supernatural powers. If forced to ingest garlic somehow, Simon will immediately lose one card of Health. Equipment: (none) Skills: Martial Arts (a): something of a brawler all his life, Simon has practically had this skill since he was a toddler - though he lacks the finesse that most martial artists possess. Thanks to this capability, Simon may reduce the difficulty of any action intended to strike a foe, dodge attacks, or even lower the damage caused by a fall, by one difficulty level. Wrestling (s): typically using his brawn more than his brains, Simon is an excellent wrestler. After making a successful unarmed melee attack on a given turn, Simon may attempt a contingent action to hold on. Each successive exchange during which Simon can successfully repeat this action, he may inflict like damage - continuing until he either lets go or is forced off. Contacts: As a member of the Mutant Legion, Simon may presumably rely upon the group for aid in a pinch. He's one of their more powerful members, after all, and thus has considerable leeway within the organization. Furthermore, Simon has a small group of humans he has 'turned' into vampires, which he may direct as desired - all of which have manifested powers and weaknesses similar to his own. Calling: Demolisher: while Simon enjoys the finer things in life, and wouldn't mind ruling the world for the fringe benefits, the truth of the matter is that he's truly at home when wrecking things. Preferably people. In quantity. He simply enjoys hurting others, whether temporarily or permanently, because he's always been a bully... and always will be. Costume: Like many members of the Mutant Legion, Simon wears an outfit that is somewhat... sparse in nature. It consists of a pair of blood red Spandex ™ and neoprene bike shorts, a blood red bandana, crimson metallic wrist bands (one for each arm), well-shined black leather Army boots, and a thick-linked steel chain that holds a die-cast amulet with a DNA double helix on each side, the symbol of the Mutant Legion. Personality: Before his mutant arms budded from his previously normal frame, Simon was something of a dim-witted, small-minded thug. Acquiring his mutant powers, and then his vampiric abilities, has done little if anything to change his outlook. What his super-human ascendancy has done, however, is give him the ability to amplify his selfish, bullying behavior to a staggering degree. Real Name: Simon Furst Occupation: mutant militant, thug for hire Legal Status: citizen of the United States that is wanted for various crimes, not quite legally dead yet Marital Status: single, eventually inapplicable Alias(es), if any: Four Score Group Affiliation: the Mutant Legion Height: 6' 4" Hair: red Eyes: blue Weight: 320 lbs. Other Distinguishing Characteristics: Simon is rather muscular, which only accentuates his already conspicuous, superfluous arms. He's also somewhat pale, but admittedly was even before his transformation into a vampire (he's also quite freckly). Story: Simon Furst is a bully. While growing up, he exulted in the naturally large frame that nature seemingly gifted him with, not to engage in athletic endeavors so much as to intimidate everyone around him. Even children two, three years his senior were wary of Simon, for he could easily hold his own in brawls with those much older than himself. And Simon really liked how powerful this made him feel. Come puberty, his mutant ability manifested itself, and his previously normal arms began to split - painfully - in two. Furthermore, his already impressive bulk grew even more, and Simon demonstrated a level of raw physical power that mystified physicians. Of course, Simon deduced that he was some kind of freak of nature, and that his life as a relatively normal human had ended. He was right. Running away from home even as his arms began to settle into their new configuration, Simon lived for a time on the outskirts of society, robbing the weak and indigent for the minimal fruits of life around the downtown Pittsburgh area. Though on the fast track to being 'disappeared' by those who keep an eye out for super-human criminal activity, Simon was instead discovered by Ultra, of the Mutant Legion. Though she saw Simon for what he was, Ultra nonetheless believed he could be of use to the group she intended to eventually take for her own. As such, Ultra easily managed to recruit Simon with her superiority propaganda and promises of eventual vast power over normal humans. Relocating to Detroit, where the Legion was currently headquartered, Simon quickly grew to enjoy being a part of a group of like men and women. Of course, Simon only respects the needs of one person: Simon. As such, he began to farm himself out as a hired thug on the side, when not doing like work for the Legion. This made him notorious in certain criminal circles, circles who wanted Simon dead. These villains ultimately hired the Triumvirate of Tribulation, noted mutant 'problem solvers', to teach Simon a lesson. And teach him they did! Beating Simon within an inch of his life while he was in a drunken stupor one night, the Triumvirate left for greener pastures... only to miss Simon's downfall. You see, the Legion had been targeted by the Eidolon Empress: a vampire with ambitions of world domination, one who wanted to 'breed' mutant powers into the vampire population. Catching Simon at his weakest, she slew him with her blood-drinking powers! Sure enough, Simon rose a few days later, finding himself a vampire as well. Never identifying the undead who killed him, Simon simply resumed his life as he lived it before - albeit on a more nocturnal basis. Naturally, the Legion enjoyed Simon's newly found powers, and made use of his vampiric strengths as much as possible. Even if they loathed working around his new 'schedule', as it were. Little did Simon and the Mutant Legion know, however, that the Empress had also 'turned' Simon to get her sticky fingers into the group's action. Sponsored by the Biplicity, an organization co-led by Fascisma (who focuses on mutants) and Industrio (who focuses on robots), the Empress saw the Mutant Legion as the weak link in that deadly duo's bid for world domination - at least, where her powers were concerned. Robots generally don't have blood to drink, after all! Thus, the Eidolon Empress decided to use Simon as an inside man with the group, secretly compelling him to spy upon the Legion and its sponsors. And all the while, she encouraged Simon to create even more vampires, to pass along his quirky mutation to more undead. So far he's done exactly that, growing a small group of vampires with his exact same abilities. Extra arms and all!