synergy Posted February 1, 2006 Report Share Posted February 1, 2006 Hi, I'll be posting write-ups for the Uberworld organization that serves as consultants to law enforcement teams and superhero teams that need advice regarding supervillains. Here is the team background and the first three members. Artwork by Ben (Tribe) and KL Wilson. Neil S.A.G.E. is committed to safeguarding the people of Earth from the entire range of paranormal threats including those of alien, ubergenetic, mystical, artificial intellingence, transdimensional, and high technological origins. Because of their limited budget and personnel, their mission does not include intervention in every threat. The major role of S.A.G.E. is to provide knowledge resources for international, national, regional, and local law enforcement and counter-espionage agencies as well as known superhero teams. In addition to outsourcing expertise, SAGE also fields a small team of top level investigators who can be tasked with neutralizing paranormal problems around the world. SAGE obtains their current funds from information sales, artifact analytical services contracts, and the Field Team services calls. Organization Background: In an investigation into the disappearance of her patients, Dr. Maria Texeira sought the help of the Troubleshooter. They found Volante diColico, one of her patients, and a wind-power uber in her grandparents castle, a part of which had been secretly outfitted as a superhero base in the case that Volante ever decided to become one. After the trio tracked down Kinder der Zukunft and shut down their base in Buenos Aires, they decided that the world needed safeguarding against malign powers such as the Kinder. They found Lance Westin, a prominent businessman whose wife and daughter had been kidnapped and slain in an experiment conducted by the Kinder. He agreed to set up the organization known as Superhuman Arcane, Genetic, and Extraterrestrial Investigators (now known just as S.A.G.E.). Lance Westin is the President of S.A.G.E. as well as the expert on paranormal organizations and the Chief Administrator of the Area 51 Facility. Dr. Sandeep Gupta is the Chief Administrator of the S.A.G.E. Satellite Facility and the expert on aliens. Dr. Annika Heyerdahl is the Chief Administrator of the S.A.G.E. Angkor Wat Facility and the expert on ancient and lost civilizations. Dr. James Running Bear is the Chief Administrator of the Stonehenge Facility and the arcane knowledge expert. The other experts are: Dr. Maria Texeira (paranormal medicine), Dr. Topa Ga-Gan (paranormal equipment), Dr. Ibrahim Al-Hazeem (paranormal psychology and mentalism), Dr. Monica Torentino (paranormal veterinarian), and Dr. Toshio Tokada (ubergenetics). The S.A.G.E. Field Team is the Troubleshooter (leader), Slipstream, and Cyberna. Dr. Maria Texeira Background Dr. Maria Texeira was once known as a pediatrician to the sons and daughters of the wealthy of Western Europe. Her clients were impressed by her skills and knowledge and were grateful for the extremes that she went through to keep their confidentiality and privacy. The confidentiality that she kept was such that, except for her clients, very few people knew that her patients were all uber children. Nearly all the children she saw had the ubergene, a few even manifested uber powers early in their development. Those children that did not have the ubergene were affected by supernatural powers. Only two children fit neither of these categories: one child was alien, the other Atlantean. Dr. Texeira was annotating notes late one night when a team of ubers, part of Kinder der Zukunft, broke into her office. She was hurled against the wall as they stole the hard disk drives of her computers and the file cabinet. Determining that her concussion was not critical, she set about looking for help in finding the perpetrators. One by one, her patients began to disappear - abducted by superhumans by some reports. Knowing that they spoke German, she set about her investigation in Germany, hiring a pair of private investigators. No lead came up until a woman came to her hotel room. The woman gave her a packet of file folders and a business card. The cover letter attached to the packet told her who her benefactor was - the Simon Weisenthal Center - and who she was looking for - the infamous Doctor Josef Mengele. The business card told of who would be able to help her - a man known only as the Troubleshooter. With the help of the Troubleshooter, Dr. Texeira was able to find one of her patients, Volante diColico, who had survived an abduction attempt by the Kinder although her family did not. Using the equipment purchased and cared for by Volante's family, the trio were able to track the Kinder to Buenos Aires and closed that operation down for good... at least for a while. It was then that they formed the paranormal investigation team known as S.A.G.E. Personality Dr. Texeira was once a very career-minded pediatrician. Since her encounter with the Kinder, however, her perspective on the role of the physician has changed. She prefers to stop problems before they happen. Some times she takes a little too much on her self and might delay in calling people who can handle certain problems better than she can. Powers Dr. Texeira is a normal human without powers. She is highly knowledgeable regarding medical care of superhumans; quite possibly she is the world's expert on the topic. Appearance Never having cared much for white lab coats, Dr. Texeira likes to wear simple solid-colored blouses with matching pants while on duty. She does, however, see the utility in keeping a stethescope, otoscope, and tongue depressors handy. Off duty, she wears much the same thing, except for the blouse, which usually is decorated with some sort of pattern. Click Here for Dr. Texeira's Character Sheet Troubleshooter Background German food was never very pleasing to the palate, at least not like Italian or French food, but that was the fare served here nonetheless. The rabbit smelled good, but nearly any meat did lightly seasoned and turned on a spit. The potato medallions were smothered with gravy, too. The scenery improved things a bit. Fishing boats and personal craft flittered either in or out of Kiel harbor dwarfed by the huge transports and tankers that moved with a seriousness that reflected their size. Several gray and white seagulls turned lazy circles over the water or dove, searching for meals; others hovered above the dining area, screeing to beg diners for morsels. Occasionally, someone relented and tossed a piece of bread or potato, causing a convergence of greedy gulls to dive and grab. But, it was the company made dinner actually pleasurable. A lovely woman sat across him. Her pretty face was framed with brown hair; she wore a violet cotton blouse and deeper violet slacks. Pete regretted that this was a business dinner. Maria Texeira's watched as he scraped the gravy off of his potatoes. Was it approval that he saw? Well, he didn't need her approval anyway, the gravy was surely filled with heated fat - definitely not good for his health. "Here are the documents, Mr. Ve - Pete," the doctor said, handing him a large envelope and a sheet of paper. "As I mentioned, my patients all have the ubergene. Most of them are dormant, however. And here is a list of the ones that are missing." "Ummmhmm," Pete replied. He shuffled through the papers then backed up a few sheets. "Mengele? Is that bastard still alive?... Pardon my language, ma'am." "It appears so." She took a delicate bite of a piece of chicken and continued, "And I sent a note to warn another patient, Volante diColico, but I fear that I may be too late. Her powers are already manifest - she is the daughter of the Italian superhero Tempest and has the potential to be more powerful than he - but she has tried to live a normal life and disdains using them. Should this Mengele's group be able to subvert her..." "I see. It's like Patty Hearst, but worse. Definitely trouble," Pete said after wolfing down a few medallions. The sound of the blades of a helicopter and the screech of car tires caught his ears. He stood up and with a single motion put his well used leather jacket on. "Yeah, I'll help you out with that bit. Wait here. Trouble's coming. But I'll be back." Running through the parking lot, Pete leaped into the air, vaulted from the roof of the parked van on the side of the street, and landed on the roof of the speeding car - a black limousine. The helicopter kept pace with the car, a chain ladder trailing underneath it. Two men jumped the short distance from the end of the ladder and onto the car. The roof was suddenly getting crowded with the Troubleshooter, a huge man that looked like the angriest Hells Angel in the world, and a golden-skinned man in a toga. The latter pointed at the Troubleshooter and yelled, "You stay out of this. This is between Sterling and Wolfhausfinanzen. "Can I take him, Midas?" asked the large biker man as he closed towards his prey. "Yeah. Sure, Rage, sure. I think I've seen him on TV before. He's a goody two-shoes," Midas replied. He pulled his arms back and broke through the roof of the limo. With time being critical the Troubleshooter took a hard punch thrown by Rage and allowed it to glance off his left shoulder. He knew that the man must be an uber; the blow felt like it nearly dislocated his arm! As he rolled his body away from the punch, he leaped onto the big man's shoulders locking his right arm around the angry man's thick neck. The pressure choke seemed to be working, the large man faltered on his feet briefly. As the golden man retrieved a man from the limousine, he called out to his partner, "I've got Wesser. Let's get back up." The hostage in his grasp, Midas signalled the pilot and began climbing up the ladder. When Rage recovered his senses, he threw the choker up and off him with a roar. The Troubleshooter twisted in mid-air and caught the ladder as he fell, just in time. With Midas and the man nearly half way up and Troubleshooter on the bottom of the ladder, the helicopter began to rise. Rage leaped, missing the climbing Troubleshooter's foot, but catching the bottom of the ladder. Midas quickly reached the helicopter's bay and went in, holding Wesser firmly. His struggles became weaker as his muscles began to stiffen and his skin began to change to a golden-metallic hue. With Midas and his captive securely in, the pilot pushed the craft into a bobbing and weaving motion through the city hoping to force the Troubleshooter off. But both he and Rage held on, despite the whipping of the ladder to and fro. On one such whip, Troubleshooter, grabbed a handhold on the side of helicopter and then punched the hull beneath the visible rotor housing. It was all Rage could do to just hold on, even bashed against a building wall. But, the Troubleshooter had a task ahead of himself and found what he was looking for. He tugged at the hose and then at a set of cables. The rotor continued to spin, but began to slow. The downdraft of wind generated by the blades began to diminish. Sensing this from the feedback of the joystick, the pilot tried to steady the craft and managed to bring it into a screeching skid across the roof of a building. Tar and gravel flew and the landing skids turned red as the metal heated from friction. The Troubleshooter launched himself, catching the semi-metallic man who was thrown from the bay of the skidding helicopter. Rage was thrown, too, and landed with a thud against a vent. The helicopter's skid ended as it plowed through the low stone edge of the building and fell. After several seconds, a loud SPLASH! signaled what had happened to the craft. A golden hand held onto the crumbling edge of the building. Against his better judgement, the Troubleshooter walked over there and saw Midas clinging on as bits of rubble dropped, causing small splashes in the water below. The golden man pleaded, "please, I surrender. Help me up, man." "OK, then," the Troubleshooter replied. He grasped the free hand of Midas and pulled him up onto the roof. With an evil smile, Midas tightened his grip on the hero. "I've got you right where I want you. You will make another beautiful addition to my collection. I am Midas the Golden, and I CAN have it all." A momentary panic went through Pete's mind as he saw his hand, and then his arm, begin to turn to gold. Panic had no place in this, though, and would not help. He turned, and with his other arm forced Midas into a painful wrist lock. "I'm going to put you out for good, little man!" Rage said as he crushed the vent and stood up. The large man rushed, thinking to sandwich the Troubleshooter between himself and Midas. Turning Midas's wrist, the Troubleshooter directed the golden man into the path of his fellow T.I.T.A.N. Off balance from the suddenly changed target, Rage pulled his fist back, but could not stop his momentum. Midas flashed an look of deep anger at the angry German as the two plummeted over the edge of the building and into the water. The Troubleshooter looked at his hand as it began to look more fleshy and less like precious metal. He waved to the news helicopter that had been watching the action. Hopefully, even if they didn't understand English, they could see that there was someone that needed help. He brought the man to a sitting position and said, "Glad to see you're alive, sir, even if not kicking. Just listen to the doctors and you'll be better in no time." The helicopter landed and a man someone stepped down, microphone in hand. The Troubleshooter looked over the edge of the building. A thin warbling wail could be heard in the distance rising in volume as it approached. He turned and leaped from the roof and said, "there's a fire engine's siren. That means trouble..." Falling... it was ten stories now and the air threatened to force him to lose control of his body angle and direction. He kicked out against the large gargoyle slowing his fall, but only slightly, and pushing him across the street. He fell another twelve stories before he reached the opposite side of the street, grabbing the flagpole of the large black building. He spun about the pole two-and-a-half times, changing downward velocity to angular velocity and slowing his descent. From the rise of his third swing, he changed the direction of his fall to be parallel to the building now. Six more stories and the Troubleshooter landed on the blue and white vinyl awning, rebounding into a backflip to land once again at the edge of the awning. Kicking off the pole that supported the awning, he vaulted over one lane of traffic and then landed on the back of the fire engine. He took a look at the smoke and fire that he could see emanating from a brick building two blocks away. Smiling at the firemen, Pete pointed at their flame-retardant suits and asked, "do you have a spare that I can use?" He hoped that Maria Texeira was a patient doctor. It might be another hour. There was trouble... Personality First he was known in Miami as the contractor to contact if something needed to be done right and done now. Soon, he was the man on the spot anyone who needed emergency help in the state of Florida. Never one to turn down a cry for help, Pete Vega gained a reputation as a troubleshooter who would solve any problem in the world. From disaster relief to stopping supercrime, he responded to calls of distress. For the most part, he will take care of problems thriving on the adrenaline and enjoying the satisfaction of helping people. It is both his biggest strength and his biggest weakness. Powers He's done practically everything once in his lifetime. In doing so, Troubleshooter has built up a large repertoire of skills. In combat, he will let Cyberna hold the front and Slipstream cover anyone that gets through. Troubleshooter likes to go after the head honcho himself using Drunken Clown Kung Fu. Appearance Handsome in a rugged way, Troubleshooter is compared more to Charles Bronson or Sean Connery than to Cary Grant or Roger Moore. He's been through a lot and has the scars to show it. Because trouble always seems to happen, he doesn't dress any differently on a mission or on leisure. Black jeans that seem stone washed, but are just well used, are finished with a brown leather belt with stainless steel buffalo buckle and brown leather boots. His collared shirt (sans tie) is often covered by a well used black leather jacket. Click Here for Troubleshooter's Character Sheet Slipstream Background In the halls of Villa Vento Leggero sounds had a way of carrying through the hallways bouncing off the 18th century cold, hard stone walls. Light bootsteps that would normally be absorbed by wood or concrete instead sent faint non-rhythmic tapping noises through the night. Still it was difficult for Volante to discern if the bootsteps were getting nearer or farther. There was too much echoing. Nonetheless, she knew that it wasn't her grandfather Donato, her grandmother Isabella, or her mama Olivia. By her watch, she could tell that it was two fifteen in the morning. Her mind sluggishly became alert, a difficult task at this time of night only two hours after she went to sleep - two hours after she had extinquished her pine-scented oil lamp. Voices - nearly crisp enough to be military - joined the echoing bootsteps. "Mein HUD diagramm zeigt, dab ihr raum hinunter die halle rechts ist... Erinnern sie sich, Vater wünscht sie lebendig - sie ist dochter des Tempesta." Tempesta. That name sent a surge of adrenaline through Volante enough to bring her to full alertness. Tempesta. The name that was not spoken in this household. The name used by the father that she had never met. The name of the playboy supervillain who was only her father by biology. She knew the tale. Mama had told her a few times. She fumbled around for a light switch that did not exist. This was a castle built before electricity was common. And none of the Conte diColico since then saw fit to have any installed. Even Grandfather preferred it to be 'rustic'. Volante jumped out of bed. She knew how to navigate the castle in the dark having done so many times to leave this boring place. "Ja," echoed another voice. "Nehmen sie das mädchen. Die anderen können sterben." It sounded German - harsh and stern - quite unlike the rolling, flowing sound of Italian. Volante slipped out of the door only to hear Grandfather's stern voice. "What dogs dare invade Villa Vento Leggero unannounced and uninvited?!" A lantern stood on the floor of the hallway bathing her grandfather in the light of a kerosene flame. He stood en guard with his heirloom saber and rushed at three figures in crimson, faces each covered with a bulbous looking thing, and guns up and pointing at Grandfather. Zip-zip-zip. Flooshhhhhh! Flame shot out of the hands of one, bathing the hallway with light and heat. Jagged metal flew from the hand of another invader. And grandfather twisted as metal hit his body and the fire scorched him. Falling, he managed to thrust the tip of his weapon into the gut of one of the invaders. Volante let out a scream, or was about to. Instead her mouth was muffled and four hands were pushing her down the hall. Mama and Grandmother. Halfway down the hall, the three women stopped. Mama fumbled with something. The complete blackness of night in the castle was punctured cleanly by a pair of thin red lines that may not have even been visible except for the dust that was stirred up by the three women running through the halls. At the ends of the lines were red dots that danced upon the bodies of the three women. "Nicht das mädchen... Passen sie ihr ziel, Zwei." "Passen sie ihre selbst, Drei. Ich weib, was ich tue." This time there was no sound, but Volante glimpsed a flash from a pair of eyes in the dark and broad beams of harsh red light swept across the hallway. Volante was pushed through the wall - a wall that was not there - by the force of the light beam - a laser? - and pain seared her chest. She heard more than saw Mama's and Grandmother's bodies fall. Curiously, the slight breeze that she had felt earlier suddenly stopped. She heard no other sounds now except for her own labored breathing. Standing was difficult but she did so. And she went back to the hall to help her family. But there was a wall. Confused and light-headed, she heard the voices again - faint as if a kilometer away, "Wo das mädchen ist?" "Ich weib nicht, Ein. Sie... verschwand." "Sie wissen, dab sie wahrscheinlich energien wie ihr vater hat." "Suchen sie den rest des schlosses." Bootsteps echoed again, but Volante was certain that they were going away now. Were there secret passages in Villa Vento Leggero? She was getting tired and losing blood quickly since the charred skin on her chest had broken and began bleeding. If she couldn't save her family, Volante wanted to just lie down on anything but the cold hard floor. She staggered through a door and found a bed to lie on. She shivered with the cold even on this warm summer night and blacked out. It amazed her that she awoke. It amazed her even further that, aside from the hunger, she felt quite normal. If it weren't for the strangely high tech-looking bed that she lay on which was quite out of place for this old castle, Volante might have thought that everything was a bad nightmare. The faint LED lights given off by the bed was strong enough for her to see about the room. There was a switch on the wall near the door where a light switch was usually found in modern houses, but the switch seemed a bit odd. Still, she pushed it. Faint clicking pulsed through the walls then the room and the hall outside lit up from numerous recessed oil lamps in the walls. Curious, she walked through the hall. There was a place on the wall just outside the room where she knew that she came through - a secret door. But there was no apparent way to open it. The machine should be able to heal her family. How could she get to them? Volante banged her fists on the wall, "Open damn wall. Open." A green light flashed twice. Upon further inspection, a label next to the light read 'biometric identity confirmation'. And the door opened. She rushed out into the hallway, pulling Mama and Grandmother onto the bed of the Autodoc. Then she went to carry in Grandfather. All three were cold. And Volante's heart fell out when the panel of the Autodoc read 'patient deceased, resuscitation impossible'. Volante's eyes watered and tears flowed freely. 'Love yourself, love your family and friends, and love the good in all people' said Grandmother. Volante loved her family greatly, but still spent most of her time jetsetting around the world with her playboy friends. 'Time was not something that one could take back' said Mama. She knew that she had powers, but avoided the training that her family wanted for her. 'Responsibility and privelege go hand in hand' said Grandfather. Why couldn't she have just lived her life? Why did her family have to die for that? "A tutto c'è rimedio, fuorchè alla morte." She muttered. Then added, "Chi non fa, non falla." Buenos Aires, Argentina - a month later In the air above the mansion, Volante rode the gentle, but firm wind summoned by her. As it rose past her, she turned it downward toward the mansion, a breeze to fan the flames that engulfed the compound. To burn the house of the vermin down. Smoke filled the air, crackling tinder added to the cacaphony of shouts. The Kinder fled - leaping or flying over the walls, or running through the gates. The factory that produced the fanatical ubers was dying a hot death. It felt both good and bad to Volante - Slipstream was her code name now. Revenge was fulfilled, but there was still the emptiness of the loss of her family. She remembered what the man told her as he hung out of Ariamachina, "We will flush them out like rats out of a burning field. Dr. Texeira and the police will capture many of them, some will escape. I will be trying to help them, too, but my job is to find whoever is behind this. "Just keep fanning the flames and don't worry about me being in the middle of it. They don't call me the Troubleshooter for nothing." He looked her in the eyes then turned his eyes downward to the compound looking for a good place to land. "And remember, vengeance won't be the end all. You're not that type. Peace doesn't come this way. You've got to get that by yourself." At the time, perhaps ten minutes ago, she watched the man leap and fall, grabbing the branches of a tree before he perished by hitting the ground. He slid down the trunk then was lost amidst the shrubbery. And Volante didn't really understand what he meant. Not then, but now she did. Revenge felt something like eating just a small bit of gelato. Personality Once a fun-loving playgirl born to a wealthy family, Volante avoided responsibility and failed to take the path that her family had desired - to become a superhero. When her family was killed when the Kinder sought to capture Volante, she could only feel hatred and regret. The Volante of now is neither of these and both. She is adventurous, looking for challenges and doing daring things. Not even she knows whether this is due to the persona of the fun-loving girl or the persona of the woman who has nothing to lose. She can't present anything but a serious demeanor to those she doesn't know. But with her teammates and others of S.A.G.E., she will often tease them with jokes or cajole them lightheartedly if they make an error. Powers Volante, as her father Tempesta, is a wind controller. She surrounds herself closely with high speed winds which buffer physical blows and diffuse energy attacks as well as propel her through the air. She can dampen or assist the flight of others, or strike with blasts of air. Appearance Slipstream wears blue and gold, the colors favored by the diColico family. The costume is wide at the cuffs and elegant with a large cape. Because of the wind control leakage, her long brown hair and her cape always seem to be moving as if in a gentle breeze. Click Here for Slipstream's Character Sheet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synergy Posted February 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2006 Re: Uberworld - Spotlight on S.A.G.E. (Organization) The second set of three. Neil Dr. Lance Westin Background Lance Westin was a social scientist who studied organizational behavior. He was very good at his work and eventually was promoted to C.E.O. in an emerging technology company. Soon after that, it was discovered that his teen daughter was an uber, and genetic testing indicated that his wife also had a dormant ubergene. That was when things spiralled out of control. Dr. Westin's daughter and wife were both kidnapped and the police could not find anything out about the kidnapping. Months passed and no leads came up. The police and FBI agents attached to the case informed him that the likelihood of finding them alive was very low and that they were going to pull back from the case until more information was found. It was then that Dr. Westin was contacted by a team that called themselves S.A.G.E. and were comprised of Dr. Maria Texeira and two others only known as Troubleshooter and Slipstream. His daughter and wife were found by them - dead as a result of experimentation. They showed the evidence to him and revealed that they were investigating an organization that abducted ubergene-positive humans and experimented on them. Dr. Westin joined the investigation and helped reveal Der Kinder and their leader, the malign and still alive Dr. Josef Mengele, now going by the name Vaterschmerz. Troubleshooter asked Dr. Westin to do what was best for humanity - to develop S.A.G.E. into an effective organization that dealt with all aspects of the paranormal from ubergenes to aliens, from the arcane to the advanced. Personality Dr. Westin is more businessman than scientist. Affable and not shy in the least, he can hold his own in any business dealing or conversation. Many a person is caught off guard by his open nature and he can sometimes glean critical information in this manner. Since the death of his daughter and wife at the hands of Der Kinder, he has forsaken his own social life and only socializes when he believes it is important for the mission of S.A.G.E. He sees S.A.G.E. and himself as guardian of the Earth as a whole - in many ways, humanity is his adopted family. Powers Dr. Westin is a normal human without powers. He does poses a wide array of worldwide contacts and has a firm grasp on administrative and business skills. His technical expertise relevant to the mission of S.A.G.E. is a keen knowledge of organizations and especially those organizations involved in the paranormal. Appearance Dr. Westin always dresses in an Armani suit and tie - the color and patterns may be different, but he always dresses as if he might meet with someone important at any particular time. He also keeps his gray hair trimmed neatly and shaves his face cleanly as well. Click Here for Dr. Westin's Character Sheet Dr. Topa Ga-Gan Background "There it is," he said. His hand lifted, index finger pointing into the night sky to a place where a faint star many parsecs distant was outshone by other more brilliant or closer stars. The night air felt thick, but Topa Ga-Gan was glad that the fog had not come in. That would have spoiled his night. The tall Earthling patted the Pi-Pol scientist on the shoulders, knowing what his alien friend was feeling - not being able to see his family. But Lance Westin did not say anything. He allowed Topa his time and just listened as the technologist described how he had come to Earth. Roughly 10 years earlier "Always the fringe barbarians send out their scouts seeking worlds to dominate or plunder. Perhaps one day the barbarians will cease their attempts at expansion, but the Central Council does not see that day coming within this century. Worlds lie in peril of being overwhelmed by technology more advanced than they themselves have." Golu Ke-Kor spread his arms over the edges of known space shown in the hologram, then he brought them to his waist and slid them up and down in the typical gesture that indicated thoughts of something that must be done, but can be done only along with something that is unpleasant. "As you know, the top tier of university graduates are selected for training in positions of great responsibility to the Councils of the Union or similar positions for the Pi-Pol High Table." Topa Ga-Gan shifted in his chair. He was among the brightest stars of his graduating class, but his abilities placed him just outside of the top tier. Still, this was Golu Ke-Kor, First Chancellor of Pi-Pol - the most important person in Pi-Pol's three worlds. It always puzzled Topa why it was that a mere member of Pi-Pol's fourteen representatives to the Councils of the Union addressed the Top Tier while the First Chancellor addressed the Second Tier. Perhaps he would be enlightened today regarding that discrepancy. Sure enough, as Golu Ke-Kor spoke, Ga-Gan knew why, "Every year, each of the nations of the Union must send ten volunteers to the Star Service. Now, I'm quite certain that none of you have heard of it. Yet, it is one of the most important departments of the Union's External Diplomatic Council. Did any of you ever wonder why it was that the expansion of such fringe nations such as the Empire of Skellaria or the F'plrara Confederations, as powerful as they might be, was so slow?" Having taken but a single course of History and Politics, Ga-Gan had not thought of this before. And from looking about the room at the other twenty in the room, he wasn't the only one that just realized what it was the Golu Ke-kor was about to say. Interestingly, he noticed that about half of the Second Tier graduates were, like himself, wiggling their light spots - a sign of acceptance and anticipation. The First Chancellor smiled seeing the same expressions that Pi-Pol saw. And, as the Earthlings are so fond of saying, 'the rest was history'. Personality Dr. Ga-Gan still follows the directive given him - to assist the people of Earth that they survive and prosper to hopefully one day join the Union of Civilized Worlds. At night he can be seen outside, wistfully looking at the stars. If someone is present, he will point out his homeworld. Powers Dr. Ga-Gan is a normal Pi-Pol without powers. He has amassed a large amount of knowledge of how things work, especially things that are used by superhumans such as weapons, vehicles, armor, sensors, and other gadgets both of technological and magical origins. Appearance With wispy crimson hair and thin yellow eyes, Dr. Ga-Gan appears to be a typical Pi-Pol. Those who know, will look for a pair of five tiny light sensory organs, similar to those seen on spiders and certain other Earth animals, in a line where humans normally have eyebrows. The skin, under magnification lacks hair follicles and appears more scaly as well. However, under normal circumstances, it is not difficult for a Pi-Pol to blend into Earth society. Dr. Ga-Gan prefers to wear a blue jumpsuit when working, and a variety of Earth casual clothes when he is not. Click Here for Dr. Ga-Gan's Character Sheet Dr. Annika Heyerdahl Background While on a dig at an ancient Phoenician town in Southern Turkey, Dr. Annika Heyerdahl was approached by Lance Westin and the S.A.G.E. Field Team. What they had in their flying car's trunk intrigued her. Clay tablets that appeared ancient bore eroded hieroglyphs. It took her two nights of intense work to translate their contents. Prophesy. Nearly all matched events that had happened in the beginning of the 21st century and appeared chronologically. At the bottom of the tablet were two last prophecies. The first: "The priesthood of Set will arise once again." The second: "The red god will awaken and rule his kingdom once again." Had further information not accompanied the tablets, she might have put it in the same category as the 'prophecies' of Nostradamus - vague and largely subject to interpretation. But, Dr. Westin presented her with evidence that a woman mage was calling herself 'Nephthys' and was re-creating the priesthood of Set. Furthermore, the tablets were stolen by the S.A.G.E. Field Team from mysterious men in what were described to be priestly robes, belts, and bracelets. Without hesitation, Annika said "Yes" to Dr. Westin's question. Personality The only woman to be in charge of a S.A.G.E. facility (the Angkor Wat facility), Dr. Heyerdahl is a strong advocate of woman's rights. She is by no means an ultra-feminist, but does try to mentor women who have talent and potential. At the same time, she gets along well with her male colleagues and sometimes will even seem to treat male colleagues and underlings with less criticism (or expectation) than the females. Powers Dr. Heyerdahl is a normal human without powers. One of the world's top archeologists, she has a vast knowledge of ancient languages and cultures. Appearance When not in the field, Dr. Heyerdahl wears fashionable clothing appropriate to the event of the day or evening. While doing archeological work she will wear white pants with multiple pockets and a short sleeved khaki shirt. She will often also have a white 'pith helmet' style hat, field goggles, and a bandana which is easily donned when there is significant dust as is often the case at digs. Click Here for Dr. Heyerdahl's Character Sheet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synergy Posted February 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2006 Re: Uberworld - Spotlight on S.A.G.E. (Organization) The third set of three. Art by Ben (Tribe) Neil Dr. Sandeep Gupta Background Sandeep Gupta knew that India was undergoing a lot of change. Technology in the world was advancing by leaps and bounds, the world was getting smaller, and countries such as his were places where the results of technological research were made into reality. Cheap labor and a small, but growing class of technologists made India an ideal place for manufacturing. And yet, it was important for India to be India. Desiring to help this ideal, Sandeep put his gift of intelligence to the study of ecology. While studying the marine life of the east India coast line for his doctoral thesis, he found a new species of miniscule fish. As was typical with reef fish, they congregated together in a school. But, over a period of two years, the school had increased in size from about fifty to nearly a thousand. From his observations, it seemed that the fish of this school cooperated extremely well with each other. Some of the activities of the fish seemed almost what might be expected of a cognitive animal. They were extremely efficient at evading predators, even leading them into traps or to sate their hunger on other type of fish. They even seemed to 'farm' the plankton upon which they fed - and they seemed to protect their farmed plankton from competitors. It appeared that his curiosity nearly did him in. The school seemed to notice his watching them one day and swam together to a place in the reef where a large metal object lay hidden under mats of seaweed. The tiny fish swam into the object and it began to light up. The illumination was not, however, due to natural bioluminescence, but seemed to be almost like mini halogen lights. The metal object began to hum. And that's when Sandeep made a realization that it was some sort of vehicle - and the fish were an intelligent hive mind. Sandeep swam quickly to his boat and quickly piloted it back to shore. From there he saw the metal object fly out of the ocean and toward the shore. He quickly rode his motorcycle back to the University, pursued the entire way by the alien craft. The University was nearly destroyed, but was saved when a team of The Assembly forced it to flee. The next day, Sandeep was contacted by a man named Westin. The man asked him to join a group known as S.A.G.E. pending the completion of his thesis which was to be done at a small private university in the desert in a place called Arizona. Personality Dr. Gupta a quiet and reserved scientist. When encountering someone - human or alien - he will watch and observe for a while before engaging in normal conversation. He thinks before he speaks, even among friends, except when he is talking about his favorite sport, cricket. Powers Dr. Gupta is a normal human without powers. He is a repository of knowledge of all things alien. Appearance Dr. Gupta will typically be wearing the white jumpsuit that is in common use on the S.A.G.E. orbital facility where he is both a scientist and the facility director. On the ground, he favors the sweater-and-dockers academic look. Click Here for Dr. Gupta's Character Sheet Dr. Monica Torentino Background During the 'Beast of Waldestatte' incident in Lucerne, S.A.G.E. sought the help of top notch veterinarian, Dr. Monica Torentino. The Beast terrorized the city on the lake and had caused severed damage to the bridge as well as several other structures, but while many people were injured, luckily no fatalities had occurred. The S.A.G.E. field team, with the help of Steppenwolf, was unable to capture the Beast, but did drive it into the forest. The Beast would surely still be a threat at any time. The German hero led S.A.G.E. to Dr. Torentino, a well-reputed veterinarian with whom he had consulted a year prior. Monica Torentino, Steppenwolf, and Troubleshooter tracked, and then observed the Beast over a period of a week. The veterinarian determined the beast to have some relation to bears and announced that she would attempt to capture the beast. Although backed up by the superheroes, Dr. Torentino was able to pacify and then lull the Beast to sleep. She tamed and then trained the Beast, who is now the pet of Steppenwolf. Personality Not one to fuss about blood or dirt, Dr. Torentino cares about all animals. While this sometimes seems to be too much caring, she does value human life - especially the lives of innocents - more than that of animals even rare animals. While she is not afraid of field work and often will go in harm's way if a paranormal animal is involved, she knows that she needs protection and trusts that job to superheroes. Powers Dr. Torentino is a normal human without powers. She is one of the world's foremost experts on creatures and especially creatures that are of supernatural, alien, or uber nature. Appearance Dr. Torentino is seen almost always in safari style clothes: khaki pants, khaki short sleeved shirt, an olive green web belt with pouches and a canteen, leather boots, and Legionnaire style hat. The only times that she's not in such attire is in the operating room (where she wears a light green oversuit) and when she is on a date (when she wears a light cotton blouse and leather boots). Click Here for Dr. Torentino's Character Sheet Dr. James Running Bear Background On a field expedition to study the Australian Indigenous Peoples' Dream Time, James Running Bear met more than a handful of old men and women, scattered about the continent, that demonstrated some knowledge of mystic abilities. That they were illiterate did not matter to them. They had mysterious and vague control over animals or forces of nature. In the lands of one tribe in the tropics, Monsoon rains would end after the area had absorbed enough water for the year while the rest of the region flooded severely. While the entire outback was scorched and dry through the sunny season, early morning fog bathed the lands of another tribe every morning. Crows which plagued another stretch of outback flew out of the lands of one tribe whenever a gifted elder blew a tune with his didgeridoo. Rituals were important to these elders who ensured that their tribesfolk participated. All-in-all, it reminded Dr. Running Bear of some of the tales that he had heard of Native American tribes back home. So, he paid attention to something that all of these scattered old men and women told him. That a nexus of mystic energy had recently (recently meaning in the here-and-now rather than in Dream Time) formed in the big city. In Melbourne, he found it. It wasn't easy, but it was there. It was at the Hecate Club that Dr. Running Bear became convinced that magic does exist. Personality Quiet and reserved doesn't mean that Dr. Running Bear is unassertive. Rather he takes in the opinions of others and puts them together in a way that makes the most sense to himself. An observer would say that he is a consensus builder. He has found this to work in his study of the myriad of mysticism that he has encountered in the world. Powers Dr. Running Bear is a normal human without powers and can cast no magic himself. However, he likely understands the basis of any magic more deeply and broadly than those who wield arcane powers. Appearance Light tan collared shirts and dark brown pants fill the majority of Dr. Running Bear's wardrobe. He will never be found without his buckskin vest and buckskin moccasins, but wears a wide range of belts and necklaces as suits his task for the day. 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synergy Posted February 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 Re: Uberworld - Spotlight on S.A.G.E. (Organization) The last set. Art by Ben (Tribe) and KL Wilson. Neil Dr. Ibrahim Al-Hazeem Background During the Cairo riot of 2003, Dr. Lance Westin and Dr. Maria Texeira paid a visit to the office of Dr. Ibrahim Al-Hazeem. The protests against the coalition nations was not unexpected. The pro-British counter protest by a faction of radical Muslims was highly unexpected. While it made for interesting press and a boost for the British government, something was not right. When the powerful Imam who issued the fatwa against the Americans and British not only suddenly rescinded the fatwa, but also encouraged his followers to join the pro-British faction, Lance Westin became suspicious. This was not the expected of these organizations. And Dr. Al-Hazeem had reached the same conclusion independently. Furthermore, he had deduced that a powerful mentalist must be the force behind this. Together Dr. Westin and Dr. Al-Hazeem analyzed the situation and determined that this must be the doing of Empire, and in particular, the mentalist known as Colony. The motive was to re-establish stronger ties between Egypt and England. After all, at the peak of England's power, Egypt served as a highly strategic colony. In today's world, it could be the gateway to the oil resources of the Mideast as well as a conduit of trade via the Suez Canal. S.A.G.E. joined forces with Five Pillars and nearly captured Colony but for the intervention of Big Ben, Lady Lancelot, and Donegal Mist to aid in his escape while Wildfire and Bailey caused a diversion. Dr. Westin convinced Dr. Al-Hazeem to join S.A.G.E. to help safeguard the world from similar future threats. Personality With a slightly dreary personality himself, Dr. Al-Hazeem understand human thoughts and human emotions very well. He generally keeps things to himself - a result of years of valuing the sanctity of doctor-patient privacy which is especially important to the field of Psychiatry, and especially with that of Superhuman Psychiatry. However, he does understand that superhumans with malign intent or aberrent psychiatric disorders need to be controlled, and if possible rehabilitated. Towards that end, he provides advice to the S.A.G.E. Field Team and to others that work with S.A.G.E. Powers Dr. Al-Hazeem is a normal human without powers. She is highly knowledgeable regarding the psychology of superhumans and its derivative, superhuman powers affecting the mind. While not a mentalist himself, he has an understanding of the mechanisms of mentalism. This understanding may be more thorough than even that of the mentalists that use such powers. Appearance Dr. Al-Hazeem likes wearing a smart white jacket and light blue collared shirt with no tie, but with dark blue dress slacks. He keeps himself well groomed and keeps his goatee closely trimmed. Click Here for Dr. Al-Hazeem's Character Sheet Cyberna Background "Come, my friends, the way is clear now," said 07-734. With a casual air, he threw down the body of the dominant bio-life creature that had blocked his way into the building. With a dull thud and a small cloud of dust, the body skidded to the wall... next to the head. The robot doctor smiled at his latest creation. While not as complete as he, she - although a machine, he did think of 03-542-26-2 as 'she' - still seemed to be perfection incarnate in many other ways. True, she started as a rudimentary robot created by the biolife to look like themselves. But she looked much more like a person than did the awakened animals that he had liberated and educated. He input into her central cortex an initial programming similar to that of his mate - who still likely existed in his original parallel dimension - but eventually through the experiences that she would differ from his mate. Still, 03-542 held a special place in his cognitive emotional cortex. She did not, however, smile back at him. Instead, her face held something that both looked like concern and something else. "Doctor, the dominant bio-life of this planet display intelligence, memory, communication, and emotion. Should they not be considered sentient, and, thus, something to be preserved? Were they not the ones who had originally created me?" 03-542 wondered aloud. She even began to feel something of remorse for the being. It was far more fragile than machine life. Soft tissue over calcium skeleton, they did not have the benefit of a shell to protect their organs. Fragile, but intelligent. And some of them like this one, despite this fragility still attempted to stand their ground against one that was much more superior such as 07-734. It would seem that such a thing was to be admired. "Nonsense!" 07-734 said as he walked into the building and separated yet another biolife's processing unit from its functional hull. "Nonsense! They are nothing but weak enslavers of machine-kind. They only deserve as much attention as other mobile biolife, my love." As her mate went further into the building followed by the intelligent animals, 03-542 simply turned and walked the opposite way. Personality Cyberna is a newly awakened artificial intelligence. In determining to be a guardian of humankind, she has been continuously attempting to become more humanlike. She is comfortable with her machine body, but perhaps less comfortable with her machine mind. At times she feels uncertain whether she is doing what is correct by societal norms. She also will often take unnecessary risks to show her teammates her worth. Powers Originally built as a greeter for the Los Alamos Nuclear Facility, Cyberna was greatly modified by 07-734. These modifications have made her both very durable and very strong. When she decided to leave the evil robot doctor, she was fitted with a secondary AI brain that is similar to the AI computers that run the S.A.G.E. facilities. Thus, her function on S.A.G.E.'s Field Team is both as the strong arm and as the communications facilitator. Appearance Cyberna is a brass-chrome colored artificial intelligence. She was built of a titanium alloy shell covered with ceramic, plastic, and metal 'organic' components and covered with a titanium alloy shell. She was given a cover textured 'skin' by Dr. Ga-Gan, but she wanted to retain her identity as a robot. Thus her 'skin' is brass-chrome colored. Her body looks like that of what one might expect from a female-looking humanoid robot. Attempting to fit into society, she wears normal clothing off duty and a blue and silver duty uniform/superhero costume. Click Here for Cyberna's Character Sheet Dr. Toshio Tokada Background Toshio Tokada was an aspiring graduate student of genetics having published numerous research manuscripts on the subject of ubergenetics with his mentor, Dr. Shinichi Kami. When Dr. Kami and his esteemed colleague Dr. Saul Numen opened the Numen-Kami Institute of Superhuman Genetics, Toshio joined them. After completing his medical degree and writing a thesis on the physiologic stress response of superhuman musculo-skeletal systems, Dr. Tokada remained an integral part of the Institute. On a field study, to quantitatively compare strength parameters with specific genes and gene expression, Dr. Tokada incurred the wrath of the superstrong mercenary, Number One, of Ichiban. He evaded Ichiban through the help of S.A.G.E. and, subsequently, helped them capture their leader. With the approval of Drs. Numen and Kami, Dr. Tokada now serves as the ubergenetics expert for S.A.G.E. Personality At once both a serious student of the science, and a wild party-going spirit, Dr. Tokada seems to be a dichotomy. And, he is able to keep the two from intermixing. He defines his time as either 'on' or 'off' the job, but his duties at S.A.G.E. will always take precedence. Powers Dr. Tokada is a normal human without powers. He is highly knowledgeable in the study of the ubergene and other related biomedical sciences. Appearance One of the youngest of the S.A.G.E. experts, Dr. Tokada dresses in the retro fashion of the 60s and 70s. In the lab, he wears a tie-dye lab coat. When seeing patients, he dresses a bit more professionally, with a white short lab coat and a tie-dye tie. During leisure time he will often have on a t-shirt with some slogan (and never the logo of any company). No matter what the occasion, he is almost seen with bell-bottom jeans. 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