Difference between revisions of "Staren"
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|FullName=Staren | |FullName=Staren | ||
|Gender=Male | |Gender=Male | ||
| − | |Species=Catboy (Human/ | + | |Species=Catboy (Human/Shapeshifter Hybrid) |
|Theme=RIFTS-1 | |Theme=RIFTS-1 | ||
|Chartype=OC | |Chartype=OC | ||
|Function=SCIENCE!, Mecha Piloting | |Function=SCIENCE!, Mecha Piloting | ||
| − | |Faction= | + | |Faction=Concord |
| − | |Rank= | + | |Rank=4-2 Gifted |
| − | |Ranktype= | + | |Ranktype=Member |
| − | |Groups= | + | |Groups=Daedalus Initiative, Gatecrashers Union, Die Reisende |
|Quote="How does THAT work? I wonder if I can study it…" | |Quote="How does THAT work? I wonder if I can study it…" | ||
| − | |PAge= | + | |PAge=Mid 20s |
| − | |AAge= | + | |AAge=25 |
|Aging=Yes | |Aging=Yes | ||
|Height=5'8" / 173cm | |Height=5'8" / 173cm | ||
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|Eyes=Blue | |Eyes=Blue | ||
|Voice= | |Voice= | ||
| − | |Song= | + | |Song=Plum Creek Rhythm Section - A Light, an Answer[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRew-b78ZFg] |
| − | |Profile=Staren is a | + | |Profile=Staren is a prodigy engineer and pilot from the magitech city of Lazlo. He has the advanced computer and robotics knowledge of an expert decades his senior, and has now branched out into studying multiversal phenomena. Believing any problem can be overcome with sufficient application of knowledge and ingenuity, the young man dreams of a better future for all. Armed with tools of magic and technology to fight, he has survived over a decade in the Multiverse through care and preparedness belied by a tendency to speak before he thinks. Once naive about the world due to only learning from books, he's now seen the great wonders and horrors and /weirdness/ of the Multiverse and become somewhat jaded, though he is still anxious as ever to learn how it all works. However, the nuances of social interaction remain more mysterious to him than those of physics or magic, and this makes it difficult for him to form close bonds. To help his friends, though, he would move the Multiverse itself if he could find a way -- and his willingness to consider such extreme actions is one of the very things that tends to push others away. In the wake of the Union and Confederacy's fall, Staren is hopeful that there is plenty of good he can do in the Multiverse other than endless fighting... |
| − | |Powers= | + | |Powers=CYBERNETICS: Staren's body is improved by various cybernetics, including an advanced visual HUD, sensory enhancements, cyberjack (see assets), thought-controlled tool wristbands, and data storage designed to record and retain his every interaction. The computer components wired into his brain also store a vast library of useful programs useful for his day-to-day operations. All have been modified and enchanted to work alongside his shapeshifting. |
| − | + | MAGIC: Staren's cybernetics prevent his drawing on any external magic sources such as ley lines, but he still possesses enough minor, innate power to grant him a basic understanding of how magic functions in his world and beyond. He can recognize magic at work, even if he can't replicate it himself. His personal magical ability manifests primarily in his unique shapeshifting, and in the crystals he utilizes to elementally-align his personal forcefields and energy weapons (see assets). | |
| − | + | DATAMANCY: Magic and technology are two very different forces in Staren's world, but he's found some ways of marrying the two disciplines. He can't cast spells, but he can design some programs allowing technological control of magical creations. This is how he remote controls his golems. | |
| − | + | MINOR SHAPESHIFTER: Staren inherited some of his mother's talent for shapeshifting. He has three forms -- his normal cat-boy form, a human girl resembling his mother, and a housecat. He can change his hair and fur color, but seldom bothers. Oddly, his cybernetics do not interfere with this gift. | |
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| − | + | NANOTECHNOLOGY: Staren has adapted advanced nanotechnology from other worlds to his own purposes. His machines can create objects, speed healing of minor injuries, and flush out mundane poisons and illnesses. They're also responsible for the maintenance and function of his Cortical Stack, and for improving his overall physicality to peak levels. Fabrication -- a process that may take days to complete -- requires compatible blueprints, raw materials, and is limited to producing nothing larger than the average desk. Fabricated components up to this size may be assembled into larger finished products, such as mecha. (See related +flaws.) | |
| − | + | DIVINE INSPIRATION: Staren's long-time best friend, Morg McGee, is a minor deity of madness and inspiration. While Staren typically refuses to accord deities any more respect than mortals, for some reason his faith in his friendship with Morg has given him a certain mental fortitude and flexibility he might not otherwise possess, enabling him to pursue solutions -- often bizarre or extreme -- in the face of even the most hopeless odds. | |
| + | |Skills=TECHNOLOGICAL GENIUS: Staren has vast scientific and engineering knowledge, and absorbs new information like a sponge. He's adept at applying known practices to new situations, leading to swifter learning, mastery, and application of various unfamiliar technological subjects and skills. He's an excellent hacker, programmer, and engineer, capable of creating the kinds of basic AIs that operate his drones and mecha (see NPCs). He can repair and reverse engineer foreign technology if there is an existing base of familiarity, such as a teleporter similar in design to the type he uses. Magic remains a difficult subject for him, but he is confident in handling technology enhanced by magical properties and power sources, and has successfully applied his methodology for technology to the creation of his golems and potions, and to the learning of skill-based magics like potioncraft. (Consent may be required for reverse engineering.) | ||
| − | + | POTIONCRAFT: Basic alchemical formulas can equip Staren to mimic magical effects. Given a few days and the right ingredients, he can brew draughts equivalent to basic spells. (See +info Staren/Potions for details.) | |
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| − | + | GOLEMANCY: Staren has learned how to enchant basic, purpose-driven golems from any material approximating the desired mass and shape. The tutelage was acquired outside his world, and part of his teachings included figuring out how to work within the limits his cybernetics impose. Animation and enchantments may be cast on the fly from prepared sources such as scrolls and stones. (See +info Staren/Golemancy and NPCs for details.) | |
| + | |Assets=POWER ARMOR: Staren's personal suit of armor grants tireless strength, enhanced endurance, and the use of heavy weapons such as his Mad Morg McGee .44 Annihilator (see Equipment). The suit can take extreme punishment before it fails, thanks mostly to its enhanced personal forcefields, and remains useful underwater, in low gravity, and in vacuum. Forcefields can sustain only a few hits before collapsing and needing to recharge. (PL 30) | ||
| − | + | CRYSTALS: Magic-powered crystals embedded in his Power Armor and mecha enable Staren to align his forcefields and beam weapons to particular elements like fire or ice. Doing this is neither instantaneous nor reactive, requiring a conscious action on his part. (Functions as +armor swaps.) | |
| − | + | CYBERJACK: This dataport on the back of Staren's neck enables on-the-fly connection to many types of computer interfaces, wireless or otherwise. Data networks, databases, and other computer systems may be interacted with in full as if he was seated at a terminal. Security measures may foil his access. The cyberjack aids in remote control of his mecha, automatons, and drones (see NPCs), and can project his consciousness into cyberspace when the technology is accessible. It also functions as his radio. | |
| − | + | CORTICAL STACK: A nigh-indestructible cybernetic implant that maintains a real-time snapshot of Staren's brain. If he dies, it can be surgically removed from his remains, and used to restore his mind inside a new body. Copies of his current snapshot are taken on a nightly basis in case he needs to restore from back-up (see flaws). Though this technology may inexplicably fail, so far it's been very reliable. | |
| − | + | LABORATORY: Staren's lab is a huge underground facility located beneath his house in the city of Lazlo. It's stocked with most of the common supplies and resources he needs to fuel his various projects, and supports research as well as engineering. The lab is protected with laser and forcedome defenses. He has a separate smaller workshop in Lazlo, and another dedicated to magical research. | |
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| − | + | BODY DUPLICATES: Staren has several duplicates of his body stored in his laboratory in case his current body is destroyed. These may become conscious if loaded with the data stored in his Cortical Stack. Only one body may be operational at a time; the rest are kept suspended. An additional robotic body is available if needed (see +info Staren/Equipment). | |
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| − | + | TELEPORTER: One of Staren's personal devices, this teleporter requires exact coordinates and a few uninterrupted seconds to reach any destination up to 1000km away. Safeties prevent materializing into dangerous falls or into objects. May carry light loads of equipment or two or three additional people. His lab contains a one-way teleporter for more significant loads needing to travel distances up to 100x as far. (Consent may be required.) | |
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| − | + | STAR HAWK: Staren's primary personal mech is the 52-foot-tall S-5 "Star Hawk" Mark W. Equipped with various armaments -- including missiles, beam weapons, and forcefields -- it has additional facility in combat thanks to its free shifting between plane, humanoid, and hybrid modes. May be teleported from the lab or called to Staren's location via remote activation. Though the Star Hawk requires Staren to pilot it in combat, smaller and simpler mecha can be remote-controlled (see NPCs). (PL 32) | |
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| − | + | EQUIPMENT AND OTHER GEAR: Staren's acquired a large collection of on-world and Multiversal equipment and gadgetry useful in combat and beyond. See +info Staren/Equipment for details. | |
| − | + | |NPCs=ABSTRACTUM: Staren has an Abstractum named Eureka who empowers him with a variety of concept-level abilities to enhance his scientific efforts. See the character Abstractum.Net for details. | |
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| − | + | GOLEMS: Purpose-driven creations animated through magical ritual, Staren's golems are basic in design, and possessing of varied intelligence. Size and appearance may range from "average humanoid" to "towering centipede monster." Golems can be enhanced with simple weapons, natural weapons (like claws), AI-controlled turrets, AI-controlled forcefield projectors, or sensory equipment. They do not operate in regions lacking ambient magic. (See Golemancy and +info for more details. PL up to 28.) | |
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| − | + | MECHA: Mecha smaller and simpler than the Star Hawk may be remote-controlled as support units on any field. These are equipped with missiles, beam weapons, and minor forcefields, and may transform into humanoid, plane, or hybrid mode. Only a few may be remote-controlled by Staren at any time, and if he's distracted, AI takes over that isn't nearly as responsive and flexible as something under direct control; "go here and shoot that" is only effective to a point. In an emergency, these can be teleported from his lab if his location is in range. (Up to PL 30.) | |
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| − | + | DRONES: Minor robotic creations programmed to fulfill a variety of basic functions. The most common are hovering camera drones deployed to provide additional situational awareness, or to scout new areas. These can interface with Staren's visual HUD to share their data. Other drone types include insect-sized recon drones, housekeepers, personal assistants, and repair drones capable of making basic repairs. These are never weaponized for a fight, though camera drones do have their advantages in combat. (No PL.) | |
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| − | + | AUTOMATONS: Spider-like by design, these acid-spitting mechanical automatons make up the majority of Staren's self-defense forces. Most keep to his lab in order to protect its contents, but multiple units can be deployed by the lab's teleporter to in-range locations so as to provide combat support in the field. Their AI is simple and coded mostly for recognizing friend from foe. (PL 24 - 26) | |
| − | + | |Disadvantages=SOCIALLY AWKWARD: Staren has difficulty picking up on social cues and the feelings of others. He doesn't always recognize when a given social interaction is escalating into conflict. His tendency to ask too many questions can be irritating. These traits together make it very hard for him to establish lasting friendships, and for his allies to trust him with certain responsibilities. Past miscommunications and arguments have made it equally hard for Staren to be open and honest around his allies in turn. | |
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| − | + | PRINCIPLED: In addition to his overall awkwardness, Staren possesses staunch principles regarding transhumanism, death, and the need to discover the science behind every Multiversal phenomenon he encounters. These core beliefs may distract him from more important objectives, or lead him on time-wasting tangents that others find hard to follow. | |
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| − | + | SKEPTIC: Though he once believed in the general goodness of others, Staren has become a harsh skeptic. He's learned that it's not easy to redeem villains, and that he's rarely suited to the task; swift action is often the better solution compared to diplomacy. He's still capable of compassion, but he needs to be reminded of its importance by those who are closest to him. His skepticism also manifests as what others may perceive as an insulting disdain for religions, religious figures, and the capabilities of deities. | |
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| + | S.D.C. CREATURE: Caught outside his Power Armor or mecha, Staren is pretty average. He possesses no special traits that would improve his survival in a fight, aside from his nanotechnology and various equipment -- but that doesn't offer much! In other words, he's an easy, squishy target for his enemies. (PL 22 outside Power Armor/Star Hawk/Robot Body.) | ||
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| + | ELUDES DEATH, BUT...: Staren is protected from an absolute death thanks to his Cortical Stack, but if his chip can't be recovered by his allies from the site of his demise, he'll have to recover from his nightly back-up instead, leading to the loss of any data, experiences, and memories accrued between the time of back-up and the time of death. Awakening in a new body can risk psychological trauma, too, and imparts several mental and physical penalties that usually wear off within a few days -- if he can awaken at all. There may come a time when his solution to mortality just...fails. | ||
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| + | NANOTECHNOLOGY FLAWS: Nanotechnology is not compatible with all aspects of the Multiverse. It may have difficulty working with exotic materials, may be unable to fabricate certain objects even with blueprints, and healing vats and the like (see Equipment) may be unable to help someone, depending on their physiology. Nanotechnology is also susceptible to electronic interference, hacking, and other forms of outside technological manipulation.}} | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
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The Multiverse was a world of possibility, full of potential friends, something the lonely boy had been without all his life. | The Multiverse was a world of possibility, full of potential friends, something the lonely boy had been without all his life. | ||
| − | That changed with the death of his commander, Julian. The idea of reviving his fellow hero stuck in his mind, although the Union ordered him not to. He | + | That changed with the death of his commander, Julian. The idea of reviving his fellow hero stuck in his mind, although the Union ordered him not to. He and Morg tried to communicate with Julian's spirit, as they believed only Julian himself should have final say over his own resurrection. Their fellow elites treated this as some sort of disgrace to Julian's memory, even while they themselves rejoiced at random static as some sort of communication from the dead. This behavior would drive a wedge between Staren and the Union that would shake his trust in the Union for years. Julian turning out to still be alive was a good thing, but no comfort on this matter. |
Further misunderstanding worsened the rift between Staren and the Union, proving his fears justified again and again. In an attempt to be better understood and be helpful, he often spoke his train of thought out loud — thoughts and ideas that others, perhaps, thought his mention indicated serious intention to pursue them. Every misunderstanding reinforced the idea that the Union mistrusted his ways of thinking, and that it was only a matter of time before he crossed a line and was declared an outlaw. He sought to prove himself useful, but any praise and acceptance he recieved was not as loud as the voices condemning him. | Further misunderstanding worsened the rift between Staren and the Union, proving his fears justified again and again. In an attempt to be better understood and be helpful, he often spoke his train of thought out loud — thoughts and ideas that others, perhaps, thought his mention indicated serious intention to pursue them. Every misunderstanding reinforced the idea that the Union mistrusted his ways of thinking, and that it was only a matter of time before he crossed a line and was declared an outlaw. He sought to prove himself useful, but any praise and acceptance he recieved was not as loud as the voices condemning him. | ||
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Staren could not help friends. He could not help one of his /best/ friends. The war was endless and meaningless, and as far as Staren knew his 'allies' could turn on him at any moment. Not even bothering to officially resign, Staren alternated between spending time in Lazlo and exploring the far reaches of the local Sector. | Staren could not help friends. He could not help one of his /best/ friends. The war was endless and meaningless, and as far as Staren knew his 'allies' could turn on him at any moment. Not even bothering to officially resign, Staren alternated between spending time in Lazlo and exploring the far reaches of the local Sector. | ||
| − | Occasionally, Staren still listened to the Multiversal radio frequencies. They were sometimes entertaining, but sooner or later he was always reminded of the Union's attitude toward him. He found some understanding, at least, in the Dreamers. Friendly Dreamers were willing to listen and offer help, although none could turn Staren's situation around. Untamed Breeze heard him out and came to understand what he meant with his strangely-worded philosophies and ideas, at least. | + | Occasionally, Staren still listened to the Multiversal radio frequencies. They were sometimes entertaining, but sooner or later he was always reminded of the Union's attitude toward him. He found some understanding, at least, in the Thousand Dreamers. Friendly Dreamers were willing to listen and offer help, although none could turn Staren's situation around. Untamed Breeze heard him out and came to understand what he meant with his strangely-worded philosophies and ideas, at least. |
In late AU19, Staren heard a voice on the radio that not only was not angered at his manner of speech and thought, but seemed to intuitively grasp what he was saying without reading for messages that weren't there, and who spoke honestly and frankly to him in turn. This was the voice of Twilight Sparkle, and seeking another friend that could actually understand him, who he didn't have to worry about accidentally offending or misunderstanding, Staren made increasingly frequent visits to Equestria. Friendly Dreamer Mortimer Balman had retired there, so Twilight wasn't the only friendly face. | In late AU19, Staren heard a voice on the radio that not only was not angered at his manner of speech and thought, but seemed to intuitively grasp what he was saying without reading for messages that weren't there, and who spoke honestly and frankly to him in turn. This was the voice of Twilight Sparkle, and seeking another friend that could actually understand him, who he didn't have to worry about accidentally offending or misunderstanding, Staren made increasingly frequent visits to Equestria. Friendly Dreamer Mortimer Balman had retired there, so Twilight wasn't the only friendly face. | ||
| − | In fact, almost all of the ponies of Ponyville seemed friendly. Staren had become an asocial shut-in in his own world — his mechanical and piloting skill were valued, but he earned few friends. And now, Staren was at last learning to avoid hot-button topics when talking to people. Combined with the Ponyvillians' naturally helpful and friendly disposition, the net effect was that the ponies were the first large group of people Staren met without pissing them off. This far outweighed the inconvenience of hooves and the low technology level, and Staren wanted to fit in and, somehow, to return this kindness to the first place | + | In fact, almost all of the ponies of Ponyville seemed friendly. Staren had become an asocial shut-in in his own world — his mechanical and piloting skill were valued, but he earned few friends. And now, Staren was at last learning to avoid hot-button topics when talking to people. Combined with the Ponyvillians' naturally helpful and friendly disposition, the net effect was that the ponies were the first large group of people Staren met without pissing them off. This far outweighed the inconvenience of hooves and the low technology level, and Staren wanted to fit in and, somehow, to return this kindness to the first place that so warmly welcomed him. |
| − | He got his chance when Discord, incarnation of chaos, turned Equestria upside down (sometimes literally). His talents were ill-suited to sealing seemingly-invincible reality-warping beings, however — the most he could do was help prevent Discord from acquiring resources from the rest of the Multiverse. Only to see his knowledge and ethics prove useless to protect his new friend — cursed by Discord to believe her friends (in truth also cursed to behave against their natures) had turned against her her, Staren could do nothing to stop one of his most treasured friends from being forced to live the worst nightmare that had haunted him for so many years. Heroism had failed again, Staren had failed again, and completely and utterly heartbroken, | + | He got his chance when Discord, incarnation of chaos, turned Equestria upside down (sometimes literally). His talents were ill-suited to sealing seemingly-invincible reality-warping beings, however — the most he could do was help prevent Discord from acquiring resources from the rest of the Multiverse. Only to see his knowledge and ethics prove useless to protect his new friend — cursed by Discord to believe her friends (in truth also cursed to behave against their natures) had turned against her her, Staren could do nothing to stop one of his most treasured friends from being forced to live the worst nightmare that had haunted him for so many years. Heroism had failed again, Staren had failed again, and completely and utterly heartbroken, turned away from the world. |
| − | + | But only a week later, he learned that Twilight and her friends, had been freed. Staren returned to the fight against Discord, but could only slow and delay the draconequus until the local heroes could reseal him. But this time, there /were/ heroes, and the day was saved. | |
Before Equestria could recover, the entire multiverse came under attack. Confederate Emperor Viridian Sunrise had done what he could not — unlocked the secrets of the multiverse and used its power to enact his own vision of the future, with power even the Union could not fight. Heroes volunteered for a suicide mission — Staren stayed behind, convinced there /had/ to be some sort of better, smarter plan. | Before Equestria could recover, the entire multiverse came under attack. Confederate Emperor Viridian Sunrise had done what he could not — unlocked the secrets of the multiverse and used its power to enact his own vision of the future, with power even the Union could not fight. Heroes volunteered for a suicide mission — Staren stayed behind, convinced there /had/ to be some sort of better, smarter plan. | ||
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The corpses turned out to be a ploy — the elites on the suicide mission returned alive, the Emperor slain. The heroes /had/ triumphed after all, this time. Staren was relieved, but did not forget his promise. He planned to look for clues in the pieces of technology Wireless had left behind — he would restore the brain uploader, fix its faults, and in so doing unlock a way to conquer death. | The corpses turned out to be a ploy — the elites on the suicide mission returned alive, the Emperor slain. The heroes /had/ triumphed after all, this time. Staren was relieved, but did not forget his promise. He planned to look for clues in the pieces of technology Wireless had left behind — he would restore the brain uploader, fix its faults, and in so doing unlock a way to conquer death. | ||
| − | Then a new world unified where brain uploading was commonplace and death, true death, was a scarce and horrifying thing rather than just another part of everyone's life. In fact, in this world immortality was seen as a basic right, and one of its denizens happily offered the gift to the Union. A completed, successful device was clearly superior to incomplete Wiretech, and Staren set to studying it, analyzing it to learn how it worked, making sure there was not a catch, no secret mind control programming hidden deep inside. | + | Then a new world unified where brain uploading was commonplace and death, true death, was a scarce and horrifying thing rather than just another part of everyone's life. In fact, in this world immortality was seen as a basic right, and one of its denizens happily offered the gift to the Union. A completed, successful device was clearly superior to incomplete Wiretech, and Staren set to studying it, analyzing it to learn how it worked, making sure there was not a catch, no secret mind control programming hidden deep inside. Staren and his parents got their backups as soon as he was sure it was safe, began growing clones, and so claimed a form of limited immortality — Not perfect, not foolproof, but far better than nothing. |
No others would accept this gift. One day, people would die again, for real. And he was still powerless to stop it. | No others would accept this gift. One day, people would die again, for real. And he was still powerless to stop it. | ||
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He still needed more power... | He still needed more power... | ||
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| + | After that, Staren had been part of more successes than failures. He'd helped save worlds, and when called for (and perhaps also when not called for) had brought extreme force of arms to bear, even spending a week as a sleepless robot hunting the clones of the Slaughterhouse Nine, and constructing a protoabstractum superweapon so powerful it blew a wing off the Dragon of Calamity, a being of legendary and godlike power. | ||
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| + | But after having allies mistake his brutal methods for bloodlust, and seeing a reminder that sometimes, talking ''can'' end conflicts and spare lives, Staren began to wonder if there was another path... | ||
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| + | In late 24 AU, the Multiverse reshaped itself and the Union and Confederacy fell. With the endless war finally over, Staren could focus on improving the Multiverse rather than endless fighting. He joined the League of Progress, and later the Concord, finding their approach to the Multiverse suited him better than the Union ever did -- letting Elites turn their full abilities and resources towards improving the world, without hamstringing them by insisting on upholding the status quo. At long last, he's found a place in the Multiverse. | ||
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| + | Now to solve its infinite problems... | ||
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| − | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Daedalus Initiative]] |
[[Category:Users.net]] | [[Category:Users.net]] | ||
[[Category:Session 613]] | [[Category:Session 613]] | ||
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[[Category:Thousand Dreams]] | [[Category:Thousand Dreams]] | ||
[[Category:M.E.T.A.L]] | [[Category:M.E.T.A.L]] | ||
| + | [[Category:XCOM]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Die Reisende]] | ||
Latest revision as of 08:48, 8 January 2018
| Staren (Scenesys ID: 42) | |||
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| | |||
| Quote | |||
| "How does THAT work? I wonder if I can study it…" | |||
| Profile | |||
| Full Name: | Staren | ||
| Gender: | Male | ||
| Species: | Catboy (Human/Shapeshifter Hybrid) | ||
| Theme: | (OC) RIFTS-1 | ||
| Function: | SCIENCE!, Mecha Piloting | ||
| Status: | Active | ||
| Factional Information | |||
| Faction: | Concord (4-2 Gifted) | ||
| Groups: | Daedalus Initiative, Gatecrashers Union, Die Reisende | ||
| Other Information | |||
| Physical Age: | Mid 20s | Actual Age: | 25 |
| Still Aging? | Yes | Voice Actor: | |
| Height: | 5'8" / 173cm | Weight: | 185 lbs / 84kg |
| Hair Color: | Brown | Eye Color: | Blue |
| Theme Song: | Plum Creek Rhythm Section - A Light, an Answer[1] | ||
Contents
[hide]Profile
Staren is a prodigy engineer and pilot from the magitech city of Lazlo. He has the advanced computer and robotics knowledge of an expert decades his senior, and has now branched out into studying multiversal phenomena. Believing any problem can be overcome with sufficient application of knowledge and ingenuity, the young man dreams of a better future for all. Armed with tools of magic and technology to fight, he has survived over a decade in the Multiverse through care and preparedness belied by a tendency to speak before he thinks. Once naive about the world due to only learning from books, he's now seen the great wonders and horrors and /weirdness/ of the Multiverse and become somewhat jaded, though he is still anxious as ever to learn how it all works. However, the nuances of social interaction remain more mysterious to him than those of physics or magic, and this makes it difficult for him to form close bonds. To help his friends, though, he would move the Multiverse itself if he could find a way -- and his willingness to consider such extreme actions is one of the very things that tends to push others away. In the wake of the Union and Confederacy's fall, Staren is hopeful that there is plenty of good he can do in the Multiverse other than endless fighting...
Advantages
Integral
Supporting
Disadvantages
Logs
Cutscenes
History
Born in 93 PA (equivalent to 0 AU) to a dimensional traveler from 20th century Earth and a shapeshifting alien who abandoned her people's magical traditions to study science, Staren was raised in the Free City of Lazlo, city where humans and nonhumans of all kinds live in harmony as long as they can tolerate eachother, a bastion of knowledge, hope, and freedom in post-apocalyptic RIFTS Earth. In those early years, the family traveled often — before Unification, Staren's father would take them to other dimensions and to see his grandparents on the baseline Earth he'd originally come from. With access to myriad worlds, they were able to find cybernetics that were compatible with supernatural physiology and so Staren was enhanced, given the edge of a built-in computer that his parents would have loved to have.
Though little Staren inherited great intelligence, he grew up a loner, not by choice but due to great social awkwardness. His constant companions were stories, games, and academic knowledge. Stories told of simplified people, with well-explained motives and feelings he could follow and understand. Stories told of clear-cut villains and bright shining heroes, and he idealized the latter, taking to heart the tropes of good and its contrast to evil. The physical world and the world of numbers followed well-explained rules with definite truths and right answers, and he soaked up knowledge of math and science like a sponge. Games presented worlds following well-defined rules and used them to /tell/ stories, letting him use his mastery of such systems to feel like a hero, and would in time lead to actual piloting simulations.
After a few years of schooling led to misery due to altercations with the other children, Staren's father pulled him out of the system and homeschooled him — as a retired adventurer and part-time mechanic, he had ample resources to live in comfort with the necessary free time. Staren's academic talents proved that of a prodigy as learned as an expert decades his elder, and he developed a special interest in computers and automation. In time, this combined with his interests in simulated mecha piloting to lead to a focus on combat robotics, but Staren was poor at innovation. In addition, he was a certain kind of lazy — his father's resources, including a large 'laboratory' complex below the house (for the most part, a large storage area equipped with repair and assembly drones, computers, rooms for experiments, and compact fusion reactors) — allowed him to adapt to little physical work — in time, more and more of his improvements were implemented by drone rather than his own hands. Though he could repair machines to work better than they had before, and made improvements to the VF-1 Valkyrie design his father had obtained in another world, he was stumped when it came to developing something wholly new. Science and engineering followed steps — but what steps do you follow to 'invent something new'?
So the young boy's genius produced little. He took some classes with the Lazlo Defense Force, and to support his interest of heroically defending the city, his father trained him in Valkyrie piloting and, in perhaps Staren's greatest true 'invention' at the time, Staren developed new control software to interface between his headware and the robot, allowing him to control it as naturally as his own body. The resulting skill was undeniable, and before even reaching his mid-teens he was accepted as an LDF reserve member — although due to his specialty of mecha piloting, he was never called to work in the city, instead being sent to help fight monsters threatening the farms in the vicinity of Lazlo.
Some years after RIFTS Earth unified, Staren learned of the new multiverse and this great organization of heroes, the Union, that would even accept the help of underage allies like himself. And perhaps there, he would find friends he could relate to, rather than 'normal' teenagers and adults who just didn't get it. At the age of 14 in early 14 AU, He joined up and began meeting new people, some he could even feel friendly around, although at times his social awkwardness and belief that magically returning the dead to life was a good idea put people off. He hit it off well with his fellow mecha pilots in the Wings of Nemesis, and became a member of the Union's first-response mecha strike force.
The multiverse offered much to learn. Staren was aware of the basics of magic, of course, but had never gotten around to further study. He decided to change that, studying potion-brewing under the dragon Damien and golemancy under the great mage Iianor.
At last, in the Multiverse, Staren had friends. Maybe not really close friends, but people he could spend time with and talk to without annoying on a regular basis. He was even able to find someone who wasn't just friendly, but actually seemed to understand him: Morg McGee, undead 'mad' scientist. The mad genius even agreed with his views on raising the dead and had ways to do it! At last, he had someone besides his parents who he could talk to about anything and know he would be understood.
The Multiverse was a world of possibility, full of potential friends, something the lonely boy had been without all his life.
That changed with the death of his commander, Julian. The idea of reviving his fellow hero stuck in his mind, although the Union ordered him not to. He and Morg tried to communicate with Julian's spirit, as they believed only Julian himself should have final say over his own resurrection. Their fellow elites treated this as some sort of disgrace to Julian's memory, even while they themselves rejoiced at random static as some sort of communication from the dead. This behavior would drive a wedge between Staren and the Union that would shake his trust in the Union for years. Julian turning out to still be alive was a good thing, but no comfort on this matter.
Further misunderstanding worsened the rift between Staren and the Union, proving his fears justified again and again. In an attempt to be better understood and be helpful, he often spoke his train of thought out loud — thoughts and ideas that others, perhaps, thought his mention indicated serious intention to pursue them. Every misunderstanding reinforced the idea that the Union mistrusted his ways of thinking, and that it was only a matter of time before he crossed a line and was declared an outlaw. He sought to prove himself useful, but any praise and acceptance he recieved was not as loud as the voices condemning him.
Sure, he had a few 'friends', but aside from Morg, could he trust any of them to remain so if they ever comprehended what he really thought? Were they only friends because they hadn't heard him say the wrong thing yet? Of course, he couldn't ask them that, for in doing so he would probably turn them against him.
At last, Staren met another kindred spirit in the ex-Confederate Rewire. Taken in by his life story of only wanting to fix things and only joining the confederacy to rescue his friend Taro from the clutches of SHODAN, and finding a friend who did not reject his thoughts, they became fast friends. Or at least, Staren thought of it that way — in truth, the cold and calculating AI simply found him a useful ally for its plans. But Rewire had a problem — The Confederacy had damaged him, and he was going to go rampant. This seemingly unavoidable, Rewire sought to leave behind a legacy and to have friends prepared to destroy him when he finally lost it. Staren accepted this tragic duty, but preferred not to think about it. For now, he had a friend — and things had a way of working out in the multiverse. Good always prevailed, right?
Rewire's preparations for a legacy and lack of social understanding won him few friends and many enemies on both sides. This only further reinforced Staren's split with his supposed 'allies', although Optimus Prime won his eternal respect for offering to work together with Rewire, even though Rewire refused the given terms. Unfortunately, time was running out. Rewire began to go rampant. Staren developed weapons to kill his friend, but hoped there would yet be another way.
But things did not always end in happy endings in the multiverse. Another friend of Staren's, not as kindred a spirit as Morg or Rewire but at least someone he could spend time with, found that an earlier version of her own world had unified — one where her father had not yet perished. Staren made it a personal mission to save him. Investigation with his futuristic technology discovered that the man worked in the organized crime department of the police, and as the day of death approached, his original fate became clear. On the day, Staren hired a team of mercenaries and personally intervened — only for a Confederate to show up, mortally wound the man, and leave him in a coma for the rest of his days. Sometimes, there were no heroes. Sometimes there was only Staren, and without far, far more power than he currently had, he would not be enough.
Staren would not be enough to save Rewire, either. Post-rampancy, Rewire renamed himself Wireless and hatched a scheme to 'fix' everyone in the multiverse by uploading their brains to a simulation where he could /make/ them happy. Furthermore, the process was faulty, only capturing part of the subject's mind — and not enough to capture their soul. Wireless's attempt to save people was an act of mass murder that would have been mass mind control even if it had worked. Talks with Wireless revealed that his rampancy had made him lose all comprehension of the importance of right and wrong.
Staren helped kill his friend with weapons he developed.
Staren could not help friends. He could not help one of his /best/ friends. The war was endless and meaningless, and as far as Staren knew his 'allies' could turn on him at any moment. Not even bothering to officially resign, Staren alternated between spending time in Lazlo and exploring the far reaches of the local Sector.
Occasionally, Staren still listened to the Multiversal radio frequencies. They were sometimes entertaining, but sooner or later he was always reminded of the Union's attitude toward him. He found some understanding, at least, in the Thousand Dreamers. Friendly Dreamers were willing to listen and offer help, although none could turn Staren's situation around. Untamed Breeze heard him out and came to understand what he meant with his strangely-worded philosophies and ideas, at least.
In late AU19, Staren heard a voice on the radio that not only was not angered at his manner of speech and thought, but seemed to intuitively grasp what he was saying without reading for messages that weren't there, and who spoke honestly and frankly to him in turn. This was the voice of Twilight Sparkle, and seeking another friend that could actually understand him, who he didn't have to worry about accidentally offending or misunderstanding, Staren made increasingly frequent visits to Equestria. Friendly Dreamer Mortimer Balman had retired there, so Twilight wasn't the only friendly face.
In fact, almost all of the ponies of Ponyville seemed friendly. Staren had become an asocial shut-in in his own world — his mechanical and piloting skill were valued, but he earned few friends. And now, Staren was at last learning to avoid hot-button topics when talking to people. Combined with the Ponyvillians' naturally helpful and friendly disposition, the net effect was that the ponies were the first large group of people Staren met without pissing them off. This far outweighed the inconvenience of hooves and the low technology level, and Staren wanted to fit in and, somehow, to return this kindness to the first place that so warmly welcomed him.
He got his chance when Discord, incarnation of chaos, turned Equestria upside down (sometimes literally). His talents were ill-suited to sealing seemingly-invincible reality-warping beings, however — the most he could do was help prevent Discord from acquiring resources from the rest of the Multiverse. Only to see his knowledge and ethics prove useless to protect his new friend — cursed by Discord to believe her friends (in truth also cursed to behave against their natures) had turned against her her, Staren could do nothing to stop one of his most treasured friends from being forced to live the worst nightmare that had haunted him for so many years. Heroism had failed again, Staren had failed again, and completely and utterly heartbroken, turned away from the world.
But only a week later, he learned that Twilight and her friends, had been freed. Staren returned to the fight against Discord, but could only slow and delay the draconequus until the local heroes could reseal him. But this time, there /were/ heroes, and the day was saved.
Before Equestria could recover, the entire multiverse came under attack. Confederate Emperor Viridian Sunrise had done what he could not — unlocked the secrets of the multiverse and used its power to enact his own vision of the future, with power even the Union could not fight. Heroes volunteered for a suicide mission — Staren stayed behind, convinced there /had/ to be some sort of better, smarter plan.
Staren failed to innovate again. The corpses of longtime friends turned up, and he at last confronted the true meaning of death — He would never see them again. The model of the future in his head had to change to not include them. Shaken, he swore never to let this happen again — although it might well be academic if the Emperor was not stopped.
The corpses turned out to be a ploy — the elites on the suicide mission returned alive, the Emperor slain. The heroes /had/ triumphed after all, this time. Staren was relieved, but did not forget his promise. He planned to look for clues in the pieces of technology Wireless had left behind — he would restore the brain uploader, fix its faults, and in so doing unlock a way to conquer death.
Then a new world unified where brain uploading was commonplace and death, true death, was a scarce and horrifying thing rather than just another part of everyone's life. In fact, in this world immortality was seen as a basic right, and one of its denizens happily offered the gift to the Union. A completed, successful device was clearly superior to incomplete Wiretech, and Staren set to studying it, analyzing it to learn how it worked, making sure there was not a catch, no secret mind control programming hidden deep inside. Staren and his parents got their backups as soon as he was sure it was safe, began growing clones, and so claimed a form of limited immortality — Not perfect, not foolproof, but far better than nothing.
No others would accept this gift. One day, people would die again, for real. And he was still powerless to stop it.
But now, there were things he /could/ stop. Earth-1960 was infested with zombies, and a megalomaniacal AI was cloning mercenaries to take over the world's economy. And while helping put a stop to that, he learned of the plight of the gamers trapped in Sword Art Online. There, too, he could help.
Slowly, Staren was drawn out into the Multiverse again. There would not always be heroes, and he would continue to prepare for the day they failed to arrive, but in the meantime he would help them when they did.
And a few days before Christmas of 20 AU, everything changed. Psyber, Kimiko, and Himei, Unionites Staren had had occasional contact with but not really those he would have called friends, came forward to tell him that the Union did /not/ see him as a barely-this-side-of-ethical madman who would go too far any day now. The ones who had given Staren that impression were merely a particularly loud and vocal minority.
It was a Christmas present even he would never have dreamed of daring to ask for.
Though it was merely his perceptions that had changed, Staren found himself in a bright new Multiverse! It would take time to truly trust his allies again, but he didn't need to fear them so.
Things were looking up in 21 AU. Staren had immortality, he had the respect of his peers, he even had a girlfriend. He was helping others, and began to find phenomena in the multiverse that rewarded scientific exploration like the punchcard alchemy of Sburb. Halfway through the year, he decided to study the mysterious Abstractum and in so doing netted himself Eureka, the genre-shifting gauntlet of SCIENCE. Abstractum would prove a field highly responsive to scientific investigation, and between Eureka, Morg's divine inspiration for the construction of impossible devices (Staren's old friend had ascended to godhood many years prior), the nanotechnology that granted his immortality, and his wide assortment of other technology and magic gathered from across the worlds, Staren's confidence began to grow, confidence that he at last had the power to be a hero that could save the day when all other hope was lost.
Eldritch monstrosities from outside of reality coming to end the Multiverse? Yeah, we got this.
That all changed with the coming of the third month of 22 AU. Amongst the looming threat of the Abstractums' enemies, going back in time to finish a closed time loop, and the kidnapping of one of Staren's allies to turn her into a war machine, the dimensional rift over Ravnica, and the cosmic horrors that came out of it, had seemed like just one more crisis that would be dealt with handily in time.
And then Niv-Mizzet sacrificed his Planeswalker's Spark and disappeared through the rift, closing it behind him, never to return from the all-consuming Aether and almost certain doom.
And Staren could not save him.
Once again, tragedy occurred with no hero to step in and stop it. Nothing Staren could do would make it better, and the claims and excuses that 'there was nothing you could do' rung hollow in his ears, for such words would not return Niv-Mizzet to his friends and loved ones, and they would not stop the /next/ tragedy, whatever it would be.
Staren was not the hero that steps in and makes the world right when all hope is lost.
Not yet.
He still needed more power...
After that, Staren had been part of more successes than failures. He'd helped save worlds, and when called for (and perhaps also when not called for) had brought extreme force of arms to bear, even spending a week as a sleepless robot hunting the clones of the Slaughterhouse Nine, and constructing a protoabstractum superweapon so powerful it blew a wing off the Dragon of Calamity, a being of legendary and godlike power.
But after having allies mistake his brutal methods for bloodlust, and seeing a reminder that sometimes, talking can end conflicts and spare lives, Staren began to wonder if there was another path...
In late 24 AU, the Multiverse reshaped itself and the Union and Confederacy fell. With the endless war finally over, Staren could focus on improving the Multiverse rather than endless fighting. He joined the League of Progress, and later the Concord, finding their approach to the Multiverse suited him better than the Union ever did -- letting Elites turn their full abilities and resources towards improving the world, without hamstringing them by insisting on upholding the status quo. At long last, he's found a place in the Multiverse.
Now to solve its infinite problems...
