“I know beyond a doubt, ah, my heart will lead me there soon.
We'll meet, I know we'll meet beyond the shore; we'll kiss just as before.
Happy we'll be beyond the sea, and never again I'll go sailing.
No more sailing. So long sailing. Bye, bye sailing,”
Legacy Name: Alpha Cassiopeiae.
Real Name: Talia Natsinet Berhane.
Hero Name: Arsen.
Look: Woman, Black, Steely Eyes, Unassuming Clothing, Adaptive Costume.
Abilities: Body Transmutation, Superhuman Strength and Speed, Vitality Absorption.
LABELS:
Danger +1
Freak +1
Savior +2
Superior -1
Mundane 0
Conditions
❑ Afraid (-2 to directly engage a threat)
❑ Angry (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask)
❑ Guilty (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation)
❑ Hopeless (-2 to unleash your powers)
❑ Insecure (-2 to defend someone or reject others’ influence)
Backstory
When did you first learn of your doom?
My family descends, supposedly, from the Cassiopeia of Greek Myth, the one that was a Queen in Ethiopia. The story is that there was a string of events leading up to her eventually being chained in the heavens, including a marriage and a child besides Andromeda, and that we have been doing this for generations. Best I can tell, we can only trace ourselves back three.
Where did you get your sanctuary?
It’s been passed down through the years, mother to daughter, and on at least one occasion older sister to younger sister. It’s a real bitch to get to, though. Couldn’t tell you why, but what happens is we climb up on a cliff, the literal kind that’s over water, and jump. Come to bruised and beat up somewhere under the ocean. Doesn’t matter where you jump, or into what body of water; we’ve tried Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Arctic, always wind up in the same screwy underwater palace. Can’t leave through anything but the portal.
Why do you oppose your nemesis?
It isn’t anything personal. We’re all destined to eventually be chained to a throne, in our little sanctuaries, trapped under the sea for all eternity. Obviously, that sounds shitty, and I’d rather not have to pay for some ancient bitch's mistake.
Who, outside of the team, is crucial to defeating your nemesis?
Well, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to get the Perses help. Their line still exists, or at least one claiming to be a Perses, the Beta Andromedae legacy. They even have a super in Halcyon. Problem is, that super happens to be a villain rather than a hero.
Why does the team matter to you?
Well, truth be told, I kinda think Ken’s a honey. Besides him, though, they’re nice people, fun to have around, and seem like they’re willing to help me find the Perses I’m looking for, try to solve at least one step of my family’s long and stupidly complicated process of getting out of this whole being doomed thing.
Sanctuary
You have a place where you can rest, recover, and reflect upon your powers. Choose and underline three features of your sanctuary:
An aide or assistant, a teleportal, art, music, and food.
Choose and underline two downsides of your sanctuary:
Difficult to access, tied intricately to your doom.
Influence
These people matter for what you need to do. Give Influence to two of your teammates.
Nemesis:
You have a nemesis, an epic and powerful enemy representing and embodying your doom. It’s going to take everything you have to take them down in the time you have left. Who is your nemesis?
The Nereids, and the Old Man of the Sea.
At the end of every session, answer the question: Did you make progress on defeating your nemesis? If the answer is yes, mark potential. If the answer is no, mark your doom track.
Doom
You’re doomed. Your powers may be killing you, or maybe you’re hunted ruthlessly, or maybe you embody an apocalypse. But one way or another, your future is grim. What brings your doom closer? Facing danger alone, frightening loved ones. Whenever you bring your doom closer, mark one box on your doom track.
Doom Track: >>>>❑ >>>>❑ >>>>❑ >>>>❑ >>>>❑
When your doom track fills, clear it and take one of your doomsigns.
Doomsigns
Burning Bright: Mark your doom track to ignore one of the GM’s stated requirements when you call upon the resources of your sanctuary.
Team Moves
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, give them Influence over you and spend 1 Team from the pool to clear one box on your doom track.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, give them Influence over you and ask if they honestly think there’s hope for you. If they say yes, mark potential or clear one box of your doom track. If they say no, mark a condition or mark your doom track.
POTENTIAL >>>>❑ >>>>❑ >>>>❑ >>>>❑ >>>>❑
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.
❑ Take a move from another playbook
❑ Take a move from another playbook
❑ Take a move from another playbook
❑ Someone permanently loses Influence over you; add +1 to a Label
❑ Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add +1 to a Label
❑ Unlock your Moment of Truth
❑ Clear a doomsign; you lose access to that move for now
❑ Get burn and three flares (from the Nova’s playbook)
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below.
❑ Unlock your Moment of Truth after you’ve used it once
❑ Confront your doom on your terms; if you survive, change playbooks
❑ Take an adult move
❑ Take an adult move
❑ Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice
❑ Become a paragon of the city for however long you have left
