By direction of His Imperial Highness, Prince Cassian, you are hereby invited to join a Lancer contingent aboard the voidship Indomitus. This designation confers upon you the authority to act on behalf of the Prince and, by extension, the Sol Imperium, in matters relating to security, diplomacy, and the enforcement of Imperial writ.
Your commission carries with it full access to the resources, personnel, and machinery required to execute your duties within the Procyon sector. This includes, but is not limited to, deployment of armored cores, command of auxiliary forces, and the use of Imperial vessels as operational necessity dictates.
Should you choose to accept this great honor, then you must respond within the period specified in the accompanying schedule. All subsequent orders and directives will be issued through the Prince’s appointed representatives and the sector command structure.
By the authority of His Imperial Highness, this writ is binding and recognized throughout all systems of the Procyon Sector. Your actions will reflect both upon yourself and upon the office of the Prince.
To its citizens, the Sol Imperium is a beacon of civilization amidst a sea of barbarians. To its foes, it is a conquering hegemon, wielding a fearsome and unrelenting might. Laying claim to the legacy of Ancient Terra, the Imperium has embarked upon a grand re-unification of humanity beneath Earth’s banner. Through war, diplomacy, and the slow grind of inevitability, vast stretches of the gate network now fall under Imperial rule.
But empire is easier to claim than it is to govern. While the Imperial military is formidable, it doesn’t have the power to watch over every noble house, or every border garrison. Instead, the Emperor’s will is most often enforced through his Lancers: warrior-pilots granted Imperial writ, privilege, and authority to act in his name where fleets cannot linger.
And yet, the Emperor’s reach is not infinite. As the Imperium’s borders have expanded, so has the challenge of ruling over it all from a distant throne. Internal politics and intrigue consume the throne’s attention, allowing piracy, insurgency, and heresy to grow within the frontier. Nowhere are these threats more pressing than within the Procyon Sector: the latest of Earth’s sweeping conquests to be formally integrated into the Empire. It is a region of great strategic value, rich in resources and littered with artifacts from the time of the Ancients. Given time, many believe that the territory will become a formidable jewel in the Emperor’s crown. If only he were able to tame its frontiers.
OOC Intro
Welcome to Indomitus, a character-driven mech RP set in a distant, war-touched future. You’ll take on the role of a newly inducted member of a Lancer team: elite mech pilots granted Imperial writ to act in the Emperor’s name along the fringes of civilization. With that writ comes influence, prestige, and danger.
Not every member of the party must be a Lancer. You might instead serve in a vital supporting role: a voidmage whose arcane power is both awe-inspiring and feared; a hardened commander leading the squad’s auxiliary forces; or an engineer tasked with keeping ancient machines running through grit and genius.
Whatever your path, it comes with both opportunity and responsibility. Your voidship, your machines, and the Emperor’s authority give you great reach. But you will be far from the core, where law and loyalty are more fragile than most would admit. Out here, ambition festers. Alliances shift. And everyone, from noble lords to planetary governors, will want something from you.
Setting and Lore
The Sol Imperium claims descent from Ancient Terra, and with it the mantle of humanity’s rightful steward. From the Imperial Court on Earth, the Emperor and his noble houses rule over a growing web of systems linked by the gate network, bound together by law, trade, and force of arms. To Imperial citizens, this is the Pax Imperialis: an era of stability hard-won after centuries of collapse, fragmentation, and war.
In practice, the Imperium is vast, unequal, and distant. Earth is wealthy, crowded, and politically dense, while its frontier territories are ruled at arm’s length by governors, noble proxies, and chartered interests. Imperial law is absolute in theory, but in reality it is interpreted, bent, or ignored depending on how far one stands from the Throne. Loyalty is expected everywhere; enforcement is not.
Power within the Imperium is shared uneasily between the Emperor, the noble houses, the military, and the great commercial guilds. Each claims to act in service of humanity’s unity, and each advances its own interests in the process. Intrigue at court and within the Senate is constant, and even minor shifts in favor can echo outward across entire sectors.
To manage its borders, the Imperium relies on delegation. Beyond the core worlds, authority is often exercised not by armies or administrators, but by individuals granted extraordinary latitude to act in the Emperor’s name. These agents are symbols as much as soldiers, proof that the Imperium still watches, even if it does not always intervene.
“The Procyon Sector stands as a testament to the Imperium’s civilizing mission beyond the core worlds. Once fragmented by local rivalries and inefficient governance, it has been brought into the Imperial fold through decisive action and careful stewardship.”
After the Imperium’s scientists established a connection with the Procyon Gate, the Empire mounted a concerted campaign to bring the sector’s worlds under its dominion. Slow-and-steady expansion through both diplomacy and conquest culminated in a major war with a coalition of planets calling itself the Union. Though the fighting was bloody, Imperial forces emerged with a decisive victory.
Yet Procyon remains far from pacified. Piracy, insurgency, and heretical activity persist in the outlying systems, while rival noble houses and commercial guilds maneuver for influence over resources and territory. Despite these dangers, the sector has proven a powerful draw for migrants and adventurers alike. Procyon is already home to riches and opportunities, waiting for those bold enough to seize them.
Although mechanized warfare has become a staple of modern conflict, not all pilots are equal in either skill or status. Lancers are those rare professionals who have risen to a level of ability that few can hope to match, warrior-pilots whose experience, adaptability, and reputation set them apart from conventional forces.
Within the Sol Imperium, Lancer is not merely an informal distinction, but an official title bestowed by Imperial authority. To be named a Lancer is to be granted an Imperial Writ: a legal and symbolic mandate to act in the Emperor’s name beyond the safety of the core worlds. Lancers are tasked with enforcing peace, suppressing threats to Imperial stability, and resolving crises too distant, politically sensitive, or deniable for the regular military to address directly.
The Writ grants its bearer broad latitude. Lancers are empowered to bypass local authorities, requisition resources, and intervene in disputes where Imperial interests are at stake. How they choose to exercise that authority varies widely between teams, some act as diplomats or investigators, others as shock troops or executioners. The Imperium concerns itself less with methods than with results. That authority, however, is not limitless. The Writ protects Lancers from most local laws, but not from the consequences of their actions. Noble houses, governors, guilds, and generals all watch Lancers closely, eager to exploit success or weaponize failure. A Lancer who oversteps may find their actions questioned, their support withdrawn, or their patron suddenly disinterested.
To the public, Lancers are often celebrated as heroes and icons: living proof of the Imperium’s strength and unity. In reality, few Lancers are true paragons of virtue. Chivalry and honor may be valuable in the Imperium’s interior, but pragmatism and ambition reign in the frontier. To be a Lancer is to court danger, but in return they have the power to chart their own destiny across the stars.
The Hammer of the Emperor. Feared and lauded as one of the most powerful fighting forces in the galaxy, the Imperial Army is the Imperium’s professional military. Serving the Imperium as a whole rather than any particular House, the Army is primarily responsible for defending the realm against external threats: be they barbarian kingdoms, or wayward heathens. It also serves as the ultimate deterrence against rebellious Houses, or those who seek to break the Imperium’s sacred pact of unity.
But despite its strength and reputation, the Imperial Army doesn’t have the resources to police and defend the whole empire. In times of conflict, the Emperor can call upon the levies of his vassals and the Great Houses to bolster the Army’s strength. In exchange, the Army’s ability to operate within a House’s fief is deliberately curtailed. Largely relegated to their garrisons whenever there is no immediate threat, the Army is intended to be the Imperium’s sword against its enemies, not a tool with which to oppress itself.
Technology and Magic
Coming in a variety of shapes and sizes, Armored Cores (colloquially referred to as “mechs”) have been the dominant weapon of war for generations. Predominantly humanoid, and in general commanded by a single pilot, different mech models can be designed for different battlefield roles: from the slow and bulky siege weapon, to the fast and nimble close-quarters fighter. Experienced pilots often go out of their way to customize their mechs, tweaking them so that they best suit their preferred piloting style.
While mechs are commonplace throughout humanity - from interplanetary armies to roving pirate bands - the Imperium has been uniquely successful in incorporating Ancient Terran technology into its most advanced models. These mechs, and their frighteningly advanced capabilities, are only accessible to pilots who have earned the privileges of Imperial favor. Each of these advanced mechs is unique, with prominent Houses often maintaining an inventory that can stretch back decades.
These advanced mechs, and the Lancers who pilot them, have been the tip of the spear during the Imperium’s conquest. While the Imperium’s dominance is reliant upon a suite of Terran technology, it is their mechs which have become the face of their superiority.
Despite the dominance mechs wield over the battlefield, they are often deployed with auxiliary support. An armored core without any support is vulnerable to ambushes and well-prepared aggressors. It is a short-lived pilot who dismisses the heroics of the grunts fighting at their feet.
Even for the few relativistic craft maintained by the Imperial Army, traditional travel times between star systems are measured in years. It is only through the Gate network that humanity has been able to tame the vast distances of its domain. Left behind by the ancient empires of Old Earth, the Gates are vast structures that allow ships to transition into the Drift - an extradimensional domain, where interstellar travel becomes feasible in mere days or weeks.
While the underlying technology used to build the Gates has been lost, the Imperium has poured vast resources into trying to recreate it. As the inheritors of Ancient Terra’s legacies, the Imperium sees the reactivation of all dormant Gates and the expansion of the network as crucial for the reunification of humanity. To this end, Imperial scientists are famed for their ability to strengthen and stabilize particular travel routes in the Drift. Through the use of anchors and beacons, the Imperium has been able to reduce travel times between specific systems. The restoration of the Procyon Gate has so far been the Imperium’s greatest achievement in this field.
The Ancient Terrans were, according to surviving records, the first humans to pierce the veil of the Drift. Through that alien expanse, they bridged the void between stars and laid the foundations of interstellar civilization. In the ages since, humanity has come to rely upon the Drift as a matter of necessity. And yet, the Drift remains only partially comprehended, a realm where the familiar laws of physics falter and causality itself can fray. On rare and terrible occasions, its influence bleeds into realspace, warping matter, mind, and fate alike.
Those rare individuals capable of sensing and shaping the Drift’s energies are known as voidmages. Their abilities defy conventional explanation: gravity bends, space twists, and impossible forces are momentarily given form. Yet such power is inherently unstable. Without rigorous training and iron discipline, a voidmage risks disaster: history is replete with examples of uncontrolled manifestations that left cities scarred and ships lost.
The Imperium, ever pragmatic, has sought to control the risks of using the Drift. Phenomena are studied, catalogued, and constrained within tightly regulated institutions. Sanctioned academies train voidmages for Imperial service, while select Lancer teams and research divisions may be assigned a caster where the tactical or scientific value outweighs the risk. Their use is governed by an extensive body of Imperial law, and violations are met with swift and uncompromising reprisal.
Among the wider population, voidmages inspire unease at best, and outright terror at worst. Superstition and suspicion cling to them, reinforced by centuries of cautionary tales and state messaging alike. Yet power has a way of reshaping fear. Certain bloodlines, those whose control has proven reliable across generations, have risen to prominence. These mage dynasties are courted by noble houses and shielded by privilege, trading their talents for wealth, influence, and protection. For voidmages outside such sanctioned lineages, however, the Imperium’s tolerance is far thinner, and the margin for error vanishingly small.
Character Creation
Archetypes: Below you can find some example archetypes to help define your character(s). They’re not intended to pigeon-hole you, so feel free to come up with new ones if they better describe your character’s background. Also feel free to use multiple together. For example, a scoundrel/speaker may be a fast talking smuggler, while an operative/voidtouched could be a lethal psionic assassin.
You are a master of machines. Perhaps you’ve trained at the most prestigious of academies and have a list of inventions and accolades to your name. Or perhaps you simply inherited a natural understanding of the mechanical, and were plucked from the masses by those who recognised your talent.
The galaxy is a violent place. You know that better than most. Whether by choice or circumstance, you have proven yourself to be a reliable and fearsome fighter. You might have served in one of the Imperium’s armies, or as a zealous warrior from one of its religious orders. Whatever your origin, men and women like you are forces of nature on the battlefield, highly prized by your allies and feared by your enemies.
You wield powers that defy common reason, and the galaxy eyes you warily because of it. You know the power of the Drift and have demonstrated a keen ability to ply your poorly understood trade. Perhaps you are the scion of one of the great mage dynasties, having been born-and-raised amidst the political scheming of the nobility. Or maybe you are a prodigy from the Astropathic Orders, able to cast your mind out across distances so vast that they are difficult to comprehend. Or maybe you’ve simply learned how to turn the energy of the Drift against those who wrong you, unleashing violence from your mind rather than the barrel of a gun.
Charismatic and charming, you are a natural born leader and communicator. Whether it’s from the bridge of a mighty warship, a command post just behind the frontlines, or the treacherous hallways of civilian power, you have an eye for the bigger picture and know how to get others to do what you want. Maybe you were a successful merchant or Commerce Guild envoy, or an ambassador for some other noteworthy institution. Perhaps instead you are a military officer of great renown, known to lead those under their command to victory even in the face of impossible odds.
The shadows are everywhere, and you are at home among them. While others wish to write their name across the stars, you prefer to keep a lower profile. Assassins, spies, and informants can topple kingdoms more easily than entire armies. Entire dynasties with storied pasts and generations of privilege can be brought to their knees by a dagger’s blade. This is the role of masters of disguise, thieves, and assassins alike.
[b]Name:[/b] [b]Age:[/b] [b]Archetype:[/b] (See explanation above) [b]Gender:[/b] [b]Appearance:[/b] (A description and/or art, pick your poison) [b]Occupation:[/b] (What do you do? Are you one of the team’s Lancers, or are you in a supporting role?) [b]Affiliations:[/b] (What connections do you have? Any organizations, factions, or past loyalties?) [b]Skills and Abilities:[/b] [b]Faults and Limitations:[/b] (What gets them in trouble?) [b]Biography:[/b]
[u][b]Mech:[/b][u] (Fill out if applying as a Lancer) [b]Designation/Callsign:[/b] [b]General Description:[/b] (What does your mech look like? Art and/or a physical description is fine) [b]Role and Doctrine:[/b] (How does this mech function on the battlefield? Is it a slow moving behemoth, a glass cannon, or something else entirely?) [b]Notable Armaments or Systems:[/b] (1-3 defining features for your mech. This isn’t everything that it’s capable of, but are the key capabilities that make it “special”. More may be added over the course of the rp) [b]Known Limitations or Vulnerabilities:[/b] (1-3 notable flaws, logistical constraints, or situational weaknesses)
[b][u]Bio Questionnaire:[/u][/b] (You may skip a given question or remove this section if this is answered in the rest of the app) [b]Why was your character chosen to be a member of the Lance?[/b] (What incident, reputation, or quality brought them renown?) [b]Why did your character accept the Prince’s offer to join the Lance?[/b] (Do they know of the Prince’s reputation? Did they join out of a sense of duty, ambition, desperation?)
Example Character:
Name: Prince Cassian Ardentis, Sixth Son of the Emperor Aurelius Age: 24 Archetype: Speaker Gender: M Appearance: Image Prince Cassian cuts a striking figure, even by Imperial standards. He is meticulously groomed, favoring tailored uniforms and formal attire that would be more at home in the Imperial Palace than the dust-choked docks of the frontier. Jewelry, signet rings, and subtle marks of status are ever-present, reminders of his lineage and privilege. Though physically fit by courtesy of an elite education, there is a softness to him, an ease born not of discipline, but of comfort.
Occupation: Imperial Prince, Lance Patron Affiliations: The Imperial Dynasty
Skills and Abilities: Royal Privilege - The word of an Imperial Prince carries great weight, even from one as low down in the chain of succession as Cassian. His name grants him significant influence over those wishing to curry favor with the Throne, or to avoid its displeasure.
Patron of the Lance - It is under Cassian’s nominal authority that the Lance was assembled and granted Imperial Writ. Though the Lancers do not answer to him in matters of tactics or daily operations, their legitimacy - and their legal protections - flow directly from his patronage. So long as Cassian remains their sponsor, the Lance enjoys the full privileges and immunities afforded by the Emperor’s writ.
Faults and Limitations: Inexperienced - Cassian’s education was exhaustive and expensive, but largely wasted. He proved an indifferent student in matters of strategy, command, and piloting, absorbing just enough to pass his tutors’ scrutiny. Worse still, he possesses no meaningful real-world experience. He has never faced violence without ceremony, nor made decisions where failure carried true consequences.
Princeling - Cassian lacks the hunger that drives most of the Imperium’s great figures. Concepts such as duty, sacrifice, and ambition hold little appeal for him. He finds leadership tedious and responsibility burdensome, preferring instead a life of comfort, indulgence, and curated freedom. As a commander, he is unreliable at best. It is fortunate for all involved that he has little interest in exercising direct control over the Lance.
Biography: Cassian Ardentis was born into greatness, and never quite understood what the fuss was about. The youngest son born after Emperor Aurelius’ ascension, he grew up in the long shadow cast by older siblings whose ambition, discipline, and political instincts far outstripped his own. Where they sought legacy, Cassian sought comfort; where they plotted futures, he indulged in the present.
His adolescence was marked by scandal and excess. The Palace worked tirelessly to maintain a polished public image, but among the noble elite Cassian earned a reputation as a charming liability: a socialite, a philanderer, and a perennial disappointment. For a time, the Emperor indulged his youngest son, confident that maturity would come in due course. It did not.
As Aurelius aged and the question of succession grew increasingly urgent, Cassian found himself dragged into the web of palace intrigue. Though far removed from any serious claim to the throne, he became a useful pawn in the maneuvering of his siblings. He despised every moment of it, caring little who would one day inherit the crown so long as it was not him.
And so Cassian devised an escape.
If his father demanded service to the Imperium, then Cassian would provide it: far from Earth, far from the court, and far from the endless games of dynastic power. By sponsoring a Lance and accepting a posting in the volatile Procyon Sector, he could cloak his retreat as duty. The Emperor would finally have something proud to say about his sixth son, his siblings would look elsewhere for rivals, and Cassian himself would gain distance, freedom, and access to the many indulgences the frontier promised.
In Cassian’s mind, it was the perfect solution. Of course, many of the usual candidates who would form a Lance soured at the idea of serving under that Prince. But the Imperium was a large place, and Cassian was certain that there would be those out there who would answer the call.
For what it’s worth, everyone should feel free to post character apps here in the ooc thread if you’d prefer. I appreciate the efforts to bump up my rookie PM numbers, but it’s not necessary.
Hm. Wondering if I should create a Lancer as a second character for times when the ships won't be involved?
It could be fun. While I’m hoping to give non-Lancers some of the limelight, I’d be interested to see what ideas you’re cooking up for a second character.
Added my CS, with a few small edits and cleanup of faulty code.
I'm really appreciating that we have four quite different characters so far, that variety will make things interesting.
Agreed! I’m sure the former pirate is going to make lots of friends.
Name: Major Baron Wilhelm von Zollern-Krauthammer II of New Brabant Age: 103 Archetype: Soldier/Commander Gender: Male Appearance: (A description and/or art, pick your poison) Image Willy is old, really old. Most of the time his age makes him look respectable as he wears his pristine uniform with a veritable shelf of medals, with some of the highest honors of the empire repeating multiple times, giving more weight to the piecing gaze of his one good eye. Some times however he carries the weight of time on his shoulder. For example he usually goes around with a cane and easily goes out of breath from even a short walk and can sometimes fall asleep in briefings.
Occupation: Lancer Affiliations: Imperial Order of Heroes (Commander), Imperial Military Academy (Dean)
Skills and Abilities: Illustrious Veteran - Old Willy would have made it to Imperial Field Marshall if he hadn't refused dozens of promotions to remain in the field, he has been part of every war the empire fought for the last century and is the definition of leading by example and never ordering his soldiers to do anything he himself wouldn't do. This 'first in, last out' attitude has earned him the loyalty and admiration of the entire Imperial army and no one would dare to flee the field while this old man still fights.
Century of Favors - Willy never left the battlefield, but most of those who served with him at some point went on to greater things. There is thus several generations of veterans in every walk of life of imperial society that owe this man their lives and whom he can call on for favors.
Faults and Limitations: Past his Prime - Wilhelm is old, very old. Although he says the years haven't affected him in the slightest, it's an obvious lie. He isn't as quick as he once was and sometimes his mind plays tricks on him. He's been hiding it well, but its showing more and more.
Death Wish - This will be Wilhelm's last campaign and he knows it. That he managed to convince the Prince to take him on is already miracle enough and it won't happen again. This is why, gods help him, he intends to go out like a soldier and not in his own urine in a retirement home.
Biography: Wilhelm is the model imperial soldier, he came from nothing in the slums of old Earth and fought for his empire and his emperor(s) with tooth and nail for almost a century. He went everywhere and did everything, fighting in civil wars and anti-pirate actions every time with distinction and honor. Just like him however, this story is getting old.
Even in the time of Cassian's grand-father, Wilhelm was old news. At the time he had been the youngest person to make it from enlisted to Major and had a career so decorated it put his name in the history books. When he continued his career and refused promotion after promotion it was seen as exceptional gallantry... for a while. When Cassian's father took the throne however, the narrative had changed. People were starting to get tired of this old man who refused to quit the limelight and who frankly placed unreasonable expectations on the other imperial officers. At first they tried to nudge him into retirement more subtly by giving him the title of Baron and an entire planet for him and his heirs to inherit, then more directly by promoting him to Dean of the Imperial Military Academy, a honorary role that didn't actually require anything out of him.
Wilhelm hung around the imperial palace, watching political events and desperately trying to convince people to give him another assignment only for people to smile at him and politely tell him that he was 'too important to risk' and that he should enjoy a well deserved retirement in the empire he helped building. They were polite but the message was clear: Fuck off, you old decrepit fossil. Finally however he saw his chance with Prince Cassian, going to him to offer his expertise and something that might be of more use than an old soldier: All the favors he had accumulated through the years that would be at the Prince's disposition.
Truth is, Wilhelm doesn't care if he was chosen out of pragmatism, genuine respect or just pity, he needs this. His wife has been dead for years, he has survived most of his children and the rest he doesn't really have a relation with after spending his life on the front line. War is all that he has and he wishes to have one last great adventure so he can die a worthy death like hundreds of friends and fellow soldiers did beside him through all these years.
Mech: Designation/Callsign: (Old) Ironside General Description: Image People usually expect the oldest soldier of the empire to show up with an hyper customized antiquity, but are surprise to see him with a run-of-the-mill mass produced BL-6-KNT 'Black Knight' command mech. But the truth is, this is a mech that was heavily customized at his specification; who do you think was the 'average field commander' the mech was designed around?
Role and Doctrine: As the empire and its military budget grew, so did the ambition to make models after models of small batch hyper specialized mechs for every possible occasion that rely on an army of technicians and logisticians to keep it running. Wilhelm in contrast helped design a work horse, a mech that was modular enough to have an answer to most situations it would encounter and simple enough to always be operable. It is thus said that while the KNT series of mech is never a pilot's top choice, it will be by far the favorite of any technician in a motor pool that will be able to fix it quickly and easily with plentiful parts.
Notable Armaments or Systems: Roundtable Comm. suite - As a command mech, special emphasis was placed on this mech's information sharing module, allowing it to merge the data links of not just other members of the Lance, but of ground, air and space operatives to give the pilot a bigger picture of what's happening.
Uppercut Missile - A big, dumb, stupid rocket with a needlessly huge payload. Because you might jam this mech's aiming, you may be faster and you may have whatever other trick up your sleeve, but I don't need to hit you if I just delete an entire city block.
Blizzard Canisters - The one 'eccentricity' Wilhelm allowed himself, he loaded most of his smoke launchers with Blizzard Canisters, basically grenades that shower an area with fragments. It won't destroy a mech, but it can severely damage sensors and cameras. It will also turn infantry into pink mist.
Known Limitations or Vulnerabilities: Mass Produced - The Black Knight is a good mech, compared to other generic mechs. It however lacks the punch, armor, speed and special systems to compete with some of the more exotic mechs out there.
Known Quantity - The Black Knight is one of the longest running Mass Production unit of the last century, chances are if a war had mechs participating in it, it had Black Knights fighting in it. This means that this mech, its strength and limitations, are well known by just about everyone. The pilot might surprise an enemy, but the mech and it's stats certainly won't.
@Bentus Question: are mechs flight and/or zero-G capable in this setting? Or is it largely ground-based warfare? Assuming the latter based on the inspirations, but just wanted to make sure.
@Bentus Question: are mechs flight and/or zero-G capable in this setting? Or is it largely ground-based warfare? Assuming the latter based on the inspirations, but just wanted to make sure.
Good question, and I might add the answer to this in an FAQ at some point. Most mechs are capable of flying and fighting in space, and mechs are commonly used in the setting's more "science fantasy" style of space combat. However, flight within an atmosphere is a different can of worms. While some mechs intended for more maneuverable fighting styles might come equipped with jump packs, only specialized models would be capable of proper flight. Those that are also function more like helicopters than high-speed fighter jets.
Name: Major Baron Wilhelm von Zollern-Krauthammer II of New Brabant Age: 103 Archetype: Soldier/Commander
- snip -
Another solid character! The Major Baron is Accepted, go ahead and add the CS to the character page.
Name: Stader Volger Age: 36 Archetype: Soldier/Operative Gender: Male Appearance: A man of pale complexion and a short buzz cut favored by those who spend their days in vacuum suits. He stands an unremarkable 6 foot even with a lean frame that favors that of a swimmers build. His only distinctive features is the Imperial Army regulation mustache that offset his Arctic blue eyes. A careful eye however would notice the faint scar and slightly different coloring that signified his leg arm is a replacement; regrown Occupation: Commander of the 89th Lancer Support Company (Callsign Onyx-9) Affiliations: The 89th LSC currently falls under the Field Operations and Support Command of the Imperial Intelligence Bureau.
Skills and Abilities: Snake Eater: A scalpel to the Lancer’s hammer; Volger and the troopers of Onyx-9 are experts of assume trick warfare. Their job to help the path of the Lancer’s be made easier whether that be the sudden disappearance of anti armor teams, powered defenses or even an unsecured hatch. Volger’s job is to gain the advantage for his side however the cost.
Every Clime: Every Lancer Support Company is competent in the same missions and qualifications. But certain subsections specialize more towards niches. The troopers of Onyx-9 are trained more towards orbital and near orbital assault. Zero gee seizures of stations and ships being their more prominent feature.
Faults and Limitations:
Red Tape: The world of Imperial Intelligence is a nonsensical over bloated mass of departments and acronyms from this unaccustomed. To those accustomed, it is a mass of checks, balances and overlapping responsibilities that leave several departments stymied at best and ineffective at worst. Volger is no exception. With his boundaries and limitations changing on the whims of whatever jurisdiction his command will have fallen under at the time.
Been There, Done That: Volger’s attitude of the empire has decayed with each drop and mission. While still professionally and publicly the upstanding IIB commander; he is personally a cynical professional who has resorted to grouping encounters into generalizations.
Biography:
Originally from a deep water mining colony on Europa; Volger saw the life awaiting him. Exploring dark underwater caves from mineral deposits; fighting hostile sea life, high pressure and cheap equipment for a shot at the next day to repeat the cycle. It was in this environment that he lost an elder brother and two younger sisters before he signed up with the Imperial Army in a bid to escape what he thought was a death sentence.
Instead he had signed up for a different kind of sentence. The Imperium had suffered an outbreak of rebellion in the Zeta Dorado system. So the mighty hammer of the Imperium assembled; ships, Lancers, tanks and legions of troopers. Amongst that assembly was Private Stader Volger. Initially a rifleman; Volger was part of the first wave of planetary shuttles a staggering six times. An unheard of feat especially given that campaign’s higher then usual casualty rate.
It was on his sixth landing of the campaign; assaulting a mining complex turned command bunker in a moon; that he distinguished himself. His unit overrun and their stragglers being picked off; Volger had triggered the rebels own scuttling charges. Taking out the majority of the rebel high command on the planet. Volger, pinned by rocks, was reported to have cut off his own pinned arm cauterized the stump with a burning hot piece of rebar and clawed his way out of a ventilation shaft with his remaining limb.
Here he caught the attention of Imperial Intelligence, and while recovering and getting his replacement limb readied, was recruited into their ranks. Months of testing and assessments found him suitable for the Lancer Support Companies. Upon his full recovery he began touring with the 722nd Lancer Support Company (Cobalt-18). An amphibious specialized unit; Volger found himself once again in dark underwater caves of Europa. Supporting the local Lancers; the Vanguards of the Imperial Tide. Two years on Europa ended with the Vanguard liquidated as an entity; its leader executed for treason.
Volger was transferred as XO to the 41st LSC (Indigo-2). Specializing in hazardous materials; he would spend three years helping the Void Ship [i]Unrepentant[i] and its compliment of Imperial sponsored Lancers track down and destroy a terrorist group planning a chemical weapons attack. Success there brought glory and rewards for all involved.
With Volger’s award being his how Lancer Support Company. The 89th, a space assault unit, was in need of a commander as it was slated for attachment to the Imperial Prince’s void ship. Necessary; since the void ship’s last attachment had been transferred due to a sudden urgency for their jungle warfare skills. Volger is looking forward to his first full time command; but is hesitant given the situation.
Nothing is ever straightforward in the Empire. Even less so when the royal family is involved.
Age: 23 Archetype: Soldier/Commander Gender: Female Appearance: 5’8”, lithe build, typically wearing either a flightsuit or formal officer dress. Occupation: Lancer, Imperial Army Lieutenant Affiliations: Imperial Court (former), House Dvalin, Imperial Army Skills and Abilities:
Ruthless Aggression: Disgraced, hungry for accolades, and willing to do anything in the name of victory, Aria bears a fire in her that serves her well on the battlefield. She bears no aversion towards wetwork and dishonorable tactics, not batting an eye if that’s what it takes to succeed in a mission.
Noble Contacts: Even with House Svalin in a state of humiliation and near-ruin, debts must be paid. Any noble house with enough decades and centuries to its pedigree bears a long line of alliances and favors owed, all informally categorized but still remembered. Aria can leverage what remains of her family’s reputation to at least receive audiences with the house’s old allies, though whether or not she receives aid at a bearable cost, or any aid at all, is up in the air.
Budding Ace: While still young, Aria’s begun to build a reputation for herself as an up-and-comer in the military, irrespective of her family’s reputation. She impressed in simulations at pilot academy and performed well enough in her first deployment that her name is likely on a shortlist somewhere in terms of military careers to watch out for.
Faults and Limitations:
Recklessly Aggressive: The same will and fire that fuels Aria is also a double-edged sword. She’s all too willing to discard good sense and caution if she thinks she can leverage an advantage, and is easily goaded in the face of perceived timidity or cowardice.
Disgraced Name: Hans Dvalin, Aria’s father, was accused of and convicted in seventeen cases of illegal market manipulation, deception of Imperial authorities, and murder of a rival noble competitor. For this, House Svalin’s assets were seized and its name muddied, the pieces left for Aria to pick up. Those with any knowledge of the Imperial Court will recognize her family name and the disgrace associated with it.
Biography: Born as the first daughter and eldest child to the venerable and noble House Dvalin, Aria spent her childhood raised on Old Earth itself, her family a prominent player in the Imperial Court. She was at least acquainted with several of Emperor Aurelius’s imperial scions, though the only one that could be called a friend was one Prince Cassian. They were playmates and schoolmates in their youth, with Aria trying her best to rein in his budding excesses in their pre-adolescent years, lest he drag her down when he was inevitably caught.
The silver lining there was that she didn’t have to personally witness Cassian’s descent into scandal and debauchery during their teenage years, as House Dvalin was implicated in graft, treachery, and murder. All common failings of the high nobility, but to be caught was to be punished severely. Aria’s parents were executed, their assets seized, and both she and her younger siblings were split up and rendered wards of the state. House Dvalin still existed, as the children weren’t technically punished for the sins of their parents, and she was now its head, but that was to be a matriarch of nothing. Her extended family saw which way the wind was blowing and scattered both physically and socially, leaving her alone.
And all of that just wouldn’t do. Having been raised in the highest halls of power itself, Aria swore to return one day and bring her family name back to prominence. Of course, a teenage girl with no resources and a tarred name had no way of doing that alone. Thus, the moment she came of age, she applied to and was accepted into an imperial military academy. Aria spent her academy years pouring blood, sweat, and tears into ensuring she was to be the best she could be, and was rewarded by passing with flying colors, earning the privilege of being named a Lancer and sent along to her first deployment immediately. She performed with distinction against pirates, raiders, and rebels, but still knew that this wasn’t catapulting the Svalin name up to the halls of power anywhere quickly enough. Something had to change.
It was around this time that word of Prince Cassian’s Lance being formed reached her. While it burned to remember such an old childhood friend, and it was outright bizarre to hear of this after hearing of his debaucheries during her time in the academy, Aria nonetheless didn’t hesitate. Her current deployment was ending anyways, and she would be reassigned soon. Thus, she was the one who reached out first, hoping to leverage her old association and childhood friendship with the Prince to secure a spot in his Lance. Nepotistic? Perhaps. Did she care? Not at all. Whatever it took. One way or another, she would find her way back to Earth. This was just the most expedient way to do so that Aria could see.
AC: ARMATUS
Role and Doctrine: While still largely resembling the chassis of a generalist Leonard stock unit, the Armatus is modified under the hood to specialize in aerial mobility and interception. Some armor was stripped to improve speed and aerodynamic performance, turning the unit into a high-speed, low-drag interceptor capable of anti-air and ground capabilities alike. Typically armed with a generalist suite of weapons, aiming to whittle down enemies at range before moving in for a decisive kill stroke up close.
Notable Armaments or Systems:
Aerial High-Mobility Suite: A combination of a back-mounted jump pack, several jump jets installed into the leg module, and enhanced thrusters give the Armatus a greater amount of aerial movement compared to most mechs, capable of zipping around midair for some time.
SPAMRAAM Missile Launcher: Smart-Propelled Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Armor Missiles. Designed for saturation fire to overwhelm enemy point defense, the SPAMRAAM fires a barrage of micro missiles per salvo. While the penetrative and explosive power of each are minimal on their own, their combined effect when enough missiles overwhelm enemy defenses are comparable to heavier payloads.
Skyeye Targeting Suite: An upgraded FCS and sensors. Enables a wide-range multi-lock and enhances target lock capabilities to a medium degree.
Known Limitations or Vulnerabilities:
Stripped Armor: While not near the extreme of a true glass cannon, the Armatus still had enough of its armor plating removed to accommodate its jump jets that its defensive capabilities are below that of a standard model of its make. In a prolonged or cramped fight, this will prove to be an issue.
Off The Shelf: While customized to a degree, the Armatus’s profile is still obviously that of a moderately common Leonard unit. Thus, its general capabilities are still easily able to be estimated.
Specs Restricted: Outside of its exceptional mobility, the Armatus bears no other distinguishing characteristics. The weight limit and energy load required to maintain its speed and boost capability limit it to using average weaponry besides the SPAMRAAMs. It would take excessive fine-tuning and likely an internal overhaul to accommodate a hypothetical engine refit that would solve these issues, as the Leonard’s stock engine is only barely keeping up with the demands the unit is placing on it.
Good to see you Terrans! The app looks great, Accepted. I love that we have two spooks in the Lance now, I wonder if that Byzantine bureaucracy you mention is going to rear its head!
Lieutenant Aria Svalin Age: 23 Archetype: Soldier/Commander Gender: Female Appearance: 5’8”, lithe build, typically wearing either a flightsuit or formal officer dress. Occupation: Lancer, Imperial Army Lieutenant Affiliations: Imperial Court (former), House Svalin, Imperial Army
-snip-
Great concept, Accepted. It’s going to be interesting to see how her ambition of reclaiming her family’s past glory, her anger at how she was treated, and the opportunities in Procyon all crash together.
@Kensai Yeah, it kind of occurred to me on review that I accidentally made things a bit too similar (wrote most of it in a single drunken haze). Can rework it if you think it's stepping on your toes too much.
That's an interesting point - I think that while the two characters are mechanically somewhat similar, their personalities and motivations are sufficiently distinct that it won't be too much of a problem in play. Aria is aggressive and motivated by personal drives, whereas Sharlin is a lot cooler and more professional. And where the Armatus and Phantom are both glass cannons, the Armatus is an interceptor type that relies on mobility while the Phantom is primarily a stealth reconnaissance and EW platform. So we aren't overlapping that much.
Luckily I changed Sharlin's hair colour from silver to brunette though. That would really have been too on the nose... or just an indicator that Prince Cassian really has a "type".
