Supermaxx

Mass Effect: Vigil

Sigma, biotic disaster

	John Bauer Nickname: Sig Callsign: Sigma Height: 6’0 ft Weight: 190 lbs Age: 37 Birthplace: Berlin, Earth Birth date: February 27th, 2150 CE Race: Human Class: Vanguard

Profile

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APPEARANCE◢

Tall, sturdy, and cybernetically-enhanced, Sig is built to take as much of a beating as he can deliver. His face has been smashed apart and reconstructed half a dozen times, and even the best docs would struggle to work with the surviving material. Off-color skin grafts sit alongside scars aplenty. A crooked nose saddles between two glowing cybernetic eyes. His hair's going grey before he's even turned forty, and his hairline's already begun to recede. Just below the neck is a canvas of prosthetics, old wounds and bad ink. In short: he's an ugly motherfucker.

He dresses as poorly as he looks, too, preferring ratty military surplus with all function and no form. The only decent piece in his collection is his armor, and keeping it nice and shiny is regulation.

MOTIVATIONS AND OUTLOOK◢

The war gave Bauer something he'd never had: perspective. For his whole life he'd only ever looked out for himself. Afterall, nobody else was going to. He'd only ever been a tool to be used and discarded or a rival to be put in the dirt; why would he treat anyone else any different? People were selfish. They were cruel. Then came the war, and he saw some of the worst scum in the galaxy pulling families from collapsed building, patching up injured old men and comforting frightened children. Fragile as people turned out to be, wicked as they could be, they were capable of tremendous good, too. The road to atonement was long and steep, but it was climb he was willing to undertake.

BACKGROUND◢

John Siegfried Bauer was the second child of John and Ariel Bauer, a pair of starship maintenance technicians. An engine leak at the space port had exposed Ariel and her unborn child to Element Zero, resulting in two things: John Jr developing biotic abilities as a pre-teen, and Ariel contracting terminal cancer. Her death broke her husband, leaving him all-too vulnerable when agents of Conatix Industries showed up at his door 'requesting' to take his son away for his own safety. Dad had no fight left in him and let the boy go.

They carted him off to Gagarin Station, an isolated outpost at the edge of the Sol system, to participate in the 'BAaT' program: Biotic Acclimation and Temperance Training. Or, as the kids liked to call it, Brain Camp. It was a cruel, grueling environment where children were treated as weapons to be honed rather than people. It broke many of them, even killed a few. Those that survived the ordeal would have to live with the unstable, pain-inducing implants the program had forced on them. Sig was only nineteen when BAaT shutdown. With no home worth going back to, he hitched a ride on the first boat out of system.

Fate found him wandering the stars not long after. A cargo freighter he was working on came under attack by Eclipse mercenaries. They boarded the vessel and made quick work of its few marines, rounding up its occupants in the lower holds until they identified their target. Sig made the stupid decision to attack them instead of going quietly, lashing out with biotic power and nearly blowing a hole in the side of the ship. That display of violence impressed the boarding party's leader, Captain Baines, enough to keep her from executing him- instead offering him a place on her crew. He accepted.

Sigma fought under Eclipse for the next eighteen years. He took part in the Skyllian Blitz in 2176, receiving grievous injuries that required extensive cybernetic augmentation to fix. He was a hitman on Omega, smuggled Prothean artifacts out of the Attican Traverse, kidnapped dignitaries on the Citadel; he stole starships, sabotaged planetary defenses, dueled krogan bounty hunters on distant moons. Sigma was the gun and Eclipse was his wielder, and for the longest time he didn't give two shits about what he was asked to do. He owed this company his life for giving him a chance all those years ago- he'd do anything they asked of him.

The Reapers changed all that. They descended on the Milky Way in a fury, butchering whole worlds. Countless people were lost in indiscriminate culling: not a single soul was spared. It was madness. He never understood the true depths of evil until he witnessed the desolation of the batarian colonies. Numerous mercenary companies were hired by what was left of the Hedgemony to fill in for its decimated military: they performed everything from search and rescue to escort duty for refugees to emergency triage. They fought running battles against the advancing Reaper fleets, hoping to buy enough time for the colonies to evacuate as many people as they could. Sig could never put to words how those days changed him. He began to reflect.

Batarian civilization was shattered in less than a week. Eclipse retreated from their cluster, scattering to lick their wounds and decide what to do next. One truth became readily apparent: no one could sit out this fight; not Eclipse, and not Sig. His crew joined in on the massive, multi-species coalition set to fight the Reapers. He found himself shipped across the galaxy, fighting shoulder to shoulder with many of his worst enemies from his previous life. The war effort brought him back home. Besieged earth, having suffered long under Reaper occupation, would be the site of the final battle for the Milky Way.

Victory came at a high cost. Earth was in ruins, the survivors were divided and scattered, and loss of the relay had left the system totally isolated from outside help. Sig has spent the last month just trying to survive the harsh conditions, offering a helping hand wherever he could. The hope is to reconnect with the rest of the Eclipse on Earth and find out what their plan is, but thus far he's been unsuccessful.

It seems he's on his own again.

Capabilities

---

FLAWS◢

An overwhelming guilt complex
Suffers from biotic-induced night terrors and acute migraines
tech illiterate
poor people skills

POWERS◢

Biotic Charge
Shockwave
Barrier
Warp

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CRIMES◢

John Siegfried Bauer has been charged with numerous accounts of: piracy, smuggling, kidnapping, murder and operating a shuttle without a license. He is wanted across several jurisdictions. Sigma has a reputation in the underworld for shooting first and forgetting to ask questions; yet paradoxical to his brutality he's been known to reject contracts on 'moral grounds,' refusing to go after underage, unarmed or otherwise 'innocent' targets. Those that've mocked him for his supposed weakness have been met with a headbutt to the nose or worse.

RELATIONS AND AFFILIATIONS◢

Longtime member of Eclipse, a 'private security organization'
Subordinate to Captain Baines
Former BAaT student
Estranged son of John Bauer Sr

OPINIONS◢

ur all stinky poopy haha

Inventory

---

CREDITS & VALUABLES◢ 700 credits	OUTFIT◢ Ariake's Medium 'Mercenary' Armor (Eclipse Variant) A heavy cloak
WEAPON & TOOLS◢ M-27 Scimitar M-6 Carnifex L2 Biotic Implants	CONSUMABLE◢ A week's worth of food and water Enough thermal clips for a small army
ID & DOCUMENTS◢ Forged ID for an 'Alistair Black'	BAGS & CONTAINERS◢ A hefty kit bag for lugging around supplies

ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʙy ᴍᴀɴ

5'10" | 150 lb

Name

'Garish' Garland Tyrell

Age

18

House

Tyrell

Personality

• Ostentatious
• Flippant
• Affable

Weapon of Choice

Longbow

Talents

• Archery
• Tracking
• Sneaky-thieving

History

Garland was the fifth son of Leonard Tyrell, the Master of Law, and the ninth child overall. Highgarden was overgrown with flowers, and its gardeners had little time for any flower in particular. It was a battle for even a scrap of attention from his parents, and he quickly learned the two best ways to get it: to be the absolute best in the house at something, or cause enough trouble to be worthy of their wrath. All his bothers- Lorent, Ormund, Steffon, Samwell- and some of his sisters- Rhea, Olenna - proved Garland's better at swordsmanship and riding, and his eldest sister, Elinor, was perhaps the most scholarly woman in all the Reach.

None could claim to be more troublesome than he, however, for little Gar turned out to be a quite proficient procurer of other people's belongings. He'd climb through high windows or slip a key from a guard's belt to steal something innocuous and get himself caught soon after. When corporal punishment proved ineffective, Leonard turned to Alester Rowan, his Master-at-arms and a tyrant with a blade: Rowan would either fashion the boy into something of worth or kill him trying.

It took many a battering and a bruising before Garland found something he was good at. He may not be able to cross swords with any of his siblings but he had an uncanny eye with a bow, able to hit a bullseye thrice in a row at seventy paces out. Over the course of several months he grew in skill and strength, adding on draw weight until he was able to wield a proper longbow as easily as Lorent wielded a greatsword. It wasn't until Gar won the archery tourney at Highgarden that it stopped being a punishment- that tournament was the first time he could ever recall seeing pride on his father's face. From then on he chose to pursue it of his own volition, dedicating himself to perfecting his craft.

Hunting proved to be his preferred method of practice compared to shooting targets in a courtyard. Birds were swift and unpredictable, but went down easily if snuck up on. Elk rarely fell in a single shot, requiring he pursue them for hours at a time. He learned to follow a trail of prints in even the worst of weather. And wild dogs and boar never died without a fight- if Gar wasn't swift and accurate, he'd be dead many times over.

The first true test of his skill came at a tourney in King's Landing, where he was put up against the best the realms had to offer. Knights, lords and men of great renown who'd spent their whole lives shooting- who was this boy against their like? A force to be reckoned with, he'd soon prove, holding his own against the best of them. Garland was a crowd pleaser, too- he'd prance around like a show pony, mocking his opponents to throw them off their game. Though he didn't win, he earned himself a reputation...and the name Garish for his misdeeds.

His antics were enough to get him an audience with Vaeron, the Targaryen prince, whom Garland was quick to befriend- there's no better friend to have than the future king of the seven kingdoms, after all.

Relations

Vaeron: Garland sought the princeling out at a tourney in King's Landing a few years ago. Gar had made a fool out of a few too many important people, and the only thing that'd keep his head on his shoulders was a Targaryen to hide behind. In exchange for bailing him out of trouble, Gar promised to show Vaeron how to live a little: and the prince and the troublemaker became fast friends. Gar would make his way to King's Landing with his father as often as possible, ensuring his time there would be as memorable as the last.

Lira: heeeey ;)

Bors: local man too stupid for his own good

Greyjoy: lmao nerd

Peake: uhh

Trivia

Garland remains unmarried despite receiving a number of offers from other houses. He has a reputation as a habitual flirt.

ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʙy ᴍᴀɴ

CS

5'10" | 150 lb

Name

'Garish' Garland Tyrell

Age

18

House

Tyrell

Personality

• Ostentatious
• Flippant
• Affable

Weapon of Choice

Longbow

Talents

• Archery
• Tracking
• Stealth

History

Garland was the fifth son of Leonard Tyrell, the Master of Law, and the ninth child overall. Highgarden was overgrown with flowers, and its gardeners had little time for any flower in particular. It was a battle for even a scrap of attention from his parents, and he quickly learned the two best ways to get it: to be the absolute best in the house at something, or cause enough trouble to be worthy of their wrath. All his bothers- Lorent, Ormund, Steffon, Samwell- and some of his sisters- Rhea, Olenna - proved Garland's better at swordsmanship and riding, and his eldest sister, Elinor, was perhaps the most scholarly woman in all the Reach.

None could claim to be more troublesome than he, however, for little Gar turned out to be a quite proficient procurer of other people's belongings. He'd climb through high windows or slip a key from a guard's belt to steal something innocuous and get himself caught soon after. When corporal punishment proved ineffective, Leonard turned to Alester Rowan, his Master-at-arms and a tyrant with a blade: Rowan would either fashion the boy into something of worth or kill him trying.

It took many a battering and a bruising before Garland found something he was good at. He may not be able to cross swords with any of his siblings but he had an uncanny eye with a bow, able to hit a bullseye thrice in a row at seventy paces out. Over the course of several months he grew in skill and strength, adding on draw weight until he was able to wield a proper longbow as easily as Lorent wielded a greatsword. It wasn't until Gar won the archery tourney at Highgarden that it stopped being a punishment- that tournament was the first time he could ever recall seeing pride on his father's face. From then on he chose to pursue it of his own volition, dedicating himself to perfecting his craft.

Hunting proved to be his preferred method of practice compared to shooting targets in a courtyard. Birds were swift and unpredictable, but went down easily if snuck up on. Elk rarely fell in a single shot, requiring he pursue them for hours at a time. He learned to follow a trail of prints in even the worst of weather. And wild dogs and boar never died without a fight- if Gar wasn't swift and accurate, he'd be dead many times over.

The first true test of his skill came at a tourney in King's Landing, where he was put up against the best the realms had to offer. Knights, lords and men of great renown who'd spent their whole lives shooting- who was this boy against their like? A force to be reckoned with, he'd soon prove, holding his own against the best of them. Garland was a crowd pleaser, too- he'd prance around like a show pony, mocking his opponents to throw them off their game. Though he didn't win, he earned himself a reputation...and the name Garish for his misdeeds.

His antics were enough to get him an audience with Vaeron, the Targaryen prince, whom Garland was quick to befriend- there's no better friend to have than the future king of the seven kingdoms, after all.

Relations

Vaeron: Garland sought the princeling out at a tourney in King's Landing a few years ago. Gar had made a fool out of a few too many important people, and the only thing that'd keep his head on his shoulders was a Targaryen to hide behind. In exchange for bailing him out of trouble, Gar promised to show Vaeron how to live a little: and the prince and the troublemaker became fast friends. Gar would make his way to King's Landing with his father as often as possible, ensuring his time there would be as memorable as the last.

Trivia

Garland remains unmarried despite receiving a number of offers from other houses. He has a reputation as a habitual flirt.

ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʙy ᴍᴀɴ

ewrf

Rogue Continuum: The Singularity Crisis (A DC and Marvel RP)

N O M A D

---

'New York, 1932. I was tiny back then: shorter and skinnier than just about everybody I knew. Timid, too. Kids liked to pick on me so I didn't have a whole lotta friends. Had Buck, though, and he was trouble enough for the both of us. Parents were taking me to Coney Island that weekend and I convinced 'em to let Bucky come along. We were s'posed to spend the whole day there, but the weather took a turn just after lunch. Mom and pop wanted to head back, but we weren't ready yet. Hadn't been to the beach yet, and Bucky loved the beach. Wasn't much of a swimmer, myself, but I would'a done anything for Buck...so the two of us slipped away first chance we got.

Weather was bad enough that they'd closed the beach off for the day. Said the water was dangerous. We didn't think it was worth gettin' in trouble for nothing, so we worked our way 'round to the pier where they usually offered boat rides to tourists and old folks. They were closin' that down, too, but not as tight: nothin' the two of us couldn't slip by. I still remember starin' down into those choppy depths and thinkin' it could'a been twenty feet down or the deepest part of the ocean and I wouldn't known the difference; it'd swallow me up either way.

Buck offered me fifty cents if I jumped in first. I said he was nuts. He said he'd be in right after me. So I took a running leap off the pier and fell for what felt like a year before I hit the water. It was scary, but I was proud of myself for doin' it- then a wave hit me like a truck, and I went under. My heels were over my head before I knew what was happening. Didn't even have time to hold my breath.

I remember my chest burning. S'strange thing, burning underwater, but that's the best word for it. Try as I might to hold what little air I had in my lungs, I only lasted a few seconds before I inhaled. Every moment of it crawled by, refusing to just get it over with. I've been beaten, stabbed and shot more times than I can count, but that day always stands out as the worst of it. I've never felt so helpless. S'not like I can stem the blood loss or punch out the sea. You're helpless for every slow, agonizing moment of it.

Buck didn't lie, though. He went right in after me.'

New York, now. Whenever now is. Steve stood at the edge of of the Empire State Building's spire, looking out after the vast ocean stretching to the horizon in every direction. He kept one hand wrapped 'round a thick, metal cable so he didn't go blowing away in the wind. It was hard to wrap his head around where he was, even after the fast guy explained it. This was surely New York, but not his New York? And it wasn't the future, either, or maybe it was- but not really? His head hurt just thinking about it.

It wasn't fake seemed to be the point to take from all this. Everything that happened in that twisted psycho-circus full'a spacemen was the real deal, not Steve losing his marbles. And this was a real New York full of real people, who'd met as grizzly an end as he could possibly imagine. The scale of it was incomprehensible. The tallest building in the world was up to its antenna in water. That could only mean that everywhere looked like this. The entire damn planet was flooded. This was ripped right out of the pages of Genesis, just...without any ark this time 'round, if the martian and the freaky child were to be believed.

"...And the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh." He muttered to himself, nary above a whisper. Then he gave a small prayer for the dead and looked to the rest of that strange group of people.

The boy had taken a dive to confirm their suspicions and scrounge up what supplies he could find. It was no duty for a child yet he seemed weirdly nonplussed about the whole thing. Steve thanked him and ate what no one else did- his body was far and away more efficient than a peak human's. He could live off that last meal he'd eaten for a few more weeks before things got dicey. Still, even super soldiers had to eat and drink eventually.

Try as he did to stay focused on the task at hand, his mind wandered. All five of them were from different worlds...realities. Each seemed wildly different from the rest according to what conversation they'd shared in the few hours they'd been stuck together up here. He wondered if there was anything they all had in common. For as different as they were, there was plenty he recognized from their stories, too...seemed like no matter what world they were from there was always a New York, for example.

Steve cleared his throat and spoke up against his better judgement, looking to the fast man from the future that seemed to know so much. He asked that little, terrifying question that'd been chewing at the back of his mind: "Do we always lose the war?"

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Location: City Sewers -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

A dull ring sounded in his ears. Muscles tensed. Pens and needles ran along every inch of skin as his perception warped, acutely aware of even the smallest movement. He could hear a bead of sweat run down a forehead, or the distant sound of something small falling into a pool. Could feel every individual beat of his quickening heart. Could smell far too acutely all the muck swirling in the air all around them. Inhale, exhale. Strange, confusing, alarming for this to happen here and now.

It wasn't a pleasant story. He didn't like following little Kelly back to that room. Didn't want to climb into that closest and see what she'd seen. But a poor facsimile of the real thing that it was- how must it have felt for her then? How could one comprehend even a fraction of what she felt then? He couldn't understand. No one could, he understood now. He was but a passenger, waiting to get off at the next stop and never look back. She was stuck on this train. Stuck in this closet.

"Jesus, Kells," he murmured, stupefied.

It struck him how unprepared he was for this. He hadn't a clue how to comfort someone in so much pain. All he was doing was staring like a dumbstruck idiot, arguing with himself whether it was okay to reach out or say anything. He had to think back to every time he'd seen someone else in his position, hoping to mimic what they'd done, but none of it seemed right.

Death wasn't something Grays talked about. They talked in circles around it. If it got too serious somebody made a crass joke about the deceased and they all pretended it was funny before shuffling off to be alone. That just wouldn't do here, chiefly because he had nowhere to retreat to.

This time he didn't flinch away when her head landed on his shoulder. Took all the courage he had, but he did it. Her cries were guttural, drummed up from the depths of her soul. It hurt to hear her like that. Hurt to know what she'd hid away for so long so well. Why was he the one here and not someone better equipped? Seele'd know what to do. She'd tell Alja it was alright, that it wasn't her fault. Say something profound, probably, about how Gavin would be proud of who she was now. She'd hug her for as long as Alja needed. Hell, just about anyone but Rael would do better here than he.

But it wasn't anyone else. He was all she said. An uncomfortably familiar situation, that.

"Hey," he quietly said, reaching an unsure hand 'round to her other shoulder. Chin rested against her head- Anna did that once and he remembered feeling safe. The fuck should he do with his other hand? It was just sitting there, dumb as a rock. Wipe a tear? No, too awkward. Maybe just hug her. It felt wrong, but it was probably the right call.

Gotta say something, too. Clear your throat. Keep it simple, don't overthink it. "You were just'a kid. S'not your fault."

That was the best he could manage. Now all he could do was just...be there, for as long as he was needed.

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Location: City Sewers -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

To his shame Graves recoiled from her touch. Physical affection was an estranged friend showing up at his front door- not wholly unwelcome, but...

"Sorry," he muttered, brought low. "Its just a lot."

It was too sudden, all of it. Too soon? You buried that. Its dealt with. Or maybe shoving it to the back of the closest and trying to forget its there wasn't the same as dealing with it. New and old problems alike came slamming to the forefront of his mind, fighting and screaming for his attention- a confusing cacophony that kept him from the moment. Pressure built, ready to blow.

She knew how he felt? Had she misinterpreted the words he'd left unsaid for something else? It was impossible for him to look at that woman and imagine someone so full of life- so outgoing and self-assured- feeling that way.

"No, you don't- you don't get it." He looked at her again, intensity gleaming in his eyes. "That is special. Every single one of 'em, even the shitty, obnoxious ones. Sure don't feel like it, I know, but it really is." This time he was the one that reached out, squeezing her forearm a little too tight. "You won't understand how important they are until they're gone."

His hand left her. A breath, a pause. Let the heat die from his cheeks and chest. Shift to topic to something easier. "Same thing with Leaves. Its scary as all hell admittin' somethin' like that to a friend. You're terrified they'll turn you away n' never look at you the same way again, but ya can't let that stop you. Its better than spendin' the rest of your life never knowin', askin' what if. You'll regret it."

Regret, regret, regret.

"Leaves is wonderful, Kells. It won't be like other people. She ain't gonna throw her drink in her face and call you a-" Graves caught himself before he turned advice into projecting. "She'll get it either way, y'know? What do ya have to lose when you've got everythin' to gain?"

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Location: City Sewers -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

As Alja sat down beside him Graves began to squirm, as if a swarm of spiders had crawled inside his clothes. The two of them were stuck down here for the time being, utterly alone, and she was feeling talkative. He'd rather be fighting dire rats waist deep in sewage.

"Dunno 'bout all that," he muttered, avoiding eye contact.

They were kind words meant in earnest. He knew that. He knew she wore her heart on her sleeve, never bothering to lie to anyone about anything- except maybe herself. That mouth of hers had caused her to butt heads with near every single one of their friends. Her ability to speak her mind so freely was one of the many things he envied about her. It was funny to think back to when they'd first met way back in the Laughing Worg- he'd thought she was just a loud, braggadocious bag of air. Obnoxious, maybe, but harmless. Strange how quickly things had changed. Stranger still how they stayed the same.

If Alja had said that to him back then he would've shrugged her off with a sharp word and a sneer. It was easy to make an ass of himself to strangers. Kept them from getting too familiar when they'd only be together for a short time. The Glitch had forced them to stay together. Forced him to give a shit about her and everybody else. Some days he wished it hadn't- if it had, he wouldn't feel obligated to have fun little chats like this one.

After a too long silence he finally turned to look at her. He smiled, though it was a small, bittersweet thing. "'Ppreciate it, Alja...Kelly, I really do. Couldn't ask for a better, uh, friend." He paused, wondering if it'd be better to just leave it there. Let her go on thinking that was all he had on his mind. But she deserved better than half-truths. "But you oughta look out for yourself first n' foremost, okay? Can't go throwing yourself off a cliff for me like that. Got too much to lose. You got a whole lotta life ahead of you: a degree to get, a girl you're head over heels for, and a family to go back to. A...a lotta people would give everything for that, so don't you throw it away, alright?"

Video Games: The General Discussion & Community Thread Number Two

Yo, does anyone have any ideas for MMORPGs? Trying to branch out and maybe find something new to play.

inb4 someone says final fantasy

@Vatonage

final fantasy

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

roses are red
violets are blue
somebody fuckin post already