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This week's COTW installment is a single character who is
actually two characters. Individually, they are a young
Japanese woman and the sentient mech to which she is bonded;
together, they are a super-hero known as Akimbo. The
character will be presented in three installments; all
contents of all installments are (c) copyright 2000 andi
jones, and this is one out of three.
AKIMBO; living-metal mecha super-hero
(c) copyright 2000 andi jones
INTRODUCTION
The papers and prime-time media speculate endlessly about
the newest super-hero to be seen in a metropolis known
world-wide for its costumed champions. Everyone wants to
know: who is this "Akimbo", and where does he comes from?
It's obvious he's Japanese, that much is clear from his
"costume". But is he a robot from the future, or a spirit
from the past? Is that advanced technology, or ancient
magic? Is that an honourable man inside a suit of armour, or
a robot programmed to adhere to the code of the Samurai?
Standing nine-and-a-half feet tall and looking like a
17th-century sci-fi Shogun in dazzling hara-maki-do
(scale-like armour), with a kabuto (horned helmet) and mempo
(fearsome face-plate), and armed with a magnificent naginata
(massive sword on polearm shaft), it's hard not to
wonder...
THE CHARACTERS
Motomo Shinjoko; high-school senior, mecha-clad heroine
Total Points: 48 Points
Age 17; 5'3"; 120 pounds; an attractive Japanese girl with
her hair cut in a bob just below the ears, with a friendly
smile and eyes of a brown so dark it's almost black.
ST 9 [-10] - thrust 1d-2, swing 1d-1
DX 12 [20] - basic speed 5.75, move 5, dodge
5
IQ 13 [30]
HT 11 [10] - hit points 9
WL 12 [-] - fright checks 15
ADVANTAGES: Appearance (Attractive) [5]; Bonded
Mecha (Focus: Crane ring, -20%) [16]; Charisma +1
[5]; Fearlessness +3 [6]; Fit [5];
Status 2 [10].
DISADVANTAGES: Cannot Harm Innocents [-10]; Code of
Honour (Bushido) [-5]; Delusion (Crane is the
psychic manifestation of Samurai ancestors) [-1];
Enemy (Unknown, Tsuchigumo, 6-) [-10]; Reduced Hit
Points -2 [-10]; Secret Identity [-10];
Sense of Duty (Victims of crime) [-5]; Weak Will -1
[-8]; Youth -1 [-2].
QUIRKS: Has a romantic, idealised image of her Samurai
ancestors; Eager to hone her crime-fighting skills; A little
too lax with her schoolwork; Proud to have not outgrown
Sanrio products. [-4]
SKILLS: Acrobatics-12 [4]; Area Knowledge (New York
City)-12 [.5]; Area Knowledge (Tokyo)-13
[1]; Battlesuit/TL13-13 [2]; Climbing-11
[1]; Computer Operation/TL7-13 [1];
Criminology/TL7-11 [.5]; Electronics Operation/TL13
(Communications)-11 [.5]; Electronics Operation/TL13
(Sensors)-11 [.5]; History (Japanese)-9/15
[.5]; Judo-9 [.5]; Jumping-12 [1];
Karate-9 [.5]; Literature (Japanese)-9/15
[.5]; Poetry (Japanese)-10/16 [.5];
Savoir-Faire-14* [2]; Two-Handed Sword-13
[4].
*in Japanese culture only; skill is at -2 in
other areas
LANGUAGES: Japanese (native)-13 [0]; English-11
[.5].
EQUIPMENT
Motomo is a high school senior, and in that setting she'll
be outfitted with a book-bag filled with her text-books,
binders, Kero Kero Keroppi notebooks and home-work
assignments. In and out of school, she also carries a
cell-phone, pager and the newest palm pilot.
But most importantly, she is never, ever without her Crane
ring, which she must be wearing in order to summon her
mech.
BIOGRAPHY
Motomo - known as "Mott" to family and friends - was born in
Tokyo, where her father was an influential and respected
member of the Diet's House of Councillors. As a high-minded
and honourable man, he raised his daughter in an atmosphere
of social responsibility and idealistic ethics, and brought
her up reading japanese history - mostly romanticised
editions of samurai legends, high on honour and adventure,
low on the darker side of real history. Motomo also read
haiku, learned to paint with brush and ink, and even studied
karate kata for exercise. She grew from an eager youngster
into a responsible and motivated young adult, and she adored
her father.
The same month that Motomo began her third year of high
school, her father was killed in a car accident, and her
life turned upside-down. She and her mother had a difficult
time dealing with the loss; Motomo's school-work suffered,
her relationships fell apart, and she became increasingly
withdrawn. Her mother was desperate to lift her daughter's
deepening depression, and as soon as the school year ended,
they moved to New York City to live with Motomo's aunt and
her husband.
At first, the change of scenery had little effect, and
Motomo glumly adjusted to her new surroundings. One
afternoon, however, only a week after arriving, she was
browsing an antique shop in Chinatown when she found herself
strangely drawn to an elegant black and gold ring with an
ivory inset featuring a crane. The bird strongly resembled
family crests she had seen in her father's books, and evoked
vivid memories of the stories of honour and bravery she'd
read as a girl. Feeling a compelling attachment to the ring,
she bought it and experienced a strong wave of longing and
hope the moment she put it on. Initially, she attributed the
feelings to thoughts of her father, but her emotions
remained intense - and just below the surface - for several
weeks.
But it wasn't until Motomo stumbled onto a convenience store
hold-up that she found out what the ring really did. She was
in the back of the store when several gunmen began shouting
demands at the register. Terrified, she ducked into the
store-room and through a door into the alley. Her heart
pounding, she could think of nothing but tales of heroic
samurai and heroes of history... And the next thing she
knew, the ring was glowing and a fabulous samurai mech was
forming in the air around her. Seconds later, she was in the
cockpit of a 9-foot, one-ton sentient robot who introduced
itself as Crane. Rather than being terrified, Motomo knew
immediately what to do; she went to the front of the
building, made a dramatic entrance through the front window,
and trivially subdued the trio of robbers. Realising what
kind of power she had at her disposal, and reflecting on the
lessons her father taught her, Motomo decided on the spot to
become a super-hero. For a couple weeks, she did so
anonymously. But when the media wanted to know more about
the new robotic hero in town, she let is be known she was
called Akimbo. (She chose the name on a whim.)
That was only a few months ago, and Motomo is now starting
her senior year at a private prep school in Manhattan. She
is still dedicated to her studies, but is even more
dedicated to her secret life of crime-fighting. Despite this
dedication, Motomo knows little about what Crane really is,
or where he comes from. His "living metal" technology is
sufficiently advanced that it isn't obvious he's even
mechanical, and Motomo is not entirely sure if he's a robot,
or merely something she perceives as one. Part of her, due
more to wishful thinking than logic, believes that Crane is
more than just a robot, and is actually tied to the legends
she read as a child, that maybe he's some kind of psychic
manifestation of a Samurai ancestor... But there's some
comfort in not knowing, so she has not pursued the issue.
Whenever possible, she is instead in training, trying to
learn how to "pilot" Crane most effectively, while at the
same time trying to juggle homework, friends and the other
demands of a high school senior...
ENCOUNTERED
Encountered "out of costume", Motomo is a friendly and
respectful girl, and you would never guess that she spends
her evenings bounding around the city in a mech. If
anything, she would come across as somewhat nerdy, more
interested in her books than boys. She gets along well with
the other students, and is well-liked, but she doesn't know
them as well as she might, since so much of her time is
spent as Akimbo.
In super-hero mode, Motomo allows herself to cut loose a bit
more. Akimbo is by no means a wise-cracking or comedic hero,
but his appearance and abilities are certainly dramatic, and
Motomo makes no effort to do things conservatively. If
anything, Akimbo's actions are only limited by Motomo's
inexperience in the cockpit. Crane's voice is synthetic and
sounds more male than female, and Motomo has let the media
assume that Akimbo is male. No one knows if Akimbo is a
robot or a man in a battle-suit, and Motomo is content with
that.
As a super-hero, Akimbo is something of a loner, but has no
objections to working with other heroes if it comes up.
Motomo keeps to herself most of the time, just to protect
her identity, and because she's anxious about making
mistakes* in front of more experienced heroes. But despite
her tendency to work alone, she is always cooperative with
fellow heroes and the police, and takes proper heroic
conduct very seriously. Her Bushido code is based on the
historical Japanese "Way of the Warrior" (see p.J67) and the
five articles (go jo) of a warrior's virtue: wisdom (chi),
justice (gi), benevolence (jin), courtesy (rei) and fidelity
(shin). (Her Code of Honour is worth -5 instead of -15, due
to the absence of servitude to a lord, ritual suicide and
other less glamourous historical realities.) Whatever
clandestine thrill she gets fighting crime, Motomo never
forgets that it was her father's ideals that made her what
she is, and that it's his memory she's honouring through her
actions.
*Crane, the robot, has many of his own skills - most of them
at heroic levels of skill - which he can use at any time. In
general, however, he defers to Motomo, and allows her to
take the reins. Crane coaches and teaches Motomo - and she
is learning quickly - but he only takes control at her
request, or when it is necessary for their well-being, or
the well-being of innocent bystanders.
CANONICALITY
By and large, Motomo adheres to the standard GURPS rules.
The only possible deviation is her Status advantage. She is
from a wealthy family, and at home her father probably would
have been Status 6, and wealthy. As a teen-ager and minor -
with little legal wealth or independence - she is listed as
being Status 2, and does not have a Wealth advantage.
Also, Motomo and Crane are not listed as being Allies, nor
is there any Unusual Background assessed to pay for Motomo's
possession of the Crane ring; for most purposes, Akimbo is a
singular crime-fighting entity, since Motomo cannot fight
crime without the mech, and Crane only exists in realspace
when he is summoned by the ring.
WHAT IF?
Clearly, Akimbo is a super-hero, and is designed for a
four-colour supers setting in which costumed super-heroes,
psionic powers, ultra-tech and all the other trappings are
present. Akimbo is powerful, and intended for a fairly high
level of play. With some alterations, however, Akimbo could
be slotted into other settings.
Gritty Supers: As long as the concept of a bonded mecha is
feasible, there is no reason why Akimbo can't exist in a
grittier, more realistic supers setting like IST or Wild
Cards. Her heroic ideals work well to keep her in line;
despite her awesome strength, her strict code of conduct
prevents her from cutting loose, for fear of hurting people.
Also, as per p.RO53, her use of DX-based skills is limited;
she must use either skill-1 or Battlesuit-1, whichever is
lower. Motomo's skill is currently 13, but can be reduced if
the GM feels her skills need to be even less reliable. Also,
despite her power, Akimbo's abilities are fairly focused;
aside from fighting and jumping, her only other prominent
powers are the robot's impressive sensors. But with
super-powers in the picture, there are any number of ways to
avoid detection by a simple bio-scanner...
Cute Anime: Going in the other direction, Motomo can just as
easily be dropped into a setting even more cinematic than
four-colour supers. In a classic anime setting, the most
important detail will be that Motomo's exclusive school
makes its students wear uniforms, so she can spend much of
her time adventuring in a white blouse, a pleated plaid
skirt and white knee-socks. It would also be appropriate to
raise her Appearance to Beautiful, to improve her
attribuutes and skills to more heroic levels, and maybe to
give her the Shojo Mallet advantage (p.ME34). And finally,
there should be more contrast between the shy, book-wormy
Motomo (who should definitely wear glasses when she's at
school) and the flashy and honourable Akimbo (who should be
as flamboyant and dramatic as his Bushido allows). In
combat, for example, Akimbo should have a name for his
naginata, and should shout out the names of all of his
manoeuvers as he performs them!
ADVENTURE SEEDS
The Evil Tsuchigumo: The Tsuchigumo is an evil
shape-shifting spider-monster from Japanese folklore, and
also the name of a villain who has designs on Akimbo. Motomo
knows little about Crane, and knows nothing of the history
of the ring that she uses to summon the mech. The details of
Tsuchigumo are left to the GM, but he is after Akimbo, and
desperately wants that ring. His methods should be
appropriate for a man-spider: his spends his time in hiding,
planning elaborate and often beautiful traps to secure his
prey. He is aware of a great many things, perhaps with the
ability to see over great distances, or into other mental
planes. He may be fond of venom. But most of all, he is
patient and methodical. In other words, he is the perfect
Unknown Enemy, as he is willing to wait in the background
for a long time, getting to know his enemies through one
harrassment after another, gathering information and
planning his next byzantine trap...
A Tight Squeeze: One of Akimbo's weaknesses is that the
battle-suit is more than nine feet tall. At some point -
perhaps chasing a fleeing villain, or responding to an
urgent request for help - Akimbo may find herself in a
position in which she has to enter a building or other
relatively confined space... If her suspect flees into a
building, what will she do? If people are in danger, she
would be loathe to abandon the chase. But if Akimbo can't
fit, is it wise for Motomo to go in alone? Her physical
skills are not very developed, and she has no other powers.
(To say nothing of risking her Secret Identity.) If Akimbo
is a friendly NPC, maybe she'll get to know some PC heroes
with whom she can work every once in a while, when Akimbo's
limitations prevent her from doing her job. With her
powerful sensors, Akimbo need not enter a building to be
able to track her target, and a working partnership with
other heroes might solve her problem. But it could just as
easily create new ones. Will she reveal her secret identity
to her new friends? Will they trust her thoroughly if she is
too elusive about herself? Having teammates may help in some
cases, but also present other issues.
- written by andi jones (andi@angelwerks.com)
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