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Stratos


This week's first COTW is a third character from my mytho-supers Chaos Continuum campaign... He's another of the team-mates of Shark and Flamethrower.


Stratos; enigmatic super-villain with air-controlling powers

(c) copyright 1984-2001 andi jones

Total Points: 47,500 Points

Age about 45-50; 6'3"; 230 pounds; a tall and somewhat gangly man with short brown hair flecked with silver, light brown eyes and rough skin with mild acne scarring.

ST 11 [10] - thrust 1d-1, swing 1d+1, fatigue 18
DX 14 [45] - basic speed 18.5, move 18, dodge 21*#
             parry (karate, judo) 13*#
IQ 13 [30] - senses 18
HT 12 [20] - hit points 16, stun 125
WL 15 [60] - fright check 17**
 *includes +1 from Enhanced Time Sense
 **includes +2 from Composed
 #includes +2 from Passive Defence

ADVANTAGES: Alertness +5 [25]; Ally Group (Elementals Elite, 15-) [150]; Alternate Identity [15]; Composed [5]; Contacts (Various) [32]; Empathy [15]; Enhanced Time Sense [45]; Extra Fatigue +7 [21]; Extra Hit Points +4 [20]; Extra Stun +61 [122]; Increased Speed +6 [150]; Increased Speed +6 (Requires 50% free hexes, -15%) [128]; Intuition [15]; Invulnerability (Air) [75]; Multimillionaire x4 [100]; Patron (Shark, 15-) [90]; Silence +10 [50]; Strong Will +2 [8]; Super-Flight x4 [80]; Very Fit [15]; Wealth (Filthy Rich) [50].

SUPER-POWERS: Bind (Power 40) [240]; Blind (Power 25; Requires loose materials, -20%) [100]; Confuse (Power 25; Area Effect, +40%; Increased Area +15, +300%; Selective Effect, +50%; Wall x2, +60%) [550]; Control Weather (Power 20; Increased Area +6, +120%; Movable Area, +40%; Atmospheric effects only, -40%) [220]; Control Winds (Power 50; Increased Area +4, +80%; Movable Area, +40%; Wall x2, +60%) [280]; Create Air (Power 20; Air forms sphere, +100%) [40]; Destroy Air (Increased Area +2, +40%; Reduced Fatigue, none, +40%; Wall x2, +60%) [10]; Devitalise Air (Increased Area +6, +120%; Reduced Fatigue, none, +40%; Wall x2, +60%) [39]; Flight (Affects Others, +50%; Area Effect, +40%; Increased Area +9, +180%; Selective Effect, +50%; Wall x2, +60%; Requires Atmosphere, -10%) [188]; Invulnerability (Kinetic; Affects Others, +50%; Area Effect, +40%; Attack does not cause knockback, +20%; Increased Area +99, +1980%; Instantaneous, +20%; Selective Effect, +50%; Wall x2, +60%; Requires Sense roll, -40%) [6,840]; Neutralise Sound (Power 100; Instantaneous, +20%; Selective Effect, +50%) [340]; No-Smell (Affects Others, +50%; Area Effect, +40%; Reduced Fatigue, none, +40%; Selective Effect, +50%) [17]; Whirlwind (Power 100; Increased Area +330, +6600%; Movable Area, +40%; Selective Effect, +50%; Wall x2, +60%; Costs 4 Fatigue, -20%) [34,150]; Wind Jet (Power 250; Area Effect, +40%; Movable direction, +40%; Selective Effect, +50%) [2,875].

DISADVANTAGES: Appearance (Unattractive) [-5]; Bully [-10]; Callous [-6]; Enemy (The Phalanx, 6-) [-15]; Enemy (Law Enforcement worldwide, 6-) [-15]; Intolerance (Humanity) [-10]; Odious Personal Habit (Aloof, Distant & Remote) [-10]; Reputation -3 (as evil super-villain and terrorist, to all citizens) [-15]; Secret Identity [-30]; Sense of Duty (to the Elementals Elite) [-5]; Vow (Healthful Diet & Exercise) [-5].

QUIRKS: Speaks with a mild Southern accent; Usually wears a "shit-eating" grin; Spends two hours each day in meditation; Doesn't talk about his past. [-4]

SKILLS: Acrobatics-15 [8]; Area Knowledge (American South)-13 [1]; Body Language-17* [2]; Brawling-14 [1]; Breath Control-14 [12]; Demolition/TL9-12 [1]; Driving/TL7 (Automobile)-12 [.5]; Ecology/TL7-12 [1]; Electronics Operation/TL12 (Communications)-12 [1]; Electronics Operation/TL12 (Sensors)-12 [1]; Electronics Operation/TL12 (Surveillance)-12 [1]; Fast-Draw (Knife)-14** [.5]; Flight-18 [24]; Guns/TL7 (Pistol)-15*** [.5]; Judo-16 [16]; Karate-16 [16]; Knife-13 [.5]; Mechanic/TL7 (Gasoline Engine)-12 [1]; Meditation-15 [16]; Meteorology/TL7-14 [4]; Navigation/TL12-13 [4]; NBC Warfare/TL9-12 [1]; Occultism-11 [.5]; Philosophy (Taoism)-14 [6]; Psychology-13 [4]; Savoir-Faire (Dojo)-16 [6]; Scuba-12 [1]; Stealth-19/29# [0]; Swimming-13 [.5].
 *includes +5 from Alertness
 **includes +1 from Enhanced Time Sense
 ***includes +2 from IQ
 #at default, includes +10/20 from Silence

LANGUAGES: English (native)-13 [0].

SUPER SKILLS: Bind-16 [16]; Blind-17 [20]; Confuse-16 [20]; Control Weather-16 [20]; Control Winds-15 [16]; Create Air-16 [16]; Destroy Air-15 [0]; Devitalise Air-15 [0]; Neutralise Sound-15 [12]; No-Smell-15 [0]; Whirlwind-18 [24]; Wind Jet-18 [24].

MARTIAL ARTS STYLE: Praying Mantis Kung Fu

CINEMATIC SKILLS: Body Control-15 [8]; Mental Strength-17 [8]; Power Blow-18 [10]; Pressure Points-15 [4]; Push-14 [4].

MANOEUVERS: Elbow Strike-16 [1]; Hit Location (Karate)-16 [4]; Jump Kick-14 [1]; Kicking-15 [1]; Riposte (Karate)-16 [6]; Spin Kick-15 [1].

CINEMATIC MANOEUVERS: Enhanced Parry (Bare-Handed) [6]; Flying Jump Kick-15 [6]; Sticking-18 [6].

EQUIPMENT

Stratos' wears a costume - smooth, featureless and slightly-metallic white from head to toe - a body-suit of ballistic battle-cloth made of advanced non-metallic weave; it is PD 2, DR 40, and weighs 8 pounds. (This armour was not purchased as advantages; it is covered as equipment from his Patron. Stratos does, however, have the Costume advantage, so his body-suit benefits.) The only item of equipment Stratos is likely to carry is a compact TL12 hand-held micro-computer that serves as a neutrino communicator, multi-scanner and navigational tool. In particular, Stratos configures his datalink to Atlantis to keep him updated with the latest satellite data from weather satellites around the world.

BIOGRAPHY

Stratos doesn't talk about his past, and in the twenty years he's been with the Elementals Elite he's revealed few clues about his life prior to the end of 1980. His name is thought to be William James, though it's unclear if James is his surname or a middle name; he's gone by both Bill and Jim. He comes originally from the American South, though he's never specified where "home" was, exactly. Based on what remains of his accent, it's been speculated that he comes from Mississippi or Alabama, but searches for a William James born in those states in the early- to mid-1950s have yielded nothing. Similarly, a pair of faded tattoos on Stratos' upper arms are classic "prison ink", but he doesn't appear in those records either. Stratos' infrequent comments have suggested that he led a life on the move, possibly as a trucker, and that he may also have been a petty criminal.

One thing is clear: by the late 1970s, William was aware that he was a mutant. His ability to manipulate the pressure, direction and speed of air currents had already made him quite powerful, and whatever the circumstances of his life were, the addition of super-powers made him a cruel and predatory man. Deciding that his metahuman abilities placed him a level above ordinary men, he felt his criminal endeavours were justified, that his status as a mutant gave him the authority to exploit and terrorise the weak. And in 1979 - when William saw news reports of the exploits of Shark and Flamethrower - he realised that anti-mutant sentiment was real, and that the resentment and fear of the mundanes would make it difficult for him to seize the kind of power he thought he was entitled to. Seeking safety in numbers, he travelled in October 1980 to New York City to locate his mutant criminal brethren. He was successful, and found both Shark and Flamethrower interested in forming a partnership. William adopted the name Stratos, and proposed that the new team call themselves the Elementals Elite. The three criminals further bonded over their shared sentiments of "mutant supremacy", which Stratos made public. Seizing on the anti-mutant hysteria in the media, Stratos skillfully promoted the Elementals as mutant fanatics intent on the subjugation of mundane humans. For Shark and Flamethrower, this was their first experience with Stratos' smug, predatory personality... He greatly enjoyed making people squirm, and making provocative statements to the media about 'natural selection', the inherent superiority of 'homo superior' and the 'obsolescence of mundanes' genuinely seemed to amuse him.

Beginning in 1981, the Elementals Elite resumed the crime-spree that Shark and Flamethrower had begun nearly two years earlier. The addition of Stratos and the increased media attention allowed them to attack larger targets, and the team's reputation grew. They decided they needed a formal base of operations, and chose a WWII-era frigate which they found being used as a freighter on Africa's Atlantic coast. They liberated the ship, equipped it with black-market military surplus navigation gear, and set up shop in the middle of the ocean. The crime-wave continued, and Stratos quickly formed a bond of comradeship - if not quite friendship - with Shark and Flamethrower. It was clear, at least initially, that his loyalty and mettle were being tested, but he proved himself soon enough. The Elementals focused Stratos' sense of purpose, and their activities had a certain right-ness that appealed to him on a primal level; he felt as though he knew what it meant to be a predator.

In the first few months of 1982, the evolution of the Elementals Elite was complete. Always monitoring the media, they heard reports from western Canada about the activities of a geokinetic mutant clashing with local police and land developers. Shark wanted to recruit him, and Stratos made first contact. The man he met was a scientist named Calvin Byrne, at odds with local corporations over a perceived mistreatment of land in the area. Stratos sensed in Byrne the same feelings of "mutant supremacy" that the Elementals espoused - though perhaps not on a consciously realised level. Appealing to this germ of megalomania in Byrne, Stratos proposed a deal; he would help Byrne destroy the developers, and Byrne would consider lending his talents to the Elementals Elite. Byrne was initially hesitant, but with Stratos' encouragement was brought into the fold as Landslide. Also at this time, Shark discovered what appeared to be an alien space-craft in the South Pacific. They chose to adopt it as a base - a vast improvement on the rusting frigate they had been using; Stratos named the craft Atlantis.

Through the rest of the 1980s, the Elementals Elite continued their campaign of violence, theft and terror. They killed thousands of people and were responsible for billions of dollars in damages. Domestic and international law enforcement agencies hounded them, as did super-heroes and even military organisations. In 1982 - partly in response to the crimes of the Elementals - the United States government transferred the authority of C.H.E.S.S. to the United Nations. (Originally founded in the early 1970s to protect the US Government from metahuman threats, the Central Headquarters of Espionage and the Secret Service had its charter revised upon the transfer, extending its jurisdiction to a near-global scale and expanding its duties to nearly all metahuman, extra-terrestrial and extra-planar crimes. The agency kept the name, but formally retired the original meaning of the acronym.) In addition to armoured soldiers with ultra-tech gadgets, C.H.E.S.S. fielded the Enforcers, a powerful eight-man team of super-agents dedicated to the capture of the Elementals. But despite all their firepower and determination, the Enforcers were unable to stop the Elementals. Nor was anyone else, and the bloodshed continued. During these years, Stratos avidly trained himself in the use of his powers, firmly believing that a fit mind and body were the key to unlocking his potential. He practised martial arts, yoga, meditation and even Taoist teachings in his efforts to increase his personal power and control. His esoteric studies yielded results, and by the time the Elementals withdrew from their decade-long crime-wave in 1988, Stratos' air-controlling powers were nearly as impressive as Shark's ability to bend water to his will.

In the following few years, the Elementals lived off their wealth and pursued more personal goals. Shark and Landslide were increasingly concerned about the condition of the ecology, and in late 1991 Stratos suggested that the team should become active again, this time in a political capacity. The Elementals were in agreement, and Shark initiated their plan by stealing a US Navy submarine and taking its nuclear missiles. Then, that June, Shark delivered an ultimatum to the developed nations of the world at the Earth Day summit in Rio, demanding that all environmentally-irresponsible industries be shut down. The world governments were given only six months to demonstrate their appreciation of Shark's demands, but there was no progress. On 29 December 1992, Shark used several of the warheads stolen from the Navy's submarine to destroy the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil; 12 million people were killed. To minimise the deadly after-effects of the explosion, Shark and Stratos manipulated the weather patterns around the city, preventing most of the radioactive fallout from becoming airborne. In the wake of the attack, the United Nations was in a panic, and international outrage far surpassed anything that had come before. The Elementals refrained from making any appearances, and only issued a single statement, saying that they would claim another city in twelve months' time if their demands were not met. For Shark and Landslide, the affair was difficult. But for Stratos - whose concern for the ecology was nominal - it was a triumph; to him, the power they wielded was the ultimate realisation of their supremacy and superiority. And when the Elementals made their second nuclear attack in December 1993 - this time on Helsinki, Finland, killing two million people - Stratos was enormously pleased with the chaos they'd sown on the political, economic and social landscapes.

Stratos wanted the Elementals to continue with their plan, but in 1994 they encountered unusually strong resistance in the form of a new team of super-heroes called the Phalanx. Over the course of eight months, the Phalanx managed to find and attack the Elementals on three occasions; although Stratos and his team-mates survived these conflicts, he could see that their meddling would jeopardise their plans. That December - after another year of inaction in the United Nations - Stratos' concerns proved correct, and the Phalanx interrupted the Elementals' attempt to destroy Seattle, Washington. And on that same day, the Phalanx manoeuvered the Elementals into an ambush which led to a brutal conflict with a fleet of US Navy war-ships. Several vessels were sunk in the ensuing battle, and the Elementals Elite only narrowly escaped. The near-defeat demoralised Stratos, as he and his team-mates quickly realised that their campaign of nuclear blackmail was not going to succeed. Unwilling to accept failure, they decided on an alternative approach, confident they could accomplish by hand what they had been trying to achieve through terrorism-inspired legislation. By the start of 1995, the Elementals were engaged in a hands-on crusade of eco-terrorism aimed at all the environmentally-destructive industries they considered most damaging, destroying facilities and killing workers, leaving the guilty corporations incapable of remaining in business. It didn't take long for the global economy to feel the impact of the Elementals' terrorism, and Stratos' predatory instincts had never felt keener.

The eco-terrorism continued for more than a year and a half, but ultimately stopped in late 1996 on account of the weather... All across the globe, the weather was in a super-natural state of chaos, having been corrupted by an extra-planar phenomenon known as the Demon Winds. Each year, the Demon Winds drew more and more energy from the Abyss and the Earth's atmosphere grew colder, and stormier. And each year, the length of winter grew a couple months longer, until snow fell for nearly all of 1999. Members of Earth's community of mages and supernaturalists worried that the snows marked the height of Fimbulvetr, the epic winter that Norse myth states will be the precursor of Ragnarok. Shark's reaction to the alien chaos-spawned weather was to try to fight it, and to do that he needed to cooperate with the super-hero known as the Eliminator, a weather-controlling mage who organised a team of heroes known as the Storm-Chasers. Stratos wasn't sure about the idea of working with super-heroes, but he could empathise with Shark's anxiety over the weather that grew increasingly alien day by day. So Stratos has contributed his own limited weather-controlling powers to the cause, not to do the right thing, but to support Shark and watch his team-mate's back. The team's eco-terrorism was abandoned, largely successful and largely rendered irrelevant by the approach of the Apocalypse. For the Elementals, the chaos of the Demon Winds (and the global turmoil they created) was ideal cover, camouflage against the normally relentless pursuit of the authorities and super-heroes such as the Phalanx. For Stratos, the social and political chaos has only served to strengthen his convictions about "mutant supremacy" and the validity of his predatory nature.

ENCOUNTERED

Stratos is an enigmatic man, in part because he speaks little of his past, and in part because he always seems to look at situations differently than others would. To most people, he seems aloof and remote, almost as if he's observing life by walking around in it without truly participating in it. This perception is not entirely inaccurate; Stratos has a major superiority complex, and firmly and genuinely believes in the superiority and supremacy of mutant humans over their biological and physiological inferior cousins. He has no more respect for the mundane human population than a wolf has respect for rabbits; his powers make him a predator, and he feels it is natural and proper to "hunt" them. And most unsettling, he seems to be amused by this relationship; he almost always has the kind of grin on his face that suggests that he's up to something, or knows something no one else knows. He acts suspicious even when he's not doing anything, which makes most people nervous. (His team-mates have long since gotten used to this, but it tends to make people nervous when the first meet him...)

This predatory personality dominates who Stratos is, but it is usually only evident when he is dealing with mundane humans (and their politics). In less formal and public circumstances, he is nearly as remote and distant, just perhaps not as arrogant. He doesn't speak much, but his fondness for being in a position of authority guarantees that he'll almost always offer his opinion, and state his preferred course of action. (He isn't much of a leader, but he does have the kind of insight most leaders must have, and which Shark has come to appreciate.)

Although Stratos' formal schooling is probably limited, he is of above-average intelligence, and is naturally very observant. And more than that, he has a super-human intuition that few people possess. This cunning intuition often provides the Elementals with an idea, option or insight that wouldn't normally be obvious.

STRATOS' POWERS

Through years of training, Stratos has fine-tuned his ability to create, control and manipulate the atmosphere. Some abilities are passive, permanent effects - such as the vastly increased speed of bodily movements. His power of flight is also so ingrained that it is virtually his only method of mobility... Stratos' flight keeps him sheathed in a small pocket of atmosphere, protecting him from wind-shear and making it possible for him to breathe; this ability is done so unconsciously, however, that it does not automatically extend to others whom Stratos' carries with him while flying.

Stratos' training has also resulted in an impressive range of offencive techniques for the use of his powers. He can use winds to hold people aloft and unable to move (Bind), or to spin them rapidly in the air to disorient them (Confuse). He can also blind people, provided there is sufficient material present (sand, dirt, rubbish, etc.) to whip up into clouds (Blind). Sounds and smells normally transmitted by air can also dampened, by "deadening" the air in a given area, or around a certain individual (Neutralise Sound, and No-Smell). On the tactical scale, Stratos can create a whirling vortex of air more than 2,000 feet across and capable of lifting objects up to five tons (Whirlwind). He can also use strong gusts of wind to push and lift objects; this is handled as the Wind Jet power which does knockback damage only. This attack power was given the "Movable direction" enhancement, so that attacks could be made to come from below, behind or any other direction; in this manner, this attack can be used to lift people into the air by inflicting knockback damage from below... (Note that lifting, throwing and dropping people and objects with the use of manipulated air are Stratos' only directly offencive powers.) And from a defencive point of view, Stratos can keep a swirling body of fast-moving, high-pressure air in constant motion around him and those nearby, able to block incoming attacks as long as he is aware of them (Invulnerability). On the larger scale, Stratos is capable of manipulating weather in an area nearly 90 miles across; this control of the weather is limited, however, to meteorological effects that focus on air and wind, and not precipitation. (In reality, these effects are often inter-dependent, so it is up to the GM to make this determination.) Related to this is Wind Control, giving Stratos the power to change wind-speeds by up to 250 miles per hour. (Although not canonical, range for this power was handled as per Control Weather, because it seemed appropriate.)

And unlike his three team-mates, Stratos actually possesses the ability to create and destroy air; these are modelled as one super-power (Create Air) and two Knacks (see p.Ci38) (Destroy Air and Devitalise Air). These Knacks aren't meant to be magic, of course, but otherwise function as the spells of the same names (and modified by the applied enhancements).

THE ELEMENTALS ELITE

Shark: In many ways, Shark is a living symbol of everything that Stratos has come to believe. Shark is a predator, physically superior to the humans he hunts and empowered with mutant abilities that make him one of Earth's most powerful metahumans. Stratos has a great respect and admiration for Shark.

Flamethrower: Although he is slightly disdainful of Flamethrower's lack of self-control - his inability to keep his temper in check, and his foolish flirtations with the radioactive fires in Sao Paulo and Helsinki - Stratos is fond of Flamethrower. He knows his team-mate is committed, and tolerates his recklessness.

Landslide: Of the Elementals, Landslide is the closest thing Stratos has to a friend. While they don't have many experiences in common, nor many overlapping interests, they share an appreciation for discipline and order; Landslide's dedication to his scientific pursuits mirrors Stratos' commitment to his mental and physical fitness.

CANONICALITY

As with the other Elementals, Stratos is intended to be used with a selection of optional and house rules. He uses the "Will as fifth attribute" option, with the addition that WL is bought from 10, and at same cost as all other attributes. He uses the QuadST rules; ST is used normally for all combat, but for purposes of lifting and encumbrance, use ST^2/10. Stratos also uses a house variant of the Stun rules from "GURPS Supers", available online at the address below. His Ally Group advantage has a base cost of 50 points (for allies built on more than 100 points); the individual Elementals are designed on more than 100 points, but it's probably unnecessary to increase the price of the advantage. Stratos' Contacts advantage is left unspecified, so the GM can assign them as he sees fit; for the most part, they are criminal contacts that provide illicit financial and legal services. Stratos' Patron models the benefits of Shark's space-craft Atlantis. Finally, Stratos' super-powers involve a lot of custom enhancements and limitations, most of which are "official" (see STRATOS' POWERS, above).

Variant Stun Rules

WHAT IF?

Stratos is one of a group of villains in a high-powered supers setting, and making him an adversary to be dealt with would require unusually powerful PC heroes. But even in campaigns in which Stratos is beyond the reach of the PCs as a personal enemy, he can be used in other capacities. He isn't with the Elementals Elite every our of every day, and could have any number of extra-curricular personal pursuits. (There are gaps in his history, and the GM could easily expand on some of these to get some story ideas...) With the money and resources at his disposal, Stratos would make an excellent patron for a lesser group of super-villains, or he could have a standing army of goons, robots or super-soldiers. Stratos would play the role of criminal mastermind, and the PCs would become embroiled in the activities of his underlings and henchmen. Even less directly, Stratos and his criminal cohorts can also be used as background elements, to establish an apocalyptic atmosphere, or to explore themes of nature run amok, the forces of chaos and law, etc.. (For a bit more on these ideas, see the WHAT IF? section on Shark, in COTW #34.)

ADVENTURE SEEDS

Alien Invasion: There aren't many situations in which Stratos could be convinced to work with his inferiors, but as much as he might disdain his lesser fellow Earthlings, he'd certainly have an even greater resentment and hostility toward aliens. So when the alien mothership appears in Earth orbit and discharges pods of alien stormtroops and commandos, it will take all of Earth's metahumans - heroes and villains alike - to repel the invaders. The PCs could be secret agents, ultra-tech soldiers or super-heroes, and when the invasion begins they find themselves in some unusual company: Stratos, one of the members of the Elementals, is in the area, and they will be forced to cooperate. (How and why Stratos is present depends on who the PCs are; it can be as simple as pure coincidence.) How will the PCs work with a villain like Stratos? Will he be able to curb his superiority complex long enough to work with the heroes? And while the heroes and villain are cooperating (however tentatively) against the aliens, might each have an agenda on the side? Maybe the heroes will be looking for an opportunity to defeat Stratos... He is, after all, one of the most wanted criminals in history. And might Stratos' intuition make him aware of the PCs' plot? If so, what would he choose to do? With this kind of intrigue going on in the background, the actual alien invasion might almost take a back seat...

- written and formatted by andi jones (andi@angelwerks.com)
- thanks again to jack and jeff for C.H.E.S.S. (and so much more)

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