Sea of Stars - OOC III

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Kennoch the Navigator

Spoiler: Fluff

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Background:
Birthed on a star-ship and reared on a space station by void born, Kennoch Castermire may be young, but he's as true a Navigator as you’re likely to find. Yes, his genetic lineage is more susceptible to Warp-twisting than the highest and proudest Magisterial House, but mutants are mutants anyway, and this mutant knows he belongs among the heavens, not with his feet on the dirt. By blood and experience, Kennoch is as fine a guide as any. If rumors are true, he’s an honest servant of the Imperium too. He supposedly abandoned the security of the Calixis Sector, where his clan has roamed for millennia, to hunt less savory Navis and thereby clean up the Expanse just a bit. A wayward branch of his clan has descended into heresy on these poorly-mapped fringes, the Renegade House Castermare (best to not get them confused); Kennoch pursues them as a matter of duty.

There are quieter, vaguer rumors that Kennoch was also on the losing end of some mysterious family conflict, and that his journey wasn’t entirely by choice, but such things are all too common among the nobility. In any case, he refuses to address the matter when questioned.

Personality:
Driven yet resigned, optimistic yet bleak, Kennoch has a curious blend of ambition and fatalism. He certainly has goals; he dreams of a future filled with power and prestige, for himself, his House, and his friends alike. He knows that unlike the vast majority of humans, he might not die in obscurity, but could instead use his mighty name and talents to bend this unfeeling universe just slightly to his will. And if not that, then his existence is at least comfortable. Bound by station though he is, he has far more freedom than most people. This is all to be enjoyed, even celebrated.

On the other hand, his purpose in life is to stare into the Warp until it molds him like clay into something horrifying. If he lives long enough, his body will corrupt further and further. He’ll probably become increasingly reliant on servants and cybernetics just to function, let alone savor his nobility. This is as inevitable as death. He has witnessed the elders of his House, and they fill him with a quiet dread.

Sooner or later, the Warp beats everyone.

Appearance:
Any Navigator’s defining features are their deformities, first and foremost the Warp-Eye, but often much more gruesome disfigurations. Kennoch surely has his share, and they’re likely obscene, but most people won’t see this secret shame. Whenever possible, he covers himself entirely. His typical outfit is a unique, beautiful, Selenite-pattern void suit, even when in a safe atmosphere. Kennoch apparently doesn’t like or trust the air beyond that of a ship he’s intimately familiar with; ideally, he brings along enough spare canisters to last at least a day, no matter where he’s going. To be fair, his suit doubles as some pretty solid armor too. It’s also quite stunning: platinum plates engraved with prayers and striking images, adorned with perfectly-cut sapphires. This heavenly beauty is balanced by the hellish sight of an excruciator clasped in the servo-manipulators that dot Kennoch's right arm. His helmet obscures his face except for a narrow triangle of plasteel through which he can see with any of his three eyes; not another inch of flesh is visible except in the event of a breach, and even then, he wears undergarments of mesh-weave. Kennoch’s ancient hellpistol matches his suit—engraved platinum and sapphires—as does his eye-topped staff, though that’s mostly a ceremonial item, and he often has a servant carry it for him.

Said servants include a squad of void born assassin-bodyguards, part of a larger guild from the Calixis Sector, the Rings of Castermire. Even stranger than these star-children are Kennoch's familiars. The eldest is the oddly-named Mr. Wah Dell: a literal golden monkey. It has a torso of shiny plates engraved with prayers to the Omnissiah and six mismatched limbs covered in wires and tubes; most likely, this poor beast retains only its original head. During his travels, Echo has also acquired Ms. Rana, an angry lizard with powerfully acidic blood, and Ms. Roja, a fierce mammal with vicious teeth and bat-like wings.

Onlookers might not see much of the man beneath the armor, but they’ll notice his unusual voice. It has bizarre, unsettling reverberations: each of his soft, youthful, even boyish words is accompanied by a choir. Tones of older men. Or women of all ages. Pitch, emotion, and accents vary well beyond his own. This is presumably a mutation of the throat, and it can’t endear him to the Ecclesiarchy, but it doesn’t seem genuinely harmful. Hence, his nickname, Echo.

Spoiler: Crunch

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Name: Kennoch “Echo” of House Castermire
Career Path: Navigator
Rank: 4
Experience: 15,350 Total / 0 Unspent
Corruption: 0
Insanity: 30
Wounds: 14 (9, Sound Constitution 5)
Fate Points: 3

Characteristics:
Weapon Skill: 34
Ballistic Skill: 45 (35 +5 Origin Path +5 Advance)
Strength: 37 (42 -5 Origin Path)
Toughness: 38 (36 -3 Origin Path +10 Advance -5 Elongated Form)
Agility: 30
Intelligence: 51 (41 +10 Advance)
Perception: 54 (44 +10 Advance)
Willpower: 53 (38 +5 Origin Path +10 Advance)
Fellowship: 34 (39 -5 Origin Path)

Origin Path:
Home World: Void Born

-5S, +5WP; Starting Skills; Charmed; Ill-Omened; Shipwise; Void Accustomed

Birthright: Stubjack

+5BS, -5Fel; Intimidate; Quick Draw; 4 Insanity

Lure of the Void: Duty Bound (Duty to Your Dynasty)

-3T; +1PF; Rival (House Castermare)

Trials and Travails: Dark Voyage

Forbidden Lore (Navigators) +10; 4 Insanity

Motivation: Fear (Tormented by the Unspeakable, 200xp)

Light Sleeper, Jaded, Resistance (Fear); 12 Insanity

Lineage: Of Extensive Means (Far-Reaching Contacts, 300xp)

Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus, Astropaths, Void Born)

Special Abilities:
The Boons of Lineage (Nomadic House): Talented (Navigation [Warp]); A Taste for the Warp; Scorn of Dirt-Dwellers; Initial Mutation; The Lidless Stare (Adept)
Warp Guide: +5 Navigation (Warp)

Skills:
Awareness +20 (Per)
Ciphers (Noblite Family) (Int)
Command (Fel)
Common Lore (Navis Noblite) +20 (Int)
Dodge (Ag)
Forbidden Lore (Mutants, Pirates) (Int)
Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) +10 (Int)
Forbidden Lore (Navigators, Warp) +20 (Int)
Interrogation (WP)
Intimidate +20 (S/Int/Fel)
Literacy (Int)
Navigation (Surface) (Int)
Navigation (Stellar) +10 (Int)
Nagivation (Warp [Talented, Warp Guide]) +20 (Int)
Psyniscience (Talented) +20 (Per)
Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) +10 (Int)
Scrutiny (Per)
Secret Tongue (Navigator) (Int)
Speak Language (High Gothic, Low Gothic, Ship Dialect) (Int)
Trade (Astrographer) (Ag)
Trade (Remembrancer) (Int)

Talents:
Disturbing Voice
Enemy (Ordo Chronos)
Good Reputation (Thousand Sons)
Jaded
Light Sleeper
Meditation
Navigator
Navigator Power
Peer (Adeptus Mechanicus, Astropaths, Navigators, Thousand Sons, Void Born)
Pistol Weapon Training (Universal)
Quick Draw
Resistance (Fear, Psychic Techniques)
Rival (House Castermare)
Sound Constitution 3
Talented (Navigation [Warp], Psyniscience)
Total Recall [Mind Impulse Unit]

Traits:
Charmed
Ill-Omened
Scorn of Dirt-Dwellers
Shipwise
A Taste for the Warp
Void Accustomed

Navigator Powers:
Gaze into the Abyss (Novice)
Foreshadowing (Novice)
The Eye Is Open
The Lidless Stare (Master)

Mutations:
Elongated Form
Pale and Hairless Flesh

Gear:
Charm
Excruciator (+30 Intimidate, +20 Interrogation, -20 Deceive for subject)
Micro-Bead
Noblite Robes
Selenite-Pattern Void Suit (Best-Craftmanship) with Servo-Manipulators
Silk Headscarf
Tarot Deck

Weapons:
Hellpistol (Best-Craftmanship) (1d10+4E, 7 Pen, 40 Clip, 2 Rld) (Red-Dot Laser Sight)
Metal Staff (Best-Craftmanship) (1d10+4I, 0 Pen)

Armor:
Selenite-Pattern Void Suit (Best-Craftmanship) (5 Head, 4 Arms, Body, Legs; Servo-Manipulators cancel the -10 Ag)
Xeno-Mesh (Best-Craftmanship) (4 Arms, Body, Legs)

Cybernetics:
Mind Impulse Unit (Good-Craftmanship) (+10 BS, Drive, Inquiry, Logic, Pilot, Tech-Use; experience senses of familiars)
MIU Weapon Interface (Linked to Hellpistol; shoot as a Free Action)
Memorance Implant (Total Recall; +10 to Trade [Remembrancer] and relevant social situations)

Personnel:
The Rings of Castermire, Void-Born Assassin-Bodyguards
The Elite: Squad, Characteristics 50; BC Footfall Pattern Voidsuit; Persecutor Shotgun, Las Pistol, BC Mono-Falchion; Shock Net, Howler Grenade, Stun Grenade, Web Grenade; Cameleoline Cloak, Preysense Goggles, Whisper Boots.
The Officers: Company, Characteristics 50; Standard Pattern Voidsuit, Flax Coat; Boarding Gun, Mono-Falchion; Strait-Capes.
The Rank and File: Regiment, Characteristics 40; Standard Pattern Voidsuit, Flax Coat; Shotgun or Autogun or Lasgun, Mono-Falchion; Smoke Grenade.

Familiars:
Mr. Wah Dell (Best-Craftmanship Walking Creature: Independent, Wanderer; Mechanical, Additional Limbs; Psy-Detector, Warded)
Ms. Rana (Best-Craftmanship Walking Creature: Independent, Aggressive; Toxic Blood, Unnatural Toughness; Warded, Lightning Rod)
Ms. Roja (Best-Craftmanship Walking Creature: Independent, Paranoid; Big Teeth, Wings; Warded, Psy-Detector)

Advances:
Rank 1:
Awareness (100)
Ciphers (Noblite Family) (100)
Secret Tongue (Navigator) (100)
Trade (Astrographer) (100)
Intelligence +5 (100)
Perception +5 (100)
Willpower +5 (100)
Intelligence +10 (250)
Perception +10 (250)
Willpower +10 (250)
Toughness +5 (250)
Toughness +10 (500)

Rank 2:
Awareness +10 (200)
Common Lore (Navis Noblite) +10 (200)
Dodge (200)
Forbidden Lore (Warp) +10 (200)
Intimidate +10 (200)
Navigation (Stellar) +10 (200)
Navigation (Warp) +10 (200)
Psyniscience +10 (200)
Disturbing Voice (200)
Meditation (200)
Sound Constitution 3 (600)
Navigator Power (The Lidless Stare, Master) (200)

Rank 3:
Navigator Power (Gaze into the Abyss, Novice) (200)
Forbidden Lore (Navigators) +20 (200)
Forbidden Lore (Warp) +20 (200)
Awareness +20 (200)
Common Lore (Navis Noblite) +20 (200)
Intimidate +20 (200)
Psyniscience +20 (200)
Scholastic Lore (Astromancy) +10 (200)
Peer (Navigators) (300) [Elite Advance]
Trade (Remembrancer) (300) [Elite Advance]
Ballistic Skill +5 (250)
Forbidden Lore (Mutants) (200)
Sound Constitution 2 (400)

Rank 4:
Scrutiny (300) [Elite Advance]
Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) (200) [Elite Advance]
Navigation (Warp) +20 (200)
Talented (Psyniscience) (200)
Navigator Power (Foreshadowing, Novice) (200)
Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) +10 (200) [Elite Advance]
Resistance (Psychic Techniques) (200)
Interrogate (200)
Command (200)
Navigation (Surface) (200)
Forbidden Lore (Pirates) (200)

Spoiler: Notes

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Factor Ignatius is a Tech-Priest in Footfall, and Kennoch's go-to for cybernetics. A weird guy, in that he seems mostly human.
Remalia Brabazon is a Nomadic Navigator under Captain Jonell, of the Mailed Fist. She's a recluse who only communicates remotely, but she's still a useful contact. Collaborating with Echo on mapping Warp routes to and from Port Davis.
Lorenzo Mercator is a Shrouded Navigator serving "The Monk." His mutations include shark teeth. A useful ally, but of questionable heritage and unknown personal motives.
Sargon Typhon is a heavily mutated tank-bound Navigator, former pirate turned prisoner. Currently held in Kennoch's tower.
Three Castermare Navigators are posing as members of House Visscher. One is a member of Winterscale's fleet, another the Explorator fleet under Magos-Commodore Gnothis Trannarch, and the third under Captain William Mayes, of the Pyrel, one of Captain Misson's pirates.

Spoiler: Background Posts

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