littlekreen
Edgepeasant
Original poster
ALWAYS THE WINDOW SHOPPER, NEVER THE PRODUCT.
DONATING MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
- Posting Speed
- 1-3 posts per day
- One post per day
- Multiple posts per week
- Writing Levels
- Intermediate
- Adept
- Advanced
- Adaptable
- Preferred Character Gender
- No Preferences
Nicknames/Titles/Alias(es): 'The little patriot', 'Ghost radio', 'Verminous Villan'
Origin: Supermutant, FEV-D Chameleon Deathclaw, intelligent
Age: 5 (baby)
Appearance: While deathclaw tend to grow quickly this one has the frame of a FEV exposure already, however the maturation rate is closer to humankind if still quite rapid. While only two feet tall to the forehead in his normal hunched pose Anchorage has the juvenile horns of a male already and thicker complex hands more suited to tool manipulation. His matte coloration varies with his mood though generally an average color for his environment when not otherwise perturbed. There's a small mark on his skull of surgery but seems otherwise unmarred than by the occasional scratch from scuffles with creatures. Deathclaw lead more by their nose and hearing than other senses though his eyes have less of the milky yellow than a smooth oval slit eye of a caiman. When moving his things a vacuous ghost seems to tote a clutched lunchbox and broken pipboy through the dark as he wears no clothing to speak of.
Faction: Vault 120 - More an illegal immigrant than a member of vault 120. Anchorage dug his way in through widening some of the channels other vermin wildlife use. Living in the lowest and dark recesses he's been eating the radroach problem and occasionally causing ghost stories as he spouts perfectly mimicked lines of other dwellers in presumably empty halls and rooms as the little cloaker runs about when nobody's looking. While he doesn't consider the vault dwellers a threat he avoids them entirely and doesn't come out unless the room is empty, they're gone, and it's dark. Has taken clear effort to conceal his tunnels from the vault dwellers with whatever detritus or crates he can find or cobble together though occasionally a bucket with a hole under it has been found and patched.
Character Audit: While the FEV Lab of the Institute had no strong developments with humans during its decade of study another line of inquiry opened after the development of the mark 3 synths. The institute had done its own attempt to study the deathclaws as new speciation in chameleon deathclaws were found with radiation dose levels nearly that of former background records. That material sold to the institute was determined to have received more radiation in transit than it had acquired in its entire life. Coursers were dispatched to acquire either more information or a living deathclaw subject. After subsequent capture of specimen eggs in lieu of the slaughtered breeding pair they'd ostensibly gotten the material for which incited the research.
As the eggs were in a fortuitous stage of their development an institute FEV-D line was developed and repurposed as implants entered reengineering for a foreign species. Some of the eggs reared as control subjects, to generate more eggs, while one was treated to gather data during rearing as it was determined in vitro was the most stable phase for the nonhuman biochemistry. The understanding to properly control the feral mind gave resistance to neural control as they had with generation 3 synths though careful insertion of wetware allowed them to install radiotelemetry and a monocyte breeder into the developing embryo. What would become Anchorage now dosed with FEV-D started an accelerating gestation cycle as the egg hatched in record time. A small newborn deathclaw rapidly exploded from its egg and initially damaged the containment room before being pacified. Even if the sharp claws nearly cut through the door it was determined to continue observation to see if the rage was a temporary onset period or a permanent condition like with EEV. Later waking outside a feral state but not growing to adulthood immediately the Institute reported an tentative initial success and continued inquiry. The institute radiotelemetry unit in his head provides access through a pipboy as to his current senses and vision.
Its growth rate proved logarithmic and while not ideal for the lab's goal of utility beings they could tell the newborn deathclaw while socially isolated did seem to recognize human smells with pack calls and not food. The creature did appear to regard generation one and two synths as part of its cage rather than individuals which made study much easier. As the small deathclaw started growing horns however the scientists were pleased to observe a stealth-boy like refraction of light within the dense dermal tissue whenever it was scared. When it was injured the wounds instead of scarring recovered its fully cloaked state due to the monocyte breeder. Even to the point of hiding in its water tub to escape a first generation synth and the cloaking entirely covering the refraction of its personal void even if he couldn't hide particulate collisions. As data gathering by synths continued his digestive system proved to be terribly robust and various foods, plants, and poisons were provided to study their metabolic effects. Fancy lads snack cakes were soon determined to be a suitably motivating training reward.
Training went well, using synths, though after one Anchorage was found with a hand to his face to inspect himself in the observation room mirror while carefully unwrapping and eating a snack cake. Several important questions resulted in the unexpected mirror test. Basic tests of intelligence had been conducted but a new battery of tests soon proved that Anchorage already exceeded the animalistic intellect of an adult deathclaw. Studies into pattern recognition, tool use, and eventually computers through simple games to test adaption to complex tasks and explore possible education. As it started talking back at the Synths with radio announcements it was discovered that the deathclaw could both speak and that Anchorage was directly aware of wide band radio transmissions. Analysis of skin samples determined the thick hide served well as an entire body antenna centered strongly on the horns where the wetware had its own and parts of its brain had both auditory portions and others dedicated to signal analysis. Research found Anchorage considered the pack to be the radio signal itself and the smell of humans associated but the Synth as much a rock that sometimes fed them and had them do things. Communication was difficult however as they determined Anchorage to have an adequate understanding of meaning but a poor ability in speech synthesis. As time went on he'd been provided with an acquired pipboy to run the tapes of his tests after proving able to care for them and provided a container to keep the tapes in.
~~~
When Dr. Brian Virgil attacked and damaged the facility Anchorage remained in his pen waiting for the rocks to arrive with food. He could hear other packmates making noises but the radio had gone silent and his happiness wasn't turning on after all the lights fell to communism. As his small piles of snacks ran out Anchorage eventually managed to tear through the metal door to look for rocks to feed him. Intelligent enough to know his 'Liberation' wasn't working and emotionally stable enough to do something about it, Anchorage left the facility. He cloaked as soon as he saw communist drones taking America's things. But there was a vault America, he heard from the birthplace of pack America. It would be safe there. With the Institute transmissions as a beacon he started trudging endlessly south toward Florida with the idea of vault America™ on his mind as the constant radio chatter played in his head from the commonwealth for as long as it could. There weren't many packs in the above place. It was bright and strange and filled with communist meat drones trying to look like freedom rocks with food. The water tasted bad but he could sniff out cakes every now and again. Or capture them back from the communist meat drones and their red horned communist menace. Once he met a one like him but big and strong like democracy. They were not true America and made no noises of the America pack but the big mother embraced democracy and democracy was the truth so he stayed a while in the 'Welcome to Appalachia' place before he kept going south following where the America pack called from the sky to find his way. He couldn't always see the lights except when it was dark but the America pack was always there. Freedom lies in being bold.
Eventually he started getting closer to the place where the America pack in the ceiling lights said there would be freedom. Freedom is the sovereign right of every American pack. Maybe there would be rocks there to feed him but he was good at liberty and could get food himself now. The communist meat drones will always fail. When the mountains started to be far away the land got really flat and he had to follow the big water bowl for a while. He ate a few red chinese aggressors and their weak dull claws, their mission hindrance was zero percent. Democracy was non-negotiable. Communism is death.
He finally reached the area where vault America would be. The sky America all agreed he was at the place where the pack sang about vault America. A temporary setback on the road to freedom. There would be rocks to fix a broken pursuit of happiness. Anchorage's liberation is imminent! He sniffed about the outside as he trailed the pack from above looking for a path to where they were. There were large wrinkly pink communists! Chairman Cheng? American casualties are unacceptable. With overkill mode he brought freedom to the infiltration units until communism was properly dead. Exploring the faint signal of pack America in the tunnels he found a hole where weak communist claws were chewing at the wall. He used his sharp ones so he could get in then moved a big box in front. As he heard pack America in his ears he hid from light when he saw a communist meat drone. Vault Amercia was telling them things. He could hear. Vault America would make the drone go away from its territory. Anchorage slinks away past the meat drone looking for Glory with chairman Cheng defeated. Glory was the reward of Valor. The drone complained about his stolen snacks being recovered as Anchorage left looking in the dark places for a compound to reach Democracy.
~~~
Anchorage has taken up the place as his own name and while he can speak it tends to be in cobbled together phrases he's heard before or jingoistic slogans at least tangentially appropriate to his intention. As a terribly proficient mimic he's occasionally held friendly if confusing 'conversations' over vault equipment mistaking the vault dweller on the other side for the voices of 'Pack America' in his head. Only to flee when curious dwellers come to inspect the problematic equipment.
He's not overly territorial nor hostile but neither is he socialized so the small deathclaw is a fearful loner in his adopted nest. Though it is colder lately than he'd like and occasionally worries over the warm REACTOR when it's malfunctioning and has been yelling about it over vault radio. While his small stash of detritus and tools is mostly lost things in an otherwise inaccessible interior void he has an incomplete understanding of barter even if he keeps spare bottlecaps. He often leaves a comparable thing for a thing that his simple needs require though his estimation of worth is dubious at best.
S.P.E.C.I.A.L
Strength
10: Inhuman strength. Can use giant weapons with ease, able to K.O. deathclaws, and probably well-known for tearing power-armored soldiers limb from limb with their bare hands. Has no issue wearing solid metal or stone for hours at a time, and able to move swiftly when loaded like a pack brahmin. Only applies to truly legendary individuals, as no amount of dedication could lead to such feats besides otherworldly blessings.
Perception
4: Functionally unaware. Rarely picks up on fine details, but functions well enough to live normally. Often disregards forethought, but may only if it will be very beneficial, but sometimes fails to apply common sense to situations. Often applies to children and impatient characters.
Endurance
10: Inhumanly durable. Untouched by illness, and suffers none if afflicted. Can withstand extreme damage without a scratch. Probably well known for deflecting .50 BMGs with their abs. Never feels tired unless being in extreme stress for days, and rarely feels pain that is not bearable. Only applies to truly legendary individuals, as no amount of dedication could lead to such feats besides otherworldly blessings.
Charisma
3: Strange. Has trouble interacting with others and interpreting their interactions. Considered either very boring or very rude. Often applies to outland farmers and young tribals.
Intelligence
4: Functionally limited intelligence. Some issues conveying information and takes a lot of effort to solve anything complex. Can function as an average person only if given large amounts of time and effort to do so. Has trouble learning and applying new skills. Often applies to those with little education in their formative years, such as average tribals.
Agility
3: Very clumsy. Can walk and run normally, but sometimes trips over objects or themselves. Cannot perform intricate motions with their hands. May walk stiffly and without good rhythm. Terrible reaction time. Often applies to brutish klutz characters with brash, stiff movement.
Luck
8: Incredibly lucky. Sometimes experiences major fortune. Has luck on their side all the time, and has probably gained much over time through luck alone. Can count on luck in many circumstances to get them by safe. May be considered blessed in religious circles.
Caps: 490
Inventory, including Weapons & Armor: Radio receiver implant, vault-tec lunchbox, broken pipboy 'Liberation', radroach jerky, Atomic Command Holotape, Red Menace Holotape, 2 x stimpack (stolen)
Fighting Style: Stealth backstabbing
Companion: None
Miscellaneous: FEV Chameleon deathclaw - As long as he's well fed and uninjured his entire body can compensate for the environment to make him practically a translucent ghost though it works better when the environment is already dark. This is calorie expensive on his part, however. It does not extend to the things he's holding or wearing as opposed to the stealth boy.
Radio Implant - Has an advanced wideband radio receiver implant in his head that uses his horns as receiver antennae though he has no idea it exists or what that means. Can reflexively tune to most anything from VLF to UHF though hears it as audio and can hunt down a signal like he would a smell by its power using his two horns.
Monocyte Breeder - While this technically retards his growth due to the FEV virus it is now part of an internal organ that remediated radioactivity in his body. After mutation it compensates for the negative mutations that often result which is what allowed him to survive the initial FEV-D infection phase and stabilizes the slow subsequent growth. While it doesn't provide enough net benefit to heal rapidly he does have an eventual full regenerative capacity so does not scar. Given time and food supply he can regrow amputated parts of his body.
