Z
Zarkun
Guest
Original poster
In the year 2501, an unmanned Terran Dominion probe discovered the fringe world of Demon's Fair. Further investigation showed Protoss ruins, notably Tal'darim; the Tal'darim had been mining a gas called Terrazine until they had exhausted it. However, they had let another gas-producing rift alone.
A linguist translated the name from Protoss writings. A scientific officer convinced Arcturus Mengsk to exploit the psi-enhancing gas for military applications. Mengsk created Project Shadowblade, putting it under level nine classification. The project was led by General Horace Warfield.
This program was responsible for the creation of the first Spectres, Ghosts that had been exposed to the Terrazine gas. The gas was tested on animals, some condemned prisoners, and eventually several volunteers, some of who were low-level psychics. The gas increased psychic power, but it was addictive and created hallucinations and violent outbursts, which often resulted in the injury of project staff.
Over time, Arcturus Mengsk grew leery of the project and ordered its termination. After Warfield was recalled, Mengsk sent in marines to eliminate the project members, ensuring that the project wouldn't be carried on. Others argue one of the spectres experienced severe hallucinations and killed the project members himself. Whatever the truth, only three other members besides General Warfield survived and were all three thrown into New Folsom to hide the truth.
In 2503, a second incarnation of Project Shadowblade launched a rebellion with the intent of killing Mengsk. This was thwarted by Ghost agent Nova Terra and the new Project Shadowblade, while damaged, is not destroyed. Gabriel Tosh picks up where he left off the following year during the Second Great War, having discovered that the element Jorium is good for balancing out the addictive and hallucinogenic properties of Terrazine when used in tandem with a Psionic Waveform Indoctrinator. This allowed him to create new Spectres with lower risks.
But in this day and age, the Spectres and Dominion don't play well together and the Spectres have a deep seated hate of all things Arcturus Mengsk. Tosh, along side Raynor's Raiders, wages a war against them, but behind the scenes are the Spectres, fighting their own war with Dominion Ghosts who are hunting them in an effort to destroy Shadowblade. Which side will you pick? The Ghosts, a tried and true psionic warrior who puts fear into the heart of the Dominion's enemies, or the Spectres, the next generation who give nightmares a whole new meaning.
Hey folks,
I understand writing ghosts and spectres is extremely difficult. This is going to be a hard task for all of us to work through. The memory wipes and psychological scarring is difficult to determine, counteract, and develop when it's so foreign to us as writers. It doesn't help that we actually know very little about how much "memory wiping" affects personality, the brain, and other emotions.
Let me outline a basic writing how-to for psionic characters.
Ghosts
Name
All ghosts are assigned a five digit number. Formally, ghosts are trained to call each other by their number. Using just the first digit or two is common. Nicknames are also common.
Ghosts under the Dominion retain knowledge of their former name and it is only frowned upon to use it, not forbidden.
Age
Ghosts are trained from a young age and are only accepted into the academy with a PI index of five or higher. They must also be literate when they join. No toddlers running around. Though Ghosts are accepted in for training young, training only lasts four years. Consider this when you think about when your character was brought into the academy. If they were brought in at twelve, do you really want to have a sixteen year old ghost operative? My recommendation would be making your ghost farther in their teen years when they were brought into the academy.
On the other end of the spectrum, don't make an old ghost. low-twenties is a good range. Consider the short life expectancy of a ghost. Yes, they are elite operatives, but accidents happen. Every mission they undergo is extremely high risk and ghosts go through them on a regular basis. Having a thirty plus year old ghost is unrealistic, but not impossible. I will allow one if you can provide solid reasoning for them not being dead by this time.
20-25 is preferable
P.I.
Ghosts are only accepted into the academy if they have a P.I. of five or higher. I put the cap at eight for ghosts and will accept any between five and eight.
Personality
The most difficult part of writing a ghost is the psychological factors that go into writing the mental profile of this sort of character. Keep in mind that other terrans are very wary of ghosts because of their psionic powers. This, in turn, makes them loners and ghosts are usually silent. No chatter-box ghosts.
However effective the mind-wipe might be, personality is something that transcends this. Your family life, past experiences and current mental profile are all things that are still completely yours as the writer to create. Just because your character might not necessarily remember every detail of this, that doesn't mean it hasn't effected his personality and who he is as a person.
When you're writing a personality for your ghost, just like any other character, include phobias, greatest fears, greatest desires, flaws, stuff like that.
The Mind-Wipe Predicament
Ghosts are routinely mind-wiped and have no memory of their former life, family or friends. They are also incapable of forming relationships because of these routine mind-wipes. For the purpose of writing, this truth is going to be slightly skewed.
Though ghosts will be routinely mind-wiped of all details and emotions, they will retain a vague idea of their past life and past missions. These vague ideas are almost like a dream and can be forgotten if not constantly thought about or dwelt upon. It becomes less difficult the more psionic prowess a character has and the less psionic dampeners are in the area. However, all emotion and details of any sort are purged.
This concept is also true for current relationships. If you have a best buddy, they will be more like your imaginary friend that you're so sure is real. Until you see them in the flesh. Use your imagination to see what that kind of thing would do to your psychological profile.
Biography
Include basic family life. This would have a huge impact on personality. Include how your character was "wrangled." Did your parents turn you in themselves, or did a wrangler hunt you down? This reveals a lot about your character's parents and would also have a huge impact on your character's personality. What did your character think about training? Did it break them? Where did they succeed, where did they fail? How far to the breaking point were they pushed?
Under the Dominion, as a graduating ceremony, the new ghost is sent alone on a mission. How did your character do? How do they feel about it?
Equipment
As for rifles, you have a few options.
The AGR-14 rifle is a quicker firing, but shorter range assault rifle which makes an intimidating boom when it fires. This was the standard training weapon for Spectres and is still available to ghosts.
The C-10 Canister rifle is more powerful and accurate than the AGR. But it is heavier and less effective in close-quarters. It also has a slower rate of fire. This is the standard training weapon for ghosts, and most stick to it.
Finally, the BOSUN FN92 sniper rifle. This powerful and long-range rifle fires .50 caliber rounds. It's effective range is 996 yards and carries four rounds per magazine.
The Torrent SR-8 Shotgun is also an option. A good choice for those operatives that love it close and personal.
As for sidearms, there are a few.
The P30 is a pistol available for civilian use. It employs a very complex firing system that inadvertently acts as a safeguard against disabling by telekinesis. It cannot pierce CMC armor, however.
The P35 pistol is the weapon commonly duel-wielded by reapers. It has a high-firing rate, it's powerful and lastly, it's reliable… As long as there are no telekinetics around.
Lastly, the Needle Gun is the most powerful and accurate sidearm. It can penetrate anything in front of it with a bang. It has a slower firing rate than the P35, however, and is also precariously heavy for a pistol.
Important note from the DM on Ghosts
Something about Ghosts I've noticed. While most Ghosts do go by a number, they do remember their name, and like any elite operative, are assigned a call sign, which they are more likely to use because it's easier to identify yourself by callsign than to remember a series of numbers, no matter how small. It does, after all, only take one small mistake to either A) Get you shot, or B) Get thrown to the scientists under suspicion of infestation. So, give a callsign as well please.
I don't expect the Spectres to keep entirely to the provided equipment list, as the greater majority of them will have just gotten out of New Folsom and requisitioning their armor. However, custom weapons, at some point, will be allowed. After all, Tosh isn't above trying to give his people an advantage over the Dominion Ghosts. Warfield would be the same with his Ghosts over the Spectres. I guess just run things by us and give decent explanations.
Spectres
Name
Consider that all spectres were ghosts. Maybe your character liked being called by his number? Or maybe he had a nickname in the academy that stuck?
Age
Your age is much more flexible as a Spectre, however remember that you were a seasoned ghost before joining Project Shadowblade. Use your discernment, this one's really flexible.
P.I.
At least 5 to get into the academy, less than 8.5 because more than that is absurd. Remember that terrazine bumps your PI by 1 and that's a lot.
Personality
Unlike the ghost counterparts, spectres have the effects of mind-wiping reversed. They know everything they've ever experienced and they feel strongly about it. Remember when you're writing a spectre's personality that they were a ghost. A ruthless and deadly operative who doubles as a commando or an assassin. How do they feel about the monster they've become? How do they feel about everything the Dominion made them forget? Is your character cool and level-headed, or are they teeming with anger and hate?
When you're writing a personality for your spectre, just like any other character, include phobias, greatest fears, greatest desires, flaws, stuff like that. This is magnified tenfold for spectres who have a lot to lose.
The brain is a rather delicate biological computer, and Terrazine is a very volatile mind-altering substance, in every sense of the term. What this means is, even in the best case scenario, a Spectre is going to be a little less than sane. They are known for developing numerous eccentricities, particularly an attachment to talismans, totems, and other such objects that are supposed to increase their powers (whether or not they actually do is irrelevant). Spectres run the whole gamut, ranging from mostly normal to borderline psychotic, depending on the frequency of Terrazine exposure and the size of the doses. This goes for both their base personality, as well as how they behave throughout the story. A good rule of thumb is that, the more often they get high, the more unstable they become. So you can literally go crazy with them.
–- ThunderCrash
Biography
No funny business here, buddy, your character remembers everything. Life before the academy, life in the academy, every mission thereafter. Fill your character with memories. Construct them beautifully, carefully, and thoroughly. I'm anxious to see what you can do.
Equipment
Spectres had the same gear as ghosts, although their HE suits are actually more advanced. During Spectre training, their primary weapon was an AGR-14. Look at the Ghost's equipment available to them to get a realistic idea with what your character would be comfortable with.
I understand writing ghosts and spectres is extremely difficult. This is going to be a hard task for all of us to work through. The memory wipes and psychological scarring is difficult to determine, counteract, and develop when it's so foreign to us as writers. It doesn't help that we actually know very little about how much "memory wiping" affects personality, the brain, and other emotions.
Let me outline a basic writing how-to for psionic characters.
Ghosts
Name
All ghosts are assigned a five digit number. Formally, ghosts are trained to call each other by their number. Using just the first digit or two is common. Nicknames are also common.
Ghosts under the Dominion retain knowledge of their former name and it is only frowned upon to use it, not forbidden.
Age
Ghosts are trained from a young age and are only accepted into the academy with a PI index of five or higher. They must also be literate when they join. No toddlers running around. Though Ghosts are accepted in for training young, training only lasts four years. Consider this when you think about when your character was brought into the academy. If they were brought in at twelve, do you really want to have a sixteen year old ghost operative? My recommendation would be making your ghost farther in their teen years when they were brought into the academy.
On the other end of the spectrum, don't make an old ghost. low-twenties is a good range. Consider the short life expectancy of a ghost. Yes, they are elite operatives, but accidents happen. Every mission they undergo is extremely high risk and ghosts go through them on a regular basis. Having a thirty plus year old ghost is unrealistic, but not impossible. I will allow one if you can provide solid reasoning for them not being dead by this time.
20-25 is preferable
P.I.
Ghosts are only accepted into the academy if they have a P.I. of five or higher. I put the cap at eight for ghosts and will accept any between five and eight.
Personality
The most difficult part of writing a ghost is the psychological factors that go into writing the mental profile of this sort of character. Keep in mind that other terrans are very wary of ghosts because of their psionic powers. This, in turn, makes them loners and ghosts are usually silent. No chatter-box ghosts.
However effective the mind-wipe might be, personality is something that transcends this. Your family life, past experiences and current mental profile are all things that are still completely yours as the writer to create. Just because your character might not necessarily remember every detail of this, that doesn't mean it hasn't effected his personality and who he is as a person.
When you're writing a personality for your ghost, just like any other character, include phobias, greatest fears, greatest desires, flaws, stuff like that.
The Mind-Wipe Predicament
Ghosts are routinely mind-wiped and have no memory of their former life, family or friends. They are also incapable of forming relationships because of these routine mind-wipes. For the purpose of writing, this truth is going to be slightly skewed.
Though ghosts will be routinely mind-wiped of all details and emotions, they will retain a vague idea of their past life and past missions. These vague ideas are almost like a dream and can be forgotten if not constantly thought about or dwelt upon. It becomes less difficult the more psionic prowess a character has and the less psionic dampeners are in the area. However, all emotion and details of any sort are purged.
This concept is also true for current relationships. If you have a best buddy, they will be more like your imaginary friend that you're so sure is real. Until you see them in the flesh. Use your imagination to see what that kind of thing would do to your psychological profile.
Biography
Include basic family life. This would have a huge impact on personality. Include how your character was "wrangled." Did your parents turn you in themselves, or did a wrangler hunt you down? This reveals a lot about your character's parents and would also have a huge impact on your character's personality. What did your character think about training? Did it break them? Where did they succeed, where did they fail? How far to the breaking point were they pushed?
Under the Dominion, as a graduating ceremony, the new ghost is sent alone on a mission. How did your character do? How do they feel about it?
Equipment
As for rifles, you have a few options.
The AGR-14 rifle is a quicker firing, but shorter range assault rifle which makes an intimidating boom when it fires. This was the standard training weapon for Spectres and is still available to ghosts.
The C-10 Canister rifle is more powerful and accurate than the AGR. But it is heavier and less effective in close-quarters. It also has a slower rate of fire. This is the standard training weapon for ghosts, and most stick to it.
Finally, the BOSUN FN92 sniper rifle. This powerful and long-range rifle fires .50 caliber rounds. It's effective range is 996 yards and carries four rounds per magazine.
The Torrent SR-8 Shotgun is also an option. A good choice for those operatives that love it close and personal.
As for sidearms, there are a few.
The P30 is a pistol available for civilian use. It employs a very complex firing system that inadvertently acts as a safeguard against disabling by telekinesis. It cannot pierce CMC armor, however.
The P35 pistol is the weapon commonly duel-wielded by reapers. It has a high-firing rate, it's powerful and lastly, it's reliable… As long as there are no telekinetics around.
Lastly, the Needle Gun is the most powerful and accurate sidearm. It can penetrate anything in front of it with a bang. It has a slower firing rate than the P35, however, and is also precariously heavy for a pistol.
Important note from the DM on Ghosts
Something about Ghosts I've noticed. While most Ghosts do go by a number, they do remember their name, and like any elite operative, are assigned a call sign, which they are more likely to use because it's easier to identify yourself by callsign than to remember a series of numbers, no matter how small. It does, after all, only take one small mistake to either A) Get you shot, or B) Get thrown to the scientists under suspicion of infestation. So, give a callsign as well please.
I don't expect the Spectres to keep entirely to the provided equipment list, as the greater majority of them will have just gotten out of New Folsom and requisitioning their armor. However, custom weapons, at some point, will be allowed. After all, Tosh isn't above trying to give his people an advantage over the Dominion Ghosts. Warfield would be the same with his Ghosts over the Spectres. I guess just run things by us and give decent explanations.
Spectres
Name
Consider that all spectres were ghosts. Maybe your character liked being called by his number? Or maybe he had a nickname in the academy that stuck?
Age
Your age is much more flexible as a Spectre, however remember that you were a seasoned ghost before joining Project Shadowblade. Use your discernment, this one's really flexible.
P.I.
At least 5 to get into the academy, less than 8.5 because more than that is absurd. Remember that terrazine bumps your PI by 1 and that's a lot.
Personality
Unlike the ghost counterparts, spectres have the effects of mind-wiping reversed. They know everything they've ever experienced and they feel strongly about it. Remember when you're writing a spectre's personality that they were a ghost. A ruthless and deadly operative who doubles as a commando or an assassin. How do they feel about the monster they've become? How do they feel about everything the Dominion made them forget? Is your character cool and level-headed, or are they teeming with anger and hate?
When you're writing a personality for your spectre, just like any other character, include phobias, greatest fears, greatest desires, flaws, stuff like that. This is magnified tenfold for spectres who have a lot to lose.
The brain is a rather delicate biological computer, and Terrazine is a very volatile mind-altering substance, in every sense of the term. What this means is, even in the best case scenario, a Spectre is going to be a little less than sane. They are known for developing numerous eccentricities, particularly an attachment to talismans, totems, and other such objects that are supposed to increase their powers (whether or not they actually do is irrelevant). Spectres run the whole gamut, ranging from mostly normal to borderline psychotic, depending on the frequency of Terrazine exposure and the size of the doses. This goes for both their base personality, as well as how they behave throughout the story. A good rule of thumb is that, the more often they get high, the more unstable they become. So you can literally go crazy with them.
–- ThunderCrash
Biography
No funny business here, buddy, your character remembers everything. Life before the academy, life in the academy, every mission thereafter. Fill your character with memories. Construct them beautifully, carefully, and thoroughly. I'm anxious to see what you can do.
Equipment
Spectres had the same gear as ghosts, although their HE suits are actually more advanced. During Spectre training, their primary weapon was an AGR-14. Look at the Ghost's equipment available to them to get a realistic idea with what your character would be comfortable with.
Name:
Faction:
Age: (Must be at least twenty so you have at least two years of experience)
P.I.: (Nothing higher than a 8 if Ghost, 8.5 if Spectre, if not telekinetic, prefer lower)
Physical Appearance:
Personality:
Psionic Abilities: (Be general. If you put pyrokinetics, we all know what you mean. Include Cloak. It's gonna be the universal power here.)
Equipment: (Have fun with it. Customize your stuff to suit your character)
Backstory: (Can include pre-Academy for Ghosts, pre-Folsom for Spectres.)
Notes: (Generally for specifics on equipment)
Faction:
Age: (Must be at least twenty so you have at least two years of experience)
P.I.: (Nothing higher than a 8 if Ghost, 8.5 if Spectre, if not telekinetic, prefer lower)
Physical Appearance:
Personality:
Psionic Abilities: (Be general. If you put pyrokinetics, we all know what you mean. Include Cloak. It's gonna be the universal power here.)
Equipment: (Have fun with it. Customize your stuff to suit your character)
Backstory: (Can include pre-Academy for Ghosts, pre-Folsom for Spectres.)
Notes: (Generally for specifics on equipment)
So I've been roleplaying online for some time now, and this RP was initially posted on the StarCraft 2 website. It gained interest but many of it's players up and disappeared after we started. I then attempted to get this going on Roleplayerguild, but there wasn't a large enough interest to get the RP going. So, with all that out in the air, anyone interested? If you aren't familiar with some of the lore, what you need to know for this RP is in that bit above the doted line.[/hr][/hr]
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