[The Atomic Punk]

Character Contest 47: Weather, Weather Everywhere

Pogonip is a villain in my meta-verse. Though a minor character, he is otherwise a normal except that he has what is known as the “N-Factor.” The N-Factor is the amazing ability of seemingly ordinary people to hold their own against metas.

I’m thinking of re-naming the “N-Factor” to something else because it is too close to “X-Factor.” Suggestions welcome.

Pogonip

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Backstory
The Idaho Devils are bikers known all along the Continental Divide. Sometimes referred to as “ID-43” (Idaho, 43rd State), the gang primarily trades in illegal guns and drugs along with other assorted vices. Rumors circulate that their gang code is heavily influenced by “pagan traditions”. The Devils are also notoriously violent. “Transgressions” are handled by enforcers.

Their main enforcer is simply known as “Pogonip”. He is the cold, deadly fog that has claimed many travelers foolish enough to stray from the safety of the “righteous path.” To call him otherwise invites the touch of his “ice crystals”. The only exception, of course, is his own mother.

[The Atomic Punk]

Character Contest 47: Weather, Weather Everywhere

First entry, El Shamal is a supre-villain in my meta-verse. Some background about my meta-verse. The majority of the heroes and villains were my Champions and GURPS Supers characters. I was an active gamer when I was in junior high and high school. Which was… well, before today.

El Shamal was the dictator of a Persian Gulf Emirate who also controlled the wind. In my original story, he invaded a neighboring emirate. It took a rogue squad of heroes to liberate the tiny nation and ultimately destroy El Shamal. The parallel is the First Gulf War of 1990-1991 not 9/11 and the War on Terror.

When I began to re-visit my meta-verse is when I found HeroMachine. Before, I used to rely on the artists in our RPG gang and others to draw my characters. Most of the time they would put me off, or draw something that was completely different than my vision. HeroMachine is a great tool to enhance your characters and draft new ones.

El Shamal, “The Devil Wind”

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[The Atomic Punk]

@Myro said:

How’s your mom doing?

Thanks for asking, Myro. She transferred to a rehabilation / skilled care facility for therapy and evaluation. What one would expect from a 68-year old recovering from a stroke. She wants to go home, she insists that she’s fine, and hates the therapy program. Overall, she is able to talk and move (under supervision), but struggles with cohesion and short-term memory.

The doctor and therapists have not provided us a whole lot of feedback since it is a 30-day evaluation. Depending on their findings, she might have to stay another 30 days, can go home, need to move to assisted-living, who knows…

[The Atomic Punk]

Character Contest 46: Holy Moley

Final entry: President Amy Avnas, 58th President of Hell, Leader of 36 Legions

“Amy is a great president, and appeareth in a flame of fire, but having taken mans shape, he maketh one marvelous in astrologie, and in all the liberall sciences, he procureth excellent familiars, he bewraieth treasures preserved by spirits, he hath the governement of thirtie six legions, he is partlie of the order of angels, partlie of potestats, he hopeth after a thousand two hundreth yeares to returne to the seventh throne: which is not credible.”

– Pseudomonarchia daemonum, Johann Wier (1583)

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[The Atomic Punk]

co-dependant… co-dependent… moving on…

Character Contest 46: Holy Moley

Nicolas Bari, aka Nico. He is a hero in my meta-verse. Nico’s power is rapid healing and the ability to heal wounded and disease-stricken children. His parents named him after Saint Nicholas of Bari not Santa Claus.

Nico is a character that I have re-designed several times. For this particular incarnation, I gave him a Santa Claus motif. The idea being that Santa Claus is more popular than the historical Saint Nicholas.

[The Atomic Punk]

Character Contest 46: Holy Moley

A personal note, the Reactor Core is on full meltdown. My mom is in a rehab facility after a stroke. I am staying at her house to upkeep. And Chloe Cat is unbelievably co-dependant. Apologies for the downer. But I am going to be more sporadic than before, given circumstance.

I’m going to skip to one of my early attempts for a perspective design: Underdark. Just for the upper. I like the fonts in this piece. The drow’s words a easy enough to read. To translate the Mindflayer’s response, peruse the “Runic” font.

Underdark: An ambitious Illithid violates an unholy temple of Lolth. He steps through the green smog. Then quickly dispatches the lowly male guard with a Mind Blast. Now he faces the High Priestess. The Illithid will become infamous in the Underdark. Or his blood will feed the temple spiders for as long as the Priestess wants him to suffer for his umbrage.

[The Atomic Punk]

Thanks, Kaylin. Always nice to get a wry smile.

Character Contest 46: Holy Moley

A depiction of Jimmy Goggles and a native worshipper. Jimmy Goggles the God is a short story by my favorite writer H.G. Wells. The title “Op’dop’appa” is a nonsense word that I created. It never appears in H.G. Wells’ works. I was listening to Talking Heads’ “Give Me Back My Name.” The verse leading up to the chorus goes “That word does not exist in any language / It will never be uttered by a human mouth.”

Op’dop’appa

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[The Atomic Punk]

Willkommen, isacrux12!

I am interested in reading the characters’ backgrounds. They have a consistent style that really ties them together. Maybe post a few lines and you might get a nomination for Hero of the Month!

[The Atomic Punk]

Character Contest 46: Holy Moley

I thought of this character while eating a salad.

Daucus Carota: High Priest of the Holy Romain Empire

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[The Atomic Punk]

Character Contest 46: Holy Moley

Team Cerberus, Agents of H.A.D.E.S. (Heavily Armed Dogs of Eternal Salvation)

Not the best acronym. Just couldn’t come up with something for “E” and “S” at the time. When I designed this group, I was thinking “What if I were to design a cartoon starring anthropomorphic cops?” Not breaking any new ground here. Still, it would be cool to watch Team Cerberus on Saturday mornings or made into a line of toys.

[The Atomic Punk]

Character Contest 46: Holy Moley

This one is a little busy and confusing. The Astral Priest was inspired by a GURPS Aztec campaign seed. What if the Aztec Empire thrived and colonized space? Would priests sacrifice aliens and robots to the gods?

Astral Priest:
In the year of Xihuitl, an Aztec priest sacrifices a captive to Centeotl, Lord of Maize. If the god is pleased, he will bless the inhabitants of the Pleiades kingdom with bountiful harvests.

[The Atomic Punk]

@Lime said:

Kelda is surprised to meet Ref, a strange young man from her village who disappeared months ago, so far from home. Is he a friend or a foe?

Lime does an excellent job with the facial expressions of the characters. It is really hard to convey emotion with HeroMachine (well, at least for me). Kelda definitely shows surprise and Ref has a friendly yet mischievous look.

[The Atomic Punk]

Willkommen, tinker! Great start. Your green assassin could use a piece behind her left shoulder to give her hood a fuller look. The gaping hole is a little distracting. Other than that, she’s really impressive.

[The Atomic Punk]

Race Name: Sangspur (San’pur)
Skin Color: Pale, blanche
Common Facial Hair: None
Common Hair: White, gray, blond(e)
Common Eye color and hair color: pink, red, purple, white – rarest, green… the bloods of nobles
Common clothing type: tunics, cloaks, light clothing that covers the whole body to protect them from the sun
Race Unique Abilities: resistant to poisons and disease; healers and hospitalers; able to heal by transferring ailments and wounds to themselves; the process requires a Sangspur to recover from the amount absorbed

Race Unique Physicalities: the skin of a Sangspur is prized for aphrodisiacs; organs are also used in alchemy and rituals; their yellow blood is an ingredient for elixirs of speed and alertness; red blood for strength and speed; their third blood, blue, for healing potions and youth serum; dual six-chambered hearts increase their vitality and survivability

A little Background(optional): The Sangspur are a reserved, quiet race who would have preferred to be left alone. Unfortunately, the outside world found them. Their physique is lithe and seemingly delicate. Despite appearances, they are durable, agile, and spry. Which is still not enough to fend off those who want to harvest them for magics or enslave them. For their own protection, the Sangspur have assumed roles as food-tasters and healers among royalty and those who can afford their services. To have a Sangspur in his employ is a symbol of a monarch’s wealth and prestige.

As well as being physicians, Sangspur are confidants. They profess not to influence but only advise. Yet their hushed words hold sway over empires and kingdoms. They are not a malicious people but will work circumstances to favor their own ends. Sangspur prefer to work for strong and absolute rulers as they offer the best protection with little ambiguity. Their favorite employers are dragons and dragonkin for obvious reasons of wealth and power.

To encounter a Sangspur outside of a castle is a troubling sign. They are rarely seen without their masters. Which means that a king (or dragon!) is often near. A reasonable conclusion is that a Sangspur is accompanying an expedition or full campaign. Perhaps a war spurned by the Sangspur’s own words.

[The Atomic Punk]

Character Contest 46: Holy Moley

Another personal re-design – Achi’a Priestess. I created the original HM 2.5 for another science-fiction story. Sometimes, I include the planet of Achi’i in my meta-verse. The first HM 3 upgrade is influenced by Antiquity (Estruscan / Greco-Roman culture). The second is a fantasy version. I prefer the HM 2.5 version with the feather cape.

Achi’a Priestess HM 2.5

Antiquity

Fantasy

[Author]

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