Mass Effect: Hired Guns

For every galaxy-spanning epic of "saving the universe, getting the girl, and BAMFing home in time for dinner," there are hundreds, if not thousands, of stories of normal people, all trying to make their way in the world, making mistakes and getting home late. But these stories have just as much right to be told as any other, especially when one person hoards all of the galaxy-saving epics for themselves.

This, obviously, is where you come in. You are the crew and captain of a small cargo transport. It's big enough to have its own FTL drive, but not much bigger than that. Whoever joins is probably the entirety of the crew. This is a far cry from the galaxy's most advanced stealth ship; sometimes the engine goes bang, and smoke comes out the back, or sometimes the automatic doors develop an attitude problem and need to be shown who's boss with a hammer. But it's a serviceable ship, and more importantly, it was an affordable one. So long as it has a steady supply of scheduled maintenance and replacement parts, it'll keep you in the sky.


The nuts and bolts

This is the year 2182, a year before Mass Effect 1. Shepard hasn't started his/her climb to fame yet; humanity is still just one of the assorted non-council races waiting to make their mark on the galaxy. The Reapers are but a forgotten legend, and will be for some time.

Your crew takes jobs when and where they find them; I'll be pretty open as to what options you take, and I'll try to provide multiple contracts for you to choose from, so you can pick what sort of emphasis you want the crew to focus on (mostly, do you prefer to haul cargo or do hits). That said, feedback is appreciated as to whether there should be a bias in what offers you receive. One of you players will be the captain. You can volunteer for this, because I won't be doing it. If nobody volunteers, I'll put up a poll.

You'll be operating mainly in the Attican Traverse and the Terminus systems. You may find your way to the Citadel sometimes, but places like Omega are more often the norm.

Thermal clips aren't a thing; guns overheat as in the first game, but there is differing weapon variety as in later games.

The exact details of your ship aren't set in stone just yet; again, if there's a marked preference in what you as a crew want to be doing, that will alter what you get as a ship.

Speaking of the ship: it will break sometimes. Things will go wrong, and you'll have to fix them. This may not always happen at a convenient time. It has a top speed of around 40c, so it's not exactly fast (most human ships as of the 2150's can hit 50c).

Character sheet:

Name:
Species: (no geth, obviously, and I'd recommend against Volus or Elcor)
Age:
Gender:
Biotic: (y/n)
Description:
Racial dispositions: (Any races around that you particularly get along well or badly with? Why?)
History: (once we get our sheets in, I'd like or everyone to have run into at least one other person before joining the ship, or encountered the group up to that point as a whole and found their own reasons to sign on.)
Personality: (Don't need much here, but the important part is why you would choose this life - or, if it's been thrust upon you, what you're looking for out of life instead)
Marketable Skills: (if you're keen on fighting, or if you're not, list your weapon of choice here)


Here's a few wiki pages that might be helpful:
http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Terminus_Systems
http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Attican_Traverse
http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Races

Reserved for sheetifications and stuff.

Balu:

Jazz:

Ji:

Lieo:

Snowy:

Solace:

I've never played Mass Effect, but this does sound a lot like Firefly to me so therein lies the appeal. Beyond what the thread tells me thus far, is there anything else I should know?

I believe it being a lot like Firefly to be the point myself.

I've got most of a sheet done, won't be finished before I have to leave for work though.

That wiki should probably be able to sum up enough. It might be wise to read up on the history of a few of the species, learn what biotics means, and if you've some preference for being the ship's mechanic, read up on the things like FTL drives and what have you, so as to properly technobabble.

...


....


.....


My body





Is ready

Lieo wrote:

I've never played Mass Effect, but this does sound a lot like Firefly to me so therein lies the appeal. Beyond what the thread tells me thus far, is there anything else I should know?

Mass Effect Firefly, pretty much. I'm not doing a lot of planning beforehand, because mostly at this point I want to see what sort of game everyone else wants to have, then I'll try to shoot for that. Expect a whole lot of dubious legality.

Since we're going in before the games start, you don't need to look up any of their plots. What I'd focus on is some of the tech stuff, like the mass effect and biotics, and also the citadel races. Interracial relations is the big thing to know at this point. Any relevant history will be mentioned on the species' wiki pages, in all likelihood.

Imitated sadness: But I wanted to be an Elcor.

Sounds pretty awesome

"or at least knows how to set things on fire with panache" Excelent!

Hey five people, nice, nice.

What's everyone looking at playing?

We have the Krogan...

I'm finishing up a kind of gun-for-hire Quarian, because I play against type.

I'm either going to be a Quarian, Turian, or Humaaaan.

I am torn between a Pilot/Navigator Turian or Engineer Drell. Tempted to go after some Engineering, because, well I am what I am.

As a Quarian attempting to be as distanced from "the designated engineer" as possible, I would appreciate you doing it, yes. A Drell would be fun anyway, eidetic memory ho!

I do believe I shall join this, although I might be a little odd for posts. Just FYI.

What do you mean by "odd"? Just not on much?

Basically. And, on occasion, my writings will dip in quality from time to time, for various reasons.

As long as it's not too slow as to be a problem, there shouldn't be an issue.

Does anyone have a preference for what sort of jobs you'd prefer to take on?

Well, I'm someone who likes fighting, so long as it has meaning. I'm not a bandit. I'd think doing just any job we can get would be interesting.

I need more time to think about it, but don't wait on me.

I'd like a mix of things. Precious Cargo Transport, Smuggling, Escort, Salvaging, Client Protection. We'd easily come across fighting in those kinds of work. Especially if it dealt with Prothean Artifacts, or weapons, what have you.

As long as it pays.

No matter what we do, at some point something will need shooting, that's just what being in the lawless frontier of any work of fiction means. Doing things quasi-on-the-level is probably for the best though. Cargo jobs, you know. Occasionally saving someone from the legal and or lethal ramifications of their poor decisions.

Okay, all-arounding, got it.

EDIT: Making a completely new character, because the one I had was lame, and unoriginal.

Well unfortunately I'm going to post another Quarian, because I'm tired of staring at it for the last few days and not actually editing it to be any better. Hopefully is not all Quarians, or I can write up a newer character concept. I mean, this Quarian nonsense might get tooooooo terrible.

Also, yours left for pilgrimage hilariously early, considering Tali was 20, which was the age I based my sheet on.

Minor addendum, damn, way too similar... I'll get to considering alternatives...

Name: Bere'Riat Vas Ourship Nar Qwib-Qwib


Species: Quarian
Age: 32 Standard Citadel Years
Gender: Male

Biotic: No

Racial dispositions: Mostly impartial, feels somewhat guilty around other Quarians, and obviously believes in the total destruction of all Geth forever.

History: Bere's upbringing was somewhat normal for the average Quarian. Much of his early life consisting of staying out of the way, learning how to help keep the ships functioning, and getting ready for the day when it'd be his actual responsibility to serve the greater whole in his people's journey across the stars. Of course all those social skills, skill at minorly fixing things, and watching his marine parents weren't worth much when he reached the age of twenty galactic standard years, and it was time for his pilgrimage.

It began well enough, opting for being dropped off on a relatively close by human colony in the Terminus Systems. He managed to display enough technical competence to help out at a junkyard the colony ran for passing ships, breaking them down into parts to resell, while repairing and refurbishing ships the passersby intended to keep. Of course, Bere would occasionally pocket mostly useless pieces, and stow them for recovery later. These pieces were to be used as a large mass of replacement parts for whatever ship he tried to join when he returned.

However, life in the Terminus Systems is not without risk, as all colonists know when they set out for such life. It was three months into his pilgrimage when a slaver ship descended on the colony. The colony only consisted of about four human families, and their ability to resist militarily was unable to prevent the slavers of the starship ironically named Liberator from capturing most of the colonists, Bere included. His captors had intended to sell him along with the humans to a batarian work camp, when the Asari captain T’Cohi instead decided she could use him as a ship’s engineer instead of as a relatively minor sale. His new life as an enslaved engineer/general mechanic was equal parts terrible and mundane. After managing to ensure the pirates scavenged things resembling the required filters Bere needed to not die, he held the position in relative submission for the following five years, eventually building a minor rapport with the majority of the crew. They eventually began to allow him to exit the ship with the team on away missions. (though always under armed guard, and never armed himself)

Bere never rebelled, he never attempted escape, and with access to communications barred, was never able to call for help. It was this that made him all too trustworthy one fateful day, five years, four months, and six days after his initial capture. It was supposed to be a simple deal, The Liberator had come into a few crates of Red Sand and needed to offload them quickly, unfortunately their buyers were far better armed than they should have been, and entirely untrustworthy. It began with two pistols being drawn and fired, taking down two of the eight (counting Bere) slavers before anyone had time to react. Mere moments later everyone was in cover and engaging in a heated firefight, save for a one Bere’Riat. At least, not until it dawned on him that fire was being opened upon him as well. The thought of dying for his captors was something he could not even consider, and so he crept through the battlefield, rolling and letting his suit’s built in kinetic barriers keep him safe, until he found what he was searching for: A weapon.

Now he’d never actually held a gun, seen them surely, but held, let alone fired? Still, it was his life on the line, and he knew he had to try. The assault rifle he’d found was cheap, low end, and mostly unremarkable, but the kick was still far more than Bere was expecting, however, it was also not nearly enough to stop him as the adrenaline forced him upright and into the firefight. He’d managed two kills of his own that day, before the fight wound its way to the end. He’d managed to get through the fight without a single round ever piercing his shields, mostly due to his nonthreatening appearance as a Quarian. Their attackers had either all died or fled, Bere could not tell which. His side, however, was near entirely destroyed, only the Captain remained standing as well. Unfortunately, she was busy attempting to radio the ship when Bere realized this was his only chance, and he gunned the Asari down where she stood, hardly giving her time to spin around before her barriers failed, and the bullets ripped her flesh. Yes she’d saved him from a life of menial servitude to batarians… but the entire prospect of it, and his life of menial servitude to her crew, were her fault entirely. He felt no remorse that day, now free, as he scavenged the bodies of the fallen. He took credits, pieces of armor, and a radio link, as he headed off deeper into the planet, arranging a pick up with his new found money.

Of course, it was hard to find work in the Traverse and Bere was now equipped for only one job. It wasn’t long before he fell into the life of a freelance merc just to get by. Over the past seven years he’s shot and killed at least a few members of each other sapient species in the galaxy. Mostly spending his credits on living expenses, and saving away bit by bit for a ship of his own.

While out job searching, Bere once accidentally walked into a Bloodpack recruiting office with intent to sign up for a mission. Obviously due to the inherent racism in any system run by krogans, he was nearly rejected when, being tossed out of the room, a rather friendly krogan immediately declared him part of his Krannt. Unsure of what that actually meant, Bere agreed on the grounds that it let him work today, and for a few more months, before he eventually grew tired of the bloodpack’s ruthless and excessive methods, and jumped ship for kinder waters. He made sure to keep in touch with the Krogan he was apparently the Krannt of though, always good to have a Krogan on your side.


Eventually Insert part where I’ve met one other person for group cohesion

Description: Bere, like many Quarians, is relatively thin and wiry compared to the average human. He stands likely 5 foot 8, though a little bit of that comes from the helmet. While little can obviously be ascertained about his actual appearance, the appearance of his suit is what anyone will ever see anyway. It consists mostly of a green layer over the more or less normal grey bits, standard as one would find on any Quarian, . The helmet’s visor is a light blue, which unfortunately makes it somewhat harder to track the light reflecting off of his eyes. His most immediately striking features are the aftermarket upgrades he’s been undertaking upon said suit. Assorted bits of armor, some human, some turian, and even a small section of a krogan pauldron, dot across his suit in strategic points to help prevent his actually being injured, a costly and very unfortunate event for a species that doesn’t tend to suffer horribly when exposed to outside contaminants, let alone a Quarian. The armor bits are a rather pale yellow, seemingly chipping after a long time between repaintings. In light of several unfortunate tripping incidents sustained while serving aboard The Liberator, with its occasional grated flooring, Bere actually wears steel-toed boots instead of skin tight foot coverings, in order to prevent vital, yet tragically long and spindly body parts slipping through unfortunate holes in the ground.

Personality: Bere is fairly open and sociable, something most Quarians learn to do as a reflex to make up for lost body language. His tendency for somewhat rash action when given the option has earned him more than a few enemies, but he endeavors to remain fairly pleasant and likeable to be around. While willing to kill, he somewhat regrets the way his life has gone, and longs for the day he can buy his own ship, and sail back to the Migrant Fleet as Captain Riat.

Marketable Skills: Owing to seven years of successfully not dying as a mercenary, Bere is reasonably skilled at straight up firefights, sneaking around the back, and generally causing military mayhem. As part of spending twenty years as a Quarian in the migrant fleet, and an extra five serving aboard a rundown slaver vessel, he is reasonably good at hitting it with a wrench until it works again, but he is hardly engineer material for a ship that has the option.
He also considers himself reasonably good at this new fangled human game of poker, and a fairly decent dancer. Not that he’ll give anyone reason to confirm the latter.

So, is the blood stain in the shape of a hand, a face, or some new alien species whose hands look like their faces? :P

I trust you two can hash out between yourselves how to distinguish your characters from one another, because I am seeing a lot of similarities.

Ji is tentatively accepted, pending any changes either of you want to make.

Solace, I'll wait until you're done editing. If you've ever seen Farscape, your character vaguely reminds me of Stark; might be a bit of inspiration there? Though, anyone who lets that character on a ship would have to be crazy themselves, since it seems his odds of shooting the target and turning on the crew are even.

Well aside from a few superficial details, they seem to be entirely different characterwise. Kind of like if you had to make chefs, for a game about chefs, some things are going to come up similar, but as long as they are still somewhat visually distinct and can be expected to act differently, its fine.