Nexus Character Directory

[Orm-Embar]

Sorcerer-Captain Feng Bo, or just "Bo."

Alignment: Conservative – the rules matter. Neutral in the way that most people are – some good tendencies, depending on how the observer sees things like serving the Empire loyally and diligently; and some bad tendencies, depending on how you feel about invading and conquering other planets that were just minding their own business.

Class/Profession: Battlemage, a/k/a military sorcerer; intelligence officer, direct-action specialist.

Power Rating: 4-to-4.5 or B-to-B+

Description: A human male who looks a physically-fit 30 years of age, with a round, open face, usually smiling, brown eyes, clean-shaved jaw and skull, light color skin, just under 2 m. tall and 90 kg. Black stubble grows in on his face and head if he lets them go for more than a day or two without shaving. He wears a long, quilted jacket in grey with a red and black pattern (long sleeved, high collared and knee length like a greatcoat) over a dark red shirt, tucked into black breeches over heavy black boots. It all looks worn, but well cared for. He carries no obvious weapons, not even a blade at his wide black leather belt, which might seem strange as the overall effect is that of a uniform with all insignia removed.

Personality: Friendly, polite, but dignified and a bit formal. Careful – wants to know the rules and relationships before taking action. Balanced - does not easily get too up, too down or too angry. Generally good humored and will go out of his way to be decent company. Kind to pets, children and people in need. Independent and strong-willed. Careless with money; likes to gamble. In conflict situations his smile disappears and his expression turns blank as training puts aside emotion. Prone to writing overly long after-action reports, getting lost in the technical details of surveillance matrix networks, and other weaknesses. Has a sense of humor underneath.

Equipment:
1. The greatcoat he wears is enchanted to act as the equivalent of a chain hauberk or kevlar.
2. A sword called Spider. Normally worn on Bo’s right hand in the form of a ring, it transforms to sword form in his hand when called for. It’s not a major arcana, but it is enchanted. "Few are those fortunate enough to escape the steel web."
3. Rucksack. A bag of holding. Can levitate along the ground following its owner, or be carried on his back, or shrunk to wallet size and pocketed when half full.

Abilities:
Bo has trained since childhood in martial arts using hands, feet, and a variety of weapons. In soldiers of the Empire this kind of training, and the strength and conditioning to march all day and then fight, are taken for granted. It’s also the foundation of his sorcery. He practices both every day.

Bo’s magic is largely oriented towards military applications of the destructive kind and intelligence gathering. He is good at blasting, burning, freezing, electrocuting, and generally tearing things down; shielding or suppressing similar effects of magic and weapons; but also surveillance, scrying and long distance communications. Physical buffs such as strength, speed and toughness, of course. He can manage flight, basic illusions such as invisibility and disguise. He can spend magic to re-create the effects of grenades, automatic weapons and other equipment using pre-programmed spells, if he's not equipped with the physical items when needed.

What Bo is not good at: Excessively complicated magic, like healing, shape-changing, mind-affecting spells, weather systems, summoning demonic and/or angelic entities, enchanting items -- Such things take plenty of time and preparation, if they work at all. Magic becomes more difficult and takes longer as it becomes more subtle and technical. Maybe with another 100 years of constant practice...

Secondarily, Bo has some experience in constructing fortifications as well as penetrating them. He is trained to pilot several kinds of aircraft and orbit-capable ships, as well as a flying creature or three. He can cook for himself -- also for others if they’re not too picky. He’s not familiar with most tech, be it electronic or ICE, but can often reproduce their effects with magic.

Backstory: Space opera! Bo is, or was, a low-ranking military officer of a galaxy-spanning Empire. Though the Empire is human in origin, alien races are commonly citizens of the Empire with the same rights as humanity, provided they follow the Imperial Principle: One Galaxy, One Emperor. In recent times a weak Emperor has led to civil war. It’s planet against planet, one regiment against another. Bo – like many of his class, the military sorcerers – wanted nothing to do with internal rebellion or local warlords. His purpose is to serve the Empire by conquering star systems and ruling them in benevolent fashion, not squabbling with his own kind over politics of all things.

Magic has attained great heights of sophistication in the Empire. It takes the place of most technological devices. Anything that tech can do, magic can do better, cheaper and faster. Travel is mostly by teleportation portal, or enchanted airship, as well as local orbital and inter-planetary spaceflight with spell-powered ships. The lives of ordinary citizens are often quite comfortable due to the pervasive presence of magic, but the Empire’s machines of war can be endlessly inventive and destructive.

The Empire knows of the existence of the Nexus. Even though it’s an expansionist, conquering kind of Empire, it leaves the Nexus alone because of the presence of chaotic, god-like powers (and actual gods!) that nobody fully understands. In other words, the Nexus is a place the Empire doesn’t go. Bo, knowing this, somehow gained the use of a portal that could access the Nexus. He walked out on the civil war entirely, leaving behind almost all possessions and any connection to friends, family, allies and other resources. Without documentation or ready coin, he survived. He does look over his shoulder sometimes.