[Original Character] Ashurstaberinde, Academ

[Rel Fexive]

[This is a slightly amended version of the original idea; I think it all adds up right!]

During the early stages of the Time War, life at the Academy on Gallifrey continued as normal. After all, it would all be over by Tenth Burning, wouldn't it? In their arrogance, sure of the invincibility of their travel capsules, the Time Lords even allowed small groups of students in their Tertiary Stage to continue with their customary field trips under the supervision of their teachers.

This was to come to a sudden end as more and more capsules went missing and the true power of their foe became all too apparent...


(former) Academ Ashurstaberinde, of the Arcalian Chapter

It was a field trip like any other, but the attack changed everything. Most of the students were killed and two of the teachers also. Only two made it back to the capsule; Ashurstaberinde and Hosskollomue, his best friend, both students. To this day Ashurstaberinde doesn't know if everyone else died before he fled with his friend or if he left them to a terrible fate as the TARDIS dematerialised. 'Hossk' died of his injuries before the time rotor had even got going, anyway, leaving Ashurstaberinde alone in an out of control TARDIS that had either gone mad or was damaged in the attack.

Racked by grief and guilt he wandered the interior of 'his' TARDIS as it rattled around the cosmos, the Time War blazing through the Universe around them.

Finally Ashurstaberinde regained something of himself and set about trying to get control of the TARDIS. This was no small task as such training was usually Quaternary level (at least a decade away) and the manual was very large and complex, so he was forced to continue his Time Lord studies alone as best he could. On top of that, the controls had been "anonymised" before leaving Gallifrey; they all looked the same and had no labels or markings to distinguish one from another. This explains Ashurstaberinde's continuing lack of control over destinations; several times the TARDIS almost left a location without him as it was not properly anchored upon landing. He can't even reconfigure the internal architecture to something better than "Sombre Gunmetal" or activate the chameleon circuit; it still looks like a tall, dull grey hexagonal prism.

One thing Ashurstaberinde still lacks is a purpose. And someone to talk to other than the main console. He has travelled a little trying to find that purpose, exploring and learning about the universe, but maybe what he really needs is some friends to share those travels with...


[As befits a trainee Time Lord studying alone, he has the Inexperienced Trait and no levels in Time Traveller. He is also Naive; he has not had much life experience outside the Academy and gets -2 on all rolls where that lack of experience with the ways of people and the universe could catch him out. And as far as he is concerned, he is the Last Of My Kind....]

ATTRIBUTES
Awareness 3
Coordination 3
Ingenuity 6*
Presence 3
Resolve 4
Strength 2

GOOD TRAITS
Boffin (mG)
Feel The Turn Of The Universe (SG)*
Gadget - Slate (MG)*
Psychic (SG)
Technically Adept (mG)
Time Lord (*SG*)
Vortex (SG)*

BAD TRAITS
Code Of Conduct - do good, no violence (mB)*
Eccentric - hyperactive under stress (mB)
Inexperienced (SB)
Insatiable Curiosity (mB)
Last Of My Kind (on technicality) (mB)
Naive (mB)

SKILLS
Athletics 0
Convince 1
Craft 2
Fighting 0
Knowledge 3
Marksman 0
Medicine 0
Science 4
Subterfuge 1
Survival 1
Technology 5
Transport 0

STORY POINTS: 11

APPEARANCE: Early 20s; short; dishevelled; short, dark hair; wears silk/plastic-like Academ's garb in dark green (Arcalian colours) reminiscent of traditional Chinese men's clothing with a mandarin collar (most likely subject to change on first encounter with companions).

PERSONAL GOAL: Explore and learn.

HOME TECH LEVEL: 10 (Gallifrey)

GADGET: Slate - Scan (mG), Transmit (mG), STORY POINTS- 2

[allivingstone]

Although I haven't done the chargen maths, I really like the look of this character as a playable Time Lord. There's enough similarity to The Doctor (a pacifistic curious scientist) that the same kind of plotlines and tropes should work, but the character doesn't feel like a carbon copy.

I also like the premise that the Time Lords initially underestimated the scale and ferocity of the Time War. It fits nicely with their insular and arrogant attitudes, as it was portrayed in the classic series.

[Rel Fexive]

I was concerned that the "grief and guilt" thing was a little too Doctor-y, to be honest, but I didn't think it would work without any at all.

One of the other things that doesn't really appear as a mechanical trait is his true lack of experience. Without the Doctor's broad levels in the Time Traveller trait he's simply not that good in most tech level societies, and he doesn't have anywhere near the Doctor's degree of knowledge about the universe and especially Earth. So it's easier to play him as you wouldn't have to pretend like he knows everything about everything, cos he doesn't!

To be honest, to me Time Traveller covers more than a familiarity with technology, it encompasses a certain amount of knowledge about the society and history of the local/relative time period as well. The same penalties for tech level could be applied to Knowledge rolls in appropriate circumstances.

And yes, I can totally see the Time Lords not taking the Daleks seriously initially.

[The Historian]

Chello!

Yes, I actually like the background of the young academ as well. And nice that the chameleon circuit and interior is out of whack as well.