Trickfall
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| Trickfall | |
| Player: Trickfall | |
| Origin: | Natural |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Blaster |
| Security Level: | 48 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Johannes Baum |
| Known Aliases: | Trick |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | 29 |
| Height: | 5' 11" |
| Weight: | 180 |
| Eye Color: | Blue |
| Hair Color: | Blonde |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Private contractor through Paragon City University |
| Place of Birth: | Berlin, Germany |
| Base of Operations: | Paragon City University |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | Dirk Baum - Brother (Unknown), Freita Baum - Mother (Paragon City, RI), Dieter Baum - Father (Incarcerated - Paragon City, RI), Johannes Baum - Grandfather (Unknown, Presumed Deceased) |
| Known Powers | |
| Various Gadgets (See text) | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Boxes recreationally, talented electrician and well versed with most electronics/computers, Masters Degree in Ancient History | |
| Equipment | |
| Zastava M21 Rifle w/underbarrel grenade launcher, Custom Built "Taser Gauntlets" capable of producing electrical discharges well beyond fatal levels, pocket computer with emergency teleporter bypass, Kevelar body armor (concealed), various electrical and computer equipment | |
| No additional information available. | |
From the eastern winds
The betrayer comes
His creator destroyed by his own hand
No power at his command
No armies with him stand
We will take him
We will break him
But in the end he will destroy us all
- Undated translation in the Paragon City University archives, original source unknown
Contents |
Character History
The American Dream
Born July 25th, 1978 to a poor electrician in the American controlled half of Berlin Germany, Johannes Baum was only German for less than a month. Looking to start a new life his father Dieter took what little money they had saved and through some contacts in the American military managed to bring his entire family to the rural city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Hans enjoyed a quite normal childhood with his older brother Dirk under the watchful eyes of their mother Freita. As he grew he showed an incredible aptitude for his father's work, and much to Dirk's displeasure he was soon more a business partner than an apprentice, expanding the family business in new directions while all the while somehow managing to scrape by in school.
Life was good, and for a time it appeared the Baums were living the American dream. That was until Dieter made a terrible mistake, a simple move to a bustling Rhode Island metropolis, Paragon City.
The Fifth Column
Johannes was blissfully unaware of his father's flaws like any boy, but as he became a teenager and began to exert his own independence he and his father quickly grew apart.
Jews. His father's hatred for them was unexplainable, and directly contrary to Hans' own experiences in life. According to Dieter they were the root of all things wrong with the world, but that illusion was quickly fading for his younger son.
Strange men started showing up at his father's shop, speaking german in hushed tones, and always looking over their shoulder as if they were afraid to be watched. Hans didn't know what to make of it, but their conversations seemed harmless enough. They would ask his father about what jobs he was doing, but beyond that they seemed just there to chat.
It was Dirk that made him think something was wrong. As Hans and his father grew apart, Dirk became a far larger part of the family business. Always acting like he was privy to something Hans was not, the younger brother began to suspect all of his family of withholding something from him.
It was a simple newscast that showed him the truth.
Two days before his 17th birthday a large lender firm in Paragon City was brought to its knees as its headquarters was nearly destroyed by what was believed to be a gas explosion from a ruptured line. Dieter had worked on that building only a week prior, and the CEO of the company was an outspoken supporter of Israel.
Hans feared the worst.
Looking through the family records he found a pattern, at least half of the incidents in various businesses throughout Paragon City were in buildings they had worked on. Arson, robbery, even a few people killed... all because his father couldn't move on. He was bitter, he was angry.
An anonymous tip led to the arrest of Dieter Baum the next day, no one ever knew it was his son who turned him in. His records and police surveilence showed ties to a neo-nazi group ominously referred to as the Fifth Column. Dieter of course denied everything.
For his involvment in sixteen homicides, Hans' father was sentenced to life in prison. His trial was the last time he would ever see his youngest son, Dirk had already gone into hiding.
A New Life
Freita was crushed, in an instant she went from what she thought was a happy American family to being a lonely spinster with an increasingly distant son. Hans did what he could, but he was not the best son he could have been. Life was moving on, and he was moving with it.
After graduating from high school he was admitted into Paragon City University pursuing a bachelors in Computer Science and Engineering. Life had started anew for him, and he was gobbling up everything it had to offer.
In his freshman year he met a young woman who changed his perspective on life entirely. Summer Goldstein, a brilliant girl in his own year with a fascination for history, he was smitten and the fact she was jewish only just filled him with happy sense of irony. His whole life began to revolve around her, and he foolishly changed his major just to spend more time with her.
As the years went by the couple only grew closer, they traveled the world together, both graduated with honors, and were just starting to pursue their masters. They had plans, grand plans for a family, for a life, for a future. Plans that came to a crashing end.
During the first semester of their graduate program Summer disappeared without a trace. The police were helpless, their lead suspect was Johannes himself, but they had no evidence of foul play and the heartbroken young man was doing everything in his own power to find her.
Hans followed clues all over the world, leaving behind his education and quickly burning through the savngs he had put together for their new life together. When he had no money he worked for what he could and stole the rest, always searching for another glimpse of her whereabouts, but he was just grasping at shadows.
When he finally returned to Paragon City something about him had changed, where other people might have been broken by the ordeal there was a strength and determination about him that was hard to explain. Those who knew him assumed it would crumble when he finally found what he sought, for by now everyone knew Summer must be dead.
The Final Clue
When his old friend and mentor Professor Kleid encouraged him to return to the university and finish his education, Hans was dubious. However, Kleid knew something that would get him to do just that, and nearly lose his life in the process.
He knew what had happened to Summer.
A cult had taken root in the university, consisting both of student and faculty, and according to Professor Kleid, Summer. It had evaded detection of the law, but when Professor Kleid received a personal invitation to join he foolishly contacted a desperate young man instead of the police. It was the first of many mistakes the professor would make to endanger the young Johannes and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
There is little record of what happened to Hans when he joined the cult, and he himself has never said. What is known is that it was a group from the Circle of Thorns and Trickfall went through the initiation which should have implanted one of their spirits in his body as it had everyone else. He gained the cult’s trust as soon as they thought he was one of them, and he destroyed them from the inside soon after.
Whether he found Summer or not is still not clear, but he did not return with her.
Public Knowledge
Aside from his father’s arrest and the disappearance of his lover Summer Goldstein, Johannes has done very little that has garnered public attention or record. He has developed a network of contacts in the metahuman world, and is on occasion known to help out where is expertise is of some use, but by and large he is a private individual that prefers to keep his business his own.
Current Events
The majority of Trickfall’s time is spent escorting his friend and mentor, Professor Kleid, on foolhardy expeditions into all sorts of danger. This has taken him all over the world and nearly cost both men their lives on numerous occasions. Kleid refuses to bring other bodyguards because he says they do not have the necessary respect for history that Johannes does.
When the opportunity arises, Trick is quick to pursue any signs of the Circle of Thorns, treating them with a fervent hatred reserved for only the foulest of foes. Most of these “crusades” have escaped public notice, but he has been involved in several high profile conflicts with the group.
Personality and Reputation
His early trials in life have left Trickfall a rather bitter sardonic individual with a twisted sense of humor. Despite this he has an inner strength of will that has only grown over the years, and he often views those of less stalwart resolve with thinly veiled scorn.
Although his exploits have gained increasing attention, Hans himself is rarely spotted, let alone attributed to his own accomplishments. He prefers to work behind the scenes, and any sort of fame would run counter to his own goals.
Powers and Equipment
A normal human by all measurable respects, Trickfall is none the less a formidable opponent. Armed with powerful firearms, and even more devastating creations of his own devising, he can prove quite dangerous when push comes to shove. He prefers subtlety when possible, but has a temper that can be easily stoked.
Zastava M21 Rifle
The Zastava M21 Rifle chambers and fires the 5.56 x 45 mm or .223 NATO round. It is gas-operated, air-cooled, magazine-fed, selective fire firearm with a folding stock. An underbarrel grenade launcher can be used to fire high explosive, armor piercing or concussion munitions.
Trickfall aquired this rifle while pursuing a Circle of Thorns cult in Brazil. He managed to broker a deal with one of the local drug cartels to aid him in ridding the area of a far greater evil. The rifle itself was a gift from the guerilla leader who fought alongside him during the raid.
Bada-Baum Gauntlets
A personal creation by Trick himself, these highly insulated gauntlets are capable of creating excessively lethal electric discharges on contact. They can be set to lower settings to prevent fatalities, but he is rarely gentle when it comes to fighting super-powered foes. Their capaciters have limited amounts of charge, but the design allows them to literally sap away power from other sources to charge themselves.
Emergency Teleporter Override
In his pocket computer, Hans has access to directly reprogram his emergency teleporter. This allows him to use the teleportation network freely, though he tries not to abuse that power too frequently.
Body Armor
Armor plating is hidden throughout all of his gear providing nominal protection from more traditional forms of attack.
The Hat
Trick’s hat was given to him by Professor Kleid on their first expedition together. He is rarely seen without it when he’s on the job.
The Mask
The wrap Hans wears as a mask was bought for him by Summer on one of their trips to the middle east together. He never actually wore it until after her disappearance, now he keeps it with him always.
The Name
Trickfall is a nickname Hans received during college both for his gambling ability and the occasional pranks he would play on friends. It started out as just Trick, but the full “Trickfall” rose as a term for the type of shenanigans he would engage in. When someone else would do something similar it was referred to as “pulling a trickfall” or more often than not “trying to pull a trickfall”, which was essentially a trick that someone couldn’t help but fall for.
Other
It is not clear what changed Johannes during his travels, but what is clear is that there is a strength inside him few normal humans possess. This strength has manifested itself in different ways, but its potential is still unclear. He remains perhaps the only known person to have undergone the initiation of thorns and remain unchanged.
Weaknesses and Limitations
As a normal human he is quite susceptible to all the dangers of his profession. He has been badly injured on numerous occasions, but he has not let it slow him down.
Trivia
Trickfall is *not* inspired by Indiana Jones despite the hat, but rather pulls from characters like Gambit and Batman as well as the Thief game series. He is in many ways a half hearted attempt for me to move away from the classic “merry rogue” archetype that many of my characters invariably fall into, and my hope is that his focus will feel more of one of academia than classic treasure hunting.
Trickfall’s outfit is an attempt at something both functional and (hopefully) fashionable. Although the hat is cliche, I honestly couldn’t help myself, I think I was watching “Digging for the Truth” on the history channel at the time, and figured if Josh could pull it off so could Trick. The scarf, face wrap and vest are my attempt at giving an otherwise drab outfit color and focus, this is where the balance between fashion and function came in, and I figure if I’m pleased with the results who cares what anyone else thinks?
The name Trickfall is one I’m personally really happy with. It’s actually a hybrid off the word “Pitfall”, and when thought of in that context I think it works really well. My feeling on names is that they should give immediate (although minor) insight into what kind of character you’re dealing with (not powersets, but personality). In that respect I think Trickfall works nicely.
Trickfall is my first serious blaster, I’ve played almost nothing but scrappers since COH beta, and the move has been a significant change in play style for me. In all honesty though I could never go back, the lack of glowie effects, the tremendously “smashy” powers and the living on the edge gameplay have all reinvigorated the game for me.
