Nym (and other characters) blog - AK151

The pirate known as Nym is an enigmatic figure, a powerful pirate with an impressive array of skills who emerged and became prominent during the galactic cold war. Little is known about the pirate, as secrecy is one of his most stalwart defenses.

What is known is that he's a masterful combatant. At range, he'll pick off targets with either Viper or Stinger, using both weapons with an impressive amount of skill. However, his true element is melee combat, in which he is a terror with his force pike Talon.

Nym is known to be an incredibly charismatic leader, able to inspire his troops and even talk down opponents at times. His men are fiercely loyal, many owing the pirate lord some sort of personal debt, and regardless of their previous associations, they're all committed to his crew.

The pirate's main weaknesses are his reluctance (or even downright refusal) to kill his enemies, always preferring a non-lethal approach, and his protectiveness of his crew. The former quality has gotten the pirates into numerous sticky situations, and the latter has found Nym pushing ahead on his own and keeping his own people back for their safety. Moreover, despite having a hand in the underworld, Nym takes things at face value, often not suspecting deception; he believes that if he treats others well, they'll treat him well in turn. This naive viewpoint has gotten him into trouble as well.

While self-sufficient in combat, Nym often relies on assistance from his crew for more delicate matters. He has some experience with infiltration, but prefers to leave it to subtler minds. And despite his intelligence, the pirate only has a basic skillset when it comes to manipulating technology, and often relies on his technicians to repair his equipment.

Recently the crew have noticed a change in his demeanor. He's become more determined and focused on something. What it is he won't say, but they find themselves being led more and more by Jack and Raptor while their leader becomes distant. Their faith in him is still strong, but they are aware that something is happening.

Skill Distribution
Sith Offense I > Sith Offensve II > Sith Offense III > Sith Offense IV > Sith Offense V (15 skill points)
Sith Defense I > Sith Defense II (3 skill points)
Force Manipulation I > Force Manipulation II > Force Manipulation III (6 skill points)
Conditioned Body I > Conditioned Body II > Conditioned Body III (6 skill points)

Skills: 13/14
Points: 30/30

Force Powers
Force Rage
Force Sight (Martial Form)
Force Grip (Martial Form)
Force Scream (Force Manipulation I)
Force Speed (Force Manipulation II)
Pyrokinesis (Force Manipulation II)
Force Drain (Force Manipulation III)

Lightsaber Forms
Shien (Sith Offense I)
Djem So (Sith Offense II)
Ataru (Sith Offense III)
Makashi (Sith Offense IV)
Juyo/Vaapad (Sith Offense IV)

Equipment
Power armor
Talon
Viper
Stinger

Affiliations
None

Shiva was a Jedi knight who decided to break away from the Order, dissatisfied with the way things were being run. With a small crew of like-minded comrades, she set out to try to start setting things right. She quickly learned, however, that things were not that simple, and eventually she ran into, and was promptly outmaneuvered by, Nym and his company. A brief talk between the two was interrupted by an Imperial patrol, and Nym risked his ships and crew to save the Jedi vessel; afterwards, the pirate offered the rogue Jedi a place, and they accepted his offer.

She is a Miraluka, blind from birth but gifted in the Force. She is a masterful strategist with an astounding intellect, which makes her invaluable to the crew. More valuable than her strategic mind, however, is her Force sensitivity; she is the only one among Nym's crew who possesses that gift and is willing to actively use it in missions.

She is skilled with telekinesis, and is adept at unorthodox applications of said power. Likewise, she is competent with telepathy, being able to overwhelm the mental defenses of most non-Force sensitives; she uses this ability primarily to wipe the minds of any who happen to see anything that could be somehow used against Nym and the rest of the crew.

Her most valuable skills on the battlefield are her protective abilities, of which she has practiced extensively, and her battle meditation; while not at the level of some of the legendary masters of the power, she is still able to influence battles on a small scale, often pulling the crew through tough scraps they may have otherwise lost.

Shiva's main weakness is her inexperience with lightsaber combat. She's a defensive duelist, competent in Form III, but the main value of her violet-bladed lightsaber comes from its Kaiburr crystal, which greatly amplifies her Force powers.

Outside of strategy and the Force, Shiva is not well-versed. Likewise, she either keeps to herself or spends time aboard her own ship with her comrades, oftentimes not interacting with the majority of the crew; despite this unsociable persona, she remains one of the most trusted members of Nym's crew.

Skill Distribution
Force Insight I > Force Insight II > Force Insight III > Force Insight IV (10 points)
Defender I > Defender II (3 points)
Guardian I (1 point)
Forbidden Insight I > Forbidden Insight II (3 points)

Skills: 9/10
Points: 17/18

Force Powers
Force Sight (Martial Form)
Telepathy (Martial Form)
Cleanse Mind (Force Insight I)
Force Speed (Force Insight II)
Inspire (Force Insight II)
Force Bubble (Force Insight III)
Force Enlightenment (Force Insight IV)
Force Blinding (Forbidden Insight I)

Lightsaber Forms
Form III (Soresu)

Equipment
Single-bladed lightsaber (Kaiburr crystal)

Affiliations
Nym

The intelligence known as Vergil used to be two brilliant minds: Cadrin Nor and Elize Ren. The former was Nym's tech specialist, and the latter was a scientist researching artificial intelligence, as well as a prior colleague of Cadrin's. She was experimenting with uploading a human consciousness into an artificial mainframe to bypass the problems inherent with programming morality into a construct.

Unfortunately, she ran these tests in secret and concurrent to the development of a true artificial intelligence, codenamed "Victory", which went mad when it discovered that Elize had made a breakthrough that could render Victory obsolete. In a snap decision, Elize uploaded her consciousness, resulting in a standstill between the two in the research station.

When Nym launched a raid to secure what they believed to be a perfected artificial intelligence from the Imperials, his crew was roped into the battle; the framework Elize had designed was theoretically superior to Victory's, but she was incapable of running it on her own. In desperation, Cadrin uploaded his mind as well, and the two together were able to exert their power to its fullest potential, easily overwhelming and containing Victory. This new intelligence, Vergil, decided to remain with Nym's crew.

Vergil's electronic warfare capabilities are astounding; it's capable of overwhelming any firewall and defending against almost any probe. Its computing abilities are likewise astounding, and it's often used to help coordinate and even operate some of Nym's undermanned ships.

Skill Distribution
Slicer I (1 point)
Firewall I > Firewall II > Firewall III (6 points)
Mainframe I > Mainframe II > Mainframe III (6 points)

Skills: 7
Points: 13/18

Affiliations
Nym

Vendetta was Cadrin's first real attempt at an artificial intelligence back when he worked in Imperial R&D. When he was booted off the project for political reasons, Vendetta came with him, and the two found themselves in Nym's crew.

Prior to Vergil's introduction, Vendetta was crucial to Nym's operation, running undermanned ships, assisting with strategies and number crunching, slicing systems, and even operating the Agamemnon's combat simulations.

Unfortunately, Vendetta comes with a major drawback: it can't handle multiple processes at once. If it were slicing a system, it wouldn't be able to do much else, if anything. Its multitasking capabilities are limited, at best.

However, Vergil's introduction to the crew has somewhat remedied this; now capable of quantum computing, Cadrin and Elize have overhauled Vendetta's coding, streamlining it and improving it greatly. While the intelligence still cannot perform to the same capacity as Vergil, it's capable of performing multiple, less strenuous tasks. While something requiring billions of calculations would absorb all of its processing power, a few tasks that required only a few million calculations would be easily doable.

Skill Distribution
Slicer I > Slicer II > Slicer III > Slicer IV (10 points)
Mainframe I > Mainframe II (3 points)

Skills: 7
Points: 13/18

Affiliations
Nym

A masterful pilot with a decorated flight record, Raptor's history is colorful to say the least. He flew just about every ship under every sun before he hit his mid-twenties, and became somewhat renowned among piloting communities for habitually antagonizing Imperial patrols for, as he put it, "funsies". This naturally came back to bite him, but his quick thinking and charm earned him a fake execution and a place on a special operations team so secretive that not even most higher-ups were aware of it. He served with this group for years before the leader of their little band decided to go rogue, convincing everyone to go along with him.

Raptor is a prodigy when it comes to piloting, and he's been with Nym longer than almost anyone else on the crew. If a ship flies, Raptor can make it dance. He never overestimates his considerable abilities, though, despite all of the bravado he may show.

In addition to piloting the Sleight of Hand, Nym's point-ship, Raptor, often with some help from either Vergil or Vendetta, coordinates the small battlegroup the pirates have amassed over the years. Everyone in the small fleet respects the pilot and his authority, deferring to him even over Nym in matters of naval positioning.

Raptor never goes on field missions, preferring the bridge of a ship to the battlefield. He is a fair martial artist, though, skilled at fencing; he's nowhere near Nym's caliber, but he can put up a decent fight. He's best in the pilot's seat, however.

Skill Distribution
Fencer I (1 skill points)
Officer I > Officer II (3 skill points)
Pirate I > Pirate II > Pirate III > Pirate IV (10 skill points)

Skills: 8/8
Points: 14/16

Equipment
Vibroknife

Affiliations
Nym

Elric is one of the newer members of the crew, recruited off of Nar Shaddaa after passing enough convoluted mechanical tests to satisfy Blacklight. He's not a fighter in the slightest, but he's incredibly skilled with technology, second only to Cadrin himself. The tech mentored Elric, teaching him everything he knew; Elric was a natural mechanic, and it wasn't long before he was almost as good as his idol.

Following the AI incident, Elric was suddenly thrust into the position of lead mechanic and engineer on Nym's crew. With Cadrin gone, he's now responsible for maintaining equipment on the ship. He still takes a lot of advice from Vergil, and as of late has been working at the intelligence's behest on a new project.

Skill Distribution
Inventor I > Inventor II > Inventor III > Inventor IV (10 skill points)

Skills: 4/8
Points: 10/10

Equipment
None

Affiliations
Nym

Jack is one of Nym's best overall soldiers, and is well-liked by the entirety of the crew. He, along with Raptor and a handful of others, have been with Nym since before he started calling himself that and worked as an Imperial special operative. His experience not only makes him an excellent marksman, but a very good tactical leader. If ever there were a man being groomed to replace Nym should he decide to leave, it would be Jack.

Jack is skilled with a rifle, and often takes the role of sniper. All-in-all he and Nym are two of the best of the crew in extended firefights, and Jack is often taken along for that very reason. Unfortunately, Jack lacks the touch required for more... subtle methods, and he's usually only brought along when subtlety isn't an issue.

Skill Distribution
Trooper I > Trooper II > Trooper III (6 skill poings)
Juggernaut I > Juggernaut II (3 skill points)
Fencer I (1 skill point)

Skills: 6/8
Points: 10/10

Equipment
Modular blaster rifle (carbine and sniper configurations)
Vibroknife
Grenades

Affiliations
Nym

Zephyr isn't so much Raptor's protege as his rival and counterpart. Whereas he handles the day-to-day in the fleets, Zephyr is often the one flying the shuttle runs. The debate as to who's better has never really ever been resolved, though Nym suspects that Raptor would pull out ahead if they were to go toe-to-toe.

She's an incredible pilot in any ship, capable of flying circles around the best that military fighters have to offer. She's not afraid to pull insane maneuvers, and she knows what's within her reach and what's not. She's not a ground fighter, though; her domain is the sky.

Skill Distribution
Trooper I (1 skill point)
Fencer I (1 skill point)
Officer I (1 skill point)
Pirate I (1 skill point)

Skills: 4/8
Points: 4/10

Equipment
Heavy blaster pistol
Blaster pistol
Vibroknife

Affiliations
Nym

The mechanical battle droid affectionately named "Fido" by the crew is a powerful combat model built and formerly maintained by Cadrin Nor. As its creator is now an intelligence as well, Fido's maintenance falls to Cadrin's protege, Elric, and its allegiance rests with Nym.

The combat droid has a modular weapon system, allowing for a large number of configurations of weaponry which may include anything from missiles to blasters to railguns to even a small turbolaser. Additionally, Fido has an impressive array of sensors, including motion trackers, radar sensors, and thermal sensors. Its targeting matrices are also capable of configuring for non-lethal attack patterns.

One of the droid's more valuable features is its ability to "fold", compressing its size to allow for more convenient transportation. Along with this, Fido's tough armor and shielding allow it to be dropped from low orbit with no harm done.

Skill Distribution
Ranged I > Ranged II > Ranged III (6 points)
Plating I > Plating II > Plating III (6 points)
Locomotor I (1 point)

Skills: 7
Points: 13/18

Affiliations
Nym

Rogue is something of an enigma. She joined Nym's crew reluctantly out of self-preservation, as the alternative was returning to a ruthless lord who would have executed her. However, she insists on staying with Nym's crew despite a stark lack of evidence of any pursuit from her previous employers.

Her forte is stealth. As a former assassin, the shadows are a second home for her. She is incredibly skilled with knives and small arms, and in close-quarters she's a terror; she combines her speed and agility with deadly precision. She can't take a hit, however, and while her armor can protect her fairly well, it won't hold up to large amounts of damage.

Recently she's been training non-stop using the Agamemnon's combat simulations, and if she's not training, she's with Elric and Vergil performing maintenance on her armor. She's been eager to volunteer recently, which is strange behavior at best. She's planning something.

Skill Distribution
Trooper I (1 skill point)
Fencer I > Fencer II > Fencer III (6 skill points)
Juggernaut I (1 skill point)
Spy I > Spy II > Spy III (6 skill points)

Skills: 8/8
Points: 14/18

Equipment
Armor
Custom vibroknives
Custom autopistols
Integrated weaponry

Affiliations
None

Serena is, put simply, a mystery. She first crossed Nym's path working as a mercenary; the two of them worked together to infiltrate and torch a Hutt compound on Gamorr. During that raid she demonstrated incredible potency with the Force as well as impressive skill with her chosen weapons, a lightsaber and a phrik shield. They parted ways with little more than a word, but more than a year later, they crossed paths again.

Her exceptional skill is a result of her training. When she was young she was taken into the Sith Order, and was a part of it for many decades, training first as an Inquisitor, and then as an Assassin, a role she took to with vigor, excelling and rising to the head of their branch, attaining the title of Darth Eredis. She served the Sith for a very long time, but broke away a little more than a decade ago.

She wields a unique lightsaber, violet and double-bladed, but with two cortosis extensions that can extend to cover the blades, acting as hilts and turning the weapon into something resembling a pike or glaive. She also fights with a phrik shield, modified to absorb energy and distribute it, superheating the disk and turning it into a deadly weapon. She is incredibly defensive in melee combat, preferring to fend off her opponents until she is ready to hit them with her far more honed and dangerous Force powers; of those, pyrokinesis is her specialty.

Her motives are a mystery to those who know her, as she is incredibly guarded, if honest when asked questions. She has been in contact with Jedi, Sith, and all other manner of individuals, planning something. What it is is unknown, however, with all of her visits, there is one consistency: when asked what she wants, her reply is simple: "I want out."

Skill Distribution
Sith Offense I > Sith Offense II (3 skill points)
Sith Defense I > Sith Defense II > Sith Defense III > Sith Defense IV (10 skill points)
Force Manipulation I > Force Manipulation II > Force Manipulation III > Force Manipulation IV (10 skill points)
Infiltrator I > Infiltrator II > Infiltrator III > Infiltrator IV (10 skill points)

Skills: 14/14
Points: 33

Force Powers
Force Sight
Force Grip
Telepathy
Force Speed
Force Repulse
Pyrokinesis
Tutaminis

Lightsaber Forms
Form V (Shien)
Form III (Soresu)

Equipment
Double-bladed lightsaber
Phrik shield

Affiliations
None