Rogue Trader Taanay Magrorin and Vleer Druusebs

[Taany_Magrorin]

I've got a small warband that I wanted to get some comments on.  As the title says, it's a Rogue Trader and his companion.  I've tried to keep their stats reasonable, and I think that I've justified it well in the background.  Let me know what you think.


Taanay Magrorin, Rogue Trader
Homeworld:  Galdas
Gender:  Male
Height:  5'9"
Weight:  209
Hair Color:  Blonde
Eye Color:  Hazel
Blood Type:  A
Age:  62 Imperial Standard

Stats
WS      BS       St         To        Init       Wp      Sg        Nv       Ld        Speed
71        61        57        60        68        60      76        84       90          4

Equipment: Ornate Pulse Rifle (includes a Motion Predictor and Laser Sight), 2 Frag grenades, 2 Smoke grenades, Trimeric (chainsword), 2 reloads (Pulse Rifle), Carapace Armor (Chest, Abdomen), Flak armor (Legs, Arms, Groin).

Pulse Rifle:
Type: Basic  Range: H  Mode: Single/Semi(2/3)  Damage: 3d6+5  Shots: 40  Reload: 2  Weight: 20

Talents/Abilities: Leader, First Strike, Deadeye Shot, Reminders of Home (special)

Reminders of Home:  If anyone mentions what happened with Taanays parents on Galdas, he may fly into a rage.  Taanay must take a Nv test.  If he fails, he immediately attacks the offending character bare-handed, at +10 St.  If he passes the Nv test, Taanay has kept his cool and continues to act normally.  If brought up more than once, -5 Nv per occurrence.

Taanay does not suffer the normal penalties for using a Pulse Rifle.  In addition, if he is firing the Pulse Rifle, he counts as having a BS of 80.  This is due to his years of experience with the rifle, and his familiarity with it.

Background:

    Taanay was born on Galdas, before the rebellion. His father was part of the nobility, and had a high position in the government.  As the son of one of the planetary governors, he had access to some of the best training and weapons available.  Because of this, he had excellent training in combat and leadership abilities.  On his 35th birthday, Taanay's father gave him his Trading Certificate, something that has been handed down for many generations in the Magrorin family.  He also gave him Trimeric, a chainsword that had also been in the family for 10 generations.  He prefers not to use it, but when he has to, he will.  He keeps it immaculately clean, and it is one of his most prized possessions.
    Two years later, he bought a ship, and began a career as a merchant.  He traded in many different goods, but started to specialize in weapons.  Taanay also made a great deal of money dealing in exotic foods.  He has also developed a reputation, in some circles, at being excellent at discreetly transporting Xenos technology.  During one of his stops on the Tau agri-world of Sy'l'kel, his plane was shot down during a battle, and he stumbled into a building inhabited by Far'adn and his squad. Desperately needing help for his injuries, he pleaded with Far'adn to help him.  Far'adn could tell that the man was not an Imperial warrior, and so decided to help him.  After his wounds had healed enough, he told them of an Imperial-held building, and the defenses around it.  Even as he did it, he knew that he would always be afraid of authorities finding out what he had done, and punishing him for it.  He knows that he would be considered a traitor to all humans, and most likely executed.  He is unsure if anyone knows what happened that day, but there were Guardsmen on the lookout that day, so anything is possible.
    Several days later, when he was well enough to go, Far'adn thanked Taanay for his help, and asked him to visit Dal'yth someday.  When he returned to Galdas, Taanay found it in ruins.  He only had to inquire a little while before he found out the truth.  He found, to his horror, that his parents had participated, not in the rebellion, but in the tyranny, and was ashamed.  Unknown to him, Taanay's parents had skimmed off of Imperial taxes, as well as impose harsh restrictions on the population they were supposed to care for.  As a planetary governor, his father was supposed to ensure the well-being of his citizens, but had instead used them for his own selfish ends.  He went to great lengths to bury his past, and took again to trading.  He also will react violently if someone mentions what happened on Galdas.  He cannot bear to remember the shame of what his parents did, and so it is something that may be held over him by those who are more powerful than he is.  Taanay does not tell even those who are closest to him about his past, always looking to make his fortune grow even more.
    Not long after, Magrorin remembered Far'adn's invitation, and decided to see if he was good to his word.  He was. After spending a day together, Taanay had to resume his trading routes.  As a parting gift, Far'adn gave Taanay an ornate Pulse Rifle.  Graciously accepting the gift, Taanay took back to the stars.  He trained in the use of the rifle daily, working hard to overcome its awkward design. It has become his weapon of choice, and because of it, he avoids drawing attention to himself.  When he goes into a spaceport to re-supply, he leaves it in his ship, in a special compartment hidden away, and shielded from scanners.
    It has now been four years since his last contact with Far'adn, but he thinks of his old friend often.  Taanay Magrorin has become an exceptional shot with his Pulse Rifle, better than most Shas'vre Fire Warriors.
    During a trip to Catachan to see if he could open up a trade agreement to export some of their unique medicines, he met Vleer, who was at the time 36 years old.  He had learned how to hunt exceptionally well, as all Catachans do.  Knowing that he could use someone with those sorts of talents, he asked Vleer if he wanted to join him.  He offered to get him all the equipment he needed, and would provide for all his needs.  All Vleer had to do was pledge his loyalty to Taanay, and he could be taken off his planet, and given a chance to practice his skills in other environments.  Knowing that he would probably not get an offer that good for a long time, if ever, and wishing to get off the planet so he would stop being reminded of his dead wife, he agreed, and had all he needed packed up by the end of the day.
    For the last three years, Taanay and Vleer have worked together, and each owes the other his life a number of times.  Taanay has never regretted hiring Vleer, and his skills as a medic have been helpful to him a number of times.



Vleer Druusebs
Homeworld: Catachan
Gender:  Male
Height:  6'3"
Weight:  274
Hair Color:  Brown
Eye Color:  Green
Blood Type:  AB
Age:  39 Imperial Standard

Stats
WS      BS       St         To        Init       Wp      Sg        Nv       Ld        Speed
73       51       84         62        76        43       37        58       56          5

Equipment: Lasgun (Mars pattern), 4 reloads, Catachan blade (short sword coated with Bloodfire toxin), 2 Frag grenades, 2 Smoke grenades.
Talents: Hunter (+20% to awareness checks), Medic, Immunity (add 10 to the Toughness when testing for gasses/viruses/toxins), Reminders of the Past (special)

Reminders of the Past:  Since the death of his wife and child, Vleer has always had problems with being reminded of either of them.  If he sees a woman or child who resembles either Raja or Delvene, he must immediately take a Nv test.  If he fails, he will break down, and begin to sob uncontrollably.  The only way to get him to stop crying is to have Taanay console him.  If he can pass a leadership check with Taanay's Leadership, he may act as normal again.

Vleer is Right handed.

Background:
    Vleer was born three weeks prematurely, to Locruss and Chanvostal.  It was not thought that he would live, but miraculously, he survived.  About 11 months after his birth, his father, Locruss, was called into duty, and left to fight on a hive world.  Two years later, his mother received a letter, saying that Locruss had died in combat.  Their village, Marysestine, helped both Vleer and Chanvostal get through the loss, and they managed to get along.
    Perhaps it was because fate had a cruel sense of humor, but from the time Vleer was three years old, until he was about eleven, he suffered from nearly all of the minor viruses and diseases native to Catachan.  Fortunately for him, their village had some of the best medics available, and he managed to get better each time.  Because of this, he has built up an immunity to most diseases.  He also became interested in healing, and learned how to treat injuries, and the minor cuts that one could sustain the in jungle that could be fatal.  He has taken those skills with him for the rest of his life, and has had a large amount of practice using them.
    After he turned 12, Vleer began to hunt in the jungle regularly.  Even armed only with a knife, Vleer proved to be an adept hunter.  He killed a number of Death Vipers, and was one of the best at evading Catachan Devils.  By the age of 17, he began hunting with blades, and at the age of 19 he proved to be one of the deadliest men in the village with a Catachan Knife.  In those days, he was armed only with his knife and his wits.  While he didn't approve of the others going with him, worrying that they would only slow him down and scare away the prey, he did appreciate them being there, if only to look out for his back, as he did theirs.
    At the age of 23, Vleer married the girl of his dreams, Raja, who he had known since his adolescent days.  They had dated for years, and had shared many memorable hunts together.  She was at least as good at stealth and tracking as Vleer was, though she would be the first to say she was better. Raja was about 5'11", and weighed about 205 pounds, almost all of which was muscle, with fair skin.  She enjoyed dancing, which was one of the reasons that Vleer liked her.  She was always outgoing, willing to talk to new people, and get to know them.
    After two years of marriage, Raja had her first child, who they named Delvene.  Growing up, Delvene displayed many of the same traits as her mother did.  She was the perfect image of her mother, and had her passion for dancing.  She was about 4' 4', about the normal height for her age.  She had fair skin, and beautiful green eyes.

    Ten years later, when Delvene was out playing with a friend, a Catachan Viper snuck up on them, and bit Delvene in the leg.  Her friend ran to get someone, but by the time they got back, it was too late.  Delvene had been dead before her friend had even gotten someone to listen to her.
    When Raja got the news, she was thrown into a depression.  Vleer was distressed, and to try and cheer up Raja, they went out to hunt.  They tried to plan their trip carefully, and so after the burial of Delvene, they went out into the jungle.  They tracked their prey for days, but when they finally closed in for the kill, they ran into trouble.  Because of the recent death of their daughter, and her depression, Raja was unfocused, and a Viper managed to sneak up on her, and bite her on the side, just above her kidney.  Vleer, who was a short distance ahead of her, turned around only when he heard her scream.  Killing the snake, he knew that there was nothing to be done to save her.  He spent her last seconds of life telling her how much he loved her.
    Only Vleer himself knows how he got out of the jungle with Raja's body without being hurt himself.  The next day, she was buried next to her daughter.  With the loss of both his daughter and wife, Vleer was plunged into a depression for the next year.  When Taanay arrived, and offered to take him away, he just couldn't resist the offer.  He needed to get away from Catachan, and found the perfect reason to do so.  He packed up all his possessions that same day, and left with Taanay Magrorin.  He continues to practice his hunting and tracking skills in the holographic chamber of Taanay's ship.
    To this day, if there is a woman that resembles his late wife or his young daughter, Vleer will completely break down.  He cannot handle any reminders of what he has lost, and will need consolation from Taanay to be able to continue. He will not be able to look at any female character that resembles either Raja or Delvene.

[MarcoSkoll]

First things first:

Welcome to the Conclave!

It's a bit late, so I can't really go into a full critique, but the thing I have to bring up is Taanay's pulse rifle. The combination of giving him an effective BS 80 with a weapon that nasty is not going to make you any friends, and is going to make your games not unlike a psychopathic midget - that is to say, violent and short.

[Dolnikan]

Overal there are very nice ideas in there, but I would make him suffer the penalties for using the pulse rifle, he is still a human being and those weapons are made for completely different hands. One thing that I wonder about is how he gets his ammunition, it would be hard to find such things without drawing the wrong kind of attention.

Vleer seems very emotional and caring for a Catachan, they are used to death and by their standards he already is an old man. They take loss quite easily, they have to, to stop to mourn for even a moments can mean death on such a world, and evading death is what the Catachans do.