Krauss Friedrich, Human Occult Scientist

[Master_Enceladus]

Krauss Friedrich

Race: Human (Advanced)

Classes: Occultist (Reliquary Keeper) / Technician (Rigger)

Before the Realmwardens

Krauss past and time before the Gate Keepers was one involved in the most tumultuous times in the history of planet Earth, 1914 - 1945. During his youth, Krauss was founded to be one of the few individuals of humans blessed with a true gift of intelligence. A childhood was unknown to him for most of his youth was spent in academic studies of all kinds. Being from a moderately wealthy German family helped in affording all sorts of tutors and advancing him through institutions of higher learning. On the one hand, he had an insatiable hunger to learn but came at the price of having no friends and being something of a social pariah. More so he lead a very sheltered life among books but would be given a quick awakening on his 18th birthday.

In 1914, the great war (WWI) began and Krauss was conscripted for the war effort. At first he was passed on as just another body for the front lines until his intellect became evident and thus was sent to work on various scientific fronts for the war effort. It was in this period that great ambitions in knowledge started with various technological advances for the time being made. What most don't know is the Central Powers, of which Germany was included, conducted various research into things most would consider supernatural and occult during this time. One must understand that supernatural aspects and hard definitive science had not truly separated at this time. Items for instance used in chemical warfare were based on principals of medieval alchemy for instance and it was this that Krauss was exposed to the true powers of ancient magic from relics not seen in modern times. Yet the war effort proved Germany's undoing with the Central Powers losing.

Krauss, like so many other scientist during the war, fleed to other regions of Europe covering his trail and any records which would make him a war criminal. In the years following, he took what odd jobs he could to support himself while continuing his studies into the esoteric aspects of the world. With him he was able to save 4 relics of unusual power that he would spend years attempting to master. But the outbreak of another global conflict would provide a boost of sorts Krauss was needed. With the new powers in charge of Germany, the attention to the occult was more open and in dire need. Krauss would join with a group whose works would involve such things as before (the Ahnenerbe). He would never buy into the political dogmas of Germany's new leaders but the Ahneberbe was simply a means to an end in continuing his own scientific and occult studies. Yet like before, Krauss saw the inevitable end and in the final days of 1945 switched sides by offering the Ally Powers key information on several operations in exchange for amnesty. Krauss, like so many other German scientist, were transported to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip. While glad to be out of an apocalypse Europe, Krauss saw his new American "employers" in the same light as the prior to governments he worked for...power hungry.

After the Realmwardens

Krauss would spend his final days on Earth doing various tasks and projects as "requested" by the American military. Though it was at this point his true powers as a Gatewalker appeared when he unknowingly opened a portal to what seemed like another world. Thing is this wasn't done by any scientific or magical means but seemed to happen by his own will. Yet this power was clearly untrained for the portal only lasted mere seconds, yet long enough to gain the attention of the Realmwardens. What their reasons were for recruiting Krauss is still unknown to him, but the offer was to good to pass up. Krauss at this point was done with how the way Earth's civilization was becoming and with the rise of the two superpowers, America and the Soviet Union, he naturally concluded another global conflict was evident to happen again. Frankly, he tired to becoming a tool for the military.

Since the day of recruitment, Krauss has spent just a few years among the guild and in the hub city Nexus. Technically he is still a lower ranking member but the guild has come to respect and acknowledge his intelligence. More so, the guild has provided him something he never really had, the chance to pursue scientific and magic research of his choosing (within certain bounds). And being among the denizens of Nexus, it is clearly evident that there is much to learn.

Homeworld and Race

Krauss is a human from Earth born and living within the early to mid 20th century. While he looks as a normal human, he is in face an advanced human. This means he is among the few of Earth's humans born with a gift of vast intelligence similar to the likes of Albert Einstein or Nikola Tesla. While not possessing any physical enhancements or strange powers like so many others he has met in Nexus, it is clear that he is vastly intelligent and has a knack to learn things very quickly. In his case, his brain is just as powerful as any other's brawn.

Personality

Krauss's intelligence is a blessing and a curse. It has done little to serve him regarding forming social skills and relating to others. While he may be able to figure a person out, he has trouble with engaging with others on an emotional level. This is not to say he can't be polite in sociable settings but most of the time he will be the quite one in the background. Krauss is a person who is govern by deductive reasoning and logic so his life is very orderly. Very few things are done without outcomes weighed and measured. While this helps him plan ahead, he has a very hard time in making snap decisions. He is also very stoic and logically cold.

Given his past associations, one might think Krauss has an evil bent and to some extent that may be true. Despite serving under two vastly different German governments in the wars, he has never agreed with the politics or ideas of them. His association was a means to an end. After all, they were essentially forcing him to research and make weapons of war, so why not use them as financial backers for his own privately conducted research? What truly makes Krauss "evil" (if one can call it that) is unlike most other scientist, he holds no moral/ethical boundaries on what should and should not be done in the pursuit of research and discovery. To him, it is all about finding knowledge where if some things must be done that construe an evil act, well the end result justifies the means. For example, his occultic studies have granted him a measure of abilities in reanimating the dead. While some would consider this an evil act, he doesn't. Logically speaking, the reanimated dead are just animated objects and hold no distinction of a person. So fundamentally speaking, what is the difference in using animated cadavers for whatever need as one would use a robot or arcane fashioned golem? All of them are just moving piles of matter in the end and not living beings.

Such view points have placed him at odds with other religious minded individuals but frankly he doesn't care. However, it should be understood that if said "evil" was committed there is a logical need for it.

Overview of Character Build and Service to the Guild

Mechanically, Krauss is a combination of a summoner and item builder. While able to summon creatures, undead, or build mechanical automatons, his real strategy in using them is in more unusual ways to achieve a result or help out fellow party members. It wouldn't be unusual to see a golem created by Krauss to rush head long into a crowd of enemies only to then explode revealing he had planted a bomb in it. If anything, this character is an heavily item dependent individual which has its own strengths and weaknesses.

As to the Guild, Krauss is the crafter and researcher. Though in down time periods, Krauss has been granted some measure of freedom to pursue his own smithing and hebaligy businesses outside of his guild duties. Reason being is because research pursuits and item creation is an expensive undertaking. Though of course he provides a portion of profits to the guild.

 

Edited January 3 by Master_Enceladus (see edit history)

[Master_Enceladus]

Stat Block

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[URL=http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2867022][B][SIZE=+1]Krauss Friedrich[/SIZE][/B][/URL]
M LN to LE Advanced Human (Racial Build) Occultist/Technician, [B]Level[/B] 9, [B]Init[/B] 5, [B]HP[/B] 99/99, [B]Speed[/B] Land 40
[B]AC[/B] 27, [B]Touch[/B] 12, [B]Flat-footed[/B] 25, [B]CMD[/b] NaN, [B]Fort[/B] 9, [B]Ref[/B] 12, [B]Will[/B] 11, [B]CMB[/B] +11/+6, [B]Base Attack Bonus[/B] 6/1   
(+11 Armor, +4 Shield, +2 Dex)
[B]Abilities[/B] Str 10, Dex 20, Con 16, Int 24, Wis 20, Cha 10
[B]Condition[/B] None

 

[Master_Enceladus]

I believe this character is completed. This is a first time making something using the Spheres system so I am sure mistakes have been made somewhere. If so, let me know which and corrections will be done.

[Faeryl_]

Just so you're aware, since statblocks can't be linked directly to posts until they're part of the game, you can use the BBCode button when making/editing a post to get all the fancy bold text and the sheet link working automatically. Of course, if you're happy with it just being there, feel free to ignore me. :)

[Saberfan]

A coldly logical genius inventor from Earth who adopted an interest in the occult fits in the setting quite well, oddly enough, and could prove to be an interesting foil to more fantastical beings with more overt powers. I'll give his statblock a lookover soon enough and let you know if I have any questions.