
Sacrifice
(Evangeline M'Baré)
Context
Sacrifice was my Player CharacterRPG characters played by a player, rather than the gamemaster or the computer. in an early 1990s tabletop super-hero role-playing game series, set in the Marvel Universe.
I quite liked her. And re-reading my 1992-or-so notes in the light of the 2018 Black Panther movie’s success is kinda fun. But do note that many of the references to oreganisations, bands, magazines, etc. are early 1990s stuff.
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Background
- Real Name: Evangeline Bethsabée Siagana M’baré.
- Known Relatives: Sarah M’baré (mother), Joseph M’baré (father), Mary M’baré (sister), Aretha (supposedly adopted female penguin), T’challa (cousin), T’chaka (uncle).
- Group Affiliation: Beta Alpha Kappa Sorority ; Union of Los Angeles Black Students ; Topanga State Park Watchers ; “I Hate Brenda” Club ; Green Peace ; World Wildlife Fund ; Act Up ; National Coalition of Anti-Vivisectionists ; Greater Coalition of pro-Choice Activists ; “Say No to Drugs” Network ; Amnesty International ; Democratic Party ; William Clinton Support Comity ; Los Angeles Dodgers Support Team (National Baseball League) ; San Francisco Rams Howlers (National Football Conference) ; “Support the L.A. Lakers” Coalition (Western Basketball Conference) ; “I adopted an penguin” Program ; “Bring Back the Muppets !” Fan Club ; Book of the Month Club ; Lullaby Sorority ; Blazin’ Love Dance Club Guests ; Wakandan Immigrants World Center ; (CRTJACWW2) Comittee for the Remembrance of the Treatment of Japanese-American Citizens during World War II ; Students Social Security ; UCLA ; UCLA Students Medical & Insurance Fund ; San Francisco’s Gay Parade Organisation Comity ; Westwood Piano Academy ; Pasadena Posers street gang ; Los Angeles’s Christian Community Club ; San Maria Church’s Gospel Choir ; Jesse Jackson Support Fund ; Wakandan Black Panther’s Cubs ; Janis Joplin Memorial Fund ; Great Balls of Fire Jazz & Soul Club Guests ; Avengers Assemble ! Fan Club ; Pro-Mutants U.S. Lobbying Movement ; Ban the Guns Lobby ; Girl Scouts of America ; Cousteau Society ; Drunken Fries Jazz Quartet ; AIDS Prevention Network ; Los Angeles Homeless Relief Fund ; Santa Monica Dance School ; We Will Rock You, Inc. (events organisation company, chief executive) ; LAPD Self-Defense Course ; Recording for The Blind ; DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) ; American Cancer Society ; Big National Comittee for Prevention of Child Abuse ; Indian Rights Association ; NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People) ; National Gay Task Force ; American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) ; League of Women Voters in the United States ; National Comittee Against Discrimination in Housing ; National Geographic Society ; California Public Information Research Group ; American & International Red Cross ; United Way ; CARE ; UNICEF.
- Base Of Operations: UCLA, Westwood Village, Los Angeles.
- Height: 5’4” (1.62m). Weight: 118 lbs. (53 Kg.).
- Eyes: Dark brown. Hair: Black.
Powers and Abilities
Evangeline is a superhuman mutant. Like many of her kind, she is surprisingly resilient.
Her mutant ability is an instinctive ability to focus magic forces, and in particular those related to the Vishanti. Though her progress has been chaotic, she is now able to call upon all three Vishanti for relatively minor effects, and has started developing an affinity for Munnopor.
She is remarkably smart, resourceful and charismatic. She is also ridiculously hyperactive and very likely to create trouble out of practically nowhere.
Gear
Being determined to be some sort of super-heroine, she has bought a lot of specialised, often customised equipment.
Though all of it is commercially available, her gear ends up being fairly impressive. It helps compensate for her lack of training, experience or big bad powers.
Her main weapon is a compact shotgun. It was chosen for its less-than-lethal ammunition and its ability, between the buckshot and the laser sight, to compensate for her mediocre markswomanship.
See the game stats for a discussion of her equipment. Because there’s a lot of it.
History
Evangeline is the daughter of a senior Wakandan civil servant, sent to study in the US. Her older sister Mary also studied in America. She is now a senior executive in a brokerage firm.
The M’Baré family has been Wakandan for three generations.
Evangeline’s great-grandfather was a nomad Fula cattle herder in Mali. He came to Wakanda during the great 1913 drought, where he became a Christian priest. His older son became an important man in the small Wakandan Christian clergy. Evangeline’s father was a diplomat.
(When this character was created, there were accounts of Wakanda being in Northwestern Africa. This has since changed to the Great Lakes area, so closer to Southwestern Ethiopia.)
Nomads
The family remained attached to its faith and nomadic traditions. Evangeline was raised in a number of transitory houses, but mostly in the familial mobile home. And for six months, she was a guest in the palace of T’Challa himself.
She learned early on about driving, land navigation and the travelling life.
Rarely staying in one place for long and much younger than her sister, Evangeline spent much of her time with her three imaginary friends – Hoggoth, Oshtur and Agamotto.
Adνеrtisеmеnt
Syncretism
The Wakandan Christian faith is a meld of Catholicism and Wakandan tribal traditions. It considers the Black Panther god as one of God’s messiahs and greatest archangel. Evangeline was initiated to some rituals early on, and it soon became obvious that she was spirits-touched.
Albeit her “witchcraft” (actually stemming from her mutant connection to the Vishanti) was accepted in this tradition, it still scared her mother. Though on the surface they retained cordial relations, they never were close again.
(The description of Wakanda Christians is original to this character. If the subject has been brought up by Marvel’s worldbuilding, I’ve missed it. I have thousands of comics in my backlog.)
American woman, mama let me be
Evangeline came to the US at 15. She rapidly became more American than Wakandan – an adopted Valley girl.
After an incident where she vaguely started falling in love with a female history teacher, she found refuge in her religion. She attended the occasional Wakandan Christian event, and the much more common Unitarian Sundays .
Wanting to expiate and forget her possible bisexuality, she also involved herself in a stupefying number of causes and activities. She eventually left the incident behind her and lived as a straight woman.
During the last years in high school, Evangeline developed an intense, bitter rivalry with one Mindy Meyer. She was the haughty, filthy rich heiress of the high-technology Iodine Corp.
This has created a number of incidents, and only got worse with Meyer’s WASP-ish disapproval of M’Baré’s unusual type of Christianity.
Fiat lux
Evangeline is now at the UCLA as an undergrad. She shares a large apartment with four close, resourceful friends.
A lot of her extra-curricular work has been to set up her own company, which throws parties, events and concerts. This company has slowly developed, culminating with the organisation of a minor Guns N’ Roses gig (long story).
Evangeline eventually found herself on the receiving end of some sort of conspiracy. It seemed run by the FBI and aiming to discredit her father.
Determined not to let that happen (and looking for the chance to become a mutant super-heroine anyway), she designed the Sacrifice masked identity. She tapped the advice of her confidants, who include an ex-Special Forces priest and a technical wunderkind from the Pasadena Posers street gang.
Description
Evangeline owns an improbably large collection of clothes.
Her hairdo is also variable, but often elaborate and inspired by recent issues of Ebony .
As Sacrifice, she wears her signature leather jumpsuit and shades, with a wig of locs and red war paint over her brow, cheeks and chin.
She tends to inject a little bit of Wakandan references into much of her clothing, jewellery, song titles, decor, etc.. This is chiefly intended to make herself look cool.
Personality
Hyperactive, very enthusiastic, talented, fairly aggressive, highly curious, quite prone to getting into trouble – her own and other people’s.
She’s a bit of a spoiled, bubbly Valley girl. But her unusual origins and busybody personality give her genuine empathy for minorities.
She’s a definite meddler (for better and for worse). And is entirely too proud and unlikely to back off about… anything.
Evangeline is not as self-centred as she seems, and has an army of good friends.
Wakanda forever
Though she’s exceptionally intelligent, Evangeline is just 18 and somewhat sheltered. In everyday life she can get a bit scatterbrained. Even in her important activities can be a little short-sighted and inexperienced.
She loves attention, and everything about her has to be cool, fabulous, smart, successful and original.
As Sacrifice she’s almost a different person. Cold, quiet, almost brooding, efficient – and with violence in her hands and her eyes. Her constant life-of-the-party and meddling-queen-bee behaviour as Evangeline apparently coexists with a darker and even more impulsive and proud side, which she had so far been unaware of.
It is possible that the angry, darker, more focused, much more violent side she explores as Sacrifice is tied in some manner with her powers.
DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Evangeline
Dex: 02 | Str: 02 | Bod: 04 |
Int: 06 | Wil: 04 | Min: 06 |
Inf: 06 | Aur: 05 | Spi: 08 |
Init: 014 | HP: 015 |
Skills:
Acrobatics (Dodging)*: 02, Artist (Dancer, Singer, Piano, Tailor): 04, Occultist: 06, Vehicles (Land): 03, Weaponry (Firearms): 03
Bonuses and Limitations:
Occultist is a Powered Skill.
Advantages:
Attractive, Buddies (her three roommate girls, Jim Assunpcion, Padre Anderson), Familiarity (Wakandan Christian liturgy ; Fashion), Language (Hausa, Wakandan, Spanish), Financial Backing (Affluent – her parents), Slowed Ageing.
Connections:
Street (Low), Wakandan immigrants in the US (Low), LA alternative music and jazz scenes (Low).
Drawbacks:
MIA toward Caprices, Mistrust (Mutant), Secret ID.
Motivation:
Responsibility/Thrill.
Occupation:
Student, Adventurer, Entrepreneur, Debutante, etc..
Wealth:
004
Equipment:
See below.
Rituals:
- Mists of Munnopor, with extra topping
Effect: Chemical attack: 05, Fog: 06
Bonus: Chemical attack can be Combined With Fog and is active throughout it.
Casting Time: Dice Action.
Components: Rave party-style chemical glowstick. - Hosts of Hoggoth, the silent return
Effect: Magic field: 06
Casting time: Automatic Action.
Components: Blessed crucifix. - Light of Agamotto, with unlimited free local calls
Effect: Telepathy: 04
Casting time: One minute.
Components: GSM cell phone. - Light of Agamotto, exclusive !
Effect: Mind probe: 03
Casting time: One minute.
Components: Fashionable, branded sunglasses. - Wings of Oshtur, baby
Effect: Flight: 06
Casting time: Dice Action.
Components: Branded, expensive push-up brassiere.
The right stuff
As Sacrifice, Evangeline packs an awful lot of commercial equipment selected to give herself an edge:
COSTUME
[BODY 05, Flame immunity: 02, Lightning immunity: 02, Skin armour: 02, Limitation: Skin armour only vs. Ballistic].
This a black leather jumpsuit, with :
- Some unpolished African-styled copper jewellery (ear clips, bracelets and armbands).
- A silenced black steel chain around the waist (as a Luke Cage homage).
- An unpolished gold crucifix pendant strapped flat against the upper breastbone.
The shoulders and arms are padded to look like extra muscle and there’s a cuirbouilli inset protecting the crotch.
Everything has a Gore-Tex layer underneath. Under the leather she wears a Nomex one-piece swimming suit, with a tailored-in athletic brassiere. Over that she wears a 6-point adjustable concealable Second Chance soft body armour.
Between the armour and the leather is a small bag of fake blood with a tiny explosive charge.
The gloves are black Reactor high-performance climbing gloves with extra layers of Kevlar.
The thigh-high boots have an inner layer of silk (to be donned and doffed quickly), a layer of electrical isolant, and broad 2 ½ inches heels. The soles are taken from high-end sporting shoes, with strips from another pair of Reactor gloves, making the boots as silent as sneakers and with strong gripping power.
Under the left shoulder is a modified DeSantis holster for the shotgun (the gun can thus be fired without being drawn). It includes 2 meters of thin steel cable which can be hooked to the shotgun’s grip.
Bullet-resistant glasses
Fast-polarising Gargoyle sunglasses [BODY 06, Shade: 03] with extreme sports frame.
Ithaca M37 Stakeout riot gun
[BODY 04, Shotgun Blast (Range 03): 06, Ammo: 07, R#03, Recommended STR: 02, Drawback: Very Long Reload]. Usually loaded with rubber buckshot (Bashing Damage).
The pump has been outfitted with a Laser Products handle [BODY 03, Flash: 03, Weaponry (Shotgun): 04] which includes a powerful tactical flashlight, a TacStar laser sight and a sling to hold the hand against the pump. She carries 20 extra ammo kept all over the costume in strips of four — eight more plastic buckshot rounds, two 00 buckshot ones, two steel-jacketed slugs and the following:
- Two Lockbuster rounds (will wreck pretty much any lock).
- Two Ferret rounds [BODY 01, Chemical attack: 05, Ammunition for a 12g shotgun], which can fill a large room with tear gas even when shot through an interior wall.
- Four Thunderflash rounds [BODY 01, EV 02 (Area of effect 1 AP), Flash: 06 (Area of effect 2 APs), Sensory block (earring): 08, Note : all Powers are Combined, Ammunition for 12g shotgun, R#03].
Sap
Black leather Blackjack [BODY 03, Enhance (EV): 01 (cap is 04), Miniaturisation: 01, Bonus: No Unskilled Penalties, Descriptor: Unarmed]. Though seldom used in combat (chiefly from lack of melee skill), it can be useful for intimidation. Hitting something rigid with a blackjack results in a loud, violent impact.
Flashbang charge
M645 Thunder Rod charge [BODY 02, Bomb: 06, Range: 01, Grenade Drawback]. This rod-shaped concussive charge can be inserted though a 12-gauge hole, and can be set to perform a small rocket jump before detonating.
… and the kitchen sink
This being the 1990s, the COSTUME also includes an utility belt with lots of pouches. And a garter with, you guessed it, lots of pouches.
Common commercially-procured gadgets kept handy include :
- Safe-T Cuff handcuffs [BODY 07].
- Folded Duram emergency escape mask [BODY 01, Enhance (RV vs. particulates, vapors and gasses): 03 (cap is 06), Enhance (RV vs. facial attacks): 02 (cap is 05), R#02.].
- Tactical Entry Tool utility knife.
- H3T-1 vision goggles [BODY 01, Ultra-vision: 04] with a compact 72-shots still camera.
- Two days of compact Norwegian survival food.
- Eight chemical glowsticks.
- Eighteen meters of 11mm Kemmantle rope [BODY 08].
- A solo survival kit (fishing stuff, matches, first aid stuff, razor blades, etc.).
- 32 percussion caps.
- Cigarettes-pack-size voice recorder [Two hours or recording, three meter range, 10-meter-range mini-mike with 5m of wire].
- Ten cartridges of slippery jelly [Friction control: 03, only to lower friction].
- Pen-sized miniature flare (rises 100m in the air, shines for ten seconds).
- Declassified SHIELD pocket communicator [BODY 02, Radio communications: 06].
- Glass-cutting diamond.
- Self-inflating casts for broken limbs (one for an arm, one for a leg, both painted black).
- A number of DMSO-soaked patches imbibed with drugs (two with morphine, one with amphetamines, one with a narcoleptic drug [Sleep: 06].
- One superglue tube in a small aluminium cylinder.
- Two 3,5” floppy disks with a collection of viruses.
Bigger boom
In case of major trouble, Sacrifice will fit a Talon M203 grenade launcher [BODY 04, Range: 06, Ammo: 01] (with a CAR-15 stock) over her shotgun, which takes her a good 15mn due to lack of practice. Her now markedly heavier weapon can alternate between shotgun fire and grenades.
Available grenades include concussive blast [Bomb: 07, Bashing], 40mm Ferret rounds [Chemical attack: 06, can deliver tear gas through a wall] and heavy Stingbag Impact Rounds [EV (Bashing) 08].

Source of Character: An old campaign set in the Marvel Universe.