Shadowmage
Context
Shadowmage appeared in The Solution, a curious book about an unlikely team of super-mercenaries. It was set in the Ultraverse, one of the new super-hero universes that emerged during the early 1990s but soon folded when the market crashed.
She’s an alien magician using a runes system devised on another world, as you do.
Background
- Real Name: Aera, though you’ll certainly agree that it looks prettier when spelled Æra.
- Marital Status: Unrevealed.
- Known Relatives: None.
- Group Affiliation: The Solution.
- Base Of Operations: Mobile, although Southern Asia is preferred.
- Height: 5’7” Weight: 120 lbs.
- Eyes: Pinkish orange. Hair: White.
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Powers and Abilities
Shadowmage is an alien rune mage. By inscribing and pronouncing mystical runes (often writing them in the palm of her right hand), she can cast any needed spell, from eldritch blasts to invisibility. The rune also appear on the target, as relatively small shapes in green flames.
She can trace runes on her teammates, or give them spellcards. See the Ærwan pictograms entry for most of the runes used by Æra.
She is also nimble, and can hold her own in close combat. But she rarely has to – Shadowmage can jump out of the way of an attack with the best of them.
As often with magicians, she’s also remarkably perceptive and intuitive.
History
Shadowmage is a battlemage from a planet/dimension called the Wold. It is torn between two warring races, the Ærwan and the Darkur. There are other, even more powerful entities on the Wold – such as the Vyr, virtually invincible mage-gods.
Shadowmage herself is a Ærwan named Æra.
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After the Vorlexx
Shadowmage was sent on an extremely dangerous mission against the Vyr, in order to steal a godlike magical artefact from them. Her target was the Vorlexx, which looked like a gemstone.
The Ærwan leaders hoped to use its mystical might against the Darkur. Æra would then return the artefact to the Vyr before they reacted too badly.
Shadowmage was the very first person to survive the Vyr’s defenses and to actually make it within their sanctum. She did manage to steal the Vorlexx, and even killed one of the Vyr by wielding the Vorlexx against it. In so doing, she came to realize the huge mystical power of the artefact :
- It could cause untold damage to the Wold if wielded by any of the two warring races, including her own.
- It would inevitably corrupt whoever used it.
- The retaliation of the Vyr would be terrible if they could easily find the thing.
So she fled to another dimension, where she intended to bury the Vorlexx.
Run to the hills, run for your lives
She arrived on Earth shortly after World War One, and buried the gemstone in a village south of Paris. Meanwhile, the Wold erupted in all-out war known, the Tch’al Conflict, over the theft of the Vorlexx. Solution member Outrage fought in this war.
Æra stayed on Earth, joining the local occult community as a visiting student. She only occasionally encountered other travelers from the Wold. It was while she was studying in a major mystical library under London that she met Lela Sho and Troy Wilde. Aera saved both their lives from the assassin Casino.
Shadowmage discussed with Cho, who wanted her to join her crusade against the Dragon Fang. She performed a divination and saw her fate was to join the Solution. They needed her and she needed them, especially as they could allow her to survive the Vyr.
Part of the Solution
Shadowmage fought along with the Solution. It did allow her to survive the Vyr when they finally found the Vorlexx was on Earth and came to track her.
Although the Vyr took both the Vorlexx and Æra (in order to torture her), the Solution and the Man with the Harmonica freed Shadowmage and escaped with her.
Shadowmage is still a part of the Solution.
Description
See illustrations.
Personality
Shadowmage is a competent, collected adventurer with a matter-of-fact attitude.
She deeply believes in fate, and often uses divinations. Since to her eyes most things are preordained she rarely seems surprised or shocked. She reacts to most things with calm and confidence. About the only thing that can faze her are exceptionally powerful entities such as the Vyr or Rex Mundi.
She has something of a regal bearing and attitude, like a princess in exile. Yet when she feels comfortable, she sometimes giggles like a Japanese schoolgirl.
She became a friend of Tech and, by extension, Dropkick.
Quotes
“The forces of fate are in motion and we can’t resist. Our pasts are driving us together, into the future.”
DC Universe History
The Solution can exist in nearly any super universe, provided you have can access to cybernetics (something like Nuware or Spiral’s Body Shoppe) and some aliens are around. The team is relatively independent from context.
They can also find themselves involved in many, many story types :
- Espionage, corporate intrigues, computer troubles, Asia-centric stories with Tech.
- Martial arts, the mercenary world, organized crime and street-level adventures with Dropkick.
- Alien stuff, big fights and alien code of honor stuff with Outrage.
- Mystical and magical stuff as well as alien and mystic entities with Shadowmage.
They’d almost make a perfect PC team if the aliens weren’t much more powerful than the humans. 🙂
Also, as a mercenary team, they can credibly appear anywhere and work for most everyone – a boon in many campaigns.
Game Stats — DC Heroes RPG
Tell me more about the game stats
Shadowmage
| Dex: 06 | Str: 03 | Bod: 05 | Motivation: Uphold good |
| Int: 06 | Wil: 07 | Min: 06 | Occupation: Mercenary |
| Inf: 07 | Aur: 08 | Spi: 10 | Resources {or Wealth}: 006 |
| Init: 021 | HP: 050 |
Powers:
Flight (ML): 05, Magic sense: 04, Sorcery: 10
Bonuses and Limitations:
Spells already cast via Sorcery fail if Shadowmage take RAPs in any of the three Resistance Attributes (-2).
Skills:
Accuracy (Perception): 09, Acrobatics (dodging)*: 06, Occultist: 09
Advantages:
Immortal, Language (Æran, Latin, French), Lightning Reflexes.
Connections:
Occultists (Low).
Drawbacks:
None demonstrated.
Equipment:
- STASIS TALISMAN [BODY 04, Invulnerability: 10].
- Shadowmage often makes “spell cards”. These are like large playing cards with a single, one-shot spell inscribed on it – anybody who can pronounce the runes (all Solutions member are familiar with them) can trigger the spell.
Shadowmage generally stores spells with about 05 to 06 APs of efficiency, and they typically last 15mn.
She’ll make those if she anticipates a need to cast several simultaneous spells (like making all members of the Solution fly and be invisible) or one member of the Solution operates solo (she’ll give them four or five cards).
Source of Character: Ultraverse.