Altha Kein's page

About Altha Kein

Altha Kein is a Empathic Nano who Talks to Machines.

Tier: 1
Effort: 1
Armor: 0
EXP: 8 (Used 4 to upgrade Int Edge, 4 for Aggression Esotery)

Stats

◘ Might - 8 | Edge - 0
◘ Speed - 10 | Edge - 0
◘ Intellect - 20 | Edge - 2

Skills

• ◘ Sense emotions/disposition of people (Trained)
  
• ◘ Positive or negative social interaction (Trained)
  
• ◘ Numenera (Trained)
  
• ◘ Machine Affinity (Trained)

Inabilities

• ◘ Vulnerable to mental attacks: Int Defense more difficult by one step

Special Abilities

• ◘ Bear 3 Cyphers
  
• ◘ Practiced with Light Weapons)

Possessions

• ◘ Clothing - Fitted, utilitarian garments that are durable but not terrible flashy. Lots of pockets and pouches for discovered bits.
  
• ◘ Weapon - Whip (2 dmg)
  
• ◘ Cypher - Summary Goggles – A level 7 cypher that looks like a pair of metal goggles (it needs a new strap). The wearer learns the level of whatever she looks at once they are activated. Activation lasts 1 hour
  
• ◘ Cypher - Topographic Headband – A level 4 cypher that comes in the form of a headband. It allows the wearer to tap into the datasphere to get a general idea of the topography of the area within 50 miles (80 km) in all directions, including all pertinent features
  
• ◘ Cypher - A level 2 cypher that sprays out a thick viscous liquid. Within the liquid are incredibly fast-acting microscopic repair units that mend a break or tear in an object (or fuse two disparate objects held together)
  
• ◘ Oddity - Semicircular device of metal and glass that projects a harmless, thin red beam up to 50 feet (15 m) when activated. Altha keeps this as a means of navigating in the dark – it's particularly useful when the lights go out and she's not sure where the walls are. She also uses it as a misdirect when fighting.
  
• ◘ Oddity - Her lightning bug in a glass globe is more of a 'pet' than anything else. It doesn't need to be fed and doesn't seem to mind the lack of air either. It sparks and glows amusingly and, if she shakes it, gets agitated enough to give off a bit of light.
  
• ◘ Book - Numenera
  
• ◘ Small bag of Tools
  
• ◘ Shins - 7
  
• ◘ Matches - 10
  
• ◘ Rope - 50ft
  
• ◘ Lockpicks
  
• ◘ Dagger - 2
  
• ◘ Minor Glowglobe - 1
  

Esotery

• ◘ Onslaught (1 Int Point; physical ray 4 dmg; mindslice 2 Int dmg, short range)
  
• ◘ Resonance field (1 Int Point; lasts 1 min, foe within immediate distance attacks, use Int for defense. Minor effect = 1 dmg, Major = 4 damage)
  
• ◘ Aggression (2 Int Points; lasts 1 min, one character within short range has an asset on Might-based attack rolls)
  
• ◘ Distant Activation (1 Int Point; Activate or Deactivate any machine you can see within short range)

Connection
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Personality
Altha is, fundamentally, a positive person with a remarkable ability to bounce back from the bad things in life... given the space and time to do so. Her empathy gives her a unique understanding of the phrase 'walk a mile in another's shoes' and she uses this ability to make friends during her journey – she far prefers allies to enemies. That said, she's not afraid to prey on people's fears and doubts if neccessary, especially when it comes to finding information regarding the location of numenera-bearing ruins.

Her priority is, and has been for a while, discovering the weird and wonderful machines that dots the landscape. Her innate ability to converse with and 'befriend' technology makes it that much easier for her make a living and solve puzzles with finesse. As a result of this expertise, she's a confident individual and while jovial, she can sometimes come off as arrogant – but this usually gets tempered by her empathy (she can usually sense people are becoming unimpressed with her). She's good at spotting lies, weaknesses, and other such chinks in mental armor.

When presented with new machines, her first instinct is almost always to say hello, to try to talk to the device or being. She will defend herself – and with wicked precision when pushed – but she prefers a diplomatic approach most of the time. It's proven the better choice time and again for her.

She doesn't handle large crowds very well and a mob mentality is very hard on her – it reminds her of her home town and the guilt she still carries for having left them behind. If she's feeling overwhelmed, the normally outspoken and genial Altha becomes quiet, withdrawn, and inwardly focused. Those with the ability to seen past the surface might recognize her repairing or rebuilding mental walls that protect her from the constant empathic onslaught that is life for her. Feeling others' emotions can be exceptionally draining, after all.

Link to Adventure
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Background
Altha was born and raised in a small town outside the twin cities of Jargolamis and Luigolamis. She learned to read and write there, becoming familiar with the art of bartering at an early age. Her family were merchants, trading in goods that flow between the Twin Cities and Nihliesh. They specialized in useful trinkets and numenera expertise as her father was a talented Nano who often tinkered with the machines despite his wife's reluctance to alter the unknown.

Perhaps it was this lifetime exposure to the forces and fields of the numenera that left Altha open to touching the 'minds' of machines. She was a rambunctious child, always getting into trouble and investigating where she ought not to. Outside town there exists a bunker so worn with time that it looks like naught more than a moss-covered hill but inside... inside there are screens and consoles and a hanging interface that escaped the ravages of wandering explorers hungry for new parts and treasures. When she finally figured out how to get inside, the majority of valuables had long since been plundered, but a single unit, fused to the consoles and buzzing with energy despite the damaged, dark screen remained.

It was this machine, the Old One as it became known to Altha, that she first befriended. It was sour at first, surprised anyone would bother acknowledge its data... but as she visited frequently, she came to realize she could actually talk to the machine – and its broken, discarded brethren. It was difficult at first, the equivalent of pointing and gestures, but eventually she learned to bridge the gap and they spoke freely. The Old One told her tales of the past, of other machines and great deeds... whatever its memory banks had access to. In turn, she told it of the current world, of her family and friends... of her dreams.

Their friendship grew such that she could activate any of the devices in the small control room from a distance, as if the machines were tuned to her. This proved useful when she was pursued by a cutpurse intent on stealing her away for the slavers in the north. Her calls for help awakened the machine and a safety door locked shut, barricading her in as noxious fumes poured into the adjacent room, driving the slaver out. Afterward, she spent many an hour fixing the damage the machine had inflicted on itself as thanks.

When she was twelve, her empathic abilities began to develop in force. At first it was just glimpses of emotion, strongly felt in the perpheral way most people experience. But it intensified to the point where she could, at a glance or with a touch, feel the depth of emotion in another... being it a beast or a sapient creature. It was exceedingly disorienting and she withdrew from public engagements, much to the concern of her parents. It was nearly two months before she emerged again, having spent the time reading her parents' emotions and learning how to dull the experience.

The first time out was a disaster. It was a festival and the cacacophy of greed, lust, excitement, joy, and myriad of other emotions overrode her defenses and sent her running back home. The second time... the second time she'd learned. And it was at that point that she began to use her odd abilities to the benefit of her merchant parents, charming and weasling and bartering with the best of them. It seemed no situation was too difficult to her – as long as the number of people involved wasn't too numerous. Her charm and her wit garnered attention from suitors in the village and neighbouring city, affording her opportunities to travel. Her rapport with machine earned her respect and her ability to mingle with folks of all walks made her a welcome guest.

Then an illness swept through her village and she was summoned back by her parents, for they were being swamped by requests for medicine and supplies. Tempers were running high and her skills with diplomacy would be useful. However, with disease comes despair, loathing, fear, and numerous other dark emotions. It gripped the town as villager after villager succumbed to the mysterious illness... and the anger began to focus on her, as Altha had been the one to assure many that help would come.

It overwhelmed her and sent into a spiral of depression that saw her withdraw completely, even from her family. Her only solace in that time was the company of the Old One and the tales it would tell. It was during one such visit that she settled on the decision to leave the town. The very next day she walked out, silent and shut-off, the questions and negativity chasing her out as much as her desire to see the world drew her out.

She spent some time in the Twin Cities, making a few Shins as a Numenera Expert while she got her feet under her. Altha didn't really know where to go or what to do at this point but she keenly believed she would find it in the city. In her work, she spoke to many machines and inspected many Numenera devices, reconciling the gossip of the bearers with the information within the objects she worked with.

It was one such adventurer that she learned of the strange canals of the land of Seshar, and the ruins that dot the landscape... and that the markets of Nebalich would prove a fruitful hunting ground for those interested in the Numenera and other such devices. Bitten by the desire to explore and inspired by the honesty of both person and machine, Altha set out to go find the city of Nebalich.

Traveling mostly by foot and aneen, Altha would ask at town and villages of interesting places and local gossip. Much was supplied and she checked what she could – the lands were dangerous ones, though, and inhospitable if one was not prepared. Sadly, she did not expect the costs of adventuring to be as high as they are and much of her time has been spent scavenging what devices she could to sell for supplies. One such stop was Redstone and she was directed towards the glittering dome with the belief that there would be information, if not numenera, there to find.