Jusker Ragnos's page

About Jusker Ragnos

Powers and Abilities:
-Can fire a powerful energy beam that can be either incapacitative or destructive
-Can heal others' wounds with a touch
-Flight
-Can enhance his muscles for superhuman strength and speed
-Can create small constructs whose function is known to him
-The entity in his amulet communicates telepathically with him

Weaknesses and Limitations:
-Because his amulet is the source of all his power, if it's ever taken from him he becomes a below-average human being
-Because he cannot communicate telepathically with his amulet, all his moves must be announced out loud
-The entity in his amulet is fully sentient and a force of good, so Jusker's powers only work when she wills it
-The function of Jusker's constructs must be known to him; he can create a cage to hold an animal, but not a key to unlock an unfamiliar door
-Jusker can only heal wounds he can see or that are described to him

Backstory:
"Well I still think this is a risky ploy. What if... Well, I think you know my objections by now. But in the end, I suppose I can't argue." The old man placed the amulet on the table beside him, without letting it go. "No, I know you value my opinion. But I'm only mortal, after all." He paused, then nodded slowly. "I'll miss you too, my dear. Every day that is left to me, and may there be many of them. But I'll be with you again someday." He brought the warm metal to his lips, then set it down and walked away. Careful to leave the window open and the lamp lit, he left the room.

That looks expensive, the young thief thought when he saw the amulet on the table. That old man lived alone, he knew, and seeing the sudden glow of a second lamp over there meant he was no longer over here. The thief thought himself quite clever for piecing that together. Dumb move, old man.

The dark figure climbed quietly through the window. He'd never been rich, or well-liked. He had no powers, which meant nothing made him valuable. He had to steal from people better off than himself in order to get by-- though in this part of town, many were not better off. Thieves were abundant.

You had to be good to plunder the rich districts, full of Silvers who'd either retired to a life of grandeur or now served as mentors to the younger generations of supers. Their homes were better patrolled and closely watched, not to mention the Silvers themselves who were often quite powerful despite their age. Those with stealth powers made the best thieves. The boy had none, so he had to stick to his own neighborhood, where expensive items like this... well, he'd never seen one up close.

If I don't take this, someone else will, and soon. He snatched the amulet and dashed back out into the night, nearly tripping on the windowsill in his hasty escape. He felt giddy. Tomorrow, he could eat like a king. Something like this could feed him for weeks, he judged, maybe even months.

He was so distracted, he didn't see the knowing smile that followed him. He also didn't notice that the amulet he held was warm to the touch. Jusker Ragnos was completely unaware, in fact, that he'd just flipped his entire world on its head.

Prompt:
Downtown Halycon city, one of the most prominent buildings owned by Reaver Technologies has just collapsed. The resulting debris fire has made the onlooking crowd a pile of injured and unconscious victims. At ground zero, you hear something that indicates a larger threat. People trapped and inured, a potential threat looms, and help not coming for at least a few minutes.

"I heard it. Sounds pretty bad." Jusker paused. "No, why should I? I don't know anyone around here, at least not anyone I care what happens to." Another pause. "Why do you keep using that word? I don't want to be a hero, I just want to get by." He stood up. "...Then you won't help me. I know, I know, I'm going."

Once outside, it wasn't hard to figure out what direction trouble was coming from. A thick cloud of dust spread from his right, so that was where Jusker headed. "Keep the smoke out of my eyes and lungs." Then, when nothing happened, he added, "Please." A rose-colored mask of energy appeared over his face, allowing him to breathe freely despite the dust.

As he got closer, he saw the cause of the terrible noise and groundswell. One of the Reaver Technologies buildings had collapsed into a pile of rubble. Bodies lay everywhere, probably victims of flying debris. At a glance, Jusker could see that many were alive but in dire need of medical attention. What could have done this? he wondered. "Don't worry," he told the nearest person, taking a knee beside her. "I can help." Laying a hand on her forehead, he concentrated on her visible wounds. A pink aura surrounded her. Flesh knit itself together, leaving dried blood with no obvious source.

"Can you walk?" he asked her.

She winced. "My ankle... I twisted it when I fell. It still hurts."

Jusker grumbled. Because I didn't see it. He repeated the process until she could get up and leave the scene. "Don't mention it. But I could use some help getting the others." One by one, he set about healing the fallen. A few had powers of their own, most didn't, but each one helped Jusker however they could. He was the only one with healing powers, so the rest moved rubble or tended other victims until he could reach them. He tried not to hear the cries of pain and shouts of the gods only knew what, tuning them out to focus on the next victim.

Suddenly, the ground shook. A roar filled his ears.

"Uh-oh." He looked around. One of these supers? Another building? Instinctively, he clutched the warm amulet around his neck as he looked around for the threat. "Come to think of it... Maybe I should stay here."

"Who you talking to, kid?"

Jusker ignored him. "Well it isn't because you want me to." The supers who'd recovered had already rushed off in the direction of the noise. "But the way I see it, if I get involved it's a lot more likely that others will get hurt too. And that would really just mean more work for me." He crouched beside the next victim. "Those others know what they're getting themselves into. Let them handle it."

Behind the Scenes:
(I got the inspiration for Jusker from this lovable story about an ogre turned good by an intelligent sword.)