Riptide
(Quela Vel)
PL 7 (110 pp)
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 16, Con
16, Int 14, Wis 14, Cha 12
[24 pp]
Attack: Melee +2, Ranged +2, +6 with Blast or Dazzle [4
pp]
Defense: +4 (+2 flat-footed) [8 pp]
Initiative: +3
Damage: +3 hand to hand, +8 Blast, Trip or Dazzle
Saves: Toughness +8, Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +3 [6 pp]
Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+5), Bluff 0 (+1), Climb 0 (+3),
Computers 2 (+4), Concentration 0 (+2), Craft (artistic) 2 (+4), Diplomacy 4
(+5), Disable Device 2 (+4), Disguise 0 (+0), Escape Artist 0 (+3), Gather
Information 0 (+1), Handle Animal 4 (+6), Intimidate 0 (+2), Investigate 2
(+4), Knowledge (physical sciences) 2 (+4), Knowledge (earth sciences) 4 (+6),
Knowledge (life sciences) 2 (+4), Knowledge (history) 2 (+4), Knowledge
(theology & philosophy) 1 (+3), Knowledge (civics) 1 (+3), Language (Atlantean, native), Language (English), Language (French),
Language (Hawaiian), Medicine 1 (+3), Notice 4 (+6), Perform (dance) 2 (+5),
Pilot 2 (+5), Ride 1 (+4), Search 0 (+2), Sense Motive 2 (+4), Stealth 2 (+5),
Survival 1 (+3), Swim 8 (+11)
[14 pp, 56 ranks in skills]
Feats: Animal Affinity, Attack Specialization (water
attacks) 2, Environmental Adaptation (underwater), Favored Environment (underwater)
3, Move-by Action
[8 pp]
Powers:
Swim 4 (25 MPH, Power Feat:
Alternate Power - Speed 1 (10 MPH, ‘surfs’ on a
wave of water),
Alternate Power – Flight 1 (10 MPH, rises on a
waterspout, Flaw: Levitation)) [6]
Immunity 3 (environmental cold, environmental
pressure, breathe underwater) [3]
Super-Senses 4 (low-light vision, scent, extended
hearing 1, tremorsense (flaw: only underwater)) [4]
Blast 8 (water cannon, Power Feat:
Alternate Power – Trip 8 (storm surge, Extra: Knockback, Area (burst), Flaw: Range 1 (touch)),
Alternate Power – Dazzle (visual) 8 (blinding spray
of stinging salt-water),
Alternate Power – Environmental Control 5 (hamper
movement 1, distraction 2, driving rain over a 250’ radius)) [19]
Regeneration 10 (Recovery Bonus 2, Recovery Rate 7
(Bruised 3 (/round with no rest), Unconscious 1 (/round), Injured 1 (/20 minutes),
Staggered 1 (/20 minutes), Disabled 2 (/hour)) [10]
[42 pp]
Abilities 28 + Combat 12 + Saves 6 + Skills 16 + Feats
6 + Powers 42 = 110 pp
The only member of the team not a member of the EU, Quela (pronounced Kayla) is from Atlantis and is an
unofficial diplomatic point of contact between her people and the EU. She has
the power to generate great quantities of water, and to propel herself through
the water (or even overland, riding a wave of water), as well as the physical
attributes to survive the ocean’s depths. Her body has adapted over time to the
surface world, and she is currently not as physically powerful as she would be
if she re-adjusted to her deep-sea home, when she initially appeared, she was
stronger, but her powers were weaker, but of late, as the great strength she
needed to function in the depths has faded, her water-manifestation powers have
blossomed. (She does not have the traditional ‘Atlantean’
super-strength, as a result of this. Whatever process she has undergone to
allow her to function for years on the surface world has diminished her
physical strength considerably.)
Quela is perhaps a poor choice for diplomat, as the concept of deception
has proven difficult for her to deal with. Yes, Atlanteans
lie and intrigue with the best of them, but Quela
herself finds such duplicity to be dishonorable. ‘When the world around you is
dancing fluid, it is in our souls that we must stand like rock,’ she says.
While she has learned to choose her words carefully, to avoid unintentional
offense, she gets in trouble at times with her inability to lie. Worse, people
will sometimes mistake a threat for a bluff, ignorant of the fact that she
doesn’t bluff. If she says she is going to drown someone, she means it, and it
is another facet of her culture that her team-mates have had to restrain, her
willingness to use lethal force, even in situations where it might not be
appropriate, let alone necessary.
Quela has flawless light green skin and a long flowing mane of bright
red hair, wearing what looks like a two-piece bathing suit of a purple-gray
fabric that appears to be some form of scaly hide and large ornate items of
gold jewelry on her wrists, shoulders, ankles and waist. She originally
appeared with various other items of gold, including rings, necklaces, hair
adornments, a tiara, etc. but has over time traded some of this for surface
world goods and services. Quela has little interest
in human social norms, and wears the equivalent of a bikini most places, with a
light ‘toga’ style dress her most concealing outfit. She never wears shoes.
She moves with an easy predatory grace, and is always
doing something, drumming her fingers, twirling her hair, smacking her gum,
*something.* She doesn’t sit still, and when she is talking, her hands are
gesturing and she’s pacing all around. Her concept of personal space takes some
getting used to, as Atlanteans tend to physically
hold onto each other while talking, so that they don’t ‘drift apart.’ If she is
talking to someone, she will generally hold their hand or wrist, or even just
put a hand on their shoulder, having leaned that surface worlders
don’t generally find a full-body hug to be appropriate for casual conversation.
Due to her fidgety nature, while holding someone’s hand or wrist, or resting
her hand on their shoulder, she’ll likely start massaging it or ‘playing’ with
it, which many find distracting, as she has no clue as to the effects of her
appearance, and proximity, to human males. She has ‘shot down’ a few romantic
gestures in the past, and, tactless as usual, generally expresses scorn and
disbelief at any man who hits on her, or mistakes her physicality as an
invitation or expression of interest. She finds humans to have an offensive
odor, and even if they smelled like pure water, she still can’t imagine why
anyone would have a romantic liaison with a member of a different race…
(She has since learned to keep her assumptions to herself,
which is probably the only reason she and Vulkan have
not come to blows, as she doesn’t get the whole ‘gay’ thing, either.)