Gabriel
An Odd Prophet for GURPS Space/Aliens
by K. David Ladage
Art by David Lynch and colored by Jeremy Zauder
ST: 8 [0]
DX: 11 [0]
IQ: 12 [20]
HT: 7 [0]Speed: 4.5 Move: 4
Dodge: 4 Block: N/A Parry: N/APoint Total: 50
Race: Truul (page A104) [-4] (ST: -2 [-15], DX: +1 [10], HT: -3 [-20], Cultural Adaptability [25], Passive Defense (+1) [25], Language Talent (+3) [6], Recovery [10], Status (-1) [-5], Slave Mentality [-40])
Advantages: Very Blessed [20]
Disadvantages: Voices (2) Angelic [-10]
Quirks: Never smiles, Rarely speaks
Skills: Accounting-12 [4], Bard-16 [10], Computer Operation/TL-12 [1], Detect Lies-10 [1], Philosophy-12 [4], Savoir-Faire-13 [2]
Languages: Galactic-12 (Native) [0], Latin-14 [1], Greek-14 [1]
Description
Gabriel is about 45 years old. He is 3 11" tall and weighs 75 pounds. He has faint blue skin and red-brown hair cut very short. He is generally seen wearing clothing suitable for a Priest.
Story
Six years ago, Pastor Jason Alexander McVey was part of a failed survey/religious mission to the planet of Monolith (SAT4/46). On this trip, Monsignor McVey met Scrub, a Truul employed by the ship s cook. He could see that Scrub was being severely mistreated and so by the end of the mission, convinced the old cook to sell him.
When Pastor McVey returned home, the Church was not pleased to see him with a slave. However, after some convincing and explanation, Scrub was made the property of the Church under the guise of being given Sanctuary. It was not long before he was a familiar face. He was given a set of regular duties in addition to acting as a messenger for the Church Officials -- hence his new name, Gabriel.
Two years ago, Pastor McVey was given the opportunity to lead another mission to Monolith. Gabriel went to him with tears in his eyes. Begging him not to leave, Gabriel told him that he would never reach Monolith alive. This was very unusual talk coming from Gabriel (or any Truul), but Pastor McVey wrote this off as over-attachment and accepted the mission. An accident destroyed his ship and all aboard perished.
Since then, Gabriel has made over twenty predictions with uncanny accuracy. Each time he describes his predictions, his speech becomes very poetic. The Church has so far managed to keep this under wraps. Six Church Officials were assigned to study Gabriel and they have discovered that he receives his information through some sort of Angelic Voices. Skepticism is running high in the official Church channels. Some are even getting a little paranoid around him.
Quotes
- "Message for you, sir."
- "I m sorry to hear about your wife. I m sorry, you didn't know, did you?"
Adventure Seeds
- The PCs are approached by a man who warns them about how something they are about to do is going to go horribly wrong. When questioned, the man explains that he is a Man of the Cloth and that he cannot reveal his sources.
- Word of Gabriel and his abilities has leaked, and he has been kidnapped (possibly by the PCs . . . )
- Gabriel has accepted his "Voices" as his new master and escapes from the Church! The Church wants him back, and so they employ the PCs to track him down and capture him. When the PCs finally catch up to him, he has formed his own Church with a group of fanatical Truul followers.
Variations
- Change "Voices (2) Angelic " to "Voices (3)." In this variation, Gabriel is being given evil instructions from his inner voices. The death of Pastor McVey may even have been sabotage that Gabriel was ordered to perform.
- In a campaign where "Very Blessed" does not fit, replace it with ESP (8) [16] (Precognition Only) and Precognition-12 [4].
- The "voices" that Gabriel is hearing are actually the projected thoughts of a powerful Telepath! The "predictions" may or may not be true (they could be staged, or the Telepath could have precognition). Remove Very Blessed. Total point cost becomes 30 points. The GM can decide just what the intentions of the Telepath are . . .
Article publication date: September 29, 2000
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