As of today, I’m suddenly enjoying an outbreak of freedom. I’ve finished my work on university courses for this academic year, and all my major creative projects with deadlines are done too. I still have a pile of work to do for the office, but other than that I’m remarkably uncommitted for the next few months.

So this evening I decided to let my muse pester me a bit, and sat down to tinker with the John Carter of Mars RPG from Modiphius. What follows is a character who appeared unbidden in the back of my mind a few days ago. I’m still trying to decide what to do with him. Some Edgar Rice Burroughs fan-fiction? Probably not, but we’ll see if my muse will let me leave this Verginian on the shelf . . .

---

Marcus Verginius

Disciplined Earthborn Soldier

Marcus Verginius is a very old man, although he does not know how old he is, for he remembers no childhood and has not aged as other men do. His earliest memories are of a farm in the Latin hills, in the time of the last war against Carthage. Whether he was born there or simply remembers living there long ago, he cannot be certain.

For as long as he can remember, Marcus has been a soldier, serving in the legions of the Roman Republic in war after war. Most recently, he was primus pilus and then praefectus castrorum in Legio XXVII, one of the legions raised by C. Julius Caesar for his war against the Pompeian faction. After Caesar left Egypt, the legion remained behind to support the rule of Rome’s ally, Queen Cleopatra VII.

A few months later, while leading a punitive expedition against Egyptian brigands, Marcus vanished and was never seen again (at least on Earth). Instead, after a bizarre adventure, Marcus found himself naked and alone on a strange world: on Barsoom, over 1900 Earth-years before the arrival of John Carter.

Attributes

• Daring: 7
• Cunning: 4
• Empathy: 3
• Might: 8
• Passion: 6
• Reason: 6

Stress Trackers

• Confusion: 6
• Fear: 7
• Injury: 8

Talents

Battle Valor (Grade 1)

You are a true warrior and steadfast soldier, at home in the chaos and carnage of war and always willing to meet your fate with sword and pistol in hand.

• Circumstance: When suffering Fear damage in combat.
• Effect: You may ignore the first 2 points of stress inflicted to your Fear stress track taken during combat. You suffer Fear damage normally after this during a combat scene or from other situations.

Break the Line (Grade 2)

Your skill with a sword is such that no lesser foe can hope to stand against you. In past battles, you have often been the first to break through an enemy’s line or shield-wall.

• Circumstance: When wielding a sword.
• Effect: You automatically defeat 2 minions as part of your action. You may spend additional Momentum to defeat more at the cost of 1 Momentum per additional minion.

Earthborn Strength (Grade 3)

You are tenacious and your Earthborn strength and years of experience give you a substantial edge in battle.

• Circumstance: In melee combat.
• Effect: You can always use Might for melee attack and defense and you do an additional 1 die of damage with melee attacks.

Leaps and Bounds (Grade 2)

Your Earthborn muscles allow you to leap great distances and perform great feats of strength while on Barsoom.

• Circumstance: When moving on Barsoom and planets with similar gravity.
• Effect: You may close one range category automatically, ignoring any obstacles or intervening terrain as long as you have clearance and space to leap between your starting point and destination. You may spend 1 Momentum to move an additional range category.

Logical Orator (Grade 2)

You have the benefits of a top-notch Greek education, and are accomplished at using both reason and rhetoric to convince others.

• Circumstance: When attempting to persuade or convince an audience.
• Effect: You can always use Reason to aid in a persuasive attempt. In addition, you can roll 1 bonus d20 on the test.

Flaw

Code of Honor

You lose 3 Momentum if you break your word, refuse to defend the innocent form harm, or otherwise act dishonorably.

Renown and Accolades

Renown: 0