Co’ren Vash
Species: Human
Career: Diplomat
Specialization: Propagandist
Duty: Political Support
Motivation: Free Press
Brawn 2
Coordination 2
Intellect 3
Cunning 4
Willpower 2
Charm 2
Skills: Core Worlds 1, Deception 2, Outer Rim 1, Ranged (Light) 1, Streetwise 2, Warfare 1, Xenology 1
Talents: Cutting Question, Grit 1, In the Know 2, Positive Spin 1
Wound Threshold: 12
Strain Threshold: 13
Soak Value: 3
M/R Defense: 0|0
Equipment: blaster pistol (Ranged [Light]; Damage 6; Critical 4; Range [Medium]; Stun setting), heavy clothing (+1 soak value), communications media manipulator (aboard ship), concealed recorder, holo-messenger, hand-held commlink, 2 stimpacks, datapad, cam droid.
Background: Co’ren was a gifted interviewer from a young age. This isn’t to say that he was likeable. Far from it actually – he was cold and brusque. He did however possess a keen intellect, a biting sense of humor, and the ability to keep people guessing what his aim actually was while getting them to reveal their stories and their secrets. He earned a job with a local media affiliate early on. When the Clone Wars erupted, he found himself thrust into the role of war correspondent, covering a variety of battles on the Outer Rim while attached to different Republic military units. He found some success in this role, using his ability, using his interviewing skills to frame the Clone Troopers of the Grand Army of the Republic and their various partisan allies in the best light possible, boosting morale among the companies and boosting support for the cause back home.
After the war came to its sudden end Co’ren took his newfound minor celebrity and continued to focus on the antebellum galaxy, focusing on telling the stories of people rebuilding after the war came to their world. But as the years wore on, he found himself further and further frustrated by the ever-tightening stranglehold the Galactic Empire placed on the media. His stories had to oftentimes be passed through various censors before they saw broadcast, oftentimes heavily edited. A few of his stories were even quietly disposed of. Fully dissatisfied, he struck out on his own, attempting to start his own media company, which he saw stymied again and again by Imperial law regarding independent broadcasters. Meanwhile, the Holonet News Network further cemented itself as a propaganda network for Palpatine and his toadies. Utterly despondent he was eventually contacted by agents of the Rebellion. They promised to aid him in getting his voice heard. The people who had suffered during the Clone Wars were still suffering under Palpatine’s New Order. And if they were to be stopped, the Rebellion would need to win the hearts and minds of the people.
Design Notes: Co’ren isn’t exactly a “starting character” per se. The way I envisioned him demanded a slightly older, slightly wiser individual who has been around the block a few times. However, he was certainly not a “Knight-Level” character either. He has been built on an additional 35 XP to reflect his years of experience.
He is also not a face. While he has access to several Presence skills like Charm and Leadership, I decided to take him down the path of the smart and cunning hard-nosed reporter, chasing down his leads and badgering to outright bullying uncooperative interviewees to get a story. Cutting Question lets him make use of his sizeable Deception pool to intimidate people once per encounter, and he knows where to go and who to talk to find his leads and who and who not to talk about thanks to his Streetwise pool.
Ben Erickson
