[UA] Archetype: The Eternal Soldier

[Michael D. Mearls 97]

THE ETERNAL SOLDIER

Attributes:

The eternal soldier fights not for glory, god or country. He does not take up
arms in defense of his home or ideals. Instead, he is the nameless warrior
pressed into service by forces beyond his control. Perhaps he is a conscript;
perhaps he is an innocent forced to take up arms in the face of an invasion.
The eternal soldier slogs through battle after battle. Survival is victory to
the eternal soldier. He will fight if he has to, he will run if he can. The
eternal soldier is no coward; he simply has seen the true face of war and wants
no part of it.

The eternal soldier epitomizes the hopes and fears of all those swept away from
a world of comfort and safety by violence. Throughout history there have been
the nameless legions victimized by conflict. For every glory seeking hero there
are a thousand refugees seeking only safety.

Taboos: The eternal soldier never willingly starts a confrontation unless it is
unavoidable. He will always seek to either avoid or flee from his enemies
unless either he is cornered or those close to his heart are in danger. While
the eternal soldier seeks survival above all else, he will not surrender his
ideals or friends to his desire for safety. On the other hand, he will seek
battle only as a last resort. Trickery and flight are the weapons of the
eternal soldier.

Symbols: The eternal soldier stands for no flag. The eternal soldier's symbols
are a 1000 yard stare; a haggard, thin face; a military uniform with the
patches noticeably removed; weapons inscribed with peace symbols.

Suspected Avatars in History: By its very nature, the eternal soldier does not
lend itself to those normally written of in history books. The Vikings, the
conquistadores, and today's ethnic conflicts have all spawned avatars of the
eternal soldier. Many scholars speculate that the first victim of the Warstone
(UA p 183) ascended as the Eternal Soldier, a grim indicator of the warlike
world that was to come. More pessimistic observers argue that the Eternal
Soldier is the closest archetype to peace that humankind is capable of
producing.


Channels:
1-50%: The avatar may flip flop any dodge skill test. He may also always dodge
first in a combat round, irregardless of his speed score or initiative roll,
unless he is physically bound or restrained.

51-70%: If the avatar is ever wounded as a result of an attack, he may make an
avatar skill check. If passed, the avatar can Feign Death. This skill allows
the avatar to appear dead to all observers. Furthermore, observers will not
even notice the avatar's unconcious form unless they pass a notice skill check.

71-90%: The avatar may Look Harmless. With a successful check, opponents may
not attack the avatar, no matter what the circumstances. Enemies will consider
him too weak to bother attacking or may simply not notice him in the heat of
battle. If the Avatar attacks while using this skill, his opponents may attack
him freely.

91%+: The avatar can now conquer war itself. With a successful avatar skill
check, no weapons within a 100' radius of the avatar will function properly.
Guns will jam, swords will suddenly lose their sharp edge, clubs will rot and
splinter harmlessly if use to strike someone. Note that this power will affect
any weapons that the eternal soldier is carrying.