Freelance Traveller

Aghregh

profiled by Joseph Rocchi

This article originally appeared on the pre-magazine Freelance Traveller website in October 2007 and was reprinted in the May/June 2016 issue.

Aghregh is a bounty hunter operating in the Marches. His sense of humor is best described as quirky—those who associate with him over time can never quite figure out if he’s totally serious, or just “yanking their chains”. Peaceforcing is not truly a high-profile job among Vargr—but being a lone operative tracking down fugitives has a higher cachet. Aghregh is assisted by three gene-enhanced (non-sapient) Terran-stock canines, which he has equipped with collars with audio and video pickups, and speakers. Using commdots and HUD, Aghregh can “see what they see, hear what they hear” and give them instructions remotely. This often means that his targets will find their means of escape blocked by the dogs, or that the dogs have been ‘herding’ them towards Aghregh. The dogs also can serve as less-conspicuous surveillance on worlds where Aghregh himself would stand out, tracking by both scent and video direction. Aghregh calls them his “Great Equalizer” in dealing with humans—after all, Terran-descended humans find Vargr easy to read, as they’re used to reading the body language of Terran canines from millennia of co-existence. Vargr don’t have the same experience with humans, but Terran canines do, and Aghregh reads their body language and vocalizations easily.

This is all well and good, and were that the end of it, Aghregh’s casual associates would have no problem. But Aghregh tends to ‘push it’, joking with them, especially if they’re human. In a bar after completing a mission, he’ll order four beers—and put three on the floor. He loves Hawaiian shirts, calling them “perhaps the only proof the Solomani are right in saying that they have a superior culture”. Aghregh has been known to walk up to a ship to book passage wearing such a shirt—and his three dogs trot along behind in matching shirts. His dogs are intelligent enough to understand moderately complex instructions in both Galanglic and Gvegh, so he’ll often have one deliver a message for him in a mouth-carried pouch (he can give it commands or directions, etc., through their commlink collars).

Aghregh has also been known to buttonhole traveling Solomani party functionaries about “renewing his party membership”—insisting that his ancestors came from Terra just as the Sollies did should his target try to tell him that a Vargr among the party is impossible.

Character Profile [GURPS]

Aghregh     100 points
ST:   10/9 [10]   IQ:   13 [30]     Speed:      6.00
DX:   13 [20]     HT:   11/10 [10]  Move: 6
Dodge: 6          Parry: 8
Movement: Enhanced Move 12

Advantages
      Vargr Racial Package (Total Cost 0)
            Racial ST -1 [-10];
            Racial DX +1 [10];
            Enhanced Move 2 (=D72) [7] (Speed (running): 12; (Running Fatigue applies after 5 seconds): -30%);
            Claws [15] (Damage: cr 1d);
            Sharp Teeth [5] (Cutting damage; see p. B140);
            Fur [4];
            Temperature Tolerance 1 [0] (Zone Center: 63; Min. Temperature:29; Max. Temperature: 95);
            Acute Taste and Smell +3 [6] (Taste and Smell: 17);
            Acute Vision +1 [2] (Vision: 15);
            Reduced Hit Points -1 [-5];
            Chummy [-5];
            Curious [-5] (Roll: IQ);
            Easy to Read [-10];
            Proud [-1];
            Reduced Fatigue -1 [-3];
            Reputation -2 (Flaky and Easily Swayed) [-10] (Reaction: -2);
      Alertness +1 [5];
      Legal Enforcement Powers (BH License) [5];
      Charisma +2 [10] (Reaction: +2);
      Wealth (Comfortable) [10] (Starting Wealth: $30,000);
      Animal Empathy [5] (Reaction: +2/+4);
      Contacts: Police (Skill 15, 9 or less, Usually Reliable) [4];
      Single-Minded [5].

Disadvantages
      Honesty [-10];
      Intolerance: Crooks [-5];
      Enemy: Rival Bounty Hunter [-5];
      Overconfidence [-10];
      Odious Personal Habit "Twisting Human's Tails" [-5] (Reaction: -1);
      Stubbornness [-5].

Quirks
      Wears Hawaiian shirts off duty;
      Practical Joker;
      Speaks loudly when excited;
      Showoff;
      Distractible. [-5 Total]

Skills
      Area Knowledge: Spinward Marches-13 [1];
      Area Knowledge: Gvoerdounn Sector-13 [1];
      Research-13 [2];
      Streetwise-13 [2];
      Guns (Pistol)/TL12-15 [1];
      Blackjack-13 [1];
      Judo-12 [2] (Parry: 8);
      Stealth-12 [1];
      Detect Lies-12 [2];
      Shadowing-13 [2];
      Criminology/TL12-13 [2];
      Holdout-12 [1];
      Tonfa-12 [2] (Parry: 6);
      Piloting (Contragravity)/TL12-12 [1];
      Law-11 [1];
      Law Enforcement-12 [1];
      Language (MA): Galanglic-11 [=BD];
      Language (MA): Gvegh (native)-13 [0];
      Interrogation-12 [1];
      Intimidation-13 [2];
      Fast-Talk-13 [2];
      Veterinary/TL12-14 [=BD];
      Animal Handling-15 [1];
      Body Language-13 [1].