Rajeshar

“It is hidden embers, overlooked and unseen, that often set the fiercest fires.”

---Blood Rider Warchieftain Anadi Pyroclas Firesong

“Like, hey, you know the Blood Riders too? Glad to meet you, dude! Helluva mess we got here, no kidding? So, how you want to work this, we fort up and set up a burn zone or we go hunting what passes for what these things’ command and control?”

---Two Rajeshar partisans meet up during a necrovus outbreak on Hiroshi III

“Want to know how to find the Blood Riders’ hidden cyborgs? It’s easy; follow the fires.”

---Wayfinder Warscribe Hanna Pyle-Streiss

“Oh, this? (gestures at smoking plasma cannon where right arm was) Remember how I told you that I got caught up a few years back in a far off war zone? Took a stance, took a few hits, got to know some people, underwent some profound personal changes? Well, to begin with, I didn’t tell you how far off that war zone really was.”

## Blood Rider ‘Rajeshar’ Male NeShemar Conversion

(aka ‘Darjonites’)

The Blood Riders, like many EShemar Tribes, are normally publicly dismissive, if not contemptuous, of their covert operations Yurei operatives. More so because of the Blood Riders’ emphasis on open confrontation and ‘glorious combat’. However, the Tribe is also very open when it comes to recognizing the courage of all the genders in its ranks, and males can rise to martial glory through feats of combat as readily as the females. Still, it comes as a surprise to many outsiders when the Blood Riders premiered an advanced NeShemar cyborg frame design configured for guerilla combat.

### Origins

The Rajeshar (Blood Rider Shemarrian for ‘hidden ember’) had its genesis in several TransGalactic Empire colonial militia soldiers taken as Bondsmen after a Blood Rider raid on their colony world in the Thundercloud Galaxy. Impressed with the courage shown by the soldiers in defending their new homeworld against the numerically and technologically superior EShemar, the Blood Riders took several as ‘honored captives’ and put them through an eighteen-month ordeal as Bondsmen. After being exposed to Shemarrian life and proving themselves as consistently courageous (and not just outrageously lucky) the soldiers were released (‘allowed to escape’) back to their homeworlds, with a sworn oath not to fight the EShemar again. Several years later, however. the Blood Riders attacked a TGE border world where the Kreeghor had established a concentration camp for FWC dissidents operating in the Thundercloud. Their information wasn’t thorough as it could have been, and the Blood Riders were flying into a much more staunchly reinforced enemy position than first thought, EShemar casualties would have been tremendous if not for the fact that among the soldiers manning the hidden fortifications were several of the previously released Bondsmen, transferred off their colony worlds and reshuffled to other postings in TGE space. Moved by both their consciences and by their oaths to the Blood Riders, the ex-Bondsmen staged an insurrection as the Blood Riders were approaching range of the concealed weapons batteries. Outnumbered though they were by loyalist TGE legionnaires, the ex-bondsmen nevertheless fought valiantly and to the death, and managed to disrupt operations enough that , even surprised by the sudden discovery of Imperial defenses they had not expected, the Blood Riders had an easy time of smashing the TGE units and liberating the camp. A thorough sweep of the Imperial facilities revealed enough evidence, including internal security monitors, of the ex-bondsmen’s glorious last stands. After destroying any and all evidence of both the Blood Riders’ presence and the colonial soldiers’ mutiny (so that their families would not be targeted for retaliation by the Kreeghor), the Blood Riders paid special honor to the unexpected heroes of the raid, the WarChief in command of the raid advocating a special rank and NeShemar cyborg frame be created to commemorate the soldiers. Nicknamed the ‘Darjonite’ initially, after Sergeant Darjon, the senior of the ex-bondsmen, and who is recorded as having faced down, armed only with a bionic arm plasma projector and a vibroblade, an entire squad of loyalist TGE soldiers at the door to the main weapons control room, the new cyborg frame came to also become known as the ‘Rajeshar’, or ‘Hidden Ember’.

### Description

The Rajeshar shares many traits with the Clan Shelley ‘ScreamQueen’ cyborg frame, though there has been no contact between the two tribes that would suggest shared technical information. The Rajeshar is configured to appear completely normal on the surface, allowing the cyborg to infiltrate society more easily, until violence is called for, when advanced nanotech systems reconfigure the cyborg’s limbs into weapons and their skin into armor. While the ‘Scream Queen’ is meant as poisoned monster bait, the Rajeshar is meant for guerilla warfare, either to attack enemies in their rear echelons and soft underbellies, or as hidden partisans in areas likely to be overrun by enemy forces.

The Rajeshar is dependent on arm-mounted weapons, in order to keep things simple and in keeping with an old Blood Rider adage that ‘all one needs for glory is a sword in one hand and a blaster in the other”, but the advanced nanoform multimode weapons arms are anything but simple, and give the cyborg a variety of options for destroying enemies. As a backup weapon, though, the Rajeshar has eye-lasers and enhanced strength (as one Rajeshar put it; “If I can’t blast my foes, I’ll settle for kicking them to death”).

While Yurei typically try to remain undetected as long as possible, Rajeshar often go undetected only as long as necessary, before bursting out into SPECTACULAR violence behind enemy lines, doing as much damage as possible to enemy rear echelons and other sensitive targets. This doesn’t always endear the Rajeshar to the Yurei, who generally find the cyborgs as uncouth and stupidly aggressive as their warrior-kin, but there are exceptions where the Yurei will work quite closely and amiably with Rajeshar operatives.

Though initially meant exclusively for MALE NeShemar, the Rajeshar has attracted enough attention that the design has been modified and made available for female converts as well. Male-configuration Rajeshar still predominate in deployed numbers, however.

## Abilities

As a cyborg, the Rajeshar has some abilities that differ from normal EShemarrians.

Destroying the head of a Cyborg will kill the character! However, the head is a small and difficult target to hit. The attacker must make a called shot and even then he is -3 to strike. The hands, and forearms are also difficult targets to hit and are -4 to strike on a called shot.

Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will effectively destroy the
artificial body, but emergency systems will keep the brain and vital organs alive for 36 hours. Recovery of the severely damaged body will enable doctors to place the character on life support systems that will keep him alive until a new bionic body (same style or other) is available, for full conversion. Failure to find the damaged Borg within 36 hours means the character dies.

Note: The Rajeshar can be fitted with any additional armor up to MEDIUM Cyborg Armor.

Average Size: Meant to fall within human norms; typically 5-7 ft tall and proportional to that.

Physical Attributes: Equal to Robotic PS.20, PP. 20, P.B. falls within the normal human range (most recipients of this conversion don’t elect to have their looks amped, the better to raise less attention from those who knew them ‘before’, but some DO elect to use the opportunity to get their looks ‘heroically’ modified).

### Bonuses

Standard cyborg bonuses of +3 save vs magic, +7 vs possession, impervious to Bio-Manipulation, Telemechanics (all), See Aura, and any attacks that do damage directly to Hit Points.

+1 save vs all psionic attacks

+1 save vs magic illusions and mind control

### Sensors

#### Skin Sensors

The cyborg’s psuedo-flesh is permeated by small pressure sensors that give the cyborg extra warning and tactile perception; +1 to dodge. It will also alert the cyborg if a targeting laser is locking on. It is most effective when less than 50% of the cyborg’s body is covered by heavy clothing or armor.

### Special Systems

#### Cybernetic Systems

As cyborgs, the Rajeshar has a number of standard cybernetic systems:

Note: These features are all found in the bionic and cybernetic section of the Rifts RPG.

* 1. Bionic lung with gas filter & storage cell
* 2. Built-in language translator
* 3. Built-in radio receiver & transmitter
* 4. Clock calendar
* 5. Gyro-compass
* 6. Modulated voice synthesizer
* 7. Multi-optic eyes
* 8. Built-in loudspeaker
* 9. Universal headjack with amplified hearing and sound filtration systems.

#### Ambidexterity Boost

With combat against superior numbers anticipated, it made sense to make ambidexterity an integral standard on the Rajeshar . If the character doesn’t already possess the Ambidexterity advantage, neural interface boosting gives the cyborg the ability to use both their hands with equal proficiency. +1 APM, +1 parry, and automatically gets W.P. Paired Weapons (reflected in Bonus stats).

#### Boosted Combat Reflexes

Adapted from studies of Triax cyborgs, this is a coprocessor that boosts the cyborgs reflexes: +1 initiative, +1 Dodge, +2 Roll, +2 Pull Punch, +1 Disarm.

#### Psionic Electro-Magnetic Dampers

+1 save vs all psionic attacks, +2 save vs
possession, +1 save vs magic illusions and mind control.

#### Hardened Circuits

Shields the ‘borg’s systems against EMP and other electrical-disruption attacks.

#### Sensor Spoofers

These are special stealth features incorporated into the faux flesh of the Rajeshar that prevent weapons and medical scanners from detecting the cyborg nature of the person. Only a thorough, and invasive, medical examination will reveal anything untoward about the person.

#### Long Range Communications

Concealed in the shoulder blades is a long range communications array that allows the cyborg to communicate, via encrypted signal, with Shemarrian units. In a few cases, the Rajeshar have used their comms to call heavy fire down on their own positions, acts of self-sacrifice that have earned posthumous (and in a few lucky cases, not-so-posthumous) Blood Rider accolades to the names of the Rajeshar responsible.

#### Leg Compartments (2)

Sensor-shielded leg compartments, large enough to conceal several ammunition clips/e-clips, or grenades.

#### Robotic Strength

Because of more advanced applied robotics manufacturing techniques and technologies. EShemar bionics are stronger than conventional terrestrial bionics systems, and the EShemar are able to build Robotic Strength into a cyberhumanoid frame, although the P.S. caps out at 20.

### Weapons Systems

#### Multi-Mode Plasma Arm

 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

One arm of the Rajeshar can ‘morph’ into a powerful multimode plasma cannon. This is a very sophisticated and powerful weapon of the Rajeshar’s cyborg weight class.

Range: Heavy Bolt 1,000 ft, Light Bolt 2,000 ft, Scatter-Bolt 1,500 ft and affects a 15 ft wide area, Plasma Saber 3 ft, Plasma Lance 18 ft

Damage: Heavy Bolt 5d6 MD, Light Bolt 2d6 MD, Scatter-Bolt 2d4 MD to a 15 ft wide area, Plasma Saber 2d4 MD, Plasma Lance 6d6 MD

#### Multi-Mode Melee Arm

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Damage3
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

The arm not configured with the plasma cannon can instead ‘morph’ into a variety of close combat weapons, including vibro claws, a plasma-enhanced vibroblade, and a plasma whip (this consists of a length of extendable superconductive cable that is used as an electromagnetic conduit for a restrained plasma cloud).

#### Eye Lasers (2)

 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Improved version of the open market bionic model, though not as powerful as the larger robotic version.

Bonus: +1 to strike

Note: These eyes can be modified to have a Laser Illuminator mode that allows the cyborg to designate targets for laser-guided weaponry. In this mode the lasers do NO damage (in and of themselves) but have an effective range of 5,000 ft. Though the Blood Riders do not typically like calling on ranged artillery to ‘honorably’ finish a fight, they also acknowledge that losing a fight because of blockheaded glory-mongering is worse.

#### (Optional) Self-Destruct

Because many Rajeshar wind up in their moments of glory surrounded by enemies, most prefer to go down fighting and not leave any trophies for the enemy, such as a live prisoner or salvageable technology. Thus, many elect to have self-destruct systems incorporated into themselves. This can be a standard Shemarrian ‘meltdown’ system or a more violent explosive charge (typically doing 2d6x10 MD to a 10 ft radius).

#### Special Skills/Training

Use standard 'Borg, Cyberhumanoid, or Headhunter if a new convert; otherwise use the person’s original OCC

### Combat

 Dodge
 Parry
 Auto Dodge
 Roll
 Pull Punch
 Disarm
 Entangle
 Full Punch
 Power Punch
 Kick
 Leap Kick
 Judo-Style Throw/Flip

In combat the Rajeshar has the same skills as before conversion, plus the following bonues.

## Options

The Rajeshar is limited in its options to what can fit inside its frame without compromising the necessity of appearing normal (human). Most modifications and Upgrades are limited to sensors or communications, although some Rajeshar have been known to sacrifice internal compartment space for an internal force field generator (90 MDC) or other defensive measures. Unless the cyborg is a non-human, extra limbs are rarely ever added.