Claim the Sky
The Grin are a warlike, colonizing alien race. Commanding high technology and faster-than-light starcraft, they have cut a line of conquest through the galaxy. Hundreds of worlds lie beneath their imperial boot, and many more are on the verge of succumbing. Earth itself nearly fell to the Grin in the 1980s, but the world's superheroes of that period beat them back. That defeat was an insult to the Grin, and by extension their leader—an entity they call the Exultant—that they haven't forgotten, and likely soon plan on redressing.
The Grin are hierarchical, and those selected to join the ranks of the fanatic troopers are outfitted with high-tech weapons and armor that are more than a match for an average enemy.
The Grin also have their own champions that far outmatch the average trooper, and even many of Earth's most powerful heroes.
Motive: Conquer and colonize
Environment: Anywhere in the galaxy
Health: 20
Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (7 points)
Armor: 4
Movement: Short; long when flying with jet boots
Combat: The average Grin trooper wields a long-range particle beam weapon that can target up to three creatures standing next to each other with one attack. Alternatively, a Grin can use a long-range pacification ray that paralyzes the target for about an hour on a failed Might defense roll.
Most troopers' battle suits include a psychic lure, which radiates an immediate-range telepathic urge to surrender to the Grin. Creatures who fail an Intellect defense roll can still choose not o surrender, but their thoughts become muddled, hindering all actions until they move away from the Grin.
Grin champions are level 8 or higher, with 55 health, 8 Armor, and the ability to inflict 13 points of damage on three or more targets within very long range by using high-tech weaponry and powers derived from forced evolution.
Interaction: Most members of the Grin feel privileged to be part of the troop, fanatically following orders. Fraternizing with non-Grin is considered a crime of the most heinous sort.
Use: A spying spacecraft, monitoring the Earth, has just been picked up by deep-space scans. It belongs to the Grin.
Other Equipment: A Grin trooper's battle suit can be salvaged for at least one manifest cypher (usually a level 5 device that restores 1 Pool point or health point per round for five hours) and sometimes the particle beam rifle noted under Combat.
Level 5 artifact.
Effect: Targets up to three creatures per long range attack.
Depletion: 1 in 1d20.
GM Intrusion (group): A level 8 champion of the Grin arrives.