BARD PAPER: DANI1802

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Dr. Manfred Strauss
Age 53 in 1201

by Lewis Roberts

Occupation: Serial Killer

Attributes: 593EC7-1

Background:
Manfred Strauss was recognized as a gifted child early in life. His parent's doted on him and sent him to the best schools that Luhtala had to offer. Early on he realized he wanted to know why the human body worked the way it did, and this blossomed into a profession as a surgeon. He was well rewarded for his services and he became quite wealthy. Believing that everyone should share, he donated a great deal of money to various charities.

Somewhere in his early thirties, he realized that he was going to die sometime. This distressed him a great deal, and he started to look for ways to prevent this. He researched anagathics, but they were unavailable on Luhtala, due to its low tech level. This grew into an obsession with him. One day he realized that if he could find the location of the human soul, he could remove his and put it away for safe keeping, allowing him to live forever. First he had to find the soul. He figured he would find it somewhere in the human body. He began to kidnap individuals and bring them back to his laboratory in his mansion. Here he performed vivisections on the still living victims. These vivisections would normally last for days. His first murder occurred in 1182.

At first he would only kidnap one or two victims a year, but as the years went by he started to require more patients. Strauss became more and more frantic as he could find no evidence of the soul; at the end of his killing spree he was kidnapping several people a month. He also became careless and this allowed the Luhtalan Enforcers to track him down in late 1199. All told, he had killed 79 people on his mad quest, though the Enforcers were only able link 23 murders to him. His victims ranged from children to the elderly; he made no distinction between men and women.

At his trial he was sentenced to the National Institute for the Mentally Disturbed until he could be cured of his illness. He was at the NIMD for several years, and the faculty made no progress in curing him. In fact the doctor grew angrier with humanity. He was being kept away from the only thing that would save him from dying and humanity deserved to suffer for this. In 1202 the doctors thought that maybe he could be cured by a new experimental treatment on Spires. The Crystal Springs Center had recently shown great strides in curing the mentally ill, with a unique blend of meditation, herbal therapy and what the practitioners at the Center call mystical intervention.

While being transported to Spires aboard the Space Witch, the ship was attacked by a Vampire. The Vampire blasted the transport and sent aboard several robots to kill the crew and to capture a few playthings. Strauss was one of those captured. The Vampire then left the system. During the jump it started to get familiar with its new toys. While "playing" with Strauss, the doctor was able to make a connection with the Vampire. The Vampire realized that Strauss was different than the other humans it had captured. Strauss was able to convince it that he was able to come up with new and novel ways to "play" with humans, and he showed the ship what he meant with one of the Space Witch's surviving crew members (who did not survive for very long). The Vampire and the Doctor agreed to a partnership of equals.

He also convinced the Vampire that they needed other humans for fodder. The doctor convinced the Vampire, who he calls, "Lord Ship", that they could find useful humans in the Starhelm Prison in the Kruyter system. The Vampire attacked the prison and captured several hundred prisoners. These would be used as playthings or tools, whichever suited the Doctor or the Vampire.

Strauss is current search for immortality involves the human soul, but after 20 years of searching he is growing concerned that he may be wrong. In the future he will probably turn to other methods. Perhaps he will investigate if the human conscious can be put into an electronic machine. This will involve many experiments with human guinea pigs. Maybe he will start to investigate anagathics, which will have to be tried out on "patients". Then there is the old stand by of organ transport, where the doctor will not lack for "volunteers".

The Doctor is experimenting on humans, but if he ran across a Hiver, Schalli or other alien, he would be curious to see if they had a soul. He wouldn't think this would help him find immortality, but it would be interesting.

Career Path:
1164-1167: Undergraduate at Drake College
1168-1171: Medical School at the Blackmoore Medical Institute
1172-1175: Surgeon
1176-1179: Surgeon
1180-1183: Surgeon
1184-1187: Surgeon
1188-1191: Surgeon
1192-1195: Surgeon
1196-1199: Surgeon
1200-1202: Prisoner

Initiative: 2

Combat Assets:
Slug Pistol-2/11
Small Blade-5/8

Other Assets:
Act/Bluff-8/15
Biology-8/20
Computer-1/13
Genetics-4/16
Intrusion-3/12
Medical (Surgery)-12/25
Music (Wind) -3/12
Observation-5/19
Psychology-2/16
Research-5/19
Streetwise-5/19
Swimming-2/5
Tracking-2/16
Wheeled Vehicle-2/11

Appearance:
Dr. Strauss is very particular about his appearence and takes great care to look his best. While in prison this hasn't always been possible, but one does what one can. Strauss is a distinguished looking gentleman with silver hair brushed back from his face. When available he wears the finest clothing, while at large he often wore imported Aubaini suits and tophats. He comes across as one of the most conservative and straightlaced Luhtalans you will ever meet. Of course that's just his appearence.

Personality:
Dr. Strauss is a very charming person. When he meets someone he always takes the time to get to know them, and acts like he truly cares about that individual. That is only the outside appearence, on the inside he is wondering what the person would look like on the examining table, with their heart in the good doctor's hand.

Motivation:
Strauss wants to live forever, right now he thinks the secret for immortality lies in finding and isolating the human soul. He needs to examine quite a few more individuals before he can be sure where it is. He needs individuals with pure souls such as children and good people such as religious figures and philanthropists. He also needs souls from the other end of the spectrum, those who have commited heinous acts. Everything and everyone is expendable in the Doctor's quest. He uses people has long as they are useful, after that they are ready for the examining room.

Possessions: A collection of surgical equipment and a pistol.

Quotes:
"Relax, this won't hurt a bit"

Contacts:
All of Dr. Strauss's contacts have been broken. Not many people want to associate with a serial killer.

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