For the new player, I’ve been trying to come up with a good character to throw in with the testosterone-heavy Hannibal Drake (Steve McQueen, ferchris’sake) and Jack MacMahon team. We’ve already had a version of Jezebel Jade from Johnny Quest as an NPC (heavily tweaked), and I wanted a good anti-hero to play off of the similarly mercenary Drake, and the dog-loyal and white-hat MacMahon.

One of the choices that went over well just off of the visual was a version of Valkyrie from the old (and the not-as-old ’80s revival of Airboy.) Here’s the thumbnail of our campaign’s version of the classic HIllman character:

Born in summer of 1910, Liselotte von Schellendorf is a relative to the famed German general of the 19th Century, Paul Bonsart von Shellendorf and also composer Fritz Bronsard von Schellendorf. Her father was a nephew to the general and was a colonel during the Great War, where he lost his arm on the Western Front. Both of her older brothers are dead, one in combat in 1918 on the Eastern Front, and the other from influenza in 1920. Her father turned to his daughter as a surrogate for his boys, teaching her to ride, shoot, and fence, and raising her to be not just a fine example of German femininity, but a modern woman.

She was educated at excellent bording schools in Switzerland and Bavaria, and in 1927, had her first airplane ride at a fair. She was hooked. After a year of needling her father, she took flying lessons and in 1928 received her pilot’s license. She was active as a young lady in the German flying community and is friends with aviation war heroes. It was here she came to the attention of Herman Goering. When the Nazis took power in 1933, Goering had the notion of creating a public relations splash with a military unit made up of Nazi women — die Luftjugenfrauen, or “the Air Maidens.” Heading up the group as a captain (hauptmann) was Liselotte, codenamed Valkyrie.

The Air Maidens have been a travelling sideshow, but along the way have developed a reputation with the Luftwaffe for being exception aviatrices. In an exhibition show, the Maidens flew circles around some of the best German men in the service. From 1935-36, they were given less attention and support, as Hitler found the notion of women treading in the masculine forum of combat unseemly. Nevertheless, Valkyrie was able to get Junkers and Arado to allow them to test pilot the latest German warplanes, using Pancho Barnes’ example as a means to impress buyers with their ease of use. When the Spanish Civil War (where she will be introduced) broke out, Valkyrie lobbied for her Maidens to join the Condor Legion’s Versuchsjagdgruppe 88 air assets, and managed to get Goering to agree.

VALKYRIE (aka Liselotte von Schellendorf)

German female, age 26. 5’5″, 130 lbs. Black hair, blue eyes   Archetype: Adventuress/Soldier   Motivation: Fame

ATTRIBUTES: Body 2   Dexterity 3   Strength 2   Charisma 4   Intelligence 2   Willpower 4

SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES: Size 0   Move 5   Perception 6   Initiative 5   Defense 7*   Stun 2   Health 6   Style 5

RESOURCES & TRAITS: Attractive, Iron Will; Finesse Attack (Melee)**, Focused Defense*, Evasive Action (+2 DEF to vehicle); Artifact 2***, Followers 2 (Air Maidens), Rank 1, Status 1 (+2 social tests in Germany & aviation circles; +1 elsewhere)

WEAKNESSES: Danger Magnet, Condescending, Intolerant (You can guess the groups), Overconfident

SKILLS: Acrobatics 1/4, Animal Handling 1/5, Athletics 2/4, Brawl 1/3, Bureaucracy 2/4, Con 1/5, Diplomacy 1/5, Drive 2/5, Firearms 1/4, Gunnery 1/3, Intimidation 1/5, Linguistics 2/5, Melee 2/5**, Pilot (Air) 3/6, Ride 2/5, Stealth 1/4, Streetwise 1/5, Survival 1/3, Warfare 1/3

LANGUAGES: German (native); English, French, Spanish

WEAPON: Luger P07 9mm or Star B 9mm; Rapier or Sabre, Riding Crop

VEHICLE*** (All the Air Maidens are flying these):

Heinkel HE112 fighter V6

Size 2   Def 6   Str 6   Spd 300   Han +2   Crew 1

2 × 7.92 mm MG17: Dam 3L   Rng 250′   Cap: 500   Rate A   Spd A