Morpheus Unbound | GURPS | Empire
Long before Kilgar, Emperor Hiayu-Sor viewed himself as a divine being. He
felt that as a divine being, he should have very powerful servants and he would
call them "avatars." This was the beginning of the Avatar program which sought
to grant god-like powers to otherwise mortal beings. These god-like powers could
not result from mere technological wizardry, 
but they had to exist as
natural parts of the beings. It took many generations (and thousands of
failures) before they process even came close to reproducibility in Kilgar's
time. Dullon Duralloy was the first real success of the Avatar program. The
Emperor had plans for his new Avatar and Dullon was sent to a tiny, back-water
planet called Earth.
A handful of other Avatars were successfully created. Because of the potential for immense power, the volunteers were carefully selected from the most loyal and able of the Imperial civil and military services. Because of the extraordinary risks, dangers, and chances of suffering a horrible death, some "volunteers" were also "recruited" from other (unofficial) sources. Not all, but most, volunteers are human. Very few non-human volunteers survive, and most that do wish they hadn't.
Becoming an Avatar affects both the mind and body of the recipient, with almost any results possible. For example, being transformation, Dullon Duralloy was methodical and careful. After transformation he became incredibly reckless, especially regarding his personal safety.
To build an Avatar character, first create a basic character background. Most characters will come from the Imperial military service like the Marines or Navy. Some will come from civil services like planetary police, the scouts or the Royal Guard. They are selected for their skills, talents and loyalty to the Throne in general and the Emperor in particular. (Conversely, the character could be an average or low-status citizen who was unscrupulously "volunteered" for the program.)
Once the basic character is finished, Avatars gain an additional 3d6 × 100 points to add any Advantages, Disadvantages, Superadvantages, Superdisadvantages, Superpowers or Psionic powers desired. Magic is not gained by becoming an Avatar, but pre-existing magical ability is not reduced. Upto 50 points of pre-Avatar Disadvantages, Advantages and Skills can be rearranged. All Avatars have the Disadvantage of being closely monitored by the Empire. Social reactions will vary depending on circumstances.