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The House of Usher From the shadow of the Kingston Doomforge, the House of Usher is reborn! Once again, a new generation of Ushers stand to profit, providing the Freedom City underworld with anything and everything they want or need. No deed is too depraved, no request too dark. What they want, they take. What they can't, they destroy. All is for the House of Usher. Description & History The Ushers have lived in Freedom City for centuries, trading in everything dark and depraved that decent men and women would turn away from. Swindling Native Americans out of their lands, trading slaves after slavery was abolished, assassination, breaking strikes, running bootleg liquour, supplying super villains with drugs, minions and whatever else they needed, even trading with Nazi Germany at the height of World War II, no sin was too great for the Ushers. In the name of profit, they would do anything. The Ushers were so reviled by Freedom City at large that they had to turn to inbreeding to preserve their lineage. Their madness and deformity only grew. During the 1960'es, family patriarch Alister Usher cultivated a criminal empire born of sin and wickedness, eventually attracting the attention of the original Raven. After nearly a decade of conflict, the Raven managed to defeat Alister Usher. On November 12th 1969, the House of Usher in Lantern Hill was burned to the ground, leaving only charred bodies behind. For decades, the Usher line was believed to be extinct. In 2018, Alister Usher's grandchildren returned to Freedom City. Unnoticed in the chaos of the 2018 Terminus Invasion, the Usher's staked their claim on Kingston. Here, in the Shadow of the Doomforge, they built an exact replica of the House of Usher that once stood on Lantern Hill. Slowly and carefully, the House of Usher expanded their reach and grew their power, careful not to attract unwanted attention until they were ready. Their clandestine actions bore fruit, and through blackmail, coercion and manipulation, their power grew. The House of Usher grew strong in the shadow of the Terminus. They changed, their constant exposure granting them uncanny abilities, twisted powers that only increased their madness. The House of Usher exists for two reasons: Profit and revenge. They do not care that the original Raven has long since he retired. The Raven Family will suffer, as their grandfather did, and they do not care if all of Freedom burns alongside them. Members The House of Usher The scions of the House of Usher are all warped in some way. Most commonly, their skin will be pale and seem like it is almost rotting, though other deformities and mutations can appear. Anthony Usher: The head of the family. A pale young man, always dressed in immaculate Victorian era suits. Anthony led the return to Freedom, all in the name of profit and revenge. Anthony was born with insensate flesh, but otherwise dramatically enhanced senses. His time in the shadow of the Doomforge has granted him the ability to instill fear in others and control shadows, even shaping them and turning them solid. Bernard Usher: The thief. Bernard is a lanky man with long black hair, his left eye noticably larget than his right. His Victorian suits will invariably be in tatters. Motivated solely by greed. He has always been able to have whatever he wanted. Why should he stop now? The Doomforge has unhinged Bernard from reality. Unless focused, his body seems to stutter between movements, as he bypasses great distances in little time, almost as if he moves at super speed. David Usher: The smuggler. A trader of human beings, David services the most depraved of the Usher's clients. A short young man, standing at barely 5 feet tall, with short blonde hair. He lives for the thrill of the hunt, to find whatever others can't, to procure whatever is desired, no matter how or why. The powers he has been granted by the Doomforge, if any, are a mystery. Francis Usher: The enforcer. A hulking brute of a man, Francis was one of the main advocates for taking revenge on the Raven Family. He is the youngest of the Ushers and looks up to Anthony, who he will often accompany. Bald, tall, unnaturally muscled and appearing much older than he is, Francis is a sadist that takes joy in pure violence and inflicting pain on others. He is much smarter than his appearance and demeanor would suggest. The Doomforge have only served to further warp Francis' body into grotesque proportions. Strong, durable and fast. Vivian Usher: The mastermind. An anomaly among the Ushers, Vivian was born beautiful and perfect with long white hair, and thus, she was shunned by her family. Only her brother-cousin Anthony would look upon her, and they grew to be co-dependent. Vivian is a mastermind and Anthony's co-conspirator, the one that makes all his dreams and plans come true. She continues to push the House of Usher to take revenge on the Raven Family, making sure that the family never forgets. She has only grown more beautiful and deadly in the shadow of the Doomforge. A perfect woman, she charms any and all into her graces, then kills them with a poison touch. Known Associates The Devil's Advocates: A group of bikers that made a deal with the Devil to gain powers based on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They, and the bikers that serve under them, serve as enforcers and security for the House of Usher. Angel: The leader of the group. A hedonistic Satanist that believes that might makes right. Death. Born Loser, the: An conman and aspiring musician with a fondness for permanently disfiguring his victims. Famine. Buddy: A crude, disease-ridden lech. Plague. Cueball: A supremely violent and tough man. War.

Rise of the House of Usher The House of Usher returned to Freedom City in 2020, first coming into conflict with the Raven Family and their allies during August of that year. With the House of Usher having quickly established a powerbase, can the Raven Family and their allies stop them once more? Narrative The storyline is still ongoing. The narrative will be updated as it progresses. Characters Players characters Arrow IV Ghost Sparkler Raven Family, the Madame Raven Nevermore II Raven III Rebound Notable NPCs Bowman IV Devil's Advocates, the Cueball Born Loser, the Buddy Cueball House of Usher, the Anthony Usher Bernard Usher David Usher Francis Usher Vivian Usher Timeline August 18th, 2020: The House of Usher reveals itself during a planned playdate for Bowman IV and Raven III's sidekicks Arrow IV and Nevermore II, brutally beating Bowman IV in the process. While Francis Usher is captured and left for the Freedom City police, he soon escapes. In between: The House of Usher's influence spreads throughout Freedom City, with several minor skirmishes between them, the Raven Family and other heroes. Late February, 2021: After Ghost and Sparkler defeats the Devil's Advocates, the House of Usher frees and recruits the biker gang as their enforcers. February 25th, 2021: A normal patrol for Madame Raven turns into something else entirely, as she and Rebound ended up fighting Bernard Usher. While Bernard eventually fled, he seemed to develop a crush on Madame Raven. March 6th, 2021: Raven III and Nevermore journeys to Kingston, into the shadow of the Doomforge...