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[KnightDisciple]

Ireland, Earth-Prime

While Freedom City is the most famous and densely populated location for superheros, it is by no means the only such place. Many other countries have varying numbers of heroes (and villains!) serving within their own borders.

The Republic of Ireland is no exception; and as it goes for that nation-state, so it goes for Northern Ireland. Today both countries enjoy a time of relative peace, both in the political arena and the superhero field. More to the point, Ireland has had a long tradition of heroes, though it seems to be somewhat cyclical with the famed Emerald Isle.

Ancient Times to Modern Day

Throughout history, Ireland has played host to more than a few heroes, be they larger-than-life legends like Cú Chulainn, humbler heroes like Saint Patrick, or those whose names are lost to the rivers of time.

Ancient Times to 20th Century

The truth is even wilder than the myths. Ireland seems to have bred metahumans of notable potency throughout history; the stranger part is how these powers seemed to randomly fade in and out of existence from generation to generation. Many modern-day mages, both in Ireland and abroad, point to the rather heavy presence and influence of the Faerie Realm on the island. In centuries past, it was not uncommon for the Sidhe to prey upon isolated villages. Some attacks were driven back with simple courage aided by iron weaponry. Others had the help of home-grown super-powered men and women who wielded enough strength to drive back small armies of the Seelie and Unseelie courts. Occasionally, heroes empowered by the likes of the Fae (such as the dreaded Hound of Ulster himself) would turn and fight back against their benefactors; seeing your home threatened by their cruel inhumanity turns most any half-decent person into a stalwart patriot.

The coming of Saint Patrick heralded a slow decline in the local metahuman population. Ireland was still fairly open towards home-grown heroes, and while they might occasionally face accusations of "consorting with the Devil", nothing ever came of it. Inevitably, said metahumans would have a chance to prove themselves heroes, and their neighbors would see the proverbial light. There were a few church-based heroes, but just as many of them tried to work for their fellow men as much as the church. But even these times of heroics faded, until Ireland settled into a mundane existence for several centuries, all the way until World War 2.

Early to Mid Twentieth Century

During the era after the First World War, several minor metahumans (those with small gifts that pushed them only slightly above the human norm) were born in Ireland. None had the flashier powers of the metas from Britain, the US, or other countries, but when World War 2 rolled around, they were willing and ready to fight the Axis powers; despite their birth nation's neutral stance, they decided to volunteer in the Allied fight (thought many opted to join the American military rather than the British). Unfortunately, their abilities were more than once overestimated, and several lost their lives when they were sent against some of Germany's elite supers. Still, when fighting against more traditional troops, they were invaluable as line-breakers and morale-boosters. These brave men fought through some of the darkest hours of human history and came out heroes one and all.

After the war, the remaining supers split into roughly three groups. One group stayed in the military, bolstering its ranks with some moderately powered humans. One group simply retired, choosing to hide away their abilities in favor of a normal life. The last group chose to turn to the life of the costumed mystery men. Never as famous as their American counterparts, but also not having to deal with the likes of the HUAC, they simply fought crime, both mundane and super-villain (which was also comparatively small-time in Ireland; there just weren't as many people, or as many things to steal and such).

Then came the Troubles.

The Troubles to Present

For a couple of months, even superheroes started to involve themselves in the worsening violence associated with the Troubles of Ireland. They justified it by stating they simply wanted to protect their home (wherever that home was, exactly), but they soon realized just what kind of damage they might end up doing to their island home. After all, it's bad enough when regular men cause what destruction they can with guns and bombs. When virtual demigods start to war in the sky...

So it was decided that all metahumans of any notable power would stay out of the conflict, no matter what. Their only involvement would be rescue efforts when a number of lives were put on the line. But anything else, including pursuing non-meta groups of terrorists, was out. They felt it better to draw a stark line in the sand to prevent themselves from sliding down a slippery slope. For the most part, even the villains of Ireland seemed to go along with it; many of them were more the "steal lots of money" or "gain a twisted form of fame and recognition" sort, so causing more deaths did them no favors.

So things continued, even through the so-called "Iron Age" of hero-dom, with the hero community in Ireland remaining largely unaffected, mainly due to the government of the nation taking a lighter stance than the mayor of Freedom City. Heroes lived and died as time went on, with all but a very tiny few claimed by old age.

And then the Terminus Invasion struck, and many retired heroes gave the ultimate sacrifice to drive back the force that struck at Ireland. Almost all of the heroes in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were struck down, leaving the Emerald Isle almost devoid of heroes. It took roughly a decade for any significant heroic presence to really return to their shores. In that time, the Troubles had gone away, and any violence that remained was rare and fairly isolated. But finally, there were heroes in Ireland again.

Major Hero Groups

 

Republic of Ireland

 

Emerald Knights

The only major superhero team of the Republic of Ireland, and indeed the roster of all the major heroes of that same country, the Emerald Knights debuted in early 2002. They're a diverse team that brings a good mix of strengths to their never-ending battle, and they have an optimism that's hard to suppress. They're not quite a subsidiary of the Freedom League, but they have received a fair measure of guidance from the more experienced group of heroes. Still, they've managed to carve their own niche in the world, forge their own identity, and it shows through the enthusiasm Ireland gives in its support of their home-grown heroes. Even Northern Ireland can't help but appreciate them!

Note: Only Father Patrick's identity is fully public. However, at least a small handful of non-heroes know the identity of the other 4 members, including a couple of government liaisons.

• >Fireman: Tim Kennedy, as the fire-controlling-and-absorbing Fireman, is the leader of the Emerald Knights, a man who tries to follow in the footsteps of the Centurion, in spirit if not in powers. He is a vibrant young man, and while he's not a tactical genius, he's never led his team astray in a fight. He's the one most often pushing the team to go help in one disaster or another, and the first to the fight with any super-villain, near or far. Some people would consider him a naive fool; those people have rarely even met him, as he has a strong insight into the character of others. His costume consists of a rugged red and orange morphic molecule bodysuit, with a stylized red and orange firefighter's coat over the top. He wears a stylized firefighter's helmet and a large domino mask on his head; both are solid red.

• >Father Patrick: Father Patrick McCarthy, usually called simply Father Patrick, in most any other country, would likely be an incredibly controversial figure. After all, he's not just a hero who's openly religious; there are plenty of those. No, he's openly a Catholic priest, one born and raised in Ireland, but assigned by the Church to help the Emerald Knights. Not for some sinister agenda of control (despite the nature of his powers), but rather to give the somewhat overworked hero team a line to an organization with vast resources. Father Patrick notes that it never hurts to have help like that waiting in the wings! He's something of a mentor to the rest of the team, being in his late 30s himself. He especially works to temper the unbridled enthusiasm of Fireman. He has the most subdued outfit of any of them, merely wearing a very sturdy version of the normal casual wear of a priest.

• >Medusa: Melissa Walsh was a typical office worker at one of the smaller subsidiaries of the various multinational businesses Labyrinth runs. That meant she was an ideal test candidate for another iteration of the DNAscent process; few would miss her on a personal level (so they thought), and her removal would not unduly hurt the company. So it was she was taken after work one Friday, and forcibly turned into a metahuman. Thankfully, she managed to break out before any brainwashing could be put in place. But she was left as a vastly changed woman! With scaly skin, snakes for hair, and the ability to turn flesh to stone (at least for a time), it was inevitable she'd gain the nickname "Medusa". For almost a year, she struggled to find her place in the world, until finally Father Patrick and Fireman recruited her for the Emerald knights. She slowly grew to enjoy her work on the hero team; it helped that she'd manage to go back to school (with some assistance from the Church via Father Patrick), and had earned a degree as an actuary. She now makes a comfortable living with her job, while still having plenty of free time to devote to hero work. She's probably the most controversial member of the team within the shores of Ireland; her connection to Greek myth has some berating her as a "servant of pagan false gods", while others fear her for her snakelike appearance (after all, Saint Patrick drove them from the island for areason, you know?). She manages to keep her head held high, though sometimes these things leave her feeling somewhat melancholy. While "on duty", she wears a sleeveless black bodysuit of morphic molecules, trusting her enhanced physiology to see her through fights.

• >Caladbolg: Gail O'Reilly had always had a way with machines. When she was tasked by the Irish government with finding a way for them to be able to protect their citizens from the likes of the Terminus or Labyrinth or any of the other world-threatening groups that might just try to hurt them, it came as no surprise. She spent long hours working on her prototype; it was intended as a sort of scaled-up testbed, to show them the basic idea of what she would do, but with less refinement. Of course, the Foundry attacked the first testing of the Caladbolg suit (so named as it would be a new weapon for the people of Ireland to defend themselves with), it was Gail who hopped in the suit and drove the small attack force of drones away. The people she'd demonstrated for decided she ought to try her hand at the hero market; so long as they got a smaller, slimmer, and simpler suit of armor, they'd be happy! Joining the Emerald Knights was a fairly natural choice, and she's slotted in surprisingly well, despite her quiet nature. She's taken the name of her armor, and her enemies have learned to fear the name of Caladbolg! She and Medusa get along quite well, and her relationships with the men of the team are friendly, if a bit stiffly formal at times. Still the years of working together have removed much of the early awkwardness. Today she still fights the good fight in her steel-gray battlesuit sporting blue highlights in the fashion of Celtic woad markings.

• >Lepton: Jeq-Vay spent centuries studying the Ultimen version of anthropology in the safety of Hyperborea. He was one of the handful of them that had an interest in worlds not their own. At first it was simply a desire to examine cultural trends and the like. But eventually, it became a desire to physically visit these places. He decided to start with the melting pot that was Earth-Prime. After all, they had a multitude of cultures right there on the planet! Somehow, he ended up finding himself in the countryside of Ireland; less than a day later, he was meeting with the four members of the Emerald Knights. Eventually, he was convinced to join their team, as it would give him some first-hand experience with local culture! He took the name "Lepton" after the subatomic particle type that he had a fondness for; the rumors spread by Fireman that Jeq-Vay "just thought it sounded cool in English" are just that: rumors. Lepton finds himself often feeling an outsider; after all, he has so little in common with his fellow heroes. Still, he shares their sincere desire to help those in need; inexperienced he might be, but he has enough enthusiasm to make up for that. He prefers to use a colorful, maskless costume in his work with his colleagues. When going about in the civilian identity prepared for him (that of Michael Smith), he uses an advanced nanite solution to recolor and style his hair, glasses with a device that subtly changes his eye color, and a bit of acting to change posture and voice tone. He finds the whole affair a fair bit of fun, though he's had some trouble with what amount to out-of-context problems for him.

Saint Patrick's Irregulars

Saint Patrick's Irregulars are a force of volunteers dedicated to helping out at scenes of major hero/villain battles in the Republic of Ireland, as well as serving as additional security. Individually, they're not nearly as powerful as any of the Emerald Knights. However, there are over 50 members. As well, a good number of them have powers dedicated to either protecting groups of bystanders, or healing anyone hurt (which thankfully isn't terribly regular). Those with more "martial" powers tend to work together to help restrain defeated criminals. There are several sub-groups scattered in the major cities of the Republic, meaning these semi-ordinary folks in dark green uniforms (full-body coverage, with a simple domino mask and helmet somewhat like a firefighter or policeman, depending on their "focus") with a Celtic cross on the left side of the chest can be be on-site to help no matter where the fight takes the Emerald Knights!

 

Northern Ireland

 

Archangels

"Archangels" is the not-quite-official name for the duo of heroes that work in Northern Ireland, which has proportionally less crime to go with its smaller amount of territory. While the Emerald Knights operate fully in the open, being publicly supported, the Archangels work in the shadows, with no official support (though most citizens and government officials don't take major issue with their work). They face fewer metahuman foes, dealing with a larger number of petty criminals, arms dealers, and the like. They do have a small "rogue's gallery" that includes a couple of rather powerful individuals.

• >Uriel: John Kelley had a happy childhood, with two loving parents who lived fairly normal, if successful, lives. The car accident that took them was a tragedy, but by that time he was almost eighteen years old. Of course, he had one big secret, one he'd hidden from even his parents: he was a metahuman. A rather powerful one, with a "classic" powerset (flight, enhanced strength, incredible resistance to injury, etc.). But he felt even that power wasn't enough. After all, while the Republic of Ireland had several somewhat notable metahumans living there, Northern Ireland had only the Hospitallers to help them out. John knew that wasn't enough. So he worked on training himself, using whatever resources he could get. Then again, with his ability to fly, he was able to go to a fair number of remote places to receive esoteric training in martial arts, and any other skills he felt would be useful. With his ability to travel on his own, he managed to get to the level of skill he desired in merely 5 years. At age 23, he was ready to start his one-man quest...but as who? Though he had no close family, he had a fair number of friends and coworkers (he worked part-time in a moderately-sized investment firm, his income complementing what his parents left him between their will and life insurance). Finally, he settled on a motif that should appeal to most all of his homeland: an archangel. Specifically, Uriel. He fashioned a costume he felt struck the right theme and tone. The base was a dark grey, almost black bodysuit that covered his whole body, excepting his head and hands. Over that went a dark silver sleeveless tabard that fell to his mid-thigh. The matching-color belt that cinched it carried some tools that he found useful, even with his powers. Thick boots and gloves went over his feet and hands, matching the color of his bodysuit. A full-face mask that matched his bodysuit fully disguised his identity; the dark green, glowing eyepieces gave him an otherworldly air. And the dark red hooded cloak that went over the whole thing helped him blend into shadows while still striking an imposing figure when he burst onto the scene. Uriel has been active for about 10 years now, and has more recently acquired a partner in crime-fighting that still leaves him a bit vexed at times...

• >Marut: Jennifer O'Conner was not born with that name. However, her birth name is lost to mortal knowledge, as she was an orphan from a Middle Eastern country just after her birth. The tiny child was rescued from a half-destroyed hospital, and eventually one of many such children's charities put her up for adoption. Kenneth and Mary O'Conner fell in love with the darling girl just with photos and her sad story. She came to their home in Northern Ireland and found a happy childhood. Until the Troubles claimed both her parents in the spring of 1997, when she was only 17 years old. She was heartbroken, and for almost a year, young Jennifer searched for answers. She looked for them in the church, but even in a comparatively religious place like Ireland, the clergy of any denomination seemed powerless. She wept as more people died, were wounded, or were otherwise affected by the violence. Finally, in early March 1998, she flippantly tossed out a statement that she'd sell her soul if it would buy peace for Ireland. Of course, she didn't quite expect to see a well-dressed man in her dream who offered to take her up on her offer! He didn't give her a name, instead merely remarking that it was a trifle of a thing to pay for peace, was it not? For almost half an hour, she debated with herself, before finally giving in. How much harm could it do? A month later, she saw the Belfast Agreement successfully go through. She was, to say the least, shocked. And a little voice in the back of her head told her she'd soon have to pay up. So when the same man from her dreams appeared in her bedroom a week later and painfully endowed her with her powers, she found herself convinced of what had happened. Agnostic that she was, some small part of her wept at the disappointment she must be to her parents, even as part of her will was subverted to be a sort of "supernatural hit-woman" for a being she assumed to be the Devil, or one of his chief lieutenants. She found herself wearing a somewhat risque outfit, even as she traveled the world and fought rebellious fallen angels. Somehow, she managed to exert enough control to only go after the likes of marauding demons who threatened the plans of her "boss"; in retrospect, she was relieved she never targeted innocents. Finally, in the summer of 1999, she hit her breaking point. Another fight with a rogue demon spilled onto a city street, and though she remained indistinguishable in shadow, the creature she hunted was fully visible. Worse, it was in such pain it flailed and fired randomly, hurting several bystanders even as Jennifer struck it down. This was the proverbial last straw; that same night, she called up her "master" and tried to tender her resignation. Somehow, his hold on her had loosened; perhaps because even with the Agreement, there was still a measure of violence in the land. So instead of control, he opted to entomb her in a stasis-sleep underneath Belfast, where he hoped to have her stay for a century or more, to "learn her lessen". But plans don't always work; a decade later, in late 2009, Uriel stumbled across her "tomb" and managed to unwittingly free her. Once they exchanged "Cliff's notes", Jennifer decided to join John's crusade. She decided to honor her ethnic heritage and her source of power, and called herself Marut. Her partner often has to reign in her more savage tendencies, but they work surprisingly well together, as well as enjoying a cordial relationship with the Emerald Knights and Saint Patrick's Irregulars (and of course the Hospitallers).

 

The Hospitallers

Northern Ireland has its own version of Saint Patrick's Irregulars, though for better or worse they're at least somewhat influence by Britain. The Hospitallers take their name from the ancient Order of Knights Hospitaller, but are more precisely a fairly recent subsection of the Venerable Order of Saint John; specifically, they were formed to provide metahuman-level search and rescue functions. This mission is one they manage to perform with excellence whenever they are called upon (which, during the last years of the Troubles, was more often than they would have liked). Of the 30 or so members, all but 8 have some form of healing and/or protective powers. The remainder function as sort of impromptu security force, similar to their counterparts in the Irregulars. However, as these individuals typically possess notable physical strength, they're also handy for removing rubble, opening warped doors on crashed cars, or other similar tasks. The group as a whole is solemn, though in the field they're polite and good-natured folk. They enjoy a comparatively cordial relationship with their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland, and fistfights haven't happened even a half-dozen times. Their reception by civilians in the Republic is sometimes frosty, but they take it all in stride. All in all, they make an excellent emergency response force for the small section of this proud island nation.

Author's Notes

• This is always open to change.

• Both groups with named NPCs are, indeed, roughly PL10. Because they can always jump to the rescue of the rest of Europe! Also, I figure Ireland has had enough hard times a full-blown super-team isn't totally out of the question.

• The Irregulars and Hospitallers are intended to span the range of Pl3 to PL6, albeit with NPC rules; some might hit PL4 combat caps, but have crazy-good Healing powers, or whatnot.

• You can assume there are probably a few mage or druid types on the island, but they're not major players, so there's not really a need to mention them.

• I think it'd be interesting if someone wanted to play an Irish hero, and gave them connections to the WW2 group of supers who were underappreciated and over-estimated, to sad effect.

Edited December 3, 2013 by KnightDisciple

[KnightDisciple]

Fenris (Baron Magnus Vilhelm Katastroff)
 
In-Character
 
Power Description
 
Fenris Armor
Current Suit Mark: 2.1.1
The Fenris combat power armor is Magnus's crowning invention thus far. Incorporating a variety of cutting edge technologies, it transforms him from a slightly above-average human to a person capable of fighting many metahumans on even ground.
 
Power Systems
Its power source relies first and foremost on vacuum energy, drawing energy from the space between all matter. Secondary collectors embedded in the suit allow it to absorb various other forms of background radiation to supplement power. All energy that's collected is fed into special capacitors and energy processors, in a special quadruple-helix form, which further feeds into the hyper-efficient batteries. He has yet to encounter a situation that fully depletes his systems.
 
Passive Defensive Systems
The suit's basic structure and armor plating are high-end composite alloys that weigh less than military-grade titanium but provide more strength, and well more flexibility. A now-comprehensive life-support system allows Fenris to operate at the bottom of the ocean, next to an active volcano, or in the depths of space with equal ease. The Enhanced Reflexive Motive Systems allow Magnus to move with a greater degree of grace, agility, and reaction speed than when he's out of the armor. The suit utilizes cutting-edge Electroactive Polymer Muscles to enhance his strength, pushing just past the upper end of human strength levels. Hyper-compact computers work with on-board sensors and the ERMS to give Fenris picosecond-speed feedback and data processing for both ranged and CQB targets; it includes both intuitive targeting aids on his HUD, as well as small bits of auto-assist adjustments to movements.
 
Motive System
One of the biggest components of the Fenris Suit is Magnus's second-greatest creation, next to the Vacuum Energy System itself: the Vacuum Flux Capacitor. This system allows Fenris to move betweenthe matter of the universe, including dark matter. He has absolutely no resistance to his movement; combine that with the system that creates an attracting charge at a destination point, and Fenris can go from one point to another in an eye-blink, with practically zero effort expended. Even longer-distance running doesn't risk exhausting him. Rather than one long sprinting move, he often makes short "hops", stopping for just a split second to recalculate his next "jump" before moving on. It manifests in a flash of light at the beginning and end points, but those with sharp enough eyes can spot the incredibly blurred figure of Fenris slipping between space itself. Its only limitation at this time is that Fenris needs a fairly unrestricted view of his target area. Beyond that, he can dive through the space between space, and reach his destination in a flash.
 
Deployment System
Magnus has refined the VFC to the point where, using a set of personal beacons, he can actually bring the armor to him, no matter where he is, or the armor for that matter. The slightly odd "shoulder holster" he wears for his cell phone and fold-out tablet PC doubles as the beacon system; the two devices mesh with microscopic circuits in the holster rig to provide instantaneous feedback to the orbital relay satellite (whose primary job is high-speed communications relays between Europe and America). When the signal is sent, the armor's storage pod opens up an invisible VFC tunnel to the satellite (using in-built relays in whatever building it's stored in); this tunnel is then redirected to Magnus's location. Two thin armbands worn well above his elbows (and thus concealed from sight even with short sleeves) deploy his own "flavor" of morphic molecules into a skintight "interface suit" that helps make sure things like the life support systems run smoothly. Just as that finishes deploying under his normal clothes, they are whisked away in a secondary VFC tunnel, while the primary tunnel deposits the open and ready to engage armor. Almost as soon as it's moving in time with the rest of the world, the armor wraps around Magnus and seals him in. The whole process takes less than 2 seconds to complete, aided by a set of dedicated not-quite-super-computers in his "armor vault". To return to his street clothes takes a quick command, though due to the lack of circuits and such in clothes, he is forces to change back manually (one reason he has the morphic molecule suit layer). While in his armor, the phone/tablet rig is stored with his regular clothes, and is the one part returned to rest on his body.
 
Offensive Systems
His suit's offensive capabilities are set to "toggle" between "Ranged" and "CQB", less due to lack of power, and more due to not wanting to risk overload on some circuits, as well as an acknowledgement of the inherently exclusive natures of the systems. His first option for offense are his Particle Projection Cannons, which use ionized plasma particles to fire bolts similar to lightning out to rather astounding ranges. Alternatively, he can utilize his already-increased strength to complement his primary close-combat weapon: his Electro-Claws (or more accurately, "Claws and Teeth"). These fingertip claws, toe claws (independently deployable and selectable), and teeth channel the same sort of plasma/electricity that his PPCs fire, helping greatly augment their cutting power. However, they keep the charge much closer to the surface. When active, they glow bright blue, with small electrical sparks dancing off of them at times. Finally, he can switch his weapons system output to boost his EPM to what he calls "stage two"; at this level, he gains a notable amount of lifting capacity, but the somewhat more dedicated nature of EPM Stage Two makes it less worthwhile for CQB purposes.
 
Nanite Infusion
The final, much less obvious component of Magnus's abilities is his infusion of experimental nanites (performed during a crisis that cropped up in his efforts to save the life of his "niece", Eira). The initial injection was reinforced with a smaller "stabilizer" dose later on, to make sure the nanites didn't all break down and stop working, but instead were consistently incorporating themselves into his body. With the nanites "nesting" in his bones, and thus also reinforcing their structure, as well as his body's overall health, he could rightfully be considered a cyborg, albeit a discrete, low-level one. The medical nanites, the primary focus of his "enhancement package", are currently able to help speed up recovery from low-level injuries; small cuts, bruises, hairline fractures, and other similar wounds can be wiped away in just a couple of minutes. Heavier trauma is beyond their ability to quickly reverse, though his body's overall hardiness means he can generally recoup himself in a somewhat shorter-than-normal timeline. The smaller group of nanites are what he calls his "transmitter" nanites, and him to actually "speak" with most any electronic device within a few feet of his body, giving him almost instinctual control of any unsecured system, and the ability to bypass some security layers to interact with the rest. These nanites give him unparalleled control of his armor, and are a part of why his ERMS works as well as it does.
 
History
 
Birthright
Baron Magnus Vilhelm Katastrof was born into a loving, privileged family. Whenever he recounts his early years, he uses those exact words with a wistful smile on his face. Gostav Jarle Katastrof and Sonja Malena Katastrof welcomed their only child into the world with smiles, laughter, and a comparatively modest party for family and close friends. Of course, said party had guests that included the Crown Prince of Sweden, and some of the nobility from other countries, especially England. The party had only the finest, most expensive foods and table settings. Such was the life Magnus was born into.
 
Ambition
Of course, his life was defined by more than just his family's wealth and status. Magnus proved himself to be an extraordinary young man, testing as one of the top percentile in intelligence at the earliest age they begin such measurements. He went on to complete high school at the age of 16. He had two bachelor's degrees (Engineering Technology and Theoretical Physics) by age 19; his Ph.D. in Engineering came at age 21. At that point, he returned from his studies abroad (Germany, Switzerland, England, France, Russian, even Norway) to begin working in his family's company. He had a whole host of exciting ideas he wanted to see implemented, both to make a touch of money, and to change the world. Because if you can do one, why not do both?

Revelation
Unfortunately, Fate is a fickle mistress. For it was perhaps a month after returning that Magnus discovered his father's darkest secret. Gostav was part of a small group of nobles who had been seeking to call upon the powers of the ancient Norse pantheon and its various and sundry attendants. They had managed to bind a couple of willing participants to minor fallen heroes, but the results were fairly standard "flying brick" metahumans. Certainly more powerful than a mere mortal, but nothing that truly shook the world. But it was the result of decades of work and study, referencing texts from all time periods, and even a few scraps of notes from the Second World War. What was even worse than the "simple" use of magic, was their goal. They wished to take over the country, and perhaps all of Scandinavia! They claimed their hope was to quietly take control, working with a plan that spanned decades, and more than one generation. Gostav had hoped to bring Magnus into the fold, putting his brilliant mind to work on the project. After all, the boy's inventions would be just the boost their project needed! Then they could show these upstart proles, with their lazy living off the dole and their drunken rants against their betters! They would know their betters, and be made to work. But oh, the greatness they could achieve! It was for the good of the country, after all. Scandinavia could be so much more; Gostav painted a picture of a paradise on earth, one running on a seamless combination of magic and technology, a shining beacon for the rest of the world. And Scandinavia was as far as they wished to extend control; the whole world would prove too much hassle!

Principle
The flaw in their plan was Magnus. He was horrified by the very thought, and went first to his mother. She'd known of her husband's plans, but had wanted no part of it, one way or another. She'd immersed herself in the social scene, doing her best to utterly ignore Gostav's doings. Maybe if she ignored it, it would go away? But that wasn't good enough for Magnus; much as a few specific things his father brought up were valid points, this wasn't the way to correct the issue. They were above this! So he went to the authorities, and Gostav and the others were arrested, one by one or in small groups. They were ultimately found guilty of conspiracy to overthrow the government; none of their efforts thus far had been truly illegal. However, things were severe enough that any and all of them involved were immediately stripped of title and holdings; never again could they be considered nobility of Sweden. Even when released from prison in about 10 years, they would be watched closely, to ensure they didn't attempt a more covert repeat. Gostav and Sonja's relationship was strained, but genuine love pulled them through. His view didn't dramatically change once he was imprisoned, but he did at least give up on ever actually achieving his goals. It took 2 years (age 23) before Magnus would talk to his father again. After six months, they had mostly reconciled, with Magnus even telling his father of how the family company was running, whether he was dating a nice girl yet, and so on. Only the presence of bulletproof glass marred these meetings.

Determination
Of course, Magnus had not been idle for the last two years, even putting aside his work as majority shareholder of Katastrof & Sorenson Technologies and his duties as Baron Katastrof. Having seen the potential results of his father's work, and knowing that some of the information and technology involved had slipped through the cracks, and was even now out in the greater world, poised to cause havoc, he knew something had to be done. Something that required first-hand knowledge of the situation. The news made it seem fairly simple to be a superhero these days; even teenagers were doing it! So he began work on his finest piece of engineering yet.

Dedication
He made several astounding breakthroughs in those two years. Power systems, alloy mixes, motive systems, and more. All of it focused on the goal of building him an armor devoid of any magical influence. One born of pure science, pure human effort and ingenuity. He succeeded, and the immediate results left him feeling satisfied. The potential for the future left him anticipating more. But what name to call himself? What "theme" to take up. He spent many days trying to think of something, until it came to him. The Norse pantheon, it had caused so much trouble. The Nazies themselves had called upon its power; the mere temptation of that same power is what landed his father in jail! So be it; he would name himself for one of the creatures that would one day tear down those same gods. The Wolf of Ragnarok, Son of Loki: Fenris!

Application
In the last year, Magnus has moved for a time to Freedom City. He wants to "whet his teeth" on the whole superhero business for a while; Sweden has a few local supers who handle local villain activity with little trouble. He opened a branch of his company here, hoping to work with other local technology firms to better produce some of his more complicated prototype-level devices. After all, some of the breakthroughs that went into his armor could benefit all of mankind one day!
 
Recent
Magnus has been working hard, both in and out of armor, to make the world a better place for everyone. His company works day and night to forge the future for everyone. While not enormously active as the armored hero Fenris, he’s been critical in a few endeavors, including stopping a plan of the Foundry to build a “killsat†from stolen tech, and helping the newest Star Knight save the city from harm and track down the mysterious attackers. As well, he has been working hard to decipher the potential uses for technology recovered from the wrecked Curator ship and drones.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Out of Character

Inspiration
Mainly, Fenris is my particular expression of the Powered Armor concept, a concept I personally love. In particular, he draws a lot of inspiration from Iron Man. He's rich, he makes all his own stuff, he's got a shiny suit that shoots pew-pew "laser" beams, and he's not always the easiest guy to get along with. Originally he just had the armor, but personally the Extremis modifications seemed, to me, both thematic and cool (thus Fenris's Nanite Infusion). That said, I also think distinguishing between Man and Armor is important, so don't expect to see Bleeding Edge Armor happening (besides, Doktor A might have that angle covered anyways).

Edited June 8, 2013 by KnightDisciple

[KnightDisciple]

The Seven Rings
 
 
In Brief
The Seven Rings are ancient tools created to defend a nation faced with enemies far greater than itself. Each of them is an incredibly powerful artifact, a weapon that can make virtually anyone into a one-person army. Perhaps most terrifying is the fact that these artifacts will work for whoever claims them; while once meant for good, at least some of them have been used for evil in the past. Power can corrupt, and there is a large deal of power in any of the rings. Only time will tell the character of their wielders in the modern day.
 
History

Origin
It was 57 BC, and Israel was freshly conquered by the Romans. The Hebrew people groaned under the harsh rule of the Romans, but what military strength they had was nowhere near enough. Something had to be done. And in a remote hideaway, something was, indeed, being done.
In a secret cave complex, a conclave of mages was meeting. These men would be considered followers of the traditions of Kabbalah in the modern day, but in 57 BC they had no formalized name. While the mystical traditions of Judaism had many applications, these particular practitioners specialized in creating mystically imbued objects. They'd worked hard in times past to arm Judea's best soldiers with peerless swords, spears, shields, and more. But it was never enough. After all, the Romans had their own mages, some of whom had even studied under the witch Medea! It seemed like no matter what they had done in the brief tenure of fighting, it hadn't been enough. One of their elders proposed that it was because they had tried to make so many artifacts, and had spread their magic too thin. He said they should instead all cooperate to create a small number of very potent artifacts. These could be given to a few trusted individuals, who would become the "tip of the spear" in their fight against the Romans.
So their work began. It took them until 52 BC, but they were ready for the final step. They'd crafted seven rings, each with a unique gemstone embedded in a platinum ring, etched with dozens upon dozens of holy runes and symbols. A blue sapphire, a green emerald, a red ruby, a violet amethyst, an indigo spinel, a yellow beryl, and an orange wulfenite. Each gem chosen to channel a particular kind of energy. A particular resonance that would allow each ring to bring potent abilities to bear that, when used together, should make an unstoppable team. The rings went through their final assembly, their final preparatory benedictions. Then, the final ceremony began. Every member of this secretive group took part, all of them working in concert to channel various elements and concepts into the rings, and on top of it all pouring a healthy does of the elemental creative energy of creation. The ceremony was a success...one that cost the lives of half the participating mystics, including all the senior members. Those left knew how the rings worked, knew how to search for appropriate wielders...but did not know how to create more ever again. They agreed that, in the end, that might be for the best. Such power shouldn't become commonplace.
 
First Seven Champions
Within a year, all 7 Champions had been chosen, each for possessing just the right traits to effectively use these new rings. The champions were all grabbed from normal, non-military lives to become something, someone else. They were given 6 months to train themselves and train together, before it was demanded they take the fight to the Romans. So they trained and worked hard; each and every one of them went from "inexperienced" to "near expert" in that short time. They felt they were ready to take to the field of battle. So, in the summer of 50 BC, the Seven Champions of the Seven Rings launched an assault upon a nearby Roman garrison. It was a horrifically one-sided fight.
For two years, it continued in the same manner. The Romans slowly threw more and more troops at the Champions, but they always seemed to be able to take whatever forces were thrown at them. Eventually, they were taking on a fair portion of a Roman Legion. But then, tragedy struck. The wielder of the Violet Ring was isolated during a fight, and a handful of Roman mages managed to kill said Champion. The ring was recovered, but the loss hurt the morale of the group. Over the next few fights, the Romans grew bolder, and it wasn't long before Indigo and Orange were dead as well. The rest fell to despair, deciding they'd simply discard their rings, bury them in save places, and slip back into mundane lives. All of them except the wielder of the Blue Ring. He declared he would go down fighting.
He fulfilled that oath, and it was only through the timely work of the Yellow Ring-bearer that such a powerful weapon didn't fall into the hands of the Romans. All 7 Rings were gathered, and the mystics chose to hide them, entrusting a small number of their remaining members to act as watchmen, and look for a time when one or more of them might be needed by the land of Judea, and given to worthy successors.
 
Champions Through the Years
All of the rings have been wielded several times, by good men, by tyrants, and sometimes by people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was something of a pattern to the appearances, though. Often, 3 or more rings would be found and used at times when war or other major events were looming, or when the common person needed an extra bit of hope. The waning days of the Roman Empire saw all but the Violet and Blue rings standing against the barbarian hordes, at least for a time. In the middle ages, the Yellow, Green, Orange, and Indigo rings found themselves on the hands of people caught up in the midst of all the wars raging across Europe. As the Industrial Revolution approached, all but the Yellow ring disappeared. That particular ring seemed to keep changing hands, often working from the shadows...until it vanished in the late 1700s. From then on, none of the rings were seen again. Until a teenage boy found one in an old fortress in the desert, and decided to make himself into a hero...
 
 
The Rings

Blue Ring of the Determined Leader
The Blue Ring was built as the "centerpiece" of the set of 7. Not so much because it was the most powerful, but more because its versatility and the mental/emotional state it was connected to meant it was ideal for a team leader. The Blue Ring runs off of willpower, or as some might thing of it, determination. The wielder of the Blue Ring must always have a strong sense of what he's trying to accomplish, what he stands for, and so on. Unfortunately, in some wielders, this has led to great pride; not all determination is pure in nature. The Blue Ring is associated with Fire, and typically manifests most of its more overt powers as fire constructs. Its powers seem to vary according to the person using it, and sometimes on what actions may have pushed the Ring to its limits. Most of those who wore it found themselves physically enhanced, well-protected, and able to attack in a variety of ways. They almost always have at least some ability to create objects out of ethereal blue fire; however, unlike some of the other rings, these constructs never seem to last. They are most often used for temporary cover or other short-term tactical advantages.
 
Red Ring of the Courageous Warrior
The Red Ring has always been the most...volatile...of the Seven Rings. It grants its bearer great physical might and prowess in battle, but more than any of the other ring, it can leave its user prone to the darker aspects of its nature. For in the heat of a large fight, it is not a large leap to go from "courage" to "battle-lust", and from there to "wrath and rage". It is not so much that the ring forces anger on anyone who uses it, as it is that they mind-state required to use it without descending into rage is like walking a narrow ledge. More than a few have fallen from the ledge, and as a result channel immense anger into the ring; anger that has left "echoes" upon it for future users to deal with... Of course, the reward is incredible power. More than any of the other rings, the Red Ring grants its Courageous Warrior unbelievable physical might, easily topping even that of the Blue Ring. There is a legend that the greatest wielder of the Warrior's Ring so far was able to briefly hold up a small hill from collapsing on his comrades-in-arms, allowing them to escape before he simply punched his way free. And the ring grants endurance to match that mighty strength; more than a few tales speak of the Warrior shrugging off blows even from his fellow Champions. The Red Ring grants flight, but it isn't quite as fast as the rest of the rings; it's clear this artifact is meant for power in battle and little else. More than just power, the Red Ring grants the user power over blasts of lightning. Some of these blasts are straightforward, but some are more subtle, working to wear away the armor of a foe, or perhaps even weaken his very body. Still, the Red Ring gives no truly notable powers that apply outside of combat, beyond flight and the ability to move very large things. It's clear the Warrior was always intended to work in concert with others, as part of a team. Despite this, more than one user in history has adopted a "lone wolf" mentality.
 
Yellow Ring of the Cunning Illusionist
The Yellow Ring was, in the first group of Champions, used by the most trusted friend of the Leader. After all, together they could devise tactics that put the light-based illusions in just the right spot, playing on the fears and expectations of the enemy to drive them into disarray. And there is the core method of the Yellow Ring: Use illusions and other such powers to confused and frighten the enemy, leaving them as easy pickings for the Illusionist or his comrades. Of course, the flip side of this is that some users of the Yellow Ring descended into sadism, reveling in the power over others the ring gave them. Such individuals enjoyed causing fear in one way or another to whoever they can. This was not the ring's true intention, however; in its conception, it was thought that frightened enemies might surrender and thus prevent a larger spread of bloodshed. The ring's powers center mostly around light; it can create large, complex illusions that one can barely tell from the real thing. It uses harsher blasts of light to attack foes, strobe patterns to confuse them, and even carefully-calibrated pulses that trigger the fear response in the brain of almost any foe. Beyond that, the ring gives the basic protection against the environment all the rings share, grants the ability to fly, and gives the user decent protection, though less than the Leader, and definitely less than the Warrior. It has other minor enhancements, but it's clear from the outside the Illusionist fights first and foremost with their mind, not their arms.
 
Orange Ring of the Protective Builder
The Builder's ring is, in the right hands, perhaps the most potent of all the rings. Not so much because of it's destructive potential, but because of its creative potential. More than once, the Orange Ring has been used to raise a full fortress in the span of a day or less. Parts of Masada itself were actually earth carefully moved and packed together by the Builder's ring. Of course, those consumed by greed while wearing the ring created deep, dark places to hide their treasures; some of these secret vaults may yet be hidden across the world! For though the ring encourages protectiveness, for some, the years drag on and warp that instinct. After all, how better to protect something than to keep it to yourself? To hide it and store it and cherish it, so that no one else can despoil it even with a glance of their eyes! The greedy Builders have perhaps been the "least harmful" of the various fallen Champions; they tended to simply sit on their hoards and contemplate their possessions. When they fought, it was only to acquire more things, never for some baser desire to fight for its own sake. The powers of the Orange ring seem to center around earth. Rock and dirt, stone and sand, all seem to be connected to this ring. True to its name, it can call up these elements to build whatever the Champion who wields it desires. In battle, the Orange Ring can create permanent walls of stone, or temporary walls of thick, powerful energy constructs. Similar constructs are often used to attack foes, and the Orange Ring is famous for holding back large numbers of enemies on its own. Its protection to the user is decent, but like the Yellow ring, it does not lend itself to fighting up close. The Builder can fly, but no faster than the Warrior. However, the Orange Ring gives its user the ability to actually move about underground, all the better to know just where to created that perfect vault...
 
Green Ring of the Hopeful Fatemaster
The Fatemaster's Green Ring has been often sought by those wishing to increase their fortunes; however, they are rarely the ones to be gifted with its power. This ring is considered the most "temperamental", and has been known to literally fly off the hand of an unworthy user. The great trap that many of its users have fallen into is that of carelessness, a capricious abandonment of any sense of duty or obligation for the sake of following the whims of fortune. For the name "Fortunemaster" is well-earned; the Green Ring was often the difference between victory or defeat, its powers turning an enemy's skill against itself. More than that, the Fortunemaster's allies have preternatural luck, striking blows that by all rights should miss wildly, or shaking off strikes that should put them down. When he attacks more directly, the Fatemaster's ring flings out a blast of concentrated air, which moves so fast and with such pressure it often cuts the opponent. Opponents trying to strike the wielder of the Green Ring find their blows sliding off a thin layer of "armor" made of air; however, this armor can be breached, and the Green Ring's protection is never as thorough as the Blue or Red Rings. When flying, the Fatemaster can outpace everyone else; they are truly at home in the air. Ultimately, this ring is meant to move around the battlefield, aiding where it can and moving on, rather than becoming engaged in any one battle for a length of time.
 
Indigo Ring of the Empathic Mind-Spy
The Ring of the Mind-Spy was created as yet another "support" ring; while it has some potent ability to attack, either directly or indirectly, its greatest strength is in its ability to gather and disseminate information. Though the Mind-spy works best in a group, this Champion can work well on their own. In a darker twist of its intention, an experienced user of this ring could set themselves up as a ruler, due to the depth of their mental powers. Such would be the slippery slope they may face if they adopt an "ends justify the means" attitude with their abilities. For when you know the innermost secrets of man, why would you leave their ruling to them? Its wielder can read minds, or simply extend their senses to cover huge areas. And then, in a short amount of time, they can turn around and send that information to their comrades. Add to it their ability to strike at an opponent's mind directly, and they're formidable indeed. Whether the ring-user attacks their mind and will directly, fires a concentrated bolt of mind-stuff, takes control of their mind, or simply overwhelms them with fear, despair, or even love, they are a foe not to be underestimated, nor an ally to be quickly abandoned.
 
Violet Ring of the Loving Healer
The Healer's violet ring carries with it a sense of purity, renewal, and cleansing. Fitting due to its intrinsic connection with water. The Healer must care for others with deep and abiding love. They must also take care this love does not grow into obsession with others. The cleansing waters that flow from this ring wash away wounds, diseases, poisons, and all the sundry hurts and troubles of the body. By the same token, those waters can create barriers between the wounded and the enemy, and even strike back with deadly force; sometimes these attacks are like crashing waves, and sometimes they take the form of shards of ice seeking out an opponent. Another "trick" is for the Healer to summon water around an opponent, and flash-freeze it in an attempt to hinder their movements. On flying opponents, it may at least keep them from easily using limbs, if not ceasing their flight itself. The Healer's ring gives them passable flight speed, but they can move surprisingly well under water (though all rings let their users breath there). The protections of this ring run the standards of the others, with no outstanding features thereof.
 

Author's Notes
 
General Notes
So, these are basically my in-universe interpretation of, and homage to, the DC Lantern Corps. They're rings, they're color-coded (for your convenience!), they're potent, and they're connected to emotions and general "themes". But, there are some key differences. For one thing, there are exactly 7 rings, not 7 whole Corps. Each of them is unique; in other words, if one of them is already "in play" in this forum's game, you'll have to talk with that player, but most likely go for some other origin for your powers (or pick another one of the rings). Another difference is that these rings don't seek out a successor on their own. They won't work for just anyone, but they don't fly off and tell someone they've "been chosen". Instead, they often simply lay where they've fallen, or perhaps are locked away by someone who can't wear it but is still trustworthy. Some are passed down each generation. Point is, this is a plot hook: One day, your character finds an ancient magical ring, and bam, hero! Also, all rings have the Magic Descriptor, and either the Holy or Unholy descriptor (depending on if it's a villain or not).On to specifics.
 
Blue Ring
This one is used by Cobalt Templar. Thematic element/descriptor is Fire. As stated above, it's a bit of a "Jack of All Trades", and were another character to use this, they could reasonably end up with a different set of powers and focus than CT has. Still, the general idea of Flight, Protection, at least a Blast, and probably at least a little physical augmentation is good. I'd say at least a token amount of Create Object should be in there as well, if for no other reason than to justify this character always changing up how their attack looks, if not how it works. That's not to say a future user of the ring has to do so, though.
 
Red Ring
This ring is actually hidden away, given to Cobalt Templar by Ironclad a while back (she ran into an upstart villain using it). He's not actively looking for a user, mostly due to concerns about the "anger issues" it seems to generate. That's not to say the user of this ring should take the Rage feat; far from it. But I would heavily recommend anyone who decides to take this ring on take a Complication or two that has them be more easily angered, more willing to use force, etc. The unique Descriptor in play here is Lightning/Electricity. In my mind, a user of the Red Ring would get a Blast, and then a Drain Toughness of some sort (though that could come into play much later on). No Strike here, though, except maybe a Strike 0 with some Extras; all the melee damage comes from Strength. As well, this Ring is one of the most likely to leave lasting changes on a bearer; you could pretty easily justify some Enhanced Strength and Constitution here. Also, no Toughness here, just more Constitution. This guy ought to get Impervious Toughness at some point, though. Super-Strength is pretty much a given, and at least half again as much as the Blue Ring. Flight should be mediocre, as should any sensory abilities. Life Support is pretty given, and I could see justification for Immunity to Critical Hits. Basically, this guy is really good at taking down foes in combat. But on the flip side, his Super-Strength is the most "constructive" ability he has; he should never get Create Object.
 
Yellow Ring
Location and/or User unknown (aka I haven't thought them up yet, but it's Out there Somewhere). This Ring would (obviously) use the Illusion power. Probably Environment Control (Light). Flight that could match the Blue Ring generally speaking. Some Enhanced Strength, but no Super-Strength. No Create Object. Enhanced Dex would be thematic, and a bit of Enhanced Con. Protection, but definitely not Impervious. Emotion Control (Limited: Fear), and maybe at high level the ability to nullify the Fearless feat. A basic Ranged Damage, and maybe a Mighty Damage, but definitely not the direct attack focus of Red or Blue. Yellow is intended to sit further back, fool enemies with illusions, and basically do visual and mental "battlefield control". Precision over Power. Complications should focus less on major personality alterations and more on occasional recharge, or a minor vulnerability to unholy damage. Unlike Sinestro Corps rings they don't use any measure of mind control or the like.
 
Orange Ring
Also in Cobalt Templar's possession, locked away in his forest hideout. He's also not actively looking for a user, because the last guy was totally crazy with a Capital C. And he's not sure it's what he's "supposed" to do. Power wise, it looks defensively like the Red Ring. Toughness-shifted, fair bit of Impervious. Plenty of Enhanced Con. While the Red Ring makes you an Engine of Destruction on the battlefield, the Orange Ring makes you a Mountain. Not only should the Bearer be tough, they make tough Constructs. Plenty of Create Object here, but no Precise (except maybe near your "capstone"), and probably the primary iteration has no Tether or Moveable; you make big, simple rock walls. This character would play somewhat like Gaian Knight; making rocks, Move Object for rocks, Tunneling, and a slow Flight (but with Platform). Blast is you tossing around chunks of rock. No Strike; if you want Melee just get Enhanced Strength. Complications would include a long-term tendency to get possessive of objects, or even greedy. This ring has less immediate risks than the Red, but not by a long margin. If a character has iron focus and will, though (not the feat, just the character trait), it shouldn't be a large issue; mostly just an occasional "oh that's shiny I'd like it!" sort of thing.
 
Green Ring
Location and/or User unknown (aka I haven't thought them up yet, but it's Out there Somewhere). Somewhat like the Yellow Ring, this one is about Precision over Power. So no Impervious or Super Strength, but basic self-buffs are fine. Should be a fast flyer, but not be good at Space Travel; you're about Air not Space. Green is about being a "buffer"; one of the big things in this Ring should be Luck Control, and the "opening salvo" should be things that let your team-mates re-roll. Feats like Leadership and Inspire could/should be tacked inside this thing. As should ranks of luck. The Air Control should be a Ranged Damage, maybe an Area Damage, and perhaps some severely-limited Move Object (limited direction: forward or away). Later on getting anti-enemy Luck Control would be prudent. This Ring is all about changing the odds as much and as often as possible. Complications might revolve around difficulty staying focused on objectives, or developing high-grade apathy. The winds do not like to be bound, after all.
 
Indigo Ring
Location and/or User unknown (aka I haven't thought them up yet, but it's Out there Somewhere). Really only the Blue, Red, and Orange Rings are "powerhouses". All the others should lack Super-Strength or Impervious Toughness. This ring makes you psychic, essentially. Mind Reading, Mental Communication, Mind Control, Emotion Control, and Mental Blasts are the name of the game here. I would say average Flight, putting it above Orange or Red or Violet, and even with Yellow, but not as fast as Blue or Green. Also some ESP would not be amiss. Complications would involve, essentially, doing things "for their own good", with a bit of "ends justify the means".
 
Violet Ring
Location and/or User unknown (aka I haven't thought them up yet, but it's Out there Somewhere). Finally, the Healer Ring. This one, along with Yellow and Green, is more of a "support" role. While those 2 are "debuff" and "buff", this one is Heal. So, obviously, no Super-Strength or Impervious Toughness. Enhanced Con definitely fits. A Healing power or powers are rather obviously in tune. Beyond that, some Move Object limited to Water, and a Ranged Damage that's fluffed as water or Ice being thrown around. Possibly a little Create Object limited to water constructs (pull moisture from the air). Complications might include issues with becoming obsessed with people (which could sort of overlap with how protectiveness could go bad, but not entirely). This ring provides exactly as much clothing for user as the others, and if anyone ever tries to use this ring for stripperific outfits I will beat you with the Empire State Building.

Edited July 11, 2013 by KnightDisciple

[KnightDisciple]

The Barnstormers

 

Members

Core Members

Maverick

James Parker started his life a regular kid in a regular family in a regular city. Kansas City wasn’t like Freedom City; they had no resident supers, hero or villain. Oh, some might pass through on occasion, but none stayed. All the “action†was out on the East Coast, really. So for a time, his “adventurer's spirit†was partially sated by joining the military. But then the Terminus came and burned through the skies, and it was only his incredible luck that helped James stay alive. He took his honorable discharge soon afterwards, and moved back to Kansas City to run a restaurant with his family.

Of course, James Parker’s mother did not raise a fool, and he started to realize they were almost *too* lucky in their business. He wasn’t complaining, mind you, but he felt like there was something “simmering†in the background. Finally, one night when he was leaving the restaurant, he was mugged. Except that everything went wrong for the mugger, and he ended up knocked out and tied up, while James had nary a scratch. That was when he made a couple discrete calls with some Army buddies and got some tests done.

Turned out, he had the power to drastically alter probability, borderline reality-warping. That was something that took him aback, though he chalked it up to the insanity of the ‘93 Invasion, combined with, perhaps, a bit of Providence. Of course, now that he knew he had such a talent, he just needed to figure out how to utilize it...

A month later, he was (by some stroke of luck!) in contact with Thresher from Omaha. It didn’t take long before the costumed adventurer had helped James get a hold of some gear to fight crime (as one does when they discover they have probability-controlling powers in a world like this one), and the two of them struck up a fast friendship and solid crime-fighting partnership. It was ultimately Maverick (as James had taken to being called) who proposed the idea of the Barnstormers.

Today, Maverick is the leader of the Midwest’s only Hero Team, and something of an “elder statesmen†for the small but now-thriving hero community in the great swath of the middle of the country. Striking a dashing figure in his dark blue armored suit with white gloves and boots, Maverick protects his identity with a set of stylish goggle-shades and a heavy-duty “ball cap†that is itself lightly armored. The bit of hair peeking out from under his hat is starting to go gray, but there’s nearly always a smile on his face. Aside from his cunning leadership and incredible power over “Lady Luckâ€, Maverick sports a high-tech energy pistol that he tends to twirl around like a cowboy. He doesn’t make a big deal of being a high-profile African-American hero, but neither does he try to downplay it. For him, and his team, it isn’t really a big deal, and the most important thing is the great work they do together. He’s something of an uncle figure for much of the team, who are (except for Thresher) 15 or more years younger than him.

Thresher

Richard Blake’s family owns majority stock in probably a third of all food growing and production in most all of the “flyover†sections of the country. From Montana to Ohio and from Minnesota to Texa. Corn, grain, beef, fish, they’re involved in almost all of it somewhere and somehow. They directly own and run a couple of large companies based in Omaha. For all of that, they are probably some of the most unassuming rich people most folks may well ever meet.

Richard himself inevitably had a bit of self-importance around himself. Any child in his life probably would. But for all that, his parents made sure he was instilled with a strong sense of stewardship and responsibility. At the same time, they did all they could to encourage him to pursue his dreams; nevertheless, he ultimately wanted to try and follow in their footsteps and oversee the food industry.

With that said, Richard had a mind that latched onto science as well as business, including biology. When he was in college, he occasionally did amateur research into potential “super-foodsâ€, both natural and artificial, that could help encourage incredible health in the human body. As he progressed to his Master’s, this research further rabbit-trailed into ways to increase human potential via both supplement pills and, potentially, retrovirus treatments. His work crossed over with a few other aspiring scientists, and it seemed like it wasn’t long before they had a half-dozen potential formulas to study further! But then, Richard was in the lab one night when a lightning strike hit the building and sent a surge in through several electrical devices in the building. Said surges ended up driving him back-first into a table with several beakers of some formula samples. He lay there, near-comatose, for nearly an hour, before he sat right up and suddenly felt perfectly fine. He cleaned up the mess and quietly threw his coat away, and chalked himself up as lucky. After all, there wasn’t a mark on him, so nothing to worry about, right?

A week later he was in a wooded bit of property his parents owned, trying to get a handle on the incredible physical powers that had inserted themselves into his life. He took a year-long hiatus from school to give himself time to cope, citing “personal issuesâ€. College (even graduate-level) being what it was, rumors flew about the cause. Wild partying? Trouble because of indiscretions? No one could pin down a cause, so of course the invented reasons kept getting more fantastic. And were it just a minor health issue or the like, Richard would have worked to correct the rumors. Instead, he let them grow and fester. He told his parents what had happened, swearing them to secrecy; they knew the rumors that would fly were false, but of course their worry would be of a different sort.

After a year of cautious practice, the Blake heir returned to school to finish his Master’s in Biochemical Engineering, picking up an MBA on the side, along with a couple of basic criminal justice courses “because SWAT teams are cool!â€. He graduated with good grades, but not the top of his class, and went home to his family and their company.

It took him a couple more years of careful travels and studies to start molding himself into a hero (which was, to him, the obvious next step). Of course, when your body was as unnaturally tough as Richard’s was, you had room for mistakes. And now that he’s been fighting crime for around 15 years, Richard’s quite good at it.

Thresher’s costume tends toward “urban camouflage†when he’s working in The City (Omaha); the main armored bodysuit is a grayish-blue, while the cape, gloves, boots, belt, and scalp-hugging cowl are all a dark navy blue. When working with the other Barnstormers in their base or somewhere private, Thresher often pushes the cowl back, revealing the more basic domino mask underneath. While he employs a variety of useful gadgets, Thresher’s “signature weapon†is a three-section staff of high-quality metal. He tends to be the scout and surveillance specialist of the group, and is often the “straight man†of jokes with Maverik.

Stormchaser

Janet Herrington dreamed of touching the sky from the time she was 5 years old. Her parents mostly just chuckled about it, but when she showed a natural talent taking some lessons in high school, they realized she could make a career from her dream. After all, it’s not like women pilots were *that* strange of an idea. So they did what they could to help her get into a flight program at a university. But ultimately, she signed up with the Air Force ROTC, quoting a “need for speed†that civilian piloting couldn’t quite fulfill. She made excellent marks in college before earning her degree in Aeronautical Engineering.

Once she had graduated and was in the USAF as a pilot, it wasn’t long before she managed to get in the piloting program for the new F-22 planes. She enjoyed the “rush†of their speed and handling, and was regarded as one of the more talented pilots for the cutting-edge planes. Of course, it was that same talent that led to her awakening her powers.

One day on maneuvers with her squadron out over the East Coast, a “freak storm†boiled up almost on top of them, quickly forcing them to head back to base. On the way, Janet’s instruments ceased working, and she became separated from the group, her radio barely functioning. Despite the plane’s now-erratic steering, she kept it under control, but had little in the way of navigational aides. Just as her guidance systems started to work, her plane was struck by lightning; not once, not twice, but three times in rapid succession. The engines died, the electronics fried, and for several terrifying moments, Janet couldn’t even eject. Finally the system managed to blow off the canopy and shoot out the seat...only for winds to hit her so viciously she was moved in a straight line to one side. The sheer adrenaline from the experience finally fully triggered her latent meta gene, and suddenly Janet Herrington could feel the storm around her, could influence it, guide it, direct it. Within moments, the storm was effectively gone. Of course, despite somehow just hovering there in the air, Janet still didn’t have a good idea of where she was, and her jet was by this point a spread of expensive wreckage.

The weeks of debriefings and hearings afterwards were troublesome, but not as bad as they could have been. The armed forces were somewhat accustomed to the occasional “meta outbreak†with its soldiers, so they had some procedures in place. Ultimately, she was found to have no fault in the incident, as the USAF meteorologists explained the “freak†storm was actually natural, just unusually “aggressiveâ€; any part “influenced†by Janet’s metagene was extremely unconscious and fairly minimal (at most, serving as a “lightning rod†when the plane was struck, which certainly wasn’t her actual fault). Nevertheless, she ultimately took an honorable discharge and returned home to reconsider her life path. For a few weeks, she struggled to determine where to work and how to learn to really control what she could do. Until she received a call from a man who said he was the hero Thresher (she didn’t believe him at first). He offered her a job at a small private flight company on the outskirts of Oklahoma City, as well as the chance to not only learn to control her powers, but also to join a team of other super-powered individuals trying to do right by the Midwest.

Janet has been Stormchaser for a few years now. She’s probably one of the most outgoing members of the group, often serving as another “face†for the team alongside Maverick. While he tends towards a more laid-back good-old-boy approach, Stormchaser can sometimes come off as someone who’s had one too many cups of coffee. But for all that, she’s really friendly, and fantastic with children. Of course, at times that cheerfulness is a bit of a mask. After all, for all her power over the weather, Janet is not omnipotent, and she has to sleep. Further, she knows she must be cautious in the changes she makes to weather patterns, for fear of creating a cascade that threatens a whole continent with drought or storms or freak blizzards. Which means there are times she cannot stop tragedies. Every missed storm is like a knife to her heart, even if she never admits it to the rest of the team.

Her powers themselves are nothing short of incredible; not only can she call down lightning, winds, and ice from the skies to batter her foes, she can use her speed to deliver a flurry of blows to multiple opponents, striking them quickly with electrically-charged fists. Her reach into weather systems can reach for miles around. The speed lent her by her powers not only lets her fly fast, but also allows her to think and perform tasks at much greater speed. That speed is the key to her “ace in the holeâ€, a maneuver wherein she moves very fast to generate a near-explosion of light and sound; due to light refraction off of the water vapor that collects in her wake, a short-lived rainbow flashes into existence for miles around her, even as the winds blow over anyone unlucky enough to be nearby, and the sound of her passage assaults their ears. Her normal flight is itself fast, able to exceed the speeds of the fastest jets, at heights she could barely reach in her top-of-the-line fighter. One interesting manifestation of her abilities is that, when flying at higher speeds, ethereal wings that seem to be made of water vapor give the image of multicolored wings stretching from her back.

While not incredibly colorful, Stormchaser’s outfit still manages to have its own brand of “flairâ€. The base suit is padded and reinforced morphic molecules (vaguely resembling a motorcyclist's suit) colored a dark blue; it has shimmering lightning bolt highlights that start at the shoulders and meet at the navel and small of her back. The heavy-duty boots are firmly strapped on, and themselves sport small lightning bolts at the ankles. Her head is protected by a cowl (which covers her entire head bar her mouth/cheeks, and has a small opening in the back for her short ponytail) done up to resemble an old-time aviator’s cap, complete with reflective goggles; her lower face can be protected by a morphic molecule white scarf that she can pull up to meet the cowl’s lines. Her arms are left bare (as her “melee attack†power manifestation was found to shred sleeves anyways), with only fingerless gloves to give her knuckles protection.

Brand

Dusty Clayton was going to go pro. He knew it, his friends knew it, his parents knew it. Everyone knew it. At 15 he was already a rising star in his high school football program. Sure, he wanted to do more than just go pro, but hey, the NFL paid good money, and he could run a business or something later on, right?

That was before he had a flare-up of his powers the night before the final game of the season. He woke up in a bed smoldering in dark red fires...which were almost immediately drawn into his body when he desperately wished it would stop burning! His frightened cries drew his parents, who were a bit unsettled, but figured he was another kid with powers waking up (the news made it sound like they were all the rage these days). Of course, what to do? Where to go?

Luckily, they didn’t have to do much searching; somehow, their clumsily-worded Google searches tripped some filters at Claremont, and Headmaster Summers called the Clayton family up. He helped calm their fears, and it wasn’t long before the respectable-looking headmaster with his fancy cane was sitting down across from the family, explaining a couple of options.

Football wasn’t going to happen, but Dusty would certainly still have the chance for a quality education. Mrs. Clayton was enthusiastic about the scholastic opportunities, while Mr. Clayton was relieved his son would be able to go someplace he could fit in and not worry about burning down.

So Dusty went to Claremont and slowly learned his powers, inside and out. He discovered that fire, lightning, indeed quite a few forms of energy soon could barely touch him. He could drink them in, though fire was the easiest by far. And then, he could turn it into those red-black flames. The ones that sometimes haunted his dreams, though he never again burnt up a bed.

It was only his senior year that he discovered he was touched by Entropy, and his powers marked him as a Terminus Child, a T-Baby. This caused him a small emotional crisis; he remembered the stories his parents told of their trip to shining Freedom City, right as the Terminus Invasion struck. They saw the terrible battle in the sky where the Centurion fought Omega. Their lives were spared, but both had a few scars, both physical and mental, from the ordeal. Now he was a freak, a constant reminder of that trauma. A visit from his parents and a heartfelt, tear-soaked talk with them washed that notion away.

When he graduated Claremont, Dusty was unsure of what to do long-term, so he decided to put his fire-based powers to good use. He went home and joined the city fire department, and worked out a deal with the Fire Chief where he work a hybrid uniform-costume that marked him as an official firefighter, but also as a powered individual. While he couldn’t put out every fire in a city at once, he was an incredible asset, especially in the larger blazes. He was kept busy, but Dusty found himself enjoying the work. It was hard work, but he knew he was helping people, saving lives, and it kept him busy.

Of course, when Maverick approached him to join the Barnstormers, the young adult barely had to think before saying “yesâ€.

Today, he’s one of the two “artillery†members of the group, his ability to absorb and expel energy making him a valuable asset on the battlefield. That he can often help combat the worst wildfires that sweep the Midwest and its neighboring areas only helps his reputation and that of the team, and gives him one more thing he enjoys doing, almost as much as he enjoys tussling with the occasional bad guy.

Today, Brand’s outfit is a bit more fanciful than his initial getup with the Dallas Fire Department. A full body suit of rugged unstable molecules in a few layers helps keep him comfortable in most environments, even if he doesn’t need it; the suit is primarily a deep red, with dark orange accents, going for an obvious fire motif (complete with stylized flames). His face bears a half-mask covering his nose and throat (“Smoke still stinks and tastes terrible even if I can breathe itâ€), and goggles cover his eyes (“Feels gritty, don’t like thatâ€).

Stanchion

Jessie Peak came from a mixed heritage; her father was a descendant of Swiss clock-makers who had migrated to the United States a few generations ago, while her mother was a second-generation Japanese-American who had a sharp business mind. The Peaks ran a successful technology business, Mr. Peak being something of an inventor himself. They were a happy family, though Jessie grew up wanting to get beyond the Mile High City and see more of the world, or at least the country; they never seemed to have time for big family vacations.

When a temper tantrum at age 14 inadvertently powdered a boulder in their backyard, it wasn’t long before Mrs. Peak called up that nice Summers man running a school in Claremont that she’d heard rumors about. Rumors that ultimately didn’t quite cover the full scope of the truth. While the whole situation had rocked the heretofore steady world of the family, they adapted surprisingly well. Though Jessie experienced times of teenage rebellion while several states away, family bonds were ultimately too strong. And though part of her enjoyed her time learning to use her powers at Claremont, the “shakeup†of moving to the East Coast also made her actually appreciate schooling. Enough that she decided she wanted to be a teacher.

So after graduating from Claremont, she went on to attend the University of Denver and achieved a Masters in Primary Education. After getting her degree and certification, she went on to become a 1st-grade teacher at a public school in Boulder, living in an apartment not too terribly far from her parent’s home. But while she dearly loved her job and enjoyed teaching children, part of her couldn’t truly resist the siren song of the power singing in her veins, her legacy from the earth-mages of the ancient Alps.

So it wasn’t long before Stanchion debuted in Colorado, fighting crime and helping out in disasters out on the mountains. And it wasn’t long after that that the burgeoning team for the Midwest contacted her. Maverick and Thresher helped her smooth out her methods for keeping identities separate and such. Today, she still teaches at the same school; her dedication to teaching means she doesn’t run off for a super-fight at the drop of a hat; most mundane crime during the day doesn’t get her attention. The occasional genuine metahuman (or tech-using human) attack might draw her wrath, though. And she’s a fearsome opponent for foes the Barnstormers face on the Great Plains! Her ability to move and mold dirt and rock mean she’s a good hand in rescue situations, as well as forming firebreaks or new channels for irrigation and water movement.

Stanchion wears a loose outfit, layered earth tones with dashes of dark green thrown in. Her hands bear padded gauntlets, while more nimble “ninja style†boots make sure her steps are light but sure. A bandana-style mask covers the top half of her head, her hair bound up in a tight braid down the back, while a dome-shaped hat keeps her face shadowed enough to make photos indistinct.

 

 

Aquifer

Tina Evans never thought that the Polish heritage on her mother’s side included more than one Sidhe. Of course, it’s not like anyone at the family reunions had pointy ears or anything, so it’s not like it was obvious. And for most of her life it wasn’t!

Until the night in her senior year in high school that she was about to get mugged in an alley after taking a few wrong turns after a concert. When she summoned up a blast of water that tossed the thugs to the opposite end of the alley, it was a big surprise for her! Bigger even than Thresher (boy was he far from home) suddenly dropping onto the thugs and quickly restraining them. Apparently he’d been tracking the gang these guys were in over half the Midwest. He’d seen what Tina had done, and was impressed. He gave her some numbers to contact if she wanted to at all pursue this new chapter in her life. After he politely escorted her to a bus station, of course; he was nothing if not a gentleman.

After getting home and going through some emotional aftershocks of the near-mugging, the Evans family (mother, father, Tina, and her younger-by-a-year brother) sat down to talk about things. None of them knew how the powers had come up (that discovery came later), but her parents were firm she at least ought to learn to control them, even if she didn’t end up a hero. After all, it was the same as someone getting lessons in driving a car; it would be irresponsible to not practice with something that had that kind of potential danger!

So extracurricular lessons with a Claremont graduate got arranged, and Tina graduated high school near the top of her class and with some pretty cool powers to boot. But what to do now? Then she was approached for a special “learn as you go†business internship at Blake Foods. The program helped promising students work part time and take accelerated college courses, earning a degree in 3-5 years while also keeping down their debt and building up experience in the business world. Tina, with aspirations of going into accounting and eventually becoming an actuary, jumped at the chance.

It was only after getting set up at the St. Louis office and enrolling at Saint Louis University’s business program that Thresher contacted her again, asking her if she wanted to do some hero work on the side. He explained that with her powers, she didn’t have to fight villains, either; being able to call to water would be enormously useful in the breadbasket of the United States! Tina thought for a bit, and finally agreed. Now, 3 years later, she already has her Bachelor’s and is working on her Master’s alongside her Actuary license, all while spending a fair bit of time fighting both crime and drought as Aquifer, the aquatic avenger of justice!

Aquifer’s powers are fairly potent; she can attack with water in a variety of ways, and even cause it to freeze, at least to a limited degree. She can generate some on her own (faerie magic), but works best when there are sources nearby. She’s taken to the martial arts training alongside Granary pretty well. Both young women prove themselves more formidable than one might initially think, a mistake that’s laid out more than a few enemies of justice!

Her outfit bears a few layers of unstable molecules (even if cold doesn’t really bother her), and has a few handy pockets, as well as some decorative padding on her shoulders (to broaden her silhouette a bit). Her twin braids flow out through special holes in her full-head mask that otherwise covers everything but her mouth, smooth reflective lenses over her eyes still somehow giving off a friendly air. The whole thing is decorated in various shades of blue.

Granary

Sarah Cassidy was a quiet girl growing up. Not necessarily unpopular, neither had she been one of the infamous “popular girlsâ€. Instead, she just sort of...drifted. College helped, especially because it let her really focus on her love of science, specifically cutting-edge botanical genetic engineering. Even in college, she was beginning to break ground in developing new strains of plants, primarily hardier and more efficient food crops. Each change was incremental, but measurable. When she graduated, it was perhaps a foregone conclusion she would end up at a high-end biological research facility run by Martel Enterprises focused on plants.

She was a valued but quiet member of the team, never really making any “waves†as she continued to dive into her research. Her biggest “secret†was probably how much she admired the superheroes of the world, especially the plant controllers, and especially the Freedom League member Fleur de Joie, the mighty but humble plant controller! Truly there was someone who understood the importance of the botanical world. Sarah’s research, somewhat unconsciously echoing this desire, started to include potential ways to incorporate aspects of plants into the human genome. Primarily, she sought ways to incorporate some of the unique resilience of plants, and perhaps ways to use photosynthesis to sustain and heal the human body. It was bleeding edge, but it was something her supervisors were leery of, so she was asked to keep it as a heavily-monitored side project.

When agents of the Labyrinth attacked the lab, seeking the results of another sub-section that had been developing less-than-lethal agents based on plants for use by police forces (presumably to make them very-lethal), Sarah was trapped in her private lab. Even though part of her wanted to try and do something, she hid, knowing she couldn’t do anything against the strange bio-engineered troops marching through the halls. Until a couple of them burst into the room, frightening her and causing her to dash across the room...right to where she had the secured cabinet with several of the human/plant hybrid formulas. Just as she reached it, one of the invaders hit her with a high energy “stun rayâ€. Normally this would have just knocked her out, but as she slammed into and through the glass of the cabinet, and the shot from the second invader smashed several of the formula vials, that extra energy helped start a unique reaction...

Sarah Cassidy’s unconscious, bleeding form was dragged to one of the waiting helicopters outside the facility, the first of the prisoners the Labyrinth goons had gotten their hands on. Everyone else was in a secured shelter room (somewhat standard for high-end research facilities on Earth Prime). They hadn’t counted on the young scientist subtly healing up, nor her hair slowly shifting color...or that, when she woke up, the grass all around them would spontaneously shoot up into entangling vines that left them completely tied down. Somehow, she instinctively grasped control of her strange new powers, and quickly wrecked the various helicopters. Before long, the rest of the Labyrinth troops were restrained outside, and Sarah was left standing there in a near-panic, before suddenly she was standing next to the potted plant in her apartment, trying to figure out what was going on.

Several sick days and a few panicked calls later, Sarah was taking a nice separation package from Martel and being relocated to the Barnstormers base, where she serves as the team’s medic and bioscientist, as well as doing freelance research on the side.

Granary (as she’s chosen to call herself) is not as powerful or versatile as Fleur de Joie, but is perhaps a bit tougher, as well as being unusually stealthy (both from her powers, and extensive training from Thresher). Often, she and Thresher will sneak in around behind an enemy and use surprise to bind them and deliver the knockout blow. She’s proving herself quite the martial artist, even as she’s able to create and manipulate large swathes of plant matter. A power that’s appreciated during times of drought or plague, for sure.

Her outfit is a mix of green shades, with a few highlights of rose red mixed in (to keep from being confused with Fleur too much). A basic, rugged bodysuit of unstable molecules is the cor, with plenty of pockets on the belt and legs for samples or first aid supplies or whatnot. Sturdy boots and gloves round out the “base†layer. On top of that, she wears a dark green Inverness-style coat with an added hood, while a large domino-style mask covers the upper half of her face (but narrows down and slides under her hair on the sides and back). Her pixie-cut hair is no one color, as it seems to shift between various flower shades that are connected to her mood; usually it’s a fairly mellow color, but in the occasional fight it might end up a brighter shade.

Reserve Members

These heroes sometimes fight alongside the other Barnstormers, but are a bit more independent, and don’t necessarily make a habit of making it to team meetings or all the fights. Thus, Maverick and Thresher have classified them as “Reserve†members, though none among the Core members question the power or heroism of these fine people!

Sidewinder bears a sleek battlesuit in his fight against the forces of evil, moving across the skies at incredible speeds! He calls Wichita, Kansas his home, though he’s just as often patrolling the state’s capital of Topeka.

Casey Jones is a man built like a truck and stronger than a train, his powers making him a paragon not unlike the legendary Centurion. The hero dressed in a fanciful version of a train engineer’s outfit of old makes his home in Illinois, though he tends to be seen more in Springfield, as Chicago typically has a hero or two focusing just on its defense.

Mantis is a polite woman who happens to bear the ability to call forth swarms of insects virtually anywhere; she uses these powers to help stem damage from locust hordes and other similar troubles across the Midwest. Of course, she’s often fighting crime in Little Rock, Rogers, or one of the other scattered cities of any notable size in Arknsas.

Captain Dakota flies about North and South Dakota fighting against evil with his mighty strength and his shining light-based powers. His colorful costume and shiny powers hide his shame at being a second-generation demon who decided to fight on the side of angels, stealing an ancient, hellish artifact in the process of fleeing to a remote section of the USA.

 

Shieldmaiden is the daughter of one of the eldest Valkyries, long ago frozen into stasis in a grand battle, and now revived to fight the forces of chaos and Ragnarok here on Midgard! This lady weapons master makes her home in Minnesota, among the descendants of the Vikings she once fought beside.

 

Base, Mission, Purpose

 

Base of Operations

Some would say the base for the Barnstormers is more befitting a random mad scientist than a team of superheroes. Others would say it’s oddly isolated. Thresher says it’s conveniently located, and they don’t have to worry about weather chipping the paint.

Most missile silos are further west and north, but there are a few a bit closer to the heart of America. In this case, it was a facility designed to launch a series of successively more advanced missiles whose purpose would primarily be the temporary disabling of the high-end USSR supers who would be flying to intercept it. The missile itself was dismantled in the late 80s due to the changing times, and the silo was cleared out, leaving a metal-and-concrete husk behind.

Years later, Thresher, as Richard Blake, purchased it and began renovating on the sly, with a few tips from Raven and Daedelus in the Freedom League. Slowly it transformed into an elaborate operating base. It had living quarters for about 20 people long-term, with short-term shelter options for a couple hundred (one never knew when you’d need a tornado shelter in the Midwest), as well as plenty of cooking, relaxation, and entertainment space. There was a standard gym, one equipped with high-powered equipment to challenge those with superhuman strength, and even a primitive simulation room for basic team exercises. The whole place was fully wired with an incredibly secure bank of servers giving them more processing power than they’d need (and constantly updated, approximately every 3 years, by Thresher and Sidewinder). A meeting room gave the team a place to plan how they’d tackle a problem, doubling as a place to easily communicate with groups like the Freedom League and various state authorities. A few prep rooms give the team a place to change into costumes, or repair/replace them, before a mission. And the central shaft houses the launch elevator for the team’s high-end jet.

All in all, it’s remote enough to avoid trouble, but close enough to a couple of cities to keep the team well-connected. And it’s well-stocked enough some of them live there part-time.

Team Origins and Mission

The team began with a partnership between Maverick and Thresher to bring down a particularly nasty gang, but the idea for it to be more than just a dynamic duo was all Maverick. He realized that the morale of the Midwestern supers needed the boost that a high-profile hero team could provide. It was time the “Flyover States†showed they could produce heroes of the same caliber as the Coasts. It was all friendly, of course, and Maverick still has only the highest of respect for both the League and the Champions (not that he doesn’t engage in some good-natured ribbing now and again).

Stormchaser and Stanchion were the next two recruits, with Brand coming about a year after that, and Granary and Aquifer coming on at about the same time (and thus ending up training together). The various Reserve members trickled in over the years, with Captain Dakota being the newest recruit, and (on the flip side) Sidewinder nominally having joined before Brand (and having helped construct their base).

These days, the Core members are almost always active on missions, though rarely are all 7 of them at one site, either because there are multiple disasters, or they have other obligations. The Reserve members typically attach themselves if either their specific skills/powers are needed, or the issue is near their “turfâ€.

All in all, the Barnstormers are a successful, respected group of crime-fighters who get even more practice dealing with disaster relief and mitigation, enough that they sometimes work with UNISON on projects outside the US borders, though typically not for long. All of them love their homes, and the greater area they protect. For some it’s Flyover Country, but for them, there’s just No Place Like Home.

Author’s Notes

 

Concept and Purpose

This team was conceived (way back when) out of a desire to see more heroes not only from, but in, the Midwestern United States of America. I wanted to make a cool, competent team that could handle both super-crime and natural disasters. Most of them are “elementals†for this very reason. They can calm storms, reduce the impact of droughts, beat back wildfires, that sort of thing. They’re not perfect, and there’s not an infinite number of them. Bad things still happen. But they’re heroes, they’re there to help, and it helps.

Thresher is because every team needs a Cowl.

Maverick’s sort of inspired by the mayor of my hometown (at least when this team was thought up), primarily my thought that “if nothing else he has an awesome voice and I’d totally love a hero with that voice leading a teamâ€. Also the name Maverick is awesome, and a smiling, savvy luck controller leader is a nice touch. He doesn’t have Edge’s crazy reality-warping, so he can play things smart. He’s the guy who nudges the metaphorical (and literal) dice in your favor, all while having a crazy plan that’s just so crazy it might work.

 

This team is meant to be used by anyone, so feel free. Don't job them or fridge them, but otherwise feel free to use one, some, or all of them. They're all supposed to be PL10, because they're covering something like half the USA by area (even if some of the big cities have a couple heroes lounging around in them). These folks know what they're doing, but they're all open and friendly and ready and willing to help. Y'all come back 'round these parts, y' hear?

 

 

Suggested Builds (With Tweak Suggestions)

 

Maverick: AA's >Luck Controller With A Gun, albeit with some heavy tweaks. No autofire on the gun, drop leaping entirely, speed down to 1, and use the freed-up points to buy stuff like Inspire and such.

Thresher: AA's >Costumed Detective, no tweaks needed.

Stormchaser: Gizmo's >Rainbow Dash build. No tweaks.

Brand: AA's >Fireman build, no real tweaks.

Stanchion: AA's >Terrakinetic build, no real tweaks.

Aquifer: AA's build for >Nina; drop the Vampiric attack and make that a Move Object: Water power with as much range as possible (to pull water up from underground).

Granary: AA's build for >Walkabout, no real tweaks needed.

Sidewinder: AA's build for >Avro Arrow, maybe a few tweaks to make him smarter, but otherwise fine.

Casey Jones: AA's >Regenerating Paragon build, no real tweaks.

Mantis: Trollthumper's >Animal Controller, but focused on insects and arachnids, not birds.

Captain Dakota: AA's >Demon with a Power Ring build, no real tweaks needed.

Shieldmaiden: AA's >Zorro build, but if possible shifted to no tradeoffs on Attack/Damage, since she's more about power. Heck, no Defense/Toughness tradeoff either, but with some of the Toughness and Defense tied up in 1-2 devices for "shield and armor".

Edited July 18, 2013 by KnightDisciple

[KnightDisciple]

Cobalt Templar

 

 

Corbin is a tall, broad-shouldered teenage boy; he's grown to the point he could be mistaken for an NFL Fullback. His dark hair is worn in a fairly short cut, just above "buzz cut;" Corbin says he likes not having to mess with it. His face is clean-shaven. Whenever possible, he wears loose, plain-color t-shirts and cargo shorts. When the weather is colder, he'll throw on jeans, and eventually a hooded sweatshirt or the like when he's outside. His one indulgence is a peculiar-looking pocket watch that he says his father bought for him several years ago. Otherwise, all of his clothes seem to be the sort of thing you'd find in a Wal-Mart, rather than a Ralph Lauren.

 

The Cobalt Templar is decidedly more exotic-looking. His image evokes an armored knight, though one with plenty of colored paint; his costume is primarily cobalt blue, with maroon red trim (base layer, mask, and most of the armor is cobalt blue; armor has maroon red trim). The base seems to be a thick cloth, itself almost metallic-looking. Over that, he wears a what looks like a strong armored breastplate covering most of his torso, long armored gloves that go past his elbows, leg-plates that reach halfway up his thighs, and armored faulds that protect his upper legs and lowest torso. His identity is protected by a domino mask, with a simple helmet worn over his head. Much of the Templar's armor seems to have an odd mix of classical and futuristic lines, giving him a rather other-worldly appearance. Topping all of this off is a maroon cape that not only seems somewhat frayed, but is actually noticeably transparent; sometimes it will move as if flapping in the wind, even if there is no wind to move it.

 

Powers & Abilities

 

Cobalt Templar wields the Blue Ring of the Determined Leader, one of The Seven Rings>. While he has not delved the full depths of its abilities yet, he has accessed a large well of power nonetheless. His costume is just for show; the ring reinforces his body with a sort of force field just around skin level, meaning he is always protected. The "armor" is just a construct of its power; the material feels like something between plastic and aluminum if examined more closely. The ring allows him to effortlessly and almost instantly shift between his "civilian" wear and his "work" attire, and in fact to virtually any outfit he imagines. Anything that isn't his "natural" clothes (which get shunted into a small pocket dimension in the ring) tend to carry a blue coloration, often with some red or maroon mixed in. As well, the the ring allow him to survive in the most hostile of environments, including space, and to see in even the deepest of darkness. It even helps him unconsciously sense danger, giving him an edge in combat. His flight seems unsupported by any wings or other visible means of propulsion, simply lifting him into the air as if gravity were an option, rather than a law, though he often has an aura of blue, flickering flames (harmless) surrounding his body. He is able to reach speeds around 10,000 miles per hour in-atmosphere, and once he exits the atmosphere, he has found he can exceed the speed of light, hitting up to 25c.

 

Cobalt Templar's most obvious powers center around his control of the unearthly cobalt fire that the ring produces. Strangely enough, he is not limited to burning things with blasts of this fiery power. Not only can he form hand-held weapons out of it, he can also create various simple objects, including walls, chairs, and the like. And most amazingly, the ghostly flames can wrap harmlessly around people and objects, quickly moving them out of harm's way. His unique artistic streak shines through in his power usage here, as his attacks almost always look at least slightly different each time, manifesting the blasts and strikes of energy in unique ways. More recently he devised a way to channel his fire into a large "shell" around himself (which he shapes to his whims); this shell makes him almost 10 feet tall, and gives him enough strength to move buildings. On the downside, he suffers from blunted senses in this "mode", meaning he has a harder time hitting opponents or avoiding blows. But his near-invincibility, as well as his sheer power, tend to make it a worthwhile trade in the right circumstances. While his ability to create and manipulate independent objects (rather than constructs he channels his powers through to attack an enemy) have waxed and waned, it is still part of his ability set, though he typically uses it to help him move large objects or numerous smaller ones, or occasionally to reach otherwise hard-to-get things.

 

 

Biography

 

Early History:

Albert and Sarah Hughes had not originally planned to have a child just yet. After all, they were up-and-coming businesspeople in two different, rapidly growing companies! They were young; there was plenty of time for kids when things settled down a bit! But, sometimes life doesn't turn out how we plan for it. So, they buckled down and worked hard to make sure Sarah could take sufficient maternity leave to stay healthy. More efficient that way and all. Truth be told, they were both happy about the event, unplanned that it might have been. They adjusted their lives and plans, and several months later, Corbin Alphonse Hughes was born (October 27, 1993). None of them realized what an incredible destiny lay ahead of him.

 

Corbin grew up in ever-increasing affluence, as both Albert and Sarah worked their way up from junior investors, to senior investors, to assistant vice-presidents. More and more Albert and Sarah found themselves on the road, leaving Corbin with family friends or caretakers (as they had no other close living relatives). They tried to stay connected with their son, but the onset of his teenage years made it increasingly difficult.

 

Compounding the problem was the fact that while young Corbin seemed to have a mind well able to grasp all the various "business lessons" his parents gave him, he lacked a desire for said lessons. Oh, he'd learn what they were telling him, and talk about how to apply it. But it was blatantly obvious his heart and mind were elsewhere.

 

You see, Corbin had grown up with a love for books, especially adventure stories and (oddly) history books. As he grew, he read and watched stories about men who went to dangerous places on earth to dig up lost treasures and knowledge. He just knew he was going to do that one day. And while many childhood career dreams change almost daily, this one stuck with Corbin even as he became a teenager. Oh, his idea of what that sort of work entailed became more realistic; he knew he'd likely never run across a single ancient "booby trap" of any sort, let alone the kinds of things Indiana Jones was dodging in his films. But still, something about working to uncover the past, to decipher the clues, intrigued him. Plus, just the general study of history was fun. The fact that he'd managed to pick up a few ancient languages over the years helped; he had a bit of a knack for them. His friends at school occasionally ribbed him about it, but his warm nature combined with his large size meant he never got any real trouble from other students. In fact, Corbin often sought to stand up for the various "underdogs" who got picked on at the school, his own size often stopping incidents before they started. All in all, things weren't too bad for Corbin, despite his workaholic parents who were only home half of the time.

 

Stirring of Destiny:

Of course, it was too good to last. Just after his sophomore year of high school ended, Corbin's parents broke the new to him. Albert had been appointed Chief Human Resources Officer of Rath and Stromberg Investments, and his mother was to be the Chief Analytics Officer at the Rhodes Foundation. They were moving to Freedom City, out on the East Coast. And they were doing so during the summer. Corbin was horrorstruck. All this time, they'd managed to stay in one place. His parents were the ones who traveled, not him. And now? He had to move across the country, away from every one of his friends, just so they could move up a couple pay grades. Only the news that they were taking him on a long-desired trip to the Middle East, specifically Israel, helped. Volatile as the region could be, Corbin's interests were piqued. After all, there were so many historical sites! So much archeology! Even better, his parents were arranging the trip with actual archeologists, not a generic tourism firm. Only the best for their son. It didn't take away all of his anger, but Corbin was content to take the trip, nonetheless.

 

So it was that Corbin Hughes, nearly age 17 traveled to the ancient lands of the Middle East. There, he visited several ancient sites, including Jerusalem, Nazareth, Tel Megiddo, and Masada, to name a few. It was at Masada that his life changed forever.

 

At Masada, Corbin was exploring some of the less-public areas of the ruins with two Professors of Archeology; Jacob Smith from the US, and Chaim Amar from Israel. Corbin, being younger and more athletic, was carrying around a couple of cameras and his "rough and tumble" sketch pad, occasionally going into areas the two Professors had more difficulty accessing. Two-way radios ensured they were always in communication. At one point, the discovered a tunnel entrance behind some crumbling rock. After a short distance sloping downwards, the tunnel ended at a 20-foot deep straight shaft. After talking it over, Corbin rigged up a safety line and lowered himself down the shaft. At the bottom, he found another tunnel, this one leading only a few yards deeper into the earth before ending at...a stone door. There were several lines of Hebrew scrawled across the door; Corbin took out each camera in turn, and took several pictures of the door. He then radioed the professors, asking what his next move should be. Before they could respond, the door opened of its own accord. This was also reported, and dismissed as "settling rock", though Corbin wasn't sure. He proceeded carefully into the chamber. The chamber was 10 feet in diameter, in a perfect circle; the only feature in the room was a 4 foot tall pedestal in the exact center. It was a smooth cylinder, with, of all things, a ring slotted into a notch on the top, once more in the exact center. The walls were nearly covered in writing and pictographs; Corbin quickly started taking as many panoramic pictures as possible, trying to capture the whole wall on film. Just as he finished his slow turn in place, he noticed the door slowly shut. When he tried to shove it open, it wouldn't budge. His radio was suddenly filled with static, but he managed to roughly communicate that he was trapped. The inside of the door had a few markings as well; belatedly, he took a few more pictures.

 

Suddenly, he noticed the faint blue glow lighting the walls alongside the flashlight strapped to his shoulder. He turned, and saw the ring apparently on fire. Specifically, a deep cobalt blue fire. Oddly, the ring was completely unharmed, as was the stone around it. Suddenly, Corbin heard a voice echo in the chamber.

 

Chosen:

He looked around, but saw no way someone could be speaking into this room. The same voice, same word rolled across the room again. Louder; dust fell from the ceiling. Corbin's eyes became glued to the ring as his right hand slowly reached forward, until it was inside the blue flame, touching the ring. Moving on automatic, he slowly pulled the ring from the notch, before his left hand reached up, grasped the ring, and guided it on his right ring finger. The pedestal slowly sunk into the floor until it was flush, and the voice echoed once more. "CHOSEN!" Suddenly, with an ear-splitting *crack*, the chamber began to collapse in on itself. The next few moments are still blurry in Corbin's memory; all he can really recall is blue fire, and crumbling rock, and a feeling of weightlessness. When he was next fully aware, both Professors were standing over him, marveling at how he got all the pictures out intact; he must have taken a small side passage that opened up as that section of the dig collapsed. Neither commented on the new ring on his finger. Corbin himself forgot it as he was quickly flown back to the States, to his new home in Freedom City, by his worried parents.

 

It was two weeks later, while he was roaming his family's new house in North Bay, that the ring that he'd essentially forgotten about suddenly flared with light.Albert Hughes was actually home at that time, and came running when he heard Corbin cry out. He came to a dead halt when he saw his son kneeling on the floor, staring in shock at the ring on his hand. The ring that was surrounded by ethereal blue flames, which were flowing forth to form...a rock on the floor. One that wasn't scratching or burning the expensive wood paneling. After several long moments, Corbin gained control. He looked up at his father, genuine fear filling his eyes, right before he passed out. When he came to, his father was examining the ring. He explained that he'd attempted to remove it, but it seemed unwilling to budge. Corbin manged to take it off with no problems, but when he tried to place it on the coffee table, it hovered in the air for a moment before settling. As an experiment, his father slipped it on his hand; nothing happened. When Corbin donned it again, the ghostly flames wreathed his hand for several seconds. Father and son looked at each other, and knew everything had changed.

 

Just two weeks before Corbin's junior year started, his parents managed to work some connections, and get Corbin in to speak to some of the faculty at Claremont Academy. In the couple of weeks since the "awakening" of the ring, Corbin had managed to gain a notable amount of control, discovering another power, or variation of a power, every few days. The Claremont instructors spoke with him, asking about the situation surrounding his acquisition of the ring, what it could do, how well he could control it, and so on. Albert and Sarah were visibly uncomfortable with the whole situation. They wanted to know why they couldn't just have Corbin take off the ring and get rid of it. Corbin insisted he ought to do something with this power. The instructors noted that the ring's nature wasn't fully known yet; attempting to discard it so casually might have dire consequences. Thus, it was decided that Corbin would spend his junior (and presumably senior) year at Claremont Academy, not only continuing his traditional education, but also learning to control the powers granted to him by the ring. Corbin's feelings were mixed, especially as his parents arranged for him to live on campus 5 nights a week (Sunday-Thursday). Corbin got the impression his parents wanted to forget about the whole "kid with powers" thing by shoving him off in a corner. The fact that they more strictly enforced his access to any and all money from his trust funds only reinforced this notion. He knew they loved him, but he also knew they liked order and predictability in their lives. Right now, he was almost the polar opposite of either of those things. So Corbin accepted his lot at life, and started trying to fit in at Claremont.

 

Fun Times at Claremont:

At Claremont, Corbin found himself soon a part of Young Freedom, the premier team of young heroes at the school for young heroes. Between his team and other friends he made, the transition to Claremont wasn't nearly as painful as he thought it might be. He even found love among his fellow students. Of course, it wasn't all fun and games. Being a part of Young Freedom for 2 years, Corbin found himself sucked into a multi-dimensional "adventure" that had them visiting multiple worlds, until they finally settled on the world of Wander's birth, a dead Earth that was soon awash with Terminus forces. Ultimately they faced down the Knight of Entropy himself, and actually managed to temporarily slay him.

 

The next year was odder, but no less dangerous, including a trip to Tronik and a meeting with the Erde version of himself. The tension that emerged between Corbin and half his team left him frustrated the last couple months of his senior year, a frustration he only partially excised with his parting gifts and letters to his team-mates. He graduated near the top of his class and with his choice of where to attend college.

 

 

Personality & Motivation

Corbin Hughes is boy of contradictions. Despite his athletic build and apparent love for rock-climbing, he's looking to become an archeologist and historian. On top of that, he has a not-very-secret love of drawing and painting, something which he has some decent talent at (as demonstrated in gifts to his friends, and his love of reading is well known, at least to his friends. Corbin tends to read various sorts of suspense books, as well as alternate history fiction, classical epics, westerns, and sword and sorcery. His taste in movies tends to run similar to his literary tastes, with more allowance for individual films that he enjoys. As for music, he enjoys most blues and jazz, as well as soft, blues, folk, southern, and classic rock and roll. On a deeper level, Corbin has fully embraced his heroic path, a path now fully supported by his parents. He loves helping people, and some part of him (a part he doesn't always like to acknowledge) enjoys the fighting, too. He finds himself constantly working to balance his personal relationships, his education, and his hero work; none of them are things he wishes to abandon, but all take quite a bit of time. As well, he has found he has a distaste for death; even when fighting Omegadrones, a part of him hated what he had to do. Only against Omega himself was that reservation truly put aside. For all that he's a near-giant of a man tossing around bright blue fire, Corbin treasures life, and is shaken when it just snuffs out in front of him.

 

 

Out of Character

 

Words From The Creator

Cobalt Templar was, first and foremost, meant to stretch my character-creation a bit. He's got a Device with an Array inside of it; before long, he'll have two Arrays. As well, I wanted a Claremont Student so that I could more easily partake of the high roleplay potential contained in that place. Beyond that, I've always enjoyed the concept of Green Lanterns, and wanted to put my own spin on it. Even the whole "multiple Corps" thing appealed to me. Thus was born the idea of 7 rings of incredible mystical power, each crafted for a particular role in an elite combat team...in the ancient Middle East. As for the particulars of inspiration...I tried to mix things up a little. While his color would suggest he's a Blue Lantern Corps member, his actual powerset is a basic interpretation of a Green Lantern Corps member, right down to the 24-hour recharge, and the weakness. Though instead of a color, I went for an emotion (fear) and an "element" (hellfire) that I thought were the antithesis of the character. Moving more specific, Corbin is heavily inspired by Kyle Rayner so far as personality, skills, and such go; on the flip side, he's inspired by Alan Scott when it comes to how his powers actually go about their business (as well as the origin of the ring, roughly speaking). Which of course has now fully manifested in >the Seven Rings.

Edited July 23, 2013 by KnightDisciple

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel

 

In Character

 

Powers & Abilities

Incredible powers aside, Carson Finbar Keefe is a knowledgeable, reasonably attractive young man with a flair for drama and people skills. Beyond that, he is able to hold his own in a mundane fist fight, though he lacks the sheer strength, or special skills, to do more than throw punches and kicks seemingly at random.

 

However, with his astounding ability to manipulate sound waves, Gabriel becomes a force to be reckoned with. His ability to amaze, distract, befuddle, and demoralize his opponents is almost doubled. People pay attention when Gabriel speaks up. In truth, what's happening is his body constantly sending out unnoticeable sound waves at an incredibly high pitch, such that even dogs and other animals cannot truly "hear" them. Instead, it's as if Gabriel's very being is suffused with the soothing presence of a white noise machine, without people even realizing he is doing this. However, if Gabriel is trying to intimidate someone, often they will begin to feel on edge, as if fingers are scraping over a chalkboard, a wolf is howling somewhere in the distance, and/or a blade is being slowly, menacingly sharpened right next to their ear. All of this is subconscious, as they don't register these sound waves; instead, their minds process it into the background of what they're experiencing.

 

As well, he can utilize sound waves on the extreme ends of the scales to propel himself through the air; the alternating high and low frequency bursts compress the air around him, turning him into, essentially, a human rocket. His body automatically creates a cone of compressed sound waves in front of him after he achieves a certain speed, allowing him to break the sound barrier with ease, and ultimately achieve speeds of approximately 50,000 miles per hour.

 

Gabriel's mastery of sound is so thorough that he can whisper through the air across great distances. If he so chose, he could talk to every person in Freedom City as if they were standing next to him. Or, he could whisper to someone across the room without anyone else detecting his words. And through it all, he can hear them just as clearly, and understand (and be understood) in any language.

 

The "meat" of his power, however, lies in his ability to, in some way or another, make his opponent's life difficult even without knocking them out.

-By generating sudden loud, random noises at point-blank range to his opponent's ears, he can render them deafened for a short time.

-By generating intensely focused sub-sonic and ultra-sonic waves, in a modified version of his intensified natural charm, he is able to instill various emotions in people. Calm, fear, anger, and other such intense emotions; all of them can be generated with a thought and a gesture by Gabriel. He's only used it to calm angry people, or to induce utter terror a couple of times when other methods failed. He dislikes using this power, when all is said and done.

-He can intensify his "sonic charm" such that his speeches could inspire the most morale-deprived army to incredible heights, or talk down even the most fanatical of criminals.

-Gabriel can assault someone's inner ear with random sub-sonic pulses to leave them utterly disoriented and confused.

-With a mere touch, Gabriel can slam someone's body with waves of low-frequency sound, what some might call "brown notes" or "brown noise", leaving them feeling intensely sickened.

-Alternatively, Gabriel's sonic assault can permeate their nervous system, especially their brain, leaving them unable to move as their brain tries to sort through the random "junk signals" it's getting. With a little extra time and concentration, he's able to do this at some measure of range, though it still only affects a single target.

-His control over sound and vibration is enough he can assault the physical fortitude of a target, rendering it ever more vulnerable as his effort intensifies.

-Finally, and most directly, Gabriel is able to compress and focus sound waves into blasts that hammer at his foes harder than any physical blow.

 

 

 

Equipment

His outfit, once reminding others of a heroic priest-figure, now seems more like a warrior-priest. Loose white pants, rugged gray leather boots, a gray cloth belt, and a baggy white shirt form the base of his outfit. Covering everything but his mouth and lower nose is a white mask pulled over his head. Over his chest is a sculpted breastplate; at a glance it looks almost like silver, but its obvious strength and lack of corrosion bely that. His hands have fingerless gloves that seem to have an inner layer of cloth or leather, but an outer layer of fine chainmail (of a material similar to his breastplate); over his forearms are smooth vambraces of the same otherworldly material. His lower legs bear smooth greaves of the same holy metal as the rest of him. And over his head is an open-faced helmet of that polished silver-steel. Most amazingly, the metal seems to actually flex with him when he moves, which seems to make it extraordinarily comfortable to wear. Finally, a predominately white leather duster sits on top of everything else, with a black trim bearing intricate gold patterns consisting of Celtic knots and crosses. The most amazing part of this outfit is its ability to, in a flash of light, exchange itself for his normal outfit (though leaving the, ah, bottom-most layer intact) from its hiding place as an elegantly simply silvered wristwatch.

 

Just as noticeable as his armor is Gabriel's new weapon. Where before he relied solely on his sonic powers, he now has a shining spear to help surprise unsuspecting opponents, or those who display unusual resistance to his favored powers. The spear itself is exactly as long as Gabriel is tall (6'), with 10 inches being the the leaf-shaped blade; said blade has a smooth curve, and flares out to 4 inches wide before narrowing down again. The whole weapon seems made of silver, yet notably stronger than said metal has any right to be. The spear has incredible power within itself, shining out when Gabriel wishes it. Just as incredible is its ability to turn into into a great shining silver trumpet, or its ability to turn into a simple silver ring on his right hand (so that it's available when he wants it without being obvious). All in all, Gabriel looks the part of the guardian angel so many already think of him as.

 

Description

Tall and fairly thin, Carson is nonetheless a comparatively unremarkable figure in his civilian guise. Often electing to wear jeans and a plain polo shirt, Carson manages to strike a balance between "comfortable" and "professional" that many people find baffling. He almost always has an easy smile on his face.

 

Gabriel is a bit sterner figure, but still one that tends to put innocents at ease when they meet him. The armor he wears shines like a knight's, and the reassuring smile almost always on his face makes him seem less threatening than one might think.

 

 

Biography

 

Early History

Carson Finbar Keefe was born on the Emerald Isle, that ancient land known as Ireland. Raised on the outskirts of Limerick, he grew up in a large, loving Catholic family. His father and paternal grandfather own and operate a pub, The Falcon and Cent. His mother and paternal grandmother both helped raise the kids, seeing as his paternal grandparents lived in a small cottage just down the road from his parents' house. His maternal grandparents were present almost as frequently, often coming over for big family dinners and get-togethers on the weekends. They lived and worked in Dublin, his Grandpa Colin being a board member in a mid-sized business in the city. Thus it was that the Keefe family never had to live hand to mouth. They have never been rich, but they had what they needed, and that was good enough. Besides, family weekends were always fun!

 

As he grew older, Carson started experiencing a sense of dissatisfaction. At first, he couldn't even pin his finger on it. His mother could tell something was often bothering her middle son, but she couldn't tell what it was. It wasn't until Carson was in high school that he began to grasp the meaning of this sense of discontent. Like many others, he saw a world that felt so flawed, with so many people wandering around with little hope. But Carson wasn't a superhero. He wasn't even a normal genius; his grades were merely on the high end of average. No, his real talent lay in acting; from the tender age of 6, he'd often been the leading man in any plays his school put on. The fact that he could sing as well as he could act helped during the Christmas plays, for sure. But how to fit his love of acting with this sense of, dare he say it, holy discontent?

 

Then he thought of the drama teacher at his school. Miss O'Brian, a kindly lady in her late 50's. Not only did she struggle to make sure kids like him had a chance to express themselves, she often helped serve as a mentor or a tutor. Suddenly, he had a sense of certainty. He'd be a teacher like her! Well, maybe eventually be a real actor, too. Like Peter O'Toole, or Liam Neeson! That would be really nifty...

 

So it was that Carson redoubled his focus on the fine art of theater performance. His parents were touched by the drive and focus he displayed. Once they sat down and talked with him, and he confirmed that his desire was genuine, they got behind him 100%. But Carson took things even more seriously. Several times a week, he would kneel down before going to sleep, and fervently pray that the Lord would grant him the strength to help the unfortunate, the influence to change lives, and the skill to help those who needed it. He prayed for success in his studies, and more generally for the strength and guidance to accomplish this task. Of course, it was only a couple of years later that something more incredible happened to Carson.

 

Origin of a Hero

Three nights after he turns 17, Carson was on a walk in the nearby park, enjoying the early evening weather and view. Suddenly, a brilliant light blinded him, causing him to stumble backwards. As his vision started to clear, he heard a voice. "Fear not, Carson Finbar Keefe. My visit to you is one of greatest import, for you have a great destiny ahead of you. Your prayers have been heard. Now, they shall be answered, in a way more wonderful than you could have dreamed."

 

When he could see more clearly, there before him stood an angel! Flowing robes, glowing hair and eyes, white wings, and...a trumpet? Carson quickly crossed himself and muttered a short prayer.

 

"Why...why have you come to me? And which angel are you?" Then his courage took some root, and he straightened a bit as he clutched his rosary. "How do I know you're truly an angel, and not working for the Enemy? He can disguise himself, can't he?"

 

The angel slowly walked forward, stopping right in front of Carson. There he(?) knelt, slowing reaching his free hand out...to grasp the rosary. It did not react at all with the being at first; after a few moments, it took on a deep, unearthly glow. And Carson knew this angel was genuine.

 

"I applaud your courage, Carson. You will need it for the years ahead. I am indeed a true angel. An Archangel, in fact. I am Gavriel, Herald and Messenger of the Most High. I have come because you have been chosen, Carson Finbar Keefe. You have been chosen to be an agent for Good in the world. Your current dreams are worthy, yes. Such is the work of many Saints. But you shall have a task higher still. You will be endowed with a small fraction of my power. You shall craft sound into a weapon against the forces of Evil, large and small. You have great things ahead, Carson. Or should I say...Gabriel."

 

And with no warning, Gavriel was simply gone. Carson looked down, to find himself clad in simple white clothes. Shirt, pants, gloves, boots, coat...mask, hood? Almost all of it, shining white. He felt power welling up within himself. He had a grasp on at least the basics of what to do, though he knew he needed practice. And oddly enough, he suddenly knew how to play the trumpet, as well as a couple of other similar instruments. But...what would he tell his parents.

 

In the end, Carson broke down and told his father and mother what had happened. He made them promise not to speak of it to any of the other family, and to instead help cover for him as he took the time to start mastering his abilities, while still working hard to go to school. At first they were reluctant, but after Carson showed them his new outfit (which sadly he could not simply summon and de-summon at will), and some of the things he could do, they became convinced. So Angus and Bevin worked hard to help their middle son. They served as sympathetic listeners as he related his frustrations with school, his powers, and the continuing uncertainty of where exactly he should go.

 

Carson graduated high school, and immediately entered the closest university with a strong fine arts program. There, he honed his dramatic and vocal skills, while also working on methods to do the same for his future students. He applied all his energy to the program, graduating with a Masters in Theater Education, and a Minor in Counseling, in only 5 (grueling) years. It was perhaps his happiest moment yet, one full of a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

 

Not two days later, he awoke in a cold sweat. He'd had a dream, one with a sense of purpose. But all he could remember was flashing images of his heroic identity fighting criminals and super-villains in a city. Carson got up and went about a typical morning in his house. But when he happened to glance at the paper, something caught his eye, tugged at his heart, and left his rosary feeling warm on his chest. Specifically, there was a story about another conflict between superheroes and supervillains in Freedom City, seemingly the center of such activity in America. At that moment, he knew where he had to go. "Ma, Da, I know where I'm going to teach. Freedom City."

 

At first, they looked at him with confusion. Then they saw the certainty, the conviction, in his eyes. Slowly, his father nodded, pride shining in his eyes. His mother managed to avoid crying, though a single tear slipped out of one eye as she gazed on her boy, now a man. "If that's what you feel you need to do, son, we'll help you get everything squared away."

 

His parents kept his word. Oh, he didn't move to Freedom City the next week or anything. It took Carson just over a year to get a passport, work visa, and various certifications before he was able to move to America. During that time, he'd been helping his father at the pub, as well as doing some teaching at the local schools. Between all of that, and a bit of help from Grandfather Colin, he managed to arrange for halfway decent housing close to the campus. While he had an Irish driver's license, he didn't want to try dealing with either public transportation or getting his own car for a while. Besides, walking did him good.

 

Carson has been living and working in Freedom City for the last year and a half. But it took him a bit over a year before he started doing any sort of crime-fighting. He prefers to keep a low profile as he patrols mostly Southside, the area he has, generally, "adopted" as "his.

 

Freedom City Adventures

For the first 4 months of his hero work, Gabriel did nothing but confront street crime. He may have passed the odd hero while "on the job", or even when out for a fly, but he'd simply nod and move on. That all changed when he sat down on a roof one evening and wondered aloud whether he was making a difference. As if answering his prayer, Freedom Angel came by to help him through his moment of doubt. Gabriel was introduced to Fleur de Joie, and from that night on, his hero life seemed to open up.

 

Ever since, Gabriel has found himself spending more and more time among other heroes, as well as fighting more potent threats. Whether it's a duo adventure against a large group of thugs, a tour of Southside for the benefit of younger heroes, or a pitched battle against a horrible demon, Gabriel has found himself engaging in the sorts of battles one might read comic books about.

 

Gabriel found himself one of many heroes fighting the tide of undead that was sweeping across Freedom City during the month of October. On October 28, he was watching over a rally of parents wanting to "take back the community", when two rival necromancers attacked in what amounted to a battle for territory. Gabriel fought bravely, eventually destroying all the undead present and subduing the necromancers. However, he was gravely wounded, saved only by the intervention of Freedom Angel and Fleur de Joie. He recovered, and continued to fight, but the incident eventually led him on a quest to find a replacement.

 

In more recent times, Gabriel has finally earned membership in the Freedom League, as a Reserve Member. His continuing friendship with Fleur de Joie, and his now firmly-established friendship with Gaian Knight allowed him to request aid and permission to construct a >combination monastery and retreat on Sanctuary, to serve as a sort of "secondary base" for Gabriel, but mostly to help provide aid and infrastructure for the group of survivors discovered on the scarred planet. There are still plenty of challenges ahead, but Gabriel has an even firmer foundation than ever to weather the storms that may come.

In early January 2014, Carson and Sonya Sokolova, having not had much "spark" (or time) in their relationship for a couple of months, had a discussion and decided to end their dating relationship. While both felt a bit of sadness, and Carson's parents may or may not have held a pseudo-wake at the prospect of him being single again, it was ultimately something they felt was for the best.

 

 

Out of Character

 

Words From The Creator

Gabriel was born from a couple ideas crossing paths a couple years ago, combined with a desire to "stretch my wings" a bit with Mutants & Masterminds rules.

 

A while back, I created two very different PL10s with names based on archangels (a Battle Suit, and a Costumed Adventurer). Myself or one of my gaming buddies joked that I could probably make a whole team of them. I ended up playing around in Hero Factory for a while, and came up with three more "angel" characters...including Gabriel.

 

Within that framework, I decided I wanted variety. I already had a "sneaky guy" with my Cowl and a "blasty guy" with my Battlesuit. I created a "big guy" as a kind of combo Powerhouse and Mystical Gadgeteer, and a "healer/mage" with a Mystic fellow. Gabriel was the "bard/group face", who ended up being a Sonic Energy Controller. I figured controlling sound was the ultimate expression of the idea of a super-diplomat. For a bit of humor, I made him Irish, to go with the old "gift of blarney" idea. Thus, we have the absurdly charismatic man who can mess you up 6 ways to Sunday by making sound sit down and roll over for him.

 

That he's become something of a "walking Public Service Announcement" wasn't entirely intentional, but is something I'll keep rolling with. I like how he's becoming kind of a bright, shiny counterpart to the more typical Cowls (who often "claim" cities or areas of cities). Southside is "his" to a point, and he tends to be very protective of it. But he ends up being the sort of guy people (who aren't crooks) cheer for, rather than recoil from. On the flip side, he's not so mindlessly cheery he'd drive the "darker" sorts too crazy.

Edited January 28, 2014 by KnightDisciple

[KnightDisciple]

Katastrof & Sorenson Technologies

 

Regional Locations

 

KST Headquarters

The crown jewel of all of Katastrof and Sorenson Technologies, the World Headquarters is, in fact, located next to/inside of Castle Katastrof, nestled in Katastrof Valley, not far from Helsingborg, Sweden. The lovingly-restored old castle has several gleaming modern towers nestled to one side.

Much of the old castle is still the private residence of the Katastrof family, and is closed to anyone not on the approved list (which is rather short), and guarded by some of the most intensive security systems found anywhere.
The new construction, by contrast, is purely devoted to the running of an international technology corporation. Most of it is office space, file storage, server farms, or similar things to help run the company. There are meeting rooms, auditoriums, and secure demonstration areas scattered about the impressive edifices.
Beneath it all, in the basements of the Castle, are a collection of even-more-secure rooms that serve as small, private laboratories to the Baron, for whatever project or projects strike his fancy. Such as the lab space converted to his primary armor maintenance and vault space, as well as the primary teleportation mechanism to help deploy the Fenris armor in the field.
All in all, the HQ of KST is an impressive piece of real estate, one with a long history that it has inherited, and even more history it intends to make.

 

KST Freedom City

The downtown Freedom City location of Katastrof and Sorenson Technologies is an impressive modern edifice, somehow seamlessly combining new and old stylings, a mix of stone and metal and glass, into a coherent whole.
It has a large receiving lobby at the bottom, with a few public display areas, informational booths, and “labs†that allow visiting schoolchildren to watch men and women in lab coats do science-y things behind glass walls (rotating duty).
About a third of the main space of the building is devoted to things like accounting, managers, and various other behind-the-scenes business infrastructure.
Much of the rest is a spread of various small labs, fabrication spaces, or computer labs (for simulations and such).
The top several floors hold several meeting rooms, the Baron’s private office, and his private lab in the United States. A lab that happens to have a bit more room than anyone quite knows about, thanks to some judicious paperwork; it’s a handy space to store a suit or two of armor, the secondary version of the deployment system, and various systems and tools related to the upkeep of the armor.

 

Worldwide

Katastrof and Sorenson Technologies enjoys a wide number of locations across the globe, though at this time all Division HQs are still in Sweden, with regional HQs (like the one in Freedom City) running things for a number of smaller lab facilities in their country/area.

Divisions

KST Engineering

Katastrof & Sorensen Technologies, Engineering Division is what many consider the "bread and butter division" of the multi-national company. Headquarters for the Engineering Division are located in Gothenburg, Sweden, where they reside in a building designed by some of the country's top architects. It's a display of simplicity and complexity all at once, which is exactly the aesthetic KST Engineering strives for every day.
KST Engineering was born out of Katastrof & Sorenson Industries. What was formerly a manufacturing conglomerate supplying both civilian and military sectors, with occasional forays into more cutting-edge technology, was in the space of a few years morphed into part of a larger whole. Gostav Jarle Katastrof had determined that he would be part of a company that defined the future, instead of "just" manufacturing it. While his eventual reveal as part of a criminal conspiracy hurt the company, the transfer of stocks to Magnus was ultimately a boon. In the space of 5 years, a combination of the young Baron's own technical genius and his rapid collection of many of Europe's finest minds means that KST-E has virtually exploded with talent, inventions, and income.
Today, KST-E is something of a "catch-all" division, handling many of the less-specialized projects and lines that other Divisions don't deal with daily. Sometimes projects that start in KST-E move on to other sections of the company, though it's not overly common. While it's considered the "Engineering" division, KST-E encompasses the manufacturing might of KSI, and more besides; rather than outsource 90% or more of the actual product-making, Baron Katastrof has ensured instead that automation means he can spread his existing workforce out to do more. As well, it makes it easier for the engineers to go on-site to make sure products are meeting the desired specifications (or at least the slightly more realistic iteration of them typically found on the market, instead of in isolated labs). These manufacturing centers are spread across large swathes of Europe, reducing shipping costs, providing greater redundancy for manufacturing in case of accidents or disaster, and incidentally increasing employment wherever they go.
Areas that KST-E deals with design and manufacturing include:

• Computing: KST-E designs and produces a number of computing devices with next-generation technology, including palm PCs, tablets, laptops, consumer home PCs, business-grade PCs, servers, and supercomputers. Their cutting edge designs cram more performance into less space, making better use of every speck of material involved. While not as cheap as some competitors, their performance and longevity showcase the principle of "getting what you pay for".
• Display: KST-E is breaking new ground with flexi-glass displays for various handheld computing devices, as well as super-thin computer and television displays, and integration of displays into things like bookshelves (real-time tracking of personal or public library contents with the push of a button) or refrigerators. As part of this they're striving to find new ways to make such displays scratch and smudge resistant.
• Automotive: KST-E is starting a foray into the automotive industry, currently focused on "luxury" class vehicles. Integrating advancements from KST Power Division, KST-E automobiles produce 0% pollution, require no charging or fueling, and integrate various advancements in the materials sciences to make them more resistant to wear and tear, including self-repairing tires. While not widely advertised, they do provide VIP-class vehicles that include enhanced communication and computing gear, as well as increased durability by way of low-profile armor alloys and glass substitutes that make the KST-E-A limo model the new vehicle of choice for the King of Sweden.
• Materials: KST-E has worked on new alloys, bioplastics, glasses, semiconductors, and other fields of materials science, often as a step to help get other projects off the ground.
• Software: Considered separate from the hardware-focused Computing Division, Software's main areas of focus are Security and Productivity products, mainly geared for business and corporate work (but with personal/home products offered as well). Rumors of Artificial Intelligence research are growing, and the company remains evasive on the matter.

KST Power

KST Power is one of the divisions that Baron Magnus created and "spun off" of the "core" KST-E. KST-P's entire focus is on improving current power generation methods, and innovating new ones for future generations. The two-fold goal has been both Greater Efficiency and Greener Power; while not a radical environmentalist, Magnus recognizes the value of eliminating as much harmful pollution as possible. Thus KST-P focuses on revolutionary green technologies.

• One of the projects of KST-P has created what some consider a "stopgap" design for retrofitting coal plants to not only produce power more efficiently, but also to capture 90% of the emissions (especially Carbon) and siphon them away to be processed elsewhere.
• They've produced tougher, more robust, more efficient solar panels that also require fewer rare/exotic/toxic materials to produce, and have innovated ways to smoothly integrate them into existing building power grids.
• Vastly more effective geothermal taps have been created that can be used in a larger number of areas, though they still aren't approaching a level that can power anything more than one large building, or a few small ones.
• They've helped update designs for Molten salt reactors, especially Liquid fluoride thorium reactors. These research projects are conducted at isolated, secure facilities, and have produced some promising results that are receiving interest from several factors in Europe, as they are one of the most efficient, high-capacity solutions that KST-P can help produce in the next 5 years or less.
• Further on the "horizon", KST-P has been working on finding ways to create a fusion reactor with positive net output. While they don't believe "cold fusion" is necessarily possible, some strides have been made with some of their streamlined tokamak designs. Their current chief competitor in this research area is Archetech, who are focusing on designs that are located offshore for better cooling and easier fuel access. KST-P's designs currently don't have the same size or output, but are being drawn up to be located virtually anywhere, as well as having an extra layer of hardened, redundant safety systems for worst-case scenarios.
• The most advanced and long-sighted project at KST-P is actually the one whose prototypes have not only produced results, but are actually in limited production runs. The Vacuum Energy System utilizes an advanced application of quantum field theory to produce usable power by tapping into background interactions present across the universe. So far, the largest unit (used to power the HQ of KST-P, with a twin powering the main production facility) is approximately 30 feet in diameter and 15 feet tall (not counting support struts and supplementary equipment underneath it). It provides more than enough power for the HQ of this Division, which not only contains offices, but also a large number of computer labs, small testing facilities, prototyping rooms, and similar places to ensure that more than "just paperwork and phone calls" is done in the rather stately building. The average VES Cell is around 6 inches across, and individually provides sufficient power for a large sport utility vehicle to run at maximum capability continuously for, effectively, all time. As the VES does not use fuel in the traditional sense (instead "piggybacking" off of existing energy interactions), the fail points are mechanical in nature (as it does not halt entropy in any appreciable way). The VES design's greatest selling points are its incredible efficiency, its utter lack of harmful byproduct, and its safety (worst case scenario with a VES is the unit crumpling in on itself to produce a ball of wrecked circuits and metal, with 0 risk to surrounding structures or people). The largest problem is the requirement for somewhat exotic materials that are currently hard to produce or find on Terra. The Baron believes that once asteroid mining is a truly viable concept, the asteroid field (and possibly some of the moons of outer planets) will help yield excesses of exotic and common minerals, including those needed to truly mass-produce VES Cells of all sizes. Currently the VES Cell production is focused on units for internal use, such as in planes, automobiles, and heavy machinery (such as forklifts). Limited runs for other purposes are possible, but not currently occurring.

KST Aerospace

Probably the most focused of the branches of KST, the Aerospace division has two main sub-sections. One focuses on various plane and helicopter designs, mainly incorporating advancements from KST-E and KST-P. The other works on satellites, primarily meteorological and GPS models, though there are a couple of surveillance models marketed to governments (a strictly-controlled list vetted by the Baron himself). There are rumors of other projects, however…

• One project that’s already seen fruition is that of the Baron’s collection of long-range private jets. Used to ferry the Baron, company executives, employees, and high-priority technology deliveries (when not something large enough for a true cargo plane), these planes, definitely in the “heavy private jet†category, are a marvel of engineering. The utilize multiple VES cells in “clusters’ to help power the internal systems as well as the engines. The engines themselves utilize incredibly powerful heating elements to superheat the air to the point it might as well be a traditional turbojet engine. However, the high-end materials used mean that these engines wear down at a slower rate. Their power source means their range is primarily limited by other supplies, and in practice can go over either ocean non-stop with little trouble. The electronics are top-of-the-line, and the planes practically fly themselves, though the Baron ensures all pilots are of the highest skill level.
• Another target area is the lower-cost small prop planes market, where the weight savings of the VES units really shines. Needing only 4 small disks that collectively weigh a few pounds to drive a totally-electric engine for the propeller, the planes manage to be enormously responsive and fantastically light (having actual weights added to prevent problems due to being overly light), giving them a handling most pilots rave about.
• The helicopter designs are more varied, and are prototypes one and all. But with the lack of a combustion engine, the various prototypes are all extremely quiet. One of them is attracting some military attention from a few countries, but currently isn’t strictly speaking a military design.
• On the satellite front, a couple of VES cells gives unparalleled power capacity for some of the most advanced and complex satellites ever designed and launched. So far, the only satellites actually in orbit are focused on meteorology, GPS, ozone surveys, and tracking geological data. All military satellites (which are exclusively communication and surveillance designs) are still on the drawing board or early prototype phases yet.
• Ever since the company had gotten the chance to go over the remains of the Curator’s ship, a comparatively small team of scientists and engineers had been pouring over the data gathered from that treasure trove. Their whole focus has been on creating a human-designed, human-understood ship capable of first interplanetary, and eventually interstellar, travel. Currently, they’ve gotten so far as a half-dozen proposed basic designs, the schematics for life support and some secondary systems, and three dozen potential power system layouts. The main sticking point is that while they could blindly copy systems from the Curator ship, both the project leaders and the Baron himself want everyone involved to thoroughly understand the details and principles involved. This means efforts will take years instead of months, but the ultimate increase in knowledge and understanding is considered well worth the delay.

KST Recycling

The Recycling Division is the smallest of all the sub-sections of Katastrof and Sorenson Technologies, but for all that, it’s one of the more productive, proportionally speaking. While KST Power’s focus is on a range of clean energy products, to prevent harmful waste in the first place, KST Recycling’s focus is on taking existing useless waste and finding ways to either re-use it, or render it completely harmless.

• One of the longest-running, and rather successful, efforts is taking heavily-damaged or rusted pieces of metal and running them through special furnaces to produce re-refined ingots of deoxidized metal. There’s no waste byproducts (except perhaps extra oxygen), and the actual loss of mass for the metal is minimal; approximately 98% of the non-refined material is retained. However, the process currently only works very well on iron, the more common steel mixtures, copper, and aluminum. Other elements or alloys are beyond the molecular sifters’ ability to process, meaning it’s not truly perfect yet. Still, due to the widespread use of those metals, it’s a rather profitable segment of the company at this time, with plenty of room to grow even more.
• Connected to that is a set of facilities that process plastic, styrofoam, foam, and other non-degradable items. Some are turned into blocks, strips, sheets, or similar large collections of raw materials, while others are broken down into their component chemicals, to be purified and resold later. The exact list of what items can and can’t be processed is in flux, as the markets producing such items in the first place are always adjusting formulas.
• Chemicals to accelerate the breakdown of organic materials into fertilizer, loam, or otherwise environment-friendly piles of brownish stuff.
• Chemical processing for battery sludge and similar waste to make the raw chemicals useful again, albeit not truly disposing of the material. Instead, it’s often resold to be processed back into batteries again.
• Special devices and chemical mixtures to help clean up oil spills with 99.99% efficiency, allowing the spilled material to be used, and minimizing environmental impact. This line of research has borne fruit with beachfront cleanup, with a 96% efficiency there.

KST Medical

KST Medical is the division with perhaps the fiercest direct competition in the current market. Many of their upcoming products are slotted to debut at the same time as similar solutions from titans such as Archetech, Martel Enterprises, and Grant Conglomerates (though not all the exact same product; that’s corporate espionage!).
While many of the breakthroughs and developments are on treatments themselves, others focus on equipment, or indirect developments that help the general operation of hospitals and doctors’ offices. Many of the more recent breakthroughs have been involving specially-made nano-scale machines (nanites in general reference)

• Using technology developed from gadgets confiscated from European supervillains, KST Medical has produced what many in the media call a “stasis podâ€. More accurately, it is a pod that vastly decelerates the body processes and injury progression of the individual in it, preserving their state for a longer period of time. It is expensive and bulky, and while the pod itself that someone is carried in can be detached, the full mechanism requires an assembly that barely fits in over-sized ambulances and medivac helicopters. More and more hospitals in Sweden and further abroad are starting to carry at least a few of these stations for the most traumatic injuries. However, these pods cannot heal the patient, only preserve them for surgery, and at most do provide a handy method of thoroughly scanning their condition.
• Using a combination of patented chemicals and light application of one-shot nanites, KST Medical has produced a burn treatment method that, along with skin grafts, can vastly reduce scarring from heavy burns on a patient’s body. It takes multiple treatments, and is expensive enough to only really warrant use in extreme cases at this time, but it’s a proving ground for other, similar treatments in the future.
• Advances in sensor technology are producing devices even more sensitive and accurate than MRIs, without the needs for chemicals (ingested or injected), and without the risks for those with metal implants of one sort or another. As well, the components are slim enough that the chamber is roomier, lessening the risk of claustrophobia-induced panic attacks, and the system can adjust for minute movements, lessening the need to hold absolutely still. Best of all it works much quicker, greatly reducing the time the patient is in the sensor bed.
• While perhaps lagging a bit behind Archetech advances and some of the independent work pioneered by Miss Americana, KST is still one of the top leaders in the field of prosthetic limbs and replacement organs. In general, while KST’s limbs don’t have the near-superhuman potential of competitors, they tend to be more cost-effective, and have operational lifespans a good bit higher than others.
• KST is pioneering new vision correction technologies, with a combination of mild laser therapy and a chemical “bath†that includes nanites to “round off†the correction. So far it’s producing a less intensive procedure that heals quicker, carries fewer risks of reversal, and is applicable to a broader range of patients.
• KST Med is working on multiple ideas for more efficient and less generally harmful drugs to treat various cancers, though they have yet to have any true “cure†(though rumors abound they’re looking into nanite applications there, as well).
• Many other modern hospital and doctor tools are being given improved versions in KST Medical’s lineup of products, making them a leading name in modern European healthcare.

 

Author’s Notes:
This wiki is partially here because I can be obsessive about minor details, and partially to provide a potential story aide or hook.
Feel free to name-drop the company, though I would ask you double-check what you might be mentioning about it with me.
Any character that you feel might be a good fit as an employee is welcome to be so, and we can work out where they’d fit best in the company.
Using the company locations for stories is possible, though in this case I’d ask you treat it like a Tier 2 NPC; you can control it, but please run the idea(s) by me first.
Hopefully this proves to be a useful resource for the community!

[RobRX]

Silver Magus

 

History:

Born in Kingston, Freedom City in 1975, Kyle Finley had a rather ordinary life. Studying intensely he eventually left his home city and only came back when he started working for ASTRO Labs as an inventor. His early inventions did not always meet much sucess. Everything changed when Kyle met

Lester Everett. The two became good friends. Eventually, this led to Lester asking Kyle if he would help him finance an expedition to undersea ruins in the South Pacific.

 

Kyle provided the ressources and technology to safely explore these ruins. Deep beneath the ocean, he discovered vast underground caves. An entire city seemingly lied there, beneath the waves and the earth. For weeks, they slowly explored. When they found skeletons of seemingly humanoid lizards, this is where Lester changed. As if he had found what he was looking for. As they explored even deeper, they came upon what appeared to be a temple. The temple was, in fact, of Lemurian origin.

 

Inside the temple was the artifact Lester had been searching for a long time. The teeth of Khavanda. Trapping the others inside the temple, Lester sacrificed them to awaken the Lemurian artifact before finally sacrificing his very life force to it. In doing so, he merged with the entity trapped within and became it's vessel. Using his vast powers, he called to himself the feral Serpent people who still lived within the ruins. Keeping Kyle alive with magic he tortured and mocked him. Eventually, Kyle escaped and wandered the world before following the rumours of Shambala Vale. Upon reaching it, Kyle supplied those living there to teach him magic so he may banish the evil he helped unleash.

 

Powers & Abilities:

Kyle Finley is a genius-level inventor, albeit certainly not the best around. There are others who are more gifted than him, that's a fact. However, Kyle is also a mage-in-training and well versed into disciplines far beyond the scope and understanding of science. His mystical abilities still require refinement, however. Trained in basic, common magic (if one could even dare to call magic 'common'), he has the basic suite of spells one would expect; levitation, magical wards and scrying. Adding to this, Kyle has a basic understanding of elemental magic as well. He acquired the knowledge of such magic during his training at Shambala Vale.

 

The Silver Magus armor is not the most impressive of the power armors to have graced Freedom City. Lacking the access to a larger amount of ressources compared to other inventors, Kyle's armor is rather minimalistic in design. However, this is not much of an issue to him as unlike other battlesuit users, Kyle has powers even outside of the armor. The features of the armor are as follow;

 

Nerve Interface Suit

Originally designed to allow jet and spaceship pilots to more directly link to their machines, the Nerve Interface Suit was designed by Kyle in his early days at ASTRO Labs before the project got scrapped. Now, slightly altered in function, it plug into the various vital points of Kyle's body in order to more fully monitor his body as well as attune the armor to his own vital force. This allow Kyle to increase the potency of his magical wards.

 

Lightweight Sealed Plating

While it provide very little protection, this light metallic exoskeleton provide the Silver Magus with both a sealed environment and a place to allow him to 'hardpoint' the other, heavier and more complex components of his suit. Flexible and segmented, they barely hamper his motions. These pieces are directly mounted on the Nerve Suit.

 

Rocket Boots

Simplistic in design, these boots provide additional thrust to the Silver Magus' levitation. In the event either these or his flight magic become disabled the other can still function, preventing him from falling. The boots are fairly large and are part of the leg plating. Their speed isn't particular impressive but this doesn't matter because Silver Magus can teleport.

 

Gauntlets

While to outsiders it may seems like the gauntlets of the armor are weapons, in reality, they are unarmed. Their real use is that, with a thought, Kyle can 'load' a spell and the armor will automatically move his hands to cast as fast as physically possible. Kyle like to make others believe his gauntlets can fire lightning. In reality, he can summon the lightning from other directions. In addition, the upper part of the gauntlets each mount an energy shield.

 

Helmet and Computer-Assistance

The REAL meat of the armor. Inside the Silver Magus' helmet is a database of just about everything Kyle knows about magic. Able to load any spell he knows, this database greatly enhance his ability to use magic, putting him almost on par with more skilled sorcerers. In a way, it is a massive grimoire in digital format. This computer-assistance is essential to the Silver Magus' abilities.

Edited June 5, 2014 by RobRX

[RobRX]

Cho Paige Lee

 

History:

Born in 1997 to Ken Lee and Wanda Paige. Seemingly normal at birth, much to her mother's relief. A survivor of the Terminus Invasion, miss Paige had remained somewhat traumatized by the incident. Where exactly was she, during the invasion, anyway? A good question and one Wanda will not talk about. Perhaps it was simply too shocking for her to want to recall it. Whatever the case, Cho was born a mutant from her mother's exposure to the Terminus.

 

Some years later, Cho's father fell on hard times for reasons her mother never explaining to her. All she knows or remember is that they had to move elsewhere in the city, being rather strapped for cash. Two years later, while going out to buy some milk, Ken Lee was gunned down in a seemingly random gang shoot out. There might be more to the story but Cho doesn't know.

 

Eventually, Cho's mother Wanda re-married, bringing in a whole new sort of trouble for Cho as she strugged to get along with her stepfather. While he treated her fairly, Cho didn't see things the way they really were and heavily resented him for not being her real father. Declining in health, Wanda needed his support while Cho kept hating and resenting him as an invader. After her sister's birth, she somewhat mellowed out in her relationships with her stepfather. Things remain rather tense to this day as he'd rather see Cho out of harm's ways as he's aware her mother would never recover if Cho was killed.

 

Following the awakening of her powers, she has since begun attending Claremont in hopes that it can help her control her powers and function as a 'normal' person.

 

Recent History:

Cho's first real brush of superheroism came in the form of a robotic rampage. She single-handedly stopped the (rather unharmful, truth be told) schemes of the so-called Robomaster. In january of 2014, she began attending Claremont.

 

Following these events, Cho has begun training to become a somewhat more competent combattant. Her strength has grown ever so slightly but for the most part her powers have currently remained mostly stable and unchanged.

 

Costumes:

Cho has worn several distinct costumes;

 

Makeshift Mask

Cho's original 'costume', if it can even be described as such, was a simple, tight and difficult to breathe in black clothe mask she wore in addition to her regular clothes. It was torn to pieces in her first real fight.

 

Claremont Uniform (Long Sleeves)

The usual Claremont Uniform, with all associated features, albeit long-sleeved due to Cho's self consciousness and wanting a costume that covered her all up. Sometimes worn with Cho's usual jacket, sometimes not.

 

Claremont Uniform (Stealth)

First used in this is another variant of the Claremont Uniform; This uniform has darker colors, trading the yellow for black and the bright blue for a darker, more muted navy blue. It also come with a hood/mask.

 

Rampart Costume

An almost completely new costume design that nevertheless retain a very slight resemblance to the Claremont Uniform, created by Cho upon finally adopting a super-identity for herself, following her joining with the World Youth Rescue Movement (WYRM). This costume plays up to Cho's ability to alter molecules. Using a small device carried by Cho, the suit can materialize and dematerialize in an instant, basically using her powers in a exceedingly limited and pre-programmed way.

 

Powers & Abilities:

In terms of training, Cho barely has any that can qualify. She's young, brash, inexperienced and lack proper combat training, resulting in her purely relying on her strength and endurance alone to win any fight.

 

Cho's abilities are currently not fully defined or developped. There is much about them that remain poorly understood and explored. This stem from her relatively young age, inexperience and their recent development. Cho's physical form has seemingly restructured itself, gaining in size, mass, strength and durability.

 

Entropic Energy & Matter Control

Cho only has the most basic and crude of understanding and control over this ability. On the surface, it seemingly allows her to project blasts that vaporize matter on touch. In reality, all her other powers stem from this single power, which is, in effect her only superpower. On a subconscious level it increases her physical abilities.

 

Enhanced Metabolism

Her body is immune to all known diseases and poisons. Furthermore, her body is capable of healing faster than any human. This healing, however, has many limitations; due to it's slow speed compared to someone capable of 'true' regeneration, it's only good enough to allow her recover just enough as to not be completely helpless and crippled. Furthermore, it can't regrow any missing limbs. Cho's aging is also likely to slow down.

 

Enhanced Strength

Cho's physical strength has been greatly enhanced. Easily able to lift 50 tons, Cho's strength, while nowhere near the top of the superhuman strength pole remain non-negligeable. In addition, it allows her to run and jump far more easily and effectively than an ordinary human. Aside from it's obvious use in combat, she can use her strength somewhat more creatively such as shockwaves or powerful claps and more.

 

Enhanced Endurance & Durability

Relatively proportionnate to Cho's strength is her enhanced endurance and durability. Her overall health and endurance are greatly increased. Her skin and muscles can shrug off hits from everything but the strongest weapon or from far more powerful superhumans. Via this same ability, she is also immune to the adverse effects of extreme environments, including extreme temperatures and pressure.

 

Trivia:

• Since the Freedom City setting is much less hostile to superheroes, the dissaproval of Cho's family of her superhero status come not from fear of mutants but rather the simple fact that it is a dangerous life and not one her family wishes her to have.
• Cho's powers are often describing as glowing orange and/or red, sometimes vaguely flame-like and in one case, briefly lighted up her hand as to show the skeleton underneath her skin. This is meant to visually evoke the burning, skeletal body of Omega and Cho's origin as a Terminus mutant. Her power set also echoes Omega's own, albeit very much weakly.

--

 

Old Version of Cho's Reputation chart:

Gather Information (Cho Paige Lee)

DC 10: Cho is a girl who lived in Southside. She often got in trouble with local bullies and gangs. A year ago, she's seemingly developped superhuman abilities

DC 15: They say her father was randomly killed when she was young. She got a lot of familly issues and you could often hear yelling around her house.

DC 20: Cho partially damaged her school when her powers manifested during an altercation.

 

Knowledge (Streetwise)

DC 15: There apparently was some street hero around Southside. Nobody ever saw his or her face since it was usually concealed, but that person is likely a local kid.

DC 20: Someone cracked down on local gang activity a few months ago. That person had superhuman strength and was seemingly bulletproof.

Edited December 3, 2014 by RobRX

[Corsecjedi]

Shadowblade

 

Elanor Churchill is an attractive, graceful woman of above average height and a fit, athletic build.  Her jet-black hair is so dark it almost seems to have a blue tint in the right light and contrasts elegantly with her fair skin.  Her eyes appear to be blue and a bit oddly shaped, thanks to the speciality contact lenses she wears to disguise her true eyes.  She wears her silky black hair long, down to mid-back, and prefers to let it fall loosely about her shoulders.  Elanor tends to wear practical, tasteful clothes: business suits, skirts, and blouses for work; and blouses and comfortable jeans outside of business hours.  She rarely wears t-shirts, as she thinks they look tacky, particularly on her.  She rarely wears makeup or more than a few basic pieces of jewelry.

 

Shadowblade, though she obviously has the same general frame as Elanor, looks quite different.  Her eyes are her most striking feature - amber orbs with a cat’s pupils.  Her dark hair is bound back in a rather severe braid and tucked back under a dark hood.  Her clothes are based on a fencer’s garb, though made of mottled black and grays rather than white.  She wears a tactical vest underneath, one subtle enough she can wear it as Elanor if she is expecting trouble.  She wears a customized tactical harness festooned with her tools and gear, as well as the scabbard for her rapier.  Shadowblade also wears a dark mask inspired by certain traditions of the opera: it covers her eyes and part of her forehead but also sweeps down the right side of her face to the jawline.  Fingerless gloves and dark boots complete Shadowblade’s outfit.  But even more than costume or appearance, her carriage and entire personality shifts.  Elanor’s intensity, which her friends know only too well, becomes even more pronounced; her eyes miss nothing,  and she moves with the fluid precision of a predator stalking through the shadows.

 

Powers and Abilities

Shadowblade draws her powers from a latent mutation whose source is currently unknown.  While none of her family have similar powers, her mutation could be simple genetics or caused by some outside source.  Regardless of its source, her mutation grants Shadowblade several powers which she is continuing to develop.  The most obvious physical manifestations of her mutation are her catlike eyes, but they also include greatly increased dexterity along with moderate increases in both her strength and health.  Her eyesight and hearing are also far more sensitive; she sees as well in the dark as in daylight and pinpoint sounds with accuracy.  These senses do come at a price, however, as Shadowblade is more vulnerable to sudden bursts of loud sound or flashes of light than the average human.  Beyond the physical, her powers also allows her to vanish completely into the shadows, hiding with preternatural skill.  Finally, she has the ability to teleport over relatively short distances, which she calls shadow-jumping because of the fleeting sensations of a vast, shadowy world she experiences as she travels.  This world is, in fact, the Shadow-World, though Shadowblade is at present unaware of that fact or its potential significance.

 

Her powers, though, are only a small part of what Shadowblade can do.  She has trained as a fencer for almost two decades, and her hard-won skill coupled with her enhanced physical abilities make her a formidable combatant.  When she took up her role as Shadowblade, her father also gifted her a family heirloom: an exquisitely well-crafted rapier.  The blade was forged almost three hundred years ago by a master smith for one of her noble ancestors and has been lovingly cared for through the years.  The hilt bears an engraving of the rampant dragon from the first Duke’s coat of arms, and the family motto, Fiel pero desdichado, is etched into the blade, though Shadowblade is very careful to keep these identifying marks obscured when wielding the sword.  Beyond combat, Shadowblade excels at infiltration, and her keen mind and academic training have helped her achieve moderate success as an investigator as well.

 

Biography

Early History

Elanor Churchill was born in Oxfordshire in 1984 into an offshoot of a noble British house.  Her father, Hamilton Churchill, was distantly related to the Duke of Marlborough and famous men like Winston Churchill.  Though not technically a member of the peerage himself, he inherited an old estate not far from the main family seat at Blenheim Palace.  His wife, Adele, was an American from a moderately wealthy family; their combined family fortunes meant that they could have lived a life of ease.  Instead, both Hamilton and Adele were committed to serving their fellow citizens.  Hamilton refused to join a large London firm and instead used his law practice to defend the rights of the poor and oppressed.  Adele was a social worker who specialized in helping children in desperate situations.  Hamilton’s family looked a bit askance on their choices in life, but they were happy and quite well-off.

 

Still, their wealth meant that Elanor lacked for nothing as a child.  She was the youngest of three children - her brother Jonathan was almost a decade her senior, though Julius was only older by a few years.  Despite their busy schedules, her father and mother always strove to make time for their children, and Hamilton, in particular, formed an especially close bond with his daughter.  He told grand stories, encouraged her imagination, and always tried to pass on his belief that they, as ones who had been given much, had a responsibility to give back to the world.  Elanor, spellbound by her father’s tales, grew up as something of a tomboy as she tried to live out adventures and escapes, though her mother and aunts did ensure she was taught proper modes of behavior and dress.

 

During her childhood, Elanor was almost constantly in the company of her closest friend, Elizabeth Whitehall.  Elizabeth was the daughter of Hamilton’s steward and thus was almost always about the estate.  Together with her brother Julius, Elanor and Elizabeth tramped about the family grounds, which became fantastic jungles, enchanted forests, towering castles, and dark dungeons as they lived out adventures and stories born from their shared imagination.  Julius even began teaching them the rudiments of fencing when the girls were older, a sport which delighted Elanor to no end.  Elizabeth and Elanor stayed close, more sisters than friends, even as they were forced to spend more and more time apart.  Thanks to her family’s connections, Elanor attended the best private schools, while Elizabeth could not.  Still, most weekends and nearly every day of break, Elanor could be found in Elizabeth’s company, and she could not wish for a better friend or a better life.

 

At Magdalen College

After secondary school, Elanor began attending Magdalen College at Oxford University, her father’s alma mater.  Her first term writing the papers at Magdalen proved to be one of the most significant times of her life.  She fell in love with the discipline of history, joined the fencing team, and generally enjoyed the freedom of university life, but even more than this she began to change as her mutation emerged.  Her hair became silkier and darker; her eyes, which had always had a slightly odd shape, turned amber; and she noticed she was faster, her reflexes and coordination improving immensely.  She couldn’t wait until the winter break to see Elizabeth once more and share her strange experiences, but she never had the chance.  The day before they were to meet once more, Elizabeth was murdered; the killer was never identified or apprehended.

 

Elanor returned to school devastated.  She had always been fairly shy and introverted, but that side of her personality grew more pronounced as she withdrew into her studies in her grief.  Then, the following year, her wounds were opened once more.  While at home during break, she overheard her parents talking; her father was furious because a distant member of the family had murdered Elizabeth, but the family name and wealth had protected him from justice.  Elanor returned to university grief-stricken once more, but this time she had a target for her anger and outrage beyond the faceless cruelty of the universe.  She became obsessed with the question of justice and the burning need to ensure that the guilty reaped the proper retribution for their deeds.

 

Her years at university went by as she wrestled with these moral issues, she continued to develop her powers, discovering almost by chance her ability to conceal herself and to teleport, even as she grew more and more accomplished in fencing and academics.  Finally, an idea occurred to her: she could right this wrong and bring her distant relation to justice.  She worked out a plan and, after the celebration of her graduation, she struck.  She killed her distant cousin after hearing the confession from his own mouth.  Instead of satisfaction or vindication, though, she felt nothing but horror for what she had done, for what her powers had made so easy for her to do.  Wracked by guilt, she eventually confessed what she had done to her father.  He chose not to report her to the authorities, this time, but he challenged her: she had been given so many gifts - would she squander them, or would she use them to make the world a better place?

 

The Journey to Freedom City

Elanor took his words to heart.  She still suffers from crises of conscious from time to time, but she swore then to use her gifts - all of her gifts - for justice, to help people, and never for harm.  She stayed on at Magdalen for several more years, earning her graduate degree and eventually a doctorate.  During her schooling, she opened up enough to form deep and lasting friendships with several of her fellow students.  She even developed a romantic interest her friend Nicola, though she was always too shy to express her feelings to the other woman.  Still, these friends and the constant support of her family helped her heal from the wounds of Elizabeth’s death and her almost self-destructive guilt.

 

All the while, she honored her promise to her father and continued to develop her powers and, eventually, use them for good.  She took on the name ‘Shadowblade’ and chose to keep her work and extraordinary abilities hidden from her friends and family to keep them safe - and because she still felt shame over her first real use of those powers.  Still, she suspected her brother Julius knew more than he let on.  Her father remained her confidant and source of hope and courage through it all.  As she grew into her work as Shadowblade, Elanor began to feel the desire to work with other heroes.  She felt that she was reaching the limits of what she could learn about her powers on her own and would need allies and mentors to continue to grow.  Over the years, she had worked several times with the Ministry of Powers, but always cautiously thanks to her lingering guilt over her cousin’s death.  Eventually, she decided that she needed to move to Freedom City, the teeming center of the powered.

 

As Elanor, she won an appointment to Freedom City University as an assistant professor of history and moved across the Atlantic.  She spent her first year establishing her home and watching the town, preferring to learn as much as she could about her new city before beginning to act.  In the fall of 2013, though, she felt the time had come for her to take up the mantle of Shadowblade once more and do her part to make the world a better place.

 

Personality and Motivation

Elanor Churchill is a driven person.  She can be charming and personable, thanks to her social training, but it is an effort for her as she is more introverted by nature, and she can come across as rather cold when not making that effort.  She is intense and passionate - the light-hearted girl who dreamed of adventure has largely vanished, but some of her friends can still awaken that childlike wonder, for which she is deeply thankful.  As you might expect from a history professor, she loves to read and write and hopes to become a published author one day.  But most importantly, she believes devoutly that she has been given many gifts and, accordingly, much will be expected of her.  Her faith and her father’s love serve as her moral compass when she feels tempted by expediency or crippled by doubt.  She despises those who use their power or position to prey on the weak or innocent, and she believes her primary mission is to protect those innocent and help bring the guilty and corrupt to justice.

 

Out of Character

Author’s Note

Shadowblade is a rewritten and updated version of my very first M&M character.  As is probably blindingly obvious, she was heavily inspired by my favorite of the X-Men, Nightcrawler, in terms of her powers, but I think I’ve made her my own through her story and character.  My first game of M&M came after my terms studying abroad at Oxford, and I fell in love with the place and wanted to make a superhero with ties to the area.  I do feel bad that I’ve made the Duke’s family the heavies in her story - from all I learned, they’re perfectly wonderful people and have a lovely home at Blenheim - but the story just evolved in that direction.  Mechanically speaking, I’ve left the source of Elanor’s mutation vague for the time being.  I might decide that a certain cause - Terminus, experimentation, or something else - might make more sense later and have her discover that answer in a thread.

Edited January 9, 2014 by Corsecjedi

[horngeek]

Australia, Earth-Prime

Several countries around the world have demographic (or geographical) situations that mean the 'traditional' approach to superhero teams doesn't entirely work for one reason or another. Australia is one of these nations.

The Australian Superhero Network

The Australian Superhero Network is a fairly unique superhero 'team', so far, although some other nations have looked at mimicking its structure. It is not a superhero team in the traditional sense, in fact. Due to the sheer size of the Australian continent, combined with the low population density across most of the country, the Australian Superhero Network is less a permanent 'team' and more a support network for every superhero in Australia, established in the early 2000s by the Huntsman with the support of business magnate Michael Fields, and provides two primary services;

Support

The first function of the Australian Superhero Network is to provide services to superheroes in a confidential manner- health care, legal services and training are offered to superheroes, without the risk of their identities being revealed.

Coordination

The second funtion of the Network is one of coordination- if a superhero finds themselves in the middle of a situation that they cannot handle on their own (whether they've encountered a supervillain too powerful to defeat alone, or whether they need help on a matter outside their area of expertise), they may contact the Network, describing their situation, which is then considered and a nearby superhero is asked to provide the required assistance- or one of the few 'permanent' members of the Network is dispatched. The Network also often provides alerts to local heroes of their own developing situations.  The Network headquarters is located in Sydney, on the upper part of the Sydney Tower.  

Australian Heroes

Australian heroes tend to have a similar range of abilities as other nations, although the low population density tends to favor those with movement abilities across flat terrain. On the other hand, the concentration of population in the cities can favor city-dwelling heroes as well. Below are the two 'permanent' members of the Australian Superhero Network, based out of Sydney.

>The Huntsman: The leader of the Network, Huntsman is an oddity among superheroes for several reasons- his public identity as Samuel West. being the most notable. While he has the ability to manipulate magnetic fields, the common joke among Australian superheroes is that his magnetism is a secondary power- his real superpower is that he's ex-SAS (and a former Major- Huntsman is actually a carryover nickname from his days in the SAS), and therefore is an utter badass. Huntsman takes said jokes in good humor, and overall deals fairly well with the various superheroes he ends up working with, his leadership skills as an officer serving him fairly well as a leader now. When he takes to the field- which is fairly often, as he likes to keep his skills sharp- Huntsman wields either a combat knife or a baton depending on whether he's fighting human foes or not, and uses his magnetic powers in combination with his significant hand-to-hand skills in a combination that often dominates any fight he finds himself in. His uniform consists of a leather jacket over a morphic molecule suit, in which he keeps his knife and baton.

 

>Cloudrunner II: Cloudrunner, a Torres Strait Islander with dark skin and hair the color of sand, was referred to as Funnel until two years ago, when she and the first Cloudrunner (a Paragon-type superhero) went up against the villain Redback (if relevant, use >this sheet).  Cloudrunner was mortally injured during the battle, and his final act was to be deliberately ‘drained’ by Funnel, allowing her to defeat Redback.  However, unlike normally, she kept the ‘drained’ powers, and took up Cloudrunner’s name and legacy.  She wears a blue bodysuit with a white stripe running down one side of her body, and is fairly quiet personally. 

Edited March 13, 2014 by horngeek

[RobRX]

Earth-V.I. (Vampire Infection)

 

History

Across the multiverse, there are many alternate earths which resulted from cataclysms, ranging from nuclear wars to alien invasions to sucessful Terminus invasions. One such world is the one where Anton Bienh (Bloodline) would be born. It all started in late 2015. From small deaths, it quickly spiraled out of control into a viral outbreak straight out of a horror movie or videogame. The year is 2060. Homo Sapiens no longer dominate the earth, replaced Homo Vampiris.

 

The Culling:

In late 2015, people were going missing and others were found torn apart. There was something, out there, preying on humans. Several organizations and superheroes tried to look into it but not all came back. It all changed during a week that was nicknamed "The Culling". As the vampiric population reached a new level, the creatures became more and more aggressive eventually going as far as to attack people in the streets and in their homes, leaving very little time for authorities to react. To make matters worse, the outbreaks were hapenning world-wide. Perhaps this was planned or perhaps the virus had found a carrier capable of spreading it around the globe

 

The Long Nights:

As the vampires spreaded over the globe, some countries turned to the nuclear option. However, some of the surviving historians posit that someone else might have influenced these countries. A third option for the nuclear fallout was that infected beings with radiation-fueled powers simply went out of control, causing much damage to the environment. Humanity survived, either hidden in bunkers or roaming the countryside, trying to escape the surviving hordes of vampires. Hauled up in their strongholds, humanity tried to push back the feral vampire hordes and regain control of the world. These dreams were crushed by the arrival of intelligent vampires, who quickly began crushing the resistance.

 

New Order:

Leading troops of feral vampires, the intelligent ones did not waste time in establishing a new order. They seized the strongholds of human resistance one by one and made them submits. The humans would work as slaves in the vampire's camps, building their new society and producing goods will regularly being drained of their blood. While the vampires were not one, unified society, this process more or less repeated itself all over the world to a certain extent. The rules of vampiric society were simple; the strong command, the weak are slaves and food.

 

Timeline:

• 2015: Vampires first emerge. Bloodline is born.
• 2017-2044: The Long Night.
• 2045-2062: Vampire domination of Earth.
• 2062: The resistance send Bloodline back in time to stop this from hapenning.

The Infected

The Vampires of Earth-V.I are not the same as the various kinds commonly found in Earth-Prime*, despite sharing many similarities. This form of vampirism is caused by a mutagenic virus that produce many changes in the human body. There are two primary 'breeds' of vampires, defined by their level of intelligence. The ferals, who are nothing but mindless beasts or cunning savages at best and the intelligent vampires who retain their full human intelligence. Ferals will usually ignore intelligent vampires but can be commanded by intelligent vampires and often enslaved by their more intelligent kin to be used as shock troops.

 

Biology & Appearance:

Like their true vampire 'cousins', these creatures can be considered to be neither living or dead. However, their regeneration power make this observation puzzling; how can it be a corpse when it appears well-preserved and is capable of healing and repairing itself? The only proof of their undeath is that the host physically dies (and painfully so) for a short moment as it's body undergoes the final stage of the infection.

 

Vampires appear human, but only at a glance: their skin is pale and their eyes often glow. In their mouths are sharp, jagged retractable fangs. Appearance varies from individual to individuals; skin is often pale but in some cases might become various shades of grey or even a very pale sickly green or yellow. These mutations often have a scabby, unhealthy texture to their skin. Many individuals experience a loss of pigmentation which extend to hair. The eyes always change but the color vary; most common is red but orange, yellow or electric blue can also appear. Some individuals experience some more drastic changes, such as deformed ears, noses and faces. Brow ridges are fairly common. These altered aspect of their appearances grow more pronounced with age.

 

Feral vampires, while looking no different, are easy to spot due to having no hygiene. As such, their maws and hands are filthy with encrusted blood and their clothes are ragged and worn. Even a newly infected feral can be easily spotted, as their quick and jittery body language and tendency to hiss and shriek. Intelligent vampire, while also having these habits, tend to retain much of their human mannerisms.

 

Psychology:

Once infected and turned, there will be changes to the host's mentality. Every vampire, even the intelligent ones, will exhibit certain personality traits and mentality which are found in every one of their kind. Their level of agression will be increased. A vampire's instinct is one of agression and dominance, in all form. At the same time, a pack mentality is formed, one whose pecking order is determined by strength, wether physical or of personality, such as in the case of intelligent vampires.

 

Powers:

The powers of these vampires varies from individual to individual, as the limits of their enhanced abilities depend somewhat on host, it seems. The following are abilities shared by all vampires and are considered to be the baseline:

• Enhanced Strength: While the exact level of strength varies, it is always in the low-average superhuman.
• Enhanced Agility: Vampires are quick, inhumanly so. While not on the level of a true speedster, even the slowest can outmaneuver an ordinary human. Their sense of balance is also increased.
• Night Vision: The changes to a vampire's eyes are not purely cosmetic, as these mutated eyes give them perfect vision even in the dark.
• Enhanced Scent: Vampires have a more acute sense of smell than humans.
• Regeneration: As long as a vampire feed, it's body is capable of regenerating from crippling injuries.

In addition, some vampires have exhibited some more unique powers:

• Brood Telepathy: Some vampires can seemingly communicate and control the feral vampires.
• Physical Mutations: Very rarely, some vampires have exhibited some level of physical mutation and deformation, such as long, sharp claws or a long, extendable tongue.

Finally, any power previously possesed by the host is usually retained, assuming the vampire has the intelligence to know how to use it. If the power is tied to some metabolic function, it is possible the power may not function (or in some cases, might find it's function altered). It is likely that someone whose powers are dependant on some exterior source will lose such powers if these powers are dependant on a human nature or a morality code. Ferals who have retained their powers are particularly dangerous as they will lack the intelligence to use them properly, usually causing them to go on wild rampages when chasing down a prey as they cannot fine-tune their powers and will simply use them in the simplest, crudest way possible. The high infection rate combined with this fact is amongst the primary reason that vampires have taken over in earth V.I., as dealing with these super-vampires can be difficult.

 

Weaknesses:

Despite these powers, the infected vampires share common weaknesses:

• Sunlight: Sunlight exposure will not kill them instantly, however, it is painful. Ferals will automatically flee from bright sunlight on a purely instinctive level.
• Fire: Barring a vampire who previously had immunity to fire, this is a sure way to kill them.
• Silver: Silver is toxic to the body of a vampire and is another way to dispatch them.
• Hunger: Vampires require blood in order to survive. Terrifyingly, however, they can go a rather long time without it and dying. However, lack of blood will frenzy them, making them even more reckless and feral.

 

*One has to wonder if previously-established clans and societies of vampires clashed with the newcomers, were destroyed or (more likely) assumed control of roving bands of ferals.

Edited June 15, 2014 by RobRX

[RobRX]

Andromedans

Overview

Andromedans is not their real name. In fact, it is not even certain if they have a name as we can understand it. If they do have one, then it is one humans (and most sentient species) cannot properly pronounce. As the name implies, Andromedans are native of the Andromeda Galaxy, where they originated from and thrive. In terms of general physiology, Andromedans are a very varied species, with distinct castes so different in appearance one would assume they are a completely different race that evolved on a different planet. A rough overview of them would generally describe them as a mixture of insectoid, crustacean and dinosaur characteristics. They frequently have mandibles and multiple eyes.

As a society, Andromedans are organized into Broods, which usually share some small common physical or psychological characteristic. Broods can be mobile and fleet-based or established on certain worlds. Some are more violent than others. There is no general pattern to them.

History

As previously mentioned, Andromedans are native of the Andromeda galaxy. It is unknown if they are a species that naturally evolved or was uplifted by something else. It is also possible their unique characteristics are the result of extreme self-imposed eugenics and genetic modifications. Since very little is known of what was and is happening in the Andromeda galaxy, much of the Andromedans history is a complete mystery.

The Andromedans who live in the Milky Way are either refugee or pioneers. They arrived roughly four thousands years ago and primarily dwell at the edges of the galaxy. Over time, they have clashed with several native species.

Physiology

Andromedans are a physically varied lot, so much that their varied castes might look as completely different species to most onlookers. It is unknown how many unique castes exist. To further confound matters, there are castes unique to different broods. Because they are such a poorly understood species, Andromedans reproduction is a mystery As such it is unknown how these castes are decided. For simplicity’s sake, Andromedans castes are initially broken down by the general shape of the body, most with the option of with or without wings:

• Slug-like.

• Snake/worm-like.

• Snake/worm-like with two/four/six forelimbs.

• Quadrupedal

• Hexapedal

• Hexapedal with two/four forelimbs/four-armed biped.

• Octopedal

• Other.

Furthermore, these body shapes are further divided by size and/or level of intelligence. Most of these castes are relatively unintelligent, merely drones specially bred for a certain type of task. Their intelligent is only complex enough to allow them to carry their tasks. These tasks range from simple manual labors to food processing to spaceship navigation.

The true rulers of the Andromedans are those who possess human and above-level intelligence. These Andromedans occupy functions such as overseers, generals, engineers, biologists, scientists and even (apparently) philosophers. It is unknown if the Queens are actually leaders, simple breeders or if they possess a very complex role within the Andromedans hierarchy. That is assuming they DO have queens, as rumoured.

 

Andromedans are capable of rapid evolution and adaptation, making them able to adapt to just about any environment. It is because of this ability that they have clashed far less with other sentients species than one might expect, as they often live in worlds inhospitable to other carbon-based lifeforms. While not (always) an angry swarm intent on assimilating other species, there have been times where Andromedans have attempted to acquire members of other species in order to assimilate their essence and genetic material in order to adapt and grow stronger. One has to wonder what would happen if they knew about earth’s diverse superhuman population.

Psychology

Much like their physiology and history, there is much to the Andromedan’s psychology that is unknown to other species. It is generally understood that they are a callous, aggressive species with a very strong territorial instinct. It is also known that despite their hive mentality, they are capable of in-fighting within a brood. However, the most common form of Andromedan wars are inter-brood rivalries akin to a spatial ant war.

As a whole, those of their kind who possess free will (or at least enough self-awareness) are strongly motivated by interests, either their own or that of their brood as a whole. Survival of the fittest is an apt descriptor of it. In fact, to them, their complex political games are nothing more than a refined version of a predator’s ‘kill or be killed’ mentality. Not that they ever really feel like explaining that to non-andromedans.

 

Technology

As a species, they are technologically advanced albeit mostly in the area of genetics, due to their expertise in molding their own physiology. Andromedans possess spaceships and FTL like any space-faring species, however in other areas some would argue they are lacking. The reason for this is simple; because of drones designed for specific purpose, Andromedans have little need for some of the more advanced technologies, making them appear somewhat lopsided. They have absolutely no concept of automation, for example; everything is done manually by specially bred drones. Weapons, while they exist, are not as common as with other species since most Andromedans who are designed even remotely to expect conflict have means to defend themselves. While Andromedans do use metals in their constructions, it is mixed with the chitin they produce.

 

Motivations & Goals

Andromedans, while expansionist, seems often more motivated by their own inter-brood squabblings. This is generally considered a good thing since they would pose a far more serious and immediate threat to the galaxy if they felt like conquering it. Because of their constant political shifts (over reasons human brains could likely not even grasp or fathom), it is fairly easy for them to come into conflict with other races.

So-called ‘Bug Wars’ are the most common of these scenarios, where Andromedans descend upon entire systems as angry locusts. What few understand is that those raids actually serve a simple purpose. To them, Andromedans appears as mindless hungry space vermin. This is because they never negotiate with other species, and as such, few ever see their leaders making them appear as some ravenous, faceless hivemind. In reality, when Andromedans resort to this it means they require either massive amounts of resources to fuel their wars or are looking for something in particular to turn the tides. Either way, these are always messy and bloody events.

The other most likely scenario is that Andromedans have found a way to manipulate someone or something into doing their dirty work, usually by finding a way to send someone to fight a rival Brood and in the process weaken it.

Finally, it is also possible to encounter lone Andromedan ships who travel around the galaxy, looking for unique and exotic specimens to dissect and assimilate.

 

Notable Broods and Individuals

• Orion Brood: The primary brood found within the Orion Arm and thus the one closest to earth. Has remained relatively quiet for now.
• Za'ak Brood: The most primal of the broods in the Milky Way, Za'ak Brood thrives on the most dangerous and feral of worlds. These worlds have deadly ecosystems, making them nearly impossible to settle on short of simply destroying it. Yet the Andromedans of this brood have made them their homes and in doing so have taken on many animalistic traits. Their name come from their homeworld of Za'ak.
• The Fleshshaper: A rogue Andromedan 'genetic engineer' and 'evolutionist'. Has left his brood for unknown reasons and travel with an entourage of minions. Since he is cut from his brood, his Andromedans minions are in fact clones bound to his will, something that isn't very approved of for his kind, especially on a rogue element.

Design Notes

Andromedans were developped and designed to fit within the science-fiction trope of 'bug alien', like the Tyranids and the Zergs. However, I've also written them to be actually interesting as characters and not just a faceless alien menace.

 

There might be some more unusual/splinter broods/offshoots around the galaxy who may or may not have degenerated. Overall, I like to think they are just generic enough to allow some variation within them.

 

Mechanics

These are just some rough ideas at how I imagine Andromedans work...

• Communication (Mental, Extra: Area, Power Feat: Rapid, Selective) is a must for all Andromedans, as their hivemind is their primary mean of communication. I suppose most got 1-2 ranks in it, with more powerful or specialized castes have more ranks in it.
• Adaptation 1 is probably something they all share as a basic racial ability as well as a few ranks in Regeneration.

Edited August 8, 2014 by RobRX

[RobRX]

Za'ak

 

Overview

Classified as "Severly Inhabitable", Za'ak is known to be amongst the most dangerous planet in the galaxy, or at least in the category of worlds that can and do support life.  While certainly beautiful with it's varied ecosystems, tt is a planet of pure savagery and of remarkable brutality. Just about every life form and plant is deadly to some degree, either via their sheer size, aggression or particularly extreme defense mechanisms.

 

Fauna & Flora

From vast forests to deserts to the depths of the ocean, Za'ak is filled with massive monstrous predators, many of them as centuries old, which have grown to massive size and posses impressive regenerative abilities. This has long puzzled xenobiologists and hint that, perhaps, some life forms might have been purposefully engineered as biological weapons of some sort. Perplexing matters, some of the creature living on Za'ak seem to share absolutely no evolutionary ties with the rest of the creatures on the planet, hinting they might have been transported there and have since adapted to their new home.

 

Flying Leeches: Leech is not exactly the right word, but is the closest possible translation. These floating, amorphous creatures, despite looking like little more than squiggly translucent bean-shaped lumps of flesh are in fact quite dangerous. At the bottom of their body is a circular hole from which emerge long barbed tendrils, which can pierce flesh. Once attached to it's prey, the flying 'leech' will suck out the blood and then any moisture.

 

Maaghu: Natives of the the plains and plateaus of Za'ak, Amaghu are large dinosaur-like reptilian beasts noted for their speed. While temperamental, like everything else on the planet, they are amongst the rare few beasts used as mounts by the Za'ak. Training them involves a lot of blood shed..by both parties involved.

 

Kl'Kran Beasts: Despite most, if not all of Za'ak lifeforms being predatory in some shape or form, Kl'Kran fills a recognisable ecological niche as land-based predators akin to wolves and large felines. These agile, sneaky, reptilian beasts tend to hunt in loose packs, with the elder alpha males developing vivid marking on their bodies. This combined with the dangers of hunting them has made Kl'kran beasts very prized.

 

Khrodon: Khrodons are the closest thing Za'ak has to grazing animals of earth. Primarily plant-eating omnivores, these enormous quadrupedal beasts come in many sizes and shape, althought the smallests are taller than the average Za'akis. Khrodons have heavily armored body, with a skin similar to that of the Za'akis, albeit several time harder. Their heads and backs are protected by large bony plates and their heads bear tusks and/or horns. The smallest specimens have been domesticated...barely. Naturally aggressive, they are the reason that shepherds and butchers are some of the most respected jobs in Za'akis society.

 

Ravager Worm: Despite the name worm, these creatures are more akin to snakes and centipedes. Growing to massive size, they rival the Sky-Tyrants in term of size, ferocity and infamy. With a massive gullet filled with multiple tongues and powerful mandibules, these creatures have been known to eat entire towns. It has been noted by xenobiologists that, like many creatures on Za'ak, they have almost no evolutionary relatives, suggesting they are not native to the planet but have since adapted. And no, they don't borrow into sand, for the record.

 

Sky-Tyrant: The first image one would get would be one of earth's fabled and imaginary dragons. However, this is actually wrong, Sky-Tyrants are more akin to bats. Enormous, feral-looking carnivorous hairless bats. These creatures are extremely long-lived, barring death from their battles over mates. Despite the name Sky-Tyrant, these monsters are equally at home on the ground as in the air, feeding off Khrodons and anything large enough to be noticed by them. Most famously, the skull of an elder tusked Sky Tyrant was used as a throne by the mythical emperor of Za'ak, Kharag.

 

Swarmling: A wide category of insect-like creatures which, as the name implies, lives in vast swarms for survival. Ranging from bug-sized to cat-sized, these creatures viciously attack anything that come into their territory. As a deterent against them, many Za'akis cities frequently leave freshly-killed beasts within safe distance of the town, hoping the swarmlings will be attracted and, once fed, will not bother to come after the Za'akis afterward.

 

Ancient Za'ak

Ancient Za'ak was covered in pockets of civilization, living a harsh life fighting off against the encroaching predators. These primitive Za'akis organized into clan, tribes or houses and lived a life of pure brutality either against predators or themselves. This era came to an end when Kharag unified his people and began a technological revolution which lead them to something close to an early industrial age.

 

Across Za'ak are ruins which predate Za'akis civilization, which reinforce the theory that the planet has been tampered by outside influence.

 

Andromedan Occupation

Modern Za'ak is a fallen world. It's native people no longer live upon it's surface. During or after the fall of the Delaztri, a brood of Andromedans began a serie of raids on Za'ak which eventually cumulate in the death of most Za'akis living on their homeworld. The Adromedans then claimed Za'ak and it's moons for their own, setting up their bases of operation on the moons and their hatcheries on the planet surface, where they began hunting down the local life forms and assimilating their traits and strengths. Over time, this made Za'ak Brood the most aggressive and feral of all Andromedan broods.

 

Despite their efforts, the Andromedans never managed to fully take control of Za'ak, as it's environment eventually re-asserted itself. Today, it's ecosystem coexist alongside the alien invaders, who prey upon local life forms just as much as they are preyed upon by said local life forms.

 

Za'akis

 

The Za'akis (literaly 'People of the Earth', in the sense of earth as ground, not the planet) are a species of warm-blooded bipeds. They are similar in some aspects to earth mammal taxon of Prototheria, making them egg-layers. Za'akis are native to the world of Za'ak, which was named after it's people. Previous to the Za'akis expansion into space the planet had no officially recognized name, often bearing a simple designation of digits. Za'akis evolved and thrived on a planet notorious for it's deadly environment.

 

When integrated into the Delaztri Empire, they were uplifted and served as shock troops and enforcers. While records during this era are sketchy, it is assumed that only less than twenty percent of their population served outside of military and law-enforcement branches. Following the collapse of the Delaztri, the Za'akis scattered across the galaxy and some of them can be found amongst the Stellar Khanate.

 

Biology

Za'akis biology, on the surface, appears very similar to that of many alien species. They have two eyes, two arms and two legs. Some Lor theorized they might be the result of hybridation between Ancient Lor and another species inhabiting Za'ak but to this day there are no proof of this theory, despite it's popularity amongst many scholars.

 

Despite the common image of them as feral and brutish warriors, Za'akis are not particularly massive, with an average height very similar to Lor and humans. While muscular, they aren't particularly so. Their low body fat and hardened body make them appear particularly muscular but overall the muscle mass is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, as a whole, unlike many of Za'ak species they have not evolved for strength and size but rather for speed and endurance. It i assumed their ancestors were pack-based hunters and scavengers who relied on their smaller size and greater manual dexterity to survive.

 

Facially they ressemble most humanoids species and are varied in their appearance. However, their bodies are completely hairless. Instead of cutting and styling their hair, Za'akis decorate their head crests, which are bony ridges on their brow and skull, which descend down their neck and their spine. Smaller ridges exist on their feet, hands and forearms. Ears are entirely internal and only appear as slits on the side of their heads.

 

Skin pigmentation is varied, from green to blue of any shade. Za'akis skin is naturally hard and callous. While soft at birth, it harden during their growth and they become fully armored around the same time they reach sexual maturity around the age of fifteen earth years. Their skin serve the double function of protecting them from harm and regulating their body temperature. Fluids and glands under their skin and in their torso are exceedingly efficient at both regulating their temperature as well as functionning as something akin to antibodies. As a result, Za'akis are virtually immune to most known disease and poisons from birth.

 

Growth and Reproduction

Za'akis reproduce by laying eggs in clutches of three to six. At birth, newborn Za'akis have soft, pale rubbery skin. The skin change and darken to it's natural color as the child age. As the child enter it's first growth spurt, their skin harden and their ridges appear. Back on their homeworld, those who failed to develop their armored hide were usually killed by beasts. After their uplifting, these later bloomers usually survived but often end up mocked by their peers. By the time a Za'akis has reached sexual maturity, it's skin has finished hardening.

 

In term of growth and lifespan, Za'akis age at roughly the same rate as humans and can live to around a hundred years, althought truly exceptional specimens go as far as a hundred fifty. Before they were uplifted by the Delaztri, their maximum lifespan was generally shorter. The extreme conditions on their planet, however, meant that very few individuals ever lived long.

 

Ancient History

It is a known and established fact that Za'akis civilization was already old when Kharag began his unification. Traces of said civilizations, having gathered in primitive cities go back to the 8th millenium before christ (when using Earth's calendar that is) at a minimum and possibly earlier. They had already discovered bronze and invented writing by then, if not earlier. Due to it's harsh environment, it is difficult to study Za'ak's past with any certainty.

 

History at a Glance

~ -24XX BC: Kharag is born.

~ -23XX BC: Kharag begin unifying the various tribes and clans of Za'ak.

~ -2000 BC: Za'akis are uplifted and join galactic civilization as member of the Delaztri empire.

 

Culture

The conditions on Za'ak have shaped the Za'akis and even to this day, they remain harsh and predatory people. While far from mere savages, Za'akis are often naturally blunt and simple people, prefering the most direct solution to a problem. One core aspect of their culture is self-perfection and glory; since survival was the primary imperative on Za'ak, one's social worth is most often derived from their skill and deed. While it previously mostly meant activities such as hunting and fighting, the multiple social, cultural and economic revolutions the Za'akis underwent mean that it is no longer the case. Even then, amongst Za'akis intellectuals and artists, there is still a very harsh competition.

 

It should be noted that to them there is no shame in losing a contest as it does not erase previous achievements. This is why challenging a superior in battle and winning in single combat didn't automatically granted the winner the title and position; said victory had to be backed up by a sufficient amount of people who recognized the legimacy of the winner. Should the crowd decide to side with the defeated, there was no consequence for the winner. Honor dictated that the winner be given a sufficient prize and be spared. The loser, despite support, could also choose to yield to the winner, in which case the crowd would have no choice but to accept the winner.  While it may seem to an outside that such practice defeat the purpose an contradict their 'might make right' philophy, in practice few would even bother challenging their superior unless they knew they would have the support of the majority. These practices are no longer used in Za'akis politics on many worlds, but some do maintain them.

 

When it come to honor, Za'akis could be easily misunderstood as easily-angered death seeker, eager to take the most foolish and otherwise impressive option. However that is not true; while certainly glory-seeking by nature, such attitude is one that will weed out the least intelligent (and lucky) of their kind. Za'akis can and will retreat from situations where they are a distinct disadvantage, it is simply that their more risk-taking than humans by nature and the margin for what is wise and what isn't can come off as much thinner. On a related note, Za'akis are perfectly able to use underhanded tactics, however, with these one must understand the taboo; it is only acceptable to use underhanded and honorless tactics if your opponent is equally without honor, as fighting with a strict code an opponent who has none would be suicide.

 

Pre-spaceflight Za'akis made it tradition to wear what they killed. While such practice still exist today, they are less common. Instead, such tradition is homaged in how the Za'akis dress; while they use the same materials as other space civilizations, their clothes are patterned to mimic leather and scales. Headress, while more subtle, often have stripes or patterns that hint at the shape of a bestial skull. Ancient tribal markings also adorn their clothes, weapons and ships. Contact with species who posses hair has created an interesting phenomena, with Za'akis attempting to mimic hair by using animal fur, which is braided and held to their cranial ridge via piercings, creating braids and locks of various color.

 

The Clans

Za'akis have always gathered, in their history, into extended families as a mean of survival. Thus, it is of absolutely of no surprise to anyone that such a social structure has survived even after their exile from their home planet and the collapse of the Delaztri empire. Clan is an apt, but somewhat incorrect description as the Za'akis would point out that the modern form of it evolved from various pre-existing cultures dating back to their pre-spaceflight days.

 

Modern clans, sometime called houses or Great Clans are the main political unit of Za'akis society. A Great Clan is formed of many smaller clans and family united under a same banner. Some clans are tied to specific pre-existing cultures from their pre-spaceflight days while others are more cosmopolitan, having formed after the Za'akis scattered across the stars. The amount of social mobility depends heavily on the clan; some are fairly open-minded, allowing one to choose his path so long as he (or she) is capable of exercing it well, while others are more feudal in nature, with a strict warrior class composed of members of the ruling families, with the families handling the rest of the work. In such clans, the lower class warriors are held as a distinct social class.

 

Religion

Za'akis have remained spiritual people despite many of them being now agnostic. Ancestral cults are still maintainned even when beliefs in gods and spirits have been somewhat abandonned or simplified. In the modern age, the most common religions are, when organized in wide groups;

• Polytheism: Polytheism has remain quite strong and popular amongst the Za'akis. It is not uncommon to find populations of Za'akis worshipping gods associated with aspects of the world like Life, Death or Rain.
• Perfection Cults: A wide array of cults, sects and beliefs built upon the Za'akis belief of self-perfection. While the ancient God-King Kharag is not directly worshipped or even acknowledge as a god, he is often cited as an example. These Cults believe that he and other heroes, both mythological and historical, achieved a form of transcendance via self-perfection. These cults are nearly all practice some form of martial art. They range from pacifists to hedonists to raging berserkers.
• Ancestral Cults: More tied to the animistic beliefs of the Ancient Za'akis, these cults worship their ancestors. These cults are fairly varied, ranging from simple observance of yearly rites to more complex beliefs involving the afterlife and how to access it, usually via a certain way of life. Others involve heavy use of genealogy and arranged marriage, making it a certain form of eugenism, which is more and more frowned upon in Za'akis society.

The ancient Za'akis pantheon, which is still worshipped today by a sizeable amount of the population, has a large array of gods and is comparable to Earth's pantheons in polytheist religions, such as the Greek, Norse or Egyptian pantheons. A sample of these gods include;

 

Kehnaka - The Celestial Hunter

Head deity of the Za'akis pantheon, althought not the eldest. Kehnaka is a fearsome, destructive figure but he is hardly antagonistic to the Za'akis. Amongst the gods, he is the fiercest of them all in battle, a peerless hunter, the strongest and wisest. He embodies the height and greatness the Za'akis strive for.

 

Ravvok - The Keeper

After Kehnaka, Ravvok is the most important god of the hunt. Where Kehnaka is the untouchable ideal of the hunter and warrior, Ravvok is the more down to earth god who is prayed to. Simultaneously a god of the wilderness and civilization, he embodies Za'ak's constant and symbiotic conflict between civilization and the savage wilderness.

 

Martial Arts and Psychic Powers

Outside of their naturally resilient physiology, most Za'akis practice to some degree some form of martial art. Despite the abundance of ressources to make weapons, both from bestial claws and metal, most Za'akis train their body in order to fight unharmed as a result of their naturally dangerous existence. This stem from the fact that weapons can break or be lost, but one's body will always be there until death. As a result, the average Za'akis at least knows some good basics of some martial art. Some dedicated individuals, however, train themselves to truly extreme limits and learn to harness their own energy, something the people of earth would call Qi or Chi. While the Za'akis do not carry the same cultural baggage, in essence, it is very much the same thing.

 

One confusion that has arisen from this is the idea that Za'akis are rarely psychic. This is not true. While not a predominantly psychic race, psychic abilities do exist in a relatively stable amount of the population. The reason this confusion has arisen is that Za'akis rarely, if ever, learn to channel such gifts as the Lor Mentats. Instead of telepathy and telekinesis, they learn to channel their raw emotions through their body. Because such training is directly tied into their physical training, this mean most Za'akis "mentat" in essence learn to blend bodily energy and psychic energy, which they channel almost exclusively through their body, giving their powers such as bursts of superhuman speed, the ability to perfectly control their bodily function or venting their rage through primal bursts, often via screaming. Za'akis psionics are nothing like the subtle psychic gifts of the other races, it is violent, primal and physical.

 

Za'akis (Template)

Powers: Immunity 2 (Cold, Heat) Immunity 2 (Disease, Poison, Flaw: Half Effect), Protection 2

Total: 5 PP

Edited December 6, 2014 by RobRX

[Brown Dynamite]

Foreshadow II
 
 
Erick is a blonde hair blue eyed male of above average height.  His medium length hair used to touch down to his shoulders.  Recently, he has trimmed his hair, cutting it short around the sides.  Leaving the back to blend into the top, but left long enough to be swept back with a little hair product.   Erick has a trim muscular build, his physique clearly toned into that of a gymnast's body.

As Foreshadow, Erick dons a modified version of the original outfit worn by David Sloane.  Forgoing his mentor's cowl for a specially designed domino mask.  Foreshadow's long, full body length cape is clasped together with an amulet with Foreshadow's all seeing eye symbol.  When draped over his head the hood of the cape can also act as a cloak.  His uniform is also outfitted with a utility belt with multiple compartments to house the equipment he uses while on the job.  Mostly consisting of mundane equipment like handcuffs and burner cell phones.  Lastly Foreshadow's multi purpose Escrima Sticks are usually kept holstered on his right leg.
 
Powers & Abilities
 

When first starting out Foreshadow was more of an acrobat than martial.  Relying more on misdirection than pure combat prowess.  While he is still an acrobat first and foremost, Foreshadow has gradually adapted a more fluid martial arts base to his fighting style.  Favoring mobile fighting styles Erick blends an ecclectic knowledge with traditional Savate Defense Dans La Rue.  As well as incorporating his natural skill as a gymnast for a more freeform system that relies on both one's environment and unpredictability to take down opponents.  Essentially, Foreshadow's fighting style is akin to combat oriented tricking.

 
His custom built high polymer Escrima Sticks are lightweight so that he can overwhelm foes with a flurry of attacks at close range.  At a distance they can also be thrown to take out foes.  The staves are collapsible allowing Foreshadow to store the weapons on his person even out of costume. The separate halves can also combine into a singular bo staff, which Foreshadow uses when in need of supplying his attacks more power.  One half of the weapon can fire a stored swing line made out of airplane cable, whereas the other half can release the shock prods of an electric stun rod.

Last but not least, Erick is able to foresee events before they come to pass.  A secondary effect of this ability is he is actively aware of his surroundings almost intuitively.  As another byproduct of his precognition  Erick is intuitively aware of foreboding danger.  This sensation manifests as a tingling feeling at the base of his skull, alerting Erick to danger in proportion to the severity of whatever the threat is. 
 
 
Biography
 
Early History:
Dmitri Russov's hands have long been stained with blood.   A poor farmer with few opportunities Dmitri joined the army at a young age.  Eventually finding himself a loyal agent of SMERSH (and later the KGB), Dmitri's duty station was in Afghanistan during World War II.  Serving his time with a penchant for collateral damage, he gained a reputation in the region.  Until finally he was injured in the line of duty.  For performing his duty to the utmost Dmitri earned a posting in Science City Eberesko,, a top-secret Soviet center for experimentation in human enhancement and advanced weaponry, in particular their psychic research experiments.  Subjected to many a "voluntary" experiment, it wasn't long before the procedures proved to be a success and not only were his injuries treated but Russov had gained the gift of Postcognitive vision.  Through this gift he was able to learn that the scientist of the facility had no plans on letting him go if the procedures took.

 

Dmitri took it upon himself to concoct a chemical accident in a lab while he was undergoing a check up.  Two scientist died along with four guards.  Those in the facility thought Dmitri did as well, but in reality he escaped in the midst of the chaos.  Deserting the KGB Dmitri took to Moscow, where he would fall into a life of crime.  Murder and robbery was far more difficult to accomplish in the Soviet police state, but blackmail was as alive as ever.  Dmitri used his postcognitive gifts to acquire a large amount of assets over the span of a few years, further positioning himself to acquire power after the privatization of Russia.

As good as the Soviet State was to Dmitri, the Post Soviet state was even better.  Abandoning his criminal connections Dmitri founded Surova Energija (Now known as SE Corp).  Which quickly became one of the largest energy conglomerates in Russia.  As such Dmitri became a cutthroat oligarch guided with amazing foreknowledge of his competitors there were few who could keep up with the man.  Unfortunately, his vindictive nature extended to his home life pushing his loved ones away.  Before his full rise to power his daughter, Natasha Russov defected to the United States eloping with a traveling circus acrobat named Aleksandr Lutrova.
 
Alek and Natasha welcomed their child Erick Aleksandrovich Lutrova in February of 1993.  Together they raised Erick with all the love the parents could give.  Giving him all the support in the world.  When Erick was old enough Alek enrolled Erick in a local gymnastics gym.  The circus acrobat expecting the world of his child.  Once the boy showed a natural aptitude to gymnastics both parents became extremely strict with him, scheduling his life around gymnastics.  By the time he was ten, Erick was a well known prodigy among gymnastics circles with sponsorship offers flowing in for his eventual Olympic bid when he was old enough.

 

So scheduled was his life that Erick too the opportunity, when loud explosions and screaming filled the night air, to sneak some tv time while his parents ran downstairs to check the source of the noise.  This despite Erick having a dream early in the morning that included his parents burning alive, of course he simply wrote it off as a bad dream.  Unfortunately it was not merely a nightmare,  the commotion was due to the massive fire caused in a fight between Foreshadow and a drugged out assailant.  Worried by the alarmed sounds of screaming coming from outside, Erick left his room to check on his parents.  It was at this point the foundation of the house began to give way and they were crushed below with flames further engulfing them.  Erick barely survived with the intervention of Foreshadow

 
A New Life:
David Sloane, wracked with guilt over failing to prevent what he had foreseen, adopted Erick whom had no known relatives.  The Russov family connection was not public  knowledge even to the likes of Dmitri Russov due to Natasha forging documentation when emigrating to the states.  Despite the fact that most of Erick's inheritance as actually money stolen from her father as opposed to sponsorship money as he was told.  Erick spent his formative years being raised by David, who took the time to impart the knowledge and training he had acquired over the years unto Erick.  

 

For the next six years half of their Summers would be spent abroad on training voyages, with the other half Erick was forced to spend socializing like a growing teen.  David had no plans for Erick to become a superhero, in fact he wanted nothing further, however the sense of focus the training provided brought the close.  It also made it hard to say no when Erick graduated from his high school early and revealed his plans to travel the world so that he could help clean up the Southside with Foreshadow under his own heroic identity.

 
Erick traveled throughout South America, India, Tibet, China, Japan, Russia, and Australia.  Unlike David Sloane, Erick had no precognitive gifts that he knew of.  So his trip was aimed solely to hone his skills in martial arts and criminology.  He even made enough time to compete and medal in the World's Gymnastic Championships, turning down an Olympic bid.   Unlike David's spiritual journey, in a lot of ways Erick treated his voyage like a vacation.  During this time Foreshadow financially supported the efforts of the Alterniteen known as Elite.  Creating a sort of friendly rivalry between the two teens who spent minimal time with one another.

 

Upon his return to the city Erick took on the heroic identity of Omen where he operated low key for two years occasionally working together with other heroes in the city to oppose the criminal element.  Erick's close friend and confidante Alaina Zelichonok acted as his assistant during this time.  Managing his finances and buying the various equipment Omen used to fight crime through untraceable means.  Even going so far as to modify the equipment as his whims as best she could.  
 
Present Day:
During the Day of Wrath multiple heroes were replaced by robots due to the Curator's machinations.  It was through this that Erick came to blows with a robotic duplicate of Foreshadow.  When David returned to the city he thought it best to hang up his cape.  Years of being battered by the criminal element had seemingly taken its told, finding himself powerless to prevent the Curator from taking him captive cementing this thought.  But David also felt Foreshadow's duty was not done, passing on his identity to the only person he could trust Erick.  He just had to agree to undergo training with Asano Ranaga, Crimson Katana III, which was done in the form of a private podcast mailed to his home every week.

 
Foreshadow II's early foray into crime fighting often found him getting more involved with Freedom City's more esoteric elements.  Teaming together with local heroes at the scene he combated threats ranging from a guy with a magical noose to one who made furniture come to life.  Eventually, Erick found himself pushed to his limit barely surviving a confrontation with an assassin named L'esprit hired to take him out.  Barely hobbling home to the Sloane estate, David only survived by virtue of emergency treatment in the middle of the house.  Including an emergency blood transfusion from David which somehow gifted Erick with the gift of Precognitive Foresight.

 

Forearmed with this new ability, Erick began to rapidly immerse himself into the world of heroics.  Stepping into a far wider stage than just the problem plaguing the Southside due to Big Al.  That's not to say, Forehshadow doesn't try to keep the less affluent areas of Freedom City safe, but his willingness to trust others in this regard, has allowed him to foresee dangers on a more global scale.
 
Personality & Motivation
Erick is quite relaxed and even when on the job he's known to be chatty and crack a joke. Unlike his mentor, he's more than willing to work with others than David Sloane was.  In fact Erick Sloan is a downright social butterfly.  Relying on his social skills to gather information from local underworld personalities almost as often as his precognitive gifts.  Part of Erick's attitude actually has do to his gift of Foresight.  He has taken it to translate into feeling that he is armed with the knowledge that he will always come out on top.

Erick fights the good fight simply because it's the right thing to do. Filled with a passion for life and a desire to make a difference, every time Erick dons the Foreshadow costume he's ready to go to work.  A bit of an adrenaline junkie, Erick loves crime fighting perhaps a bit too much.   His enjoyment of risk taking almost borders on recklessness.  Which is why he keeps himself grounded by remembering why he dons his domino mask in the first place.  More than anything Erick wants to make sure no one else has to go through the pain of losing their family because of the criminals in Freedom City especially those under Al Driogano's thumb.
 
 
Out of Character
 
Words From The Creator
 

So if not obvious Foreshadow II was created as a blended element of two of my favorite characters.  Nightwing and Daredevil.  The character further appealed to my love of the overly cinematic fight scenes in superhero fiction with an acrobatic fighting style that would have more place in a performance art than an actual fight.  I wasn't originally going to give him actual psionic abilities and instead have him rely on technology for an ESP like all seeing effect.  But, I eventually warmed to the idea of passing that part of the legacy on as well.  I always left room for it as a possibility as to why Foreshadow I wasn't able to prevent the tragedy.  Much like how he and Lady Tarot could not fully predict one another.  

 

But, as much of a symbolic element as the blood transfusion was I didn't think it would make sense for that to be the sole catalyst for why he gained his powers.  The implication was supposed to be that the both the process and the near death experiment awakened a dormant mutation.  Of course, it being possibly tied to his grandfather was more or less of a late retcon that even he wasn't aware of.  Due in pat to the fact that Foreshadow II's adventures in play have made him more globe trotting and as such I wanted more to tie him away from the city.

 

Dmitri Russov is actually a canonical element of Freedom City.  Those with a keen eye will notice he is the throwaway name of the rival criminal of Crimson Katana II responsible for the massacre of Crimson Katana's family.  Seeing as the man never came up in any other book, and was merely a name with nothing more tying to it, I decided to run with it.

[Avenger Assembled]

We actually do have the wiki up and running, guys, if you want to PM Sorus about getting an account set up