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  • Locked thread
potatocubed
Jul 26, 2012

*rathian noises*
MASKS: KEYSTONE BAY


Situated in the scenic woodlands of the Pacific Northwest, Keystone Bay boasts a charming mix of old and new. From the historic buildings of downtown, including one of the largest cathedrals ever constructed on American soil, to the gleaming towers of Mendip Heights Keystone Bay has everything a tourist -- or new citizen -- could ever want to see or do.

Also, it has rain (lots of rain) and super-people.

Where Halcyon City is the home of superheroes, Keystone Bay has always been the home of the weird. Something about the gloomy woods, the fog that rolls in from the sea, and the mountains visible on the horizon seems to attract sorcerers, cryptids, paranormalists, and other strangeness. Once watched over solely by the immortal magician Jeremiah Keystone, the rise in super-powered people across America has seen a corresponding increase in super activity in the Bay -- on both sides of the law.

But there's more to the Bay's cape population than just witches and monsters. In the tech district of Mendip Heights -- known in promo material as 'North San Fran' -- software, robotics, and biotech companies do their part. Mutants arise among the population at the usual rate. Even aliens show up from time to time, looking for some part of the human experience that evades them in more pedestrian places.

Also you.

It's MASKS time!

----

Some misc notes before we get started:

  • This is supposed to be a fun game among friends. It's unlikely to go to as dark places as e.g. Monsterhearts because it's supposed to be teen superhero angst not teen monsters being awful, but I want all players to feel comfortable saying 'no' if the story goes somewhere bad for them -- and if someone does, everyone else needs to respect that.
  • I've written Keystone Bay as a place where 'a wizard did it' is a plausible explanation for things, but don't think you have to app 'magical' characters. Plenty of room here for anything and everything.
  • I'm going to be pulling NPCs from various sources, so expect expys.
  • I'm going to try out this play-by-Discord thing. Make characters in this thread, then we'll move to Discord for the actual game.
  • Gen a complete character except for the 'when the team first came together' and bonds questions. Answer the chargen questions as you go. Feel free to make up details of Keystone Bay or the greater world as necessary.
  • Apps will be open until midnight UK time next Friday (the 14th).

So... let's go!

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Arashiofordo3
Nov 5, 2010

Warning, Internet
may prove lethal.
Interest post. Thinking Outsider.





https://soundcloud.com/arashiofordo3/we-all-lift-together/s-xD2AP

The harsh light of the florescent bulb buzzed noisily above. Detective Marks glared at the strangely dressed girl across from him. This case was annoying him. First there's some kind of meteor crash in the mountains near the city. People were feeling spooked. Then this... girl, just started stealing things in broad daylight! Didn't even try to hide it! By all rights this one should be a superhero job. But for some reason "Strangely dressed" and "Just harmlessly picking up electronics and eating food without paying for it." Didn't quite attract their attention. Bloody capes... He looked down at the evidence of the things she'd been gathering. Phones (both working, and display models), radios, computer parts, random bits of metal, a half eaten bag of spaghetti (uncooked).

"Why did you want these?" He asked. Holding up one of the radios she stole. She looked at his face, then his lips, then at the radio. Then back to him. Nonplussed. He'd spent the last hour trying to talk to her, question her. But she hadn't answered anything, or said a word. Just watched him curiously, or examined the room. Occasionally she'd try to reach out for one of the items. The handcuffs had proved effective at curbing those impulses. Was she an immigrant? She definitely didn't seem to understand English. No ID. No nothing. That skin tight suit didn't seem to have many pockets. Ughhh, this was getting nowhere! "Sit tight. I'll be right back." He muttered. She looked at him again, head cocked on one side. Stopping short of cursing under his breath, he left the room and moved to the observation window.

"Anything?" The Sargent asked.

"Nadda." Marks replied bitterly. "Anything on file? A person doesn't just show up like this."

"$50 says she'll be an alien." The Sargent joked. Marks shot him a dirty look. "What? She could be. These people just show up out of nowhere at this point."

"Does she look like E.T to you?" Marks says, crossing his arms "$100's says she's some rear end in a top hat kid, thinking shoplifting is cool, who's playing dumb to the cops to try and get out of it.". The Sargent pulled out his phone, chuckling. They both jumped as the Girl suddenly leapt up and seemed to stare directly through the window. "What is she doing now...?" Marks started to ask and his mouth hang agape as a small metallic drone materialised in mid air. It was about the size of a cat. It bleeped quietly twice, and the window smashed! Atomised more like! The phone shot out of the Sargent's hands and attached itself to the drone! Sparks of lighting shooting through the handheld device. It burnt to cinders in seconds.

"....Uhhhhh...." Marks says. The drone beeps. Floating back to hover over the girl's shoulder.

[[Establishing Communication - Speak Identified: Anglish Selected. - Hello]]

"Uhhhhhhhhh?" The Sargent goggled.

[[Identifier - I am a Carrier of The Fleet. I am Fleet. I am speaking through this ship. I am lost. Crashed. Signal Lost. Aid requested]] The drone put out a metallic, if identifiably female voice. The girl seemed to be sending it a signal somehow. She was certainly looking a lot more expressive now.

"...My phone..." The Sargent mumbled, stunned. Marks was the first to recover his demeanour.

quote:

• Where do you come from? Where's home?

He asked.

Fleet, pointed upwards. [[The Fleet. We flee home. Attacked. Signal Lost. I crash.]]

"Right... sure." Marks pinched the bridge of his nose, this was going to give him a headache. "-and why do you look human then?"

[[Why do you look Fleet?]] Fleet replied. The translation clearly wasn't perfect. But she'd gestured to herself. So she was the one speaking... or, at least, making the Drone speak.

"And the Fleet are?" Marks said, eyes narrowed.

[[Fleet are Fleet. We all work together all for greater whole. Ships, travel through voidspace. --Accessing data-- Your 'internet' contains interesting information.]] Fleet opens a transparent glowing screen in front of her, symbols and pictures flying past her eyes. [[You would call Fleet... communist? Union of individuals. All share, all work, Supplies and effort offered to greater whole, all part of the Fleet. Fulfil assigned roll. I am Carrier. I fix, and command iea93=193t3]] She frowns. Then shakes her head. Gestures to the drone.

"You're controlling that... thing?"

[[Not 'thing' - is iea93=193t3. No equivalent word. Culture touchstones missing. You are not Fleet.]]

"We'd call that... a robot? A drone?" The Sargent offers

"D-Draane?" Fleet attempts to copy. Her voice is quiet. Sweet, in the halting manner of the uncertain. She mutters it to herself a few more times, no closer to actually saying it right. [[Designation updated - Drone. I command Drones]]


quote:

• Why did you come to Earth?

[[Fleet attacked during Maintenance. Enemy strength unknown. Fleet status unknown. Hive damaged. Crashed on world local designation Earth.]]

"Hive? Like a bug?" Marks prompted

Fleet shook her head. [[Fighter designation craft. Logistics and technical platform. More powerful then personal command enhancement.]]

"I have no idea what any of that means-"

[[It drones better.]] The translation fuzzed, as though uncertain. Fleet looked uncomfortable. [[Uncertain to explain. Not Fleet.]]

"Fine. So why were you taking... any of this stuff?" Marks sits back. He was actually getting answers.

[[Hive requires repairs. Damaged in crash. Sensors detected resources. Need was great, so I took what was needed.]]

"That's stealing." Marks replies. Fleet places her head on it's side.

[[Stealing? I don't understand? Need was great, so took what was required. No more.]]

"You didn't pay for it."

"P-Paaai?" Fleet mimicked.

"You know, money? Where you trade money for goods? Paying."

[[Ohhhhh]] Fleet paused, brow furrowing. [[What is money?]]

"Jesus Christ..." Yep, there was that headache. "I- okay, let's change the subject. If you crashed, where's the rest of your people?"

Fleet dropped her eyes. [[Location Unknown. Insufficient data. Signal Lost]] Wait, was she crying? Do aliens even cry? She was sort of shivering. Holding her arms around herself tightly.

"God this is above my paygrade. Stay here, don't touch anything. I need to make some calls..."



quote:

• Why do you want to stay here (for now at least)?

The Detective (for that is what she found out he was called. But also "Marks"? This human naming structure was very strange) had called a collective group, who had been trying to help her adjust to life here on Earth. They display unusual abilities. But seem to spend more of their time fighting others like them, than helping their greater community. As a whole, human society was tribal, driven by greed and profit, they were divided, fearful. She could help these people. Teach them the ways of The Fleet. To work together. To share what they have. So much good could be done. But she knew she was a stranger in this world. Her values were as alien to them, as they were to her.

They'd been kind enough to recover her ship. Offer to help her repair it. But only if she helped them. It was a fair barter. She'd accepted automatically. It had been the closest these Humans had come to good sensible Fleet behaviour. She requested materials, they brought them to her, she fixed her ship, and in return she joined in their fights. Like all Fleet, she was trained in battle. She wasn't a Cruiser, or a Destroyer. She wasn't focused on heavy battle. But as a Carrier, her shields, and her drones seemed sufficient for dealing with most situations.

Her biggest issue was... fuel. The Hive ran on a composite fuel. She could make it. But it was difficult to get hold of the parts. She could make enough for limited atmospheric flight. But not enough to breach the atmosphere. Never mind that she couldn't detect The Fleets signal. Without that, she couldn't find them. She'd be flying into certain death. Especially with The Enemy out there. Undetectable bioships made of nightmares and death. As much as she hated being stuck here, it was preferable to the jaws of a Hagrassa.


quote:

• Why do your people want you to come home?

Fleet is Fleet. A union of a people. Shorn from their home. They work and live as one. Every person for the Fleet. They live on a ever moving collection of ships. From which they take their name and identities. They are a dying people. Fleeing an enemy which seeks their complete extermination. Every individual is important. Every hand needed. The young especially for they are few in number. And any member of the Fleet not pulling it's weight, is dead weight. And there's nothing worse then being dead weight.


quote:

• Why do you care about the team?

The Fleet are a union. They work together to achieve things they could never do alone. The team is like a battle group. Cruisers, Destroyers, Carriers, Frigates and Fighters all working in tandem to win the day. Cruisers to absorb damage, Destroyers to deal it, Frigates to support, Fighters to defend and react to changing situations, and Carriers to command and guide. In this way, The Fleet persists. So too, will the team.


quote:

HERO NAME: Fleet
REAL NAME: Carrier - "Carrie"
Look: woman, human body, glowing eyes, mismatched clothing, your people’s uniform
Abilities
You can fly, and you’re pretty tough. Choose any two of the following:
❑❑ Technopathy
❑❑ Alien Drones

Labels

FREAK +2
DANGER -1
SAVIOR +0
SUPERIOR +2
MUNDANE +0


Outsider Moves

Alien tech:
When you alter a human device with your alien technology, roll + Freak. On a hit, you create a device that can do something impossible once and then fizzle. When you roll a 10+, choose one:
- it works exceptionally well
- you get an additional use out of it
On a miss, the device works, but it has a completely unintended side effect that the GM will reveal when you use it.


❑❑ Alien ways:
Whenever you openly disregard or undermine an important Earth custom in favor of one of your own people’s customs, shift Superior up and any other Label down.


❑❑ Kirby-craft:
You have a vehicle, something from your home. Detail its look, and choose two strengths and two weaknesses. When you are flying your ship, you can use it to unleash your powers, directly engage a threat, or defend someone using Superior.
Strengths: Fast & maneuverable, powerful weaponry,
Weaknesses: Bizarre fuel source, easily detectable,


Moment of Truth
You embrace your home and call them for aid. They will answer your call—in force!—arriving exactly when you need them to turn the tide. They fight and serve you for the rest of the battle. Of course, when all is said and done...they’d probably like to take you home with them. You did, after all, just prove yourself worthy.


Team Moves
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, take Influence over them if you show them meaningful affection, physical or emotional. They decide if it’s meaningful.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, they tell you what you should do to fit in more. Take +1 forward to do it, and mark potential if you do

When our team first came together...
We didn’t trust each other at first, but that changed. How? Why?

Relationships

You’ve been learning about Earth by spending time with Rebecca 'Becca' Star.

The human known as Becca seems to be technically skilled. As such she was assigned to me to learn of your earthen devices. Though I expect she is more able then she is letting on? I don't understand it, why hide the true strength of your abilities when they could be of such use? She is a cheerful person, and she's clearly very interested in the :}_")!!23 of my people. Though I'm happy to sure, even if I'm not completely sure she understands some of it.


You have a crush on Arcadia but you keep it under wraps.

It is difficult to express how strange this feeling is. I've only just achieved the age of maturity, and this person. So alien and alluring that she makes my crests rise and my plumage flair, never mind she makes my speckles- err, never mind. She's an alien, I'm Fleet. I might be stranded, but that doesn't mean I can just... I mean, would she even like me?

Influence
Choose your demeanor: haughty or cheerful.
If you’re cheerful, you’re thrilled to be here. Give everyone Influence over you.

Arashiofordo3 fucked around with this message at 18:45 on Sep 16, 2018

Tricky
Jun 12, 2007

after a great meal i like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage



Arcadia, the Scion

As long as humans have shared stories, they've talked of creatures beyond comprehension. Sometimes the fey folk, sometimes monsters, demons, or creatures stranger still. Many of these stem from the same origin: visitors from the land of Faerie. And, well, that's where I'm from too. My father, well, he got lost. Very, very lost. So lost, in fact, that he stumbled into this hidden realm of magic and love and monsters and danger when he was walking to the corner store. It's not unlike Keystone, now that I think of it, but it was quite a shock for him. He's never been as in-tune with things like this as I am, but I suppose that makes sense. After all, I do take after mother. For better or worse.

quote:

• Who is your supervillain parent?

Queen Mab. Yes, the very same. She's been a scourge upon Keystone — and realms beyond your understanding — for the last... I honestly have forgotten the date of the first sighting. Quite some time ago, long beyond the memory of any still living. It's a little odd how time works in Faerie. From my perspective, it's only been a matter of months since I first saw my loving mother turn into... well, the Queen you know. Dark and beautiful and terrible beyond measure. Her loyal knights, the Wild Hunt, have matched wits with the best and brightest heroes for generations. Her endless legions of lesser fae, too, trouble the people of Keystone and beyond as they seek the riches and offerings that the Queen craves.

quote:

• Who told you about your parent’s true nature?

It's... complicated. On the one hand, it's no secret — to me at least — that the Fae are strongly influenced by those around them. I'm no different, honestly, though my human blood gives me a stronger sense of self than those of mo- Queen Mab's court. You must understand, when I was growing up... things were perfect. They were idyllic, possibly beyond your comprehension. I frolicked in lands of — quite literal — milk and honey. I matched wits and swashed buckles with red cap bandits! Every day was a new adventure, every turn a new discovery. Even the endless politics of the Fae Courts were enjoyable. The dancing was quite incredible.

If that man, Hermes, had never come, maybe things never would have changed. But come he did. He found his way into the realm of Faerie, but where my father was lost... let's simply say that Hermes did not arrive by coincidence. The Fae love new stimulation, though, so he was quickly able to find a place at my mother's... the Queen's side. The shift was as dramatic as it was sudden. Where once the realms were ruled with love, justice, and no little whimsy, the Queen's rule became one of tight, iron-fisted tyranny. Her subjects followed in her wake, soon reflecting her nature with their own, and I could feel my own starting to darken.

quote:

• Why did you turn from your lineage to be a hero?

Let me be utterly, perfectly clear. I love the Faerie that was. The Faerie that should be. The fact that I cannot enter it without daring existential peril pains me greatly, as does the loss of many friends and those I considered family. I have not turned from my lineage. I will not turn from them. And, mark my words, I will bring the Faerie that was back to primacy. So, some months ago by your measure, I finished working my way out through the hidden hedges and paths from the now-Court of the True Queen. I found myself in Keystone Bay, a place far from that what I know, but perhaps the key to returning the Queen — my mother — to her true self.

quote:

• Who, outside of the team, helps you on your chosen path?

...This is also a complicated matter, I must apologize. As mentioned, time flows differently between your realm and mine. When I escaped Faerie, I found that you heroes have always known Queen Mab to be a terrible threat. And, too, I found myself the subject of much scrutiny. Suffice to say I was not about to submit to a different sort of bondage. I knew that I could not rely on the heroes of your realm, not as of yet, and I knew I would need to find someone upon whom I could. I possess many of the talents of my people, glamour and the gift alike, and I used my senses to identify the one who would best help my quest.

Now, the one that my divinations identified... it was most unexpected. It was my father, Alek Levintus, but not as I knew him as a child. This Alek was one who had not yet stumbled onto the path that leads him the realm of Faerie and, too, has never met my mother. I cannot say whether this is a different one entirely or simply another casualty in the tenuous grasp of time that our realms share. He found my story fanciful, at first, but eventually, I was able to assuage his concerns with knowledge of his life that he could not explain away. He has graciously given me space to stay and his knowledge of Keystone Bay has proven most helpful in establishing the leads I must follow towards my desired future.

quote:

• Why do you care about the team?

I constantly face the pressure of a city, a world, that insists I become what it wants. These few companions are a source of solace and sense of self that is irreplaceable. I've lost much, that is why I am here, but I do not regret finding those who I would gladly see at my side on the day we finally return Faerie to what it should truly be.

The Scion posted:

Hero Name: Arcadia
Real Name: Kaia Levintis
Look: Shifting, Half-Greek, Statuesque Body, Expensive Clothing, Fae Regalia

Labels:
Danger +1
Freak +0
Savior +2
Superior +0
Mundane +0

Your Lineage:
You are the child of a true supervillain, someone with power and the will to use that power to cause harm. Even though you strive to be different than them, you are what you are because of them, in one way or another.

What kind of villain are they?
deadly mercenary, master thief, fearsome destroyer, crusader, puppetmaster, grandiose tyrant

What is your relationship with them like?
mostly strangers, actively adversarial, sadly opposed, ever-shifting, redemption/corruption, full of denial

They have an array of abilities, assets, and strengths; what are some of them? (up to 3)
superhuman martial prowess, dark sorcery, cosmic might, diabolical machines, endless minions, unrivaled genius, powerful allies, arsenal of weapons and gadgets, supremely honed skills

What abilities do you use to fight them? (up to 2)
impressive martial prowess, magical aptitude, cosmic energies, machine control, regeneration, electrokinesis, seismic waves, a powerful weapon or gadget, mastery of a single skillset

Moves:
❑ I’ll show them: When you defend someone who doesn’t believe in you, you can always take Influence over them, even on a miss.

❑ They don’t deserve forgiveness: When you accuse an enemy of being irredeemable, you can mark two conditions to take Influence over you away from them. When you directly engage someone who has no Influence over you, you can always choose 1 additional option, even on a miss.

Respect:
Write down the names of at least two other characters whose respect you need to earn in order to differentiate yourself from your parent. You may fill in new names whenever appropriate.

Your parent’s greatest enemy: The Knight-Errant
Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐
Your parent’s greatest victim: _____________
Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐
Your personal idol: _____________________
Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐
The city’s greatest leader: ________________
Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐
The city’s greatest hero: Jeremiah Keystone
Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐
The city’s biggest celebrity: ______________
Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐

When you seek out one of the characters named above, roll + Savior. On a hit, you find them where you expected to. On a 7-9, they’re juggling their own problems, and may not have time for you. On a miss, when you find them, the situation is dire; the GM will tell you how.

If you earn Influence over the characters listed above, instead you mark 1 Respect. If you lose Influence over the characters listed above, you lose 1 Respect. If you lose 1 Respect and you have none marked, you immediately mark a condition, GM’s choice.

The first time you reach 4 Respect on an individual, take an advancement.

While you have 4 Respect on an individual:
• You can reject their Influence at a +3 (does not stack with the above).
• You take +1 to a Label of their choice. (record it next to their name)
If you dip below 4 Respect on an individual, you lose those benefits.

Moment of Truth:
People have always tried to define you by your lineage. As if from the moment you were born, you were meant to be some villain to be defeated. But...they’re right, aren’t they? That darkness is in you. So right here, right now, you’re not fighting it—you’re embracing it. Both hero and villain, and greater besides. You’re overcoming impossible odds in ways no hero would approve of, and no villain could comprehend. Of course, after seeing what you can really do when you embrace the whole of yourself, the rest of the world isn’t going to forget who you really are...

Team Moves:
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if you have earned their respect. If you have, take Influence over them and mark potential. If you have not, give them Influence over you and mark potential.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, ask them if they would defend you against those who mistrust you. If they say yes, clear a condition and shift Savior up and any other Label down. If they say no, mark a condition and shift Danger up and any other Label down.

When our team first came together...
Someone important learned about my lineage and condemned us all. Who? Why?

Relationships:
____________________ is the only one who understands what I’m going through; I told them which part of me I wished was more like my parent.
My parent once fought and thrashed _____________________; I’ve got to find a way to make it up to them.

Influence:
This team may be the key to proving you’re different from your parent, but you don’t want to be defined by your peers, either. Give Influence to 2 teammates.

Tricky fucked around with this message at 14:22 on Sep 25, 2018

Mors Rattus
Oct 25, 2007

FATAL & Friends
Walls of Text
#1 Builder
2014-2018

Kind of feeling a Beacon whose gimmick is stage magic rather than actual magic.

Alien Rope Burn
Dec 5, 2004

I wanna be a saikyo HERO!
I miss Masks, so I'll take the time to ponder this. Been wanting to finally try Doomed, but I'm not bound to it.

Yami Fenrir
Jan 25, 2015

Is it I that is insane... or the rest of the world?



Tsukinoko starts writing on paper she brought with her.

Hello. Forgive this somewhat awkward method of communication, but I cannot speak. At least not safely, for you.

Let me start from the beginning. I am the Moon Dragon Princess, the seventh child of the immortal Dragon Emperor of Japan. You may have not have heard of him - he are rather seclusive. My father is the true emperor of japan, however these days he has largely left the actual ruling of the country to the government more familiar to you.

Just know that my father is a very powerful individual (given that he literally is a dragon who took human form), and we, as his children, have inherited aspects of his power. My own ability is the capability to harness the Words of Creation - essentially, anything I say becomes reality.

"Rain."

It suddenly starts pouring outside, despite it the bright, cloudless sky.

I have come here since it's the best place to learn how to wield this ability, safely. Both for myself and others.

quote:

When did you first use your powers?

"hen I spoke my first words as a small child. I was born with this power. It was quite awkward, I was told. Since I did not grasp my own power, it created issues. One incident my silblings often like to tell strangers is when I wanted ice cream, and kept screaming for it... so our entire home got entirely flooded with icecream.

quote:

Who was the first person you accidentally hurt with your powers?

Unfortunately, not all incidents ended in amusing childhood tales. One of my sisters liked to use the phrase "break a leg." The ironic phrase to wish good luck, as I assume you are aware. Well, when I was young, I kept copying phrases from my older silblings, and, well...

Reality is not quite good at telling irony. So I accidentally broke a leg of every single person in the room, precisely one.. The Words of Creation are fickle like that.

quote:

Who, outside the team, helps you control your powers?

My big sister, Akemi. You likely know her by her hero name, Sage Dragon Princess.



She is very skilled in more traditional magic, and incredibly smart. Akemi often comes to visit, and is usually quite helpful in figuring out clever phrases or words to use with my power. Thanks to her assistance, I have gotten much better at understanding the ins and outs of the Words of Creation, such as the volume of my voice affecting the power, or that I can say words that hold no material meaning, like 'No', 'Yes', and such, without issue.

quote:

Why do you continue to use your powers?

Because I want to help. While the risk is great, mine is an ability of awesome power. Even something as seemingly impossible as reviving the dead is possible for me. Why would I not?

quote:

Why do you care about the team?

I have not had much contact with the outside world, I am afraid. I lived in a palace together with my parents and silblings until now. I would like to make some friends.


quote:

Real Name: Tsukinoko
Hero Name: Moon Dragon Princess
Abilities: Sorcery (Word Magic)
The words of creation. Every word Tsukinoko speaks, reality listens, and tries to fulfill her will. Unfortunately, words often have more than one meaning, and sound does not exactly differenciate between friend or foe. As a result, Tsukinoko does not exactly talk a lot.


Freak +3
Danger +1
Savior +0
Superior +0
Mundane -1

Potential: 1/5

Moves
Burn
When you charge up your powers, roll + conditions you currently have marked. On a hit, hold 3 burn. On a 7-9, mark a condition. On a miss, hold 2 burn and mark three conditions. Spend your burn on your flares. You lose all burn at the end of the scene.

Flares
Worship: You put out a tremendous display of your might. Spend 1 Burn to awe an audience into silence, respect, and attention when you unleash your powers.

Elemental Awareness: Spend 1 burn and mark a condition to open your mind up to the world around you with your powers. You can ask any one question about the world around you,and the GM will answer honestly.

Overcharge: You channel the full capacity of your incredible powers to overcome an obstacle, reshape your environment, or extend your senses. Spend 2 burn to take a 10+ when you unleash your powers.

Constructs: Spend 1 burn to create any object with your powers, up to the size of a person. Spend an additional Burn to animate it independently of yourself. The construct dissolves at the end of the scene.


Moment of Truth
Your mind’s eye opens, and you can see the world around you like never before. You can control it, at will, with ease. Of course, warping reality tends to have ramifications down the line, but in your moment of godhood...how could you possibly be worried?

Team Moves
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if there is any fear in their eyes when they look at you. If they say no, take +1 forward and mark potential. If they say yes,immediately shift your Danger up and Savior down.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, tell them how they could stop you, if it came down to it. Give them Influence over you and clear a condition.


When our team first came together...

We destroyed our surroundings in the fight. Where was it? What did we destroy?

Relationships

You hang out all the time with Lionheart to blow off steam.
Lionheart is nice. And has that air of normality around them. I enjoy it quite a lot.
You once hurt Fleet when you lost control of your powers.
I didn't know! Fleet is a strange fellow. I did not know they were part robotic! Okay, okay, I should explain. We were fighting a villain with a robotic army. Not knowing it would hurt Fleet too, I summoned up an EMP. Fleet... was not happy with me after.

Influence

If you choose locked down, give Influence to one teammate. (Lionheart)

Yami Fenrir fucked around with this message at 17:20 on Sep 24, 2018

Antivehicular
Dec 30, 2011


I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Definitely interested.

paradoxGentleman
Dec 10, 2013

wheres the jester, I could do with some pointless nonsense right about now

Interest post. Thinking of a protege, or maybe a genius.

Relentless
Sep 22, 2007

It's a perfect day for some mayhem!




Komodo, The Soldier

So... I was the quiet kid, the weird scrawny one. The one who literally dreamed of having powers. Being able to fly and shoot energy blasts and save the day. Growing up was hard. I always wanted... more. Powers. Or money. Or even little things. Cooler toys, or having cable, or a computer that didn't run on Windows 2000. I just wanted... out.

Ultimately, I wasn't special. I wasn't stronger or faster or smarter or more popular than anyone else. I found my people, the oddballs in the corner, but they're all screwups too.

My sister, Carrie, is older than me. She was out of the house by the time the bullying got bad. I didn't want to put more pressure on his mom, ya know? She was already working two jobs. Dad... I dunno. She won't talk about him. I get the feeling things didn't end well. Carrie said she got some payout? Some sort of hush money. Probably get sued if she told me about him.

So, yeah, I was getting picked on. High school went from bad to worse. I started skipping to avoid it... that backfired. Got grounded for a month. Hell, I was still grounded on The Day. The day it all changed, when I got powers. But I even screwed that up. I wasn't some beacon of hope defeating supervillains and saving the day. Anyway.

I'm gonna do better. I found a place. My place. Now I am stronger, and tougher, and faster. I'm new to this, but we're gonna do great things together.


quote:

What tragedy or disaster led to you gaining your abilities?

It wasn't really a tragedy. Or the whole thing was, depending on how you look at it. Long story short, apparently even aliens can be deadbeat dads. And even half alien lizard monster kids can get bullied. I mean, I don't actually KNOW he's an alien. But the mages said I'm not cursed, and there's something weird about my DNA, so probably? Maybe he's just a mutant.

quote:

What inspired you to officially join A.E.G.I.S?

Inspired? I was inspired to not get sent to The Pit. There's no juvie version of that. I got in a fight. I just got so tired of getting pushed around and my backpack getting stolen and... well, I didn't know I had THAT inside me. I hurt him, bad. Ran away.

A.E.G.I.S. found me a few days later. I couldn't get it under control, the lizardthing inside me. They helped. I owe them for that. For a lot of things.

quote:

What does A.E.G.I.S. do for the world that no one else can do?

All these heroes and villains are out there fighting each other and aliens and monsters and poo poo. They forget about everybody else sometimes. A.E.G.I.S. didn't forget that underneath the big scaley monster was a kid. At least Captain Rose didn't when she came looking for me.

quote:

Who, outside of A.E.G.I.S. and the team, connects you to the civilian world?

I mean, my mom and my big sister... but mostly my best friend Thurston. But he liked reptiles even before. He's had a big old iguana as a pet since he was little.

quote:

Why do you care about the team?

Not everybody gets the second chance I did. The chance to build a new family, make something better. I will make this work, and make the world safer for everyone else.

quote:

Callsign: Komodo
Real Name: Elliott Hann
Look: Man, White/Asian, Lean body, casual clothing, no costume

Abilities:

An alternate/monstrous form
Superstrength and durability

Danger -1
Freak 0
Savior +2
Superior +1
Mundane 0

Moves:

Before we get started: When you have time to closely observe your opposition before a fight, roll + Savior. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 2. On a miss, hold 1 and mark a condition. During the fight you can spend your hold to name a character you observed and...:

Redirect their attack to another character or no where-into a wall or the sky.
Cross a distance between them and you.
Stun them, up close or from a distance.
Ignore all harm from one of their attacks.
Escape any bindings or impediments they attempt to place on you.

More than a shield: When you directly engage a threat by heading directly into danger without regard for your own safety, roll with Savior instead of Danger. On a miss, your focused attack leaves someone in grave danger; the GM will tell you what it takes to keep them safe.

A higher calling...
You work for the metahuman law enforcement agency (A.E.G.I.S.) that keeps the world safe from all manner of superhuman, supernatural, and extraterrestrial threats. You volunteered to work with a team of young superheroes as part of a new A.E.G.I.S. program designed to keep Keystone Bay safe.

You have an additional Label:

Soldier +2

Soldier functions like any other Label. Characters with Influence over you can shift it, and you mark
a condition if it would ever shift above +3 or below -2. You can only cancel the influence A.E.G.I.S.
holds over you with the appropriate advancement. You cannot lock Soldier with a Moment of Truth.

When you’re acting on orders and relying on your training, give A.E.G.I.S. influence to use Soldier
instead of any other Label when you make a basic or playbook move.

When you invoke your authority over civilians, Halcyon City personnel, or A.E.G.I.S. staff, roll + Soldier.
On a hit, your words carry weight. On a 7-9, someone will push back against your instructions
or orders...sooner rather than later. On a miss, your attempts to control the situation create an
opportunity for your enemies within A.E.G.I.S. to act against you.

When you ask A.E.G.I.S. for additional resources, equipment, or information during a mission, roll
+ Soldier. On a hit, they’ll resupply you as best they can. On a 10+, the resources are highly
classified or experimental; take +1 ongoing to deploying them throughout the mission. On a miss,
A.E.G.I.S. sends what they think you need, regardless of what you actually requested.

Relentless fucked around with this message at 03:41 on Sep 11, 2018

Auraboks
Mar 24, 2013

...huh?
Makin' a Nova.

A Great Big Bee!
Mar 8, 2007

Grimey Drawer
withdrawn

A Great Big Bee! fucked around with this message at 19:02 on Sep 13, 2018

Mors Rattus
Oct 25, 2007

FATAL & Friends
Walls of Text
#1 Builder
2014-2018



John J. Maskelyne, aka The Illusionist

How did you gain your skills?

Magic's in my blood. My great-great-grandfather was the original John Maskelyne, founding member of the Magic Circle and founder of the Occult Committee and inventor of the pay toilet. He was one of the early magicians, and a endless hunter of the occult My great-grandfather was Nevil Maskelyne, author of Our Magic and On the Performance of Magic. My grandfather was Jasper Maskelyne, member of the Royal Engineers and practitioner of magic against the Nazis. My father is Jason Maskelyne, famous across the world for his mastery of illusion.

And I am John Maskelyne, the Illusionist!

What? Like, sorcery-type magic?

Um, no.

Very no.

I mean, great-great-grandpa John spent most of his life debunking people claiming that. And confirmed a bunch of real ones. But we, uh, never had real magic. I'm a stage magician. I perform illusions. You know, mentalism? You'd be surprised how that training applies in the real world, though! I fight crime with my mind and my hands! Faster than the eye, faster than the mind! Check this out!

(John then spends a few minutes pulling increasingly absurd things out of the questioner's ear.)

But yeah, I just took, uh, the family business and decided to apply it to crime fighting. Dad's...uh, less supportive than Mom. Fortunately Dad's in Las Vegas for the summer, and Mom and I live here. Moved from London last year so we could be closer to Dad.

When did you first put on your costume?

...also last year. London is way less cool than this place. I've been doing the crime fighting thing for, like, eight months? I think I'm doing great.

Who, outside of the team, thinks you shouldn't be a superhero?

...that'd be dad. The Jason Maskelyne. You know, the guy who beat David Blaine at his own game? He thinks I'm being an idiot and putting myself in danger. Me, I say I'm just doing what we've always done. He's a coward. Grandpa fought Nazis. Great-grandpa was involved in the occult underground from childhood. Great-great-grandpa got him involved and was, like, the coolest guy ever. If you're gonna name me after someone, really don't be surprised when I decide to do what he did. Seriously. I beat Great-Great-Grandpa fought demons. And none of 'em had powers!

So yeah. Dad's...not a fan.

Why do you try to be a hero?

Well, for one, family business and all, like I said. For another...look. My dad is the top stage magician in Vegas. He does TV poo poo. He's famous. I mean, as famous as, y'know, we get. Look, stage magic is cool but I'm not gonna pretend my dad's Kanye West or anything. But he is the top. And...and this is me. If I want to do anything that'll even have a chance of being bigger and cooler than my dad, well, this is what I've got to do. You like the costume, by the way? Mom helped me make it. Very flashy. And you would not believe how much room I have in here to store stuff.

Why do you care about the team?

They're my real chance to prove that I'm supposed to be here. Wizards, superheroes...and me. I'm one of them. I'm just as good, just as skilled. Maybe I don't have any spells or superpowers or bound demons. I don't need that. I'm the Illusionist. And they respect that!

quote:

Hero Name: The Illusionist
Real Name: John Jasper Maskelyne
Look: Man, White, Smiling Face, Stylish Clothing, Flashy Costume

Danger 0, Freak -1, Savior +2, Superior 0, Mundane +2

Moment of Truth
This is the moment when you sho them exactly why you belong here. You do any one thing, take out any one enemy, no matter how insane, no matter how ridiculous, because that's you. Their jaws are gonna drop when you're done. Of course, pulling off a stunt like this tends to bring unwanted attention and a dangerous reputation...

Team Moves
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, tell them how they're awesome and add a Team to the pool. If they tell you how you're awesome in return, add another Team to the pool.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, ask them to confirm or deny that you should be here. If they confirm it, mark potential and give them Influence over you. If they deny it, mark Angry and shift one Label up and one Label down, your choice.

Abilities: Acrobatics, Camouflage and Stealth
Moves
Straight. Up. Creepin'.: When you scope out a person or place, roll +Mundane. On a 10+, ask two. On a 7-9, ask one.
  • what's my best way in/out?
  • what happened here recently?
  • what here is worth grabbing?
  • who or what here is not what they seem?
  • whose place is this?
On a miss, you find yourself in over your head. The GM will tell you why this is a bad spot.

No Powers And Not Nearly Enough Training: You're always picking up new gear to keep yourself in the game. Whenever you pick up a new piece of gear, you can write it in as a new ability if this line is empty.
____________________
The first time you use each piece of gear to directly engage a threat, unleash your powers, or defend someone, you can roll +Mundane instead of the normal Label.

Drives
Choose four drives to mark at the start of play. When you fulfill a marked drive, strike it out, and choose one: mark potential, clear a condition, take Influence over someone involved. When your four marked drives are all struck out, choose and mark four new drives. When all drives are struck out, change playbooks, retire form the life, or become a paragon of the city.
Lead the team successfully in battle
Kiss someone dangerous
Punch someone you probably shouldn't
Heal a teammmate when they need you most
Take down a threat all on your own
Outperform an adult hero
Pull off a ridiculous stunt
Save a teammate's life
Get drunk or high with a teammate
Drive a fantastical vehicle
Get a new costume
Get a new hero name
Earn the respect of a hero you admire
Make out with a teammate
Punch out a teammate
Break up with someone
Stop a fight with calm words
Tell someone your true feelings for them
Travel to an incredible place (or time)
Reject someone who tells you "you shouldn't be here"

Influence
You are so excited to be here. Give Influence over you to 3 of your teammates.

Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 19:26 on Sep 7, 2018

MollyMetroid
Jan 20, 2004

Trout Clan Daimyo
Alraune, the Transformed



Alraune's mother was a bit of a mad scientist witch. She impregnated herself with plant genes, and the resulting offspring was a very sickly girl she named Alraune.

Alraune had a hard time growing up. She was allergic to many things, she was often too sick for school, until one day she finally collapsed.

Her mother revived her by injecting her with more plant genetics, and the resulting transformation cured Alraune (often called Runey by her friends) of most of her weakness...granted her plant affinity and terrible strength...and made her noticably not human. Runey's not happy about this, but she is alive...


Abilities:
Inhuman Might
Plant Affinity

Alraune is a plant girl. She grows vines out of her body that grant her extra strength and can commune with other growing plants similarly. She tends to wear concealing garments like oversized hoodies and skirts.

Danger +2
Freak +3
Savior 0
Superior -1
Mundane -1

Moves:

I am not my body
Wish I could be
Be the Monster


Who were you before: Alraune Smith, daughter of Hyacinth Smith. Mom's a little weird, but she loves me and she is my Mom, after all.
When did you change? What caused it?: I got really sick, so Mom did...something. After, I was like this.
Who, outside of the team, is helping you understand your new body: Mom, of course, but also her friend Tank. Tank lives in a junkyard and grows all kinds of weird and specialized plants. Not just pot, which he does a lot of, but weird witchy plants.
Why don't you just try to hide yourself away?: Why don't YOU? I'm not like everyone else, but that doesn't mean I'm any less a person...
Why do you care about the team?: They care about me. They accept me.

MollyMetroid fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Sep 7, 2018

Jossar
Apr 2, 2018

Current status: Angry about subs :argh:
Ooh neat, another Masks game.

Hmm...

I have an idea, but my ideas naturally tend to cross playbooks somewhat. If I wanted to play a slightly delinquent character invested with the powers/heritage of a nursery rhyme would that properly be Delinquent or Legacy?

Tardzilla
Aug 31, 2006


Morgue, the Protégé

So, imagine this;

You just hit puberty, and you're going through the same poo poo most kids do at that age. You get a little taller, your body starts changing, zits pop up all over your face, and you slowly start realizing you have a crush on that one cute girl in your class. Imagine you're going through all that, but you've also got fire sprouting out of your hands, and you're suddenly able to "sense" the thoughts and feelings of everybody in the room, whether you like it or not, and that girl you like? She ain't even the slightest bit interested in you, at all, and that's when you learn that you have witch blood running inside of you, and any chance ya might've had in living a normal life might as well have been thrown out the window.

I'm Morgue. I'm a witch, and next in line to be the next Morgan Le Fay.

It's a long goddamn story.

quote:

• How did you first meet your mentor?

It was shortly after my powers manifested themselves. Ms. Morgan- my English teacher- told me to stay after class, and I thought for sure I was going to be in trouble for something I did, but that wasn't the case. Ms. Morgan told me she was aware of my powers, and my witch blood, and when I asked her how she knew, she said she could 'sense' it 'cuz she was a witch herself, and she wasn't just any ordinary witch; she's the witch, Morgan Le Fay. Yea. That Morgan Le Fay. The same exact one from all those legends.

Did I believe it at first? Hell loving no. Are you seriously telling me that my English teacher is really some legendary witch from over a 1000 years ago? How the hell am I supposed to believe that? Next you're gonna tell me our principal is actually some kinda talking cat.

"You can choose whether you want to believe it or not, but that's the truth," is what she told me. Screw it, I thought, I might as well play along for now. It's not like my life is going to get any less crazier.

quote:

• When and why did you choose to train with them?

It's more like she chose me.I asked her what she wanted with someone like me, and she told me, "I see great potential in you. You've got a great amount of magical energy within you, and with proper training, you have the potential to become a powerful magic-user, and you might even be able to succeed me as the next Morgan Le Fay."

Yea, you heard that right. The next Morgan Le Fay. Ms. Morgan has been looking for a successor, someone to carry on her name, and she chose me, of all people. Okay, sure, but isn't she supposed to be, like, a bad guy or whatever? "Those are all just stories," is what she told me, "There's some truth to them, but most are just exaggerated tales."

I was free to refuse her offer, but, screw it. Before all... this happened, I had a pretty boring life. I'd do the same, boring thing, day after day, talk to the same boring people, and go to the same boring school. As crazy as this whole situation is, at least it's not boring, and maybe it can actually be fun, so sure, I'll train under her. I'll become the next Morgan Le Fay. Living a normal, boring life is overrated, anyways.

quote:

• Why did they agree to train you?

Like I said, she wanted someone to inherit her name. Apparently, even someone who's lived as long as her is going to pass eventually, and she doesn't want all that knowledge she's accumulated over the centuries to go to waste, so she's been spending the last few years, searching for someone suitable enough to be her successor, and that person just so happened to be me. That's all there is to it.

Between you and me? I'm still not sure she chose me. There's gotta be other witches in the city who are more experienced than I am, but I guess she sees something in me that I'm not seeing yet, but, hell, I'm not complaining. She's helped me get better control over my powers, and at least I'm not accidentally setting everything on fire anymore.

quote:

• Who else, outside of the team, knows about your training?

Alright, so, just when I thought things couldn't get any weirder, Ms. Morgan introduced me to her "associate," Merina Pendleton, or you might know her better as Merlin. Yea, Merlin's actually a lady, and, as it turns out, she's also a witch.

I wish I was kidding.

"Wait, aren't they supposed to be enemies?" You might ask, and yea, they used to be enemies, but not anymore. It's some, long story that spans over decades that I'm not exactly all that interested in hearing about. So, yea, Goddamn Merlin and Morgan Le Fay are friends now. Or at least, they aren't trying to kill each other anymore.

Anyways, Merina knows about Ms. Morgan training me, and she doesn't exactly approve of it. She thinks training someone as young and as inexperienced as I am is "too dangerous," or whatever. Yea, well, I don't remember asking for your opinion, now did I? I chose to do this, and I don't care if she's some kinda "great, wise" witch, this was my decision, and if she doesn't like it, then she can go whine about it to someone who gives a poo poo. Ugh, I can't stand preachy types like her. How can Ms. Morgan even stand being around her?

quote:

• Why do you care about the team?

They're not boring, and they're not preachy, which is always a plus, and they're actually, you know, fun to be around with. I dunno if I'd call them "friends," but I don't feel like drowning myself while I'm around them, so there's that.

And, uh, well, you know,some of them are kinda cute, too, and, uh, I might like like one of them...

...If you tell anyone about what I just said I will set your hair on fire, got it!?

quote:

Hero Name: Morgue
Real Name: Faye Madison
Look: Ambigous, half-irish, lanky body, rebellious clothing, gothic costume
Shared Ability: Elemental Magic
Your Own Ability: Telepathy/Telekinesis
Mentor's Ability: Power Mimicry

Labels:
Danger -1
Freak +2
Savior +0
Superior +2
Mundane +0

Mentor:

Morgan Le Fay
Embodies: Superior
Denies: Freak

Mentor's Resources:
Alchemy Lab (Chem lab)
Her special modified motorcycle (Vehicle)
A Grimoire of Secrets (Supercomputer)

Moves:
❑ Been reading the files: You’ve learned about the superhuman world through your mentor’s resources. When you first encounter an important superpowered phenomenon (your call), roll + Superior. On a hit, tell the team one important detail you’ve learned from your studies. The GM will tell you what, if anything, seems different from what you remember. On a 10+, ask the GM a follow-up question; they will answer it honestly. On a miss, the situation is well outside your base of knowledge; the GM will tell you why.

❑ Venting frustration: When you directly engage while you are Angry, you can roll + the Label your mentor denies and clear Angry.

❑ Fireside chat: When you seek advice from your mentor, roll + the Label they embody. On a hit they will tell you what to do. On a 10+, mark potential if you follow their advice, and take +1 ongoing to follow through. On a 7-9, you get +1
forward to see it through if you do it their way. On a miss, they don’t have time for you because something big has gone down; mark a condition, GM’s choice.

Moment of Truth:
The moment that you show who you really are: your mentor, or something different. You can do whatever your mentor could do and more. You can do the incredible, even the things they always failed to accomplish. Of course, they’re not going to see you the same way, no matter which path you choose…

Team Moves:
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if you’ve been a good leader or effective teammate. If they say yes, your mentor loses Influence over you and you mark potential. If they say no, your mentor gains Influence over you, and you take +1 forward on using the Label your mentor embodies.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, tell them a secret about your mentor (including your feelings towards them). Give them Influence over you and add a Team to the pool.

When our team first came together...
We stuck together after all was said and done. Why? How’d we keep in contact?

Relationships:
You and ____________________ teamed up a few times before the rest of you came together.
Your mentor is cautious; they asked you to keep an eye on __________________.

Influence:
Choose your demeanor: playful or business.
If you choose playful, give Influence to two teammates.

Tardzilla fucked around with this message at 00:47 on Sep 13, 2018

Yami Fenrir
Jan 25, 2015

Is it I that is insane... or the rest of the world?
Finished my app. Not sure if I properly hit the theme you were going for, but I couldn't help but go with my spark of inspiration.

potatocubed
Jul 26, 2012

*rathian noises*

Jossar posted:

Ooh neat, another Masks game.

Hmm...

I have an idea, but my ideas naturally tend to cross playbooks somewhat. If I wanted to play a slightly delinquent character invested with the powers/heritage of a nursery rhyme would that properly be Delinquent or Legacy?

Hmm. I think it depends on the themes you want to explore with the character. The delinquent playbook is all about acting out, seeking an audience (and that audience's approval), while still being true to yourself. The legacy is all about how well you fill the shoes of historical figures who have come before you, and how you make those shoes your own.

Yami Fenrir
Jan 25, 2015

Is it I that is insane... or the rest of the world?

potatocubed posted:

Hmm. I think it depends on the themes you want to explore with the character. The delinquent playbook is all about acting out, seeking an audience (and that audience's approval), while still being true to yourself. The legacy is all about how well you fill the shoes of historical figures who have come before you, and how you make those shoes your own.

Hey, would you mind opening the discord early? I figure it'd be a good spot to talk about the apping process and such.

potatocubed
Jul 26, 2012

*rathian noises*
Boink.

https://discord.gg/XeReTxv

Probe 17
Jul 27, 2014

Red Rain is coming down

Red Rain
Interest post! Would a Nova whose powerset revolves around hacking into broken superweapons from defeated villains work, do you think?

potatocubed
Jul 26, 2012

*rathian noises*
I'm willing to entertain almost any concept. As I've mentioned in chat with Yami Fenrir, I'm 100% fine with 'out there'.

Probe 17
Jul 27, 2014

Red Rain is coming down

Red Rain


Kolbaius, the Outsider



quote:

• Where do you come from?
Well, that's a good question. I was born on a planet very far away from this one, that had previously been owned by a mostly-aquatic species of aliens who, through their own negligence and incompetent leaders, wound up irreversibly poisoning the oceans they relied upon to live. The planet was barren of most life for 50 years... and then a pod descended. This pod contained a single member of my species, who quickly adapted an immunity to the poisoned waters and began the task of growing and getting the planet ready for incoming colony ship of my species. That pod came from a planet that, until very recently, was covered mostly by molten lava and the occasional patch of desert until another pod landed THERE and its inhabitant adapted to the extreme heat and general lack of food. So, I don't really have a "homeland", if that's what you're asking. The Squatters live wherever there is somewhere to live. We find the places that are empty, and make them not empty again. Our homes are the places where nobody else has them.

quote:

• Why did you come to Earth?
...yeah, you would ask that, after my little patriotic spiel. Well, all cards on the table? I'm mostly here by accident. The Squatters, my people, rely on a series of scouts and reports to inform them when a planet is freshly uninhabited, so that we may bring a pod there, to begin the task of scavenging the remains and preparing the place for its new inhabitants. And one of those reports that got sent was about Earth... around the time the dinosaurs were wiped out. As it turns out, the scout hadn't even checked the planet itself. He just saw a meteor hit the place and assumed any life on it was stone dead and there were probably some cities for us to loot. So the pod containing my infant self was dropped into the ocean by Keystone Bay, ALSO under the assumption that since this planet had so much water, the dominant life-forms must have been aquatic. A commercial fisherman found the pod floating on the waves, still halfway through adapting me to Earth's environment. When it opened, he gave me to his friend, who had been hoping to adopt a kid with their husband and had decided an alien baby was just as deserving of unconditional parental love.

quote:

• Why do you want to stay here (for now at least)?
Are you kidding me? Like I'm just gonna bail on this place? I grew up here, man! You think I'm gonna do that to my friends, my family? Oh, yeah, no, it'll just be like me moving upstate, except the phone bills'll be even more catastrophic!!! You think AT&T reaches rebuilt dead planets?!?

Okay, sorry, sorry, we don't yell at other people, we don't yell at other people...

Alright, I know a lot of other aliens tend to come here when they're around my age. They wanna get what the human experience is all about. See what us... I mean, you Earthlings get up to. But I'm not like that. I may not have been born here, but Earth's all I've ever known. And just because other Squatters wanna show up NOW, when they think I've been spending my adolescence building up a dying planet for them, and make some big deal about me not "acting like myself", they can shove it up their... um... well, I suppose it depends on their specific adaptations, doesn't it? Look, I just don't want to leave here to "go back" to a life I never knew, and don't want to know. Earth is my home, and it always will be.

quote:

• Why do your people want you to come home?
Because most Squatters are... well, they don't get things like this. Our reproductive style is very limited. We produce limited offspring, to send to planets with limited amounts of survivability, to harvest their limited resources so we can transfer the majority of our population there. Which, from what I've lead to believe, is a major change from the way we used to do things. But because of it, a lot of us Squatters go our entire formative years never once meeting another sentient life. We know our "tasks", so to speak, and so we perform them, but we're not really getting guided by anyone. And then when we're all grown up and have the limited starts of a shantytown, beings show up that look like us and talk a language we somehow understand, and so we're immediately thrust into acting like other Squatters because it's all we know, and infinitely more comfortable than the life we had before.

But that ALSO means we're "supposed" to value our own people above all else, because usually we're the only people we've got. So now that I'm on a planet with other living people, who raised me from childhood, who have been friends with me since childhood, who're helping me understand a world that I was never supposed to arrive in, they just don't get it. They expect me to be instinctively hostile to non-Squatter life, and to love them all to death just by virtue of us being the same species. But I'm not, and I don't, and they're pretty pissy about that. Let them be.

quote:

Why do you care about the team?
...what? Did... did you just miss my heartfelt speeches there? Okay... well, I care about the team because they care about me. Because these aliens from a society my people would have me loathe just for not being us have shown me more care, compassion, and unconditional love than my "homeland" has since the day they put my embryo in a drat gestation pod. They care about me, Kolby, the person. I could be ANYONE and they'd care about me as long as I cared about them. I'm not loving Colonizer Serial Number 2612763, "Kolbaius", I'm a person! A unique person who can find my own way and doesn't need to have every other human loving judging me just for being alive in a way they don't approve of! I would die for these people, okay? Die for them.

quote:

HERO NAME: Kolbaius
REAL NAME (IF DIFFERENT): Kolby

Moment of Truth
You embrace your home and call them for aid. They will answer your call—in force!—arriving
exactly when you need them to turn the tide. They fight and serve you for the rest of the battle. Of
course, when all is said and done...they’d probably like to take you home with them. You did, after
all, just prove yourself worthy.

Team Moves
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, take Influence over them if you show
them meaningful affection, physical or emotional. They decide if it’s meaningful.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, they tell you what you should do to fit
in more. Take +1 forward to do it, and mark potential if you do.

POTENTIAL >>>>❑ >>>>❑ >>>>❑ >>>>❑ >>>>❑
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential.
Advancement
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.
❑ Take another move from your playbook
❑ Take another move from your playbook
❑ Take a move from another playbook
❑ Someone permanently loses Influence over you;
add +1 to a Label
❑ Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add
+1 to a Label
❑ Unlock your Moment of Truth
❑ Choose two new abilities from any playbook as
you come into your own
❑ You adopt a human life; take Secret Identity and
The Mask from the Janus playbook
When you’ve taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below.
❑ Unlock your Moment of Truth after you’ve used it
once
❑ Change playbooks
❑ Take an adult move
❑ Take an adult move
❑ Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your
choice
❑ Retire from the life or become a paragon of the
city

Look
• man
• animalistic body
• glowing eyes
• average clothing
• no costume
Kolby's adaptations have resulted in his taking on a form that can best be described as "mammalian". His skin is covered entirely by a layer of white fur, his hands end in pointed claws, and his teeth are those of a predator, grown to the point that they outright impede his speech slightly. His eyes glow a soft blue, a side-effect of the Gestation Pod's technology adapting his body.

Abilities
You can fly, and you’re pretty tough. Choose any two of the following:
❑ density control
❑ alien weaponry
Kolby's people, "The Squatters", are known mostly for their powerful technology cobbled together from that of dozens of dead species. The one adaptation that's "all them" is a limited ability to control the density of themselves and a small radius around them. This is typically used to increase the strength of their already powerful blows by making a limb much heavier just before the moment of impact, by the time momentum's done all the grunt-work for them.

Labels
Danger -1
Freak +2
Savior 0
Superior +2
Mundane 0

Influence
If you’re cheerful, you’re thrilled to be here. Give everyone Influence over you.

Moves
❑ Alien tech: When you alter a human device
with your alien technology, roll + Freak. On a
hit, you create a device that can do something
impossible once and then fizzle. When you roll a
10+, choose one:
- it works exceptionally well
- you get an additional use out of it
On a miss, the device works, but it has a
completely unintended side effect that the GM
will reveal when you use it.

❑ Kirby-craft: You have a vehicle, something
from your home. Detail its look, and choose two
strengths and two weaknesses. When you are
flying your ship, you can use it to unleash your
powers, directly engage a threat, or defend
someone using Superior.

The Gestational Pod is, technically speaking, designed to protect and adapt a Squatter embryo from the world around it. However, it is also capable of altering itself after the fact to serve as a basic vessel for the growing Squatter until others can arrive and provide the youth something more "suitable". However, as Kolby is pretty empathetic about where his fellow Squatters can stick their "gifts", he is stuck with this. The pod itself is roughly the size of a minivan, and just as powerful as you'd expect for something designed to protect a growing Squatter, but as it is expected to only see non-sentient life it has no way to disguise itself from smarter foes, or protect itself from its systems being interfered with.

Strengths: powerful weaponry, regenerating

Weaknesses: susceptible to
hacking, easily detectable

❑ The best of them: When you comfort or support
someone by telling them how they exemplify the
best parts of Earth, roll + Freak instead of
+ Mundane

Probe 17 fucked around with this message at 16:07 on Sep 8, 2018

Jossar
Apr 2, 2018

Current status: Angry about subs :argh:
Jack Be Nimble



Jack can be seen, in costume, reading a flavor of the week young adult novel.

Hey, what is this, some kind of interview? Buzz off, I ain't got time to talk to you!

*BZZZT*

*BZZZT*

*BZZZT*

What, you're still following me? Writing for a paper? Got nothing better to do with your time?

Well, I can see that you're not gonna stop bugging me until I talk so fine... Only once though, so you'd better not miss anything!


How did you get your powers?

Oh, a standardized list have we? Skip down to question two i'll answer both of 'em there.

What do you do for fun?

With an exasperated gasp, Jack shakes the book he's reading at you, holding the back cover and a number of pages and letting the rest fall loose.

I READ. That's not a crime. Certainly not any worse than the bad guys i'm chasing after. In fact that's what got me started with this whole mess. Now we're all aware that Keystone Bay's a little weird see? Pretty sure everyone's got a story about the time they saw Bigfoot taking a dip in the lake. But there's weird and then there's weird. So one day i'm reading this book about what happens to nursery rhymes after their stories finish and the book zaps me. Not your plain old regular static shock from the carpet but this big old magic zap that says there's nothing but trouble waiting on the other side. Turns out that there's some weird big mythology constant where they have to keep finding new stories or else they die out. Now most of em run on pretty easy, there's a billion new ones coming out about Zeus or Odin thanks to movies and belief, and even the Big Bad Wolf gets his due, but some of the tales have basically nothing to run on. So now i'm "Jack Be Nimble", y'know about a kid jumping over a candlestick? It's a bit more of an armor of symbolism deal rather than straight translation, so I ended up with near instant super speed and a psychic projection of a spear made of flames. Okay yes, it's actually a candlestick, not a spear, but i'm not calling it that!

Why do you try to be a hero?

I mean, I guess I could be a villain? Can't just sit around, got a pressing need buzzing in my head to get some kind of story attached to the name after all. I'd like to think that despite my "oh so charming" personality that i'm a better guy than not and don't care for turning civilization into ashes. Nobody left to man the 11 PM news, and all that.

Who, outside the team, thinks better of you than you do?

This one's kind of weird...

I once set fire to a briefcase belonging to Mary Mayflower, better known as The Mistress of Gloom. And now she thinks i'm some kind of supreme mastermind that's always two steps ahead of her. I mean, I don't mind the attention, but what does it say that the person who thinks the most of me is a villain?

Why do you care about the team?

Oh these guys, well...

See, i've been harping on about having to be a living fairy tale but at the end of the day, underneath it all, i'm still me, y'know? At least I want to be? Helps to have a team to remind you of that, stop you from getting so involved in the story that you go from lovable yet prickly bookworm to something else.

Also they'd at least let me get to the end of this chapter, unlike some people.

The Delinquent posted:

Hero Name: Jack Be Nimble
Real Name: Johnathan Hall
Look: Man, White, Laughing Eyes, Rebellious Clothing, Showy Costume

Labels:
Danger +1
Freak +0
Savior -1
Superior +2
Mundane +1

Abilities

❑ Teleportation
❑ Psychic Weapons

Moves:
❑ Troublemaker: When you help a teammate through destructive, criminal, or rule-breaking actions, you can give them a +2 instead of a +1 when you spend a Team from the pool.

❑ Mary Contrary: When someone tries to pierce your mask, comfort or support you, or provoke you, you can interfere. Roll + Superior. On a hit, they take a -2 on their roll. On a 10+, you also take Influence over them or clear a condition. On a miss, they get a 10+ no matter what they rolled and you mark a condition of their choice.

❑ Are you watching closely?: When you mislead, distract, or trick someone, roll + Superior. On a hit, they are fooled, at least for a moment. On a 10+, choose three. On a 7-9, choose two.

- you get an opportunity
- you expose a weakness or flaw
- you confuse them for some time
- you avoid further entanglement

On a miss, you’re hopelessly embroiled in it and under pressure; mark a condition.

Moment of Truth:

This is when you show them what you really are. Whether you’re the hero underneath the rebel facade...or the one who can make the hard choices heroes can’t make. You do whatever it takes to show that truth, whether it’s saving the day from a terrible villain or stopping a bad guy once and for all. Of course, once you’ve shown what you really are, there’s no going back to playing the clown...

Team Moves:

When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if they think you’re cool. If they say yes, give them Influence and take Influence over them. If they say no, mark a condition or spurn them immediately. If they’re a teammate, then either way, add a Team to the pool.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, give them Influence over you, and ask them who they’d like you to be. Mark potential if you show them that person. If they’re a teammate, add a Team to the pool no matter what.

When our team first came together...

We totally broke some major rules to win the fight. What rules did we break? Whose rules were they?

Relationships:

You keep trying to impress _________________ with your antics.
You and ________________ pulled an awesome (if illegal) stunt together.

Influence:

You care way more than you let on. Give three teammates Influence over you.

Jossar fucked around with this message at 14:20 on Sep 8, 2018

Ferrosol
Nov 8, 2010

Notorious J.A.M


Lumière the Star

I'll never forget the day I heard the most powerful man in the world utter the four worst words anyone in my position can hear. "Your ratings are down." I'd known going into that office that things had not been going well. You could tell, when things are going well everyone wants to be your friend When things aren't well then you've got the cold shoulder. And no shoulder was colder than that of Ron Wainwright head of the Yisden corporations Heroic Entertainment Division. "Hannah baby listen, I'm here to help you. But you have to look at things from our perspective Yisden has invested a great deal in you. But well your brand just isn't selling anymore. Halycon is crowded with eager young heroes with fresh faces and fresher powers." I could feel my stomach drop. "But we have a solution that might be able to assist both parties in this matter. We want you to relocate, to Keystone Bay, There's an untapped market in the North West that you'd be able to fill." I opened my mouth to protest but couldn't get a word in edge-ways. "Furthermore we'd like you to consider joining an ensemble production. Teams are very in right now and we're sure we've found one where you'd get top billing." I'd never worked as part of a team in my life! I didn't need some wannabes dragging down my style. "Look just go away and discuss it with your agent and your family and I'm sure you'll come to the right decision." Like hell was I going to give up the bright lights of Halycon to go play in the sticks. I'd certainly be having words with my agent words like idiot and no loving way. you can bet on that.

Several months later...

"Hi i'm Anna Halverson from KBL broadcasting and i'm here for an exclusive interview with one of Keystones newest heroes Lumière. Nice to meet you Lumière" I smiled back at the perky blonde reporter. "And nice to meet you too Anna." I replied with the trademarked grin I'd used so many times. "So our viewers no doubt have many questions about you. First of all what lured you away from the bright lights of Halycon City to Keystone Bay?" I paused a moment as if to think about the questions, even though my agent had vetted them before airing. "Well Anna, to be honest Halycon was getting a little stale you know? There's only so many times you can foil one of Dr Derision's bank robbery's before it gets boring. Keystone seems like a great city and filled with great people and it's a fresh new adventure for me. i'm hoping that the people of Keystone will come to embrace me as well as the people of Halycon did. Now I'm sure you have tons of questions so i'll try and stop gushing."

quote:

When did you first appear onscreen?

"Well you see Anna, funny thing is my first on-screen debut was long before I ever got powers. See i'd been acting ever since I was a little girl I'd took the lead role in my school plays and though I didn't know it at the time the Yisden Corporation had scouted me. Imagine my delight when they offered me a part in one of their movies. It was a bit-part really just one or two lines but I played opposite Kid Phoenix who'd been my idol growing up. How's he doing these days anyway? I'd heard he'd gone into rehab?" I asked faking concern. Anna smiled back and added "Actually we have some footage of you from that movie playing opposite him." < a clip is displayed showing the burning hero rescuing a painfully young looking Hannah who proclaims him her hero and gives him a rather chaste peck on the cheek.> "But it lead on to bigger and better parts and eventually I got selected for the lead role in Sandstorm. Which was the making of me in more ways than one."

quote:

What do you tell people about how you got your powers?

"Well see we were filming on location in Tunisia for the climatic battle scene when a real sandstorm blew up. I'd somehow got separated from the crew and I had to take refuge in a nearby cave to get out of the wind. It was there that I found it." I said leaning forwards as if in excitement to tell my story. "The Pearl of Purity. An unfathomably ancient artefact that grants incredible powers that allow one to control light itself providing you are sufficiently pure of heart." "Obviously I didn't know this at the time but when I picked up the pearl I was filled with knowledge. By the time the storm was over I was able to step out and send up a great blast of light to signal to the rest of the film crew where I was and they came and rescued me. The movie was abandoned of course and we moved back to Halycon where Yisden was kind enough to give me my own TV show where I was filmed bringing truth and justice to Halycons streets."

"Hey listen." I whispered urgently to the reporter. "All that is bullshit. If you can keep this off the record I can give you the real scoop. Someone needs to know the truth after all." After she'd switched off the camera I leaned in close to her and began whispering quickly. "There is no pearl. What really happened was that the Yisden corporation identified at a young age that not only was I an excellent actor but also that I was genetically compatible to a range of retro-viral treatments that can induce superpowers. Needless to say the treatments were expensive and highly illegal but they worked. But you cannot tell anyone about this. if Yisden finds out I've talked well getting fired would be the least of my worries. Now nod and pretend we were discussing something inconsequential."

quote:

Who, outside of the team, supports your burgeoning star in every way possible?

"I would never have gotten where I am today without the stalwart support of my mother and I'd just like to take this opportunity to say thank you in public." Funnily enough that was the most true statement i'd made in the whole drat interview. Yes my mother could be a pain at times. She'd been the one who'd pushed me to better myself constantly. But she'd always been there when I'd been feeling down, When the need to be so constantly drat cheery in public had ground me down she'd let me vent to her. When I'd been sick and tired of yet another round of surgery she'd been the one to sit and hold my hand. I couldn't have done half of what I did without her. Thanks mom.

quote:

• Who, outside of the team, loathes what you represent?

"Ah you're referring to my highly public dispute with the Crimson Cavalier?" I smiled. "Look it was all a complete misunderstanding. I hadn't been in town long when I heard that the Knight gang had taken hostages at the art museum. Of course I had to offer to help. I couldn't leave those poor people to suffer so I charged off immediately." with camera crew in tow of course can't forget the important things. "I didn't have long to come up with a plan before they were going to start hurting their hostages. So I did the only thing I could." I paused dramatically. "I went in the front door. All six of me. Well me and five duplicates made of light generated by the Pearl. Needless to say the Knights opened fire almost immediately. But I was able to temporarily blind them. Of course then CC decided to put in an appearance at the worst possible time. I don't know how he got up there in the first place but he jumped through the skylight in the atrium and landed in the midst of the gang and started attacking them with that magic sword of his." I could feel myself starting to look embarrassed at this which for once was a mostly genuine emotion. "I just reacted and tried to blind him too. I'd like to extend my deepest apologies to him again. Although given his comments last time I have a feeling he won't accept them from how did he put it..." I added dropping into my best impression of his gruff and gravelly voice "Some drat showboater more concerned with looking good in a fight than being good in a fight."

quote:

Why do you care about the team?

"Honestly. I'm new here. Many of my team have been here for years. They know the terrain far better than I ever will and they are more than capable of backing me up in a fight. They're also great people in their own right and I'm sure we'll become fast friends." Truth was if I had to have a team then at least the Yisden corporation had found competent teammates which was reassuring providing they didn't try to steal my spotlight. As long as they understood this was my show we'd get on just fine.

quote:

Name: Lumière
Real Name: Hannah Robinson
Look: Woman, White, coy smile, designer clothing, focus-tested costume.
Abilities: Light control

Labels:
Danger -1b
Freak +1
Savior +2
Superior +2
Mundane -1

Moves:

Audience

You are a celebrity in the city. By default, your audience is a limited group of interested fans, and
you speak to them through after-action interviews and infrequent press conferences. Why does
your audience love you? Mark all that apply.

You’re noble warrior for justice
You’re stunning, unique, and beautiful
You’re charming, well-spoken, and smart

Choose two advantages:
Your audience is utterly devoted to you
You have a much wider audience

Choose two demands your audience makes on you:
They require perfection—no mistakes
They require chemistry with your allies

When you accept what your audience tells you about yourself, clear a condition. When you reject
what your audience tells you about yourself, on a hit mark potential and expect retribution.

When you seek help from your audience, roll + Superior. On a hit, someone in your audience
can hook you up. On a 10+, they only make a small demand. On a 7-9, their demands are a
lot higher. On a miss, you’ve made a mistake, and your audience won’t help you until you’ve
redeemed yourself in their eyes.

Stage-fighting:

When you directly engage a threat with an audience watching, mark a condition to roll + Superior instead of Danger.

Time for the show:

When you put on a flamboyant display of your powers, roll + Superior. On a 7-9, name one NPC present. On a 10+, name two NPCs
present. The named NPCs must either volunteer help or information, express admiration, or ask for your help, GM’s choice. On a miss, your display
catches someone watching in the wrong way.

Moment of Truth:

Sometimes it can be hard to tell where the show stops and where you begin—but not today. Not
now. Because right now, there is no show. Right now, you are the thing you pretend to be—bold and
bright and beautiful and amazing and powerful and confident. Right now, you draw strength from
your audience, comfort from their belief in you, and you can do anything they think you can. Of
course, after such an impassioned performance, your audience will just have even more demands...

Team Moves:

When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, say whether it’s part of the show or
not. If it is, then you can shift your Labels as you choose. If it is not, then they shift your Labels,
and you can clear a condition or mark potential.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, ask them if they will tell anyone the
truth about you. If they agree to keep it a secret, clear a condition or mark potential. If they don’t
agree, the GM shifts your Labels

When our team first came together…

We, as a team, attracted the attention of a major media outlet within the city, thanks to our efforts.
Who are they? Why do they support us?

Relationships:

__________________ might wind up being more of a star than me some day.
__________________ would be a great sidekick; I try to keep them around.

Influence:

Choose how you see the team: as a means to an end, or as something worthwhile on its own.
If you see the team as a means to an end, give no one Influence.

Ferrosol fucked around with this message at 20:30 on Sep 8, 2018

Not Operator
Jan 1, 2009

Not A doctor, THE Doctor!

Valk the Bull

- Who changed you?
A group called the Cult of the True Gods, led by an impossibly old Scandinavian mystic called Einar the Ancient. They hijacked our bus on the way to a game and kidnapped my entire football team looking for "appropriately sturdy vessels."

- How did you escape from them?
Something went wrong during their ritual. They were implanting us with "heroic souls," they said. Whoever they put in me was immediately unhappy about being ripped from Valhalla or whatever, and for a good five minutes it took over and started driving me around like an angry truck, snapping my bindings and trashing the room. The cultists retreated, the ritual was left unfinished, and I slowly regained control. People found us shortly after.

- Who, outside the team, looks out for you now?
My sister Serena does the best she can. She's a med student, and offered to patch me up if I ever need it. I don't, I think I'm basically invulnerable now, but it was a generous thought. She also helps counsel me against the.. emotion of the other soul. It feels very strongly about things, and sometimes it bleeds through to me.

- Why do you try to be a hero?
I was never very connected to my religion, but there's one thing about it that always stuck in my head - The kirpan. Its a little ceremonial sword or dagger. Its supposed to remind us to be ready to fight at any given moment. To have the courage and strength of character to stand against evil and protect the oppressed. To embody the concept of a Sant Sipahi - a warrior-saint - and become a living weapon against tyrants. Someone who will never start a fight, but will absolutely end one.
I used to think it was a nice idea - in theory.
Now it feels downright achievable. It feels like a mission.

Conversely, whatever errant soul is glued to my own wants to find Einar and tear his head off.

- Why do you care about the team?
Honestly, I care about most people on some level, but with the team specifically, I see the opportunity to do good on a grand scale.

quote:

Hero name: Valk
Real name: Satish Singh
Look: Man, East Indian, Calloused Hands, Punky Clothing, No Costume
Abilities: Superhumanly tough, incredibly strong, fights barehanded or with summoned spectral viking weaponry.

Labels:
Danger +3
Freak +1
Savior -1
Superior +1
Mundane -1

Moves:
❑ In a china shop: When you directly engage a threat, you can cause significant collateral damage to your environment to choose an additional option, even on a miss.
❑ Physics? What physics?: When you unleash your powers to barrel through an insurmountable barrier, roll + Danger instead of + Freak.

The Bull’s Heart:
You always have exactly one love and one rival. You can change your love or rival at any time; give the new subject of your affections or disdain Influence over you. Take +1 ongoing to any action that impresses your love or frustrates your rival.
Love:
Rival:
Choose a role you commonly fulfill for your love or rival:
❑ Defender: When you leap to defend your love or rival in battle, roll + Danger instead of + Savior to defend them.

Moment of Truth:
This is what you do best. You let loose, all the pent up strength and rage and glee, and you break whatever stands in your way. You are a walking demolition crew. What can stand up to you? Nothing. Not buildings. Not structures. Not enemies. Nothing. Of course, now the people who changed you know exactly where to find you...

Team Moves:
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, make them your love or rival immediately to mark potential. If they are already your love or rival, take Influence over them and mark potential.
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, give them Influence and hold 2. Spend that hold to help them as if it were Team in the pool.

When our team first came together...
We defeated a dangerous enemy. Who or what was it?

Relationships:
_______________ is your love. You’ve opened up to them about the worst parts of your past.
_______________ is your rival. They tried to control you at a crucial moment.

Influence:
You’re selective about who you let in. Give your love and rival Influence over you, but that’s it.

quote:

Re: Satish Singh (Samuel Pinter witness interview)

Okay, I found something good. I've been too busy to transcribe the whole thing, so here's just the most pertinent part to your investigation. We could have probably gotten more if Agent Fields hadn't hosed it up, but what else is new? ;)

I'll get you the rest later when I have more time. Laters.

-DJ


[SEGMENT STARTS]

Fields: "I'd like to know more about Mr. Singh. He's not in trouble - none of you are - so please be completely honest."

Pinter: "I mean.. what do you want to know? Because I dunno how he broke free if that's your question, he just did."

Fields: "What sort of person is he?"

Pinter: "Sati is.. I don't know him that well. He's nice, I guess. I only joined the team recently, and he's been a fixture on the team for forever. Everyone likes him well enough and he was really welcoming. And he's sacks like nobody else. Really aggressive player. The first thing they told me when I joined was not to let him tackle me, even during practice. He hits people like he's actually trying to hurt them."

Fields: "Is he?"

Pinter: "What? No, of course he's not. There's plenty of people on the team like that, trying to focus their anger into the sport. Coach encourages it, says emotion is better used constructively than destructively. It just seemed to apply more to Sati than most of us.

Someone actually told me he used to box before football. Not hard to imagine."

Fields: "So he has a history of aggression."

Pinter: "No, that's not what I said. He's nice, he doesn't get in fights or arguments, or anything like that. If someone upsets him, he just takes it to the field.

Last night was like nothing I'd seen from him before, but with the situation we were in, I don't blame-"

Fields: "I'm told you were tied up opposite him. What did you see?"

Pinter: "I told you, I don't know. Those guys were doing.. whatever they were doing. Writing on us with animal blood, repeating poo poo in some weird language.The guys who'd been written on were screaming, like it was painful. They were about halfway through the team when Sati started yelling at them."

Fields: "What happened to make him start yelling?"

Pinter: "We were all gagged. His slipped, or something. Probably he started as soon as he could be heard. He just starts laying into them, gently caress you this, gently caress you that, your mother, eat my dick, I ho-"

Fields: "Okay, I get it. Profanities."

Pinter: "He got their attention. They went straight to him and put the gag back in, then started writing him up. And he started screaming too. But not like the others. Not pain - Anger. After that it gets hard to describe."

Fields: "Hard in what way? Try."

Pinter: "He just.. This is so dumb, he starts to sound like two people. Two voices, a guy and a girl. Then he glows white, just for a second, and then he's out. He tears one arm free like the leather straps are tissue paper, and swings the other one so hard the chair comes with it and smashes over one of the robed creeps. After that he's kicking through equipment and throwing dudes and just wrecking poo poo. The guys who hijacked our bus all start to run. He goes after them, but stops at the door. Then he turns back and just keeps smashing even though there's nothing left to smash. By this point he's just smashing his fists into the weird runes drawn on the ground.

You guys showed up not long after he finished punching, and took us here."

Fields: "What about Mr. Singh's sister?"

Pinter: "Who.. actually are you guys? And how did you know where to find-"

Fields: "Thank you for your time, Samuel. I'll contact your parents to come collect you."

[INTERVIEW ENDS]

Not Operator fucked around with this message at 11:41 on Sep 11, 2018

Auraboks
Mar 24, 2013

...huh?

Tower, the Nova

Stupid lightning. Always hitting people and giving them stupid powers. I had a hard enough time making friends before I became a weird albino who gives static shocks to everyone within five feet!

I'm never going camping again. Not even if the event ad guarantees I'll meet new pals instead of just implying it! Well, I might. If there really is a guarantee.

quote:

• When did you first use your powers?
What, like, on purpose? Couple of days after I got discharged from the hospital — they couldn't wait to get rid of me, 'cause their expensive equipment kept getting fried — I wanted to see if these stupid powers would at least let me fly or something.

Turns out they kind of do, but hurricane-force updrafts don't really make for precise movement. Or soft landings. Sheer luck I didn't break a leg or two! If you can call any of this 'lucky'.

quote:

• Who was the first person you accidentally hurt with your powers?
Does the lightning bolt that powered me count? Because that hurt me! A lot! I was unconscious for a week, and it ruined my life! ...I guess that doesn't fit the bill. Wasn't me that did it.

So. It was my first day back at school — I had a wig and colored contacts, so I didn't look too weird — and as usual, people were ignoring me. You'd think they'd be at least a little curious about where I'd been, but nope! Caring is for friends! Well, all that lack of empathy made me a little upset.

Before, when I got upset, people would just kind of laugh it off (if they acknowledged me at all). This time, I made an earthquake happen. Not on purpose, and it was just a tiny one, but... some bookshelves in the library fell over on top of a junior, and he ended up with some bruises and a nasty concussion. I feel pretty bad about it, even if nobody knows it was my fault.

Nobody even asked me to sign the 'get well' card, because of course he got one. Jerks!

quote:

• Who, outside the team, helps you control your powers?
Dr. Reynolds, I guess. He's my dumb therapist. They set you up with one of those if your life is upended by a thunderbolt to the face, you know. Anyway, he's all about the 'psychological balance' and 'counting to ten' and 'breathing exercises' and all that. It helps a little. I make way fewer sinkholes now than I did the first month.

He also insists on shaking hands at the start of every session, which is super weird because with me that's like a fifty-fifty shot of getting tasered. 'Cause of the uncontrollable static buildup, you see? I get that it's about a sense of normalcy or whatever, but dude. If you end up convulsing on the floor, that's not gonna make me feel more normal.

quote:

• Why do you continue to use your powers?
They didn't exactly come with an off switch! Believe me, I would love to go back to boring brown-eyed, brunette non-shocking old Catherine. But I can't, because now it's always windy around me and I smell like ozone, and nobody wants to hang out with smelly wind-girl! Not that they wanted to hang with normal Catherine either...

Plus, it gets worse if I don't have an outlet. Gotta vent the pressure every now and then — power-wise and emotionally! Doctor taught me that. I guess a bit of collateral damage is just the price you pay for something resembling mental health, in my situation. That's kind of... super unfair, isn't it?

quote:

• Why do you care about the team?
I don't know if you noticed, but I'm a bit starved for friendship. It's kinda pathetic, I know, but... as long as I'm useful, I don't think these guys are going to ditch me. Even if I'm an angry rear end in a top hat sometimes. Superhero teams are like, guaranteed camradarie, right? As long as I don't destroy their homes or something... Oh gosh, what if I destroy their homes?

quote:

Hero Name: Tower
Real Name: Catherine Beacon

Look: woman, white, occasionally sparky skin, casual clothing, fantastical costume

Abilities:
Elemental control (storm, earth and sea)

Labels:
Danger: +2
Freak: +2
Savior: +0
Superior: +0
Mundane: -1

Burn:
When you charge up your powers, roll + conditions you currently have marked. On a hit, hold 3 burn. On a 7-9, mark a condition. On a miss, hold 2 burn and mark three conditions.

Spend your burn on your flares. You lose all burn at the end of the scene.

Flares:

Moat: Spend 1 burn to create a barrier that will hold back threats as long as you keep your attention on it. The GM may call for you to spend another burn if the barrier is threatened by particularly powerful enemies.

Overcharge: You channel the full capacity of your incredible powers to overcome an obstacle, reshape your environment, or extend your senses. Spend 2 burn to take a 10+ when you unleash your powers.

Elemental awareness: Spend 1 burn and mark a condition to open your mind up to the world around you with your powers. You can ask any one question about the world around you, and the GM will answer honestly.

Snatch: Spend 1 burn to use your powers to seize any one object up to the size of a person from someone within view.

Team moves:
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if there is any fear in their eyes when they look at you. If they say no, take +1 forward and mark potential. If they say yes, immediately shift your Danger up and Savior down.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, tell them how they could stop you, if it came down to it. Give them Influence over you and clear a condition.

Moment of truth:
Your mind’s eye opens, and you can see the world around you like never before. You can control it, at will, with ease. Of course, warping reality tends to have ramifications down the line, but in your moment of godhood...how could you possibly be worried?

When our team first came together...
We destroyed our surroundings in the fight. Where was it? What did we destroy?

Relationships:
You hang out all the time with _________ to blow off steam.
You once hurt _______ when you lost control of your powers.

Influence:
Choose your demeanor: happy facade or locked down.
If you choose happy facade, give Influence to three teammates.
If you choose locked down, give Influence to one teammate.

CaptainCarrot
Jun 9, 2010
Mask name: Factor
Real name: Robin

quote:

ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
• Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White
• crystal skin, metal skin, green skin, human skin
mismatched clothing, concealing clothing, immaculate clothing, plain clothing
• prototype uniform, over the top costume, your own skin, unnerving costume, no costume

Interviewer's note: Robin is unusually androgynous, but identifies as female in homage to her 'mother', Dr. Louise Gereaux. Her skin is rather dark while passing for human, but her overall appearance sits in the Uncanny Valley, as simulations can only approach human textures and body language so well in real time. She is still working on the concept of fashion, and on the nudity taboo, particularly since the structure of her body makes anatomical correctness a fluid option.

quote:

Who created you, and why?
Mom did, of course. She got the notes for constructing microscopic robots from one of her dad's friends, and some philosophical musings on the role of cells in the human body. She thought that a robot would seem more human, and understand humanity differently, if there weren't a totally different CPU and power core and things like that, developed via completely separate processes, but instead something more fluid and natural.

quote:

How are you different from humans?
Made of microbots. Nanites. Tiny machines. Take your pick! Like a human, I'm built out of lots of very small bits; unlike a human, I can control them all. My programming lets me use them for my personal protection, and shifting my body around. I can't turn into animals or anything like that, and I'm barely any good at looking like a real person, but it's still pretty handy.

quote:

Who, outside of the team, is your caretaker?
Mom, of course. And I spend some time in the major robotics lab - partly to get fixed up, and partly for continued research. She's not too crazy about me fighting bad guys, but I told her it made for great research into the human condition. . . . yeah, that didn't actually convince her. "Any human who can do what I do would want to be a hero," I tried, and we managed to hash out a compromise.

quote:

What about humanity fascinates you the most?
"Where the falling angel meets the rising ape." Humans care. They care deeply. They spend time and money and energy for others, they give of themselves, they sacrifice, because of that recognition that the self isn't all that matters.

quote:

Why do you care about the team?
Most humans . . . well, they wouldn't have been rude, but they'd have treated me as 'other'. The research lab people do, though I know they don't mean anything by it. But to my colleagues, I'm just a person, no more extraordinary than they.

Abilities: super durability and strength, fantastic elasticity
Labels: Danger +2, Freak +2, Savior 0, Superior +1, Mundane -2

quote:

The team discovered you during the incident; thanks to them, you reached the outside world and helped in the fight. Where and how did they find you? Who gave you your first nickname?
Before Mom was ready to take me out in public, I spent a lot of time in that research lab. Magorian's goons tried to raid it when I was there, and the team responded to the silent alarm. I held off the assault while the scientists got to the panic room, and helped them get the door sealed. Thankfully, by then, backup arrived, to see me standing alone in front of a big steel door, being shot at. And a robot with a female (ish) voice, well, you can just guess how many references someone made. I quite liked 'Daisy', actually.

quote:

________________ is an exemplary human; they show you around and tell you how things work.
The behavior of ________________ confuses you again and again; you’re determined to
understand humanity better by studying them.

Moves:
Thermodynamic miracle: When you comfort or support someone by telling them what makes them unique, roll + Freak instead of Mundane. If they open up to you, shift Freak up and Mundane down. If they don’t, mark a condition.
Regeneration: When you’re taken out, you can trigger an emergency regeneration process. If you do, your body undergoes an unpredictable transformation, and in mere moments, you’re back on your feet and ready to fight. Clear three conditions and choose three from the list below:
- Change your gender identity or presentation
- Change your physical appearance
- Forget all your lessons
- Lose an important memory of a teammate; they lose Influence over you
- Swap an ability with another one from the Newborn playbook

quote:

❑ I am a person, because I treat people with respect
❑ A superhero should be a role model for many civilians.
❑ Always ___________________________________________________________________
❑ Never ____________________________________________________________________

Alien Rope Burn
Dec 5, 2004

I wanna be a saikyo HERO!

quote:

"What am I even- what is this place?"

"Welcome, eldritch spawn, as the stars foretold, the time has come for you to embrace your destiny and... ... ... look up from your paltry light."

"Is there wi-fi in here?"

"Wi- wiffy?"

"Why-fie."

"... this is the Charnel Hollow, where all things are brought to their end."

"Even wi-fi signals?"

"Even wiffy signals."

"Pfffthahahahaa I'm sorry- I just had to get you to say it again- uh, okay, I'm trying to cope, this is seriously terrifying-"

Gloom, the Doomed

When did you first learn of your doom?

When I was fifteen, I was told I'd bring about the end of the world in three years. No pressure, right? I just woke up in the *fingerquotes* "Carnel Hollow" and this collection of skulls tells me about how all will return to a "dank nothingness". I told her she was dank.

... it was way more funny at the time I seriously needed funny. I mean, this situation? It is the least funny thing. That's why I have to make jokes. Darkness hates a joke.

Until the end of ever, I have spooky, grim, drama magic I can use for whatever I well please! I can boss the servants of the Unworld, I guess. Root around in the cosmic lost and found. Bu I was not born to have my life decided for me by a bunch of brooding, glum spooks that want me to "extinuguish the flame of existence". Their end is nowheresville, literally, and nuh-uh, nope, no how.

Where did you get your sanctuary?

The Charnel Hollow was where I was supposed to chill cult-style and learn to become the bringer of the Void Sun or Void Son... something... I just know I don't pay rent and I get to be the master of the house. And it's kind of hard to find, which makes it pretty robber-poof, because it- doesn't exist- or something? There's actually a lot of knickknacks and artifacts piled up, most things that get destroyed end up here, or at least their ghosts. I could bring a book back, but it's all grey and shadowy and horrored up. Of course, a lot of the books are written in cuneiform or Esperanto, but somehow I get that. I get that. It's harder to find a specific thing, but I'm getting better at ghost-hunting.

And no, it still doesn't get wi-fi, but it turns out if you open up a web browser you can find all the trash of the internet that got deleted. Yayyy, I get to find out what my parents searched for on the web, I didn't even know they had a web then. I guess Geocities was a big thing? Angelfire? It's like finding fossils, only just that those fossils really thought Metallica was the cat's meow or whatever gab they used back then. At least I can leave when I want. The Hierophant was surprised I did, saying something about nobody doing that before.

Before? This has happened before?

Great.

Why do you oppose your nemesis?

Look, Hogoruneth really, really wants me to bring for the Age of the Stygian Sphere and get her metal album cover on. I've tried to get her to, you know, ease up, chill out, but she says I have to be prepared or else they'll have to wait another googlenia. I'm just - "No, Dark Souls, let's not." She seems to think I'll grow up one day and end it all, like that's a thing. But... she kidnapped my parents once to try and get me on board. Which was awful. But it also, upside, meant she's not totally sure things are gonna go her own way. I try do good deeds to keep people safe and sound... and that really annoys her. Well, I'm going to fritter away what time I have making time for others.

I've even got friends there now, gloombuds. Ever since I told the Nameless Soul to take a day off, it took like ten minutes to explain what a day off was, and how it could just do what it do. I think it uncried when I told it could pick its own name. I've told the Lowly Ones they really should get paid, you know, brought them pizza and other cool stuff they've never even dreamed about. I've even brought them to the accursed world of light-bright for, you know, an education. Supervised! I think some of them are getting less excited about this whole apocalypse thing... wait until I school them on socialism, hey hey.

Who, outside of the team, is crucial to defeating your nemesis?

My family and friends keep me properly tied to Earth, or at least the friends who stuck with me. But Mister Ree has been fighting the Stygian Sphere ever since he became the World Wizard, and... well, he's been teaching me a lot. He says he can seal off the home of all things dark and spiky when the time comes, duct-tape it up, but... that I'll have to be sealed away with it.

I don't... want that, but... I mean... there's gotta be another way, right? I hope so. It really isn't fair, I didn't ask for any of this, of being part of the 666th generation to follow a curse or...!

... but I've got a little time, at least. Enough to get heard.

Why does the team matter to you?

Well, in case you didn't notice, I could use a little help not going crazy. I mean, I really do have true blue friends, but they can't join me in the dark grimness of my misbegotten gloom. I need people who can help me punch a baddie in the face, and more than that, me helping people out has gotten me... normal bad guys. You know, the kind we can actually lock up before throwing away the key. They don't like me, and maybe some bad guy can put the brakes on my dark vengeance of grim justice. But us? ♪ The ceiling can't hold us ♪, ha ha.

I can't do this alone.

pre:


Hero Name: Gloom	Real Name: Meredith "Merry" Bailey	Nemesis: Hogoruneth, the Hierophant
Abilities: Power Absorption, Spectral Summoning, Undying

Danger +1	Freak +2	Savior +1	Superior -1	Mundane +0

Playbook Moves

Doom: You’re doomed. Your powers may be killing you, or maybe you’re hunted ruthlessly, or maybe you
embody an apocalypse. But one way or another, your future is grim. What brings your doom closer?

❑ frightening loved ones            ❑ injuring innocents

Doomsigns: These are abilities that come to you with your approaching doom. Once you have taken all five
doomsigns, you must take “Your doom arrives” the next time your doom track fills. Whenever you bring
your doom closer, mark one box on your doom track.

Doom Track: >>>> ✓ >>>> ❑ >>>> ❑ >>>> ❑ >>>> ❑

❑ Bolstered: Mark your doom track to use an Adult Move one time.

Sanctuary: You have a place where you can rest, recover, and reflect upon your powers.

 Three features of your sanctuary: a library of valuable tomes, a scattering of ancient relics, an aide
or assistant.

 Two downsides of your sanctuary: draws dangerous attention, tied intricately to your doom.

When you call upon the resources of your sanctuary to solve a problem, say what you want to do. The GM
will give you one to four conditions you must fulfill to complete your solution:

❑ First, you must _______________________		❑ You’ll need help from ___________________
❑ You and your team will risk danger from ________ 	❑ The best you can do is a lesser version
❑ You’ll need to mark one box on your doom track	❑ You’ll have to obtain ___________________

Antivehicular
Dec 30, 2011


I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give


(image source)

Charybdis, the Newborn

quote:

Who created you, and why?

Well, Dr. Byers said they "discovered" me and didn't "create" me, but I don't see what the difference is. The company where I was born, Resurrex, works on reconstructing degraded DNA samples and cloning them back into the organisms that they were. They're not the only ones -- Mom Dr. Strindberg says they're not even in the top 10 -- so I guess they're willing to take chances on weird stuff. A couple of years ago, a hiker sold them this weird bone sample he found in a national forest. They put it through all the machines... um, I'm sorry, I don't actually know this technical stuff, which is pretty awful, if you think about it, but... um, anyway, I'm what came out at the end.

Everyone at Resurrex says they've never seen anyone like me. Never. They've had tons of scientists, and super-scientists, and mutant experts come in. All they can tell me is that I'm sort of like humans, and sort of like octopuses, and sort of like something else entirely. They even brought in a wizard, but all she told me was that there was a myth about people like me, living in the woods near the Pacific coast a long time ago. We think maybe they died out? They said they couldn't date the bone that got brought in, so it could have been hundreds of years ago, or thousands.

That doesn't feel very good, but the only other explanation is that I'm some new, screwed-up thing, and there was never anyone like me and won't ever be anyone else like me, and I don't like that any better.

quote:

How are you different from humans?

Well, I mean, look at me! I've got all these tentacles and stuff, and even the parts of my body that look like a human's don't quite work that way? I've got bones and stuff... or modified cartilage? I think? ... anyway, it's really easy for me to stretch and bend and snap back. I'm really flexible.

My skin's weird, too. Yeah, it's sort of damp -- I don't really dry out or anything out of water, but it does feel nice to go swimming -- but more to the point, it can change colors and light up if I want it to. And you see these strips here, on my wrists? If I really concentrate, the light from there can project out of me and go solid. I don't know why, and I don't think anyone else knows either. Maybe it's something my people could do, and that's why they didn't leave anything behind, because they didn't need to make stuff? Or maybe I'm a double-mutant.

quote:

Who, outside of the team, is your caretaker?


Pretty much everyone at Resurrex looks after me, but at night, I go home with Mom Dr. Strindberg and Dad Dr. Strindberg. They're both doctors, but Dad is the staff physician, and Mom does a bunch of the molecular stuff with the sequencer? Anyway, they took me in because they're older and their kids are gone, so there's room in their house. Most of the other scientists have little kids or live alone.

Mom and Dad Doctors Strindberg are the ones who gave me a name. They said that maybe I wasn't human, but that didn't mean I wasn't a person, and I should try to just... be happy and young, like people are when they're young. I mean, that's how humans are, and whatever else I was, I don't know, so... I'm trying.

quote:

What about humanity fascinates you the most?

What I don't get about people is why they make so much stuff and then they don't pay attention to it. I get being bored -- I'm bored all the time -- but humans get bored even when there's all this stuff there! All these things to read and watch and listen to and look at... it's like they're not even trying, sometimes! Why is that?

I guess... maybe they just like having history? Being able to say "here's that thing, here's where somebody was, that's what they did" even if they don't care about it? But how can you not care? If I had anything from whoever I was before, I'd never let it go!

... Is that really "fascinate," or is it more "frustrate?" Well, if that's the frustrating part, I guess the stuff they make is the fascinating part. I get bored a lot, but I never stay bored long.

quote:

Why do you care about the team?

Well, they're definitely not boring. They talk about stuff other than science and tests and trying to teach me things, and when I do something cool, they're way more "whoa, cool!" than "hey, do that again, we need to take photos," so that's pretty good, right?

... And, I mean, who else do I have who are anything like me? Probably nobody else, ever. And we're doing something that only we can do. That feels way better than sitting around waiting to figure out what I'm supposed to be.

quote:

Hero Name: Charybdis
Real Name: Ruth Strindberg

Look: Woman, indigenous, orange/white skin, immaculate clothing, prototype uniform
Abilities: Solid light projection, fantastic elasticity

Charybdis is a freshly-produced biotechnology marvel, cloned from the reconstructed DNA of a previously unknown humanoid creature: mostly cephalopod, but with some features resembling Coast Salish humans. Her body is made of tough, extendable muscle and semi-cartilagenous bone that gives her uncanny elasticity; additionally, she possesses a magnified version of cephalopod bioluminescence, enabling her to materialize objects from solid light. It's unclear if her powers are linked to her putative species, produced by the DNA reconstruction process, or simply superhuman fluke.

Labels
Danger +1
Freak +3
Savior +0
Superior +1
Mundane -2

Moves
A Mind of Their Own
Your powers evolve and mutate. When you are facing an obstacle or threat that your powers would not be able to deal with, you can mark a condition to gain brand new abilities adapted to the situation. You lose these new powers once the danger is gone.

Regeneration
When you’re taken out, you can trigger an emergency regeneration process. If you do, your body undergoes an unpredictable transformation, and in mere moments, you’re back on your feet and ready to fight. Clear three conditions and choose three from the list below:
- Change your gender identity or presentation
- Change your physical appearance
- Forget all your lessons
- Lose an important memory of a teammate; they lose Influence over you
- Swap an ability with another one from the Newborn playbook

A Blank Slate
You were created with a basic understanding of the world. When you learn something that helps you make sense of the world, write it down as a lesson. Fill in two lessons when you create your character; fill in the other two when you’ve learned those lessons during play.
I am the first, last, and maybe only member of a new/old people.
❑ A superhero should
❑ Always
Never take anything for granted without evidence.

When you embody one of your lessons, shift one Label up and one Label down, your choice. If you cause a misunderstanding, collateral damage, or unintended consequences in the process, mark potential. When you reject one of your lessons, reject its Influence as if it were an NPC. If you choose to have it lose Influence over you, erase that lesson and write a new one in its stead.

When you approach your creator or caretakers with a problem, tell them what obstacle you face or what you need to achieve, and they will offer you something you need. The GM chooses one:
• secret information
• a way to temporarily boost or expand your powers
• access to instruments, weapons, or resources
• official and explicit backing
If you accept their help, they rewrite one of your lessons for you.

Team Moves
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them what makes them proud or happy about the actions they took and write a lesson based on it, either filling an empty slot or replacing an existing lesson. When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, if their response helps you understand human feelings and problems, mark potential. If their response confuses or offends you, shift your Freak up and your Mundane down.

When Our Team First Came Together...
The team discovered you during the incident; thanks to them, you reached the outside world and helped in the fight. Where and how did they find you? Who gave you your first nickname?

Relationships
________________ is an exemplary human; they show you around and tell you how things work.
The behavior of ________________ confuses you again and again; you’re determined to understand humanity better by studying them.

Influence
You’re receptive to how people think and behave around you. Give Influence to all of your teammates.

Senior Scarybagels
Jan 6, 2011

nom nom
Grimey Drawer
Interest post

GodFish
Oct 10, 2012

We're your first, last, and only line of defense. We live in secret. We exist in shadow.

And we dress in black.
Lionheart - The Janus


Becca Star - Captain and 'Chief Mechanic' of the Mendip High robotics club! You might have seen our finest work, the 'Shooting Star' on the news, we happened to make it to second place in the Keystone Bay robotics tournament with it, and we've created a lot of lesser models whose rights are being optioned by different companies to work in heavy lifting and the type. Of course, the Shooting Star prototype was intended to be a Battle-Bot entrant, but some of the functions don't quite work out the way we'd planned. It's sturdy enough, but we can't get the motor functions to match up with human thought through the input devices we have available right now, and the delay between reaction and response is too slow to make it viable safely.

...

That was what we thought, anyway, but a month ago, someone stole our Shooting Star! It's outrageous, but to make it worse, they even are using it, as a 'hero' to fight crime in the city, without the lag time we thought was unsolvable! It's, ahhh, so frustrating, we wanted to be the ones to fix it! And how dare they!

The Janus posted:

Hero Name: Lionheart
Real Name: Rebecca 'Becca' Star

Look: woman, white, grease stained clothing, flashy costume, small mask, mecha suit

Abilities: Physically no stronger than anyone else her age who spends a lot of time in a metal shop, Becca posses the mechanical genius needed to invent and enhance mecha designs to the point of functionality and combat potential, while her intuitive sixth sense allows her to overcome the response delay by having already been moving just before she realizes she needs to. While she might last a minute or two in a fight outside of it, she relies on the Shooting Star's capabilities to put her over the edge in any fights. Along with standard weaponry and armor, her mecha comes with energy absorption systems to overcharge it's functions and a pair of grappling arms and a rocket engine for increased mobility.

Moves
The Mask: You wear a mask and hide your real identity. Choose what Label you try to embody while wearing your mask: Savior

Once per session, you can affirm either your heroic or secret identity to switch your Mundane with your mask’s Label.
When you reveal your secret identity to someone who didn’t know it already, mark potential.

I am what you see: When you spend time talking to someone about your identity, you can ask them which Label they want to impose on you; their player will tell you honestly. If you accept what they tell you, take +1 forward and either mark potential or clear a condition.

Mild-mannered: When you try to use your civilian identity to deceive, trick, or slip past someone, roll + Mundane. On a hit they buy your facade. On a 7-9, choose one:
- you’re still under observation
- you leave something incriminating behind
- you’re forced to make a fool of yourself to sell it
On a miss, one of your civilian obligations rears its ugly head.

Secret Identity
Your mundane life comes with a series of obligations. Choose a total of three obligations.
Home: Household Chores
School: Robotics Club
Social: Crush: Petra Fields

When time passes, roll + your Mundane to see how you’re managing your obligations. On a hit, things are going pretty well—you have an opportunity or advantage thanks to one of your obligations. On a 7-9, you’ve lapsed on one obligation, your choice. On a miss, you haven’t given your normal life anywhere near the attention it deserves; the GM chooses two obligations that are going to bite you in the butt.

Stats
Danger 0 | Freak -1 | Savior 0 | Superior 0 | Mundane +3

Moment of Truth
The mask is a lie, and some piece of you has always known that. Doesn’t matter if others can see it. You’re the one that can do the impossible. Mask off. Costume on. And you’re going to save the drat day. Of course, you better hope nobody nasty is watching…

Team Moves
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if they see you as the person wearing the mask or the person underneath. If the former, mark potential and clear a condition. If the latter, take Influence over them if you reveal yourself.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, tell them a secret about who you really are. Give them Influence, and shift your Mundane up and your mask’s Label down.

When did you first put on the mask? Why?
It wasn't long ago, about a month and a half probably? We'd just placed second in the robotics contest, and I was pretty frustrated. From my trial runs, I knew The Shooting Star could perform better than our designated pilot - that's Rich Berenstain, son of the famous Rich Berenstain, CEO of Keystone R&D - was putting out, and we should have placed in first. I got behind the controls again after we'd shut down for the night and everyone had gone home, and I tried it again. Sure enough, I was getting readings no one else could manage. I wasn't sure why at that point, but I knew I couldn't just let it languish. Two weeks later, once I had a plan, I 'broke in' to our workshop in the school and 'stole' my creation. I keep it hidden under a tarp with rubbish taped to it in an old warehouse, I can call it to me with a remote I designed - anyway, then I put on my disguise and went out into the city to save the day from whatever troublemakers I could find. It isn't hard in Keystone Bay, some giant squid - not really big enough to deserve it, it wasn't crushing the city under its writhing limbs or anything -was terrorizing some dockworkers, so I took it down! The reason? Well, partly, because I was to prove that our mecha is the best and should have won first place, but more than that, saving people is just the right thing to do, you know? Since I can, I should, and like, does anyone not want to be a hero? We might not live in Halcyon City, but the dream is real!

Why do you keep a secret identity?
Oh, this one is easy. If Rich knew that I was the one who 'stole' The Shooting Star, if he knew that I was getting responses from it he couldn't even dream of, he'd get his dad to pull our funding. This is his attempt to fulfill his dream of getting a mecha of his own so he can stand above the rest as a hero. Probably a hero. I'm just the hired hand with the brains behind the project. As long as it was stolen by a stranger who 'improved it' to fix the flaws in my design, he keeps providing the parts I need to repair it, while we work on building other models. Also, my nextdoor neighbor and girlfriend crush (I haven't worked up the nerve to ask her out, it's so much easier fighting people than it is asking) Petra would FREAK OUT if she knew. She'd be happy, I'm sure, but also like... terrified out of her mind that I was doing such a risk. I can't put that on her...

Who, outside of the team, knows about your dual identity?
My mom does, unfortunately. I'm not sure how she found out exactly, but I'm assuming I hosed up and left my costume in the laundry one day and she saw moving the load into the dryer. Cause she just came up to me one day and told me she knew that I was Lionheart. That was an embarrassing moment, but she's been... kind of supportive? That is, she thinks it's great that I'm doing something like this, and helping people, but also if I don't keep up on my school work, chores around the house and keep my extracurriculars good enough to get into college, I'm grounded big time. She has been willing to cover for me, just a little, as long as I keep things under wraps.

Who thinks the worst of your masked identity?
Rich, of course. That one was pretty clear from the rest of the questions! Oh man does he hate Lionheart for stealing his glory. He's so determined that we make something bigger, something better, something that can "crush that thief and show her justice" that its a bit of an obsession with him now. At least it provides a lot of supplies for me to work with, and some ideas for upgrades...

His Dad isn't a fan either, probably just echoing his son's problems, but he's a bit more of an issue since he can put some public pressure on Lionheart. Hasn't done much yet, but I'm a little worried he might try to get some heroes to pull me in for questioning under some pretext - but I have just as much right to go around in a mask as anyone else who isn't a criminal, and I'm not a thief, I made it so it was my property all along!

potatocubed
Jul 26, 2012

*rathian noises*
It occurs to me that giving a deadline of midnight was a mistake because I'm a) tired and b) quite busy tomorrow.

So, picks!

Fleet, played by Arashiofordo3
Arcadia, played by Tricky
Moon Dragon Princess, played by Yami Fenrir
The Illusionist, played by Mors Rattus
Lionheart, played by Godfish

This was ridiculously difficult due to a generally high standard of applications, and I feel horribly guilty for not being able to accommodate everyone but I absolutely do not have the time to run more than one game.

Hop in the Discord if you're not already there and start sorting out Influence and When We All Came Together questions -- if I've got it right the order is Moon Dragon Princess, Fleet, Lionheart, Illusionist, Arcadia.

And thank you to everyone who took the time to apply.

Yami Fenrir
Jan 25, 2015

Is it I that is insane... or the rest of the world?

quote:

We destroyed our surroundings in the fight. Where was it? What did we destroy?

*Moon Dragon Princess glares at you and then hastily writes on her noteblock.*

I already told you, I'm sorry about that! A villain tried to steal valuable artifacts from the Pandemonium Museum. We were there to defend it. Unfortunately, the person we fought was quite nimble, so I had to think quick to gain some distance on them. So I hastily yelled out "Push!". It ended up a lot more almighty than I intended.

And that's why the entire top floor of the museum is now scattered around the city.

Arashiofordo3
Nov 5, 2010

Warning, Internet
may prove lethal.

quote:

We didn’t trust each other at first, but that changed. How? Why?

When I arrived, it was not hard to identify the source of the greatest damage. The human who's voice was ripping the building apart. As a mechanic, you fix that which is causing the break. So it was obvious that the Luna Orbital Body Inflammatory Chemical Projecting Giant Lizard Royal Daughter would need to be fixed before other issues could be worked on.

Why are you looking at me strangely? Did I say something strange?

Anyway, I sent a drone to assess the situation. Sure enough, I found the Lizard Daughter. But she was trying to put things back. This was confusing. Why would the source of the problem, attempt to fix the problem it created? I had to investigate further. I closed to cruising speed, arrayed my Drones into defensive formations.

[[Halt! Please refrain from destroying further buildings. Please do not attempt to depart the area.]]

And that was how we met. Because it was at that moment that everyone else showed up as well. With was good. Because blowing the roof off of the building... brought something out from under the museum. It was big, and it was angry.

GodFish
Oct 10, 2012

We're your first, last, and only line of defense. We live in secret. We exist in shadow.

And we dress in black.

quote:

We saved the life of someone important, either to the city or to us. Who was it? Why are they important?

Responding to the first break in at the Pandemonium Museum along with our team was several members of the Keystone Police Department, along with the Commissioner who was in the area, Connie Hardcastle. When the... giant... mummy... thing... - lets be honest this was the coolest thing I've ever fought, even if the Shooting Star wasn't quite up to it, not that any of us were alone - showed up, the first person it targeted was her, some kind of... authority seeking feature? Mummys used to have kings in them, so maybe it grabbed her as a replacement body? I don't know I'm not a magic historian, but it 'ate' her, and if we hadn't beaten it and gotten her back, who knows if she would have made it!


Connie Hardcastle, Commissioner of the Keystone Cops

Mors Rattus
Oct 25, 2007

FATAL & Friends
Walls of Text
#1 Builder
2014-2018

quote:

We found signs that this incident was the start of something bigger. What were the signs?

Well, first off, no one goes after artifacts for no reason. I mean, obviously.

Especially not someone whose primary villainy to date had been bank robberies and jewel heists. That says that someone hired out.

But what really cinched it? I got a good, up-close look at some of those artifacts when I, ah, lifted them off the minions in the struggle. I mean, I may not punch like Fleet or Dragon Princess or...anyone else on the team, but I'm pretty good at those lifts. And I saw the carvings on those artifacts up close and personal.

They're exactly the same as some of the etchings in my grandfather's journals from when he and great-grandpa were out doing their work in the underground. Thing is, when they found 'em, it was as part of a weirdo archway that they never did figure out. Grandpa said that they knew some sorcerers were interested in it, but they never did find out why...

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Tricky
Jun 12, 2007

after a great meal i like to lie on the ground and feel like garbage


quote:

Someone important learned about my lineage and condemned us all. Who? Why?

As the matters of the Pandemonium Museum wound to a close, a number of more established heroes finally responded to the trouble. I won't bore you with the full list, it was quite extensive, but the most... troublesome, shall we say, of them was The Knight-Errant herself. She has long had history with my mother's court and, indeed, was one of the first to battle the Wild Hunt and the fey legions of Queen Mab. By all accounts, she looks but a mere fraction of her true age. And, if I'm correct, the secret behind that is a particularly potent charm. It's strangely familiar, something that I've surely seen before, though I cannot quite remember it.

Suffice to say, it did not take her long to puzzle out my own truth. None in Keystone are more familiar with the realm of Faerie than she. While it was impossible for her to attack us, victorious in battle and saviors of the day, those same considerations did not still her poisoned tongue. She spoke to any who would listen, at great length, as to how the attack of the cursed mummy had clearly been a ploy by myself and my comrades to advance some foul plot. I do not believe many took her words to heart, but it seems unlikely that she'll be content with that.

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