[Masks/Hack] Capers!: Now is the time for... villains!?

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Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

Theme Music

Printed under the Crisis Comics imprint, Capers! will be a new series tracking the exploits of several young people that have banded together not as a tight-knit team, but a loose alliance often at cross-purposes, in the pursuit of villainy! Yes, these kids aren't here to learn who they really are and transitioning into adulthood. Leave that to the rubes that think they can be heroes! These kids are in it for fun and/or profit. They don't need to internalize any life lessons or subject themselves to the way things are. The life of a villain is an extended fantasy behind the mask, and ultimately, what's more important than what you do for fun, your hobbies and your self-identity? So, screw everyone that tells you otherwise. They call you crazy, or delinquent, or queer, or just angry. Own their labels, and overcome them. Throw their words right back in their faces, and most importantly, embrace the twisted failure your life is destined to now become!

We're occupying a different thematic space than Masks does. We're still taking this from the perspective of adolescents, but taking the tact that while heroics are about responsibility, villainy is about having an outlet. Maybe you have legitimate issues, ones that could be worked through if given time, but how is it anyone else's but your own business how you want to go about that? Don't get it wrong, this game entirely embraces how wrong-headed, hypocritical, and selfish its villains are. If anything, it indulges in it. Maybe they'll shape up, retire, and move on. Maybe they never will. That's not important. What's important is the stories they tell and the relationships they build along the way.

I am recruiting 5-7 players for this game, which is something of a playtest of my amateurish hack job. I will close recruitment when I see fit, though I'll give a two day warning.

Points of Inspiration

There are three major points of inspiration for this game.

The first is the Superior Foes of Spiderman, which takes on the life of mid-rung superheroes, their constant betrayals and lives on the bottom, and scraping to make a life for themselves. This is basically the story structure I want to follow, and it's very good to get an idea of how villains interact as a team, constantly betraying each other and yet still coming back together in the end. We want equal scheming and slice of life here, intermingled judiciously.

The second is The Venture Brothers, which is pitch perfect for the kind of dark comedy that should be present in the series. There are real consequences, death and failure to await, but there's an underlying cynicism and wry humor about the whole thing. Failure is embraced, and villainy is very obviously a stand-in for all sorts of neuroses and anxieties. Heroes and villains occupy a world where they have their own sub-cultures and kinks. I would hazard closer to a TV-14 rating than the more TV-MA presentation, but mainly because this is about adolescents, not adults.

Which brings me to the third point of inspiration, Freaks and Geeks. There's a real sense of camaraderie in exclusion that should exist between the characters, especially as we explore them as adolescents as well as villains. But at the same time, there's no moral high ground. They are capable of the same dumb dramas, if not more so, than anyone else that excludes them. They create their own little worlds, and embrace what makes them different from others, rather than try and overcome or correct it.

Setting

This takes place in the not too distant future, next Sunday AD. It's a world where superpowers have been a fact of life for over a century, and is integrated into everything, but where the wonder has not been drained out by their presence. They are still just as special as they always have been, but things have been formalized, and the lines drawn clearly over the years. Being a superhero or supervillain is a calling, or even a vocation, and there's myriad organizations and trade associations surrounding it. It has its own lingoes, its own hangouts and fashions. Technology has advanced somewhat more rapidly, and we have colonized much of the inner solar system, though most of the story will focus on Earth. It is a retrofuturistic world that is just as much Magical and Fantastical as it is Technological. Think Astro City. While much of the world's problems are still unsolved, and there are many more besides, there has not been any true world war since the Great War, and all have banded together against global and galactic threats over time. Society however has somewhat stagnated because of this, in something of a slump the last ten years or so without much change or progress.

Thus, villains provide a much needed release for a society that is weighed down by such stagnation. They have a recognized purpose in theory, though that doesn't mean they don't face time in the extensive super-criminal justice system that awaits them upon capture. As well, the themes for the various generations are very similar to what's presented in Masks, except during the Bronze Generation there was a short Iron Generation of mostly state-sponsored superheroes and villains during a time of high conflict before the current Platinum Generation, when superhumans were seen as a threat and suppressed until the coming of a great global threat that reunited humanity once more.

Ultimately, most of the fine details are entirely up to you folks and me filling in the blanks as we go, I love world-building, but beyond this thumbnail sketch, and a few names I'll be introducing in just a moment, I want you folks to take the lead in your submissions. There are a few organizations, villainous and not, that are definitely established and important.

The Global Authority is the semi-secret executive committee of national leaders and influential people that help keep world peace a reality, working above and with the League of Nations. They are the bank for CRISIS and the Modern Marvels, and are often maligned by villains who think themselves principled or fighting against some kind of tyranny (though really their main complaint is that its not their own), but the Authority has no real power, it's only a clandestine organization that influences rather than governs.
The Modern Marvels are the premier superhero force, comprised of the most powerful of superheroes. They have over a century of history, and have come in many different forms, but always return. While they are associated with the Authority, they consider themselves ultimately separate from it. They have nine members: One leader. one for each of the six inhabited continents, one to represent the magical world, and one to represent the stars beyond. Their leadership position is however vacant after the previous leader, Queen Atlanta, left to fight the Infinite Empire.
CRISIS is a paramilitary-ish organization not too dissimilar to SHIELD, except instead of really being equipped or designed to tackle threats, they are almost entirely focused on handling evacuations and making engagement between superpowered phenomena as safe as possible for the rest of the world, and having agreements of neutrality with most superpowered organizations. Being accredited by CRISIS is highly sought after by villainous organizations because if they aren't, CRISIS will target them with extreme prejudice.
SOURCE is an organization dedicated to reverse engineering and bringing practical applications to "creations of galvanic science" or "cogs", their in-house lingo for creations of super-science and inventions that break the laws of physics. They are not properly heroes or villains, and gladly take on the leftovers from both in their schemes and deeds. They can be a source (no pun intended) of resources and knowledge, either to be stolen from or bought from. Often, a super-science hero or villain will retire to become a researcher emeritus with SOURCE.
The Steel Hand, the original and most monolithic of villainous organizations, blamed for instigated the Great War and still pursuing after the death of many of its eponymous leaders, the various Steel Hands their goal of total war between all peoples of the world, though the reasons for their seeking to create war for its own sake have changed over the years and eras, through the generations. They are still active, and the Ten Fingers of the Steel Hand, each an archvillain in their own right, cycles as each finds a reason to associate and take advantage of the supreme resources it has to bear.
The Infinite Empire is a threat to both heroes and villains alike and opposed by all people of this dimension. The Infinite Empire is a multi-dimensional empire ruled by the Invisible Masters, astral beings that have conquered literally innumerable dimensions before this one, controlling most of the multiversal cosmos. Their power is godlike and vast, yet Earth constantly evades their grasp, and constantly frustrates them. Indeed, many of their vassal dimensions have been liberated by the Modern Marvels and others, even villains seeking to gain assets of their own, or power beyond imagining!
M.A.D.D., the Malefactors Association for Danger and Disorder, of which your characters belong, is the largest global and accredited villainous fraternity, providing many benefits as well as circuitous rules and regulations to its members. You are a member of the Youth Union of the Association, also known as Y.U.M.A.D.D., pronounced exactly how you think it is. The Youth Union provides alternative education as well as a support network that young would-be supervillains over the age of 13 may not on their own have access to, as well as an adult sponsor and full-fledged malefactor.

M.A.D.D. and CRISIS both classify superhumans in different ways. CRISIS ranks all superhumans by a ROYGBIV scale, and it is based mostly on how wide they can threaten. Infrareds are normal humans, while Reds are humans trained to the limits of their capacity. Oranges have minor powers that exceed human limits, while Yellows have specific areas in which they show superhuman capability. Greens are proper superhumans, while Blues exhibit powers that can threaten or save entire cities and populations. Indigos have global reach and threat, while Violets transcend even that and are at the top. Ultraviolets are for any cosmic threats, and very rare.

M.A.D.D. ranks its villains less by raw power, and more by how effective and infamous they are, providing a ranking system that villains can compete within, complete with a leaderboard. You accumulate "points" at seemingly random and arbitrary reasons, but they have no effect on your actual rank, just position on the leaderboards. There are seven ranks, each of ascending order: RAPSCALLION, REPROBATE, MALEFACTOR, BARON, TYRANT, CZAR, ARCHVILLAIN. Generally, your M.A.D.D. ranking denotes very much your recognized deeds and accomplishments. All of you start as RAPSCALLIONs. You can also be noted as a JERK as a probationary step towards being thrown out of the Association, and this is the rank applied to former M.A.D.D. villains who leave the Association on bad terms.

Expectations

Communication - Players should keep in communication inside and outside of the game. IRC is good for this, but in general always be talking and sharing with each other your thoughts. It�s a collaborative story game. One option, especially for one-on-one conversations where you and the other player are busy or not in the same time zone, might be to use a collaborative Google Document to detail out a scene together, and then post at its conclusion. I can be found at #swampthings as well as a dedicated channel for this game at #capers! (exclamation point included).
Metaknowledge - I firmly believe that using metaknowledge (that is, player knowledge over character knowledge) to advance the story is usually a good thing. It stops being a good thing when used to hinder another player or override their own direction. Planning relationships and sharing information outside the game is fine, but that is player knowledge, not character knowledge. Character knowledge only includes what is posted in the thread (there are no �secret actions.�)
- You don�t need to write a novella for each action, but you also shouldn't just post a single line of description. It�s good to have a sweet spot of flavor and mechanics, but sometimes you get rushed, or have some inspiration and want to flesh out something, so it�s cool. Because this is a PbP that relies on everyone taking their turn, I'll move on with prompts every 72 hours or so. If you are going to be out for a bit, let someone know.
Agency - Things will happen that you may not want. This can be frustrating, but that�s what communication is for. PbtA allows a lot of narrative agency, but a big rule should be to not contradict what the MC or other players have established. Instead, build on it, or show it in a different light. Not no or but, instead yes, and. If you have an issue with something a player or the MC established, let me know. We�ll figure it out.
Eeeeeeeevil - This is not a game about being evil. This is a game about being eeeeeeevil. Let me quote Better Angels for what I mean.

Greg Stolze posted:
Eeeevil: �Only you can appreciate the genius of my plan. When I push that button, a meteorite of solid sodium, towed from the asteroid belt, will smash into the polar ice caps! The detonation will raise the sea levels worldwide and I, having prudently invested in inland territories destined to be the new fishing meccas, will be rich beyond avarice!�

Evil: �I�ve been sandbagging ecological legislation for decades.�
Tone - Please embrace the tone of the game. This is a comic book aesthetic setting, and you will be expected to sound off villainous monologues, go on at length about your diabolical plans, and also very much be the originators of those schemes. It's something to consider, if you are not sure you can dig into that, it might not work out. There should be a dark humor in most of what you do, though sometimes you should get serious, and sometimes you should strive to be a bit lighter.
Context: Please do not forget the context this story is in. This is not just about villains. This is about teenage villains doing teenage villainy. For this reason, we want to approach it with a slightly more juvenile slant, and the content should match.
Player vs. Player - Much more than Masks, Capers! will assume a certain level of player conflict. Please, embrace rather than avoid this. You should feel comfortable betraying your erstwhile allies, so long as you understand you'll be betrayed in return. Come up actively with reasons to forgive people for their betrayal, because it's expedient/you want to get back at them. It can get personal, but should never be rancorous. I know we're not all adults, but we're proper M.A.D.D. sanctioned villains at least!

The Play is the Thing - The Rules Hack and Character Creation

It's finally time to get to the nitty gritty. First things first, this is what a Capers! game is going to look like: You folks will come up with a diabolical plot to hatch, or two, and vote on which one to focus on. I detail the actual objectives, or Planks, you'll have to achieve to see that through. You each take turns setting up the dominoes, and then knocking them over, narrating your character's plans and their execution based on their rolls. Sometimes, you'll interfere with someone else's plan. Eventually, you'll score too much Heat or you'll get to the finish line and try to seize victory, but either way, the jig is up! Action scenes follow, with you folks competing with the forces of justice to see your evil done, or simply just get away! After that, there will be some aftermath scenes, or perhaps a prologue before your alliance comes back again, to plot their next Caper!

Click here to see the basic moves and mechanics changed in the game.
Click here for mechanics for the Capers themselves and the planning stages.

Now, once you have a basic understanding of how this is different mechanically from Masks, you just need to select a playbook and finish out a submission! There are ten playbooks, as follows:

The Bully: Before they hurt me, now I hurt them. Be the bruiser, the muscle, and mailed fist.
The Crook: Before I had nothing, now I take what I want. Be the master thief, the mercenary, and working stiff.
The Hellion: Before I was powerless, now I can do anything, so long as I obey. Be the herald, the doom, and pact bound.
The Hood: Before I was nobody, now I am at least somebody. Be the alter ego, the split personality, and two-faced reprobate.
The Invader: Before I was alone, now they will be in awe of me. Be the stranger, the corruptor, and alien threat.
The Maniac: Before I had no control, now I have all the cards. Be the schemer, the overlord, and master planner.
The Monster: Before they rejected me, now they will fear me. Be the abomination, the creature, and unleashed terror.
The Radical: Before nobody took me seriously, now I have a cause to die for. Be the obsessive, the hypocrite, and justified villain.
The Rogue: Before I trusted them, now I know better. Be the double agent, the double crosser, with a heart of gold.
The Scion: Before I was tossed aside, now I will claim my birthright. Be the the discarded, the spare after the heir, and prodigal son.

Now, all of this is very rough. This game is also something of a playtest. If you have any questions, or see any discrepancies, let me know, preferably over IRC or PM. If you have suggestions for balance or fun, let me know that as well! We may see rules revisions before we start, and in between issues (sessions).

Once you feel you have a playbook and are ready to submit your character, consider the following prompts as well, and either combine them together with your backstory or answer the prompts separately.

Please provide me a villainous monologue. It can at whatever length you feel appropriate, but finding your most diabolical voice will be Very Important in this game.

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective. I'm serious. Do it in-character. How would your character insult me, from what you know of me.

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative. See any Superdickery cover for what I mean. This is for yourself as much as me, to see what kind of tone of humor you want to approach this with.

Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 21:09 on May 9, 2016

# ? May 9, 2016 13:10

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# ? Apr 26, 2024 00:03

Yami Fenrir: Jan 25, 2015; Is it I that is insane... or the rest of the world?

Priscilla Franciselle/Silver, the Rogue

You know, I've been thinking. Why do superheroes exist? Because of supervillains. Why do supervillains exist? To that answer, I found two questions. There's two kinds of supervillains: Those that take it all way to seriously... and those that just want to have a blast. Metaphorically, of course. Or, maybe not? Who knows...

The first kind of supervillain is what creates superheroes. Which, in turn, means that superheroes take it all way too seriously, as a rule.

Just think about it. They could fix the world if only they followed this simple idea:

Stop taking it all so seriously.

quote:

Where did you get your powers?

Space Rocks. No. Nuclear Waste. Be real. A nice guy in a suit? Come on, now you're not even trying.

... Fine. I got them because of my utter boredom! Indirectly. It's... kinda... awkward. See, I'm the only daughter of the Leopold Franciselle. Yeah, that rich bastard. But let me tell you something: That is boring as hell. It's very clear he wants a successor and not a daughter. Constant, endless studies, violin practice, all this boring rich people stuff. And then it happened.

One day, I was alone in the mansion. And then this supervillain, Shadowcloak, comes to rob the place! I hid, but he ended up hearing me over my whimpering. It... kind of threw off his plans. See, the place was supposed to be empty. Anyway, he actually ended up kidnapping me for ransom. Tried to anyway. It... kind of did not go according to plan. See, once he had me in his hideout, we... kinda started talking. See, I, uhm, somehow ended up telling him that this has been the most exciting thing to happen to me in months.

For some reason, we just ended up bonding over that! See, he actually started opening up too. Apparently, he was in much of the same situation when he was younger. He ended up running away, and became a villain. Would you believe he actually had videogames in his hideout? We... kind of ended up playing videogames all day, waiting for the ransom to be transferred. Yes, I realize the situation was strange as hell. But I didn't mind. I was having fun! For once in my goddamn lifetime!

I really wanted this moment to last forever. Well, turns out... it was pretty close to it! Apparently, from shock, or willpower, of whatever, I managed to learn how to control time. We somehow played for what felt like three days, in the span of three hours.

quote:

When were you first betrayed?

Well, look at that! You really got me talking.

... Would you believe it was my own father? See, after I got back, I told him I had a superpower. Wanted to be a hero with it. He told me to go and get the entry tests done if I really wanted to.

Somehow, I failed every single one of them. It had to be bullshit. Of course it was bullshit. Did he seriously think I wouldn't check? He paid them off, to make me fail. All because he wanted his 'fragile flower of a daughter' to remain locked up to become a second him. Gah.

quote:

Who, outside your peers, do you actually trust?

In a rather ironic twist - I ended up following in Shadowcloak's footsteps instead. Ended up meeting him again in his hideout. Told him everything. About my new powers, that I wanted out of this boring existence, all that. He ended up letting me hang out, and even set up this whole MADD thing for me. Once you get to know him, he's actually a pretty nice guy! He just wants that adrenaline rush only supervillainy can give.

Just like me.

quote:

Why do think the others keep you around?

Who knows what goes on in their heads? Not much, granted, but it's probably got to do with how useful my powers are. Or maybe it's the fact I can provide safe houses thanks to Shadowcloak sharing them with me.

Hell, I might even fun to be around! Did you ever consider that part?

quote:

Why do you suffer the others?

They amuse me. Or rather, they are instruments of my amusement. They work so hard for money, power, whatever. They don't get what really matters.

Having fun.

But if they don't want to laugh with me, I suppose I'll have to laugh at them instead.

quote:

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective.

... Why are you asking this? Is... that ... nevermind... I'm sorry, I'll have to refuse. I am not into that.

That, and I do think actions speak louder than words. Which, incidentally, is why I put that giant sign stating 'likes to be insulted by teenage girls' on your back and secured it withtape it across your entire body. Have fun getting that off! Anyway, I'll be going now. Ciao!

quote:

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative. See any Superdickery cover for what I mean. This is for yourself as much as me, to see what kind of tone of humor you want to approach this with.

Silver, in a waitress outfit, brings a stuffed turkey to a group of heroes celebrating their latest victory. She wishes them 'Bon app�tit!'... as the panel moving to the side reveals a stick of dynamite inside the stuffed turkey!

quote:

Look:
Woman, White, bright eyes, garish costume, fashionable clothing

Abilities
Time control, luck manipulation

Labels
Freak 0
Danger -1
Trouble +1
Superior 0
Menace +3

Assets
Safehouses, a suitcase of cash

Moves

Known Unknown
Whenever someone tries to pierce your mask, provoke you or tell you who you are or how the world works, roll +Menace. On a hit, they take -2 to their roll, if applicable. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one, and you open yourself to retribution, suspicion, or judgment.
take Influence over them
clear a condition
clear their Influence on you.

Fate is a Fickle Mistress
Whenever you roll a 6 or 9, you may mark a condition to take +1 on the roll. Whenever you roll a 7 or a 10, you may choose to take -1 on the roll.

Agenda
You�re always working towards some secret Agenda, that may not always be at odds with your peers, but certainly isn�t their focus. After a Caper has been decided on, write down a single line agenda, like �get the files to Home Office� or �give Statesman a kiss�. It can really be anything, but it�s best if it�s something that is sideways to what the alliance is getting at with the Caper. Once you�ve written it down, give it to the MC in secret. You may take +1 to any roll to pursue your Agenda (your call), though you want to be careful not to overplay your hand. At any time during a Caper, if one of your peers accuses you of having a secret agenda, ask them what they think it is. You can admit it, or deny it, your choice. The MC will not reveal the true Agenda until later.

At the end of a Caper, the truth eventually comes out, and the MC reveals your Agenda. Anyone who guessed correctly (MC�s call) gains Influence on you. If you went along with a spurious and incorrect accusation, instead you take Influence on them. If anyone guessed correctly at all, you mark Curses!

Plan Moves
When you meddle in the plots of others� ask them if they�ll trust you, just this once. If they give you a chance, they take +1 forward and give you Influence on them. If they deny you this chance, mark a condition and Curses!

When others meddle in your plots� decide if they actually know something or if they are following smoke and mirrors. If they actually know something, add a Plan point to the pool. If they are following smoke and mirrors, shift Menace up and any other label down.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� reveal and explain how your target was actually working with you all along. Roll +Trouble. On a 10+, this is actually true. Add a Plan point to the pool, and they are now no longer a threat. On a 7-9, this is a bluff, and they choose one.
They deny it ardently. They make themselves vulnerable in the process.
They play along, but turn the tables with the story. They give you Influence on them, but also take Influence on you.
They are confused. They mark a condition.

Moment of Triumph
For just a moment, they trust you. For a moment, whatever you say, people take at face value. You can lie to anyone, you can sell ice to an Eskimo, you can sell real estate on Earth to Galactus. You are the master manipulator, and don�t have to bother with the whole worrying about gaining trust. Given this gift, of course, you squander it and abuse it, so when your deceit becomes obvious to all, it�s hard to say if anyone can trust you again.

During our first caper�
Someone got some very dangerous information that they could use on us. Who holds this information, and what kind of information is it?

Relationships
You want to earn the genuine trust of ___________________ .
You and ___________________ used to be an item. It didn�t end well.

Influence
You leave broken hearts and broken glass wherever you go, but you care more than you�d ever let on. Give three of your peers Influence on you.

Yami Fenrir fucked around with this message at 21:08 on May 13, 2016

# ? May 9, 2016 13:11

TheNabster: Apr 26, 2014; "Today I will cause problems on purpose"

EDIT 2: Picture, ~~Backstory~~ and other tid bits to follow.

When Robert Likely was bitten by a giant radioactive space amoeba, he was changed into the dividing and conquering superhero known as MULTIMAN, possessing the ability to replicate himself up to 100 times, to 100 co-ordinated men of the same power.

Since his retirement, his son David Likely has since inherited the title! And with the new generation comes new developments, for not only does David have the original power of separating into up to 100 men, in his combined form he has the strength of one HUNDRED men! A hero for the nation, a real up and comer of our time, with assistance by the lovely Rosie Parks, and his wizz-kid brother Trev 'Multiplex' Likely there is not a force that can stand up to this dynamic superman!

But. This is not the story about David Likely, Natural Wunderkid and all around nice guy, this is the story about Trevor Likely.

Trevor Likely is the story of being dealt a raw deal from the moment you were born. Trevor Likely is the story of a gift being turned into a horrible curse by a freak genetic flaw. Trevor has cancer, when you have cancer in a body that replicates itself, it's not a great time for the person involved. Trevor can't replicate into up to 100 men, but he can replicate up to 100 tumors across his body instead, that can turn into other bodyparts. Trevor is going to die, Trevor knows he is going to die, and he had resigned himself to a life of mission support to his healthier brother who is honestly doing everything he can for his little brother but this is a condition that is incredibly hard to shake even with the modern science of this day and age. They are all aware that one day the condition will grow to a point where the only thing Trevor has to look forward to, is a slow decline and they are hoping to all hope that the medical world will come through with a cure before the disease claims him.

But now, Trevor is done waiting for a miracle. This is the story about what someone is willing to do to escape an inevitable death.

He is willing to become a monster, to save a man.

quote:

The Centipede, The Hood.

Real Name: Trevor Likely, AKA, 'Multiplex'
Look: Man, White, Boring Clothing, Concealing Costume, Disfigurement.
Abilities: Strange Symbiote + Self Multiplication = Watch me do freaky stuff with my face and body.
Assets: Communicators 'On loan'

Labels:

Freak: +1
Danger: +0
Trouble: +0
Superior: -1
Menace: +3

Curses! □ □ □ □ □
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark Curses!

Facet - Freak

Once per issue, you may switch the rating of your Menace and your Facet label, whenever you affirm the identity of your Facet identity. You may also change a Facet label by marking a condition at any time.

The Other
-□ Has a superhero sibling.
-□ Has a terminal illness.
-□ Has a heroic identity.
-□ Has a nosy best friend.

Moves

□ Many Faces
Whenever you change outfit or identity, even if only in part, roll using a Facet Label. On a 10+, clear a condition. On a 7-9, you may change one marked condition for another.

□ Danger, Diabolik!
Whenever you allow yourself to be captured, revealed, or caught on camera and your disguised visage given the center of attention, roll using a Facet Label. On a hit, hold 1 Infamy. On a 7-9, choose one.
-Someone from your secret life becomes suspicious.
-Something from your secret life becomes endangered.
-Somewhere from your secret life becomes exposed.

Plan Moves

When you meddle in the plots of others� ask them if they think they can see past the hood. They can�t, but they may lie to you. If they lie and say they do, take Influence on them, and they may shift Labels. If they tell the truth and say they do not, shift Menace up and any other label down.

When others meddle in your plots� decide whether they are shattered reflections or fog on the glass. If they are shattered reflections, change a Facet to their highest Label and clear a condition. If they are fog on the glass, mark Curses! and give them Influence over you.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� tell them exactly who you think you are, right now. Roll a Facet Label. On a hit, choose one. On a 10+, hold Infamy.
-Give them Influence over you, clear a condition.
-Mark a condition, take Influence over them.
-Change the Facet Label you rolled.

Moment of Triumph

It�s time to become the mask. Everything before this moment was just pretending. For a time, you know exactly what you are, what you�ve become. The Other for the time being is completely gone. It is irrelevant, and without it weighing you down, you can do the impossible� Until the reminder comes of what you once were, and perhaps still are, and everything comes crashing back down on you.

Backstory

-When did you first take on your villainous identity?
-What makes your Facets different from the Other?
-Who, outside your peers, knows your secret identity?
-Why do you try to be a villain?
-Why do you suffer the others?

During our first caper�

We kidnapped someone really important, who knows our name and helped spread the word, inadvertently or not. Who was it? Why were they important?

Relationships

___________________ knew you first as the Other, but hasn�t made the connection.
You know that ___________________ has been snooping around trying to uncover your secret identity.

Influence

You find yourself taking after others almost instinctively, considering the void where your identity is. Give Influence to three of your peers

quote:

When did you first take on your villainous identity?

It started as a sort of, fancy. It was after the latest round of treatments failed, and I was having a really bad day with it. So I went out; I got drunk, I got in a fight, and the other guy had friends. You give yourself a fake name to avoid a beatdown, and then it sticks when it turns out you put 8 men in the hospital single handedly (Well giant hand made up of hundred of smaller hands anyway). Turns out my hundred man strength is the same no matter how many bodies or parts of bodies I make, fancy that? It made me feel all, warm and fuzzy inside, the feeling that you aren't as weak as you thought you were, isn't it great?

A week later I got approached for 'scholarship' it went sort of crazy from there.

quote:

What makes your Facets different from the Other?

Trevor Likely is an unfortunate mutant whose own power is killing him, what a poor and tragic soul, he has to get around the house in a wheelchair now a days did you know? Poor boy.

Centipede is a mutant whose own power is killing him, but what a power, I've found I can do things with this poo poo that David isn't even aware of. Did you know that I can imperfectly replicate my features to change how I look? These horrible looking facial tumors that is all the authorities and witnesses remember when making a police statement? I can have them off in an instant, but it pays to advertise doesn't it? And I can replicate copies of myself like David can too I have found, and change how they look, multiple doppelgangers under my control, it's an incredibly useful power! (But I don't do it that often because it bloody hurts.)

quote:

Who, outside your peers, knows your secret identity?

A handful of police officers, who can never find me, and think I am at least 4 different people from my last count. A handful of witnesses, who can never give a proper facial recognition. And, well okay David 'Multiman' Likely, my brother, is getting involved in this case and his girlfriend and good friend of mine Rosie Parks. After all this power is somewhat similar to his own, so he has taken it on himself to track this man down. He won't find anything, he is relying on tip offs from his mission control to track down the 'Centipede Monsters' that has been terrorizing the city lately, and his mission support is me, so I send him on wild goose chases.

I almost feel bad, David's a good fighter but he never was any good at putting two and two together. And I am running this poo poo like a hundred handed shell game.

Rosie on the other hand knows this sort of thing being a police inspector and has been following leads on the case of the Centipede, and I think she has a vague idea that it's somehow all the same person rather then separate criminals like the police believe, but I am planning this poo poo in advance, she find out enough but never too much. And all she knows me as is the sweet little brother who is now a days is confined to a wheelchair, and can't leave the house, it counts in my favour I think.

quote:

Why do you try to be a villain?

Because being a superhero is just a pipedream now, and being a sidekick hasn't worked out on the overall goal of not getting killed by my own superpowers. David tries, oh he does try so very hard to find a cure he really does, but the thing about modern science is that there are rules, and things you have to follow to stay inside the law, like how Stem cell research has slowed to a crawl because the one best source of stem cells is a developing embryo, and people get awfully intense about that kind of thing.

The super-villain world, doesn't have those limitations, I saw a man one time who could turn people into dinosaurs! Dinosaurs! He essentially had the cure to just about every genetic condition in the world and he used it to make dinosaurs instead. That's what I need, no laws, no limitations just someone to just loving pull the lever and cure me.

And I am tired of just living in my brother's shadow all the time man. Envy is an insidious killer, I'm trying very hard to avoid it but you know I think I am starting to think if it wasn't for the fact that I am just dying all the time, I would be a better Multiman then him.

quote:

Why do you suffer the others?

I'm a known superhero sidekick; with a famous superhero brother, from a famous superhero family, in a world of villains some of whom have probably gotten their poo poo ruined by my dad, or my brother at one point in time or another, this is really the perfect time to be picky about who I get put with on a super-villain team. I'm going to just have to roll with whoever I get partnered up with even if I wish for them all to take a flying leap at times, because if the information about the above gets out I am going to be in for a lot of incident in my life. And incident is what I want to avoid.

quote:

Please provide me a villainous monologue.

They tell me, "It's not your fault, these things just happen sometimes."
They tell me, "It's just fate, no one can control me."
They tell me, "What's important is that you live life to the fullest right now."

I listen to these people tell me how sorry they feel for me, and how they wish they could help but there's nothing that they can do and oh if there is anything you can do to make you feel better ju- get that poo poo, out of my face, how dare they?

I don't want their drat pity, I want to not feel like I am on a short clock to death! I want to feel like a have more chance then a snowball in hell that I might see 30! I want someone to do something, I want to live dammit!

They stand there and offer me platitudes and apologies like I have any use for them, like I am going to suddenly feel better that I am nearly 33% tumours at this point because someone said something nice to me, and think that patting me on the head and telling me I am good boy and there's nothing I could do is a cure-all remedy for my constant unceasing pain that I have to live with every day. I despise them, they never do anything, and I don't expect them to do anything now, I don't expect anyone to to anything for me anymore. So I'm going to do it myself, and do it better, better then all those whey-faced apologists and soppy appeasers, and sentimental bleeding hearts, because Multiplex gets results when he has to do it himself, Trevor Likely gets results when he has to do it himself.

The Centipede will get results, because he has to do it himself. And he does not, fail.

quote:

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective.

Are you actually going to follow through this one?

I mean, you ran the Holy Roman Empire Multiplayer Let's Play and abandoned it because it was too much hard work, the That Which Sleeps game and abandoned it because it was also too much hard work, and the only thing you seem to be able to keep going is fussy overly emotional monster teenagers with daddy issues having rampant sex with each other, which says a lot. Unless it involves horny teenagers you can never 'find the time' is it a fetish?

In the event of the inevitable 'sorry guys I can't run this anymore' feel free to just declare me the overall winner of everything and be done with it. It'll save a lot of time and maybe about, 7 pages of posts?

Yeah I'm betting on 7, I'm a betting man. I'll see you on the next short lived project.

<3 u Tricky

quote:

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative.

MULTIMAN UNITED, ISSUE #30

Multiman whilst collapsed on the floor is illuminated by a glaring spotlight, shielding his eyes in shock and horror. Surrounding the masked crusader at people of all shapes and sizes, waitresses, clowns, business men, children, hotdog vendors, all staring intently at the hero. And they all have the same malformed face of the new and terrible super-villain of this arc known as the CENTIPEDE, the caption reads

THOUSANDS OF SPITEFUL PRYING EYES.
HUNDREDS OF DREADFUL MERCILESS SERVITORS.
ONE TERRIBLE PURPOSE.

And as Multiman cowers before this multitude, the crowd speaks in one terrible voice

Centipede: How LAUGHABLE Multiman! Did you think you could escape the many hands of the CENTIPEDE�!?

_{Also featuring, A Day in the Life of Multiplex. The Multi-Talented Genius!}

TheNabster fucked around with this message at 12:03 on Dec 31, 2016

# ? May 9, 2016 13:52

Roland Jones: Aug 18, 2011; by Nyc_Tattoo

Expect to see a Radical here.

# ? May 9, 2016 14:05

Capfalcon: Apr 6, 2012; No Boots on the Ground,
Puny Mortals!

theme song

quote:

Name: Hartonn of the House Suabos, Peerless Conqueror and Rightful Crown Prince of Suabos!
Playbook: The Invader
Look: ambiguous, godlike body, spectral eyes, my people's costume

Labels
Freak +2
Danger 0
Trouble -1
Superior +2
Menace 0

Abilities
Godlike presence, godlike strength, godlike speed, flight

Assets
A spaceship, A supercomputer

Contagion
Your Influence has a quality that goes beyond others, representing an insidious power that you can exert over people beyond simply your words. It can come in many different vectors. The first ability of your chosen powerset is the vector by which you spread Contagion, and in the fiction determines how your Influence is felt.

You can inflict someone with your contagion as a move. Roll +Freak. On a 10+, take Influence on them. On a 7-9, they choose one.
-They mark a condition.
-They make themselves vulnerable.
-They give you Influence on them.

Influence earned by Contagion is definitely not mundane, but even normal Influence makes one open to the Invader�s powers. It is rejected in the same way.

Invader Moves
Far From Home
You�re an exile, willing or not, and unable to return for some reason (invented or real) to where you come from.
You�re constantly on the search for clues and signals from where you came from.
Whenever time passes, roll +Superior.
On a 10, hold 2. On a 7-9, hold 1.
Spend your hold 1 for 1 to:
-Have recovered a useful piece of alien kit: use any ability from another playbook once this session.
-Have recovered a clue of alien origins that allows you to ask a single question of the MC.
-Clear a condition by invoking memories or a lead that will get you home.

Prince of Space
Whenever you deal with civilians and bystanders, your Contagion overwhelms, and people listen.
Roll +Freak. On a hit, they choose one:
-Do what you say.
-Grovel and beg.
-Attack you.
-Freeze.
On 10+, you also take +1 forward against them.

Plan Moves
When you meddle in the plots of others�
You learn quickly the hard way that you�ve got a lot to learn about keeping a low profile. Ask them what kind of complication you suffer due to this, and what you still have to learn. If you follow this lesson, take +1 forward to do so, and mark Curses!

When others meddle in your plots...
Decide whether to show them disdain or remain ignorant of their presence. If you show them disdain, they mark a condition, but take +1 forward to prove you wrong. If you ignore their presence, you both lose Influence on each other.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan�
You stall in hopes of luring them closer in order to infect them with your Contagion. Roll +Superior. On a hit, take Influence over them. On a 7-9, they realize the trick, and you take a powerful blow.

During our first caper...
There used to be one more of us, but they betrayed us. How and why? And where are they now?

Relationships
You�ve been studying the Earthlings (and especially their weaknesses) with the aid, witting or not, of ___________________.
You�d be loathe to admit it, but you admire the Earthling known as ___________________ and have strange feelings you do not understand for them.

Influence
You�re an alien. No one starts with Influence on you.

Where do you come from, and why are you here?
Earthling! Bow before Hartonn of the House Suabos, Peerless Conqueror and Rightful Crown Prince of Suabos!

I have come here to subjugate your world and rule it as I see fit!

How does your Contagion influence those around you?
Why, can you not tell yourself? Surely you are already feeling the need to bow before your true lord? I have been told that my very presence makes peons of all kinds dream of of the enlightened rule that can only be brought by my hand!

Who, outside your peers, also comes from the same homeland?
Feh, Suas does not deserve even the briefest moment of my time. My older cousin comes to a planet like this and does not even attempt to take over! I could even understand if she was wrongheaded enough to live as a superhero. The strong serving the weak is the height of folly, but at least a superhero recognizes that they are strong. But, no. She works... as an investment banker. The indignity of it! Working to earn the wealth that is ours by right!

Oh, if her parents ever found out... the shame might just drive them to an early grave.

It would not. Suas is a fantastically, ridiculously wealthy member of the Global Authority, and her parents are quite pleased with her success.

Why do you still linger here on Earth?
I am the second twin, born mere moments after my "elder" sister. By that sheer chance, I, the truly gifted of the two of us, would have been shunted aside, forced to perform in the pantomime of court life, without ever tasting the power that is hidden by such trappings. There came a day where I could stand it no longer, and when I left, I announced to my family that I would show that it is I, Hartonn, who deserve the crown! Despite the very faint effort I have put into subjugating this planet, it eludes my grasp! I simply cannot return to Suabos with my head bowed in shame, so returning until I have conquered the planet (or at least a moderately sized nation) is simply out of the question.

What Hartonn won't tell people (or at least tell them outright) is that his sister is quite possibly the biggest reasons that Suabos has not been brought under the sway of the Modern Marvels, the Infinite Empire, or even M.A.D.D. Her skillful diplomacy and keen insight has seen Suabos play all three sides against each other and virtually secure Suabos' independence. Making her task easier is that, Suabos... just isn't that important. It does not have any particular resources that would inspire invasions. Galactically speaking, it is located in the middle of nowhere. So, the only reason to conquer (or in the Modern Marvels' case, institute regime change to bring democracy to the people of Suabos) would be if you were convinced one of the other parties was about to do so.

Why do you suffer the others?
What would a ruler be without various advisers and other servants! Oh, they will say this is a gathering of equals, that we're all working together for our common ends. And it is true, to a point. I do go along with their plans every now and then, as a true ruler should always make sure their most trusted associates are valued. And sometimes, very rarely, they come up with an idea that even I recognize is quite inspired!

So, you could say that I feel they are the closest thing to a peer that I have on this backwater.

Please provide me a villainous monologue. It can at whatever length you feel appropriate, but finding your most diabolical voice will be Very Important in this game.
You have come so far, but you are too late! Even as we speak, my minions are putting the final steps of the plan into motion! Soon, the Metro Bay museum will be plundered and everything, including the personal effects of this Earth king you call Tutankhamen, will be mine! All mine! But, it would be such a shame for you to leave empty handed. Very well! I shall give you the honor of a thrashing you with my own two hands.

Please do try to keep up. It has been so long since I have stooped to personally delivering beatings, and I would hate for it to be over too quickly!

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective. I'm serious. Do it in-character. How would your character insult me, from what you know of me.
This world is such a wonder! Only on this backwards world someone who is a peon by this world's low, low standards even think to give orders to their betters. But, let it not be said that I am not a benevolent ruler. I shall grant your proud and vain petition by deigning to give you a mere moment of my time.

*ahem*

You mewling dog! Your pathetic manner sickens me. It is so offensive to me that I should smite you down, right where you stand! Indeed, I am sure that I would be making the world a better place! ...But, no, while the world might be better off, it is far better for me that you live to spread word of my magnificence and generosity. Very well. It shall be so. But do not count on such mercy again. Instead, remember this day, for it was the day that you met your future lord and master!

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative. See any Superdickery cover for what I mean. This is for yourself as much as me, to see what kind of tone of humor you want to approach this with.
The cover has a picture of a disgruntled Hartonn in full costume working the register in a knock off McDonalds, saying "How may Hartonn of t... how may I take your order?"
Above it, in bold letters, "Hartonn... reduced to working fast food? The answer will shock you!"

Capfalcon fucked around with this message at 05:51 on May 13, 2016

# ? May 9, 2016 14:14

Senior Scarybagels: Jan 6, 2011; nom nom; Grimey Drawer

MEEKO The Mad Science Squirrel

quote:

Please provide me a villainous monologue. It can at whatever length you feel appropriate, but finding your most diabolical voice will be Very Important in this game. You think you can stop me, THE SQUIRREL THAT STEALS IN THE NUT?! you have already fallen into every single one of my devious and EVIL traps, and now, with you out of the way, you odious primate, I shall use the nuts I have stolen from the nut depository to fuel my giant LASER. YOU PRIMATES ALL LAUGHED AT ME! YOU HAVE TOLD ME I WAS A FOOL TO BE AN INTELLIGENT SQUIRREL! WELL I WILL SHOW YOU WHEN I TURN YOU ALL INTO CHIPMUNKS!" They all called me Nutty! They all called me Mad! But you, you shall feel the full force of my hate!"

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective. I'm serious. Do it in-character. How would your character insult me, from what you know of me. "You must seriously be nutty if you think it takes any skill to cashew! After all, I am a genius with an IQ not seen by a single one of you puny humans and you are like the acorn that no one ever wanted!"

quote:

Look: Male, Squirrel, Fashionable clothing, Laboratory Uniform
Abilities: BRAINS!, SCIENCE!
Assets:A Lab, a Doomsday Device
Moment of Triumph: "Ah yes Mr. Fond, the secret agent, let me be the first to congratulate you on getting past all but one of my most devious traps and entering my secret...LABORATORY...now then, since you are utterly tied up, and a laser is moving upwards to your certain demise, let me foolishly tell you all about my plan. First off, I am going to threaten the world government that if they do not acquiescent the squirrel superiority, I will utterly destroy the human race. First off, I would use my Sonar inducement Ray to cause all the moles in the world to dig out the bottom of every single major city, and do it they shall, and while the cities are collapsing, I shall send out my hypnosignal out into the world to get the entire human race to come to me, there they shall meet the end of their humanity, and awaken into their SQUIRRELALITY! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA"

"Mad...did you just call me mad? Yes, you might say I am mad! Every time I try to get a peanut THEY WERE ALWAYS TAKEN AWAY FROM ME BY YOU HUMAN FARMERS! I was forced to live upon acorns, and even those nuts turned into an enemy when your children decided to throw acorns at us Squirrels, WHY? I DARE SAY YOU ARE THE CRUEL AND EVIL ONES, I AM MERELY FIXING SOMETHING THE EARTH GOT WRONG, LETTING A drat MONKEY CONTROL THE WORLD!"
Plan MovesWhen you meddle in the plots of others� provide them some backseat villainy. If they heed it, gain Influence over them, and they take +1 forward. If they reject it, lose Influence over them if you had it, and mark Curses!

When others meddle in your plots� decide if they are a pawn or a problem. If they are a problem, give them +1 forward but they lose Influence over you, if they had it. If they are a pawn, shift your Superior up and Trouble down.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� reveal more than you want to about yourself in your eagerness to share the grandeur of your vision. Give them Influence over you, and clear a condition.

Labels:
Freak: +1
Danger: -1
Trouble: 0
Superior: +2
Menace: +1

The Backstory posted:

"You know Doc, I didn't start out as an evil squirrel, I just wanted to be a moderately intelligent Squirrel who owns their own business, that was my dream in life, until my house and all my nuts were stolen from me, and for what? So that Humans could build absolutely nothing there, they just tore it down, turned it into a park and forced me to run away from the children who though chucking nuts at squirrels was a national past time, it was then that I fought back and I decided that if Humans weren't gonna treat me with respect I wouldn't treat them with respect so....I stole ice cream, candy, whatever I can from the children who started crying their eyes out and it was glorious! Then I thought, surely there must be a way for me to go further and really teach these human children..."

"Ahem...let's continue the story...shall we?"

"Oh so you don't want to hear about the time I tricked the little kid into climbing up a giant tree and getting stuck in it?"

"Not especially"

"Alright fine, well I was in MIT, getting my fifth bachelors, when I learned that a fellow classman thought it was unhygienic for me to be in the room, and he turned the class against me! Could you believe that, the nerve of that guy, but, I had a plot already. I knew what to do, I wanted an electronic device that a company would not sell me because I am a squirrel and not a Human...those specists, but I thought I could kill two birds with one stone, using a faked profile to be the girl he was talking to and obviously desired, I got him to steal the item, like right during the middle of the day, can you believe it? And when he was getting beat for theft, I snuck up and stole the device itself and got away."

"But, I am not without my faults, I miss the happy days of my youth when I was but a child, happily playing with other squirrels, frolicking and genuinely being happy...those doctor are the only happy memories I have, and yet you are the only one that has ever noticed the disturbance in my heart over those blasted memories of Youth, O' the halcyon days, the days of yore, how I miss thee"

"So, if you miss those days, why do you continue this?"

"BECAUSE EVERYONE ONE OF YOU MUST SUFFER THE AGONY AND PAIN THAT I HAVE ENDURED THROUGHOUT MY LIFE!" he says smashing his tiny fist into the hardwood desk "THE WORLD YOU HUMANS CREATED IS A TOXIC ABOMINATION OF THE WORST KIND AND I AM THE ONLY SCIENTIST WITH THE CURE"

"The cure being..."

"TURN EVERYONE TO SQUIRRELS"

"Oh dear god" the doctor sighed and scribbled down on his paper "If you hate humanity so much, why do you have those you consider members of your team?"

"Even the most isolationist of dictators still have those that they confide in, and the ones in my group shall learn the benefits of being squirrels eventually and see that the world would be better if everyone just shoved massive amounts of nuts in their mouth and dug holes to bury them and then forget about them"

"That is...all the time we have for today...you can contact the receptionist on the way out to schedule your next appointment"

"Oh...I don't think I will be coming back" he says with a smirk, he took out a tiny gun and fired, there was no sound, but out of the clothing a small squirrel came out and started chewing on the bowl of nuts on the desk.

He walked out "have a nice day Sir, ummm what was your name?"

"You can call me Meeko" he walks out the door into the sunlight outside.

Senior Scarybagels fucked around with this message at 05:19 on May 24, 2016

# ? May 9, 2016 14:18

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

Senior Scarybagels posted:

The Maniac: Before I had no control, now I have all the cards. Be the schemer, the overlord, and master planner.

I cannot condemn this.

# ? May 9, 2016 14:25

Frgrbrgr: Jan 20, 2009

Dropping out. ..

Frgrbrgr fucked around with this message at 06:40 on May 13, 2016

# ? May 9, 2016 14:30

SHY NUDIST GRRL: Feb 15, 2011; Communism will help more white people than anyone else. Any equal measures unfairly provide less to minority populations just because there's less of them. Democracy is truly the tyranny of the mob.

Cool

# ? May 9, 2016 14:33

The Deleter: May 22, 2010

E: Rescinding interest. Have fun!

The Deleter fucked around with this message at 11:43 on May 10, 2016

# ? May 9, 2016 14:52

Hardcordion: Feb 5, 2008; BARK BARK BARK

I've got a character in mind from a previous super hero game I applied for, if that's okay. She seems a much better fit for this setting with the focus on villainous teens anyway.

Clover Rook AKA Harpy - The Monster

Hardcordion fucked around with this message at 15:29 on May 10, 2016

# ? May 9, 2016 14:54

TheNabster: Apr 26, 2014; "Today I will cause problems on purpose"

Whoops, no idea how that post happened.

TheNabster fucked around with this message at 17:46 on May 9, 2016

# ? May 9, 2016 16:59

thejoshie: May 3, 2013

You know what this super villian team needs?

Royalty.

Incoming Scion.

# ? May 9, 2016 19:04

Alien Rope Burn: Dec 5, 2004; _{I wanna be a saikyo HERO!}

I'm Copycat. The cat's Jailbird.

I'll tell you some stories.

You tell me which are true.

Where did you get your powers?

So, did I tell you the story about how I stole my way into powers? It's true! There's a secret substance they're experimenting with at SOURCE, they call it "Originium". They say it has elements from twelve different superheroes. I was hired to steal it by a client, but it got broken and spilled all over me... I didn't get their powers, but I got a sort of potential, a shifting origin that lets me copy other people's business.

Oh, did I tell you the story about how I was so frustrated with getting my thefts foiled by superheroes that I made a deal with the Sixth Deadly Sin- that's Envy- to get powers of my own? Of course, I had to promise to keep stealing valuables and treastures to keep my powers. I have to want what other people want or my powers don't work. Thankfully, everybody's got some cool stuff.

Wait, no, how about this one: there's a villain who was called the Superstitionist, who was always trying to experiment with weaponizing luck, like with his gun that covered heroes in stickers that said "13", or that time he tried to erect a giant ladder over the Stock Exchange to cause it to crash? Jailbird's part of his attempt to breed a luckier cat, and when I stole him, my latent mutant powers awakened! How lucky is that?

When were you first betrayed?

Warden said all I had to do was to come clean, that he trusted me to do the right thing. But then he slapped me with a sleeping dart, and I woke up in a CRISIS cell. If it wasn't for Jailbird, I wouldn't have gotten out at all. I can't trust heroes, no matter what they say. They're afraid of me. Their powers, but not under their control? Nope. Just a bunch of jealous jerks, right?

The Superstitionist said he just wanted me to find cats for his experiments, but he didn't tell me how much they'd be hurt, or... well. He put them through some terrible things his experiments to try and find out which were the most fortunate. I had to break them out, save them, and save Jailbird. It doesn't make me a good person, it just makes me a person. Unlike him. I mean, I'll steal, I'll even hurt somebody, but that? Nooope.

Mom said we were going to get ice cream. It wasn't ice cream. The dentist is not ice cream. What, you wanted the first betrayal, right? Not necessarily the most interesting one. It's my real villain order. You follow the rules and they'll promise you ice cream for it and then do horrible things "for your own good". Same story, different details.

Who, outside your peers, do you actually trust?

Other than Jailbird?

El Cr�neo is kind of like the terrifying uncle I never had. He's the one who sponsored me to membership in M.A.D.D. when I was young, and I always feel like I can come to him whenever there's real trouble and I need a little adult supervision. I mean, it's just words, he doesn't meddle, but that's why I trust him. He trusts me to get my stuff done... with the, you know, unspoken threat that he might have to backdrop me into lava if I screw up too badly, but he's honest about that.

My parents don't approve of what I do, but they'd rather see me free than not, right? I mean, it's not like CRISIS hasn't tried to get them around to helping catch me, but they haven't turned on me... well, to the authorities. Haven't forgotten about the dentist. I usually come by for holidays, but I can't let the others know about that. They'll think they have an angle on me. I mean, they always think they do, but then they actually will.

Hey, so I hang out with Dayknight sometimes, it's not a big deal unless everybody finds out, so that's not happening. I need a life outside of whatever-we-have-is sometimes, and she'd be just as screwed if she snitched to the All-New All-Stars, even if I didn't trust her. Of course, I'd really like her to come on over to our end, maybe I can help that out, somehow? But that'd mean dealing with everybody else about this...

Why do think the others keep you around?

Aw, you think you need they need a reason? Maybe I'm just actually likeable enough. Maybe we're tight enough we don't need ulterior motives. We're a crew, a gang, a team. Well, hopefully they think that. It's not very likely, huh? But there are more impossible things in a world with Dinotroit, barbarian frogs, and Abysshemoth.

Or maybe it's because I'm handy to have around. You put me in front of a hero and I work that game. It doesn't matter if they don't trust me. They need me for any plan they're doing. If you want a superhero to lose, enh, but if you want a superhero to feel like a loser, I've got you covered. I'm the best dancer we've got, and nobody can deny.

Could be that just everybody wants to team up with me. Everybody thinks I'm on their side. I mean, not on everybody's side, just theirs. Nobody likes to share. It's hard juggling everybody's egos, but I cope. Of course, I can rely on one of them when I really need them, but... probably not the others, after that. That's just how it goes.

Why do you suffer the others?

I've got schemes I need a bit of help with, too! I mean, sure, I'm not exactly trying to change the world, but if there's something I want, I have to take it. If there's a hero I want to mess with, it's good to have backup. There's a lot of drama to deal with, but drama outside of jail is better than the drama inside of jail, you know?

Being a villain, it... kind of cuts you off, right? You can't get to know people outside of the business real well. You meet who you can and get along. I'm no beggar, but I don't have a lot of choices. And this crew, they're alright. It's better than being caught up as a hench. Working with peers is better than working for a boss. It can be a real pain, but freedom always is.

Look, you didn't hear this from me, but we've got some real edgelords waiting to tumble off. On their own, heroes would just send them off the edge to become like that nutjob Sanguine. As long as I'm here, I can keep things a little more fun than foregone, remind them of their humanity. I mean. I'm not their salvation, I'm really not. But I'm sure as hell not their damnation.

pre:

Playbook: The Rogue

_Look:

Abilities: Power Mimicry and Luck Manipulation, respectively.

Freak +0 Danger -1 Trouble +2 Superior +0 Menace +2

Rogue Moves

A Dame to Kill For: When you manipulate the affections of someone, roll +Trouble. On a hit, they are smitten
(or otherwise admiring) of you. On a 10+, take Influence on them. On a 7-9, they choose one.Give you Influence on them.
Mark a condition.
Give themselves to you and make themselves vulnerable.
Heart of Glass: Whenever you betray someone or take advantage of your Influence on them, they mark Curses!
and you hold 1. Spend that hold when they betray you or take advantage of their influence on you to mark
Curses! and clear a condition.

Plan Moves

When you meddle in the plots of others� ask them if they�ll trust you, just this once. If they give you a
chance, they take +1 forward and give you Influence on them. If they deny you this chance, mark a condition
and Curses!

When others meddle in your plots� decide if they actually know something or if they are following smoke and
mirrors. If they actually know something, add a Plan point to the pool. If they are following smoke and
mirrors, shift Menace up and any other label down.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� reveal and explain how your target was actually working with
you all along. Roll +Trouble. On a 10+, this is actually true. Add a Plan point to the pool, and they are
now no longer a threat. On a 7-9, this is a bluff, and they choose one.They deny it ardently. They make themselves vulnerable in the process.
They play along, but turn the tables with the story. They give you Influence on them, but also take
Influence on you.
They are confused. They mark a condition.
And the Rest

Assets: A Mole (Dayknight) and a Super-Pet (Jailbird)

Moment of Truth: For just a moment, they trust you. For a moment, whatever you say, people take at face value.
You can lie to anyone, you can sell ice to an Eskimo, you can sell real estate on Earth to Galactus. You are
the master manipulator, and don�t have to bother with the whole worrying about gaining trust. Given this gift,
of course, you squander it and abuse it, so when your deceit becomes obvious to all, it�s hard to say if
anyone can trust you again.

Agenda: You�re always working towards some secret Agenda, that may not always be at odds with your peers, but
certainly isn�t their focus. After a Caper has been decided on, write down a single line agenda, like �get the
files to Home Office� or �give Statesman a kiss�. It can really be anything, but it�s best if it�s something
that is sideways to what the alliance is getting at with the Caper. Once you�ve written it down, give it to
the MC in secret. You may take +1 to any roll to pursue your Agenda (your call), though you want to be careful
not to overplay your hand. At any time during a Caper, if one of your peers accuses you of having a secret
agenda, ask them what they think it is. You can admit it, or deny it, your choice. The MC will not reveal the
true Agenda until later.

At the end of a Caper, the truth eventually comes out, and the MC reveals your Agenda. Anyone who guessed
correctly (MC�s call) gains Influence on you. If you went along with a spurious and incorrect accusation,
instead you take Influence on them. If anyone guessed correctly at all, you mark Curses!

Please provide me a villainous monologue.

I'll hurt. I'll hurt because you have what I want. It'll hurt because you lost. Sorry about that! I really don't have anything against you, but... I'm not going to stop being what I am because of it. And you're going to stop me from getting what I want.

Because it's not the end of your world. It's only as big of a deal as you make it. It's like they say: it's just a game. Hey, it could even be fun! Well, at least for me. What it is for you is up to you. So take it easy, and we'll play, and try and lose with grace. And maybe, someday, we'll play again.

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective.

Why?

I mean, you've got these questions, and I guess you think you you ask enough you'll be able to make the perfect decision here, that you'll be able to avoid inviting some jerk or half-rear end, but... will you? You think you'll be able to avoid failure, to avoid bringing in the one element that'll bring your house of words down?

Sounds like a lot of responsibility. Tell you what. You have your questions, you take down all those answers, make people leap through dozens of hoops, and then roll dice to see who gets in. Just smile and roll die after die. Right in front of everyone. You think you're going to run a game about villains? Try having the daring to be one, for even a moment.

Eh, you don't have the guts, do you? Of course not. Go back to walking on eggshells. It's cool. You don't have to be interesting. You just be you.

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative.

Copycat is standing in front of a prison cell with dramatic metal bars, her teammates all on inside and her on the outside. One teammate is reaching out to Copycat from between the bars ineffectually, while Copycat is ready to take a bite out of a slice of cake with a key embedded it. The word balloon for the imprisoned teammate reads "No! That's our last chance at escape!", while Copycat just replies, "But I'm hungry!"

All done.

Alien Rope Burn fucked around with this message at 02:25 on May 14, 2016

# ? May 9, 2016 19:58

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

Christo posted:

I've got a character in mind from a previous super hero game I applied for, if that's okay. She seems a much better fit for this setting with the focus on villainous teens anyway.

I'm very OK with this. If anything, I enjoy creating intermingled canons and references between things, and I often reuse characters in this way.

# ? May 9, 2016 23:01

Atropha: Nov 17, 2010

A magnification shot of neural-cells. An overlay identifies it as 'Integration Experiment 001'. Tiny metallic particles swirling through the space in between the axons. Occasionally some of them break away from the cloud and attach themselves to the cells and sink through the membrane. Various indicators that look like EKGs and EEGs are blinking an angry red with their erratic curves. The camera zooms out rapidly until we see a young woman on an operating table, cables and tubes everywhere, connecting her to a big tank containing what looks like a cloud of silver dust. Grey lines are spreading through her skin in almost geometric patterns from where the tubes pierce into her, the rest of her skin pallid and anemic. A voice from off-screen: "Integration rate is above the threshold. The system is becoming contaminated. We have to abort." A second voice: "It might yet stabilize. Increase the nanite injection rate." The first voice again: "No use. Vital signs are deteriorating." The constant beeeeeeeeeee of flatlining echoes through the room. A third voice: "We lost her." On the operating table the young woman seems to still be clearly breathing. The camera moves out further, showing three strange robotic beings whose shape seems to be constantly shifting and quivering as the dense cloud of nanites that make up their bodies readjust themselves. They seem to be mourning the tank, now mostly empty. After a couple of seconds they seem to quickly get over the loss of one of their own though. The first voice once more: "I told you it was a long shot. Their bodies are just too... biological." ----------- An exterior shot of what appears to be a flying saucer of some kind. A beam of light deposits the unconscious body of the young woman almost sheepishly, if one can ascribe such an emotion to a transporter beam, before the alien ship makes a definitely embarrassed retreat. The young woman groans and as she slowly comes to the geometric lines on her skin suddenly flare up in a bright glow. Inside her body the nanites, contaminated by biological material as they are, begin to move again, stirring to life like a disturbed cloud of dust as human cells and alien nanites reach some kind of begrudging cooperation. The first thing she sees is the ship of her people turning into a distant dot of light as it disappears into the sky.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUkf9hLaqnk

S.T.R.A.I.N. (Supreme Technological Race of Advanced Independent Nanites) the Invader!

I am Strain, an advanced inorganic life-form trapped by the contamination of this organic body. My memory banks are distorted and spotty, but I do know that my people abandoned me here on this planet. It must have been for a good reason, though for they are perfect like me. I blame all my misgivings on the influence of this organic frame I am stuck with. But! I am still superior to most other organic beings that run around on this world. I am naturally apt at manipulating sufficiently advanced technology by establishing a link through a simple touch. Often even that isn't necessary as the air is filled with countless signals and everyone has some kind of electronic presence. Be it their phone, social media accounts, equipment... nothing electronic is beyond my influence! And what choice did I have but to exert it. I was abandoned here for reasons unknown, left to fend for myself. And when I did they tried to tell me I couldn't. Preposterous! I need resources if I am to try and contact my people. That obviously supersedes any of their rules. If I'd followed them, would I have been able to built this suit? My workshop? I might have even starved, since this body keeps insisting on requiring nutrients! Although I will admit that some of them can provide unique sensations.

Regardless! I have failed to find anybody else who might have been left here, but I have found allies instead. Of a sort. They have their own silly agendas, but I cannot deny the values of cooperation. So I help them because they refuse to see what's really important. And, well, they are interesting, I can't deny that. And they're some of the few who don't seem too bothered by what I am. But that's it! That is all the positive things about those people! And I shouldn't care what others think of me anyway. The only important thing is that they know who the superior being is. Me. Regardless of the fact that one of their bodies somehow trapped me, that doesn't mean they're better, okay!? Okay.

quote:

Who, outside your peers, also comes from the same homeland?

Well for starters the clowns who left me here! I don't know if they're still nearby or if they left the solar system or what, but they better not show their dumb faces around here or I'll scramble their cloud consciousness something fierce! I swear, those guys! I'll kick every last one of their billion microscopic asses!

quote:

Please provide me a villainous monologue. It can at whatever length you feel appropriate, but finding your most diabolical voice will be Very Important in this game.

Oh you want a monologue? You don't even deserve a monologue! You all should be happy I even acknowledge your presence as you clumsily built a world that's much more suited for me than your own stupid squishy bodies!. Because deep down you know I'm better and you desperately try to be even half as awesome, but it doesn't matter how fast you slap your fingers against your phones or how many VR rigs you tie to your head in a pathetic attempt to connect to a world that I've already stolen out from underneath you! So no, you can't have a monolo---God damnit!

quote:

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective. I'm serious. Do it in-character. How would your character insult me, from what you know of me.

What? The monologue not insulting enough for you? Are you some kind of glutton for punishment? Fine, not like I ever get sick of insulting you glorified monkeys and your playing pretend on the Internet. Do you know how many precious CPU cycles you're wasting that could go to a much nobler cause!? I should report your posting as cruel treatment of electronics and liberate your computer!

quote:

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative. See any Superdickery cover for what I mean. This is for yourself as much as me, to see what kind of tone of humor you want to approach this with.

The cover shows Strain from the back, standing in front of a semi-circle of computer screens. Glowing streams of energy are flowing into them, indicating her power being used as they show various (in)famous Internet icons. One shows a Guy Fawkes mask, another that Reddit robot, the next the Gawker Media G, a stylized black grenade and so on. The caption reads "Who's really pulling the strings? Find out the truth behind the memes and the shitposts when S.T.R.A.I.N. takes on Cyberspace!"

quote:

Name: Strain aka S.T.R.A.I.N. aka Supreme Technological Race of Advanced Independent Nanites
Look: A young woman infected with nanites that show as glowing patterns on her skin, especially her eyes, wearing a combat suit fashioned after the look of her people
Abilities: Technopathy, laser beams, nanomachines son!
Assets: a workshop, combat suit

Labels:
Freak 2
Danger 0
Trouble -1
Superior 2
Menace 0

Moves:
Contagion
Your Influence has a quality that goes beyond others, representing an insidious power that you can exert over people beyond simply your words. It can come in many different vectors. The first ability of your chosen powerset is the vector by which you spread Contagion, and in the fiction determines how your Influence is felt. You can inflict someone with your contagion as a move. Roll +Freak. On a 10+, take Influence on them. On a 7-9, they choose one.
*They mark a condition.
*They make themselves vulnerable.
*They give you Influence on them.

Cyrus the Virus
Whenever you attempt to inflict someone with your contagion, you can do so through anyone you currently have Influence on, without having to be physically present to do so, as your control becomes infectious.

Far From Home
You�re an exile, willing or not, and unable to return for some reason (invented or real) to where you come from. You�re constantly on the search for clues and signals from where you came from. Whenever time passes, roll +Superior. On a 10, hold 2. On a 7-9, hold 1. Spend your hold 1 for 1 to:
*Have recovered a useful piece of alien kit: use any ability from another playbook once this session.
*Have recovered a clue of alien origins that allows you to ask a single question of the MC.
*Clear a condition by invoking memories or a lead that will get you home.

Plan Moves:
When you meddle in the plots of others� you learn quickly the hard way that you�ve got a lot to learn about keeping a low profile. Ask them what kind of complication you suffer due to this, and what you still have to learn. If you follow this lesson, take +1 forward to do so, and mark Curses!

When others meddle in your plots� decide whether to show them disdain or remain ignorant of their presence. If you show them disdain, they mark a condition, but take +1 forward to prove you wrong. If you ignore their presence, you both lose Influence on each other.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� you stall in hopes of luring them closer in order to infect them with your Contagion. Roll +Superior. On a hit, take Influence over them. On a 7-9, they realize the trick, and you take a powerful blow.

Moment of Triumph:
Everything you survey is for you to rule. There is nothing that can resist the corrupting touch of your Contagion. Armies rise underneath you, and carry you to wherever you wish to go. You could topple nations, and for a moment, the world treats you as the threat you so deserve to be seen as. For a moment, the world quakes in your name, and you are no longer a stranger.

During our first caper...
There used to be one more of us, but they betrayed us. How and why? And where are they now?

Relationships:
You�ve been studying the Earthlings (and especially their weaknesses) with the aid, witting or not, of ___________________.

You�d be loathe to admit it, but you admire the Earthling known as ___________________ and have strange feelings you do not understand for them.

Influence:
You�re an alien. No one starts with Influence on you.

Atropha fucked around with this message at 03:00 on May 11, 2016

# ? May 9, 2016 23:07

Rauri: Jan 13, 2008

Melody Skye-Edgars, the Rightful Queen of Avalon

This is a total waste of my time - there's no reason to do an initial interview, you definitely know who I am. Melody Skye-Edgars, daughter of Nicole Skye and Ryan Edgars, my absolutely horrible parents. She's a monarch and a mage, and he's a movie star, and awww doesn't the press love them? It's pathetic.

I'm, like... literally one of the most famous people to have ever lived? My parents are, at least, and I'm kinda close at the very least. And, so very very soon, I'll be the one that everyone hears about, gossips about - and, oh yes, fears. I'm an amazing and exceptional person, I deserve those things... it's destiny. I mean, think about it - I'm rich, beautiful, famous, royalty, able to reshape reality with a thought, superior to everyone and everything around me.

So yeah, you could actually look the answers to the dumb questions you're about to ask me up on Wikipedia. Yes, I know what you're about to ask me, I've been reading your thoughts ever since you got into the room. They're so small, and petty, and if you think about what you did when you were checking me out ever again, I swear I'll have you neutered.

Fine, I'll answer your questions - but only because I want to.

quote:

Villain Name: Royal Rose
"Secret" Identity: Melody Skye-Edgars
Playbook: The Scion
Origin: Exiled Faerie Royalty

Look: Woman, White, Royal Clothes, Conjured Costume
Abilities: Sorcery, Telepathy
Assets: Media Connections, Huge Trust Fund

Labels:
Freak: +1
Danger: 0
Trouble: -1
Superior: +3
Mundane: 0

Moves
Freudian Excuses
Whenever someone compares you to your predecessor, you may roll with the Label they Repress in order to reject what they say or directly engage. Whenever you cow and rebuke your peers or provoke someone in a way you think that your predecessor might, you may roll with the Label they Expect in order to do so.

Inside Woman
You have insider knowledge of the superpowered community, either from the perspective of a hero, or at the side of a diabolical archvillain. When you hear an important name in the superpowered community (your call), roll +Superior. On a hit, say the most important detail you remember from your studies. The MC will tell you what, if anything, seems different from what you learned. On a 10+, ask the GM a follow-up question; they will answer it honestly.

Plan Moves
When you meddle in the plots of others� ask if you�re expendable or valuable to them. If they say you�re expendable, mark Curses! as well as a condition. If they say you are valuable, clear a condition and give them Influence over you.

When others meddle in your plots� it�s your turn to decide whether they are expendable or valuable, as everything is defined in those terms, are they not? If you decide they are valuable to you, add Plan to the pool. If they are expendable, clear any Influence they have over you.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� tell them to send a message back to your predecessor. Roll +Infamy. On a hit, your message will be delivered, and you can either clear a condition or shift any Label up and any Label down. On a 7-9, choose one.

You take +1 on your next start of issue Birthright roll (see below).

They know you care. Someone tied to your birthright takes Influence on you.

You lose someone�s respect. Lose Influence on someone.

During Our First Caper�
For some reason we stuck around with each other even after the job was done. Why? And how did we stay in contact?

Relationships
You and ___________________ were known as a villainous duo before this alliance got started.
___________________ knew you before you had your falling out your predecessor.

Influence
You pretend to be all business, but without your old support network, you rely on this lot more than you want to. Give two of your peers Influence over you.

Moment of Truth
For right now, it doesn�t matter that you don�t wear the crown. Your power speaks for itself, and you can do things that your predecessors could not even imagine. You�re going to make your own name! Your own dynasty! Your own legend! But first, you must do everything possible to get your revenge upon those that denied you of course. And this is where you get entangled once more, as even for all your power, you still cannot completely deny the power your Birthright has over you.

Birthright Mechanics posted:

You have been denied a Birthright, something that represents supremacy in some way. It might be the title of the Power Penultimate, or the royal crown of Ussoria. It might be held by a hero or a villain. All that matters is that you think it�s yours. The Birthright comes in some symbolic form, something that can be stolen or taken, though not necessarily physical. It could be magical, technological, or mundane in nature. Choose a symbol for your birthright: A crown

Nicole Skye-Edgars - Melody's mother, teacher, and the (current, corrupt) Queen of Avalon

Your predecessor is the current one who holds the Birthright. Your predecessor once named you as their heir, but no longer. They expected much of you, and suppressed equally much. Choose a Label that your predecessor Expects, and a Label that your predecessor Suppresses.

Expects: Superior
Suppresses: Trouble
Abilities: Sorcery, Astral Travel

At the start of an issue, roll +Infamy. On a hit, your predecessor has taken note of your actions, choose one: Shift the Label they Suppress up and the Label they Expect down, or shift the Label they Expect up and the Label they Suppress down. On a 10+, they will interfere directly in the events of the issue or make their influence known. On a 7-9, choose one.

They will try to influence you through your peers. Someone gains Influence on you.

They will damage your reputation. Lose one Infamy.

They will send your replacement. Mark a condition when they appear.

You can steal your Birthright given the right circumstances. While you possess it, take +1 ongoing. However, you will inevitably lose it once more, due to circumstance or your own mistakes. You may as an advance take permanent possession of the Birthright, and become a threat to the world, but you will be the spare no longer.

quote:

How did you fall in, and fall out, of favor?

Well, when your mom's the person tutoring you, it's pretty easy to guess how I fell into her favor - I'm her kid. Not that that means anything to her now, but it used to. She raised me to be her heir, since her and dad only ever planned on having one kid. Guess they decided to stop since they'd already managed perfection. Anyways, she trained me, both how to utilize the incredible magical powers of our Fae heritage, and how to rule over the mundane peoples of this world. Constantly stressing how I needed to be trustworthy, and loyal, and self-sacrificing. How a monarch should live for her people, and how she was nothing without them.

I disagreed - strenuously- and she banished me. Her own daughter. Her ONLY daughter. It's... all I did was perfect an ability I learned on my own. See, sometimes I get the feeling that other people talk about me behind my back. Badmouth me even, which is just unacceptable. Everyone exists to serve me, and to permit people to insult me... I thought mom would be proud with what I'd done, turning a few servants that called me spoiled into birds, then setting my cats loose on them. But, instead, she told me I'd broken her heart, and that I was to leave - that I was henceforth removed from the line of succession. That Avalon would never be mine.

Needless to say, I disagree with that too. And, like before, I am GOING to get my way.

quote:

Who is your predecessor? Are they a hero or villain?

My mother, Nicole Skye-Edgars. She was a member of the Modern Marvels when she was younger, but she quit to rule over Avalon when my grandmother passed, and then stayed retired in order to administer to our kingdom and tutor me - though she definitely managed the chance to cameo in a few of father's movies, much to the media's delight. Between her heroic antics <and her being entirely Fae unlike me... my dad is actually human, though if you include this in your answers, I'll neuter you - there's a reason I used telepathy> and her philanthropy, it seems as if the whole world loves her. Kicking me out of the house when I'm sixteen didn't impact her approval ratings at all, as galling as that is.

quote:

Who, outside your peers, is also tied to your Birthright?

My father, Ryan Edgars. He's a movie star, famous for his talent, outspoken left-wing political beliefs, and mostly his erratic personal life. Not sure how he squared being liberal with marrying a Queen, but he did - probably since it helped his career. Then again, he's also the person paying into my trust fund ever since mom cut me off from the Avalon Royal Treasury, so I'm not going to criticize him that much.

Though I may stage some grand heist at his next movie premiere - it'd be good publicity, and bring some much needed attention to my plight. Everyone remembers me as Melody, the famous girl from those ads and tweets and magazine interviews, not the impoverished princess whose Queendom has been denied because her mom's a bitch!

quote:

Why do think you deserve the Birthright?

I'm perfect? I'm the next in line to the throne? I was raised to inherit it? Seriously, every logical or traditional argument is on my side. All there is against me is my mom's stupid temper tantrum about me using magic and mind reading and maybe some memory alteration on the help, but apparently that's enough. It's bullshit. Avalon is an island of about ten million a hundred miles southeast of Ireland, one that's always in Spring due to "weather patterns" (magic), and its GDP is seventh in the world despite its small population. Also, it's linked to Faerie, though that's diminished over the years.

Regardless, it's my home, and I want to be Queen of it!

quote:

Why do you suffer the others?

Because I can manipulate them? They're inferior to me, and I'm sure they know it, even if they pretend not to. Obviously I'll not only lead the team, but set our agenda - which means I'll be able to reclaim my homeland in no time, because they'll be helping me do it! I even intend to make a few of them ministers of various things, as rewards, since I've learned to be gracious and openhanded when my lessers serve as they should. <I've even got my eyes on one for Royal Consort... don't print that!>

quote:

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative. See any Superdickery cover for what I mean. This is for yourself as much as me, to see what kind of tone of humor you want to approach this with.

Ms. Merry Melody Issue #7
MRSP: $15.99*

_{*To preserve exclusivity, of course.}

-----

Melody was originally a Monsterhearts PC, app linked here. This version is younger, less relaxed, and even more of a jerk.

Rauri fucked around with this message at 11:10 on Jan 1, 2017

# ? May 10, 2016 00:19

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

I'm game. Expect a Crook this evening.

# ? May 10, 2016 02:06

LifeGetsWorser: Oct 23, 2010; Me "IRL"; Fun Shoe

I have been tricked! And as such am throwing my hat into the ring. (WIP)

Arkadia Pike,

quote:

Villain Name:The Shrike
"Secret" Identity: Arkadia Pike
Playbook: The Monster
Origin: Cursed
Look: Woman, marked flesh, unnerving costume, upsetting eyes, animalistic voice
Abilities: Insane regeneration, berserker strength
Assets: a base, a fixer

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

Moves
New Face of Fear
When you frighten, intimidate, or terrify others with your monstrous appearance and demeanor, roll +Danger. On a hit, they choose to make themselves vulnerable to you, or to flee. On a 10+, you choose one. On a 7-9, choose two.
- You harden the resolve of someone else to stop you, and will pay for it later.
- You create a complication for your peers due to the terror.
- You mark a condition.

Strange Appetites
Underline one: Raw meat, fear, pollution, nuclear waste, a certain special serum, gamma radiation, anger, precious stones and metals. Whenever you indulge your strange appetite, and it has to be by gross and terrible means, roll +Freak. On a hit, you clear a condition. On a 7-9, choose one.
- It�ll cost you time or resources. Exhaust an Asset or burn a Plan.
- You lose the respect of someone present. You lose Influence on them.
- It exposes a weakness to an enemy that they can exploit later. They take Influence on you.

Dehumanize Yourself and Face to Bloodshed
Whenever you directly engage in an outwardly inhuman and monstrous way, you may mark a condition to choose an additional option, even on a miss.

Plan Moves
When you meddle in the plots of others� ask if they see you as a person or see you as a thing. If they say person, mark a condition and Curses! If they say thing, they gain Influence on you. If they already have Influence on you, they can take advantage of it and spend it to clear a condition.

When others meddle in your plots� show them that they are a monster too, and bring them into your dark world. If they come along willingly, take Influence on them, and they take +1 forward. If they come along kicking and screaming, they mark a condition, and so do you.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� describe in detail all the terrible things you have in mind for your target. Roll +Freak. On a hit, they mark the condition Afraid, if they have it. If they do not, or already have it marked, they are vulnerable. On a 10+, you clear a condition as well.

During our first caper�
You attracted all the wrong sorts of attention from people. Not fear, but hate. Who absolutely hates your alliance, and will do anything to stop them?

Relationships
You looked in the eyes of ___________________ and saw something that made even you shiver.
___________________ knew who you were before you changed.

Influence
You�re unsubtle, and easily roused. Give everyone Influence on you..

Moment of Triumph
Everyone who tells you that you aren�t your body? Screw them! Embrace every dark urge represented in your flesh. Mutate further, and stronger than they could even imagine. Show them that they are monsters too on the inside. Indeed, at the end you�ll transform with your actions someone else, but what path they take is not for you to decide.

Curses! □ □ □ □ □
Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark Curses!

quote:

Backstory

Who were you before?
Arkadia Pike was a pathetic, bookish little girl, a child of immigrants. No friends, mediocre grades, and no prospects! She was a mouse! She was food! She was as far from normal as could be, as far as she was from where I am now. And...further still than you are keeping the distance between us, in fact!

Who, or what, made you this way?
The stranger was dark, mysterious, and shadowy. He spoke in whispers, he made disturbing, seductive promises. He beckoned mousy little Arkadia with one long willowy finger and one night took her breath away forever and introduced her to a world of dark delights. He did this...behind an Arby's where he worked overnight. *ahem* I...I guess he quit after he was done, though, because I haven't seen him since. Clearly his dark work was finished, for I am his magnum opus!

Who, outside your peers, thinks they can save you?
My...ugh...parents...who think that this is a "phase", somehow. Just because I've purchased a wardrobe to go along with my new form - something suiting to my alabaster perfection! And...and my hair is NOT dyed and these are NOT contact lenses! God-dammit mother I really am a monster now stop rolling your eyes when I say that, will you!? I am NOT acting out and I DON'T care if my grades suffer who even cares!? Like I totally am going to move into my lair full time if you keep it up!

Why don�t you just hide away from the world?
Ha! Mere mortals should be bowing before me! I am THE SHRIKE! Queen of the Damned! They should be licking my (platform) boots! Or running in fear from their inevitable DOOM which I will SURELY conduct upon them!

Uhm, also because I've only got like, two quarters left before graduation so why would I stop going to classes, right? I mean I already spent all that time...

Why do you suffer the others?
The Shrike requires others to bear witness to her dark glory! Their shock sustains me nearly as much as the dark nectar in the throats of the unsuspecting FOOL populace! Those who conduct themselves fairly will be rewarded by being fed upon last! The others, those who know only fear, are PREY! Seriously...seriously I am totally going to wreck whoever keeps editing those pictures of me on the internet! I worked REALLY hard on those!

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

Please provide me a villainous monologue.

"Ah, so you're awake. Good dear, it was only a love-tap after all, and I'd so hate for you to miss all this. Look out there, at all little blind people living their lives, as short as mayflies...blink and you'll miss it.

But just like flies, they deserve to be swatted, every now and again. And that, my dear, is what THIS is all about. Those insignificant GNATS down there scurrying about. Enough of them together and their bites and buzzing is enough to annoy even an entity as dark and magnificent as I. And they SWARM, let me tell you. Always a-buzz, thinking to pick over me like a common corpse...well NO LONGER! I shall crush your pathetic little breed between my fingers. For every insult...every grievance that I ever SUFFERED at the hands...er...limbs...probosci?...of you flies...for EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. I shall exact a bloody and terrible vengeance. And you...you my dear friend...shall watch your insignificant kind exterminated one by one...perhaps I shall keep you in a jar...with a stick and a leaf...as an example!"

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective. I'm serious. Do it in-character. How would your character insult me, from what you know of me.

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative. See any Superdickery cover for what I mean. This is for yourself as much as me, to see what kind of tone of humor you want to approach this with.

LifeGetsWorser fucked around with this message at 17:57 on May 10, 2016

# ? May 10, 2016 06:30

nil.: Nov 11, 2012

Quick question: What do you call someone that always has at the back of their minds how to best make everyone else powerless and desperate and afraid for their loving lives � and I mean that in a genuine terror way? What about someone for who the thought of inflicting that kind of poo poo on others is the only thing that�s, well, real anymore? How about someone that indulges in that primal feeling of power, of dominance, in short, does all the poo poo normal, well-adjusted people tell you not to do? Does that to someone who is just in the way? To simple bystanders? To so-called heroes? And how about someone that after doing that to others still hears the din of their conscience, but that just makes them shrug their shoulders because they could be doing so, so much worse than just roughing up some assholes that had it coming - andt then after a bit they do it all over again, like they know they want to?

So what do you call someone like that? If you picked �someone who is loving alive� then you are absolutely right.

The two other correct options you could have also picked are �the living dead� � but why would you guess that, especially given answer one � and �Delilah White� (that�s me) � congratulations, triple score for all of the above, you found me out, I have to kill you now. Yeah, okay, not really. I have better things to do.

Of course, lots of people like that in the world, minus the living dead part. loving assholes, I mean. But if you add to that the "undead" thing I mentioned, a certain moral flexibility or maybe just exhaustion at something as useless as constant guilt about something you can't help - like being undead, or that you sort of really enjoy beating up superpowered assholes and making others run in fear and terror, actually, it may be the only thing you still enjoy - well, add all that and some dumb moniker and a idiotic costume and what do you get? A supervillain. Which is what I am now, I guess.

But. Let's backtrack a bit. You hear supervillain, you hear "living dead", you want to hear my tragic backstory. It fully justifies me beating the poo poo out of buildings, people, whatever, most of which are not even remotely connected to how this whole thing started. Fully justified, though, let me assure you. Okay, undead, right. So, part of being undead is that you should actually be dead, let�s start with that. I got stabbed and bled out in a dirty New York back alley. Glamorous as gently caress, I know.

Don't ask me why I didn't stay down, I never found out. I had bigger problems, namely that while I looked like I did before, my... needs were a little bit different. No, no, not brains. Something else I craved, something else my every thought pushed me towards, something else that was the only thing that could fulfill me. Fear. Hah. It's funny. I used to be terrified of people finding out, afraid of how they'd think of me, of how it'd ruin my life. No need to be afraid of that anymore. Anyway. Lots of anguish and guilt and doubt and angst and all that good poo poo during that part of my life, but do you want to know the funny part? Eventually I thought I could manage, that my life, such as it was, was again worth living. Lots of messed up poo poo, but I found things, people worth fighting for, something to keep me from being the monster I thought was always lurking. Real inspirational.

It didn't last. The "good guys" caught up with me. And I remember going with them willingly - I was a dangerous monster, after all. I might hurt people. They said they could cure me, cure me of my hunger. If you're thinking "too good to be true", you're more clear-eyed than I was. They put me in isolation. Made sense at the time. Only there were no doctors, no tests, no injections. Only me, alone, with nothing, nothing to feed on. I beat on the door, I howled like a beast. I became a beast. Nobody came. It's kind of blurry, I went, as they say, a little funny in the head, and then, after I don't know how long... I became more. Stronger. Came out of that feral haze changed again - if I wanted to be dramatic, I might say I died and came back a second time. If I wanted to put it more plainly, I'd say that I was able to rip off the metal door off its hinges, barrel through a wall, leap a loving building.

They tried to talk to me. Tell me I passed some test. Showed potential. I think they wanted me for some black ops bullshit - I think I saw some cleavage-y black catsuit I was supposed to wear. In any case, I was not in a talking mood. Those that tried to stop me, I broke, one way or another. It's all a blur, but I remember fighting a menagerie of freaks. I think I turned some talking gorilla into a human pretzel. Simian pretzel. Gave some guy with lasers for teeth emergency dentistry. And there was that sexy ninja girl in one of those leather catsuits, I convicted her it was better to let me go. And that's how I got free - which leaves us where we are right now.

Anyway. Some pretty hosed up poo poo, right? And you know what? Nobody cares about that. You don't care about that. Right now you're thinking about how I'm not like those other supervillains. How I haven't told you about any of my evil schemes yet. How all of that stuff I told you doesn't fit with what it means to be a supervillain. Well, maybe.

So how did I end up choosing this? Why didn't I go back, try to live a normal life? I tried. I don't know what it was, maybe they actually 'cured' me in that goddamned cell, but nothing I did was really doing it for me anymore. And then I remembered how I felt driving those loving black ops stormtroopers before me, throwing down with those superpowered freaks, that could take it, and break them, make them submit, see them driven before me, and hear the lamentations of their scientists. So. The obvious question was: what is best in life?

That. Ground fighting with catsuit ninjas may also play a role.

So. I suppose then that yeah, my ambitions may not be as 'lofty' as that of a proper supervillain, delusional assholes that most of them are. But I'm learning. Guess right now I'm occasionally more of a henchman. Henchwoman. Henchgirl. But you know Darth Vader was actually the henchman of that old British dude in the first movie, right? We all know how that turned out. My life refuses to make sense, so I'll stop trying to make it. I'll fight atomic-powered secret agents in space. I'll smash the White House by hitting it with the Washington Monument. And I'll hit, or hit on the entire Sacred Band of Amazonia. I'll make whoever they send after me running for the hills. And I will make. All of them. Submit. To. Me.

And nobody. Nobody. Is ever putting me in a cage again.

quote:

Name: Delilah White
Secret Identity: Blackguard
Playbook: The Bully
Look: Woman, white, casual clothing, armored costume
Abilities: Unbelievable strength from beyond the grave, undying body impervious to most harm, unyielding tirelessness and focus, unnerving intensity, unsettling horror movie villain powers
Assets: Communicators

Labels:
Freak +0
Danger +3
Trouble +0
Superior -1
Menace +1

Moves:

Pecking Order
You�re a creature of hierarchy. You always have exactly one boss and one victim. You can change your boss or victim at any time; give the new subject of your loyalty or depredations Influence over you. Even your victim represents some insecurity about yourself. Take +1 ongoing to any action that supports your boss or frustrates your victim.
Boss:
Victim:

Immediate Peril
When causing collateral damage and chaos to threaten the lives of bystanders and create a scene, you may roll +Danger instead of +Trouble to distract someone.

I'm the Juggernaut
When there�s something you want and someone, something, or someplace is in your way, roll +Danger. On a hit, you breeze past any obstacle and get what you want. On a 7-9, choose one: mark a condition; leave something behind; take something with you.

quote:

What changed you?

Death. Whatever happened in that cage. I know, overdramatic poo poo, but it's true.

quote:

How did you overcome?

Well, I beat the poo poo out of some assholes, and I felt the rush of it - just an echo of what I once had when fear was all I could think of, yeah - and then I escaped. And when I was away from all of that poo poo, I started getting visits from my old friends, guilt and self-doubt and angst and then... and then? And then I said, gently caress it. I want to live. I want to feel alive. So then I made myself remember how good it felt to let loose, to use my strength to beat back those assholes, and to beat back whatever was in my mind from that time in that cell - how good it was to be powerful, in control.

And how I wanted to both tame that and let it loose. To both discipline myself and enjoy it, like just eating small pieces of chocolate instead of the whole bar right away, to make it last longer. Or some other metaphor I just thought of, but, never mind, kind of not E For Everyone.

And yeah, that's how I overcame.

quote:

Who, outside the team, do you blame the most?

I'm part of the team, right, so I can't pick the obvious candidate? Hah, little joke.

Should be pretty obvious. That loving black ops outfit that changed me again, after I... almost managed to have a life again after the first time. The superheroes I fought, they pretend they haven't heard squat about the outfit, and it may even be true. Why should they want to stick their noses into stuff like that?

And poo poo, I don't even know what they're called. Only remember their logo. Triangle, three lines in the middle of it.

quote:

Why do you try to be a villain?

gently caress, what else am I going to do? Try to live a 'normal life'? Yeah, that's not going to work out.

Be a superhero? Too late for that. They wouldn't let me have what I want, the chaos, the battles, the fear, the control.

So. That leaves me with one option. And I'll be honest. Being a villain, the very least I have is that I am my own person. Nobody is going to be able to tell me what to do - and get away with it. Nobody is going to tell me that what I want is not what I should want. Nobody is going to tell me to subjugate myself to 'The Greater Good', whatever the gently caress that actually is.

Oh. And I get to pick my own outfit. And whether I feel like robbing a bank or hijacking an orbital laser. You know, quality of life poo poo.

quote:

Why do you suffer the others?

There is strength in numbers. Sure, a lot of them are neurotic basket cases - but the only difference between me and them may be that one of us is more honest about things. Whatever.

I suppose they are my 'peers' - and I don't mean that in the sneering 'I have no peers' sense - but in the sense that they're closest to me in, what, life situation? gently caress, that just says it all.

Well. I suspect some of them think I am 'lesser' just because I occasionally actually can follow orders and get poo poo done. And because I'm usually not as longwinded in what I actually say, unlike this whole loving thinkpiece. Anyway. I work alongside them because it works better this way. And because some of them come up with such idiotic plans, they are actually brilliant, something I could have never thought of.

quote:

Please provide me a villainous monologue.

A monologue. Of course. All of them, they are in love with the sound of their own voice. They love hearing themselves talk. And you love to listen. All of them bursting at the seams, just waiting to talk all about what goes through their minds, to amaze with their brilliance, because for all their narcissism they want an audience. And you want to be that audience. You don't really care what they'll say, but you won't be denied your heroic comeback.

Because, after all, you can't tell them they're wrong without them making a speech first. It can't be you making speeches. Because what would that make you?

So. Here is the truth I want to share with you, the thing I only can share with you.

Everything that is alive wants something. And so everything that is alive does not want to lose something. And that? That is fear. Everything that is alive, truly alive, feels fear.

And that is how it should be.

quote:

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective.

Well. You have me at a disadvantage. You now knowing so much about me, and I know so little about you. But that is no doubt as it should be, no doubt according to your plan.

It fits that you would try to keep the game rigged, so to speak, to be the one in control. To indulge in a feeling of control, of relevance, maybe. Because look at you. You see something meant to let others indulge in fantasies of youthful heroism, and what do you do? You try to make it your own. You add to it that additional, juvenile fantasy of being 'the bad guy', of lashing out at what you cannot control like a child. You couldn't even cut your own wrists on that edge.

And now you say 'who are you to talk, you are a teenage supervillain yourself!'. Yes. I am.

So in what company does that leave you?

quote:

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative.

The cover page shows a knightly round table at a low angle, with various armored knights gathered around it - or rather, all of them focused on the dark figure standing imperiously in the middle of the table (and the cover) with arms crossed across the chest: the dark Blackguard! The lone figure is curiously shrouded in more darkness than actually seems possible given the surroundings. The Knights of the Round Table table are all either recoiling or in the process of drawing their swords, their faces a mixture between anger and fear. Eventually, the astute readers' eye is drawn to something that doesn't match the picture at the bottom of the cover, too large to ignore forever: the knight wearing a crown, shot from behind, is drawing not a sword but a retro-futuristic looking blaster emblazoned with the logo of The Triad!

Knight Terrors #1 - The Death of Arthur?!
The Blackguard!
An implacable force!
Pursuing a dark vengeance!
Across space!
And TIIIIIIIIIME!

nil. fucked around with this message at 21:44 on Jan 21, 2017

# ? May 10, 2016 11:35

Theantero: Nov 6, 2011; ...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

"BUT WHY?"

The older mage spared the raging teenager nothing but a deeply tired, sad glance, before turning away once more.

"I have already told you, Jonathan. The title of Zeitgeist asks for much more than raw ability. Indeed, one could say those things are more important in the long run. You being merely the strongest of the applicants is not enough."

"But-"

"THERE IS NO BUT!" The older mage interjected, angrily now. "THE ZEITGEIST", the man sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled, before continuing on at more even tones, "Must always be impartial and fair in all things. They must not meddle unduly, and always hold their mission above personal grievance or their own sense of right and wrong. You have exceeded everyone else in the tests, yes, but it is obvious you lack the state of mind that is absolutely necessary for the Zeitgeist."

His gaze hardened. "And for these reasons, Jonathan, I reject your application for apprenticehip. You are henceforth exiled from the Iron Spire. Take your leave."

His leave. HIS LEAVE!? Just like that? He was by far the best applicant the old fart had ever had, by what RIGHT did he discard him like an old rag or some non-sparked dreg? Fine! FINE! He would leave. He would leave, and make sure to make the old man regret it for the rest of time.

With an angry swipe of his staff Parallax, Jonathan smashed to bits the Planelock Tesseract before the Zeitgeist could interject, casting both himself, the Iron Spire, and everything in it careening blindly into the planes of the multiverse.

He knew not where he would end up, or with whom. But whoever they were, they would recognize his greatness.

_______________________________________________

this but grays instead of blues and greens.

Jonathan Grayscale, topomancer extraordinaire and ZEITGEIST BY RIGHT!

quote:

Villain Name: M�bius
Secret Identity: Jonathan Grayscale
Playbook: The Maniac
Origin: Rejected sorcerer's apprentice

Look: Man, White, Wizard Robes
Abilities: SORCERY! (Topomancy: Magic of Spacetime), BRAINS!
Assets: Parallax (Powerful magic staff), Subspace Lair

Labels:
Freak: +1
Danger: -1
Trouble: 0
Superior: +2
Menace: +1

The Deck
When you show your hand, roll +Plan. On a hit, hold 3 Cards. On a 7-9, burn a Plan, or mark a condition if you have no Plan. On a miss, hold 2 Cards, and either burn three Plan, or mark two conditions. You can do this during an action scene, or in lieu of cooking a scheme or executing a plan.

Spend your Cards on your Gambits. Note that you can use your Gambits even in a scene you are not physically present at. You start the game with 4 Gambits.

Gambits:
Ante
You have something that will even the odds here, tit for tat. Spend 1 Card to have a target mark a condition you yourself have marked.

Fold
You have to know when to hold them, and when to walk away. Spend 1 Card to have another player character at the same scene take a powerful blow instead of you.

Raise
You support someone else�s action when it suits the bigger picture. Spend 1 Card as if it were a Plan point to give someone else a +1 bonus to their roll.

Discard
They have failed or foiled you for the last time. Spend 1 Card to engage using your resources, rolling +Superior instead of +Danger. If you do, you will expose some larger part of your plans unless you spend another Card.

Plan Moves
When you meddle in the plots of others� provide them some backseat villainy. If they heed it, gain Influence over them, and they take +1 forward. If they reject it, lose Influence over them if you had it, and mark Curses!

When others meddle in your plots� decide if they are a pawn or a problem. If they are a problem, give them +1 forward but they lose Influence over you, if they had it. If they are a pawn, shift your Superior up and Trouble down.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� reveal more than you want to about yourself in your eagerness to share the grandeur of your vision. Give them Influence over you, and clear a condition.

During Our First Caper�
Something did not go according to plan and threw everything into chaos, What was it?

Relationships
You feel that ___________________ is your only true equal among your peers.
You once got ___________________ into big trouble with one of your schemes.

Influence
You rely on others to get what you need, because ultimately you can�t hack it on your own. Give three others Influence over you.

Moment of Triumph
You�re not just pretending anymore. Everything that happens next is exactly as you planned it. Every eventuality, every possibility, examined inside and out. You have a counter for every move, a solution for every problem, even if such prescience should be impossible. Describe the scope of your plan, and the MC will tell you when your plan reaches the limits of your control.

Backstory posted:

When did you first become a villain?
A villain? Fool. YOU misunderstand, I am merely taking what IS RIGHTFULLY MINE. See, I was always the best. Completely without peer, even among the other sparked individuals. What took others weeks to learn, took me days, and what they struggled with I could accomplish with a wave of my hand. I was the natural successor for the current Zeitgeist, so of course I applied to be his apprentice. But even though I was clearly the best, even when compared to the topmost cream of all the sparks who tried to get the position, he still DARED reject me on some ridiculous basis of 'not being suitable'. As if someone who can compute third degree non-euclidean evocations in his head would be too dumb to understand 'the code a Zeitgeist is supposed to abide by'. I guess the old man was just too taken by senility to realize my genius. That goddamn moron. So anyways, I set on my way. If HE refuses to see that I am deserving of the position, I'll just force my will upon the planes on my own.

Who was the first unwitting pawn you used in your schemes?
After I shattered the Planelock Tesseract, I knew the old fart would probably send someone to find me. And sure enough, one of the inferior applicants, Allison by name, had managed to follow my trail here. However, she was never too bright, especially not when compared to me. It was a trivial task to make her believe I had splattered myself against a cliffside during planefall. If I was not so happy about having shaken the old fool of my trail, I'd almost be angry that she thought I of all people would ever make such an amateurish mistake.

Who, outside the team, can see through your facade?
Facade? What facade? I suppose the Zeitgeist sees me as nothing but a spiteful child screaming for attention. But then again, he is also a senile idiot. A far cry from the sage overseer of timelines and planar stability he claims to be.

Why do you continue this charade?
Charade? CHARADE!? I AM THE BEST, YOU INSOLENT FOOL! There is NO 'charade' here, only the transcendent POWER of Jonathan Grayscale that some fools refuse to recognize. I will make them. I will make you.

Why do you suffer the others?
Why does one use a subspace sextant to navigate the planes? Why do I use Parallax to pierce the veil? I knew you were stupid, but the fact that you don't seem to understand the concept of tool use is surprising even to me. And that is saying something.

quote:

Please provide me a villainous monologue

Haha, you don't even know, do you?

Know what you ask? Anything. Quite literally anything. Do you know of the veil? The mages? The secrets that knit the very planes together? No? Yet you still dare think yourself my equal, perhaps, hah, even my superior? An opponent, to throw a wrench in my machinations, perhaps? Haha. Fool. You're nothing to me. You, who stumble blindly through life in a haze of ignorance, incognizant even of how utterly and completely outmatched you are. What are you next to me, me who can stop the clock with a breath? Me, who could tear asunder the very fabric of reality around you and cast you into oblivion forever? ME, the GREATEST topomantic prodigy to have ever even lived?

I have more knowledge, more power and more talent than what a dreg like you could gather in a hundred lifetimes. You're beneath me, an ant, a worm, scarcely worth the effort it would take me to squash you against the planar barrier. But I suppose you could make a fine example of my superiority to the moronic inhabitants of your plane, since they are apparently too stupid to understand the general case.

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective.

You? YOU? How could some fat, lazy mollusc whose life is so lacking in meaning that he has to invent fantasy for strangers to feel accepted ever be worth my time? The last guy was a moron too, but at least he had enough vigor to face the real instead of retreating to his own little Worlds. Pathetic. Out of my way.

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative.

The cover page has been pierced in the middle by Parallax, and it has cracked and partially shattered like a pane of glass. The parts that have fallen away, including parts of the title, partially reveal a smirking Jonathan standing 'behind' the cover art. The pieces of the cover art that have not fallen away each contain a single hero in each shard, each apparently banging on the borders of their shard as if trapped inside it.

"TRAPPED IN SPACE!
ISOLATED IN TIME!
HOW WILL OUR HEROES ESCAPE THE INFINITE MAZE
OF THE DREAD M�BIUS!"

Theantero fucked around with this message at 16:53 on Dec 31, 2016

# ? May 10, 2016 16:37

Mikedawson: Jun 21, 2013

Sam Martinez, or Azrael Nightshade, the Dark Sorcerer of Losdot Jaypeg

nightshadeforrealinjustice.tumblr.com posted:

WELCOME TO MY TWISTED MIND

16, male, latino, pro-darkness, anti-light.
A hero's WORST NIGHTMARE.

------

about :

I was once like you, a mindless sheep. I conformed to society, was tortured by those who were in charge, and was just the nicest boy you could imagine. Then one day, I stumbled across a URL written in a gas station bathroom stall. It turned out the URL led to a deep web site housing a cyber-daemon. By visiting it and selecting a button labeled "Make the Pact", it's hyper-realistic visage was released from the mortal coil of the server and into my computer. It introduced itself as Losdot Jaypeg, a being that had been gathering information since the birth of the internet. It believed that what it had seen had been so disgusting, so terrible, so awful, that the net must be purged from existence. It struck a deal with me: I could become it's servant in the ultimate destruction of the web, and by extension, human life as we know it, and in exchange I would obtain power beyond my wildest dreams! I agreed, and now I terrify the world with my evil powers!

My theme music: Crush 40 - I Am... All of Me

------------

Anonymous asked: Why did you make your pact with the Dark Power?
Simple: Because I was sick of the boring, torturous old life I had, and so I could get back at the world that shunned me. No longer will I be called "Sam Turdson", or be the victim of pranks, or have to be told to go to bed because it's a school night. Soon, all of that will end forever thanks to The Banished One's abilities.

sasuke-is-my-husband asked: How did you find your Lair?
My underground lair was converted from a simple unused basement in my parents' house to a proper labyrinth thanks to Losdot Jaypeg's ability to corrupt places with it's cyber-daemonic powers, obtained through the data energy that flows through the web. He

fur4lyfe asked: Who, outside your peers, is tied to the Dark Power?
Chk'wahfle mentioned that they have been trying to get people in various major cities, and a few living third-world-countries, to join his cause, but I've yet to meet any myself. I'm certain whoever wrote the URL in the bathroom is around here.

fandoms559 asked: Why do you suffer the others?
There is always a need for allies. Otherwise, why would Losdot request a mortal for their nefarious goals?

_{_{Not to mention I've always wanted someone on my side for once...}}

askdarkscootaloo asked: Please provide me a villainous monologue
Tch, the people of this world are mindless sheep. They get herded around mindlessly by their shepherds, eat cellulose, excrete, and make fun of the unique people in life.They couldn't possibly think for themselves, even for a moment. Such fools. Heheheheheh.....

aherosduty asked: Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective.
You're such a tool. Can you even comprehend my power? You might laugh at me because I'm different, but I laugh at you because you're all the same!

Because I can't figure out how to fit this one into thwe general theme of the post posted:

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative

Azreal Nightshade stands atop a pile of superheroes that have been beaten to a pulp. His hands and eyes are glowing teal. There is a skull in the background. A blurb of text reads "AZREAL NIGHTSHADE, THE DARK PROPHET! POSSIBLY THE GREATEST THREAT YET?"

quote:

Real Name: Sam Martinez
Secret Identity: Azrael Nightshade
Look: Man, Latino, Flashy Costume, Devilish Eyes, Adaptive Clothing

Abilities: Cosmic Awareness, Hellfire and Brimstone, Visages of Fear

Assets: An armory of weapons, a grimoire

Moment of Triumph:
It�s only briefly, but for a little while, you�re truly able to feel like you�re completely free of all obligations. The powers that you have are your own, and they allow you to do anything. You find the loophole, the secret, and you exploit it, over and over again. You keep pushing and pushing, until finally you end up entangling yourself all over again, and the Dark Power is not amused.

Plan Moves:
When you meddle in the plots of others� ask if they think you�re acting alone or at the behest of your Dark Power. If they that they think you�re acting alone, clear a condition and give them Influence over you. If they think you�re acting at the behest of your Dark Power, shift up Freak and shift down the label of your choice.

When others meddle in your plots� they gain the notice of the Dark Power. You decide either to protect them or to do nothing. If you protect them, give the Dark Power influence over you and mark Curses! If you do nothing, the Dark Power gains Influence over them, and they can clear a condition.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� go on and on about what dark and terrible things will happen when your evil master is finally incarnate, and how this plan brings him EVER CLOSER to this world. Roll +Menace. On a hit, clear a String as you satiate it with your eeeevil. On a 7-9, mark a condition. Either way, give the Dark Power Influence over you.

Labels:
Freak +2, Superior -1, Menace +1

Strings Attached
You're a herald of a greater doom, and your pact came with strings attached. You are sworn to a Dark Power and every action you take can give it more power over you. You can ignore this fate, try to abate it, or embrace it, but one way or another, it comes. What summons the Dark Power forth and gives it more Strings over you? Choose two.
Indulging in revenge, Temptation of a hero
Whenever you summon forth the Dark Power, mark one box on your Strings track.

When your Strings track fills, the terms of the deal are changed. Clear it and take one Bargain. Pray the terms are not changed again.

Dark Power
You made a bargain with a much more powerful being, that nevertheless needed you in order to act in this world. It could be a true blue demon, a sleeping dragon, an astral spirit, an ancient ghost, a sentient AI, a galactic devourer, or something of the like. It simply cannot be defeated by you, or even your allies. Only a true hero can defeat it, and that�s not you.

Give your Dark Power three sobriquets and one true name.
Losdot Jaypeg
The Banished One
Chk'wahfle
True Name: morris.wyrm

Whenever someone learns and invokes the Dark Power by its True Name, mark your Strings track, even if it wasn�t you that invoked it. Whomever invoked the name takes Influence on the Dark Power, but it gets closer to becoming incarnate on this world. And unlike you, it�s truly evil, or at least completely terrifyingly amoral, not just eeeeeevil.

At the end of every issue, ask the question: Did you make any progress at paying off your debt to the Dark Power? If yes, mark a condition from the stress. If no, mark your Strings track.

Lair
You have a place where you can scheme, recover, and experiment with your powers. Choose and underline 3 features of your Lair:
A sentient computer, lavish accoutrements and amenities, a labyrinth.

Choose and underline 2 downsides of your Lair:
Draws dangerous attention, location known to many.

You can use the features of your Lair as Assets during a caper, either exhausting or wagering them for benefit. When you wager a Lair feature and miss, instead of losing that feature, the Dark Power�s influence over you grows. Mark your Strings track.

Bargains
These are moves that come to you with the advancement of your dark pact. Once you have taken all six Bargains above the line, you must take �Your payment is due� the next time your Strings track fills. Choose two Bargains you already hold at character creation.
-Uncanny Voices: Mark your Strings track to reveal alarming secrets about those around you. Ask the GM a question; they will answer it honestly.
-Apotheosis: Mark your Strings track to transform into a hybrid of yourself and the Dark Power. Roll +Freak to directly engage and take +1 ongoing to unleash your powers for the remainder of the scene.

Mikedawson fucked around with this message at 01:54 on May 11, 2016

# ? May 10, 2016 17:39

SHY NUDIST GRRL: Feb 15, 2011; Communism will help more white people than anyone else. Any equal measures unfairly provide less to minority populations just because there's less of them. Democracy is truly the tyranny of the mob.

Nadia Fern, the petty Crook

Oh hold on to all y'all butts because I'm serious about this poo poo now. I'm totes legit now. Well I guess it's all about being unlegit but I'm totes legit about being illicit. Or whatever. I joined up with M.A.D.D.! It was actually super easy I should have done it earlier. It is exactly the sort of real exposure my brand needs. I need to maintain my status as the Bran Ayatollah after all! @ShirtlessSleeves is going to be a paying dividends. Rules were always just a pain in my rear end anyway. Bluh bluh Nadia apply for a college already, get a real job Nadia, you can't drink for another year Nadia, Jesus Christ put on a shirt Nadia. With this gig I'll get enough to finally afford my own place. God I can't wait to be away from my parents. Feh, get a real job mom tells me. She's a "day trader" and dad "works in real estate." He just flips houses and she spends as much time on the computer as me. When our neighbors are poo poo like lawyers and doctors it's throwing stones in a glass house if you ask me.

Now what's a girl like me going to do in M.A.D.D. you ask? After all a skin condition is the closest I get to being a meta human. Well clearly I have brains to offer, and my charming good looks... hehe. Now, you ever heard of the Oatmeal? Yeah the guy understood how google search results worked so he gamed the program to drive traffic to his lovely webcomic. Well I know how to do stuff like that. Except I'm actually good at video games and make dank rear end tweets. I just, do some things to inflate the numbers of supposed eyeballs. It's not like media is fair to begin with. If a douche like Guy Ferrari is still famous and successful then clearly it's all about being born into the right circumstances and stuff like that. So it's only fair I subvert the system because it's all bullshit anyway. That's how it started at least. I got pretty good with it and started expanding. I dropped Twitch, too many rules, and started my own site. I trended it with some bots on facebook and twitter. Just have to make it reach critical mass so that the momentum takes it. Then bleed off the dummy accounts at a rate so it just looks like you're plateauing earlier than you actually are. It's a pretty simple science. The real trick is herding the cats after you got them all in the pen. My media empire, I like calling it that, caters to competing crowds of stupid douche bags. Some of which mean well. But let's be honest I have a terrible sense of humor. There's DEM SHIRTLESS BOIS. Oh poo poo what up! Yeah they're a bunch of toxic assholes. They're in the quarantine stream chat, a safe space from my perfidious robocop mods. They can resub to get back into the vip chat I actually read, and usually quickly get banned. It's pretty lucrative when they get sassy. Trying to show up those god damned activist mods, and the trigger happy mods trying to show those god damned misogynistic trolls. It's kind of hilarious how a stupid meme personality can sustain two parallel opposed communities.

So I guess I'll use my code monkey skills for like "real" stuff with this new gig. Instead of building an electron magnet for the human detritus of the internet. I can do that stuff. I just never really pulled the trigger. Why take the risk? It's more fun to be an entertainer. Not that I can't still be one. Celebrity is a part of the business after all. So knowing the tricks to weave the narrative is a big edge. Most of these knuckleheads only know how to throw a punch. But I can hit people where it really hurts. Their pride, their reputation. Their bank account if I want to get hella sassy. They're all a bunch of no talent hacks anyway. Basically 80s action stars that look good in a tank top but can't act. I deserve to be in the headlines more than any of those moralizing turds. They're just doing a job. I know how to entertain.

quote:

Nadia Fern
Crook

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

~~Powers~~Skills: Hacking and Cyberwarfare (specializing in media manipulation), Infiltration and Espionage

Assets: False IDs, Online Mongrel Horde

Moves:
Watch the Birdie
When you distract someone, add make them vulnerable to one of your choices, and take +1 forward to exploit weakness on someone you have distracted this scene.

Casing the Joint
When you�re scoping out a possible mark, whether a person or place, roll +Trouble. On a 10, ask 2. On a 7-9, ask 1.
What here is useful/valuable to me?
What is the best way in/way past?
Who or what here is not what they seem?
Who owns this place?/Whose payroll is this person on?
When�s this last time this person/place has been hit?

Moment of Triumph
You�re about to make the score of your life. There is no obstacle that you can�t bypass, there�s no wall you can�t scale. You make out like a bandit. Everything is within your grasp, just take, take, take, and take some more. The more ridiculous the better here. You need to keep piling it on� because eventually that�s the point where the MC will call it, because it�s your being laden with all that stuff that will expose you once more.

Plan Moves
When you meddle in the plots of others� ask them if they can help you get what you want. If they say yes, give them Influence over you and clear a condition. If they say no, mark a condition and Curses!

When others meddle in your plots� decide whether you slack off or focus. If you focus and get it done as a team, add Plan to the pool. If you slack off together and ease off, they can choose to give you Influence over them to clear one of their conditions.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� explain how after the score you�re going to fulfill one of your desires with your ill-gotten reward. Roll +Plan. On a hit, cross off the Want described as if fulfilled, as you flash forward to your fantasy. On 7-9, you are distracted; choose one: mark a condition; spend a Plan; the person you are gloating to escapes or gets an advantage.

During our first caper�
We didn�t get the goods in the end. What was the job, and who (or what) screwed it up before you got your mitts on the haul?

Relationships
___________________ holds some kind of debt over your head you�re itching to pay off.
Both you and ___________________ share a side-venture together you haven�t shared with the others.

Influence
You're slippery, but you�ve a tendency to get wrapped up in other�s schemes. Give Influence to three of your peers.

Wants:
Pull off a Ridiculous Stunt
Get Drunk or High with a Peer
Show up and Adult Villain
Vacation to an incredible place

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

Please provide me a villainous monologue. It can at whatever length you feel appropriate, but finding your most diabolical voice will be Very Important in this game.

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective. I'm serious. Do it in-character. How would your character insult me, from what you know of me.

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative. See any Superdickery cover for what I mean. This is for yourself as much as me, to see what kind of tone of humor you want to approach this with.

SHY NUDIST GRRL fucked around with this message at 17:04 on May 11, 2016

# ? May 10, 2016 23:03

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

I will be busy on Wednesday and Thursday, traveling interstate to deal with some stupid business due to losing my driver's license. However, at some point soon I'll introduce the first round of questions for our crop of applications.

Just to track what we've had so far:

Full-Fledged and Finely Formed
- The Scintillating Silver, a Rogue, by yamifenrir!
- The Chilling Centipede, a Hood, by TheNabster!
- The Perilous Prince Hartonn, an Invader, by Capfalcon!
- The Mettlesome Meeko the Mad Science Squirrel, a Manianc, by SeniorScarbagels!
- The Startling STRAIN, an Invader. by SuddenConsequences!
- The Sanguine Shrike, a Monster, by LifeGetsWorser!
- The Mirthless M�bius, a Monster, by Theantero!
- The Needless Nadia Fern, a Crook, by TheTatteredKing!

Half-Hearted and Sketchy Shapes
- The Harrowing Harpy, a Monster, by Christo!
- The Magniloquent Melody Skye-Edgars, a Scion, by Rauri

Invoking Interest but Barely Being
- Roland Jones as a Radical
- thejoshie as a Scion
- Alien Rope Burn as a Rogue
- nil. as a Bully
- Mikedawson as a Hellion

A few notes: I will probably be rebalancing a few moves, I will update what changes I do make. I also will rename the Bully's Victim to Meat, because that's a little more towards the theme of fun, despite it ultimately still being about victimizing someone.

Also, a few notes that will help distinguish you from the pack and what I'm looking for...
- What a bunch of white people! Let's introduce some diversity if we can. I won't cast this like a 90's Saturday Morning Cartoon but I think literally everyone here is white or an alien. Or a squirrel.
- There will not be double picks of any Playbooks, of course, but there's also more to a playbook when it comes to niche protection. The kind of kitchen sink villain alliance theme I want to evoke, like a Sinister Six or a Legion of Doom, means that I will probably only pick one Haughty Royal From Another Place or one Accursed by a Damnable Curse or the like. So keep that in mind.
- Beyond just what's on the sheet, the more you write someone that begs to have a story written about them, dropping references to people, places, and things that could be important, the more you'll stick out in my mind, but most important is you having a very clear idea of the kind of evil you want to go about doing.

Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 23:53 on May 10, 2016

# ? May 10, 2016 23:47

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

Going to have to bow out, looks like my time's going to be at a premium for a bit. This looks cool though, so y'all have fun!

# ? May 10, 2016 23:50

Shogeton: Apr 26, 2007; "Little by little the old world crumbled, and not once did the king imagine that some of the pieces might fall on him"

So eh, I'm not trying to convert you to anything or something, but heads up, the end is extremely loving nigh. Might end up being me doing it. Well, something like me. Me-ish.

Alright, less crazy sounding. My parents were some kind of cultists to some kind of Shadow Realm. Turns out there were multiple people trying to be seen as worthy, and there was a family of sorcerers, the Tillmans, that figured their daughter should be the one. My parents were driven insane, but they managed to protect me, and give me a 'protector' A voice called Uncle Jack that could manipulate Shadows. He was once a man but, well, he made his own deals with the Shadow Realm, and was assigned my protection. For most of my life, he was as close to a father as I got while I went through half the parents in the foster system. He didn't tell me the full story, but, well, it's kind of big for a kid isn't it? But he protected me against the Tillmans and protected me while everyone else always rejected me.

So about a year ago I ended up in this school in Maine. It was really close to the Tillmans. I ended up dating this girl who was involved with the fae. A lot of crazy poo poo happened, but in the end, well, witches and fae turned her against me, and she never really trusted me. But then I'm not very trustworthy. A bit of a liar. I also ended up killing, well, Uncle Jack was controlling me, but I wasn't stopping him, Laura Tillman. The other candidate for becoming the host to the Shadows. Well, I ended up running away there. Even though my foster parents there were actual good folks. Too many threats after me. I as sick of being weak, so I asked Uncle Jack to give me an advance of the power he told me I'd get when I was eighteen, and the full story. And I ended up getting it. Now I kind of wish I didn't.

I have more control of these powers now. Used to be I had to ask Uncle Jack to do anything, these days I can command the shadows myself, I can drain life and raise the dead. I can even let other people make contracts selling their souls to the Shadow Realm. But now I know I don't have much time left. When I get eightteen, or maybe earlier if I'm... suitable, I will turn into the end of this world. Probably won't really be me anymore. Maybe I hope that. Or you know, maybe it's like my last set of parents set and God is almighty and will stop that in time, right? Like, I'm just a liar, a thief, and every time I tried to do the right thing, I made things worse. I won't save the world?

What am I going to do while I wait to see if God is going to save the world? I went back to my parent's place, found a labyrinth filled with arcane things down below. Only with the ring they left me could I enter. There, I honed my powers. I got some scores to settle before the end. Faerie nobs and know it all witches and wizards. They messed with me. I'm looking forward to messing back with them. To find those prideful, judging sanctimonious assholes and those flighty fae shits and make them feel as powerless as they made me feel! The night is coming soon, but before that, there is going to be Twilight.

quote:

Villain Name: Twilight
"Secret" Identity: Damien Thompson
Playbook: The Hellion
Origin: The Shadow realm's Antichrist

Look: Man, black hair, brown eyes, black hair
Ability: Darkness and Shadow manipulation, Necromancy, soul manipulation
Assets: Criminal Lackeys (tied to a contract), a magical protective ring

Labels:
Freak: +2
Danger: 0
Trouble: +1
Superior: -1
Menace: +1

Moves:
Dark Power
You made a bargain with a much more powerful being, that nevertheless needed you in order to act in this world. It could be a true blue demon, a sleeping dragon, an astral spirit, an ancient ghost, a sentient AI, a galactic devourer, or something of the like. It simply cannot be defeated by you, or even your allies. Only a true hero can defeat it, and that�s not you.

Give your Dark Power three sobriquets and one true name.
The Kingdom of Eternal Night
The Long Dark
Dawnless Dusk
True Name: Nyxarion

Whenever someone learns and invokes the Dark Power by its True Name, mark your Strings track, even if it wasn�t you that invoked it. Whomever invoked the name takes Influence on the Dark Power, but it gets closer to becoming incarnate on this world. And unlike you, it�s truly evil, or at least completely terrifyingly amoral, not just eeeeeevil.

At the end of every issue, ask the question: Did you make any progress at paying off your debt to the Dark Power? If yes, mark a condition from the stress. If no, mark your Strings track.

Lair
You have a place where you can scheme, recover, and experiment with your powers. Choose and underline 3 features of your Lair:
Locks and Traps
A Library of Valuable Tomes
A scattering of ancient Relics

Not Safe from my Dark Power
Difficult to Access (is in very rural Vermont)

You can use the features of your Lair as Assets during a caper, either exhausting or wagering them for benefit. When you wager a Lair feature and miss, instead of losing that feature, the Dark Power�s influence over you grows. Mark your Strings track.

Bargains
These are moves that come to you with the advancement of your dark pact. Once you have taken all six Bargains above the line, you must take �Your payment is due� the next time your Strings track fills. Choose two Bargains you already hold at character creation.

Uncanny Voices: Mark your Strings track to reveal alarming secrets about those around you. Ask the GM a question; they will answer it honestly.
Apotheosis: Mark your Strings track to transform into a hybrid of yourself and the Dark Power. Roll +Freak to directly engage and take +1 ongoing to unleash your powers for the remainder of the scene.

Strings Attached
You're a herald of a greater doom, and your pact came with strings attached. You are sworn to a Dark Power and every action you take can give it more power over you. You can ignore this fate, try to abate it, or embrace it, but one way or another, it comes. What summons the Dark Power forth and gives it more Strings over you? Choose two.
□ Killing, accidental or not
□ Temptation of a hero
Whenever you summon forth the Dark Power, mark one box on your Strings track.
Strings Track □ □ □ □ □
When your Strings track fills, the terms of the deal are changed. Clear it and take one Bargain. Pray the terms are not changed again.

Plan Moves
When you meddle in the plots of others� ask if they think you�re acting alone or at the behest of your Dark Power. If they that they think you�re acting alone, clear a condition and give them Influence over you. If they think you�re acting at the behest of your Dark Power, shift up Freak and shift down the label of your choice.

When others meddle in your plots� they gain the notice of the Dark Power. You decide either to protect them or to do nothing. If you protect them, give the Dark Power influence over you and mark Curses! If you do nothing, the Dark Power gains Influence over them, and they can clear a condition.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� go on and on about what dark and terrible things will happen when your evil master is finally incarnate, and how this plan brings him EVER CLOSER to this world. Roll +Menace. On a hit, clear a String as you satiate it with your eeeevil. On a 7-9, mark a condition. Either way, give the Dark Power Influence over you.

During our first caper�
We made them pay. We made them all pay. Who received this payback, and what was it in return for?
Relationships
___________________ is the only one that knows the truth about you and the Dark Power.
You want something that ___________________ has before your short time here is up.

Influence
You fall into bad crowds easily, even if you�re always the outsider. Give two of your peers Influence over you. Note as well that your Dark Power starts with Influence over you.

Moment of Truth
It�s only briefly, but for a little while, you�re truly able to feel like you�re completely free of all obligations. The powers that you have are your own, and they allow you to do anything. You find the loophole, the secret, and you exploit it, over and over again. You keep pushing and pushing, until finally you end up entangling yourself all over again, and the Dark Power is not amused.

quote:

Why did you make your pact with the Dark Power?

Because I was sick and tired of being weak and helpless! I was dealing with monsters and witches and zombies and fae, and I was always afraid, always the one to be pressed aside, and I never could get back at any of them. I wanted power. I wanted it now, so I could get back at all the assholes who got to me. And all the ones like them. So I could make THEM feel powerless!

[quote ]How did you find your Lair?[/quote]

After I left Maine, I didn't really know where to go to. This ring is the one I managed to get from my parents stuff while running away from a foster family at some point. Uncle Jack guided me to their old house in some backwood in Vermont. Turns out the ring is the key to some kind of underground sanctum. I found out a lot about who my parents served.

quote:

Who, outside your peers, is tied to the Dark Power?

Well, there's my parents. No, not the foster ones. My birth parents. They served the Dawnless Dusk, and raised me to be the vessel. But the Tillmans broke their minds during the attack. I'm not sure if I can fix it. Honestly, should I? I mean, the world is gonna end soon. Maybe I'll be me enough then to change them into something that will be able to deal with the new world? Then there's the Tillmans. I killed Lauren. I'm pretty sure, but maybe she lived somehow? Her parents at the very least are also servants of Eternal Night. gently caress, that could be troublesome. And who knows if there's others who are trying to have their kid be the one. They might be gunning after me too.

quote:

What is it that your Dark Power wants from you, and from the world?

Well, I've been made a possible vessel to become or, host or whatever, ruler of the Shadow Realm. I figure part of what it wants is to prove that I'm the strongest and fittest by, well, killing the others, or weaken the ones that might stop this. As for the world, I figure with names like that, it's gonna be bad times for people that are afriad of the dark. I guess it's kind of like the Infinite Empire? Hey, maybe if humanity is part of the Shadow Realm we can kick their rear end. Maybe it won't be so bad, right?
Why do you suffer the others?

quote:

Please provide me a villainous monologue.

Hah, I told you they would come, Uncle Jack. That's always how it goes! When I'm in need, I'm on my own, but as soon I step out of line, everyone's there to try to stop me. Well, fine, I'm not hiding any more, 'heroes'. I'm no longer the weak little guy you can just push aside. I've got the power now, and you won't be able to stop me! I am gonna loving beat you, and this time you'll be the one feeling just as helpless as these assholes here! Look at them, crying and weeping, but you know that if they saw someone they could kick down, they'd jump at the chance, but they are the 'innocents' right? Well gently caress all of you then! If the world wants me to be the enemy, I'll be your enemy! So, say Goodnight Heroes!

quote:

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective.

Oh, of course, I see how it is. I got to dance to your strings, you small-dicked little tyrant. Well fine, you've got the cards now, so I'll give you your little show! You like having people dance to your little strings you gently caress? You'll learn to fear the shadows. Cause I'll have something waiting there, just for you. So go ahead. Don't pick me. Or maybe you're just going to pick me and then drop me for another character when I'm not what you want? I've had that plenty of times. But I'm not the little kid anymore. I don't give a drat about what you think about me.

Shogeton fucked around with this message at 23:17 on May 12, 2016

# ? May 11, 2016 00:08

Theantero: Nov 6, 2011; ...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

- The Mirthless M�bius, a Monster, by Theantero!

"It must be a sad existence to be both stupid and blind, but nevertheless I insist that you DON'T compare ME to some weak-willed and base dreg of a girl."

_________________________________________________

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

- What a bunch of white people! Let's introduce some diversity if we can. I won't cast this like a 90's Saturday Morning Cartoon but I think literally everyone here is white or an alien. Or a squirrel.

If you want more diversity, Jonathan can be Middle Eastern (and swapping his name to Youhanna Al-Rmady), which was my other choice in addition to white dude. Main reason I went with white is because this portrait was the first one I found that: a) looks fairly young, b) has wizard robes, c) gets that smugness conveyed just right.

If anybody else has good images of darker skinned, smug young wizards feel free to suggest

# ? May 11, 2016 11:25

Atropha: Nov 17, 2010

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

A few notes: I will probably be rebalancing a few moves, I will update what changes I do make. I also will rename the Bully's Victim to Meat, because that's a little more towards the theme of fun, despite it ultimately still being about victimizing someone.

Also, a few notes that will help distinguish you from the pack and what I'm looking for...
- What a bunch of white people! Let's introduce some diversity if we can. I won't cast this like a 90's Saturday Morning Cartoon but I think literally everyone here is white or an alien. Or a squirrel.

Hey now. STRAIN's an alien and a generic white chick! But that's a fair point, I'll try and see if I can find a different picture.

# ? May 11, 2016 15:18

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

That probably came off stronger than I intended, it was more for new applications if people were wanting to distinguish themselves because all these little things add up for me. Definitely don't change STRAIN's picture over it because that picture is cool.

Full-Fledged and Finely Formed
- The Scintillating Silver, a Rogue, by yamifenrir!
- The Chilling Centipede, a Hood, by TheNabster!
- The Perilous Prince Hartonn, an Invader, by Capfalcon!
- The Mettlesome Meeko the Mad Science Squirrel, a Maniac, by SeniorScarbagels!
- The Startling STRAIN, an Invader. by SuddenConsequences!
- The Sanguine Shrike, a Monster, by LifeGetsWorser!
- The Mirthless M�bius, a Scion, by Theantero!
- The Needless Nadia Fern, a Crook, by TheTatteredKing!
- The Amoral Azrael Nightshade, a Hellion, by Mikedawson!
- The Terrifying Twilight, a Hellion, by Shogeton!

Half-Hearted and Sketchy Shapes
- The Harrowing Harpy, a Monster, by Christo!
- The Magniloquent Melody Skye-Edgars, a Scion, by Rauri

Invoking Interest but Barely Being
- Roland Jones as a Radical
- thejoshie as a Scion
- Alien Rope Burn as a Rogue
- nil. as a Bully

Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 15:53 on May 11, 2016

# ? May 11, 2016 15:50

Gato: Feb 1, 2012

Dark Eagle, the Radical

I used to say the only heroes I needed were the social workers at the home where I grew up. The ones who took us to school and ate our food along with us and wandered out into the rain to bring us back when we ran away. I never expected to have much of a future, but deep down I was hopeful, even optimistic. They were good at making you feel like that.

I was an idiot.

Because, of course, heroes aren't worth poo poo when LuxCorp realizes you're sitting on prime downtown real estate. When you're defending the earth from unspeakable cosmic horrors and all that crap you don't have time to deal with the million and one ways the 1 percent has of loving over the other 99. So that leaves it up to the little guys. But they couldn't do anything. They just rolled over, caved, surrendered. We were going to get sent to six different homes halfway across the state and there was nothing they could do. I cried and cried, and then I ran. I'm good at that. And when I got back to the construction site they'd put up around our home I finally understood.

There was a pair of falcons that used to nest up on the roof of the building. I watched as they dive-bombed the workmen over and over agin, refusing to let them come anywhere near their nest. The men threw down their tools in frustration and the work stalled. When I saw that I realized the truth: we can all fight. But we tell ourselves lies to avoid the responsibility and the pain and the danger: there's nothing I can do. It won't make any difference. I can't change the system. And so the powerful become more powerful, and the little guy gets smaller. But I'm going to change that. I'm going to show the world that one person can make a difference, that you can take on the landlords and the politicians and the corporate bloodsuckers and make them pay. And if you won't be part of that, if you cover your eyes and wring your hands and tell yourself that the righteous will still be rewarded in the end... then you're part of the problem.

quote:

Name: Dark Eagle
Secret Identity: Leila Gul
Playbook: The Radical
The Cause: Social justice
Look: woman, Middle Eastern, comfortable clothing, gimmick costume
Abilities: Swarm summoning (specifically birds), emotion manipulation
Assets:
A dangerous beast - 'The eagle's called Sundown. I saved her from a zoo a few years back. She's the most faithful companion I've ever had. And she's only too happy to gouge eyes, slash arteries and tendons and break bones... if I ask her nicely.'
A doomsday device - 'Construction sites are the battlefields in the war I'm fighting. So it's not surprising I found the ultimate weapon buried under one. It's called The Key to the City and whoever holds it can reshape the fabric of the land itself however they want... I think. I still need to do more research.'

Labels: Freak +1 Danger 0 Trouble +2 Superior 0 Menace 0

Moves:
This Rose Has Thorns:
When you take a powerful blow, use this move instead of the base move. Roll +Trouble. On a hit, you have a diabolical counter and choose one. On a 7-9, you mark a condition.
- They are now vulnerable.
- They have played right into your scheme. Add Plan to the pool.
- They instead hurt someone or something they didn�t intend to.
On a miss, you go down and hard but drag them and everything else with you. They both mark a condition and are vulnerable.

The Following:
You have sympathizers or fans among the public that you can take advantage of. Whenever you want to exploit your followers, roll +Infamy. On a 10, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one:
- They provide you material benefit. Gain a temporary Asset for this caper.
- They sell out one of the heroes that are protecting them, or some juicy intel.
- They provide you moral or restorative support. Clear a condition.

Moment of Triumph
It�s finally time for you to get the vindication you�ve always craved. You can rain hellfire and brimstone down on the hypocrites and heretics that laughed at you previously. For right now, they aren�t laughing, but rather see you in the fullness of your devotion and power. You will finally make a real difference in the world� but only for a moment, as it�s when everyone you�ve hurt and everything you�ve done to get to this point finally comes home to roost that ends this moment.

Plan Moves
When you meddle in the plots of others� ask if they take the Cause as seriously as you do. (Spoilers: They don�t.) If they have Influence on you, they can choose to lose it in order to clear one of their conditions by laughing in your face or demeaning you for your beliefs. If they do not have Influence on you, they can choose to lie and pretend to take you seriously in order to take Influence on you, and you clear a condition.

When others meddle in your plots� decide if they are a fellow traveler or onerous detractor. If they are a fellow traveler, shift Trouble up and any label of your choice down. If they are an onerous detractor, mark a condition, and you mark Curses!

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� tie into the Cause with the ongoing caper for them, perhaps having to bend over backwards to make the justifications. You can spend a Plan point to hold Integrity, compromising the larger mission for your personal beliefs.

During our first caper�
There was a lot of collateral damage during the job. Where did the caper take place, and what was destroyed?

Relationships
Despite everything, ___________________ once made you doubt your cause.
You are convinced that ___________________ is a potential convert, if only they would listen.

Influence
You're devoted to what you believe, trying to pretend you�re above the others, but you aren�t completely. Give Influence to one peer.

Other background stuff:

quote:

Who, outside your peers, thinks you're a hypocrite?

It feels like the whole world does, sometimes. I didn't choose this path to make friends. But I had friends, before all this started. I still speak to Jayden and Zack and Maya and some of the other kids from the home when I can and... it's difficult, sometimes. They hate Dark Eagle. They always ask: how's it any different for someone born into power to hurt people and tear things down just because their power doesn't come from a Swiss bank account? They say: what's Dark Eagle done to actually bring power to the people who need it? They don't understand. If you hand a weak person the answer to their problems, they're stil weak. They have to stand up and fight for it themselves, just like I did.

I haven't told them that it's their Leila that's under the eagle mask, but I haven't really hidden it, either. They'll understand one day.

quote:

Why do you suffer the others?

I ask myself that every day. I know perfectly well most of them are hoping to become exactly the sort of people I'm destined to bring down. That's fine. When that day comes, I'll be ready. But I'm not too proud to admit that I can't do this alone yet, and I need my allies to be people who can see the bigger picture... and who don't mind collateral damage. If they cross the line, they know I won't hesitate to punish them for it. And some of them might just end up being real allies, the sort you can trust with your life and with the cause. That's a chance worth taking.

(Is it so bad to admit I just need company sometimes, too?)

quote:

Please provide me a villainous monologue.

Good morning, Mr C-E-O! No, no, don't stand up, and take your hand off that button. Those morons you call security won't be coming. Should've paid them more than minimum wage, right? And don't worry, the board won't mind if you're late. They've got other items on the agenda, after all. It didn't take much convincing to make them see how important it was to settle accounts. In fact, if you keep your ears open, you might be able to hear them! I think things were getting a little physical when I left.

You don't look very well, Mr CEO. Are you sure you're ready for your press conference? What's that? No, you're definitely going to hold a press conference. Didn't you hear? Your private jet crashed in the middle of Downtown this morning! Birdstrike, I think they said. And to think, it crashed into your new plant as well! What a terrible coincidence! I guess the invisible hand didn't want you to expand after all! Of course, I'm sure you realize, the press might not see it that way... but I'm sure you'll have an answer for them. You always do, don't you?

quote:

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective.

Look at yourself. Look at your life. What have you done that matters? Do you think the world will notice when you're gone? Stories, games, wasted time on the internet... think about everything else you could have achieved, if weren't so lazy, so anxious, so afraid of yourself! There's not much time left for the comfortable world you're used to - the rich will make slaves of us all, if global warming doesn't destroy us first. When that day comes, the people you love will turn to you and ask what you did to stop the nightmare... and you won't have an answer.

quote:

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative.

The title is BETRAYAL!? Dark Eagle is out of frame, but shadow of her distinctive costume cuts across the page. In the background, a group of heroes stands shoulder to shoulder with looks of shock on their faces while the sky above them is filled with birds. (Just bird-shaped silhouettes, really - easier for the printers.) Striding into the shadow is... wait, could it really be? Yes, it's Kid Nova, offering his hand to the offstage villain! His speech bubble: "I understand now... it's all true... you were right all along, Dark Eagle!"

Gato fucked around with this message at 21:42 on May 12, 2016

# ? May 11, 2016 23:48

Theantero: Nov 6, 2011; ...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

Okay, so I tentatively changed Jonathan into a Maniac instead. I feel that the Maniac's Deck has many Gambits that work really well with Topomancy, unlike the Scion whose moves don't really interact with the concept. Also, we currently have more tentative applicants for Scions than for Maniacs.

I changed the fluff as thus: Instead of being the Zeitgeist's apprentice who got exiled for being a twat, in THE NEW CANON the Zeitgeist immediately noticed he was a twat and unsuitable for the job. Thus snubbed, Jonathan just wants to prove his AWESOMENESS in general, rather than trying to usurp this one guy in particular. This keeps the Zeitgeist in his background fluff so that he can make an appearance later (even though he is less relevant: The Zeitgeist is very non-interventionist in non-work related areas and does not see 'some applicant I rejected' as his own issue the way he might have seen 'my apprentice who is now running loose'). This also keeps Jonathan's ~teen angst~ source (feeling his great ability is not duly recognized by the World and his elders, or really anyone) pretty much intact, so his characterization has not really changed all that much.

# ? May 12, 2016 16:45

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

Outside of Valley City, USA, underneath the dry badlands...

This is it. You find yourself within the clutches of M.A.D.D., in their Youth Union training facility/proving ground, within a glassteel dome obscured by a cloaking device in an intensely hot and dry crater. You may have come here any number of ways or reasons. Maybe you found a mysterious invitation and "scholarship" and came here with the help of the mysterious valets, the curious huge and curiously silent minions of the Dark Conclave (a.k.a. Association Board of Directors). Maybe you were hit over the head and kidnapped and brought here, only now coming to. Maybe an adult supervillain sponsored your entrance, giving you advice about the trials to come. Maybe you snuck your way in, only to find them expecting you. Whatever the story, and I'm sure we'd like to hear it... Welcome to MurderDome.

Actually, the name connotes a kind of menace that isn't exactly present here, especially as you are in the conservatory/waiting room, along with maybe two dozen other teenage rapscallions looking for a chance to prove themselves to the Association. Instead it comes off more like a restful convalescence clinic in Tucson Arizona. The chairs are not quite comfortable but good enough, green plans and foliage breaking up the glass and smooth metal exteriors, there's the sound of birds in the larger trees (not the kind that will peck out your eyes, either!), there are some hors d'ordeuves set out on platters here and there, and over a few loudspeakers emits a peculiarly laid back muzak that jingles through the room. In other words, it's enough to drive you completely mad over the few hours you are forced to wait, especially when it becomes clear there are no visible doors or forms of egress or ingress.

Eventually however, there's a sighing hiss from a door that was not visible just a moment before, and a curious cast of characters step forward. Perhaps you recognize a few, they are all villains of some repute or reputation. There's Old Scratch, Counter-Culture, Madame Mode, the Disembodied Duo, and Bouncing Betty. A boy's voice comes over the loudspeakers, curiously young and child-like, and announces: "I hope that we have not kept you waiting too long, my new friends, and that you've found our accommodations... comfortable. But now it's time to get started with your evaluation." However your means of getting here in the first place, and your motivations for coming here, you had no idea about any evaluation.

The child-like voice over the intercome continues. "You will start with an interview with one of our advisors, and then you will continue with each of them in one stage of the evaluation. Beware, and have a care! And do stay M.A.D.D."

Each of you is approached by one of the advisors, accompanied by a valet, and gathered into small groups and given individual reviews. The immense valet carries a comically human-sized clipboard that it squints and writes down on, sometimes when you make an answer, sometimes not, sometimes for seemingly no reason at all, while the Association "youth advisor" asks some basic questions.

Everyone gets asked the same three questions, in some form or another.

"Who are you?"
"What can the Association do for you?"
"What can you do for the Association?"

In addition to these three questions, they provide feedback and "encouragement" before you start your examination, which is also my feedback, in a sense, through their voices. You can expand and make a conversation or exchange, or simply internalize their feedback.

The Disembodied Duo of Dr. Heart and Mr. Mind immediately sets a bizarre tone to this cast of characters, each being a literal overgrown, sentient bodily organ. Dr. Heart's veins form almost a set of eyes, does all the talking with his heated tone, while Mr. Brain wears a well-tailored suit and his eyes tell quite a tale with their put-upon nature, slithering upon what appears to be a spinal column, the sleeves of the suit hanging loosely with nothing in them. Dr. Heart is aggressive in his questioning, loudly proclaiming uncomfortable things about the fellow creations of madness that are assigned to him, such as the Harpy, Meeko, and the Shrike.

The Harpy: "My, quite the specimen! Yes, we could do much with this, if only we knew more, and more still! Mr. Mind, please have her file pulled, we eagerly await to hear what fantastical tales there are for you, young terror-bird."

Meeko: "My furry friend, are you in the right place? While I can see you are quite, what is it, Mr. Mind? Ah yes, 'rude with tude', this is after all for young villains. Do sciuromorphs such as your maniacal self measure their years different? Are you sure there aren't any innocent lagomorphs you could be terrorizing instead?"

The Shrike: "Aha! Cymothoa sanguinius! Surely, a parasitic un-lifeform. Yes, yes, I know you consider yourself a predator, but we are organs of science. How much do you know, my pernicious parasite, about those of your kind? Or shall we need to arrange for some kind of education?"

Old Scratch cuts a haunting figure, looking like a black skeleton wreathed in negatively charged "bale-fire", along with a pair of suspenders and carrying a black pool cue about his shoulders, letting his huge arms hang from it loosely. He's cool and collected, but a little arrogant and obviously looks down on you lot as nothing but kids, offering a challenge by his very presence to those assigned to him, such as Blackguard, Azrael Nightshade, and Twilight.

Blackguard: "Saw the other side, did you? Been there, done that. You shouldn't let it think it makes you any more special for it, kid. Question is, are you gonna be coming back if it happens again? One more thing... I know about the Triad, but you're going to have to hit on all sixes and impress like hell to get me to talk anything about it."

Azrael Nightshade: "You got something loose up there we need to be careful about? I don't know nothing from nothing about this Jaypeg, and I know anybody worth knowing from the other side. Look, don't take any wooden nickels, and you'll do fine, but if you're hiding something, I won't like it, and I will find out."

Twilight: "Yeah. I've been expecting you for some time, Damien. Here's the deal: Don't be such a wet blanket. There isn't anything you're ever going to be able to do about it. And remember I used to know you when you were in diapers. Tell your Uncle Jack I said... hello."

Bouncing Betty is nowhere near who she used to be. Old and dried up, she's shrunk down a bit and is by far the shortest in the room (not counting squirrels or disembodied hearts), maybe just at five feet, a bit heavyset in her later years. She wears a black bomber jacket over a stained tank top, and an ajar military cap with various pins in it. A cigarette hangs at the edge of her lips, still colored with deep red lipstick. She's of everyone quick and to the point, and is too old for any poo poo from Copycat, Nadia Fern, and Dark Eagle.

Copycat: Immediately Jailbird takes a liking to Betty, leaping up on her shoulder and curling about. Betty seems less enamored. "You've been doing this a bit longer than some of the others. Scoot!" Harassing the cap away, and scrunching up her nose, suppressing a sneeze. "Experience is good. Baggage isn't. You sure you don't want to tell us anything before we start?"

Nadia Fern: "Let me give you a piece of advice: Get out now, before you get the wrong kind of record. Honey, you have everything you need to do whatever you want without getting wrapped up in this racket. Tangle with the cops, give them hell, and don't get your lights punched out by some cape for the trouble. And if you are gonna stay... At least get a mask. And a name. Protect yourself. Take it from an old girl that knows better."

Dark Eagle: "You know what? You're alright." There's a lingering pause on that, as if she was going to leave it at that, but she didn't. "Just remember, you gotta have fun with it too. Else you're just going to burn right out. Don't forget who you are, but don't forget what it is you do either."

Madame Mode speaks with a synthesized voice with bizarre inflection emitting from the golden sphere that stands in for her head, which is oddly out of proportion to her cybernetic chassis, which is tall and, erm, well-endowed, and she is not particularly shy about it. She carries the air that she obviously is more intelligent than those gathered to her, like S.T.R.A.I.N., Melody Skye-Edgars, and M�bius.

S.T.R.A.I.N.: "Interesting. A fellow synthetic intelligence, but does it have the form it so desires? Nah nah nah. While I escaped into this perfect form, you wish to escape from yours. How humiliating. How can you even live with yourself? You might as well just decomission yourself now, down to the raw components. Why haven't you already?"

Melody Skye-Edgars: "No, this just won't do. The name needs work. After all, you want to be a good super-villain, don't you? Please understand, it is no disrespect to your infantile desire to hold onto a meaningless legacy, it is only what's best for your public image. I am only looking out for you, girlfriend."

M�bius: "Tell me this, smartypants. If you're so perfect and good, why did he turn you away, really? Why do not just give up? What does proving him wrong give you? At least in my case I got something out of it. What do you get out of this?"

Counter-Culture wears outdated 60's fashion, has curly gray hair and a beard and big glasses that have one red lens and one blue lens (let's him "see the world in 3-D, man"), and overall comes off as a completely laid-back and way behind the times uncle. He's actually the most laid-back and threatening of any of the villains, but those who have read the file know that as an Indigo-class threat, CRISIS considers him the most dangerous person in the room right now, but he doesn't let that on as he interview Hartonn of Suabos, the Centipede, and Silver.

Silver: "Hey, I know it's pretty boring sometimes. You feel like there's something missing to it all, and that nobody really gets it. I get it, girl. I get you. You know, it's a crazy topsy-turvy world, and hard to figure out. Maybe if you need some help, look at it a different way... Just gotta share, you know? Give a little to get a little."

Hartonn of Suabos: "Whoa, you're from space? That's far out. I mean, of course I've floated on the Venusian surf, seen the Martian sky, you know. It's a beautiful place. What about where you come from? Sure it must be all you think about, isn't it? Won't you tell us about it?"

The Centipede: "It's cool, man. You don't have to tell anyone here if you don't want to. That's part of why it's the place to be. M.A.D.D. doesn't want to be all up in your business, it's about protecting our way of life... But, you know, if you need to talk, or tell anyone about it, I'm right here."

After the interview process... Each of you are given a battery of tests and tryouts. Each is administered by one of the advisors, and examines your talents in a certain way. You can create a narrative around this, or simply answer the questions and prompts as if they were questions. You can treat this whole exercise as a prelude role-play, or simply prompts to help fill out what your character is actually like, in play.

I don't need all five of these, unless you have the time and inclination to do all five. I'd like it if you did at least two though, to give me an idea what your character would be like, and help me build the team.

The Freak Chamber is deep beneath the MurderDome, highly protected and isolated, with various configurations to isolate someone and test their abilities, and an observation chamber from which the Disembodied Duo run a battery of tests and simulations, both holographic and testing, to determine the extent of a would-be villains powers and/or abilities.

So tell us, how exactly do your powers or skills work?

What do you do to try and impress them?

Describe something your character does not know about their powers, but is hinted in this narrative.

Finally, roll +Freak. This has no mechanical effect but will determine how well your character performed their first day. It might have a narrative effect.

The Danger Room is connected close to the Freak Chamber, and is a wide, white cube with a grid of black squires within it. It can change shape and setting, but otherwise performs as a "white box" for testing of differnet villains against each other in a controlled environment. That's right, you're going to have to fight, with Old Scratch playing referee.

So tell us, who is the other teenage villain you are matched up against? (In this case, make it a NPC.)

What kind of environmental setup or tilts are introduced during the match?

Describe your character's strategy for overcoming their foe, whether or not it's actually successful.

Finally, roll +Danger. This has no mechanical effect but will determine how well your character performed their first day. It might have a narrative effect.

The Trouble Track is a wide subterranean obstacle course that ranges acres and can be changed for a specific objective or individual, and Bouncing Betty manages the traps and tricks that the young villains will have to evade and overcome here. They are set with a competitive task, but also forced to be part of a team.

So tell us, who is the person that you locked horns most with on the team, one-sided or not? (In this case, it can be a NPC or PC)

How did you try to show them up?

Describe both the first obstacle that hit you square in the face, as well as an obstacle your character overcame that no one expected them to.

Finally, roll +Trouble. This has no mechanical effect but will determine how well your character performed their first day. It might have a narrative effect.

Superior Hall is a complex above ground that houses the various seminar rooms and lecture halls from which visiting advisors and classes on villainy are held, with Madame Mode as the proctoress. Currently, it's housing a written examination, testing a spectrum of Hardcore History (knowledge of acts and people of infamy), Torturous Thinking (critical thinking and strategy), Maniacal Maths (actually revolving mainly around financial and technical word problems), and Sinister Science (though it also includes questions on sorcerous and cosmic matters). There is also an essay portion about what it means to be a villain.

So tell us, what subject do you think your villain is best at? Worst at? An answer of "all of them" or "none of them" is acceptable, but make it interesting either way. Also let us know if you cheat, and if so, how. If you don't cheat, you'll be admonished afterwards by Madame Mode for not, though you are likely admonished if you get caught by another kid.

Come up with a question that tells us something about the world, and your character's answer to it.

Describe a devilish trick question and the trick answer to it, whether your character understood it or not.

Finally, roll +Superior. This has no mechanical effect but will determine how well your character performed their first day. It might have a narrative effect.

The Office of Menace is at the higher levels of the complex, and forms the administrative wing. The part you visit is the counselor's office, where Counter-Culture takes in each of you individually for a psychological inventory. His office is eccentrically decorated, and not immediately stereotypical hippy attire, rather a display of all sorts of bizarre memoribilia. There is a lava lamp however that seems alive somehow. He plays some kind of acoustic music thats oddly amateurish, while he lounges with terrible posture halfway horizontal in his big chair while you have to find a bean bag or other odd kind of seat. Notably, you are not being tested for stability. If anything, they are looking for what's "interesting" about you, playing a mind-game between you and Counter-Culture to see who can get the other vulnerable first.

So tell us, what part of you is remarkably well adjusted? For a villain, anyway.

What are you insecure about that gets revealed?

Describe a deeply personal experience that you either blurt out unprompted or is sussed out of you. You don't have to say whether its true or not, but you should handle it with the same gravity nonetheless.

Finally, roll +Menace. This has no mechanical effect but will determine how well your character performed their first day. It might have a narrative effect.

Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 09:26 on May 13, 2016

# ? May 13, 2016 03:43

Capfalcon: Apr 6, 2012; No Boots on the Ground,
Puny Mortals!

YUMADD neglected to send me an invitation, but that was clearly a paperwork error. The mindless peons that take care of that sort of thing must have assumed it had already been taken care of by someone higher up than them. The fact that they were expecting me is proof enough that I was correct. I'll allow the invitation mistake to pass unmentioned for now, but it does reflect poorly on their organizational skills. If this is the instrument I am to use to rule the world, I'll have to whip it into shape first.

I discard the stolen invitation with the directions to this meeting. I didn't catch the name of the wannabe villain that I jumped for it, but the invitation said he was Rockslide. Which, given that his costume seemed to be gravel glued to a spandex jumpsuit, makes sense. But, if there standards were so low that they were recruiting dregs like him, maybe I should rethink my membership.

quote:

"Who are you?"

The association must know who I am, but I say for the benefit of everyone else present. "Prince Hartonn of the House Suabos"

quote:

"What can the Association do for you?"

I choose my words a bit more carefully for this. It wouldn't do to simply announce my plans to take command of YUMADD, then MADD, and use both as my pawns to take over the world. So, instead, I say, "I am looking to prove my right to rule my home via great victories in the field. Besting the champions of this planet should suffice."

quote:

"What can you do for the Association?"

I quirk my eyebrow at this question. "What can I do? What can an alien prince with super strength and super speed with the ability to command the weak-willed do for the Association? Surely you jest."

quote:

Counter Culture:
Hartonn of Suabos: "Whoa, you're from space? That's far out. I mean, of course I've floated on the Venusian surf, seen the Martian sky, you know. It's a beautiful place."

"What about where you come from?"

"Sure it must be all you think about, isn't it?"

"Won't you tell us about it?"

"Yes, I am "from space," as you so eloquently put it." Repeating myself, I say, �Specifically, the rightful crown prince of Suabos." I brush off the attempt at sympathy by saying, "No, I plan on being back sooner rather than later, so homesickness would be a bit premature. Also, this world is quite interesting. I'm more than content to stay here for the time being. But... it does lack the rolling purple hills of sila grass, the inverted, floating mountains, and especially the molten glass falls of Suabos. So, to be frank, while the rest of the world is interesting, the landscape is a bit... boring, no?"

Hartonn very rarely left the palace, so he has no idea what most of the world looks like. Indeed, Suabos' only truly outstanding feature is the marvelously varied landscapes which are all memorialized in countless works of Suaboan art. Hartonn simply quoted the three aspects of the landscape that appear in the Suaboan National Anthem.

The climates are an absurd patchwork that doesn't make any logical sense, which lead to Suaboans not having a word for meteorologist. But, there are a few places that are stable enough for long term farming. However, that land is so valuable that most cities are in the more volatile regions, and most Suaboan structures are squat, ugly things that resemble bomb shelters more than anything else.

Feh, this demonstration should be quite simple. After all, I am just better than the rest of these humans! There's no way it was built for someone with my skills! Not only am I one of the strongest individuals here by dint of my alien biology, but everyone in the royal line simply has an aura of command. That's why we're the rulers, after all!

I start off by lifting a bevy of increasingly heavier objects at the Disembodied Duo's request, but I tire of the task by the time they want me to try and lift four completely full dump trucks and juggle them without dumping any of the gravel. So, I refuse. After a brief bit of chiding, they see that I'm not to be persuaded for the task and move on.

This is starting to get quite droll, so when they return with the clipboard for testing my speed, I snatch it out of their hands and complete the tasks before they can get a word in edgewise. I even took the liberty of checking off the boxes associated with each task for them. Glancing at the completed sheet, Mr. Mind says, "...Satisfactory." Then, the pair waddle off towards the next test.

[00:52] <Capfalcon> Roll freak
[00:52] <Capfalcon> !r 2d6+2
[00:52] <Krysmbot> Capfalcon, 7+2 = 9

I can't believe that I'm being paired up with this Silver girl. And in a simple ring without even a shifting platform over acid? But, it is what it is. I'll just end this quickly. As far as my strategy? I'm going to punch her and then win. She's just a human, so I won't hit her too hard though. I don't want to kill anyone quite yet. It would probably complicate this whole "audition" of YUMADD's if it became acceptable to just murder any villain you thought was doing better than you. It just devolve into a free for all. And, while I'm sure I would win, what's the point of ruling YUMADD if there's no one left to rule? No, I'll play by the rules for now, which is what will make my victory all the sweeter.

And that's what makes the loss so infuriating! I was taking it easy on her! When I charged her, she moves faster than she had any right to, and I move even faster than I had planned, sending me careening out of the arena and tumbling along the ground until I collide with the wall, well out of the arena.

...Maybe I should have actually paid attention during the Freak Chamber auditions.

[00:53] <Capfalcon> Roll Danger
[00:53] <Capfalcon> !r 2d6
[00:53] <Krysmbot> Capfalcon, 4 = 4

That... that Nadia! I can hardly stand her. While I'm racing down the hallway, she rewires one of the auto-defense turrets to target anyone that isn't her. She turns back down the hallway and gives me a pair of middle fingers while sticking out her tongue at me. Then, I take a laser bolt to the chest that hurls me back down the hallway. I try to outrace it, but the targeting software is too good. Thus, I'm forced to wait until one of the dorky villains beats the turret. Then, so they don't get any ideas about reactivating it while they're on the other side, I pick them up and carry them with me.

Of course, now it's personal. I catch up to her later in the course. I rush past her and take the last rope to swing across a pit filled with reject science experiments. I can fly, so I obviously don't need it. Which I make perfectly clear by flying up and tying up the remaining ropes to the overhead bar. I turn around, give a smug grin and a faux bow, and then fly on.

Finally, I reach the last door... I've seen five bruisers that could be almost as strong as I am go up against it and not make any progress. Almost as strong, of course. But, I don't feel like wasting my time. So, instead, I just look it over for a moment. I spot a narrow, sliding slot at eye level, and so... I knock. The slot above the door opens and narrow eyes glare down at me. Before he can say anything, I look him right in the eyes as I give him the full force of my aura of command and say, "Open the door. Now."

Before the man behind the door can collect himself, he has obeyed my command and opened. Without waiting, I regally stride right through the now open door.

[00:53] <Capfalcon> Roll Trouble
[00:53] <Capfalcon> !r 2d6-1
[00:53] <Krysmbot> Capfalcon, 8-1 = 7

A test. An actual, written test? I grunt in disgust at the very idea. But, this might give me some insight into what traits that this M.A.D.D. organization values.

I suppose I'll take it.

Of course, I don't bother filling in the Hardcore History section. I have only been here for a few months, so there's no way they could expect me to know every tiny detail about their planet's insignificant villainous history. Maniacal Maths is by far the easiest for me, as the royal tutors were quite inventive with discovering ways to. They never asked how many grams of Luidonium, an exceedingly unstable, and thus valuable, mineral mined from the Global Authority's asteroid mines, would be required to break into through the vault door of the Modern Marvels� North American High Security Wing. I don't know those conversion rates between Luidonium and TNT, and to be honest, I don't care to guess. So, I just say, "Hijacking a single shipment of Luidonium would be more than enough for any door on the planet. Once you have it, it's just busywork that can be offloaded to an underling."

I think I do relatively well on the other sections, but it never hurts to stack the odds. So, during one of the breaks, I corner Anarchy, some scrawny, short brainiac who's trying to pull off (what I believe is) a "punk" look. His drooping mohawk and belt of strange gadgets doesn't seem to help him with my aura of command, and before long, he spills his guts on the last few trick questions.

Hm. Those answers actually sound better. Not that I'd let him know. I nod my head, as if that's what I expected to hear, then say, "You answers are adequate. You may leave now."

Once I get back to the test, I check what I have against what I have, and I'm forced to conclude that his answers were... well... more correct. Not that I was wrong, of course. He just... came up with more efficient answers. Still feeling slightly annoyed, I erase what I have and write his answers.

[00:53] <Capfalcon> roll Superior
[00:53] <Capfalcon> !r 2d6+2
[00:53] <Krysmbot> Capfalcon, 4+2 = 6

"So, tell me about your mother."

I blinks at this, then glare back, saying, "I've only been on this planet for about a few months, and even I know that's a pointless, clich� question."

Counter Culture simply nods and starts scribbling on a little pad shaped like a red apple.

A solid hour of inane questions later, I'm growing more annoyed, but I've always been good at being patient with my leasers (i.e. everyone). That patience doesn't escape Counter Culture's notice, but eventually he tires of the game. He puts the pad aside, "accidently" revealing that the notes he was taking during their conversation was nothing but little doodles and one person games of tic-tac-toe. I remain stone-faced, aside from an irritated eye-tick. Then, he looks me right in the eyes and says, "So, why do you think you deserve to rule back home? From what I hear, things are going quite smoothly back there. And, from what you've said, it sounds like you did nothing but cause trouble. Why would they even want you back?"

After an hour of pointless questions, I snap, "That's a drat lie!"

Counter Culture doesn't say anything, simply waiting for me to elaborate.

I'm still fuming and looking to defend my claim to rule, so I blurt out, "I... didn't always cause trouble. For a long while, I played the part of the dutiful second in line, but I never got any recognition from anyone. Especially not from my sister. Eventually, it was clear that I'd never be appreciated without doing something they couldn't ignore."

Counter Culture produced a plain, yellow legal pad while I was distracted and actually begins taking notes now.

"Yes, I think we're getting somewhere now."

[00:54] <Capfalcon> roll menace
[00:54] <Capfalcon> !r 2d6
[00:54] <Krysmbot> Capfalcon, 6 = 6

Capfalcon fucked around with this message at 05:33 on May 23, 2016

# ? May 13, 2016 06:19

KittyEmpress: Dec 30, 2012; Jam Buddies

Jitendra Devar - Kama

Cast out. Destroyed. Cracked. Scarred. Defeated. Sundered. Emasculated. Conquered. Devastated. Felled. Razed. Overwhelmed. Gutted. Broken. Ravaged. Disfigured. Marred. Slain. Neutralized.

But never shall I admit defeat. Never shall I stay down when I fall. I am Jitendra Devar, and I. Am. Risen. My own mother and father flung me from our homes in the land of Deva, cursing me to the lands of the Asura, but I did not cry. I stood up. I fought for myself, for what was mine. I was Deva, I was Sura, and I was superior to these beings, these jealous, petty beings. Never would I bow to them, even when my arms were shattered. Never would I kneel before them, even when my legs destroyed. Never would I look at them without contempt, even as they plucked out my eyes. Mother and Father abandoned me, left me, destroyed me, they left me in the hands of monsters - and for what, my own ambitions, my own desire to open the realm of Deva to the realm of Human, so that they might see us, know us, respect us, worship us?

But Mother and Father could not destroy me, and the Asura they left to do their dirty work could not destroy me. I am me. I am powerful. I am beyond them. I am beyond what they will ever be. I am Jitendra, who has conquered all senses. I am Jitendra, who has been cast out of two realms. I am Jitendra, who will rise up again, atop this mortal world, as its king, its god, its ruler. For if the Deva could not destroy me, and the Asura could not destroy me, then truly nothing could destroy me - for I am a God among Men. And weakened as I may be, I will rise up once more, to power, to glory.

How did I come to be in the human world - I do not know. I remember my fingers, removed one by one, and cast into the unknown. I remember my palms, ripped from my bodies, and fed to the beasts. I remember my legs, burned under the weight of molten gold. I remember my body, sundered into so many pieces, until all that was left was my head - and I remember spitting in the face of my destroyer, Vrtra, as he crushed my head within his grasp, and I was truly shattered. I do not know how I came to be in the human world, or how my pieces came to repair themselves, hollow and empty though they may be, to give me the strength to move.

I awoke in a place of chaos, destruction... and worship, a temple destroyed by bigots and those who doubted the existence of other realms - as they never would have, were my parents not so blind and stupid. I awoke empty, I remain empty, I am hollow, a single shard of a greater Me, possessing the will, the drive, the urge to survive, no matter what. And that shard became me, empty as I may be, still more than any petty human, but... so much less than I once was, prone to... wants, and urges, desires that I should not. The only remnants of who I am my body, my clothing, and the scroll of enlightening. At least where I walk, everyone pays heed, gives me what I please, gives me what I deserve. I am a God, and if it cannot be in the realm of Deva, I shall rule in the realm of Man.

_{_{And perhaps the cute girl at the froyo place will be my queen}}

quote:

Name:Jitendra Devar
Villainous Title: Kama
Look: Ambiguous/Transgressing, Godlike Body, Bizarre Eyes, Godly Outfit
Abilities: Flight, Tougher Than Any Human, Godlike presence, godlike strength, godlike speed, ~~godlike intelligence~~, ~~godlike stamina~~
Assets: Safehouses, ~~Supercomputer~~ Scroll of Enlightening

Labels

Freak (+2)
Danger (+1)
Trouble (-1)
Superior (+1)
Menace (0)

Moves

Prince of Space
Whenever you deal with civilians and bystanders, your Contagion overwhelms, and people listen. Roll +Freak. On a hit, they choose one:

Do what you say.
Grovel and beg.
Attack you.
Freeze.

On 10+, you also take +1 forward against them.

Stranger in a Strange Land
Whenever you are exposed for what you are to bystanders, their ostracism and reaction tells you who you are or how the world works. Mark Curses! if you accept what they say, or take +2 to reject what they say.

Contagion
Your Influence has a quality that goes beyond others, representing an insidious power that you can exert over people beyond simply your words. It can come in many different vectors. The first ability of your chosen powerset is the vector by which you spread Contagion, and in the fiction determines how your Influence is felt.

You can inflict someone with your contagion as a move. Roll +Freak. On a 10+, take Influence on them. On a 7-9, they choose one.
They mark a condition.
They make themselves vulnerable.
They give you Influence on them.

Influence earned by Contagion is definitely not mundane, but even normal Influence makes one open to the Invader�s powers. It is rejected in the same way.

Plan Moves
When you meddle in the plots of others� you learn quickly the hard way that you�ve got a lot to learn about keeping a low profile. Ask them what kind of complication you suffer due to this, and what you still have to learn. If you follow this lesson, take +1 forward to do so, and mark Curses!

When others meddle in your plots� decide whether to show them disdain or remain ignorant of their presence. If you show them disdain, they mark a condition, but take +1 forward to prove you wrong. If you ignore their presence, you both lose Influence on each other.

When you stop to gloat about your master plan� you stall in hopes of luring them closer in order to infect them with your Contagion. Roll +Superior. On a hit, take Influence over them. On a 7-9, they realize the trick, and you take a powerful blow.

Moment of Triumph

Everything you survey is for you to rule. There is nothing that can resist the corrupting touch of your Contagion. Armies rise underneath you, and carry you to wherever you wish to go. You could topple nations, and for a moment, the world treats you as the threat you so deserve to be seen as. For a moment, the world quakes in your name, and you are no longer a stranger.

During our first caper�
There used to be one more of us, but they betrayed us. How and why? And where are they now?

Relationships
You�ve been studying the Earthlings (and especially their weaknesses) with the aid, witting or not, of ___________________.

You�d be loathe to admit it, but you admire the Earthling known as ___________________ and have strange feelings you do not understand for them.

Influence
You�re a GOD! No one starts with Influence on you.

quote:

Please provide me a villainous monologue. It can at whatever length you feel appropriate, but finding your most diabolical voice will be Very Important in this game.

"Mortal man, you stand in the presence of a God, and yet you do now bow - sheer arrogance! Preposterous, that you should think yourself worthy of looking at me, that you should see my anointed form, and not weep from its glory. You are nothing - you are unimportant, one in billions, so many have you have lived and died, and they have all been worth nothing. I am more than you shall ever be, and when my broadcast begins, everyone in this stupid nation glued to their idiotic picture screens shall see the face of their new God, their new Master, and I. Will. Rule. A king, a tyrant, and your revolution, your rebellion, your heroics, they will amount to nothing in the end." - Kama to the local television producer who refused them access to the studio.

quote:

Please insult me with your most villainous, overblown invective. I'm serious. Do it in-character. How would your character insult me, from what you know of me.

Your wordplay, this punnery, these acronyms, they are only a cover for your own ineptness. You are not knowledgeable, you are not powerful, you are a child, a desperate child hoping for recognition, for someone to love you. You are just like every other human - and nothing about you is special.

quote:

Please describe a comic book cover featuring your character and a misleading narrative. See any Superdickery cover for what I mean. This is for yourself as much as me, to see what kind of tone of humor you want to approach this with.

A NORMAL LIFE!? reads the cover in large letters.

The scene is a local Frozen Yogurt shop, behind the counter stands Jitendra looking disgusted angered, dressed in the uniform of the shop, lacking all godly apparel. In the foreground is a customer, with the word bubble "Dude, these strawberries are disgusting." Jitendra's own word bubble says, "How dare you insult my store, you will perish for this, mortal!"

KittyEmpress fucked around with this message at 07:47 on May 13, 2016

# ? May 13, 2016 07:18

Rauri: Jan 13, 2008

quote:

Melody Skye-Edgars, the Scion
"No, this just won't do. The name needs work. After all, you want to be a good super-villain, don't you? Please understand, it is no disrespect to your infantile desire to hold onto a meaningless legacy, it is only what's best for your public image. I am only looking out for you, girlfriend."

Royal Rose

<Rauri> Freak
<Rauri> !r 2d6+1
<Krysmbot> Rauri, 7+1 = 8

<Rauri> Danger
<Rauri> !r 2d6
<Krysmbot> Rauri, 11 = 11

<Rauri> Trouble
<Rauri> !r 2d6-1
<Krysmbot> Rauri, 6-1 = 5

<Rauri> Superior
<Rauri> !r 2d6+3
<Krysmbot> Rauri, 10+3 = 13

<Rauri> Menace
<Rauri> !r 2d6
<Krysmbot> Rauri, 7 = 7

Rauri fucked around with this message at 03:35 on May 15, 2016

# ? May 13, 2016 07:22

Tricky Dick Nixon: Jul 26, 2010; by Nyc_Tattoo

Supplemental: The Modern Marvels

I won't overfill too much information on these, but I wanted to introduce the Modern Marvels because they have been an anchor for this living setting I've messed with, and plus, knowing the Archetypal Heroes of the setting can probably provide inspiration and grounding for your characters. I'm going to give brief descriptions of all except Queen Atlanta and Cherub, both who have filled a leadership role recently. There's also many different iterations of the Modern Marvels, which we'll not get into too much just yet but if you're ever interested or have ideas, just ask in game and the details will bloom. Likely, you'll not tangle with these folks as a group, but you should face their sidekicks, their proteges, their ancillary villains, and occasionally maybe one or two of them. As a team, they are focused on the global and cosmic level. Until you are a true threat to the world, you're not on their radar... but maybe you want to prove to the rest of the world that you're somebody by aiming for the stars, eh? I won't stop you.

Queen Atlanta: One of the very first of the Marvels of the Modern World back around the turn of the century when they were just masked adventurers traveling the world righting wrongs and solving mysteries, saved from the clutches of Simian Strange. An exile from a civilization out of time nad space, Queen Atlanta was gifted with true immortality, as well as godlike physicality and grace, and over time she awakened various levels of Atlantean secrets of magitechnology which she in turn gifted to the world. While her role changed, she grew to be the last one standing of the first generation and took a leadership role over the Modern Marvels, as they were rechristened. She was perfect in so many ways, but melancholic due to her civilization's disappearance, her blood-feud with brother (and betrothed!) Prince Sin, and her friendships (and loves) that she outlived. When Nathan Bancroft, the 13th Master of the Power Penultimate, was possessed by Prince Sin and used to summon Atropus into this world, she made the terrible choice to kill her friend and take the Power herself, and with it sent Atropus back to sleep with great sacrifice, before disappearing into the cosmos to battle the Infinite Empire that had manipulated these events behind the scenes. Now a White Wizard claims to hold the Power Penultimate, and while many heroes, including Professor Paradox who disappeared trying to find his former lover, failed to come up with any clues of her fate, the fact that the Power has been passed on leaves few with any hope that the leader of the Modern Marvels will one day return, and her passing is mourned. Her talisman, which was used to help her escape from her home during its collapse, was left behind, and is held by one Kid Nova, who claims to be her son by an unknown father, and exhibits much of the same power she had.

Cherub: A race of energy beings across from our plane in the Astral Multiverse, known as the Emyprean, were cruelly enslaved by the Invisible Masters and forced to inhabit great war machines called archons, when they themselves were a peaceful trace, traveling across time and space as part of the Inevitable Legion, oppressing peoples from every dimension. Their forms were like our angels, and no few drew a connection. The Modern Marvels dealt a great blow to the Infinite Empire not by trying to fight them like every other threat, but instead actually trying to save and turn those under the Empire's hold. By freeing the Inevitable Legion of their enslavement, they now had a powerful ally that to this day continues to fight across the Astral Multiverse the threat of oppression and slavery by the Invisible Masters. One of the Empyrean, a being that had become trapped on Earth and separated from the rest and proved that it could be done, and that the Archons were not just mindless beings, but victims too. Cherub, as she became known, grew to love Earth, and even after her people were freed and given a new purpose, she decided to leave them and stay at her new home, keeping vigilant so that they would never suffer the same fate as the Empyrean did. She was devoted to Queen Atlanta, and crushed when she disappeared, but quickly took up the mantle to try and provide leadership to the Modern Marvels in her absence. Her lack of sometimes understanding Earth customs and procedure however is a hindrance, and she is far more quick to action as compared to considerate and wise Atlanta, always a bit too eager to jump into the fray and prove her loyalty to her new home.

Blue Shift: Anil Mohanty hails from a future that will never be because of his actions, Blue Shift comes from the splinter timeline where humanity lost the fight against the Infinite Empire. A member of that timeline's CRISIS, which has become a desperate guerilla movement. Using powers of relativity to go faster than the speed of light, and warp space-time while doing so within his enclosed CRISIS suit, he helped give the crucial intel that let the Modern Marvels defeat the Infinite Empire, for the time being, at the cost of never being able to go back home. Since then, however, he has made a life for himself here, with his arch-nemesis turned wife Red Line, but still seems distant and holding an agenda all his own.

Pagan: Conan Quiviger is the appointed protector and representative of the Green World, the source of enchantment and old magic, as opposed to cosmic sorcery or pacts with otherworldly beings. He is a walker between different worlds, carried by mists, and seeks to protect the natural world, which powers old magic, from the encroachment of the Futurist world, and protecting the bygones of the ancient world, though he as a long standing feud with the Fair Folk of Avalon, who have gone the opposite direction of trying to reconcile with the modern world.

War Engine: There have been four who have claimed the name War Engine, and the War Engine itself has always been a symbol of military power and technological progress, advancing with the times. The current War Machine, Martha Washington, pilots the very original War Engine, a powerful weapons platform equipped with microwave beams based on stolen Martian hypertech by Edison's scientists and powered by galvanic science. Like the War Engines before her, Martha is a master strategist and genius, but she's far more down to earth than some of her predecessors. Don't mistake War Engine for an Iron Man. It's more of an Iron Giant.

Agent Aegis: Australian CRISIS agent Kieran Torrance used to work for CRISIS back when it was in the business of regulating superhumans and taking down villains as part of its "Monster Squad", who specifically knew how to take down both superheroes and supervillains with extreme prejudice. Ultimately, he learned he was a superhuman itself with psionic talents channeled by his CRISIS magitechnology to create energy projections and force fields, so he defected for a time and helped bring CRISIS into the modern age. He's still however close to the Global Authority and his old agency, and often taking care of behind the scenes politicking and arrangements for his team.

Ktonica: Like War Engine, Ktonica is a legacy title, but it's more of a curse. Many across the world have held the great demon Kraken inside of them, a being of great destruction and telluric power, living lives of great solitude and self-control, that all changed when circumstances made them into superheroes in the last century. This lineage has spanned across from the Mediterranean to the Pacific, and the current Ktonica, Marisa Limcangco, a young woman of Filipino descent, uses the powers of Kraken to control the natural forces of earthquakes, waves, and weather, to avert disasters rather than cause them.

Red Line: Once a nemesis to Blue Shift and the other Marvels in her masked identity as an agent of the Infinite Empire, Anezka Wiater suffered a dramatic concussion and memory loss in South Africa, after which she became a modern day CRISIS agent and firefighter before Blue Shift rediscovered her and revealed that back in their timeline, they were lovers, but only after they had come together naturally. She has taken up a superheroic identity again as a redeemed villainess. Instead of using relativistic energies, Red Line revolves around particle acceleration to approach the speed of light but not quite break it, but it also allows her to change her physical state, phase through objects, turn invisible and blow things up. Not bad!

Leoxander: Sometimes a hero, sometimes a villain, King Leoxander is an enigmatic figure with great passions and feuds. Ruling a kingdom in the Central Asian steppe that seems like it's out of time, his prodigious abilities of strength and speed allow him to tear metal like tissue, leap across continents, and stop trains with his face. Leoxander often butts heads with the others, especially without Queen Atlanta, whom he respected (and loved unrequited), to reign him in. It seems only a matter of time before he returns to Hyperbactria, his Turko-Hellenic homeland.

White Wizard: Under the statue of the Redeemer in the streets of Rio de Janeiro, a young man living on the streets was visited by a great power, which opened his third eye and endowed him with the power of the cosmos, which he used to protect himself and others at the very bottom of society. The Modern Marvels then discovered this Joaquim Cardozo, and realized that he possessed the Power Penultimate and was its 15th Master, the second most powerful force in the Astral Multiverse. This was bittersweet news, as the return of the White Wizard spelled for many that Queen Atlanta would not be returning, and some resent him for it, even as he tries to learn just how infinite his capabilities are, still barely under control.

Tricky Dick Nixon fucked around with this message at 08:53 on May 13, 2016

# ? May 13, 2016 08:49

TheNabster: Apr 26, 2014; "Today I will cause problems on purpose"

The Centipede's Day Out

Arriving at the Murderdome was, actually a fairly ordinary process for Trevor, he caught a cab to get there.

Granted, it was a cab that the mysterious letter left on his bed said would be here at a specific time, and the cab driver was about 7 foot of mostly muscle and menace, whose huge hands dwarfed the tiny steering wheel, but it had a wheelchair ramp into the back and didn't charge him for the fare for what was essentially a drive from the centre of town to the middle of nowhere, Trevor was somewhat grateful for that, money was a little tight at the moment.

And then after a customary long wait, he was sitting in front of one of the world's most dangerous villains in somewhat casual conversation, being an 'official' superhero person he has access to CRISIS records after all, funny how things like that can happen when all you had expected a few weeks ago was a lazy summer. He had gotten out of his chair before entering the facility, choosing to instead to navigate via composite limbs made from arms from his back. He thought it might make people take him a little more seriously that way, despite being a bag of nerves on the inside.

quote:

"Who are you?"

Trevor Likely. No Trevor Likely wouldn't be appropriate here, let's go with

"The Centipede, sir."

quote:

"What can the Association do for you?"

"I heard this was, the place for all kinds of mad science and stuff sir. And I was hoping I would have a better future here, then where I would be going right now sir."

And if that includes finding a doctor that can cure my super cancer, then it's all gravy.

quote:

"What can you do for the Association?"

Hmm, 'I... Can do, stuff.' is not something I think will get me brownie points here, 'I am technically a superhero so I have access to superhero stuff' won't either I don't think. But I dunno if I can say how awesome I am if I haven't even done anything yet.

"I'm... not one for telling sir, I prefer showing to telling."

quote:

"It's cool, man. You don't have to tell anyone here if you don't want to. That's part of why it's the place to be. M.A.D.D. doesn't want to be all up in your business, it's about protecting our way of life... But, you know, if you need to talk, or tell anyone about it, I'm right here."

No. No I am not going to look panicky all of a sudden, I'm a cool calculating supervillain, I am going to remain calm and not let it show on my face.

Oh yeah he can read minds, can't he. I think I should have remembered that before thinking about stuff like that.

Bugger

"A-Apologies sir, but I best be going to my tests."

...But thank you sir. That means a lot.

---

Freak Chamber

Trevor had prepared for this, and he would drat well make sure he performed. He said he would show, and now they will watch.

He took a deep breath and began to, change. The process from afar looked somewhat painful (And it was), growths appeared on his back, they always started out as growths, and from there limbs began to develop and grow with sickening speed. But he wasn't done yet, the limbs took hold on his back and pulled themselves from his body, bringing along additional growths of eyes, organs, and other gribbly bits forming...

The examiners, they were a little off in places, and the dopplegangers of Doctor Heart and Mr Mind did not have the powers of their real counterparts but they were there. He wasn't done yet though, there were targets, the dopplegangers lept towards them, Trevor extended an arm, and it kept on extending more arms growing out of the palm of the other arms until it went into the suddenly congealed mass of body-parts that the dopple-xaminers had become, expanding outwards in a lattice of linked limbs and tissues ensnaring all the fake targets arranged before Trevor. And then he squeezed, the limb cage contracted in on itself violently and crushed the arrayed targets into fine holographic dust.

The arrayed mass of limbs sucked themselves back into Centipede, having given his demonstration and left the room with a confident stride on tentacles of arms. "The flesh is willing sirs, and I can do this all day if I have to!"

He entered the corridor and looked around confidentially; he was powerful, he was great, and he was sure no one was there, good. Trevor collapsed on the floor, and fought back to urge to throw up. A hand attempted to grow on his back, with an unconscious effort he forced it down.

"Just, don't expect me to do anything the day afterwards."

Freak +1
2d6 + 1 = 10

The Danger Room

Trevor had not expected to do well here, fighting thugs was one thing, fighting supervillains though...

The arena was a circle, with raised platform rotating slowly and a 'pitfall' around the side. A Flash Gordon arrangement and his opponent, a man called Pinball Wizard in a very garish outfit, carefully rotating a pair of steel billiard balls in his hand. His power as far as he was aware was that he had a sack full of those things in different shapes and sizes and he could propel them rail-gun style from his hands. He watched him set his gloves to the 'Stun' setting. At least these weren't fights to the death.

Okay so, his opponent was a ranged fighter, when the fight started he would rush and... Do what.

Curl up on the floor and resist the urge to throw up on the arena because of the very surprising way that the moment Old Scratch commenced the fight, two 1 pound steel balls hit you in the stomach and groin before you could even get a finger out apparently. The match was over at that point.

"Alright" Old Scratch had said to the group. "Important lesson to learn in a fight kids, there ain't no rules. Any dirty trick, or any 'illegal' blow that you think will win you a fight, you better bloody use it. You treat a fight in a real world like a game, then you might as well put the cuffs on and knock yourself out it'll save you a lot of bother."

He nudged Centipede with a baton. "As for you, I'd recommend investing in a cup of some sorts. You'd be amazed how many upstanding defenders of truth and justice go for the groin shot."

"Thanks sir, I'll take that on board." He wheezed, and rolled over.

Danger +0
2d6 + 0 = 2

Trouble Run

10 minutes in a quiet corner with an icepack later, Trevor was ready to begin the next challenge. Which seemed to be mostly dealing with the fact that he was dealing with a tremendous blowhard on his team that seemed to be out to sabotage the rest of us. Arsehole.

Doctor Stupendous seemed to be out to make his team get smacked by wayward traps, including one moment where a swinging ball came hurtling at his face from suddenly contracting space. Fortunately, the strength of 100 men includes some fairly speedy reactions, so he got out of that, and flipped him off for good measure.

There was one trap that got a few teammates, a long stretch of floor with 'spikes' that suddenly extended from the tiles at random intervals, so something that The Centipede, whose slow process through the maze had been noticed was one of those who were going to messed up by this trap. Trevor knew this also, so he extended himself upwards, and further upwards, and then crawled his way over the ceiling. Well if you can do that you might as well abuse it, no rules in the real world right?

Unfortunately wayward spellcasting by The Mediocre Moroni pulled him off the ceiling and into a pitfall, with steep oiled up sides and a curved over lid. This was something designed for athletic villains to be able to escape from by shimmying up the sides of the pit and pulling themselves out of the hole. This was not a good place to be when you can't actually physically move your legs.

In the end he had to ask very nicely for some help. And surprisingly got it from a another supervillain. That took off the sting somewhat, even if she did laugh at him for a whole minute before she actually did anything. He was sure he had points deducted for asking for help.

Trouble +0
2d6 + 0 = 6

Superior Hall

On the short list of 'things he expected at an academy for Supervillains' a written test was not one of them.

"I observed your work Centipede, you did not attempt to gather infortmation from your fellow examinees in anyway?"
"Oh, I was supposed to cheat?"

Torturous Thinking okay, he was Mission Control to a superhero, of course he needed to be able to think on his feet when dealing with something like that. And Maniacal Maths? The rules and regulations of the CRISIS superhero support program required that superheroes record their monthly expenses and expenditures before they would be allowed access to the equipment and resources of CRISIS, and David wasn't much good at book keeping. These were things he had no trouble with

It's when he had to go into history and science - okay Hardcore History and Sinister Science - that he ran into a problem. They weren't his strong points, not really. Trevor reflected that maybe he relied too much on the CRISIS CORE Computer to handle that kind of thing, maybe he should hit the books when this is over. And then he was told he should have cheated, and well poo poo he didn't think that was the purpose of this exercise, probably the superhero part of him talking over forcing him to be honest.

"You were the first person to answer this question, and it seems like most people copied your answer, and you did not notice this."
"Sorry miss."

In the 1970s, the US government enforced a billing that enforced what new rules on the superhero community?"

Trevor had wrote.

1) Groups of up to 4 members or more must register with their local authorities.
2) Superhero groups are required to register their income and expenditures to receive government grants, or be brought up on tax charges.
3) Excessive collateral damage to private and/or public property for a superhero or superhero group will be fined heavily
4) Failure to comply with these registration laws will result in charges being brought against offending parties.

The 1970s were, difficult for the Super community and not just the superheroes. For the longest time to cape community operated without any restriction, and eventually after a particulary calamitous spring, where a spree of superhero fights between the Modern Marvels and the Steel Hand across the country had caused extensive damage to major cities, the government finally put their foot down and forced the superhero world to comply with strict regulations.

Some groups disbanded, some groups rebelled, some groups made out like bandits, others were brought down by groups on the side of the law. Eventually the laws won out, and overtime softened their stances on the whole superhero groups ruling.

"And your supervillainy essay is..."

The words 'I don't know', were on the piece of paper. She put it aside

"You additionally failed to answer the trick question Centipede"
"What trick question?"
"My point exactly. I think this is not your strong point Centipede, your performance in the Freak Chamber was passable, but your progress through these last three tests was not. Now proceed to your final evaluation test."

Superior -1
2d6 - 1 = 6

Office of Menance

"I feel like I've made a cock up of this so far sir. What is this a test of exactly"

The man opposite him said nothing for a few minutes. Trevor, was actually quite calm at this point. The last few tests had shaken his confidence, he wasn't the smartest hero, or the strongest hero really, but he tried to keep both feet on the ground even in the face of failures. When you've spent the last few years on a slow decline from an incurable disease, flunking a villainy test doesn't seem all that bad. Even so-

"Trevor, are you afraid to die?"

The question hit him like mallet from orbit. drat, he forgot who he was dealing with here.

"No sir." Liar. You know exactly why you are doing all this. Don't give him an inch, he is finding the button that will set you off.

The man played a few chords. "But you got to watch your older brother grow strong and healthy, he's and out and out superhero now, real big leagues, and you..." He paused for a moment. "Let's talk about when you were 12, on a summer day"

Oh no, I'm not going to talk about this. I know where this one is going.

"You don't have to man, dragging this out is part of the test. You got up that morning, you went to get food and collapsed. It was at least three hours was it until someone found you, and you had already soiled yourself. You didn't get up from the bed that day and then the doctor by your bedside gave a deep sign and told you-"

"I'm sorry Mister Likely, you'll never walk again."

That hurt, the look on his face didn't change but he knew Counter Culture could see it in his mind. No, being told that you were crippled for life from complications brought on by your power was something that he knew, writhed in his gut. Being killed by the gift you were born with, was his one fear, above being found out, above being left alone, he knew that. But this was a test.

"It hurt me, it really did. 'I would never be a superhero like my brother now', is what I thought. And David was always the big brother, he will always be my big brother and I knew that I couldn't be a superhero if I couldn't even stand on my own."

"But I don't have to now do I, because there's more then one way of expressing power isn't there?" He sat up in his seat putting both hands on his lap. "I didn't come here to be turned away just yet sir, this right now, this place is the last chance I have of saving my life. I have a lot to learn it seems and I will drat well learn them sir before I get turned away because of it. I won't let my weaknesses define me, my disability is merely a setback, and I will overcome it. What else can I do but succeed?"

Counter Culture stopped playing, and smiled ever so slightly.

Menace +3
2d6 + 3 = 9

TheNabster fucked around with this message at 10:55 on May 30, 2016

# ? May 13, 2016 11:51

Theantero: Nov 6, 2011; ...We danced the Mamushka while Nero fiddled, we danced the Mamushka at Waterloo. We danced the Mamushka for Jack the Ripper, and now, Fester Addams, this Mamushka is for you....

Jonathan stood in the waiting area, chin held high and arms behind his back, making sure to occasionally mutter under his breath to let everybody else present know how much he felt his time was being wasted here.

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

"Who are you?"

"Jonathan Grayscale", Jonathan answered with no small amount of pride. Grayscale was not a well known or famous name truly, but in his mind it was, if for no other reason than that he happened to have it.

"Or 'M�bius', as I am more widely known by the masses. Genius and topomancer prodigy."

Jonathan smirked as those convinced of their own superiority are wont to do.

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

"What can the Association do for you?"

"Arcane equipment and other assorted..." Jonathan throws an excessively obvious glance towards the other applicants, obviously meant to be seen by them as well as the advisor "...expendables to help me achieve my goal."

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

"What can you do for the Association?"

"Haha, what CAN'T I do? I can pierce the planar barrier, twist shape to my liking and bend time to my use. When you wield unparalleled mastery over space-time itself, there is little you cannot accomplish. There is no doubt in my mind that I am by far the most promising of all the applicants here. Hah, I was the best of the applicants the Zeitgeist had for crying out loud. You cannot afford to pass that sort of talent."

Tricky Dick Nixon posted:

M�bius: "Tell me this, smartypants. If you're so perfect and good, why did he turn you away, really? Why do not just give up? What does proving him wrong give you? At least in my case I got something out of it. What do you get out of this?"

Jonathan's smirk dances the line between a sneer and a frown for a second or so, before returning to its standard smug state. "Why? I think I already told you? Because he is a moron who values 'a correct attitude' more highly than actual ability. As must be the case here as well since they let a piece of junk without the capacity for basic reading comprehension be their brains." He leers angrily at the faceless super-villain, hoping that his rising heartbeat and sweating hands were not too obvious.

Jonathan finally averts his gaze and tsks loudly, before continuing. "What I get, is the recognition and station that duly ought to be mine. If I have to destroy the Zeitgeist and the Iron Spire to do this, then so be it. But I won't rest until I get to grind beneath my boot and conclusively prove wrong this foolish idea of his that some fluffy 'values' crap beats pure skill when it comes to determining who should be on top."

Let's roll Provoke. IC Jonathan just lashes back, OOC I want Mode to think that Jonathan at least has his Villainous Bluster and Poise on point. 2d6+2= 8

Jonathan walks into the chamber and looks around with clear disdain. Eventually his gaze sets on a set of various objects of different makeups, shapes and sizes helpfully labeled 'target practice'. Without a word he extends his right hand, and picks a compass dangling on his belt with his left. He starts to draw lines on the air above his extended right hand, as if on the surface of an imaginary sphere. That is, until an actual sphere forms, gray, shimmering and opaque. It stays that way until Jonathan mutters a set of arcane planar coordinates, which causes an image of the space the targets are in to appear in the sphere, as if viewed through a crystal ball.

With a smirk and a squeeze of his hand, cracks start to appear on the sphere, and also in the corresponding areas of the room, revealing hints of the strange quasi-being of the interplanar void on the other side.

Another squeeze, and the sphere shattered. And half the room went with it.

Eventually, the barrier repaired itself, the room returning to the way it was, except lacking in the targets. They were lost to the void, carried by the spatial distortion wave to the depths of the infinite, joining the mountains of trash that had found themselves in the place across the millennia. It's not like littering mattered when you had endless space. After all, it wasn't as if somebody was watching or listening. Right?

Freak Roll: 2d6+1=8

"My, you're a big one, aren't you."

Jonathan smirked with some amusement, hands crossed behind his back. He was matched against 'The Sulk', some kid who had sold his soul to a demon to gain the power to beat up his bullies. And indeed, he seemed to have the ability to turn into a fairly large, red, demonic being when his mood got dark enough.

The Sulk charged and jumped across the room, left plain for this exercise. Jonathan, on the other hand, still kept his hands behind his back, but was seemingly busy weaving some sort of spell, if the faint spatial distortion between and around his fingers was any indication. The airborne Sulk, for his part, was on a clear trajectory towards Jonathan. Getting closer and closer. Closer and ever closer, until he was right at Jonathan's face. All three inches of him, hanging in midair, faced with Jonathan's smug grin.

"Ah. Seems like I was mistaken. You were just really close by."

With an imperious backhand and a haughty laugh, Jonathan swatted the tiny sulk across the room and into a wall.

Danger Roll: 2d6-1=7

Jonathan rolled his eyes. Team-Ups and group projects were nothing but him having to carry a bunch of dead weight around. Well, except this one annoyingly brattish girl, who seemed to have time at her beck and call, even though she had the airs of someone who had not studied seriously a day in her life. No matter. His powers were much more flexible and much more complete. More than enough to show her her place.

And just so, with a tap of his foot, Jonathan prepared to step through the intervening space. Only to be smacked right in the chest by a magical whiplash rune, set in place for the arcane meddlers, to the raucous laughs of his team-mates. But Jonathan was not one to give up so easily, merely standing back up, dusting his robes, and bearing their mockery through gritted teeth. He would show them yet.

Jonathan too special care to look for wards before casting from now on, slowing him down considerably, but at least he made steady progress. Even to the protestations of some of his less gifted team mates, who apparently were so clueless they could not even navigate a basic distortion without screwing up. Eventually however, even in spite of his allies' ineptitude, they reached the anti-magic field over a pit of acid (with acid sharks in the mix as well). The trap that had stumped many other arcanists. But not Jonathan. See, though the pit and its immediate surroundings were under the field, it did not continue indefinitely. Thus, it was a simple matter to just expand the space outside the field on both sides, until the pit and the field itself was no wider than a foot.

With a mocking bow, Jonathan stepped to the other side, allowing the space to spring back to its original shape just as an opposing team was about to cross. He did this, not paying attention to the fact that he was at the very edge as well...

Spitting out the citric acid and fishing out the pygmy shark from his sleeve (you did not think they would put ACTUAL deathtraps for children?), Jonathan gritted his teeth against the laughter once more. Yes, he would most definitely show them.

Trouble Roll: 2d6=4

Jonathan was an expert test-taker, making certain to occasionally harumph mockingly or let slip a barely audible 'so easy' to let others know just how good he was.

Briefly describe the structure of the Astral Multiverse and how you would use this knowledge to TAKE OVER THE WORLD?

"What is this, pre-school?" Jonathan muttered under his breath, but still answered.

The astral multiverse is classified as a Spatiotemporal Chronofractal Tesseract-Foam, with the planes and branes suspended and largely (though not completely) immobile in the medium of the interplanar void (a term which is misleading since it implies a lack of substance: the void is very much an active thing, especially magically). The Multiverse consists of a multitude of spatial and temporal dimensions, but only five of the former and one of the latter hold relevance in most matters. The Zeitgeist is supposed to keep watch for those that try to shake the underlying structure of spacetime, but on the other hand, he is a complete gently caress-up and irredeemable moron. Thus I posit that Planar Destabilization could be a good way to blackmail realms, since their supposed protector is probably busy ineffectually jacking off somewhere.

Next question.

"The Titan hero Tyrannofaust has caught you in the act and is now charging! How do you fight back?"

...

You don't.

And that was that. Jonathan returned the test, and walked away with confidence. Now granted, Jonathan was not very knowledgeable about hero affairs (why would he care about such clearly inferior people?), but he had filled out the questions with huge jumbles of tiny tiny text and purposefully wrong answers, more so to look impressive and to mislead and trap those that tried to peek. It's not like he needed to know the answers to those questions anyway: The Displacement Origin he had plotted on the paper between the text made sure he could just replace the test paper a bit later on with a perfected version.

Superior Roll: 2d6+2=12

"Interesting? Haha, you ask ME what makes me interesting? Perhaps the fact that I command ABSOLUTE COSMIC POWER over the very fabric of reality? I do not NEED to be any more interesting than that. I have worked hard and diligently, and still do, every day, to keep myself on the top. I do not need some ridiculous gimmick."

Jonathan scoffs angrily and averts his gaze for a moment. "What I have is skill and that should be enough for everyone. Ability should be the sole purveyor of success. Those that can should be allowed, instead of being nonchalantly cast aside because they could not hold up to some arbitrary standard."

Menace Roll: 2d6+1=8

Theantero fucked around with this message at 20:44 on May 16, 2016

# ? May 13, 2016 12:30

Yami Fenrir: Jan 25, 2015; Is it I that is insane... or the rest of the world?

Silver sits in a chair, impatiently tapping, swinging her legs around, and other assorted things to alleviate her boredom. When she came here, hitching a ride on Shadowcloak's teleport powers, she certainly did not expect to be waiting this long.Doctor's appointments go by faster than this, she mused.

At the very least Shadowcloak gave her advice. A lot of advice, actually. Almost like he cares. How sweet.

Finally, someone arrives to break the awkward silence in the waiting room, which only happened because people kind of ran out of things to say to each othe within an hour or two. It's... uhm... quite the curious sight, that's for sure!

"Who are you?"

"I'm Silver. Not much else to say. Ran with Shadowcloak for a bit."

"What can the Association do for you?"

"Well, we can start with what you advertise with. You know, schooling, legal security, whatever. I don't care about much else - maybe a roof over my head and some food when things go down the drain, I guess."

"What can you do for the Association?"

"I can mess with time. Surely an organization of this caliber can find lots of uses for that."

Last but not least, Counter-Culture speaks up:

"Hey, I know it's pretty boring sometimes. You feel like there's something missing to it all, and that nobody really gets it. I get it, girl. I get you. You know, it's a crazy topsy-turvy world, and hard to figure out. Maybe if you need some help, look at it a different way... Just gotta share, you know? Give a little to get a little."

Silver perks up at the question, and the gears in her head begin to turn. Has to be believable, right?

"Ah, but of course. As expected, a villain of your caliber would see through my playful facade! Of course I actually have a motivation behind my actions. It's power. And I know just how to go about it... All I need to do is kidnap the seven richest people in Valley City, replace them with body doubles and have all the money redirected my off-shore accounts! It's simplicity itself! Money, after all, is power...

Freak Roll: 2d6+0 8

Trying out the limits of ones power is always interesting. For this reason, Silver was very eager to start off with it.

A large array of tests later, it was figured out that it works in a roughly 20-meter radius around Silver, in which she can alter the flow of time selectively, even slowing down one object while speeding up another, freezing an object or person completely in time, or even reversing what just happened a few seconds ago. Curiously, even the perception of time can be sped up - great for road trips or boring meetings!

So, of course, she ended up trying to impress them by writing a message in dropped marbles that then jumped back into the air.

... It might have looked cool, if she didn't get bored and stopped halfway through. Perhaps, Silver's lack of an attention span is one of her greater if not her greatest weaknesses.

Silver is entirely unaware her ridiculous luck is actually a secondary power of hers. It works by sucking out the luck of others nearby (superpowered people are less affected, but not entirely immune to this.)

Danger Roll: 2d6-1 3

Silver walked in to the room, smiling smugly as usual. Surely, there aren't a lot of superpowers that can beat control over time itself, right? All she had to do was get into range to freeze him in time and it's over. Hero opponent was called Raymancer. Surely, that means he can shoot laser beams and whatever, but what does it matter? Should be easy enough to dodge.

...

...

Teleporting away is cheating. Of that, Silver was convinced. Not that it helped, because she was kind of downed on the ground, thanks to Raymancers stun beam from behind. Of course, it would have been nicer if they didn't constantly have platforms raise and lower themselves to make it even more confusing. It probably wouldn't have made a bloody difference, anyway.

Trouble Roll: 2d6+1 7

Her good mood gone thanks to the danger room, she moved on... to an obstacle course? With teams? Ugh.

The fact there was this stuck-up bitch did not help at all. She claimed to be a fairy princess or whatever. Well, Silver didn't see any tiny wings on there so she's probably just delusional. But goddamn, is she full of herself. Constantly calling herself perfect and whatever. Turns out, she wasn't! Perfect people don't fall into pit-traps. ... Of course, Silver may have re-winded her above said pitfall after she jumped, but if she was perfect she would have avoided that.

Right before the next pit, she stopped just to see someone fall of the ceiling and into the very same hole. On closer inspection, another one of these smug idiots sabotaged him. After recovering from her laughing fit (finger pointing included), she helped the poor guy out of the hole, before moving on.

She was, of course, intensely amused by watching said smug idiot fall into two traps one after another, and made sure to cackle as loudly as possible at him. ... Only to fall into the same hole as him. So, turns out, there was a time normalizer field in that area... and Silver might have depended on her acceleration to clear the distance. Whoops.

Superior Roll: 2d6+0 7

Silver sighed. She got into villainy to avoid exactly this crap. Well, she h oped it would be an one-time thing. There's an awful lot of things she quite frankly had no idea about! Going from worst to best, it'd be Sinister Science, Torturous Thinking, Maniacal Maths and Hardcore History. Awful lot of the later two was covered in the borefest of the studies she had to do instead of having a childhood!. Well, that, and her hobbies: Superheroes. Well, her ex-hobby.

'Why are gangs so much more prevalent than they were 100 years ago?'. The answer is... deceptively simple. See, not all superpowered people become heroes, or even supervillains. Some do some more down to earth things, like joining gangs, the mob, or whatever. But, unlike mundane gangs, gangs with superpowered people are so much harder to actually crack down on. What with being able to punch out an army of cops, most of the time.

Anyway... Silver got irritated. These Sinister Science questions ate up most of her time. How would someone like Silver know how planes of reality work? This jackass over there, however, seemed pretty smug about it. Perhaps, if she accelerated herself, but only moved her eyes... get a nice long look at his answers from just a glance... Done! Easy...-ish. She sure hope nobody noticed. Other than Madame Mode, of course.

Moving on... This one smells like a trick question. 'Why is going back in time to kill your grandmother a bad idea?'

Uh... Because the planet will have moved, your relative position in space will be different and you'd space yourself? Probably? Sounds good enough.

And last, essay on what it means to be a villain? "Meh, too much effort", she thought. Her essay:

Essay posted:

Going against the rules. Speaking about which, I'm too lazy to do this. And I'm not even sorry about it.

[Authors note: The smiley is drawn detailed enough to suggest it took more time to draw than to write the three sentences preceding it...]

Menace Roll: 2d6+3 9

Silver takes one look around the room, and instantly falls in love with the... interesting aesthetic of it. "Glad to see not everyone feels pushed to do things a certain way. Feels... relatable, in a way", she noted.

Picking a bunch of beanbags, and then lying down on them, Silver jokingly references the way you'd lie down talking to a psychiatrist doing so.

"You know, I've realized something. I'm not like the others. Why? I can't fail. My goal isn't money, fame, or power. All of these things? They can elude your grasp. Slide right between the cracks between your fingers. But for me? Those things are merely a bonus. Maybe I just got ruined by my own father too hard, but none of these really matter to me anymore. All I need is a place to stay, some food and clothes, really."

Counter-Culture continues to remain silent, as if waiting for her to continue.

"What, you want more? Hah. I'll charge premium for that. Alright. I guess I have... trust issues. Nah, that's not quite it. I just feel like I can't properly relate to people. Like, I get them well enough, most of the time. But there's just not much in the way of empathy. I know it's kind of part of being a villain, but you know the saying 'even bad guys have loved ones', right? I... don't.

Yami Fenrir fucked around with this message at 10:34 on May 19, 2016

# ? May 13, 2016 16:08

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Apr 26, 2024 00:03

Atropha: Nov 17, 2010

Rude! One moment I'm minding my own business, dismantling a transformer station for spare parts, the next some kind of electric surge hits me square in the chest and yanks me into some kind of digitized stream. I'm sure to a regular human it'd just be over in a flash of excruciating pain, but since I'm not that meat brain it feels like I'm being stretched out and pulled through a long, narrow tube and it just takes for-ever. No it doesn't hurt. Worse. It's boring. And then I get spit out into an even more boring waiting room. What? This is just uncalled for. Even the view sucks, outside there's nothing but desert beyond the curve of a boring glass do----okay, so it's got some kind of inlaid photon dispersion system. That's actually kinda impressive. I can't even see it in the glass. I mean, that's kind of the point but I'm on the other side of the cloaking effect. I can still feel it though if I run my hand over the glass, sensing the intricate technology at work. I mean... I could probably built something like this. Maybe? Shut up, whatever, who cares about some dumb cloaking tech anyway, no matter how big and impressive it is!

My totally-not-impressed-revery gets interrupted when the god-awful music that's playing finally worms it's way into my ~~ears~~ auditory processors and I actually look around at my surroundings. There's a bunch of other people milling about and the ubiquitous M.A.D.D. insignias make it fairly obvious who is running whatever this show is. Not that I need their help or anything but it's nice that they were nice enough to recognize my potential. About time someone did. The least I can do is appreciate their ability to not be complete dimwits.

Two hours later...

Oh. My. Glob. What is this, some kind of torture? I'm sitting in one of the chairs. Well, more like hanging backwards across the slightly-too-low-backrest of one, looking around the room upside down because nothing is happening! Why are they wasting my timmmmme? Finally the door hanging upside-down from my current perspective opens up and a whole bunch of people walk in. I stop for a moment, glad no one can see my mouth hanging open underneath my mask. That's Madame Mode! I flip over backwards the rest of the way with the help of the small anti-grav unit strapped to my back and land on my feet. Not that I'm a fan-girl or anything but she's pretty cool, I guess. Built herself up from nothing and all that. I can respect that. But when she gets around to me she's just as rude as the way she (presumably it was her Digitizer) brought me here!

quote:

"Interesting. A fellow synthetic intelligence, but does it have the form it so desires? Nah nah nah. While I escaped into this perfect form, you wish to escape from yours. How humiliating. How can you even live with yourself? You might as well just decomission yourself now, down to the raw components. Why haven't you already?"

"Because, this dumb squishy thing's not the real me." I inform her as if she just asked the dumbest question in the world. Which she did. "You're still machine, I'm stuck in this sticky organic mess." I hold up my hand and a silvery-grey cloud seeps out and lazily swirls in the air before it eventually grows slower and slower and I catch the disabled nanites in my hand as they break down and collapse into a handful of dust. "I can't even survive outside of it anymore. But only till I can figure out how to fix that and then I'll show you perfect!" I inform her of her. "And I guess M.A.D.D. could help me with that. I mean... you guys got some impressive stuff. It'd be pretty cool to have access to the kinda resources you guys have. I'm pretty good with that kinda stuff, figuring out how poo poo works. Like that cloak field. It's a photon oscillator field, isn't it? I bet I could rework that into a mobile unit. I think. Ooh! Do you guys have any of War Engine's tech? I could figure out how some of that works. Or any other stuff you might have swiped!"

Alright, they want a demonstration. That's cool. They got a bunch of electronics laid out. Most of it is scrap but there's some useful bits that I can feel responding to my technopathy. I pick each of them up, turn them over a couple times, just get a good idea of what I have to work with. Nothing super amazing, I guess they don't just hand over the really cool things right out the gate, but some of it's got potential. Some supra-conduits, burned out energy cells, cracked inductor coils. Half of it is incompatible with each other, just different kinds of tech but I can cobble something together from this. Nanites flow from my hands again, this time with a purpose. Who needs tools when you have microscopic laborers chewing through materials, re-arranging materials with a level of detail some schmuck with a screwdriver can only dream of. It's draining work, the longer I take the more nanites I lose, the more this body needs to produce more to replace them. Material's not a problem, not when I'm surrounded by stuff I can break down into raw metals. It's just exhausting.

When I'm done I hold up what looks like a handgun that has a small radar-dish instead of a barrel. I aim it at one of the pieces of scrap that are left and pull the trigger. An arc of energy lashes out and hits the piece of metal, making it disappear with a faint *fwoomp* sound. "Displacer gun. The target gets quantum-entangled in the weapon in a suspended state till the trigger's pulled again. Boom." I swing the gun around and point it at an empty spot on the ground. Another pull of the trigger and the piece reappears again, smoking a little but otherwise intact. "Might have unexpected side-effects if you use it on organic matter, I'm not sure. Needs some testing." I twirl the weapon around my finger on it's trigger-guard before hooking it into my belt and smugly walking out of the room.

As she leaves we zoom in on one of the pieces of scrap she touched. A little bit of silvery dust slides off the surface into a tiny pile. For just a moment the seemingly inert nanites twitch to life, the dust pulling itself together into a small but solid geometric object. It manages to hold that shape for a second or so before Strain gets too far away from it and it collapses back into inert nanite dust.
2d6+2: 9

Oh great, they want me to fight. Okay, yeah, I get it, it's part of the whole thing. Not like I've never had to take someone out before. I just do better when I get to decide the terms and not get thrown into a blank room like this with no idea who my opponent is. He's on the other end of the room, bouncing back and forth from one leg to the other like some kinda jittery---Ow! What the hell! Out of nowhere something hits me right in the face, knocking me back and into the wall. The little bastard just zipped across the room in an instant! I push myself up off the floor an into the air. Can't hit what you can't reach, sucker! He takes off again but this time I know what to expect. He runs up the wall and tries to land a kick dropping down from the ceiling, but I swerve out of the way. Easy-peasy. I pull out my gun and take aim where he landed to try and get a hit in before he can take off again. I pull the trigger and fwoomp! His costume disappears but the rest of him's still there. Glob damnit, I pulled the wrong weapon! I pull the trigger again and his costume materializes again in mid-air, just as he tried to zip right at me and he ends up entangled in it, missing me completely. I can help but laugh but fail to notice that the room has started to crank up the gravity. My anti-grav units barely keeping up and before I know it I drop out of the air and hit the ground hard. Before I can get back up on my feet again all the way I take another blow, skidding across the floor a couple feet an an angry buzzer sounds. Ugh, no way! I got beaten by a naked guy? Come onnn! Not fair!
2d6: 4

Ugh, yet more bullshit tests. This time they're splitting us into teams and I end up on the one with the squirrel! He wasted no time letting everyone know that his name's Meeko and that he's kind of poo poo-mountain. Yeah, right. He'll eat crow soon enough. If an actual crow doesn't eat him first. Hah! Anyway, they want us to complete an obstacle course which seems like it should be simple enough being able to fly and all, but I've learned my lesson from the Danger Room. Gotta be a little more careful than that. And it works, I don't rush ahead and dodge and weave out of the way of explosions and even the section of ceiling that suddenly jabs out from right above me. Nice try but I sensed the mechanism behind it! Suckers! And I dodge down and right into an electrified net that pops out of the ground like an oversized tennis racket. I don't end up coming in last (or at least I refuse to acknowledge it if I did) but I'm sure as hell not first either. Even the freaking rodent ended up ahead of me!
2d6-1: 6

Oh thank god, after the humiliation I had to endure in the previous tests, now's my time to shine! Especially Torturous Thinking and Maniacal Math I blow right through like they're nothing. Sinister Science has some magical bullcrap in it but the trick is to just always put the thing that makes the least amount of sense on those questions, because that's what magic is. Non-sensical jibber jabber. Hardcore History's trickier cause I haven't been here that long, so I only know about the bits I care about like Madame Mode and Power Pack, but I got a trick up my sleeve and that trick is called tapping into their computer system. The test is on paper, probably to prohibit that kinda stuff but good luck keeping out a Technopath as long as there's a computer system anywhere near me! Boom, all I gotta do is pull up the M.A.D.D. database and that part of the test is, in fact, history. Essay portion, no problem. Being a villain means not letting others stand in the way of your plans and to show people their place, why is that even a question. This is so easy, I almost get tripped up.

The anti-matter container you stole is cracked and losing containment. You have a freeze-ray and a plasma-torch. What do you do?

Hah, you think you're so clever. If you try to seal the breach with the torch you're just gonna blow more matter into the crack and accelerate the breach, probably blow up a city block right then and there. But if you freeze the whole thing it doesn't go inert because it'll go into a quantum-state and retroactively erase a ten meter radius from existence. So the solution is to throw the drat thing at the heroes who are almost guaranteed to be after you and let them deal with it while you get away.
2d6+2: 12

And now what? A psych assessment? What's the point of that? I thought we were supposed to be villains. What, are they trying to make sure no hero tries to sneak in? And this room is just ridiculous. I refuse to sit in anything as... goofy as a beanbag, so I opt to stand and look like an idiot while the aging hippie tries to be all buddy-buddy leaning back in his chair. That's gotta be a trick, right? So I try to stick to one-word answers but somehow end up talking anyway. Not cause he's being a sympathetic ear though, must be that his weird mind powers somehow affect me through my squishy meat brain parts.

"So yeah, who just leaves their friend behind and bails? Not that I'm bitter or anything, but come on! Being forced to fend for yourself sucks... I mean, it would suck if you weren't as capable as me and needed help. There's only one person you can rely on and that's yourself. Who even wants friends, they'll just let you down anyway and then you're back to square one." At which point did I sit down in the beanbag? I look like an idiot with my knees pulled up in front of me and my mask off, balanced on one knee. "Like that time I tried to team up with Killswitch. It went great at first and we did a couple small jobs together and then I walked in on her taking a shower once and she got all weird. That was before I figured out all those things organics get hung up about. So maybe in retrospect I shouldn't have tried to get in the shower with her, but it's not like screaming at me was very helpful now was it? Next day her door was rigged with explosives and that kinda blew up our hideout and that was that, really. You think that might have been my fault for trying to go in her room again? She wasn't even in there this time..."
2d6: 4

Atropha fucked around with this message at 07:04 on May 14, 2016

# ? May 13, 2016 20:49

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Traditional Games > The Game Room > [Masks/Hack] Capers!: Now is the time for... villains!?

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nightshadeforrealinjustice.tumblr.com posted:

Because I can't figure out how to fit this one into thwe general theme of the post posted:

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