Heroic Sociopath
Gone forever.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2009
- Messages
- 16,398
- Reaction score
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Intro
This RP takes place in a world similar to our own, but for one major difference: In the year 2012, a great war broke out, ravaging most of the world. Human civilization would have been wiped out, were it not for three major events.
-Humans adapted. Through rigorous training and mutations caused by the aftermath of weapons of mass destruction, a few humans began to develop powers beyond what would normally be considered possible. Things like superhuman strength, regeneration, even psychic powers like telekinesis. These warriors, named Adepts, helped to protect mankind.
-Magic returned. Deities such as Thor, Nergal, Zeus, Anubis, Lucifer, and many lesser beings made contracts with mortals, giving them supernatural powers. With these abilities, the chosen people known as Mages helped their kinsman survive, founding cities among the ruins.
-Following this, major scientific breakthroughs occured. Salvaging lost technology, people began to find great insights, creating machines other humans simply could not comprehend. Known as Tinkers, these people invented gadgets that would allow for the survival of humans.
200 years later, mankind is thriving. Technology, while set back by the war, is somewhat more advanced than what we have now. Most of civilization is city-states, governed by a group known as The Center. While they try to maintain order, some believe the Center has grown corrupt. Meanwhile, Tinkers, Adepts, and Mages still accept. Many practice their abilities to help with mundane work, or as a hobby. Others serve the Center as law enforcement. And many work as Outlaws. Outlaws are individuals who use Tinker, Adept, or Magical powers to commit crimes. They usually work together in groups called Gangs, and many do mercenary work.
Recently, the Center has been cracking down on Outlaws. After being caught, you've been confined to The Labyrinth, a prison for Outlaws. To make an example, The Center has decided to publically execute you. However, what might seem to be the end of your career is going to be the start of a great adventure.
-Humans adapted. Through rigorous training and mutations caused by the aftermath of weapons of mass destruction, a few humans began to develop powers beyond what would normally be considered possible. Things like superhuman strength, regeneration, even psychic powers like telekinesis. These warriors, named Adepts, helped to protect mankind.
-Magic returned. Deities such as Thor, Nergal, Zeus, Anubis, Lucifer, and many lesser beings made contracts with mortals, giving them supernatural powers. With these abilities, the chosen people known as Mages helped their kinsman survive, founding cities among the ruins.
-Following this, major scientific breakthroughs occured. Salvaging lost technology, people began to find great insights, creating machines other humans simply could not comprehend. Known as Tinkers, these people invented gadgets that would allow for the survival of humans.
200 years later, mankind is thriving. Technology, while set back by the war, is somewhat more advanced than what we have now. Most of civilization is city-states, governed by a group known as The Center. While they try to maintain order, some believe the Center has grown corrupt. Meanwhile, Tinkers, Adepts, and Mages still accept. Many practice their abilities to help with mundane work, or as a hobby. Others serve the Center as law enforcement. And many work as Outlaws. Outlaws are individuals who use Tinker, Adept, or Magical powers to commit crimes. They usually work together in groups called Gangs, and many do mercenary work.
Recently, the Center has been cracking down on Outlaws. After being caught, you've been confined to The Labyrinth, a prison for Outlaws. To make an example, The Center has decided to publically execute you. However, what might seem to be the end of your career is going to be the start of a great adventure.
Overview
The world is ours, 200 years in the future, where humans have superpowers. Those who use their powers are branded as Outlaws. Basically, your character is a villain, though how evil is up to you. Characters start in the prison known as The Labyrinth, a facility deep underground in Alaska. It's maintained by the center, though they are willing to take Outlaws from other countries as well.
There are three main types:
Mages, who make contracts with supernatural beings like demons or gods to attain magical power in the form of spells. Each spell has a given use. A mage that knows a fireball spell wouldn't necessarily also be able to breathe fire, unless they had a spell for that as well. Mages can gain powers by forming contracts with any supernatural entity, from a god like Loki or Poseidon, to the ghost of a hero like Hercules or Sigmund, or even to a large group of lesser entities, such as 108 ghosts, or a magical sword. Most, but not all mages, require some sort of object granted by their patron to use magic, such as a wand or an amulet.
Tinkers are people who, after intense study, suffered an event called a Breakthrough, which effectively rewires their brains to allow them to create inventions that others couldn't. Things like disintegration rays, sentient AI, power armor. They all have a Knack, a theme that their inventions work within. A Tinker with a Knack for robots could build an android bounty hunter, but couldn't build the laser sword his friend with a Knack for weapons could. Most Tinker creations aren't very user friendly, so usually the only person that can use them without hurting themselves is their creator. There are a few Tinkers that can make machines usable by most people, but it takes a very, very long time. Finally, a Breakthrough results in a fundamental change to the mind. Many Tinkers thus have difficulty relating to other people, and often have strange tics.
Adepts are the broadest group. They are humans who, through extreme training, have gained powers beyond what normal humans can do. Many Adepts simply have abilities that are more powerful versions of ones humans have: Super strength, augmented speed...However, there are other Adepts who have developed the ability to use ki. These powers are similar to mage abilities, though they don't stem from a supernatural being. Instead, they come from within. These Adepts can shoot lasers from their hands, cover themselves in protective barriers, and do other things. Finally, people who have permanently had their bodies altered fall under this. Someone who had their arms sliced off, and had a Tinker replace them with robot arms would be an Adept.
The countries as we know them don't exist any more. The world is instead divided into several city-states, with miles of wilderness between them. Ruins of bombed-out cities dot the countryside, and some of the robots built to fight in the war still roam the land, attacking anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path. And a few of the nukes that were dropped still remain, just waiting to be detonated. Bizarre creatures such as dragons and minotaurs, created by Tinkers or Mages or simply mutated by the war wait in lairs.
Most of North and South America is to some extent policed by The Center, a government based in an Arcology somewhere in the Nevada desert. It's dotted with several smaller city states, which to a greater or lesser extent are controlled by them. Eurasia is in anarchy, split into several small nations constantly at war with one another. Egypt is controlled by a Tinker who has an army of beastmen he created serving him, Japan is full of Adepts trying to control the most islands, and China is ruled by a powerful necromancer, among others.
There are three main types:
Mages, who make contracts with supernatural beings like demons or gods to attain magical power in the form of spells. Each spell has a given use. A mage that knows a fireball spell wouldn't necessarily also be able to breathe fire, unless they had a spell for that as well. Mages can gain powers by forming contracts with any supernatural entity, from a god like Loki or Poseidon, to the ghost of a hero like Hercules or Sigmund, or even to a large group of lesser entities, such as 108 ghosts, or a magical sword. Most, but not all mages, require some sort of object granted by their patron to use magic, such as a wand or an amulet.
Tinkers are people who, after intense study, suffered an event called a Breakthrough, which effectively rewires their brains to allow them to create inventions that others couldn't. Things like disintegration rays, sentient AI, power armor. They all have a Knack, a theme that their inventions work within. A Tinker with a Knack for robots could build an android bounty hunter, but couldn't build the laser sword his friend with a Knack for weapons could. Most Tinker creations aren't very user friendly, so usually the only person that can use them without hurting themselves is their creator. There are a few Tinkers that can make machines usable by most people, but it takes a very, very long time. Finally, a Breakthrough results in a fundamental change to the mind. Many Tinkers thus have difficulty relating to other people, and often have strange tics.
Adepts are the broadest group. They are humans who, through extreme training, have gained powers beyond what normal humans can do. Many Adepts simply have abilities that are more powerful versions of ones humans have: Super strength, augmented speed...However, there are other Adepts who have developed the ability to use ki. These powers are similar to mage abilities, though they don't stem from a supernatural being. Instead, they come from within. These Adepts can shoot lasers from their hands, cover themselves in protective barriers, and do other things. Finally, people who have permanently had their bodies altered fall under this. Someone who had their arms sliced off, and had a Tinker replace them with robot arms would be an Adept.
The countries as we know them don't exist any more. The world is instead divided into several city-states, with miles of wilderness between them. Ruins of bombed-out cities dot the countryside, and some of the robots built to fight in the war still roam the land, attacking anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path. And a few of the nukes that were dropped still remain, just waiting to be detonated. Bizarre creatures such as dragons and minotaurs, created by Tinkers or Mages or simply mutated by the war wait in lairs.
Most of North and South America is to some extent policed by The Center, a government based in an Arcology somewhere in the Nevada desert. It's dotted with several smaller city states, which to a greater or lesser extent are controlled by them. Eurasia is in anarchy, split into several small nations constantly at war with one another. Egypt is controlled by a Tinker who has an army of beastmen he created serving him, Japan is full of Adepts trying to control the most islands, and China is ruled by a powerful necromancer, among others.
Rules
-No god-modding
-Keep things PG-13 in regards to sex, but otherwise go crazy.
-This RP is gonna be a tad more player driven than others. In most RPs, players are reacting to the villains. Since in this RP characters are more or less the villains, having your characters go off to steal a nuke from an abandoned base or the staff of chaos from The Center is encouraged. That said, there will be a main quest to follow.
-Keep things PG-13 in regards to sex, but otherwise go crazy.
-This RP is gonna be a tad more player driven than others. In most RPs, players are reacting to the villains. Since in this RP characters are more or less the villains, having your characters go off to steal a nuke from an abandoned base or the staff of chaos from The Center is encouraged. That said, there will be a main quest to follow.
Sign-Ups
Name: Most Outlaws have two: A birth name, and an alias.
Archetype: Tinker, Mage, or Adept? If a Tinker, include your knack. There's a decent amount of overlap between the groups: Many Mages or Tinkers supplement their abilities with Adept powers, and there are Adepts who use simple Tinker-made gadgets.
Age: A good portion of Outlaws are in their late teens or early twenties, but there are also middle-aged Outlaws, seventy-year olds in power armor...Any age is acceptable, since powers can compensate.
Gender: In this world, there's very little sexism. With an entire country of half-human monsters, things like sex and race have become a bit of a non-issue.
Appearance: Most people look like humans in our world, but it's not uncommon for Outlaws to permanently alter their bodies in some way. Mages have turned themselves into undead monsters, there are Tinkers that put their brains in robot bodies, and body modification is very common for Adepts.
History: No length requirement, just include how they got their powers, and how they ended up in The Labyrinth.
Abilities: List Adept techniques and Mage spells here. Mages should start with two or three spells.
Equipment: Any Tinker-made items go here, as well as mundane equipment. Though characters will begin in prison, they will be reunited with their things fairly soon.
Skills: List any mundane abilities here.
Archetype: Tinker, Mage, or Adept? If a Tinker, include your knack. There's a decent amount of overlap between the groups: Many Mages or Tinkers supplement their abilities with Adept powers, and there are Adepts who use simple Tinker-made gadgets.
Age: A good portion of Outlaws are in their late teens or early twenties, but there are also middle-aged Outlaws, seventy-year olds in power armor...Any age is acceptable, since powers can compensate.
Gender: In this world, there's very little sexism. With an entire country of half-human monsters, things like sex and race have become a bit of a non-issue.
Appearance: Most people look like humans in our world, but it's not uncommon for Outlaws to permanently alter their bodies in some way. Mages have turned themselves into undead monsters, there are Tinkers that put their brains in robot bodies, and body modification is very common for Adepts.
History: No length requirement, just include how they got their powers, and how they ended up in The Labyrinth.
Abilities: List Adept techniques and Mage spells here. Mages should start with two or three spells.
Equipment: Any Tinker-made items go here, as well as mundane equipment. Though characters will begin in prison, they will be reunited with their things fairly soon.
Skills: List any mundane abilities here.
Example SUs
Name: Rex "Dragon" Miller
Archetype: Adept
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Appearance: Rex is a tall, muscular young man. He's been fighting for much of his life, and it shows, his body riddled with scars, many of them products of his training. The most prominent is a burnscar covering the left half of his face. He's otherwise fairly handsome, with bright green eyes, and flowing brown hair. He typically wears a leather jacket over his bare chest to show off the large scar running across his chest, along with a pair of durable jeans and thick boots. All of his clothes have been treated to be flame retardant, though they still become charred quickly, forcing him to buy knew ones on a fairly regular basis.
History: Dragon was born to a fairly poor family in the city of Neo Vegas. His mom died shortly after he was born, and his father was an alcoholic. He started skipping school to train as an Adept with an Outlaw who called himself Dante. He joined Scratch's gang, a group of pyrokinetic Outlaws. They made him feel like he belonged, and Dante was like the father he never had. They went on a lot of successful exploits. They knocked over banks, took hostages. And they burnt everything to the ground. When he was 18, he went to live at Dante's base. Shortly after, everything went to hell. One of the members betrayed everyone, and told the police where they lived. Rex was the only one who wasn't killed. Instead, he was arrested and taken to The Labyrinth.
Abilities: Dragon combines fire-based ki powers with enhanced strength. By snapping his fingers, Dragon can cover his body in a fiery aura. While alight, Dragon becomes much stronger, able to punch through a door and strangle the man on the other side. He won't hurt his hand doing so either, as it makes him a bit more durable. He won't deflect bullets, but they won't penetrate as deeply. However, his power doesn't work in very humid environments, nor if he's soaked in water.
Equipment: As stated above, his clothing is flame-retardent.
Skills: Dragon is fairly skilled in hand-to-hand combat. He's not a master, but he knows how to effectively throw a punch.
Name: Lauren Feurstein
Archetype: Mage
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Appearance: Lauren is a tad tall for a girl, at 5'11, with fair skin hinting at her German descent. She has a dragon tattoo running along her upper left arm, and has a somewhat muscular build. She emphasis comfort when dressing herself, typically wearing a white hooded sweater and a pair of loose fitting jeans with tennis shoes. Since she can magically armor herself using Corona, she doesn't really wear any armor.
History: Lauren lived in Berlin, Germany. Like most European city-states, it was in constant flux. Her parents were nobles within the government when a revolution broke out. They were killed, and when the rebels were closing in on her, she had a vision of a dragon goddess offering to rescue her. Lauren agreed, and when she came to, she had a sword in her hands. She fought bravely. The rebels had killed almost everyone in the palace, but Lauren managed to cut their numbers in half. Eventually, she was overwhelmed and captured. Having no facility to put Outlaws in, the new government of Berlin turned her over to the Center to put her in The Labyrinth.
Abilities: Lauren uses her magic sword, called Corona, to cast her spells.
Reflect: By blocking an energy based attack with her blade, Lauren can reflect it back at its user.
Corona Slash: By focusing her mind and slicing at the air, Lauren can fire a wave of white light at her enemy. This attack hurts about as much as if the foe had been slashed normally, the benefit being that it can hit foes far away.
Battle Aura: By holding her sword aloft, Lauren can cover her body in an aura of light. This aura protects her from physical attacks as if she were wearing leather armor.
Equipment: Lauren fights using a magical sword called Corona, gifted to her by the dragon goddess Tiamat. In addition to the spells it allows her to cast, it's very sharp, and Lauren can summon it to her hands any time she snaps her fingers. It takes the appearance of an ornate longsword, with a golden hilt covered in large rubies. The blade shines as if made from silver, and in the dark, glows very softly.
Skills: Lauren is a skilled swordsman, able to hold her own in combat with a bladed weapon.
Name: Johnny "Doc" Saint
Archetype: Tinker (Fungus)
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Appearance: Johnny is a very pale man. Just a few shades lighter, and he'd be an albino. He has a messy mop of platinum blond hair atop his head, and his eyes are a very pale shade of blue, nearly grey. His skin is pale as well. He never tans, he just burns. Johnny has a slender figure. He's not unfit. He bikes most places. But he's tall and lean. He has handsome features. He's not very rugged. He's more boyish in his appearance, with big eyes, and usually a serene expression on his face. As far as clothes, he favors comfort above all else. He usually wears a loose hooded sweater over a t-shirt and some jeans.
History: Johnny had a troubled childhood. His mother was very young when he was conceived. Her religious beliefs forced her to keep the child, but she resented him for much of his childhood. Though she never hit him, she was often emotionally abusive. This made him very reserved as a child, and combined with the fact that his family was very poor, this caused him to be bullied a lot as a kid. He had few friends, but his teachers sympathized with him. He occupied himself by studying. He tried to win his mother's approval by being a good student, and he brought home straight As. It didn't help much, but he continued his studies. His teachers said he was a genius, and he may have been. He was allowed to skip two years of high school, and eventually won a full-ride scholarship. He moved out of his house at the age of 16, and began his education as a medical student.
He was in college, and he continued to excel. If he wasn't eating or sleeping, he was studying or going to class. It was taking it's toll on him: He never was a healthy kid, and the lack of sleep and skipping meals began to hurt him. But he ignored it. He got an internship as a doctor's aide at the local hospital, and that was when it all went wrong. It was late at night, and there was only one doctor on call. A man was wheeled in. A homeless man. Some teenagers had beaten him half to death. The doctor never showed. He had a car crash. Johnny and a few nurses were the only ones there. Johnny tried his best to save the man. Maybe if he had gotten more sleep, or had eaten that day, he could have. But he died in Johnny's arms.
What Johnny did was completely against protocol and unethical. He was fired on the spot. Johnny had nothing to say about it. He was completely numb. He went back to his dorm, and went to bed. That night, something happened. His brain rearranged itself. New pathways opened up. When he woke up, he knew exactly what had happened. He solved medical conundrums that had stumped doctors for decades in his head. He began experimenting on himself. He was decades ahead of modern medicine. And he could do more. But he needed test subjects. Lots of test subjects. Of course, he was caught, and due to the nature of his crimes, sent to The Labyrinth.
Equipment: Doc knows how to breed small, purple mushrooms. These mushrooms, when squeezed, release spores. These spores have two different functions: When they come into contact with a dead body, they infect the nervous system, causing the body to reanimate. Using a simple radio transmitter he built using a walkie-talkie, he can control them, giving them basic commands like "kill" or "guard". When the spores come into contact with wounded, living tissue, they will heal it. He also usually keeps a briefcase full of surgical equipment on hand.
Skills: Doc is skilled at sewing, and is a skilled medic.
Archetype: Adept
Age: 19
Gender: Male
Appearance: Rex is a tall, muscular young man. He's been fighting for much of his life, and it shows, his body riddled with scars, many of them products of his training. The most prominent is a burnscar covering the left half of his face. He's otherwise fairly handsome, with bright green eyes, and flowing brown hair. He typically wears a leather jacket over his bare chest to show off the large scar running across his chest, along with a pair of durable jeans and thick boots. All of his clothes have been treated to be flame retardant, though they still become charred quickly, forcing him to buy knew ones on a fairly regular basis.
History: Dragon was born to a fairly poor family in the city of Neo Vegas. His mom died shortly after he was born, and his father was an alcoholic. He started skipping school to train as an Adept with an Outlaw who called himself Dante. He joined Scratch's gang, a group of pyrokinetic Outlaws. They made him feel like he belonged, and Dante was like the father he never had. They went on a lot of successful exploits. They knocked over banks, took hostages. And they burnt everything to the ground. When he was 18, he went to live at Dante's base. Shortly after, everything went to hell. One of the members betrayed everyone, and told the police where they lived. Rex was the only one who wasn't killed. Instead, he was arrested and taken to The Labyrinth.
Abilities: Dragon combines fire-based ki powers with enhanced strength. By snapping his fingers, Dragon can cover his body in a fiery aura. While alight, Dragon becomes much stronger, able to punch through a door and strangle the man on the other side. He won't hurt his hand doing so either, as it makes him a bit more durable. He won't deflect bullets, but they won't penetrate as deeply. However, his power doesn't work in very humid environments, nor if he's soaked in water.
Equipment: As stated above, his clothing is flame-retardent.
Skills: Dragon is fairly skilled in hand-to-hand combat. He's not a master, but he knows how to effectively throw a punch.
Name: Lauren Feurstein
Archetype: Mage
Age: 17
Gender: Female
Appearance: Lauren is a tad tall for a girl, at 5'11, with fair skin hinting at her German descent. She has a dragon tattoo running along her upper left arm, and has a somewhat muscular build. She emphasis comfort when dressing herself, typically wearing a white hooded sweater and a pair of loose fitting jeans with tennis shoes. Since she can magically armor herself using Corona, she doesn't really wear any armor.
History: Lauren lived in Berlin, Germany. Like most European city-states, it was in constant flux. Her parents were nobles within the government when a revolution broke out. They were killed, and when the rebels were closing in on her, she had a vision of a dragon goddess offering to rescue her. Lauren agreed, and when she came to, she had a sword in her hands. She fought bravely. The rebels had killed almost everyone in the palace, but Lauren managed to cut their numbers in half. Eventually, she was overwhelmed and captured. Having no facility to put Outlaws in, the new government of Berlin turned her over to the Center to put her in The Labyrinth.
Abilities: Lauren uses her magic sword, called Corona, to cast her spells.
Reflect: By blocking an energy based attack with her blade, Lauren can reflect it back at its user.
Corona Slash: By focusing her mind and slicing at the air, Lauren can fire a wave of white light at her enemy. This attack hurts about as much as if the foe had been slashed normally, the benefit being that it can hit foes far away.
Battle Aura: By holding her sword aloft, Lauren can cover her body in an aura of light. This aura protects her from physical attacks as if she were wearing leather armor.
Equipment: Lauren fights using a magical sword called Corona, gifted to her by the dragon goddess Tiamat. In addition to the spells it allows her to cast, it's very sharp, and Lauren can summon it to her hands any time she snaps her fingers. It takes the appearance of an ornate longsword, with a golden hilt covered in large rubies. The blade shines as if made from silver, and in the dark, glows very softly.
Skills: Lauren is a skilled swordsman, able to hold her own in combat with a bladed weapon.
Name: Johnny "Doc" Saint
Archetype: Tinker (Fungus)
Age: 15
Gender: Male
Appearance: Johnny is a very pale man. Just a few shades lighter, and he'd be an albino. He has a messy mop of platinum blond hair atop his head, and his eyes are a very pale shade of blue, nearly grey. His skin is pale as well. He never tans, he just burns. Johnny has a slender figure. He's not unfit. He bikes most places. But he's tall and lean. He has handsome features. He's not very rugged. He's more boyish in his appearance, with big eyes, and usually a serene expression on his face. As far as clothes, he favors comfort above all else. He usually wears a loose hooded sweater over a t-shirt and some jeans.
History: Johnny had a troubled childhood. His mother was very young when he was conceived. Her religious beliefs forced her to keep the child, but she resented him for much of his childhood. Though she never hit him, she was often emotionally abusive. This made him very reserved as a child, and combined with the fact that his family was very poor, this caused him to be bullied a lot as a kid. He had few friends, but his teachers sympathized with him. He occupied himself by studying. He tried to win his mother's approval by being a good student, and he brought home straight As. It didn't help much, but he continued his studies. His teachers said he was a genius, and he may have been. He was allowed to skip two years of high school, and eventually won a full-ride scholarship. He moved out of his house at the age of 16, and began his education as a medical student.
He was in college, and he continued to excel. If he wasn't eating or sleeping, he was studying or going to class. It was taking it's toll on him: He never was a healthy kid, and the lack of sleep and skipping meals began to hurt him. But he ignored it. He got an internship as a doctor's aide at the local hospital, and that was when it all went wrong. It was late at night, and there was only one doctor on call. A man was wheeled in. A homeless man. Some teenagers had beaten him half to death. The doctor never showed. He had a car crash. Johnny and a few nurses were the only ones there. Johnny tried his best to save the man. Maybe if he had gotten more sleep, or had eaten that day, he could have. But he died in Johnny's arms.
What Johnny did was completely against protocol and unethical. He was fired on the spot. Johnny had nothing to say about it. He was completely numb. He went back to his dorm, and went to bed. That night, something happened. His brain rearranged itself. New pathways opened up. When he woke up, he knew exactly what had happened. He solved medical conundrums that had stumped doctors for decades in his head. He began experimenting on himself. He was decades ahead of modern medicine. And he could do more. But he needed test subjects. Lots of test subjects. Of course, he was caught, and due to the nature of his crimes, sent to The Labyrinth.
Equipment: Doc knows how to breed small, purple mushrooms. These mushrooms, when squeezed, release spores. These spores have two different functions: When they come into contact with a dead body, they infect the nervous system, causing the body to reanimate. Using a simple radio transmitter he built using a walkie-talkie, he can control them, giving them basic commands like "kill" or "guard". When the spores come into contact with wounded, living tissue, they will heal it. He also usually keeps a briefcase full of surgical equipment on hand.
Skills: Doc is skilled at sewing, and is a skilled medic.
TL;DR
You're a bad guy with anime powers in prison and you're going to cause all kinds of chaos and mayhem because that's gangsta
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