History Literature / Brennus

First chapter [[http://tieshaunn.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/prologue/ here]].

* AchievementsInIgnorance: Contriving relies on this, given that it works through the PlacebotinumEffect or something similar depending upon the particular kind of contriving. However it gets a special mention because trying to inform the Contriver that what they're doing is impossible is a [[GoneHorriblyWrong bad idea]]:

The author has drawn inspiration from the WhateleyUniverse, LegionOfNothing and [[Literature/{{Worm}} Worm]].

* {{Cyborg}}: Macian made himself several implants after half his body was severely burnt.

* DeflectorShields: Only two Gadgeteers are known to have developed forcefields - one of them is dead and the other rules most of Africa.[[spoiler: Until Macian, at eight years old, casually hands one to a friend.]]

* DomainHolder: Heretic used to be a hero called Hermetic: he's a contriver who specialized in dimensional pockets. Whenever the Savage Six attack a city, he performs a ritual to pull the entire city into his personal dimension, where he sets the rules.

* GunsAkimbo: Tartsche does this. The LawOfInverseRecoil is justified in this case, as his power makes him immovable while active (and presumably protects him against the noise).

* MentalWorld: Ember sees superpowers like this.

* PsychicRadar: Ember has a degree of this mixed with TheEmpath, able to sense people in his range and potentially identify them through their superpower or their emotions.

* ChestBurster: By WordOfGod, Desolation-in-Light [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe bisected Lady Light]] when she manifested in the womb. Lady Light survived, barely.

* FetusTerrible: Desolation-in-Light manifested while still in the womb. She proceeded to teleport away, age herself up, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking destroy Los Angeles]].

* IdolSinger: Polymnia is a famous performer, known as the "Metahuman Popprincess".

* LightIsGood: Lady Light is the world's top superhero. However....
* LightIsNotGood: Desolation-in-Light, the child of Lady Light and the Dark. The 'Desolation' part is key here: an insufficient response (or just plain bad luck) will result in her destroying a city or worse. The 'Light' part comes from her ever-active [[SphereOfPower Desolation Field]].

* MachineMonotone: Eudocia. Polymnia is mute and uses a voice synthesizer or SignLanguage.

* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Justified in specific cases, as getting what powers she needs is specifically the power of Gloom Glimmer, and Desolation-in-Light is able to switch powersets.

* NoSell: Desolation-in-Light's permanent defensive power is described thus: ''A close up of her, taken by what had to be a Gadgeteer-made long-range camera, showed that all the attacks simply stopped about an inch from her skin, as if reality itself was simply saying 'No'.'' Oddly, she still dedicates part of her AdaptiveAbility to defensive aspects.

* PowerAtAPrice: When Polymnia manifested her gadgeteering (with a sonics specialization) she became mute. And all metahumans have a chance at [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity mental derangement]].

* PowerIncontinence: Gloom Glimmer suffers from this, and she takes several special pills a minute just to rein her power in. Otherwise, her power [[AdaptiveAbility gives her whatever power it thinks she needs]] - such as a powerful sexual glamour when she wants to impress her new teammates, or telepathy or clairvoyance to answer every idle thought - and she can't turn it off.

* PrehensileHair: Desolation-in-Light has this - and doesn't wear anything else. It's also constantly coated in a devouring light that destroys anything (other than her) it touches.

* PubertySuperpower: Not a hard-and-fast rule, but a general guideline. People who come into their powers before puberty tend to be more powerful; people who gain them after less powerful. Mixed with TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening.

* SpiderLimbs: Polymnia's PowerSuit is mostly these - ten of them, in fact. Four hold her up, two hold specialized keyboards, and the other four hold eight speakers each. They are, of course, mounted on the back of her armour.
* StevenUlyssesPerhero: Polymnia is a sounds-based Gadgeteer who cannot speak. Her birth-name is Melody. Justified in that her family is apparently very musical - her inability to perform any kind of music is what led to her manifestation, which resulted in an appropriate power.

* TheAloner: When Ember looks at Desolation-in-Light's "world" he sees that she has no connections to anyone.

* UnskilledButStrong: That Desolation-in-Light does not use her powers intelligently is her only weakness, and she tends to react to any interference with her current power set by completely changing it. Her powers grow stronger the longer she has them, so getting her to change powers frequently reduces the damage she deals. It's a pity one of her permanent powers is [[NoSell invulnerability]].

* CastingAShadow: The Dark summons [[LivingShadow Darkwraiths]], sentient three-dimensional shadows with six red eyes and superpowers. He constantly wraps himself in one: only a handful of people have seen his true face in the past ninety years.

* DarkIsEvil: The Dark is the world's top supervillain.

* ForegoneConclusion: "They Called Us Mad!" is the Dark's StartOfDarkness. That the readers know how he ends up makes several scenes very poignant.

* WeakenedByTheLight: The slightest touch of Lady Light's hard-light constructs will destroy the Dark's Darkwraiths.

Tropes specific to significant characters or groups can be found on the [[{{Characters}}/{{Brennus}} Characters page]].

First chapter [[http://tieshaunn.wordpress.com/2012/11/01/prologue/ here]].

* AlliterativeName: Basileus Bartholomew Balthasar Brant-Blake. His sister is Amanda Blake, so it seems she was spared. Basil then picks the codename Brennus.

* AnimalThemedSuperbeing: Brennus is a more subtle example of an animal themed alias. He's themed after ravens, and he named himself after [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brennus Brennus]], which was the title of a real life ancient chiefain who wore a raven-themed helmet. Obviously, Brennus decides very early on that having robotic ravens to assist him is an awesome idea.
* ArsenalAttire: Mindstar wears [[CombatStilettos high-heels]]. One of the heels is a knife, the other is a communication device.
* ArtificialIntelligence: Eudocia is an Artificial General Intelligence that Brennus recovered and initialized. She calls him 'Father', despite his protests.

* BerserkButton: Amy is very protective of Basil.
* BornLucky: Tyche's power is heavy-duty probability manipulation, although it's building up to a bad luck EquivalentExchange.

* ClothingDamage: Mindstar does this to her opponents, because the [[ShamefulStrip association of nudity to helplessness]] makes them more susceptible to her telepathy.
* CombatStilettos: The second question Basil asks Mindstar is how she manages this. She uses her telekinesis to help herself manouevre when she's not outright flying.
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: The reason why Basil and Amy don't need to worry about any parental interference.

* DontCallMeSir: Eudocia calls Brennus 'Father'. Even when she's agreeing not to.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: When his sister reveals that she's a supervillain in the prologue, Basil asks questions about her job and costume, to her surprise, establishing him as the kind of person who stays calm and focuses on the details.

* HomemadeInventions: Most gadgeteers (and contrivers) start out like this. Brennus builds a supercomputer and a small electromagnetic power generator in two days and is working on a [[RayGun "remote detonator for inorganic, rigid matter"]] when his sister catches him. She'd been away for three days: the first one was spent writing scripts to buy things without paying for them and waiting on express shipping.

* JourneyToTheCentreOfTheMind: Amy looks inside Basil's head, with permission. Even so, Basil's mind doesn't let her wander around freely, and eventually forcefully ejects her.
* [[KnightTemplarBigBrother KnightTemplarBigSister]]: Amy is ''very'' protective of Basil.

* LightningGun: Brennus develops one of these as a StunGun, although it takes quite a bit of power to use.

* OmnidisciplinaryScientist: Brennus seems to be this, which is unusual for a gadgeteer - most have pretty firm specializations, such as Polymnia's sonics. Brennus's power even covers cooking.

* OutWithABang: When Mindstar kills [[spoiler: Switchbitch]]. The sex was more Mindstar enjoying torture way too much.

* PowerStrainBlackout: Amy has one of these after her delve into Basil's mind.

* PromotedToParent: Amy is Basil's older sister and guardian since their parents died about a year before the story started. She used her powers to [[MindControl convince]] the judges.
* PsychicAssistedSuicide: Mindstar did this to her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend.

* PsychoactivePowers: Some powers grow stronger under certain circumstances, including emotions (generally related to the manifestation event). An example is Fire Burial, whose powers grow stronger the angrier she is.

* ShowingOffTheNewBody: Often a response to manifesting the Adonis power. Tyche takes it to extremes, including walking around naked in the hideout and trying to get Brennus to design her suit to [[BareYourMidriff bare her midriff]] or [[AbsoluteCleavage cleavage]].

* SpellConstruction: Hecate is an enchantress-type contriver, who works this way to imbue items with powers.

* {{Stripperiffic}}: Tyche insisted, so to get around the problem of this making her vulnerable, Brennus [[SubvertedTrope subverted the trope]] by creating armour with transparent areas so that it could still actually protect her as well as revealing her.

* TheKnightsWhoSaySquee: Hecate is a big fan of Polymnia. She actually [[{{Squee}} Squees]].

* {{Vibroweapon}}: Brennus develop one of these after looking at some of Polymnia's tech.

The author has drawn inspiration from the WhateleyUniverse and Worm.

* OhCrap: the reaction when Desolation-In-Light used her powers intelligently.

* TheAloner: when Ember looks at Desolation-in-Light he sees that she has no connections to anyone.

* PhysicalGod: Is there anything that Ember can’t do? This mysterious character seems to be basically omnipotent from what has been revealed so far.

[[http://tieshaunn.wordpress.com/Brennus Brennus]] is a WebSerialNovel about Basil, a teenage super-scientist. After discovering his power, his sister Amy reveals herself to be one of the world's top supervillains, Mindstar. Much to her dismay, Basil decides to become a vigilante by the name of Brennus, and quickly finds two other superpowered teenagers to join him, Tyche and Hecate.

* AWorldHalfFull: Villains outnumber the heroes and devastating attacks from beings like the incredibly powerful Desolation-in-Light and the monsters called Spiteborn are a regular occurrence. The main positive about the setting is that the world has managed to avoid ending, thanks to some powerful heroes protecting it from the powerful villains. There is an element of optimism in the despair that keeps it from being a CrapsackWorld, as Brennus is starting out as a superhero.

* CastingAShadow: The Dark summons [[LivingShadow Darkwraiths]], sentient three-dimensional shadows with six red eyes and particular abilities. He constantly wraps himself in one: only a handful of people have seen his true face in the past ninety years.

* CombatStilettos: The second question Brennus asks Mindstar is how she manages this. She uses her telekinesis to help herself manouevre when she's not outright flying.

* PsychicRadar: Ember has a degree of this mixed with TheEmpath, able to sense people in his range and potentially identify them through their superpower or their emotions.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: When his sister reveals that she's a supervillain in the prologue, Basil asks questions about her job and costume, to her suprise, establishing him as the kind of person who stays calm and focuses on the details.
* {{Exposition}}: Lots of it. Amy gets a fair bit in the first chapter, but it's an in-universe RunningGag with Brennus.

* HeroicBuild: Adonis type powers are a common superpower (some would say the MostCommonSuperpower) that makes many metahumans more attractive.

* {{Shapeshifting}}: The Morphing power, present in various degrees: Amy can change herself superficially; Bakeneko can take any organic form but can't change her mass; Hemming can take any organic or inorganic form within a range of about one-tenth or fifty times his own mass.

* SphereOfPower: Common among Metahumans. Basil will be reasearching this later.

* ClothingDamage: Mindstar does this to her opponents, because [[ShamefulStrip association of nudity to helplessness]] makes them more susceptible to her telepathy.

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: The chance of having a mental defect rises exponentially with the strength of your power (and is even greater for Contrivers). God-Tier non-contrivers have a derangement chance of 79%. Luckily, sixty-eight percent of metahumans fall within the Exemplar (weakest) tier, which has a mental defect chance of less than eleven percent.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: When his sister reveals that she's a supervillain in the prologue, Basil asks questions about her job and costume, so her suprise, establishing him as the kind of person who focuses on the details.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: The Dark, Desolation-In-Light, Heretic, Atrocity, for just a few of the villains who are as scary as they sound.

* AWorldHalfFull: Villains outnumber the heroes and devastating attacks from beings like the incredibly powerful Desolation-in-Light and the monsters called Spiteborn are a regular occurrence. The main positive about the setting is that the world has managed to avoid ending, thanks to some powerful heroes protecting it from the powerful villains. There is an element of optimism in the despair that keeps it from being a CrapsackWorld, as Brennus is just starting out and currently succeeding in helping as a superhero.

* MachineMonotone: Eudocia. Polymnia is mute uses a voice synthesizer or SignLanguage.

* ClothingDamage: Mindstar does this to her opponents, because the association of nudity to helplessness makes them more susceptible to her telepathy.

* CrapsackWorld: Villains outnumber the heroes and devastating attacks from the incredibly powerful Desolation-in-Light and the monsters called Spiteborn are a regular occurrence. The main positive about the setting is that the world has managed to avoid ending, thanks to some powerful heroes protecting it from the powerful villains.

* Vibroweapon: Brennus develop one of these after looking at some of Polymnia's tech.

* ArsenalAttire: Mindstar wears [[CombatStilettos high-heels]]. One of the heels is a knife, the other is a communication device. She uses her telekinesis to help herself manouevre when she's not outright flying.

* SuperHumanTrafficking: Not uncommon. People with the Adonis trait (especially if it comes with little or nothing else) are targets for sex slavery. Other powers tend to vary depending upon the risk-versus-reward scenario, but the Califate pays top-dollar for Contrivers, and everyone wants a gadgeteer. Used as a threat by a villain at one point. [[spoiler: Amusingly, he threatens to sell Brennus to his sister.]]

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: The chance of having a mental defect rises exponentially with the strength of your power (and is even greater for Contrivers). God-Tier non-contrivers have a derangement chance of 79%. Luckily, sixty-eight percent of metahumans fall within the Exemplar (weakest) tier, which has a mental defect chance of less than eleven percent.

* AlliterativeName: Basileus Bartholomew Balthasar Brant-Blake. His sister is Amanda Blake, so it seems she was spared.

* {{Exposition}}: Lots of it. Amy gets a fair bit in the fair chapter, but it's an in-universe RunningGag with Brennus.

* HardLight: Lady Light's power is to conjure hard-light constructs with particular abilities.

* PowerAtAPrice: When Polymnia manifested her gadgeteering (with a sonics specialization) she became mute. And all metahumans have a chance at [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity mental derangement]].

* WeakenedByTheLight: The slightest touch of Lady Light's hard-light construct will destroy the Dark's Darkwraiths.
* WholeEpisodeFlashback: An Ember of Hope is a full-arc flashback/OriginsStory. The interludes "End of an Age" and "They Called Us Mad!" are also set in the past.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: The chance of having a mental defect rises exponentially with the strength of your power (and is even greater for Contrivers). God-Tier non-contrivers have a derangement chance of 79%. Luckily, sixty-eight percent of metahumans fall within the Exemplar (weakest) tier, which has a mental defect chance of less than eleven percent.

* PoweredArmour: Brennus would never be able to engage in combat without his suit.
* ReedRichardsIsUseless: Averted. Thanks to Gadgeteers, technology is much more advanced than in our world.

* WholeEpisodeFlashback: An Ember of Hope.

* SuperIntelligence: Gadgeteers are limited by the laws of physics, but that’s the only limit to what they can create when provided with enough time and resources. However, the speed of invention varies between Gadgeteers.

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: The chance of having a mental defect rises exponentially with the strength of your power (and is even greater for Contrivers). God-Tier non-contrivers have a derangement chance of 79%. Luckily, sixty-eight percent of metahumans fall within the Exemplar (weakest) tier, which has a mental defect chance of less than eleven percent.

[[http://tieshaunn.wordpress.com/Brennus Brennus]] is a WebSerialNovel about Basil, a teenage super-scientist. After discovering his power, his sister reveals herself to be one of the world's top supervillains. Much to her dismay, Basil decides to become a vigilante by the name of Brennus, and quickly finds two other superpowered teenagers to join him.

[[http://tieshaunn.wordpress.com/ Brenus ]] is a WebSerialNovel about a superhero called Brennus. After deciding to become a superhero, with only the creations of his [[SuperIntelligence superpower]], and with the help of a couple of other super heroes, he will try to use his power for good and still survive, if possible without relying on his supervillain sister too much.

Includes the Tropes:
* AnimalThemedSuperbeing: Brennus is a more subtle example of an animal themed alias. He's themed after ravens, and he named himself after [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brennus Brenus]], which was the title of a real life ancient chiefain who wore a helmet with a raven on. Obviously, Brennus decides very early on that having robotic ravens to assist him is an awesome idea.
* CrapsackWorld: Villains outnumber the heroes and devastating attacks from the incredibly powerful Desolation in Light and the monsters called Spiteborn are a regular occurrence. The main positives about the setting is that the world has managed to avoid ending, thanks to some powerful heroes protecting it from the powerful villains.

* MadScientist: Contrivers are almost guaranteed to be this, due to their incredible creations fuelled by their TheSparkOfGenius and their above average chance of being insane. Gadgeteers can also fit into the mad scientist Trope very well.
* TheMinionMaster: Spawner type metahumans can minions, of varying power and complexity.
* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Justified, as getting new powers as they go along is specifically the power of Gloom Glimmer, and Desolation in Light as well (to a lesser extent).
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Desolation in Light. Her attacks and the response to them are more like natural disasters than battles.

* TheSparkOfGenius: Contrivers can create stuff that only works because of their power. Don’t tell them this, it makes them very upset.
* {Stripperiffic}: Tyche insisted, so to get around the problem of this making her vulnerable, Brennus [[SubvertedTrope subverted the trope]] by creating armour with transparent areas so that it could still actually protect her as well as revealing her.
* Super Intelligence: Gadgeteers are limited by the laws of physics, but that’s the only limit to what they can create when provided with enough time and resources. However, the speed of invention varies between Gadgeteers.
* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: If getting superpowers didn’t turn you insane, then you were one of the lucky ones in Brennus’ world.

* AnimalThemedSuperbeing: Brennus is a more subtle example of an animal themed alias. He's themed after ravens, and he named himself after [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brennus Brenus]], which was the titrle of a real life ancient chiefain who wore a helmet with a raven on. Obviously, Brennus decides very early on that having robotic ravens to assist him is an awesome idea.

* CrapsackWorld: Villains outnumber the heroes and devastating attacks from the incredibly powerful Desolation in Light and the monsters called Spiteborn are a regular occurrence. The main positive about the setting is that the world has managed to avoid ending again. Oh, and Brennus decided to be a good guy.

* PhysicalGod: Is there anything that Ember can’t do? This mysterious character seems to be basically omnipotent.