My Superhero Island: Sign Ups and Interest

It is an age...of change. The year is 2038.

From the day the Saint was first seen in newsreels back in '39, the world has always had champions. For decades, they've protected it from superpowered criminals, mad scientists, nazi nitwits, alien invaders, and even the odd incursion from other dimensions. Regardless of their origins — whether they received their powers in some sort of accident, were born with their abilities, used tech to get by, or relied purely on their training and hard work — they have long vowed to protect the world and make it a better place.

However, in recent times, conflicts and calamities that seemed to center around metahumans and nonhumans incited a wave of increasingly hostile attitudes across nations toward the heroes that have previously saved it. "Why did none of this happen when there WEREN'T metahumans?"

The Saint, reborn and renewed, has devised a solution that honored the commitment of the Heroes to the world, but also honors the lives the young deserve to live. With the assistance of a mysterious woman named Mira, who claims to have seen the future in its dire entirety, a solution was reached. A mysterious island was selected for the purpose of housing a homeland for the Metahuman and Nonhuman Population.

Formerly an enemy of the Protectors, the Island - known as Aratoa - has agreed on three conditions to become the new homeland. Utilizing its nature as a living biomechanical ecosystem, it created a sustainable, green, thriving city and surrounding rural landscape.

The Heroes would continue their efforts, but from a safer, more secure location without risk to their lives from a "policy decision".

With the assistance of the infamous Doctor Sombra, a promise was made - tragedies would no longer bind the heroic population. Death would, itself, be defeated. And indeed, a procedure was made to ensure any departed Hero can be resurrected.

However, not everyone is enthusiastic about the "Metahuman Island". As Aratoa extends its branches and asserts its power, forces from across the globe united into the most dangerous, determined adversary - ORCHID.

And with one of the most gifted ORCHID scientists finding something auspicious in the far north, they may well have an ace up their sleeve.

In addition to the great, heroic deeds of defending their planet and the innocent, the Heroes of Aratoa must contend with the schemes of ORCHID's shadowy Petals, conflicts with both nations abroad and secrets within. This is your chance to make what you will of this Island Nation.

---

This RP is my take on the concept of the X-Men's recent idea of Krakoa. The Island is home to students, who will be some of the first growing up in this revolutionary experiment in self determination, teachers and staff, as well as established heroes young and old come to help in the Island's creation and defense.

You can play as anywhere from the students at the Aratoa National Academy, a Hero working for one of the numerous Heroic teams involved on the Island, or even staff and teachers at the Academy.

Human allies are welcome through the Ally Voucher System.

Keep in mind that Resurrection is fully available.

---

• Name:
• Superhero Name:
• Age:
• Appearance: (Both their civilian outfits and their hero costume, a must-have for any self-respecting super.)
• Personality:
• Backstory: (Try to include a "how your character found their way to the island".)
• Powers and Abilities:
• Gear:
• Trivia:

NO LONGER APPLICABLE: This character has been replaced, but I'm keeping the sheet up for conservation's sake.

---

• Name: Lilian "Lily" Aquino
• Superhero Name: Vortex
• Age: 19
• Appearance: [1]◊ [2]◊ A young woman with long dark blue hair, pupilless sea blue eyes, and light olive skin with a near-constant perspiration. Most often dressed in a light and airy fighting uniform resembling a gi, with a sky blue short-sleeved robe over a pair of baggy navy blue pants. Typically barefoot and barehanded for the sake of accommodating her powers, but wears a white chestguard over the top of her robe for at least some protection from harm. Stands at a height of 5'5."
• Personality: Lily is a somewhat shy and meek young woman with polite sensibilities and outward niceness, belying an inward sensitivity and a bottled-up reserve of rage that only truly reveals itself when she's under intense stress. Lily's sheltered upbringing in the Aquino family has given her a somewhat naive outlook in adulthood, and she feels particularly insecure about her inexperience in the world outside of her family. Despite her shortcomings in confidence, Lily has a sharp mind for combat and the technicalities of hydrokinesis, considered gifted among her peers due to her intimate understanding of water manipulation, and she's developed the ability to dissociate her emotions from her actions while fighting in order to maximise her efficiency—albeit at the cost of her own self-image.
• Backstory: Lily was born in the Aquino family compound hidden in the Grecian mountains; her father being the powerful and influential Leopold Aquino, head of her family line, and a mother who Lily unfortunately never knew long enough to remember. From a young age, Lily was taught by her father and a series of Aquino mentors in the ways of hydrokinetic combat, and though she stumbled at first due to her hesitation in hurting others, years of pressure and a buildup of intrusive thoughts caused her to finally snap during a routine spar when she was 12 years old: brutally beating up her instructor well past unconsciousness before she was restrained for the sake of safety. After revealing this latent anger and vicious efficiency when enraged, her lessons were thankfully relaxed and focus was shifted onto managing her emotions and channelling them into her spars without becoming overwhelmed by them. Recently, due to the anti-metahuman controversy and the danger posed to the reclusive and distrusted Aquino clan, the entire family has had to abandon their compound in order to settle elsewhere: most giving up their clan practices and moving to other countries in hiding, and a few hundred or so deciding to remain together and move to Aratoa instead to be housed safely along with other metahumans. Though feeling homesick, Lily understands that the family's move was a necessary one, and despite her doubts about how well she'll fare with other people now that the clan is no longer secluded, she hopes it'll be the start of a new chapter both for her and her remaining family together.
• Powers and Abilities:
  • Hydrokinesis: Through a mystical practice unique to the Aquino family, anyone of that particular bloodline can develop the ability to connect with the ancient spiritual forces imbued into all forms of water and commandeer it according to their whims. Using a mixture of breathing techniques, concentration, dance-like manoeuvres, and spiritual connection, Lily can manipulate water with molecular precision; using it either for utilitarian purposes or in combat. Techniques that Lily has learned include crystalline needles of ice, swirling vortexes that she can form in her hands, the power to walk on the surface of water, and the ability to sense her environment by attuning herself with water droplets in the air. Lily's hydrokinesis in particular is so sensitive that a dry atmosphere can be too much for her to handle, and so she usually stays in areas with more humid air or large bodies of water around.
  • Hand-to-Hand Combat: Even without her hydrokinesis, Lily is a disciplined martial artist with plenty of experience thanks to rigorous sparring and training that she's received during her upbringing in the Aquino compound. She is fully capable of taking on an opponent over twice her size, thanks to her knowledge of general weak points, her surprising physical strength, and tenacity. Even if her powers were disabled somehow, Lily would not hesitate to fight regardless.
• Trivia: Lily's theme.

Edited by Enirboreh on Oct 1st 2023 at 9:56:54 AM

bork

Accepted!

• Name: Cain Adamson
• Superhero Name: N/A
• Age: Antediluvian
• Appearance: A familiar face, again.◊ Due to his non-combat position as the Aratoa National Academy's chaplain, he does not have an official hero outfit. The tarnished silver crucifix around his neck is deliberately worn to mock his lesser kin's weaknesses.
  • A point of interest is that his hair is completely stark white, a sign of extreme age in elder vampires and werewolves, commonly replicated through dyes by the vain. His albino coloration, contrasted with his sun-kissed complexion, however, is completely natural.
• Personality: Though sour, gruff, and generally cynical, Cain nonetheless carries a paternal streak for his young charges. By this point, his complaints about the new era are but a formality, and are primarily made to cover up his keen observation of his environment and the people in it. Predatorial in aspect but gentle in nature, he is willing to share his hard-earned wisdom to any who are still willing to harken. That said, he does not suffer fools gladly, and is fully willing to use the full complement of his skills for the greater good.
• Backstory:
  • Cain is the Cain from the Biblical stories. Everyone knows that he killed his younger brother out of spite and jealousy—except he didn't. In truth, he was infected by a strange virus from an unknown source and went mad with bloodthirst under its effects. Cain himself believes that his Grandfather deliberately did this in order to teach humanity some obscure lesson, and somebody needed to be the villain of a cautionary tale in order to test humanity's morals and determination by spreading the dual curses of vampirism and lycanthropy—and if Cain didn't become the first murderer, Abel would have in self-defense. So, Cain willingly accepted his punishment and Mark in order to atone. The story was eventually severely censored because of a conspiracy engineered by vampires to hide their existence.
  • Relegated to being a mere fable, Cain could do his job as God's wetworks man without hindrance or regret. Mostly, he was charged with teaching humanity methods to drive away truly dark forces and hunted down his own monstrous kin when they got too far out of hand. Strangely enough, he was well-traveled and canny enough to have served as multiple male figures in the Biblical tales, being both Joseph and Judas at different points in time. However, sharing his divine bloodline with his son, Jesus, was what allowed the Savior to rise again three days after his crucifixion and bring about the greater miracle of humanity's redemption from Original Sin. From here, tales of an immortal wanderer have faded out over time, with Cain's last known notable action being the Siring of Dracula.
  • As for how Cain arrived at Aratoa, he simply waded into the ocean and swam. With new changes looming on the horizon for his kith and kin, a father does not need a reason to protect his children.
• Powers & Abilities:
  • The Seven-Fold Curse, Lifted: Due to finally achieving redemption, Cain has had his Seven-Fold Curse lifted, and no longer reflects the damage done to him upon his attackers, rendering him able to die. However, while it used to balance out his vampiric and lycanthropic weaknesses, he is now sufficiently old enough to not be affected by any of them anyways, as well as retaining his combined healing factor. And due to bearing a great deal of pain for the long span of his years, he no longer appears to feel any of it. The threat of a true and final death as well as the thrill of battle is sharper than ever for him, and it will take nothing less than full-body destruction to kill Cain—if his Grandfather doesn't decide to bring him back for another round, that is.
  • Fearfully & Wonderfully Made: Cain is the progenitor of all vampires and lycanthropes, and thus has the ability to shapeshift into a larger hybrid battleform as a mark of his high status. Looking like a cross between a giant wolf and a bat, it enables him to fly with the batlike wings upon his back and to unleash his full monstrous strength augmented by his supernaturally sharp fangs and claws, while also being deceptively stealthy for a creature of such massive proportions. Unfortunately, transforming back leaves him with a weak, desiccated body until he can next consume blood. He is also not visible in silver-backed mirrors as well as digital recordings, and casts no shadow.
  • Progenitor Alpha: For subtler operations, Cain can shapeshift into a giant wolf and normal-sized bat, respectively, as well as the traditional mist. However, these animals are always inevitably albino, thus being a clear indicator of who he is when he is transformed. Additionally, no matter the day or age, there is not a single vampire or werewolf approaching his venerable age, so he has seniority over all of them. All of his monstrous children are under a compulsion not to attack him directly, though they can still try to hurt him indirectly, such as setting a building on fire while he's inside. He is also entirely immune to any mind-controlling, charming powers, as well as those that cause fear.
  • Even With A Jawbone: Cain is supernaturally skilled at fighting with whatever is lying around. Whatever he can get his hands on has the potential to become a deadly implement. When weapons are present, they seem to be drawn to him when he has need of them, and can end up in his hands whether because he took them by force or because of what appears as a sheer act of God. If he loses a weapon he favors, there is a significant chance that they'll return to him through a Rube-Goldbergian series of events. His own natural strength, speed, and stamina will never fail him in times of need either.
  • Monster of God: Despite people's misgivings about him, Cain is the current Champion of God, and that means he has the Lord's favor. That manifests in the ability to cast spells of holy light and perform the divine rituals barred to the rest of his kind—which may seem unintimidating. But considering that dark forces are very much real in this world, Cain's prayers as the second generation of humanity have substantial power to rebuke evil and heal the fallen. This alone means that he occupies a unique niche and bridges the gaps between multiple disparate factions by his existence alone.
• Gear: A packet of old playing cards, a dog-eared Bible, a wooden smoking pipe, a vintage acoustic guitar, and a harmonica.
• Trivia: He also works part-time as a cabbie.

Edited by JumpingFruit on Oct 29th 2023 at 4:14:14 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

• Name: Alexander Nichols

• Superhero Name: Alchemist

• Age: 19

• Appearance: A young man of average height with shaggy dark hair. Generally always looks tired, his brown eyes perpetually sagging. Lanky and thin, Alex is not a particularly athletic sort, though he's not out of shape either. His costume is a simple black bodysuit, with an alchemical hexagram on the back. In the center of the hexagram is the greek letter alpha.

• Personality: Alex is polite but not particularly respectful. While he won't snap or get angry with people, he will not hesitate to point out their flaws. He's not a people person, and has trouble at times empathizing with others. At his heart, however, Alex is heavily utilitarian, wanting the best for the most people, and dislikes violence when it isn't absolutely necessary. He's very studious, and places importance on intellect and reason, though understands the need for emotion at times, even if he himself is not very emotional.

• Powers and Abilities:
  • Tactile Geokinesis: Manipulation of rock and metal via touch. Favoring precision over raw power, Alex can create the finest armor and weapons, form highly-durable alloys, and engineer precise mechanisms. He can freely change earthen materials to different forms, transmuting lead to gold or making diamonds from charcoal.
  • Shell Armor: Alex's preferred method of combat is to surround himself with a shell of earth which he manipulates with his power, serving as both a rock-solid defense and powerful offense, though the thicker the armor the more mobility suffers. As he can lift the shell around himself, this effectively allows him to fly.
• Gear: Alex's bodysuit is comprised of carbon nanomaterials, making it siginficantly stronger than it appears. He additionally carries a collapsible staff on the off-chance he needs to engage in CQC without his power. When not in armor, he generally carries at least a kilogram of raw material on his body, usually in the form of metal armbands.
• Backstory: Alexander is the son of Dr. Edward Nichols, a researcher specializing in the study of metahumans. His mother Esmerelda was a witch, who his father met on a field study, and they fell in love out of mutual desire to understand one another. Edward naturally found his way to Aratoa, bringing his young son along. Esmerelda had apprehensions about the concept, and didn't join them. Their relationship is somewhat strained, but they both still love Alex dearly. Edward Nichols was not himself a metahuman, and wasn't certain if his son would inherit any kind of ability, but sure enough, Alexander's metahuman powers manifested on his fourth birthday. He attended Aratoa National Academy, and now serves as a hero and academic. Though he has some concerns about Aratoa, Alex believes he can guide the place towards a better future.
• Miscellaneous:
  • Believes that magic, spirits, and similar things can be understood scientifically, they simply operate on physical rules that are not yet fully understood.
  • Alex's Theme

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

All accepted.

Interest.

• Name: Edith and Molly Spring
• Superhero Name: Mama Wolf and Red
• Age: 29 (Edith, by the time she died); 5 (Molly)
• Appearance:
  • Molly:
    • She has medium-length wavy brunette hair, hazel eyes, slightly tanned skin and Youthful Freckles all over her round face. There's a small but noticeable gap between her two front teeth.
    • In her civilian outfit, Molly wears green overalls over a loose white dress. The skirt doesn't go too far pass her knees. She also has dainty black shoes with laces and socks that go up to the ankle.
    • Her superhero outfit has her just put a giant, oversized crimson red cloak over her civilian clothes.
  • Edith:
    • Her "civilian outfit" is more or less her default form as she is a ghost who is able to take on different forms. She's a tall, shadowy figure who towers above Molly, following her path. She's drenched in black, her skin is a light gray and her laced dress makes up the rest of her lower body. The upper half of her face is covered by a veil made of shadows. When Edith is in a state of tenderness or otherwise emotionally vulnerable (such as bonding with her daughter), the veil lifts itself and reveals her bright, doe-like orange eyes.
    • Her "superhero form" is that of a ghostly, black-furred wolf surrounded by a silver aura and is the size of a tow truck. Edith's eyes are slit scarlet eyes that lack pupils and her sharp teeth are the same color as her fur, making it look like they're blending into her snout.
• Personality:
  • Molly:
    • Molly is a curious child, always drawn to new things, and is the more social of the two. She'll ask loads of questions and enjoys learning. She's kind-hearted, willing to help others and is exceptionally empathic for her age. When someone is upset, she'll ask them if they're alright. Molly tries to help people in such situations but as she's a young child, she isn't knowledgeable on more adult topics and thus doesn't understand them well.
    • She gets easily scared, especially during moments of danger, and relies on her mother to protect her. Speaking of her mother, Molly is very close to her and likes cuddling with her, whether she's in her default form or her wolf form. Even then, Molly does become afraid of Edith when the latter goes berserk in battle and has to stop her from going any further.
  • Edith:
    • Edith is a very quiet individual who speaks in a soft voice. She usually only has full-on conversations with Molly and even then her sentences tend to be laconic, but she'll occasionally say a few things to other people and even participate in more mature conversations in place of Molly since the latter can't effectively talk in those. Edith rarely, if at all, raises her voice regardless of what she's feeling.
    • She's very protective of Molly, who's everything to her. As a result, Molly serves a Morality Pet to Edith, keeping her from going off the deep end when her transformations get the best of her. She doesn't like seeing Molly upset or afraid and prioritizes her well-being over anything else. If something threatens Molly in any form, Edith will deal with it right away and shows no mercy.
    • In her wolf form, her personality largely stays the same at first, although she struggles to say even the most basic words in this form. However, the longer she stays in her wolf form, especially if said form gets stronger during battle, the more likely her mind would become primal. If she enters a primal state, Edith functions on beastly instincts and people that aren't Molly will struggle to reason with her in such a state.
• Backstory:
  • Edith Spring (née Wolfe) was a rural country girl who'd gotten married to her high school sweetheart, Anthony, and the two moved into a cabin deep into the woods that the latter inherited from his father. The Springs lived a happy married life at the cabin, separated from society and advanced technology. Mostly. Three or so years into the marriage, they decided to try for kids and it went on for several more years but with little success. The few times Edith became pregnant, she ended up miscarrying. This heavily distressed her as she desired a child and the failures were killing her motivation to keep trying. When she discovered that she was pregnant once more, she was unsure if it would come to full term. Nonetheless, she went through the pregnancy and eventually, she was due to give birth. On a cold winter night, Edith entered labor in her cabin and Anthony was there to serve as the midwife. It was a tense, long, difficult birth and Anthony noticed that Edith was bleeding out a lot more than expected.
  • Right before sunrise, a series of cries echoed throughout the cabin. The Springs' daughter had just entered the world. Anthony hurriedly handed her to Edith, not bothering to cut the umbilical cord. Right away, Edith loved her daughter with all of her soul and she nursed the child. However, Edith was still hemorrhaging even after delivering the placenta. As they were far away from the nearest hospital, Anthony tried his best to attend to Edith but it became clear that she was not going to make it. As she lay in her bed dying, Edith cradled her daughter tightly and whispered the latter's name, Molly, to her. However, Edith refused to leave Molly behind, her maternal love having grown so strong. She wanted to see Molly grow up and protect her from all sorts of dangers until she was old enough to care for herself. That was enough to count as unfinished business for her to linger as a ghost and so she did. She first manifested as a floating, specter orb, but over time she morphed into a shadowy wolf that kept herself close to the cabin.
  • Anthony never noticed Edith but the baby Molly did as she was born with the innate ability to see all kinds of ghosts since through a mutation in her genes, she was a Metahuman. Molly was curious about Edith, staring at her and reaching out towards her but never knew that the ghost was her mother as Edith wasn't able to speak. As Molly grew up, she bonded with Edith, viewing her as her trusted pet and called her "Wolfy". Ironically, out of the stories that her father read to her, Little Red Riding Hood was her favorite despite it having a wolf as its villain but Molly recognized that Edith and the Big Bad Wolf weren't the same being. When Molly turned 4, ORCHID officials were tracking down Metahumans and stumbled upon the Springs' cabin. They were using a device that can detect Metahumans and it immediately lit up. They barraged into the cabin and attempted to take Molly away. Anthony attempted to save Molly but was promptly shot, leading to Edith lunging at them, manifesting her form to be seen by everyone for the first time. With both maternal and feral instincts running through her, Edith savagely mawed the ORCHID officials without mercy. It was a total bloodbath and throughout it, she got bigger and more monstrous.
  • When the fight was over, Edith turned to Molly and saw that she was cowering in fear, staring at her in horror. Molly then asked "Are you going to eat me?" That very question pierced through Edith's heart, realizing that Molly had now viewed her as a monster. The remorse and pain shook through her body and Edith underwent a transformation as she desired to amend with Molly. She transformed into a human, retaining her face and body, although her appearance was modified due to being a ghost. She was able to speak and Edith explained to Molly that she's her mother, apologized for the horrorshow and the two hugged. Afterwards, Edith and Molly traveled across America, never staying in one place for long. Eventually, they found a boat taking Metahumans to Aratoa and decided to go aboard. Having arrived in Aratoa, the two hope to start a new life there.
• Powers and Abilities:
  • Both:
    • Survival Skills: Edith and Molly know how to survive out in the wild, such as gathering food, building shelters and so on.
  • Edith:
    • Ghost Biology: Edith is a ghost, so she has some of the typical ghost abilities such as being able to go through walls and objects, possess items, cause technology to malfunction by touch, telepathically move stuff around and is decent at scaring others. She can make herself manifest to be seen or become invisible to everyone except Molly.
    • Wolf Transformation: She's able to transform into a wolf and gain abilities associated with wolves such as enhanced speed and agility; a heightened smell useful for tracking down people and a strong bite. During battle, the more bloodshed she engages in, the more monstrous she'll become. She'll become bigger with red markings appearing all over her body and she's more susceptible to her bestial instincts. With the exception of Molly, it's difficult for people to reason with Edith at that stage.
  • Molly:
    • I See Dead People: Molly has the innate ability to see ghosts and spirits that'll otherwise be unseen by the average person. She can sense their presence and communicate with them; the range of her detection is around 8 feet. Whenever Molly detects a ghost entering her detection range, she gets goosebumps and shivers.
    • A Mother's Beloved Daughter: Not a proper power per say, but her presence is able to keep Edith from going off to the deep end and being able to calm down a berserking monster wolf with ease is pretty remarkable.
• Gear: Molly carries a basket with her which contains the duo's supplies such as food, water and a small med kit.
• Trivia:
  • It's very tricky to resurrect Edith due to her ghostly nature and even then, if she were to be resurrected, she'll lose her abilities, so she'll much rather stay dead in order to effectively protect Molly from ORCHID.
  • Edith's text is Gray and Molly's Red.
  • Edith will move onto the afterlife once Molly has grown up and is able to live independently.

Edited by Cutegirl920fire on Sep 28th 2023 at 7:53:51 AM

Victor of HGS S320 | "There's rosemary, that's for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember."

Accepted.

• Name: Marietta "Mari" Anderson (Formerly Marietta Jacobson)
• Superhero Name: Mothgirl
• Age: 15
• Appearance: Moth girl. Stands about 5'0.' She'd be taller if it wasn't for her hunched back and strange gait. Her exoskeleton serves as both her costume and her standard appearance and lacks any sexual characteristics.
• Personality: Marietta is the salt of the Earth. She's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but is sweet as can be. She doesn't have much confidence in herself and is somewhat nervous and timid, but never fails to put her best foot forward. She's a a bit of a klutz, but her eternal optimism and strong faith always see her through. She's begun to develop certain insect behaviors and characteristics and they get stronger with each passing day, but it's not something she's proud of.
  • But her greatest strength is her greatest weakness. Being cast out has humbled her, but she's a born again Christian at her core. Part of her sees anything that isn't human as an embodiment of sin and this extends to herself. She wants to love herself, wants to pretend she's still human, but her delusions come crashing down the second she looks in the mirror. Her father and the Academy are helping her come to terms with it, but she continues to see herself as a monster. Her Christian upbringing has affected how she sees Araotoa itself. She views things such as resurrection with heavy skepticism even if she continues to fear death itself. Where everyone sees miracles and revelations, she only sees blasphemy.
• Backstory: Marietta was once your average born again Christian. She grew up in a small little town in Alabama, deep in the heart of redneck territory. Despite her surroundings she was a prim and proper young lady, following the ways of the Lord and obeying her parents without question. This caused her to develop aggressive views on superhumans and all other sapient species, but she didn't see anything wrong with that. She didn't have anything against them, but they weren't exactly normal. All those satyrs and costumed crazies were surely the devil's work. It wasn't as though she was racist, heavens no, but if they wanted to flex that their muscles that was their business. The least they could do was leave everyone else out of it.
  • That all changed when she started molting. She wasn't sure how it happened. The last thing she remembered was seeing the doctor for a case of the flu. He injected her with something. She wasn't sure what, but it was supposed to make her all better. Instead she only got worse. Her original symptoms were gone, but her whole body felt achy. Her skin was cold and clammy, her back and armpits were swore and swollen and she couldn't stop scratching. She locked herself in her room, scratching and tearing away as she grew desperate.
  • When her parents entered the room, their daughter was gone. In her place was an abomination. She was surrounded in heaps of torn flesh, reeling in horror as she came to her senses. She broke down in tears, but her parents weren't listening. As far as they were concerned she was nothing more than devil spawn. They told her as much, chasing her away with a baseball bat. She crashed through the windows and onto the streets, but her crash landing drew the townsfolk's attention. Before she knew it she was on the run from an angry mob, most of her friends and classmates out for blood. In a single day her world was turned on its head.
  • She was saved by the very beings she had condemned. A squad of heroes was in town investigating an experimental serum. It was very similar to the medicine she'd been injected with, maybe one and the same. They scared the crowd off, but it was bound to happen again if she stayed. Alone and desperate, there wasn't much she could do but follow them to Aratoa. She met Cain the same day. She wasn't sure if it was pity or affection, but she soon entered his care. Living as his daughter has helped her make sense of things, but it hasn't been easy.
• Powers and Abilities:
  • Exoskeleton: Marietta's greatest ability is herself. Her exoskeleton is thin and durable, covered in small scales that protect her from harm. Compared to some heroes she's not that strong, but her natural armor hits like a truck and she's tough enough to crush a lamppost with her bare hands. She has sharp claws on her hands and feet, claws and razors on her knees and elbows, able to cut through flesh like butter. Her nimble frame is lightweight and aerodynamic and her legs are springy enough to leap across pits and chasms in a single bound. Her extra arms have a life of their own, but she can skitter and throw punches at alarming speed. She can stick to any surface and crawl along walls and ceilings, her additional limbs making it even easier.
  • Moth Biology: Apart from her exoskeleton she has several additional abilities. She can shoot strands of silk from her hands and feet, pulling in her foes and zipping across distances. With enough practice she can swing though large cities or open complexes like a trapeze artist and covering more ground. If she concentrates hard enough she can shoot waves of powder from her back. Depending on her preference she can poison or paralyze her foes or put them to sleep. Her powder covers a wide berth, but she can't pick and choose who it affects. She can see in the dark and absorb sound, useful for stealth.
  • Pheromones: Her last couple tricks go hand in hand. She has a pair of large feelers sticking out from her head, but they're not for decoration. They enhance her senses, anywhere from to taste to touch to hearing, but they also detect pheromones. Conversely she can make her own. They have several different uses but the most common is attraction. She's rarely used it on account of her tender age and strong morals, but it doesn't stop her from thinking about it.
• Trivia: Mari is a simple girl. She adores stuffed animals and dollies and keeps an enormous collection. Contrary to appearances her favorite genre is romance. Seeing two people fall heads over heels for each other always gives her the feels. This has made her a fiendish shipper and incurable romantic, but she'd never admit it. When she's not visiting the gardens she's churning out fanfics in her spare time, mostly shipping and slash fics. She used to have a tremendous sweet tooth, but after becoming part moth she's had a smaller appetite.
• Cain may be her dad, but she's taken to Blossom as a surrogate mother. She spends as much time in the garden as she does at home and learns as much from her as she does from him. She's helped her better understand her place in mother nature, but in other respects she may be a bad influence.

Edited by kkhohoho on Sep 29th 2023 at 10:04:47 AM

Accepted!

• Name: Blossom
• Superhero Name: N/A
• Age: "Um... was I supposed to be counting?"
• Appearance: Takes the form of a beautiful woman with long black hair, scantily clad in flower petals. Nymphs don't really have a concept of modesty.◊ As Aratoa's groundskeeper, she's not technically a superhero and therefore lacks a costume.
• Personality: As a nymph, being nurturing and motherly is ingrained in Blossom's nature, and this extends from the plants and animals she cares for to anyone who seems like they need a hug, a sounding board, or just a chat. Taking care of others is largely how she defines herself. Outside of that, she tends to be naive and ditzy, partly due to her unfamiliarity with the human world and partly because she just isn't very bright. However, if anyone dares to threaten something she's taking care of, she will come down upon them with tangible malice and fey cruelty.
• Backstory:
  • As a nymph, Blossom hails from the Realm of the Fey, where she has led an immortal life caring for a particular orchard since time immemorial. That was, until a few years back, when on a grand adventure through the Fey Realm, a hero accidentally destroyed Blossom's orchard during a fight. Obviously, Blossom did the sensible thing and immediately attempted to murder them, but the hero just barely managed to escape with their life. With her orchard gone and even vengeance denied her, Blossom was left wandering the Fey Realm in a deep depression for years.
  • The hero, however, felt a gnawing guilt for causing this situation, and as Aratoa was being founded, suggested that they summon Blossom to be its groundskeeper. At first, Blossom was less than happy about being summoned, but she soon found new purpose in caring for the plants, animals, and even metahumans of Aratoa. Her new role fits her like a glove, and she now only makes infrequent attempts on the life of the hero who destroyed her orchard.
• Powers and Abilities:
  • Nymph Biology: Despite her human appearance, Blossom is biologically a plant. She receives sustenance solely from sunlight and water, and underneath her human skin is a layer of bark protecting a core of pure magical energy, which is the center of her being and her only true vital organ.
  • Plant control: Blossom has full control of any plants within a 50 meter radius of her body, from full grown trees to forgotten seeds buried under concrete. She can cause them to sprout or wither, move in ways they wouldn't normally be able to, and even cause them to produce venom, thorns, or irritating pollens when the plant in question normally lacks such features.
  • Fey Presence: Blossom emanates an otherworldly, soothing aura under normal circumstances, not enough to manipulate emotions, but enough to make it easier to relax around her. When angered, this turns into a tangible, choking malice centered on the object(s) of her ire, pressing down on them like gravity and making it hard for them to breathe.
  • Fey Bargain: Like most fey, Blossom is capable of making magical bargains. However, she keeps this fact to herself. Too many people misjudge the value of what they want, and find themselves significantly worse off when they're forced to give up something of equal value in exchange. It breaks her heart.
• Gear: N/A
• Trivia: N/A

Name: Ragast Firenze

Superhero Name: Nature's Wildfire, but his formal title is Ashkeeper.

Age: 23

Appearance: First thing you should know about me,◊ I'm a hobo, I know what I'm doing.

Personality: Ragast is a pretty chill dude, with his tragic years behind him, he can enjoy life to the fullest, trying to protect nature and others.

He may sometimes be a bit of a Cloudcuckoolander, but he always tries to have everyone's best interests at heart.

Backstory: Phoenixes can be a rare sight, which is why when Ragast's familiy, powerful druids every one of them, was blown apart by one, he was confused and scared, especially when it decided to bless him with pyrokinesis. After a buncha adventures, he managed to fight the phoenix and absorb it into his own being. Now with nothing else to do he goes around saving people, and Aratoa was a good place to start from scratch. Maybe he could learn something new.

Powers and Abilities: Ragast's foremost ability is his pyrokinesis, allowing him to draw on his energy or sources of heat to create and control fire. His hottest fire can melt through steel with ease. A curious thing about his fire is (aside from green at his most powerful) that it can have healing properties when he wants to, allowing him not to hurt people within his fire.

His lesser known power is his power over nature. Since he normally focused on fire, this power didn't get a lot of practice, but he can still do things like talk to plants and animals, heal minor-moderate injuries, and create thorny vines and the like to restrain people.

With both of those powers combined, Ragast can transform into a fiery beast of the wild, allowing the normally squishy druid to get up close and personal with more melee-inclined foes.

(is it too strong?)

Gear: None except for the clothes on his back and his ash wood staff.

Edited by Jules-Firenze on Oct 10th 2023 at 2:58:12 AM

You piss off the Venom T-Rex. Roll initiative.

Accepted and accepted.

Had a change of heart about Lily, and decided I had a more tonally-fitting character as an alternative.

---

• Name: Catherine 'Cat' Starling
• Superhero Name: Lyrebird
• Age: 25
• Appearance: [1]◊ [2]◊ An attractive woman with short black hair, bright blue eyes, and fair skin. Dresses in tight black leather pants with a matching crop top, a red leather jacket, and a pair of red boots and black gloves. Stands at 5'8".
• Personality: Cat is an outwardly amicable, somewhat flirtatious sort with a daredevil's courage, belying a wit and intelligence that she knows most people don't expect of her, enabling her to plot and scheme while still playing innocent. Her ability to plan ahead is somewhat hindered by her self-assured nature, as she often directly challenges her enemies in a sometimes inadvisable fashion, which tends to get her into trouble. But when forced into a corner, and direct tactics are no longer on the table, Cat can prove to be a surprisingly effective mastermind and leader if it means she can get what she wants out of it.
• Backstory: When she was only 17, a young Maria Horvitz joined a biker gang known as the Red Raptors, after being encouraged by one of her friends who happened to be a member of the group. While at first thinking that the gang merely consisted of bike enthusiasts, Maria soon realised that they were much more antisocial than she initially assumed them to be—typical teenage edgy comments and rebellious behaviour gradually turning into outright hateful speech and criminal activities. Though she refused to be involved in anything too morally reprehensible, she was coerced into participating in some of the group's crimes; including car theft, shoplifting, petty thievery and even outright robbery of jewellery stores. Their crimes only worsened after the group stole a collection of experimental serums that were being sold as narcotics by a rival gang, which upon injection manifested supernatural abilities in each member of the Red Raptors—with Maria receiving the ability to manipulate her voice to an inhuman degree, legitimising her membership in the gang even more than before. This boost to the gang's capabilities and confidence culminated into an ego-driven attempt at a full on bank heist, which failed miserably and ended up with half of the gang arrested (including Maria) and the other half abandoning them all to escape for themselves. Incarcerated for her association with the gang, Maria was fitted with silencing muzzle for the duration of her sentence due to the risk her voice posed to the building and the people around her, but she managed to organise a breakout within a month using sign language with her fellow prisoners to conspire an escape plan; revealing a tactician's mind that had previously been underplayed while she had been with the Raptors. Though the breakout was only partially successful and many attempted escapees were caught again, Maria managed to get away, making use of some of her gang's contacts once she escaped in order to change her name to that of Catherine Starling and prevent association with her criminal past. Despite her efforts to get away from her previous identity, Cat has decided to move to Aratoa for a sense of protection from some of her enemies and ex-colleagues: hoping to use this new chance to make amends for her crimes and use her abilities and intelligence for a more selfless cause instead.
• Powers and Abilities:
  • Vocal Mimicry: Cat possesses superhuman vocal chords, enabling her to mimic anything she has heard before with uncanny accuracy. This mimicry includes voices, animal sounds, ambient noises and even synthesised tones, so long as they are within her range of hearing. Cat uses this ability both as a parlour trick and as a means of impersonating others, and her impressions are so convincing that she's managed to weasel her way through the toughest of security measures. As an addition, Cat's lungs are also more powerful than a normal person's, allowing her to hold long notes without stopping.
  • Sonic Shriek: Cat's enhanced vocal cords don't just stop at mimicry, and are capable of shaping themselves so as to produce a high-pitched and incredibly loud scream, capable of shattering glass for hundreds of yards around and deafening anyone in Cat's immediate area. She is also able to utilise infrasonic tones as well ultrasonic tones—releasing incredibly low but potent vibrations that can cause nausea in others and even crumble structures with the sheer intensity of the tremors. The one weakness of Cat's scream is that any obstruction to her voice—such as a punch to the throat or even a sufficiently thick gag—can nullify it into uselessness.
  • Brawling: Sometimes Cat's voice is too powerful to be used in a given situation, or sometimes it has been disabled somehow so that she can't use it. In either case, Cat is fully capable of defending herself with her knowledge of street fighting and kickboxing, adopting a hybrid style of several martial arts that she can quickly switch between and improvise on. Cat dislikes using lethal force, so she holds back on using guns and knives—however, she will shoot to disable or cut to wound if absolutely necessary, and she doesn't care much if she fractures an opponent's collarbone or breaks someone's arm with her kicks. So long as she doesn't intentionally kill someone, she has a clean conscience, especially when her opponents are the type of violent assailants who she holds no sympathy for anyway.
  • Abnormal Endurance: A general side-effect of the serum that gave Cat her powers was that of superhuman endurance, giving her a degree of increased durability and tolerance to pain that is beyond that of a normal person. It is comparable to a perpetual adrenaline rush, though without the adrenaline—if Cat has an actual adrenaline rush, she'll likely be pushed even further beyond. This power effectively allows her to use her voice continuously without blowing out her vocal cords, suffer grevious injuries without succumbing to shock, and be overall more resistant to poisons and diseases. This effect is applicable to all the original members of the Red Raptors who took the serum, so that no matter what powers they gained from it, they all have a degree of supernatural endurance.
• Trivia:
  • Her birth name was Maria Horvitz, but she had a fondness for the name Cat since she was young. Her need to change her name was the perfect opportunity for her to fulfill this childhood wish, so she took it gladly. She still accepts the name Maria or Mia when referred to as such by members of her family, but she treats it as an insult otherwise. Ex-members of the now disbanded Red Raptor gang will likely use her old name, as well as any former colleagues that she'd associated with before—hearing it used by a stranger would probably send her into a panic.
  • Born and raised Jewish, though she didn't practice during her teenage years and while she was a member of the Red Raptors. Now that she's past that part of her life, she's started to feel more comfortable practicing again, although currently only openly with her family or old friends. Otherwise, she keeps her faith to herself, and it was during her stay in prison that she reevaluated her relationship with God and gained the motivation to make some changes for the better in her life—not just for herself, but to use her circumstances and gifts to benefit others as well.
  • Was friends and college roommates with Lea Graywood, but they lost contact after the former ran away from home, and the last time that Cat spoke to Lea was an argument about Cat's involvement with the Red Raptors. Cat still has a deep fondness for Lea, but she feels guilty over their estrangement and worries that she's permanently damaged their relationship by leaving her hanging.

Edited by Enirboreh on Oct 3rd 2023 at 10:07:20 AM

bork

Alright, accepted.

• Name: Jackie Carpenter
• Superhero Name: Madame Shade, the Witch of Death
• Age: 20
• Appearance: "Dorms are kinda small, but I manage."
• Personality: While initially reading as gloomy to most, Jackie is actually quite the well-adjusted young woman. Oh sure back in high school she had a period of emo nihilism but she took that and turned it into "if nothing has meaning, I guess I'll make some" by the time college rolled around. Really it's more that she minimizes the amount of energy she puts into things, her flat affect turned to both sarcastic quips and genuine sentiments in equal measure. Her drive to replicate the aesthetics and lifestyle of a villain has dovetailed well into this, her sarcasm becoming more biting and her poise a little more dangerous. But ultimately she has a strong moral core and doesn't really wish to bring harm to the innocent in the way a villain does.
• Backstory: Jackie's here because her family moved to Aratoa. Dad always had a pretty obvious mutation (if you must know, he emits a faint green glow and that's it) and it just didn't feel safe in Canberra anymore once the battle lines began to be drawn between Aratoa and ORCHID. So the family moved and Jackie started college as the sole mundane amid a class composed of entirely superpowered people. On her off days and weekends she started going to the Shadowfang Lounge, notable den of former villains, so she can soak in the atmosphere of dark and dubious personalities and dream about taking on that villainous aesthetic and lifestyle... Though she would rather not be evil, the one deep caveat to her villainous aspirations.
• Powers and Abilities:
  • Beginner Super-Witchery: In the realm of magic there is a thin line between magic traditions as expressed by the lay-practitioner and the tradition as practiced by those who use it to the length of being superpowered. While an actual accounting for the difference between the two vis-a-vis Wicca and it's counterpart Super-Witchery has not been determined, the jump is easy to make for someone willing to draw and practice power from the ideals of putting the self first and transgressing the bounds others put into place. On a practical level this mostly manifests for Jackie in the form of a number of physical charms she uses to channel effects such as basic malevolent energy projection and healing.
  • Imbaru: A peculiar familiar, cold black and flickering shadow in the shape of a very friendly and affectionate cat. The creature defies most analysis, its presence turning all the more smug as people try and fail to understand its nature. In a fight, it's about as effective as a regular housecat, though far more willing to actually get involved under the orders of Jackie.
• Gear:
  • Athame: A nice high-quality silver herbalism knife ordered off the internet.
  • Petrified Worm: An odd desiccated worm-like creature encased in an artificial resin.
  • Practitioner's Almanac: Half plant identification guide, half personal journal; it's where Jackie writes down all her ideas on witchcraft.
  • Deck of Shadows: What theoretically is a deck of tarot cards, but all the faces are blank. Jackie refuses to explain, but is more than willing to hear people's guesses as to the purpose of the cards.
• Trivia: Jackie's gotten a little interested in the idea of thanatonautics: the idea that through death and resurrection insights into the nature of unknowable things can be gleaned. She's yet to try it herself, mostly because she doesn't actually know if her minor learned magics make her valid for Aratoa's death insurance.

It's clearly a case of backroom political albumizing.

Accepted.

Name: Lea Greywood

Superhero Name:Monarch Moon

Age:22

Appearance:

Lea is unusually pale skinned with white hair and red irises, a hoodie with a hole in the back for her wings, cut of jeans shorts, and a pair of old black converse shoes for her civilian attire.

For her hero persona she lets her wings grow and puts her hood up. Using her powers to obscure her face to a void. Pairing that with her special goggles, it looks like there is a void with two red glowing circles where her eyes should be.

Personality:

Outwardly Lea withdrawn, due to having gone through a rough time that has exhausted her spark. Over time she could come to terms with what has happened and become more lively and truly happy. When dealing with people she’s calm and smart, even in her hero work choosing to first talk, before fighting.

In private Lea feels bad about what she abandoned and who she is. This leads to herself being harsh on herself and sometimes the people she comes to care about.

Backstory:

Lea was fully human till one day when she was helping at her parents laboratory, she spilled an unknown substance onto herself it instantly bonded with her granting her powers. Her parents hated it and tried to cure her, though they failed they decide that Lea would instead devote herself to science in the hopes that as a famous scientist she would be able to find a cure herself. 8 years later, after her parents took her coming out similarly to her powers, Lea ran away from home and started living on her own, though her powers helped her at times she felt like an outcast in the world with no one to turn to. 2.5 years later she found out about Aratoa having enough saved up to buy a ticket she decided to turn a new page. Though life has gotten better during the half year Lea she is still struggling as the walls she’s built are harder to leave behind. She’s currently studying at the Academy, while holding down a temporary job to pay her bills. She also goes out heroing at night and stopping petty crimes.

Powers and Abilities:

Moth Wings: Lea’s main feature a pair of two large grey masses made from a substance of long silky strands with the resemblance of damaged angelic wings. She can use them to fly, but also do defend herself as the wings can cushion blows, sound, heats and liquids.

Enhanced condition: Since her contact with the substance Lea’s body has adapted above the abilities of humans including Durability, Strengt and Healing. This also led to difficulties with application of medicine, which her parents studied meticulously, before Leaving Lea stole this research making her virtually the only person who can treat her injuries.

Night vision: She can see clearly in almost no light conditions. This ability makes her sensitive to bright lights which makes her detest flash photography and sunny days. Usually wearing Sunglasses to block out the light.

Antenae: Lea can smell chemicals and feel small vibrations through the air, giving her the ability to feel and smell what is happening around her, making her able to "See" behind herself, or tell how a person is feeling by smelling them from a distance. If she's aggitated or focusing the antenae poke out from under her hood.

Fighting Prowess: Though never formally trained Lea has picked up some fighting skills over the time she’s spent by herself. She thinks martial arts are BS.

Substance manipulation: Lea can control the substance that had become part of her. It manifests itself as liquid Dark. Letting her adjust the amount of visibility around her. Though she isn't fully aware this ability also creates her antenae and wings where the substance crosses and becomes fully manifest in reality. If she found out she could use her ability to create simple tools.

Gear:

Red Glow Goggles: A pair of goggles she also stole from her parents. Make it easier for her to see during day and night as they’re a light source for her ability. They also further negate the effects of flashbangs and other sources of extreme light. She’d wear them all the time if they didn’t cover half her face.

Covert gear: A simple pack of lockpicks and drawing tools for those nights where there's just not a lot to do.

Tonfa: Lea Carries a pair of tonfa's under her hoodie, as a precaution if her other abilities fail.

Trivia:

Theme:

Used to be friends with Cathrine, before Lea ran away from home.

Lea collects the silk from her wings, and use it to make thread and later clothing. Though the clothing is durable and stain-resistant while being high quality silk it lacks the other properties her wings keep making the process time consuming. She uses it to make clothing for herself.

Though the it is unlikely if Lea happens to get more of the substance that originaly turned her, it could cause her to go through furter mutations that would improve her abilities or turn her into into a moth monstrosity, another aspect of her powers Lea isn't aware of.

Edited by Faelisya on Nov 2nd 2023 at 12:42:10 PM

Name: Spookywood, formerly Julian

Superhero Name: Spookywood

Age: 14

Appearance: Spookywood appears as a short (5 foot 4) humanoid tree with darkened bark, and his legs and arms being roots and branches (with twigs for fingers) respectively. His 'head' is a set of branches supporting a rough dome of leaves that covers his upper body, and two sinister-looking yellow glowing eyes that peek through the leaves. His costume is essentially just his appearance.

Personality: Spookywood is a mischievous and spirited young tree, who loves jokes and pranks. He's something of a wild child, impulsive and hard to control or keep in one spot. He enjoys action and isn't easily scared - in fact, the scarier something tries to be, the more fun it is for him. Underneath all this lies a kind soul who wants to protect the innocent - just not in a boring way.

Backstory: Spookywood's story starts with a villain known as Vuparbor, an affable & calculating yet megalomaniacal tree spirit who, despite wielding the element of nature, was more interested in bending it to his will than he was protecting it. One day, Vuparbor felt that he needed an assistant or two, so he kidnapped a 14-year-old boy named Julian from a small village and took him back to his secret hideout. There, he would drain the kid of his life energy and import it into a tree sapling, causing an instant and strange burst of growth in that sapling that turned it into Spookywood as he is today. However, what Vuparbor hadn't accounted for is that by using most of a person's life energy, he would inadvertently give Spookywood a large part of that person's personality, values, and intelligence. Thus, at the earliest possible opportunity, Spookywood ran as far away as possible from Vuparbor, knowing he couldn't let himself be used as a tool of destruction.

Knowing he couldn't go to regular human society, Spookywood wandered the woods for a while until he happened upon a boat taking people to a place called Aratoa. Despite having essentially been born yesterday, Spookywood felt like he'd heard of that place before. Without any other option, Spookywood took the boat, hoping to find some friends in this new land.

Powers and Abilities:

• "Evil" Eyes: Spookywood has the power to manifest extra pairs of eyes in any sufficiently dark area, provided it's not too far away and he knows it exists. He can see clearly through each set of eyes, though it can become difficult to focus if he creates too many. The eyes appear as yellow-red slits, just like his own. Shining a light directly at them or directly touching them causes them to disappear.

• Deep Roots: Spookywood can extend the roots and branches that make up his feet and fingers respectively. The growth can happen quickly or slowly and in any direction, but becomes much more difficult to keep doing after several metres of extension. Spookywood can also sharpen the ends of his fingers to a point by a similar process.

• Forest Being: Spookywood has innate knowledge of plants and the forest, knowing things like what's harmful and what shouldn't be touched. This also extends to natural poisons and beneficial plants; if a food or drink contains one, Spookywood will often be the first to know.

Gear:

• Vine Lasso: A thorny, ropelike vine that Spookywood uses to lasso objects and people. He occasionally forgets it has sharp thorns. Tied around his waist when not in use.

Misc:

• Spookywood's leaves change colour seasonally. They do fall off in winter, but are only gone for about a day before they start regrowing.

• Since the incident that created Spookywood, Vuparbor has reassessed his knowledge of nature/life magic. He's now much more intelligent & pragmatic about using it.

Edited by TheGoldLeaf on Oct 3rd 2023 at 8:43:27 PM

Ay, you! It's Gold, and I'm noble!

Accepted

• Name: Katerina Belyayev
• Superhero Name: Molniya
• Age: 23
• Appearance: Seen here in her civilian outfit◊, a simple white dress with sneakers and a prominent hair bow. Stands at 6'6".

Her hero costume is an elegant blue armored gown. Something like this◊, perhaps.

• Personality:
  • Katerina is a pretty straightforward, friendly, hardworking hero who tries to inspire and raise the spirits of her fellow heroes the best that she can. She's always eager for a good spar or mission to test her abilities, though she also enjoys knocking back more than a few drinks when she's not on the clock. Though she does have some melancholy about needing to leave her former home behind and the general present state of the world, she tries to keep her head up and maintain a good sense of humor.

• Backstory: Katerina's parents Dimitri and Svetlana lived different lives - Dimitri initially being a World War 2 veteran, Svetlana initially being a superhero. But both lived long enough to see the rise and fall of the USSR, the turn against metahumans in the modern world, and the transformation of their country, Russia, into one they barely even recognized anymore. It was under these strange circumstances that they eventually met, fell in love, and had a child.
  • Katerina was trained by her parents from a young age in both physical combat and to hone her metahuman control over lightning. She grew up admiring superheroes, longing to one day join their ranks like her mother and the many other shining examples out there. Unfortunately, she found her home to be one in which metahumans were treated as mere weapons to be pointed at whichever enemies their government saw fit to. One in which heroes served as little more than propaganda merchants for the state. Being able to see the writing on the wall as to what was in store for her daughter should they stay, they make the ultimately necessary decision to move with their daughter to the island. There she attended Aratoa National Academy, and now she currently serves as a hero.

• Powers and Abilities:
  • Elven Physiology: As an elf, Katerina is superhumanly fast, strong, durable, and has eternal youth. While she cannot fly, her natural abilities allow her to leap remarkably high.

  • Lightning Manipulation: Katerina's metahuman power gives her control over lightning. She can channel this through her body or weapons to enhance the power of her melee strikes, or fire off lightning from her body as a ranged attack. She has fine control over the power if her lightning, able to make it mild enough to be roughly comparable to a taser, or powerful enough to melt through steel with ease upon striking something.

• Gear: A sword to complete the knightly hero motif, and just in case she ever needs a weapon for some reason.

• Trivia: Greatly enjoys fantasy stories - while one might assume her knightly costume might be symbolic of a commitment to chivalrous values or something, she just digs that general aesthetic.

Accepted.

Name: Dyaak 'Jack' Smith

Superhero Name: Smokescreen

Age: 18

Appearance: Jack is a rather lanky young man with dark purple skin, a pair of curling horns like a ram's, pure black hair and a large lizard's tail. His civilian wear tends to be casual with a simple T-shirt and jeans while only occasionally dressing up a bit nicer when he feels like it. As for his superhero costume, he dons a multilayered and billowing set of white robes with shiny red accents and all sorts of pockets, as a young wizard deserves. He only ever wears the hood up when he's in a bad mood.

Personality: A kind person at heart, Jack has a sarcastic streak to him that can grow rather irritating to those around him if left unchecked. Also enjoys messing with people a little too much, which can sometimes get out of hand when you throw his abilities into the mix. He does rigorously avoid any actual harm, however.

Backstory: Jack's mother, Emily Smith, better known as "Hellwitch," was a hero from the late 90s to the mid 2010s who got her powers through deals with Hell. However, unlike many others who have tried similar feats, Emily turned out to be very good at reading the fine print and grew very adept at turning the tables on the devils who would try and claim her soul, using their gifts of power for good (all the while the devils were convinced they'd corrupt her eventually). To this day her soul is very much in her own possession. All this messing around with these hellish entities wasn't entirely without consequence, however. After she retired young and settled down with her husband, this fact quickly became clear when her first child came out with dark purple skin, a tail, and a tiny pair of horns. Emily was reported saying "I knew my decisions would catch up one day. I was just hoping they'd only catch up to me," shortly after giving birth. She gave her son what she thought, in her increasing eccentricity, was a fitting name (to both her husband's and later, Jack's own chagrin) and raised him all the same in her hometown of San Francisco. Jack's childhood, while perhaps not as lonely as one would imagine, was certainly fraught with bullying and harassment from peers and adults alike, and along with the recent global increase of metahuman hostilities made it an easy choice to uproot and move the whole family to Aratoa, where Jack has recently achieved adulthood, and is planning to attend the Academy soon.

Powers and Abilities: Jack as a child proved to have a good deal more innate magical potential than his mother, and thus with no devil deals required she started teaching him the basics of magic at a young age. Jack clearly had passion and talent for the craft of magical illusions, and so they focused his studies down on that particular school of magic. A curious quirk of his hellish aspect is that instead of the clean images his mother creates, any illusion Jack conjures appears in a puff of fire and smoke, giving him his superhero moniker. As of now, Jack can conjure practically perfect illusions up to the size of an average room (though as with all things, practice will improve this skill), can fool all five senses (with some limitations, especially with touch) and knows quite a few tricks from his mother, including being able to see through his illusion's eyes, making images only a single person can see, turning invisible for a short time (as for why it's more limited; it's complicated), and an infinite supply of magical flashbangs.

Jack's father, a retired boxer, also taught him a good deal of hand-to-hand self-defense. Nothing supernatural, of course, but it's enough that he'll probably win a one-on-one fistfight with someone of about equal physical strength to him (which is not saying all that much).

Gear: Nothing unusual or even particularly helpful. He has his old training staff stashed in his closet somewhere, but has long since surpassed the need for it to channel magic through.

Trivia: Jack's mother's old contractors often come and visit to try and get her to repay some old debt, most often made up in an effort to fool her into some new deal. Thus it's rather common to walk into their family home and see her and Jack's father in a heated conversation with some devil or another over a cup of tea.

Edited by AmazingGoob on Dec 12th 2023 at 5:49:18 AM

Chug, chug, chug. The machine marches on.

Accepted.