The Good, The Bad and The Spandex: Discussion Thread

I'd just wrap things up with Fyodor, the man that showed up is his father, I presumed he'd rather get him now than to let him stay overnight by what amounts to total strangers (to him), if for nothing else then toshortly meet Misty so he can be halway sure that he can trust her

I think the Kaydenites are basically done for now, they need a break. They can stay in the hideout with Joseph and Elizabeth.

I'm going to shift focus to Vigour, as I have a potential idea for the origin of these weird superhuman powers.

edited 3rd May '17 2:35:22 AM by Enirboreh

Joseph's nighttime activities (... yeah) will be handled off-screen.

Thank goodness that I fixed it before it caused problems... Yeah, that's fine. These three can go somewhere to rest. We need to progress to the next day, or it might seem like Easton!verse has an everlasting daytime...

edited 3rd May '17 7:00:40 AM by kaalban

I thank you kaalban, making the duo not leave Chickening makes things a whole lot easier for me. I'll have Chickening suggest the three of them go somewhere to spend the night, if that's alright.

edited 3rd May '17 7:22:55 AM by ilili

Thanks folks, especially you GOA, nice work integrating all the various names into our new Fenrir Concept! Which is of course now approved. Expect its debut soon!

Just a few more posts and we'll start The next Time Skip!

I need a post showing Hazel telling Fyodor's dad its not a good idea for him to take the boy out yet, he'd be an easy target for Mab. Offer the father to stay there until tomorrow.

edited 3rd May '17 11:37:32 AM by Sijo

Been busy with school and Facility Kappa, will post later.

Villain Schools

Been considering yet another idea: Villain schools. Three of them, counterparts to the other schools:

• "The Institute" or St. Lucifer's Institute For Sinister Intent is the villainous counterpart of Ultimate University. Derided as a farce for producing vaudeville villains, in truth it's alumni tend to be dangerous if flamboyant ideologues that taken to being "bad guys" with relish. They are even known to work real well together, putting aside egos and differing motives and modus operandi to create working and profitable "bad guy team-ups". Silly but functional.

• "The Camp", which has been known by a number of names, "Camp Raiju", "Camp Marchosias", "Camp Calu", "Count Lupercal", "Camp Amarok", "Camp Rougarou", changing names and locations constantly. TALOS knows it more uniformly as Camp Fenris, where willing and unwilling souls are brought to be trained and indoctrinated into the service of the "great wolves that will swallow the sun".

• "The College" or Nevermore College is the counterpart to Dunwhich Academy. Technically a criminal institution for its blatant curriculum in teaching students how to carry out illicit and illegal activity, it also offers a complete formal education and has a dubious reputation of producing quite a few anti-heroes and borderline anti-villains.

Sure, why not? All those supervillains have to come from somewhere. Approved!

Save for Virgil who went to MIT.

For future reference, how would one introduce a new character into this? I don't have any settled ideas yet, though most likely I'll give a justification for why they wouldn't really know anything.

You could do it the way I introduced Rine. The main focus is the city, but you can have dimensional travellers, space stations, and other locations acting as 'home'.

Maybe some kind of Negative Space Wedgie did a thing.

I don't know, I'm not an expert on this. I just kinda write and stuff happens, then I try and justify it.

Oh, brief warning if you want to read that link, it is the worst writing I have ever done.

You have been warned.

edited 4th May '17 10:39:59 AM by Enirboreh

Well jeez, now I want to introduce Gifts just to see what he does about those impossible reality-defiant superpowers/pseudo-entities. Actually, is there a prerequisite to being allowed to add to the setting? Cause I have a lot of crazy ideas.

I believe the only prerequisite is not to conflict with any existing elements, which you can find in the sign-up thread.

edited 4th May '17 10:53:01 AM by ilili

Also to keep things at most super weight 3.

What they said. Also keep things within the superhero genre ex. you can do scary stuff, but no gore.

Also sorry for the late answer, but there was a blackout in my area and power only returned just now.

Edit: Ok, I only need a post saying what happens with Fyodor (and one with Micheal) and we can skip ahead to the next in-game day!

edited 4th May '17 7:32:11 PM by Sijo

Okay, how about I pitch the general ideas first and elaborating later if necessary? I was thinking there would probably be a shadow market for selling clones or other genetic derivatives of heroes (and villains if that particular supplier feels gutsy) specifically because of the whole hero thing. They might be a specific niche though, and the shadow market overall just cares they got interesting and/or useful super genetics to peddle.

I also have a rather detailed concept that, oversimplified, is basically "The X-Gene but magic!" That would be the aforementioned Gifts (they're known by other names too like Absolution or Subversion), mysterious things that are basically soul add-ons. If one is lucky enough to be born with a Gift, they generally have an easier time using magic. Oh, and while they vary from questionable (like Dream Magnetism) to crazy (the power to effortlessly create), they always defy the ordinary rules of science and magic. So basically, you would need to design entirely different measures if you want to impair a Gift's usefulness as Anti-Magic and power suppression wouldn't work- Least not without the appropriate adjustments.

Oh, and pretty much for sheer Rule of Funny, but I was thinking of having a character whose mom is genuinely a dakimakura (no Baleful Polymorph involved). So would that work?

Discussing Concepts before officially posting them is one of the purposes of this thread.

And that sounds OK. Just make sure you read the full Concepts list (not necessarily in deep detail) to make sure there are no contradictions or redundancies (though I don't think so.)

And what's a dakimakura?

edited 4th May '17 7:43:16 PM by Sijo

Those body pillows with sexy characters on 'em.

Detectives are allowed BTW since they have such a close history with superheroes.

I'd be okay with the Gifts, because I don't mind when multiple concepts seem to confusingly overlap.

But, to iterate, one of the things I noted about the Metagene Complex, this universe's X-Gene, is that magic is totally on the table.

I just wanted to mention the shadow market one so it was in everyone's minds. Though I might write for a character who was produced by it. Anyways, onto Gifts, or rather...

The Power of Absolution

Mysterious and unknowable, for the longest time most didn't even realize this is something different from the Metagene Complex or a natural aptitude for magic. While it is true "Absolutes" possess an unusual genetic marker and possess a natural advantage in mastering the mystic arts, there are several points of interest regarding this unusual phenomenon.

Firstly, an Absolute's power is there the moment their soul flickers into existence. How this occurs is still unknown, but as a result an Absolute also possesses a seemingly useless genetic sequence. Why that occurs is debatable, but because of it whenever someone descended or derived from an Absolute (barring those less related than a great-grandchild) is exposed to sufficient magical energy they'll develop some variation of the Absolution proper.

However, these "Mutant Absolutes" are heavily affected by the purity of their inherited gene and whatever magic triggered them. For example, a direct clone would be inherently more powerful than a great-grandchild, though only if their situation was the same or similar. It is entirely possible for a "Mutant Absolute" to be physically altered as well, such as developing plant traits if they were to manifest power over nature.

Secondly, it is completely impossible to determine who or what will naturally possess an Absolution. The closest anyone has managed is noting that Absolutions tend to manifest in otherwise ordinary specimen, though that hardly means natural powerhouses are exempt. Though, the fact an Absolution nestles itself in a person's soul means those without souls can't naturally use an Absolution.

Thus, extracted Absolutions are incredibly useful for determining how stable a person's soul may be. If they're unable or find it difficult to use it under their natural ability, then that person's soul is severely compromised. Why an Absolution depends on the soul is uncertain, but barring a few very rare cases, the Absolution itself seems to have zero intelligence- At least, none that known science and magic can detect.

Thirdly, the usefulness and intensity of the Absolutions are highly variable. From what research could be done, the rarity of an Absolution is directly related to its power. For example, Absolutions like "Magnetic Dreaming" are extremely common and also very limited- This one in particular merely drawing in nearby dreamers whenever you fall asleep. Then there's the rumors of an Absolution that can create anything, except proof it exists apparently.

There are peculiar anomalies however, like the reported ability to negate others' Absolutions being very rare- It doesn't affect anything else or even damage the Absolutions, merely turning them "off". Thus in the name of research, Absolutions have been noted in indestructible. Sure they can be broken with sufficient effort, yet reducing one to useless nothing has proven impossible.

Fourth and finally, even in universes completely devoid of magic or the metagene complex Absolutions are fully capable of manifesting. In fact, given how recognized types of Absolutions don't seem to differ between universes, a leading theory is that they're intentionally being spread throughout the omniverse.

So does that all work? There's all kinds of trivia about Gifts/Absolutions I could elaborate on as well. Oh, and what about In-Universe Defictionalization? Is there an acknowledged community for people who recreate fictional items and even beings?

So, someone had a sex with a pillow and it gave birth? That's a bit too silly

Re: Absolutions- that works, but I'll give others (such as GOA) time to comment before I approve it.

Question: so Absolutions can be removed? How and by whom?

Fiction (both from the real world and invented by us) definitely exists in the setting. There might even be characters that the public thinks are fictional but actually exist!

edited 4th May '17 9:51:53 PM by Sijo

That's exactly why Dakimakura Mom is so hilarious. Of course, being a sold product means she could be "recalled" which is super awkward when you're both intelligent and a parent. So there's actual drama potential, and you gotta admit- Super complicated explaining that one's loving mother is genuinely a body pillow.

Regarding Absolutions: They're soul add-ons (soul hat works too), so just sufficient Soul Power would work. If you're good enough then the extraction would be harmless, though only a natural born Absolute would possess the genetic marker. It is possible to wield multiple Absolutions through theft (you can only be born with one), which would further increase the Spellcasting bonus.

In fact, the reason Absolutions provide natural talent is because they defy the rules of magic and science. Thus, that Defiant nature leaks to the Absolute, making it easier to bend reality. Still, if you're otherwise completely unqualified for magic, then an Absolution wouldn't help much. Though back to the genetic marker, it is possible for Absolute lineages to crossbreed. The resulting "Mutants" would have a hybridized power in that case.

I won't need to edit these three posts together right? Though back to fiction: Does Defictionalization occur in-universe? There must be numerous individuals with some variation of The Power of Creation and Gadgeteer Genius or Mad Scientist types who are avid pop cultures fans. Making Defictionalization established in-universe would allow a justification for "canon" characters, so I'll admit I originally developed that as a precautionary method.

Hold on, confused by this.

Confused by what's confusing me, in fact, so gimme a sec to figure this out some more.

Yes Dakimakura Mom would be a great character- for a goofy Anime or Manga. I'm stretching things with the likes of Chikening already. Tell you what; tell me how that is possible and then I'll consider it.

And no, you don't need to rewrite the Absolutions post, unless you feel you have to. Again, I'll wait in case someone has something to say (but no more than a day) before I approve it.

And to make my Defictionalization statement clearer:

-our characters can make references to existing franchises such as as Star Wars or Harry Potter but they are NOT part of our universe. All characters we use must be original.

-Nothing prevents us from creating our own fictional characters or products- see the Clotho Fashions line.

-And finally, a series that is fictional in the Spandex Universe might be real elsewhere, and those characters we create can crossover into the main universe.

edited 5th May '17 8:06:39 AM by Sijo