Florence "Flo" Gale - Cafeteria worker, female, age early 40s late 30s. No super powers or meta-abilities. No tragic back story. May be the only employee in the school who actually has read all of the the mandatory employee safety hand-outs.
ADITTIONAL NOTABLE SCHOOL STAFF
- Mr.Clean: Mr.Clean is SA's Janitor and looks exactly like you think he does; bald, middle-aged, and buff as hell with a warm, constant smile. He tried his hand at the Superhero games years back, but unfortunately, his powers just weren't very well suited for hero work. What they were suited for was janitorial work of the highest order, and he quickly became SA's most renowned janitor. Mr.Clean himself is all smiles and sunshine on the surface, but do NOT fuck with him. He has absolutely no fucks to give, but he never really gets all that angry or mad, oh no. Rather, he gets passive-aggressive as all hell. He's one of the most polite people you'll ever meet, but being polite doesn't necessarily have anything to do with being nice.
- Mr.Clean's powers are self-explanatory. He can clean just about anything. All he has to do is create a thick layer of super-foam and it will instantly dissolve all dirt, grime, germs, and anything else they come in contact with. He also has minor telekinetic powers that allow him to lift small or light objects. He can't really do anything heavy duty, but it's perfect for serving as a makeshift vacuum or broom, along with perhaps a few other uses.
- Laurie: Laurie is the school therapist. Like Mr.Clean, her powers weren't always well suited for hero work, but she soon found another use for them as SA's therapist. (After getting the proper degree of course.) Laurie herself is a kind, sweet, fun-loving gal, but also somewhat introverted at times. But she's able to be more forward when it comes to helping her students.
- Laurie is able to produce pheromones which are capable of affecting all sorts of different moods and emotions. She can make people feel sad, angry, nervous, happy, or just about anything else. This helps her in her therapy work in that it allows her to tap into certain emotions or feelings that might otherwise be hard for her patients to deal with, or make them confront certain parts of themselves they aren't always comfortable with bringing out. However, she also understands that using such powers can make people feel uncomfortable, so she always gives her patients a full disclosure before beginning her sessions.
- Killdozer: Killdozer is the school's football coach. A former member of the Protectors, he was one of the group's strongmen back in the 80's, 90's, and early 00's before calling it quits. But before any of that he was a quarterback, so when he finally did settle down, he put both of his careers to good use and became SA's football coach. Killdozer is the epitome of Good Is Not Nice. He's rude, crude, and one mean SOB. He was also best friends with fellow Protector Drill Sergeant Nasty, which tells you all you need to know. That said, he does have his students' best interests at heart and does care about helping people. He just doesn't always do a good job of showing it.
- Killdozer is incredibly strong and durable, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. He also has a suit of Powered Armor made by Armada that strengthens his powers while also giving him other bells and whistels. He has jet propulsers on his feet that let him fly, but he also has a couple of giant bulldozer claws covering his hands that can also fire laser beams or shoot out hard light missiles. He can also whip out a couple of tractor wheels that let him steamroll anything in his path. Of course, he doesn't use the armor during football practice, but even without it, he's still a force to be reckoned with.
edited 4th Mar '18 9:27:47 AM by kkhohoho
Okay so Mike is definitely going to be seeking out Killdozer to try out for the team.
AKA Nixer
Lucy's Family
- Jane Livingston:
◊ A kind, pleasant woman in her mid-30's to early-40's (it tends to vary depending on how confident she's feeling). She suffers from a multitude of physical illnesses; she suffered from a severe case of liver malfunction whilst giving birth to David (which nearly resulted in her death) as well as a low blood count, resulting in her suffering from fatigue and symptoms of ME. Despite this, she goes out of her way to be active whenever she can, much to the concern of her children. Her soft hearted attitude hides a person under deep stress, who is doing everything in her power to keep her family going strong despite her illness.
- As of the present, she has shown no sign of supernatural ability.
- Hannah Livingston:◊ Jane's first child and older sister of Lucy, around 19 years of age. Hannah carries her mother's kind-hearted nature, laced with a youthful energy and mischievous brightness that just seems to emanate from her in waves (Jane jokes that this is actually her superpower). Although her constant concern and occasional nagging to her younger siblings can be grating on them, they nonetheless both love her to death as she acts as what is essentially a mother figure to them for when Jane is too unwell to even move.
- As of the present, she has shown no sign of supernatural ability.
Apart from the infusion of a good mood in all living creatures around her.
- As of the present, she has shown no sign of supernatural ability.
- David Livingston:◊ Jane's last child before she became too physically unstable to conceive another. David (now 14 years old) wasn't intentionally named after the famous pioneer, but Hannah, Jane and even the normally too-kind-to-tease Lucy have gotten in on the action in taunting him relentlessly about this coincidence. Ever since the "bully incident", David has become incredibly withdrawn and serious, taking no nonsense from anyone and becoming incredibly overprotective of Lucy, lashing out at those who dare to insinuate his older sister is at fault in any way. David claims that "legally" he cannot talk about the true nature of the event unless absolutely necessary.
- Apart from Lucy, David is the only other member of the Livingston family to showcase a manifesting power: specifically, zero-point energy generation and manipulation, which allows him to drain objects of nearly all of their quantum energy, causing them to levitate in the air. Despite only just beginning to manifest, the power has a lot of potential; he could use it for paralysis inducement or even a form of telekinetic movement. The more massive the object, the more violently its energy is drawn out, to the point of creating potentially dangerous sparks as the energy is siphoned out at an alarming rate.
edited 22nd May '18 1:12:16 PM by Enirboreh
bork
Well, it’s a badger, that’s for sure
Just waiting for approval on Signups.
Huzzah
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
The House Mattiuza
They are not pure hearts who converted a fiend by any stretch. Self-indulgent, heretical, and much preferring to bend the world to their whims, the House Mattiuza has been a maelstrom of chaos from its very beginning, albeit those very traits gave them power and legacy in the first place. note
The House Mattiuza had no world shattering ambitions and rarely stuck with one team for long. They were wild cards, out to take from the world what they wished and give back in their own way.
Tropes in Common
- Anti-Magic: While their daeva has significant magical resistance, tis Shirin and Vaumisa who have note divine protection. They're so antimagical, that even illusions cannot take their image and Matten can not summon or locate them, even with their leave. However, their severe magical resistance also means, they cannot use magical or spiritual arts, nor enhance their bodies beyond what they already have.
- Biological Immortality: Both Shirin and Vaumisa have ageless, supernaturally healthy bodies, but are still quite capable of bleeding out from a fatal wound—or starving.
- The Dark Arts: Helped uncover much of modern magery and magitek (along with mundane science) through extensive 'work.'
- Evil Hero: They defend their home and beautify it—and if they can reduce casualties by poisoning every nation downstream of them, well...
- The Family That Slays Together: As soon as Matten (Mahvash) could walk, she took part in the family business.
- Lovecraftian Superpower: By way of Matten and Aka Manah wanting some influence over creation proper.
- Morality Chain: The normally self-absorbed bunch are all this to each other. They'd never participate in a scheme that could endanger one of them (more than usual anyway). They're usually vipers to anyone else though... The main exception being people who took care of Matten. She rarely saw her parents' viper side.
- Noble Demon: The House Mattiuza has a going thing with Aka Manah, not out of malice toward humanity or the world, but because it rewards them well. When not on the clock, they're happy to engage in random acts of charity and kindness, and even their work seemed mundane in the context of the ancient world.
- Our Phlebotinum Child: Long Explanation
- The Sacred Darkness: Have this attitude. Whether it fits in the context of Persian Mythology is a Riddle for the Ages.
- Sense Freak: Love experiences of all kinds—and one gets more 'variety' in case. Something they all know only too well.
- Super Prototype: Utterly Averted—Shirin's and Vaumisa's 'super' child does exactly what a prototype should for Aka Manah, stumble through experiences and teach it to do better with the next models. I.e. Matten is not special at all to it...
- These Are Things Man Was Not Meant to Know: Aka Manah at least enjoys introducing these—and Shirin and Vaumisa shamelessly pass them on in turn.
- Villainous Underdog: The Mattiuza wandered about in Bronze Age Elam with the vast armies of the king, raiding Akkadians and Scythians,and Sword and Sandal heroes all eager for their heads—and Matten's presence did not tip the scale that much. Even aside from Matten, these are still the people who were plucky enough rip off a nobleman's house in the first place, take his name and enjoy matters of court, and not get caught doing this for half a century.
- Villainous Valour: Get through thick and thin by The Power of Love and determination to see each through messes (often of their own making).
- Unholy Matrimony: Shirin and Vaumisa are in it together. They never even consider betraying each other.
Despite her mania though, Shirin is no De Terminator. She'd rather fold them and move on to something else that's fun. Many, MANY people not named Vaumisa or Matten have found themselves left to face the swords and spears when she vanishes on them.
All the same, Shirin usually charms the people she meets, having genuine interest in everyone's lives—even those she's just about to use as bait. In her own home, she's rather a softie, going out of her way to indulge her housemates and keep the house warm and pleasantly chaotic. (Orderly is impossible).
Even more than Shirin, he will be no where near the action if at all possible, and while clearly caring for Matten's well-being, he is remarkably cavalier about sending her into extreme danger.
At home, he's solid and reliable, keeping up the House Mattiuza's connections in society and usually following through on his promises. note
In any case, Vaumisa is rather stuffy and always dressed up, no matter what. (Matten will swear she's seen him climb out of bed in a crisp three-piece suit. Shirin would say that he's entered bed the same way). He can be distant with his love of the family (and even moreso for friends), but he is also the most likely to empathize with people he inevitably harms and to try to justify his actions.
Matten's Wayward Siblings—The Other Daeva
Nonetheless, this condition made it rather easy for Angra Mainyu to seduce the daeva to his side. note Well, that disability, and perhaps Aka Manah (lit. evil will) being their creator. note . In any case, Angra Mainyu is the chief of daeva, but not their creator, and respectable only in that he severely outclasses the lesser daeva in power.
Being things realized through destruction and not made, they're all at least strange, given a random assortment of features from a mix of animal and human, outright Eldritch Abomination and Starfish Alien, and utterly immaterial, only existing as background forces or 'free-ranging' mental afflictions.
However, despite their destructiveness, they are not unlike the demons and fair folk that they look down upon in that they can be kept at bay by humans without terrible trouble. The average Yazata note far outclasses the average daeva. For anyone, atar (sacred fire) is particularly effective. note A holy fire in the hearth actively repels daeva from homes; though other things (see below) can attract them regardless, essentially profaning the fire. These days they tend to be found in fire temples scattered among the few remaining Zoroastrians. The very weakest daeva are driven away by sunlight and constantly walk the Earth, following the night. On the other hand, daeva are attracted to the human residue of reproduction, sex, and death...and filth.
Despite their godly status, the daeva's ability to create is extremely limited and arguably nonexistent, as their 'creations' are mere accidents of their essence and, in any case, twists of already existing creation. This is a mark of inferiority never forgotten and dealt with in different ways. And this gets to sapience. Daeva compete for aspects, among other things, with the weakest being all but assimilated to the master of the aspect. The power of an aspect—and the desire to spread it makes for a powerful positive feedback loop, and a daeva may, for all intents and purposes, be a paperclip maximizer for their aspect or an addiction given being, or even a program.
A short list of notable daeva
note Some notable daeva are Indar who freezes the minds of the righteous; Nasu of pollution and contamination; Areshko of envy (From which Aži's sword gets its power). They rather lack in personality by my initial source, but I can feel out this list if requested.
Tropes
- Above Good and Evil: So, they might say. Most are happy to admit that they have no idea what those are, and further that they do not care. "Dignity in the face of power is the same as dust..."
- Abstract Apotheosis: Those daeva successful in conquering an aspect draw strength from the aspect and are able to capture and compel the weaker daeva associated with the aspect. They can both encourage their aspect in others and draw strength from it in a positive feedback loop.
- Biological Immortality: Long-lived but much easier to permanently kill than yazatas or humans. Their souls are inseparable from their bodies, and, by many scholarly interpretations, the daeva don't exist at all, but are merely destructive vacuums which good has yet to reach.
- The Heartless: The daeva are accidental offshoots of the evil things in creation. The weakest among them are but mental hazards and compulsions that propagate like prions and can be banished with but therapy (or you know, atar and yazatas). Even the mightiest of them cannot create.
- Our Gods Are Different: Limitations and the (distinctly not omni)presence of yazatas aside, the daeva are gods, and, as such, needless, note overwhelmingly powerful and stout, and capable of causing great disasters on a whim. note
- The Sacred Darkness: Averted. Mattiuzas aside, the daeva are hardly interested in spreading "good" words or developing a following. Whatever cults they gain are accidental.
- Villainous Underdog: Accidents of creation locked in a doomed struggle—and they know it. They're too unapologetically evil for any kind of valor to shine through however. Villainous Valor hardly exists among them, except for those specifically coveting the aspects of war and battle.
Creation is anathema to it, but it has a long-running goal of gaining similar power to exceed Vohu Manah. In the meantime, it has a jolly old time, twisting the creations of its rival into its own image.
So, far, it has little specific interest in the House Mattiuza. Even Matten would refer to it as 'creator' casually, but not as 'parent,' and it is arguably non-sapient (as are ordinary daeva). It certainly recognizes patterns. It can restore killed daeva (or anything else it has power over) more or less exactly or with twists—or recognize their lack of utility and reabsorb them, leaving no trace. There is no way at all to tell when it will do any of these things, and there is certainly no way to tell when it has done the latter. And it cannot restore them on purpose anyway. It would have to go through the trouble of recreating the disaster that spawned them and raising the daeva as a side effect. This, it is extremely unlikely to do on purpose.
One of Matten's big sisters and manifestation of the decay and contamination of corpses. Druj Nasu holds sway over contamination and pollution. She is known, in fact, as the greatest polluter of all creation, and her tendency to inhabit the corpses of the recently dead, only aid this reputation—and encourage the steps people take to avoid her.
Matten herself refers to Druj Nasu as her fun loving if crazy big sister. Alas, Nasu almost entirely devotes her time to 'play,' parading recently dead relatives in front of love ones, haunting homes, random zombie risings, feeling creation decay under her talents, and the occasional round of air guitar. Like most of her fellows, she has no interest at all in cosmic supremacy, but is both self-absorbed and interested in a realm of her own. Nonetheless, few can bring her to account, for Nasu is more than powerful enough to toss enemies aside.
Possessed of a more refined corrupting touch than her little sister and a malicious playfulness, Nasu spends much of her time 'sampling' the bodies of the recently deadnote and simply touching things, rendering them unclean 'for ever and ever.' note There is an exception to this inevitable doom however. Dogs. They consume tainted flesh with ease and are more than capable of detecting the taint of Nasu and the severity.
Avoidance is recommended naturally, but the advice to avoid carrying corpses alone protects only from her favorite activity. Nasu's pollution carries on the winds, in the form of contagions, withering auras with which she can effortlessly encircle the globe and then some, and even casual contact.
Tropes
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: Ask Nasu about her activities. Let her tell you how no one complains when a man enjoys a chip or takes a bite of an apple. She just does the same, showing the chef just how much she loves its creation. Besides, it always makes more.
- Cross-Melting Aura / Fight Off the Kryptonite: Adar will harm Nasu, but she profanes the flames by contact, and even being wreathed in holy fire will not put her down. Similarly, she loathes dogs for their role in purifying her influence, but even then she's practical enough to shoot them, and while they can attack her without backlash from her taint, she isn't particularly weakened by their presence.
- The Dreaded: Entire traditions of funerary rites are built around avoiding her attentions.
- Ghostly Chill: Like her siblings, Nasu is very cold to the touch; although if you find this out by experience, You Are Already Dead or really wishing that you were.
- Human Resources: Uses parts of dead humans for all manner of things. Nasu owns at least one floating hand which constantly massages her back.
- Self-Constructed Being: Nasu is ever Body Surfing, and tends to make conglomerations of parts she finds, even being choosy between individual teeth from millions of corpses.
- Swiss-Army Superpower: Nasu's control over over pollution and contamination, and in her case, the taint is very much the main effect, bringing anything so tainted within her domain.
- Master of Your Domain: Of course.
- Sizeshifter: Growing to gargantuan size is one of her favorite tricks—particularly as an entrance.
- The Assimilator: Nasu is more than capable of extracting the traits of those she has recently felled or even the freshly dead.
- Adaptive Ability: A rather conscious variant, in that she certainly has something to perfectly counter the threat of the moment, but has to find and wear it herself.
- Mind Manipulation: Nasu's contamination is hardly just a physical threat, which leads us to...
- Demonic Possession: When she decides to cut out the middle man and take a body herself, Nasu needs no permission, and, in her simplest jobs simply kills her new host on contact, claiming its corpse.
- Power Nullifier: A rather mild taint by Nasu's standard, but she can rot and ruin an adversary's power as well as their body and soul at large.
- Master of Your Domain: Of course.
Of course, Areshko is very much equipped to do something about his constant feelings of inadequacy, borrowing the everything of others. In both battle and daily life, he stands nervously in the background and has a crippling fear of inadequacy...and so is well motivated to practice his craft. Perhaps, Areshko would not even be satisfied if he took Ahura Mazda himself.
Tropes
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: Ask Areshko about his activities. He'd tell you that he's making things better, by making himself better. This is a constant process.
- Ghostly Chill: Averted. Thanks to the results of his monstrous envy, Areshko is one of the few daeva who is not necessarily freezing to the touch.
- Human Resources: Areshko wants someone's life, body, powers, memories, history...It all doesn't leave much room for the victim.
- Power Copying with a side of You Will Be Assimilated: Areshko spends every waking moment looking for the next life to make himself a better thing. He's picked up plenty of powers on the way and cycles through them (and identities and bodies) at will..
- Master of Your Domain: Of course. One way to identify Areshko is the constantly shifting bits on his body. Nothing is ever good enough.
- Adaptive Ability: Another conscious variant, in that Areshko has been around enough to have something for every occasion. Its never enough, and the ones that he's collected are just not quite good enough...
- Mind Manipulation: Beyond absorbing the memories and skills of those he takes, Areshko's aura has a depressant-like effect on those around him. Unlike Matten and Nasu, his aura does not cause constant physical destruction. People just have a tendency to commit suicide after too much time around him—and act like drunken idiots in the short term.
- Demonic Possession: One way for Areshko to acquire a new life and identity. Though far more often, he'll just eat the victim.
Aži Dahāka rather resembles your basic middle aged suit, with a well trimmed goatee and rather long hair. One would detect nothing out of the ordinary with him. He's in shape but no behemoth in musculature, and his eyes and hair are a plain black. Similarly Aži Dahāka is olive skinned, not the fiery red, sickly green, or even indigo of the divs and corrupted beings around him. He stands much shorter than his div guards, and is only imposing by his demeanor. Whether he's wearing armor or a suit, Aži Dahāka presents himself like he owns the room—which he often does.
Aži Dahāka is all but the incarnation of utter depravity and yet a false messiah, for this image is how he first took power. He is one of the few associated with note Angra Mainyu who can even comprehend good, and to some extent even uses the kind of positive reinforcement more characteristic of myopic types like Matten. That said, he still takes the Seven Kill Steele as self-help book.
Our ancient evil du jour is no lunatic clown, however. Aži Dahāka speaks and is literate in every language that ever was, and considers himself quite cultured and even above petty things. Naturally, he's a skilled liar, and, to run an empire has become skilled in accounting, finance, and bureaucracy and military command. Aži Dahāka practices rituals excessively and knows enough of religion and philosophy to twist both. He carries a great sword and modern armor, but will happily lob a missile at enemies from afar.
Power
Befitting his experience, Aži Dahāka is vast in power, blessed by the graces of Angra Mainyu and the failures of many who've challenged him.
- Mental Defense: Aži Dahāka is quite clairvoyant, able to obtain clear pictures of the past and present and clear (but easily changeable) visions of the potential future. In combination with his telepathy, this makes him less of a master strategist than a player who can see everyone's hands. Aži Dahāka's own mind is shrouded by the poisonous evil will, doing severe damage to all who would reach out to it.
- Mental Offense: Aži Dahāka corrupts through superficial charm, but he has no qualms about outright mind controlling and altering the memories of the unwary, whether they are pure or tainted in their souls. Less directly, he raises illusions to confuse and confound, including making invisible (and odorless) his own appearance.
- Movement: Aži Dahāka can fly, but loses this ability pending another complex ritual whenever he alights. Much more commonly, he appears through summoned gateways and is capable of traversing the galaxy in this manner, not to mention other dimensions.
- Armor: Befitting his position, Aži Dahāka never drops a personal force field and he's rarely seen without armor. Underneath these, in the background of any fight, his body continues to regenerate.
- Areshko: Both the name of Aži Dahāka's sword which devours the essences of those it cuts, manifesting as nullification of the unfortunate's powers and skills, and the corrosion of their very thoughts; and equally the name of the blessing that allows Aži Dahāka to copy for himself the powers of others.
- Nasu's Pollution: This is a simple, almost imperceptible breeze of wind, that degrades the bodies of those it touches, organic or abiotic.
- Fallen Pushtigban: Aži Dahāka is capable of summoning divs and fallen mortals from Māzandarān as well as (rather less reliable) infernal divs from the creation of Aka Manahnote itself. These he can imbue with powers like his own or any of an assortment of stolen abilities.
- Scaled Up: Self-explanatory—Aži Dahāka has a second body as a three-headed dragon, but this is rarely used, for besides being rather tougher, he exercises the same powers, only bigger and without any benefit of stealth. (This is Aži Dahāka's equivalent to 100% power).
Weaknesses
- Angra Mainyu's gift to Aži Dahāka is fittingly also a curse, for if Aži Dahāka fails to feed the snakes sprouting from his shoulders human brains every day, the snakes will feed on his own, depriving him of his strength and powers and visiting on him unending torment.
- Also, when Fereydun prevailed over Aži Dahāka and ended his first wicked reign, the hero imprisoned the villain in sealing chains beneath Mount Damāvand. Well, good news, the chains can still hold him. Sort of... Aži Dahāka cannot destroy the chains, but the things, being made of bronze, could corrode easy enough. After millennia without maintenance, the links corroded away and Aži Dahāka (sorta) walked free. Fereydun isn't entirely to blame for this. He had the task of finding another who could maintain the chains, be relied upon not to sabotage them, and who's network could be relied upon for the same. Of course, being a warrior king, he didn't have as much time as he wanted and was slain in battle before finding a successor. That said all one has to do is repair the chains—without magic.
- While it's being going on for millennia, Aži Dahāka never has and never will get used to the voices of Aka Manah echoing in his mind.
- As indicated, Aži Dahāka is (at least initially) human, and still suffers from his old injuries from Fereydun's mace blows. Thus, despite his strength, if one can get past Aži Dahāka's armor and score blows on him, they needn't work too long to fell him. In any case, he's actual body is still chained up—not that his phantasms are much weaker.
Matten's White Sheep Cousins—Yazata
They are needless, humble beings, said in the same breath to never let sleep interrupt their task and to serve as drivers and personal assistants for each other. Nonetheless, like the daeva they have aspects and unlike the daeva, purposeful and sane mini-cults of their own, coterminous with that of Ahura Mazda.
Despite how they can be found, doing incredibly mundane things more often than not, the yazata are extremely powerful note creatures of truth, each being undeceivable and never resting. The greatest among them are designated the Amesha Spentas, each responsible for protecting one facet of creation.
Berezata spends his time performing acts of charity and goes out of his way to help with about any crisis, no matter how small (and no matter how unwanted. Anyone who complains will feel happier about things soon enough). The yazata appreciates worship, but is most concerned with ending the worship of evil wills and furthering the end of evil deeds. He is almost sickening in his optimism and sweet demeanor (to non-evil-doers), giving genuine agape love to anything (pure and good). But he's still a dutiful yazata who smites evil without mercy. Berezata can turn on a dime if his company even idealizes committing an evil act, leaving his target well happy and perfectly harmless to himself and others.
Berezata's powers are inherent to him as a yazata. He is rather a younger yazata though, as he has no aspect and was born after human history had began. That hardly slows him down though. He has ambitions on becoming the yazata aspect of 'justice' and eventually being the one who leads the charge against Angra Mainyu's forces of uncreation and purging them from the world while guarding his own brand of justice in the renovated world. Accordingly, Berezata is 'in costume' constantly.
- Abilities:
- Powers: As a yazata, Berezata commands all manner of divine powers associated with his station.
- Holy Body: Berezata requires no sustenance, knows no disease, and moves without tiring, and is further capable of great feats of strength form tanking artillery barrages to crushing iron in his hands and tossing trucks through the air. He's not much more agile than the human average, but can outmaneuver foes by flight and teleportation.
- Possession: Berezata has a body of his own, but can take the bodies of humans (multiple humans) and has the concentration to act through dozens of avatars simultaneously. Berezata's possession has multiple stages. At its least advanced, tis 'simple' mental domination, which he usually uses to 'cleanse the souls' of the guilty and reconstruct them for the better. Permission he needs not and rarely takes before filling a target's mind and soul with burning light, judging it for himself, and reforging the soul to his liking. These avatars maintain individuality (mostly), but have their 'impurities' stripped away and desire nothing more then serving the higher will. [This is ineffective on daeva incidentally. The 'purification' will kill them outright or render them vegetables. Its one of the main means of capturing daeva bodies for study, less they fade.]
- Evocation: Berezata can call upon the power of any soul note whose body either feels the heat of his fire or reflects it light. He can seal the powers of any so afflicted as well; though this requires time and preparations are obvious-the seal visibly spreads across the target's body—and leaves the target locked-in as well as paralyzed until the yazata releases them. [This is also twisted with daeva. A yazata's aura just counters daeva powers. They will not be unmade away under a daeva's noxious presence.
- Invocation: In addition, the yazata can grant his powers to any soul he's currently possessing or whose body either feels the heat of his fire or reflects it light. Furthermore, any fire in his presence becomes an atar.
- True Khvarenah: The source of every power listed, and medium for any spellcraft... Berezata's mere presence physically heals those nearby note , albeit this isn't necessarily helpful when he's battering someone. (Whether the psychic damage he inflicts heals is up to him). Injuring him will release burning light from the wound. Beyond the passive effects of his aura, the yazata can use his piece of the true Khvarenah to connect to the wider world for anything from clairvoyance to rituals and teleporting in flashes of light.
- Senses: Berezata's dominant senses are visual, but he sees much more than the human range, including: the aura/residue of the souls of people, including the presence of say, divine (or fiendish) patrons clinging to their clients and, he also sees entreaties directed at him in the form of that same aura residue.
- Weaknesses
- Berezata has a very one-track mind, giving attention to 'distractions' only long enough to get them out of the way. (Read: severe tunnel vision). Of course, this also makes him quite implacable.
- Even a stealthy approach is impossible for him, as he has a very noticeable light/warmth aura.
- Befitting his station, the yazata quite literally cannot lie.
- Skills: Berezata knows every language that has ever existed, both written and spoken, and, as a yazata further instantly perceives lies (of all kinds).
- Powers: As a yazata, Berezata commands all manner of divine powers associated with his station.
- Equipment: Holy Javelin (constantly aflame with the atar) and chain. The javelin when thrown, becomes a guided, flaming missile which always returns to Berezata. It burns anyone unworthy note who attempts to take hold of it.
edited 17th May '18 8:40:45 AM by CenturyEye
Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
Schrodinger's Human
Nothing grand and detailed, but better than nothing:
Alexa's family:
- Dmitri Glukovich Alexeevich: Father of the family. His mother died during childbirth, and young Dmitri was left in the hands of an abusive superhero father. After escaping his clutches, Dmitri swore to become a better person than his father. Named Alexandra after his mother. Dmitri has a bias against superhumans that he is trying to overcome, so he has conflicted feelings about sending Alexandra to Saint Academy. On the surface, Dmitri is a really excitable person.
- Marina Glukovich Andreevna: Mother of the family. Almost died at the hands of a supervillain, which left her suffering from PTSD. With the support of her husband, she managed to mostly recover from it. Marina doesn't talk much, but nevertheless she is able to convey her emotions and thoughts precisely.
- Andrei Glukovich Dmitriev: Alexandra's younger brother. Has a personality similar to his mother's, but strangely he is harsh towards his sister. That does not mean he doesn't care for her. For now, he is going to a normal school.
edited 21st Apr '18 6:38:03 PM by kaalban
Everything that lives is designed to end.
Where am I? What's going on?
Well, everyone else is doing this, so I don’t see why I shouldn’t.
Rebecca’s Family
- Robert Raleigh: Lieutenant Robert Raleigh is a veteran of the conflicts in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and as such was largely absent during Rebecca’s childhood. He cares for his wife and daughters quite a bit, and has been enjoying their time together as a stay at home dad after finally coming home from his third tour of service two years ago.
- Rosanne Raleigh: Rosanne Raleigh is a detective with the SCPD and served as a role model for Rebecca growing up, being one of the biggest causes for Rebecca’s obsession with justice and heroics.
- Renée Raleigh: Rebecca’s identical twin sister, Renée is notoriously lazy and unmotivated, serving as a stark contrast to her sister’s enthusiasm and dedication. Around the same time Rebecca came upon her powers, Renée came upon her own ability to clean anything with a touch, perhaps as the result of some mystical balancing act. Renée has no desire to be a hero, and this ability is solely used to make her own life easier, thus she still attends regular high school.
Brenner's Wolves Fight Again
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Maybe Rosalinda should try to get adopted by the family.
This is close enough to family for Oliver.
The Metal Heads
When Oliver first arrived at Earth, he landed in the backyard of a small house in a rural area outside of San Diego. One of the residents of the house, Gregory Parsons, lost the nose-goes to check it out, and upon discovering the small crater was caused by a teenage boy, he remarked that "it was metal as fuck." He got the other two people there to take Oliver in and put him on the couch. Oliver lived with these men for a couple years, until a run-in with some aliens put him on Saint Academy's radar.
- Gregory Parsons◊: Greg, being the one who found Oliver, fancies himself as a positive male role-model for the boy, and tries to act like one. However, seeing as he didn't have a father himself, he's not the best at it, but goddamn does he care for the kid. He took Oliver to his first metal concert- a Cattle Decapitation show-, taught him how to play drums, drive stick, and how not to behave when shitfaced. Granted, he also tried getting Oliver high a couple times, but we don't talk about that.
- Henry "Hank" Bennett◊: Hank and Greg have been friends since high school, and was the one who suggested that the two live together with Pete. The three tried to form a band. Key word: "tried," because Hank was the only one who could play on beat. If Greg is Oliver's "dad," Hank is his cool uncle. The two often spent time on the coast, fly fishing- because it was like fishing, but metal- and the two managed to almost wreck Pete's car. Three times. Hank bought Oliver his first Earth beer at the Cattle Decapitation show, cementing himself as another bad influence.
- Pete Schwartz◊: Pete is the closest thing to a responsible member of the metal heads. Mostly because he's the one who actually owns the house and is the only person who owns a car. He also veto'd letting Oliver drink beer, losing out 2-1. Though, he's not a stick in the mud. He's dragged the kid into many mosh pits, and had Oliver help him sneak into a few NOFX concerts as well. Pete spent time with Oliver going to the gym, teaching the kid how to cook, and how to deal with "these fucking posers collecting taxes," and a bunch of other skills necessary to survive on Earth.
- Hetfield or "Het": Het is Hank's dog, named after the lead singer of Metallica. He's a young English Sheepdog◊ that, much like Oliver, the metal heads found outside their house one day. They took him in, and after realizing he didn't have an owner, decided to keep him. Hank is the one who's mostly responsible for him, and is credited so.
edited 10th Jun '18 2:32:51 PM by BismuthOmega
The man who sleeps with a machete is a fool every night but one.
Breath of the Sun
The Freisch Family
Josef
Mikael's grandfather. An older man, who immigrated from Germany around the 1930s for fairly obvious reasons. Met and married a fellow immigrant, and took up residence in a small town. Had one child, Amadea. After his wife's passing, Josef became more closed off and bitter, and grew increasingly distrusting of outsiders. When his daughter died as well, Josef was utterly broken. A shell of a man, he raised Mikael alone, and many of his neuroses passed on to the boy, though Mikael is aware of this and tries to be a better man than Josef is. Josef overheard Amadea calling her lover his true name, Zamiel, so even though she never told him that Mikael's father was a demon, he knew of the boy's heritage all along.
Claudia
Mikael's late grandmother. By all accounts a kindly woman who liked quiet and solitude.
Amadea
Mikael's mother, who passed away when he was three from some unknown disease. She was always warm and loving, and after her mother's death she acted as a calming influence on her father. With her passing Josef became Mikael's guardian. The circumstances surrounding her death are odd - the doctors couldn't identify what was actually afflicting her, and due to the supposedly rapid necrosis of her flesh, her body was cremated rather than buried with her mother's. Josef suspects that she was whisked away to Hell by her lover. Amadea intended to tell Mikael of his heritage when he was older (though she'd never say it, she was almost hoping Josef would pass on before she revealed it, as she knew he wouldn't approve of Mikael's half-demon nature).
Zamiel
The Black Huntsman. A demon spoken of in Germanic folklore (he may also be the same demon who tempted Faust, acting under the pseudonym Mephistopheles). Mikael's true father, who approached Amadea in human guise under the name 'Zack'. Why he fathered Mikael is unknown, but he mentioned wanting children (note the plural) - and there's a decent chance Amadea knew his specific reasons. Amadea was certainly aware of Zamiel's true identity, even though he'd left her before Mikael was born.
Morgoth
Mikael's half sister, daughter of Zamiel. Part of the Lethal Legion. Revealed Mikael's demonic heritage to him.
DEMON SUPPORT GROUP
Killgore the Defiler: Killgore may look and sound imposing, but he's really a big softy. While he looks like your layman's idea of the Devil — large, burly, horns, hairy legs, cloven hoofs, the works — and may talk the talk, he's really the sweetest guy you could find. When he isn't out having adventures in the multiverse anyway. But if you piss him off or threaten one of his charges, he'll become every bit the Devil he appears to be. Speaking of charges, he also heads the Demon Support Group at Saint Academy, helping its members comes to terms with their demonic urges and the new eternal life that awaits them. Also makes some mean brownies.
Ellie: Ellie, like most demons, was born and raised in the Abyss. For a while, she was content to just do what most Abyssal Demons did for a living; slaughter people for fun, backstab as many people as possible for power and control, and when they were really in a good mood, have sex. However, there were some demons who wanted to break free of the ways of the past. Who didn't want to be seen as just shameless hedonists and amoral monsters. Of course, being of the Abyss meant that even the best demon still wasn't exactly a shining bastion of morality, but they still tried. And upon getting wind of this, Ellie thought that perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea. She only did what she did because that's how things were done. But what if there was another way? What if the way she did things was wrong? What if there was a way to live that didn't involve stepping on as many puppies as possible? And she decided that she wanted that life. When she did, she moved to our world, intent on becoming a hero and showing everyone that not all demons were monsters. And SA was the best place for her to learn how to do just that. Not long after, she met Mikael. And the rest was history.
Jezebel: Jezebel is a punk, plain and simple. She's rude, crude, and doesn't take any shit. Bozo and the others only managed to get her out of the Abyss at the last second, so among all the demons at SA, she had by far the biggest personality adjustment. And she knows it. And hates it. She knows she used to be the sweetest thing imaginable and part of her still wants to be that. But she can't be. Not anymore. Because of this, she has an intense sense of self-loathing, hating herself for not just for what she is but rather who she is and what she's become. She's trapped in a spire of misery, and the only way out of it is to accept the person she's become and move on. Which is harder than it looks. Sometimes she thinks of entering the Abyss again and losing what little humanity she has left, just so she'd start loving herself instead of hating what she is. But she can't bring herself to. Aside from the usual, Jezebel can also generate explosions with her fists and hooves on contact. These explosions don't hurt her in the least, but they're deadly against her enemies.
edited 2nd May '18 6:57:00 PM by kkhohoho
Surrounded by weirdoes
Sam's Family and a friend (WIP).
- Christopher Everett (late 40s): Apparently a stern man, and formerly a respected hero and now a lawyer, Chris is, underneath it, a loving man even if he had some trouble showing it, and his serious, imposing demeanor can end up making him somewhat scary for some people, but his good heart and diligence can make others trust him once they talk to him. Beware of his fury, even if not obvious, it's terrifying. Retired years ago because his knee completely failed him and is deaf on one ear. Obviously has the same ice powers as his son, more focused in smaller strikes and messing with people's senses.
- Karen Everett (mid-to-late 40s): A cheerful, spirited woman who works as a high school teacher, she serves as the more empathetic member of the family, which comes in handy when dealing with three men with varying degrees of stoicism and and a tendency to pretending to be fine on bad situations. While she has no powers, her hot-blooded nature can scare her children to obedience, and attacking her will end with with the men unleashing a freezing vengeance.
- Noel Everett. (About 25): Also known as the third Glaze, getting a fair amount of recognition, and an architect on the side, "N" is laid back, and goes with a calm, relaxed stance in spite of his somewhat serious demeanor. Generally optimistic, and ironically, one of the few people who can mess with Sam, even if they are close. He taught Sam several of his tricks, and his big constructs are more structured and complex than Sam's.
- Carlos Aguila: Sam's closest friend and a troublemaker like no other, being a flirt, and a showman, even if he seems to constantly be seeking validation, but is loyal to his friends and his conscience hasn't been affected. He actually has powers, and they can cause no end of trouble, as it is Super vision, being both able to see distant things and through things, so to keep them under control he is forced to wear special glasses. Very good with a bow and has a bit of a fixation on guns, be careful with him.
AKA Nixer
Livingston Willpower™
One of the most intriguing aspects of Lucy's family is their abnormally potent willpower, which seems to be the source of their powers.
Manifestation of powers depend on their abnormal willpower reaching a peak, to which it seems that whatever their strongest obsession or interest is will be the basis of the new supernatural ability. For example, Lucy's obsession with artistry, painting, and drawing was brought to the surface during the bully incident once her willpower reached a peak under her intense instinct to protect her brother, awakening her ink powers. David too had an obsession, that of theoretical physics, quantum mechanics and obscure matter and energies discovered across the scientific field, which manifested into zero-point energy manipulation after the bully incident as well.
The extent of the abilities seem to depend on the initial awakening, although they may grow stronger over time. Due to Lucy focusing all her willpower on protecting her brother, her powers manifested in an incredibly developed state, while David's shock and stress manifested a power on a much lesser level to his sister's, in fact one so young in development that he hasn't even noticed its existence yet.
It is unknown where this ability to manifest powers based purely on willpower comes from, but the most likely source is Lucy's family on her father's side. Due to Jane's refusal to discuss her late husband, let alone any history of his family, this has yet to be confirmed.
edited 25th Apr '18 5:09:35 PM by Enirboreh
bork
THE WORLD
MSA's world isn't exactly the same as the one we know. Thanks to a combination of refugees from other dimensions, visitors from other planets, and once seemingly mythical races becoming very distinct realities, non-humans have gradually become commonplace. At first, such races were subject to mass discrimination and dehumanization, but over the years, there's been a lot of progress. Largely thanks to Superheroes of all different sorts popularising freaks and weirdos over a grand total of 80 years. (And counting.)
Today, what was once the Supernatural is now simply natural, and the very term itself is seen as an offensive slur. It's not too uncommon to see an alien working at a supermarket or a demon flying overhead in the suburbs, or for a werewolf to be acting as a nature guide. There have even been whole new laws enacted to support and protect non-humans, chief among them being that non-humans are able to run around starkers as long as they aren't showing anything deemed inappropriate. Of course, this has raised concerns of a double-standard in some circles, but progress isn't made overnight. Maybe in another 80 years or so...
Of course, not everyone feels the same way about non-humans. There are still those who see such beings as unnatural. As unholy abominations that go against their very way of life. Others still live in isolated communities, largely being kept away from the more fantastical parts of their world and being less receptive to anything that isn't 'normal'. Sapient non-humans are very hard for them to get used to if they can at all. In any case, there are enough of them that every so often, some group of radicals or another pops up, intent on returning things to the way they were before Saint popped up on the scene and ushered in a new age. But try as they might, it's not so easy to turn back the clock. Non-humans are here to stay, for better or worse. (Though probably for the better.)
Additionally, many non-humans see going nude not just as being comfortable or natural, but as making a statement. That they aren't afraid to be what they are. Additionally, putting on clothes is fine for non-humans with visible genetalia, but for those without, it's looking down on as conforming to the human's standards. The ideal goal for most non-humans is to integrate themselves into human society while still keeping their culture and individuality, and it's that side of things that tends to get the most attention.
Speaking of culture, non-humans have affected it dramatically. Sci-fi and fantasy have largely been absorbed into just general fiction, and shows like Star Trek or Supernatural either don't exist or have been altered dramatically. Non-humans have also created shows and works of their own, some of which have started to break into the mainstream.
edited 1st May '18 7:00:05 PM by kkhohoho
Overload
Aka Ace Atwood, superhero, model and movie star. Born into a wealthy family and blessed with profitably good looks, Ace had a pretty blessed life but wanted more. He used his money to commission a suit of power armour and became a superhero. However, on numerous occasions he's proved himself to hardly be a bastion of justice, regularly using his heroics to improve his own reputation or even his finances. Because of this he's got a pretty bad reputation among other supers, though he's been active as a hero for about five years. If you ask him, he turned down an invitation to join the Protectors but some people might say otherwise.
When Caleb and Harmony crashed to Earth, he was among the first to respond by sheer coincidence. He managed to stick around and, seeing an opportunity to improve his reputation, offered to mentor the pair. However, he isn't exactly a good example so this mostly manifests as money and an occasional phone call.
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
Wards on the Dormitory
Well, our daeva noted that the students fight rather less well when asleep, and with that in mind, she spent a good part of the first week digging a ditch around the place and pasting parchment to the walls for a reason.
The Dormitory's Barrier
- Thin Barrier note
- A web in a bubble, which does not stop teleportation, but does Matten (and the people who let her put marks on them) to intrusion. Teleporting (or walking) through Matten's barrier produces a very loud sound of shattering glass, and a slight singing sensation for the inhabitants. For that and other reasons, usually only active either a) at night or b) when the students have left, just like any alarm.
- For reference: Parchment on the walls inside—anchors to webs. The 'ditch': a giant focus circle for the bubble.
- Form Replacement: Void
- The students have to activate these themselves, via the bits of parchment on the walls of their rooms. note This is just a matter of cutting their palms and slamming their hands on the parchment—without looking at it. The student will be transported just inside the barrier (i.e. outside the dormitory on a random patch of yard) while a jet of aura equal to them in volume wisps through the room. [No magic power needed. Its Matten's work not theirs.] Technobabble
Specific to Matten's Room
- Chilled Dominion
- Not a ward so much as Matten's presence saturates the room and things like holy water and White Magic are rapidly degraded if not backfiring, and magics from sources outside of Aka Manah suffer. Outside of the magics, there's just the tiny issue of the room being utterly lightless and the door sometimes disappearing entirely in the dark. Oh, and her room is as cold as the daeva is.
- Teleport Interdiction
- One can teleport into and out of Matten's room just fine as long as the door's open. And its never locked, so just walking in is no trouble—as long as the visitor does not close the door. The issue is when the door is closed one can teleport in and not out note . If one tries, they'll end up right back in the room note Trying the door will lead one to the midst of the cold, filth ridden, utterly black and flesh consuming depths of the domain under the bridge rather than their intended destination.
- The Door
- The door has no special secret. Just that hurriedly pushing it open in a panic is a bad idea. Cracking it open, until it the room reconnects with the dorm and then opening it the rest of the way is the way out.
edited 27th Apr '18 9:15:02 AM by CenturyEye
Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
I just can't get enough of Killbot 5000. He/She/It's so dangerously funny, I can't get enough.
"DIO is the ultimate being! The being of the future! Dare you not to rival me!"