This roleplay will take place within the Worm universe 5 years before the start of the Worm story. ([s]for those who know what it means, the timeline is Earth Bet[/s] The timeline is no longer Earth Bet As I don't want to be restricted by that universe's story or characters. As such the timeline will be Earth Tav, a timeline I'm more free to control as it was never mentioned or explored in general). Inside the Worm universe superheroes are common place. People who are superheroes get them through what is known as a trigger event. A trigger event comes from a particular traumatic experience, and because of this most people with powers become villains. Some people with powers are even known to have second trigger events. The first trigger event gives the person their power, with heavily laid restrictions in order to protect the user of said power. The second trigger event refines these restrictions, granting the person more power in almost all cases. The second trigger event also must come from a particular traumatic event. Almost no characters in the RP should know these particulars about trigger events. I'm just providing this for your sake, It refines character development. I'm also going to note that some people have their first and second trigger event simultaneously. People with powers are often referred to with the shorthand slang of "Capes", or even "Parahumans" (or beside humans while still being similar). Most powers have safeguards, as in line with the worm universe (I.E. a pyrokinetic is flame resistant). Almost every power (with few exceptions) is governed by the [b]Manton Effect[/b]. [b]The Manton Effect[/b] refers to a parahuman's inability to affect a living being, though powers that exclusively affect living beings seem to be exempt. This effect prevents telekinetics from crushing someone's heart inside their chest or force field users from bisecting a person. [img]http://i.imgur.com/VEyYeoT.png[/img] Mover, Shaker, Brute and Breaker. Master, Tinker, Blaster and Thinker, Striker, Changer, Trump and Stranger. [sub][url=http://worm.wikia.com/wiki/Power_Classifications][color=#4584dc]source[/color][/url][/sub] [hider=Mover] A mover has the ability to transport themselves and/or others to other locations, by means of enhanced speed, teleportation, flight, vehicles or the like. Known powers are listed next to the mover classification with the specific type of capability, eg Mover: Teleporter. [/hider] [hider=Shaker] A Shaker can affect a broader area, asserting some degree of control over the battlefield. May include gas, explosions, forcefields, and ambient or radiated effects. Most wide-area-effect, forcefield and spacetime manipulation powers fall under the Shaker classification. [/hider] [hider=Brute] A Brute classification typically indicates enhanced strength or durability, capes who are most dangerous in a melee and are typically very difficult to put down. While the execution may remain fairly stable, the source of this power can vary. [/hider] [hider=Breaker] A breaker is those who have some ability to ‘break’ the natural laws of the universe as far as those laws apply to them. This is frequently a side effect of powers to prevent them from harming their owners. They typically have the ability to alter themselves to a different state in which they maintain different abilities. Appends other powers, but only in this state. Can also include general altered states. [/hider] [hider=Master] A cape whose powers let them control others or create minions (be they humans, parahumans, animals or specific objects). Can range from ability to control simple insects all the way up to superhuman/projections. Varies from area (touch to long distance), number of beings affected (one being to nearly infinite), simple commands to absolute control and across a spectrum of time lengths and programming (short duration vs. indefinitely or programmed commands). Can be of pseudo-telepathic variety (there are no true telepaths except for the Simurgh) or require voice commands. [/hider] [hider=Tinker] Covers anyone with powers that give them an advanced grasp of science. Lets them make technology years ahead of its time. They can intuitively create or alter many devices beyond the usual restrictions of knowledge, resources and physics. Tinkers are less dangerous when removed from their gear, but should not be assumed to be harmless. A typical Tinker can artificially assume any number of other classifications, depending on specialty. Specialty should be appended to the classification in every case possible. Many Tinker devices cannot be maintained or used safely by anyone except the Tinker in question. [/hider] [hider=Blaster] A cape with ranged, offensive attacks of some form. Can include blasts, thrown or moved objects, grenades. Not always damaging, but generally deleterious. Response varies greatly depending on the nature of the blaster. At low levels, cover is highly recommended. At higher levels, movement is a higher priority, and cover should be assumed to be useless. [/hider] [hider=Thinker] Possesses enhanced knowledge, skills and/or perceptions beyond any reasonable norm. Includes clairvoyance, precognition, skill acquisition, enhanced hearing and enhanced sight. Thinker capes, all numbers assumed to be equal, take the highest priority in engagements. [/hider] [hider=Striker] A cape with the ability to apply some effect by touch or at point-blank range. Has a power that applies on physical contact. Often applies a changed state, like the breaker classification, but isn’t personal. Melee range, including strength only without any durability, else it is classified as a Brute power. The striker classification could include certain Breaker effects as they were applied to things other than the cape themselves, but not always. Other strikers included those who used energy weapons, those who had certain kinds of superstrength that weren’t accompanied by durability and those with pyrokinesis or such that didn’t extend more than a foot around them. [/hider] [hider=Changer(shifter)] Can alter their form, appearance, and/or natural abilities through some manipulation of their bodies. Does not include new powers beyond natural weapons, armor, or durability. [/hider] [hider=Trump] Can manipulate powers in some capacity, altering, granting, strengthening, weakening or removing them entirely, or has powers that interact solely with the powers of others. Can have different powers or effects based on circumstances. [/hider] [hider=Stranger] Stranger powers predominantly lend themselves to infiltration. Ability in question might bypass defenses, mislead, or help to avoid notice or otherwise affect a person's mind. [/hider] [img]http://i.imgur.com/up0PsAA.png[/img] The PRT or Parahuman Response Team, is a police force and emergency response team trained to deal with parahumans and the fallout of their actions. The PRT has multiple management levels (Chief Director, Deputy Chief Director, etc.) that are not relevant. PRT officers wear chain mesh and Kevlar vests, helmets that cover their faces, and wield various firearms. Their human-on-parahuman attack method normally entails using a special type of gun which fires containment foam. It sprays as a liquid, then expands into a foam. The foam is flexible and porous, allowing people to breath while fully entrenched in it, and is extremely sticky. It's impact resistant, so heavy hitters can be contained or safely catch falling individuals. The foam is also completely heat and fire resistant, although all PRT personnel have a canister of vapor-based melting agent for the foam, that has no negative human side effects. [sub][url=http://worm.wikia.com/wiki/Parahuman_Response_Team][color=#4584dc]source[/color][/url][/sub] You are given a power classification, by the PRT, with the scale being 1-10, with ten being a high level of effectiveness in that category, and the reverse with one. The scale goes beyond ten, but that classification is reserved for very high level threats. The Protectorate is a government-sponsored superhero organization that spans the United States of America and Canada. It works in conjunction with the PRT, wholly managed by the PRT. In exchange for government funding and legitimacy, the Protectorate has agreed to follow a special set of laws laid out for capes, to accept bureaucratic oversight and cooperate with local authorities. Every city in the US with a sizable cape population has a corresponding Protectorate team. The Protectorate and PRT Chicago branch developed within two years of the actual PRT's creation (2000) because it is a major city. These teams operate out of the local Protectorate Headquarters (PHQ), maintaining regular patrols and responding to reports of villain activity. Large cities known to host Protectorate teams include Austin, Boston, Brockton Bay, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York, with New York being the largest. [sub][url=http://worm.wikia.com/wiki/Protectorate][color=#4584dc]source[/color][/url][/sub] The Protectorate in Chicago as of the beginning of the IC (May 11th, 2006) are very popular. They are thought to have never failed a mission, and are genuinely considered invincible by the public. This popularity forces the well known Protectorate to leave the city often, and the PRT teams are often understaffed. The wards are often forced to take on more mundane issues more often. The director of the Chicago Protectorate is less stainless then his city's hero's win/loss record. Clyde Patton has been accused multiple times of sexual assault, and often favors shorter skirts on the newly hired. All of the accusations have been quietly dropped, and as such Clyde has never been even so much as arrested. Despite this, no one is fully confident he is innocent. [img]http://i.imgur.com/DYgAzcs.png[/img] The [b]Wards[/b] are the under-eighteen sub-division of the Protectorate, and where all of your hero characters will start out, as the title implied. After you have sufficiently developed your Ward character, up to par with my standards, you can create, or have your Ward graduate to full Protectorate superhero status. Wards are granted a trust of $50,000 a year, as well as a base minimum wage salary, the latter of which is doubled on full membership. In all other respects, Wards are similar to the Protectorate in membership types and status, but bear additional protections and measures. Probationary Wards lose their probationary status at the age of eighteen, regardless of their history and record. Wards of any status are not permitted full access to confidential or classified records without permission. Wards are to attend school during typical hours and maintain satisfactory grades and failure to do so will see their pay docked. Wards must be allowed to receive a full night's sleep with regularity. The Wards' PRT department can remove Wards from school or wake them up in the case of an emergency on a school night, but the department heads have been urged to use this in moderation. Termination of a Ward requires the formation of a tribunal (made up of PRT personnel) and thorough review. All parties are heard, incidents are detailed and investigated, and all paperwork of any relevance is reviewed. Where possible, punishment or transfer to a better environment is preferred over termination. Should a termination be deemed necessary, measures taken can include suspension, firing, arrest and execution. Ward schooling is handled by a normal building three blocks away. They show up to class in full costume, or a comfortable alternative. After school they are given patrols by the PRT and then live at the residence provided inside the PRT building (if needed; some are still living with their parents, some are less fortunate). [sub][url=http://worm.wikia.com/wiki/Wards][color=#4584dc]source[/color][/url][/sub] [img]http://i.imgur.com/Bi3VUOE.png[/img] I will be using two key words in this section [b]very[/b] often. Tinkertech and Tinkerfab. As I've learned it Tinkerfab is advanced tech that is possible, yet is ahead of general tech-level, Tinkertech is outright impossible without bullshit technological magic powers of Tinkers. This section will mostly describe how citizens could get access to this type of tech. Consumer Tinkerfabs are generally pretty common, but there are types of Tinkerfab that are mass produced for non-civilians, such as body armor, weapons, movement enhancers, the works. Though a lot of these have their market [s][sub]forcefully yet legally[/sub][/s]cornered by the government, some are built by independent contractors (Toybox being one of said independent contractors that will only matter if you meet certain Tinkers who have knowledge of it, as the general population has a [b]very[/b] low change of actually knowing what Toybox is.) So to gain access to what normally would be government level classified Tinkerfabs or full on TinkerTech you would need connections, and lots of them. Doing favors for the right people at the right times so they owe you. Maybe even doing favors for Tinkers that are directly linked with Toybox. However there are some Tinkers from Toybox who are marketing illegal Tinkerfabs carefully. Connections with these could put you in jail or worse, and it is not suggested to obtain these. People who posses illegal Tinker technology that are taken into custody will almost always get a visit from a Protectorate Thinker. [hider=Information that can only be (reasonably) obtained by high level thinkers] A woman in the slums, going by the name of Epsilon has access to very advanced and very illegal, very useful personalized tinker technology. but that's probably a myth. After all, who could hide from the Protectorate's best efforts? [/hider] On the less illegal side of things (but still illegal) many places in Spindle's territory do sell enhanced body armor, but it's at triple the price of normal body armor. It can block multiple bullets to the same area, with a 9mm pistol taking an average 5 shots to penetrate at point blank range. For more specific information about what I've detailed, please message me. i will update this section as more information is needed, or as I notice things I've left out. [img]http://i.imgur.com/F3yqsrq.png[/img] This section's topic will be less blatantly obvious then the other ones by a long stretch. This section exists to expand on the difference between certain income classes's tech levels, and general economic environments associated with each social class. [b]Lower class citizens[/b] normally have an income of around 20,000 a year for a family of four. They are below the poverty line, and therefore are forced to live in the ghettos, as the cost of living anywhere else is too high and even here they struggle to make ends meet. They will definitely not have access to any Tinkerfab, and I doubt 1 in 10 lower class citizens even know what Tinkertech is. There are exceptions of course. As a side note, the best internet citizens will have access to if they are below the poverty line, that is not making enough money to afford the basics of life, is dial up, and very few will have vehicles. Infrastructure being sacrificed in the ghettos is not unheard of, and the power normally goes out at least once a week, lasting anywhere from a ten minutes to two hours. [b]Middle class citizens[/b] are split into two groups, lower and upper class. The upper class tends to make $100,00 a year for a family of four. The lower middle class is then split into two more groups, the lower middle class and the working class. The lower middle class tends to consist of white collar workers who make around $32,000 to $60,000 a year. Then there is the working class, they tend to preform low-skill hourly pay jobs and make around $23,000 to $33,000. All of these classes are well above the poverty line, and live in nicer suburbs as compared to the lower class's ghettos. Despite this they still have very little access to Tinkerfab and Tinkertech. Most have smartphones, and every so often it's tinker made, but unfortunately most are still stuck with dial up as the infrastructure for decent internet is often destroyed by endbringers (and the existence of endbringers unfortunately makes high speed internet not very appealing to foot the bill for,) [b]Upper class citizens[/b] normally have an income of, or above $150,000 a year for a family of four. They are nowhere near the poverty line, and a hefty 70% live in safe gated communities. They often have access to Tinker made smartphones, and some even have cybernetics implanted in their bodies.The top 1% make over $250,000 and often hire tinkers, as well as marketing the products that tinkers make. Portable generators are often installed in their homes, and a personal police force for the gated communities they live in are often hired. Their internet connection is often Tinkertech, and to put it in lamen's terms, it's often satellite [i]based[/i]. It can be assumed that upper class citizens will have access to more then one vehicle, and personal endbringer resistant vaults. Based on occupation, the income class's resources might change, and on a person-by-person basis, what I've outlined is not always true. Many wounded soldiers that are returned from battle get cybernetics implanted into their bodies so they can more easily complete their daily tasks. There are also occupations which require access to a cybernetic skeleton for improved lifting, and movement of heavy goods efficiently. These are almost always Tinkerfab, and are purchased by the company. [img]http://i.imgur.com/jf04Nhm.png[/img] Forgive me for the parallels to the actual story. Please. [sub]Please[/sub] The villains of this roleplay are your pretty average group. however a stroke of fate has brought this particular group together. Headed by an unknown mastermind (Boss), and the very well known Trump known by the public as Blackout (files enclosed). The Boss behind the operation is a very wealthy individual, who only Blackout has communicated with. Blackout's current mission is to recruit new members, and preform tasks ordained by Boss As a result, him and any person he recruits get $200,000 a week, plus a 10% bonus on any money they make during the missions Boss gives them. No information is currently held on Boss. There's also Spindle's crew (Stride), the leader of which has long range (100 meters) telekinesis, which has a strength that exponentially decreases with every eighth of a pound gained (slight variations do occur inside that weight range). As such he controls thin metal wires with his power, manipulating them in mid air, and charging them with electricity (by connecting them to sources of electricity). Spindle's gang wears silver with black accents, and Spindle is the only known cape in his gang. Spindle holds most of the south ghettos, and often extorts business owners in his territory. A large majority of Spindle's gang are Asian, and the higher ranked orientals respect him for his genuine belief in rectifying the stigma against the oriental he has believed to have formed. The only other major gang in the city (there are about 30 minor gangs I'm not going to explore for the time being) Is nicknamed the Butterflies and their leader, as such, has named herself Butterfly. Butterfly's cape leader has the basic Alexandria package (flight, durability, super strength) and is an actually kind person. All she does that could be considered evil is that she charges a small tax on large businesses operating inside her territory (small businesses are exempt). Most of her gang members have butterfly tattoos on their body. Butterfly's personal costume is a bright violet skintight suit with fake butterfly wings. She owns most of the territory Spindle doesn't. Almost all of the other minor gangs are radical Asian groups, and the ghettos are chock full of this ethnicity because of the destruction of Japan. Racial tension is slightly higher then might be expected, as worker unions protest that immigrants who "Steal our damn jobs." The racial tensions are expected to only grow, and many [i]legal[/i] sweat shops do exist because of the taxes forced upon any larger businesses. Violent conflict frequently erupts between the worker union and the local gangs, with the leader of the worker union being a cape by the name of Samantha. She is very violent, and has a track record of run ins with the law. Her power seems to be a shifter, though no one truly knows. [img]http://i.imgur.com/iJE4qYw.png[/img] Before you post your CS pm it to me. I will fill in the PRT ranking sections for you. Make sure it is complete before you pm me. Every section needs something in it, excluding the Misc. category. [hider=CS (No parse)] [noparse] [center] [b][u]Real name:[/u][/b] (Is it public knowledge that your character is a cape?) [u]Gender:[/u] (male, female, w/e) [u]Appearance:[/u] (W/O costume) [b][u]Hero/Villian name:[/u][/b] (Hero name must be pg13, villain name doesn't have to be, but the PRT will create one for you if it is not.) [b][u]Affiliation:[/u][/b] (Good, evil, or rogue. If you are already part of the wards, say so. If you are apart of Blackout's gang, say so. If you are rogue you are neither, but if your character isn't completely neutral say so.) [b][u]Biography:[/u][/b] (Trigger event must be included, unless you pm Solokolos about it) [b][u]Personality:[/u][/b] (how do they think, how do they behave, what are they like) [u]Residence:[/u] (do they live at the PRT building? somewhere else?) [u]Parental status:[/u] (Both dead? both alive? One dead? one alive? one missing? both missing?) [u]Costume:[/u] (Descriptions work, include equipment) [b][u]Power:[/u][/b] (General, put all details you can here.) [u]Power range:[/u] (Estimation, include how your power's strength differs at different ranges. If it doesn't just say "Consistent power strength") [u]Power safeguards:[/u] (How your powers protect the person using them. If not applicable, say so.) [u]PRT ranking:[/u] SOLOKOLOS's section [u]Weapons:[/u] (what do they have on them?) [u]Misc:[/u] (whatever doesn't fit above) [/center] [/noparse] [/hider] [img]http://i.imgur.com/TAMKv7R.png[/img] 1. No godmodding. 2. No powerplaying. 3. No whining 4. Keep drama in the IC 5. If you're told to do something reasonable by a Co-GM or GM, do it. 6. Romance allowed, but keep it PG-13. 7. Posts must have near perfect grammar by 3 weeks after the post. If you want me, solokolos, to do it for you, I will, PM me about it. 8. Keep posts at least a paragraph long. Not one sentence. A paragraph. That should be easy enough. 9. I'd like to note that any character you make on this RP isn't exclusively yours. That is to say if you go offline for a long time without warning me I will start posting in your stead for that character. I added this rule on January 21, 2016 so if your character was created before this date, and you don't want this rule to apply to you, I will definitely not force your hand. The time limit for not controlling your character and not warning me in advance is one and a half weeks, since I'd like to this RP as active as possible. [img]http://i.imgur.com/JsQJU3A.png[/img] The unspoken rules: In this world murder is murder. As in a Ward cannot just murder a villain. Period. Vice versa is always true, murder is never the true goal. Incapacitate by all means necessary, not including killing. You also don't investigate a hero or villain and reveal who their family is. You never profit from natural disasters. Remember this: People in this world [b]will[/b] hunt you down and kill you for ignoring these simple rules. Five most recent Endbringer attacks in chronological order: 1. Behemoth (Sydney, Australia) 2. Simurgh (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) 3. Leviathan (Colima, Mexico) 4. Behemoth (Seoul, South Korea) 5. Simurgh (Cairo, Egypt)