Welcome, one and all! As you can all tell, this is a story of heroes and horrors! Mutants and men! Demons and do-gooders!
Okay, so maybe not. It's a story of discrimination, mass fear, twisted media-backed narratives, and all the people caught in between. As is the Wild Cards staple!
While this is heavily based on the original anthology series, which spans over 60 years of lore and history, this is an alternate universe where the Wild Card virus was released in the mid-year of 2016, with the game taking place roughly 6 months later in late January of 2017. This concept was decided on by the GMs in order to create a starting point for newcomers to the concept of the Wild Cards universe, cutting down the Bible of information that would otherwise be required reading for this game.
Players can take on the role of an Ace, Joker, Joker-Ace, Deuce, Latent, or even a Nat.
The game sports a pseudo-sandbox/open world play style, but players will be guided and highly recommended to join episodic arcs as they come out, one way or another. In between each arc, players are free to do as they wish, and they're even allowed to forsake the episode itself if you have a personal story you want to tell! However, every player needs to understand that we intend to make this an organic, living world. Your actions, no matter how small, or how great, will have lasting effects on the present and the future. Write a post about an Ace beating down a bunch of random thugs? The news begins posting stories of Wild Carders "running rampant". Decide to show a Joker attempting to rob a bank? Watch as police patrols become more apparent, and brutality rise. This goes doubly for episodic arcs, as these can be world-changing events. While the GMs will attempt to guide players along in these missions, the choices you make are ultimately up to you and affect how the world sees Wild Carders from then on.
As an extra editor's note, we would like to make something clear. While we use the likeness of several real-world politicians, such as Donald Trump, this story is not about a political debate, nor is it to be taken seriously. This is a satire of real-world events and people, and we simply decided to use Trump and his presidency as a backdrop for the story because of the social and political tensions it has borne into the real world. If you do not feel comfortable playing a game with a fictionalised version of a real individual, we completely understand and wish you the best of luck in your other RP endeavors.
Important OOC Details
Co-GMs for the game are Architect, and myself.
Game standards are High Casual, with leniency for Casual and Advanced writing. (aka: A GREAT game for RPers wanting to improve.)
Feel free to chat/plot with us in the game's chat server.
The game will begin January 2017.
Current NYC Mayor: undemocratically appointed Rudy Giuliani.
We encourage people to play more than Aces.
The virus hasn't yet spread outside the US, but it's getting there.
You are assumed to be an adult by submitting a character for this game; please act like one.
Important NPCs will be GM controlled; but you can request to help us write them if you're a fan.
All thanks and credit to George RR Martin, Melinda M. Snodgrass, et all. We claim no ownership to anything.
Below you'll find IC information. Not everything listed below is common IC knowledge. (Like the virus being alien in origin.) Please no metagaming. Wonder what you may, or may not, know IC? Ask us.
IC Information
July 6, 2016: Takisian Prince Tisianne betrays the Takisian science team readying to unleash the Xenovirus Takis-A into Earth's upper atmosphere; a Xenovirus he was instrumental in "perfecting." Prince Tisianne attacks the Takisian science team's spaceship using his own personal craft, forcing both into the lower layers of the atmosphere. Prince Tisianne succeed's in stopping the virus from being released in the upper atmosphere (thus sparing all of the planet from exposure to the virus), yet damages the science team's spaceship so severely that the virus is accidentally released over the skies of the greater New York City/Tri-State area. The science team's spaceship crashes somewhere in the northern arctic. Due to the advanced alien technology in areas of weaponry and stealth, the battle goes mostly unnoticed except for small blips on the systems of NORAD.
July 7, 2016: "Black Queen Day"; Hundreds of thousands flood Tri-State (Eastern New Jersey/Southern New York/ Western Connecticut) area hospitals and health clinics. 90% of the infected die within days. Deaths are agonizing, the entire body racking with impossible pain as human biology attempts to fight off the as of yet unnamed virus. The CDC recommends Manhattan, ground zero for the virus, be completely cut off in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus. President Obama refuses to issue the order. All law and order in New York City is lost, martial law is declared by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
July 10, 2016: Hundreds of thousands more die, isolated cases of the virus begin to appear as far east as Ohio, as far south as Virginia. The New York Times runs a story citing unnamed sources detailing the CDC's request to cordon off Manhattan in attempt to stem the spread of the virus. This same story features a quote from an anonymous CDC official describing the virus, "We're calling it the Wild Cards virus behind closed doors; it seems every person that gets it has a chance to either die, mutate some hideous deformity, or come out of it healthier than they were before they got sick. It's like drawing a card in a poker game." The name, Wild Cards virus, sticks. The same story refers those monstrously mutated by the virus "Jokers" for the first time, indicating they "drew a Joker", as if their deformity is some cruel joke by the gods of chance.
July 12, 2016: Public outcry pushes Congress, and a reluctant President Obama, to cordon off Manhattan, handing control of the New York City to the National Guard and the CDC. Former SOCOM CO, and Navy SEAL, Admiral William McRaven is put in charge of the overall effort. Tracy Porter, an African-American from Brooklyn, assaults a National Guard depot in search of food for his family and friends. The incident is noteworthy because bullets bounce off Porter, knife blades bend as if made of rubber against his skin. Elements of SEAL Team 6 finally put Porter down using gas attacks. Though the military attempts to cover the incident up, viral video immediately releases on the internet. In top secret briefings, the NSA pegs a hacker named "One Eyed Jack" as the originator of the viral video and it's upload onto the internet.
July 13, 2016: The Washington Post dubs Tracy Porter an "Ace", using sources within the Pentagon to verify his superhuman abilities were a result of the same Wild Cards cirus. NORAD, with help from NASA's JPL, come to a shocking conclusion in secret: there was a battle in the upper atmosphere of Earth on July 6th. On the very same day, a UFO is recorded over the skies of Roswell, New Mexico. Though Prince Tisianne and his vessel had tried to repair the damage from their battle on July 6th, Tisianne comes to the conclusion he cannot make it out of Earth's atmosphere. Having observed media feeds since July 6th, the alien Prince decides to stay and see what he can do to help these "Wild Carders"--he lands at Area 51 that night. Both Prince Tisianne and his craft are immediately taken into military custody; the US military does not believe he is an alien, or that he knows the origin of the Wild Cards virus.
July 20, 2016: Republican candidate for President Donald J. Trump announces he purchased a small Russian biotech research firm claiming to have developed a drug that shows "promise" in curing the Wild Cards virus. Wild Carders are added to his venomous rhetorical attacks, along with Hispanics and Muslims. Though many in the media call it disgraceful to attack "the sick", a scared and paranoid public begin to flock to Trump's camp, inflating his poll numbers and political rallies. On the same day, the wealthy Joker Charles Dutton begins privately lobbying Admiral McRaven to turn the Bowery into a safe-zone for those afflicted with the Wild Cards virus.
August 30, 2016: Clean-up and recovery on a large scale begin within the Tri-State Area. Most agree General McRaven has done a fantastic job in an otherwise impossible scenario. In a political rally for Donald Trump in Virginia, Anti-Wild Carder hysteria reaches new, frightening, heights. A Joker named Brandon Sizemore with the mutation that makes him appear as a humanoid cat, throws off a disguise and shouts in protest of Donald Trump. Trump calls Sizemore a "mistake of nature and danger to everyone present" before Trump's security escorts Sizemore out, careful not to touch him without gloves. Outside the rally Sizemore is beaten to death by Trump supporters, though not before using his own increased physical attributes to take some Trump supporters with him. It is not the first mob inflicted death a Joker, but it is the most high profile as it's caught on video by CNN. Sizemore is the first Joker to publicly be called a "Joker-Ace."
Octorber 11, 2016: Donald Trump criticizes Admiral McRaven's handling of New York City, focusing on President Obama and Admiral McRaven's decision to turn what remained of the Bowery of New York City into a "safe zone" for Jokers, dubbing it "Jokertown" for the first time. The new Wild Card residents of the Bowery use the name as a badge of honor as means of defying Presidential Candidate Trump and the hateful ignorance he champions. Jokers Charles Dutton (in secret) and Xavier Desmond (in public) begin bankrolling rapid reconstruction of the Bowery into Jokertown to speed up the government's effort in the same vein. The combined efforts make a quick "creation" of Jokertown from an impossibility to a reality. The Big Blind IRC chatrooms goes online.
November 8, 2016: Donald Trump wins in a surprisingly close US election. President Elect Trump immediately promises to dismiss Admiral McRaven and enact Anti-Wild Carder legislation once he comes into office. On the same night, President Obama and Vice President Biden are given a top secret briefing by the US military intelligence community on the presence of Prince Tsianne and his spaceship, having come to the conclusion that Prince Tisianne is exactly who and what he says he is. For the first time, though top secret, the Wild Cards virus is believed to be alien in origin.
December 15, 2016: Control of New York City is returned to Mayor Bill de Blasio and martial law is lifted. The 5th Precinct of the New York City Police Department is nicknamed "Fort Freak" due to it's proximity and area of responsibility of Jokertown. Prince Tisianne receives his first contact from President Obama via-video conference. The President then sends records of the video conference to the British Prime Minister, the French President, and the German Chancellor.
January 7, 2017: Cases of the Wild Cards virus are verified as far west as Kansas (ironically infecting a member of the staunch Anti-Wild Card Westboro Baptist Church; they draw the Black Queen) and as far south as Florida. The first European case is verified, the crewman of a private cargo vessel that came down with it while at sea in the Atlantic. The website Buzzfeed releases the infamous Trump Dossier; many journalists had their hands on it before this date, but only on this date did Buzzfeed release it without verifying it's contents. An unnamed source at the New York Times credits the "One Eyed Jack" with delivering them the dossier on Trump in the first place.
January 20, 2017: During his Inauguration speech, President Trump announces the creation of National Guard health clinics at several points just outside Jokertown where Wild Carders can begin to sign up for the Trump Cure, secretly using data stolen from Area 51's efforts to create a cure, work at Area 51 headed by none other than prisoner Prince Tisianne. President Trump also announces the appointment of Rudy Giuliani as acting Mayor of New York City; an move criticized by many on both sides of the political aisle as undemocratic at best. President Obama's final act in office is to secretly get word to Prince Tisianne about this cyber theft of the Prince's work. Prince Tisianne responds by escaping Area 51, though he is unable to take his spaceship with him.
Xenovirus Takis-A, known as the Wild Card virus due to its seemingly random effects, is a highly complex alien retrovirus developed by the Takisian race. Originally designed to enhance the psionic powers of the aristocratic class of House Ilkazam, pioneered by Dr Tachyon himself (a gifted scientist in his own right), the virus was designated too unstable to be administered to members of House, as the viral mutations were exceedingly random and infinite, and it was decided that it was to be tested on an alien population first. As humanity had a nearly identical genetic code to the Takisian race, earth was chosen. Horrified by the prospect of destroying and mutilating an entire race, Tachyon rebelled and attempted to destroy the ship. As we all know, that didn't turn out so well.
The virus is extremely potent and deadly: 90% of those infected draw a "Black Queen" and die horrifically as their bodies undergo drastic and severe mutations. Of the unfortunate 9% who survive, they become grotesquely mutated monstrosities, sometimes deformed beyond recognition of who they once were. They are said to have drawn a "Joker". Of the 1%, the rarest and most lucky, are the "Aces". Their mutations have granted them incredible abilities without the agony of a Joker body. Some fly, some are capable of benching sedans, but all possess power only seen in comic books and film. In between are Deuces, mutations that are generally benign and otherwise useless, Joker-Aces, which combine the deformity of being a Joker with the power of an Ace, and latents, carriers of the virus who haven't "flipped a card", or developed any symptoms yet.
Mutations are incredibly random and specific, with no two Wild Carders being the exact same. While two may possess superhuman strength, one Wild Carder could have incredible power due to their high density, while another could gain power from radioactive materials.
Flipping ones card is generally brought on by great stress or trauma, or even through the hormonal cocktail of puberty, and Tachyon has speculated that the virus reacts both to the environment of the host, as well as the host's own subconscious thoughts and desires.
Once infected, a host cannot personally spread the virus to others, as it becomes a part of their DNA and non-commutable. The Wild Card virus can be inherited, however, just as any child may inherit hair or eye colour from one parent. However, no children thus far have been born to any Wild Carders.
While most of the virus was focused on New York, particulates have been found to carry on local air currents and infecting new populations. Outbreaks have been reported throughout the Midwest and down the Atlantic, with sightings as far south as North Carolina. There have even been claims of individuals in Europe and Asia displaying strange abilities and inhuman traits, although these claims are more than likely false.
Jokertown
The Bowery of New York has since become the mecca of the malformed after the release of the Wild Card virus. Due to the chaos of Black Queen Day, including the thousands of deaths and damage to local infrastructure, many tenants packed up and moved, if they were outright killed. The remaining few were severely deformed Jokers who had no place else to go other than the ramshackle husk they once knew as home. Soon, other outcasts followed, and as the new tenants began to grow in number, a ghetto for the unwanted.
However, some time after the tragedy, Charles Dutton, a Joker and successful businessman before turning his card, took up residence in the slum and began buying up property and renovating. It was Dutton who convinced Admiral McRaven and President Obama to officially sanction the Bowery as a refuge. As more influential Jokers began trickling in, Dutton convinced these new members of the community to pool their wealth together in order to help rebuild their new home into something it once was. As the primary financial backers of this "renovation project", spearheaded by Dutton himself, Jokertown quickly began to take on a life of its own over the following months, developing bars, new homes, sources of entertainment, and even its own set of customs and lingo. This includes the prevalence of masks and mask stores throughout the neighborhood, as the Jokers living within attempt to hide their deformities as best they can.
The Bowery Wild Card Museum: Located at 235 Bowery, the establishment formerly known as the New Museum of Contemporary Art is currently undergoing renovation financed by Charles Dutton to become "the Bowery Wild Card Museum", designed to hold both artistic works of Wild Carders, as well as up-and-coming exhibits on famous events. No one thinks it'll go anywhere.
Church of Jesus Christ, Joker: Located on Orchard Street, what was originally Our Lady of Perpetual Misery was bought and reconsecrated by Father Squid, the head priest of the small parish. Alongside several junior priests, both male and female, but all Jokers, the grounds are tended by Quasiman, a Joker-ace hunchback with great strength and the ability to teleport. Father Squid lives in the adjoining cottage alongside the church, and Quasiman resides in a small shack found in the graveyard out behind the Gothic structure.
The Crystal Palace: The same venue which used to house the famous CBGB is now run by Chrysalis as a profitable bar and information hub. Headed by Elmo Schaeffer, the wide dwarven bouncer with the strength of five men, and bartender Sascha Starfin, the eye-less telepath, the establishment is known for its safe and calm atmosphere, as well as its subpar food and exquisite drinks (courtesy of Sascha reading the desires of patrons). Chrysalis lives on the upper floors and occasionally wanders down in the bar for drinks and business: for the right price, information on almost anyone and thing in Jokertown is yours.
Fort Freak: Officially the NYPD 5th Precinct, the four-story patch of white brick earned its name due to its proximity to Jokertown. Most law enforcement officers assigned to the precinct consider it a punishment or "rite of passage", and numbers are relatively low because of this. Headed by Captain Thomas Jan Maseryk, Fort Freak has its work cut out for it.
Freakers: A bar and strip joint located near Chatham Square, it's known for its seedy nature and legally dubious activities. Rumored to be run by Chinese gangsters, the bar utilizes the gimmick of its all-Joker acts. A neon sign depicting a three-breasted female Joker makes this abundantly clear. The drinks and food are subpar, the customer service is negligible, but everyone knows why you're really there. A side room is designated for high-paying guests who wish for the "VIP service", and while Jokers work there, only Nats (or Aces passing as Nats) are allowed as patrons.
The Funhouse: Jokertown's premier cabaret nightclub, co-owned by Xavier Desmond and Angela "Angelface" Fascetti. As a renovated Bowery Ballroom, the Funhouse is spacious and designed for entertainment. Various musical and entertainment acts take place every night, mostly Joker and the occasional Ace talent, with one or two Nats here and there. Dr Tachyon's infatuation with Angelface brings him to the club quite often, lending to its impressive reputation, alongside its high-end food and drinks, which come at a relatively moderate price. Every room is decked out with built-in warped mirrors in order to show any Nat brave enough to venture within what it feels like to be a Joker looking at one's own reflection.
Holbrook's: Formerly Bowery Poetry, this venue underwent a swift renovation and became Jokertown's number-one mask shop. While the prices are a little steeper than other places, the masks sold here are of high quality, customizable and durable. Owned by Charles Dutton personally, he lives above the newly-added second floor.
Jokertown Clinic: Headed by the mysterious Dr Tachyon, the Jokertown Clinic is a free medical clinic for all Wild Carders, located out on South Street. Overlooking the East River, the building is surprisingly well-kept due to Tachyon's resources, with a variety of equipment for a variety of needs. Thus far, the staff is relatively small, with a few volunteer nurses, and Doctors Cody Havero, a middle-aged woman notorious for her eyepatch, and Bradley Finn, a centaur-like Joker with "surfer boy" good looks.
Jokertown Cry: The local newspaper run by disgraced Joker journalist Lucas Tate and a handful of editors who help run the website. Tate constantly wears a mask, so no one knows just how severe his deformity is, other than the dark, fleshy tendrils growing from his scalp resembling dreadlocks. Tate used to be an investigative freelance journalist before he drew his Joker and realized no one wanted anything to do with him anymore. Under funding from Dutton, Tate opened up the Jokertown Cry, an unbiased and unfiltered source of information for the otherwise cut-off neighborhood. Local celebrity One-Eyed Jack is also known for submitting articles every now and then, and remaining as the primary source of maintenance for the website.
The Big Blind
Though not really a "place", The Big Blind is one of 1EJ's many networks of communication. Acting as a chatroom for Jokers (and anyone else willing to remain civil), the Blind is an information hub where 1EJ can get into contact with many of his informants, as well as answer questions and get in touch with the community. The IRC is protected by an encryption key, and members are required to use VPNs in order to safeguard their locations and privacy. (In-character use of the Big Blind can be found in the Discord)
Charles Dutton: The wealthiest man in all of Jokertown. Originally a successful entrepreneur with a focus in the stock market, Dutton's life as a high-society 1% ended the day he pulled a Joker. With the skin of his face turning a pale yellow and tightening around his skull, he resembles a living skeleton, but refuses to wear a mask or take on a "Joker name". He has secretly funded or at least partially funded most of the businesses and homes being built around Jokertown, but refuses to admit it publicly.
Chrysalis: Proprietor of the Crystal Tower, Debra Jo Jory is a hairless Joker with transparent skin, showing off the muscles, blood vessels and organs beneath. A confident and calculating businesswoman, Chrysalis often wears revealing clothing to put strangers on edge, giving her an advantage in any diplomatic confrontation. As the owner of the Crystal Palace, Chrysalis is a source of information regarding Jokertown, and some aspects outside it, and this information can be shared, for the right price.
President Donald J. Trump: The newly-elected President, Trump is almost the same as he is in our world, although skewed a bit more openly. His calls for regulation and laws surrounding the treatment of Jokers and Wild Carders in general, gripping an already-afraid public, helped him win the Presidency, along with his proposed funding of a cure for the virus, aptly dubbed the Trump Cure. Sceptics, however, have voiced their concern with the purportedly rushed nature of the cure research, and infamous internet hacker/journalist One-Eyed Jack has sarcastically come to call it the "Trump Virus."
Gimli: Tom Miller is a dwarven Joker-Ace, gifted with twice the strength of an Olympic weightlifter, but forced to half the height. Taking on the name Gimli after the famous Lord of the Rings character, the Joker-Ace is a radical left-leaning Joker activist with a hot temper that fuels his zealous crusade. As founder of the JJS (Jokers for a Just Society), he's willing to fight for his fellow Jokers and is completely devoted to the cause. He's not afraid to shy away from violence and has been accused of orchestrating several terrorist acts through his organisation. He is currently in hiding.
One-Eyed Jack: The notable hacker and unknown voice of the Jokers Wild Podcast, a "rebel radio" show that claims to tell the raw truth about the goings-on of the world. 1EJ, as he calls himself, claims to be a Joker, but no one knows who he is or what he looks like. Members of Jokertown and abroad can find his podcasts on his website, jokers-wild.com, and he also runs The Big Blind, an IRC chatroom for Jokers to communicate discreetly. (IC chatroom found in the RP's chat server.)
Father Squid: Father Robert St. Cabrini, known among his flock as "Father Squid", is a Joker with tendrils in place of a nose, pale skin, bulging eyes, and suckers at the tips of his fingers and his palms. A veteran of the Vietnam war, Squid took up priesthood many years prior to the outbreak as a way to cope with the trauma he'd experienced in war and is considered one of the kindest and most giving men in all of Jokertown. Despite his advanced age, Squid's mutation grants him impressive strength and resistance to harm, and his amphibious nature allows him to remain submerged for roughly half an hour before needing to come up for air. He also has a salty scent, reminiscent of ocean spray.
Dr. Tachyon: Secretly Prince Tisianne brant Ts’ara sek Halima sek Ragnar sek Omian of House Ilkazam, under disguise as Jokertown Clinic Dr Tachyon, is a Takisian prince of House Ilkazam. Like all members of his race, Tachyon is extremely long-lived, but due to his royal blood, he has a lifespan of thousands of years and possesses incredible psionic abilities, including advanced telepathy and mind control. He is also a gifted scientist on Takis, and made several breakthroughs in his people's development of the Wild Card. Known for his outrageous fashion (which resembles brightly coloured Renaissance garb), wild personality, and raging Takisian libido, Tachyon is secretly an incredibly guilt-stricken individual who blames himself solely for the grief he has caused all Wild Carders, both Ace and Joker alike, and has begun falling to alcohol in recent months to cope. He currently heads the Jokertown Clinic, and has several love interests, including the beautiful Joker Angelface and his fellow Doctor Cody Havero.
President Vladimir Putin: While Putin isn't a known player as of yet, he has openly spoken out against the Wild Card community, warning against their possible dangers and inhuman nature. Some conspiracy theorists speculate he and Trump have developed an alliance in order to further research on the Trump Cure, but these are more than likely exaggeratons and unfounded.
Xavier Desmond: Co-owner of the Funhouse, Xavier Desmond is one of the more successful members of Jokertown, second only to Charles Dutton. A former investment banker, he was fired and had his wife leave him and take their infant daughter after he pulled a Joker, developing a long, pink trunk-like proboscis for a nose, with seven finger-like appendages at the end. Using his saved wealth, alongside his severance package, Xavier decided to do what he did best: he invested. Undertaking renovations of Jokertown under Dutton's proposal of a "revival", Desmond began taking more active notice of the plight of his fellow Jokers, who were discarded and overlooked without a second's thought. This spurred him to found the Joker Anti-Defamation League, an activist group aiming to spread word of Joker plight and fight for their rights in a peaceful manner. Since then, he has become known as one of Jokertown's biggest benefactors and is looked to as a pillar of the community.
Cannibal Headhunters: Not so much a gang as much as a roving pack of anarchists. Led by the brutal Scar, a bald, squat, stocky Ace of Maori descent, the Headhunters have only become apparent in the last month or so, and consists of Jokers and Aces, and the occasional Nat: anyone who wants to cause trouble, really. They're known for gangland violence, assaults, robberies, and more, and are immediately recognizable by the black-and-crimson moko (Maori tribal markings) tattooed on their faces. Scar is a vicious Ace capable of teleporting anywhere he can see and has developed a keen sense of awareness in order to maximise the use of this ability in combat. His Bowie knife helps, too.
Demon Princes: This gang formed around the time Jokertown came into existence. Developing as a response to local Nats moving on Jokertown turf in order to beat on Jokers for a laugh, younger members eventually grouped together under the leadership of the enigmatic "Lucifer" in order to fight back and defend their home. Known for their petty crimes, they are the most well-equipped and numbered gangs in Jokertown, acting as the chief criminal element. However, while they are a gang, the Princes tend to avoid assaulting Jokers, as they consider themselves "protectors" of the community (although this doesn't stop them from asking for protection money). They operate on a ranking system similar to the Court of Hell, and each new member is required to change their name upon joining, usually relating to a demonic figure from Judeo-Christianity or entities of the Underworld in pagan religions. Members either wear an inverted cross around their necks or pinned to their clothes, and may even tattoo it on their bodies alongside their new name. Their leader, Lucifer, is a mystery, as only the most inner circle of the gang have seen him, though many have claimed he is a frighteningly hideous and powerful Joker-Ace.
Joker Anti-Defamation League: A Joker-oriented activist group consisting of Jokers, Nats, and even a few Aces. Founded by Xavier Desmond after his personal experience of being ousted from society due to his status as a Joker, as well as observing the conditions his fellow neighbors lived in, the JADL aims to spread awareness of Joker rights and treatment through peaceful and diplomatic means, and aims to ensure that equality can be met without bloodshed.
Jokers for a Just Society: A radical left-leaning terrorist group founded by the Joker-Ace Gimli, this relatively small cell was founded several months after the initial outbreak of the virus. With the goal of achieving equal Joker rights by any means necessary, the JJS has induced several Joker-led riots across New York and was even responsible for the bombing of Trump-funded research centre (though no one was harmed). While they refuse to harm other Jokers, these zealots aren't as merciful towards Nats or Aces.
SCARE: The Senate Committee for Ace Regulation and Enlistment was Trump's proposed regulatory body designated to regulate and observe all Wild Card activity, especially the enlistment of Ace operatives in military action. Recently formed, SCARE has been criticized openly by pro-Wild Card and general left-leaning critics as a Big Brother figure which aims to use innocent Aces and Jokers as weapons against their will and treat them all as second-class citizens. They have, of course, denied these claims.
Werewolves: The B-grade gang to the Demon Princes. Led by Warlock, the muscle-bound Ace with the apparent ability to cast "death curses" on individuals, their numbers are far less than the Princes, and they harbor far less altruistic motives. Resorting to extortion and assault, members vary from Jokers to Joker-Aces and can be distinguished by their habit of wearing the same mask as Warlock, usually a famous or infamous individual, such as Kennedy or Hitler. Attempting to take off these masks can actually send a Werewolf into a rage, as they wholeheartedly identify as part of the group and nothing more.
Ace: The lucky 1% of infected who benefit from the virus, rather than the Jokers. These Wild Carders exhibit terrific superhuman abilities and can generally fit into human society with ease. They are also less prone to outright discrimination due to their human appearance.
Black Queen: The result of infection 90% of the time, Black Queens are Wild Carders whose bodies are incapable of properly assimilating the severe changes to their bodies brought about by the virus, and in turn die slow horrific deaths.
Black Queen Day: The infamous and tragic day the wild card virus was released, July 7th, 2016, a day of mourning and loss.
Carrier: A person carrying the Wild Card virus who is incapable of producing any symptoms, or pulling from the deck. Carriers can pass on the virus to their children, creating future Wild Carders.
Deuce: A Wild Carder with an incredibly specific or useless ability, such as changing hair colour. These individuals are uncommon, but not as rare as Joker-Aces.
Joker: The 9% of Wild Carders who survive initial infection, but are then twisted by the virus. Jokers are generally horrifically deformed, though some deformities may be mild, such as inhuman eyes or elongated canines. While some traits from these deformities can be considered "beneficial", such as an ape-like Joker having impressive strength, they are simply side-effects of their new form, and cannot be considered Joker-Aces.
Joker-Ace:Wild Carders who have some visible deformity, alongside an incredible superhuman ability. These individuals are extremely rare, and theories state that they can be some of the most powerful Wild Carders alive.
Latent: An individual infected with the Wild Card virus, but who hasn't exhibited or pulled from the deck. This usually occurs under moments of extreme duress and trauma; however, it is also possible a latent will never pull from the deck, though this is unlikely.
Nat: A slur developed by the Joker community relating to non-infected people, or "naturals". Used in the context of non-infected being "just nats."
Pulling from the deck: Also known as flipping your card or being dealt a card or drawing a card, this has become the phrase among Wild Carders for when they begin exhibiting symptoms and/or abilities.
Wild Card: Slang term for the retrovirus, known officially in Top Secret circles as Xenovirus Takis-A, that turns normal humans into Wild Carders.
Wild Carder: Individuals infected with the Wild Card virus.
Additional IC resources
The RP's chat server - Here you can chat with the GMs and fellow players about questions/comments, or enter the IC chatroom The Big Blind, as well as find transcripts of the Joker's Wild IC Podcast. Who knows, you may even find yourself chatting with the One Eyed Jack himself.
Wild Cards Wiki - The wikipedia for the Wildcards universe. Please keep in mind this wikipedia has information only on canon Wildcards, not our AU Wild Cards universe. Still it's a wonderful resource for everything from little details about Jokertown to character and story ideas.
GURP Wildcards - A table-top RPG sourcebook for the canon Wildcards universe. We'd never advocate online piracy, of course, but we hear it may be found online in PDF form for free if you search the Google. So we hear.
Character Sheet
Few CS Notes: Post WIP/not yet accepted Character Sheets in the OOC tab for review. Post them in the Character Sheet tab ONLY after approval. Approval could take a few days as the GMs coordinate our review of each sheet.
Name: Age: Birth Place: Appearance:If description. If using an image, just place it at the top of the Character Sheet.] Drawn Card:(Joker, Joker-Ace, Ace) Card Manifestation:(If a Joker, your mutation. If a Joker-Ace, mutation and power. If Ace, your power.) Character History: Jokertown Role:(Optional. Own a business in Jokertown? Member of the NYPD's Joker Squad? J-Town's Mr Fixit? Drug dealer? Just got a flat? List it here.)
Card Manifestation: Ledford has a layer of hardened skin around the edges of his outer layer that work almost like a microscopic exoskeleton. It cannot be penetrated by anything other than a high-powered laser.
Character History:
Desmond Ledford was born in in Newark, New Jersey to parents Roland and Bernice Ledford, the youngest of three children. Desmond spent the better part of his childhood as a heavyset and slow kid, sometimes winding up as the butt of jokes with other children and some adults in the neighborhood. Once Ledford hit the age of 13, puberty kicked in and a timely growth spurt put the young man at 6'5 and turned his squeaky voice into a deep baritone. With the added height, Desmond went out for basketball in high school and became a star on two state championship teams. An injury in his junior year caused him to miss out on athletic scholarships.
After graduating high school with an average grade point average, very little prospects, and no real desire to attend college, Desmond decided to become a police. While the Newark Police Department was not hiring, NYPD's academy accepted him and he joined up. While Desmond did well in mot of his courses, he particularly excelled at driving courses. After graduation, he became a patrolman in the NYPD's 60th Precinct in Brooklyn. Eventually he passed as promoted to sergeant and transferred to the 22nd Precinct around Central Park.
Desmond was on the street on Black Queen Day and witnessed the horrors of the virus before succumbing to it himself. He became one of the rare few to get the virus, live to tell about it, and emerge from the sickness with a strange new ability. That ability manifested itself a week after Black Queen Day when an armed rioter shot Desmond at point blank range with a shotgun. The pellets ripped into his uniform and through his bullet proof vest, but bounced off his skin completely. Further examination revealed that a microscopic film of hardened skin, ten times as hard as any kevlar or metal, had formed over his usual epidermis. No knife, bullet, or other object was capable of penetrating this object.
As an Ace, Desmond was a natural fit to work Jokertown. He was quickly reassigned to the Fifth, more and more commonly being called Fort Freak, and joined the unique blend of Joker, Ace, and Nat that made up the police squad.
Jokertown Role: As a patrol sergeant in the NYPD's Fifth Precinct, aka Fort Freak, Ledford supervises a squad of four patrol officers and responds to calls in and around the Jokertown area.
I'm debating going my last Wild Card themed RP route of having a Joker-Ace, one who could transform into anyone she has come in contact with. Kind of like Mystique from the X-Men
Appearance: Erebus stands at 6'1" with a lithe but muscular build. His hair is snow white and long enough that he ties it back in a bun; but he is otherwise clean shaven and even lacks eyebrows. Instead of fingernails, he has sharp bone-white claws. Erebus' eyes are gold with cat-like pupils; his ears are pointed and he has sharp long canines, though his teeth are otherwise normal. His skin is extremely dark grey, nearly black, and much of his torso and limbs are marked by various scars. Most striking of all however are his long black horns which protrude back from his head and are akin to those seen on mythical dragons. A white inverted cross was tattooed onto his collarbone. Attire wise, Erebus often sports leather jackets when he's on the clock but he also likes to dress up when the occasion calls for it.
Drawn Card: Joker-Ace
Card Manifestation: Erebus' form was twisted into something demonic, but powerful. His razor sharp claws can retract or lengthen on command. His teeth are similarly sharp and can rend flesh or snap bone. Erebus' eerie eyes enable him to see in near pitch black. His skin is not bulletproof or even knife-proof but his pain threshold and endurance are far beyond a normal human's; allowing him to survive and fight through wounds that would outright kill most people. He also recovers far faster, is immune to most infectious diseases, and can completely heal from anything short of limb loss. Erebus is also strong enough to lift and toss full-grown men with minimal effort. On all fours, he can run as fast as any Olympic sprinter; and he is as agile as any freerunner, capable of performing feats of acrobatics one sees more in fiction than reality. His reflexes are similarly inhuman, though he cannot dodge bullets, shooters often have trouble getting a bead on him and he is fast enough to deflect knives with his bare claws. Erebus is also capable of emitting an extremely loud wailing that he uses for psychological effect. When residents hear his scream at night, they lock their doors and bolt their windows.
Character History: The man once known as Darius Washington was born to an average working-class family in the Bronx. They lived in a bad neighborhood, and many of Darius's extended family were mixed up in drugs or gangs. Darius himself however had been a good kid, quiet and studious, and his parents did his best to provide for him and his siblings and keep them out of trouble. He hadn't been particularly interested in athletics and was more intellectually inclined. As such, he mostly kept to himself, with only a handful of close friends, and spent most of his time reading, drawing, and dreaming of the beautiful places and amazing sights he'd see someday. But he wanted to change things as well. Darius saw the suffering of those around him, and resolved he would help build a better future. He dreamed of going into politics, bringing real change to the neighborhoods that chewed up and spit out so many hopeful souls. But he had to get out first. He did well in school but wasn't awkward or weak, and most of his more quarrelsome peers left him in peace. As he moved on through the years and kept excelling in academics, it looked like he would be the first in his family to go to college. His parents were proud of him, rightly so, and his future looked hopeful. He graduated high school with a full ride. His family was proud, he was happy. He moved out of the neighborhood, entered a world he always wanted to be part of. But he soon regretted it.
During his first semester, his younger brother was shot and killed in a shootout between two rival gangs. None of the gangbangers themselves had died, and someone had stolen his brother's shoes while he was bleeding out on the street. Darius never found out who, but he knew exactly who was involved in the shooting. He knew the police didn't care, that nothing would come out of it. He'd already seen it happen a dozen times to other families. But something inside that quiet, mellow kid broke when he saw his brother's cold little body. With help from a cousin, Darius bought a gun and set to work. Darius' dad had been in the army and had taught his kids how to defend themselves, for what good it did his brother. But those skills proved useful to Darius. All of the gangbangers dropped one by one over the course of a month. Darius wasn't like the others, he wasn't loud or arrogant or incautious. He was precise, he was careful, he was merciless. Eventually the gangbangers, who had thought the other gang was responsible, wiped each other out and the police were none the wiser about Darius' involvement. For just a moment he thought he had done something important. Almost immediately after that, other gangs sprung up, more people died. More people continued to languish in poverty, addiction, and despair. He realized these problems were too big for him. That it was near futile to fight it.
Darius gave up, dropped out of school and enlisted. Not out of patriotism or a desire to save lives. He realized he was good at killing people. Realized he didn't particularly care if he lived or died. And that at least he'd finally get a chance to travel the world. Darius joined the army and was sent overseas to Iraq. He came close to death many times, even wished for it on certain days, but they never managed to kill him. He spent many years in the military, advancing through the ranks. After some time, he began to find solace in the military. Not in the work, but in the order, and the camaraderie. He fought for the men and women by his side, not for anonymous ideals, and soon rediscovered the fact that saving a life was its own reward. After he was discharged he decided to return home, with fresh eyes. Many of those he had served with had come from similar humble beginnings, and were now mired in them once again upon their return. He was shaken out of nihilistic rut and decided that he did have the tools to if not change things, than at least make them better. Darius became heavily involved in the community, helping to organize soup kitchens, food drives, homeless shelters, anything and everything he could do. When his efforts were threatened by criminals, he took matters into his own hands. He was ruthless in his drive, willing to do almost anything for his dream. Through his own sweat and tears, and the help of like-minded individuals, his home started to make a turn-around.
Then Black Queen Day. His neighborhood was severely affected. Of those that weren't killed by the disease, many perished in the chaos of looting and riots, while others starved. Most of his family died, and Darius thought he would too. Instead he changed, became a demon right out of his nightmares. His community spurned him and he wandered adrift, surviving day to day until he managed to reach Jokertown. While some members of the community weathered the oppression and the squalor, Darius refused to stand idle. He failed in his own community, but this time, failure only reignited his drive. He quickly decided his unique combination of skills left him best suited for the Demon Princes, who he saw as some of the only ones really protecting the Jokers. With his skill, efficiency, and dedication he quickly began to advance through the ranks. Now he stands within reach of the upper echelons, and he hopes, a real chance at saving and protecting his new home. The current political situation in particular has infuriated him, and his growing disdain and outright hatred for government, especially the President-Elect and Dictator of New York, is well known in the gang and Jokertown.
Jokertown Role: Erebus is one of the Demon Princes' top operatives. He leads his own small team of skilled Jokers. They're used both on jobs that require discretion or necessitate extreme violence. His nightmarish appearance and manipulative nature make him a prized negotiator for the gang as well, making him a favorite to intimidate rivals. Erebus is also responsible for his own corner of Jokertown, protecting them from the nats and other gangs that prey on the weak, while also making a profit for his bosses. Erebus is also highly ambitious and seeks to climb the ladder to one day be one of Lucifer's inner circle, in the hope he will have the influence to help protect and uplift the residents of Jokertown. He does this out of a twisted philanthropic motivation and sees himself as a guardian of the neighborhood; and he often does try to reach out to more legitimate members of the community to assist. Erebus occupies a unique niche as both a dangerous member of the underworld and a community leader.
Name: Miranda Meadows aka Cap'n Trips aka Trips Age: 23 Birth Place: Bayonne, New Jersey Drawn Card: Ace (Or Ace-Joker depending on the "Friend" of the moment) Card Manifestation:
Miranda Meadows has the power to transform into several different "Aces" by ingesting psychoactive drugs--typically of her own creation. The transformations are extensive, as Miranda not only changed physically, but adopts a completey different personality when she becomes one of her alter egos. The One Eyed Jack has dubbed these alternate identities Miranda's "friends."
Character History:
Miranda Meadows is a genius. She is, however, in most measures a FAILED genius. A child prodigy raised in a single parent household, a father that worked in a computer repair shop for thirty years before Apple Stores and smart phones put such a large computer repair shop out of business. By then Miranda was a teenager with a smart mouth and a bad grades, hanging with the wrong crowds. At some point the child prodigy became too smart for her own good; bored by schoolwork and cynical about pleasing school staff, romanced by the street politics of New York City, by the underbelly.
Whereas she should have been in a private school for the gifted, she was in a series of public schools, having been kicked out of the last one for hacking, and the one before that for causing a "minor" explosion in a science lab when she should've been doing assigned lab work instead. But fuck that shit, boring as fuck, and Miranda hadn't the time or patience for it. That meant no MIT, no Harvard, no NYU. Instead she began crashing Columbia courses inbetween her real classes at several of the best Junior/Community Colleges in the city.
The mix of settings, and more importantly the mix of individuals she met at these radically different academic institutions, provided Miranda with an extremely unique lists of contacts. She began making money by making X and LSD for friends as a senior in highschool--by the end of her sophomore year she was the preferred "street chemist" for all of Manhattan, the Bronx, and yes, the Bowery. Her father worried, fretted, that she would become a femme Walter White. Miranda would have none of it; she played the game by her rules, and always several steps ahead of both the buyers and the competition. What it amounted to was a transient lifestyle where staying in one place, for too long, was a very bad idea.
By the time the virus came, she had safehouses all around the Tri-State area. She spent the initial phase of the outbreak locked inside a sub-basement safehouse that had been used during prohibition, locked behind a false brick wall and a door updated with serious security, hardjacked into city power and several different cable feeds for television, phone, and internet. All run through a loop of misdirection and encryption that even the NSA wasn't getting through unless it wanted to throw the power of the entire agency into the effort. But by that point, the NSA had much bigger problems.
At first she began peeking out using drones, simply looking, and little else. What she saw was a shitshow of murder and debauchery; though enraged by some of what she saw, and saddened by most the rest, she was too cautious to step outside her secret safehouse. That was, until Jack found her. Miranda still has no idea how he found her, who he is, or how a hacker could be as good as he is--but he is that good, and he found her just as she began to become gravely ill. Someone found her safehouse, someone opened that door with all that security, and somebody got her out; she remembers none of it. When she woke up, she was in a safehouse that didn't belong to her, with other people. All of them rescued in similar fashion, one a doctor, one a nurse, the rest simply victims. Near death and desperate, Miranda opened up to the fellow victims of the virus, an incredibly rare feat for her.
She got close to the others, all of them using each other for emotional and intellectual support. She was the only victim to make it out of the virus alive. The doctor died, but the nurse simply mutated into what Miranda could only describe as big, humanoid, lizard. Emotionally it was too much, and a still severely weakened Miranda could do nothing but beg for the nurse to put the gun found in a footlocker in the safehouse down. The nurse didn't put the gun down, not until she fell dead from a self inflicted shot to the brain.
Miranda sobbed, for maybe the first time in her entire life. Determined to end herself, barely able to stand, she took every chemical in the safehouse and whipped together a cocktail she was certain would give her an incredible high--and kill her. But while the high came, death never did. Instead she became a hippy. A superpowered hippy, obsessed with helping others in desperate situations. Thus the Ace known as the Radical was active for the first time. By the time Miranda woke up, she was in the middle of an orgy, a week after trying to kill herself with the custom cocktail. When memories not her own began to flood in, Miranda became determined to repeat the process and become the Radical again.
She didn't. This time, she became a young English girl named the Cosmic Traveler; an Ace capable of weaving the latent cosmic energies around her into manifestations of physical power. Or, as it could much more simply be described, "spells." So far known to unleash incredibly destructive blasts of starlight and using forces such as gravity and magnetism, yet best known for teleporting an entire mob of Jokers and Joker-Aces out of the line of fire of the National Guard, it's unknown whether the Traveler's power is limited to fundamental cosmic forces, or just her imagination. If you believe what you read on The Big Blind, than the Traveler is a known contact of the One Eyed Jack, helping him keep Wild Carders of all "suits" safe from harm.
Though Trips, as Jack has codenamed Miranda, is less willing to help Jack, she still begrudgingly agrees to help him when called upon. You know, when she isn't in a safehouse lab, somewhere, mixing up a new drug to see if there are any more "Aces" in her personal deck. Or as Jack calls them, any more "friends" she can call on.
Identity: The Radical, no other name known. Age: Unknown, appears early 30s. Gender: Male Ace abilities: Superhuman strength, speed, durability, and senses. Personality: The Radical is just that, radical; radically dedicated to peace and love for all chill enough to deserve it. Who makes that judgment, though, on who is chill enough to deserve it? The Radical, of course. Aggressive with both the ladies and in a fight, but never to the point of becoming uncool. At least for the ladies.
Identity: The Cosmic Traveler, aka Dahlia Strange Age: 16 Gender: Female Ace abilities: Wields cosmic energies and weaves them into "spells." It's unknown whether her teleportation of herself and others is simply another "spell", or a greater use of the fundamental forces of the universe. Personality: Polite, but standoffish. She believes she once had a family, but for right now, her past is fuzzy to the point of calling it amnesia. She gets along famously with the One Eyed Jack, and may be the only living soul to ever see the One Eyed Jack in person since the outbreak--not even he can hide from her teleportation. Jack likes to joke that Dahlia is what he gets for "leaving a crate full of Doctor Strange comics in one of them footlockers."
Name: Izaiah Oreale Kol Age: 34 Birth Place: Bridgetown, Barbados Drawn Card: Joker-Ace Card Manifestation: Despite being fairly minor by joker standards, Izaiah's mutation is immediately evident. The man's previously warm (often misleading) brown eyes have been replaced by the orange, predatory glare of a snake, making him more than a little disconcerting. Portions of his skin, primarily across his limbs, hands and feet, have become slightly scaled, still the same colour as the rest of his skin, but different in texture. His powers are two fold, firstly, Izaiah has the ability to affect the mood and behaviour of others, something that only increases with eye contact and/or physical touch. The most extreme case of this involves the man's blood, containing in great quantity whatever it is that makes his powers work. Contact with such, can make most little more than slaves to his whim. Finally, the nails of his fingers, increasingly talon-like, can manufacture a fatal toxin, especially upon his right index finger, which can extend into a needle-like claw over two feet long.
Character History:
Izaiah was not born to wealth or prosperity, the streets of Bridgetown were his childhood, and they were not kind. The young man, was, however, born with a variety of gifts he made able use of. Charming, outwardly compassionate, and never built small, he found it easier than most to make friends and connections, and easier still to stand his ground when those contacts turned on him. Making a fair estimate of where the true power, at a local level, resided in the tiny nation, Izaiah made good with the Church from a young age, attending every service he could, and soon enough helping to lead them himself. From the podium of God, he made his way into the Barbadian mob. Unlike most, he did not enter a rough child of the streets, he came into the criminal underworld with a network wide enough to make him a valued commodity. A man as capable with the gentle touch as the rough, he was soon the easy, kind face, of a series of mob-bosses. The man they sent to handle the families of rivals, or to open new churches in their name.
Soon he found himself prepared for the international level of operations, gone were the times where his primary use was to placate the keys of power at home, his overlords wished him aboard from the tiny island, to turn his charms on the sources of their strength further afield. American arms traffickers, Mexican drug lords and European bankers, suited and booted, Izaiah met them all, and found them just as easy to work as the starving men on the streets. His trips back home became increasingly rare, entertaining his foreign guests in Vegas suites or yachts plying the Pacific. Much larger criminals than the relatively small fry of the West Antilles wished his services, the professional criminal negotiator, there was a lot more money in Freelance. Despite this, the man never forgot where he came from, and he remained one of the largest doners to Barbadian charitable relief right up until the Outbreak.
Name Jonathan Fortunato, AKA Johnny Fortune, AKA F
Age 22
Birth Place London, England; United Kingdom
Appearance Tall, lean, and all rebellion. Fortunato is considerably handsome in a "bad boy" way, with firm and sharp features, a slender but taut build, and golden-brown skin. Fitting with his punk rock "chic", he dresses in an almost meticulously messy fashion, with dark clothes contrasted by the occasional splash of bright colour. Always in a pair of scuffed boots, frayed jeans and old shirts, "Johnny Fortune" is an embodiment of punk disinterest. When he is sufficiently "charged up" with psionic and emotional energy, the veins throughout Fortunato's body become enlarged and increase in vascularity, giving him a "wormy" appearance, and his eyes take on a bright orange glow that slowly increases in intensity.
Drawn Card Ace
Card Manifestation The best way to describe Fortunato's Ace is "emotional vampirism". By inducing and maintaining strong emotional states in those around him, such as rage, lust, euphoria, or ecstasy, Fortunato can "feed" on the psychic energies given off by the individuals feeling them. However, this takes some small level of focus, and only "positive" or energetic emotions can feed him. Depressive or low-energy states cannot be fed on, and in fact, can starve the Ace. Fortunato, once significantly "charged up" with this emotional energy, can accomplish many psionic feats. These include the ability to read the psychic "residue" of an object or environment with concentration, skim the surface thoughts of individuals and broadcast his own (though this skill is incredibly uncomfortable for John), telekinetically manipulate relatively large objects with effort, and emit focused waves of "force", although most of these abilities quickly drain his reserves and are generally only used as a last resort. This energy also gives Fortunato vitality and stamina, allowing him to avoid rest for extended periods of time, as long as the energy isn't expended in any of the above methods.
Character History As befitting the chaotic lifestyle of a wannabe rockstar, Fortunato was an unforeseen consequence of wild love between Felix Fortunato, a Black-British London native, and Layla Kinds, a free-spirited American college student studying abroad. The result of alcohol, drug use, and uninhibited youthful vigour, Layla's pregnancy came as a shock to the couple, but after what seemed like days of arguing and discussion, the two of them decided to keep the baby. While the life of a college student was difficult for Layla and equally so for Felix, a musician and occasional street hustler, the two managed to hold their hectic lives together, for the baby. After 3 years (including a deferral for her pregnancy), once Layla had attained her post-grad, Felix had agreed to fly back to America with his partner and their son, Jonathan, in part due to Felix lacking any real anchor at home. Upon returning to the States, Layla used her degree in Communications and found work as an editor at a local publishing agency in her hometown of Seattle, and Felix found work in construction, and the two eventually got married due to a sense of necessity.
Johnny began developing an interest in music at an early age, and as he grew to adolescence, became more and more involved in the heavy music scene of Seattle. This not only acted as a way for him to better express his artistic thoughts but also to help him cope with the growing tension at home as the cracks that were apparent at the beginning of his parents' marriage began to grow clearer. By the time he was 16, the two had divorced, forcing a thin veneer of cordiality for their son, going so far as to share custody. However, this superficial peace hid venomous attacks between the two, with John caught in the middle, and he began to act out as a result. He became an underachiever, with his grades and attendance in high school dropping, and threw himself further and further into music, focusing on grunge and punk as an outlet for his rebellious anger. He drank, began taking drugs, and hung out with other "burnouts", all to the chagrin of his parents who were convinced it was either a phase or the fault of the other. This went on until his first year of community college, as the snarky young man found a group of like-minded musical peers. Combined with his disinterest in general education, Jonathan quickly dropped out of studies and became a founding member of the punk rock group Prana Piranha, even going so far as to take the stage name "Johnny Fortune" as the band's lead guitarist. This led to him quickly moving out from home and in with his bandmates.
For some time, the group took on shows in dive bars and dark basements in Seattle before attempting to branch out, working shows in D.C., Boston, and Philadelphia, all funded by odd jobs and bottom-level retail work. Eventually, the group moved to New York in early 2016, shacking up in a cramped Harlem apartment in a rundown building, happily playing at dingy events for an equally rowdy and raucous audience. It was during one such performance that the Wild Card virus was released over the skies of NYC, and while the effects weren't as immediate in the outlying neighbourhoods of the Bowery, Harlem nevertheless fell victim. The event was broken up by riot police who were attempting to stem the tide of chaos slowly spreading throughout the borough, using force to keep people in line and in their homes in a futile effort to quarantine the virus. Eventually, after a violent altercation between the showgoers and the officers in attendance, the band and those not arrested in the riot were forced to escape and hideout. It was during the coming days, laying low in their apartment, that Jonathan fell gravely ill, locked away in his room.
While the world fell to pieces outside and martial law descended, Fortunato underwent extraordinary changes. He began noticing he could feel, or "taste", the emotions of those around him, specifically powerful emotions such as anger or joy. As he "fed" more and more on this psychic energy, John learned he could utilise this energy for a variety of effects, discovering he could move objects and hear thoughts. Eventually, as his strength recovered and he practised his abilities in secret amongst his band, the military lockdown was lifted, and America tried to move on from the disaster. Amidst the political and social upheaval, Prana Piranha thrived as flocks of youths, frustrated at the state of things, were drawn to the loud and anti-establishment sounds of the band, with underground concerts becoming famous due to the telekinetic acts performed by "Johnny Fortune" being misconstrued as complex special effects. John also used these events to secretly feed on the mass euphoria brought about by the music and environment.
In short time, the band moved into the outskirts of the newly-christened Jokertown due to both the lowered rent and the symbolic act of rebellion that came with it, throwing a middle finger towards the government and followers of its rhetoric. Currently, John and Prana Piranha work gigs in and around the former Bowery, for Jokers and Nats alike, occasionally working gigs at The Funhouse. However, John keeps his status as an Ace secret to almost everyone other than the band, and has been staying low otherwise.
Name: Camelback Age: 19 Birth Place: New York Appearance: Camelback is a young, dark skinned man with a baby face. He has thick cheeks, a rounded chin and is fully shaven. He doesn't even let a single strand grow on his head. He is short, originally standing at 5'5. His joker mutation did not help him there, reducing him to a hunchback with a large hump on his back, similar to a Camel. Now he walks at around 4'11, with the majority of his bodyfat stored in his back, he has a skinny appearance, despite weighing at over 120 kilogram. To compensate for his very unattractive looks, he is always seen to be dressed well. Always looking sharp with suits or street fashion, matching colors or wearing the newest clothes. It isn't rare to see him berate someone for their subpar fashion sense. Drawn Card: Joker Card Manifestation: His mutation has given him a rounded back with a large hump, storing a large amount of fat. Character History: Surprisingly enough, Camelback history isn't very complex or painful. In fact, it is one of the things he is proud of. When people share their life story, something Camelback often supports people to do, he often responds that he had an easy life in comparison. He was born in a rich african american family in New York. His mother was a businesswoman and his father was a stay at home dad. In his younger years, up to puberty he was the most average kid in class. He didn't have any outstanding grades, wasn't particularly introverted but not masculine enough to be popular, didn't get in trouble outside of the rare scuffle. He wasn't noteworthy in anyway.
In middle school and high school, he noticed the things that social power could do. People in his class became popular because of stand out talents or athletic performance, and the things they were able to do exhilarated him. With the full knowledge that he wasn't a stand out in anyway, he instead trained his eloquence and charm. He would stand in front of a mirror daily, practicing his diction, intonation and rhetoric. In school he would be the nicest and friendliest person. Somehow managing to connect and relate to everyone. Getting protection from the football team and bullies from bullying made sure that the terrible life someone with his baby-face and height could have was prevented, he quite enjoyed his school experience.
He came from a rich family and as soon as he turned eighteen, he gained access to a trust fund of fifty thousand dollars. He didn't want to spend it on college and instead spend the year after doing things like toastmasters and improvisational comedy until Black Queen's day happened. He was one of the victims of the virus and survived, albeit, not with a superpower. His body mutated him into a hunchback with a hump. Ashamed of his situation, he hid in isolation until the appearance of Jokertown. He moved as soon as he heard about it and never looked back. With people that are just as mutated him, he spend his time being social. Talking to everyone in the street or at Jokertown places to create a large social network. Not only for potential protection, but also for information he routinely tips off at Jokertown's Cry. He applied as a salesman in Holbrook's and recently got accepted. He hoped to get closer to Dutton and extend his influence through him. Jokertown Role: You know the one guy that everyone knows? Like, you walk around the street with him and he gets greeted or stopped every two minutes? That's Camelback. Also, he works at Holbrooks.
Also, @theredsephaos, if you could please edit out your CS from the Character tab, since that's only for accepted characters, and post the application here, that'd be great.
Card Manifestation: Ledford has a layer of hardened skin around the edges of his outer layer that work almost like a microscopic exoskeleton. It cannot be penetrated by anything other than a high-powered laser.
Character History:
Desmond Ledford was born in in Newark, New Jersey to parents Roland and Bernice Ledford, the youngest of three children. Desmond spent the better part of his childhood as a heavyset and slow kid, sometimes winding up as the butt of jokes with other children and some adults in the neighborhood. Once Ledford hit the age of 13, puberty kicked in and a timely growth spurt put the young man at 6'5 and turned his squeaky voice into a deep baritone. With the added height, Desmond went out for basketball in high school and became a star on two state championship teams. An injury in his junior year caused him to miss out on athletic scholarships.
After graduating high school with an average grade point average, very little prospects, and no real desire to attend college, Desmond decided to become a police. While the Newark Police Department was not hiring, NYPD's academy accepted him and he joined up. While Desmond did well in mot of his courses, he particularly excelled at driving courses. After graduation, he became a patrolman in the NYPD's 60th Precinct in Brooklyn. Eventually he passed as promoted to sergeant and transferred to the 22nd Precinct around Central Park.
Desmond was on the street on Black Queen Day and witnessed the horrors of the virus before succumbing to it himself. He became one of the rare few to get the virus, live to tell about it, and emerge from the sickness with a strange new ability. That ability manifested itself a week after Black Queen Day when an armed rioter shot Desmond at point blank range with a shotgun. The pellets ripped into his uniform and through his bullet proof vest, but bounced off his skin completely. Further examination revealed that a microscopic film of hardened skin, ten times as hard as any kevlar or metal, had formed over his usual epidermis. No knife, bullet, or other object was capable of penetrating this object.
As an Ace, Desmond was a natural fit to work Jokertown. He was quickly reassigned to the Fifth, more and more commonly being called Fort Freak, and joined the unique blend of Joker, Ace, and Nat that made up the police squad.
Jokertown Role: As a patrol sergeant in the NYPD's Fifth Precinct, aka Fort Freak, Ledford supervises a squad of four patrol officers and responds to calls in and around the Jokertown area.
We never "officially" approved this on the forum, but very much approved!
The One Eyed Jack has dropped another message for Wild Carders, setting the table for the state of the IC before we officially begin. Check the chat's Joker's Wild podcast channel for the full text.
