[OOC] The Lodge Outside of Segaso City (RP is now closed by GM)

[Tergonaut]

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The Lodge

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Welcome to the lodge! In an attempt to get some PR on the side with people from across the world of Faiza, Cybertronics Unlimited is sponsoring a wilderness retreat near Segaso City to provide a place of rest and recuperation to individuals with unique powers or backgrounds. This pilot program is co-sponsored by the nation of Ridalia, who has sent a young heir of one of their noble families along to enjoy the vacation and to inspect this investment. Of course, there may be other reasons why a major robotics corporation would send these individuals to an isolated cabin in the mountains...

The point of this RP, broadly speaking, is to bring together a group of unlikely heroes to a single location and then have a bunch of adventures. This will combine and feature elements of superhero, fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and slice-of-life, as the characters that form the core group of "lodgers" grow together through their trials as well as their lazy days. Whether fighting for their lives against alien invasions, or playing hard during a swim day at the lake, this RP will follow the story of a unique group of characters who will potentially change the fate of Faiza forever...

What I'm looking for:

• Number of players: up to 6 for this first go-round. If anyone drops out, I'll open the slot for anyone else who wants to join later. Priority will go to players who have completed CSes, though the final decision remains solely mine.

• Number of characters per player: 1, at first - we'll add more later if things go well! Post your character in the characters tab only after you have received approval from me in the OOC thread.

• Approximate power level: As an example, Spider-Man more than Superman - certainly no powers that can solve problems or win battles entirely on their own, and try to keep creative with the use of powers rather than just blast or slam everything into oblivion. I'll be the final judge if I feel something is unbalanced.

• Variety of characters: Humans, aliens, androids, robots, otherdimensional creatures, anthros (or furries) - with or without powers. Whatever you think would add spice to the RP and to any relationships that might develop in it! As far as the good/evil spectrum go, I'd prefer the main characters be heroes to keep them from fighting too much among themselves, but if we add more characters down the road or if the story dictates, I'd be willing to let players run villains, either for longer-term plots or one-shots.

• Tone/Content: We're going for cinematic, here - Rule of Cool and Rule of Fun will apply in moderation. I also want to keep this RP relatively family-friendly and fairly upbeat, which means a minimum of blood, no gore, no "onscreen" sex or heavy references thereto. Will there be violence and death? Certainly! Will there be romance? I hope so! Just keep it to levels you might expect to see on a cartoon show about superheroes - for examples, the Avengers movies or the Young Justice cartoon.

• Pacing: I am not going to impose any mandatory time limits on posting, or any kind of posting order. That said, I'd like to keep it brisk and engaging, interesting for the group.

• Worldbuilding and Character Development: I have some stuff to start with, but ultimately, I want to work with you to make a fun, interesting and consistent world you'd like to come visit.

Character Sheet

Name:

Species:

Age:

Gender:

Personality:

Appearance:

Powers:

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Background:

Misc. Notes:

The World of Faiza:

• A brief summary: Can you imagine a world that is Earthlike, but is not Earth? You know, your standard M-class planet - blue seas, green continents, and white clouds in the sky, that sort of jazz. Now, picture that it's in a similar solar system in a different part of the galaxy; that it has only five continents; that it is inhabited by not only humans, but anthropomorphic animals, aliens, robots, creatures from the celestial and abyssal pantheons of countless religions, monsters of mythology personified, and even beings from alternate dimensions. Add to this that even the mortal inhabitants are often born or gifted with special powers - mutant abilities, magical aptitude, psionic training, cybernetic enhancement, or even just the guts to fight against impossible odds. It is literally a world full of heroes.

And then this planet we are speaking of is rich in natural resources and located in a strategic location. It happens to be within the range of several different galaxy-spanning nations and organizations, and is intersected by several universal ley lines. This partly explains the heavy presence of non-natives, as well as the constant attention the planet receives. Alien invasions, giant monster attacks, apocalypse events, supervillain schemes, the manipulations of extra-planetary governments trying to bend the planet to their will through diplomacy or force - this has all happened in this planet's long and peril-filled history. Oh, and Godzilla was transferred here from Earth for safe-keeping.

You are picturing this world right now? Have it set in your mind? Good. Because there is a world like that, and its name is Faiza.

More Lore:

Faiza has five continents. To begin with, I will introduce two of these, as they will be the most immediately relevant.

The first is Melaben, the one that Segaso City and the lodge are located on. Melaben is a temperate continent with a diverse amount of terrain and culture, and is home to a Federation that is similar to Earth's United States. The capitalistic lifestyle has introduced several corporations that strongly influence the political landscape, yet this conflict usually cancels itself out in a positive fashion for local citizens. One such corporation, Cybertronics Unlimited, is run by a human named Georgia Stahlmansche rumored to be from a parallel dimensional version of Earth - CU is one of the premiere robotics, cybernetics and electronics development and production companies on Faiza, and their reputation for efficiency is matched by Stahlmansche's immense confidence and charisma. Segaso City is the capital of Melaben and the Federation.

The second continent, Korduun, is home to two major nations: Ridalia and Vancau. These two nations are very powerful militarily, but their hatred of one another has fortunately kept them focused more on one another than on the rest of the world. Ridalia is ruled by several major noble Houses that form the Ridalian Council, while Vancau is dominated by the iron fist of its Emperor and his Governors. Ridalia has strong diplomatic ties with governments and corporations outside of itself, and thus has access to resources and technology that, instead of allowing to change their way of life, they have used to augment their somewhat anachronistic feudal form of life; their techno-knights ride into battle on robo-steeds, wielding thermal crossbows and photon cutlasses. Vancau as a rule relies on fierce dark magic and a host of monsters and allies from other dimensions or from outer space to aid them in their battles, and Vancau looks very much like a step backwards in time compared to the shiny Ridalia. At this time, there is an uneasy ceasefire between the two nations, but all it usually takes is some idiot to become the hyphen in a Ridalia-Vancau war.

The overall technology level of Faiza is difficult to quantify, since it is a mishmash of various technologies. Just walking down the street, it will probably not feel much different than early 21st-century Earth cities - there will be people listening to personal audio devices, glancing at their communicators, traveling in vehicles. It is the sheer variety and style of tech that may be overwhelming. Displays will be holographic and neon, or be integrated into eyewear, clothing or wristbands; some vehicles will fly or walk alongside regular wheeled ones; it wouldn't be out of place to see steampunk brass and chrome next to futuristic white plastic. There are also robots that walk your dog, protect your property, or serve in the military, with varying degrees of self-awareness.

Power sources are of special mention. Faiza as a planet relies heavily on "green" power sources, such as wind, wave, tidal, geothermal, and solar panels. Since these technologies are vastly more efficient and portable than anything Earth has in their early 21st century, and since they were introduced much earlier in Faiza's industrial history, there has not been the problem of converting to these sources from dirtier sources like coal. Nuclear power still remains one of the most efficient sources, however, and has been miniaturized enough where even infantry robots are equipped with cold fusion packs. But nuclear power still carries the disadvantages of nuclear waste.

We now have a Discord server! Here is the link: https://discord.gg/jEGfqnV

[MatthiasAngel]

Name: Lady Amethyst "Amie" Jane of Redalia, baroness of the Jane Household

Species: Human

Age: 30

Gender: Female

Personality: Amie has two personalities: Lady Jane and Amie.
-Lady Amethyst Jane is a stern, quiet, respectable woman of noble lineage. At 6'1", she is an imposing figure, towering over others both in rank and height. Lady Jane is in all aspects a gentlewoman. She dresses the part, bows to elders, and is receptive to the honor due her. She is the unofficial representative of her house and, accompanied by her assistant/servant, she spends time visiting exotic (and often expensive) locales, spreading the glory of her family everywhere. Fighting is unladylike, and she would never draw her sword unless absolutely necessary.
-At heart, Amie is a kind, compassionate young woman who loves to read and write. She enjoys spending time with others, regardless of their place in society. Despite her family's love of affection and praise, Amie doesn't see herself as any more special than anyone else. She's optimistic and tries to find something to be happy about regardless of the circumstances. She doesn't have a wild streak or hot temper, but she has no objections to drawing steel. Fighting relieves boredom and generates adrenaline, and she would draw her sword in a heartbeat if it meant a good fight, or any kind of fight.

Appearance:

Lady Amethyst Jane

Her family crest is emblazoned in gold leaf on the back of her coat.

Powers: The JANE Coat of Arms. Amie has her family coat-of-arms emblazoned in gold on the back of her glove that is activated mentally. It allows her to cycle through four Armaments, each granting a special ability that lasts a maximum of 30 seconds. They can be changed/swapped instantly, but the same one cannot be immediately used back to back. The Crest glows gold and the "J" in the crest changes to a symbol representing the armament while it is active. The armaments are Jump, Attack, Negate, and Evade.

Jump: Increases jump height dramatically.
Attack: Increases the size of her sword's blade and the amount of damage it can do.
Negate: Creates a holographic shield in front of her that absorbs projectiles and strikes.
Evade: Increases movement speed and reaction time.

The JANE Coat of Arms and its Arms

Note: She's using the symbols from Column 1.

Strengths: Intelligence and charisma. Lady Jane can and will talk her way out of any situation. If the negotiations do not go as planned, Amie makes use of her masterful skill with a longsword.

Her sword and sheath assembly

Weaknesses: Pure physical strength and stamina. Additionally, she was raised in a mansion and attended to by servants, so even though she doesn't much care for her lifestyle, she doesn't understand the "outside world." It's always been fancy people with fancy vocabularies living carefree lives. Loneliness, depression, poverty and the like are all foreign to her.

Background: tl;dr she was born into a rich family and everything has been perfect her whole life, but her family is very rich and snobby and Amie doesn't think she's better than anyone else, so they don't see eye-to-eye on how to look and behave. In public Amie will act the part out of respect for her parents and lineage. She caries a sword because her parents insist she have a bodyguard, and Amie would rather not, so after a lot of bickering she finally convinced them to let her take up private fencing lessons, which escalated into using claymores, sabers, and two-edged longswords. She ended up preferring the longsword and has been using it exclusively for the past eleven years.

Misc. Notes:
1. The Jane Coat of Arms motto: May your head be high, your strength be great, your heart be strong, and your mind be quick.
2. Amie is accompanied by an assistant/manservant named Winters.

Winters

Yes, that is John Reese from Person of Interest

3. Amie's car is a BMW i8 painted glossy black with gold trim. It is driven by Winters.

Amie's car

[Tergonaut]

Congrats, @MatthiasAngel, you are approved! Kudos for using the extra lore as part of your character. Go ahead and move your character sheet over to the characters tab.

5 slots remain!

We can also continue any OOC chatter here while we wait for everyone to catch up and see this.

[MatthiasAngel]

@Tergonaut I just updated a load of stuff. Car, assistant, family motto, etc. and I renamed "abilities" to someone more unique.

[Afro Samurai]

Name: Dr. Jorvin Wainright

Species: Human.

Age: 39.

Gender: Male.

Personality: A soft spoken man, often resigned to his studies. When focused on a task, he is determined to get said task complete, no matter what it requires of him. His nature is not timid, and he does hold conviction in his beliefs, but he is open minded about things.

Appearance:

Powers: Alchemy

Applications

Barriers: He can resurrect defensive walls and shields from natural elements [earth and its subelements, fire, water and its subelements.]

Offense: He can transmute the solid elements (earth and its sub-elements, ice as a sub element of water) into weapons if necessary.

Elemental Manipulation: Dr. Wainwright has remote control over the five elements and can use them for varying effects. He is not an elemental kineticist, however. That is, he cannot move, lift, or generate any of the elements from thin air without altering the necessary molecules and bonds to create the element. What is not already available for use is usually outside of his control.

Strengths: His understanding and aptitude for alchemy is renown. He is a master scholar and a studious man, apt to gathering and deciphering information concerning natural habitats of most kinds.

Weaknesses: His knowledge elsewhere is limited. That is, he has great knowledge about select things, but is ignorant to much else. He often favors logic over emotion and does not always display empathy toward others. What is stagnant remains stagnant. If he violates the routine course of nature, he pays with his physical and mental health.

Background: He received his dual baccalaureate degrees in philosophy and chemistry. Both of which are the basic applications of advanced alchemy. He was a tremendous student, receiving a single A- in his entire undergraduate career. After he graduated summa cum laude he took two years off to independently study the workings of chemicals, receiving an apprenticeship with a research organization where he assisted several of the of the world's best scientists before going on to continue his education at UC-Berkeley where he prepared a graduate thesis on the Reaction of Chemicals in the Natural World: A Philosophical and Scientific Look At The Ethics of Alchemy.

Upon presenting his thesis and earning his Master's, he pursued subsequent Ph.D's for philosophy and chemistry at Harvard. It is here that his interest (and his ability to apply) alchemic transformations to the elements manifested. Years of study in his "field" (alchemy was not a well-trodden path in acadamia, Wainwright was a trailblazer in this respect) fostered his growth and refinement of practicing alchemy in its more natural forms. He has always been well-aware of the dark side of his pursuit, and consciously stays away from such areas, for he knows what the cost is. Six years into his doctoral studies, he receives his dual Ph.D's in philosophy and chemistry for his work. His dissertation, which he recently published as a full book, Breaching the Natural World: Conceptual and Practical Uses of Alchemy from the Renaissance to Present Day has become a hallmark in chemistry circles for its advancements in the mystical and ever elusive science that bridges the transcendent and the known.

For all his research, there can be no true mastery of nature; this is a maxim that remains tried and true, all the great authors have warned us about the conflict man has with nature--and how in the end it will always win. This eternal conflict is what brought him to the not-so-good doctor to Faiza; during his research on elemental transportation, something went awry. He thought he had calculated the correct axis point from which to create a natural pressurized vortex for travel to and from close locations--from the bedroom to the supermarket and back. Unfortunately, he was wrong and this vortex instead flung him into an entirely new land, where two robots were waiting for him. A foreigner, he was taken to some place that resembled one of those futuristic and 'state-of-the-art' robotics and technologies factories that always claim to 'lead the way to tomorrow's future, today'--and things of that sort.

Cybertronics Unlimited. The name alone affirmed his earlier sentiments. These machines weren't (or didn't appear to be) programmed for complete annihilation of organic species. At least he'd hoped not; persuasion was only useful for him if he was presenting a dissertation, not shooting the proverbial breeze. Also, why would anyone want to do that? Such a waste of time. Suspicions aside, he was lead into an office and it was quite kept. A woman sat before him dressed in typical CEO suitpant attire. Ah, that explains it. She looked to be one of those warm and calculating types. Or maybe she wasn't--he never was the best read of a person's character, and it hadn't gotten him into much trouble this far along on the trodden path.

He waited for her to speak, that was procedure with these sorts of things, he was sure. If all his years at teacher's conferences and faculty meetings taught him anything, the one with the fanciest suit and the nicest tie talked first and everyone else listened. He wasn't going to re-invent any wheels here (note to self: find a way to re-invent mechanical wheel, perhaps with liquid base? would make water skiing more accessible to the common man). She spoke long and arduous about the plans of her company and her goals, Wainwright added in that he was but a 'poor soul simply looking for upkeep and rest; just a weary and lost wanderer, madam'. She called his bluff, random vortexes don't appear in the middle of nowhere in Faiza. Wainwright could have sworn he saw two sparrows having a conversation on his way here. Maybe all the studying had finally broke him.

She uncovered the real telos of Wainwright's unexpected journey to this world--he was just trying to find a more efficient way for one to move themselves from the bathroom to the couch without the haggard convention people call 'walking.' There was a miscalculation of fixed axis points and a tad too much centripetal force and voila, here he was. She laughed. He laughed. She offered him refuge at the lodge if he so fancied and remarked something about how she'd keep a close eye on him and how she would make sure he spoke of no parts of this world if he ever managed to return to his own. He made no promises, but he didn't deny anything either; Jorvis just knew that one English class in 20 century post-modern theory would pay off somehow, though this was far from what he imagined.

He was here now, and he'd best make the most of it. It wasn't like he was going to bother replicating the vortex travel any time soon if it had failed the first time, there was no telling where he'd end up next. Plus, tampering with nature's laws in such unorthodox ways was not taken lightly by the ol' Mother. He wasn't going to make her any angrier than she already was with him. So, he would bide his time and figure out a way to perfect vortex travel. Who knows, maybe this earth had natural properties different from his own: new elements to discover, new combinations! Ah, the possibilities--and the revenue--were (hopefully) endless!

@Tergonaut

[Tergonaut]

@Afro Samurai - I notice that you've made reference to universities on Earth, but this RP takes place on another planet called Faiza. Is Dr. Jorvin from Earth somehow, or is he a native human of Faiza? If the former, there needs to be some story background explaining how he got to Faiza (like a portal, perhaps, or maybe he's from an alternate version of Earth). If the latter, then you just need to change the university names to ones that fit the world. If you want suggestions/ideas for such names, feel free to ask or PM me about it.

Just wanted to shoot this off before heading to bed, I'll see what tomorrow brings.

[duskshine749]

Name: Samuel Deniel
Species: Human, mostly. There is some phoenix blood in his family granting his powers
Age: 22
Gender: Male

Personality: Sam is a very reserved person, though that has come with years of training himself to be that way. Naturally Sam is a very passionate person, not afraid to let someone know what he thinks or to jump in to action should he be needed. Some of this still leaks through, and sometimes he loses control of himself and can't help but allow his emotions to burst through. When he is in control he is very warm towards others, kind, caring, and compassionate.

Appearance: Sam is 6'2" and weighs 280lbs. but the height helps make it look like he weighs less. He has glasses and short cut brown hair with blue eyes. He is very pasty white and is normally clean shaven. Can often be found wearing jeans and a green hoodie. When it gets too hot for that he'll switch to cargo shorts and a comfortable t-shirt with some kind of nerdy design on it.

Powers: (these are super powers - be creative, but balanced. As the RP progresses, you may gain more powers depending on the storyline and happenstance, so leave room to grow. Put N/A if you have no super powers, skills or racial abilities)Sam has the ability of pyrokinesis. Normally he can summon fire and manipulate it, or cause an object within his sight to burst in to flames. When he gets emotional he will often times burst in to flames and may float a few inches above the ground. The intensity and heat of his flames increases with his emotions but it also becomes harder to control. He also cannot be burned due to the nature of his powers.

Strengths: Sam has a pretty good memory and he's also fairly good at math. He also has some fighting skills from when he took tae-kwon-do as a kid, though he stopped a few years back

Weaknesses: Water, and especially rain weakens his powers. Also sending him in to an emotional rage, while dangerous, will yield him unable to control himself and he will exhaust his ability to fight within a few minutes

Background: Sam lived his life like a normal person for the most part, though he was home schooled until high school. This was his parents' decision to make sure he was able to control his emotions so he didn't have an incident in the school. He was born with his powers, the blessing of the phoenix they called it, he thought of it more like a curse. His sister doesn't have the powers of the phoenix, she has something else she has to deal with. Sam never applied himself in school so he didn't make it in to a university, so instead he just works as a bus driver, and that's fine with him.
Misc. Notes: (anything important to the character that should be known, but for whatever reason doesn't fit into any other category)

Just posting this before I go to work, I may add in a bit more, but this is basically it

[Squad 404]

Ashley Chertal

Name: Ashley Chertal.
Species: Human werewolf.
Age: 23.
Gender: Female.
Personality: Ashley is fairly mellow. She's not overly happy, nor is she overly sad or cynical. She walks the middle of the road and would be found refilling the glass for another round than trying to figure out if it's half empty or half full. Ashley is lazy to a point, and generally does things to her own time over taking care of everything at once.

Appearance: Ashley is of average height since she stands at five feet five inches. Ashley's skin is close to copy paper in color due to her extended presence in clubs or bars. Ashley's hair is cut quite short and is black in color. Ashley's eyes are a dark green in color and are thankfully free of any fashion contacts or other oddities. Ashley's eyebrows are rough, but not excessive, and match her hair. Ashley's face is overall free of blemishes, which Ashley is immensely thankful for.

Ashley's body is fairly well rounded. Her upper and lower body is well developed and fit. She's not boasting bulging muscles or a six pack, but she's more than qualified for extended physical activity. Ashley doesn't have much in the way of marks on the rest of her body either, which she is again more than thankful for. Ashley's nails are trimmed down, and have also been painted black to fit with her overall punk look. Ashley's most prominent feature is actually a prominent bust, which she gets annoyingly frequent comments about.

Ashley's wardrobe fits well with her punk theme. Ashley wears a plain black T-shirt along with a light black cloth jacket. Ashley also wears a pair of black jeans. Beneath these jeans Ashley wears a pair of knee length nylon stockings and a pair of calf length black leather boots.

Ashley also wears a pair of fingerless leather gloves. These gloves have small metal studs over each knuckle, though they're obviously not weaponized. However, that doesn't prevent them from hurting a little more than usual should someone suffer a blow from Ashley. Ashley also wears a black one piece kneeskin swimsuit in place of traditional undergarments, since some more unruly members of the audience would sometimes find themselves throwing their drinks at the stage, leaving Ashley and her band members varying degrees of wet from time to time. The swimsuit helped prevent people from seeing more than they needed to.

When transformed, Ashley loses most of her outfit. Thankfully, her swimsuit is stretchy enough to handle the transformation with ease while still keeping everything covered. Her wolf form stands at six feet and five inches, making her taller than most men. Ashley's transformed body is coated with a fine layer of muscle. Not excessive like a bodybuilder, but slim and practical while still being easy to notice. Her legs are digitigrade, which makes her more agile and allows her to run faster at the cost of not being able to operate certain machinery due to her height and how her legs are shaped. Ashley's body is roughly the same shape aside, though everything is scaled up to fit her new size. Ashley's head is that of a wolf in this form, and her hair grows slightly to fit better. Ashley's fur is stormy grey in color with the underside of her torso having a lighter grey. Finally, while transformed, Ashley has a small lightning bolt on the top of her snout.

Powers: Lightning/electricity generation and control: Ashley is capable of generating and controlling electricity and lightning. This is primarily represented in bolts thrown from her fingertips, though she can also charge the studs in her gloves with electricity to make her punches hurt more.

Transformation: Ashley is a werewolf, and is capable of transforming into a werewolf form when enough adrenaline enters into her bloodstream, though this costs her most of her wardrobe for a while. While transformed, Ashley still has access to her lightning abilities, and can now charge her claws with lightning. As a bonus, she's also able to charge her fists with lightning, making her punches devastating.

Strengths: Immune to electric shock. Heals quickly. Physical prowess is enhanced in werewolf form.

Weaknesses: Water shuts down her electric powers due to the fact that she would shock herself if she used them. Skin contact with metal also shuts down her powers, and nearby metal will attract electricity. Silver burns her while she is transformed.

Background: Ashley grew up singing cover songs in bars and nightclubs in order to get by after a crummy early life. Her looks drew a crowd, her voice kept them there. However, this lifestyle turned out to be rather unsustainable. Forced to contemplate her future, Ashley walked to a nearby park to think things over. While she was walking around the trees, it started to rain. In her rush to get home, Ashley was struck by lightning. She passed out, and merely moments later a rogue werewolf tracked her smell. He giggled to himself that nature had cooked him a meal, and sank his teeth into Ashley's shoulder.

The werewolf went flying as ten thousand volts flew into his system. The bite healed shortly after, and Ashley got up and went home with a massive headache. This was three years ago, and her life has been different ever since.

Misc. Notes: None.

[BlessedWrath]

This CS is under construction. I have the bulk of it adapted for the roleplay, but would like to fill out the information a little better. For now, here is my submission to The Lodge:

Samantha Cole

Name: Samantha Cole

Known Nickname(s), Alias(es): Sam

Species: Human

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Personality:
Gruff, snarky, tactless, with just a hint of scorn. If it does not directly relate to computers or machines, she quickly loses interest. Misanthropic, bordering on hateful.

Sam's particular social situation is only partly due to her ability, owing the rest to her being treated like damaged goods by her parents. She learned at an early age that all humans are disposable, and has taken it to heart in recent years. You can almost see it in her eyes; the fact that she does not consider people to be people, but...more like walking resources. Unpredictable, uncooperative, inefficient walking resources.

In terms of mannerisms, Sam may seem unkempt and chaotic to others, but her workspace is her safe place. Sane, logical, coordinated, even in its perpetual state of organized chaos. Moving just one circuit board will set her off on an hour rant about how nothing is sacred anymore.

Appearance:


Sam is slender, light on her feet, and built to favor speed over strength. Her posture and body language typically suggest submission, but those who know her well enough will recognize that as an act. The simple fact is that keeping your head down means fewer cameras catching a direct look at your face. As far as posture goes...if she can use body language to satisfy the egos of others, that just means fewer confrontations.

Her movements are methodical and precise, whether out of a need for careful attention during her tinkering or just being comfortable with economy of motion. There isn't a lot of fidgeting or wasted energy. The one thing she does move constantly is her eyes.

Whatever else can be said about her, Sam is always watching. She knows where the exits are, she knows how the people are moving around her, and she can probably spot the best places to stash something quickly. Sometimes it helps to be observant.

Her hair is often kept under her hood, but when it is visible, it is obvious she cuts it herself. There's no thought toward style or fashion, whatsoever. It's as if she only cuts it to get it out of her way.

Attire:
Black tee or sports bra, black hoodie, black cargo pants, black steel-toe work boots. Never leaves home without her messenger bag full of goodies.

Her "style", if you want to call it that, really has no bearing at all on what's fashionable. She is interested in function alone. The choice of color is simple: It's more difficult to catch somebody at night when they wear dark colors. Plus, it was free; people really should watch their laundry more closely.

Much of her clothing is therefore in varying states of wear, and almost every garment has been modified in some way for concealment options. Where one might expect to find a weapon, however, one would instead find a soldering iron, a few lengths of wire, some clippers, maybe a battery or two...

Additionally, Sam appears to have a special hatred of beauty products. Not only does she refuse to wear cosmetics, but she often mocks those who do. Her appearance has no bearing on her talents as a tinkerer, therefore it is not considered an asset.

Powers:
Technomind

A Technomind, also known as a Technocrat, is a person endowed with an instinctual knowledge of technology. The exact function of this ability is theorized to be a form of psionic echolocation; specifically that a resonant telepathic pulse reflects differently from different components, making a complete map of any device possible in an instant. Combined with an instinct for form and function, this ability allows its user to instantly identify the purpose of any given device, as well as diagnose any potential problems or damage and formulate a repair strategy. It is simultaneously an ability to decipher technological components as well as an innate, natural knowledge of technological structures. It is not so much an inherent knowledge of existing technology as much as an instinct for the principles behind it.

The ability may be used at range, but with added difficulty. Direct physical contact is the most reliable method for use. There may be other related abilities, such as remote reading of computer files, but none are yet present in Sam's case. In general, the ability represents an understanding of a given device, but it may grow to involve control over those devices as well. Such control would theoretically be achieved by supplying resonant psionic pulses to induce electronic current in a given device. Note that this will not work for anything purely mechanical; the devices must be controlled by way of electricity.

This ability causes such stresses on the brain that information gathered this way is permanently burned into her memory. As a side effect, sometimes other information (sounds, smells, simple facts, faces) can also be retained with perfect clarity. This eidetic memory cannot be used intentionally, and seems to be totally random.

Limits:
Early indications are that the ability requires physical contact as a trigger, but this limitation may be mitigated with practice.

Weaknesses/Drawbacks:
When triggered, the ability overloads her conscious mind with information, causing her to "bluescreen" and lose consciousness. The effect varies in intensity according to the complexity of the device. Again, this weakness may diminish with experience, but will never be completely eliminated.

Other:
As a direct result of her power, Sam has an inherent attention to detail which stems from eidetic memory. This memory capacity normally relates only to the technology she maps, but can involve other pertinent data as well. Unfortunately, as it is not a talent she consciously uses, which facts are retained are completely beyond her control; seemingly random in nature.

Strengths:
Sam displays a dizzying intellect in many areas of science and mathematics, as well as the ability to cannibalize components to create all manner of fiendishly clever devices. As part of her audition for entrance into a group of misfit "heroes", back on Earth, she once completely bypassed a card reader by feeding the electrical current of its lock indicator LED directly into the actuator, all but bare-handed. She is therefore a handy tool to have on hand if the group needs to be someplace they shouldn't be, or needs to make a hasty exit from a locked room. She is a fast learner, particularly when legitimately interested in the subject matter, and has a natural instinct for mechanical engineering, electronics, physics, and computer sciences.

Additionally, Sam's personal awareness and cunning appear to be abnormally sharp; perhaps honed by years of evading capture. She is therefore regarded by most as a tricky and difficult target to acquire. Naturally, infiltration, security countermeasures, and even computer intrusion are common tools in her portfolio.

Weaknesses:
Sam is not a social butterfly, by any definition of the term. She avoids human interaction whenever possible, and doesn't trust them even when forced to work with them. She is as far removed from the concept of "trust" as can be expected from a person with her background and history, therefore she shows great difficulty in team situations. She also prefers to acquire her materials in a manner not quite befitting the scrutiny of the law, which can get her into trouble with the local badges.

Additionally, her singular focus on technology has left her almost devoid of practical combat experience. What she does know about fighting has been pieced together from online videos, old movies, and impromptu engagements with a few street punks. A soldier she is not.

Background:
From an early age, Sam showed signs of brilliant intellect. She would often dis-assemble random devices in an effort to determine how they worked. Unfortunately, this led her parents to question her social development, ultimately causing them to ship her off to a behavioral health center in a larger city. Sam has since escaped that facility and has been using her gifts to survive on the street. You can be paid quite handsomely for jailbreaking an iPhone.

In the two years since her escape from this facility, Sam has lived on the streets of New York. Her chosen profession has earned more than just clients; she has embarrassed local law enforcement by evading capture, toppled corporations with a few lines of particularly nasty computer code, and even maneuvered a high-ranking member of the local mafia into a turf war with at least two prominent street gangs.

At this time, Sam's movements are not precisely known. She has gone to ground until the heat dies down, at which time it is almost certain she will provide her services to the next client with a fistful of dollars and a reason why legitimate services cannot be employed.

Misc. Notes:
Because she is not specifically experienced as a fighter does not mean Sam is completely helpless. When engaged, she prefers to exploit weaknesses to magnify damage to her opponents, and to avoid and evade until escape is possible. Faced with the two options, Sam would rather flee than fight.

If forced into combat, Sam is better equipped than to fight with just her fists. Her technological prowess has allowed her to create an array of defensive devices capable of assisting her in protecting herself against aggressors, including (but not limited to) shock gloves cannibalized from dismantled stun guns and high-energy capacitors, pressurized capsaicin dischargers which aerosolize a concentrated form of pepper spray at high speeds, and Shriekers; a sonic device capable of causing sensory overload in humans.

Sam's interest in this type of technology is a recent development, brought about by the necessity to avoid capture by multiple groups. She has since begun studying the application of technology in combat situations as a method for leveling the playing field against stronger opponents. It is by no means a guarantee of survival, but as Sam would likely point out: "It sure ain't gonna hurt my chances, either."

In the event that loss of powers is a thing, it is important to note that, while losing her powers would rob her of the ability to map any new devices, Sam's eidetic memory will still retain any information she has already gained by use of the power. Her experience with technology would still allow her to use that knowledge to create new devices, although certainly not with the same level of effectiveness as if aided by her power.

[MatthiasAngel]

Wow, three out of the five people here wear almost all black clothing. Maybe I should reconsider Amie's attire. White and silver rather than black and gold, perhaps?

[Squad 404]

@MatthiasAngel You can if you want to. Though I would take that up with the GM about edits. If accepted, Ashley is going to be changing clothes fairly frequently due to her werewolf form, and will thus not constantly be wearing black.

[BlessedWrath]

Sam likely wouldn't even notice. Clothing is a tool, too; if it's serving its purpose, she's happy. We won't be having the "wore the same dress as another girl to the dance" problem with her. ^_^

[duskshine749]

@BlessedWrath your character goes by Sam too? That won't get confusing for them :P

[MatthiasAngel]

I'm not worried about the characters being upset about wearing the same color. I'm thinking more about diversity of characters in the first place. Sure, Amie won't care who wears what color, but from a roleplayer standpoint I'd like a bit more diversity, even with only a handful of players. Heck, we already have three people with elemental powers (two lightning, one fire).

@Tergonaut I'd like to make Amie's sword modular (able to accommodate for upgrades), since you suggested it could be "upgraded" as the story progresses. As of now, I'm just going to call it "modular" and worry about how that affects the look and characteristics later.

[Raijinslayer]

@MatthiasAngelgive it an hour and you'll have a moody medium to help things. Been chipping away at my cs, so I'm almost gtg.

[Squad 404]

@MatthiasAngel Who is the other person with lightning? I only see my own character.

[Raijinslayer]

@ValorAlchemist dude specs it, apparently.

[Squad 404]

@Raijinslayer Oh. I didn't see that. Oh well, nothing major.

[Raijinslayer]

Moving this in from the int. Check, thoughts on it would be neat if anyone has issues or suggestions. Still need to write out the backstory.

Jackson DuCarthy: W.I.P

Name:Jackson DuCarthy
Species: Human
Age: 17-19(still not sure at the moment)
Gender: Male
Personality: Jackson is a soul that is haunted by his past deeds, sent to the lodge in an effort to rehabilitate him as well as keep him out of the public eye. He often refuses to talk with most people, not because he doesn't wish to interact with others or is innately anti-social, but because he's simply afraid, both for his own well-being and their own. This fear causes him to often mistrust those who try to get to know them, making him come off as cold and disinterested with everything around him. However, despite his misgivings, jackson is a kind soul at heart and can never refuse a soul that is in need of help, no matter how trivial the matter maybe. He is always ready to give his all to any task that may help another person, even at the cost of his own well being, having a habit of getting in over his head from time to time.

Despite his supposed indifference, Jackson is a very observant individual, always watching those around him in order to both ascertain their intentions and read between the lines if they appear to be going through some turmoil. He just doesn't know better, and despite his lack of people skills, often trys to be the 'hero' in that he wants to help people with their problems, even when they don't ask him too. However, he's never forward or honest with these intentions or feelings, keeping his investigations either purely observational or using his powers to give him a better read on the person he's decided to help and figure out the issue that is plaguing them and the best way to face it.

Appearance: Jackson is around 5'4 and resigned to the fact that he's likely never going to get any sudden growth spurt at his age to make it so that he isn't always one of, if not the, shortest guys in the room(though he must admit that it makes it easier for him to fade into the background). His hair is cut short-ish, dark raven locks hanging just a bit past his ears, but only a bit. His attire of choice is often a black hooded sweater or jacket, a plain, dark grey t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and dark-colored sneakers.
Powers: Clairvoyance: A basic medium ability that allows one to see into the world beyond death, it's a necessary skill for any task that a medium wishes to accomplish, as it enables them to view, communicate with, and combat beings that are normally undetectable by the human senses as they flot the line between their world and our own. In short, this is the ability that allows a medium to interact with denizens of the land of the dead, from departed souls to spirits that have roamed the other land since time began and anything in between. This ability also has useful effects for the living, as it enables a medium to read a person's aura. Everyone's aura is unique to them, much like DNA or fingerprints, and can provide a skilled medium with an immense amount of information about any given individual at a glance. A skilled medium could learn someone's emotional relationships with other people(by seeing how their aura's react with each other), tell the exact state of someone's physical and mental health at any moment in time, and even read emotions to such a degree that they can predict another person's actions and intentions with a terrifying level of accuracy, along with countless other applications, the most widely known(but rarely achieved) skill being that of predicting the future of anyone on person by using their aura to peer into the weave of fate itself.

At his current level, Jackson is able to pick up on someone's general emotional state, though his connection with Ignota allows him to better read into the more negative emotions someone feels, enabling him to pin down with some accuracy some possible causes of these feelings, though things can get a little jumbled at times due to his relative inexperience. One thing that he is much better at is using one's aura to read into their physical well-being that, when mixed with his own medical knowledge, allows him to quickly diagnosis what is wrong with an individual with near unerring accuracy.

Object Reading: This ability is when a medium reads the residual aura of an individual from objects that they come into contact with, specifically those that bear some sort of importance to the individual in question. By using such an important object, a medium is able to focus their senses and synchronize their own aura with that of the person the object belonged too, allowing them to essential become that person momentarily, at least in their mind. By doing this, they're able to retrace an individuals movements up to the point where they were separated from the object, the length of which one can look back depending on the skill of the medium, the importance of the object to the person, and the length of time said item has been in that person's possession. This can also be used to pick up fragments of the individuals thoughts, as well as using it in a ritual to divine their location, though the exactitudes of it depends again on the skill of the medium and the bond the target holds with the object in question. Also, if an object holds a strong importance to or is owned by several people, then it's hard to read said object due to the intermingling of residual aura's upon it.

When it comes to Object reading, Jackson is more skilled than a child his age should be, but in the grand scheme of things, it's something he only has an average understanding of, and thus, his readings aren't entirely reliable, though he's got a decent chance of getting the general idea of things.

Astral Projection: Astral projection is the act of pushing one's aura out of their body along with their conciousness, forming a spiritual body in the land of the dead that can peer into that of the living, making it a great way to scout out an area or building without risk to the medium. It also gives them a stronger connection to the other world, increasing their ability to perceive and read aura's due to the lack of interference that is present in the world of the living, as well as being able to maintain their focus better due to the lack of human restrictions. However, this ability comes with many dangers, the foremost of which being that the user's physical is completely vulnerable and open to possession by any spirit that wishes to if they don't make a special magical circle around them first to protect it. Even with these circles, it's all to possible for a spirit to wonder by that is strong enough to simply break through the seal. As such, it's often seen as a skill that should only be used when absolutely needed, lest you open yourself and everyone around you to danger. Not only that, but the astral body itse;f isn't exactly the most sturdy of forms, and if you happened to get wounded in this form, a similar wound is likely to form upon your physical body as well, with death in this world often leading to deah in the real world as well.

This is one area where Jackson truly shows his natural talent as a medium. Astral projection is a skill most mediums aren't even to attempt until their late twenties, and yet he has not only attempted this art many times before, but his skill with it is often considered prodigical. He can slip into and out of his body with ease, able to travel up to a mile in any direction before his connection to his physical body becomes strained, and can spend about 4 hours outside of his body without any risk to his health. On top of this, he's also developed enough skill and familiarity with his astral form that he can even summon his spiritual constructs in order to defend himself from the more hostile denizens of the land of the dead. Despite his ability and love for this power, he often makes a point to use it as sparingly as possible, and never without the proper circle, as the thought of spending the rest of his days as trapped between the worlds of the dead and the living while some other being puppets his body and lives his life terrifies him.

Spiritual Energy Constructs:As essential as ritual casting for the act of driving out dark spirits and evil departed, this ability allows a medium to reach their aura across the plane that divides life and death so that they may do battle directly with the being in question. The actual shape and strength of this ability is tied to the skill, willpower, and strength of aura that a particular individual has. Some mediums are even skilled enough to borrow the aura from others if their own is deficient, though this is considered one of the Black Arts among Mediums and, while not strictly forbidden, is heavily frowned upon due to the possibility of killing the donor.

For Jackson, he's generally decent at forming constructs, mostly forming grasping objects like tendrils, chains, and hands from anywhere within 10-15 ft of him. Said constructs are better suited for restraining spirits then banishing them, allowing him to perform the proper rituals needed to more permanently remove such denizens of the other side. However, these constructs are both invisible to most non-mediums and they also can't interact with the world of the living without the help of a powerful other that has bonded with the medium.

Spirit Bond(Ignota): Many Mediums, in order to increase the scope of their abilities, create a close bond with spirits from the other side. The exact effects depend on the subject of the bonding, but the most often chosen recipient of this bond is a recently departed human being, as they are often the ones most open to a contract in order to feel what it's like to live again, but also the least likely to successfully take over the medium.

For Jackson, he bonded with an ancient spirit entity that feeds on negativity and dark emotions, a abyssal shadow that hung over all of humanity in dormant slumber until Jackson awoke it from it's rest by reaching the furthest reach of it's mind during a deep dive into the realm of the dead. The two became bonded on behalf of Ignota, who instantly clung onto this new sensation he felt all of a sudden and refused to let go. As a result, whenever Jackson calls upon Ignota, he gains a noticeable increase to his proficiency with his abilities, most strikingly being that of his constructs.

When using his constructs like this, they take on a black shadowy appearance, surrounded by a dark fog that radiates feelings of dread upon those who look upon it, which now includes those not normally able to view such phenomenon. The sheer immensity of Ignota's existence, as well as how inter-connected it is with all living beings, especially sentient ones, make it so that tendrils of it's power are able to act upon both this plane and the other one simultaneously. Jackson is also able to create better, stronger, and more versatile constructs in this way as well. The best example of this would be his ability to form a 'Shadow' which is a tall shadow humanoid that possess great strength, speed, and agility.

Strengths:Medical Student: He's been studying medicine for quite a while, so he can be a decent provider of first-aid, as well as keeping people from worsening their condition.
Ritualist: A number of rituals are needed in order to do a mediums work, and Jackson knows them all by heart. While these do have an effect on the world, they're nowhere near impressive or powerful enough to be call super powers, as they mainly serve to detain the spirit to one area or item, weaken the spirit, or banish it from the place of haunting, among other things. A supportive set of skills that require several preparations, reagents, and time to properly function, but are often necessary to ensure that a medium survives encounters with particularly dangerous denizens of the other world.
Observant: As stated before, Jackson is a highly observant individual, often taking the time to pick apart at every detail of a scene and every word in a sentence to try and peace together possible meanings from them.
Weaknesses:
Beacon: Despite how much it improves his skills, Jackson avoids invoking Ignota's powers in all but the most life-threatening of situations due to the fact that it acts like a huge signal to denizens of the other side. This draws all manner of dark spirits and evil departed to him, and while his body can't be possessed or haunted while his soul is inside it due to his connection with Ignota shielding him, those around him are not as lucky and can be used to indirectly harm him as a result.

Not a fighter: He has no abilities or skills(such as martial arts) that help him in a real world combat scenario that don't require Ignota, meaning that he's practically defenseless in super-powered confrontations and best stay out of the way other-wise.

Background:
Misc. Notes: (anything important to the character that should be known, but for whatever reason doesn't fit into any other category)

[Tergonaut]

I like variety among the party - and I'm totally on board if you want to make any minor edits to your characters even after they have been accepted, like cosmetic details, or to bring them more into line with the continuity we will be making. You can make those kinds of changes without even consulting me, especially prior to the beginning of IC proper. You'd only need to consult me on making major changes, like a change of species for your character or changing powers.

I'll still be flexible once we've begun play properly, since it's a new setting, and you might want to make changes after we start; but I want to establish some consistency once we've begun, so try to do your best before we begin to settle into what you'd like to do, power and personality wise.

@MatthiasAngel - go ahead with the modular description and you can update your character's clothing colors as you like. You might consider a two-color scheme for the coat of arms that would be representative of House Jane; otherwise, you might just use the national colors of Ridalia, which...we might just make up, since I haven't set that in stone yet.

@BlessedWrath and @Valor - go ahead and ante up, your sheets are approved. As above, feel free to make any changes you want to so you can make your characters more aligned with the setting, though that's up to you. You can always make connections later on.

@Afro Samurai - With a little modification, we can make the backstory you edited in work; I'm on board with the portal, though I think it would be better to phrase it so that the robots bring Jorvin to Cybertronics Unlimited where he can explain his story to the CEO Georgia Stahlmansche, then out of the kindness of her heart, she would extend an invitation to him to stay at the lodge for now (perhaps until he can find a way home). The lodge is a voluntary place to stay, after all; the way it's been written so far in your sheet makes it sound like he's being forced to go there against his will. So this change should make things work better, if you're up for adapting that to the character.

My question to you, is why doesn't Jorvin just teleport himself back to his Earth? For that matter, does he want to go back home to Earth? What's his motivation now that he's come to an entirely new planet far from home? I want you to figure that out and let me know what you come up with.

Also, you may consider changing his elemental focus, since we already have one lightning user in the team; it is up to you if you want to keep it that way, but it will be an advantage to have variety in the party if you run into someone who can resist lightning! However, he does seem to have a pretty wide range of abilities as it is; you could just remove the specialization in lightning and that should even that out. I'd say either specialize in an element and lose some of the breadth of powers, or lose the specialization and keep the access to multiple elements.

I like the idea of having a somewhat older character in the party to provide some wisdom and experience, and the strong emphasis on a magical background is somewhat lacking in the party, so I see the potential here for some interesting RP. Good luck continuing the work on your sheet, feel free to ask questions if you have them.

@duskshine749 - I realize you had to post this in a rush, so I'm taking into account that you'll need to work on it a bit with my comments to you.

In Samuel's personality, he is both passionate and reserved - two traits that seem a little contrary to each other. I think I get the gist of what you were aiming for, someone who has trained diligently to contain a short temper and a fiery disposition, but who is still young and loses control at times. But what makes him lose his temper, or sets him off? And what happens with his powers once he is at the point where he loses control of them? Explaining how that works a little better would be a good idea.

Also, how does his sister fit in? Relatives are a possible RP avenue later on - whether as added characters once we introduce more, or as plot points (like a villain holding them hostage, or letters from home discouraging our lodgers). I don't necessarily need you to answer this right now, but I am interested in why she has a different problem than he does and how she relates to him.

If Samuel is happy driving a bus at this time, why would he want to go to the lodge? Is he having trouble controlling his powers as he grows older and more powerful, and he's looking for a safe place to stay while he works on that? Is he looking at his life and realizing he wants something more? Work on this for me and let me know what you come up with.

I like the idea of a character who has a mythical creature in their bloodline - I'd encourage you to show tiny touches of detail in his appearance that allude to that. Good luck working on your sheet to polish it up!

...and yes, the name thing might be a problem later between Samantha and Samuel - though it could be fun for you guys to RP that awkwardness, too, if you really feel strongly about the name!

[@Rajinslayer] - Looks good so far. I like the innocent person possessed by a negative creature from beyond the stars idea - and from what I see, you're on the right track. I look forward to seeing the trimmed-up version once you have more time to hack at it!

Phew! So we have 3 slots filled up, 3 left to go - and if all present here finish their CSes and make updates soon, we might fill all three of those last slots right away. However, I will continue to consider other people who post here as well, if anyone else interested shows up; I am not setting a time limit on when people must apply, nor am I adhering to "first come, first served," so there may be a chance for those who haven't posted yet but are still interested.

Also, good work talking together about potential conflicts with names and powers. I definitely encourage more of this - if you have an idea to help someone else get their character more in tune with things, go ahead and hash it out!