Premise The Premise of Heroes Reborn: Prime Earth is that you are creating a character within a world that draws heavy inspiration from the DC Universe portrayed within the comics, films and other media. In this universe and its multiverse, there may or may not be Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Diana Prince or similar canon characters, but there certainly is (or perhaps was), a Krypton. There is a Themyscira, Atlantis, Gorilla City and other memorable cornerstones of the universe. The familiar cities of Metropolis, Gotham and their ilk all exist.
In other words, whether or not the characters themselves exist in this roleplay, the powers and abilities they're known for do. There are still Green Lanterns, still Amazons. You may create a character that possesses these powers (be they canon or an OC), or may invent something entirely new and unique altogether!
But this is also a world that has suffered greatly in the past twenty years. The return of magic, the emergence of metahumans, civil wars, and a tear in the very fabric of reality have unleashed countless horrors and monstrosities upon the Earth. Some simply wish to live in the peace and safety of the remaining cities of mankind, while others continue to ravage the vast wastes they've claimed as their own. It falls to the heroes of this world to ensure that humanity and all the peace-loving sapients living alongside them can stand against the tide of darkness pressing in on them from all sides.
It is a world where you can see a proud hero flying overhead, waving to the crowds below, or see a pack of desperate imps scavenging through a dumpster in a seedy back alley. Where a barista minotaur shares a pleasant word with a speedster who popped in for a drink. And while it can be a truly dark world, it is also one where your decisions matter. Where you can affect positive and lasting change.
Evil has the world in its jaws, but you, if you have what it takes, can snatch it away.
As this is a reboot of a previous RP, there will be some returning roles. This means that certain power sets have already been claimed. This includes: Superman, Captain Marvel/Shazam, Aquaman, Batman, Green Lantern (flexible), the Question.
This game will take place throughout the entirety of the Earth (and universe, even), but you must base your character in the eastern half of North America, to facilitate better player interaction. Also, much of North America beyond that point has been reduced to a cult/monster infested wasteland, making it rather unsuitable for a home base.
Should you have any questions about the premise, do not hesitate to ask! I'm happy to explain it all in detail!
Edit: I've added a map of the world so you can start planning your characters around it!
Brown represents the Wildlands, untamed regions where civilization has broken down. Creatures of myth and legend reign here, though populations of humans that have adapted to life here may still remain.
The light purple down the middle of North America represents the Shattered Scar, a demon-filled Wildland loosely ruled by the Blackthorn Coven and their Three-Horned God, a powerful Demon God brought forth into our world through their use of Chaos Magic.
Green represents the Pacific Federation, a nation that splintered from the western states/provinces of the United States and Canada during the violence and turmoil of the early 2010s.
The rest should be obvious.
So, you want to make some magically-inclined characters, do you? That's great! Magic is something I've worked on a lot for this RP. It's one of the deeper aspects of my homebrew lore, if I do say so myself.
Firstly, there's many different traditions and disciplines that have been created to facilitate the wielding of magic, many with very distinct goals and approaches. And that's just on Earth, never mind the universe as a whole. Depending on how one draws upon the Cosmic Ley Lines (or Chaos), their spells and rituals can take on wildly different appearances. Many give unique names to their family or house traditions and disciplines, such as "Shadow Magic" and what have you.
Broadly speaking, however, magic comes in two mutually opposing forms: Magic of Order, and Magic of Chaos.
Magic of Order follows a strict set of rules. Magic A is always Magic A with Order. In many ways, it can be considered an extension of the universe that birthed it; a precise science that can be researched, tested, and predicted by those with the skill to wield it. It is channeled by drawing upon the cosmic ley lines which run through the very fabric of the universe like veins through your body, pumping Arcanum--magical energy--like blood.
At the very heart of this network is the Rock of Eternity, pumping new Arcanum into the ley lines as it extracts and refines it from the remains of the Godwave, which is contained within it.
Mages (people born with Arcanum flowing through them instead of the more common Chi) of Order often use incantations (of various languages) to help them focus when drawing from the ley lines. After gathering a sufficient amount of Arcanum, they can then manipulate and alter its properties to resemble virtually anything they desire. Fire, lightning, ice, even tangible objects. They can also use it to make pre-existing objects behave in ways they shouldn't, such as commanding a rope or bar of iron to wrap around someone like a snake. It can be used to open portals of various sizes, allowing Mages to travel to new locations, or even use them defensively and offensively, if they're clever enough. At its very highest levels, you can even alter the very fabric of reality around you.
It would be impossible to list all the uses for Order Magic, in truth. The main limiting factor is the individual wielding it. Not all Mages are born equal, and like with everything in life, some will simply have a greater potential than others. Knowledge, experience, and talent are the determining factors for how powerful a Mage will be--though the gap between the "average" Mage and those at the top is vast indeed.
Magic of Chaos, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. Unpredictable and dangerous at the best of times, it is beholden to no form of logic or reason. Attempts at understanding it through the scientific method (repeated analysis to find patterns through action/reaction, etc.) will be met with frustration at best and catastrophe at worst.
It is also addictive in the same way a drug is. Those who draw upon its otherworldly power will be changed by it the more that they channel it through themselves. Eventually, one will be twisted to the point where they can no longer even be considered human, but are rather a demon--a denizen of the Realm of Chaos. To some, this is a price worth paying, for Chaos Magic can be immensely powerful, if at times unreliable. As it corrupts the user, their ability to wield it naturally and effectively will in turn grow.
Chaos Magic does not flow through the ley lines, for it is not native to our universe. Rather, it exists within the Realm of Chaos, the mirror opposite of our own Realm of Order. Like two sides of the same coin, these two planes of reality are separated by the Veil. Chaos Magic naturally bleeds through small cracks within said Veil, with Order Magic likewise trickling back through. This exchange is necessary for the balance between the two realms to be maintained.
When one channels Chaos Magic through themselves, they're drawing upon it through these small gaps in the Veil. Irresponsible use of it can lead to that part of the Veil fracturing, with often horrific consequences. This, coupled with its corruptive and addictive aspects makes Chaos Mages highly mistrusted and even hated in many circles.
While prolonged use of Chaos Magic will change you into something closer to a denizen of that Realm, that does not necessarily mean you'll be evil. Chaos is not inherently good or bad, nor is Order. Your character's way of looking at the world may become rather...strange...but that doesn't mean their new outlook will be a malevolent one.
Basic Information ========= Superhero/villain Name: Civilian Name: Origin city/Planet: (Where your hero/villain is from) Hometown: (Where your character currently lives.) Sex: Race: Height: Weight: Age: Birth Date: -------- Costumed Appearance: Civilian Appearance: Icon: (Symbol, logo, or trademark symbolizing the persona they undertake; like Flash's lightning bolt, Batman's Bat, or Superman's emblazoned S.) Costumed Personality: Civilian Personality: Super abilities: -Skills: -Powers: -Gadgets: -Weapons: Civilian Occupation:
Biography---------
Character History/Origin:
Optional information ---------- Nemesis: Allies: Team: Other:
So like, if I were to do a dakotaverse type character, that'd be cool? Like if I made a human version of Icon that couldn't fly but had the photon/antimatter abilities though?
Interested. I'd like to straight up claim being this universe's Giovanni Zatara. Magic is my favorite thing. Phenomenal cosmic power beyond the ken of common superheroes and mortal men, even more so.
@DC The Dragon That'd be fine, yes. The RP just uses the DCU as a base, you can draw inspiration from whatever superhero or Urban Fantasy elements you like.
@Ignis Sanat Awesome! Psychokinesis definitely fits in the setting.
@Shakyamuni Making a mage, huh? This RP has a very deep lore surrounding magic, its origin, and how it works. It's not the same as in the DC comics or whatever, but I think you'll enjoy it!
@Blackstripe As long as it is still as potent and dangerous and infinitely varied in its sources and causes and effects as I came to expect from the likes of Constantine, Klation, Sargon, Necro Nick, Zatara bloodline and such, I will be overjoyed.
hello. this RP looks pretty cool! I might make some Lawful Good dork like Starfire. I've only watched the Teen Titans cartoon though, so I might change some of her powers a bit to make them a bit more unique rather than just flying around and throwing laser bombs
Sure, infodump me. If need be I can do perhaps something like LV-99; an alien infiltrator-assassin cut off from its ruling hivemind and left without a mission.
This looks interesting. I might join in and make an OC who steals powers upon killing their victim's. Sort of like Sylar but a little different. It's kind of an idea I've been wanting to see brought to life for the last few days or so.
Aside from all that, I do have one question however... it says in the tags that this is advanced. Does that mean it will be placed in the Advanced section of the forum, or does it simply mean that the level of writing is advanced?
