《 H.E.R.O. Archives: An Abbreviated History of Superheroes 》 Greetings, prospective hero. My name is ALISA and I will be guiding you through the application process here at HERO. First, a brief lesson in our history is in order.> > > Year 1764: The Beginning < < <
300 years ago, to the date, one of the strangest scientific anomalies in history occurred. A massive meteor jettisoned towards Earth at breakneck speeds, only to dissolve as soon as the meteor entered the atmosphere. What astronomers of the time prophesized as a bringer of doom to the human species appeared to have just been a simple near-miss. Life went on for a short while, until the scientists, and people all around the world, realized that the meteor, termed the 《 X-200 Meteor 》, had left something in its wake.
The meteor, upon dissolution, had released clouds of purple dust that had caused mutations in select numbers of fauna, flora, and most importantly, humans. These genetic mutations gave this specific group- only about 5-7% of the world's population, at the time- what is called the "Hero Gene." The Hero Gene runs in families and grants all sorts of superpowers. Some people grew wings, some people could spit fire, some people could cause countries to experience earthquakes, and some people could cause yeast to rise faster. All sorts of new powers came about from this revelation, and it led to one of the greatest paradigm shifts humanity has ever seen.
> > > 1770 - 1790: Formative Years < < <
The new class of "superhumans" came to recognize the implications of their newfound abilities much faster than the world governments did. The first "villains" and "heroes" were just superpowered crooks and ragtag groups of superpowered neighborhood watchmen, essentially. Small bands of these heroes duked it out with the early iterations of supervillains, and also did battle with "Leftovers," a blanket term for the creatures that had become affected by the X-200 meteor and had adopted (often hideous) super-mutations of their own. This kind of rampant havoc was troublesome, to say the least. Representatives from the major world powers of the time held a summit to determine how to address this new problem. The 1791 Austria Convention would reshape how the world thought of this new term of “superheroes.”
> > > 1791 - 1879: Heroes Gone Global < < <
The 1791 Austria Convention laid down a method of organizing the new “superhero” groups. The world was carved into regions, where each respective area would be responsible for administering a “hero company,” a governmental division of superheroes that worked for the government and fought to preserve the peace. All the hero companies would be linked to a single entity known as ICOSA, the International Council on Superhuman Affairs, centered in Vienna, the first real transnational governing body in human history.
This original convention was, in short, a failure, or at least, it wasn’t as successful as it could’ve been. The world was rife with tensions, and as such, the powers bestowed upon ICOSA were incredibly weak, with most of the power given to the individual nations. These individual nations used their respective hero companies less to police supervillains and more as cudgels for their enemies. Because of this, heroes were rarely around to actually help fight villains and more often that not doing battle against Napoleon or helping quash rebellions or pillaging villages in the Scramble for Africa. Superheroes, at this point in time, were not viewed very well, and would continue to be viewed poorly by the general public for almost a century. This was a dark period of superheroes, and after a coordinated series of supervillain terrorist attacks in the 1870s, combined with atrocities committed in the Crimean War of Europe and American Civil War, the international community reconvened for a second conference, this time in Geneva.
> > > 1879 - 1945: Reform and Readjustment < < <
The 1879 Geneva Convention moved the meeting grounds of ICOSA a thousand kilometers west to Geneva, Switzerland, and established new rules and legislation that redefined superheroism. Superheroes were no longer to be tools of the military, and were limited in their parameters to solely be guardians, not soldiers. Hero companies were forbidden from going to war and ICOSA enacted a series of hefty guidelines that every HERO company had to follow, lest they be punished by ICOSA. ICOSA was still a mostly laissez-faire organization, giving individual companies a great deal of autonomy and freedom to run things as they so choose, but finally began to crack down on the usage of superheroes as tools of war. From this point on, the public image of superheroes began to improve dramatically. Though Switzerland’s neutral position in both world wars meant that there were no superheroes to be serving on the frontlines, the imagery of the spandex-covered superhero finally began to take hold of the public. When the world emerged from World War 2, there was one image that remained untainted by the cynicism of the world, and that was of superheroes.
> > > 1945 - 2050: The Golden Age of Superheroes < < <
The next century or so is considered the golden era of superheroes. Trust in superheroes was at an all-time high, and for the first time since the inception of hero companies, civilians began to not only feel comfortable around superheroes, but openly followed them. Powerful superheroes, handsome superheroes, cool superheroes, funny superheroes, all of them began to grow in popularity with the public, and once the snowball started rolling, the hype only increased. By the 60s and 70s, consumerism centered around superheroes began to keep pace and even exceed at some points the fan obsession with actors and musicians, and becoming a superhero with a hero company not only became a viable career path, but a very lucrative one at that. Local and international funding guaranteed that no matter where in the world you are, signing your name with a hero company promised a good salary, plenty of benefits, and a ton of clout.
In the midst of a global obsession with superheroes, one company stood out- HERO, an American HERO Company that covered the Northeast and part of the Atlantic coast. HERO was known for being highly destructive in their superheroism, but for always getting the job done in the midst of one of the most populous and villain-infested cities in the world, Castleburg, New York. HERO had some of the strongest, cunning, caring, and oftentimes oversexualized and overhyped heroes in the world, and it earned a reputation as being chaotic but exciting, a hub of hero activity that many flocked to.
> > > 2050 - Present, The Decline < < <
After a hundred years of popularity, the advent of the future caused superheroes to tumble from the top- robots.
Robots have a lot going for them- effective, obedient, cool, and much less volatile than actual humans. In the late 2040s into the coming decades, police forces from around the world began implementing robotic divisions, known creatively as e-Police or Ekops..Their incorporation and effectiveness diminished the popularity of heroes. Hero companies are still around, and are still prevalent and heavily sponsored, but they aren’t quite the same as they used to be, with much of the public feeling more comfortable around the productive and efficacious Ekop than the humans that spit fire from their mouths.
Looming in the future, though, there are distant threats to Castleburg and the world, threats that a bunch of pieces of tin can’t stop. It’ll be up to the heroes to reassert themselves once again to keep the city- and the world at large- safe, like heroes have always done at the end of the day.
> > > TL / DR < < <
After a meteor hit Earth 300 years ago, some people developed superpowers. These superhumans were grouped up into regional, acronym-based companies all managed by a global organization called ICOSA that functioned as the UN of superhumans. Eventually, after being used as tools of war for many years, ICOSA forced superheroes to be superheroes, and they went from being viewed in disdain to being idolized as celebrities and role models for the 20th century and first half of the 21st century, when the rise of electronic policing has begun the decline of superheroes as a paragon of justice.
《 The City of Castleburg 》 Let’s now shift our scope from the world at large onto the bustling futuristic metropolis of Castleburg, New York, one of the world’s three largest cities and the home of HERO. Castleburg is a bustling metropolis located in New York State. A thriving city on the cutting edge of the future, Castleburg is the home of more than 20 million people and is the center of HERO, the Heroic Egalitarian Rescue Organization, a hero company that covers much of the Atlantic Northeast of the United States, though its main branch is in Castleburg, a city that with its great population also has a great number of supervillains looking to bring the mighty city to its knees.
Castleburg is divided into 7 different boroughs. The largest borough of Castleburg is called 《 New Athens 》, the bustling central district of Castleburg that's home to much of Castleburg's largest business and commerce centers. New Athens is home to many museums, galleries, and other cultural hotspots along with the towering skyscrapers of many industries. At the center of New Athens is the Center Olive Park, a gorgeous city park featuring a zoo and more, along with the Belfast Building, one of the world's tallest buildings, and a Castleburg monument. To the north of New Athens is 《 Kingsdale 》, an upper-class city district with row after row of nice restaurants, theaters, and more. Kingsdale is an entertainment hub in the city, and it's where the action is at. Kingsdale is also home to pricey residences and posh penthouses. To the east of New Athens and Kingsdale is the 《 East Flank 》. The East Flank is still an urban area but is considered to be a much more affordable area to live compared to New Athens and Kingsdale. The East Flank is home to much of Castleburg's middle-class population and many Heroes, and though it hosts its own galleries, restaurants, et cetera, is mostly viewed as residential.
Those three boroughs make up North Castle Island, while South Castle Island is made up of two distinct boroughs. Perhaps the polar opposite of Kingsdale, 《 Brookside 》 is a much more lower-class area of Castleburg, located across the Blue River south of New Athens. An area with crime rates much higher than that of the other portions of the city and featuring a much more slum-like atmosphere, Brookside is a common location for regular street crimes. Adjacent to Brookside, 《 Watervale 》 is a small borough composed mostly of residential areas. While generally higher socio-economically than Brookside, Watervale is known for its organized crime presence, and it's believed some supervillains have set up camp here as well. Watervale is also the home to several ethnic communities, most notably Castleburg’s Chinatown neighborhood.
To the east of North Castle Island is 《 Passenger Island 》, a mostly suburban area of Castleburg. It's a sleepier area of Castleburg in general, not as much going on here most of the time. Some of the more boring heroes live here. Passenger Island stands as a relic of the old way, a living memory of the early 21st century with few moving sidewalks, bullet trains, and hovercars zooming about.
Lastly, to the east of Watervale is the newest borough of 《 Atlantica 》, an entirely artificial, man-made island. It was a pet project of a local billionaire to turn a group of abandoned oil rigs into an oceanside paradise. It stands as a sort of mini-Vegas in Castleburg, with glowing neon signs and tall oceantop casinos overshadowing the rampant crime and poverty that festers beneath its gilded surface.
《 Savior Island 》 and 《 Lighthouse Island 》 are both HERO-owned and operated islands. Savior Island holds HERO One, a towering skyscraper that once was the glorious symbol of HERO and that now serves as administrative office space. Lighthouse Island holds Academy for Junior Heroes (see more below).
To be added in the near future.
《 H.E.R.O. Affiliations 》 H.E.R.O. has been Castleburg's vanguard for hundreds of years now, a shining beacon of justice in a city that is all too often clouded with chaos. It is imperative you learn exactly what you're getting into before you join our ranks, and also, who you'll be up against.
A hero company situated in Castleburg, H.E.R.O. is notorious for causing mass amounts of damage to its home city, but the organization is well-respected as an entity for stopping villainy in its tracks. Employing many local heroes to help fight crime, H.E.R.O. is a crime-stopping arm that works closely with police to help fight criminal activity all throughout Castleburg and surrounding regions.
H.E.R.O. runs three separate locations to help facilitate activities. Its “main” HQ, named HERO One, is located just off of Castleburg Bay on an island. Once a bustling center of hero life, HERO One has since become aged and is mostly used as administrative office space. The main hub for hero activity is the aerocarrier Paladin, a high-tech airship that patrols the skys above Castleburg and has been active since the late 2040s. Paladin is accessible through traditional aircrafts and through a beaming system. Paladin is equipped with state-of-the-art quarters and citywide defense systems in case of an emergency. Lastly, HERO operates the Academy for Junior Heroes, a magnet school specifically for young superheroes. It is a public school that accepts promising young superhumans and helps to teach them how to use their superpowers effectively and safely, and is located on Lighthouse Island, far away from where the pubescent metahumans can do any damage.
H.E.R.O. is a very generous employer, and most full-time heroes are satisfied with the paychecks, plus benefits such as medical insurance. Because of that, most heroes that H.E.R.O. employs are full time, though part-time heroes do exist. That being said, H.E.R.O. holds these benefits as a motivator and regularly slashes the paychecks of those who do not comply with H.E.R.O. guidelines and cause excessive destruction.
H.E.R.O.’s 12th executive director is Alexandra Steel, a French immigrant and former superheroine known as the Black Crow. Her assistant director is Raymond Blum Jr., another former superhero known as the Man-Titan.
ICOSA, the International Council of Superhuman Affairs, is a global governing body whose primary goal is to record and research all powers and power holders, issue proper certifications to professional heroes, link and supervise hero companies, and track those that use their powers for nefarious purposes. ICOSA, itself a slow-moving body, relegates a significant amount of authority to the various companies under its jurisdiction, but it still makes sure to continuously inspect said companies to make sure they are complying with all ICOSA guidelines. H.E.R.O., having had a long history of breaking those guidelines, finds itself under constant scrutiny by ICOSA.
The President of I.C.O.S.A. is a Nigerian general named Okoye Akinsanya, a hero in the Pan-African War and a notorious hardline advocate of limited HERO involvement.
The Depths Supermax Detention Center was founded in the year 2035 after a mass breakout at the previous supermax facility for Castleburg, Coldwater. The Depths is located down a massive borehole and is considered the hardest location to escape from on the globe. The Depths’ security detail is incredibly impressive, and the farther down one goes, the more intense the security procedures become. At the base level, which is reserved for either high-level human offenders or low-level metahuman offenders, The Depths is mostly similar to any other prison, albeit one with a number of heavily-armed guards, cybernetic defense mechanisms, and no light- at the very least, inmates get a cellmate, yard time, and visitation.
At the bottom levels, though, reserved for dangerous supervillains, inmates are locked inside specially-designed cells to nullify their specific superpowers and are kept under constant scrutiny. The lowest level of The Depths is called the Omega Level, a location for villains that have committed grave crimes against humanity, and it is rumored that those imprisoned there aren’t even allowed to move, remaining locked-in-place in a semi-comatose state for the rest of their lives. These rumors are unsubstantiated, though, because no reporters are allowed to the bottom levels.
《 H.E.R.O. Formal Application 》 With that housekeeping covered, please proceed to the application and complete it to the best of your ability. Pointers For Character Creation < < <
BALANCE IS KEY! I give a lot of leeway when constructing an OC, under the assumption that everybody exercises a degree of reason when making their character. Some characters will be stronger than others, but try to balance power with weakness when making a character.
Third-person is preferred in the character sheet, though I will accept any perspective so long as it is thoughtfully done. Please delete all the turquoise text prior to submitting the character sheet in the OOC first.
You can have as many characters as you can reasonably manage, though I would suggest no more than 2-3 main characters. You can have NPC side characters as much as you want, though please do not godmod anybody else's characters or GM NPCs. If you want any sort of incorporation into the main story, please DM me and/or Canary.
The main character sheet portion and abilities section are both mandatory and can be separated or combined, up to you. If there is a relationship sheet added later, that would be entirely optional.
All faceclaims should be some form of digital art, not a real-life faceclaim, as to keep with the established theme/mood of the RP. If you have an FC that is in a gray area for whatever reason, shoot me and/or Canary a DM.
When in doubt, send me and/or Canary a DM and we'll be more than happy to clarify anything. I am pretty lenient, so any situation should be able to be worked out with a bit of communication.
Though my goal is to work everything out and try and get as many people happily participating in the RP as possible, my word is final.
[ INSERT IMAGE ABOVE ]
HERO NAME
"witty character quote here"
[ NAME ]
Your real name.
[ HERO IDENTITY ]
Repeat it one more time for the folks in the back!
[ NICKNAME/ALIAS ]
Anything you’re called outside of your name and public identity.
[ AGE ]
New heroes can be anywhere from the age of 16 upwards of 40, though the curve tends to fall towards the younger side. Younger people are generally in better shape, have a reduced fear of death, and have less to lose.
[ GENDER ]
Should be fairly self explanatory.
[ AFFILIATION ]
If your intention is enlisting as a full-time operative for HERO, that should be stated here. If, for whatever reason, you are a neutral party or, heaven forbid, a full-time villain, list that particular occupation here as well. Any “side hustles” should be considered here as well.
[ APPEARANCE ]
Describe your physical appearance, in terms of both your physique, casual clothing, and any sort of superhero suit you may want.
[ PERSONALITY TRAITS ]
The Director is not seeking a detailed compendium of every facet of our personality, but rather just a few adjectives that you would use to describe yourself.
[ BIO ]
[ The obligatory origin story. Some depth is required here, as one’s personal history does speak volumes about their character. However, some details may be left out to be discovered later, though it is critical that the Director be directly messaged about said spoiler.
| MISCELLANEOUS |
Any details you would like the Director to see.
[ RANKING ]
Return to this part after having completed the other assessment areas. See "Power Rankings" hider below for more guidance.
[ POWERS ]
A brief description of your powers. Below will be a more in-depth examination of your abilities.
For the below-listed rankings, please rank yourself using the colored and uncolored boxes on a scale of 0-10, with a 2 corresponding to what an average, non-powered human can put out, and provide a brief explanation for the reasoning of said ranking. See "Power Rankings" hider below for more guidance.
■■■■■□□□□□
[ PHYSICAL STRENGTH ] ■■■■■□□□□□
[ AGILITY ] ■■■■■□□□□□
[ INTELLIGENCE ] ■■■■■□□□□□
[ DESTRUCTIVENESS ] ■■■■■□□□□□
[ LETHALITY ] ■■■■■□□□□□
[ ENDURANCE ] ■■■■■□□□□□
[ EFFICACY ] ■■■■■□□□□□
[ SKILLS ]
Any miscellaneous skills/talents that could ever be remotely relevant should be listed here.
[ EQUIPMENT ]
Any equipment that you like to tote around with you should be listed here.
[ THE MIGHTY HITMAN ]
[ Mahz ]
[ "Who is this guy? Is he even a guy? What's goin on here?" ] [ Hitman seems to harbor a lot of suspicions about Mahz. His questionable long-term absences and circulating rumors in the RPG community makes Hitman believe that Mahz is currently involved in some sort of crazy conspiracy involving Mexican heroin cartels, landsharks, and Bill Gates. ]
[ Canaryrose ]
[ "this loser needs to finish her damn cs" ] [ Hitman firmly believes Canary is annoying and only gave her the position of Co-GM out of pity over the fact that every pet she has ever owned has run away. Hitman does find solace in the fact that he knows Canary's real name is in fact Alfreda. ]
[ Rabidporcupine ]
[ "I know I said 'feel free to dm me' but come on" ] [ Hitman wishes sincerely that Rabid would finish anything in a timely manner. He also believes that Australians are not real, and therefore, believes Rabid is either Martian, a deep-cover agent with the NSA, or a figment of his imagination, all of which are equally likely possibilities. ]
[color=YOURCOLOR][B][ NAME ][/B][/color] [color=Turquoise][INDENT]Your real name.[/INDENT][/color]
[color=YOURCOLOR][B][ HERO IDENTITY ][/B][/color] [color=Turquoise][INDENT]Repeat it one more time for the crowd![/INDENT][/color]
[color=YOURCOLOR][B][ NICKNAME/ALIAS ][/B][/color] [color=Turquoise][INDENT]Anything you’re called outside of your name and public identity. [/INDENT][/color]
[color=YOURCOLOR][B][ AGE ][/B][/color] [color=Turquoise][INDENT]New heroes can be anywhere from the age of 16 upwards of 40, though the curve tends to fall towards the younger side. Younger people are generally in better shape, have a reduced fear of death, and have less to lose.[/INDENT][/color]
[color=YOURCOLOR][B][ GENDER ][/B][/color] [color=Turquoise][INDENT]Should be fairly self explanatory.[/INDENT][/color]
[color=YOURCOLOR][B][ AFFILIATION ][/B][/color] [color=Turquoise][INDENT]If your intention is enlisting as a full-time operative for HERO, that should be stated here. If, for whatever reason, you are a neutral party or, heaven forbid, a full-time villain, list that particular occupation here as well. Any “side hustles” should be considered here as well. [/INDENT][/color]
[color=YOURCOLOR][B][ APPEARANCE ][/B][/color] [color=Turquoise][INDENT]Describe your physical appearance, in terms of both your physique, casual clothing, and any sort of superhero suit you may want. [/INDENT][/color]
[color=YOURCOLOR][B][ PERSONALITY TRAITS ][/B][/color] [color=Turquoise][INDENT]The Director is not seeking a detailed compendium of every facet of our personality, but rather just a few adjectives that you would use to describe yourself. [/INDENT][/color]
[color=YOURCOLOR][B][ BIO ][/B][/color] [color=Turquoise][INDENT][ The obligatory origin story. Some depth is required here, as one’s personal history does speak volumes about their character. However, some details may be left out to be discovered later, though it is critical that the Director be directly messaged about said spoiler. [/INDENT][/color]
[color=YOURCOLOR][b]| MISCELLANEOUS |[/b][/color] [color=Turquoise][indent]Any details you would like the Director to see.[/indent][/color] [/hider]
[hider=Abilities] [color=YOURCOLOR][B][ RANKING ][/B][/color] [color=Turquoise][INDENT]Return to this part after having completed the other assessment areas. See "Power Rankings" hider below for more guidance. [/INDENT][/color]
[color=YOURCOLOR][B][ POWERS ][/B][/color] [color=Turquoise][INDENT]A brief description of your powers. Below will be a more in-depth examination of your abilities.[/INDENT][/color]
[color=Turquoise][INDENT]For the below-listed rankings, please rank yourself using the colored and uncolored boxes on a scale of 0-10, with a 2 corresponding to what an average, non-powered human can put out, and provide a brief explanation for the reasoning of said ranking. See "Power Rankings" hider below for more guidance.[/INDENT][/color] ■■■■■□□□□□
[color=YOURCOLOR][B][ SKILLS ][/B][/color] [color=Turquoise][INDENT]Any miscellaneous skills/talents that could ever be remotely relevant should be listed here.[/INDENT][/color]
[color=YOURCOLOR][B][ EQUIPMENT ][/B][/color] [color=Turquoise][INDENT]Any equipment that you like to tote around with you should be listed here. [/INDENT][/color]
[hr ][hr ][center][color=YOUR COLOR][h1][b][ HERO NAME ][/b][/h1][/color][/center][hr ][hr ] [center] [h3][color=THEIRCOLOR][ THEIR NAME ][/color][/h3] [ [i]"hmmm yes the floor is made of floor"[/i] ] [ Insert thoughts about them here ]
[h3][color=THEIRCOLOR][ THEIR NAME ][/color][/h3] [ [i]"hmmm yes the floor is made of floor"[/i] ] [ Insert thoughts about them here ]
[h3][color=THEIRCOLOR][ THEIR NAME ][/color][/h3] [ [i]"hmmm yes the floor is made of floor"[/i] ] [ Insert thoughts about them here ] [/center]
Rinse and repeat for each character
Character Help
Now I bet you're asking yourself, "Hitman, what is a ranking?"
Wow, stranger, I'm glad you asked!
HERO uses a ranking system to, very generally, qualify heroes, as well as villains that oppose HERO. The Power Ranking system runs from S to F to rank individuals by power level, with F denoting “weaker than an average human”, while S constitutes a “consistently dangerous threat to the city and its occupants.” Note that while the power ranking is a decent general measure of strength, it is by no means an absolute power level gauge, with individuals with a lower power ranking able to trump higher-ranked individuals with cunning, techniques, and more. The Power Ranking system is just a very general measure of threat level.
The Power Ranking system has been split into 7 sub-categories that heroes are assessed on- physical strength (measuring capacity to exert and withstand pressure with one's body), agility (measuring capacity to move swiftly and avoid attacks), intelligence (measuring application of knowledge and strategical thinking), destructivenesss (measuring ability to cause property damage), lethality (measuring ability to kill humans and/or animals), stamina (measuring capacity to use powers for a prolonged period of time), efficacy (measuring level of control over one's powers and the ability to use one's powers to control others) and morality (measuring the depth of one's moral compass).
S+ ranked heroes are like unicorns- people have claimed to see them, but they likely do not exist- the power levels required would simply be monstrous.
S ranked heroes are extremely powerful and are a consistently dangerous threat to the entire city and require countermeasures in place in case they go rogue.
S- ranked heroes are similar to S ranked heroes in magnitude, but their powers generally have some type of limitation or niche that makes them easily exploitable given the right tools.
All the S ranks make up about 1% of the hero population.
A ranked heroes can do serious damage to the city on their own and can be very difficult to defeat, but are not necessarily a threat to the entire city if let loose. They still possess an impressive amount of power, enough to endanger the lives around them, but not to the scope and magnitude that the S-ranked heroes possess.
All the A-ranked heroes (A+, A, A-) make up about 10% of the hero population.
B ranked heroes can do damage to both infrastructure and human lives and have a lot of potential, but do not possess the penchant for destruction and death that the upper levels have and be managed, though B ranked heroes can put up a very good fight.
All the B-ranked heroes (B+, B, B-) make up about 25% of the hero population.
C ranked heroes have notable and significant enhancements over regular humans and can cause some level of destruction and/or multiple fatalities if given the opportunity, but have enough setbacks that make them fairly managable. They have a good deal of power, though, and should not be underestimated.
All the C-ranked heroes (C+, C, C-) make up about 50% of the hero population.
D ranked heroes have access to metahuman powers that grant some level of strength over non-powered humans. Use of said powers may be able to cause destruction, albeit at insignificant levels at that, and D ranked individuals can be easily managed.
All the D-ranked heroes (C+, C, C-) make up about 15% of the hero population.
E ranking is shorthand for an average human, and F ranking is just a regular insult. Neither are used in an official capacity by HERO or any organization.
Ranking as the name suggests, measures the potential of a given individual’s power, not necessarily an objective ranking of ability in the real world. For example, the Dust Bandit, a D-rank villain with the sole power to manipulate dust, was able to cause multiple fatalities and was able to rob multi-millions from banks across Castleburg, defeating numerous C and B-tier heroes before being taken down.
Also, heroes’ ranking. can improve or deteriorate over time. Heroes are re-evaluated on a biannual basis, though a request for an earlier re-evaluation can be submitted to H.E.R.O. for consideration. It is fairly rare to see a hero move more than a whole rank, however.
《 H.E.R.O. 2064 Updates 》 As they teach us in AI administrator school, there's always something more to be said. Here it is.
7/5/21: Relationship sheet is up! It is entirely and completely optional, but always a benefit to start at least hashing out the ties between the characters (if there are any) before they first meet. Again, only a supplement, but a good one, in my opinion. Example and raw code are above!
If, for whatever reason, you are a neutral party or, heaven forbid, a full-time villain, list that particular occupation here as well.
I take this to mean we absolutely can play as villains. Though I imagine anyone with a neutral/villanous character would be a bit more on their own (plot-vise)?
Probably gonna stalk and lurk until I decide to join or not >.>
Would love to have you onboard, just sayin' :P
Throwing my hat in.
glad to have you aboard!
Same here
:O sounds great!
Whoa, this looks pretty well put-together! I'd definitely want in if ya'd have me.
Thank you for the compliment! We'd love to have you on the crew.
Whether you guys are undecided or not it's very strongly encouraged that you join the Discord! [LINK HERE] It's the easiest and frankly best way to communicate throughout the RP, so I hope to see you there (if you aren't there yet, that is)
@Hitman@canaryroseGoing to toss in my curiosity here right before I head to work for the evening.
Are there limits for what pics can be used for the OC's? Ah, beyond the usual site rules I mean. Mostly I ask because some RPs require real life people pics and I find that kinda creepy. So I figured asking about that particular matter would be good to do at the get-go. @_@
Here's my vigilante (soon to be HERO i hope)! Let me know what you think, or if I should change or add anything.
Shadow Scythe Vengeance
"Only in total darkness can we see the smallest light of hope. Shadow Scythe Vengeance, away!"
[ NAME ]
Penelope Mai Lu
[ HERO IDENTITY ]
Shadow Scythe Vengeance
[ NICKNAME/ALIAS ]
Penny
[ AGE ]
Eighteen
[ GENDER ]
Female
[ AFFILIATION ]
Vigilante
[ APPEARANCE ]
A tomboyish asian girl with short black hair and an athletic, toned body that’s covered in scars. Usually she wears baggy black hoodies with the hood up, or gym clothes when working out.
Her outfit is a light but durable studded dark material with a skull mask and hood.
[ PERSONALITY TRAITS ]
Scythe is a protector of Castleburg through and through. She’s dark, mysterious: or rather, melodramatic. She spouts many “wise”, gritty quotes that she writes down in her bedroom at night. Easily comes off as trying to hard ti be intimidating or cool. However she genuinely wants to help, even if she can be off-putting or occasionally embarrassing to be around.
Scythe is an extrovert, never afraid to try making friends in her own weird way. Fearlessness and rebellion are also cooked into her DNA, never one to avoid being reckless or courageous. Even when the odds are stacked against her she does her best. The vigilante has an affinity for darkness, closed claustrophobic places, and locked doors. Urban exploring is one of her favorite hobbies. The vigilante also has a significant social media presence and records herself fighting crimes, and posts regularly. Be it on Vengeance.(dot)net or more mainstream sites.
Penny, the girl beneath the mask, has an overactive imagination. She’s a family person who talks to herself a lot if there’s no one around to talk too. She can also be immature and bratty which occasionally bleeds over into her superhero persona.
[ BIO ]
Penelope Lu is a first generation citizen of the US, her parents immigrants from China. Her father Bao worked at a technology firm, and her step-mother, an American expat by the name of Daisy, was stay-at-home. Or rather, she had to be. One thing unusual about Penny was her pain tolerance.
Some key part of her brain was wired incorrectly, and such Penny cannot feel pain. If she does, it’s extremely muted. As a naive little girl this had serious consequences, her underdeveloped mind casually harming her own body without realising the consequences. Burned hands, broken bones, and unattended cuts abound. Her adventures were too much for a babysitter to handle so her mother quit her secretary job to watch after her. Though Daisy managed to get a handle on her adventurous, foolish child who was incapable of learning lessons, schools had no such luck. Penny, the rebellious idiot, hardly followed the rules.
If it wasn’t stealing items like a kleptomaniac or yoinking keys to break into janitor's closets, it was sticking up for the other kids and getting into fights. It was pretty hard to beat her if you were another kid because she just never gave up. Nothing you could do would get her to back off unless you put her down hard, which was difficult because of how slippery she was.
Penny yearned for adventure and thrills, and while she takes medication to stabilize her mood and keep her still, the goings-on of mundane life could never hold her attention. Often she would get lost in fantasy lands of her own construction. In this miasma of imagination, Shadow Scythe Vengeance, the grim protector of the people, was formed. Self defence training and just her experience of being a crazy 16 year old going around “fighting crime” in Castleburg forged her skills over time. Shadow Scythe Vengeance was just some weird kid in a hoodie and balaclava with no powers evident. If she wasn’t fighting crime she was setting up community events or just helping people with chores, favors, or non-violent investigations. In this crazy world of superheroes people came to tolerate or were endeared to this gravelly voiced weirdo high schooler.
Surprising nobody, Penelope became a bit of an extremist, an anti-authority hero of the people, or so she saw herself. Overtime she built up something of a reputation, and “commandeered” some technology from her father’s place of work to create some gadgets. Or rather, get gadgets created for her. Vengeance(dot)net, Scythe’s public website, operates as a kind of vigilante social media. People can ask for help, report crimes, or give their support to Scythe. It’s mostly for people who maybe don’t trust HERO or the police as much. Scythe has even responded to criminals asking for help, but who don’t want to go to jail and get arrested by asking a superhero for help. Which Scythe has obliged since the alternative would be them going to a supervillain for help, which in her mind would only help evil consolidate power. This new way of crowd-sourced vigilantism has given Shadow Scythe Vengeance access to tools, gadgets, technology and vision she wouldn’t have otherwise. For the last three years she’s been a vigilante in her free time, going to high school and living a normal life on the side.
| MISCELLANEOUS |
Occasionally takes pills that calm her down and make her less whimsical or imaginative. Especially if she's trying to act more like Penelope and less like Shadow Scythe Vengeance.
[ RANKING ]
D
[ POWERS ]
Indomitable
Penelope isn’t aware she has this superpower. It’s a defensive, passive power. Its effects are subtle and situational. The main feature is a strong resistance to all forms of mind control and mind altering effects. Be they from superpowered sources or otherwise, Penny’s mind is a fortress against psychic effects. This strength of spirit transfers into strength of body, rendering her immune to poison. For example, she can't get drunk.
Penny is also reckless and cannot feel pain but that is a part of her mental condition, not power.
[ PHYSICAL STRENGTH ] ■■■□□□□□□□
Scythe is stronger than the average person due to training but has no super strength. 3/10
[ AGILITY ] ■■■■□□□□□□
Shadow Scythe Vengeance is very agile, having a love for freerunning and parkour, as well as being exceptionally talented at stealth. 4/10
[ INTELLIGENCE ] ■■■□□□□□□□
Scythe is decent with modern technology, especially web development. She’s also good at both tactics and strategy.
[ DESTRUCTIVENESS ] ■■□□□□□□□□
With her gadgets Scythe can destroy things, but nothing about her own abilities makes her more destructive. 2/10
[ LETHALITY ] ■■□□□□□□□□
Scythe doesn’t use lethal methods to fight crime. 2/10
[ ENDURANCE ] ■■■■■□□□□□
Penny already has great cardio, but not being able to feel pain gives her an extra point. However her body can still damage itself, even if she doesn’t feel it. It’s very easy for Scythe to push herself far too hard without realising it and then reckoning with the consequences later. 5/10
[ EFFICACY ] ■■■■■□□□□□
Her powers don’t turn off, they’re passive, but she hasn’t quite mastered how to use them yet because she doesn’t know she has them. 5/10
[ SKILLS ]
Lock picking, pickpocketing, web design, costume making, and precision throwing. Also mountain and stunt cycling.
[ EQUIPMENT ]
Shadow Scythe Vengeance doesn’t keep all of this equipment on her all times, choosing loadouts for specialized occasions or keeping weapons in locations near where she operates.
Freedom & Forgiveness: Her dual mechanical nightsticks. The ends can be electrified for extra non-lethal power. “Commandeered” weapons from her fathers security company.
Staff of Eternal Folly: With a bit of work, Freedom and Forgiveness can be disassembled and attached to each other, forming a 5 and a half foot long staff with electrified ends. It’s flexible and extendable, and hits hard.
Death Mask: A metal skull helmet and balaclava. The mask has a built-in filter and voice changer. The lenses can switch to infrared.
Vengeance Armor: The entire suit she wears is made out of a light, flexible, but comparatively durable material.
Gauntlets of Truth and Justice: The area from her knuckles to her elbow are especially protected, light armor is built in there.
The Ties That Bind Us: Bolas, two heavy metal balls attached by a cord. Throwable non-lethal weapons that can restrict and incapacitate enemies from long distances.
Horatio’s Finest Hour: Donated to her by an eccentric engineer from overseas. A versatile gun, more like a crossbow, designed to fire Bolas at even higher speed, precision, and accuracy. The name was insisted upon, and SSV is a woman of her word. It has an alternate function as a pressure cannon for firing various other projectiles.
Moonbringer Shadow Scythes: A set of four, one handed scythes, more like warpicks than anything. The sharp metal blades can be detached, leaving only the heavy metal sticks for combat or throwing. All Shadow Scythes can be attached to Utility chains. They can also be combined together to create a grappling hook.
Cycle of Violence: Her 20 speed bicycle. Painted black.
Utility Belt: What’s a vigilante without one? Also has a Utility Holster and a Utility Jacket on her outfit. Utility ropes and chains are often included.
Duffel Bag of...Doom, or Something: A duffel bag to keep stuff in.
Stench of Evil: Sourced online through Vengeance(dot)net. The formula was donated by a reformed villain from Miami. Explosive stink bombs with a vile, vomit-inducing smell.
Spheres of Obfusciation: Smoke pellets that rapidly create a wide spread, thick smoke cloud.
Handheld PC: More powerful and more useful than a smartphone. Comes with a USB for hacking. Capable of using the internet, including Vengeance(dot)net, to be untraceable. Touch screen controls for Guardian Angel.
Guardian Angel: A high power quad-coptor drone with camera, also able to pick up cargo. It’s been modified to be nearly silent.
