Lord Wraith

Commencement: A Foundation Institute RP

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_{Location: Debolt - Alberta, Canada}

Human #5.082: Bat Out of Hell

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: No Survivors

In mythology, Daedalus had been responsible for the creation of the labyrinth, a maze located beneath Crete at the behest of King Minos. In much the same way, the now infamous Daedalus had constructed the Foundation beneath the Atlantic and its constantly rearranging pods. Students disappeared into his labyrinth often, only to reappear on the same blood-stained metal table where both Tiamat and the Chernobog had been birthed.

But Tiamat and the Chernobog were far from Daedalus’ only pets. Perhaps his greatest, true testaments to his madness, but soon he’d have the means for further greatness. The shadowed figures loomed from the tree branches, reptilian-like eyes blinking towards the distant cottage while their optical implants highlighted the target’s location.

A paralytic agent dripped from the mouth of the first, a long prehensile tongue wagging nearly the length of his bent over torso. Powerful legs coiled beneath him as he stood ready to pounce. Beside the frog-like Hyperhuman, hung another who, when they flexed, produced needle-like quills, each tipped in a poison sure to render the target unconscious.

Hanging silently above the other two, a mop of ebony hair hung at the mercy of gravity as its owner swung silently in the breeze hanging from a tensile silk strand. Eight eerie red eyes stared out through the dark of dusk. Fangs salivated hungrily at the thought of the hunt. She took pleasure at the thought of feeling the girl’s neck between her jaws. Tiny paralytic hairs eagerly stood on end as a swell of revenge surged in her chest. The girl barely remembered her name, but she remembered hers.

She lowered herself to a nearby branch, Arachne’s four arms taking a hold of it, before her four legs took a hold of the trunk and allowed her to effortlessly continue defying gravity while the three twisted figures listened, watched and waited for the sun to fully set.

“She knows.” Arachne’s eyes stared directly back towards where the girl had looked between the trees. Her tongue clicked excitedly, attempting to taste the pheromones of fear. A shiver of pleasure rolled down her spine, sending her eyes rolling into the back of her head before a moan escaped between fangs and lips.

“Then ve may asss vell move.” A fourth figure added, landing beside Arachne. Large leathery wings made up the majority of his body, while pointed ears cast a long shadow towards the ground. It spoke in a hushed whisper, the powerful sonics in its lungs capable of shattering an eardrum with even the slightest elevated tone.

“Camazotz.” The quilled Dahsáni smiled at their bat-like alley.

“Dahsáni, Kek, Arachne,” Camazotz hissed in a hushed tone. “I can hear them moving inssside.”

“Then we keep them there.” Arachne smirked, all eight of her eyes lighting up with cruel mirth, “And lover,” She cooed at Camazotz, “You can drink, but no draining.”

Camazotz flashed a fanged grin, his own mouth dripping with a paralytic saliva before a flap of his wings took him into the air where he suddenly burst into a cloud of bats, scattering across the horizon.

A terrible screech howled across the night sky like an air raid siren out of hell. Kek was the next to move, as the frogman leapt to the next tree, before Dahsáni scurried for the ground while Arachne shot forth a thread towards the cabin below.

Daedalus only instructed to bring them back alive.

He never said fully intact.

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

"Even Heimdall turns a blind eye to the land between the living and the dead." Loki replied dryly, "We will be undisturbed."

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

Donna Troy or Cassie Sandsmark
Dick Grayson
Jason Blood or another magic user

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

In 1917, Colonel Steven Trevor was shot down over the Pacific Ocean, considered killed in action before his miraculous return accompanied by a woman claiming to be the princess of the Amazons. This WONDER WOMAN was the first superpowered being recorded in modern history and would go on to help turn the tide of the war, joined by fellow metahuman and gifted individuals such as the Atlantean warrior; NAMOR THE SUBMARINER, the super-speedster and the gadgeteer Dan Garrett, better known as the BLUE BEETLE. Along with Steve Trevor, this 'all-star squadron' became known as the DEFENDERS and would go on to inspire the first iteration of the JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA following the war's conclusion.

The Justice Society flourished during the following decade. While Namor returned home following the war, Wonder Woman stayed and travelled the globe in search of other individuals like herself, gathering the likes of HAWKMAN, HAWKGIRL, GREEN LANTERN and THE HUMAN TORCH. While Johnny Quick found himself a rival in the form of THE WHIZZER. Later editions still would go on to include the SANDMAN, STARMAN and WILDCAT.

Unknowingly, however, the presence of the Justice Society had unintentionally jumpstarted a super-soldier arms race. Dr. Abraham Erskine; a German biochemist and physicist who had spent much of his early life studying the human species had devised a way to create a 'Super Soldier Serum' but ultimately his research was misused resulting in the creation of the RED SKULL. Fleeing to America, Dr. Erskine came into custody and protection of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, or the S.S.R. who put the good doctor for 'Project Rebirth' which ultimately brought the world the paragon known as CAPTAIN AMERICA.

Following the Second World War, faith in heroes had become jaded, with many seeing them as government weapons. This was further solidified when the Justice Society was forcibly disbanded when the S.S.R. approached the heroes with an ultimatum; become government-sanctioned and registered heroes or be forcibly retired. One by one, the heroes disappeared back into the shadows, though some resisted and were publicly unmasked and jailed for trumped-up crimes. By the 1960s, masked heroes were considered a thing of the past, but gifted individuals were still rising.

Dubbed, the 'Children of the Atom', mutants were rapidly becoming more common among youth leading to Charles Xavier and his confidant, Erik Lehnsherr to found the XAVIER INSTITUTE FOR GIFTED YOUNGSTERS. The creation of this school would go on to give birth to the X-MEN while Erik would later turn his back on Charles, taking the name MAGNETO and forming his own BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS as the mutant scare continued to rise.

With this threat at home, the former S.S.R. was transformed into the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, or simply S.H.I.E.L.D. under the leadership of NICK FURY. Founded in the wake of the Allied victory over the Axis powers and HYDRA during the Second World War, S.H.I.E.L.D. is an American extra-governmental counter-terrorism and intelligence agency tasked with maintaining both national and global security. The division was organized to protect the United States from all possible threats including tracking not only the rising mutant threat but any form of metahuman that arose. Though even under the watchful eye of S.H.I.E.L.D. the world wasn't ready for the devastating meteor shower that nearly wiped out a portion of Kansas during the fall of 1989.

Hidden amongst this meteor shower was a small intergalactic spacecraft carrying the infant Kryptonian; Kal-El, who would be discovered by Jonathan and Martha Kent. The Kents raised the young boy as their own, but the world was forever changed the day the young Clark Kent revealed himself as SUPERMAN. Superman's appearance began a new age of heroes, while the red and blue blur reigned above the city of Metropolis, New York found itself a menace in the form of SPIDER-MAN while Gotham's corruption was preyed on by the BATMAN.

The modern history of heroes is unknown to most people. Still, those within S.H.I.E.L.D. and A.R.G.U.S. are well aware of just how long ago beings of extraordinary power decided to join the modern world.

Justice Society formed after World War I, was forcibly disbanded

-WWI
-The Defenders? (Wonder Woman, Namor, Johnny Quick, Blue Beetle (Dan Garrett))
-WWII
-Justice Society founded in the wake of World War II
-The SSR offers the JSA an ultimatum of join, and become government superheroes or forcible retire, resistance meant unmasking and/or jail time.

Justice League formed when a hostile Atlantis surfaced. Shortly after Atlantis was revealed, Wakanda introduced themselves to the world.

When an alien threat caught the Justice League by surprised and lured them off planet, an invasion threat forced the hand of SHIELD to activate the Avengers Initiative. An act originally planned as a counter measure to the Justice League.

Justice League members include Batman, Superman, TBD,

Avengers includes Diana Prince, co-founder alongside Colonel Nick Fury, Iron Man and originally Thor and Captain America before both deflected to the Justice League.

Thor was originally SHIELD's answer to Superman.

Justice League:
Superman
Batman
Ant-Man
Wasp
Hulk
The Flash

Later Members:
Aquaman
Captain America
Black Panther
Thor
Green Arrow
Black Canary

Avengers:
Captain America
Wonder Woman
Thor
Iron Man
Green Lantern
Black Widow

Later Members:
Aquaman
Hawkeye
Namor

Scion, a new coven of powerful and scorned wielders of the arcane and mystic. It is by Scion's hand that the world's leading heroes have vanished.

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

Characters Off the Table:

Batman - Bruce Wayne
Superman - Clark Kent/Kal-El
Captain America - Steven Rogers
Wonder Woman - Diana Prince
Iron Man - Tony Stark
Thor - Thor Odinson
Hawkeye - Clint Barton
Aquaman - Arthur Curry/Orin
Spider-Man - Peter Parker
Cyclops - Scott Summers
Iceman - Bobby Drake
Beast - Hank McCoy
Professor X - Charles Xavier
Marvel Girl - Jean Grey
Angel - Warren Worthington III
Green Arrow - Oliver Queen
Black Canary - Dinah Drake
Hulk - Bruce Banner
The Flash - Barry Allen
Daredevil - Matt Murdock
Green Lantern - Hal Jordan
Ant-Man - Hank Pym
Wasp - Janet Van Dyne
Namor - Namor the Submariner
Reed Richards - Mr. Fantastic
Sue Storm - Invisible Woman
Johnny Storm - Human Torch
Ben Grimm - The Thing
Stephen Strange - Dr. Strange
Kent Nelson - Dr. Fate
T'Challa - Black Panther

All other 'parent' characters will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

^{◼ G M (s): Lord Wraith ◼ C O N S U L T I N G G M (s): None ◼ G E N R E: Fandom ◼ T Y P E: Guided Sandbox}

^{"To me, writing is fun. It doesn’t matter what you’re writing, as long as you can tell a story."
S T A N L E E ( 1 9 2 2 - 2 0 1 8 )}

I N T R O D U C T I O N:
I N T R O D U C T I O N:

HEROES.

The world loves a hero. They give hope to the hopeless and inspire us to look beyond ourselves. Modern myths and epitomes of epic proportions, the likes of the Avengers and the Justice League have protected the world for several decades. While legends have persisted since the dawn of time through oral traditions, hieroglyphics and storytelling, the so-called bronze age of heroes began at the height of the First World War when Colonel Steven Trevor was rescued by the Amazonian Warrior then dubbed 'Wonder Woman'. The silver age was ushered in by the Super Soldier Arms race that bore forth Captain America who was soon joined by others during the Second World War.

But the Golden Age of Heroes began when he arrived to Earth.

The world was irreversibly changed when it learned that a man could fly. Lois Lane's interview with the 'Superman' shattered any remaining doubt about the legitimacy of these so-called 'superhumans' and soon numerous others began to follow in the Man of Steel's wake. Alien invasions were repelled, megalomaniacs thwarted, teams of legends founded and soon the Justice League and the Avengers were household names.

Until one day, they vanished.

About a week ago, the world was briefly engulfed by a green glow, the source? No one is sure, and no one has taken credit but after that things began to change seemingly overnight. Mysteriously and without a trace, individuals such as the Batman of Gotham and the patriotic Captain America were suddenly no longer found. Calls for Superman went unanswered and burglars were free to carry on unhindered by notes from Queens' friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. Heroes of note from across the globe were found to be missing in action and the trail was cold.

Then people seemingly began to forget, they were unbothered by the missing heroes, some of the greatest names to ever be known and they were gone, forgotten by the world at large. Their foes and rogues on the other hand were in rampant in number and now without a major adversary leading to a worldwide record crimewave. Seemingly unopposed they took advantage of the massive power vacuum.

But heroes inspire us, and so even in their absence, the world was not defenceless. In preparation for a day such as this, the heroes had taken others under their wings, trained them in their arts and inspired ones who could not forget and will not. Ones who carry on their mentors' memory and will stop at nothing to find out what happened to them.

This is a story of legacy, of those who were taken under the wings of their mentors and trained to carry on the cape and cowl.

This is ABSOLUTE COMICS: SCION.

S U M M A R Y:
S U M M A R Y:

In 1917, Colonel Steven Trevor was shot down over the Pacific Ocean, considered killed in action before his miraculous return accompanied by a woman claiming to be the princess of the Amazons. This WONDER WOMAN was the first superpowered being recorded in modern history and would go on to help turn the tide of the war, joined by fellow metahuman and gifted individuals such as the Atlantean warrior; NAMOR THE SUBMARINER, the super-speedster and the gadgeteer Dan Garrett, better known as the BLUE BEETLE. Along with Steve Trevor, this 'all-star squadron' became known as the DEFENDERS and would go on to inspire the first iteration of the JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA following the war's conclusion.

The Justice Society flourished during the following decade. While Namor returned home following the war, Wonder Woman stayed and travelled the globe in search of other individuals like herself, gathering the likes of HAWKMAN, HAWKGIRL, GREEN LANTERN and THE HUMAN TORCH. While Johnny Quick found himself a rival in the form of THE WHIZZER. Later editions still would go on to include the SANDMAN, STARMAN and WILDCAT.

Unknowingly, however, the presence of the Justice Society had unintentionally jumpstarted a super-soldier arms race. Dr. Abraham Erskine; a German biochemist and physicist who had spent much of his early life studying the human species had devised a way to create a 'Super Soldier Serum' but ultimately his research was misused resulting in the creation of the RED SKULL. Fleeing to America, Dr. Erskine came into custody and protection of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, or the S.S.R. who put the good doctor for 'Project Rebirth' which ultimately brought the world the paragon known as CAPTAIN AMERICA.

Following the Second World War, faith in heroes had become jaded, with many seeing them as government weapons. This was further solidified when the Justice Society was forcibly disbanded when the S.S.R. approached the heroes with an ultimatum; become government-sanctioned and registered heroes or be forcibly retired. One by one, the heroes disappeared back into the shadows, though some resisted and were publicly unmasked and jailed for trumped-up crimes. By the 1960s, masked heroes were considered a thing of the past, but gifted individuals were still rising.

Dubbed, the 'Children of the Atom', mutants were rapidly becoming more common among youth leading to Charles Xavier and his confidant, Erik Lehnsherr to found the XAVIER INSTITUTE FOR GIFTED YOUNGSTERS. The creation of this school would go on to give birth to the X-MEN while Erik would later turn his back on Charles, taking the name MAGNETO and forming his own BROTHERHOOD OF MUTANTS as the mutant scare continued to rise.

With this threat at home, the former S.S.R. was transformed into the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, or simply S.H.I.E.L.D. under the leadership of NICK FURY. Founded in the wake of the Allied victory over the Axis powers and HYDRA during the Second World War, S.H.I.E.L.D. is an American extra-governmental counter-terrorism and intelligence agency tasked with maintaining both national and global security. The division was organized to protect the United States from all possible threats including tracking not only the rising mutant threat but any form of metahuman that arose. Though even under the watchful eye of S.H.I.E.L.D. the world wasn't ready for the devastating meteor shower that nearly wiped out a portion of Kansas during the fall of 1989.

Hidden amongst this meteor shower was a small intergalactic spacecraft carrying the infant Kryptonian; Kal-El, who would be discovered by Jonathan and Martha Kent. The Kents raised the young boy as their own, but the world was forever changed the day the young Clark Kent revealed himself as SUPERMAN. Superman's appearance began a new age of heroes, while the red and blue blur reigned above the city of Metropolis, New York found itself a menace in the form of SPIDER-MAN while Gotham's corruption was preyed on by the BATMAN.

P R E M I S E:
P R E M I S E:

Absolute Comics: Scion is a guided sandbox style of roleplay in which players take on the role of a legacy comic book character to tell smaller-scale stories against the GM's large-scale narrative. The greater story, laid out below in the 'Summary', will be told through regular GM updates which push the narrative and lead into both season-wide plot threads and smaller wide-spread arcs. The goal of the GM plotlines is to encourage interaction between players and to allow the opportunities for players to play reactively opposed to always driving their own plotlines. However, players are heavily encouraged to also further their own stories and deal with the repercussions and loss of the circumstances the plot has found them in.

Sensation & Wonder is a collaborative linear sandbox roleplay that uses the ideas presented in Marvel and DC Comics' various media to create new and exciting stories using familiar elements and characters. To those of you asking exactly what a collaborative linear sandbox is, I define this style of game as a compilation of linear stories written by multiple groups of people that interact and mesh to great one persistent game within the same sandbox. If that's as clear as mud for you, let me try to clean it up.

Players will apply to the game using one of the provided character skeletons. Using these skeletons they'll choose a character and indicate whether they wish to be a 'Driving', 'Roaming' or 'Supporting' character. Driving characters are assertive players who wish to create plots and story arcs that no only they can write out, but also invite others to collaborate on and complete with. Roaming characters are for players who want to mingle with the greater game and write both solo and with as many other players as possible. Lastly, Supporting characters are for players who want to lock in on a specific plot being direct by someone else and write alongside them.

In-game history is decided on a first-come, first-serve basis. However, it should not be designed in a manner that locks out another player from taking on a favourite role. To give an example, if a player applies as Dick Grayson before an application has been received for Bruce Wayne, then the player applying as Grayson can decide to portray Dick as Robin, Nightwing or even Batman. No matter which of these roles the Grayson player chooses, it has an effect on a future Bruce Wayne player.

Due to the inclusive nature of the roleplay, a Bruce Wayne player would have to craft their CS to reflect a Bruce who allows for opportunities for a Grayson player or other notable members of the Bat-family. For instance, if the Grayson player chooses to be Nightwing, then the Bruce Wayne player will need to portray an older Batman. Even if a ‘Dick-Bats’ could block a player from playing Bruce Wayne as Batman, it shouldn’t necessarily block Bruce Wayne as a character. If so desired by both parties, a Batman Inc.-like scenario could even be worked out. It should also be noted that villains are just as viable of characters and applying for Captain America does not mean another player can't join as Red Skull.

It is important to remember that interaction, much like any role-play, is the bread and butter of the game. To that end, players are encouraged to work together to create a mutually desired outcome for all those involved. Classic teams ups such as Batman and Robin or Wolverine and Hawkeye are always welcome but don't forget, this is a One Universe Rp where the Devil of Hell's Kitchen can work alongside Gotham's Dark Knight.

S O U R C E M A T E R I A L:
S O U R C E M A T E R I A L:

As previously mentioned this roleplay allows players to draw upon characters from not only just the DC and Marvel Universes, but also other characters may be considered on a case-by-case basis if they fit the tone and feel of the game. Priority, however, will be given to characters who originate from within either DC or Marvel Comics and their subsidiaries.

Your character concept can be based on any iteration of the character. In terms of career, try to keep the greater goal of the game in mind, and characters with legacies ideally should be further along in their careers to allow for inclusivity of other players. That said, please don't let this lead you to believe origin stories have no place here. Origins can be told conventionally, with the assistance of other players or through flashbacks and other framing devices.

In regards to what any iteration of the character means for you as a player, is that this world's Spider-Man could currently be Miles Morales, Iron Man could be replaced by Iron Heart, Batman could be Terry McGinnis. This also means that some heroes might just be starting out, perhaps the Teen Titans were just formed? Maybe Scott Summers just found out he was a mutant? The changes and possibilities are near endless but are sure to create a unique world for us to tell our own takes on these 'modern myths'.

G A M E P L A Y:
G A M E P L A Y:

TBD

In the past, games have largely relied on the concept of parent characters however it has never fully thrived on this concept. While certain characters will be given priority to related supporting NPCs, players will be limited in order to leave room on the board for others.

For example, a Batman player may be limited to laying claim to Alfred, Jim Gordon and Dick Grayson. Outside of this, if someone else wanted to apply as Barbara Gordon, they would be free to do so on the condition their concept doesn't force a change from the original Batman player.

If desiring a supporting NPC from outside your character's 'franchise', players will be limited to one such named character with the stipulation of revisiting their claim pending player involvement and IC advancement.

Taking a page from UOU: Emergence, villains are, in addition to being playable, available at a first come first serve basis provided they are not an arch nemesis. Though if a player opts to forfeit their arch nemesis, they too become available.

The IC will be divided into Zones, will players upon applying specifying which Zone is their starting Zone. Each Zone will have its own unique plots and arcs, with some overarching plots bleeding into other Zones, if not all of them to bring those participating together in a 'Crisis' to solve.

Zones are intended to be loosely defined geographic regions. Initially envisioned to be a East Coast, West Coast and the Rest of the World situation, this may change pending player character placement.

Within each Zone, in addition to player driven activities, will be Crimes, Conspiracies and Crises. These are GM governed events of various lengths designed to direction and enforce interaction and collaboration between players.

Crimes - Short arcs, straightforward, easy to solve
Conspiracies - Longer, mystery-driven arcs, may lead to other crimes or Crises.
Crisis - Medium-length, highly collaborative events that are game-changing.

Priority
LOW:
MEDIUM:
HIGH:

As these games tend to draw recurring members of the community, we'll be enforcing a new rule that if you had previously participated in either Ultimate One Universe: Emergence or its predecessor, Absolute Comics Presents - What If?, you cannot reapply as any character you previously played. Should a week elapse after the RP starts and that character remains unclaimed, you will be able to apply for the desired character at that time.

This is in addition to a week's delay in the original application process to ensure that all interested parties have a fair shot at 'A-List' Characters.

No Team Applications

Commencement: A Foundation Institute RP

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: Ünterland}

Human #5.072: Sister Golden Hair

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: Freezing

^{| Several Weeks From Now}

“There will be more if we linger.”

Silence hung over the forest for but a moment as Lorcán tried to calm his racing mind. His heart pounded against his ribs like a thundering bass note. So much had happened in such a short time. They had travelled through the portal, the cut in reality Ellara had made with a knife she referred to as a fragment of Samael’s Scythe.

They had definitely been words that left her mouth, but they were words that bore no meaning to the island-raised young man.

Through the portal they had been drawn into Limbo, a place Lorcán understood to be a prison, a plane between life and death used for torment and suffering. Limbo had threatened to pull him apart, only to spit him out in this cursed place.

Ünterland.

It didn’t seem to take long for everything to go astray as they were immediately separated from Gil. Then the group was attacked before they could reach the village. The village whose tantalizing aromas bore a constant reminder that Lorcán hadn’t eaten since arriving. And now, he was staring at a ball of light that was introduced as his sibling.

His Guardian Sister?

So many questions clouded his mind as he studied the ball of light that radiated the same hues as his own eyes did, or at least as they did on Earth, or wherever home was. Here he was weakened, it was cold and everything felt heavier.

Was this what it meant to be normal?

“They’re getting closer with every second we hesitate, their stench taints the wind.”

Rothschild interrupted Lorcán’s thoughts as he continued to stare at the talking dog and the orb of light. Somehow, it was less surreal when Rothschild was simply the ‘Hyperdog’ on campus. The underbrush quivered and shook when suddenly another horror burst free. A growl escaped from Rothschild’s snapping jaws as the creature suddenly shed its guise. Curling tendrils of shadow spewed towards the ground as wraith-like claws met the attacker with no resistance as it cleaved through flesh, muscle and bone with no effort.

A retaliation from the wendigo passed harmlessly through the phantom form as the shadowy familiar savoured the lesser Hellion’s struggle. Flames of indigo and violet spilled out of both its eyes and mouth eliciting an unnerving cry of anguish from the creature as it vanished into nothing but fleeting ash, carried away on the familiar winds of Ünterland.

“Come, Moonchild,” Rothschild stated, transforming back into the familiar black and white dog that Lorcán thought he knew.

“What are you?”

“I am Ciar of the Stygian Veil, though you may continue to refer to me as Rothschild, others here refer to me as Kieran Cahorsbrut, a name I respect in reverence of my former master.” Ciar answered before raising his snout to point towards the orb of light hovering around Lorcán.

“This is your sister, Bridget, she remembers you well.”

“Little brother,” Bridget teased, her urgent tone softening as she tried to empathize with her brother’s confusion. “Look how grown you are. Almost a man”

“I don’t have a sister.” Lorcán argued softly, reaching towards his weapons as he tried to put several paces between himself, Ciar and Bridget.

“Not a living one.” Ciar replied softly as Bridget glowed in agreement.

“We shared the womb, but the Mundane world was not for me, before I could draw my first breath of look upon our mother I found myself here.” The orb of light suddenly grew, projecting itself into a humanoid shape as Lorcán found himself looking into a set of familiar eyes. He could see his mother’s eyes looking back at him, backed with his father’s fierceness. Long hair spilled down past her shoulders, ending above the waist while she stood only an inch shorter than Lorcán himself. Their nose was the same, though Bridget had her mother’s mouth where Lorcán’s was firmly from Aiden. Ears were the same too.

The twins studied each other, the urgency of the moment lost in the awe as their hands met, palm against palm. For the first time since he stepped foot in Ünterland, Lorcán felt a familiar warmth pulse through his body. Suddenly the world around him felt alive, reaching out through Bridget, Lorcán felt…

Something.

A force, not unlike the Hazies above, but far more raw, far more powerful. Pure, undiluted.

“You can feel the Vis.” Bridget replied with awe as Lorcán opened his eyes to look at his sister again. She pulled her hand back and just as suddenly as he felt the world come alive, it was ripped away and it was like drowning underwater again. Senses deadened, unable to reach out, struggling and sinking.

“I shouldn’t have let you do that, they’ll kill you for that.” Bridget muttered, retreating back into the form of an orb of light. The sky above Lorcán suddenly illuminated like a beacon calling forth and Bridget fled into the forest.

“We have to move.” Ciar urged, “The Vǣrloga will be hunting us now.”

“Nobody is making any sense.” Lorcán called, giving chase after the pair. He looked back over his shoulder, towards the direction he had come from. It worried him that no one had come looking for him during all this time.

Hopefully Aurora was safe with Ellara.

Commencement: A Foundation Institute RP

The Path is narrow and difficult for only few will ever walk it. Enemies lie in wait on all sides, hellions and Magni alike, lurking to down the Sparrows as Samael’s soldiers continue their war, working in the dark to bring forth the light. The Path is the name given to the mission bore by the Jäger, the Hexensbane, and it is their sworn purpose to protect Midyeden from the threats of the Deceiver and his Hellions of Ünterland.

Hellions enter Midyeden through Conjunctions, an event when Ünterland and Midyeden, the Mundane, are briefly connected, bypassing the prison dimension known as Limbo. Limbo, or Purgatory, exists not as a plane between life and death but rather as a bridge between the worlds of the Mundane and Ünterland. A hostile plane, host to lost souls and the Hellions that feed upon them, Limbo is known as the realm of the damned. Originally a plane of traversal between realms, Limbo was transformed into a prison during the war between the Jäger and the Hexenbrut.

Due to the meddling of the Hexensbane, Limbo exists as a barrier, not only to keep Hellions and the Magni native to Ünterland from crossing over but also to keep the Mundane from entering. As such, it exists as an aid to Samael’s definition of the natural order, an attempt to maintain a balance between the Mundane and Ünterland. When a Magni crosses over from Ünterland to the world of the Mundane, Limbo often attempts to strip them of their extra seele or soul.

Despite acting as a prison for all manner of Hellions, Limbo is not impenetrable and at times Limbo opens, allowing passage where Hellions can escape to either realm. Other times Limbo causes the two realms to overlap and merge, creating a Conjunction which allows for travel and a temporary merger of the two planes.

The living can not remain in Limbo for an extended period, and those that do find their bodies rapidly aging before turning to decay. For this reason, it is understood that Limbo exists outside the normal passage of time making it particularly useful to Jäger who are walking the Path. With experience, one can use Limbo to cross the world in an instant or even defy the natural flow of time.

Sworn to walk the Path, the Jäger live disconnected and nomadic lives often free of attachments and entanglements. While imbued with numerous gifts from Samael, scattered and isolated, they were a target. Thus, the Venari Council was born, truthseekers with power and influence who could offer protection and aid to the Jäger. Men and women of influence who could have charges dismissed and offer housing, food and even comfort to the weary, road-worn souls.

Further still, Samael offered help in the form of his Chosen, virgin maidens elected for their untainted blood to be used to further infuse power and protection upon his Sparrows. Jäger are marked by Samael's Chosen. Their virgin blood inscribed on the Sparrows’ skin in the form of a protection rune through ritual skin stitching that imparts upon the Sparrow safe passage through Limbo.

The problem with power and authority is that it needlessly corrupts and so too it was that the Venari Council slowly began to distance itself from the Path and instead employ the Jäger to protect their fleeting power.

When the Jäger wouldn’t comply, they too were hunted to near extinction. An Inquisition was led and they were seen as no more than witches of another flavour. Like those they had banished, the Jäger were forced to take refuge in Ünterland.

Displeased with the actions of the Council, Samael returned from the void and ventured to Midyeden, the Angel of Death lashing out and so the Venari Council was decimated, free to rebuild as Jäger who had evaded capture ascended to the seats that had once been held over them.

There once was a woman who lived a life so strange it had to be true.
^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: Seattle, WA - United States of America}

Human #5.068: The Hunter

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: Unnatural Selection

^{| Several Years Ago}

The motorcycle weaved in and out of traffic as Ellara’s hair blew loosely in the wind. Revving the engine beneath her, the bike protested ever so slightly before launching forward, the front tire lifting up from the ground before roughly slamming back down just in time for Ellara to guide the agile vehicle around the rear bumper of a large sedan.

Her head was a mess, images of a different time, a different person’s memories flashed across her mind as her thoughts returned to the murder by her workplace. Why was this hanging over her, why should she care about a random murder in the street? Ellara knew deep down that it was likely only because it was so close to her place of work, but part of her couldn’t help but feel there was something more. Some sort of unspoken connection, and she couldn’t be the only one who thought so either.

The people in the bar, what had they asked her? Something in another language, they had accused her of being something, something that had triggered a memory.

You’re a Jäger.

The words echoed around in Ellara’s head as she bit down on her lip, revving the engine of the bike hard, a steady whine echoing over the street as she rode the middle line. What did it mean, why did that word keep repeating itself. A woman’s face appeared before her, suddenly twisting as the skin turned a pale green, the eyes disappearing into her empty sockets as a voice like wind rattling dry bones echoed through Ellara’s skill.

Jäger

The apparition’s voice haunted Ellara as she merged into a new lane, coming around the left side of the the lined up traffic ahead of her. The bike fought against the road below as Ellara moved over the rumble strip before gripping into the shoulder as Ellara’s own mind tossed around the foreign word.

Jäger

Her mother’s voice echoed her own as the word began to take on a certain familiarity. Echoes of her parents talking, her Aunt and even her Uncle’s voice began to float through Ellara’s head as tears welled up in the corners of her eyes, the sudden sadness invoking first feelings of regret, then pain, and finally anger. Maxing out the throttle, Ellara jumped back into the lane as she guided the motorcycle onto the next exit ramp. Lost in her thoughts, Ellara failed to notice the whine of another motorcycle behind her as the woman from the bar filled her head again.

German for hunter, but a special type.

The woman had been cryptic and intentionally so. The primary question had to ask was why? Secrecy had plagued her entire life, her father had refused to reveal the cause of her mother’s death, his reasons for leaving Ellara in the care of her Aunt. Her Aunt had refused to comment on the matter as well and Ellara’s Uncle had pulled away from her after her Aunt, like her mother, died under mysterious circumstances.

Only we can see the darkness in people, the monsters that hide within.

Ellara couldn’t help but find it maddening as the memories came and went, abstract phrases and words lacking context taunted her like riddles that were never meant to be solved. Pulling under the bridge, Ellara guided her bike towards the tier, the glint of a headlight in her rearview mirror finally catching her eye as she was ripped from the past and placed back firmly in the present as the other rider began to gain on her.

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

What if... Clark Kent had a sibling?

Friends with Lex, who initially helps Clark move to Metropolis
Brother named Ryan
Lex is actually well intentioned
Clark and Ryan are actually the same age, the Kents having found the infant Clark only weeks before the delivery of their own child.
Ryan lived most of his life in his extraordinary brother's shadow.
When Clark was younger and sickly, Ryan watched out for him.
Ryan and Clark both competed for the affections of Lana Lang

"Why didn't you save him, Clark?" Ryan's face was stained with tears, his suit still wet from the rain as he stood over his adopted brother, the downpour beating against the roof of the Kent's farmhouse before spilling over the eavestrough splattering against the edge of the wrap around porch.

"You're so burdened with these powers, but the one man, the one man you should have saved, the one who means more to us than anyone else, you let him die." Ryan sighed, "You're faster than a speeding bullet, you could have gotten Dad to the hospital in time, you could have saved him."