nitemare shape

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

@Noco: Looks good to me, unless @nitemare shape has anything to say about it.

@Dedonus

Looks good to me

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

I'll be getting something up soon. This weekend is going to be absolute hell for me...so it might not be until after.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

Icon post is up.

No need for anyone to jump in, I'm just doing a little solo arc to get things started for him for the season.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

Scott Hunter sat on the plush white sofa that sat in the center of Alexa’s living room. On the coffee table before him was the day’s issue of the Lost Haven Daily Globe. He was focused on an article covering the recent murder of the Esper Family, a family of superheroes who had come to prominence in the 1980’s. As a child, Scott had enjoyed the tales of Mr. and Miss Esper as told on their Saturday Morning Cartoon show. He even had their lunchbox and collected their action figures. In fact, when he was a small child, he even had a pair of the Mr. Esper footie Pajamas, and he’d pretend that he was a superhero defending the Earth from the sinister Doctor Fritz.

“….are you listening to me?” Alexa’s voice broke through the haze that had engulfed Scott’s mind as he read the gory details surrounding the death of an entire super family.

“Huh? Yeah…” Scott said noncommittally as he continued scanning the article.

“Scott, this is serious.” Alexa protested. Scott didn’t have to look to see her pout, he could feel it.

“Yeah, I know. You want to doll me up and parade me around when your parents get here. No problem.” Scott said half jokingly as he put the paper down.

“Precisely.” Alexa joked as she sat down next to Scott, placing her cup of coffee on the table next to his.

“Not that it really matters, your dad hates me.”

“Oh he does not…he’s just not sure that you can take care of me.” Alexa said, doing her best to reassure him. The truth was that her father, Jonathan Winstone, the CEO of Winstone International, and by extension, her boss, did not approve of her relationship with Scott. He believed that Scott, a small business owner, although successful in his own right, was beneath his daughter. He had told both his wife, and even Alexa that Scott was just after the family fortune and that she could do better.

“No, he hates me.” Scott said flatly.

“Yeah, he kinda hates you.” Alexa said with a laugh as she moved in for a quick kiss. “So, what’s so interesting that you were completely ignoring me?” Alexa said motioning toward the newspaper.

“Oh, just this article about the Espers.” Scott told her.

“Who?” Alexa asked.

“The Espers. They were like the first family of superheroes. I was a big fan when I was little.”

“Oh, so what happened to them?”
“Someone murdered them. Mr. and Miss Esper, and their kids.” Scott explained.

“Oh, that’s terrible. Do they--?” Alexa’s question was interrupted by the sound fire engines racing through Sherman Square with their sirens blaring. “Huh, I wonder what’s going on.”

“No Clue.” Scott said as he turned on the television and flipped it to the morning news program. The young newswoman stared deadpan into the camera as she reported on the biggest news story of the morning. A multi alarm fire had broken out in an apartment building in Little Ulster, and fire crews were struggling to battle the blaze, and had not been able to get everyone out.

“I should go.” Scott said as he made his way to the bedroom to get his uniform.

“Do you need me to go?” Alexa asked as she followed him.

“No, I think I can handle it.” He told her as he changed into his uniform in a blink of an eye. “I’ll be back in a flash.” He said as he kissed her on the cheek before bolting out of the window.

Moments later…

The scene of the fire at the Down East Gardens apartment building was a chaotic one. Fire fighters raced around frantically as they scrambled to extinguish the blaze. The police had formed a parameter around the building in an attempt to keep the ever growing crowd of bystanders from interfering with the fire fighting efforts. Icon touched down among the rows of fire trucks on the north side of the building, just behind a group of firemen who were going over the game plan for tackling the growing inferno. Captain Peter Williams stood with one of his men as he was getting reports from all fronts of the blaze. The middle aged fire captain wore an expression of despair as he shouted instructions.

“What can I do to help, Captain?” Icon asked as he approached the man from behind.

“Huh?!” The fireman said, looking as if he was about to rip the head off of one of his subordinates who hadn’t been paying attention.

“Oh, it’s you…thank God.” Captain Williams said as he turned to face Icon. “We’ve got it mostly contained here, so hopefully we don’t have to worry about it spreading from this building. But there’s a family trapped on the sixth floor. We’ve been trying to get to them, but it’s too hot. The foundation isn’t stable and I can’t get my men in there.”

“I understand, I’ll do what I can. Icon assured the man.

“Listen Icon, they’ve been in there awhile, I don’t think you’ll just be running a recovery mission.” Captain Williams said honestly, the man’s experience in the field had taught him to hold his emotions in until after the job was done.

“I’ll do what I can.” Icon told the captain as he took off and made his way to a fifth floor window.

Icon made his way down the hallway of the engulfed apartment building. The sheer heat and flame made it difficult for him to see. He continued down the hallway, calling out for anyone who might still be alive. Unfortunately, he no one answered. Icon moved down the burning hallway as debris fell around him and he began to fear that the captain had been right.

[i]There’s nobody here. I’m too late.[/]

Then, just ahead he heard something. A voice called back from one of the apartments just down the hall.

“Stay where you are, I’m coming.” Icon instructed them as he hastened his pace toward the apartment.

When he reached the door, it was already open. Icon stepped in and immediately found the bodies of a young couple on the floor. Their bodies were burned badly, and he could only hope that they had died from smoke inhalation rather than from being burned alive.

“Hello?” Icon called out. After taking another couple of steps, he saw who had called him, and a wave of relief washed over the hero of Lost Haven. A young child, no more than five years old was huddled up in the corner of the living room. Icon approached the terrified child and forced a smile for the newly orphaned boy.

“It’s okay; I’m here to get you out of here.” Icon said, softening his voice as to not frighten the child any more.

The boy looked up to Icon as he approached and smiled at the hero, glad that someone had come to take him out of this.

“I knew someone would come. I’m glad it was you.” The boy said.

Icon reached down to take the boy’s hand, but to his surprise the boy resisted. He looked down at the boy and was about to reassure him, but before he could say anything, the boy’s features began to shift and change. The “boy” quickly began to grow to the size of a full sized man, and the features of his face changed as well. They were no longer the features of an innocent five year old boy, but the twisted features of something far more sinister. The man before him had long black hair with blood red highlights. His face was slightly elongated, and his pallor was an off grey in color. The clothes the man wore were all black, except for the red lining of the trench coat that he wore.

“Oh, I am so glad to meet you.” The strange man said as he hit Icon with a hard right hand which sent him through the wall of the burning apartment building, where he plummeted the five stories into the parked fire trucks below.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

Character you have created:
Yeong Hu
Alias:
None
Speech Color (Actually say what you're using):
mintcream
Character Alignment:
Hero
Identity:
Secret

Character Personality:
Yeong is more stupid compared to her twin sister, which sometimes makes her upset, but what the girl lacks in at smarts she makes up in strength. The young woman keeps towards physical workouts. She loves boxing the most and is fairly decent at hand to hand combat. When introduced to someone new she starts with a strong handshake and one question; how strong are you? This is to mainly challenge herself to become stronger just in case the strongest pack member is harmed.

The twin has a different outlook on Fae unlike Ji. The way she sees it is that they did the best they could to stop a woman named The Ambassador from creating a portal. Yes, the pack was killed but at least they were able to stop most of them coming in. The girl doesn't like Fae but if push comes to shove she can handle working with them. The hatred is still there just buried underneath the worries and concerns of what their new lives would bring and the darkness that is far behind them. The girl believes that not all Fae are evil as well.

Uniform/costume:
In wolf form Yeong is a pure black wolf. When her magic is active her fur color has a dark blue tint to it, much like a panther in the moonlight. Her eyes turn white when casting magic her eye color turns white.The girl is 5’ 11” in wolf form.
Origin Info/Details:

Profile/Bio

Race: Chinese/Korean/American
Sex: Female
Age: 18
HT: 5’ 4”
WT: 130 lbs.
EY: Brown
HR: Long black straight hair
SK: White
Ethnicity: Chinese/Korean American
Vision: 20/20
DoB: June 8th (Gemini)
Birth Order: Twin (Second)
Bio: At the age of 12 Yeong had developed the taste for adventure as Ji had begun craving something different in her life. They bother agreed to go camping in Yellowstone National Park one weekend, which the younger sibling couldn't wait for, only for Friday to come and lo and behold her sibling was stopping for what seemed like every step. This made her rather upset and so in order to keep her sister moving the girl had started to run ahead of her sister. When it became late evening the two girls seemed to be lost for what seemed like an hour as they both tried to find the way back to camp. A sound of something shifting in the distance, making the youngest curious about what it could be, and on instinct following it. Ji had warned her not to follow and yet the girl couldn't stop herself from trying to find out what it was. When a scream pierced the air the child looked back and saw something near her sibling, causing her to react. She picked up a rock and threw it straight at the monster sized wolf, only for it to dodge and bit hard on her arm, dragging the kid down towards the ground. The girl tried to fight back until until someone came to help them.

When Yeong awoken she looked around. About 7 strangers seemed to be around the two, making her feel a bit uncomfortable. The girl went to jerk up really quick to run to Ji, feeling a sharp pain traveling up her arm, this caused her eyes to look down and see a bandage in the middle. Anger was what the child felt when they twins were told what had happened to them. The younger sibling remembers just flashes of what happened during their very first shift but doesn't usually bring the subject up until asked.

The girls never saw their parents after that day, mainly being told that they needed to stay hidden from humans and that their parents wouldn't understand this change, this helped label the girls as missing and after what mostly been a few weeks were presumed dead. At least this was what Yeong assumed.

The younger sibling had all the attention most of their lives, mostly because she was one of the fastest wolves in the pack, that was until Ji had discovered something remarkable. Yeong was low towards the ground stalking her sister like normally just to bother the older sibling for fun. When she went to tackled the other twin something smacked her squarely into the head, causing a shock look to show on her face for a little while. When the younger sister regained her composure she watched as her sister throw a rock at a tree without ever touching the object which in fact seemed thrill her sibling. The attention was soon turned towards the oldest, making the air breathable for the younger one once again, until a small amount of jealousy started to grow. It was about a year or so later that Yeong's magic had activated though she didn't tell anyone for a rather long time due to not noticing the subtle changes in the air around her.

Years later during the night was one of the worse nights Yeong and her sister had had since the night they were bitten. It was the night shortly after they had turned 18, their pack was destroyed with a female name Odette and some Fea went onto their sacred graveyard and began to violate it. The pack ended up attacking as defense and was destroyed. Being the only two survivors, she and her sister ran from the home they had for years since they became werewolves. They escaped all the way to New York where they knew there was no werewolf pack. For a year they lived in an a apartment and Yeong had gotten a place in a gym just doing odd jobs as a helpful thing to her sister she will often clean Ji’s side of the place, keeping hers a rather messy area.

Hero Type (Select one): Supernatural-elemental
Power Level (Select one below): Street
Powers (Be Specific):
Being a werewolf has its perks but only when you can switch from sat will. Thankfully Yeong is able to do so since she's went through the beginning transformation that pups go through after being bitten. The young woman can do this at will making things a lot easier in many ways. She has two forms; full wolf and anthro form. The form is described in the costume design.

enhanced senses

In human mode, Yeong's senses are the only thing that is above normal. These are the primary sense used most but not the only ones enhanced.

• Sight: Yeong’s eyesight is unique mixture of human and wolf qualities, giving her the perks of both and covering each other’s weakness. From the wolf side of sight, she has have excellent day and night vision and far sharper than a human’s, enhanced by hyper sensitive to motion within the range. The distance range limit is about 1000 feet, slightly shorter than a human but her other senses quickly make up for that weakness.
• Hearing: Because Yeong is a werewolf, she can hear between 25 khz to up at least 80 khz and within 6 to 10 miles depending on the geography lay out. The more crowded by objects like a city then the less miles she gains. However, due to her sensitive ears, the higher pitches like a dog whistle will distract and hurt her ears usually crippling her until the source is stop.
• Scent: Yeong’s sense of scent is extremely strong compared to a human and even most canines, detailing information about an individual’s condition, their past whereabouts, gender and other needed to know information. About a hundred times stronger, in favorable conditions she can sniff out her prey about 1.75 miles from her location and stalk it a fair distance.

Regeneration

Human-Her healing rate is about double of her original healing, enabling her to heal in half the time it would take normal humans. However, she is unable to regenerate limbs, survive impact into the brain or any usually fatal hits.

Wolf-

• regenerate broken bones (heavy wounds)- days
• regenerate torn/severed muscles (medium wounds)- hours
• regenerate flesh wound (light wounds)-minutes/moments

Telepathy

When in wolf form, Yeong has the ability to communicate to others with her mind and merely by looking at them. As long as she retains eye contact and focus on the individual she can project emotions, images (usually chaotic), and sensation of another’s presence inside the mind of the target with ease. Unless one is a wolf or is comfortable with her, they will often find this uncomfortable since the projected thoughts aren’t exactly words or their own emotions. When eye contact is broken so is the link, the sensation of the telepathy fading almost instantly. If the element is being manipulated she can't use it.

Wind

Yeong's eyes have a white hue while in werewolf and human form only when her magic is being used. If watched the enemy would be able to tell which is way she either has a visor or sunglasses. Since the girl can't make her magic she is able to use the air around her. This is one strength she has over her sister.

skills

Skills
Fishing (Adept)
Boxing (Adept)
Long Distance Running (expert)
Archery (novice)
Softball (Adept)

Attributes (Select one at each category):

Speed/Reaction Timing Level: 6x faster than a normal human. Her trot speed is 6 miles. Lowest speed is 26 mph- 45 mph for 3 minutes without rest allowing miles a day to be covered.
Endurance at MAXIMUM Effort: In a steady, easily going trot Yeong can cover miles in a day’s time before she needs to rest.
During non-stop and stressful activity, her endurance lasts about 3-4 hours without any sort of break or rest. However afterwards he will collapse from complete exhaustion and feel ravenous, reverting back to human. When full out pushing, she would last up to 3 hours.
Agility: 2x that of a normal human.
Intelligence: Average intelligence
Fighting Skill: Trained

Resources: Small

When the pack was killed Yeong and Ji-Yeong escaped into the unregistered and was able to get an New York apartment. She works small odd jobs at a nearby gym while her sister works as a pizza delivery person and painting as a side job. The girl's twin handles most of the money while in return she does housework granted her own side doesn't stay clean for long.
Weaknesses:
Being a breed of werewolf, there are ways to counter this ability. It also works in both forms but in different ways, her human form being the most vulnerable to the substances. Strangely enough, she is unable to detect them with her sense of smell and it could be related to it being her breed’s weakness toward it.

Silver: Most werewolves are allergic to silver, through fortunately for this breed it is not fatal on instant contact and would take large amounts to become it.

In her human form it causes severe allergic reactions such as swelling on the location where the metal comes into contact. If injected/ingested, it could cause her throat to swell shut and breathing to be impossible unless an adrenaline is injected into her system boosting her immunity which will open her airways.

In her wolf form, this can easily paralyze and slow healing rate, but the purity of the metal determines the healing power and time it lasts. The more pure the silver is, the longer the effects last and sooner it takes effect. Pure silver can take effect within at least a minute depending on Ben’s condition.

For any reason, should pure, liquefied silver get into her blood system (digestion or something) when a wolf then it will paralyze her up to a day. Large amounts will kill her, such as a quarter of a pint or more, unless it’s purged from her system quickly and in about 3-4 hours.

Wolfsbane- herb: A weak smelling herb that is a strong and slow poison. It’s believed to be so lethal to a werewolf that a tablespoon worth sprinkled inside a bullet and shot into the target will kill even an alpha in half a day’s time. Any smaller amount will only cripple the wolf for several days, making them helpless and feeling like they wish they were dead. It can be cured through magical/unnatural means or even when a werewolf is laid out under a full moon, allowed to undergo extreme transformation thanks to the moon’s radiation.

Full Moon- Every Elemental Werewolf must answer the call of the moon as its radiation fills them with an immerse and sudden surge of energy, their bodies unable to contain their wolf forms while underneath its pale light. New wolves have the hardest time since their animalistic side is most frenzied and frighten during this time so many newly made wolves depend on their pack mates to keep them from injuring themselves during this period. After a few moons (6 moons), the eyes turn a yellow declaring them an adult.

It’s unknown why, but when someone is bitten beneath a full moon they have a percent of becoming werewolf depending on the species of werewolf.

The last weakness that my character has is when the opposite element magic is used against her. This is the main thing that seems to frustrate Yeong, mostly due to being unable to do anything to about this weakness, hence why the girl tends to do something physical to cool down. She's always trying to find a way to strengthen this skill since her twin is much better at her own element.

Supporting Characters (Does your character have a significant other? A mother?Friend? Who are they, what do they have to do with your character?):

Yeong's boss- The man doesn't mind interacting with her unless Yeong starts talking about boxing then she decided to tell her to go to work.

Eric Johnson- An employee that works in the gym. She finds the young woman fun to be around considering she's about roughly 45 years old. The man loves talking about fighting as long as it's not illegals and practices precaution for the fighters.

Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?: goo.gl/images/s1cA3p The answer to this question is yes and no. If I can find a picture the will actually show when I put in then I will be able to. But since I never really seem to I do what I do as shown on the top.

Sample Post (Minimum Four paragraphs containing dialogue. As this is an Advanced Level game, Sample must also meet the RPG forum's minimum requirement of 12 lines. Only for first time applicants.

Yeong sighed as she stayed out of people's way while they worked out. This wasn't something she liked at all, not since the boss man had assigned small simple jobs every day, causing the girl to become rather frustrated. Her hand raked through her black hair as she watched the men and women use the equipment and some throw wrappers on the floor. The young woman ground her teeth at this. It was a gym for goodness sake. Not some trash can you could throw your wrappers away for senior citizens to step on and possibly break a hip. A firm hand was placed on her shoulder causing her head to turn.

“Heya kid. Why the long face?”

Eric was someone who loved to have young people around, which didn't really bother the girl in the least bit, until he started in on unfair matches and unsafe sports. “Nothing much really. I've been standing here watching the same couple drop their candy wrappers for the last past several minutes. Seriously Eric why do we have that thing inside this place anyway?” She asked slowly swaying in place.

The guy just softly chuckled. “Well as far as I'm aware that is to keep the people energetic and keep us from closing. Why don't we talk about last nights boxing match instead.” He calmly said as the girl nodded.

“My fighter is ahead three matches. I will be taking my fifty buck now please.” Yeong said with a slow forming mischievous smile as her hand went sideways.

“Your fighter is still a cheater Yeong. I mean how could he knock the champion out in just a few punches? My fighter takes at least several before knocking the opponent out. That's a safer match I would beat on any day of the week.”

The girl groaned. ”You're just not any fun man.”

Eric went to call the werewolf out before their boss called her over. She walked over with the mischievous smile slowly melting away and stopped in front of the man. The girl listened at her told her that the floor needed swept as well as the equipment needed to be cleaned. The young woman nodded and got to work. There would be a little more money in the house, which should make Ji happy, though the whole cleaning outside of their apartment was getting rather old and really fast. When work was finally done Yeong was dismissed like usual even though it had only been about the minimum hours required to be worked. The girl pulled the visor over her eyes and jogged home.

@Demonic Angel

Yup. Still approved

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

I'm going to go ahead and approve both of those.

But after speaking with the other GM's, we're going to put a moratorium on supernatural characters for the time being. We have a fair amount now, and we don't want to get into a situation like we had previously where every character was some sort of supernatural being.

That said, if you have an idea that is completely original and that character does have a supernatural origin, we'd certainly consider it.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

Corpse

Character you have created: Táph Fossoyer

Alias: Corpse.

Speech Color (Actually say what you're using): Hex Code = #bc987e

Character Alignment: Hero.

Identity: Looks like a normal person, if a bit too pale, and doesn't hide his identity.

Character Personality: Táph is a quiet individual, even at the best of times he prefers silence to a conversation, but makes for decent company even without talking. He was broad shouldered and fairly good looking, slow to act, but purposeful when he did. He had meaning behind each action and inaction he took, and believed wholly that haste made waste. A loyal friend, and a brave soul, Táph doesn't care much for the politics or the 'why' of things, but works toward the resolution and safety of the people he cares for, when he can remember who they are.

Uniform/costume: Street clothes.

Origin Info/Details: Táph Fossoyer was a brave young man who grew up in Marseille, France. Born at the end of the First World War, he was brought up and raised with the promise of a better future, one that had learned that global conflict did nothing but damage everyone. He was twenty one when he enlisted to combat Germany for their invasion of Poland. He was trained, deployed, and died in his third engagement. He didn't expect to wake up afterward, but he did. He rejoined the push and everytime he was put down into the dirt, it was only a matter of hours before he was fighting and dying for his country. Something or someone was looking out for him, or was damning him, and it was anyone's guess as to what it was.

Hero Type (Select one): Brick/Muscle

Power Level (Select one below): City Level

Powers (Be Specific): Shallow Grave: For some reason, divine, curse or other supernatural cause makes it so that Táph is unable to stay dead. He can be killed and is mortal, but after he dies, he 'wakes' up, either at his body, if left alone for long enough (in an area that has more dead than it does living), though more than likely he digs himself out of the nearest cemetary, found in a shallow grave. When he dies, he forgets things, nothing groundbreaking, he'll remember his friends, his enemies and who he is, but he might forget the circumstance, why he was killed, and what he was doing when he met his 'end'.

Undead: Táph is technically undead, and is weak to the divine, as well as other things that specialize against undead. He does however, still need to breathe and eat, though forgoes the need to sleep.

Unnatural Toughness: The circumstance of Táph's empowerment have left him stronger, much more than the average human and much more able to take and sustain wounds. He regenerates wounds at good rate, though cannot regenerate lost limbs or organs, a bullet wound in a non-fatal place won't slow him down, but nick an important artery and he'll die like the rest of them.

Attributes (Select one at each category):

Height:6ft 4".
Weight: 170 lbs.
Strength Level: Superhuman - 10 Tons
Speed/Reaction Timing Level: Peak Human/Trained Fighter
Endurance at MAXIMUM Effort: Superhuman - 5 Hours
Agility: Peak Human/Trained Fighter
Intelligence: Average
Fighting Skill: Ranged Weapons: Mastered, Physical Weapons: Trained.

Resources: Minimal.

Weaknesses: He can die like any human. He'll come back, but it'll take time, and he'll forget. He's also weak to divine energy and other undead killing/weakening effects.

Supporting Characters (Does your character have a significant other? A mother? Friend? Who are they, what do they have to do with your character?): None.

Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?:See the top of the post!

@CMDR Melander

I'll go ahead and approve this

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

What's that?

Could it be?

a...

a post?!

Yup, about damn time I got to work and got that done.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

Crown Ridge, ME
Lost Haven’s Ugly Little Sister

Located just over 10 miles from Lost Haven, Crown Ridge, Maine was once a nice city. The people who resided within the city were people with big dreams who worked hard to accomplish those dreams. However, after a generation of political corruption and economic decline, Crown Ridge had fallen on hard times. Over the years, the once prosperous city saw its best and brightest leave and resettle in its sister city, Lost Haven. And as they left, so did many of the jobs which had kept the city afloat.

Then the criminals moved in. They came in waves, each wave more organized and ruthless than the last. Eventually, Crown Ridge was entirely overrun with crime, and unlike Lost Haven, the people of the city id not have heroes in capes and masks fighting for them. Though the police did what they could to stem the tide of crime in the city, they were outmanned and in many cases, outgunned.

However, over the course of the last several months, rumors have begun circulating amongst the criminal underworld; as well as the police, of a new player in town. This individual in a black, cat-like outfit had been seen all over the city, taking down thugs and criminals, and then disappearing into the night. The few who got a good look at the vigilante reported a remarkable resemblance to Lyger, the cat-like hero of Lost Haven, who had had several high profile outings, most notable were his roles in both the Pax Metahumana crisis as well as the defeat of the demon, Nightmare. However, due to the fact that he had established himself in Lost Haven, skepticism that it was Lyger was high.

The rumors of a new vigilante in town did not bother Danny O’Shea or his partner, Charles “Charlie” McGrath. The two men had been career criminals, starting out when they were both 16 as runners for the Winter Park Gang, one of the most notorious Irish Mafia cartels in Crown Ridge. After proving themselves, Charlie and Danny moved on to shakedowns of local businesses for “protection money,” and then they moved into enforcement. The two thugs were feared among the locals who lived under the Winter Park Gang’s rule, and had been suspected of carrying out a number of executions for the criminal enterprise; however, no one had ever been able to prove their involvement.
While they were ruthless and efficient at what they did, they were a small time gang who were happy with the profits that they were making. However, over the last few years, that had changed. They were no longer happy roughing up local business owners and selling drugs and weapons to the local underworld. They had stepped up their game, getting involved in games with much larger stakes, and they saw much larger profits because of it. Rumors began to circulate within the Winter Park Gang about what it was, exactly, that had been going on. The word was, that the gang had been absorbed by a larger, wholly more terrifying criminal entity, and was now a part of something much bigger than anyone within the gang had ever imagined. Mick Sheeran, the head of the Winter Park Gang never talked about who was really running things now, however, the truth came out eventually, when Mick’s son Jack let it slip during a meeting of the top bosses, a meeting that Charlie and Danny were at, serving as glorified security guards. Neither man could believe what they were hearing as their bosses discussed the new business arrangement, some of whom were less than please with the new status quo. Even though the bosses spoke in hushed tones, seemingly afraid that their new employers would hear them speaking, as if their new employers were right in the room with them…as if they were everywhere, Danny heard Mick mention something about “The Shroud.” Although they didn’t know what The Shroud was at the time, they would come to know exactly what being a part of The Shroud Syndicate, whether directly, or by being an affiliate, such as they were. They knew that the organization, nor its boss suffered fools or failures, and as a result, they have been much more efficient as an organization.

Most of the time.

“Hey Charlie! Charlie! Are you gonna get off your ass and help me with these crates, or are you gonna sit there feedin' yer face all night long?" Danny said to his partner from behind the heavy crate that he is trying to load into the van.

"Hold yer horses, will ya? I'll be dere in a minute." Charlie replied as he shoved almost the entire half of his sausage grinder down his gullet.

Danny shrugged and continued trying to maneuver the crates. Danny felt a strange uneasiness as of late. Everything that they did seemed to have purpose, there was an urgency with everything within the Winter Park Gang. When Danny expressed his concerns to Charlie, the larger man told him not to worry about it, that things were fine. But Danny just couldn’t seem to put his fears at ease. He was told, in no uncertain terms that this operation is big, that whatever it is that is in those crates are very important, and should he and Charlie somehow screw this simple job up, there would be “severe consequences.”

Danny shuttered at the thought of what those "severe consequences" might be.

"Come on Charlie, get off your fat ass and help me with this stuff!"

But there is no response.

"Charlie!"

Still nothing.

"Charlie?!"

Panic suddenly overwhelmed Danny. Charlie always said something, even if it was just to tell him to get lost. There was a time when nobody would mess with Ol' Charlie, he was a big man who could do more than just hold his own in a fight. Danny had seen him take down three guys with lead pipes with nothing but his bare fists. But Charlie had lost something over the years, his love of pizza and grinders had slowed him down, much of the muscle the he was once so proud of replaced by an ever expanding haunch of flab. But still, Charlie was no slouch. Something was definitely wrong.

"Charlie, you alright pal?"

Then Danny saw it, Charlie laid out around the driver's side of the van. Not moving, out like a light. He spun around quickly, hoping to avoid whoever, or for that matter, whatever it was that took down Ol' Charlie. But before he could take a single step he saw it. It was the size of a man, covered from head to toe in black. As Danny watched whatever it was moving through the shadows like some kind of ghost, he noticed that it didn’t appear human, the small, pointy, cat-like ears on the top of its head testified to that.

“Shit.” Danny said as he pulled out his revolver and began firing in the direction that he had last seen the cat-man.

“Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!” He said as he fired off rounds into the darkness

“Shit…” He said again as the gun just clicked as it ran out of ammunition to fire.

click…click…click…

Danny stopped pulling the trigger. He stood there for a moment as he looked around the scene; the only sound that could be heard was the pounding of his own heart. Otherwise, everything along the docks was perfectly still. Then, almost out of nowhere, Danny felt a chill run up and down his spine as he realized that there was someone standing behind him. Reluctantly, Danny slowly turned to face whoever it was behind him. When he did, he saw the form of a dark, cat-like being standing there, facing him.

“Boo.” It said, its voice was not natural, almost as if there was some sort of electronic device was distorting it.

Danny stepped back as if he were about to run, however, a hard roundhouse right connected with his chin, and upon impact, his entire world went black.

Several minutes later the Crown Ridge Police arrived on the scene, responding to an anonymous tip, that there was some sort of disturbance at Warehouse 32 in the commercial sector at this very moment. From a nearby rooftop, Lyger watched as the police loaded the two henchmen into squad cars, while other officers secured the three dozen crates that they had been moving. Lyger did not know what was in the shipment of crates, and he really didn’t care. All he knew was that it was important to The Shroud Syndicate, and was satisfied that whatever it was, The Cowl and his organization would not be getting their hands on it.

***

Three Months Ago

Kyle pulled his mask off as he sad down on the steep folding chair that was set up next to the computer array that Harry sat in front of as he poured over a seemingly endless stream of data. Kyle was tired and worn, having not taken a moments’ rest on the heels of his victories during the Pax Metahumana ordeal, or over the supernatural serial killer Nightmare.

He couldn’t allow himself to rest.

After returning to The Garage after his part in the defeat of Nightmare and his cult, Harry had to break more terrible news. Adeline Strayer, his ex girlfriend who was also a superhero in her own right, was found dead just a few blocks from the Lost Haven University Campus. Her mutilated body was nearly unrecognizable, having been practically torn apart by someone, or something. Since that night, he had been going out in search of the culprit, only to find nothing.

Kyle sat back against the folding chair’s back rest and let out a sigh. He was visibly frustrated with his lack of leads, and was almost to the point of accepting Harry’s theory that perhaps Addy had simply run afoul of Nightmare and his cult. It did make sense, as Adeline did specialize in the supernatural, yet, at the same time, there was something different about the way she had been killed. While Nightmare’s victims had suffered massive trauma, there was something more vicious, more…feral about the attack that had taken Addy’s life.

“I have something for you.” Harry said without looking away from the computer screen. “I had some of my contacts look into the men who were buying up the local businesses after the riots. They found something.” Harry finished, his voice wavered slightly.

“What is it?” Kyle asked.

“Nothing good. The company is a fake, which we suspected all along. But it’s tied to some very, very, bad people.”

“Harry…” Kyle began. Whatever Harry had was the first solid lead into finding the men responsible for Ronnie’s murder.

“Kyle, they belong to a vast criminal organization that has its hand in just about everything. They are called the Shroud Syndicate, and to a lot of people, they don’t exist.” Harry began. “They are a bit of a myth, the Boogie Man of the criminal underworld, so to speak.”

“How do we stop them?” Kyle asked, a mask of determination on his face.

“I don’t know, as I said, they are everywhere. But if you wanted to take them down, a good place to start would be the head.”
“And how would I do that?”

“That’s the million dollar question. Nobody knows who he is. He’s never seen out in public, in fact, there are those in the intelligence community that don’t think he’s real. But I was able to get a name, of sorts.” Harry told him.

“He goes by 'The Cowl.'”

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG Season 2- New Horizons (Closed)

Helping a friend move today. I should be back later tonight and will hopefully be able to wrap up the post I started. If I'm too tired when I get home, post will be up tomorrow