nitemare shape

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

Got some stuff in the pipeline. Also, trying to get to the collab at the satellite...but I have a bad case of writer's block

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

“I hate this.” Slipstream said to Flux as they made their way into the heart of the Hounds base. “These places are never pleasant.” She finished, a shiver running down her spine as the memory of the last time she had entered Hounds of Humanity base ran through her mind. The things that she saw that day in the base just outside of Pacific Point haunted her. The image of all those metahumans locked in gages awaiting execution. The smell of blood and death that hung in the hallways, it was an odor that was so thick that no matter how often she showered, she never seemed to be able to wash that smell away completely. In truth, to Slipstream it was as if that experience had somehow stained her very soul, and she wasn’t sure that she would ever be able to escape the effects it had on her.

“I understand.” Flux said truthfully. While she had also seen atrocities in her life, some of which dwarfed the heinous crimes of the Hounds of Humanity, being an empath, she could feel the pain and trepidation radiating from Slipstream. She didn’t need to know what Slipstream had seen in her previous encounters with the Hounds, she knew just how devastating those encounters were because she could feel it as if she had shared the experiences herself.

“This must be it.” Slipstream said as she came to a halt at a set of massive bay doors that much to her surprise were wide open. She stepped through the doors into the cavernous room which as evidenced by the strong smell of oil and the large amount of vehicles and vehicle parts was very clearly the maintenance garage that Iron Knight had mentioned. They had suspected that this garage was a sort of launching point for the Hounds’ leadership’s escape, however, if that were the case, they were too late. The garage was empty.
Or so it seemed.

Once the two heroines were looking around inside the garage, they began hearing a loud thumping sound, almost like extremely heavy footfalls. Both women stopped what they were doing and began to look around for the source of the sounds. However, they saw nothing. As the sound grew closer, Slipstream noticed a puddle of engine coolant that had gathered on the floor of the garage near one of the vehicles. As the loud thumping sounds continued, the puddle of coolant rippled in time with the sounds, reminding Slipstream of the classic film Jurassic Park, and the way the cup of water rippled in much the same way as the T-Rex approached.

“Oh, this is not good.” Slipstream said.

“What?” Fluxed asked, however, she did not need Slipstream’s to say anything, as the source of the sounds became very apparent.
Slipstream looked in the direction of the approaching sounds, and her jaw dropped.

“Oh no, not good at all.” Slipstream said as she laid eyes on the source of the commotion, the mountain of a man called Richter, the same man that she had encountered in Pacific Point when she came across the metahuman traffickers. The same man who had once gone toe to toe with Icon, the man who would have killed her the last time they met had it not been for the combined efforts of herself and Iron Knight.

“You might want to run.” She said to Flux as Richter prepared to attack.

Without saying a word, the man-mountain charged at the two heroines. If not for Slipstream’s quick thinking and even quicker reflexes, grabbing Flux and pulling her from harm’s way, at least one of the women would have been nothing more than a greasy smear on the wall of the maintenance garage.

“Stand still.” The behemoth snarled as he turned toward the heroines and charged again. Both Slipstream and Flux were able to dodge Richter again, however, Slipstream raced back toward the brute and delivered a series of punches and elbows to the back and sides of his head before getting back outside of his massive reach.

The assault had begun and ended within the span of a blink of an eye.

“Bitch.” Richter said as he turned back toward Slipstream, slightly wobbly on his feet as he tried to shake off the effects of the attack.
“You’re an idiot.” Slipstream said to the man mountain. “You go out there and do whatever the Hounds tell you to do, knowing full well what they are and what it is that they want. And you still act like their lapdog. You’re pathetic.” She spat, the anger in her voice was undeniable. Anger that she felt toward this man, who had assisted the Hounds with countless atrocities against metahumans, against his own people.

“No, I just know the odds. I’ve seen what they are willing to do. They’re willing to cross boundaries that you heroes never will, and that’s why they’ll win. They will do whatever it takes. I’m just picking the winning side.” Richter told her.

“You’ve already lost. We routed the Hounds in Sherman Square, we’ve taken this base, and Icon is leading a team to take out the Finger of God as we speak. You chose the wrong side, and you’re going to spend the rest of your life in a SuperMax in the middle of the goddamned ocean.” Slipstream said.

“Well, be that as it may, you’re not walking out of here.” Richter said coldly as he started advancing toward her.

Slipstream prepared herself for his attack. However, much to her surprise, it never came. She stood and watched in stunned disbelief as Richter gently came off of the floor and floated up into the air as if he were nothing, and then suddenly he was violently slammed into the ground and seemingly held there by an invisible hand which pressed down on him, forcing the air from his lungs with such a force that the metal floor beneath him began to buckle. Slipstream looked over at Flux, who looked at the massive man with a look, not of anger or hatred, but of pity, until finally, unable to move or breathe, Richter blacked out.

As an empath, Flux could not only read the emotions of others, but she could feel them as if they were her own emotions. When she felt Richter’s emotions she only felt one—

Fear.

Not of her, or the fate that awaited him, but fear of the Hounds and what they would do to him and the ones he loved.

The thought that this man who was responsible for so much death and despair was capable of loving someone at all was shocking to her, but then she realized that he wasn’t working for the Hounds because he believed in their cause…but because he was protecting someone. And for an instant, she felt that she understood this man, and did indeed feel for him.

“We’re done here, we should go.” Flux said to Slipstream as she turned and headed back the way they came.

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

@nitemare shape

hey do you think you can make a banner for in stereo for me, if your not busy that is.

@Liseran Thistle

I think I can do that

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

fun fact, i thought pheonix up before i thought eris up, so i guess technically he's older despite being younger then them.
..........

character you have created: Fexiote (Prounounced Fesh-e-oat-ay) or Fexi (Fe-shi the 'E' is soft like the 'E' in 'flesh' or 'fresh')

Alias: Pheonix

Speech Color: Maroon

Character Alignment: Hero

Identity: Known

Character Personality: Pheonix is a very quiet person, he doesn't talk much. Though that doesn't mean he's stoic and unmovable. He has emotions just like anyone else, he just expresses them differently than others. His anger is his weakness and his strength, as it is literally what fuels his power. He can get pretty angry at things, even things that are what others would think are small inconviences. Though he tries, his anger gets the best of him sometimes, and he often ends up hurting people because of it. Pheonix is slow to apologize, more out of awkwardness than pride. He likes helping people, and he wants to be a hero with his power, but he knows that his power can be very scary to some. He also knows he can hurt others with his power if he's not careful.

Uniform/costume:





(Pheonix's hair is realllllllly long, and luminous looking no one knows how he keeps it so pretty looking, especially with all that ash.)





(Rolun is a fake language.)

Origin Info/Details: Fexiote was born in a small village located in the middle of the ocean. His parents were not very active in his life, and when he was about 4 they were both killed. The village he lived in had customs, traditions that demanded to be followed till the end of time. Their leader, a man called Yulioxolo (Pronounced Yu-lee-oh-show-lo) claimed to be immortal, he had magick powers that proved it. Fexi understood that his culture was one from long ago, almost long forgotten. They called themselves "Rolonu" (Pronounced Row-Low-New) which is Rolun for "Hidden". "No one but us speaks our language, no one but us eats our food, for we are the pure, the ones hidden from the world." Yulioxolo said that the night his parents died. It was one of the few things Fexi remembers him saying from when he was a child. On that night, his parents had been choosen for the sacrfice.

His sister, the only person he had then, explained to him before they attended the ceramony what the sacrfice was for. "Mala and Paxa (Paw-sha) have been chosen, little one. They are going to our God, the one in the sea. They will not return, but their souls will feed him and he will be happy. They were good people, and good people keep him happy. They taste the best." She tried her best to put a positive spin on it, but it didn't stop Fexi from crying then. "It's okay to cry, for you will miss them. But one day, you will see them again. If you are good like Mala and Paxa were, we can both see them again in the sea. Maybe one day, we will be chosen to go." She kissed his forehead, and Fexi watched his parents drown.

Years later, he became quite the eccentric little boy. He had outbursts, and would often play tricks on his neighbors. He soon garnered the name "Fexixote" (Fesh-shi-show-te) (which is a play on the word wildfire in Rolun) Many liked him well enough, he wasn't particularly mean just oddly emotional. His pranks almost never worked, and no matter what his sister always forgave him.
Everything was going great on the little island he lived on, until Fexiote heard a conversation he should never have heard. The talk was between Yulioxolo and a strange man with a red coat. Back then, Fexi could not understand what they were saying as they were both talking in a language he had never heard before. The Red Coat reached into his jacket, and took out a mysterious orange jewel that glowed. Yulioxolo and The Red Coat hid behind a corner, trying to be unseen and speaking in a different language to be misunderstood. Fexi didn't understand the scene at first, but then a voice whispered to him in Rolun, and it asked him a question. "Thexi yu eresil thulix?" Do you wish to know what the jewel is?

Fexi nodded, slowly. "Thulix yu dere funkil, Fexixolo." It is the key to me, Pheonix. Fexi still didn't understand. "Rexi rexu, hulike yu dere ghox. Thulix gre erexil, Fexixolo." Take the jewel, and the spirit will reveal itself to you. The Jewel is knowledge, Pheonix. Fexi understood then. He had to take the jewel from The Red Coat. Said man hid it away, and began to walk away. Yulioxolo rounded the corner, and bumped into Fexiote. He looked down at the boy, who began to ask questions about which way his ball went. Yulioxolo rolled his eyes, and shooed the boy away, the latter gladly obeyed thankful that his quick lie was brought easily.

That night, Yulixolo announced that The Red Coat would be staying with them for the next month. "He is a friend, and shall be treated as one." He said. A friend of Yulioxolo was a friend to all Rolonu. The Red Coat, who said his name was Thaddeus Goodoire, was very friendly. He didn't treat anyone terribly when he stayed with the village people, and everyone loved him. Everyone, except Fexi's sister (Semix means sister in Rolun. Pronounced Se-meesh, again the 'E' is soft.) Fexi's Semix did not trust The Red Coat, but Thaddeus had taken a liking to her. He fell in love with her in a week, and decided he must take her back with him to his country. Fexi's Semix declined, "I cannot go, I would reveal the secret of all Rolonu and that is forbidden. We are to stay hidden." She had said.

Thaddeus grew angry then. On the last night, he planned to kidnap her. Fexi he-ard him, yet again in that strange language, talking to the orange ewel. The voice whispered to Fexi again. "Semix fruline thused gre therix. Thulix gre frolike monu erexis, bruy thuy er froi, Felixolo. Wiyla hu airy dre gre yulix!" He plans to take your sister. The jewel is his key, take it Pheonix. Gain your wings, and fly! Fexi jumped from his hiding spot behind The Red Coat's door, and lunged for the jewel. The Red Coat stood up, startled. He was raving mad at Fexi, and easily flung him aside. Fexi laid on his side, hurting.

Fexi heard a scream, and then the breaking of wood. He got up, and stumbled to his Semix's room only to be met with a grisly sight. The Red Coat held a bloodied Semix in his hands, his fist was wrapped around her neck and he held her dramaticlly in the air. Her legs kicked at him, but he refused to let go. Fexi didn't have time to wonder how a man could possibly hold so much strenght in one hand. He beat against the side of The Red Coat, but it did nothing.

Fexi watched his parents drown at 4. He watched his sister suffocate to death at 14. The Red Coat dropped her lifeless body by his feet, Fexi could see the orange jewel clutched in his other hand. He held it so tight, Fexi noticed. He stared at The Red Coats hand, and the glow of the Jewel because it was easier than looking at his Semix on the floor. The Red Coat said something, but Fexi did not understand. He stared at the jewel, and the man picked him up effortlessly. He shook him violently, yet Fexi's eyes never left the jewel. By this point, The Red Coat felt so much anger and hatred for Fexi in him.

He dragged the boy outside, and threw him down on the front steps. The Red Coat said something, and raised the jewel in the air. He threw it down, and flames hotter than any Xeote (Rolun for match stick, and it is in fact what Fexi is named after) bundle burst from the rock. Everything scorched around Fexi, accept himself. The flames licked him, and seemed to grab him every chance they got, but no matter what they could not take him like they did everything else.

People came from other houses, screaming about how The Red Coat's house was on fire. Fexi could hear them calling his house "The Red Coat's" house. He felt sick, and far too hot, and yet he did not burn. When the flames died, it was dawn. Nothing was left. Nothing but Fexi, and his Semix's winter shawl. It had blown out a window before the flames could take it. Fexi had stayed on the steps, or what was the steps of his house. Some tried to console him, patting his back and apologizing. He was alone now, no one to call family. "Yu yulike fru dre hyui" You will always have me. Said the voice. And Fexi couldn't argue with that. He welcomed the voice, whoever they were. "Golux dere thuh thre sader drelix, thru freg hui yu eres xi." I am that God in the Sea, the one who burns for eternity. Yulioxolo came upon the scene, and looked horrified. His friend was gone, dead. Taken by fire. Yulioxolo blamed Fexi, as he was the only one who seemed untouched by the flames.

"If not for you, he would still be here! Traitor!" Yulioxolo had spat. He was taken over by anger, but no one knew why at Fexi. Yulioxolo ordered for Fexi to be given to the God, and at this point everyone in the village had heard and was very concerned for their leaders mind. The boy has clearly lost everything, why take his life now? Nonetheless, they complied and took Fexi to the port. The Port was where all sacrifices were held. The Offering namely the person being pushed into the sea, were not shackled or chained in anyway. In fact, there was nothing to stop the Offering from swimming to safety. Nothing but the water itself. They called the sea Golux (Pronounced Go-Loosh, meaning God) and it showed, as no matter how calm it seemed, the water would hold you. The water never raged, it was quiet and the most beautiful crystal blue anyone had ever seen. To swim in it is to ensure death. The waves whispered to its Offerings. They dragged you to the bottom like a stone. They made you want to drown, to join the others down below.

To finally hit the bottom of Golux is said to be euphoric. To others, it seemed as if Yulioxolo was, while very angry and willing to kill the boy, not mad enough to torture him. This relaxed some. "You will be with them now, Fexiote." Yulioxolo said, coldly. "You are but a child, so I cannot impose harm on you. The waves will take you to your Frelike (Pronounced Fray-Lee, meaning family.) The God will judge you, not I." Fexi said nothing, he accepted his death.

At 4 Fexi saw his parents drown in these very calm waters. At 14 he saw a mysterious stranger strangle his sister. And shortly after she left the world, he tried to follow her.

The waves whispered sweet forgiveness in his ears as he fell deeper into the water. But beyond them, another voice whipsered louder. "Yu dre wiyli aser thulix dere thul, Felixolo?" Do you wish to have wings, Pheonix? It asked.

"Xa..."(Pronounced Sha, meaning yes.) Wings sounded nice, everything sounded nice when he was at the bottom of the ocean. His lungs grew tighter, but he did not mind them closing.
"Yu rexu gre thuy frelike gru, Felixolo" I will give you wings and a family, Pheonix.

Suddenly, everything grew hot. Fexi could breathe, and this time he was not calm. He felt the hot pricks of anger poke at him all the way from the bottom of the sea. His skin was blistering, but he didn't care. The water around him was boiling, until he grew so hot he evaporated it all into steam. Hot geyser air rose in the air, and Fexi could feel his anger burst out of him. They were heavy on his back, but soon they felt like air. Wings of flame came from him, they were so erratic and wild, they tried to burn him but he would not catch. Screams of terror could be heard below, and Fexi looked down to see terrified people. He scanned their faces trying to see anyone he recognized.

But he knew no one below him. He flew above a city he did not know, and people who held strange glittering devices in their hands. "Wyli...Whe..." He tried to speak, his words getting jumbled in a strange conglemeration of language. "Whe...where...am I?" He said. He was scared now, his anger gone. And with it, went his wings. He fell from the sky, but someone caught him in the nick of time. They wore a uniform, black and green and silver. And pinned to their chest a tiny little pin, one that Fexi recognized as a moth. He felt himself in the arms of a stranger, and yet he could've sworn that they too had wings on their back.

When he woke up, the stranger who saved him was there. He smiled at Fexi. "You're awake now." He said. He had a nice voice, calming like the waves. "Do you think you can speak?" The stranger asked.

"X...a...Yes. Yes I...can talk." Fexi said. His language was slurred, and he kept mixing Rolun with whatever he was speaking now. The stranger nodded his head, kindly.

"What's your name? I'm Crow, I saved you from a pretty nasty fall back there." He said.

Fexi tried to think of his name, but the only thing coming to mind was the word Pheonix. Fexixolo. It was what the voice called him. "Pheonix." He told the stranger. Crow had been the first person Fexi had ever spoken to, before he formerly joined Paradox Agency.

Hero Select one): Elemental fire controlled by rage, given to him as a gift by a God.
Power Level (Select one below): city Level

Powers (Be Specific): Pheonix has the ability to summon wings of flame and fly, as well as scorch anything in his path as long as he is angry enough to summon them.

Attributes (Select one at each category):
Height: 6"5 (He is tall)
Weight: 225 pounds
Strength Level: super human strength
Speed/Reaction Timing Level: super human
Endurance at MAXIMUM Effort: 17 hours
Agility: Super Human
Intelligence: Average
Fighting Skill: Trained
Resources: Extreme

Weaknesses: He fears water, and suffocating. His fear can stifle his anger, which in turn gets rid of his wings. Pheonix has to remain angry when fighting, otherwise he loses his powers.

Supporting Characters: Crow Dreiford, a friend of his at Paradox who bears black wings on his back. Leila Mayner, his friend and boss in a way. Eris Goodoire, a good person who Pheonix thinks is nice (Though he swears they seem so familiar to him somehow...). Hailey Hughes, a friend of his at Paradox who bears humming bird wings on her back. Mindy Diasco, a brilliant and pretty scientist who loves Eris dearly.

Do you know how to post pictures on RPG boards?: yes.

Sample Post:

(ust so you guys can get a feel for him.)

"The Bermuda Triangle is a mystery I have been trying to solve for years." Marian said. She stood in Leila's office, papers and maps scattered all over the floor in an attempt to explain to her the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. She pointed to one map pinned up to the wall, scribbled and littered with notes. "Right here is where I'm most concerned, because it's where the planes are most likely to get lost in. And here," She pointed a little ways to the left. "Is where I believe the cause of the disapperances resides." Leila, who had been supervising Marian Freedman's claim, nodded along as if agreeing but then said something quite alarming.

"This all seems quite interesting Ms. Freedman, but I'm afraid this mystery isn't really a personal problem of your's. It seems more like a hobby than anything." She said. Marian nodded.

"I understand completely, but I'm not interested in the Triangle for nothing Leila. It's taken someone from me. My sister." Her tone became deflated. "She was an airline pilot who did tropical flights. One night, she crossed the Triangle, and never came back."

"But the flight did." Leila continued. "I remember hearing this story on the news about 2 years ago. The passengers, and even the Co-Pilot made it back home safely, but the Pilot hadn't. No one could even recall when she disappeared, for they say they heard her voice on the intercom and the Co-Pilot was sure that she was sitting next to him when they landed." She scratched her chin, curious. "That was a strange predicament. How does one go missing in front of dozens of people like that?"

"I don't know, all I know is that the Triangle is not what it seems." Marian said. "It's not just a myth made by conspiracy theorists. The Triangle is...alive. Or at least sentient. Something out there is taking ships and planes with it."

"I think I know just the Agent to help you, Ms. Freedman. This case seems Paradoxical enough in nature." She said, smiling.
...............................
Pheonix stood in the planes doorway, his poncho wildly fluttering in the wind. He tied his hair back to keep it out of his face, but a few sand colored strands escaped. Marian Freedman, his client, was flying the plane lower. "Alright, you're gonna jump in a little while!" She yelled over the wind. "I'd try to fly closer, but the plane might go down! So you will have to make the trip by yourself." Pheonix nodded, he felt a pang of fear. He swallowed it, upon realizing he'd need his wings to fly.He waited for the signal, and then Marian shouted "Now!" And he jumped from the plane. The world seemed a blur as wind flew past his face. He tried to tell himself to calm down, and when he finally did, he felt his wings release, but a tad bit too late.

He hit water, but he flapped his wings twice to soften the landing a bit. He landed near a shore line, and stood up quickly once he realized where he was. He flew into the air, away from the water, and finally stood on solid ground. He was on an island, one that he knew to be his island. The island hidden from the world, home of the Rolonu. The God at the Bottom of the Sea whispered to him, "No one is here, Pheonix. You are in a time without them." Pheonix knew that already. He was a stranger from the past, someone of this world but in the wrong time. The God who Whispered to him tried to explain this when he first woke up in Paradox HQ. The God in the Sea had given him a new family and wings just as he promised. Pheonix wasn't sure if he was happy with it though.

He walked further into the depths of the Islands forest, and found a path he remembered from childhood. It was a pathway used to get food from the tree groves, he remembered walking along on warm sunny afternoons with his sister to get Banana's and small honey suckle flowers. He trudged along the path, trying to erase the image of his sister from his head. He couldn't think of her while he was here, it would be too much for him to bare. Soon he came across the grove, and noticed that the trees were more plentiful than they had been when he was a child. Probably because there was no one here but animals to pick them now.

He looked around, and wondered shortly just what was he supposed to be looking for. A woman? The island seemed barren. He could fly up to get a better view, but he didn't want to risk burning the beautiful honey suckle bushes nearby. He decided to continue walking. Perhaps the woman had stumbled upon his empty village. As he neared the entrance he remembered so fondly, he could hear a strange static noise coming from within the village. "Come on! Work, you stupid thing!" It wasn't a woman's voice, but that of a man's. As Pheonix entered the villlage he saw a man in rags, banging on what he had come to know as a radio. Pheonix could feel his frustration.

The man turned, and yelled when he saw Pheonix. "Who the hell are you?" He asked, scared. Pheonix raised a hand in greeting, trying to calm the man.

"I'm here to help." Pheonix said. The man squinted at him, but his eyes widened upon seeing the moth pinned to his poncho.

"You're a Paradox Agent?" He asked. "That's great! Get me off this island!' He ran up to Pheonix, frantically shaking his arm.

"Okay, we go. But first, I need to find a woman." He tried to explain as best he could, but his english could still use some work.

"Woman? You mean...." He looked back at the radio. "There's a crazy lady who lives up there, in the mountains." He pointed up where Pheonix remembered the Leader slept. His house must still be standing, for her to live up there.

"Take me to woman. Now." He said. The man shook his head, scared.

"No, what are you crazy? Lets leave! What did you come in on?" Pheonix shook the man off, and headed for the mountains. He would just find his way to her with his memory. "Okay, okay fine! I'll help you!" He said. "There used to be a pathway up to the mountain top but-"

"It's gone." Pheonix finished. The man nodded, slowly.

"Yeah...hey, how did you find me?" He asked.

"I used to live here. Long time ago." He answered. "Your radio was also loud..."

"Woah, wait. This place is your native land? You're one of the...locals?" He looked around, confused. "I thought you were all gone? Where did you all go?"

"I don't know. I left before I could find out what happened to the others." Pheonix said. "Why...are you here? How you find my village?"

The man perked up, "Oh, I'm an Anthropologist from the states. My name is Cedric Rails, I was going to take a look at things in Tahiti, some old artifacts from the Bentu people that were recently discovered, when the plane crashed and I ended up here." He explained.

"Where the plane?" Pheonix asked. He didn't see one on the shoreline.

Cedric stopped. "Well. I'd like to know that too. The plane definitely crashed, but where it is on this island, I couldn't tell you." He said.

"Island is big." Pheonix conceded.

"Yeah, it is, but I've been on it for about 2 years now. I've searched every where and still can't find any ruins of a plane." They reached the beginning of the mountain trail. "All I've been able to find is your people's village, and that hut on the mountain. With the crazy lady in it."

2 years, he claims. He must be from the same flight, for what are the odds of two people going to the same place, but only one of them making headlines? Pheonix began the trek up the mountain, retracing his steps from the days he went to see Yulioxolo to relay messages. Cedric, having taken in interest in his culture, badgered him with questions. "What did your people call themselves? Were they violent, wait excuse me that was rude of me. I mean, did they ever fight with other tribes or villages? Were there rituals of any kind?"

"Can't tell you anything." Pheonix replied. "It's a secret."

"What? Seriously?" He complained. "Can you at least tell me what you called yourselves?"

"We were Rolonu." He answered.

Cedric stayed quiet for awhile. "Rolunu...?"

"Rolonu. It means 'Hidden'." Pheonix corrected him. As they walked, Cedric began to ask questions about Pheonix himself. The trek up the mountain seemed longer than he remembered.

"Why did you leave? How did you leave? Paradox HQ is all the way in Jersey, and where here in the Bermuda." He pondered.

"I...I don't really remember how I got to Paradox." Pheonix said.

"You have amnesia?" Cedric asked. Pheonix shook his head.

"Bits and pieces float around in my head. I just...I don't know." He said. "It's strange, it is. To think about how I got....to there."

Cedric looked at him sadly. "What's your name? I completely forgot to ask."

"Pheonix."

"Well Pheonix, hopefully we can all get off this island in one piece. Do you miss home?" He said.

"Sometimes." Pheonix answered. They reached the broken down mountain path. "I know a way around."

Cedric followed Pheonix, and soon they reached the top of the mountain. A big hut decorated with ceramonial regalia and words in Rolun stood at the very top. A woman sat on the front steps. Judging from her clothes, Pheonix had no doubt that she was the missing pilot. She stood up upon seeing them, and held something out to them.

"Careful, she has a knife." Cedric warned. Pheonix could see that was not the only thing in her hand. She held a necklace in her other hand, and it had a familiar orange glint. The God whispered to him, "Ah, I see you've found a part of my key."

"WHAT ARE YOU HERE FOR?!" She demanded. Cedric held his hands up, frightened.

"We're just here to talk. We're leaving the island now." he told her, wary.

"Come with us." Pheonix said. She would not listen.

"You. He warned me about a Rolonu coming to take him away from me." She said, in quiet suspicion. "WELL YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM! The Jewel is mine, Felixolo." Cedric looked at Pheonix.

"See? I told you she was crazy!" He said. The orange jewel had driven her crazy, just like it did Thaddeus Goodoire. There was only one thing Pheonix could do to remove it's influence. Take it for himself. He walked towards her, and told Cedric not to follow him.

He thought of something that made him angry, and the wings he hid released from his back. Cedric felt hot flames on his face, and backed away quickly. The Pilot held the orange jewel close to her heart. He shot a ball of flame her way, but the jewel protected her. A purplish aura surrounded her. "She has found a way to control the key, Pheonix." The God whispered. Pheonix lunged at her, and a flap of his wings sent him hurtling towards her. The Pilot bowled over on her side, and the jewel went flying and balanced on the side of the mountain's edge.

Pheonix shoved her aside, and went for the jewel, snatching it up quickly. The minute he touched the jewel, a heat radiated from it so hot that it burned his hand. He held onto it though, and released a heat of his own, contesting with the spirit inside of it. It soon gave up, and the key glowed a bright orange, before bursting into flames and disappearing. "It is done." Pheonix said. The Pilot got up from the ground, dazed and slightly confused. The effects of the jewel wore off, and the The God who Whispers voice grew louder to Pheonix. "Very good, Pheonix. The Key is not yet complete, but you have gotten an integral piece.

Pheonix returned to Paradox HQ with the help of Marian, who was finally able to reunite with her sister. The jewel did things to her, but because of Pheonix taking it away, she became her old regular self in no time. Cedric also returned, but oddly enough no one seemed to know he was gone.
"So, how was it? Returning back there?" Leila had asked him, as they sat in her office going over the field report.

"It was not...bad. I am still confused, though. About the missing people." He said. "Maybe Triangle worked some kind of magick on them. My leader had powers that could make people see things that weren't there. He was why the island was never discovered." Leila nodded.

"How strange." She said. "Well it certainly sounds like a harrowing tale, Pheonix. I'm sure the others would love to hear you talk about it!" Pheonix laughed, a rare sound.

"Yes, I'm sure a tale like that would be interesting to tell." he said.
...................
Darius gaped at Leila the entire time she relayed her friends tale over tea. It had been about a month since he got the assignment, but it still made for interesting table talk. "Wow, that's...unbelievable. Like, I literally don't believe you." He said.

Leila chuckled knowingly. "Oh I'm sure in due time the story of Pheonix and the Bermuda Triangle will become believable to you." Darius rolled his eyes.
"There you go again, being all cryptic and spooky." He said. "I doubt there could ever be anything to make me believe such a story. And I probably won't ever meet this Pheonix fella."

Leila just sipped her tea, a smile on her lips.

@Liseran Thistle

I’m going to go ahead and approve this

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

no longer secret stuff

_Theme

NAME

Unknown

ALIAS

Euphoria
The Invisible Hand
The Prince of Prosperity

COLOR

Dark Orange

ALIGNMENT

Villain

IDENTITY

Secret

PERSONALITY

A great human author once referred to the 'banality of evil', an idea which many other sapient species understood on an essential level, but lacked the vocabulary to put into words. They did not, however, lack for illustrative examples, and in recent cosmic history one name became the most repeated one among radical thinkers.

If evil is banal, then very few beings could embody this axiom better than Euphoria. Here is a being whose response to deep existential angst and alienation in his youth was to embark on an centuries-long pursuit of his own happiness through great material growth. Upon seeing the universe he lived in as an uncaring and purposeless place, he chose to uncaringly exploit the riches of that universe to craft a purpose for himself. A committed egotist and hedonist, his endless accumulation of wealth is not a mere expression of blind greed, but rather a 'rational' pathway to an equally endless consumption. As much an ideologue as he is an entrepeneur, his flaws are not born from some mental defect, but from his wholehearted devotion to a 'rational' philosophy which places each individual as a heroic creature, looking out solely for his own selfish interests and nobody else's. Humans might describe him as a 'libertine' or an 'objectivist', though he would reject any labels that were not his own.

Euphoria is adamantly jovial, friendly, playful and witty. As a public figure, he is attracting, bewitching even. Those lucky enough to be in his good graces might even find him likeable. However, his personal relationships are shaped by his philosophy as much they are by his business interests: the well-being of others is always secondary to the economy and the bliss he derives from it. Thus, he is uncaring or self-exculpatory towards those he exploits, and has betrayed many so-called 'friends' over the centuries for the sake of his individual journey. There are, in fact, few things he would not do to protect the system which helped him become the person he is today and to further expand his riches. To him, the value of life is wholly dependent on its necessity within the structure and his plans, and all life but his own can suddenly become expendable.

The spiritual leader and unofficial CEO of the League for a Bright Future exists in a state of near-perpetual revelry. Music and light follow him wherever he goes, and he dances and sings to its beats constantly. Aesthetics are a major concern of his, sometimes equal in importance to raw practicality. His semi-nomadic economic empire is a neon-colored behemoth of audiovisual entertainment as well as production and trade, bringing his message of cheerful nihilism and eternal capitalism to all worlds it comes across.

Euphoria's ultimate goal is in the name he has chosen for himself: to someday possess so many material riches that he finds a true, transcendental kind of happiness, which he can experience for all eternity. His utopia is a universe without governments, without any social structures or hierarchies other than the many corporations that comprise the League for a Bright Future. For reasons unknown to all but himself, this long path towards paradise recently came to include one small blue world in the Milky Way, a world which had long evaded his ravenous attention...

ORIGIN

Although his birthname and family have been lost in time, some fairly reliable facts about Euphoria's beginnings are either a matter of public knowledge or easily inferred.

We know, for instance, that he was born on a beautiful planet called Lamuella, located in an inner arm of the Triangulum galaxy. Despite his many changes over time, it is undeniable that he was once just like most native inhabitants of Lamuella: a tall, pale-skinned, colorful-haired humanoid. What his childhood was like remains a mystery, but he would later claim that he was a mostly happy, lively boy with a head full of big questions and equally big ambitions. He was also, by his own admission, a cosmic dualist, though he never revealed the nature of his paradox.

When his paradox finally revealed itself, however, its effect was dramatic. Faced with the inner workings of the Universe laid bare before him, Euphoria experienced a terrible existential crisis. Where cosmomancers found a positive, beautiful purpose in their discovery, Euphoria found the opposite: a complete and utter purposelessness, a feeling of emptiness and loneliness. To him, the Universe no longer had any mysteries or meaning, and all he had to look forward to was the end of his cosmically brief life.

It is clear that he eventually found an answer to this anguish, in the form of adopting a philosophy of egotism and hedonism, with his goals being a vast material wealth, absolute pleasure and, ultimately, immortality. With this aim in mind, he claimed the Lamuellan word for 'euphoria' as his name and departed his homeworld, determined to become a great interplanetary magnate. He enjoyed a precocious but massive success in his endeavor, founding his own megacorporation while he was still a young man and then becoming one of the leading members of the League for a Bright Future.

A millennia-old coalition of merchants, industrialists and media moguls, the League had long been one of the dominant economic forces in its own region of Triangulum, its influence transcending mere supply and demand, and often surpassing the power of planetary and interplanetary governments. Yet with Euphoria's arrival the League found its true calling, unshackling itself from its ancient restraints as a mere corporate alliance to become an almighty nomadic empire, one which held in its hands the destiny of billions upon billions of workers and consumers. In its new form, the League took it upon itself to not only create wealth for its own members, but to also reshape the ideals of all peoples it encountered, to purposefully create and cultivate its very own cultural hegemony on a galactic or even intergalactic scale.

Euphoria became the League's de facto leader, due to his rising media popularity as the living embodiment of the League's 'dream' for all sapient consumers. His everyday life of fun and glamour glossed over the everyday actions of the League as a whole. While billions watched enraptured his many wild adventures and even wilder parties, the League participated in the galactic slave trade, genocided entire native populations to claim their planets' natural resources, and undermined the various interplanetary workers' syndicates. When a few member corporations of the League rebelled against his leadership, the public themselves boycotted them unprompted, out of loyalty to Euphoria and the League's brand. Legendary and powerful objects were recovered, only to be immediately bought and hoarded by the League, before any governments could get a hold of them. During this time, Euphoria enjoyed the company of countless highly publicized lovers, involved himself in great heroic exploits (or what League-owned media depicted as great heroic exploits), and allegedly engaged in philantropy while advocating for his own individualistic philosophy.

By the end of his first century in the League, Euphoria had already achieved immortality through his technological enhancements and become one of the wealthiest beings in Triangulum. But he was not even close to satisfied yet, and so he pushed to take the League across dark space, to new galaxies, at a great expense and with varying success.

Today, over five hundred years after his birth, Euphoria remains an inspiring (and intimidating) figure in Triangulum. And with the League's newfound footholds in the outer reaches of Andromeda and the Milky Way, his fame has began to spread into new worlds. He continues his journey to reach ever greater joy through growth and consumption, all the while maintaining a deceptively gentle control on the League.

Euphoria's recent, sudden interest in the Milky Way (and, more specifically, to an inhabited planet in the Orion-Cygnus Arm of the galaxy) has gone largely unexplained, even to his peers in the League. Only vague words about great opportunities and success have come from the generally talkative man when asked about the matter. All that is known for sure is that the League's ship have begun to land on various planets closer to the galactic center, bringing with them the League's many material wonders and offers of investment and trade.

HERO TYPE

Mystic / Other
Much like other cosmic dualists, he is a very unique sort of magician, whose powers derive not from supernatural forces per se, but from the rare but natural paradoxes and singularities that take places in the Cosmos.

POWER LEVEL

Cosmic

POWERS

MATERIAL MAGIC
As far as anybody knows, Euphoria was never a cosmomancer, yet he somehow wields the same sort of power that cosmomancers do. Matter itself bends to his will, albeit in a limited form compared to other cosmic dualists. He can force matter to rearrange or disintegrate itself, though not create it from nothing, and at a moderate scale for now. Rather than rely on the crude tools of the cosmomancers, their anchors and beacons, Euphoria has commissioned his own refined and durable tools for the job, now integrated into his physiology. This means that his power, though relatively diminished, is more stable and reliable than it is for cosmomancers.
BIONIC PHYSIOLOGY
Robotic prosthetics, neural implants, and genetically engineered organs are all a part of Euphoria now, added and replaced over the decades as he leg go of his innate biological limitations and amassed an ever larger fortune with which he could finance it all. The end result is a body that's faster, stronger, more resilient and smarter than that of many organic beings. Thanks to his most recent additions, he is now able to transfer at least parts of his consciousness to new vessels, should the need arise, and communicate with the artificial intelligence in his service with ease. He can even survive, if only for short periods of time, in the vacuum of space.

ATTRIBUTES

HEIGHT 2,32 m
WEIGHT 107 kg
STRENGTH 70 tons
SPEED 30 MPH
ENDURANCE 5 hours
AGILITY 15X Human level
INTELLIGENCE Super-Genius
FIGHTING SKILL Untrained
RESOURCES Extreme

WEAKNESSES

Powerful though he may be, Euphoria is not a warrior. He has never faced off against a foe in single combat, mostly relying instead on his allies and employees when necessary. He has some experience in using his powers for destruction, but lacks proper training and technique.

His body is not invulnerable to damage either, despite its enhancements. Electricity and radiation specially pose a threat to him.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

THE ASSEMBLY OF TOMORROW, The totality of the League's members meet regularly, in person or remotely, in the form of this assembly. As of these days, the assembly has over one hundred and thirteen member corporations, each with its own representative. Technically speaking, Euphoria's opinion only weighs as much as that of the other members.
THE BRIGHT ENVOYS, Euphoria's explorers, ambassadors and occasional vanguard. Kidnapped from their home planets and bionically enhanced, they number in the hundreds, although he has several favorites who he dotes on.

@Aufklarung

Currently on the road, so I’ll take a look at this when I’m back from my day trip. Unless Ded or Hound wanted to take a crack before I’m able

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

Well, here goes nothing. Icon thought to himself as he reached escape velocity. He had no clue what would happen once he left Earth’s atmosphere and entered orbit. His lungs could explode, or perhaps he would lose the ability to propel himself forward. Or maybe, going into space wouldn’t affect him at all. The fact was, he wouldn’t know until he got there, and with the Finger of God pointed directly at Lost Haven, he didn’t have time to worry about what may happen. All he could think about was what would happen should they fail.

Once he and his mechanized ally had left the relative comfort of Earth, he found that the change in surroundings didn’t really seem to have much of an affect on him at all. Granted, there seemed to be more drag in the vacuum of space, which slowed him down, and he didn’t have quite as much control as he did while flying within Earth’s atmosphere but the effects weren’t that noticeable. What he did notice, however, was how silent space was. Even with his enhanced hearing, there was not a sound. To him, it sounded almost like being underwater, only more muted.

Another thing he noticed as he looked around was just how beautiful it was. Even as he moved in the general direction of the satellite, he glanced back toward Earth and was utterly awestruck by the beauty of the planet. It was like a bright blue jewel illuminated in the dark, a darkness speckled by the glow of countless stars, which shined like diamonds and dotted the black nothingness for as far as the eye could see. It was truly a breathtaking sight.

[i] Focus Scott, we’ve got a job to do.[/] Icon thought to himself as he forced himself to keep his mind on the task at hand. Although the scenery was spectacular, he couldn’t allow himself to lose sight of why they were there. The Hounds of Humanity had hidden a weapon in orbit above the Earth. It was a weapon that had already wiped two American cities from existence, and left a third city in ruins.

Now, that weapon was pointed directly at his home.

Chris Arthur, The Iron Knight had been able to locate the satellite, which had been dubbed by the media “The Finger of God,” and the few heroes that were potentially capable of space travel went into orbit to take it out. Although Arthur hadn’t been able to pinpoint the exact location, instead, providing Icon and the others with a general direction to look for the satellite, it didn’t take long for them to find it.

There it is. Icon thought as he first laid eyes on the Finger of God. At first glance, the satellite was no more remarkable than any other satellite that lay in orbit around the planet. However, the better he looked at it, the more he could see that it was much more than a normal satellite. The sleek gray and black surface did not stand out by any means. However, as Icon got closer he could see that something was moving on the surface of the satellite. It was one of the other heroes, he believed that she had said that her name was Voyager. She appeared to be working on the side of the weapon, prying a metal panel from the satellite. However, much to his surprise, she wasn’t the only thing that was moving on the satellite.

Points on the satellite appeared to slide and shift as it seemed that the Finger of God was almost aware of an incoming threat. Turrets began to manifest on the body of the satellite. There were two turrets on the top of the satellite’s hexagonal body, one near the bracing which connected one of the large solar panels to the body and another toward the front. There were two more on the bottom of the satellite in similar positions, and another near each of the small dishes that protruded from the satellite.

My God… He thought to himself as he saw something even more disturbing. The Finger of God’s main weapon which was located at the nose of the satellite suddenly came to life as a bright red light gave off a menacing glow which Icon know could only mean one thing…the Finger of God was powering up to fire.

Icon tried to increase his speed as he moved toward the satellite, however, with the vacuum of space slowing him down, and the added weight of the mech that he had been carrying adding even more drag, he wasn’t able to gain any velocity.

I hope he has some sort of propulsion system in that thing. Icon thought as he let go of the mech, allowing it to float free in space. We’ve got to take this thing down, now! Icon thought even as the satellite’s turrets began opening fire on the advancing heroes.

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

Lyger silently crept down a long narrow hallway that seemed to go on forever. Though he didn’t know exactly where he was going, the energy readings in his heads up display seemed to indicate that a large amount of energy was being expended in the general direction that he was heading. As Lyger moved deeper into the compound, he soon realized that it appeared that it was abandoned. He expected there to be Hounds goons swarming the hallways in order to repel the advancing heroes, however there was only silence. He was alone.

Mostly.

“Up this way.” Radiance said to him as she hovered past him “There’s a massive electrical spike coming from somewhere down there.” She said as she continued down the hall. Lyger knew that she was right, he could see the readings on his HUD, however, how she knew that was a mystery to him. The only way that she could possibly know, he guessed based upon her power set, was that she could somehow sense the massive output of energy.

“How can you tell?” He asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“I can feel it.” Radiance told him, confirming his suspicions.

“I’ve got this. You head back and keep an eye on the rookies.” Lyger said referring to Pantheon, Alchemyst, and Lady Hex. The disregard that Pantheon had shown for human life did not sit well with Lyger, and though he knew that he wouldn’t be able to stop the hotheaded powerhouse head on, he had made it a mental note to keep an eye on him. The other two, he didn’t trust. He heard them whispering among themselves, and though he wasn’t able to hear exactly what they were speaking of, he did get bits and pieces. The were discussing something, or someone called the Witchfinder. Though he didn’t know who, or what that was, he didn’t like the possibility of someone’s ulterior motives screwing up this operation.

There was far too much at stake.

“No, you might need me here. Besides, I don’t think they need a babysitter. Arthur and Blacklight should have it covered.” Radiance told him with such conviction that he didn’t bother arguing the point. Instead, he just grunted in acceptance and continued down the hall.

Though Lyger couldn’t argue that Arthur’s heart was in the right place, he still doubted his ability to lead an operation like this. He still had issues with the way that Iron Knight had recruited people who were clearly not ready during the Pax Metahumana crisis, and that carelessness had lead to Bast being injured. However, she was lucky, she recovered. Lyger still intended to have a conversation with Arthur about that, however, again, this was not the time. But the time would come, and soon.

Blacklight however, was a different story. She was a disciplined and experienced hero. She had forgotten more about what it means to be a hero than a lot of people would ever know. Though, he did admit, that he was surprised to see her here as nobody had heard anything from her in years. Having her in the mix gave Lyger some comfort, because he felt that if anybody could keep everyone in line, it was her.

His mind returned to the task at hand as he and Radiance reached their destination. At the end of the hall, there was a massive blast door which ran the entire length of the wall. The door was sealed and there were two heavily armed Hounds standing guard. Lyger stopped short and put his hand on Radiance’s shoulder, pulling her back.

“We can’t take them head on, it’s suicide.” He told her as they peered around the corner at the Hounds guarding the doorway.

“Tsk, tsk.” Radiance said, shaking her head. “Watch this.” She said as she raised her hands up to face level, the air around them began to crackle as electricity jumped between her fingers. She then stepped out around the corner and before the two Hounds could react, she sent a pair of arcing bolts of electricity toward them. The electric bolts hit the Hounds at the same time, the jolt sending both men flying backward into the heavy blast door.

“See, sometimes there is an easier way.” Radiance said as she moved toward the door.

“Right.” Lyger replied as he rushed behind her, hitting the control panel for the blast door, and much to his surprise, the door slid open.

“These guys really need to do something about their security.” Lyger quipped as they entered what they discovered was a sort of command center. The walls were covered with large television screens. There were computer arrays spread throughout the room, and a large array set up in the center of the command center.

“He jokes?” Radiance said, feigning shock as she walked in behind him. “It really is the end of the world.”

“Radiance…” Lyger said. “We have a problem.”

“What’s wro…oh.” She replied, cutting herself short as she saw what he was referring to. One of the computer screens had a single set of large red numbers, and they were counting down.

01:39

01:38

01:37

01:36

“We have to shut this thing down, now.” Lyger said as he rushed to the computer console. He tried accessing the controls, but found that the console was locked and the only way to access it was to put in the password. They did not have the password, nor the time to find it.

01:20

Lyger immediately went to work, pulling the covering from the console and attempting to put a stop to the countdown the old fashioned way, by smashing the computer that controlled it. However, much to his dismay, the countdown did not stop.

“It’s not working.” Radiance said, panic creeping into her voice as for the first time the thought that they might not succeed penetrated her mind.

00:19

00:18

00:17

“The signal must be coming through another console somewhere. We’ll never find it in time.” Lyger said as he frantically began smashing various computer arrays inside the command center, however, he was right. There were too many computers and not enough time.

00:06
“Get back.” Radiance said. “We’ve got one shot at this.” She explained as electricity began to encompass her entire body, which caused her to take on a truly luminous form. Lyger asked no questions, and did not argue. He just did what she had told him to do. Then, an instant later; the sound of thunder reverberated throughout the command center, followed by a electrical sizzle as all of the electronic devices inside the command center went dead. Nothing, including the HUD or the communications system built into his mask had survived.

He quickly glanced over at the main console display and saw that the large red numbers flashed once, and then the console went black.

00:02 was the last number in the countdown before it went dark forever.

“Well, I wasn’t entirely sure that was going to work.” Radiance confessed as she took a deep breath, then took an unsteady step forward. Lyger stepped toward her and offered her his arm to steady herself.

“We bought them some time.” He said looking upward. “Now it’s up to them to take that thing out for good.”

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

Working on actually getting free time. It is not going well.

@VATROU

I can relate. I had planned on spending the entire day writing...however my sister had other plans...instead I spent more than half the day in a car dealership. Tomorrow I'm visiting a friend who I haven't seen in 2 years, and then next week I get to drive 8 hours to pick up my niece....

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

Working on some stuff

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

Well, I'm game for some superhero RP :3

Andromedan

NAME

Gabriel Alexis Corbyn (Milky Way)
Demul Veros Zua Kival (Andromeda)

ALIAS

Andromedan
Space Oddity

COLOR

Medium Violet Red

ALIGNMENT

Hero

IDENTITY

Open secret
His family and a few of his friends know, because he barely made an effort to keep it secret from them. The rest of the world does not know his name, but many have seen his face.

PERSONALITY

The sort of person who would have watched 1960s Batman as a grown up and thought 'that is the best superhero' exists, and his name is Gabriel. Once a bit of a troublemaker, he changed much over the years, and specially after becoming Andromedan, but he was always blessed with an unwaveringly optimistic moralism and a gentle goofyness. Gabriel is not naïve, far from it, yet he has an unshakeable faith in the inherent goodness of people, the universal value of life and the inevitability of justice. There is not a tinge of cynicism in him, not even the ghost of a sarcastic smirk on his face whenever he helps those in need. He is kind and sincere to a fault, almost always showing empathy for others and expressing himself with openess.

An extrovert with a very proactive streak, Gabriel is quick to make friends and quite effective at coaxing them to try new things with him. Although his days of being a rowdy punk-ish kid are behind him, he still loves to live at a hectic pace, constantly experiencing new sensations. His many tattoos speak of only a fraction of his adventures through the years, both on Earth and beyond, and his passions and hobbies have ran the gamut from singing rock music to learning Spanish to studying Greek mythology to becoming a competitive swimmer. He likes parties and concerts, absolutely loves music from the 70s and 80s, and also is a bit of a flirt.

Born and raised in a liberal Christian family, Gabriel is still a believer to this day, even if it is not his faith so much as his instinct that guides his moral compass. He is openly bisexual, and has had a small handful of relationships since his middle school years. Whenever he is not in his costume, Gabriel is either spending time with his family or friends, or training for his swimming competitions, or trying (and failing) to study for his college classes.

COSTUME

Image

ORIGIN

Now and then, the Universe breaks its own rules, like the cheeky, pretty thing it is. Sometimes, time will suddenly dilate for no apparent reason within a small empty room. Sometimes, gravity will spontaneously make waves in the empty space between star systems. Sometimes, entropy will go backwards for this one particular flower, or just stop moving in any direction for an entire planet. And sometimes, against all odds, a single being will exist in two or more places at the same time without knowing it, like a weird alternate version of Schrödinger's cat.

Gabriel Corbyn was one such being. From the beginning, perhaps even from his conception, he belonged in two galaxies: the Milky Way and Andromeda. Somehow, Gabriel Corbyn of Earth was also Demul Veros Zua Kival of Nigundalos. It was not just that their bodies were identical all the way down to the subatomic level, but also that their behavior, thoughts and sense of self were one and the same.

The paradox remained unobserved until long, long after he was born, causing only a few, mostly imperceptible spatial phenomena around him. Gabriel thus enjoyed a seemingly normal childhood, growing up with loving families on either side of the Universe. A bit too passionate for his own good, he became more and more unruly as he neared adolescence, and once he got there he was nigh unstoppable. Although he was generally well-intentioned, he repeatedly got himself into trouble with elders, and would often run away from school or home to spend time with other wannabe rock stars and their Andromeda equivalents. By the age of sixteen he had already gotten himself his first few tattoos, hundreds of hours in detention, and many months without internet access at home, but he was already on track to be a relatively functional young man with a bright future ahead of him.

Not long after he turned sixteen, however, his ignorance of his cosmic dualism came to a sudden and world-shattering end. On that year, Nigundalos fell to an alien invasion, and his family on that planet was killed in a subsequent massacre. The emotional trauma of the atrocity broke through the cosmic and mental veil that had kept him from becoming aware of his true nature. With that barrier gone, the Universe reacted to the revelation of the paradox by plunging Gabriel into another galaxy to reunite his conscience with that of his self from Andromeda. It was then that Gabriel caught the attention of Mirvo Neu Kan Takol, a fellow cosmic dualist from both the Milky Way and Andromeda, and the holder of the title of the Andromedan at the time.

The Andromedan rescued Gabriel from Nigundalos, taking him to the interspatial sanctuary of the Cosmomancers. There, the Andromedan introduced him to the secrets of the Cosmomancers, people who had learned to use their nature as living singularities to change the Universe. Theirs was less of a corps of intergalactic guardians, and more of a spontaneously formed cooperative of humanitarians bound by a shared belief in a future universal utopia. Over the course of the next few weeks, Gabriel learned to exploit the consequences of his cosmic dualism, all the while developing an interest in the Cosmomancers' vision. His character, however, would soon drive him to move beyond what he had been taught.

Despite his training being nowhere near complete, and the Andromedan strongly objecting to it, Gabriel took it upon himself to single-handedly help the refugees from Nigundalos escape and find a new home. The odyssey that followed took him and the refugees across the border of what he had once thought physically possible, but after days of pursuit he succeeded in taking them back with him to the Milky Way and stranding their pursuers in the Black Eye Galaxy. Gabriel's impressed mentor passed down the title of Andromedan to him, along with his armor, and helped him find his way back to Earth.

As the new Andromedan, Gabriel set out to use his powers to help as many people as he could, in ways both big and small, all the while desperately trying to juggle the public life of a young superhero with the private life of a semi-normal teenager. He stayed in his hometown of Burlington, Vermont, until his high school graduation, then spent several months hitchhiking to the West Coast with his then girlfriend, Maxine, until finally settling down in California. There, he began attending classes at UC Berkeley, where he had gotten a swimming scholarship, all the while continuing to help the people of Earth, and sometimes the rest of the Milky Way, as the Andromedan.

HERO TYPE

Mystic / Other
Gabriel is what knowledgeable beings call a cosmic dualist, someone who once paradoxically existed in two separate places at the same time without realizing it. As a living singularity, he is simultaneously more and less than a sorcerer: his powers represent a very unique form of magic, one that barely qualifies as such since it arises exclusively from the rare paradoxes which break the fundamental laws of the Cosmos. It is unlike common spellcasting, bound to different kinds forces and far more capricious in its use.

POWER LEVEL

Cosmic

POWERS

SPATIAL MAGIC
With a slightly warped sense of self and just a bit of nudging, even space itself can be altered. As a cosmic dualist, Gabriel can distort tridimensional space in a myriad of ways, open rifts into places beyond the immediately visible, and even create new space, provided he is willing to risk really getting on the Cosmos' nerves. It is not an easy form of magic to master, largely because it is not really magic in the conventional sense, but rather fundamental physics gone awry, and it will often backfire on its users or just refuse to work altogether. One's ability to safely and reliably manipulate space is dependent on a plethora of factors, many of them incomprehensible to the human mind. Thus, in order to be able to use spatial magic on a regular basis, Gabriel must rely on 'anchors', remnants of massive singularities from cosmic antiquity that help stabilize the conditions around him and diminish the danger of cosmic backlash. Along with these anchors, he also has access to 'beacons', pieces of objects that once came into contact with spatial rifts or trascended our plane of existence, which serve as guides whenever he travels through space using his powers.

ATTRIBUTES

HEIGHT 1,80 m
WEIGHT 76 kg
STRENGTH Normal Human
SPEED Normal Human
ENDURANCE Normal Human
AGILITY Normal Human
INTELLIGENCE Average
FIGHTING SKILL Trained
RESOURCES Minimal

WEAKNESSES

Being a cosmic dualist, a rule-breaker by nature, carries many great perils. Even with an anchor, Gabriel knows that he could cause a minor cataclysm every time he manipulates space, and that he could accidentally cast himself out of existence altogether if he travelled through space without a beacon. This forces him to restrain his powers even in the face of desperate circumstances. Cosmic anomalies like the one that created him can also pose a problem, insofar as being in the proximity of one may weaken him or make his powers act out.

More importantly, however, Gabriel is still, biologically speaking, a tiny puny human, with little squishy bits and all. Guns, knives, sticks, the common cold, or a well-inflated football... if it can hurt any normal young human, it can definitely hurt him.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

MIRVO NEU KAN TAKOL, his mentor and the previous Andromedan
CLAUDIA SOUTHERN, a fellow cosmic dualist and occasional rival, also known as Delphinian
JEREMY CORBYN, his father
NATALIE CHOMSKY, his mother
KATHERINE CORBYN, his sister
NOAH CORBYN, his brother
NOAH CHOMSKY, his maternal grandfather

SAMPLE POST

Across the border

Across the border

_Theme

Behind the hundred coilguns that now pointed in silence at the approaching convoy, the vast purple and blue nebula spread into the shape of... probably a fish? A very cute fish, at least. It made Gabriel smile softly.

The trans-astral gate had been shut down, the blue-green light of its reactors dimming with every passing second. Apparently, the fleet's commanders still assumed the refugees would try to escape to another star system. That had been the plan at first...

He felt himself shudder, and he was not sure if it was for himself or for the dozens of people huddled around him, their eyes round and bright with panic as they stared at either the young cosmomancer or the invaders' ships in front of them. Maybe it was a bit of both.

The anchor felt course, rough in his hand, even through the glove. But it also felt powerful and comforting as he clenched his fist, and his shuddering gave way to a little sigh.

He turned to the Nigundals, the people who had always been his own without him knowing it. He smiled wider. "We're going to make it. It's just a little bit longer."

He paused, and looked down on his fist. There was a bit of sparkling coming from the anchor between his fingers.

"I'm sorry I could not save our home," he continued, paying no mind to the renewed warning from the invaders' commanders, coming through their communications console. "On Earth, there are many who lost their homes like you did..."

He talked like only he could, undefeatable warmth and hope permeating the words.

"But this is not the end. You remain, you survive, and every breath you take is one more chance for your home to be reborn somewhere else tomorrow. You are more than a planet. Your lives are more than the soil they came from... and I know that your spirits are stronger than any monster's cruelty."

A couple of them were smiling back now. They were ready.

"Well... enough of me talking," he said with a sigh, unclenching his fist and closing his eyes. "Time to say goodbye to the monsters."

With his ship leading, the small convoy of refugees began its slow movement towards the gate. They needed to conserve fuel, just in case, and most of the ships were old and probably, so Gabriel was not too keen on pushing them to their limits, or anywhere near them.

The coilguns from the invaders' ships began to power up, and he could almost hear their terrible humming. He had to time this right, but even with the anchor, that was easier said than done.

"Home," he whispered to himself, focusing his thoughts on a distant bit of light in the depths of space. He took deep breaths, kept his eyes closed, even made a silent prayer to God (hopefully His omnipotence extended to other galaxies).

He felt himself forcing he space around their convoy to bend to his will. He would need space to break, to tear, just for a few moments. It was getting there. Already he could feel the distortions, bigger and longer with each passing instant.

And then, at last, it happened.

The ship was suddenly plunged forward. Or rather, the space around it contracted so quickly it was as if it had travelled at light speed. The rest of the ships followed almost immediately, and every shot of the hundred coilguns missed.

He guided the convoy with his eyes still closed, warping the space around it as the invaders sent their fighters to intercept. The refugees' ships advanced fast, faster than their engines would have ever allowed them to, and evaded every shot. Even the missiles could not hit their targets, their systems disoriented by the constant deformations of the space. Distance had become meaningless.

The coilguns kept firing and, as he opened his eyes, Gabriel saw their projectiles come directly at his ship. His heart beat rapidly, but he did not hesitate. With a motion of his arms and hands, the space around the projectiles bent, folded on itself and in many directions, and the projectiles scattered into the void.

They were almost there...

Just a few more miles...

They were so close to the bulk of the fleet that he could see the fine details of their massive design...

The invaders were more than happy to play chicken with him, it appeared. Their main ships rushed at their convoy in a blinding burst of light, eager to ram the puny Nigundals and crush the last remnants of that civilization...

"Hello, my name is Demul Veros Zua Kival..." He said, laughter in his teenage voice, and with his shout came the tear. A hole that was not a hole, but more like a crystalline sphere of swirling colors, had appeared between the convoy and the fleet. The trans-astral gate visibly trembled around them, its own cosmic energy affected by the abrupt phenomenon, and the systems in all ships began to malfunction.

"You killed my family. Prepare to..."

The convoy was gone. The invaders' fleet was gone. The trans-astral gate was in ruins. Somewhere in the Black Eye Galaxy, a large fleet crash-landed on a deserted but habitable planet. And somewhere in the Milky Way, near the planet Gliese 581c, the crystalline sphere of swirling colors reappeared, and from within it came a small convoy of refugee ships, led by a young human with happy tears in his eyes and incredulity in his laughter.

"I did it. We made it."

@Aufklarung

I'm going to go ahead and approve this