Well, not to brag, but "epic" is my middle name! Hoho. No, it's not. It's Philip.
Based off how much interest this gets, it'll be a "quality over quantity" type deal. So just make sure it's a solid, amazing character you've got, and you'll be good. I wrote a bit down below about what I'm sort of looking for, so hopefully it'll help.
Quite interested; I'd like to see where this goes. Any guidelines on character creation?
Glad to see you're interested! My only real concern for the characters is that they're no younger than late twenties/early thirties. And not too over-powered. They thought they were gods, but they needn't actually be one. I can't say everyone's character should be, but they're all ex-heroes who got used to that fancy, action-packed life in the spotlight. So it should be incorporated somehow. But, really, with the idea that they are a has-been and are middle-aged, there's not a whole lot else specific I'm looking for. I want people to have the freedom to interpret a washed-up superhero celebrity however they like.
Aside from that, just your standard strong, well-written characters who are still flawed, believable but original enough to be compelling. Keep in mind too that The Seventh Division was a global team, so your character could be from any country, culture, religion, etc., from around the world. The more unique, the better!
I'll have a CS up shortly. Hopefully it'll help. I don't know if my answer truly did. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
Interest vehemently expressed. I love these sorts of things, especially when they're painted in a more realistic light.
Out of idle curiosity, how old do you mean when you say these washed-up vigilantes are "retired"? I'm assuming young-to-late adults?
Thanks for the interest! Yeah, I realize aged superheroes fighting an alien invasion doesn't come off as very realistic, but I'm really hoping to make it so. More like Daredevil in a way, you know?
In terms of ages, I'm thinking thirties and above. No longer young and agile. I originally wanted to go for characters in or nearing their sixties, but I don't think most people would go for the pitch of geriatric superheroes saving the world one last time.
We were once heroes. But, as I’ve come to learn, heroes win the wars no one else could.
I don’t know if we’ll win this war.
And I’m so, so sorry...
.
.
.
There were a lot of us. I guess I’ve lost count of how many people we inspired to join our cause over the decades. Masked men and women, seasoned vigilantes, misfits and the misled just trying to do right by this world – we had them all. Some possessed supernatural abilities, godlike powers. Some were the brightest minds the world would ever know. And some were just the everyday passer-byer’s on the street done with being reduced to a mere bystander. Whoever and whatever they had been didn’t matter. What mattered was that they fought for us to make Earth something we could be proud of. A legacy we guided into long-standing fruition.
We called ourselves The Seventh Division. It took seven reiterations for a group of crime-fighters to finally work. It was never a name intended to brand us and, yet, here we are. Some of us had our costumes, our masks and codenames. Childish things, all of it; we didn’t start off for the glamour. It was all good intentions in the beginning. Yet major media outlets make sure our name was etched into every mind everywhere. We became a global phenomenon. People demanded more of us, made shrines for us; they craved us, idolized us. They cursed us and loathed us when we couldn’t fight their battles, couldn’t save them or bring them justice. The government turned to us when problems were too big for them, and other times dismissed us as a nuisance. The Death Machine was arrested and imprisoned several times over until she was eventually shot dead by a county sheriff in some backwater town. The following week, Hemlock and Sung Jin Lee were commemorated for their on-going services to the NYPD. It was an uneven game we played.
In those days, when I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the bravest, most brilliant warriors and diplomats and allies, it was hard not to feel like a god. For thirty-six years, The Seventh Division didn’t only write world peace into the history textbooks, we promised to engrave it in stone. At the high peak of our success, in our later days, we were cocky. We believed we were Atlas, carrying the weight of the world and doing a damn good job at it. We fought everything from petty criminals to “supervillains,” we smothered World War III. We thought we were everything right.
And yet we still failed. Hard, without any grace or glory. We crashed and burned in the face of defeat at the hands of something more than an alien race. We saw them coming from halfway across our solar system. We thought we had time to prepare – hell, we felt prepared. For an intergalactic allegiance to all-out war, we thought we were ready. We really weren’t. All we were at that point was a ragtag team of socialites living the high life of being universally adored. There was no more fighting for the greater good. It was only for the glamour, the fame. Some of us like the validation of being publicly loved; some of us liked the easy access to drugs, power, sex, and five-finger discounts. None of us were innocent, or pure, or worthy of being touted as Earth’s defenders. We inflated ourselves without ever thinking we could be popped. And when we finally were, we went fast.
Of the twenty-two of us that fought during those endless days, only nine of us survived. Others who once stood proudly under the name of The Seventh Division fled once they knew we weren’t winning, just prolonging our collapse. That, or the lifestyle we upheld wasn’t what they signed on for, and I don’t blame them for it. I guess they knew best. They didn’t watch their friends and family crumble beneath an enemy we didn’t know could exist. They didn’t see the city of Adventbrook collapse from an aerial view like I did. They didn’t see the bodies of a few million innocent lives scattered across the debris and carnage. All because of us. All because we likened ourselves to deities and rulers and weren’t ready to live up that self-proclaimed title. We were just great pretenders.
We didn’t understand those aliens’ agenda – still don’t. They descended in massive, impossibly organic space crafts and slaughtered the citizens of Adventbrook. Only there, nowhere else. They were like elephant-sized jellyfish, the aliens – long and billowy, but not physical beings. Like ghosts; non-corporeal. We couldn’t make a dent in them. They took most of the bodies, a lot of the living, and left some behind to rot. Then, as quickly as they came and laid ruin to our efforts, they drifted out of our atmosphere and vanished into the dark abyss of outer space.
And just like that, it was over.
We were over.
...
That event – “The Extraterrestrial Battle of Adventbrook,” or “AW1: Alien War 1” for short – was two and a half years ago. After we couldn’t save that Canadian city nestled in the heart of Ontario, we warranted ourselves something of a bad rep and let it snowball. Those of us that lived through it didn’t try anymore. Of the nine remaining members, five quit and went into hiding, favouring a return to normalcy, whatever they considered “normal” to be. One is working exclusively with the American government – SETI, or NASA – having severed ties to the rest of the world shortly after. One went insane and became something of an antihero no one asks for. One fought back against the media backlash and annihilated a few dozen reporters and police officers. They’re still in some max security cell somewhere.
And then there’s me: the last remaining hero of The Seventh Division. The only one who still stands by that name. I’m old. I feel it. I’m not what I used to be, and I see it. I still try to bring justice to those who need it, but I am only one fraction of a much bigger core of that success I once knew. I fail more often than I come close to winning, and I don’t know why I keep trying.
But I know one thing: they’re going to return, and when they do, I can’t be the only one willing to try again.
- Zenith
...
And now it’s my time to speak! I guess one half Watchmen, a little dash of Falling Skies, and not quite enough of Avengers to be a full rip-off, we have this – The Seventh Division: AW2: an RP about re-assembling a broken-up group of vigilantes to prepare for the second alien invasion, and more. I know where I’m going to take this RP, what will happen and what plot twists we’ll encounter, so the structure is there, but enough leeway for us to do whatever we want with it. If we later want to carry on this RP into another story separate from the AW2 (Alien War 2) plotline, I’ve also planned for that. It’ll be fun, I promise!
In a nutshell, our characters are ex-superheroes who were defeated, retired, went into hiding, took up part-time crime-fighting, resumed their old lives, etc. They lived a lavish lifestyle and were shunned for it when it became clear they became greedy and corrupted. They were ostracized and disbanded when more than half of them died and, not only could they not save the day, but they gave up on it for the most part. They can be someone with super strength, telekinesis, supernatural qualities, or even just a knack for punching well. They don’t have to be “superhuman” necessarily, just someone once regarded as a hero who was part of The Seventh Division. They do have to be a former member of The Seventh Division, however. But whether they’re a first-generation member (The First Division, even?), fought in the AW1, or fled before it got that bad is your decision. They can be anywhere in the world now, doing whatever – most likely not still trying to save the day, mind you. Or, if they are, it’s definitely not under the guise of The Seventh Division anymore. It should go without saying, however, that your character should be a little grounded in realism. Think less Superman and more Hiro Nakamura.
I’m looking for roughly seven-ish other people who want to help shape this story and make it all sorts of crime-fighting, world-saving, character-exploring excitement. I guess you could say I'd like to focus on character development (who doesn't want to write in-depth for washed-up celebrity superheroes trying to reclaim glory while preparing for the end of the world?), but action is a major part of this as well. If you have any questions or want more information, feel free to ask here or send me a PM. There will be more information in the OOC, but I don’t think an info-dump is attractive for the Interest Check, is it?
I look forward to all the responses!
THE CHARACTER SHEET:
REAL IDENTITY
NAME
AGE
(keep in mind, the majority of The Seventh Division would be in their thirties or above)
GENDER
APPEARANCE
(a picture or written description works. Include a small blurb about their height, weight, body shape, other features if you go with an image)
OCCUPATION
(former or current)
LOCATION
(where they are in the world now)
FAMILY/FRIENDS/OTHER
ABILITIES/STRENGTHS
(supernatural, paranormal, key/other learned skills. Can include things like: charismatic, brave, intelligent, tech-savvy, can play the Spanish guitar with one hand, etc.)
VICES/WEAKNESSES
(we all have some!)
BACKSTORY
(doesn’t have to be long – a few paragraphs at the most. Key points to touch on: their life before, their life during, and their life after The Seventh Division)
.
.
.
SUPERHERO PERSONA
NAME/TITLE
APPEARANCE
(their outfit/costume/significant wear. Can be a picture, but writing it may be better)
TOOLS/WEAPONS
(if applicable)
TRADEMARKS
(a logo/symbol, specific hairstyle, special object – is there anything about your character that is strictly "theirs”?)
Hmmm, I'm somewhat torn between two different character ideas that I'd like to go for, one's an ex-con and the other's an IT guy. Suggestions?
An ex-con could add a nice contrast to the group; we've got mostly good, law-abiding characters so far. Depending on the severity of their crimes, it could be interesting to see how everyone reacts once they find out.
You can always make two characters, I have no problems with that. Even if one goes inactive for a while so you can focus on the other, that's cool with me.
So just to be clear, which region of the US are the Towers located in?
Canada, actually. Ontario to be precise, but don't worry if you don't know Canadian geography; it's a fictional city, and many people migrated north. So neither you nor your character have to be familiar with the country.
Hey, everyone! Sorry about my sudden disappearance. I accept the OOC's lack of activity was probably because I vanished without a word. Long story, short: I had no power for a little over a week. Great fun.
Ghost Shadow sent me a PM letting me know he'll be unable to continue with the RP due to real life responsibilities. I'm going to send out a PM to everyone else and see where everyone's at. I'm also going to try to bring us back to being (what we consider) active, and I'll finish off those posts people are waiting on.
Once again, sorry about leaving you all. Hopefully we haven't lost too much interest.
Say, is this still taking apps? Really hope so because I like the look of this thread.
As of now, we are. Post it whenever you can and I'll have a look at it. If you have questions or anything, PM me or ask it here - everyone's helpful.
@DJAtomika, I've added more to the post. Also, @Gowi, I left the end of my part open for David to appear should you still want him to. Just have him knock at the door, walk in, etc.
@McHaggis and @Jinxer, I've written bits for the posts. I'll let you all take over for now.
Edited in David's original post, allowing him for stuff.
I'm glad it's not only me who's busy during the weekends, 'cause during the weekends, I barely exist. I'm like that one background NPC in a video game who doesn't even have a fully-animated face.
Anyway, now that I have a day off, I'm going to catch-up with everything. So @McHaggis, @Jinxer and @DJAtomika, I'll get to work on posts to keep us going. Sorry about the delay!
And @Scoundrel, what's going on with you over there, buddy? I haven't heard from you in a while.
@Darkraven, I normally try to be kind and soft with these things, because no one likes to be removed from any RP, but I'm going to be blunt now here, in the OOC, because we both know we've discussed this through PMs and it's still not sitting with you. Yeah, I don't like arguments in the OOC, but you're still not listening to my PMs.
I've already asked you to resign, my way of saying "you're out". I was nice about it, and you know I was. That was early last night. You continued to PM me defending yourself, getting emotional and personal about it, even after I stopped replying as I felt it wasn't worth it anymore. Then you continue to seek approval from everyone else, even after I've told you you were out. The bottom line here is that you're not in this RP anymore. You have no reason to keep posting here.
At this point, it's not how you acted before that's made me decide to publicly boot you. It's how you're still acting about it. As I said in PMs, this RP is not your life; drop it, move on, and forget about it. It's not worth the energy you're spending on it. Join another RP, start your own. You're getting too worked up over this when you really don't need to be. Stop stressing over this one; it's not worth it. You can find something better, something more suited to you. This is not that.
Now, please, stop posting in this RP, and I'd like to ask you refrain from PMing me anymore. I'm sorry it came to this, but it did. Now let's leave it alone and get on with things. You don't need to reply to this. Just read it and go on with your day.
Alright, everyone, time to be your serious Pal for second here: I apologize for the inconvenience that whole situation caused everyone. It's dealt with now and I'm hoping we can move on and leave that all in the past.
And onward to feeling less responsible...
RP is meant to be a method of procrastination yet somehow I'm avoiding writing for 'em by replaying Mass Effect.
Nah. I allow it. When it comes between writing or playing through the Citadel DLC and bawling my eyes out at the ending - "the best"... Mass Effect will always win.
McHaggis, you kill those Reapers, and you kill them hard. Keelah se'lai.
RELEVANT NOTE: ...Nope, I've got nothing.
Don't be so hard on yourself. At least you tried. A for effort.
@Gowi. what say you to having David go on an outing with Warren and Annette? If you've got plans for the next few posts, we can have it take place later on. Just let us know if you're interested on having David team up with those two to try and secretly find weapons.
It sounds like a much better sub-plot if you read DJ's and my post. I really butchered that synopsis.
There, posted my final character sheet. Though you guys are welcome to make suggestions since it's not set in stone until I make a post. Hope you guys enjoy!
Welcome to the RP! Valentina's added to the main roster on the front page. You're one of us now.
One. Of. Us.
Also, so everyone's aware, @Hank has vanished and I've removed Thaddeus from our character lineup. I've sent out PMs in the past week and a half with no answer, so until he gets back, we are currently Hankless. I hope him leaving didn't affect anyone's plans. Carry on like usual for now with your characters if it did, and we can work things out later if he returns.
Festive