The Harbinger of Ferocity

What went wrong with Expanding Horizons?

As an individual who did a sizable portion of the framework that ultimately went all unused, here are some takeaways of importance from my perspective.

The first is, is that the public has no idea what it wants. If you tell them something as a designer and they have an issue with it as players, take their input but do not feel obligated to go with it. A massive failure was that Expanding Horizons caved to the pressure of demands. People wanting it done sooner, topics up faster, rules rewritten their specific way, on and on. Have your plan with the other designers and members of the section staff, unify that plan internally, and go with it; all of you, even if you personally disagree. Making endless concessions will never work and someone will always be dissatisfied.

What would be next in the second is under no circumstances make character creation flexible. This was mostly an issue with Expanding Horizons because of the fact it was intended to work for free to advanced players and characters of any kind. The leniency was too lenient and players quickly, as they are want to, began developing characters who were specifically made to be better than those ones before. This comes down to having good rules and just employing them, as well as having at least two approving officials for the character sheets. Continued, if a player has an issue with it, that is their issue, not your own. Do not make a habit of employing special exceptions; if a character is too overpowered, deny it without second guessing until it is change. That creep of power increase will destroy any fantasy that gives the semblance of balance.

Third I would state is to have all of the ground work done before the threads open. Unlike Expanding Horizons with a fandom this is far easier, there are entire wikis, movies, books, and the like available. Consolidate those with easy to access links, have a story and plot written out - as in, write the actual overarching plot and implement it from the start and move it along, with or without the players - and have a universal, standardized format for everything and sufficiently pinned and annotated threads. Official posts should look identical across those posting, no matter the section staff member, so players can understand them efficiently. A further recommendation is try to limit the number of starting locations and events so people have a reason to begin interacting with one another.

The fourth and last I would say is to be proactive, in that the threads need the the section staff to actively participate with their own characters and the obvious of those who are non-player characters. They must be reliable, not prone to disappearance or slack, and be consistently active in and out of the game within its section. If someone does disappear, find a comparable or better replacement as soon as possible until they return, at which point the section staff can decide what to do. Do not accept the "They are busy, they will be back soon!" argument.

This all in mind I have touched on what sank the original concept to the dark depths a few times in the past but as a fandom persistent world, many of those issues are resolved by themselves. That leaves these suggestions really as the best I can offer. All in all, best of luck in your endeavors and those participating in the section, @Star Lord.

Post a random fact about yourself.

I am afraid as much as the cats were interesting, I cannot find that show interesting, @Gunther. I too have never watched any of it, that was the most and only I have ever seen, but the writing of the comedy was a bit grating. Then again as noted here, I do not understand the concept of humor well. I appreciate your effort all the same and I suppose that leads me into this fact; I still do not understand what makes mainstream shows popular.

🌌 Ultraverse: Strifes and Triumphs. (Superhero RP, Always Open). 🌌

Los Angeles, California
Obscure Alley
@Shard@Prosaic@Count Cuddles

The sheer sleekness of the pantherine form was displayed artfully in the motionless tiger, where its ears had folded flat back to the skull, and its eyes peered watchfully just over rim of the last brick. It was virtually indistinguishable from any other random subtle feature of the brickwork, let alone a rooftop and one of the few times its camouflage would have been in its favor. Yet that seemingly predatory intensity was betrayed by one clue the cat gave away, as the very tip of its long, narrow tail twitched from side to side; a sign of curiosity and thought.

This came, as it rightfully should have, the moment some dark, blackened blade appeared in the hands of the leading person. Predator's eyes dilated and became more intense, all of the cat loaded like a spring put under pressure in response. Yet rather than springing into the fight or out of danger, the striped animal eased its tension as another joined them. This one was as ornately dressed as the first, not as subdued as the one with the mask! The high contrast of their colors, yellow upon black, conjured immediate emphasis - aside from them sliding in after sprinting, yellow glow in tow - on who this personality was. Yes, these were "ultras", at least two of them were and the third probably was not feigning either.

There came a blink to the tiger's eyes, not that it needed to as it was sincerely capable of staring for hours on end, and soon the whole of the cat limbered up and came to laying, as if nothing had ever happened. One moment a cocked hammer ready to strike, the other now mostly a thing possessed of wondrous inquisitiveness. Granted it did not profile itself, not that it could regularly have even been seen, habits were difficult to break regardless, but now it merely sized them up.

The last member of their little trio had simply, with a slight limpness to them, shared a handshake following a draft from their flask. All in all, they seemed less alarmed than before. So perhaps it wasn't the feline that had their attention. For Predator this, alongside the other details, was good enough reason to cruise back behind the rim of the building and draw closer. Seeing was not enough, listening was important too, and all the ambient noise of the environment did wonders to drown out the benefits of having such sharp hearing knack. This all would find itself resolved as the tiger bounded with little effort from its perch down on to the next roof, avoiding the metal conditioning units and fragile solar panels for the rubberized coating.

Now within a short ways from their little enclave hidden away in the alley, it loomed over them, head ever so slightly canted. This was too good of an opportunity to learn about them, as at least one seemed remotely familiar; the outfit was, if the felid had it right, the same it had seen in passing in a paper. Then again costumes were not totally unheard of by many and from this angle it wasn't clear really just what the rest of it was adorned with. What was evident and on the wind was the scent of metabolized alcohol, which made the tiger glint with a pearly toothed smile.

"That explains a bit now." The wordless mouth uttered to itself, the overgrown roofwalker coming to lay down and allow the frontmost paws to hang clean off the ledge.

Post a random fact about yourself.

I had once donated half the entirety of my pay to support exoric feline conservation. It was simultaneously one of the best acts of charity I had carried out, being meaningful to myself as well as effective, in that it supported a large number of animals directly, but also tested my resource management in the form of budgeting. Needless to say, it is one of those aspects I am considering doing again.

Post a random fact about yourself.

I have a difficult time restraining myself from chuckling when people propose that humans were historically predatory animals, despite the fact that as far back as twenty-five million years ago, for which we have no shortage of fossil evidence of on, everything has been consistently preying on them up until the end of the Late Pleistocene and the start of the Holocene during the Greenlandian period. Amusingly, as an added note, I cannot help but crack a smile in knowing that timeline coincides with the rises of the felids with Proailurus on and that those historical techniques such as the skull-bite, specifically meant for hominids, continues as legacy in the modern jaguar. There is a reason I do not work directly with the public and am relegated to the paleontological and zoological realm.

Cara's Originally Titled OoC Hangout Thread ♥ (Still)

The sizable cat, in midst of hug, gives a low idle snarl and the slightest flicks of its bobbed tail. It is clear it is unsure whether to retaliate or appreciate the gesture, as one forepaw is lifted several inches from the ground while the sabertooth's jowls too were pulled, although in a distinctive feline grimace.

I tend to be more fatherly than "dad-like", which I am not so certain is a positive thing anymore with the way people expect life to be structured now.

🌌 Ultraverse: Strifes and Triumphs. (Superhero RP, Always Open). 🌌

Los Angeles, California
In Proximity To
@Shard@Prosaic@Count Cuddles

The roar of sirens in the distance was not exactly a strange occurrence in any of the city. That was one of the first things the tiger had come to reality with, that not everything and everyone was out to get them. Not that they were not, the slightest real evidence of a rogue big cat wandering the streets with people all about would evoke one significant response to say the least, the kind that made news headlines even if nothing at all happened. But it was really more the realization it wasn't always the sizable feline that was their impetus to appear.

That did little to stop the natural hesitation that came of freezing in place between a series of buildings to listen, as if a quarry had spotted the creeping ways of the beast. The nearest of the Predator's ears to the sound rotated in its direction, gauging the distance, even the speed with impressive precision, judging soon that all the coming noise was a fair ways away. Thankfully that was caused by the streets and the density of the people who lived in the city complicating it; the police just hadn't the same ability to get to wherever they were going with the same speed they had elsewhere. There was that bit about being able to hear or see them a great ways away with all the attention they drew to themselves too but the animal was not about to concede all of those minor details right now.

Instead, it resumed its soft pitter-patter across the asphalt, alarmingly quiet for something that made a large man look very tiny when they stood side by side. Instinctively those feet worked to avoid the small pools of water that gathered in the alley as it quickly surveyed the world vertical; a few fire escapes, ledges, but otherwise mostly wall with little foothold. After the curt surveillance, the tiger could not help answer the call of curiosity. Who and what was the source of the attention?

So with one vertical leap, covering over twice the height of the average man, the tiger's four soft feet landed it atop the first escape, which bizarrely did not so much as make a noise - the thought of "Light as a feather..." drifting through the Predator's mind, soon followed by, "As swift as the wind...". With sereneness ongoing, the five hundred pound cat leapt the equivalent of several stories and soon landed with the slightest of dull thuds atop the gravel packed roof, crouched low upon its legs, "... and as casual as the waves."

As it came, it was gone, soon walking over to survey from the low wall that cordoned off the ledge. It did not take long for the prying eyes of a watchful tiger to notice a distinctive movement that kept in rhythm with the wind and the odd pair it belonged to. Both appeared out of place and if the way they maneuvered was any indication, they had somewhere to be. One, with a vibrantly white cloak in tow, was the one that brought the attention forward, while the other wore some sort of strange, obscuring mask. In a way that tickled the animal at its core, it had heard of this before, that from its native land people did similar things to evade the ire of tigers. Was it that they were aware of the animal somehow?

Post a random fact about yourself.

There is one particular book sitting on my desk that I have sworn off reading until the situation is just right, as it will require a particular place and mindset, as well as atmosphere, to be in. It requires going to an unusual place in thought and is one of the more notoriously strange pieces of psychology, The Red Book.

🌌 Ultraverse: Strifes and Triumphs. (Superhero RP, Always Open). 🌌

City Outskirts, Los Angeles, California

"You ever have that feeling that there's just... things we can't see?" The first voice was sincere in its question, just like it was soft in tone. The second that followed was not so much and by contrast was a man's, although not too forceful in reply; "No, not really."

"I don't know," Her tone paused with a huff of frustration as did her movement, "Its like every day we're missing something around here. It isn't like anyone's stealing it either, it has to be like a ghost or something."

The man did not even try to hide his laughter, it choking him up a bit as he came to stand beside the woman, looking over her shoulder, "A ghost? A ghost is stealing from the grocery store...?"

He already knew she was talking about the stolen meat, yet again. It wasn't uncommon for thieves to sneak off with it but how it was happening while a camera was pointed at the case he wasn't sure, let alone how it was disappearing from the locker. He was pretty confident it wasn't a ghost as he mocked her a bit more in response to that making "ghost" noises, only seeming to frustrate his coworker further. This had become an ongoing issue for the past month now and the count was adding up.

"I'm being serious! Where does it keep going?" She brushed the red stains from her hands on to the white of her overcoat before turning around to unpack more of the product from the rack and on to display. Taking several more wrapped cuts and shelving them behind the glass, she heard him continue.

"It has to be the overnight stock who is taking it." He replied, putting the toe of his boot on to one of the wheels of the next cart and stopping it beside the first as the brake was applied. By comparison to her, he seemed more grounded in reality even if he didn't look it between the beard net he wore and the grocer's ball cap he was wearing.

"What, the kids who get scrutinized for everything already? Doubt it. Steph caught the last few when they were taking product but he's not sure now." The woman rebutted, as she slid in one of the cuts on styrofoam. Her hand fell to her hip and she already was scowling by the time he finished his reply of, "Steph's also like eighty years old now too."

"Whatever, there is no way anyone is just taking the meat, like big cuts too. That is so stupid, how is no one seeing them back here?"

The conversation went on for a bit, the two idly going about their work until the woman stopped again when she entered the back cooler again. Her cart slid a bit more on the grated surface but it was really something that caught her eye that she wasn't expecting that left her motionless. Blinking a few times, she came to walk forward and bend over, looking down at a mark on the floor. A bit of pink, red staining on the metal, like a handprint after handling the meat. She hadn't seen it before but now that she did she couldn't help stare at it and not just because she would have to clean it, instead it just didn't look right.

She started to curse and mouth to herself along the lines of "Who put their hand on the floor?", before the heavy door to the cold storage shut. The woman near leapt out of her skin, falling backward with a shriek, and while Andrew might not believe in ghosts she sure as hell did now.

Only, unknown to her and the grocery store, their visitor hadn't been so much an unsent spirit as it was a several hundred pound hungry carnivore. One they had accidentally kept letting in and out without ever seeing or hearing it, typical of a cat no matter the size. The cause as to why they had yet to see it? Simply put, it hadn't wanted them to, and without them thinking about it, it walked right past them and then out one of the doors; the one the employees enjoyed smoking by as it wasn't watched by the cameras. That was their failing and now it went off with a slight saunter into the daylight across the back lot's blacktop. Building a bit of speed to overcome the fence, it grasped the top in one fluid motion, and kicked off the linked portion with its back legs, landing on the other side in the grass with no real effort.

With nothing more than an audible jingle and sway of the fence, the fed tiger could not help but snicker to itself, a bit of glee tugging at the feline's jowls.

"That was easier than expected." It spoke with hushed breath, although seemingly no words accompanied it. The trot of each paw across the trimmed, slightly dry grass, were apparently equally proud of themselves as the whole of the sizable beast could not contain its enjoyment of having spooked the woman. After all, an adult Bengal tiger had just managed to evade them again all while getting the better of them after a free meal. Food was not easy to come by and sneaking off with it every few days was not a minor feat.

It was payment after all, beating everything from petty thieves and carjackers senseless to pouncing a would-be intoxicated driver and swiping their keys wasn't free; tigers needed to eat too. That last one also paid for itself, given it ended in the "donation" of their refrigerator's contents, but the cat wasn't about to say anything about that. Now was the time to find somewhere to go yet again, as the odds of getting another meal wasn't likely without discovery, and the last thing needed was for people to realize there was an "invisible" tiger on the loose. Not that they would even believe it, that seemed too outlandish still.

But just where to go?

🌌 Ultraverse: Strifes and Triumphs. (Superhero RP, Always Open). 🌌

Predator

Name:
Monte Corbett

Super Hero Identity:
"Predator"
Derived from "The Conroe Predator", a name which appeared in a few Texas newspapers after a series of attacks by an unknown, unseen, and uncaught large cat. It has since disappeared, both from the location and from the news. In spite of this, rumor of "The Predator" has shifted to other states ranging from Arizona to California, although these are suspect for obvious reasons and leaving it at best a cryptid. The urban legend has not been shaken however, and has since been adopted due to its nature as something that strikes a bit of rightful fear into people.

Age:
Four years, equivalent to approximately thirty-two in humans.

Nationality:
American
Born in the United States of America, Monte, rather "Predator", is a naturalized native to the environment, even as a species not found in North America. It is assumed, given their background in Conroe, that they are a Texas native and are most likely a formerly captive animal.

Species:
Bengal Tiger
Panthera tigris tigris
The Bengal tiger is one of the most prolific large, endangered, exotic carnivores in the world, held extensively in captivity by various conservancies, wildlife refuges, public zoos, and private ownership. These great cats have historically reached sizes up to 388kg, nearly nine-hundred pounds, and are legendarily known to be the Indian "man-eaters" of old, although any of these instances today are now rare. They are the iconic image of the tiger and one of the world's most commonly recognized species.

Location:
Los Angeles, California (Disputed)
Conroe, Texas
It is not clear if the instance of animal related maulings are from the same tiger reported outside of Conroe, but conjecture would suggest it is better than chance. The real questions being the how and why this has been possible, as the two locations are over one-thousand-five-hundred miles apart. Currently, there does exist an internal bulletin by the Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control and Los Angeles Police Department for a reported "unspecified large felid carnivore".

Appearance:

Monte Corbett, better known as "The Predator", is a large adult male Bengal tiger weighing in at approximately 231kg, some five hundred pounds, and measuring from nose to tail at 295cm, or around nine feet, six inches. A sizable animal and one defined by the rust orange and black striped camouflage, the outwardly most distinct creature obviously belongs in the jungle and not the urban environment. The relatively short fur, sleek, heavily muscled physique, and elaborate feline design make it clear to any onlooker that they are contending with a dangerous, well armed carnivore, even if no exceptional elements are in play. Remarkably however, the tiger bears little evidence of previous skirmishes with only very, very minor, near indistinguishable scarring, and seems to be in peak condition all around.

As well, the dim shine of the animal's gold-amber eyes have some underlying spark in them that is almost unsettling to peer into, although such an experience is usually rare and requires being uncomfortably close to something with large hooked claws and pointed fangs. This is all punctuated by a certain saunter and swagger the animal has, a visible confidence to it; there is no mistaking a tiger for what it is and thinks itself to be.

Personality:
While Predator is, as with many tigers, what a person would consider relatively high strung, there is a particular casualness to it that suggests that is just the nature of the beast, as well as the confidence and level of aggression that makes them strikingly feline. Perceptive, judgmental, and oddly distant, there is no clear line when dealing with the beast or even just what they really are at heart. It adds to the element of mystery of all large cats, the kind that make something already so dangerous even more fearsome, and the Predator is no exception.

Why it does what it does there is no easy explanation for, rather just a sense that the bad people of the world need to be reminded that something worse than them is always out there, awaiting, and if it really wished to, could end them swiftly. For the Predator, there is just something amusing and endlessly entertaining about being a highly refined natural weapon with a sense awareness, almost as if this is some grand game they were cast into. The struggle of right and wrong is all present in the mind yet, almost to be expected of an animal like a cat, they see it as just the way things are. This disassociation from any real conventional morality makes them difficult to get along with and arguably very alien. How does one convey to an animal the intricacies of why people do what they do, good, bad, and otherwise?

This is not to say the tiger is without humor or devoid of emotion, but there seems to be a fine line between poking fun at the misery of others and tearing, clawing, unquenchable animal fury. Just where that is and why is potentially a question for the ages. Although it should be noted, like any cat, most pronounced the larger they come, they have a fickleness to them and humor or anything of loss at their expense does not go over well. Predator is no exception in this regard and might be as quick to feign a smile as to issue deathly scowl.

Backstory and Origin:
Born into private ownership in Texas, Monte was the male cub in the litter of two belonging to the Corbetts and was, initially, an unremarkable but still exotic animal. Accompanied by a sister, the cat was reared with the intent of being kept in the family rather than serving as a future trade. However, by the time Monte came to adolescence, it was becoming clear the family could not keep them or their siblings indoors and soon hastily built an outdoor enclosure. This was further constructed with urgency as a strange, pervasive feeling of urgency fell over the family, who were convinced Monte was a bit too self-aware and cunning for a tiger cub, and while they would never admit it, they suspected something stranger was afoot, if only by the way it seemed to understand them with little effort.

This change brought with it being relegated to the outside world within a chain-link enclosure and the young tiger seeming to spend all of its time staring off into the distance through the fence, walking the line, or observing all the features of the cage. While the Corbetts were aware of several seeming would-be escape attempts, their odd tiger never did disappear, until one day it all but vanished without warning, leaving sibling behind. The only trace of it being prints and then none at all.

A young adult, the tiger was not entirely fond of abandoning the human family, but something had awoken in the creature that gave the drive to do so. Really it was just realizing that he was a tiger and in fact, that he was even aware of that. It had never struck the animal before but now it wasn't avoidable. All that time left thinking, there was a realization something should do done with it. As fate would have it, the tiger could not shake his memories either from what he had heard and seen at home; there wasn't a shortage of bad people in the world, even just outside the fence.

It wasn't long before the urban legend of "The Conroe Predator" began circling through the news as the tiger hunted, stalked, battered, disabled, and even mauled the worst of the worst. It was simple enough initially, unrefined and unpracticed, but as the natural skill of a hunter evolved, so too did the exceptional talent; leaps of faith across entire buildings, outrunning speeding cars, stalking by mere thought. Soon it became a game of sorts, trying to find new ways to evade detection and enact revenge but it did not last forever. After some time Monte, now "Predator", wandered until the largest city ever seen was appeared in the way.

It offered new opportunities...

Tools, Equipment, and Weapons:
Natural Weapons
As with any other Bengal tiger, Predator has an assortment of naturally gifted weapons in the form of both claws and teeth. Tools and weapons alike, the claws and fangs of a feline serve a number of roles but are primarily weapons. They allow the individual animal to climb, swim, and run, as well as fight with highly evolved skill.

Skills:
Feline Physiology
Compared to humans, all large felids are notably stronger than a man, several times over, as well as being measurably tougher and more agile, more fleet of foot, and able to regularly perform what would be "superhuman" feats. They no less feature a number of highly attuned "exotic" senses and innate, instinctual talents that allow them to act and react without conscious thought or recognition of it.

Physical Aptitude
The sheer difficulty and demand of a life involving such dangerous game has pushed Predator to the prime of physical prowess possible for them. There is little that can be done to further improve bodily ability by mundane means, creating perhaps one of the most dangerous apex predators on the planet.

Abilities and Powers:
All psychic abilities draw their power from a reserve of psionic energy that acts as a pool in the awakened mind. This reservoir only replenishes with time and rest, making it best used in moderation. If fully tapped, no psychic talent can be manifest until it recovers.

Egoist Psychometabolism
The ability to mentally manipulate any physical portion of one's own body is the primary talent of Predator. It allows the alteration of any bodily component, from making claws sharper than glass, to gaining the ability to leap several times a normal distance, causing a surge of rapid autoregeneration, or even making the body seemingly as tough as iron or as heavy as lead, among others.

Telepathic Camouflage
The power to vanish from sight in the mind of another is an ability of Predator, as anything affected by its telepathy can suffer a mental blind spot. Observers cannot see the subject with their own eyes. They can only see it by concentration on its location or by something other than sight. Anything without a mind is unaffected.

Telepathic Speech
The Predator has learned to reach out with thought and initiate dialogue to other minds over a short distance with limited power. Recipients can close off the conversation by concentrating on doing so and anything without a mind cannot be communicated with in this way.

Telepathic Super Sensory
As long as a mind is within range of telepathic speech, Predator can roughly gauge that mind's direction similar to a compass, but cannot pinpoint its source. This sensory can be foiled by the individual concentrating on doing so and anything without a mind is not affected.