Orcus

Accidentally posted twice, and I can't find a means to delete this one... So how's about I ask you a question! Will you be updating the backstage thread with information about the Empire and the key figures in Malik's army? Feel free to answer this question in the actual backstage thread where this conversation belongs, haha.

Name: Haytham Pavel Age: 25 Gender: Male Race: Human Appearance: [[url="http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a491/Robert_James_Mediavilla/1110092_zps21307ccd.jpg"]Haytham Everyday[/url]] [[url="http://www.medievalcollectibles.com/images/Product/large/RT-158.png"]Helmet[/url]] [[url="http://www.ezcosplay.com/media/catalog/product/cache/5/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/I/c/Ichigo-Final-Hollow-Mask_3_2.jpg"]Horns on the Helmet[/url]][[url="http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-15/to-mirdyn-walhorn.html"]Armor[/url]] Appearance wise, he is exactly as shown, only with the silver eyes indicative of a Dragon Slayer, light stubble covering his jaw, not just on his chin, much [[url="http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-15/to-vice-bozeg.html"]shorter hair[/url]] and he stands at 6'1''. He also possesses some draconic modifications, such as sharpened teeth, slightly elongated canines, narrow pupils and pointed ears. His armor is crimson in color, and his overshirt is black, as opposed to the silver armor and white cloth pictured. His helmet is constructed from pieces of black dragon bone, which is nigh indestructible, and has crimson lines vertically drawn over each eye. His helmet also houses the horns of said dragon, whom his father dealt the finishing blow to. His everyday attire is exactly as pictured as well, the only difference being that the armor covering his left arm is more form fitting and less bulky. Class: Dragon Slayer Abilities: Light Constructs- Haytham only received a little bit of magical talent from his mother [Basira], the ability to use offensive light constructs. By manipulating light magic, Haytham can create weapons and shields. He does so by concentrating light magic into floating rings of varying size, depending upon what he intends to create. Once the ring(s) exist, he can do a number of things including but not limited to: Squeeze the ring(s) in his hand(s) to create a â??beamâ? sword Grab the ring with his left hand and draw the ring back with his right, thereby causing the magic to form into a bow shape, complete with a â??beamâ? arrow Grab the ring in his left hand and then position his right hand underneath, wherein the energy will stretch out, creating a two-handed polearm. Turn his arm away from the energy (so that his palm is facing toward him) and brace for an attack, which causes the ring to grow in size and solidify, creating an energy shield. This ability can also be done by crossing his arms as if he was defending himself; this action creates a larger shield, but it is much harder to maintain. Motives: Haytham has a simple motivation for fighting in the warâ??to protect innocents. He witnessed the immeasurable power of both the dragon knights and the dragons firsthand; his father, [[url="http://www.creativeuncut.com/gallery-15/to-lanselot-tartaros.html"]Krom[/url]], is a well-respected Dragon Knight, and he personally trained Haytham so he would be able properly fight against dragons. He knows exactly what devastation Corvin's treacherous knights could cause to unprotected humans, so he eagerly conscripted to become a Slayer.  Snippet: â??That roar... I must know, are you one of the Dragon Knights?â? Haytham angled his head  left to view whoever had addressed him. Judging by the man's billowing cloak, rune covered tome and the noticeable lack of blood stains on his person, he was most likely a Wizard. â??No, Sir Wizard. I am not but a Dragon Slayer,â? Haytham stated plainly, focusing his attention wholly on the wizard. â??But then, how--â?   â??I am Haytham, son of Krom the Unyielding,â? Haytham interrupted, fairly agitated by the wizard's disregard for the fallen souls beneath them. â??I inherited many dragon-like features from my lord father; my dragon's roar is one such draconic development,â? Haytham elaborated before turning to escape from his agitator. Unfortunately, the man eagerly followed after. â??How fascinating! I was unaware that dragon touched bloodlines evoked physical abnormalities in offspring. Truly exquisite!â? The wizard raved, producing another book, this one worn and frayed, in which he quickly scribbled something. Haytham watched with mild interest as the wizard finished his note and shoved the book into a small pouch, which easily consumed the entirety of the book despite being a fourth of its size. Haytham's hand tightened reflexively around the hilt of the oft neglected short sword hanging from his waist.  â??Exactly who are you, Wizard?â? Haytham demanded, stopping mid-step to confront his pursuer. â??The enchantment placed upon that sack requires quite the magical proficiency. Proficiency either lacking in or found useless to the average war mage. Only wizards from the Empire have both the time and the resources to study such specified sorcery.â? The Wizard clapped his hands with pleasure and grinned devilishly. â??Quite the astute observation young man!" Magistros exclaimed. "I am Diedrich Magistros, one of the foremost Wizards from our magnificent Empire. The pleasure is all mine,â? Magistros punctuated his sentence with a dramatic bow. Haytham bowed slightly in acknowledgment, although he found this information distressing. If this man was who he claimed to be, and Haytham saw no reason to doubt him, then it meant the Empire was intensifying its attempts to absorb Malik's forces, or worse, to find Malik's weaknesses. Haytham had no intrinsic problems with the Empire, but he pledged himself to the same neutrality the original dragon knights had. He had no desire to be the Empire's lapdog. â??How... fortunate that the Empire could afford to lend such a noble asset to our cause,â? he said through a false smile. Magistros opened his mouth to respond, but the first word had hardly fallen from his mouth when a nearby tower of bodies erupted with magical discharge. A tattered knight stood in the center of the blast, his weapon readied in his flesh-less fist. Haytham detected the stench of some manner of dark magic immediately; the thick black smoke seeping from the knight's skin provided a clear indicator of foul witchcraft. The soldier bore his teeth and howled, and then sprung upon the pair. Magistros disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Haytham to handle the rabid warrior alone. â??Superb,â? Haytham grumbled as he dodged the warriors first swing. Haytham marveled at the ferocity of his enemy, whose blade sliced through the air like silver lightning. Apparently his enemy's nearly-deceased affliction had not inhibited his fighting prowess. A lesser soldier would have fallen against such reckless madness, but Haytham had no intention of losing against an ambition-less, walking corpse. Still fatigued from the previous battle, Haytham decided against attempting to physically overwhelm his opponent, and instead went on the defense. The creature's movements were predictable and lacking in finesse; Haytham only needed to wait for the undead to inevitably leave a hole in its defenses. The enemy raised his hands above his head to deal a powerful downward strike, and Haytham saw his opportunity  A single light ring appeared in his right hand, and he thrust his fist toward his opponent's throat. When his fist had practically connected with the zombie's throat he clasped down on the ring, driving a light blade through the creatures neck. â??How fascinating!â? Magistros' voice cried from above the battlefield. Haytham's gaze darted from the throat suspended on his light blade to the sky above him, where Magistros floated, upside down, scribbling frantically in his book once more. Haytham scowled and disengaged his weapon, dropping the body in a heap on the ground. He briefly considered cutting Magistros down at that moment and burning his body, but the Empire would surely notice if someone of his status abruptly vanished. Haytham would have to keep an eye on Magistros, though, and any of his ilk. With enemies this vengeful and allies this deceitful... What hope did he and his allies have for peace?

[size=4][font=georgia, serif][b]Metahuman Name:[/b] Sylph[/font][/size] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][b]Civilian Name[/b]: Samara[/font][/size] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][b]Age:[/b] Immortal [b]Gender:[/b] Technically genderless, but prefers Female [b]Species:[/b] Former Goddess, now an Elemental [b]Species Characteristics:[/b] Elementals are comprised of whichever element(s) exist within the domain they preside overâ??Samara is a sky elemental, so her natural form is a humanoid figure resembling her human appearance entirely comprised of lightning and which expels a ferocious wind from its core at all times. Elementals cam create a physical, mortal shell for themselves, by solidifying their energy. Thus their mortal forms lack human organs, veins, blood, etc. [b]Appearance:[/b] [url="http://sonocy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Lyndsy-Fonseca-7.jpg"][Samara][/url] Samara's usual human form stands at 5'6'' and appears lean and with slight muscle definition. Her eye color changes depending on her fancy, but she usually chooses hazel coloring. Her outfits vary as well, but she often wears dresses of varying length. She also does not possess a superhero costume, instead opting to appear on the scene in whatever she is currently wearing and simply revert to her natural state if need be. [b]Affiliation:[/b] Hero [b]Personality:[/b] Samara is distant by nature. Although she is no longer a goddess, she approaches her life from a similar mindsetâ??that she is meant to watch and protect humanity, but is not a human herself, and thus cannot fully coexist with them. She is cordial to other heroes and to her fans, but she normally remains aloof from them. Towards her enemies she is sarcastic and enjoys the occasional quip, but even then she does not taunt or engage them the way other heroes do and prefers to end her heroic endeavors as quickly as possible. However, in a stark contradiction to her detached ideology, Samara will accept practically any invitation given for social gatherings or dates. There is speculation as to why she never declines an invitationâ??some think that as a former goddess she is simply used to answering people's â??prayersâ? or â??requests,â? and others surmise that she uses these interactions to further understand humansâ??but Samara herself has never commented on this personality quirk. [b]Superpower(s):[/b][/font][/size][list] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif][i]Elemental Manipulation[/i]- As an Elemental, Samara can create, as well as control the elements of Wind and Lightning. She most often utilizes this ability by emitting her elements from the hands of her mortal shell, although for stronger enemies she will revert into her Elemental form, wherein she is able to release energy from any part of her body. Although she never â??runs out of energy,â? overuse of her powers can be taxing and could also cause her to lose focus on her physical presence and dissipate into raw energy, from which it can take anywhere from weeks to months to reform. Also, a large barrier to the effectiveness of this skillâ??and all of Samara's abilities--lies in Samara herself. Due to having lived for at least a thousand years, Samara sometimes finds it difficult to focus on the matter at hand, which can weaken her or decrease her battle prowess.[/font][/size] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif][i]Flight[/i]- By manipulating air currents, Samara can fly in her mortal shell. Her natural elemental form can fly effortlessly.[/font][/size] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif][i]Shapeshifting[/i]- Not shapeshifting in the technical sense-- Samara can make her mortal form appear as anything she wishes, thanks to her prior godly status. Additionally, she can create multiples of herself, whether in a mortal shell or natural energy form.[/font][/size] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif][i]Possession[/i]- In her elemental state Samara can â??jumpâ? into people's minds and electronics and control them. She can control electronics indefinitely, but people are much more complex and can only be influenced for a couple of hours, even less if they're metahumans. She can also possess clouds to create storms, but this increases the chance of her losing her physical presence considerably.[/font][/size] [/list] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][b]Source of Powers:[/b] Samara's powers are fueled by her worshipers' belief in her. At the height of her worship she was able to perform practically any feat imaginable. Although she is no longer â??worshipedâ? in the classical sense, her position as a hero has earned her the admiration of thousands of people, which functions similarly, but her abilities are still greatly diminished from their original status. [b]Other Skills:[/b] Being an ancient Goddess, Samara is quite familiar with armed combat, and so often solidifies her electrical energies into weapons such as swords, spears and shields, and also excels at battle strategy.[/font][/size] [center][size=4][font=georgia, serif]*****[/font][/size][/center] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][color=#282828][b]Metahuman Name:[/b] Salamander[/color] [b]Civilian Name[/b][color=#282828][b]:[/b] Serafina [/color] [color=#282828][b]Age:[/b] Immortal[/color] [color=#282828][b]Gender:[/b] Female[/color] [color=#282828][b]Species:[/b] Elemental[/color] [color=#282828][b]Species Characteristics:[/b] Elementals are comprised of whichever element(s) exist within the domain they preside overâ??Serafina is a fire elemental, so her natural form is a humanoid figure resembling her human appearance entirely comprised of fire. Anything she touches in this form continues to burn for a period a while even after she releases. Elementals cam create a physical, mortal shell for themselves, by solidifying their energy. Thus their mortal forms lack human organs, veins, blood, etc. [/color] [b][color=#282828]Appearance: [/color][/b][url="http://images.sodahead.com/slideshows/000011347/353263702_tumblr_l20v94id2i1qbpvdoo1_400-51122320616_xlarge.jpeg"][color=#282828][Serafina][/color][/url][/font][/size] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][color=#282828]Serafina is 5'6'' in her human form, with a slender figure, vibrant green eyes, and dark red hair that continuously coils and writhes like flames. Due to her elemental nature, her body features alter according to her emotionsâ??for example, when she's angry, her teeth become sharper, her nails elongate, her pupils narrow, smoke rises from her body, and her hair coils furiously. Like Samara, she does not have a costume, instead opting to wear her everyday clothing, which for her is usually a plaid shirt and jeans.[/color][/font][/size] [font=georgia,serif][b][color=#282828]Affiliation: [/color][/b][/font][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]Hero[/color][/font] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][color=#282828][b]Personality:[/b] Serafina is a fiery and unstable beingâ??whether enraged or enraptured, Seraphina can become completely overwhelmed by her emotions. She combats this inner ferocity by engaging in heroics; unfortunately, she's quite a destructive hero, and has earned herself a reputation for causing property damage. Samara playfully refers to Serafina as Salamandra Exstinctor, â??Salamander the Destroyer.â? Most people are unfamiliar with her irrational side, however, as when Serafina is around others in a social setting she becomes surprisingly shy and reserved. [/color][/font][/size] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][color=#282828][b]Superpower(s)[/b]: [/color][/font][/size][list] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif][color=#282828][i]Elemental Control[/i]- As an Elemental, Serafina can create and manipulate sources of heat and fire. When in her human form, she tends to coat her fists in flames and physically engage her opponents, or to spew fire from her mouth. In her Elemental form she can emit flames from all of her limbs, and occasionally will become a mobile pillar of flame. When Serafina overuses her flames she risks reverting into a wildfire that incinerates anything around her.[/color][/font][/size] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif][color=#282828][i]Flight[/i]- In her human form she releases flames from the soles of her feet to maintain sustained flight. In her Elemental form she can fly freely.[/color][/font][/size] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif][color=#282828][i]Transformation[/i]- Serafina has the ability to transform her Elemental form from it's humanoid appearance into a flaming Wyrm. In this form, her skin morphs into molten substance which drips from her body and reacts like acid to the touch. In addition to creating flames, Serafina can create intense heated gusts by flapping her wings.[/color][/font][/size] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif][color=#282828][i]Consume[/i]- Serafina can also bolster her power by â??consumingâ? magical energies and other sources of heat or fire, since she was born from a magical flame herself.[/color][/font][/size] [/list] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][color=#282828][b]Source of Powers:[/b] Serafina draws her power from the Sun and Earth's natural energies. As such, she is most powerful at midday in hot or humid weather, and weakest at nighttime during the winter. [/color][/font][/size]

[center][size=6][font=georgia, serif]Superman: Dictator[/font][/size][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][size=6]Backstage[/size][/font][/center] [left][font=georgia,serif][size=4]Welcome to the backstage thread for Superman: Dictator. Here I'll keep important events chronicled from the RP and keep the whereabouts and status of certain characters up to date. As always, feel free to ask any questions or make suggestions here, and definitely make sure to keep dialogue alive between you and other players. A well-communicated story works best for everyone. Anywho, on to the important information! Any established hero not mentioned below can be used however you so please, even though theyâ??ll be fairly elderly: they could be alive, dead if it helps your origins, or MIA. It's up to you. And if you'd like to play as a character mentioned on this list, its not entirely out of the question, but please ask first.[/size][/font][/left] [center][size=5][u][font=georgia, serif]Characters[/font][/u][/size][/center] [i][font=georgia, serif]Suicide Squad[/font][/i][list] [*][b][font=georgia,serif][size=4]Helena[/size][/font][/b] [*][font=georgia,serif][Pending...][/font] [/list] [i][font=georgia,serif][size=4]Freedom Fighters[/size][/font][/i][list] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]Diana[/b]- Although she respected Clark greatly and understands his desire to protect humanity, the former Wonder Woman could not defend his absolute rule. Believing that she failed to protect mankind, she discarded the title of Wonder Woman until she could defeat her old friend. For that reason she joined Uncle Sam's Freedom Fighters and took over the group herself when Uncle Sam became too weak to lead himself. Since then, the group has grown enormously, accumulating thousands of members world wide, and is the major counter to the Kryptonian's rule. Wonder Girl and Donna Troy joined the Freedom Fighters as well (which they still serve actively on due to their longevity) but the other Amazons remain neutral in the struggle, preferring to keep to themselves on Themyscira.[/size][/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]Bat Family/Superman Family[/b]- Most members of the Superman Family, Bat family (including Red Hood and the Outlaws) and Batman Inc. stayed true to the Batman and Superman's past way of life and became active members of Diana's Freedom Fighters. Only Steel and Damian Wayne abandoned their families. Most of the Bat Family and Batman Inc. now act as leaders in their respective areas, as they are too old to operate on the field.[/size][/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]Fairchild[/b]- Previously a member of the organization N.O.W.H.E.R.E.--a group that kidnapped and experimented on teen metahumans--she rebelled against the organization and helped free the teens they had captured. She and her team, the Ravagers, fought against the Superman for many years, but eventually the rest of her team was kill in a confrontation with DOOM. After that she joined the Freedom Fighters, deciding that she would finally need to trust people outside of her comfort zone. [/size][/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]Animal Man[/b]- Feeling the same way as Diana, Animal Man joined the Freedom Fighters as well. Despite being quite old, he mysteriously looks exactly the same as he did 45 years ago, which he attributes to knowing the â??secret of his existence.â? He spends most of his days protecting animals from the antics of DOOM, but when heâ??s not doing that he uses his transformation abilities to spy on Metropolis.[/size][/font] [/list] [i][font=georgia,serif][size=4]Royal Guard[/size][/font][/i][list] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]Dracula[/b]- Head of the Royal Guard. Although in his 60â??s, Dracula still has youthful vigor. Dracula and Alucard never remove there masks in public. He is very much a "punch now, ask questions later" type, and his main form of interrogation is torture. Very often Alucard is forced to curb Dracula's violent nature and calm him down. His version of the batsuit possesses a high collar and a cape (instead of wings), and generally has the shape of a nobleman's clothing.[/size][/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]Alucard[/b]- Second in command. Like Dracula, despite being in his fifties he is vital and healthy--in his suit he looks as if he has the physique of a 20 year old. His suit is aesthetically unmodified. [/size][/font][font=georgia, serif]He is like the deceased Bruce Wayne in a number of ways--cunning, quick on his feet and he always has a plan. Unlike Bruce, he is more sadistic, and willing to resort to waging mental and emotional warfare to break his opponents. Due to him and Dracula using very similar versions of the Batsuit, their distortion device on both of their suits make them sound like they are using gravely, coarser versions of Bruce Wayne's voice. [/font] [/list] [font=georgia,serif][size=4][i]Kryptonian Generals America[/i] (if you want to operate on a different continent you can create your own Generals)[/size][/font][list] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]Harvest[/b]- Once the leader of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. The Kryptonian recognized the devotion to maintaining order and peace in Harvestâ??s actions gathering up metahuman teens.[/size][/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]Miss Martian[/b]- After the death of Martin Manhunter, Miss Martian went mad and became a White Martian. Ruled by her more destructive side, she eagerly joined the Kryptonian for a chance to destroy criminals.[/size][/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]The Rider[/b]- A new hero dressed in all black leather motorcycle garb. He never removes his clothing or helmet. When on his motorcycle he can travel at superhuman speeds and uses this speed to slash his enemy repeatedly with a dagger. Off of the bike, he still possesses superhuman levels of strength, speed and dexterity, and will engage his enemies in a grimy and unpolished, yet extremely brutal, street fighting style. He never murders and will stalk his prey to the ends of the earth if need be.[/size][/font] [/list] [i][font=georgia,serif][size=4]Kryptonian Generals Antarctica[/size][/font][/i][list] [*][font=georgia,serif][b]Lilith Clay[/b]- A former member of NOWHERE with mental abilities. She uses these abilities to pry into the prisonerâ??s memories and force the more dangerous (or rebellious) ones to live out an illusion of their worst fear.[/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][b]Misbelief[/b]- Another former member of NOWHERE with similar abilities to Lilith Clay. Her abilities do not immerse her target in fear based illusions. Instead, she reaches into her targets mind, finds the memories the target is ashamed of and project figures from those memories into real life to torture the target.[/font] [/list] [i][font=georgia,serif][size=4]DOOM[/size][/font][/i][list] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]Deathstroke[/b]- Deceased. One of the few villains to survive the Kryptonian's rampage, he gathered together the small band of remaining criminals and created DOOM. Since then the group has attracted hero and villain alike, and under Deathstroke's vast military knowledge, has proven itself an efficient terrorist group. However, the loss of his estranged children and the strain from a lifetime of mercenary work left him weak and weary, and he passed away three years ago, leaving control of DOOM to another soldier. This soldier wears Deathstrokeâ??s mask while leading DOOM, and so no one inside or out of the organization know who he is.[/size][/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]Brother Blood[/b]- The newest Brother Blood, the 18 year old Atticus Blood is an invaluable member of DOOM. Born to the previous Brother Blood, Sebastian Blood, he was raised by the members of DOOM and is thus an extremely proficient assassin. At the age of 16 he fulfilled his family curse by murdering his father during a training session. He is twice as ruthless as his father, and when he vampirically drains abilities from other people he will drain all of their blood, which permanently infuses the ability into his body. Because of this, he has amassed a number of abilities--the ability to teleport, read minds, shapeshift, a high pitch cry akin to Black Canaryâ??s canary cry, and size manipulation, atop of his ability to drain powers from others-- and a sociopath, possessing little, if any, empathy, sympathy or compassion. At the moment, he is DOOMâ??s greatest chance against the Kryptonian, as he coated his teeth in Kryptonite, but some members of DOOM (and other Organizations aware of his presence) are wary of a psychopath like him obtaining the Kryptonianâ??s abilities.[/size][/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]Jokerz[/b]- A sect of DOOM which worships the Joker. They are the most chaotic of all the branches of DOOM, and are barely controllable. DOOM leaders tend to simply direct the Jokerz to their target and allow them to operate as they please.[/size][/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]League of Assassins[/b]- Although once a great organization spanning multiple countries, the League has suffered over the years. Raâ??s al Ghul gathered together most of the league and engaged in a direct conflict with the Kryptonian. The fight lasted for several hours, but despite the Leagueâ??s vast resources and incredible skill, the Kryptonian emerged victorious and Raâ??s lay dead. The members of the League who either survived the onslaught or who were unable to join in the battle scattered after this, although they were gathered together again by Deathstroke and formed into a division of DOOM.[/size][/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]Venomites[/b]- When members of the League joined DOOM, some split off underneath the leadership of Bane, who had once been a part of the League. He continued to train them, as well as providing them with smaller, more stable doses of the drug Venom to enhance their physical strength and mental prowess. If a member of the Venomites is backed into a no win situation they have an emergency store of Venom they carry which turns them into massive hulking creatures of immeasurable strength, speed and dexterity, but severely strains the body and has a 99% chance of killing them. The 1% who survive experience a debilitating addiction to Venom, which they can no longer survive without.[/size][/font] [/list] [i][font=georgia,serif][size=4]The Sun of Krypton[/size][/font][/i][list] [*][font=georgia,serif][b]Steel[/b]- Kenneth Irons, the son of Natasha Irons, the grandson of John Henry Irons and the High Priest of the Church of the Sun of Krypton. His grandfather was the High Priest before him, and taught him to worship the Kryptonian and all that he did, as that was the ultimate good in the world. He thus believes in the regime of the Kryptonian implicitly, and would do anything for him. As High Priest he encourages people to acknowledge Kal-El as their lord and savior, and reads scriptures from the Book of El, which chronicles the deeds and beliefs of the Kryptonian. When threats to the city arise, Kenneth activates his metagene, which turns his skin into a nearly indestructible metallic substance, and leads the worshippers of the Sun of Krypton into battle.[/font] [/list] [i][font=georgia,serif][size=4]Unaffiliated[/size][/font][/i][list] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]The â??Aquaâ? family[/b]- Arthur became disillusioned with humanity after the Batman's death and returned to rule Atlantis. However, there he was murdered by Black Manta in his sleep, and Atlantis was ransacked. Aqualad, Aquagirl, Garth and Mera gathered together the refugees from Atlantis and have been sheltering them ever since. Although ruling the diaspora of Atlanteans preoccupies most of their time, they are not happy with the Superman's rule, and are counted as potential allies by the Freedom Fighters.[/size][/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]The Martians[/b]- Although he had left the Justice League to join Stormwatch prior to Superman's takeover, J'onn was still taken aback by the Superman's transformation into the Kryptonian. However, unlike some of his other teammates who were unable to take action against the Kryptonian, J'onn knew that he needed to be stopped. He immediately concocted a plan for Stormwatch to destroy Kal-El; unfortunately, it was a massive failure, which ended with the death of all of the Stormwatch members. Torn to pieces by his failure and Kal-El's animosity, J'onn's essence fractured and the pieces spread into certain nearby people. His powers have traveled down through to these peoples children, although most don't realize it. The few who do have access to J'onn's powers.[/size][/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]Green Lanterns[/b]- Deceased. Hal Jordan, the current active Green Lantern on Earth directly opposed the Kryptonian, and so was banished from Earth, along with every other Green Lantern. Hal Jordan still acts as protector of our galaxy, although occasionally the Kryptonian will take care of interplanetary disturbances himself. Hal made an appeal with the Guardians to try and liberate Earth, but the Guardians viewed Earth as not deserving of their time, and thoght that so long as the Kryptonian is protecting Earth, they have nothing to fear. And so Hal Jordan brazenly challenged the Kryptonian alone and was murdered. John Stewart, Kyle Rainer and Guy Gardner journeyed back to avenge their comrade, but were murdered as well. A new Green Lantern has since been elected from Earth, but has been ordered against meddling with the Kryptonian's affairs.[/size][/font] [*][font=georgia,serif][size=4][b]The â??Redâ? and the â??Greenâ?[/b]- Because Superman has not damaged or threatened the Earth itself, the forces of the Red and Green have not ordered their avatars--Animal Man, his daughter Maxine or Swamp Thing to challenge the Superman. Thus, unlike Animal Man, Maxine and Swamp Thing are content to protect the Red and the Green respectively, although they will assist anyone who asks for help, ally or enemy of the Kryptonian.[/size][/font] [/list] [font=georgia,serif][size=4]As a helpful note, if anyone is curious about these characters' abilities I would advise using comicvine or the dc wiki to look that up (save the Rider, who is an original creation and would thus not be on the website).[/size][/font]

[center][size=6][font=georgia, serif]Superman: Dictator[/font][/size][/center] [center][size=6][font=georgia, serif][Mature][/font][/size][/center] [center][size=4][font=georgia, serif]*[/font][/size][/center] [i][size=4][font=georgia, serif]The Superman was always a threat. A god sent down from another planet, he arrived on our planet as the last race of Kryptonians, a war mongering race of aliens. He may have been raised in a humble setting, to humble Americans, but conquest and subjugation flowed through his veins. Although the people thanked him earnestly and worshiped him as the savior of mankind, we always knew he would reveal his true colors. And exactly that happened 45 years ago, with the death of Bruce Wayne, aka â??The Batman.â? We knew that the Batman and the Superman had been friends from surveillance videos of the two working together, as well as the occasional meetings between Bruce Wayne and the Superman's civilian identity Clark Kent. Although the Batman was a grittier, more violent vigilante, the Superman respected his devotion to preserving life. So when the criminals of Gotham banded together, revealed Bruce Wayne's secret identity, and then murdered the Batman, the Superman lost his faith in the righteousness of the Batmanâ??s actions. Casting aside his moral shackles, he publicly murdered each â??supervillainâ? who took part in the murder and then destroyed Gotham. It took the Superman only a week after Wayne's death to overthrow the world's governments, annihilate practically all major and minor supervillains and transform the Earth into his â??New Krypton.â? Some of his fellow heroes joined him in his crusade, taking over countries as his Generals. Others rebelled and were soundly defeated and murdered. Now he spends the day ruling the world from his throne in the city of Metropolis, his new â??Fortress.â? Mankind has been enslaved, forced to endure the iron grip of the Superman, now known as â??[url="http://www.comicvine.com/justice-league-unlimited/65-45101/all-images/108-196194/supermanbeyond1/105-2269523/"]Kal-El, The Kryptonian[/url].â? But we have not accepted the alien's rule. We are Checkmate. I am Amanda Waller II, the daughter of the King Michael Holt and Queen Amanda Waller. And you are the Suicide Squad.[/font][/size][/i] [center]***[/center] [size=4][font=georgia, serif]Years ago Checkmate created the Suicide Squad, a team composed of supervillains seeking to reform, who would perform tasks too dirty for the government. However, even before the reign of the Kryptonian began, Checkmate decided to devote its resources to another project, Cadmus Labs, a division which specialized in genetic manipulation and cloning. The clones created by Cadmus were unstable and quickly disintegrated. However, several clones were successfulâ??such as the Superboy, or Conner Kent, who, although operating independently, has proven himself a valuable asset in the struggle against the Kryptonian's tyranny. However, the Kryptonian attacked the cloning base which created the Superboy and destroyed all of his blood samples. The next project began right after the Kryptonian rose to power and was simpler in scopeâ??instead of recreating the god, Checkmate aimed to recreate the man who could murder the god. Thus the Batman BEYOND initiative began. Checkmate altered the DNA of Warren McGinnis so that it was identical to Bruce Wayne. Checkmate then waited for Warren and his wife Mary to have a child and when then murdered Warren and Mary when the child was at the same age that Bruce lost his family. Checkmate then took the child Terry McGinnis in and trained him in various forms of martial arts, detective work and morality. Unfortunately, this experiment proved disastrous. After outfitting Terry with a state of the art Batsuit and sending him to challenge the Superman, the alien helped Terry to discover Terry's clone heritage and the mystery of his parentsâ?? deaths. Devastated by Checkmates betrayal, Terry chose to ally with the Kryptonian, and Checkmate suffered another critical loss. However, Checkmate has prepared one final counter for the Kryptonian. Believing Bruce Wayne's DNA was itself enough to breed new heroes, Checkmate began the ERADICATOR program. Checkmate decided to make a team of heroes, each comprised half of Batman's DNA. Originally they planned to use the Supergirl's DNAâ??who has also joined the struggle against the Kryptonianâ??but that any more creations which shared a lineage with the race of Kryptonians, especially ones with the potential for Batman's intelligence, would ultimately prove dangerous for the human race. Captain Marvel was considered nextâ??although his body was collected after the Kryptonian murdered him, and a blood sample was collected, they discovered that Billy Batson's body possessed no inherent magical abilities. But finally the answer presented itself. Checkmate brought the elderly Zatanna, who had to the last Checkmate base in existence, the Checkmate HQ. There they extracted her magical blood, fused it with a combination of Bruce Wayne and Amanda Waller's DNA and created seven new heroes. The heroes were raised with the knowledge of what they were, why they were created, and were trained in a similar manner to Terry, but taught skills of espionage, torture, and torture resistance. They were taught to harness their varying abilities, and when they were old enough, were sent out into the field. Based upon the impossibility of their missionâ??break into Metropolis with weapons forged from every known form of Kryptonite to kill the Kryptonianâ??and in memory of Checkmate's glory days, Waller named them the Suicide Squad. Are these soldiers marching towards their deaths, the death of the Superman, or something else entirely?[/font][/size] [center]*****[/center] [font=georgia, serif]Welcome to Superman: Dictator, a story of spies, revolutionaries, absolute rule and superheroes taking place in the year 2045, as well as my most recent attempt to tackle the DC universe. You, the RPers, will play as either soldiers, giving their all to bring down the tyrannical reign of the Kryptonian, or as the Kryptonianâ??s loyal followers, attempting to enforce his will and destroy the dissenters. Just as in Earth 53, only a passing familiarity with the DC universe is necessary, if that; as this story takes place 45 years after the current DC universe, many heroes are too old to operate any longer or have died. If youâ??ve seen Batman Beyond, however, that will give you a good idea of what the cities look like, as well as the type of technology available to the people. Also, just as in Earth 53, feel free to create your own hero, your own villain or continue the legacy of established heroes. The RP will also feature much more interaction between players and a smaller scope of operations, with RPers operating together primarily in Metropolis and Smallville, although if anyone would like to operate elsewhere that is fine as well.[/font] [size=4][font=georgia, serif]In this RP, you can sign up as member of one of a number of groups. The people who sign up in these groups will be responsible for how their group operations, so, as I mentioned earlier, interaction between players will be crucial. [/font][/size][list] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif]Those in the 7 person Suicide Squad all possess some form of magical power, as well as Bruce Wayne and Amanda Waller's intellect, but suffer from different psychological problems due to their origins and training. Their mission is to eliminate the Kryptonian's forces, reclaim Metropolis and kill the Kryptonian. They wear modified versions of the Batsuit given to Terry McGinnis. Along with the [url="http://www.comicvine.com/terry-mcginnis/29-40501/"]list of abilities the original suit had[/url][scroll down to Abilities and Paraphernalia], their suits can cloak themselves to make it appear that the user is wearing nothing, as well as another hidden function. The members are also permitted to wield guns, although not all of them do. The Suicide Squad are currently located in Metropolis to take advantage of the Week of Rejuvenation, which has just begun. [More info in my short bio, below][/font][/size] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif]The only other major resistance group is Diana's Freedom Fighters. Their mission is the same as the Suicide Squad's, but they have not completely given up hope on Clark, as they think there was more to Clark's transformation. The leaders of the Freedom Fighters are Diana, Superboy, Supergirl, Starfire, Wonder Girl and Donna Troy due to their extreme longevity.[/font][/size] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif]New villains, although greatly diminished in numbers compared to pre-Kryptonian days, still exist in large enough numbers to pose a threat. Calling themselves DOOM, they are largely viewed as a terrorist cell, bombing cities and attempt to sow chaos in the Kryptonian's perfect world. Some heroes have even joined their ranks, believing their radical stance to be necessary. The Suicide Squad try to mask their presence in Metropolis by blaming their antics while in disguise on DOOM. The Jokerz, Assassins and Venomites are the three main sects of DOOM although some of their agents remain unaffiliated with any of these groups.[/font][/size] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif]Dracula's (Terry McGinnis) Royal Guard are the Kryptonian's personal bodyguards, as well as functioning occasionally as a city police force. Those among their ranks do not personally possess powers, instead utilizing modified variations of [url="http://www.comicvine.com/terry-mcginnis/29-40501/"]Dracula's Batsuit[/url] like the Suicide Squad. This serves two purposes: 1) To allow the Kryptonian to easily deactivate rogue soldiers and 2) To force the soldiers to rely on their own skills in battle instead of powers. Due to their tech-heavy MO, they have a number of droids, weapons and combat vehicles.[/font][/size] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif]The Sun of Krypton, a cult like organization who worship Kal-El as the second coming, acts as another powerful influence. Although not officially a military group, they pledge themselves to Kal-El and patrol Metropolis to ensure that his will is done. Members of this group wear blue robes with golden stitching and the red house of El insignia on the chest over their regular clothing or costume.[/font][/size] [*][size=4][font=georgia, serif]Another group exists, the Kryptonian's Generals, those that he has elected to rule the continents as his vassals, are the voice through which his policies are enacted. There are three Generals on each continent, save Antarctica, which only has two wardens and is used as a maximum security prison. They are not playable, but can be challenged by any group that wishes to at any time.[/font][/size] [/list] [size=4][font=georgia, serif]Although the members of each group will be largely responsible for their antics, I will still be guiding the storyline and posting crucial plot information, and I'll be leading the Suicide Squad (although how the other members carry out the orders I give is up to them). Now hereâ??s the sign-up sheet![/font][/size] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][b]Name:[/b] As well as your number 1-7, if youâ??re a member of the Suicide Squad. [b]Callsign:[/b] Your superhero/villain name [b]Age:[/b] Suicide Squad are all 20 [b]Appearance:[/b] A picture and description please (at least a description of your costume, if you have one). All members of Suicide Squad have suits practically identical in appearance with Terry McGinnisâ?? batsuit, but the blades on the forearms are retractable. The Royal Guard use the suit as a template as well. Bat ears are optional in both groups. The details of the suit--what symbol is on the chest, the color of the symbol, and other superficial decorations--vary from person to person. [b]Personality:[/b] [b]Power:[/b] Or, if your character is powerless, their skill set--thievery, espionage, martial arts, etc... [b]Weapons:[/b] [b]Affiliation:[/b] Suicide Squad, Freedom Fighters, Royal Guard, Sun of Krypton or DOOM. If DOOM, you can choose to be one of the Jokers, Venomites or League of Assassins, although you can choose to remain unaffiliated with any of the minor sects as well. [b]Short Bio:[/b] Only about a paragraph is necessary And my sign-up as an example [b]Name:[/b] Helena #006 [b]Callsign:[/b] Diva [b]Age:[/b] 20 [b]Appearance:[/b] [url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/Reizou/Helena.png"][Helena][/url] Helena stands at 5â??10 and has a curvy and sturdy frame, as shown in the picture. She wears her brunette hair as shown in the picture and has crystal blue eyes. Instead of a bat symbol on the chest of her suit she has two adjoining lightning bolts which come down from her shoulders and meet at the center of her chest; the design repeats down her back. The fingers and wings on her suit are purple as well. [/font][/size] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][b]Personality:[/b] Helena is a calm, collected strategist. She specifically asked to be trained in the art of crisis negotiation so that she would be able to control otherâ??s behavior as well as her own. This allows her to be level-headed even when faced with insurmountable odds, as well as the ability to rationalize a situation and choose the least damaging outcome. Her practiced control has left her at odds with her teammates though, who think she is imply handling them instead of working along with them. She harbors a deep sadness because of this, but keeps it to herself. In regards to the Kryptonian, she sees the rationale behind his absolute rule, but believes that humanity could not have gotten to the point that it had prior to his appearance without the ability to make mistakes, and that they will be unable to progress further unless they can make their own mistakes once again. She also hold a level of distrust towards Checkmate, believing the way they raised Terry was immoral and that given the chance, Checkmate could be as oppressive a force as the Kryptonian.[/font][/size] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][b]Power:[/b] Elemental Magic- since she shares DNA with Zatanna, she is technically a member of the Homo Magi race and thus has magical abilities. Her form of magic is elemental; she can create and manipulate lightning, fire, water, ice and wind, as well as being able to insert her own magical energies into the ground to create earthquakes. Additionally she was trained by Checkmate in the arts of espionage, hand to hand combat and marksmanship.[/font][/size] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][b]Weapons:[/b] Atop of the gadgets in her suit, while in disguise she keeps two handguns concealed on her person. Like Nightwing she also uses two extendable bo staffs.[/font][/size] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][b]Affiliation:[/b] Suicide Squad[/font][/size] [size=4][font=georgia, serif][b]Short Bio:[/b] Raised in the Checkmate Headquarters in the Swiss Alps, Helena and the rest of the Suicide Squad were trained since birth to take down the Kryptonian. In her youth she greatly resembled a young Zatanna, using her powers mischievously and rebelling against her superiors. However, she was severely reprimanded for such behaviour, and was repeatedly reminded of her â??purposeâ? in the world. Eventually she decided that her life was easier if she simply submitted to the will of her superiors. It was around this time that she learned the importance of manipulating emotions to achieve her goals, and so dedicated a large amount of her studies to learning techniques which would allow her to do so. It was also during this period that her â??brothersâ? and â??sistersâ? began to distrust her, as she displayed less and less interest in interacting with them outside of team training. January, 2045 she and the other members of the Suicide Squad were deployed to Metropolis, where they have been pretending to be members of the Sun of Krypton. They have been using the churchâ??s position as virtual police force to worsen any damage done by DOOM or the Freedom Fighters. All of their efforts are about to come to a head. Every year, the Kryptonian spends one week on the surface of the sun, strengthening himself. This week, referred to as the Week of Rejuvenation, has just begun today--Monday, August 7th, 2045-- and is the one time where Metropolis is at its weakest. For years Checkmate have been attempting to discover the date to no avail. With this golden opportunity laid out for them, the Suicide Squadâ??s orders are simple. Cause as much mayhem as possible in Metropolis--especially on April 12th, the day of the solar eclipse, when the Kryptonian will be unable to view the Earth from the Sun-- and in the ensuing frenzy to murder the Kryptonian upon his return. Even though the lack of the Kryptonian will allow them to move freely, they may still find the task arduous, as other organizations are privy to the knowledge they have and are eager to make their move as well... Anyways, there you have it! Send along those sign ups and have fun with it! And naturally, feel free to ask me any questions any way you please![/font][/size]

[font=georgia,serif]The way I imagined the Cardinals was that the Nightmares would generally be more bestial, with a few--around maybe 20%--having a humanoid form (with armor and weapons), higher intelligence and ascended abilities, whereas the Revelations would probably be an 80/20 split in the opposite direction, with most possessing unique forms and abilities. However Revelations are generally fewer in number, so this isn't [i]as [/i]troublesome as it might seem. Nightmares tend to work together within Vices and clash with other Vices, although they might ignore one another if they're particularly invested in whatever they're attacking. Sloth Nightmares are probably the most likely to assist other Nightmares because they usually attack their prey from afar. Revelations, on the other hand, almost always work together, regardless of Virtue type, and are sometimes even seen coordinating attacks and abducting people for one reason or another.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]I hope that's helpful! If there's anything else I can help with, shoot![/font]

[font=georgia,serif][i]28 May 2015 Phénix, City Hall Meeting Chamber, 1212[/i][/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??Yo' a lia'. Rafale would neve' do that.â?[/font] [font=georgia,serif]Susanoo's words caused Cerbero to feel...Uncomfortable. When Addley had killed and abandoned the body of Rafale, a man dear and beloved to her, she had felt immense sorrow and disbelief. Since donning her Cerbero guise she had tempered those emotions, but she knew that the other Mentals would be just as devastated when they were informed, and Susanoo's outburst confirmed that. But to be called a liar... As if she had murdered Rafale, without a reason... Cerbero grimaced slightly behind her mask before responding.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??You're right. Rafale would never do that,â? she responded, the taste of bile rising to the back of her throat as she spoke. â??But he did. And I believe this is why.â? Cerbero reached into her pocket and pulled out the crumpled, slightly singed note which had fallen from Rafale's robes and tossed it to Susanoo.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??Rafale was carrying this letter on him when he visited my apartment. Likewise, I decided to visit his,â? Cerbero stated, as she reached into her other pocket and pulled out a handful of additional letters, which she passed around the table. â??All of these letters are addressed personally to Rafale, have the same handwriting and are written in the same blood.â? Everyone in the room tensed at that last word. From the back of the room Varg, officially a member of their cabinet now, sniffed the letters and confirmed that they were written in blood. Erycina looked up from her letter with fear in her eyes.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??But why? What does this mean?â? she asked. Cerbero leaned forward in her seat and interlocked her fingers.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??I'm not sure,â? she admitted. â??Although the writer obviously possesses ill feelings for me and the city, at no point does he incite Rafale to take action against me. Although he continued to contact Rafale, not once does he mention his own name. We can't be sure if the blood belongs to him or someone else. And when I picked up the message earlier, I felt an odd sensation...â?[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??So wha' yo' saying is at all we 'ave to explain the unexpec'ed betrayal of Rafale are an 'andful of le'ers you found wri'en in [i]someone's[/i] blood?â? Susanoo interjected. Cerbero narrowed her eyes at the girl.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??Yes,â? she stated simply, although she didn't appreciate the implication hidden in Susanoo's tone. Susanoo stood up from her seat and tossed the letters at Cerbero.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??That's a load o' ****! For all we know you coulda' forged these aftah you murdah'd Rafale. And all because he didn't agree wiv' your idio'ic decisions!â? Susanoo spat venomously. She was of course referring to a disagreement Rafale and Cerbero had been engaged in over the prior weeks. Over the last couple of months, Cerbero had agreed to welcome in Phénix refugees from various cities, but particularly from the slums surrounding what was referred to as â??the Pinnacle.â? The people from these slums had been horribly oppressed by their leader, known ominously as â??the Masterâ?--unfortunately this was all that Cerbero knew about him, as his people were too afraid to discuss candidly anything regarding the Master. Rafale disagreed with her decision. He feared that accepting political refugees would ultimately lead Phénix to war; oddly enough, he had also argued that by accepting these people Cerbero was impugning the autonomy of the Master. Regardless, Cerbero would not be dissuaded, and so the quarreling ceased. Then Cerbero admitted the Bersekers into the city, and it began again; this time Rafale feared that the extra citizens would drain the city's resources, and reasoned that either the Berserkers or the refugees would have to be dismissed from the city. Once again, Cerbero opposed his requests.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??Enough Susanoo,â? Cerbero barked, tired of the girl's insolence. Susanoo had been steadily becoming more antagonistic toward Cerbero, and Cerbero was well aware of the reason. When years ago the Mentals had decided to elect one of their own as the face and leader of the city, Susanoo had quickly shirked away from the responsibility, as did the others for one reason or another. Thus Addley stepped forward and shouldered the burden, as well as the power that came with her position. From this moment on Susanoo harboured a distrust of Addley, partially because Susanoo coveted the power and prestige she had cowardly sacrificed, and partially because she felt that Addley was too eager to assume the position. She may have been right on that accountâ??Addley had volunteered for the duty because she desired greatness, to become more than another nameless person floating through existence. But as she developed into Cerbero, these naïve and selfish aspirations molted away. Both Addley and Cerbero were freed from personal restraints now; her every action was tailored to the needs of the city. Susanoo's concern was ill-conceived and ultimately detrimental to the well-being of the Mentals and the city.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??I didn't gather you here to listen to childish accusations,â? Cerbero continued, although her eyes were still looked scornfully on Susanoo. â??We have been successful thus far in securing the city but the Nightmares are still attacking, and they've caught the attention of some Revelations. While the two groups keep one another occupied, we need to fortify the city. Jinn and Neptune, I want you to head to the outer wall. Jinn, cut off the Cardinals' land path by creating a flaming ring around the city, and Neptune reinforce the wall with spires. Varg, you and the Berserkers will join Erycina and I on the ground level, protecting civilians and destroying the remaining Cardinals as well as any that sneak into the city. And Sobek and Susanoo, I need you on the rooftops, striking down any flying Cardinals who enter into our airspace. Am I understood?â? she questioned, particularly at Susanoo, who was still fuming. Everyone responded with a curt â??Yes, Madame President,â? save for Susanoo who merely nodded her head with indignation. Cerbero turned her attention to Erycina and offered her a hand.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??Shall we?â? she asked. Erycina nodded and the two ran for the streets. The situation was as dire as Cerbero expected; despite the ocean of Cardinal bodies they had littered across the city, still more were venturing in and the people were running through the streets frenzied. Cerbero motioned quickly for Varg to gather up the citizens and then turned to face the Cardinals. She shot a spear of lightning through the body of the nearest Nightmare, splitting its chest wide open and frying the Revelation it had been combating as well. Behind her, Erycina emitted a heavenly glow to attract the creatures and then incinerated them with concentrated beams of light. The two navigated the streets back to back, searing through whatever Cardinals they encountered, until finally they were backed into an alleyway and surrounded. Cerbero looked at Erycina and squeezed her girlfriend's hand.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??Duck,â? she commanded. As soon as Erycina's head was level with Cerbero's waist, Cerbero drew her arms into her body and then quickly stretched them out, releasing a forceful gust of air from each hand. The wind soared down the alleyways, lifting up trash cans and dumpsters and flinging them into the Cardinals. Below, Erycina eyed whichever Cardinals were still standing and sniped them. Once the alley was clear, Eyrcina stood up and faced Cerbero.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??When did you trade out Jinn's fire for Rafale's wind?â? she asked curiously, and slightly more accusatory then she had intended. Cerbero felt her heart skip a beat and without answering, lowered her gaze slightly. Erycina realized a moment too late how Cerbero had perceived her question and quickly motioned to apologize, but Cerbero cut her off.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??Once I knew it was Rafale and that he was definitely dying, I absorbed his ability as well. We couldn't afford to lose his skill,â? she reasoned. Erycina nodded with approval, relief shining in her eyes. That Erycina had been apprehensive at all caused Cerbero the same discomfort that Susanoo's statement instilled earlier. She knew that once her mask came off, her discomfort would morph into feelings of shame, hurt and misery. [i]Luckily her Cerbero duties were far from complete[/i] she thought, as what appeared to be a Kindness Revelation swooped down from above, aiming for her and Erycina. Before it could strike, Varg's Wolf Warrior form leapt over Erycina and Cerbero and stabbed the creature in the chest with his claws. The Kindness Revelation thrashed around on the ground, attempting to wrap its jagged, razor blade arms around Varg, but he was too powerful. After only a few seconds of struggling he dug both of his claws into the creatures chest and tore the Revelation in half. When he was sure his opponent was dead, Varg released a loud howl, which was echoed by the other Berserkers spread throughout the city. Cerbero smiled at the spectacle and placed her hands on her hips.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??I think we made the right decision, allowing them to stay here,â? she said to Erycina, who nodded approvingly.[/font]

[font=georgia,serif]I know the Caribbean isn't exactly considered a part of the North American continent, but its close enough and Lawliet already used Cuba so I figured hell, why not. And Wikipedia (in all of it's infinite knowledge) informed me that the North American continent in its entirety includes Greenland, so once again I thought to myself, hell, why not. :] Naturally, Canada, Mexico and Hawaii are also included. [/font] [font=georgia,serif]It was sort of an off the cuff thing. Originally I had planned to make everything [i]not [/i]the US unavailable, but Lawliet did such a great job with their post that I figured I'd expand the limitations arbitrarily. Sorry if that was confusing.[/font]

[center][font=georgia,serif]â??It is finally done. I am now... perfect. Call them back.â? + â??You have your orders. Begin the Renewal.â? +++ â??...Darkness.â? +++++[/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][size=5][b]PART 1: THE DARKNESS AND WHAT COMES AFTER[/b][/size][/font][/center] [i][font=georgia,serif]28 May 2015[/font][/i] [i][font=georgia,serif]Phénix[/font][/i][i][font=georgia,serif], Addley's Bedroom, 0647[/font][/i] [font=georgia,serif]The steady buzz of Addley's snoring reverberated, alone, throughout the apartment. Sprawled across the bed as she was, she had obviously succumbed to exhaustion. Over the past three days she had devoted herself entirely to assimilating the remaining inhabitants of what was formerly Hlidskjalf into her city. What else could she do for her new ally Varg, after he had lost both his home and his people to the unknown? The melancholy which had blackened his heart since their return had stained hers as well. This blackness had finally joined together with her physical fatigue and dragged Addley down into the realm of sleep, where she seemed soundly straddled. The assassin took comfort in this as he stalked toward her bed. He had seen her work, seen her toil. He knew the extent to which she had spread herself. Killing her would be too easy. His hands slid from within his robes and reached toward the girl slowly, deliberately. Just before his hands reached her neck he faltered slightly, and suddenly the room was filled with a dazzling flash and the sharp hiss of electricity.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]Addley watched as the assailant's body careened across the room and struck the opposite wall. Without waiting for him to recover, she sprung from her bed and readied another strike. Brilliant lightning surged from her heart to her fingertips and poured out in a steady stream. The arc of liquid fire struck just beside the assailant's head, who had managed to skew Addley's aim by manipulating another element, the previously stagnant air within the room. Addley grimaced and leapt at her opponent, who deftly rolled to the side and blasted her with a gust of wind. Addley's body twirled weightlessly in the air before striking another wall and collapsing into the ground. The taste of blood filled her mouth and her vision doubled. Without thinking she swung her arm in the direction of her attacker and a wall of flame bathed the apartment. Although the assassin was agile enough to dispel the flame, a vine of electric tendrils grasped him unsuspecting and sent searing agony coursing through his veins. Despite the assault he remained tenacious and, using his ability to propel himself, pounced upon Addley.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]Addley thrashed against the weight atop of her, desperately ducking her head away from relentless blasts of air. Her patience wearing thin, and her nerve escaping her, Addley simultaneously released a current of fire from her mouth and sent an electric charge surging through her body and into the other's. The warmth of the fire singed the tips of her hair and the lightning strained her muscles as it channeled from her body into his and back into hers, but the effect was well worth the pain. Her assailant reeled away from her, his face enveloped in flames and his body convulsing wildly. Before he could recover, Addley was on her feet, and she refused to grant him a reprieve. A flurry of fists struck him in the chest and broke his ribs, a single kick shattered his left kneecap, and then a pillar of burning rage sent him crashing through the window and colliding into the ground two stories below. Addley panted heavily and wiped her brow, but wasted no time in springing from the window herself to follow the attacker. She used her flames to cushion the fall, as well as to roast her opponent, and then rushed over to the body. Once more, despite the severity of the damage, the assailant's chest still heaved with life. Addley snarled and knelt next to the figure.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??Who are you?â? She questioned angrily, sounding much more like Cerbero than Addley. She drew back the figure's hood and scrutinized his face, although she found it nearly unrecognizable under the extraordinarily dark mask of night. Even when she summoned a flame into the palm of her hand and placed it close to his face she did not recognize the man through his heavily charred visage. Only a meekly whimpered sentence revealed the assailant like a stab through the heart.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]â??D...desole, ma petite...cho...chouchoute...â? was all the figure could muster with his deep french accent before his chest heaved violently one last time. Addley watchedâ??eyes scorched with tears, body thrashing with sobsâ??as Rafale, her beloved Rafale, died by her own hand. With the Earth too unjust to gaze upon, she cast her eyes into the heavens and stared deeply into an endless sea of absolute blackness. No stars twinkled down at her. No moon fled the morning light, and no sun rose to signal for the moon's departure. All of nature's lights were goneâ??only the city's streetlights and apartment lights of those who had awoken in the wake of Addley's cries prevented the world from falling into immutable darkness. Even gripped with abject sorrow, Addley knew that her loathsomeness could not have poisoned the sky; for whatever reason she could not understand, the sky had truly become a veil of complete and utter blackness through which no light pierced. After this jarring revelation, it took only the first scream of many which resounded around the city to bring Addley back to her senses. She stood up and turned away from the body to survey the streets. The man-made light only barely illuminated the surrounding streets under in this new, onyx morning-time, but the dim glow was enough for Addley to discern the chaos that was spreading as citizen after citizen awoke to a black sky.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]She turned, begrudgingly, back to the body of her murdered ex-comrade and decided to dispose of it lest another citizen stumble across it. As she hauled the corpse blindly back up to her room she felt something fall loose from its robes, but ignored the object for the time being. Once in her apartment she laid the body down gently, but spun on her heel as soon as the deed was done, refusing to gaze upon the deceased. A heavy weight against her chest and the sudden slam of the floor against her back forced her to expel any guilt within her in a sharp groan. For the second time that morning, Addley's apartment had been violated. And both times, Addley had encountered "nightmares." This nightmare was a bloated, pus-filled, boil-blanketed, snorting, salivating, bleeding, chewing, clawing, screaming nightmare, intent on tearing off Addley's face. But this nightmare could not contain her. A flash of red light and the nightmare was receding away from her; another flash of blue and it was dead. She wiped the blood and saliva from her face and then stood up. Without thinking another moment on the nightmare she had escaped from she walked back down the stairs and grabbed the object which had fallen from Rafale's clothesâ??a rolled up letter with a peculiar scent. She pocketed it and resolved to read it later, as soon as her city had been restored to order.[/font] [font=times new roman,times,serif][i][b]OOC:[/b] At exactly 0000 of May 28th 2015 the entire world became [b]pitch black[/b], having been submerged in a sinister darkness--a darkness not only of a physical variety, but a darkness full of fearful uncertainty, one which obscures the path to the future, hardens the blackness covering every heart and threatens to suffocate everything within its thrall eternally. Surviving this overwhelming, thick, absolute darkness will be a test of resolution, one of will, not only of strength. For in the darkness the Nightmares become emboldened, the Revelations become enraged, humans become frightened, and a slumbering force becomes complete.[/i][/font]

[font=georgia,serif]I apologize for double-posting, but I wanted to address some matters Lawliet has thankfully brought up for me.[/font][list=1] [*][font=georgia,serif]Our survivors only have access to North America (including Central America, Greenland and the Caribbean). Mysterious storms and Nightmares plague the waters around the other continents and a newly created desert at the junction between Central and South America makes access into South America nigh impossible.[/font] [*][font=georgia,serif]Lawliet is precisely right in assuming that the time stamps allow people to jump ahead or backwards (flashbacks or something of the like) with their posts if they please. I only ask that you not jump too far forward (let's say no more than a week) but your flashbacks can take place whenever.[/font] [/list] [font=georgia,serif]So thank you again Lawliet, and great posts so far everyone! I'm going to be posting later today, and that post will take place a couple of days after Lawliet's and will begin the First Arc. Don't worry about jumping ahead in time yourselves if it interrupts the flow of the story, I just wanted to get it started. And, as always, if y'all have any questions or suggestions, post 'em or pm me. :D[/font]

[font=georgia,serif]Lawliet, your sign-up is phenomenal. That is exactly the kind of creativity and originality I was hoping to see in the story. Needless to say, you're accepted. Additionally, you've given me an idea for a possible future event...[/font] [font=georgia,serif]Also, just a s a general alert to everyone else, we might be seeing some more sign-ups soon, so keep an eye open for that. :][/font]

[font=georgia,serif]Absolutely! The more the merrier.[/font]

[font=georgia,serif]Have a fun trip, and rest assured that Magnus and Hydra are in good hands! :][/font]

[font=georgia,serif][i]24 May 2015[/i] [i]Phénix, City Hall, 2206[/i] Cerbero could feel War's presence all around her-- in the apprehension he caused in the Berserkers, and from the air of superiority War naturally emitted wherever he journeyed. The thick negativity which had so quickly replaced the feeling of camaraderie almost made Cerbero nauseous. She turned to face War and narrowed her eyes at him, hoping that something within War's manufactured helm endowed him with the ability to read facial expressions. "Thank you for pretending to respect my authority for so long. I imagine you've heard everything from the hall, then?" she asked in a monotone voice. War, true to form, responded without humor. "Yes President Cerbero. And I am here to offer my services. I will join your convoy to the Berserkers' home," he stated with another small, meaningless head bow. Cerbero frowned at the idea, and when she turned back to discuss it with the Berserkers she could see their disapproval. But their leader, Varg, was a clever diplomat, and recognized the danger inherent in denying War a place in their convoy. "It would be our honor, soldier. I am Varg, and these are Makt, his brother Oxt, and Orin. And you, stranger?" he questioned as he extended a hand to War. War solemnly stepped forward and gripped Varg's hand. "I am immortal War," his deep voice emitted mechanically from his helmet. Varg nodded dutifully and then directed his attention back to Cerbero. She stood facing the two men with her hands idiosyncratically resting on her hips, and though Varg and War could not see it, she was still leering at War. "Well rest assured that I will send some soldiers along with Immortal War to ensure your tribe's safety," she stated, shifting her gaze finally back to Varg. "Allow me to gather them together now, as well as some weapons from the armory and some vehicles for your journey. Pardon me." Varg and War nodded at her, and Cerbero swiftly departed from the meeting room. She made a right and walked up a flight of stairs to the Mentals specific meeting room, where the rest of her gang were waiting. As she opened the door and took a step into the room, the Mentals anxiously rushed her. "So?" Erycina inquired. Cerbero took off her mask and tossed it to her girlfriend. "The Berserkers need residence and assistance. They have been under attack from the Nightmare Cardinals and their home is no longer safe," she informed them as she began stripping off her outfit. "I have agreed to let them stay in the newly constructed districts for the time being, and have offered to send a team to help them with the migration. I'm going personally-- or rather Addley is," she said as she took off the last article of her uniform, her boots, and placed them in front of Erycina. She strode past the Mentals to her personal locker and input the code. "Erycina, you will be Cerbero in my absence. Remember these names: Chieftain Varg, Makt, Oxt, Orin. In that order. Neptune, Sobek and Jinn, you will join War and as I the Berserkers' convoy," she continued, pulling on her "Addley" outfit. Behind her, the Mentals exchanged nervous looks. "War?" Sobek asked cautiously, unsure if she had misheard her leader. Addley buckled her pants and turned back to others, a disgruntled look on her face. "Yah, War. He volunteered himself," her pretty voice confirmed, no longer distorted by her Cerbero mask. "Damn," Neptune sighed, slouching against a nearby wall. [i]Damn indeed, [/i]Addley agreed in her head. Fully dressed again, she reached into her locker for the finishing touches of her outfit-- an ornate longbow and quiver of arrows, and her scimitar. She slung both arrow and quiver over her shoulder and then sheathed the blade at her side. "Haven't been Addley in a while," she said with a laugh. For the first time in what seemed like years she could look down at her lovely light mocha skin and remember that once upon a time, when it had mattered, she was of French and Jamaican descent. Cerbero-Erycina, fully dressed as the president, giggled as she watched her girlfriend, a sound which rang violently in Addley's ears. It wasn't often that a person had the experience of looking at what she considered to be her own clothes and hearing what she thought was her own voice outside of herself. The smile faded from Addley's face as "Cerbero's"-- her own-- giggling filled the entirety of her body. [color=#808080][i]Then, suddenly and without warning, time stood still, save for the girl and the Cerbero mask. A dark black line stretched horizontally across the bottom half of the mask and then split apart to form a jagged mouth. The nightmarish visage glared at her, melancholy lining its face.[/i][/color] [i][color=#808080]"Why did you create me?" the mask questioned mournfully with the [/color][/i][i][color=#808080]voice of the president before shattering violently. Pieces of the mask showered the girl, now naked and hovering in an endless abyss. As she attempted to remove the shards of mask from her pierced flesh, her "Addley" clothing grabbed her from behind and ensnared her within its arms.[/color][/i] [color=#808080][i]"Why did you abandon me?" a voice that sounded vaguely of her own screeched inside of her head, and then she was drowning, drowning; she was losing herself.[/i][/color] Addley gasped for air and doubled over, and just like that time progressed once more. Many of the Mentals, busy gathering together their personal weapons-- a trident for Neptune, bladed knuckled dusters and bladed boots for Sobek, and a whip for Jinn-- or hurriedly filling duffel bags with additional arms and ammunition, and did not notice Addley's "attack"; only Cerbero-Erycina rushed forward to her aid. "Are you alright?" Addley's own voice asked her. Yes her voice, always her voice. No matter who used it, she had created that voice, created the person "Cerbero." Even if she was not "Cerbero," "Cerbero" could only be her. Addley took a second to reconstruct herself and then turned her face up to Erycina-Cerbero. "Yes, I'm fine. Too much fresh air at once. Breathe slowly when you take my mask off later," she said with a slight chuckle. Erycina-Cerbero nodded, and although Addley could not see her face--[i]so this is how I appear to others, [/i]she thought humorously--she could hear her partner's concern in her breathing. The other Mentals had gathered around and were waiting for commands. Addley inhaled slowly and prepared to speak, but the words caught in her throat. She wasn't in a position to be handing out commands; that was the job of the president. She turned to Erycina-Cerbero. "Take it away, Madame President," she said and bowed her head with respect. Erycina-Cerbero nodded back, and immediately her persona hardened, assuming the regal, professional aura of the President. "Sobek, Jinn and Neptune, grab a bag and load them into the trucks around back. Each of you will drive your own truck to and from the camp, and you will be responsible for transporting any of the elderly, the young or the weakened. Rafale, you will take over responsibilities for inner city control, and Susanoo, outer city control. Addley and I will go meet with the Berserkers, and after that is finished, I will perform the rest of the Mentals' duties in their absence. Dismissed," she ordered, and the parties went their separate ways. As Addley and Erycina-Cerbero departed for the City Hall meeting chamber, Erycina-Cerbero quickly slid her hand into Addley's. "Be careful. Don't die. You're amazing. I love you. Come back," she mumbled under her breath, giving Addley's hand a light squeeze after every statement in lieu of a kiss. Addley smiled and leaned closer to Erycina-Cerbero. "I'll come back. You'll do great. I'll miss you. Stay safe. I love you," she responded, likewise squeezing Erycina-Cerbero's hand. The two drew apart as they reached the meeting chamber door, but did not enter immediately. Instead they turned to one another. "Here goes--" Before Erycina could finish her sentence, Addley threw caution to the wind, tore the mask off Erycina and kissed her deeply. Their lips pressed firmly against one another for only one sweet moment before pulling apart. The moment passed like a grain of sand through the hourglass, and the two lovers abruptly became Addley and Erycina-Cerbero once more. Without another word they entered the room. Varg and the Berserkers, who had been warily watching War, stood up respectfully when they saw who they believed to be the same Cerbero enter the room. War made no indication that he had noticed the president, or the "new girl's" arrival. Erycina-Cerbero addressed Varg. "My apologies for the wait, Chief Varg, but everything is in order now. Out back are four trucks, three of which will be driven by my fellow Mentals who you have already met, and the last by my top security personnel in the city-- Adelaide Ibarra," she said, her voice letting slip some pride as she gestured to Addley. Addley smiled charmingly at Varg and offered her hand. "It's a pleasure, Chief Varg. I'll do everything in my power to ensure that all of the people in your tribe make it back to the city safe and sound," she said with a broad smile. Varg smiled warmly back and shook her hand. However, as soon as their hands touched, Addley noticed one of Varg's eyebrows rise ever so slightly, and then watched his nose flare as he smelled the air. A different realization dawned on both of them simultaneously. He knew her secret. She knew he had figured it out. But neither of them allowed their demeanor to fall. She took a step away and pointed toward the door at the back of the meeting chamber. "The staircase behind this door leads to the rear parking lot. We should leave right away," Addley said, trying to maintain "her" characteristically cheery attitude. She turned around to Erycina-Cerbero and bowed and then headed for the back door. Despite being privy to the truth of the situation, Varg turned to Erycina-Cerbero and thanked her with the same respect he paid to Addley, and then followed after Addley. The rest of the Bersekers followed suit. War and Erycina-Cerbero merely exchanged names before War followed the others. Emerging into the parking lot, Addley ordered everyone into their vehicle-- Makt with Neptune, Oxt with Sobek, Orin with Jinn, Varg with Addley, and War... Well, Addley didn't bother to watch the whole incident, but the otherworldly neighing and smell of brimstone which had filled the air informed her that War had his own method of transportation. As everyone piled into their cars, Addley held back Varg and hissed under her breath. "Iknowthatyou'verealizedmysecretbutWardoesnotknowsandiwouldliketokeepitthatway," she muttered as one nearly indistinguishable, inaudible word. Varg simply smiled and nodded his head. "My apologies, I should have mentioned this earlier," he stated as if in reply to something Addley said. "My city is roughly a day north of here." Addley couldn't help but smile at Varg's agreeability and mentally thanked the forces of the universe for providing her with such a capable, trustworthy ally. Perhaps he would be able to help weather the coming storm... With hope in her heart she jumped into her truck. The trucks awoke at the same time and added their mechanical howls to the cries of War's infernal beast. Without wasting another moment, their pack stampeded off into the darkness.[/font]

[font=georgia,serif]Just some quick points for the RP: [/font][list=1] [*][font=georgia,serif]For the sake of character interaction and travel, I think it would be convenient if everyone included in their city descriptions (or posted it here, so I can update it in the descriptions in this thread) where about your city is in the US (ie South, Southwest, etc...).[/font] [*][font=georgia,serif]After speaking with DeLarge, he helped me to realize that I hadn't adequately discussed the technological situation, so here's what I sent him: Technology is going to vary from city to city naturally, but on the local level its probably roughly like it is now. By this point I imagine that each city probably has their own working transmission towers, so that local radio and television are maintained, and signals from abroad can be received, but I don't think the individual cities would be sending out inter/intra-national signals themselves. Cities have telephone land lines, but cellphones haven't come back into use. The infrastructure of the internet still exists, but the destruction of many computers across the world has erased much of the substance from the internet and computers are no longer a commonplace commodity.[/font] [*][font=georgia,serif]I would appreciate it if everyone would use some variation of the day/time system I have in my first post so that we don't have problems in the future with the timeline/continuity.[/font] [/list] [font=georgia, serif]Otherwise, as always, continue to direct any questions you may have to this thread/me, and have fun beginning your adventures![/font]

[font=georgia,serif]Well everyone, thank you for your interest and your amazing sign-ups! I'm pleased to announce that the main thread is finally up in the Theater, and I cannot wait to read the interesting tales you all have planned! As for anyone still interested in signing up, I am absolutely still accepting characters, so feel free to sign-up at any time that is convenient for you.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]Happy writing![/font]

[center][font=georgia,serif][size=6]When You Wish...[/size][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][size=5]+[/size][/font][/center] [font=georgia,serif][size=4]24 May 2015[/size] [size=4][i]Phénix, Outside of City Hall, 2100 Hours[/i][/size] [size=4][b]â??So eat, drink, and remember always the miracle we have achieved here!â?[/b] President Cerbero finished, and the crowd erupted with applause. She grinned behind her mask, but made certain to maintain her rigid, professional pose as she slowly motioned for the band to begin playing once more. Once the music had begun and the crowd had returned to their former festivities, Cerbero stepped down from the podium. The oldest member of the Mentals, 76 year old Rafaleâ??â??the Gallant Gale,â? as he was deemed by the peopleâ??stepped up to Cerbero and gripped both of her shoulders. [b]â??Quite lovely,â?[/b] he said with a heavy French accent, his warm, wrinkled smile stretching from ear to ear. Cerbero rolled her eyes behind her mask.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Of course it was, Rafale. You wrote it,â?[/b] she replied teasingly. Rafale shrugged with nonchalant acceptance and offered her his arm. Cerbero gripped it tenderly and allowed her elder to escort her down the stairs leading away from the stage. She walked slowly and deliberately, both to maintain the elegant gait which was expected of a leader and to avoid fatiguing her friend. Rafale was no stranger to physical exertion, that was true; he was an Ascended just like the others, and as such he insisted upon fulfilling his duties in the gang, even volunteering for solo watch shifts at the gates of the city. Although his battle prowess was amazing to behold-- something akin to a dance, she often thoughtâ??she was always mindful of his age outside of battle, and preferred to stroll, rather than march, along whilst she was with him.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Nice writing, Rafs. And good presentation, pup,â?[/b] came a rich, melodious voice from the bottom of the staircase. The owner of the voice was Mental's member Neptune â??the Earthshaker,â? a 30 year old, handsome 6'1'' African-American gentleman with light brown eyes and a mohawk. He was surrounded by the rest of the Mentalsâ??Sobek â??the Destroyer,â? Susanoo â??the Relentless Storm,â? and Jinn â??the Smoldering Flame.â? Only one, Erycina â??the Starchildâ? was missing, and Cerbero would be visiting her later. Cerbero ignored Neptune's comment until she and Rafale had successfully dismounted the stairs, at which point she turned back to face him.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Insulting your leader is a treasonous offense,â?[/b] she stated emphatically in her affected President voice, before shifting back to her regular tone, [b]â??and I'm not impartial to the idea of banishing you. So keep that in mind.â?[/b] Neptune scoffed at her playful threat and gave her a mock salute. [b]â??Aye aye, Presidente,â?[/b] he said with a laugh. Cerbero shook her head and pushed him aside, so that she could address the other Mentals.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Reports?â?[/b] she questioned. Sobek stepped forward first. Standing at 5'7'' with long, wavy black hair, fox-like translucent blue eyes and a curvy, tanned figure, people around the city often called the Iranian Sobek the most stunning woman not only in the Mentals, but in the entire vicinity. She did not have an accent, having lived in America most of her 20 years, but her voice was still very attractive, possessing a bubbly, friendly quality. [b]â??First allow me to say how amazing that speech was, Cerbero and Rafale. You really got the people going,â?[/b] she said with a broad smile. Cerbero and Rafale both offered her thanks, and then she continued. [b]â??Here is my report: Nightmare assaults occurred at 1030 hours, 1500 hours and directly before the festivities at 1945 hours. My unit was able to fend off each attack without any casualties. Within the city perimeters we identified 3 spiesâ??2 from General Whitley's military encampment, and the other from Nephilim. They are being monitored at all hours.â?[/b] Cerbero nodded her approval and placed her right hand on Sobek's shoulder.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Phenomenal work, Sobek,â?[/b] Cerbero praised the younger girl. Sobek bowed her head and then walked over to Rafale and Neptune, allowing Susanoo to step forward. Susanoo was more of a generic kind of pretty than Sobek was, although she was more [i]popular[/i] with the gentleman around the city due to her less intimidating visage. The 24-year-old British girl stood at 5'4'', with a slender build, had auburn shoulder length hair parted to the side and similarly had blue eyes, like Sobek, but hers were a deep cobalt blue. She still spoke with a fairly strong British accent, as she was simply visiting when the Fall hit, but had been stranded here since.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Constr'ction in Districs twen'y and twen'y one 'ave finally been comple'ed and t'morow new residents shall begin moving in. The Eng'neering division have salvaged a couple more trucks and installed new ba'tries in 'em, which I personally charged. All broadcas' towers are working, and in addition to the 4 'ospi'als we have running now, two new ones have just reopened,â?[/b] Susanoo listed rapidly. Cerbero thanked her for her report as well, while making a mental note that tomorrow she would need to cut the rope for the new districts and sometime soon she would need to contact the M.A.F. to see if they could afford to sacrifice some additional doctors to the city. Susanoo bowed her head and joined the Mentals, and now Jinn replaced her.[/size] [size=4]Jinn was a Russian amazon. Standing at 6'2''--even taller than Neptune, which she often flauntedâ??with curly pulled back brunette, a toned build, striking grey eyes and darker golden skin, Jinn was the most physically daunting of any of the Mentals; beautiful, yes, but in a way that almost made her frightening to behold. She, like Sobek, lacked a discernible accent when speaking English, and quite in contrast to her appearance her normal speaking voice was musical, siren-esque.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Although there was a hiccup with the operation of the sewage systems last week, it has since been sorted out, and the sewage treatment center is operating at 100% efficiency. Likewise, the recycling plant has rebuilt the areas destroyed by Nightmare attacks and running like clockwork again. The central 'generator' has been stable today, with only a few, minor fluctuations occurring in energy output.â?[/b] Although Jinn was relating positive news, her voice was surprisingly stern. [b]â??Is something the matter, Jinn?â?[/b] Cerebero questioned. Jinn scowled with irritation.[/size] [size=4][b]â??We just received word that General Whitley is at the front gate and is demanding a meeting with us. You don't suppose we could simply turn out all of the lights and pretend we're not here, hmm?â?[/b] Jinn responded with a smirk. Cerbero grimaced and placed her hands on her hips. The General was becoming increasingly more of a bother for her, and his timing couldn't possibly have been more inopportune. As much as it displeased her, however, she knew that ignoring the General would prove extremely detrimental to her city's health.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Thank you Jinn. And good work everyone,â?[/b] she said to the Mentals. [b]â??Sobek, tell your guards to go on high alert, and then all of you escort General Whitley to the meeting chamber. Erycina and I will be along shortly.â?[/b] Her team nodded dutifully and departed from her. Cerbero turned on her heel, heading for her personal truck parked behind the city hall building. She hopped into the driver's seat and lifted her mask off of her face, desiring to enjoy the night air while she had the chance. Stepping on the gas she drove straight for Okeanos Way, the highway which led straight to the ocean. Although the festival had been tonight, Erycina had insisted upon taking a trip down to the docks so that she could check on the status of the ships and their shipments. That was only partially the truth, however. Cerbero knew that Erycina had a fondness for the area, and so had requested that Erycina head down to the docks so that she could spring a surprise dinner on herâ??but with the General's appearance, that would have to take a raincheck. It took her only 10 minutes to arrive at the ocean. She didn't bother to wait for the guard on watch to closely survey her identification and drove directly to the beach adjacent to the harbour. She caught sight of Erycina, pulling her jacket tightly over the long elegant dress she was wearing to stay warm. Apparently Cerbero's ruse hadn't deceived her at all. The two locked eyes as Erycina noticed Cerbero drawing closer, and for a second Cerbero considered remaining on the shore with her girlfriend, enjoying the comforting lap of the waves against the sand, and forgetting entirely about whatever business General Whitley had wanted to discuss. 3 years ago, Addley could and would have done just thatâ??abandoned all responsibility to enjoy a night with the person she loved. But Cerbero enjoyed no such luxury. She pulled alongside Erycina and frowned.[/size] [size=4][b]â??I owe you a dinner,â?[/b] she stated apologetically, leaning over to open the door for Erycina. The other woman laughed forlornly and hopped into the car.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Responsibility sucks,â?[/b] retorted the 25 year old woman of mixed Irish and Japanese descent. She grabbed her long, curly dark brown locks and twisted them into a ponytail, and then reached into her purse to grab a napkin for wiping off her bright red lipstick. Once it was all gone, she turned her lovely heart shaped face to Cerbero and stared at her with chestnut brown eyes harboring both happiness and disappointment.[/size] [size=4][b]â??I know. I missed you,â?[/b] Cerbero replied before leaning in and passionately pressing her lips against her partner's. Again the impulse to abandon her duties and bask in Erycina's presence washed over her, but she bitterly pushed back the feeling and drew away from Erycina.[/size] [size=4][b]â??General Whitley decided to pop by and surprise us with a visit,â?[/b] Cerbero explained, revving up the engine and driving back toward the city square. Erycina slouched down into her seat.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Well I'm a little overdressed, don't you think?â?[/b] she chided, spreading out her flowing blue dress over her legs. Cerbero chuckled.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Oh would you look at that! I hadn't even noticed. Perhaps you shouldn't have dolled yourself up for a routine trip to the port?â?[/b] Cerbero teased with a wink. Erycina feigned indignation and pouted.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Well perhaps you shouldn't let strange men interrupt our evenings. I'm starting to think that you're inviting General Whitley over here, the way he's always 'popping in',â?[/b] Erycina shot back. The two women laughed and then instinctively locked hands. As their laughter died down, Erycina leaned over to Cerbero and laid her head on Cerbero's shoulder. Cerbero mimicked the act and rested her head on Erycina's. They drove in silence the rest of the way, content to sit next to one another and share the atmosphere. It was only when the city hall building came into sight that Cerbero finally made a movement, and to her surprise discovered the Erycina was sleeping. She kissed her slumbering lover on the forehead, and then slowly reached for her mask on the floor and donned it once more. She parked her truck in its spot behind the building and then nudged Erycina awake. Erycina batted her eyelashes a few times, attempting to wake up.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Show time?â?[/b] she half questioned, half yawned. Cerbero nodded.[/size] [b][size=4]â??Show time.â?[/size][/b][/font] [center][font=georgia,serif]+++[/font][/center] [font=georgia,serif][i]Phénix, City Hall Meeting Chamber, 2135 hours[/i][/font] [left] [font=georgia,serif][b]â??We've been through this before, General. We cannot pose a threat to the United States because the United States no longer exists,â?[/b] Cerbero repeated dryly for the umpteenth time. She wanted to call this meeting adjourned and demand that the General quit wasting her time, but she suppressed the feeling. Instead she subconsciously began scrutinizing the General. If one word could be used to describe him, it would be rigid. Rigid jaw line, rigid eyes, rigid disgruntled expression, rigid everything. She'd never seen him smile, crack a joke, or look pleased in any way-- she'd never seen him relax so much as a single muscle in his body. Even now, as he angrily stood up from his chair to scold her, it looked as if he was in mid flex. [b][size=4]â??That statement is treason! As an American citizen you have a duty to protect this country--â?[/size][/b] [size=4][b]â??I have a duty to protect these people,â?[/b] Cerbero interjected, her anger finally winning her over. [/size] [size=4][b]â??Perhaps you refuse to acknowledge the reality of this situation, General, but we have not. There is no president. There is no government. At least half of the country has been razed and the population wiped out. For these past three years we have been on our own. There was no government to ameliorate the damage. No government to assist with reconstruction, no government to help heal the people. Everything we have now, we earned alone. This new world owes nothing to the past government,â?[/b] Cerbero stated, attempting to keep her voice level. General Whitley clenched his teeth together.[/size] [size=4][b]â??How dare you. If it weren't for the government you people would have had nothing to begin with. Everything this country had was due to the leadership and laws laid forth by our government. To turn your back on it now, to rise up in spiteful defiance of it is the worst, most despicable form of cowardice,â?[/b] the General spat. Cerbero simply stared at the General, waiting for him to calm himself down and retake his seat. When she refused to answer him, the General begrudgingly did just that. [/size] [b]â??Thank you General,â?[/b] Cerbero finally responded. [b]â??I appreciate your devotion to your country, and I appreciate your unwavering determination to live by its laws. However, as I have stated countless times before, I will not, under any circumstances, give up control of this city to you and your soldiers, even if you believe the law entitles you to it. These people trust me and the Mentals to take care of them, and would view it as a betrayal of their trust if we were to abandon them. Now if the central government were to reform, as you seem to believe might still be a possibility, then yes, Phénix would become its ally. But at this very moment, if the U.S. Army continues to meddle in my city's affairs, then I will consider it my enemy,â?[/b] she stated firmly. A flash of blind rage shot across the General's eyes, and Cebero knew she had tried his last nerve. General Whitley rose slowly from his seat and stood in silence for a moment. Then, in a barely discernible moment he drew out a hidden pistol and aimed it right at Cerbero. In response the Mentals leapt up and prepared to strike him down. [size=4][b]â??Enough!â?[/b] Cerbero yelled angrily at both sides. Her teammates stood poised with their elements at the ready, and the General stood unwavering in his spot. Cerbero stood up herself and placed her hands on her hips.[/size] [size=4][b]â??General, I would appreciate it if from now on you would refrain from discharging firearms within the city. I know you're a law abiding man, and that just so happens to be a law in this city.â?[/b] Cerbero requested kindly, although the General did not budge.[/size] [size=4][b]â??As for the rest of you,â?[/b] she continued, turning to face the Mentals, [b]â??you know better than to treat our guests like that. In addition, General Whitley does not plan to shoot me. He simply wants all parties involved to understand that his next statement will be of the utmost severity. So, General?â?[/b] Cerbero asked, maintaining her feigned kindness. The General spoke without pleasantries.[/size] [b][size=4]â??You will relinquish control of this city to me immediately. You and your gang will be held in confinement until I can decide what to do with you. Now line up behind--â? [/size][/b] [size=4][b]â??I don't think that will be necessary,â?[/b] came a cold voice from the door. General Whitley quickly shifted his aim form Cerbero to the new figure and fired. The shot rang throughout out the room, and everyone stared apprehensively at the man who had been shot. Everyone save for Cerbero, who simply frowned and crossed her arms.[/size] [size=4][b]â??What an unwelcome, yet convenient surprise. What brings you here, War?â?[/b] she inquired as the figure stood motionless in the doorway, unfazed by the bullet which had bounced off of his helmet.[/size] [size=4][b]â??Diplomacy,â?[/b] he answered, closing the door behind him.[/size][/font][/left] [center][font=georgia,serif][size=4]+++++[/size] [size=4]And that's it, everyone! Welcome to When You Wish...! These first initial posts will be important for establishing the status quo of your city, group or character, and then things we'll start seeing some intercity interactions. So post away and let's begin building this world together![/size][/font][/center]

[font=georgia,serif]I can honestly say that when I posted this RP, "Monster truck city buses" was the last thing I expected, but here it is... And quite frankly I love it, haha.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]Well Inuyasha Fandom, seeing as the Buses are ExcelExcel's territory you should probably ask [s]him[/s] her-- but so long as it's fine with [s]him[/s] her it sounds groovy to me![/font] [font=georgia,serif]EDIT: I was like 95% sure Excel was a girl... But then the other 5% of me looked at her profile. Sorry Excel![/font]

[quote name='ExcelExcel' timestamp='1338386174' post='711910'] I actually do have a question. About the buses, I'm thinking four person teams on each, and they are former mass transit buses with suspension improvements and off-road tires, tow cables, and lights. Is that cool? Or are most of the roads and highways still intact and those aren't needed? [/quote] [font=georgia,serif]That's a good question-- I imagine most of the roads are torn to hell, and although [i]some [/i]would remain intact, modding the buses is definitely in the M.A.F.'s best interest.[/font]

[font=georgia,serif]Bellissima! Everything looks amazing so far everyone-- I'm glad to see the uniqueness and quality of the sign ups so far. One thing though-- ExcelExcel, I think you mean Ascended when you're describing the residents of the hospital with healing and electric powers. Don't get me wrong I love your sign up, and augs would definitely work at a hospital given the likelihood that they could have been gifted with extensive medical knowledge, but only Ascended have outright [i]powers[/i] powers. But like I said, otherwise, great sign up. Also, it goes without saying, but everyone is in so far. :][/font] [font=georgia,serif]But yes, back to business! I'm expecting a couple more sign ups, then this weekend the main thread should be up. Until then, feel free to post your questions/suggestions in the backstage or send them directly to me, and get those creative wheels a-turnin![/font]

[font=georgia,serif]That sounds great to me. I wasn't sure if you were keeping them a mystery so that you could gradually reveal more of Maine's history. But if not, feel free to send some info along.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]Everyone else, I'm loving the sign ups so far. Great stuff, and I'm interested in seeing how everyone interacts. [s]Although, Inuyasha Fandom, I do have a question for you-- is Testament a mercenary? I'm sorry if I'm simply overlooking something in your sign-up that clarifies that, but I just wasn't quite sure.[/s][/font] [font=georgia,serif]Anywho, we should be getting a few more sign ups, and then I'll start the RP. But don't worry, the sign ups will stay open throughout, in case anyone wants to join in on the festivities.[/font] [font=georgia,serif]EDIT: I understand now Inuyasha Fandom. *thumbs up*[/font]

[font=georgia,serif]Brilliant! I'm always glad to have the opportunity to work with you, mate. I updated the backstage with the info you provided about your city and gang, both of which I'm looking forward to learning more about (I do love a good mystery). Darth Malgus should have his sign-up later today, so let's keep this train rolling folks![/font]

[font=georgia,serif][i]What would you define as a calamity? An event that levels the Earth and plunges humanity into another dark age? One that brings about famine? One that significantly diminishes the human race and leaves those who remain severely mutated?[/i] [i]Well then, what would you consider a miracle? An event which unlocks the hidden potential of mankind? One which encourages human evolution by eliminating those without motivation or passion? One which changes the very meaning of what it is to be human? Three years ago today, the Fall scorched the face of the Earth, and we emerged from the rubble and the ashes stronger, better and more dangerous. Was the Fall a calamity? A miracle? During these hard years weâ??ve come together as a group, and rebuilt a great portion of this land. Although there is much work still to be done, and although many lives were lost, we have made great progress in the face of adversity, kept bandits, thieves and rival organizations from our land, and are now ready to expand![/i] [i]In my humble opinion, it is impossible to deem the Fall a calamity or a miracle. It was simply an event-- an event which, while taking away some of the valuable tools mankind had accumulated, has also given it new tools. No, the true miracle is us, the remnants of a destroyed world and the bearers of a brighter future. So today, let us celebrate our triumphs! Let us celebrate our strengths! And most of all, let us celebrate the limitless future within our, the Mentalsâ?? grasp![/i][/font] [right][font=georgia,serif]-President Cerbero, May 24th 2015[/font][/right] [center][font=georgia,serif]+[/font][/center] [font=georgia,serif][size=4]Welcome to the backstage thread for [b]When You Wish...[/b] Here I'll keep a list of all of the gangs and cities (and any noteworthy places in the cities) as they are created by you rpers. Also, naturally, feel free to ask any and all questions you may have regarding the story. I should also mention,, although I should have mentioned it in the main thread, this is a Mature rp. Violence, sex, swearing, drugs, go for it. The world has been severely damaged, and although people are picking up the pieces, many people are having problems adjusting, and as the cities grow larger in size and become harder to police, crime will inevitably sneak in. Please be tactful, however. Anywho, details![/size][/font] [center][font=georgia,serif]+++[/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][u][size=6]Cities[/size][/u][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][b][color=#282828]Phénix[/color][/b][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]The city of Phénix is very much an agrarian city. They maintain their own vineyards, and crop fields, although hunting parties of Ascended are also sent out into the mountains for meat, and they have a thriving fishing scene. The society is ruled by President Cerbero and her â??cabinetâ? (i.e. her personal group of Ascended) and is a dictatorship. Donâ??t be deceived, however; President Cerbero is overwhelmingly admired by her people. The city often comes into conflict with the military stationed nearby, however, as they remain loyal to the currently M.I.A. president and do not approve of President Cerberoâ??s autonomous city. The city has electricity thanks to the abilities of Lightning Mentals, but it is used mostly for providing light both within people's homes and on the streets, and for the radios and speakers which relay the President's messages. Also, due to the presidents personal preferences, the city contains many neo-classical elements.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][b][color=#282828]Nephilim[/color][/b][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]The home of the Horsemen and their underlings, this city stands as an antithesis to the rest of the cities being rebuilt across the world. For whatever reason, the damage to the city during the Fall was minimal, and so still appears as a glass and metal metropolis which contains many of the luxuries other cities lack. Not much is known about the inner workings of the city, save that there is a building within called the "Citadel of the Seven Seals", through which the Horsemen are rumored to be able to "cast their gaze over the world." Most of the city's supplies are imported from other cities.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828][b]Valhalla[/b] Little is known of this city, save that it is purported to exist somewhere in the North, and the enigmatic Maine has made it his ultimate destination...[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828][b]The Sanctuary[/b][/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]An abandoned church and orphanage complex straddled within the ruins 0f a once great city. Testament uses this oasis as his base of operations, wherein he returns after every mission to rest and plan out his next attack. Testament alone knows the location and means by which one can enter into the Sanctuary; the debris of fallen skyscrapers has left the Sanctuary both inaccessible and virtually invisible from ground level.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828][b]Ravenloft[/b][/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]A city which has successfully weathered the worse effects of the Fall thanks to both the efficiency of the Medical Assistance Foundation which rules the area as well as the general lack of destruction caused within the city by the Fall. The city is doing quite well for itself; with both its hospital--which now serves as the central hub of the area-- and its industrial sector still largely intact, it accounts for much of the world's manufacturing industry and is by far one of the most well-to-do and open cities currently in existence.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828][b]Hlidskjalf[/b][/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]A village perched atop the Californian Sierra Nevadas. Unlike many of the other cities, which have spent most of their time and energy after the fall re-constructing the destroyed standards of life they were accustomed to, the people within this tribe decided to return to a simpler, more natural way of life. Thusly, the people within the town took up professions such as huntsmen, weavers, smiths and warriors, preferring to eat and utilize material they themselves obtained rather than manufactured material. Likewise, a chieftan was elected to identify and respond to the needs of the people--this chieftan is Varg, a kind yet stoic man. Despite this tribe's relative disassociation with modern society, they will still interact with other cities when necessary.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828][b]Pinnacle[/b][/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]A city ruled by the cruel, pitiless "Master," this city is filled with those who have answered Master's summons, willingly or not. The formation and maintenance of the city reflects Master's arrogance and dispassionate nature. The center of the city, where Master and his most valued disciples live is a spectacularly constructed temple housing many of the world's pre-Fall masterpieces and treasures. Immediately outside the vicinity of the temple, however, the city degrades into a nightmare-- the citizens live in a state of filthy neglect, made worse by the fact that their poverty does not stem from Master's inability to help them, but from his personal enjoyment of their suffering.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][b]Fort Salem[/b][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia, serif][color=#282828]Magnusâ?? original home. What was once an industrial park was converted into a well-guarded settlement and home to the raider group The Coven. Though due to an uprising that took part around six years ago, the park was razed to the ground due mostly in part to the infighting, and reprisals from the local settlers.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828][b]Port Mercury[/b][/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]This city is the home of The Migrant Trade Union and has become one of the biggest trade hubs among the settlements. Its location gives it access to many convenient trade routes and a rather large port. Port Mercury, named after the Greek God of merchants, was started by scavengers turned traders who eventually organized into The Migrant Trade Union, and enlisted the Mercantile Defense Force soon after. Though the MTUâ??s organization and those who run it are based out of Port Mercury, a majority of the union are in their migrant convoyâ??s, moving from town to town, only returning to Port Mercury when trade takes them there.[/color][/font][/center] [center][b][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]Rosewood[/color][/font][/b][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]The Rosewood is a vast forest that seemingly sprang up overnight. Since Sabinâ??s arrival in the south 3 years ago a lush forest has spread across all but the southernmost tip of Florida, all but the northern mountains of Georgia, the lower half of Alabama, and starts thinning out only covering half of Mississippiâ??s coast. The forest has fertile soil, is rich in fruit trees, and has plenty of game for hunters. Farming communities are scattered all throughout the forest. Port towns dot the coast of the gulf. The Wardens of the Rose claim everything within the Rosewood for King Sabin and keep the entire area as empty as possible of Cardinals with constant patrols in between the many mini fortresses that are scattered in the forest. Despite the farming towns, ports, and Warden encampments there is only one true city in the Rosewood, Seacrown.[/color][/font][/center] [center][b][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]Seacrown[/color][/font][/b][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]Seacrown occupies about the same area that use to be Panama Florida. Due to the abundance of trees the majority of the city is made wood, the only exception being the palace, which is made of stone, where the king resides. Seacrown is a port city and brings in large numbers of sea food and trade. They export many raw materials but can manufacture very few things themselves. The city runs entirely off renewable energy since fossil fuels are nearly impossible to come by. While the Rosewood is densely populated (when compared to most of North America) Seacrown does not boast a large population since there are so few jobs for people to do in the city. Despite that the city is large so many of the districts are completely empty. Sabinâ??s beachfront palace is only four stories high but has many balconies and outdoor areas some overlooking the sprawling city to the east and the ocean to the west. [/color][/font][/center] [center][b][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]Lilly Pad[/color][/font][/b][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]Though most of the states on the east coast have been flooded with water, the people managed to strive and rebuild their population on top of the water. Their area is now a "Floating Utopia" as some would call it, their main city surrounded by wilderness and boarders to ward off vicious beasts and intruders, while the main city floats atop of their ruined buildings below the citys water level. While they still retain electricity and general goods from other tribes (such as hospitals and law enforcement), the people of Lilly Pad usually tend for themselves with their hunting parties and their trade deals to survive [/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][u][size=6][color=#282828]Gangs[/color] [/size][/u][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][b][color=#282828]The Mentals[/color][/b][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]A band of Ascended who possess the ability to manipulate elemental forces, whether it be a self-produced element or manipulating an element already in existence. Although the leader of the group is President Cerbero, each member of the group gets fair say and input into matters regarding safety and the city. The Mentals act as the police force, the hunting party, and the government for Phénix. Unlike certain other gangs, they do not believe in ruling their city through fear or repression, and actively assist in construction of the city.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][b][color=#282828]The Horsemen[/color][/b][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]Conquest, War, Famine and Death are the leaders of the Horsemen, although many Augs and Ascended with varying abilities have fled to the Horsemen's cause, whether from prior association or from a desire to find order in a chaotic time. The Horsemen act as an external consultant organization for any city that calls upon them; to that end they act as arbiters, judges, law-makers and a police force. The Horsemen will perform any action, if they believe it to be just by their personal moral and ethic codes. To this end, the Horsemen have acted as both inciters and refuters of war, and have leveled and helped create an equal number of cities. This has drawn both ire and praise from varying cities--some appreciate the outside help, while others like President Cerbero detest the meddling of the Horsemen in their affairs.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][b][color=#282828]The Freelancers[/color][/b][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]The Freelancers are an oddity amongst the gangs, in that they existed before the Fall: not as a gang, but as a powerful and highly-skilled paramilitary group tasked with the most dangerous, high-risk missions against targets that threatened humanity itself. The Freelancers were individually trained by a mysterious man known only as 'Chapel', and together they carried out some of the most daring operations in military history. [/color][color=#282828]However, after the Fall, the members of the group found themselves imbued with extreme and varied abilities, and the fabric of the group began to rupture. Chapel disappeared during the Fall, and was assumed by many to have been killed: those who believed he was dead felt that he had taken the purpose of the Freelancers with him to the grave. Soon enough, they disbanded and the members discarded their old lives, most of them taking new names, some joining up with existing gangs and others becoming mercenaries and drifters.[/color][/font][/center] [center] [font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]But now, the enigmatic Maine is tracking them down for purposes known only to him.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828][b]Medical Assistance Foundation[/b][/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]Stationed within Ravenloft, this organization is comprised of both Augs and Ascended who were doctors and nurses, as well as Augs and Ascended who now possess medically minded abilities. It originally began as an organization which sought to provide free medical attention to those in the local area who could not afford it after the Fall, but since they have received patients from all around the world, and are quite well known for their services. In addition to the hospital, they have multiple parties who scour the area in retrofitted buses to assist anyone who cannot make it to the hospital itself. The Medical Assistance Foundation maintain control over Ravenloft.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828][b]The Berserkers[/b][/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]A tribe of people who all possess some form of shape-shifting ability and live in the lofty city of Hlidskjaf. Their aim is return to a more natural lifestyle so that they might create a symbiotic relationship between themselves and the Earth, and so eschew most constructs of civilization. They are led by Chieftan Varg, an imposing man who relishes the visceral art of combat and is extraordinarily passionate about his lifestyle. They rarely interact with other gangs or cities, and are basically self-sustaining.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828][b]The Disciples[/b][/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]The disciples are a group of Augs and Ascended devoted to following and supporting their leader "Master." The disciples have multiple levels of membership; after a certain level a person moves to the main headquarters and surrenders all their belongings, as well as themselves, to Master. Some members have powers, but there is no specific theme to the group beyond devotion to Master.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828][b]The Coven[/b][/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]A gang of Ascended and Augs who would raid settlements from their stronghold, Fort Salem, and were originally led by Magnus prior to his change of heart and occupation. They used superstition and fear to keep local populations in check, creating a façade that they were warlocks and mythical beasts. As far as anyone knows, The Coven was disbanded after a massive battle that destroyed Fort Salem and killed most of the members.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828][b]The Migrant Trade Union[/b][/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]The Migrant Trade Union, or MTU, a company of merchants who have used their connections and the recourses and banded together. In moving their trade convoys between settlements, The MTU has reestablished trade to many cities and has started to restore an economy. As a group of well-supplied merchants, they have become a major target by many raiding parties.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828][b]The Mercantile Defense Force[/b][/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]The Mercantile Defense Force, a group of well organized militias that moves along with the convoy, repelling any attempt to raid the trade groups. The Defense Force is one of the most well supplied Military forces between the settlements, having scavenged and traded a surplus of ammunition and explosives to deal with any threat that rises. Currently Magnus is Marshal over the militia defending the MTUâ??s largest trade convoy.[/color][/font][/center] [center][b][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]Survivors [Defunct][/color][/font][/b][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]A rag tag group of Augs and Ascended from southern New York who rallied around Sabin, their de facto leader. They were known as the Survivors. They went on a Cardinal massacre moving down the east coast destroying every Nightmare and Revelation they came across and assimilating other survivors as they moved south. They by the end of summer 2012 they had made it to what was once Panama City. Deciding that it was time to set up a permanent base of operation the Survivors began rebuilding.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]Sabinâ??s powers caused the surrounding wildlife to prosper, which in turn caused the people of the city to prosper. He then went on a â??tour of renewalâ? throughout what were Florida, Georgia and Alabama, rallying the remaining survivors in the area and vanquishing almost every Cardinal. Via his power the area erupted with life after only a few months. By June 2013 it was decided by that Sabin was destined to bring life back to the ruined planet. The populous elected him to be their leader and soon he was the messiah of the new Christianity (his power to give life was obviously a gift from God); his kingship shortly followed.[/color][/font][/center] [center][b][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]Wardens of the Rose[/color][/font][/b][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]The old Survivors became Sabin's most loyal followers under his kingship and renamed themselves Wardens of the Rose, spreading his influence throughout the south east and keeping the area safe from Cardinals and foreign powers alike. At the turn of the new year, 2014, the Wardens numbers grew too large for Sabin to lead them as personally as he had in the past. While he was still the head of the Wardens his appointed captains began taking more and more responsibilities off the kings shoulders until he had none left, leaving him to a leisurely life in the capital. The Wardens do all in the name of the King, though few orders actually come from Sabin himself.[/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]The Wardens all wear a badge over their heart that displays a blood red rose surrounded by wreath of green thorns. Roses appear on much of their equipment and garments, which are universally red and green with white trim. The uniforms are made from a layered synthetic material that can withstand small projectiles and blades. It also absorbs shockwaves from punches, kicks, and falls. They are trained in hand to hand combat, swords, shields, and bows. Few have fire arms.[/color][/font][/center] [center][b][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]Lion's Den[/color][/font][/b][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][color=#282828]The Lions Den is an unofficial gang per say, Francis has met up with different members during his travels from time to time. All hunters or warriors who live by a honorable code of assisting travelers, working together and staying alive in a group. The gang is full of men and women who come from all over, different cities and those who are drifters for their own purposes. Every member is marked with a certain insignia to show others they are a part of the group, allies of the world who document new areas to hunt and explore and share the news with one another. Francis has refused the branding for now, but is well know in the society already for his mapping of new areas and alternate routes through dangerous terrain. [/color][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][u][size=6]Cardinals[/size][/u][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][b]Nightmares[/b][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif]Nightmares are former humans who have been mutated into monstrous figures both bestial and humanoid in shape, also. These were people whose ambitions and desires were little more than the pursuance of sin. Many people consider them to have been deemed "unworthy to exist within the new world, and have been kept alive only so that they might suffer in seeing what has been denied them." The shape and abilities of the creatures varies from Nightmare to Nightmare, but they can easily be grouped into seven categories, based off of the seven cardinal sins, and their features always reflect whichever sin they belong to. Information about the Nightmares is scarce; all that is currently known is that they will endlessly pursue the means to indulge in their respective sin, they hate humans and Revelations alike, and they appear to lack any higher brain functions.[/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][b]Revelations[/b][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif]Revelations are former humans who, like their Nightmare brethren, have been mutated from their original forms. During their human lives they eschewed personal desires and ambitions for the sake of mindlessly spreading the virtues across the Earth. Due to their lack of egos, these humans "have become anthropomorphic embodiments of the virtues they espoused, unable to find their own path within the new world." Like the Nightmares, they are grouped into seven categories based off of the seven cardinal virtues, and possess abilities which allow them project that virtue into the world around them. Unlike the Nightmares, however, the Revelations are known to possess a certain degree of intelligence and judgement. They are not as antagonistic to humans as Nightmares are, only attacking a human if they witness them performing some form of sin. Otherwise Revelations will ignore humans in favor of pursuing and destroying their Nightmare antithesis (ie Humility Revelations hunt down Pride Nightmares), and their have even been records of Revelations working alongside humans if they witness one perform a virtuous, kind act. However, they are fickle and their sense of morality is very black and white--even having witnessed someone perform many selfless deeds, with so much as one questionable act a Revelation would turn on its former ally.[/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif]+++++[/font][/center] [left][font=georgia,serif]Just a little extra information: [b]a)[/b] in case you don't feel like being involved with a certain city or gang, and would rather be a drifter or freelance merc, that's totally acceptable--most cities have bounty boards where mercs can pick up jobs (communicate with whomever the city belongs with to see if they have any jobs for you) and many people also exist simply as Hunters/Guardians, people who prevent the Cardinals from getting into cities. [b]b)[/b] The appearance of the Cardinals is really up to the writer, but each of them has something that indicates what vice they're based off of--i.e. Gluttony Nightmares have large mouths and sharp fangs, Humility Revelations are always slouched over, symbolizing their lack of pride, etc... [/font][/left] [left][font=georgia,serif]Alright, if there's anything I haven't made clear, which I'm sure there is, haha, or any questions you have at all, now's the time to ask 'em![/font][/left]

[center][font=georgia,serif][size=6]When You Wish...[/size][/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif]+[/font][/center] [left][font=georgia,serif][i]What would you define as a calamity? An event that levels the Earth and plunges humanity into another dark age? One that brings about famine? One that significantly diminishes the human race and leaves those who remain severely mutated?[/i] [i]Well then, what would you consider a miracle? An event which unlocks the hidden potential of mankind? One which encourages human evolution by eliminating those without motivation or passion? One which changes the very meaning of what it is to be human? Three years ago today, the Fall scorched the face of the Earth, and we emerged from the rubble and the ashes stronger, better and more dangerous. Was the Fall a calamity? A miracle? During these hard years weâ??ve come together as a group, and rebuilt a great portion of this land. Although there is much work still to be done, and although many lives were lost, we have made great progress in the face of adversity, kept bandits, thieves and rival organizations from our land, and are now ready to expand![/i] [i]In my humble opinion, it is impossible to deem the Fall a calamity or a miracle. It was simply an event-- an event which, while taking away some of the valuable tools mankind had accumulated, has also given it new tools. No, the true miracle is us, the remnants of a destroyed world and the bearers of a brighter future. So today, let us celebrate our triumphs! Let us celebrate our strengths! And most of all, let us celebrate the limitless future within our, the Mentalsâ?? grasp![/i][/font][/left] [right][font=georgia,serif]-President Cerbero, May 24th 2015[/font][/right] [center][font=georgia,serif]+++[/font][/center] [left][font=georgia,serif]The world has evolved. On May 24th, 2012, a meteor shower rained down across the entirety of the Earth. No area was spared, and so no human could escape from the shower of irradiated stones. What should have been a colossal extermination, another freak extinction of the dominant race of the planet, became something far different. Yes, people did die-- but only those who, when struck, existed in a complete and total state of serenity and contentedness in their lives. Roughly a fourth of the entire human population was exterminated in this manner.[/font][/left] [left] [font=georgia,serif]Another fourth suffered a fate worse than death. Those without ambitions or dreams were transformed into horrible monstrosities, shaped by whatever misguided vice or virtue they allowed to rule their lives. These beings, referred to as Cardinals, are divided into two categories-- the Nightmares, which are people who only lived to sate their lecherous desires without aim, and Revelations, who blindly and mindlessly lived their lives by preestablished edicts of kindness and nothing more. Although no two Cardinals look exactly alike, the Nightmares are generally divided into seven categories based upon the seven deadly sins, and the Revelations into seven categories based upon the seven cardinal virtues. Of those that retained their humanity, half awoke the next day to find their lives changed for the better. Perhaps they had strove towards something in their lifetime, something as simple and losing weight, changing their appearance, becoming smarter or mastering some form of skill. Well to pleasure of these people, called Augs, although they had lost their loved ones and home, they had gained that exact thing they wanted most overnight. Although the exact cause hasnâ??t been determined, the general theory is that the energy released from the irradiated meteorites temporarily broke down the boundaries between human beings. This linked together the entirety of the human consciousness, which allowed individual consciousnesses to take and utilize whatever information they desired, and for those who gained physical transformations, for them to mold their own essences as they saw fit. But there was one group who received the most blessings. They are alternatively called â??The Ascendedâ? by themselves and â??The Freaksâ? by other humans. They are humans who in their prior lives possessed boundless imaginations, and always imagined for themselves lives more grandiose and majestic than the lives they were living. These were people who did not desire a position or appearance in life, they desired power. True, impossible power. When they awoke, they had the powers they always dreams of--they could fly, summon flames, enslave the minds of those around them. They are phenomenal. They are dangerous. And in this new world, they hold the reins. In wake of the Fall, people began banding together and recreating their homes. Naturally the Ascended rose to leadership positions and acted as the police force for their new encampments, banding together into â??gangs,â? while the Augs began rebuilding. One such group are the aforementioned Mentals, led by President Cerbère, who reside in and protect the â??cityâ? of Phénix, which exists in what was Southern California. But in a world with so many miraculous people, peace is hard to come by. Each gang and their respective encampment believe they have the right, the prerogative to continue expanding and rebuild the world in their image. Although a shaky agreement currently exists between the encampments, it will soon fall in light of glorious ambition... Who will emerge on top?[/font][/left] [center][font=georgia,serif]+++++[/font][/center] [left][font=georgia,serif]Welcome to When You Wish... an rp where you have been granted your greatest desire and must now use it for the betterment of mankind... or maybe just for yourself. Feel free to play as an Aug or an Ascended, and either rebuild the world with your fellow man, take charge of it and rule as dictator, or release your inhibitions and raze the world with your personal brand of chaos! N.B. This is very much a... Sandbox style RP (I think that reference should work). Do what you want. Interact with whomever you want, however you want (save murder, murdering another personâ??s main character is only acceptable if they say so). This is a very much a world I want the writers to develop together.[/font][/left] [center] [font=georgia,serif][u]Sign Up[/u] [b]Name:[/b] [b]Codename:[/b] After the Fall, many people renounced their old names and claimed a new one. Your character may or may not have done the same. [b]Age:[/b] [b]Gender:[/b] [b]Appearance:[/b] [b]Personality:[/b] Note, Augs are basically normal people, but the powerful imaginative minds of the Ascended make them more detached from reality than others. They are very unique. [b]Power/Augmentation:[/b] Nothing too too extreme (death to all via blinking et al.) but be creative. Your powers can be singular (telekinesis) or a set (a Werewolf set would have enhanced senses, strength, speed and stamina and physical transformation). Feel free to adopt powers from existing literary heroes or figures-- the people with powers are often exactly like us, prone to heavy imaging and rping, haha. [b]Gang:[/b] You can create your own gang, or choose from some Iâ??ve already created (only in name and theme; how that gang operates is entirely up to you for any gang thatâ??s not the Mentals): the Mentals (elemental manipulators, benders), the Shifters (weres, vampires, beast boy), the Supers (superhero sets), the Psychs (telekinesis, telepathy, creating illusions) or the Horsemen (led by Darth Malgus, who is War). Or you could not be in a gang at all. For some characters, riding solo isn't only preferable, it's advantageous to their goals, whatever they may be... [b]Weapons:[/b] Ammunition is hard to come by, but not impossible depending upon your position. Swords, staves, axes, etc. all okay. [b]City:[/b] Create the city (more like city-state) of your choosing-- a fishing port, an entertainment hub, or a military town being some examples. Really go wild here. If people decide to sign up to the same Gang (each Gang has a specific city) collaborate on how youâ??d like your city to look. Feel free, however, to not hunker down in a specific city and instead take to the life of the drifter, experiencing all the world has to offer.[/font][/center] [center] [font=georgia,serif]Hereâ??s my sign up as an example:[/font][/center] [center][font=georgia,serif][b]Name:[/b] Adelaide â??Addleyâ? Ibarra [b]Codename:[/b] President Cerbero /tÊ?É?bÉ?ro/ [b]Age:[/b] 23 [b]Gender:[/b] Female [b]Appearance:[/b] [[url="http://www.themarysue.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ww7-366x550.jpg"][u]Physical[/u][/url]][[url="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v628/Reizou/artkenethrocafortelsabloodstone.jpg"][u]Addley Outfit[/u][/url]][[url="http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a286/darthbader/army%20of%202%20masks/DSCN1279.jpg"][u]Mask Shape[/u][/url]] As opposed to the picture, however, her hair is cut into a pixie cut. She stands at 5â??10â??â??, is lean but muscular due to the harsh conditions sheâ??s endured and has very tan skin. She has cobalt blue eyes, although they are hidden behind her mask in her President Cerbero guise or behind aviators when she is simply Addley [See Personality]. When she is President Cerbero she wears this uniform: a white, long sleeved skin tight shirt, a black bulletproof vest with a red cerberus painted onto it, black slender cargo pants, white combat boots with golden laces, and red gloves. But President Cerbère is most known for two accesories-- her red scarf and her white mask (shown above) which has a red line painted down the middle of it, and a red phoenix with wings outstretched painted over the eyes, representing the city of Phénix. The mask also has a device within it that distorts her voice so that people cannot discern her identity. When acting as a citizen, she wears the depicted outfit: a beige jacket, a white undershirt, grey jeans and combat boots, with her bow and arrows slung over her shoulders. She also wears aviators and a gold chain with the symbol of the city on the end of it. [b]Personality:[/b] Addley has two personas: President Cerbero and Addley. As Cerbero she is confident, unwavering, authoritative and well-spoken. Her presence commands respect and few dare to challenge her. When she needs to glean information from the people that might otherwise be kept from Cerbère, she strips off her â??uniformâ? and becomes Addley, a local girl who works security at the docks. Sheâ??s polite, caring and soft-spoken but deadly accurate with firearms and able to rumble with the surliest of characters. Her joviality and affability make her easily trusted by everyone she meets, and thus she always has her ear to the streets. [b]Power:[/b] Energy manipulation- Addley has the ability to absorb all types of energy through any part of her body and to store it within herself. Once she has absorbed the energy, her body will begin replicating it, so that so long as her use of the ability does not exceed her replication, she can use the ability endlessly as if it were her own. This made her the ideal leader for the Mentals, as she could absorb all multiple abilities and fight as a one woman tank. Depending on the type of energy she absorbs, she can perform different feats along with simply emitting said element: she can manipulate fire and wind for self-sustained flight; lightning to accelerate the rate at which her mind and body operate, making her sharper in battle and increasing her healing rate; earth to increase her balance and harden her skin; water to create a fluid shield on her skin that deflects knives and stray bullets; and light to bend the light around her so that she becomes invisible. At most she can safely harness two elements at a time with only a moderate strain on her body-- she hasn't tried possessing more than that, for fear that an overload of energy would turn her into a virtual human bomb. [b]Weapons:[/b] Handguns and hand to hand combat as President Cerbero, and a bow and arrows, and [url="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20061106030819/swfanon/images/archive/a/a8/20061107192757!Scimitar.jpg"]scimitar[/url] as Addley. [b]Gang:[/b] Mentals [b]City:[/b] Phénix- The city of Phénix is very much an agrarian city. They maintain their own vineyards, and crop fields, although hunting parties of Ascended are sent out into the mountains for meat, and they have a thriving fishing scene. The society is ruled by President Cerbero and her â??cabinetâ? (i.e. her personal group of Ascended) and is a dictatorship. Donâ??t be deceived, however; President Cerbero is overwhelmingly admired by her people. The city often comes into conflict with the military stationed nearby, however, as they remain loyal to the currently M.I.A. president of the U.S. and do not approve of President Cerberoâ??s autonomous city. +++++ Well, happy writing everyone! Iâ??ll have a backstage thread up soon, but until then, feel free to shoot me all of your questions via PM! :D[/font][/center]