Hemalurgic Headshot Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 7 minutes ago, Voidus said: Just had a possible thought for city name: Olympus Major Me likey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidpen Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 8 minutes ago, Voidus said: Just had a possible thought for city name: Olympus Major Out of curiosity, why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voidus Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 2 minutes ago, Kidpen said: Out of curiosity, why? Because Mount Olympus was the supposed home of the greek gods, so I can see an Epic using it to name their city. Major because apparently most post-calamity cities needed a descriptor in their name (New-Cago, Babylon-Restored) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Young Pyromancer Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 Not Houston. Houston is Houston. Also, we could probably start the RP now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comatose Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 29 minutes ago, The Young Pyromancer said: Maybe have the Reckoners base near Pariah? If I were them, I'd like to know that I'd NEVER be ambushed from behind. Or if not, Pariah should go near Nicroburst, because he would have thought that. Or maybe both... Now I'm imagining them as unknowing neighbors. Also, Comatose, I noticed you stealing from my summary. That is fine. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! Which summary was that? The post you did about the epics and their public visibility? If so then for sure! I’ve been taking bits and pieces from various posts so a large portion of the summary is quotes from you guys. It was meant to be a consolidation rather than an original work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Young Pyromancer Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 (edited) Yep. So we are waiting for the Pariah location? @Drake Marshall Edited July 5, 2018 by The Young Pyromancer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comatose Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 1 hour ago, Voidus said: Just had a possible thought for city name: Olympus Major I like it too! A couple permutations just for fun: Edmolympus? Edmolympia? Edmolympus Major? Albertus Olympia? Albertal Olympus/ia? Edmonton is also the northernmost major city in North America, so we could do something "North" themed - Edmonia-Polaris, Olympia Polaris. A twist on Edmonton's linguistic roots: Eadhelm, Eadhelm-Polaris, Eadhelm-Olympia. Feel free to discard all of these if they are two weird, just throwing them out there. I'm fine with Olympus-Major. 49 minutes ago, The Young Pyromancer said: Yep. So we are waiting for the Pariah location? @Drake Marshall That and Arachnerd's location I think (since we should know how much of Edmonton is webbed). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voidus Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 2 minutes ago, Comatose said: I like it too! A couple permutations just for fun: Edmolympus? Edmolympia? Edmolympus Major? Albertus Olympia? Albertal Olympus/ia? Edmonton is also the northernmost major city in North America, so we could do something "North" themed - Edmonia-Polaris, Olympia Polaris. A twist on Edmonton's linguistic roots: Eadhelm, Eadhelm-Polaris, Eadhelm-Olympia. Feel free to discard all of these if they are two weird, just throwing them out there. I'm fine with Olympus-Major. That and Arachnerd's location I think (since we should know how much of Edmonton is webbed). Albertus Olympia reads best for me, the others on the first row sound a bit forced. My picks: Olympia Polaris, Albertus Olympia, Eadhelm-Polaris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Young Pyromancer Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 Who has Arachnerd? I like Olympia Polaris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comatose Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 Sazedezas. I already tagged them in my last post, and they haven't been on for the last nine hours, so we should just be patient. Not everyone has a lot of time to be online, and there's no rush really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Young Pyromancer Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 Okay. I GTG in 10 minutes for the day anyways. Actually, I can stay! Yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antgrgmn Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 A bit late, but Borrower probably could have taken out Doubletake if we don’t have an explanation for that yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidpen Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 (edited) Spoiler Alex awoke, covered with slime and muck. No different than any other day, of course. It’s the same routine, day after day, week after week, and month after month. Alex would wake up, smell the trash that people threw into his alley, find food, and start a new day of preaching. It didn’t matter how much he talked, there was no one who truly understood the truth: that humanity is scum. Even before Calamity came, you could see it in the evil scum that walk the street at night. The way epics act isn’t anything new, it’s just human nature coming out completely due to lack of consequences. And yet, they still walked as if everything was fine. As if the answer to the problem was ignoring it. It’s not. The answer is to cut off the issue at the source. Without humanity, there’s no way for the inherent personality of all people to come through. As Alex finished this thought, he suddenly felt enormous power rush into him. He rose up, in awe of this amazing feeling. Has my wish finally been granted? Knowing in his heart that it must have been, he tried to use his power. Mysteriously, life persisted. Trying again, he failed again. Getting frustrated, he pushed all of the will he had into this power-and failed. He came to a realization-his weakness. If he couldn’t use his power, then it must be because of his weakness. Thinking, he decided that if his power was his greatest wish, then his weakness would be his greatest hate. The heathens, those who can not, no, will not see the truth. He went to the streets with renewed passion, and began to spread his wisdom to the streets of Calgary. And suddenly, people listened. Not everyone, but a reasonable population came to him, listening, and believing. Urging them to rise up, they did. Thinking, he came to the logical conclusion. These people were loyal to his cause, but he couldn’t just take the city right now. He’d have to grow and train his army. He ordered his lackeys to continue normal life. Once he gained enough, he would be able to take the city with ease. Continuing work, he hid out in an old abandoned warehouse, going out and ordering normal lives. When he was ready, he would gather his army in one place, and attack. Days before he would’ve been ready, Chrysalis came. Her swarm of bug monsters tore through his army like a thousand degree knife through a fidget spinner. Fleeing, he barely got out of the city alive. Fuming with rage, Alex watched as the city, his city, was taken over by some upstart no-name epic. He will get it back. There’s no doubt about that. The only question is how. I need allies. Turning, he considered his options. None of the epics had joined his groups back in Calgary. That was dead to him. The next best place nearby was Edmonton. Making his decision, he started walking. There would probably be someone along the way willing to help him along to Edmonton for a good cause. Prologue of Armageddon I wrote up real quick. Comments, concerns, criticism? Keep in mind I'm not very good at writing anyways, and this wasn't exactly a huge undertaking, so I won't be broken up if nobody loves it. Edited July 5, 2018 by Kidpen 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrakeMarshall Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 5 hours ago, Comatose said: I think I got it. I carved out a bit passed 91 ST NW to include South Edmonton Common, since you had said at one point that's where Epoch was based. Let me know if you want changes. Right, so I should explain this. The South Common thing was in reference to a different faction idea I've been thinking about for a while now. It doesn't really matter if they occupy South Common or anywhere else though, that was just a place I randomly picked on the map, and it could literally be anywhere. The explanation is kind of lengthy. I was hoping to unfold this properly as a story but I am getting the vibe I ought to give details here sooner than later (it is spoilered though, so don't read it unless you want to know things that your characters would not know about). It is starting to seem very similar to something else, because of it involving an optical illusion gifter. Although, I suspect this might be a somewhat different take on the concept. Whatever. I don't know if this even works or not, but this is what I've been thinking up: Spoiler There are a few relevant characters in this. Spoiler Name: Beckett Knight Epic Name: Doesn't really have one. Appearance: A tall fellow with a slight tan, grey-black hair, and brown eyes. Typical outfit is a collared shirt with a sweater over it. Abilities: Can craft elaborate optical and sonic illusions. These illusions are overlaid on reality, anchored to a person, object, or place. If they are large enough, it is possible to stand inside the illusion, and inside everything looks and sounds normal. Requires a vivid imagination and an eye for detail to craft realistic illusions. Illusions may register on all spectra of light and sonic detection, although it takes additional work to factor each of these into the illusion. Able to identify other epics at a glance. Can see auras around epics that give a rough idea of what general type of powers they have and their overall power level. Can gift his powers to others. Applications: Gifting. Does not use his powers personally. History: Beckett worked as a ceramic artist before Calamity. After Calamity, in a series of improbable encounters he fell in with a Reckoner's cell, which he was part of for several years. This is where he originally met his wife Jayce. The cell already had some internal conflicts before Beckett arrived, but things became more and more stressed for the duration of his stay. In the wake of a botched assassination job that killed a lot of civilians, a couple of members (Beckett and Jayce included) had a serious falling out with the cell leader, and the Reckoners as a whole. They left the group. After cutting ties with the Reckoners, they ended up in Edmonton. Apparently Calamity had an acute sense of irony, because Beckett became an epic not long after that: an optical and sonic illusionist. He was able to stave off much of the darkness by gifting away his powers (in great part to Jayce) and swearing that he would never use them himself. As the people he gifted learned to control the illusions, an idea began to form in is mind. An illusion that would keep them safe. Thus, the fictional epic Typhon was born. It is a well-known fact (at least by epics) that the more powerful the epic, the more severe the corruption. Typhon is an unimaginably powerful epic that is unimaginably corrupted, to the point of going completely and utterly feral, more monster than human. Typhon appeared in the South Edmonton Common, and has mindlessly defended that territory, confronting and instantly vaporizing any epic that gets too close. Typhon does not appear to do the same to regular humans, who are capable of surviving in South Common. This can be a way for regular humans to escape the wrath of other epics, but this is often seen as an option for the truly desperate, as Typhon is said to grow more powerful over time by feeding on its subjects (also because nobody who enters South Common ever seems to leave, giving rise to some theories that Typhon can influence the behavior of non-epics in limited ways). A study of Typhon's interactions would reveal that Typhon's psychology is a close match to that of a territorial predator. The territory isn't especially desirable since it is relatively small and on the outskirts, and evidence would suggest that Typhon is unprecedently powerful. Naturally, anyone in their right mind keeps away from South Common. Typhon appears to be a massive incorporeal figure, eyes aflame, crackling with power that could effortlessly level city blocks or vaporize high epics. Typhon's appearance has evolved over time (I wonder why...), and this has lead to speculations that Typhon is slowly growing more powerful. Jayce plays the role of Typhon, among other things, so see her profile for more details on how exactly this works. With the ruse of Typhon established, Beckett keeps a sheltered settlement of unpowered humans in South Common, overlaid with a patchwork of illusions depicting destruction, pain, and suffering. He calls his base of operations the 23rd Headquarters (a reference to the WWII Ghost Army). Has quiety kept a town full of the most desperate refugees from the epics safe for the last few years. Now the Reckoners have grown a lot more bold with Steelheart's death. Beckett still has serious greivances with the Reckoners and their methods, and believes that their recent assassination in Edmonton will only cause more death and destruction as the city spirals out of control and is consumed by warring epics. In any case, he intends to keep South Common and its citizens safe, even if everything else in the outside world goes to hell. Keeping his oath to never use his own powers hasn't really gotten any easier, over the years. He continually struggles with the urge to use his power. At least up until now, he has kept to that oath. Spoiler Name: Jayce Knight Epic Name: Curator / Typhon Appearance: A slightly severe looking woman with olive skin, blue eyes, and light-brown hair. She dresses for comfort and utility, and uses an illusion if she needs to look more presentable. Abilities: Is usually gifted a significant amount of Beckett's power. Possesses the Aegis, a vest that functions as an incorporeality motivator that can run for about fifteen minutes. Takes a couple hours plugged in to recharge. Also worth noting that when she was in the Reckoners, she was one of the ones that researched epics. Applications: A lot of things, but they basically all fall under protecting South Common in one way or another. History: Jayce filled the Reckoner cell's recon and informational needs, and had joined about a year before Beckett. As I said, when she, Beckett, and a few others agreed to walk away from the Reckoners, they landed in Edmonton, and shortly after Beckett gained powers. Jayce was gifted large amounts of said power to keep Beckett sane. She has been using the gifted power more extensively and for a longer time than basically anybody else who has been gifted. It is for this reason that she bears the nickname Curator, as she is in charge of maintaining South Common's display of illusions and upholding the masquerade, coordinating the other illusionists. Jayce and the other illusionists also occasionally conceal themselves in illusions and spy on especially powerful epics, primarily to discern what each epic seems to fear or avoid, in the event that said epic eventually encroaches on South Common. They occasionally try to perform preemptive strikes on certain types of power that pose a threat, primarily teleporters and certain types of other illusionists, but in general they are very opposed to taking out epics that do not pose an immediate threat to South Common, as that would inevitably blow their cover and doom the civilians living in South Common. When epics encroach on the territory of Typhon, she is also the one that deals with them. She overlays an illusion of Typhon confronting and vaporizing the offending epic over the entire area, so that this is all observers will see. Meanwhile, inside the illusion, Jayce activates the aegis and is locked in a much more drawn out conflict with the epic, misleading them with illusions and attempting to kill them. For epics without PI, she often tries to lure them into concealed death traps. Very rarely (twice), she has had to confront a high epic. Since most epic weaknesses are perceptual, and she has done a degree of research on each epic, she can cycle through illusions she thinks have a chance at triggering their weakness. So far, she has never lost a fight (although there have been some very close calls). After a good few lesser epics (some of them trying to slip by disguised as regular humans), and two high epics, appeared to be disintegrated instantly and effortlessly by Typhon (and subsequently killed behind the scenes in a much more even fight), none but the insane and the desperate come near South Common anymore. She is familiar with the Reckoner's MO of collecting and selling tissue samples in exchange for epic derived technology. Doing something similar with the epics she has defeated is how she came to possess the Aegis (which was rather expensive, even for epic tech). It is one of her prized possessions. In the old days, when people were still testing Typhon's strength, Jayce was extremely busy, trying to coordinate the investigation of epics throughout the city who might be a threat, all without the epics catching on (or attempting to deal with those that have figured it out, utilizing the dreamstorm whenever possible and killing them if this is not possible), and fending off any epics that did attack South Common. Things got more manageable when Typhon became well-established and people stopped testing their boundaries, and her files on each of the city's epics were more fleshed out. With the flood of new epics, she is more busy again, trying to gather information on all of the new epics. Spoiler Name: Taya Greenwood Appearance: A nineteen year old with walnut skin, brown eyes with glasses, and black hair. Looks warily at her surroundings, but holds herself confidently. Typically wears a hoodie and jeans. History: Taya had kind of a rough childhood, because for most of her life one of her parents was an epic (since she was seven). Not that she was treated very badly, per se; as the daughter of a somewhat prominent epic it was almost like being a celebrity's kid, albeit in a kind of twisted up way. But being raised by an epic, and all of the considerable corruption that entails... It definitely leaves its mark. She grew up in Toronto. A couple years ago, she ran away. She still stays in touch with some members of her extended family, though, who are sympathetic to her situation, but not really able to do anything because they live in Toronto. Alone in the middle of an unfamiliar city, Taya didn't have much to work with, other than a solid understanding of how most epics operated, and a not insignificant grudge against said epics. After her experiences, she was reluctant to be employed by an epic. So she started stealing from various epic regimes (they are some of the only people worth stealing from, plus they deserve it), conning them out of their resources. It turns out, doing that sort of thing actually got a lot easier with the collapse of government on a national scale. If she got caught or stepped on too many toes, all she had to do was hop over to the next territory, and most people wouldn't bother pursuit. And, she discovered she was pretty good at it, all things considered. Her story begins with a hasty departure from Fort Saskatchewan, and arrival in Edmonton. As you might be able to guess, she will be involved in the story of South Common. In fact, she is the main point of view through which South Common would be described. So yeah, that's it. Like I said, I don't even know if this works, but I wanted to explain it. 4 hours ago, The Young Pyromancer said: Yep. So we are waiting for the Pariah location? @Drake Marshall Ummm it could go wherever. Off the top of my head... Somewhere in the vicinity of Belvedere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voidus Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 17 minutes ago, Drake Marshall said: Right, so I should explain this. The South Common thing was in reference to a different faction idea I've been thinking about for a while now. It doesn't really matter if they occupy South Common or anywhere else though, that was just a place I randomly picked on the map, and it could literally be anywhere. The explanation is kind of lengthy. I was hoping to unfold this properly as a story but I am getting the vibe I ought to give details here sooner than later (it is spoilered though, so don't read it unless you want to know things that your characters would not know about). It is starting to seem very similar to something else, because of it involving an optical illusion gifter. Although, I suspect this might be a somewhat different take on the concept. Whatever. I don't know if this even works or not, but this is what I've been thinking up: Reveal hidden contents There are a few relevant characters in this. Reveal hidden contents Name: Beckett Knight Epic Name: Doesn't really have one. Appearance: A tall fellow with a slight tan, grey-black hair, and brown eyes. Typical outfit is a collared shirt with a sweater over it. Abilities: Can craft elaborate optical and sonic illusions. These illusions are overlaid on reality, anchored to a person, object, or place. If they are large enough, it is possible to stand inside the illusion, and inside everything looks and sounds normal. Requires a vivid imagination and an eye for detail to craft realistic illusions. Illusions may register on all spectra of light and sonic detection, although it takes additional work to factor each of these into the illusion. Able to identify other epics at a glance. Can see auras around epics that give a rough idea of what general type of powers they have and their overall power level. Can gift his powers to others. Applications: Gifting. Does not use his powers personally. History: Beckett worked as a ceramic artist before Calamity. After Calamity, in a series of improbable encounters he fell in with a Reckoner's cell, which he was part of for several years. This is where he originally met his wife Jayce. The cell already had some internal conflicts before Beckett arrived, but things became more and more stressed for the duration of his stay. In the wake of a botched assassination job that killed a lot of civilians, a couple of members (Beckett and Jayce included) had a serious falling out with the cell leader, and the Reckoners as a whole. They left the group. After cutting ties with the Reckoners, they ended up in Edmonton. Apparently Calamity had an acute sense of irony, because Beckett became an epic not long after that: an optical and sonic illusionist. He was able to stave off much of the darkness by gifting away his powers (in great part to Jayce) and swearing that he would never use them himself. As the people he gifted learned to control the illusions, an idea began to form in is mind. An illusion that would keep them safe. Thus, the fictional epic Typhon was born. It is a well-known fact (at least by epics) that the more powerful the epic, the more severe the corruption. Typhon is an unimaginably powerful epic that is unimaginably corrupted, to the point of going completely and utterly feral, more monster than human. Typhon appeared in the South Edmonton Common, and has mindlessly defended that territory, confronting and instantly vaporizing any epic that gets too close. Typhon does not appear to do the same to regular humans, who are capable of surviving in South Common. This can be a way for regular humans to escape the wrath of other epics, but this is often seen as an option for the truly desperate, as Typhon is said to grow more powerful over time by feeding on its subjects (also because nobody who enters South Common ever seems to leave, giving rise to some theories that Typhon can influence the behavior of non-epics in limited ways). A study of Typhon's interactions would reveal that Typhon's psychology is a close match to that of a territorial predator. The territory isn't especially desirable since it is relatively small and on the outskirts, and evidence would suggest that Typhon is unprecedently powerful. Naturally, anyone in their right mind keeps away from South Common. Typhon appears to be a massive incorporeal figure, eyes aflame, crackling with power that could effortlessly level city blocks or vaporize high epics. Typhon's appearance has evolved over time (I wonder why...), and this has lead to speculations that Typhon is slowly growing more powerful. Jayce plays the role of Typhon, among other things, so see her profile for more details on how exactly this works. With the ruse of Typhon established, Beckett keeps a sheltered settlement of unpowered humans in South Common, overlaid with a patchwork of illusions depicting destruction, pain, and suffering. He calls his base of operations the 23rd Headquarters (a reference to the WWII Ghost Army). Has quiety kept a town full of the most desperate refugees from the epics safe for the last few years. Now the Reckoners have grown a lot more bold with Steelheart's death. Beckett still has serious greivances with the Reckoners and their methods, and believes that their recent assassination in Edmonton will only cause more death and destruction as the city spirals out of control and is consumed by warring epics. In any case, he intends to keep South Common and its citizens safe, even if everything else in the outside world goes to hell. Keeping his oath to never use his own powers hasn't really gotten any easier, over the years. He continually struggles with the urge to use his power. At least up until now, he has kept to that oath. Reveal hidden contents Name: Jayce Knight Epic Name: Curator / Typhon Appearance: A slightly severe looking woman with olive skin, blue eyes, and light-brown hair. She dresses for comfort and utility, and uses an illusion if she needs to look more presentable. Abilities: Is usually gifted a significant amount of Beckett's power. Possesses the Aegis, a vest that functions as an incorporeality motivator that can run for about fifteen minutes. Takes a couple hours plugged in to recharge. Also worth noting that when she was in the Reckoners, she was one of the ones that researched epics. Applications: A lot of things, but they basically all fall under protecting South Common in one way or another. History: Jayce filled the Reckoner cell's recon and informational needs, and had joined about a year before Beckett. As I said, when she, Beckett, and a few others agreed to walk away from the Reckoners, they landed in Edmonton, and shortly after Beckett gained powers. Jayce was gifted large amounts of said power to keep Beckett sane. She has been using the gifted power more extensively and for a longer time than basically anybody else who has been gifted. It is for this reason that she bears the nickname Curator, as she is in charge of maintaining South Common's display of illusions and upholding the masquerade, coordinating the other illusionists. Jayce and the other illusionists also occasionally conceal themselves in illusions and spy on especially powerful epics, primarily to discern what each epic seems to fear or avoid, in the event that said epic eventually encroaches on South Common. They occasionally try to perform preemptive strikes on certain types of power that pose a threat, primarily teleporters and certain types of other illusionists, but in general they are very opposed to taking out epics that do not pose an immediate threat to South Common, as that would inevitably blow their cover and doom the civilians living in South Common. When epics encroach on the territory of Typhon, she is also the one that deals with them. She overlays an illusion of Typhon confronting and vaporizing the offending epic over the entire area, so that this is all observers will see. Meanwhile, inside the illusion, Jayce activates the aegis and is locked in a much more drawn out conflict with the epic, misleading them with illusions and attempting to kill them. For epics without PI, she often tries to lure them into concealed death traps. Very rarely (twice), she has had to confront a high epic. Since most epic weaknesses are perceptual, and she has done a degree of research on each epic, she can cycle through illusions she thinks have a chance at triggering their weakness. So far, she has never lost a fight (although there have been some very close calls). After a good few lesser epics (some of them trying to slip by disguised as regular humans), and two high epics, appeared to be disintegrated instantly and effortlessly by Typhon (and subsequently killed behind the scenes in a much more even fight), none but the insane and the desperate come near South Common anymore. She is familiar with the Reckoner's MO of collecting and selling tissue samples in exchange for epic derived technology. Doing something similar with the epics she has defeated is how she came to possess the Aegis (which was rather expensive, even for epic tech). It is one of her prized possessions. In the old days, when people were still testing Typhon's strength, Jayce was extremely busy, trying to coordinate the investigation of epics throughout the city who might be a threat, all without the epics catching on (or attempting to deal with those that have figured it out, utilizing the dreamstorm whenever possible and killing them if this is not possible), and fending off any epics that did attack South Common. Things got more manageable when Typhon became well-established and people stopped testing their boundaries, and her files on each of the city's epics were more fleshed out. With the flood of new epics, she is more busy again, trying to gather information on all of the new epics. Reveal hidden contents Name: Taya Greenwood Appearance: A nineteen year old with walnut skin, brown eyes with glasses, and black hair. Looks warily at her surroundings, but holds herself confidently. Typically wears a hoodie and jeans. History: Taya had kind of a rough childhood, because for most of her life one of her parents was an epic (since she was seven). Not that she was treated very badly, per se; as the daughter of a somewhat prominent epic it was almost like being a celebrity's kid, albeit in a kind of twisted up way. But being raised by an epic, and all of the considerable corruption that entails... It definitely leaves its mark. She grew up in Toronto. A couple years ago, she ran away. She still stays in touch with some members of her extended family, though, who are sympathetic to her situation, but not really able to do anything because they live in Toronto. Alone in the middle of an unfamiliar city, Taya didn't have much to work with, other than a solid understanding of how most epics operated, and a not insignificant grudge against said epics. After her experiences, she was reluctant to be employed by an epic. So she started stealing from various epic regimes (they are some of the only people worth stealing from, plus they deserve it), conning them out of their resources. It turns out, doing that sort of thing actually got a lot easier with the collapse of government on a national scale. If she got caught or stepped on too many toes, all she had to do was hop over to the next territory, and most people wouldn't bother pursuit. And, she discovered she was pretty good at it, all things considered. Her story begins with a hasty departure from Fort Saskatchewan, and arrival in Edmonton. As you might be able to guess, she will be involved in the story of South Common. In fact, she is the main point of view through which South Common would be described. So yeah, that's it. Like I said, I don't even know if this works, but I wanted to explain it. Ummm it could go wherever. Off the top of my head... Somewhere in the vicinity of Belvedere? Spoiler Main issues I can see are the motivator (As noted it would be very difficult to come by, even by Epic tech standards) and that most Epics killed all of their immediate family so that no one had any way to get a lead on their weaknesses. Which makes Taya a bit difficult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bladestorm Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 5 hours ago, Drake Marshall said: Right, so I should explain this. The South Common thing was in reference to a different faction idea I've been thinking about for a while now. It doesn't really matter if they occupy South Common or anywhere else though, that was just a place I randomly picked on the map, and it could literally be anywhere. The explanation is kind of lengthy. I was hoping to unfold this properly as a story but I am getting the vibe I ought to give details here sooner than later (it is spoilered though, so don't read it unless you want to know things that your characters would not know about). It is starting to seem very similar to something else, because of it involving an optical illusion gifter. Although, I suspect this might be a somewhat different take on the concept. Whatever. I don't know if this even works or not, but this is what I've been thinking up: Hide contents There are a few relevant characters in this. Hide contents Name: Beckett Knight Epic Name: Doesn't really have one. Appearance: A tall fellow with a slight tan, grey-black hair, and brown eyes. Typical outfit is a collared shirt with a sweater over it. Abilities: Can craft elaborate optical and sonic illusions. These illusions are overlaid on reality, anchored to a person, object, or place. If they are large enough, it is possible to stand inside the illusion, and inside everything looks and sounds normal. Requires a vivid imagination and an eye for detail to craft realistic illusions. Illusions may register on all spectra of light and sonic detection, although it takes additional work to factor each of these into the illusion. Able to identify other epics at a glance. Can see auras around epics that give a rough idea of what general type of powers they have and their overall power level. Can gift his powers to others. Applications: Gifting. Does not use his powers personally. History: Beckett worked as a ceramic artist before Calamity. After Calamity, in a series of improbable encounters he fell in with a Reckoner's cell, which he was part of for several years. This is where he originally met his wife Jayce. The cell already had some internal conflicts before Beckett arrived, but things became more and more stressed for the duration of his stay. In the wake of a botched assassination job that killed a lot of civilians, a couple of members (Beckett and Jayce included) had a serious falling out with the cell leader, and the Reckoners as a whole. They left the group. After cutting ties with the Reckoners, they ended up in Edmonton. Apparently Calamity had an acute sense of irony, because Beckett became an epic not long after that: an optical and sonic illusionist. He was able to stave off much of the darkness by gifting away his powers (in great part to Jayce) and swearing that he would never use them himself. As the people he gifted learned to control the illusions, an idea began to form in is mind. An illusion that would keep them safe. Thus, the fictional epic Typhon was born. It is a well-known fact (at least by epics) that the more powerful the epic, the more severe the corruption. Typhon is an unimaginably powerful epic that is unimaginably corrupted, to the point of going completely and utterly feral, more monster than human. Typhon appeared in the South Edmonton Common, and has mindlessly defended that territory, confronting and instantly vaporizing any epic that gets too close. Typhon does not appear to do the same to regular humans, who are capable of surviving in South Common. This can be a way for regular humans to escape the wrath of other epics, but this is often seen as an option for the truly desperate, as Typhon is said to grow more powerful over time by feeding on its subjects (also because nobody who enters South Common ever seems to leave, giving rise to some theories that Typhon can influence the behavior of non-epics in limited ways). A study of Typhon's interactions would reveal that Typhon's psychology is a close match to that of a territorial predator. The territory isn't especially desirable since it is relatively small and on the outskirts, and evidence would suggest that Typhon is unprecedently powerful. Naturally, anyone in their right mind keeps away from South Common. Typhon appears to be a massive incorporeal figure, eyes aflame, crackling with power that could effortlessly level city blocks or vaporize high epics. Typhon's appearance has evolved over time (I wonder why...), and this has lead to speculations that Typhon is slowly growing more powerful. Jayce plays the role of Typhon, among other things, so see her profile for more details on how exactly this works. With the ruse of Typhon established, Beckett keeps a sheltered settlement of unpowered humans in South Common, overlaid with a patchwork of illusions depicting destruction, pain, and suffering. He calls his base of operations the 23rd Headquarters (a reference to the WWII Ghost Army). Has quiety kept a town full of the most desperate refugees from the epics safe for the last few years. Now the Reckoners have grown a lot more bold with Steelheart's death. Beckett still has serious greivances with the Reckoners and their methods, and believes that their recent assassination in Edmonton will only cause more death and destruction as the city spirals out of control and is consumed by warring epics. In any case, he intends to keep South Common and its citizens safe, even if everything else in the outside world goes to hell. Keeping his oath to never use his own powers hasn't really gotten any easier, over the years. He continually struggles with the urge to use his power. At least up until now, he has kept to that oath. Hide contents Name: Jayce Knight Epic Name: Curator / Typhon Appearance: A slightly severe looking woman with olive skin, blue eyes, and light-brown hair. She dresses for comfort and utility, and uses an illusion if she needs to look more presentable. Abilities: Is usually gifted a significant amount of Beckett's power. Possesses the Aegis, a vest that functions as an incorporeality motivator that can run for about fifteen minutes. Takes a couple hours plugged in to recharge. Also worth noting that when she was in the Reckoners, she was one of the ones that researched epics. Applications: A lot of things, but they basically all fall under protecting South Common in one way or another. History: Jayce filled the Reckoner cell's recon and informational needs, and had joined about a year before Beckett. As I said, when she, Beckett, and a few others agreed to walk away from the Reckoners, they landed in Edmonton, and shortly after Beckett gained powers. Jayce was gifted large amounts of said power to keep Beckett sane. She has been using the gifted power more extensively and for a longer time than basically anybody else who has been gifted. It is for this reason that she bears the nickname Curator, as she is in charge of maintaining South Common's display of illusions and upholding the masquerade, coordinating the other illusionists. Jayce and the other illusionists also occasionally conceal themselves in illusions and spy on especially powerful epics, primarily to discern what each epic seems to fear or avoid, in the event that said epic eventually encroaches on South Common. They occasionally try to perform preemptive strikes on certain types of power that pose a threat, primarily teleporters and certain types of other illusionists, but in general they are very opposed to taking out epics that do not pose an immediate threat to South Common, as that would inevitably blow their cover and doom the civilians living in South Common. When epics encroach on the territory of Typhon, she is also the one that deals with them. She overlays an illusion of Typhon confronting and vaporizing the offending epic over the entire area, so that this is all observers will see. Meanwhile, inside the illusion, Jayce activates the aegis and is locked in a much more drawn out conflict with the epic, misleading them with illusions and attempting to kill them. For epics without PI, she often tries to lure them into concealed death traps. Very rarely (twice), she has had to confront a high epic. Since most epic weaknesses are perceptual, and she has done a degree of research on each epic, she can cycle through illusions she thinks have a chance at triggering their weakness. So far, she has never lost a fight (although there have been some very close calls). After a good few lesser epics (some of them trying to slip by disguised as regular humans), and two high epics, appeared to be disintegrated instantly and effortlessly by Typhon (and subsequently killed behind the scenes in a much more even fight), none but the insane and the desperate come near South Common anymore. She is familiar with the Reckoner's MO of collecting and selling tissue samples in exchange for epic derived technology. Doing something similar with the epics she has defeated is how she came to possess the Aegis (which was rather expensive, even for epic tech). It is one of her prized possessions. In the old days, when people were still testing Typhon's strength, Jayce was extremely busy, trying to coordinate the investigation of epics throughout the city who might be a threat, all without the epics catching on (or attempting to deal with those that have figured it out, utilizing the dreamstorm whenever possible and killing them if this is not possible), and fending off any epics that did attack South Common. Things got more manageable when Typhon became well-established and people stopped testing their boundaries, and her files on each of the city's epics were more fleshed out. With the flood of new epics, she is more busy again, trying to gather information on all of the new epics. Hide contents Name: Taya Greenwood Appearance: A nineteen year old with walnut skin, brown eyes with glasses, and black hair. Looks warily at her surroundings, but holds herself confidently. Typically wears a hoodie and jeans. History: Taya had kind of a rough childhood, because for most of her life one of her parents was an epic (since she was seven). Not that she was treated very badly, per se; as the daughter of a somewhat prominent epic it was almost like being a celebrity's kid, albeit in a kind of twisted up way. But being raised by an epic, and all of the considerable corruption that entails... It definitely leaves its mark. She grew up in Toronto. A couple years ago, she ran away. She still stays in touch with some members of her extended family, though, who are sympathetic to her situation, but not really able to do anything because they live in Toronto. Alone in the middle of an unfamiliar city, Taya didn't have much to work with, other than a solid understanding of how most epics operated, and a not insignificant grudge against said epics. After her experiences, she was reluctant to be employed by an epic. So she started stealing from various epic regimes (they are some of the only people worth stealing from, plus they deserve it), conning them out of their resources. It turns out, doing that sort of thing actually got a lot easier with the collapse of government on a national scale. If she got caught or stepped on too many toes, all she had to do was hop over to the next territory, and most people wouldn't bother pursuit. And, she discovered she was pretty good at it, all things considered. Her story begins with a hasty departure from Fort Saskatchewan, and arrival in Edmonton. As you might be able to guess, she will be involved in the story of South Common. In fact, she is the main point of view through which South Common would be described. So yeah, that's it. Like I said, I don't even know if this works, but I wanted to explain it. Ummm it could go wherever. Off the top of my head... Somewhere in the vicinity of Belvedere? Spoiler Sounds good! The motivator is a little crazy powerful, but should be fine, especially with the time limit. Beckett seems a lot like a combination of Prof and Megan, but I still think it’s solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voidus Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 Spoiler One more note: The Motivator won't be able to be used at the same time of gifted powers given what we know of how they interact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ataraxian Wist Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 Hey y'all, sorry I've been gone for so long, July 4th is a really big deal in my rural community, so I haven't hardly been able to pick up my phone. Anyway, for Arachnerd's location: I'm not sure. See, it needs to be somewhere she can make her little Webyrinth without picking any big fights that she would lose or disrupt politics with. I'm thinking right on one edge of no-man's-land, though I can't course the map right now because my phone is... Annoying. My reasoning for this is that, since no-man's-land is the area no one fraction could really take, she would be fine there with her several neutrality deals, and it could even make her neutral stance more clear to anyone who missed the memo, as they would see that none if the other factions are fighting her for her out of the area. If it didn't du that, it would just make her seem more dangerous to the uninformed than she really is. Anyone got a really good place for that? Preferably somewhere like a spider would actually make a web, but on an Epic scale? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comatose Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 10 hours ago, antgrgmn said: A bit late, but Borrower probably could have taken out Doubletake if we don’t have an explanation for that yet. I am already working on that sequence and have it planned out, but I can review Borrower again after work and see if I can work something in. 6 hours ago, Drake Marshall said: Right, so I should explain this. The South Common thing was in reference to a different faction idea I've been thinking about for a while now. It doesn't really matter if they occupy South Common or anywhere else though, that was just a place I randomly picked on the map, and it could literally be anywhere. The explanation is kind of lengthy. I was hoping to unfold this properly as a story but I am getting the vibe I ought to give details here sooner than later (it is spoilered though, so don't read it unless you want to know things that your characters would not know about). It is starting to seem very similar to something else, because of it involving an optical illusion gifter. Although, I suspect this might be a somewhat different take on the concept. Whatever. I don't know if this even works or not, but this is what I've been thinking up: Reveal hidden contents There are a few relevant characters in this. Reveal hidden contents Name: Beckett Knight Epic Name: Doesn't really have one. Appearance: A tall fellow with a slight tan, grey-black hair, and brown eyes. Typical outfit is a collared shirt with a sweater over it. Abilities: Can craft elaborate optical and sonic illusions. These illusions are overlaid on reality, anchored to a person, object, or place. If they are large enough, it is possible to stand inside the illusion, and inside everything looks and sounds normal. Requires a vivid imagination and an eye for detail to craft realistic illusions. Illusions may register on all spectra of light and sonic detection, although it takes additional work to factor each of these into the illusion. Able to identify other epics at a glance. Can see auras around epics that give a rough idea of what general type of powers they have and their overall power level. Can gift his powers to others. Applications: Gifting. Does not use his powers personally. History: Beckett worked as a ceramic artist before Calamity. After Calamity, in a series of improbable encounters he fell in with a Reckoner's cell, which he was part of for several years. This is where he originally met his wife Jayce. The cell already had some internal conflicts before Beckett arrived, but things became more and more stressed for the duration of his stay. In the wake of a botched assassination job that killed a lot of civilians, a couple of members (Beckett and Jayce included) had a serious falling out with the cell leader, and the Reckoners as a whole. They left the group. After cutting ties with the Reckoners, they ended up in Edmonton. Apparently Calamity had an acute sense of irony, because Beckett became an epic not long after that: an optical and sonic illusionist. He was able to stave off much of the darkness by gifting away his powers (in great part to Jayce) and swearing that he would never use them himself. As the people he gifted learned to control the illusions, an idea began to form in is mind. An illusion that would keep them safe. Thus, the fictional epic Typhon was born. It is a well-known fact (at least by epics) that the more powerful the epic, the more severe the corruption. Typhon is an unimaginably powerful epic that is unimaginably corrupted, to the point of going completely and utterly feral, more monster than human. Typhon appeared in the South Edmonton Common, and has mindlessly defended that territory, confronting and instantly vaporizing any epic that gets too close. Typhon does not appear to do the same to regular humans, who are capable of surviving in South Common. This can be a way for regular humans to escape the wrath of other epics, but this is often seen as an option for the truly desperate, as Typhon is said to grow more powerful over time by feeding on its subjects (also because nobody who enters South Common ever seems to leave, giving rise to some theories that Typhon can influence the behavior of non-epics in limited ways). A study of Typhon's interactions would reveal that Typhon's psychology is a close match to that of a territorial predator. The territory isn't especially desirable since it is relatively small and on the outskirts, and evidence would suggest that Typhon is unprecedently powerful. Naturally, anyone in their right mind keeps away from South Common. Typhon appears to be a massive incorporeal figure, eyes aflame, crackling with power that could effortlessly level city blocks or vaporize high epics. Typhon's appearance has evolved over time (I wonder why...), and this has lead to speculations that Typhon is slowly growing more powerful. Jayce plays the role of Typhon, among other things, so see her profile for more details on how exactly this works. With the ruse of Typhon established, Beckett keeps a sheltered settlement of unpowered humans in South Common, overlaid with a patchwork of illusions depicting destruction, pain, and suffering. He calls his base of operations the 23rd Headquarters (a reference to the WWII Ghost Army). Has quiety kept a town full of the most desperate refugees from the epics safe for the last few years. Now the Reckoners have grown a lot more bold with Steelheart's death. Beckett still has serious greivances with the Reckoners and their methods, and believes that their recent assassination in Edmonton will only cause more death and destruction as the city spirals out of control and is consumed by warring epics. In any case, he intends to keep South Common and its citizens safe, even if everything else in the outside world goes to hell. Keeping his oath to never use his own powers hasn't really gotten any easier, over the years. He continually struggles with the urge to use his power. At least up until now, he has kept to that oath. Reveal hidden contents Name: Jayce Knight Epic Name: Curator / Typhon Appearance: A slightly severe looking woman with olive skin, blue eyes, and light-brown hair. She dresses for comfort and utility, and uses an illusion if she needs to look more presentable. Abilities: Is usually gifted a significant amount of Beckett's power. Possesses the Aegis, a vest that functions as an incorporeality motivator that can run for about fifteen minutes. Takes a couple hours plugged in to recharge. Also worth noting that when she was in the Reckoners, she was one of the ones that researched epics. Applications: A lot of things, but they basically all fall under protecting South Common in one way or another. History: Jayce filled the Reckoner cell's recon and informational needs, and had joined about a year before Beckett. As I said, when she, Beckett, and a few others agreed to walk away from the Reckoners, they landed in Edmonton, and shortly after Beckett gained powers. Jayce was gifted large amounts of said power to keep Beckett sane. She has been using the gifted power more extensively and for a longer time than basically anybody else who has been gifted. It is for this reason that she bears the nickname Curator, as she is in charge of maintaining South Common's display of illusions and upholding the masquerade, coordinating the other illusionists. Jayce and the other illusionists also occasionally conceal themselves in illusions and spy on especially powerful epics, primarily to discern what each epic seems to fear or avoid, in the event that said epic eventually encroaches on South Common. They occasionally try to perform preemptive strikes on certain types of power that pose a threat, primarily teleporters and certain types of other illusionists, but in general they are very opposed to taking out epics that do not pose an immediate threat to South Common, as that would inevitably blow their cover and doom the civilians living in South Common. When epics encroach on the territory of Typhon, she is also the one that deals with them. She overlays an illusion of Typhon confronting and vaporizing the offending epic over the entire area, so that this is all observers will see. Meanwhile, inside the illusion, Jayce activates the aegis and is locked in a much more drawn out conflict with the epic, misleading them with illusions and attempting to kill them. For epics without PI, she often tries to lure them into concealed death traps. Very rarely (twice), she has had to confront a high epic. Since most epic weaknesses are perceptual, and she has done a degree of research on each epic, she can cycle through illusions she thinks have a chance at triggering their weakness. So far, she has never lost a fight (although there have been some very close calls). After a good few lesser epics (some of them trying to slip by disguised as regular humans), and two high epics, appeared to be disintegrated instantly and effortlessly by Typhon (and subsequently killed behind the scenes in a much more even fight), none but the insane and the desperate come near South Common anymore. She is familiar with the Reckoner's MO of collecting and selling tissue samples in exchange for epic derived technology. Doing something similar with the epics she has defeated is how she came to possess the Aegis (which was rather expensive, even for epic tech). It is one of her prized possessions. In the old days, when people were still testing Typhon's strength, Jayce was extremely busy, trying to coordinate the investigation of epics throughout the city who might be a threat, all without the epics catching on (or attempting to deal with those that have figured it out, utilizing the dreamstorm whenever possible and killing them if this is not possible), and fending off any epics that did attack South Common. Things got more manageable when Typhon became well-established and people stopped testing their boundaries, and her files on each of the city's epics were more fleshed out. With the flood of new epics, she is more busy again, trying to gather information on all of the new epics. Reveal hidden contents Name: Taya Greenwood Appearance: A nineteen year old with walnut skin, brown eyes with glasses, and black hair. Looks warily at her surroundings, but holds herself confidently. Typically wears a hoodie and jeans. History: Taya had kind of a rough childhood, because for most of her life one of her parents was an epic (since she was seven). Not that she was treated very badly, per se; as the daughter of a somewhat prominent epic it was almost like being a celebrity's kid, albeit in a kind of twisted up way. But being raised by an epic, and all of the considerable corruption that entails... It definitely leaves its mark. She grew up in Toronto. A couple years ago, she ran away. She still stays in touch with some members of her extended family, though, who are sympathetic to her situation, but not really able to do anything because they live in Toronto. Alone in the middle of an unfamiliar city, Taya didn't have much to work with, other than a solid understanding of how most epics operated, and a not insignificant grudge against said epics. After her experiences, she was reluctant to be employed by an epic. So she started stealing from various epic regimes (they are some of the only people worth stealing from, plus they deserve it), conning them out of their resources. It turns out, doing that sort of thing actually got a lot easier with the collapse of government on a national scale. If she got caught or stepped on too many toes, all she had to do was hop over to the next territory, and most people wouldn't bother pursuit. And, she discovered she was pretty good at it, all things considered. Her story begins with a hasty departure from Fort Saskatchewan, and arrival in Edmonton. As you might be able to guess, she will be involved in the story of South Common. In fact, she is the main point of view through which South Common would be described. So yeah, that's it. Like I said, I don't even know if this works, but I wanted to explain it. Ummm it could go wherever. Off the top of my head... Somewhere in the vicinity of Belvedere? I think Typhon and their sector should be notable enough throughout Edmonton that this definitely good information for everyone to have at the beginning. In the summary, I'll put the secret stuff in spoilers, but people should know that if they are walking through or around South Common that an incredibly powerful and violent epic lives in that region and might come and destroy them. That sort of public knowledge is the kind of thing that can create inconsistencies or issues later on if it's not shared with co-content creators in my opinion, so thanks for sharing! For Typhon, I think we might need to do some thinking about how they fit into our set up plotlines, and if things need to be changed. For example, would Doubletake have actually tried to take over the entire city if she knew a sector of it was controlled by Typhon, an epic who could destroy her? Would she have tried to infiltrate Typhon's sector (as she had the others) and would she have been successful? Would Epoch put some kind of specialized timezone around Typhon to keep them contained? Not issues, per se, but things we should maybe work out as a group. The rest I'll put in spoilers since it wouldn't be public knowledge: Spoiler I share Voidus's concerns. As well, a couple other things to consider: (1) Beckett's Rending - with Jayce's knowledge and capabilities, I'm sure they could have kept the worst of the initial rush of power and violence contained, but it would be something to have a good understanding of at least. (2) I'm not sure most epic weaknesses are actually perception based, and even the ones that are might not be triggerable by illusions. Off the top of my head, UV Light, Kool Aid, and Fire, are all physical stimuli. Compliments are also kind of physical, but could probably be triggered by an illusion. Then we have some more perception-ish weaknesses, like people not fearing you or being wrong, but those wouldn't be easily triggered by an illusion. Steelheart didn't know he was triggering his weakness, even though his self perception was relevant, and I don't think an illusion could have duplicated that. It seemed like Regalia needed to be objectively proven wrong in order for her weakness to trigger (though it is possible making her incorrectly think she was wrong, or tricking her into being wrong, would also work). Furthermore, prior to David's discovery, knowledge that fears and weaknesses were linked was not common, and most people thought the weaknesses were random, so I'm not sure Jayce would have a catalogue of common or likely weaknesses to cycle through with illusions, or that the illusions would be sufficient to trigger most weaknesses. Other than that, I do think this is a cool idea, and if we as a group can work out some of the kinks, I think it will be a very cool addition. I'm going to keep thinking and maybe give some more thoughts after work. I'll pick a spot for the statue on the map after work! 39 minutes ago, Sazedezas said: Hey y'all, sorry I've been gone for so long, July 4th is a really big deal in my rural community, so I haven't hardly been able to pick up my phone. Anyway, for Arachnerd's location: I'm not sure. See, it needs to be somewhere she can make her little Webyrinth without picking any big fights that she would lose or disrupt politics with. I'm thinking right on one edge of no-man's-land, though I can't course the map right now because my phone is... Annoying. My reasoning for this is that, since no-man's-land is the area no one fraction could really take, she would be fine there with her several neutrality deals, and it could even make her neutral stance more clear to anyone who missed the memo, as they would see that none if the other factions are fighting her for her out of the area. If it didn't du that, it would just make her seem more dangerous to the uninformed than she really is. Anyone got a really good place for that? Preferably somewhere like a spider would actually make a web, but on an Epic scale? No worries! We can't be expected to be online every day, especially on holidays. I'll take a look at the map after work, but at the moment I'm think the north or south-western parts of the city might work. I'll take a closer look and see if there are any good places for webs. What kind of features would you need or prefer to have? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ataraxian Wist Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 4 minutes ago, Comatose said: I am already working on that sequence and have it planned out, but I can review Borrower again after work and see if I can work something in. I think Typhon and their sector should be notable enough throughout Edmonton that this definitely good information for everyone to have at the beginning. In the summary, I'll put the secret stuff in spoilers, but people should know that if they are walking through or around South Common that an incredibly powerful and violent epic lives in that region and might come and destroy them. That sort of public knowledge is the kind of thing that can create inconsistencies or issues later on if it's not shared with co-content creators in my opinion, so thanks for sharing! For Typhon, I think we might need to do some thinking about how they fit into our set up plotlines, and if things need to be changed. For example, would Doubletake have actually tried to take over the entire city if she knew a sector of it was controlled by Typhon, an epic who could destroy her? Would she have tried to infiltrate Typhon's sector (as she had the others) and would she have been successful? Would Epoch put some kind of specialized timezone around Typhon to keep them contained? Not issues, per se, but things we should maybe work out as a group. The rest I'll put in spoilers since it wouldn't be public knowledge: Reveal hidden contents I share Voidus's concerns. As well, a couple other things to consider: (1) Beckett's Rending - with Jayce's knowledge and capabilities, I'm sure they could have kept the worst of the initial rush of power and violence contained, but it would be something to have a good understanding of at least. (2) I'm not sure most epic weaknesses are actually perception based, and even the ones that are might not be triggerable by illusions. Off the top of my head, UV Light, Kool Aid, and Fire, are all physical stimuli. Compliments are also kind of physical, but could probably be triggered by an illusion. Then we have some more perception-ish weaknesses, like people not fearing you or being wrong, but those wouldn't be easily triggered by an illusion. Steelheart didn't know he was triggering his weakness, even though his self perception was relevant, and I don't think an illusion could have duplicated that. It seemed like Regalia needed to be objectively proven wrong in order for her weakness to trigger (though it is possible making her incorrectly think she was wrong, or tricking her into being wrong, would also work). Furthermore, prior to David's discovery, knowledge that fears and weaknesses were linked was not common, and most people thought the weaknesses were random, so I'm not sure Jayce would have a catalogue of common or likely weaknesses to cycle through with illusions, or that the illusions would be sufficient to trigger most weaknesses. Other than that, I do think this is a cool idea, and if we as a group can work out some of the kinks, I think it will be a very cool addition. I'm going to keep thinking and maybe give some more thoughts after work. I'll pick a spot for the statue on the map after work! No worries! We can't be expected to be online every day, especially on holidays. I'll take a look at the map after work, but at the moment I'm think the north or south-western parts of the city might work. I'll take a closer look and see if there are any good places for webs. What kind of features would you need or prefer to have? Things like inside corners, close structures, and some tall stuff. She's really thorough, too, so her Webyrinth will need to have support lines to every nearby structure and several farther-off structure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Young Pyromancer Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 (edited) Spoiler I think your take is both really similar and really different! They both are in a really elaborate con, but my character is not a sound illusionist. It works, but I think that maybe our characters could have a mutual deal or something? Funnily enough, my character became an illusionist gifter because Comatose got our characters confused in a summary. For Drake and Edgedancer. Edited July 5, 2018 by The Young Pyromancer I added a space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comatose Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 Re: @Drake Marshall and @The Young Pyromancer: Spoiler That’s why the illusionist concept was similar! I apologize for the mix up. I did not realize on my review that we were workshopping two mystery epics. I thought it was a single concept that you were both contributing ideas to. Are you both planning to stay illusionists now that we have gotten to this point? If there are any other errors like that in the summary please let me know. There was a lot of material to go through and I may have not understood all of the conversations properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kidpen Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 (edited) Do powers that control others ever stick around after? Edit: After death, specifically. Edited July 5, 2018 by Kidpen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrakeMarshall Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 8 hours ago, Voidus said: Hide contents Main issues I can see are the motivator (As noted it would be very difficult to come by, even by Epic tech standards) and that most Epics killed all of their immediate family so that no one had any way to get a lead on their weaknesses. Which makes Taya a bit difficult. Spoiler Yep, a motivator like that would be extremely rare. I justify her being able to obtain it at all because Jayce was already familiar with the trade in epic tech, and she had a number of epic tissue samples to trade. I figure the vest is able to affect the wearer a bit like how an intangible affects their clothes as well as their body. If that particular sort of motivator seems too exotic, I could swap it for something a little different, however. Given her background and what she is currently doing, she would definitely purchase some kind of motivator (also it would be hard to justify her track record without some kind of edge in addition to the illusions), and all things held equal she would pick a defensive one. I forgot about epics killing their families. That would explain why nobody has used this as a character background before I was going for something a bit unusual. Is this rare enough that it wouldn't in fact be a plausible character, or is it just pretty uncommon? If the current background straight up isn't plausible, I can change it up. 2 hours ago, Bladestorm said: Hide contents Sounds good! The motivator is a little crazy powerful, but should be fine, especially with the time limit. Beckett seems a lot like a combination of Prof and Megan, but I still think it’s solid. Spoiler The time limit should help, yes. I don't think it would be realistic without a pretty short battery life. Beckett definitely shares some similarities with the two (Megan/Prof are non-evil epics, both of whom at some point created fictional epics, and one of whom is a gifter), though I would like to think there are some ways in which he is nothing like either of them. 2 hours ago, Voidus said: Hide contents One more note: The Motivator won't be able to be used at the same time of gifted powers given what we know of how they interact. Spoiler Is there a place in the books where this is a thing? I am fairly sure I can recall the Reckoners using genuine epic tech alongside prof's gifting at some points in the books, but I could be mistaken. 1 hour ago, Comatose said: I am already working on that sequence and have it planned out, but I can review Borrower again after work and see if I can work something in. I think Typhon and their sector should be notable enough throughout Edmonton that this definitely good information for everyone to have at the beginning. In the summary, I'll put the secret stuff in spoilers, but people should know that if they are walking through or around South Common that an incredibly powerful and violent epic lives in that region and might come and destroy them. That sort of public knowledge is the kind of thing that can create inconsistencies or issues later on if it's not shared with co-content creators in my opinion, so thanks for sharing! For Typhon, I think we might need to do some thinking about how they fit into our set up plotlines, and if things need to be changed. For example, would Doubletake have actually tried to take over the entire city if she knew a sector of it was controlled by Typhon, an epic who could destroy her? Would she have tried to infiltrate Typhon's sector (as she had the others) and would she have been successful? Would Epoch put some kind of specialized timezone around Typhon to keep them contained? Not issues, per se, but things we should maybe work out as a group. The rest I'll put in spoilers since it wouldn't be public knowledge: Spoiler I share Voidus's concerns. As well, a couple other things to consider: (1) Beckett's Rending - with Jayce's knowledge and capabilities, I'm sure they could have kept the worst of the initial rush of power and violence contained, but it would be something to have a good understanding of at least. (2) I'm not sure most epic weaknesses are actually perception based, and even the ones that are might not be triggerable by illusions. Off the top of my head, UV Light, Kool Aid, and Fire, are all physical stimuli. Compliments are also kind of physical, but could probably be triggered by an illusion. Then we have some more perception-ish weaknesses, like people not fearing you or being wrong, but those wouldn't be easily triggered by an illusion. Steelheart didn't know he was triggering his weakness, even though his self perception was relevant, and I don't think an illusion could have duplicated that. It seemed like Regalia needed to be objectively proven wrong in order for her weakness to trigger (though it is possible making her incorrectly think she was wrong, or tricking her into being wrong, would also work). Furthermore, prior to David's discovery, knowledge that fears and weaknesses were linked was not common, and most people thought the weaknesses were random, so I'm not sure Jayce would have a catalogue of common or likely weaknesses to cycle through with illusions, or that the illusions would be sufficient to trigger most weaknesses. Other than that, I do think this is a cool idea, and if we as a group can work out some of the kinks, I think it will be a very cool addition. I'm going to keep thinking and maybe give some more thoughts after work. I'll pick a spot for the statue on the map after work! No worries! We can't be expected to be online every day, especially on holidays. I'll take a look at the map after work, but at the moment I'm think the north or south-western parts of the city might work. I'll take a closer look and see if there are any good places for webs. What kind of features would you need or prefer to have? Yes, Typhon should definitely be public knowledge. I wasn't sure how much detail to go in, but I actually have thought about how the other epics would have dealt with something like Typhon. So far, a lot of evidence hints at Typhon being essentially mindless, keeping to the general area where it first appeared and only killing epics that come to close. While Typhon is obviously a significant concern, it isn't exactly a major player in terms of the city politics, and you could very well take over the rest of the city and leave that particular monster's den undisturbed. Epoch definitely considered slowing the area or at least walling it off. He considered it too risky because it might not work, since Typhon's particular brand of intangibility seems to let it ignore or resist certain epic powers. And if it didn't work, provoking Typhon like that could be deadly. Ultimately, it wasn't worth the risk, especially since Typhon never leaves its territory. Spoiler (1) Yes, Beckett's Rending is worth mentioning. It wasn't nearly as bad as some Rendings, since his powers are not too extreme, and because he had gifting as a release of the power, and because he had the support of people like Jayce. Still though, it is safe to assume that there were some incidents, in the beginning. When he first got his powers, he couldn't really help but use them. Heck, it's even possible that he got caught up in a fight with another epic on the side of the road, and that he created an illusory boulder in the road to get the other epic run over by a passing red Volkswagon Samba... (2a) Good point. I'm glad you brought this up, because I needed to flesh this idea out more. Weaknesses are both physical and abstract. And it is possible to partially trigger a weakness. So while it could only completely trigger weaknesses on the more abstract side of things, I believe it could have a partial effect on many physical weaknesses (though not all of them). I doubt it would keep her from reincarnating, but I suspect that even illusory flames would have some noticable effect on Megan's powers. And if it looks like illusory flames are making some headway, you could always go fetch the real thing... (also, a surprising number of physical stimuli, such as the aforementioned UV as well as Mitosis' weakness, could actually be produced using light and sound manipulation) Every now and then, she can't figure out what an epic is afraid of. Or the weakness is just way too hard to sound out using an illusion. This scenario is totally possible. In this case, it's still nice to know what her opponents are insecure about, because an illusionist relies a lot on keeping enemies off-balance. She has been fortunate in that neither of the two epics with PIs she faced off fell under this category, although one of them took long enough to figure out that her motivator ran out of charge during the fight. (2b) The fact that epic weaknesses were tied to their worst fears before they ever got the powers was only discovered by David. But the fact that epics are afraid of the thing that can make them vulnerable is fairly obvious, and this is something people used well before David's discovery. It's actually possible that this fact may have misled Jayce, once or twice. She may have identified something an epic was afraid of, but then realized it clearly stemmed from an event in the epic's past, and concluded that it therefore couldn't be the weakness. 1 hour ago, The Young Pyromancer said: Spoiler I think your take is both really similar and really different! They both are in a really elaborate con, but my character is not a sound illusionist. It works, but I think that maybe our characters could have a mutual deal or something? Funnily enough, my character became an illusionist gifter because Comatose got our characters confused in a summary. For Drake and Edgedancer. Spoiler Yes, I said it was starting to sound very similar, but also probably very different in some ways They might have a deal, yes, although I'm not sure how they would know about each other. And if they did know about each other, Jayce might see this epic as a threat, but that depends on their agenda. 24 minutes ago, Comatose said: Re: @Drake Marshall and @The Young Pyromancer: Spoiler That’s why the illusionist concept was similar! I apologize for the mix up. I did not realize on my review that we were workshopping two mystery epics. I thought it was a single concept that you were both contributing ideas to. Are you both planning to stay illusionists now that we have gotten to this point? If there are any other errors like that in the summary please let me know. There was a lot of material to go through and I may have not understood all of the conversations properly. Spoiler It was... Complicated. I gave Pyromancer a suggestion for a mystery epic, but then I also had a tangentially related idea that sprang out of this. It was also a bit difficult in that I don't think either of us knew exactly what the other had in mind I'm easy with doing whatever. I kind of like the idea of illusionists, so I don't see anything too wrong with letting both of them exist But if we did that, we could still maybe make their powers slightly different, even if they are both basically illusionists. Hopefully I've addressed some of the things brought up. That was a pretty long post XD. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Young Pyromancer Posted July 5, 2018 Report Share Posted July 5, 2018 (edited) @Drake Marshall, let's take this into a PM with Edgedancer, because I wouldn't want to reveal that much about my character in thread. Sazedezas, I've updated the map. Should I make the area of the Webrynth bigger? Also, spiders don't actually produce that much webbing. They eat their old webbing and recycle it, for the most part. Edited July 5, 2018 by The Young Pyromancer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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