Blackhoof

goddamnit, you are right! I'm going to have to fix that curses! his evillness is limited by canon

THREE DAYS AGO After securing the three Ghouls in the cellar, blocking the door so they couldn't open it, Iconoclast sat the trembling, orange-suited Epic down at the dinner table and began to question him. Firefly told Iconoclast everything he knew. He told him the names of the Queens, and what he knew of their powers, and how they kept control of the city- through happiness from Euphoria, mostly. He told him how he had once been higher-ranked, possessing many more servants and a much bigger and nicer house, but he had gotten drunk at some function or another and offended one of the Queens. He was lucky to be alive, in fact, although he couldn't remember what he had done. Firefly also told him about other Epics he had known when he had been higher-ranked, and filled him in on the rest of the details of the immigration process, that Iconoclast had missed by jumping off the bridge. Epics came, and were assigned residences and servants based on the usefulness of their powers, and their favour with Rainmaker. All in all, the information mostly expanded upon the rumours Iconoclast had heard, and confirmed what he had thought- that this place was the ultimate prize for him. If he could bring chaos and anarchy and freedom to Corvallis... he could, and would, do it anywhere. "Thank you, for all your help, Firefly." The orange-suited young man fell to his knees, bowing before the insane Epic. "Mast- uh, friend! I live to serv- uh, work with you!" Iconoclast chuckled, "Of course, we are equals, after all! Now, I will spend the next few days planning my attacks... with your help, of course. Euphoria needs to die... as does... Chase, was it? And... Bubbles?" Firefly nodded at each name. "Without them," Iconoclast continued, "Rainmaker won't be able to retain control over her little kingdom. My Ghouls will inspire the humans to rise up, and the Epics will follow. Soon she will lose control completely, and then I will kill her, too. Or someone else does, by that point watching is really my only goal." Firefly gulped. Even by Epic standards... this man.. this monster was insane! "But first..." Iconoclast whispered, looking Firefly straight in the eye, licking his lips, "I am... hungry." Iconoclast smiled, revealing pointed teeth. They hadn't been pointed a second ago. Firefly tried to back away, mouth and eyes forming perfect 'O' shapes, but Iconoclast grabbed his shoulder with an iron grip, newly-formed claws digging into his flesh. "Y-you said you wouldn't hurt me!" The Epic whimpered. Iconoclast giggled, "I lied. But I won't kill you. How about we make a compromise, a deal. You let me rip an arm off, and I won't take an arm and a leg by force. Sound like a win-win situation?" Firefly's eyes began tearing up, and he blubblered, "N-no, please! I have food, I can make you something! J-j-just d-don't eat me! Any of me! Please!" Iconoclast shook his head sadly, "No, no, you see, I long ago lost my taste for human food. Now, I prefer... human food, you know? Or Epic, in this case." The deranged monster giggled again. "Well, if you don't want to accept my offer, I can always take something from one of my Ghouls, but then I'd need to repay them somehow, and they are probably hungry too.... and you, my friend, are the only thing I could repay them with....." Firefly cried even harder. Iconoclast tsked, "Now now, that is no way to behave in front of a guest. You have the choice- give me your arm... or I give you to the Ghouls as a snack. They like to play with their food, sometimes, if you are unlucky." Firefly started to calm down, and after a minute of Iconoclast staring, licking his lips, Firefly nodded. "Ok... Ok.... y-you can h-have it..." "I can have... what, you say?" He said, leaning in closely. Firefly closed his eyes, and looked away, "M-my arm... you can have my arm.... Just please be quick about it." Iconoclast grabbed his chin and yanked his head to look into into his eyes, Firefly yelping at the ferocity of it. "Thanks to your little cry and the amount of time you made me wait on an empty stomach... you can watch." The anger in his voice and the dangerous light in his eyes made Firefly completely unwilling to disobey. Iconoclast smiled, and his arms expanded as he enhance the strength of his muscles. With a mighty wrench, Iconoclast pulled Firefly's left arm out of its socket. ..... Not much later, Iconoclast sat at the table, holding Firefly's arm like a chicken leg, ripping bloody raw chunks off with his shark-like teeth. Firefly sat opposite him, tears in his eyes, trying very hard to ignore the stump of his arm, cauterised with his own power. Speaking through a mouthful of red meat, Iconoclast raised the arm and gestured to it, "you want some?" he asked, eliciting a horrified expression from Firefly. Iconoclast laughed, blood spraying from his mouth across the table. The gruesome spectacle continued, with the only noise being the disgusting sounds of Iconoclast as he messily ate his meal. "W-when are you going to release me?" Firefly whispered, breaking the silence. "I've done everything you asked of me." Iconoclast paused, looking thoughtfully into the distance. "Indeed you have. I will release you in a few days, when I am ready to bring chaos to this place, and you can't alert the authorities to my location. Can't have you ruining things before I've gotten started, now can we?" PRESENT DAY "No, no, you can't do this!" Firefly screamed, his remaining hand impaled behind his back with a metal spike. "I'm afraid I can, little Firefly." Iconoclast smirked, and he went to open the cellar door. The Ghouls beyond, having grown in number to a dozen over the past few days, with Iconoclast kidnapping any servants who got too close, hollered and screamed. "Euphoria has withdrawn her happiness, as you say, so whether she is dead, kidnapped or fled, now is the perfect time to strike. Also, my friends are hungry, you see, and you are the only food I have on hand. Sorry old pal, guess this is the end." "No, no! Nononono!" Iconoclast opened the door, and with a powerful shove, pushed the screaming, protesting Firefly into the cellar, slamming the door behind him, muffling his cries and soon, his howls of agony as the Ghouls descended upon him. Iconoclast giggled, remembering one of the humans he had turned, not an hour ago, telling him of a riot that was occurring nearby. That sounded like the kind of place he wanted to be. Iconoclast strengthened his leg muscles, changed his facial features to be indistinguishable from his former appearance, and began running. Onlookers might think him an Epic, but that wasn't a bad thing in this city. This riot should be fun, perhaps he could help it get really wild. He would not corrupt any of the rioters, oh no, he didn't want the riot dispersed. Riots were good. Riots were chaos, and chaos was freedom. When he got back, he would let his friends go free at last. And that.... that was only the beginning.

oh, that comes later.... that will definitely be coming later

I need to up Iconoclast's game so he wins that award

i think full-blast, 100% as powerful as Euphoria could do it, they would be knocked out temporarily by the overwhelming emotion, perhaps even killed or damaged permanently. So much happiness their heart stops, their brain fries. Certainly this could happen to the old, frail and infirm. Maybe a little less than that, they would probably just be in a daze, ubavle to respond to outside stimulus. Then another level down, they are sort of dazed, but able to hear and understand what is happening around them, and they would probably just do whatever you told them to. Depends how powerful you want her to be in her glory.

from memory, no, there wasn't any. The bio said that he could even bypass the PIs of some High Epics, and melted Endless Dreams by heating her(i think?) to something like the heat of the sun. Although that is impossible, as that would end all life on earth.... So it was likely hyperbole. he seemed inconsistent in his ideology too- he says to Newton that he wants to kill everyone because they have "the seed of the Epic" inside of them. Why would he want to kill potential Horsemen, because they can become Horsemen?

ah, i see, fair enough. also, you can Hide it if you like, yourself.

I don't think its too much to be able to move/shatter things with sound. Pretty awesome power. But its your call hmmm Iconoclast might not take so long as you think. I mean, it lmly takes five seconds to turn one or two people, meaning he could assemble at least a hundred within an hour (a conservative estimate). And he isn't aiming to just make an army and then wipe out the city- he will go from place to place, creating a few dozen Ghouls in each location. Sure they are pretty easy fodder for Epics, but no unarmed vanilla would have much chance against most Ghouls one-on-one. I'm predicting at most a week before all-out chaos, although if the Queens thwart his efforts by killing Ghouls too quickly, that will take longer. so i don't know if more than a single jump of a few days, or a few jumps of one day each, would be necessary for Iconoclast. well, if jumps are necessary, we could have Corvallis set before the other cities before the jumps occur? So far, there havent been any crossovers that fix timelines in place. haha oh yes, Iconoclast will be there....

I signed up for the newsletter but i haven't got it yet maybe I did it too late....

Hmmm it is interesting, but there is one problem- the internet doesn't exist anymore. Anonymous would have to adopt their completely cyber-based communications networks pre-Calamity to completely different means post-Calamity. I don't think anonymous would have the resources or the expertise (being good hackers and experts with the internet doesn't mean squat when there is no internet) to adapt and become the lorists. I think it more likely that they are the survivors and remnants of various corporate and government labs/research organisations that existed before the government collapsed. It makes sense given what we know of Tia- she was a scientist working at NASA, and seemed to be working with Prof researching Epics once they started appearing. At first they did it to exploit the epics and make advanced technology from them- but soon it was about defeating them. In the interests of mutual survival and for the good of humanity, these groups linked up at some point, forming networks of intelligence and data-gathering to help humanity fight back. Even after the fall of the federal, state and local governments, these networks remained, and so they remain to this day. a group of loosely-affiliated, international hackers and activists that roam the internet supporting various libertarian/socialist/liberal causes. They have leaked various things to the media that governments wanted kept secret.

It fits pretty well with the ideology of the Faithful too- hope, against hope.

So Converter can absorb energy from a distance?

I'm both posting these questions here and PMing them to Winter in case here they get lost in jokes and ponies haha Hey Winter, I just wanted to work out with you how Ghouls will interact with the whole tagging thing Chase can do. So I had a few questions: -How much information can Chase gain from any given tagged vanilla? -How much attention can Chase give to each and every vanilla? Obviously she would likely notice important people, but would she notice say, what happened to the three vanillas Iconoclast attacked? there are lots of vanillas in Corvallis, after all -Does she know where exactly where everyone is? Or is the information just too overwhelming except when dealing with specific people she already knows personally? -Is the tag purely physical, or mental as well? -Would Ghoulification feasibly sever the Chain?

Ooh, can you do an iconoclast pony! Or can i? Is it a difficult program to use? well she would have to touch something to absorb energy from it, right? So shed need to touch all the air around someone (or just in front if their face) to stop circulation.

TWO WEEKS AGO Iconoclast stood in the group of new arrivals, smiling at all the people who he would soon kill. Or who would kill each other, perhaps. Or kill for him, even. So many options. He stood on the bridge, the sun shining in a cloudless sky, glinting off of the crystal clear water beneath him. A large stage and a podium had been erected in front of the group, and it was filled with milling bureaucrats. Fodder, nothing more. He also noted the Epics among his group, of whom there were several. Fools, walking into a life of slavery. Worshipping the gods of comfort and sloth, surrendering their freedom for safety and comfort. It was pathetic behaviour, not at all how Epics should conduct themselves. Like every Epic in this city, they relied on others, trusted others, needed others. They didn't realise that it was folly to trust or rely on anyone else, especially on things you could not even see or feel. They could only trust in themselves. He could only trust in himself, and in his powers. Those, after all, he could see and feel right before his eyes, as he lengthened his fingers into grotesque talons and then returned them to normal. The insane Epic was broken from his musings by a sudden shaft of bright light, and like a rainbow goddess, a woman who could only be Rainmaker descended from a cloud that had not been there a moment before. Of course, she would need to die. Apparently she as made of cloud, though, so that could prove difficult. Iconoclast shrugged, "Plenty of time to plan something". Looking around, Iconoclast saw that the vanillas around him were looking at her in absolute adoration. He copied them, twisting his face into a mask of love. "Euphoria...." He snarled inwardly, "She will need to die, if chaos is ever going to rain in Corvallis." As Rainmaker gave her pompous speech, Iconoclast looked around, trying to identify any Epics in her employ, particularly Euphoria. "No... she will likely be elsewhere." Suddenly all hell broke loose, as a woman in a red sweater lifted a large gun and pointed it at the stand. Two people tackled some woman off the stage a second before it exploded into splinters, and before his eyes, the shooter changed. She grew twice her usual size, her clothes either stretching or being ripped into shreds as she grew. Her skin seemed to attain a silver sheen to it, a sheen that intensified until her skin appeared to be made out of metal. "She looks like fun," Iconoclast muttered to himself in glee as she leaped into the wreckage. But what could she be after- "Euphoria!" The Epic shouted, pointing her gun at someone unseen. Perhaps... the tackled woman? Was that Euphoria? Regardless, he had lingered long enough. It was time to retreat to the shadows, and plan the freeing of the enslaved Epics and vanillas here. Racing towards the edge of the bridge, he dived off, growing fins and webbing his fingers together as he crashed into the water. The alterations enhanced his swimming ability, and he modified his lungs to hold more air, taking one last gulp before he went under. Iconoclast swam to the shore on the Corvallis side, emerging slightly downriver, crawling in the mud on his belly like an eel. Dignity mattered little to him... not anymore. THREE DAYS AGO Iconoclast crawled into the bushes and then into the trees, seeing a house not far ahead. After nearly two weeks hiding in the local park, watching from afar, he was ready to take up position inside the city proper. He hadn't to arouse any suspicion, with that metal Epic certainly causing security to increase. What a nuisance. Ah well, still, it had given him time to find the perfect house to move into. The target looked like a small place, likely the residence of a very weak Epic. From what he had seem, the Epic wore an orange suit and had three servants... couldn't be too important, then. Likely, no-one cared about him or her, and they probably knew more than Iconoclast about this city.... making this house the perfect place to stay while he planned. He stayed low to the ground, manoeuvring around the yard, hiding in the bushes and trees that lined the small property. Inside the small white building, he could see several people- likely vanilla servants. He would turn them, he decided. But keep them restrained for now- no use letting them run rampant before he was ready. One of the people in the window turned, and looked straight at him. Her gaze passed over him, but only for a second, before snapping back, her eyes first furrowing in confusion and then widening in fear. Iconoclast smiled. Time to have some fun. Springing into action, Iconoclast altered his legs muscles to be extra powerful as he leapt towards the house, ploughing through the window and knocking the girl off her feet. Cuts and scrapes healed in a second as he held the screaming girl down with one hand, and laughed as he grabbed the side of her head with the other. Other people screamed and yelled, but he ignored them as he poured his power into the young woman, twisting her mind and... setting it free. Her screamed faded as she calmed, looking at him with a puzzled expression. In seconds, bemusement twisted into a bestial fury and her eyes took on a crazed cast to them. It was done. He grabbed a nearby chair and smashed the leg off of it by enhancing his strength, and impaled her in the gut with it, pinning her to the floor. That should hold her until he got around to gifting her some of his regenerative powers. The new Ghoul snarled and hissed, clawing at the chair leg, but in anger and rage, not pain- Ghouls felt no pain. Rising to his feet, Iconoclast found that he was in a kitchen, with two terrified vanillas cowering against a far wall, hiding behind the dining table. Someone else entered the room in a rage, dressed in an orange suit. "What is the meaning of this!?" He roared, holding glowing hands in a ridiculous imitation of a combat pose. "Who dares attack Firefly, and mutilate his servants!? I will kill you for this!" With that, he threw his hands forward, and twin balls of orange sparks flew at Iconoclast. They smashed into his chest, blowing a huge hole in it and sending him flying backwards into the wall he had come through. Firefly laughed and turned to the vanillas, "Haha! See my power! See how I protect even worms like you? Am I not a gracious master?" But the servants were not paying attention- after an initial surge of relief, they, unlike their master, had seem that Iconoclast was already healing- before Firefly had finished talking, the wound was halfway through healing completely. Firefly followed their gaze, finally seeing that something was wrong, and his face and eyes soon matched those of his servants. "B-b-but.... I was promised protection.... You can't do this!" Iconoclast smiled, his wound fully healing in the last few seconds. "Well ... I haven't been one for following rules lately, I'll admit." With the statement still hanging in the air, Iconoclast moved like lightning, jumping onto the table, eliciting screams from the two servants. Leaning down, he grabbed each of their faces and pushed them into the wall. Firefly backed away and threw another spark, but it missed by a mile, despite the point-blank range. The servants struggled, but soon their struggles faded, and then renewed once more as Iconoclast's power broke their minds and turned them into animals. He released them, and leaped off the table, pushing it with his enhanced might until it pinned both of the now raving servants against the wall. Firefly gaped as Iconoclast turned to him. "What... what have you done to them?" Iconoclast grinned evilly, "I have released them. Now, you have two choices. You can serve me until I let you go, and indeed I shall, or... I can rip your hands off and release them, and let your former servants eat you alive... and if I feel like it, I might join in." Firefly's eyes seemed as wide as saucers. "I... I will serve you... master". Iconoclast laughed, "No, do not call me master, we are equals! Partners!" He walked up to Firefly and put his arm around the younger man's shoulders. "Now, first thing's first, we are going to lock this lot in the cellar, then you are going to tell me everything you know about this city, and then...." Several seconds passed, and Firefly ventured, "..and then, mast- uh, partner?" "And then, my boy, then.... we are going to bring down Corvallis."

Indeedy I do, just not on me at the moment, I'm afraid

I'm excited for Corvallis! I'll get an Iconoclast post up, as soon as I verify it with Comatose

Mobiles are only prevalent in Newcago because of a deal Steelheart made with the Knighthawk Foundry, to keep better control of his people.

What an exciting prospect, having Obliteration in our RP! (just putting it out there, I don't really want to write as him. Too scared haha ) I think we could have Obliteration destroy some smaller places- after all, David only listed San Diego, Houston and Albaquerque, and they are all large cities (respective populations of 1.7mil, 2.7mil and 0.5mil), and to my knowledge, only portland beats that, making it the only noteworthy atrocity he could commit in Oregon. Since Portland is going to be destroyed by the time he shows up, he can't destroy it, meaning that if he blows up say, Corvallis, David might not have considered it noteworthy. I don't think we should have him destroy the whole state though- THAT is far more noteworthy than three cities. David definitely would have mentioned that. Also, I think size is definitely a part of Obliteration's logic in choosing targets- Albuquerque and Houston are the most populous cities in New Mexico and Texas respectively, and San Diego is the second most populous in California (maybe something happened to Los Angeles?). Not just size, but size relative to other cities in the state. Then he wanted Babilar, certainly the biggest in New York. I think he is mainly interested in destroying capitals, or similarly large cities in a region. But he must also be wandering around doing other things- he melted Endless Dreams, for one, so perhaps he is interested in hunting High Epics? or he just blows thing up randomly, like in Babilar when he first appears?

I think you are thinking of Puenos de Fuego- who was stated as not having a PI, just being really tough. Val shot him with a tank. I don't think that is strictly true- by that definition, Fortuity wouldn't be a High Epic or have a PI because he was checkmated by a few simple shots. A Prime Invincibility just has to be strong enough that conventional methods of assassination aren't viable. You need to tailor each attack based on the PI- you can't kill Obliteration the same way as Newton or Fortuity. In Firefight for instance they discussed ways of circumventing the PIs of Newton and Oblit (by drowning and sticky bombs, respectively). They couldn't have done this and still referred to them as High Epics if your definition holds.

You should head over to the Reckoners RPG section if you want to use him Just introduce yourself and Caesar's Reign in the Question 9 thread and we can find a place for you, I'm sure.

@Comatose: ah, fair enough, i understand.

So Euphorias powers are negated completely if someone who likes her kisses her or something? Or hugs her/gets close? that works perfectly

that is true, he did not name himself during the bank incident. Maybe he was wearing a different costume than previous appearances, still working it out and all.

That's pretty cool. Nice power, too.