Our world has changed. Our civilization has changed more in the last five years than it has in over a century. Extreme advances in the fields of engineering and medicine have drove humanity forward in an increasingly more optimistic world. The survivors of the war became the heralds of the future - Professor Alto Ganze's expertise in the field of biological engineering and his ownership of notable technology giants paved the way for the massive boom of medical technology and even directly aided in the crafting of some of 2020's finest gadgets. With the help of a range of technopaths and other Metas, technology blasted forward at a speed that none could really keep up with.
Needless to say, this new world is more connected to the system than it's ever been before. Of course, for others it's not so bright. After the Aperture disaster, the Government began working by themselves when it came to Metas. For a mercenary who simply desires to make a living from jobs that require a more violent touch, the government cracked-down hard. In this skewed world, you either live by the government's rules or you don't expose your powers whatsoever. Of course, criminal gangs still pay for Metas who can offer them aid but the life of a mercenary is no longer cost-effective. That's primarily why most became more professional and joined the corporate aspect of things. There's quite a bit of money to be made in private security these days and a Meta is always hired, no matter what their background states. Corporate Metas can also land massive contracting jobs out in the Far East as well where the pay is usually high.
There does exist, however, a group of people who have had enough of the government. A group of people who have had enough of the Reformists and their aimless peace talks. A group of people who are not afraid to use violence to achieve their own political aims. Although it is exceptionally hard to even get near them, the Underground Movement has been running for quite a number of years. It's chain of command is unblemished because it's basically impossible for the government to get anyone into the group without their intents being immediately detected. Don't get me wrong, most members of the group simply don't believe that humanity and Metas can ever get along and all of this is going to descend down into war. Some of the more fundamental members of the group, however, take a direct hand in trying to bring this war about.
The Reformist Council is a group of people all built around the ideas of integrating Metas into normal human society in a wholly peaceful way. Their ideals can sometimes seem unrealistic with the current climate of Meta-acceptance but that has yet to stop them. However, to Metas, the Reformists are so much more. They're the people who stand up to Meta discrimination and make sure to protect the Meta population. However, there does exist a shade in this group of people who are willing to destroy everything in the pursuit of justice. These people are just as dangerous as any Underground Movement Fundamentalist.
Hello everyone! First of all, I believe I should mention that I am not the sole GM of this, as much as my nice little ribbon dictates. Decisions made for The Gifted are purely democratic (unless it's something about the plot because I'll work with a limited number of people for that). My purpose is primarily as Admin for the RP because I'll be doing the organisation work but please note that most of the old-timers have an equal level of authority.
Anyways, what we're aiming for in this RP is player freedom. When we were designing the plot, we wanted to have something that the Players could choose to follow and their choices affected the outcome. This will work on a reward-punishment sort of system where we'll judge if your actions have deemed you worthy of a reward in the plot or some form of punishment. Please note that these rewards and punishments are not a way to drag you into world-events; they just serve to create a world where your actions make a difference. By all means, engage in as many side-plots as necessary and I may even post a few on here just to get the creative juices flowing.
Just to explain the groups, you still have the choice of what type of Meta your character is (Merc, Hero, Corp, none) but now you also have the choice of a faction to align yourself with. Like everything, you can choose to have no alliances to factions. I've set these factions up so that even if your character is "bad", they can still join the Reformists and become a member with darker intents. Even if your character is "good", they can join the Underground Movement by simply disagreeing with the Reformists. You're not locked into a certain faction, to put it simply. Also please note that if you find your character not fitting into a particular group, you can simply create your own (with some permission once you've explained them).
This is a RP and what we're going for is people having fun. If something limits that then please, please, please say it to me or someone else. If you find your character not being interacted with then just mention it in the OOC and someone will pick up on it! Good luck and have fun!
May 1st, 2010: The Maybark Incident. At 3:41 pm, at the local community high school in Maybark, NC, student Joseph Brown went on a murderous rampage, ending in the deaths of three fellow students and one teacher. He was eventually taken down by local law enforcement. Normally this would go down as another school tragedy, and perhaps it would get some media attention before dying down after a month or so. This massacre, however, would go down in history books as one of the defining moments in human history. The reason behind this was the assailant's God-complex, largely fueled by his seemingly unnatural powers.
Following this, publicity around mysterious, previously thought unexplainable events exploded. Dozens of individuals were revealed to also have unexplained powers, and shortly after national efforts flushed many more out. Laws were passed in an effort to control those gifted in many countries, forcing thousands to take action: Either hide underground, or make themselves invaluable.
Now, five years later, the Gifted are separated into two groups. The 'Hots', those publicly recognized as having super powers and not treated as pariahs for it. Corporate moguls, public activists, and superpowered groups defending cities all fall under this category. Hots make up a vocal minority of the Gifted, making up perhaps one-tenth of their numbers. The remaining Gifted, 'Colds', stay out of the spotlight. Many try and live normal lives, ignoring their powers to the best of their ability. Some, however, spend their time as anti-heroes roaming the streets, or as private mercenaries and criminals.
It is August 1st, 2015 in Los Angeles. The city is one hit hard by change, having one of the highest rates of registered superhumans. It has recently lost its protectors, a 'hot' group of heroes known as 'The Magi' after the federal government asked them to take care of their new super-prison facility, known as 'The Sleeper Facility'. New heroes have been asked to take their place, from around the nation, and a handful have accepted. Word has spread, and gangs around the city challenge these new capes. Mercenaries are in hot demand as businesses and individuals are unsure of the new heroes, while the corporate 'colds' continue their business as usual. L.A. is rife with possibilities and opportunities for anyone with the guts to make them. The city is seemingly under siege from within, and the worst is still yet to come..
Name: True, given name. Alias(s): If you have an alias you're known by. Age: Self Explanatory. Affiliations: Either The Heroes, The Mercs, or Corporate. Factions: Description: Basic description of your character in and out of costume.
Powers: Your supernatural abilities. Cumulatively, they should equal standards roughly meeting A-B Class Ranking or lower. Please include some points about weaknesses.
Skills: Your practical abilities, gained through hard work or natural skill. Equipment: Any notable equipment you own goes here, including vehicles Ranking: A Rank or lower.
(Optional) Brief History: A brief summary of your character's back story. Keep it brief.
SS Rank: Abilities which make the user capable of taking out small cities, bending reality in some profound way, or taking control of small armies. Gifted with SS rankings often have issues with mental health, and given their capabilities, most have a Flee On Sight order.
S Rank: Abilities which allow their user to wipe out small towns, move faster than sound, or can create highly advanced weapons. Generally have a large range, and are considered to be highly dangerous opponents. Most have a Flee On Sight order.
A Rank: Gifted with A Rank abilities are able to take out city blocks with their powers, lift tens of thousands of pounds, or possess functional immortality. The lower end of this is considered the ceiling for starting PC characters. Most have a Flee On Sight order, unless risk for civilian casualties is low and suitable firepower is present.
B Rank: Those having B Ranked gifts can wipe out commercial sized buildings with their powers, heal others of grievous wounds in minutes, or a strong elemental power. While still exceptionally dangerous, most have a Kill On Sight order, assuming capable personnel and low risk for civilian casualties.
C Rank: These abilities grant the user powers capable of destroying a typical ranch-style home, having a powerful animal physiology, or excellent speed and reflexes. Exponentially more common than B Ranks and above, C Ranked Gifted only have a Kill On Sight order when they refuse registration and resist law enforcement.
D Rank: Again much more common than C Ranked and above, these abilities are often minor but life changing, such as amazing senses or a minor elemental power. Most D Ranked and below accept registration and live normal lives. D Ranks have a Seize On Sight when refusing registration.
E Rank: Almost non existent abilities. Perhaps they can light a cigarette with a snap, or see marginally better in the dark. These powers are actually rarer than D Ranks and above. Most theorize this is because most powers grow over time, while these seem to have stopped after being discovered. Have a Seize On Sight order when refusing registration.
F Rank: The ones who drew the short straw in becoming Gifted. Their abilities harm themselves while offering little to no benefits. When combined with their sometimes uncontrollable nature, many live painful or erratic lives.
*Note, that all of these descriptions assume the height of a user's power. For example, an SS ranked criminal would have difficulty destroying a small city, but would be capable of it given focus and determination. Basically, all powers round UP, to their maximum capabilities.
**Also note, that multiple abilities in a Gifted are not uncommon. In this case the sum of all their powers are taken into account when assigning a ranking to that person.
You all know the drill by now - play nice and enjoy yourself and you'll have a wonderful time here.
1. Due to our last GM going MIA, no one has particularly stood up to the GM post. For that reason, the decisions made are consecutive and are usually decided amongst the others. 2. This is a PG13 RP! Feel free to cuss and use adjectives in your fights, but no sex! Do that via PM. 3. Yes, this is Low-Casual and up. This means post at least two-three full lines in this thread. However, I still expect clear speech, decent grammar, and good formatting! Walls of text will be ignored until reformatted! 4. No PC Killing without its player's permission. This isn't a rule I'm a huge fan of, but I will enforce it just like the others. 5. Follow any other site rules, in addition to my own. If you make it a habit of breaking rules, you will be allowed a single post to say farewell with your character, and then you will be removed from the RP. 6. Please, enjoy yourself. Immerse yourself in the story, the characters and try to do the best you can!
Rikimaru Elsworth Sunday, May 3rd, 2015 Warakuma Park, Afternoon
Rikimaru couldn't help but laugh at the question. It through him off his kata and movements. He turned to look at Gen. He hasn't seen him but there was little doubt that it was. He seemed like the timid, overly concerned type. Maybe not, maybe he was just a regular guy and Rikimaru was the odd ball.
"Yes these are perfectly legal. Its made if a dull zinc alloy. Its a safe training weapon. Would like to learn a little? I do owe you one for your concerns yesterday." Rikimaru was almost shocked at how much he just said at once.
Was Rikimaru starting to make a friend? This what freienda did for each other right? They helped each other and showed concern. None the less, it was still a chance to have and show off a little. Who could pass up that opportunity?
To a alleviate any anxiety but Gen might have had. Rikimaru spun both Kamas in his hand. Both front wards and backwards. He was midly impressive and flashy for someone who didn't know what they were looking at. Truth be told however it wasnt anything to write home about.
"You really need to calm down Gen. I won't lose anything other some blood." Rikimaru was grateful for the guys worrying but he was in nine kinds of a tizzy for something only required three or maybe four kinds of tizzy. The amount of tizzy was too damn high! None the less Gen was kind.
With those words said Rikimaru gathered a few more things. Doing his best not to get blood anything more than floor. Gen had the Gauze of Life, but he still needed tape, disinfectant and a bottle of water. He couldn't help but smile under that mask of his. He was more worried about the blood stains on this guitar than his cuts on his finger.
The look on the woman's face when Rikimaru went to pay for everything was near priceless. The look of disgust and shock on her face when he handed her the bloody money was awesome. Again he couldn't but smile. "Gen, you coming?" With that he walked out and starting ripping open the packaging and fixing up his fingers, he was fast and good at. It was more or less an occupational hazard, he was used to it.
By the time that Gen could get to him he was already done and working on cleaning up his guitar. It wouldn't take him long to get it cleaned, again he had done this once or twice before. Without a look Rikimaru spoke to Gen. "I'll be at park the tomorrow. Afternoon, if you care to join me." As soon as he finished he got up and left.
Saturday, May 3rd, 2015 Warakuma Park, Early Afternoon
Rikimaru was sitting on a picnic table, meditating. If he couldn't play today he could at least do some training. In front of him was set of training Kamas. A clear head, and a mostly uninjured body would be just right for him. His dress was the same always when away from school. He never understood why people put on training gear when that's not something their likely to have when needed to use any sort of fighting art. He did
Within an instant he was off the table, with Kamas in his hand. With every movement he gained speed and power. His movements weren't in the traditional style of hard, sharp movements. His movements were fluid, quick and light. These movements could easily be turned into hard, sharp and powerful movements but there wasn't a need for any of that right now.