Bounce

Golden Age

The sarcastic tallyho

_{...and his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming...}

Archetype(s) - Loki, Mandrake the Magician, The Shadow (Toro the Flaming Kid in terms of the sidekick role)
Name - Nathanael, Akenatan
Alias - Nate
Age - Ancient
Powers/Skills/Equipment - Nate is a daemon with the following abilities

• Hypnotic Suggestion - Shadow manipulation, conjuring hellfire, becoming "invisible"... none of it is real. The heat from the flames, overlooking his physical presence, or drowning in shadows as they close in, all of it is an illusion created through suggestion and shadowplay. Consequently, the stronger the illumination surrounding him, the more powerful Nate becomes (and vice versa, see weaknesses)
• Levitation & Flight - As a being not of this world, Nate is not bound by the laws of physics (unless otherwise prescribed by the pact binding him).

Weaknesses - As a daemon, Nate has the following limitations

• Pact-bound - Nate's anchor to the earthly realm, which dictates the conditions he's bound to obey. If Alistair tells him to stop flying, Nate cannot fly. This is particularly annoying when Alistair tells the boy to "be quiet" and then neglects to revisit that (luckily, Nate is adept at using gestures to convey meaning, albeit often commentary polite company would not voice aloud...) If the pact is broken, such as by the death of the binder, Nate is banished and unable to reappear in the physical world absent a new pact.
• Total Darkness - As Nate's hypnosis is a trick of the light, he requires a light source. In total darkness, his "magic" doesn't work.
• Holy Ground/Sacred Soil - This has nothing to do with cosmic ideals of good or evil, but rather reflects that a particular place is the domain of another deity. In such sacred locales, Nate is both powerless and mortal, though his "death" in our world would only banish him temporarily so long as the pact binding him remains.

Personality

• Unbound - Chaotic Neutral: capricious, fickle, sarcastic, curious, bored
• As bound - Neutral Good: (reluctantly) gallant, polite/chivalrous, deadpan snarker (under his breath), curious, content (will not admit this)

Experience - With humanity in general, its roughly split 50/50 in terms of being helpful or antagonistic. In terms of experience with the modern world, technology, or the present geo-political disaster? Not much, no. He's sorting all of that out as he goes.

Appearance - As a daemon, Nate's physical appearance in our world is governed by the pact, reflecting either the binder or the binder's perception/belief of what "Nate" should look like. As bound, Nate closely resembles a young Alistair Blackwood, enough to be presumed a nephew or relative. Appearing a British schoolboy, Nate has the same brown hair as Alistair, but with green eyes that have a particular quality about them some would describe as sinister, while others might say "Nate" is an old soul. One quirk to his appearance is that his shadow appears to add a tail, typical of the imp or devil stereotype, thin with a barbed tip that seems to be part or an extension of his body and often portrays his mood.

BRIEF Bio - "Nate" is an imp, a minor deity the likes of which has crossed almost all human cultures. Sometimes a guardian, rarely malevolent, often a trickster, he was referred to as Nathanael in few surviving Greek accounts and Akenatan in Egyptian and later Coptic sources. The Egyptians considered him to be one of the Messengers of Sekhmet, associating him with nightmares, while the Copts in the Late Antique Period associated him with Thoth and, by later extension, Hermes Trismegistus. Whatever the case, by 250 C.E. Nate had been bound inside of a gemstone placed within a scepter that fell into the possession of a Coptic priest. The scepter was buried in a temple dedicated to Thoth thought lost in a sandstorm that was uncovered shortly before the eve of World War II. Nazi occultists sought to enter the tomb in pursuit of the artifact, only to be flustered by archaeologist and adventurer, Alistair Blackwell. Expecting the Foreign Legion to back him up, Alistair was, in turn, flustered to discover he'd been flanked and outnumbered by German reinforcements. Whether his summoning Nate was intentional or accidental is known only to Blackwood, but in any case the proverbial genie was out of the bottle. The prospect of being loose upon a humanity in the grips of a world war ought to be delicious to an imp, but "Nate" is regretfully bound by the code of chivalry that the rather insufferable Brit saddled him with, sometimes dragging the "boy" along for the ride or leaving the imp to his own, much bemoaned, n'er-do-well adventures.

Potential Storylines

• All of Alistair Blackwood's potential storylines apply.
• Confronting a nemesis/rival daemon who manipulates humans into giving her the pact/powers she wants.
• Classic mummy adventure (because Egypt).
• Facing a corrupt priest (Nazi agent), whose faith renders Nate without his powers and only his wits.
• Typical boy sidekick adventures of the period, investigating an otherwise mundane mystery and revealing a secret Nazi plot or operation, requiring rescuing, etc.
• Alistair takes off after telling Nate to be quiet or apply some other limit to him, forcing Nate to subsequently take on a threat/plot whilst having to overcome the limitation.

Additional Notes - Connection with Alistair Blackwood coordinated with @Half Pint. This can be considered a companion character or sidekick.

Golden Age

All right, if you're going to do Golden Age, you have to respect the boy sidekick, whether you're on Team Bucky or Team Grayson (the correct answer is Team Toro).

Luckily, I know someone who enjoys writing that archetype. Unfortunately, he wasn't available, so you're getting me instead. Also, Half continues to fail at telling me no. Someone please mentor him.

When I started down this path, the question that I asked myself was how I could take my usual interpretation of Black Adam, respect the pulp of the era, but also remove all the "Superman-isms". Somehow I landed on what's basically a hot take on Kid Loki that also borrows heavily from Mandrake and The Shadow.

The sarcastic tallyho

_{...and his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming...}

Archetype(s) - Loki, Mandrake the Magician, The Shadow (Toro the Flaming Kid in terms of the sidekick role)
Name - Nathanael, Akenatan
Alias - Nate
Age - Ancient
Powers/Skills/Equipment - Nate is a daemon with the following abilities

• Hypnotic Suggestion - Shadow manipulation, conjuring hellfire, becoming "invisible"... none of it is real. The heat from the flames, overlooking his physical presence, or drowning in shadows as they close in, all of it is an illusion created through suggestion and shadowplay. Consequently, the stronger the illumination surrounding him, the more powerful Nate becomes (and vice versa, see weaknesses)
• Levitation & Flight - As a being not of this world, Nate is not bound by the laws of physics (unless otherwise prescribed by the pact binding him).

Weaknesses - As a daemon, Nate has the following limitations

• Pact-bound - Nate's anchor to the earthly realm, which dictates the conditions he's bound to obey. If Alistair tells him to stop flying, Nate cannot fly. This is particularly annoying when Alistair tells the boy to "be quiet" and then neglects to revisit that (luckily, Nate is adept at using gestures to convey meaning, albeit often commentary polite company would not voice aloud...) If the pact is broken, such as by the death of the binder, Nate is banished and unable to reappear in the physical world absent a new pact.
• Total Darkness - As Nate's hypnosis is a trick of the light, he requires a light source. In total darkness, his "magic" doesn't work.
• Holy Ground/Sacred Soil - This has nothing to do with cosmic ideals of good or evil, but rather reflects that a particular place is the domain of another deity. In such sacred locales, Nate is both powerless and mortal, though his "death" in our world would only banish him temporarily so long as the pact binding him remains.

Personality

• Unbound - Chaotic Neutral: capricious, fickle, sarcastic, curious, bored
• As bound - Neutral Good: (reluctantly) gallant, polite/chivalrous, deadpan snarker (under his breath), curious, content (will not admit this)

Experience - With humanity in general, its roughly split 50/50 in terms of being helpful or antagonistic. In terms of experience with the modern world, technology, or the present geo-political disaster? Not much, no. He's sorting all of that out as he goes.

Appearance - As a daemon, Nate's physical appearance in our world is governed by the pact, reflecting either the binder or the binder's perception/belief of what "Nate" should look like. As bound, Nate closely resembles a young Alistair Blackwood, enough to be presumed a nephew or relative. Appearing a British schoolboy, Nate has the same brown hair as Alistair, but with green eyes that have a particular quality about them some would describe as sinister, while others might say "Nate" is an old soul. One quirk to his appearance is that his shadow appears to add a tail, typical of the imp or devil stereotype, thin with a barbed tip that seems to be part or an extension of his body and often portrays his mood.

BRIEF Bio - "Nate" is an imp, a minor deity the likes of which has crossed almost all human cultures. Sometimes a guardian, rarely malevolent, often a trickster, he was referred to as Nathanael in few surviving Greek accounts and Akenatan in Egyptian and later Coptic sources. The Egyptians considered him to be one of the Messengers of Sekhmet, associating him with nightmares, while the Copts in the Late Antique Period associated him with Thoth and, by later extension, Hermes Trismegistus. Whatever the case, by 250 C.E. Nate had been bound inside of a gemstone placed within a scepter that fell into the possession of a Coptic priest. The scepter was buried in a temple dedicated to Thoth thought lost in a sandstorm that was uncovered shortly before the eve of World War II. Nazi occultists sought to enter the tomb in pursuit of the artifact, only to be flustered by archaeologist and adventurer, Alistair Blackwell. Expecting the Foreign Legion to back him up, Alistair was, in turn, flustered to discover he'd been flanked and outnumbered by German reinforcements. Whether his summoning Nate was intentional or accidental is known only to Blackwood, but in any case the proverbial genie was out of the bottle. The prospect of being loose upon a humanity in the grips of a world war ought to be delicious to an imp, but "Nate" is regretfully bound by the code of chivalry that the rather insufferable Brit saddled him with, sometimes dragging the "boy" along for the ride or leaving the imp to his own, much bemoaned, n'er-do-well adventures.

Potential Storylines

• All of Alistair Blackwood's potential storylines apply.
• Confronting a nemesis/rival daemon who manipulates humans into giving her the pact/powers she wants.
• Classic mummy adventure (because Egypt).
• Facing a corrupt priest (Nazi agent), whose faith renders Nate without his powers and only his wits.
• Typical boy sidekick adventures of the period, investigating an otherwise mundane mystery and revealing a secret Nazi plot or operation, requiring rescuing, etc.
• Alistair takes off after telling Nate to be quiet or apply some other limit to him, forcing Nate to subsequently take on a threat/plot whilst having to overcome the limitation.

Additional Notes - Connection with Alistair Blackwood coordinated with @Half Pint. This can be considered a companion character or sidekick.

Worlds Collide: A Merged Universe Superhero Roleplay

A Q U A L A D
A Q U A L A D

^{L (No Cap) (part II)
prev | next | soundtrack}

Jack Ryder with guest G. Gordon Godfrey
_{No Laughing Matter Podcast}

”So, G. Gordon..."

“Yes, Jack?”

“You been following this New York thing?”

“Don’t start.”

“What?”

“Don’t be cute. We’re having a good time. Don’t go there with me, Jack.”

“You have thoughts about this New York thing, right?”

“All right. We’re doing this.”

“There’s all kinds of images coming out of the Bronx, Brooklyn, of this kid–he’s like eight or ten or some shit, right? Lifting a building off a Buick. A building.”

“See, this is what I’m talking about.”

“What?”

“You. Right now. Repeating their talking points. You’re doing the work for them.”

“Who?”

“For starters, photoshop is a thing. AI is a thing. Is the boy even real? They say fiery giants came out of the fucking ocean – the fucking ocean, Jack, tell me in what plausible universe fire giants walk out of 70 metric tonnes of salt water, but I digress – did the attack on New York really happen? Or was it staged? A convenient event whose much celebrated figure is a blonde, blue-eyed kid who, if even a third of what we’re told about him is real, then it only reinforces what I’ve been saying for years..."

“The mutant agenda.”

“Yes, the mutant agenda. Because who else benefits from this narrative? The government is falling over itself in an effort to pour money and attention into this New York thing, no questions asked. Where’s the Congressional investigation? Oh, but the honorable representative from Ohio can just happen to introduce a new measure to try and limit the Mutant Registration Act that’s been stalled for fuck all because god forbid Congress actually pass common sense laws.”

“So you’ve got beef with this kid. What are they calling him? Aqualad?”

“Let me tell you something about ‘Aqualad’, Jack., That kid, if he’s even real, isn’t a hero. He’s a symptom of a disease. A disease that’s gripped this country, Jack. Mark old G. Gordon Godfrey’s words.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The National Guard had arrived two days ago.

The on scene commander had been quick to identify Arthur and Garth as assets, Tom finding himself uncomfortably sidelined as the boy’s were put to work as part of the efforts to dig the waterfront out of the disaster.

Uncomfortable not just for how much attention they were getting from the police and, even more so the military.

A pair of soldiers cranked open a nearby fire hydrant, water shooting out as Garth’s eye pulsed with an otherworldly glow. “Semalf eht esuod! ”

As if taking on a life of its own, the stream of water formed a tendril-like extension from the hydrant, defying physics as it moved through the air to rain down on a still smoldering building.

As the water subsided, the black-haired boy seemed fatigued, shoulders bowed as another pair of soldiers moved to his one, one offering water while the other poured some over the Atlantean child.

Meanwhile, Arthur was the workhorse, lifting chucks of debris to help clear a path for bulldozers and cranes to move into position to take over the work. The Guard had at least brought a fresh change of clothes with them, the blonde-haired tween swallowed up by a gray Army PT shirt and a pair of fatigue trousers that were the smallest size available, and still much too large for the boy. The legs rolled up and the waist cinched tight by a belt.

“TOM!”

The man’s head turned, the police officer who’d been checking in on them over th past week a suddenly welcome sight. “Derek,” the man greeted him, not hiding the sigh of relief. At first Tom had been apprehensive about the boy’s being so open in front of the cops.

In retrospect, he’d take the NYPD over the military any day of the week. “About the police report,” Tom began.

“Yeah?”

“It’s just, the boy’s names and all,” the man explained.

Immediately catching the concern, the officer waved him off. “Oh, they’re minors. People, the press, whatever. They can FOIA the shit out all this and they won’t get the kids’ info.”

It was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “Thank you for that,” Tom offered, before realizing that Derek had been looking for him. “Was there something you wanted?”

“I was coming to let you know we found your truck, and its actually in decent shape – considering.” As he spoke, the officer produced a familiar item. Tom’s cell phone. “Window was busted out, so I’d looked inside just to check the condition and found this,” he explained, holding it out.

The voice mail was full. As Tom looked at the dying battery, he was perplexed at the volume of notifications.

“Looks like you have a lot of people trying to get ahold of you,” Derek remarked, continuing, “Good news is, you and the kids should be able to drive out in another couple of days..."

“That’s not right...” Tom murmured, no longer listening. He tapped on the most recent voicemail and held the phone up to his ear.

The color drained from his face only a second later, his head turning sharply, as if suddenly desperate to confirm that Arthur was okay.

The shift did not go unnoticed. “Something wrong?” Derek asked.

In response, Tom just held the phone out and switched it to speaker.

“...I hope you and your kid fucking die, mutie lover!”

A swipe of his thumb and Tom called up the next voice mail. “Go back to whatever country you came from, mutants. This is AMERICA.”

“Are they..?”

“They know,” Tom realized aloud, a newfound desperation gripping him.

They’d been fighting to survive in order to get back to their home.

Could they even go home now?

Worlds Collide: A Merged Universe Superhero Roleplay

Worlds Collide: A Merged Universe Superhero Roleplay

A Q U A L A D
A Q U A L A D

^{L (No Cap) (part I)
prev | next | soundtrack}

BROOKLYN
_{INFERNO: EPILOGUE}

The paramedic wrapped the boy’s hand, dressing the burn that was already blistering the skin from where Arthur’s fist had connected with the fire troll.

In an adjacent ambulance, Tom Curry was wrapping cold, wet blankets around Garth.

The realization of that prompted one of the paramedics to protest, sprinting over as warnings of hypothermia could be heard over the din of the sirens.

When he got close enough to make out the pale boy’s shark-like skin, those words seemed to choke in his throat. “Take my word for it, he’s actually comfortable this way,” Tom stated evenly, turning away to continue nursing the Atlantean boy.

Picking up a bottle of water that he’d been given, the tow-headed Arthur made his way closer to the pair. “Dad, where’s our hotel?”

Looking up, the man held the boy’s eyes for a moment, then looked off at the smoldering cityscape around them. “Your guess is as good as mine,” he offered finally. “Hopefully it’s still standing. Or my truck is at least in one piece – assuming the roads are even open for us to get home.”

“I wouldn’t count on driving out for a few days,” a police officer remarked, passing around the back of the ambulance that had become a pop-up clinic, shelter, and general safe place for people to gather as the fallout from the battle took hold.

The fire trolls had retreated back to the sea. Now New York was left to cope with the scars.

“L-Trains have collapsed in at least five different spots. Maybe more,” the cop explained. “Radio says the National Guard has been mobilized and the President has already promised support, but it’s going to be a hell of a job to clear the roads.”

Lighting a cigarette, the officer seemed to be resigning himself to a long night. Or maybe it had already been that, with no dawn in sight just yet. Gesturing to the smoldering ruins that were strewn across the block, the cop added, “We’ve been trying to search for anyone who might be trapped in the rubble, but I don’t know how we’re going to find anybody in that. Need heavy equipment, dogs... no way to get any of that in here now.”

Arthur’s gaze moved over the wreckage. Then down to the ground.

He’d spent his whole life trying to keep his talents from showing through. Keeping his thoughts in his head, and trying to keep everyone else’s in theirs. Being careful not to let people see his real strength. Or even his real speed in the water.

He took a long drink from the bottle, before passing it over to Garth.

Raising his head back up, the boy took a breath as he started to take a step.

His father’s hand caught the hoodie that he wore. “Don’t,” Tom warned flatly. “You’ve done enough. Too much. Someone else can take it from here.”

With a roll of his shoulders, Arthur stepped out of the hoodie as another step carried him further. Slowly turning, even as he continued toward the wreckage, the boy held out his arms in something of an apology as he answered,

“I am someone, Dad.”

Turning around to face the line of smoldering ruins, a marriage of twisted steel and reinforced concrete from where the elevated train tracks had struck nearby buildings, the boy’s eyes flashed as he let his mind wander up and down the street.

Tears welled up in his eyes as the fear took him by surprise, nearly overwhelming him as the pain and the panic began to trickle through.

“What is he..." the officer began, only to have his jaw fall open as he watched Arthur casually pull the twisted hulk of a burned out Cadillac out and discard it like a used tissue.

“You want to rescue some people? Well, let’s get sendy,” Arthur called back, struggling for a moment to find a hand hold – alternating his posture and grip several times.

Then he pulled up, deadlifting what was left of a building. Struggling with balancing the massive hunk of debris, the boy adjust his grip and heaved it as far over his head as he could, revealing a crumpled but still intact Dodge beneath the wreckage.

The cop and the paramedics were frozen at what they were seeing.

For his part, Arthur was not appreciative of the shock and awe. “What the sigma, bruh? This shit’s heavy!”

Spurred on by a push from Tom Curry, the first responders rushed in to start pulling people from the car.

“CLEAR!” the cop yelled, as the last person was pulled from the car.

“GYAT!” Arthur belted out, stepping out from under the wreckage and he let it drop behind him. Dust and debris shot out in a cloud as it hit with a thunderous clap.

“Daaaaaamn son. The fuck you ‘sposed to be? Hercules?” the cop blurted out.

“Who’s Hercules?” Arthur asked innocently, then shook his head. Probably more skibidi ohio boomer rizz. The less said about it the better.

Instead, he pointed off to his right. “Two more over there,” he noted, before changing direction and adding, “One up there.”

“You got more in you like that?” the cop asked.

“Just getting started, bruh. No cap,” Arthur quipped.

“I guess we’re getting– what did you say? Bendy?” the cop asked.

”Sendy!”

Skibidi ohio boomer rizz.

Worlds Collide: A Merged Universe Superhero Roleplay

All right, against my better judgment, let's do this one more time...

A Q U A L A D
A Q U A L A D

^{"Get sendy!"}

C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y _________________________________________________________ Arthur Curry _________________________________________________________ 11 | Single _________________________________________________________ Middle School | American N O T A B L E A B I L I T I E S & T O O L S N O T A B L E A B I L I T I E S & T O O L S _________________________________________________________ [+] - A B I L I T I E S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ◼ SUPER STRENGTH Arthur possesses strength in the 100 ton class (as an adult, this will be 160-200 ton class). ◼ INHUMAN DURABILITY Arthur can withstand the crushing pressures and frigid temperatures of the deep ocean, which also translates to being able to shrug off most small arms (below .50 cal). ◼ TELEPATHY How Atlanteans communicate underwater. ◼ HYDROKINESIS Primarily, Arthur uses this ability to propel himself through the water at insane speed, but with concentration he can also manipulate water. ◼ ENHANCED SENSES Arthur can see in the near lightless depths and his hearing is more acute than a normal human. - N O T A B L E S K I L L S & T A L E N T S N O T A B L E S K I L L S & T A L E N T S _________________________________________________________ [+] - S K I L L (S) ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ◼ OLYMPIC-LEVEL SWIMMER It goes without saying that Arthur takes to water like, well, a fish. - T A L E N T (S) ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ◼ MARINE TELEPATHY A descendant of the legendary Atlan through his mother Atlanna, Arthur has the unique ability to commune with sea life. ◼ LATENT MAGIC Arthur has Atlantean magic in his blood, but not enough to cast it on his own. Holding an enchanted relic however enables him to channel magic. -

T H E S T O R Y S O F A R... T H E S T O R Y S O F A R... __________________________________________________________________________________ The son of a lighthouse keeper in the sleepy town of Amnesty Bay, Arthur was born into a rebellion that he knew nothing about until it crashed upon the shores of Maine. The only child of Queen Atlanna of Atlantis, Arthur finds himself thrust into a civil war raging beneath the sea and the quest to try and recover the legacy of a mother he knows nothing about. A quest that will take him places beyond imagination, and the discovery of truths he may be unprepared to receive. The dangers presented were made real when an out of town swim competition in New York turned deadly, with Orm Marius unleashing fire trolls upon the Big Apple in a bid to eliminate Arthur as a threat, before being turned back by the combined power of Arthur, Martian Manhunter, Captain Marvel, and other heroes. Rather than wrestle with swim team competition or what to think about having been kissed by another boy, Arthur is confronted with the reality that his uncle wants him very dead, as well as newfound fame as the "superboy of New York." P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) __________________________________________________________________________________ The story of a forbidden love between an Atlantean queen fleeing an arranged marriage and a lighthouse keeper in Amnesty Bay, Maine, told in the vein of the Golden Age Superboy stories where Arthur's childhood is the story rather than relegated to flashbacks. Orm is the primary nemesis in this take, re-imagined as Arthur's uncle who has usurped the throne of Atlantis in his bid to become Ocean Master, using Atlanna's flight as justification for imprisoning her and assuming the throne. His quest to eliminate Arthur as a contender to the throne will bring other familiar faces to the story, including Black Manta. In regards to Namor and Marvel's version of Atlantis, for this concept I'm interpreting "Atlantis" to be like GoT's Westeros, filled with multiple feudal kingdoms vying for political dominance. Atlanna and Orm Marius just represent the equivalent of the Iron Throne. This also allows for physical variation between Atlanteans (think Arthur's typical appearance vs. Garth's Year One appearance vs. Namor's typical appearance). So I'm trying to leave room for any future Atlantean character to be able to interpret things as they may need to suit what they want for their character, while still being able to mix into my lore. My story will use Atlanna, Garth, Mera, Orm, Vulko, Slizzath, Black Manta, Siren (one iteration of her anyway), the Trench, and even my own version of Sardine from Super Friends. In keeping with past OU games, the Alpha Flight character Mar will appear, with Marvel's Plodex race serving as the OU version of the Brine. Giving away a spoiler, the Savage Land will feature when Arthur finds Atlanna. Everything else Aqua-related is up for grabs by whoever wants it.

---

---

^{All formatting originates via the work of Lord Wraith}

Worlds Collide: A Merged Universe Superhero Roleplay

Who let Half have James Bond!?

I'm trying to find the muse to write again. I'm still not in a great place RL to where I could really commit, but I might be trying to make a come back soon.

Worlds Collide: A Merged Universe Superhero Roleplay

Had a moment to catch up on the board and just wanted to say that I'm glad to see that this is still going.

@Cyrania and @King Kindred you are both fantastic. As are all of the writers. Wish I had the time to join you all, but I'm lurking and reading when I can.

Absolute Comics - A Multi-Fandom Singular Universe Roleplay

I was going to send this as a PM, but what the hell.

@Natty that Ben 10 sheet is absolutely amazing. I had the OG theme song going in my head as soon as I started reading it. You do an incredible job weaving Ben into the setting, leveraging Marvel and DC references. It just works. The posts really capture his personality as well. I was surprised to see it and very much appreciate how this game expands the boundaries and we have some different properties mingled in. Your Ben fits very well.

And while I'm here, @Lord Wraith the post catalog by character on the IC tab is insane. That has to take a bit of time away from writing in order to maintain, but is a really nice touch (and also very much "you", which is entirely meant as a compliment).

Okay, I go back to lurking now. k thx bye.

Worlds Collide: A Merged Universe Superhero Roleplay

I'm happy to say I'm back to having a great deal of free time, and to go along with this I have a second application for a bit of a different character than I've done previously. If anyone has trouble reading the colour I have chosen please let me know, or if they have any plans for this character or any related to him. Otherwise @Bounce please let me know if you think this would be suitable!

Where's Wesley Snipes when you need him?

I, V A M P I R E
I, V A M P I R E

^{"Immortality's a poor trade for a good night's sleep."}

C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y _________________________________________________________ Andrew Bennett _________________________________________________________ 454 (Became a vampire in his early 20s) | Formerly engaged to Mary, Queen of Blood _________________________________________________________ None | English N O T A B L E A B I L I T I E S & T O O L S N O T A B L E A B I L I T I E S & T O O L S _________________________________________________________ [+] - A B I L I T I E S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ◼ Vampiric Physiology Andrew's body is frozen in the perfection and frailty of youth. He possesses immense strength, speed, and resilience, but his metabolism is entirely dependent on blood. Sunlight weakens, holy ground sickens, and fire leaves lasting scars. His regenerative capacity at it's peak allows him to heal near-instantly from mortal injury, though starvation drives him feral. ◼ Shapeshifting Andrew can transform into a wolf, a bat, a swarm of bats, or living mist. He can also assume hybrid forms of any of these, growing claws and fangs like a werewolf, or sprouting bat wings to fly. These partial transformations grant him great power and mobility but demand precise control to keep his instincts in check. ◼ Psychic Abilities Andrew posseses the power to sway other beings with only his words. However, he uses this sparingly, knowing every use blurs the line between restraint and predation and has not effectively used this on a human for many years now. Mainly this is used to sway animals to do his bidding, but also grants him latent telepathic abilities. - T O O L (S) ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ◼ Eclipsaria A long executioners sword of white steel with a square-cut tip and a narrow central groove. Within that channel lies a sealed vein of silver-mercury alloy that flares blue on contact with undead blood, disrupting regeneration and forcing vampiric tissue to burn to ash. - N O T A B L E S K I L L S & T A L E N T S N O T A B L E S K I L L S & T A L E N T S _________________________________________________________ [+] - S K I L L (S) ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ◼ Master Swordsman A master of European and Near Eastern swordsmanship, Bennett's technique blends centuries of martial evolution into a single efficient form. He wields his blade more as an extension of thought than muscle, favouring control and precision over brutality. ◼ Occult Scholarship Specifically relating to Vampirism, of course. He is most likely the foremost expert on Vampirism alive today. His research has also at times spilled over into adjacent fields such as demonology, necromancy, and alchemy, though his understanding of these is limited. Just enough to recognize patterns and terminology, but not enough to claim mastery or any sort of really proficient knowledge. - T A L E N T (S) ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ◼ Intuitive Scholar Andrew possesses an uncanny natural aptitude for learning and understanding complex subjects. Concepts that take others years to grasp come to him with startling ease, as though he recalls knowledge rather than acquires it. Whether it’s mastering languages, adapting to new forms of combat, or deciphering ancient tomes, Andrew’s mind seems built to absorb and synthesize information effortlessly -

T H E S T O R Y S O F A R... T H E S T O R Y S O F A R... ________________________________________________________________________________________ Andrew Bennett was born in 1568 in England to a minor noble family of no great renown. His early life was comfortable, especially compared to those born outside of nobility. He was the second son of a wealthy family and as such faced no real pressure to get involved in any major affairs of the state. Instead he spent his times educating himself - religiously, philosophically, and culturally. He learned swordplay from any he could pay to teach him, but never with any intent to pick up a real sword. It was during his youth that he fell in love with Mary Seward, a servant girl in his household. The moment they met they were practically inseperable, but their affection could never grow outside of secrecy, a sin of the heart neither dared speak aloud. To marry a commoner would have been unheard of in those days. In 1591, driven by guilt and a yearning for spiritual truth, Andrew left England on pilgrimage. He hoped to reconcile his faith and his desires, to understand the divine line between life, death, and redemption. He also couldn't bear to be around Mary for any longer without confessing his feelings to her, and to avoid the reprecussions that came with that decided to relocate as far away as he could. Little did he know he'd face greater reprecussions for this decision than he ever could have imagined. During his travel, in a place forgotten by time and surrounded by ruins he met a strange wanderer. He would later learn this to be Cain, the first Vampire. Cain saw in Andrew the same hunger for meaning that had once doomed him. As punishment or gift, none could say, he passed his curse on to the young man. The transformation was torment; Andrew awoke no longer man but monster. At first, there was no control, no conscience - only an unquenchable thirst. He slaughtered without reason, feeding on pilgrims, thieves, priests, anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path. It took years of horror and self-loathing before he learned restraint. He came to see his curse as his penance. A divine task given to him from above, to shoulder such a burden so that others might be free from its pain. When he finally returned to England, he found Mary still in service of his family, now a woman grown, her beauty and gentleness unchanged. Consumed by longing and loneliness, he revealed himself to her. Against all wisdom, he offered her the gift he could never undo, believing love might redeem what damnation had taken. But Mary's heart, once pure, was twisted by the transformation. The hunger consumed her as it once had him, but she did not resist it, instead she revelled in it. In time, she gathered followers and became the Queen of Blood, while Andrew, horrified by what he had unleashed, dedicated his eternity to containing her and the plague she spread. Two decades ago, weary beyond words and believing his long war finally at its end, Andrew withdrew from the world and took refuge in an old Boston manor on the outskirts of the city, surrendering to a long sleep. He dreamed of nothing, expecting never to wake. Now he does. The world has changed, in both small and large ways. He remembers pieces of his life: his name, his curse, and the woman he damned. But he can feel something stirring in the darkness worse than anything he's faced before, something that has called him back. And though centuries have dulled his heart, Andrew Bennett rises once more - to atone, to battle, and to face the consequence of love eternal. P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) ________________________________________________________________________________________ I'm a big fan of vampires, especially the 'good' vampire we so rarely see in fiction. Recently I discovered the New 52 run of 'I, Vampire' and love it. I'd love to give my own spin on the Andrew Bennett story and use him as a travelling character to facilitate interaction with other players as much as I diegetically can. As much as his main enemies will be vampires, ghouls, and things that go bump in the night - I want to expand his influence outward to encounter less occult characters. Without spoiling anything, I of course want to go into a Vampire uprising plotline that would open up collabs for anyone who'd like to have their character deal with an outbreak, whether with or without Andrew to help. My main plot will be centred around his conflict with Mary, his former lover and someone he eternally tries to redeem. This will arch over into plotlines featuring all your favourite vampires - Deacon Frost, Dracula, and of course eventually Cain himself. Ultimately I want to tell a slightly darker and less light-hearted story to run alongside my Fantastic Four sheet. Andrew will be a very different character to any I have written before and I hope I can do such an underrated character justice.

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^{All formatting originates via the work of Lord Wraith}

@Half Pint

Anne Rice superfan is approved.

And, with that, I bid you all adieu. Half and I had discussed if I'd be staying on as a player, but I'm sincere when I say I don't know when I'd find time to write and so I believe that would just lead to my ghosting the RP. And with my controlling the Atlantis-centric characters, I feel like there's no reason why an inactive writer's lore should hold back someone coming in who can be an active writer. So I think a clean break is the best option among the worst options for a writer withdrawing mid-game.