WXer

Scion: The Prophecy of Anani

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To greet the day, one must scour the night. To the royal household staff, the tired facade of one Sir Gaius was not an uncommon sight. Too much time spent with his nose buried in musty tomes and ancient scrolls, they would say. After all, he was a chronicle archivist for the Ordo Templi - a relatively comfortable posting for a royal princess’s ceremonial guardsman.

If only this were true, Guy lamented.

In reality, the man known in the gutters as the Swamp Rat of Somberflaque had spent the last few nights canvassing the movers and shakers of the underground. He had been taking account of every radical element that could disrupt the day’s ceremonies: from would-be anarchists looking to upend society, down to the petty streetwise thugs looking to pickpocket fat nobles. This would have been an average evening at the proverbial office for Guy, but he had been restricted by the fact that he could only use the carrot this time. Too many unexplained disappearances would be bad optics for the Millennium Festival.

And so, a small fortune had been paid to a few unscrupulous folks straight from Guy’s own pockets. Perhaps he would find the time to track them down once the festivities ended, but for today, his mind had to focus on playing his part as the Templar of Earth. Luckily, all he had to do was smile and nod; Lady Joanna had practically assumed direct control of Princess Belle’s preparations. The ladies-in-waiting could have gone easier on the blush, though Guy kept his opinion to himself lest he added undue pressure to the princess. He remained silent even during the shared ride to their destination, knowing when his charge would rather be lost in her thoughts than pretend to enjoy small talk.

Once they arrived at the Cathedra Incepta of Juniperus, Guy was the first out of the vehicle. It was perfect: no local yahoos or unsightly street urchins were in sight at the front of the crowd. The smell of flowers and expensive perfume replacing the musk of the slums; a scent of home for a homme décent as it were. He would have to remember to commend those criminals before he arrested them on vague charges later on. Before he could get lost in the moment, however, duty called.

He helped Princess Belle out of the car, but to say he had prepared for all scenarios would be a lie. Even he was caught off-guard by the princess’s curt reply to the reporter. Did he even need to do something here? As he watched the reporter’s jaw drop, Guy realized that while he had spent the night scouring the streets of physical threats, the princess was more than capable of scouring the social ones herself.

Scion: The Prophecy of Anani

The Swamp Rat

Guy de Somberflaque

________________________________________ Sir Gaius Rafael Lecard "Guy" de Somberflaque Male | 34 | Doumerc Templar of Earth _______________________________________________ "Don't be fooled by his smile, lad. The Swamp Rat of Somberflaque has been in this game longer than most." ________________________________________

"I’m here to make sure you live, Your Holiness. What that means is entirely up to you." Holy Sigil Location Though rarely seen, it is supposedly across his right forearm. Appearance Officially standing at 5'9", Sir Gaius usually seems smaller due to constantly slouching and his unassuming demeanor in public spaces. Known to be a sharp dresser even outside official ceremonies, the Earth Templar is often seen in a three-piece suit due to publicly being a historical archivist for the Ordo Templi. Underneath the clothing though lies a history of duty as his body is riddled with scars and burns. The means and methods to remove these blemishes are easily available to a man of his status but he bears each one of them as a badge of honor. Lastly, one rarely sees Guy without his signature smile even as he finds himself in situations where it might be inappropriate. Personality What is there to say about Somberflaque's favorite son? Sir Gaius is as quiet and as professional as they come, the very model of the Ordo Templi's bureaucrat soldiery division. At least that's what most people think about him if they think about him at all. Even to other Templars, he is known to be their most meek soldier. This, of course, is a public cover story designed to hide his true duty as a Templar. Those that have the misfortune to call him a friend know that the Swamp Rat can best be described as contemptuous and sadistic. Thankfully, his higher ups know how to best channel his antisocial tendencies. Whenever Sir Gaius is supposedly spending time away from the Scion of Earth to catalogue ancient texts, Guy is actually on anti-heresy and counter-espionage assignments. In fact, only when he is hunting down enemies of the Church does he feel true joy in his duty. Biography At the foot of mount Le Souffle de Terre-Molle in the Doumerc cordillera lies one of the polity's most oft ignored seats of power. The domain of House Somberflaque has rarely been coveted and encroached upon. They have been stewards of their eponymous domain since Anima the Just, Scion of Earth had married into their bloodline many moons ago. This is not because the Somberflaque lands lack resources - quite the contrary as their riches are plentiful. They lay claim to hectares of old growth oak, mounds of peat, an ecosystem of exotic leather sources, and recently discovered fields of coal found after a commissioned survey. The problem is the fact that the territory is mostly underneath swamp water. To understand the modern history of this region, one must learn about the Pact of Anima. It is not only the swamp folk that call this fiefdom home as they share that honor with the mountain tribes of Terre-Molle. While the former Scion of Earth accomplished many deeds during her life, the harmony she brought to the peoples of this land is her greatest achievement. Today, her descendants serve as both defenders of the realm and magistrates of the state, preserving the peace of the peoples of sky and earth. But what of a bastard of this most noble house? Gaius had spent most of his life acknowledged as a son of Somberflaque via his unmarried mother but it would only be until he was 7 years old would he be officially legitimized. While this would normally be cause for celebration, the events leading up to this were ones born of tragedy. None truly know the truth but Guy knew one thing - his mother had disappeared in the dead of night and he had only found out during the light of the following morning. His uncle, Isidro Animo, had officially adopted him before the day's end. The boy was never seen to mourn his lost mother. Gaius would go on to graduate from the Academie du Durand with flying colors but civilian life was never in the cards for him. Perhaps the want of prestige had pushed him into applying for the Templar exams but this motivation was more than enough to fuel his desire. It was grueling and he cursed every moment of it under his breath but perhaps the most memorable were the duels Guy had to overcome. The Templar he had chosen was bigger than him, prettier than him, and had the resulting confidence one would have because of these traits. Of course, Guy just took this as further inspiration to knock him down. It was a hard fought battle but his agility had served Guy well in the duel, resulting in a surprise victory for the upstart. The following bout with Commandant Fyodor was nothing alike the previous. Every move done by the aspiring Templar was textbook and predictable, which was made all the worse because of the fact that he was up against the man who most likely wrote the organization's combat manuals. The last minute of the duel would be it's most memorable however. Finding himself disarmed of his sword from a quick sequence of strikes, Guy's survival instincts took over instead of admitting defeat. Getting down on one knee to feign surrender, Guy would then toss a handful of dirt to blind the commandant. Before anyone could react to the audacity of this tactic, the Swamp Rat would pull a dagger hidden underneath his clothing and lunge on to Fyodor. It was no longer a duel but an honest to goodness Somberflaque scrap. Both would roll around on the ground for an awkward minute or two, with Guy ultimately being disarmed yet again but witnesses say he had a tight grip on the commandant's neck and both thumbs trying to gouge the eyes. Guy was surprised that he somehow got accepted after that display of unchivalric conduct. Although his first few months being stuck behind desk duty made it apparent to him as to why he was hired. When it was clear that he would stick it out in the Ordo Templi without protesting too much, he would be sent on his first field missions. They were your run of the mill tasks such as monster population culling and garrison inspections but one particular operation propelled him to the spotlight. Along with a few other Templars, Sir Gaius would bring down the Crimson Wings syndicate after raiding their hidden headquarters and liberating abducted citizens from being trafficked across the continent. This would merely be the first of his many accolades but being assigned to the Scion of Earth would be his greatest honor. The duo is currently the longest tenured pair within the current the Scion and guardian Templar roster. This does not mean they do not have their challenges though. Weapon of Choice During public duty, Sir Gaius prefers a pump action shotgun and a long axe as his armaments. This particular pair of weapons is the regional preference of Somberflaque residents and Guy is ready to play up this point of pride as part of his persona. When he has to engage in wetwork however, Guy prefers to use a silenced sub-gun and his trusty butterfly knife - the same one he pulled on Fyodor all those years ago. Misc. Backdrop of the last monologue you'll hear. The Swamp Rat nickname comes from his academy days, with Guy finding it unironically endearing. Sir Gaius has led training exercises in wetlands for the Ordo Templi. He makes it a point to make sure everyone comes home hating life at the end of it.

Shards of the World(D&D/Hunter X Hunter Inspired)

Interested in this, will try to get a tentative character sheet up in the next few days.

Justice League Unlimited - United We Stand

You know I'm still here and I still have ideas floating around for the character I posted earlier.

Justice League Unlimited - United We Stand

Anybody watching this? @rocketrobie2 @Simple Unicycle @WXer you guys doing anything rn?

@Omega Man

Took a while but here you go.

For your consideration, Thunder Man

Name: David R. Sikela
Alias: Thunder Man
Age: 33
Personality: Cynical, Vengeful, Absurdist, Sanguine, Unwavering

Powers: Super Strength via Divine Empowerment, Flight, Superhuman Durability, Brontokinesis (aka thunder manipulation)
Weaknesses: Highly susceptible to psychic attacks due to underlying PTSD

Background Hero: Richard Dragon Jr.
Former Team Affiliation: Justice League of America

Appearance: A battle-scarred cyclops of a man sporting a buzz cut and a goatee. Under his civilian identity, David rarely appears in public without a pair of sunglasses to hide the fact that he no longer has his right eye. As Thunder Man however, the power of his patron Gog flows freely and shines where he lacks.

Potential Storylines:

• Fortunate Son - Thunder Man questions whether Superman's moral code is enough to navigate the modern day issues faced by the Justice League, specially when their own benefactors have shown that they can be easily manipulated [long-term story set across many episodes if we're doing those]
• The Man Comes Around - The true nature and price of Thunder Man's power is revealed to him and now he has to answer Gog's call or lose it all.
• Rebel Yell - David's time as a special military advisor for the Quraci army beckons to him once more as Queen Bee of Bialya threatens open warfare, with the UN seemingly unable to stop it.

BRIEF Bio: Born in a small Arizona border town, it was straight to basic training with David after high school. He always wanted to see the world and the army recruitment officer handing out flyers promised him just that. His first tour didn't go quite as he expected though. His unit got shelled by rebel forces, he hid in a bombed out ruin as the sole survivor, found an undisturbed altar to a ram god, and the next thing he knows he has super powers and gets to serve his country in a new capacity.

Being part of the JLA was a hell of a lot better but all good things had to end. Unable to re-adjust to civilian life, David became a private military contractor and operated in America's best interest across the Middle East and Africa. With news of the Justice League's return David was eager to re-enlist on the superhero roster in order to once again experience the best days of his life.

Notes:

• This is a re-imagination of the anti-hero Magog with more Bush-era inspirations.
• Yes, all the storyline pitches are named after songs.

SPIRITUM

Hey, I'm gonna have to reconsider participating because my job essentially straddled me with a ton of extra work. Good luck to everyone and hope y'all have fun.

S P I R I T U M

Interested in this too

Justice League - The Unlimited Protocol

Episode 1 - Tears for Fears : Mad World

Among the new recruits of the Justice League, perhaps none drummed up more fanfare for themselves than Buddy Baker, the Animal Man. Spending the days leading up to his official induction to the League on a media tour, the metahuman maverick's brand was at the highest that it had ever been though this was not without controversy. The criticisms were many, only a few were valid - why wasn't he out there stopping crime on the streets, why was he wasting time stopping petty crime, why would he push his political agenda of animal rights so blatantly, et cetera.

Indeed, even before he was part of the League, Buddy had always been a very divisive figure and this new chapter of his career would only increase his notoriety. He knew this though as the last twenty years of vigilantism had prepared him for this.

So what exactly was the newest signing of the League doing right now? Why, scrolling through his social media feed while slacking off on paperwork of course. Crossing T's and dotting i's wasn't exactly the most exhilarating work in the world. In fact, a headache was slowly creeping up on him that was somehow getting worse by the second... Wait. This sensation was familiar.

Instinctively, Buddy would activate his powers and cycle through a variety of immune systems. Within the passing of a second, he had shifted through a honey badger, a mongoose, an octopus, a pig and a snake. Still, this was not enough to completely block the effects of what he now realized was an airborne poison. He would use his remaining strength to stagger out of his room and trudge his way to the main lobby, having a coughing fit along the way.

With each step however, a gruesome scene was developing right in front of him. Blood was everywhere - splashed on the walls, seeping through the ceiling, even leaking through his eyes and the taste of it lingering on his mouth. All of this was a grim reminder of the worst day of his life.

"Show yourself, beast! I'm ready this time!" he would shout from one of the hallways.

Justice League - The Unlimited Protocol

Animal Man

Name: Bernhard "Buddy" Baker
Alias: Animal Man
Age: 43
Personality: Sanguine, courageous, self-assured, somewhat condescending and "ostentatious" - a word a tabloid critic used to describe Buddy when he was first breaking in to super heroics that has stuck with him for all these years. He would lean into this as a foundational part of his public persona during his early pursuit of fame.

Powers: Buddy is able to copy the capabilities of any creature that has existed on the planet at any point in time. He has publicly stated in interviews that he achieves this by tapping into a cosmic force known as The Red. While he doesn't need to shapeshift in order to have feats of strength, speed or flight, Buddy can most definitely change parts of his body to copy those of any animal.

Aside from his actual superhero abilities, Buddy has cultivated an underdog persona throughout his career. When most think of Animal Man, the image conjured up is that of a local hero (literally) prowling the streets of West Coast cities beating up petty criminals during the night while showing up to animal rights protests for photo ops during the day. Secretly, underneath all the glamour and glitz, is a man who has been through hell and back, battling incomprehensible horrors across dimensions and saving the mortal realms from their grip.

But this all works to his advantage. Let them all think lowly of Animal Man but like the mighty ant, he has more strength than meets the eye, specially when in the realm of The Red.

Weaknesses: While he is definitely wiser and more versatile at this point in his career, Buddy is also more jaded and set in his ways after 20 years of being a solo, journeyman, non-caped crusader. While his reflexes are arguably the same due to the nature of his powers, he has rarely needed to innovate his tactics specially with regards to collaborating with other heroes on the scene.

Buddy has also been through a lot, more than anyone can ever know and he did it all while being on the outer periphery of the Justice League. To that effect, Buddy has a bit of a better-than-thou complex that he needs to keep in check.

Background Hero: Dr. Alec Holland aka The Swamp Thing - a man who has gone through similar trials as Buddy though has turned to a more private personal life than his contemporaries. Little is known of both the doctor's personae aside from the fact the he controls plant matter and lives somewhere in the New Orleans area.

Appearance:

The Man Himself

Potential Storylines:

The main overarching theme for Animal Man will be acceptance - not just from his peers but also from himself. Is he satisfied with his lot in life resulting from the decisions he has made so far. To explore this, I propose these storyline ideas:

First Blood Part II : A string of strange abductions and brutal murders have convinced Animal Man that The Cult of Blood, once led by Brother Blood, has re-emerged after years of hiding. Having once sought to usurp control of The Red, Animal Man was able to barely stop them before they succeeded. Can Buddy do it once more?

Possible Worlds : In a different world quite similar to this one, Solomon Grundy was made champion of The Gray - the source of rot and decay, the antithetical nemesis of Animal Man's source of power. With the knowledge of another Solomon Grundy in this world, the consciousness of The Red demands that Animal Man dispose of the problem permanently before it gets worse. Is Buddy willing to cross the line, knowing the possibility of what might happen if he refuses?

Fire Walk With Me : The Red has tasked Animal Man to defend against an invasion launched by The Gray. However, the battleground is not located on the metaphysical plane - it is within the border realms of the Dreaming and he can only access it while asleep. Unfortunately, this leaves him exhausted during the day and is taking a toll on his heroics. Can the rest of the League help Buddy catch a wink of sleep or will this be an unending nightmare?

Which Side Are You On? : Animal Man is actively making the media rounds to promote his admittance to the Justice League. However, the Screen Actor's Guild is on strike and he's getting flak for undermining the spirit of it. Trying to minimize the damage, he attempts to cancel the remaining bookings but one contractual obligation refuses to budge - "What's Up, Jack? with Jack Ryder" on the Luthor News Network. How will Buddy Baker address this controversy and what will he do moving forward?

BRIEF Bio: Around 20 years ago, a man stargazing under the Nevada desert sky sees a shooting star flying by and wished for fame. Being an aspiring actor who just finished a day's work of filming a TV series pilot, such a wish didn't seem that farfetched. Little did he know that the shooting star was actually a spaceship and he had caught their attention. His memories are fuzzy of what happened next but the following morning would be Buddy Baker's first day as Animal Man!..

This origin story is from the official ghostwritten autobiography of Animal Man. Nowadays, some details of his story doesn't hold up to scrutiny but Buddy insists that this was what truly happened. While the highlight of his superhero career has been a few team-ups with the Justice League, Buddy Baker's acting career did see him star as a bit player in a few long running sitcoms, one of which has even reached syndication. What more can someone really want from life?

Notes: This version is based on a post-Lemire run Animal Man, years after the finale of the book.

Sample Post: "And we're back from the break." says the man sitting opposite to Buddy Baker. The superhero finds himself in a somewhat compact recording studio, made only smaller by the fact that both he and the podcast host were north of six feet. Even moreso the host due to the fact that his shock of red hair gave the illusion of him being at least two inches taller. Still, he had been having fun with recollections of his past adventures and a few non-sequiturs but the big story surely was next. "Buddy, I have to ask the question most of the public are wondering about... Were you auditioning for the part of Air Bud in the new reboot? I imagine the savings alone for the CGI would make you a frontrunner."

Buddy couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, actually I've been shooting scenes between Justice League missions for the last few months already. But, um, for legal reasons, this is a joke and, uh, I'm not breaking the strike guidelines... Actually, who even owns the rights to that franchise?" Asked Buddy in an effort to pivot from the topic. While the question was directed at the host, it would be shifted it to his assistant immediately after. "Sonia google that so we can talk about it after the actual big news that you just mentioned: Animal Man in the Justice League!"

"Yeah, the Justice League." Buddy would repeat. "It's a big change, absolutely, and it comes with heavy responsibility. We all know the circumstances that led to this but I do see it as a big opportunity. Y'know, the main reason as to why I decided to specifically come on your podcast is because I see a similarity with what you had done years prior." The host earnestly smiles at the comparison. "Oh? I don't quite recall getting a phone call from Wonder Woman after getting fired from the Tonight Show but I suppose I need to clear my voice mails or check if carrier pigeons from Themyscira got lost on the way to Los Angeles."

Another joke and even more laughter from Buddy. "Well, if you recall, you spent roughly around two decades hosting late night television and a big change put you in circumstances that were quite vexing to say the least. I'm also just about to hit the big two-oh for my career in both acting and heroics and, well, I've also hit a crossroads that has forced me to re-evaluate everything that has led up to this point." Buddy would take a pause, collecting his thoughts.

"You've said it multiple times on the podcast and at least one time while behind a tree stump podium: it is in our perceived failure to become our ideal self that ultimately defines us. Since starting this career, I've suffered a number of injuries, I've faced eviction from my home because I endanger those around me, I've seen the faces of people I have failed be disappointed in me, and I've even gotten divorced from my high school sweetheart a few years ago... Yet, I continue on. The League has suffered a major setback but we'll bounce back."

Silence fills the studio, but only because those present could not help but admire the candidness of Buddy Baker in his declaration. Listeners couldn't see it but the host would be beaming with a smile, knowing that hope will continue in the next era of the Justice League.

Justice League - The Unlimited Protocol

Omega asked me to link the Discord server so here it is