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Welcome to Ravenholm (Deviant: The Renegades)

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Character Creation 01
  • Threadmarks
    • Spector29

    Spector29

    It Only Gets Worse From Here
    AN: Apologies to everyone who first read the title and thought this was going to be a Half-Life crossover.
    --
    There's a certain kind of person where, if you give them a million dollars, they would accept it happily and promptly begin spending it without asking any further questions. Some would be similar, but sense something amiss and try to save that money for an inevitably rainy day. Others, like me, wouldn't take the money at all. That sort of thing is too good to be true; I would spend my nights wondering what the catch was, what I would have to give up (unknowingly or not) in order to 'earn' it. It's a shame my parents didn't have the same philosophy as me.

    Welcome to Ravenholm, you must be new here.

    My name is Ishmael, no relation to the sailor. You're here at the "prestigious" Ravenholm Academy because you're broken. No, don't look at me like that, it's what we call ourselves – The Broken. Something happened to you; something ripped you open, bled out your soul, and replaced it with a little something-something superhuman. Now, it's not my business to know exactly what flavor of fucked you are – nor is it anyone else's, even if they ask nicely - but it's important that you know. Let me run though the basics and you see what feels familiar...

    [x] Cephalist – The Psychics found that what they lost in soul integrity, they gained in mental power. They read minds and throw shit with the best of them, which might be why they carved a place for themselves at the top of our little social ladder.

    [x] Chimeric – The Hybrids found that, instead of gaining anything intangible like lighting or mind control, they were instead fused with animal parts giving them powers. Some of them shapeshift, others just punch like a gorilla.

    [x] Coactive – The Infused found themselves alloyed with something too, but theirs was a bit more on the energetic side. Maybe you became part lightning elemental, maybe you got fused with the concept of Fate like me, but you've got some spooky shit running in your veins.

    [x] Invasive – The Cyborgs, honestly, have the easiest time explaining what they are. It's in the name; they've got magic robot parts. They're decent people, with a range of abilities, but they keep to themselves at the Academy and nobody is in a hurry to make friends.

    [x] Mutants – Ah, uh, speaking of not in a hurry to make friends. Look, not all Grotesques live up to their namesake, and they got venom and super powerful internal stuff, but they…aren't exactly well liked. I'm sure you'd do fine, though.

    Of course, you didn't come to our little isolated island institution on accident, did you? I am curious, and I promise I won't judge you for your answer, but what brought you to this sad sorry place?

    [x] Born – Ah, you were born this way, were you? That's not as common as you might expect, but you'll find people on the bottom and top of the Broken social strata having inherited their bust soul from their parents and expressed it sometime later in life. Of course, that doesn't mean you like Mom and/or Dad, but people will treat you like a noble regardless, so be prepared for that. If it helps, I'm one of them, so you know we're not all bad.

    [x] Volunteer – You know, you would be entirely justified in feeling duped. Maybe they told you they were giving you superpowers, maybe they said it was an experimental treatment, but the common theme I hear is that whoever did this to you didn't give you all the details. Most people will nod sympathetically, but people who had no control over developing their condition (read: everyone else) might not take you brooding on your change super well.

    [x] Unwilling – Now these guys brood like it's an Olympic sport. Not that I blame them, of course, but you can identify these pour souls on sight. A handful of them lock themselves away and listen to Linkin Park (or your regional emo band-equilvent) until eventually sneaking out and attempting to drown themselves, but the Academy always catches them. Then they join the rest of the Unwilling, a chorus of angry people wanting to burn down anything and anyone that hurt them. They're motivated, I'll give them that.

    [x] Accidental - /These/ are the people I have the most pity for. Unwilling, at the very least, were changed by their Progenitor on purpose. If you drank the wrong water or breathed the wrong swamp gas to get here, let me extend my deepest sympathies. Anyone you talk to, except maybe the Grotesques, would feel a similar way. Perhaps sometimes ignorance is bliss, though.

    Like I said, your exact details are nunmah – nunmah business – but I figure it's important for you to know something about yourself. Plus, I have a feeling we're going to be seeing a bit more of each other, so us getting familiar can only help, right? Right, great, let's wrap up the Orientation speech.

    So, Ravenholm; It's a prison pretending to be a specialist education institution. Located on an island in the middle of the ocean, we have sunny beaches, a wonderfully diverse park, and the finest in modern weaponry and internal defense keeping us here "for our own protection". No one except the most deluded of Freshman Born is under the impression we're anything but captives, but Ravenholm goes through a lot of trouble keeping up the charade for those of us still in denial. You'll be up for class at eight, get dismissed for lunch at one, be out for free time at five. Repeat Monday through Friday, and you might be able to convince yourself that it's not so bad here. Many do.

    Of course, Ravenholm wouldn't be running this little fake-school for their victims if they didn't think they could get something out of them. Most of the time you're on eight-to-five indoctrination, but occasionally they take you out on a "field trip". Someone (rich, I assume) asks the school for help, or for backup on a little "mission", and the school provides some of their best and brightest as assistance. You'll get taken off the island, meet a handler, and given a task to do that ideally fits within the scope of your supernatural abilities. Succeed and the school enriches you for your "outstanding service and cooperation", fail and be subject to a wide array of possible punishments. More than one of us seniors has never come back at all. The goal is to survive to Graduation; they sometimes come back as Staff to keep us corralled and display the benefits of compliance, but I'm willing to bet more get sent off on missions that last a long time; a long time that we could use to escape. Of course, Ravenholm doesn't like to make these little excursions public knowledge, so you're only going to get rumors about this kind of thing, and only if you ask. If you stick your head in the sand, and many students do, Ravenholm is more or less a normal 'superhero' school with a focus on secrecy. The rest of us see Ravenholm for what it is; a prison designed to refine us into obedient weapons.

    But I'm rambling too much, and talking about this kind of this for too long attracts eyes and Student Council members. Try not to piss anyone too important off, and I'm sure you'll have your cap and gown before you could say "unlawful detainment".

    Welcome to Ravenholm. You'll be out of here in no time.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Credit goes to Gromweld, of Alchemical Solutions fame. I ripped this off wholesale and adapted what I needed, since we're both using Onyx Path properties. Gromweld credits the following, so I follow suit:

    Credit to @Sojiko for the Conquest Quest character sheet format.

    Jasper, our Hero

    NAME: Jasper Rowan
    ALIASES: None
    CLADE: Coactive / Infused
    ORIGIN: Pathological / Accident
    AFFILIATION: Devoted
    ASPIRATION: Figure out what the Hell is Going On
    ACCLIMATION: ○○○○○


    ATTRIBUTES:
    - Mental:
    Intelligence ●●○○○
    Wits ●●●●○
    Resolve ●●○○○
    - Physical:
    Strength ●●○○○
    Dexterity ●●○○○
    Stamina ●●○○○
    - Social:
    Presence ●●○○○
    Manipulation ●●○○○
    Composure ●●●○○


    SKILLS:
    - Mental:
    Academics ●●●○○
    Computer ●○○○○
    Crafts ●○○○○
    Investigation ●○○○○
    Medicine ○○○○○
    Occult ●●●○○
    Politics ●○○○○
    Science ●○○○○
    - Physical:
    Athletics ●●○○○
    Brawl ●○○○○
    Drive ○○○○○
    Firearms ○○○○○
    Larceny ●○○○○
    Stealth ●○○○○
    Survival ○○○○○
    Weaponry ○○○○○
    - Social:
    Animal Ken ○○○○○
    Empathy ●●○○○
    Expression ●○○○○
    Intimidation ○○○○○
    Persuasion ●○○○○
    Socialize ●●○○○
    Streetwise ●○○○○
    Subterfuge ●○○○○


    CURRENT PURCHASABLE ABILITIES/SPECIALTIES:


    ADAPTATIONS:
    • Consume: The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long. Coactive characters can increase their output at personal risk. Once per chapter, a Coactive character can increase the Magnitude of one of his Variations by one for the remainder of the scene. He can push this Variation further by accepting one point of lethal damage per additional Magnitude. Any damage caused by this Adaptation cannot be healed more quickly through Variations or other supernatural means.
    • Living Conduit: The Coactive may spend a point of Willpower to use a once-per-scene or once-per-chapter Variation or Adaptation that he has already used during the current scene/chapter. This is an exception to the normal limit of spending one point of Willpower per turn.
    • Stubborn Resolve: Forcing any Deviant to act contrary to a Touchstone, even by supernatural means, is difficult. Once per chapter, if the character is acting in support of a Touchstone (pursuing a Conviction one or helping a Loyalty) and is trying to avoid being persuaded or mind-controlled away from acting on that Touchstone, she may increase any Resistance Attribute by the Loyalty or Conviction rating for purposes of not being persuaded or controlled for the rest of that scene.
    VARIATIONS:

    Otherworldly Connection (Ghosts) (Magnitude ••) [90% Mastered]
    Otherworldly Connection(• to •••••)
    Subtle
    Perpetual, Tiered
    The Deviant has a connection to an alien world. Establish an origin at the time the Remade develops this Variation. [Ghosts]

    At Magnitude •, the Remade can perceive entities, places, things, and forces connected to the chosen origin. Although this does not come with any specialized knowledge of these phenomena, it serves as an important first step in studying (or avoiding) them.

    At Magnitude ••, the Deviant can also communicate with beings who share this origin. In addition, these creatures recognize her inherent connection to their kind, granting her an effective Status among them equal to half Scar Power (rounded up).

    At Magnitude •••, the Remade and her immediate possessions can touch or strike these phenomena, even if they are normally insubstantial to the material world. The Broken is still
    tangible to those in his native world, and he is as vulnerable to the alien entities as they are to him.

    At Magnitude ••••, ???

    At Magnitude •••••, ???
    -X- Conspicuous Appearance (Magnitude •) -X-
    Keywords: Social; Overt

    The transformed stands out in a crowd. He leaves a clear trail of gossip and reports for conspiracies to follow, and flying under the radar is difficult. His monstrous or eerily inhuman appearance may frighten or revolt others. Any Overt Variation or Scar is noticeable; this Scar is for characters whose permanent appearances are particularly grotesque or attention-grabbing. Conspiracy rolls for surveillance against the Deviant enjoy a bonus equal to half the Magnitude of Conspicuous Appearance (rounded up).

    At Magnitude •, the character's features are uncommon, but forgettable. He may have heterochromatic eyes, a sixth finger on each hand, or an unsettling grace; part of his body may appear alien, gross, or terrifying. These features are easily concealable and have no mechanical effects at this level.

    At Magnitude ••, as Magnitude •, but the character's features are notably strange and incite people to talk about him, and they're harder to conceal. He may have an odd skin color, like blue or green, or his eyes might glow. The oddity might be too extensive or bulky to hide, or his mannerisms or entire appearance might fall into the uncanny valley. In any scene in which the character could attract unwanted attention, the player must roll Wits + Subterfuge, contested by any observer's Wits + Composure, to conceal his appearance from them. His Social rolls against any Baseline character who notices his appearance lose the 10-again quality; in social encounters, worsen their impression of him by one level.

    At Magnitude •••, ???

    At Magnitude ••••, ???

    At Magnitude •••••, ???

    Telekinesis (Magnitude ••) [20% Mastered]
    Overt
    Directed, Tiered, Toggled

    The Deviant can exert raw telekinetic force to lift, throw, or strike without the need for physical action.

    The Broken can affect targets in range with a Size (Size 5 being a human, Size 0 being a TV remote) no greater than the Variation's Magnitude times Scar Power ( Current Size Limit: 4). Targeting an unattended object succeeds automatically. Attempting to grab a living target initiates a grapple, using a Scar Finesse roll instead of Strength + Brawl, and so must contend with Defense, not a Resistance Attribute.

    At Magnitude •, the Deviant arrests the target's motion until she releases it as a reflexive action, until it is torn free (or escapes the grapple), or until the scene ends. The telekinetic grapple is only capable of the hold, restrain, and drop prone maneuvers, although it is immune to all maneuvers other than attempting to break free.

    At Magnitude ••, the Deviant can push, drag, lift, or operate the target at a Speed (multiply by 2.3 for MPH) no greater than Magnitude times Scar Power. When calling upon the Magnitude • effect, the Remade's telekinetic grapple is also capable of the Control Weapon, Damage, and Disarm maneuvers. She can instead manipulate an object as though her telekinesis were extensions of her hands, using Scar Power as its Strength and Scar Finesse as its Dexterity.

    At Magnitude •••, choose one:
    • Throw: The Deviant can throw the target with enough force to damage it and/or anyone unfortunate enough to be in its path. If throwing an object at an opponent in range, this is a Scar Finesse roll, penalized by one-fifth the object's Size (rounded up) and resisted by the target's Defense. If successful, it inflicts lethal damage equal to half the object's Size (rounded up). If throwing an opponent, it requires a successful Scar Finesse roll and is treated as a fall from a height no greater than Magnitude times Scar Power in yards/meters, and this can be mitigated normally.

    • Deflect: As a reflexive action, the Remade may turn aside attacks — be they fists, knives, or bullets. Whenever the Remade (or another character within range) is targeted by an attack with some physical component (not purely supernatural assaults, Environmental Tilts, or explosions), she may call upon this effect before the attack roll. Her successes on a Scar Finesse roll subtract from the attacker's successes on the attack. Each use of this effect imposes a -1 penalty on the Scar Finesse rolls of later deflection attempts during the same turn.

    At Magnitude ••••, ???

    At Magnitude •••••, ???
    -X- Concentration (Magnitude ••) -X-
    Controlled
    Keywords: Mental; Subtle; Repeatable

    The Variation demands constant, intense concentration to maintain, and any distraction can cause it to fail or to get out of control — or make it impossible to activate in the first place.

    At Magnitude •, a particularly strong and unexpected surprise or other distraction causes the entangled Variation to shut down (or prevents him from activating it) in a way that creates a complication for Jasper.

    At Magnitude ••, whenever the Remade suffers lethal (or aggravated) damage not caused by a Scar or Adaptation, whenever he Falters, or whenever he suffers the Stunned Tilt or the Distracted Condition, the entangled Variation deactivates unless his player succeeds on a Scar Resistance roll. He may activate the Variation again on a future turn.

    At Magnitude •••, as Magnitude ••, and choose one:
    • Tenuous: Whenever an attack or hostile power successfully targets the Remade and either deals damage or imposes a deleterious Tilt, Condition, or other unwelcome effect, the entangled Variation deactivates unless his player succeeds on a Scar Resistance roll.

    • Unfocused: The Broken cannot attempt to activate an entangled Variation if under the influence of a distracting Tilt or Condition (such as Deprived, Distracted, Frightened, Intoxicated, Insane, Insensate, or Stunned) except by first succeeding at a Scar Resistance roll, which is allowed once per minute (once per turn, in action scenes).

    At Magnitude ••••, ???

    Deviations
    • After-Effect (+1 Magnitude): This is only available if all entangled Variations are Directed. Choose a negative temporary Condition. If the character concentrates on directing the Variation for consecutive turns greater than her Scar Resistance, she suffers that Condition when the entangled Variation deactivates.
    • Self-Doubt (+1 Magnitude): If an entangled Variation deactivates because something broke the Deviant's concentration, she may not attempt to activate it again until the end of the scene.
    • Single-Minded (+1 Magnitude): This is only available if all entangled Variations are Directed. If the Broken does not direct the Variation's effect at least once per minute (once per turn, in action scenes), it deactivates unless she succeeds on a Scar Resistance roll.

    Darkness (Gentle Athletics Lash; Blinding, Insidious [Composure]) (Magnitude ••) [10% Mastered]
    Overt
    Discrete, Toggled

    This Variation allows the Remade to attack enemies with an arsenal other than a Baseline's punches and kicks. The manifestations of this Variation are as varied as the Broken themselves. Some lash out with telekinetic force, others with a hail of glass shards or a blast of necrotic shadow, and still others have wicked claws, fangs, or horns. This Variation may be purchased any number of times to represent different means of attack.

    • Lashes have a descriptor chosen at the time of purchase — Bruising (deal bashing damage), Cutting (deal lethal damage), or Gentle (deal no damage).

    • Choose a combat Skill when purchasing this Variation — Athletics, Brawl, Firearms, or Weaponry. This determines the dice pool used to resolve attacks with the Lash (Dexterity + Athletics/Firearms - target's Defense, or Strength + Brawl/Weaponry - target's Defense) and whether the attacks are ranged (Athletics/Firearms) or melee (Brawl/Weaponry). Each attack with a Lash requires an instant action.

    • A ranged Lash has a range of 30/60/120 yards/meters. Although not Directed, Scars and Deviations that cannot entangle Directed Variations cannot entangle a ranged Lash, and ones that may only entangle Directed Variations can entangle a ranged Lash.

    • In order to apply their Tilts, Cutting Lashes must inflict at least one point of lethal damage after armor, and Bruising Lashes must inflict at least one point of damage in excess of the target's general armor rating (before applying armor). Gentle Lashes apply their Tilts on any successful attack, regardless of the target's armor.

    At Magnitude •, the Lash has a damage rating of 0 and deals damage as part of an attack. In addition, choose one of the following effects at the time of purchase:

    • Blasting (Ranged Lash Only): The Lash behaves as a short burst.
    • Caustic: The Lash splashes the target with a caustic chemical with an intensity of +0 and coverage of 1 (2 on an exceptional success).
    • Channel: Choose one of the Remade's Directed Variations. On a successful attack with Lash, the Deviant may reflexively activate that Variation as though she had touched the target.
    Variations that can affect multiple targets only affect the target of Lash, however. The Lash gains the Exclusive keyword.
    • Conjured: The dice pool for attacks made with the Lash is instead Scar Finesse + Acclimation - the target's Defense.
    • Deadly: The Lash has a damage rating no greater than the lower of Scar Power or Magnitude and has an equal Initiative penalty.
    • Deafening: The Lash inflicts the Deafened Tilt in both ears.
    • Disabling: When attacking a specified target with the Lash, reduce the penalty by one, and increase the damage by Scar Power for the purpose of applying Tilts. A Gentle Lash also adds successes on the attack roll to this effective damage.
    • Envenomed: The Lash causes the Poisoned Tilt.
    • Forceful: The Lash inflicts the Knocked Down Tilt.
    • Grappling (Melee Lash Only): On a successful attack, the Deviant may also initiate a grapple against the target as a reflexive action.
    • Immolating: The Lash causes the target to catch fire as though exposed to a flame with a size of 1 and a heat of +0 (size 2, on an exceptional success).
    • Insidious: The Lash ignores Defense. However, attacks with it are instead resisted by a Resistance Attribute chosen at the time the Lash is created.
    • Obscuring: The Lash inflicts the Blinded Tilt (in both eyes, on an exceptional success).
    • Piercing: The Lash has the Armor Piercing quality equal to the lower of Scar Power or Magnitude.
    • Reach (Ranged Lash Only): The Lash instead has a range of 100/200/400 yards/meters.
    • Sickening: The Lash inflicts the Sick Tilt.
    • Soporific: The Lash inflicts the Drugged Tilt.
    • Touch (Melee Lash Only): The Lash is delivered via touch attacks, rolling Dexterity + Brawl/Weaponry - the target's Defense.
    • Versatile: Your Lash becomes Tiered, allowing you to call upon fewer of the effects and Deviations you chose. A Lash with Sickening and Soporific, for example, may inflict the Sick Tilt, the Drugged Tilt, both, or neither, as you decide before making an attack with it.

    At Magnitude ••, as Magnitude •, but choose three effects, instead.

    At Magnitude •••, as Magnitude ••, but choose five effects, instead.

    At Magnitude ••••, as Magnitude •••, but choose ??? effects, instead.

    At Magnitude •••••, as Magnitude •••••, but choose ??? effects, instead.

    Deviations

    None of the following Deviations has one of the similar effects above as its prerequisites. Corrosive does not require Caustic, and only the more powerful effect applies. Additionally, Deviations that increase the damage rating do not stack (only the best one applies).

    • Blinding (+1 Magnitude): The Lash inflicts the Blinded Tilt in both eyes.
    • Circle Strike (Melee Lash Only; +2 Magnitude): The Lash attacks every viable target within one yard/meter of the Deviant — friend or foe. Resolve each attack separately.
    • Corrosive (+1 Magnitude): As Caustic, but the chemical's intensity bonus is instead equal to half Scar Power (rounded up).
    • Debilitating (+1 Magnitude): As Disabling. Additionally, if the Broken does not specify a target, it still hits one chosen at random based on the face value of a single die, potentially imposing a Tilt: Arm (1-3), Leg (4-6), Head (7-8), or Heart (9-10).
    • Devastating (+1 Magnitude): As Deadly, but use the higher of Scar Power or Magnitude.
    • Explosive (Ranged Lash Only; +2 Magnitude): The Lash instead generates an explosive with a range of 10/20/30. It has a blast area is equal to Scar Power + Magnitude and a Force equal to the lower of Scar Power or Magnitude. Its damage rating is unchanged, but extra successes on the attack roll do not increase damage.
    • Gunshot (Ranged Lash Only; +1 Magnitude): The Lash ignores Defense as though it were a firearm attack.
    • Horrendous (Cutting Lash Only; +1 Magnitude): The Lash instead deals aggravated damage.
    • Immobilizing (+2 Magnitude): The Lash imposes the Immobilized Tilt on the target. Escape attempts treat this as a restraining item with a Durability equal to half Scar Power (rounded up). This restraint further imposes a -2 penalty on the escape attempt (-4 if the Deviant achieved an exceptional success on the attack).
    • Incinerating (+1 Magnitude): As Immolating, but the fire's heat bonus is instead equal to half Scar Power (rounded up).
    • Line-of-Sight (Ranged Lash Only; +1 Magnitude): The Lash can strike any target not completely hidden by cover, regardless of the distance.
    • Penetrating (+1 Magnitude): Armor affords no protection from the Lash's damage.
    • Scrambling (+1 Magnitude): The Lash inflicts the Insensate Tilt.
    • Stunning (+1 Magnitude): The Lash inflicts the Stunned Tilt.
    • Terminal (+1 Magnitude): The Lash inflicts the grave Sick Tilt.
    • Toxic (+1 Magnitude): The Lash inflicts the grave Poisoned Tilt.
    -X- Amnesia (Magnitude ••) -X-
    Persistent
    Keywords: Mental; Subtle

    Important events in the Remade's history fade from his memory. Perhaps his Divergence wiped them from his mind, or his abilities take over so much of his consciousness that they push relationships and identity out. Inevitably, the missing moments come back to haunt him now when he least expects it.

    At Magnitude •, scattered bits of Jasper's past slip from his mind. He suffers the Persistent Amnesia Condition.

    At Magnitude ••, as Magnitude •, and Jasper can't remember one key event from his pre-Divergence life at all. Rolls to remember details of events or facts he learned before his Divergence suffer a −2.

    At Magnitude •••, as Magnitude ••, but Jasper forgets several key events instead, and the penalty increases to −4.

    At Magnitude ••••, ???

    At Magnitude •••••, ???

    Translocation (Magnitude •) [90% Mastered]
    Overt
    Tiered, Toggled

    The Deviant can travel between two points without passing through the intervening space in the material world.

    While this Variation is active, the Deviant may teleport once on each of her turns as a reflexive action. Although this is not a Directed Variation, each translocation requires a successful Scar Finesse roll that suffers penalties for medium/long range and concealment. A dramatic failure on this roll either results in a medium Instability (instead of the usual minor Instability), as the Remade finds an object in her way and must abort the translocation attempt, or it means the Broken arrives at an unintended destination within range, chosen by the Storyteller.

    At Magnitude •, the range of teleportation is 10/20/40 yards/meters and cannot penetrate non-transparent cover.

    At Magnitude ••, choose one:
    • Blind: The Remade can move to a destination blocked off by non-transparent cover, albeit at a -4 penalty to the Scar Finesse roll. She may either call upon her memories of the destination (if she has been there before) or stipulate a direction and distance.

    • Far-Reaching: The range is instead 30/60/120 yards/meters.

    At Magnitude •••, the Deviant enjoys the benefits of both Magnitude •• effects.

    Deviations
    • Conjuration (+1 Magnitude): As a Directed effect, the Remade can instead teleport a creature or object within range (including one behind non-transparent cover, if the Remade is capable of Blind translocation) to a destination within range. This cannot affect objects with a Size greater than Magnitude + Scar Power and cannot place a target in immediate danger. Translocating an enemy into a cage or ambush is possible, but placing a target over a pit of molten steel or intersecting with another object is not.
    • Defensive (+1 Magnitude): The Remade can activate this Variation and translocate as a reflexive action even when it is not her turn, such as to avoid an attack or explosion after it is announced, but before its damage is determined. Each reflexive translocation attempt after the first in the same turn imposes a -1 penalty on the Scar Finesse roll to target a destination.
    -X- Cooldown (Magnitude •) -X-
    Controlled
    Keywords: Physical, Social, Mental (Choose one); Subtle; Directed, Repeatable

    The Variation overheats, overclocks, or overwhelms the Remade whenever he directs it, requiring a cooldown period before he can safely direct it again.

    At Magnitude •, each additional time Jasper directs the Variation after the first in a scene, he risks overheating it; rarely the power may fizzle out or cause complications for him or his allies the more he uses it.

    At Magnitude ••, whenever the character directs the entangled Variation without waiting one full minute (or turn, in action scenes) after the last time he directed it, each Scar Finesse roll his player makes to direct the entangled Variation suffers a cumulative -1 penalty. This penalty resets to 0 after one minute/turn without Directing the Variation.

    At Magnitude •••, as Magnitude ••, but instead of resetting to 0, the penalty decreases by one each minute/turn the Remade goes without directing the entangled Variation.

    At Magnitude ••••, ???

    At Magnitude •••••, ???

    Shadow Selves (Magnitude •) [5% Mastered]
    Overt
    Tiered, Toggled

    The Deviant shatters into identical shards like images of a broken mirror, only one of them real.

    The Remade creates a number of copies of himself (not counting the original) equal to Scar Power — all of them within one yard/meter. The character's player must decide which is the original at the time the Broken activates the Variation. Copies have the Deviant's Defense and benefit from active Variations that increase maneuverability (such as Flight or Enhanced Speed). However, they vanish the first time they would suffer damage, regardless of the type. Copies likewise disappear if they are more than 30 yards/meters from the original, if the Remade activates this Variation again, or at the end of the scene. If an attack or targeted power meant for the Broken could potentially hit a copy, instead, the Storyteller determines at random which is targeted.

    At Magnitude •, the Deviant has very limited control over the copies and does not see through their eyes. On each of his turns, as a reflexive action, he can direct each copy's movement. If he cannot perceive the copy, he can mentally direct it only to stay where it is, move away from him, or return to him. The copies make excellent decoys, but they cannot take any actions other than to move. Swinging from a rope or opening a door represents the upper limit of their ability to interact with the world. Therefore, if the Remade takes any other action beyond moving, it can spoil the illusion, allowing observers an Intelligence + Wits roll to identify the original.

    At Magnitude ••, the Broken has a greater awareness of the copies' positions and situations. These are usually only vague sensory impressions, but he can, as an instant action, take direct control of a copy, experiencing its senses as his own while his body behaves like a copy. If a copy is destroyed while the Deviant is riding it in this way, he suffers a minor Instability.

    At Magnitude •••, the copies have a degree of self-direction. Each copy counts as a Retainer with a rating equal to half Scar Power (rounded up) whose areas of expertise include those Skills in which the Remade has at least three dots. They possess any mundane weapons, armor, or equipment the Broken is currently carrying.

    Deviations

    • Prism (+1 Magnitude): The Broken may choose for his shadow selves to have an appearance different from his own. This cannot result in a change in Size, but he may create copies that do not share his race, sex, attire, or other qualities. These cannot convincingly mirror another person, being instead a rather generic collection of physical traits. However, the Deviant may choose for any of these alternate selves to be the original.

    • Superposition (+1 Magnitude): The Remade exists in a superposition with all his copies. The character's player may decide which is the original at the beginning of the Deviant's next turn instead of deciding when activating the Variation. In addition, the Broken may, as an instant action, change which one is the original. Paired with Prism, the Remade's current self changes back to his original appearance when the Variation ends.
    -X- Power Failure (Mental) (When Banished With a Holy Symbol) (Magnitude •) -X-
    Controlled
    Keywords: Any; Subtle; Repeatable

    The Variation breaks down under certain circumstances, which the player chooses when he acquires this Scar. These circumstances are uncommon but not unusual — such as "when the Remade suffers lethal damage," "when deafened," or "inside a church."

    Each instance of Power Failure may have a different failure circumstance.

    At Magnitude •, whenever the character is in the presence of his weakness, he may not be able to activate the entangled Variation. If it is already active, it gradually loses Magnitude until it falls below the Variation's minimum Magnitude, at which point it deactivates.

    At Magnitude ••, when the character encounters his weakness while the Variation is active, that Variation loses one Magnitude per minute (or per turn in action scenes) unless the player succeeds on a Scar Resistance roll. Scar Finesse rolls to activate the Variation in the presence of the weakness suffer a penalty equal to (6 - Scar Resistance).

    At Magnitude •••, ???

    At Magnitude ••••, ???

    At Magnitude •••••, ???

    Deviations
    • Rare (-1 Magnitude): The situations that depower the Scar are very specific, such as "when a Loyalty Touchstone is a target" or "when special equipment is employed" or "while the Remade is in contact with a rare substance."
    • Common (+1 Magnitude): As Rare and exclusive with it, the vulnerability is instead commonplace — such as "when the character loses his temper," "when he takes any damage," or "when someone removes his mechanical limb with a successful disarm action."



    MERITS:


    TOUCHSTONES:
    Conviction     ○○○○○
    Loyalty ○○○○○

    WILLPOWER:
    Current:     ●●●●○ ○○○○○
    Max: ●●●●● ○○○○○

    HEALTH:
    [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

    Sleep: Rested
    Cognition: Lightly Frightened
    Conditions: None

    INSTABILITY:
    [X] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

    QUEST MECHANICS


    ATTRIBUTE/ABILITY SCALES
    Traits of 1-5 are 'Mortal' in capability.
    - Trait 0 (○○○○○) - Completely Awful/Unskilled, makes common and easily avoidable mistakes. Using a skill this way suffers the Unskilled Penalty (-1 dice for Physical/Social skills, -3 forMental))
    - Trait 1 (●○○○○) - Novice/Below Average. Knows the most basic of basics.
    - Trait 2 (●●○○○) - Human Average. The gifted amateur or the niche talent resides here.
    - Trait 3 (●●●○○) - Professional. You use this skill in your career or daily life.
    - Trait 4 (●●●●○) - Reputable. You are the master in which others flock to for apprenticeships. Traditions are established under your tutelage and prowess. You are known within your field.
    - Trait 5 (●●●●●) - Peak Human Capacity/Skill. You are known in your field as one of the best there is at what you do. You are known outside of your field as the one of the best.

    INSTABILITY MECHANICS/EXPLANATION:

    Oh boy, this will be fun when we get here.

    SUFFERING INSTABILITY

    Be careful not to die to sanity damage.

    HEALING INSTABILITY

    Who wants free powers?

    EFFECTS OF INSTABILITY

    Ah, you'll probably be fine. Long term.

    GENERAL EXPERIENCE POINT COSTS:
    Available purchases are listed on the Character Sheet after each Update.
    - Attribute: 4 XP
    - Skill: 2 XP
    - Skill Specialty: 1 XP
    - Willpower dot you lost somehow: 1 XP
    - Variation: 4 XP*
    - Acclimation: 4 XP**

    * To buy up a Variation, you have to have a valid Scar to entangle it with.
    ** You can't be suffering from a Medium or Severe Instability when purchasing.

    VARIATIONS

    Variation Basics
    A Controlled Variation only activates when the Deviant wishes to use it but requires a successful Scar Finesse roll. Once activated, it remains active until the end of the scene or until the Remade deactivates it as an instant action.

    Dice Pool: Scar Finesse + Variation Magnitude + Acclimation. If the Variation targets an unwilling character or one who doesn't know they are being targeted, the intended victim makes a contested Resistance + Supernatural Tolerance roll to avoid its effects. The Resistance Attribute often matches that of the Variation's Scar Resistance, but the Deviant may choose another, more appropriate Resistance Attribute when purchasing the Variation. Action: Instant, unless otherwise noted Roll Results Success: The Variation activates. The Broken also suffers the effects of the entangled Scar. Exceptional Success: As a success, but the transformed also heals a minor Instability. Failure: The Variation fails to activate. Dramatic Failure: The Variation fails to activate, and the Remade suffers a minor Instability.
    An Involuntary Variation can be activated with a Scar Finesse roll, but certain stimuli, based on the Scar, cause it to activate reflexively without the Deviant's permission or to behave without his direction.

    A Persistent Variation is available at any time and does not require a roll to activate. Some Persistent Variations (Perpetual) are permanently active and are only suppressed if an Adaptation or another Variation temporarily removes its entangled Scar. Others (Toggled) are only active when the Broken chooses to activate them as an Instant action and remain active until the end of the scene or until the Deviant deactivates them as an instant action.

    Directed Variations
    Directed Variations (or specific effects of certain Tiered Variations), follow special rules. Unless otherwise specified by a Variation's description, a Directed Variation works as follows:

    • Once activated, the Variation remains active until the end of the scene. While it is active, the Deviant may direct the power of the Variation each turn as an instant action.

    • Directing the Variation targets a character or object other than the Deviant herself. The initial target may be chosen as part of a Controlled Variation's activation roll. If the Variation is Persistent and Perpetual, it always requires an instant action to choose a target. If the Variation is Involuntary (or Persistent and Toggled), and the Deviant used an instant action to activate it, the target may be chosen as part of that action; if the power triggered as a result of events outside the Deviant's control, it requires an instant action to choose a target.

    • The Remade may choose one new target each turn, as an instant action, which always requires a successful Scar Finesse roll. The maximum number of targets the Broken may have under the influence of a Directed Variation at a time cannot exceed Scar Power. If he would exceed this target limit, the Variation's effects end on enough previous targets to bring him back within this limit.

    • A Directed Variation has a range of 10/20/40 yards/meters. The Deviant suffers a penalty on the Scar Finesse roll if the target is at medium or long range or is obscured by concealment. Directed Variations cannot ordinarily penetrate cover.

    • Unless targeting a willing target (one who is aware of the incoming Variation and wishes to be a target of it), the victim may make a reflexive Scar Resistance + Supernatural Tolerance roll to contest the Variation's effects.

    Variation Keywords
    Variations possess specific keywords that come with associated effects or limitations. Every Variation always has one of the Overt or Subtle keywords.

    • Directed: The Variation targets a character or object other than the Deviant herself.
    • Discrete: The Variation only grants the specific abilities of its current Magnitude rating, and does not grant lower-Magnitude benefits. It can often be bought multiple times at different ratings to access those further capabilities.
    • Overt: The use of the Variation is particularly blatant or obvious. The use of this power increases the likelihood of a conspiracy noting the Deviant's activity.
    • Perpetual: If the Variation is Persistent, it is always active. If Overt, it attracts conspiracy attention even if the Remade didn't derive a benefit from it during the chapter. In addition, a Persistent Variation with this keyword grants the Deviant a +5 bonus on any Clash of Wills roll involving it.
    • Reflexive: The Variation can be activated with a Reflexive action rather than an Instant action.
    • Subtle: The use of the Variation is easy to conceal. The use of this power does not increase the likelihood of a conspiracy noting the Deviant's activity.
    • Tiered: The Variation grants the Deviant all its listed benefits up to the Variation's current Magnitude rating. In some cases, activating the Variation grants all of these abilities at once. In others, each effect requires a separate activation.
    • Toggled: If the Variation is Persistent, it is only active when the character chooses to activate it, which requires an instant action (unless it is also Reflexive). Once activated, it remains active until the end of the scene.

    Variation Training

    Jasper has a percentage of Mastery next to all of his permanent Variations, symbolizing how knowledgeable and familiar he is with the power in question.

    0-24%: Jasper knows he has it, but doesn't know much about it and will not use it in an update unless it's specifically voted to be used in some specific way. Not knowledgeable of the Scar it's attached to.
    25-49%: Aware of the mechanics of the Variation and the Scar, but still won't use it without some general direction in an update.
    50-74%: Confidant enough to use the power without specifically being directed to do so, but doesn't know the specifics of how/why it works and will not come up with creative ideas with it unassisted by voters.
    100%: Knows everything about the Variation, including every level if it has multiple and any modifiers he might be able to use to the power if any. Highly flexible when using it to solve problems, although truly inspired solutions will only come from players.

    When there is downtime, Jasper may elect to train one of more of his powers. To do so, he will make a Scar Finesse roll using the dice pool for the power (even if it doesn't normally require one, like for a Persistent Variation).
    Dice Pool: Scar Finesse + Variation Magnitude + Acclimation. Action: Instant, unless otherwise noted Roll Results Success: The training was a success! Gain 15% Mastery. Exceptional Success: As a success, but Jasper also heals a minor Instability. Failure: The training didn't go well, but Jasper still learned things. Gain 10% Mastery. Dramatic Failure: As above, and Jasper suffers a minor Instability.

    SCARS

    Ishmael said:
    Scars determine how the power entangled with them activates, and they come in three types; Controlled, Involuntary, and Persistent. Controlled Scars only activate when we want them to (but sometimes fail when we need them), Involuntary Scars sometimes activate on their own (which We can theoretically suppress), and Persistent Scars either activate their powers at will, or keep them always on...Physical Scars will mean our power runs off of our Physical attributes, Mental and Social Scars do the same for Mental and Social attributes. (Which means the Scar Power attributes are Strength, Intelligence, and Presence. Scar Finesse is Dexterity, Wits, and Manipulation. Scar Resistance is Stamina, Resolve, and Composure.)

    If you all want to upgrade the power of a Variation, you're going to have to find a way to increase the magnitude of the Scar you chose to entangle it with. I'm sure it won't be hard. The only hard and fast rule is that a Scar and Variation combo can't go above three magnitude at this time.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...



    Some Scars have effects that are mitigated either by the Remade's Scar Resistance or by a Scar Resistance roll:
    Dice Pool: Scar Resistance + Acclimation - Instability Penalty. Action: Reflexive, unless otherwise noted Roll Results Success: The Broken mitigates or neutralizes the Scar's effects. Exceptional Success: As a success, but the transformed also heals a minor Instability. Failure: The Scar manifests at its full effect. Dramatic Failure: The Scar manifests at its full effect, and the Remade suffers a minor Instability.

    RELATIONS

    Shades of Red are Bad, and Shades of Green are Good.
    There are some Outliers, too.

    Ishmael Rodgers - Who?
    ??? - Seems familiar, but you can't quite place it.

    Daniel Starr - [Psychic / Born] An annoying floor-mate. Less annoying after you tutored each other, but he rubs you the wrong way still.

     
    Last edited:
    Misc Post

    Please enjoy the Quest! I hope to get out of Character Creation this time; my biggest problem is that I'm in five roleplaying games per week, and with my last year of college that doesn't leave me with a surplus of free time. However, there's an opening on my Mondays, and my professors usually aren't keen to have assignments due then, so I'm betting that if I run this quest like one of my weekly games, the structure will make writing easier.

    Who knows. I only ask you bear with me for a while longer, and enjoy the ride.
     
    [x] Mutants – Ah, uh, speaking of not in a hurry to make friends. Look, not all Grotesques live up to their namesake, and they got venom and super powerful internal stuff, but they…aren't exactly well liked. I'm sure you'd do fine, though.
    [x]Born – Ah, you were born this way, were you? That's not as common as you might expect, but you'll find people on the bottom and top of the Broken social strata having inherited their bust soul from their parents and expressed it sometime later in life. Of course, that doesn't mean you like Mom and/or Dad, but people will treat you like a noble regardless, so be prepared for that. If it helps, I'm one of them, so you know we're not all bad.
     
    [x] Chimeric – The Hybrids found that, instead of gaining anything intangible like lighting or mind control, they were fused with animal parts giving them powers instead. Some of them shapeshift, others just punch like a gorilla.

    MANTIS SHRIMP!!!


    [x] Accidental - /These/ are the people I have the most pity for. Unwilling, at the very least, were changed by their Progenitor on purpose. If you drank the wrong water or breathed the wrong swamp gas to get here, let me extend my deepest sympathies. Anyone you talk to, except maybe the Grotesques, would feel a similar way. Perhaps sometimes ignorance is bliss, though.
     
    [x] Coactive – The Infused found themselves alloyed with something too, but theirs was a bit more on the energetic side. Maybe you became part lightning elemental, maybe you got fused with the concept of Fate like me, but you've got some spooky shit running in your veins.

    [x] Accidental - /These/ are the people I have the most pity for. Unwilling, at the very least, were changed by their Progenitor on purpose. If you drank the wrong water or breathed the wrong swamp gas to get here, let me extend my deepest sympathies. Anyone you talk to, except maybe the Grotesques, would feel a similar way. Perhaps sometimes ignorance is bliss, though.
     
    [x] Coactive – The Infused found themselves alloyed with something too, but theirs was a bit more on the energetic side. Maybe you became part lightning elemental, maybe you got fused with the concept of Fate like me, but you've got some spooky shit running in your veins.

    [x] Accidental - /These/ are the people I have the most pity for. Unwilling, at the very least, were changed by their Progenitor on purpose. If you drank the wrong water or breathed the wrong swamp gas to get here, let me extend my deepest sympathies. Anyone you talk to, except maybe the Grotesques, would feel a similar way. Perhaps sometimes ignorance is bliss, though.
     
    [x] Coactive – The Infused found themselves alloyed with something too, but theirs was a bit more on the energetic side. Maybe you became part lightning elemental, maybe you got fused with the concept of Fate like me, but you've got some spooky shit running in your veins.

    [x] Accidental - /These/ are the people I have the most pity for. Unwilling, at the very least, were changed by their Progenitor on purpose. If you drank the wrong water or breathed the wrong swamp gas to get here, let me extend my deepest sympathies. Anyone you talk to, except maybe the Grotesques, would feel a similar way. Perhaps sometimes ignorance is bliss, though.
     
    [x] Cephalist – The Psychics found that what they lost in soul integrity, they gained in mental power. They read minds and throw shit with the best of them, which might be why they carved a pace for themselves at the top of our little social ladder.

    [x] Unwilling – These guys brood like it's an Olympic sport. Not that I blame them, of course, but you can identify these pour souls on sight. A handful of them lock themselves away and listen to Linkin Park until eventually sneaking out and attempting to drown themselves, but the Academy always catches them. Then they join the rest of the Unwilling, a chorus of angry people wanting to burn down anything and anyone that hurt them. They're motivated, I'll give them that.
     
    The mention of the concept of Fate intrigues me. I wonder what other odd options there are, beside the more obvious elemental kinds. So:

    [x] Coactive – The Infused found themselves alloyed with something too, but theirs was a bit more on the energetic side. Maybe you became part lightning elemental, maybe you got fused with the concept of Fate like me, but you've got some spooky shit running in your veins.

    Volunteer means we likely had an important reason to get these powers, an ambition of some kind to drive us. It's also a different route than the common reluctant one, so:

    [x] Volunteer – You know, you would be entirely justified in feeling duped. Maybe they told you they were giving you superpowers, maybe they said it was an experimental treatment, but the common theme I hear is that whoever did this to you didn't give you all the details. Most people will nod sympathetically, but people might not take you brooding on your change super well.
     
    [x] Coactive – The Infused found themselves alloyed with something too, but theirs was a bit more on the energetic side. Maybe you became part lightning elemental, maybe you got fused with the concept of Fate like me, but you've got some spooky shit running in your veins.

    [x] Born
     
    [x] Coactive – The Infused found themselves alloyed with something too, but theirs was a bit more on the energetic side. Maybe you became part lightning elemental, maybe you got fused with the concept of Fate like me, but you've got some spooky shit running in your veins.

    [x] Accidental - /These/ are the people I have the most pity for. Unwilling, at the very least, were changed by their Progenitor on purpose. If you drank the wrong water or breathed the wrong swamp gas to get here, let me extend my deepest sympathies. Anyone you talk to, except maybe the Grotesques, would feel a similar way. Perhaps sometimes ignorance is bliss, though

    for some reason this make me want the protag to say "My Fate and Luck is a big Klutz" before slipping on nothing

    edit: wonder if tgey could be infused with jinx or badluck?
     
    [x] Coactive – The Infused found themselves alloyed with something too, but theirs was a bit more on the energetic side. Maybe you became part lightning elemental, maybe you got fused with the concept of Fate like me, but you've got some spooky shit running in your veins.

    [x] Accidental - /These/ are the people I have the most pity for. Unwilling, at the very least, were changed by their Progenitor on purpose. If you drank the wrong water or breathed the wrong swamp gas to get here, let me extend my deepest sympathies. Anyone you talk to, except maybe the Grotesques, would feel a similar way. Perhaps sometimes ignorance is bliss, though
     
    [x] Coactive – The Infused found themselves alloyed with something too, but theirs was a bit more on the energetic side. Maybe you became part lightning elemental, maybe you got fused with the concept of Fate like me, but you've got some spooky shit running in your veins.

    [x] Accidental - /These/ are the people I have the most pity for. Unwilling, at the very least, were changed by their Progenitor on purpose. If you drank the wrong water or breathed the wrong swamp gas to get here, let me extend my deepest sympathies. Anyone you talk to, except maybe the Grotesques, would feel a similar way. Perhaps sometimes ignorance is bliss, though
     
    [x] Coactive – The Infused found themselves alloyed with something too, but theirs was a bit more on the energetic side. Maybe you became part lightning elemental, maybe you got fused with the concept of Fate like me, but you've got some spooky shit running in your veins.

    [x] Volunteer – You know, you would be entirely justified in feeling duped. Maybe they told you they were giving you superpowers, maybe they said it was an experimental treatment, but the common theme I hear is that whoever did this to you didn't give you all the details. Most people will nod sympathetically, but people might not take you brooding on your change super well.

    Much more interested in the potential conceptual bullshit than elemental powers admitedly, but I can deal with either. Besides that, the good old X-Men "hope you survive the experience" comes to mind.
     
    I feel like I know how this is gonna go, but might as well start the formalities:

    VOTE LOCKS 12:00 AM CST MONDAY, 2h 19m REMAIN
    Adhoc vote count started by Edgedancer on Oct 5, 2019 at 1:07 PM, finished with 19 posts and 18 votes.
    • [x] Coactive – The Infused found themselves alloyed with something too, but theirs was a bit more on the energetic side. Maybe you became part lightning elemental, maybe you got fused with the concept of Fate like me, but you've got some spooky shit running in your veins.
      [x] Accidental - /These/ are the people I have the most pity for. Unwilling, at the very least, were changed by their Progenitor on purpose. If you drank the wrong water or breathed the wrong swamp gas to get here, let me extend my deepest sympathies. Anyone you talk to, except maybe the Grotesques, would feel a similar way. Perhaps sometimes ignorance is bliss, though.
      [x] Born
      [x] Cephalist
      [x] Cephalist – The Psychics found that what they lost in soul integrity, they gained in mental power. They read minds and throw shit with the best of them, which might be why they carved a pace for themselves at the top of our little social ladder.
      [x] Chimeric – The Hybrids found that, instead of gaining anything intangible like lighting or mind control, they were fused with animal parts giving them powers instead. Some of them shapeshift, others just punch like a gorilla.
      [x] Mutants – Ah, uh, speaking of not in a hurry to make friends. Look, not all Grotesques live up to their namesake, and they got venom and super powerful internal stuff, but they…aren't exactly well liked. I'm sure you'd do fine, though.
      [x] Born – Ah, you were born this way, were you? That's not as common as you might expect, but you'll find people on the bottom and top of the Broken social strata having inherited their bust soul from their parents and expressed it sometime later in life. Of course, that doesn't mean you like Mom and/or Dad, but people will treat you like a noble regardless, so be prepared for that. If it helps, I'm one of them, so you know we're not all bad.
      [x] Volunteer – You know, you would be entirely justified in feeling duped. Maybe they told you they were giving you superpowers, maybe they said it was an experimental treatment, but the common theme I hear is that whoever did this to you didn't give you all the details. Most people will nod sympathetically, but people might not take you brooding on your change super well.
      [x] Unwilling – These guys brood like it's an Olympic sport. Not that I blame them, of course, but you can identify these pour souls on sight. A handful of them lock themselves away and listen to Linkin Park until eventually sneaking out and attempting to drown themselves, but the Academy always catches them. Then they join the rest of the Unwilling, a chorus of angry people wanting to burn down anything and anyone that hurt them. They're motivated, I'll give them that.
      [x] Accidental
      [x] Invasive – The Cyborgs, honestly, have the easiest time explaining what they are. It's in the name, they've got magic robot parts. They're decent people, with a range of abilities, but they keep to themselves at the Academy and nobody is in a hurry to make friends.
      [x] Chimeric
      [x] Coactive
    Click to expand...
     
    Character Creation 02
  • Threadmarks
    • Winning Vote said:
    [] Coactive
    [] Accidental
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    You still can't believe what happened. Your parents couldn't either, but they got over it after some 'scouts' from Ravenholm came to the door. Ultimately, your parents were forced to give you up because…

    [ ] Their love was bought out – Ravenholm offered your parents a half a million dollars each to ensure your 'enrollment' in school. Your father didn't quite believe it, but when two 'scholarship refund' checks appeared in the mail and cleared with the bank, you found your bags packed and put into a nice black bus before you realized what that meant for your future.

    [ ] They didn't have a choice – Mom was getting sicker and sicker, and Dad was nervous like when the collections people won't stop calling. You saw familiar red-text letters from a place called Ravenholm, and you initially brushed it off as another bank claiming your parents were 'delinquent' again. Then, one night you heard your father talking quietly on the phone, and the next morning your family's debts were erased and you were bound for a new 'education'.

    [ ] They weren't around to protect you anymore – You got your powers four months before Dad died in a car accident. Your mother was absolutely heartbroken, but something about the whole thing seemed…off to you. Mom was strong; losing Dad was a blow, but not the kind that would drive your teetotaler mother to the liquor store nightly. Eventually – and quickly, you grimly note – you were an orphan. Since you were still a minor, someone had to take care of you, and Ravenholm was there to step in. How kind and timely of them.

    …but regardless of how you got here, you are one of the Remade now. Remade, Deviant, Broken – all new words interchangeably describing what you've become. Ishmael mentioned that you were Infused, someone blessed with some kind of otherworldly force. You didn't confirm it to him outright, because you still don't quite trust anyone here, but he was essentially right. Some time ago, you found yourself Infused by…

    [ ] A stray bolt of lightning – You're not exactly a long walk on the beach type, but you spend a decent amount of time outdoors. Once, while walking downtown, a storm came in out of absolutely nowhere. One second it was a bright blue sky, next it was raining with a roiling thunderstorm above. Before you could even find cover out of the rain, a crack and flash of light engulfed your vision and blanked your memory of the next two days. When you finally woke up, they told you that you couldn't wear wristwatches anymore because you've got 'lightning in your blood'. They were right, even if you ended up 'over-energized' at times.

    [ ] An actual ghost – One of the first things you did after you started seeing faces in mirrors and things kept falling off your shelves was Google symptoms of Ghost Possession. You found out when one appeared in your room later that, apparently, talking to them is a better source of information. Ghosty McGhostface explained that you absorbed his 'Anchor' after picking up that part-time job in the cemetery, and that was the last thing he needed to pass on. Apparently, this is a good thing, as he forced a bunch of nasty gooey stuff into your chest before disappearing with a fond farewell. You've resolved to tell no one about this until now, as it sounds insane.

    [x] Fate? – You've always been lucky, and Ishmael might have finally given you a reason why. Not the kind of lucky that gets you free cash or gets you dates, just the kind of luck that sometimes makes your awkwardness and general ineptitude work out. No matter how unlikely something is to work out for you, you always manage to spot a break you can take advantage of – even if you have to manufacture it yourself sometimes. It always comes at a price though; every time Fate bails you out it seems like it kicks your ass later for the trouble.

    Hello there, it's me again, Ish. Do you want me to let you all in on a little secret? This is all a game. I've known that for a while now, actually; it was a side-effect of my Divergence. I see the man behind the keyboard plucking away at all the little strings to make the people move and speak. Even now I'm only telling you this because I've got a role to play. I'll be guiding our little hero intermittently when the lost lamb gets in over his head, but don't let that stop you from (rightly) thinking I have my own agenda. I was serious about wanting to break out, after all.

    Anyway, you all have a part to play as well. Our little Deviant has got some important bits missing, he's not much useful to anybody in his current state judging by the second post, there. After this, let's you and me come to an agreement about our hero's specifics, then we can get off to the races. Sound good to you all?

    As a token of good faith, I'll let you all name him, with no little input from the peanut gallery.
    [x] Alex Moirae
    [ ] Write In
     
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    • [X] They weren't around to protect you anymore – You got your powers four months before Dad died in a car accident. Your mother was absolutely heartbroken, but something about the whole thing seemed…off to you. Mom was strong; losing Dad was a blow, but not the kind that would drive your teetotaler mother to the liquor store nightly. Eventually - and quickly, you grimly note – you were an orphan. Since you were still a minor, someone had to take care of you, and Ravenholm was there to step in. How kind and timely of them.
    [X] An actual ghost – One of the first things you did after you started seeing faces in mirrors and things kept falling off your shelves was Google symptoms of Ghost Possession. You found out when one appeared in your room later that, apparently, talking to them is a better source of information. Ghosty McGhostface explained that you absorbed his 'Anchor' after picking up that part-time job in the cemetery, and that was the last thing he needed to pass on. Apparently, this is a good thing, as he forced a bunch of nasty gooey stuff into your chest before disappearing with a fond farewell. You've resolved to tell no one about this until now, as it sounds insane.
     
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