[X] . . . Mona Merola-Morales.
Project Prometheus (Original Setting Superhero Quest)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'll also add that this was intentional. Flight is an extremely rare power in this setting—of all the member of Justice Unlimited, only Radiant Silvergirl (and Moon River, kinda) could fly in any capacity.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Oh dear, the dreaded triple-post.
Vote closed, the newest member of Justice Unlimited is Mona! Shoutout to the one vote for John Henry. Poor Rhys, I should have made you cooler.
I will do a mini-post tonight and open voting on Mona's dose of Ambrosia. I'll also do an information post with more details on how Ambrosia works; the discussion so far have been incredible, but I want to clear up so misconceptions.
Kermie
We’re So Cooked(?)
- Location
- Somewhere On The Planet
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
Rhys got cooked, fried, and seared. Sorry man, you're just not the anime protagonist we need. (Check back in three turns.)
Issue #0.1: Desiderium pt. 2
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] . . . Mona Merola-Morales.
". . . Ms. Merola-Morales," you announce, tapping the open file in front of you.
"Are you quite sure, Lady Leizi?" Chaucer says, looking uneasy, "I understand her potential, but Mona's age . . ."
"Balderdash!" Ibis interrupts, "We are here to usher in a new era of mankind! That can only be done with bold action!"
"Even at the risk of a teenage girl's life, Doctor? Surely, even you can see she is too young."
"And what does that mean? These glasses are decorative! Decorative!" Ibis leans forward, a sneer on his face, "I didn't take you for a coward, Famine Slayer."
"Consideration of others is not cowardice, Doctor. If you understood that, perhaps your podcast would have more than two subscribers."
"Well, you're talking about it, aren't you?!"
"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please, we are all allies here," you interrupt. You do not sigh. You do not. "The fact is, Mona is the best candidate we have right now."
You turn to Chaucer who is still staring down Ibis.
"Joelle, I understand your concerns about her age, but we need the power she can give us." You raise a fist and squeeze it, lighting dancing on your fist. "Even with my strongest strikes, I would struggle against a Behemoth if one were to escape the QZ. And against someone like Scarlet Maturity? I may as well be tickling him."
It's a bitter truth you've learned over the years. You are either one of the deadliest combatants in a fight, or totally ineffective. That you had to touch something to use your electric strikes put you at a great disadvantage against anything you couldn't immediately incapacitate.
"We need power. Especially if the Leviathan tries to awaken again."
That thought echoes through the room. It took nearly every hero in the city to stop the Leviathan the first time. What would happen if it were to happen again now that almost everyone was gone?
Chaucer rubs his face. "Lady Leizi . . . she is a child."
"One who does not have the luxury of growing up in a peaceful world. Besides, I don't believe you're giving Mona enough credit. She will have the chance to say no before taking any Ambrosia. I don't think she will."
"Wait, she can refuse?!"
"Yes, Doctor," you and Chaucer say in unison.
"Tch," Ibis sounds, "Well, she probably won't, right? How could she?"
You choose to ignore that. "Besides, Joelle, you're not thinking about how her age could be an asset for us."
"What do you mean, Lady Leizi?" he asks.
"Mona is nineteen years old. Metahuman powers manifest during adolescence."
"Rarely that late," Ibis says, throwing up his hands, "And even if her powers had manifested naturally now, it takes years for them to reach maturity. With the kind of power she should have, it won't fit the timeline."
"Yes," you agree, "If her powers manifested now. Not if she developed them three years ago when she started as an 'intern' with Justice Unlimited."
The look of realization on Chaucer's face seems almost painful for him. "Yes . . . yes of course. It's perfect."
"What? What's perfect? You two are leaving me out!" Ibis squawks.
"Mona didn't just develop her powers," you say slyly, "She first got them at age sixteen. The same age as her idol, Uiara. Said idol noticed this, took an interest in her, and helped secretly train and develop her powers under the guise of an internship. But, also, just when Mona is finally is ready to debut, tragedy strikes."
"Justice Unlimited is lost. But their legacy lives on in a new, incredibly powerful heroine they trained before their demise," Chaucer sighs, leaning back in his chair, "Now, she is the rightful heir of the most popular heroic organization in Horizon. She will protect the city the way her mentors did, in honor of their memory."
You smirk behind your glasses. "Led by the organization's sole surviving member. It works, Chaucer. We wouldn't even need to be cagey about her identity."
"It's perfect," Chaucer admits, defeated, "God forgive us. It's perfect."
[HIDDEN BONUS: Mona has a plausible backstory that will play well in the backpages! Mona will gain +2 to REPUTATION regardless of the results of administering Ambrosia.]
"So . . . can we move on?" Ibis says, looking between the two of you.
Chaucer closes his eyes. "We'd better, before I come to my senses. Your design document, Dr. Ibis?"
"Wonderful, wonderful! I have it here . . ."
* * *
Chaucer has insisted that I transcribe some sort of "instructions" on how my beautiful Ambrosia functions before I am allowed to experiment further. The joke is on that fool however, I can dictate notes and work at the same time! I say it again: fool!
I have dubbed my superpower-granting serum "Ambrosia" for, like Prometheus stealing fire, I have brought the province of the gods to humankind. Part of the reason Valiant Silver never perfected the formula—aside from being a dullard—is the highly-mutagenic properties of goldnine. In its raw form, the smallest drop causes all organic matter it makes contact with to turn into more of itself. We've known since the time of Ọsanyìn that it can be rendered inert through a costly refining process, but the resulting compound is useless for anything other than giving yourself cancer. Only I, finally given the resources and time I have always deserved, could possibly take the Leviathan's Blood and make it useful—
What? What do you mean that Valiant Silver was the one who figured it out? What, I'm just profiteering off her work? Out! Out of my lab! How dare you?!? No, wait, come back here—!
[At this point, there is approximately two hours of dead air in the recording. It has been omitted for all of our sanity. - Chaucer]
Bah, " stop bullying the support staff"—how dare that jumped up bureaucrat tell me what to do?! No one ever shows the proper respect! I am the Dr. Mammoth Ibis! I went to Standford and—fine! Fine, Chaucer! I will finish the instructions as soon as I am alone! Now get out!
Philistine. Ahem. Where was I? Oh yes, making goldnine useful. The secret was to hijack the substance's self-replicating properties for our own use. My great innovation is to splice DNA samples from metahumans into goldnine and then refine it. It now acts like a retrovirus, re-writing a subject's DNA but with the elusive properties that grant a metahuman their powers. The exact mechanisms of what changes to DNA produce powers remains a black box, however. Answering that question would cost me too much time, and I have so much more to do. But I can reliably produce serums that will turn a non-metahuman into a metahuman.
Unfortunately, the kind of serums of Ambrosia we can produce is limited by the metahuman DNA samples we have on file on the Ladder. I'm certain Justice Unlimited kept more at their base in Horizon, but it's currently beyond our grasp. Additionally, the way the body processes Ambrosia is unique to each individual. Two individuals given the same dose of Ambrosia will receive similar, but not identical, powers. Creating a new King or Valkyrie is no guarantee. On the bright side, this means we can freely mix multiple hero DNA profiles into one dose of Ambrosia to create new power manifestations.
There is some risk of side effects based on the potency of the Ambrosia dose. I've detailed the potency each hero profile will add if included. A candidate cannot take a dose of Ambrosia that exceeds their tolerance level without it resulting in an instant, painful death. There might be worthwhile data from observing such a failure a few dozen times, but I'm told we only have so many interns. Thanks to my genius, we can artificially lower a dose's potency level without affecting the strength of the expressed power, but at the cost of increasing the odds of negative side effects.
I've also included a number of "keywords" that describe the powers we can expect to see manifest. The inclusion of a particular keyword does not guarantee an expression of that trait, but the more of the same keywords, the greater the probability of that power. We could do more with more metahuman profiles, but we only have access to what was kept on Justice Unlimited's base on the Ladder. As far as it appears, those are limited to metahumans who received medical treatment here. We must make acquiring more metahuman DNA a priority! We must!
Also, while Valiant Silver's theories about "ontological resonance" are ridiculous, there are enough concerns about negative effects that we should not use DNA profiles of still-living heroes. Likewise, we should not use a particular formula more than once. Can we use a similar formula? Should be within acceptable risk thresholds. Identical? Maybe once for the data, but even I would need to be cautious.
There! Let's see Valiant Silver create something this unprecedentedly genius! Ha!
. . .Why don't I have an action figure? Wait, the light is still on—is this still recording?
-Notes of Dr. Mammoth Ibis
Given the doctor's tendency to . . . lose focus, I've taken the liberty of cleaning up some of his notes. Mostly by omitting irrelevant information and including relevant background where necessary.
-Chaucer
C-Class Powers
Name: Soldier X, True Name Unknown
Keywords: Fitness, Regeneration
Faction: The Defiance Unit
Potency: 1
Ibis' Notes: I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Justice Unlimited would have samples of The Defiance Unit's DNA on file. They were the first villain organization defeated by Justice Unlimited. Soldier X was a Jane Doe, thought to be from the Democratic Republic of Congo based on her accent. Regardless, she acted as the field commander of The Defiance Unit.
It was a matter of debate whether she had powers at all—a debate now put to bed by Dr. Mammoth Ibis! She possessed peak human physical capabilities—fitness, coordinate, agility, eyesight, etc. It appears her body naturally maintained this state without upkeep, although she did not have a healing factor.
Name: Daggermaw, Christian Soler
Power: Transformation, Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Senses
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 1
Ibis' Notes: Daggermaw was an auxiliary hero of New Dawn. He was one of the better-known dysmorphic metahumans in Horizon—a metahuman whose power has caused some sort of permanent transformation or physical mutation. Many are uncomfortable with dysmorphic metahumans—lesser minds unable to appreciate the beauty of science.
While alive, Daggermaw resembled a bipedal reptile. He was something like a mix between a crocodile and an iguana, I would say. He had enhanced strength, though nothing extraordinary, and stronger senses than the average human. In particular, he could sense vibrations through his skin from great distances away.
Name: Crimson Soprano, Balduína "Bidu" Rios Barroso
Power: Flight, Solar Absorption, Energy Manipulation
Faction: The Defiance Unit
Potency: 2
Ibis' Notes: Another member of the Defiance Unit, this was one of their heavy strikers. Crimson Soprano was the rare metahuman who could fly. That coupled with her devastating energy blasts made her a feared presence on the battlefield. However, her power relied on her absorbing solar radiation—too long without sunlight and her powers waned. It explains why they only ever struck on sunny days, I suppose. Her name referred to her tendency to "announce" each Defiance Unit attack with an operatic serenade—she was a failed opera singer as it were.
Ironically enough, she was contralto.
Name: Steadfast, Lamar Thompson
Power: Invulnerability
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 2
Ibis' Notes: One of the founding members of New Dawn, later turned lackey for Global Justice, I was surprised to see his DNA on file. It only made sense when I learned he was the father of Adamant. I suppose that was something they kept quiet. Steadfast was in every way a baseline human except in one regard: he had the most potent form of invulnerability on record. He simply could not be injured in any way. He could not be stabbed, struck, crushed, or burned; he couldn't even starve or drown. To be honest, if his death wasn't confirmed multiple times over from direct goldnine exposure, I wouldn't believe he was dead.
Name: Adamant, Rakeem Wade
Power: Transformation, Enhanced Strength, Regeneration
Faction: Justice Unlimited
Potency: 3
Ibis' Notes: One of founders of Justice Unlimited and the day-to-day commander. I suppose I owe the man my life. Honestly, I'm surprised at the lack of potency of his power—a testament to a keen mind over a superior might, I suppose.
Justice Unlimited's internal notes describe Adamant as less a person who could turn their body to metal and more of an endless fount of liquid metal wrapped in human skin. Adamant's body, when he transformed, was made of hereto-unknown metal "creatively" called adamantium. It was non-ferrous, had a melting point greater than tungsten, and was extremely durable. When Adamant touched or extruded adamantium it took the property of liquid and hardened at his command. He was able to slowly heal injuries over time by remaining in his metal form and replacing the damaged parts of his body with new metal. Upon transforming back, it would revert to uninjured flesh.
Name: Dragonsteeth, Rebecca Wade
Power: Energy Manipulation, Construct Creation
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 3
Ibis' Notes: Another original member of New Dawn and the other parent of Adamant. I'm beginning to sense nepotism. Dragonsteeth had retired from life as a public hero after the Susurration, but apparently she came to stop the Leviathan's awakening nonetheless. Pity.
Like in the myth of the Argonauts, Dragonsteeth could seed the ground around her with energy, which would slowly grow into solid-light constructs. The constructs were not under her direct command, but were capable of following limited orders. She had a set energy "limit" she could spend at once. She could concentrate it all into one powerful construct, or spread it out around many different ones. While she most commonly made armored soldiers, the shapes her autonomous constructs could take could be as varied as her imagination.
B-Class Powers
Name: Memoria, Marcos Medeiros de Canto
Power: Teleportation, Clairvoyance
Faction: The Defiance Unit
Potency: 4
Ibis' Notes: Memoria's death marked the downfall of The Defiance Unit, so imagine my surprise to learn that he was very much alive until recently. It seems Uiara spared him and Lady Leizi helped him disappear. He was working as a "free agent" until his (real) demise in the QZ.
Memoria had the ability to take pictures of a location that would display what was happening in that location in real-time, like a fixed video feed. He could then freely teleport himself and others to any location of which he had a photograph. His file shows he could only maintain five such photographs at once. An extremely useful utility power, even if he himself was vulnerable to attack.
As an aside, I don't see DNA profiles for Nox Esurientem or Zeno—the heavy-hitters of The Defiance Unit—so I have to assume they either don't exist or are kept in the Apiary on Horizon.
Name: The Outsider, Kwame Davis
Power: Transformation, Energy Manipulation, Invisibility
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 4
Ibis' Notes: I'm honestly not certain how DNA could be acquired for The Outsider. They were an affiliate hero of New Dawn—known more for their social advocacy than any heroics. Their power turned them into a spherical biological nucleus surrounded by an energy "body" they could freely shape and control. This included the ability to turn invisible, change their relative size and mass, and shoot blasts of energy. The Outsider was something of a spook for New Dawn and a frequent collaborator with Lady Leizi. I just . . . where did the sample come from? Their nucleus? How? Why? Why do I only get to know this after they have died?! Think of what I could have done with this knowledge!
Name: Deadman, Richard Michaels
Power: Elemental Manipulation, Regeneration
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 5
Ibis' Notes: Deadman dressed like a noir detective and apparently smoked like one. I'm glad I never met him; he sounds exhausting and I despise smoking! He was a probationary member of New Dawn—probationary because he did not trust their leadership and constantly had them under investigation. It appears he was feeding information to Justice Unlimited. He's noted to have been an excellent detective, his commitment to questionable gimmicks notwithstanding, but that had nothing to do with his power.
Speaking of which, his power didn't activate until his biological functions ceased. Upon "death" his body would self-immolate and then reform itself. During that time, his blood appeared to turn to magma which he could manipulate and control. Likewise, he could summon magma from the ground, even if there was no source of such near him. Like Adamant and Steadfast, his power met its match surrounded by goldnine, and Deadman met his end.
Name: The Red Huntress, Harper English
Power: Transformation, Enhanced Senses, Fitness, Speed, Invisibility, Energy Manipulation, Clairvoyance
Faction: Justice Unlimited
Potency: 6
Ibis' Notes: Well. It seems Justice Unlimited had its own secrets. The Red Huntress always seemed something like a legacy admission to me—she was an ally of Uiara and Valiant Silver before they formed Justice Unlimited. She had a great number of powers, all loosely organized around the concept of "predation", but none were particularly powerful. She had keener sense than the average person, but not that much keener. She could run faster than a non-metahuman, but not as fast as, say, a car. She could turn invisible, but it was an imperfect optical camouflage. She was a true "jack of all trades, master of none."
Or that's how it appeared. The Red Huntress had one more power that was not publicly known—she could place a "mark" on any living creature that was unremovable. The mark would let her know where the marked creature was at all times, and her body and powers would "scale up" to match the threat posed by the marked creature. She would get faster, stronger, her invisibility would improve, and so forth. How a creature's level was quantified is unknown, but the file shows The Red Huntress undergoing some dramatic transformations into a feline creature to combat particularly strong metahumans. In that form, she would gain the ability to extend blades of energy that would grow stronger to injure her prey.
Her power is . . . frightening. The Red Huntress was always the smiling face of Justice Unlimited along with Uiara, so it is disturbing to know her true capability as an assassin.
A-Class Powers
Name: Automne, Ophélie du Arceneaux
Power: Elemental Manipulation, Flight
Faction: The Four Seasons
Potency: 8
Ibis' Notes: Ah. Automne. I actually liked her. She and Radiant Silvergirl. They were . . . dating? Best friends? It was a weird little relationship. But the two of them are some of the only other people with the ability to appreciate the art of my children. They would make sure to take every job that would impact my work, and, even when they opposed me, they showed due respect. They even invited me to participate in their competitive beetle-fighting league! I was disqualified for creating a bipedal stag beetle the size of a housecat, but I appreciated being included.
Automne was too young for how powerful she was. She was an aerokinetic, one of the most powerful in the world. She could create tornadoes, generate hurricane-force winds, move the clouds themselves, and so forth. She was always present at every major crisis on Horizon, often trying to prevent collateral damage. Despite all that, her favorite thing to do was to just fly freely on the winds.
I . . . I actually think I will miss her. Goodness. I need to fix my implant immediately.
Name: Novalight, Yelena Sokolov
Power: Elemental Manipulation, Energy Manipulation, Flight
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 8
Ibis' Notes: Now, this is explosive. Novalight was the leader of New Dawn and a hard woman to say the least. Some would say paranoid, but I always respected refusal to compromise her beliefs. She was the architect behind Wonderland—the detention facility for metahumans too dangerous to allow to go free. She controlled New Dawn's territory in Horizon with an iron fist, but the University District was among the city's safest for it.
Her relationship with Justice Unlimited was strained. Both Justice Unlimited and New Dawn were heroic organizations, but they were bitter rivals. Justice Unlimited started as a junior team under New Dawn, and Novalight never forgave them for going independent. She would have taken them keeping her DNA profile as an act of war.
Novalight was one of the three strongest metahumans in the city. She was photokinetic, radiokinetic, and capable of supersonic flight. Her energy blasts were capable of leveling the city, and nearly did during the Susurration. She would end many a fight simply by appearing and glowing too brightly for anyone to be able to see. With her radiokinesis, she could generate heat intense enough to melt even adamantium. Her weakness, if she truly even had one, was that her power gave her no defensive capabilities. But she ended fights quickly and decisively enough that it didn't matter.
I can think of several reasons why her DNA is here, and none of them are charitable. It's not my concern, but perhaps we should keep this one quiet.
Name: Soldier X, True Name Unknown
Keywords: Fitness, Regeneration
Faction: The Defiance Unit
Potency: 1
Ibis' Notes: I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Justice Unlimited would have samples of The Defiance Unit's DNA on file. They were the first villain organization defeated by Justice Unlimited. Soldier X was a Jane Doe, thought to be from the Democratic Republic of Congo based on her accent. Regardless, she acted as the field commander of The Defiance Unit.
It was a matter of debate whether she had powers at all—a debate now put to bed by Dr. Mammoth Ibis! She possessed peak human physical capabilities—fitness, coordinate, agility, eyesight, etc. It appears her body naturally maintained this state without upkeep, although she did not have a healing factor.
Name: Daggermaw, Christian Soler
Power: Transformation, Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Senses
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 1
Ibis' Notes: Daggermaw was an auxiliary hero of New Dawn. He was one of the better-known dysmorphic metahumans in Horizon—a metahuman whose power has caused some sort of permanent transformation or physical mutation. Many are uncomfortable with dysmorphic metahumans—lesser minds unable to appreciate the beauty of science.
While alive, Daggermaw resembled a bipedal reptile. He was something like a mix between a crocodile and an iguana, I would say. He had enhanced strength, though nothing extraordinary, and stronger senses than the average human. In particular, he could sense vibrations through his skin from great distances away.
Name: Crimson Soprano, Balduína "Bidu" Rios Barroso
Power: Flight, Solar Absorption, Energy Manipulation
Faction: The Defiance Unit
Potency: 2
Ibis' Notes: Another member of the Defiance Unit, this was one of their heavy strikers. Crimson Soprano was the rare metahuman who could fly. That coupled with her devastating energy blasts made her a feared presence on the battlefield. However, her power relied on her absorbing solar radiation—too long without sunlight and her powers waned. It explains why they only ever struck on sunny days, I suppose. Her name referred to her tendency to "announce" each Defiance Unit attack with an operatic serenade—she was a failed opera singer as it were.
Ironically enough, she was contralto.
Name: Steadfast, Lamar Thompson
Power: Invulnerability
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 2
Ibis' Notes: One of the founding members of New Dawn, later turned lackey for Global Justice, I was surprised to see his DNA on file. It only made sense when I learned he was the father of Adamant. I suppose that was something they kept quiet. Steadfast was in every way a baseline human except in one regard: he had the most potent form of invulnerability on record. He simply could not be injured in any way. He could not be stabbed, struck, crushed, or burned; he couldn't even starve or drown. To be honest, if his death wasn't confirmed multiple times over from direct goldnine exposure, I wouldn't believe he was dead.
Name: Adamant, Rakeem Wade
Power: Transformation, Enhanced Strength, Regeneration
Faction: Justice Unlimited
Potency: 3
Ibis' Notes: One of founders of Justice Unlimited and the day-to-day commander. I suppose I owe the man my life. Honestly, I'm surprised at the lack of potency of his power—a testament to a keen mind over a superior might, I suppose.
Justice Unlimited's internal notes describe Adamant as less a person who could turn their body to metal and more of an endless fount of liquid metal wrapped in human skin. Adamant's body, when he transformed, was made of hereto-unknown metal "creatively" called adamantium. It was non-ferrous, had a melting point greater than tungsten, and was extremely durable. When Adamant touched or extruded adamantium it took the property of liquid and hardened at his command. He was able to slowly heal injuries over time by remaining in his metal form and replacing the damaged parts of his body with new metal. Upon transforming back, it would revert to uninjured flesh.
Name: Dragonsteeth, Rebecca Wade
Power: Energy Manipulation, Construct Creation
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 3
Ibis' Notes: Another original member of New Dawn and the other parent of Adamant. I'm beginning to sense nepotism. Dragonsteeth had retired from life as a public hero after the Susurration, but apparently she came to stop the Leviathan's awakening nonetheless. Pity.
Like in the myth of the Argonauts, Dragonsteeth could seed the ground around her with energy, which would slowly grow into solid-light constructs. The constructs were not under her direct command, but were capable of following limited orders. She had a set energy "limit" she could spend at once. She could concentrate it all into one powerful construct, or spread it out around many different ones. While she most commonly made armored soldiers, the shapes her autonomous constructs could take could be as varied as her imagination.
B-Class Powers
Name: Memoria, Marcos Medeiros de Canto
Power: Teleportation, Clairvoyance
Faction: The Defiance Unit
Potency: 4
Ibis' Notes: Memoria's death marked the downfall of The Defiance Unit, so imagine my surprise to learn that he was very much alive until recently. It seems Uiara spared him and Lady Leizi helped him disappear. He was working as a "free agent" until his (real) demise in the QZ.
Memoria had the ability to take pictures of a location that would display what was happening in that location in real-time, like a fixed video feed. He could then freely teleport himself and others to any location of which he had a photograph. His file shows he could only maintain five such photographs at once. An extremely useful utility power, even if he himself was vulnerable to attack.
As an aside, I don't see DNA profiles for Nox Esurientem or Zeno—the heavy-hitters of The Defiance Unit—so I have to assume they either don't exist or are kept in the Apiary on Horizon.
Name: The Outsider, Kwame Davis
Power: Transformation, Energy Manipulation, Invisibility
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 4
Ibis' Notes: I'm honestly not certain how DNA could be acquired for The Outsider. They were an affiliate hero of New Dawn—known more for their social advocacy than any heroics. Their power turned them into a spherical biological nucleus surrounded by an energy "body" they could freely shape and control. This included the ability to turn invisible, change their relative size and mass, and shoot blasts of energy. The Outsider was something of a spook for New Dawn and a frequent collaborator with Lady Leizi. I just . . . where did the sample come from? Their nucleus? How? Why? Why do I only get to know this after they have died?! Think of what I could have done with this knowledge!
Name: Deadman, Richard Michaels
Power: Elemental Manipulation, Regeneration
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 5
Ibis' Notes: Deadman dressed like a noir detective and apparently smoked like one. I'm glad I never met him; he sounds exhausting and I despise smoking! He was a probationary member of New Dawn—probationary because he did not trust their leadership and constantly had them under investigation. It appears he was feeding information to Justice Unlimited. He's noted to have been an excellent detective, his commitment to questionable gimmicks notwithstanding, but that had nothing to do with his power.
Speaking of which, his power didn't activate until his biological functions ceased. Upon "death" his body would self-immolate and then reform itself. During that time, his blood appeared to turn to magma which he could manipulate and control. Likewise, he could summon magma from the ground, even if there was no source of such near him. Like Adamant and Steadfast, his power met its match surrounded by goldnine, and Deadman met his end.
Name: The Red Huntress, Harper English
Power: Transformation, Enhanced Senses, Fitness, Speed, Invisibility, Energy Manipulation, Clairvoyance
Faction: Justice Unlimited
Potency: 6
Ibis' Notes: Well. It seems Justice Unlimited had its own secrets. The Red Huntress always seemed something like a legacy admission to me—she was an ally of Uiara and Valiant Silver before they formed Justice Unlimited. She had a great number of powers, all loosely organized around the concept of "predation", but none were particularly powerful. She had keener sense than the average person, but not that much keener. She could run faster than a non-metahuman, but not as fast as, say, a car. She could turn invisible, but it was an imperfect optical camouflage. She was a true "jack of all trades, master of none."
Or that's how it appeared. The Red Huntress had one more power that was not publicly known—she could place a "mark" on any living creature that was unremovable. The mark would let her know where the marked creature was at all times, and her body and powers would "scale up" to match the threat posed by the marked creature. She would get faster, stronger, her invisibility would improve, and so forth. How a creature's level was quantified is unknown, but the file shows The Red Huntress undergoing some dramatic transformations into a feline creature to combat particularly strong metahumans. In that form, she would gain the ability to extend blades of energy that would grow stronger to injure her prey.
Her power is . . . frightening. The Red Huntress was always the smiling face of Justice Unlimited along with Uiara, so it is disturbing to know her true capability as an assassin.
A-Class Powers
Name: Automne, Ophélie du Arceneaux
Power: Elemental Manipulation, Flight
Faction: The Four Seasons
Potency: 8
Ibis' Notes: Ah. Automne. I actually liked her. She and Radiant Silvergirl. They were . . . dating? Best friends? It was a weird little relationship. But the two of them are some of the only other people with the ability to appreciate the art of my children. They would make sure to take every job that would impact my work, and, even when they opposed me, they showed due respect. They even invited me to participate in their competitive beetle-fighting league! I was disqualified for creating a bipedal stag beetle the size of a housecat, but I appreciated being included.
Automne was too young for how powerful she was. She was an aerokinetic, one of the most powerful in the world. She could create tornadoes, generate hurricane-force winds, move the clouds themselves, and so forth. She was always present at every major crisis on Horizon, often trying to prevent collateral damage. Despite all that, her favorite thing to do was to just fly freely on the winds.
I . . . I actually think I will miss her. Goodness. I need to fix my implant immediately.
Name: Novalight, Yelena Sokolov
Power: Elemental Manipulation, Energy Manipulation, Flight
Faction: New Dawn
Potency: 8
Ibis' Notes: Now, this is explosive. Novalight was the leader of New Dawn and a hard woman to say the least. Some would say paranoid, but I always respected refusal to compromise her beliefs. She was the architect behind Wonderland—the detention facility for metahumans too dangerous to allow to go free. She controlled New Dawn's territory in Horizon with an iron fist, but the University District was among the city's safest for it.
Her relationship with Justice Unlimited was strained. Both Justice Unlimited and New Dawn were heroic organizations, but they were bitter rivals. Justice Unlimited started as a junior team under New Dawn, and Novalight never forgave them for going independent. She would have taken them keeping her DNA profile as an act of war.
Novalight was one of the three strongest metahumans in the city. She was photokinetic, radiokinetic, and capable of supersonic flight. Her energy blasts were capable of leveling the city, and nearly did during the Susurration. She would end many a fight simply by appearing and glowing too brightly for anyone to be able to see. With her radiokinesis, she could generate heat intense enough to melt even adamantium. Her weakness, if she truly even had one, was that her power gave her no defensive capabilities. But she ended fights quickly and decisively enough that it didn't matter.
I can think of several reasons why her DNA is here, and none of them are charitable. It's not my concern, but perhaps we should keep this one quiet.
* * *
Now is the time to create the first dose of Ambrosia of the game. Please refer to the first informational post for the rules of Ambrosia creation. Please format your votes like the following:
[ ] Plan More Powerful Than Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, and the Incredible Hulk Put Together
[DNA PROFILE 1] (POTENCY)
[DNA PROFILE 2] (POTENCY)
POTENCY REDUCTIONS (- POTENCY)
TOTAL POTENCY OF DOSE: X
If you want to throw in the number of keywords or side-effect odds, please do so separately from the vote-block.
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
I wanted to say a few things about the idea behind the Ambrosia designs. First, I wanted to emphasize that the nature of the power being included in a dosage is just as important as the keywords associated with it. I already said:
But you should also consider what the focus of a person's power is. The Red Huntress' power grants her a suite of abilities to hunt down a target. A dosage including her will likely include some sort of targeting element that focus other powers. Memoria's main ability is teleportation; his clairvoyance is mostly to assist that. His power is more likely to focus on movement than remote knowledge. Conversely, Steadfast's ONLY power is to be unkillable. Include him and that's almost certain to show up.
Second, you should think of side effects less as "negatives" and more as additional mechanics. I wanted to keep these totally secret, but I think it's more important to clearly convey what they are. Here are some possible side effects of the major side effect table:
The idea is that the game is boring if you can make an army of invincible Novalights. The purpose of side effects is to challenge you during missions, not make you feel like you wasted a candidate. Also, dysmorphic heroes are a plot point in Project Prometheus. But they're not all monsters. For example, Radiant Silvergirl looks like this:
(Art by BKNK_SHOP. Lady Leizi's character sheet isn't ready yet.😭)
Finally, let me give you an example of power construction. Let's say you mixed a dose with DNA from Uiara (Elemental Manipulation, Invulnerability, Enhanced Senses) with Radiant Silvergirl (Flight, Fundamental Force Manipulation, Energy Manipulation). A possible power would be:
[Candidate] possesses the power to create and manipulate solid matter made of gravitational energy. The energy has the consistency of liquid crystal. [Candidate] may increase or decrease the density of matter, making it hyper-dense or less-dense than air. [Candidate] may also manipulate their body in the same way, or the density of any object engulfed by the matter.
In this example, the Fundamental Force Manipulation and Elemental Manipulation combine to create a new substance. This person can strike with a punch or object with the density of a neutron star or capture foes by engulfing them and making them too dense to move. The "Invulnerability" comes in through the ability to make themselves hyper-dense and thus, unable to be harmed. The "Flight" is from their ability to manipulate themselves or others to be less dense than air and then presumably jump or something.
Admittedly, that one was pretty half-assed. But you get the idea! Now, get to planning!
But you should also consider what the focus of a person's power is. The Red Huntress' power grants her a suite of abilities to hunt down a target. A dosage including her will likely include some sort of targeting element that focus other powers. Memoria's main ability is teleportation; his clairvoyance is mostly to assist that. His power is more likely to focus on movement than remote knowledge. Conversely, Steadfast's ONLY power is to be unkillable. Include him and that's almost certain to show up.
Second, you should think of side effects less as "negatives" and more as additional mechanics. I wanted to keep these totally secret, but I think it's more important to clearly convey what they are. Here are some possible side effects of the major side effect table:
| Power requires some sort of recharge or outside power source if overused (e.g. Crimson Soprano) |
| Loss of common sense due to power, replaced with power-related sense (e.g. blind but can use echolocation) |
| Permanent physical change due to power (dysmorphic hero, e.g. Daggermaw and Radiant Silvergirl) |
The idea is that the game is boring if you can make an army of invincible Novalights. The purpose of side effects is to challenge you during missions, not make you feel like you wasted a candidate. Also, dysmorphic heroes are a plot point in Project Prometheus. But they're not all monsters. For example, Radiant Silvergirl looks like this:
(Art by BKNK_SHOP. Lady Leizi's character sheet isn't ready yet.😭)
Finally, let me give you an example of power construction. Let's say you mixed a dose with DNA from Uiara (Elemental Manipulation, Invulnerability, Enhanced Senses) with Radiant Silvergirl (Flight, Fundamental Force Manipulation, Energy Manipulation). A possible power would be:
[Candidate] possesses the power to create and manipulate solid matter made of gravitational energy. The energy has the consistency of liquid crystal. [Candidate] may increase or decrease the density of matter, making it hyper-dense or less-dense than air. [Candidate] may also manipulate their body in the same way, or the density of any object engulfed by the matter.
In this example, the Fundamental Force Manipulation and Elemental Manipulation combine to create a new substance. This person can strike with a punch or object with the density of a neutron star or capture foes by engulfing them and making them too dense to move. The "Invulnerability" comes in through the ability to make themselves hyper-dense and thus, unable to be harmed. The "Flight" is from their ability to manipulate themselves or others to be less dense than air and then presumably jump or something.
Admittedly, that one was pretty half-assed. But you get the idea! Now, get to planning!
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LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
Oh god, those two subs are Autumne and Radiant Silvergirl weren't they? Now they're gone.
I feel for Chaucer, I really do, but this was the best move we can make starting out.
That said, after the clarification that dysmorphia doesn't necessarily mean horrifically inhuman, I'm more open to Major Side Effects now since we can think of them less as negatives and more additional flavor instead.
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- Location
- Outside the Box
- Pronouns
- She/Her
@Bitterman You shouldn't directly link to anything NSFW. I believe the link to the artist's twitter counts.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Thanks, it's probably close enough that I shouldn't risk it.
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Kermie
We’re So Cooked(?)
- Location
- Somewhere On The Planet
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
Yeah baby! You love to see it.
As for the plan:
[X] Plan Hypernovae
-[X] [Novalight] (8 POTENCY)
-[X] [Crimson Soprano] (2 POTENCY)
-[X] POTENCY REDUCTIONS (-2 POTENCY)
-[X] TOTAL POTENCY OF DOSE: 8
Edit:
[X] Plan Hypernovae (Unquenchable Star Ver)
-[X] [Novalight] (8 POTENCY)
-[X] [Crimson Soprano] (2 POTENCY)
-[X] [Steadfast] (2 POTENCY)
-[X] [Soldier X] (1 POTENCY)
-[X] POTENCY REDUCTIONS (-3 POTENCY)
-[X] TOTAL POTENCY OF DOSE: 10
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LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
[] Plan: Chimera
-[] [Soldier X] (+1 Potency)
-[] [Daggermaw] (+1 Potency)
-[] [Adamant] (+3 Potency)
-[] [Red Huntress] (+6 Potency)
-[] Potency Reductions (-3 Potency)
-[] Total Potency of Dose: 8
Chimera
Adding Steadfast is really good for only 2 Potency. We're guranteed Invulnerability after all since it's his only keyword, and that's really valuable since we can't afford for Mona to die or be put out of action for too long a time when the world's hope is riding on her shoulders.
Crimson Soprano for Chimera would also add a chance of Flight and make Energy Manipulation 2x (DRAGONS) for Chimera.
Either way, this will come at a cost of a high chance of a Major Side Effect since we're reducing the dosage by 3 to put the Potency at 10, but I think we can work with that.
-[] [Soldier X] (+1 Potency)
-[] [Daggermaw] (+1 Potency)
-[] [Adamant] (+3 Potency)
-[] [Red Huntress] (+6 Potency)
-[] Potency Reductions (-3 Potency)
-[] Total Potency of Dose: 8
Chimera
- Potency 1 (Soldier X) + Potency 1 (Daggermaw) + Potency 3 (Adamant) + Potency 6 (Red Huntress) - Potency 3 = Potency 8
- 2x Fitness (Soldier X, Red Huntress)
- 2x Regeneration (Soldier X, Adamant)
- 3x Transformation (Daggermaw, Adamant, Red Huntress)
- 2x Enhanced Strength (Daggermaw, Adamant)
- 2x Enhanced Senses (Daggermaw, Red Huntress)
- 1x Speed (Red Huntress)
- 1x Invisibility (Red Huntress)
- 1x Energy Manipulation (Red Huntress)
- 1x Clairvoyance (Red Huntress)
- Side Effect Chance:
- Major Side Effect: N/A
- Moderate Side Effect: 99-55
- Minor Side Effect: 54-25
- No Side Effect: 24-1
Adding Steadfast is really good for only 2 Potency. We're guranteed Invulnerability after all since it's his only keyword, and that's really valuable since we can't afford for Mona to die or be put out of action for too long a time when the world's hope is riding on her shoulders.
Crimson Soprano for Chimera would also add a chance of Flight and make Energy Manipulation 2x (DRAGONS) for Chimera.
Either way, this will come at a cost of a high chance of a Major Side Effect since we're reducing the dosage by 3 to put the Potency at 10, but I think we can work with that.
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Kermie
We’re So Cooked(?)
- Location
- Somewhere On The Planet
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
After some deliberation, I've made an alt version of my plan with Invulnerability included. You can vote for it by copy and pasting the thing below but with an X.
[ ] Plan Hypernovae (Unquenchable Star Ver)
- Location
- Outside the Box
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I'm a lot more ok with risking side effects after the clarification, so...
[X] Plan Offense and Defense
-[X] [Novalight] (Potency 8)
-[X] [Adamant] (Potency 2)
-[X] Potency Reduction (-2 Potency)
-[X] Total Potency of Dose: 8
A simple plan. Pair the strongest offensive type power with the strongest defensive type power. Tags are: Elemental Manipulation x1, Flight x1, and Invulnerability x1
[X] Plan Metamorph
-[X] [The Outsider] (Potency 4)
-[X] [Adamant] (Potency 3)
-[X] [Steadfast] (Potency 2)
-[X] [Crimson Soprano] (Potency 2)
-[X] [Daggermaw] (Potency 1)
-[X] [Soldier X] (Potency 1)
-[X] Potency Reduction (-3 Potency)
-[X] Total Potency of Dose: 10
A very... ambitious plan. The hope is a powerset that's both highly flexible and highly powerful. Tags are:
Transformation x3
Energy Manipulation x2
Enhanced Strength x2
Regeneration x2
Enhanced Senses x1
Fitness x1
Flight x1
Invisibility x1
Invulnerability x1
Solar Absorption x1
[X] Plan: Chimera
[X] Plan Offense and Defense
-[X] [Novalight] (Potency 8)
-[X] [Adamant] (Potency 2)
-[X] Potency Reduction (-2 Potency)
-[X] Total Potency of Dose: 8
A simple plan. Pair the strongest offensive type power with the strongest defensive type power. Tags are: Elemental Manipulation x1, Flight x1, and Invulnerability x1
[X] Plan Metamorph
-[X] [The Outsider] (Potency 4)
-[X] [Adamant] (Potency 3)
-[X] [Steadfast] (Potency 2)
-[X] [Crimson Soprano] (Potency 2)
-[X] [Daggermaw] (Potency 1)
-[X] [Soldier X] (Potency 1)
-[X] Potency Reduction (-3 Potency)
-[X] Total Potency of Dose: 10
A very... ambitious plan. The hope is a powerset that's both highly flexible and highly powerful. Tags are:
Transformation x3
Energy Manipulation x2
Enhanced Strength x2
Regeneration x2
Enhanced Senses x1
Fitness x1
Flight x1
Invisibility x1
Invulnerability x1
Solar Absorption x1
The plan you're currently voting for comes out to Potency 8, not 10.
[X] Plan: Chimera
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LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
I've checked on the Calculator and Chimera sums at 8.
1+1+3+6-3 = 8
Help would be much appreciated if I got it wrong somehow @.@
Kermie
We’re So Cooked(?)
- Location
- Somewhere On The Planet
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
I think the math was right, but the end comment was wrong.
LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
Upon further deliberation, I'm abandoning Chimera at Potency 8 and going all-in on Dragons! Also, approval voting for Unquenchable Star since it covers a lot of Hypernovae's weakness. Not only will Mona have absurd firepower and supersonic mobility with Unquenchable Star, she'll also have invulnerability! That makes her an absurdly powerful superhero whose only weakness is probably her stamina, but with how quickly she can end fights and how hard it is to put her down, it's hard to imagine anyone that could turn a fight with Unquenchable Star into a stamina contest.
We need someone this absurdly strong to inherit Justice Unlimited's legacy, especially when the Alien God is still a major concern of ours and the last time it took action, the vast majority of superheroes died.
[X] Plan Hypernovae (Unquenchable Star Ver)
[X] Plan: Chimera
-[X] [Soldier X] (+1 Potency)
-[X] [Daggermaw] (+1 Potency)
-[X] [Crimson Soprano] (+2 Potency)
-[X] [Adamant] (+3 Potency)
-[X] [Red Huntress] (+6 Potency)
-[X] Potency Reductions (-3 Potency)
-[X] Total Potency of Dose: 10
Chimera
With Crimson Soprano and Red Huntress' Energy Manipulation, Mona has options for melee and range combat, and we guarantee her some form of much needed mobility by having both Flight and Speed at 1x. We're unlikely to get both, but chances are high that we'll get at least one of them. Enhanced Strength is self-explanatory, but it's a much-needed addition to make Mona even deadlier in melee, while Enhanced Senses makes sure that she can spot ambushes and any surprises in advance.
The star here, however, is Transformation. We need someone iconic to carry the legacy of Justice Unlimited, and there's little more iconic than being able to turn into a dragon whose breath are beams of energy and whose scales actively grow back. The stat boost is nice too. Far as differences go with Hypernovae, we're talking about a superhero who while they won't have as much offensive potential, has several ways to approach a problem besides maximum firepower and can stay active for far longer before needing to rest. This allows Mona to better promote herself as Justice Unlimited's heir, since she will literally have to do the job of several superheroes by herself until we can expand our roster.
I also just really like the image of a draconic superhero who, since Mona is a superhero nerd, hoards superhero merch and memorabilia instead of gold. Doubly so if it involves Lady Leizi merch. Also, having a tail, horns, or fangs as a Side Effect would be extra adorable.
We need someone this absurdly strong to inherit Justice Unlimited's legacy, especially when the Alien God is still a major concern of ours and the last time it took action, the vast majority of superheroes died.
[X] Plan Hypernovae (Unquenchable Star Ver)
[X] Plan: Chimera
-[X] [Soldier X] (+1 Potency)
-[X] [Daggermaw] (+1 Potency)
-[X] [Crimson Soprano] (+2 Potency)
-[X] [Adamant] (+3 Potency)
-[X] [Red Huntress] (+6 Potency)
-[X] Potency Reductions (-3 Potency)
-[X] Total Potency of Dose: 10
Chimera
- Keywords:
- 3x Transformation (Daggermaw, Adamant, Red Huntress)
- 2x Fitness (Soldier X, Red Huntress)
- 2x Regeneration (Soldier X, Adamant)
- 2x Enhanced Strength (Daggermaw, Adamant)
- 2x Enhanced Senses (Daggermaw, Red Huntress)
- 2x Energy Manipulation (Crimson Soprano, Red Huntress)
- 1x Flight (Crimson Soprano)
- 1x Solar Absorption (Crimson Soprano)
- 1x Speed (Red Huntress)
- 1x Invisibility (Red Huntress)
- 1x Clairvoyance (Red Huntress)
- Side Effect Chance:
- Major Side Effect: 99-75
- Moderate Side Effect: 74-55
- Minor Side Effect: 54-25
- No Side Effect: 24-1
With Crimson Soprano and Red Huntress' Energy Manipulation, Mona has options for melee and range combat, and we guarantee her some form of much needed mobility by having both Flight and Speed at 1x. We're unlikely to get both, but chances are high that we'll get at least one of them. Enhanced Strength is self-explanatory, but it's a much-needed addition to make Mona even deadlier in melee, while Enhanced Senses makes sure that she can spot ambushes and any surprises in advance.
The star here, however, is Transformation. We need someone iconic to carry the legacy of Justice Unlimited, and there's little more iconic than being able to turn into a dragon whose breath are beams of energy and whose scales actively grow back. The stat boost is nice too. Far as differences go with Hypernovae, we're talking about a superhero who while they won't have as much offensive potential, has several ways to approach a problem besides maximum firepower and can stay active for far longer before needing to rest. This allows Mona to better promote herself as Justice Unlimited's heir, since she will literally have to do the job of several superheroes by herself until we can expand our roster.
I also just really like the image of a draconic superhero who, since Mona is a superhero nerd, hoards superhero merch and memorabilia instead of gold. Doubly so if it involves Lady Leizi merch. Also, having a tail, horns, or fangs as a Side Effect would be extra adorable.
I tried it on the vote tally and it worked out fine for me. Just had to switch from tallying by line to tallying by Block.
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TimEd
Meteor maker
[X] Plan Soft Element
-[X] [Automne] (8 POTENCY)
-[X] [Crimson Soprano] (2 POTENCY)
-[X] TOTAL POTENCY OF DOSE: 10
I want to avoid Novalight + Crimson Soprano precisely because I see it as too synergistic. It'd be at risk of being a bit too close to Novalight's power, so we might be in danger of getting poached or worse. Being pressured by the masses to do so ourselves.
Automne + Crimson Soprano actually has great synergy too, though no obvious path to develop on. Maybe instead of Wind Control, it'd be some other element. Plants (with solar beam capabilities) perhaps, or maybe something more esoteric like "clouds" (imagine kinton cloud from Dragonball but has the power to absorb wind/water/solar and expell it or something).
Again, the goal here is to have a "simple" power with flight for max media visibility while still being a strong enough blaster to really scare a decent chunk of people into being careful.
-[X] [Automne] (8 POTENCY)
-[X] [Crimson Soprano] (2 POTENCY)
-[X] TOTAL POTENCY OF DOSE: 10
I want to avoid Novalight + Crimson Soprano precisely because I see it as too synergistic. It'd be at risk of being a bit too close to Novalight's power, so we might be in danger of getting poached or worse. Being pressured by the masses to do so ourselves.
Automne + Crimson Soprano actually has great synergy too, though no obvious path to develop on. Maybe instead of Wind Control, it'd be some other element. Plants (with solar beam capabilities) perhaps, or maybe something more esoteric like "clouds" (imagine kinton cloud from Dragonball but has the power to absorb wind/water/solar and expell it or something).
Again, the goal here is to have a "simple" power with flight for max media visibility while still being a strong enough blaster to really scare a decent chunk of people into being careful.
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LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
The problem with Crimson Soprano + Autumne is that you only have 2x Flight, but 1x Elemental Manipulation and 1x Energy Manipulation. It's a waste of DNA since we can't guarantee she'll get Elemental Manipulation. It's entirely possible we'll get Energy Manipulation, which defeats the purpose of not being Novalight. There's a 50/50 chance we'll end up a less impressive Novalight here, especially since her supersonic Flight is something neither Autunmne nor Crimson Soprano have and Crimson Soprano's energy manipulation is less impressive than Novalight's.
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