God I wish I could go back. I'm not sure if I'd try and stop it from happening or just sit back and experience the ride all over again. Things just seem to have gotten worse since then.
It was a dark and stormy night, as all things terrible and great are wont to begin on. You were home, or out enjoying the night with some friends, or perhaps just enjoying some cool air. Regardless of what you were doing, you were in the little town of Ribe, Maine when it happened. Ribe is a small village, about two hours south east of the closest thing to "major" civilization in Bangor. That night in Ribe, something occured, something mystical, perhaps even magical. It flowed through the town, selecting individuals. The only commonality between these select few was that they all were between 15 and 19 years old, either still in high school or enjoying their first free summer. You were one of these lucky few. You woke up the next morning, unaware of what happened. Who knows how you discovered it. Perhaps you were on your laptop and flexed your fingers the wrong way, causing a shock that shorted the device. Maybe you were taking a morning swim, and by pure chance found that you could now breathe under the water. Or perhaps a strong desire not to be noticed allowed you to quite literally dissappeare from view. You now had a power far beyond what would be considered normal for a human to do, and things were only going to get weirder from there.
Welcome to Once Upon a Summer, the story of a couple of plucky, or maybe not so plucky, teenagers who find themselves possessing what can only be described as super powers. While these abilities are weak and can only really be used as party tricks at the moment, but none the less they defy reality. Players will RP the teens as they explore their powers, explore the origins of both the town and their new condition, and maybe stumble onto something more in the process. This will be a primarily story based RP, although there are a few mechanics below, mostly relating to the powers. This RP is mostly inspired by series such as Gone, X-Men, and Infamous.
Link to the IC: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=473415&p=36327999#p36327999
Discord Link: https://discord.gg/d3evk9X
1. Do not Godmod, do not metagame, etc.
2. I'm the OP, and as such that means that my word is law. If not me, then my Co-OP's word is law.
3. There is a very real possibility of death later on in the RP. If your character does stupid things in the face of danger, they will die. You have thin plot armour - don't complain.
4. Respect each other when OOC!Powers in the RP work in a simple way. Your powers will fall under a "group" and be ranked by their "magnitude". This is in essence their overarching category and their strength. This will allow for easier categorization of powers and for strength checking. For example, if someone with Magnitude 2 super strength is wrestling someone with Magnitude 1 super strength, the Mag 2 is going to win, unless the Mag 1 is clever about it.
This also extends to power growth and development later in the RP. Everyone in the RP will start off with a single magnitude 1 power. As the RP progresses, you will have the opportunity to either upgrade that power, or develop other ones. All powers will be able to be increased up to magnitude 2. Once a power is developed to magnitude 3, the power group it belongs to is declared the characters primary power group. Any other powers within that group may be developed past magnitude 2, but no powers from other groups. In addition, only one power may be developed to Magnitude 5 (And beyond if that becomes necessary.) See below for groups and magnitude scale.
Groups: Powers can be broken down into 5 primary groups. Each of these groups is theoretically infinite in the amount of powers within it. Really, as long as power is not broken and the player can justify it's inclusion in the group, then it is part of that group.
Psionics- The first group covers powers of the mind, mental abilities either able to manipulate reality or gain information through the sheer force of the users will. A Psion might be able to levitate objects or see an objects past, present, and future by touching it. If your power relies on your mind, then you are technically a Psion. Use your gift wisely, and make sure you don't addle your wits beyond the point of control. NOTE: ALL FORMS OF MIND CONTROL ARE BANNED.
Classics- Everyone knows Superman and his many physical gifts. He's fast as a speeding locomotive, he can leap over tall buildings, he can lift a car with his bare hands. If your powers increase your physical abilities without any other change to your body, they fall under the Classics label. You have your braniacs, your strongmen, speedsters, flyers, all of that good stuff. The Classics are, as their name says, the Classic heroes in capes, titans among man.
Elementals- Water, Earth, Fire, Air. The classic elements still have impact on our society. And now you have impact on them. You can control and manipulate them and other physical substances to bend the natural world to your will. Also included in this group is power over things such as light and animal life, as they to are just manipulations of natural forces. The difference between these powers and telekinesis is that Elemental powers will offer greater and more complex control over specific elements, while Telekinesis offers general control over physical objects.
Freaks- These are those powers that don't fit cleanly into another group. For example, Gravity Control, while similar to Psionics and Elemental powers, would not cleanly fit into either category, and thus be a Freakish power.
Magnitude The strength of one's powers, rated on a 1-5 scale
Mag 1- Party tricks as others might call them. These powers are noticeably beyond what their user would be able to do. They may just barely manipulate reality, but they can still be classified as powers. A Mag 1 Psion would have very weak telekinetics, or be able to see maybe a few seconds into the future if it is in their repertoire. Classics would find their abilities at peak human levels, and not very taxing on their stamina. Elementals would have very weak control over their elements.
Mag 2- Powers are now truely recognizable as superhuman. Where as Mag 1 abilities can be reasonably hidden by their users, there is no mistaking Mag 2s or greater as anything except supernatural. Psions now can lift heavier objects with telekinetics or have greater sight into the future or into someone else's mind. Classics can now go beyond what is humanly possible, including running at speed with cars off the highway, or lifting several times their own body weight. Elementals will begin to gain greater control over their element, allowing for new applications of their powers.
Mag 3- Now more akin to something in a comic book, powers of this magnitude or greater are reserved for one group per person. They are powerful, and now can cause significant collateral damage if the user isn't careful. Psions now have far stronger abilities, such as being able to levitate yourself for great distances or using mind reading as a telepathic weapon. Classics can now surpass most machines in terms of strength and speed. Elementals further their control over their element, and now gain immunity to it.
Mag 4- The highest strength most characters can expect to gain with a particular power. Psions can now easily tear apart metal and buildings with a mere thought. Classics can punch through walls of solid metal and run faster than even some of the fastest vehicles on the land. Elementals now have near total ontrol over their elements, even being able to feel their presence, or feel through them.
Mag 5- Rare and perhaps unobtainable, Mag 5 powers represent the capstone of a group. Psions may be able to excersize control over any entire area with just their mind, or perhaps even abandon the body all together. Classics would find themselves gods among men, able to move faster than sound, or tear down a skyscraper with just their hands. Elementals would gain the ability to become their element of choice.Ribe, Maine is a quaint small town located about 2 hours southeast of Bangor. There's nothing too special about it. It has a dock, a few restaurants, a public library, and two schools, an elementary/junior high, and a high school. The town's money comes mostly from fishing, specifically lobstering, and forestry. Though it's not an exciting place, it makes up for it in natural beauty. A picturesque coast with rock beaches, cliffs, and a few barrier islands provide many a photo opportunity from the dock, and the nearby Mt. Derry provides several hiking trails and camping opportunities. For those who prefer sand beaches, several lakes provide ample opportunity for a day in the sun.
Founded back in the mid 1800s as a lumber camp and later a rail station for the early railroads up to Canada, Ribe was so named because the man writing the Town's charter saw a package from Denmark on a train and decided that it was an appropriate name. The town remained quite tiny for generations until an entrepreneur in the early 1900s took advantage of the towns natural harbor and set up a coaling station in it. Advertising it as a less crowded stop than the more famous and popular Bar Harbor to the south, several cruise and cargo ships often docked in Ribe during those days, and during this time period many older New England families bought up land near the small town to create new summer homes.
The towns only interesting feature is the McSiddens Army Camp, a cold war era facility that is still up kept by about 20 stationed men. It doesn't serve a purpose for the most part these days and longstanding rumor has it that the base is on it's way to being mothballed. Regardless, it remains an oddity for the local youth, fencing off nearly 100 acres outside of town for what apparently is only the occasional location for a training exercise. It is considered a right of passage among the town's youth to sneak onto the base and spend a night there.
The towns youth typically fall into three strict, but not necessarily divided cliques. Though in the past there has been history of fighting and nastier behavior between them, that exists only in the memory of the older residents of Ribe. Instead, the social groups mostly get along these days, as long as they remain mostly separate from each other. Some hatreds die hard though, and certain members of each group may oppose intermingling.
Townies- Townies are the diligent and tough kids of life long laborers. They're hardworking, active, and united through a certain serene hopelessness knowing that this is probably the most exciting their lives are going to get. Townies rarely go to college, and most of the time have been working since they were around 12 years old at some form of family business. Most townies are involved in some form of fishing, working early morning and late nights either running nets for bait fish or hauling traps for lobster. Some help run a store or restaurant, but they are few and far between.
Vaycays- Vaycays get their name from a once derogatory derivative from the term Vacationer. Vaycays are the upper class scions of the east coast suburbs. For most, Ribe provides a summer get away from the hectic life back at home. For their kids though, it means three months of hard partying. Vaycays have often known each other since they were very young, and most have family homes in the area dating back longer than some of the Townie's own family histories in Ribe. Though some have jobs at a local yacht club teaching sailing (service work is for Townies), most spend their summers sleeping during the day and running wild come night.
Outsiders- Presumably named because someone with a teenage sense of humor decided to make fun of the titular clique after reading S.E. Hintons novel for the first time. Outsiders are less defined by their background and more by who they are. The mutual outcasts of both Vaycays and Townies, the Outsiders are the punks, rebels, criminals, and vandals of Ribe. This group spends most of their day getting messing around in the junkyard and "getting up to no good" as the adults would say. An annual summer spectacle for all three groups is the Outsiders Rally, a rally car race between the Outsiders with various cars they have upgraded over the course of the summer.
- Code: Select all
NS Name:
Character Name:
Appearance: (Please include a short physical description if you use a photo, EG. Height and Weight)
Age:
Clique:
Powers, Group and Magnitude: (Upon joining the RP each player will have ONE magnitude 1 power.)
Bio:
RP Sample: (Doesn't have to be anything complicated, just write or link a paragraph or two here if I haven't been in an RP with you.)
APP CODE DO NOT DELETE: OUAS7645WARNING, LARGER IMAGES INSIDE EXAMPLE APPSNS Name: The Anarcho Syndicalist Commune
Character Name: Nathan Evans
Appearance: Nate stands at 6'0" with a lankier build, weighing around 150 lbs. He has a tribal looking tatoo sleeve on his left arm and recently gained muscle definition thanks to his powers.
Age: 19
Clique: Outsiders
Powers, Group and Magnitude: Speed, Classic Power Mag 1
Bio: Nathan was born to John Evans, a mechanic, and Lily Smith, a poet, grocery clerk, and former resident and member of the Penobscot Reservation a few hours away. Lily had left the Reservation with her parents in her early teens and attended the University of Maine, before moving with her father to Ribe and becoming a clerk at the local grocery store. She and John started dating soon afterward, and after a few years they were married and Nathan was born. All seemed good, until through sheer bad luck, John was killed by a drunk driver late one Saturday, leaving Lily to raise Nathan on her own.
As such, Nathan didn't have the most functional childhood. It was revealed at a young age that the boy suffered from dyslexia, and as such he ended up hating most of his time in school. He started skipping class as early as the 5th grade, and instead did what he wanted to with his day. Early on this included Skateboarding and just hanging out in front of the grocery store where his mom worked, but as he grew a bit older, Nate found kindred souls in the Junkyard on the outskirts of town. This is also when Nate discovered his inherited love of mechanics from his father.
Nate passed the traditional town right of passage by sleeping out on the military base at age 12, far younger than most who do it. By age of 14 he was deep in with the Outsiders, responsible for a number of graffiti images around town and helping out on the winning rally cars for the past two years. Things took a turn for the worse though when Nate got wrapped up in the worst inter-clique fight in years, between the Townies and the Outsiders the fall Nate turned 15. Nate ended up getting stabbed and hospitalized, and after seeing the state it put his mom in, he dialed back the whole punk thing a bit. Though he still hung out with the Outsiders, he stayed out of the worse actions of the group and stuck to smoking weed, the occasional tagging of a building, and working on cars. At age 16 he dropped out of high school and took a part-time job at his father's former garage, dedicating the rest of his time to fixing up old cars at the junkyard and reselling them, and his own art. At age 19, Nate is seen as an unofficial leader in the Outsiders and is preparing to start working full time in the Garage next fall.
As such, finding his powers came as a bit of a surprise for Nate. He found them after he jokingly accepted a footrace against a Vaycay track runner who was trying to start shit in the Junkyard. To the surprise of all there, Nate handily won the race. Chalking it up to his new workout routine, at least that's what he told those present, Nate soon tested his powers and found he was able to run at world record foot speed for extended periods of time. Since then he has been making the most of his power and using it to win a variety of bets and work on even more cars.
APP CODE DO NOT DELETE: OUAS7645
NS Name: The Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune
Character Name: Jackie Coldwell
Appearance: Jackie is 5'6" and weighs about 120 lbs. She has auburn red hair, freckles on her and dark green eyes. Unknown to most she has a small tattoo of a moth on her left shoulder.
Age: 17
Clique: Vaycays
Powers, Group and Magnitude: Power Clairvoyance, Psionic Mag 1 (Jackie can sense if someone has powers and roughly how strong they are by touching them. She can't determine individual powers, magnitudes, or even how many powers a person has yet.)
Bio: The Coldwells are an older Vaycay family in Ribe, owning a large mansion on the outside of town near the military base for nearly 120 years at this point. They are old New England money, profiteering off of the several trades in the area since the British arrival. Jackie can trace her ancestry all the way back to the Mayflower. Her father is an older gentleman, a Harvard educated lawyer and politician who served as a representative from Massachusetts briefly before retiring to sail his yacht, which he moors in Ribe Harbor. Her mother is a Brown alumnus, and professional hobbyist, seeming to practice whatever fad is in that particular week. Jackie is their third child and second daughter, and according to many the golden girl of the family.
Jackie has gone to a boarding school in England for most of her life, which has given her a somewhat exotic accent, a mix of rich new englander and upper class British. Though her family technically lives on Cape Cod, most of Jackie's time in the US is spent in Ribe, simply due to how her school breaks work and her father's near obsession with the traditional family vacation home. She's long been a fixture of the Vaycays and is known by the Outsiders as "The Duchess of Ribe" because of her accent and typical upper class attitude. Though she sails like most of the Vaycays, Jackie is much more musically talented and can play multiple instruments and sing, thanks to her perfect pitch.
One morning in early June, Jackie awoke on the couch in a friends home, feeling a little weird. Tapping her friend on the shoulder, Jackie suddenly recieved a weird, empty feeling. Soon enough she discovered that this was just the vibe she got from unpowered people. While others discovered powers like those out of a comic book, Jackie instead found that her gift was being able to find out who had these powers.
APP CODE DO NOT DELETE: OUAS7645
