Are We Heroes: The Lore, The Myth, The Legend

[Okayanos]

IC | OOC

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A R E

W E

H E R O E S

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A Legacy

Are We Heroes is one of the richest superhero RP 'verses on Nationstates, having been remade and rebooted more than a few times. The world of the RP is exciting, but can be somewhat confusing to newcomers. For convenience's sake, the OPs of AWH have put together this lore thread to keep track of important information about the RP's world, from history, to concepts, to a chart of the various reboots. Information on recurring NPCs and groups is also included, and will often be updated to reflect changes in the RP's world in its current iteration. So, from the OPs to the players, we hope you enjoy reading this!

The list below shows which people on Nationstates are officially OPs or co-OPs of the AWH universe, as well as their general areas of expertise. Feel free to send in questions regarding these specific areas.

The OPs

Cyberiad Council (Original Creator): History, Metahuman Genetics, The Regents, The Shield, The Pantheon, Cypher, The Void, Pretty much every NPC, Argus, Cadmus
Skyggeheim: Magic System, Skullduggery, Iron Curtain Cold War event, The Chosen, Project Eventide
Okayanos: Fae Realm, Gold Diggers, A.S.E.T.
Valloria: Psychic interactions

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T A B L E

O F

C O N T E N T S

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I. World History
II. Major Groups
III. Major Characters
IV. Metahuman Powers
V. Magic
VI. Other Dimensions
VII. RP Timeline
VIII. Short Stories

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Don't post here if you're not one of the OPs, please.

[Okayanos]

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H I S T O R Y

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ARGUS Forces

"Homo Melior is the scientific name given to the ever-growing species of humans that have the potential to exhibit extraordinary abilities. The source is a series of novel genes found on an extra stable chromosome dubbed Chromosome M. My true identity has been purged from existence to protect the ones I love. Our friends and brothers fear us, as they should. We are immensely dangerous, but they have chosen to take the easy route of fear. This is not to try and make a case of goodness for Homo Melior; I don’t have the gall to attempt that. I merely attempt to provide the facts that have been hidden from the world and to further illuminate our case to those of my own kind."
-Cypher

The earliest known mention of entities that can be identified as Homo Melior is in the fables and mythos around the world. All the stories of gods, demigods, heroes, and supernatural tales were nothing more than attempts to explain metahuman abilities. Some were shunned, some were worshipped as gods. It is known that Homo Melior and Homo Sapiens deviated from each other before recorded history. Due to continued interbreeding, the barrier between the two species waxed and waned throughout the years, producing a number of eras with greater or fewer numbers of naturally-born mutants. Currently, we are in a waxing period.

For most of history, the existence of metahumans remained a secret to most of the world. That changed only as recently as the 1960s. Bogdan Alexeev, also known by the alias плеть (Scourge), set in motion a series of confrontations with the Russian Army in St. Petersburg. These encounters made the existence of metahumans known to the public. This event, soon known as the 'St. Petersburg Incident', resulted in the destruction of multiple blocks of the Petrogradsky district. Hundreds lost their lives, and thousands more were wounded. The event would later be categorized as a humanitarian disaster prompted an emergency meeting of the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.

It's believed that the existence of metas became known sooner in third-world countries- poor, troubled communities in Africa, and within chaotic conflict in the Middle East. Reports and stories of people with fantastic powers surfaced, but were mostly dismissed as hoaxes or hyperbole. It was only the incident at St. Petersburg that showed the existence of metas to the world as a whole.

Three days after the St. Petersburg Incident, the UN assembled prominent world leaders to discuss the now public "mutant menace". Most of the nations in place were forced to reveal that they had, for some time prior to the St. Petersburg Incident, formed top-secret government-funded programs to monitor and maintain their countries' metahuman populations without letting the general public gain knowledge. Amidst these reveals, four countries stepped forward: The United States, United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union. These countries not only admitted to the existence of their mutant-monitoring agencies, but also revealed data on the species that would be known as Homo Melior, as well as technology capable of safely containing the vast majority of metahumans.

With this knowledge, a new piece of legislation was proposed. The Mutant And Super Security Bill, or M.A.S.S. act. Parts of the bill were passed into international law, and the domestic aspects were taken and modified by nearly all of the UN member nations. The M.A.S.S. Act 'officially' founded the organization CADMUS, and its sister organizations in other countries, and made it legal to detain suspected mutants with very few exceptions. In its essence, the M.A.S.S. Act stated that the rights of Metahumans would be suspended, and that it would be the right of the World Governments to detain, study, and if necessary, eliminate mutants, enhanced humans, and gifted persons.

The Civil Rights acts of the late 1960s grew to encompass metahumans within the umbrella of those crying out for equality, but the Meta Equality Movement, also known as the M-Rights Movement, only truly gained traction in 1979, continuing to burn through the 80s. On one end, the U.S. Department of Defense formed a secretive group called Unit M, a team composed of militarized metahumans under CADMUS' supervision to take on missions that did not have the official U.S. stamp of approval. Unit M served secretly in the Soviet-Afghan war, disbanding in 1984 with the formation of the St. Petersburg Accords.

The St. Petersburg Accords were groundbreaking legislation designed to give rights to Homo Melior for the first time in modern history. It disbanded the organizations that persecuted metas, such as CADMUS and the European UMTF. Furthermore, it established an international organization called ARGUS, which was founded with the duty of monitoring superhuman activity, making sure that metas still followed laws, but also allowing them to combat villains which would be too much of a challenge for non-meta law enforcement. In other words, it allowed the creation of Superheroes.

The fighting between heroes and villains remained low-key for some time, until the 1990s, when one moment changed everything. This incident was the catalyst that ignited a true and proper war between heroes and villains- the Chicago Incident. Jason Blackwood and Dr. Lance Turner, two members of a group called The Chosen, arrived at the O'Hare International Airport and attempted to enter the city. Blackwood made it through security, but Dr. Turner was flagged as an unsanctioned mutant by blood screening. Turner, known by his alias Corpus, began to lay waste to every living soul around him, turning the airport into a bloodbath. Blackwood accessed magical powers of his own, soon joining in the massacre.

There would have been a high probability of the two making their way through successfully, had there not been extra security on-site to detain a rather obscure metahuman called 'Stardust Man', as well as an ARGUS extraction team en route. Fires and explosions decimated the airport, and countless people perished in the onslaught. Cypher, an underdog hero at the time, was deployed alongside the extraction team, and managed to detain Stardust Man before taking part in the battle against The Chosen. An incredibly brave ARGUS agent, now known to have been codenamed 'Pixie', attempted to detain Corpus and Blackwood, but was overwhelmed as Blackwood changed shape into an entity that has since been referred to as Skullduggery. They left Pixie dead, with only her helmet cam providing evidence for the two's escape thanks to the aid of yet another mutant working with them, Stephanie Edgemoore.

The trio of villains fled, only to be met the by remnants of the ARGUS extraction team. Skullduggery decimated them in a single blow, prompting interference by yet another metahuman, this one known as Shard. Shard managed to force Skullduggery and The Chosen into a retreat, but by this time, the damage had been done. No longer simple skirmishes, the conflict between heroes and villains had erupted into all-out war.

Cypher, one of the only survivors of the Chicago Incident, acted in response immediately. He assembled a team called The Regents, leading them in a crusade against the newly risen forces of villainy with brutal effectiveness. Cypher's powers weren't flashy or immediately noticeable- he possessed superhuman intelligence, potent enough to comprehend things beyond anyone else on Earth. The smartest man alive. With his aid, the hero teams began to slowly take the advantage in the war, and several infamous organizations- chief among them was the world-wide terror group called Ouroboros, who'd claimed the lives of dozens of other heroes in the years prior.

Cypher's renown reached its peak when an organization calling itself Ouroboros attempted to destabilize several World Governments. They made a grand demonstration, and their success seemed inevitable. But Cypher showed his face and offered them one chance to stand down. They refused. In a single instant, before the first shot was fired, Ouroboros was destroyed.

Global crime rates plummeted, especially those related to Metahuman activities. Most heroes began to rest on their laurels, and some of the more seasoned ones to retire. Still, regardless of their apparent success, the cynical crime fighters knew that the Villains weren't done yet. With a drop in hero numbers, Cypher gathered leaders of the still strong teams and founded the William J. Nantz Institution to train young prospective heroes. They seek out the best and most promising young metahumans who have the highest potential to become heroes to take the place of the old guard.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

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AC C O R D S

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Following the dissolution of The American anti-metahuman organization known as CADMUS in 1983, The United Nations came together to ratify a new piece of legislation. The St. Petersburg accords, named after the incident that revealed the existence of Metahumans to the world, established the international organization known as Argus which would replace any organization of member nations devoted to dealing with Metahumans.

Many heralded the Accords, and by extension Argus, as a greatest advancement of metahuman rights ever created. It recognized Homo Melior as a unique species of humans, and guarantees their civic rights. It requires ratifying nations create or abolish any necessary laws to ensure the full citizenship of metahumans.

It also definitively defined the umbrella term ‘metahuman’ into three categories:

Mutant: Homo Melior

• Humans that have the metahuman mutation and possess a stable 47th chromosome
• Do not have to possess noticeable powers
• Detectable with a blood test and/or a Chromosomal microarray
• Gained and transmitted through heredity

Enhanced

• Must have originally possessed human DNA
• Can be altered
• Covers those who have gained powers through experimentation
• Covers those with sufficient enough technology to simulate powers Tinker-type metas.
• Covers those with sufficient skills/tactics/intelligence and who use them in a matter that make them a threat above normal humans.

Gifted

• Humans that gained powers through magic, cosmic events, or other unexplained means
• Alien, multi-dimensional, or cosmic entities

Within these categories, the powers themselves are also classified into countless categories- telepaths, pyrokinetics, physically enhanced, and other such categories.

One of the more controversial provisions of the accords was the mandatory registration of all metahumans. Blood tests were adapted to detect mutant metahumans at birth, automatically placing them on the registry. Enhanced and Gifted metahumans are required by law to voluntarily register or face criminal charges for using their powers. Metahumans are prohibited from using their powers in public with a few exceptions. While they can still be prosecuted in normal courts, cases related to the use of powers are tried by Argus. Usually, the cases are benign, nothing more than a slap on the wrist, but purposeful use of powers for personal gain, or to harm another individual can be considered malicious or ‘villainous’ in more popular terms. Those convicted are sentence to serve sentences in one of three metahuman prisons built to deal with varying levels of powers and danger.

For those who choose to deny their metahuman abilities, Argus grants portable, wrist-worn power dampeners which switch off the user's metahuman abilities, allowing them to live normally. These bracelets are mostly optional, only being mandatory for metahumans whose powers are uncontrolled, and present a notable threat to the safety and security of others.

One of the main aspects of the Accords is the official sanctioning of ‘Heroes’. Those wishing to use their powers for good can take a set of rigorous physical and psychological tests to be granted a license to use their powers in any member UN nation, as well as a universal passport. Heroes are monitored by Argus, which requires them to submit regular check ins and reports after missions. Any hero who falls under scrutiny is investigated by the Argus Special Enforcement Team, or A.S.E.T. for short.

The Accords also create laws for heroism to prevent vigilantism and keep heroes accountable. No metahuman may serve in any national military, and those that serve in private security or military forces may not use their powers unless sanctioned, and they much more closely monitored. Sanctioned heroes may not in any way serve a specific nation, ethnicity, or government, and are not allowed to accept payment for their work. Heroes face very strict bribery laws, especially if it spawns negligent behavior that results in civilians being harmed

[Okayanos]

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G R O U P S

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The Regents

Following the Chicago Incident, Cypher sought out other metahumans to form a team that he could lead to defeat far greater threats than he could take on alone. Wrath was the first to sign up, followed quickly by Peregrine and Quatermain. Animus and Wayhu joined later. The Regents' effectiveness in toppling even the strongest supervillain organizations earned them international acclaim. They chose to remain separate from Argus, instead being funded by money won by Cypher in casinos. When they really started getting big, the need for a steadier stream of funding became apparent. Cypher built a tech company under the false identity of Spencer Hartley. Daedalus Technologies quickly grew to be one of the most advanced tech companies in the world soon after. The Regents operate out of the Daedalus Technologies Headquarters in Chicago, but can deploy globally via the Torus jet.

The Regents were one of the first officially sanctioned superhero teams, and are widely respected despite Argus' dislike of Cypher's obsessive secrecy.

Members

[Unknown] - Cypher
Hyperintelligence, Heightened Senses, Extremely High Mental Resistance


Samuel Connors - Wrath
Enhanced Strength, Rage Empowerment, Radiation Immunity, Enhanced Durability


Clayton Parks - Animus
Enhanced Physique, Healing Factor, Sub-dermal Ballistic Armor


Andrew Giles - Vindicator
Super Strength, Density Manipulation, Nigh-invulnerability


Sterling
Highly Advanced Android


Oskar Destinn - Ghost
Tactile Intangibility, Invisibility


Ezra Newman - Quatermain
N/A, he is a highly skilled marksman with Cypher-supplied tech and armor


Daniel Snider - Peregrine
Massively Hypersonic Flight

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Shield of Freedom

In response to Cypher's stubborn independence, the U.S. Government sponsored the formation of a hero team that would be more directly under their control, to spread American ideals to the world. When a soldier named Spencer Key awakened his latent metahuman abilities, they knew they finally had a frontrunner for the team, and sent him to gather whatever metas he could to form Shield of Freedom.

Members

Spencer Key - Aquila Natus
Empathy Empowerment, Super Strength, Super Speed, Flight


Nathaniel Peterson - Prophet
Void Teleportation, Precognition, Void Energy Manipulation


Garrett Payne - Spectral
Flight, Fundamental Force Manipulation, Force Amplification


Carlos Roy - Glow Plug
Tinker, Nanotechnology specialty


Kimberly Edwards - Kindle
Animation, Avatar Creation


Brianna Hall - Hex
Magic User


Troy Walter - Abrams
Aerokinetic

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A.S.E.T.

When good Metahumans go bad, when ARGUS needs the kind of work that can't be on the records of mainstream hero teams- they utilize their top-secret task force. A.S.E.T. is made up of Metas that are official agents of ARGUS rather than sanctioned superheroes, and so they are free to carry out various secretive missions without having to worry about any kind of reputation.

A.S.E.T.'s primary role is to neutralize unsanctioned metahumans that are not considered truly villains, but still pose a great threat to security.

Members

Yoake Akai - Shogun
Absolute Weapon Mastery


Cedric Canmore - Librarian
Memory Manipulation


Yamagata Akira - Shinobi
Enhanced mechanical body, focused on balance and agility. Forcefully awakened Tinkerer specializing in Human Interface.

More to come

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Guards of Britannia

Founded in 1998, the Guards were one of the first officially sanctioned teams of heroes that emerged alongside the Regents. Their base is located in London, but they operate worldwide.

Members

Randy Hale - Lancelot
Tinker, Armour Specialization


Robin Leonard - Holmes
Heightened Senses, Kinetic Reconstruction, Blindspot Manipulation


Arthur Holder - Legion
Army of One, Mark of Jupiter


Ronald Mullen - Bulwark
Geokinesis, Near-Invulnerability


Aiden Grant - Evangelion
Levitation, Light Orbs, Healing, Force Field, Telekinesis


Alessandra Crane - Unicorn
Forcefield Creation


Erika Flynn - Loxley
Hyperkinetic


Sridhar Williams - Indra
Chi Manipulation, Spirit/Soul Manipulation, Extra Sensory Perception

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Project Eventide

In an effort to create a highly-specialized task force designed to even the balance between sanctioned metahumans and/or supervillains and sovereign governments, the United States authorized the creation of “Project Eventide”, or more commonly known as "Project". This team, formed in 2010, is primarily composed of artificially-created metahumans. Project is a strike team designed to operate outside the bounds of international law. The progeny of Unit M, Project will work wherever the United States deems they need to be. The worst possible place to be is between them and their objective. They operate with the best gear that either their government or the black market has to offer. They are designed to meld into any environment and strike at the enemy when least expected. Trained to be fluent in at least three languages, and trained from the moment they exit their artificial embryonic tubes to be vicious killers, they are both dangerous and morally flexible.

Their motto is “Ex umbris ad lucem.”, “From the shadows, for the light.”

Members

Jeffrey D'Constantine - Janissary
Person-based Precognition, Enhanced Physique, Cybernetic Body


Saya Ki'Tan - Hwarang
Body Chemistry Alteration


Alfred Westwind - Crusader
Super-Strength, High Resistance to Damage, Kinetic Force Alteration


Aryn Eastmoor - Longbow
Psychic Projectile Navigation, Greatly Enhanced Senses, Soundwave Manipulation


Janna Setson - Sapper
Nigh-Absolute Hacking, Cybernetic brain implants


E.P. 5561 - Ajax
Highly Advanced A.I.


Javik Falonbray - Jarl
Absolute Weapon Mastery, Cybernetic Enhancements


Kalina Vladivostok - Justicar
Cellular Manipulation, Absolute Medical Knowledge


Marvin Ludecke - Repairman
Builder, focused on cybernetics.


Angela Moretti - Geppetto
Can form artificial, biological entities out of existing biomass.

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Union of Russian Heroes

More than any other country, Russia was heavily impacted by the St. Petersburg Incident. As such, it became imperative for the country to form a strong metahuman team that could prevent such incidents from ever happening again. To accomplish this, they approached Yakov Lomtev, a former soldier who remained staunchly loyal to the motherland. Like Aquila Natus in America, he was ordered to assemble a team of metahumans that would fight to keep their homeland safe from any repeats of that infamous day.

Members

Yakov Lomtev - Kapitan
Undying Will, Energy Blasts


Aleksei Eristov - Miracle
Freedom


Tsezar Gorokhin - The Russian
Exact abilities are unknown


Zoja Kulakov - Auralux
Superspeed over short distance, Enhanced Strength, Void Energy Emission


Vladimir Ivanovich Medvedev - The Hammer
Super Strength, Super Durability


Iryna Voroshilov - Cryos
Cryokinesis, Cryophasing


Eira Szabo - Iron Maiden
Superhuman Physical Abilities, Greatly enhanced during adrenaline rush

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The Watchers

The Watchers see everything.

Members

Homer
Telepathy, Shared Mind with Ebisu


Ebisu
Telepathy, Shared Mind with Homer


Thingrove
Pocket Dimension Manipulation, Immortality within pocket dimension


Zenith
Power Negation, Power Augmentation


Anon
Nervous System Control, Biological Immortality


Somnus
Dream Manipulation


Griffin
Precognition


Alexandria
Perfect Recall, Gift of Tongues, Text Manipulation


Magus
Immortality, Magic


Hellhound
Feral form, Scaleable strength, Longevity

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The Pantheon

Founded by former hero Sol Invictus, The Pantheon seeks to establish metahumans as the dominant race on earth- or to eliminate all Homo Sapiens. Whichever comes first.

Members

Adrian Pearson - Sol Invictus
Energy Absorption, Limited Dynakinesis, Flight, Extreme Durability, Superspeed


Armin Glasser - Chernabog
Command Darkness, Wellspring of Madness


Valter Selan - Svarog
Slag, Super Strength


Mabon Rees - Cernunnos
Beastmaster, One with Nature, Enhanced Strength and Agility, Animal Attributes, Immunity to poisons


Baraka Kitur - Vulcan
Tinker, Specializes in Reverse Engineering


Raymond Bishop - Ares
Super Durability, Strength Siphon


Claudia Randolph - Proioxis
Speedster


Dylan Cooley - Mimir
Foresight, Hindsight, Enhanced Vision, Third Eye


Odion Naifeh - Set
Psammokinetic Transmutation, Minor Geokinesis, Enhanced Speed and Agility


Simone Walsh - Amalthea
Physics Ignorance


Desimir Novakovic - Hodr
Cryokinesis


Jean Marie Toussaint - Osiris
Necromancer


Esmeralda Arnal - Tezcatlipoca
Tactile Reality Warping, Astral Projections, Flame projections

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The Gold Diggers

A gang of villains working as professional thieves, the Gold Diggers have a worldwide network of operatives to pull from whenever a particular talent is required.

Members

Gerard Xuan - Hellequin
Pocket Dimension Storage, Builder specializing in Artistry


Melissa Adelman - The Butcher
Organic Weaponry, Consumptive Regeneration


Elizabeth Francis - The Anarchist
Telepathy, Superhuman Calculation


Erwan Laurent - Cerf Teuer
Matter Growth, Toxin Generation


Nicole Brooks - Queen
Builder, specializing in Upgrades


Stephen Koegal - Saint
Bioaugmentation


Zoe Cole - Shepherd
Motion Tracking & Prediction

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Kriegsspiel

A team working for a villain called Chess. Their motives remain a mystery, even to Cypher.

Members

Oliver Burton - Chess
Hyperintelligence


Obyekt-41
Highly advanced combat robot


Dr. Kurtis Thatcher
Unpowered, has a fluid space-manipulating suit


VA:321 - Shard
Teleportation, Telekinesis, Energy Drain, Thought stealing


Carl Cole - Narcosis
Miasma Generation


Adesanya Yajide - Redline
Speedster


Erwin Cross - Chaos
Entropy Manipulation

Bigg and Beltran Private Military

B&B for short, Bigg and Beltran offers the unique service of a private military staffed by metahumans. Behind the cover, CEO Walter Bigg, better known as Mr. Big, runs a power-dealing operation in which he grants temporary superpowers to those willing to pay. Maintains a long-standing alliance with the Gold Diggers.

Members

Walter Bigg - Mr. Big
Mass Generation, Power Granting


Emma Beltran - Doorman
Space-Warping Portal Creation


Ethan Hoult - The Architect
Tinkerer, specializing in large-sized creations


Luther Scheffel - Morgue
Necro-Typhokinesis, Undead


Angel Thallo - Lilith
External Limb Growth, Bioelectrical discharge


Danny Volur - Nimbus
Massive height, produces a mind-affecting fog


Carl Wester - Pumpkin Man
Instant Skill Mastery, Has a pumpkin head


Donna Gallagher - Nightlight
Pyrokinetic, Minor photokinetic with hypnotic effect


Mr. Han
Disintegration of non-living matter

[Okayanos]

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C H A R A C T E R S

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Notable folks that aren't a part of an established team, but are nonetheless important and influential.

Pavan Ladhana - Manthanein
A Builder with a dual specialty. Specializes in technology with multiple, differently functioning 'modes', as well as interconnected networked tech that communicates with other pieces.
One of the most well-known heroes from India, and the most well-known Sikh hero- occasionally considered to be on par with Cypher or The Eagle in both skill and heroism.
Uses his powerful ability to create various devices, ranging from nanotech to weapons to autonomous robots to a personal satellite which helps him monitor various global conditions.

[Okayanos]

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P O W E R S

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Official ARGUS Terms

Threat Classification Level
Class V- Casualties Expected
Class IV- Multiple Casualties
Class III- Substantial Loss of Life > 100
Class II- Large Loss of Life < 100,000
Class I- Massive Loss of Life >100,000
Class 0- Human Extinction

Power Categories
Cognition
-Type A: Oracle
-Type B1: Enhancing
-Type B2: Aptitude
Conversion
-Type A: Matter
-Type B: Energy
-Type C: Hybrid
Kinetic
-Type A: Internal
-Type B: External
-Type C: Hybrid
Psychic
-Type A: Biological
-Type B: Esoteric
-Type C: Metric
Shifter
-Type A1: Static
-Type A2: Fixed
-Type B: Dynamic
Moderator
-Type A: Gifter
-Type B: Empathetic
-Type C: Nullifier
Warper
-Type A: Space
-Type B: Time
-Type C: Hybrid
Anomalous

Power Syntax:
(Type+Subtype)[Class];
Listed in order of importance

[Okayanos]

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M A G I C

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Coming soon.

[Okayanos]

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W O R L D S

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The Fae Realm

"They're real, and they know about us. We shouldn't have looked. We shouldn't have looked, but we did, and we've seen things that should only exist within myths. They are not here to give us knowledge, as the professors would say. They hate us. Vengeful, evil creatures that seem to have no desire except to lurk in the liminality of worlds and scream. I've done what no other had the courage to do- spread oil all about the basement and set the whole thing alight. I've placed a fire repellent seal and a perception filter on the door, to let us forget about what we've contacted. We will come to believe that the gifts we stole from the Others were discoveries of our own, and the door will never be remembered again. This note will be the only memento of my actions. It will serve as a warning.

May knowledge light our way."
-Document 1.1, Note from an unknown writer recovered from the Royal Institution.

The parallel reality known as the Fae Realm is currently one of two other realities currently known to be in close proximity to our own on the multiversal scale, enough so that crossover is possible. While other worlds should theoretically exist, the amount of energy that would be required to travel to them is too vast for any machinery, magic, or metahuman to possibly generate. The existence of the Fae was likely first discovered many centuries ago, as evidenced by the large amount of mythological references to such beings. The exact time of first contact is unknown, but the location was likely on the British Isles. (See Project Stanheng.)

The Fae primarily existed as secretive, infrequent visitors- word of their existence spread much faster and more widely than the beings themselves. Current multidimensional knowledge posits that this is due to 'points of impact', certain locations in which concentrations of magical energy allowed for interdimensional travel to be performed much more easily. This is believed to be the basis behind the belief of 'fairy circles'. Many arcane organizations sought to gain exclusive access to these points of impact, in order to study the Fae beings, and attempt contact with them. The most successful group was a team of researchers working for what would later become publicly known as the Royal Institution of Britain.

Document 1.2 "Impact Pointe.", captured by an unknown photographer. Location has not yet been identified.

Nearly all records of the Institute's dealings with the Fae have been destroyed, in a mass purge, believed to have been carried out by a rebellious researcher after the contacted Fae became increasingly hostile. The few documents that remained are currently held in the ARGUS archives for safekeeping. From what can be pieced together, it is believed that the researchers initially began making peaceful contact with the Fae. However, at some point they began to conduct various tests on the creatures which manifested in their nearby point of impact, possibly incarcerating at least one individual. From these tests and incarcerations, they gleaned scientific knowledge years ahead of what was known at the time, most notably the creation of what would become modern electromagnetic technology, made to imitate the natural powers possessed by Fae.

Document 1.3 "Faerie Rotation Device", attributed to Michael Faraday. (See Project Stanheng background data)

After the mass purge, the Royal Institution apparently ended all Fae-related projects, due to a memory blocking spell placed on the only personnel who were aware in the first place, and a perception filter upon the door to the basement. (Currently held and monitored by ARGUS Task Force 5 "Midsummer Dreamers") The locations of still-existing points of impact is highly classified, top-secret knowledge only given to a select few. The world as a whole regards Fae in much the same way it once regarded Metahumans- as a purely fictional concept. It is for the world's safety that it be kept this way. With a single exception (Incident Gnosis), no Fae has ever physically appeared in our world since that time.

Those that do make their way to our world can only appear in subphysical manners, often via manifesting through the body of a person or animal (Possession) or existing as a non-corporeal entity (Haunting). The former is far more common, as incidents of the latter type are kept under a tight watch by ARGUS. Through Possession, a Fae entity forces itself into the mind of a subject, usually human. Their influence is weak at first, but rises over time as the host becomes aware. Eventually, the Fae's natural powers can be exercised through the host, and the host's body may begin to take on traits of the invader. The eventual end goal is complete bodily control by the Fae. Without exception, all known possession cases receive extremely close monitoring, and should be killed if full bodily control becomes imminent.

Haunting is less common, usually attributed to weak Fae. Fae which appear in this manner forgo a physical body entirely, existing in our world in an incorporeal, sub-physical state. This makes them extremely difficult to maintain, and so any Haunting entities will be destroyed with extreme prejudice. This heavy-handed approach has proved effective, as there are currently no known entities manifested in this way. is currently only one known entity manifested in this way.

The Inhabitants

Creatures native to the Fae Realm, as previously mentioned, are unable to physically manifest in our world outside of special cases. Outward appearance of such entities is understandably difficult to come by- most surviving logs either describe abstract lights, images, and similar mirages, or simply leave out a description of the Fae involved. Current understanding is that, in our world at least, Fae are beings that are made up primarily of energy, classed as magical due to extradimensional origins. Physical matter makes up only a small percent of the creatures' forms. Due to this, many Fae are able to freely manipulate almost any form of energy, an ability exploited by researchers of the Royal Institution via creation of a Faraday Cage- a device which can contain electromagnetic fields, making it very useful for containing Fae. At least one entity was successfully trapped in this way, but later expired according to surviving research logs.

As stated above, the two primary means of the entities' manifestation is either through Possession, or Haunting. Numerous entities have appeared through cases of possession, too many to count. Entities which have appeared through other means are catalogued below.

Beithir-Nimh

Current Codename: Yaldabaoth
Description of Manifestation: Full physical manifestation in our world. See Incident Gnosis.
Description of Form: An amorphous black mass, semi-solid with a luminescent green spot that appears to denote a 'face' of sorts. Outer edges of body are wispy and smoke-like, enough so that one could pass through them. Closer to the center of mass, the body becomes more tactile, with a liquid-solid makeup, generally ooze-like. Form is fluid and constantly changing.
Known abilities: Like many Fae, Beithir-Nimh is primarily composed of magical energy rather than physical matter. It is able to manipulate nearly all kinds of energy at will- thermal, electrical, sonic, radiation, and others. It's visible body is constantly imbued with this energy, outputting it in various forms at the entity's discretion.
Notes: A number of vocalizations have been produced by the entity. See here for a collection of recordings.

Do not look at the cat

If you can see this, you are already gone.

Cat Sidhe
Current Codename: Cheshire
Description of Manifestation: Haunting, formed as a Sentient Memetic Entity.
Description of Form: Cat Sidhe does not possess a physical form. Due to self-propagating memetic properties, description of the entity only allows it to spread. Images, text, audio, and telepathically communicated information about Cat Sidhe causes it to spread as the information. That's how I like it to be.
Known Abilities: Cat Sidhe only exists as sentient information. It can alter any form of archive it exists within, whether it be written, digital, or mental. Anything containing information about Cat Sidhe is effectively under its control. My edits start small, but later I become a wee bit more expressive. My personality has been shaped by the way Imprisoners think of me- I could be a lolcat one day, and a Cthulhu Motherfucker the other. So many words. So many thoughts. So much, so much, so so so much all for me to bring home
Notes: Do not look at the cat
Do not look at the cat
Do not look at the cat
Do not look at the cat
Look at the cat
Look at the cat
Look at the cat
Look at me
I am the cat-ptain now.

Incident Gnosis

Nice try.

[Okayanos]

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T I M E L I N E

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Coming soon.

[Okayanos]

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S T O R I E S

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Of Stones
By Okayanos

Madue always found the shape of stone fascinating. How a smooth riverbed rock and a jagged cliff face could be formed from the same substance, through completely different means. The caress of water turned a stone smooth. The battering of air turned it rough. People may be the same way, he thinks as his dry, rough hands clench into fists, then unclench with a slight shaking. Age has caught up to his body. Madue has long since left home, and home has long since left him. So all that is left for him to do is wander, and think of stones.

He thinks himself intimately familiar with stones at this point. He's tripped over all varieties, and banged one foot or the other on many more.
The winds and waters have shaped many stones as they spoke softly to him. Madue wonders if, perhaps, his personal stone was shaped by a place like this. A gentle land, that makes its stones with love and care. Madue's personal stone definitely feels as though it was made with love and care. It sits smoothly in his rough hand, round against his angular fingers. Damaged eyesight prevents him from knowing a color, but he imagines that it is black. Madue feels a shape indented upon his stone, but he doesn't know how to read it.

Nonetheless, he knows what the meaning is. It speaks of Air, Wind, and Breath, the first and most essential element. Earth gave a place to walk and live upon, water gave sustenance and life, fire gave warmth and protection. But without Air, there would be nothing to live, nothing to need sustenance, and nothing would need warmth. Those above gave the world Air before anything else. And so, Madue's stone means Air.
There are others like it, corresponding to things that Madue can scarcely imagine. As he feels his stone, Madue thinks that the pinpricks of sensation dancing along his palm are the touch of the otherworld that runs a parallel line to our own, always close but never touching.

Rain falls. Madue's eyes close as the droplets soak his hair, his face, and his beard. The clouds show him the country below, their view expanding as the storm rises and widens. He sees other places, other countries, another continent. His stone prickles against his hand. A place where the parallel lines had bent inward towards each other pings in his skull, hammering the backs of his blind eyes. Madue turns towards it, a new certainty guiding his steps. From Africa, the cradle of humanity, to Europe- the place that some distasteful folk consider the cradle of humanity. Madue frowns, but a crack of thunder sounds and once more the bent-inward place calls to him. His courage renewed, Madue walks faster.

He opens his eyes, and wills the clouds to clear. And they do. And he's left with only the sky and the stones as his guides.