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Ace in the Hole!(OOC Open)

For all of your non-NationStates related roleplaying needs!
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Tomia
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Founded: Apr 13, 2013
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Ace in the Hole!(OOC Open)

Postby Tomia » Fri Jan 17, 2025 4:44 pm

Ace in the Hole!
A Catnip Plantation Production

Now Hiring!

Are you a card hoping to become the next big superstar? Or did you always want to be an ace, but lack the gift for it? The Halliday Ace Group welcomes you! The Halliday Ace Group and its new team, the Bay Champions, are here to bring hope back to Adams Bay and we need your help! We are looking for aces to keep our streets safe, but also for anonymous heroes to take on a number of behind the scenes roles such, such as dispatchers, medical specialists, technicians, trainers, accountants, public relations advisors and more! If you'd like to make a difference in Adams Bay, and work for a cute manager, join our agency today!

What we're looking for:
  • Aces of any specialization and experience level - rookies welcome! All you need is teamwork skills and a disposition for learning.
  • Ace training specialists and advisors to keep our team in top shape.
  • Medical staff to tend to our aces' needs, from emergency treatment to psychological counsel.
  • Engineers and techicians to outfit our team with cutting-edge equipment.
  • Accountants, PR specialists and community managers to keep the agency up and running.

What we offer:
  • Competitive salaries for the industry.
  • Access to state-of-the-art tools and facilities.
  • The opportunity to work under our veteran ace captain, Propulsion.
  • Assistance with ace licenses and other related paperwork.

We hope to see you soon!
Halliday Ace Group LLC

Welcome to the world of aces, individuals with miraculous powers, called gifts, who fight to protect humanity from an ever present alien threat. Those with powers are cards, those who use them for good are known as aces, and those who would use them to further their own self interest are known as jokers. However, this isn’t simply a story about heroes and villains, it's about everyone else too. After all, the aces you see on TV are just the finished project. Entire agencies are hard at work in the background to make ace teams possible. That’s where we come in. This story follows a newly born ace agency, the Halliday Ace Group, and all of the people working hard to make it to the big leagues. Together the agency will deal with problems from monsters and organized crime, to funding issues and PR scandals. Together we’ll save the world, or maybe just get through the work week. So, can you start today?


The Felt - February 8th, 1998

“It is on this day that we commemorate those brave individuals that joined together to confront the greatest threat civilization has ever faced. They are our protectors, a shield behind which the light of human resilience will never be snuffed out. To those who have stepped into the light, we thank you. To those who are still unsure whether their powers will be accepted, I urge you to stand with us and we will work ever more to build a society worth protecting. You are our ace in the hole, and we salute you.”
- State of the Union Address, 1999

The day had started like any other. It was mid afternoon, and the streets of London were crowded as people took their lunch breaks. No one was prepared for what would happen - how could they have been? Right past the London Eye, a massive tower that looked like a black hole opening in the middle of the city formed. Suddenly, hundreds of creatures that wouldn't have been out of place in a lovecraftian horror story began pouring out of this alien portal. Many had humanoid figures but their bodies were made of a bizarre ooze like substance. Some spread poison in the air, others had skin as hard as diamonds, and others still could toss magma in the air and even destroy people’s minds. By the time the army arrived, the city would be a graveyard.

Or at least, that would've been the case if not for a miracle. Suddenly, those creatures, who would come to be known as the Shattered, were being wounded and driven back by people who looked like everyday citizens... except, these individuals had incredible abilities. They could command the elements, punch through concrete and take bullets without flinching. Most importantly, they could harm the Shattered in ways that conventional weapons could only hope to. A would-be massacre became a triumphant victory for humanity, but it was far from the end. London was not the only city attacked that day. Los Angeles. Beijing. São Paulo. Cairo. Monsters swarmed cities across the world, and it was only the gifted that could save humanity in its darkest hour, an event that would forever be known as the Felt. Two months later, another wave of attacks occurred, and two months after that it happened again. From the point it was clear, these attacks would continue in a pattern, and those with the gifts to fight the Shattered would be humanity’s only hope.


The World of Aces

Ever since the Felt, aces have become an increasingly important part of human society and culture. They are not only a vital defense against the periodic incursions of the Shattered, but they have become everyday protectors as well as cultural icons. Because the job entails a tangled web of national and global security, marketing, and celebrity culture, the regulation and production of ace teams has many levels. The highest of such levels is the United Nations Treaty on the Management of Gifted Individuals. It authorizes and compels every signatory country to regulate and train empowered individuals to respond to showdowns within their borders. Each country is also compelled to send empowered individuals to aid other signatories if a showdown occurs that is of a high enough magnitude as determined by the SUIT classification - more on that later.

Within the United States, empowered individuals who actively work to make the world a better place are known as aces and they have become celebrities and culture icons in their own rights. When the events first began these aces would create informal teams to better coordinate their tactics in dealing the monster invasions. Soon, their popularity attracted the interest of the market and at this point government regulation became necessary. Thus, the Ace Management Administration was born and created a system that would work to ensure America was protected against events.

Private agencies formed who were given licenses by the administration to form and train ace teams. Each team is given rights over a territory and in exchange they ensure the protection of that territory against both everyday crime and the potential of a monster incursion. To ensure fairness and stave off corruption and infighting, the ace agencies formed the Continental Ace League which serves as a league or union of sorts that regulates ace contracts and how teams are formed. The agencies and their teams that are part of the CAL are not the only ace agencies around but they are by far the most reputable and well funded. Many independent teams and agencies hope to one day be accepted in this league which is recognized as the pinnacle of ace work.

Agencies sustain themselves through both government contracts (each team is paid by the government based on their performance) and market revenue that is produced by sponsorship and merchandise. The CAL organizes an ace ranking that uses a point system that keeps track of each team within their league's success in fighting crime. This system has a great influence on a team’s popularity and revenue oppurtunities.


The Gift of Humanity

Not much is known about the emergence of superhumans on Earth. Though their surfacing coincided roughly with the manifestation of the Felt, the details remain scarce, and testimonies are far and few inbetween due to the chaos of those early days. Regardless, those individual who revealed themselves during humanity's darkest hour, brandishing powers beyond one's wildest imagination, were bearers of the gift, now known as cards in common parlance. Today, cards who go on to become humanity's protectors against the Shattered are known as aces, while those who reject such calling and instead abuse their gift for their own benefit are seen as the aces' dark counterpart, the jokers. Despite being cards all the same, aces are hailed as heroes and treated like celebrities by the general populace, while jokers are reviled for their selfishness and, often, their criminal activities.

While not much is known about the nature of gifts, it has been observed that they have a tendency to grow and evolve over time, especially in cards who find themselves in battle often. While observing both veteran aces and rookies, research has found that the former tend to not only be able to control and leverage their abilities better, but also have a wider range of abilities to draw upon. Conversely, cards who choose to continue living as civilians don't show much development of their gifts, if any. It's theorized that the Shattered may have to do something with this, but this remains unproven.


Showdowns

Ever since the first time the Shattered appeared on earth, similar incursions have appeared like clockwork every two months. These attacks are called showdowns. Multiple places are targeted at once, and while originally the attacks seemed completely random, analysts have discovered a pattern that allows them to narrow down the potential targets across the world for every showdown. Each attack is different, but through documentation and study of the Shattered, distinct types have been recognized and a categorization system created to help determine the threat levels of the threats aces may face.

The System for Understanding and Identifying Threats - or SUIT for short - is organized in the following way:

Image
While generally humanoid creatures, spades are capable of transmogrifying their bodies into various shapes and sizes. Their skin, which is akin to sludge, is poisonous to the touch and in the worst scenarios is able to produce an airborne toxin. Their threat level is largely dependent on the plasticity of their bodies and the potency and transferability of the toxin they produce.
Image
Humanoid Shattered with notably higher levels of documented intelligence than the other types, hearts have psionic capabilities that allow them to induce hallucinations as well as damage a target's cognitive capacity if they are within sight. They can also augment nearby monsters, artificially boosting their rank within their given suit. A heart’s rank largely reflects the range at which they can affect other beings as well as their intelligence and strategic abilities.
Image
Diamonds are golem-like creatures with hardened carapaces, most notable for their sheer durability and resistance to various types of damage. These Shattered, when allowed to build up enough speed and momentum, resemble nightmarish wrecking balls or battering rams, taking down everything around them. A diamond’s ranking depends largely on the hardness of their external shells as well as their size and shape.
Image
Shattered of an elemental nature, clubs are capable of taking on various forms, but are generally roughly humanoid in shape while possessing minimal strategic capabilities. They are known for their ability to toss magma, create gale winds and cause the ground beneath one's feet to quake and shatter. Their rank tends to reflect both the range and area of effect of their elemental abilities, as well as the number of elements they embody.

Each of the Shattered is given a suit and a number within that suit to designate it’s level of danger. A two of diamonds is the least dangerous of its suit, while a king of diamonds represents a potentially catastrophic event. The system is fluid and constantly being updated based on new data acquired in the field. Ace teams often include experts who are able to identify a creature's rank on the spot in order to understand what kind of response is needed.


Adams Bay

Home of the newly formed ace team, the Bay Champions, Adams Bay is a modestly sized city in the northeastern region of the United States. It is the largest city in the state of Connecticut, but is often passed over because of its proximity to larger metropolises, such as New Rotterdam to the south and Watson to the north. It has a rich heritage that traces back to the first days of English colonization of the territory and has had a fairly peaceful and prosperous history since then. The city was founded by two prominent English trading families, the Achesons and the Hallidays - the former family line is now lost to history, whereas the Hallidays remain the leaders of the city’s prominent shipping industry, providing employment for countless citizens.

Since the birth of aces, Adams Bay has largely lacked the need for their services. It has yet to be the target of a showdown, nor has it had a strong crime presence. However, in recent years that latter fact has begun to change. As other cities become more and more populated with aces, those interested in illicit activities have turned their focus toward smaller cities such as Adams Bay. With the crime rate increasing, more and more public demand has been made for an agency to step in and oversee the formation of an ace team that gets a handle on the situation before it spreads out of control.

Some of the most notable areas of the city include:

  • Haynes University - A reputable mid sized public university in town, its presence attracts a good amount of people to the city, whether college students or visitors. The school is best known for its engineering and nursing programs as well as its fairly successful basketball team. The campus is on the outskirts of Adams Bay and hosts one of the city’s largest nature preserves. Most students live on campus but there is some student housing available in the city, and in the downtown area there is a street known as “Haynes Row” due to its bars hosting mostly college students.
  • Halliday Industrial - A successful shipping company that operates out of the city and has its headquarters in the downtown area. Many locals are employed by this company and thus the Halliday family is very popular. Their docks dominate the eastern coastline of the city, while their headquarters are one of the city’s few skyscrapers, which towers over the otherwise modest skyline. In contrast with such luxury, the neighborhoods that surround the docks are some of the more impoverished areas of the city, and unfortunately some of the more dangerous.
  • Wellman Pharmaceuticals - Another major company that has its headquarters within the city, they are far more controversial, having recently been hit with a class action lawsuit over one of their products. They are headquartered in a modest office building in the industrial sector, having recently lost their larger company building downtown. The recent layoffs that resulted from the loss of funds have produced a lot of unemployment.
  • Portside Performance Center - Another popular downtown location, the Portside Performance Center is a small stadium that serves as a concert venue for local bands, as well as the home to the city’s professional hockey team, the Adams Bay Stargazers.
  • Battleship Memorial - A small park located in the residential district, popular for picnics and family gatherings, with a large bronze statue of a naval vessel at its heart. It honors a private ship that was repurposed for war during the American Revolution and eventually lost at sea.


The Halliday Ace Group

The agency behind the creation of the Bay Champions ace team and the only one of its kind to have taken an interest in Adams Bay, the Halliday Ace Group is the creation of Michael Halliday, youngest son of the CEO of Halliday Pharmaceuticals, with the assistance of former members of the Watson Firebolts, Lucas "Propulsion" Alvarez and Riley "Snowflake" Rose. Michael grew up in Adams Bay, leaving for college and living in California for a few years, enjoying some success in the startup tech business. With the growing crime problem in Adams Bay, he returned home with the intention to put all the money he has earned towards starting a new ace agency to protect his home town. The task proved difficult, with the industry being very insular and expensive - he had no interest in taking advantage of his family's wealth to jumpstart his project, nor did they show interes in it, but he remained undeterred.

Frankly however, Michael knew very little about the ins and outs of the ace industry, whether it be recruitment, training or management of aces. Thus, he sought out not only an experienced ace, but someone he thought could embody the hope he wanted to bring to the city, a superstar from his childhood, Propulsion. While the veteran ace had fallen on hard times and wasn’t exactly in the limelight anymore, Michael knew he was the right person for the job. Propulsion became the team’s captain, and after contacting a former teammate who had gone into early retirement, Snowflake, the two had someone willing to work behind the scenes to organize the team and manage the agency. Neither were what one would call inspiring figures at this point in their lives, but they had their reasons to accept joining the project, and that was good enough for the youngest Halliday.

Thus, the Halliday Ace Group was born. An ace agency is an ogre with many layers and needs, however. Though aces form the heart of the organization, nothing would be possible without the work of those such as public relations staff, ace trainers, technicians and engineers, medical staff, mission coordinators and dispatchers, and many more. While Michael Halliday has been able to procure excellent facilities and qualified key personnel, offering compensation well beyond the means of so small an agency, there are still many openings in both the Bay Champions and the Halliday Ace Group proper.


Characters!

And now we arrive at the cornerstone of roleplaying: character creation! For the purposes of this story, please bear in mind that while a part of it will revolve around aces and battles, we want to put an equal focus on the people behind the scenes and their everyday struggles, as well as the ways in which these two dimensions connect. Whether you're looking to play a stalwart hero or a savvy office lady, there's something for you here. We don't have a full list of jobs available, but the rest of the OP should give you an idea, and if you have something more specific in mind feel free to run it by us and we'll figure something out. Bear in mind also that not all cards necessarily become aces, so a behind-the-scenes worker with the gift is entirely plausible.

Since aces are such a big part of this world, we have to talk about powers next. In this roleplay, powers work a little differently. Characters who have received the gift have access to powers related to a single theme, which is determined by two elements chosen by the player. One of them, the primary element, determines the nature of the theme, while the other one, the secondary element, defines how it interacts with the world - examples will be offered later. This theme will likely have a broad scope, but the character will initially only be able to harness a small portion of it, with more options unlocking as the story progresses, so bear that in mind while making your character. Additionally, gifts tend to change the outward appearance of the people who receive them in some way, be it something simple like a change in pigmentation of the hair, eyes or skin, to something larger like growing wings for flight, or other such beastlike traits - you may want to consider that. All that said, below is a list of elements to pick and choose from:

  • Air: The power is related to wind, breath and gases.
  • Water: The power is related to water and other liquids.
  • Earth: The power is related to earth, rock and soil.
  • Fire: The power is related to flame, heat and combustion
  • Ice: The power is related to snow, ice and cold.
  • Thunder: The power is related to storms and electricity.
  • Sound: The power is related to soundwaves and the sense of hearing.
  • Light: The power is related to warmth, luminosity and sight.
  • Darkness: The power is related to the dark and the unseen.
  • Body: The power is related to the flesh and the physical.
  • Spirit: The power is related to emotion and willpower.
  • Metal: The power is related to metals in their many forms.
  • Nature: The power is related to the wildlife, be it animals or plants.
  • Life: The power is related to the nourishing and preservation of life.
  • Flight: The power is related to the mechanisms of flight, whether natural, supernatural or artificial.
  • Blast: The power is related to long-range expressions of energy.
  • Wave: The power is related to the expression of energy over wide areas.
  • Shift: The power is related to changes in the state or structure of something
  • Construct: The power is related to the creation of physical objects and entities.
  • Summon: The power is related to the conjuring of mystical objects and entities.
  • Motion: The power is related to movement and mechanics.

As mentioned before, there will be opportunities for your character’s power to receive upgrades as the story progresses. This, too, will work a little differently. These upgrades will come, ICly, in the form of a tangible power-up for the character; OOCly, we'll present you with three different options to choose from, be they new abilities related to the character’s theme or enhancements to existing abilities, from which to pick one. While you may understandably be concerned about a lack of control over your character, we hope this system will create an interesting and interactive experience.

Below you will find the app form. Please remove all parentheses from it before posting it, and bear in mind that if you're making a non-ace character who is a card, you may skip the gift section if you want, but you'd do well to mention their powers and changes in the bio.

Code: Select all
[b][u]Name:[/u][/b]
[b][u]Gender:[/u][/b]
[b][u]Age:[/u][/b]
[b][u]Appearance:[/u][/b] (Consider how your character’s appearance might reflect their gift even in a small way such as hair color or other ways such as unique pigmentation or physiology)
[b][u]Agency role:[/u][/b]
[b][u]Talents/skills:[/u][/b]
[b][u]Bio:[/u][/b] (Consider this a writing sample meant to tell the story of your character and paint a picture for other players)

[b][u]Bio Questionare:[/u][/b] (You may skip a given question or remove this section if this is answered in your bio)
How did your character end up in Adams Bay?
Why does your character want to join the agency?
If your character is an ace, do they have experience being an Ace? If so, why are they joining a team in its infancy?

[b]Gift[/b] (Optional for non-aces)
[b][u]Primary Element:[/u][/b]
[b][u]Secondary Element:[/u][/b]
[b][u]Power Description:[/u][/b] (What your Character is currently able to do)


Finally, here are two apps for our characters that we think should give you a good idea of what sort of character we're expecting:

Name: Hunter Holloway
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Appearance: Here
Agency role: Ace
Talents/skills: Driving, basic understanding of mechanics, various housekeeping skills and miscellaneous artistic talents.
Bio: Born in February of 2004 in Adams Bay, Hunter is the child of Hal Holloway, a tailor living in Wallace Hill, one of the humbler neighborhoods in the city, and an unknown woman. Despite the challenges of growing up in a single parent household - both logistical and emotional - Hunter was a relatively happy child, if a little impulsive. His father was stern, yet caring and hard-working, spending all of his free time with him and not once complaining about the amount of work it took to earn enough money to provide for him. The boy had a gentle temperament growing up, earning him the appreciation of those around him, and quickly learned to be self-reliant, hoping to lessen the load on his father’s shoulders.

By the time he reached middle school, Hunter had become something of a leader figure among his friends owing to his maturity and budding charisma. At the same time, however, he became something of a troublemaker, getting into many a scrap with the local bullies in an effort to protect their victims, a hands-on approach that often landed him in the principal's office and didn't do him a lot of favors at school. Academically, while he was able to keep up on his own, his grades weren't excellent, which meant something like a scholarship was sadly out of reach. Still, those were defining moments for him.

Throughout high school and especially after graduating, the young man worked various part time jobs to support the household, earn himself a little spending money and also start saving up. A year after graduating, he was able to buy himself a motorcycle and start doing courier and delivery jobs in addition to his usual part time work. Thus emerged the rhythm that he suspected his life would maintain for the foreseeable future. However, something changed one day. While spending some time at home, he felt a sudden rush of heat through his whole body. His hair and eyes turned fire red, and he found that he was suddenly able to generate and channel flames through his body - a gift had been bestowed upon him, turning him into a card. Though he had long admired the aces that protected the world, he had never dreamt of becoming one himself. Now, he found himself thrust into the crossroads.

It has been a few weeks since then, and though he was able to explain away the irregularities with some creative excuses and resume his life more or less as normal, he spends the nights training with his newfound abilities, all while wondering what the future might hold in store for him.

Gift
Primary Element: Fire
Secondary Element: Body
Power Description: Flamestrike - Blake has the ability to channel elemental flame through his body to deliver fiery strikes or release explosive force.
Name: Alice McLean
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Appearance: Here
Agency role: Mechanical engineer
Talents/skills: High intelligence, self-trained expert in mechanical engineering.
Bio: While Alice’s grandparents were humble and dangerously poor Scottish immigrants who barely managed to survive the great depression and the second world war, they had managed to build the foundation for their children to do better. Among those children was Callum Mclean, a simple but hard working and kind man. Born and raised in Adams Bay, he settled down with a family there, finding steady work as mechanic at the local shipping yard. As his wife, Gina, also had to work so that they could make ends meet, Callum often brought his daughter Alice to the yard with him at a young age.

He had no idea the impact that would have on the trajectory of her life.

Since as early as she could remember, Alice was fascinated with the idea of building things. Seeing hunks of metal come alive as massive ships, gave Alice a profound sense of comfort and purpose. From then on Alice had little time for anything else but her love of machines and the very idea of creating something of her own. That is until one year when her and her parents took a rare vacation to Montreal. This was early in the era of showdowns, and the detection systems had yet to be developed and so the family was taken completely by surprise when monsters began pouring out of an eldritch gate into the city. The tour bus they sat on was surrounded, and the young Alice sat in silent horror watching the most disturbing thing she had ever seen.

But in that dark moment, their saviours arrived. A team of Aces appeared as if from nowhere, fighting off the creatures with dazzling displays of strength, speed, and powers that looked like magic. The New Rotterdam Guardians had arrived and cleared the bus and brought her family to safety. As Alice grew up, her appreciation grew to fandom and Aces became the only thing that rivaled her love for machines.

Fast forward and Alice is the valedictorian of her high school, and has a chance to be a first generation college student at any school of her choice. This proved far from easy however. After being accepted to and attending the prestigeous Ford University in New Rotterdam, Alice found a hostile rather than friendly environment she was expecting. Her lack of wealth and the fact that she was a first gen student quickly isolated her from her fellow students and she fell into a serious depression. Within a year she had returned home, leaving her dreams shattered and her parents deeply concerned. They were kind and caring people, but given their own humble education they had severe problems relating to their child.

Not sure how to continue, and feeling the immense pressure to not waste her natural talents or the opportunities her parents gave her, Alice finally found a spark of inspiriation. A help wanted poster for a new local Ace team just starting up, mentioned that one of the jobs needed involved building and maintaining equipment, and for the first time in over a year Alice found herself wanting something for herself again. She understood the odds, she had no college degree or work experience to speak of, but she also knew she had to get this job. So Alice immediately went to get herself independently licensed to build ace equipment, borrowing some money from her parents to do so, and got to work building a piece of support equipment for the team captain, Propulsion. She wouldn’t tell them why she deserved the job, she would show them.
Last edited by Tomia on Thu Jan 23, 2025 8:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Zarkenis Ultima
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Posts: 43827
Founded: Feb 22, 2011
Democratic Socialists

Postby Zarkenis Ultima » Fri Jan 17, 2025 4:45 pm

Last edited by Zarkenis Ultima on Sat Jan 25, 2025 12:37 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States
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Postby Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States » Fri Jan 17, 2025 5:20 pm

Really nice! Could I be the in-house lawyer for the group?
The name's James. James Usari. Well, my name is not actually James Usari, so don't bother actually looking it up, but it'll do for now.
Lack of a real name means compensation through a real face. My debt is settled
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Zarkenis Ultima
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Democratic Socialists

Postby Zarkenis Ultima » Fri Jan 17, 2025 5:20 pm

Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States wrote:Really nice! Could I be the in-house lawyer for the group?


Absolutely! Looking forward to that app.
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Kasa Tkoth Sphere
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Postby Kasa Tkoth Sphere » Fri Jan 17, 2025 5:25 pm

Ace teams often include experts who are able to identify a creature's rank on the spot in order to understand what kind of response is needed.

Did someone say the team needs a huge nerd? I'm in!

Here's hoping this goes well.

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Tomia
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Posts: 15775
Founded: Apr 13, 2013
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Postby Tomia » Fri Jan 17, 2025 5:30 pm

Kasa Tkoth Sphere wrote:
Ace teams often include experts who are able to identify a creature's rank on the spot in order to understand what kind of response is needed.

Did someone say the team needs a huge nerd? I'm in!

Here's hoping this goes well.

Great idea! We were definitely hoping for an app to fill that role, thanks for your interest!

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Tomia
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Founded: Apr 13, 2013
New York Times Democracy

Postby Tomia » Fri Jan 17, 2025 5:57 pm

Here is the app for the team captain Propulsion mentioned in the OP!

Name: Lucas “Propulsion” Alvarez
Gender: Male
Age: 41
Appearance: Here
Agency role: Captain
Talents/skills: Decades of ace experience, expert in combat tactics and maneuvers, amatuer car mechanic, talented billiards player.
Bio: Originally from a small town in California, Lucas was raised by his grandmother and grandfather in lieu of his parents. His mother had died young of cancer and his father, a very troubled man, had drifted out of Lucas’ life at a young age. Childhood was difficult for Lucas, he felt isolated and betrayed by the loss of his parents and it was difficult for his grandparents to relate to him. He was constantly getting into fights as a kid, and one tragic day in his early days of high school he was being ganged up on by a number of classmates when suddenly a punch of his sent one of them flying across the schoolyard, breaking several of the student’s bones. Lucas had no idea he did it, and tried to explain that it wasn’t intentional but the school and police were uninterested in his story. He found himself expelled from school and facing criminal charges.

Then the Felt occurred.

The nearby city of Los Angeles was the site of North America’s most prominent battle between those who would become Aces and the monsters known as the Shattered. Suddenly dozens of people with powers just like Lucas could be seen on TV fighting for humanity’s survival. A month later while Lucas was at home on house arrest, he heard screaming all throughout his neighborhood. A shattered, which based on eyewitness accounts would now be categorized as a 4 of diamonds had escaped Los Angeles and wandered into town. Soon fire became visible outside his bedroom window and Lucas knew he had to act. He ran out his front door, chasing after the smoke and the screams nearby. He arrived at the local grocery store to see a bizarre slug like monster tearing down a street lamp. It looked like a large bull but it was wrong… its horns were twisted and its face contorted. When it saw Lucas it charged at him with remarkable speed. Lucas thought for sure he would die, whatever power he had used in the accident at school he hadn’t managed to activate since. But at the last moment his instincts kicked in and a wave of kinetic energy surged through his body and Lucas vaulted into the air over the creature. He continued to desperately dodge it at high speeds, before he finally landed a kick on the creature. It went flying into the nearby wrecked grocery store before dissolving into small balls of blue energy.

The police showed up soon after and the stunned young man was sent to a juvenile facility as a consequence of breaking house arrest, however he did not stay there long. Soon he was visited by a man who had recently been all over the papers and news programs, a man named Roy Hendricks. He was one of the people who had helped save the city of Los Angeles over a month earlier. He now went by the name “Ace” and he had abilities just like Lucas did. Ace told Lucas that he was looking to recruit as many gifted individuals as possible and he had heard about Lucas’ heroics against a shattered. He claimed to be authorized by the President of the United States to recruit and train such individuals so that they could stand against any future alien incursion. If he agreed, Lucas would be pardoned of all his crimes, and his records would be sealed and classified.

The young man was admittedly skeptical, but at the same time it wasn’t like he had many options. And besides, as terrified as he had been, fighting the shattered had been exhilarating and one of the few times Lucas hadn’t felt like a waste of space.

Lucas has since spent the rest of his life as an ace named “Propulsion”. First he was a member of the New Rottendam Guardians before becoming the captain of the Watson Firebolts. After over a decade of leading the team to nationwide fame, Propulsion and the Firebolts parted ways in a reportedly amicable agreement. To everyone’s surprise Propulsion has not retired, but has instead returned after a year hiatus to ace activities and now serves as the captain of the small independent team, the Bay Champions.


Gift
Primary Element: Motion
Secondary Element: Body
Power Description: Charge Up - Lucas can produce a massive short burst of kinetic energy which he transfers to his arms and legs to deal devastating melee attacks. This comes at the cost of physical damage to his bones and ligaments.

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Zarkenis Ultima
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Democratic Socialists

Postby Zarkenis Ultima » Fri Jan 17, 2025 6:12 pm

Tomia wrote:---


Denied :P
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Galnius
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Democratic Socialists

Postby Galnius » Fri Jan 17, 2025 6:24 pm

I do believe I'll play a tank. Should be fun.
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Tomia
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Postby Tomia » Fri Jan 17, 2025 6:48 pm

Galnius wrote:I do believe I'll play a tank. Should be fun.

Great to see you Gal!


Zarkenis Ultima wrote:
Tomia wrote:---


Denied :P

:(

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Naval Monte
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Civil Rights Lovefest

Postby Naval Monte » Fri Jan 17, 2025 7:33 pm

So curious what is the extent to the summon element in this RP? What can one summon at the start and what can they do with them (I assume what the summons can do relates to the secondary element)?
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The Republic of Atria
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Postby The Republic of Atria » Fri Jan 17, 2025 7:37 pm

Naval Monte wrote:So curious what is the extent to the summon element in this RP? What can one summon at the start and what can they do with them (I assume what the summons can do relates to the secondary element)?


No joke, had the exact same question. WAs thinking about doing a Summon/Motion Repair-man who has a shield that kinda does Captain America things. Plus the ability to always have stuff needed to fix things on hand is nice

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Tomia
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Postby Tomia » Fri Jan 17, 2025 7:37 pm

Naval Monte wrote:So curious what is the extent to the summon element in this RP? What can one summon at the start and what can they do with them (I assume what the summons can do relates to the secondary element)?

Ya secondary element would definitely come in play. We are fairly open as long as the power remains grounded/has room to grow.

Some ideas of the top of my head: weapons, raw materials, nearby plants or animals, all those would be cool. But of course feel free to come up with something else as well

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Bentus
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Postby Bentus » Fri Jan 17, 2025 7:39 pm

Looks really interesting! Not too sure yet whether I'm more interested in an Ace or a side character, but I'm definitely curious to see which ends up with more apps.

Would it be too out-there to have a former Joker be part of the team? Or perhaps something of a celebrity diva?
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Naval Monte
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Postby Naval Monte » Fri Jan 17, 2025 7:41 pm

Tomia wrote:
Naval Monte wrote:So curious what is the extent to the summon element in this RP? What can one summon at the start and what can they do with them (I assume what the summons can do relates to the secondary element)?

Ya secondary element would definitely come in play. We are fairly open as long as the power remains grounded/has room to grow.

Some ideas of the top of my head: weapons, raw materials, nearby plants or animals, all those would be cool. But of course feel free to come up with something else as well


Still deciding on that one. So far the elements I have in mind is summon-dark.
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Tomia
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Postby Tomia » Fri Jan 17, 2025 7:42 pm

Bentus wrote:Looks really interesting! Not too sure yet whether I'm more interested in an Ace or a side character, but I'm definitely curious to see which ends up with more apps.

Would it be too out-there to have a former Joker be part of the team? Or perhaps something of a celebrity diva?

Former Joker wouldn't be too out there I think. The idea is this agenxy isnt super big or desirable and is going to start as a motley crew of sorts so that could work.

Diva you'd have to figure out why they are kind of slumming it in the minor leagues but could certainly work

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Naval Monte
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Postby Naval Monte » Fri Jan 17, 2025 7:56 pm

Tomia wrote:
Bentus wrote:Looks really interesting! Not too sure yet whether I'm more interested in an Ace or a side character, but I'm definitely curious to see which ends up with more apps.

Would it be too out-there to have a former Joker be part of the team? Or perhaps something of a celebrity diva?

Former Joker wouldn't be too out there I think. The idea is this agenxy isnt super big or desirable and is going to start as a motley crew of sorts so that could work.

Diva you'd have to figure out why they are kind of slumming it in the minor leagues but could certainly work


I think I can admit more that for my power of choice I was thinking of perhaps summoning creatures of sorts and with the second element being dark they would be things related to the dark. Of course I say creature cause not sure what to bring forth that could work for this RP.
Last edited by Naval Monte on Fri Jan 17, 2025 7:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Tomia
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Postby Tomia » Fri Jan 17, 2025 8:04 pm

Naval Monte wrote:
Tomia wrote:Former Joker wouldn't be too out there I think. The idea is this agenxy isnt super big or desirable and is going to start as a motley crew of sorts so that could work.

Diva you'd have to figure out why they are kind of slumming it in the minor leagues but could certainly work


I think I can admit more that for my power of choice I was thinking of perhaps summoning creatures of sorts and with the second element being dark they would be things related to the dark. Of course I say creature cause not sure what to bring forth that could work for this RP.

Powers can be mystical of a sort so little shadow creatures could be cool

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Galnius
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Postby Galnius » Fri Jan 17, 2025 8:17 pm

Name: Cecilia Huberta
Gender: F
Age: 26
Appearance:
She keeps her hair short since it keeps catching fire from her expirements
Agency role: Ace
Talents/skills: Chemistry, to the point of a doctorate
Bio: WIP

Bio Questionare: (You may skip a given question or remove this section if this is answered in your bio)
How did your character end up in Adams Bay?
Why does your character want to join the agency?
If your character is an ace, do they have experience being an Ace? If so, why are they joining a team in its infancy?

Gift
Primary Element: Life
Secondary Element: Body
Power Description: Regeneration. Able to recover from most nonlethal wounds in a rapid manner. Ironically, it also lends to a complete lack of skin pigmentation and muscle strength.

https://youtu.be/3X6J_EAmr8o?si=Fzar1xYfLGqJYz62 just a theme song
Last edited by Galnius on Fri Jan 17, 2025 8:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Kasdados
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Authoritarian Democracy

Postby Kasdados » Fri Jan 17, 2025 8:22 pm

Tomia wrote:
Naval Monte wrote:
I think I can admit more that for my power of choice I was thinking of perhaps summoning creatures of sorts and with the second element being dark they would be things related to the dark. Of course I say creature cause not sure what to bring forth that could work for this RP.

Powers can be mystical of a sort so little shadow creatures could be cool

So what powers are available? Are they the ones you can think of at the top of your head, or can they be more abstract things like chance? Randomness? Spirituality?
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Tomia
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Postby Tomia » Fri Jan 17, 2025 8:24 pm

Kasdados wrote:
Tomia wrote:Powers can be mystical of a sort so little shadow creatures could be cool

So what powers are available? Are they the ones you can think of at the top of your head, or can they be more abstract things like chance? Randomness? Spirituality?

If it is a reasonable combination of the elements we listed it should be good. We're definitely open to creativity, mostly worried about power level and then secondarily fitting in the setting

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Zarkenis Ultima
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Democratic Socialists

Postby Zarkenis Ultima » Fri Jan 17, 2025 8:25 pm

Here's manager's app. Just so people know ahead of time who's gonna be bossing them around :P

Name: Riley Rose, formerly Snowflake
Gender: Female
Age: 32
Appearance: Here
Agency role: Manager
Talents/skills: Organizational skills, fluency in other languages, experience as a former ace, business and accounting expertise.
Bio: Not many would have guessed Riley Rose would become one of the most famous aces in her hometown of Watson. As the daughter of a savvy businessman who had amassed considerable wealth in the food industry, most expected her to follow in her father’s footsteps and inherit the company from him, or get married off to some young hotshot in the Watson high society and live a cozy life; few imagined that she would receive the gift and go on to join the city’s very own ace team… fewer still imagined the tragedy that would bring her brilliant ace career to an early end.

To start from the beginning, Riley was born to Richard Rose, the wealthy industrialist, and his wife Amanda, an up and coming fashion designer; she also had a younger brother, Raymond, whom she was very close with. Great things were expected from her, so from an early age she was subjected to a strict educational regime. Private tutoring, music classes, sports club, the works. In spite of the pressure she was consistently subjected to, she managed to excel academically and perform admirably in all of her extracurricular activities, much to her parents' pride. This state of affairs continued through middle and high school, resulting in her living a rather sheltered life. Through it all, it was her bond with her younger brother that kept her in high spirits. His carefree, artistic soul provided her with some much needed levity, and in turn she protected him from some of their parents' more overbearing tendencies.

Things continued in this fashion until, at the age of seventeen, she received the gift, her hair turning snow-white as she developed the power to create and command ice over large areas. Her brother, too, received a gift: fire, in contrast to her ice. It was an exciting, if startling development, one that her parents quickly found about. While Richard was less than thrilled, he believed that it was important they learn to control these powers and used his contacts to find an ace instructor willing to train them. Both Riley and her brother took to this training very quickly and, despite their parents' protest, ended up accepting an invitation to join the nascent Watson Firebolts just a year later, becoming the heroes Snowflake and Wildfire.

The Firebolts, herself and Raymond included, quickly gained fame and notoriety, and with this came a period of indulgence for the young woman. No longer restrained by her parents' strict schedules, she let loose and quickly became a media darling, frequently giving news outlets something to talk about, whether it be one of her feats as an ace, or the latest romantic scandal. Even so, she managed to juggle exemplary ace work with university, pursuing a degree in business as a form of following in her father's footsteps despite her growing career as an ace.

This all came to a crashing halt eight years ago. During a particularly nasty showdown, Watson fell under attack by a king-level Shattered. The result of that battle was a Snowflake on the brink of death and several dead Firebolts, including the young Wildfire. Traumatized by the event, Riley quietly left the team and withdrew from the public eye after recovering. While her parents were supportive, they too were in mourning, and ultimately Watson was too full of memories that had suddenly become painful reminders of what she lost. Thus, she moved to the opposite coast, undergoing therapy for several years and getting a boring administrative job as a way to distance herself from her previous life and give herself time to heal.

Years passed, and one day she was approached by her old mentor and captain, Propulsion, with an offer. Though she was hesitant to return to the world of aces, she knew that this generation needed someone to steer them in the right direction and look after their well-being, and she was undeniably qualified for the job. Thus, after years away from the public eye, Riley returned as the manager for the Halliday Ace Group and its new team, the Bay Champions.
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Naval Monte
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Civil Rights Lovefest

Postby Naval Monte » Fri Jan 17, 2025 8:38 pm

Tomia wrote:
Naval Monte wrote:
I think I can admit more that for my power of choice I was thinking of perhaps summoning creatures of sorts and with the second element being dark they would be things related to the dark. Of course I say creature cause not sure what to bring forth that could work for this RP.

Powers can be mystical of a sort so little shadow creatures could be cool


Great. Just have to think what I want these creatures to be since they would be the starter. As for roles what sort of roles one can have for this agency? We have a captain and a manager and someone wanted to be the team tank.
Naval Monte- The Mediterranean crossroads of mind-controlling conspiracies, twisted dimensions, inhuman depravity, questionable science, unholy commerce, heretical faiths, absurd politics, and cutting-edge art.

Make wonderful memories here, in Naval Monte.

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Tomia
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New York Times Democracy

Postby Tomia » Fri Jan 17, 2025 8:44 pm

Naval Monte wrote:
Tomia wrote:Powers can be mystical of a sort so little shadow creatures could be cool


Great. Just have to think what I want these creatures to be since they would be the starter. As for roles what sort of roles one can have for this agency? We have a captain and a manager and someone wanted to be the team tank.

Well obviously aces, they are the "players" if we use a sportd analogy. In terms of non ace roles we've listed out a few examples throughout the OP but things like mission coordinators, doctors, engineers, PR people, trainers, all examples that would work

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Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States
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Democratic Socialists

Postby Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:08 pm

So, how did history turn out after 1999? Was there still the War on Terror? The Second Gulf War? Iraq and Afghanistan? Or has history changed entirely?
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