(Currently a work-in-progress. I will be posting notes from what you all have come up with here)

Liam McLyre
Age: 16

Liam is the youngest child.  He had an older sister (Jen; deceased when he was 12*) and has an older brother (Brad; 21).  His mother (Mary) left when he was only 11.  He never knew why.  He knew his mother and father (Raymond) had been arguing a lot, building up over last bunch of years but did not really know why.  One day, he came home from school and she was just gone.

His father made due.  Raymond was some big business type, one of the heads of  a X corporation.  It certainly handled the finances without a problem but it led to a lot of missed time.  Raymond cared and was a good father, when he wasn’t busy raking it all in.  But there were only so many hours in a days.  Jen and Brad helped out but they were growing up too.  Once Brad left for college, Liam was alone a lot and relatively unsupervised after that.

He had been a real happy child for most of his life.  But ages 11 and 12 were pretty hard.  Expectedly, his grades dropped as well as his interest in socializing.

Car accident when he was 12.  Jen was driving him home.  He still doesn’t know/really remember what happened but the car was totalled and she was dead.  Beyond a lot of dirt and some bumps and bruises, he was fine but utterly certain it was his fault.  His powers began to surface more commonly after that...

He did his best to hide them but it was hard.  He figured out pretty quick his emotions were directly tied into them.  And he was smart enough to realize with his behavior and family loss, he was under the microscope.  He changed; became more active in school and more social.  Or at least he appeared to.  He joined sports, hung out and tried to be friendly.  His apparent good and happy demeanor was a facade.  Inside, he was all about control, not letting himself get too happy or too sad.  He couldn't risk it...

--------

When did you first use your powers?
12 years old.


Who was the first person you accidentally hurt with your powers?
Jen, his sister, died in the car accident/first eruption of his powers...

Who, outside the team, helps you control your powers?
?? (not sure; working on it)

Why do you continue to use your powers?
Because it feels GOOD to be able to do these things.  It’s cool and exciting but terrifying all the same.  And he can do some good with them, despite the risk.

Why do you care about the team?
Because while he wants to help, he knows too well he’s a danger.  If he doesn’t get control, sooner or later, he’ll be too far gone and out of control to stop himself.  Someone will need to be able to stop him, to put him down if and/or when that day comes.  The team can do that.  Up until that day, he knows what it’s like, just like them, to have powers and juggle everything all while trying to not be noticed and all to aware he could loose control and kill everyone around him...


You hang out all the time with ________ to blow off steam.

You on CD hurt ________ when you lost control of your powers.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:12, Wed 23 Jan 2019.

Hero Name: Lady Liberty
"Yaknow, the New Colossus? Supertall badass woman offering to help those in need while at the same time saying not to mess with us? Recognized the world over as a symbol? Ya, wonder why I chose that..."

Real Name: Abigail Anastasia Abrams (Surname was changed from Abramovich when her paternal Great Grandfather entered the United States from Poland in the early 20th century)
"It's Abigail, not 'Abby' and definitely not 'Annie'. My parents gave me that name, don't meddle with it just because you think it's cute, okay?"

• ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman
"so because I'm the tallest girl in school and wear my hair this way, you think boys are too scared to ask me out? Yaknow, I think I'm actually good with that"

•Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, White

• calloused hands, dirty hands, inhuman hands, battered hands
"Why do you care? You're not holding my hands anytime soon..."
• baggy clothing, ragged clothing, dirty clothing, casual clothing
"When they start making dresses that actually fit me, I'll start wearing them. Until than, T-shirts and jeans it is"
• simple costume, memorable costume, over the top costume, no costume
"This is possibly the only chance to freely express myself, why would I just want to "blend in with the crowd"?

Abilities: Someone or something changed you, made you into a perfect weapon:  superhumanly tough, incredibly strong, and uniquely skilled at fighting. Decide how each of those abilities manifests.
Superhmanly Tough: The first way her powers manifested. With a thought, or on reflex in danger, her skin turns to metal. With practice and some concentration, she can choose how that metal appears, though it's normal state seems to resemble that of steel
Incredibly Strong: A passive, latent form of superstrength that's "always on".
Uniquely Skilled at Fighting: "Bring your child to work day" is a little hard when you're a Special Operator. When word spread around the team Commander Abrams' little girl was being bullied at school, there was no shortage of volunteers willing to teach her how to fight back. Even after the bullying stopped, she kept up with the training.

Labels:
Danger +2
Freak +1
Savior: 0 (Increased from -1)
Superior: +1
Mundane: -1


Backstory:
• Who changed you? "Not a clue, couldn't tell you when I changed either. I can tell you when I first found out, and that's all I got"
• How did you escape from them? "Again, I don't even if there was a 'Them' to escape from. If there was, they must have let me go and wiped my memory of it. That or some hero rescued me...and also wiped my mind."
• Who, outside the team, tries to take care of you now? "Still live with my mom and dad. They know what's up. Thankfully I get the cool parents. They're totally down with the whole hero thing...so long as I keep my grades up."
• Why do you try to be a hero? "Daddy always says that decisions are made by the people that show up, and that the people who are able to make a difference have an obligation to do so. So, this is me showing up. Am I making the right decisions? I hope so, but I'd rather have made the wrong decision than have these powers and just sit on the sidelines."
• Why do you care about the team? <i>"Because they're good people...mostly, and because I'm just a hammer, and not all of the worlds problems are nails"

Bull Moves:
 Punch everyone:  Whenever you charge into a fight without hedging your bets, you can shift your Danger up and any other Label down
 In a china shop:  When you directly engage a threat, you can cause significant collateral damage to your environment to choose an additional option, even on a miss

The Bull's Heart:

This will be figured out later as the rest of the crew figures out who their characters are, but I need a love interest and a rival.


_______________ is your love. You’ve opened up to them about the worst parts of your past.
_______________ is your rival. They tried to control you at a crucial moment.

Hero Name: Envoy
Real Name: Nenanero Ven KurAisen/Juana Rey Corazon
Look: Woman, pale bluish green humanoid body, bizarre big dark red eyes, mismatched clothing, her station's costume (suit of ritual combat armour)
Abilities: Flight, toughness, alien (psi-active) weaponry, telepathy and mind blasts

Moment of Truth:
You embrace your home and call them for aid. They will answer your call—in force!—arriving exactly when you need them to turn the tide. They fight and serve you for the rest of the battle. Of course, when all is said and done... they’d probably like to take you home with them. You did, after all, just prove yourself worthy.

Team Moves:
When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, take Influence over them if you show them meaningful affection, physical or emotional. They decide if it’s meaningful.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, they tell you what you should do to fit in more. Take +1 forward to do it, and mark potential if you do.

Potential:
[] [] [] [] []

Labels:
Danger 0
Freak +1
Savior 0
Superior +2
Mundane 0

Conditions:
Afraid [], Angry [], Guilty [], Hopeless [], Insecure []

Backstory:

Where do you come from?

Velano, the original homeworld of the Anavan Stratocracy. I am one of the Anenaven - "superhumans" would be the closest equivalent in your language - genetically engineered psychic warriors who defend and rule our society for the greater good of all. Together with the others from the first batch, the KurAisen line has been fighting to protect the Anaven from all outside threats since the days of the rebellion against the invading Kataren. I was born and trained to follow in those footsteps.

Why did you come to Earth?

There comes a point in our training when we must strike out on our own and acquire experience beyond what we could learn from our masters, while also doing good for the Stratocracy or its allies. We have learned of Earth when one of your superheroes, Vigil, ended up on one of our worlds and helped my progenitor, Tanavero Zan KurAisen, expose a Kataran plot (which was the first we've heard of them in decades). All of the Ven cohort were informed that one of us should go to Earth to return the favour, and to learn more about humans. Many of us would have volunteered, but I was especially curious and restless, and I wanted it more. Seeing this, the others gave way. I arrived on Earth, declared myself and my intentions to an Earth authority, and followed their instructions in joining a host family and going to a school. If they wish to conceal my presence for some reason... well, it is their planet.

Why do you want to stay here (for now at least)?

I expected Earth to be different; more advanced and harmonious. In fact, it is extremely chaotic and confusing. So many of the biggest problems here appear to be caused directly or indirectly by the humans themselves. But humans are full of both good and bad surprises, and some of them appear to be very capable. And there is a lot to do here - much more than back home, at least for someone of my rank. So I intend to continue doing it: studying humans and keeping them safe, whether from each other or from dangers that are not of their own making.

Why do your people want you to come home?

Eventually, I will return and become a fully-fledged champion of the Anaven. This is the last part of my training as an Anenav. What is the point of leaving if I do not return, armed with more knowledge and experience which I could wield for the good of all and pass on to those who will come after me? That said, there is no definite limit on how long I can remain here. Unless there is a major crisis back home, I and my fellow trainees should not be recalled before we are ready to return ourselves.

Why do you care about the team?

They are all very unusual humans. Despite being aliens, many of them are uncannily relatable to me. Most of them are dutiful in a way that I have not observed in others of their species. Perhaps I could learn some things from them. In any case, they could certainly learn some things from me! Either way, this is what I am here for; that and guardianship, which the team is involved in as well.

Relationships:

You’ve been learning about Earth by spending time with _____________.

You have a crush on ________________ but you keep it under wraps.

Influence:

Haughty: you think you’re better than them. Give no one Influence.

Moves:

Alien Ways: Whenever you openly disregard or undermine an important Earth custom in favor of one of your own people’s customs, shift Superior up and any other Label down.

The Best of Them: When you comfort or support someone by telling them how they exemplify the best parts of Earth, roll + Freak instead of + Mundane.

Not So Different After All: When you talk about your home, roll + Freak. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one. During the conversation, you:
- confess a flaw of your home; add 1 Team to the pool
- mislead them about your home; take Influence over them
- describe the glories of your home; clear a condition

On a miss, you inadvertently reveal more about yourself than you planned; tell them a secret or vulnerability you haven’t shared with Earthlings before now.

You’ve been learning about Earth by spending time with _____________.
You have a crush on ________________ but you keep it under wraps.

Sophia Tsitsipas, sometimes known as Space Thing, can make herself look like the 16 year old girl she would have been: curly dark hair, Mediterranean complexion, distinctive nose. It's not perfect. At a svelte 5'7", she still weighs upward of 300 extremely dense pounds, and when she starts to get distracted it becomes a little clearer that she doesn't have bones anymore. If she gets a little more distracted, her olive skin loses its opacity and reverts, in patches, to glitter-spangled midnight.

She's most comfortable stretching those 300 pounds out to seven feet, with long thin limbs and a distinct lack of definition in her facial features. Sophie lets go of the tight control of her skin, which in its natural state looks something like a glittery bouncy ball, miniature stars catching the light through hairless, translucent blue flesh.

The girl who used to love the beach and clingy, strappy clothes now wears hoodies and jeans that are several sizes too large. And sandals. Even in the winter, sandals.

• Who were you before?

Sophie Tsitsipas comes from a big Greek family with branches all up and down the Northeastern coast. Most of the family is employed directly or indirectly in produce distribution and shipping, a kind of big small business that was enough to keep the numerous cousins' childhoods comfortable without being luxurious. Sophie was a solid B student who mostly loved the beach and swimming. She started swimming competitively in middle school, and got quite good.

"I've got a big family. Smart cousins, dumb cousins, an uncle who's got a million dollar house in Newark. The only thing I was ever really good at was swimming. Can you imagine me trying to hold it together at the beach? In a two-piece?" sigh "I sneak out sometimes, though. At night, when nobody's watching and beach is closed. In the water, I can almost feel like myself."

• When did you change? What caused it?

"The last thing I remember was swimming. My cousin Jeremy says he saw me the next morning, and that I had a weird look in my eyes, but I don't remember that. I don't remember anything specific at all. There's a whole week of my life that's missing." sigh, averted eyes "You can go read about it if you want. It was kind of a big deal for the week. Fourteen year old girl goes missing story, you know? My whole family freaked out. I...I don't really remember much. God, you're pushy about this. Lights. I remember lights. It felt like somebody was putting lights inside me. And it...it hurt, okay? Is that what you want to hear about? It really, really hurt. I remember trying to scream and I couldn't. I couldn't even scream." tears, long pause "And...it was even worse when I came back. The doctors. The hiding. Mama and papa trying to pretend that nothing had changed. Dr. Nick thinks it was something extraterrestrial. Says he's got a whole list of 'exo-civilizations' that might have done it. I don't care. No. That's wrong. I do care. I want to know why they did this. And...I want to hurt them back. Is that bad? I don't want to be bad. But..." shrug

• Who, outside of the team, is helping you understand your new body?

Doctor Dominick Hauser (who for reasons that are entirely lost on Sophie thinks it's hilarious to be called 'Dr. Nick') is the A.E.G.I.S. scientist assigned to Sophia's case. He's doing a great job helping her understand her physique and how to use it; he remains almost oblivious to her psychological needs.

"We ran out of weights trying to figure out what I could lift. Dr. Nick thought it was interesting, said something about how I break physics and physiology or something. I think it was about how I don't have bones. Weird guy, Dr. Nick."

• Why don’t you just try to hide yourself away?

bitter laugh "Look at this sweatshirt! I am hiding. I just...I can't just not see people. My family would be on me all the time anyway. School's a little better. I can pretend here. At home they're all trying to smother me or feed me or just can't look me in the eye anymore. And..." shrug "Maybe I can, like, use these powers for good. God that sounds corny, but I should try, shouldn't I?"

• Why do you care about the team?

"We're all freaks together. I guess I'm the freakiest, but it means something that the others can do weird stuff. I'm valuable there. It's a good thing that I can punch through walls and change colors and stuff. Really, who else would even try to talk to a seven foot blue space thing?"

Moves:
Wish I Could Be (Roll +Freak instead of +Mundane on Comfort or Support another if you tell them what you most envy about them)
Unstoppable (Roll +Danger to bash through obstacles to get to or away from something. On a hit, the world breaks before you, and you get what you want. On a 7-9, choose one: mark a condition, leave something behind, or take something with you. On a miss, you
smash through, but leave devastation in your wake or wind up somewhere worse, GM’s choice.)
Coming for you: When you mark a condition, take +1 forward against the person you most blame for causing it.


___________________ comforted you when you were at your lowest.
___________________ knew you before you changed.

Playbook  The Legacy
Hero Name Paladin
Real Name Andrew D'Vincent
Look    Man, French, Blue Eyes, Blond Hair, Unassuming Clothing, White with golden sleeves, golden gloves, golden boots, a golden cape, and a golden sword pointed down blade first emblem costume.
Abilities  Magic weaponry, Mythic might, Legendary speed

LABELS
Danger     0
Freak      0
Savior    +2
Superior   0
Mundane   +1

Conditions: Afraid □, Angry □, Guilty □, Hopeless □, Insecure □

Potential: □□□□□

• When did you officially become a part of your legacy?
    Around my 14th birthday.  It was during the summer of that year.  I felt ill that day so was staying indoors.
• What’s the greatest accomplishment of your legacy?
     Managing to chase off the Black Knight when he was threatening a subway full of people, still don't know what he was after that day.
• How does the public perceive your legacy?
     Pretty positively.  There has been a member of the family, not always our direct line as we're not directly descended from Jehenne, helping to protect around the world.  The last two generations have been in my family, and have helped protect Halcyon.
• How does your legacy tie into your reasons for being a hero?
     I've been groomed for this.  I've been taught how to fight since I got my powers, raised from birth to expect the powers and the honor they bring, and encouraged by my father to pursue the goals set before me.  So the Legacy is a large part of my reasons for being a hero, that and generally doing good.
• Why do you care about the team?
     Jehenne was killed after announcing how she got her abilities.  She worked with the French, but was never truly part of them.  Her not being close to them, helped lead to her betrayal.  I need the team to help me stay humble, to help protect me from myself, even as I hope to protect them from the worse parts of their psyches as well.

You once got caught doing something that shames your legacy with ______________.
You trust ______________ and told them an important secret of your legacy.

Hero Name: Rook

Real Name: Josep Youn

Some people call me Joe though honestly I don’t really have a preference.

Look:

    Ambiguous, man, shifting, transgressing, woman

    Asian or South Asian, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle, Eastern, White

    South Korean if anyone is curious.

    Smiling face, naive face, average face, pretty face

    Well my mom says I’m cute but moms are pretty much required by law to say that to their kids.

    Stylish clothing, comfortable clothing, simple clothing, casual clothing

    Flashy costume, stylish costume, gaudy costume, iconic costume

    Someone once told me that you’re supposed to dress for the job you want so… Yeah, dress to impress.



Abilities: Photographic reflexes (acrobatics and martial arts)

How did you gain your skills?

That’s a little hard to pin down but I think it was a couple years ago. For whatever reason I can copy the physical movements of others so one day after watching kung fu movie at the local movie theater someone tried to mug me. Next thing I know I was doing moves from that movie and wiped the floor with that guy. I might have been more excited if I wasn’t worried about making sure the guy was okay. Since then I’ve been watching everything I can to build up a bank of moves. I know, it’s not much of a story but hey not every hero’s origin story is chock full of exciting moments.

    When did you first put on your costume?

    Almost a year ago and after a few incidents where I tried to help people and was almost recognized. I decided I was going to give the whole hero thing a go and what’s a hero without their costume? Took me forever to make it but that just makes me like it all the more.

    Who, outside of the team, thinks you shouldn’t be a superhero?

    Pretty much everyone, I mean all I can do is flip around and punch people. Compare that to other heroes and what I can manage is pretty underwhelming. If I had to name one person in particular it would be this hero, Vigil who’s recognized as a pretty big deal given he’s beloved by the city to the point a lot of adults and kids are wearing his symbol on their clothes. Back when I first put on my costume I sorta found myself in a situation that was way over my head. Vigil arrived and saved my butt. He told me that a rookie like me should hang up the costume or this would all end in misery for me. Something about that struck a chord in me and I told him I didn’t care if it did because I’m not doing this for me. The exchange also gave me an idea for my hero name. He did call me rookie so rookie… Rook? It’s a stretch I know but it’s better than anything else I thought up.

    Why do you try to be a hero?

    Why does anyone try something? Because they want to and this is no different. I know someone like me can’t make much of a difference but we all have to pull their weight. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll surprise myself and actually be a hero instead of trying to be. Until then I’ll keep at it and try to have a bit of fun as well. What’s the point of doing anything if you don’t enjoy it?

    Why do you care about the team?

    That’s kinda hard to put into words. Obviously I care about them because they’re my friends. Honestly, they’re all heroes even if there are times some of them don’t see themselves that way. I’m actually surprised at times they let me hang around since I’m basically deadweight. I guess that’s another reason why I like them so much. Well that and they make me want to try harder at being a hero even though I can never catch up to them.




Josep is not a physically imposing figure. He stands in at 5’10” with a wiry, athletic build though the loose yet stylish clothing he tends to wear hides it. He prefers to keep his hair on the short side though still long enough to be styled if the mood ever strikes him. His eyes are dark and while there are some who claim they are “the windows to the soul” that is certainly the case for him. It is easy to tell what is on his mind just from his expression. The norm is a sense of excitement or optimism in his eyes. Unfortunately for him or at least in his opinion it is unfortunate that he suffers from what most would call a “baby face”. He hates the fact especially since his face is incapable of growing any sort of facial hair. Overall with his looks, stance and everything else it is safe to say he does not come across as outstanding in any way with many not even noticing at times.


  BASIC INFORMATION

 Character Name  : Josep Youn               Height : 5'10"
 Power           : Photographic Reflexes    Weight : 155 lbs.
 Playbook        : The Beacon               Hair   : Black
 Alias           : Rook                     Eyes   : Brown


  LABELS

 DANGER       : -2  -1  0  +1  +2  +3
 FREAK        : -2  -1  0  +1  +2  +3
 SAVIOR       : -2  -1  0  +1  +2  +3
 SUPERIOR     : -2  -1  0  +1  +2  +3
 MUNDANE      : -2  -1  0  +1  +2  +3

  TEAM MOVES


When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, tell them how they’re awesome and add a Team to the pool. If they tell you how you’re awesome in return, add another Team to the pool.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, ask them to confirm or deny that you should be here. If they confirm it, mark potential and give them Influence over you. If they deny it, mark Angry and shift one Label up and one Label down, your choice.
  MOMENT OF TRUTH (LOCKED)


This is the moment when you show them exactly why you belong here. You do any one thing, take out any one enemy, no matter how insane, no matter how ridiculous, because that’s you. Their jaws are gonna drop when you’re done.  Of course, pulling off a stunt like this tends to bring unwanted attention and a dangerous reputation...


BEACON MOVES



  CONDITIONS


[ ] Afraid    (-2 to directly engage a threat)
[ ] Angry     (-2 to comfort or support or pierce the mask)
[ ] Guilty    (-2 to provoke someone or assess the situation)
[ ] Hopeless  (-2 to unleash your powers)
[ ] Insecure  (-2 to defend someone or reject others' influence)


  POTENTIAL

 [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ]

Every time you roll a miss on a move, mark potential.

  DRIVES


Choose four drives to mark at the start of play. When you fulfill a marked drive, strike it out, and choose one: mark potential, clear a condition, take Influence over someone involved. When your four marked drives are all struck out, choose and mark four new drives. When all drives are struck out, change playbooks, retire from the life, or become a paragon of the city.

Bold indicates chosen drives.

[ ] lead the team successfully in battle
[ ] kiss someone dangerous
[ ] punch someone you probably shouldn’t
[ ] help a teammate when they most need you
[ ] take down a threat all on your own
[ ] outperform an adult hero
[ ] pull off a ridiculous stunt
[ ] save a teammate’s life
[ ] get drunk or high with a teammate
[ ] drive a fantastical vehicle
[ ] get a new costume
[ ] get a new hero name
[ ] earn the respect of a hero you admire
[ ] make out with a teammate
[ ] punch out a teammate
[ ] break up with someone
[ ] stop a fight with calm words
[ ] tell someone your true feelings for them
[ ] travel to an incredible place (or time)
[ ] reject someone who tells you “you shouldn’t be here”

  RELATIONSHIPS

_____________ is awesome, and I take every chance I get to hang out with them.

I've got to prove myself to _________________ before I feel like a real hero.