Feel free to work on your character concept(s) here!

So I'm considering playing the Bull with concept being sort of in line with Captain America in being a person out of time. Since the Bull is about an organization or group experimenting on them this character was kept in cryo for several years to the point New Atlantis was not even a thing yet. Now they have to deal with not only trying to get used to having powers but also with trying to find their place in this new world.

Interesting. So maybe it's an experiment from the time of WWIII (when there would have been a lot of such experiments going on)? Or even earlier?

Where (New Atlantis or Mainland) and when (how long ago) did they wake up? For that matter, under what circumstances (superhero raid/experiment went wrong/experiment went right/any number of other possibilities)?
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:46, Fri 23 July 2021.

The experiment could be from around the time of WWIII or even only a couple of decades ago if that's a route that is more interesting. Such so they can see how their family has changed while they were held against their will. I think either way the character will have an identical twin who is also a part of Atlantis in same shape or fashion. That way there's the whole dynamic of each looking at what could have been their future or past. The sibling then opens up potential plot hooks such as what if they have done shady things to get to where they are now? A lot of ways it could go though.

As for who experimented on the Bull I'm thinking those who dabbled in magic and tried to infuse technology with it. Their end goal was to make super powered beings to help win the war if the character is from that time. If it's been only a few decades maybe the experiment was done by a faction from WWIII but they believe WWWIV is an inevitability and they're preparing for that day by creating living weapons.

For the superhero raid it could have been Agent Tiger or a yet to be determined one with connections to one of the other PCs to help build connections that led the raid. I'm thinking either the raid took place somewhere far off or it could have been in Atlantis so that means the organization is still lurking around because of course none of the notable figures were arrested in the raid in typical comics fashion.

For the parts of the experiment that went right they imbued the character with super strength and durability by inscribing magic runes onto them or into them such as on their bones. They glow brightly while active and change the character's form. Not so much the Hulk but they grow larger, more muscular and intimidating looking. The reason for this being the ones who experimented on them wanting their weapons to blend into crowds so no one would expect them until an attack was happening. A downside to the runes is the character generates a lot of energy which in turn causes their body to heat up. So that can cause damage to the surrounding area though but since this is the Bull most of the destruction is going to be through brute force.

Another thing that did not go right for those who took them is at least some of the code they put into their brain did not take given they were able to help fight out when the heroes raided the base. That being said maybe some of those codes are still locked away in their mind and the shadowy organization could use that as another plot hook.

WWIII was around three decades ago, so either way it wouldn't be long ago if that's what you choose.

I do like the family angle.

The WUC had more in the way of highly unethical human experimentation going on, but the Allies certainly had more unscrupulous or simply desperate elements among them. Given the WUC's anti-magic stance, I can see one such group on the Allied side resort to experiments that would leverage magic as an advantage... only to be disavowed and hunted down by their own government after the immediate need had passed, turning the project from a dire necessity to a potential human rights embarrassment. Naturally, those involved in the project would consider this short-sighted. Then they could have taken advantage of New Atlantis' openness to hide from pursuit there - until someone finds out. I think that would fit together nicely. Just an idea, though - maybe it was some other group unrelated to either side.

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear before - the "superhero raid/experiment went wrong/experiment went right" thing was just me suggesting some possible scenarios under which the Bull could have escaped. Maybe there was an attack during which they were freed, maybe some mishap allowed them to escape, maybe the group succeeded but simply failed to account for how much stronger the Bull would be - maybe something else happened instead. Up to you. There doesn't have to be a raid.

That said, those are all very interesting ideas and that does seem like a good set-up for a Bull.

Do I understand correctly that the group was basically done "improving" your character and was just keeping them frozen until the next big war?

Also, so the enhancements consist of magical runes and mental programming? Or are those literal codes in a cybernetic brain implant? Are there any technological improvements - maybe some sort of heat regulation system without which the energy problem would be even worse?

Okay, so WWWIII maybe at the very beginning of it so the character is waking up from what they believe should be pandemonium to the world actually turning out okay for having gone through another war.

I'm very glad to hear you like the family angle. It felt like a nice little angle to take the character so they have a view of what they could have been if things had not went the way they did.

I like all of those ideas and if you wanted to pursue another option maybe it was a splinter cell of the WUC that decided to resort to magic to win then seen as heretics by the rest of the WUC. Going with the Allied side makes it a lot more blurred since at one point the project was given the okay by a higher up so when the project was terminated it could have been a case of this group seeing themselves as patriots betrayed by their own because they were doing what they believe was their duty to win the way. For an unrelated side the only thing I can think of would be the equivalent of arms dealers, trying to sell their goods to either side to profit off the war.

The group was currently done improving the Bull. I'm sure they were moving onto other projects since they can't focus all their resources on one weapon. That being said the Bull would be the only one that was fully functioning at the time.

Magical enhancement mostly maybe some science such as using various means so the Bull's body could handle the strain of the runes activating and whatnot. As for the heat regulation pretty much what the Bull emits and causes issues for those in proximity would be the group's idea for a regulation system. They saw it as a good design since they wanted as much destruction as possible since the longer a fight goes the more likely the heat will increase. That being said maybe one of the runes is for regulation and if it is broken, tampered with maybe it will make the Bull go critical. A fun way to go about it is the Bull or anyone not part of the group who experimented on them would not fully know so you could use those unknowns as you see fit.

It would be mental programming instead of a cybernetic brain implant. With that in mind and for how the escape occurred maybe the Bull has been brought out to be field tested once or twice. After all, the organization would likely not trust an experiment to function without some testing first. Maybe the Bull was sent after someone, say someone with mental capabilities that did some damage to the mental programming. The mission was still a success but later when they tried to get the Bull to obey commands things went haywire. This also could open up a plot about the Bull doing things they do no remember while being under the organization's control. If the raid is the option I go with then what happened above can still occur but when they order the Bull to stop the hero the Bull instead turns on the group. I'm leaning more towards the character broke out on their own then was detained by a hero who spotted them.

Were it up to me, I'd probably go with the Allies, since like I said, it all fits together well. Of course the other options can work to. It is up to you.



I wonder if there were other projects left unfinished in the same facility, and whether there were other facilities.



Ah, so technically the Bull is a magically augmented human... with maybe some added physical conditioning, genetic modification, etc. to help them withstand it?

The field test seems risky, but I can see why they would want to do one. Would they have done it in New Atlantis, perhaps taking advantage of the growing slums? Or shipped him out somewhere, if they have the means?

Okay, Allied forces works for me. I like the idea this group started out with "good" intentions in the case they wanted to win the war even if the end did not justify the means. It sort of speaks about the Bull playbook as well since they are all about causing destruction to stop the villain so in that regard it's the same in does that cost equal what is left at the end of the day. Or maybe I'm overthinking this and if so disregard it. haha



I imagine there were could have been ones before the Bull that failed, sold or something else happened to them. Same with experiments with ones that came after the Bull. With the group being funded by the Allies that means it's likely they had more than a few test subjects plus enough funding to make it happen.




That's my idea for their powers since it's lists the abilities as being superhumanly tough,
incredibly strong, and uniquely skilled at fighting. The uniquely skilled at fighting bit has not been covered but easily done since there was mental conditioning perhaps the Bull was mentally programmed through magic (or other means if that does not work for you) with moves from the heroes that were prevalent during the war and such so their style is a mishmash of all their styles. Which I think would work well since the hero name I was thinking for the character is Argo which was the ship the Argonauts used so in a way the name could be a play on how they have the styles of various heroes from yesteryear. That being said if that does not sound interesting I can change it up.



Agreed that it's risky but I imagine they had to see if the character could function properly as a weapon. Maybe it was meant as a demonstration for a potential buyer to see if the Bull was worth the money. I'm thinking they would not have done this in New Atlantis if they were hoping to use it as the place their new hideout would be. They could have done the test then moved or like you suggested took advantage of the growing slums and also to further promote their product. The whole "our living weapon succeeded its mission and disappeared before anyone could apprehend them" spiel to show the experiment could perform as a sleeper agent.

You could say they really got exactly what they wanted for their needs, except for the control issue. Makes your character all the more valuable to them.

I certainly don't mind the stuff you write here. Even if I don't respond to some of it directly, it gives me more ideas to play with later.



I think that could certainly work - and the character might not even know whose techniques they're using, at least until encountering the original or seeing a video or something.

One more thing - so regardless of their original intentions, they still ended up selling their living weapons rather than keeping them around for WWIV? Have their motives changed? Or is that just a temporary necessity for them now that they have been cut off from funding?

Exactly and why they would be so eager to capture the character which is part of the downside of this playbook given it's the cost of using their moment of truth. The Bull is basically their walking blueprint of how they got it right for the first time so of course they would want them.



Understood, since this is still the development phase of the character I'm just throwing out whatever to see what sticks.



I like that idea especially if they encounter the hero who uses the move in front of them. Could lead to some interesting interactions and the character wondering how much of them is well them at this point and not the experiment.



I think they have sold some for financial reasons since they know WWIV is going to happen. To me they are so eager for it they would even be willing to be the ones who sparked it. Which would be interesting since they tried to use their means to stop WWIII and now after being betrayed they want to kick off the next one.

Putting this here to help me get a better feel for the character.

Who changed you?

Orthrus, a group of scientists and mages who worked for the government back during the last big war. They’re no longer in the country’s employment but that hasn’t stopped them from continuing with their goal of making the perfect weapon for the next war.

How did you escape from them?

Parts of it are still a blur but I remember waking up like I was just dunked in cold water and there’s this schmuck telling me to go to get ready for the next test. I don’t know why but instead of being confused what he said really ticked me off and that’s when the memories come flooding back. It’s like my body knew before my mind did what was wrong with all this. I… lost control and started swinging. A bunch of people tried to stop me, but I kept pushing forward. Even when I tore through the building and was outside I didn’t stop moving. It wasn’t until some supe caught me after reports of me booking it across the city started coming in. Yeah, it was quite the Tuesday.


Who, outside the team, tries to take care of you now?

Harry, my little brother. It’s not really fair to call him that now but I was born first even if you couldn’t tell it now. He lives in New Atlantis luckily enough, the only lucky break I’ve actually caught from all this. He’s not around a lot due to work as some bigshot at this company, Dunamis Incorporated. A large conglomerate that has their hands in a multitude of fields. I wish my brother would take some time to help me out but I guess I get it that he has his own life to worry about. It’s not like back then when he would come running to me when there was a problem.

Why do you try to be a hero?

The answer changes depending on the day. Sometimes I feel because it’s the right thing to do with these powers those jerks gave to me. Other times it’s to track every person in Orthrus down so I can get answers and revenge then I remember that’s not what a hero would do. It doesn’t make the thought not pop into my head now and then, or every day. Bottom line though is if I don’t use these powers for good then all that’s happened to me was for nothing. If I can turn this into a positive even if it’s not much of one then maybe there’s still hope for me yet.

Why do you care about the team?

TBD

What country was Orthrus working for, exactly? America? Though it's a minor detail at this point, really.

What is their motive now, exactly? Do they just want to start a war to prove their work wasn't in vain, or is there more to it - like revenge, or wanting to extort their way into their government's, or another government's, good graces? You could leave it up to me if you want, though.

So what does his brother actually do to help him?

We'll go with the States, like you said it's a minor point so doesn't really matter which Allied country is chosen.

I think to keep some information from me as a player it would be fun for me not to know what their end goal is. If that's okay with you but if you want me to write out what their endgame is I can.

The brother aside from giving place to live also provides what the Bull needs in terms of food, clothing as well as trying to help the PC become acclimated to the present day. The brother might have even offered his company's services to try to rid the Bull from  what the experience has done to his body. You know all the brother needs is some blood and other things which could be a ruse for something, or not. That aside the brother is very cold, distant and doesn't seem to see the Bull as a brother so much as a new potential prospect and maybe PR nightmare so another reason to keep an eye on him.

Sure, I can fill in the blanks.

I imagine part of the coldness may be explained by the fact that this is an incredibly awkward experience. His brother disappeared for decades, then came back looking the same age, but now with superpowers and a story of mad wartime human experiments by the Allies. But of course, there may well be a more sinister explanation as well. That would be interesting to explore.

Did he put him up in his penthouse or in a spare apartment or something? I guess the latter would make more sense if he wants to keep him on the down-low for now.

Great, thank you very much. :D

That is also very likely. In this setting it would not be out of the norm for odd things to occur but it would still put any person off to see their sibling reappear after so long without aging. With all of this there's also been some tension such as the Bull wanting to see the rest of the family and being told no for various reasons such as the ones who turned him are still out there and there's no reason to put the family in danger.

I was thinking he was put up in an apartment to keep him on the down-low like you said.

I'm posting my character sheet along with the answers to the questions again since I wrote a response for the last one.

Who changed you?

Orthrus, a group of scientists and mages who worked for the government back during the last big war. They’re no longer in the country’s employment but that hasn’t stopped them from continuing with their goal of making the perfect weapon for the next war.

How did you escape from them?

Parts of it are still a blur but I remember waking up like I was just dunked in cold water and there’s this schmuck telling me to go to get ready for the next test. I don’t know why but instead of being confused what he said really ticked me off and that’s when the memories come flooding back. It’s like my body knew before my mind did what was wrong with all this. I… lost control and started swinging. A bunch of people tried to stop me, but I kept pushing forward. Even when I tore through the building and was outside I didn’t stop moving. It wasn’t until some supe caught me after reports of me booking it across the city started coming in. Yeah, it was quite the Tuesday.


Who, outside the team, tries to take care of you now?

Harry, my little brother. It’s not really fair to call him that now but I was born first even if you couldn’t tell it now. He lives in New Atlantis luckily enough, the only lucky break I’ve actually caught from all this. He’s not around a lot due to work as some bigshot at this company, Dunamis Incorporated. A large conglomerate that has their hands in a multitude of fields. I wish my brother would take some time to help me out but I guess I get it that he has his own life to worry about. It’s not like back then when he would come running to me when there was a problem.

Why do you try to be a hero?

The answer changes depending on the day. Sometimes I feel because it’s the right thing to do with these powers those jerks gave to me. Other times it’s to track every person in Orthrus down so I can get answers and revenge then I remember that’s not what a hero would do. It doesn’t make the thought not pop into my head now and then, or every day. Bottom line though is if I don’t use these powers for good then all that’s happened to me was for nothing. If I can turn this into a positive even if it’s not much of one then maybe there’s still hope for me yet.

Why do you care about the team?

They make me feel... I wanna say "normal" but I guess less weird sums it up better. They don't act like I'm a ticking timebomb ready to go off at any moment. At least not all the time. Ever since I met them I felt like I did before Orthrus nabbed me. Just another teenager unsure of what I want to do instead of what I really am now. They're good people, better than I deserve with how I can be when I fly off the handle but don't tell 'em that. If you do I'll knock you back into next week!

Chasin was born as the oldest child to Sharon and Elijah Hess with his twin brother, Harold born a few minutes after him. This was a happening that repeated often in the Hess brothers’ lives. Harold or Harry as he preferred to be called when he was younger always seemed to be one step behind his brother. Granted both were talented but the older brother was the one who garnered the attention which left the other out of the limelight. This caused them to have spats at times but Chasin was never one to look down on Harry and in fact was the boy’s biggest supporter. Of course their parents made sure to dote on both of them though maybe less so when the third child, a girl who would be named Aliza was born.

Elijah definitely spent more time with the boys, always making sure they did their best as well as instilling pride in their country. The patriarch of the family was a military man though never went beyond the rank of lieutenant. As much as Elijah boasted about his career path he did not wish the same for his sons. He wanted them to go to college first and if they chose to enlist, they could do so as officers though he believed there were other options the two were better suited for. Chasin disagreed, wanting to enlist even more so when there were talks of another war on the brink of happening. Harry was not thrilled by the aspect of serving and instead pushed himself to become a better academician.

Chasin on the other hand kept dreaming of a military life, determined to make it a reality so he double downed on studying as well. While not quite as smart as Harry he was doing well enough, and it did not hurt he was a gifted athlete to help with the scholarships. There was one Chasin received that caused discourse between his brother and him.  It was one only the children of veterans could receive, and both applied for it. One of the requirements was an essay and Chasin’s proved to be the better of the two thanks to how passionate he wrote about his pride in his family as well as his own goal to serve one day.

When the brothers found out who won the scholarship an argument broke out between them on their way home from school. They were so focused on yelling at one another they did not realize a car was speeding towards them at the same time Harry stepped off the curb into the road. One of the few times he was ahead of his brother, and it was going to cost him his life. Except that is not what occurred. Chasin pushed his brother out of the way and that is all he remembers. The next thing he knew he woke up in that odd looking lab and began to panic which turned into rage then violence.

From what could be pieced together Orthrus grabbed him for whatever reason once he was in the hospital. His brother told him that he was in a coma for a week before the doctor declared him dead. The family thought he was buried but obviously that was not the case. Originally it was a government project so abducting a teen would be easy enough though why they wanted a broken test subject like Chasin is anyone’s guess.

OOC: I was not sure if you wanted more of a backstory for the character but this is what I wrote up. I will go ahead and mention a possible idea I had is that when the government abducted him they could have offered him the chance to be healed as well as serve his country. With that in mind he could have agreed to be part of the project of his own free will and in turn was betrayed by the government as well.

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This message was last edited by the player at 22:39, Wed 04 Aug 2021.

Thanks, every bit helps. He comes off as pretty insecure, which I suppose is the idea?

I definitely don't mind having more backstory. The more information the better. Up to you whether to keep it private or not, though it may help to make it public to help coordinate ideas with other players.

I assume that, like Orthrus, Chasin is from America? It's potentially more relevant if he still has family there, even if they are out of reach for now.

Would he know what his family was told?

Your idea could work. Of course, they may have been planning to use him regardless of whether he agreed or not, but it could still be an interesting angle if he actually did kind of ask for this, even if he didn't know what he was really agreeing to.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:28, Thu 05 Aug 2021.

That's the general idea for how he feels currently. He's dealing with so many changes that he's left in a state of uncertainty. He knew what he wanted before he was abducted by now all of that is out of his reach for good. Now he has to figure out what his place in the world is all while dealing with the issues that comes with the territory of being a superhero. With that insecurity comes some anger which is what the playbook is sort of about.

I edited the rest of the backstory in my previous post. To answer your questions though, Chasin is American like many in Orthrus though they probably had some from other countries working on the project such as those who defected to America during the last war. Chasin was born in Philadelphia though I guess that bit does not really matter. Same with any of his friends from school or if he was dating someone since they would likely not be in New Atlantis.

He was told by Harold that the hospital informed the family he passed away and another body was used to make the lie believable. So for all of these years the Hess family has believed Chasin has been dead all these years.

Alright, sounds good to me.

I decided to do a short writeup for some NPCs that Chasin has interacted with since he is living on his own sort of plus having his brother help him beyond just financially.

Ruenna Orsós (prefers to be called Rue), female, early 50’s and owner of the Ithaca Apartments. Not a large building only having around ten rooms for rent of varying sizes. It’s not the best or the worst place in New Atlantis, very middle of the road. As for Rue she is something of a flower child, very easy going and tries to look after her tenants.

Earl Gray, male mid 30’s and aside from Chasin, Mr. Gray is the newest resident of the Ithaca as well as its newest employee. He possesses no distinguishing physical features though his tendency to wear glasses that were popular decades ago does afford him the odd look now and then. He was hired by Harold Hess to keep an eye on Chasin with the job at the Ithaca being a cover.

Dr. Avery Harper, female and it is difficult to guess her age sometimes Chasin would say she is in her 30’s then other times he feels like she has aged a couple of decades. He obviously keeps such thoughts to himself and not only because it would be rude to voice it. Dr. Harper is what many would call intimidating as well as being no nonsense. She works for Dunamis Incorporated who has been the one running tests on Chasin at Harold’s behest.

Camar Aderoju, male in his late 20’s and Chasin’s therapist. He has also been hired by Harold to help Chasin deal with any mental trauma from his time spent with Orthrus. So far there has been only two sessions and no progress has been made with the last one Chasin stormed out of the man’s office.

NPCs can always help. I take it Chasin lives at Ithaca?

Also, can you tell me more about those tests? Does he go to a Dunamis lab for them? Is it basically done as a private favour to Harold and kept as secret as possible, even within the company - or are others in on it as well? What kind of things do those tests involve?

Somewhat relatedly, I suppose Harold may be a research director or something like that?

Also, would Chasin have told his psychologist the basic details about his backstory, as he knows it? Or did they not even progres that far yet?
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:19, Sat 07 Aug 2021.

Yes Chasin moved into the Ithaca thanks to Harold since his brother thinks it's a smart PR move for them not to be seen with one another just yet due to Chasin's peculiar circumstances. What with Harold being part of a major company in New Atlantis and not wanting to draw any unnecessary attention.

He does go to Dunamis lab for the tests. Basically once he knows a test has been scheduled he walks a few blocks from the Ithaca then transportation provided by Harold arrives to pick him up discreetly. As of right now the tests are being done in secret without anyone else in the department knowing about it and likely is hiding this from those on the board of directors as well. The tests were pretty standard at first, taking samples from Chasin then testing his physical abilities both when the runes are not active and when those are. Sometimes the tests were difficult for Chasin since Dr. Harper was having him test his abilities on those who were trained combatants though it was all as simulation. Sometimes the tests involved objectives some simple others complex with Harper's reasoning being she needed to see what his breaking point is. It was concerning one time when she told him to fight some men who he believed were a simulation like all the others only to discover after he had pummeled them they were actually guards employed by Dunamis. This shocked him with the Doctor saying it was necessary to better understand his abilities. Since then he has been less willing to go to the lab but still does thanks to his brother's urging.

Harold is the head of research and development for Dunamis while also being one of the seats for the board of directors after spending years fighting for a spot at the table. Every thing he has earned at the company much like in the rest of his life he has had to fight for. He is not the most well liked member at least by the others on the board though holds more respect within the rest of the company.

Chasin has not told the basic details of his backstory yet. Well he will tell about his childhood but up around the time when Orthrus took him then he shuts up. The psychologist has pushed the topic which is why Chasin stormed out during the second session because he is not ready to talk about it. Plus I thought it would make sense that he would not be fully willing to talk about it with people just yet since one of the Bull's connections is sharing their history. I did not want to take away from that connection right away since that can play a part in those two characters building well a connection during the game.