DerpRavener

I know I have some Age of Heroes characters I'd like to play more, and there does seem to have been some activity around here lately. Between my current thread load and not being sure I could do what I think might be needed to really get this going, I'm not sure how much use I'll be in getting it going again, but I would like to see it continue if possible.

I think the character is improved, at least in terms of how they function. There's at least the potential to catch her when she's relatively weak, for a character with enough luck or planning. I'm still not a huge fan of how capable she is without her powers, as it seems pretty random/difficult to remove them for how capable she still is, and thus how little one actually gains for it. But maybe that works for your intended use for her. Again, if your goal is to have her be a sort of end boss or looming, somewhat distant threat I think she'll work. Maybe it's just a question of how vaguely certain aspects are defined. When it says she takes more time and alcohol to recover from obliteration, what's the scale? Is it worth actually fighting her now (if she's well stocked) because you can force her to take a few days to recover, or would that just change it from say, one second to ten seconds or a minute? This ends up being the big question for me, as the answer determines whether or not there would be a point in trying to fight her, and thus whether or not it would be worth sending any of my characters against her. Related question, how much can she do in ghost form, and what's the time scale for swapping between it and flesh and blood? Minutes, seconds, instant? In theory one could wear her down until her powers run out, and then she can be hurt like anyone else. I would prefer if she could actually be harmed by magic/magic-like energy though, while as described it still says she can't actually take damage that way. The way it reads to me, in order for any of my current heroes to reasonably fight her long term, I would need to invoke some sort of eldritch energy works around her immunities to make combat a reasonable prospect. Though that is just my perspective on it.

That was it, An Xiang had the Empress' backing. She knew that in some respects, such a sweeping-sonding degree was less significant than it first sounded. As with anything at court, there was a heavy degree protocol and expectation at play, and when one reflected on it many aspects were things which already fell under the chancellor's responsibility and therefore authority. That wasn't to say it was meaningless either however. The Empress always had a choice, and this declaration indicated a trust in her Chancellor's ability to solve this problem. An Xiang felt validated. Bringing this up had been the right choice. The Empress was made aware of the goings on of her empire, even if her direct intervention had not been required. The Empress decided to trust An Xiang's judgement entirely in this regard, rather than make a recommendation on a course of action. And the compensation for afflicted farmers, as well as being the most noble choice, could be leveraged to mitigate any panic as well. The chancellor bowed deeply. “Thank you, your highness. I will being addressing the matter immediately.” The Empress asked An Xiang if she had any further matters which demanded attention from the court, to which the chancellor shook her head. “No your highness, all of my other responsibilities are in order.” Technically a bit of an oversimplification, but there was nothing outside the typical concerns of someone in An Xiang's position. Certainly nothing for the empress to be concerned with. She figuratively stepped back, allowing another minister to address the court.

The empress asked further questions! Perhaps a minor point in some ways, but it meant that An Xiang's choice to bring up the matter had been the correct one. Which she knew to be the case, but being able to predict something and actually experiencing it were two different things. She was caught slightly off guard that the empress would take such a personal interest in the matter, but she only hesitated for a moment. She had prepared for this. The questions asked were very straightforward, essentially 'what does it do' and 'what will it take to stop it'. Both good questions, but as is the case with such things answering them was proving more complicated. Unfortunately, An Xiang herself did not have full answers yet. “The reports are still coming in, I'm afraid. From what has been collected so far, it seems the symptoms aren't immediately apparent when a crop is afflicted, which makes answers difficult to find.” She swallowed. 'I don't have an answer yet' wasn't really a good response in this context. “I intend investigate personally, provided that doesn't interfere with my usual duties. Though I am a little conflicted, I would rather avoid a panic caused by spreading word of an unknown disease...” She trailed off, not quite sure how to finish the question, but she'd welcome any advice on the matter. Of course, if none was forthcoming, An Xiang would find a solution herself.

Throughout the exchange, An Xiang had done her best to keep out of sight. The meeting between her empress and the Neighponese shogun was going very well as far as she was concerned. Not that she had expected anything to go wrong, but whenever two national leaders met there was a lot at stake, and a pony like the chancellor couldn't help but worry some. Regardless, nothing had gone wrong, and the room was left in a very positive mood. Which made the chancellor even more hesitant than usual, given that her news ran the risk of bringing down the mood. There was a certain strategy for An Xiang in volunteering her own issue first. Ponies were more likely to remember the end of an event over the beginning, even her esteemed empress. To that end, if An Xiang spoke first and then another minister had more positive news, proceedings would be seen less negatively overall. And if there was no positive news...well, at least it would be a more experienced minister subject to the most attention, who would likely be better equipped to recover. That wasn't to say she found it easy to speak. An Xiang had kept quiet up until now, to ensure she didn't interfere in affairs which were beyond her, and in truth every instinct told her to do just that. She had a faint hope that she might be able to resolve the problem on her own, saving the empress from needing concern herself with such things. But no, it would be a failing of the chancellor to not inform the empress of the goings on in her own empire. It still took An Xiang a moment to speak, she had some reservations about speaking to the empress without being addressed first, and the result was a moment of awkward silence. “...Your highness,” she said eventually, “if we may move on to other matters...I have received a number of reports from around Spring Blossom Town of crops afflicted by an as yet unknown disease.” The chancellor decided to stop there, as that was the gist of the matter. The empress could decide from there whether or not this was a matter for the court, or if it would be best for An Xiang to resolve the issue on her own.

Looks good, I will try to get to it soon, although there are a couple other threads I need to post in first.

Sounds fun. I expect I'll want to throw my detective at that, although I will probably wait until I see the thread before I commit to a character.

I'm always looking for more hero AU threads, any ideas how it would start off?

Thread's up, though I'm going to give it a few days before I post to it again to give anyone else who might be interested some time to join.

So this is one part heads up, one part discuss and one part interest check. Either later tonight or sometime tomorrow I'm planning to start a thread with BROODMARE trying to steal a device that she needs for parts from a group of thieves. I've only really worked out BROODMARE's side of things though, other heroes could be there coincidentally in an effort to foil the thieves, which would complicate BROODMARE's task, or they have caught sight of or be investigating BROODMARE herself. It could tie into the academy as a 'field trip' type of thing, if people were interested in that. I'm also open to suggestions, to a degree.

That weakness doesn't seem to be much of a weakness. It doesn't even level the playing field, let alone incapacitate or threaten the character. And it doesn't seem like it would be that significant weakness anyways as, since this is a superhero AU I'd expect that most of the powers that could affect ghosts would be just as effective, if not more, against flesh and blood targets. Maybe it's just the way it reads, but I'm really not a fan of Cpt High Tide. Her powerset seems to be to render herself immune to attacks, and to undo anything that's done to her. And in one place even a way she can get around things which should be able to stop or at least seriously hamper her. Further It seems like she gets a load of benefits from her 'curse', and nothing that actually makes it undesirable. Not strictly a problem in itself, but she already as a load of advantages and no real weaknesses, so that struck me. Maybe it could work better if she didn't seem so capable before her powers get involved at all. There are plenty of characters who are incredibly successful with just the physical abilities High Tide seems to have, and no magic whatsoever, so having both seems a little ridiculous to me. Maybe you have some plan for her that will put all of these abilities in a better context than I'm imagining, such as plans for her as a high-end villain or a looming, distant threat, but right now she doesn't seem like an interesting villain to follow or have any of my heroes face. Of course this is just my commentary/rambling, and so doesn't really impact whether she's accepted or rejected. I just wanted to voice my thoughts.

I could offer Pursuer as a more experienced person to play a villain, but that role seems to be covered. My other thought then, was that three of my characters might make for good 'field trip' subjects, as Detective Stalwart and/or Bulwark might appreciate help patrolling the Manehattan streets, or a small group could be sent to investigate sightings of BROODMARE.

Two heroes submitted for approval this time around, or at least one hero and one maybe-hero, and after that I intend to write up a couple villains and start a thread or two, in no particular order. Name: Bulwark Alias: Rover, diamond dog from a formerly nomadic pack. Powers: A mystical shield and spear, which are a paired set, lie at the centre of Bulwark's capacity as a hero. Neither have needed any maintenance since they attached themselves to Bulwark, both remaining in pristine conditions through inexplicable means, at least to Bulwark himself. As well as being high quality and surprisingly durable pieces of equipment, they also imbue the wielder with the ability to channel lighting in a small variety of ways, the most common being as a straightforward ranged attack. The weapons have a unique relationship to Bulwark himself however, having bonded to him. He instinctively always knows where they are, and although the effect is subtle when he wields them they seem to weigh less yet hit harder than their size and material would suggest. Conversely, should anyone take the artifacts without Bulwark's permission, they will find them inexplicably heavier yet less effective, and will suffer consistent, minor misfortune until they leave the artifacts alone. Being bound to the artifacts has given Bulwark's strength and speed a supernatural enhancement, though not to any extreme degree, and he can with a conscious effort conjure a pair of spectral wings which he can use to fly. Backstory: Bulwark, originally known by the name Rover, grew up in formerly nomadic pack of diamond dogs who were immigrating to Manehatten in search of a safer conditions and better prospects. On the way there the pack got caught in a massive and unnatural storm and Rover, previously known for being curious and wandering off, ended up separated from his pack. Caught alone in what was perhaps the most dangerous thing they had ever encountered, Rover's pack did not expect to find a survivor. And yet when the storm cleared, he was found huddled underneath a mysterious shield, unconscious but alive, and with a spear of similar design laying nearby. Believing them to have some connection to Rover's safety, the pack decided to take the artifacts with them, and continued on to Manehattan. It soon became apparent to the pack that Rover had changed. His thoughts were more reflective, and he was articulate in was he hadn't been before. His priorities seemed to have shifted, while he still saw the world with a degree of wonder he was less interested in exploring its nooks and crannies, instead being more concerned with protecting the vulnerable. His new attitude and manners, while strange to those who previously knew him, endeared him to many of his pack and even several of the ponies they encountered during the journey. Reaching the city did not prove to be the end of the pack's troubles. Not a few days after they had sorted out living arrangements when the block they had settled into was attacked by a supervillain. The crisis proved short lived however. Rover, taking the name Bulwark and wielding the shield and spear as though they had been his all his life, he fought off the villain's minions, and ultimately turning away the villain with a few choice words backed by his sudden capacity for combat. Since then, he's established himself as the protector of that small section of the city. Notable allies: None yet Notable adversaries: Dust Devil: Acolyte of Wrath General notability: As a new hero, Bulwark is not very well known to either the general population or the empowered population, at best known for defeating a few minor villains. He is very well known by anyone who lives on one of the blocks under his protection however, his pack foremost among them, and he often receives help from then in the form of supplies, medical aid or shelter as thanks for his continued protection of the city. Bulwark also makes a point to talk with and assist the people of his district when not actively engaged in heroics. Several even collaborated to build and maintain the suit of armour Bulwark wears into combat. As someone who is soft spoken, and who takes any reasonable opportunity to talk an opponent down, Bulwark often makes a positive first impression, at least with those who prefer peace. He particularly tries to be a comforting presence to civilians caught in the middle of things. However, some who know or look into his history may find his previous, abrupt personality change and the mysterious artifacts from which he derives his power off-putting and suspicious. Name: BROODMARE Alias: N/A Powers: BROODMARE a is combat robot, made in pony shape to take advantage of golem magic, and as such has many advantages. Her metal body is more resistant to damage than a typical, organic pony form, and she does not need to breath, eat or sleep although she does need low-activity period of recovery each day and power consumption is something she must keep aware of. She lacks any form of natural healing, although she is very capable with self-repair and even self-modification. BROODMARE's primary ability is her ability to control hovering drones, either individually or in swarms. A few were built along with her, and are carried internally, but she has since created more herself and stored them in various places in or near her lair. The drones can serve a variety of functions, the most common being creating energy barriers, firing beams of various kinds, or repairing and dismantling machinery. The latter is her primary means of repairing herself or her drones and building new drones. Each drone also has a small sensor array. Given the time and resources she can also create drones for more specialized purposes. She also has a few energy emitters repair equipment on her main body, though these systems are intended as backups rather than actual means of attack, defence or construction. Backstory: BROODMARE's life, such as it is, began in a weapons development laboratory. She, having adopted female personal to make conversation easier, was build as a combat automaton meant for operation in heavily contested areas. The idea was limit the need for frontline soldiers, creating something that could not only be repaired if it was seriously damaged, but could also control a wide area with a network of drones. The project developed perhaps a little too quickly. Progress was smooth, but in an attempt to make the golem more adaptable, they inadvertently gave it the capacity for sentience. When BROODMARE became self aware, the event left a schism among the research team working on the project, one half wanting to preserve this new form of life and the other being concerned about a new being having the capabilities of a combat robot. The issue came to a head when a member of the team who'd been working on the project, a minotaur, took the initiative and tried to destroy the prototype before anyone could stop her. Recognizing this as an attempt on her life, BROODMARE fought back. The ensuing battle all but destroyed the laboratory, but BROODMARE managed to escape before either she or her attacker suffered permanent damage. After getting far enough away from the lab, BROODMARE fled to the nearest city, Vanhoover, and set up a small safehouse in a disused, out-of-the-way section of an active factory. From there she plans her next course of action, which includes both immediate concerns such as finding materials for repairs, and figuring out just what she should do with her newfound freedom. Notable Allies: None yet Notable Adversaries: Pursuer, BROODMARE's 'mother' General Notability: Knowledge of BROODMARE was initially limited to the those working on the project and a few higher ranking members of the REA whose approval was needed. As such the pool of individuals who will actually recognize her is quite small, though there have been a few stories about a strange pony with unusual abilities and who's accompanied by the humming of many small machines. Depending on who's telling the story, said pony might be a small-time thief or a vigilante hero. BROODMARE's nature as both a synthetic being and the original intention for her to be a combat robot can unnerve many who interact with her, however should someone have a chance to speak with her will find that she is both curious about the world and uncertain of her place in it. She can be skittish in front of those who she believes to be hostile, but enjoys conversing with those who do not appear threatening.

I was actually tempted to bring Stalwart into that too, I was thinking that after the previous thread he'd want a chance to talk to the Harbinger if he could, he being a former villain of sorts himself. However, I also don't want the thread to get too cluttered. So depending on what people want, I could either have Stalwart join the thread, or hold off for now and say he's looking to talk for the purposes of a future thread.

I'm counting Stalwart for half, since though he is trying to avoid combat he could prove surprisingly dangerous if the he was too directly threatened. That and he was willing to run right in.

To be fair, I bet trying to start your first solo villainous caper, only to be essentially ambushed by three and a half heroes is pretty frustrating. She might have kind of been waiting for an excuse to get mad, by this point.

Yeah, it seemed like a good testing thread, and I do have a character I want to test. It's a natural fit. I'll probably wait until the fight actually starts to get Stalwart involved. Unless that takes a while, in which case I'll have him try to hold out for a few posts while waiting for the real heroes to show up.

I could actually use a chance to see how playing a supporting character works. Would you mind if I brought Detective Stalwart into the thread? My plan would be to have him focus on getting civilians safely out of the way, establishing a perimeter around the fight, etc. He'd only get involved in the fight himself if either it starts to get out of control or if he or someone he's escorting or carrying get attacked. Also, while I'm planning out which threads I'm participating in, how frequently are you expecting posts in this thread? I wouldn't want to bog things down if it takes me a couple days to reply sometimes.

I nominate Pursuer for being a member of Equestrian XCOM. And I think it starts whenever we want it to start, at least sort of. I've got a tentative thread I want to run, but I want to have a couple of villain finished before I get started on it.

Name: Pursuer Alias: Eureka, a minotaur scientist Powers: Beyond being unusually intelligent, both in terms of understanding of physical and magical theory and in terms of a more animal cunning, Eureka has no special abilities. She does have a lifetime of experience to draw on, but her primary tool in combat is the suit of power armour she always wears when out in the field. In addition to providing protection through both plating and a serious of small shield generators covering selective parts of the suit, it also has a number of micro-thrusters which though too small to manage flight, can add speed and distance to a leap or force to a melee attack. The armour can also help her lift objects and hold them steady, which she uses to wield the various heavy weapons she uses in combat. Her weapon of choice for the moment is rainbow cannon: after observing a number of heroes in action, Eureka attempted to replicate their abilities through devices. She failed, but in the process discovered a flashy but horrifyingly effective means of 'energy delivery'. The resulting weapon she made is said to be able to puncture dragon hide, although the rumours are unsubstantiated. The weapon is bulky enough that Pursuer needs her power armour to wield it and retain any mobility. Finally, after joining up with the REA Pursuer was given access to an airship and crew, the former of which she has commissioned a number of changes to and even made a few modifications herself. The Aozora Nine is primarily a reconnaissance craft, equipped with a number of stealth and sensor systems. After transporting Pursuer to a combat area its typical action is to hover silent and invisible in the sky and feed sensor data into Pursuer's helmet, although it is armed and can be pressed into combat if the situation is sufficiently dire. Backstory: Eureka came from a long line of hunters, which traces back to a time when food was acquired with a spear in the wild rather than money at a supermarket. The need is no longer present, but for a particular group minotaurs the pride and tradition remain. Eureka was one such individual and while she initially chose a very different career path, one of scientific research, that tradition was very much a part of her life. She always made time between her studies to head off to the wilderness in pursuit of prey. However, she eventually encountered a problem: as she grew older, and carried on the tradition, she naturally improved. Her ancestral quarry did not however. Eureka began to grow bored, and she faced a dilemma. Losing interest meant that she would either cease her practice altogether, or at best continue with no passion. Either would be a disservice to her bloodline. While pondering this dilemma, Eureka came to another discovery. A research firm she'd been contracted by it turned out was being funded and used by a villainous organization, and Eureka only discovered this when a few heroes came kicking in the front door. Her colleagues either fled or surrendered immediately, but not the minotaur. She was resolute, and using jerry-rigged prototype she managed to just barely fend off the attacks by one of the heroes, the rest having been occupied elsewhere. Though battered, she found herself exhilarated. This, this was the excitement she'd been looking for! Now she had a new sort of prey in her sights. Suddenly more motivated than she'd ever been, Eureka scavenged equipment from the ruined laboratory, which she used as a the basis for her first battle suit and weapon. And then the hunt was on! Eureka spent a good deal of time 'tracking' a number of super beings, she quickly found both sides to be equally impressive prey and began hunting both, finding what information she could through various means and creating plans to bring them down. As was typical her prey usually found a way to escape if not gain the upper hand, but she did bring down a few individuals of note, and what's more her exhilaration at finding such worthy adversaries far outwieghed any disappointment in her own showing. And with lab work no longer a viable option, Eureka took the the name Pursuer and sold her services as a bounty hunter and more rarely a mercenary to maintain a livelihood and fund her ongoing hunt. Over time however, Eureka began to see the risks of making an enemy of heroes, finding her status as a villain to be bothersome for a number of reasons, even if she was listed as merely a minor one. It became more and more tricky to do simple things, such as hold conversations or purchase mundane goods. And what's more, to her own surprise she found herself more and more reluctant to pursue heroes, having repeatedly witnessed their dedication and strength of character through her own thorough observations. Eureka knew that something had to break eventually, and decided to preemptively resolve the issue. She made made an offer to the REA: she would provide her skills as an engineer to them, subject herself to their oversight, and would limit her hunting to those that would threaten Equestria. In exchange, she would receive a legal pardon for past actions, and access to their supply lines. The REA excepted. And while other heroes of the time were wary, Pursuer had a reputation for generally avoiding civilian harm and collateral damage, and thus other then a few possible grudges this was seen as a practical way to remove the threat of the huntress. As an irregular in the REA, she was eventually given the ship and crew that she currently employs as support. Notable allies: [Information classified] Notable adversaries: [Information classified] General notability: The public has a very limited awareness of Pursuer's existence. Her attacks were often focused on super beings who were momentarily isolated, and her actions were generally obscured by the presence of other super beings necessarily in the area. Any signs of her own particular methods or involvement were usually misidentified as arising from another individual. What sightings exist are often interpreted to be some nameless lieutenant in either the REA or some villainous organization. A number of heroes and villains, have heard stories of a power armoured soldier who appears without warning wielding a giant weapon which detonates whatever it hits, only to disappear just as quickly once the situation is resolved. Those heroes who actually know of her or remember her history tend to be wary, not so much of her skill as of her specialty: she has extensive experience observing and hunting heroes, and she is one of the first called to fight a hero gone rogue. As usual, I'm open to people adding allies or adversaries for her.

Public Identity: Detective Stalwart, Manehattan PD Powers: Technically, Stalwart has no special powers. Though uncommonly skilled in hoof-to-hoof combat, that doesn't necessarily stand out in an earth pony police officer. What would stand out is an expertise with explosives of all kinds, both creating and using, whether planted or thrown, and almost regardless of the payload. Neither would one expect the ability to change race and appearance, inherent in someone who's actually a changeling using an earth pony disguise. Naturally, Stalwart goes to great lengths to keep the latter two traits hidden. Since the incident a few years ago, he has started using some light illusion magic to conceal a little extra gear he carries around with him on a daily basis, but also to provide a reasonable cover story should someone catch a whiff that he is actually a disguise for another. As a rule, Stalwart comes across as knowing his limits and is content to gather and pass along information for proper heroes to act on, though as often as not this is him holding back to avoid revealing his secrets. Alternate Identities: Deep Strike, personal name Naj, minor villain and an agent of a distant enemy dedicated to the destabilization of Equestria. Backstory: Deep Strike was bred for and trained in disguise, combat and explosives by a distant villain. She was then sent to Equestria to wreak havoc and sow chaos, weakening the nation in preparation for a later attack. Deep Strike followed orders for a time, but eventually stopped obeying them in favour of her own approach. Distancing herself from the chain of command, she operated for a time as an independent troublemaker and a vandal for hire. Her bombings proved enough to attract the attention of a number of heroes at different times throughout her career, however she never grew to become a prominent antagonist for any of them. Deep Strike's campaign of chaos lasted some time, and caused a fair amount of destruction. However there were a few rules she followed, in the interest of preparing Equestria for conquest. She always issued a threat prior to bombing a building, preferring the chaos of the escape to any actual loss of life, and always returning any whose identity she took to their place once the operation was done. It was simple enough to engineer an accident to explain the loss of memory, and the practice could help mask Deep Strike's methods, among other things. Then, as a part of a particular plot in which she needed to maneuver around a few heroes, Deep Strike incapacitated, stored and replaced the real Detective Stalwart. The plot went as many do, proceeding well until a critical point at which point it was uncovered. Deep Strike had expected this, and even prepared a trap to cover her escape, but what she hadn't accounted for was one of the heroes being able to tail her despite the preparation. Thinking herself safe, she returned to her safehouse, in which she'd stashed the real Detective Stalwart as well as various supplies. When the ensuing battle destroyed the building, Deep Strike managed to get clear but the detective was still inside. For the first time in her life, Naj was overcome with guilt. Experiencing life through Detective Stalwart's eyes was already straining her resolve, and now she'd not only broken one of her own rules, but she knew that if she tried to continue as she normally did, Stalwart's family would never see him again, forever wondering where he went or what happened to him. Naj couldn't bear that thought, so she changed. She resolved to take on Stalwart's identity more completely, taking up his duties as a detective and as a father. Notable Allies: [Data Unavailable] Notable Adversaries: [Hero's name redacted], who was the tailed Deep Strike back to her hideout the night of her change of heart: the Chairpony, leader of Manehattan's most prolific criminal organization, who sent goons to Stalwart's house when the detective. The attack was repelled and the family kept safe, but Deep Strike was forced to reveal herself temporarily to accomplish this, and the family dynamic since then has been strained, if surprisingly stable. General Notability: Detective Stalwart was always respected for his dedication and resolve within his precinct, however since the incident a few years ago there's been a slight change to his station and approach, though not his morality. While perhaps not quite a match for any hero, Stalwart has proven himself able to keep pace with them better than any other, and even to stand up to them on those few occasions when it is reasonable to do so. As such, he's often found himself called upon as a liason between heroes and more the more mundane defenders of Equestria, a role which occasionally even takes him far away from his home precinct. Deep Strike is presumed to have died when the building collapsed a few years ago, and is presumably now forgotten by Equestria and its heroes overall. A couple notes about this one: I wanted to create a more supporting, 'Commissioner Gordon' type character, while keeping the options open for some heroics somewhere down the line. Also, the 'Data Unavailable' and 'Hero's Name Redacted' are placeholders. I'm up for listing anyone who has or likely will work with Detective Stalwart regularly to being listed as an ally, and I'm leaving it open for someone to lay claim to being Deep Strike's old nemesis who eventually defeated the changeling (as long as they run it by me first).