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SWMU BIBLE

20 Jan 2014 05:52 - 21 Jan 2014 06:13 #35179 by Dru1076
SWMU BIBLE was created by Dru1076



This is the 'production bible' for the SuperWomenMania Universe. Anyone who wants to get involved in the RP, or who wants to write stories set in the SWMU, then reading this is a good place to start.

This document was written by Castor, and then mucked about by yours truly. It's a work in progress, and will no doubt change as the SWMU hopefully evolves...

This thread will be locked, but if you have a question, or discovered one of my editing oversights, or want to make a suggestion, you can do so in the Questions and Suggestions thread.

If, like me, you have the latest post first in your forum settings then I recommend changing it around to make it easier to follow the flow of this thread. (When I'm done, I'll put up a PDF for downloading to make this unecessary)

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Last edit: 21 Jan 2014 06:13 by Dru1076.
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20 Jan 2014 05:53 - 20 Jan 2014 14:15 #35180 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic SWMU BIBLE
[Hope.

The desire for a better existence; the belief that things will improve. That thing will work out...that tomorrow will be greater than today.

When the Greek gods unleashed a million perils and plagues on humanity from Pandora’s Box, they left hope. The one 'gift' they gave.

It’s hard not to see it here. In this city built on the edge of idyllic Victoria Bay. It’s a beautiful city in places, in others you could still find poverty ridden slums. And even more areas lost in between, where the rich and poor mix, where the masses come from other countries. They come with the belief that something will come here that no matter how dark the past that the future will be better. From Lighthouse point to the White Wood, from the Rock of the Moon to Minvera Beach, it’s a city that everyday is slightly different - new buildings, new restaurant specials, new babies in the hospital, and new graves in the yard. And people believe that it will work out, that it will make sense, that it will be better for them, for there families, for everyone. From the simple to the great, they try.

What more can you say? They Try.

Now new gods are appearing, new flying lights in the sky. Will they unleash new perils - or will they create.....


SuperWoman Mania Universe Part 1: Cape Hope
Last edit: 20 Jan 2014 14:15 by castor.
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20 Jan 2014 05:57 - 20 Jan 2014 14:17 #35181 by Dru1076
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SWMU Part 1:

Cape Hope

Three months ago, Cape hope was a fairly ordinary city in the pacific northwest for good or for ill.

Then that changed. Men and women with strange powers and abilities, strange talents and the like. Some can read the minds of others, some can smash steel with their fists. Some can fly, and inspire hope. Some can burn the city down, and cause fear. They have immense, in some case godlike, power.

And they used to just like you, you know know...

A large number are college students, or used to be - but that’s hardly universal. They’re fry cooks, and millionaires, Homeless people, and IT professionals. They’re people.

Some are good.

Some are evil.

Did they used to be? For people on the street these questions tend to get flattened out. The mass of humanity can focus into a blah - but no more. They can leave it aside - destroy it. Or fight for it. No matter their power they have to answer that question.

Who are they?

Cape Hope RP is a role-playing forum designed to let you create and write adventures and stories about the superheroes of Cape hope as they strive to figure themselves out. It’s designed to let you stretch your imagination and explore ideas in a comfortable and inviting environment..

The idea of this bible is to help you understand what the SuperWomenMania Universe is, and how you can help to shape it.

If you consider yourself a skilled writer, take a look at this to get some ideas.

If you have never written before, if you go to these forums and say – “Well, I like this stuff...but I could never write like this...” – Well, we’re here to help you. RP can help you. It’s a great way to practice writing and honing existing skills. There are no entrance requirements, or special skill. It’s a truism that writing is done word by word, and if all you do is post an occasional “POW”, you got somewhere to start. We can help you start your roleplaying experience, in a safe and encouraging environment.

However, everyone should remember: Not everybody who contributes here uses English as their first language. Not everyone has years of experience.

Which goes to the first rule:

Be respectful.

We can RP gigantic battles, destroy skyscrapers and cities - but remember: real people are sitting behind computers. So be real-life nice to them. You can convert their characters into atoms - but no matter how evil your stories are, remember that all the members of SWM are real people.

Even if you play a demon, there’s a real you, and your real power is your imagination - may it guide you to the angels of your better natures.

The goal here is to have fun, and to kind of explore themes of power and hope. Writing stories for the site is fun - doing it together interacting can create amazing results. Together.
Last edit: 20 Jan 2014 14:17 by castor.
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20 Jan 2014 06:02 - 20 Jan 2014 14:24 #35182 by Dru1076
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How to RP

There have been a lot of roleplaying games over the years: Dungeons and Dragons, GURPs, White Wolf. This isn't like that. We don't have any dice (actually, yea now that I think about it, I really don't own any dice). Things happen. You can burn things if you want.

But you do have to interact with other people.

Difference: One

The SWM library has produced over 600 stories over time. There are dozens and thousands mores on the web in the genre. This is like and unlike these stories in one big regard. Almost all superheroine stories take for granted that there is one heroine - this cosmic hero who is all powerful who can juggle the pyramids and conquer North Korea before breakfast (okay that analogy fails a bit).

In this world there’s more. You’re not the only one juggling the pyramids before breakfast.

Now, this is not a call to cooperate with your new friends, or kill the interlopers. What it is a call to acknowledge and respect your fellow contributors – this is something of an experiment, and by the very nature of the SWMU the stories you can tell are somewhat different.

Keep in mind - if you want you can be pyramid-juggling strong. If you want, you can be one of the most powerful people in the world - but you’re not necessarily unique. You’re the main character in your own story, but if you want to be central to the main story you’ll have to earn it.

But by its nature for this to really work it has to at some level be about groups - and interacting with other people. The mods can create characters for you to RP with in limited circumstances, but we want to focus on other players and their stories - whether fighting in space or having a cup of coffee, or falling in love...or fighting in space...anything is possible if you let it go.

One of the themes of the story is how this effects the little people - even if you’re an all-powerful queen who takes over the city, someone still has to clean up - their lives matter. Having subjects is what makes you a queen, after all. But fair warning...measures are in place to keep the SWMU safe from Maniacs who can’t play nice with Cape Hope.

So how does this work?

There are two main types of methods of interacting. Threads and stories.

Threads: Basic mechanics.

After you have written your character sheet, you can start an RP thread in the RP board.

If you're familiar with how the message board works, you'll know they contain a title and a body.

The title should be formatted something like “RP: Hetland street, 2:AM”

Basically

1. the Word “RP”

2. A brief description of where and when your scene takes place..

Be brief to the point. Other rp sessions use titles such as “Grand misadventure”. We want to be simple and descriptive. The goal here is to easily know what scene the scene is.

We want lots of RP threads - not just one . We don't want 1700 message rp threads. These can last as long as RP goes on, but don't feel the need for it to go on forever.

Then we get to the body. Write a couple of paragraphs of what you say or do. It should contain your main character doing something-big or small. You can write to a degree what NPC's do but be reasonable. It doesn't have to be a full story, it can be fairly short. But it should be descriptive.

Then someone else comes in.

They do the exact same. They write something.

Then you do something.

And so on until the scene ends.

Now the logic of the world is that if you're on Hetland Street at 2:AM, you probably have the street to yourself - but if another character wants to come in an RP go right ahead. Characters should interact, that's the whole point.

If, before you start an RP you do a second kind of post. An OCC post to start up an RP chat, do so. Just type occ-before a post that says “Hey want to RP?” or something. But if you just want to get in and get going fine.

(If you want in on an RP thread, you can have mini OCC conversations. Just type occ: then what you want to say. Preferably do this at the end so you don't break up the drama)

You can also ask the mods for help. They can RP police, passersby, the mayor etc. Other players can do the same if they want to to.
Multiple people can interact - you can have 3, 10, or 100 people in a scene. However it's best to avoid crowding. If two people are having a private conservation avoid jumping in unless you have a good reason. Scenes are often better with two people. If they're having a conversation in a locked room, in a guarded house - well, they have a good reason then.
Last edit: 20 Jan 2014 14:24 by castor.
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20 Jan 2014 06:04 - 20 Jan 2014 14:29 #35183 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic SWMU BIBLE
Adult Content

If an RP thread contains adult content - extreme violence, sex etc, Please put a note in the title about it. Theres nothing wrong with it, but best to keep people infromed. If it devolops that way, add it.

Use your judgment on this, and don't feel you need to tag it if two people are kissing. However, it helps if you warn people about strong language, extreme violence, and graphic sex.

If the mods decide to do it, they will put a tag - don't be offended. We're not trying to punish you.

And remember other people are reading.

The Grand Wait

You're doing an epic battle - two super girls are fighting in the stars for the fate of the universe...

You put up your half of the battle, and then...

A day - no response

A week - *crickets*

Welcome to the internet. People can be incredibly active one day, and then totally disapear the next. Sometimes they're irresponsible, or they we're offended - but most often it's just real life getting tin the way. People have a lot of reasons not to be on their computer. Weddings, school, work...life happens.

But here you are in this epic space battle...

The standard rule is: wait 72 hours and ask the Mods.

If someone says an occ Response – I can't talk for a week, we'll keep that in mind. If someone says - let try to do this every day. We'll keep that in mind too. We don't want to end things prematurely. We will happily help to keep your battle going.

Unless you want to end it, which is what we'll do if threads remain inactive for a long preiod. We will try to come up with a message that discreetly ends the encounter - supergirl B flies off into the sunset in disgust etc, a speeding car smashes into a building distracting supergirl A, and she has to respond. Things happen. We won't kill a character, or force them to change everything you setup - but if you really want it to end will come up with something.

If you come back from a long time-out to discover your thread has been ended by a moderator, then a simple PM to Dru1076, Castor, or Lulu can see it reopened.
Last edit: 20 Jan 2014 14:29 by castor.
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20 Jan 2014 06:07 - 20 Jan 2014 14:29 #35184 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic SWMU BIBLE
Multiple RP Threads

We want to get several RP threads going at once - thats the idea at least. Each will have groups of people roleplaying, then moving to the next.

They don't have to be at the same time. An RP can happen at night in one scene, in day in an other. If you read comics you may note that time doesn't always make perfect sence. Beyond the obvious “hey that character has been young for 40 years” thing, stories often stretch out over months or years when days happen in real time. And it's our intention to have the story of Hope City reach back through history, so don't be afraid to set up a thread set during the civil war.

Don't worry to much about being out of sync.

Just RP a bit, and other people will RP and your thread will hopefully evolve into part of the SWMU storyline.

So what happens if my character is there.....but.....

Well, this a common tactic for dealing with superman in the comics - all the power in the world can only be at one place at any given time.

Seriously though, if thats the intention, it's a valid one. Being clever around superpowers is an interesting tactic. If not, do a quick exit and you can appear.
Last edit: 20 Jan 2014 14:29 by castor.
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20 Jan 2014 06:12 - 20 Jan 2014 14:31 #35185 by Dru1076
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Consent

90% percent of RP is by consent. When two people are playing together and someone does something to another, they both should agree on it. How you reach that agreement can be through an occ-post, private message, email, or whatever.

This only applies to stuff that directly affects other people. If you're having a conversation, feel free to say whatever you want - it's their call.

Let's say your outside - you can hail a cab. Thats fair. If your character has the reasonable skill to do anything, or the power to destroy a building, thats reasonable without getting consent.

Where it gets slightly tricky is when it gets to the RP concept of initiative - you may be able to destroy a building, you terrible fiend, but “Mega-Girl will stop you!”. If someone could reasonably stop you, or would reasonably want to stop you, ask first. If there's any doubt: ask.

Though in a building, for example, remember it's easier to destroy then create. Even if someone tries to stop you from doing something, usually you will succeed at doing something else. Figure it out. Be reasonable. If not, go to the mods (see bellow).

The big can contain the small. Let say you're in a fight. The question is: Who wins? You can loosely decide who wins first, then RP it. With fights its often better to decide who wins before you go in - or you can do it punch by punch.

This is a pretty critical point. You can not RP other peoples main character - you cannot say “How's the weather?” and then write their response of “It's been hot lately”. Even the most minor responses are a no-no, unless you have permission from the other player.

And if you have a dispute that can't be sorted out between players fairly, read on....

What the Mods Do: Yes and No

Virtually everything in the world can be fundamentally described as a yes or no choice - something happens or it doesn't - now it doesn't always happen the way you think its going to happen. There maybe a thousand variables to it - there's a lot of drama really. In most RP games, the dongeonmaster roles the dice and then up pops the drama.

Nope.

We tell you yes or no. You fill in the rest.

Another analogy - in professional wrestling, yes, things are fixed - there's a guy called the booker who tells the wrestler, “Fred's going to win tonight, sorry Chuck”. Now Fred and Chuck go conk up the match.

If you come to us with a dispute over how it comes out – a big gigantic space battle, for example, we, the intergalatic wrestling bookers, will tell you who wins or loses.

You come up with the rest - it could be a flurry of punches, eye-beams of terror, or any of them - you are responsible for coming up with the blows, how you win or loose.

Now for the question of how to write it out. There is a diffrence between “Fred beats Chuck, Chuck slinks away” and “Fred humiliates Chuck, and dances on his body that was turned to ions.”

If Chuck comes to us and complains about it - steps will be taken. Even if Chuck is a bit of a crybaby. The point is, do It well. We want well written fights.

The question to us is how do we decide?

Power level is one honest answer - though we do take into account that power level isn't unique. There have been plenty of times when a spry character beats a big tough guy. There isn't a standard power level here, but that's certainly a major factor.

Second is situation. There is such a thing as high ground. If your in a burning building with a inflammable woman fighting someone who's invulnerable to fire, you have the upper hand. And you can be clever about this, or clever thrust upon you. One can say Supergirl is more powerful than green lantern, but 3600 of them may even the odds about. Though this does go a bit to the next part.

The third is, to a degree, drama. If the overall story suggests you should win, you win. If not, well be prepared to go down.

Drama:


Remember a rule of drama. In the first act they force you up the tree, in the second act they throw stones, in the third act the bring you down. In most stories the second act is the longer part of the story.

We are not trying to make marvel comics: the RP session. But don't feel bad if your character gets the ocasional stone thrown at them. We put roadblocks you can climb over them-superwoman needs stuff to lift up. Recreational strength Is fun, but it's not really a story.

We may throw some dragons, or evil superwomen - well, we may do that last one more. And these supervillains, they may get there licks in. Your ultra-powered megawoman - well, she may get punched and feel it. She may even loose temporarily. But there not intended to show loosing. If you get back up and try again, you will prevail.

Okay, you may get beaten up a second time.

But the third time!!

Keep in mind this is a story. We are not telling a tragedy. If you want to direct your story into that regard that is fine. But unless you do we will try to get you to a happy ending if we can. If you're playing a particularly terrible villain, that happy ending may not be what you intend...but we'll will try to balance things out. We have to keep the universe going as well and deal with groups too.

But every character is important. This isn't the story of Ultramegawoman, or Superchick - this is the story of the SuperWomenMania Universe; the story of Cape Hope. Everyone who's in it deserves to hope.

Beyond that there is rules to drama. They are complex rules-if one gal goes against 3600 - well she has better odds then you might think. But we are striving for a degree of realism, so don't expect things to completely work out.
Last edit: 20 Jan 2014 14:31 by castor.
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20 Jan 2014 06:14 - 20 Jan 2014 14:35 #35186 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic SWMU BIBLE
Things to avoid without consent

These are "no-no's". Well, they're likely "no-no's", because as a general rule very little is explicitly forbidden - if, and this is an important if, all players involved agree. Even with the above about dramas and NPC's - you flat out need to get the other player approval if you want to do certain things.

If it's an NPC of any kind get the mods approval too. Hell, for most of these things getting a heads up is useful.

1. Killing another player - Both parties need to agree to this 99% percent of the time. Now you may say - 'But Hulk smash!'

No matter what happens, we can find a way out for one character if the other party wants to keep their character around. We can find a way - they can hide, they can run fast, a doctor comes...etc. It happens: see comics books for further information. That said, don't think you can be Johnny-in-your-face-a lot. If you provoke someone repeatedly, relying on this No-No, thats no fun either. You will become the 1%.

This goes for NPCS to a degree - you can destory city parks if you want to, but with named NPCS in particular we'd like you talk to us first.

2. Maiming and mutilation - see above. We don't want permanent injuries - chopping off a leg etc without the other player's consent. As detailed above, you can punch and you can fight—but even then working out as discussed is best.

3. Rape- Really goes without saying. Having your girl fend off a rape is cool. Sexual harrassment will not be tolerated.

4. Child Abuse - not even with consent.

5. Inscest-no.

6. Sex - This has to be consensual. See Adult Content.

7. Writing for other players -
as discussed above

8. Mind control - to do any of the above - Nice try

9. Any of the above in the past tense for other people - You can't say “But Wonder Woman, your murdered Max Horde” You can't retroactively make other people a murderer. Coming up with a past history between two characters is good stuff - try to make sure though that everyone is fine with it.

10. Imprisonment- This can be a tricky issue. There is the concept of Female peril -the idea of the villainess who captures the goody-two-shoes and does unspeakable things to her, from tickling to tenticle porn. This is not what the site is about.

That said it is part of comicbooks. And you have to be in chains to rip chains out of the wall - as discussed we need stones. So to sub rules on this one...

a. No permanent imprisonment - it lasts as long as dramatically appropriate - and you can usually get out
b. Unless both parties agree. Keep it PG..

Fiddly Rules/Fine Prints: There are no Fiddly rules

Well, say your character can fly 200 miles an hour, but theres a tailbreeze, and you want to get 50 miles to Newfoundland and....

Theres math here, and you can work it out. But heres a guide. Make it up, but be realistic.

Ding yourself when it's appropriate. Keep in mind when your character is in a hail storm and she's cold and covered with small icicles...that's an appropriate thing. Remember it's the little stones you throw at a character that make them strong and powerful.
Last edit: 20 Jan 2014 14:35 by castor.
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20 Jan 2014 06:16 - 20 Jan 2014 14:37 #35187 by Dru1076
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What we want to see: Super powers

Well, it's called Superwomenmania, right? We want to see super stuff!

Be creative about it. Do clever tricks . You have sets of powers, try to come with it original ideas about super powers and what to do with them.

Punch the ground. It makes a giant earthquake.

Toss an ice cream truck at the power main and make a blackout.

Save a kitten from a tree by choping down the tree.

Be clever about it.

That said this isn't the 1970's Hulk TV show. Also good: Punching

Don't be afraid to make your characters strong, don't be afraid to make them powerful. Let them be super and let them smash. Be clever with description and text and making stuff up.

What we also want to see is: Clever responses to Superpowers

Let's say your a non super-powered guy. A giant car is flying at your face. Huh.

Be clever. Good Superman comics are often less stories about superman, then how a wiley coyote like Lex Luthor can figure out how to disrupt the story. As mentioned, superhero's can't be everywhere at once. Theres a lot of small things in the world that can hurt you - and as mentioned later, everyone values something more then anything. Find it. Work it.

Don't be afraid to just be clever and distrupt.

Yes superman is Probabbly going to smash you Lex, but for that split second....
Last edit: 20 Jan 2014 14:37 by castor.
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20 Jan 2014 06:18 - 20 Jan 2014 14:39 #35188 by Dru1076
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NPCS

Non-Player-Characters: These aren't the heroes, or the villains - but they people on the street, the support cast.

These are the good men and woman who live there day. There aren't just the player characters, but the 6 billion or so other people. There's a lot more of them.

We generally divide them into 2 groups- named ones, and unnamed ones.

Named ones are people like the mayor or the police chief - some of these are detailed in the back. The mods can also make things like a guy who you meet in a store, or anyone - anyone who isn't a guy but is named by other people.

You can, within reason, write about them - make a story about your encounter on the rooftop with the police chief. That's fine.

However, like PC's, don't push them too far. You can't kill them or whatever without the consent of the mods. However that doesn't mean we'll always say no. Flaying the mayor alive for drama can work. We can have them have a romance with a heroine. This is all fair.

This group also includes things like your characters sister, or her boyfriend. You write within reason, but for big acts the mods may step in a little bit here. As can other characters-after all we need characters to be tied down on train tracks - however, unless we get consent the train won't role them over.

The other group is nameless people. They Gawk, they cheer, sometimes flip you off. Maybe they get smashed and die. Mods can come up with them, you can come up with them.

Despite the fact that you can give them a name “But then chester said....” thats fine. However if they survive the story they become Named NPCS. After suriviving that fight with INSECT Queen they deserve it.
Last edit: 20 Jan 2014 14:39 by castor.
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20 Jan 2014 06:20 - 20 Jan 2014 14:40 #35189 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic SWMU BIBLE
Problems

If people follow the basic rule of being respectful, there shouldn't be any problems. Things that may happen, disagreements can work themselves out. As long as you're respectful to the other players it should all work out fine.

However: what if that doesn't work?

Mods, by consent of the group, can ban a player.

We don't have cornfields or things like that. We're not WOW. We do want to do extensive talking to you about whats wrong and how we can make everyone happy. We want to use this as a last, a very last, last resort. Some RP's can be a little quick on this, so we want to give everyone a chance to tell their side of the story - and if it's a particular problem, we can just work it out. This is not three strikes and your out - we want to work things through as quick as we can, easily as we can. If you help us, we will help you. Through pretty much any situation.

The guide is if an RP goes wrong: the RP ends, or the element that was causing the problems ends as well. Simple as that. Everyone can go their merry way.

Unless it doesn't.

But be respectful.

Don't be a jerk, in real life.

No more needs to be said.

We want people to play-this isn't a game about banning, or us being jerks. We come to see you swing and hit a home run not to call you out on balls.

What happens when the world is about to be destroyed?: A helpful primer

So the supervillainess is destroying downtown, and she has just set up an attomic bomb to blow it all to hell...and there's is nothing in the rules to prevent it.

There isn't anything because that's the idea - it super powers, after all, and you can smash the city down to your hearts content.

But stuff in the city will work to prevent it from getting to out of hand.

I want to be a bit mysterious here about the mechanics - as that is part of the metastory - but let's just say there are mysterious things that are trying to keep Hope alive.

Which doesn't mean you should rely on it. Maybe it doesn't work this time. Maybe it stops the city from burning down, but what about that big building over there? Heroes: be on your toes. Big things will happen and the city will need you, no question. Be worthy of it. You are the first and last line of defence, so be ready for it. Even if the wardens are watching, they can't do everything.
Last edit: 20 Jan 2014 14:40 by castor.
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20 Jan 2014 06:22 - 20 Jan 2014 14:40 #35190 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic Characters
Characters

The first element of these kind of stories is coming up with characters.

The idea is that every person involved creates their main character and focuses their effort on that - be a superhero, or just a person on the street. They're special story is something to focus on .

Everyone involved should try to create a character - the mods can help with this if you want, but this is the first part. Try to devolop one good character, and follow her adventures through RP.

You can make more if you feel ready for it, but at first we want to focus on one.

So what can they be? Anything.

Well almost anything...but we'll get to that...

This is the beginning.

We have chosen to start the story at the birth of superheroes in this world. Each of the characters has discovered their power relatively recently, in the last few days or weeks. They can have decided to be a superhero, or be in the process of deciding. It's really up to you.

They can have lead exciting lives before hand - we are open to mysterious ninjas from the far east, spies or the like.

That said, if you want to talk about creating a character with a bit more experience talk to the mods - we can help you work something out with our secret history(TM)

However, this is not mean that they starte-they have had a past, first loves, birthdays, etc. They can be 20 or 100 when this starts - but now they have. It seems the power has, to a degree, disproportionally effected woman associated with Cape Hope university students, teachers cooks-but thats not universal. It could happen to anyone in town.

Think about making a living, breathing, character. Someone who has needs and desires, but also expectations and experience. They have felt pain they have felt pleasure - that is the nature of human existence - but now they are in change.
Last edit: 20 Jan 2014 14:40 by castor.
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20 Jan 2014 06:25 - 20 Jan 2014 14:42 #35191 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic SWMU BIBLE
Superpowers have a way of changing things.

For one thing, it changes how the world sees you.

Characters can be superheroes, or they can be supervillains. They can be somewhere in-between. It depends on where morality, or the lack if it, takes you...

Remember in this world the concept of these things exists, but not in practice. People have read superman comics since 1938, but no one has really seen a superhero. How they will react to it, and to the idea of superhumans is up in the air. They may panic and call you a mutant, like in X-men, or they may celebrate you and cheer. This may vary from person to person, or inside the character herself.

Which is a way of saying If you want to create a paragon of goodness - act that way. The world at some point will probably cheer for you.

You want to make a horrible monster? Do that. But expect the paragon, the police, and the miltary to want to stop you if you go too far...

However, for the most part as the story goes, the world is kind of having a wait and see attitude. The government at the start is inclined to not want to mess with someone who can destory a building. They have read Incredible Hulk comics and know how well that goes. They also know for example the kind of civil rights metaphors of X-men. It depends.

However people are quietly hoping for heroes to come and save them from...I don't know...the greenhouse effect. Superheros are a ludicrous idea, by their nature, but no-one quite wants to laugh.

How do you see yourself?

There is an expression in drama. The character expresses themselves to the world. There is how the character thinks of themselves. And there is how the character actually feels. These can be three totally different things.

Keep this in mind when thinking about your character - your character has had a tramatic thing happen - even if there not a super the basic laws of the world have changed. This is sure to change things. If you don't think your crazy, that's a good sign of sanity insanity. Thats trite, but Freud wasn't talking about tossing around SUVs.

Maybe you are a monster. After all this has happened right? Normal people can't do that. So what should they do internal angst is apprioate-or it could be the farthest thing from it. Maybe they respond by pushing it up and focusing on just being a normal person-or just how really cool it is that they can do all of this stuff. They can smash the people who called them weak. Or try to save them. Or just have a good time. All of these are appropriate responses.

Its been suggested that maybe 1/10 of the us population has some symptoms of Socipathy or Pyschotic behavor. The nature of which is the belief that morality doesn't apply to you. However the vast majority never do much of anything because they sensibly feel that police law enforcement will stop them from getting out of hand.

Funny how that works.

Be free to come up with stuff like this - but the more you think about it, the better - complexity is desired, but not required. Make characters feel alive.

However, if you just want to make someone fly around and go WEEEEEEE!!!, that works to.
Last edit: 20 Jan 2014 14:42 by castor.
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20 Jan 2014 06:28 - 20 Jan 2014 14:44 #35192 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic Power Level
Don't be afraid of making your characters powerful.

That is the first rule here. They can be invlunerable, super fast, super quick - anything you have seen in a comic (within reason: see bellow) is fair game. If you can imagine it, that works too.

At the same time, if you want to make a character that's basically a normal person - like Batwoman or the Black Widow: go for it. If she just has a little bit of a powered character - the Black Canary - sure. Anywhere between Superman and the average person is okay.

Things to avoid: Aliens, Elves, Etc

The default idea is that there is a basic mechanic through which people get powers. You can experiment with that, but within reason.

If you want to play a character whose default origin is that she wasn't born on this earth to human parents, ask the mods. We'll debate it yes or no.

This may change with time, so keep it in your backpocket if you want.


Things to Avoid: Superpowers that nullify other superpowers


Your powers can not be- ”i cancel the powers of people around me with my magic aura”.

The reason: That'd spoil a lot of our fun

Things to avoid: Godlike powers


We want to avoid characters who can simply change reality - pure reality warpers who can make the day turn to night, a dog into a cat etc. The reason for this is well..it gets real complicated after a while. Do you want to do the math? We also want to avoid unfairness - your power can't be that they just can wish someone dead and they be dead - we want a little more subtly than that.

That said, limited ability - ability to transmute non-living matter - steam to water, create fire, etc thats okay - if you have a question run it by the mods.

Things to be concerned about: Mind control and illusions

There's an expression in roleplaying. A properly played illusionist can make all the other characters twiddle their thumbs. A properly played beserker can keep them too busy.

This is just something to keep in mind. If you want to make a character who can make other people see things like that aren't there, or control their mind - you can. However, also remember that, as discussed bellow, you can't write for them. You can't force them to dance or kill themselves - you can however tell them about your powers and have them react as normal. However this is a tricky area. And people may not like it.

However, have as much fun as you like with the general population. Make them see giant imaginary chickens roaming the street - why not?

Weaknesses


It should be noted that all characters should have some weakness to them. In a one-off story it's fine to say they have godlike powers and no one can kill them. In a story with other people that becomes less true.

You can define that in a number of ways: A weakness to bullets is a classic one. Limiting the invulnerability of your character makes then much more interesting. Also, remember the classics: give yourself your own kryptonite - sodium bauxite, deodorant...it can take many forms.

Of course, an equally super powered being punching you in the face is going to hurt your character to a degree - whether they're up to it and can then take the fight back depends on you. When two characters fight, there is usually a winner and looser - how that's determined we'll talk about later.

It should be noted that Superman's real weakness isn't really kryptonite - thats a green rock - but rather that he can't stand to see people in danger. He cares about the Earth, and Lois Lane in particular. He wants to save all of us...but sometimes even he can't do it at all. But he always tries.

Invulnerable people care about vulnerable things. There a certain sense of tragedy in that.

Even a supervillian may have loved ones. Even a supervillian may not want to destroy the world. Even a supervillian may be horrifed by what happens when a building falls over and people die. Remember: just a little while ago everyone was more or less human. Someone who wants to rule the world, still needs a world to rule. Someone who wants to steal the pretty diamonds needs an economic system to give them value...and someone to sell them to.

It has been said that superhero stories are, at their root, about how people relate to society - and that is still there.
Last edit: 20 Jan 2014 14:44 by castor.
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20 Jan 2014 06:31 - 21 Jan 2014 06:22 #35193 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic Character Sheets
Before you jump into RP you do have to make a character up. He or she should have the following elements:


Name: Their full name, and the secret identity if they have one.

Occupation: What they do they do for a living. Its a very american thing to put this first :)

Age: In years please.

Powers: Give a brief description of their powers - if they can be defined numerically define them-they can lift this and this much weight go ahead. You can be vauge, but a certain amount of specificity is desired. Basically if a real life person can't do its a power, and feel free to give your girl unique or original talents,

Weaknesses: see above. It can vauge. Maybe they're blind, have a limp, no money, or on the run from the law. If they are not the average american adult that fits.

Special Skills:
They can be good at math, Acrobatics, history of whistling - if it's beyond what a modern average modern american can do, but not really super stuff. The day to day stuff - driving a car, reading and writing you don't have to bother don't bother(and if they don't have the skill of an average adult that's a weakness) .

Special Equipment - Most people have money in the bank, a car, shelter. What this refers to is super stuff- special cars, flying bugs, metal suits - or really any suits. Some of these can be made to exist in the real world easy enough. However if you can't buy it in a store in the real world, please come up with a reason.

Background:
This is the real meat - come up with a couple of paragraphs - at least one preferably more about yyour character and her life-how things have come to bring her. You can be very detailed or very vauge-but just be. You could also maybe write a mini story for this if you want, but a couple of pargaphs on it in the character sheet could still be helpful. Let their personality start to form here if you can, give us a sense of who they are .

Description: A brief physical discription of the character, tell us what they look like. It should be noted that physically beautiful characters - perfection of womanhood, are apprioate for the genre, What colour is their hair? Their eyes? 36-22-33?


Sample Character


Name: Ellen Randal- aka The Quiver

Occupation: Medical Post Grad / Superhero?

Age:26

Powers: Super Speed: She can run about 150 miles an hour, and has vastly increased stamina; Super Healing: She can recover from cuts and bruises in minutes, and broken bones and more serious injuries in an hour. Super Strength: She can lift about a 500 pounds(press). This plus her speed gives her very long horizontal but not vertical jump - (almost 500 feet)

Weaknesses: Increased metabolism - she needs to eat about five times as much as an average person, and will feel weak from hunger if she doesn't eat every 2 or 3 hours.

Special Skills: Doctorate in medicine with a speciality in Spinal and Skeletal injuries. Advancd knoweldge of Biology and Chemstry. She has also been studying acrobatics and a bit of martial arts in her spare time since the incident, but is hardly an expert at anything.

Special equipment: None.

Background: Ellen Randal had just done what she had spent most of her life trying to do: to study Medicine. She had finished her med school about 6 months ago, and was at Cape Hope University hospital in a post graduate program. It had been a lot of long hours, shitty apartments, and virtually no social life. But she was gradually reaping the rewards. She had just gotten the first sallary offer that would afford her a new car, and she was thinking Lexus or BMW....

Then she started loosing weight. A lot of it. Ellen had never big woman, but bad eating had put some meat on her - but in about three weeks virtually all fat was gone from her body - and she was hungry. Constantly hungry. She had to double then triple her eating, packing extra lunches into her shift - when at last it kind of stabilised. It wasn't like she didn't have any energy: she had tons. Which perhaps was her downfall, as one day when she was taking the stairs, she got either pushed or tripped down - it didn't matte. At the bottom she had a broken leg, contusions...

...for a couple of minutes. Then they were gone - which was a hah for her..

over the last week or two she has slwoly experiments with what she..yeah lets call it that, her super powers of speed stanima, healing and just a touch of strength. Shes gained a little bit of muscle to from it all. Its been...its been something.

Now she has to figure out what to do with it. Now she became a doctor to feel goodish about making money-shes fine with that. Mercenary motives abound. But should she know put on a mask and do something..or...

Description: Ellens about 5'6, and has developed what might be called a runners body. Sleek muscle on lithe muscle form her curves, and she had a very thin tappered waist. In normal clothing she looks normal enough, but in any kind of tight fitting outfits one can see the veins and the sleek lines of her form. She has pale white skin (which has lost most of its tan) and long black hair, and a cute dimple on her noise. She doesn't have a costume yet. God...a costume?
Last edit: 21 Jan 2014 06:22 by Dru1076.
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21 Jan 2014 06:20 - 10 Feb 2014 07:27 #35210 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic Guide to the city Cape Hope
Cape Hope is somewhere in the Oregon/Washington State area, right on the border.

Now, Cape Hope is becoming the rising financial and technological capital of the western United States, and a rising city on the world stage.

Cape Hope is a large American city - and if you're familiar with that, or just the concept of a city, you have some of the idea - a mix of big buildings, small shops, homes and mini-malls. About 4 million people call it home. Remember: The city is a constant. No matter how strange and fanstasic the adventures, the city is still there. We want the stories to have a sence of connection, and life in the big city - whether recent immigrants, or those here for generations have some value.


Geography

Cape Hope is a long, fairly thin cape that extends 18 miles into the pacific ocean, but at its smallest point is only 4 miles across. it has a slight hourglass shape - slightly thicker at the top, thin in the center wide at its base, tilting slightly north as it extends into the ocean.

It's the northern end of Victoria Bay. The southern end is a crink in the coastal map mostly consisting of Mount Uberston. Several small islands (some of which were man made in the 40's) form a harbor barrier. The large bay is one of the largest harbours on the west coast and home to a thriving shipping industry. The Small Bylbos river flows into it at the very base of the cape, though its not navigatable more then a mile in.

Beyond Cape Hope is a large flat plane extending about 50 or so miles into the Cascades. This used to be heavily forested, but industrial felling has largely chopped most of it down, turning it into farmland and increasingly into city and suburbs. There are quite a few moving outward into the plain.

Cape Hope is s mostly flat - there are small hills in the extreme west towards the Pacific, the rest is surprisingly level for the west coast. You could walk from one edge of the cape to the next and never consciously notice any hill - though not completely. It's mostly about 30 feet above sea level with a rise from the bay that was hard to notice. All round the rest of the bay was more hilly, with several small foothills around the area, until you move south to Mount Uberston which is nearly 8000 feet at its highest point-500 of which is taken up by the "Moon", a large semi globular stone of spectacular if craggy blue granite that peeked out at the top looking over the ocean. New comer's are sometimes told that a superheroine (which one varies) plucked an asteroid from the sky and left it there. In reality it was naturally occurring, and had been here for millions of years.

Geologically Scientists suggest that it was formed in the last ice age when glaciers carved Victoria bay. There's some suggestion that The Cape was an island that got trapped by a sandbar in the process. A 100 years ago it was mostly forest, with animals and deer - however most of it has faded away with time. Lodge State Park, stretching 5 miles from the edge of the suburbs to the east is a huge expanse featuring some of the most northern Coastal Redwoods in the world.

The city is usually coolish. in the winter (40-60s) but rarely snows. Summer is warmer but rarely swelteringly hot. Being on the west coast there is little humidity, but often heavy winds. The mountain, to a degree, shelters it from some of the rain out off the northwest - but only some. It can rain 100 days a year, though usually such bouts of rain were short lived. It's not unusual to have clear skys in the morning have rain at lunch time before clearing at night.

It's a pretty city, but not really so intresting in terms of nature. A good place to build, but rarely spectacular. What's extraordinary is what it has become .

It's a city on a bay - Victoria Bay; named after Victoria Kensington, a woman who singlehandedly rounded up the Rollins' Gang that was terrorizing much of the Oregon and Washington territories during the decline of the Wild West. Cape Hope itself was named after John Henry Hope, the founder of the city. Aside from being his namesake, he wanted Cape Hope to represent the American Dream of being free from the centralized federal government that is slowly fencing the Wild West.
Last edit: 10 Feb 2014 07:27 by Dru1076.
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21 Jan 2014 06:27 #35211 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic History
If you ask most people, even in America, to describe Cape hope, they would say: "Oh Yeah...that place, um...it's a city."

The earliest peoples who lived there where Native Americans. The Sitka tribe fished what would become Victoria Bay extensively, with its unusually calm waters for the area. There are stories of them fighting over it, with much war and conquest over control of the bay - each tribe hoping to conquer it and hold it to best use its resources. It never worked out well for any of them.

Cape Hope was first discovered by Europeans in 1792 by George Vancouver, a british explorer mapping the pacific northwest. In 1793 he moored in the bay, his log mainly noted an encounter with a strange horned monster - later identified to be a moose. He also noted that Bylbos Bay (the name he gave it) had excellent prospects for a mooring and trade with the local tribes - though he did not encounter any natives himself during his brief visit.

The next expedition to come was Louis and Clark - they made a brief voyage up the coast to see Mount Uberston, and were the first to describe the weird Moon-like geography of the location - however their visit was even more brief than the first, and there's no record to indicate they even spent the night in what they called Moon Bay.

It wasn't until the 1840s that much of any real activity came to Victoria Bay. Other then the ocasional trapper. People tended to gravitate south to the very fertile Willamette Valley. However, by and large people did come - though there were troubles.

The Rollins Gang is littlle remembered today – but it was a fierce incident in western history. Tom Rollins was a veteran of the Mexican-American war, who had seen first hand what small groups could do out west if they put their minds to it - and as his reputation grew, so did his gang. He gathered together a band of nearly 100 men: criminals, ex soldiers, some local tribal elements. THe Rollins Gang became a force that no one wanted to take on - not the Oregon or Washington governments. Not the marshals. They were, at the time, the biggest power in the area, and in a time before the Pony Express or telegraph. Pretty much the only power. For a period of about 18 months, they were free to ride and loot wherever they wanted - burning down much of Portland, and being more or less in charge of the territory from their base in what would one day be Little Norway.

However...enter Victoria Kensington, the daughter of a Massachusetts industrialist who had come out west to buck expectation. Why she and the gang got into a fued is a matter of some dispute. She never did tell. But she defeated them. In a three day battle she waged guerrilla warfare agianst the small camp. She shot 30 of them before they surrendered to what they thought was a much larger force. When she came out of the bush to accept their surrender, according to legend, they laughed - so she killed 10 more of them including Tom Rollins.

In her honor they renamed the legendary bay where the battle took place, though soon after Victoria Kensington herself disappeared from the pages of history.

Several small towns formed and vanished on the inlet - until in 1856 when John Henry Hope, a wealthy merchant, setup a permanent town on the largely unknown cape. He used it as a base for his fast growing trade empire, bringing the goods of the northwest - furs, timber, and what he had dug up from a jade vein he discovered - to the world. He was what history might term an eccentric. He dressed in French military uniform, though he himself was never a part of any military. He was known for bouts of melancholy, and strange outbursts of anger after which he was apt to go into his room and cry for days. He was particularly against federalism and the government of the east. School books tend to gloss over his participation in the Civil War, where he openly angled not so much for the south, but for turning Cape hope into its own City State on the West coast. It never worked and he survived the war, well, charmingly eccentric.

The war had been good for the city and its trade, and as a route went through the Cascades, and the forestry industry increased and agriculture entered the scene, Cape Hope became a hotbed of trade and industry - particularly finely finished lumber and textiles - which could either be railroaded east or transported out from Victoria Bay . By 1900 Cape Hope was a real city, the second largest in the state.

But the real growth occurred in World War 2. As the war raged overseas, the city became home to a major Naval base, the biggest on the coast, where manufacturing and transport lines where maintained - it was a vital piece of the war puzzle. Yet there were weird stories - strange mist...visions...that may often be written off as superstitious nonsense.

It was part of a weird cycle. The Pacific Northwest is the home of Bigfoot and other weirdness - it was where the first flying saucers where sighted, and numerous other weird happenings. Cape Hope in particular became known for strange figures - sometimes men, frequently women - who wore masks or coats, or something - who, on dark nights, seemed to jump over buildings, or toss nefarious villains around, or get involved in epic barroom fights - only to disappear into the night. During the war it was said that they were government agents, super soldiers. Some thought they where alien invaders. Most people thought they were crazy.

After the war there was a gradual decline in the area as there was less of a need for Naval goods and ships. The city went into a bit of a slump as manufacturing slowly went overseas - the number of textile plants went from 20 to 4. Insurance became a big business, but never a huge one. Still it was never a ghost town, just one that was turning into yesteryear.

However, in the 70's a new boom came: Technology. Both designing computers and manufacturing them brought prosperity back to the city - in fits and starts - but by the 80s and beyond Cape Hope become a mecha for tech and the tech industry. First old fashioned software, but these days website design and other internet based business seemed to boom. With the cutting edge technology came financed firms, and the increased power of Cape Hope University.

Yet when most people think of Cape hope...it's...well, it's a city. A good city, A vibrant one.

But a few weeks ago...something started. An explosion of people discovering they could...do things. Strange things. Powerful things. And maybe it won't just be a city for long...
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24 Jan 2014 07:32 - 10 Feb 2014 07:24 #35271 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic Neighbourhoods
Cape Hope, like a lot of places, can be described as city of quite varied neigbourhoods. This over the decades has diminished some - your likely to find a McDonalds practically everywhere - but there's still plenty here.


Downtown: Downtown Cape Hope is becoming one of the major technological and financial capitals of the west coast. Massive skyscrapers are nestled in the rather expansive city, housing many financial and technological companies that now call Cape Hope their home. Thanks to the massive 1 year tax-breaks offered to these companies, many jobs were created and the city is seeing a massive boom. Thankfully, the city was being restructured to accommodate for the massive expansion, though there are issues regarding transportation and commuting. Still, the city is seeing new life that was not seen 10 years ago and the citizens of the town are expecting great things from these new companies as well as the familiar ones that decided to expand their own companies to the west.

Downtown Cape Hope is also seeing revitalization in its older quarter, with new construction for apartments, townhouses, as well as factories being renovated as new loft homes. Along with the massive towers that hous the new companies, there are various forms of entertainment ranging from a new movie theater to an entire strip full of clubs and bars. As for food, the Pacific Northwest offers great seafood, most notably their salmon. Ed's Taco Shack is famous for having the best salmon fish taco in the entire Pacific Northwest, for example. As the central hub of the greater Cape Hope area is being revitalized, crime is seeing an overall decline. Aside from the occasional bar brawls, store robberies and purse snatchers, most of the serious crimes are nearly non-existent in Downtown Cape Hope. However, there are those that still dare to try the occasional robbery of the 1st Bank of Great Hope.


Lighthouse Point: Located almost at the tip of Cape Hope, this is the oldest settlement in the area. Built by the first colonists, around the first lighthouse in the area, today it is mostly a forgotten part of town, although the crime rate is quite low and some old clans tenaciously cling to the area. A glimpse of hope arrived recently as the area has become a popular spot among local artists, due to its quiet and sombre atmosphere.

The Docks: Located between the Navy Base and the Byblos River, the docks are the biggest source of income for the city. Every day tons of goods pass through the area. This part of town has a rather shady reputation since the 20s, when some families used the city as an entry point for smuggling alcohol in the USA. According to legend, the entire area is riddled with tunnels and secret passages.

Chulyen Naval Base: located to the opposite side of the bay from Lighthouse Point, the local Naval base was established in the 30s as part of FDR's New Deal. The base became pivotal during WW2 as a safe harbour for both US Navy and Canadian units operating in the Pacific. Today the base has lost some importance, but still maintains 8 operative mainteinance bays (the others were decommisioned at the beginning of the 90s).

Little Canton: an almost Chinese only neighbourhood, Little Canton can't be compared to the size of other communities on the West Coast, but it's extremely vital and active, even in local politics. The founders were Southern Chinese immigrants that flooded the area during the 19th century and worked in the local shipyards. Due to the number of Cantonese families in the area, Cantonese is the prevalent dialect, instead of Mandarin Chinese.

Little Norway: Other cities have Chinatowns, and mini Barros - Cape Hope is no different. The largest ethnic neighbourhood is Little Norway.

In the 19th century Victoria Bay became popular with Norwegian and other Scandinavian fisherman and farmers - the climate, despite being fairly mild, is not that different to the region they hailed from, and the rugged coastline similar to its mystique. They settled into this large neighbourhood at the bottom of the cape next to the harbour - the harbour itself becoming a major fixture of this rugged area. More came during World War II victims of the other evils there - and while Scandinavia has grown to obtain the reputation of a paradise - most have stayed.

To an astonishing extent. In a time of rapid assimilation, particularly of Europeans, it's still common to hear Norse spoken in this surprisingly working class neighbourhood. Though some visitors think of wood trim houses and metalwork - and there are examples of that (particularly sections of the harbour that go for the tourist trade) - for the most part this area is suprisingly rough and tumble-and can be scary at night. There are communities of Vietnamese immigrants and Indians living nearby and increasingly there are ethnic clashes between them - though so far it's mostly just mud-slinging. However, with the weird changes happening in the city some worry it could rapidly escalate.

The Alley: In the 19th century the neighbourhood in northern Cape Hope centred around Sandival Street (known always as the "Alley') was known for its industrial looms - here fabrics and whole brought in from across the northwest where brought to make garments to ship overseas. Though some called it a slum it was never really that bad - it was too efficient for that.

But as the industry died in the 60-70s, a startling transformation took place. Tech companies came in - attracted by cheep factory and industrial space - some to build things, some to design things -The Alley was in the right place at the right time. Now The Alley is one of the leading tech centres in the pacific northwest - they design and build everything from computers to video games, and even back massagers. Its a vibrant place thanks to its well thought out design, though some grumble its getting a little expensive to fail here, and companies are moving in less to design and more from the image, though it still is one of the centres of tech in America.

White Wood: In the 1860s a fire just north of Cape Hope burned most of an old forest. It was replanted with a small grove of poplars by its owners. When, in the 1890s, wealthy businessmen moved into what became the most posh neighbourhood in the city, the wood gave the community its name: The White Wood.

White Wood is the old money area of the city, or at least the money that is sufficiently old section of the city. There are 20 room mansions, some Victorian, some more modern, all built to strict building guidelines dating back to the original restrictions from the 1890s. It's upper class to a T, though surprisingly private - the streets are deisgned around small blocks curving around poplar groves (though these have been replanted) that give a lot of privacy - and gossip and other things. Even without metahhumans, there have been several grizzly murders over the years - that have been discovered, anyway. No one knows how many have not.

But it's still, for many in Cape Hope, a place people aspire to live in - the place where you can have your dreams achieved.

But it can be a surprisingly lonely place.

Northern Canal: Northern Canal, on the other hand, is a place where there are many dwellings in a surprisingly small area. Built along an old drainage canal, these tightly packed homes - some are on postage size lots - is one of the most wealthy in the state. Why this is, isn't quite known - but in the 30's it just kind of happened. Doctors and lawyers moved to be next to the river, to be replaced more recently with Tech Millionaires.

Its a surprisingly hip neighbourhood - but very expensive. Very expensive. In an era that fetishizes a kind of poverty, its developed that - but only a veneer. Some say it has lost some of its soul - but it didn't have a lot of soul to begin with. Still, it's an interesting neighbourhood and the people who live and work do make interesting things. Its a place where people come together and generally talk - and live - in 12 dollar coffee houses. But they do talk.
Last edit: 10 Feb 2014 07:24 by Dru1076.
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10 Feb 2014 07:00 #35484 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic Public Figures
Here are brief sketches of some public figures in Cape Hope.


Belinda "Moonshadow" Hollins - Mayor

Three years ago Belinda Hollins ran for mayor. A 44 year old local business owner and real estate developer, she ran on an aggressive pro business message-and was polling third. Then a month before the election it came out. She was the owner of Empertix, and occasional fetish performer at her gothic nightclub "Dreamhouse", under the name Moonshadow.

She embraced it. Running clever ads, and carefully planned public appearances, she went on a pro personal freedom card, and she was elected mayor in a landslide.

It was a moment of triumph for her. Belinda had a hard childhood. She was born in a trailer park in southern Oregon to a single mother who worked periodically in lumberwork. She ran away to Cape Hope when she was 14. At 20, after working as a waitress, she bought a restaurant - which proved so successful she bought several other businesses and invested in real estate. She developed a tough reputation as a tough negotiator, and became a multi-millionaire - though not multi-multi-millionaire. She went into community activism and politics and was a fast rising star in the city. As mayor she has worked to improve the ports, and bring in tourism dollars, and increased business overall by promoting Cape Hope worldwide. Unemployment has dropped 16%, which she is very proud of. It's been rocky - she and the city council have had a lot of clashes-but no one doubts she's trying to whip the city into shape. And while she no longer runs the Dreamhouse, she does frequently attend -especially on Darkwave night.

In the last view years with the rise of superheroes - it's been tricky. At first she was against them, but as it's gone though, she has gradually accepted them. She knows more than anything what it's like to be an outcast who wants to help society. But Mayor Hollins also knows the dangers of how society perceives you - and how they can turn against you at a moments notice.


Andrew Tompkins - District Attorney

Three years ago, Tompkins ran for Mayor of Cape Hope - and lost. It was a bitter defeat for the two term district attorney. Especially because he thought Hollins was a joke - albeit a joke he learned to respect.

Last year he won election for his third term as DA - a position which means he controls how the city processes criminal cases. As the city has no separate attorney, he also handles civil cases as well. However, he almost never actually goes to court - his job is almost completely administrative, though he does advise the council and the mayor...sometimes badly - because he is strongly considering the possibility of running against her at the next election. As the supers enter the city he looks at this as an issue to handle. Whichever way the mayor decides to go, he will take the opposite position - that's how politics in America goes. Though he's not foolish enough to really push the issue too much in the courts. He is, however, an elected official and answers to no one. This superhero thing could go badly for him and his chances of re-election - or it could be the boost in the arm his career needs.
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10 Feb 2014 07:20 #35485 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic Public Figures
Rear Admiral Holowitz

Levi Holowitz has had a very storied career by modern miltary standards. In the first Gulf War he was a Lieutenant in the Navy Seals and participated in several raids inside occupied Kuwait. By the time of the War on Terror he was a Major in Navy Aviatation that participated in numerious sorties over Afghanistan and Iraq. He won the medal of freedom after doing a support raid in the second Iraq war where he litterally had to fly through the streets of Baghdad to take out an artillery battery.

After the second Iraq war he got a desk, and another desk - until now, about 5 years from ending a career, he got Posted as head of the Chulyen Naval Base - only to find that it's lot more intresting around Victoria Bay then he imagined.

Holowitiz has received official orders to.....well not do much. Washington doesn't want any military action against a the supers - after an incident with <insert your superhero/villain here> they realized tanks and gunboats would probably just make them mad. Still, it rankled him a little bit, and being told to not do much meant he was still free to do a little. That much power in the hands of random civilian, right in Americas heartland, was not something he get comfortable with. He doesn't really trust or respect any of them. Still, he has orders. Quietly he has prepared. He figures that push comes to shove - if the line of heroes falls, or...well, there wasn't in truth a line at all. He is the last line of defense of the city. And he waits...

Holowitiz isn't quite the steroytype of the barking General - he's a very quiet thoughtful man who rarely gives outright commands or dresses people down. This belies the fact that he's still quite fit from his SEAL days. He's friendlier then you might think, until he gets orders to be otherwise.


Mr. Brown - NSA

Three weeks ago Mr. Brown took a nice desk in the small branch office of the National Security Administration located in the Federal Building a floor above the FBI. He had a very charming office. Mr. Brown is a very clean looking man - thats a hard word to use, but he kind of radiates a freshly washed charm, with a big smile constantly across his face, and always he wore his black suits. On the face of it, he's seemed simply be a clean, and ever so slightly menacing, man.

Mr. Brown (not one for first names) came to town with a printed file and a computer. He has a job to make sure things stay...secure. To monitor what happens in town. And to keep a very low profile as things...happen.

He hopes it all works out for the best. He really does. If not...well, he has to make a report either way.
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10 Feb 2014 07:58 #35486 by Dru1076
Replied by Dru1076 on topic Public Figures - CHPD
The Cape Hope police department has many dedicated officers and other employees. There is also a sheriff department with around 400 or more employees. The city is under the authority of the Police Commissioner appointed by the city council, and a police chief. There are 24 substations and a headquarters next to city hall.


Bill Brander - Police Commissioner

Bill Brander is a rising star in the Cape Hope political scene - and has been for several years. After being an operative attorney for a congressman and working in homeland security, Brander has worked for the last several years in various elements of city affairs. Last year he become. at 56, Police Commissioner (which is a civilian position - more of an overseer then day-to-day manager).

His job has come in a time with an increased presence of superheroes. And he has no problem with that. For those who want to befriend the police, he is all on board with giving them assistance - from forensics to SWAT units, if needed. He is prepared to look at them with an open mind. Some, including the operational head Ledbetter bristled at this. They have never really seen eye to eye.

As well it should be, because Brander is massively corrupt. He has gotten millions in bribes from just about everyone. But he is subtle about it. He doesn't take briefcases full of money - his underlings don't say his name when they do the dirty deeds . He's good at...adjusting things. There's less of a police presence now. He kills investigations. He's lately devoloped plans for getting criminals out, either on early release - or through break outs. One would think that would work agianst his love of superheroes - but he tends to see them as just an element of his plans to work in. Street criminals, Super villains - they're not his customers. For those who do- Technicalities, occasional lapses in prison security (which being rush orders cost more), it was a more workable plan then you might think.

The superheroes are just cops in silly costumes. And cops, as far as he was concerned, are stupid. He thought himself too clever for them to ever catch on to what he was up to.


Francis 'Cleveland' Ledbetter - Police Chief

A strong-willed man who, as we launch anyway, has little belief in the metahuman response task force, but has been ordered to set it up by Mayor Hollins. He's a take-no-shit, you-know-where-to-find-me-on-Sunday protector of the city, out of his depth with a looming crisis. He's fifty-three, African-American, and a family man. A defining physical feature is his moustache, which earned him the nickname Cleveland. His closest colleagues call him Cleaver, a twist on his nickname they feel better sums up the man.


Det. Anna Gonza

Anna Gonza was born in Kazakstan, just before the fall of communism. She immigrated to America, thanks to help from her uncle Viktor who spearheaded the process. He was a big shot in the emerging Russian community and had once met with President Reagan - a kind of hero to many for his stuanch anti-communism, and now he could be with his family. However, five years later when she was ten years old Viktor was shot in a random street crime. This instilled in her the desire to go after criminals and fight them where they bred. She tuned her mind and body to the work, studying martial arts, keeping herself in top physical condition, and studying criminology.

Of course, instead of putting on a mask and cape after college, she joined the police force.

She worked several divisions - arson, major theft, a stint at homicide - however, most recently she has been put on the special operation investigating the new supers in the city.

She's slowly figuring out how to handle it all. It's tricky. Real life isn't as glamorous as police work - she has to see amateurs enter a world thats not always easy - albeit amateurs that can toss trucks around. Fighting for the sake of fighting them, arresting them for some sense of peace, as foolish.

She wants to help them if they let her - and her connections in the police can be a big help - they may not have batcomputers or swat teams - but she does (okay, she had a police mainframe, not a batcomputer). Cops were not supposed to be glamorous - they just do the job and Hope Cape hope is better for it.
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