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2013.
Thirteen years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills. Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And you are one of them.
Your latest mission? You're after Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who kills thousands, who rules with an iron fist, who has plagued this world for far too long. Revenge is your only motive.
Your latest mission? You're after Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who kills thousands, who rules with an iron fist, who has plagued this world for far too long. Revenge is your only motive.
Remember everything. Forgive nothing.
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Epics:
Epics, the terror of this world. They kill, they claim, they rule. There is no consequence for them, and no reason why. They are forces of nature more than they are man. They're are many categories and classifications, but all Epics fall under one or the other: High or normal. A High Epic is invincible (self-healing, danger sense, indestructability, etc.) The only way to defeat a High Epic is to exploit their weakness. (It is also common for Epics to have one or two "quirks" in their powersets; an ability that doesn't fit with the rest.)
Every Epic has a weakness. Weaknesses are seemingly random: For one, it may be a specific piece of jewelry, a situation, a person, etc. etc. They can be both physical, mental, abstract... Usually, the only way to tell an Epic's weakness is to see what they most avoid, but it's recently been discovered that not all Epics know their own weakness.
Notable Epics:
- Steelheart: High Epic: confirmed. Ruler of Newcago along with his council. Wears a cape and has shoulder-length black hair. Stands at six feet tall. Powerset includes: Superstrength, invulnerability, flight, steel transfersion, energy beams, quirk: minor wind manipulation.
- Phoenix: High Epic: unconfirmed. Self-proclaimed 'sheriff' and member of Steelheart's council. Boosts a pair of six foot long wings on her back and can set anything around her on fire. Wears a cowboy outfit. Main weapon of choice is a whiplash of flames. She wears a revolver on her hip but has never shot it. Powerset includes: Flame control and manipulation, flight, quirk: enhanced vision.
- Nightwielder: High Epic: confirmed. tall with short hair, thought to be of Japanese descent. He is described as only being "half-there," although when he is corporeal, he looks frail. He typically has a pool of dark mist around him, although he can easily turn this mist into solid tendrils of darkness, which can be seen moving through the air. In his full glory, Nightwielder appears to be clothed in night, with darkness writhing around him. Powerset includes: Dark mist, flight, incorporeality, darkness.
- Conflux: High Epic: no. Little to no details. Battery for Newcago and for the Enforcement. Responsible for Fractured States main source of energy: Powercells. Powerset includes: Energy charging, gifting
The Reckoners:
A shadowy organization of assassins manned by the mysterious Jonathan Phaedrus, the Reckoners work consists solely of taking down Epics known for their terrorization. They are discreet and there is almost no information known about them. They never stay in one place too long, and no Reckoner has ever been caught and tortured for information. They live and die for the cause of defeating Epics. They used advanced technology (especially Epic-based), operate in many "cells" with little to no contact with each other, and explicitly avoid being coined as "revolutionaries."
Their only goal is retribution, and Even the most powerful Epics whisper the name "Jonathan Phaedrus" in fear.
Their only goal is retribution, and Even the most powerful Epics whisper the name "Jonathan Phaedrus" in fear.
(Info on known Reckoners will be under characters section)
Key Locations:
- Newcago:
Newcago is one of few locations left in America that still has running water, infrastructure, electricity, food, and a police force. Even though it is ruled under the oppressive regime of Steelheart, people flocked to it, even if they live in poor conditions. The police force is known as Enforcement and is heavily militarized. The city is under constant darkness thanks to Nightwielder. It is ruled by Steelheart and his council. During Steelheart's fit of rage when he first took control, he transformed much of Lake Michigan, the city, and much of the underground into solid steel in an event known as the Great Transfersion. The upper class and party members live above, while peasants live in a network of caverns and factories underground. It is said the Epic Digzone granted some of his powers to the Diggers, who eventually went insane, causing the tunnels to become erratic and impossible to navigate. It is in these tunnels that the Reckoners have some of their hideouts.
- Babilar/Babylon Restored:
Babylon Restored, often referred to as Babilar, is the name given to New York City after its streets were flooded by the Epic Regalia. Regalia ruled tyrannically over the city for years, before she stopped and decided to clean the place up. The water floods so high you can see only the supports of bridges, even though they were once over a hundred feet tall. The water sloped upward towards the middle of the city, so that the perimeter of Babilar had a lower water level than inside Babilar.
- Ildithia:
IIdithia is an Epic-ruled city maintained by Larcener. Ildithia was once the city of Atlanta. Sometime after the rise of Calamity, the city of Atlanta turned to salt and began to move across the countryside, with the city constantly rotating. The salt buildings and cars will gradually breakdown when the city moves away, but the disappeared buildings will "grow" back on the direction the city is moving. Due to this, the people of Ildithia have developed transient 'families' that move with the city, relying on tradition and mob-like protection to secure their resources.
The Coop:
The Coop is a training center for the Reckoners. It is located in Texas, north of Newcastle. There are no watches, clocks, or mobiles in the Coop, which makes the days blur together. New recruits, specifically and especially children, are often sent here to train under the harsh and cruel Zeff. They go through rigorous training and unusual punishments (the Post and "no-flinch game" is the most infamous; a thin metal bar eight feet off the ground that trainees are forced to balance on for hours, and a locked closet full of rats and bugs where students are not allowed to move a muscle), but those from the Coop are often thankful for Zeff's lessons.
Key Terms:
-Fractured States: Unofficial name of the U.S.A. after Calamity.
- Slontze: Something similar to idiot, used as an exclamation ("He just threw a snowball at me, what a Slontze!")
- Calamity (1)(2): 1: A bright red star that appeared in the year 2000 that gave rise to Epics. It lights up the night sky in red, even in Newcago, and can be seen from anywhere on Earth. NASA has tried to research it and failed all attempts.(2): a curse word ("Calamity!" "What in Calamity's fire was that?")
- Sparks: A common curse word in the Fractured States, possibly originating from the sparks created by steel surfaces in Newcago. ("Sparks!" "Sparking hell!")
- Lorist: Someone who researches and studies Epics for a living.
- The Faithful: a faction/non-religious cult that believes that Epics may still one day save humanity and be good. The symbol of the Faithful is the long-forgotten Superman logo.
- Mobile: a phone.
- Rending/Rent: When an Epic first unlocks their powers, they will go on a spree of murder and destruction that is indiscriminate. Family, friends, or anyone else in the way is not safe from this either. Epics are forces of nature when they are in this stage. ("During his Rending..." "When she Rent she...")
- Motivator: a device that replicates abilities from an Epic's power set. Created by harvesting the cells of dead Epics, These cells must be collected within minutes of the Epic's death, as Epic DNA, which is required to make motivators work, degrades rapidly. The motivator itself actually functions as a miniature incubator, keeping the cells alive for many years by performing tasks like feeding them, regulating their temperature, and dealing with any produced waste; a well-made motivator can keep the cells alive for decades. Each motivator can only provide a single Epic ability, no matter how many powers the source Epic had and trying to get more than one or two motivators out of an Epic's cells often results in significantly inferior technology. In order to actually duplicate an Epic power from the Epic's DNA, motivators simply run an electrical current through their cells; if an Epic had multiple powers, the voltage of the electricity used determines which power the motivator replicates. The "biological frequency" of electric current required for each motivator is different.
Positions:
(In the Reckoners, "positions" are not concrete. Adaptability and flexibility are necessary. Multiple people can take on the 'job' of point or mechanic, but more often than not, many sort themselves into these roles. These are just the commonly noticed jobs/tasks that tend to be filled)
(At least 1 member HAS to be a part of the Faithful)
- Lorist: 2/2 @Spearmint
Rarely (preferably never) go into the main line of fire. Function as the "guy in the chair" of the team, researching Epics and tracking all known information. A highly regarded and respected position, as those in this role are close to Jonathan and have more knowledge of Epics, battle strategy, and more often than not are the main consultants when it comes to the Reckoners meticulous planning.
- Point: 2/2 , @RangerofIthilien @Avian
Pointman or pointwomen are the ones who go in and pull the trigger. Highly trained and skilled by Jonathan himself, it is imperative that whoever is on point can improvise on the spot and are willing to get their hands dirty. Point is the most dangerous and highly coveted job, and those in point (and lorists) are usually the only ways who refer to themselves in a rigid structure of positions.
- Heavy Weapons: 1/1 @WeepingWisteria
Main handler of the many weapons in a cell. Machine guns, motivators, etc. are all under their knowledge domain. Due to this, they often end up working as information-keepers for most workings of the cell (rations, ammo, etc.) and handle all arms-trade discussions. Usually end up as backup.
- Mechanic/Explosions: 2/2 @winterwolf0100
Handle all technical and engineering happenings in a Reckoner cell. They tend to be considered oddballs and nerds by other Reckoners, but their skills are highly sought after and valuable. Sometimes end up being medics as well, especially if they are skilled in motivator technology. While often not being in the line of fire, many in this 'position' end up on the field in some way, shape, or form. Anonymous claims even call it the "weird glue" of a Reckoner cell.
Recon/Sniper: 1/1 @KateHardy
While lorists handle most information, someone has to retrieve it. These people are usually the ones sent out to talk to the everyday person or sent undercover to obtain information. It is favorable if they are charismatic and know their way around a conversation, considering one slip up can get you killed. Work with point as backup often.
Medical: 1/1 @JazzElectrobass
Medic (and often chefs) of the cell. Although not sent into the crossfire often, they end up in the background of many missions due to their expertise. They also tend to be the most trusted in a cell and collaborate their information with lorists, considering they're responsible for the well-being of the people inside of it. Unknowingly, medics often become the backbone of an entire cell's physical and mental well-being.
Character Template:
(Slightly formatted as if a lorist file)
Name:
Age:
Appearance: (picrews welcome!)
Skills:
Choice of weapon (can be melee or firearm):
Suited for: (put position here)
Are you the Traitor?:
Known History:
Age:
Appearance: (picrews welcome!)
Skills:
Choice of weapon (can be melee or firearm):
Suited for: (put position here)
Are you the Traitor?:
Known History:
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THE RECKONERS 101 GUIDE ( written by DC 
you're welcome)
First rule of the Reckoners: "No excuses, ever." - Zeff
2nd: "(Prof/Zeff) [is] God. You do as [they] say, and no questions." - Zeff again
3: "You are weak." - Prof/Jon Phaedrus AND Zeff (yuck)
!!!!! 4!!: "You're only in trouble if you get caught." - I made that one
it's like a secret one but it's true so always keep it in mind it trumps all the other rules
(TIP FOR NEW RECKONERS: these are enforced pretty inconsistently so exploit and cheat them whenever as you can heheheh)
you're welcome)First rule of the Reckoners: "No excuses, ever." - Zeff
2nd: "(Prof/Zeff) [is] God. You do as [they] say, and no questions." - Zeff again
3: "You are weak." - Prof/Jon Phaedrus AND Zeff (yuck)
!!!!! 4!!: "You're only in trouble if you get caught." - I made that one
it's like a secret one but it's true so always keep it in mind it trumps all the other rules(TIP FOR NEW RECKONERS: these are enforced pretty inconsistently so exploit and cheat them whenever as you can heheheh)