Tag: Shaun Richens
#30 – Captain Black Jack and the South West Sky Pirates.
Great cities held aloft by monstrous balloons are the new homes of the rich and famous. Noble men and woman, Kings and Queens living high above the poor still down on the earth. The high society taking its term far to literally in persuade of the high life.
This new frontier of wealth brought without a new breed of crook and thief. The skies became a dangerous place, full of pirates, bandits and all kinds of flying beasties.
Ever since the invention of the steam powered jet propeller and the solar powered blimp the oceans have been deserted in favor of the vast oceans of the sky. The clouds have become the new waves of fortune for brave, foolish and crooked men and women to try their luck at.
Captain Black Jack and his crew of sky pirates are some of the most feared men on the seven skyways. Onboard their faithful ship the Black Banshee, the crew seek out the Queens royal naval ships, and the noble merchants on their way to sky ports and cloud docking cities. Striking from the clouds themselves the grizzled Captain and his men will steal your gold as quick as your wife, jetting off in the Black Banshee for the nearest storm cloud where none would dare follow.
Black Jack is a grizzled old veteran of the skyways. He’s down to one eye and one leg. Losing the eye in a game of cards when is ex wife caught him cheating and poked out his eye with his own sword. His left leg became a meaty treat for a great cloud kraken the old Captain had tried to slay for its golden scales; he came off slightly worse in that exchange.
Having spent nearly his entire ill-gotten fortune on gatling cannons and hiring some of the meanest pirates to ever fly the skies, the good Captain now sails the skies on the hunt of the Kraken, hoping for a spot of old fashion revenge.
Always hot on the Captain’s tail are the Queens royal sky guard, out in ships made of the finessed woods and metals, they are said to be as fast as the winds themselves. Hunting for the man who stole the Queen’s own crown jewels whilst she was on a tour of the sky kingdom. She wont be happy when she learns that her jewels have been encrusted into Black Jacks favorite curved sword, Martha.
For now The Black Banshee keeps her Captain and crew one step ahead of the Royal Sky guard as they hunt for the Kraken, but you never know what’s around the next storm cloud. So all the Captain can do is set his sights on the horizon and sail ‘til the sun sinks.
#29 – Sammy “Great†Scott.
Adorable, cute, lovely, kind hearted all of these words describe Sammy Scott nearly perfectly. Always out in summery dresses and pattern tights enjoying life with a huge grin on her face. She is hard not to love.
However when this young lass isn’t drawing for her art degree or seeing some cool new age folk band she is doing battle with Trolls, ghosts, vampires and all those other beasts of legend and myth. Its this side of her that has earned her the nickname Great Scott.
Her Dad, the late great William Scott was a monster hunter of some considerable note. The only man in resent age to have banished a fully-grown black banshee back to the dimension that it belongs.
Before he passed away he handed his old leather satchel to Sammy and told her that it was her destiny to continue his work.
William Scott’s spirit was the first ghost Sammy had ever seen, for you see as soon as she had taken hold of her fathers satchel not only had it transformed, through some white magic into, a very cute little shoulder bag, it had also passed all of her fathers monster hunting energy to Sammy. She could now see ghosts, sense vampires; she was to be frank, kind of a bad ass.
Sammy and her Fathers spirit spent all that evening talking, they spoke about what it was he really did. He told her all about his greatest adventures and how it had been is honor to protect the world from the things of the night. Before his spirit passed to the other side he told her to reach into her new bag and draw out what ever she found.
She sank her hand into the bag; it was far deeper than it physically should have been. A bag of holding is what he Father told her it was, capable of holding almost anything or any weight, it was the greatest tool in a monster hunters arsenal, well not greatest, the greatest monster hunting tool was currently inside the bag.
As Sammy pulled her arm free she brought something with it. A huge mighty battleaxe, wrought in gold and silver with runes and details engraved all over it. Her Father smiled at her, and with his last few sentences told her how proud of her he was and that he would always love her, and with that he was gone.
That’s how Sammy Scott became the newest monster hunter. Taking up the mantle that had been passed down through the generations. Although it must be said she is perhaps the first hunter to wear heels and a flower patterned dress out to hunt a Wendigo, but damn it if she didn’t rock it with her enchanted battleaxe over one shoulder.
#28 – Emma O’Grady.
The end of 2012 was nearing; the days grew darker as the cold winter nights set in. They kept growing darker, and darker. We never made it to Christmas that year. The old gods rose as the Mayan calendar had predicted. In one night hell was unleashed on earth. Twisted and changed in to the image of the old ones. Mankind pushed to the brink of extinction. Demons and foul creatures of the deepest darkest nightmares began to walk the streets of our old neighborhoods. Anyone in the way was put to his or her death, or worse. Mankind hangs on by a thread. A few hide just trying to survive.
One stands up to face them.
As the old ones rose something long since dominant from the world stirred in young Emma O’Grady. She was to be the last hope of humanity to survive. She was the guardian of the light. Passed down through the ages, the guardian of the light is the one soul who has the chance to push the darkness back. It is how they where put to slumber last time they rose.
With the power now stirring inside her Emma pushes out into the wastes of her old world to face her destiny. Helping any and all she finds on her way as she battles and bashes beasts of all shapes and size. Emma is granted the courage and strength to stand against the threats before her by the light inside. The forces of pure evil stand against her, the light her only sources of guidance and instruction her in her mission.
She is a long way from her days spent learning art history at college and spending her weekends working behind a bar. Emma must face off against the very beings that created fear and hatred, and she must win if things are ever to be the same again.
#27 – Feng ‘Fire Tiger’ Lin.
You don’t get a reputation like the one ‘Fire Tiger’ has without being feared. An expert in the fighting style Krav Maga, and a cocky punk to boot, Feng makes a living for himself as hired muscle for the local ‘businessman’ Kang Quo.
Kang is the man around Feng’s community; the guy grew up here but went on to make a name, and a lot of money for himself. He owns a few fancy restaurants up town and that gives him the space and legitimatise he needs to run his less than legitimate gang. Gun running, protection rackets, dugs, stolen cars, Kang’s gangs have their fingers in a lot of pies. No one dares touch him though.
When you wrong Mr. Quo in anyway Feng Lin will arrive to teach you a lesson, a lesson with his fists. None have needed to be taught the lesson twice. While Feng isn’t exactly in love with his job, it pays well and its something he’s good at. He can’t turn his back on that.
Kang brought Feng in when he was young, he’d been running with a small time gang and getting into a lot of trouble. Kang saw the kid had some talent with his fists and wanted that talent working for him, so he gave Feng some work.
Now Feng is the guy all the locals are scarred off, he’s the last person they want to see. That’s the worst part of the job, being feared by everyone around you makes for a lonely life, but if he ever tried to leave the employment of Mr. Quo he’d have no life. Lonely is better than dead, or so Feng thought.
No one knew where he came from or who he was, he simply called himself Thunder fist. He’d turned up one night and made some trouble for one of Quo’s gangs, he didn’t kill any of the gang just made sure they wouldn’t be doing any work for a while. It’s hard to intimidate people with broken arms.
This Thunder Fist was getting under the skin of Quo, none of his men could find this guy let alone stop him, he called in Feng. Kang made it clear that if he couldn’t stop this guy then he’d best never show his face in town again.
Feng wasn’t given much choice, Thunder fist found him. Thunder and fire make for a pretty volatile mix.
#26 – Captain Michelle Cortez of the R.F.I.
She wasn’t around in 1947 when it started but she plans to be there when it ends. Captain Cortez is out on the frontline fighting the silent war everyday, the war that started back in Roswell.
All those rumors about Roswell have some fact to them, but none know the whole truth. One night in June of 1947 a spacecraft of unknown origin did indeed crash land in the desert just outside of Roswell New Mexico. The creatures on board did no survive the impact, luckily for the human race most of the vast alien ship did. The incident was covered up and the R.F.I. (Roswell Fallout Initiative.) was started.
Within six months of the R.F.I being set up it was working full time out of a top secret government base in New Mexico. With a staff of five hundred, made up of the leading minds in all the highest level scientific research areas and with a platoon of specially trained marines on hand. The aim of the Initiative was to reverse engineer the alien technology, to find out their purpose on Earth. The results did not come back with good news.
Decrypting the logs onboard the central ships computer confirmed the worst thoughts. This ship was just the first, a scout. It had sent a long-range message before impact. If the translation was correct, and it best be, the government had shelled out a million dollars for the best linguist and code breaker that could be found to work on the files, the message read ‘Third planet from the Sun. Harvest.’
Sixty-five years later and the silent war continues. The second ship came in 1948 and the R.F.I was barely ready. They are always one step behind the invaders but hold them back. Using the captured alien tech against them has proven to be the only way to stop them.
Captain Michelle Cortez is the current leader of the first division of the Roswell Elite, the toughest marines in the R.F.I. They have the most cutting edge weapons, armor and vehicles at their disposal and are the frontline that holds back the tide. Cortez has been with the unit for twelve years and has seen a lot. She is hardened, yet courageous, feared and respected in equal measure amongst her fellow soldiers. She is the best person for the worst job ever.
Locked and loaded Michelle Cortez will never go down without a fight.
#25 – Purth ‘Swift Storm’.
Everyone knew of the Arena. It was a place of myth and legend, a gargantuan, open-air stadium carved into the very mountains around it. It falls in neutral territory owned by no realm or kingdom. Said to have been built by the gods and their offspring to watch the great beasts do battle.
In the current age, the third of men it is used as a source of entertainment, people from far and wide gather on this neutral grounds to watch the greatest warriors face off against each other, to see noble heroes test strength against the most fearsome of beasts from across the great lands. The people come to see the names of new legend, and see men who started the day with no name leave with one.
Purth was not of noble birth; he was but a lowly farm boy. Kind hearted and strong, poor Purth’s life was not to be easy. Ending up a slave to a local land Baron in exchange for his family keeping their farm, he was ill treated, yet somehow keep his kind heart though his strong arms meant he could break a man if he wished.
The Baron had a daughter, a beautiful young maiden, a few years older than Purth; she drew Purth’s eyes whenever she was near.
During the annual summer hunt for the giant four horned stag that roamed the land, the Barons daughter fell from her mount, which was startled by one of the great stags. The beast made to escape, and would have trampled the innocent lass if Purth had not intervened. Throwing himself from his mount he grappled the huge stag, wrestling it to the floor. Locking its huge neck in his powerful arms he cut the creatures air off, it fell unconscious to the floor.
Pulling the maiden to her feet as the Baron, on the back of his own mighty warhorse rode to them, his men at arms all around.
The Barons daughter couldn’t tell her father enough kind things about Purth. The baron himself was reluctant to admit but the boy had impressed him too. The boy had great strength, had saved his daughter and also managed to capture a great stag in doing so. The baron made Purth an offer he could never had expected. The baron was to ride to the Arena in two moons time to partake in the gambling on the events. He offered Purth the chance to enter an event, it would be dangerous for sure but the Baron vowed that if the boy could win the event, and thus a lot of gold for the Baron the boy would have won his own freedom. To sweeten the offer the Baron said that should Purth leave the Arena with all his limbs he could take the great stag he’d taken down as his prize to ride free on.
Purth could not refuse such an offer and so shook the Barons hand to seal their deal.
Two moons passed quickly when the day of your fate is approaching. Purth could barely remember the month long trek to the arena. It was a blur.
The open event for this season was one on one combat with an unknown beast. The list of partakers was short, but the names where all known in the Arena from sessions before, all apart from Purth’s. The Baron laid down a pouch of gold of Purth to great odds and a few chuckles from his fellow gamblers who said he’d never see that money again.
Purth was last to enter the arena. From the sounds he heard waiting to enter no one had beaten the beast, and none had escaped with their lives, let along a prize. Stepping up to the arena entrance Purth was offered his choice of weapon. They all looked brutish and barbaric. It was the trident and net that finally drew his eye. He had fished with is father as a boy and could handle the tools well enough. Snatching them up as the sun poured in, the door opening and the huge arena floor opened out before him.
Walking out, the crowd fell silent. No cheers for Purth like the other combatants. At the other end of the arena stood a massive stone door, a dozen men above it cranked a cog the size of a house and the door started to move. The crowd grew nosier as the full sight of the beast was finally revealed.
It looked like a Minotaur; Purth had heard tales of these creatures. The beast before him was more terrifying however. Standing nearly twenty foot tall, it was wide and muscular, its torso covered in chainmail, its long legs furring and thick. In its hand it held a great axe that was bigger than Purth. He should have been scared but he wasn’t, this beast stood between him and returning home to his family better than he had left them.
The noise was unimaginable. Cheers and chants that could wake the gods filled the Arena. Purth stood drenched in sweat. The Minotaur lay unconscious and wrapped in Purth’s net. Using his speed to his advantage Purth had out lasted the beast for nearly an hour until it finally dropped to one in out of exhaustion. Seeing his chance Purth climbed the beast wrapped his net around its throat and choked the last of its fresh air free. It hit the ground and the crowd erupted.
The Baron left the arena with a new found reputation for training warriors and more gold than he could have dreamed of winning.
Purth left the arena with so much more. He left to chants saying he must be half Ashen; they had dubbed him Purth Swift storm, a name that would live on in the Arena. The trident and net he taken into battle had been given to him as gifts, they hung nicely at the saddle of his new great stag mount. He called the creature Storm in honor of his arena name.
The Baron nodded to Purth as he passed him, true to his word Purth rode out a free man. He rode back to his family. He longed to be home.
#24 – Madame Emilie Zehetner.
The sultry, seductive and charming anthropomorphic cougar who runs the local den of iniquity, The Cats Meow. Russian born Emilie ended up in America when she ran away from home with her then lover. The relationship went south as most of those hot and passionate ones do. A few wrong moves later and she ended up in debt to a local crook by the name of Finnegan, he was a scrawny, dirty Irish weasel but he had a lot of hired muscle, big ugly mutts, Emilie couldn’t do anything.
As luck would have it Finnegan and his boys weren’t much to look at so had to use their ill-gotten gains to charm a lady of the night. There favorite haunt was the Cats Meow, a really classy joint, crooks and cops alike loved this place for its beautiful women. It was one of the only places in the city to have a white tiger take an interest in you. The then Madame, Silvia was a fierce fox of a lass, she was kind and gentle until you crossed her. As it goes she got wind of Emilie’s troubles through Olive, a pretty little otter who happened to be Finnegan’s girl, well that’s how he saw it.
From the moment Silvia laid eyes on Emilie she couldn’t let any harm come to her at the hands of that fool Finnegan. She stepped in, paying off this petty debt owed and taking Emilie in. She never intended for it to happen, she just wanted to look after her. But once the local boys got a look at Emilie they where all asking after her. Emilie was flattered by all the attention and she could use the money, she had vowed to pay Silvia back for her kindness and more.
Emilie became one of the best girls Silvia had ever seen at work. It didn’t take her long to catch the eye of Dennis Haines. He was a good guy, nicest bear you could want to meet. He was a local detective, had a wife and kids at home but an appetite for the ladies that no one woman could satisfy.
He came to see Emilie every Wednesday with out fail. Told his wife he was going to the gym with some of the beat cops. Emilie kept him in good shape that was about as much truth as there was to it. Silvia could see the old bear fooling for her but didn’t step in. She figured it would be good to have the local detective inclined to be in her favor.
The years passed and Dennis still made his visits, though they grew less and less, his hunger for lust had been ousted by his old back. Emilie and Silvia had been come close, friends is how most would see them, but there was a bond between them that was almost paternal, so when the worst happened and Silvia passed, so did the Cats Meow, to Emilie.
Finnegan only got uglier with age so was still in need of Emilie’s new home. She loves to hear Finnegan call her Madame; she demands respect of those who wish to visit her halls. Dennis sends her flowers every valentine’s day to show he still thinks of her, it’s a nice thought but life has hardened Emilie up, she knows it’s just a gesture.
The flowers are still beautiful though.
#23 – Katelyn Anderson/ColdFusion.
The young Katelyn Anderson or as she is now better known under her superhero moniker ColdFusion was the greatest hope mankind had ever had for a bright future.
During an experiment into low-energy nuclear reactions Katelyn was exposed to microscopic particles when an accident had her trapped in the sealed chamber during testing. The resulting exposure warped her DNA.
Hospitalist for months in a coma doctors told her family and friends to be prepared for the worst. Every test they had done had come back with readings never seen before. Even the leading experts seemed perplexed by the young girls comatosed condition. By all accounts the accident should have killed her, somehow she come out without a scratch on her, just unresponsive to the world.
After nearly a year she woke up. She seemed to be perfectly fine, she remembered the accident clearly and was shaken by the thought of missing a year of her life but friends and family where so pleased to have her back that things soon returned to normal.
A week after returning home Katelyn started to notice the changes. Going to turn the kettle up and it would boil at her touch; she hadn’t filled her car up since returning home, the fuel gauge hadn’t moved at all. After confiding in one of the doctors from her lab she agreed to let him test her.
The results changed the scientific world forever. It appeared as if the very body heat Katelyn created was actually producing a low-energy nuclear reaction. She had become cold fusion itself.
She was on the cover of every newspaper the world over. Within the week everyone know her name. She was being taken all over the world to meet presidents, kings and queens. By the end of the year the United Nations had funded a project to set about using this miraculous gift to help the world.
It turned out the more she used her powers the greater the energy output became, before the end of her first year from waking up she was out putting three quarters of the entire worlds energy.
A horrific fact become clear during a routine test with the doctor who had originally made the discoverer. The cold fusion process was slowly killing Katelyn.
Would the world let one young girl die for their energy desires? Katelyn was scared to find out.
#22 – Cadence Clarke.
Growing up with a name like Cadence is hard for a boy. His parents where old time hippies and didn’t believe in gender stereotypes, they said Cadence suited his kind soul. The kids at school didn’t see it that way. When your five anything that makes you different seems to make you a target, the fat kid gets bullied, the girl with glasses who always does her homework gets teased and of course the guy with the girly name gets picked on for sure.
Cade, as he has been calling himself for years blamed his name for the path his life took. When we moved up to high school he was feed up of being the butt of every joke and the punching bag for the big kids. Cade started to work out, take mixed martial arts lessons, his parents didn’t like the thought of their boy learning such violent things, but when he lied and told them it was the only way he could express his inner self they started to actively encourage him. Cade had learnt at an early age how to play his parents.
By the end of high school everyone called him Cade, he was the guy everyone else was scared of. He liked things this way. It was this new found confidence and respect that lead to some very poor life choices and friendships that ended up putting him behind bars for a few years after a jar jacking had gone bad.
By the time Cade turned twenty-five he was stealing high-end cars for use in gang heists. He made quite the name for himself in the crime underworld, working his way up to be the get away driver for the biggest bank job the city had ever seen. After a few big profile jobs Cade had stashed enough cash to make a good life for himself. He was already to fly out to Tokyo and retire on his ill-gotten earnings. His boss was less than pleased about this.
Talking Cade into one last job with the promise of the biggest taking he’d ever earn, his boss set him up. After the job at the safe house the other gang members pulled guns on Cade, they told him it was nothing personal just the boss couldn’t have any loose ends. Before the guys could even pull their triggers they fell to the floor a single bullet in the head of each of them.
A figure stepped out of the shadows. An old grey haired man, twin pistols in hand. The old guy smiled at Cade as he holstered his guns. He reached out his hand to Cade.
“Evening Cadence Clarke nice to meet you. I’m you from the futureâ€
“We best get outta here we have got a lot to do.â€
Cadence Clarke would eventually end up in Tokyo, but not for a long time yet.
#21 – Ajax of Ashen.
Ashen is the oldest of the human races. Said to be the direct descendents of the demigods, made in their image. The Ashen people are tall, most standing at seven feet once at full maturity. Their eyes burn in hot reds, oranges and yellows, whilst their hair grows all manner of colors. Their skin is bronzed from the hot climate of their island home of Ashdeep.
The island is self contained and only the Ashen live here, surrounded on all most all sides by dangerous ever growing coral and sea creatures not seen anywhere else only one entrance can be made by sea and the Ashen rarely share this secret. The island is said to have a huge crumbling stone staircase at one end of it, which in lost decades lead all the way to the heavens.
As a people the Ashen are known for great feats of strength and noble deeds, even the most common and meek among them is a hero in the eyes of the greater realms of Elmore. They are gifted with long lives for humans, long enough to rival the old races such as the Ivory elves.
Ajax of Ashen is far from meek; he is one of the greatest living Ashen heroes. Tall even for an Ashen standing at nearly eight foot tall, his body is lean and muscular and the rumors say he can best an ogre one on one. His hair is fire red and hangs long past his shoulders; his eyes match and burn bright. Throughout the different realms and kingdoms he is known by many different names, Ajax The Giant Slayer, Ajax Godsright, Ajax of the Stars he is a man of honor and happy with plain Ajax.
Sailing the seas on his vast ship The Wings of Wind Ajax seeks out adventure and to bring glory and honor to his homeland. His crew is made up on every race he has meet on his travels, good brave men are always willing to follow the great Ajax. His crew have become his friends and family over the years, some even know the route to the island of Ashdeep should the day come when Ajax’s body needs to be return to rest at home.
Wherever Ajax arrives his feats and deeds are plain for all to see. His body covered in the magical, shimmering chainmail given to him by the Dwarven king whom Ajax had fought side by side with during the battle for Underpass. On his back hangs the shield he forged from the first black dragon he slew to protect a young princess, whom the locals seemed to want to sacrifice. Every weapon, from is longbow, to spear to his axe and long sword come with a story, as do every cut and scar that he wears with pride.
Today the people of Saal will get to witness Ajax first hand as the Wings of Wind sails into port.
#20 – SafeGuard – The superhero Team comprised of The Guardian, Man-ifold, Sanctuary, Dawn Titan and Backlash.
The City of Golden Bridge was a thriving and beautiful metropolis, playing home to a diverse mix of people, some of whom are the greatest superheroes known to man.
Heroes like The Guardian, one of the oldest and most beloved heroes of all time, his superhuman strength and resistance stemming from an experimental muscular stimulant created by the government. The guardian was the only volunteer on the program to gain any such attributes. He uses his newfound strength to stand up as a beacon of hope in the face of all danger. Protecting the streets from all manner of evil.
On the other hand you have the hero known as Man-ifold. He is young and out spoken, seen as a joker but always charming. His abilities allow him to create duplicates of himself, up to hundreds of them. This allows him to fight against greater odds and win; it also allows him to do more tasks at once. The public loves him but his comedic attitude has him seen as somewhat of a fool in the hero community.
Apollo the ancient sun god left a human trinket on earth that contained a great deal of his power. This power was to be used in the face of pure evil as a way to light the path in the darkest of times. The Dawn Titan is the current wielder of that power. Manifesting itself in different ways in each host, Dawn Titan was granted control over the Suns rays. He can store all its energy in his skin to be unleashed when needed, used as a powerful force blast to either take flight or dispatch foes. The energy also forms a bronze like armor around Dawn Titan making him incredible tough.
Sanctuary is the most powerful female hero currently on Earth. Being able to weave and manipulate all kinetic energy around her make the possibilities of her powers almost limitless, forming protective shields around herself and others, or forcing her body through the air in graceful flight, the energy can be twisted and used at great force. With more belief in herself Sanctuary could be the worlds greatest hero.
Mysterious and unnerving are the terms most often seen in the reports of Backlash. He is said to have never spoken to anyone, not even those he helps. He turns up when people are in dire need or help and uses his power to absorb and reuse any and all force to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
All five of these heroes swore their lives to protect Golden Bridge, but it wasn’t until the vile villain known as Corruption nearly wiped out the city that they join as one, to become SafeGuard.
Corruption had used his fear enduing mind powers to turn all the citizens of Golden Bridge in to weak, helpless creatures to scared to even go outside. Corruption grew more and more powerful the worse the situation got until The heroes alone could no longer confront him. The Guardian rallied them together and they set out to best Corruption. Man-ifold creating an army of himself to face the foe head on with the help of the sun powered Dawn Titan whilst Sanctuary and The Guardian prepared for the second phase. The army of Man-ifold overwhelmed Corruption whilst Dawn Titan protected the original version. Corruption forced to go super nova ready to unleash a city ruining amount of fear energy, in an instant the Man-ifold army all gathered back into the original as The Guardian, protected by Sanctuary grabbed Corruption and aimed all his energy at Backlash. Backlash absorbed it all and with one final breath before collapsing sent it all back at Corruption with an uppercut.
The day was won, the city saved, Corruption stopped and a team was born.
#19 – Missy Jones, FatMan pilot.
The galaxy is torn in two by intergalactic civil war. In the year 2655 the FatMan is the first and last line of defense. A human piloted mech suit, the FatMan is standard issue for all infantry fighting on the front lines. Missy Jones is one of these pilots.
The FatMan is a twelve-foot, walking juggernaut. Encasing its pilot in a tank like amour and sporting twin linked rail guns on each of its arms the FatMan is a machine not to be messed with. Missy Jones controls one of the FatMan variations, The Kings FatMan. It comes equipped with a full burn jet pack for low air flight as well as the inclusion of under arm slung grenade launches.
Born and raised on a colony far from Earth Missy never knew what this home planet everyone was fighting for even looked like. Her dad left her and her mum to go off with some man from mars he’d meet at work before Missy could even speak. It was just her and her mum from then on, and Missy adored her mum. She was a FatMan pilot; this is what inspired Missy to sign up when she was sixteen. She had always wanted to see the galaxy, but she wanted to make her mum proud of her too.
After playing a key role in the retaking of Earth’s Moon for the Union, when her squad infiltrated and captured the moons defense station, Missy was prompted to Unit command. Her mum came to see Missy’s ceremony in which she received her King FatMan. That was the last time Missy saw her mum.
Three years since that day and Missy and her unit are deep inside The Coalition Republic territory in search of something on the uncharted planet Novvos. The Union claims this planet holds the key to ending the civil war. All Missy and her men have found so far is death. Death in a lot of strange and evil ways.
#18 – Jimmy “The Velvet Glove†Valentino
Jimmy Valentino was a name feared on the professional boxing circuit, he had been quick like fox but packed the uppercut of a grizzly bear. He earned the nickname Velvet glove after his tenth straight win by knockout; they said his gloves must be lined with velvet the way he put guys to sleep.
Those days seemed like a whole life ago now. Jimmy had grown old and round; the beer belly hanging out of his dirty white vest suited him in his new role as barman. Jimmy ran the local watering hole for all the local thugs and drunks in Higharce, the place was called the Bears Uppercut. It was the only thing Jimmy had left to show for all the money he’d won boxing all those years. Well that and the old heavyweight belt he had hung up behind the bar.
Having proof he was a former champ seemed to stop any trouble coming Jimmy’s way. Somehow though old troubles seem to find new ways of catching you to you. Mike Grell caught up to Jimmy the night he walked into the Bears Uppercut doing Luca Bell’s dirty work.
“No fucking way. If it ain’t my old mentor Jimmy the Velvet Glove himself.â€
Within three minutes of hearing these words Jimmy was on the dirty, stinking floor of the back alley behind his bar with Mike and his goons in suits laying the boots in to him.
“This is for you never officially retiring so I could win that god damn belt of yours.â€
“Oh piss off you whiney little brat.†Jimmy managed to get out between the kicks to the ribs.
“Got some fight in you yet all man. How about we go a round right here? Get him up boys†Mike spat with a shit-eating grin all over his face.
The goons in suits pulled old Jimmy to his feet, bloodied and bruised, his dirty white vest even worse for the beating he’d taken.
Mike’s left jab came in at Jimmy and instinct took over, weaving right Jimmy caught him with a left of his own.
Blood ran from the now broken nose of Mike Grell. Wiping the blood away with the back of his palm he chuckled to himself.
“You’ve gone and done it now Jimmy old pal.â€
His fine suit ripped and shredded falling to the floor as the change happened. His body covered in fur, his broken nose elongated and formed a muzzle. Mike grew and bulked out into the monstrous form of a werewolf. With one swift sweep of his arm he slashed at Jimmy the goons in suits looking on as their boss went to work.
Slashed and blooded across the chest, Jimmy spat his own blood on the floor.
“I might be old and a bit out of practice but let’s dance.â€
Frozen for a moment as he tried to understand what was going on Mike watched as Jimmy went through a similar transformation, but Jimmy grew taller and wider then mike, his short fur speckled with grey like his hair. Jimmy stood proudly before Mike in his Werebear form.
“Yeah that’s right kid, I always was bigger and tougher then you. Wont no velvet glove knocking them fellas out back in the day. Just the left over power form being an alpha predator Werebear. Now I’d say you best change back and run home to your boss before you piss me off anymore.†The words sounds like the low rumble of a storm as they left the huge jaw of Jimmy in Werebear form.
It seems all kinds of creatures are gathering in the city of Highacre, old debts and new means not everyone’s leaving alive.
#17 – Warren Smith
In the near future evolution has pushed mankind in a new direction.
You know that old saying that, we only use ten percent of our brains potential? Well turns out that’s true. Over the last twenty-three years kids have been growing up and developing mind reading abilities. Only one in ten thousand newborns ever develop the abilities and then of those that do they are broken down into one of ten levels of categorization.
One being the most common and with most minor attributes, they can read tiny chunks of thoughts and emotions of others in a very close proximity to them, but this leaves them feeling weak and in some cases with bleeding eyes. A level ten however can read thoughts clearly and precisely from anyone within a hundred miles, they can glimpse parts of the near future and thus seem to have perfect reflexes and reactions to things around them. Reports say they may have even more potential; though of the three cases of level tens none have lived pasted the age of fourteen.
Warren Smith is a level three. He can read minds around him clearly and precisely if he focuses and concentrates, this ability is pretty much all he has going for him. At twenty-three Warren was one of the very first psychic kids born, but as a level three was soon forgot about as level fives and sixes become more commonplace.
Warren was a slacker back in school and coasted by on the fact he was the only psi kid in his local community. Flunking out of college he ended up taking a job as a security guard for a local bank, they liked the idea of having a mind reader on guard for any threats. The jobs easy and pays well but Warren is bored to death of it. When he learnt he had psychic abilities as a kid he thought he’d grow up to be some kind of hero, not stood around looking after rich peoples money. He just wanted some excitement.
They say you should be careful what you wish for. Warren is about to learn that lesson. An armed and professional gang of thieves has just walked through the doors to the bank he is supposed to be protecting, and Warren is too busy reading the mind of the hot blonde in the paying in queue to notice them.
#16 – Vera Macrae.
A place like Highacre draws a lot of different people to it. Vera Macrae came here as a young girl. Leaving her the home in Scotland that she adored so her dad could come and work the thriving docks Highacre. Vera’s mother ran a local shop; she sold old books and trinkets nothing very exciting to the eyes of a young girl like Vera.
Now eighty years later Vera runs the shop, her parents long since passed. Her interest in the shops wares has grown a great deal of the years. The spark of interest was ignited the evening an old gentleman in a long flowing coat came calling, his knock came at well past midnight. Vera snuck down the stairs to see her mother handing the man what looked like an old wooden jewelry box she had seen about a hundred times, just resting on the mantle piece in the lounge. His face lid up as he opened the lid pulling out a heart shaped crystal from within. Crushing it in his frail old hands the gentleman ate every last piece of the crystal. Vera couldn’t believe her eyes as the old mans face stretched and then pulled taut, right in front of her as she watched him grew younger and younger, until he stood, tall and handsome no older than twenty. The gentleman thanked her mother, handed her a selection of small diamonds and other wondrous looking gems before turning and leaving.
Over the next few years Vera saw more and more of these strange events, woman vanishing into old mirrors, rings healing a broken limbs. Vera final confronted her parents about what was going on. They couldn’t hide the truth anymore and told her everything. They where the crafters and collectors of all manner of magical, mystical and supernatural trinkets and charms, the experts in the fields of magical constructs and transferral of magical energy to a non magical item. It all seemed so wonderful to her back then as she was trained and educated in all these new and exciting things.
After fifty years of running the place alone, dealing with all sorts of strange people and creatures, all in search of power or knowledge through her wares, she was sick and tired, ready for something else.
Luca Bell the local crime boss and by all accounts vampire had sent men to turn her place over twice in the last month, he was just like all the others looking for something, acting like Vera had something secret and hidden away. They never found anything and would leave her to clean up their mess.
They never paid attention to her tiny little lounge upstairs.
Opening the old wooden jewelry box on her mantle piece Vera looked longingly at the crystal heart inside, it was nearly ready a month more and it would be fully formed, after all these years of waiting. Vera could finally do something new; she could be anything she wanted in her new life. And Vera wants to be young and powerful.
#15 Luca Bell
Corruption ran through the streets of the once great city of Highacre. It was now a place of crime, murder and things even fouler still. Luca Bell, head of the local crime family was the cause of this. He had control of the police department, the local papers, all the business and bars in the city paid him a share of their profits for ‘protection’. No one could get to him; any who tried didn’t last long. He was untouchable, or so he thought.
Luca couldn’t control the cruel twist of fate that was dealt to him. Luca was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He had six months to live. Word got out quickly; every local two-bit crook thought now was their time to make a play at the big time. Luca wasn’t guna be around much longer someone had to step into take his place. Luca was damned if he was going to let anyone replace him.
Dark and other worldly things where always rumored to be going on in the dead of night somewhere in Highacre. Luca hoped one rumor was true. He had his most loyal men out searching the streets for this myth. Three months had passed and nothing, Luca was growing weaker and more enraged as the days passed.
In the end the myth came to him. Through the doors from Luca’s balcony came the man he needed. He had no name he’d long since forgot it, he simply went by Mr B. now. Sinking his teeth into the neck of Luca, he damned him and saved him in one moment.
Looking into the eyes of Mr B. Luca asked what would happen now? Mr. B grinned, his sharp fangs showing. He explained that Luca was now immortal, free to control the city, as he had been, that now he was a vampire he would be stronger then ever before. All Mr B. asked for in return was control of the east side of Highacre, where the hospital and blood bank where. Luca agreed and thus the two vampires formed a fragile alliance.
Luca sort out all those who had wished him dead so they could take his place, finding them in the night, devouring those who didn’t beg enough and only maiming those who said the right things. Ruling the city now with an even tighter grip Luca longs to discover what other myths of Highacre are true his new bodyguard, the ex boxer Mike Grell, has proven werewolves to be true.
The world of the supernatural seems to go hand in hand with the crime world.
#14 Vireo Corsant
To the far east of the great and proud city of Saal is the jungle kingdom of the old race, the Ivory Elves. Living at one with nature in the magnificent yet dangerous jungles of Locaviurta, the ivory Elves are fearsome warriors and hunters, protective of their lands and traditions. Living under the darkened canopy of the jungle has left their skin ivory white, and their eyes perfect for low light conditions. Tall and lean the elves are an intimidating site to behold.
The elves are a rare site outside of the Locaviurta jungle, however each elf is given the choice to leave and explore the world at the age of maturity. Most return home within a year, others find a new life in the other realms and free cities.
The Ivory Elves live in large tribal communities, but are all look to one elf, chosen by the people as their leader. Vireo Corsant was that leader.
A migration of storm Trolls had moved down from their mountain home to the jungle in search of food. Their numbers had grown too large to all be supported by the mountainous regions. The trolls had been eating livestock, elven mounts and even a few elves out on hunts. The outcry of the Elves for justice and retribution for their lost brothers and sisters, lead Vireo to gather a band of his most fearsome warriors together. They headed out to confront the Trolls.
Within a day of tracking them the band of elves where set upon by the huge hulking Trolls. The battle was savage and brutal but over fast. Out numbered and out powered by the Trolls only Vireo escaped with his life.
Returning to his tribe alone Vireo was exiled and stripped of his rank as leader. Left with nothing but his sword and loyal jungle cat mount, Greenshadow Vireo left.
From that day forth he pledged to wander the lands in hope of redeeming himself in the eyes of the Ivory Elves.
Forty years later Vireo and Greenshadow are passing through Saal on the trail of an Ogre when news of a King looking for an army sweeps through the city. Vireo hears all the tales of this great King Dontas Godart and feels a kinship with him.
Vireo decided at once that helping this man is the new path he must take. For if Dontas can return home proud to his people, there is hope still for Vireo.
#13 Jamie King.
How far would you go to get what you want, to achieve your dreams, to do more than you had ever imaged with your life? Jamie King was willing to go as far as it took to make in it the music business, even to hell and back, and he did, literally.
After years of struggling and playing shitty dives, with just his acoustic guitar to keep him company, it was becoming harder and harder for Jamie to see a light at the end of the tunnel. He spent his days driving in his beat up Ford to the next fifteen minute set with his name on it, and his evenings drinking until he was kicked out or passed out.
One night, during one of Jamie’s heavier drinking sessions, a man approached him. He wore a sleek black suit made by some famous Italian designer. He said his name was Delvin, his business card claimed he worked for Pitchfork records.
That was all Jamie could remember in the morning when we woke up in the back seat of his car. He figured it must have been some kinda dream, his subconscious taunting him. That was until he found the business card in his back pocket. Scrawled across the back in red ink was a message that simply read, Jamie give me a call to discuss recording that E.P. Devlin.
The phone call was quick. Delvin asked how much he wanted this, Jamie told him it was all he wanted. They signed the paper work and Jamie was officially Delvin’s act.
Within six months Jamie was on tour supporting 7 Circles, this big time indie rock group from Detroit. Within the year he was on his own nationwide tour to support his album that Pitchfork records put out.
His career lasted four years, three E.Ps and one album, which went fucking platinum. It ended on Jamie’s twenty seventh birthday, when Delvin came to collect.
See Jamie never read the fine print, why would he, he just wanted to make music more than anything. Turns out he’d made a deal with the devil. The price for his success? His eternal soul. He wasn’t the first and he wont be the last, a musician with so much to give, taken away at twenty seven.
This is the tale of how Jamie King went to hell. Now how he left again is a tale for another time.
#12 Garret, Brother of the Silent Sword.
The great city of Saal is on the borders of many realms and kingdoms and as such is home to a diverse range of people, whether they call Saal home or are just passing through. Garret is neither; he is one of the few who are assigned to Saal.
As part of the guild of the Silent Sword, Garret is an assassin of the highest order. Trained from birth in the ways of the blade and the dark magics of the shadow the brothers and sisters of the silent sword are the most feared and sort after assassins in the world. Once fully trained and inducted into the guild fully, with the forging and naming of their Silent Sword, they are assigned to a city or province. They will live and die here, assassinating only those they are hired to, a silent sword never being drawn unless is has been paid to be drawn.
Garret has been in Saal for nine years and has taken countless lives over that time. His sword, Tace tasting the blood of noblewoman, brutish men, messengers and priests alike.
The message appeared in the same way as all the others, a vision of the target shown in a mirror. Their name appearing like smoke around them. The man standing before Garret today was the strong and powerful figure of King Dontas Godart. Before the king had even reached Saal a bounty had fallen on his head, and it had fallen to Garret to answer the call. He knew of the king of Elmore, he had heard the stories of the great and noble ruler of the realm, and the woe that had befallen him. Garret knew that Dontas being in Saal meant a changing of the times, he Dontas would be the man to slay him, yet he fastened Tace to around his waist and went to find the king who would be his killer.Â
#11 King Dontas Godart.
Through out the Kingdom of Elmore youth is praised and celebrated, they are seen as strong and clear of mind. These perceptions of youth are what led to the creation of the Crowning ritual. On the eve of the reigning rulers fortieth naming day a ceremony is held. The first-born son or daughter of the ruler, or if they have no offspring, the first-born child of the noblest family in the kingdom is handed down the crown by the current monarch, whom is then behead by the new ruler as the first act in the changing of the order. It is seen as an honour to part of this ceremony. King Dontas does not feel honoured by the thought.
Dontas has ruled with a kind heart and Iron hand since he had reluctantly beheaded his own father to take his place. His father, Wilhelm had been an honourable and brave man and as such had looked forward to the day when Dontas would take his place, Dontas was just filled with a great sadness to have his father gone.
Now twenty-four years later on the eve of his fortieth name day Dontas has no sons or daughters, his only offspring, Vance had passed in infancy. Dontas lost his wife to the grieve not a year later. He was not ready to hand over his kingdom to the Kulgran family. The house next in line to rule should the house of Godart not be able to. He had a plan, perhaps only a plan a foolish old man would come up with, but a plan none the less.
Dontas entered the grand hall for the Crowning Ritual. He wore full gilded armour made by the greatest Dwarfven blacksmiths in the kingdom and with his late fathers twin axes hung at his side Dontas was a sight to behold. Resting atop is long greying hair was the Crown of Elmore. Sitting in the throne surrounded by his father, mother and siblings was Katto Kulgran, the boy who would be king. The throne is not yours yet, was all Dontas could think as he walked towards him.
Dontas, the Kulgran family and the royal high priest where the only people in the hall. They only people allowed by right to be present during the final acts of the ceremony.
The Kulgrans grinned as Dontas took a knee in front of the fifteen-year-old Katto.
“Hand me my crown old man†spat Katto. The other Kulgrans laughed at this. They had been greedily waiting since Vance had passed to take the crown.
It was now or never. Dontas took one last look at Katto.
“I shall see you soon boy†Dontas whispered as he pulled the shimmering blue vial from a pouch at his waist.
Before anyone could react the vial had smashed on the floor, a massive cloud of blue smoke swirled the room, in an instant and with a sound like the in take of breathe before a leap the smoke vanished. As had Dontas.
As Dontas blinked his eyes open letting them adjust to the searing sunlight beating down on him. He stood in the desert; on the horizon was the great city of Saal, the city seemed to pulsate as the heat rose from the desert floor.
Dontas was a long way from Elmore, but all he could think of was his return, and the army of foreign warriors he would bring with him to keep the throne that truly belonged to young prince Vance.
#10 Lisha Okoro – The Map
Lisha Okoro was a well respected and liked priest in her small community in Nigeria. She was kind hearted and caring and easy to like. She lived a quiet, peaceful life and was content. That was until the comet came.
After the events, now dubbed ‘The Rune Awakening’ Lisha is a hunted woman, always on the run.
The comet burned the sky for a second and the god runes power was stirred. Lisha’s church had been sent a rune as it traveled the globe so all the churches of her country could behold it. It was in her safe keeping when it awoke.
Washing over her body the pale blue light of the rune absorbed into her. It granted her insight. The runes energy made it so Lisha could pass her hand over anything and see something others couldn’t. If she passed her hand over a pregnant woman she would tell the sex of the child, pass if over an apple and she could tell the location of the tree it came from.
It is not for these gifts that she is hunted. It is for what Lisha can see when she passes her hand over a map that makes her the prize so many are after. Because when Lisha uses insight over a map of any kind she can see where all the other runes are, if they have been absorbed and if the original rune stone is still with the host.
Lisha Okoro is the map to power.
#9 Leon Rodin
They started to find them in the early months of 2010. The first one was discovered in an ancient Mayan temple. Over the coming weeks they where found in the ruins of a Roman church, in a safe in the captains cabin onboard the sunken Titanic, even clutched tightly in the skeletal arms of a Neanderthal man. To date one hundred and sixty eight of these artefacts have been uncovered.
They are called known by many different names. Most countries and religious have their own thoughts and feelings towards the relics and as such name them for themselves. The most widely used term is ‘The god Runes’.
Triangular in shape the god Runes appeared to be made from some form of rock, but every test came back with nothing, the material had no match to anything seen my man before. The same went for the strange markings on the artefacts, the symbols where familiar across all one hundred and sixty eight runes but shared nothing in common with any written or spoken language on earth.
Many people have taken to studying the Runes. One such person is Leon Rodin.
Leon was a successful art historian, before the first god Rune was found. Now nearly three years later he is the owner of three of the runes, in huge debt because of this, he dedicates himself to uncovering their secrets. Locked away in his London apartment he doesn’t sleep and barely eats, his eyes grow dark and his beard thick as he toils to uncover the runes mysterious.
Falling asleep at his desk after a week of no rest Leon missed what the rest of the world witnessed. A comet so close to the earth that it lit the night sky as if on fire. It had gone as quickly as it had appeared, leaving astronomers perplexed. The moment it passed all one hundred and sixty eight runes began to faintly glow. Something had been awoken in them.
Red, blue and green light started to fill Leon’s small apartment as his runes lit up, the light waking him from his sleep. Shocked and enthralled in equal measure he reached out to the now red rune. Searing pain shot through his arm, he screamed in anguish as his whole body surged and shook. Just like the comet the pain had gone as quickly as it had appeared.
The rune was no longer glowing, but Leon was. He felt strange, powerful, excited beyond belief. He looked at the other two glowing runes and reached out to them both. As his body convulsed he engulfed the other two runes, he smirked as a thought struck him. One hundred and sixty five runes where still out there.
#8 Anya Volkov
Doctor Ivan Volkov, the renowned Russian scientist, was one of the few people left studying the theory of parallel universes. He was hoping to be the first to prove their existence. Pushing his experiments past any legally safe protocols he was forced to work in secret, in his basement laboratory at his home.
The lab was a mess, half fished experiments and inventions lying across his worktables and floor never to be completed, as he feverishly worked away on a device to produce a portal capable of opening an inter-dimensional wormhole.
Ivan was putting the final touches to the experimental device when it misfired. A bright crimson doorway was being projected mere feet from the Doctor. He was over come with joy. After all of his hard work, it had actually worked.
A shadow appeared in the doorway. A parallel version of Ivan Volkov stepped through; he was flanked either side by humanoid robots.
“Do not mind my guards Doctor, they are simply here to ensure you come with me.†Exclaimed the doppelganger of Ivan. This version of him had a cruel face, twisted by some kind of burn and half covered in metal to replace the parts lost by fire.
The robotic guards grabbed Ivan, knocking him. They dragged him towards the crimson doorway. As the doppelganger turned to follow them he noticed the small fragile frame of Ivan’s daughter, Anya at the base of the stairs leading out of the lab.
Drawing what can only be described as a ray gun from a holster the doppelganger took aim at Anya. She was brave and did not flinch or look away. Time seemed to slow as he pulled the trigger; green energy erupted from the gun. A backpack sat on the table began to unpack itself. Before the energy blast could strike Anya the backpack and twisted and shifted into a robot very similar to that of the Doppelgangers guards.
The blast bounced off of the robots chest, ricocheting into the portal device.
“Damn.†Screamed the doppelganger as the portal began to close, he leapt back through it.
Anya looked up to the robot that had protected her with wonder in her eyes.
“We need to rescue my father.†Anya said with a great deal of confidence for one so one.
“I am to protect you, young miss Anya. That is all.â€
Anya smiled.
“Well protected me then.†She exclaimed as she dove through the nearly closed portal.
Her new guardian followed her loyally as the doorway closed behind them.
#7 Bodil Lockhart.
At the tender age of six Bodil Lockhart witnessed the murder of both her parents. They had not exactly been pillars of the community but they had loved Bodil more than anything. Her father, Danny was a small time player in the mob, a thug, a bodyguard but a loving dad. Her mother, Danny’s childhood sweetheart, loved him despite what everyone said about him.
Times were tough and Danny had been skimming some cash from his boss, Carver, who quickly found out. Carver was a small fish in a big pond, and so he wanted to make an example out of Danny, make a name for himself. He hired the best hitman around, the man only spoken about in whispers.
He hired Wolf Down.
On a warm autumn evening when everyone was asleep, Wolf Down broke in to the Lockhart home. Bodil woke up to hear the last cry of her mother. She snuck from her bed and crept towards her parents’ room; the door was ajar and the carpet was covered in blood. As she looked into the room, the large red eyes of a skeleton thin, albino white man in a suit met hers. His blood smeared mouth curled into a smile as he tilted his head to one side. He spoke to her once.
“I was only paid to kill two. And I am full now.â€
That was all Bodil remembered of the man she later learnt to be Wolf Down. The police had never found him, or her parent’s bodies, and the case had gone cold years ago. Bodil hadn’t given up, just grown up. She spent the next twelve years of her life tracking this hitman. She learnt self-defense mixed martial arts, she learnt to fence and shoot. She trained for revenge.
During this time, Boss Carver had risen through the mob ranks and was now running the town. Word on the street said that Wolf Down was Carver’s right hand man, never seen with him publically but always taking care of the dirty work. Bodil decided she needed to become that dirty work. Causing trouble for Carver in any way that she could soon meant that she was the top of Wolf Down’s list.
He broke into her home like he had her parents’ – but this time, she was waiting for him. The gaunt white figure entered her room. Bodil shot him clear in the chest, clear through the heart. Wolf Down screamed as his face twisted and distorted. His eyes bulged and turned red as his jaw unlatched and dropped, his mouth growing and ripping, opening like a Venus fly trap.
He crumpled to the floor as a sickening screeching sound escaped his lips, accompanied by a cloud of billowing black smoke. His face turned human again.
Bodil approached him. His eyes looked sad now; all the red had drained from them. He opened his mouth and spoke.
“Pishacha. Run child!â€
His warning was far too late. The black smoke poured over Bodil, into her mouth, ears and nostrils. The evil, demonic spirit of the Pishacha had a new host now. It had Bodil. The Pishacha needed human flesh and organs to survive, and Bodil needed to finish what she had started. She needed to kill Carver.
It was time to eat.
#6 Akako Yamauchi
The passenger starship the Ninsun II was on its return flight back to earth when a miscalculation in its flight route sent it into a meteor shower just outside of Mars orbit. The ship took heavy damage and was pulled down on to the red planet. Somehow the youngest person on the flight of thousands, thirteen-year-old Akako Yamauchi was the sole survivor.
Encasing her body in a space suit and filling her backpack with a solar flashlight and all the supplies she could find Akako left the ship in search of help.
Mars had a number of tiny settlements on it, but no more than five hundred people on the entire planet, she search was almost in vain.
After nearly a day of walking she came across an excavation site, a small but abandoned camp at the base of a massive red mountain. A tunnelling operation had been underway, the tunnel was the only place that still had a functioning air filtration unit so was Akako’s salvation.
She took refuge in the tunnel; finally being able to remove her space suit and breath in some pure air, well as pure as filtration units can produce.
Bedding down for the night in the bed of an old drill team member, Akako was woken from her sleep by a sudden sound coming up the tunnel. It sounded like someone was calling to her in a language she didn’t even know. She was drawn to the call and found herself moving further and further into the tunnel, into the mountain.
Her flashlight, her only source of light guided her down and down until she entered a vast cavern. Crystal clear water poured from outlets in the side off the cavern wall and formed a natural pool, a tiny island of red land sprouted from the serine water at its centre, light filled the cavern from a number of strange glowing crystals in the walls, the light seemed to somehow spotlight the island. Akako was still being called, called to the island.
Placing her flashlight down she swim out to it. Dripping wet she walked across the island, her footprints sinking into the soft sand. At the heart of the cave resting on a pedestal of rock was a mask. It was a deep shade of red with white markings over it. The mask appeared to be the perfect size for Akako, fitting her face flawlessly.
Akako was no longer being called. Akako was home. The old inhabitants of Mars rose from their slumber in the cavern to join their new Queen. To join Queen Akako, ruler of Mars and all that comes with it.
#5 Darius Braken.
The Darkwood glen is said to be a god-forsaken place to dwell in. Haunted by long since dead spirits and things even worse still. However legend tells of a great and precious crystal that only forms in a cave at the very heart of the glen, a crystal that has many wonderful and magnificent properties.
It is this legend that sees hundreds of adventurers; thieves and mercenaries enter the glen everyday in such of the fabled crystals. Most never return, the few who do are never the same. They return with haunted eyes and tales of creatures born of men and beast that guard the glen from any who trespass.
Darius Braken is one of these ‘creatures’ in trust he is but a man, like all of the Glen Guards, they are the sworn protectors of the crystal cave and their small community that lives in and around it.
The Guard know the glen better than any man or creature to walk the earth and can come from any shadow or corner of the great wood. The glen guard all wear the fur and scales of the beasts that dwell with them in their woodland home. Most forge helms with antlers or horns to add to the fearsome look of their armour. Darius wears the fur of a giant wolf as a cloak, the scales of a tree drake as mailed armour and the antlers of a rock stag a top his helm. He is one of the oldest and most respected guards amongst his village and one of the most feared and talked of ‘creatures’ by the few men who have escaped him.
#4 Arthor Penn.
Arthor was a scrawny boy of ten, with dirty blonde hair and bright green eyes, he looked no different from any other ten year old, but Arthor was mature for a boy of ten. He had had to grow up fast after his father had passed away. He had loved his father more than he would ever be able to show.
Arthor remembered the nights when his dad would come and tell him all the wonderful stories he had been writing for his latest book. The tales of beasts and brave men, of the battles they fought over magical objects and beautiful princesses, these stories had always filled his mind and heart with such wonder.
Now that his dad was gone nothing seemed quite as bright or brilliant as it once had.
Arthor loved to spend time just sitting in his dads study now, sitting crossed legged in the huge leather chair his dad had spent so many hours in. Arthor would let the chair surround him and protect him, as he looked at the rows of old books that lined the walls. It was the one place Arthor felt close to his father. All the stories flooded back to him here.
It was on one of these days on a cold and rainy November when young Arthor Penn found his fathers favorite writing pen. It was a beautiful fountain pen, it looked black from far away but up close had the look of dark purple marble to it. The nib of the pen was a beautiful burnt copper tone that had warmth to it like an open fire on a dark night. From the nib a faint gold pattern spiraled around the pen to its top like a serpent coiling around a branch. As Arthor studied the pen it seemed to glow and draw him in, he placed the lid back over the nib, as it clicked shut the room filled with light.
His eyes opened slowly and he was no longer in his fathers study, nor was he alone. Arthor was now in a cave face to face with a purple dragon.
#3 Doctor Vincent Hyden
The year is 2067 and the government has a tight grip on everything. Although they put across a positive, happy outlook to the general public, most of the goals the government are working towards are far from fit for public knowledge. Doctor Vincent Hyden is the man they hope will achieve one of them.
The good Dr. Hyden is the leading expert in the newly outlawed study of human animal Hybrids. He was the direct cause of its ban when his serpent men escaped his local lab in Detroit and ate a schools worth of child. However it is exactly this kind of creation, which has seen Vincent recently fully pardoned by the worlds governing council and put to work, in secret, for them.
The middle aged 89-year-old American Doctor now works out of a government funded lab in the wealthy ‘Red Crown’ district of New Tokyo. Currently working on a DNA mutation to allow the growth of soldiers who can breath under water. This, the government hopes will allow them to retake areas of importance that have been lost in the rising sea levels.
His results have been very pleasing to the men in suits Vincent reports to.
Although one thing the government is unaware of, and wouldn’t be too happy to hear about, is the fact that Dr. Hyden is also taking freelance contracts. One of which, if successful would mean that the local Neo Yakuza gangs would be more animalistic than the News currently reports them to be.
#2 Fawn Berry
Brave, swift, kind and whole heartily endearing. Fawn is one of the youngest Elves ever to make it into Tracker training. Her passion to learn and do her very best made sure she made the grade at age thirteen, three years younger than most recruits. Now under the watchful eye of her Sage, Track master Arc she learns the ways of the forest and all the things that dwell within.
Taking on the green cloak of the tracker recruit Fawn spends her days learning to hunt with both bow and spear. She is trained to read tracks and recognize the markings of all manner of different beast and creatures.
If her training continues to go so well she will soon get to leave on her pilgrimage to the forest heart, which if she returns from will be the final sign she is ready to join the Tracker Masters, and become a guardian of the forest.
#1 Detective Chris Finch
Photo by Nathaniel Chadwick
In a world where Superheroes are the norm Detective Chris Finch heads up the S.P.C.D. (Super powered crime department.)
Married to his job Finch lives alone in his small apartment in the wrong part of Goldenbridge City. His dad had been a cop before the Hero event, and a damn good one. Thats what made Chris want to make detective so much, to impress him. However his dad didn’t live to see the day. Sister Sorrow murdered him during a bank heist. It was this tragic moment that prompted Chris’s determination to make it into the S.P.C.D and it is also the reason for his mistrust and distain for anyone with super powers, even his partner Holly Grant.
Finch is head strong and single minded in his pursuit to stop all misuse of super powers.
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