Paradox Redux Interest, the Overcast Version

[Overcast]

Something is happening to you. You cannot be absolutely sure when it started, the days have begun to melt together and you may be trying to forget what is left behind after it leaves. The monster, the alpha predator, the beast that takes over when the hunger becomes too much to bear. Not just figurative, a true modern horror, a bodily shift into some new incomprehensible form. It cares little of the occasion, of the time of day, it only cares about the hunger. Some new and terrifying need that gnaws at the back of your mind till there is nothing but the beast. Something is happening to you.

And you are not alone.

Welcome to Paradox! A game of horrific transformation. Once belonging to Toasty(aka Toastburner B) I participated in it once and almost took over the plot after he had to abandon it but unfortunately not before it had already died. Still I had enjoyed my time in the game enough that I knew one day I'd have to try again. In this game you are a regular human being, who has recently come upon a very uncomfortable ailment. You change into a man eating monster. Not during any specific time, but when the hunger that monster has grows beyond your ability to hold it back.

The first major step of the game will be building the city the game will be in, I want everyone to have a personal interest in the landscape since it will be what you will be interacting with most of all so I hope to schedule a world building session with the players sooner or later. Likely along with some baseline character creation. For now I have an edupad open here (http://edupad.ch/95eIgbMU1w) so we can work out preliminary kinks and get familiar with one another.

On the subject of monsters(You), the Paradoxes are not a uniform group. While those that hunt them tend to have categories based on some more frequent powers and the strengths and weaknesses they come with, the form of these creatures can change wildly from beast to beast. At a baseline you should be considered exceptionally powerful, about on par with a cheap sci-fi horror monster flick. Capable of running into a room full of armed men and reducing about all of them to death in a very short amount of time. Your greatest risk in the world should be when you are not a monster, when you meet another monster, or if you happen to be facing off with those who have been specially trained to kill you. Otherwise you are practically a demigod, with skills and abilities that may be considered unnatural or impossible for whatever form you happen to take.

A very good example of this kind of thing is the Wolfman, the Wolfman is not an alternate personality and neither will your paradox be, it is the person whom is cursed with the lycanthropy. When he changes his darkest elements come out along with a bestial need to kill and consume. The beast is neigh impossible to kill for the conventional man, and if any man tried to face it one on one they would die almost immediately. It is a transformation that is completely out of the ability for the cursed one to control, at least at first, and while early on it would be easy to delude yourself on what is happening in the hazy memory or vivid nightmares in time it becomes clear that you are in fact a man eating monster.

As of right now I intend to begin the game after your third feeding, which for a lot of you may end up your third killing. The idea being to begin when you are already familiar with your own monster to a degree, what it needs, and the cost that comes with holding back. Moreover how you as a person have decided to color the morality of your misdeeds, what delusions you may have come up with, and perhaps how much you've looked into the background of your problem.

I'm still debating with if I want a greater tactical element by adding basic stats to both your humans and monsters, but I hope to hash that out with early character management. Feel free to post your interest here and on the pad!

[Astral Harmony]

Update: Now presenting a full-on character sheet, including that Paradox Statting thing I saw on that thar edupad.

Human Characteristics
- Name: Penelope "Penny" Barton
- Age: 11
- Gender: Female
- Appearance: Short blonde hair, bright blue eyes, round-rimmed glasses, one-piece blue denim strap dress, a white long sleeve t-shirt underneath, and brown sandals.
- Personality: Nervous and passive, tending to avoid crowds and anyone she considers to be "big and scary". Not very capable at making friends and has often been the victim of bad luck and bullying, which hasn't been helped by her parents who are generally nice but not involved with her life due to their work and hobbies. She's learned to take care of herself, even becoming a decent cook and skilled at maintaining a house.
Now aware of the Paradox just waiting to break out at any time, Penelope spends much of her days being confused and afraid and avoiding any kind of confrontation she can before she ends up killing someone else.
- Backstory: Your average budding, socially-awkward middle school student, her first transformation occurred when being bullied at school. All three of her tomentors died horribly. The police reported it as just a freak murder and are still looking for a possible suspect, never finding Penelope at the scene.
Her next transformation killed her parents when they were fighting in the house. Now she lives with her aunt Hilda and Hilda's boyfriend David in some decent apartment complex in the city. Penelope likes the both of them, and thus tries to stay away from the apartments as much as she can until she is certain that she has control over her Paradox's hunger.

Human Statting
- Cool: 0 DP ~ Penelope can keep her cool under pressure, but persistent pressure is eventually going to exhaust her thought processes.
- Hard: -3 DP ~ As an eleven year old girl, any attempt Penelope might make at using violence or force is almost cute, if not irritating.
- Hot: +2 DP ~ Cute as a button and bleeding innocense from every pore, nobody would ever believe there's a terrifying, murderous beast just beneath her skin.
- Sharp: +2 DP ~ It can't all be bad luck. Sometimes Penelope is able to find a solution to problems that she can solve in her human form.
- Profile: Penelope is almost always unarmed (+0), but is small, light and flexible (+1), and is possessed of innocent charm (+1), allowing her to perhaps temporarily confuse others into providing help of some kind (+1). Total Profile is +3.
- Synch: 0 DF ~ Penelope tries to resist the Paradox's will whenever in human form, but allows the Paradox to go wild when transformed in order to help it sate itself quicker.

Paradox Characteristics
- Name: Seglegs
- Appearance: Seglegs resembles a stick bug, but without the long body. Eight long, segmented legs are connected to a small body roughly the shape of a bull skull with two big green eyes, one on top of the body and one underneath. Each leg is about six feet long with two joints per leg equally spaced two feet apart. The whole body is the color of human flesh except for the spikes at the end of each leg, which are jet black and shiny like obsidian. Overall, Seglegs' entire body weighs about 600 pounds.
- Hunger: Blood (preferably human)
- Paradox Trigger: Fear and stress
- Paradox Main Theme: "Monster" by Skillet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mjlM_RnsVE)
- Other Paradox Themes: "Battle For Survival" by Digital Devil Saga 2 OST (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4PCOAJ80lo&list=PLA456F44AC16C3A49) / "It's Construction Time!" by Dungeon Keeper OST (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3c4j62qHIk&list=PLF823C40F46A5397A)

Paradox Combat Characteristics
- Optical Mimicry ~ Able to change its fleshy coloration after about twenty seconds of remaining stationary.
- Leg/Claw Attacks ~ Swiping with the legs can fracture bones. The claws can cause brutal gashes by being raked across the victim, or can impale the victim with ease.
- Parkour ~ Easily capable of scaling walls, ceilings, and leap great vertical and horizontal distances. Can also breathe underwater, though not a good swimmer, often using its legs to crawl on the ground.
- Resistances ~ Electricity and high radiation
- Weaknesses ~ Fire, cold and blunt trauma

Paradox Statting
- Ferocity: -1 DF ~ Less aggressive in a fight than perhaps all other Paradox, and will prefer to reposition for a ambush when confronted with several opponents.
- Terror: +3 DF ~ While technically not a spider, Seglegs easily inspires terror when it hops down from the ceiling and impales its first victim.
- Cunning: +3 DF ~ Preferring to engage targets from stealth, Seglegs will go as far as to make certain that it can quickly hide again after a skirmish.
- Undaunted: -2 DF ~ Quick to disengage from just about any sign of coordinated resistance, if only for the purpose of finding a better means to thwarting her enemies.
- Paradox: +1 DF ~ Even though she is aware of what triggers her Paradox shift, Penelope's bad luck and any number of stupid people will easily produce more victims.
- Synchronicity: 0 DF ~ Penelope tries to resist the Paradox's will whenever in human form, but allows the Paradox to go wild when transformed in order to help it sate itself quicker.

----------------------------------------------

- Mortal Move 1: Little Angel ~ Penny uses her adorable nature and perhaps fakes a few tears to convince someone, perhaps even an enemy, to help her out, such as opening a locked door for her or reaching an item that she can't reach in her diminuitive body.
- Effect: When Penny encounters someone who can help her with a specific task, Penny can roll for Hotness.
10 +: Gain 3 Holds.
9 - 7: Gain 2 Holds.
Miss: On a complete miss I am either shunned, shouted at, or if the target is a PC then they may gain 2 Holds on me under the same circumstances.

NPCs ~ Holds may be spent one for one on any of the following:
• Receive something that I want
• Act as my eyes and ears
• Fight to protect me
• Follow a given order
As long as I have my hold on them, they cannot act against me.

PCs ~ Holds may be spent one for one on either of the following:
• They distract themselves with the thought of me. They must roll for Acting Under Fire.
• They inspire themselves with the thought of me. They take +1 right now.

- Mortal Move 2: Childhood Innocense ~ Penny, despite just being a little kid, is kind of a little thief. Not that she knows any better, she just finds things interesting and has a habit of putting them in her backpack on a whim.
- Effect: When Penny or anyone she is helping at the time needs something, Penny can roll for Sharpness.
10 +: I find the exact item I need or one that functions just as well.
7 - 9: I find something that comes close to what I need, but is fundamentally flawed.
Miss: I may have had the item at some point, and even stashed it away someplace, but it isn't with me now.

- Paradox Move 1: Macabre Theatre ~ Using its hideous body and its large green eyes, Seglegs stares down its opponent. The legs are extended as far as they can be to give Seglegs a frightening appearance. In order to increase the disturbing nature of encountering Seglegs, the Paradox will usually take any corpses in the nearby area and display them in a grotesquely artful form if it has the time to do so.
- Effect: When Seglegs finds a suitable location and has sufficient time, Seglegs can roll for Terror to prepare a Macabre Theatre to stall enemies or dissuade them from chasing it down.
10 +: Creates such a perfectly disturbing scene that Seglegs is not required to be present. I may carry one forward on any roll against the target.
7 - 9: I cannot abandon the Macabre Theatre in order for it to have any desired effect. The target must roll for Acting Under Fire and, if unsuccessful, I may carry one forward on any roll against the target.
Miss: I am still setting up the Macabre Theatre when encountered and the GM may decide the result of my failure. If I use this on a PC, I must roll for Acting Under Fire.

- Paradox Move 2: Damage Shield ~ Using one or perhaps two of its claws, Seglegs impales a nearby object and uses it to provide mobile cover for itself against incoming assaults, like a shield.
- Effect: When rolling for Acting Under Fire, I may roll for Cunning as opposed to Undaunted whenever it is feasible.

[Girasol of Chaos]

Character
Name : Beatrice Jayme
Age: 21
Appearance: 5'5", Beatrice has naturally reddish-black, untamed hair that seems to get rather oily if not cared for properly. She seems to have olive skin and brown eyes, but it can be difficult to observe this if it has been a while since her last bath. Normally seen wearing worn jeans, a t-shirt and dirty tennis shoes, it seems she sometimes swaps these out for stolen clothes and old scrubs. In her home area if anyone has observed her they will find she often lounges in an aged lab coat, complete with questionable rust-colored stains.
Personality: Bea is a bit of a quiet young woman with questionable sanity and intent. In the rare case she takes to someone it typically is a front to use them in some way. Best described as a 'crazy cat lady' type, Bea is prone to driving off people in favor of animal company. Other homeless individuals speak little good of her, some claim that she 'reeks of death'. However, outside of the reputation with that group she remains out of sight and mind. Intelligent, logical and cold she rarely shows the ability to enjoy herself outside of being left alone or up to no good.
Backstory: Once an aspiring young woman pursuing her dream of becoming a veterinarian, Beatrice enrolled to train as a tech first to get a feel for the field she was heading for. She moved away from her home city and was rather new in town when she started her program, living in a cheap studio that she could barely afford. Her faith in humanity, already low, took a dramatic turn for the worse. Bea's first transformation was on a particularly slow work day, leaving only mangled remains behind as she broke out of the rather small and low-tech facility. Having been assumed dead, Bea took her situation as a sign that her path should change and she embraced living on the streets. The city has a large population of rowdy stray animals, something that sparked an idea for protection.

Beatrice wanders the city in the slums and squats in abandoned homes, businesses and the like with her pack. If killed they are quickly replaced and trained. Washing in bathrooms and safe houses around the city, Beatrice attempts to keep herself somewhat clean looking so as not to rouse suspicion. Any base she settles in quickly attracts all sorts of wee beasties, becoming a nest of spiders, canines, felines and occasionally crows due to the amount of rotting flesh (and flies) that accumulate in the den. Beatrice herself will spend her time in a separate area, either a room or a chamber of sorts where she makes a bed of stolen blankets, mattresses and goods. Strangely enough her area seems free of bedbugs and fleas.

Human Stats:

Cool: 1 Although stubborn and full of willpower, Beatrice is prone to lose her temper badly once her fuse has been lit.
Hard: 0 Bea is willing to resort to violence but lacks the confidence to attempt to be threatening to someone's face. When challenged as a human if her pack isn't present she will undoubtedly back down and look for a way out.
Hot:1 - Despite being able to talk her way out of suspicion, being homeless and living among strays has left her appearance a little to be desired. Still, she manages to keep herself sanitary when presented the opportunity and most of her clothes are dark to hide the dirt.
Sharp: 2, Beatrice is well-studied, observant and has adapted to thinking on her feet.
Profile: (4-5) - Beatrice is typically unarmed (+0) but on her territory she keeps a stolen shotgun (+1). Her history in behavioral training for dogs has led to her leading her own pack of 5 strays who can and will fight for her when at home or roaming. They are trained to kill on command.(+2). Beatrice has no home, no surviving coworkers and does not speak of her family, so she seems to have nothing to lose(+1). She will actively scout and sometimes stalk as a human and is an unrepentant murderer (+1)
Synch: 0 - Although Beatrice was disturbed with her first transformation, having nothing to lose at this point means the demonic form can only give her benefits now.

Moves: Murderous Hounds: When Beatrice is with her dogs player may roll Sharp instead of Hard to Aggro.

Paradox Ability: Sightless Understanding
Roll Paradox On a 10+ ask 3, 7-9 ask 1, below you just ate some weird shit.
• who handled this last before me?
• who made this?
• what strong emotions have been most recently nearby this?
• what words have been said most recently nearby this?
• what has been done most recently with this, or to this?
(Beatrice does not take damage from her Pica)



Rift:
A deep purple creature with mixed traits, Rift is a Paradox that stalks the shadows of the crumbling city. The cold violet colored areas appear to be semi-flexible plates. Her flesh and skin are very pale-almost white and between her leathery plates there are lines of large, visible pores that eject toxins locally, secreting either as a liquid or a gas. The skin is somewhat elastic, stretching and folding in order to properly allow the plates a degree of flexibility. Armored portions exist as the mandible, on the knee joint in all limbs and three chest plates. All but the chest plates have a metallic luster, where the two 'breasts' and what appears to be a stylized extension of the sternum. The chest plate area is the white of skin and flesh. Scapulas on both sides match these and although are more rigid than the purple plates, they still have a degree of flexibility.

Her translucent spines act both as shields and weapons-they can begin to fill with toxins and secrete them at the blade edge or tips and are also hard enough to deflect almost any attack a mortal could throw. Although semi-elastic as well these can break if given enough crushing pressure.

Abilities:

Biohazard - Rift can alter compounds she ingests and inhales in order to produce a plethora of poisons throughout her body and administer them via bite, claws, pores and blades. As she becomes more familiar with various compounds Rift can produce more elaborate toxins that attack the blood, flesh, nerves and mind.
Springheeled - Climbing on a variety of surfaces leads to the jumping off of said surfaces. Rift can twist her spine like a cat to align herself after jumping in order to best rebound or roll during a fall.

Moves:
Creeping Death: Rift releases an irritating poison cloud. All humans grow incessant boils and vomit and void themselves. Paradox must roll as if under fire, if failed Rift gets a full success on going aggro, if partial pass rift rolls cunning to go aggro, if 10+ the Paradox shakes it off.

Unseen Path: Rift rolls +Paradox on a 10+ Rift becomes effectively untrackable as any pursuers eyes betray them, on 7-9 they must roll as if acting under fire, below the GM responds

Hunger: Flesh, muscle mass preferred.

Stats: A limber and sightless hellhound, Rift is an ambush striker who relies on her other senses to target prey.

Ferocity: -1 - Rift can handle herself in a scuffle just long enough to flee, but her physical attacks would be laughable to other paradox. A well prepared human could survive her frontal slashes if there was no venom involved. She relies on her abilities instead.
Terror: 1 Her movements probably remind people of those Alien movies, but is otherwise as subtle as a brick once seen.
Cunning: 2 - With heightened heat sense, hearing and visualization with echolocation and vibrations, the sightless Rift is more aware of her surroundings than a fish in water. Her gecko-like footpads allow her to move quietly up along walls and for a limited time, on ceilings. If there is no cover it's incredibly easy for Rift to spew mist to create it for herself.
Undaunted: 1 Rift is tough, but not invincible. Most scratches, slashes and bites will skitter off her metal and plate-like portions harmlessly, but her pale skin is only as durable as leather.
Paradox: 2 Rift's venom arsenal include Hemotoxins, neurotoxins and Necrotoxins. When spewing poisonous gases she tends to stick with a harmless mist, neurotoxins or anesthesia.
Synch: 0 Beatrice embraces her new form, but has absolutely no communication nor unity with Rift.
http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk29/Scarletgirasol/my%20art/Riftrefsheet2013_zpseaaa15ac.jpg

[batgirl]

I remember being a part of I believe the second incarnation on this game. I'll dig up my old character and post it later on.

[mauve]

Oh hey I remember this one! I'm interested!

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Man, I have not RP'ed in such a long time, but Paradox was by far my favourite RP. And what would Paradox be without an insane, hulking, raging fire demon?

Ifrit shall live again.

[Overcast]

Interest is still being gauged but I have met my minimum by a significant margin. So you can expect this will definitely happen, feel free to post any floating questions in the pad or here and I'll get on answering them. If you happen to catch me in the pad I am also open to stuff.

Also chat clients for anyone who feels better about bothering me there.
My AIM is: syrenkai
My MSN is: syrenkai@msn.com
My GIM is: narusynkai

I think because adding people is still something I fuck up on.

Meanwhile, I have questions for you all.

I will have some basic statting of your monsters and even your mortals. I plan to keep it to myself and use it as a means of reflexively deciding if things go well for you, badly for you, or some middle margin of Pyrrhic. I have posted at least the monster stats as I have them now, most will be rolled along with a 1d10 and compared to a little chart I have. What I wonder is if you are interested in being fully aware of these stats or if I should hoard them.

They are mostly a minor hack on the Apocalypse World stats for those of you who are familiar with that, and a lot of my power as a GM is going to be based on that game. Human stats are based a bit more on a game called Poison'd, with a few shifts because it is a vulgar game about pirates and not all people are pirates.

Meanwhile I also wouldn't mind hearing how the interested parties feel about morality in this game. To quote Krylo from the Toasty redux he wasn't interested in playing a pity party, and the longer I've stared at the premise of the game before the more that seems to be legitimate. From what I can gather it is harder to maintain a game where your character hates his/herself than if they are greedy terrible people, or at the very least trying to use their monstrosity to their advantage.

Finally expect me to take a harder look at all your monsters later on, mostly to make sure we are starting balanced in relative power. You are all effectively newborns in the Paradox sense, so it gives you room to grow and knowledge that unless you are really not playing right that Ifrit will in fact not tear you in half like a phone book.

[mauve]

that thar edupad. ...There's an edupad for this game?

[Overcast]

There is! I may have been slightly too subtle about it in the main post but it is

HERE (http://edupad.ch/95eIgbMU1w).

Made some minor edits including showing off what stats look like for regular people if we end up forcing you folks to be responsible for them. Also updated some limitation in the spread of stat points to add a bit more strategy to how you put together your monsters. Any further complications(if you folks desire to go statted) will come into play after character creation when I scrutinize your monsters and discuss their abilities. Also as a reminder, the Hunger is distinctly attracted to a human material, if you hunger for blood it MUST be human blood. Any other kind of blood just tastes like blood, but human blood for a monster that Hungers for it is a living rush.

[lazy man]

Having been in the originals myself, I'm definitely interested. It's been years since I last did any RPing, but consider me tenatively joining.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Ifrit will in fact not tear you in half like a phone book.

But, Ifrit tearing things in half is like, a staple of the series man! It's not a Paradox adventure until Ifrit has brutally murdered a variety of monsters.

Also how far into the negatives can we go on our skills, cos I have an absurd idea in mind that will probably break the game if you don't stamp on it right now.

[Inbred Chocobo]

Character:
- Name: Andrew Goodman
- Age: 56
- Gender: Male
- Appearance: A standing 6'1' man, who's hair is all white, and wrinkles all abound. An obvious aged warrior who keeps his clothing respectable but old fashion. (Worn suits and the like). He carries an air of experience and coldness. Always walks with a cane even though its obvious he has no need for it.
- Personality: Cold and heartless. That would be what most would say about Andrew. A war veteran, Andrew has seen a lot of killing, and raised a stern household, and grew up strict and raised his children strict as well. He tends to be blunt, and not caring about anything that anyone has to say. His family would call him heartless at times, but how he shows love is through respect. A heavy drinker and a heavy smoker, its rare to see one of those two not in his hand.
- Backstory: Andrew grew up in a strict household, and never much was for games or fun. Joined the military when he was young, and fought in a war. Came back scarred with doctors telling him he would never walk again. Took him about 6 months to prove them wrong. He got himself a wife and had kids, and started a business known as Goodman's Funeral home. He was respectable, but constantly seeing death and people teared from such things, along with the war, left him with a very cold personality. His wife left him 10 years ago, and died of cancer 3 years ago. He has 3 kids. His eldest, his son, runs the funeral home now, as Andrew has retired. His two daughters are in town, now married and raising family of their own.

Nowadays, being retired, Andrew mostly lives in his home, a house large enough for two families and he has the place to himself. Its an old house, full of memories and little else. It was in this home when it first happened. The beast came. Tore up the entire garage, and stumbled upon some poor shmuck driving a car and threw him and his car into that garage, causing the whole mess to collapse. Police report stated the driver crashed the car into the garage, causing it to collapse. The next time, a house collapsed in his neighborhood, killing the entire family in it. This final time happened in the dead of night, and what people found were mangled bodies, crushed and smashed into unrecognizable heaps.

Human Stats
- Cool: 2: You see as much death and remorse, raise a family, and run a funeral home as Andrew, you would know why it takes a hell of a lot to unnerve him.
- Hard: 3: From unruly people at a funeral, to having to be a strong pillar of support for so long, and from past experiences, it makes Andrew seem cold sometimes, unloving and uncaring. He is an old soldier, and he can still kick ass if he needs to.
- Hot: -2: There is very little to the man. He is straightfoward, blunt, and tends to get on peoples nerves if they hang around him too long. All the drinking and smoking don't help either.
- Sharp: 1: You don't survive a war, and raise a business and a family without having some intelligence about it. Andrew is smart, and good at keeping his wits about him and ensuring nothing drastic is done.
- Synch: 0: He recognizes what he is becoming, but not how to deal with it.

Paradox Characteristics
- Name: Rajang
- Appearance: A mixture of a bull and an ape, his head seems always furious with a head of horns. A black mane of thick fur covers his neck, and protruding from it are shoulders as wide as a building. His forearms are shaped like an ape, muscle rippling from it like waves of an ocean, and each arm thicker than a tree. It turns into the shape of a bull as it goes back, with his back legs, while stout, end with hooves, and a tail of a bull hangs at the back.
- Distinctive Ability Forceful Rage: Rajang's anger gives him power. At first its just simple growth and girth buildup in muscle mass, and much for forceful blows. As he becomes angrier, his blows become much more powerful, his hits thundering against the ground shaking foes, his roar loud and strong enough to blow back those that would dare approach.
- Hunger: Bones


Paradox Stats
- Ferocity: 3 Rajang is a force of nature, hurricanes wish they had the raw strength and power that this beast had. Tossing cars, throwing buildings, ripping trees, this thing as strength far greater than just about anything out there.
- Terror: 3 You see the wrath of this thing charging you, you don't just stand there and laugh.
- Cunning: -2 Rajang's thoughtline is smash it until it dies, then continue to do so in case it died. He is very straightforward and blunt with his answers.
- Undaunted: 1 Rajang is more of a scary beast of raging damage and smashing and fires. Fear is a very rare thing for him to feel.
- Paradox: 0 Rajang's rage ability stems from emotional hate rather than any true self control.
- Synchronicity: 0 Rajang is aware of what he changes from, but unfamiliar with it.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Goddamnit IC.

[Inbred Chocobo]

Goddamnit IC.

Oh yeah, completely forgot about your Ifrit thingy. Alright, altered my beast for differences.

[batgirl]

Ok, I'll be working on my profile tonight either at work or tomorrow once I get off. Hopefully I'll have something within the next few days.

[PhoenixFlame]

Ovie roped me into this with his silver tounge, so I'll be working up something.

[batgirl]

Ok, hopefully I've done this correctly...

Human Characteristics
- Name: Amanda Levin
- Age: 29
- Gender: Female

- Appearance: 5'2" long strait brown hair with red highlights, deep brown eyes, slim build. Amanda usually is in her uniform: Navy blue tech pants with many pockets, EMS belt, steel toed boots, button down navy blue shirt with her company insignia and her shield pinned to her left breast pocket.

- Personality: On the job she is confident and cool, exuding an air of authority and calmness. She knows she's good at what she does and has nerves of steel. Off the job she's just a regular average adult who enjoys her job and favors her down time.

Since her transformation, she has become much more reserved and quiet, avoiding most people and leaving work right after she clocks out to go home alone. Her coworkers attribute it to her needing a vacation, but she's really just terrified of who might be in her line of sight when she transforms next.

- Backstory: An up and coming paramedic, Amanda has been lauded by her peers as the one you want on the job when shit goes down. She loves her job and is damn good at it too. Before her paradox manifested, she would spend her off hours hanging out at bars with friends, enjoying the outdoors and generally living life to its' fullest. Her first transformation changed all of that. During a nasty cardiac arrest, Amanda unwillingly transformed and caused the ambulance to crash and explode. She was dragged out of the wreckage barely alive, everyone else was assumed burned beyond recognition.

Human Statting
- Cool: 2 DP ~ After seeing all manor of atrocities and horrors after 10 years on the streets, Amanda has nerves of steel and remains calm under pressure
- Hard: -2 DP ~ Amanda doesn't do violence, she's in the business of healing, not hurting.
- Hot: 2 DP ~ Let's not play around, Amanda is good looking. Plus, the whole paramedic persona has people viewing her as heroic and someone they can trust with their lives, literally.
- Sharp: 2 DP ~ Amanda is bright. She's been through years of rigorous schooling and even more years of working on the streets. Common sense, knowledge and street smarts? She's got them.
- Synch: 0 DF ~ Amanda can feel her paradox trying to break through, and attempts to resist, but in the end all she can do is let the inevitable happen and hope the collateral damage isn't too bad.

Paradox Characteristics
- Name: Eldonna
- Appearance: Exactly the picture below. No height gained though, so while she emanates unnatural heat from her body and is covered in some pretty tough scaly armor, she's not all that intimidating due to her size.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e340/batgirl39/HOMM5_Inferno_Creature_Succubus_favorite_zps5f52fb b2.jpg (http://s42.photobucket.com/user/batgirl39/media/HOMM5_Inferno_Creature_Succubus_favorite_zps5f52fb b2.jpg.html)
- Hunger: Eldonna is a refined eater, she likes organs but isn't picky if they're human or animal.

Paradox Combat Characteristics
- Flight ~Those wings aren't just for show. Eldonna can fly about as fast as the common Boeing 747.
- Fire manipulation ~ Eldonna is capable of creating fireballs and lobbing them at enemies with precision. Mmmmm...bbq.
- Fists and Feet ~ As a last resort Eldonna does have hardened fists and feet. She's not a fancy fighter by any means, but she can stomp and punch.
- Resistances ~ Fire, Blunt Trauma, cold
- Weaknesses ~ Water

Paradox Statting
- Ferocity: 1 DF ~Not overtly aggressive, preferring to stay at a range and use her fire, but she must she can muster enough power to at least buy her time to get into a better position.
- Terror: 0 DF ~ She's pretty humanoid looking and she's not very large. At only 5'2", most humans are taller than her. Some people might even call her pretty in some twisted way.
- Cunning: 1 DF ~ Eldonna knows enough about her strengths and weaknesses to know what works for her, but an A+ strategist she isn't.
- Undaunted: 2 DF ~ Yeah, not much phases her. She's damn tough to hurt with her scaly armor plated body and she remains cool under pressure.
- Paradox: 1 DF ~ She has average control over her paradox abilities.
- Synchronicity: 0 DF ~ Amanda can feel her paradox trying to break through, and attempts to resist, but in the end all she can do is let the inevitable happen and hope the collateral damage isn't too bad.

[Red Mage Black]

Character:
- Name: Andre Laurentin
- Age: 34
- Gender: Male
- Appearance: Standing at a modest 5'11", with combed back light brown hair and dark green eyes. Fairly average in weight muscle size and nowhere near fighter material, at least that's the impression he gives from a good distance off. Usually found wearing more business-like attire, gray, brown or even maroon suits and dress slacks with always shined black shoes.
- Personality: Calm and charismatic, yet likes showing off his arrogance from time to time because he likes watching and gauging reactions in hopes it will tell him more about the other's personality. He is also devious, conspiring not only against his students, but other faculty in the school.
- Backstory:
Andre was born in the 1%, so to speak. His father the CEO of a major bank and his mother a young actress on her way to stardom, playing in smalltime movies in the hopes of making it big. He was never left wanting, except for his actual parents. So, he ended up developing a hard exterior, with only the hopes of one day inheriting his father's position at the bank.

Instead of going to public schools, he was sent to an academy for boys. From there, developing his social skills with the other high class boys. There, he was able forge connections with other well off families, political, business and even criminal. In the later years, he turned his interests to economy, business and strangely enough, acting. All the while, keeping in touch with his so called 'friends'. They had eventually formulated a plan as to what they'd do when they left this place.

Time would eventually split them apart, but not for long. Andre had gone off to University while the others had moved on to do their own things. There, he further his economic and business studies while refining his acting skills. He had finally put his knowledge so far to practice. First it started with rumors, next with conspiracy and finally he had worked subliminal messages into his everyday conversations. The last one had grown out of control to the point so many people became involved and Andre had nothing left to do but watch the results. Eventually, a few students had gone insane to the point of attempted murder. It was all so amusing to him. The way people reacted to the stupidest things and if you play it off right, can have real effects.

After finishing up his studies, Andre came back into the world more educated and ready to take on whatever business they had. With a nice fat trust fund at his fingertips, the first was to establish a place to live. In which he chose a nice high rise apartment. Nothing like a view of the city to clear one's mind after a long day. A place where he could sip bourbon and have a nice view of the political atmosphere from his own couch. After that was reestablish contacts and keep track of when his father eventually passed. Now he just needed some way to pass the time. Well, the drama teacher at the local high school had just left. That was a bingo. Not that he actually needed the cash, but things would get boring otherwise.

As expected, his qualifications were amazing and he may have been too qualified, but he had insisted on being paid for the minimum requirements. He would establish a foothold in the faculty 'hierarchy' soon enough. Then he would carefully plant the seeds of doubt and mistrust among the faculty as well as make things harder for the students.

When everything blossomed, it would be such beautiful carnage to behold. Something would end up happening though, that would change all he had done so far.

The first night, the Principal had ended up dead. Second, the Janitorial staff and thirdly, investigating Police. All of it was too fuzzy to understand, yet those leftover cravings. It was all too surreal. His plan wasn't botched yet, but things would have to be put on halt. Was it really him? He couldn't help but take credit in his mind. Only something as devious as him could have pulled those off. The more he thought about it, the more interesting it became. The deaths weren't as subtle as he would have done them, but he wasn't in control. That was it, that was that... thing... whatever it was. He wanted to give it points for its methods. Now he just needed a plan to get a hold of it.

Human Stats
- Cool: 2 : Andre keeps his emotions under control, wearing a constant poker face to prevent others from reading him or other's opinions from bothering him.
- Hard: -3: He abhors the use of intimidation or violence to get what he needs, instead relying upon his wits and charisma to make others give him what he wants.
- Hot: 3 : He is a manipulator by nature, taking advantage of his good looks and acting skills to reach his goals.
- Sharp: 2 : He has a good education under his belt, thanks to the University he went to. As well as the few connections he has.
- Synch: 0: Andre finds this turn of events interesting, but has yet discovered a way to take advantage of it. For now, it presents itself as a worthy opponent to his plans, considering it forced him to stall them.
- Profile: Andre is armed with a pistol(+1), he has basic training in its usage (+1), he has never personally killed a man(+0), he has everything to lose (+1) he is often accompanied by three well trained bodyguards, two with concealed weapons, one with a higher level weapon, all trained killers(+3) Profile 6.

Paradox Characteristics
- Name: Oberon
- Appearance: The body is slim and almost insect-like, with what looks like a leaf-green chitin plate over the chest that extends to the shoulders and a stick thin abdomen. Its legs start thick from the top, growing thinner towards the bottom and end in three sharp talons, three in the front and one in the back. The hands are segmented, once at the wrist, at the bottom of each finger and once before the claws. It's head is covered in tendrils of autumn colors that resemble hair, though they serve no obvious purpose. It's eyes have no sclera, instead they are a solid dark green with round pupils that reduce to catlike when exposed to light. It has no visible lips, but can hide it's viciously sharp teeth until it strikes it's target. It's face has the smallest bit of nose, with two tiny holes. It's back holds two sets of bug-like wings, which it uses to glide quickly and hover in place, hidden behind two plates which slide out when it begins to take flight.
- Distinctive Ability Mimicry (Vocal and Bodily) - Because of it's strange segmented body, it can lower it's chest down it's abdomen to appear shorter and it's claws to look more like it's prey. Along with that, it can change the sound of it's voice and make easy sounds like screaming and laughter. All of it is to slowly wear them down and finish them off without a fight.
- Hunger: Human Flesh


Paradox Stats
- Ferocity: -1 It detests direct combat and prefers to wear it's opponents down until it can finish them off without a struggle.
- Terror: 3 Not the strongest Paradox, it relies partially on it's horrible visage to drive it's prey into submission.
- Cunning: 3 It uses it's bestial cunning for subterfuge and confusion, to strike from the shadows and other places of safety without getting face to face.
- Undaunted: -3 The shapechanger is afraid of both itself and others. Preferring to stay out of light, avoid direct and prolonged confrontation and end it all quickly.
- Paradox: 3 It has good control over it's mimicry ability, as it's main means of offense and defense.
- Synchronicity: 0 Oberon is only dimly aware of what it is when it's not hunting, but doesn't appear to care right now.

[PhoenixFlame]

Thanks to Ovie's help, I finished except for Paradox abilities.

Name: Alicia "Alice" Marigold
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Appearance: Long raven hair with glacier-blue eyes, Alice wears a set of black rectangular-lensed glasses, and favors black T-shirts often weathered with her university emblem, damaged blue denim jean-shorts cut like the media would like young girls to wear, and white Nike tennis shoes.
Personality: Frigid and reserved, Alice is a needy, bitter young girl too proud to ask for help from anyone or admit she is sick. She's going through that period where the world seems adversarial and feels it owes her for injustices commited against her earlier in life. Now aware of her latent 'condition', she has begun to struggle with the idea of being a monster, and if it means she is less or more than human, and if it has always been why she felt cast out from society in general.

Backstory: Modern handsfree parenting and frequent movement during her developmental years has left Alice with little stability in life, causing her to drift from one city to another, no plan, friends, or future to seize on for some time. Diagnosed with depression and medicated for a problem she probably didn't really have, Alice burned out in life, her grades plummeted, she turned away from what friends she had. Her first transformation occured during an attempted suicide, Paradox normally doesn't manifest to assist or perserve the life of the host, but even Alice' convictions are not strong enough to swiftly end her own life with a kitchen knife. She lay for thirty minutes until the hunger overtook her fading conciousness and surged forth to consume the eyes of her would-be rescuers.

Human Statting-

Cool : 3 ~ Alice has a suprising deadness to stimuli to the point one might jokingly say her 'fear gland' has been removed. She remains calculating in stressful situations.
Hard : -2 ~ Physically weak, calm and detached, Alice has difficulty summoning any type of 'aggressive' or assertive emotion, though not for lack of trying. If she does threaten someone, it's not with force.
Hot : 1 ~ Mildly attractive, and while not a socialite, Alice knows how to lie, decieve, and manipulate. She does them shamelessly.
Sharp : 2 ~ Obstacles must be understood to be overcome. Alice isn't stupid, she just doesn't focus on tasks she sees as unnecessary or uninteresting. Otherwise, she's quite adept.
Profile: 6 ~ Alice is armed with blades(+1), she has not been professionally trained in their usage but she has used them against others often enough to have her own mad method (+1), she is an unrepentant murderer(+1), she has the look of a madwoman(+1), she has nothing to lose(+1), and she does not fear death(+1). (Thanks Overcast~)

Name: Tager
Appearance: A bipedal abomination of pink, muscled flesh with the visual consistancy of hamburger meat but considerably tougher, Tager is dotted by myriad small eyelids that protect the numerous visual organs that are its defining characteristic. Tager may open these eyes to percieve the world as a human might, but to do so is unnecessary, it may also elect (and frequently does) to maneuver by the ultrasound reflections of the ominous low-pitch humming sound the creature makes. Rather, the corneas of these eyes serve as lenses by which Tager manipulates local energy patterns by whatever sanity-destroying method it employs to perform such effects.

Opening these eyes in specific sets and patterns, sometimes in geometric patterns, other times seemingly randomly, allows for varying effects.

Hunger: Human eyes

Paradox Statting- An elditch horror with physical and supernatural fortitude, Tager is an unfeeling glacier.

Ferocity: 2 ~ Tager is not without physical effectiveness, a pair of chitinous blades sweeping forward from its forearms allow the muscular entity to crush human and vehicle alike.
Cunning: 1 ~ Large and dauntless, Tager patiently prefers a 'sit-and-wait' approach, analyzing an enemy before deciding how to defeat it, then striking suddenly.
Terror: -1 ~ Despite the ominous humming it emits and the elditch horror appearance of multiple eyes, Tager is slow and not particularly aggressive. Past the initial shock value, it isn't particularly horrifying until it kills you, and by then you're not in any position to be scared.
Undaunted: 3 ~ As far as paradox go, it is a physical tank, a mountain of meat that regenerates whole limbs, able stop attacks completely by projecting semitransparent energy barriers by a method that is poorly understood.
Paradox: 0 ~ Unfortunately, Alice doesn't know how it works either. Tager's abilities activate on almost entirely instinctual basis... for now.
Synch: 0 ~ Even someone as detached as Alice hasn't fully coped with what being a lovecraftian horror entails.

[Overcast]

Attention! Character concepts are coming in good, most monsters are finished but need more information on the humans from a few people. After we feel pretty good about ourselves I'm going to take a hard look at your monsters/people and hand out about two custom moves each to each of those concepts. Some of which will probably be negotiated with you folks, keep up the good work and hopefully soon we shall begin the great WURLD BILD.

[Overcast]

TIME IS RUNNING THIN. For the remainder of you whom have not given me a mortal yet I'm allowing this last week to put them together. Meanwhile for those of you that have, either get into contact with me or leave me a message on the EDUPAD so that we can start working out your Mortal and Paradox special moves.

[mauve]

I'm out. Sorry.

[lazy man]

Gotta admit I lost my writing spark at some point. Sorry, but I gotta drop too. Have fun, guys!

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Yeah, I was having some real trouble coming up with stats for my human and trying to make them work consistently. And then batgirl went and made another fire elemental, albeit a less overtly aggressive one than mine. But between hers and ICs, it doesn't look like there's a place for Ifrit this time around anyway. Between them both they basically have my character.

[Overcast]

If that is the way you feel, by and by neither of them really have Ifrit, and of course neither of them have your human nature. But once more, if this is how you feel I can't stop you.

[Astral Harmony]

I done did m'best and editted my moves so there are enough and they take advantage of the character and Paradox's finest features.

Update: Well, since I think the moves were approved, I went ahead and added them to Penelope's profile.

[Overcast]

Mentlegen, I would like a roll call of still interested parties and reliable times that you can free up fore the beauty of roleplaying. On top of helping me contact some of you it is also going to open the door for days we can run the game. I'd also like to run something like a tutorial to help everyone grasp the unclear concepts I've put out so far.

[batgirl]

I'm in.

[Inbred Chocobo]

Mentlegen, I would like a roll call of still interested parties and reliable times that you can free up fore the beauty of roleplaying. On top of helping me contact some of you it is also going to open the door for days we can run the game. I'd also like to run something like a tutorial to help everyone grasp the unclear concepts I've put out so far.

When you are talking about available times, are you wanting to do RPing through things like chat windows and IM clients, or is this still forum based? Either one works for me, but if its forum based does a time frame really need to be established?

[Overcast]

As I said it helps me contact you and will help with the tutorial. I am currently of a mind to run it via chat if at all possible.

[Girasol of Chaos]

I am still in if I still can be. I work 6 days a week with my schedule enveloping 8am-7pm on all days save for the weekend. My next few Sat and Suns are absolutely booked pretty much until January, unfortunately. I realize this may disqualify me but thems the breaks.

[Astral Harmony]

I don't know my work schedule yet but I'm mostly free for now.

[batgirl]

I work saturday-tuesday overnights. My schedule is as follows:

Saturday: 8p-8a
Sunday: 8p-8a
Monday: 8p-8a
Tuesday (technically wed): 1a-9a

I am free for the most part tues before work, wed and thurs all day. Friday I'm usually out with my boyfriend. I can participate when I'm at work, but that would be sporadic, depending if I have down time and am not on a job.

So...my vote is for forum based if possible.

[Red Mage Black]

Still here, for the most part. No set time schedule either. Looks like this might go the way of forum posts, which I have no problem with.

[Overcast]

Mmph, I fear the forum style these days but alright we can do this. May even try to run the tutorial forum style, seeing 4 here. There is an additional one external. Five total and need to get my bud a shiny new account here on the NPF. We'll see if he can handle the slowness of forumstyle.

[Girasol of Chaos]

The thing is my job is really slow on some days and absolutely jam-packed others, otherwise I'd give you hours DURING my job that I could attend.

If we can't do chat and forum style is turning out to be too slow perhaps we could make an in-game edupad to use and document the scenes elsewhere? That would mean despite having more delays than chat people can post at-will, kinda like omake-style.

Or maybe I'm just nuts.

[PhoenixFlame]

Think I may drop, not sure yet. Things have changed over the last few weeks.

[Overcast]

Drops taken into account. Certain ones anyway, hope to get with prospective drops for certainty as time goes on. We are very close and once we are pretty much there I'll start the tutorial thread. If you'd all like we can even make your tutorial monster and person here real quick.