The Lifted Lorax
12-17-2010, 02:55 AM
The time is 1884, the place is London. You are part of an elite group with…abilities. Abilities kept secret from the rest of the world, lest you and your fellows wind up in some sort of zoo or, Heaven forbid, some sort of laboratory. The members are of all ages, genders, race, and social class, one thing binding you all together. This group is guided by one Dr. Parvonian. The good doctor has no abilities of his own, but he helps you develop yours as he has a theory or two on how they work and why it was you who got them instead of someone else. After all, you should have died in that accident…
You, all of you, receive an invitation in the post one day. It’s engraved and very nice-looking. Renowned watchmaker and tinkerer Cairo Wolfinger has invited you to a symposium on a machine of his own design which he believes might fascinate those with like interests. Dr. Parvonian encourages attendance. After all, who knows what Mr. Wolfinger has found…
We'll begin, as all stories must, at the beginning. Lola, the newest member of the group and newest to her abilities, has just been introduced to the group. She was rushed to Dr. Parvonian after her accident and has now sufficiently recovered enough to be let in on this secret world. We'll go ahead and start off by introducing our characters to each other (whether they've met before or not), show off what we can do.
-You may have ONE AND ONLY ONE ability.
-This ability must be a consequence of some accident or incident, and therefore may or may not be one of the powers listed in your character’s bio.
-You must give a short, succinct background on this accident which must have something to do with your power. No getting zapped by electricity and being able to read minds; getting zapped by electricity would result in abilities having to do with electricity, falling accidents will result in flying/levitation abilities, etc. But there MUST be a reason for your ability.
-This ability MUST have limitations, and please post said limitations. Electrokinetics, for example, may not conjure lightning from absolutely nowhere, etc. Your ability may be enhanced by technology, but make it steampunk technology; ie levitation may be enhanced by wings (http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs45/f/2009/061/0/e/Steampunk_Wings_by_rocknro8907.jpg), etc. I’d almost prefer this. Be creative with it!
-You CANNOT have been “just born” with your ability. It must be acquired. This will make half-breeds (vampires, werewolves, etc.) and non-human entities (angels, demons, ghosts, etc.) nearly impossible. If you have an idea, please run it by me first but I would like to avoid non-humans if at all possible.
-Any abilities which result in physical alteration (shapeshifting, invisibility, etc.) will not affect your clothing. If you can turn invisible, you will be a disembodied suit of clothes until you disrobe. This also provides for amusing nudity opportunities. ;P
-You will be dressed appropriately for the time. Men, no shaggy hair; women, no cross-dressing. Post your clothing if you’d like; it’s not a requirement but all characters will be assumed to be appropriately dressed.
-I’ve already got a bad guy. Morally grey characters are acceptable, but I’m not accepting evil ones at this point; sorry.
-Have fun with it! Be creative! Try to work in as much steampunk as possible…because steampunk rocks. If you would like to join, but don’t know what steampunk is, just go ahead and ask and I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction! ^.^
Name:
Socioeconomic status:
Occupation:
Ability (including ability limitation):
Ability augmentation (if any):
Backstory:
Name: Lola Cartwright
Socioeconomic status: Upper-middle class
Occupation: Bored socialite
Ability: Electrokinesis
Ability Augmentation: Copper cuffs (http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/32850_product_702797240_thumb_large.jpg) (to be acquired later)
Backstory: Lola’s never really been good around this new technology. She prefers an old-fashioned oil lamp or a nice wood fire. But no, her husband insisted on using these new electric light bulbs. It was the maid’s day off, the bulb had burnt out, and of course she couldn’t find any candles. Poor Lola didn’t know to turn off the electricity, and so several hundred volts coursed through her body. The smell was awful and her sight was dimmed for an hour or two, but she was alive and well and with these new abilities…and she has no idea why. She’s the newest to this group of elite. She cannot channel electricity through her body without being in contact with it somehow. No random electricity generation and dragging her feet across the carpet can only do so much.
Author's note: Lola's complete description including physical appearance, sexuality, etc., can be found here (http://freerp.freeforums.org/lola-t882.html). You can add such a bio if you want, but it's not neccessary for this RP if you'd rather not. ;P
Name: Stephen McShane
Socioeconomic status: Middle-Low Class
Occupation: Former owner and bartender of McShane's Pub
Ability (including ability limitation): Sound manipulation (Can cause supersonic sounds by amplifying sounds that already made. Although he himself is not immune to these sounds)
Ability augmentation: Collar Microphone (http://legacythumbs.weheartit.netdna-cdn.com/20081106041142.jpg)
Backstory: It was a normal Wednesday night at the pub. The roar of drunkards was only washed out by the sounds of fists pounding flesh. Wednesday nights were fisticuffs fight nights. Stephen being owner of the shady den was in charge of calling the matches. Using a small microphone he used his suave, charming Irish accent to encourage his patrons to buy more and keep less.
Without warning McShane's voice was amplified by the microphone but then kept going. The sound waves pulsated as he continued speaking, most not noticing because of their drunken stupor. However everyone noticed when the sound waves became so strong they blew a hole in the wall of Stephen's establishment. Not having enough profit to pay for the repairs his pub was repossessed by the bank.
It was then he was scouted and joined the group. Sound waves must first be generated and then can be amplified and used, the stronger he amplifies a sound the harder it is on his ear (He has already become deaf in his left).
Sidenotes: I think that I still might need to nerf this some, but I can't think of how at the moment. So this is a work in progress for the time being.
Name: Kathryn McArthur
Socioeconomic status: Upper -Upper Class
Occupation: Daddy's Little Girl
Ability: Flying. It isn't limitless. Still working on the limits.
Ability Augmentation: Wings (http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs40/i/2009/020/c/8/__Steampunk_Angel___Colored___by_scaryrabidfangirl .jpg)
Backstory: Kathryn was only sixteen when she fell out of the sixteen story building that should have been the death of her. She fell and she fell and she remembered not screaming because her father had told her that screaming was undignified. She kept quite as she fell through the cold rainy night. She watched in silence as the ground silently rushed up to meet her. She felt some tears on her face but maybe it was just the rain on her face. She couldn't really tell. She thought time was slowing down because he decent to the ground seemed to take to long. She blacked out when she hit the ground. She woke up very much alive and very well. She was a smart girl and knew she was supposed to be dead. She also knew that something else was wrong. She cold the flu and was bed ridden. She hadn't told her parents how she had ended up outside and soaking. She thought about it while she was sick and realized that she had flown. She wasn't the only one who noticed either. She was soon brought into the elite group.
Name: Charles Drakewood
Socio-economic status: Lower Class
Occupation: Former Zoo Keeper
Ability (including ability limitation): Healing Factor - He can regrow limbs, and recover from mortal wounds, these take a while to grow back. A lost limb would first have the wound close up to stop the blood, and then the bone would grow under the skin and out. This can take several hours depending on the extent of the wounds. it is possible that he may die if beheaded.
Ability augmentation (if any): None
Age: 26
Appearance (http://i319.photobucket.com/albums/mm461/Melkhyah/LizardMan.jpg)
Back-story: Charles, being of the lower class, was lucky to even make it out of the slums. However he made his way right into a zoo. He started working immediately as a cleaner, and eventually a zoo keeper, after studying the lizards. He'd become a sort of apprentice for an ageing zoo keeper, whom needed an extra pair of hands in the zoo. Charles was fascinated with the regenerative properties the lizards seemed to have.
Whilst cleaning up for a scientist, who had come to study the venoms, Charles accidentally slipped over. In an effort to save himself, Charles pulled down the set of shelves, which held the vials of venom and reptilian blood samples. In the ensuing chaos, Charles was covered in glass, blood and every kind of venom the zoo had.
Charles died as a result, and was sent to have an autopsy. As Charles lay on the wooden table, Charles was seemingly brought back to life, much to the surprise of the coroner. However all was not as it seemed. Charles' skin began to turn green, and as time progressed scales formed in various places. He lost his hair, and his fingernails sharpened, however not to a superhuman level. What did reveal itself to Charles, however, was that he, like the lizards, had taken on the healing abilities of his lizard kin. This became apparent as he was almost killed a further four times, as a result of several attacks from the local population. The attacks left him with mortal wounds, however, after a while, the wounds healed, and despite the loss of blood, he survived.
Charles became an urban legend and resorted to cloaks, hoods and sometimes middle-eastern style robes with a veil to conceal his mutation. Since then Charles has lived on food he can steal. He lived in the shadows, up until now. To this day, Charles has no idea why he was scouted, and remains suspicious of the group.
Name: Basil Darian
Socioeconomic status: Middle-Middle class
Occupation: Local Artist
Ability (including ability limitation): He has the ability to control the growth of cancer cells within his body which is only limited to his arm. Basically, his right arm, starting from the elbow until his fingers, is made up of cancer cells, and he can change it's form into anything and harden or soften the form. However, he is still learning how to make difficult forms with his arm since he can only create simple forms at the moment.
What he doesn't know is that he should be limited to a certain size and length when shape shifting his arm. This is because if he goes over the limited size, he has to grow more cancer cells than his arm already has. It then becomes harder for him to control and suppress the cancer within the proximity of his arm which then increases risks of allowing the cancer cells to spread to the rest of his body. This can kill him if it were to happen.
Ability augmentation (if any): N/A
Backstory: Basil was the son of the local banker, and thus he was easily exposed to most social gatherings of their class which his father would be invited to. At first, he actually didn't like the exposure that much, but at one point this all changed when people saw Basil's talent in art. They would commend him, praise him, all those kind of things that would flatter a person easily. It wasn't long until he decided that he would take art as his future despite his father's wishes of continuing his business.
However, this all changed when he found out his main arm in art actually had cancer cells growing in it, and the only way to get rid of it was to cut the arm off. Of course, Basil didn't want for this to happen because art was practically his life. It wasn't long until a scientist stepped up to him and offered him a way to fix his problem. He was developing a "cure" for cancer, and he needed someone with the cells to test it for him. Without thinking ahead of himself, Basil allowed the scientist to use his arm for testing, thinking that this was the best, easiest and fastest way for him to get back to his art. After the testing, several injections, salves and experiments, his arm suddenly felt as though there was no cancer at all and even looked like it. Many people even started to believe he never had it in the first place.
That was until that one day when he was visiting the scientist to give him a portrait he did of him as a token of his appreciation. While he was heading down his lab, the scientist was once again in the middle of an experiment which needed special garments in order to do, and of course since Basil wasn't wearing any of these garments and he just happen to stick his right arm into the room before the rest of his body, the rays coming from the experiment reacted with the cancer cells and the different chemicals the scientist placed in his arm thus causing his arm to mutate completely. His arm looked the same at first. But after Basil removed his gloves and cloak, he realized from his hand until his elbow, his arm had become completely red and black. At this point, the scientist revealed that this whole time, what he did to his arm only hid the outward appearance and the feeling of the cancer, but after the accident, it undid the effects of his cure making his arm finally reveal how much the cancer had really grown. Having enough of this, Basil ordered the scientist to cut his arm off from his elbow.
For a while, Basil was caught in distress because of the loss of half his arm, and he even wished and wanted for some miracle to happen and somehow get back his arm. The next thing he knew, within the next hours or so, a new arm actually grows back... Or rather, cancer cells started to grow from where his arm was cut and formed the shape of the part of his arm that was missing. He once again went back to the scientist, and after examining what happened, the scientist confirmed that Basil somehow had control over the cancer cell growth in his arm. Basil, thinking that if anyone found out about his arm, he'd be surely out casted, would wrap bandages around his arm and limit himself to wearing long coats and gloves which would easily hide it's disturbing appearance. It wouldn't be long until he would accidentally reveal his arm to someone, thus spreading word across his class. It was from this point here he was later found by the group since word reached even the professor. Finally knowing he wasn't alone when it came to these weird abilities, he went with the group in hope of further controlling his power, or if possible, find a way to make it go back to normal.
Name: John Ellis (born Violet Gray)
Socioeconomic status: Nouveau Riche
Occupation: Journalist
Ability (including ability limitation): Super Strength – Can dead lift up to 1500 pounds, (1300 comfortably.)
Ability augmentation (if any): No augmentations, just plated gloves to protect his hands. As with anyone, exercise can increase his strength.
Backstory:
Miss Violet Gray was born in October 1860 and orphaned as a young child, and subsequently came into the care of Colonel John Ellis, her uncle. Col. Ellis was a widower and had a single son, John Jr, six months younger than Violet. The two children both resembled their grandmother very closely, and were often mistaken for twins for their physical resemblance and close relationship. As young children, they did almost all things together, but the older they grew Violet began to realize that she was excluded more and more on the basis that she was a girl. She often cried and wished that she had been born a boy.
Col. Ellis retired from the military when Violet and John Jr. were 9 years old, and the trio traveled abroad for many years. During a brief stay in San Cristobal, Venezuela in May of 1875, they were caught in a terrible earthquake which killed Colonel Ellis, John Jr, and their governess. Violet was struck unconscious, and awoke to find herself trapped in an alcove of rubble, surprisingly unharmed.
She called for help until she felt she couldn't make another sound, and when no help came, she began to beat furiously against the collapsed wall that imprisoned her. After several hours, in a fit of panic, she swung a closed fist at the brick and mortar. To her shock and astonishment, her hand penetrated the wall. When she had recovered from the pain in her bruised knuckles, she succeeded in punching through again, but afterwards her hand hurt too badly to try again.
Violet was trapped in the rubble for over 24 hours when finally, in a last burst of effort, she pushed against the wall with all of her strength. The wall moved. She pushed again and the wall gave way, freeing her at last. Devastated to learn that her beloved cousin and uncle had died, and orphaned again in a foreign country by herself, an idea suddenly occurred to her. She cut off her long hair, dressed herself in some of her cousin's clothes, and slowly made her way back to England under the name of John Ellis Jr.
Back in London, John found that many avenues which had been closed to Violet were now open to him. He attended university, established a career with a daily business journal, and made a large sum of money in a business venture with a friend. His acquaintances knew him to be a dependable and bashful young man, softspoken, though unusually strong for his small stature. However, he never allowed another soul to witness the full extent of his powers – at least, not until the day a certain Dr. Parvonian contacted him by telegraph, requesting to meet with him.
Name: Saoirse Dall
Socioeconomic status: impoverished and homeless
Occupation: Unemployed (though she's an exellent tinkerer.)
Ability: Heightened hearing
Ability augmentation (if any): Energy pills (they keep her awake because she doesn't get much sleep.)
Backstory: Saoirse was born blind and always had her parents and others hovering over her to help her get around. When she finally found herself alone, her parents having passed away, she thought she could handle herself. Unfortunately one day she wandered into an old, rundown labratory. Inccidentally hitting some switches she turned on the machines and ended up tripping into the testing area. When the machines affects hit her she felt as if her body was being torn to pieces and her ears were being split. Eventually she passed out and woke up to the sound of squatters coming in. When one of them attempted to attack her she heard him coming and managed to get away. When she finally got home, which was suprisingly easy, she tried to go to sleep and had to put on earmuffs to block out all of the noise.
Now like I said in the interest check, this is a way of brainstorming for the novel I want to write because I can feel it right there, but it's just not coming through and I'd like to see the different places y'all go with this, because you could have some ideas I never even thought of. I emphasize that I WILL ask permission to use any unique ideas and/or characters and I WILL give credit where credit is due. I'll even start posting the story in the appropriate place when I finally get around to writing it. But mostly, I just want to make this a really fun, long-lasting roleplay. ^_^
You, all of you, receive an invitation in the post one day. It’s engraved and very nice-looking. Renowned watchmaker and tinkerer Cairo Wolfinger has invited you to a symposium on a machine of his own design which he believes might fascinate those with like interests. Dr. Parvonian encourages attendance. After all, who knows what Mr. Wolfinger has found…
We'll begin, as all stories must, at the beginning. Lola, the newest member of the group and newest to her abilities, has just been introduced to the group. She was rushed to Dr. Parvonian after her accident and has now sufficiently recovered enough to be let in on this secret world. We'll go ahead and start off by introducing our characters to each other (whether they've met before or not), show off what we can do.
-You may have ONE AND ONLY ONE ability.
-This ability must be a consequence of some accident or incident, and therefore may or may not be one of the powers listed in your character’s bio.
-You must give a short, succinct background on this accident which must have something to do with your power. No getting zapped by electricity and being able to read minds; getting zapped by electricity would result in abilities having to do with electricity, falling accidents will result in flying/levitation abilities, etc. But there MUST be a reason for your ability.
-This ability MUST have limitations, and please post said limitations. Electrokinetics, for example, may not conjure lightning from absolutely nowhere, etc. Your ability may be enhanced by technology, but make it steampunk technology; ie levitation may be enhanced by wings (http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs45/f/2009/061/0/e/Steampunk_Wings_by_rocknro8907.jpg), etc. I’d almost prefer this. Be creative with it!
-You CANNOT have been “just born” with your ability. It must be acquired. This will make half-breeds (vampires, werewolves, etc.) and non-human entities (angels, demons, ghosts, etc.) nearly impossible. If you have an idea, please run it by me first but I would like to avoid non-humans if at all possible.
-Any abilities which result in physical alteration (shapeshifting, invisibility, etc.) will not affect your clothing. If you can turn invisible, you will be a disembodied suit of clothes until you disrobe. This also provides for amusing nudity opportunities. ;P
-You will be dressed appropriately for the time. Men, no shaggy hair; women, no cross-dressing. Post your clothing if you’d like; it’s not a requirement but all characters will be assumed to be appropriately dressed.
-I’ve already got a bad guy. Morally grey characters are acceptable, but I’m not accepting evil ones at this point; sorry.
-Have fun with it! Be creative! Try to work in as much steampunk as possible…because steampunk rocks. If you would like to join, but don’t know what steampunk is, just go ahead and ask and I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction! ^.^
Name:
Socioeconomic status:
Occupation:
Ability (including ability limitation):
Ability augmentation (if any):
Backstory:
Name: Lola Cartwright
Socioeconomic status: Upper-middle class
Occupation: Bored socialite
Ability: Electrokinesis
Ability Augmentation: Copper cuffs (http://static.artfire.com/admin/product_images/thumbs/32850_product_702797240_thumb_large.jpg) (to be acquired later)
Backstory: Lola’s never really been good around this new technology. She prefers an old-fashioned oil lamp or a nice wood fire. But no, her husband insisted on using these new electric light bulbs. It was the maid’s day off, the bulb had burnt out, and of course she couldn’t find any candles. Poor Lola didn’t know to turn off the electricity, and so several hundred volts coursed through her body. The smell was awful and her sight was dimmed for an hour or two, but she was alive and well and with these new abilities…and she has no idea why. She’s the newest to this group of elite. She cannot channel electricity through her body without being in contact with it somehow. No random electricity generation and dragging her feet across the carpet can only do so much.
Author's note: Lola's complete description including physical appearance, sexuality, etc., can be found here (http://freerp.freeforums.org/lola-t882.html). You can add such a bio if you want, but it's not neccessary for this RP if you'd rather not. ;P
Name: Stephen McShane
Socioeconomic status: Middle-Low Class
Occupation: Former owner and bartender of McShane's Pub
Ability (including ability limitation): Sound manipulation (Can cause supersonic sounds by amplifying sounds that already made. Although he himself is not immune to these sounds)
Ability augmentation: Collar Microphone (http://legacythumbs.weheartit.netdna-cdn.com/20081106041142.jpg)
Backstory: It was a normal Wednesday night at the pub. The roar of drunkards was only washed out by the sounds of fists pounding flesh. Wednesday nights were fisticuffs fight nights. Stephen being owner of the shady den was in charge of calling the matches. Using a small microphone he used his suave, charming Irish accent to encourage his patrons to buy more and keep less.
Without warning McShane's voice was amplified by the microphone but then kept going. The sound waves pulsated as he continued speaking, most not noticing because of their drunken stupor. However everyone noticed when the sound waves became so strong they blew a hole in the wall of Stephen's establishment. Not having enough profit to pay for the repairs his pub was repossessed by the bank.
It was then he was scouted and joined the group. Sound waves must first be generated and then can be amplified and used, the stronger he amplifies a sound the harder it is on his ear (He has already become deaf in his left).
Sidenotes: I think that I still might need to nerf this some, but I can't think of how at the moment. So this is a work in progress for the time being.
Name: Kathryn McArthur
Socioeconomic status: Upper -Upper Class
Occupation: Daddy's Little Girl
Ability: Flying. It isn't limitless. Still working on the limits.
Ability Augmentation: Wings (http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs40/i/2009/020/c/8/__Steampunk_Angel___Colored___by_scaryrabidfangirl .jpg)
Backstory: Kathryn was only sixteen when she fell out of the sixteen story building that should have been the death of her. She fell and she fell and she remembered not screaming because her father had told her that screaming was undignified. She kept quite as she fell through the cold rainy night. She watched in silence as the ground silently rushed up to meet her. She felt some tears on her face but maybe it was just the rain on her face. She couldn't really tell. She thought time was slowing down because he decent to the ground seemed to take to long. She blacked out when she hit the ground. She woke up very much alive and very well. She was a smart girl and knew she was supposed to be dead. She also knew that something else was wrong. She cold the flu and was bed ridden. She hadn't told her parents how she had ended up outside and soaking. She thought about it while she was sick and realized that she had flown. She wasn't the only one who noticed either. She was soon brought into the elite group.
Name: Charles Drakewood
Socio-economic status: Lower Class
Occupation: Former Zoo Keeper
Ability (including ability limitation): Healing Factor - He can regrow limbs, and recover from mortal wounds, these take a while to grow back. A lost limb would first have the wound close up to stop the blood, and then the bone would grow under the skin and out. This can take several hours depending on the extent of the wounds. it is possible that he may die if beheaded.
Ability augmentation (if any): None
Age: 26
Appearance (http://i319.photobucket.com/albums/mm461/Melkhyah/LizardMan.jpg)
Back-story: Charles, being of the lower class, was lucky to even make it out of the slums. However he made his way right into a zoo. He started working immediately as a cleaner, and eventually a zoo keeper, after studying the lizards. He'd become a sort of apprentice for an ageing zoo keeper, whom needed an extra pair of hands in the zoo. Charles was fascinated with the regenerative properties the lizards seemed to have.
Whilst cleaning up for a scientist, who had come to study the venoms, Charles accidentally slipped over. In an effort to save himself, Charles pulled down the set of shelves, which held the vials of venom and reptilian blood samples. In the ensuing chaos, Charles was covered in glass, blood and every kind of venom the zoo had.
Charles died as a result, and was sent to have an autopsy. As Charles lay on the wooden table, Charles was seemingly brought back to life, much to the surprise of the coroner. However all was not as it seemed. Charles' skin began to turn green, and as time progressed scales formed in various places. He lost his hair, and his fingernails sharpened, however not to a superhuman level. What did reveal itself to Charles, however, was that he, like the lizards, had taken on the healing abilities of his lizard kin. This became apparent as he was almost killed a further four times, as a result of several attacks from the local population. The attacks left him with mortal wounds, however, after a while, the wounds healed, and despite the loss of blood, he survived.
Charles became an urban legend and resorted to cloaks, hoods and sometimes middle-eastern style robes with a veil to conceal his mutation. Since then Charles has lived on food he can steal. He lived in the shadows, up until now. To this day, Charles has no idea why he was scouted, and remains suspicious of the group.
Name: Basil Darian
Socioeconomic status: Middle-Middle class
Occupation: Local Artist
Ability (including ability limitation): He has the ability to control the growth of cancer cells within his body which is only limited to his arm. Basically, his right arm, starting from the elbow until his fingers, is made up of cancer cells, and he can change it's form into anything and harden or soften the form. However, he is still learning how to make difficult forms with his arm since he can only create simple forms at the moment.
What he doesn't know is that he should be limited to a certain size and length when shape shifting his arm. This is because if he goes over the limited size, he has to grow more cancer cells than his arm already has. It then becomes harder for him to control and suppress the cancer within the proximity of his arm which then increases risks of allowing the cancer cells to spread to the rest of his body. This can kill him if it were to happen.
Ability augmentation (if any): N/A
Backstory: Basil was the son of the local banker, and thus he was easily exposed to most social gatherings of their class which his father would be invited to. At first, he actually didn't like the exposure that much, but at one point this all changed when people saw Basil's talent in art. They would commend him, praise him, all those kind of things that would flatter a person easily. It wasn't long until he decided that he would take art as his future despite his father's wishes of continuing his business.
However, this all changed when he found out his main arm in art actually had cancer cells growing in it, and the only way to get rid of it was to cut the arm off. Of course, Basil didn't want for this to happen because art was practically his life. It wasn't long until a scientist stepped up to him and offered him a way to fix his problem. He was developing a "cure" for cancer, and he needed someone with the cells to test it for him. Without thinking ahead of himself, Basil allowed the scientist to use his arm for testing, thinking that this was the best, easiest and fastest way for him to get back to his art. After the testing, several injections, salves and experiments, his arm suddenly felt as though there was no cancer at all and even looked like it. Many people even started to believe he never had it in the first place.
That was until that one day when he was visiting the scientist to give him a portrait he did of him as a token of his appreciation. While he was heading down his lab, the scientist was once again in the middle of an experiment which needed special garments in order to do, and of course since Basil wasn't wearing any of these garments and he just happen to stick his right arm into the room before the rest of his body, the rays coming from the experiment reacted with the cancer cells and the different chemicals the scientist placed in his arm thus causing his arm to mutate completely. His arm looked the same at first. But after Basil removed his gloves and cloak, he realized from his hand until his elbow, his arm had become completely red and black. At this point, the scientist revealed that this whole time, what he did to his arm only hid the outward appearance and the feeling of the cancer, but after the accident, it undid the effects of his cure making his arm finally reveal how much the cancer had really grown. Having enough of this, Basil ordered the scientist to cut his arm off from his elbow.
For a while, Basil was caught in distress because of the loss of half his arm, and he even wished and wanted for some miracle to happen and somehow get back his arm. The next thing he knew, within the next hours or so, a new arm actually grows back... Or rather, cancer cells started to grow from where his arm was cut and formed the shape of the part of his arm that was missing. He once again went back to the scientist, and after examining what happened, the scientist confirmed that Basil somehow had control over the cancer cell growth in his arm. Basil, thinking that if anyone found out about his arm, he'd be surely out casted, would wrap bandages around his arm and limit himself to wearing long coats and gloves which would easily hide it's disturbing appearance. It wouldn't be long until he would accidentally reveal his arm to someone, thus spreading word across his class. It was from this point here he was later found by the group since word reached even the professor. Finally knowing he wasn't alone when it came to these weird abilities, he went with the group in hope of further controlling his power, or if possible, find a way to make it go back to normal.
Name: John Ellis (born Violet Gray)
Socioeconomic status: Nouveau Riche
Occupation: Journalist
Ability (including ability limitation): Super Strength – Can dead lift up to 1500 pounds, (1300 comfortably.)
Ability augmentation (if any): No augmentations, just plated gloves to protect his hands. As with anyone, exercise can increase his strength.
Backstory:
Miss Violet Gray was born in October 1860 and orphaned as a young child, and subsequently came into the care of Colonel John Ellis, her uncle. Col. Ellis was a widower and had a single son, John Jr, six months younger than Violet. The two children both resembled their grandmother very closely, and were often mistaken for twins for their physical resemblance and close relationship. As young children, they did almost all things together, but the older they grew Violet began to realize that she was excluded more and more on the basis that she was a girl. She often cried and wished that she had been born a boy.
Col. Ellis retired from the military when Violet and John Jr. were 9 years old, and the trio traveled abroad for many years. During a brief stay in San Cristobal, Venezuela in May of 1875, they were caught in a terrible earthquake which killed Colonel Ellis, John Jr, and their governess. Violet was struck unconscious, and awoke to find herself trapped in an alcove of rubble, surprisingly unharmed.
She called for help until she felt she couldn't make another sound, and when no help came, she began to beat furiously against the collapsed wall that imprisoned her. After several hours, in a fit of panic, she swung a closed fist at the brick and mortar. To her shock and astonishment, her hand penetrated the wall. When she had recovered from the pain in her bruised knuckles, she succeeded in punching through again, but afterwards her hand hurt too badly to try again.
Violet was trapped in the rubble for over 24 hours when finally, in a last burst of effort, she pushed against the wall with all of her strength. The wall moved. She pushed again and the wall gave way, freeing her at last. Devastated to learn that her beloved cousin and uncle had died, and orphaned again in a foreign country by herself, an idea suddenly occurred to her. She cut off her long hair, dressed herself in some of her cousin's clothes, and slowly made her way back to England under the name of John Ellis Jr.
Back in London, John found that many avenues which had been closed to Violet were now open to him. He attended university, established a career with a daily business journal, and made a large sum of money in a business venture with a friend. His acquaintances knew him to be a dependable and bashful young man, softspoken, though unusually strong for his small stature. However, he never allowed another soul to witness the full extent of his powers – at least, not until the day a certain Dr. Parvonian contacted him by telegraph, requesting to meet with him.
Name: Saoirse Dall
Socioeconomic status: impoverished and homeless
Occupation: Unemployed (though she's an exellent tinkerer.)
Ability: Heightened hearing
Ability augmentation (if any): Energy pills (they keep her awake because she doesn't get much sleep.)
Backstory: Saoirse was born blind and always had her parents and others hovering over her to help her get around. When she finally found herself alone, her parents having passed away, she thought she could handle herself. Unfortunately one day she wandered into an old, rundown labratory. Inccidentally hitting some switches she turned on the machines and ended up tripping into the testing area. When the machines affects hit her she felt as if her body was being torn to pieces and her ears were being split. Eventually she passed out and woke up to the sound of squatters coming in. When one of them attempted to attack her she heard him coming and managed to get away. When she finally got home, which was suprisingly easy, she tried to go to sleep and had to put on earmuffs to block out all of the noise.
Now like I said in the interest check, this is a way of brainstorming for the novel I want to write because I can feel it right there, but it's just not coming through and I'd like to see the different places y'all go with this, because you could have some ideas I never even thought of. I emphasize that I WILL ask permission to use any unique ideas and/or characters and I WILL give credit where credit is due. I'll even start posting the story in the appropriate place when I finally get around to writing it. But mostly, I just want to make this a really fun, long-lasting roleplay. ^_^