VictorianPunk - Agency Mysteries in a parallel world

[Ramael]

We Live in Interesting Times

Set in an alternate 19th century, where magnanimous Mysteries have variously risen and then been solved and risen again, there is a build-up to what people say will be the first Great War of all time. Those people are British spies, Italian Vatican-soldiers, American bounty hunters and Scottish doom preachers. People say Strange Things are Abroad, and stranger people say that governments of certain countries have put together countermeasures, teams of special individuals to investigate such threats, to safeguard their country and maybe, the world.

Far more sensible people say that these mysterious agencies are made up of morally questionable occult-botherers with strange birth defects and generously smattered with greedy helpings of insanity, whom have no interest in helping the greater good and only look to further their own bizarre interests.

They say that the imperious and rich Brittania was the first to assemble such a team, ostensibly to investigate certain disturbing domestic matters, but that have now begun to travel overseas and are curiously contacting similar agencies that have sprung up in other countries.

They say the mighty Vatican has a body similar in purpose to that of Brittania's, although far different in its makeup (and disconcertingly well armed and equipped) that investigates matters of the soul and matters of Heresy.

They say that the fledgling Republic of America has finally pulled together its disparate states and from the colossal melting-pool of people drawn some individuals who have formed their own league of strangely gifted types.

They say that the wavering Nipponese Imperium, casted into doubt by the world and even its own citizens after Japan's half-successful invasion of China even have a group structured from ancient Asian mythology. Whether or not the countries are still at war or have unified under the supposed Imperium is unclear.


These four mighty world players had their own mysterious representatives, but events have conspired, alliances have come and gone, and even stranger things have happened to break the four from their rigid structures. Now there are three groups of repute, made up of people from all over the world from all four countries and beyond, no matter where their original national allegiance once lay.


The League of Strange –

Once the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, the title now invalid for various reasons (one major one being the inclusion of women), the League now savours an international alliance, although this means that no single country takes responsibility for funding and equipping it. Although self-managing, the League still acknowledges the four major powers, and tries its best to please all whilst saving mankind in the process.

The Enigma Club –

Supposedly set up by a rich Russian tycoon under a different name, the Club has come to fame and notoriety by odd investors buying it out and investing large sums of money into it. These investors only travel by night and take a great interest in humanity’s affairs across the globe…the Club’s official stance since the take over is to observe for the good of humanity, but the agents that make it up are hardly human at all. Whether this has always been protocol or is a new adjustment since its takeover is unclear.

Mystus Order (the Vatican)  –

Some things never change, and the mighty faith machine is no exception. With nearly unlimited funding and an international free pass, the Mystus Order is a mighty machine with impunity to track down any and all accused or suspected of “heresy” across the globe. This can include…nearly anyone. Notably high-ranking members of the Order do not have particularly high views of the League and are a hair’s breadth away from classing the Enigma Club as hostile. Not made up of a “team” of notable individuals like the League and Club, the Order is formulated more like a small army, with a hundred or so soldiers forming the bottom of a hierarchal triangle of power. There may be one or two members of the Order with some truly fearsome power at the top of the triangle, making the basis on which it is formed hypocritical, but this is just conjecture.

All of these three organisations are involved in a race for power and leverage over the other as materials and beings from the ether present themselves upon the earthly plane for good or ill. Suspicion and paranoia are rampant, but the Order maintains a status quo of hating the other two out of righteous indignation, considering their very existence an abomination to God and slyly seeking any way to snuff them out, whilst at the same time going to great lengths to maintain the Vatican’s supremacy and great wealth across the globe. Meanwhile the Club and League enjoy healthy competition, at times strained to suspicion and even mild aggression, and agents from both teams have been known to fraternise with each other.

Stranger still, observers of the North Pole’s Aurora Borealis phenomenon have recorded record sightings in the past couple of years, even claiming to see a city in the lights beyond the arctic skyline. These individuals have been assimilated by the three organisations before any country’s government can learn of their findings, and each are thinking about sending agents into the beyond. Initial reconnaissance reports a vague city-state, a place where the normal is usurped and strange beings lurk in a world not too dissimilar from our own. Etherville was a name jokingly bandied around, and has since stuck. Now Etherville is the next frontier, a place of definite danger and unexplored territories, a city-state of mysteries and maybe even the next battleground between world super-powers.



Congratulations and many thanks for reading this far! This game welcomes creative players who want to get to grips with a pseudo-Victorian, steampunk-esque game of superpowered strange individuals from rival agencies.

Think the setting and peoples of LExG crossed with the black humour and violence of Archer, with a smattering of Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials thrown in.

Character Creation:

I’m offering players to create a character belonging to either the League of Strange (made up of incredible humans with abilities, powers and defects) or the Enigma Club (made up of creatures from myth or folklore taken human form). The Mystus Order will be a non-PC antagonist faction (unless the unbelievable happens and we get over a dozen players interested, in which case I’ll open it up). Characters can be from any country, I only made a show of listing the major four to give you a taster of our alternate world.

If you’re already familiar with Moore’s creation, then you already have character ideas in mind (not to mention all the other incarnations of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, their French counterparts Les Hommes Mysterieux, etc). To add to this, I’d like to throw some recommendations.

Unless you have a blazingly unique completely original character in mind (and I’m open to this, list your suggestions here) I’d like most of the characters to be based on legends, fiction, myth and folklore, much like the characters in LExG.

Possible concepts to base characters around:

Robin Hood
Joan of Arc
Baba Yaga
Hansel and Gretel
Spring Heeled Jack
Tengu
Tristan (and/or Isolde)
Beowulf
Puck
Geronimo/Crazy Horse
Nain Rouge


This list is only suggestions, they are by no means a definitive list from which to reserve characters from, although you may if you wish. There is literally a whole world of mythology and folklore out there to base characters on.

You would have to modernise (or in this case, Victorian-ise) the character, explaining their either long life-span or reincarnation (or belief in their own reincarnation…they could just be a crazy with some neat abilities). Powers should be based around the character you’ve chosen, and if you’re making a completely original character I’ll consider most things.

   A note on the world:

The world will be largely 19th century setting, with a few key changes. Steam is the prevalent technology (hooray!) with zeppelins providing domestic and international transport. Note: this game isn’t focussed on steampunk, it’s only part of the backdrop, so please don’t festoon your character with dozens of steam-gadgets. Gas and oil lamps are still used.

Important final note on game evolution and game/player changing events/"team awards"


I will GM the game, playing NPCs and characters and dropping plotbombs as needed. Your characters will eventually explore Etherville, and there will be some sandbox-ness. I will also "drop" events. For example, one of the starting plots is that there is a cache of cavorite (Moore readers will know this as the fuel needed to fly efficient airships) somewhere, and all three agencies will be rushing to get it. Whomsoever does can expect to IC build themselves their very own airship/floating HQ/whatever they want. Throughout the game I will also "drop" other game and player-changing events, awarding players with a stash of Atlantean lost technology, or Aztec gold, or a fae spy-network, and so on.



You've got to the end (congratulations again!Have a drink!), at least till I edit this with the 1232320 things I forgot to tell you guys.

I look forward to hearing from you!

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

I'd love to do something with Baba Yaga as my character. I'm certainly interested.

[Maelyn]

I'm interested!  Pondering a character idea now.  :)


I forgot to ask:  Is there some sort of character profile / format you would like?  Should we post here or PM them?

[Kristine]

It sounds very interesting :)
And I have good "Red Riding Hood" character in mind too :)

[Ramael]

Great stuff!

PtPb - Excellent. I look forward to seeing it.

Mae - Not yet, I wanted to be sure of sufficient player interest before I created a character sheet. In the meantime you can post up character concepts, with your own format of profile if you wish. If you'd rather PM them to me, I've no problem with that either.

Krist - that's a great idea, one that I hadn't thought of actually. Does she come with her own nemesis or is she just especially good at hunting lycanthropes?  ;D

[Kristine]

Well, she's especially good at hunting, or scouting in general.
I guess Monsieur Charles Perrault didn't told us the full story about what happened in "Grandma's hut".

Red Riding Hood is no lycan herself but she's definitely affected. She doesn't transform into wolf form but has much sharpened senses and skills such as tracking, orientation (yeah, ironic for her :D), smelling... better vision in darkness etc.

She can also travel long distances without food, as a true wolf would. Well, in two words - Perfect Scout.

Though there is some drawbacks too. She has Arsonphobia (fear of fire. Not that she is afraid to light a campfire, but she feels uncomfortable next to it and looking at the bright light of it her vision is blurring. In addition, she can completely get stuck, freeze or panic near large amount of fire).

She is no big fighter, but can shoot. Of course she has her own revolver around and knows how to pull the trigger but her skills aren't too reliable in this direction. She's better with rifle, but nothing extraordinary. her skills are as of average hunter in that, though what makes her special is her talent to track and find. She's also too fragile to fight big creatures, though she is incredibly fast that can give her some advantage against some minor enemies.

Oh... and last thing... She's extremely cute (Though somewhat weird and troubled at times)

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

[Ramael]

Great stuff, Krist. Good find on the picture, too!

I imagine she's destined for the League of Strange rather than the Enigma Club being as she's essentially human. In her legend then, she was actually bitten by the wolf? Also, her name would probably be more subtle, but I'm sure you've already thought of that :D

If anyone is having trouble coming up with pictures for their characters (google imaging/deviantart searching "steampunk" or "victorian OC" will yeild a wealth of material) then I have a few you could use.

[Kristine]

yes exactly, I was planning her for League of Strange. As for the name, I didn't thought anything particular yet, but was thinking something French (as the author of original story is French :) ) something like Charlotte, Constance or Monique. I will come up with that when I'll create character sheet, want to think about it little more :D

If she was bitten or something else happened in that hut she won't say and won't be revealed, at least not now, but the fact is she was somewhat affected by werewolf, though didn't turn into lycan herself

Edit: Maybe the hunter who saved her from the wolf after she was bitten was Allan Quatermain himself :D Maybe than he gave her something that prevented her from turning lycan herself... (or something like that, didn't come up with that too yet)

[Maelyn]

I'll have to check out some pics maybe it will help inspire a character concept. :)

[Kristine]

Yes Maelyn, looking at pics often helps me in those situations as well. I was browsing some pics on steampunkcouture.com and found this wonderful red riding hood, which gave me the idea

[Maelyn]

Thanks! I will check it out tonight. I wanted to this afternoon but just got another project to do, so will have to wait till i get home.

[Ramael]

Is the cache I found to be quite inspiring for characters. I've used the first one in another game on here. I think I may use the chap fourth down for a character of my own, but if someone really wants it and has a great idea for him, I'm willing to give it up.

[Maelyn]

I'm still working on a concept.  I'm leaning toward something original unless I can find something truly inspiring, though that hasn't happened yet.  I did, however, find someone I want to use for my character.  Yay for deviant art!  Here are some samples:

[Ramael]

Cool. Let's concentrate on the character concepts now, I believe we have enough pictures to go around in this thread now :)

Another great character concept I hadn't thought of - The Phantom of the Opera.

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

My character would be Baba Yaga, with a concept update, though much of her mythology would be true to her character. She'd be a powerful witch, though she isn't human, she would appear that way. She is immortal, though she ages at a normal human rate. For much of her past she would have appeared to be an old hag, because her physical age was well over the point where a normal human would have died.

She would have taken young children, not to eat, but to keep herself from suffering more afflictions thanks to her physical age. In essence, she'd age the children she took, and at the same time make her self equivalently younger, though she likely wouldn't have gotten younger enough to actually change her appearance much, she would have been staving off becoming even more aged looking.

She'd be willing to help almost anyone with anything, usually as part of a bargain, providing magical items, or knowledge to whoever comes looking, for something in return.

As part of her setting update, her hut would be a small Victorian style one-story house, blackened with soot, and standing with a pair of mechanical chicken legs. The hut itself would seem barely large enough to hold a single small table, but would, in fact be much larger inside than outside. The lock on the door has teeth. Her home, and some of the land around it, would be capable of travelling from place to place, not physically, but rather simply being in many places at once, such that the interior has many doors, but the exterior appears to have only one. Furthermore, one can only find it if she wants them to.

She'd have general sort of witch-esque powers, shape-shifting, the ability to fly, but only with a specific object. In the past it would've been her mortar and pestle, but this object too would change shape over time, now being a simple round stone disc, on which she stands. Further she has the power to manipulate reality in general, to an extent. This power, however, is governed by her own youth, and so, as she uses it she gets older, and when she passes the point of natural death, she can no longer use it. Contracts and deals form another class of powers for her. She cannot break an actual deal or agreement, except if the other party does so first. Furthermore, she cannot refuse someone who offers to bargain with her, meaning that she must strike a deal with someone who will pay the price she names, and she can only name prices that can actually be paid by the other party.

In this setting she'd be a part of the Enigma Club. She'd appear to be a young woman, referred to by Slavic people who know of her as Mat'Yaga, as a reference to her age. In general Yaga would be her name.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

[Ramael]

That's great stuff, Peace. I especially like the chicken-leg touch, just like the myth! Also her having to agree to a bargain is great for RP. Maybe that's how she became part of the Club? An extended bargain? Well that's for you to decide. Given her abilities and power, I imagine she'd be the current head of the Club.

I'm working on a character sheet now for you all to squash these lovely characters into.

EDIT

Real name:

Alias, modernised name:

Legend taken/lore based on:

Agency affiliation:

Appearance:

Brief written appearance:

Country of birth:

History:

Personality:

Abilities:

Strengths:

Weakness:

Likes/Dislikes:

Political stance:

Views on their agency, and the other agencies:

Favourite food:

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

Yeah, that was what I was thinking in terms of her being part of the Club. Her being its head would be interesting too.

[Alysanthia]

Cool. Let's concentrate on the character concepts now, I believe we have enough pictures to go around in this thread now :)

Another great character concept I hadn't thought of - The Phantom of the Opera.

I am certainly interested, and would love to play a Christine inspired character. :D

[TheGlyphstone]

This is so many different flavors of awesome, I just have to think up a concept.


EDIT: Maybe something with Paul Bunyan, as a sort of 19th-century Incredible Hulk-like character? His legendary size was 'true' to an extent, but it wasn't a constant effect; he was normal-sized most of the time, except under great stress or focus.


EDIT EDIT: Okay, further thoughts. The legends of Paul Bunyan were based around stories told about a French-Canadian lumberjack named Paul Bonjean. He was a big man naturally - close to seven feet tall - but when under great stress and pressure, he would lose control and double or triple in height, becoming fifteen or twenty feet tall instead with a corresponding increase in strength and mass. He was a fearsome warrior in his transformed state, but also much more savage and simple-minded, almost bestial when the blood rage really got into him. Because of his naturally short temper, even without his tendency to 'hulk out', people avoided him, and he spent much of his time alone in the forests lumberjacking - if he deliberately triggered his rage state while working, he could level an acre of forest in a few hours.

For the most part, the lumberjacks, and Paul in particular, were hated by the local Indian tribes for despoiling their lands. One of the few exceptions was an Iroquois squaw who, for some reason, took a liking to the strange white giant man and developed a friendship with him. He called her 'Bebe', and she was the only person who could talk Paul out of his fury state. He loved her, and wanted to marry her, but she apparently only wanted to be friends. Unfortunately for both of them, her older brother didn't realize this, and he was also a powerful and influential warrior amongst the tribes in the area. At his prompting, a war party attacked Paul's logging camp while he was away, killing and scalping everyone in residence. When he discovered the carnage, the rage state took him, and he rampaged through the forests back to the Iroquois village to lay waste to it with fists, feet, and axe. He subsided eventually only to discover he had inadvertently mortally wounded Bébé, imprisoned in a lodge to prevent her from warning Paul or the loggers of the raid. She died in his arms, and the only other survivor, the tribe's shaman, lived long enough to pronounce a blood curse on Paul, condemning him that he would never see Bébé again. As it happened, this took the form of immortality. Even fights could not kill him; the curse blocked him from attempting suicide, and in any situation where he was in mortal danger, the rage state became unsuppressable. Instead, he became a drifter, wandering America for work and seeking some way to break his curse, while his feats of strength and occasional fury-transformation would lay the seeds for the Paul Bunyan stories of much later on.


His powers would be mostly physical - untransformed, he's still very strong and tough, and a skilled fighter with bare hands or his logging axe. When he goes all Hulk, he becomes a giant with even more strength, toughness, somewhat of a healing factor, and a berserker's tenacity. The fury can be triggered voluntarily, but can also come upon him of its own accord in certain extremely stressful situations. He knows enough woodlore to follow tracks, forage, and conceal his own passage through the forest to some degree, but doesn't have any formal scout-like training. Almost certainly a member of the League of Strange, since he's still essentially human.

[Maelyn]

Finally got it!  I'm working on a fountain of youth twist.  Just need to put everything together and write it up all pretty.  Should have it done by Saturday I believe.  :)

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

Real name: Baba Yaga

Alias, modernised name: Yaga (Slavs who know her as being on in the same with Baba Yaga, will refer to her as Sestra Yaga, or Mat' Yaga, for Sister Yaga, and Mother Yaga, depending usually on their idea of her age. Younger people calling her 'mother' and older people calling her 'sister')

Legend taken/lore based on: Baba Yaga, the Witch.

Agency affiliation: Enigma Club

Appearance:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Brief written appearance: Appears as an adult woman, usually no older than her late 20's. Dark brown, short messy hair, and amber coloured eyes. She stands about average height, (5'4'', 164cm).

Country of birth: Russia

History: Most of her history is known only to her. She was born to a woman exactly like her, long before humans had inhabited Russia. However, from birth she possessed no abilities, she learned how her mother used doors of their home, then merely holes in the walls, to travel to places where humans were, and talk with them, often striking bargains. When she had become an adult, her mother gave her powers to the young, and as of yet unnamed, girl. Her mother then simply fell to dust, and Yaga was left to take her place, assuming both her powers and her identity. In time everyone who had seen her mother with her was dead, and she understood that her mother had wished to die, and to do so, had to transfer her powers onto another like her, her daughter. In time she came to understand both her powers, and the world, transforming into the witch who would come to be known as Baba Yaga.

The time between her becoming an adult, and her joining the Enigma club, is the subject of her legends, though how much of it is true to the real events, is not known.

When the Enigma Club was beginning, its founder sought Yaga as a powerful asset. Although she was required to bargain with him, she did not wish to join him. However, when he accepted the price she named, she gave her loyalty to the Enigma Club.

Personality: Yaga is a cryptic kind of elder power. She is aware of how much power she holds, and how much she can do for others, more often preferring them not to know just how much that is. She is generally fairly pleasant, slow to anger, and willing to forgive. However, she is only so pleasant when dealing with others. When she is threatened, or interfered with, or tricked, she can be monstrously vengeful. She is old enough that her personality is a considerably twisted web. Is is difficult to predict how she will react in any given situation.

Abilities:

Yaga is one of a few things that change over time, their form shifting to suit their surroundings. Most of her powers are derived from these.

Yaga's Hut - This is a small Victorian style one-story house, blackened with soot, and standing with a pair of mechanical chicken legs. The hut itself seems barely large enough to hold a single small table, but is, in fact be much larger inside than outside. The lock on the door has teeth, and resists attempts to open in. Her home, and some of the land around it, including bare skulls on iron rods, seems to exist in multiple places at once, all across Europe and possible elsewhere, though always deep in the woods. Nobody finds her hut except by accident, while travelling in those deep woods, or because they seek it out, and she allows them to. The locations where the hut exists seem to shift, as even after found, returning again to the same spot may not lead a person to find it again. The exterior has only a single door, but the interior has many, and does not always seem the same if visited twice.

Yaga's Stone - This stone can be few or many in number, as in the past it formed a mortar and pestle in which Yaga could fly. Now, the stone is simply a smooth stone disc, on which she can stand to fly. The stone does not transport anyone else, nor does Yaga carry it on her person. Instead, it appears and dissappears by flying out of, and into the sky.

Yaga's Cloak - More precisely, the feathers now adorning her jacket, Yaga's cloak seems to preform the function of changing Yaga from her human form, into that of a raven, or cloud of black feathers. Only the black feathers seem to do anything, however, the rest being merely decoration. She will sometimes travel from place to place this way, though usually only over short distances. She can enter her hut through the small chimney when transformed, and usually does.

Immortality - Yaga ages at a normal human rate, but will live forever. She cannot die of old age, or even stop ageing, and so, takes on the appearance of an increasingly hideous old hag when she ages past a normal human lifespan.

Draining Youth - Yaga can steal the youth of humans by touch, and take it for herself. This reverses her apparent age, but only by the amount taken. The victim will age by the amount taken. The process takes only a few seconds, but since it can kill the victim with shock (cardiac arrest brought on the fear of what is happening) is better done slowly, over hours or even a day or two. The victim can be aged to death, but does not kill the victim directly, but rather it does so because of their rapid ageing, and the health complications that accompany their new age.

Alter Reality - Yaga can alter reality around her, to an extent. This power is fuelled by her youth, meaning that it is limited to the youth she still has. The significance of the changes to reality determine how much youth it requires. She cannot use this power if she has aged to beyond a human lifespan, except by providing alternate power (this can come in the form of something given as payment in a contract, though only if it is something like a soul, an emotion, or a memory). It is only, therefore, in contracts that require Yaga to alter reality that she usually requires such a payment.

Strengths: Yaga's powers are quite impressive, and the objects she has, very powerful. Her knowledge of the strange and mystical is immense, as is her collection of items, meaning that her resources in both wisdom and required objects are extensive. She has a talent for bargaining, and will often convince people that their poor deals were to their advantage, and quite often, their idea.

Weakness: Yaga is somehow bound to her deals and contracts. Anything she agrees to as a deal, or contract, is binding, and she will never break such an agreement. Furthermore, cannot refuse someone who wishes to bargain. If a person names something they wish to gain, and she can provide it, she is obliged to name a price which they are capable of paying (or sometimes, can be made capable of paying). If they accept, she is bound to the deal.

Yaga is not physically strong or even resilient to injury by nature. She can be harmed as any human, though she cannot die. When injured she will recover, though only at a normal rate (unless she heals herself with her power). Since she cannot use her power when aged beyond a normal death, she cannot heal herself. In this way, she can essentially be, delayed, by being, seemingly, killed.

Likes/Dislikes: Yaga enjoys strange items, humans and creatures who have power.
Yaga hates being tricked, and others breaking their promises/agreements (as humans are not bound to uphold their end of a bargain with her) and this extends to those in romantic relationships who cheat, and she can sometimes be sought out to exact vengeance on the unfaithful, but she only bargains with females in such matters.

Political stance: Neutral.

Views on their agency, and the other agencies: Positive toward Enigma Club, and League of Strange. Yaga views these agencies as repositories for what she enjoys, powerful creatures, objects, and people. They are curiosities. The Mystus Order is only of concern to her insofar as it interferes with her, and like everything that does, it is usually despised.

Favourite food: All forms of confectionery.

[Kristine]

Real name: Monique Fournier

Alias, modernized name: Monique

Legend taken/lore based on: Little Red Riding Hood

Agency affiliation: League of Strange

Appearance:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Brief written appearance: Monique is petite girl with huge beautiful eyes. Her light brown hair are long and most of the time during traveling hidden under red hood which is part of her stylish red cloak. Monique is 1.68 m. tall (5'51''), very slim girl, but her appearance maybe misleading for those who think that this girl can't travel long distances and be of any help on the road. Her slender legs are used to walking miles.

Country of birth: France

History: Monique Fournier is only daughter in simple bakers' family in little French village. She had 3 older brothers, though 2 of them went into war and only one of them stayed alive, though he moved to Paris and started the life of painter, thus she never met him again. The third, elder brother among three was lost in the woods even before she was born, so Monique didn't ever met him... (or did she?)

The incident happened with her when she became 17 years old on her way to grandmother's house and it changed her life forever. Being brave enough to walk into woods alone to reach for grandmother's house, she noticed that someone or something is watching her during the voyage. Monique noticed as well that road is way too unfamiliar to her (Only later she have learn that pointers were changed to make her late to grandma).

When she arrived at last she saw something she would never forget in her life. Though that's where her background story ends as she never talks about what actually happened in the hut. All that is known is that Catherine Fergusson was the person saving her from werewolf. Since then, Catherine is Monique's best, if not only friend. The mother figure for Monique, she often saved her not only on their dangerous road of adventures, but in dealing with more trivial situations of life, which Monique seems to be unprepared of at times.

Despite that some years have gone since the incident, she apparently didn't age and looks like 17-20 years old girl since than.

Personality: You could never call her too joyful or heart of the company type of girl, because she goes into herself rather often and time to time prefer to sit alone, than being among loud chaps, though she isn't unfriendly as well. She's pretty helpful most of the time, but there's little problem in understanding her motives. Sometimes she can refuse a friend in such simple favors that would obviously be very easy to fulfill, but at the other hand she can risk her life to do something for the lad she hardly knows at all. She accepts hierarchy (if there is any) in League of Strange but doesn't care of it much. She would never try to climb up the hierarchy ladder, but at the same time, she would never allow to command herself, if she wouldn't think it's right. She tends to have some dark, grim sense of humor as well, and her jokes (though most of the times normal, can stay ununderstood (to say the least) for average person. Most people would call her "strange" and she may really be strange even among the League of Strange members.

Abilities: Monique is perfect tracker. Her orientation on spot is her most valued ability. She can gain information from particularly any living breathing or non-breathing thing. Smells of the surroundings, depth of the tracks, their nature. taste of the flowers around the road... etc.

Strengths: Perfect tracker abilities. Perfect senses. Walking miles and miles of distance without getting tired. Can spend few days without food. Better vision at night than most of men have. Have some skills in shooting rifle or revolver, though they're not that good.

Weakness: She's not so good in melee. Only thing she can depend against brute force is her good speed, but against multiple opponents and in limited space she can be in real trouble. Monique has arsonphobia as well. She is sensitive to bright light and fire which can freeze her or make her stuck. Big amounts of fire near her can make her panic.

Likes/Dislikes: Monique likes to listen music and occasionally whistles some melodies under her nose when she's alone. She likes being on fresh air and prefers vilages, small towns, woods and dungeons rather than big cities and open spaces. She doesn't like revealing secrets nor does she like getting secrets from others, so it's not in her traditions to question someone too much. Monique knows how to swim and isn't afraid of water, but prefers not to, if there is other route by land, even if it makes the road little longer.

Political stance: She is not much into politics and doesn't have any strong preferences as to how society must be organized or what course of action is better for the government. She is simple village girl, though smart and somewhat educated (Thanks to her being a member of the League and having access to libraries), but she's not the type of person who would start revolt against monarchy or try to climb up at political ladder. To cut it short, she's not interested in politics at all.

Views on their agency, and the other agencies: Monique sees the League as a shelter for people like her. People who for some reasons may be considered an outcasts, or weird ones in better cases among society. Monique believes in good and evil and pretty much distinguishes one from another, though in some cases her moral values can be slightly different from others', so she feels obliged to the League and would try anything to help it when asked.

Enigma club wakes not the best emotions in her. She generally dislikes creatures if they don't belong to mankind or animal kingdom. Monique has particular dislike for werewolves, and some even say she keeps silver bullet somewhere in her pocket under her cloak, which she dreams to shoot at one particular werewolf, though it maybe just a rumor.

Monique would cooperate with representatives of Enigma club, but would be constantly on her toes and suspicious.

As of Mystus Order, she is trying to avoid them completely and when spotting them somewhere near, prefers to hide and disappear, rather to confront. She can't udnerstand their motives, can't understand their state of mind and can't understand their ideology... And not that she is trying to. Monique just knows they're not her friends.

Favorite food: She likes meat, and any food that have big amount of meat in it.

[Alysanthia]

Christine de Chagny

Real name: Christine Daaé

Alias, modernised name: Christine de Chagny

Legend taken/lore based on: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra( Phantom of the Opera)

Agency affiliation: The League of Strange

Appearance:

Brief written appearance: Sweet and pure, Christine has light brown hair and brilliant blue eyes. Always dressed in modest clothing, she still clings to her proper breeding and carries herself as the lady she is at the age of twenty five. Keeping her hair tied back in some fashion she rarely allows it to flow freely and only on occasion will the curled mass hang loose, nearly reaching the small of her back.

On Christine’s person at all times is a series of throwing knives and a whip made by Nadir Khan specially for her tied loosely around her waist.  When and if Christine takes the stage to perform, she dresses to the nines. Extravagant stage make up is applied to enhance her already lovely features; each outfit is just as beautiful as the next.

Country of birth: Uppsala, Sweden, lived in Paris, France later on in her teens and adulthood.

History: After the events of the Opera House, Christine did not obtain her fairy tale ending.  Only getting to spend five years with Raoul before consumption and a life of ill pleasures took him from his ever faithful wife. Left with no one she began to travel, the cost nothing to the widowed Madam de Chagny.

Hoping that one day she would see her estranged Mentor Erik, news of his death slowly reached her ears but she did not take these words to heart. Believing that he was out there somewhere, she secretly hopes that he is well and no longer hiding his gifts from the world. Not wanting to focus on the past anymore Christine gave up on singing the emotion simply not there like so many years before in her youth, the longing though was there to once again take the stage.

During her travels she has a few encounters with Nadir Khan, Erik’s trusted friend and the Persian teaches the impressionable girl several ways to defend herself while on her travels. Her only companion now is a small pug she rescued while visiting London. Now having gone through the things she has, Christine no longer judges those by their appearances, instead she judges them by their actions like she should have so long ago that faithful night. After a run in with a League of Strange agent, the man offered her a chance to join, to help others see that everyone was more than simple appearances as well as see the world. Curious Christine excepted the offer, hoping that by joining she could make up for past mistakes.   

Personality: Sweet and well mannered, Christine carries herself with an air of grace. The years after the Opera House having taken a slight toll on the singer, yet she has the heart of a child. Trusting, considerate, and thinks that everyone has another side to them she at times can be too trusting and a bit gullible. 

Abilities: An extensive knowledge of the arts, photographic memory, and speaks French, Swedish, and many other languages fluently. Christine has become skilled with a lasso as well as several types of throwing weapons.  Years of living in the Opera House allowed the young woman to learn different dances, she uses this skill and mixes it with her self-defense. Her true power comes when she sings; Christine’s voice has a hypnotic effect making anyone within range of hearing her voice dazed as well as confused, those under her influence will stop whatever they are doing and try at anything to get to her.

Strengths: Long ranged weapons, intelligences, whips, and multiple forms of self-defense.

Weakness: Innocence, gives second chances to easily, and far too trusting.

Likes/Dislikes: (Likes) Music, fine art, French cuisine, birds, cats, and naturally Operas. (Dislikes) Dirt, Bad music, rudeness, cruelty, biased thoughts, those that take advantages of others.

Political stance: Believing in the good of everyone, Christine just wishes for peace. Wanting for everyone to come to an agreement and end the foolishness of their ways.

Views on their agency, and the other agencies: While new to the League of Strange, she thinks that it is an interesting assortment of people. That everyone has amazing talents and are truly one of a kind in their own ways. With the Enigma Club, Christine feels that they are people that others simply do not understand and are most deserving of a chance at living a normal life. The Mystus Order reminds the young singer of how she first reacted years ago at seeing Erik's face for the first time, and how so many treated her strange mentor. Not wanting anything to do with the Order Christine stays far away from them, believing that their bigotry will get the best of them at the end.

Favorite food: Basil salmon terrine, Escargot a la bourguingnone,  Tah-chin, Ash-e amar, Yorkshire pudding, Scones with tea, and all sorts of delicious things.

[TheGlyphstone]

Opinions from people: For Paul's favorite food, should I subvert the flapjacks stereotype or play it straight?

[Alysanthia]

Maybe do traditional French-Canadian meals? Since he is a lumberjack, Paul probably liked home cooked meals and wild game.

[Le Immortelle]

Real name: Catherine Fergusson

Alias, modernised name: Macumazana (Meaning, the one who stands out.), Catherine the Huntress

Legend taken/lore based on: Allan Quatermain

Agency affiliation: The League of Strange

Appearance:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Brief written appearance: Cate is a woman of about 6'1", weighing in at 160 lbs. She's 45 years old, short hair and dressed in a military-like outfit for most part. But appears much younger, as if she's in her late 30's/early 40's.

Country of birth: England

History: Born in the rainy England, Catherine moved to the wilderness of South Africa at a very young age after the death of her mother due to malaria with her preacher father Joesph Fergusson. There, she grew up surrounded by an environment which was a mixture of old and new due to the advances made by the British people in their colonies in the Dark Continent whilst being around the native Africans and the rich wildlife around them. Based in Durban, she travelled with her father around the colony multiple times as he did the work of god. Since a young age, Catherine exhibited a keen interest in tracking and hunting and showed remarkable marksmanship, something which had often came handy for her when travelling with father. When she was 19, Joesph was shot by a poisonous arrow leading to his untimely death after the two British men they were travelling with had managed to offend the tribesmen they were visiting by having an affair with one of the younger girls.

This incident affected her deeply, and though a staunch supporter of colonial line of thought of the Empire, she realised that the native Africans too needed their own input in the process of bringing progress and life to the mysterious continent. She became famous for her adventures in wilderness and her abilities as a hunter as time went on, and married Jack Brydon a British army officer at the age of 21, the union produced one son, Alexander. However tragedy struck her again as Jack was diagnosed with pneuomonia deep in the jungles and ended up dying as a result of that. She focused on her son and the life of an outdoorswoman, discovering many hidden secrets of the continent such as uncovering many Zulu myths, the point of inception of Nile, King Solomon's mines amongst many others. Her son often accompanying her on most of the journies. Some frowned at the 'unwomanly' behaviour she was known to exhibit but she could care less.

After decades of hunting, she began to realise the kind of attention her exploits had generated back home, bringing a slew of amateur hunters down to Africa and destroying the beautiful continent..and often losing their own lives in the process, unaware of the perils awaiting them in these mysterious lands. Tragedy struck her once again when she was 42 years old, her son..now an adorable young man of 21 drowned mysteriously when he had gone for a swim in one of the lakes. Being unable to uncover this mystery shook her to the core and haunts her to this day.

Personality: Catherine is rather cynical and cranky woman. Years of living the hard life and the bad events which hit her at key junctures in her life has made her a rather bitter person. She's not easy to get along with and usually perceives most as below her. Though beneath the rough and tough exterior is a wise woman who can employ the experiences gained through all these years into effect to get out of some nasty situations. Has a dark sense of humour and now hardly even cares for her life, jumping into things with a daredevil attitude.

Abilities: One of the greatest hunters of all time, a true marksman and skilled in jungle survival. Able to speak multiple native African languages. Sharp instincts which almost border on superhuman. Master with virtually all kinds of weapons.

Strengths: Her deeply honed instincts, proficiency with weapons and knowledge of martial arts makes her a very formidable foe. Catherine is a strong woman who can easily break an arm or two if the need calls for it. An excellent negotiator.

Weakness: Far too paranoid for her own good, occassional opium user.

Likes/Dislikes: (Likes) Guns, Wilderness, Women, Men, Jungles, Native Africans, Sunny Weather, Hunting, Adventure. (Dislikes) England, Rainy Weather, Over-reliance on technology, Publicity.

Political stance: Barely cares about that anymore after the death of her son. All she wants is her and her beloved Africa to be left alone.

Views on their agency, and the other agencies: Her approach towards League upon being recruited was of annoyance but at the same time she sees it as an oppurtunity for an adventure to top off all of her adventures, a last hurrah of sorts for her before she retires for good.

Her view of Enigma Club is a neutral one, she has encountered some supernatural beings in her time in Africa and has had certain otherworldly experiences so they don't bother of freak her out like they would to someone else. But she's not exactly on friendly terms with them either.

Catherine despises Mystus Order for their power hungry motives are too apparent to her. Despite of good work done by preachers including her father, she has always perceived the Vatican as a bunch of power hungry people who would use the shield of religion to get away with anything and to fool people.

Favourite food: Anything edible and booze. Lots of booze.

[TheGlyphstone]

Maybe do traditional French-Canadian meals? Since he is a lumberjack, Paul probably liked home cooked meals and wild game.

I've got plenty of ideas for alternative meals - that's one of them - but the question was if I should stick with the stereotype for comedic value or not.

[Kristine]

Wow, some good characters here :)

Especially like Amazon's Catherine. I think my char could get along pretty good with her

[Maelyn]

Opinions from people: For Paul's favorite food, should I subvert the flapjacks stereotype or play it straight?

I'm all for comedic value - if you wish him to be a comedic character, that is.  Otherwise, it's truly up to you.  Perhaps a little bit of both?

[TheGlyphstone]

The actual character is going to be anything but comedic. It's just that lumberjacks are supposed to like flapjacks, and I can't decide whether it would be a funnier in-joke to follow through with it or not.

[Maelyn]

Perhaps if you make it flapjacks, he gets pissed off if when people find out they tease him about it?

[Ramael]

Wow, this exploded over a couple of days. Nice to see you, Glyph. Thanks for all the characters and interest, all the sheets I've seen so far look very very good - I don't have time to go into details unfortunately as this weekend is incredibly hectic, but it all looks good so far.

The only thing I'm concerned for is I think we're overweighed in favour of the LoS at the moment, but I'm sure that can be remedied with time and a couple more players.

Bear with me! :)

[TheGlyphstone]

Perhaps if you make it flapjacks, he gets pissed off if when people find out they tease him about it?

Maybe, or maybe he gets pissed when people assume he likes flapjacks, since he's allergic to flour or something. It makes him angry, and you wouldn't like him when he's angry. :D




Hm - yeah, we have 4 LoS characters (RRH, Christine, Catherine, and Paul), and 1 EC character (Baba Yaga).

[Le Immortelle]

Real name: Petra Pan

Alias, modernised name: The Woman Who Wouldn't Grow Up

Legend taken/lore based on: Peter Pan

Agency affiliation: The Enigma Club

Appearance:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Brief written appearance: Petra has a youthful appearance about her, and looks no older than a woman of about 20-21 years of age. She stands at 5'11" and weighs in at around 145 lbs

Country of birth: Neverland/England

History: Long time ago, Petra aged 14 was lost in Kensington Gardens until the next day after she woke up in a completely different home which was totally unlike the world she had known. That land was Neverland. It was the magical land full of fun and adventure where every day was sunday. There she was eventually joined by a band of other lost children who eventually ended up electing her as their leader. She aged for few more years until after which she simply decided to stop aging because she wanted to hold on to the youthful innocence and playful nature instead of getting corrupted by the dumb and mundane vision of an adult.

She often came down to Kensington even after that to listen to the stories which had enchanted her in her childhood and to play the prankster in the area. Those around her in Neverland too never aged due to her powers. She continued to have adventures in both human world and in Neverland which eventually garnered interest of The Enigma Club who offered her membership. Ever the seeker of thrills, Petra accepted it gladly.

Personality: Petra is an arrogant person who is as boastful as it gets. She displays a devil may care attitude towards most things and can be considered rather pompous and dominating due to having led The Lost Boys for so long and being used to the position of leader. She could be nasty to her subordinates, almost treating them like dirt at times. Extremely cocky and not afraid of anything, she won't hesitate to put herself in the harm's way if it's going to lead to something good and just. For all the arrogance, she has a strong sense of morals which is buried beneath all the bragging and boasting. She's also a well known prankster, often playing tricks on everyone which lead to some hilarious situations.

Abilities: Unending youth, Flying, Excellent Swordsmanship, Mimicry, Superhuman Senses.

Strengths: Petra's swordsmanship skills are next to none, Not aging and retaining a very tomboyish attitude means she has an extreme level of curiosity over most things..not clouding her mind like the way other's end up being. Flying makes transit far more easier for her. Unusually high intellect.

Weakness: Cocky attitude, often ignores the seriousness of the situation, doesn't care if she's annoying others with her pranks.

Likes/Dislikes: (Likes) Fairies, Neverland, Stories, Adventure, Women, Men, Pranks. (Dislikes) Boring attitude of adults, Being serious, Being told what to do.

Political stance: Petra is not at all concerned about politics and whatever the complications the politicians and their schemes. It's a subject which she views as the most boring one.

Views on their agency, and the other agencies: The Engima Club intrigues her..as it's a gathering of a variety of characters which she wouldn't have had a chance to meet and have fun otherwise. Her attitude can cause friction at times but she loves the adventure being with it offers and likes being part of the club.

Petra views League of Strange as bunch of overzealous humans who have grown old far too quickly to enjoy life at a laid back pace being way too serious about their own work when there's so much fun to be had with every day being a party.

Mystus Order is a group which baffles her and she's unable to understand their motives behind all the mysterious antics they keep on doing. That's a mystery which she would like to unravel.

Favourite food: Chocolate!

[Kristine]

I like your ability to turn classic male characters into females Amazon :)

[Alysanthia]

Maybe, or maybe he gets pissed when people assume he likes flapjacks, since he's allergic to flour or something. It makes him angry, and you wouldn't like him when he's angry. :D




Hm - yeah, we have 4 LoS characters (RRH, Christine, Catherine, and Paul), and 1 EC character (Baba Yaga).

Or it is his secret addiction, and once he starts eating flapjacks no one had better bother him. xD

[Ramael]

A quickie - great character Alys, one I like almost more than your first one (almost) but isn't Petra human, technically making her LoS? Although a character based on Tinkerbell would be Enigma material. Or the absinthe fairy, actually, on a different tack.

I can make a character to balance this out a tad.  I don't mind you having two characters, unless we get a torrent of new applicants. 

[Kristine]

Edited the last part of Monique's Background History

[Alysanthia]

A quickie - great character Alys, one I like almost more than your first one (almost) but isn't Petra human, technically making her LoS? Although a character based on Tinkerbell would be Enigma material. Or the absinthe fairy, actually, on a different tack.

I can make a character to balance this out a tad.  I don't mind you having two characters, unless we get a torrent of new applicants.

>_> Don't you mean Amazon?

[Le Immortelle]

A quickie - great character Alys, one I like almost more than your first one (almost) but isn't Petra human, technically making her LoS? Although a character based on Tinkerbell would be Enigma material. Or the absinthe fairy, actually, on a different tack.

I can make a character to balance this out a tad.  I don't mind you having two characters, unless we get a torrent of new applicants.

I put her there because I figured after being in Neverland for so long, coupled with the kind of superhuman abilities she has..she's hardly anything but human anymore. Besides, Engima needs some more people lol. But i'm fine with her switching teams and putting her in LoS as well.

[TheGlyphstone]

Real name:  Paul Bonjean

Alias, modernised name: Big Paul

Legend taken/lore based on: Paul Bunyan

Agency affiliation:  League of Strange

Appearance:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Brief written appearance: Most of the time, Paul is merely extremely large, standing 6'9" in his stocking feet and almost two hundred and fifty pounds, with the rough features and shape of a healthy man in his mid-thirties. He has a thick black beard that never seems to grow, nor does he ever appear to need to shave it. He prefers to dress in sturdy blue jeans with suspenders, a checkered flannel shirt, and a knitted cap, and frequently carries a massive double-headed axe over one shoulder. His overall appearance does not change when he enters his 'rage state', but he grows in height to roughly twenty feet and to approximately half a ton in weight, and his chiseled, sharp-jawed face becomes noticably more haggard and feral.

Country of birth: Canada (Quebec)

History:Paul was born to a pair of French-Canadian settlers in the Canadian frontier - unfortunately, he was a very big baby, and complications from the difficult birth killed his mother in the process. Instead, he grew up a collective child of the lumber camps that his father worked in and migrated between. Always a big child, and with a very short temper, he was ill-liked by his peers and spent long periods of time in the forest alone. On one of those trips into the deep forest, he happened to meet a young Iroquois squaw, and the two became friends, gradually learning each other's language and spending long hours together.

In a happier story, deep friendship might have blossomed into love, but while the Indian girl Paul nicknamed 'Bebe' liked him, many of the other natives of the local forests did not. They hated the lumberjacks for despoiling their ancestral lands, in particular a respected and skilled warrior who was also Bebe's older brother. He knew about Paul, and suspected him of untoward designs towards his sister in addition to being one of the hated white men chopping down trees without heed for the land. And so one day, while Paul was out chopping trees alone, a massive war party descended on the logging camp to butcher and scalp everyone present, Paul's father among them. When he returned to find the carnage, it drove him to a fury he had never before experienced, awakening a power within him that transformed him into a literal giant. He strode through the forest like an angry god, single-handedly assaulting and devastating the Iroquois village where the victorious raiders had returned to celebrate.  Slings, arrows, and axes bounced off him like the stings of mosquitoes, as he slaughtered them to the last man, woman, and child in a berserk fury. Eventually, his rage did expend himself, but to his horror, he discovered Bebe had been held captive there by her brother to keep her from warning the lumberjacks, and he had inadvertantly crushed her underfoot during his blood rampage. She died in his arms, and the only other survivor of the camp, the tribe's shaman, living long enough to invoke his most potent blood curse on Paul. He would live forever, never to die and be reunited with his love.

The shaman's curse proved to be all too true. Compelled against suicide by the magic, he instead turned to wandering first American, then the world, in search of a power that could break his doom and allow him to die. He sought out the most remote locations and dangerous situations, but his rage state would return whenever he was truly in mortal danger, and he always survived. Forests fell under his axe, and he dug out entire lakes to drink from, but nowhere could he find someone capable of helping him. Eventually, he came across an agent of the League of Strange, who persuaded him to join its banner...if anything could kill him despite his best efforts, it would be the sorts of things the League fought against, and if it failed, he had still done good by humanity.

Personality: For such a big man, Paul is surprisingly quite and contemplative. He does not speak often, and considers his words carefully before he does. Mistaking him for a soft-hearted person is a grave error though, as his long years of loss and loneliness have hardened his heart against the world, and he retains the savage, knife-ended temper and propensity to violence from his youth, a compulsion he fights against frequently.

Abilities: Axe-wielding skill, Woodsmanship, Giant Size Transformation.

Strengths: In his normal state, Paul is merely a strong and resilient fighter, with a decent level of experience in surviving in the wilderness. When he allows his fury to overtake him, he can transform into his giant shape, becoming a veritable titan of destruction with vastly enhanced strength and a potent ability to heal from wounds.

Weakness: Paul is wise, but not particularly intellectually smart, and this deficiency is greatly enhanced when he takes on his rage state. In giant form, he is bestial and near-mindless, capable of recognizing his allies and avoiding deliberate injury to them, but not much else.

Likes/Dislikes: (Likes) Forests, Women, soft music, whittling and carving; (Dislikes) Bullies, pompous intellectuals, Native Americans, being under pressure

Political stance: Enjoying a mostly nomadic lifestyle, Paul has never stayed in one place long enough to develop strong political leanings.

Views on their agency, and the other agencies: Even with his employment, Paul sees the League of Strange only as a means to an end; with its resources and on its missions, he will eventually find something that can break his curse, or else die in the process of searching. He has no such regard for the Enigma Club, however - through his travels across the American wilderness, he met and fought many entities of Native American legend that would fit comfortably in the Club's ranks, coloring his attitude with hostility. For all his life, Paul was a devout Roman Catholic, though his faith waned after prayer failed to free him from his cursed state. This persists now in a grudging, almost instinctive respect for agents of the Mystus Order, despite an intellectual knowledge of their highly secular motives.

Favorite food: Not flapjacks - in fact, he is severely allergic to breads and pastas (gluten intolerant), and get severely annoyed when people, for some reason, assume he only eats pancakes. Instead, he enjoys cornbread, beans, and heavily spiced beef, all foods he discovered and learned to enjoy during his travels in the American southwest. Jalapeno peppers in particular, he will often eat raw for fun.

[Kristine]

Real name: Unknown

Alias, modernized name: Horseman (or Double H, as some call him)

Legend taken/lore based on: Headless Horseman (European folk tale popular mostly in Ireland)

Agency affiliation: Enigma Club

Appearance:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Brief written appearance: It's the tall figure (about 220 cm (7'2'') of what appears to be definitely male. He wears black leather clothes and dark red cloak which is constantly covered in stains of blood, dirt and mud, so that it's dark color seems even darker, almost black. He rides the huge black horse with red devilish eyes. Unlike the legend, he doesn't hold his severed head under his arm, instead if you are unlucky enough, you can spot huge two handed sword which he waves easily with just one hand. Black leather boots completes his grim appearance.

Country of birth: Ireland (At least he was first time spotted in there)

History: Headless Horseman is a ghost, the spirit, and like any spirit his "history" is more of a collection of legends and myths rather than actual documented story. of course he was a human some time. Of course his head was cut in most special circumstances, but no one really knows where, how or for what. Some say he is executed criminal or warrior who seeks vengeance upon his punishers, some say it's just the death itself in one of his forms. According to few legends, he rides all night long and when he stops, someone dies at the spot, but it seems more like a legend created by folk. Some say he is orchestrated by powerful witch, some say he acts independently. It's unclear as well.

Personality: Explaining the personality of someone without head, would be the real task. All that is known is that he CAN be pissed off, when he is, it's a good time to run. He may not have ears to listen and mouth to answer, but he understands and responds.

His motives is unclear. He can appear in Enigma hideout at any time of the day, but you can see him in action only at the night and early dawn. Studying the list of his victims, one can assume he has sense of morality or at least he is often after the "bad guys", but at times, some seemingly innocent people can get under his sword as well. (Though in such situations, careful study of their past often reveals hidden secrets and mortal sins)

Abilities: He can appear and disappear from out of sight. It's not that Horsman can appear in a spot at which the person is staring, but he can come out of dark, out of the fog or out of the corner when no one looks at and disappear in same manner as well. If one is chasing him and have him under his vision, he can't just spoof into air, but if black horse turns around corner in some desolated street and one's not quick enough to follow, he can find the horseman disappeared, even if the direction he turned is dead end.

But not that it's often when he choses to flee. His brute force is incredible. His horse can outrun any living natural animal on the planet and his sword play is magnificent. He can easily cut in two few men with one swing and his horse's hoofs can ram down many doors of many houses.

He has huge, weighty Morning Star as well under her left side, that he uses in extremely rare situations when he is largely outnumbered ot when he just wants someone's head not to just roll, but roll deformed...

It seems that he can be hurt though. Shooting at him will cause him to bleed and if enemy will manage to deal great damage, he can make him to flee, but when he visits back, the wounds are healed. being the spirit, he is immortal of course (or at least can't be killed in traditional way), but The Horseman appearance is materialized body, so of course it can be affected.

Strengths: Magnificent swordplay abilities. Brute force. Ability to appear and disappear. Speed and strength of his horse.

Weakness: Can be useful only at night, until the dawn... And he's not best companion for those who like friendly dialogues.

Likes/Dislikes: It's hard to determine his tastes but one thing is clear - he doesn't like when he is attacked, and his attackers don't like what happens after.

Political stance: You're joking, right?

Views on their agency, and the other agencies: It seems that his loyal to Enigma club, as he never ever went against any of their operation or general ideals. He often aids League of Strange as well, though his aid is always unexpected. Seems like Mystus Order is the least likely organization that can count on his friendship as many of its members were found cut in two or beheaded by his sword.

Favorite food: Yes sure... food

[Maelyn]

 

Real name:  Aimee du Buc de Rivery

Alias, modernized name:  Aimee de Rivery

Legend taken/lore based on:  Character origin based on Aimee du Buc de Rivery (altered slightly).  Other elements based on the Fountain of Youth – with a twist.

Agency affiliation:  League of Strange

Appearance:  (see pic)

Brief written appearance:  The first thing most people notice about her is her bright red hair.  The color is so distinct and contrasts so much against her skin and clothing that it is hard to miss.  Otherwise they may be taken in by her porcelain skin or light brown eyes that always make her seem as if she is holding a very great secret. 

Standing at about five and a half feet, she is average at best in the height department, but makes up for it in beauty and style.  Her features are generally soft, but with angles that can make her seem more sinister in certain lights, or shadows as it were.  She comes across as a beautiful, elegant noblewoman of quality, which indeed she is.

She carries herself with an elegance born and bred.  She is no stranger to the finer side of life and, indeed, has no wish to do without it.  She enjoys her life, such as it is, and has no wish to see it change – at least not for the worse.  She delves into her unique sense of fashion, even designing a clothing line for young men and women, much of which she wears herself. 

Country of birth:  Martinique (French Caribbean island)

History:  Aimee was born in December 1776 into great wealth and notable family.  Her parents were wealthy French plantation owners and one of the first families in the French region of Martinique, doing very well for themselves there.  In addition, her connection as cousin to Empress Josephine made her a great potential match – the options of which she’d overheard her parents discussing the night before she was sent off to France for schooling at a convent there.

It was during her return voyage in August 1793 that her ship was set upon by the infamous Barbary pirates of legend.  Due to her pure state, the pirates left her untouched and sold her at the next auction for a hefty profit.  She was bought and removed to the harem of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Aimee remained in the harem for the next two years.  She bore a son to the Sultan, but political intrigue resulted in his murder while still a newborn.  But that was just the beginning.  Still grieving for her child, Aimee was thrust into the middle of a takeover.  The sultan was killed and his nephew took his place. 

As is customary, the old Sultan’s harem was discarded.  She isn’t sure what happened to the others, but Aimee was sold and sent to meet her new owner, a nomadic sheik from one of the desert tribes.  Upon arrival, she realized he was a vile, sadistic man with a penchant for violence.  Unwilling to submit, Aimee fought the man, though he seemed to enjoy it.  She was still raped and beaten, but before the end, she had her revenge in the form of a dagger to his throat.

Bloodied and beaten, her injuries included numerous bruises, a few broken ribs and a broken wrist, Aimee somehow was able to persevere and escape.  But that was just the beginning of her troubles, for where could she go in the middle of the desert?  She had no training in navigating the vast ocean of sand.  Everywhere she looked was the same.  In desperation, she continued her journey without food or water. 

One the third day, she saw it – an oasis.  At first, she thought she might be hallucinating, but the lure was too much to resist.  Her lips were chapped and cracked, each movement of them causing them to bleed; her feet were blistered and scraped raw from the sand; and her delicate skin was burned to a crisp red sheen, also blistering in places where the sun hit the most. 

Upon arrival, she nearly cried with relief at finding the oasis was real.  She stumbled and fell to her knees before the pool of water, bending to drink her fill before falling onto her side.  She lay gazing up at the blazing sun until her eyelids drooped and she passed out in exhaustion.

Her dreams were disjointed, but vivid.  Scenes of others coming to the same oasis as she had, complete with burns, blisters and thirst, only to exit the same completely rejuvenated, as if nothing had previously occurred. 

When she awoke, Aimee found that, as in her dream, she was free of harm.  Her skin was once again healthy and back to its natural creamy complexion, her lips were soft and unchapped, her wrist back in place as if it had never been broken and her breathing unlabored from now-healed ribs.  She wasn’t sure what happened, but she was glad of it. 

Partaking of the waters and fruits of the oasis, she was able to survive at the oasis for many weeks.  Many times of the day and night she would walk to the top of the adjacent hill in search of travelers.  Luckily she was able to find some and beg a ride to the nearest city.  Once there, she contacted the French embassy and was soon reunited with her family.

To this day, she talks very little of what happened during her capture.  But she has noticed the effects of it.  She is positive the oasis was somehow magical in nature.  Since them she has noticed a decided difference in herself.  She is ever all full health.  Even once when she accidentally sliced her finger, she saw it heal before her eyes.   

When she realized she was unchanging, not aging, she made excuses to her family and moved back to France for a time.  After her parent’s death, she inherited their estate and used it to keep herself on the move.  She traveled far and wide, learning what she could of various myths and legends.  She also spent much of her time learning to handle herself, vowing never to be at another man’s mercy as she had with the sheik. 

Presently, she resides in Paris and is dabbling with couture.  She has always enjoyed fashion and has even tried her hand at design herself.  They’ve become fairly popular and she is happy for their success.

Additionally, during her travels she encountered members of the League of Strange and was inducted recently.  She is still learning the ropes there, but hopes she can make a difference.

Personality:  Feisty, opinionated, stubborn, compassionate, daring

Abilities:  Various abilities as generated during her stay at the oasis (fountain of youth):

Eternal youth:  Aimee has not aged since her time in the oasis (fountain of youth) and is nigh immortal so long as she keeps her head (literally) and her heart is in tact, she will not die. 

Regeneration:  She is able to heal nearly all injuries at an accelerated rate, which varies depending on the severity of said injury.  For example, a small cut may only take minutes but breaking a bone could take a few days to fully heal. 

Heightened senses:  All five of her senses are heightened, similar to that of animals, enabling her to see clearly at a distance or the detail on a small item.  Her hearing and sense of smell are also enhanced, to where she can hear a pin drop in the next room if she wished.  Her sense of taste is also heightened, allowing her to better discern the flavors of her meals, including the spices used within.  Touch is a tricky thing, but she has a newfound love for textured fabrics and layered clothing, as can be seen in her fashions.

Heightened agility, strength, stamina:  She can run faster, longer, and farther than normal.  She can jump/leap greater distances if she wishes, and has an added advantage in physical altercations, though she’d prefer not to let it come to that.

Fighting skills:  During her travels, Aimee has learned to use a variety of weapons – both melee and longer range.  For melee, she prefers a longsword or scimitar for her main hand with a main gauche (dagger) in the other.  When there is a need for distance fighting, she opts for a set of pistols.  She’s also pretty handy with a sniper rifle and at hand to hand combat when the situation warrants.

Couture:  Aimee has great talent for clothing design and their execution in all materials from the softest of silks to studded leather.  She’s recently started working on designs for members of the League of Strange, which include various articles of clothing with special pockets and compartments for their tools, weapons, etc.

Languages:  French, English, Turkish, Persian

Strengths:  Beyond those listed under abilities, Aimee has great strength of character, though at times she may attempt to lighten severe moods with humor.  She can be a bit of a daredevil at times and is generally unafraid to do what is necessary to survive.  She survived her capture and came out ahead, as she sees it.

Weakness:  Aimee is still human, just a very enhanced one.  Thought her regenerative ability can seem to make her invincible, she really isn’t.  Wounds still need to heal and that takes time.  In the heat of battle, if she’s not careful, she could take too many hits to function, leaving her open for her enemy to give her permanent death via beheading or destruction of her heart.

Likes/Dislikes:   

Likes:  Men, couture, knowledge (especially myths/legends), traveling, individuality.

Dislikes:  Sadists, rapists, murderers, mushrooms, conformity, the desert.

Political stance:  Aimee doesn’t really subscribe to any particular party, but instead has her own motto:  For the good of all.

Views on their agency, and the other agencies: 

League of Strange:  She is still new at the League and learning their ways, but as yet has no issue with them.  Indeed, she’s quite agreed with most everything she’s learned and has hope they can make a solid difference for humanity.

Enigma Club:  From what Aimee has heard of them, she can see how they are also striving to do good for humanity and as such, has no issue with them.

Mystus Order:  Everything she has heard about them makes her skin crawl.  Aimee sees them as power hungry and self-righteous zealots who have no care for those who do not conform.

Favorite food:  Strawberries and champagne.

[TheGlyphstone]

5x LoS and 3x EC now, it looks like.

[Maelyn]

I could easily make her Enigma, though I wasn't sure she'd fit as she's human, but special.  Lol  :)

[Alysanthia]

Five League of Strange, three Enigma Club, zero order members.

Six female characters and two male characters.

[TheGlyphstone]

The Order is an NPC faction anyways, Ramael said.

[yindaijin]

I like this concept!

Real name: Felinus

Alias, modernised name: Daithi O Dobhailen (prounounced "da-hee oh dove-all-in"

Legend taken/lore based on: Cat Sidhe, the cat people or cat "fairies"

Agency affiliation: Enigma Club

Appearance:

Brief written appearance: Daithi's most outstanding features are the dark black cat ears he has instead of human ears (not in picture) and his tail. Other than that one will most likely mark his messy hair, shocking green-yellow eyes, and thin, lithe figure. He is extremely flexible like a cat and his features are very delicate and feline. Despite this appearance he is rather muscular, with long, stretched muscles like a swimmer or a cat rather than the raw power of a weight-lifter. He looks about 23 or so despite the fact that he is actually several decades old.

Country of birth: Ireland

History: Daithi was born nearly a century ago. He was originally given the Latin name "Felinus." He is a member of the Cat Sidhe or "Cat Folk." As a fairy he committed a horrible crime against his fellow fair folk and was banished to live out his life as an anthropomorphized cat. He was raised in Ireland by a human couple that found a way to overlook the cat ears and the tail.

When his human parents died he left home and joined the Enigma Club that had just formed. Since then he has served them. Over the years his powers have become stronger. When he was first forced into his humanoid body he had almost no abilities from his fairy life. Now, however, he seems to be regaining them over time. It is possible this is because his banishment is not permanent, but he doesn't know.

Personality: Sarcastic and witty, Daithi is always ready with a quick retort. He is friendly and likable, but can be dangerous to those that threaten him. As a member of the Cat Sidhe he tends to distrust others while outwardly expressing trust.

Abilities: Night-vision, perfect balance, sixth sense for danger.

Strengths: Very flexible, excellent sense of smell, nearly impervious to emotional injury.

Weakness: Is terrified of large dogs, can't resist fish and will abandon almost any pursuit in order to eat some, also hates getting wet except for showers.

Likes/Dislikes:

Likes - Fish, milk, girls, cats.

Dislikes - Getting wet, dogs, fire.

Political stance: Anarchist.

Views on their agency, and the other agencies: Enjoys the fun that comes with being a part of a secret organization but isn't overly loyal to the Enigma Club. As far as the LoS he tends to laugh at them, often calling them a bunch of humans being silly.

Favourite food: Fish of course!

[Ramael]

>_> Don't you mean Amazon?

Yes, yes I did. Sorry!

Great character Glyph, although he's a lot more haunted and grudge-bearing than I thought Bunyan'd be. This is not a bad thing, I'm just musing.

Also Alys, Glyph had it right, the Mystus Order is an antagonist NPC faction.

Kristine, I lovelove HH, hard, in the face.

Amazon, keep Petra Enigma for now then.

Just so I can keep track, how many of you have characters for both teams now?

Welcome, Yind! Could you expand a little on Daithl's stance in the Engima Club? He's not "overly loyal" to them yet he joined them. How did he join them...and why? Sorry to sound like a quizmaster host there!

Nice character Mae, does she have any urge to investigate her old claims in the Ottoman Empire? Curious, maybe?

[TheGlyphstone]

Yeah, but I like turning things on their head. The actual Paul Bunyan myths won't get started for another thirty years or so, so there's plenty of time for them to get 'lighter and softer' compared to the bare-knuckled reality. It mostly sprouted out of turning Babe The Blue Ox into a blue-eyed Iroquois girl, and grew from there.

[Maelyn]

I just have the one character on the LoS side.  I'm considering either having her have searched for the oasis again or contemplating it a return.  Could be an interesting side adventure perhaps, though I kind of imagine it more as a mystical place that just appears to certain deserving beings in their time of need, so she may never find it again.  Something to ponder. 

[Ramael]

Alright, I think we've got enough players to to be starting off with.

The LoS's HQ will be in London (Brittania), I think that's appropriate. The Club...I thought of France, but I think it needs to be a touch more exotic to reflect their slightly more exotic origins. Maybe one of the French colonies in Africa, although that puts them a continent in between their rivals and any possible action in the Republic of America. I know it's fictional, but logic would accord the Club being at a disadvantage geography wise. Any other ideas for Europe? I don't imagine they'd be nestled in America, but if someone gives me an apt argument...

First plot will be a race to cavorite! The gravity-defying element, the superior alternative to steam-powered airships, and the option to give either team (or the Mystus Order) the power to build very swift, clean and powerful airships, to either use as high-speed travel to any place, or as an intimidating weapon used to assure supremacy or challenge the dominant powers. A starting plot not too complex in itself, and allows for action whilst

If either PC team manages to get it, they both have access to government workshops that can work the cavorite into existing airships/zeppelins/whatever air travel vessel you want. LoS will be able to pull strings with one or a couple of governments they have done favours for before, and the Enigma Club's shady benefactors have their own contacts.

I'll let you come up with what you think each team's headquarter's should actually be (a museum, a disused train station, a pub, an old ballroom...) let me know if/when you come to a decision in your respective teams, and I'll get the starting IC threads up.

[TheGlyphstone]

Howabout Germany? It's the home of the Brothers Grimm.

[Maelyn]

For the club, if you did want to do paris, the catacombs would be ideal, i would think. Otherwise, maybe secret castle in the black forest in germany? Or something similar in russia. Or a series of modernized caves in the middle east.  Or i think there are old underground cities all over, like in italy. Or a private island in the med near greece perhaps. Thats just off the top of my head.

As for the league, how about a portion of the underground/tube. Lots of room down there for all kinds of things, ease for transportation and all kinds of exits, etc.

[Kristine]

If you're not afraid of using cliche, than somewhere in Eastern Europe would be suitable for Enigma Club perfectly... Say Transylvania, the homeland of Count Dracula. They can even have his castle as a residence.

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

Well, my idea for the Enigma club would be that their HQ would probably be in eastern europe. Basically the slavic countries would be their support nation-wise, and putting them in romania, would put them between the Mystus order, the LoS, and their own backyard, so to speak. In terms of a specific HQ, I'd side in the realm of the slightly cliche, and go with Hunyad Castle. Though, I'd imagine they'd have quite a few smaller holdings throughout Europe, where they'd be able to dock their zepplins. I do like the idea of a paris catacombs base in that regard, and also something in French Africa, as secondary sites.

[TheGlyphstone]

If you're not afraid of using cliche, than somewhere in Eastern Europe would be suitable for Enigma Club perfectly... Say Transylvania, the homeland of Count Dracula. They can even have his castle as a residence.

Heck, maybe he's a high-ranking member.

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

So, I guess Kristine and I are on the same page in terms of the Enigma Club HQ, Amazon and yindaijin, did you have other ideas or want to go with what we've got?

[Kristine]

In fact, I liked other ideas as well. So any choice that will be made will be perfectly ok for me

[Le Immortelle]

I'm fine with any of the ideas posted so far. All of them sound like an interesting location for the strange bunch that Enigma Club is to come together and plot some schemes. :)

[Love And Submission]

Is this still alive? Was thinking of making a Flying Dutchman.

[Ramael]

Yep yep yep. Good character idea! Shan't be posting for a coupla days, halloween/birthday weekend.

[Kristine]

Is it still alive? :-\

[Maelyn]

Based on Ramael's post, I'd say it is. 

[Kristine]

Nah... Seems like the doom that follows every game that I post in has grabbed this one as well :P

[TheGlyphstone]

Hey, that's my doom you're claiming credit for, though mine usually takes a month or so for full effect.

[Maelyn]

Damn.  I was trying to be optimistic. I have that same problem,  unfortunately. :(

[Alysanthia]

*Keep fingers crossed.*

[Le Immortelle]

Is this game still alive?

[Maelyn]

I think it died.  :(

[TheGlyphstone]

More like stillborn. Ramael promised he'd be back a week ago, and hasn't posted since.

[Le Immortelle]

Well Ramael has vanished, but is anyone else interested in getting this going with me, acting as a co-gm?

[TheGlyphstone]

I'd love to still see it take off, though my plate of stuff is too full to volunteer for any co-GM duties.

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

Yeah, I'd be up for that.

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

Amazon and I will be taking over as co-GMs if there aren't any objections.

On that note, we'd like to know who is still interested in being involved.

[Maelyn]

Me!  *raises hand*  :)

[Alysanthia]

I'm still interested.

[Le Immortelle]

Okay, so we've got Maelyn, Alysanthia, PTPB, Glyphstone and Me so far. Five people, anyone else? Do you guys think the story can proceed even with the five of us in itself or would we need more people to launch it?

[TheGlyphstone]

Well, the interest expressed so far has everyone who submitted a League of Strange character (minus PtPB), which might actually be better for the game in the long wrong if there's only one 'party' to manage.

[Alysanthia]

Perhaps start out with the League of Strange but keep the recruitment thread up and open saying we are looking for Enigma Club members only?

[TheGlyphstone]

I'd still champion keeping it exclusively LoS, for the reasons I mentioned above. Putting the EC into a non-playable 'semi-tagonists' category who can provide Monsters-Of-The-Month while also occasionally being allies against the Mystus Order would greatly simplify GMing work necessary.

[Kristine]

Hello :)
I am still interested as well

[TheGlyphstone]

Another LoS character returns!

[Kristine]

In fact I had two characters, but if you don't want to manage two clubs I can play one, or occasionally play both in a way that Enigma club won't have to be managed

[Teague]

Seems I came in to this a bit late. Are you guys still open? I saw the post and instantly was grabbed by Inspector Abberline. Fictionally speaking he's a bit of the Man Who's Seen Too Much, and might be a fun fit. Abberline was an inspector in the real and fictional Ripper murders, and was also featured in the most recent The Wolfman movie, which could land him solidly in the Mysterious Creatures, should he be infected with lychanthropy. Or, if we're sticking to the one group, he could have found a cure. Werewolves could be tricky. I was more interested in the From Hell version anyway, with the clairvoyance.

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

Alright, I am sorry about the delay, but I'll try to set out our thinking on where this should go. We'll run the first adventure in the vein that Ramael described it. The three agencies will be going after a supply of Cavorite.

For the sake of simplicity, we will focus on the League of Strange. However, the Enigma Club will still will still be involved, for whoever still wants to play their Club character, we just won't be treating them as the focus of the game for the time being, that may change in the future, if interest is shown in that side of things.

In fact I had two characters, but if you don't want to manage two clubs I can play one, or occasionally play both in a way that Enigma club won't have to be managed

We can talk about how playing your Club character can work, as I will still be playing Yaga as well.

Seems I came in to this a bit late. Are you guys still open? I saw the post and instantly was grabbed by Inspector Abberline. Fictionally speaking he's a bit of the Man Who's Seen Too Much, and might be a fun fit. Abberline was an inspector in the real and fictional Ripper murders, and was also featured in the most recent The Wolfman movie, which could land him solidly in the Mysterious Creatures, should he be infected with lychanthropy. Or, if we're sticking to the one group, he could have found a cure. Werewolves could be tricky. I was more interested in the From Hell version anyway, with the clairvoyance.

Thank you for the interest. My suggestion would be to focus on the League of Strange. That doesn't rule out being a classical kind of werewolf, certainly, because he'd be restrained during his transformations, and the League could do that for him. The Club is really more for non-humans, not for humans who've been changed in some way or another.

[Love And Submission]

I should note that I'm still interested if this ever gets off the ground.

[Teague]

Hurray! I'm cool if someone pulls Abberline straight out of the asylum. He was likely headed there with the opium, conspiracies, and added lychanthropy.

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

Alright, well, before we start, it would be nice to get in any character sheets, so that we have everyone set for opening.

Just to give everyone a sense of where we'd be starting. The idea would be that the agencies would all be heading to south america, in search of a supply of Cavorite thought to be located there. The Mystus order will have a significant head start, with the League, and the Club trying to catch up. The game would open on them already en-route.

[Maelyn]

Mine's already in this thread unless you intend to make an official character thread or something?  Just let me know and I can put it up wherever.  :)

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

There will be a character thread, but I was referring only to sheets that haven't been put up here yet. When the character thread is made, I can take all the active characters from here.

[Alysanthia]

Awesome, can't wait. :)

[Nom De Plume]

Is this game still taking players? I've been looking for a great steampunk setting to play in for a long time.

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

Is this game still taking players? I've been looking for a great steampunk setting to play in for a long time.

Yes, we are still taking players.

[Nom De Plume]

I have an interesting idea for making a victorian era Wayland the Smith. Do you mind if I PM it to you two when it's done, to check for any inconsistencies?

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

I have an interesting idea for making a victorian era Wayland the Smith. Do you mind if I PM it to you two when it's done, to check for any inconsistencies?

You can PM it to me. I'll be happy to look it over.

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

Alright, so both the OOC, and the character thread are now up. I've already put in all the characters for everyone who has expressed continued interest. If I've missed anything, feel free to let me know. Please don't post in the character thread, but feel free to use the OOC. The OOC's first post will have all the game links from now on.


VictorianPunk OOC

Character Sheets

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

In the interests of starting the game as soon as possible, I'd like to get in any character sheets still to come. If you have a sheet that hasn't been submitted yet, just let me know that you are still intending to do so, and I'll keep that in mind in terms of the time that we start.

Thank you.

[Xunzar]

I wanna play!

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

The time swiftly approaches when we'll get this off the ground. Within the next day or two, I'll have the IC thread ready, and we'll be able to begin.

Since we have a starting window, it is important that anyone who has yet to submit their character, but who still wishes to, do so in the next 24 hours, or 48 at the latest. This isn't to say that the possibility of joining after the game has started doesn't exist, but anyone joining while we're in progress will have to wait for an opportunity for their character to join the narrative later.

Thank you.

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

Alright, the game has officially started. You can find the link to the IC thread in my notice in the OOC, or on the first post of the OOC under game links. We will still be taking players, however, so feel free to drop me a PM, or post here if you are interested.

[Teague]

I just want to say, Alysanthia, that your user pic is KILLING ME! Oh my god, I don't even! That's awesome!

Also yay for starts!

[Alysanthia]

I just want to say, Alysanthia, that your user pic is KILLING ME! Oh my god, I don't even! That's awesome!

Also yay for starts!

xD Robert Downy Jr. is a sexy woman.

Whoo! Can't wait to start posting!

[PeacethatPowerbrings]

xD Robert Downy Jr. is a sexy woman.

I somewhere between horrified and excited on that particular point. Its a strange combination I have to say.