VictorianPunk - Agency Mysteries in a parallel world

Started by Ramael, October 18, 2011, 09:51:23 PM

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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.
I am filled with recollections of lives I have not lived.

Maelyn

#2
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

#5
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

#7
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
I am filled with recollections of lives I have not lived.

Ramael

#15
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.
I am filled with recollections of lives I have not lived.

Alysanthia

Quote from: Ramael on October 20, 2011, 06:31:06 AM
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

#18
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.
I am filled with recollections of lives I have not lived.

Kristine

#21
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.