Randall Grey
The founding member and General of Grey's Army, Randall is the gruff and grim leader of the small super group. He's classified as a Stone Armor and Super Strength Tanker. Though his powers have been studied and found to be some form of mystical blessing, he maintains a Natural origin.
This is largely due to the fact that his powers are a gift of the Earth itself. His role as Kingdale's Warden, and his battles with all manner of nightmarish monsters from a twisted ecology earned him a chance at attempting to live a new life. However, the planet vastly misjudged what a normal life truly was. Randall spent his later years wondering why nothing seemed to hurt him anymore, not even the Rikti blasts that leveled his hometown. Now, at age 51, he's still as healthy as when he was in his mid-20s.
Randall isn't necessarily immortal, however, and the very day after his daughter's wedding in mid-October, his hair started turning gray. Whether or not the two events have anything to do with each other is still up to debate. He still maintains his definitive physical attributes, however.
Relaxed Outfit
This is Randall's outfit when it's a lazy Sunday or he just doesn't feel the enemy's going to be enough of a challenge to warrant something more dignified.
It's a sweat suit, size extra extra extra extra large husky.
Normal Outfit
This was Randall's first outfit. Simple green jeans and a T-shirt. Here, you can see him enjoying his base television.
This is the same type of outfit he wore when helping to rebuild his hometown after the Rikti Invasion. While the actual colors of the clothes change often, this is the "generalized" appearance of such outfits.
Explorer Outfit
When venturing into unknown territories, such as the Shard, Ouroboros, and the Hive, as well as wild or fractured areas, such as the Hollows, Crey's Folly, Eden and Boomtown, this is Randall Grey's outfit of choice. He's most often in this outfit, in fact, as it also works for general purpose use.
Formal Business Suit
Grey's Army has had some pretty nasty incidents over the couple years they've been active in Paragon City. Every moment has required members of the group to be called up to various oversight committees, some hero-run, others government-affiliated. Then there's the random celebrations, meetings between super groups or other nick-nack events that require something more formal than just "jeans and a T-shirt."
For these moments, Randall turns to an Icon designed suit and hairstyle. He tends to dislike such outfits, but understands that one has to look professional at times.
On the Warpath
Randall's "I'm here to kick butt and chew bubble gum" outfit. It has armor plates for his shoulders, piston boots, and a utility harness to carry the equipment he would otherwise have stuffed into pockets on his other outfits (such as his communicator, his police drone beacon dispenser, and the Defender and Focus Nanite Emitters).
He usually wears this outfit in the Rikti War Zone, some of the more dangerous zones, such as Bloody Bay, Siren's Call, or Warburg, and in the Hive if he really means business.
((Side Note: Just like the last time I started this thread, the Simpsons Episode: Who Shot Mr. Burns pt. 1 was playing in the background. That just seems odd.))
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Kipland (also known as Kip, Kippers, and the Anomaly) is a Scrapper Class hero. He utilizes a brand of martial arts that is a blend of basic street brawling, Tai Kwon Do, Kick Boxing, and Muy Thai. He basically mixes and matches the maneuvers he likes best. He defensive set is that he has no defensive set, so his various armors over his career have been classified as "Invulnerability" despite his relative squishiness.
Kip does have super powers, however. In his high school years, he took the role of Kingdale Warden after Randall Grey (though he didn't know it at the time). His knowledge of and work with the Fae creatures in the woods surrounding the city and county, as well as the various intrusive deities, monsters, and other assorted trans-mundane individuals, gave him a heightened sense of confidence and honed his skills as a warrior.
Still, he had some to learn about fighting people. Fortunately, it was a bad year socially in Kingdale High. Many bullies and jocks learned to pick on people their own size in those years.
After Kip's senior year, the Rikti War broke out, and he found himself helping Randall and a few others to defend and shelter the civilian populace of Kingdale. After the war, distraught with the loss of his girlfriend, he buried himself in work. First, he assisted with the reconstruction of the small city, then, once such work proved to not be helping, he turned to the call for help in Paragon City.
Shortly after arriving, he got into a fight with a Void Stalker and was infected with the Obsidian Blight, a disease which has, so far, claimed him as its only victim. It was a peculiar condition in which Shadow Cyst Crystals seemed to be growing inside him, leeching off his body's nutrients, and slowly killing him. Despite several operations and amputations, he came near death in the middle of the summer of 2006.
After a dream sequence in which he described as a battle with the monster he would have become, however, he seemed cured. With a new outfit that is apparently composed of Nictus Crystals, and a protective aura that deflects and mitigates the assaults his enemies inflict upon him.
It also happens to be a physical manifestation of his soul. They argue sometimes, but usually they are in agreement. Before the recent revelation of Amy Taylor (Kip's high school sweetheart) as the Rikti Mesmerist Amyt'Allor, the soul was struggling to repair the mental and emotional damage incurred from the young man's years of dealing with stress no normal (and most abnormal) person should have to deal with. Oddly enough, meeting Allor on the battlefield proved to be more cathartic than expected (Kip's best friend, Sarah "Snuffy" Grey helping in the fight was useful, too), and he's been much better lately.
Football Pads
Kip first started patrolling in an outfit much like this. It's a modified version of the football pads he used to deflect assaults from a large snake-woman monster and her yuan-ti minions. Upon coming to Paragon, he got steel panels and, recently, an Enforcer chest plate.
He normally wears this outfit when he's in a "young" mood.
Formal Outfit
Kipland, being the Colonel of Grey's Army, has had to sit in for a few of the oversight committee meetings, if not be there in Randall's place. It's also been useful for other formal events.
Rocket Boot Punk
Kip's been flying lately. It was odd, the first couple times he did it, and he nearly crashed into a number of buildings, thinking he was simply on a long leap. He took a few lessons from his brother, Nester, and his friend, Cory Simmons, as they had far more experience with flight. He doesn't know many defensive maneuvers, and doesn't really have the patience to learn them, but he does enjoy the feeling of freedom that comes with flight.
The rocket boots don't really help his speed. He largely only wears them to further confuse his opponents. If they think the rockets have anything to do with his flight, they're sorely mistaken.
Altered Malta Group Fatigues
Kipland has been wearing a modified version of the Malta Group outfit his Praetorian, "Aaron" Durj, used to wear. Now that Aaron is an agent of the colorfully named super-spy duo, Indigo and Crimson, Kip has access to his old outfits and has tailored them to suit his personal take on life.
New Nictus Armor
The Nictus Armor is not simply a solid hardsuit. It is an ever-changing, constant-morphing outfit that changes to fit the needs and uses of its wearer.
Or whatever Kip's soul feels is appropriate.
After seeing Cory Simmons as a demon a few times, Kip's soul decided that a similar terrifying appearance was required to take on the evil people that plague the city. Thus, as flight became more and more the scrapper's capability, this appearance was adopted.
This is a hard armor used largely only for the few moments where Kip feels he needs that extra "Oomph!" to survive.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Commonly referred to as "Cory," this young man has the dubious profession of "Warlock." He also accepts terms like "Sorcerer," "Wizard," "Magician," and "Mage," though he's more than willing to point out his family's true designation in metaphysical affairs.
"My father explained our history after I got into an argument with some pixies. He explained that 'Oathbreaker' isn't always a bad term, and then he told me our history. I'm descended from demons, but that doesn't rule my nature. The Blood Pact we made with them is the oath we broke, as my ancestors learned the terrible cost they were being forced to pay for their knowledge and power. I would say that the blood spilled in the war it took to be free of those bonds was just as worthy a price."
Records of the war Simmons speaks of are difficult to find, though they may be buried somewhere in M.A.G.I.'s records on the war between the Oranbegans and the Mu. Lots of freaky things were happening in those days, and it's possible this war was just shuffled into the mix.
As a side note, it seems Cory Simmons' Praetorian, Cory Simmons (I can't make this stuff up, people), is descended from a line of people who tricked and slaughtered their fiendish overlords, later embraced their demonic heritage, and work to help Tyrant enslave the more mystically inclined creatures in Praetorian Earth. Where our Cory throws fire and wields ice, however, the other throws ice and wields fire. It's surprising how similar we are to our cousins on the other side of the wall, yet so very, very different.
In any case, Simmons has proven to be an adept "Blaster Class" hero, often charging into the fray alongside tanks and scrappers, laying waste to all villains in his view. That isn't to say he kills, mind you. As it stands, not a single human life has been credited as taken by this Warlock, and that includes the Devoured. He uses his magic to subdue the enemy, not to kill.
Though they do require a trip to the Zig infirmary when they arrive...
Cory works as the mystic adviser in Grey's Army. He was one of the ones who convinced Randall to start up the super group in the first place, explaining that if they're all working together, they have a better chance of surviving. As such, Randall has made Cory a Colonel in the G.A. This has had negative effects for us, since Simmons makes a more moderate leader than Randall or Kipland, and when we suspended the group for a few weeks before the Rikti War, the group's leadership basically defaulted to Ezekiel Durj...
Cory has been involved in a long-term relationship with Gertrude Youngs, a witch of the Cabal in Salamanca. Though Freedom Corps has been monitoring this dubious coupling, especially concerning the history of Croatoa/Salamanca, the two seem carefree about what the future may hold for them.
Basic Trench Coat
Cory's basic outfit, it is a red velvet-lined trench coat.
"I want to feel good when I'm putting bad guys away."
This is a similar design to the coat he wore in high school, which had cushioning pads to protect his rear from the hard desks. Why he was going to high school when his parents were both more than qualified to home school him is somethings till up to debate...
Relaxed Scholar
When the villainy dies down for a bit, Cory dons this ensemble of a sweater and loose-fit pants. He then lights some incense, turns on some music, and settles in for a night of quiet study.
Battle Wizard
Sometimes, a wizard needs to be ready for war. In this getup, Cortland demonstrates he's ready and willing to cut down whoever gets in the way between him and the goal.
Formal Attire
This is actually similar to the ceremonial robes his father, Kirkland Simmons, wore when visiting or receiving dignitaries of the deities or fae. He wears this outfit for much the same reason as Randall or Kip wearing their business suits, whenever formal attire is required for an event (such as when he's on a date...
The Demon Hybrid
Demon blood still runs strong in the veins of Simmons' heritage. Though the family has fought its way out of the curse that such a bonding normally invokes, their bloodline will be forever stained with the mark of that terrible time. However, Cory's ancestors were, if anything pragmatic. They learned how to harness and control the latent power left in their blood, becoming Magicians in their own right.
During Cory's duel with his Praetorian double last year, he unveiled his own deep connection to his demonic heritage. In this form, he was able to outmaneuver and defeat his foe.
Though I'd like to say that the Praetorian Cory Simmons is dead and gone, many, including me, have their doubts...
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Power Breaker's origins lie with the Family. Specifically, a young courier thug named Raymond Harris, who was simply doing his best to keep his head low in a rough world. During a brief spat between the Tsoo and the Outcasts (which seems to happen every couple of months), he came across the murder of a Tsoo courier by an Outcast Initiate. He was then arrested by Randall Grey, who found him trying to resuscitate his competition.
Despite the arresting hero trying to speak on the young man's behalf, Harris' juvenile record (mostly petty stuff, but a few recorded public acts of violence) as well as a damning psychological profile, and the fact that the public was just plain fed up with super-powered crime, Harris was consigned to spend the bulk of the rest of his life in the Ziggursky Penitentiary. Unfortunately, the Tsoo (who believed that Harris was responsible for the death of an influential member's nephew) decided that would not be a very long sentence. Their assassin, using a customized shiv constructed from plastic flatware from the cafeteria, tore out Ray's right eye and much of his abdomen in a daring mid-shift assault.
However, Harris had just the right genetic makeup for an experiment Crey industries wanted to conduct. With an offer to save his life dangling in front of him, Raymond was quick to give permission for the operation that would turn him into a technical supervillain.
After a few days in the infamous "Super Block," the rogue now dubbed Power Breaker got another lucky break. Arachnos staged a daring night-time breakout to free numerous super-powered criminals as part of the ubiquitous "Project D.E.S.T.I.N.Y."
What followed was a very long and arduous trek through the Etoile "Rogue" Isles. Power Breaker did many things he's not proud of, but also helped a lot of people who were really deserving of it. He tried his best to stay off the radar of Arachnos, but that just doesn't happen in that community.
When he arrived in Grandville for the first time, he was immediately shunted to Lord Recluse's lieutenants. The one he decided to work with was Scirocco. Breaker really bought in to the sorcerer's take on "not being a monster" and worked quickly on the first assignment he was tasked.
He was hoping it would be quick and he could duck under the organization's radar after it was over. After having to fight off Serafina (which is apparently a fairly common occurrence for the Desert Wind), Harris was tasked with locating the Malleus Mundi (another frequent request of Scirocco's).
This (possibly) proved to be an error in the sorcerer's judgment. Power Breaker is a cyborg. The operation Crey put him through has turned his body into a nanotechnology monstrosity. Though the nanites themselves were based off recovered Nictus implants, they behave very differently.
First off, they altered his physique from an average 5'7" frame to the bulked out 8 foot death machine it now is. Then, they charged Power Breaker's attacks with a kind of energy that is as potent as any incandescent blast. Furthermore, they wrapped his body in an energy field that deflects most incoming blows and resists the impact when they do prove to be potent enough to break through. This seems to be payment for turning his body into a walking nanite factory.
Perhaps most jarring of all is that the nanites themselves have developed some form of rudimentary intelligence. So far it has not warred with Power Breaker for dominance, but it has done something independently of his orders.
They memorized the most complete version of the Malleus Mundi yet gathered before Harris returned the book. He just flipped through the pages, curious as to what was inside before delivering it to Scirocco, and they flash-memorized it. Before that point, breaker had never lamented his new idytic memory. Now, he has strange dreams, and the nanites refuse to stop trying to translate the ever-shifting text.
The percentage they have complete stays a low number, roughly anywhere between 0.02% and a full 2%. It's just enough to keep Breaker's injected Mu Blood potent, granting the Brute access to the same electrical blasts as Scirocco's Mu Mystics.
Raymond Harris isn't necessarily a member of Grey's Army. He's a free agent, at best, and a moderate rogue at worst. Many times, however, he sells information he has on Arachnos operations going on in Paragon City and a few in the Etoile Isles for technology or money, and almost always to a member of Randall's crew. His mentor, Scirocco, seems to know about it, and tends to feed information to the Brute that hurts his competitors within the organization.
Recently, Raymond received pardons for some of his crimes. His work in the Rikti War Zone as an agent of Vanguard was instrumental to this, and Power Breaker continues to this day to work for the Rikti resistance force. What little credit that has earned him, Harris used to reconcile with his estranged father (who is dying from lung cancer, though he was put in the hospital by a Rikti Bomb). Now, he simply does odd jobs for close friends or the aforementioned work for vanguard.
Basic Outfit
Power Breaker's current basic outfit. It shows off the extent of the circuit channel scarring (or, as much as he's willing to show off) coursed throughout his body. It is also a quiet suit. This doesn't necessarily make him perfectly silent (as some Stalker-Class rogues), but it does help his stealth capabilities.
Civilian Attire
It's just hard to dress like a normal person when you're eight feet tall and covered in circuit channels. About the only thing normal about this get-up is the sneakers.
As Close to Formal Business Attire as Possible
Unlike a lot of super-powered individuals, defining aspects of Power Breaker's appearance can't be removed for the sake of an outfit. Chief of which are the crystalline spires jutting out of Harris' shoulders and collar bone (indeed, they protrude from an entire crystalline skeleton overlaid on his own natural frame). he can't just cut these off (they've proven incredibly resistant to damage), and he's had to tailor some outfits accordingly.
This is as close to formal attire as Power breaker can wear.
Explorer Outfit
Much like Randall Grey (whom Harris looks at as a second father in many ways), Power Breaker understands the need of a good outfit to withstand some of the more unusual elements. Those his energy fields provide a decent amount of protection, this outfit sure does make him feel warm on cold days.
Power Armor
Sometimes, Power Breaker just hates looking at himself. During these fairly frequent moments, he dons this suit of experimental custom power armor and goes wrecking. It doesn't matter who it is, usually, Arachnos, Malta Group, Crey, even Longbow and Freedom Corps if he feels like putting them through a test, he doesn't hold anything back when in this outfit.
Power Breaker employs a special Energy Cloak (another byproduct of his nanites, as their energy fields can be refracted to bend light at peculiar angles, rendering him nearly invisible) that masks most of these outfits from view. Regardless, they're there.
Tertiary powers not directly related to combat are a constant access to the Internet, "Analytical Eyes," a "Cranial Telephone" and a high tolerance to most chemical and biological agents (he usually uses this resistance against alcohol).
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Nester is Kip's older brother. In fact, he's actually been in Paragon City longer than anybody else in the Grey's Army roster (not including Rhode Island natives). After high school, he started going to college in Salamanca for courses in writing and American History. He didn't really have a major or a career path in mind, and was working as a clerk in the local hospital when the Rikti War broke out.
Though he wasn't actually training in the medical field, he learned quickly how to help the strained hospital staff and even went out into the beleaguered city to help police, military and even a few heroes with experimental medical technology and medicines.
After the war, he returned to his studies and assisted with the reconstruction effort as best he could. Sometimes, to get a little extra cash, he tested new equipment for the hospital. However, he couldn't shake the feeling of restlessness he'd developed.
Then he heard his brother was both in the city and dying of Obsidian Blight. In what seemed like a blur (considering the help he was getting from his inventor friend, Sheldon Wallace, it probably was), he whipped up some of the new medical technology he was still testing into a powerful combat suit and registered as an Empathy Defender that utilizes radiation blasts to defend himself. Initially, the idea was to use the suit to try to cure his brother, but even when that proved impossible, the Healing Wave Generator and the Medical Nanite Projector proved too useful for Nester to just quit hero work, so he kept at it.
During the course of his career, he's made new friends, caught up with old ones, and even got a new girlfriend. This is quite the contrast to his high school years of being an often-ignored nobody and social outcast.
Basic Field Medic
Nester's outfit doesn't have to be complete in order for him to gain the benefits of it. He just needs to have specific parts. With the help he's been getting from his girlfriend, Mindy Jakobsen, those parts become smaller and smaller every couple of months. This enables him to experiment with outfits that go outside the "hardsuit" parameters and always be ready to provide a helping hand.
This is his general outfit. It has his chest plate (which converts his body's BTUs into the energy required for the HWG and the MNP), gloves (the working portion of the Projector), and his specially designed boots and sneakers, which are his flight system (the belt provides a hover field; the sneakers have force emitters installed in the soles, enabling much faster flight). The glasses he wears are also wired into the outfit, enabling him to fire X-ray beams from them.
Green Trench Coat
Nester wears this outfit when he feels he's in a "cool" mood. Unlike his brother, the rocket boots he wears here actually help his flight. The interior of the trench coat is specially treated to withstand the jets, but to stay on the safe side, Nester uses a slow-burning/low-heat fuel gel and a pressure system to provide the necessary bursts of speed. The same "Hover Belt" provides the basic flight necessary to make this system work.
Formal Wear
Unlike his brother and boss, Nester prefers more color in his formal wear. This is also a good example of Nester's proficiency as an innovator, rather than an inventor. Again, with the necessity to always be ready, he applies as few parts to this outfit as possible, but is still capable of healing and boosting his allies.
Hardsuit
Suits like this have been popping up a lot recently, and Nester adopted the appearance to his own hardsuit, seeing as how he wasn't really a fan of the rounded one he'd been using. This is what he utilizes when he feels he's about to get into some dangerous situations.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
"Zeke" is the even-tempered father of Nester and Kip. He's a couple years younger than Randall, though few would know that considering their appearances. Zeke took better care of his body, but his hair lost its color, while Randall's physical appearance has turned more haggard and he's only recently started losing pigment in his follicles.
When he was in his thirties, the construction firm Durj worked for went under. In that moment of panic, his wife at the time had a massive panic attack and left the family, leaving the already stressed Ezekiel to raise the young boys by himself.
At first, he wasn't up to the task. After hiring a babysitter for a night, he went to a bar to clear his head. There, he met Randall Grey, not for the first time, but it would be one of the most pivotal moments of his life. Randy confided that he always considered Zeke a good friend, and didn't like the downward trend of the proud man's life. Essentially, Randy made it clear he wouldn't take "No" as an answer when he offered a job in his own independent construction company.
This proved cathartic for the Durj patriarch, and he was surprisingly able to raise his boys in a way he figured was fit. While he was a bit concerned with Kip's zeal, he was quite pleased with Nester's level-headed way of going through life.
During the Rikti War, Zeke helped shelter and usher refugees throughout the ruins of Kingdale. Using only his wits and the hunting weapons he had on hand, he was able to protect the people placed in his care by Randall and Kip.
After the war, he settled down to help with the reconstruction effort. Being a skilled contractor, he never seemed to be without work (especially since he was working at a much-reduced rate). A number of times, his former employers (under a new company) tried to hire him back, but he and Randy just kept working as they always had before.
When Zeke heard that Kip was dying of the Obsidian Blight, he decided to come to Paragon City so he could be around for his son's final days. Unfortunately, as he was making his way to the King's Row Yellow Line, he was stopped by a group of Skulls as they attempted to rob the six-foot-tall gray-haired man. Zeke deftly demonstrated that they had made a mistake in their choice of victim, and had four of the five thugs subdued before one of them stabbed him in the back before the group ran off.
As Mr. Durj considered his demise, he started to hear a voice. Having no idea as to what a Kheldian or a Nictus was, he listened to what he perceived was a feverish hallucination brought on by the onset of death. It turned out, however, that he was making a deal with Androm'Geizzer, a Nictus war criminal.
As yet, it is still unclear as to what Geizzer's role was in the conflict between the Kheldians and the Nictus. Apparently, Shadowstar is trying to sift through the Nictus propaganda and misinformation, but it seems that Zeke's Warshade persona is being blamed for some very heinous crimes among the alien energy beings. However, the Kheldians currently allied with the Heroes decided it would be best to let the situation play out, as it seemed that Zeke was the dominant personality, Androm's having been exhausted trying to revive his host's dying body.
For many months, Ezekiel was unaware of his Nictus's origins, though he was having nightmares that demonstrated some of the things he was accused of. However, once Androm awakened (announcing himself casually as Durj was shaving one random morning), the Nictus also seemed confused, shortly thereafter realizing that a propaganda campaign was being launched against him. Shadowstar and Sunstorm have been interviewing with Durj and Geizzer regularly to determine the truth of these claims.
As far as his standing within his super group, Durj is a relative "arbiter" within Grey's Army. Due to his even temper, he's often sought out to settle minor disputes, and has even kept the group from being dissolved outright after moments of Randall's indiscretion. During the short period of time when Randall, Kipland and Cory were removed from "Active Hero" status, Zeke ran the group, directing it more toward public works projects and hammering out a deal with Portal Corp for the Ryat androids.
Green Jacket Outfit
Brown Outfit
Zeke tends to stay away from the "Super Hero" motif of outfits, preferring more along the lines of simple comfort. Such behavior is typical of the Grey's Army alumni, and the Icon employees have learned after many embarrassing arguments to let the working-class heroes be.
These are two outfits that Zeke wears when he's in a relaxed mood. The green outfit is his more rugged of the two, and he's even put some armor pads into it.
Scout/Hunter
Zeke, like many denizens of rural communities like Kingdale, is a hunter. When he goes out hunting, however, he prefers to wear as little as possible. Considering the fact that "Deer Season" is in the time of the year when snow is about to hit the ground, his outfits have been, thankfully, quite covering.
Thankfully, in the near-weatherless environment of Paragon City, Zeke's idea of "as little as possible" is still a rather decent covering. Still... There's something familiar about this appearance I can't quite put my finger on...
Combat Armor
Zeke sometimes takes the advice of his peers, and this outfit is the result of it. Looking something like a modern cowboy, Zeke is able to weather most of the assaults on his body with this form-fitting, Kevlar coated and plated, polypropylene-lined suit. It's as close to "Hero" as he'll ever look.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Sarah married Joe Durnan in October, early October, actually. Their ceremony was framed by a radiant hue of multi-colored leaves. Like her mother, she kept her maiden name and also took her husband's last name.
Now that they've returned to Paragon, she continues her efforts to hone her psychic powers and develop a more unified front between the PPD and the heroes. In between bouts of this, she's been trying to make her husband more social by taking him out at night to various "hero-chic" establishments such as (but not limited to) Pocket D.
Snuffy and Katie
Despite Sheldon's warnings to keep the various critters he's developed (both intentionally and accidentally), Sarah still loves taking Felix and Katie out on the town with her to hunt down bad guys. Though Felix is a pudgy little death machine on his own, Katie looks relatively harmless.
Appearances are, however, deceiving. The cute little mutant mouse is surprisingly durable, and has proven that her claws are as sharp as razors. Of course, it only takes a little cuddling and tickling to subdue her, but the villains are not ones to engage in such behavior.
This outfit is one of Sarah's more conservative ones. Her The wings on her back aren't "biological," but are instead a set of specially designed feathered faux-wings that Icon's been trying to get off the ground. Sarah's been among the many heroes and heroines trying to demonstrate that they work to enhance the image of many kinds of outfits.
Sarah and Ni
Ni still hangs around Sarah and her husband. As the loyal housecat, and the one with the most experience as a free-roamer among humans, he shelters and teaches the two newcomers to the whole group. Felix and Katie are attentive to the Tom's lessons, and have the utmost respect for the animal that, under normal conditions, would have tried to eat them a year ago (well, Katie, anyway...).
This is a general-purpose outfit for Sarah. It suits her for clubbing, dinner, relaxing in the house, hero work, or going about her daily business such as getting groceries or visiting friends and family.
Snuffy and Felix
Yes, she looks sexy in this outfit, but don't get too close. It's for Joe, not for you. Sarah brings Felix along while wearing this outfit for a reason, and that reason is that the little "bear-cat" has a tendency to keep unwanted individuals (usually oppressive and/or inebriated guys) at bay. She usually only wears it to clubs, and she's had a nasty tendency of running into unwanted attention whenever Joe goes for refreshments while she's on the dance floor.
"Can't they see my ring?" she asks onlookers as the tiny bear tears at the faces of those that decide to get much too close, "I mean, it's not like he didn't get fair warning... And with how he was acting, he deserves the face-mangling."
Apparently, DJ Zero has tended to agree, as those that wound up using his med-porters to deal with the wounds Felix has inflicted upon them have found themselves unceremoniously booted out of the club, with a notice indicating how long they've been suspended.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Cedric came to Paragon City after his honorable discharge from the Marines and his work with helping restore Kingdale was finished. He wanted to try his hand at being a real hero and dropped into the registration office with nothing but his cammies, boots, and an old physical training shirt, with some chains wrapped around his arms and torso for effect.
When asked about his defensive capabilities, he shouted (convincingly) that he was invincible. Considering the fact that he was the only one out of his unit to escape the Rikti War unscathed, despite his constantly leading the charge into the alien ranks, there was possibly some truth to the concept.
However, this was unacceptable by hero standards, and Cedric had to find a proper assault. He left the office, not disheartened, but curious as to what he would utilize.
Then he ran across a Warrior transporting a batch of artifacts to the Hollows. One such artifact was a magic axe. Cedric initially said that he just needed a weapon, but the truth of the matter was that he felt a deep connection to this weapon. He unceremoniously sucker-punched the Warrior and claimed the weapon as his own. He ran into the registration office, shouting and whooping that the Axe would be his weapon in the fight for justice.
It turned out that the weapon was the very same weapon as his Praetorian, Cedric the Gray. Gray had conquered a patch of War Earth, ruling a scattering of tribes next to the easternmost Great Lake of the northwestern continent of War Earth. In a world full of constant strife, such an endeavor is a surprising accomplishment indeed. Gray was a respected warrior, despite his method of using black magic and his soul-draining battleaxe to hold his rule.
Over time, Cedric the Gray got it into his head that he could take Battle Maiden for his bride, perhaps even claim her territories and power for his own. With time, he surmised, he could probably have taken the entire northwestern continent and some of the southwestern one, if he could just win the duel with the Praetorian of Valkyrie.
He failed, and she chopped off his head with his own axe. As his soul was drawn into the weapon, he uttered an incantation (yes, his lips were still moving, and his soul imparted the words). The enchantment altered the effects of the axe. Battle Maiden received no benefit from the axe's final victim, and the weapon would slowly drain the energy from Cedric the Gray's soul until there was nothing left. Only then could the weapon claim a new victim.
Battle Maiden didn't know this, however, and she brought the weapon with her to duel her foe, Valkyrie. She had heard about Gray's weapon, and how the slightest touch from its blade would spell doom for his victims. However, when she hacked through Valkyrie's armor, she was surprised at the laughter she heard echoing through her head. Valkyrie defeated her Praetorian counterpart, and when Battle Maiden fled, the axe was left behind to work its way into Cedric Grey's possession.
Once the terrible influence on Cedric's mind was explained, he opted for a new weapon. The offices of M.A.G.I. provided a mystical axe that had much the same effects as the Soul Drinker, and worked extensively to try to prevent Cedric the Gray's soul from being eradicated so they could gain even more intelligence on War Earth and its relationship to Praetorian Earth.
The studies came to a crashing halt, however, when Cedric brought down a Malta Group Black Helicopter. The vehicle wasn't like normal "stealth" troop carriers, however. It was a team-wiping, hero-slaying flying death machine. Cedric took it out of the sky by throwing his replacement axe into its main rotor while other heroes worked on recovering their energy from a sapper bombardment.
After the ordeal and the heroes, led by Ms. Liberty, cleaned the situation up, Cedric made a B-line for the M.A.G.I. office. Azuria herself provided him with his Praetorian's weapon, now with an enchantment that removed its soul-draining capabilities and prevented the soul from being devoured by the weapon.
That didn't stop Gray from trying to influence his counterpart. However, now that Grey knew about the influence, he could better combat it. Many times, Cedric the Gray has been frustrated with the seemingly arbitrary decisions of what must truly be a mad tanker.
During a massive Praetorian invasion, Cedric did his Praetorian a favor. This was even after having to fight an apparitional projection of him on a lightning ringed rooftop for the very right to keep his own body. Grey won the battle, even with Gray's own axe, and imprisoned his interdimensional "brother" again, but instantly turned his sights to Battle Maiden.
Interrupting a duel between Valkyrie and her Praetorian self, Cedric explained coolly that he just needed to take this opportunity. Dueling the axe and crossbow-wielding lunatic, he wound up finally defeating her by planting a Police Drone bug on her face, which promptly got her zapped to the Ziggurat.
Cedric's relationship with his Praetorian's soul has since been cordial, if rocky at times.
Nutty Woodsman
Since gaining the respect of his alternate, Cedric has branched out from using just the magic battleaxe. Here, he uses a logging axe to cut through inhuman foes and clonk human baddies over the head and incapacitate them.
Altered Flak Jacket
Gravity Armor
After seeing the lengths villains go to in Paragon City, Cedric decided that he would indeed have need of a suit of armor of some kind. He decided to go with a technological contraption at first, but later asked friends in his old unit to smuggle him his old flak jacket. Why they kept the ratty old thing is beyond anyone, but Cedric got Sheldon Wallace to put a lot of the same enhancements into the flak jacket as he did the experimental armor.
These two outfits actually pull incoming rounds and blows into Cedric's torso instead of his face. They are highly durable, and the gravity distortion has an inertia dampening effect, mitigating damage from a variety of sources. The axe is a specially designed, lightweight weapon that enables Cedric to draw it quickly and dart rapidly between foes.
The Golden Conqueror
This is Cedric's "concession" to his Praetorian counterpart. It's a suit of "medieval style" armor, painted gold.
No... Nobody knows why he's wearing the shades.
He also wields his Praetorian's axe while wearing this outfit, and tends to suit up in this style when he feels like he's going into a pretty dangerous situation.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
When Mattock was born, his mother died. His father, Marcus, took it upon himself to raise his son in a manner he felt would ensure his son's survival if even the worst should befall him.
Contacting a man by the name of Ken Atomoyo, a man he met over the course of his life in a situation he was loathe to explain, Marcus began his son's training on three fronts.
From his own teaching, he explained to Mattock the lessons he felt every man should know. Honor, respect, emotion... All in the ways he believed a man was supposed to feel and understand what he was feeling.
Ken Atomoyo taught Mattock martial arts. Specifically, he taught him what he knew of Northern Praying Mantis, Japanese Aikido, Judo (because the little punk dealt with enough brawlers as it was), and a little bit of Dim Mak (in his later years, once he was certain Matt could handle it). He never explained whom he'd learned Dim Mak from, he just said that it had been a difficult path just to be accepted for the lessons. When it came to learning Kenjutsu, however, the two of them had to learn together. It was a peculiar training process, learning how to wield a katana, but they developed a style that blended what Ken already knew about other martial arts with what they studied about the wielding of the blade.
Finally, Mattock's third front of learning came from school. Mark knew that the boy just wouldn't get anywhere without knowing something about how the world worked, and there just wasn't anywhere else he was going to learn about social structures, history, biology, chemistry, mathematics, or anything else that was necessary in life. Mattock also met people that would wind up being lifelong friends, like Cedric Grey and Paul Jared (P.J.) Hollis (who runs an auto body shop in Kingdale).
After high school, Mattock was abroad, seeing what life was like across the nation. Like Marcus before him, he drifted through the United States on his motorcycle, eventually spending his longest amount of time in Sacramento, California, working for a motorcycle repair shop. He wound up having to leave the city, however, after a rogue crime boss and his entire entourage were mysteriously slaughtered by someone wielding a katana.
Mattock was about halfway through Nevada when the Rikti attacked, and fought his way home. It was a long and arduous battle, and he was a surprisingly pivotal force in a few minor skirmishes. By the time he made it home, however, the war was over.
Like many others from Kingdale, Matt helped in reconstructing his hometown before moving over to Paragon City. He currently shares an apartment with his friend,Cedric. He spends his days working in Lou's body shop, trying to prevent anymore problems from the Clockwork as well as protect the mechanic and his family, but the scrapper can only be so effective against so multitudinous an army. Fortunately, Matt has been capable of preventing lower level heroes from having to face the more dangerous "Psychic Clockwork" that have increased in numbers over the past year.
Modern Street Samurai
Matt's basic outfit. The sword he wields here is the same one his mentor, Ken Atomoyo, gave to him as a gift upon graduating from high school. He didn't explain where he'd gotten the sword from, and Matt's come to learn that the mild enchantment upon it is a lot more potent than he was first led to believe.
Matt's gotten away from wearing enchanted war paints. This is largely because of two things. One, he's run out of the stuff. Two, the paints seem to have left a residual enchantment upon him. Grey's Army's wizard, Cory Simmons, has been training him to harness that energy to maintain his speed and skill to dodge and deflect incoming blows, even bullets and other projectiles.
Training Outfit
Matt's training jumpsuit. It's loose-fitting and light. On top of that, he wears a pair of stylish red-and-black basketball shoes. They don't necessarily match the design of the outfit, but he couldn't really find any that did.
Desperate Biker
Matt dons this outfit when he feels ready to get mean. He also wields a rusty blade he got from some wreckage in Boomtown to fend off some Lost and Council soldiers. He liked how it looked to beat people with the old jagged piece of metal, and it also seemed to terrify some of his foes.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Sheldon is the technology expert of Grey's Army. He was taught everything he knew by his father, Hector Wallace, who is currently a military technology adviser. After the First Rikti War, the two of them worked together to dismantle and scavenge Rikti technology for the military, sometimes even reverse-engineering it.
When Sheldon came to paragon City, he wanted to expand his mind and repertoire. He also had in mind an idea for a new kind of android, and immediately set to work on it upon registering with Grey's Army. Utilizing pieces of every kind of robot and machine in the city currently used by villain groups, Sheldon was able to build the Ryat series (named after his grandfather). However, the bulk of the series was placed into storage upon completion of the surveillance of the two left free. Their story will be explained later.
After making the Ryats, Sheldon moved on to mutating his pet gerbil, a plucky little critter named Felix. He called the resulting "mini-bear" a "Gudar," which is apparently an animal with as-of-yet unknown longevity and resilience. The little bugger even took down a Fake Nemesis robot that somehow invaded the Grey's Army base when it grew frustrated with Kipland Durj. Shortly thereafter, Felix provided some of his mutagenic diet to a lab mouse that had somehow wound up in the base, mutating it into an even smaller subtype of Gudar (as-yet unnamed) that Sarah called Katie.
Toward the middle of 2007, Sheldon's experiments wound up catching the attention of the Clockwork King. "C.K." wound up conscripting the inventor, specifically because of his ability to utilize even Clockwork robots, to help him construct a new, sleeker, more powerful body for himself. At first, Sheldon resisted, until C.K. threatened to cut off his hands and cauterize the stumps. Sheldon relented, calling the machine "The Inevitable." When C.K. turned his new body against Blue Steel, Sheldon got in contact with his two main Ryat androids, Ryat66 and Ryat99, and they were able to end the situation.
However, Sheldon wound up suspended from hero work. He was unable to use his Gravity Gauntlets or even invent new devices for other heroes or heroines to use. He could barely negotiate a contract for the Ryat androids with Portal Corporation, but he wasn't allowed to assist or direct the machines.
Then he was kidnapped. During a massive assault across the city and the widespread mayhem that ensued, an Arachnos Flyer dropped into the middle of the city and Sheldon was knocked out by Operative Grillo himself.
It turned out that Grillo knew Sheldon's father when the two of them were younger. Whether they were colleagues or competitors was left ambiguous to the young inventor, but it was made clear that the two men weren't hostile toward each other.
The Arachnos Operative had heard about Sheldon's situation through various spies, and thought he could use the genius that was being put to waste. The young man was placed in a workshop, and for a test, was given one of Black Scorpion's blasters to work with. Unlike the brute's normal scientific crew, Sheldon wasn't lashed to his desk and harassed every couple of minutes. Using his relative freedom, Wallace was able to construct simplified versions of his Gravity Gauntlets (Gravity Gloves) and all the parts necessary to build a pair of energy rifles he used to fight his way out of the Grandville fortress.
He was fortunate Grey's Army was invading the Rogue Isles to find him. He likely wouldn't have escaped on the ferry if Randall's crew hadn't commandeered it.
Upon his return to Paragon City, he was reinstated as a hero and his work has been returned to researching and reverse-engineering Rikti technology and working with Portal Corporation. Like much of the rest of Grey's Army, he took much of the last months of the 2007 year off.
Basic Inventor
Sheldon's standard outfit. He wears this because it's a minimalist uniform. Working parts can't get caught on the shorter sleeves, and the jacket holds close to his body.
Field Outfit
Sometimes, being an inventor means you can look cool. Sheldon usually wears this outfit when he wants to conduct field experiments with his inventions.
Lab outfit
Yet another lab outfit, Sheldon wears this if he's working more with chemicals.
His wearing white doesn't make much sense, considering the amount of grease and oil he works around.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
The Ryat Series is a set of androids developed by Sheldon Wallace out of the components he scavenged from the wreckages of countless robots and automatons developed by the various villain groups around the city. Parts from machines like the Clockwork were easy to find scattered about, but for the more complex pieces, Sheldon had to get help from Grey's Army's more proficient heroes.
Working at converting the components took Sheldon a surprisingly short amount of time. He attributes this to his kinetic energy manipulation and its ability to increase his speed.
Numbering at one hundred, the androids are a peculiar and diverse group. They have a surprising versatility to their abilities as well, and in fact, retain very few known capabilities of the machines they've been built from. One retained trait, however, is a small key-winder that pops out of a panel in their backs whenever they are knocked out. A message on the inside of the cover plate gives a warning "Do Not Turn Key!" Apparently, the idea is that villains will, almost invariably, turn the key due to a defiance complex. Once turned, the key-winder activates a generator similar to the electric motors found inside Clockwork robots, and it's a charge strong enough to get the androids' generators running again.
Each Ryat has a circulatory system similar to that of a human, though it's a more simplified version. Lubricant and a serum full of nanotechnology robots flows freely through this system, pumped out through a small "heart" that seems located somewhere in the chest cavity of the machine. This nanotechnology seems to be the source of many of the androids' amazing diversities, as it continually alters and shifts the body and working parts of the android depending on the various situations the machine finds itself in. Despite having all been built to look pretty much the same, after a year, each Ryat now has a radically different appearance from its fellows and a different personality.
For the first quarter of 2007, the entire series had been interred in a secure vault under the Freedom Corps building in Galaxy City. When the Praetorians staged an invasion of Prime Earth, it was Ryat99 that released them among the populace to help bring a more concentrated effort against the invading forces. The resulting spearhead of super-powered androids and meta-humans were able to handily secure Galaxy City and Atlas Park, as well as move on to reclaim Perez Park and the Hollows (if only for a moment).
Now the Ryats work general jobs for Grey's Army and Portal Corporation, often being utilized in dangerous situations. Randall's confided in the leadership of the androids (currently Ryat66, Ryat99 and Ryat10) that he intends to try to utilize them, in concert with other construction outfits, to help restore the more damaged sections of the city. They mostly seem quite pleased with the plan.
The source code for their artificial intelligence is sophisticated and unusual. Despite having been studied numerous times, programmers and scientists in the D.A.T.A. offices cannot seem to duplicate the code. in fact, the only individual able to make a copy of the code seems to be Sheldon Wallace, which doesn't make any sense.
Despite the fact that the androids are, by design, androgynous, they often refer to each other in terms of "he" or "she," sometimes even going so far as to adopt speech patterns and, eventually, certain physical and social characteristics attributed to particular genders.
Ryat Prime
Ryat Prime is the prototypical Ryat android. He is capable of making a complex fuzzy logic program and uploading it into robots that he recovers from across the Isles. Most are broken wrecks from Mastermind-class rogues, others seem to be abandoned machines.
Prime was released before the rest of the Ryat androids and unleashed in the Rogue Isles. He was left with a message indicating that Longbow was trying to use him to infiltrate Arachnos, but he has received little-to-no word from any contacts within the organization. He's even been assaulted by a number of their soldiers (he uses a "stun" setting to take them down safely).
Prime would put more effort toward figuring the mystery out, but he has more problems on his hands at the moment. Primarily, he needs to discover the whereabouts of the rogue Ryat android, Ryat84, and put a stop to his maddened schemes by any means possible.
Ryat10
One of the medical androids of the Ryat series, Ryat10 is one of the leaders of the androids. He utilizes a Healing Nanite Generator similar in construction to that of Nester Durj. To defend himself, he utilizes the same kinds of electrical blasts that are more familiar to the Clockwork.
Ryat06
Ryat06 is one of the "female" androids among the series. She has yet to develop a physical appearance matching her gender, but her voice, personality, and even a few mannerisms are decidedly feminine. She doesn't seem to have much in the way of defensive capabilities, but she does seem to have a reasonably tough armor. For weaponry, Ryat06 uses a pair of peculiar polymer blades that seem to be an extension of her own circuitry.
Ryat24
Ryat24 got a hold of a special assault rifle while fighting the Praetorians. After the battle, he signed up with Freedom Corps to keep it. Coupled with his own personal power control, he's proven to be quite the adept foot soldier in the war on crime and terror in Paragon City.
Ryat66: Basic
Ryat66: Sleek Battle Armor
Ryat66: Scavenger Armor
Ryat66 is one of the two androids that was left free to roam about the city as a hero while Freedom Corps tried to figure out what to do with the entire group. He and his partner, Ryat99, were monitored frequently for any signs of "regression" as they roamed about the city and beat up bad guys.
Ryat66 was the first android to develop super powers. He channeled the abundant electricity flowing through his body into his hands, focused it, and turned it into plasma blasts. He could also use the electricity as it was and channel it into his punches, or throw out nanotech-electric nets to bind up his foes. Utilizing these powers, he was able to lead the androids in their defense against the Clockwork during one of their first performance tests in Baumton.
Ryat99: Basic
Ryat99: Flight Armor
Ryat99: Heavy Armor
Ryat99 is one of fifteen heavy model Ryat androids. They don't have too much of an advantage over the smaller Ryats, aside from the fact that they're more resilient and can lift a heavier load. They're more adept at demolition work, as well, since they can take the heavier amount of punishment.
Ryat99, unlike the other androids built before him, was built with combat in mind. Sheldon installed an altered cooling system, one that allows Ryat99 to utilize ice as an armor and as a weapon. By mixing his nanites into the mix, Ryat99 has been able to make different densities in the ice layers, alternate reflections and refractions, even grow icicle spikes and make blades from the ice. When these things fail, he turns to simply spraying the super-cold fluid at his enemies in a fine mist that coats their bodies and slows them down while delivering a surprising amount of pain.
Ryat66 and Ryat99 have each learned how to alter their bodies. Essentially, the internal skeleton remains the same. The outer shell, however, is folded back into the main body and replaced by one of the alternate plates that was already stored inside. It's a peculiar process, and one that many inventors are still scratching their heads over, but the androids seem determined to keep it a secret. When asked about it, Ryat99 simply replied "It's in the blood."
Ryat84
Ryat Rogue
Ryat84 is the renegade of the Ryat series. Nobody knows why he suddenly used excessive force and torture against the Praetorians, or why he seems to have gone into a cliche "Destroy All Humans!" rampage. To facilitate his mad scheme, he has constructed the massive and frightening Ryat Rogue series. Most of the machines are poor imitations of the heavy Ryats, and since they were constructed from what little scrap metal Ryat84 could find, they aren't very resilient. One, however, has proven to be quite powerful, and assists Ryat84 wherever he goes.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Roland's story is probably about the strangest one among the super group. Roland came to Paragon City with one goal in mind, to find his mother and get the Hell out before any of the craziness got a hold of him. He didn't like the idea of costumed heroes and villains running rampant through an urban populace, spreading violence and mayhem everywhere they went. It may have been fine for his father, brother and Kip, but it just wasn't for him.
Then he met the young girl he thought was named Jessica. At least, that's what his communicator told him.
Not seeing a mystery in the making, he and this martial artist duoed in between his bouts of investigating with his brother. She was an adept hero, and was quite knowledgeable about the workings of the city. However, she had a tendency to complain, mostly about her supergroup and its oppressive leader who "just can't see things the way they are."
Roland wound up staying in the city after finding his mother. The fact that she had her own new super powers, as well as reasons of her own to stick around (she was an archaeologist, after all, and there was plenty of work to be done in Paragon in that field), was enough of a reason for her, but Roland needed a little more of a reason. Try as he might, he couldn't figure out why he was sticking around.
A blind man with a cane could have told him it was because he was attracted to this spunky girl. He wasn't about to try anything (he has a personal goal to not try to get involved with anyone until he's 28), but it was nice to have someone like her around, and Roland didn't want to let go of that, yet. Who knew? Maybe his goal would have an altered timeline.
However, there was something about Jessica that Roland couldn't quite put his finger on. It was something nagging at him about the way she talked to him, or would talk about other things.
It would have been fine for "Jessica Starburst" had Roland kept playing his video games when she wasn't around. Unfortunately for her, he's a fan of the news, and started to put two and two together about the things she was telling him and the events going on in the city. Still, he had little hard evidence about this blonde, nigh-invulnerable martial artist in regards to the sneaking suspicion he was getting.
Then, one night, after he'd finally decided enough was enough and he may as well go home to New York, he got his neck stomped on by Ms. Liberty's Praetorian, Dominatrix. Why? He surmised it was because of the misconception that the heroine's friends had about her "boy-toy," and that the young woman he'd been working with had been in disguise the whole time. When he confronted Jessica Starburst about it, she admitted her identity as Ms. Liberty.
She explained that she was, at first, just messing around with being a low-rank hero again. It was fun for her to have a more hands-on experience with the early career of a young hero, and she liked Roland's stoic attitude. It also helped that she had someone to vent her frustrations on who could reason the situation out for her. She figured that he was starting to develop some form of affection for her, and was preparing to explain the situation to him when he was attacked and the whole house of cards came crashing down.
Despite being deceived, Roland was actually okay with the whole situation. It gave him a chuckle, and he was relieved that he could turn his mind to other endeavors. However, he wound up having to stick around in the city anyway, as various crises reared their ugly heads.
It seems he's also maintaining a friendly relationship with the celebrity heroine, as his apartment provides a relatively quiet place so she can clear her head. Any consideration of a budding relationship seems to have been stricken from Roland's mind, however. He understands that, should such a thing happen, he would be dead within a week of the situation being made public. His friend, Kipland Durj, is quick to point out he's on thin ice as it is.
Roland is a short, pudgy young man whose physical appearance is more like his father than either of his siblings. Despite this, he doesn't maintain the same demeanor as his father (except when he's playing football).
When patrolling Paragon's streets, he wields a hunting bow and a supply of varying kinds of arrows. He didn't invent the arrows himself, but relied on his friend, Sheldon Wallace, to develop them for him. Sheldon also placed the arrows in a sort of "Arrow Space," which is a small pocket dimension linked to a hole in the Grey's Army base wall and Roland's quiver. Roland simply has to murmur the type of arrow he's looking for and the voice-command system delivers.
For conveyance, he utilizes the leg-rigging system developed by Sheldon to hop around the city. This system has made him more agile than normal, though he is more fit than someone of his bulk would normally be considered.
"It's a slow metabolism," he explains, "I'm not unhealthy."
Sweatshirt
Roland's basic outfit.
Enforcer
This is what Roland currently wears when he means business. It's designed for more determined engagements, and has everything he needs to handle enemy situations. He even turns on the laser sight on his compound bow to further enhance his accuracy.
Hunter
Similar to Randall's hunting outfit, Roland also wears armor pads when in this particular getup.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Charlene Daring-Grey is Randy's wife. They've been married since their early twenties. Legend has it, when they first met, Randy was being his normal, boorish self, so Charlene punched him square in the jaw, knocking him flat on his back. Being the youngest sister in a family with three older brothers will teach a girl a few tricks like that, apparently. According to Cedric, Randy's been in love with the (comparatively) tiny woman ever since.
While Randy worked construction, Charlene continued to go to college. Balancing the bills, the kids, and her boorish husband was a trying task for the first few years, but she eventually acquired a knack for it.
Once things got settled and the children could, more-or-less, look after themselves (largely under Cedric's guidance, which Charlene was only happy trusting when the younger ones could actually stand up to him), she turned her attention to her passion of archaeology. She could never explain why, but the business of unearthing the past always intrigued her. No, it wasn't because of any movies, either.
Regardless, she found herself employed by the local counties whenever they needed to conduct a historic survey of an area they wished to develop. It wasn't glamorous, but it did help pay the bills.
Randy was still working construction and she was hip-deep in survey reports when the Rikti attacked. The Battle of Kingdale did not go well. Apparently, the Rikti thought the small community was a food supply for Earth's troops (according to acquired intelligence about the attack on Fort Drum). Charlene was captured during the fighting and was being carted back to the source of the invasion at the end of the battle.
While on-board the transport, she noticed the Rikti were trying to convert their captives to... something. She didn't want to give up at all easily, and that was when she heard the voice.
Sol'ra'T'Cha, a kheldian warrior whose name means "Star Scatter" (no, it's not clear what language it's from), recognized that while Charlene Daring-Grey may not have been a soldier, she had a fighting spirit. She offered to merge with the plighted mother of three and that would come with enough power to kill the Rikti, free herself and the others on-board.
After the resulting crash in Baumton ("Boomtown" to the newcomers), Charlene found herself in a subterranean warren. A young man by the name of Martin Sanders (who was also a prisoner on the ship, despite being a Paragon native) had organized the group of refugees as a small cell of resistance.
With Martin, a mutant with a connection to death, and Charlene, their "avenging angel," leading them, the group tried numerous times to return to civilization and get word out to the authorities about their plight. With the Fifth Column (later, the Council), the Lost, and the Outcasts in the way, the poor group (nicknamed the Dregs by the local criminal groups) was unable to break free en masse.
However, Charlene was able to make it out on her own. She sought help from the authorities, but the city zones were a mess as it was. Unable to call on the formidable power she wielded when she helped bring down the transport (indeed, Sol'ra'T'Cha seemed so exhausted, she couldn't communicate to the heroine; which was unfortunate, since Charlene was wondering why she didn't look a day over 23 anymore, when she should have looked 47), she sought employment anywhere she could.
Slowly, she and Martin worked survivors back into civilization from Baumton. Whatever money Charlene could get, she used on food and supplies for the group. It was a simple system until the restoration of Overbrook began.
Charlene answered the call for archaeologists in the city zone, and was finally able to get a hold of a phone to call home. She got a hold of Roland, her son, and that led to him coming to Paragon to lead the investigation to find her.
The Grey's Army super group followed the clues and was able to locate Charlene and the Dregs. Unfortunately, this was at the same time the Lost and the Rikti located the group. The resulting battle, between Freedom Corps forces and the Rikti (led by the battle commander that had led the attack on Kingdale, New York, no less) was spectacular. The Dregs had holed up in an old hero base, and the Rikti forces pressed in. if it weren't for the hero presence already in the base (Grey's Army had arrived just before the Rikti), the civilian casualties would have been atrocious.
Now, restored to civilization, Charlene has been inducted in the Peacebringers. She intends to retire back to her home in Kingdale, but for the moment, she prefers to stay in Paragon City so she can see the end of this sordid affair between the Peacebringers and the Nictus... Or at least, until she sees the end of her involvement with it.
Plus, she gets to stay young for a little while longer. Whether this gift will remain with her or not is yet to be determined, and Sol'Ra (recently awakened) doesn't have the answer. Apparently, this is a new occurrence.
Civvies
When conducting personal business or just going through her normal routine, Charlene throws on her leather jacket and a pair of jeans.
Blue Camo Pants
Charlene wears this outfit when she feels in a more "combative" mood.
Peacebringer Superheroine!
Finally, when she's in a particularly "ticklish" mood, Charlene wears a somewhat classic hero outfit.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Joe Durnan is the husband of Sarah Grey and a "Hero Cop" in one of the Paragon Police Departments numerous hero programs. Lacking super powers, he's supplied with an array of unusual attachments for his assault rifle, and even unusual assault rifles, which he uses to enforce the law in Paragon City. He's also supplemented with an assortment of devices which he uses to control and guide the battlefield.
In his personal life, Joe is a devoted husband. Though he's taken slightly aback by Sarah's aggressive nature, he's learned to enjoy it, as his wife is a sweet and fun-loving young woman as well. They're still young, though, and haven't been seriously considering children (despite pressure from Sarah's mother...).
Joe's duties primarily revolve around patrolling King's Row (a duty that has caused him to receive ribbing from other, older officers; he's often referred to as Blue 2, or Steel's Sidekick, but that's also the term for the whole unit that has the King's Row beat). He's usually only deployed when dangerous groups are out in force, but he's also a hero, so he can usually be found in other city zones.
Joe also coordinates with the Brutal Warriors Order. Because of this cooperation, Blue Steel sometimes has a bit of an unorthodox method of deploying into the Rogue Isles to rescue fallen heroes.
Super Flak
This is Joe's personalized flak jacket. It's slightly more resilient than the average SWAT team flak jacket and has enough pockets and sheathes built into it to carry Joe's magazines, cartridges, fuel tanks and devices.
The glasses he wears are shooter glasses, and they cut down on the glare from his rifle.
Super SWAT
This is one of several prototype armors currently being field tested by the police. It's designed to be a light version of the PPD Hardsuit and has proven to be exceptionally resilient at the one thing Joe really wanted it for: resisting the stench of Paragon City's extensive sewer network.
"It just smells so bad down there... I'm so glad this suit comes with a filter."
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
The Brutal Warriors Order...
Their history was covered in the previous version of this thread pretty well (albeit with more spelling and grammatical errors, but still...). The current iteration of the Brutal Warriors, however, is far different. This is due to the fact that the heroes and anti-heroes have learned much of the world they seek to make an honest profit in.
Toward the end of the Rikti War, the BWO was using their dropship to shuttle supplies and personnel across Paragon City. Because of the deal they'd worked out with the hero cop, Joe Durnan, they were unable to refuse the request, and wound up embroiled in a battle over Skyway City.
The battle cost them the ship when the Rikti were able to send the Honoree after this obvious rip-off of their technology. The alien super-being was then chased away by a joint venture of Vanguard, Freedom Phalanx and unaffiliated heroes. The BWO, however, had to deal with their own crash site.
After the war, the group fell into a minor funk. That was when they were contacted by Brother Mauthe, a rogue in the Etoile Isles who has been slowly building up his own army composed of the downtrodden of the Isles. Mauthe required real supplies, not just stolen and possibly damaged scraps he acquired from the various organizations in the City of Villains.
So, the group came up with a new mode of transport, a modified trawler. Equipping it with scavenged materials from their old dropship (including its fusion engine), it now fulfills their needs very well, if not as quickly. They've lost some business from clients who would normally wish to make more expedient trips, but they've also kept a lot of their higher paying clients who prefer discretion over timely arrivals.
-----------
Rankings
Leadership in the Brutal Warriors is an unusual thing. The group is largely friends, and they have a lot of trouble backing down from each other. Some are simply more willful (like Solo Stryker and Draven Erickson), while others are more inspired (the Kingdale Referee and Psycho13 are known to have crazy ideas that work).
In order to settle disputes, the group employs a "Champion System" to determine leadership. The leader then is relied upon to determine the best course of action. So far, Draven Erickson has done a decent enough job of keeping everybody's heads on their shoulders.
----------
The Derrick
The offshore base of the BWO, the derrick is a former Arachnos base. Though the dark organization gutted much of it when they were forced to abandon it by Grey's Army, the Brutal Warriors were able to find some useful equipment left behind after acquiring the base from an impound auction.
Since then, the combined efforts of the Brutal Warriors Order and Grey's Army (especially the Ryat androids) have only strengthened the derrick. With the threat of a roaming Lusca apparent, Dale Simms installed copper rails into the legs holding the platform aloft as well as a "Tesla Generator" that launches lightning straight into the metal. The shock isn't enough to kill the giant octopus, but she apparently has been driven off by it enough times to leave the base alone.
The base has two landing platforms for flying vehicles, the second of which is on top of the main personnel barracks. The second platform is reserved for emergencies, and was designed for light vehicles, such as sky skiffs and small helicopters. However, it has proven to be capable of handling heavy weight, such as the dropship.
The derrick is fortified with an array of automated turrets, all acquired and licensed legally through the authorities available in Paragon City. They're usually arranged in sets of three Dual Artillery Guns, though a couple arrangements (the ones next to the barracks) are Missile Turrets flanked by Quad Howitzers.
---
Base Features and Staging Areas
The BWO base has a lot of the same elements as a typical supergroup base. It has a medical bay and a security/communications/control room, as well as a recreational room. With the funds the group has acquired during their brief tenure as meta human ferrymen, they've been able to make the base meet or beat the latest needs in comfort and security.
Though the base has seen some disuse lately, largely due to the fact that the BWO no longer has an easy means of ascension from the ocean surface to the platform (outside of stairs, their own super powers, or the hover bike; though the group could easily do any of these, the effort would be much too taxing should they intend to bring any more quality materials into the base proper), the group has invested more effort and resources into their staging areas. The staging areas are locations that are unknown (even to most of the members of the group), but located within the Etoile Isles and Paragon City. They provide the group with a place to organize, meet with possible fares, and even "duke it out."
The base itself also provides with these opportunities, but until the group is more familiar with their new method of travel, they're sticking to the staging areas.
----------
Vehicles
The Dropship
The dropship was a torn apart and reassembled Arachnos Flier. The group had utilized an OTTO MCRC-E to bring the machine down and wound up finding (and fighting) Committee forces inside. Some of those forces have since joined the BWO.
The dropship did not resemble it's original design, save for the "lift pods" flanking the main body of the hull. The rest resembled a classic "starship" appearance, with a cockpit toward the front, widening to a crew section near the middle and an engine/cargo bay toward the rear. This gave it the appearance of a giant steel bee at times, though the back was flat to accommodate the cargo door.
The dropship's armaments included two sets of rocket pods, two sets of missile pods, a main chain gun under the cockpit, and two flanking minigun turrets (often operated by two members of the crew, though they could be slaved to the pilot's own firing control). The ship was also protected by an energy field similar to that of Force Field projecting meta humans, save this one could resist energies as well as be overcharged to enable safe ramming capabilities. The overcharging only lasted a matter of seconds, however, so the Brutal Warriors were lucky Solo Stryker had been very judicious with its use.
Though some names were toyed with, the group never really did settle down and come up with one fore the dropship. Some members (Psycho13, especially) postulated this may have been conducive to the bad luck that brought the ship to an early and unceremonious end.
The Hover Bike
Psycho13 once captured himself a Sky Skiff from the Sky Raider forces in Terra Volta. He then proceeded to break the vehicle down into a light and fast scout vehicle. It still retains the rocket pods and one machine gun, plus, it has enough power for moderate cargo-carrying capabilities. However, it lacks the coverable range of distance as its original design had and leaves the pilot exposed to the elements.
The Captured Dream
It's bad luck to have a ship with no name. Such was the case of the dropship, and the BWO was quick to accept Brother Ringo's (one of Brother Mauthe's bodyguards) suggestion. The Dream was his father's fishing boat, ad the arsonist swears he can feel his old man and brother next to him when he pilots the now-modified version.
The BWO ripped out the diesel engine and replaced it with the dropship's fusion core. This gives the boat more power, though Dale Simms is quick to keep the power cut back to keep the vessel from being torn apart.
The underside of the ship has been coated in Teflon. The ultra slick polymer cuts back on water friction and keeps barnacles off the boat, however, some find ways to stick on, so the ship still needs to be brought into harbors for regular cleaning.
A missile turret and a quad howitzer have been taken from the base and mounted on the boat. These are also supplemented by a pair of anti-personnel turrets from the dropship and the surviving minigun. The missile turret is mounted on top of the cabin, flanked by the pop-up turrets. The quad howitzer is mounted aft while the minigun, in a modified, armored turret, is mounted on the bow.
Much of the fishing materials were gutted out of the ship to make it feasible for hauling people. It has a refrigeration unit, a small passenger cabin with three separate rooms, and a cargo bay. Often, the cargo bay is used to carry the hover bike, but passenger needs come first.
There is also a restroom located int eh very rear of the craft. Due to the slower speed of the ship, such a thing has been found to be necessary, as trips can take days instead of hours, depending on the desired location.
----------
Roster
---
Hero Side:
Draven Erickson
King Slater
The Kingdale Referee
Project Whirlwind
Psycho13
Bull-Thistle
Joe Durnan (associated)
---
Villain Side:
Solo Stryker
Ragin James
Dirty Ice
Mark Shadow
Justin Steel w/ Mercenaries
-Mr. Smythe
-Mr. Weston
-Mr. Remington
--Mr. Hackler
--Mr. Coach
---Mr. Kolt
Bioserj
Brother Mauthe w/ "Thugs" (associated)
-Brother Brick
-Brother Hood
-Brother Ringo
--Brother Hand
--Brother Skrap
---Brother War
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Jared Simms serves as the face of the Brutal Warriors Order in Paragon City. He has a few bad habits (he has something of a propensity to womanize), but he doesn't let them get in the way of his duties. Of course, since he's largely just a posterboy, his duties tend to be few and far between...
As Draven Erickson, Jared utilizes a black broadsword he calls "Crow." This blade has granted him numerous supernatural abilities, the most prominent being the "Shroud." The Shroud is an armor of dark energies that emanate from the mysterious artifact.
Swinging the blade for Draven is a lot like how he used his in-ring baseball bat when he and the BWO were a back yard wrestling outfit. Every day, however, his skill improves and bears less and less resemblance to the crude "club-wielding" method he used before.
Red Trench Coat
When Jared came to Paragon City, the first thing he did was drop by Icon in Steel Canyon. He asked for a red trench coat and they delivered it to him. This is the look he'd always wanted, even when he was in high school.
Red Jacket
Draven's alternate outfit is the red jacket he wore to fight in the various BWO locations (and even the Kingdale Arena) when it was too cold out to wear anything less. It's water resistant, insulated, and surprisingly resilient.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
James Baker is the face of the Redside BWO. He won the right to call himself that in an unfinished battle where he emerged the victor before he could contend against Draven. Since the fight was happening somewhere in Paragon City (the BWO Staging Area), they had to have a Freedom Corps representative standing by so the use of "Villain-Class" powers wouldn't set off any alarms in the local Freedom Corps post.
Unfortunately, Agent Wild had places to be, so Rage and Draven couldn't square off to settle who actually runs the Brutal Warriors. As it stands, he and Draven discuss future endeavors with Solo, King Slater and the Kingdale Referee acting as a committee to decide between the two in case of an impasse.
Rage uses the Skulls of Cord, also called the Skulls of Rage. They're a pair of mystical artifacts that he and Matt Jones actually wound up having to fight Arachnos operatives to acquire. Rather than let the metallic skulls go to a museum (where they'd likely still wind up stolen and placed in Arachnos hands), James decided to keep the Skulls. It wasn't like he was going to be able to remove them, anyway.
The skulls actually hover a centimeter from his chest and shoulder. This enables him to switch out various thin-fabric articles of clothing (such as linen shirts or spandex), but it's a real pain in the butt. Thank goodness the Rogue Isles are warm pretty much year-round.
Despite the general discomfort the Skulls have afforded the now-magically inclined meta human, they have provided him with major benefits. Chief among the boons is a massive strength increase and a lightning armor. They also help him fly.
Red Hat
Rage likes baseball caps. This is a red one.
Blue Hat
This hat is the color matching his favorite baseball and football team's main colors.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Dustin Simms, the elder of the super-powered Simms brothers and his cousin, Jared, is the near-titanic tanker and enforcer for the Brutal Warriors Order. His powers come from a magic artifact called the Granite Grip, a tablet that merged into his hand and mutated his body. As such, he now sports similar rock armor as Randall Grey, though there are other perks as well.
His weaponry is varied, though his favored weapon for wailing on villains and a few overzealous hero-types (sometimes people can be too uncompromising until they get the sense knocked into them) is the Black Mauler, an enchanted, unbreakable morningstar. The weapon doesn't do any special damage, like emitting flames or smiting down the undead, but its resilience does have advantages like propping open doors or smashing through robots without worry for damaging it. Slater also uses hammers and a baseball bat, though the Mauler comes in more handy for most encounters.
Simple Outfit
King Slater's "I'm out of bed and ready to fight" outfit. He takes his trusty baseball bat, Excalibat, and starts wailing on his opponents. The weapon has a minor enchantment similar to the Mauler's, but it's not quite as strong and can be broken with the right incantations.
Gray Jacket
Dustin's "I mean business" outfit, he dons his jacket, concrete-stained pants and whips out the Black Mauler. It's about this time that bad guys start wetting themselves...
Denim Trench Coat
This isn't as serious an outfit as King's prior one. The symbol on the front of his T-shirt is the symbol of one of his favorite punk bands, Bad Faith and the trench coat is made of denim.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Daren Simms is the middle brother of the Simms siblings and general front-runner in their cooperative endeavors. He was the pilot of the dropship and currently serves as one of the helmsmen of the new trawler Transport, the Captured Dream.
A Stalker by definition, Solo has access to a set of black rings that allow him to tap into negative energies. These energies shroud and protect him, as well as add a powerful and nasty backing to his attacks. Enemies are often left feeling unnaturally cold when he fights them, which further assists in his defense as they lose some of their very drive.
However, the rings have had a peculiar effect on Solo's own physiology. He can control it, but it seems he's becoming an essence of shadow himself. The effect completely disappears when he removes the rings, so he's considering the possibility that it's the artifacts themselves just growing more powerful.
Standard Outfit
This is Solo's typical outfit. It comes from his early days of being a backyard wrestler.
Shadow Arms
Here you can see Solo's arms have become like shadow. It's not really shadow, but the stuff definitely not skin nor is it cloth. Sometimes, it seems almost fluid, but in the end it always turns back to normal.
Black and Gold
Here, the darkness has spread across the stalker's body. Simms didn't seem too concerned by the condition, however, and has actually dressed to expand on the appearance. Apparently, he's able to pull the darkness back some, too.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Dale Simms, the Kingdale Referee, is the Tinker of the group. When they need repairs done or devices created, he's the one they turn to to slap the machine together. He helped construct the Dropship, the BWO's offshore base and their staging areas in Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. The fact that he has no idea where the last two actually are had little bearing on his capabilities with those areas.
Referee Outfit
Dale's standard outfit. This is a referee outfit similar to the one he wore in his backyard wrestling days. It has packs and pouches to hold his shield-making devices and battery packs for his sonic amplifiers. Miniature speakers are dotted throughout the uniform, though the majority of sonic effects erupt from his gauntlets.
Medium Armor
Dale's armored suit enables him to generate more shields and more sonic effects with less strain on the batteries. He can also pack more into the suit than he can on his utility belt. Furthermore, this outfit provides him with all of his necessary transportation systems and a bit more armor than a his shields. It's slightly less mobile than his unarmored concept.
Power Armor
This is a heavy version of the prior armor. There's no change in the energy output, but the efficiency is ramped up by a factor of five. Dale can run his shields longer and hardly ever has to worry about recharging the power cells (which require a couple hours of being plugged in to any normal electrical socket every other week).
The armor's unwieldy, but it's tough. It also has enough actuators and pneumatics to enable the defender to carry more weight and move quickly despite the apparent "clunkiness" of the outfit.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Levi Baker was given super powers by the group formerly known as the Committee. They had abducted him shortly before burning down the Kingdale Arena and locked him in a facility which was built to collect artifacts and technology to throw together meta humans for sale to the highest bidder.
When Baker refused to help, they injected him with an experimental super soldier serum ("It felt like my bones were on fire"), locked him in an electric torture rack and electrocuted him into compliance.
Project Whirlwind later helped him escape, and the two worked at decimating the facility, with Psycho13 finishing the dosage for the Regenerator Serum and turning himself into the near-indestructible scrapper we know today.
Earlier in his career, he used a crazy assortment of knives which were duct-taped together into claws. Recently, however, he's turned to using normal dual blade fighting, just in peculiar arrangements at times, not so peculiar in others.
Modern Maniac
Thank goodness... This is quite the departure from Psycho13's earlier outfit (which made him look like some form of Celtic berserker). He's also not standing on a statue's right boob. It doesn't make him look any less insane, however.
This is a hoodie from his childhood. He wields a heavy blade (similar to a gladius) paired with a smaller one. The camouflage pants are the same one can find in any Army/Navy surplus store. The boots are classic combat boots.
Our Good Friend Jack... The Ripper...
After watching a musical movie featuring a certain prolific actor portraying the classic Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Psycho13 rushed into the Steel Canyon Icon store and screamed "You have GOT to make me look like Jack Lantz!"
So, he took on this appearance. The knives aren't articulated, silver straight razors, but they are extremely sharp. The distressing thing is that he thinks he can go to formal functions in an outfit like this.
Oh my God... What the Hell is this!?
I... Words cannot describe the disturbance I feel when I see Baker in this outfit. What makes it weirder is the glee he seems to display when wearing it.
"The day I got this thing, I even brought down a Troll Caliban named Tatu! It was freaking fate that day, man!"
Now, I need scotch...
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Justin Steel started as a referee for the Brutal Warriors. Afterward, he joined forces with the Committee and helped orchestrate the downfall of the small super-powered professional wrestling group. This secured him a position within the small financial conglomerate conspiracy, a position he later rescinded.
After learning that the Brutal Warriors had resurfaced in a new capacity, as a transportation service for middle ground meta humans, Steel wormed his way into being the premier agent assigned to thwart them, though his capabilities were sorely lacking.
It later turned out, during a fight with the Committee's executive chairman, that Steel was actually trying to reconcile with his old friends. With his and Mark Shadow's support, the Brutal Warriors were able to arrest Charles Reynolds, a former schoolmate of theirs, and the Committee supposedly disbanded.
Afterward, Steel and Shadow joined forces with the Brutal Warriors, providing much needed support roles, such as medicine and security. Steel's mercenaries also stayed with him, largely out of a sense of loyalty, but also because he never lapsed on paying them. Justin further helped by becoming the group's finance manager, of which they were in desperate need.
A Hostile Takeover
Justin Steel's normal outfit. This is the attire he can be found in for most situations, from official business to even casual settings. Because of this, the clothes were designed to be more comfortable than they normally would.
Mercenaries: Mr. Smythe, Mr. Weston, Mr. Remington
Spec Ops: Mr. Hackler, Mr. Coach
Commando: Mr. Kolt
Better Suited for Leadership in War
For situations taking place in sewers or rough terrain like jungles and forests, Justin dons this quasi-militant outfit. It's fairly similar to that which his troops wear.
Power Armor
Sometimes, situations get bad. For these, every Committee Agent was given access to a special suit of powered armor. Justin located and acquired his after the Committee's dissolution, along with an experimental assault rifle. He's had little opportunity to test the outfit's effectiveness, however.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Mark Shadow is really Mark Daniels. When he first started out as a corrupter-class mercenary, he wielded dark powers as his secondary assortment, courtesy of artifacts called the Bracers of Obtenebration.
Later, the bracers were stolen by a second Project Soultaker (the first having had its back broken before being sent to a medical facility), so that it could make use of the dark arts. Shadow, however, was prepared for this situation, and collected together an assortment of devices and traps to supplement his assault rifle.
Earlier, Mark Shadow was a wild, rambunctious hooligan, and he was quick to take contracts from the Committee, Arachnos, the Council... Anybody who would pay handsomely for his skills. However, when he was betrayed by the Committee and the Soultaker stole his bracers, he had a slow change of heart. The change only progressed more as he spent more time with the Brutal Warriors Order and came to develop a sense of pride in his work.
Lately, he's become more withdrawn and aloof. It's not necessarily because of any form of contempt, but because he's been thinking over long-term plans. The problem, however, is that he's not currently a part of the command structure of the Brutal Warriors. He hopes that in the near future he can convince his fellows to engage in more world-affecting endeavors.
Modern Gunslinger
Daniels' career started with a cowboy attitude, so he dressed appropriately.
Agent 37? 47? 57? Something-Seven?
Inspired by videogames and a particular movie, Mark threw on this outfit and shaved much of the hair from his head. He lacks some aspects (such as a barcode on the back of his head) and has extra ones (his goatee), but he otherwise looks the part of an expert hitman.
Jungle Warrior
Inspired from action movies, Mark threw this outfit on. It comes with pouches and pockets for his ammunition, traps and devices. Plus, it blends in well with forested environments.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Matt Jones. The first of the BWO with super powers, Matthew was just trying to make a theatrical edge for himself when he stole an artifact from Cory Simmons. The warlock, amused by the idea of his friends practicing super-powered backyard wrestling, gave artifacts to a number of the other contenders (some of which they still use to this day) so they could withstand Jones' attacks.
After being blamed for the Kingdale Arena fire, Jones and Ragein' James traveled abroad, the latter searching for his brother. Jones, however, was searching for adventure. Upon landing in the Rogue Isles because of false information that indicated Psycho13 was there, he found the place full of the adventure he was looking for. Where others see the Etoiles as a downtrodden near-wasteland, he sees the Isles as a modern frontier.
With fire wrapped about his body, an assortment of stone-manipulating artifacts (including a sledge hammer that wraps itself in varying layers of stone) and no small amount of anger, Dirty Ice (a moniker that has NO BEARING WHATSOEVER on his powers) scours the Isles for enemies, parties, odd jobs, and anything else that will provide him with entertainment.
The only thing that interrupts this is his work with the Brutal Warriors Order. Normally, he works security at the Rogue Isles Staging Area, though he also has gone out in pursuit of friends who've been captured by various groups (such as when Psycho13 was kidnapped by Arachnos).
Back in Black
Ice's standard outfit, he wears this on most occasions. It does a very poor job of covering up the fact that's he's not very athletic, just bulky.
Crazy and a Half
As odd as Psycho13 acts, this outfit indicates who's the real sociopath in the group. Dirty Ice wraps himself in rusty barbed wire, starts puffing on a cigar, and thrashes his way through the toughest of enemies. His flabby condition is more prominently displayed, but once he starts laying into his enemies, it doesn't really matter.
Burning Eidolon
After fighting enough of the damn things, Ice felt inspired by the outfits of the Vahzilok meta zombies. He stole one of their outfits, cleaned it, stitched up portions that needed fixing and added his own flair to the outfit. No matter how much Freezy-Breezy he applies, though, the smell never quite goes away.
He wears this outfit when it's clear he needs to intimidate his foe as well as when he needs to better disguise his identity.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
With a year of story building completed, and the various individuals involved with Grey's Army brought up to speed on the workings of the world (not to mention my own familiarity with the story vastly improving), I feel it's time to update my characters list. As such, I will be placing here a new thread to detail my characters, explain some background storylines, and showcase new outfits.
I know I could apply these things to the characters thread, but that seems so... Official...
As this is the new course of affairs, the old Characters List is now defunct. I even deleted the pictures in there. Granted, some of them got replaced here, but the old links still won't work.
So, without further ado, I present to you, Grey's Army: 2008.
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.