Game Idea: Children of the Gods

[Jay 2K Winger]

So... this is an idea I've sort of had percolating in my head for a while.

It draws inspiration heavily from White Wolf's Scion game-- indeed, some of the characters I have bouncing around my head are ones I created while trying out the character creation-- and I suppose also from the Percy Jackson books. (Not the movie. God no.)

The PCs would be the children of the ancient gods-- what pantheon is up to the players, but it would have to be a legit pantheon, no made-up ones, and sorry, but the Elder Gods/Great Old Ones/Outer Gods would not be present.

Naturally, they'd be banding together to go around fighting monsters and stopping the Titans (them as came before the gods) from wreaking havoc and taking over/destroying the world.

While the idea is based off Scion-- and I'd certainly be drawing heavily from it-- I wouldn't be requiring dice rolls and such to determine damage or things like that. There would have to be limitations on what abilities/relics/etc. the PCs would have, of course.

================
Limitations are key in the early going. Or, if a character has a lot of power, there have to be other drawbacks to it. Balance, y'know.
==============================================

The New Time of Legends
The world as you know it is not all it appears. In this time of science and rational thinking, no one gives much thought to myths and legends. Those are all just old stories, told to explain the things that unenlightened men didn’t understand.

But...

All myths are true.

The gods are real. They helped shape the world and guided early Man to create civilization. They did this to help drive back the advance of the Titans-- the unfathomably powerful entities that represent the fundamental forces of reality-- which threatened to destroy the fragile world that the gods had created. The Titans were defeated and bound away in the Underworld, in the Durance Vile, the Great Prison of the Underworld, which Greek men called “Tartarus.”

However, some time in the past-- no one is sure when, but at least in the last three hundred years-- the Great Prison was broken. The Titans-- the catch-all term for all of the wicked creatures, monsters, and specters bound within along with them-- escaped. The Titans count among their number the Frost and Fire Giants, the Oni, the Fomor, and most of the "evil" creatures of ancient myth.

The Titans have bided their time since their escape. Their goals are mysterious-- not even their most trusted lieutenants know what they are-- but one thing is clear: if they overthrow the gods, mankind will be the worse off for it!

But the gods have found themselves trapped in a binding, of sorts. If they ride out in force to drive back the Titans, they could do just as much damage-- both literally and figuratively-- to the World that the ruling gods of each pantheon have sworn not to do so. The Titans battle the gods on the celestial planes, but their lieutenants and minions are in the world, and must be stopped.

Where You Come In
The gods are known to have had dalliances with mortals. Look no further than any ancient myth or legend or story of heroes-- from the strong who fought monsters and slew them in battle, to the cunning who tricked the devils into jars or chests, to the charismatic who rallied the people and defeated evil tyrants. Most of them were the children of the gods.

In these modern times, the mundane folk don’t believe in the gods so much, and publicly announcing one’s heritage will lead to ridicule at best and institutionalization at worst. And showing off one’s abilities could lead to a panic and a fearful response from the mortal authorities. Both the gods and the Titans want to avoid waking the “sleeping giant” of the mundane awareness of them.

So both sides must work in secret, the Titans corrupting mortals or other divine children to their cause to work as their front men, while the gods recruit their children to fight them as well.

The Masquerade
Mankind does have a “perception filter” over things they can’t explain in these times. In the past, they might have thought they were witnessing something godly. These days, they’ll come up with some other explanation to fit their worldview. This can happen on a broad scale, as well, giving both sides of the Divine War some leeway. But don’t push it.

Pantheon relations
The various pantheons have ... chilly relations, to be blunt. Each pantheon thinks of themselves as The One True Divinity, of course, but they grudgingly accept the existence of the others at the moment because, well, they're at war, and they need all the allies they can get.

There's always going to be some butting of heads when gods of various purviews bump into each other. (Thor and Zeus almost always come to blows, likewise the various war gods.) There are some exceptions to this. The gods and goddesses of love tend to get on well-- sitting around sipping divine nectar and swapping stories-- as do the trickster gods, albeit the latter love to pull pranks on one another. The earth gods tend to get drunk together and complain about pollution. Gods who favor strategy and cunning get along all right, but there's always a game of one-upmanship going on between them. The gods of the sea? A tossup, as they're as mercurial as their home.

The Divine Pecking Order
At the top of the ladder, there are the Greater Titans. These entities are unfathomable, even to the gods, and they encompass the entirety of a single force of reality: Light, Darkness, Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Order, Chaos, et cetera. Long imprisoned by the Gods in the Great Prison of the Underworld, they are freed now, but are slow to act, stretching their ancient muscles after their captivity. They have no desires that we can understand but to be free to act.

Next come the Titans, who each represent a particular aspect of the Greater Titan of which they are a part. The Titans have intelligence and desires that are more understandable, and these are the entities which are dangerous, for they seek outright revenge on the Gods for being imprisoned. They are the entities that seek to reshape, control, and/or destroy the world as they see fit.

Roughly on par with the Titans are the Divinity, the Gods themselves. Since antiquity, they have overseen the running of the world, but in these modern times, belief in the gods has waned considerably, so some are not as powerful as they might have once been. Still, they are more than capable of battling the Titans, but it is taking the majority of their concentration to keep them in check.

The Titanspawn are just below the Divinity in terms of power, but their numbers make them formidable. These are the Oni, the Frost Giants, the monsters of myth and legend. There are orders of power within the ranks of the Titanspawn, from their generals all the way down to the grunts. En masse, they are a match even for the Gods, and some are used just for cannon fodder. The generals are far more cunning and much more dangerous, and they work in the world to undermine the Gods' power however they can.

Roughly on par with the mid-range Titanspawn, there are the Divine Children, such as you, the players. As with the Titanspawn, there are orders of power. There are Unawakened, children of the gods whose powers have not truly awakened yet, who have not been visited by or been made aware of who their Divine parent is. There are the Scions, children of the gods like you, who are aware of their heritage and have begun to use their powers to help in the fight. And then there are the Demigods, the pinnacle of power for those of Divine birth such as you, who are a magnitude of power above you. One can't get more powerful than a demigod without becoming one of the Divine outright.

Finally, there are the mortals, the mundane folk that populate the world. They are far more numerous than any of the other ranks in the pecking order, and both the Divinity and the Titans regard them as something like a "sleeping giant." Mankind is powerful, collectively, in its own right-- in ways neither the Gods nor the Titans understand. Hence the secrecy of the war. There are agents for both sides-- some aware of who they're serving, some not-- but by and large, mankind is unaware of what is really going on.

GM Rules for the Game
1. Real Life Comes First. "Rule One" takes precedence over the others. If you're not able to respond right away, that's fine. We won't be going super fast with this, and if you need to bow out for a while because of RL concerns, that's fine. We can either auto-pilot your character for a while, or have them written out temporarily.

2. Be Respectful of Others. This essentially boils down to "no power gaming." There are some exceptions to this-- which I'll elaborate on later. But basically, if you're dealing with another named character, defer to the judgment of the person running that character.

3. Don't Make Claims Without Consent. Doubtless your characters have accomplished something worthy to be considered for the tasks ahead, but be reasonable about them. (e.g., don't run around claiming to have beaten up a god like Loki, or something. Truth be told, nearly everyone manages to punch Loki in the jaw once or twice, but only another god of the Norse pantheon can really beat him down properly.) Also, the Hulk can beat down Loki any time he wants, but the Hulk's not available.

Pantheons of Note
The Olympians (Greek/Roman)
The Loa (Vodoun)
The Aesir (Norse)
The Aztec
The Amatsu-kami (Shinto/Japanese)
The Egyptian
The Tuatha (Celtic)
The Celestial Bureaucracy (Chinese)

Passive Divine Abilities
These are abilities that everyone of the Divinity-- which includes their children-- possess.

I Can Sense You, Highlander (Divine Sense) -- Those of the Divine can sense the presence of another one of their kind in the area. They can't pinpoint them precisely out of a crowd (unless they know them personally), but it means that the children of the gods can sense the presence of another of their kind if they're somewhere close. This does not work, alas, for detecting the Titanspawn. This ability manifests usually as an "itch" in the brain, and can vary sometimes depending on the strength of the other.

Tis Just a Flesh Wound (Injury Resistance) -- Those with Divine heritage are more naturally resistant to injury and harm. Even an Unawakened scion is tougher than normal. It's not uncommon for there to be collateral damage when scions fight Titanspawn as bodies are thrown through things like furniture and walls, but it's less likely to cause lacerations and contusions and the like.

Just something to note.

==============================================

Name: (duh - bonus points if it's a meaningful name or evokes something related to the divine parent)
Heritage: (who is the character’s Divine Parent? what pantheon are they from, and what is their purview?)
Occupation: (what is/was your character’s day job?)

// NOTE: At the start, you may have up to FIVE (5) Divine Abilities and/or Attributes.

Divine Abilities: (Abilities that are beyond the scope of mortal power)

• Focus -- (the children of the gods need some object to use as a focus for their Divine Abilities; trying to use their Divine Abilities without it is much harder)
• (describe a Divine Ability and what it does/allows them to do)
• (describe a Divine Ability and what it does/allows them to do)

Divine Attributes: (Attributes are a part of one’s very being, and require no focus object to use. They include physical powers (strength, speed, etc.), mental powers (intelligence, perception, etc.), and even encompass social attributes (charisma, appearance, etc.))

• (describe a Divine Attribute and what it allows them to do)
• (describe a Divine Attribute and what it allows them to do)

Description:
(what does your character look like? what’s their personality?)

Backstory:
(what’s your character’s story? did they know about their Divine Heritage growing up? if not, how did they come to find out?)

(feel free to expand on this as you like, give a little insight into when they first came in contact with the Divine.)

Flaws: (even the gods aren’t perfect; what flaws does your character have?)
Goal: (what does your character want to do with their Divine Heritage?)

==============================================

Some examples... If anyone joins in and this actually takes off, Johnny Merc would be a key NPC-- getting the PCs together and delivering "MESSAGES FROM ON HIGH"-- and Mattieu Carrefour would be a semi-major villain.

==============================================

Name: Johnny Mercury (“Johnny Merc”) (real name: John Tarmes)
Heritage: Son of Hermes, Greek messenger god
Occupation: Courier, B-list actor
Divine Abilities:

• Focus -- gold pendant with the astrological sign for Mercury on it
• Up, Up, And Away (Limited Flight) -- Merc can fly for short distances
• Doors Do Nothing (Limited Phasing) -- Merc can walk through a door as if it weren’t there.
• You Can’t Hide From Me (Limited Omniscience) -- Merc, given something attuned to it, can locate anyone/anything, anywhere in the world.

Divine Attributes:

• Movie-Star Good Looks (Appearance) -- Merc’s damn good looking, and he knows it. He can also “turn it off,” to avoid attracting attention, which just makes him regularly handsome.
• Catch Me If You Can (Agility) -- Merc is at least twice as fast as the average mundane.

Description:
A tall, handsome man with brown hair, brown eyes, and a million-dollar smile, Johnny Mercury is one of those actors everyone’s heard of (his biggest role was in that summer blockbuster a few years back, “Dead Locked”), but never quite makes it to the A-list. When he walks into a room, cameras flash a bit, and TMZ loves this guy.

He can be overly dramatic out in public, but in private, away from the cameras, he “switches off” and tones it down, generally getting down to business. Johnny Merc is the Divine community’s messenger, delivering messages to the Divines’ children, delivering care packages, and especially for the children of the Greco-Roman pantheon, being the one who delivers the truth about someone’s Divine Heritage. He likes this job, too, since there’s a lower likelihood of being shot at or attacked.

Backstory:
From a young age, Johnny knew he was destined for big things. What they were, he didn’t know. But he was getting in trouble for it, and showing off whenever he could. By the time he hit high school, however, he started to realize he had no idea what to DO with his life.

That changed when he was visited by his father just after graduation. (What, you think it was a coincidence he chose “Johnny Mercury” as his stage name?) After learning the truth, he went to L.A., making bank by being a courier for some movie studios until he got his big break.

Johnny Merc’s reputation for excessive dramatics both on and off the set, plus his “whimsical” tendency to disappear for days or WEEKS at a time (those times when Merc has had to undertake a job for the Divinity, such as delivering something to another child of the gods) are the reasons why no studio trusts him as a leading actor for anything “A-list.”

Flaws: Merc’s meant for support, not front-line battle. His natural inclination to dramatics will often come back to bite him in the ass. He’s a big fan of the ladies as well.
Goal: Help support the cause; make it to the “A-list.”

==============================================

Name: Mattieu Carrefour
Heritage: Son of Kalfu, the "god" of the dark crossroads, master of the wicked spirits of the night
Occupation: Grifter, con man, thief
Divine Abilities:

• Focus: Onyx ring.
• The Shadows Are My Friends (Shadowmancy) -- Mattieu can manipulate shadows in his surroundings, but only shadows that he or his shadow are touching. This enables him to partially bind or strike at enemies.
• From Out Of The Shadows (Shadow-step) -- Mattieu can step into a shadow and step out of another within eyesight; shadows must be large enough to encompass him.
• Fool You Once (Illusion Disguise) -- Mattieu can disguise himself or someone/something else with an illusion. Illusion can fool any four senses-- sight is ALWAYS fooled-- but can be broken if the canny sense detects the deception. Divine abilities of detection can also break the illusion, and also make it much harder for Mattieu to fool that person again.

Divine Attributes:

• Snake Charmer (Charisma) -- Mattieu can be very charming, and does inspire the mundane to assist/follow him.
• Feet Don’t Fail Me Now (Agility) -- Mattieu is about half again as fast as the average mundane.

Description:
A young man of tanned complexion and dark hair, Mattieu is handsome, but passably so. He appears rather ordinary most of the time, which is how he likes it. His dark eyes are kind, but they unmistakably show how clever he is. He can’t hide the cunning in them. Generally, however, one would not be able to pick him out of a crowd if asked.

Backstory:
The only child of a New Orleans whore, Mattieu Carrefour grew up without any knowledge of his father. He lived on the street, and took to grifting and con jobs to make ends meet, and became quite accomplished at it. It wasn’t until he came of age that he learned the truth, when he found a stranger with a straw hat and a cane who he couldn’t fool with even a simple scam...

His hands flew across the top of the fold-out table and then he spread his hands apart. Finally the cards stopped dancing under his fingers, and he looked up at the smiling stranger. Mattieu didn’t return the smile, and any friendliness in his eyes had evaporated.

“All right,” Mattieu spat. “Find the lady.”

In response, the stranger laughed, a deep dark sound. “Interestin’ tricks you got there, boy,” he chuckled. Mattieu couldn’t place how old the guy was. He was bald, and he leaned on the cane like an aged person, but his face and body looked young. His eyes, though, his eyes seemed unfathomably old. Then the stranger smiled with yellow teeth and held up a hand, a card between his fingers. He flipped it around and showed Mattieu “the lady”-- the Queen of Diamonds.

With a start, Mattieu looked down at the table, flipping over all three cards. Where before there should have been three black cards (the two, the three, and the five of clubs) underneath, all three showed the Ace of Spades. “But I,” the stranger grinned. “I been doin’ this game far longer’n you, boy.”

That was how Mattieu Carrefour first met his father, Kalfu. That was five years ago. Now he’s even better at his cons, and he’s got his eye on the long game.
Flaws: Mattieu Carrefour is not a fighter. If forced into a battle, he’ll do whatever he can to get out of it and fast. He’s a manipulator and deceiver foremost.
Goal: Unknown.
==============================================
==============================================
==============================================
MAIN CHARACTERS

Our Ragtag Band of Misfits

• "E.J." Emmett Jager - Son of Ma'at (Egyptian) - P.I. - Defender of Truth & Justice & The American Way <Chanlin>
• Lupo Virtus - Son of Mars (Roman) - MMA Fighter - Proud Warrior Guy <Mytical>
• Jack Childs - Son of Tlaloc (Aztec) - Butcher - Protector of Children <Scorpodael>
• Aiden Mistel - Grandson of Freya (Norse) - Retired financier - Hedonistic Wanderer <Naamah>
• Fiona Black - Daughter of Sun Wukong (Celestial Bureaucracy) - Gambler - Loveable(?) Rogue <Chanlin>
• Hassan Al-Ashraf - Son of Anubis (Egyptian) - Antiquities Dealer - Creepy Cursed Not-Dead Guy <Nearly Ruined>

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
Allies/Inactive

• Johnny Mercury - Son of Hermes (Greek) - Actor - "MESSENGER OF THE GODS!"
• Paul Hays - Son of Pluto (Roman) - Socialite - Rich Idiot With No Day Job
• Solomon Becker - Son of Sobek (Egyptian) - "Facilitator" - Aussie Hardcase
• Selene Hoffman - Daughter of Thoth (Egyptian) - IT Consultant - Hacker Par Excellence
• Shinihime Raiko "Ko-shi" - Daughter of Izanami (Amatsu-kami) - Artist - She Sees Dead People
• Edana Conner - Daughter of Belisama (Celtic) - Fire-Eater - The Girl on Fire <dragon_wings>
• Deann Hunt - Daughter of Artemis (Greek) - Zookeeper - Huntress & Devoted Daughter <Kheldarson> [REFUSED THE CALL]
• Luke Cooley - Son of Lugh (Celtic) - Drifter - Rebel Without A Cause <KabeRinnaul> [INJURED]
• Saitou Haruko - Daughter of Amateratsu Omikami (Amatsu-kami) - Mangaka - Bright Spark

Enemies

• Paul Boavista - Son of Quetzalcoatl (Aztec) - Conservationist/Doctor/Surgeon - Well-Intentioned Extremist
• Mattieu Carrefour - Son of Kalfu (Vodoun) - Con Artist & Thief - Sneaky Bastard
• Morgan MacBride - Son of the Morrigan (Celtic) - Terrorist - You Should Be Running. (Seriously. Run.)
• Agatha Riggs - Daughter of Heimdall (Norse) - Scientist - Amoral Madgirl
• Susana Ishii - Daughter of Susano-o (Amatsu-kami) - Criminal - Maniac

[Kheldarson]

So much Percy Jackson reference!

But could be neat. You'd want heavy limitations to prevent overly powerful characters, but it could work.

[Jay 2K Winger]

So much Percy Jackson reference!

But could be neat. You'd want heavy limitations to prevent overly powerful characters, but it could work.

Of course. Limitations are key in the early going. Or, if a character has a lot of power, there have to be other drawbacks to it. Balance, y'know.
==============================================

The New Time of Legends
The world as you know it is not all it appears. In this time of science and rational thinking, no one gives much thought to myths and legends. Those are all just old stories, told to explain the things that unenlightened men didn’t understand.

But...

All myths are true.

The gods are real. They helped shape the world and guided early Man to create civilization. They did this to help drive back the advance of the Titans-- the unfathomably powerful entities that represent the fundamental forces of reality-- which threatened to destroy the fragile world that the gods had created. The Titans were defeated and bound away in the Underworld, in the Durance Vile, the Great Prison of the Underworld, which Greek men called “Tartarus.”

However, some time in the past-- no one is sure when, but at least in the last three hundred years-- the Great Prison was broken. The Titans-- and all of the wicked creatures, monsters, and specters bound within along with them-- escaped.

The Titans have bided their time since their escape. Their goals are mysterious-- not even their most trusted lieutenants know what they are-- but one thing is clear: if they overthrow the gods, mankind will be the worse off for it!

But the gods have found themselves trapped in a binding, of sorts. If they ride out in force to drive back the Titans, they could do just as much damage-- both literally and figuratively-- to the World that the ruling gods of each pantheon have sworn not to do so. The Titans battle the gods on the celestial planes, but their lieutenants and minions are in the world, and must be stopped.

Where You Come In
The gods are known to have had dalliances with mortals. Look no further than any ancient myth or legend or story of heroes-- from the strong who fought monsters and slew them in battle, to the cunning who tricked the devils into jars or chests, to the charismatic who rallied the people and defeated evil tyrants. Most of them were the children of the gods.

In these modern times, the mundane folk don’t believe in the gods so much, and publicly announcing one’s heritage will lead to ridicule at best and institutionalization at worst. And showing off one’s abilities could lead to a panic and a fearful response from the mortal authorities. Both the gods and the Titans want to avoid waking the “sleeping giant” of the mundane awareness of them.

So both sides must work in secret, the Titans corrupting mortals or other divine children to their cause to work as their front men, while the gods recruit their children to fight them as well.

Some Other Things To Know
Mankind does have a “perception filter” over things they can’t explain in these times. In the past, they might have thought they were witnessing something godly. These days, they’ll come up with some other explanation to fit their worldview. This can happen on a broad scale, as well, giving both sides of the Divine War some leeway. But don’t push it.

Pantheons of Note: The Olympians (Greek/Roman), The Loa (Vodoun), The Aesir (Norse), The Nahuatlani (Aztec), The Amatsukami (Shinto), The Kemetani (Egyptian), The Tuatha (Celtic)

==============================================

Name: (duh - bonus points if it's a meaningful name or evokes something related to the divine parent)
Heritage: (who is the character’s Divine Parent? what pantheon are they from, and what is their purview?)
Occupation: (what is/was your character’s day job?)
Divine Abilities: (Abilities that are beyond the scope of mortal power)

• Focus -- (the children of the gods need some object to use as a focus for their Divine Abilities; trying to use their Divine Abilities without it is much harder)
• (describe a Divine Ability and what it does/allows them to do)
• (describe a Divine Ability and what it does/allows them to do)

Divine Attributes: (Attributes are a part of one’s very being, and require no focus object to use. They include physical powers (strength, speed, etc.), mental powers (intelligence, perception, etc.), and even encompass social attributes (charisma, appearance, etc.))

• (describe a Divine Attribute and what it allows them to do)
• (describe a Divine Attribute and what it allows them to do)

Description:
(what does your character look like? what’s their personality?)

Backstory:
(what’s your character’s story? did they know about their Divine Heritage growing up? if not, how did they come to find out?)

(feel free to expand on this as you like, give a little insight into when they first came in contact with the Divine.)

Flaws: (even the gods aren’t perfect; what flaws does your character have?)
Goal: (what does your character want to do with their Divine Heritage?)

==============================================

Some examples... If anyone joins in and this actually takes off, Johnny Merc would be a key NPC-- getting the PCs together and delivering "MESSAGES FROM ON HIGH"-- and Mattieu Carrefour would be a semi-major villain.

==============================================

Name: Johnny Mercury (“Johnny Merc”) (real name: John Tarmes)
Heritage: Son of Hermes, Greek messenger god
Occupation: Courier, B-list actor
Divine Abilities:

• Focus -- gold pendant with the astrological sign for Mercury on it
• Up, Up, And Away (Limited Flight) -- Merc can fly for short distances
• Doors Do Nothing (Limited Phasing) -- Merc can walk through a door as if it weren’t there.
• You Can’t Hide From Me (Limited Omniscience) -- Merc, given something attuned to it, can locate anyone/anything, anywhere in the world.

Divine Attributes:

• Movie-Star Good Looks (Appearance) -- Merc’s damn good looking, and he knows it. He can also “turn it off,” to avoid attracting attention, which just makes him regularly handsome.
• Catch Me If You Can (Agility) -- Merc is at least twice as fast as the average mundane.

Description:
A tall, handsome man with brown hair, brown eyes, and a million-dollar smile, Johnny Mercury is one of those actors everyone’s heard of (his biggest role was in that summer blockbuster a few years back, “Dead Locked”), but never quite makes it to the A-list. When he walks into a room, cameras flash a bit, and TMZ loves this guy.

He can be overly dramatic out in public, but in private, away from the cameras, he “switches off” and tones it down, generally getting down to business. Johnny Merc is the Divine community’s messenger, delivering messages to the Divines’ children, delivering care packages, and especially for the children of the Greco-Roman pantheon, being the one who delivers the truth about someone’s Divine Heritage. He likes this job, too, since there’s a lower likelihood of being shot at or attacked.

Backstory:
From a young age, Johnny knew he was destined for big things. What they were, he didn’t know. But he was getting in trouble for it, and showing off whenever he could. By the time he hit high school, however, he started to realize he had no idea what to DO with his life.

That changed when he was visited by his father just after graduation. (What, you think it was a coincidence he chose “Johnny Mercury” as his stage name?) After learning the truth, he went to L.A., making bank by being a courier for some movie studios until he got his big break.

Johnny Merc’s reputation for excessive dramatics both on and off the set, plus his “whimsical” tendency to disappear for days or WEEKS at a time (those times when Merc has had to undertake a job for the Divinity, such as delivering something to another child of the gods) are the reasons why no studio trusts him as a leading actor for anything “A-list.”

Flaws: Merc’s meant for support, not front-line battle. His natural inclination to dramatics will often come back to bite him in the ass. He’s a big fan of the ladies as well.
Goal: Help support the cause; make it to the “A-list.”

==============================================

Name: Mattieu Carrefour
Heritage: Son of Kalfu, the "god" of the dark crossroads, master of the wicked spirits of the night
Occupation: Grifter, con man, thief
Divine Abilities:

• Focus: Onyx ring.
• The Shadows Are My Friends (Shadowmancy) -- Mattieu can manipulate shadows in his surroundings, but only shadows that he or his shadow are touching. This enables him to partially bind or strike at enemies.
• From Out Of The Shadows (Shadow-step) -- Mattieu can step into a shadow and step out of another within eyesight; shadows must be large enough to encompass him.
• Fool You Once (Illusion Disguise) -- Mattieu can disguise himself or someone/something else with an illusion. Illusion can fool any four senses-- sight is ALWAYS fooled-- but can be broken if the canny sense detects the deception. Divine abilities of detection can also break the illusion, and also make it much harder for Mattieu to fool that person again.

Divine Attributes:

• Snake Charmer (Charisma) -- Mattieu can be very charming, and does inspire the mundane to assist/follow him.
• Feet Don’t Fail Me Now (Agility) -- Mattieu is about half again as fast as the average mundane.

Description:
A young man of tanned complexion and dark hair, Mattieu is handsome, but passably so. He appears rather ordinary most of the time, which is how he likes it. His dark eyes are kind, but they unmistakably show how clever he is. He can’t hide the cunning in them. Generally, however, one would not be able to pick him out of a crowd if asked.

Backstory:
The only child of a New Orleans whore, Mattieu Carrefour grew up without any knowledge of his father. He lived on the street, and took to grifting and con jobs to make ends meet, and became quite accomplished at it. It wasn’t until he came of age that he learned the truth, when he found a stranger with a straw hat and a cane who he couldn’t fool with even a simple scam...

His hands flew across the top of the fold-out table and then he spread his hands apart. Finally the cards stopped dancing under his fingers, and he looked up at the smiling stranger. Mattieu didn’t return the smile, and any friendliness in his eyes had evaporated.

“All right,” Mattieu spat. “Find the lady.”

In response, the stranger laughed, a deep dark sound. “Interestin’ tricks you got there, boy,” he chuckled. Mattieu couldn’t place how old the guy was. He was bald, and he leaned on the cane like an aged person, but his face and body looked young. His eyes, though, his eyes seemed unfathomably old. Then the stranger smiled with yellow teeth and held up a hand, a card between his fingers. He flipped it around and showed Mattieu “the lady”-- the Queen of Diamonds.

With a start, Mattieu looked down at the table, flipping over all three cards. Where before there should have been three black cards (the two, the three, and the five of clubs) underneath, all three showed the Ace of Spades. “But I,” the stranger grinned. “I been doin’ this game far longer’n you, boy.”

That was how Mattieu Carrefour first met his father, Kalfu. That was five years ago. Now he’s even better at his cons, and he’s got his eye on the long game.
Flaws: Mattieu Carrefour is not a fighter. If forced into a battle, he’ll do whatever he can to get out of it and fast. He’s a manipulator and deceiver foremost.
Goal: Unknown.

[Kheldarson]

Hm...I'm interested. But anybody care if I kind of break character for a goddess (as in, I've always been a fan of a couple of virgin goddesses and totally have ideas in line with them but...virgin causes a few issues there...)

[Jay 2K Winger]

Hm...I'm interested. But anybody care if I kind of break character for a goddess (as in, I've always been a fan of a couple of virgin goddesses and totally have ideas in line with them but...virgin causes a few issues there...)

The myths may all be true, but that doesn't mean they have all the facts.

[Chanlin]

I am definitely interested. Got a character idea fleshed out and outlined below

Name: Emmett "E.J." Jager (roughly hebrew in origin for Truth Hunter)
Heritage: Ma'at - Egyptian goddess of truth, justice, balance and order
Occupation: Private Investigator
Divine Abilities:

Focus -- Silver Ankh Necklace

• Eyes that see the soul: Emmett is capable of seeing the truth of someone's being simply by gazing at them. This allows him to perceive someone's true nature. This ability can pierce persons disguised by illusions so long as he has gazed the person before as he never forgets what a soul looks like. (this is in part based on the soul-gaze described by Jim Butcher in the Dresden Files)
• Truth be told: Emmett is capable of discerning statements that the speaker believes to be the truth or believes to be a lie. This can not detect lies of omission, but if the speaker does or does not believe what he said is the truth Emmett will know. It should also be noted that this is based on the speakers perceived truth, ie: if the speaker lied but did not know it than neither will Emmett unless he has evidence otherwise.
• Order from Chaos: Where others see a jumbled mess Emmett can usually make connections. This puts his investigative ability on par with Sherlock Holmes. (this is based on Walter from the Finder)

Divine Attributes:

• Ordered Mind: To use a cliche phrase, Emmett has a mind like a steel trap. His memory isn't perfect, but he has a head for details that leaves the average person awestruck.
• Elementary my dear Watson: Like the famous investigator, Emmett has an eye for detail that is well above the normal mortal scope.

Description:
Average in appearance in most aspects, height, weight, and so on. Most that see him say his eyes look intelligent. Has dark raven black hair and hazel colored eyes and a sandy complexion. Most people that describe him tend to use the words eccentric and wise.

In personality, if you're familiar with it think of a cross between Harry Dresden and his friend Michael. He is a dogged pursuer of the truth and will never fail to complete any job he takes on or will die trying.

He always tries to do right and good by his own moral standards, but has a tendency to be flippant and downright snarky when things get rough. His eye for truth and disgust for lies has made him somewhat jaded though.

Backstory:
As a child Emmett infuriated teachers and peers alike with his unabashed speaking of the truth and ability to see things even they didn't want to admit were part of their
personalities. Constant scrapes with teachers and fights with children his own age eventually taught him that there is a time and a place for speaking your mind.

After he graduated high school he was visited in a dream by his mother who told him the truth of his heritage. Because of his divine being he knew what she had said to be the
truth so had little trouble accepting it, and it really came as no surprise to him.

With his strong sense of justice he attempted to become a police officer, but found he could not stomach the daily corruption, lies and politicking that came with the job. As such
he went with his heart and earned his private detectives license and never looked back since.

Like the famous detective of literature Sherlock Holmes, he has a reputation for being able to solve any mystery. This makes him both popular and infamous with the
police as both a consultant and a force that is known for meddling where it isn't wanted.


Flaws: Emmett is incapable of telling a baldfaced lie. He can lie by omission or by creative manipulation of the truth, but his divine being prevents him from speaking anything he knows to be false.
Goal: Emmett is dedicated to the cause of Order and Justice and actively seeks to counterbalance the influence of the Titans as much as possible.

[dragon_wings]

I love the idea of this. I've got the beginning of my character written down and I imagine I can hone her tomorrow (10 ish hour car ride).

[Kheldarson]

Name: Deann Hunt
Heritage: Artemis/Diana, Greek/Roman Pantheon (cuz, honestly, if we try to sort the differences we'll be here all semester), goddess of the hunt, chastity, moon, childbirth, animals
Occupation: Zookeeper
Divine Abilities:

Focus -- Wooden Bow

• Shoot The Moon: Deann can shoot anything she targets. The shot won't hit vitals unless she really forces it, and sharp turns by a target throws it off.

• Form of the Goddess: Deann can transform herself, or one other person, into an animal for a length of time. Deer and bears last longer than the others. She cannot use any other abilities while using this, even if on someone else.

• Shot of Health: Deann can heal or cause minor damage/illnesses with her arrows. The damage from the arrows is not healed through this ability.

Divine Attributes:

• Run Like the Deer: If she tried, Deann could break Olympic records in the sprint.

• Huntress' Grace: Like her mother, Deann moves silently and gracefully, almost as if she's on the prowl.

Description:
Deann's rather small in stature (barely clearing 5') but has a definitive athletic build to her. Her light brown hair always has a windswept look to it, as if she's always moving swiftly. Her eyes are green and she sports a year round tan that's owed to being outside year round.

She's a very confident young woman, always aiming to get what she wants. She enjoys being around other people, often seeming to be right in the middle of things, yet, if asked, she'll tell you she prefers the company of her pets more.

Backstory:
As a child, Deann grew up in a rural area with a large woods on the property where she spent all her time. It was there she first met her mother, although she didn't know it at the time. Her mother taught her rudimentary hunting skills (like using a bow, tracking animals) which her father, with much surprise, encouraged.

It wasn't until her first heartbreak in high school that she found out the truth. She and her father had to move due to the...fallout, and her father made her swear not to go seeking out her mother again, at least not until Deann was out of his house. Deann agreed, but settled on improving her archery skills and working with animals to better her chances of maybe seeing her mom again someday.

She now happily works at the local zoo and volunteers at the local 4-H club giving archery lessons.

Flaws: Pride. It's difficult for her to back down from an insult or challenge. Fortunately, she did not pick up her mother's vindictive streak.
Goal: Honestly, Deann hasn't thought much about using her heritage beyond meeting her mom again.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I like what you guys are coming up with so far.

Once/if we get some more participants, I'll start spinning up some more concrete story. Tailor the story to the characters, as it were.

[Kristev]

What are the precise rules? What are the traits? I'm interested in playing.

[Kheldarson]

Um...make shit up as you go. Kinda.

It's more take the standard that's been given (see Jay's examples), determine what kind of character you'd like to play, and make the two mesh.

[Chanlin]

Aye, more or less its make up a character with some neat abilities, just make sure they have some draw back and or aren't unbeatably powerful. Or if you have some highly powerful abilities build in some sort of weakness or flaw to the character.

The basic idea is to be more than mortal and less (probably much less) than godly.

[Jay 2K Winger]

What are the precise rules? What are the traits? I'm interested in playing.

Um...make shit up as you go. Kinda.

It's more take the standard that's been given (see Jay's examples), determine what kind of character you'd like to play, and make the two mesh.

The basic idea is to be more than mortal and less (probably much less) than godly.

Pretty much what they said. While I'm taking major cues from the "Scion" game, we're not going to bog ourselves down too much with dice rolling and whatnot.

It's true also that the children of the gods are meant to be more mortal than godly, but I do think we can expand on that later when the story progresses.

[Mytical]

Name: Lupo Virtus (AKA - Mike 'The Wolf' Hammer (stage name))
Heritage: Mars, Roman Pantheon, War
Occupation: MMA Ring Fighter
Divine Abilities:

Focus -- Simple gold chain worn around the neck.

Combat Mimicry - Any fighting move/style he sees even once, he can copy perfectly. No matter how good his enemy he only has to fight them once to be as good as they are.
Inner Focus - Not only allows him to fight in any possible condition (total darkness, blinding snow, etc), but he can block out all distractions.
Uncanny Dodge - He can avoid most hits, flying objects, etc..if it is possible for them to be dodged. Something like a bullet would be far to fast for him to dodge for example.

Divine Attributes:

Balanced - While he is not the strongest, fastest, most agile..he has a perfect balance of all three. He would not win the title of 'the worlds strongest man', but his strength is far above the average person for example.
Presence - He has a presence that commands respect. He is not very charismatic, so people do not necessarily LIKE him, but he is hard to ignore. Of course..this can be a BAD thing too.


Description:
Half African American, Half Latino. Dark hair 'buzz cut'. ((If you've seen 'power man' on the new Ultimate Spider Man..something like that)).

Backstory:
Lupo has known since birth about his divine heritage. Though he lost both of his parents at 18, by then he had already made a name in the boxing ring. After a couple years of going undefeated..he started to look for bigger challenges. Out of the ring, he is as gentle as a kitten, but once in a fight..he can be totally and utterly ruthless. He has to win..sometimes at all costs. He gets 'visits' from his father from time to time, in his dreams, and it drives him to be the BEST in the world.


Flaws: Every one of his abilities and attributes have their own inherent flaws. He has to be able to see a move in order to be able to do it..so even though he can fight blind..if he is blind he can not learn his enemies moves. Also, he can become so focused on an enemy that other dangers (other enemies, flying obstacles, etc) fade to the background and can completely surprise him. Also..if the combat maneuver is ranged..though he can learn it..it does him no good..he is a melee fighter through and through. While he can dodge things (if his inner focus has not blinded him to them) he can only do so if it is humanly possible to do so. No matrix like dodging bullets or such. Though he is stronger, faster, more agile then the average person .. it is not to demigod status. The son of Hercules, for example would be much stronger. The son of Hermes much faster..and so on. As for Presence..stealth is NOT his thing.

Goal: As stated ... he is driven to become the best fighter in the world.

[Jay 2K Winger]

So, looking at it thus far we have:

- "E.J." Emmit Jager - son of Ma'at - P.I. and Defender of Truth and Justice, and The American Way
- Deann Hunt - daughter of Artemis - Zookeeper and Proud Daughter
- Lupo Virtus - son of Mars - MMA Expert and Looking For A Good Fight

I'd ideally like at least one more PC before we get started. So if someone's looking on and sitting on the fence, jump in!