Game Idea: Children of the Gods

[KabeRinnaul]

Name: Luke Cooley
Heritage: Son of Lugh, Celtic god of Light; and according to family lore, direct descendant of Cúchulainn.
Occupation: Frequently-unemployed drifter who never holds any job for long.

Divine Abilities:

• Focus - Ancient Irish coin worn as a pendant.
• Proud Family Tradition - The Cooley family has frequently been influenced by Lugh through the generations, and it has left a mark on everyone in the family line, though the ability only shows up fully in those who are the more direct results of his interest. Any fighting skill or combat experience is passed down as a form of ancestral memory. This means Luke is a world-class fighter when it comes to ancient weapons and hand-to-hand combat, but as weapons become more modern he's less familiar and thus less skilled with them.
• Berserk - When pushed hard enough, Luke can slip into a berserk state where his strength, speed, reflexes, and stamina all go through the roof. However, like Cúchulainn, he can very easily lose control of himself while in this state. Due to the damage he can cause and the risk he poses to people around him, he tries to resist hitting this point at all. But if he completely holds himself back, he'll inevitably snap and go all-out.

Divine Attributes:

• Hold the Line - Perhaps in memory of Cúchulainn's last stand, Luke can push his limits to a ridiculous degree, such as going days without sleep or continuing to fight until he can no longer stand. He still suffers for it afterwards, though.
• Well-Rounded - Luke's strength, speed, and toughness are all above-average, though not anything superhuman. Still, he's near the best anyone could be.
• You Really Wanna Do This? - Luke's a bit unhinged in a fight, and his opponents can usually sense it. It's sometimes enough to get less experienced fighters to back down, but against anyone who's a seasoned combatant it might just throw them off their game a bit.

Description: 24 years old, red hair, and a bit more tanned than you'd expect from an Irish kid. That's courtesy of he various jobs he's had doing outdoor manual labor, and time spent walking from place to place, as he's never been able to afford a car. Only faint traces of an Irish accent can be heard in his voice - his speech more identifies him as being from the Alleghenies. He's clever, but mostly uneducated, and reads more than one would expect of someone with his attitudes.

Backstory: Unlike many other children of the gods, Luke knew his father's identity from a young age. The Cooleys have been touched by Lugh many times through the generations, and the family now sees themselves as proud keepers of old traditions. Most of them, anyway. But we'll get to that. Luke's family has a long, proud tradition of being freedom fighters, revolutionaries, rebels, anarchists, and general shit-disturbers. Okay, so it's not always considered a proud tradition by the average person, but the family themselves tend to think highly of it. Luke's great-grandfather, being of rather more sound mind than most of his relations, came to America at the beginning of the 20th century, hoping to start a new life away from all this madness about faeries and gods and warrior's codes, and settled in southern West Virginia.

His son was born just in time to get wrapped up in the Coal Wars, and it was then learned that old habits die hard. Soon enough, there were world wars, cultural shifts, and civil rights struggles to get themselves wrapped up in, and with the new generations getting back in touch with the rest of the clan back in the old country, all was right in the world again. So long as you consider all that stuff about rebels and anarchy "right in the world". As far as personal history goes, Luke dropped out of high school because he was "tired of their crap", has never held a job for more than three months (those generally concluding with him shouting at a customer or supervisor), has spent his share of time in jail for misdemeanors (his specialty being "Disturbing the Peace"), and has recently been arrested a total of eight times in three different cities while participating in the "Occupy" movement.

Flaws: Proud, foul-mouthed, and short-tempered, Luke is a walking example of just about every negative Irish stereotype you've ever heard. He frequently lets his temper get the better of him, doesn't know when to back down, and doesn't compromise on his ideals even when it would be better for him to just shut up for a bit. This is on top of the drawbacks inherent to his abilities.

Goals: Personally, a life where he's free to do as he wishes. Further, family tradition holds that it's their duty to carry on the role of defending freedom, particularly that of the Irish people, as the Tuatha De Danann did.

[Scorpodael]

Well, let me know if this is an acceptable sort of character or not...

Name: Jack Childs

Heritage: Tlaloc (Aztec god of fertility, rain, water, and lightning)

Occupation: Butcher

Divine Abilities:
Focus -- A knife with a turquoise handle

Storm Call: Wherever there is water, Jack can call up a storm in direct proportion to how much there is (Calling the water for the storm from Tlalocan- The realm of the afterlife ruled by Tlaloc- where it will return once he sheathes the knife), controlling thunder, lightning, and hail if it is big enough (the minimum body of water for lightning is 660,000 gallons- an Olympic swimming pool- and the minimum for hail is 5 times that). The water must be within his line of sight, and cannot have been used for this ability within the past 36 hours. If he gets out of sight of the water source, he will lose control of the storm, which will generally just break up and dissappear, unless it is large enough to be self-sustaining. This ability can be used indoors, and ends when the amount of water drawn from Tlalocan is equal to the body of water that he is focusing on. This ability is very draining, and after an hour has passed after its use has finished, he will be severely weakened and tired for 6 hours, nearly useless.

Forced Growth: Given proper soil and water, Jack can force any plant to grow, either from seed to full maturity, increasing in size, or producing flowers, fruit, and seeds. This will typically exhaust the soil where the plant's roots reach.

Lightning Touch: Jack can produce electricity from his hands, at about the same intensity as a defibrillator. He cannot keep this up for more than 4 seconds in any given minute, and not for more than a total of 90 seconds in any given hour. Attempting to do so will result in both failure and extreme pain.

Divine Attributes:
Have a Heart: Jack can recharge from most exhaustion, hunger, and illness (but not injury) if he eats a raw heart from a mammal or bird. This can also work to reduce the weakness from Storm Call down to 1 hour, rather than 6.

Who's there?: Jack can sense the heartbeats of all natural creatures (And unnatural creatures associated with jungles) within 30 meters.

Description:

Jack is fairly stout- broad shouldered and about 5'6", with a permanent tan, bright blue eyes, and dark, dark hair- a strange mix of Nordic and Mexican stock... except on the nights with thunderstorms. On a stormy night, Jack will grow fangs, and his eyes will turn bright red and large. He tends to dress quite simply, though he'll almost never be without two things- his knife, and an insulated pouch at his belt where he keeps chicken hearts on ice.

Personality-wise, he's quite kind, but that kindness can transform to rage at the sight of things that he believes to be wrong- especially when it's crimes against children. And he has absolutely no trouble with killing those who need killing, or even with torture for those who commit crimes against children.

Backstory:

Jack has never met his father- which isn't all that surprising, considering that Tlaloc has an afterlife to run. He only learned of his divine status after having eaten the heart of the Thanksgiving Turkey- Raw- on a dare, which resulted in a strange illness that was not unlike food poisoning. It was not, though- it was his divine nature coming out. During his time bedridden, he saw many visions of many different things, and came out of it with knowledge of who, of what he was, where he had come from, and how he could keep his powers. When he awoke, his knife was laying across his chest, in its sheath.

Of course, once he got better the following Saturday, he wasn't sure whether or not it was real, until a thunderstorm in the night led to him growing fangs and bright red eyes. He doesn't remember much of the next few years, during which he apparently honed his powers, because his next really clear memory was waking up in a hospital bed at age 25, having been struck by an out-of-control car while shoving a gradeschooler to safety.

Flaws: Although Tlaloc demands child sacrifice, Jack is incapable of any action or inaction that will allow a child to come to harm to the best of his knowledge.

Jack must eat a raw heart (Any species) every week, or he loses all divine capability.

Jack has a bit of trouble functioning in places that have minimal plant life, like deserts and some large cities- he gets somewhat anxious, and less perceptive.

Goal: Jack doesn't have any real goals; he has a good job, with ownership of his own moderately successful shop- a gift from the previous owner, whose child he had saved. With competent subordinates, he can take trips if he needs to, lasting up to several months if he makes arrangements beforehand.

[Naamah]

Jay brought me in.

Name: Aiden Mistel
Heritage: Grandson of Freya, Norse goddess of love and war
Occupation: Retired; previously: financial trader
Divine Abilities:
Focus -- A tattoo on his left wrist.

• A Tale As Great as the Eddas (Captivating Storytelling) - Can tell a story that captivates the listeners, and brings them into the world of the story, for as long as he’s speaking, and for a brief time afterward.
• Reading The Spinning Thread (Divination) - Can read the future as it currently stands; requires a further Focus of a thread and something to spin it around in order to do this.
• I’m Not Heavy, I’m His Brother - [[Due to ~spoilers,~ this Ability is currently kept private to the GM until a further point in the game.]]

Divine Attributes:

• Hi, I’m Captain Jack Harkness (Anything That Moves) - A passive ability; his attractiveness transcends gender and orientation barriers. (Even the guys want him - and the girls, and the transfolk, and the queer, and the... you get my drift.)
• The Right Tool For The Job (Strategic Knack) - Generally a passive ability; as kin to a goddess of war, he has an innate knack for strategy. Specifically, he’s good at finding the weak point of a situation, whether it’s the unguarded side door of a building, the wavering leader whose defection would cost the war - even the literal Achilles’ heel of a person.

Description:
Looks pretty much like this. Lithe, average height, boyish charm.

In personality, Aiden is soft-spoken, with a lyrical voice and a faint Connecticut/LI accent. He is easygoing, with a quick wit and a catching smile.

Hidden behind his gentle voice, however, is sharp sarcasm and a cold cynicism. Due to the loss of his parents and the distance of his adopted uncle, Aiden formed a painfully pragmatic viewpoint, considering both humanity and Divinity to be selfish, close-minded and ‘generally, a pack of assholes with a few roses popping up from the shitheap.’ He will say this with a sincere smile, though. It’s pointless to argue with reality, especially when there are much better things to do...

Backstory:
Aiden Mistel is a curious case. His Divine Heritage is actually sourced from his paternal grandmother, not a parent. Soon after he was born, his mother disappeared in an assumed suicide, and his distraught father soon went missing as well. Aiden was raised by his paternal uncle James Hakken on Long Island, New York. He did very well in school, albeit with a few youthful indiscretions involving indisposed ducks and the superintendent’s car, and went to a prestigious NYC university for finance. At the tender age of 27, he is already technically retired, having weathered the Wall Street meltdown fantastically well, and alternates his days between a prestigious condo in NYC with a view of Central Park, a cozy beachhouse on Cape Cod, and wherever his wanderings take him.

And there are a lot of wanderings. Aiden is a hedonist, enjoying both fine living and the charms of crashing at a run-down motel with the sound of the waves to lull him to sleep.


Flaws:

• While he’s able to hold his own in battle, Aiden is generally averse to open conflict. Some may call him a coward - he thinks there are better ways to win a war than a battle.
• His cynicism tends to drive people away from him. That, combined with his inability to stay put, makes him a rather lonely person.
• As he feels abandoned by his Grandmother, Aiden has a general distaste for the Divine, and tries very hard to stay away from them.

Goal: Avert Ragnarok. However distant he is to his Divine family, the last thing he wants is to see them almost all dead.

[Chanlin]

Fair enough I'll see if I can't tone it down

EDIT: Ok I fixed it... I think.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Sorry, Chanlin, I'm going to have to put the kibosh on Haruko as anything like a player-level character. She comes across as way too overpowered-- reality warping, healing, a divine aura she can't hide-- too overpowered.

Her flaw basically comes across as "oh, I'm so awesome you can all see it, tee hee." That may sound harsh, but she'd need some major reworking to be acceptable.

[Chanlin]

Here is that second character idea i mentioned. Feel free to use or modify this as you see fit into a PC or NPC.

Name: Saitou Haruko (Haruko roughly means Sun Child, Saitou is the Japanese equivalent of Smith, ie it is a very common family name)
Heritage: Daughter of Amaterasu Omikami -- Shinto Goddess of the Sun and 1 of the 3 aspects that govern the Universe
Occupation: Mangaka (comic artist)

Divine Abilities:

Focus -- A calligraphy brush

• A Brush to paint the Universe: Haruko can draw anything. Even if all that remains is a speck of dust she can see what it once was and render its likeness. This will not recreate any words that a book may have contained, but it can show what a building or person looked like. She also never forgets a face or a likeness of anything she has seen and can render it with photo perfect accuracy.
• A Light to Banish the Dark: Haruko is able to create one extremely intense flash of light that fades almost immediately (good for blinding folks) or she can cause herself to glow with the intensity of a 60 watt bulb for a few hours.
• The Giver of Life: Nature recognizes the child of the one that gives it life. As such in times of dire need Haruko can turn to nature for aid. Plants will shelter her, animals will bring her food or lead her to water if need be. If she becomes lost nature will guide her. However, as Amaterasu reveres all life the Animals will not fight for her nor will they risk death for her.
• The Deepest Shadow: Haruko can render herself completely invisible, however this power only functions at night.

Divine Attributes:

• The Brightest Light: Haruko is damn good looking. Some might even describe her as a hotty. (pun intended)

Description:
I'll leave this for whoever decides to play her.

Back story:
Ditto from description.

Flaws: Like her mother, Haruko holds all life as sacred. As such she is not able to kill, not even the purest evil. This is not simply a moral choice, but a supernatural effect. Should she try to kill someone any potentially fatal wound will always alter its trajectory to make it non-lethal. This can however be useful if all she wants to do is capture someone as she knows she will never risk killing them. (feel free to add more)
Goal: Ditto from description.

[rona]

i'm interested in joining, but have a few questions please send me a pm so we can talk.

[dragon_wings]

Squee. Yayness!

[Jay 2K Winger]

I dig it. Added to the OP.

[dragon_wings]

Finally able to post. Let me know if I need to change anything.

Name: birthname: Edana Conner
stage name: Edana Inferno
Heritage: Belisama, from the Celtic pantheon, the goddess of lakes and rivers, fire, and crafts and light.
Occupation: the fire eater at a circus
Divine Abilities:
[*] Focus -- an elaborate necklace with a ruby in the center[*] Pyrokinesis - She can create, manipulate, and control fire.[*] Kinetic Absorption -- She can fire to heal[*] Matter Ingestion -- She can consume fire with no ill effect (handy for her fire eating gig)

Divine Attributes:
Fish in Water: She's a natural swimmer in any type of water.
Life of the Party: She had a very fiery personality and people are draw to her.

Description:
Edana is 26, 5'6, skinny as a rail, fiery red hair with green eyes. She wears her hair short and spiked. Has multiple facial and ear piercings and tons of tattoos. Uses a handmade longbow when she needs a weapon other then fire.

Backstory:
Edana was 15 and living with her paternal grandparents when she first meets her mother. She always knew she was 'different' and she always suspected her grandparents knew why (they did. their son, her father left her with them and told them why). Her mother showed up outta the blue one day at her grandparents' home. They recognized Belisama for who she was knowing who Edana's mother was.
Belisama sat Edana down and pretty much told her "I'm the goddess of lakes and rivers, fire, crafts and light. You are my daughter. One day you will be called to help fight the hidden war. Prepare yourself." And then she left.
Edana realized really early on she had an affinity for fire.
One incident cemented it: she and some friends were playing too close to a bonfire when someone accidentally pushed her into the fire. Instead of getting burned the fire just kinda carressed her skin like it knew her and wanted her safe. She managed to deflect attention away from her not getting burned.

Flaws: strong willed, short tempered, easy to anger, a total klutz (except in water)
Goal: protect and help her allies (namely her mother)

[Jay 2K Winger]

EDIT: Quote is not Edit

[Scorpodael]

... You know what? There are a LOT of gods and goddesses in the Aztec pantheon. 'm interested, though not entirely sure how well I'd do. Hrm.

[Chanlin]

I actually have a second character idea that people would be free to use or use as an NPC, but I'll wait on posting it so I don't end up stealing someones deity

[Jay 2K Winger]

Just wondering if adding an ability would be ok. See, being the son of Mars, was thinking that those around him that he considers allies would be able to get inspiration in a fight. IE doesn't help him any (not directly), but all of his allies would benefit from enhanced combat abilities. Just not sure what to call this ability.

Not right now. As it stands-- and I'll be updating the OP to include the Basic Premise and character sheet-- everyone starts with five Divine Abilities/Attributes. Everyone kind of stuck with a three Abilities/two Attributes template, which is fine, but you are allowed to mix it up if you like.

That said, if someone wants to make changes to their bios to reflect this, you have until... let's say Sunday May 6 to do it.

[Mytical]

Just wondering if adding an ability would be ok. See, being the son of Mars, was thinking that those around him that he considers allies would be able to get inspiration in a fight. IE doesn't help him any (not directly), but all of his allies would benefit from enhanced combat abilities. Just not sure what to call this ability.