Villains & Vigilantes Plot Infiltrator Information Post

[powersthatbe]

If you are not a plot infiltrator or someone with IC reasons to share knowledge available to plot infiltrators, please do not read the comments of this post.

If you ARE a plot infiltrator, please comment under your toplevel to let us know you've read it. We prefer that you do any confidential plotting with other plot-important folks in the comments here, rather than on plurk, and please comment no later than July 9th, 17th, 26th, & August 2nd, 11th, & 19th with a brief (as brief as 1 sentence; as long as you like) summary of your activity during the week & plans for next week. These comments will help the mods shape mingles and plot events to keep the story dynamic and player actions important to the outcome. Likewise, comment at any time with any questions you may have, and a mod will get back to you within 36 hours at the outside.

Comments

STINGER

[powersthatare]

Name/Played By: Stinger / Vilari
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Theme/Story Role Duty. Stinger’s loyalty to the Manticore is pure and certain, regardless of her private opinion of the morality of what she does. She will not hesitate to take the role of private torturer, interrogator, jailer, or executioner when faced with cases of possession or threats to the crown. Law and order is necessary, and in the service of order, personal concerns take back seat to professionalism.
Information: Once presented with evidence or strong suspicion of Traveler presence, Stinger has strict orders to oversee any and all operations to curtail invader activity, up to and including extralegal detention within the MK compound, or assassination, for which the crown will issue a pardon after the fact.
Expected Activity: 7+ comments/week.
Exclusive Skill: Erase Presence. Stinger is capable of leaving absolutely no forensic evidence at a scene, of removing all traces of identification or signature, so that, as long as she leaves no body and/or no poison needles behind, there is never any physical or psychological link between her and her kills or apprehensions.

Stinger is the elite sniper of the Manticore Knights, a cool-faced acrobatic killer with a prehensile scorpion-tail that can fling poisoned needles at supersonic speed. Stinger goes about masked in uniform, because when you’ve killed that many people in the name of your country, you want to hide your identity from reprisals. A Captain in the Knights, Stinger is third in command (and the most senior captain).



[dalectable]

Checking in.

Re: 

[powersthatare]

What was Stinger up to this week?

Week Two

[powersthatare]

What was Stinger up to this week?

Week Three

[powersthatare]

What was Stinger up to this week? Any plans for next week?

Week Five

[powersthatare]

What was Stinger up to this last week? Anything planned for next week?

MAKO

[powersthatare]

Name/Played By: Mako / Naoto.
Alignment: Lawful Evil.
Theme/Story Role Paranoia. If Mako ever has reason to conduct a brain scan on themself, they will discover an uptick in alpha-wave activity identical to that displayed by any other Infiltrators who have been scanned, and reach the inescapable conclusion that they are a sleeper agent. Understandably eager to avoid being eaten by the Manticore, this revelation would make Mako panicked and desperate.
Information: That recorded cases of possession (Infiltration) are marked by increased alpha-wave activity in the brain; that knowing invaders show no such brainwave pattern, but possess bodies which remain perfectly human even after death, and only revert to ectoplasm after six weeks, or when exposed to Empowered teleportation.
Expected Activity: 10+ comments/week.
Exclusive Skill: The Perfect Lie. The ability to prevaricate with no change in blood pressure, brain scan, or other physical measurements. Supernatural measurements such as magical truth detection or compulsion still operate normally.

Mako is the junior member on station of the Manticore Knights’ Exorcist Corps, proud and prickly (and paranoid), a by-the-book Lieutenant who startles far too easily. Mako’s powers are sensory - the ability to see in almost total darkness; the ability to scent minute chemical changes, and the ability to sense variations in electrical current between their hands. With training, Mako is therefore almost impossible to lie to - and able to conduct a brain scan with nothing more than fingertips and an unnerving smile.

Re: MAKO

[shiroganeheir]

Crap. Sorry. Checking in. Yesterday was shit. I'm here.

Re: MAKO

[shiroganeheir]

Also, questions.

1. There's a touch-component of Mako's brain scans. However, does it have to be local? For example, could Mako hold/touch someone's hand to scan them, or does it have to be on their head? Also, I'm assuming that it does not have to be someone who is willing IC. OOC is a different situation, obviously.

2. I am right in picking out that if you teleport the body of a dead Investigator, it turns to goo? (I'm terrible at some of this, sorry.)

I have a couple more questions, but they're not particularly relevant right now, or possibly ever.

Re: MAKO

[shiroganeheir]

This week, Mako has been watching the newcomers to Newport and taking back Pokemon gyms and feeding his damn fat cat. He has a feeling of impending doom, but nothing concrete just yet.

For the next mingle, he's intending to be at the shipment to keep an eye on things there. Why yes, he will be mostly doing his job. I'm hoping I can find a reason for him to actually get out and scan some people.

Also, another question while I'm here. Dead Investigators turn to goo. What about Dead Infiltrators? Do they stay dead? I'm assuming so, but I wanted to check. Secondary question: Is there anything that *changes* about a dead Infiltrator's body?

WEEK THREE

[shiroganeheir]

Mako was directing traffic this week, and then was part of evicting an infiltrator (well, actually an Investigator, but who's counting) from Manticore HQ, either killing him or being present at his suicide, as well as participating in an incident involving Tim (which might have been death, or just... mind fuckery).

For next week, he is going to be around, and likely getting into some sort of altercation with Altair around the Royal Family's bedchamber, and slowly losing his marbles.

I have a couple questions as I work with this. First, would a Persona user mind-scan any different to him than a normal Investigator? I know that we've been going with Persona as a presence in the user's mind, but I was just wondering if someone (a Wild Card, specifically) would scan any different.

Second, about halfway through next week, Mako is going to find out that he is possessed. He is going to use every option and every research method available to him to find a way (Artifact or an NPC) to separate the 'possession' and himself. His plan is to pull this entity out of him, and keep them locked up until they tell him what is going on. If need be, I can come up with a description of an Artifact that would accomplish this. Correlary questions: Second the first: Is this possible? Second the second: Would she be alive after being pulled out? I might have questions based on the answers to those. Thanks!

CAPTAIN BLACKHAWK

[powersthatare]

Name/Played By: Captain Blackhawk/Ambrose.
Alignment: Neutral Good.
Theme/Story Role The Alien. Captain Blackhawk increasingly has the temperament and outlook of a bird of prey - distant, aristocratic, philosophical - and finds human conventions and emotions increasingly strange. His biggest purpose is not his superhero career, but finding moments of genuine human interaction and natural acceptance.
Information: Captain Blackhawk is very good at spotting confusion and disorientation which might be similar to his own, and thus has a decent chance of spotting Investigators from very different times or places, although he may mistake them for Spirits or merges similar to himself.
Expected Activity: 7+ comments/week.
Exclusive Skill: Outside Categories. Abilities which only work on humans, only work on Spirits, or only work on Travelers do not have any effect on Blackhawk.

Captain Blackhawk is a celebrated member of the White Company. Fused with a dying hawk spirit, the Captain grew talons on both hands and feet, wings, incredibly sharp eyes, and hollow bones - which are something of an achilles heel. A fast flyer with claws, Blackhawk is nonetheless fragile in close combat, and uses a longbow (talons making it difficult to operate a trigger). Over the years, Blackhawk has grown more distant, less human in outlook, despite desperate attempts to reconnect and find someone who won’t view them as a freak.

Re: CAPTAIN BLACKHAWK

[wholeheaded]

Read! Hammering out character details and backstory, will poke around the plotting post tomorrow.

Re: CAPTAIN BLACKHAWK

[wholeheaded]

random question since it'll bug me: does his exclusive skill/general state of being mean he doesn't register as a human, spirit, or Traveler?

....I'll think of more stuff when my brain's less mushy

Re: CAPTAIN BLACKHAWK

[wholeheaded]

This week Blackhawk has creeped around like a creeper and god I need to tag more. He's been puzzled by/confronted Nigel about his deliberate getting mugged/kidnapped attempts, been puzzled by Hypersonic's costume choices, and been accosted by Reynard and Julian.

Shit I need to step up my game. Next mingle... what are the ships carrying? Or is it a surprise. Or was it stated somewhere and I missed it.

Okay other general question: should I be leaning more "growing increasingly distant and weird" or more "desperate for connection and understanding" or try and balance the two? They're sort of conflicty so a little guidance would be appreciated.

WEEK THREE

[wholeheaded]

Knock knock, get the door it's ~emotion~. The Bronze Blade wants Blackhawk to try this hot new compassion for other beings.

"Please try this emotion," Blade said.

"No!" said Blackhawk.

"Try iiiiit!" Blade said.

"No!" said Blackhawk again, quieter this time. And so the emotion was put into place, and all the side-eyeing of the more brutal Manticore Knights that came with it.

....yeah this week was something of a wash SORRY WILL POKE AROUND MORE NEXT TIME.

(NAME WITHHELD)

[powersthatare]

Name/Played By: Reynard / Daneel
Alignment: Chaotic Good.
Theme/Story Role Pinocchio. Reynard devoutly desires more traffic between the spirit world and this world, a closer union between spirits and humanity on more equal terms, but also fears detection by those spirits. Longing to be human, needing acceptance, Reynard’s need for redemption is more important to him than what is legal or what “the greater good” may be.
Information: Reynard can unneringly spot, and usually identify, other Spirits in hiding. However, he often cannot reveal this knowledge to others without giving himself away.
Expected Activity: 7+ comments/week.
Exclusive Skill: Foxform. Reynard can assume an alternate form - that of a large red fox. While in this form, he retains his normal Empowered abilities, and additionally cannot be physically restrained in any way or hindered by terrain. He is still capable of human speech as a fox. However, anyone who has heard of him can easily recognize him.

Reynard is a member of the White Company with a secret - they’re an immigrant, all right, but not from another nation. They’re a Spirit, a refugee from the Spirit World once renowned as a trickster thief, but whose antics caused too much damage. While truly sorrowful and repentant, the outrage they caused was too great to apologize for, and now they’re in hiding, quietly trying to atone (and to learn how humans work, if they have to live among them long-term). In human form, their powers are generic - enhanced strength, speed, and durability, the classic ‘tank’ superhero. There are at least a dozen in the company with similar powers.

Re: (NAME WITHHELD)

[thezerothlaw]

Read it.

So glad he's a fox spirit. So glad.

[thezerothlaw]

Question.

Wondering if I should have more context for Reynard's Big Fuckup. Anything in particular? Huge loss of life, I assume? Is it anything immediately plot relevant?

[thezerothlaw]

.... something that has just occured to me.

As many powers come from spirits, and the Manticore Knights receive their powers directly from the Manticore, is granting skills similar to his own abilities also something Reynard would be capable of? Is that a difficult process? Does it require more power than he actually has?

WRECKINGBALL

[powersthatare]

Name/Played By: Wreckingball / Steph.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Theme/Story Role The Loose Cannon.
Information: no special information.
Expected Activity: 7+ comments/week.
Exclusive Skill: Force of Personality. Wreckingball is used to getting what they want through direct action, blunt speech, and sheer chutzpah. This daring frequently leaves bystanders, onlookers, and lesser (usually NPC) authorities gaping, and a step behind in enforcing social norms while Wreckingball does what they want.

Wreckingball a.k.a Pinball doesn’t trust the Manticore - or the Man, really. They just want to do what’s right, and they don’t need insurance or a license or training to do that. A reckless, naive, and extremely effective vigilante, their powers come from the silver orb they inherited. Technically a fugitive, but thankfully not yet unmasked, Wreckingball lays low as a civilian until trouble hits - then it’s into the nearest public restroom, alleyway, or whatever to get their game face on. The power of the orb allows Wreckingball to control their own size, density, and inertia - but only as long as they’re merged with the orb, which unfortunately means momentarily becoming a shiny silver sphere. Leading to that second name.

[mysunnydisposition]

Checking in! Tossing some things on the plotting post soon.

HALITOSIS

[powersthatare]

Name/Played By: Halitosis / Jay.
Alignment: Lawful Evil.
Theme/Story Role The Terrorist. Halitosis may be a hero or villain in other ways, but resentment of colonialism and paranoia about the Manticore have resulted in an absolute conviction that the Solomon Ring must not be opened - in fact, must be shut down at all costs, by any means necessary. While seeking allies, Halitosis will still play these goals very close to their chest.
Information: no special information.
Expected Activity: 10+ comments/week.
Exclusive Skill: Forgery. In addition to superpowers, Halitosis is exceptionally good at forging official paperwork of all kinds, and can replicate almost any sort of identification or authorization they’ve seen, as long as they have access to appropriate materials.

Halitosis has the power to precipitate liquid or gaseous chemical reactions within their mouth and lungs. With a degree in chemistry, this can be put to a surprising number of uses, although it’s the martial arts training that helps more in direct combat. And what makes Halitosis really dangerous is their uncompromising hatred of colonialism, and their resentment of the Spirit World colonizing Earth. They never asked for these powers. But as long as they have them, they’re going to use them to spit in the face of imperialism, for the good of the world - but probably not the property values of the local neighborhood.

[amourtician]

Read it!

[amourtician]

This week, Halitosis has skulked around the place, took part in Service Week and had a somber but important conversation with Starburst. He's also had an awkward encounter with an ex.

So, he didn't do much, but he's been acting uncharacteristically down, for reasons he's not disclosed.