City of Lichmore, Massachusetts:

Lichmore Massachusetts was a small coastal city in New England established in the 1600's, during Puritanical settlement of North America. The city's primary source of income was from fishing, but it had grown to be more industrialized over the years too, becoming an important port town for the region. However, during the mid-1800's, soil erosion, increased rain, sea encroachment, and flooding began to deteriorate the town. Buildings were starting to become more derelict, mainland access was becoming more difficult, and sea growth started to across the town, whether it be barnacles on buildings, or bits of seaweed lining the streets, even dead fish piling up in some spots.

And that was before the town really began to suffer. In the late 1910's, the roads to the mainland had practically been washed away, streets began to collapse into the ocean from seismic activity, and the whole city had essentially become a waste pile for the dead and decayed things the sea refused to keep within it. The 1920's saw criminal activity surge in the city, now with a population of 232'000 people. Bootlegging had become a major source of income for the community, and its increasing remoteness made it harder for Prohibition cops to catch anyone there. Most of the enforcement had to happen out at sea, or at the ports of other US cities.

This was not to last long however. By 1928, the city had become overwhelmed by the forces of nature. A mass exodus to leave the city had been going on since 1926, and with barely a few thousand people left in the waterlogged mess, it was essentially a ghost town already in the eyes of the rest of America. When the earthquake toppled the buildings, the roads, the foundations of the city itself, and the hurricanes and floods swallowed it all up or washed it out to sea, no one remained to mourn the loss.

The derelict did not go quietly, but it may as well have, for the sheer lack of anyone to have heard it. Any that remained in the city to die with it were almost as derelict as the mold infested, waterlogged buildings that were a light breeze away from collapse.

Few remember this part in American history, and fewer care. Greater and more important things were always around the corner, things that had persisted far longer, and would continue to do so even longer.

-What - what is this? Magnetic tape recordings? Did Dr. Halsey really do this?
-Yes, ma’am. Your predecessor was adamant about keeping records that couldn’t be traced digitally.
-Well that’s- I suppose that makes sense. Even if it is a little… hipster. Where are her earlier recordings?
-I wouldn’t be the one to ask, ma’am.
-Fantastic. Alright then. You can go.
-Yes, ma’am.
-Alright. [clears throat] This is file… what’s the date today? Oh-six-two-six-two-eight. Audio recording by Dr. Elizabeth Galloway, newly appointed head of biological defense research - what the fuck even is that? Making superheros? Christ - at Vanguard Enterprises, Boston. Following the final instructions by my predecessor Dr. Catherine Halsey, I’ve followed up on her reports of seventy-three children she flagged as viable candidates for “Project Mastima”. Mastima? Really? Is that meant to refer to herself, or…
-Anyway, I’ve been having Esquela and Brown look into the addresses she listed. Most of these should be fairly easy to bring in, but some of these others - Miss Zima Kratka and Mister Tan Zexian, for example, will present some difficulty. I don’t know what that woman was thinking, selecting children from the other side of the Curtain.
-I also have some… apprehensions concerning her decision to use children as her subjects. I understand it, logically, the increased genetic flexibility will certainly help with any potential… complications. I think I would prefer to go forward with volunteer trials first, however.



-Fuck it all to fucking fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!!
-Volunteer trials were a fucking disaster. One hundred and forty-three either dead or crippled beyond hope of physical or psychological recovery. At least no one’s left to point the finger at us. Jesus Christ, six months of work down the fucking drain.
-I suppose it’s not all a complete loss. Our trials into the study of pre-existing powers bore some surprising fruit - one Mr. Jon Gerry, aka the convicted villain Supernova, had his superpowers removed successfully. Now it’s just a matter of figuring out which method worked, and whether it’s repeatable. And whether those powers can be transferred into another subject.
-As for Dr. Halsey’s children… Well, I suppose that decision’s been made for me. I’ll authorize for them to be. Well, “adopted” isn’t entirely inaccurate, but.... [clears throat]



-This is Project Mastima file oh-one-one-nine-two-nine. Dr. Elizabeth Galloway recording.
-The last of the children arrived today. I’ve ordered full medical diagnostics for all of them. Some of them were in uh. [clears throat] Not great. I’ve arranged for the next two months to be dedicated to medical treatment and physical training drills. I want them as healthy as I can get before we start tests.
-Another thing, those up top want me to give the kids new names. Make them harder to track down, I guess. [short laugh] Not that anyone’s looking for them. Dr. Halsey already made sure of that. No families, no birthdays on record, and now no names? May as well tattoo “expendable resource” across their foreheads while we’re at it.



-Mastima file oh-three-one-three-two-nine. Dr. Galloway recording.
-Trials started today. Of the seven kids who were tested today, three never made it out of the room, and one had to be… put down. [clears throat] I’ve been trying to maintain distance from them these past couple months but it’s, it’s-
-God damn it, they’re just kids. They’re just fucking kids.



-Mastima file oh-three-two-three-two-nine, Dr. Galloway recording.
-Initial trials ended yesterday. Despite Dr. Halsey’s… let’s say “optimism” concerning the use of prepubescents to limit mortality, we still lost half our initial sample population. Thirty-seven out of the original seventy-three subjects died due to extreme trauma during the trial, or were forcibly terminated by security personnel following… spontaneous, aggressive genetic mutation.
-I’ve ordered a week off for recovery, both by my staff and our remaining sample size. After that, we’ll get to work measuring the scope of our survivors’ new abilities.



-It was brought to my attention by a caretaker that one of our subjects, Mr… Gilbert Allan, is refusing to eat. I remember this one, his powers turned much of the equipment in lab five to dust. Apparently it made him too afraid to touch anything.
-I resolved the situation through the use of a placebo; I gave him a pair of gloves, and told him they’d been especially designed to resist the effects of his ability. It took a bit of convincing, but he’s managed to wear them without issue, and has resumed eating.
-I’ll keep this incident in mind. I may be able to apply similar placebo effects if the powers of our other subjects prove too much to handle otherwise.



-Project Mastima file oh-four-one-three-two-nine. Dr. Elizabeth Galloway recording.
-Initial assessments were completed today. Overall I am… shockingly optimistic. Results… were varied, but many vastly surpassed initial estimates. A handful in particular, namely Mr. Gilbert Allan, Miss Suchin Mookjai, and Mr. Tan Zexian showed remarkable aptitude for their new abilities. Gilbert was a surprise; I wouldn’t have expected him to gain control of his abilities so quickly.
-Others will require… special attention, for the potential danger their abilities could pose if they had such a mind. Miss Ursula Kohler’s ability to influence others with her voice in particular… concerns me. I think I’ll look into countermeasures for that.
-I was disappointed with Miss Zima Kratka. Her display in the initial trials led me to believe she would be one of our best subjects, but her performance during her assessment was comparatively underwhelming. Perhaps she’s reluctant to embrace her newfound talents? Unfortunately I don’t have the time to pay special attention to every one of them, so if she would rather underperform… I suppose that’s her prerogative.



-Mastima file oh-four-one-six-two-nine. Dr. Elizabeth Galloway recording.
-I’ve reconsidered the suggestion concerning names. In light of… events concerning our old buddies across the curtain which have transpired in the past and may yet transpire in the future, I feel it may benefit to give these kids a sense of unity. A shared name is a powerful thing, after all, so I announced this morning that they would all be given new names, to signify their “second birth” as supers. Reception was… mixed, but they’re young enough that they’ll bounce back.
-There… are fewer of them than yesterday. On review of their assessments, and pending further medical examination, I’ve reached the conclusion that twelve of them are unfit to continue in this project. Those that are left, these twenty-four remaining members of Dr. Halsey’s chosen children- No, my children. I should at least offer them that degree of accountability. My children. They need to feel like they belong here. If I convince them to think of each other as their siblings, of me as their mother…
-I’m still thinking about those who turned into.. Whatever those were, during the initial trials. Tests following the trials showed many of the remaining subjects were still genetically unstable - the twelve I’ve authorized to have removed from the program are at the greatest risk, but the threat is still there with the others. Hopefully this decision concerning their names will help them feel more at home here, and lower the stress on their psyche.
-Not that that’ll matter much, if they’re cleared for field duty. “A new weapon to protect the world, safer than any bomb.” Yeah, right.

Important Organizations:

S.I.N.S. (Supers Intelligence for National Security):

SINS is a simple organization to understand, if you understand American military and "intelligence" agencies. Part FBI, part NSA, and a great deal of CIA, SINS keeps track of Supers that don't "conform" to the expectations the state has for them. Vigilantes, villains, and supers that just cause too many problems for Uncle Sam. That's what they take care of. Everything they do is perfectly legal, and moral, so long as it benefits America, and so long as they aren't caught. Of course, that's mostly rumors and conjecture, conspiracy theories talked about by tin hat wearers on the internet. At the end of the day, they keep America safe from supers. At any cost.

National American Hero League Association (NAHLA):

This is THE Hero Organization to be a part of, the absolute cream of the crop, the best that America can possibly dish up. Patriots, dogooders, Good Samaritans, this is the US Marine Corps of superheroes. Of course, it is government sponsored, so registration is required, but it comes with big perks, both financial, and in terms of fame and glory. Some argue that it can be "elitist", and crazies say they're just supermuscle for the government or corporations, but don't pay that any mind. They're almost all good people, who've saved countless lives, and come to the aid in nearly every disaster since the 1940's. Many have laid down their lives, and are forever remembered in the NAHLA Halls of Fame and Heroism.

Witchfinder Generals:

A listed terrorist group, mainly domestic and operating in the United States. Their membership has fallen in the past few decades, but they have been known for murder and other crimes against Supers. This is strange in that many of the members are themselves supers, but the philosophy they subscribe to is that supers are unnatural, demonic beings, and must be rid from the Earth. They tend to dress in slightly modernized Puritanical Settler attire, sporting even the old style of hats often portrayed for that time.

Atlas City Heroes Incorporated (ACHI):

The ACHI was the first private hero organization formed in Atlas City, and has been here ever since! Originally it included Atlas as one of its founding members, but with his passing others have had to carry the torch. Sadly, the organization had originally had more philanthropically minded members, which meant finances were limited. Add to that various issues with infighting, and the organization today is mostly a shell of its former glory, having been surpassed by newer, or much larger and better funded, hero organizations. A few members remain, even one or two of the originals, and they continue to try to keep it's glory and history alive. While it can still afford to...

People's Alliance of Heroic Communist Transformationalists (PAHCT):

As the name may imply, this is an international organization of supers hailing from nations with Communist and/or Socialist governments, or major allies of such countries. The phrase "Transformationalists" essentially means Supers helping to transform the world into a more just, Communist one, where all men, women, and others are equal and free from the oppression of Capitalism and the Bourgeois. Largely headed by the Soviet Union and China, this organization has constantly been at odds with American and other Western hero organizations, though little more than a few sporadic fist fights have ever occurred between these groups. Personal grudges and animosities aren't considered good reasons to start full scale wars, not in the eyes of the Communists, or Capitalists.

The Union:

A criminal organization that previously held sway in various parts of the world (sometimes great, sometimes weak). The Union was supposed to have collapsed earlier this year, but rumors of other criminal organizations potentially having taken on their mantel have begun to surface. Verifying any of this is next to impossible as all traces of them seem to be non-existent, but what is clear is that they are dangerous, and should be treated as such.

Unknown Soldiers (Unconfirmed Existence):

Rumors and speculation abound of strange groups of soldiers being spotted in various locations around the world, some have been spotted in all black, others in blue or white, or similar colors. They may be two groups, and no connections have been made between them. There has also been nothing of note to identify them with to this point, beyond the colors and their secrecy. This could be pure fantasy, but for some it may be useful to keep it in mind anyways, if for no other reason than to stay safe.

Supers and The Law:

Being a Super, while still controversial today (despite Supers having no control over their condition), has no real legal limitations to it. Supers are able to live normal lives just like anyone else, sometimes slightly more interesting and exciting given their special gifts.

However, being a "hero" or "heroine" is much more legally complicated. As far as the law concerned, any Supers who wish to carry out acts of heroism MUST be part of a LEGALLY recognized organization. This is broken down into several types of organizations.



Government Organizations: Organizations like this include the police, the military, S.I.N.S. (Supers Intelligence for National Security), Intelligence Agencies, search and rescue, medical services, and fire services.



Government Sponsored Hero Organizations: Most national governments in the world sponsor their own Hero organizations (some sponsor more than one even!). These organizations require that their members be given very specific, government mandated and regulated training. Heroes in these organizations may take part in crime fighting and rescue operations, but only if they have successfully obtained their training in these programs. Most members of these organizations must have their identities registered with the government, but their secret identities still remain hidden from the public (for safety and security concerns).



Privately Operated Hero Organizations: These organizations are similar to government Sponsored Hero Organizations, save for the fact these organizations are privately owned and operated. As a result, the owners and members often take on direct legal liability for anything negligent or illegal that one of their Supers does. The draw to some of these organizations is that while they do offer lower pay in some cases, they do offer higher levels of privacy and anonymity. The Supers that join must still participate and pass the government regulated training programs, but it allows them to also participate in crime fighting and rescue operations, when the government gives them permission.

Note: These organizations are NOT required to give the identities of their Supers to the government, however they ARE required to collect their identities and personal information, and they CAN be required to present it to the government in the case of criminal misconduct and investigations. In other words, a subpoena from the courts can force these companies to reveal the identities of supers involved in a legal suit.



International Hero Organizations: These are hero organizations registered, trained, and legally capable of operating in more than one country. These types of organizations are tricky, particularly as some straddle a fine line with the law at times, but they exist largely to participate in major, global scale emergencies. Some of these are government operated (either between different governments, or through international bodies like the UN), and others are privately operated.

Some countries have different approaches to allowing IHO's to handle crises, for America they tend to require the IHO be trained with American standards of Hero training. Additionally for America, they generally require that Supers from a US Government Sponsored or Private American Hero Organization, to work with the IHO, essentially to "babysit" them, or in actuality to ensure they aren't enemy spies working against the US.

Due to this, many IHO's try to incorporate or register themselves in the US to help ease the international legal tensions, though another way to mitigate this is to register in countries considered allies of America. Alternatively, some IHO's register in the USSR, China, or another nation that might be allied to one of these states, or lead by a Communist government.



Vigilantism, Good Samaritans, and Heroism Outside of the Law:

Put simply, any Super (or Non-Super for that matter) that tries to carry out acts of heroism is at serious risk of legal repercussions. Firstly, Vigilantism is illegal period. Supers and Non-Supers cannot ever fight crime without being part of a registered Hero Organization. Things like Citizens Arrests, or working with a Crime Watch organization, is typically legal, however causing serious damage to property, injuries, or death doing either of these will still be punished to the full extent of the law.

Supers and Non-Supers that "take the law into their own hands" will be treated just like the criminals they try to fight.

When it comes to trying to save people, however, the law is a little trickier. Supers and Non-Supers that try to carry out "Good Samaritan" acts can still be charged with negligence and endangerment. For example, saving someone from a burning building, pulling someone out of a car crash, etc. Supers and Non-Supers CANNOT intervene in these dangerous situations without training. If they do so, they could be charged with Reckless Endangerment, even if no one is injured or killed. If anyone is killed or injured, the punishment will be much stricter.

Luckily, Supers and Non-Supers CAN take Good Samaritan training programs! Not only is First Aid training available, but so is fire rescue, car accident scene rescue, earthquake rescue, and much more. With this training, Supers and Non-Supers can carry out acts of heroism when such a time arises, and they can do it safely and with respect to the law.

Note: This training is available to the general public. Supers and Non-Supers do not need to join any organization to receive this training, however it only applies to Rescues and Good Samaritan acts. It does NOT include crime fighting. To fight crime, Supers and Non-Supers MUST join a registered organization.



Super Registration Laws:

Currently, there is no law that exists that requires Supers to be registered in any way. The only time Supers must be registered is when they join Hero organizations, and the only time they need to be registered with the government is when they join organizations sponsored by the government.

However, there has always been a movement of civilians that have pushed for mandatory registration for ALL Supers. So far, no such law has been passed in most Western Nations, but the desire among politicians, corporations, and even regular civilians, to have such laws passed still exists. Whether or not this could ever happen is debatable, but at this moment, most Western governments have not made an effort to pass such laws.

How Powers Work:

From what scientific study has produced so far, the way in which the powers of supers work is tied into atomic and subatomic particles. While much of these studies have had to lean on hypothesis at this point, it's clear that the effects these powers produce is largely based on a manipulation of particles, possibly through some unknown type of energy. What can be observed is that certain powers (for example fire creation) involves no use of fuels, either already existing ones or a fuel that exists within supers. Fire can simply, at face value, appear out of thin air.

Of course, that would imply a non-scientific origin perhaps, but other studies have led to evidence that suggests the existence of either particles or an energy that allows supers to manipulate other atomic and subatomic particles. This is still only a hypothesis, as it has so far been impossible to detect this with current scientific instruments and measurements.

Other things like biological or chemical changes have been considered, but these fields of study have so far shown very little. Some evidence might lead to supers having certain shared genetic traits, but if this is true, it has not yet been discovered where these traits came from, and whether they cause the powers, or are caused by the powers, or if the powers and the genes are created by some sort of "point of origin" (which raises a multitude of other hypotheses as well, including multiverse theories).

Finally, there is the hypothesis that powers work through more supernatural means, though even that has opened up its very own field of hypotheticals, and of course, pseudo-science.

Important Note: As far as scientific studies have illustrated, the powers supers today demonstrate have not been documented at any point in time before World War 2. This leads to the conclusion that some event in WW2 is what led to the existence of these powers. Some have speculated the atomic bombs used on Japan may be the origin, others have suggested strange Nazi science and occultism, and others still suggest more supernatural events that took place at the time.

There are rumors of some powered beings from another world, or immortals who have existed since long before World War 2, of monsters and legendary creatures. As far as science can show, these are all rumors, speculation, myths, and legends. Some, at worst, are mere conspiracy theories. Until evidence can surface to support any of these claims, they cannot be given any merit.

Power Origins:

The powers of supers have a variety of identified "origins", points at which powers demonstrate themselves in supers, but the main five are as follows:

Birth: A super is born with their powers.

Trauma: Some severe, traumatic event results in the appearance of a super's powers.

Random/Chance: A super is not born with their powers, but they at some point "activate" in a super, with no identifiable origin or reason for activation. In other words; "They went to bed normal, but woke up as a Super".

Anomalous Incident (Speculative): Some supers report having been involved in an incident that defies the laws of nature and science, some supernatural or science fiction event outside the norms of our world. This is, at this point, speculative as it relies on the self-reporting of supers. It is possible these origins are true, but without further evidence, it cannot be accepted conclusively, making it a speculative origin only for the time being.

Other (Sometimes Speculative): Similar to anomalous incidents, but generally more grounded in reality. Some claiming to be the result of government experiments, or created by malicious corporations, or some kind of construct of powerful Supervillains. Some claims go so far as to suggest they are aliens, beings from other worlds, other galaxies, even other universes. Like anomalous incidents, without further evidence, many of these cannot be accepted conclusively and must be assumed as speculative origins for the time being.

Power Classifications:

Based on some of the Power Classifications of the Worm IP: Power Classifications - Worm Wiki

More will be added, subtracted, or edited from this list to fit with the mechanics of the Hadean universe.

Mover: An ability that enhances mobility.

Shaker: An ability with an area of effect.

Brute: An ability that grants enhanced strength or durability.

Breaker: An ability that allows the super to shift into another state

Master: An ability that allows a super to control others or create minions.

Tinker: An ability that allows a super to create or alter devices with futuristic technology.

Blaster: A ranged, offensive ability.

Thinker: An ability that focuses on information gathering.

Striker: An ability that is melee-ranged or touch-based.

Changer: An ability that allows the super to alter their form or appearance.

Trump: An ability that allows the super to manipulate powers in some capacity.

Stranger: An ability that focuses on stealth or infiltration.

This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Hadean"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.