Character Descriptions for USP Presents: Shadow War

This is a list of all of the characters who will be available for play for “USP Presents: Shadow War,” the Mega-Event being hosted by the Untold Stories Project for the 2024 Origins Game Faire. The heroes for this event are broken up into seven teams. Each team will begin the session together. Note that during this event, the teams will be broken apart during the event. If two characters’ names are in the same color, they will remain together during the second part of the event. The AEGIS team will not break apart, although they will interact with the other teams.

Freedom League Dark (PL 12)

The Freedom League Dark were formed to respond to the magical threat of the Netherwar. They are among the world’s most pre-eminent heroes, and operate out of Freedom City. Everyone knows of them – their exploits are the sort of thing that happens on the nightly news, even if a lot of their specific missions are more secretive.

Bowman – A legacy hero, he is the third Bowman. Masterful archer with a wide variety of arrows. Has a teen sidekick (Bolt) who is a member of the Next-Gen.
Centuria – The universe-displaced daughter of the world’s greatest hero, Centurion. Centuria is the classic Paragon archetype.
Gatorman – A refugee of the Silver Storm, Gatorman is a humanoid gator with vast physical power and incredible tracking skills. Before becoming a hero, he clashed with members of the Stormbreakers.
Mortis – The Guardian of the Crossroads, Mortis is a living conduit between the world of the dead and the world of the living. Magical in nature, Mortis is the expert on all things involving the other side of the veil.
Overdrive – The fastest man alive, Overdrive is a speedster without match..
Resonant – A gem-mage from the world of Leifandi (see the Gemstars), Resonant is a flexible mage whose powers are just as well suited to supporting her team as they are to direct action herself.

Stormbreakers (PL 12)

The Stormbreakers are the West Coast’s premiere superteam, debuting shortly after the Silver Storm. Though relatively new to the scene, they are rivals with the Freedom League in power. This group is probably the most straight-forward “comic book” team.

Bulwark – One of the most resilient people ever, Bulwark was an old man before the Silver Storm. He is still old, but is possessed of new vitality, and puts himself as the shield between innocents and those who threaten him. He is super-strong, but his strength pales behind his resilience.
Crucible – The “office intern” of Magnetism. Crucible is straightforward, honest, and self-sacrificing. He is dating Khione, and is best friends with Tommy Moore. (see AEGIS).
Doctor Irons – A Brick/Tank from another alternate Earth. In a relationship with her (sort of?) husband, Professor Cephalopod, and is kind of the mother of Remote of the Next-Gen.
Khione – Mystically-originated ice elementalist. A bit too prone to violence. Dating Crucible.
Portal – A teenage felon turned hero (and a graduate of the Claremont Academy), Portal is a teleporter who uses portals for transportation, to protect others, and as a weapon. Portal is very overtly pansexual and polyamorous, and is currently in a relationship with Tommy Moore (see AEGIS).
Professor Cephalopod – On the surface, he’s a Giant Pacific Octopus in a mech suit. Beneath that, he has the mind of a brilliant scientist trapped in the octopus’ body, and his deceased wife was this universe’s version of Doctor Irons. His son, Remote, does not approve of the secrets that were kept from him.

Guardians of Haven (PL 10)

Operating primarily out of Starhaven, the Guardians are a team of rogues and ne’er-do-wells with hearts of gold. Although they have a veneer of being only interested in their own wants and needs, they’ve risen to the occasion as heroes more than once.

Ailynn – A femme fatale who can separate into three different versions of herself. Ailynn is the Second Mate of the Marian, and carries several big guns.
Captain Flynn – Obsessed with all things swashbuckling from Earth, Flynn is a space pirate and the Captain of the Marian.
Chimera – An inhuman construct capable of growing to great size, Chimera is a piece of Preserver technology with the remnants of a human consciousness inside it.
Ersa – The telepathic twin, Ersa is the more power-hungry of the two. The twins are the rightful rulers of Luna City, and they want the Moonstone from Lady Lunar.
Elara – The telekinetic twin, Elara is more concerned with her family (both her original family and her found family) than she is with power or regaining the Moonstone.
Ogg & Gruk – A pair of technicians from Stahaven. Ogg is nearly seven feet tall, possessed of great strength, and can fix almost anything. Gruk is a space goblin who carries a BIG gun, and whose skill at scavenging tech is unparalleled.

Gemstars (PL 10)

Hailing from the Gemworld of Leifandi (an alternate version of which is the home of Resonant from the Freedom League Dark), these six “Magical Girls” each have powers supplied by a mystic gem. They have saved their homeworld from the threat of the Shadowqueen and Shadowfall, and as a result, Leifandi now orbits Earth as a second moon.

Alexandrite – The Gemstar of Magic, Alexandrite is native to the Shadowfall. Her powers concern the raw stuff of magic.
Amber – A shapeshifter whose gem allows them to transform not just into other creatures but into elemental forms. Amber is actually a Grue, something that was kept secret but is now known to their teammates. (Note that Amber is genderfluid).
Emerald – The Gemstar of Luck, Emerald is able to manipulate luck and inspire her teammates to greatness. In a relationship with Ruby.
Morganite – The Gemstar of Healing. Her brother, Cassian, is a member of the Next-Gen, having been transported from Leifandi to Earth years ago.
Ruby – The Gemstar of Strength and the team leader of the Gemstars. In a relationship with Emerald.
Sodalite – The Gemstar of Psychic Power, Sodalite is mysterious and stealthy, and was an assassin before becoming a Gemstar.

Next-Gen (PL 8)

Students at the Claremont Academy, these heroes mostly have connections to other heroes and teams. They are young and filled with potential.

Bolt – The teen sidekick to Bowman, Jason uses trick crossbow bolts to emulate his mentor. He is dating Cassian.
Cassian Quinn – A refugee from the Gemworld of Leifandi (see the Gemstars), Cassian can absorb kinetic energy and redirect it either as physical strength or projected outward as fire. He is dating Bolt.
Dr. Henry Barrister/Eddy Bear – Jekyll & Hyde if they were teddy bears. Henry is brilliant, compassionate, and an inventor. Eddy is super-strong and sociopathic. They came into existence as a result of Toyboy’s actions during the Netherwar.
Remote – The sort of son of Professor Cephalopod and Doctor Irons (see the Stormbreakers), Remote is a Silver Stormer whose power allows him to control a series of nanites in his bloodstream as well as other technology. He also has a pet robotic velociraptor.
Speed Demon – A teenage speedster whose lack of control over his powers manifests as flames (which Speed Demon is learning to control as well).
Wild Card – The child of a Greek God (they are unsure which one), Wild Card is an illusionist. Their powers are far greater than they normally have access to, having been partially depowered by their Aunt Eris. (Note that Wildcard is Aesexual and Agender)

ARCADE (PL 8-10)

There are things that go bump in the night, and ARCADE exists to stop them. These magical-based heroes are troubleshooters for a secret government organization. Unlike the Freedom League Dark, the things that ARCADE deals with almost never make it to the nightly news – which is for the best.

Babel – Larry Raynes is a priest who has a dark passenger – Babel, the spirit of conflict. Both are masters of language, but Babel is also capable of doing a lot to incite conflicts and violence.
Harper Graves – A monster hunter who is bonded with a demon (inside a plastic duck). They kill monsters, usually with their bare hands.
Marcus Moon – A dimensionally displaced supergenius with a disdain for magic.
Muse – The Master Mage of Mathematics and Music, Muse is a wizard whose powers manifest through the mixture of music and hypermath. (Note that Muse is nonbinary.)
Orpheus & Eurydice – The figures from mythology, Orpheus and Eurydice share a body with a twist (specifically, when Eurydice’s body is present, Orpheus is driving and vice versa.) Orpheus is a bard, with extensive knowledge and the power to inspire and influence through his songs, Eurydice is a nature-nymph, with powers over animals, plants, and the weather.
Professor Daffodil Carrie Pembroke – A ritual magician and inventor who is also a potent telekinetic. Daffodil is paralyzed from the waist down, and as such rarely puts herself on the front line, preferring to send drones out to monitor the field of battle and operating from afar.

AEGIS (PL 6)

Secret Agents and Superspies, AEGIS is the shield between the world of superhumans and “normal” humanity. This team is made of regular AEGIS agents and freelancers, each of who has a connection to one of the above teams.

Agent Harrison Jones – An AEGIS Agent who was stationed at Starhaven. Agent Jones is dating Captain Flynn. The most “traditional” AEGIS Agent of the team. (See Guardians of Haven)
Borvis Gore – A superspy from Leifandi, Borvis is charming and charismatic and clever. (See the Gemstars)
Duncan Summers – A retired superhero (he was once the Raven), and the Headmaster of Claremont Academy, Duncan Summers remains smart and capable. (see the Next-Gen).
Sam Laurant – Friends and employee of Resonant (see Freedom League Dark), Sam is a budding artificer and mage who carries a wide variety of mystical tools for protection, defense, and information.
Thomas Rhymer – A mystic troublemaker. No one is ever happy to see Thomas Rhymer, but most people know that when he’s around, it’s probably because he needs to be. Thomas is a ritual mage and the world’s foremost expert on the Fae. He has worked with ARCADE in the past.
Tommy Moore – Good friends with Crucible, and dating Portal, Tommy was the “guy in the chair” for the Stormbreakers, until Professor Cephalopod built him a supersuit. Now Tommy uses his tech skills to assist AEGIS.