The X-men run missions and work together with the NYPD, striving to maintain a peaceful balance between humans and mutants. When it comes to a fight, they won't back down from protecting those who need their help.
Haven presents itself as a humanitarian organization for activists, leaders, and high society, yet mutants are the secret leaders working to protect and serve their kind. Behind the scenes they bring their goals into reality.
From the time when mutants became known to the world, SUPER was founded as a black-ops division of the CIA in an attempt to classify, observe, and learn more about this new and rising threat.
The Syndicate works to help bring mutantkind to the forefront of the world. They work from the shadows, a beacon of hope for mutants, but a bane to mankind. With their guiding hand, humanity will finally find extinction.
Since the existence of mutants was first revealed in the nineties, the world has become a changed place. Whether they're genetic misfits or the next stage in humanity's evolution, there's no denying their growing numbers, especially in hubs like New York City. The NYPD has a division devoted to mutant related crimes. Super-powered vigilantes help to maintain the peace. Those who style themselves as Homo Superior work to tear society apart for rebuilding in their own image.
MRO is an intermediate to advanced writing level original character, original plot X-Men RPG. We've been open and active since October of 2005. You can play as a mutant, human, or Adapted— one of the rare humans who nullify mutant powers by their very existence. Goodies, baddies, and neutrals are all welcome.
Short Term Plots:Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
The Fountain of Youth
A chemical serum has been released that's shaving a few years off of the population. In some cases, found to be temporary, and in others...?
MRO MOVES WITH CURRENT TIME: What month and year it is now in real life, it's the same for MRO, too.
Fuegogrande: "Fuegogrande" player of The Ranger, Ion, Rhia, and Null
Neopolitan: "Aly" player of Rebecca Grey, Stephanie Graves, Marisol Cervantes, Vanessa Bookman, Chrysanthemum Van Hart, Sabine Sang, Eupraxia
Ongoing Plots
Magic and Mystics
After the events of the 2020 Harvest Moon and the following Winter Solstice, magic has started manifesting in the MROvere! With the efforts of the Welldrinker Cult, people are being converted into Mystics, a species of people genetically disposed to be great conduits for magical energy.
The Welldrinker Cult
A shadowy group is gaining power, drawing in people who are curious, vulnerable, or malicious, and turning them into Mystics. They are recruiting people into their ranks to spread the influence of magic in the world, but for what end goal?
Are They Coming for You?
There have been whispers on the streets lately of a boogeyman... mutant and humans, young and old, all have been targets of trafficking.
Adapteds
What if the human race began to adapt to the mutant threat? What if the human race changed ever so subtly... without the x-gene.
Atlanteans
The lost city of Atlantis has been found! Refugees from this undersea mutant dystopia have started to filter in to New York as citizens and businessfolk. You may make one as a player character of run into one on the street.
Got a plot in mind?
MRO plots are player-created the Mods facilitate and organize the big ones, but we get the ideas from you. Do you have a plot in mind, and want to know whether it needs Mod approval? Check out our plot guidelines.
His lungs were on fire as they tried to catch breath after breath, each new one harder than the last. His legs were tired, stumbling on occasion and he had already fallen down once, while Tinaker, his loyal companion ran next to him at a much slower pace than his usual sprinting speed. Miles gasped and was losing steam already but one of the entrances to Haven was already on sight, yet still far on the horizon. The young man started raising his arms trying to call the attention of any of the usual guards Emerald had posted on her tightly run underground city, but either they weren't looking his way or he was still a speck too small for them to notice. He had no voice to make himself heard, not until he stopped to catch his breath and he wouldn't do so until he reached the gates.
Then again...
"Bark" he mentally commanded his dog "Bark as loud as you can."
Tinaker's barks were deeper and creepier than any dog his size would led you to believe, but they were also loud, specially with help from the echoes coming from the ruins of the abandoned buildings surrounding them. That got their attention all right and gave Miles hope. He tried a final push, trying not to slip over the gravel covered concrete from the dirty streets.
He'd made it. They were helping him now, having recognized him immediately from previous trading trips or courier errands, a friend and ally of Emerald, Joseph and Ruby. Miles legs buckled and he ended up on all fours, gasping for breath as they tried to hoist him back up, asking him questions he had no time to answer. Once his lungs had gathered some air, he spent it all on a loud, throaty bellow.
"RUUUUUBYYYYYYY!!!"
If there was one thing he knew for sure about the fox girl was that her hearing was sharp, probably even sharper than Tinaker's. He needed her to drop whatever contraption she was working on and meet with him as soon as possible. She was Astor's only hope.
Even in this Post Apocalyptic world Ruby always seemed to have time to tinker with small things. The Fox girl wore her pair of overalls and a faded gray shirt beneath it. It was the normal clothes she wore when she was messing around with a machine. Lately, she and some of the scouts of Haven had been finding small explosives in the sand or on the ground. Most of them had become duds, but some unfortunately had triggered.
Luckily, no one from Haven was hurt but Ruby saw many people from the outside or just random survivors stumble upon them and meet a rather gruesome fate. At the moment, The Fox girl's green eyes were focusing on the small device, simple in design but deadly, it seemed to have a hair pin trigger and was designed similarly to how the mines in Vietnam were designed. Whoever was creating these things was obviously a fan of the "classics." The fox girl would let out a sigh as she unscrewed the device with her screwdriver. In her own opinion, some people shouldn't have access to technology.
Suddenly, her name was called and the words practically reverberated off of the walls of the caves that Haven was settled in. Ruby recognized the voice, Miles, a sweet guy who had helped Haven more than once even if he did have a habit of getting himself into trouble.
This time, it seemed he wanted her instead of her big sister though, which couldn't mean anything good. A technology problem in this grim future was similar to a death sentence. Ruby reached into her Tool Box and grabbed a bunch of tools, stuffing them into the front pocket of her overalls. Her goggles that were formerly laying on the table now fasted securely on her head so she would be able to pull them down at any time.
One of the quickest members in Haven dashed over to where she heard the yell, her ears still ringing from it. If Miles wanted her attention, he got it but it better have been important. Ruby was working with a delicate machine up there and if that thing wasn't already disable that could have proved dangerous.
Once Ruby got to her destination her eyes widened in worry. It didn't take a genius to realize that something was wrong. With a quick jump past the rocks of the incline Ruby landed in front of Miles, Concern clear on her face. It would be a lie to say that she didn't care for the boy, he was one of the only people near her age that was around here and one of the few happier people. Now didn't seem like a time for their normal, slightly socially awkward on Ruby's part, banter.
"Miles, hey, whats wrong? What do you need?" Ruby asked urgently.
Miles had his hands over his knees, holding his body weight as he stood catching his breath while waiting for Ruby. Going inside after her would only take more time than he had and he was sure she must have heard him. True enough, he straightened up when he picked up on her quick footsteps and as soon the fox girl herself made her appearance, landing next to him and asking what he needed, Miles placed both hands on her arms.
"I need you!"
It was no lie. She was the smartest person he knew in the whole area and the only one with the technical knowhow to help him save his dog. He actually felt bad about coming over in such a hurry and just trying to drag her with him, specially since her big sister was so protective of her, but it was pretty much a life or death situation for Astor, as ridiculous as that sounded since the dog was undead.
"You might want to bring some guys along. I had to stash my rifle away to run faster and my only protection right now is Tinaker" he warned, as he urged her to follow him. "Astor is... Astor is in trouble. You know how much I care about my dogs and without them I would be long dead..." he explained. His thralls pretty much were what allowed Miles to survive on his long treks while exploring post apocalyptic New York. They scouted, tracked, hunted and protected Miles while needing nothing in return. It was a sweet deal for him, one that he wasn't willing to partake with just yet.
"If you come with me, I'll explain to you all the details you need, but long story short... Astor stepped on a mine. I managed to notice it the moment he pressed it and ordered him not to move. Luckily he's good at doing that but... he's sort of exposed and it won't be long before some idiot bandit wants to use him for target practice"
Miles dropped his hands and his gaze to the ground feeling completely responsible for such a stupid blunder. If they got back to where his dog was and all they found was the remnants of an explosion with... pieces of... he'd....
The young man brought one hand to his forehead, his brown eyes full of worry, first looking down and then darting up, straight to her vibrant green ones. "Anyway, I need your help. We don't have much time and it's going to be risky, since he's not in the safest of places. Will you help me, Ruby? I will owe you big time if you do."
When the words, "I need you." Left Miles' mouth Ruby couldn't help but blush ever so slightly. Sure, she knew it was for a different reason than what she wanted but she could dream couldn't she? Ruby was still a 19 year old girl after all, and even 19 year old had crushes.
Of course that was not the real reason she was needed, but it was a nice thought. It would seem that Astor, had gotten himself in trouble, much like his owner did from time to time. But this seemed to be a far more dangerous matter than the occasional running into bandits. This was something else entirely. It seemed to be that whoever, was tormenting the local traders with these random bombs and mines, had Miles in quite a jam.
"I know about the mines, We have been noticing them lately but we thought they were just some idiots messing around with technology they don't understand, " Ruby's face formed into a frown. The fox girl was easily one of the more cheery people in Haven, but the fact that someone was using technology against innocents was not something she liked to hear. "Now it looks like it's a lot more than I originally thought."
The a quick flick of her tail Ruby made a decision, it wasn't like her to make a snap decision like this. Normally, that was Emerald's job but for something like this, it looked like a quick choice needed to be made. She wasn't going to risk anyone or anything to some intelligent psychopath. No one should use their knowledge for evil, she and her sisters knew that better than anyone else in this world.
"I'll help you Miles, I don't want anyone else getting hurt by an intellects misuse of science." Ruby nodded confidently, "We have some men by the front gate, traders who have lost their stock to these mines. We will bring them with us, I don't want to take any prized fighters away from Haven."
"Excellent!" Miles said with a hopeful smile and a clap of hands. "They can help scare off the random bandit on our way there, but as soon as we get to the 'zone', they should stay back. This is not the work of some idiot messing around, this guy knows what he's doing."
Miles fears were well grounded. A large group of people were easier to see and prepare for. They also had twice the amount of feet stomping around. One single bomb could do devastating damage and that was the LAST thing Miles wanted hanging in his conscience. He knew he was putting her and them at risk, all for a dog, regardless of how special and valuable the animal was to the young mutant.
"Astor is five blocks away, pretty much straight ahead, then a turn to the right by the end, near where this old toy store used to be. I don't get to walk through that area that much, since the place has been fortified. Whoever claimed it got all the windows boarded, the entrances barb wired, some even sandbagged and I take those sort of signs quite seriously, so I stay away" he explained while pointing up the road he had just come from, trying to give her a run down of the situation. "I've heard a few things about what's going on in that place, but I'll tell you as we go..."
Miles thought Ruby was the sort of person that would usually stay safe in Haven, not venturing too far and keeping her nose clean from any of the dangers from the surface. She was also the only one with enough brains to get his dog out in one piece and to see her agree to go out with him on such a risky endeavor made him feel glad and nervous as well. He knew if anything happened to her, he'd be fed to the wolves (or more like, fed to the She-Wolf) and he had no intention whatsoever of facing an angry Emerald. He'd have to thread very carefully, not just for his sake, but for hers. She was doing a very brave and selfless thing to help him out and Miles appreciated it wholeheartedly.
"...and thanks for doing this, Ruby" he added, realizing the immensity of the favor he was asking. "You're one of a kind."
Ruby knew all to well what Astor, meant to Miles and in a sense, it was sort of similar to Sapphire's powers. Well, with the whole attachment to them anyways. Besides, her crush on the younger mutant, Ruby did feel very attached to Miles and didn't want him or his dogs come to any harm. Even if the first time Astor met her, he barked at her for what it seemed to be hours. That's what she got for being a fox. Most dogs ether tolerated her or hated her. Ruby was used to it though so it didn't bother her all that much.
The fox girl was already suited up for working on machines, so other than her rifle that was tossed to her by one of her guard friends she was ready to go. Her tool box was retrieved and handed to her by Sarge, the head guard and trainer for the other members of Haven's army.
By one look in the older mans eyes, she knew he wasn't happy with her heading out like this, especially without letting Emerald know. Ruby knew however, that she was able to take care of herself and her big sister was being paranoid, as usual. Ruby gave the older man a look, green eyes pleading with him not to mention this to her sister just yet, that she was going to be fine. He responded with a small sigh, before nodding a little.
Miles would sure be in the doghouse if something happened to her though, this meant she would have to stay on her guard more than usual for this particular villain.
"I know a bit about what you're talking about," Ruby told Miles, as the two started to head out of the safety of Haven. "Whoever this is has been really disrupting the natural order of things around here with his bombs. I defused a few that were brought in to me before. Whoever he is, he's smart but he's using that his tools and tricks for evil purposes."
The young fox would not stand by and allow another great mind to devolve into insanity. In her time in Haven, many people had been descending into their own madness. Especially those with exceptional minds. For them, this sort of world lead endless possibilities, without ethical laws or normal laws to stop them, they could do anything. Ruby on the other hand, wouldn't allow this to happen.
The fox girl's serious thoughts were not interrupted as they walked, or as the trade joined them. No, her deep, more serious thoughts were interrupted by Miles speaking again.
"Ah, Thanks Miles, I'm really not all that special, just doing my duty as a loyal Haven citizen!" Ruby told him, not used to the flattery all that much. That and if the blush on her face was anything she was a little bit embarrassed by the guy she had a crush on complimenting her like that.
The girl was pretty much ready to go and Miles couldn't be happier. She caught a rifle someone threw at her, picked up her tool box and the armed traders and extra guards were quickly appointed and ready to leave.
She was the humble sort and didn't think herself special, but where people saw the world as a lawless wasteland in shades of grey she had managed to keep a black and white concept of good and evil. Where smart minds used their wits to survive regardless of how much damage they caused, Ruby was intent on using her brains for good and thoroughly opposed those who did otherwise. You didn't see someone like that too often in post apocalyptic New York and the world needed more people like her to heal.
"Truth be told, I don't think there's a natural order to disrupt" Miles commented as they started their walk "People have just... devolved, Ruby. I've seen so much stuff in my travels, people doing terrible things and for so little, like a can of tuna or a loaf of bread. It's like we're back to survival of the fittest. There's no real natural order yet, we're just starting to build it again".
The young mutant sighed. Back when the world made sense, they were just teenagers trying to make the best out of their situations and learning how to use and control their mutant abilities. Today, they were pretty much playing the role of cops, protecting and gathering as many innocent people as they could in their respective settlements and hunting down bandits and madmen.
Speaking of madmen...
"They call it the Shop" Miles said, trying to fill her in on what they were getting into. "I never found out what they did in there, I just knew the surrounding area was mined. Whoever is holding it though, has started to plant them farther away from the shop and that's why you've found some closer to Haven. I think hey're trying to expand their territory..."
Ruby did have a bit more of an optemistic view on things that most of the people in this world. Some called it naive, some called it showing the signs of her young age, but in her mind it was something else entirely. She had her sister's had seen the worst of mankind as a whole. Long before any of this chaos started, the Lupins's had seen thier fair share of travesties. Ruby wasn't surprised by what people could do, not anymore. This didn't mean she didn't hate it any less.
"There is still an order Miles, I just think people don't want to see it. Some people thrive in the chaos and terrorize others for fun. They think they are above others because of their intelligence, powers or whatever when they really aren't. They did this long before the explosion and probably would again," Ruby shook her head. "That's why me and my sister built Haven the way we did, for good people to pull through this mess."
Monsters would always exist in this world, Ruby knew that, but at least she had some way of fighting them. Even if that some way was a little grey at times. Monsters had to be stopped, they had to be put away, no matter what the cost.
The fox girl's ears twitched when Miles mentioned The Shop, she could have sworn that she had heard Emerald mention them before. It's possible her older sister had heard of them and just didn't view them as a threat before. After all, Haven itself was pretty well guarded. That said, this place seemed to be a force to be reckoned with if they were planting bombs all over the place.
I wonder if Emmy and the other council members were planning on talking about this tonight at their big meeting Ruby wondered, tail swished back and forth lightly in thought. Sure she wasn't one of the council members of Haven, but she was privy to all the information at them. After all, she was still one of the founders of Haven so she had every right to sit in on these meetings whens he wasn't busy or get the info herself.
"They won't be able to expand that much, I doubt the people of Haven will let them, bombs or not," Ruby replied, the girl having clear faith in her community. "But yeah, I've heard of them before at the meetings, they have been causing problems but nothing like this."
Miles could not deny that the Lupins had done a great job with Haven and he was glad to have them as friends and allies for his neck had been saved more than once by some of it's citizens. Just recently, Enders had saved him from a run in with bandits and today it was Ruby who was lending a helping hand.
She was right though. Bad people had always existed even before the missiles launched, but in today's lawless world you could cross paths with them more often than ever, specially if you were an explorer and errand boy taking deliveries between settlements, for that's all Miles saw himself as. He was not a hero or determined to hunt down evil, even though he was willing to pinch hit and help people in need. He was a survivor and playing the role of cop or law enforcement was not something he was entirely comfortable with. The guys from the Shop however, had forced his hand.
The location of the Shop and it's name were the only things he knew for certain, while everything else was hearsay. Miles signaled Tinaker to move forward and stay alert as he usually did, using his keen senses to detect any dangers ahead. The dog's ears were also the source for all the gossip, hearsay and information Miles picked up from conversations between bandits and gang members. While not exactly solid intel, it was better than nothing.
"I've heard people say the Shop is recruiting, while others say they merged with another gang and some say there's new tenants living in the building. It could very well be all three" he said, trying to keep Ruby up to speed on what he knew, since he didn't know what information she had. "Some even call the place Santa's Workshop, because they're based in an old toystore. I think they're trying to set up some sort of borders and mines are really cost effective at doing that."
They kept moving at decent speed but once they were two blocks away from their destination, Miles raised his hand signaling everyone to stop and lay low. His dog had picked up a scent, from someone standing behind a rusted, abandoned car around the corner of the street ahead.
"Sentry" he whispered, certain that Ruby's fox ears could easily pick up his voice, as he closed his eyes and connected his senses to his dog's. "He's smoking, which makes his scent easy to pick up and I don't think he was there when I sped past. He hasn't seen us yet, but if we move forward, he will."
Miles considered his options. He was unarmed, having hidden his rifle further ahead to improve his running speed and his biggest dog was playing statue over a mine. He still had Tinaker, whom he could use to attack the sentry by surprise.
The young man opened his eyes and looked into Ruby's green ones, eager to know her opinion, which was usually a very smart one. "What do you suggest? Charge, sneak through somehow or incapacitate, so maybe we can gain some information?"
Ruby did know quite a bit about these people, for she had heard the rumors as well. The term, Little Pitchers have big ears, very much applied for the young fox girl. Ever since she was a little kid she had always been listening to conversations that didn't include her in them. It was a sort of vice of hers, nosiness was but in a way it saved her life.
If it wasn't for her natural curiosity and urges to spy on her older siblings she would have never followed Emerald to the underground ring that day, nor would she have been safe from alll the falling debrei. Despite the rift it caused between her and her older sister for a while it was worth it in the end.
Ruby continued walking with Miles, just before she heard unfamiliar footsteps up ahead. Right as Miles mentioned the words sentry the fox girl was already long behind cover, clasping the gun she had been given earlier tightly. She signaled the men that came with them to do the same. The group was now looking at the sentry, determining what they should do. Ruby had a feeling they would have eyes everywhere and if they saw their man go down with a bullet it might not be a good thing for them.
"We knock him out with a tranq dart," Ruby replied curtly, fiddling with her gun quickly. For the Fox girl, Killing was always the last resort, no matter what the circumstances.
Ever since she allowed one of the military men to modify her rifles in order to make in compatibly with tranq darts along with other caliber bullets, she had been primarily using the darts when she was on missions. Just so the person that she encountered wouldn't have to die in the process. Not only that but his particular rifle was nearly ruined now because of the modifications done on it, so Tranq darts were the easiest things to fire from it without getting hurt.
The fox girl loaded the darts silently, taking an oddly serious look n her face. Most people knew Ruby as the still cheerful if not naive mechanic. When she was about to do something like this, the highly concentrated, emotionless look on her face was frightening to say the least. It seems that she might of inhertied some of her sisters...quirks. The Fox girl looked through the scope, letting taking in a soft breath, leveling the rifle, aiming slowly.
A very soft bang was heard, nearly silent and the sentry attempted to swat at the "bug" that stung it's neck. Before he could do anything else, he fell to the ground in a heap, temporarily unconscious. Ruby pointed over tot he unconscious sentry and the vengeful traders went over and dragged him over to their hiding spot.
"I had to learn how to fire one of these because of Emerald, on her full moon days we needed a way to calm her down and the darts were the best thing. Good thing is, I didn't give him the same dosage we give Emerald, or he would have been dead," Ruby explained to Miles, "So, what do you want to ask him?It should wear off in a few minutes."
There are moments in life when your perception of people suddenly changes. Sometimes, you're so used to seeing someone do one specific thing or act in a specific way that you can't fathom them behaving in a different fashion. To Miles, Ruby had always been this smart girl fixing contraptions or building them, with grease spots on her pants, but he had never pictured her as the sort who'd take shooting matters on her own hands. When he asked her what should they do, he thought she'd have one of the guards she brought do the deed, but when he saw her handling the rifle that delivered the dart, he was quite surprised at her efficiency and her approach.
What did he expect? She was a Lupin after all.
"Wow" he said, bringing a hand to his open smile "I'd never seen this side of you before, Ruby. That was quite impressive."
She had handled the matter quickly, quietly and in a non-deadly fashion. She even explained why she was good at handling a tranq rifle and when the traders dragged her victim to their hiding spot, Miles was quick to bind him before he woke up. He ripped a long strip of his own t-shirt, twirled it into a rope like string and tied the man's wrists behind his back. He then flipped the unconscious sentry over and brought Tinaker to stand over the man's chest so when he'd wake up he'd have red glowing eyes staring down on his face and sharp teeth breathing dangerously close to his neck. That should get him in a talking mood.
"We know the what and the where, but we still don't know the how many" he answered Ruby as the man started to groan out of his sleep. He had short brownish hair and beard, a dirty, skinny complexion and he was around his late thirties. His jeans were ripped and in disrepair while his vest had several pockets which Miles was already checking, in search of munitions or information that could prove useful. A crumpled pack of cigarrettes, a lighter and a toy whistle was all he found in the jacket but the man kept a small handgun in his boot that Miles quickly confiscated. It had no bullets.
A sentry with a useless weapon and a whistle. Either they didn't trust him with a gun or bullets were in short supply and both scenarios were good news. A man who lacked the trust from his fellow companions was likely to feel resentful about being left as a sentry with a gun for show and only a whistle to call for help. Miles could use that to their advantage.
The man slowly opened his eyes and shuddered when he saw the dog. A quiet gasp was the only thing that made it out of his mouth as Tinaker's bright eyes were burning deep into the sentry's while Miles leaned closer to the man's ear.
"You're not in hell..." he whispered, as the man remained still, not daring to move a muscle with a hellhound on his chest "...but if you fail to answer me, you will be."
It was just a threat to get him scared, but the otherwordly appearance of his dogs could have a chilling effect on ignorant people and Miles exploited it to it's fullest when he could.
The man nodded and mumbled a timid "Okey..."
"How many people are in the Shop?"
"Dunno" the man said. "Six on the first floor maybe? Dunno how many on the top one, except for Santa. He's always there."
"Santa?" Miles asked "Who's Santa?"
"The boss" the man said. "He's gonna scratch you off his list."
Miles gave the fox girl a somewhat beffudled look and the sentry must have thought his silence meant he wanted more out of his answer.
"He's big an' has a grey beard. He messes with toys an' makes 'em into weapons an' he's got plenty of toys."
That was odd. Miles knew the wasteland had forced people into being resourceful but some had taken that resourcefulness and turned it straight into deviousness. He also knew Ruby actually liked building and fixing toys, so hearing about what this guy was doing besides the mines was likely to irk her some.
"How many more sentries are out there?" Miles asked, trying to make sure they had an idea what they were facing.
"I dunno, they just send me out to watch this street an' run back if I see anythin' fishy" the man said, as he kept his eyes on Tinaker's teeth. "Your dog is fishy."
Miles looked back at Ruby and nodded to let her know he had gotten what he wanted, which wasn't much, since the guy didn't seem like the brightest crayon in the box and was likely left in the dark on purpose by his peers. He let her ask the guy any questions she wanted to ask and handle his fate. They had to be on the lookout for other sentries and be very careful not to rattle the beehive's nest, so when Ruby was done, he pretty much aknowledged they could be biting a bit more than they could chew.
"I'm not liking this. I want my dog back, but I don't want to put you or any of your men at risk" he said, his voice a tad worried and his mind well aware that she was pretty smart. "So I'm open to suggestions. How do you think we should go about it?"
