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 Pharoah Dynasty
An ancient sorceress is on a quest to bring her long-lost warrior-king to the modern era in a bid for global domination. Can the heroes of the modern world stop her before all is lost?
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.
A snort. A very small, understated, cynical snort.
>> “We have yet to build a prison that's designed to hold the baser side of the mutants."
That’s what Luke Jacobs had said. And that, friends, was one very good reason for a former Supervisor of the Camps to snort. Rupert leaned back on the bench, letting his head tilt back over his shoulders, towards the sky. It really was a damn nice day, once you left the freaks inside the tent.
“We did, though. They were called the Camps. I’m not going to defend how those places were run; I’m the last person who would defend them.” He was the last person who had a right to defend them. As a Supervisor, he could have turned them into something else. Could have at least tried too. Instead, he’d spent all Fall and Winter sitting on his rear, waiting for that damn Mutant Resistance to get its act together. What a misplaced hope that had been. Like waiting drawing up a warm bath for when the serial killer came home. Would you like to wash that blood off before or after you’re done with me, sweetums? If he’d never gotten drunk in that bar, he’d have never heard of them. If he’d never heard of them, maybe he would have done what needed doing: reforming those places, instead of waiting for them to be broken wide open. If Raina—
That was enough of that.
“They did their job, though,” Rupert continued, after a slight pause. “We only had one break out at the New York facility, until they stormed us from the outside—even then, I managed to keep the worse of our inmates in.” Duskmoor. She didn’t deserve a first name; not such a sweet, school girl one, any way. A short laugh. “Got a limp in the process and killed my faith in the justice system afterwards, but I did my job.”
So casually, he gave away that piece of his employment record. And why not? Dogkeeping wasn’t anything to be ashamed of.
Posted by Luke Jacobs on Apr 13, 2009 5:01:34 GMT -6
Omega Mutant
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Sept 8, 2010 9:05:47 GMT -6
"I didn't spend all that much time in New York during the camps." Luke lied reflexively. In truth he had been around quite a bit because of that stupid monitoring bracelet but the public story from the company had been something different. "When everything was going crazy the security business was booming and I ended up making quite a few trips out of state."
The lie had been told but now it was time to begin to say a few things that would allow him to still have something to talk about. Maybe Rupert wasn't completely a lost cause. Maybe he could still see that some mutants were good although it had to be hard after he had worked at one of the camps. Sure there were a smattering of good mutants in the camps but there were a whole lot of bad ones as well.
"I heard a lot of the reports on the radio or TV but I never really experienced any of it. Of course, with my blindness, I could have walked right next door to the camps and I probably wouldn't have noticed much of anything." Luke admitted before finally throwing a question Rupert's way, "But since you were there, maybe you can tell me something. Were all of the mutants in the camps criminals? Did they all deserve to be there?"
Posted by Rupert Kelley on Apr 14, 2009 1:48:00 GMT -6
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Rupert nodded in easy acceptance of Luke's story. "That makes sense, that the security business would be booming during that. Seems like the mutants we didn't catch just got angrier. Did you make any trips to Florida? My parents moved there a few years back. I don't think their Camp had any big issues, that I remember--definitely not to the scale ours had." As a federal law, just about every state had its own version of the Camps. Still, it always seemed like New York got more than its share of troublemakers. The violent freaks attracted each other like flies to a carcass, and it was hard to deny that New York City had been rotting for years. The constant stream of police deaths sure didn't help on that front. That's why Rupert had to do what he did: someone had to cut out the rot, so everyone else could try and survive. As for himself, he'd given up on survival a long time ago. It would be nice if he could remember when. That seemed like something a man should remember.
>> "But since you were there, maybe you can tell me something. Were all of the mutants in the camps criminals? Did they all deserve to be there?"
Luke's candor was a welcome change from the usual reactions he got for admitting he'd worked at the Camps. Freaks and bleeding heart supporters booed him for it; turn coat bandwagon riders shook their heads disapprovingly to try and negate some of the enthusiastic nods they'd given while the Camps were popular; his friends on the force gave him that 'you did what you could' look that never fixed anything. Luke Jacobs here was just accepting it. Some part of Rupert was grateful for that.
He ran a hand through his curly brown hair. "That's one of the things that should have been changed, if the government had actually wanted those places to work. I don't know if you saw the pic--" Pictures. Right. That was a 'no'. "Don't know how much you heard about the inquiry reports afterwards," he changed to, "but it's all true--the abuses, the kids being imprisoned, the damn unnecessary deaths. Those places were set up to fail. The law was made by zealots, enforced by zealots, and supported by mob rule. That's not how the legal system works. It's not how it should work. They turned a good idea into a witch hunt. Some of these freaks are perfectly capable of staying below the radar--some of them even prefer it. Towards the end, the Camps turned into a place to shove every mutant and their cousin; some of the ones that registered voluntarily even ended up getting tossed in. And the only people they hired to work there were--"
Rupert cut off into a short laugh. "--complete zealots," he finished, entirely aware that he was describing himself, now. "They certainly had my number. They just forgot that not all zealots are sadistic sociopaths." Not all the time, anyway. An incident with a coin game and a girl's life reared its head in his memory, but he shoved it to the same corner that he'd shoved a girl with dyed red hair and a voice that could cut a man's soul with ice.
"I did what I could," he repeated, "but there's only so much you can do when most of your co-workers should be off in their own prison." Real guards. That would have been a great start to making the Camps legitimate.
"What's your take on the Registration Act and the Camps?" Rupert turned the conversation back towards the other man. "Do you think it was a horrible idea from the start, or a decent enough idea that got put into place by indecent people?"
Posted by Luke Jacobs on Apr 14, 2009 6:34:34 GMT -6
Omega Mutant
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Sept 8, 2010 9:05:47 GMT -6
"I never made it down to Florida but if I remember correctly some of the salesmen from our company did go down there. As I remember it, the only states we didn't make any sales in were Alaska, Montana, and North Dakota." Luke replied after a moment though, apparently trying to think back and remember everything correctly. The Jacobs & Jacobs company had done very well with their sales during that time but because of his own registration Luke had remained in New York City albeit, behind the scenes and mostly hidden from view.
For the next few minutes, Luke listened to Rupert expound on what had happened at the camps and what had been wrong with them. It was hard to relate the two very different pictures he was getting of this man. on the one hand was the man that understood that there had been a lot of mistakes in the camps and that a lots of innocent mutants had been imprisoned for no reason but at the same time there was a man that hated mutants just because they were mutants. Something wasn't completely adding up and Luke was curious about what Rupert wasn't saying.
"What's your take on the Registration Act and the Camps? Do you think it was a horrible idea from the start, or a decent enough idea that got put into place by indecent people?"
For a moment Luke was silent as he stared off into space. Even if he had lied to Rupert about being in New York during the Registration Act, the man deserved to hear an honest answer about Luke's opinion of the camps. But that raised the question, what was his opinion? Beyond the shock and disgust about the way the camps had been run, what did he actually think about a place like that?
"I think that something along the line of the camps needs to be done as long as its run correctly." Luke admitted slowly, "There are mutants that are criminals just like there are humans that are criminals. A normal prison isn't designed to contain people with special abilities so something else would have to be done. I don't think I can agree with every mutant having to register to show who they are, but if mutants commit crimes then they should be recorded in the system just like any other criminal and sent to a facility designed to contain them."
In one way it was hard for Luke to admit that perhaps a facility like that was necessary. A facility with specific tools that would allow them to keep mutants in check but at the same time there was no other choice but to admit it. Mutants could be a murderer just the same as any human could which meant they needed to have a place to be punished just like any human.
Posted by Rupert Kelley on Apr 15, 2009 1:52:43 GMT -6
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And now they were talking. Rupert gave a sharp nod as Luke stated his own opinions on the issue, forgetting that the man couldn't see. Damn straight, that the freaks needed their own prison, and damn straight, their criminals should be every bit as accountable as humans were. More so. The greater the power, the greater the responsibility. They could abuse their abilities all they wanted, but at the end of the day, they had to be held accountable. Rupert would see to it. And if he died, someone else had damn well better take his place, or things would never get better.
"I'm with you there," he replied easily. "What do you think about how the justice system should handle them?" He asked, turning the subject to an area quite close to his heart. And his lung, for that matter. "For me, I can't see the judge-and-jury system working with the muties. It doesn't work with the muties. Having a facility to hold them in is one thing; getting them in there in a way that the human rights--" He had to pause to snort a chuckle at that one. 'Human rights'. That was a good one. "The rights groups don't protest is another. Like I said, though, trials just don't work with them. Not when there are mind manipulators and telepaths and emotionmancers out there. Any murderer with a brain-bending friend can turn a jury; how do you counter that? You could try a closed trial, but some of these damn things can turn invisible--can turn others invisible, too. And phase through walls, hide in shadows--you name it. There will always be a way for them to win, even if the blood is still dripping from their hands." Rupert grew silent for a moment, a 'Not Guilty' verdict lancing through his memory. Isabel Duskmoor, cleared of all charges. "It doesn't work," he said, with finality.
"I can't help but think," Rupert stated, with brutal simplicity, "that the biggest mistake we made at the Camps was letting the freaks live. I'm not talking about the kids, or the ones that got shoved in there by some idiot who couldn't tell a butcher knife from a spoon with a magnifying glass; but the honestly dangerous ones... If we'd just killed them, things would be a whole lot better now. As soon as they got out of the Camps, they just went straight back to killing. The best thing to do with a rabid dog like those things," he finished, like a perfectly logical man, "is put them down."
Posted by Luke Jacobs on Apr 15, 2009 7:32:47 GMT -6
Omega Mutant
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Sept 8, 2010 9:05:47 GMT -6
"A part of me wants to argue with you about a public trial not working but at the same time I have to admit you're probably right." Luke said after a moment, turning his face toward the warmth of the sun as he thought about what Rupert had just said. "On the one hand they deserve the right to a trial just like anyone because they could have been framed or misidentifie just like any human but something special needs to be done to handle the case. Perhaps something along the lines of a military tribunal with case files that could be reviewed after the fact to make sure things were handled correctly but that is out of the public eye during the actual proceedings."
With a slight shrug, Luke made it obvious that he didn't know for sure what should be done. Ever as a mutant himself it was difficult to say how something like this should be handled. It was a delicate situation and though he would never be a proponent of stepping on someone's rights, special considerations most certain had to be made in order to handle a mutants abilities.
"But you're probably right that the jailing and containment is the easy side of things. Coming up with an effective way to perform trials is the hard part."
And now they came to the part that Luke had to disagree with at least a little. The death penalty was not always the right answer for humans so it couldn't always be the right answer for mutants... could it?
"As for putting them down like rabid animals, I think that would have to depend on the crime just like it does for humans. If you or I were to kill someone in an accident or out of a fit of rage, we would serve jail time, perhaps even a life sentance, but not the death penalty. The death penalty for humans is reserved for those that intend and or plan to kill another individual. I honestly can't see why those same standards shouldn't apply to mutants."
Posted by Rupert Kelley on Apr 20, 2009 2:03:56 GMT -6
Haven
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Rupert nodded his head thoughtfully. A military tribunal... now that wasn’t such a bad idea.
>> “If you or I were to kill someone in an accident or out of a fit of rage, we would serve jail time, perhaps even a life sentence, but not the death penalty. The death penalty for humans is reserved for those that intend and or plan to kill another individual. I honestly can't see why those same standards shouldn't apply to mutants.”
“I do, unfortunately,” Rupert said softly. “I can see two reasons, even off the top of my head. The first goes back to one of the same issues as with trials—other freaks intervening. Did you read about that break-out a few weeks back? A group of mutants broke into a prison; slaughtered the staff and released the prisoners, simply because some of the prisoners were mutants, too. And these were mutants that had actually stood trial, the same as anyone else—they were sentenced there. It was a maximum security place. They let serial killers loose, just because they were mutants—if there’s one thing mutants can’t stand to see, it’s us mere Homo sapiens locking away their kind. You know what they call themselves, right? ‘Homo superiors. The more mutants we put in a prison, the bigger a target it becomes for terrorists like that. If we’re going to have break-outs, I’d rather be letting the petty thieves back out, not the killers.”
“The second reason,” Rupert continued, leaning forward so that his elbows rested on his knees, “is this: do you know how many mutants leave things at one murder? Accidental, self-defense, spur-of-the-moment, premeditated; I don’t care which kind. And I don’t know how many leave it at that, myself; rhetorical question. All I know is that there seem to be a high proportion of freaks who kill once, and then go on to make a game of it. I swear, sometimes I think they’re recruiting each other—making some kind of mutant gang to try and teach us our damn place.”
“Besides,” the Italian man gave a half-shrug, “if we cull out the murderers, won’t that make it a better place for the muties that just want to live their lives? With great power comes great responsibility, and all that jazz—if these things choose to kill with their powers, then they’re not exactly giving us an option. Not if any of us want to survive.”
“If this turns into a war,” Rupert finished, “then we’re all dead. Mutants and humans both. I know for damn sure that I’ll go down fighting.”
Posted by Luke Jacobs on Apr 20, 2009 5:25:13 GMT -6
Omega Mutant
1,041
0
Sept 8, 2010 9:05:47 GMT -6
"But you just maid my point for me." Luke pointed out seriously, "The terrorists broke in to free mutants that were serial killers. Serial killers would most deffinately go on the list of individuals that deserve the death penalty. Now, I personally have no idea what the percentage of repeat mutant killers would be... I don't even know what the percentage of repeat humans killers would be, but I have trouble accepting that we put a human or mutant to death after their first accidental killing. If there are multiple accidents and things star tot look suspicious then we need to reconsider the situation but things can get out of control for anyone. Whether they have an ability or not."
For a moment, the blind man fell silent as he thought about Rupert's comment on war. Though the other man might not even truly realize it, he was speaking something that was a very scary possibility. Mutant organizations that taught and believed in mutant supremacy were moving closer to that possibility every single day.
"Any time there are two polar opposite view points, war is a very real possibility." The man's voice was quiet, obviously not happy about the situation but still willing to admit that what Rupert said was true, "It's the same formula that started most of the wars throughout history and nwo today we have those that hate and despise mutants going up against those that believe mutants should rule the world. The tragedy of the situation is for those that just want to live in peace. Once the war truly starts, there will be nowhere to hide.
Posted by Rupert Kelley on Apr 21, 2009 2:43:11 GMT -6
Haven
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>> “The tragedy of the situation is for those that just want to live in peace. Once the war truly starts, there will be nowhere to hide.”
“That’s a third reason for the death penalty,” Rupert spoke quietly, his gaze down on the grass between his feet. It was just starting to grow back in. “Take out the enemy’s army, and they’re not much of a threat.”
Did he really believe that? Damned if it mattered; it was true.
Posted by Luke Jacobs on Apr 21, 2009 5:16:44 GMT -6
Omega Mutant
1,041
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Sept 8, 2010 9:05:47 GMT -6
"Well, if you believe in the death penalty for the mutants then you have to believe in the same for the humans that intentionally go out with the sole purpose and intention of killing mutants." Luke offered quietly, "Anti-mutant gangs and anti-mutant groups have to get the same treatment if they're committing the same acts. By law we can't discriminate against one individual or group of individuals because of their differences."
The founding fathers had done a really good job of making sure that the constitution and bill of rights was clear and able to handle any situation that came along. Ever the situation with mutants could be handled by following what was described in those powerful documents. "I wonder if any of them were mutants... interesting thought." Luke's mind wandered off onto a bunny trail before he quickly snapped it back. If his sonar was any indication then it sure seemed like Rupert was beginning to tire of their conversation. It was something frustrating to know that he hadn't really gained any ground with any of their discussion. Rupert had strong opinions and for a man like that to be convinced it would take a real miracle.
"You've got opinions tempered by experience." Luke observed out of nowhere, "That's far better than the individuals that get opinions because of prejudice. You've got a good mind Rupert."
Posted by Rupert Kelley on Apr 22, 2009 3:26:24 GMT -6
Haven
Member of Haven
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Aug 29, 2018 17:15:00 GMT -6
Calley
>> "Well, if you believe in the death penalty for the mutants then you have to believe in the same for the humans that intentionally go out with the sole purpose and intention of killing mutants."
A sardonic smile lit on Rupert’s lips, not that Luke could see it. “Ask anyone who knows me,” he self-deprecatingly jested, “and you’ll find out real quick that I don’t ‘have to’ believe anything. That’s another thing about I think the Registration Law did right—set up a precedent for treating humans and mutants differently. We are different. Idealist rhetoric isn’t going to change that, any more than a DNA test.”
Rupert was firmly in the camp with those who’d accepted the fact that mutants and humans were a different species. Yes, you could talk about Mutant Rights all you wanted. You could talk about Animal Rights, too. At the end of the day, Human and Mutant Rights were not the same thing. Not at all. And if they conflicted, Rupert knew which side he’d be on. Though it had taken him damn long enough to make up his mind.
Luke’s next statement caught him entirely off guard. Rupert couldn’t help it. First, he straightened up. Then, he gaped. Next came the laughter. “I’ve been accused of a lot of things,” he grinned, “but never of having a good mind. Thanks, Luke. Though the world would probably be a happier place if I just stuck to cooking.”
Speaking of which: the judging was probably wrapping up, back in the land of horned men and mini-ovens.
Posted by Luke Jacobs on Apr 27, 2009 4:54:12 GMT -6
Omega Mutant
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Sept 8, 2010 9:05:47 GMT -6
Judging was probably over back at the contest but Luke suddenly found himself not really caring about how he had done. This conversation with Rupert had temporarily drained his desire for cooking and as such there was no reason to bother going back to see who had won. Besides, back when everyone had registered Luke had provided his phone number. If they needed his permission for something then they could easily contact him and get it.
"Maybe we'll bump into each other again some time." Luke said with a smile as he moved back up to his feet. Fishing through his pocket quickly he pulled out a business card and held it out, offering it to the other man. "I might even swing by and check out that coffee shop some evening."
Rupert did have a good mind and Luke couldn't accept that he was completely gone with no chance for redemption. He had half-way admitted that there were good mutants in the world so why couldn't he take just one step further and see that mutants and humans really weren't all that different?
"You take care of yourself Rupert." Luke said with a brief smile.