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.
>>”Good! Try avoiding strikes like that next time while we are in a session. Might not be wearing a cup next time…”
"Sorry." Gawain looked at him sheepishly. He really wasn't. How often do you get to kick an X-man like that?
Said X-man aimed another punch at his stomach. Gawain blocked it, which was good, but also stepped aside, which was not so good. The floor was suddenly slippery with out-of-season ice, and he felt himself loose balance and fall. His back hit the ice cold floor, and he grunted in pain.
"You win" he held up his hands, staring at the ceiling and the spots dancing in front of his eyes "What's next, skatin' lessons?"
Posted by Cold Steel on Mar 30, 2010 14:12:59 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men Teacher of Self-Defense
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Sept 11, 2024 5:25:13 GMT -6
Sam smirked when Gawain admitted defeat rather quickly in his opinion, ”As a matter of fact,” Sam said as he reached down and helped Gawain up, ”A thought occurred to me when you fell moments ago…” snapping his fingers the ice vanished after shattering and dissolving, ”Tell me a bit more about your mirror jumping ability.”
Scratching the side of his left eye like he usually did when he was curious Sam eyed the boy and then looked over to a blank location and created a thick enough wall of ice, two feet it width five feet in length and six feet in height. It was a reflective wall of ice, a giant mirror if you will his main idea was to see if it was possible to combine his and Gawain’s ability.
”Making ice reflective takes a bit of work, first you need a flat surface and a dark side to make it reflective, I wonder if you are really a mirror jumper or just a glass jumper…” pointing to the wall of ice Sam motioned for him to jump through or into it, what ever Mirror did when he jumped. Another thought came to mind shortly after, would Gawain be cold from the ice mirror?
>>”Tell me a bit more about your mirror jumping ability.”
Gawain took the hand, not without hesitation, and stood.
"I can walk into any surface that reflects well enough. It's touch-based" he added with a frown, life would have been so much easier without that part "I can go from one mirror to the other without the time in-between, so it's like teleporting."
>>”Making ice reflective takes a bit of work, first you need a flat surface and a dark side to make it reflective, I wonder if you are really a mirror jumper or just a glass jumper…”
"Mirror." Gawain nodded before walking over to the wall of ice. It was pretty impressive, and it created a clear reflection of him. Placing one palm against the cold surface Gawain merged with his reflection, and looked at Sam.
"As easy as that." he shrugged "Please don't shatter it. Whatever happens to the mirror happens to me."
And then I end up in people's bathrooms bleeding all over the place.
Gawain looked at the ice master before he smirked, and walked over to Sam's reflection to merge with it. He stared at him with his own one eye, grinning "Oh, and I can do this too."
Posted by Cold Steel on Mar 30, 2010 14:37:06 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men Teacher of Self-Defense
color=48D1CC
4,380
107
Sept 11, 2024 5:25:13 GMT -6
Smirking Sam commented, ”Good looking guy…” seeing that his reflection had been taken over. ”So you can teleport to any mirror?” Sam asked pointing his finger to the opposite direction the first ice mirror was, ”So if I created this,” a second ice mirror in identical shape and size formed, ”You could jump from this mirror to that one?” he asked now intrigued even more by his newest student’s ability.
It was defiantly a creative power, ”Noted on the not shattering, I have other ways of breaking you, why go with the easy way?” Sam asked smiling as he continued watching the two mirrors with one eye.
”How many mirrors can you jump through in a period of a few minutes? And can you take anyone or anything with you when you jumped?” Sam asked his imagination going all over the place.
After a second of his round of questions Sam felt the need to get back on track with the lesson, he could grill and create new strategies for Gawain later in time, ideally after he has improved on his current physical abilities. ”Let’s continue the lesson shall we?” Sam asked urging Gawain out of the Mirror less the boy would become shattered with the ice.
>>”Good looking guy… So you can teleport to any mirror? So if I created this, you could jump from this mirror to that one?”
"Whoa whoa whoa" Gawain chuckled, stepping out of Sam's reflection as if he was taking off a coat "I don't jump. I walk."
With that, he walked out of the mirror, and appeared in the other one.
>>”Noted on the not shattering, I have other ways of breaking you, why go with the easy way?”
Gawain rolled his eyes, and walked back into the first mirror. "Do I look like I need to be broken?" Sam was having so many questions at once. He deserved to ask some too.
>>”How many mirrors can you jump through in a period of a few minutes? And can you take anyone or anything with you when you jumped?”
Oh great, they were getting to the point when Sam would have him jumping through... mirrors. "I never counted. Depends on how fast I run, I guess." he shrugged again "I can take stuff with me, I can't take people. And if I leave anythin' in there, it falls back out in seconds."
>>”Let’s continue the lesson shall we?”
"Wha', I thought this was part of the lesson" he muttered as he stepped out of the ice mirror, just before it shattered. He didn't like mirrors shattering, even if he was not in them. The sound itself made him jumpy.
Posted by Cold Steel on Mar 31, 2010 13:03:59 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men Teacher of Self-Defense
color=48D1CC
4,380
107
Sept 11, 2024 5:25:13 GMT -6
Smiling when Gawain jumped out of the ice only to watch it shatter he continued, ”Need to break you so you can be fixed!” Sam said as he placed one hand on his stomach then one on his chest. He took a wide stance and started to inhale and exhale the hand over his stomach started to rise and fall while the hand on his chest did nothing. ”First up is a simple breathing exercise!” he had gone over this lesson with a few of his students the first one being that was Katrina now it was Gawain’s turn.
”Have you ever noticed how a baby slept or when a singer sang, their chest doesn’t move, it’s around the stomach, breath in and then breath out try not to move your hand on you chest. It might take a few minutes but it’s easy once you get the hang of it.” he stood up normally and kept his hands over his stomach and chest, ”In any kind of situation it is best to breath this way than puffing out your chest like everyone else does.”
”Main reason I can go for so long in any situation I am put in is because I can breath properly, you breath properly you think better and everything slows down,” nodded Sam as he recited the lesson from his teacher. His teacher would have then proceeded to throw them into a fighting situation with an armed guard and if they didn’t breath right he would have had made an example of them. Now however was not going to be like that, Sam had no intention of harming any of his students the way his teacher harmed him.
”In time your body will adapt to this breathing style and it will be the way you normally breath,” Nodded Sam seeing as he was a prime example for this, yes it would take Gawain longer for his safety wasn’t on the line but that was life was… a game of patience.
>>”Need to break you so you can be fixed! First up is a simple breathing exercise!”
Gawain arched an eyebrow but said nothing. Breathing. Right. That was definitely a step back from the fight and the mirror-jumping. He shrugged, and placed his hands on his chest and stomach.
>>”Have you ever noticed how a baby slept or when a singer sang, their chest doesn’t move, it’s around the stomach...”
"I don't watch babies sleep." he muttered. It was a disturbing idea. Gawain was as only child (minus Maya), he was never around little children, and somehow babies just gave him the creeps. Especially on her Maya days.
>>”Main reason I can go for so long in any situation I am put in is because I can breath properly, you breath properly you think better and everything slows down. In time your body will adapt to this breathing style and it will be the way you normally breath,”
Gawain breathed in and out patiently while he was trying to decide if Sam was going more for the Yoda or the Mr. Miyagi image. He preferred Yoda, he (she? it?) had the freaky telekinetic powers going. Of course, Sam was less green. And probably younger. So much about focus.
>>”... will be the way you normally breath.”
He didn't really understand why moving his stomach would be useful in a fight. He sure as hell didn't pay attention to wherever air was going as long as it was going somewhere, which, in certain situations, was a luxury. But, he decided, if Sam wanted to have a yoga class instead of handing Gawain his *ss for stealing beer, so be it. He could live with that.
Posted by Cold Steel on Mar 31, 2010 19:08:23 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men Teacher of Self-Defense
color=48D1CC
4,380
107
Sept 11, 2024 5:25:13 GMT -6
Eye upon him Sam watched Gawain replicate his stance, ”If you breathing like this while we were sparring a second ago you would have noticed a few different things, the punches and kicks I threw would have been easier to read, you probably would have still gotten beaten but, you’d at least know they were coming.” it might have seen like a lot now but when you breathed right it increased the amount of oxygen your lungs got which meant more blood to the brain which in turn meant better reaction time.
No, Gawain might not understand it now but breath was the most important part of today’s lesson everything else would become a close second even if Gawain didn’t appreciate or understand the breathing. He would learn to appreciate it in due time.
Nodding his head Sam put his hands out and breathed in and out drawing a circle with each hand starting at his sides bringing them to his stomach then up his chest then exhaled. ”Alright remember that and practice it on your own time, it’s a tool you’ll be needing in the near future!” next on his list of basics was a good fighting stance.
Jumping up and putting his hands up Sam widened his stance so his feet were shoulder width apart and his hands turned to open hands one a few inches from his face while the other was a few inched forward from the other hand. ”Stance is another important tool for you to use.” his feet facing forward towards Gawain he nodded his head, ”Mimic and try to get a feel for what stances is best for you I’d recommended closed fist for you at the moment, open hand is for the more advanced.”
By more advanced he meant students who could make the fist required for a decent strike to the right target. His hands were open so he could execute grabs and throws at random, and a grab or throw was what Sam was going to show him next.
All right, learn to breathe, check. Gawain made a mental not to practice in his free time. Clearly, Sam was captain for something, so if he said it was important... why the heck not.
>>”Stance is another important tool for you to use. Mimic and try to get a feel for what stances is best for you I’d recommended closed fist for you at the moment, open hand is for the more advanced.”
Gawain made a point of copying Sam's movements the best he could (he was good at that); then he shifted into the mirror opposite of his stance, since he was right-handed, and it made more sense that way. He liked doing that to peope - mirroring the way they moved, sometimes just to annoy them - of course it worked better when he was in an actual mirror.
He closed his fists, shifting his weight; once he got bored of simply copying the movements, he soon found his balance. It was basic, for most of the things he did. Staying in one place, on the other hand, was not. Most of the time, Gawain was hyper, always moving around, going from one place to the other; a stable fighting stance could only hold that long before he wanted to do something with it. He looked at Sam, raising an eyebrow.
Posted by Cold Steel on Apr 5, 2010 19:14:58 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men Teacher of Self-Defense
color=48D1CC
4,380
107
Sept 11, 2024 5:25:13 GMT -6
Nodding his head as he eyed the stance, a good opposite stance. If that was the way Gawain was most comfortable in a stance then it would for Sam. The idea later down the line was to make it so Gawain could switch stances at random to counter his partner’s stance. ”Next up is two of the most basic strikes you will ever throw with me, perfect them and make them your own, and you’ll be in good shape.”
Still in stances Sam closed his fist and rotated at the hips and threw a hook punch, which rounded itself past his strike distance and then back up to his face where it hovered a few inches away from it. ”Hook punch is standard in most practices and is the most common punch you’ll see in the streets. However while it is used all the time a majority off people don’t know how to throw it properly, you hit with you index and middle finger knuckles, follow through on your target, rotate at the hips and then bring it back into a guard.”
Lifting a fist up and putting it into a slow motion hook Sam demonstrated how to properly through it, the palm was facing down thumb not inside the fist or out to high he repeated the motion making it evident that his arm was level instead of his elbow being to high or two low. ”It’s important to remember you never fully extend your arm, about ninety five percent extended.”
Sam lowered his hands and stood up straight and motioned for the next strike, ”Front punch and reverse punches are next, they are similar to the hook punch but the only two noticeable differences is the speed behind it and the location of the elbow and the palm.” pulling his elbows to his side he rotated at the hips and fired out a reverse punch (back hand) it was fast out and even faster coming back.
Throwing it again this time slower Sam added, ”Same knuckles as the hook, palm is turned in to the inside of your body go out fast come back faster. This is a percussion punch that’s meant for speed not power. The hook has the power.” it was basic stuff yes but it was essential to cover the basics before one got into the more complicated techniques.
The captain of the X-men was teaching him how to punch. Gawain smirked. Now there's somethin' useful at last.
The young knight actually payed attention to what Sam was explaining to him about the strikes. Both of them seemed rather familiar - Gawain winced at remembering how it felt like to be on the receiving end of such moves. He had also thrown a few of them back ont he streets (on the rare occasion wheh he couldn't get away through a mirror,or talk herself out of it). He never had time to pay attention to details like how his elbow was situated though. It was interesting to think about it now.
"Yeah, these seem familiar" he smirked, mirroring Sam's movements, trying the punches a couple of times, pulling them like Sam did, just in time. He was getting the hang of it quite fast. Good ol' street instincts.
Who would have thought one could lear something useful from the superheroes...
Posted by Cold Steel on Apr 7, 2010 13:30:25 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men Teacher of Self-Defense
color=48D1CC
4,380
107
Sept 11, 2024 5:25:13 GMT -6
Feeling like he had become somewhat of a bobble head Sam nodded again for the uncountable number of the session. Gawain was a sponge something that Sam liked it seemed that the boy had more experience than he cared to share, that or he was just naturally gifted. ”Good, Good, make sure you keep your hands up in a guard though when you’re not punching with them.” said Sam remembering that his old teacher used to deck them whenever he dropped his hands.
”Now onto the next two strikes, the uppercut, and the hammer fist, a little less common but both are extremely useful if you can pull them off.” Sam in his fighting stance again bent his legs and rotated backward his right hand that was in a guard turned into a fist.
”The uppercut is one of the most widely thrown punches, however they throw with their arm opposed to their entire body.” his body still crouching down Sam pulled down his right fist and continued to rotate back and like a rubber band stretched to the point he snapped back lifting his legs rotating to the opposite side of his body and bringing up his fist, with all his body behind it gave the impression it was a powerful blow.
”Most people don’t rotate or bend the knees they go straight for the arm motion, it can do some damage but when it is fired like this it is incomplete.” Sam did a few more times putting a little more definition on the hips and the slight rotation on the feet so the pressure wouldn’t build up in the knees.
After a few minutes or reputation Sam turned to the hammer fist lifting his elbows back and above his head Sam tightened his right hand into a fist then swung it from the left to the right, the focus of the strike was the outside of the fist. Again Sam repeated his strike from left to right one hand till Gawain could copy it successfully. Cocking the elbow above the head Sam turned his wrist to his ear the palm facing out and then he struck again. ”Imagine it like your listening to your watch before you strike.” Sam said calmly as he slowed down the rate he struck with to allow Gawain to copy properly.
Gawain copied the movements easily. They were, too, somewhat familiar already. The way Sam explained them made it look like they actually had some kind if weird science behind them instead of good old Imgonnapunchyourlightsout survival instinct.
"I'll make sure I do it properly next time I'm beating someone up" he smirked, practicing the punches. The first few tries were just copies of Sam's movements, until they started to make sense; after that, he was soon getting the hang of it. Throwing some punches was not magic.
And I'm still being trained by the good guys. Surprise, surprise.
Posted by Cold Steel on Apr 9, 2010 11:40:02 GMT -6
X-Men
Team Leader of the X-Men Teacher of Self-Defense
color=48D1CC
4,380
107
Sept 11, 2024 5:25:13 GMT -6
The punches he taught Gawain were being absorbed far too easily. It seemed that the boy was a quick study and it would require more difficult things to keep him busy. Sam smirked, Gawain seemed to have the same amount of skill Sam had when he first started. ”Better not hear your starting any of these fights, I don’t teach you to be a thug…” he paused then smirked, ”You might find yourself on the receiving end of my hammer fist if I find out your starting trouble.”
This was the reason Sam had Gawain in the first place he wanted to keep him out or trouble not get into it. Nodding his head Sam demonstrated a roundhouse kick followed by a front kick (making sure to emphasis on the four parts of the kick, up out back and then down). After showing off the two kicks Sam continued, Round house and front are two of my favorite kicks both are excellent when you decided your target where ever it maybe. The Front kick targets from the groan then up the body while the roundhouse can hit anywhere outside of the body.”[/color]
”Let me stress again that I don’t teach you these to go around hurting people, I’m trusting you with my knowledge and I hope you don’t use it poorly…” Sam’s left eye twitched forcing him to scratch it. ”Next is super important, strikes are good but, they won’t help you much if you get hit first, so let me teach you the best way to block a strike.”
Turning his feet in Sam pivoted to the side and then pulled one hand from his guard in a slow motion waved to the side, ”Pivots, sidesteps, and of course blocking.” Sam demonstrated all of them to Gawain, there was dozens of ways to move out of the way of a strike but the key was to be in a good position for the oncoming attack so you in turn could counterattack. But that was something he wanted Gawain to figure out on his own. ”Any questions before we continue?”
>>”Better not hear your starting any of these fights, I don’t teach you to be a thug... You might find yourself on the receiving end of my hammer fist if I find out your starting trouble.”
Gawain bit back a grin and gave Sam his best impression of a truly innocent soul. "Starting trouble? Me?" he asked, with disbelief in his voice "Never." At least not when Sam and his hammer fist was around.
The kicks, those were cool. Gawain copied Sam's movements. Every time he did a kick, his body automatically moved to follow it through, like he did when he was doing stunts on the street; there were all kinds of kicks in those. Mostly acrobatics and not fight moves, but still.
The blocks and other moves were not half as interesting, but he could see why they were important. When in a fight, he usually dodged punches and used speed to avoid being hit. It worked, as long as he was faster than his opponent. Not always.