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.
Rex stared in horror as the man ever-so-calmly proposed full blown arson and mass murder. The man didn’t say it directly, but it was obvious what he intended. He wanted Rex to use his magic and set fire to the building. This....this went far beyond what Rex had been expecting, even if he didn’t know what he was expecting.
This was the corruption that came from magic, tempered by the darkness of humanity.
No. No, no no. Rex’s heart started beating faster as the words settled. This cult practiced hate and worshipped evil. To burn a place down, regardless of any prejudices, was over the top. Even if only mutants were being turned away.
The man shut his eyes. “Dios mío…” he whispered. “Padre, sálvame, por favor.”
If Rex did nothing, everyone would die. He had no reason to doubt this Raijin on that. If Rex started the fire, everyone could still die, but then he’d be responsible. And if he tried to stop the man….well, Rex was under no illusion that a public setting would be a deterrent for a murder.
Heaven help me, I need an answer! Maybe...there was another option? A very dangerous option. But at the moment, Rex didn’t really seem to have another choice, not with so many lives on the line.
He opened his eyes. “....get thee behind me, Satan.”
The air around them was nearly crackling. Undercurrents of rage and fervency vied for power against serene lethality and promised destruction. Rex could practically taste it, and bitter that air was. He could also taste bile in his mouth as he thought about having anything to do with that heretical cult.
The swordsman utterly misunderstood what Rex had meant, but Rex reflected that he wasn’t used to giving sermons himself. He wasn’t about to argue religion or God’s plans with this man, that’s for sure, not even about something like mercy. Every word this man uttered was like a viper striking with deadly fangs and Rex was not going to take the bait.
Except for one last thing. “Again, you err. I do not deny my participation,” he said. “The path of repentance is barred to those who refuse to realize their sin. I am leading nobody except myself anywhere, and that is as far from this sorcerous cult as possible.”
Rex’s tight smile had vanished. Stern solemnity was all he was emoting, a sharp contrast to the ever-moving, nearly languid man across from him. Rex’s patience finally wore out. “Yes, yes, again with the dead threats,” Rex said, sharply swatting the words aside with a wave of his hands. “You made that clear earlier. So name your price. What ‘action’ do you want from me?”
Rex matched stare for stare, unmovingly. He forced himself to not grind his teeth as this man continued existing. “I would undo it if I could,” Rex said. “I would take back those two years. All I can do is cast them unto the sea of forgetfulness.” He didn’t rise to the man’s view of evil. There was no point. Evil was not subjective - it was very black and white. Witchcraft was an abomination.
Rex was an abomination.
He noticed the man’s frown. He was noticing many things about the man. He had Rex’s undivided attention. The single brief moment of disruption to that perpetual amiableness was interesting, possibly even useful.
“I had a revelation that night,” Rex said, still unwaveringly from his position. “I saw your cult...” and he emphasized the your specifically, “...for what it is. It teaches anger, hatred, and false doctrine. It feeds the darkness in the hearts of men. This thing that I did? Weakness. Weakness of mind and spirit. Mere prey to temptation. I succumbed and may God have mercy upon my soul.”
Rex’s eyes darkened and he leaned in. “Did you hear the words I spoke that night? Don’t!” he said quickly, raising a hand in quick forestallment. “I’ll not repeat them. But do you know what they refer to? They are from the book of Exodus. It is the story of a people who had lost their way, who had succumbed to the teachings and riches of another people, forgetting what had been precious and important to them. When they finally remembered, they left, and a pillar of fire would lead them through the night to safety.”
Rex smiled mirthlessly. “I do not want your teachings, nor your riches. I choose the person I was before, and who I can be again - not the hateful, horrible person you knew.”
Rex didn’t want to believe this Raijin’s words. He wanted to dismiss them as cultist propaganda. Cult’s wanted you to feel your worst, that’s how they ensnare you. That’s how they’d ensnared Rex. Except he was breaking free! He wasn’t part of that cult anymore!
Wasn’t he?
Raijin seemed to disagree. Quite lethally so. Bitterness mantled Rex as they changed course and soon came upon a cafe.
It was something of a surprise, the choice of location. Yet the man’s words resolved that quickly. In truth, this man did know Rex’s capabilities - the people around them were hostages held to ensure Rex’s good behavior. They didn’t seem to be protection for the man though - Rex sensed that one on one, this person was still able to fend for himself just fine.
When the table cleared, Rex said woodenly upon a chair, his pose perfect and so, so stiff. He did not cross his arms, if only because his hands were squeezing the arms of the chair so tightly his knuckles were turning white.
“That cult of yours is evil,” Rex intoned bitingly. “An abomination upon the soul. Foolish was I not to realize it until too late.” A sour smile appeared. “It seems as though my sins have come to find me out.” He leveled a solemn stare at the out-of-place man. “Is that why you’re here? To suffer not a witch to live?”
This encounter was growing wearisome. “It is not my cult any longer,” Rex replied indignantly. “I wash my hands of it. It was a coward’s mistake, a refuge in abandon. I am no longer that man.” He set his jaw. He refused to go back to that place, that dark place where he’d been when he’d opened himself up to all the pleasures and purpose of the cult. He had more important things to strive for now.
But then the penny dropped. The arm squeezed and dark words were spoken. Rex glared as understanding dawned on him. His mouth opened, as words immediately came to mind, but he closed his mouth again. Scripture would not help him here - it would be a death sentence. This Raijin was right.
Rex matched the man’s smile with a bitter, stubbornly stern expression. There wasn’t an immediate way out, not one that he could see. He wasn’t a trained combatant - quite the opposite, really. His gifting of fire had fended off one or two such things so far, but this man clearly wasn’t bothered.
Rex’s shoulders slumped ever so slightly, but there was no chance the man wouldn’t feel it, as closely joined as they were. “Fine. Let’s talk,” he bit out, despising the taste of the words as they crossed his lips. He allowed the swordsman to start leading him. God, have mercy on me!
“You are in error,” Rex said gruffly. “I do not remember you. But knowing your cult is enough.” The man’s hand came back to rest again upon Rex’s shoulder. Rex knocked it off again. “Don’t worry, I’m not revealing your secrets to anyone.” Except to his priest, but that was a sacred trust. Besides, who’d believe him if he started talking about magic cults?
That was one part he kept back from his therapist. The magic. Oh, he mentioned the cult, but not what they believed - there was no way that’d reflect well on him. He only spoke about them as they had fostered….self-destructive behaviors in himself. A society of negative influencers. The metaphysical discussion was reserved for his priest.
Still the man would not leave him alone, and had even gone as far as to wrap his arm around Rex’s shoulders like a drinking buddy.
The thought repelled Rex.
He stopped and stared blank-faced at the man. “I have already told you that I no longer drink. You may take your sake and harass someone else. Those memories are precisely the ones I wish to avoid,” Rex said briskly, sliding into his this-is-how-it’s-going-to-be voice. “I don’t care about your cult. Just leave me alone.” His eyes flashed warningly.
The frown deepened, tempered by a lack of memory. “Sorry, I can’t place you. Where did you say we know each other from?” Rex asked. It was odd enough for someone to approach him out of the blue, especially such an unusually-dressed man with...swords?
The swords clacked and there was a bow and then a spark of recognition lit inside of Rex. His eyes widened and then faltered under a glare. “Welldrinker,” he said bluntly. No. No, no, no. Not this. Rex still didn’t recognize this Raijin, but in truth, he wouldn’t have recognized many of the other members of the cult. He’d been out of his own mind so often when attending meetings, he could’ve met the man a hundred times and still not be able to place him. And regardless of their shared history, whatever that might be, or perhaps as a result of it, Rex realized this man’s presence was not one he wished to remain around.
“I no longer drink,” Rex said, brushing off the hand. He didn’t step away but he gave the man his full attention. “I’ve left that all behind me.” Eyes locked tight and fires of conviction burned steadily there. Whether the man was referring to the cult’s doctrine, the alcohol, or that hellbegotten witchcraft, Rex wanted nothing more to do with it.
“Have a good day,” he said stiffly and turned to leave, taking a deep breath as he did. His pulse was picking up and memories were returning, but those were not the ones he wanted. He didn’t want to dwell on those times, those dark days and darker nights.
It was, in fact, a good time to walk in the park. Rex had finished his stint at a soup kitchen and thus had his day been left open. Saturday. Normally it wouldn’t have made a difference to him, weekends typically variable when he was on call. Otherwise, he would’ve spent them enjoying time with his family.
Now his weekends were painfully wide open, with nothing to fill them. Even his therapist was closed, being a standard 9 to 5 professional who only worked during the week. Rex wouldn’t meet with him for another three days. Nor was he anywhere near ready to come back to his job, as if they’d even allow him. Not just yet, not until he had a good bill of health from the shrink.
No family, no job meant Rex had a lot of time on his hands. Too much time. Time he hated spending at home, in a place filled with reminders of the life he couldn’t have just yet, if ever again.
Lost in his brooding, Rex didn’t notice when someone approached him. Only when a hand settled on his shoulder did he even acknowledge where he was. He turned. “Yes?”
A smiling man in some kind of kimono or bathrobe. He knew Rex by name, but he didn’t seem familiar to Rex at all. “I’m sorry, have we met?” He frowned as he tried to place the man, but nothing was ringing a bell so far.
The smile faded as the guy spoke. Those weren’t the words Rex needed to hear. He didn’t even know what words he needed to hear. But those weren’t them. He didn’t doubt God at all - he doubted himself. But Rex took another look at this stranger and held his tongue. The kid could barely get a word out and didn’t seem able to look him in the eyes.
Maybe Rex wasn’t the only one trying to overcome something. The boy pressed on and Rex listened, genuinely so. There was always the chance a stranger’s wisdom could apply at another point in life. They weren’t helping right now though. Still, he tried keeping that from his face.
“It is admirable that you know your path so young,” Rex said crisply, nodding at the young man. The boy looked young indeed. High school? Early years? “I was an adult before I figured mine out.” Rex’s words were pitched softly, so the kid would hear fine but the few other congregants would’ve be disturbed from their meditations.
“Sounds like you have some experience with life being rough.” There was no condescension in his voice, as if the kid hadn’t lived enough to know real problems. The kid probably had. Rex didn’t know many kids who visited church during the day and by themselves who didn’t have problems.
Rex had been in the sanctuary for hours now, enjoying the simpleness of it. The room itself was beautiful and lowly-lit, conducive for quiet reflection and meditation and giving a sense of privacy. Others had come in and out during the course of Rex’s visit, but he’d outlasted everyone so far. He had nowhere else to be, since he was still on hiatus, and he didn’t want to stay home.
It was far too painful and lonely there.
This cathedral wasn’t the regular one he attended. He shopped around, somewhat, utilizing different churches for different means. This one was very out of the way from him and he was unlikely to ever meet anyone he knew there.
It was a place he could think without worrying about what others thought, or feeling their stares burning into his back. Here, he was simply another soul, longing for a connection to the divine.
After, he already had a connection to hellfire. Didn’t he? His head and heart still couldn’t agree as to whether his new gift was one to be ashamed of or admired, regardless of what he did with it. He was constantly seeking help from his priest regarding the matter, but sometimes like today, he just needed to process things.
At some point, he was in a pew with his head and forearms resting on the back of the pew in front of him in prayer. It helped him sort his thoughts out sometimes. That didn’t seem to be the case today. Thoughts of cults and witchcraft wrestled with a lifetime of convictions. Guilt, grief, and shame were the results.
Then a voice broke through his reverie.
Rex opened his eyes and raised his head, turning to look at the boy standing there, offering...candy? And reassurance. He frowned for a moment, then forced a polite smile. He took the proffered candy and slid it into his shirt pocket. “Thank you,” he said a little stiffly. It wasn’t that he was irritated by the boy’s presence, he just wasn't used to being approached in the church, at least not by someone who wasn’t a priest.
He also didn’t talk to a lot of people, these days.
He cleared his throat and tried again. “Thank you,” he said again, sounding a little more natural. “For the candy. And the words. It’s just some days it’s harder than others.” And even though God has a plan, it doesn’t mean I’m following it. Behind his smile his mood plummeted again.
Posted by Rex on Feb 21, 2021 21:31:53 GMT -6
Ranger and Tempest like this
The Veil
The Evocation Guild
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Gloria Vidales
355
9
Nov 9, 2024 13:02:06 GMT -6
Zek
Rex's spellbook is a white, one-inch three-ring binder filled with loose-leaf paper of both the lined, unlined, and graph paper varieties. It contains everything he knows about magic, which is currently very little.
Spell Name: Lamp Unto My Feet School: Evocation Level: Initium
Effect: A fist-sized ball of fire and light appears hovering just above the floor in front of me. The fire does not move. The light is as powerful as a lantern.
Limitations: The fire does not move and cannot be expanded in size.
Cost: This is a pretty low-effort spell. As long as I'm just letting it burn, it only requires a bit of energy to keep it burning.
Activation: Quoting Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
Notes: If I scale the fire to burn brighter/hotter, heat exhaustion/stroke symptoms occur far more rapidly and I tire out far quicker.
Spell Name: Guide My Steps School: Asceision Level: Initium
Effect: By praying a very open-ended prayer, I will get the urge to start walking in a direction to something or something that can potentially answer my question. When I finally get to the place, I feel a sense of warmth.
Limitations: The feeling only lasts a few minutes so it may need multiple recasts especially if the target is far away. This only works with a vague inquiry that could be answered by taking me to someone, something, or somewhere, such as "lead me to where I can help another" or "who can help me get what I need?" The spell provides no direct information - I never know who or what I'm supposed to meet or do or where they are in advance, or even how to get there. I'm just given a direction to start walking in and it's up to me to get around obstacles and figure out what I'm supposed to do.
Cost: I have to physically travel however long or far it takes me to reach the unknown destination.
Activation: I have to pray with intention, specifically asking God to lead or guide me to something or someone.
Notes: This spell just gives a vague sense of direction. Continuous prayer for guidance keeps the feeling from fading away.
Spell Name: Confirmation School: Asceision Level: Initium
Effect: I can ask a simple yes/no question and get a feeling of confirmation or denial.
Limitations: This only works if I have enough information about a situation to make an educated decision myself. It seems to work as a quick fact-check, based on everything I know, even things I forgot or did not think were connected to the situation. It is also based on my subjective understanding. I can still be wrong about things especially if I'm given wrong information, I erroneously believe something, or I'm not aware of all the information, but this allows me to be confident in what I know. It's essentially getting a second opinion from someone who has experienced everything I have, allowing me a second analysis of a situation. For example, I can ask if someone is lying, and it might confirm a suspicion I have, but it doesn't mean the person actually is lying, just that I may be picking up on unconscious clues or vaguely remembering something that contradicts the story..
Cost: No more than the effort to verbalize a question.
Activation: I have to pray with intention, asking God a single yes/no question out loud.
Notes: This spell is useless if I don't ask the right questions or if I don't know anything about a situation. It still allows me to make bad decisions. Depending on how little I know about the situation, I'll get mixed feelings or simply no answer at all.
Spell Name: Firebreathing School: Evocation Level: Initium
Effect: For a period of several minutes, when I breathe out through my mouth I exhale streams of flame.
Limitations: Flames only last as long as I can exhale and only go as far as I can normally blow air.
Cost: Continued use of this spell leads to throat damage, dehydration, and smoke inhalation-related problems.
Activation: Quoting Job 41:21, “His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.” Notes: Fire seems to burn in my throat and mouth and is visible whenever I open my mouth. I sometimes breathe smoke out through my nostrils.
Spell Name: Warming Touch School: Evocation Level: Initium
Effect: For several minutes, my hands, or the hands of one I touch, emit a gentle warmth.
Limitations: The warm only travels a few feet, like a hot lamp.
Cost: Very little effort or energy goes into this spell.
Activation: Praying a simple prayer to warm my hands is all it takes.
Notes: The spell loses effectiveness if temperatures get too cold and though it can turn hands into a source of warmth, it doesn't easily thaw genuinely frozen things.
Spell Name: Hear My Voice School: Evocation Level: Initium
Effect: I can project my voice directly into the ears of a single living creature, as if speaking to them over a headset. My voice sounds like me and is as loud as it would be if I was speaking to them from just a foot away. Only my target can hear me.
Limitations: Target must be in sight of me. Target must have the physical capacity to hear.
Cost: No more effort than it takes to speak, although extended use begins hurting my throat as if I breathed in too much smoke.
Activation: Quoting Isaiah 28:23, “Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech.” Anything said after that goes only to my target.
Notes: I must physically say the words, so bystanders will be able to read my lips. Yelling during this spell is a good way to deafen someone. I must end the spell if I wish to speak to anyone else.
Spell Name: I Know Thee By Name School: Asceision Level: Initium
Effect: I can learn the name of a person I don't already know, or learn an additional name of someone I do know.
Limitations: I must be able to see or touch the person. I can only learn names that the person calls themself / identifies with.
Cost: No more than the effort to verbalize a question.
Activation: I quote an excerpt from Exodus 3:13, specifically, "and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?" The pronoun does not have to match the person.
Spell Name: Thy Word In Mine Heart School: Asceision Level: Initium
Effect: I can instantly recall any selection from any version of the Bible that I have ever read.
Limitations: This only works for versions that I have read, even if they're in another language.
Cost: No more than the effort to quote a verse.
Activation: I quote Psalm 119: 11, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." and then speak the verse or selection that I want to remember.
Notes: I don't gain any context or footnotes or anything related to the verses.
Spell Name: Give Me A Word School: Asceision Level: Initium
Effect: I pray for a bit of revelation about my current situation and I receive an applicable verse or selection of text from the Bible.
Limitations: I do not receive insight on how the verse applies to the situation. It could describe some aspect that already happened, is happening, or will happen. It might be literal or metaphorical and it might only give basic information that I already know. It might be specific or vague.
Cost: No more than the effort to make a verbal request.
Activation: I speak a prayer asking for insight and revelation into my situation or a specific target.
Notes: Using this ability again just gives the same verse unless the situation changes to the point the earlier one no longer applies. Otherwise I have to switch targets.
Spell Name: Check Pulse School: Asceision Level: Initium
Effect: I ask in prayer what a person’s pulse rate is.
Limitations: This only works for someone I can currently detect via at least one sense.
Cost: Nothing more than the effort it takes to ask for status.
Activation: Simply asking God to tell me what a person’s pulse is.
Notes: This works on anything with a pulse. Multiple recasts are required in order to detect changes in pulse over time, such as catching someone in a lie.
Spell Name: Ye Shall Not Shout School: Evocation Level: Initium
Effect: Neutralizes all sound that comes out of a person’s mouth for the next minute, preventing them from speaking, yelling, singing, etc.
Limitations: This only works for someone I can see or touch.
Cost: Nothing more than the effort it takes to quote part of a Bible verse.
Activation: Quoting part of an excerpt from Joshua 6:10, “And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth..."
Notes: Multiple recasts are required to keep the target silenced for longer than a minute, or to silence several people.
Spell Name: Be Not Deceived School: Asceision Level: Initium
Effect: I create a small flickering flame in my hand that determines if the person I’m talking to is sincere in what they say or not. The flame dances wildly at a knowing lie or total lack of sincerity in what they say, or stands perfectly still if the person truly means what they say. If the person has mixed feelings or is only somewhat sincere, the flame acts no differently than normal.
Limitations: I must be able to hear the person speaking to me. The spell lasts for a minute and must be recast if I target someone else. This doesn’t determine if what is said is objectively true, but only determines if a person believes what they say.
Cost: Nothing more than the effort it takes to quote a verse.
Activation: Quoting 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”
Notes: The flame can be blown out. The flame comes from casual magic, but larger flames can be made with evocation magic.
Spell Name: Light Unto My Path School: Evocation Level: Muetadi
Effect: A fist-sized ball of fire and light appears hovering above the floor in front of me. This provides firelight equivalent to a lantern. With effort I can adjust its height and positioning and even cause it to remain at a fixed point in space relative to me. The light is as powerful as a lantern.
Limitations: I lose control if I make the light go higher than my waist or move it in any direction but in front of me. It might explode or just land on something and start a fire. Or just snuff out. It requires attention in order to make it move, otherwise it just stays in one spot. I fell asleep once with it on and it wasn't there when I woke up. I believe it goes away if I lose consciousness.
Cost: This is a pretty low-effort spell. As long as I'm just letting it burn, it only requires a bit of energy to keep it burning.
Activation: Quoting Psalm 119: 105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
Notes: This is an enhanced and more versatile version of my "Lamp Unto My Feet" spell, allowing me to move the firelight with me. If I scale the fire to burn brighter/hotter, heat exhaustion/stroke symptoms occur far more rapidly and I tire out far quicker.
Spell Name: Burning Bush School: Evocation Level: Muetadi
Effect: Generates a bush-like construct of solid fire that burns brightly and hotly.
Limitations: After three or four consecutive uses, incipient heat exhaustion signs began developing. HIGHLY likely that heat stroke is a possibility of extended use. Each recitation is draining. Bush cannot be moved or altered once manifested.
Cost: After three or four consecutive uses, or maintaining a bush for more than half an hour, incipient heat exhaustion signs began developing. HIGHLY likely that heat stroke is a possibility of extended use.
Activation: Quoting a full or partial verse that relates to the burning bush of Exodus, such as Exodus 3:2, “And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”
Notes: If I scale the fire to burn brighter/hotter, heat exhaustion/stroke symptoms occur far more rapidly and I tire out far quicker. The bush does not ignite the ground it stands on, nor does it drop any sparks or create any smoke.
Spell Name: Coals Of Fire Kindled School: Evocation Level: Muetadi
Effect: A cloud of light forms in front of me and then morphs into seven hovering fist-sized fireballs. With sharp motions of my hands, I can propel them individually or en masse at targets like someone throwing burning rocks.
Limitations: The spell ends if I turn or move away from the fireballs. The fireballs hit with the force of a thrown rock. I need at least one free hand to project the fireballs.
Cost: Summoning the fireballs takes the same physical toll as picking up and throwing fist-sized rocks a good distance.
Activation: Quoting 2 Samuel 22:13, "Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.”
Notes: The fireballs still require me to aim and their trajectory doesn’t alter after I propel them.
Spell Name: Hand Filled With Fire School: Evocation Level: Muetadi
Effect: I make a fist as if grabbing a burning coal and a fireball forms around my fist without burning me.
Limitations: The spell lasts until I open my fist or throw the fireball as a projectile. Until then, I cannot hold anything and I cannot touch something without burning it.
Cost: After a few minutes, I begin showing signs of heat exhaustion.
Activation: Quoting an excerpt from Ezekiel 10:2, specifically, “Go in between the wheels.”
Notes: If I scale the fire to burn brighter/hotter, heat exhaustion/stroke symptoms occur far more rapidly and I tire out far quicker. I can choose to apply this spell to only one hand or both.
Spell Name: Shield Of Faith School: Evocation Level: Muetadi
Effect: An invisible field of energy in the approximate shape of a heater shield forms on my arm and negates elemental or energy-based attacks that strike it. Whenever energy strikes it, a brief flash of light in the shape of a cross can be seen at the point of contact.
Limitations: While this spell can block fire, energy bolts, many types of nonphysical spell blasts, and even light and sound, it doesn't stop psychic powers, bullets, or fists.
Cost: I must constantly focus at least a little of my attention to keep the shield active. The more attacks the shield absorbs, the more mental stress I take. Too much damage can start causing migraines or force me to give the shield my full attention.
Activation: Quoting from Ephesians 6:16, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
Notes: I can make the shield bigger or smaller as needed, and can make it a round shield or a dome even.
Spell Name: Be At Rest School: Evocation Level: Muetadi
Effect: By suppressing alpha waves and inducing delta and theta waves in the target’s brain, I can rapidly force them into a state of deep, magical sleep for ten minutes, after which they transition to a mundane sleep. My hand glows with red light during this.
Limitations: I must touch a person to put them to sleep. Strong stimuli can temporarily arouse the target from the magical sleep or break the spell if stimulated for over a minute. Extreme stimuli can immediately shatter the spell. Target must have a brain and the capacity for sleep.
Cost: I get a migraine for the next ten minutes.
Activation: Quoting Job 3:17, “There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary be at rest.” My hand must be on the person the whole time.
Notes: Strong stimulants can dampen the effect of the spell, simply causing drowsiness or lethargy instead.
Effect: I can pray over a fire and it will be extinguished.
Limitations: This only works on fire. I must be able to sense and detect the fire.
Cost: Energy drains from me depending on the size of the fire. A simple campfire is effortless, a bonfire is noticeable, a building on fire requires scaling up to Praeditus levels and putting out a house fire will leave me drained and exhausted.
Activation: I pray to God for the flames to be put out.
Notes: The more power I put into the prayer, the faster flames are extinguished. If I’m surrounded in flames, the specific flames I focus on are the ones that are quenched first.
Spell Name: See Fire School: Asceision Level: Intermediate
Effect: I see the thermal spectrum instead of the typical sight spectrum, as if looking through a thermal camera.
Limitations: The spell ends if I lose consciousness. I can't distinguish fine details like writing or facial features.
Cost: I lose the ability to see normally as long as the spell is active. My eyes start drying out after five minutes. Otherwise it doesn’t take much energy.
Activation: Quoting the “I saw as it were the appearance of fire” part of Ezekiel 1:27, “And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.”
Notes: Closing my eyes does not impede my sight. I can be blinded by intense heat signatures, like looking into a bright light with regular sight.
Spell Name: Pillar Of Fire School: Evocation Level: Praeditus (Snapping Spell)
Effect: A personal vortex of red, orange, and yellow flames surround me, yet I'm untouched by them, nor do I feel their heat. Adjacent fires can be snuffed out and absorbed by my greater flame.
Limitations: The flames extend from an inch past my skin and clothes to about a foot beyond my arm's reach and they're constantly swirling and spiraling upward. Each casting of the spell only last 2-3 minutes.
Cost: After three or four consecutive uses, incipient heat exhaustion signs began developing. HIGHLY likely that heat stroke is a possibility of extended use. Each recitation and accompanying beginning or renewal is draining. It seems the fire runs off my stored energy?
Activation: This seems to only happen after I quote a Bible verse related to the pillar of fire that led the children of Israel by night toward the Promised Land. Repeating the same verse each time seems to have diminishing effects. Mixing up the verses has the best effects, or just waiting a long time into between bursts to reuse a verse.
Notes: If I scale the fire to burn hotter, heat exhaustion/stroke symptoms occur far more rapidly and I tire out far quicker.
Spell Name: Sword of the Spirit School: Evocation Level: Praeditus
Effect: A sword of pure white light appears in my hand. It is made of pure energy and destroys any spell or psychic ability that it passes through. Constructs or objects remotely controlled by mind or magic have their metaphysical strings cut when slashed by the sword. Leaving the sword buried in a person prevents them from using mental or magical abilities or falling under the influence of magic or mentalism. The sword can shift in size from a shortsword all the way to a greatsword. It has no weight and passes through all physical, non-energy people or objects with no harm, other than a feeling of warmth and tingling in the area impacted.
Limitations: The spell ends if I lose consciousness or if I let go of the sword, meaning I’m limited on anything else I can do with my hands. To destroy an enchantment or the effect of a psychic power, I must physically pass the sword through it. To prevent a person from using magic or a mental power, the sword must be stabbing them. The sword has no bearing on other energy sources such as fire or lightning, and would not be able to dispel a fireball lobbed by a pyrokinetic or a combat wizard.
Cost: The sword may have no physical weight, but its metaphysical cost is the same as the effort taken to swing an actual sword. The longer I manifest the sword and the higher the quantity or quality of spells and psychic powers I cut, the more energy it takes out of me.
Activation: Quoting Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” If a single word is mispronounced or left out (depending on the language) the spell does not work.
Notes: A construct created by a psychic or magic ability will wink out of existence when cut. An object animated by such a power will no longer be animated.
Spell Name: A Sun And Shield School: Evocation Level: Praeditus
Effect: I manifest a round shield of solid fire and blazing sunlight that will burn anyone that touches it, blind anyone that looks in its direction, warm everything around me, light up everything around me, and block anything that strikes it with the toughness of titanium. The shield appears on my arm and can expand in size and even be warped from a convex shield all the way into a dome.
Limitations: Turning the shield into a dome or sphere or expanding its size increases the cost and upkeep of the spell. It also blinds and burns allies who aren’t careful around it.
Cost: After about half an hour, I begin showing signs of heat exhaustion. This happens quicker the more abuse the shield suffers.
Activation: Quoting an excerpt from Psalm 84:11, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield.”
Notes: If I scale the fire to burn brighter/hotter or make it bigger than a standard personal shield, heat exhaustion/stroke symptoms occur far more rapidly and I tire out far quicker. I am immune to the heat and blinding nature of the shield.
Effect: I lay my hand on a person and pleasant warmth spreads through their body as healing energy begins healing any and all wounds.
Limitations: The spell has no impact on diseases, genetic defects, or infections, although the healing energy can offset the weariness such things inflict on a person. If broken bones aren’t set correctly or things are left in the wound, they won’t heal correctly. This spell affects the entire person’s body in general and can't be focused on just a single wound.
Cost: The more severe the wounds, the more energy it takes. Minor injuries aren’t too strenuous, severe injuries can be equivalent to an intense full-body workout.
Activation: I lay my hand on the person and quote, Acts 4:28-29, “And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.” Continued prayers for healing also seem to help after the recitation.
Notes: It’s usually better to pace myself, not healing the entirety of wounds all at once, but focusing on stabilizing the person, especially if they have severe or lethal injuries. A slow and steady healing over time is easier to deal with than a rapid near-miraculous healing.
Spell Name: Cut Off Witchcrafts School: Evocation Level: Praeditus
Effect: I lay my hand on a person and an uncomfortable heat spreads through their body as they are imbued with disruptive energy that prevents them from channeling, using, being enchanted by, or otherwise having any connection to magic for an hour.
Limitations: I must touch the person in order to lay this curse on them. This has no impact on inanimate objects. Magical items can still be used as long as they require no magic to use.
Cost: This spell takes as much energy out of me as a good, solid workout does.
Activation: I lay my hand on the person and quote Micah 5:12, “And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand; and thou shalt have no more soothsayers.”
Notes: The person feels hot for the duration of the spell. When they start cooling down, they may realize the spell is wearing off.
Spell Name: Right Hand Of Power School: Evocation Level: Praeditus
Effect: I build up a store of kinetic force in an inscribed leather glove and release it upon contact with another physical surface. With this, I can shatter concrete with a touch and punch through steel.
Limitations: I must be wearing the inscribed glove to use it. Damage to the glove can ruin the spell and make it work incorrectly or not at all. I can’t get this to work on gloves for left hands.
Cost: The more kinetic force I store, or the quicker I store it, the more energy it takes. Minor kinetic strikes aren’t too strenuous, concrete-and-rebar-busting punches can be equivalent to an intense full-body workout. Forcing too much energy into the glove too quickly or too frequently can start leading to heat exhaustion or burning through the glove.
Activation: I must focus on the glove and channel power into it. Once it’s charged up, touching it to a solid surface is enough to release the force. When the glove is charged, an inscription of Exodus 15:6 (“Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.”) begins glowing with golden-white light. The glow’s intensity increases based on how much energy is in it.
Notes: Once charged, touching ANY solid object will set off the spell, including myself, so I have to be very careful while the glove is charged. As for burnout, It’s usually better to pace myself. A slow and steady power buildup is easier to deal with than an instantaneous charge.
Spell Name: Armor Of Light School: Evocation Level: Praeditus
Effect: I generate an inch-thick suit of plate armor constructed out of solid light all around me. The appearance is generically Medieval and shines as bright as a light bulb, so it’s hard to look at it for long anyways. The armor is as tough as steel but light as a feather.
Limitations: Once I manifest the armor, I can’t alter it. I can’t remove the helmet or any other part unless I deactivate the spell. I also can’t strengthen or repair the spell - I must recast it.
Cost: The armor may have no physical weight, but its metaphysical cost is the same as the effort taken to wear actual armor. The longer I manifest the armor and the higher the quantity or quality of damage it takes, the more energy it takes out of me. Damaged armor requires my active concentration to maintain, otherwise the spell will fall apart.
Activation: I hold my arms up in the shape of a cross (and not the letter X).
Notes: The armor is made of light and does not share the physical properties of steel plate (doesn’t conduct energy well at all, for example).
Spell Name: Ride The Wind School: Evocation Level: Praeditus
Effect: A powerful gust of wind rockets me in a particular direction like a super-charged leap. Actively focusing on and channeling more energy into the spell allows me to chain the effect, achieving a highly chaotic and turbulent form of rocket-propelled flight.
Limitations: The wind is about 70 mph and doesn’t care about my safety, so I have to be ready not to overshoot a target or smash into a wall or something. I don’t have pinpoint accuracy either, so I need to aim for large landing areas and make sure any space I travel through has few if any obstacles - I have very little ability to dodge. Using this as a rocket jump is the safest method. I can’t use the spell in small spaces or there simply won’t be enough air to work with. This spell takes constant focus to maintain for more than a second or two.
Cost: After three or four consecutive jumps, incipient heat exhaustion signs began developing. Using this spell for flight will begin escalating into heat stroke symptoms after two or three minutes. The more weight I’m carrying, the quicker the symptoms come on.
Activation: I recite the first part of Job 30:22: “Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance.” Reciting the middle part extends the spell and gives me some ability to control the rough direction of my flight.
Notes: Manipulating temperatures to the point of creating wind-tunnel forces is extremely tricky. I have to calculate my jumps well to ensure a decent landing.
Character's full name: Rex Alejandro Vidales Alias/ Nickname/ Code name: Crucible, The Firewalker, St. Florian Age: 38 Date of Birth: July 17, 1982 Birthplace/ Home/ Place of origin: New York City, New York Nationality: United States Ethnicity/ Cultural Heritage: Mexican American
Appearance
Hair color and style: Black hair kept short and simple Skin Tone: Light, but he tans very easily Eye Color: Brown Height: 6’2 Build: Muscular and athletic, toned rather than bulky Visible Magical Corruption: None. Scars/ Tattoos/ Piercings: A small cross between his shoulder blades and the text of Psalm 23:1 on his left pec. He has mild burn scars on his lower back and a few smaller ones on his left calf. Other features: Nothing special.
Everyday clothing style: Either casual button down, jeans, and work boots or some kind of business casual. Uniform: Firefighter gear, when he’s actually working. Sleepwear: Sleep shorts and a t-shirt Miscellaneous clothing: A gold wedding band he refuses to take off.
Character
Personality: Rex is a very focused and determined man. He throws everything he has at a situation and attacks it with vigor. He’s pretty serious and has a no-nonsense way about him, to the point where many people have accused him of not having a sense of humor. He can be brusque and blunt and doesn’t back down from a challenge or a problem. He’s a man of conviction. He does what he thinks is right and what should be right. This is the scaffolding he clings to and when he breaks a conviction, he tends to spiral.
He’s very pragmatic and a believer in doing something right the first time, as quickly and efficiently as possible. He doesn’t have time for mistakes or second guessing - there’s always something needing fixing, some fire to be putting out. That doesn’t mean he isn’t extremely critical of his own actions - in fact, Rex is prone to brooding and worrying over how he could’ve done something better - but once Rex chooses his course of action, he doesn’t waver from it, regardless of the consequences.
Hobbies/ Interests:
Studying the Bible
Volunteering and community service
Woodworking
Gardening
Fixing things
Job or part time job and description: Firefighter Lieutenant, currently on extended leave. In the meantime, he’s a roaming Urban Wizard, soul-searching and wandering the streets to try to help others whenever he can.
Fears/ phobias/ concerns:
Never seeing his wife and children again
Losing his soul
Watching one more person dying in a fire
Mutants on a rampage
Being evil
Special talents:
Paramedic training
Fluent in Spanish, Italian, and Latin
Quick thinking in a crisis
Speed reading with full comprehension
Sewing
Morality
Good/ bad/ neutral/ other: Rex strives to be a very good person.
Feelings toward Mutants: Mutants are like fire. Fine in small amounts, quite useful in controlled conditions, but don’t take your eyes off them for a minute or the consequences can be disastrous. They need to be kept in check.
Feelings toward Humans: Humans are capable of such depth, ranging from saints to wicked servants of evil, but we must love them all the same.
Feelings toward Adapteds: What’s an Adapted? Oh? Oh. That’s it? That’s not much of a long-term solution.
Magic
Advanced/Praeditus Arcana: Evocation
Intermediate/Muetadi Arcana: Aceision
Power Growths: 1/9/2024 - Upgraded Asceision to Second Tier/Intermediate/Muetadi Arcana.
Preferred Foci: Fire, tools for making fires, and biblical quotations
Magical Theme: Fire magic, including mastery over it and using it as a medium through which other magic is performed. Much of it has a biblically-influenced style.
Snap Spell: Pillar of Fire - Surrounds the user in a personal vortex of flames without burning them.
Physical Abilities
General Physical Capabilities: Rex has been a professional firefighter for nearly twenty years and has high strength and endurance for a man his age. He’s in excellent shape all around and pushes himself constantly to do better and be better since lives literally depend on him. Fighting Style: Bullrush you, grapple you, and wrestle you into submission. Failing that, he’ll put his door-busting skills to use and bust you up with a good swift kick to somewhere vital. Fighting Style Pros/Cons: Great for taking down individuals, not so good with groups or armed people.
History Of Your Character
Rex is a man who lost his way and is trying to get it back.
Rex’ life was on a pretty good trajectory. He had a mother and father who loved him, a brother and a sister he got along with as well as any siblings would, did okay in school and sports and had a pretty good life. He was an altar boy at his local church and never missed a service. He never got into serious trouble and few people ever had anything negative to say about him.
After college he joined the NYC fire department, to set his sights on becoming a firefighter and saving lives. Along the way he met a pretty girl and they got married, beginning a new life together and eventually starting to raise two children. Life was good.
In 2017, Rex’ life was forever changed when he and his team were sent to a burning building as a result of a fight between two mutants. The fire was horrible and the building was full of people, many of them trapped inside.
A long time later it was revealed that he’d knowingly left a woman and her children behind, ignoring their enfeebled and hoarse cries for help because they were in a dangerous section of the building and in that moment, he couldn’t bear the thought of getting hurt. So he’d convinced himself he hadn’t heard anything.
Their bodies began haunting his nightmares. Rex’ family referred to the event as The Fall.
The guilt began gnawing away at him. He refused to mention this fact to anyone and managed to hide it during the post-call debriefs and counseling. He repressed everything and if he seemed more withdrawn or snappish than normal? Well, that’s Lieutenant Vidales for you. He’s always under a lot of stress and is always Mr. Serious.
At home he started changing as well. Rex began to become more controlling, given to angry outbursts over the slightest things. He went from only drinking the sacramental wine to practically living on alcohol when at home. He stopped attending church, hated when his wife and kids left the house, and began spending most nights when not on duty at some bar or other.
Eventually his wife left him. Not a divorce, not quite a separation, but she took the kids and told him he’d see them again when she saw the Rex Vidales she had married. As a parting gift, she called his captain and filled him in on everything, which led to Rex being placed in enforced psychiatric therapy and temporary leave, to “get his head on straight”.
Little did anyone know that his therapist was a member of the Welldrinker Cult, who helped Rex understand that all of these things that had happened to him were just the result of mutants running rampage. After all, wasn’t there a causation between the disproportionately high number of mutants living in New York and the amount of fires there, as compared to the rest of the country? Mutants were the problem. Weren’t Mutants the ones who had caused the accident that fateful day? Weren’t they to blame for most of the damage and death the city faced? People had to walk through metal detectors or get frisked so they couldn’t bring guns into place - what was keeping a mutant from walking in and burning the place down with their thoughts? Mutants were like a fire. And how did you stop a fire?
You snuffed it out.
Now if only there was a way that ordinary, rational, God-fearing people like us could help control the mutant problem….
That’s how Rex began attending Welldrinker meetings, listening to their messages and taking them to heart. Until the day he had the chance to drink of the well himself.
Then came his revelation.
Words unbidden rose to his mind, words he’d memorized as a child. His mouth opened and he began quoting from the Book of Exodus and suddenly a swirling twister of flames erupted around him, filling the room with light and heat, scorching a ring on the concrete floor and soaking up the flames from the candles all the other members held. Yet Rex himself was unharmed.
But on the inside, he was shaken. He fled that meeting, nobody daring to stand in the way of the man with his personal fire tornado. He ran to his church for the first time in years, exhausted, the flames having finally died off and leaving him weak and feverish. He met with his old priest and begged him to tell him what it all meant. At the end of a long night of crying, talking, and confessing, Rex made some new vows, to turn his life around and try to become the man he used to be. Or better. Maybe this fire wasn’t a curse, wasn’t damnation. Maybe it was a warning, a gift. Not to be used to hurt, but to help?
With the aid of his priest, Rex found a new therapist. He ceased going to the cult meetings. He’s tried cutting ties with the Welldrinkers. He’s trying to atone for all his misdeeds and wasted time. All those years he could’ve been helping people, serving a higher purpose? But now he had a gift. Never again will he fear the fire. Never again will he turn his back on those in need. Never again will he allow a mutant to put others in danger. Never again will he return to the Welldrinkers.
A new day has come and it’s burning bright.
Roleplay What’s your OOC alias?: Zek Where did you learn about this site?: My early teenage years. Do you have any other characters on MRO, if so who:Zek & Liz Sundance Sample RP:
“A corrupted green dragon in a zombie dungeon wants to kill you but also this is LARP” - prompt by Mugen.
Rex halted his jog through the park as the sounds of shouting and clashing of metal drew his attention. He immediately began jogging in place as he swiveled to hone in on the source of the noise, his years of experience on the job immediately trying to analyze the noises for potential dangers.
Rex shook his head. “Get with it, Rex. That’s not your job right now. You’re not on duty.” Nor are you qualified, not yet. But then again, it could hurt to just see what all the fuss was about, right? Perhaps someone needed 911 to be called?
Rex nodded once. That was what he would do. He was just going to watch, to be a bystander and make sure everything was okay. That was his civic duty.
He began jogging in the direction of the noise and as he came around a bend in the road and slipped between some trees, he saw a battlefield.
In a cleared-out meadow, he saw people fallen everywhere, some groaning but many worryingly silent. He skidded to a stop and immediately began assessing the situation. Okay, from over here, that looked like blood. And on that woman, too. And that one. And that man. And that person. Rex’ eyes widened and he immediately crossed himself.
He whipped his cell phone out and started dialing and then…
...Then he saw the two people dressed as knights flailing away at each other with foam swords. Within seconds, one of them poked the other with his sword and the other person dramatically fell backward in an Oscar-worthy performance.
By some cue, that’s when all the bodies on the ground began to rise up. Except they weren’t bodies, but people also dressed in various medieval-style clothing. And most of them had foam or plastic weapons too. They started groaning and moaning and stumbling toward the standing knight and on closer inspection, Rex noticed very obviously fake blood.
Now it was his turn to groan. “Heaven help me, it’s one of those nerd conventions.” He rubbed his eyes with a palm and pocketed his phone.
“Rude!” said one of the ambling zombies, glaring at Rex from behind vintage horned-rim glasses. Similar glares game from other zombies as they shuffled by, meandering methodically toward the knight, who was now shouting things at them. “The time has come to call upon my boon. By the blessed horn of Zecrothoss, I summon thee, Ambergonite!”
The zombies all stopped.
One person coughed.
“....I summon thee, Ambergonite!”
Suddenly a massive green dragon burst out from behind a nearby tent and it went roaring toward the zombies, who immediately cleared a path for it.
Only it wasn’t a dragon. It was more like a miniature parade float of a dragon head attached to an inverted canoe on top of a jeep, with massive plastic wings jutting out to the side. The “dragon” went barreling through the well-vacated corridor until it met up with the “knight” who climbed aboard the jeep. “Fly, Ambergonite! I have the mithril gem! Away!”
Rex felt that was as good a time as any to make his own escape.
The things people came up with to waste their time. He shook his head grimly as he began jogging back the way he’d come.
