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.
Solid until you get caught, or worse… he thought to himself. His security system on his shop was not very pleasant to trespassers, and was probably supposed to be outlawed if anyone knew about it. Luckily, it wasn’t something he purchased, it was something he built, so there were no laws governing it quite yet. He hoped that it stayed that way. He watched her consider his bet for a moment, and as though Hell itself was behind her, she was off and conducting the small errand. It was more a method of teaching than anything, that she could make money legitimately.
He watched her from the warmth of his car, as she dug around in the snow for the watch, found it, and booked it to the older gentleman to return it. She had her back turned, but he could easily read the lips of the man she was speaking to, and guessed what she had said to prompt the response given. Lip reading was a useful skill, something else the military had taught him, but not officially trained, just a skill picked up through the years. English was the only thing he could read though.
She came back to the car, and without a word, he held the ten dollars between two fingers towards her. “That was your interview. You got the job. Congratulations.” He let that sink in for a moment, but the truth was, she was going to actually work for Jacob, whether or not she knew it yet. He could see right through her mask, she was having an internal battle, but hopefully his next words were the ones that would decide the matter.
“Ultimately, I need a go-for. I will pay you 300 bucks a week to do that. All you have to do is answer your phone, and grab whatever it is that I need. If you want, I can also sweeten the pot, and provide you 200 bucks a week, and a car that I can teach you to drive and take care of. Either way, I need someone who can get certain items for me and either mail them to my shop, or deliver them.” He reached into the glove box, which was full of random junk, and pulled out a small flip phone with a wall charger he kept in case his decided to jump in the toilet. It was already activated, and all she had to do was charge it.
“I only have three conditions. You get whatever it is I ask done as efficiently as you can, you don’t sell this phone and answer when it rings, and you don’t steal anymore.” Those conditions were solid and set in stone. No negotiations.
She was afraid of spiders… but then again, she hadn’t shaken his hand regardless, so he was much less apprehensive about carrying the little arachnids around. He let her take in the entry-way… it was a very nice establishment, after all, and it did inspire awe in more people than it didn’t. Still, her reaction wasn’t strictly awe, it was more a comparison, if he could place it, and he watched her reactions carefully. He was able to pick up on subtle hints here and there, and easily could spot small details that others would pass up. It was his attention to detail that had saved his hide more often than he could count, and he was going to make it a point to keep that skill sharp.
She fixed her glasses, and he was fairly certain he saw her change them somehow. They hadn’t left her face, but instead of the oval-ish glasses she wore before, they were more rectangular now… she was a mutant, but he couldn’t specify what her ability was, aside being able to distort eyewear. Diverting his attention from that to what she was saying, he listened intently as she spoke… and could tell from her tone and words that she didn’t have a clue what she was about to get herself into. He gave a nice, warm smile and said, “You don’t know what this place is.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement, and one that would likely need more explanation.
“This is a school… and a haven for mutants ma’am. It is a place where they can conduct their normal studies, all the way to a college level, and learn to control their latent abilities without the reprisals of the outside world… at least, that’s what I know of it. I only found out about this place the other day. And you might be surprised at the student’s intellectual capacity… I’m here because I am hoping that a Subject Matter Expert can help me with a bit of a Chemistry problem involving these spiders.” He raised the glass jars, showing the perfectly contained specimens. He watched her reactions carefully before turning away.
He began to move up the stairs towards the Admission Office, no longer concerned with the woman’s desire to avoid him. “Going by the logic I know of, the reason you got called here is because you are also a mutant, and someone capable of passing your knowledge to the next generation.” Another statement. Moving through the hall, he moved as if he was marching, a force of habit from being in the Army for eight years.
Jacob was certain that she was right… some people were good hearted enough to try to teach the young mutants how to deal with their abilities… master them, and become productive members of society. He hadn’t run into one yet, but he was sure of their existence… but knew that they would be hard pressed to change the typical civilian’s view of the mutant phenomenon.
When her comment came out, Jacob put the pieces of the puzzle together very, very quickly. He smiled, and knew all too well that there were only two ways to handle a thief. She didn’t need to go to jail, and she had good morals, having proven that with her statement about stepping in if someone was getting hurt. “It might be more believable if you had said you were ‘Between Jobs’ without raising suspicion… but honestly, I’m glad you don’t have a solid job at the moment, because I have one for you. You see that guy walking across the street?” he asked, pointing to an older gentleman, engrossed in a newspaper walking slowly away.
“He just dropped an old pocket watch and hasn’t realized it yet. It’s in the snow on the curb. Ten bucks says you can’t go return it to him.” He waited for her reaction, but pulled a ten dollar bill out of his jacket pocket to show he wasn’t joking. He wouldn’t let her take it, of course, but it was on her what she was going to do now.
She was certainly dressed to impress, but Jacob was using his peripheral vision for that. As per his usual, his eyes were locked with hers, a sign of respect for someone he didn’t know. She hadn’t accepted the handshake, not a good sign in Jake’s book, but he didn’t pass judgment on someone so easily, so he let it slide. Still, when she spoke, the tone grated on his steel nerves, and if he was less of a gentleman, he would have left her standing there trying to get in. Still, he was better than that, regardless of the temptation. “Likely the Admissions Office ma’am. If not, they can give you further guidance. I can show you the way if you’d like.” Moving down the steps real quick, he retrieved the spiders, and moved back up the stairs, opening the door for the young woman, as was polite.
He was starting to piece together the woman’s personality based on her actions, and could tell this was someone who normally was accustomed to having power, or at least a position where such was assumed. Or maybe he was wrong and it was something else… spoiled maybe? It was hard to tell. He followed her into the door shortly after she entered, and headed towards the Admissions Office himself, preparing to ask whoever was there where he could find his chemical egg head. He could provoke a question, and it seemed that she didn’t want to talk to him, which made him want to drive her crazy by asking questions.
“You said you have an appointment? Are you planning to become a teacher or counselor?” It was more idle curiosity than anything, but it was enough to serve the purpose of getting more information… and driving her nuts in the process…
Jacob nodded at her first comment. “That is where judgment comes into play. I won’t step in an even one on one fight, because you’re right. Both parties will be stronger from their confrontation, and it’s not my responsibility to stop EVERY fight I come across. But if someone is being assaulted? Yes, it’s time to make that move to assist, and having the courage to stand up for what is right.” He paused for a moment, letting that information sink in. “Believe me, the last person that took my kindness for granted, wound up wishing he had never met me.” It wasn’t a threat, it was a fact. The Specialist he had vouched for, trying to get promoted, had used Jacob badly, and then given him no credit or thanks. He wound up becoming a Private very quickly after that somehow…
He also could tell she had some real life experience behind her words, that familiar look in her eyes as she spoke about it while thinking back. He listened to her speak about the corruption of power, and chuckled slightly. He had not missed the disdain in her voice when dealing with police. “Well, when it comes to adults, some people are better than others when handling the responsibility that power brings on. I would rather deal with the cop, honestly, because even if he is corrupt as hell, he is a lot more predictable than the mutant kid who has no control.” He wouldn’t leave it at that though, as this was something he felt strongly about. “Now, I do think that there needs to be a place where that same kid can learn to control his abilities, safely. Only when a person is in control of their power can they be held truly responsible for their actions, and I think that is something that society has yet to realize.”
Jacob then finally commented on her last few words before beginning a new subject… something that had been lurking in the back of his mind for a while now. “The City isn’t a thing capable of doing anything. The City is only as good as the people who are in it, and every time you help someone, the city is better for it.”
He then shifted very quickly. “If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of employment do you have here in the Big Apple?”
Jacob nodded thoughtfully, but had to correct her about one thing. “To be fair, I am the type of person to help anyone, black, white, mutant, human, it doesn’t matter, if they are being bullied and disrespected for no reason.” Still, he wasn’t expecting her to outright come out and say she was a mutant… this young woman was full of unexpected reactions. She must have been very confident in her abilities to handle herself if she was able to be so open about it, as some humans have been known to do exactly what those boys were doing… hate mutants. Sometimes it was jealousy or fear driving them, but in the end it was the same… hatred for no good reason.
“To answer your question though, yes, I am a mutant.” He had finally admitted it to her, and as always with someone new, he felt a small wave of relief as the pressure of keeping that secret and dodging the questions was let go. He also had to agree with her on her last point. “I have noticed that too… there are a LOT of mutants in this city. One reason I’m kind of glad I don’t live inside the Big Apple. Too many chances of something going wrong or some kid with powers trying to cause trouble. I hate to say it, but there is a lot of people who don’t deserve powers getting them, and not enough people to stop them from hurting others… whether that power be from mutation or not.”
He coasted the last half a block and pulled the car over, settling next to the snowy sidewalk near the grocery store she had pointed out before. She would likely get out now, but for now, he merely put it in park and turned his full attention to the young girl beside him.
Jacob’s black 67 Chevrolet Impala thundered down the road towards ‘the Mansion’ as the residents called it, hoping to borrow a few minutes of time from one of the resident Chemistry egg-heads there. He had an idea for a non-lethal round for his new pistol that he was making, but it required some chemicals that he honestly had no idea about. So, when in doubt, find someone who might know. He had a pair of passengers this time though, sitting on the dash in a pair of glass jam jars with holes poked through the lids was a pair of special spiders. It was a simple Mouse Spider, but it was very aggressive, and could easily paralyze you if you get bitten. In the other jar was a Brazilian Wandering Spider, also known as a Banana Spider, which had an even faster reaction to paralyzing you.
His hope was to create a paintball of sorts that could cause a person to lose control of their nervous system, shutting down everything but your breathing and heartbeat. It would be an excellent way to take care of people at range, especially some of the more dangerous mutants that seemed to be teeming around the city. He just hoped it was possible, because honestly he didn’t know the first thing about chemistry and spiders that you couldn’t just Google.
Nearing the mansion, he pulled into the drive towards the front door and saw an attractive young woman… about his age, he guessed, dressed up and knocking on the door. He thrummed the engine just a little bit more, just to make it growl and announce his arrival, so she wouldn’t be too startled. He pulled up, put the vehicle in park, and stepped out, the car turning off at the same time. He grabbed his two jars of spiders, and set them on the hood, not wanting to make introductions to someone holding a pair of dangerous web-spinners.
“Hello. I’m Jacob. You looking for someone?” Simple enough, he walked the short distance up the steps, and held out his hand. He was wearing his typical outfit, a plain OD Green t-shirt, leather jacket, jeans and tan combat boots. His very short hair was clean, having just come out of the shower before making the trip, but there was a slight tint of the oil and grease in his scent if she got close enough for any reason.
Jacob knew something about human behavior, and he would like to think that he could predict people to some small degree of accuracy. Granted, he was wrong a lot, but he was more often right. Now, as he climbed back into the car he expected some questions about ‘why it was his business to interfere’ or something along those lines… but he could have not been more dead wrong. He simply looked at the young woman for a moment, not really registering the question right off, and after a full second, recovered. “What would make you come to that conclusion?” His tone was a mix of curiosity and confusion, but mentally he was trying to break down the clues to figure out how she had come up with that idea.
Granted, he also realized he probably just gave it away by not outright lying to her… but it wasn’t in his nature to lie. Integrity, the willingness to do what is right, even when no one is looking, was the most important value the Army and his parents had ever taught him, and he lived by it. While he didn’t answer her directly, it was close enough that she could likely make the conclusion now without much difficulty. Still, that meant one of two things… she was also a mutant, because generally fellow mutants or she was one of those naïve kids, because between the two they were the only ones bold enough to ask. Still, it would be interesting to see her reaction.
“Are you?” he said with a smirk. It was a legitimate question, considering the general conclusions were being thrown out there, but it also was taking some enormous leaps of faith and some wild assumptions. She hadn’t provided hardly any clues to the idea of herself being a mutant, and Jacob had simply used the question as a redirect and to put her on the spot. Still, now there were multiple directions the conversation could go.
He shifted the car into drive, and pulled away from the spot they were parked at, moving towards the grocery store again, but he wasn’t in a rush, he wanted to honestly see where this conversation went.
(Not as long as I would have liked, but I have to go to the store...)
Jacob couldn’t help but smirk as she pieced together the risk from what he said, visibly looking at each individual part of what could happen, and likely imagining it. Considering she had never been in a car, it was interesting to see her learning all of this for the first time. Jacob had done the same thing, many years ago, but a car was something he had worked on or towards his whole life, so it was a little bit of a different scenario.
He nodded. “I can kind of understand that idea. Are you claustrophobic maybe? I know someone who has that and despises seatbelts… he feels like it’s too constricting.” And he would leave it at that. If they were going on a long trip, having some fun, or moving at high speeds, he would insist on the seatbelt, but none were true, and as such, he left it alone. No need to try to pressure her to do something she doesn’t want to do. He then received instructions on where to go next, and then addressed what she had said before that.
“Ah. I moved a lot when I was a kid… both my parents were in the Air Force, and I was in the Army for about eight years, so moving comes with the territory. I would—“ Jacob stopped mid-sentence to a scene folding out to their left, where two older boys… high-school aged from the looks of it, where kicking another boy who was on the ground on the edge of the park. “Excuse me a moment…” he said, sliding to the side of the road, and quickly getting out. He moved quickly and quietly across the street towards the fight, grabbed the two boys who were kicking the younger kid, who he now saw was a mutant based on the webbed hands and what he thought were gills, and picked both the young men up by their necks, slamming them into the hard ground. Their backs had hit first, so he hadn’t really hurt them, just knocked the wind out of them and scared them good.
Standing up, he stood there, glaring at the two older boys, who quickly scattered into the park. He then helped the young man up, and asked if he was OK, which was responded with thanks and something along the lines of ‘I could’a won.’ He offered him a ride, which was refused, and the boy began to run home, away from the park. Jacob watched him for a few moments, and he rounded a corner and was out of sight. Returning to the car, he stepped in and began to pull towards the grocery store which was only a few more blocks. “Sorry about that… can’t stand bullies or hate crimes.”
The simple thank you, a dying word it seemed, was a good sign that she had some courtesy, and it went a long way to show that kind of respect in Jacob’s eyes. Having been a NCO in the Army, respect was something like money… hard to obtain and valuable beyond measure. He chuckled a little at the way she had phrased the bit about her seatbelt, but didn’t really press too far with that. He would, however, provide a simple explanation. “The seat belt makes sure that if someone were to hit me, I don’t go flying through the windshield or anything crazy like that. It keeps my butt right here, regardless of what happens… but to be honest, I also tend to do a little bit of drifting in the snow, so I am a little more risky than some.” The traffic, having been stuck for a moment while some idjit got his car out of the road that he had slid into a light pole, finally cleared up, and they were moving again.
He nodded thoughtfully at her words. “Honestly I agree with you, if you don’t want to leave the city. But if you ever go anywhere but here or another one of the main hubs, a car is a must.” Simple enough, it was true. Getting anywhere was a pain in the neck unless you had a car or you didn’t leave outside a few miles from your home. They were fast approaching the park where she said she wanted to be dropped off, but the park was very large… had a several block circumference. “Which part of the park did you want me to drop you off at?”
Jacob shrugged slightly towards her comment about not having the opportunity, and followed it up with something simple. “Well, if you are ever in the market, I know a thing or two about cars, and I might be able to help you out. I own a shop outside of town that doubles for a junkyard, and there are plenty of inexpensive vehicles I can put together pretty cheap.” Reaching down, he grabbed a small card out of the cup-holder there, holding it out to her so she could take it. It was nothing fancy, just had ‘Jacob’s Junkyard and Shop’, an address, and a phone number on it.
Moving away from that topic, she went into a little bit of what had happened, without actually telling him anything. He respected the way she was able to maneuver in the conversation without giving much away, but by her body language, she was agitated, and it wasn’t because she found out her fridge stopped working and her food was spoiled. Someone had messed up the start of the new year, and she had done the grown up thing and walked away and let herself cool off… although the snow seemed to want to turn her into a Tses-sicle.
She fumbled for the seat belt for a moment, which in this vehicle was just a simple lap belt, and he smirked. Using his knee to hold the steering wheel, he unfastened his own and showed her the basic operation. “Keeps you in place if someone were to hit me… but in this car, we would win just about any fight. Baby here is made completely out of steel, not the fiberglass you see in all the modern cars, so she is built like a tank.
Jacob was very observant, so the slight flush was something he caught, but only barely. She was still young at heart, but that was just a very surface emotion that only revealed a small hint of what was hidden beneath the surface. The longer that she stayed in the car and talked, reacted, and spoke, the more pieces of the puzzle would be put into place and the more he would understand her.
“It’s nice to meet you Tses. So, why haven’t you ever been in a car? Just never had the need or desire?” A simple, safe question that could shed some light on her life a little, but without prying too hard. She could also re-direct it if she didn’t like the question or felt uncomfortable, allowing her an escape if she wanted it. Still, he wanted to know more about the young woman, and what circumstances would place her out in the cold without a jacket… and he wanted to ask, but had a feeling that it might be a sore subject.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
“Feel free to tell me it’s none of my business, but what had you stuck outside in the cold, no jacket, and marching like you were on a war path?” It was a simple question, but one that needed to be asked, because something had to have bothered her pretty badly to be stuck in that kind of situation.
She considered the offer for a moment more, and made an amusing comment, but there was also some truth to it too. He could hear it in her voice… there was more than just a joke there, there was a little bit of a warning, and it would not have been wise to not pay attention to that. Luckily, he would have no issue with that, as he didn’t want anything more than to help her warm up a bit and get her where she was going. Reaching over, he directed the middle vent down a bit, as it didn’t have a side-to-side adjustor, and pointed towards one more near the door. “Should be plenty of heat coming from that vent, just keep your hands there a few moments and you should be warmed up before long.” With that, he was given directions, and the engine growled just a smidge louder as he eased towards the destination.
No need to be drifting with a passenger he could easily startle. He also wouldn’t argue with her hoofing it the rest of the way… she still had no reason to trust him, and obviously didn’t want him knowing where she lived. That was a perfectly safe thing to do, but it also meant she was good with forward planning and being precautious. She was thinking a step ahead, which was a good trait that was missing in a lot of people, made them susceptible to getting themselves in trouble more often than not.
He noticed her idle curiosity, and smirked a little bit. His old car had the most basic of basics, hardly anything compared to modern day rigs… and she still seemed a little more than a kid in a new classroom, checking things out. “I’m guessing you haven’t saved up enough for your own car,” he said more as a fact that anything, but a gentle enough ice-breaker, and a way to ease into a conversation by introducing himself and what he did for a living. “I’m Jacob. I built this car from the ground up… started on it when I was about seven I think. Baby is an old sweetheart.” He also used his right hand to cross his body and provide it for a small handshake, if she was willing, and while his shake was firm, it was not crushing despite his build.
