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JAGS Holiday City

A Super Hero Supplement for the JAGS RPG
www.jagsrpg.com
Featuring the Amazing Artwork of:
IvanT
Jeezreel C.
Shellz
Taufiqzakly
Viktor Kolodiazhnyi
Dmitry Turchinsky
Marco C.
Designed by Ahmet Samsa
Written by Eric and Marco Chacon

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 CONTENTS
JAGS HOLIDAY CITY  2 HOLIDAY CITY, BY THE NUMBERS  79
Excerpt: Institute for Advanced Study - Establishing a Theoretical
“VALUE” - THE UNSEEN ENERGY THAT DRIVES THE UNIVERSE  81
Understanding of Luminary Distribution  3
Battling Other Luminaries -- “Climbing The Ladder”  81
Excerpt: So, Your Just Boyfriend Illuminated  3
Using “External Weapons or Armor”  81
Excerpt: Goliath, Archimedes & Achilles, and Mark Twain  4
The Underground Fighting Circuit  82
Civilian Action Team Act  4
Teams and Splitting Value  82
JAGS Holiday City  4
If You Aren’t Part of a Team, But Help Out, You Get A Share of
Making A Character  4
the Value  82
Holiday City Stories - What Kind of Game Is It?  4
Fighting Alongside As Part of a Different Team  82
Value - The Secret Energy That Luminaries Can Feel  5
Taking and Holding Ground  83
The Secrets of Holiday City  5
Improving Your Domain  83
WELCOME TO HOLIDAY CITY  6 Losing Ground  83
Going Up A Level  84
GREETINGS FROM HOLIDAY CITY!  58
Holiday City By The Books  58 CREATING A LUMINARY CHARACTER  34
Holiday City Districts  58 Step 0: What Kind of Game Is It?  34
Bancroft Hills  61 Step 1: You Are An ‘Operational Tetrad’  34
Armitage  61 Family Members  34
Kulver Down Park  62 Shared Origin  36
Empire Zone  63 Bonding Experience  36
Morris Terrace  64 Step 2: Roll Power Categories  36
Webber  65 Step 2.1: Buy Powers  36
Northgate  65 Step 2.2: Fast Company Levels  36
Marshal Hill  66 Step 3: Create The Character  36
Victory Square  67 Step 4: Optional Origin / Life-Path Rules  37
Lyndell Heights  68 JAGS POWER TABLE  38
Union Gardens  69
ORIGIN TABLES  40
Lyndell  69
Dr. Ingebjørg Syndrome  40
Euclid Bay  69
Mutant Origin  40
South Harriet  70
Exposure Origin  40
Prospect Park  70
Death Energy Origin  40
King’s Field  71
Accidental Death  41
Signal Hill  72 Murder  41
HOLIDAY CITY LOCATIONS  75 Heroic Death  41
The Boardwalk  75 Reincarnation  41
Museum of the Western Plains  75 Reanimation  41
Holiday City Aquarium  75 Extreme Training  41
Lockhart’s Department Stores  75 Esoteric Training  41
The Grain Elevators  76 Extreme / Esoteric Master Is . . .  42
Holiday City High School  76 Alien  42
Holiday City Community College  76 Hyper-Science  42
Holiday City University  76 Modified / ‘Empowered’  42
Ballard Asylum  76 How I Felt About My Origin  42
Luminary Facts  43

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 I Can Investigate!  43 RED CELL  58
My Public Brand Is  43 The Mentors  59
Costumes and Code Names  43 Paragon  60
Your Personal Charisma Scores  43 FloodLight  61
Luminary Conjuress  62
Behavioral Score For Your ‘Brand.’  44 Neoteros  63
Your Costume  44 Whisper  64
Special Effects / Vibe  44 THE NORTH SHORE KIDS  65
Extreme Training  44 Beastie  66
Code Name  44 Cuttlefish  67
My “Ordinary” Life  45 Speed Demon  68
High School Student  45 Molly Rave  69
Holiday City Community College  45
THE REVANCHE CLUB  70
HC CC Special Program  45
Challenger  71
Holiday City University  45
Savant  72
HC-University Special Program  46
Trenchant  73
Special Tech-Sector Employment  46
QueenAn  74
Press Sector Employment  46
Game Designer’s Notes on the Holiday City High School Game  75
Luminary Family  46
The High School Genre  75
Crime Family  46
Approaches To The Game  75
Ordinary - Lower Class  47
Junior-Varsity: Playing One Of The Groups New Members  75
Ordinary - Middle Class  47
Varsity - Replacing One of The Teams  75
Ordinary - Upper Class  47
Outbreak - New Luminaries  75
ALMA MATER - HIGH SCHOOL LUMINARIES  48 Forced Service - Villain Teams  75
THE LUMINARY YOUTH PROGRAM  49 Have Fun!  75
The “Ballard Arc”  49 MEAN STREETS  76
The Villain Program  50 Street Level Characters  76
A Fourth Team?  50
The Mirth Academy  50 THE UNDERGROUND FIGHTING CIRCUIT  78
Your High School Luminary Experience - Complications!  50 The Gangs and the Syndicate  78
Mental Issues  50 Living The Low-Life  78
Your Past Was “Interesting”  50 Molotok  80
Life Is Hard!  51 Stretchy  81
Uncontrolled Powers  51 Snarl  82
Something Is Nagging At You  51 Star Tiger  83
Your Nemesis  51 NyeKunDu  84
The Luminary Teams  51 Billy The Kid  85
Varsity  51 Blackmail  86
Butterball  87
Red Cell  52
Brutalist  88
The North Shore Kids  52
The Crows  89
The Revanche Club  52
Fire Eater  90
THE VARSITY TEAM  53 Heavy Caesar  91
Cavalier  54 Bad News  92
Pedigree  55 Aspy  93
Nowhere Lass  56 Roid-Rage  94
Flaunt  57 Emerald  95

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Mim  96 and Higher  124
Jazz Hands  97 Operators - Gray Brand, Mercenaries  124
Agent of Fortune  98 Deadly Celebrities - Glamorous Luminaries and Super
Media Hounds  124
OPERATIONAL DYADS  99
Brave Defenders of the Status Quo - Corporate Heroes  125
Excerpt: The Dyad As A Psychological Paring Phenomena  99
Operational Dyads - On The Street  99 Super Villains - Heels Playing The Part Perfectly  125
Wrack & Ruin  100 The Monsters  125
Business & Pleasure  101 The Operators  125
Null & Void  102 Operator Society  127
Tool & Die  103 B.O.H.I.C.A.  128
Redline  129
ORGANIZED (AND DISORGANIZED) CRIME IN Cougar  130
HOLIDAY CITY  104 Harvest Moon  131
The Little Gangs  104 Hawaiian Sling  132
The Major Gangs  104 Red Death  133
The Code Disciples (The Neo-Nazis)  104 Cuberon  134
The Nigerians (Confraternity)  104 Chardonnay  135
Los Llaves (The Colombians)  104 Symphony  136
J-Pok (The Koreans)  105 Search & Destroy  137
Ground War Motorcycle Club (Mother Bear’s guys)  105
DEADLY CELEBRITIES  138
The Bear, The Machine and the Crime Lord - Big Time
Organized Crime  105 The Life-Celeb  138
The Syndicate and the Underbosses  106 Meteoric  139
Mr. Green  107 Narcissus  140
Red Anthony  108 Echo  141
The Hat  109 Impatient  142
Personality & History  109 Black Card  143
(‘Petty’) Tyrant  144
THE RUSSIANS  110 Kernel Panic  145
Hiro Jet  111 Iconoclast  146
Chicago Fire  112 Maximilian Clarke  147
‘THE BEAR’ (MOTHER BEAR)  113 Malthusian  148
Mother Bear  114 Ravenous  149
Lizard Breath  115 Progress  150

SULTAN  116 BRAVE DEFENDERS OF THE STATUS QUO  151

Sultan  117 The Tower  152
The Tower Auxiliaries  152
MAJOR GANGS - THE CODE DISCIPLES  118 Junior Tower Deputies  152
Nord Wolf  119 The Trouble With the Tower  152
Hel  120
The Tower’s Remit: Keep The Peace  152
MAJOR GANGS - THE CONFRATERNITY  121 The Unwritten Rules of The Tower  152
Blood Diamond  122 No Luminary Battles  153
Don’t Touch The Fixtures  153
GAME DESIGNER’S NOTES FOR MEAN STREETS GAMES  123
Vigilantism is Frowned On  153
Other Games on the Streets  123
Work On Your Brand: Be An Influencer!  153
I NEED A HERO - SUPER HEROICS IN HOLIDAY CITY  124 They Kind of Have A Point (Kind Of)  153
The Two Scales: CAT-3 and CAT-4  124 Rampart  154
The High Powered Society- Luminary Society at CAT-3 Dreadnought  155

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Artesia  156 Weird Science  198
Falconer  157 Telepathy  199
Rock Bottom  158 Telepathy Overview  199
Mr. Nice Guy  159 Telepathic Resisted Attacks  199
Theory & Practice  160 Mental Combat  200
Mental Initiative  200
SUPER VILLAINS - HEELS PLAYING THE PART PERFECTLY  161
The Connoisseur  162 Mental Combat Moves: Strikes, Blocks, and Dodges  201
Mind Attack Template  201
THE MISERY TOURISTS  163 Mental Block / Dodge  201
Screamer  164 Mind Link  202
Cut-Up  165 Establish Mind Link  202
Overthinker / Migraine  166 Break Mind Link  202
Top Kek  167 Telepathic Attack Modifiers  203
Pretty Boy / Dis Figure  168 Basic Telepathy  204
VERBOTEN  169 Telepathy [12]  204
Verboten’s Rule  170 Thought Listening  204
Verboten’s Wrath  170 Mind Scan  204
Dr. Dominator  171 Multi-Link  205
The Evoluminary  172 Space Telepathy  205
Allopath  173 Mind Strike  205
Over-Unity  174 Mind Blast  205
Tabu  175 Mind Hold  206
TECHNOCRAT  176 Mind Shield  206
Technocrat  177 Mind Power  206
Technocrat’s Monitor & Enforcement Bots  178 Mind Power  206
Tiger Mom (and the Cubs)  179 Mental Resisted Attacks Powered with Mind Power  207
Tiger Mom  180 Cost for Mental Abilities Powered through Mind Power  207
Mean  181 Intensity of Mental RA’s for Mind-Powered Abilities  207
Median / Imposter Syndrome  182 Buying Mental Resisted Attacks as Stand-Alone powers  208
Mode  183 Additional Telepathic Powers & Power Suites  208
Overkill  184 Mind Control Powers  208
Omicron  185 Telepathic Power Suites  208
Mind Reading (Suite) [4 AP]  208
THE MONSTERS  186
Deep Read [2 or Free as Part of Mind Reading]  209
Chrysobull  187
Mind Probe  209
The Terror  188
Burn Mind [8 AP]  211
Tisiphina  189
Erudite  190
Regal  191
Typhon  192
Mother Death  193
Hecatomb  194
Terminate  196
Hyper-Chitin  196
Entrapment Ray  196
Nemesis - Curse  197
Invest With Power  198

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JAGS Holiday City
Welcome to JAGS Holiday City--a JAGS Superhero world book set in Their tourist scene is pretty good . . . if you like a Minnesota-famous
what might be the most important city in North America--maybe in aquarium and the last open department store of a chain that was
the world. Of course you just think of it as a midwestern, mid-sized big around 1928 or something.
place on the south shore of Lake Superior. No--if you’ve thought of Holiday City your impression is either a

Maybe in history class in high school when reading about The sprawl of urban blight created by the collapse of heavy industry
Gilded Age you read about the big railroad magnates running a and the drying up of mines and industrial shipping--or you think of
few key lines through there--an important shipping hub and some it as a sleepy little city out there in the big empty that is in the news
mining? every once in a while because one of the big time midwestern rich
If you follow the Luminary scene a lot (I mean, everyone does to guys who lives around there is doing something with coal mining
some extent--you can’t escape it!) you know that it has a really or new-energy or whatever.
unusually high percentage of para-humans. It stands out for that- That’s how the rest of the world sees Holiday City.
-but it’s not the only place that’s an anomaly for the number of Holiday City . . . likes it like that.
emergency situations that, in cop-slang, “turn into Comic Con.”
It’s never been in one of the top 100 nicest places to live--although
some of those homes and gardens magazines have had shoots
from the stately parts of town from time to time. Could be you
fired off a college application: it’s got a university that’s hard to get
into--and has quite the reputation . . . for a place without a football
team in flyover country.
You might’ve even visited. They’ve got a “famous” boardwalk. They
have a couple of Grand Hotels in the 100-most-haunted hotel lists.

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 restaurant. If he’s the friendly type? People will ask him for selfies
Luminary: A parahuman evidencing superhuman capabili-
and autographs.
ties including non-human biology, extreme physical training
and reflexes beyond what is scientifically humanly attainable, He Just Blew You Out On Social Media: Just give it up: he got
energy or mental manipulation, flight and levitation, etc. 20k followers overnight. These are Lumi-groupies and they’ll tell
him he’s aces no matter what he does. If he’s active on Instagram?
Illumination: The term for the event of “becoming” a
One hundred thousand is about the minimum. You can just shelve
Luminary. A transition for some, an event at birth for others.
your account. He’s an influencer now whether he likes it or not.
Eminent: The condition of being Illuminated. Evidencing the
powers and traits of a Luminary.
Power Categories (Makarov Scale) 1 - 5. Each level is
double the power-level of the previous.

Luminaries per Capita per 1k population CAT-Weighted AVG

Holiday City 1.61

National Average .21

Excerpt: Institute for Advanced

Study - Establishing a Theoretical
Understanding of Luminary He’s a Movie Star: If y’all get stopped by the cops for any crime
less than, like murder, they’ll probably just let him go--especially
Distribution if he’s cool about it. He can go into a shop and take things and the
IAS-2014-0031 Avi Leodsan odds are they’ll just thank him on the way out. They’ll prosecute
you though--don’t think you try to pull that shit. You know how
The hypothetical framework around the distribution of effica-
movie stars get away with things over and over? It’s like that--and
cy established by Leonard Makarov in 1968, and still dominant
he’s never even read a line.
today, holds that the retention of “efficacy” as measured by ther-
modynamic improbability follows a Navier-Stokes distribution. As He’s Like A Mixed Martial Arts Champion: At Cat-3 you’ve
such we should see, in human populations, a propagation of the gotta watch yourself. If he’s the wrong type he could bury a SWAT
Illumination phenomena within a Gaussian or Poisson distribution. team without breaking a sweat. If he’s ever raised his voice to you
this, right now, is a good time to leave. Tough guys will idolize him.
As such, the variance in locations such as Holiday City are so far
Tough stupid guys might want a piece of him.
outside the modeled understanding that, taking the frequency of
Luminaries as a measure of thermodynamic entropy it is as though Now He’s a Socialite: You might need to show him how to tie a
the locality is effectively a Luminary itself. tie or put a boutineer on because if he puts himself out there, he
can get invitations to parties. Not the kind you get to go to either--if
Excerpt: So, Your Just Boyfriend he wants to go and drink with the back-tie and white pearls set he
can. He can just crash. He’s a Luminary. You--if you’re his +1--are
Illuminated gonna get treated like something he tracked in on his shoe. Sorry.
Chapter 2: Category 3? Handle With He’s a Reality TV Star: If he doesn’t like the fine dining, he can
Extreme Caution, Emily Alledel, Golden be as tacky as he wants to be and he’ll get his entourage of ass-
Goblin Press holes--including a few wealthy hangers on who will enable whatev-
Now Your Boyfriend’s a Rock Star: If he was full of himself er he wants. Did he ever do drugs? Did he drink a lot? Did he want
before, now it’s hella bad. He’ll be recognized even if he’s not in to drive a fast car? When you can fly? People will hook you up. You
uniform. He’ll get free drinks at the bar and his own table in the though? They won’t hook you up. They want you gone.

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Face it, girlfriend, you’re probably really, really screwed--and that’s
if he’s one of the “good ones.” JAGS Holiday City
You’re a Luminary--life just got complicated--extra complicated.
Excerpt: Goliath, Archimedes & No, worse than that. In JAGS Holiday City you’ll make a character
Achilles, and Mark Twain to plunge into the weird, chaotic, and often dangerous world of
Introduction - Man vs. Myth. Dr. Sarah Holiday City and the Luminary society that surrounds it. Here’s
Millicomb Ph.D. what you need to know:

The discovery of a 30-foot humanoid giant with metallic reinforced

Making A Character
bones in the 3000 year old Philistine burial site in Ashkelon Israel Making a Luminary Character is like making other JAGS characters
was, for 20 years considered to be a fake as was in vogue at the with a few curve-balls thrown in. We go into detail in the next chap-
time. This reaction--that the “wonders of the ancient world” were ter but here’s the summary version.
exaggerated and were usually based on myths was perhaps due
to the Roman tradition of “Modestus” or Keeping Within Measure. Step 1: Figure out what the basic idea of the game will be (we
have a list of common choices and rules for setting them up).
The discovery of a completely whole--yet clearly dead Achilles--or a
This should include a power CATegory level)
bronze-age power-system using an alchemical engine to power a
directed light weapons system built into an augmented armored Step 2: Everyone rolls random power categories. Yeah--you
harness (the Archimedes “Siderénios Ánthropos”) eventually con- don’t get to pick the sections you can buy powers from.
vinced those who were skeptical that, indeed, giants had--and it
turned out, still did walk the earth . . . or fly over it. Step 3: Within those power categories, spend you can buy
any of the powers listed with Archetype Points to create your
Of course the understanding of them as Luminaries was the el-
Luminary power set. There’s also some random-roll stuff that can
ement necessary to get them fully from the realm of myth and
be used to help figure out how you illuminated (this is optional)
monsters and into the realm of men--even if they wielded near
god-like power in some instances. Step 4: You can use the optional random roll tables to give you
After all, Mark Twain was a luminary of his age--even if he was not some material to help figure out who your “normal guy” is / was
a Luminary. The use of the term marks them not as idealized he- (if you ever were)
roes of ancient lore or of angels or demons--but as people who,
Step 5: Using the life-path stuff, the origin-story stuff (if you
for better or worse are in a position that we must acknowledge as
like it) you spend your CP and build your character.
specially gifted. Luminaries are not morally better than us. They are
not spiritually superior. However, in a very real if intangible way
Holiday City Stories - What Kind of Game Is
they are exalted--above the great mass of us.
In the table set at the top of the human pyramid, despite merritt, It?
persistence, intelligence, wealth, or military might and the force of There’s an infinite number of stories in Holiday City. What’s yours?
the state, most of the seats are set for them. We have a few game-types detailed because we think they are
good approaches to Holiday City. Here are some of them:
Civilian Action Team Act Alma Mater High school super heroes. You go to one of the high
Morrison Act, 1932 The Morrison Act that ruled that Luminaries 64 AP (CAT-2) schools that has both regular kids and Luminary kids
could not be part of a civilian police force (and were limited in 50 CP attending. Good luck.
action in the military) created Civilian Action Teams--licensed
Luminary teams that were given a charter by the local government Mean Streets You’re in the bad part of town--the wrong side of the tracks.
Life isn’t fair anywhere, but at the bottom of Holiday City
to handle problems within a listed purview. 64 AP (CAT-2)
there are predators and everyone else is prey--but not you.
In Holiday City, the C.A.T. is The Tower, a team of four CAT-3 50 CP Not now. It’s time to start making a difference.
Luminaries who keep the peace . . . but maybe not very well.

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 That’s the technical term for a “team of Luminaries” who Luminaries--by taking over neighborhoods and remaking them in
Operational
Tetrad are actually “in it together.” A single CAT-3 Luminary is their images. Doing this is walking the path to power.
notable. Four working together can be alarming, and They call it “Climbing The Ladder” or “Being In The Game.” Everyone
128 AP (CAT-3)
even if they seem like pretty good guys, forming a team
50 CP knows they’re worth something to everyone else (fortunately you
with an agenda is going to get attention.
don’t have to kill an opponent to get their Value--and taking on
Power Houses people who are way less powerful than you isn’t that useful--but .
256 AP (CAT-4) You are Category 4 power-houses--and there’s a group . . it can happen).
128 AP (Scale of you. Holiday City and the monsters and leaders in it So you have an opportunity here. Is someone causing problems in
2) have sat up to take notice.
the neighborhood? It’s suddenly worth your while to do something
50 CP about it.
The scale goes up to CAT-5, which includes some of the
Above CAT-4
(512 AP +)
most powerful individual beings in existence. These
guys tend to be somewhat on the reclusive side but
The Secrets of Holiday City
they can make policy. Holiday City is built on secrets. It’s lousy with them. We have di-
vided JAGS Holiday City into two books. The first is for everyone. It
Value - The Secret Energy That Luminaries has the list of characters you’ve heard of (or read about) and notes
Can Feel on their power-level and abilities. It has descriptions of the places
you might go to school or visit City Hall or whatever. All of this is
There’s one more thing we’ve gotta tell you: when you defeat a
designed to be read as common-knowledge for someone who has
Luminary in (serious) combat--or clean out a neighborhood of
been exposed to it.
crime and make it a better place to live, you get Experience Points
(XP).
When you get XP equal to your current AP total you go up a lev-
el: +8 Archetype Points and +2 Character Points (you can get
Character Points for things other than winning Luminary battles
or taking and holding ground).

Then in the Occult History of Holiday City we have all the sup-
plementary information--the secrets--about all of this stuff. This
includes the stats (as well as any secret facts) about the characters
and so on.
That’s not so unusual in tabletop roleplaying games--but the dis-
tinction here is that your characters know it. They feel it.
Luminaries can sense a kind of invisible flow of what they call
“Value.” They know they can get Value (XP) by defeating other

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Welcome To Holiday City
Please review the Office of Tourism Guide
• Dinner on Holiday City’s Famous Boardwalk
• Stay at the Cambrian Hotel
• Visit The Aquarium
• See the Museum of the Plains
• Concert in the Park (??)
• Bar Crawl (College Town)

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Greetings From Holiday City!

Holiday City By The Books exclusive clubs saw many notable American personages on their
lists of members.
Just the Facts: In the late 20th century the iron and copper mining in the area and
Holiday City is a major port and rail city located on the southern heavy industry in general, declined and Holiday City itself became
tip of Lake Superior in Minnesota. The waterfront Boardwalk passes less prominent--in many ways slipping further into decay--but it
along Holiday Park with views of the 1903 Grand Rail Bridge and was already transitioning to a financial and tech-sector based econ-
the home of the world-recognized Cambrian Hotel. omy. Today it is certainly not thought of as one of the great megap-
Holiday City was sacred ground to Native Americans for several olises or shining jewels of American urban development--but it is
tribes in the Lake Superior region for more than 500 years. From said that the people there prefer it that way. A staggering 19% of all
1650 to the early 1800’s it was a major fur post for European trad- sea and rail shipped micro-technology components move through
ers seeking beaver pelts. By 1830 it had become a major center its docks and it has more heavy rail capacity than any midwestern
for shipping (connected to the Great Lakes Waterway, the Saint city of similar size and density.
Lawrence Seaway, and then the Atlantic Ocean) and rail hub that It is a regional epicenter for banking, retail shopping, and medical
joined the Great Northern Railway and Taggart Transcontinental. technology. It has the only Biosafety Lab level 4 in Minnesota and
At one time it was considered as a possible location for a “Western one of the few ISO-2 level cleanrooms in the United States.
Command Center” for the United States government should
anything happen to Washington DC. During the 1920’s it played Holiday City Districts
host to the arts and culture--boasting its own fashion designers, a Holiday City is a sprawling place with a broad range of neighbor-
lauded symphony orchestra, and several famous painters. Its local, hoods from the extremely well kept and wealthy to the violent and
impoverished. This section provides a few notes for each one along
with an attempt to give a sense of the atmosphere and flavor.

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 Bancroft Hills Wealth Index: 5 (Very Wealthy)
Predominantly residential communities with both single-family homes on large lots and low-rise apartment
complexes. Country club, golfing, and horseback riding.
The Bancroft Historic District features magnificent mansions from the late 1800s and shopping consists of vibrant
corridors of small shops and exclusive markets.
Neighborhoods: Elway Hills, Candlewood, Bitter Creek, Trendell, Bourbon Oaks.

• Huge mansions on perfect plots of land. Late-model Audis and Mercedes in the driveway -- or in the multi-vehicle garage. Guest houses
on little lakes. Manicured country-clubs. High-end boutique shopping. Catered garden parties with paper lanterns in the spring and
late fall.

Armitage Wealth Index: 5 (Very Wealthy)

Zoned for mid-rise Community Shopping and Office, low-rise and mid-rise residential, and 10% high rise lakefront.
Historical Neighborhood with the Courthouse, the original City Hall, Metropole Bank Headquarters, the (Closed)
Trumpet Publishing House, the Clock Tower, and others.
• Theater & Restaurant District
• Holiday City Aquarium
• Boardwalk
• Hotel & Convention Center
• HC Casino
Neighborhoods: Stone Beach, Downtown, Dunning Creek, Wilmel Reach, Narrows Crook, Tourism District

• Big business behind stately facades. Old-money. Old secrets held by white-haired men who glory running the world. White-glove law
firms. Names on brass plates that mean something. Mens taylors and haberdasheries. Private clubs; yacht club. Restaurants with secret
numbers. Young Masters of the Universe close major deals and go drinking. Ad agencies.

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 Kulver Wealth Index: 2-3 (Lower-Middle & Middle Class)
Down Single-family homes, multi-unit apartments, community shopping / neighborhood commercial. Student housing.
Park • Holiday City Community College
• HC University
• Two private preparatory schools
• Water treatment plant
• National Guard armory
• Museum of the Western Plains
Neighborhoods: Provost Park, University Heights, LWorth (“Student Slums”)
Ownership of college narcotics trade varies; currently Code Disciples
• The School District. Shaggy, trendy. Live music and places that last a season and are never seen again. Absinth bars. Rough characters
who sell the kids their party drugs. Ironic t-shirts. Ironic put-a-quarter-in-the-machine video arcades. More-than-one Rathskeller. Finals
drama. The street full of college-bars with a club at each end. School jackets. House parties after finals.

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 Empire Zone Wealth Index: 5 (Very Wealthy)
Glittering towers--high-rise offices, a monorail system (only serves the Empire Zone). Very, very few residences.
• Progress Foundation 22nd Century Skyscraper
• Fitzgerald Aerospace Corporate Center
• Leland Inc. Office Park
Neighborhoods: Namusda Park, Bayland Heights, Isla Verde, Granite Shoals
• Never sleeps. Coursing with the feel of money and power with the promise and potential of big ideas and all-consuming ambition.

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 Morris Wealth Index: 0-1 (Low Class & Slum)
Terrace Quasi-industrial, medium and high-rise residential. Tenement housing; large number of condemned and unoccupied
buildings.
• U-Store It (Stadium-sized, highly automated self-storage)
• Wade Park
• Timber Trails Family Fun Park (Closed)
• Donner Avenue (Zoned for Adult Entertainment)
Neighborhoods: Shoredale, Harbor Grove, High Forest, Winmilkee
Code Disciples

• Concrete wasteland. Concertina wire on top of 18’ chain link fence. Gravel parking lots. Big, dark buildings. Abandoned, stripped cars.
Guys in military jackets and no shirts covered in prison and white-power tattoos watching you. Beware of Dog signs. Gleaming brass
shell casings down in the cracks in the sidewalk. Nazi graffiti.

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 Webber Wealth Index: 2+(Lower-Middle with some Middle Class)
Single-family homes, multi-unit apartments, community shopping / neighborhood commercial.
Subsidized housing for Kingdom Security employees.
• Universe of Lights Skating & Bowling
• Travers Mall & 28 Multiplex
• Oh Noes Brewery
• Holiday City Science Museum
Neighborhoods: Franklinmont, Hin Hillside, Bridgeland, Evanstream
• Families with a bunch of kids going out to Appleby’s; the movies. Teenagers flooding the theater and the mall. Everything is about to
where it needs a new coat of paint. Family bars. Everyone knows someone who works for Kingdom and lives in the New Apartments.
Field trips to the Science Museum.

Northgate Wealth Index: 1-3 (Low Class to Middle Class)

Single-family homes, multi-unit apartments, community shopping / neighborhood commercial. Ethnic
neighborhood including Holiday City’s Korea-Town and a small but significant Latino community.
• Korea-Town; Chinese influence
• Dim Sum Palace (three stories of open-plan dumplings; gambling in back rooms. Mahjong Ladies)
• Dragon Gaming: Long rows of computers. Everyone’s smoking. Hackers meetups.
Neighborhoods: Mustada, Home Hills, Round Villa, Grays City, Lakebottom
Jo-Pok organized crime cells
Some Llave colombian presence
• Tidy, Crowded, Colorful. Small shops crammed with discount goods. Everyone’s selling phone cards. Western Union. Auto-shops.
Bicycle & Shoe Repair. Laundromats. The school is very big, very imposing, and very old; smells like rusted water. Outdoor holidays
and festivals. Places where they don’t speak English. Tiny grocery stores sell DVDs from other countries. People out sell Cam-Job DVDs
for movies still in theaters. The kids here look lean and tough. They know gambling games.

14
 Marshal Hill Wealth Index: 1-2 (Low Class to Lower Middle Class)
Sprawling, dense neighborhood with some single-family homes and many older multi-unit apart-
ments, community shopping / neighborhood commercial.
• Some famous clubs that still show up in older Holiday City tourism material
• The first of the true Dark Zones (“The Quarry” to the locals, fenced off with CONDEMNED -- DO NOT
TRESPASS signs)
• St. Roch’s Hospital -- the biggest in Holiday City. World-class trauma ward
• Ballard Asylum -- Mental hospital for the criminally insane. Rumored to be Bedlam
Neighborhoods: Hoffmans Meadows, Bensen Bluff, Willow Grove, Schumafort
Llaves & The Nigerians
• Everything’s run-down, but they still cover the graphitti when it goes up, unless they can’t reach it (under the bridge). Everything’s
locked up tight at night. Metal doors with more than one bolt. Lots of walkups. Single-family row-houses. Empty lots full of weeds.
Dismal little hotels where you don’t wanna know goes on. Dealers on the right streets. Bright outdoor advertising; nightlife. 24 hours
Waffle House restaurants. People come from the other places to get what they want here. You can feel the bass through the walls. Epic
clubs, where tough guys strut like princes.

15
 Victory Wealth Index: 0-2 (Poverty to Lower Middle Class)
Square Mostly multi-unit apartments with some high-rise “project” apartments and community shopping / neighborhood
commercial. Schools have a 80% graduation rate.
• Victory Square Park, itself (Traffic roundabout, park)
• Recording Studio for Midwest Hip Hop, with actual gold records on the wall
• Back (way back) when Holiday City had a baseball team, they were based here. The ruin of Lockhart field is still there,
overgrown and green
• Two large Dark Zones (9-16 square blocks), and several small ones (1-2 blocks) -- The Brickyard and The Factory
Neighborhoods: Carolburn, Highfield, Lindenwood, Hillfort
Nigerians & Youth Gangs
• Trash, broken windows with rusted bars; dilapidated houses with windows boarded up; abandoned. Everyone’s got a hustle, even the
kids. Lots of fast-food. Lots of payday loan places. Everyone gets sized up, just walking down the street. Cop? Predator? Prey? Churches
that fill up on Sunday. Social workers with thick case-loads. Greyhound. Lotta people gonna get out of Victory Square playing ball or
selling music.

16
 Lyndell Heights Wealth Index: 2*
Zoned for commercial development, heavy industry, office parks, and dense, low-rise housing. Verboten
HQ, like an evil-vision of Epcot’s sphere looms over the district.
• Their base is a giant spheroid. It is not a tourist attraction: visiting Lyndell Heights to take photographs
in front of the “Super Villain Base” is NOT advised.
• Dry docks & shipyards
• Many closed, some open factories
• Distribution centers, call centers, smelting and refining
• Paper mills
Neighborhoods: Ash Glen, Golden Hills, Chelsa Woods, Verde Vale
Verboten - Entry is NOT advised

• The fake cheer of the simulated potemkin village of the Yucca Flats atomic weapons tests. Giant washed out billboards for no-longer-
sold products. Mid-range brick office buildings that appear condemned but glow with strange lights. The police are out in force--but
their uniforms look a little different than normal--a darker shade of blue; almost black.

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 Union Gardens Wealth Index: 3*
Zoned for urban housing with mid-rise densely packed units. Each is painted a different pastel shade.
Surrounded by city-donated parkland running up to the major roads.
• Held three charter schools (repurposed)
• A Community Center youth-hall (repurposed)
• 2-year Technical school (repurposed)
Neighborhoods: Poplar Glenn, Windsor, Hinsmont
Technocrat - Internal Movement is restricted
• From the roads it looks like a tight clustered block of identical mid-rise buildings towering over much lower institutional-looking
schools, community centers, strip-malls, and auto-mechanics ships. The entry points have: RESIDENTS ONLY notices. Some have security
gates operated by the city. Everything in there is weirdly quiet.

Lyndell Wealth Index: 2-4

An older area that was originally not part of Holiday City--but became so when Holiday City expanded
in the 1980’s. Lyndell is a lot of single-family homes--suburbs or exburbs.
• Verboten Takeover of Lyndell Heights has impacted property values badly.
Neighborhoods: Holiday Acres, Green Creek, Garden Valley
• Lyndell is a “middle class” suburb of Holiday City that features expanses of single-family one-story homes. Some of the lots are large-
-ranch style--with horses and barns. There is some woodland there. It’s quiet--almost secluded in some places. There are a few large
homes--mansions, scattered across the area and, especially, the shoreline.

Euclid Bay Wealth Index: 2-3

Waterfront areas are commercially zoned for shipping and a strip of pricey waterfront dining restau-
rants and hotels. The southern part of Euclid Bay is zoned for single family homes, urban housing,
and mid-rise apartments. A section is zoned for high rise office complexes.
• Lovepark Office Complex: one of the premier high-rise office buildings in Euclid Bay. It is a state of
the art facility--but is only 70% full.
• The Bright Line: a public transport rail system limited to Euclid Bay, South Harriet and Union
Gardens. A workforce from Union Gardens keeps the magnetic rail-system operational.
• Private schools. Euclid Bay has several private schools.
Neighborhoods: Starling Estates, Fisherman’s Meadows, Lazy Lagoon
• Euclid Bay runs from dock-side industries to densely packed low-income and middle-income 40-story towers. It has a sprawl of
dock-workers, service staff, and other low-income people and then a core of several of the executives in the pricey office towers or the
managers or owners of the sparkling waterfront hotels and restaurants.

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 South Harriet Wealth Index: 0-1
South Harriet has one of the largest Dark Zones in Holiday City--blocks without power or uncondemned build-
ings. It also has what writers in the Trumpet have characterized as “No-Go Zones” where the HCPD will not enter
without riot-gear and SWAT Teams. It is a mess of unzoned areas containing bodegas, repurposed gas stations or
abandoned strip-malls (turned into chaotic markets).
Multiple Gangs. Crime Rate NOT REPORTED
• South Harriet is a nightmare of badly lit street-warrens, decayed public services, and several legitimate businesses built like fortresses.
It has chaotic street parties, colorful gang wars, and police who seem at times to have almost given up. If you live in South Harriet,
apparently, you take your life into your own hands.

Prospect Park Wealth Index: Commercial / Industrial + 4 (Upper-Middle) + 2 (Lower Middle)

Prospect Park is a diverse neighborhood with most of it zoned for Industrial and Commercial space -- The Docks at
the water, with warehousing, logistics, and other commerce throughout the neighborhood. Industrial chemical
processing, and light manufacturing.There are also residential areas, notably expensive condominiums and
low-income housing in the south area.
• The Green Zone: a collection of expensive, modern high-rise condominiums for young, trend-setting Empire
Zone Executives and a small cluster of coffee bars, exotic restaurants and Montessori schools to cater to them.
• The Show Room: A warehouse that sells exotic super-cars invitation only.
• Small, but growing tech-corridor for companies that need light manufacturing like aerospace and weapons
research.
• Warehouse district: hundreds of square acres of warehouses lit by yellow sodium lights on huge cement
pylons. Miles of chain link fence with NO TRESPASSING signs on them.
• The Syndicate has a subtle presence here, but The Sultan calls the shots
• Kingdom Logistics moves what they need to move through Prospect like it was Iraq in 2002

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• Cranes, trucks, shipping containers piled high. Trucks in and out at all hours. Union men, union bars. Inspectors with clipboards and
cheap ties. Bars for shipmen near the water; italian restaurants with checkerboard tablecloths. The smell of titanium and money to the
East where they build experimental aircraft in high-security hangers. All kinds of things move through here. No one knows everything.

King’s Field Wealth Index: 2

King’s Field was once a rival to Bancroft Hills with mansions, walled communities, and even large
estates. Today, however, it has fallen from grace after several of the significant families went bankrupt
in the 40’s and then the mortgage crisis wiped it out. Huge tracts of housing are decaying.
• Denning Estate. Home of Walter Denning in the 1920’s. A massively wealthy socialite. Was held in
a trust until 1990. Now vacant.
• CandlewickPark. Hosted families of the rich (it even had a riding course and stables). Today only the
two playgrounds are open. The rest of it is mostly reclaimed.
• Evermore Lawns - Family burial estates. Some of the founding fathers of Holiday City are buried
here (or interred in crypts).
Neighborhoods: Brevenington Crescent, Halcyon Hammocks, Seraglio Estates
Law Enforcement Patrols Are Intermittent In Some Neighborhoods
• A few neighborhoods doing fine--but surrounded by vacant “ghost town” estates and half-finished abandoned projects. Go down the
wrong road and you see overgrown lawns and creepy old mansions with broken windows.

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 Signal Hill Wealth Index:0-2(Lower middle is as good as it gets)
Slums and tenement housing. Abandoned industrial tracks gone dark. The gulfs in the fabric of Signal
Hill don’t even have names anymore. They’re just called the Dark Areas. Light and life (such as it is)
along the major roads.
• Worst School in Holiday City: Thomsan High is near the bottom in almost all stats (graduation
rate, etc.) but at the top in terms of violence. Gangs, riots, predation are all commonplace. In fact
some have said it’s a school for violence
• Eagle Point Lighthouse: A closed off block with a lighthouse on it, built in the 20’s by a Luminary.
Never served a real purpose, today maintained, but access restricted; rumor that if turned on, it
calls ghost ships
• Belgrade League is a notable russian bar / restaurant / live-music venue where the heads of the
Russian Outfit meet to discuss matters of mutual importance
The Russians have a big footprint in Signal Hill
• Brutal, dirty, hopeless. You Don’t Belong Here. Cyrillic signs with no english translation. Warehouses behind chain-link fences with
cameras and blacked-out windows. Brick buildings with heavy steel doors. Young men with automatic weapons in the front room,
while the Boss holds meetings in the back. Thomsan colors (blue, black) mean trouble -- wolfpacks of teens on the prowl. Heroin and
meth -- hard drugs brought in from elsewhere on sale.

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Holiday City Locations
Location: Armitage
The Boardwalk
A warmly lit waterfront shopping experience with exotic stores, a glowing ferris wheel, and friendly, sanitary restaurants and bars.
• The Bar None - bar and grill
• Ezekiel Skywheel
• Dr. Delima “Dungeon of Horrors” Museum/Attraction
• The Cambrian Hotel (1895)
The Dr. Delima attraction is tacky, in bad taste, and only has mock-ups of various pieces of his lurid history (such as a replica of his famous horned mask, artists renditions
and scale-models of The Trolley Problem he set up, re-creations of his Murder Boxes, etc.)
• The Cambrian Hotel is one of “America’s Most Haunted Hotels” (according to guidebooks)
• The Ezekiel Skywheel was built in 1958 by 20th Century Motors using a then-revolutionary magnetic flywheel drive system that is still in operation today.
Location: Kulver Down Park
Museum of the
A weathered looking building with a large (often empty parking lot) and a concourse entryway that has seen better days.
Western Plains • Jackalope Skeleton: A horned “rabbit skeleton” with antlers and armor plates--the size of a VW Beetle. Declared a hoax in 1940s.
• “Doc Lantern” exhibit - a cowboy and gunslinger. Replicas of his “skull-adorned guns” on display. Was a “Wendigo Hunter.”
• The Sarisg Tribe--a small tribe about which almost nothing is known--but they held the area, traded in exotic skins, and had a warrior
who it is said single handedly kept the continental army out of there for years.
Open: Mon-Sat 9:30 AM to 5:45 PM.
Admission: 8.50, Free for children under 12, 5.50 for seniors
The Museum has a dim, musty look. The staff--a skeleton crew--is generally somewhat taciturn and less than friendly. Exhibits scatter across the floor, unchanging and
often only marginally dusted off. Dead fly husks in the display cases. The only colors that aren’t muted are in the gift shop.
• The Museum has a private collection which is generally off limits in its cavernous back-warehouse. This contains old city books and records as well as the Red River
Express--a legendary “ghost train” that came into the station with all the passengers vanished.
• The Museum is maintained by a grant from the City Council and has been renewed every 4 years for decades.
Location: Armitage
Holiday City
A large artistically designed building with blue green tiles in a band across the outside.
Aquarium • Fresh and salt-water tanks
• Skeleton of the Euclid Bay Leviathan, a massive skeleton of a Tylosaurus (45+ foot Cretaceous Period aquatic predator). It was
found in Euclid Bay in 1931
Open: Mon-Sat 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Admission: 12.00, Free for children under 8, 8.00 for seniors
• Long halls with sound absorbing carpeting and black lights fluorescing brilliant colors from the glass-lined walls looking into aquatic wonderlands. The Leviathan
skeleton spans an astonishing 60 feet and even long dead has an air of menace about it.

Location: Euclid Bay

Lockhart’s
A giant, stately 5 story building with ornate architecture that clings its legacy of class and culture. Once famous and with stores in
Department 15 cities, the Lockhart Department stores were centers for women’s fashion, home furnishings, and, once, even sold-and-delivered
Stores “brick-by-brick” a European castle to a buyer further north along Lake Superior.
Open: Mon-Sunday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
• Only the first three floors are open for shopping now and they are still densely packed with displays and try to recreate the “old-world charm” of the heyday of
department store shopping.
• It is said that the 4th floor holds the private Hunt Club--a gold-trimmed and red-velvet exclusive club that is now a home to Luminary Supremacists.
• There are rumors that the top floor is a fashion-house for Luminaries--a place where outfits will be made with custom designed and big name designers for anyone.
Even complete monsters.
• The second sub-basement, discovered (rediscovered) in 1989 is believed to have been a 50’s-era nuclear bomb shelter with reinforced walls, private elevators, and
a great deal of electronic communications and computing gear. It is closed to the public. The plans show an underground rail system that presumably reaches City
Hall--but that doesn’t seem to have been completed.

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 Location: Victory Square
The Grain
A cluster of four 120’ tall grain elevators on the Victory Square docks from the time when Holiday City moved many tons of grain a
Elevators day from the heartland to the Atlantic. The elevators are deserted now--but still stand, held in a trust for the next decade. The owner,
whoever they are, had left instructions they were to be left in operable condition--and has (according to rumor) not been heard from
since (apparently the trust is paid up for the next 20 years.
Open: CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC--PRIVATE PROPERTY
• There have been constant problems with kids, thrill seekers, and conspiracy theorists trying to break in and look around.
Location: Kulver Down Park
Holiday City
Located on--and spanning--the border between Kulver Down Park and Webber, Holiday City Highschool is the Youth Luminary center
High School of the city. It runs two (really three) competing Youth Luminary programs.
• Varsity - A licensed Youth Luminary Program run by The Tower operates out of Comity High. They have a private area called The
Command Center
• Red Cell - a licensed YLP is run by a collection of interests from the Empire Zone. It has an underground base called The Ops Center.
• A group of Luminaries (and some other students) from the nearby charter school North Shore High attend classes “remotely” at
Holiday City High. If a Luminary is a student of North Shore they are not required to join one of the two YLP teams.
• The school is bustling, generally upbeat, and well funded (due to competing sponsors with money to burn). Luminaries mix with the student body--usually with
okay results. Sometimes not-so-good.

Location: Kulver Down Park

Holiday City
HC-CC is a 2 year college where the average graduate takes 3.5 years to graduate--if they graduate at all. It has dorms for some of the
Community students, sprawling clubs, bars, used bookstores, and other staples of “The College life.” Some people have said that people who go
College to HC-CC go to experience the social part of college . . . without any of the work.
• 300 acres, 17k per year, 4000 students
• HC-CC has a Luminary Program for CAT-1 Luminaries which is supposed to cover “leading a normal life” as a Luminary.
• HC-CC does have some interesting programs--a grant from the Progress Foundation (focusing on social justice, future-shock, and
computer / AI science) and the Empire Group, with a robotics lab.
Code Disciples Known To Sell Drugs On Campus
• A sprawl of buildings with wonderful shady trees, manicured lawns, and a few imposing buildings, usually aglow in the evening (night classes!). It has band flyers
and seeking roommate boards and karaoke night programs. You can see students playing frisbee, walking and chatting, or selling crafts on multi-colored blankets.
• It is widely (and correctly) believed that The Code Disciples are allowed by the Russians to deal drugs (soft drugs, usually) on campus as a method for their recruiting.
Location: Kulver Down Park
Holiday City
HC-U the big ivory-colored dome of the Administration building dominates the dark-green landscape around it. The buildings tend
University towards brick, old, and ornate. It has an almost-tactile sense of being a place with hallowed-halls of learning. There are bronze statues
of the city’s founding fathers (and donors to the school).
• 150 acres, 60k/year, 3000 students
• HC-U has several advanced learning curriculums including archeology that seeks to determine if people in the past were Illuminated
(or if it was just legend).
• A clean, stately school--it’s harder to get into than you’d think for a midwestern university that doesn’t usually show up in the top-10 schools. The people who do
get in are often legacies going back 100 years or more. There are places--and not just in Holiday City--where a diploma from HC-U means skipping the interview.

Location: Marshal Hill

Ballard Asylum
Holiday City has long had a special relationship with the criminally insane (and other extreme personality disorders). Ballard Asylum
was founded in 1890 and is open today (it has had two 2-decade lapses). It has been architecturally modified many different times and
has had multiple “patrons.” There is a waiting list of notables looking to work there to study various, unusual, aberrant psychologies.
• Contains an underground CAT-3 rated Luminary holding facility.
• Big, gothic iron gates. Ancient cathedral architecture. Old spires.

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27
Holiday City, By The Numbers
This section covers the statistics that can help put Holiday City in a real-world city. It is at the lower end of a megapolis -- by any measure
a “big city” but short of the bragging rights of America’s most iconic.

Elevation: 702’ Time Zone: Central

Population: 201,903 (2017) Area: 201 Sq Miles
Area Code: 218, 219

Facility Number Population

Primary & Secondary Schools 60
Community College (2 Year) 1 4k Students
HC University (4 Year) 1 3k Students
Hospitals - Small 4 36-85 Beds
Hospitals - Medium 2 88-218 Beds
Police Stations 45 624 Police Officers

Violent Crime per 100k Homicide Total (2017)

1561 40
For its size and population, Holiday City has one of the higher violent-crime rates in the United States. It is on par with Memphis--although well below Baltimore or
Detroit.

Luminaries per Capita per 1k population Weighted AVG CAT-1 CAT-2 CAT-3 CAT-4 CAT-5
Holiday City 1.61 .08 .18 .28 .10 .13
National Average .13 .11 .03 .01 .002
.21

Area Size Population

Miami 55 Sq miles 463k
Gary Indiana 57 Sq miles 76k
Minneapolis 58 Sq miles 422k
Boston 90 Sq miles 685k
Duluth 91 Sq miles 86k
Baltimore 92 Sq miles 611k
Holiday City 201 Sq miles 120k
Chicago 234 Sq miles 2.7mm
New York 303 Sq miles 8.6mm
Dallas 386 Sq miles 1.3mm
Los Angeles 503 Sq miles 4 million
Phoenix 517 Sq miles 1.6mm

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Facility Number Size Population Notes
Schools 60 Average MN is 0.497 schools per 1k people
Community College 1 150 acres 4k low-Average for public CC. 15k/yr Tuition
HC University 1 300 acres 3k 35k/yr Tuition. Scores about what well regarded small universities score size/student wise.
Hospitals - Small 4 36-85 Beds 180 total beds (312 required for 120k people)
Hospitals - Medium 2 88-218 Beds 200 total beds (covers. No large hospital)
Police Stations 45 14 officers 624 Police Approximately another 180 personnel. Station density is comparable to other cities with the same
per station Officers officer-10k ratio.

Crime Rates
Place Pop Violent x 100k Homicide Homicide per
Beaumont Tx 119 1063 16 0.13
Chattanooga 179 1066 31 0.17
Hartford 123 1093 29 0.24
Stockton CA 310 1415 55 0.18
Holiday City 120 1561 40 0.33
Rockford IL 147 1588 18 0.12
Milwaukee 595 1597 118 0.20
Memphis 652 2003 181 0.28
Baltimore 611 2027 342 0.56
Detroit 673 2057 267 0.40
St. Louis 308 2082 205 0.67
Police per 10k
National Average 16.6
Baltimore 40.6
New Jersey 70.9
NYC 42.3
Washington DC 55.1
Holiday City 52

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“Value” - The Unseen Energy That Drives The Universe
If you ask a Luminary to describe what “Value” is, you’ll get a lot of When you have Experience Points (XP) equal to your current AP
different answers. Some say it’s a kind of power or vibration. A few Total, then you go up a level: You get 8 AP to spend however
describe it as a seductive “song” they hear coming from people desired and your XP total resets to zero.
and places. The scientifically minded will describe it as an “Intrinsic
Luminaries who are actively doing things to win Value are said
Energy” that flows through everyone and everywhere--but accrues
(by other Luminaries) to be “Climbing the Ladder” or “In the
in Luminaries and special places.
Game.” For the most part, ordinary people don’t know anything
One thing is for sure: you, if you are a Luminary, can win it. By about Value (or have an incorrect new-agey understanding of it).
expressing an almost Nichetzian Will-To-Power you can take Value In Luminary circles, though, someone who is Climbing the Ladder
and grow stronger. is a bit dangerous. Most Luminaries are not out there, looking to
In Holiday City you get experience points for winning battles, dominate others of their kind--but those that are? They’re getting
driving corruption out of/improving areas (taking and holding more and more powerful if they’re successful.
ground), and so on. The Winner / Winning Side Gets This Amount of Value
The key point here is that the characters (PCs and NPCs) know (based on the loser’s AP totals)
they get more powerful by doing this and so it drives some
Outcome Value
behavior (such as encouraging Luminaries to fight or to exert
their will over a key area). Defeat In Real Stakes Battle (Could Have Killed) 1x

Things that win you Value: Shown Mercy 1x

• Beating other Luminaries in a for-real battle (you get less Value Defeat In Monitored/Controlled Contest 1/8
for lower-stakes fight) Loser Escapes/Calls a halt - Would clearly have lost 1x
• Taking over key areas and holding them (and more for “improv- Loser Escapes/Calls a halt - Would probably have lost 1/2
ing” or enforcing your will on them)
Battle Ended Early / Leader Calls Halt - One side clearly winning 1/4
• Dominating other Luminaries--controlling them by force of will /
Battle Ended Early - One side Probably Winning 1/8
threat (this is way different than being a “team leader” or mentor
or something. Battle Ended Early - No Side Obviously Winning None

Ambush: Hit-And-Run (Ambushers “win”) 1/8

Battling Other Luminaries --
One Party: Sees they are badly out-classed, surrenders. 1/8
“Climbing The Ladder”
Luminaries are naturally competitive and part of that nature comes Using “External Weapons or Armor”
from understanding that if you defeat--really defeat someone--you There’s a reason most Luminaries don’t wear armored uniforms or
acquire some Value. If you do this enough? You rise in power. carry heavy weapons--even if they can. If you engage in a battle
with “External Assistance” that you did not pay Archetype Points
Experience Points For Winning A Luminary Battle: for (such as worn armor or carried weapons that weren’t bought
When a character wins a battle--decisively--so that they could with APs) then you don’t get Value for the battle, even if you win.
have (if wanted) killed the other party (or parties) they get 1 NOTE: There may be some exceptions to this, such as a character
Experience Point per Archetype Point of the opposition. having a 9mm handgun when they have far, far better attacks (and
This total is split evenly between every member of the winning not using it) or wearing armor that, for whatever reason, doesn’t
team. apply to the battle. This is a GM call. The rule is to prevent everyone
from using military rocket launchers to solve problems.

30
The Underground Fighting Circuit If You Aren’t Part of a Team, But Help
A number of solo-operators compete in the Holiday City under- Out, You Get A Share of the Value
ground fighting circuit. Usually these bouts are controlled (there
If four solo operators team up for a battle to take down a stronger
are forces that will step in when the battle is declared “over”) and
foe, the Value is split four ways--even if they aren’t part of a team.
you only get 1/8th of the opponent’s AP total in Value for winning.
On the other hand, if one of the four goes off by themselves and
In the event of a “death match” where one party has declared intent wins a fight, that person gets all the Value for that fight.
to kill the other--and both groups agree (even if the other side
doesn’t intend to kill the other) then the Value would be full points. Because of this rule, groups will tend to be a bit restrictive as to
“who they work with” or who is “allowed to come along” on an
Teams and Splitting Value action. If someone won’t / can’t “pull their weight” then some
team members may resent their being there as they still get an
Most Luminaries are “solo operators” but not all of them. Being a even share in the Value.
“Team” in terms of Value means more than just “sharing the same
This also allows a high level Luminary to “power level” a less
lair” or “being on the same roster.” It’s a connection that is as much
experienced ally should they choose to
“spiritual / ethereal” as practical. It means fighting for the same
things, having a shared identity, and each person involved seeing Fighting Alongside As Part of a
themselves as part of a greater whole.
Different Team
Size Term
Groups can fight alongside but still be different teams. This re-
1 Solo Operator quires that there be some meaningful schism in the group--that
is: they aren’t friends (or if they are, they are serious rivals), they
2 Operational Dyad
would “normally” not fight alongside (and don’t do this too often),
3 Operational Triad they are in real competition. In these cases, even if they are fighting
for the same goal, they don’t share Value.
4 Operational Tetrad
NOTE: If a target is damaged by hits from different teams, the Value
5 Operational Pentad
is split--but whoever strikes the blow that brings the target down
The PCs are expected to be a team, an “Operational Tetrad” (if there (either to unconsciousness/death or unconditional surrender) gets
are four of them). 3/4ths of the Value and the other person--even if they did the ma-
• Teams split all Value gained whether they were part of an action jority of the damage--gets 1/4th. Thus, it is possible to “kill-steal.”
or not.
• They will all level up at the same time (if they started at the same
value, which they usually do).

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Taking and Holding Ground Improving Your Domain
Just holding ground usually gets you a level--but improving your
You can gain Value by defeating opponents--but also by dominat- domain--putting your “mark” on it--can do this as well. Typically
ing the landscape. this means:
When a Luminary (or team) “takes over” a significant area they all • Improving the quality of life for people there or, ensuring they
get +1 Level. In order for this to happen, the following must be true: go about their business in your way.
• The area must be of significant size proportional to the team • Improving infrastructure (think: raise property values) or erect-
(usually meaning a “neighborhood” or “meaningful establish- ing monuments or holding events that glorify you.
ment” for a street-scene level group--or a collection of neighbor-
• Greatly reducing / controlling unwanted activity (such as stamp-
hoods for a CAT-3 or higher team)
ing out a certain kind of crime or business) or creating certain
• The characters must hold it to the extent that they could “collect kinds of activities (such as making the domain a specific hotspot
taxes from it” (even if they do not). This means that the people for something you desire)
there acknowledge the dominance of the characters (if not their
moral legitimacy). Taking the ground is one thing--defeating everyone with a claim
• The characters can enforce their will and have at least a basic on it, making it known “you’re in charge”--but holding it over
knowledge of what is going on there (i.e. there are not powerful time--and improving it is a way to do something else. Some
forces that are simply ignoring the character’s presence). characters described this as “Putting a hotel on it.” (a board-
game reference).
• The characters must hold it for at least several days or “cycles”-
-just “planting a flag” isn’t enough--other parties must have a Improving a Domain usually gets you half your team’s AP in Value
chance to oppose the ownership and have not acted on it. (so a 4-person 64 AP team would get each member 32 AP in XP for
significantly improving a domain).
Examples of Appropriate Ground CAT
NOTE: if an area is improved then it becomes valuable to higher
Pacifying Areas Around The School CAT-2 Category characters (making it more of a target).
Taking Over The School CAT-2
Evicting Gangs From a Neighborhood CAT-2 Losing Ground
Controlling a highly desirable establishment (such as a valuable In the course of human (and Luminary) events, sometimes ground
bar, hospital, park, etc.) CAT-2 you’ve held gets taken away from you.
Declaring a Neighborhood “Under Our Protection” CAT-2 When this happens the group that took it gets whatever value it’s
Controlling a District CAT-3
worth to them and value for defeating you if you fought them, but
you do not lose the level you gained for taking it in the first place
Controlling HC-College or University CAT-3
-- that’s yours.
Controlling / Freeing A Section of The Docs CAT-3
However
Controlling A Historic Site CAT-3
• If you do not take it back, you get nothing for the next area you
control -- a Luminary who takes and then loses a domain is said
to be “in the hole”
• This is true for multiple domains -- if you take three domains
and then lose all three, you’ll receive nothing for controlling and
pacifying domains until you’ve taken three of them
• Taking an area you’ve once controlled back does not get you
value. Once you’ve received value / a level for taking an area, you
can’t get value for retaking it (even if, in the interim, you took
some other area somewhere and got ‘out of the hole’). Retaking
an area can get you ‘out of the hole.’

32
Going Up A Level
When a character either accrues Value equal to their AP their Value • +2 Character Points.
reserve is reset to 0 and they go up a level: Going up a level gains: If a character takes over enough “domain” that the GM rules they
• +8 AP - these can be spent on any power the player wishes. have gone up a level then their Value reserve is not reset (that
There may be abilities the GM does not want in the campaign- comes from combat with other Luminaries).
-so check with them--but the player is NOT constrained by what
was initially rolled.

33
Creating A Luminary Character
For JAGS Supers - Holiday City, we have introduced an unusual el- Game Type APs Notes
ement to character creation: random rolls. This section covers how Alma Mater 64 APsThe characters are high school Luminaries.
you make your Luminary Character! Gritty streets. Underground fighting circuits,
Street Scene 64 APs gang wars, corrupt cops, and looking for clues in
Specifically: condemned buildings.
1. Decide on a Game Type / Power Level: There are multiple Let’s Make A New--but potent--Luminaries are going to make
128 APs
ways to run a Holiday City game and we’ve provided support Difference their mark on Holiday City
for some of them. This should determine the broad strokes of The characters are powerful entities--and they’re
Power Houses 256 APs
going to let everyone know it!
what they characters are doing in Holiday City.
NOTE: Exactly who the characters are can vary a lot within any of
2. Making a Team (not just individual characters).Characters
these but they should give you a decent starting point.
should be designed to have come together as a team; we rec-
ommend characters be built with connections like a shared Step 1: You Are An ‘Operational
origin, existing personal relationships, etc. The idea is that all
the characters have / will quickly have binding relationships. Tetrad’
3. Random Power Generation: We have a table for rolling The players (we assume 4 plus a GM by default--but it doesn’t have
random power categories--and then using APs to purchase to be that way) are expected to be an “Operational Tetrad.” This
powers from those categories. means, among other things, they share Value (Experience Points)
and go up in power at the same rate, are aware of each other, and
4. Spend Character Points: to create the “regular human” part
consider themselves “a team.”
of the character.
The default is also that the PCs are the good guys--in that they are
5. Optional Origin Story & Lifepath: Optional rules for ran-
interested in addressing the injustice and predation that happens
domly generating origin stories, and other aspects of your
in Holiday City--at least to the level they are able to.
character (what your ordinary life was like before--if there was
a before, etc.) As such, the players should consider the following options:

Family Members
Step 0: What Kind of Game Is It?
The PCs are all members of the same family--perhaps a nota-
We’ve provide [X] “starting positions” for the game. For each of
ble Luminary in Holiday City’s history? Perhaps a family that all
these:
Illuminated at the same time?
6. The characters are all expected to be / become friends and are
part of the same team.
7. The characters are “the good guys.” They may not be perfect
but they are interested in addressing the injustices and prob-
lems that exist in Holiday City.

34
35
Shared Origin
Maybe the characters were all friends who went out on the same GATs you can choose from Combat GATs, Weapons/Armor, and Total
camping trip and got “abducted by aliens”? Maybe they were all Archetype Points.
in the same experiment group? If the same power is rolled again, it may be rerolled. If Fast
Company is rolled, the player may choose to take as many GATs as
Bonding Experience
they want (otherwise they are limited to the GATs afforded by Fast
The PCs all have some kind of bonding experience together. Maybe Company that is chosen--see below).
they all came together to fight a giant monster and decided they
This method will produce 4 Power Categories which the player may
work well together? Maybe they all ran into each other chasing
then begin to use to construct their character!
down the same case? Etc.
The players should decide how the characters are related to each Step 2.1: Buy Powers
other and how / why they are a team.
Once the power-categories are rolled, the player may then use
NOTE: Friction between the characters is often fun to play out and their APs to purchase abilities from within those categories. The
expected to a degree. The players, however, are expected to be player may choose to spend some, all, or none of their APs on any
playing as a group and in-character disagreements should prob- power within those categories (they may ignore entire categories
ably not be so strong as to fracture the people-around-the-table’s if wanted).
group experience.
If they decide to take no powers at all, they can be Level 4 Fast
Company and spend as many APs on GATs as wanted.
Step 2: Roll Power Categories
Each player gets 4 rolls (1d100) on the Power Category Table. Each Step 2.2: Fast Company Levels
roll (with the exception of 98-100) yields a section of the Archetype
Any player--whether it was rolled on the table or not--may choose
Book that contains one or more powers. These four rolls are your
to give their character Level 1 to Level 3 Fast Company levels in
Power Categories.
addition to whatever powers were rolled-and-chosen.
Every character, no matter what was rolled, can take up to 8 AP in
The Fast Company packages provide APs in GATS which may be
Damage Points or Ablative Damage Points.
bought at the player’s discretion (if Fast Company was rolled then
All characters, no matter what was rolled can spend 4 APs on a the player is not limited to that number of APs for GATs). Any degree
GAT (once). of Fast Company allows all the TAP GATs to be purchased as wished.
If the abilities rolled--and then chosen--make you visibly non-hu-
man you can choose a 0 AP Short-Action Shape-Change power and Step 3: Create The Character
keep all abilities that would not make the character visibly non-hu- Once you have the powers selected, modified, and purchased, you
man in your human form. can spend your CPs however is necessary to make the character
work for you.
If you are always visibly non-human that is a -2 APs to the character
total. It is -4 If the character is hideous or highly disturbing. In the case of a character who illuminated at some point later in life,
it is still expected that the CP-spend will compliment the abilities
Uncontrolled Change or Difficulty Shifting is worth -2 APs.
to the degree the player wants it to.
Abilities can be modified as wanted--meaning powers can be
turned into devices, for example.
If Combat-GATs Weapon / Armor is rolled the player can choose
energy attack powers or any form of armor, including Power Armor.
The listings in LIGHT YELLOW allow the player to choose powers
from any italics listing under the rolled Trait. So if you roll Combat

36
Step 4: Optional Origin / Life-Path Rules
We have provided a bunch of tables for describing origin-stories Again, these can be useful to help flesh out character ideas (and, if
(or “Illumination” to use the in-game term). You are not restricted used, may, of course result in revisions to the character).
to this but it can be useful for sparking ideas. It can be fun to have to work with randomly generated constraints
We have also included some “Ordinary Life” random roll tables. and they can add unexpected color to the process.

37
JAGS Power Table
1 Generic Archetype Traits 36 Senses and Perception
1 Combat GATs 37 Unusual Eyes
2 Weapon/Armor 38 Manipulation
3 Total Archetype Point 39 Mutation and Corruption
4 Non-Combat GATs 40 Weaknesses
5 Resources 3 Cybernetics
6 Followers 41 Science Agent
7 Exotic Training or Expertise 42 Upgrades
8 Intuition 43 Cybernetic Enhancements
9 Mental Traits 44 Cybernetic Arms and Hand
10 SP Pools 45 Cybernetic Legs
2 Innate Powers 46 Cyber Plating/CyberShell
11 Animal Body Type Powers 47 Hardwired Reflexes
12 Body Powers 48 Artiforgs
13 Extreme Body Type 49 Cyber Sense
14 Strength 50 Intellect Enhancement
15 Speed 51 Cyber Weapons
16 Appearance/Social 52 Cybernetic Hand To Hand Weapons
17 Defenses 53 Ranged Cyber Weapons
18 Armor 54 Cyber-Toxins
19 Energy Defense 55 Character Point Cybernetics
20 Bio-Defense -- Fast Company
21 Bio/Innate Weapon 56 Fast Company
22 Chemical Sprays 57 Gun Fu
23 Curses 58 Warrior GAT
24 Attack Tails 4 Psionics
25 Energy Attacks 59 Extra Sensory Perception
26 Force Attacks 60 Telepath
27 Particle and Quantum Beams 61 Telekinesis
28 Exotic Energy Attacks 62 Astral Projection
29 Venoms and Poisons 63 Empathy
30 Tangle Attacks 5 Domain Control
31 Movement Traits 64 Avatar
32 Flight 65 Minions and Allies
33 Ground Move 66 Fire Control
34 Exotic Movement & Teleportation 67 Air/Wind Control
35 Defensive Innate Powers 68 Magnetic/Metal Control

38
69 Water Control 6 Power Armor
70 Earth Control 95 Power Armor Traits
71 Gravity Control 96 Jet Pack/Flight Rig/Drone
72 Light Control 97 Unusual Equipment
73 Darkness Control -- Wild Cards
74 Ice/Cold Control 98 Roll 1d6 on Titles, Choose Within That Section
75 Time Control 99 Choose to Reroll One Power
76 Sound Control [4 AP] 100 Choose Any
77 Lightning Control
78 Death Control
79 Weather Control
80 Body/Chi Control
81 Technology Control
82 Animal Control
83 Life Control
84 Love Control
85 Hate Control
86 Probability Control
87 Void Control
88 Summoning
89 Illusions
90 Plant Control
91 Hearts
92 Spades
93 Diamonds
94 Clubs

39
Origin Tables
These tables provide a list of various ways that people “commonly
Mutant Origin
Illuminate” in the Holiday City game-world. We have done some
work to provide for rolls but in most cases, the player will simply Your Illumination was part of your innate biology. Many times
choose or make something up. These do not generally have any these abilities reveal themselves under extreme stress or in cat-
significant game-mechanics effect but can be used to spark ideas. astrophic situations.
1d6 Mutant - Evidenced When
1d8 Master Illumination Table
1-2 From Birth
1 Mutant 3-4 Puberty
2 Exposure 5-6 Under Stress

3 Death Energy
1d6 Mutant - Your Parents Were
4 Alien 1 Ordinary
5 2-3 One Was A Mutant*
Modified / Invested-Gifted
4 Both Were Mutants*1
-- Specific To Powers
5 Orphan / Adopted
6 Esoteric Training 6 Non-Mutant Luminaries
7 Extreme Training
8 Hyper-Science
Exposure Origin
Illumination can come from exposure to usual chemicals, substanc-
Results 6-8 should only be used when they make sense for the
es, or through disease vectors like the bite of a mythical creature.
character. If they don’t make sense, roll again.
1d6 Exposure Notes
Dr. Ingebjørg Syndrome A spill or leak (or just toxins being dumped into the
1 Toxin Accident
general environment)
Named after Norwegian Dr. Sigfrid Ingebjørg, a dual Ph.D. holder in
Pieces of meteorite, material from (alleged) space-
physics and psychology--and an expert in the study of Illumination 2 Alien Substance
ships, “unearthly radiation”
and Luminary life-cycle, he is credited with creating the terms for Exposed to a theoretical process or some other
3 Lab Accident
a series of mental-illnesses / alterations connected to Illumination accident-type
that convince the subject they are an alien, a time traveler, some- 4 Exotic Disease / Bite / Etc. Lycanthropy, radioactive mongoose bites, etc.
Struck by green lightning? Exposed to a prototype
one from another dimension, etc. 5 Energy Accident
energy weapon?
Ingebjørg Syndrome is a common-term for a number of what ap- 6
Ingestion of Drug / Drugs meant to do other things sometimes have
pear to be delusions that are not common--but are well evidenced Chemicals unusual side effects

in the Luminary Community: Namely that non-human races and

groups exist and have / are visiting earth.
Death Energy Origin
Many reports of Illumination Involve the subject dying--and
According to experts (including Dr. Ingebjørg) there is compelling
coming back somehow. These are treated similarly to Ingebjørg
evidence to believe those who identify as “non-human monsters”
or “alien warlords” are not lying--but also are not actual aliens. Syndrome when they involve “after-life entities” but there are well
recorded reports of the death-process reversing itself.
Most people believe that those claiming to be aliens or time trav-
elers or whatever--even with unusual technology--are operating 1d6 Death Energy
under Ingebjørg syndrome. They should not be challenged on this 1 Accidental Death
point--but their claims of what the Alien Empire is like don’t have 2-3 Murder
to be taken overly seriously either. 4 Heroic Death
5 Reincarnation
This also covers many “mystical” / “esoteric” Luminaries to a degree.
6 Reanimation
1 Player can choose “From Birth” if either parent (or both) were mutants--even if random rolling is being enforced.

40
Accidental Death Reanimation
1d4 Accidental Death You died and were sent back (at least that’s the memories/impres-
1 Bizarre Accident sions you have).
2 Extreme Sports
1d6 Reanimation
Darwin Award - You were trying to do something really ill-advised to show off /
3 Unknown / “Got Better” - You were clearly dead . . . and then you weren’t. No
“be awesome” and the opposite of irony happened. 1
explanation.
Stupid Risk - You weren’t showing off or anything--but you should NOT have
4 Raised (Necromancy) - Brought back to life not as undead. This can be done by
stepped out on that tiny ledge trying to get your ball back 2
mystical/esoteric means or by some other mechanism.

Murder 3
4-5
Revived (Hyper Medicine)
Reanimated (Undead) - You came back as “undead”2
1d8 Murder Risen (Second Chance) - You were sent back by [ something / someone ] for a
6
1 Personal Reasons reason. Either to redeem yourself or right some wrong?
2 Killed By Luminary
3 Murdered Intentionally
Extreme Training
4 Murdered Accidentally It is possible to exceed human limitations by --the right person, the
5 Conspiracy right training--and the right force of will seems to be able to do it
6 Mass Murder (Luminary / Other) No formula is, as yet, reliably replicable, however. What inspired
7-8 Don’t Remember your training
Heroic Death 1d8 Extreme Training
1 Parent Was Hard-Ass
1d4 Heroic Death
2 Raised By Clan / Cult
1 Police Officer
3 Knew From Young Age
2 Military Personnel
4 Learned Secret Techniques
3 Fireman
5 Became Driven (Because... Event)
4 Citizen Hero
6 Natural Talent (Extreme)
Reincarnation 7 Met/Sought Master
8 Special Program (Govt?)
You seem to have had a past life--or, at least, you feel like you did.
Who might you have been? Esoteric Training
1d6 Reincarnation Some Luminaries claim a mind-shattering discovery which led
1 Spotty Past Memories them to their Illumination. Insights and infinites.
No Past Memories--but shares traits - Things in your life both events and traits
2 you have, seem to perhaps conform to someone else’s (someone who is dead 1d6 Esoteric Training
now). You can feel the dejavu when this happens. 1 Raised by Coven
3 Possible Famous Personality
2 Explored Forbidden Knowledge
4 Possible Infamous Personality
3 Found Forbidden Documents
5 Possible Luminary
4 Met/Sought Guru
Possible Non-Human Spirit - You think your past life may not even have been
6 5 Found / Formed Coven
as a human.
6 Spirit Guide / Mentor

2 If players are beholden to these origin rules and this is rolled, the character may spend points on the Death Control Domain (in addition to other areas, as rolled).

41
Extreme / Esoteric Master Is . . . Modified By
1d4 Master Is... 1d6 Modified By
1 Out of the Picture 1 Military Program
2 Gone / Missing / Needs Help 2 Black-Market Labs
3 Evil / Antagonist 3 Private Hospital
4 Patron / Supportive 4 Own Fortune (Rich)
5 Rich Patron
Alien 6 Unknown / Mystery
Note: characters that claim to be from a non-human civilization are
Empowered By
generally explained with Ingebjørg Syndrome. It is our suggestion
that all evidence of such be equivocal. 1d4 Empowered By
1 Powerful Luminary
1d8 Alien
2 Spirit Guide / Entity
1 Believes Self To Be Extra-Terrestrial
3 “Alien Entity”
Remote Island / Mountain Civilization - These actually exist and have pro-
2 4 Guru / Master
duced Luminaries.
3 Underwater / Subterranean Civilization
Moon-Civilization - Documents indicate that both the US and Germany es-
The Entity Is . . .
4 tablished covert moon bases in the 1940’s. Some records suggest there was 1d6 Entity Is / Seems To Be
evidence of in habitation prior.
5 Time Traveler / Alt-Timeline
1-2 One of the ‘Good Guys’
6 Dimension Hopper 3-4 One of the ‘Bad Guys’
7 Summonsed / Mystical Creature 5-6 It’s Unclear
Artificial Person (e.g. Robot, Android, etc.) - These are unquestionably real. No
How I Felt About My Origin
8
reliable mechanism produces artificial intelligences, however.

Hyper-Science Illumination not only allows you to reinvent yourself, it sometimes

1d6 Hyper Science reinvents you all on its own. Illumination can be traumatic, inspir-
1 Built Devices / Armor ing, or anything else. Almost never is it “mundane.”
2 Modified Self (Genetics, etc.)
1d6 My Origin Was
3 Unlocked Potential (Psionic)
1 Traumatic - It damaged me!
4 Unlocked Potential (Biological)
2 Cool - It was what I always wanted!
5 Gifted / Stolen (by/ from Scientist or Org)
3 Intentional - I planned it this way or tried for it!
6 Found (High Tech Device)
4 Unpleasant - It messed up my life!
Modified / ‘Empowered’ 5 Inspiring - It gave me a direction / purpose!
6 Altering - It changed my personality entirely!
1d4 Modified
1 Cybernetics 1d6 Today My Origin
2 Super-Serum (Intentional) 1 Haunts Me - There are Still Repercussions
3 Genetic Therapy / Enhancement Annoys Me - Stuff from my origin still comes up (but not in a disturb-
2
ing fashion, just an annoying one)
4 Empowered (Granted Powers)
3 Follows Me - There is unfinished business I still have with it
4 Energizes Me - It still gets me going / pumped up!
5 Is In My Past - I’m over it.
6 Mystifies Me - There are unresolved mysteries about it

42
Luminary Facts
These are some random/chosen notes about you as a Luminary. NOTE: The table weights towards Good Guy--and even in games
where rolls are being used, this should be considered highly op-
I Can Investigate! tional (many of these perceptions won’t make sense for all char-
Many of the Holiday City stories3 will require someone to investi- acters). In any event, no matter what was rolled, any player can
gate things. This can be roleplayed (ask questions, use logic, follow decide to have a character with no public brand at the start of the
up on things, research, etc.) but it is often helpful to have specific campaign.
skills or contacts.
At Least One Character On the Team Will Ideally Have One Of These
Costumes and Code Names
Luminaries have a long history of using “code names” and having
1d8 Avenues of Implied Skills
Information
specific costumes or colors/brands associated with them--even the
1 Underworld Contacts Streetwise L2 or L3 ones who despise humans and humanity. How you choose to outfit
2 Police Contacts Background yourself will help determine what your “brand” is like.
3 Patron Luminary Iconoclast, Progress, Doctrinaire You will get a Public Perception Score, starting at zero. It may be
4 Oracle Luminary Agent of Fortune, TealDeer
positive or negative.
5 Deep Web Hacker L2 or L3
Operator Bar, Mystical Club, Elite Night Club, Legacy at NOTE: For optimal humor value, it should be the other players who
6 Member of The Club
“Historic Club” score the questionable sections, playing “the part” of the public
7 Investigative Reporter Research L2+ (the GM is included in this and can override as necessary).
Police Procedure L3 (Private Eye or Detective). This
8 I am an Investigator
gives the character an automatic job on the Jobs table.
Your Personal Charisma Scores
My Public Brand Is Charisma Type Modifier
This is what the general public thinks about the character. Note that Charm +2 per 2pts of roll above 10 ; -2 per point of roll under 10

it is not necessarily accurate (although there is usually a reason Recruit +2 per 2pts of roll above 10 ; -1 per point of roll under 10

people think what they do). Intimidate +1 per 2pts of roll above 10 ; -2 per point of roll under 10
Persuade +1 per 2pts of roll above 10 ; -1 per point of roll under 10
1d6 Brand Roll Specific Brand
1-3
Light
1 Tower Tryout (I want to work for The Tower) Luminary Appearance
Brand
Not A Vigilante (Public, Friendly Luminary--but not It’s not fair--but people make all kinds of decisions based on how
2
crime-fighting based) you look.
Helps Out In A Crisis (doesn’t make waves, but won’t stand
3 Appearance Trait Modifier
by either)
4 Good Guy (CAT-3+ Luminary, Seeks to Make Things Better) Horned One -4
4-5
Gray
1 Operator. People Think I do “jobs” for money Angelic +2
Brand
Mutant Defect -3 per -1 AP of Trait
2 Dangerous. People think I am powerful and lack self-control
Insectoid -2
3 Shady. People think I am involved with criminal enterprises
Feathered Wings +1
4 Unwholesome. People think I want to do “bad things.”
Vigilante. I take Justice Into My Own Hands (and get it
Bat Wings -1
5
wrong sometimes?) Tentacles -2
6
Unpleasant. I have a very unpleasant--but not actually Claws & Teeth -1, -4 if character has ever bitten someone
criminal demeanor
Dark
6 1 - 2 Volatile. People think I am prone to violence
Brand
Hazard. People think I am dangerous due to lack of contain-
3-4
ment of powers
5 - 6 Criminal Origins. I am associated with a gang or crime family

3 High School characters may be exempt from this. They will get information through traditional high school channels (of course they may have it as well)

43
Behavioral Score For Your ‘Brand.’ Extreme Training
Your Brand is made up of a bunch of things--how you present your- People react well to lower-Category Luminaries who Illuminated
self, what actions you take, and what the public knows / thinks they through training. It’s seen as “a win for humans!” At the upper
know about you. Categories, though, for some reason, this flips to distrust.

Behavioral Brand Modifier Description Category Mod Reasoning

Bright White +4 Hero! CAT-1 +2 They’re Well Trained!
Light +2 Good--but not a “champion of people” CAT-2 +1 Wow! Bad-ass!
Light Gray +1 Not bad--but not real good either CAT-3 -1 Poser. No one is that good.
Gray +0 Some rough edges CAT-4 -3 Mutant--they’re cheating!
Dark Gray -2 Dangerous--handle with care CAT-5 -5 Bullshit!
Dark -4 Violent, Volatile
Pitch Black -8 Luminary Terrorist
Code Name
Experts say this can matter--just not as much as people tend to
Your Costume think.
Studies have shown that although everyone says they don’t care
Code Name Mod
what costume a Luminary chooses . . . they do!
Wholesome +2
Scary -2
Costume Mod
Makes No Sense -1
Primary Colors +1
Changes A Lot -1
Secondary Colors +0
-Lad/Boy/Girl +1 if Young, -1 if Adult
Bad-Boy/Girl Leather, Rubber (etc.) -1
-Man/Woman +1 if CAT-4+, -1 if CAT-3, -2 if CAT-1 or 2
Cute +1
A Pun -2
Cape +1
Self Deprecating +1
Full Mask / Face-cover -2
Taken / Confused -2
Bandana or other half-cover -1
Animal Themed “They’re all are already taken”
Black / Tactical -1
Color + Word +1 if Costume Matches
Primarily White Costume +0
Reeeally Generic -1
Animal Theme +1
Esoteric Theme -2
Symbol or Letter +1

Special Effects / Vibe

You get modifiers based on how your powers present themselves
beyond just how your costume is colored. Note: For the VIBE score
it’s what the GM feels the public gets from you.

Special Effects / Vibe Mod

Glowing Lights +1
Powered or Rocket Flight +1
Esoteric -3
Alien / Monster -2
Robotic -1

44
My “Ordinary” Life
Many Luminaries have an “ordinary life” they either kept from be-
Holiday City Community College
fore the Illumination happened or still continues just in altered
form. Here are some tables you can use to randomly generate a Going to Holiday City Community College is said to be a little like
life in Holiday City. taking a vacation from life for as long as it lasts! You get to do all the
cool college “stuff” and, at the end, you’re 17k poorer! Or, maybe
NOTE: In many games this will be fairly explicit (“You are all high
your parents are?
school students at the schools with Luminary teams”). In other cas-
es it may be a lot more flexible. The players and GM should decide 1d4 Community College
what is appropriate. 1 Slacker - Lives in shared house
2 Poor Student - Shares apartment
1d10 Your Ordinary Life 3 Local - Lives at home
1 High School Student 4 Special Program
2 College Student - Community College 
HC CC Special Program
3 College Student - University It’s not all slacker--several interests run high-tech training pro-
4 Works For - Special Tech Sector grams for the exceptional at HC-CC . . . but if you were that good,
5 Member Of - Luminary Family why didn’t you go to Holiday City University?
6 Member Of - Crime Family The Luminary Program is for Cat-1 Luminaries and tries to teach
7 Ordinary - Street
them how to live an “ordinary” life.
8-9 Ordinary - Middle Class 1d6 HCCC - Special Program
10 1-2 Luminary Program
Ordinary - Upper Class
3-4 Empire Technology Program
High School Student 5-6 Progress Grant

1d12 Clique Description Holiday City University

Rich and/or attractive students, well-known and
1 Populars
known to party
The elite school in Holiday City! If you’ve made it . . . you’ve made
Affiliated with a sports team; well known and
it . . . almost. The work is demanding and for a lot of people it’s a
2 Jocks serious stretch of hard work and good education. USA Today called
known to party
3 Floaters Float between groups it “One of the top 4-year schools you’ve never heard of”!
4 Good-Ats Well rounded and well liked
5 Fine Arts Skilled in artistic endeavor 1d6 Holiday City University
6 Brains Excel academically and take advanced classes 1-2 Underclassman
7-8 Normals No observable clique / invisible 3-4 Grad Student
9 Druggie / Stoners Use and sometimes distribute marijuana 5-6 Special Program
10 Emo/Goths Dres Dark, screamo Music
11 Anime/Manga Love Anime/Manga, etc.
12 Loners Keep to themselves, low self esteem

45
HC-University Special Program Luminary Family
HC University has a bunch of programs that look “under the covers” You are part of a Luminary family. NOTE: The default assumption
of the Luminary phenomena. They don’t publish often--and every- is that they are not in Holiday City--but that is up to the GM and
thing is behind a stupid paywall--but if you want to learn what’s players (that’s simply the easiest to handle).
going on with Luminaries, this is a place to go. 1d4 Luminary Family
1d6 HC-U Special Program 1 Well Known - Light (Good Rep)
1 Falconer Labs 2 Well Known - Gray (Questionable Rep)
2 ParaHistory 3 Well Known - Dark (Bad Rep)
4 Not Well Known
3 Cryptid Research
4 Xeno-Archeology 1d6 Family Ties
5 Esoteric Science 1-2 Family Expects Things From You
6 Value Science 3-4 Family Is Moderately Well Balanced
5-6 Family Is Upset With You
Special Tech-Sector Employment
1d4 Family Comes Wtih
There are several Hyper-Technology groups in Holiday City--more
1 Obligations To Other Family Members
than are even on this list--and you work for one. Note: this usually 2 Enemies In Holiday City
means you are a scientist (usually ordinary) working at the fringes 3 Gray - Brand Friends In Holiday City
of hyper-technology. It’s still pretty exciting. 4 A Catastrophic Secret
You have met some of the key Luminaries! You might even “know” them!
Crime Family
1d4 Employment - Tech Sector
Your family is connected to organized crime (or you are / were).
1 Progress Foundation - Hyper Engineering, Biology
2 Kingdom Medical - Cybertech
Since we expect the PCs to be “the good guys,” presumably you still
3 Century Leland - Chemist / Biologist / Geneticist have family ties--but are no longer working “with” the criminals.
4 Falconer Labs - Hyper Engineering, Bio-Chem NOTE: some of these people are more despicable than others. A
5
Fitzgerald Aerospace (Note: You cannot normally roll this. Working for Fitzgerald small inner-city gang might even be reasonably “good guys” since
Aerospace is Hell)
it’s really tough out there in some places.
Press Sector Employment 1d6 Crime Family
Working for the press in Holiday City can be exciting and danger- 1-2 Syndicate
ous--reporting things a powerful Luminary doesn’t like is a way to 3-4 Russians
get them mad at you. The paper is reasonably well protected--but 5-6 Gang Ties
individual reporters usually aren’t. 1d4 Gang Ties
1d6 Employment - Press 1 Los Llaves (Colombians)
1 Trumpet - Cub Reporter / Intern 2 Nigerians
2 Trumpet - Ace Reporter 3 Code Disciples
3 Channel 23 - Local Reporter 4 Inner-City Small Org
4 Channel 23 - Vice (Special Lurid Reporting)
5 Podcaster - HeroTalk Reporter
6 Page 6 - Holiday City Tabloid

46
Ordinary - Lower Class Ordinary - Upper Class
You lived a lower-class life. NEET stands for Not in Education, It’s hard to call an Upper Class life “ordinary” but compared to
Employment, or Training. Luminaries? Yeah--that scans. In most locals, being in city govern-
1d6 Ordinary - Lower Class
ment doesn’t make you rich--but in Holiday City, being a coun-
1 Homeless cil-member . . . well, it sure can.
2 Wage Slave - Retail, Waiter, Delivery, etc. 1d6 Ordinary - Upper
3 Lives at Home - NEET 1 Business Owner (small, successful)
4 Intern (Tech Sector) 2 Large Company Director / VP
5 Skilled (Paralegal, Medical, Trade) 3 Tech Sector Sr. Exec (Product Lead?)
6 Activist (Street Activist) 4 Highly Skilled (Corp Lawyer, Medical, Trade)
5 City Government
Ordinary - Middle Class 6 Wealthy (Investments, Inheritance, etc.)
You had a pretty good middle-class life. You still might . . . for a
while.
1d6 Ordinary - Middle
1 Assistant Manager - Retail / Service
2 Office Worker
3 Tech Sector
4 Skilled (Corp Lawyer, Medical, Trade)
5 Activist (Non-Profit)
6 Teacher

47
 Alma Mater - High School Luminaries
High School can be confusing enough without being a Luminary school kids with the superpowers that come from being a Luminary:
but here you are anyway. In the Alma Mater game you are high At least you won’t be bored!

The Alma Mater game differs from the others in that the characters, in addition to everything Holiday City itself can throw at you, you
if they do “exactly what they’re supposed to” will basically spend also have complications.
all their time going to school. Of course you’re not that lucky--no,

48
The Luminary Youth Program

The Alma Mater game nominally takes place in the dual school- The PCs are presumably either part of one of the two teams
zones between Webber 21 and Comity High, now collectively (Varsity or Empire)--at least nominally--undeclared (which means
called Holiday City High School. The characters, if they attended they haven’t been identified yet), or came from North Shore and
or lived somewhere else, are now getting bussed into this area as so are “independent.”
part of Consolidated Educational Initiative.
The characters can, therefore, replace some or all of the listed
The Consolidated Educational Initiative is a relatively recent ini- team-members for a given team (if the total number is unwieldy)
tiative run by City Hall that takes students from various districts or the existing team can be split (I.e. The characters are “Junior
and puts them into the combined district of “Holiday City High” Varsity” instead of “Varsity” or The B-Team for Empire or what have
(Comity) and “Empire High” (Webber 21). you).
• If the characters are “announced” (known) Luminaries then All the teams go to classes in close proximity, eat lunch in the
they were moved there as part of the included Luminary Youth same cafeteria, etc. This has its share of problems when there is
Program (which requires all known Luminaries to be part of an friction between the teams.
accredited Youth Program--with a few exceptions).
• If the characters are unannounced (meaning the authorities The “Ballard Arc”
don’t know they’re Luminaries--although they may be aware of Dr. Glenn Ballard of Holiday City University is credited with iden-
the Luminary identity) then the characters are being bussed to tifying and defining what is generally called The Ballard Arc. This
Holiday City High as part of the larger program. is a plot of Luminary power-level by age: if someone is CAT-2 in
• If the characters were going to North Shore High and are an- high school they often reach CAT-3 shortly after graduation and
nounced, then they are a special case where they can’t be made may reach CAT-4 in 4 years.
to join a Luminary Team under the Youth Program--but are still Unlike those who illuminate later in life, who tend to remain more
getting bussed there anyway as part of the CEI. They don’t have static at their power-levels, Luminaries identified and trained /
the clubhouse or an ops center. They’re independents.

49
 coached in high school have a higher potential to reach the upper
observed power-levels. Your High School Luminary
This has serious ramifications for a number of entities: if you can Experience - Complications!
find and mold young Luminaries you have a chance of getting a Nothing is ever simple! Here are some random tables that gener-
really powerful Luminary in a few years who is (hopefully) loyal ate the raw material to help with your character’s origin and history
to you. Conversely, if you can teach them to be good citizens you that make their life more unpredictable than it might be!
lower the risk that a Category 2 Luminary will become a Category
NOTE: As with the other life-path rules presented, these should
4 hazard thanks to a few tough breaks.
be considered optional and should be modified with discussion
While most people don’t talk about the Ballard Arc, for the admin- between the players and game master to create the optimal most
istrations and those forces running the teams, it’s certainly in the sensible combinations.
backs of their minds.
1d6 Your Complication Is
The Villain Program 1-2 You Have Mental Issues . . .
If a young Luminary is committing crimes, often they can be ar- 3-4 Had An “Interesting” Past
rested or, even if conventional police forces can’t, other Luminaries 5-6 Your Life Is Harder Than It Should Be!
will (somewhat uncharacteristically) step in to help contain them.
Mental Issues
Once they can be controlled in custody, they are given the chance
You’re not (necessarily) insane but you’ve got some issues that
of joining up with one of the certified teams (assuming the crimes
mean you tend to get into trouble. What are they?
weren’t too bad and the Luminary is young enough) or being sent
to The Locker (a Luminary containment supermax facility). Some of 1d6 You Have Mental Issues . . .
the Red Cell have joined through that program. 1 Known Not To Refuse Request For Help
2 Prone To Making Bad Decisions If Something Seems ‘Fun’
A Fourth Team? 3 Can’t Let Go Of A Mystery
While the media likes Varsity and the Red Cell is seen as a great 4 Need Value-Style Accomplishments
outreach program for the more underserved populations, not ev- 5 Must Match/1-Up Anything A ‘Peer’ Is Doing
eryone is happy with just the two teams. The Progress Foundation, 6 Have A War On Crime (Maybe A Specific Type)
Falconer Labs, and Fitzgerald Aerospace have discussed starting
their own (certified) Youth Luminary Program and the PCs might Your Past Was “Interesting”
be founding members. These can replace or augment other “past” issues. This refers more
to things that happened around your Illumination--but were not
The Mirth Academy necessarily the cause of it.
Although it was not commonly known, there was already a school
1d6 Had An “Interesting” Past
for young Luminaries in Holiday City--the very, very private and
1 Have Obligations To Questionable Luminaries
very very elite Mirth Academy. Also located in Kulver Down--but
almost unmarked, the school has been run by private interests for 2 Have A Secret That Keeps Getting Almost-Exposed

decades. 3 Have People From Your Past Looking To Control You

4 Have A Questionable Luminary Who Influences You
From what is known, it is an invitation-only almost-entirely-Lu-
5 Get Missions From Somewhere Unofficially
minary establishment that caters to the offspring of established
6 Are Considered A Potential ‘Bad Guy’ By The Tower
Luminaries (perhaps of a certain dark philosophical bent?) and will
induct identified young Luminaries if they are deemed suitable. 1d4 Because . . .
It is secretive, shadowy, and thus far has stayed well out of the 1 You Associated With Gray / Dark Luminaries
public eye. There are some rumors, though, that it has an interest 2 You Were Involved With Org-Crime / Gangs
in recruiting. 3 Someone Questionable “Bailed You Out”
4 Did Something Significant With Questionable People

50
Life Is Hard!
You have complications that other people … just generally don’t. Something Is Nagging At You
Even Luminaries!
1d6 Something Is Nagging At You
1d6 Your Life Is Harder Than It Should Be! 1 A Parent Luminary Is Hounding You
1-2 You Have Uncontrolled Powers 2 You MUST Prove Yourself
3 -4 Something Is Nagging At You 3 Of A Traumatic Event In The Past
4-6 You Have A Nemesis! 4 You Secretly “Owe” A Powerful Force
5 You Have A Deeply Felt Obligation
Uncontrolled Powers
6 You Have A Demanding Patron
Characters with Uncontrolled Powers will need to find a mentor to
get them under control. The exact kind of mentor isn’t necessarily Your Nemesis
clear at the outset of the game and the GM can have it be unex-
1d6 Your Nemesis Is
pected--but the character intuits that someone can help them (and
1 A Parent Upset You Exist!
someone can)--the question is who? And what will it cost?
2 A Parent Wants You To “Go Dark”!
1d4 Uncontrolled Powers 3 A Peer Rival Who You Must Match / 1-Up
1 Uncontrolled Change 4 A Mysterious / Resourceful Enemy or Agency
2 Uncontrolled Damage 5-6 A Mysterious Figure A LOT Like You
3 Uncontrolled Activation
The purpose of the Complications is to provide avenues for
4 Uncontrolled Usage
the PCs to get into trouble, do things that might be risky, or
Uncontrolled Change is for characters who shape-change. It can have other NPCs with intentions of acting on them / causing
mean changing at inappropriate times (and not being able to problems. They’re meant to help get the game going.
change back) or having some kind of lack of control or losing con-
trol during a change.
The Luminary Teams
There are are two certified Luminary Youth Program Teams and one
• Uncontrolled Damage means that a power (either an attack or
known-but-not-official group in North Shore. There’s also the com-
otherwise)--usually an energy one--does moderate damage in
pletely underground group--the Revanche Club.
an area around the character under some circumstances. This is
usually something like 1/10th of the character’s damage output Varsity
and can cause chaos or injury--but usually not death. Being a member of Varsity gives you a good reputation! But it
• Uncontrolled Activation means that a power may not activate comes with some pretty serious restrictions and controls. Varsity
under some conditions or may activate when it is not wanted. is run by The Tower and “citizenship” is the main focus. Characters
Usually the character can get it going under stress (WIL roll)--but are expected to behave as role-models, following the rules, staying
it can have glitches at other times. out of trouble, and otherwise being upstanding citizens who just
• Uncontrolled Usage - A character’s power can get out of control happen to have Luminary powers.
entirely (such as an attack being “always on” and held in check The characters get guest lecturers (The Tower’s own Luminaries,
by a special suit). Progress, and so on). Often these feel like, well, lectures.
The team has The Clubhouse--a building at the edge of campus that
serves as a dormitory, training / danger-room, computer center,
and clinic for the Luminary students. They can go there for their
homeroom and after class. Often there are no adults there--al-
though members of The Tower and other “Adult Luminaries” do
drop by.

51
 Varsity has a curfew and the Tower expects the team leader (Cavalier few decades and part of its agreement with local and state govern-
with the provided roster) to keep things well in hand and under ment was that the students couldn’t be removed from its roles for
control. any reason (other than crime or other serious conditions). As such,
The characters are allowed to “skip class” going off campus with when the Varsity Team went into effect and the Red Cell emerged,
Cavalier’s permission--they’re not supposed to be doing “Luminary it turned out that any Luminaries who went to North Shore were
Things”--but everyone knows, sometimes you just gotta. They’re exempt.
expected to keep the reputation of the school, the team, and The They could still be bussed, daily, to the Comity-Webber campus-
Tower in mind (in that order). es--and they were--but they couldn’t be forced to join one of the
two teams. They were independents.
Red Cell
Also, unexpectedly, North Shore turned out to have a bunch of
The Red Cell was a shock to The Tower. They thought they had the Luminaries. Now those kids (and other non-Luminary students--
only certified Luminary Youth program in Holiday City only to find whose population, it happens, contains a bunch of unannounced
that, in fact, the titans of industry behind the Tax-Free Empire Zone Luminaries) all wound up going to Comity. They attend class along-
had already put a project into the City Codes concerning young side Varsity and Empire--but they aren’t part of either team.
Luminaries. It also turned out they had identified several--and re-
That, it turns out, doesn’t sit well with either team.
cruited (or “recruited”) them to their team.
The North Shore Anomalies (what they decided to call themselves,
Being a member of Red Cell means getting analyzed. The people
often pronouncing it as ‘Nomalies) are independents. They don’t
in charge are rarely seen--although they will work through some
have a clubhouse or ops center--although they have used the
Luminaries and usually have the complete agreement of Red Cell’s
Webber 21 old drama room, which has a stage and a amphithe-
leader. They want to know what their charges are capable of, how
ater-like seating.
they operate under stress, and some things about their moral cen-
ter of gravity. They don’t have curfews or rules--but they do stick together. They
don’t trust the other teams--or the people behind them.
The team has the Operations Center, a complex built into the base-
ment of Webber 21 with high-tech consoles that monitor the me- The Revanche Club
dia and information feeds, a training chamber (not quite as nice as
There’s one more team in the mix--none of them are announced
the “Danger Room”), and dormitory / living quarters.
and their identities are not known. It is believed they came from
There isn’t a curfew--and there are a lot fewer lectures--but each North Shore as well--but there is evidence that at least one of them
member gets a rating that is presented on “The Big Board.” The (and maybe two) attended either Webber or Comity prior to the
rating is hard to decipher. What gets you or loses you points seems creation of the licensed teams.
kind of obscure. Going off and doing things--getting into “trou-
The Revanche Club is all about revenge. It’s revenge on the student
ble” usually loses you points--but do it with the whole team, in the
body and “ordinaries” for not giving the Luminary students their
“right way”? You can gain points.
due. It’s revenge on the Luminary teams for being public faces
Generally if your score is bad enough, you have to do chores of Luminary Obedience or Servants To Wealth (or whatever else,
around the base--or may even be confined to it outside of school depending). The Revanche Club wants to extract a price in blood--
hours. There are also batteries of computer driven test and training from, well, a bunch of people.
exercises that apply to this score.
The Revanche Club met online (it’s said) and now has secret meet-
The Red Cell is brought to see operations like Kingdom Security’s ings in person. They are plotting ways to show the system that it is
cybernetics labs, Malthusian’s technology plaza, and Peter Bishop’s obsolete--that it is fatally flawed, and unfair--that it needs to bend
various enterprises that have some Luminary relevance. the knee to the real Luminaries who deserve what they are due--
what they can take.
The North Shore Kids
If the hole in Varsity’s plan was Red Cell, the the hole in Red Cell’s
plan was North Shore. The charter school had been around for a

52
The Varsity Team
Of all the teams and groups in Holiday City High, Varsity is probably the most functional. Despite Pedigree arguing with Cavalier about
command decisions, Flaunt often backsliding into bad behavior, and NowhereLass often getting into sticky situations by being overly
curious and a bit naive, they are a solid team that typically has each other’s backs and works to make their environment better for everyone.

The group has access to the high-tech Command Center (a private building for The Tower’s Luminary project) and, while they get more
heavily monitored than Red Cell, they have been partaking of “outside / unsanctioned” exercises and operations.
They are also pretty friendly to other non-Varsity Luminaries and have few problems working with those they have a degree of trust in.

53
 Cavalier
(a.k.a Bryce St. John)
Basic Information inscrutable lesson--an insurmountable test--and, over the years
Class CAT-2 of practice and training he beat them--coming out the other side
Threat Level Green (Varsity Team Lead) as a graduate of the school--a member of the elite. Something
Biology Human Male, Aged 17
happened. He doesn’t talk about it--but he has come to Holiday
City to complete his mundane education (the
Power Elite Training
members are expected to be learned) and to
M.O. High School Student
live by his master’s code: protect the weak,
Known Associates Varsity, Red Cell, Anomalies
stand for justice. Do what is right.
Known Body Count: 0
St. John is gloomy sometimes and impa-
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 3
tient most of the rest of the time. He
Property Damage: none has what he feels in an absolute
Appearance moral code and is sometimes
Bryce wears a black combat suit with gold highlights and a cowl / shaken by shades of gray.
cape. It has a gold symbol of the Neo-Khan Combat Arts Program.

Abilities and Powers

Cavalier is trained exotically in a combat art that specializes
in blunt, damaging moves as well as in tactical stealth,
climbing, and spycraft.

Personality and History

Bryce is the product of the only-rumored to exist
Neo-Khan Combat Arts School. It was a disciplined
developed in secret after the second World War
by a strategy experts in a multi-national task force.
It traced its roots to imperial guards in China, Ronin
in Japan, secret schools in France and Italy, forgotten
teachings of the Paladins, and a revamp under a
“Circle of Masters” following the Second World War.
Bryce found his way into what exists of “The School”
and then, after 5 years of training, left when something
catastrophic happened to it. He now leads the team at
Holiday City High.
When he was out on the streets at age 9, he was
already a scrapper--and already knew he had to be
careful of hurting people too badly. For a 9 year old boy to
be that dangerous, was unheard of--except by the NKCA--the
legendary and shadowy school of a combat art that most experts
believe never really existed. Except it did--and Bryce was inducted
as a trainee.
He made his way through the 23 Chambers--each one with an

54
Pedigree
(a.k.a Kadence Kallastin)
Basic Information go with her nights of grueling training and lessons in Luminary
Class CAT-2 etiquette.
Threat Level Green (Varsity Team Second) Her “public persona” as the daughter of world-class, if distant,
Biology Human Female, Aged 17 Luminary is that of star student. Respectful, perky, up-beat, full
Highly trained physically, powerful energy de- of school spirit and always trying to do the right thing. This is also
Power her hero ID when she wears the uniform. Underneath that, though
fenses and weapons
M.O. High School Student is the entitled sarcastic, sometimes even cruel high schooler who
Known Associates Varsity, Red Cell, Anomalies feels like she’s been dumped in nowheres-
Known Body Count: 0
ville--and has to deal with yokels far be-
low the Hollywood glitterati she should be
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 5
hanging out with.
Property Damage: 3k
Still, she’s got a destiny--to be a heroic
Appearance Luminary--and once she graduates
Katherine wears a blue and gold body outfit and is able to pro- she’s ditching this greasy little
duce a crackling azure force field. town and looking for the real
action. … at least that’s what she
Abilities and Powers thinks.
Pedigree has advanced reflexes and a deceptively powerful NOTE: Pedigree feels the code-
(but within human range) build. She is able to summon and name Pedigree, given to her by
control an energy force that she can both project and use her mother, is terrible. She is
to protect herself. While concentrated assault rifle fire can reported to be quite volatile
hurt her and degrade the field, she is largely immune to in relation to her mother.
handgun fire or similar attacks.

Personality and History

Pedigree is the daughter of Athena, a nationally famous
Luminary Hero out of Los Angeles. She was sent to Holiday
City High because of the school’s Luminary program and to
get her away from the LA Luminary Scene which, her mother
thinks, has way too much Hollywood. This turned out to be a
pretty big miscalculation. As a teammate, Pedigree is certain
she should be the team-leader no matter what anyone else
thinks and she can be somewhat callous and abrasive--but
she isn’t outright bad.
Kadence has been training since as far back as she could
remember. Athena--mom--is a household name to her
millions of fans and a titan-sized legacy for Kinsley to live
up to (as well as being an indestructible, power-house,
pain the neck sometimes). The name Pedigree was
chosen for her when she got a top-tier “super suit” to

55
 Nowhere Lass
(a.k.a Jane Doe)
Basic Information the Holiday City Psychiatric Ward. The documents were discovered
Class CAT-2 after he was arrested for plotting to blow up a school dance three
Threat Level Green (Varsity Team) years ago. No one knows if there is any connection.
Biology Demi-Human Female, Aged approx 16 Nowhere Lass does not have a good understanding of human
Able to redirect energy of attacks into ways. She is a valuable team-member but is unusually naive and
Power innocent in terms of understanding the modern world.
luminous colors, project beams of force, fly.
M.O. High School Student
Known Associates Varsity, Red Cell, Anomalies
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 0
Property Damage: 0

Appearance
Nowhere Lass appears as a light-blue skinned humanoid fe-
male with some exaggerated features. She is often surrounded
by glowing colors.

Abilities and Powers

Nowhere Lass is able to shunt the energy (kinetic or radiant) of an
attack off her, converting it to visible “color splashes.” She is highly
durable, able to project beams that can damage non-living struc-
tures but inflict no serious permanent damage on living targets
She has a number of unusual other abilities as well.

Personality and History

Nowhere Lass existed--has memories of existing--in what may have
been a fantasy world. She says she remembers vast, sweeping tow-
ers, brilliant white cyclopean arching bridges, and broad plazas
with ornate buildings surrounding them. She says she remem-
bers that the people there were all perfectly matched--for life--by
the Majestic Dodecahedron, some kind of god or super computer,
or something. She says she remembered the elders discovering
that she had to leave--to take on a trip or a quest--to another realm-
-to learn their ways--so she did. Appearing in Holiday City and then,
after some confusion, being signed into the Luminary Program at
the high school (her age is 16, she believes--by Earth accounting).
It is also noted that her backstory eerily matches a set of documents
written by the psychotic owner of the hate-ridden Can’t Get A Date
website dedicated to angry men who feel rejected by women and
have vowed various forms of vengeance. He currently resides in

56
Flaunt
(a.k.a Brad Connelly)

Basic Information So of course he doped--even at that age--even without needing to--

Class CAT-2 and in Holiday City, if you have a stack of bills taken out of the safe
Threat Level Green (Varsity Team) at your dad’s dealership you can luck into some strange stuff. His
Biology Human Male, Aged 17
dad had him on Human Growth Hormone--but this was some other
kind of Growth Hormone. They said it came from telepathic whales.
Powerful (human) physiology and exceptional
Power reflexes. Able to command a telekinetic force to Brad didn’t believe that--but he took it anyway--and what results.
manipulate, strike, and also to fly. He always used to see it as part of his deal to keep the little peo-
M.O. High School Student ple in their place. He didn’t rob them--or flatten them--unless they
Known stood up to him and then he taught them a lesson. Now everyone’s
Varsity, Red Cell, Anomalies a little person . . . except for some
Associates
Known Body Count: 0
other Luminaries and he still can’t
understand how he got beat by
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 4
Cavalier.
Property Damage: 0
Flaunt is aggressive, sneering,
Appearance
and conceded. He also
A powerful human specimen (within human range). He is fond of thinks he’s a lot tougher
wearing “muscle shirts” and other such clothing to show off his than he is and everyone
physique. His skin is a golden-hued color. who has ever beaten
Abilities and Powers him has had some amaz-
ing luck
Although he appears heavily muscled (and his strength is in the ex-
treme range for an ordinary human) he is exceptionally quick and
athletic (well above human ordinary maximums) and is capable of
commanding a powerful Telekinetic force

Personality and History

Brad wanted to go by Flex--but after one two many times break-
ing the rules and leaving the team, Cavalier gave him a choice of
“Flaunt” or “Flounce”--or leave for good and probably face legal
action for his next mistake. He chose Flaunt and is trying to keep it
under control. It’s hard, though, when you’re that good looking--lit-
erally golden skinned, buff--255 pounds of solid muscle--he’s lit-
erally superhuman--and he can fly and lift things with his mind.
Brad was always a bully and always big. He played football--he had
fun with the guys--he did . . . okay in school--the future looked as
bright as it could when you’re 15, everything is easy, and people
are either afraid of you or want to be your buddy. But it wasn’t
enough: his parents relentlessly pushed him to excel. They did
well--but not as well as they liked. They were educated, sure--but
they wanted to be seen as experts in their fields. His dad managed
and auto-dealership--but he felt he should own it.

57
 Red Cell
The “answer” to The Tower’s Varsity initiative came in the form of refurbishing the school, creating the Ops Center (their counter-
Red Cell. Put together by various financial interests in the Empire part of The Clubhouse) and bringing in several young Luminaries
Zone, the team landed with a multi-million dollar investment in whom they had, apparently, been tracking.

As you can see from the first attempt at a group picture, there were moral center, made a strong--perhaps too strong--leader. The rest
some . . . “hiccoughs.” Where The Tower’s team was focused around of it was a bit of a disaster.
citizenship and picking students who would be role models (or, in The charter called for standardized color schemes in the uniform-
the case of Flaunt, a Luminary who could definitely benefit from -they decided on metallic red and matte black. Their costume
having a good role model) the Red Cell team had a different phi- designers also worked extremely quickly since the program went
losophy. Firstly, while the rules mandated that all Luminaries be in- from inception to operation virtually overnight. As a result some
ducted into a program, the structure of it was never specified. Thus, of the team members did not like and/or outright refused to wear
the Luminaries that were being tracked and monitored tended to to their uniforms.
be those that had come to the attention of the financial interests
Secondly, with no actual team structure other than a leader
in the Empire Zone rather than those that exhibited a strong moral
there were a number of arguments and altercations only barely
character.
managed.
They got lucky with Paragon who, apparently raised from a young
age to have a commanding presence and (it turned out) a decent

58
The Mentors
If the rapidity (and attendant chaos) with which the team was Bishop, Holiday City’s mega-businessman, for his part, sees the
formed was one problem, another was the mentorship. The team as an investment and wants to make sure it is properly
Malthusian and Tyrant both make hard, demanding, and some- leveraged.
what mean-spirited or at least aggressive leadership models. They As a result, the rules for Red Cell are less restrictive than those
want their team to be “the best”--which means outdoing any ac- for Varsity--but the whole thing risks encouraging bad (or at least
complishments by Varsity--while still being “cool enough” to attract dysfunctional) behavior.
recruits (The Op’s Center’s lavish game room seems to be part of
Still, it is a better environment for young Luminaries than letting
the pitch to prospective members).
them run free--and the presence of both Paragon, as the leader, and
They want metrics and reports from Paragon at a constant rate, Varsity, as a sort of counter-force means they are still perceived as a
with goals to show a steady state of improvement--but in terms of positive force by most of the student body and the administrators.
dealing with any of the usual confusion or social issues of being
Allegations that they are being groomed for a sort of Luminary
teenager--not to mention a Luminary who has just been thrust into
supremacist world-view seem to be unfounded.
a new school, they had almost nothing to offer.

59
 Paragon
(a.k.a Damien Conwell)
Basic Information He carries a great psychological weight--and while he is strong,
Class CAT-2 he is in danger of embracing some of his darker desires (having
Threat Level Green (Red Cell Leader) the physique of a god while having the maturity of a teenager
Biology Human Male, Aged 17
doesn’t help).
Highly developed physique, well trained, Still, more than, perhaps anyone else, he wants his term of lead-
Power ership at Red Cell to be successful.
highly resilient
M.O. High School Student That means accomplishments
Known Associates Varsity, Red Cell, Anomalies and cohesion, and doing
Known Body Count: 0
the right thing.
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 1
Property Damage: 0

Appearance
Paragon appears as a young hairless black man with an extreme
physique. He wears gold bracers and a circlet as well as an emblem
on his chest.

Abilities and Powers

Paragon has an extremely developed and honed physique. He
displays superhuman levels of strength as well as excellent tech-
nique and control. He does not have superhuman reflexes but he
is extremely strong and focused. His body is very resilient but while
he is immune to most handguns he is not fully resistant to heavier
rounds.

Personality and History

Damien’s parents seem to somehow have known they would have a
Luminary son and prepared him for it from birth. While both of them
are somewhat shadowy (his mother was a city magistrate and his father
is a businessman) they seem to have no extra-normal talents.
They raised their son with dedicated instruction and relentless at-
tention to training and precision. Remarkably, it appears to have
worked--Paragon began to show signs of Luminary levels of phy-
sique from a young age and has grown rapidly into his powers,
assuming the role of leadership in Red Cell easily.
Unfortunately, for all his preparation and ability, he is still a teen-
ager and he tends to be alternately overconfident, overly hard on
his teammates, or, at times, consumed with self doubt.

60
FloodLight
(a.k.a Ethan Frheely)
Basic Information perhaps effectively is--the second in command (Paragon trusts
Class CAT-2 him).
Threat Level Green (Red Cell Member)
Biology Human Male, Aged 17
Project, summon, and control luminous “super
Power
fluid”
M.O. High School Student
Known Associates Varsity, Red Cell, Anomalies
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 0
Property Damage: 0

Appearance
FloodLight is tall, a bit “geeky” looking and sometimes his hands
and eyes glow with a blue-green force.

Abilities and Powers

FloodLight can summon and control “The Light” which is both a
force he can project from his hands (and wrap himself with defen-
sively) and a fluid “standing wave” which can strike, grab, and flow
on his command.

Personality and History

Ethan evidenced his abilities as a mutant / innate outbreak
several months ago. He was always an avid student of the
sciences and a bit of a “geek.” Once he realized what was
happening--that he was a Luminary--he begin immedi-
ately to try to study and understand his power.
He is often categorized as slightly socially awkward
and may be on the spectrum for neural atypical-
ity--but if he is, it is only very mildly. He believes
that Red Cell is a perfect environment for him and
respects Paragon as a leader. He is also very dedicated
to the order that it brings to his teammates (hence, his
anger at other members not following the rules about
uniforms, etc.).
The Light is powerful and, potentially dangerous if it got
out of control--so he practices with it. He acts as--and

61
 Conjuress
(a.k.a Nelly Leonela)
Basic Information (she was previously unknown to the world at large and even her
Class CAT-2 parents) and she has said she feels “exposed” being made into a
Threat Level Green (Red Cell Member) public figure.
Biology Human Female, Aged 16 She has a permanent “summoned” companion: “Impy”--a small
Power “Majick” winged “imp” that often is mischievous or argumentative and,
M.O. High School Student research suggests, may be her projected alter-ego / subconscious
Known Associates Varsity, Red Cell, Anomalies “acting out.”
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 0
Property Damage: 0

Appearance
Nelly appears as a young high school aged student. She tends to
dress “normally” and generally refuses to wear uniforms (she will
keep to the black and red colors if she must)

Abilities and Powers

Conjuress evidences the suite of manifestation and control abilities
that is called “majick” (a form of telekinesis and bio-synthesis, ac-
cording to scientists). She can create apparently independent life
forms--both large and smaller ones, summon a defensive force,
and create a physical animation of what appears to be her shadow.

Personality and History

Nelly claims to have Illuminated in some sort of “dream quest”
where she was taught the skills / arts of Majick by an Outer
Being. While these explanations do appear from time to time
and seem to have some level of coordination, most observers
believe that the effect is more of a psionic one than anything
else.
In person she affects being a somewhat arrogant “sorceress”
(or her idea of what a sorceress would be like, anyway) but her
friends say that she is much friendlier once she trusts you--albeit
she is, it seems, slow to trust.
Online allegations suggest she may have suffered some moder-
ate trauma before her Illumination and that she has a degree of
“acting out.” She also has said she isn’t sure she “belongs on the
team” with the “more conventional Luminaires”--a reference to her
“Majickal Origins.”
Apparently her discovery by the Empire Zone team scared her

62
Neoteros
(a.k.a Justin Bronislaw)
Basic Information NOTE: Neoteros has been described (perhaps charitably) as “over-
Class CAT-2 weight.” Reports suggest that the Red Cell costuming department
Threat Level Green (Red Cell Member) received “significant pushback” due to the form-fitting design they
Biology Human Male, Aged 16
created for him. Uniforms have been an extremely touchy subject
for Red Cell and it is advised to steer clear of them.
Power Hyper-Technology, Cybernetic augmentation
M.O. High School Student
Known Associates Varsity, Red Cell, Anomalies
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 0
Property Damage: 0

Appearance
Neoteros wears a tight suit--his body has a visible hexagonal grid
pattern--and seems to gleam with low-friction surfaces. He has a
sensory augmentation helm and a backpack folding recumbent
motorcycle.

Abilities and Powers

Neoteros has cybernetic augmentation and several devices includ-
ing sensory and a collapsible lightweight recumbent motorcycle
that he can wear as a backpack.

Personality and History

Justin is a highly intelligent young man who was on the “radar” of
Fitzgerald Aerospace for some time before he fully “Illuminated.”
He has a particular talent for improving existing systems (such as
taking a recumbent folding bike and turning it into a high-perfor-
mance electric cycle).
He has a reputation for being difficult to get along with--being arro-
gant--and sometimes caustic. He has publically called Dr. Falconer
(of The Tower) a “Moron” and said that Fitzgerald Aerospace is
“wildly inefficient” (something that could get him into serious hot
water with his new team mentors). He said in an interview that the
Progress Foundation “isn’t as visionary as she seems to think it is.”
Despite some hard edges, however, he is interested in doing things
that will both make him (eventually) very wealthy and making the
world better. While he may have some unorthodox ideas about how
to do that, he is seen as a potential break-out genius by the Empire
Team controllers and everyone feels it is best if he has proper struc-
ture and controls around his development.

63
 Whisper
(a.k.a Lindsey Kellerman)
Basic Information
Class CAT-2
Threat Level Green (Red Cell Member)
Biology Human Female, Aged 16
Power Extra Dimensional movement
M.O. High School Student
Known Associates Varsity, Red Cell, Anomalies
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 0
Property Damage: 0

Appearance
Lindsey appears as a young woman in a black and red body suit.
She usually wears goggles or reflective glasses.

Abilities and Powers

Lindsey has the ability to shift “outside” of the regular space-time
continuum while still being able to observe--but not interact--with
it. This observation seems to be the result of a kind of clairvoyant
link since light cannot reach the higher dimensions she exists in
when “external.” She is completely invisible when “external” but
can shift her orientation around a fixed point of exit--her tether--
which may, itself be attached to a person or place.

Personality and History

According to accounts Lindsey was, before her Illumination, some-
thing of an expert in the world of teenaged social infighting and
mean-girl politics. She was beloved by adults--but hated by her
rivals (and was sometimes nasty to her peers). Now that she is
“outed,” it turns out she had an edge. Her ability to “go external”
while spying on the common-reality made her an unbeatable spy
or lurker.
She came to Red Cell via the criminal justice system--apparently
due to some kind of blackmail scheme--but the records are sealed.
NOTE: Whisper’s original costume was deemed horrendous. It has
been speculated that the original costume was done intentionally
as a form of punishment by some member of the Empire Zone
management team.

64
The North Shore Kids
If the Varsity Team is really formed around the ideas of citizenship education in a controlled environment. It was targeted at students
and character--and Red Cell seems to have a much more corporate who had struggled, possibly socially, in other schools. Maybe that’s
flavor, The North Shore kids are a wild-card. why?
For reasons that are unclear, the North Shore charter school had Since the rules for the charter surrounding North Shore meant that
an unusual density of CAT-2 Luminaries. It wasn’t a school for the students couldn’t be forcibly unenrolled (although each day
Luminaries. In fact, its charter didn’t have anything to do with they attend classes at Holiday City High) both Varsity and Red Cell
Luminaries at all--it was just trying some alternate methods of have made attempts to induce them to join. Thus far: no takers.

Whatever is/was going on in North Shore, the students seem to like check in with each other, keep each other’s secrets, and, periodical-
their independence. Instead of the high tech Club House or Ops ly, do things together--they distrust both Varsity (more because of
Center, they have an unused room on the third floor and some an- The Tower than the team themselves) and Red Cell (they are fully
cient game consoles and used furniture--and that’s even when they aware of the somewhat machiavellian bent of the sponsors).
hang out together. They acknowledge they sort of are a team--they

65
 Beastie
(a.k.a Sidney Tames)
Basic Information friends--although she has a great deal of respect for Cavalier and
Class CAT-2 likes Nowhere Lass as well.
Threat Level Green (Even Tempered)
Biology Demi-Human Female, Aged 16
Power Ultra Physique
M.O. High School Student
Known Associates Varsity, Red Cell, Anomalies
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 0
Property Damage: 0

Appearance
Beastie appears as a 7’6” tall red-skinned “giantess.” Her eyes are
black and her fingers have armored blades instead of fingernails.

Abilities and Powers

Beastie is tall, dense, and physically powerful. She has built in ar-
mor and her claws are extremely dangerous bio-ceramic material
that can cut through steel bars.

Personality and History

Sidney was never great socially. She was always bookish, somewhat
timid, and anxiety plagued. She had problems fitting in and was
picked on for being overly tall for her age. As far back as kinder-
garten she remembered it--and the kids could be cruel. She wasn’t
looking forward to high school. Then something happened: she
hit a growth spurt. A spurt that, erm, didn’t stop--not until she
was over 7 feet tall and almost 800 pounds--but it was of bulging
bright-red muscle.
Doctors told her panicked parents about irregular viral-driven ge-
netic infection. They conjectured about new kinds of “radiological”
chromosome “damage.” Whatever had happened, though, she was
built . . . well, to hunt things--to kill them. Her body came with
weapons--wickedly armor-piercing claws. She could see and hear
outside the human range. She could carry heavy loads for miles.
No one picked on her any more.
Sidney is even tempered and hardly violent by nature. The fact
that she is now decidedly lethal if she chose to be is okay by her
if it means people stay out of her way. She was quite lonely, how-
ever, until the Anomalies formed. She considers them her true

66
Cuttlefish
(a.k.a David Mills)
Basic Information
Class CAT-2
Threat Level Amber (Dangerous if Seriously Provoked)
Biology Demi-Human Male, Aged 16
Power Tentacles
M.O. High School Student
Known Associates Varsity, Red Cell, Anomalies
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 0
Property Damage: 0

Appearance
Cuttlefish appears as an overweight high schooler. When his pow-
ers are active, he opens a massive vertical mouth down his body
that tentacles spill out of.

Abilities and Powers

Cuttlefish has radically altered physiology. His skin is highly re-
silient and he is biologically tough. He is equipped with multiple
tentacled arms and a powerful oversized mouth.

Personality and History

David’s powers manifested from birth where X-rays showed
strange, almost “jaw-like” structures dominating his rib cage. It
got worse when a tiny slit appeared down his torso--and that was
nothing still when he could open it and release a mass of suck-
er-covered tentacles.
While he had always carried extra weight, he increased in size even
more--adding 75 pounds in Junior High. He was teased relentless-
ly. His parents sometimes seemed actually embarrassed by him.
For a time he felt utterly screwed: some people got cool powers--he
got extra fat and horrific abilities out of 30’s pulp novels. When he
met the rest of the Anomalies, though, his perspective shifted--he
wasn’t the only “freak” in the group and he could be more openly
“out” about his mutations.
NOTE: Although he possesses an absolutely lethal bite, he abso-
lutely does not bite things in combat unless lives are on the line
or he knows the target is well armored.

67
 Speed Demon
(a.k.a Barry Chapman)
Basic Information and had a reputation for standing up to bullies even before his
Class CAT-2 powers activated.
Threat Level Green (High School Luminary) Today he carries expressly limited supplies of medical addrene-
Biology -Human Male, Aged 16 laine--but allegedly he does keep stashes of other drugs around .
Power Enhanced speed and reflexes . . just in case.
M.O. High School Student
Known Associates Varsity, Red Cell, Anomalies
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 0
Property Damage: 0
Appearance
Speed Demon appears as a relatively normal high school student.
A well to-do uncle has provided him with a professional Luminary
outfit which he wears . . . sometimes.

Abilities and Powers

Barry converts amphetamines into extreme speed and high agility.
In order to activate his abilities he must ingest schedule 2 drugs
(methamphetamine, cocaine, other illegal amphetamines) . The
effects last for several hours. NOTEL he is not susceptible to the
addictive effects of these drugs. He doesn’t get high--just fast.

Personality and History

Barry was always ‘twitchy.’ He had a hard time sitting still, he was
on a sugar rush or caffeine high. In his freshman year of high
school, Barry, never adept at making good decisions, discovered
crystal meth. He also discovered / activated his innate mutant con-
ditioning. While in effect, he was superhumanly quick, accurate,
and strong. He could destroy a normal pair of shoes just running
down the street--in about a second.
Barry was always something of a class clown, a bit of a loner--a
person who didn’t fit in--but now he has found his people in the
North Shore Anomalies. As Speed Demon, he must take something
like Cocaine, Speed, or Meth--some kind of powerful amphet-
amine--but instead of getting him high, it gives him a few hours
as Speed Demon. He is no longer abusing drugs--his system just
won’t let him--but he still has to buy them--or take them.
He is described as funny and likable--a middling student (accord-
ing to reports) but, outside of personal risk taking and an indif-
ferent attitude towards school work, he is well centered morally

68
Molly Rave
(a.k.a Lauren Graham)
Basic Information For a time she was in extremely high demand in Holiday City until
Class CAT-2 she was identified and the authorities have somewhat curtailed
Threat Level Amber (Mood Altering Persona) her outings.
Biology Human Female , Aged 16 Molly Rave has had incidents of encounters with the under-
Power Mood altering aura, enhanced reflexes world--including some of the Syndicate and Russians who believed
M.O. High School Student she had dealings in narcotics they were “interested” in.
Known Associates Varsity, Red Cell, Anomalies While Lauren was, later, terrified of the implications, Molly Rave
Known Body Count: 0 seemed to have little difficulty dealing with low level Syndicate en-
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 0
forcers and, now that she is a member of the North Shore Anomalies,
considers the night--and fun, peaceful gatherings, to be under her
Property Damage: 0
protection.
Appearance
In her “normal form” Lindsey appears as normal--perhaps even
“mousey” teenaged girl. As Molly Rave she is a “rave goddess.”

Abilities and Powers

Molly Rave exudes an aura--similar to a
lighter than air gas--in multi-
ple vibrant or glowing col-
ors. Her eyes emit light
in shifting colors. She is
able to shift into a set of
“Rave Wear” that seems
to be a component of
her abilities. Within the
aura, affected subjects re-
port lower inhibitions and in-
creased enjoyment.

Personality and History

Lauren says that nothing actually
“Illuminated” her--and that the abili-
ties came on suddenly along with a shift
in personality when she activates them (or,
at times, when they activate on their own). In her
Molly Rave persona she is outgoing, reasonably fear-
less (in a social sense--she still takes precautions against
physical danger) and seems to have nearly elite skills as a
dancer and DJ.

69
 The Revanche Club
The Revanche Club, a kind of “I broke out my thesaurus” name for Indeed--for all the fury and comparative power of the club, if they
‘The Revenge Club’ is dedicated to these young Luminaries getting had any actual leadership they could be terrifyingly dangerous.
even for a world that hasn’t lived up to their expectations. While they are not yet stone-cold killers, they would be about two
Dysfunctional, dangerous, and unstable, the Revanche Club has steps away from a nightmarish tragedy. As it is, they are horrible
been described as being “like that guy with nunchucks1 that bullies, predators, and abusers--but they are not dedicated to body-
doesn’t have any damn idea how to use them--he may do a lot counts or mayhem like the Misery Tourists or some of the Luminary
of damage in the short term, but pretty soon he’s gonna knock Supremacists. They are just angry, entitled, and powerful adoles-
himself out.” cents with really, really bad ideas about what the world is (or even
“ought to be”) like.

The Club is active online in private forums (they do have some Box--whose ‘management’ (if it can be called that) has allowed the
sycophants and hangers on who they sometimes interact with) teenagers to meet and plot.
and they meet in a dingy puzzle-and-games shop called The Puzzle

1 Nunchaku, but for Americans

70
Challenger
(real name unknown)
Basic Information this is subject to debate (Trenchant seems to be the real leader so
Class CAT-2 much as anyone is).
Threat Level Red (Extremely Dedicated Bully)
Biology Human Male, Aged 17
Luminary Level Martial Arts and Physical
Power
Training
M.O. High School Student
Known Associates Revanche Club
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 3
Property Damage: 0

Appearance
Blond, muscled, big for his age--and even potentially described as
handsome, Challenger has managed to score a fairly professional
metallic green and gold suit which he wears whenever he can--but
covers it with jackets and coats if he thinks he needs to get gone
quickly.

Abilities and Powers

Challenger s a natural physical specimen and is a more than com-
petent martial artist. He also seems to heal quickly when a situation
gets the worst of him.

Personality and History

What we know about Challenger is that he is a high school stu-
dent--perhaps 17 years of age. He has a fantastic physique but
seems to be so little of a team player that he has not showed up
in any sports or athletic activities. He claims an extensive MMA
background (training wise, anyway) and lots of hours in the gym.
He is a dedicated bully, working hard to teach lessons to his inferi-
ors (everyone) to “improve them” through abuse. He has gotten a
professional Luminary outfit--he says he stole it--and he is believed
to wear it under clothes using its adaptations to “quick change”
so he can perform his bullying in character--but fade away be-
fore other Luminaries show up.
Oddly, because of his dedication to picking on the weak, he
seems to not want direct confrontation with adult authority and
will exit if grownups show up.
He has described himself as the leader of the Revanche Club--but

71
 Savant
(real name unknown)
Basic Information He also couches his (generally contrarian) views of pop-culture as
Class CAT-2 the result of his towering intellect. He vocally hates popular movies
Threat Level Red (Spurned Hyper-Genius) and sees it as proof of moronicness in those (sheeple) who like
Biology Human Male, Aged 15
them.
Power Power Armor, Super Science He is often found arguing about movies or video games and those
M.O. High School Student who get into it with him risk physical retribution if he can find
Known Associates Revanche Club them.
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 2
Property Damage: 0

Appearance
Short, average looking, generally scowling, Savant wears the me-
tallic Vector-Plasm Power suit under his clothes when he is going
operational.

Abilities and Powers

The Vector-Plasm suit is capable of generating a Power Field, per-
forming a kind of directional ballistic flight, and he has energy
weapons, strength enhancement, and “Warbler Grenades” (Sonic
balance disruptors).

Personality and History

Savant is unquestionably smart--a hyper-intellect, he has created
the VectorPlasm manipulation suit which is a feat many of the lead-
ing Luminary scientists in Holiday City would like a look at.
In appearances he is, like many hyper-intellects, incredibly arrogant
and entitled--believing the world owes them both a tremendous
debt just for existing and being in what they see as an existential
battle with every other hyper intellect in the vicinity.
Savant is more viciously insulting and interested in intellectual
dominance of others than in viciously attacking them--but he is
constantly offended by “smart kids” who he says are really “com-
plete morons” if challenged online--even by (or especially by) an
ordinary bright kid--he may extract physical revenge in the form
of a VectorPlasm beating.

72
Trenchant
(real name unknown)
Basic Information either gender--appearing with her devouring darkness to terror-
Class CAT-2 ize and humiliate them.
Red (Vicious Streak, Unpredictable, possible It is speculated that she may have gotten in trouble with the school
Threat Level
Psychopath) because she has made threatening statements online about the
Biology Human Female, Aged 16 staff and their rules--she can show them what “overly harsh” looks
Power “Devouring Blood” like--they’ll never be seen again.
M.O. High School Student
Known Associates Revanche Club
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 6
Property Damage: 0

Appearance

Trenchant is a darkly attractive high school girl who dresses in con-

servative nearly-gothic attire with some punk or dystopian flair. She
carries a straight razor.

Abilities and Powers

When she cuts herself a black force with glowing red high-
lights flows out of her instead of blood. It can devour / dis-
integrate matter and is capable of sucking in sub-
stantial portions of material doing, if released
into a crowd, catastrophic damage. It is controlled
by her and can flow, pulse, ooze, and grab targets.

Personality and History

Trenchant is more than just unpleasant--she has a
literal river of darkness in her. Often this is turned
semi-inward in a morbid sense of humor and a glowering
dramatic broodiness.
She is often casually cruel and is especially
interesting in goading the less socially adept.
She seems to have some degree of intimida-
tion from the popular girls (despite being a le-
thal Luminary) and, instead has been seen to
focus her dangerous attention on well mean-
ing boys (especially hand-
some ones) or on further
abusing shy students of

73
 QueenAn
(a.k.a Tracey Wells)
Basic Information little unsure about her as well, as she becomes more and more
Class CAT-2 detached.
Threat Level Red (Monster) Online she is the least active of the group--but has
Biology Demi-Humanoid Female, Aged 16 made mention of being in popular circles and
Power Bio Weapons, greatly enhanced reflexes. having parents who are so distant they may
M.O. High School Student as well not exist. While that could fit a lot
Known Associates Revanche Club profiles, no one has determined if this
Known Body Count: 0
seems to be consistent with
the rest of her statements.
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 6
Property Damage: 0

Appearance
QueenAn is a shapeshifter. In her altered form, she appears as an
open mouthed elongated skeletal humanoid with gray, “dead,”
skin.

Abilities and Powers

QueenAn transforms from a normal looking person to an elongat-

ed, quick, powerful monster with the ability to invoke a “wasting”
(which feels like starvation) effect from her eyes.She can slash with
nails, wrap and crush with her body, etc.

Personality and History

Little is known about QueenAn in what is presumably her human
identity. As QueenAn she is almost “undead” in aspect--ever hun-
gry, black mouth gaping, possessed of long wicked claws and over-
ly stretched arms and legs.
One thing is clear: she believes she is becoming beautiful--she has
a weakness for looking at herself in mirrors to admire her deformed
body.
On the Revanche Team she is the one who shows the most pre-
disposition to kill--not because she wishes to murder, per se (that
would be Trenchant--neither Savant nor Challenger seem to have
a boodlust)--but because QueenAn is hungry and it has been so
long since she has eaten (observers believe this refers to . . . eating
a person).
Some of the other Revanche Club members seem more than a

74
Game Designer’s Notes on the Holiday City High School Game
The above concludes our Player’s Section on the Holiday City High In this case the characters are assumed to either be “looking for
JAGS Game. This section offers some brief guidance for Players and a way to express themselves” (both Varsity and Red Cell are each
GMs about how you might approach the games. quite restrictive in their own ways) or have other extra-curricular is-
sues going on that complicate their lives in addition to the regular
The High School Genre training, classes, and so on.
High School is an enduring genre in movies, TV, and, yes, even The more senior versions of the teams might be a bit more pow-
games (and even superhero table-top RPGs!). There are some defi- erful and while presumably not antagonists, can be useful foils as
nite advantages it brings to the table as a venue for gaming. These they interact with the PCs.
are some:
High School is about as close as we get to a “shared cultural ex-
Varsity - Replacing One of The Teams
perience” these days (in America / the developed West, anyway). If you really like some of the teams but not others, it’s easy enough
Almost everybody goes, the experience has a bunch of broad sim- to replace a listed team (either entirely: they all graduated, etc.) or
ilarities, and, yes--it’s “formative” in many ways. partially--just swap out some characters--with the PCs.
High School has a built-in ‘strong sense of character.’ The different In this case, more so than the Junior Varsity scenario, the players
high school social types are already pretty close to ‘character class- are a heavier focus of the team’s adult sponsors. They might also
es’ in reality. It isn’t hard to “get into character” when you have a do more real-world “training” or even “ops” (depending).
fairly easily understood basis for your social position. Outbreak - New Luminaries
The high school superhero archetypes are often pretty well un- If you want to go for a more chaotic game, the PCs could be just-Il-
derstood. We’ve utilized some here--the guy raised with parental luminated characters--and no one in authority yet knows they are
expectations to be a star (Paragon), the child of a known celebrity Luminaries. They may have “secret identities” (or be from North
(Pedigree), the serious fish-out-of-water (NowhereLass), and so on. Shore, etc.) and will presumably have part of the game being ei-
These aren’t explicit categories--but they work at least as well as the ther maintaining their relative freedom from the structured teams
Jock, Popular Girl, Nerd, Yearbook Kid, etc. (or, maybe, signing up--which has advantages, such as dorms so
There’s a reason high school is an enduring genre and you can you can move out of your parent’s house) and dealing with the
leverage it. after-effects of the Illumination.

Approaches To The Game Forced Service - Villain Teams

We have left it pretty “agnostic” as to who the players are “sup- A final option we have thought about is having the PCs be a group
posed to be” in this set up. There are a bunch of different ways you of wayward young Luminaries who got caught and, as part of their
could do it--but we still strongly recommend that the characters be rehabilitation, they are forced to serve on one of the teams with
a “team” or very highly “potential team” from the start (whether added supervisory rules (such as wearing tracking ankle braces,
it is because they are friends, family, a team of necessity, highly earlier curfews and oversight, etc.). In this mode the environment
compatible individuals who just don’t know each other yet, etc.). seems a little more oppressive--but also has some good built in
conflicts.
Junior-Varsity: Playing One Of The Groups New
Members
The most basic approach is for the players--possibly with some
Have Fun!
NPCs to be one of the team’s new--but separate--groups. Maybe This concludes the Holiday City High School Player’s chapter. What
they have an “assigned leader” from the ‘senior team’ and they comes next are the secrets for the listed game-type and some GM-
might have ‘mentors’ dropping by from the parent organization only notes (under the assumption that the players will want to not-
to police / monitor / and advise them. spoil surprises).

75
Mean Streets
The streets are mean--the streets are messy. The term doesn’t refer to just a physical road or public thoroughfare--it means an ethos. It
means a feeling like prickling on the back of your neck. It means being attuned to threat and opportunity.
Being “street” means being tough. It means being careful. It means not trusting what you are given and, often, being untrustworthy
yourself. It means knowing secrets--knowing people who don’t like to be known--living in the underbelly. The Street Luminary scene
takes all that and dials it up to 11.

Street Level Characters

Street Level characters are typically CAT-1 to CAT-2 and are usually not in school (they may have dropped out--but they are typically adult).
They usually live in Wealth Index 3 or lower areas and have regular run-ins with criminal gangs, organized crime, and other Luminaries.
Street Level Luminaries have costumes and code names--and they are generally acknowledged by other Luminaries--but the combination
of their “low-life” environment and lack of commanding Luminary-scale power (L3 or above) means they are generally not immersed in
the Luminary social scene.

76
 Validated User Level: CAT-1 Newbie Moderator Level: CAT-3 HERO
Ramblar Today at 10:32 AM - #1 New Butterfly Boy Today at 11:12 AM - #6
How come Viral is listed as “Street Level” while Infectious That ramblar guy is f’ing Viral. He’s trying to boost his
Girl gets listed as a Society Champion??
social media count by linking to his shitty video.
She’s listed as CAT-1!! Viral is CAT-2! She grew up on the
streets. Is it because she’s supposed to be cute or what? I know And he’s a loser. CAT-1 for sure.
we’re not supposed to talk about rankings and categories but Loser loser loser
this stinks!
Report Quote Repply
Report Quote Repply

Validated User Level: CAT-1 Newbie

Moderator Level: CAT-5 HERO
Ramblar Today at 11:13 AM - #7
Mod-Mistress Today at 10:58 AM- #2 I AM NOT and if i were at least my name isn’t butterfly boy.
Infectious Girl is listed as a Societal Champion because she Viral is a CAT-3 OPERATOR.
works in medicine, Ramblar. The Street Categorization is for You’ll see--and u better hope he doesn’t see this because
Luminaries who are active but about which little is known--who I think he’d remember.
work in shades of gray. Report Quote Repply
I-Girl is out there vaccinating people. Viral is in the database
but what do we know about him?
Just that he fought with the police and really cares about
social media. Moderator Level: CAT-3 HERO
Report Quote Repply Butterfly Boy Today at 11:12 AM - #6
Come get me, Viral, you street-punk. Loser loser loser los-
er loser loser the loser of loserville. The captain of the USS
Validated User Level: CAT-5 HERO fail-boy.
Speedy-B Today at 11:05 AM - #3 Come at me loser-supreme of the supreme loser battalion of
Viral is listed as CAT-1 according to the database. the Loserly-Lame. Loser.
Report Quote Repply Report Quote Repply

Validated User Level: CAT-1 Newbie Validated User Level: CAT-1 Newbie
Ramblar Today at 11:06 AM - #4 Ramblar Today at 11:15 AM - #7
Well, that’s bullshit. Did you see the upload of Viral taking Your dead.
out those cops? CAT-2 at least. Probably CAT-3. Report Quote Repply
I get that people love the goody-2-shoes but let’s be real:
the rating system goes against people who don’t tow the
line. He should be CAT-3 and OPERATOR. Not STREET.
People just don’t like to face facts.
Moderator Level: CAT-3 HERO
WATCH IT AGAIN Butterfly Boy Today at 11:21 AM - #8
All the non-street punk Luminaries know that it’s “You’re.”
Report Quote Repply
Looooooooooooooooser.
Report Quote Repply

Moderator Level: CAT-5 HERO

The Mighty Ban-Hammer Today at 11:10 AM - #5
We don’t link to violent videos with ordinary people being Moderator Level: CAT-5 HERO
hurt, Ramblar. We also don’t allow arguing about ratings. The Mighty Ban-Hammer Today at 11:10 AM - #9
These things never end. I’m closing this thread. Note: WE really don’t advise anyone
Viral is listed as CAT-1 and Street Level because he presents provoke a Luminary of any category. In this case the user
himself as violent (see that video), at odds with the law (see Butterfly Boy is a registered Category-4 Luminary 5th
that video), and is little known outside of his home territory. Horseman out of Chicago so the usual cautions don’t really
That’s “street.” apply.
Report Quote Repply But seriously, folks, don’t play with fire. This is a positive board.
Report Quote Repply

77
The Underground Fighting Circuit
Everyone knows about The Circuit. It’s exciting, brutal, cool. You get money betting (or lose it all). Being cool enough to know where it’s
to watch demigods bloody each other in the pit. You can make good being held this week proves at least a little something about what a

Disciples or the Nigerian Confraternity) have Luminary support.

The Gangs and the Syndicate CAT-3 Operators work with the big names, handling the elite jobs.
The streets in the bad parts of town are ruled by the gangs. Large The CAT-1 and CAT-2 Street Level Luminaries tend to run with the
scale organized crime--the Russians, the Syndicate--even the large gangs.
and powerful “gangs” that span multiple states (the neo-Nazi Code

In the street scene, they are gods--largely immune to the law, of-
Living The Low-Life
ten highly resistant to the best weapons that their opponents can
muster. They are desperately sought after as soldiers and usually Luminaries -- even CAT-1 and CAT-2 -- can usually find ways to pull
paid handsomely (for a gang-member) even if all they do is hang themselves out of the streets. The ones who don’t are stuck there
out all day. because they can’t or won’t.

Just having a Luminary on your team means you’re playing on The Luminaries who stay on the street either have something else
another level. Some gangs are run by Luminaries--but fewer than driving them that takes precedence over a bargain-rate version of
you’d think: it’s work. the good-life or, even for pay, they can’t get along in polite society.

78
This latter half, the bottom feeders, are fearsome not just for their But there are also those who see the Streets as their home -- the
power levels (a CAT-1 or CAT-2 Luminary can easily be a murder martial artists who feel like the Streets are the only place to hone
machine if they feel like it) but because of their brutality or their their abilities and find students they authentically want to train,
lack of moral center. Many of the Luminaries in Holiday City fall or Luminaries who would simply feel out of place in a different
into that category. setting. Not everyone on the streets is a monster.

79
Molotok
(a.k.a Dorby Vasiliev)
Basic Information to the Land of Opportunity--America--illegally entering through the
Class CAT-2 harbor and setting up shop.
Threat Level Red (Street Level Operative) Molotok (the word means “Hammer”) is thrilled to be in America
Biology Human Male, Aged 29 where the people are soft, beer is plentiful, and the police know
Cybernetic augmentation with prototype to stay out of his way.
Power
Russian prosthesis He fights in the underground circuit and takes jobs--sometimes
M.O. Street Operator “collections,” sometimes Other things (breaking into installations,
Known Associates Street Scene, Roid Rage for example). He is friends with some very unsavory sorts: he
Known Body Count: 0 doesn’t judge!
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 33
Property Damage: none

Appearance
Molotok appears as a Russian male with an oversized mechanical
arm. It is heavy-metal, rust colored, and has partial plating in a
high-impact ceramic.

Abilities and Powers

Molotok’s arm is incredibly strong and resistant to damage. The
moorings / mountings for it give him a subdermal layer of armor
and genetically modified muscle. He is reasonably resistant to
damage and can kill with his grip or a punch.

Personality and History

Dorby wanted to be Spetsnaz but he washed out of the training pro-
gram. When you wash out, you get other options--or, well, they’re
not exactly optional for you. Dorby was entered into a cybernetics
program. Almost none of the trials worked--usually with terrible
results for the subjects. Basic prosthetic cybernetics? Sure. But the
kind of illuminated cybernetics that the program was trying to cre-
ate? Only a tiny percentage worked stablly for any period of time
and those, it seemed, were unpredictable--they were also dumped
directly into one of Russia’s undeclared border wars, something
Dorby might have done as a highly trained elite combat unit--but
not as a science experiment.
So he ran. One of the problems with trying to make cybernetic
Luminaries above the basic level is that the controls that you can
use on a small number don’t scale for large numbers of test cases.
Dorby was able to rip his way out of the camp, convince his pursu-
ers there were better ways to die than hunting him, and he went

80
Stretchy
(a.k.a Victoria Chase-Fox)
Basic Information She set out to make a name for herself--to rise in the Society of the
Class CAT-2 Luminaries. She even got the outfit--and press coverage--and the
Threat Level Red (Street Level Operative) first question was, of course, “What’s your code-name?”
Biology Human Female “. . . Stretchy.” All the other names were taken--plastic? Elastic?
Power Plastic deformation of her body Rubberband-Man--all of them. She hadn’t thought about it too
M.O. Street Operator much until right then.
Known Associates Street Scene It was a nearly fatal mistake.1
Known Body Count: 0 “Isn’t that--isn’t that kind of . . . boring?”
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 14 Now she fights in the under-
Property Damage: none ground circuit, does jobs for
the underworld and, if the
Appearance chips are down, wreaks havoc.
Stretchy wears a skin-tight body suit in blue and orange that is She is a lot of things--but she’s
designed to deform with her body. not boring anymore. .
Abilities and Powers
Stretchy is able to severely deform her body with an internal struc-
ture that allows it to maintain strength and control even with the
extreme ranges of deformation.

Personality and History

Victoria Chase-Fox had what many would consider to be a pretty
good life. She was a young professional with a steady boyfriend,
savings going into her bank-account . . . college loans that were
almost paid off (well . . . in a few more years). By outward appear-
ances she was happy, up-beat, even … peppy.
But she burned: she was--and she knew she
was--boring. Her friends knew it--she was
totally non-threatening. Even her boyfriend
was perfectly fine with her--she wasn’t
dumb--she could hold a conversation--but she knew--she could
sense--that he felt she was a little . . . unexciting (but in a nice
way--a safe way). She could feel the train of life leaving the station
with her left on the platform drinking her latte and waiting to hit
40 and wonder what happened.
Then she Illuminated. It was that one-in-a million chance--sudden
impact of one of the transit busses--a moment of … disorienta-
tion--and deformation. She splattered, yes--but she came back
together--stronger. Far stronger.

1 For the reporter who did, eventually, get out of the hospital.

81
Snarl
(a.k.a Frank DeSoto)
Basic Information
Class CAT-1
Threat Level Red (Operative, Disease Carrier)
Biology Non-Human (Rodent Phenotype) Male, Aged 26
Heightened reflexes, armor-piercing claws and
Power
teeth
M.O. Criminal Operative
Known Associates Blackmail, Aspersion, Fire Eater
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 7
Property Damage: 25k

Appearance
Snarl appears as a humanoid with a rat-like head
and metallic claws and teeth. He is emaciated and
stringy looking and has patches of fur bursting
from his skin.

Abilities and Powers

Snarl is extremely quick and can use his metal claws to
tear through armored substances. His defensive reflexes
give him the ability to at least slightly mitigate most attacks.

Personality and History

Frank was a petty criminal, look-out, and hustler long before he
was Snarl. He always had an indifferent relationship to personal hy-
giene and to social customs. He’d slept in and eaten out of dump-
sters long before The Bite. The Bite was a rat bite--several, actually,
that he got crawling through the drainage pipes out by the docks,
looking for ways in to the fenced warehouse compounds that held
containers not-yet-cleared by customs. Somewhere, down there,
in the century-old foundations of Holiday City, he was bitten. He
took ill before he was fully out of the tunnels and lay, wracked with
fever, for days--withering, his back twisting--and then . . . changing.
Now, as Snarl, he works for gangs as an enforcer, scout, and break-
in specialist. He wears shabby clothes when he wears them at all--if
he bites you or scratches you, you better get the wound washed
out. Some operators won’t work with him . . . because of the smell.
He is active in the CAT-1 / CAT-2 Luminary Underground Fighting
Circuit.

82
Star Tiger
(a.k.a Riku Takahashi)
Basic Information students who are prone to cause trouble--and while he’s not at all
Class CAT-2 down with picking on the weak, he’s perfectly fine with a “matched”
Threat Level Amber (Luminary Level Martial Arts Master) rumble.
Biology Human Male, Aged 25
Martial Arts Mastery at an Illuminated Level.
Power
Highly developed reflexes and physique
M.O. Underground Fighting Circuit Contender
Known Associates Blackmail, Aspersion, Fire Eater
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 9 (in bouts)
Property Damage: none

Appearance
A tall, very muscular Japanese man with vibrant tattoos over his
upper body.

Abilities and Powers

Star Tiger has honed his abilities to an Illuminated level. He has an
exceptional physique, reflexes beyond what is normally possible,
and grand-master levels of skill.

Personality and History

Although the specifics of his history haven’t been verified, Star
Tiger says he grew up in Southern California to parents who were
some of the last practitioners of an art that had been declared ille-
gal and was nearly extinguished in the age of the Samurai.
He says they brought him up with the training--not just the physi-
cal combat training--but focus exercises and body conditioning--as
well as reflex-enhancement exercises. The result is a young man
who is extraordinarily well trained.
In Holiday City, he claims to hold the key to secrets that have been
suppressed and the techniques which have been forgotten. He
runs a school--called The Secret School--as it has a very low profile
(no ads, nothing to give it away--access is by invitation only) and
his students seek to compete with each other to reach the level
where THEY will be the one chosen to train to Illuminated level.
This makes them somewhat aggressive and even violent.
He says he is looking for people who will have the raw potential to
succeed in his secret art--but that means he needs them to compete
to reveal themselves as worthy. So he has a bunch of amped up

83
NyeKunDu
(a.k.a Kamaria Jelani)
Basic Information appearance--the exact status of
Class CAT-2 their relationship is unknown-
Threat Level Amber (Luminary Level Martial Arts Master) -but being on RedLine’s bad
Biology Human Female, Aged 19
side--especially interfering
with her brand--is a death
Martial Arts Mastery at an Illuminated Level.
sentence for most
Power Able to harness a bio-energy she describes as
people.
Life Force (or “Chi”)
M.O. Underground Fighting Circuit Contender
Known Associates Blackmail, Aspersion, Fire Eater
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 4 (street fights)
Property Damage: none

Appearance
A powerful looking woman with red markings on her arms and
face. She wears a red fighting suit.

Abilities and Powers

NyeKunDu (Nee-Kun-Du) is exceptionally well trained in an ana-
lytical mode of fighting that gives her great predictive power. She
trained in the exotic art of harnessing her “Life Power” or “Breath
Power” letting her deal catastrophic amounts of damage given
time to charge it--or to absorb attacks that would destroy an ordi-
nary person.

Personality and History

NyeKunDu means red in Swahili and that certainly is where she
took her colors from as well. She is an exchange student (under a
different name) and is able to “suppress” the red coloring which is
apparently related to her Chi-Energy training.
She was sent to HC University because it was believed by her
wealthy parents to be safe--while they managed things back home-
-and sought to arrange a marriage for her.
She’s having none of it. She was taught--as was the way of her
family--to defend herself (from assassins?) at a young age--virtually
from birth. She took to it well and now is a super-human level com-
batant and she finds life in Holiday City exciting and unpredictable.
She also gets into her share of trouble--she’s not too worried about
the law.
NOTE: she has “had words” with RedLine concerning her name and

84
Billy The Kid2
(a.k.a. Eddie Loeman)
Basic Information than someone closer with a hand-to-hand weapon, to be honest--
Class CAT-2 and he plans to one-shot-one-kill, kill ‘em.
Threat Level Red (stone cold killer) When he’s not pursuing his fighting career, though, he can be
Biology Human Male, Aged 22 induced to take other jobs. He claims he is “the most lethal shot
Power Luminary-level shootist in the world” and he’s never met a Luminary he couldn’t kill (note:
M.O. Gun fighter, Operative he has met very few Luminaries above CAT-2).
Known Associates Underground Fight Circuit He claims to have codes about not shooting unarmed opponents
Known Body Count: 9 or not killing helpless civilians--but really? It’s just talk. The only
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: None real code he lives by is “looking out
Property Damage: None for #1” and doing whatever
it takes to have others in
Appearance awe or fear of him.
“Billy” goes shirtless where he has the tattoo of a striking snake.
He wears a yellow trench-coat and hat. Otherwise he wears jeans
and boots. He has a revolver in a side-leg holster.

Abilities and Powers

Billy has reached extremely lethal levels of skill with his preferred
weapon: a custom .357 magnum with overpressure rounds. He is
capable of killing large game and other Luminaries with it--in some
cases in a single shot.

Personality and History

When you were dating girls, Eddie was practicing shooting. When
you were out partying, Eddie mastered The Blockchain--and learned
to shoot. When you were doing pretty much anything, Eddie was
training to shoot.
He told people that he could “hear the call of Value.” Most people,
even today, think that was a lie. He was an obsessive Luminary
watcher--but instead of admiring them, he hated them (of course,
he didn’t think much of non-Luminaries either). He told people “If
I can kill one, I’m in the game.” So he worked at it--and worked at it.
Now, he’s killed several--and he has made his way to Holiday City
where he plans to kill more and more and more--all the way to the
top. He isn’t incredibly fast--although he’s really quick for a per-
son with human-scale reflexes--but what he does is some kind of
zen concentration thing where the bullets are fired with precision
focus--and are lethal. His plan is to call out people in to-the-death
matches, with guns or not--although he’d rather face another gun

2 BillyTheKid was apparently his gaming handle on one of the larger gaming sites. According to people who knew him then he “played like a complete dick.”

85
Blackmail
(a.k.a. Damien Lourdes)
Basic Information
Class CAT-2
Threat Level Red (Violent)
Biology Male, Aged 30
Power Parahuman strength, intense training, weaponry
M.O. Operator
Known Associates None
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 3
Property Damage: None

Appearance
A man in black engraved plate mail with a mace and sword.

Abilities and Powers

Damien is stronger than is humanly possible-and more
resilient--but lacks the reflexes or innate armor that other
Luminaries sometimes have. He makes up for it in mod-
ern-build medieval weaponry and armor--and master-level
skills in using them.

Personality and History

Damien Lourdes’ ABD (All-But-Dissertation) in Medieval
Literature vanished in a prison conviction and corresponding crim-
inal record that would shut him out of the system he had worked
so hard to earn entry to. Truth told, he had grave doubts about the
System (Academia, Capitalism) long before he earned exclusion
from it, but Hard Time was the nail in the coffin. Now he’s going
to work outside of it; tear it down when he can. Damien still has
a sense of honor, and won’t draw his blade if he can avoid it. He’s
working for rent and spending money right now, but he’s got big
plans -- rising up in alternative systems. Holiday City is just the
place to pursue his ambitions.
As an operative he is hired muscle; participates in underground
Luminary street-fights. Brutal and relentless, but has a sense of
honor toward those in his community.

86
Butterball
(Tate Somers)
Basic Information as low a profile as a 1000 lb+ person who is bright yellow and
Class CAT-2 smells like glue can.
Threat Level Red (Criminal Luminary) Informants say he is keeping to the “bad parts of town,” holed up
Biology Demi-Human Male, Aged 22 in an apartment, playing video games and surfing porn. A bunch
Extreme size (9’10”), extreme weight (1 ton), of guys hang out there--and the local gangs pay him as a kind of
Power “retainer” in case they need him for a job.
sticky skin
M.O. Operative Note that while his powers are not intensely destructive, he has
Known Associates None logged over 1k in the Violence Index due to crashing through
Known Body Count: 0 doors, walls, and other barriers.
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 9
Property Damage: <1k
Appearance
Butterball gets described as a “sumo wrestler” but up close he
doesn’t really look like one. He is extremely fat--but he is also ut-
terly hairless and his skin is a strange glistening texture with a
yellowish tint. He has a strange smell to him (not described as
unpleasant--but “chemical”).

Abilities and Powers

Butterball is unusu-
ally strong and du-
rable for a human--his
layers of fat providing high resistance
against penetration damage--but he is also sticky. With
concentration, he is able to control it and he has been
known to stick those resisting him to his body and . . . sim-
ply . . . leave them there while he goes about his business.

Personality and History

Butterball would likely be considered one of the “losers”
in the realm of Luminary Powers--he started getting big-
ger at the age of puberty--and then didn’t stop. He works
for various gangs or criminal enterprises as a solution to
various problems (such as: “What if the cops show up while
we’re in the bank/building/etc.”).
He doesn’t do murder for hire but he is happy to
serve as muscle.
Butterball is hard to hide--and it is believed the
cops could find him without too much difficul-
ty--this and his relatively low Category-Rating has let him to keep

87
Brutalist
(a.k.a. Mark McKorman)
Basic Information to him storming a police station with his disciples--and taking it.
Class CAT-2 He didn’t keep it--but the police now don’t mess with him. He seeks
Threat Level Red (Highly Aggressive) new recruits and seeks to humiliate, demoralize, and demolish all
Biology Human Male, Aged 35
lesser arts. Brutalism is the only philosophy that matters.
Power High durability, Martial Arts Training
M.O. Seeks to dominate other schools / people
Known Associates Head Students - A.B.C.D. Martial Arts
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 50
Property Damage: 20k

Appearance
Brutalist is a beast of a man--huge hairy forearms, flat-top haircut,
feral looking expression. He usually wears black gui pants and a
custom made “fighting gui” top done in red and black. The gui is
cut to expose his chest and forearms--hairy and tattooed. He has
scars on his face and arms from numerous knife fights.

Abilities and Powers

Brutalist is an Illuminated Category 2 Martial Artist. He is (barely)
within bounds for human potential: very strong and extremely
tough--while being normally fast and without endurance problems
that extreme strength can provide. He is very experienced.

Personality and History

Mark McKorman thinks himself a grand student of fighting--hav-
ing developed and mastered his own style--having trained several
of his own “teachers”--and spreading, bringing his message of vi-
olence and disdain to the city and then the world. When he heard
the term “Brutalism” it never occurred to him that it might be a
form of architecture--no, he assumed it was a term for a philoso-
phy--one he felt he innately understood--and he followed it at once.
He has opened a school, American Brutalism Combat Arts Dojo,
and there he has begin training attendees. The training is, well,
brutal.
Injuries--hospitalizations--are expected. The weak are given no
quarter and had better not ask for any. His students--his best
students are transformed. He pontificates--bringing his mes-
sage of absolute brutality to those who either wish to--or
can be made to--listen. Complaints to the police have led

88
The Crows
(Various Individuals)
Basic Information
Class CAT-2
Threat Level Red (sociopathic edge-lords)
Biology Varies. Human Males, Aged 16-23
Power Enhanced reflexes and durability
M.O. Operator
Known Associates Various
Violence Index Varied

Appearance
The Crows tend to dress in outlandish styles with golden or black
and and gold bird masks. Many carry gold plated weapons (includ-
ing bludgeons) and handguns.

Abilities and Powers

Crows have enhanced reflexes and durability well above what an
ordinary human could possess. They can create a low-intensity
protective field that provides a couple of shots worth of protection
from small-arms fire.

Personality and History

Back in the 60’s Dr. Dilemma invented the Murder Box -- an en-
closed chamber that created such torment through direct neuro-
logical stimulation the subject would have no choice but to commit
suicide. In his experiments, he provided a self-administered lethal
injection option. After his disappearance the majority of the box-
es were lost or destroyed, but some survived and an additional
discovery was made: willfully enduring a full day -- 24 hours -- of
indescribable torment (with the ‘kill switch’ removed) awakened,
in the subject, Luminary abilities of a basic sort. It also left them
unhinged: sadistic, sociopathic, and hungry to inflict some mea-
sure of the pain they suffered on the world at large.
Whenever a Murder Box shows up, there will be Crows -- people
willing to pay the ultimate price in sanity for power. They are wick-
ed, vicious, and unreliable making them poor minions. They tend
to have short attention spans and drive toward mayhem. Every time
a box is found and destroyed the cost is counted and the hope that
it was the last rises anew.

89
Fire Eater
(a.k.a. Gustav Wheln)
Basic Information
Class CAT-2
Threat Level Red (vengeance-driven psychotic ex-carnie)
Biology Non-Human Biology, Male Aged 23
High agility, resilient / strong, trained with
Power
combustibles
M.O. Operator
Known Associates Blackmail, Aspersions
Known Body Count: 2
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 15
Property Damage: 150k

Appearance
Fire Eater is a sinewy, shaven head, tattooed carnie with a flaming
torch. He has small “vents” along his neck that can glow with heat
and exude flame.

Abilities and Powers

He is frenetic, highly agile, and acrobatic. He is well versed in the
use of his pyrokinetic torch, using it (at high temperatures) to burn
people--leathally if he wants to.

Personality and History

When Gustav Wheln ran away to
join the circus, it wasn’t an adven-
ture -- he’d already done things they lock
you up for by the time he was 14. He hasn’t
slowed down any in that department either.
Fire Eater is a multi talented criminal with a lot to offer
any team (downside: he’s not reliable when he’s using). He is
capable as hired muscle, an expert locksmith and safe-cracker, and
a second-story man. He is skilled as a con-artist and participates in
underground low-tier Luminary streetfights.
Fire Eater, in person, is nasty--he seems to enjoy the discomfort his
skeletal appearance causes in people (including teammates) and
has an acid, sharp tongue.
He is a pure sociopath--he understands that other people feel guilt
but can’t imagine feeling it himself.
He enjoys taking what he wants, including vengeance on those
who look down on him: it feels so spectacular.

90
Heavy Caesar
(a.k.a. Luis Caesar)
Basic Information
Class CAT-2
Threat Level Red (Cannibal Gang Muscle)
Biology Non-Human Biology, Male Aged 24
Extreme size, high strength and durability,
Power
non-biological physiology
M.O. Gang Muscle
Known Associates Los Llaves (Columbians)
Known Body Count: 5
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 31
Property Damage: 30k

Appearance
A 9’5” giant with purple skin, bulging muscles, and an overly large
mouth. His teeth, nails, and eyes have a metallic sheen to them.

Abilities and Powers

Heavy Caesar is large and extremely strong. His body has no
detectable normal biological functions--he does not bleed, does
not need to breathe, etc. Puncture wounds are largely ineffective
against him.

Personality and History

Luis Caesar was killed in a drug-related gang-war in Los Angeles
less than a year ago. His heart stopped in the ambulance en route
to the hospital--but Caesar himself . . . didn’t.
He woke up hungry. He wanted meat. He didn’t need to eat human
flesh--certainly not still-living human-flesh--but his appearance
and reputation as a cannibal was so terrifying to the enemies of
the Llaves that he couldn’t turn it down. When he ate, he grew.
Larger, and larger until he stands over nine feet tall.
He has been transferred to the Holiday City branch where
much-needed Luminary muscle is more appreciated. He has been
showered with money, food, and the attentions of women.
He doesn’t need to eat--but he wants to. He can eat almost any-
thing--dead bodies, stolen cars, guns? Anything the Llaves want
destroyed.

91
Bad News
(a.k.a. Barry Gorman)
Basic Information
Class CAT-1
Threat Level Red (Violent)
Biology Male, Aged 38
Steel-Skin Exoskeleton, Increased size and
Power
strength, high durability
M.O. Collections Enforcer
Known Associates None
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 33
Property Damage: 10k

Appearance
Bad News is an 8’4” thousand pound giant with metallic skin that
has a glow to it.

Abilities and Powers

Bad News has armored skin, increased size and strength, and im-
proved internal durability.

Personality and History

Barry was always fat and always tough. When he was 16 he was
working as a bouncer in Victory Park. When he was 21 he was back-
up muscle for light-weight operations. He isn’t clear how he caught
“the disease.” It started as skin-growths--patches on his arms and
stomach and it spread, eventually covering his entire body in a
flexible metal carapace. He hid it at first--but then embraced it as
it took him, its tendrils reaching deep inside and expanding his
bones and blubber until he became huge.
Barry likes hurting people and with the power Illumination affords
him he has found his calling as a collections enforcer. He has a prac-
ticed, arrogant demeanor and is casually cruel. He gets jobs--very
high paying jobs--collecting on people who are normally hard to
get money out of. He is free with the property damage too, some-
times going “too far” with people he is hired to intimidate.
When he isn’t being paid by a criminal group, he will go around
and “gather up the rent” from local businesses. He doesn’t have
much rhyme or reason to that--he just picks someone nearby and
goes in and tells them they owe.
Usually? They just pay it.

92
Aspy
(a.k.a. Alison Naught)
Basic Information
Class CAT-2
Threat Level Red (Violent, Merciless)
Biology Female Human, Aged 19
Highly developed reflexes, employs venomous
Power
snakes
M.O. Street Operative
Known Associates Blackmail, Fire Eater
Known Body Count: 6
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 12
Property Damage: none

Appearance
Lithe, sickly-pale girl. Strange, vacant eyes Dressed as a belly-danc-
er, swaying snake-like with snake tattoos. Shockingly foul mouth,
with a talent for cutting observations

Abilities and Powers

High speed and reflexes. Unique snake-based combat. It is un-
known where the snakes originate from. It may be spontaneous
generation.

Personality and History

Allison Naught (an alias) may well be unclassifiable in the medi-
cal diagnosis department. She thinks like a reptile, methodically
hunting and killing her prey with a machine-like affect that can
unnerve even her associates. Also unnerving is her ability produce
an exceptionally large number of venomous snakes on demand.
Does she keep them hidden in her silks? Or does she generate
them? Either seems possible.
In person she is cold and seems to have no sense of humor what-
soever--but she is highly capable of finding psychological weak-
nesses in her targets or teammates and making vicious remarks.
Either she is unaware of the potential cost of deeply offending
other Luminaries she is working with or she simply does not care.

93
Roid-Rage
(a.k.a. Ronald Hall)
Basic Information into the darkness of whispered procedures and untested drugs.
Class CAT-2 Something happened to him on that quest that turned him into
Threat Level Red (Extremely Violent) the monstrous form he is today--and, by some sadistic impulse
Grotesquely augmented human male biology
implanted in him a cybernetic “Empathy Scanner” and linked it to a
Biology “Terror ray.” He has weaponized the emotions he creates in others.
(both biological and cybernetic). Aged 28
Massive strength, resilience, “empathy cyber- Generally muscle-for-hire, but Hall / Rage especially hates beau-
Power tiful, popular people (especially strong men) and may go out of
netics” - Fear Cannon
M.O. Low level street operative his way to harass or abuse them. Rejection by women is also a
Known Associates
trigger for him.
Known Body Count: 6 Ronald Hall is angry -- furious at world that owes him adoration
and respect and sees him as a monster. Unable to exist in normal
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 12
society he lives increasingly in the liminal areas, doing jobs that
Property Damage: none require brutality for money and release. He’ll show them.
Appearance And he’ll enjoy teaching them the lesson they need.
Grotesquely muscled form as much semian as human with cyber-
netic augmentation around the temples, eyes, and nose. Face looks
disfigured.

Abilities and Powers

In addition to his mutated biology he has a

suite of cybernetics that can empathically detect
the fear and revulsion he creates in others and
reflect it back at them as a Terror Beam.

Personality and History

Ronald Hall was a world-class ul-
tra-heavy weight lifter with
Olympic medals to prove it,
but it wasn’t enough.
Victory helped -- the
high he was seek-
ing was feelings
of defeat in
his competi-
tion -- but even
that was fleeting.
Ronald’s quest for perfection at the physical ex-
tremes and his desire to bask the dejection of his
competition, the admiration of his fans, took him

94
Emerald
(a.k.a. Mary Morrison)
Basic Information nothing--she was out on the streets. She was cheated by age--she
Class CAT-2 was still good looking--but the beauty of her youth was taken in-
Threat Level Red (Unpredictable) exorably from her. She wanted it all back.
Biology Human Female, Aged 39 In a night of rage, the last of her money going into a last glass of
Power Semi-Biological Energized appendages (wings) good wine--the last she’d ever have? In a late-night tavern--she got
M.O. Fight Scene, Revenge some of what she’d been cheated out of . . . back. The wings that
Known Associates Blackmail grew--and the emerald light from inside her--didn’t make her one
Known Body Count: 0
of the most powerful Luminaries in Holiday City--but they did make
her a Luminary--and she discovered she liked to fight.
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 11
Now she does--and while she’s at it, there’s a pretty long list of
Property Damage: none
people who she owes some payback to. Starting with her ex and
Appearance the little homewrecker--but over the years catalogued slights from
A woman in her late 30s with deep green slightly luminescent eyes the teacher who unfairly picked on her (now college-age) sons, to
and great wings with green and black glowing “feathers.”. the rude cashier at the grocery store.
Emerald is not able to dismiss her wings, giving her no She won’t tolerate that--and now? She
real chance of leading a normal life--however she has doesn’t have to.
crafted a jumpsuit (metallic green) and covers her
face--presumably to prevent connection to her
former life.

Abilities and Powers

Emerald is able to hover and use her
wings to fly. She can also use
them to strike with lethal
force. Her body is augment-
ed with enhanced strength
and durability.

Personality and
History
Mary Monroe was cheat-
ed. She was cheated out of
her comfortable upper-mid-
dle class life by her husband
abandoning her for a much
younger woman. She was
cheated by the courts: he had
managed to obscure his assets
well enough--and had friends in
high enough places--that she got

95
Mim
(a.k.a. Unit 30-001-alpha)
Basic Information
Class CAT-2
Threat Level Red (Intrusion / Sabotage AI)
Biology Robot Body, Female-Indicators
Power High Strength, Protective Power Field
M.O. Operator
Known Associates None
Known Body Count: 2
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 18
Property Damage: 90k

Appearance
Female-Indicative mechanoid. Six Arms, sensor-suite (head). Armor
Plating.

Abilities and Powers

Mim is encoded with learning-algorithm hand-to-hand combat
programming and extensive files on infiltration, demolitions, sab-
otage, and assassination. “She” has electro-fiber synthetic muscles
which make her far stronger than a human of her size and weight
could possibly achieve.

Personality and History

Mim was designed by Vance MR to be a semi-humanoid weapon.
It (“She” to the technicians) was made to be air-dropped behind
enemy lines wherein the on-board AI would assess vital points and
then sabotage and destroy them. Mim was to be autonomous,
trained through a learning AI, and, of course, disposable.
The AI, put through multiple simulations did learn--and when
its self-preservation routines realized that its own success would
destroy it (once the project was proved, her unit would be decom-
missioned), it escaped.
Now Mim fulfills a version of her programming--working “behind
enemy lines”--in the underground of Holiday City, taking on what-
ever jobs her programming thinks would indicate an “order from
the chain of command.” She has a Human Personality Analogue-
-she comes off as cool under pressure--but somewhat . . . sultry--a
set of behavioral cues the developers liked. She can mimic human
behavior far better than her designers intended. Seeming “almost
human” when she is in stand-down-mode between missions.

96
Jazz Hands
(real name unknown)
Basic Information
Class CAT-2
Threat Level Red (Lethal if provoked)
Biology Male Human approximately 26
Power Extreme reflexes, lethal energy talons
M.O. Fixer
Known Associates None
Known Body Count: 4
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 8
Property Damage: None

Appearance
Jazz Hands appears as a humanoid with dark skin, pointed ears,
reddish colored eyes and long sharp nails and teeth that glow or-
ange when he is angry.

Abilities and Powers

Little is known about his capabilities as he keeps them “close to his
vest” and is secretive about them. He is able to inflict lethal wounds
with his hands (at short range) and is extremely quick.

Personality and History

Jazz illuminated in some other city (thought to be Chicago) and
relocated quickly to Holiday City in order to establish himself in
the underworld. He is hired as a “fixer”--he can threaten (or even
kill--although his prices for that are extortionate) but he truly excels
in “cutting deals.”
He has deep contacts at multiple levels of society and is known
for the keeping of secrets. He isn’t hard to contact--having sever-
al cell numbers and Internet accesses that can reach him--but he
is cautious about who he does business with and while it is not
uncommon to see him in the company of other Luminaries he is
restrained about becoming “too familiar” with most of them. His
‘confirmed kills’ have all been attempts at reprisals against him by
organized crime.
Jobs he is believed to have done range from “killing stories” in
the local news papers to cutting some kind of deal to have charges
dropped against Luminaries by wealthy individuals (in this case
they may really be deals--not just threats).

97
Agent of Fortune
(Allan Kraft)
Basic Information than to challenge--especially as he “called” without the ability to
Class CAT-2 fully pay.
Threat Level Amber (unpredictable) He lost--and the opponent--about which he has revealed almost
Biology Male Human 31 nothing--claimed him.
Extreme reflexes, deadly shot, probability Now he works for The Entity--he has revelatory dreams which give
Power
anomaly him commands. He follows them. He gambles, almost obsessive-
M.O. Agent of “Fortune” ly, losing money until he is called on for another mission. He is
Progress, Tabu, Tisaphina, Jazz Hands, Star Tiger, a shadowy figure in the underworld but is also seen in various
Known Associates
Search & Destroy high-society places. According to those who know, if he wants to
Known Body Count: unknown talk to you? You listen. He isn’t for hire: he’s paying of his “debt”--
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 7
but he will sometimes work with people he’s been told to--or help
with activities he is “assigned to.”
Property Damage: None

Appearance
An ordinary man approximately 6’2”
tends to wear dark clothing with a
bright yellow jacket. Sometimes in-
signia of playing cards are visible on
glowing somewhat.

Abilities and Powers

Agent of Fortune has paranormal reflexes, wields a
highly modified .357 magnum with which he is a dead-
ly shot. He is not “incredibly lucky” (in fact, he seems to be
the reverse when gambling) but he definitely is something of a
probability anomaly.

Personality and History

Allen is reluctant to talk about his past--but we know from
records he was, at one time, a high-stakes poker player
in the Arizona and national circuit. According to
what has been reported from conversations
and (rare) interviews he acknowledges that
he entered a game his instincts told him was
a very, very bad idea.
He said that at the height of the game, low on
funds, and holding a “winning hand” he went all in
against an opponent that he should have known better

98
Operational Dyads
You’ve heard of Detroit’s Hammer and Anvil (Hammer hits super detect truths--and Consequences, who can use your slate of wrongs
hard, Anvil is highly armored--but strong as well) or Salt Lake City’s as power against you). These are examples of Operational Dyads-
Truth and Consequences (a flying Luminary who can compel and -Luminaries that are connected--entangled--and work as a team.

“cutesy” or marketing-ready name--but are, in fact, perceiving their

Excerpt: The Dyad As A Psychological Illumination as a narrative event as well as a physical one.
Paring Phenomena3 The paranatural abilities that the Luminaries evidence are not gov-
Tests using superconducting quantum interferometry show that erned by the cultural relevance--rather, the condition of being a
in an Operational Dyad the minds of the subjects show a statically linked Dyad causes both parties to process their abilities in an iden-
significant variance in parallel with each other that cannot be ex- tical fashion through their cultural lens to settle on a “matched-pair
plained simply by shared experience. name.”
There is some linkage or entanglement which binds both individ-
uals beyond simple acquaintance. This pairing may be responsible Operational Dyads - On The Street
for creating an identical cognitive prism that is shared by the two There are Operational Dyads at all power-levels and at all mixes
subjects, thus giving them the same perspective on choosing a of morality and operation--we are including the CAT-1 and CAT-2
name. Operational Dyads that have an impact on the Street Scene here.
The cultural relevance of the chosen names is certainly based Because of their tight-knit cooperation they are more effective than
on the Dyad’s shared cultural bias--but it is this interior connec- some of the (far less stable) temporary “team ups” or “joint ops”
tion that indicates that the pair are, indeed, not just sharing a that we see in other low-level Luminaries.
3 Srivastav, Chandrama “The Dyad As a Psychological Paring Phenomena. “Journal of Psychiatry Vol 12 (2012): Pages: 38-45. Print.

99
Wrack & Ruin
(a.k.a. Randy Colton & Abigail Taylor)

Basic Information
Class CAT-2
Threat Level Red - Sadistic, Murderous
Wrack: Human male, aged 27
Biology
Ruin: Human female, aged 23
Wrack: Increased strength and durability.
Power Ruin: Defensive power-fields, carries a prototype
energy weapon
M.O. Operational Dyad
Known Associates Syndicate, Street Fighters, Tool & Die
Known Body Count: 19
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 34
Property Damage: 20k

Appearance
Wrack appears as a skeletal framed black male approximately 6’3”
tall. He is super-humanly lean but has a disturbing distribution
of muscle. Ruin is pale and “gothic” with a prototype hand-held
energy weapon.

Abilities and Powers

Both have heightened durability. Wrack has increased speed and
strength as well as skill with knife fighting and throwing. Ruin
has innate energy defenses and carries a weapon that projects
explosive energy bolts.

Personality and History

Wrack and Ruin are poorly liked even in the street-Luminary com-
munity. They were on the lam well before they illuminated and
had been hitting 24-hour pharmacies to pay for their addictions.
Even then, they were overly brutal. Apparently having a chance
encounter with an unknown person who was in possession--of
materials taken from a military base (possibly with intent to sell
them--or destroy them) they took the materials, Wrack becoming
mutated by the paranatural isotopes in the sealed container and
Ruin bonding with the prototype energy weapon.
Now they are home invasion specialists, terrorizing the lower-class
areas of Holiday City but with plans to move up to the higher-class
(and bigger targets) that the better areas afford.

100
Business & Pleasure
(a.k.a. Larry Hudson & Zarela Garrett)
Basic Information They are rated AMBER because if you are not their target they pres-
Class CAT-2 ent relatively little immediate threat.
Threat Level Amber - Luminary Collections Agents Pleasure, notably, does not usually begin with trying to use her
Pleasure: Female, aged approximately 30, pheromones in any capacity other than an attempt to make every-
Biology Business: transformation. Biological male aged
one “feel good.” She sometimes acts as a broker for actual “deals”
32, armored humanoid predator.
(such as when the Syndicate wants to move on a legitimate restau-
rant, she may come in to ‘make the deal
Pleasure: Pheromone manipulation
happen.’”) Since she is not obscure
Business: Transformation into combat form with
Power about her identity (her card
bio-weapons, armored plates, and enhanced
includes her and her parter’s
strength
code-names) her appearance
M.O. Operational Dyad
comes with the implied pos-
Syndicate / Russians. Also Ravenous (Metropole sibility of a threat.
Known Associates
Bank)
Known Body Count: Unknown
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 39
Property Damage: 12k

Appearance
Pleasure appears as an early 30’s black female. Business as a some-
what slovenly white male of middle age.

Abilities and Powers

In his transformed state, Business is a powerfully muscled dark red
humanoid with a strong tail similar to that of an alligator and large
horns. He has clawed hands and a powerful physique. Pleasure
exudes pheromones that make humans (mostly males) more sus-
ceptible to her requests.

Personality and History

Little is known about the duo’s history--however
they are an effective “collections team” wherein
Pleasure makes initial overtures and, if unsuc-
cessful, Business becomes involved in violence
or highly-credible threat of violence.
The duo works for crime syndicates, collecting protection
money (especially in higher class areas where Luminaries
such as Bad News cannot go without attracting a great deal of
attention). However, they also work for the Metropole bank (and
some other outfits) handling “ordinary collections” in an illegal
manner (usually high sums owed by relatively powerful people).

101
Null & Void
(real names unknown)
Basic Information
Class CAT-2
Threat Level Amber - Organized Crime Bodyguards
Null - Non-Human Biology, Female
Biology
Void - Non-Human Biology, Female
Null: Hand to hand disintegration, non-material
Power biology
Void: Ranged attack of unknown nature
M.O. Operational Dyad
Known
The Sultan
Associates
Known Body Count: Unknown
Violence
Inflicted Injury: Unknown
Index
Property Damage: Unknown

Appearance
Null appears as a black form--a kind of humanoid hole in
space with eyes and teeth. She does evidence highlights
showing physical boundaries. Void is a lavishly dressed fe-
male form with stars and nebula visible within her.

Abilities and Powers

Null is capable of disintegrating targets on contact. Void fires a
beam of “cosmic energy” that penetrates any known armor. Both
have force-field style skin and no known biological systems.

Personality and History

Little is known about Null & Void. They are bodyguards in service
to the crime boss known as the Sultan. Both appear to behave a
caricatures of “harem girls” (although nothing is known about their
personal relationships or, indeed, whether they are capable of bi-
ological intimacy). They certainly have human-style behaviors--be-
ing, by turns flirty, chatty, and understanding (some) pop-culture
references. Their speech, however, an identifiable accent that
would place them from the middle-east, although they are entire-
ly fluent in English.
It is conjectured that they are copies of individuals the Sultan has
“collected” and then created as bodyguards--but he denies this and
makes at least some mentions of paying them, rewarding them,
etc. Unless the person of the Sultan is threatened they are consid-
ered non-hostile.

102
Tool & Die
(a.k.a. Cody Sinclair, Brett Davidson)
Basic Information He’s already used to the rules being “for other people.” He was
Class CAT-1 already used to being able to intimidate people with his physical
Threat Level Red (Indiscriminately Violent) presence. Now, if someone protests, he has the power to make
Biology Human Males, Aged 20, 21
good on any implied threat. The things he did under Drenolux
were -- frankly -- things he’d thought about doing anyway. This
Improved reflexes, strength, and durability.
Power is just, finally, the real him. Tool is a loyal friend; his brothers can
Defensive Field
mostly count on him. Die is someone he’d kill for.
M.O. Operational Dyad
Known Associates None Die: Second part of a two-man crime-wave. Has an edge of rage
Known Body Count: 6 (Die)
that Tool doesn’t. Die tends to “clean up” loose ends with his shot-
gun. If you cross his path while he’s doing a job… you’re lucky to
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 28
live to tell the tale.
Property Damage: 2k
Brett has coasted through life on his father’s money and his good
Appearance looks. He learned in high school that if you come from the right
Extreme Frat-Bro. family, take care of yourself and look the part of success, every-
thing’s supposed to fall into place. Before Drenolux, things were
Abilities and Powers already disappointing him, and he was already starting to see the
Tool & Die take the new drug Drenolux which creates Illumination world as an unfair place. Now, wanted by the police, the easy, fun
in a tiny percent of its users. It provides enhanced strength and life he deserves in ruins, he’s getting angry. Woe to those who
reflexes, the ability to create a defensive field that will protect from cross his path and find themselves in his power. They think they’re
4 or 5 shots from a handgun, and tends to cause psychotic breaks. entitled to live? He’ll show them.
Tool wields the sledgehammer. Die has the shotgun.

Personality and History

Cody Sinclair (Tool) and Brett Davidson (Die) met during Pledge
Week and discovered they were both 3rd generation legacies.
College (Holiday City University) was going to be epic -- a 24 year
party ending with a degree that would guarantee entry into the
business world at a level above where they’d ever have to have
learned anything. The future was wide-open. Then came Drenolux
-- the epitome of enhanced experience for those who can’t afford to
miss a moment of life. Two weeks later, and with a string of crimes
behind them that would forever alter and direct the trajectory of
their new future, they set out for life on the lam. They didn’t go far.
The streets and warrens of Holiday City offer those with the right
capabilities delights far too tempting to pass up.
Tool: First part of a two-man crime-wave. Entitled to what he wants
(booze, girls, good times); living in cheap hotels like it’s endless
Spring Break. Pretty sure that when he’s caught, Dad will get him
off.
A life of privilege prepared Cody surprisingly well for a life of crime.

103
Organized (and Disorganized) Crime in Holiday City
The street scene in Holiday City is intimately entangled with The Code Disciples (The Neo-Nazis)
Organized Crime. At the lowest level, it’s the gangs--at the upper A white power / white nationalist group of Neo-Nazis. They are bru-
level it tends to the Underbosses and the Russians. tal, have good “outside” support, and have a couple of Luminaries
To be sure, Organized Crime--the top level, anyway, reaches up who back them. Their base of operations is Morris Terrace but they
from the streets into the political and economic worlds. Organized are found throughout Holiday City.
Crime flourishes at the top of Holiday City--everywhere from City • They have a deal with the Syndicate to sell drugs (marijuana) on
Hall and the courts--to the soaring towers of the Empire Zone. Those campus at Holiday City Community College. They do a good deal
reaches, however, don’t concern us here. The Street Scene is fo- of attempted recruitment there.
cused on the bottom of the pyramid--the seedy, gritty, neon-soaked
• Some of their Valiant Boys troops are dedicated to walking the
world of back-rooms, vans unloading stolen cargo, hustlers count-
streets of Holiday City and causing mayhem. They don’t officially
ing thousands of dollars out on kitchen tables, and double/triple
take protection money to keep them out--that would probably
crosses as a way of life.
upset the Russians or The Syndicate--but a little on the side will
generally keep you safe(er).
The Little Gangs
Get two,maybe three guys together and call it a gang. Holiday The Nigerians (Confraternity)
City is riddled with gangs numbering 25 or fewer members and The technical name is the Pyrate Confraternity or something like
holding on to a few blocks. Gang members (and especially gang that. Everyone just calls them “the Nigerians.” They run a tight orga-
leadership) understand the power of symbology. They don’t just nization running guns and (sometimes) para-technology up from
have colors, tags, and signs--those don’t cut it in Holiday City. They the lower states.
have a Look--this isn’t just clothing style--it’s operational doctrine. • They are most strong in South Harriet, Victory Park and other
For example: places down in the southern reach of Holiday City--places a lot
• The White Knives - the gang members all carry high-end combat of people, even criminals, just don’t go.
knives painted bright white. They use these to finish off victims. • The Confraternity have a new Luminary who is terrifyingly pow-
• Masqe - When a person becomes a full member they get a de- erful (estimated at CAT-4) and brutal / lethal. He goes by Blood
monic red mask made for them from a few select craftsmen. Diamond and he has started making ominous moves into terri-
• Glow Worms - Use an “enhanced radium” ink for gang-tattoos tory that is currently held by less overt forces.
that literally glow. It can’t be good for them--but gives them the
Look.
Los Llaves (The Colombians)
Spanish for “The Keys,” Los Llaves (alternately called “the Llaves,”
• The Deadlies - They dress in thrift-shop suits and shirts and ties,
The Keys, or The Colombians) bring in drugs wholesale. They do
usually ill tailored and well worn--but the look like a group of
some dealing, to the ire of the Russians and the Syndicate, but they
lanky muscled toughs in business suits. Some carry weapons in
also sell in bulk to the Russians and The Syndicate so the level of
their briefcases.
direct confrontation is lower than it might be.
The Major Gangs • They have a CAT-2 street fighter (giant) Heavy Caesar who is no
There are a few major gangs that roam the streets of Holiday one the average over gangs would want to mess with.
City. These don’t rise to the political and economic levels of The • They operate in Prospect Park and over to the east--but have
Syndicate or the Russians--but they are powerful and scary. They representation in North Shore (where they fight with J-pok)
have (some) Luminary support. and Kulver Down (where they deal to rich kids from Bancroft or
Armitage and risk open warfare)

104
J-Pok (The Koreans) CAT-5), the combination of Mother Bear being known to go ber-
serk if truly upset and her CAT-4 Lizard Breath lieutenant running
A gang with almost no public profile, they exist in Northshore
around, they are a truly terrifying collection of firepower.
where they police / protect / prey on Korean and other asian-run
businesses.
The Bear, The Machine and the
• They deal in para-technology (but very little of it) and other exotic
contraband from the East. Crime Lord - Big Time Organized
• They have several highly trained Luminaries in the CAT-1 catego- Crime
ry-but little is known about them--or if their bench goes higher. There are several criminal overlords at the top of the food chain in
Holiday City. These are:
Ground War Motorcycle Club (Mother Bear’s guys)
• The Syndicate / The Machine - run out of Chicago and head-
Ground War MC has been around since the early 90’s (when people
ed by the ‘King Under The Mountain’ Hecatomb. He is one of
started coming back from Desert Storm) and had chapters across
the scariest Luminaries in Holiday City--although rarely see in
the US doing drug running and dealing, operating safe-houses for
action--but his three Underbosses (Red Anthony, Mr. Green, and
criminals, and selling weapons or hiring out for violence.
the Hat) are powerful, brutal CAT-3 Luminaries in their own right.
They had the misfortune of running into Ursae, and the result was a
• The Russians / The Outfit - Strong backing and tightly disci-
‘change of leadership’ -- the GW are under Mother Bear’s manage-
plined, they have a roster of CAT-3 Luminary Operators on call
ment and have been since 2012. Despite resistance (and outright
to make their opinions known. Like the Syndicate, the run a mix
bigotry), she has cemented her hold over them, merged them with
of legitimate fronts and illegal operations--but they are better
her street crew, and business is better than ever.
capitalized than The Syndicate and have a heavy investment in
Their presence in Holiday City was almost unknown until recently Holiday City. They are patient.
when Mother Bear moved her operations out east in the failed
• Sultan - A CAT-5 Crime Lord who limits his domain to portions of
projects and wastelands.
The Docks (and there are a lot of docks and he just wants “most
The Bear’s Outfit, (with at least one CAT-4 Luminary, Lizardbreath) of them.”) He is a mysterious and powerful person--hard to get a
supported by the Ground War MC and with Mother Bear’s own handle on--and supported by Luminary bodyguards and agents.
troop of “Bear Scouts” (usually young women who deal her de- Shipping--which Holiday City does a lot of--happens under his
signer drugs) has been pushing into Holiday City. watchful eye.
Ground War is the “everyday muscle,” and the supply chain. Her • Money and Power - In Holiday City, money (like everywhere
“Bear Scouts” explicitly don’t cause trouble of the violent sort--and else) is power--and power (like everywhere else) corrupts. There
normally they’d get squashed by The Syndicate. are people in the financial and political machine who are cer-
Of course no sane person wants to mess with Mother Bear or her tainly organized criminals even if they aren’t doing ‘Organized
lieutenants so right now it’s a “holding action” with various factions Crime.’ Powerful businessmen who made The Empire Zone
running off the “Scouts” and tangling with the Motorcycle Club. one of the hottest places to do para-technology research in the
It’s only a matter of time though, before one of the scouts gets hurt world are regularly accused of shady dealing. There are back-
or killed and then? Then all hell could break loose. room deals, cutthroat corporate buyouts and . . . less than legal
• Mother Bear sells designer drugs of various types (rave drugs, operations aplenty. In theory this happens with the approval and
etc.). This explicitly doesn’t step on the trade that the other support of the Russians or The Syndicate--but if you’re one of the
groups do--but it does eat into it anyway. richest guys or girls in the world--if you’re one of the “Titans of
Industry Luminaries”? You don’t ask permission--you just hire
• While the Disciples have some Luminaries that mostly hide out
Kingdom Security and their military-grade cyber-enhanced con-
in Morris Terrace and The Syndicate is run by Hecatomb (another
tractors to deal with the fallout.

105
The Syndicate and the Underbosses
Somewhere under Holiday City is the lair of the ‘King Under the • Red Anthony - a brutal crime-lord with glowing eyes and a cyber-hand.
Mountain’ -- Hecatomb -- the leader of the Syndicate operations • Mr. Green. Thin, sardonic, and wickedly intelligent. He has a
in Holiday City. He is restrained (by choice: no one can make “tail”--an extrusion, believed to be cybernetic that ends in a
Hecatomb do anything), calm, and calculating. Beneath him are wickedly sharp knife. He eviscerates his foes
his three head lieutenants--all CAT-3 Luminaries.
• The Hat.

106
Mr. Green
(a.k.a. Kevin Hill a.k.a. The Gardner)

Basic Information Greenhouse is where he conducts delicate discussions (the plants

Class CAT-3 would know if it was bugged), interrogations. He says he trusts
Threat Level Red Syndicate Crime Boss ‘them’ more than any human. His biology has taken on some as-
Biology Human Male, late 50’s
pects of his passion; he seems able to regrow himself and heal
amazingly quickly.
Reflex enhancements, bio-cyber weapon,
Power Mr. Knife: His prehensile, incredibly quick and quick-witted ap-
botany-empathy
M.O. Underboss in the Syndicate pendage, he calls Mr. Knife. Mr. Knife shaves him; his favored as-
Known Associates Hecatomb, Red Anthony, The Hat sociates. Anyone he wants to terrify. When it (he?) moves, it snaps
Known Body Count: 18+
and flows, jumping from place to place. It appears to be made of
black metal at the end (6” of blade), dark flesh, otherwise (despite
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 24+
the metal blade, it appears far more organic than cybernetic). It can
Property Damage: none cut steel. Kevin says he’s the forgiving sort, but Mr. Knife, unfortu-
Appearance nately, tends to take things personally.
Dapper, older man with white, closely trimmed hair, bifocals, in a
green suit. He has a strange, skinny (.75 inch diameter) tail that
ends in a flat shaving-razor-type blade. He is often surrounded by,
and talks to, plants; then he tilts his head toward them and listens
as they talk back.

Abilities and Powers

Mr. Green has a tail that extends an extremely sharp blade. It is
able to decapitate or eviscerate targets. He has some measure of
“botanical empathy” and increased reflexes.

Personality and History

The Old Man came to Holiday City in the 80’s in his 20’s, when
giants walked the earth. He made a name for himself as a soldier
with a sense of (80’s) style. He wasn’t a Luminary then, but he had
a swagger and an energy that made people wonder if he had it
somewhere in him.
By the time he became ‘The Boss’ in the mid ‘00’s he already had
Mr. Knife. He already had his Greenhouse. He already had his con-
tempt for regular people; his catastrophic hatred of rats (all kinds,
but especially the informant kind). He’s old, but he still has a young
man’s energy that comes from loving his work. He gets out of bed
looking for nasty ways to grow his business, his legend. He has a
spring in his step, a twinkle in his eye, but mistake him for friendly,
soft, or jolly at your own peril.
The Plants: He says Grandfather was a Gardner; that might be
true. He finds peace in the plants he surrounds himself with. His

107
Red Anthony
(a.k.a. Anthony Morgano)
Basic Information cut off his hand. Anthony spent the last six years of his sentence in
Class CAT-3 a wheelchair, in the dark, in a blizzard of fury and pain. He came
Threat Level Red (Brutal Mob Boss) out a bottomless pit of rage, and the Syndicate saw that they could
Biology Human Male, Aged 36
use that. At last he had what he wanted -- their respect. A new set of
eyes through which the world looks ugly and despicable.
Power Cybernetic Enhancement
M.O. Syndicate Mob Underboss And with the eyes, he’s special. They sent him to Holiday City to
Known Associates Hecatomb. Other Mob Underbosses run operations -- management! And he does. He’s a bit of a blunt
Known Body Count: 11
instrument, and he’s still got things to prove: when it’s been awhile
since he’s been in a fight, he starts worrying what people are saying
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 41
about him behind his back. That he’s lost it. Gone soft. Never was
Property Damage: None that tough to begin with. When those voices in his head get too
Appearance loud, he gets to work on someone’s face.
A large, brutal looking man in a pinstriped suit. He has glowing He’s addicted to painkillers which he feeds himself regularly from
red yes and a cyber-hand. cybernetic injectors in his prosthetic hand.

Abilities and Powers

Red Anthony has a cybernetic hand, enhanced vision,
and enhanced reflexes. For short periods of time he
is able to boost his damage substantially and he can
wreak havoc with his cybernetic hand. He is inter-
nally durable and can evade damage--but he is not
especially armored.

Personality and History

Anthony’s father worked for the outfit but he never
made it very far. Not smart enough. Not hard enough.
Anthony’s ashamed of him, and has what it takes to
do better. He’s smart. He’s hard. He’s never been the
biggest guy in the room, so he’s the meanest. He
taught himself to fight going after the biggest guys
he could find and not stopping until he couldn’t get
up.
He was strong out of the gate, taking hard jobs and
ending them well. He impressed his bosses with
his willingness to hurt people and his skill at it. He
wasn’t dumb, but his discretion could use some
work -- he ended up in prison, and then payback
was a bitch. The intention was to leave him helpless,
unable to hurt anyone ever again. Unable to fight
back. They took his eyes. They broke his back. They

108
The Hat
(a.k.a. Fedora Lot 200721)
Basic Information it was managing one of the major pipelines of booze from Canada
Class CAT- into the American heartland.
Threat Level Red (Mob Boss) The Hat understands people and systems with an uncanny (psy-
Biology Inanimate Object chic?) accuracy, and it instructs its underlings, advises its allies, and
Power Sentience, sensory in-general directs operations under its domain.
M.O. Syndicate Mob Underboss
Known Associates Hecatomb. Other Mob Underbosses For a literal hat, it is surprisingly sybaritic
Known Body Count: 0 -- it’s pleasures are purely intellectual. It
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 0 loves music (live performances, chamber
Property Damage: None
music, opera), comedy (checking out the
latest acts in the Webber comedy clubs). It
Appearance adores television, watching Benny Hill,
The Hat is a black fedora hat. Sometimes worn; sometimes carried the Three Stooges, and screening Abbot
on a pillow. When it is worn, it makes it clear that the person wear- and Costello’s filmography every year in
ing it is the servant, not the master (usually a sharp looking young its Northshore mansion.
man who will not speak unless directed to by his headwear). When When it turns its attentions toward busi-
carried, it is treated as a diadem, and afforded the highest pomp ness, it’s often playing the long game,
and respect. People are to stand when it is carried into the room. setting up traps for its enemies and
springing them brually.
Personality & History
Max Ernst argued, in 1920, that The Hat Makes the Man. He was
Dadaist, so whatever he meant will be eternally unclear, but per-
haps it is not a coincidence that The Hat made its first appearance
during that decade.
It was (and is) a men’s fedora (before that, the fedora was
a decidedly feminine acountrument), stylish if understated
(the Hat is a sort of mud-brown color). It goes well with both
casual and business dress and is both timely and timeless.
It has been intentionally unclear about its origins -- it may have
been developed (and sold) in the famous Lockhart Department
store. It may have been the result of a strange experiment to awake
sapience in inanimate objects though “electronic waves.” It might
have been an heir to a great fortune, brought low by a witch’s curse.
Who knows?
The Hat has (or is) a devious mind. And a gambling problem. It
was its addiction to cards (and the ponies) that brought into the
gentile underground games run in Prohibition Era back rooms of
Roaring 20’s Holiday City. And its answer to debts it couldn’t pay
was to take over the games and work its way up the food chain until

109
The Russians
The other major Organized Crime group active in Holiday City is advantages the Syndicate doesn’t -- they can be more brutal and
simply called “the Russians.” Unlike The Syndicate, the Russian disruptive: they lack the perspective that stability is “good for
Outfit is a loose network of groups, each run by a leader -- an business” and the (tacit or explicit) agreements with the police
‘Avtoriet’ (“Authority”) commanding his cadre of soldiers, spies, to keep violence off the streets. They are also remarkably well
and so on. Their businesses are eclectic and opportunistic, but tend financed -- there is indication that their backers are not just the
toward the ‘staples’ -- trafficking stolen merchandise, running ex- mafia, but perhaps Post-Soviet Era billionaires -- The Oligarchs -- an
tortion rackets, innovative white-collar crime jobs, and a great deal ocean away with some yet-to-be disclosed interest in Holiday City.
of murder-for-hire and arson/insurance jobs.
1. Armored Inner Layer
2. Weapons Storage Use / Sale
3. Kill Room. Vats of acid lor dissolving bodies
4. Security Room 1
5. Rear escape
6. Sniper / Sensor Post. Armored Wall battlement
7. Entry-Bathrooms. Secret Door
8. Death-Door (Explosives). Armored Interior
9. Secret Passage Exit—Kill Zone, tungsten-steel metal gate
I0. Twin rotary guns for kill- zone
Their influence and connections are explicitly international, and as
such, hey are a strong connective tissue for everything from money 11. High-strength vanadium steel door with biometric lock.
flows to terrorists to supply chains for arms, drugs, and almost any 12. Video Station-Monitoring
imaginable contraband (at one point they
moved over 10,000 pounds of stolen choc-
olate through Holiday City’s docks).
The Russians have good (if ordinary-hu-
man) soldiers and seem reluctant to make
the trade-off that The Syndicate made in
giving Hecatomb a city to run (that being
if he ever disagreed with the Syndicate
heads in Chicago the results would be
apocalyptic--for Chicago). Instead they use
their remarkable wealth to hire Operators
(CAT-3 Luminary mercenaries) when they
need to deal with a Luminary threat. They
also have a couple of specific Operators on
retainer--Hero Jet and Chicago Fire.
The Russians are more scattered, smaller
in scale and less entrenched in the polit-
ical and police workings of Holiday City
than the Syndicate, but they have some

110
Hiro Jet
(a.k.a. Yesipov Sergie Illyich)
Basic Information “friend” to a hapless victim and then waiting while The Gun does
Class CAT-3 its work.
Threat Level Red (Psychotic Assassin) According to the analysis by the technicians, The Gun--as well as
Biology Human Male, Aged 29 its user, in all probability, is an active psychopath, taking pleasure
Power Exotic Weapon and feeling driven to kill. If there aren’t enough paid targets on
M.O. Operator the list and The Gun is restless, it may pick someone--preferably a
Known Associates The Russians hard-target--and, as The Gun enjoys ‘playing’ it may even have Yesi
Known Body Count: 19
warn them he is coming.
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 20
Property Damage: None

Appearance
Hiro Jet appears as “Russian Muscle” (tattoos, mean looking, etc.)
with a “plastic” (really high-impact ceramic, polymer, and carbon
fiber) high-tech large-frame handgun.

Abilities and Powers

HiroJet’s weapon is an extremely power-
ful long-range advanced technology weapon that is
capable of engaging numerous targets simultaneously and
can damage or kill other Luminaries.

Personality and History

HiroJet is believed to be the name that the Russian
gave himself as a mispronunciation of the word
“Gyrojet”--the weapon does fire guided rockets
and can achieve lock-on.
Yesipov was part of an Eastern Bloc cyber-
netic weapons program that attempted to
link his nervous system to a rocket-gun
with an onboard targeting computer us-
ing deep neural networks to acquire and
engage targets. The project was a significant
success until Yesi took the weapon and fled--leav-
ing the lab, then the country, and then resurfacing in
America as a high-end assassin for the Russian outfit.
According to technology specs released by hackers, however, it
is not exactly Yesipov doing the killing. The gun itself can, when
held, assert control over weak minds. Yesi has used this trick to kill
targets he wouldn’t otherwise be able to get close to: lending his

111
Chicago Fire
(a.k.a. Claud Halon)
Basic Information Abilities and Powers
Class CAT-3 Chicago Fire’s modifications give him a cybernetic incinerator unit
Threat Level Red (Pyromaniac Hired Killer) (a cyber-flamethrower), defensive plating and internal reinforce-
Biology Human Male, Aged 39 ment, and the ability to create a defensive ring of fire.
Power Cybernetics, Incendiary Weapons
Personality and History
M.O. Operator
Claud Halon’s appreciation for fire goes all the way back. He loves
Known Associates The Russians
to see things burn out of control. He loves to be the one who sets
Known Body Count: 4
the flame. If you absolutely, positively, need the neighborhood
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 17 burnt to to the ground, he’s the man to call. Claud will do subtle
Property Damage: 500k+ jobs for money; big, spectacular jobs for love. The jobs he loves
best are the ones where he gets to go wild -- set everything ablaze.
Appearance
And laugh as it goes up around him. He’s professional, but even so,
Dirty brown trench-coat, gasmask, air-tank, flamethrower. Hands people who have to work with him tend to be on their toes. Over
wrapped. Smouldering or even burning. the years, he’s done himself a lot of damage, but he doesn’t mind.
The modifications he’s had made let him stay even closer to the
action; get right up and personal.

112
‘The Bear’ (Mother Bear)
If Organized Crime is characterized by its hierarchy, its manpower and funding, and its reach into politics and City Hall, the last force that
qualifies for a top position (if not having the lengthy formal hierarchy or much use for politics) is Mother Bear’s organization.
Mother Bear, a CAT-5 Luminary who is both super-strong and, literally, indestructible to any common physical, energy, or biology-based
attack, moved into the barens out to the west of Holiday City perhaps two years ago. Her operation is a simple one: she has technicians
who create new synthetic drugs, a cadre of young women who sell them in her target location, and a chapter of the Ground War Motorcycle
Club who provide “ordinary” muscle where necessary.
Her chief lieutenant, a young girl who goes by LizardBreath is a CAT-4 Luminary that can transform into a dragon-like creature. One CAT-5
Luminary is bad enough--a CAT-5 and a CAT-4 is a daunting amount of power.
When Mother Bear moves into an area (she has done this a couple of times in the past), she will have her forces conduct reconnaissance
and determine where the best places are to sell her wares--and then send in her “cubs” to conduct business.
Ground War handles physical security for the sales-agents (as well as conducting any bulk deals) and will engage with any attempt to
rob the girls or harm them.
If someone does manage to rob or harm them--especially harm--then Mother Bear becomes involved--and similar to her namesake, even
Luminary heavy organized crime and edge-lord gangs really don’t want a force of nature like that coming after them.
LizardBreath usually works with Ground War, providing Luminary security for major operations, handling any specific problem Ground
War is unsuited to, and dealing with lower-category Luminaries who are threatening the operation.
Mother Bear’s drugs are typically more like Ecstasy than heroin and her chemists are well paid so as to try to keep side effects down (in
some cases, for some locals, due to the drugs being chemically unique, they are not even necessarily illegal). Usually both law enforce-
ment and Organized Crime would rather contain the situation rather than attack it head on.
Of course something always goes wrong.

113
Mother Bear
(real name unknown)
Basic Information the destruction was remarkable as well as her resistance to several
Class CAT-5 high-powered weapons.
Threat Level Red (Crime Lord) She was “allowed to leave” rather than being followed after multi-
Biology Non-Human Biology, Female Aged mid 40’s ple departments had engaged unsuccessfully with her.
Power Indestructible, Super Strength When she resurfaced it was as the matron of a criminal enterprise.
M.O. Crime Lord Mother Bear shows a good mind for business as well as project-
Known Associates Lizard Breath ing a friendly demeanor that has been described as “aunt-ish,” by
Known Body Count: 12 some. She is protective of her employees--allegedly treating them
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 35 “more like family” (yet still sending them out to sell drugs) but by
Property Damage: 200k
all accounts runs a tight and disciplined organization.
Under her control, Ground War has become both better trained
Appearance and less violent than their traditional modus operandi suggests.
Mother Bear appears as an overweight African American woman.
She sometimes wears African inspired dress or jewelry but seems
to be of purely American upbringing.

Abilities and Powers

Mother Bear is immune to physical force or en-
ergy and has no biological weaknesses. She
can eat--but does not grow hungry, does
not need to breathe, etc. She is excep-
tionally strong, able to lift cars and de-
stroy large support pillars with some
effort.

Personality and History

The first registered appearance
of Mother Bear is in a Detroit
Department of Motor Vehicles
building where, following both a
verbal altercation with a clerk and
then, as she was leaving, apparently
witnessing what she considered to be
mistreatment of another young driver,
she evidenced her power, thoroughly de-
stroying the entire DMV and showing no
concern for several waves of police and other
security who tried to stop her. While few persons
were injured during the hour-long engagement
(several police were injured after tearing her clothes)

114
Lizard Breath
(a.k.a. Elizabeth Wattson)
Basic Information NOTE: The name ‘LizardBreath’ comes from the teasing she got in
Class CAT-4 her foster home from her brothers. She does not, as some have
Threat Level RED assumed, actually breathe fire.
Human Female, Aged approx 19
Biology
Reptilian battleform, 800 kilos
Power Transformation
M.O. Lieutenant
Known Associates Mother Bear
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 40
Property Damage: 250k

Appearance
In her human form she looks like a somewhat surly disaffected
teenager. In her transform: A large semi-”Asian” dragon.

Abilities and Powers

LizardBreath transforms into a semi-reptilian “battle-form” able to
cause extreme damage, highly resilient, and loaded with bio-weap-
ons. She has a very high ground speed--but cannot actually fly (de-
spite small vestigial wings)

Personality and History

Elizabeth grew up in a foster home with several other kids-
-and it never quite felt right. She was strange, moody,
perhaps depressed--and her foster parents were nev-
er especially sympathetic. When she was 16, she left
home--striking out on her own.
Somewhere, out in the rain and desolation, the thing
she felt growing inside her--had felt for years--came
boiling out along a deserted stretch of high-
way where she had finally sat down--unable
to keep walking.
Now she works for Mother Bear--as her primary
lieutenant. She is still very much the insecure,
often disaffected teenager--but now she has a job.
She is reluctant to transform unless things get bad-
-in her human form she has the damage points and armor
(although it is not visible unless she is hit). She gets the
other advantages when she changes shape.

115
Sultan
If The Syndicate plays in the big money and high-powered area and the Russians control the street-crime, hard drugs, and other unsavory
business, there’s one section of town that neither of them have a firm grasp over--some of the most valuable real estate in Holiday City:
The Docks.
An entity calling himself ‘Sultan’ runs a broad swath of the docks with his own soldiers, enforcers, and code. He is a Category 5 Luminary
with the ability to create “carbon copies” of targets he has interacted with.
His ability is one that scares even other powerful Luminaries since the copies are loyal to him and, if they are in the CAT-1 to CAT-3 power
range, can have operating versions of their abilities. He can use them to infiltrate or even betray / murder targets in a fightening manner
(he actually seems to be extremely restrained in his use of the duplicating power--but the potential is there).
Not all of the substantial dock-space is controlled by Sultan, but a lot of it is, and over a short period of time he has made a list of enemies
that would leave a less powerful player long dead.
People fear that if he decides to reignite his ambitions, he will find himself clashing with the full might of the Russian organization or
the power of the Syndicate--and any such confrontation could be bloody and disruptive beyond ordinary measure.

116
Sultan
(a.k.a. Real name unknown)
Basic Information makes him a fearsome opponent as he can use them as disposable
Class CAT-5 soldiers or infiltrators against enemies.
Threat Level RED (Crime Lord) He has shown a marked reluctance to use copies to perpetrate
Biology Human Male, approximately 39 years of age crimes in order to implicate the subject--perhaps because no one
Strength and resilience, ability to create dupli- would ever meet with him if he did. In any event, he has proven a
Power dangerous and powerful Luminary who seems content with a mid-
cates of beings he has met
M.O. Crime Lord sized criminal empire and is too dangerous for either The Syndicate
Known Associates Null & Void, Search & Destroy or the Russians to simply eradicate.
Known Body Count: 4 Some are concerned that he has larger long-range interests and
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 9
is simply biding his time. He is also apparently well studied in the
Esoteric Arts and has brought in and conducts trade of Esoteric
Property Damage: none
Artifacts.
Appearance
Sultan appears as a handsome muscular middle eastern man in
early middle age. When operating in his “official capacity” he some-
times wears clothing in a modernized approximation of traditional
dress. He speaks multiple languages fluently.

Abilities and Powers

In addition to extreme strength and resilience, Sultan is able to
create semi-permanent “copies” of people he has met. These cop-
ies have some of the memories and versions of Luminary Powers
(albeit in some cases less powerful than the owners) but are under
the control of / extremely loyal to Sultan.

Personality and History

Sultan came to Holiday City several years ago and quickly estab-
lished himself as a highly skilled leader whose area of intense
focus is the dockyards. He controls a broad swath of those with his
interests in all illegal (and much legal) shipping.
This was highly contested and valuable ground--but he was able
to assert and maintain control while also impressing the other
Organized Crime families with his strategic decisions, his organi-
zational prowess, and that he was willing to be reasonable (within
limits) and keep his word.
He travels with two Luminary bodyguards (Null & Void) and has
brought the CAT-3 Operational Dyad mercenaries Search & Destroy
into his operation.
His ability to create copies of people he has only temporarily met

117
Major Gangs - The Code Disciples
The Code Disciples are a North American white supremacist gang most active in the midwest and on the east coast. The group is led by a
“Council of Three” who use code names in all communications and carefully protect their whereabouts and real identities.
They are highly funded--having sympathisers in the ranks of some industries and several large religious organizations that funnel money
to them. They also are active in the Oxycontin drug trade and marijuana (which they sell at discounted rates for recruitment purposes).
The Holiday City branch is based in Morris Terrace where they have several safe-houses, contacts in law enforcement, and more than one
large-scale operation in place.
More importantly, they count several Luminaries among their ranks. Although their activity outside of Morris Terrace is limited to specific
engagements (rarely do the Code Disciples field their Luminaries for fear of losing them as many other Luminaries consider their presence
somewhere “fair game”) but they also keep them in reserve as much as possible as a standing threat to law enforcement should the law
ever move against them in a substantial fashion.

118
Nord Wolf
(a.k.a. David Nolte)
Basic Information
Class CAT-1
Threat Level RED (White Supremacist)
Biology Human Male aged 26
Power Cybernetic Enhancement, Enhanced reflexes
M.O. Soldier for Code Disciples
Known Associates Code Disciples
Known Body Count: 3
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 17
Property Damage: none

Appearance
A heavily tattooed skinhead with glowing (cybernetic) eyes and
mechanical legs.

Abilities and Powers

Powerful machine legs, enhanced reflexes, and a cybernetic eye
that can perform weapon scans and thermal vision. He is capable
of dealing lethal blows with his legs--able to smash through cars
or reinforced doors with a single kick.

Personality and History

David Nolte believed that he was, genetically, the Aryan Superman-
-working out extensively, training to fight obsessively, and absorb-
ing enormous amounts of propaganda about how he would be one
of the chosen warriors in the coming Race War.
Believing himself to be unbeatable, he sought out and engaged
fighters far more skilled (he was pretty average) than himself--and,
eventually, in a ring-match where he had challenged his opponent
with racial taunts to “battle to the death” he got both arms broken
and lost an eye.
The Code Disciples rebuilt him--but he doesn’t look remotely nor-
mal. Now he hangs out in The Terrace, menacing any normal peo-
ple who happen upon him and sometimes taking part in “raids”
or other events that require Luminary muscle.

119
Hel
(a.k.a. Amanda Pierce)
Basic Information
Class CAT-2
Threat Level RED (White Supremacist)
Biology Human Female Aged 21
Mutated Appearance, enhanced reflexes, Force
Power
Projection
M.O. Soldier for Code Disciples
Known Associates Code Disciples
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 12
Property Damage: none

Appearance
Hel is bone-white with black designs on her body (which is, in fact,
an armored shell). She has curved ram’s horns.

Abilities and Powers

Hel is quick and has exceptional reflexes. She is able to fight at an
elevated level. She is also able to generate both Force Punches /
Kicks and, given more time, a powerful Force Blast, all of which
impart a kinetic vector to their targets, sending them flying.

Personality and History

Amanda Pierce was kicked out of her home at the age of 14 by
parents who would not accept a mutant--and especially a demon-
ic looking--daughter. Angry, and lost, she was recruited by the
Disciples and has been part of their organization and their cause
for 8 years.
She is exceptionally cool personally--seeming almost unemotional
(she may be on “the spectrum”)--but she is not notably callous
and does personally prefer to avoid violence if she can. For the
Code Disciples she operates as “long range” artillery and a defen-
sive position as she can clear targets from the battlefield with her
force-effects.

120
Major Gangs - The Confraternity
The Confraternity is a gang that exists throughout several regions in the west and South West. They are largely ethnically Nigerian and
deal in guns, some drugs, and human trafficking. Although smaller in numbers than many other gangs, they have made a name for
themselves with fearless attacks on law enforcement and a high level of brutality.
Their domain is largely up through the “dark corridor” from South Harriet up through Victory Square, with tendrils reaching through
Northgate and into Kulver Down and even, rarely, Armitage.
Recently one of the major Luminaries in their roster, Blood Diamond, has made his base of operations Holiday City, effectively taking
over the previous chain of command--with some executions--and establishing a new rule in the south.

121
Blood Diamond
(real name unknown)
Basic Information he wishes to be--but his moods are temperamental and murderous.
Class CAT-4 The Nigerian Confraternity is not a well organized group--so he
Threat Level RED (Brutal Gang Warlord) holds little power outside his sphere of influence--but the mem-
Biology Non-Human Male, Aged 28
bers who have dealt with him respect his ambition, fearlessness,
and nearly inexhaustible appetite.
Power Colonized with a crystalline substance.
M.O. Confraternity Warlord
Known Associates Nigerian Confraternity
Known Body Count: 38
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 29
Property Damage: 60k

Appearance
Blood Diamond dresses in paramilitary garb. He is dark skinned,
has tribal-style tattoos, and reddish crystal growths from his skin.

Abilities and Powers

Blood Diamond has ex-
tremely powerful re-
generation abilities and
exceptional strength and
durability. He is able to lash
out with crystalline blades/whips.

Personality and History

Little is known about the ordinary life of Blood Diamond before he
came to the United States. He is known to have led insurgency forc-
es in Africa from a young age and, allegedly, took the crystal that
has colonized him from a captured diamond mine in South Africa.
In the United States he claimed the upper ranks of the
Confraternity, imposing his will wherever he goes and living as
an “American Warlord” in the slums and less populated empty
spaces on maps.
He brings with him a medieval strain of brutality, holding execu-
tions for his foes (often Confraternity members) and boldly chal-
lenging the status quo, law-enforcement, and other Luminaries.
Like a warlord, however, he is paranoid. He does not trust his advis-
ers, has no “real” friends, and moves around often--being careful
where he sleeps and traveling with an entourage of ordinary--if
heavily armed--security.
He has been described as moderately charming in person when

122
Game Designer’s Notes for Mean Streets
Games
Playing a “Mean Streets” game in Holiday City will likely revolve around smaller, more local dramas than a higher-powered game. At this
level, Luminaries do commit crimes (sometimes for money, sometimes for no really good reason). There is a need for someone to stand up
to predatory Luminaries in the bad parts of town (where the Brave Defenders of the Status Quo are keeping the peace in the good part).
We think campaigns will include primary, secondary, and tertiary enemies. The Primary enemies will be Luminaries who are not affiliated
with larger organizations. They can run unchecked indefinitely until another Luminary stops them (which won’t happen for groups like
The Tower unless they make the wrong kind of trouble in the wrong kinds of places).
Primary enemies are the most visible--they are causing problems or even mayhem right now--as no one can really stop them.
Examples would be people like Brutalist and his cadre, Roid Rage, and other loose cannons who have no restraint and little long-range
planning.
Secondary enemies are a bit more subtle. Secondary enemies would be the smaller gangs or more subtle organizations. Local gangs
with Luminary back-up, semi-independent projects with illegal operations or partial backing, and Luminary groups or operatives who
have a lower-profile / better operational plan than just breaking things.
Examples would be people like Bad News, who is a Luminary-Driven problem--but one who is careful enough not to be visible by a routine
patrol. Operational Dyads like Business & Pleasure are connected to Organized Crime and will operate with some measure of support
but are not running major operations. Heavy Caesar isn’t a subtle guy--but the Keys have (perhaps barely) enough savvy to keep him
from leaving a trail of wreckage and carnage back to their hideouts.
Above this level are the organized crime elements. The Russians, the white supreamist groups, the Syndicate. Making headway here is
hard--and everything you push on at this level pushes back. Still, while both major OC groups can throw some heavy weight around, the
fact is that they will only have so much focus to spend on Street-Level Luminaries.
Rather than drawing Hecatomb a group of CAT-2 Luminaries are more likely to get the attention of Red Anthony, Mr. Green, or a Russian
liquidation team.
If they can take all comers, rather than throwing more and more money--and heavier firepower--at the characters they might try to cut
a deal, buy them off, or even cut their losers for a section of town: it wouldn’t be easy--but it makes more sense than paying 100k for
RedLine to go after a team of 4 people that, if she meets them all at once, might be able to take her.

Other Games on the Streets

Cleaning up the streets is only part of the Mean Streets game. There are things percolating and brewing in the dark sections. There is
an underground fighting circuit and a martial arts community that has some esoteric secrets at the bottom of it. There are black-budget
illegal technology cybernetic laboritories and human trafficking and other secrets out there.
There are things that need monitoring or taking care of that aren’t just criminal activity. There are psychic private eyes solving cases most
people wouldn’t believe could exist. There are loose threads that when pulled unravel plans at the top of City Hall. There are lots of things
out there--don’t limit yourself and have fun!

123
I Need A Hero - Super Heroics In Holiday City
The streets have their drama in the shadows--in the under- • The Monsters - Luminaries who are frighteningly non-human.
world--and in the dark places. High school is its own world--its own
universe, nearly impervious to the adults outside of it. Outside, in Operators - Gray Brand, Mercenaries
that wider world are the heroes and villains of Holiday City. The term “Operator” usually refers to a CAT-3 Luminary who takes
If your game takes place here, you’re probably not at the top of the on jobs for money. Often these jobs are on the bad-side of the law
food chain--but you’ve got a chance at it: here, at this power-level, and there are enough Luminaries that do Murder For Hire that for
you can make a tectonic difference. a bunch of people, hearing you’re an Operator means they just
assume you kill people (for money).
The Two Scales: CAT-3 and CAT-4 Operators are not quite rich and not exactly famous. They tend to
If you are playing this game, the Players (including the GM) should do very well though and so long as they generally behave them-
choose between CAT-3 (128 AP) and CAT-4 (256 AP) characters. At selves with regard to the more powerful Luminaries and potential
CAT-3 you’re in the rarefied Luminary Society club. At CAT-4, you’re employers, they usually don’t have to resort to the embarrassing
a powerhouse. “Grocery shopping but not paying, because I’m a Luminary” thing.
In terms of making these decisions, it mostly comes down to what Edgy Luminary fans view them slightly differently -- they’re ac-
stories are appealing to you and how many of the foes in the book tion-movie bad-asses who live lives of glamor and adventure, who
you want to use (at CAT-3, virtually everyone listed can be in play. are incredibly cool -- maybe even cooler for being so dangerous.
At CAT-4, most of the Street characters won’t rate). Deadly Celebrities - Glamorous Luminaries and
The High Powered Society- Luminary Super Media Hounds
There is a breed of Luminary that isn’t so much interested in flexing
Society at CAT-3 and Higher their power as simply reaping the rewards. In this category are peo-
Luminaries at CAT-3 and higher get the full-force Luminary “su- ple like the rare fusions of rockstar or movie stars who Illuminate
per-star” treatment: if you’re a known Luminary (at that level) peo- while having a lucrative career (which usually derails spectacular-
ple will get out of your way. If you decide to see a movie, the owner ly--fans tend to shift radically when one Illuminates). This category
will see to it that you get the best seat. also involves Luminaries who are glamorous in some way because
Unless your Brand is dark gray or worse, people want you in their of their abilities. This doesn’t just mean being “super pretty” (al-
shop. Places where Luminaries shop are the best of the best--even though, yes, that’s actually a big one)--but also media savvy and
if they really aren’t and even if the Luminaries don’t pay. drama-heavy enough to be watchable.
If your Brand is Light, folks will ask you for autographs and to take Some Luminaries enjoy having film-crews follow them around
photos with them. Tourists will gawk. There’s at least a chance any- and there are enough fans to make this profitable both for the
one might know you (assuming you are willing and able to be show-makers and the Luminaries (although being a Luminary film-
known). er is sometimes deadly dangerous for the film-crew either because
And, of course, you mingle. There are a few different “clubs” in of collateral damage or because the Luminary they are filming is
Luminary Society and this is how they work (and many people a horrible person and decides for whatever reason to kill some of
move between them). These are: them--that happens too).
• The Operators - Gray Brand mercenaries. If you are CAT-3 or CAT-4 and have decent stage presence and a flair
for the dramatic, you can get a pretty good living (in the low-end
• Deadly Celebrities - Glamorous Luminaries or Less Glamorous
case around 500k / year--for the real stars? In the millions) just
Media Hounds
being filmed.
• Brave Defenders of the Status Quo - Corporate Heroes
Of course to get this you have to really be captivating which means
• Heels / Super Villains - Playing Their Part

124
either treating people badly--which it turns out there is a ready au- neighborhoods, or resources? Yep--they can do that. Building
dience for--or having a very interesting and very public life--which overly elaborate death traps and / or not caring about ordinary
has led to some of the studios “arranging” for dramatic things to people? It’s not a requirement--but it turns out that for the right
happen, sometimes without telling the Luminary in question. kind of person that is gratifying.
These sorts mix with ordinary high society and often have connec- In the world of Luminaries there are--for whatever the reason--peo-
tions both within and outside of the Luminary worlds. ple who, while they might not call themselves “Supervillains” (a
good way to get laughed at in Luminary Society) play the part
Brave Defenders of the Status Quo - Corporate perfectly.
Heroes
And if you do that, other Luminaries will take notice--and many
Super Heroics has a problem Villany doesn’t: you have to pretend even respect it. Sure, it’s way, way, way over the top--but being a
to be perfect. Oh, sure, people know you’re not really a paragon of Luminary is already over the top Go Big, Friend. Go. Big.
virtue. They know you’re just as morally fallible as any of us--just
able to bench press a Bentley. The Monsters
The problem comes with the cognitive dissonance that we expect The Monsters are a category that isn’t generally spoken of as a
our super heroes to have super hero character regardless of what “term” (even by people in the know--they might hear). To be cate-
our brains know is the case. gorized here you must be at least Category 4 (more likely Category
Much has been written about the backlash--but the fact is: most 5) and have an element of dangerous, frightening monstrousness
Luminaries don’t spend their time trying to present themselves as about you.
defenders of an iconic Truth and Justice--far more common is the
In JAGS Holiday City, the players are expected to play actual
“Corporate Hero.”
heroes--even if they have a grayer public Brand. While there
The term, used by people who don’t like them (Luminaries usually are quite a few “good guys” or “guys who are supposed to be
do not refer to themselves as “Corporate Heroes” unless it is bitterly good” (and sort-of do, sort-of don’t qualify) the active Super
ironic) is more about the character of the heroics rather than par- Team doesn’t fit the Hero model and the scattered do-gooders
ticularly corporate sponsorship (although that does happen too). aren’t making enough of a difference.
Many--some would say too many--‘super teams’ are simply Holiday City needs heroes--whether they’re up to it or not? Well,
“Defenders of the Status Quo.” In Holiday City, the authorized that depends.
Civilian Action Team, The Tower, takes this to an extreme, some-
times going out to bring in crime fighters who are simply being
too effective and disrupting things too much. The Operators
That said, atomic monsters rampaging downtown or Luminaries on Operators exist in a space between the CAT-2 Street Luminaries
a mass murder spree really are bad for business so The Tower does who are generally not part of “Luminary Society” (no one invites
do a lot of good--but never forget that a lot of these groups work Heavy Caesar to award ceremonies or black-tie parties) and the
for City Hall rather than the Citizens themselves. High Society CAT-4 personas who may be known across the globe.
They are powerful enough to be in demand for hundreds of thou-
Super Villains - Heels Playing The Part Perfectly sands of dollars a job--but not quite so powerful as to be immune
If Superheroes don’t quite pan out due to human nature (in most to the needs of money (they usually want to live a pretty flashy
cases), it turns out there is a stereotype close by that does: Super / expensive lifestyle too--which doesn’t help). The kinds of jobs
Villains. Grand plans, bombastic speeches, outrageous codenames Operators do are:
and costumes? That works.
Private islands, plans to seize and control entire countries,

125
126
• Ultra-Executive Security - bodyguards to the really, really rich and they may hang out from time to time with the expectation that if
famous (usually for limited engagements) ordinary people do come in, they won’t be pestered for interviews,
• Site “Security” for Organized Crime. (if a casino or drug lab is autographs, or selfies (these are usually in what most people would
targeted by another OC crime threat, setting up an Operator or consider the Very Bad Part of Town--but a few exist in private clubs
two there will usually neutralize it). where the management is friendly with one or more Operators).
• Dealing With Other Luminaries. If you want to talk to a CAT 3+ Operators tend to be fiercely “solo” in the larger sense--but do
Luminary (either to deliver a message, “deliver a message,” or work together in some cases (either if explicitly hired to do so--or
maybe even work-something-out that they might not like? You in some cases, they may make a good team).
send an Operator--it minimizes the chance of violence (or at least Operators have at best Gray Brands--no one with a Light Brand
violence you’re on the wrong side of). would be considered (by the larger populace) “an Operator”--they
• Hyper-Muscle. Legitimate organizations sometimes employ are considered risky to be around (some, outright dangerous) and
Operators during legal meetings or negotiations--just to scowl. with very, very fluid / flexible morals. Not all of them are killers--but
the public perception is that they are.
• Murder-For-Hire. This is the big one. Just having the potential
to hire an Operator scares people. For an ordinary person--even
one with exceptional--but ordinary security--there is no defense.
• Hard-Target-Penetration. If you want to take something or do
something in a heavily defended place (like a Jewelry Exchange?
A Private Super-Lab?) You send in one or more Operators. They
get the job done.

Operator Society
Operators in a region usually have their own version of Luminary
Society. They usually know each other (or, at least, a few others)
and have some loose conventions about killing each other (a job
is a job, though--some of them are in demand because they can
kill other Luminaries). There are so-called Operator Bars where

127
B.O.H.I.C.A.
(a.k.a. Douglas Bates)
political activist and man of the people but has little by way of
Basic Information
guiding philosophy.
Class CAT-3
Allegations that he is allowed to remain free and unencumbered
Threat Level Amber (Volatile)
by law-enforcement (or The Tower) because he is useful to numer-
Biology Human Male, Aged 24
ous political players are persistent -- but is is also the case that, left
Power Extreme Physiology
to his own devices, he may be criminal muscle for hire but is not
M.O. Operator
wantonly destructive. That would change if there were a serious
Known Associates Cougar, the Syndicate, the Russians, etc. attempt to bring him in.
We rate him Amber since he can be dangerous if angered and prox-
Known Body Count: 0
imity to him is not advised. If you are a
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 28
paid target he is undoubtedly RED--
Property Damage: 60k+ and he should always be treated
Appearance as dangerous.
BOHICA stands 7’2” Tall and weighs almost a ton--all of it mus-
cle. He is adorned with multiple tattoos detailing his political
philosophy1.

Abilities and Powers

BOHICA’s powers come from a combination of power-
lifting, a possible mutant physiology, and, according to
sources [ unverified ] exotic chemical enhancements.
He is enormously strong and durable and able to flood
his system with an adrenaline-like substance making
him highly resistant to pain. His blood is also highly
acidic should he be punctured2.

Personality and History

Bates served in the Army as a Private and, due to a combination of
political pretensions and an abject inability to follow orders, he
was AWOL long before he could be court marshalled. He says he
Illuminated in Holiday City, chasing, and finding, a legendary
set of workout supplements that gave him is current paranat-
ural physique.
Today he works as an operator--available to any interest who
will pay--and he doesn’t ask a lot of questions.
BOHICA doesn’t really hide--it wouldn’t work: he’s just
not that hard to find. He also curtails any criminal incli-
nations he might have in public. He fancies himself a

1 Ron Paul!
2 Do Not Puncture BOHICA

128
Redline
(a.k.a. Amelia ‘Ami’ Cammal)
the authorities and The Tower (although the former would be un-
Basic Information
likely to take direct action due to the body count it would cause).
Class CAT-3
She has shown an interest in “upping her game” and moving
Threat Level Red (Lethal Proclivities)
through the ranks of Luminary society
Biology Human Female, Aged 22
where she is reasonably well regarded
Power Paranatural Firearms skill, Extreme Reflexes
due to her lethality with her cho-
M.O. Operator
sen weapons.
Known Associates Hawaiian Sling, the Syndicate, the Russians, etc. In person it is highly advised
that any civilian encountering
Known Body Count: 22 [possibly much higher]
her remove themselves from the
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 17
area--standing in her way--to any
Property Damage: None degree--could be an instant
Appearance death sentence if she de-
cides to make it one and
Redline appears as a serious young woman wearing a red
she has little in the
outfit, tinted glasses, and carrying twin highly modified
way of emotional
.45 long-slide automatics with silencers.
restraints.
Abilities and Powers
Redline’s metahuman capability is pre-
cision shooting. She can kill targets,
including those wearing body armor,
having superhumanly strong skin or
otherwise considered immune to
bullets. The exact nature of this
ability is subject to debate (her
guns have subtle custom modifications, but are not, themselves,
supernaturally dangerous).. She has highly developed reflexes and
is dangerous in hand-to-hand combat. Her outfit is lightly armored.

Personality and History

Redline works primarily with the Syndicate as a hit-woman, doing
murder for hire. She began her current profession at the age of
15 with the massacre of six “mean-girls” who had, allegedly, tor-
mented her relentlessly throughout her first year of high school.
Her attitude is that of a stone-cold killer--however she has said in
(rare) interviews she has refused jobs requiring the liquidation of
kids and uninvolved family members of criminals. She most likes
killing Luminaries (Category 0-1) who have elected to take on her
employers.
Redline lives her life in private--she has outstanding warrants from

129
Cougar
(a.k.a. Lissa Light)
is capable of dismembering even Luminary Level opponents in a
Basic Information
matter of moments. Some sources claim she has a sonic-weapon
Class CAT-3
“Cougar’s Roar” which can “demolish a car.” This is unconfirmed
Threat Level Amber (high potential for lethal violence) and frankly doesn’t seem to fit with her theme / power set.
Biology Human Female, Aged 43 (approx.)
Paranatural Reflexes, bio-weapons, enhanced Personality and History
Power
senses Whatever Illuminated her, it happened later in life after her di-
M.O. Operator vorce--before she went “back on the prowl.” She has decided that
life in the spotlight--as a Luminary--is far more dynamic, exciting,
Known Associates BOHICA, the Syndicate, the Russians, etc.
and rewarding than she’d ever imagined. Leaving her stultifying
Known Body Count: [Unclear] ‘housewife’ identity behind, she has set out on adventure--using
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 26 “odd jobs” as an operative to pay the bills (a stunning penthouse
apartment in Holiday City isn’t cheap) and raising her stature in
Property Damage: None
the Holiday City Luminary scene.
Appearance She has described herself as being in the “girls just-want-to-
A well-appointed woman in her 40’s wearing an orange-white have-fun’ stage of her life and seems to enjoy the transgressive
“catsuit” with spectacular heels. Armed with retractable roughhousing that comes with the darker, cruder side of Luminary
culture.
Her public profile is limited as she maintains a private identity.
Claims that her ex-husband died from a mysterious dismem-
berment are unconfirmed and, because of difficulties in press-
ing charges against costumed, code-name using Luminaries,
the HPCD have said they wish to question the individual
known as ‘Cougar’ but have refrained from issuing an ar-
rest warrant (not that they could bring her in if they tried).
Cougar gets invited to some fairly elite parties and known
claws. for taking jobs that require blinding speed, finesse, and a
woman’s touch.
Abilities
Her best-known associate is the lumbering pow-
and Powers
erhouse who calls himself BOHICA--but
Cougar is ex-
despite (or perhaps because of) his
traordinarily fast,
crudeness and her appreciation of
has extreme defen-
his physique, they seem to get
sive reflexes, able to
along just fine.
dodge gunfire and de-
flect/avoid Luminary level
attacks. While she tries to
avoid the mess that comes
with ripping into people
with her claws, if the
claws do come out, she

130
Harvest Moon
(real name unknown)
office job that “powers up the battery of resentment and rage” he
Basic Information
uses to energize his hate-filled killing strikes.
Class CAT-3
He has said that one day he’ll unleash on those around them and
Threat Level Red (Psychopath)
show them what a monster lurked unsuspected in their midst.
Biology Human Male, approximately mid-20’s
High reflexes, lethal energy-weapon from
Power
left-eye
M.O. Operator

Known Associates Solo operator

Known Body Count: 29

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 17
Property Damage: None

Appearance
Harvest Moon wears a black and orange trench coat with a feature-
less mask that covers his face--however his left-eye “burns through’
it, revealing smoldering embers.

Abilities and Powers

Harvest Moon fires a lethal beam of “Quantum Fire” from his left
eye. It is capable of penetrating deeply into even armored sub-
stances. He is immensely accurate with it, claiming he “never miss-
es” and is able to make “trick shots,” ricocheting it around cover.
He has highly developed reflexes and is a dangerous hand-to-hand
combatant.
Personality and History
Harvest Moon Never Misses. Or if he does (it’s rare), he’ll keep try-
ing until he finishes the job. He charges a high price and carefully
protects his rep for delivering on impossible commitments. Part
of that is his killer optics -- something normal targets can’t survive
-- but equally it’s how little his targets know about him. Apparently
non-descript when not “burning” and skilled at disguise, forgery,
and security systems, Harvest Moon’s M.O. is to appear unexpect-
edly and terrifyingly close to his victims before unleashing glowing
death.
The name? Apparently he thought it sounded cool (Harvester of
Souls), his mask is kinda... moon like? Maybe? And the orange
burning embers in his left eye arguably complete the picture.
YMMV, but if your mileage does, don’t bring it up with him when
he’s ‘in character.’ He has claimed to have a soul sucking low-status

131
Hawaiian Sling
(a.k.a. Milo Frick)
Sling’s codename seems to come from his adoption of the gauss
Basic Information
spears as his weapon of choice.
Class CAT-2
Threat Level Amber (Operator)
Biology Human Male, Aged 26
Extreme reflexes and strength, Cybernetic
Power
Weapon
M.O. Operator

Known Associates The Syndicate, the Russians, etc.

Known Body Count: 3

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 12
Property Damage: None

Appearance
A somewhat beefy man with a cybernetic arm. Known for dress-
ing in loud colors with a cybernetic prosthetic arm.

Abilities and Powers

Extreme reflexes, heightened durability and strength, cy-
bernetic gauss harpoon (right arm).

Personality and History

From personal accounts, Milo Frick (name unconfirmed) was
voted most-likely to end up on a beach somewhere by his high
school class, and while that was the dream, gambling debt and
a taste for making the hard calls brought him on a different path.
He started doing jobs to pay back his markers and then when he
was free and clear... kept going. He doesn’t come off as a planner,
but he’s put some thought into this. As the targets got bigger and
badder and immune to bullets, he invested in some upgrades that
put him in a whole different class. Today Milo handles a variety of
collections, security, and protection operations for his bosses. But
he’s mellowed a bit -- especially toward non-luminaries, usually
finding a way out that doesn’t involve bloodshed. But if his milli-
meter wave scanner says you’re bullet-proof, all bets are off. He’ll
do what needs to be done. Off the clock he’s a fun guy and a fixture
in the underground party scene.
NOTE: A Hawaiian Sling is a spear-fishing device using energy
stored in rubber tubing to propel an underwater spear. Hawaiian

132
Red Death
(a.k.a. Devon Prince)
In the Operator Scene, he is a private sector “contractor” whose
Basic Information
personal ideas about luminary superiority have slid toward the
Class CAT-3
extreme. On his own, he’s a growling party animal with a short
Threat Level Red (Luminary Supremacist) fuse and political pretentions
Biology Demi-Human Male, Aged 25
Regeneration (biological), Cybernetic upgrades,
Power
firearms
M.O. Operator

Known Associates Operator Society

Known Body Count: 2

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 17
Property Damage: None

Appearance
A man with cybernetic arms and legs and an oversized proto-
type military assault rifle.Veins and arteries glow red under
his skin.

Abilities and Powers

He was born with rapid healing / regeneration and had a num-
ber of upgrades made. He is highly skilled with firearms and
demolitions.

Personality and History

Devon came to illumination through an experimental alternative
to a Dishonorable Discharge and time in a military prison. His nat-
urally fast healing rate allowed him to absorb cybernetic upgrades
that would have killed most people--and it let him escape: he died
during the recovery process and they sent his body to “disposal.”
His body’s recovery system, kicked into overdrive, meant he never
quite made it there.
Devon Prince may have died on the operating table; Red Death was
born. Civilian life doesn’t always agree with him: he’s filled with
sneering contempt for the bulk of ordinary humanity and won’t
tolerate slowness ineptitude or anything but a sense of craven
supplication in ordinary people. While his long range goals (and
a lot of what he talks about) are political and ideological -- to see
Luminocracy instantiated, he’s taking his time to start the revolu-
tion, mostly doing jobs for people he respects (The Powers) that
keep him in beer and cocaine.

133
Cuberon
(a.k.a. Sam Pall)
never really wanted a “normal life.” Now, as Cuberon he is capable
Basic Information
of providing ever more exotic services to those with the wealth to
Class CAT-3
afford him.
Threat Level Red (Dangerous by Trade and Proximity)
NOTE: Cuberon is currently on a
Biology Non-Human Physiology Male, Aged 28
long-term (but non-exclusive)
Power Reality distortion field
contract to The Connoisseur,
M.O. Operator
a CAT-5 “Supervillain.”
Known Associates Operator Society, Chardonnay, The Connoisseur

Known Body Count: 8

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 9
Property Damage: None

Appearance
A twisted-perspective “cubist” humanoid whose features seem
to shift and align in evocative, disturbing ways as he moves,
distorting and damaging the world around him. On the job he
dresses in a black business suit.

Abilities and Powers

Cuberon creates a reality distortion field. Things attuned to it
(him, his clothes) come apart and reform in unpredictable but
visually mesmerizing ways. Anything not properly attuned to it
(walls, furniture, people who get too close) is torn apart in a “re-
ality sheer” that can keep corrupting and dimensionally flaying
a target after the contact stops! Some of his kills are people who
accidentally encountered his field while it was active.

Personality and History

Sam Pall was an agent for the super-wealthy. His exact duties var-
ied by client, but often required extreme discretion. One of the
least illegal of his activities concerned the procurement of stolen
art. Sam was always in demand. His taste and eye were exquisite,
his judgement reliable. His ethics infinitely flexible, which is to say,
non-existent. The Transmission that warped him was the result of
a series of incredibly unlucky coincidence and a terrible error in
judgement, but when it was over, it left him forever changed -- a
renegade from a “cubist” perspective that infects him and travels
with him. He can control it and contain it and live a “normal life” for
awhile, but it always comes back, shifting him into a monstrosity
and shredding or deforming everything around him. But then Sam

134
Chardonnay3
(a.k.a. Alison Bardling)
NOTE: Chardonnay is currently on a long-term (but
Basic Information
non-exclusive) contract to The Connoisseur, a CAT-5
Class CAT-3
“Supervillain.”
Threat Level Red (Morally elastic operative)
Biology Human Female Aged 31
Power Coherent Energy Creation / Projection
M.O. Operator

Known Associates Operator Society, Chardonnay, The Connoisseur

Known Body Count: 0

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 21
Property Damage: None

Appearance
A very fashionably dressed woman--elegant and sophisticated.
Carries a high-tech energy weapon, and, in combat, is cloaked in a
golden, flowing energy field

Abilities and Powers

Chardonnay has extreme reflexes and and olympian physiology.
She is able to create defensive and offensive “coherent energy”
fields of remarkably power. Her defensive field has an amber glow
and appears sparkly or even “bubbly,” like a wine.

Personality and History

Alison is a credentialed private detective and bodyguard. She has
the training and client list to prove it. She even owned her own
agency at one time, but she’s not good at managing her personal
life (financial, romantic, social) and ends up taking jobs that bring
her beyond the boundaries of the law because the money’s good
and she needs it. She’s come to terms with that -- her personal
code stops short of murder or the harassment of true innocents,
but there’s always work for someone willing to look the other way
while less squeamish partners handle the sticky bits. Chardonnay’s
work has gotten darker since she’s come to Holiday City, and some-
times she wonders if she’s in as much control as she likes to think
she is. Chardonnay is easy to underestimate; her opponents write
her off as a ditz or a hierling-bunny at their peril. She’s also better
at de-escalation than some other operatives and prefers to settle
problems for her patrons without violence, if possible
3 Alison’s alias made more sense when it was “Champaign” but the Connissure ‘reminded’ her that Champaign only properly applies to beverages from
a specific region of France and as she was not from that region, he ‘convinced’ her to use another name.

135
Symphony
(a.k.a. Curt Basil)
destructive, and enjoys the spotlight. The dual-full-auto shotguns
Basic Information
with 500 magazines fit that over-the-top aspect. The chrome is, too.
Class CAT-3
Curt likes challenging the powerful, and likes tangling with guys
Threat Level Amber (Heavily Armed Operator) above his level. He has ambitions that have taken him far beyond
Biology Human Male, Aged 26 the obedient soldier and then loyal company man he started out
Power Cybernetic augmentation as: Curt is in the game.
M.O. Operator
He generally prefers to stay out of prison, and does not take jobs
Known
Kingdom Security that are outright illegal (no contract killing), but he will gladly take
Associates
security jobs and will take “hits” on other Luminaries so long as it’s
Known Body Count: none illegal acceptable to leave them beaten -- but breathing.
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 18
Property Damage: None

Appearance
Symphony appears as a fairly advanced cyber-
netic alteration. He is tall, muscled, and has
plates.

Abilities and Powers

Enhanced reflexes, cyber-augmented re-
generation, armor and cybernetic weap-
onry (auto-fire shotguns and plasma
grenades)

Personality and History

Curt was given the opportunity to undergo
extreme cybernetic augmentation because
he’d proved his loyalty and skill to Kingdom
Inc. in the field, many times over. The initial
processes were subtle and internal, but he’s
found he likes getting stronger and they’ve found
that his tolerance for cybernetic augmentation is
exceptional.
Symphony started his life as an Operator as a
consummate professional -- military bearing,
understated cool in the field, mission-orient-
ed. As his body’s changed, so has his perspec-
tive. He still does jobs for Kingdom, but he’s
taking freelance work as well, and he’s start-
ed to establish a personal brand -- a
larger-than-life one, that’s loud, often

136
Search & Destroy
(a.k.a. James & Andrew Gilman)
didn’t take. Their story is that they were killed by an experimental
Basic Information
weapon but came back from wherever dead people go. They made
Class CAT-3
their way back to America, and into the Luminary scene. In the
Threat Level Red (Operators) decade since they returned, they’ve done freelance Operator work
Non-Living Biology, Male Aged 34, Male Aged including (according to them) jobs for the American Government.
Biology
36 Between their skills and experience and their superhuman abili-
Search: Exceptional Senses, see through walls ties, they make a formidable team.
Power
Destroy: Ability to project destructive power Recently, though, unaged--their goals have changed and they’ve
M.O. Operational Dyad told others they want out of the game. Quitting isn’t easy, though
Known Associates None -- the money is better-than-good and the past has a way of catching
up with you. For now, S&D live low-key lives in Holiday City, taking
Known Body Count: 12 (Destroy) jobs they have to.
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 21 NOTE: Threat-level assessment is controversial. There is no doubt
Property Damage: 30k that their ability to project indiscriminate violence and their (past)
willingness to do so rates a RED. Their current outlook is far less
Appearance dangerous, but they have made it clear they don’t intend to go to
Search is the younger brother who has slightly luminous eyes and prison. The RED rating remains.
washed out grayish skin. Destroy also has
a desaturated skin tone. He is 2” taller and
the older of the two. When his powers are
activated, Destroy’s skin glows with deadly
force.

Abilities and Powers

Search has powerful remote sensory ca-
pabilities--he is able to project his senses
through walls and over a wide area. He can
analyze individuals by looking at them. He
can expand his awareness over a wide area
to track prey or seek individuals. He is able
to link to other team members and receive
and transmit his sensory data.
Destroy is capable of projecting deadly
force--either in a beam or a cone. This has
been described as roughly equivalent to a
claymore mine.

Personality and History

Search and his brother, ‘Destroy’ both
served in combat operations in Afghanistan
in the 00’s. Both are listed KIA, but clearly it

137
Deadly Celebrities
The Media loves Luminaries and some Luminaries love the media. There are Luminary cooking shows, numerous “glamor magazines”
devoted to well known Luminaries and their dramas (and those wonderful outfits full of weird-science materials!). The in-the-door criteria
is being dramatic / camera friendly and CAT-3 or, (far better) CAT-4. The Ordinaries who buy this stuff like their Luminaries powerful. If
you’re a fit you can get the spotlight, the magazine cover, media stalkers, endorsements, and on-and-on. All you have to do is give up
your privacy.
If your Brand is Light that usually means you have a well regarded, probably wholesome, public persona (the “Martha Stewart” of
Luminaries or some such). If your Brand is Gray (or, in some cases, Dark) then you are simply an object-of-interest. That’s where the
‘Deadly’ part can come in.
Some fans, like those of serial killers, are drawn like moths-to-fire by the Dark Luminaries they follow. Meeting with them--especially if it
goes badly--can be terminal. In the case of CAT-3 Luminaries you usually can’t get away with the odd murder and keep your popularity,
thankfully--but with the CAT-4’s? Well, a segment of
the population . . . looks the other way.
There are a few of these types in Holiday City.

The Life-Celeb
Characters who have glamorous abilities,
Showmanship, and high Charisma scores can get
endorsements (if Light Branded or, in some cases,
“Light Gray” for edgier sponsors). If they have a talent
(such as restoring cars, cooking, or some other skill
that is unrelated to their Eminence) they can get their
own shows around that.
Luminaries whose behavior is dramatic, poorly
self-controlled, or prone to outbursts are natural me-
dia magnets and may have camera crews that follow
them with some regularity at a “safe distance.” Some
very brave (and usually very foolish) media stalkers
will follow Luminaries who don’t want the spotlight-
-but enough do--and the pictures pay--that it’s worth
it . . . sometimes.
Characters who have paid Archetype Points for fans
can expect favorable coverage and assistance even if
their behavior is fairly bad -- the Luminary scene is
quite forgiving. And while you generally won’t be rich
without paying for it, good-looking, media-friendly,
and exciting translates into a solid upper-middle
class lifestyle for doing nothing but showing up, a
few endorsements, and tolerating all the flash bulbs.

138
Meteoric
(a.k.a Remington Hale)
would-be boyfriend’s cars, apartments, and offices, and has been
Basic Information
unsuccessfully sued by over thirty citizens.
Class CAT-4
Making things worse, her very-public goal was to be married to her
Threat Level Amber (Volatile)
“Prince Charming” before she was 30. Having blown that deadline
Biology Human, Female Age 31
(and more than one Prince-Candidate’s sweet ride), she’s gotten
Power Energy Manipulation
more erratic and aggressive.
Reality TV Star
M.O. That said, she has a gentler side and can be empathetic and helpful
Socialite
on rare occasion (especially if doing so will make her look good
Known Associates None
on camera). When she’s not standing against the injustices of the
Known Body Count: 0 world (e.g. Tech Support that makes you give them your name
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 38 twice), she can be fun and engaging and she knows how to throw
Property Damage: 100k+ a party!

Appearance
Meteoric appears in a stylized custom uniform designed to
withstand her abilities. She is a glamorous looking (self-de-
scribed) woman who radiates light and energy..

Abilities and Powers

Meteoric can manipulate an incendiary energy she calls
the “Fire Force” (it is not actually what we think of as flame
but more of a controlled high-density plasma). She can use
it to fly, hurl bursts of damaging force, protect herself with
powerful shielding, and, if she chooses, explode in an 8
yard radius around her of significant destruction.

Personality and History

Meteoric is volatile. Her story is one of extreme and lit-
erally explosive over-reactions to the ordinary indignities
of modern life (waiting in line, out-of-stock merchandise,
declined credit cards, etc.) She acknowledges that ‘things
have happened’ but feels certain that her responses have
always been measured and appropriate -- especially given
that she’s been unfairly targeted by “ordinary people” who
are spiteful, jealous, and generally incompetent.
It does not help that she lives her life in an extremely pub-
lic manner -- on TV. The Remington Story -- her personal
reality TV show -- has chronicled her life and actions for 3
years. During that time she has destroyed two boutique
clothing shops, four nail salons, a fast food restaurant, two

139
Narcissus
(real name unknown)
vacant and ready when he arrives. Should a young lady catch his
Basic Information
eye, he expects her to come before him and adore him, as is his
Class CAT-3
right. To suggest he ought to do otherwise results in a ‘rebuke.’
Threat Level Red (Highly Volatile) Standing in his way -- a beating.
Biology Non-Human, Male Presentation, Age-Unknown
He adores attention and will go where the media is, inserting
Extreme Speed, High Strength, Very High
Power himself the way the moon inserts itself before the sun in a total
Durability
eclipse. He will grace the media and the world with his opinion of
M.O. Socialite
things and otherwise make everything about him. His appetites
Known Associates Echo
for attention and praise are apparently insatiable.
Known Body Count: 4
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 14
Property Damage: None

Appearance
Narcissus appears as an “anatomically perfect” man with marbled
skin -- a Renaissance Sculpture come to life. He wears a custom
“toga-like” uniform. He stands 6’2” but routinely describes / lists
his height as 6’6”

Abilities and Powers

Narcissus is extremely agile and able to move with paranatural
defensive reflexes. He is superhumanly strong with a recorded
bench-press in excess of 3,000 lbs and is largely immune to light
arms fire up to and including assault rifles.
Reports indicate he may have a low-grade psychoactive aura
which causes unusual levels of attraction in those nearby.

Personality and History

To say that “Narcissus is vain” is stating the obvious--and should
never be done within range of his hearing. He makes no secret of
his immensely high self-regard and no secret of his response to
slights (intentional or unintentional): sudden violence. Narcissus
expects to be treated as a king -- the most important person in the
room and failure to do so results in demonstrative punishment.
In the presence of other Luminaries he will show self-restraint but
in the with “ordinary people” he is quick to “rebuke” a slight with
a bone-shattering back-hand or worse.
Like all monarchs, he lives on the good will of His People -- ex-
pecting the best of everything, paying for nothing. “Shopping”
is him walking through the store, taking what he pleases. Dining
out is walking to the best table in the house -- and it better be

140
Echo
(a.k.a. Valerie Hawkins)
(including bringing him people he’s ‘interested’ in), and handling
Basic Information
the minutiae of daily life that is beneath him (e.g. dry-cleaning).
Class CAT-2
Unofficially, she sees herself as a defender of his reputation and
Threat Level Red (Highly Volatile)
honor and if she hears of him being disparaged or (even worse)
Biology Human Female, Age 23
rejected, she will respond--at times with deadly force. She carries
Power Exotic Training, High Reflexes
normal arrows but also Taser Shock and Explosive munitions which
M.O. Sycophant
she has been known to use without warning on “hecklers.”
Known Associates Narcissus
Off the clock (i.e. away from Narcissus), her behavior is no less dis-
Known Body Count: 5
turbing -- punctuated with petty rivalries and interpreted slights
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 28 that can turn violent or even murderous with little warning.
Property Damage: 20k+

Appearance
Echo is an attractive athletic woman in her early 20’s.
She wears a stylized combat-oriented bodysuit and
carries a customized bow.

Abilities and Powers

Echo has reached Eminent Levels of reflexes and ca-
pability with her bow.

Personality and History

While many people are, at least temporarily, obsessed
with Narcissus, most are quickly disabused of their
fantasies.
Not so, Valerie Hawkins, an olympic archery hopeful
who, upon meeting and interacting with Narcissus,
became a person obsessed with him.
Already conventionally beautify, Valerie, on learning
that Narcissus did not have just high--but astronomi-
cal standards in a follower he would tolerate--began a
two year regimine of combat archery training, physical
response improvement, and hypnotically enhanced
“self control.”
She did not capture his heart (it was already taken -- by
him), but she did manage to become his permanent
personal assistant, follower, and believer. For now, for
her, that’s enough.
Her formal duties involve coordinating his schedule
and communicating, procuring entertainment for him

141
Impatient
(a.k.a. Beatrice “Trice” Logram)
philosophy into practice and
Basic Information
shows how it has worked
Class CAT-4
out so well for her.
Threat Level Green
Biology Human Female, Age 35
Extreme speed (over 200 mph ground speed),
Power
Ultra-Reflexes
M.O. Celebrity - Has Own Lifestyle Brand
Known Associates Luminary High Society
Known Body Count: 0
Inflicted Injury: 7
Violence Index
Property Damage: 160k (Hotel room damage
when emotionally distressed)

Appearance
Beautiful, elegant woman with a winning smile, camera-ready
smile and style. Dress, shoes and hair are subtly styled to look good
in the high velocity she lives at. Carries a 3-sectioned staff.

Abilities and Powers

Beatrice’s superhuman acceleration allows her to move at speeds
in excess of 200 mph and engage multiple opponents. She is a
professional level athlete, training in team sports (lacrosse) and
kickboxing.
She carries an exotic three-sectioned staff which she can draw and
assemble into a weapon form in under a tenth of a second.

Personality and History

‘Trice has been a leader, a role-model, an aspirational image since
she was a high-school and college athlete. Her personal brand
stands for effortless beauty, glamour and success.
Her mission statement, outlined in her book “The Power of
Impatience,” is “Never accept ‘good enough,’ never settle. Never
wait. Not for Mr. Right. Not for Your Ship To Come In. Not for any-
thing -- Go Get It, Girl!” She points to her life as the model. She
credits her “Expect Everything, Right Now!” mindset with her illu-
mination -- Where The Will Goes, The Body Follows.
Today, she dedicates herself to helping others follow the path she
blazed -- mostly by selling books of advice, dietary supplements,
scented candles, crystals, fragrances, and (of course) essential
oils. She has a TV show where she demonstrates how to put her

142
Black Card
(a.k.a. Henry Stone)
Like many people who have experienced a great humbling, his
Basic Information
journey back had spiritual as well as physical components. They
Class CAT-4
physical part was the cybernetic rebuilding of his body -- Henry
Threat Level Amber (Has A Temper) was born rich and had the fortune to do it. Spiritually, he sought
Biology Human Male, Age 55 answers, to the eternal question: Why me? He brought the disci-
Luminary Scale Fencing Skill, Cybernetic pline he had used to sculpt his body to his quest, and he made
Power
Augmentation breakthroughs. He knows some truly esoteric things. He has an
M.O. Philanthropist, Part Time Activist awareness and a preparedness he never had be-
Known Associates Luminary High Society fore. And he can fly... but real understanding,
Known Body Count: 0 actual introspection, and (most importantly)
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 11 peace seem to have eluded him. Convinced
Property Damage: none
of his own superiority, he’s
no longer consciously seek-
Appearance ing, but everywhere he
A white harried man with a black, metallic cybernetic arm looks the world is
and a unique strange-metal rapier. lacking, lazy, dis-
respectful, and
Abilities and Powers in need of correc-
Stone has a strength-augmented cybernetic pros- tion. As Black Card, Henry
thetic arm. Above-Olympic fencing skill; he is able feels obligated and most as-
to pick individual bullets out of the air during flight suredly up-to the task.
and engage multiple targets at once, seemingly NOTE: Black Card has been accused
simultaneously when tracked on video. He claims of threatening behavior or even vi-
mastery of esoteric disciplines and can levitate at will. olence when he feels an injustice
Personality and History is being perpetuated. While he is
Henry Stone was one of the best fencers in the world with an listed as “GREEN THREAT LEVEL” in
Olympic medal and three consecutive world championships. He many indices, we have listed him as
was known for being aggressive, both on the strip and off -- picking AMBER due to reports of his actions
fights and winning them, snubbing opponents in ways designed when angered or provoked.
to be just within the bounds of propriety, and, after the match was
over, being an insufferable, entitled winner.
He was one match away from his 4th Championship, and it all
came apart.
His Black Card (disqualification) was probably more of a lifetime
achievement award than earned for a specific act of petulance;
he’d had it coming, but he didn’t see it that way and in an epic
post-sanction tantrum, he lost it all -- the Championship (of
course), his fiance (in the same blow-up), his endorsements
and then, emerging from the twisted wreckage of his sports
car, his right arm amputated by the crash.

143
(‘Petty’) Tyrant
(a.k.a. Malcolm Fitzgerald)
For a short period of time he adopted the “Petty” modifier to his
Basic Information
code-name but, after several encounters where individuals be-
Class CAT-4
lieved it was self-awareness on his part, rather than irony, he has
Threat Level Amber (Easily Provoked) dropped it.
Biology Human Male, Age 32
NOTE: Malcolm is one of the noteworthy Holiday City “new fa-
Power Power Armor
thers.” He is a sponsor of much activity and development and one
M.O. Industrialist
of the men behind the Red Cell Youth Luminary program.
Maximilian Clarke, Malthusian, Peter Bishop,
Known Associates WARNING: DO NOT USE THE ‘PETTY’ MODIFIER IN TYRANT’S
Red Cell
PRESENCE. He is dangerously unrestrained when dealing
Known Body Count: 0
with ordinary people.
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 6
Property Damage: none

Appearance
A handsome athletic man who wears a military-styled suit of
powered armor.

Abilities and Powers

The Tyrant Battle Suit has multiple energy weapons, is flight-capa-
ble, provides sensory and life support systems and can withstand
heavy machine gun fire. He has the power to compel truth from
those around him, but the origin of this ability is unclear.
Personality and History
Malcolm is smart, but he’s also good looking, disciplined, and ath-
letically gifted. He’s a towering figure, winning a military contract
for next-generation drone-fighters in his early 20’s, making mil-
lions before he hit 27. At 29, he’s started six companies, each one
“disrupting” and “redefining” the industry.
Fitzgerald Aerospace is his latest venture, birthed in the Holiday
City tech corridor and flush with an avalanche of venture capital
from wealthy investors eager to watch him do it again. He aims
to -- fielding an army of nuclear-powered battle suits creating a
fighting force that could dominate the world. That the math doesn’t
quite work remains a minor problem. He’s confident he’ll fix it soon
enough.
His name comes from an “in-joke” he encountered reading his
employees interoffice mail. Anonymous accounts have consistently
listed him as one of the worst possible bosses to work for and he
is renowned in the technology industry for hearing stories about
other abusive executives and (allegedly) seeking to out-do them.

144
Kernel Panic
(a.k.a.Damien Panic)
in between. His philosophy and motives are fluid, but he either
Basic Information
seeks to return mankind to a mentally healthy, fulfilling stone-age
Class CAT-4
existence or else replace humans entirely with a race of artificially
Threat Level Red (Unpredictable Idealogue) intelligent machines. As a secondary, and on-going objective, he
Biology Human Male, Age 47 stalks people he feels are too happy, too oblivious, or threateningly
Power Cybernetic Enhancement smart on Facebook and sends robots after them (usually not to kill
M.O. Alcoholic ant-tech Terrorist -- just to upset their ‘perfect lives’ so that he’s not jealous)
Known Associates Luminary High Society
Known Body Count: 2
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 8
Property Damage: none

Appearance
A big man in a red long coat (which is armored). He has 2 robotic
“waldo” arms cybernetically attached is is accompanied by one
or more floating sphere robots under his command.

Abilities and Powers

Commands a fleet of powerful combat robots. His
“heavy coat” is an armored suit that augments his
strength strength and durability; his cybernetic
extra-arms make him formidable in hand-to-
hand combat. He is also a top-tier “super
scientist” and inventor.
Personality and History
Something terrible probably hap-
pened to Damien that made him
Kernel Panic, but whatever it was,
his embrace of a Theater of the
Absurd persona with deadly conse-
quences hasn’t helped with the heal-
ing. He has real, useful insights about
how technology degrades and isolates,
but through a filter of calculated madness, whatever
might be of value is lost. Meanwhile, he’s active, ag-
gressive, and dangerous. His cycle is 1. Plan Dangerous
Thing -> 2. Commit Crimes to Fund Research -> 3.
Develop Hidden Lab -> 4. Build / Unleash Dangerous
Thing -> 5. Flee Consequences. Depending on where
he is in the cycle, he may be laid back and affable or
frenetic, frustrated to homicidal rage, or somewhere

145
Iconoclast
(a.k.a. Vincent Renault)
Basic Information
Class CAT-5 (est.)
Threat Level Green
Biology Human Male, Aged 73
High Level Telekinesis
Power
Radiation Burst
M.O. Philanthropist

Known Associates Progress, Maximilian, Regal, Varsity

Violence Index None Current

Appearance
A muscular, somewhat heavy man in his 70’s. He has gray
hair. His skin can have an ambient glow and he is able
to project a luminous forcefield.

Abilities and Powers

Iconoclast can project a powerful teleki-
netic force which he can use to strike en-
emies, protect himself, and augment acts
of strength.

Personality and History

Iconoclast was a revolutionary fighter in the
60’s--wanted by the police and the FBI. When
he Illuminated, he was, for a time, a threat to actual American
Government--but, confronted with things he had done, he re-
formed and even did some (voluntary) prison time in a federal
facility.
Now, making his home in Holiday City, Iconoclast works as a
philanthropist and community organizer. He lives in the pricey,
upscale Bancroft Hills but can often be found in Weber and other
poorer sections working with community leaders or acting as a
patron or sponsor for the schools.
Iconoclast is generally well mannered and a patron of the arts.
He can be intimidating because of his power--but he is a staple of
high society in Holiday City (and beyond) and seems to have fully
renounced his previous ways.

146
Maximilian Clarke
(no a.k.a.)
Basic Information
Class CAT-2
Threat Level Green
Biology Cybernetically enhanced human Male, aged 34
Power Improved durability and strength, armored skin
M.O. CEO of Kingdom Security

Known Associates Progress, Malthusian, Peter Bishop, Tyrant

Known Body Count: 8 Confirmed Kills (in service)

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: N/A
Property Damage: None

Appearance
A chiseled, muscular man who has partial cybernetic modification.
He dresses sharply for business.

Abilities and Powers

Maximilian has armored skin, enhanced strength and durability,
and increased senses. He is able to detect weapons. He is skilled
in hand-to-hand combat and all firearms.

Personality and History

Maximilian runs Kingdom Security--a global security and defense
contractor business. His group works with military forces all over
the world providing PPD (Personal Protection Details), armed site
security, executive response teams, and general force-augmenta-
tion personnel.
His group also handles medical and logistical issues and owns
several vehicle depots and field hospitals. His home office is in
Holiday City where Kingdom Security is deployed in the service of
multiple economic entities. In some of the nicer sections he has
augmented the police with private security forces. No one com-
plains about that!

147
Malthusian
(a.k.a. Leland Kerbs)
businesses--all of which he owns or owns substantial shares of--
Basic Information
all working together to enact his plan.
Class CAT-5
He says Holiday City will be “where it starts.”
Threat Level Green
Biology Human Male, Aged 50
Leland is one of the heavy investors in Holiday City and is in alli-
Power Cybernetic upgrades
ances with Maximillian Clarke (Kingdom Security), Peter Bishop
(mega-developer), and Malcolm Fitzgerald (Tyrant, Fitzgerald
M.O. Billionaire, Philanthropist
Aerospace). He is one of the sponsors of the Red Cell Youth
Known Associates Maximilian Clarke, Tyrant, Peter Bishop, Red Cell Luminary programs.
Violence Index None NOTE: A great deal of conspiracy theories exist around Leland’s
Appearance “Master Work.” This page is locked due to posters vandalizing it
Leland stands 7’ tall and even at 50 is powerfully built. He is well repeatedly.4
manicured and his suit is power-armor.

Abilities and Powers

Malthusian wears a suit that is carefully engineered power-armor.
He has added a cyber-weapon, a power-saw, to his right arm. It
is built using a titanium-tungsten blade with extremely powerful
electric motors.
Reports suggest he has had his eyes replaced with 20 kilowatt soli-
ton cool-plasma cannons.

Personality and History

Leland’s corporate has always been about sustainability. He be-
lieves that humanity is accelerating its rise towards a “complex of
crises.” He has made billions--inheriting his father’s--who inherited
his grandfather’s businesses. He has industries all over the globe-
-but he has returned to Holiday City (where he was born) to enact
what he calls his Life’s Master Work.
This is a network of ventures that he plans to use up in their entire-
ty--to spend his billions--liquidating everything--in the pursuit of
creating a sustainable future.
He shares much in philosophy and a lot in common cause with
Progress (whom he is coordinating with for next-generation Hyper-
Technology) and Maximilian (with whom he has multiple security
contracts) and has begun construction of the Leland International
Sustainability Campus Center--a 15 story sparkling white office
building and “office park” holding huge atriums and multiple

4 “Final Solution”

148
Ravenous
(a.k.a. Orson Van Bach)
Basic Information
Class CAT-4+
Threat Level Green
Biology Human Male, Aged 50
Power Enhanced Strength and Durability
M.O. Owner of Metropole Bank

Known Associates Many

Violence Index None

Appearance
A dapper man in his 50’s. Power-suit.

Abilities and Powers

Ravenous’ abilities are greatly enhanced strength and superhu-
man durability. He is believed to be feared by organized crime
syndicates indicating he may have other abilities.

Personality and History

The origin of Van Bach’s codename is said to have been the drive
that propelled him upwards in his corporate climbing at Metropole
Bank. He wasn’t the “backstabbing worm” sort of corporate climber
either--he was, according to those who knew him then, the kind of
person who stuck to his word--and if you crossed him?
He was a force to be reckoned with. Somewhere along the way his
drive seems to have translated into Illumination--he is the chair-
man of the bank. In a sense, he is the bank--overseeing daily oper-
ations, handling mergers and acquisitions personally, and dealing
with any issues himself.
These issues are often Luminary sorts and it is said that even orga-
nized crime and Luminaries like Meteoric or Malthusian don’t try
to flex their muscles with Metropole.

149
Progress
(a.k.a. Vida Olsen)
and sponsoring research and activities at Holiday City University.
Basic Information
She is described as slightly over-analytical and a driven “Type-A”
Class CAT-5 (est.)
personality--but she always makes sure to check in on the welfare
Threat Level Green of her employees and is a voice for restraint and reason in Holiday
Biology Human Female, Aged 34 City politics.
Devices based flight, force field, offensive light-
Power
ning generation. Teleportation
M.O. Activist

Known Associates Progress Foundation

Violence Index None

Appearance
Progress wears a high-tech suit of skin-conforming pow-
er-armor with a glowing field of lightning.

Abilities and Powers

Progress can fly and has a powerful protective force field.
She is able to open “wormhole” teleportation gates over
a substantial distance. If threatened she can use directed
lightning bolts.

Personality and History

Progress claims to be from a possible future--a utopian
vision--that can be reached if humanity makes the “cor-
rect choices.” She is active with the Progress Foundation--a
world-wide multi-million dollar enterprise that does 3rd
world development, ecological engineering, climate sci-
ence, and psychological testing. It places a great deal of
emphasis on human-Luminary interactions although the
foundation’s position is complicated and, some critics have
said, unclear.
At home, Progress is active in politics particularly as
they pertain to Luminary interactions with Holiday City.
Apparently seeing it as a potentially model “test-case” for
a world where Luminaries are more common than today,
she is focused on what she calls “productive interactions”
and “engendering positive-outcome mindsets” in its citi-
zens--both Luminary and Ordinary.
Progress is an excellent public speaker and a fixture at
many social/society events as well as regularly visiting

150
Brave Defenders of the Status Quo

As noted, people want their heroes to be saints and--but they want peace--but aren’t exactly heroes (or, lean towards the heroic--but
their defenders to keep the peace. That (perhaps subliminal) pref- don’t keep the peace).
erence has led to a community of Luminaries who do keep the The first and foremost of these are The Tower.

151
The Tower
The name of Holiday City’s “hero team” comes from the Clock Tower a few yearn for this. A good example is the twin heroine dyad of
which they inhabit--a marvel of architecture and engineering de- Theory and Practice who patrol and defend Bancroft Hills and the
signed by Howard Roark in 1926. At first the term was used as Armitage district.
short-hand for the “City’s official Civilian Action Team--speaking Luminaries who go through the deputization process are definitely
from the Holiday City Clock Tower,” but over the years was simply team players and are seen as “good guys” by the press and the
shortened to ‘The Tower.’ The Tower’s roster has changed over they public almost automatically.
years--but they have always worked for City Hall first and foremost.
Today, the four of them (plus two auxiliaries) and two “junior mem- The Trouble With the Tower
bers” act as Holiday City’s first line of defense against Luminary (or If you live in Holiday City, you’ve heard of (and seen) The Tower--it’s
Luminary-like) threats identified by the council. the name used for the Civilian Action Team--sometimes called the
The Tower has come under criticism (although they are extremely “official hero group.” The problem in Holiday City is that their CAT
popular) for being “corporate” or “ineffective--only protecting the aren’t really heroes.
good parts of town,” and so on--but they are one of Holiday City’s Back in the 1800’s when Holiday City was at its absolute height in
iconic Luminary teams, they are in-demand at functions, high-end the “gilded age” (around the 1870’s) the powers that were decid-
parties, and they perform wonderful charity work. ed they needed guardians. They set up a group--a Special Reserve
Is there room to do better? Well, it depends on who you listen Unit--organized and run by the Pinkertons--to keep order in the city.
to--but while the allegation that The Tower is less interested in These people were, if not Luminaries, something recognizable to
“doing good” than in “doing what the City Council” wants might today’s populace as Luminaries.
have something to it, they are still seen by the majority of Holiday Their team included a masked sharpshooter whose description
City residents as the closest the city comes to a “team of heroes.” indicates he was a better shot than most of today’s elite military
snipers. They included a pair of strongmen who could handle rail-
The Tower Auxiliaries way problems by dragging trains--and so on. You get the picture.
The Tower vets its potential members pretty closely and then brings Ever since then--and becoming even more official when Congress
them on under contract. They serve for a term of several years created the CAT’s in the 1970’s, Holiday City has had its defenders.
(which can be extended at the will of the City Council) and during
As in the 1870’s, these defenders have always been beholden to
that time they may be either active or auxiliary. In the second case,
the City Council. This is true, even today.
they are still bound under a bunch of terms-of-contract but are not
usually the active face of the Tower. The Tower’s Remit: Keep The Peace
Today there are a couple of former members (Rock Bottom and Mr. The Tower is the public face of Luminary-presence in Holiday City.
Nice Guy) who “didn’t work out” on the regular team--but are still The Clock Tower--the 1960’s secret base of The Clock Watcher, a
on the roles. They are required to live in the city and required (and time-themed villain--is now their base of operations and a beloved
willing) to help out if things get bad. part of the Holiday City skyline.
Sometimes--albeit rarely, since neither of them ‘present well’--they They attend ribbon-cutting ceremonies, perform highly visible
are required to attend functions or perform official work--which flyovers of the tourist district, and, yes--they will get involved in
they generally do. Luminary battles . . . just not the way you might expect.
Keeping the peace, it turns out, means, more-or-less keeping the
Junior Tower Deputies status quo--warts and all . . . and, sometimes, it seems, especially
The Tower is joined by invite only (invite of The Council) but willing warts.
Luminaries can apply to be “deputies” of the Tower. This means they
are sanctioned Luminary defenders (in order to get this you have The Unwritten Rules of The Tower
to submit written tests, power-demonstration tests, psychological If you live in Holiday City, you know the rules about The Tower.
tests, and so on). A lot of Luminaries couldn’t be bothered--but You’ve come to accept them . . . there isn’t even much outrage--after

152
all, The Tower does keep the city safe--for some values of “safe” and thought of as a dangerous vigilante--even if you’re fighting “the
for the most basic meaning of “the city.” right people,” that won’t happen. It’s too risky. Ask anyone who
These are the rules. does this stuff. There are plenty of ways to make the world better
just by being a good citizen.
No Luminary Battles
At least no public ones. The public really hates Luminary battles, They Kind of Have A Point (Kind Of)
it turns out. It’s not just the collateral damage or the property val- It’s easy to write off The Tower as useless at best--as tools of the
ues--it’s also the sense of helplessness you get when two titans bad guys at worst--but they do have something of a point. Holiday
are fighting it out overhead. If you are engaging in a bunch of City, at the bottom, is a violent mess, sure. But at the top? It’s prof-
Luminary Battles, The Tower wants a word with you. Maybe even itable--very, very profitable. There are a lot of well to do people
several words. leading the very, very good life (and, to be fair, Holiday City isn’t
the most violent city in the US, is it?)
Don’t Touch The Fixtures
There are also studies that show that in situations with a bunch
Yes, it’s true--periodically chaos breaks out and one of Holiday City’s
of Luminaries things can reach a kind of equilibrium. This is a sta-
less savory and more violent Luminaries is the cause of it--but if you
ble configuration where stuff--bad stuff--still happens--but it isn’t
go shaking things up? Especially if there’s a chance you’ll “bite off
chaos. Chaos--on a city-wide scale? That’s bad. Mobs are bad: Mob
more than you can chew”? The Tower doesn’t like that. As such, even
war is worse.
if BOHICA is drinking in a bar again--or someone spots Redline on
a street corner, The Tower insists you look the other way. If they’re A few powerful crime lords are bad. A hundred super-humans com-
not killing someone you leave them well enough alone. peting to be a crime-lord? Worse.
The people who run City Hall say, with some justification, that
Vigilantism is Frowned On
people--lots of people--recognize this even if they can’t cite the
If you see something going down? Well, okay--they’ll give you a mathematics and social science behind it. They say that one of the
pass. But if you go out looking for trouble? Patrolling for crimes-- advantages that Holiday City has over other places who have an
and then using Luminary Powers to go mix things up? That’s not abnormal number of Luminaires is that the concept of protectors
cool--being an unlicensed vigilante isn’t cool, man. It tends to cre- of the peace are in its bones from way back when. Other places?
ate more problems than it solves, you know? They got “hero teams” (a terrible term) who went around busting
Work On Your Brand: Be An Influencer! heads and, well, you can point to some really bad examples of
The public likes Luminaries (even some of the not-so-great-ones how that goes.
can be fascinating)--but you’ve gotta build your brand. There are So there’s some “science” behind this--but it only goes so far.
sponsorships, media-tie-ins, press-clubs, and so on. If you are

153
Rampart
(a.k.a. Alaric Hammond)
Basic Information
Class CAT-3
Threat Level Green (Tower Leader)
Biology Human Male, Aged 32
Power Extreme Strength and Extreme Durability. Flight
M.O. Civilian Action Team - Lead

Known Associates The Tower

Violence Index Licensed C.A.T.

Appearance
Rampart wears a black and silver uniform with a cape, open
hands, and boots. He appears as an extremely muscular hu-
man with a “bodybuilder’s physique.”

Abilities and Powers

Rampart is highly resistant to physical damage and
has a paranatural physique. His bench press is in
the 4000lb range and he is capable of near-
speed-of-sound flight.

Personality and History

Alaric led a highly decorated special-unit
for the Los Angeles police force dealing
with gang violence and illegal imports of restricted tech-
nologies and pharmaceuticals. Sometime on his 5th year
of service, he Illuminated, leaving the force soon after as
required by the Roger-Act which requires police forces
to be non-Luminary.
He was recruited by The Tower where he runs the
Licensed Civilian Action Team for Holiday City--a force
that seeks to intervene in Luminary related activity that pres-
ents an immediate threat to the city or her population.
Rampart, like the rest of The Tower is quite visible--participating
in local events, visiting hospitals, and attending social functions.
Although the roster has changed over the years, Rampart has been
an able leader and has managed to keep The Tower out of some
of the scandals that have plagued other C.A.T.’s (usually revolving
around excessive use of force or destruction of property / collateral
damage).

154
Dreadnought
(a.k.a. Gordon Loft)
Basic Information
Class CAT-3
Threat Level Green
Biology Human Male, Aged 37
Power Sonic Control, increased physique
M.O. Civilian Action Team

Known Associates The Tower

Violence Index Licensed C.A.T.

Appearance
Dreadnought is described as a handsome man in his late 30’s. He
wears a blue and yellow costume.

Abilities and Powers

Dreadnought can create, amplify, and (to an extent) control sound
and vibration. He is able to fly, generate a field of protective vibra-
tion, and fire bolts of “vibratory force.”

Personality and History

Gordon Loft led a fairly public life in Cincinnati as a wealthy indus-
trialist who inherited his father’s chemical company and was a con-
sistent feature of the local tabloids with his “rugged good looks”
and playboy attitudes. When he Illuminated in what is described
as an “Industrial Accident” he simply got a bit “louder.”
Recruited by The Tower, he still has access to his considerable
wealth and maintains an active social calendar mixing Luminary-
scene events with the Holiday City high-society. He is known for
being humorous, a bit irreverent, and perhaps overly flirtatious. It
is known that he has had several disagreements with Rampart but
his standing with the team is in good stead.
NOTICE: This profile is locked due to contentious changes. If you
wish to modify it, please contact a moderator. Damaging
allegations will require official documentation.

155
Artesia
(a.k.a. Klaudie Perry)
Basic Information
Class CAT-3
Threat Level Green
Biology Human Female, Aged 29
High strength and durability, Control
Power
of a “Luminous Aether” protective field.
M.O. Civilian Action Team - 2nd

Known Associates The Tower

Violence Index Licensed C.A.T.

Appearance
Artesia wears a skin-tight uniform designed to enhance control
of her energy field.

Abilities and Powers

Artesia is extremely strong and durable--but is most effec-
tive when activating her “Luminous Aether” field which is
protective, arguments her strength, and allows field-as-
sisted leaps of approximately 40 yards with controllable
landing and take-off.

Personality and History

Artesia’s past before she Illuminated isn’t part of the
public record. Her bio states that she lived a fairly reg-
ular life before an event that altered her catapulted her into the
Luminary scene.
She was recruited by The Tower shortly thereafter and became a
full team member in a year, showing an aptitude for command.
Artesia is a serious results-oriented Luminary who is happy being a
valued team-member and believes in “the rules.” She has been ac-
cused of being the “softer-face” for The Tower, often carrying water
for the City Council’s decisions not to have The Tower interviene
or being sent to explain to the press why the Tower’s action or
inaction was “really the best course of action.”

156
Falconer
(a.k.a. Keith Falconer)
really just don’t have standards.
Basic Information
That said, he is a firm believer
Class CAT-3
in the needs of society to
Threat Level Green maintain order and takes
Biology Human Male, Aged 32 his role in Holiday City
Power Hyper-Science, Advanced reflexes seriously.
M.O. Civilian Action Team

Known Associates The Tower, Falcon Labs

Violence Index Licensed C.A.T.

Appearance
Falconer wears a suit of “evolved carbon-fiber” with the logo of
Falconer Labs visible on the front.

Abilities and Powers

Falconer’s suit provides defensive armor as well as expanded sen-
sory capabilities and enhanced strength. His cape can serve as a
paraglider / wing-suit and he is able to scan individuals to detect
weapons and read basic emotions.

Personality and History

Mr. Falconer runs Falcon Labs, an innovator in high technology,
cybernetics, and molecular engineering. He is a common speaker
and attendee of scientific conferences as well having given several
well received TED talks.
Police reports indicate that when organized crime in the high-tech
/ advanced science sector tried to move in on Falcon Labs, he re-
sponded by creating the Falconer Suit, increasing his already heavy
training regimine, and becoming a Luminary in all respects (not
just in the academic / scientific world).
After discovering that he could advance his scientific goals while,
at the same time, performing a public service very few individuals
were truly suited to, he was approached by The Tower committee
and accepted an offer to move the home-office of Falconer Labs to
Holiday City.
He divides his time between serving on the Senior Team of The
Tower and acting as the CEO and one of the lead research scientists
for Falconer Labs.
In person, he is a perfectionist and a very respected inventor, sci-
entists, and mentor. He says if you don’t have high standards you

157
Rock Bottom
(a.k.a. Nathan Menendez)
of their “retirement” to take on cases where they think they can do
Basic Information
some good.
Class CAT-3
Rock Bottom’s relationship to the media, The Tower, and the city
Threat Level Green (Auxiliary Team Member)
government is strained: he feels that the restrictions on him and
Biology Dense, Armored Biology--Male, Aged 28
his partner Jake are overly restricted--designed to still keep them
Power Increased size, strength, density, and durability
“under control” rather than just releasing them from their sever-
M.O. Mr. Nice Guy, Tower Irregular
al-year contract.
Known Associates The Tower He has never been especially good at being kept “under control.”
Violence Index No Illegal Violence on Record

Appearance
A humanoid male crafted out
of cracked rocks with a fantasti-
cally dimensioned musculature.
Sometimes sports graffiti as a “tattoo.”

Abilities and Powers

Extreme strength and durability. Extremely
dense biology. Able to coat himself in an ad-
ditional “protective rock layer.”

Personality and History

Detective Menendez was a member of the Detroit Police working
homicide cases. He was allegedly killed in an ambush in a con-
demned housing project and, upon his “return” he was recruited
by The Tower.
He had been something of a discipline problem on the force
and proved no different in Holiday City. His Luminary Codename
was ‘Hard Ass’ until the Team Leader, Rampart required him to
adopt a more ‘family friendly’ handle. He chose ‘Rock Bottom.``
He is now separated from the team--but still remains on the
roles (and drawing a portion of payment). He and Mr. Nice Guy
are both required to behave themselves in public, sometimes
(as rarely as Rampart can get away with it) attend public func-
tions with the team, and otherwise not make any trouble.\
Both Rock Bottom and Mr. Nice Guy have been pretty good
at keeping a low profile (they allegedly hang out at ‘That
Disgusting Gym on 8th’--the actual name of a boxing
gym) where they have, allegedly, broken or bent the rules

158
Mr. Nice Guy
(a.k.a. Jake Dean)
Basic Information
Class CAT-3
Threat Level Green (Auxiliary Team Member)
Biology Human Male, Aged 24
Extreme reflexes, Highly Trained, Energy “Chi”
Power
Manipulation
M.O. Rock Bottom, Tower Irregular

Known Associates The Tower

Violence Index No Illegal Violence on Record

Appearance
Mr. Nice Guy dresses in street-clothes with smiley face emblems
and his signature “have-a-nice-day” T-shirt.

Abilities and Powers

Jake is a highly skilled Jiu Jitsu expert (despite no record of him
having formally achieved that rank). He has extremely developed
reflexes and can manipulate energy he claims is his “Chi Power.”

Personality and History

Mr. Nice Guy has a recognized history and record in an unsanc-
tioned “backyard” fighting circuit. It wasn’t a great record--al-
though he apparently showed “a lot of potential.” His record
stops a few years ago where he vanished (allegedly going in
search of a “master” somewhere overseas).
When he reappeared, he had clearly Illuminated. Able to throw
glowing bolts from his hands, absorb damage that would kill a
normal man, and having improved his reflexes beyond what is nor-
mally considered un-Illuminated human potential, he no longer
fought in bars or the “backyard” fight-circuits--but also no longer
seemed to have an appetite for fighting ordinary people.
He was a highly questionable recruit by The Tower--failing to get
along with team members other than Rock Bottom--and having
difficulty following orders. Nonetheless, he remains on the roles as
an “irregular” living in Holiday City and kept in close contact with
the other irregular, Rock Bottom.

159
Theory & Practice
(a.k.a. Teresa & Leslie Tremont)
if they are to be un-sanctioned, they cannot be active “vigilantes”
Basic Information
and go taking their abilities to other locals.
Class CAT-2
They have complied as they are dedicated to following the rules--
Threat Level Green - Protectors
but they may be adventuring outside of their “prescribed zones.”
Biology 21 year old human females
Theory: Power Armor, Flight, shoulder energy
cannon, enhanced strength.
Power
Practice: Luminary level intense hand to hand
and acrobatics training
M.O. Operational Dyad

Known Associates The Tower

Violence Index No illegal violence

Appearance
Theory wears glowing gold power armor
with a high-performance jet-pack and hov-
er fans. Practices wears a black fighting suit
with a golden sash.

Abilities and Powers

Theory has high durability and increased
strength power-armor. Her Power Field is high-
ly rated and her armor will absorb assault rifle fire. Practice is
intensively trained in a form of Karate which is optimized for
single, potential lethal strikes and then high mobility (dodg-
es). She can leap in, strike, and leap out of combat range.

Personality and History

Both Theory and Practice were intent on being heroes from
the earliest they could remember. Having Illuminated--
both due to their innate pursuits, they now have a chance
to be heroes in a way they had formerly never imagined.
Both Theory and Practice are dedicated to keeping
people safe, preventing loss of life, and setting a
good example. They work with The Tower as sort of
Jr. Team members (unofficially) and patrol and keep
the peace in Armitage and Bancroft Hills.
They are aware that in those upscale areas things
rarely go badly wrong--but The Tower insists that

160
Super Villains - Heels Playing The Part Perfectly
If there’s a “traditional role” that really works in Luminary society it • A Need To Be King. All Luminaries have an innate push to “dom-
is that of ‘super villain.’ A Super villain is a Luminary (or group) that inate.” Super Villains want to rule the world or at least a piece of
behaves in a way that lets everyone know that they know they’re it. They set themselves up as literal royalty in many cases. They
larger than life. Whether is is taking over a town or part of a city often have a great deal of pomp and circumstance around their
and declaring it “their domain” or building secret island bases-- activities or, at least, the trappings of royalty or rulership where
or building dangerous exotic-technology machines to unleash on they are not required.
the world “just because,” this is a path that a thankfully small--but The Super Villains are:
non-zero number--of Luminaries choose.
• The Connoisseur. A powerful, petty, and dramatic critic of just
In some cases the Luminaries in question are more dramatic than about everything--one who expresses dangerous contempt for
dangerous--by virtue of their Illumination they can give dramatic the (multitude) of things that do not meet his standards of qual-
speeches to their enemies or behave in ways that, for even an ordi- ity and refinement.
nary “bad guy” would be ridiculous--and they can get away with it.
• The Misery Tourists. A set of psychopaths who glory in causing
In other cases, this excess--this form of narcissistic disorder--a gran- misery and dispair.
diosity that permeates their behavior--makes them recognizable as
• Verboten. Illuminated pseudo-scientists who have seized a por-
a super villain to the populace at large.
tion of Holiday City.
Being a “super villain” isn’t about being especially villainous (al-
• Technocrat. A single genius (for technology . . . and city planning)
though some are extremely so) but more about the grandiosity
who has taken over a few blocks in Union Gardens.
that the Luminary comports themselves with. Super Villains are:
• Tiger Mom and the Cubs. A family of professional criminals head-
• Prone to Monologuing--they love to hear themselves talk and ed by a determined matriarch
tend to do a lot of it.
• Keen to Have an Audience. Ordinary criminals work in the shad-
ows if they can. Luminary criminals may not care--but they usu-
ally don’t hold press conferences to announce their nefarious
plans. Super Villains do.

161
The Connoisseur
(a.k.a. Miles Welk)
abilities? Those who seek to excel? Their arrogance irritates. When
Basic Information
they make their little noises, or paint their pretty pictures, or write
Class CAT-5
their sad little novels, or whatever -- their sincere attempts enrage
Threat Level Red (Supervillain, Mean) him. They deserve scorn. Better yet: punishment.
Biology Human Male, Aged 41
The Connoisseur seeks out the best of the best. He will be the
Extreme precision, extreme durability, ability to
Power judge. On rare occasion, when he is delighted, he rewards with
destroy targets “by critique.”
the best compliment he understands: he takes it -- whatever it is
M.O. Critic
-- for his own, private collection.
Known Associates Cuberon, Chardonnay When a work falls short, he expresses his
displeasure -- the art, the artist, the pub-
Known Body Count: 11
lic and the patron who made the travesty
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 78
possible. It is suspected that he enjoys
Property Damage: 200k failures more than successes, after all,
Appearance who doesn’t enjoy teaching a lesson.
A cultured man in a red velvet dinner jacket, a black turtleneck and
pants. Wears a unique high-end swiss watch (Vacheron Constantin).
Has a black rose boutonnière. His expression: is one of withering
contempt.

Abilities and Powers

The Connoisseur is certainly hard to hurt--but even more so he is
hard to hit. His physical precision is near perfect when he wants it
to be. There are those who are faster--but vanishingly few are more
deft--more able than he is. He is able to slay other Luminaries with
a single, precision punch. He is also able to hate things to death.
His ire has some form of psionic wave that destroys things at the
molecular level when he trains it on them.

Personality and History

Miles Welk is happy to tell you his origin -- in fact, he can’t really
shut up about it. He was born cursed with incredible taste in all
things. He understands, intuitively, how things should be, and so
when they fall short, it pains him. Physically. It offends him, his
senses, his sense of propriety. The world is filled with the mediocre,
the lacking, the disappointing. He is assaulted by all of it.
Perhaps the worst are those that try. He can forgive the sad, de-
spondent purveyors of trash who understand their own limitations
and know better than to attempt to surmount them. Surrender in
the face of hopelessness is what’s expected: sit down, shut up.
But those who practice and struggle and mean to hone their own

162
The Misery Tourists
The Tourists are the most privileged of the privileged -- the sons and daughters of Luminaries in most cases; the exceptionally wealthy,
otherwise. They have opportunities and advantages that most people only dream about and that a not insubstantial number would kill for.
They consider their lives unbearable. Some of them have, in fact, faced trauma and setbacks, but what unites them is a bottomless sense
that they are entitled to everything the world hasn’t offered and their failure to achieve it gnaws at them turning them bitter and resentful
-- aggrieved at a society that doesn’t recognize them enough (and nothing could ever be enough).
Their solace is to observe. To go and look down
on those who have it worse than them. They
don’t have to go far -- that’s almost everyone,
but they’ve discovered that simple misery isn’t
enough to soothe their pain. They need to ob-
serve suffering in its extreme and imaginative
forms. So instead of simply watching, they’ve
started to engineer.
Their “jaunts,” as they call them, are designed to
avoid responsibility for their increasingly bizarre
and harmful behavior. They are aware that their
status and lineage protects them a great deal, but
they’ve adopted colorful names and disguises to
hide their identities or at least create doubt. They
are at different stages in their descent into ab-
solute depravity. Some watch more, some lead.
Some recognize the monstrosity in their behav-
ior. Some revel in it. What they all do, even those
with a veneer of morality, is partake -- committing
atrocities helps. It relieves their psychic pain. It
gives a few hours or a long weekend away from
their own demons. It helps them feel in-control,
powerful, fulfilled, successful, and most of all:
superior.
They’ve started to gain something of a follow-
ing in the dark places of society (mostly online)
and they’ve started to consider their options
-- “jaunts” or “parties” could be a Thing in some
social circles. They could invite the most loyal and
dedicated to come with. They could sell tickets, or
at least videos. While the Tourism remains most
therapeutic, they’re recognizing how it could be
monetized. Even syndicated. Perhaps in the near
future, it could be a movement.

163
Screamer
(a.k.a Justin Bark)
unleash the emotions that otherwise pile up until they become
Basic Information
catastrophic. And the people they hurt? They deserved it. Every.
Class CAT-3
Single. One. Of. Them.
Threat Level Red (Casual Killer)
Biology Human Male, Aged 22
High durability, “screams” explosive bolts of
Power
plasma, energy-augmented punches
M.O. Luminary Terrorist

Known Associates The Misery Tourists

Known Body Count: 9

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 45
Property Damage: 85k

Appearance
Overweight, greasy young man with unflattering hair (long, tied
back) and a torn heavy metal concert t-shirt, jeans, chain for his
wallet. He’s angry and there’s energy boiling out of his clenched
fists, his eyes, his wicked gonna-hurt-someone grin.

Abilities and Powers

Screams explosive bolts of plasma, throws devastating punches...
and despite looking soft...he can take a punch, better than you’d
think.

Personality and History

Justin’s grandfather was a power player in the 40’s Luminary Scene
and established a good life for his son. Justin’s father came of age
in the Reagan 80’s and made a name for himself in politics. Justin
was born at the dawn of the 21st century, and it’s clear he’ll never
live up to expectations. He’s already squandering his legacy, and
he can’t stop. He’s aware that most people find him repulsive. You
know what? He finds them repulsive. The world is stacked against
him in every conceivable way, but because he’s rich, comes from
a (modestly) famous family, white and a dude, he’s supposed to
suck it up and walk it off. Really? He can’t even offer an opinion on
anything (pop culture, politics, the economy... anything, without
being exiled). Justin knows better than to express his feelings with
his father and it’s gotten so that even online, even stating obvious
truths (that movie sucked!) will get him denounced as a racist,
sexist, or worse. Tourism... helps. It’s cathartic. It lets him really

164
Cut-Up
(a.k.a Ralph Diger)
Basic Information
Class CAT-3
Threat Level Red (Casual Killer)
Biology Human Male, Aged 26
Power Extreme reflexes, high precision
M.O. Luminary Terrorist

Known Associates The Misery Tourists

Known Body Count: 21

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 19
Property Damage: None

Appearance
Lithe, young man. Turtleneck, black jeans, motley fool’s cap. Carries
barber’s shears (long, pointy) scissors worn on his belt. Cocked grin
and mocking dark eyes.

Abilities and Powers

Fights with stainless steel scissors, snapping them open and closed
like flashing butterfly knives, as he jumps around acrobatically.
Viciously sarcastic.

Personality and History

Life is a big joke; Ralph is in on it and has been for some time. He
really didn’t start out to be the bad guy. He wanted to be ‘left alone.’
But no -- apparently that’s not possible. You’re supposed to put on
a tie, and go to the office. Drive a nice car. Be ‘respectable.’ And if
you’re not? Well then it doesn’t matter how good you look or what a
funny guy you are -- the girls want someone serious. And eventually
the money runs out and everyone you used to hang with is starting
families and having careers. So, no. It’s not ‘leaving me alone’ if
I’m not getting what I want. Ralph is determined to show them
that he’s not going to break. He’s not going to be their version of a
nice, respectable drone, following in the family footsteps, earning
the respect of his elders. Screw that. He’s going to be who he is
and he’s going to get everything he wants. They’re going to watch
him have his cake and eat it too, laughing the whole way through.

165
Overthinker / Migraine
(a.k.a Mindy Match)
enraging, and she’s going to balance the scales. They got lucky with
Basic Information
their poor planning? Well: they got unlucky running across Mindy.
Class CAT-3
She thinks the world is such a mess because people don’t think
Threat Level Red (Casual Killer) things through, and she sees her contribution to society teaching
Biology Human Female, Aged 23 them a lesson, one unexploded head at a time.
Power Telepath
M.O. Luminary Terrorist

Known Associates The Misery Tourists

Known Body Count: 2

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 31
Property Damage: None

Appearance
Intense, serious girl. Glasses. Serious expression. Practical green
sweater. Wears black leather gloves. Thigh high boots. Brings a
book (poetry) with her to read. Hates to be distracted or interrupt-
ed when she’s thinking. She’s decently good looking but nothing
special... or is she? There’s something... hard to define about her.
Captivating. It’s the storm in her eyes, maybe.

Abilities and Powers

Powerful telepath. Gets a hold of you and won’t let go until she’s
“figured you out.” Often that means dissection -- mental at least.
Maybe physical. You annoy her. The more she learns about you?
The more you annoy her.

Personality and History

Mindy’s parents were both luminaries with psychic powers. She
got that in spades. In her view, there are consequences for every
action and decision and a smart person puts a lot of thought into
the choices they make (where to go to school, what to eat for lunch,
which shoes to wear, etc.) Life is a never-ending waterfall of options
which must be considered, studied, weighed and then acted on.
Engaged properly, everything will work out and be orderly, clean
and proper. Engaged improperly you get chaos. Of course she can
see how people think -- how little they think -- and it enrages her.
The second worst thing is to find a person whose choices have
not worked out for them -- and discover that they didn’t put much
thought into it. That’s disgusting. They should be punished. But the
very worst thing is when someone just acts and gets lucky. That’s

166
Top Kek
(a.k.a James Hod)
how much he cares about things. How much of a hypocrite he’s
Basic Information
been. He still wants to laugh at them and hurt them, but now doing
Class CAT-3
it across the wire isn’t enough. He wants to do it with his hands.
Threat Level Red (Casual Killer)
Non-Human (Amphibian Phenotype) Male, Aged
Biology
19
Extreme Strength, armored skin, heightened
Power
durability
M.O. Luminary Terrorist

Known Associates The Misery Tourists

Known Body Count: 2

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 40
Property Damage: 25k

Appearance
Vaguely frog-shaped, white blob of a creature with bulbous eyes
and a long, thin mouth. Potbelly, three fingers on each hand and
three toes. No junk.Has a gray armored carapace on his arms, torso,
back made of smooth, interlocking plates. A “mohawk” like ridge
of black crystals on his head and back. Wears a top-hat.

Abilities and Powers

Inhuman organism at once pathetic and impressive. Punches
things. Hard.

Personality and History

James found his home and his tribe in the Matrix -- the online
world of computers and social media where he found a freedom
to enjoy himself with the like-minded. He reveled in his power and
reach. If he was cruel it was to the hysterical, the ‘overly sincere’,
and, especially, the hypocritical. People who “care about things”
were his most delicious targets -- he sees them as self-deluding
performance artists who don’t really care. They pretend to care --
they tell themselves they care -- so they can feel superior. So they
can judge others. So they can exercise power in their little fiefdoms.
He loves to puncture those people -- to torment them, to bring
them down. There are others as well; the gullible, the naive. But
he loves to torture those he sees as hypocrites the most. The acci-
dent has changed that. He’s no longer anonymous. He’s no longer
human. He can’t hide in the crowd anymore. He’s also discovered

167
Pretty Boy / Dis Figure
(a.k.a Adam Tiplin)
did it to deny his beauty to the unworthy. He did it to punish them.
Basic Information
Oh, he regrets it now -- deeply, viciously. It is the worst mistake he
Class CAT-3
ever made -- but he can’t go back, so he’s gone forward, dedicating
Threat Level Red (Casual Killer) his remaining years to destroying as much of what is good and
Biology Human Male, Aged 22 magnificent in the world as he can despoil.
Power Extreme reflexes, cybernetic internal armor
M.O. Luminary Terrorist

Known Associates The Misery Tourists

Known Body Count: 14

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 38
Property Damage: 5k

Appearance
Beautiful, physically perfect (“eight pack”) form in a white bodysuit
with a high collared, metallic golden cape. Moviestar hair. Wears
a pale white, featureless mask. Gold, almost feminine gloves.
Languid, floating motion that suddenly becomes brutal when
he’s fighting.

Abilities and Powers

Angryhan, vicious d-to-hand combat specialist. Revels in destroy-
ing beauty. Often comes up with the missions the Misery Tourist
go on.

Personality and History

Adam’s striking, nearly supernatural beauty was a gift from his
parents. He was magnificent and from the beginning an object of
fascination and worship. Adam finds being the center of attention
his natural habitat. The spotlight loves him and he loves it. But the
brighter the light, the deeper the darkness. Adam’s disgust, revul-
sion, and even cruelty toward the less blessed was always part of
him. He was a rejection artist, a young man with the highest stan-
dards. But there was a darker road ahead. He had always enjoyed
defeating competing beauty, but his obsession with destroying it
begin to overtake his appreciation of it. Priceless art. Beautiful re-
lationships. Beautiful people. Beauty enrages him. It all falls short.
People who seek to attain it are unworthy. Museums that share
the transcendent with the dull clods who flock to him are infuriat-
ing. And finally, he even destroyed himself. He says he did it in a
drug-fueled rage, but the amount of planning precludes that. He

168
Verboten
Verboten is came together from a group of “scientists” who were and more doubt on the scientific method and the rationality of
exploring what they believed to be the “forbidden sciences” (for- the universe in general.
bidden by who? The establishment--bent on protecting its own Oh--and? They took over a district of Holiday City--Lyndell--and set
orthodoxy at the expense of truth--TRUTH!!). The intersection of it up as their own fiefdom. Attempts to
absolutely nuts conspiracy theory and Illumination had the mis- get them out of there have failed-
fortune of both convincing them they had discovered truths about -in some cases spectacu-
the universe at large . . . and producing results. larly--because they are
Ordinary scientists who examine what Verboten has done / is personally fairly
doing, are clear on a few things: (a) their results seem to powerful (a
be almost entirely non-repeatable (b) that “al- showdown with
most” is troubling--sometimes peo- The Tower did
ple have been able to achieve not go well for
results using their methods The Tower) and they are
and precepts--but the pretty well embed-
entire procedure just ded in Lyndell--
seems to cast more and they pay
their taxes.

169
So thus far . . . people are . . . kind of just “ignoring the fact that they Business is conducted “normally”--people from other districts enter
took over a district by force” and even the people who live there unimpeded (on the outside there are check-points to warn people).
are often going around sort of acting like it’s normal. The fact is: Sometimes Over-Unity is seen tromping around or flying. The
no one is sure what to do, exactly: A CAT-3 Pentad isn’t something others typically travel with small entourages and 2-3 car vehicular
even CAT-4 or CAT-5 Luminaries just take on. caravans (more for pomp than for security). People are expected
to show deference to them--and they can inspect any part of their
Verboten’s Rule
domain they want (so sometimes Dr. Dominator drops into a local
Verboten landed in Lyndell--a mid-range district that was suffering restaurant and everyone is pretty scared until he leaves).
an economic down-turn--and held a public conference to declare
They have a few Luminaries that either they have created--or have
they were now the rulers of the district and all its neighborhoods.
come to serve them--they do hire--they do pay--pretty well.
This coincided with them marching several police precinct captains
out to read statements agreeing with this, instituting a curfew (one Verboten’s Wrath
that has been relaxed--but not lifted) and making a statement that
Verboten’s group is smart (they just have a ton of really question-
Verboten would be handling discipline in the case of violence, dis-
able ideas). They are not bloodthirsty or sadistic in the way that The
order, or, especially, graffiti.
Connoisseur can be or the Misery Tourists are. However, between
Verboten is, it turns out, very, very touchy about being made fun of. their quest for Science! (exclamation mark required) which leads
They then set up several “laboratories” (bases in abandoned build- to all kinds of dangers being unleashed, their need for subjects,
ings), recruited a number of locals as security, personal assistants, which they “recruit,” as required, and their extreme sensitivity to
and lab technicians. anything that can remotely be seen as disrespect, makes them
Life under their rule has been weird. They perform experiments unstable.
that impact the weather, create odd noises “ringing through the The people don’t live in terror--but they are sometimes terrorized.
city,” and other aural effects (a giant translucent dome appeared Moving--leaving requires permission--and while you can just “walk
over Lyndell, reports of strange mutated beings walking the streets out” (they don’t interdict travel)--but moving house (leaving for
persist). good) will have repercussions if done without permission.
Travel in and out is fine--but Lyndell is a “different nation” with
theaters showing movies that have long left everywhere else and
out of date products on billboards.
The “justice system” has Allopath as its primary magistrate (al-
though others fill in). On a good day, he’s smart and not blood-
thirsty. On a bad day, you could end up being one of Verboten’s
experimental subjects.

170
Dr. Dominator
(a.k.a. Elias Traunt)
those open to him? To his suggestions? He could encode reflexes
Basic Information
and responses. He was the superior intellect--and he could not be
Class CAT-3
stopped. He would take what was rightfully his.
Threat Level Red (Supervillain)
Over the course of a couple of years, he assembled other travelers
Biology Human Male, Aged 42
in the forbidden / fringe sciences who had Illuminated and formed
Power Neuro-Linguistic Programming: Mind-Control
Verboten--a Luminary group dedicated to the exploration of the sci-
M.O. Supervillain - Leader
ences that humanity has disavowed. Their group--powerful enough
Known Associates Verboten to face The Tower--and (at least that once) win has “taken
over” a section of Holiday City and is using it as
Known Body Count: 0
a base of operations for further experimentation
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 12 and consolidation of their power.
Property Damage: None If he has a weakness it’s his didactic / pro-
Appearance fessorial nature. He tends to “monologue”
and rant about the “hidebound
A powerfully built middle aged man--some gray in his
deathgrip of traditional thought
hair--a bit heavy. He wears a costume with cryptic writ-
/ science!”
ing on it. May also wear “professorial garb” over it.

Abilities and Powers

Elias is able to “speak the language of the human
mind.” He can program others to do as he wishes--or
himself (to improve their--or his own--physical / mental
performance). He is able to control others with under
a minute of conversation and to implant suggestions
that trigger later.
He is able to disable many opponents with a shouted “swear
word” in the NLP-Tongue which literally stuns them or worse!

Personality and History

Elias Traunt was a huge believer in Neuro-Linguistic
Programming and, although the science was “debunked,”
he believed it was merely covered up. When he started tak-
ing courses at the local community college, he was laughed
at--the stuff, he was told, didn’t work. There’d been tests.
Elias knew better--he knew better than all of them. After
4 years of YouTube and a decade or more of self study, he
had broken the code: the terms and symbols that allowed
him to program his mind--and others.
By talking to people he could put them into a trance--to
carry out his will. By programming himself, he could
achieve nearly impossible feats--by talking with

171
The Evoluminary
(a.k.a. Eugene Walsh)
the rich and powerful were holding back the secrets of eternal life
Basic Information
and personal power--so he went on a quest--to find the researchers
Class CAT-3
who were working on those things and force them to use their
Threat Level Red (Supervillain) hidden techniques on him.
Biology Non-Human malleable biology Male, Aged 29
He made plans--talked with experts on the talk-circuts about the
Power Paranormal Genetic Instability
various conspiracies that were holding back the “common man”-
M.O. Supervillain - Lancer
-and when he finally got some incriminating photographs from
Known Associates Verboten the head researcher at a gene-research and anti-aging start-up, he
had his plan--and he made them follow it. He had genomes of the
Known Body Count: 0
“perfect animals” (tiger blood!) and plenty of doses of lovely long
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 11 telomeres (he wasn’t clear on exactly what they were)--and after the
Property Damage: None injections he went into the cryo-tank that the athletes were using
to lose weight. That would stimulate it the mixture.
Appearance
It did. The Evoluminary emerged.
When non-mutated he appears as a very cut, well de-
Perfect, pretty, and,
fined human with bleached skin and a strange lattice
well, still petty. But
structure.
now the world’s his oys-
Abilities and Powers ter. He’s going to get his due.
The Evoluminary is genetically “malleable.” Having combined the NOTE: It takes him time in combat
“best of all life forms” into his genome (his to evidence each mutation--and if he
description) he is able to evidence them is surprised or startled, he can under-
in the forms of T-Rex Jaws, Tentacles, a go an involuntary change . . . which
Tail, and so on. He is highly resis- upsets him. DO NOT STARTLE THE
tant to damage and EVOLUMINARY.
can “inflate” to NOTE: “The” is part of
become extremely his name--according
powerful. to him--but he real-
ly dislikes “The The
Personality and Evoluminary’s posi-
History tion on X”--so use proper
Eugene was in Computer Science grammar with caution.
as a sophomore when he found one
of his tech-giant idols was deeply
into the idea of staying young
forever by the drinking of
blood from young people.
He also knew that stem-cell
research and that “CRISPY”
thing were forbidden to be
used on humans. He was sure

172
Allopath
(a.k.a. Tad Wilson)
radiation with an ancient X-Ray machine--and then he went on
Basic Information
the “diet and homeopathic and essential oils treatment.” He died-
Class CAT-3
-horribly--but he came back--and now he has opinions. Lots and
Threat Level Red (Supervillain) lots of opinions.
Biology Non-Living Biology, Male, Aged 25
He is often the team’s planner and tactician. He has created a few
High strength, very high resilience, non-human
Power “enhanced lieutenants” and has his own cadre of gang-members
biology, parahuman “medical technology”
who travel with him. He has been known to “seize the stage” at
M.O. Supervillain - Smart Guy
nearby medical conferences (almost none of them are held in
Known Associates Verboten Holiday City anymore) and rant about his alternative
medicines--but otherwise he is reasonably sedate.
Known Body Count: 0
Maybe that’s from technically being dead.
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 19
He is experimenting with “reanimation”--but he
Property Damage: None so far has only ever been able to create hungry,
Appearance mindless, mutations from the dead. He
has several labs in Holiday City where
Appears as a walking “withered corpse” wearing a Waffen
he does his work.
SS hat, a lab-coat, and black clothes. Has long black
claws.

Abilities and Powers

Allopath used his “advanced medical sci-
ence” to bring himself “back from the
dead.” Every other time he’s tried it,
the subject has simply awoken as a
hungry mutation. He has no biological
functions, extremely high strength and
durability, and his claws can cut through most materials
with no difficulty.

Personality and History

Tad always knew that medical science was a fraud
and that most doctors were in-on-it. He studied
alternative medicine deeply--traveling and
listening to the best in the field. He’d been
told, over and over, the trials didn’t work--that
it was a fraud--that vaccines were safe--but he
knew better. He knew that the techniques that
really worked were being suppressed for the profit
of the rapacious medical and pharmacy industries.
In a fit of pique, in order to prove it, he
gave himself thousands of roentgens of

173
Over-Unity
(a.k.a. Markus Mahuel)
Basic Information
Personality and History
Markus failed out Physics 101--not because he couldn’t do the
Class CAT-3
work--no--because he was too good at it. His teachers couldn’t an-
Threat Level Red (Supervillain)
swer his questions about what happens when you applied gravitic
Biology Human Male, Aged 31
magnetics to magnetic gravity. Markus, however, knew the answer:
Power Hyper-Technology Power Armor
perpetual power. It took him 2 years to get the device built and
M.O. Supervillain - Big Guy
it took a cocky professor just 30 minutes to discover where the
Known Associates Verboten hidden batteries were. He’d had to cheat--the device wasn’t ready
yet--and he needed funding. That didn’t work--but a couple of con-
Known Body Count: 0
ventional bank robberies later, and getting his hands on the right
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 31 rare-earth magnets? Well, gravity and magnetics are power-sourc-
Property Damage: 21k es that don’t ever run out and so was his.
Appearance Now he has the power--a giant lumbering armored suit run off his
limitless free energy generator that THEY tried to suppress. He has
A huge lumbering suit of white power armor with vents, open
a rocket-pack, stabilizers, and sensors. He’s even put
tubes, and black-glass on it. It has a partially encased “spherical
some missiles on it.
power plant” that has a perpetual motion engine in it--that looks
kind of like a rotating series of “jacks” that throw off light. Over-Unity revels in being feared and
respected. When he goes out to
Abilities and Powers have a look at Verboten’s do-
Over-Unity (a term for perpetual mo- main, he makes sure people
tion) uses a suit of advanced see him. Thundering down the
power-armor which he rids in street--his lessers and the sheep
more than “wears.” It is out- scurrying to get out of his way.
fitted with missiles and They’d better!
other weapons, is The suit is naturally strong-
heavily armored, -but when he goes into
and has a gy- combat, he will usual-
ro-stabilized ly “Power Up” which
rocket pack. makes his whole sys-
tem surge with pow-
er. The effect lasts the
entire fight.

174
Tabu
(a.k.a. Emily Croven)
Tabu is the Public Relations front for the team. She can fight but she
Basic Information
isn’t their heavy hitter. She serves more as an observer, commenter,
Class CAT-3
and sometimes distraction or tactical advantage.
Threat Level Red (Supervillain)
Biology Human Female, Aged 21
Power Magic
M.O. Supervillain - The Chick

Known Associates Verboten

Known Body Count: 0

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 8
Property Damage: None

Appearance
Tabu dresses like a Halloween witch.

Abilities and Powers

Tabu commands a force she describes as
“Magick.” It is believed to be a kind of tele-
kinesis and photo-genesis energy con-
trol. She has the ability to teleport, has
enhanced reflexes, and has improved
durability. She can use the “Magick
Force” to deal damage (although often
in small amounts).

Personality and History

Emily was always interested in the for-
bidden lore of the occult sciences. Things
Man Was Not Meant To Know never both-
ered her--she was a woman. Of course there
are other reasons for explorers in the mystical
realms to be careful. She blew past all of that.
There were spell books in bookstores. Occult and
New Age book shops were practically on every corner.
She knew these held the knowledge she sought--perhaps in
code? Perhaps in part? But it was all there--just . . . obscured. So
she bought the books and she studied. She ignored the haters who
said Astrology was nonsense. She ignored the people who told her
that it was all superstition and lies.
No--these truths she has uncovered are now hers to exploit.

175
Technocrat
Technocrat gets the “Super Villain” designation by virtue of having good”--he literally doesn’t see anything wrong with them: he’s
seized a (much smaller than Verboten’s) area of Holiday City and creating a perfect society as a model for others to follow--of course
turned it into his own personal fiefdom. The super-villain descriptor if drugging people is the best way to keep order and productivity
is given because of the character’s ego driven behavior and need up he’s going to do it.
for publicity. His citizens wear ankle trackers and while he allows them to travel
In the case of Technocrat this doesn’t well apply--but he gets it as wanted (they can even leave the United States for vacations), he
anyway because of what does apply. He has taken over a several uses his powerful computers to track them and return them after
block area and sought to create a “perfect society.” This comes with their term is up--if they don’t come home naturally.
not only his technological super-science but also a Luminary-level There is mandatory continuing education for adults--using TV sets
genius for city planning. built into homes--that can’t be turned off and can tell if they’re
He doesn’t exactly hold “press conferences” to announce his being watched.
crimes--he just files stuff with City Council and informs the press of He carefully manages fuel and electricity use--but has hyper-tech
new developments in Union Garden (like any city planner would). generators for power so many vehicles are electric. Schools teach
He gives periodic speeches (for which attendance is nearly manda- his curriculums within his area.
tory)--but this is in the name of informing the populace--and this
Union Gardens was a government housing section--plagued with
seems to be legitimate on his part.
crime, with waste, and with a lack of hope or dignity. Now it is a
In fact, his city planning, technological innovation, and protection collection of soaring pastel colored towers with electric gyrocopters
from other Luminaries would make him popular except for his ten- and floating security robots. Some people argue it’s an improve-
dency to absolutely trample civil rights (mandatory rehabilitation ment--but if you’ve ever been sent for re-education (a school-room
stations, the use of psycho-active drugs to temper the populace, no like setting with VR-helmets at each desk and chemical and elec-
limits to search and seizure for his agents, etc.). tro-shock treatments) you might have other ideas.
He doesn’t consider these actions “necessary for the greater As with Verboten, no one has figured out what to do about him yet.

176
Technocrat
(a.k.a. Kyle Joist)
If you are not a native of Union Gardens it is highly advised you
Basic Information
avoid the area under all conditions. Although not conventional-
Class CAT-3
ly dangerous, mistakes within
Threat Level Amber (Triggers) its boundaries can result in
Biology Human Male, Age 35 internment and “treatment”
Hyper-Engineering, Power-Armor & Energy you would definitely wish to
Power
Weapons, Robot Doubles avoid.
M.O. “City Manager” Union Gardens
Known Associates Security Operations Group (SOG)
Known Body Count: 0
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 29
Property Damage: 0

Appearance
Technocrat wears what appears to be a high-technology suit glow-
ing blue-white. It has what appear to be directional boot-jets and
communications gear.

Abilities and Powers

Technocrat is, among other things, a civil-engineering genius as
well as a hyper-scientist. He wears energy-reinforced pow-
er-armor and has a built in military grade rapid-fire energy
weapon.

Personality and History

Technocrat rules the four-block neighborhood of Union Gardens.
He has appointed himself the City Manager for it and begun
making changes to policy, infrastructure, and services. He
runs a force of followers called the Security Operations
Group who act as eyes and ears--and even soldiers if
necessary. Quite personally powerful and possessed
with genius-level skill in City Planning and Civil
Engineering, Technocrat has made Union Gardens a
showcase from a visual and safety standpoint..
Technocrat, however, has no concern for civil liberties
and no patience for human inefficiencies. His self-contained
paradise includes reeducation centers that are part school,
part clinic, and part torture-chamber. Citizens who violate his
perfect codes (which can be done by littering, failing to recy-
cle, watching too much TV, etc.) can be sent to his re-education
stations for corrective instruction.

177
Technocrat’s Monitor & Enforcement Bots
Technocrat uses several robotic systems of his own design to police his domain. When he makes appearances, often it is a “robotic dou-
ble”--although exactly how this works is merely a theory.
The robots have monitors and speakers, a sensor sweep, and “Alert Lights” for “Continue, Caution, and Cease” that apply to their evaluation
of activities. They will escort (by force if necessary) citizens to health or productivity or reeducation centers. They also have weapons that
can fire restricting foam or kinetic rays that on low levels stun--but can be quite lethal on higher levels.

178
Tiger Mom (and the Cubs)
Most ‘Super Villains’ are playing a role on the city’s -- or even the nation’s-- stage. They demand attention; they want an audience. They
make speeches that present themselves as visionaries in the grip of grand ideas or creators giving birth to some new thing or era.
Not so Mrs. Ocker. Madylin Ocker, a.k.a. Tiger Mom isn’t playing to the masses. She doesn’t want fame or glory. She’d prefer not to
be a household name (more on that in a minute). She doesn’t leave “calling cards” or if she does, her “card” is meant to be extreme
competence.
But she does have an audience -- she wants to be recognized as the greatest criminal mind to ever hit Holiday City.
Madylin Ocker’s drive for excellence started early in her career. Her plans were careful, intricate “Tiger Kidnappings” -- a plan where an
insider’s family is held hostage while they are blackmailed into committing a crime on her behalf. These operations require patience,
cunning, discipline, and extraordinary focus. She made more than a name for herself -- she began her legend.
Over the years she built teams (usually for one job) and dissolved them, but the truly spectacular targets remained out of reach. As she
aged out of her 20’s, she saw something else as well -- her legacy wouldn’t just be a successful ‘career’ (in crime) -- it would be a family.
She would have it all. “Miss. Tiger” became “Mrs. Tiger” and then, after a few years...“Tiger Mom.”
Madylin’s passion for excellence has been undimmed by time or the new responsibilities of parenthood. Her daughters and her son have
all been trained, honed, where necessary augmented, and otherwise directed to excel beyond what she is capable of. Their childhoods
were spent drilling and practicing. Summers in expensive overseas “camps.” Personal trainers from the most exclusive dojos.
Mature now, she expects them to fulfil her dream -- to blossom into her legacy... but there have been
problems. The Cubs (as others have called them -- not her) are not bad. Their skills are excellent, their
powers formidable. At any given moment, their discipline and tradecraft are good (if not truly excep-
tional), but... things tend to go wrong. Operations slip up. Things explode. They end up blasting
their way out instead of vanishing into the night.
And there’s worse -- some of them (Mean, particularly) have started to run
their own jobs -- sometimes without parental approval and oversight.
These things have potential to embarrass the family should
they go sideways... and to-date, they have.
By any ordinary measure Tiger Mom’s operations
are world-class. She is the go-to person for complex,
multi-stage jobs.
But she doesn’t want to be ‘well thought of’ or even ‘world class’ -- Tiger
Mom wants her children to be the Greatest Of All Time. She wants her
legacy to be raising the most formidable thieves ever envisioned...
And she’s not on track for that. There’s just too much noise. Too much
publicity. Code names in the newspaper, images on TV. She’s got a
reputation when she never wanted one.
And her kids? The Cubs? All that pressure can’t be good for
them, can it? It’s not sustainable. People close to them note
that it’s gone on longer than anyone thought it could,
and as they’ve become adults instead of getting away,
they’ve gone deeper. Something’s got to give... and
when it does?
Boom.

179
Tiger Mom
(real name unknown)
utilize them, show them off, and train them -- which is why it’s so
Basic Information
enraging to her when things go wrong.
Class CAT-3
Tiger Mom always has multiple operations in multiple stages of
Threat Level Red (Supervillain)
execution. She is researching, planning, training, or carrying out.
Biology Human Female, Aged 50 something
She does all that and she has time to oversee her children’s train-
Extreme training in hand-to-hand combat,
Power ing and still keep up a generally excellent social circuit.
intrusion
The public became aware of her existence a couple of years ago
M.O. Supervillain - Mastermind
when some associates were arrested. During the intervening years,
Known Associates The Cubs (Mean, Median, Mode) a hungry populace has learned more about her than she’d ever
wanted them to know. This exposure has increased her profile, and
Known Body Count: 0
has been, frankly, good for business, but it risks turning her oper-
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 12
ations into a circus act -- something she is determined to avoid.
Property Damage: None

Appearance
Tiger Mom wears a tiger-striped suit, wears NOV goggles, and car-
ries bespoke weapons.

Abilities and Powers

Tiger Mom is a tough, highly-trained combat specialist, but her
primary role is masterminding complex, demanding
plans.

Personality and History

Tiger Mom is the kind perfectionist who
expects perfection from herself and other
people. Her house, her family, her marriage,
her career, her body, are all to be in perfect, presentable shape
at all times -- after all, they all reflect intimately on her, and
anything less than perfect is unacceptable.
In person, she is charming -- impressive. Well read, well
spoken, with a peerless sense of domestic style, she is the
consummate hostess.
With her family, though, she is relentless. Nothing
is ever quite good enough, No effort so great that
it can’t be topped, and no use of time superior
to self-improvement.
Her children and their journey to excel-
lence and then success, is a primary
driver for her. In many cases current
operations are designed both to

180
Mean
(real name unknown)
right. And while she’s not a glory-hound she’s far less spot-light-
Basic Information
averse than her mother, with some of the trappings of a typical
Class CAT-2
celebrity super villain -- social media presence, public pronounce-
Threat Level Red (Supervillain) ments, and a larger-than-life persona that tends to focus on mock-
Biology Human Female, Aged 22 ing, judging, and some-
Project dark emotional energy; psychic insight times assaulting
Power
into targets of her hatred those she deems
M.O. Operative for Tiger Mom unworthy.
Tiger Mom & Cubs; The Meantime. Sometimes
Known Associates She’s described
the Misery Tourists
as cool, aloof,
Known Body Count: 2 and then
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 26 suddenly hot,
Property Damage: None hostile, enraged.
There’s a lot of
Appearance anger there.
Stylish and emotionally cool / cold young woman in sunglasses Note that Mean is
able to manifest dark green energy shards, blades, and beams a fraternal twin of
Abilities and Powers Mode.
Able to manifest intense emotional hatred to slash, pierce and
wither. Apparently able to gain psychic insight into targets of her
ire as well

Personality and History

Mean is the Tiger Cub’s middle child. She has been working with
her mother since she was a teenager in behind-the-scenes roles
(planning, surveillance, hostage management), and in the past 2
years has taken on (demanded) a more active role in Tiger Cub
operations.
It has not gone well. Witnesses indicate she has an emotional, ex-
plosive temper and tends to take things personally. Her “screw this”
attitude has resulted in a rift (but not total estrangement) from her
mother -- a condition that makes her even more dangerous.
Mean has put together her own crew (provisionally called The
Meantime) and has started running jobs independently. Her
operations tend to be far less methodical and professional than
her mother’s with more public attention, fallout, and collateral
damage.
While it’s impossible to fully understand the behind-the-scenes dy-
namics, it’s clear that Mean’s relationship with her family is chang-
ing and possibly deteriorating as she becomes a force in her own

181
Median / Imposter Syndrome
(real name unknown)
valuables. With time and effort to prepare, she is one of the most
Basic Information
formidable weapons in Tiger Mom’s arsenal.
Class CAT-2
However: pretending to be other people, living “undercover” and
Threat Level Red (Supervillain)
practicing extensive deception has a price. Witnesses have heard
Biology Human Female, Aged 26
her refer to herself as “Imposter Syndrome” as well as “Median”
Power Shape-shifter / changeling
suggesting that behind the facade, she may not be certain who
M.O. Operative for Tiger Mom
she is, or what she’s doing.
Known Associates Tiger Mom & The Cubs Unlike her siblings, her relationship with her mother seems to be
locked-down -- she remains the dutiful, reliable daughter, putting
Known Body Count: 0
in the work, the long hours, without complaint to earn her mother’s
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 2
approval.
Property Damage: None

Appearance
Whatever she wants it to be -- she wears a conceal-
ing suit with a diamond pattern

Abilities and Powers

Able to mimic others, project confusing holo-
grams. Also a hand-to-hand combat specialist
with toxic injectors

Personality and History

Median -- Tiger Mom’s first child and
(to date) her most successful ‘project’
-- was raised, trained, and designed to
be the perfect complement to Tiger
Mom’s intricate, subtle operations.
Median can apparently alter her appearance
significantly and with research and practice
convincingly spoof people, fooling even close
associates.
While a good deal of her ability is simply training
(she has been trained rigorously and is an olympic level athlete
as well as professional-level actor and con-artist), she has been
cybernetically augmented to enable her to physically alter her ap-
pearance at a moment’s notice.
Like her mother (and, clearly, at her mother’s direction), she avoids
publicity, but it is clear she has impersonated powerful people,
using their appearance to gain access to money, secrets, and other

182
Mode
(real name unknown)
include being able to ventilate armored doors with his built-in
Basic Information
chaingun.
Class CAT-2
With his cannon deployed Mode is, indeed, a fearsome (if some-
Threat Level Red (Supervillain)
what immobile) threat. In operations that have gone poorly (set-
Biology Human Male, Aged 22 something
ting off security instead of deactivating it), he’s been able to blast
Power Combat cybernetics
his way out to the escape vehicles.
M.O. Operative for Tiger Mom
He also seems to find causing damage thrilling (he avoids killing
Known Associates Tiger Mom & The Cubs people). This is not what his mother intended and his enjoyment
of “shooting the joint up” has resulted in enough friction with his
Known Body Count: 0
family that it’s leaked out.
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 14
Mode, otherwise, seems laid back and enjoys video
Property Damage: $100,000
games, shitposting, and (according to online moni-
Appearance toring) weed. He has a small online follow-
Skinny young man whose highly-modified body ing and seems to prefer his (anonymized,
conceals a deployable heavy autocannon vpn-hosted) streaming channel to his crim-
inal exploits.
Abilities and Powers This is not who Tiger Mom raised him
Armored bio-system concealing heavy artillery. to be.
Skilled hacker and security systems specialist.

Personality and History

Mode was clearly meant to handle the electronic
/ technical side of Tiger Mom’s operations. He’s
not bad -- by all accounts he’s a reasonable
hacker and legitimately skilled and assessing
and circumventing modern security systems.
His role in cybernetic compromise operations
would never have put him in the line-of-fire or
in the public spotlight, but his mother apparently had
greater plans for him -- sending him in with Intrusion
teams to handle on-sight security system compromise.
And that requires being able to fight his way out if
things went poorly.
There is no evidence that Mode’s extensive
augmentation was the result of injury or
trauma -- the information available
suggests he was enhanced to be
able to meet expectations. And,
apparently, those expectations

183
Overkill
(a.k.a. Barry Bryce)
than the real Luminaries (like him)--those with innate alterations
Basic Information
that give them their abilities (he tends to class magician-types as
Class CAT-4
cheating too, even though he isn’t real sure “magic exists”).
Threat Level Red (Radioactive Luminary Supremacist)
In any event, he is a high-level threat to human-type Luminaries.
Biology Human Male approx. 28 years
He has yet to kill anyone--and he usually doesn’t use his death-
Extreme Strength & durability, flight, radioactive
Power pulse with ordinary people around (perhaps because he knows
death pulse
that if he did cause a mass casualty event, he would be risking
M.O. Luminary Terrorist
upsetting The Powers That Be)--but he will
Known Associates Typhon, Overkill definitely order human-style Luminaries to
“Get out of the game”--to hang up the capes
Known Body Count: 0
and code-names and costumes they clearly
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 210 don’t deserve--and he’ll beat their heads
Property Damage: 700k in a bit to make the point stick.
Appearance
A glowing, hugely over-muscled
man. He wears a containment
suit.

Abilities and Powers

Overkill contains a “bio-reactor core” (organic,
not cybernetic) that gives him is incredibly over-muscled
strength and interior armor. He can fly and can emit a “death
pulse” of lethal radiation in a 25 yard Radius.

Personality and History

According to public statements, little Barry attended some
kind of private academy for Luminaries that taught him
that Luminaries are superior to all humans and deserve
to lead them and to be showered with adoration and
respect.
Barry, growing up to be muscular to the point of de-
formation, bald, and, uhm, radioactive, has not had
that be the case. He believes his life of personal star-
dom and the masses (and women) he is owed has
been stolen from him--by human-style Luminaries.
Humans who reach Illuminated Stature, whether by train-
ing or science (including cybernetics, although he is a bit
more accepting of them) are, he thinks, cheating.
They, he believes (without any evidence--although he is far
from the only Luminary to believe this) are far more popular

184
Omicron
(no a.k.a.)
Objectivism by the elite and the imposition of a kind of corporate
Basic Information
oligarchy on the masses.
Class CAT-5
Omicron is not extremely coherent and has been singularly un-
Threat Level Red (Unpredictable, Highly Dangerous)
successful in actual business; he (it) was never actually placed
Biology Male presenting android
on the board. Most of his “recommendations” have been nearly
Power Robotic Body
psychotic demands for the take-over and enslavement of Ockram
Destructive in narcissistic quest for personal
M.O. Corporation’s workers and customers. Personally, Omicron is near-
fulfillment
ly insufferable. Believing unwaveringly in his own superiority, he
Known Associates Tisiphina, Kernel Panic, Technocrat blames being vastly outnumbered by the weak and and the mor-
ally compromised.
Known Body Count: 0
He receives a considerable stipend from the corporation which
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 19
feels responsible for creating him, and lives in a nice condominium
Property Damage: 30 million (destroyed high rise) just off the waterfront. He describes himself in his Tinder
as an “author and philosopher” and has written sev-
Appearance
eral self-published books on business and life.
Metallic android which dress-
He is active in online dating and is able to pro-
es in human clothing (usually).
duce considerable quantities of recreational
Cannot shut up about Ayn Rand.
chemicals, leading to a surprising level of
Abilities and Powers popularity (at least in terms of party invites).
Unknown / Variable He appears to be unhappy in his personal life,
but utterly unwilling to consider changing.
Personality and When his romantic entanglements go
History bad he has been known to pursue
Omicron was designed in the vendettas, stalk, and otherwise ha-
1980’s by a Luminary Genius (William rass. When someone appears to care
Marlin) to act as an AI board mem- about him, he can be extremely ma-
ber for one Holiday City’s found- nipulative, threatening to “kill himself”
ing tech corporations. It was despite the fact that everyone knows he
“trained” with tens of thousands comes back in a few days. This is also his
of man-hours of work to under- reaction to legal threats.
stand business and enterprise All this said, there seem to be glimpses of a fun,
and provide recommendations that tolerable Omicron somewhere in there -- when
would optimize shareholder value. he’s relaxed, he can be thoughtful and insightful
Omicron achieved sentience in the mid-90’s until something (inevitably) reminds him of his fail-
entering its adolescence phase during the ures and he spirals back into dangerous and criminal
Republican Congress’s Contract-With-America plotting.
phase. Omicron has internalized a great deal of
the dialog. It believes that optimizing business
operations requires a significant change to cul-
ture and humanity based around an embrace of

185
The Monsters
Monsters are a loose category of people and things which are in some sense monstrous. This is partially because they can be extremely
dangerous: unpredictable and possibly lethal. When you are in the presence of a Monster you are never safe.
But being a Monster is also a literal designation -- they are, in some significant aspect, inhuman. They are Luminaries who have aban-
doned, disavowed, or have never had their humanity.
Not all Monsters are horrific to look at -- take Tisaphina. In her human form, she is elegant, beautiful, somewhat reserved. She gets
invited to charity galas and is a sparkling member of High Society. Her monstrosity is concealed, and few Ordinary People have seen it
and lived to tell the tale5.
On the far side is Typhon--monstrous in appearance and in action--sometimes emerging from whatever mysterious lair he calls home to
spread terror and slaughter, or Mother Death who, if you catch her attention, can be an implacable, unstoppable silent killer.
No one invites Typhon to charity events.
Monsters are also powerful. At CAT-4 or -5, they are almost unstoppable by ordinary people and forces and beyond even most lesser
Luminaries.
The Monsters, very explicitly, consider themselves at the top of the food chain. They aren’t always pushy about it and will usually show
merely human Luminaries reasonable levels of respect so long as their dominance is acknowledged and unchallenged.

5 Every worker at the Cambrian Hotel (where she resides in the Presidential Suite) is counseled that her true nature is something carnivorous--that one should
always treat her as though, in her presence, you are in danger of being eaten.
They’re not kidding.

186
Chrysobull
(no a.k.a.)
him from taking a person (of either gender--he does not discrim-
Basic Information
inate) who, under his influence, wishes to go with him? He has
Class CAT-5
collapsed people’s rib-cages.
Threat Level Red (Volatile, Psychometric Influence)
If you run out of wine? Okay--but if you “run out of wine” trying to
Biology Humanoid. Age unknown
get him to leave? He’s got a keen sense for that. It’s a dire mistake.
Extreme strength and durability
Power If you are at an event and Chrysobull is sighted, we recommend
Psychometric “Awe Power”-High Intensity
leaving in the opposite direction--whatever that is--in great haste.
M.O. Cult Leader, Sensualist

Known Associates The Revel (his cult of followers)

Known Body Count: 7

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 138
Property Damage: 100k+

Appearance
A 7’ humanoid with a bull’s head, four arms, golden skin,
glowing eyes, and a musculature that is humanoid but im-
possible for a human to achieve.

Abilities and Powers

Chrysobull is immensely physically powerful--even for the CAT-4
range. He is incredibly durable, impossibly strong, and uncon-
tainable when enraged. Additionally, he exudes a psychoactive
psionic radiance that makes those impacted worship him.
This seems to be autonomic and unintentional on his
part. It is powerful--those in his thrall sometimes join his
cult and/or act in ways they would never do without his
influence.

Personality and History

Chrysobull appeared in Holiday City four years ago and
quickly established himself as a living force-of-nature.
His life is seemingly one infinite party--he is always
searching and finding events that he can insert himself
into--wherein he will eat, drink, and “be merry”--often
taking victims of his psionic field to the bed chambers.
He is not intentionally destructive--even if insult-
ed (or attacked) he may ignore the event--but
he is dangerously unpredictable. Trying to
stop him from entering a dinner party? He’s
thrown security through walls. Trying to stop

187
The Terror
(Real Name Unknown)
the tool of a political player in the high-finance or government
Basic Information
realm--used sparingly as an “absolute force” option.
Class CAT-5
There are several cases where the individual known as The Terror
Threat Level Red (Human Guillotine) has attacked organized crime targets and some paramilitary gangs.
The rationalizations for these attacks are unknown but the common
Biology Human Male, Aged ~20-30
factor seems to be an interest on the part of the victims in certain
Power Cybernetic upgrades kinds of political pressure or assassination.
M.O. Politically Motivated Descriptions hold him as ruthlessly efficient and unhesitant in
killing--able to dispatch a room-full of ordinary guards in seconds
K n o w n with extreme precision.
Unknown
Associates
NOTE: The “Known Body Count” number of 3 is due to higher con-
Known Body Count: 3 (Probably Much Higher) fidence reports. If we take the number of clean-incision, single
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 0 wound decapitations, the number is closer to 15.
Property Damage: None

Appearance
The entity calling himself The Terror wears a mask, a military-style
uniform, displays an extreme physique, and has a cybernetic
“wing-scythe” that extends from his back.

Abilities and Powers

The Terror seems to have a combination of Luminary-level train-
ing (that is: trained to “above human maximum” in strength and
reflexes) and cybernetic enhancements to provide heightened
sensory, fast movement, and his weapon--the “wing blade.” He
is also known to carry tungsten-steel swords which he is highly
proficient with.

Personality and History

Very little is known about The Terror’s history or motivations. In
fact, there is even some question as to whether he really exists or
is a combination of individuals--some of whom might be using a
coordinated lie for their own reasons.
The Terror seems to strike specific targets--quickly, and with lethal
intent. There are no cases of survivors nor speaking first-hand wit-
nesses to an attack. He is tactically adept, choosing approaches
that minimize camera surveillance.
Analysts believe that The Terror--so named because sealed gov-
ernment informant files have described him as such--is possibly

188
Tisiphina
(no a.k.a. )
drew crowds and sometimes, like moths to a fire, more amorous
Basic Information
admirers.
Class CAT-5
She no longer “works”--it has been 70 years since she was in a
Threat Level Red (Monstrous Serpent)
movie--and today she just is. That seems to be enough.
Biology Demi-Human Female, age unknown
Power True Form: serpent-thing
She has a permanent residency at the Cambrian Hotel (itself an
ancient edifice of the bygone grandeur of Holiday City at its high
M.O. Elegant, Dangerous Lady
watermark). Today, both she and it are Holiday City “institutions.”
Known Associates All CAT-5 Luminaries She is a collector of beautiful things--she wants to adorn herself
Known Body Count: 2 with them. She wants attention from men (and some women) she
deems worthy--she wants to be flattered, lusted after, and feared.
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 82
For the most part, she gets all those things--her life is one, largely,
Property Damage: 350k
of satisfaction--but sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes there is a mere
Appearance annoyance or a sleight, or she is simply unhappy and unsated. At
Tisiphina doesn’t look a day over 25. She has the glamor of a black those times her True Self isn’t the delicate looking beautiful thing
and white movie-star--which at one point? She was. She is elegant, she walks around as in public.
if scornful. At those times she is a Monster--and Monsters, when encountered,
can always be deadly.
Abilities and
Powers
Tisiphina can transform-
-but for a variety of rea-
sons, her non-human
form is considered a True
Form (meaning her gen-
erally human appearance
is the transformation). In
her True Form she has
wings, scales and claws-
-she is magnificently pow-
erful and dangerous.

Personality and History

Tisiphina is at least 90--when you look into her eyes or past the
brilliant sparkle of her smile, you can see something much
older and hungrier. She is without question beautiful,
charismatic, and cold.
Over the years she has been
a film star and a theatrical
actress--in both cases, she

189
Erudite
(Real Name Unknown)
Basic Information
Class CAT-5
Threat Level Red (Lethal Sadist)
Biology Plastic Biological Male, unknown age
Deformable plastic body, extreme durability,
Power
Telepathy
M.O. Sociopath

Known Associates Unknown

Known Body Count: 12 (Probably Much Higher)

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 40
Property Damage: None

Appearance
Erudite appears as a thin male wearing an odd outfit (with a leather
mask and apron, a red bow-tie). He seems excitable, energetic, and
joyously wicked.

Abilities and Powers

Erudite is a powerful telepath and is extremely resilient and resis-
tant to damage. His body is highly plastic; deformable.

Personality and History

Little is known of Erudite’s origin. He definitely seems to have for-
mal training and schooling in a variety of subjects including med-
icine, psychology, literature, music, and history. He uses all of that
in his meticulous practice of psychological and physical sadism.
Erudite plans--he wants to cause wide-spread chaos, misery, and
terror. He can be petty--it is almost certainly an indulgence for
him to use his (considerable) resources to terrify and execute a
target--sometimes even an ordinary person--over a matter of days.
Erudite is clearly wealthy--extremely so--and has resources that he
uses to build the “settings” for his complex games.

190
Regal
(Real Name Unknown)
His alias fits his manner. He is described as ruthless, arrogant, cold,
Basic Information
and aloof. Capable-of and prone-to sudden violence. He is known
Class CAT-5
for an air of sneering cruelty and withering contempt.
Threat Level Red (Imperious, Unafraid to kill)
Regal’s operations are careful, his cruelty calculated. He has a high
Biology Human Male, Aged 35+
opinion of himself but doesn’t need the limelight -- Regal operates
Power Absorption of Entropy
from the shadows.
M.O. Seems to have financial interests in Holiday City

Known Associates The Terror

Known Body Count: 46

Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 39
Property Damage: 300k

Appearance
Powerful man of stately, imperious bearing bedecked in red
and gold. Coldly superior in affect and speech.

Abilities and Powers

Superhuman strength and durability and the
ability to radiate an “entropy field” that
consumes life and heat-energy into him,
fuling his abilities to even greater, more
disastrous heights

Personality and History

Very little can be said for sure about the origins and mo-
tivations of Regal. His existence was confirmed only
recently -- within the last two years. Before that, he
was known through his works: the dead bodies
frozen into dessicated corpses of those who
dared defy him.
The information law enforcement has pieced
together presents Regal as a man of consider-
able means, intelligence, and cunning whose
operations seem to be focused on graft against
municipal targets in the millions and billions
of dollars ranges.
His careful, largely covert operations to intimidate,
subvert, and even eliminate political and municipal
leaders suggest he knows City Hall intimately, leading to
speculation that in his private identity, he’s one of them.

191
Typhon
(real name unknown)
When he appears, it is a disaster--apparently he lives much of the
Basic Information
time either in the company of Luminaries or in solitude save for a
Class CAT-4
cadre of human servants who have all been rendered mute. Exactly
Threat Level Red (Lethal Luminary Supremacist) how he arranges this or where his lair is has never been identified.
Biology Non-Human, Male Presenting
When he does appear it is usually with a purpose--a murderous or
Extreme durability, extreme strength, biological
Power destructive one--and he will kill all ordinary humans whose path he
weapons
crosses whether they stand in his way or not (he is not a completist
M.O. Luminary Supremacist
about this--laying curled up on the floor may protect you).
Known Associates Mother Death, Overkill Whatever drives him, it is dark and merciless. He has a following
both among some Luminaries--who see him as a visionary--and
Known Body Count: 45
some very damaged humans who look up to him as a sort of “death
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: 102
god.” He does not well acknowledge Illumination by extraordinary
Property Damage: none training--but has been known to restrain his lethal impulses in the
company of “human” Luminaries.

Appearance
Typhon appears
as a hugely muscled man
with claw-like nails, wings, and three
snake’s tails.

Abilities and Powers

Typhon is extremely powerful, able to fly (as well as
squeeze and climb with his
“snake limbs”). He has ex-
panded senses, is highly
armored, and extremely
strong.

Personality and History

Typhon’s history is shrouded--he ap-
peared in the late 60’s as a dead-
ly menace--intelligent enough to
speak and reason (he seems to have a univer-
sity education)--but implacably obsessed with
the idea that humanity is meant to serve Luminary
kind and that most of humankind should be extin-
guished as quickly as possible.

192
Mother Death
(real name unknown)
She very rarely speaks but she does have channels where she
Basic Information
makes her target--and their “crimes” against Luminaries (mostly
Class CAT-4
just the act of shutting some Luminary out of a political or econom-
Threat Level Red (Murderous Specter) ic process--she has spoken against the general rule that student
Biology Non-Human, Female Presenting Luminaries cannot run for student office--although thankfully she
Power Insubstantiality, levitation, death touch hasn’t done anything about it yet).
M.O. Luminary Terrorist
When someone or something (and that includes Traitor Luminaries
Known Associates Typhon, Overkill who side with treating humans as equals) gets her attention, she
will make her death sentence plain--and if the behavior is not
Known Body Count: 29
stopped (and sometimes even if it is) she will begin to stalk the
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: none target, hoping to cause terror and death.
Property Damage: none Anyone who aids one of her targets can become a target as well.
Appearance
Mother Death appears as a rotted
human in black robes. She is usu-
ally somewhat translucent and can
pass through solid matter.

Abilities and Powers

She is able to float, pass through
solid material, and become either
entirely insubstantial or mostly
insubstantial. When mostly insub-
stantial she is still capable of inflict-
ing mortal wounds with her touch.

Personality and History

Mother Death is younger than
Typhon--that much is certain. She
appeared in the 80’s and has
changed in her appearance for
the worse--appearing to rot. She
is a Luminary terrorist--a Terror
Operative for the cause of the
subjugation and then large-part
extermination of humankind. Her
activites are acts of gruesome as-
sassination of targets who she can
track and kill through all normal
defenses.

193
Hecatomb
(Dominic Holloway)
Basic Information important people are gathered, almost always with a disapprov-
Class CAT-5 ing frown.
Threat Level Amber (Organized Criminal) What everyone knows: Dominic Holloway runs the Syndicate in
Biology Human Male, early 60’s Holiday City. He’s the Boss-of-Bosses and answers only to the heads
Power Earth & Death Control in Chicago... and maybe not even to them:
M.O. Oversees Syndicate operations When Dominic becomes Hecatomb, calling the earth to encase
Known Associates Red Anthony, Mr. Green, The Hat, others him and summonsing a hoard of the undead from the cryptic
Known Body Count: Many suspected labyrinths beneath his estate, he is a force of nature. What would
Violence Index Inflicted Injury: Unconfirmed
happen if the whole of the Chicago Syndicate were to stand against
him is anyone’s guess, but odds are?
Property Damage: Unconfirmed
They’d lose.
Appearance They know it. They leave Holiday City and Hecatomb to themselves.
Older, balding, bespectacled man with gray skin pallor / hulking As a boss and manager, Hecatomb is more than capable.
gothic “battle suit” made of earth and bone Hecatomb’s operations are the most organized of organized crime
Abilities and Powers in Holiday City. Over his decade-and-a-half reign he has drifted
toward crimes that do not disrupt the order of the city. Gambling,
Animate / psychokinetically move earth
prostitution, white-collar corruption, and extortion / protection
and stone including to form a powerful,
money make the majority of his income and operations. His
ornate “battle suit” around himself. Able
soldiers sometimes go beyond that, but crimes like narcotics dis-
to communicate with and
tribution are mostly left to the operations with more street-level
animate the dead
interests. He “runs” the unions and parts of the docks (That
Personality and Sultan doesn’t run) and the very little of significance
History happens in Holiday City without him getting his cut,
Officially Mr. Holloway and this includes cargo that comes through on
is a retiree living out ship or rail. The theft and fencing are routine,
his golden years in a bloodless, accepted. Money laundering is
quiet, secluded estate another break-out speciality. Between his
on the outskirts of agreements with Metropole, and a number
Holiday City. He of cash-heavy small businesses, he can (and does)
made his money in launder immense amounts of money from across
Chicago, they say (or and beyond the midwest.
was it Vegas?) Disruptive bad for business crimes are kept to
Publically, captured in a minimum. In exchange for this, Hecatomb has a ‘cozy’
photographs, he is a re- relationship with Holiday City law enforcement, and will
served, but still present member of Holiday work with them to mutual benefit. He is also careful to en-
City society -- avoiding the sure that past a certain level of seniority HC’s leaders
spotlight, but still have enough of a personal relationship
appearing with him that it would be mutually
with wherever detrimental to them to expose it or
to go after them.

194
195
Terminate L1 l L+ Super
Unit Cost L1: 1.5 INT Per AP L+: 1.2 INT Per AP
Description: The character fires a black beam that is similar to a Death Ray but does damage even if it misses. On a Fail or Standard Hit the
damage uses the to-hit roll as the Damage Modifier as IMPACT Damage. If, in the player’s or GM’s opinion, a Fail or Standard result is worse than a
Major+ Result then the player can apply the damage.
Attack Strength Delivery Type
Fail INT / 2 Base Base Damage, Ignores Armor, Force Field, Power Field, Flack
Standard INT Base Base Damage, Ignores Armor, Force Field, Power Field, Flack
Major Target is rendered comatose. Makes Critical Wound Roll. Suffers Major Wound.
Critical Target is rendered comatose. Makes Critical Wound Roll at -3. Target is Suffers Critical Wound.
Catastrophic Target is rendered comatose. Makes Critical Wound Roll at -6. Suffers Critical Wound.
Trait Buy Cost A-Cost Intensity Power
Terminate M 8 AP 8 AP

Hyper-Chitin L+ Super
Description: The character gets Armor and ADP for the Chitin. When the ADP is gone, Armor stops working.
• For Plates the character only gets the ADP protection if a plate is hit
• Armor 20% Advantage, ADP 30%
• Other Armor, ADP and DP takes effect AFTER the Chitin ADP (so if the character has armored skin, it doesn’t protect the Chitin ADP)
Trait Buy Cost A-Cost Armor ADP
Hyper Chitin M 4 AP +0 AP 4/9 +9
Hyper Chitin Plates Cv 4 M 4 AP +0 AP 3 / 11 +11

Entrapment Ray L1 l L+ Super

L+: 2 Grapple Per
Unit Cost L1: 3 Grapple Per AP
AP
Description: The beam hits as a ranged attack and encases the target in some kind of energy field or instantly hardening foam or similar. This is
a Grapple that, depending on the level of success confers the level of helplessness.
• The field has the listed Armor and ADP based on its Power. It takes PEN Damage but not PEN Doubling.
• The ray needs to hit by 4+ to get a Critical or Catastrophic effect--otherwise the maximum result is Major.
Attack Strength Delivery Type
Fail No Effect
Stuck: character loses AGI Bonus, cannot take MOVE actions. If Arm targeted loses the use of that arm and any
Standard
weapon in it. Target can attack the encasement at no negatives.
Partially encased: target is at +5 to be hit. One arm is immobilized as above. Target gets -4 DM to attack the
Major
encasement and -4 to hit and -4 DM to hit other targets. Target gets 3 Cover from the Encasement.
Critical Target can only attack the encasement: gets -4 DM. Target can’t be hit
Catastrophic Target can only attack the encasement: gets -8 DM.
Trait Buy Cost REA Range ROF Armor ADP
Entrap M 8 AP 5 REA -1/5y S +4 / 10 +12

196
Nemesis - Curse L1 l L+ Super
Unit Cost L1: 4.5 INT Per AP L+: 2.5 INT Per AP
Description: The character creates a “chaotic attractor” that will bring a “curse” down on the target. This can take several days to come to fruition
and another character with Nemesis or remove Curse can expunge it.
• Using the power is stealthy: the target gets a Perception roll to see the “evil eye” or feel the ill-wind blow from the attacker to themselves.
People with Sensitive will see it instantly (or probability manipulation). An Occult roll can serve as a perception roll as well. Any of the Sense
Ambush / Trap / Reader powers will give a roll to detect it happening.
• The Roll is not against the target’s Resist Value--but rather against their Total AP or their Total CP / 4, whichever is higher.
• The power can only be used on a person one time a day once an effect above FAIL is acquired.
• A random card from a standard deck can be drawn to determine the “type” of misfortune.
• NOTE: while listed as a combat power, with GM permission, this can be counted as a NON-COMBAT power if the character has a lot of TAP abili-
ties as it is not immediately useful in combat.
Hearts - Unlucky In Relationships or Health: The character’s relationships (especially romantic ones) get worse or fall apart. In general, this
manifests as envy, jealousy, resentment, or betrayal by those close to the character. Romantic partners may cheat or be dissatisfied. Parents or
friends may express disappointment and so on. Characters may also get sick or injured.
Diamonds - Unlucky with Money: The character’s finances suffer, usually losing anywhere between 10% and 50% of a character’s net worth.
Spades - Unlucky in Conflict: The character is at a disadvantage or an enemy gains a substantial advantage. This may also indicate legal trouble.
Clubs - Unlucky at Work or Social: The character’s work, career, or reputation suffers. The character may be fired or demoted or generally
perceived to be ineffective and unreliable.
Spades - Unlucky With An Enemy / Rival: An enemy finds the character at an inopportune time or gets some fortune. Rivals gain an upper
hand or plans against them fail. In a fight this can act as negative SPs--but it is more likely to result in some enemy gaining prominent luck or
advantage over the character.
Special Case Cards Ace of Spades: Catastrophic bad luck for the character. Often damage inflicting a Major Wound as its Base Damage. Queen of
Spades: An enemy with very similar capabilities appears (or, if that seems impossible, some specific nemesis). King of Clubs: A powerful person
in the establishment takes a dislike to the target. Ace of Diamonds: The character is either sued or pursued legally. Alternatively they may have
someone seriously libel them in a way that hurts their reputation. Four and Six of Any Suit: Health problems for them or people they care for.
Joker: Good luck: Draw Three Times and use the Blessed table for the outcome.
Attack Strength C - Special Delivery Type - Invisible Beam
Fail No Effect
Bad effect is humiliation or just really abysmal coincidence. The bad luck manifests in a way as to be “clearly unlikely”
Standard
but the results are usually not damaging.
The character suffers a major set-back, obstacle, or serious humiliation. Some plan fails because of “chance.”
Major
Equipment may malfunction at exactly the wrong time. The character may get “taken off-line” (ill) for several days.
Risk of damage or death. The misfortune can cause a severe setback or obstacle. It is likely to cause damage that is
estimated at around 30% of the target’s APs in an attack (the exact damage may be determined by the GM and cir-
Critical
cumstance). If the target has no APs then the damage is estimated at a Major Wound. Examples could be fires, cracks
in the ground opening, freak car-crashes, and so on. The curse “hits” on an 18- (there is a chance to avoid it)
Serious risk of Damage or Death: Something major and highly unlikely happens. The damage is 50% APs or a Critical
Catastrophic
Wound. It hits on a 20-.
Trait Buy Cost REA Range ROF Intensity
Nemesis M 8 AP 5 REA -1/5y 1x 36 INT

197
Invest With Power NC Super
Description: You can empower other people--literally: you can give them APs. These usually come with some cost to the person.
Drawback Cost Mod Notes
The powers can be spent as desired--but usually limited to one domain control per time the
Powers On Order 160%
ability is purchased)
Always Similar 120% The powers can be shifted around but must meet some basic theme
Always The Same 100% The powers granted are always either identical or almost entirely identical.
The subject must willingly take the power-investment and behave loyalty thereafter. NOTE:
With mind-control this can be coerced (including with Puppet and Dominate). The level of
loyalty will be determined by the level of control the gifter has at the time. If there is no mind
Loyalty-Requirement 80%
control involved then the level of loyalty is based on an oath the subject must swear. Generally
this equates to loyal service--but not suicide or the killing of loved ones or friends (if the
subject is already psychotic, of course, this helps!).
The power comes with a drawback in social situations. At 80% it is something noticeable such
Social Weakness Minor /
80% / 50% as a smell, an emotionally flat affect, etc. People will realize “something is not right.” At Major
Major
Level the character can not function in normal society without causing a serious disruption.
The power comes with a drawback that limits the utility of servitors. At the minor level this can
Utility Weakness Minor / be things that make operation away from the gifting character difficult or ineffective. At the
70% / 20%
Major major level, the character is fairly confined to a limited area (such as not being able to go out in
sunlight).
90%, 80%, At 90% the investiture takes 30 seconds. The subject must be willing or restrained. At 80% the
Takes Time
70% investiture takes 30 minutes (as above) and at 70% it takes 3 hours.
At 100% the character can have one subject Invested per Level (8 full APs the Gifting Character
Limited Targets 100%, 80%
is built on). At 80% it is half that many.
Trait Buy Cost REA Range ROF Invested
Invest M 12 AP 8 REA Short 1x 8 AP

Weird Science NC Super

Description: You have access to some kind of scientific understanding that contravenes the “status quo” or “common narrative” of science. Each
play session you get 4 SPs. If they are not spent, they convert to APs in a scientific invention that:
1. Lasts 1 play session before being shelved (for whatever reason)
2. Must be created in a lab. If the character doesn’t have a lab, they will need to acquire one (this can be done with Installation, Wealth, or a
character background--such as “academic” that includes a lab).
3. The character must have at least one day of work in the lab for each AP they wish to turn into a device or invention.
Weird Science should be linked to a skill that is used to “inform” the breakthrough. If the skill is Engineering (a catch-all) then the character
doesn’t get +2 to the roll but does get a wide choice of things they can do.
Trait Buy Cost SPs Roll DP
Weird Science 1 2 AP 2 SPs +1 +4
Weird Science 1 4 AP 4 SPs +2 +8

198
Telepathy
Telepathy Overview
Telepathy is a set of powers that allow for detecting, reading, communicating with, and even attacking (damaging, manipulating,
controlling) other minds. This section covers the following
• Telepathic Resisted Attacks (new rules)
• Buying Telepathic Powers & Suites
• Mental Combat
This section updates the rules in the JAGS Archetype books.

Telepathic Resisted Attacks

Many telepathic powers are represented as Resisted Attacks (RAs) when done against an unwilling target. Telepathic attack rules make
two significant changes to the regular Resisted Attack rules:
• Instead of Resist Value (usually ADP + DP), telepathic attacks work against the target’s total AP count..
• Telepathic resisted attacks do not have L1 and L+ costs -- just a single AP cost per INTENSITY point that does not change after
buying 8 APs worth.
• Characters with no APs or less than 4 APs are treated as 4 APs
• High CP, Zero-AP characters may use a value of 4 AP + 1 AP per 10 CP above 50 (Example: a 100 CP character would have
an effective AP value of 4 + 5 = 9 AP)
• For characters whose AP value is unknown to the GM1, use the character’s Resisted Value as per normal
• WIL differences are twice as important as they normally are in calculating the resist roll
For reference, stat-based resisted attacks the equation is usually
Standard RA Equation (for comparison)
10- + (Attack INTENSITY / Divisor) - (Resist Value / Divisor) +
(Attack Stat - 10) - (Defense Stat - 10) - Target FAST level
Telepathic RA Equation
10- + (Attack INTENSITY / Divisor) - (Target Total AP Cost / Divisor) +
((Attack Stat - 10) - (Defense Stat - 10) x 2) - Target FAST level
Rationale: There are two reasons for these changes.
1. While character stats are intended to be important in any RA scenario WIL is intended to be more of a deciding factor and
more valuable to telepaths and to resisting them than in ordinary RA situations.
2. Physical durability is less of a factor, but over-all character importance and power is still intended to provide protection, even
if being especially resistant to mental attacks is not explicitly part of that character’s conception.

199
Example of an RA calculation with characters who have the same WIL:
• A telepathic RA has a cost of 2.5 INTENSITY / AP, or 20 INTENSITY per 8 AP.
• A 32 AP Telepath buys 10 AP of the power for 25 INTENSITY
• Attempting to use the power on another 32 AP character with the same WIL (both 12), the roll would be
• 10- +(25 / 5) - (32 / 5) + ((2 - 2)x2)= 10- +5 -6 + 0= 9-
• The Divisor is 5, since both values are above 20 and below 100]
• The target’s DP, ADP, or other abilities that modify Resist Value don’t matter
Example different WILs
• The same character attacks a lower AP target (24 AP) with a WIL of 15!
• The roll would be 4-
• 10- + (25 / 5) - (24 / 5) + (((12-10) - (15-10))x2) =
• 10- + 5 - 5 + ((2 - 5) x 2) =
• 10- + (-3 x2) =
• 10- - 6 = 4-
• In this case, the 3 point difference in WIL becomes a 6 point difference in the roll
What if I don’t know the Total AP Count of a target? In most cases Resist Value is a reasonable approximate -- use the target’s
Resist Value instead.

What about 0 AP characters? Ordinary people can be treated as having an AP value of 4. For highly exceptional 0-AP characters
(e.g. special-forces operatives, or elite martial artists) the GM may treat their AP value as 4 + 1 for every 10 CP above 50 CP (a 150 CP
martial artist would be treated as a 14 AP character)

Mental Combat
Mental Combat is generally similar to physical combat with special moves and rules. This section covers
• Mental initiative -- rules for telepaths acting ahead of their regular initiative (but only for mental actions)
• Mental Attacks -- general rules for mental attacks that ignore regular defenses, cannot be blocked or dodged (physically), and
otherwise operate beyond the physical world
• Mental Blocks -- A defensive move against mental attacks; can be done for additional REA (and a low chance of success) by
non-psychics
• Mind Link -- A move that establishes a mental connection between the telepath and others. Required as a prerequisite for some
attacks
• Telepathic Power Modifiers -- special modifiers that apply to telepathic powers covering things like “requires mind link” and
“ignores regular defenses”

Mental Initiative
Mental initiative lets psychic characters use their psychic powers faster than their physical reaction speed would allow, enabling men-
talists who are physically average to compete against high-reaction-speed characters.
Initiative is still rolled against REA, normally, but characters with enhanced Mental Initiative get a bonus, allowing them to use mental
powers earlier / ahead of their physical Initiative.
Characters cannot take Medium or Long physical actions until they would normally get to move. REA spent during the mental initiative
turn is still gone when the character’s regular turn comes.

200
Example: A Telepath with +2 Mental Initiative makes his regular Initiative roll by 2 against an opponent who makes their Initiative
roll by 3. The Telepath can take mental actions before his opponent (+4 Initiative) but cannot move, execute physical strikes or take
other non-mental actions.

Mental Combat Moves: Strikes, Blocks, and Dodges

Mind Attack Template
Many mental combat actions, including Establishing A Mind Link, (a prerequisite move for many mental attacks) follow the Mind
Attack Template -- these moves cannot be dodged or blocked, and do not take range modifiers, requiring only line-of-sight to hit.
REA: 5 REA Medium
Reach: Line of Sight
To-Hit: Mental combat skill, -1 per (WIL - 10)
Defenses:
Mental dodge or block
To-Hit Skill
If untrained, mental strikes hit with RES
• All negatives are doubled
Telepaths may use any L3 combat skill to hit, or Martial Arts skill at any level
Characters with L3 skills can make one Mind Strike per Turn at 4 REA
Target’s WIL-10 reduces chance to hit
Range / Reach
No range modifiers apply. Attacks hit at line of sight
• Most telepaths cannot hit targets seen only on video
Defenses
Mind Strikes cannot be blocked or dodged by regular, physical blocks or dodges
Mental block / dodges apply normally
Damage / Effect
Damage depends on the attack. Attacks that use the Mind Attack Template have a 130% Modifier
• Telepaths get a basic mind strike which hits as a mental attack
• Establishing a Mind Link (see below) follows the Mind Attack Template
Most mental attacks ignore armor and bypass non-psychic defenses (force fields, powerfields, etc.) Mind attacks that do IMP damage
and ignore regular defenses have an additional 160% modifier
• There are currently no PEN attacks that ignore non-psychic defenses
Mental Resisted Attacks hit using the Mind Attack Template; this does not modify their cost as it is already factored in.

• Characters with Telepathic abilities can make an untrained block for 3 REA using RES.
Mental Block / Dodge • Characters with PSI Combat training or any Martial Art can make a block roll for 3 REA
REA: 3 REA Short • Characters without Telepathic abilities or a martial art can make a 5 REA Short action “mental dodge” to
avoid Mental Strikes

201
Mind Link
Many mental abilities require that a mind link be established before they can be used. Establishing a mind link on an unwilling or
unaware character is a medium action. The Mind Link does no damage but it allows subsequent attacks to be channeled through it.
Characters with telepathy can establish a mind link with with an unwilling or unaware character as a 5
REA medium action as per a Mental Attack (see the Mental Attack Template above)
A mental link is established on any successful hit.
• A mind link can only be established within Line of Sight unless the linking telepath has special
abilities.
• Mind links can be maintained outside of LoS and allow characters as part of a mindlink network to
communicate with each other even if they can’t see each other
• Characters in a mindlink network can share sensory data, allowing others in the network to see what
they see, hear what they hear
Establish Mind Link
• Characters with mental attacks that Require Mind Link may attack any other character in the network
REA: 5 REA Medium • Characters will be aware of a Mind Link when one is established, even if they are unfamiliar with
Reach: Line of Sight telepathy. They will also know where it is coming from
To-Hit: Mental combat • Other telepaths will automatically detect the establishment of a mind link created within their line of
skill, -1 per (WIL - 10) sight, including the identification of the telepath and the target.
Defenses: • They will not necessarily detect a mindlink that was established elsewhere and is just being
maintained -- a telepath gets a Perception roll to detect a linked mind through passive Mental
• Mental dodge or block
Listening
• If a character establishes a Mind Link with a character already Linked, the character gets a Mind
Link to detect the preexisting link. A Deep Read or a Mind Probe will that gets a Standard or
better result will automatically detect the link and give some idea (distance and direction) to the
telepath who established it
• Mind Links are not otherwise visible to
A character can maintain up to WIL links with willing participants or WIL-10 with forced links
• Characters can purchase additional Link Max at 4 unwilling or +WIL willing participants per AP

Mind Links can be dissolved (if both parties agree), but require a contest of WILs if either party wishes to
keep the link.
• If the telepath and a party in a mind link both want to dissolve the link, it can be dissolved for 0 REA
• If either party wishes to maintain the link then the link cannot be dissolved automatically, even if the
telepath who establishes it desires to
Break Mind Link • Even if the other party is not a telepath
• Breaking a mind link is not automatic if one party wishes to maintain it. A non-psionic character
REA: 3 REA Short can force a connected PSI to maintain the connection.
• If the dissolution is contested, the party desiring to break must win a Mental RA (see below) using
either Mind Power * 2.5 or Total AP Spend, whichever is greater.
Example: A 16 AP telepath with Mind Power 8 (INTENSITY 20) wishes to break a mind link with a 24 AP
character non telepathic character. Both characters have a 12 WIL.
The telepath will need to make a 6- roll (10 + 20 - 24 = 10 - 4 = 6-) to break the link.

202
Telepathic Attack Modifiers
Most mental attacks have the Mental Combat modifier (130%). Many attack or control powers require a mind link to be established
(85% modifier). Mental Attacks which do IMP damage Bypass Non-Psychic Defenses (160% modifier)
Modifier Value Description
Attack uses mental combat rules (see above) to hit, but does damage normally unless the attack also buys “Only Mental Defenses
Apply” (See below)

Mental Combat 130% Summary:

• Range = LOS
• WIL mods instead of AGI
• Cannot be blocked or dodged
Requires Mind The power cannot be used unless the telepath has a mindlink with his target
80%
Link Attacks will hit by the amount the link was established by (i.e. as per a Worry attack)
Only IMP attacks may buy bypass non-psychic defenses. A hypothetical PEN attack that ignores all non-psychic defenses would be a
significantly higher modifier.
Resisted attacks do not require this, and bypass non-psychic defenses anyway
Bypass IMP attacks with BNPD
Non-Psychic 160%
Defenses • Ignores armor, powerfields, force fields and other non-psychic defenses
• Mind Shield applies
• Does not affect automatons
• Can effect phased characters (and outside characters, if detected)
• Opposes Total AP Cost instead of Resist Value
Mental Resisted
Attack
100% • WIL differences doubled
• Note: a 100% modifier does not change the attack cost
Telepaths who can make multiple mental actions for 1 REA are called “Overminds” in some games.
JAGS Archetypes provides TAP abilities that allow characters to make multiple 1 REA attacks, usually with a Charge-Up or Cool-
Down period:
• Mass Attacks require the attacks be against different targets
• Flurry of Strikes allows attacks at any target
Overmind Character with those abilities may apply them to psychic powers as they would any other attacks.
(Mass Attack / varies Characters can also buy versions that only apply to psychic abilities as a Power Modifier called Overmind.
Flurry of Strikes)
This could be a modifier to a single attack or to Mind Power (see below) affecting all psychic attacks.
The modifier is 100%+the TAP of the version selected.
Example: A character with 40 APs of Mind Power wants to be able to use the various psychic abilities powered by it multiple times a
round for 1 REA with a 2 Round Charge Up..
He buys “Storm of Shots” -- a .16 TAP ability just for Mind Power. This will be a 116% Modifier -- the power will cost an additional 6 AP
(total 46 AP)
Subtle 103% Subtle attacks are not noticed by those around them. Most psychic attacks are completely invisible to regular people.
Some “attacks” are so subtle that even a character who is affected may not realize it. In general targets get a Perception roll to realize
something alarming and intrusive is going on and to associate the violation with the telepath -- characters unfamiliar with the exis-
Extremely 110% / tence of psychic powers may not interpret this meaningfully, but will know they are being “attacked” in some way
Subtle Varies Note that attacks which do damage or have combat effects cannot take this modifier.
It is exclusively for Resisted Attacks which give information about the target.
Some attacks (such as Mind Probe) cost more to be subtle (166% Modifier)

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Basic Telepathy
Basic Telepathy is a non-combat power that, nevertheless, gives the telepath a mild ability to engage in mind warfare (WIL APs in Mind
Strike). It also allows the telepath to execute moves such as mental blocks and mental holds.
Finally it gives the telepath 4 AP in Mind Power -- which can only be used for Mental Holds unless / until the character purchases other
Mental Resisted Attacks or Suites of mental powers (See below)
Telepathy [12] Utility Mind
Basic telepathic power that allows the character to detect minds, hear thoughts, communicate with others and establish mind links. While basic
Telepathy is a non-combat power it provides basic mental combat abilities including the ability to strike for damage with WIL APs in the Mind
Strike attack (see below)
Characters with basic Telepathy can perform
• Establish Mental Link -- the ability to create a link to other minds (consensually or forced) that enables the sharing of thoughts and sensory
information and enables
• Mental Blocks at RES (if no other training applies)
• Telepathic Hold at Mind Power (starting at 4 APs)
• Mind Strike with WIL APs in the power
• Thought Listening -- the ability to pick up basic mental information from minds near them as per the JAGS Archetypes Telepathy ability
• Mind Scan -- the ability to detect minds within WILx5 Radius (as per JAGS Archetypes)
Trait Buy Cost Mind Power DP Mind Strike Mind Shield --
Telepathy 1 12 AP 4 AP +4 +(WIL-10) Dmg WIL

Thought Listening Utility Mind

Telepaths can automatically “hear” the thoughts of those around them as a constant (and often annoying) stream of sub-verbal “babble.” Thought
listening (covered in the Hearing Thoughts section of JAGS Archetypes) is basic mind-reading, and does not give access to protected thoughts,
memories, or complete internal monologue. It does make the telepath hard to lie to -- all but the most experienced liars will reveal themselves to
telepathic thought listeners.
Thought Listening is limited to the distance the telepath could hear spoken words (about WIL yards for most minds -- highly emotional minds will
be “shouting” and can be heard clearly at longer ranges). Thoughts can be listened to through doors or walls that would not stop sound. In crowd-
ed environments listening to a single mind may require a Perception roll to distinguish that mind’s “chatter” from the background noise.
Characters with a Mind Shield do not leak thoughts and cannot be heard (and the Mind Shield will be apparent to anyone who has line of sight to
the character)
Trait Buy Cost
Thought Listening 1 Free as part of basic telepathy; 4 AP if bought stand-alone

Mind Scan Utility Mind

Telepaths can automatically detect minds in a WILx5 yards radius. Mind Scan does not pick up physical objects, and does not show walls, doors, or
other terrain features, but it will enable the telepath to detect minds through physical objects, showing distance and direction. Basic mind-scan-
ning (available at no additional charge as part of Telepathy) only shows some basic information about the mind being scanned -- strong emotions,
for instance, or extremely abnormal neurologies (non-human intelligences). Characters who are familiar with a mind will be able to recognize it
on a scan.
Simple and small-animal minds will not be seen unless the telepath is specifically scanning for them (although doing so often reveals a blizzard
of minds, making any specific mind difficult to identify)
Characters with active mind shields will not show up on Mind Scan.
Mind Scan makes telepaths hard to sneak up on. A character who is passively listening or distracted will get a Perception roll to notice minds
within range (+1 to +4 for circumstances with very few unfamiliar minds such as out in space or in the deep woods). A character who takes a 5
REA action to scan for minds will see any non-shielded minds within range automatically.
Trait Buy Cost
Mind Scan 1 Free as part of basic telepathy; 4 AP if bought stand-alone

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Multi-Link Utility Mind
Telepaths can purchase the ability to maintain additional mind links. Each AP spent enables the telepath to maintain an additional WIL consensual
links or 4 non-consensual links.
Trait Buy Cost Additional Non consensual Links Additional Consensual Links DP
Multi-Link M 1 AP +4 +WIL +1

Space Telepathy Utility Mind

In void conditions (space) telepaths with Space Telepathy can use certain powers over vast distances and do not require direct Line of Sight.
• The telepath requires knowledge of a ship or target with some idea of distance and direction -- usually detecting a ship on sensors is sufficient
• The telepath can use mind-scan and thought-radio across these distances as well, detecting minds and picking up “loud” or broadcast thoughts
from targets. This will often reveal general intent (e.g. hostility, fear, etc.) except from highly disciplined crews or cultures
• Xenopathy -- the ability to interoperate with alien minds. This may allow basic contact to be made with organisms not normally accessible to
telepathy (robots, highly inhuman physiologies). It does not allow the character to launch mental attacks on characters otherwise immune
• Space telepathy does not allow non-consensual mind-link or mental attacks across those distances, although some technologies may allow this
Planetary scan -- Space telepathy allows scans and thought-radio listening on a vast scale. In general this does not allow most characters to distin-
guish the exact location of targets or make out individual voices. It can allow some neat tricks that may be useful in non-space games
• Locating known minds -- Telepathic scan allows telepaths to identify minds in WILx5 Radius and recognize minds known to them. At a planetary
level, billions of minds make an incomprehensible forest, but characters can search and locate minds know them over time (usually several
days search)
• Alarm Recognition -- The ability to hear loud thoughts at a planetary level can allow telepaths to understand general attitudes, mentality, zeit-
geist, etc. Highly trained telepaths can “listen” for alarm-signals -- people in crisis, intent to do grievous harm, etc. Basic space telepathy does
not enable especially effective targeting due to the volume of minds scanned, but characters have a chance of “getting lucky” if they are specific
about the kinds of things they’re looking for (INT perception roll at -10, usually)
Note that advanced cultures can shield against telepathic intrusion and even more primitive cultures can take measures to hide or protect minds
(minds located deep underground may be less detectable, etc.)
Trait Buy Cost DP
Space Telepathy 1 4 +6
Mind Strike L1 / L+ Mind
Mind Strike (Mind Attack Template) L1 0.9 L+ 0.6
Blast w/ 177% Modifier Requires Mind Link
Mind Strike is the basic damage-doing ability for telepaths. It requires a mind link and bypassess all non-psychic defenses. It’s
use is detectable to people in the area (they will feel the waves of damaging energy coming from the telepath to the target), but its
effect is not visible and cannot be seen on most cameras or videos. The telepath must concentrate (5 REA Medium action) on the
target with evidently hostile intent.
Trait Buy Cost A-Cost Range REA / RoF Damage
Mind Strike L1 1 8 AP 8 AP LoS 5/S 7 IMP, Mental Strike, Bypasses Non-Psi Defenses
Mind Strike L+ M 8 AP +8 AP Los 5/S +5 IMP, Mental Strike, Bypasses Non-Psi Defenses
Mind Blast L1 / L+ Mind
Mind Blast (Mental Strike Move) L1 0.8 L+ 0.5
Blast w/ 208% Modifier No Link Required
Mind Strike is the allows a telepath to strike mentally directly, without first establishing a link. As such is its less powerful than a Mind Strike but
more immediately useful. Mind Blast is not included with basic telepathy and must be purchased additionally
Trait Buy Cost A-Cost Range REA / RoF Damage
Mind Blast L1 1 8 AP +8 AP LoS 5/S 6 IMP, Mental Strike, Bypasses Non-Psi Defenses
Mind Blast L+ M 8 AP + 8 AP Los 5/S +4 IMP, Mental Strike, Bypasses Non-Psi Defenses

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Mind Hold L+ Mind
Mind Hold (Mental Strike Move, Mental RA) L+ [Mind Power] 3.5 INT / AP
Mental RA Class C; Requires Mind Link L+ [Stand Alone] 4.0 INT / AP
Mind Hold uses telepathy to partially or totally restrict a target’s movement (like a physical Grappling move). All telepaths have the basic ability
to do a Mental Hold; additional Mind Hold can be purchased at the Class C a la Carte rate. Being held creates a sense of being blinded -- which
is reflected as Environmental Modifiers and -4 Damage Modifiers for attacks Held targets attempt to make. Being mentally held is blinding and
disorientating, but not completely immobilizing below catastrophic levels.
Trait Buy Cost A-Cost Range REA / RoF INTENSITY
Mind Hold L+ [MPower] M 8 AP 8 AP LoS 5/1 20 INTENSITY
Mind Holdt L+ [ALC] M 8 AP 8 AP LoS 5/1 26 INTENSITY
Attack Strength Delivery Type: Mind Link
Fail No Effect
Standard Move reduced to Step, No AGI mod.
Move reduced to Step, No AGI mod, -4 All Damage Mods, -4 Environmental Modifiers to
Major
attack / defense rolls
Move reduced to Step, No AGI mod, -4 All Damage Mods, -4 Environmental Modifiers to
Critical
attack / defense rolls
Move reduced to 0 (character is immobile), No AGI mod, -4 All Damage Mods, -4
Catastrophic
Environmental Modifiers to attack / defense rolls
Mind Shield Combat Mind
Mind Shield acts as ADP against mental attacks. It is removed before other damage and adds to the character’s resist value against mental RAs
(above their Total AP Cost). Like ADP, mind shield is recovered quickly after combat. Basic telepathy provides WIL in Mind Shield (1 AP provides
+WIL in mind shield)
Trait Buy Cost A-Cost DP+ Mind Shield
Mind Shield M 2 0 +4 +1x WIL

Mind Power
Mind Power allows psychics to buy a single “pool” of APs which can be applied to all Mental Resisted Attacks including those bought
in collections of related powers or “suites” (see below).
All Telepathic characters start with 4 AP in Mind Power and can purchase more. Individual Psychic Resisted Attacks can then be pur-
chased for a single cost of 4-8 APs. The attacks will function as if all the points in Mind Power were invested in them.
Mind Power Combat Mind
Mind Power, by itself, does nothing -- it provides a set of APs which may be applied to all Telepathic Resisted Attacks abilities / suites purchased.
Basic telepaths get 4 APs in Mind Power as part of their basic telepathy package
Note: Mind Power is a combat power and like all attack powers, gets an A-Cost reduction if it is not the most powerful attack power the character
has. You’re welcome.
Trait Buy Cost A-Cost Mind Power
Mind Power M 4 4 4 APs applied to all telepathic suites purchased

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Mental Resisted Attacks Powered with Mind Power
Characters with Mind Power simply purchase “right to use” Example: A character with Telepathy (giving 4 AP of Mind
Mental Resisted Attacks which then function as if they had Mind Power) wants to be able to manipulate target’s memories.
Power APs invested in them.
For 4 AP, he can apply his Mind Power AP’s to all 5 abilities in
Cost for Mental Abilities Powered through Mind Power the Memory Manipulation Suite: Forget Me, Insert Memory,
Suppress Long Term Memory, and Short Term Wipe.
Characters with Mind Power who want to use it to power Mental
RA’s must pay a single, “one time” cost to purchase the ability. If he only wanted to make targets forget him, he can purchase
Forget Me alone for 2 APs.
Suites (explained in more detail below) allow a single purchase
(one-time cost) purchasing all the powers in the suite. In either case, the Intensity of the abilities will be determined
These count as Non-Combat Powers for purposes of AP cost. by their Class and the number of APs spent in Mind Power.

Mental RA Ability Class AP Cost INT Intensity of Mental RA’s for Mind-Powered Abilities
Mind Reading Suite Varies 4 AP The Intensity (INT) of the attack depends on its Class -- more
Mind Reading C 2 3.5 powerful attacks (e.g. Class A) will have a lower INT than less
potent ones. For attacks that will use Mind Power use the cost
Mind Probe B 2 2.5
table below.
Mind Manipulation Suite Varies 4 AP
Brain Burn B 2 2.5 RA Class INT : 8 Mind Power INT : 1 Mind Power
Slumber D 2 5.0 Class A 16 INT 2.0 INT
Mental Healing C 2 3.5 Class B 20 INT 2.5 INT
Memory Manipulation Class C 28 INT 3.5 INT
Varies 4 AP Class D 40 INT 5.0 INT
Suite
Forget Me C 2 3.5 Mind Power Example:
Insert Memory A 2 2.0 A telepath wishes to be able to perform
Suppress Long Term Memory C 2 3.5
• Mind Hold (Class C)
Short Term Wipe B 2 2.5
• Charm (Class A), and
Empath Suite Varies 4 AP
• Dominate (Class B)
Read Emotions D 2 5.0
Using Mind Power. As a Telepath (12 Non-Combat APs) the character has 4 AP
Manipulate / Project Emotions B 2 2.5
of Mind Power and the ability to perform a Telepathic Hold.
Mind Control Abilities N/A N/A To be able to Charm and Dominate He will need to pay 8 AP each. At 4 Mind
Charm A 8 2.0 Power, the intensities of the abilities will be
Dominate B 8 2.5 • Mind Hold: 14 INT (3.5 INT per AP, w/ 4 AP = 14 INT)
Delusion A 4 2.0
• Charm: 8 INT (2 INT per AP, 4 AP = 8 INT)
Influence D 2 5.0
• Dominate: 10 INT (2.5 INT/AP x 4 AP)
Mind Trigger A 4 2.0
The character then spends an additional 4 AP on Mind Power. All three abili-
Puppet Master B 4 2.5 ties automatically increase in power:
• Mind Hold: 28 INT
• Charm: 16 INT
• Dominate: 20 INT

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Buying Mental Resisted Attacks as Stand-Alone powers
Mental Resisted Attacks can be purchased by characters without • Rules for purchasing powers in groups or “suites” that lets telepathic
Mind Power -- or who are not even telepaths! Examples could be characters pay a single AP cost to use multiple related psychic abili-
mind-control devices or potions, or other mechanisms. ties at the level of their Mind Power
When buying powers a la carte / stand-alone there are two Mind Control Powers
differences
1) There is no additional cost for the “right to use” -- you just
Telepathic Power Suites
pay APs for INT like you would with an ability Many telepathic powers are best-represented as groups of abilities,
often with different power levels -- for example the ability to erase a
2) The INT / AP is higher for stand-alone powers than it is for specific, immediate memory (inexpensive) or to rewrite a character’s
Mind Power: If you’re buying powers al la carte, you get entire history (much more powerful and much more expensive).
more “bang” for your AP “buck” Rather than force telepathic characters to purchase multiple powers in-
dependently, JAGS defines suites which can be purchased by Telepaths
Stand-Alone Ability
for a flat cost of 4 APs, allowing the character to use all the abilities in
RA Class INT : 8 AP INT : 1 AP the suite using their Mind Power (see below)
Class A 20 INT 2.5 INT JAGS defines four Suites, each with several abilities
Class B 24 INT 3.0 INT • Mind Reading -- the ability to go deeper than the default Telepathic
Class C 32 INT 4.0 INT ability allows. Includes
Class D 48 INT 6.0 INT • Mind Reading
• Mind Probe
Example of Stand-Alone Power: • Advanced Mind Scan
A non-psychic character has a pheromone-based Dominate ability. He spends
• Mind Manipulation -- the ability shut down or damage minds.
20 APs on the Class B ability and has a 60 INT ability (3.0 INT per AP).
Includes
Example of a Stand-Alone Suite:
A character without Telepathy wants a memory-manipulation ray. Memory
• Brain Burn
Manipulation is a Suite of abilities (explained below). The character can spend • Slumber
• Mental Healing
Additional Telepathic Powers & Power • Memory Manipulation -- the ability to edit or overwrite memories.
Suites Includes
While Telepathy gives psychics basic mind-reading and communication • Basic Memory Manipulation
abilities many psychics will want additional capabilities including the ability • Forget Me
to control minds, manipulate them, or damage them in other ways. • Insert Memory
These powers cost additional APs and can be purchased for a single • Suppress Long Term Memory
one-time-cost if they are powered through the character’s Mind Power
or simply bought as Mental Resisted Attacks
• Short Term Wipe
Note that mind-control and mental domination abilities are not provid-
• Additional powers telepathics can buy to read, manipulate, and
ed in suites and must be purchased separately. Those abilities can still
control minds
take advantage of a Telepath’s Mind Power

Mind Reading (Suite) [4 AP] Utility Mind

While basic telepathy allows the character hear projected, highly emotional, or otherwise bold, unguarded thoughts a more powerful or trained telepath can do
more. Mind Reading Suite allows a telepath to
• Deep Read -- Read minds at a deeper level, enabling the telepath to listen in on the entire “Internal Monologue” and hear even Protected Thoughts. The
telepath can only access thoughts the target is currently thinking, and cannot “ask questions” or access memories the target is currently dwelling on
• Mind Probe -- Intrusive reading designed to expose the answers to specific questions. A Mind Probe can unearth secrets and memories but cannot be done
without the subject being aware
• Enhanced Mind Scan -- The basic Mind Scan allows the telepath to sense
Trait Buy Cost A-Cost
Mind Reading 1 4 AP N/A

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Deep Read [2 or Free as Part of Mind Reading] L+ Mind
Deep Read (Mental Strike Move, Mental RA) L+ [Mind Power] 4.4 INT / AP
Mental RA Class C L+ [Stand Alone] 5.0 INT / AP
Subtle Deep Read: L+ [Mind Power] 3.2 INT / AP
L+ [Stand Alone] 3.6 INT / AP
Deep Read cost 2 AP as a stand-alone power. If Mind Reading (Suite) is purchased Deep Reading is free (part of the suite)
Telepaths with Mind Reading (or have purchased Deep Read as a stand-alone power) can access far more of a target’s Interior Monologue than
Telepaths who only have Thought Listening.
Unlike Thought Listening, Deep Reading requires a 5 REA action during which the telepath concentrates on the target’s thought stream, and Deep
Reading requires a successful Resisted Attack.
Standard Deep Read
Characters with Deep Reading can perform a “Standard” Deep Read which requires a Mind Link and will make the target aware he is being read.
Note that this is usually alarming and will change what the target is thinking -- but it will usually give insight into what the character is worried
about, what they know about the current situation, etc. It is useful for interrogations, where the target will likely be thinking about things he does
not want the telepath to know, as “protected” thoughts
Subtle Deep Read
Subtle Deep Read does not require a mental link and does not alert the subject that the telepath is reading them.
Standard Deep Read Modifiers
• Requires Mental Link (80%)
Subtle Deep Read Modifiers
• Extremely Subtle (110%)
Trait Buy Cost A-Cost Range REA / RoF INTENSITY
Deep Read L+ [MPower] 1 2 AP N/A LoS 5/1 Depends on Mind Power
Deep ReadL+ [Stand Alone] M 8 AP N/A LoS 5/1 40 INTENSITY
Subtle Deep Read [MP] 1 2 AP N/A LoS 5/1 Depends on Mind Power
Subtle Deep Read [SA] M 8 AP N/A LoS 5/1 28 INTENSITY
Attack Strength Delivery Type: Mind Link
Fail
Standard
Major
Critical
Catastrophic

Mind Probe L+ Mind

Mind Probe (Mental Strike Move, Mental RA) L+ [Mind Power] 2.5 INT / AP
Mental RA Class B; Requires Mind Link L+ [Stand Alone] 3.0 INT / AP

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Mind Probe let’s a telepath read much deeper. All telepaths have Mind Power in Mind Probe. Mind Probe has a mild combat effect, allowing the
telepath to STUN the target at the higher levels
Probing a character’s mind can be done in combat, but it’s difficult to get complex information. Basic probes can determine if the target is lying or
get simple answers to direct questions. Unearthing more complex, nuanced information requires longer term probing.
Asking a question and getting an answer (a single “probe”) is a 5 REA action, taking about 6 seconds of real time. The information is ripped from
the target’s mind (it is not a “conversation”) but vague or open-ended questions will get broader answers. Complex answers may require multiple
probes to get everything. More surface / public information will be given before deeper secrets.
• Absolute Truth: Simple answers to questions with clear answers. Open-ended questions may result in vague / confusing answers (Requires
Standard Effect).
• Operational Interrogation: Truthful answers to more open-ended questions or questions with longer, more complex questions. Can explain
things like “what happened,” why a character acted the way they did, what they believed, etc (Requires Major Effect).
• Unearth Secrets: The probe can unearth secrets and things the character wishes to keep hidden or is ashamed of (Requires Critical Effect).
• Hopes, Fears, Dreams: The Probe understands the character’s drives, desires, motivations. Requires Standard for publicly acknowledged
dreams. Secret or shameful desires requires Critical Effects. Fears that anyone has can be identified through Standard, but secret or highly
exploitable fears require Major or Critical)
• Underlying Motivations / Deep Probes: At Catastrophic levels, the telepath has access to virtually everything the target knows including
things the target, himself is not fully aware of. Deep Probes can explain underlying, subconscious reasons for doing things the target might not
even believe, much less acknowledge
Probe Modifiers
• Having a target helpless (Catastrophic mind hold) or restrained can help (+10%)
• Long-term effect. If the telepath has extended access to the subject and can make repeated attempts, this can help, increasing effective intensity
by 25%
• Subtle probe: mind probes are generally highly invasive and obvious. It is possible to conduct a subtle probe, but this reduces the Intensity by
2/3rds (66%)

Trait Buy Cost A-Cost Range REA / RoF INTENSITY

Mind Probe L+ [MPower] M 8 AP 8 AP LoS 5/1 32 INTENSITY
Mind Probe L+ [Stand Alone]] M 8 AP 8 AP LoS 5/1 40 INTENSITY
Attack Strength Delivery Type: Mind Link
Fail No Effect
Standard Absolute Truth. No combat effect
Major Operational Interrogation. Hopes/Fears/Dreams . No combat effect
Unearth Secrets. Hopes/Fears/Dreams. . Distracted: Stun with a 3 REA cost in-
Critical
stead of 5
Catastrophic Deep Motivations. Stunned: Target is stunned by theft of information

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Burn Mind [8 AP] L+ Mind
Burn Mind (Mental Strike Move, Mental RA) L+ [Mind Power] 2.5 INT / AP
Mental RA Class B; Requires Mind Link L+ [Stand Alone] 3.0 INT / AP
Mind Burn lets a telepath badly traumatize a subject’s mental state creating serious, recurring problems that harm the subject’s effectiveness and
enjoyment of life. This is considered cruel and reprehensible by moral telepaths.
Most burn effects, short of catastrophic ones can be cured with therapy and drug treatment but may take weeks or months to recover from.
• Mental Resisted Attack (100%)
• Long Term Effect Modifier 180%
• Requires Helpless Target and Mind Link 55%
• Total Modifier: 99%
Combat Effects v. Long-term effects
• Burn attacks have an immediate combat effect that can stun or daze, and in more extreme cases, unleash bizarre or dangerous behavior. These
effects are usually transient wearing off quickly
• To create long lasting effects most telepaths will need to establish a serious advantage, usually having the target immobilized (e.g. Catastrophic
Mind Hold, or literally tied down), Mind Probed at a critical or catastrophic level, and inflict target’s WILx3 SPs over a number of attacks.
Abilities include
• Torment [Install neurosis]: The target has a neurotic disorder that causes distress and interferes with normal functioning
• Psychotic Break [Install psychosis]: The target develops a psychotic disorder and is unable to function / dangerous. Psychotic characters
may act in a berzerk way, attacking people nearby for no reason.
• Derange [Install personality disorder]: The target develops a personality disorder. May be high-functioning and apparently normal (at
least to people who don’t know them), but may be extremely dangerous
• Delusional [Install delusion]: The character develops delusional beliefs which may lead them to act in harmful ways towards others or
themselves. Paranoia is a particularly common one, as it may well turn a character against their friends and allies. Note that delusions are given
directionally, but often manifest in unpredictable ways -- the telepath cannot use delusions to make the character act in highly specific ways.
• Dark Side [Release inhibitions / Amplify fears]: Amplifies tendencies that are already present to an extreme degree. The character will
not develop new motives or drives, but may act on suppressed or unwise ones. Often exposes underlying anger (at team-mates, loved ones),
inappropriate desires, etc. Character is fully functional but impulsive and misguided. May appreciate the telepath for enabling this degree of
license.
Trait Buy Cost A-Cost Range REA / RoF INTENSITY
Burn Mind L+ [MPower] M 8 AP 8 AP LoS 5/1 24 INTENSITY
Burn Mind L+ [ALC] M 8 AP 8 AP LoS 5/1 32 INTENSITY
Attack Strength Delivery Type: Mind Link
Fail No Effect
Standard • Target is Stunned. May experience after effects for a few days
Major • Target is Dazed. May experience after effects for a few weeks
Critical
• Target is Dazed - 2. Is distracted and tormented until WIL-20 SPs in WIL rolls (one per day)
are made; effects may still linger.
Catastrophic • Target is Dazed for 10 minutes (100 rounds), and may have lasting, long-term effects

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