More Than Human - Concept

[EK - Shadow of Death]

This is the brainstorming thread for the concept and implementation of the More Than Human idea (working title). Please add whatever ideas you have to the concept to help flesh it out.

[EK - Shadow of Death]

Since the beginning, humans have always known difference and change. It is the remarkable evolutionary leap that took us from apes to the upright masters of the world that we are today. Nature has wielded mutation and change as its hammer and anvil of improvement since the beginning of time. A flaw here and there remains for a few millenia, finally hammered out to eventually create the perfect species. How little could it anticipate the effect of civilization - the alloy that refuses to be moulded! Even in the most liberal of societies, the wildly different are discredited and ignored, never allowed to explore their full potential and left to wither away on the edge of society. Or so the masses would like to believe.

How is it then that civilization can perfect itself? How can the hammerblows of Nature be felt by civilization, its rebellious child? The answer lies in the outcasts - the Scions of Nature. The flaws that are not hammered out, but by nature of their existence inspire an entirely new figure to be cast from the forge. They have the potential to be the movers and shakers, and despite the frustrations of the society that seeks to annihilate them, they live and slowly work Nature's will.

They are everywhere. The owner of accounting firm down the street who seems to have a computer for a brain. The blind priest at the local church who can detect people by their heartbeats and can read newspapers by the texture the ink letters form under his fingers. The fish vendor from two towns over who catches all her products by hand. The local druglord who is rumored to be a mind reader.

They are nowhere. Living just below the level of social perception, they are aware of each other even though no one else is aware of them. Men and women who search for their purpose in Nature's creation. People who try to guide Nature's hammerblow to the right place, lest human civilization stagnate and destroy itself.

Of course, in Nature's own devious logic, every force in Creation must be equally countered. From this balance come's the Societal League, who believe that civilization, powerful as it is, defines Nature, and not the other way around. Scions of Nature themselves, they have broken from the pack, working at the core of society, searching out and eradicating the outcasts who would undermine humanity in favor of its creator.

It is this war, a war for the control of society, that is fought just at the edge of the perception of the average human. The war of Man vs. Nature that has waged since the beginning of time continues in all eras. Whether it a high-stakes battle between a duke of the Societal League and a duke who is a Scion of Nature over a large tract of land, or a subtle cat-and-mouse chase between a space smuggler and a galactic police officer, the battle rages. For eons shall the battle rage until finally, there must emerge a victor. Who shall it be?

[EK - Shadow of Death]

New working title: Scions of Nature

[EK - Shadow of Death]

Strengths associated with Scions of nature will involve both a Hammer element and an Anvil element. The Hammer element is the channeled power granted to the Scion. Examples include the ability to explode into flame, mind-reading, superhuman speed, or the ability to stretch and contort into impossible positions and stances. The Anvil element is a physical thing that serves as the focus for the Hammer element's power. Examples include the Scion's body, his sense of hearning, his adrenaline response, his happiness, etc.

A Scion using his power would not be akin to an AD&D mage casting a spell, but would be more like a musician at work. By using basic concepts and through rudimentary practice, the musician can learn to play the scales or simple pieces. Through more practice and more learning, the musician would improve their skill and easily play pieces that they couldn't even conceive of playing years ago. Through even more practice, the musician could create their own pieces or even improvise an existing piece. If they choose, the musician can even use their knowledge of one instrument to aid in learning another and broaden their repetoire.

Using an example of a Scion with a Hammer element of super-speed and Anvil element of his body, the process works in a similar way. He might start off focusing his power on his legs and using them to run fast. After extensive practice and understanding of his power, he might learn to run even faster, perhaps even approaching the sound barrier. The Scion might decide to branch out and learn how to stop suddenly, or maybe learn to go to a dash suddenly and use his forward momentum to launch a powerful punch. He might learn how to change direction in mid-run and run around opponents in combat to confuse or evade them. At a more advanced level, the Scion might decide to focus his power of speed into his arms and become a powerful boxer, or into his joints and torso, and become an accomplished acrobat.

The possibilities are endless.

[EK - Shadow of Death]

In order to further expand the Scions universe, I'd like to run a test game to figure out what's missing from the system. It'll be a simple, short adventure in a post-apocalyptic, sci-fi world. It'll be totally freeform, but actions have to be limited to the constraints of the system (i.e. no saying that you can jump 100 feet in the air, etc. , unless that's your Hammer element). If you're interested, please post in this thread. Experienced roleplayers only, please (Sorry for the constraint, but I need input as to the mindset of the Scions in the face of oppression, outcast status, etc. and thus I'll need people who can get into that mindset easily).