Beacon City Campaign Characters

[Shadowchaser]

Hey Gang! If you've been tuning in to the Vigilance Press Podcast, you may have heard our recent character creation podcasts. If not... go listen! It's free!

The first two posts will act as a Table of Contents for the characters and other articles I will be posting as the series goes on.

Podcast Sessions
Character Creation 01
Character Creation 02
Adventure Episode 01

Adventure Summaries and Articles
Nero the Newshound Reports- Adventure 01

Campaign Setting and Essays
Setting Sketch/Pitch version

Character Statblocks:

Tempest
The Lamplighter
Jade Witch
Starchild

[Shadowchaser]

Background info on Beacon City (Light-weight version, more details to follow)

Beacon City: A Southeastern coastal city, famous for the historical Lighthouse “The Torch.” Torch Tower has withstood war and weather disasters, being rebuilt several times. “The Torch Still Burns” is a popular local saying, meaning “Beacon City Endures.”

Through Lines- “Beacon City Endures” – The city has seen hardship and disaster, but it always survives. Sometimes it does so under sinister circumstances. The Torch is emblematic of the entire city: Beacon City has survived terrible battles in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, and some buildings still stand from before the founding of America. Politicians have made controversial deals to keep things going, and there is the occasional sense that perhaps the city’s soul has been sold somewhere along the way, but the heart of the city still beats. The people of Beacon City are proud of their heritage, and proud of standing tall in the worst of times.

A fictional city similar to Atlanta, Georgia, Beacon City is a growing hub of arts and technology. It has a Southern flair, bridging the old world and the new world with mysterious legends and famous innovators. The music industry is a big money machine in Beacon City, where new R&B artists are “discovered” every year.

The Mystic community is strong in Beacon City, as Asian Ley Lines and ancient Indian burial grounds lay nearby or under the city itself. Civil War battles were fought in Beacon City, and rumors are a ghost ship returns every 50 years to re-enact a tragic sea battle. Ghosts from the Civil War period and ancient evils mingle in the area, and The Library has one of its most important storage facilities in Beacon City proper.
The city is close enough to the Gulf Stream that diving off the deep reef system is a popular sport, and a World War II submarine is a popular dive spot.

The Torchbearers were the first group of costumed figures in Beacon City, a group of local “heroes” who fought in the Civil War using guerilla tactics and the mystique of dark hoods and flaring torches to inspire the locals. When the South surrendered the war, the Torchbearers went underground and became a resistance group and eventually a criminal organization. Now called “Shadowfire”, they occasionally commit acts of terrorism, but are mostly involved in smuggling and vice crimes. Think of them as a Southern US version of the IRA.

The local Hero Team of Beacon City from the 60’s were known as the Beacon City Challengers, and their famous landmark building has a light atop it called The Lodestar, or The Silver Signal. It appears as a great silver light that can be seen from across the city. The building has been unoccupied by heroes since the first organized hero team eventually disbanded in the 80’s. The first few floors are devoted to a superhero museum open to the public, proceeds from which help fund The Cunningham Clinic, a free-for-metahumans clinic which collects research data about paranormal health care.

[Shadowchaser]

Library File:

839.68-PT7101-7338

File Name: Tempest
See Also: Donald Thursday
See Also: Jane Shepard
See Also: Beacon City Superhumans
See Also: Thor, Offspring of
See Also: Demigods

Jane Shepard met Thor while trying to sneak backstage at a Nirvana concert in Boston. He thought she was "smokin' hawt" and tried to help her, though in the riot that followed, the pair never actually met the members of the band. The couple spent the next few days holed up in the penthouse of the New Orleans Hyatt Regency hotel. Thor (apparently bored with the "relationship" already) ditched her.

As the hangover lifted, Jane found herself in a strange city with no money and a story that most would not believe. She quickly found work, as a waitress at various New Orleans restaurants and bars. Donald Thursday was born the requisite nine months later (August 26, 1992), during Hurricane Andrew (see: Asgardian / Loa conflict of 1992).

Jane kept Donald's heritage from him as a boy, and colored her relationship with his father in a much more favorable light. While healthy, large and strong for his age, no supernatural powers were evident until August 2005. During the chaos of Hurricane Katrina (see also: Bermuda Triangle Cross-Rip, 2005), his strength and invulnerability surfaced when, while trying to evacuate, the family car slipped into a flooded drainage ditch and started to sink.

Donald also faced his first supernatural foe, a pack of Kelpies drawn to the storm, and then drawn even more by Donald's semi-divine aura. (see below) The next few years were turbulent for Donald and his mother, as they frequently were forced to pick up and move after being attacked by various supernatural entities.

In 2007, a Field Team (see Tower, Elizabeth) found Donald and brought him to the nearest Library field house. Jane, who had spent the last decade of her life learning what she could about the occult, went through standard background checks and examinations to become a Grade 2 researcher at the Beacon City Branch. Library mystics trained Donald how to focus his aura so he does not stand out like a beacon to supernatural entities, though it remains obvious at close range.

In return for financial aid in college, Donald, given the code-name Tempest, has agreed to assist the Library on various occasions. He has also been quietly active using his powers to fight crime or assist during natural (or supernatural) disasters in Beacon City.

Powers and Abilities:
* Tempest's lifting strength has been estimated to be close to 100 tons, though based on known demigods (see also: Heracles) this may increase. His skin has been rated at Bulletproof Plus, and he is known to be immune to storm-related effects. He can run at over 500 MPH and leap up 1800'. He has also been trained in Parkour, allowing him to move easily as well as quickly through the city.

* Tempest's aura, while making him a target of supernatural creatures, has the beneficial side effect of clouding mundane minds. People who observe him using his powers fail (with a 99% failure rate) to recognize him if they see him in a more mundane setting.

* Thanks to Library training, his divine senses have emerged. He can sense mystical energy and creatures, and can penetrate most common glamours to reveal the true form of mystical beings.



Tempest - PL 10

Strength 12, Stamina 12, Agility 5, Dexterity 3, Fighting 6, Intellect 2, Awareness 2, Presence 2

Advantages
Accurate Attack, Benefit, Cipher, Benefit: Library Card, Diehard, Improved Initiative, Interpose, Languages 1

Skills
Acrobatics 1 (+6), Athletics 1 (+13), Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+8), Expertise: Mythology 3 (+5), Insight 3 (+5), Perception 3 (+5), Persuasion 2 (+4), Ranged Combat: Throw 3 (+6)

Powers
Fast: Speed 8 (Speed: 500 miles/hour, 1 mile/round)
Leaping: Leaping 8 (Alternate; Leap 1800 feet at 250 miles/hour in 3 seconds)
Parkour: Movement 4 (Safe Fall, Sure-footed 2, Wall-crawling 1: -1 speed rank; Limited: Only in Urban Environments)
Resilient
Immunity: Immunity 8 (Aging, Damage Effect: Lightning, Disease, Environmental Condition: Storms)
Impervious Defense: Impervious Toughness 8
Senses: Senses 5 (Detect: Mystical (Ranged), Counters Illusion: Detect, Tracking: Detect 1: -1 speed rank)
Unrecognizable: Feature 1

Offense
Initiative +9
Grab, +6 (DC Spec 22)
Throw, +6 (DC 27)
Unarmed, +8 (DC 27)

Complications
Enemy: Magical / Mythic creatures recognize Tempest as a demigod, which antagonizes monsters.
Identity: While his divine aura protects his secret ID, if he tells someone of his dual nature, it breaks the spell - and that person can tell others.

Languages
Asgardian, Native Language

Defense
Dodge 8, Parry 8, Fortitude 12, Toughness 12, Will 8

Power Points
Abilities 88 + Powers 35 + Advantages 7 + Skills 9 (18 ranks) + Defenses 11 = 150

[Shadowchaser]

The Lamplighter - PL 10

Strength 3, Stamina 6, Agility 4, Dexterity 4, Fighting 3, Intellect 5, Awareness 7, Presence 6

Advantages
Equipment 1, Favored Environment: Darkness, Fearless, Tracking, Ultimate Effort: Nullify

Skills
Acrobatics 2 (+6), Athletics 4 (+7), Expertise: Conspiracies 6 (+11), Insight 6 (+13), Investigation 6 (+11), Ranged Combat: The Lamp 6 (+10), Stealth 4 (+8), Technology 4 (+9)

Powers
Protection 2 (+2 Toughness)
Senses 2 (Darkvision)
The Lamp
. . Speed of Light: Teleport 10 (Carry 50 lbs.; Change Velocity, Extended: 1000 miles in 2 move actions; Limited to Extended, Noticeable: Bright flash of light and light trail to target location)
. . Illumination: Environment 4 (Light (Bright), Radius: 250 feet; Limited: Cone Area only)
. . A Light in Dark Places: Cone Area Affliction 10 (1st degree: Impaired, 2nd degree: Disabled, 3rd degree: Unaware, Resisted by: Will, DC 20; Cone Area: 60 feet cone)
. . A Lamp of Fire: Damage 10 (DC 25; Increased Range: ranged)
. . Light of Truth: Cone Area Nullify 10 (Counters: Illusion Powers, DC 20; Cone Area: 60 feet cone, Increased Duration: concentration; Reduced Range: close)

Equipment
Armored Costume [Protection 2, +2 Toughness], Commlink, Handcuffs, Multi-tool

Offense
Initiative +4
Grab, +3 (DC Spec 13)
Light of Justice: Cone Area Affliction 10 (DC Will 20)
Light of Retribution: Damage 10, +10 (DC 25)
Light of Truth: Cone Area Nullify 10 (DC Will 20)
Throw, +4 (DC 18)
Unarmed, +3 (DC 18)

Complications

"The Lamp is Alive": As evidenced by the Lamp's sudden merging with Robert Sage, this alien device is more than a mere power source. The Lamp occasionally does things of its own volition, and is clearly possessed of powers which it chooses not to share with its human bearer. While the Lamp either condones or ignores the Sage family's decision to use it in a battle against evil and ignorance, the Lamp also has its own mysterious priorities, probably linked to its alien creators, how it crashed on Earth in the first place, and how it thinks it should be used. Robert has no way of communicating with the Lamp, and is more than a little afraid of the alien supercomputer housed in his chest.

"Illuminated": Robert Sage is part of the vast Illuminati conspiracy, whether he wants to be or not. He is constantly being tracked by the Illuminati, some of whom try to force themselves into his life as allies or servants, others of whom are trying to pressure him into working for them towards mysterious goals. Robert never really knows if anyone he is talking to is, or is not, a part of the conspiracy, so he has begun to live his life as if everyone is, which is taking a bit of a toll on his psyche.

"Legacy": The Lamplighter has been a hero in the Beacon City region for over two hundred years, barring a couple generations since the 60s. His return will not go unnoticed. Likely enemies include pulp era villains who are now more modern and super charged, World War II villains who the Lamplighter fought in the Homefront, or villains from the early years of the Silver Age before Wilson Sage retired. In addition, as a Legacy character, Robert is easily lured into virtually any situation where he thinks he may learn more about his family or their past. Hints of estates once owned by his family, records they have left behind, people who knew his grandfather when he was active, and so on, are all easy hooks whom Robert's enemies could use against him.

"Lux Omnia Vincit": Robert Sage is obsessed with bringing light to the darkness. To him, this means revealing the truth and providing knowledge and wisdom where there is only ignorance and fear. He is a Prometheus style figure who will steal fire from the gods in order to give it to humanity, even if it means he gets tortured for it, or if people aren't really ready to handle the fire he delivers. Investigative journalists and scientists who probe Things Man Was Not Meant To Know are Robert's kind of people. He believes that there is no such thing as a truth best left hidden. By the same token, he considers bringing that light to be his sacred responsiblity.

Secret Identity: Robert Sage is trying to keep his identity as the Lamplighter a secret so that he can enjoy something of a normal life, but also so that he can try to learn more about his family without being a constant target of supervillain attacks. He wears a mask, adopts a different voice when in his costumed identity, and goes to great lengths to keep this a secret, especially to maintain the safety of his ailing grandfather, Wilson Sage.

Languages
English

Defense
Dodge 12, Parry 12, Fortitude 8, Toughness 8, Will 12

Power Points
Abilities 76 + Powers 26 + Advantages 5 + Skills 19 (38 ranks) + Defenses 24 = 150

Before the Revolutionary War, when the town that would become Beacon City was only
just being founded, Captain Rex Sage, a lobsterman and occasional smuggler,
witnessed the descent of a fiery ball of metal and glass. Following the crash to the
coastal marsh, Sage salvaged only a single object from what he eventually concluded
could only be a ship from the stars. That object -- spherical and giving off intense white
light -- he dubbed "the Lamp".

In the years that followed, Rex Sage and his heirs would use the mysterious alien power
of the lamp to fight for justice and truth, bringing light to the darkness in Beacon City.
Under the moniker of "The Lamplighter," the Sage family fought off British redcoats and
gave succor to rebels hiding from the King's vengeance, defend the innocent when the
feud between white man and red exploded into merciless violence, helped slaves slip
over the border to the North and win freedom, and bust mobs who sought to get rich off
illegal booze during Prohibition. But the Sage family could not survive in such a
dangerous occupation without help; even the awesome power of the Lamp could only
go so far. The Lamplighter needed allies, and thus it was that, soon after the founding of
the Republic, the Illuminti came calling.

The Illuminati claimed influence over the new nation, counting President Washington
and many of the Founding Fathers as members. Even the currency of the United States
was emblazoned with its all-seeing eye. And the Illuminati needed an agent in the
coming superhero arms race. They chose the Lamplighter, knowing that the Sage family
was desperate for help. In exchange for doing the Illuminati's bidding, the Sage family
received wealth, connections, scientific and occult lore, all of which helped the Sages
learn how to master the Lamp and better protect the city.

All this changed in the 1960s. The Lamp was, at that time, bourn by Wilson Sage, who
was a superhero of some repute in the South, but too regional in his influence to gain
much recognition on a larger stage. Somehow, for reasons not yet clear, Wilson broke
ties with the Illuminati, forsaking a pact which had lasted almost two centuries. Wilson
eventually retired as the Lamplighter and concealed the Lamp, breaking the line of
heroes that gave his family meaning. He walked away from his wealth and vast estate,
perhaps knowing that the Illuminati were going to take it all anyway. He moved into a
small apartment and joined the Beacon City police force.

Today, in 2012, Robert Sage is the 23-year old scion of an ancient but fallen family. His
grandfather Wilson lives in a retirement home, sustained by his police pension. Robert's
mother, Alexis, Wilson's only daughter, died in a mysterious fire years ago. In an attempt
to follow in his grandfather's footsteps, Robert also joined the police force, but more
importantly, his attempts to decipher Wilson's addled mutterings led him to the sealed
location of the Lamp. When Robert found it, after so many years of it being hidden, the
Lamp responded with great force. No longer content to be carried and put away, the
Lamp merged physically with the newest Sage, burying itself in his chest and integrating
itself with his nervous system.

Soon after, Robert was visited by the Illuminati. Some members of this secret society
revere him as a hero, a prophesied agent of change who will bring light to a darkening
age. Others seek only to control Sage and the Lamp, and are trying to make him into an
agent of the conspiracy once more. When Robert refused to dance to their tune, he was
fired from the police force. The Captain blamed "budget cuts" but Robert knew better.

Today, Robert Sage fights crime as the Lamplighter, the newest incarnation of Beacon
City's bringer of light. The city's inhabitants have forgotten him; only a few journalists
and historians remember the once-famous hero and the Sage family name. And
Robert's own resources are stretched thin; without work or allies he has nearly died
more times than he cares to count. He needs help. He can't do this work alone.

But he will bring light to the darkness, even if it means his death. For he is, and
evermore shall be, the Bearer of the Lamp.

Appearance: The Lamplighter wears an all black uniform that includes thin but effective
bullet-resistant body armor. His cloak and hood obscure his features, but he also wears
a mask to ensure his identity remains hidden. The Lamp shines brightly from his chest;
he can dim it or even turn it off when necessary, but it flares to brightness when he is in
battle. Around his waist is a belt equipped with what few tools Robert has been able to
keep from his career as a policeman.

[Shadowchaser]

Starchild - PL 10

Strength 0, Stamina 1, Agility 1, Dexterity 2, Fighting 1, Intellect 4, Awareness 6, Presence 4

Advantages
Defensive Roll 7, Evasion 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Leadership, Set-up 2

Skills
Deception 8 (+12), Expertise: Astronomy 4 (+8), Perception 4 (+10), Persuasion 1 (+5), Stealth 8 (+9)

Powers
Cosmic Flight: Flight 5 (Speed: 60 miles/hour, 900 feet/round; Distracting)
Mental Attack Powers
. . Inflict Blindness: Affliction 8 (1st degree: Impaired, 2nd degree: Disabled, 3rd degree: Unaware, Resisted by: Will, DC 18; Increased Range 2: perception)
. . Mental Blast: Damage 6 (DC 21; Alternate Resistance: Will, Increased Range 2: perception)
. . Mental Paralysis: Affliction 8 (1st degree: Dazed, 2nd degree: Stunned, 3rd degree: Paralyzed, Resisted by: Will, DC 18; Increased Range 2: perception)
Mind Reading: Mind Reading 5 (DC 15; Linked: Telepathy: Mental Area Communication 3)
Precognitive Reactions: Enhanced Fighting 1 (+1 FGT, Advantages: Defensive Roll 7, Evasion 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative)
Telepathy: Mental Area Communication 3 (Area, Linked: Mind Reading: Mind Reading 5)

Offense
Initiative +5
Grab, +1 (DC Spec 10)
Inflict Blindness: Affliction 8 (DC Will 18)
Mental Blast: Damage 6 (DC Will 21)
Mental Paralysis: Affliction 8 (DC Will 18)
Mind Reading: Mind Reading 5 (DC Will 15)
Throw, +2 (DC 15)
Unarmed, +1 (DC 15)

Languages
English

Defense
Dodge 12, Parry 12, Fortitude 4, Toughness 8/1, Will 10

Power Points
Abilities 36 + Powers 69 + Advantages 3 + Skills 13 (25 ranks) + Defenses 29 = 150



Complications
Enemy: ???: There are those whose awareness of Simon's alien parentage far exceeds his. And although he is unaware of them, they are constantly monitoring his movements and his actions. To what end?

Identity: In reality, Starchild is Simon Stern, an incoming freshman at Beacon University. He hides his identity until such time as he completely understands his extraterrestrial heritage.

Motivation: Acceptance: Simon has been an outsider all his life: the child of a single mother (whom everyone in their small town considered insane), a brainy telepath in Coal Country. In short, everything in his life to date has branded him as an outsider. Beacon City represents his chance to change all that.

Motivation: Doing Good: Having grown up bullied, Simon is a firm believe in standing up for justice. Back home, he couldn't use his powers to defend himself for fear of exposure. Now, he can finally do something for the oppressed and downtrodden.

Quirk: When Simon uses his powers, his eye turn pitch black and seem to be filled with swirling spiral galaxies. He's gotten reasonably good at concealing it, but if someone notices, it's obvious he's not a normal human being.

[Shadowchaser]

Jade Witch - PL 10


Strength 0, Stamina 0, Agility 1, Dexterity 3, Fighting 4, Intellect 2, Awareness 7, Presence 4

Advantages
Benefit 2: Senior Agent of the Library, Defensive Roll 3, Equipment 2, Ritualist, Trance, Well-informed

Skills
Expertise: Magic 10 (+12), Insight 6 (+13), Investigation 2 (+4), Perception 4 (+11), Ranged Combat: Magic Spells 5 (+8), Sleight of Hand 4 (+7)

Powers
Attuned: Senses 4 (Acute: Detect Magic, Analytical: Detect Magic, Detect: Magic 2: ranged)
Magic Spells
. . Dis-Spell: Nullify 8 (Counters: Magic Powers (all) Simultaneously, DC 18; Broad, Simultaneous)
. . Ghost Hand: Move Object 7 (3 tons; Precise, Subtle 2: undetectable)
. . Mystic Binding: Affliction 12 (1st degree: Hindered, Vulnerable, 2nd degree: Defenseless, Immobile, Resisted by: Will, DC 22; Extra Condition, Increased Range: ranged; Limited Degree)
. . Mystic Bolt: Damage 12 (DC 27; Increased Range: ranged)
. . Mystic Constructs: Create 7 (Volume: 125 cft., DC 17; Increased Duration: continuous, Innate)
. . Mystic Healing: Healing 5 (Energizing, Persistent, Restorative, Stabilize)
. . Mystic Message: Mental Communication 4
. . Mystic Might: Enhanced Strength 8 (+8 STR, Advantages: Close Attack
Mystic Guardian Powers
. . Astral Projection: Remote Sensing 8 (Affects: 3 Types, inc. Visual - Visual, Auditory, Mental, Range: 1 mile; Limited: Physical Body is Defenseless)
. . Shielded Flight
. . . . Flight 4 (Speed: 30 miles/hour, 500 feet/round)
. . . . Mystic Protection: Protection 10 (+10 Toughness; Impervious [6 ranks only], Sustained)

Equipment
The Mysterious Manse

Offense
Initiative +1
Dis-Spell: Nullify 8, +8 (DC Will 18)
Ghost Hand: Move Object 7, +8 (DC 17)
Grab, +4 (DC Spec 10)
Mystic Binding: Affliction 12, +8 (DC Will 22)
Mystic Bolt: Damage 12, +8 (DC 27)
Throw, +3 (DC 15)
Unarmed, +4 (DC 15)

Complications
Enemy: The Jade Witch has an as-yet unrevealed rival within the Library's organization.
Identity: The Jade Witch maintains a secret identity.
Motivation: Responsibility: The Jade Witch feels the burden of great responsibility that comes with her power and the traditions of her family.

Languages
Native Language

Defense
Dodge 7, Parry 7, Fortitude 6, Toughness 13/0, Will 14

Power Points
Abilities 42 + Powers 60 + Advantages 10 + Skills 16 (31 ranks) + Defenses 22 = 150

Shannon Montgomery is part of a family of dedicated mystics who have been associated with the Library in Beacon City for several generations. Her parents met when her father was traveling in Asia on Library business. Mom was studying her own traditions of magic when they met, and she left Korea to join Dad in Georgia. Shannon has the benefit of knowing quite a lot about both Eastern and Western magical traditions.

http://xcrystlxdiamndx.deviantart.com/a ... h-17261366 Portrait.
http://morbid-whispers.deviantart.com/a ... -166916165 Base.
http://ridgeviewxkid.deviantart.com/art ... I-28647862 Mask.

She is slightly naïve and very inexperienced, although her high stats prevent her from being entirely clueless. She was home-schooled and Library-trained and has never attended regular school. Her ability to handle viewpoints widely different from her own and to make small talk with normal people is weak. She’s shy because of this. She has the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in magical studies.

There were quite a few homeschoolers with parents at the Library. Their curriculum included magic. When she graduated from high school, she went directly to the Library’s mage college. She was top of her class and is the most powerful mage they’ve trained in a generation.

Favorite teacher: Dr. Ethel Horne. This is the person who is most responsible for Shannon’s decision to try being a costumed hero. Both Dr. Horne and her parents gave Shannon a belief that power is a privilege and she owes it to the universe to use her magic for Good.

Best friend: Tamara Tolliver. Also a Library kid, but nowhere near as skilled as Shannon. Tammy has other advantages that keep her from being jealous of her friend. Tammy has beauty, worldliness, and effortless style; these are traits Shannon most definitely does not possess.

Enemy/rival: David Sutherton, a lifelong schoolmate. David has been the second best at everything arcane for their entire lives, and he loathes Shannon for it.
Parents: Mark Montgomery, Hyun Sang Kim Montgomery.

[Theron]

Here's the background on Starchild:

Everyone back in Morgansville knew that Maisy Stern was nuts even before she started claiming the UFO came down and got her. Everyone knew she'd just run off to Pittsburgh with some fella she'd met at a bar, and when she had that little boy a few months later, that just proved it.

Of course, no one really cared about her enough to do the math and realize she'd only run off three months earlier and she wasn't pregnant then. But the good people of Morgansville had better things to do than worry about Crazy Maisy.

Maisy knew better, of course. She wasn't crazy. Not most of the time, anyway. And she remembered everything. Her car stopping dead in the middle of a backroad. The bright shining light coming out of the sky. And him...he was tall, and slim, and wore silver and green, and his eyes were like looking into the night sky. He spoke without speaking and called her to him. They flew off in his ship and she saw the world from space...

Simon grew up hearing this story at least once a week, almost daily once Mama figured out he was different. The worst part was, he knew it was true the first time he accidentally read her mind.

Growing up in Morganville was an exercise in survival for anyone who didn't fit in with the miners' kids, and Simon definitely didn't fit in. By the time he learned to control his powers, he'd already alienated his peers. The best he could hope for was to use them subtly, to avoid the worst of the beatings and to keep his grades up (it's hard to fail a test when you can read the teachers' minds).

His grades got him a scholarship to Beacon City U., where he plans to major in Astronomy and maybe put his heritage to a good use. As the campaign begins, he's newly arrived in the big city...

[doctorcomics]

Hey everyone.

This is the Lamplighter.



The latest in my long run of "most boring costumes ever", but hey. I had an image of him in my head. Made with the Champions Online character creator.

Background:
Before the Revolutionary War, when the town that would become Beacon City was only just being founded, Captain Rex Sage, a lobsterman and occasional smuggler, witnessed the descent of a fiery ball of metal and glass. Following the crash to the coastal marsh, Sage salvaged only a single object from what he eventually concluded could only be a ship from the stars. That object -- spherical and giving off intense white light -- he dubbed "the Lamp".

In the years that followed, Rex Sage and his heirs would use the mysterious alien power of the lamp to fight for justice and truth, bringing light to the darkness in Beacon City. Under the moniker of "The Lamplighter," the Sage family fought off British redcoats and gave succor to rebels hiding from the King's vengeance, defended the innocent when the feud between white man and red exploded into merciless violence, helped slaves slip over the border to the North and win freedom, and busted mobs who sought to get rich off illegal booze during Prohibition. But the Sage family could not survive in such a dangerous occupation without help; even the awesome power of the Lamp could only go so far. The Lamplighter needed allies, and thus it was that, soon after the founding of the Republic, the Illuminti came calling.

The Illuminati claimed influence over the new nation, counting President Washington and many of the Founding Fathers as members. Even the currency of the United States was emblazoned with its all-seeing eye. And the Illuminati needed an agent in the coming superhero arms race. They chose the Lamplighter, knowing that the Sage family was desperate for help. In exchange for doing the Illuminati's bidding, the Sage family received wealth, connections, scientific and occult lore, all of which helped the Sages learn how to master the Lamp and better protect the city.

All this changed in the 1960s. The Lamp was, at that time, bourn by Wilson Sage, who was a superhero of some repute in the South, but too regional in his influence to gain much recognition on a larger stage. Somehow, for reasons not yet clear, Wilson broke ties with the Illuminati, forsaking a pact which had lasted two centuries. Wilson eventually retired as the Lamplighter and concealed the Lamp, breaking the line of heroes that gave his family meaning. He walked away from his wealth and vast estate, perhaps knowing that the Illuminati were going to take it all anyway. He moved into a small apartment and joined the Beacon City police force.

Today, in 2012, Robert Sage is the 23-year old scion of an ancient but fallen family. His grandfather Wilson lives in a retirement home, sustained by his police pension. Robert's mother, Alexis, Wilson's only daughter, died in a mysterious fire years ago. In an attempt to follow in his grandfather's footsteps, Robert also joined the police force, but more importantly, his attempts to decipher Wilson's addled mutterings led him to the sealed location of the Lamp. When Robert found it, after so many years of it being hidden, the Lamp responded with great force. No longer content to be carried and put away, the Lamp merged physically with the newest Sage, burying itself in his chest and integrating itself with his nervous system.

Soon after, Robert was visited by the Illuminati. Some members of this secret society revere him as a hero, a prophesied agent of change who will bring light to a darkening age. Others seek only to control Sage and the Lamp, and are trying to make him into an agent of the conspiracy once more. When Robert refused to dance to their tune, he was fired from the police force. The Captain blamed "budget cuts" but Robert knew better.

Today, Robert Sage fights crime as the Lamplighter, the newest incarnation of Beacon City's bringer of light. The city's inhabitants have forgotten him; only a few journalists and historians remember the once-famous hero and the Sage family name. And Robert's own resources are stretched thin; without work or allies he has nearly died more times than he cares to count. He needs help. He can't do this work alone.

But he will bring light to the darkness, even if it means his death. For he is, and evermore shall be, the Bearer of the Lamp.

[crashmurdoch]

Hey Doc there's no pic link.

[doctorcomics]

Hm. It worked when I first posted but wasn't now. I tried posting it a different way. Hope it works this time!

[Shadowchaser]

Doc, what format are you using for the image link? Where are you hosting the image file? I use Photobucket.com (It's free) and just use the IMG link, then paste that into my posts here to create the image.

James

[doctorcomics]

The image is on google docs. I see it here. You don't?

PS: edited to add his story to the image post.

[Shadowchaser]

The image is on google docs. I see it here. You don't?

PS: edited to add his story to the image post.

I don't think Google Docs works with direct IMG links, so no, we don't see the image. You need to use an image hosting site that allows direct linking to the image file.

[Shadowchaser]

Nero The Newshound!

Giant Beanstalk Interrupts Morning Commute

(Note- this text has been copied from the WBCS Channel 4 News Website, some links may not function correctly)

Posted: 5:36 a.m. Thursday April 12, 2012

By Nero the News Hound

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The Southbound Lanes of Interstate 90 on the Rucka Overpass in the Beacon City Metro Area were destroyed early this morning by a giant beanstalk erupting through the street. No, friends and neighbors, this website has not been hacked again, you read that correctly. Two serious injuries and numerous minor injuries resulted, but no deaths have been reported yet, thanks to the timely intervention of a group of mysterious benefactors. Witnesses described the “Giant Beanstalk” as a towering green pillar of foliage hundreds of feet tall, reaching up into the clouds on this stormy Thursday morning. Channel 4’s Nero the Newshound was on the scene as police began to gain control of the situation and the “Beanstalk” had already been removed from the scene, but not before Eye in the Sky reporter Marcus Hamilton managed to snap several photos of the bizarre event.

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Fortunately only two vehicles were directly involved in accidents related to the obstruction, with only two serious injuries. One man, Joshua Wheaton, 21, has been taken to Grady Memorial for injuries including head trauma and concussion. Witnesses to the car accident rushed to his aid as the car caught fire and helped pull Joshua and his girlfriend Wendy Rhodes (23) from the overturned vehicle. According to Federal Prison Officials, the other vehicle was actually propelled up into the air by the sudden appearance of the Beanstalk and tangled in the vines and leaves of the super-sized plant. This vehicle was a special prison transport van carrying the woman known as “Calypso” (real name and age unknown) to a Maximum Security Prison to await a competency hearing. In the process of responding to the accident, a young man known as “Tempest” reports he and other “Noble Samaritans” were accosted by the reportedly unstable woman.

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The ensuing street brawl between “Calypso” and the erstwhile do-gooders was partially caught on video by one of the passengers from a Greyhound Bus that had been stopped by the accident. John Matthew Straczinski, 56, used his cell phone to catch the four mysterious heroes in the act. The footage is not clear due to the heavy rain and darkness of the hour, but the video is included for your perusal. The black-cloaked figure fighting alongside the other strangers has been identified by police as “The Lamplighter”, a mystery man who has assisted the police on a number of high-profile drug smuggling cases in recent weeks.

The man with red hair helping to restrain the escapee identified himself to this reporter as “Tempest” and gave his account of the incident before leaping hundreds of feet into the air to depart the scene.
It seems as if Beacon City’s so-called “Hero Community” may be experiencing a revival, something that hasn’t made the news here in almost ten years. We can only hope these new arrivals will live up to the fine tradition of other great Samaritans Beacon City has hosted in the past. This is Nero the News Hound, reporting to you from Beacon City. I’ll keep my nose to the ground for further developments!

-Nero the Newshound

[Jade_Witch]

Just to be totally clear, those pictures in the Jade Witch write-up are from various contributors to the Deviant Art site. I don't own them and didn't create them. I often use Deviant Art as a resource for game pictures, but I don't want anyone to get the mistaken impression that I am anything but a fan of these images.