Superheroes of the Great Depression

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

AAB

Guest

It is Tuesday, April 7th, 1931. Herbert Hoover is still the president, and isn't doing anything to help the economy or the American people. Little Orphan Annie premiered yesterday, but of course only those with radios could hear it. Unemployment is at 16.3% and is only getting worse.

The town is Scottsbluff, Nebraska, with a population of about 6,000. It has a few school buildings, several churches, and two theaters: Otoe and Bluff. There is a J.C. Pennies for clothing and a Woolworth's for just about everything else. The Germans (both from Germany and from Russia) make up a large part of the population. There are also many Mexican and Japanese people, and some minorities like the Irish and Italians. Of course there are also several different Indian tribes in the area, but they avoid the town.

Scottsbluff wasn't hit as hard as most towns. It is in the midst of a farming community, and wasn't destroyed by the dust bowl like the poor farmers to the south in Kansas. The farming families still have to work hard, but they aren't starving. Some even take on a hired hand in exchange for room and board. The town itself has an old sugar beet plant, and some folks were fortunate enough to find work there.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
A rumor of a teenager getting shot in the head and walking away from it. A mother insisting her child walked on water. A frantic fellow who insisted his fiance turned into a monster before his eyes. This was news from last decade, and most of it was decided to be the inventions of people willing to do anything to add some spice to life, or just the ravings of someone who finally snapped from the pressure.

Then there are some who say these people are still about, that something happened at the turn of the century that damaged their young. "It was the electricity," an old man would insist, "it's not natural." Another may suggest X-rays were the culprit. Zapping things through peoples' bodies were bound to mess things up inside. Of course, Ms. Sams would eagerly point out that nothing like this happened until they started canning pineapple.

Then there was the opinion of those who the rumors (yes, they were true) were about. The man who had been shot was thankful that he was still alive.The woman who turned into a monster thought she had a horrible curse that had wrecked her life. The youngster who walked on water has no reason to do so. And what of you? Is your ability a blessing or a curse? Do you use it for good or evil? Or hide it, and try to blend in with the rest of the desperate folks trying to survive in the Great Depression?

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
1. I am in charge and PotatoChipGolem is my Co-GM.
2. Treat apostrophes with respect. I don't want to see them misplaced.
3. Keep the NPCs historically-accurate.
4. Try to keep your character somewhat historically-and-scientifically-accurate.
5. When you make your character sheet, delete the phrase in parenthesis.
6. Please make use of the message system to plot behind everyone's back (including mine).
7. There is no powers section in your character sheet. But that doesn't mean you don't get powers. Instead, you will have your powers PMed to you in private by me! Like the superheroes we all know, we don't really have a choice when it comes to what powers we were born with. It's all based on genetics and that's how your powers will be determined: by your character's other attributes (I have a whole spreadsheet ready for this purpose). If there's a type of ability that you can't see yourself playing, send me a tell and I'll make sure you won't get it. Keep it a secret or tell the world; it's your choice. Most of all, enjoy yourself.

Name: (first and last)
Age: (15 to 30)
Gender: (male or female)
Hair Color: (black, dark, brown, sandy, blonde, red, grey; if you have an image with a different hair color, I'm going by that; no dyed hair)
Eye Color: (brown, blue, green, hazel, other)
Skin Color: (pale, peach, tan, brown, dark)
Blood Type: (you should know your options; there are 8)
Appearance: (preferably an image, no anime; description alone will pass)
Living Situation: (farm or town, family or alone, ect.)
Personality: (don't go too in-depth, but make sure you have flaws)
History: (where are you from/why are you here)

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

List of Characters:

AAB
Name: Elizabeth Shanaman
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Sauvain-210x300.jpg

Living Situation: Elizabeth lives on a farm outside of Scottsbluff with her parents, four brothers (Reuben, Fred, John, & Benjamin), and two sisters (Emma & Frieda). They grow a lot of sugar beets for the factory in town, as well as corn for the animals and a garden for themselves.


Kid Jesus
Name: Benjamin Horus Cole
Age: 26
Gender: Male
James_Van_Der_Zee.jpg

Living Situation: He lives in the town in the slums with other of his kind. He works at a African American club time to time as a blues guitar player and on a farm.

Twisted Dreamer
Name: Rosa Maria Roman
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Jessica_Lucas_21863_Medium.jpg

Living Situation:
Rosa Maria lives in a very small one story home with her mother, father and four siblings. The farm they live on is not their own, but belongs to an elderly couple whose two children left home to follow their own paths in life. The Roman family helps the couple around the farm in exchange for staying on their land.

Scrap Iron
Name: Louise Winters
Age: 23
Gender: Female
woman_zps64a48e98.jpg

Living Situation: Louise is currently staying in a modest home near the closest equivalent to a downtown area. She's been working as a projectionist at the Otoe for a little over a year.

The Red Tazelwurm
Name: Alice Edmonds
Age: 16
Gender: Female
LAIMG_000031.jpg

Living Situation:
She lives in an extremely small house by herself (it's more of shed though, really) next to a larger house where her family lives. She used to live in the larger house with her family, but when her sister who had run off a long time ago, came back with three young kids, she moved to the shed because it was getting too crowded.
 
Last edited:
Name: Elizabeth Shanaman
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Hazel
Skin Color: Peach
Blood Type: A+
Appearance:
Sauvain-210x300.jpg

Living Situation: Elizabeth lives on a farm outside of Scottsbluff with her parents, four brothers (Reuben, Fred, John, & Benjamin), and two sisters (Emma & Frieda). They grow a lot of sugar beets for the factory in town, as well as corn for the animals and a garden for themselves.
Personality: Outgoing, robust, and nontraditional.
History: Elizabeth is the daughter of John Henry and Katherine Elizabeth Shanaman, who emigrated from Russia to escape the war. As her family were farmers in the old country, they began farming again once they reached Nebraska. They were a large family, but one by one the kids got married and moved out. Henry, Katherine, Molly, George, and Mary have all left the state or gotten farms of their own, and Reuben is now thinking of leaving as well.
 
Name: James Greensman
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Hair Color: Sandy brown
Eye Color: Green
Skin Color: Peach
Blood Type: O-
Appearance:
firoed2.jpg

Living Situation: James lives in town by himself and works at the factory.
Personality: James is a kindhearted and smart fellow. He cares for his friends and loves attention. He's also a cocky sort of guy and a bit of a smart-ass.
History: James is the son of a pair of German immigrants, Aurthur and Sally, who came to America in search of opportunity. His father took a factory job and his mother worked as a waitress. They had him about a year after coming to America and his twin sisters, Anna and Lily, came around two years latter. Once he grew up, he moved out hoping to make his own way in the world and has lived in Scottsbluff ever since.
 
Name: Ruthen Wolfson
Age: 27
Gender: Male

ohkzg4.jpg

Eye Color: Blue
Skin Color:
Pale
Blood Type: B+

Living Situation: The current owner of the Great Western Sugar Co. factory in town, he inherited the fortune -as well as the vast debts, when his father died to pneumonia a year ago.

Personality: Studious, daring and a forward-thinking man. Yet hindered by slowly growing poverty, he has become cynical and at times greedy.

History:
Ruthen came to town following his father's wishes, having completed his education not long ago, he hoped he could continue his journeyman years as a physician here in Nebraska.

Unfortunately, the old codger died of pneumonia abruptly. Leaving his inheritance and his factory to his wife and son, respectively. The dim-witted woman took off in a heartbeat, the milestone in her years of having an affair have finally paid off. While their son, was left with nothing but his debts and the sugar factory.

Though he once considered selling it, first to repay those long overdue loans and second, because he had no idea what to do with it. Ruthen was unwilling to part with the only thing left that can be considered a heirloom.

Still, sentimental value or not, the man must start picking up the trade where his father left off or succumb to the poverty that has claimed so many.
 
Last edited:
Name: Benjamin Horus Cole
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: brown
Skin Color: brown
Blood Type: AB-
Appearance:
James_Van_Der_Zee.jpg


Living Situation: He lives in the town in the slums with other of his kind. He works at a African American club time to time as a blues guitar player and on a farm.

Personality: Slightly bitter at times, Sarcastic and Grandiose in speaking. He can spin a amazing tale tall. He can read and write but doesn't has the chance to use it much as Benjamin Cole. There life is hard, Things still didn't recover fully since the Stock market crash.

History: He comes from Ohio to take care of his grandmother, Samantha. She is getting very sick and wants to be with her grandson and his daughter before she dies. Benjamin also needed a place to go since it was found out he was messing with a white woman and also was found out that they fathered a child, Now 8 year old daughter Clara Cole. Her mother wasn't allowed to have her since she was a inbreed. She was given to Ben full time. When all this came to light, He was hunted down for it, They were going to kill him. He escaped his home town as luck would have it, His grandmother wanted them to stay with her.
 
Name: Rosa Maria Roman
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Hair Color: Dark brown
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Skin Color: Bown
Blood Type: B+
Appearance:
Jessica_Lucas_21863_Medium.jpg

Living Situation:
Rosa Maria lives in a very small one story home with her mother, father and four siblings. The farm they live on is not their own, but belongs to an elderly couple whose two children left home to follow their own paths in life. The Roman family helps the couple around the farm in exchange for staying on their land.
Personality: She is strong willed, very unladylike, and very bright given the opportunity
History: Jose Roman migrated to the states to pursue the opportunity of the American Dream. He performed odd jobs here and there until he found himself on the farm of John and Shirley Mayfield. After working there for a few years and watching the Mayfield children leave, he was able to convince them to allow his family to stay as well. Rosa Maria was fifteen when she moved from Mexico to the farm and it was quite the culture shock. She never had the time or the opportunity to learn the art of being a lady, instead she helps to play mother to her younger brother and sister as well as help around the farm.

Her older brother, Juan (27), fancies the town life and helps to bring home the bacon by working at the factory. He often brings home extravagant tales that sparks Rosa's imagination. Her family offers their support in any of Rosa's decisions, minus her temper and manners, but she can't bring herself to leave them in such a time of need.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Name: Ella Anne Pearce
Age: 21
Gender: female
Hair Color: sandy blonde
Eye Color: hazel
Skin Color: tan
Blood Type: O+

Appearance: image.jpg (pic credit:Dorothea Lange)
Living Situation: Ella Anne lives on a large farm outside of town with her five brothers, her father, grandfather and uncle.
Personality: Tough-as-nails one of the "boys" usually, but Ella Anne has a deep maternal instinct from caring for her brothers.
History: Ella Anne and her family moved from Oklahoma to live with her Uncle Jack and Papa Alfred to help run the farm shortly after the crash. Papa Alfred had to lay off many of his paid workers so the Pearce boys filled the gap. Ella Anne's mother died in childbirth seven years before, and as the eldest daughter, Ella Anne was charged with running the household and looking after her siblings. On the farm, she plays the part of mother and wife. Ella Anne cooks and cleans and takes care of the modest garden and a few chickens.
 
I'll start the IC when I'm told to. Until then, we're just collecting characters.
In the past (at RoleplayerGuild) I've made maps designating everyone's locations and proximity to each other so they'll know who they're near and won't wander off by themself. But I'll assume you don't need babysat and can find each other on your own.
Has anyone seen the banner I submitted a few days ago yet? It should be showing up.
 
It hasn't been showing up, hmm maybe it'll take sometime. I'll probably check with the admins in a day or so if the situation remains.

Now's a good time to start the IC I think, we've got a handful of players and if need be we could include more in the plot later.
 
Name: Louise Winters
Age: 23
Gender: female
Hair Color: Auburn
Eye Color: Green
Skin Color: Fair
Blood Type: A-
Appearance:
woman_zps64a48e98.jpg

Living Situation: Louise is currently staying in a modest home near the closest equivalent to a downtown area. She's been working as a projectionist at the Otoe for a little over a year.
Personality: Bookish, kind, and well-intentioned, but somewhat naive and socially awkward.
History: Louise is a second generation Utahn and a third generation latter-day saint. Her grandparents emigrated out of Misouri to Salt Lake Valley and then spread to Provo. Always active in the church, Louise jumped at the chance to serve as a missionary in Omaha when she turned 21.

While on the road to her mission, her companion, Anna Cowger was shot and killed during their stop in Cheyenne. Suffering a crisis of faith from the incident, Louise decided not to follow through with her mission. However, not wanting to return home a failure, she continued east until she ended up in Scottsbluff where she decided to stay, at least until she sorted out her life.
 
I shall be posting again this afternoon, universe willing. I've been busy and a wreck! Sorry!
 
Don't worry; I'll do my best not to disappear. :3

Yeah... I've had two doctor's appointments, another with my therapist, and one with my lawyer this week, on top of my weekly game session, all with no actual sleep. No fun.
 
Is this still accepting?
 
Ain't mine to say, but unless it says it's closed, it couldn't hurt to write up a character.
 
Yes, still accepting and still on the first page of the IC. Though sadly my Co-GM has retired early due to technical problems. :( (That position is open I guess)

I plan to get another post up tomorrow.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.