The Zodiacs: Vanguards of Mankind

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Beta

Semi-Aquatic Fascist
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
Posting Speed
  1. 1-3 posts per day
  2. One post per day
  3. 1-3 posts per week
Writing Levels
  1. Adept
  2. Advanced
  3. Prestige
Preferred Character Gender
  1. No Preferences
Genres
Modern, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Fandom




  • KfeZFOu.jpg

    The Zodiacs


    Supernatural events. Paranormal activity. Anomalous objects. Impossible creatures. Each year, thousands of each are reported the world over. Most are dismissed as quickly as they crop up... swamp gas and reflected sunlight, damaged weather balloons, a pack of feral dogs, and so on. The reasoning that people use to explain these things away is often just as unlikely as the events themselves. But then WHY are these events dismissed? Why are they not investigated further? Why are the only people lookin into them the crackpots who get mind-numbing television shows like "Bigfoot Hunter" or "Ghost Whisperers" and so on? The answer is simple. People like us are why. But who are we?

    We are the Zodiacs.

    But WHY do we do what we do? Also a simple answer.

    Mankind in its present state has been around for a quarter of a million years, yet only the last 4,000 have been of any significance. So, what did we do for nearly 250,000 years? We huddled in caves, fearful of the things that we didn't understand. It was more than explaining why the sun came up... it was the mystery of enormous birds with heads of men and rocks that came to life. So we called them 'gods' and 'demons', begged them to spare us, and prayed for salvation.

    In time, their numbers dwindled and ours rose. The world began to make more sense when there were fewer things to fear, yet the unexplained can never truly go away, as if the universe demands the absurd and impossible.

    Mankind must not go back to hiding in fear. No one else will protect us, and we must stand up for ourselves. That is where we come in.

    We are the Zodiacs, mankind's shield against the things it fears and doesn't understand. A clandestine and worldwide organization, the Zodiacs operate beyond jurisdiction, empowered and entrusted by every major national government with the task of containing anomalous objects, entities, and phenomena. These anomalies pose a significant threat to global security by threatening either physical or psychological harm. The Zodiacs work to maintain normalcy, so that the worldwide civilian population can live and go on with their daily lives without fear, mistrust, or doubt in their personal beliefs, and to maintain human independence from extraterrestrial, interdimensional, and other paranormal influence.

    Our mission statement is as follows: Strength and determination will see us through the coming storm. Extreme tactics are our shield against a dark future. Walk through the never-ending madness and become stronger for it, knowing your will and endurance shall never falter in the face of adversity. Clarity shall come to those who survive the hazards before us. Servitude and self-sacrifice are our creed, even in spite of our fears. Let neither lust, terror, or depravity stay our path, for we are a harbor that shields the world from that it does not know of. We will bring down that which would harm our flock. We are ever-vigilant. We will resist the unknown... or we will die trying.​

  • RP Rules

    1. Don't be a jerk. A bit of arguing is alright, as is friendly debate. But if things start getting heated, take it to PMs.

    2. Don't argue with GMs too much. If you disagree with a ruling, say so and say why. I will re-evaluate my opinion and may reconsider my stance. If I say something is final, however... do not continue to debate it.

    3. Follow all Iwaku rules regarding etiquette and content.

    4. This is not a place for short posters. The accepted minimum is two paragraphs per post, with three to five paragraphs being the expected normal. If something is particularly tough to respond to... let people know in the OOC that you need something more to reply to.

    5. In my RPs, I do not expect perfect writing prowess or perfect conventions; after all, I'm not perfect myself. However, I do expect posts to be spellchecked and for typos to be kept to minimal levels. A few here and there is perfectly acceptable... but if I see many of them at a time or a typo that really has no business being made, I will very likely complain to you about it. Multiple severe violations of this sub-rule will result in being removed from the RP.

    6. Godmodding. Do it, and I swear to God your character will die. Godmodding includes but is not limited to... “Autokilling” or “Autohitting” of PCs without prior agreement with the other player, making up attacks and/or powers on the fly, nuking cities in one shot, and being Superman.

    7. Please try to remain active. Give notice if you'll be gone. Extended periods of absence will result in characters being moved along and/or killed off.

    Character Creation Rules

    1. Please use the given CS Template for the creation of characters in this RP.

    2. No character may have 'super strength' such as the ability to lift a car. No character may regenerate wounds at an incredible rate. No character may teleport. No character may shapeshift. No character may move faster than the eye can see. No character may manipulate elements. No character may control sound. No character may control gravity (nor may they ignore it, i.e. fly). No character may have the ability to read minds or alter the minds of others. No character may be a "master" of many different skill sets.

    3. Any character possessing any of the above-listed traits will not be reviewed and thus not allowed to make in-character posts. Any player posting in-character as a character with the above-listed traits will be summarily reported.

    4. As per Rules #2 and #3, it should be clear I want baseline soldiers. You have a TINY amount of leeway for unusual quirks such as having especially keen vision or a "I have a bad feeling about this" sense... but keep it VERY low-level.

    5. Put "I stand Unbroken" at the bottom or your CS so that it is clear you read these rules.


  • Approved Characters


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    Name: Dorian Rabenstein
    Title: Ophiuchus
    Age: Reportedly 686, appears to be mid to late 20's
    Gender: Male
    Height/Weight: 5'9" and 165lbs
    Skills: Incredibly Skilled Archer, Martial Artist ( unknown style from his world. Closest Earth-born equivalent is Ba Ji Quan ), and is able to manipulate an unknown energy to create different effects that some would call magic... hence many Zodiac Agents and Researchers jokingly referring to him as a 'sorcerer'.

    Gear: (when in the field) Small backpack (canteen, emergency first aid kit, scalpels, suture kit, various poultices and tinctures), survival knife, Engraved Bow, Combat Knuckles, Ruby Pendant, Quiver of 20 Aluminum-shafted broadhead arrows.

    Personality: Dorian is not the most trusting man in the world, due to events in his past life and his relative lack of familiarity with the world in which he now lives. However, he is almost always unable to resist helping people in need. His skills as a healer are second only to his prowess as a sorcerer, but he tends to avoid using his more destructive abilities if it can be avoided as the after-effects are usually... messy. In addition to being a potent sorcerer and healer, Dorian is rather physically attractive. As such, he is not above using his allure and silver tongue to get what he needs.

    Considering he generally prefers peace to conflict, if a particular party proves to be deceitful and breaks any peace he helps to forge... Dorian will not hesitate to unleash the full fury of his power upon them. He loves to laugh, loves to have a good time, and loves when everyone is getting along. Disrupting any sort of peace tends to get him very upset, but often times Dorian is willing to warn people to back down before things get out of hand. If peace resumes, then he will always carry on like nothing happened whatsoever.

    However, since assuming command of the Zodiacs, Dorian has put his more base desires on the back burner and turned his focus toward defending the world he has come to know and love. He knows of the many dangers that lurk around the world... as he was once considered one of them. As such, he is often blunt with those he commands and does not like when he is given excuses or hears people whine.

    Backstory: Dorian is what the Zodiacs call a 'sorcerer', though the term is not entirely accurate. After his arrival on Earth and subsequent interrogation, he has provided them with much information on his home realm. In exchange for his cooperation, he has been granted a place among the members of the Zodiacs. Please see the attached file for information regarding the arrival of Dorian Rabenstein, .

    Time: 01:14 UST+1, 07:14 UST+7
    Date: 30 June, 1908
    Location: Krasnoyarsk Krai, near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River

    Sources indicated a massive tear in reality over Soviet airspace. The exact cause of this tear is uncertain, but later information gathered suggests a rift between our world and another. At the time of the rift, a massive blast flattened some 80 million trees over an area of 2,150 square kilometers. The shock wave from a blast this size would have measured 5.0 on the Richter scale. An explosion of this magnitude would be capable of destroying a large metropolitan area. Thankfully due to the remoteness of the location, no fatalities were documented.

    We were the first on scene, and discovered a very odd and puzzling sight. In the center region where the blast occurred, lay a man who was completely unharmed despite the destruction around him. He was comatose, but had stable vitals and was breathing on his own. To add to the puzzle, he clutched in his hand a brilliant golden bow. Naturally, we took the man and the weapon in for study. Following our departure, a story was fabricated and evidence planted to keep the grim truth from the general public. To this day it is still known to us and to the public as the Tunguska Event.

    Twenty years passed, yet the man from Tunguska remained comatose. What was odd is that he did not seem to age in that time. We safely studied the weapon he possessed, which was constructed of an incredibly dense wood and an unknown but absurdly durable metal. However, when we succeeded in melting down the metal was when the man woke up from his coma. It would be several years before we learned why this was the case. The man was understandably confused and somewhat frightened upon waking, but what happened next went a long way toward explaining how and why he survived.

    Speaking in a language we still only have a rudimentary understanding of (Thanks to Dorian himself), the man tried to use some sort of unusual ability. Lines of energy began to wrap around his body and raise him into the air, but then detonated in a brilliant but dangerous burst of magical backlash. No one was injured, as he was in the containment cell by himself. We did lose approximately $200,000 in (what was at the time) cutting edge medical equipment, but that was easily replaced.

    The ballistic glass managed to contain the damage, and the man from Tunguska proceeded to cry out in what we could only determine as fear. Another attempt was made to manifest something supernatural, a blue flame conjured in the man's hand for a moment... then tore apart in a manner similar to the previous spell, but to a lesser degree. Again, the glass held. Clearly afraid at this point, the man appeared to start crying. One brave agent went against orders and opened the door leading to the cell's decontamination chamber, saying he would try to see how the man from Tunguska was able to manipulate reality in such a powerful way. He was... somewhat successful.

    Reacting to the appearance of another person, the man from Tunguska seemed to relax a bit. He backed away slowly, but was not hostile. The agent asked if the man understood him, and got no response. The agent then tapped his chest and spoke his name. The man responded with a nod, managed to smile, and did the same. "Dorian." said the man from Tunguska. And the rest, as they say, is history.

    Dorian had no understanding of any language on Earth, and we had no understanding of his. Therefore we were forced to do a complete re-education, as one would do with a young child. Picture books to start, then simple writing, and in time moving on to more advanced things. Dorian himself was highly intelligent, picking things up at an amazing rate and surprising his tutors. As thanks for the mentoring, Dorian taught one of our agents of his language in much the same way we taught him.

    In regard to his reality manipulation, we found that such abilities were relatively common where Dorian came from. In addition, his "people" were of a realm that vaguely mirrored our own. In this realm existed several sites that acted as bridges that connected to other realms. This was, in fact, how he ended up on Earth. His weapon was a conduit for his soul, in a sense; and it had been cast into something Dorian called "The Abyss". This had a backlash that tore his soul from its body and sent it across the realms. He explained that his body could die, but his soul was literally an immortal thing which would seek out a suitable form to empower should his body ever die. We reason this as being how the one survivor managed to do such, as well as why he was at the center of the blast.

    Due to his helpful nature, potent abilities, and general willingness to assist the Zodiacs, he was allowed to become a field agent in 1941. Given the title of Aquarius for his insight, knowledge, and philanthropic nature, Dorian flourished among the Zodiacs and was instrumental in securing over twenty different anomalous entities and objects over the next forty years... including three items of Omega-Classification.

    After the death of the previous Ophiuchus in 1984, Dorian was chosen to lead the organization as a direct result of his broad knowledge of things not of our world. His ability to supplement the Zodiacs with that knowledge as well as his incredible abilities made him the only reasonable choice.
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    Name: Camilla Greenborne

    Title: Libra

    Age: 22

    Gender: Female

    Height/Weight: 5'8", 166 Lb

    Skills: Above-average marksman, Quick-witted, Skilled negotiator, A weak spiritual medium

    Gear/Equipment: Besides her charm and her... physical assets, Camilla always carries a Rhino 20DS 2 revolver and two extra speed loaders of .38 special ammo, as well as one speed loader of .357 magnum in case more power is needed. She also has a pen knife she keeps in her top pocket.

    Personality: Camilla has two very distinct sides to her personality. The side the public sees, and the side her team sees. Her public persona is kind, caring, and considerate. Despite this, she is still ready to get shit done and is not afraid to get dirty if the situation requires it, though she always prefers the peaceful way out. Her team, however, gets to see a whole different person. While she is still a nice person, she enjoys the violent parts of her job much more than she lets the public know. She is flirtatious, but not outright slutty, always keeping it from progressing quite that far. She is known for her almost uncanny talent at debate and negotiation.

    Backstory: Camilla was what many would consider a problem child. Born to weak willed parents, she was always able to convince them to do or get her whatever she wanted. However, at age 7 her father died and her mother remarried, making her job just a little harder. Her step-father was, by all means, an immovable object, both in stature and in a debate. He would always have something to come back at you with, some form of rebuttal, some type of comeback. For the longest time it made Camilla angry, but she soon learned just what a good thing this really was.

    For 8 years, she fought with him on every chance she got. Homework, shopping, politics, the fine details of bad movies. She would argue whatever she could whenever she could. Over time, she learned his tactics and his strategies, developing her own repertoire of infallible comebacks and impenetrable arguments. She would perfect the art of body language, fine tune the science of clothing choices, and sharpen her threats to a razor point until one day, even he couldn't stand up to her.

    Unfortunately, that wasn't a good thing. Camilla was forced out of the house at age 16, given a bus ticket and a suitcase full of old clothes and enough money to last a week. She soon moved to the city and put her talents to work for her, performing various odd jobs to scrape by as she lived in a shitty apartment in the financial district. One day, while she was working as a waitress in a fancy restaurant, a man was seated in her section. She did what she always did, convincing him to spend as much money as humanly possible and making sure he left a more than generous tip when he left. However, this wasn't going to be the last she heard from him.

    Three days later, she was contacted about a job with the military as a diplomat overseas. She thought long and hard. She considered her current situation. She thought about her family. She was shipped out to duty the next day. Her career as a diplomat was outstanding. Nearly flawless, in every regard. She had done so much in so little time that after only three years, she was reassigned to an international team comprised of the best from various agencies. It was there that her life really started getting weird...

    And yet, she stands unbroken.
    MPW_Strangelove.png

    Name: Tamara Odysen
    Title: Scorpio
    Age: 36
    Gender: Female
    Height/Weight: 5'6" 130 lbs
    Skills:

    Tamara has a doctorate in Toxicology, a Harvard Graduate, is fluent in five languages (English, Russian, Navajo, Japanese, and Afrikaans), and can also perform the duties of a field medic.

    Tamara is an adequate shot, but by no means a master marksman, she is simply good enough to operate in the field.

    She also has a very...strange ability. She has built up an improved tolerance to toxins, and her body can metabolize them faster and more efficiently than other humans. This does not mean that they do not affect her. They do, but simply to a lesser effect, and these effects end quicker than normal people. Death no longer becomes a threat.


    Gear/Equipment: Her main weapon is an M300 sniper rifle. It has been modified to not only fire its standard ammunition, but also to fire subsonic darts. Of those, she carries two kinds. She carries five darts filled with concentrated Oleander nectar, for dealing with beings that need to be killed quickly and quietly. She also carries darts filled with Ketamine, for subduing creatures to be captured alive.

    She also carries an Operator, with suppressors as a sidearm, when the enemy gets too close. She also carries several knives, a two-way radio, and a medkit.

    When going on a mission, she wears the standard Battle Dress of the Zodiacs, with a cross armband indicating her role as a medic.

    Personality: Tamara is...odd. She's not 'crazy', nor is she a loner, She is just 'odd'. She displays an extreme curiosity and a willingness to experiment and seek out new knowledge. While she prefers working in a lab or reading to social gatherings, that does not mean she cannot be convinced to party, especially if she made a new discovery. When she does party, she is pretty wild, and typically goes home with multiple partners. She may be promiscuous, but she's not a slut, and she favors no sexuality, prefering to do what makes her feel good rather than to conform to any specific lifestyle.

    Backstory: Tamara was born in Nevada to poor parents. They lived in a desert town, a relic of the time before Route 66, and was one of the small towns people would pass through on their way to or from California. However, the town steadily declined. By the time she was born, it was basically a ghost town. Most of the businesses were closed down, and the only real place they could work was the local Uranium mine, which had been producing since the forties.

    Tamara, as a child, loved to explore, and she would spend her after-school time taking long walks and playing outside. She was a very happy, playful child, perhaps a little under-cautious, and more intent on having a good time, regardless of the consequences. Even from a young age, she was fascinated by venomous creatures, be they snakes, spiders, scorpions, fish, frogs, or even plants. This made her parents worried because, unlike sane people, she would go and seek out these creatures. Luckily, she was supervised by her uncle, who was a Herpetologist, specializing in venomous creatures, working out of Berkley. He would take her out into the desert (and other places around the world) to collect specimens.

    Because of her Uncle's support, she took her studies seriously. She quickly became an A student all through high school, and was accepted into Harvard, where she pursued Toxicology. During her time, she experimented on the effects of toxins on living beings, and devoted her lab time to documenting how living beings metabolized various toxins. Eventually, she received approval to test on human beings, but, of course, no one volunteered. So, she used herself. Over the course of several years, she poisoned herself using various toxins, both natural and man-made. Suffice to say, she was very sick for a while, and had to be rushed to the E.R. several times. But, it paid off. She was able to document how humans handled toxins in their body. Her doctoral thesis was published in the American Journal of Toxicology, and her work with snake venom caused some to laud her as the new Paracelsus. The Para-Paracelsus, if you would. It was this fame, and her unique ability, that drew the Zodiacs to her.

    I stand Unbroken


    Approved Anomalies (AE-Designations)


    Low-resolution photograph taken by one of the victims from within
    Lemmenjoki National Park before death and consumption by AE-224

    Designation: AE-224

    Classification: Sigma

    Safety Protocols: Instances of AE-224 are detained in a colossal aviary approximately 40km southeast of ████████████, Norway. Once per week, ten livestock animals (generally pigs, cows, or goats) are to be released inside the aviary to feed AE-224 instances. For their own safety, no personnel are allowed to enter the aviary within 24 hours of the release of these animals. If any instance of AE-224 is found consuming rocks and minerals from the hills within their enclosure, they are to be tranquilized by snipers, and have all sediments cleaned from within their mouths before being re-released.

    Information: AE-224-1 through AE-224-16 are quadrupedal reptilian creatures ranging from three to fifteen meters in length and three-quarters of a meter to five meters in height. Despite their scaly skin and saurian appearance, all instances of AE-224 are warm-blooded and capable of bearing live young. They are winged and capable of powered flight with the assistance of bladders in their chest cavities used to capture hydrogen and methane produced in their gullets during the digestion process. They are also quite agile flyers and have a maximum air-speed velocity approaching 140 km/h.

    Instances of AE-224 are clever predators known to mimic the calls and sounds of prey they hunt, luring them closer or causing them to be less wary. They cannot imitate complex speech, but have shown the ability to learn simple words and short phrases.

    First discovered on ██/██/████ in Finland's Lemmenjoki National Park, AE-224 was the cause of no less than nine deaths in the park during a three month span. The bodies of victims were not recognized at first as a result of [DATA EXPUNGED]. We now believe that AE-224 are responsible for several disasters over the last decade, including a forest fire and [REDACTED]. The bodies of the deceased park-goers were [REDACTED], and families of the victims were administered Class-C amnestics after proper identification through DNA testing. Agents were dispatched to investigate rumors of "monster attacks" that resulted from these gruesome deaths, and were successful in bringing down one of the creatures using a high-powered rifle. After two more deaths occurred while the dead specimen was being researched, Fireteam C-174 (Codename: Sigurd's Slayers) was sent in to detain any and all remaining instances they could find.

    Fourteen of the creatures were found and detained using tranquilizer rifles and transported to a temporary containment facility until a more permanent solution could be devised. While contained, the creatures were studied extensively and found to not originate from any known earthly source. No fossil records matched the creatures and the closest modern analog was the Asian Water Monitor. The creatures had large deposits of ████████ in their mouths. This reacted with the gases expelled from the creature's hydrogen bladders and was determined to be a direct cause of the tissue damage seen on the victims of the creature's attacks.

    Sixteen months after initial contact and capture, all instances of AE-224 were moved to their current location. A 5km-diameter, 125m-high aviary constructed of high-carbon steel and vanadium carbide with steel mesh and located a moderate distance from any notable settlements, AE-224 may now be freely studied in a more 'natural' environment so as to better understand its habits and behaviors.

    The exterior of the aviary is to be patrolled by three teams of security personnel. Any individual encountered near the site is to be detained and questioned. If deemed ignorant or there accidentally, they are to be given C-Rank amnestic drugs and released in the town of ████████████. If found to be knowing trespassers, they are to either be given A-Rank amnestics and recruited as Delta-Class personnel or terminated immediately at the discretion of site security.

    Addendum 224-2: On ██/██/████, AE-224-5 and AE-224-9 crashed through the reinforced mesh of the aviary and escaped detainment. After two days of hunting and [REDACTED], they were reacquired and placed back into detainment. AE-224's aviary has since been modified and the steel mesh is now charged with a powerful electric current to dissuade AE-224 instances from attempting to break free.

    Addendum 224-3: As of ██/██/████, AE-224-9 gave birth to two young, AE-224-15 and AE-224-16. Agent ██████ attempted to capture AE-224-15 for study while AE-224-9 was sleeping, but was unsuccessful. AE-224-15's cries woke AE-224-9 and Agent ██████ was [DATA EXPUNGED] and consumed by the three AE-224 instances.

    Addendum 224-4: After an incident which resulted in the deaths of two researchers, no personnel are allowed to wear jewelry or reflective clothing at AE-224's aviary.​

... scanning...
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... Identity Confirmed.
Initiating Protocol 38.
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ANOMALY DETECTED
MEMETIC KILL AGENT ACTIVATED​
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Continued Life Signs Detected.
Zodiac Selection Status Confirmed.
Welcome, New Recruit.​

Transference of this document to any device other than the one it has been opened on will activate a secondary memetic kill agent, terminating your life. In addition, showing this document to anyone not selected by the Zodiacs to enter their service will terminate the life of that individual. Willful use of the aformentioned effect to illegally terminate the life of another will activate the secondary kill agent, terminating your life.

Good morning/afternoon/evening.

If you're reading this, then congratulations. You have been specially chosen to be a part of the most expansive secret organization in the history of mankind: The Zodiacs. But what are the Zodiacs? We are an international covert agency tasked with the monitoring and containment of paranormal entities and anomalies. To put it bluntly, we protect the world from the things it DOESN'T know about. With bases and recearch facilities worldwide, and no government affiliations to limit our resources and regulations, we have nearly limitless manpower and technology at our fingertips.

Our main directives are as follows: Capture. Detain. Destroy. And that is exactly what we do. The items, objects, creatures, and people we procure vary from microscopically small to city-cized and above, and everything in-between. Each of these can be classified on a scale that roughly measures their threat to humans, which are as follows...

Lambda-Class: Lambda-Class anomalies are those that are either sufficiently understood that they are completely and reliably detained on a permanent basis, or do not trigger their anomalous effects unless INTENTIONALLY activated. Lambda classification does not mean that handling or activating the item or creature does not pose a threat, and personnel are to be reminded that all detainment protocols and safety precautions are to be observed at all times.

Sigma-Class: Sigma-Class anomalies are those that are not fully understood or are inherently unpredictable, such that reliably detainment is not always possible, but do not pose sufficient threat to qualify for higher classification. The vast majority of objects under Zodiac control are originally of Sigma-Level classification until they are thoroughly researched. If they are not harmful or pose an inimical threat, they may be reclassified accordingly. In addition, anything detained which exhibits sentience, autonomy, or sapience is generally classified as Sigma-Level at minimum due to the inherent unpredictability of anything that can act and think of its own volition.

Omega-Class: Omega-Class anomalies are those that pose an inimical threat to Zodiac personnel and the possibly even the rest of the world, and either require extensive and complex procedures to detain or cannot be detained by our current technology and knowledge. These are generally considered to be the most dangerous items and creatures detained by the Zodiacs, and most research efforts are directed toward discovering more reliable detainment methods of such anomalies or, as a last resort, the utter destruction of the object/creature and its anomalous effects.

Nu-Class: Nu-Class items are those that are no longer considered to be anomalous either through being intentionally or accidentally destroyed, deactivated, disabled, or otherwise no longer function or exhibit their anomalous properties.

Mu-Class: Mu-Class items are those that are fully understood to the point their effects are explainable by mainstream science, have been debunked as a false or mistaken classification, or are so widespread and publicly disseminated such that capture and detainment is no longer possible.

====================================================================

Now you're probably wondering where you fit into all this. Well wonder no more. We will now explain personnel levels briefly. There are five class levels in the Zodiacs, which are as follows.

Class Alpha: Class Alpha personnel are those deemed essential to Zodiac Strategic Operations, and are not allowed access to anomalies under most circumstances. When circumstances require Alpha Class personnel to be in direct proximity of anomalies, such as facilities possessing detainment wings, these personnel are generally barred from sections of the facility which contain the anomalies and are to be kept in secure areas at all times. In the case of an emergency, Class Alpha personnel are to be immediately evacuated to a secure off-site location.

Class Beta: Class Beta personnel are those deemed essential to localized Zodiac operations, and may only be granted access to anomalies that have passed quarantine and been cleared of any potential mind-affecting or memetic agents. In the event of detainment failure or hostile action against a Zodiac facility, Class Beta personnel are to be evacuated to a designated and secure off-site location as soon as possible.

Class Gamma: Class Gamma personnel are those with direct access to most anomalies not deemed strictly hostile or dangerous. Class Gamma personnel that have had direct contact with potentially mind-affecting or memetic properties may be subject to mandatory quarantine and psychiatric evaluation as deemed necessary by security personnel. In the event of failed detainment or hostile action against a Zodiac facility, non-combatant Class Gamma personnel are to either report to secure lock-down areas or evacuate at the discretion of on-site security.

Class Delta: Class Delta personnel are expendable individuals used to handle especially dangerous anomalies, and are not allowed to come into contact with Class Alpha or Class Beta personnel at any time. Class Delta personnel are typically drawn from a worldwide list of prison inmates convicted of violent crimes, often those on death row. In times of need, Initiative 792 may be activated, which allows Class Delta personnel to be recruited from other sources such as political prisoners, refugee populations, and other civilian sources - that can be transferred to Zodiac facilities under plausibly deniable circumstances.

Class Delta personnel are to be given regular mandatory psychiatric evaluations and are to be administered an amnestic of at least Grade 4 strength at the end of each month... or terminated at the discretion of on-site security and medical staff. In the event of a catastrophic site event, Class Delta personnel are to be immediately terminated, except as deemed necessary by on-site security.

Class Epsilon: Class Epsilon is a temporary classification given to field agents and personnel exposed to potentially dangerous effects during the course of capturing and initial detainment of new anomalies. Class Epsilon personnel are to be quarantined as soon as possible, monitored, and screened for potentially harmful changes in behavior, personality, or physiology, and may return to duty after being fully debriefed and cleared by psychiatric and medical staff.

====================================================================

In summary...

The Zodiacs capture and detain anomalies that either pose a threat to human life or represent an outlying factor within the known sciences not yet understood by humanity.

Personnel Classifications range from Alpha to Epsilon in descending order from critical importance to expendable in droves.

====================================================================

You will likely bear witness to some incredible and initially unbelievable things while under Zodiac employ, and hopefully you're ready for your first assignment... and if you're not, then you needn't worry about that for much longer. I will see you at the next major briefing... if you survive that long.

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Ok. The overview gives the plot pretty well. You are a member of an elite team, charged with defending people from the things they DON'T know about... Here's the CS Template and stuff. Oh, and be sure to follow all rules of the RP as well as Iwaku rules.

You will play as a member of a task force chosen to deal with these dangerous items/creatures. Characters will be humanoid in nature, with some allowances for paranormal or supernatural abilities. However, I would prefer to keep those extremely limited. Base-line humans will be given better training and gear to compensate for the lack of special traits, and human characters will also be able to perform significant feats of athleticism on par with Olympic Athletes.

The characters will be chosen from the ranks of various military groups from all over the world. IDF, US Army, KGB, and so on. You don't find the Zodiacs... the Zodiacs find YOU.

Characters will face the possibility of death, however... so this RP will not be for the faint of heart or those afraid to lose a character.

CS Template
PLEASE INCLUDE PIC AT TOP OF CHARACTER SHEET



Name:
Title: (Zodiac Sign, please)
Age:
Gender:
Height/Weight:
Skills: (things like martial arts training, archery/firearms, survival, etc.)

Gear/Equipment: (No, you may not have a flying tank and ten flamethrowers. Keep it reasonable)

Personality: (One Paragraph Minimum, please. No 'shy' or 'antisocial' characters allowed)

Backstory: (Minimum of Three Paragraphs, please.)
 
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Arm in layers;

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Name
: Alexander Gladstone
Title: Gemini
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Height/Weight: 6'2" 65kg
Skills:
Master Marksman,
Highly competent engineer (Some would say Mechanical genius)
capable of producing machinery on the fly as well as repairing them on the go.
Near Technomancy (His expirance with machines and technology makes it seem like magic)

Equipment:
Bionic right arm (What exactly it contains...well thats secret!)
Omnitool (a 'oh I have that' style tool)
lots of spare parts.
A high power assault rifle with a variety of rounds.
LEEDS or, Localised Energy Emitter Defence System, a small energy shield, that can be projected from his arm, it only lasts a short time (five minutes) before it requires a recharge of about 15 minutes.
Anything he happens to have made.

Personality:
WIP, current notes;
  • Taciturn
  • to the point
  • Enjoys watching others confusion at technology
  • Eternal tinkerer
  • often has a selection of scrap with him for no good reason

Backstory: (Minimum of Three Paragraphs, please.)
Alexander was born to pearents who spent there entire lives on machines, and they saw no reason to change this with Alexander round, not that it bothered the kid much, he seemed enthralled by the machines and intent to learn all he could about them. He was working on the machines the moment he could hold the equipment to do so, he'd allready disassembled and put back together his first engine at the age of 8.

The first major incident was at 12 when he got his arm trapped in hydrolic lift and lost from the elbow down, he was fast to get a prosthetic replacement, one witht he ability to remove fingers, and even his entire hand so that he could replace them with tools. During this time he learnt just enough biology and nuroscience to build himself a bionic arm, To start with it was mearly the same as a 'human' arm, if a soft, burnished bronze. but over time he upgraded it to contain tools, equipment and everything he used in day to day life. He started to call it his 'Omnitool' for thats what it was, a arm which would have nearly every tool stored in it for instant use.

Upon going to uni he found it boring and above all a waste of time. so he skipped out on it in the end to go back to his pearents workshop and quickly found himself capable of working on problems and creating things that neither of them had ever dreamed of. This caught the attention of Zodiac who head hunted him to join their engineering department. Turns out however his years using a bolt gun and nail guns to keep stuff together had given him a very good shooting eye. He spent one year in engineering before getting transferred in to the front lines as a on field mechanic and engineer. Even against supernatural creatures he's retained his ability to some how produce equipment and tools that are useful and always work.

I will stand, unbowed, unbent, unbroken. No matter the cost.
 
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Yes, Yes it is. not sure on his title yet. any suggestions?
 
A marksman would be a potential for Sagittarius, and his adaptability and ingenuity could also point to Gemini.

P.S. "what it contains is a secret"... not going to fly. No secrets on character sheets.

P.S.2. "capable of producing machinery on the fly"... if you read the rules concerning godmodding, I would reword that very carefully.
 
He's not a sniper per say. He just happens to be very accurate with his chosen weapons. so I think Gemini due to the fact he'll more than likely have a answer at some point. "are we being chased by a wear-wolf?" 'hold on let me see, ahah! silver coated cheese wire!'
 
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Name:


Noelani Anne Cadence

Title:

Capricorn

Age:

Twenty-two

Gender:

Female

Height/Weight:

5'8/145 lbs

Skills:

She specialises in the art of survival, and knows many natural remedies and techniques to sustain life.

When it comes to fighting, she is handy with a hunting knife, and does exceptionally well in aiming.

She also has a passion for writing, which has helped her develop a talent for speaking. This has come in handy during times where she has had to beg for forgiveness, a favor, and in some cases- her life.

Personality:

Noelani is usually the reserved girl who tries to cause no troubles. This is usually because she is so absorbed in her own issues that she doesn't care to butt in on someone else's, unless it is requested of her. She often keeps her thoughts to herself until she feels obliged to share them.

She is a hard worker, and sometimes she will overwork herself. This is due to the determined and ambitious mindset she has adapted. She can easily be seen as stoic and emotion lacking by anyone who hasn't properly met her, but she can be very softhearted. The truth is, she does tend to be a pessimist at times, but not purposely. The worst outcomes are what come to her mind first. To her, the worst outcome is failure, and this has turned her into a compulsive perfectionist- although she knows she can never achieve perfection.

She has a dark sense of humour, and and it is often sarcastic and satirical. There are a lot of times where she actually isn't joking, but people think that she is. When it comes to romance, she is the very definition of hopeless. She is often hard to impress, but this doesn't mean she is never interested. Still, it isn't very easy to win her heart, because once she knows that once she has given it to someone, there's a chance they will break it.

Backstory:

Noelani was born on January 14th, the day a blizzard had held her parents up at the hospital after her birth. Her mother was a physician named Jacqueline Alan who had married a poet named Alexander Cadence. Their romance was a forbidden one, a modern day Romeo and Juliet story with a different kind of tragic ending. Jacqueline's parents believed that Alexander was a deadbeat with no real future, and Alexander's parents despised Jacqueline's parents. Needless to say, nobody wanted the two to stick around. Despite their parent's wishes, they eloped to city far from them, where Jacqueline first found out about her pregnancy. They were married in a small chapel in Chicago , Illinois just months before the birth of a bright eyed baby girl, who they named Noelani Anne and nicknamed Noel. Little Noel was born in a small community clinic on a harsh winter's day in Chicago. On that night a blizzard blew through the windy city, and the newlyweds spent the night in the hospital room with their newborn.

Noelani had a fairly decent childhood. It had its ups and downs, but she found herself to be very privileged. She had aspired to become a writer, like her father, and would spend most of her time with him. She would bring coffee to him and sit in as he read aloud his manuscripts. Both her parents had supported her dream. When she turned ten, Jacqueline became pregnant with her future baby brother, Leviathan, whom she nicknamed Levi. Noelani loved Levi more than anything. She spent many a night writing stories and poetry inspired by him. You could imagine how devastated she was when he was found missing one morning.

Noel was eighteen. She was sent to wake Levi up for breakfast, but instead of a little boy messily sprawled out, she found an empty bed and an open window. To this day she has no idea what happened to him, and she refuses to stop believing that she will find him. Her parents seemed twice as heartbroken by this. They filed every police report they could and had every neighbor on the lookout. When things started to look its bleakest, her mother fell into a spiraling depression. She stopped going to work and began to let herself go to waste. What finally ended it was an overdose on sleeping pills. Alexander did all he could to help Noel stay strong in such a dramatic time. This had all happened just before she was to leave for college. Not wanting her losses to stand in the way of her future, she left to attend university as planned. The day she left was the last time she had heard from her father, besides his publishings she would see from time to time in writing magazines. She struggled with school at first due to the skewed state of mind she couldn't seem to get out of. Eventually things got better for her, but there was still a voice in the back of her head that said
"You should be doing something about this. There is something you can do."

Noelani joined the Zodiacs when she was twenty, after an experience she cannot explain to this day. It was a series of nightmares and a knife left at her door that made her realize her true calling.

I stand unbroken.
 
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Please read, everyone. This is from the intcheck, and apparently I need to have it here as well.

You will play as a member of a task force chosen to deal with these dangerous items/creatures. Characters will be humanoid in nature, with some allowances for paranormal or supernatural abilities. However, I would prefer to keep those extremely limited. Base-line humans will be given better training and gear to compensate for the lack of special traits, and human characters will also be able to perform significant feats of athleticism on par with Olympic Athletes.

Characters will face the possibility of death, however... so this RP will not be for the faint of heart or those afraid to lose a character.

Addendum: Some of you may have seen Ophiuchus, the Zodiac Commander. He is incredibly powerful, yes. However he will not be joining any of the characters in field work. He is the head of the organization and that is all. He will not be going on missions.
 
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Name: Camilla Greenborne

Title: Libra

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Height/Weight: 5'8", 166 Lb

Skills: Above-average marksman, Quick-witted, Skilled negotiator, A weak spiritual medium

Gear/Equipment: Besides her charm and her... physical assets, Camilla always carries a Rhino 20DS 2 revolver and two extra speed loaders of .38 special ammo, as well as one speed loader of .357 magnum in case more power is needed. She also has a pen knife she keeps in her top pocket.

Personality: Camilla has two very distinct sides to her personality. The side the public sees, and the side her team sees. Her public persona is kind, caring, and considerate. Despite this, she is still ready to get shit done and is not afraid to get dirty if the situation requires it, though she always prefers the peaceful way out. Her team, however, gets to see a whole different person. While she is still a nice person, she enjoys the violent parts of her job much more than she lets the public know. She is flirtatious, but not outright slutty, always keeping it from progressing quite that far. She is known for her almost uncanny talent at debate and negotiation.

Backstory: Camilla was what many would consider a problem child. Born to weak willed parents, she was always able to convince them to do or get her whatever she wanted. However, at age 7 her father died and her mother remarried, making her job just a little harder. Her step-father was, by all means, an immovable object, both in stature and in a debate. He would always have something to come back at you with, some form of rebuttal, some type of comeback. For the longest time it made Camilla angry, but she soon learned just what a good thing this really was.

For 8 years, she fought with him on every chance she got. Homework, shopping, politics, the fine details of bad movies. She would argue whatever she could whenever she could. Over time, she learned his tactics and his strategies, developing her own repertoire of infallible comebacks and impenetrable arguments. She would perfect the art of body language, fine tune the science of clothing choices, and sharpen her threats to a razor point until one day, even he couldn't stand up to her.

Unfortunately, that wasn't a good thing. Camilla was forced out of the house at age 16, given a bus ticket and a suitcase full of old clothes and enough money to last a week. She soon moved to the city and put her talents to work for her, performing various odd jobs to scrape by as she lived in a shitty apartment in the financial district. One day, while she was working as a waitress in a fancy restaurant, a man was seated in her section. She did what she always did, convincing him to spend as much money as humanly possible and making sure he left a more than generous tip when he left. However, this wasn't going to be the last she heard from him.

Three days later, she was contacted about a job with the military as a diplomat overseas. She thought long and hard. She considered her current situation. She thought about her family. She was shipped out to duty the next day. Her career as a diplomat was outstanding. Nearly flawless, in every regard. She had done so much in so little time that after only three years, she was reassigned to an international team comprised of the best from various agencies. It was there that her life really started getting weird...

And yet, she stands unbroken
 
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I need a zodiac for my character (if he is accepted). I don't know much about the traits and whatnot so suggestions. please?
 
I need a zodiac for my character (if he is accepted). I don't know much about the traits and whatnot so suggestions. please?
.
Characters will be humanoid in nature, with some allowances for paranormal or supernatural abilities. However, I would prefer to keep those extremely limited.
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Shape shifting. Super strength. Power mimic. Regeneration. Deadly with any and all blades.
.
*coughs*

Backstory: A weapon created by humans to be used against humans. The ninth prototype was "disposed of" when it was decided that he was too "human" and uncontrollable. He survived, however, thanks to his regenerative ability and fled. The Zodiacs decided that the prototype, if guided correctly, could become a powerful protector of earth. They found him hiding among the mountains in Turkey and took him in, giving him the name Virgil. Because it took so much time simply to teach him not to destroy, Virgil has only been on the field for several months. Even so, he has made friends with some of his allies and most seem comfortable with him around.
.
Backstory: (Minimum of Three Paragraphs, please.)
.
*coughs again*
 
~Is debating how to expand the bullet points in to paragraphs, and is more concerned about how in the seven hells a engineer is gonna keep up with some dude wielding a shape-shifting scythe~
Rocket powered curb stomp? actually, that sounds fucking badass. GM you cool with something like that?
 
some dude wielding a shape-shifting scythe
Rocket powered curb stomp?
Please read, everyone. This is from the intcheck, and apparently I need to have it here as well.

You will play as a member of a task force chosen to deal with these dangerous items/creatures. Characters will be humanoid in nature, with some allowances for paranormal or supernatural abilities. However, I would prefer to keep those extremely limited. Base-line humans will be given better training and gear to compensate for the lack of special traits, and human characters will also be able to perform significant feats of athleticism on par with Olympic Athletes.

Characters will face the possibility of death, however... so this RP will not be for the faint of heart or those afraid to lose a character.

Addendum: Some of you may have seen Ophiuchus, the Zodiac Commander. He is incredibly powerful, yes. However he will not be joining any of the characters in field work. He is the head of the organization and that is all. He will not be going on missions.
 
I was joking about the rocket powered curb stomp. Though for a engineer it'd be pretty easy to do, Reinforced boots, with shock absorbers to stop legs breaking, Then all he'd need is some kind of rocket booster on his boot. Clearly it'd have limited use, but for things like kicking down doors, and keeping people on the floor. Ehem, I digress. my point was I hope my character is fine, I'm more worried about expanding the bullet points I had.
 
I hope my character is fine, I'm more worried about expanding the bullet points I had.

The current concept is ok, but without being finished I cannot say if he is acceptable or not.
 
thats all I needed. now I have to go back to pondering how to expand the bullet points without filling it with useless fluf.
 
Name:
Virgil 9

Title
:

Age:
Found 33 years ago. Appears to be 24/25-ish

Gender:
Male

Height/Weight:
Ever changing. Default: 6'6", 200 lbs

Skills:
Shape shifting: Virgil is able to change his height, skin tone, voice, and any other physical aspects except for weight as he cannot simply change his mass unless he consumes/dispose of some organic material.

Super strength: His strength depends on his emotional state. The angrier he becomes, the stronger he is. On the downside, it is possible for Virgil's rage to consume him, making him a super powered destroying machine. The heaviest weight that Virgil has lifted have been between 3000-5000 lbs.

Regeneration: Virgil can only regenerate if his brain remains intact. The larger the wounds the longer it will take to heal. Small scratches heal almost instantly. Fractures and medium cuts take several seconds. Broken bones and deep gashes take several minutes. Loss of limbs takes several hours and requires organic material to rebuild. If Virgil's brain is destroyed, he will lose his ability to regenerate and "die".

Deadly with any and all blades: Although skilled with all blades, Virgil prefers scythes and kamas

Gear/Equipment: Oblivion, a shape shifting scythe
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Personality
: A hard headed juggernaut, Virgil 9 usually focuses on using his brute strength to demolish problems and his regeration to keep him alive. He is technically isn't a living being and therefore can't be killed, though he can be damaged to the point of no longer being able to function. His skill at blades are unrivaled, to the point that he would readily challenge a group of cyclops with nothing more than a butter knife.

He can be quite hot headed and sometimes goes wandering by himself to cool off. Even so, he enjoys the company of other people and loves to chat when ever possible. Incredibly loyal, Virgil is usually the first to fight for those close to him and is always the last to fall.

Every now and then, Virgil questions his purpose of existence since he is a weapon of destruction fighting to protect those he was created to destroy. He constantly in conflict with his instincts to turn on his allies and become that which he fights. Because of this, Virgil has allowed the Zodiacs to carve runes into his body that allows them to effectively "turn him off" should he become a problem. Even so, some of Virgil's instincs win. He is always ready to fight and sometimes actively picks one when he is bored.

His greatest fear is harming his allies because of his destructive instincts.

Backstory: A weapon created by humans to be used against humans. The ninth prototype was "disposed of" when it was decided that he was too "human" and uncontrollable. He survived, however, thanks to his regenerative ability and fled. The Zodiacs decided that the prototype, if guided correctly, could become a powerful protector of earth. They found him hiding among the mountains in Turkey and took him in, giving him the name Virgil.

For about 30 some years, Zodiac studied and trained Virgil to be an effective force for protection without endangering those around him. It was eventually decided that since Virgil does not classify as a living being, it would be morally correct to "kill" him should he become a threat. Using multiple runes carved into his skin and bones, Virgil can be "turned off" should he become uncontrollable. The runes also wipe his mind and personality so as to make retraining him easier, should the need arise.

Because it took so much time simply to teach him not to destroy, Virgil has only been on the field for several months. Despite being a newcomer and his aggressive (sometimes violent) personality, he has made friends with some of his allies and most seem comfortable with him around.

I stand unbroken, unbeaten, invincible.

Better?
 
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Worse, actually. Listen. I get you want to be a badass, but this is not the RP for superpowered monsters that can shrug off bullets, regenerate everything but their brain, throw refrigerators, and so on. If you read the thing I posted TWICE now... about keeping 'powers' limited and restricted, you would likely have looked at your character and thought: "Man... I need to tone this down a bit." Instead, you made someone that could flip a truck over and regenerate a shotgun blast to the chest.

Characters will be humanoid in nature, with some allowances for paranormal or supernatural abilities. However, I would prefer to keep those extremely limited.
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Daws Combine and Diesel are on the right track with this, And EddiEddi isn't too far off yet from what I can tell with a cybernetic arm. He'll have to be careful how he words it, though. However, your character is more powerful than all three of them combined... three times over. If I approved your character, what would stop someone else from coming in with a character that can use Shadow Clones or fire laser beams from their eyes or teleport?

This RP is about capturing/containing/killing things like that, as well as objects and items with supernatural or paranormal properties.

You may have seen "Ophiuchus", in the "Cast" tab. He is incredibly powerful, yes. However he will not be joining any of the characters in field work. He is the head of the organization and that is all. He will not be going on missions. He's literally there to tell the PCs what to do and if shit goes down at Headquarters... then he might see action.

Frankly, the character needs a near-total rewrite. If you're willing to do that, then I am willing to read the edited CS and give another review. If that's not something you'd be willing to do, then I apologize but this is not the RP for you.
 
@Beta Okay, let me make sure so that I won't have to bother you again.

Regeneration: Get rid of that

Strength: Can I be super human about this or no? The heaviest weight lifted by a human was around 6100 lbs but that was a professional strongman.

Shape shifting: Should I take this out? I don't really see this as overpowered

Skill with Blades: Tone it down or is it good?

Shape shifting scythe: I fail to see why I wouldn't be able to use this when we have a guy with a robotic arm

Living weapon: nay?

anything else?
 
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