Villains thread?

[KingOfDoma]

I've been thinking. We keep very good records of the heroes of RPGWW. But, there is next to no collected knowledge on the villains.

So, I am proposing a type of Most Wanted thread, with a listing of all known unsavoury types. This would not be a character thread. This would simply be an info sheet on the villain, with physical descriptions, known crimes, current status, and things like that.

Is this a good idea? Any suggestions to make it better? Am I a crackpot? The point is, say something. <p>

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[Besyanteo]

It would make sense I suppose. Although, you'd think that this sort of thing should go into the "What's happening in Gaera" Thread. *shrug*

[Kai]

I am interested in the idea, but I don't think it'll get used a whole lot. Villains currently in use probably wouldn't have much information included for spoilery reasons, and villains who have been defeated would probably only be interesting as a novelty.

While I'm normally all about bragging about the evil things I let my villains get away with, I know that I for one probably wouldn't get much use out of it.

But who knows. Maybe if really interesting characters are posted it will drive others to post interesting characters. I'll post about mine if this thread is still alive when my RP finishes. In fact, if the thread survives as a discussion of general villainy, it might be worthwhile to see how developed some people's villains really are. A lot of work goes into some villains that PCs/players really don't care about, but still might be worth sharing in retrospect. Then again, there are some villains that are kind of...boring. It'll be good to see the difference.

Now that I have advocated two views in one post (because no cat anywhere ever gave anyone a straight answer), I have a question. Would character sheets be requested for these characters, or just descriptions of personality and dastardly deeds? <p>-------------------------
"It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit and the emperor remains an emperor." -- Sandman "The Kindly Ones" </p>

[KingOfDoma]

That's an excellent question! It just so happens I wrote out what probably should go on these "sheets"...

Name:

Aliases:

Wanted For:

Current Status (At Large, Deceased, whatever):

Height:

Weight:

Eyes:

Hair:

Skin:

Biography:

Abilities and Powers:

Lackeys?:

Obviously, this list can be added to or taken away from as the group as a whole seems fit. <p>

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[Capntastic]

Name: Saccade

Aliases: Mr. Color, Decades.

Wanted For: Birthdays and Bar Mitzvahs; General tomfoolery.

Current Status: Hasn't been spotted around Doma lately!

Height: A touch below average.

Weight: 170 pounds, dripping wet and holding a rather large cat.

Eyes: Obscured by his shiny glasses.

Hair: Mud brown.

Skin: About as tan as any city-dweller can get.

Biography: Showing up around Doma City in Winter of 1313, this fellow of notably curious demeanor slipped his way into the city life almost immediately. He is known in some circles as a most friendly fellow, and in others as being somewhat of a loon. Aside from this, there isn't much to say about him. Sure, he dresses oddly, and may've been spotted at the right place at the wrong time, but he most certainly is a friendly fellow who is always willing to lend a hand, and share a few interesting facts.


Abilities and Powers: Who can rightly guess?

Lackeys: Well, he does mention certain friends of his quite often. Maybe one of them has a knife or something.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=capntastic>Capntastic</A]&nbsp; at: 9/9/05 1:14

[The Great Nevareh]

Name: The Great Nevareh

Aliases: Quite a few. Only known as T.G. Nevareh in Baron.

Wanted For: Theft, Larceny, Fraud, Resisting Arrest, Conspiracy to Commit Fraud, Impersonation of a Noble... a whole bunch of pretty petty stuff.

Height: ?????? T.G. Nevareh is known for his (her?) skill in disguising himself (herself?)

Weight: ?????? T.G. Nevareh is known for his (her?) skill in disguising himself (herself?)

Eyes, Hair, Skin: ?????? (see above)

Bio: T.G. Nevareh is a known thief and criminal who is suspected of a long, long, LONG series of robberies, thefts, scams, cons, et cetera, all over Igala and in some places in Argovia and Chuushiman. Very, very, VERY little is known about the way T.G. Nevareh actually looks; there are many conflicting reports on the matter. Even gender is nebulous.

It is instead easier to say that The Great Nevareh is a theoretical persona who is assumed to have committed this long series of similar crimes around the world. It is notable that the one relatively wealthy country in Igala that has not seen a visit from The Great Nevareh is Doma, though it's a common theory that T.G. Nevareh committed the crime and just didn't do it in his or her usual manner.

Abilities and Powers: T.G. Nevareh is an incredible actor/actress and is wonderfully talented at disguising himself or herself. Either that or T.G. Nevareh doesn't actually exist and the series of similar crimes are just coincidences. Since the perpetrators never look the same (and periodically don't even come from the same racial background), if T.G. Nevareh is a single person then he or she is terribly skilled at disguising himself or herself.

Lackeys: Whoever T.G. Nevareh's associates are, they generally keep themselves hidden. He or she has a habit of employing artisans whenever he or she is planning something. However, this is so vague that its general usefulness is nonexistant.

Other: T.G. Nevareh's most recent crime was in Riva. T.G. Nevareh must be very, very wealthy by this point in time. Either that or he or she doesn't keep any of the money or valuables that are stolen.

<p>[---------------------------]
"There is great disorder under Heaven, and the situation is excellent."
-Mao Tse-Tung

"I eat the talking bees because I am George Washington Christ"
-From "Bob the Ball"</p>

[Kelne]

Actually, I've given a bit of thought to the other side of the equation from time to time. Sure, we have a great deal of information about various heroes, in the form of the character closet. But which of them have the populace actually heard of? It goes for villains, as well, though if a villain gets to be sufficiently famous, the question of why nothing's being done about them arises.

Many of the villains I can think of just didn't get a large degree of fame, either because they were finished off before their nefarious schemes could bear fruit, because their deeds were kept quiet to prevent a panic, because they were small-time in the grand scheme of things, or because they simply weren't in it for anything that would bring them fame.

I wouldn't mind seeing a Villains thread, but I'm not sure a rap sheet is necessarily the best means of showcasing a villain. Particularly for the ones who're dead. Although it occurs to me that such sheets are probably maintained by law enforcement just in case they get revived by some lunatic. <p>Centuries of threats of "I'll turn you all to stone!" and "I'll knock you all down!" have caused Domans to develop an instinct to form small groups. For safety, I assure you. – Keir</p>

[Archmage144]

I thought this was the "villains" thread, not the "mild inconveniences" thread. <p>

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[KingOfDoma]

So, shall I just start this up? Will you folks actually submit your villains to it? I again reiterate that this thread should probably not include "secret" villains, aka ones the public wasn't aware of... <p>

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[Archmage144]

I would post an antagonist or two, but the process of how to go about it seems a little ambiguous. Should I only include information that would be known, ICly, to the public or on file in the castle? Or should I give a full biography and lots of information about the character, even if it includes things there's no way anyone would ever known ICly? Is this an in-character "Gaera's Most Wanted," or is it an out-of-character compilation of information on villains that have been used or are being used so that we as a forum will know about what other GMs are doing?

Also, it's a little hard to follow Nevareh's posting a sheet for Adlai Stevenson up there. <p>

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[KingOfDoma]

I would say it's out of character, but you shouldn't have to divulge anything that you think would compromise any future RPs.

In other words, if it's a secret, keep it that way. Other than that, spill. <p>

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[Kai]

Well.... after I get this plotline done with, I could post just about everything I've got for Dawn Valerian (provided I manage to remember I should do it). Whether it's IC or overall knowledge matters little to me. If the point is to showcase RPGWW villains, I say let as much out as you've got. However, I agree about the compromising of future plots. No spoilers. But! If someone's villain is dead or in custody already, it probably wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for GMs to take the opportunity to show off the hard work that goes into a good villain.

Also.

Are we keeping this to villains, or anyone who's committed a crime? Because with the precedent we seem to be starting off with, lots and lots of shady PCs could end up here without actually being villains for doing things such as impersonating other people, being weird, and committing crimes like petty theft. Should there be some qualification the villain has to meet, such as being used as an antagonist in some plot or other? <p>-------------------------
"It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit and the emperor remains an emperor." -- Sandman "The Kindly Ones" </p>

[Archmage144]

Because if things like fraud and lying to people are crimes, more or less all of my characters belong in this thread, especially Hakaril, who has technically "embezzled" quite a lot of money from the royal family by writing off expenses as business-related whenever possible.

The incident involving tipping a hotel bellboy something in excess of several billion gil in Varrock when the manager refused to sell him the hotel and ordered an entire cow for Jazz comes to mind... <p>

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[KingOfDoma]

A key term that was missed was MOST wanted. I, on occasion, download songs that I did not previously own. This does not put me on par with Osama.

A bit snarky, yes, but basically, unless you think they really BELONG on a Most Wanted list, PCs don't belong on this list.

... *looks at Doug*

Also, [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=kingofdoma>KingOfDoma</A:] at: 9/12/05 20:44
[/i]

[NamagomiMk0]

Cha loses because Kamos already got a pardon. <p>ChibiUrusai: *chomps* I am underage. ^-^
Arch mage144: This means nothing to me. =P
T3chn0Namagomi: *motherly voice* Brian! What would Kate think if she heard you say that?!

---Dirtiness in a chat. Blame my mind for being in the gutter.

-Namagomi, who lives up to his name in this case.</p>

[Divinegon2130]

Now, I understand I could probably contribute a lot of villains to this idea. However, I've decided that I'm going to stick only with ones that are currently at large or ones I use in the future - not ones that have already been captured or otherwise incapacitated to this point.

With that in mind, I still have one I'd like to put up.

Name: Angasuli Raoen

Aliases: Agura

Wanted For: Murder, Conspiracy to Overthrow Doma

Current Status: At Large

Height: Unknown, believed to be around five and a half feet.

Weight: Unknown - not even an approximation has been made.

Eyes: Even when he appears to have eyes, they are completely colorless.

Hair: Does not have any.

Skin: Strangely, he does not seem to have any actual skin - when he appears to, it's colorless and transparent.

Biography: Agura is the result of an offworlder experiment gone very, VERY wrong. Before being captured by the guard and charged with conspiracy, an offworlder who had since arrived in Gaera dabbled in very unusual and often inhumane alchemy. His most bizarre experiment involved dissolving a willing nekojin, Angasuli Raoen, and an unwilling demon in acid.

Before I go on with what was the result, something about Angasuli. The day before he volunteered for this, his girlfriend (well, she was then) cruelly murdered his family. Rather than exact revenge, Angasuli sank into despair, and the offworlder first discovered him trying to hang himself. So basically, he was suicidal when the two met.

Anyway, the offworlder was trying to use the resulting mixture as the basis for a powerful anti-humanoid toxin. However, once the demon entered the mixture things went quite awry, as the demon's essence possessed the chemical mixture and the spiritual remains of Angasuli. The demon tried to control the mixture and attack the offworlder, who immediately left the scene and was shocked to find the acid mixture following him. The offworlder was only able to save himself by diving into a lake near his hideout; the demon-mixture was foolhardy enough to follow, and the lake's fairly clean waters destroyed it.

A day after his close scare, the offworlder was working on another experiment when he felt a cold liquid seep up his leg. When he attempted to scrape it off, the clear liquid formed into a nekojin, claimed his name was Angasuli and asked to help him. The offworlder could not believe what was going on, but eventually he accepted the help of his new companion. When the offworlder got the idea to try and take over Doma, his new companion decided to help him. With the offworlder's capture, Angasuli, who since has started calling himself Agura, went into hiding for a time, but is believed to be on his own crime spree.

Abilities and Powers: Angasuli is a generally amorphous, clear, living liquid. He could seep into anything that water can penetrate if he dared. In addition, he can control water quite well. If he were to be consumed, his chemical structure would make the drinker violently, possibly fatally ill. Also, being a liquid, he's hard to kill simply on the virtue that there's no obvious 'killspot'.

His main weakness, however, is that he cannot directly manipulate anything heavier than approximately five pounds unless he is near a water source (for he cannot generate enough pressure on his own). Also, given his liquid nature, he's quite susceptible to being dried out.

Lackeys?: Current lackeys are unknown, but Agura is believed not to have any. Agura in fact WAS a lackey, but his master has been captured.

Last Crime Committed: Agura's most recent suspected crime is that of the murder of several children in Doma Park at night. Reportedly, he used the pond to drag the children under the surface and held them there, then when they drowned, the children were put on the lake's bottom. There are claims he's always at the scene of that crime.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=divinegon2130>Divinegon2130</A] at: 9/30/05 7:43

[Kai]

I have my doubts about the whole willing Nekojin thing. "Yes, please dissolve me in acid. Not like I have plans for the rest of the day anyway."

Has he done anything else except lurk in the lake to drag in children? How does he feel about The Ducks? If that was the last crime he committed, I'd like to hear an alibi for his vicious attack on a girl named Zelgadis (Yes, I'm talking about a girl named Zelgadis!).



Edit: I also have evidence that Agura might be a girl.

<p>-------------------------
"It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit and the emperor remains an emperor." -- Sandman "The Kindly Ones" </p>Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=kai@rpgww60462>Kai</A]&nbsp; at: 9/29/05 23:34

[Divinegon2130]

Okay, time to explain myself.

I have my doubts about the whole willing Nekojin thing. "Yes, please dissolve me in acid. Not like I have plans for the rest of the day anyway."

I should expand on that one, shouldn't I? I just went and updated that.

Has he done anything else except lurk in the lake to drag in children?

Ever since his master got arrested? I would say no. The whole 'conspiracy' thing I mentioned up there is because he might still be remembered for his associations with his master.

How does he feel about The Ducks?

Very indifferent, unless they were to drink him. He HATES being drunk - and I don't mean alcohol.

I'm going to skip the last two wisecracks and deal with them later, as I'm tired right now.

[Shinigori V2]

Uh, I'd just like to point out that by saying "Villians that are at large, or otherwise not incapacitated", you're basically saying "incapacitate/catch my villian."


Expecially with this guy.


See, when you pull kids into the water in the lake in the center of a park that is more or less the center of the town which is also a capital of the nation, people are going to take note that that's the last place anyone saw the kid.(Edit: I just realized. How is he disposing of the bodies? He couldn't get it very far, what with the fact that bodies are heavy as hell and he can only lift five pounds if he got too far from the lake. Another big tipoff.)

By that thought, the logical step is to close off the area for awhile and investigate. Astral scanning would likely find said watery-creature, and from there, it would only be a matter of dealing with it passively or agressively.

Either way, it doesn't end well for him.


What I'm getting at is this: This thread is going to be a massive "Please, do something about this villian", and as such, should only be used for, say, dead/caught villians. <p>

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<div style="text-align:center">What's wrong with this ring?!</div></p>Edited by: Shinigori V2&nbsp; at: 9/30/05 5:50

[Divinegon2130]

I just realized. How is he disposing of the bodies? He couldn't get it very far, what with the fact that bodies are heavy as hell and he can only lift five pounds if he got too far from the lake. Another big tipoff.

That's why he's the one suspected. These happened on the same night (I should have specified, shouldn't I?) and the best he did was drag the remains to the bottom of the lake.

Not a smart villain, is he?

What I'm getting at is this: This thread is going to be a massive "Please, do something about this villian", and as such, should only be used for, say, dead/caught villians.

Characters might try to do something about the villains (and I say let them), but last I checked, the actual defeat or capture of any villain was mainly the discretion of the person who played them. (Even if they're dealt with during a mostly-CI, typically the player intended that to happen.)

I thought of this more as a simple 'villain awareness' thread rather than as actually urging characters to do something about it.

Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=divinegon2130>Divinegon2130</A] at: 9/30/05 7:58

[Shinigori V2]

When you're the guy who plays the head guard, villian awareness and "Please stop my villian" go hand in hand. <p>

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[Archmage144]

The knowledge available in this thread is not necessarily IC. In fact, it is most likely not IC. As I see it, it's purpose is to showcase characters that might not get a lot of exposure or screen-time otherwise, especially if they have detailed backstories that never get explained to PCs (because what villain really goes and tells you his life story?).

Also, the guard is assumed to have neither the resources nor the time to stop every potential threat in Doma/Igala--that's why the castle hires adventurers so much.

That said, this is the wrong thread. The actual thread to post villains exists in the character closet. <p>

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[Shinigori V2]

Well, yeah, I know that a good deal of the information is not known. But when the villian's been killing people within the city, well, someone's going to be investigating that.

Also, that's why I brought it up here and not there :( <p>

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[Kai]

I don't know. I don't think I'll be posting any villains here until their respective stories are done. Whether this means they've been apprehended or killed or (heaven forbid) reformed, I'm waiting until I can include all the information in some coherent writeup.

This is mainly because I don't see the need to post villains that a)haven't gotten a chance to set in motion their latest nefarious scheme, or b)aren't totally developed, or c)simply aren't done yet. I'm not going to post detailed information and then ask players to ignore it because it's spoilery or would never ever be known to their characters. <p>-------------------------
"It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit and the emperor remains an emperor." -- Sandman "The Kindly Ones" </p>

[Archmage144]

To Shini: I was talking to Div. <p>

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[Shinigori V2]

To Brian: I know. I was just saying :( <p>

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<div style="text-align:center">What's wrong with this ring?!</div></p>

[Kelne]

I have to agree with Kai on this one. In its present form, the thread simply doesn't work. Nobody's going to want to reveal the secrets of any villain worth showcasing in the first place, unless everything's already over. I think it's a telling point that the one decent villain to appear in either thread is both practically unknown to the general public and dead.

On the subject of the Guard, I agree with Shini that Div's villain is toast. The guard may not have perfect information, and they can't deal with every petty (or not so petty) criminal lurking in Doma. Heck, I've had the Guard themselves hire adventurers to deal with some things. However, anyone who drowns kids in the middle of the city park is certainly going to be high on their list of people to deal with. And looking at Agura's profile, I hardly see him providing them with any particular challenge.

While people shouldn't assume the Guard are more dangerous than they really are, it's a worse mistake in some way to assume they're less capable than they should be. Few things are more annoying to me than someone asking why the Guard aren't dealing with something and the GM (or whoever) not having a good answer. If, when devising a villain, I can't adequately answer that question, it's time for me to go back to the drawing board. After all, people like to feel that their characters are actually making a difference, rather than simply filling in for inexplicably absent law enforcement. <p>Centuries of threats of "I'll turn you all to stone!" and "I'll knock you all down!" have caused Domans to develop an instinct to form small groups. For safety, I assure you. – Keir</p>Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=kelne>Kelne</A]&nbsp; at: 10/1/05 5:36