Halcyon Rising

Halcyon Rising is a PbP game using the RPG Masks.

Setup

Initial Hook

A time-space anomaly appear over the sky of Halcyon City, 19 months ago. It slowly grew to dominate the entire sky. During that time, the Heroes of Halcyon City discovered that it was created by Dr Vorhees when his research on wormhole technology went horribly wrong. It was possible it could have been handled safely, but it was taken over by Vortex, who was able to integrate their own time-space powers with the rending energies of The Turning. He became very powerful, hiring misinformed mercenaries to keep the heroes at bay as he mastered its power. By the time the heroes arrived at his lair, he was able to summon monstrosities from beyond. Vortex was now quite mad, and was convinced he must conquer all of earth, beginning with Halcyon City.

Destruction rained down on the city, and heroes from across the globe joined the fight. Then, suddenly, the Turning collapsed in on itself and disappeared. Vortex, his key followers, and many of the heroes vanished within the Turning. Most assume the heroes sacrificed themselves to save the city, but few know the details of what happened within the Humetech Towers that night.

Now, Halcyon must rebuild. Old heroes must find new ways. New heroes must renew old paths. And the city... the city knows both hope and fear.

Plot Points from Chargen

• Halcyon City is rebuilding after a (big summer crossover) event called The Turning, where the Exemplars saved the city and reality from a dimensional rift and the villain Vortex, who became unimaginably more powerful and deranged as the rift grew.
• The Exemplars main members have disappeared. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to The Conundrum, Blade Queen, Rook, The Muskateer, Black Shogun, and the Flying Fox. Many of these heroes had mentored the PCs to some degree.
• The team came together when they all independently began trying to contain a gang war that erupted during the climax of the Turning.
• The villain Solace was masterminding the gang violence for their personal gain.
• One of the teen metahumans who was involved in that fight, Starlight, died, in part because Reboot chose to save innocents.
• The team formed more or less officially after the conflict was over, an ambulance was saved, and Starlight was pronounced dead. They were all at the hospital at the time.
• Sonic energy manipulator and hero Bang was impressed by the heroes, and tried to help them deal as a team with what had happened.
• In the aftermath of the Turning, the executor of Rook's will, Mr. Scale, helped bankroll the creation of a new school near the blighted areas of Halcyon. This is theGuidewell School.
• Some of the PCs were able to attend because of their academic excellence, and others because of living nearby. Either way, however, guidance counselor (and former Exemplar associate) Ibrahim Aboubacar made sure they all were attending the school.
• Guidewell is run under the rigid but academically focused administration of Principal Dr Lauren Frost and Vice Principle Moreau.