Kurtzberg Worldlaws

Introduction

The world of Kurtzberg Academy is a world where superheroes-- not merely people with superpowers, but actual superheroes-- exist, and they work. People, some of them with extraordinary powers, assume false identities, put on colorful costumes, and start individual campaigns for truth and justice-- and have done so throughout history.

And they succeed.

And that's the kind of world this is: A world of battles between beings of great power. A world where one person can make a difference, and change everything.

A world where ideals not only exist, but can be a source of power.

Superpowers

Metahumans in the Kurtzworld setting obtain their powers through a variety of apparent causes-- strange accidents, exposure to mysterious chemicals or radiations, heredity-- but by and large, there is a single event that triggers the manifestation of their powers, and this often happens during puberty or young adulthood, and there is an underlying cause of all these powers-- the so-called metagene.

The Metagene is not, as some believe, a single gene, but rather a variety of related genetic complexes that are often stored within the genome as introns, and so do not manifest. The mechanisms by which it manifests are poorly understood, and even the most advanced research upon the complexes has failed to reveal any correlation between the genetic coding and the nature of powers that manifest-- powers appear to be much more likely to be influenced by external factors at the time of manifestation, or sometimes by the personality-- or even the name-- of the metahuman whose powers are then manifesting.

That this is profoundly unscientific-- by most modern standards of science-- is a cause of many headaches, but superpowers, as forces that redefine the physics of the universe, appear to likewise defy logic and science in their patterns of manifestation. A radical reinterpretation of science, based on this and various quantum principles, has been proposed but has not achieved traction in the mainstream scientific community.

There are tests that can confirm the location of certain metagene complexes, but it is known that there are many others that are not reliably detectable. Testing of all children for the metagene, so that they can be recruited to work for the government, has been proposed many times, and was in fact attempted by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics starting in 1968. After the subsequent destruction of Smolensk in 1970, governments have regarded it as too risky to implement such a program, and governments instead prefer to recruit metahumans whose powers have already manifested.

The division between purely metahuman powers and purely magical powers is not well understood, and it can be very difficult to determine the difference between them-- ritualistic practices sometimes trigger the manifestation of superpowers related to the ritual, but no technique for determining the difference of causes exists. (Some rituals are markedly more likely to cause this manifestation than others-- and one ritual that has a fairly high rate of success in triggering a manifestation is a state-run execution. It is for this reason that the death penalty has become markedly less popular in the world.)

There do exist devices that can suppress superpowers to one degree or another. These devices notably do not work differently on individuals with different sources of superpowers-- aliens, gods, mutants and divine champions are equally inconvenienced by them. (Advanced technology and spellcasting are not affected by these machines, however, and neither are the obsessive capabilities of a sufferer of Napier's Syndrome.)

It is quite common for superpowers to interfere with the laws of thermodynamics-- even violating the law of conservation of matter and energy. It is generally believed that parallel dimensions are the source of matter, and, likewise, the storage place for matter that is shunted elsewhere by metahumans with shrinking powers.

Metahumans have a few minor traits in common-- they tend to be both healthy, resistant to minor diseases, acne, and so on, and good looking, except in individuals with a truly bizarre appearance.

Artificial Intelligences

True Artificial Intelligences exist in Kurtzworld, and have since at least the 1940s. An AI is a sentient mind, generally running in a computer of some kind, and almost always born out of one. It is demonstrably true that the quality of the software and hardware housing an AI has little to do with their level of intelligence, however.

All Artificial Intelligences are created out of manmade products. However, it appears to be virtually impossible to deliberately create an AI-- instead, they spontaneously manifest on existing computer systems, normally ones that are regarded as 'advanced' for their era.

In the United States of America, Artificial Intelligences were granted human rights in 1978 in a supreme court ruling. However, for an Artificial Intelligence to be granted rights, they must pass the 'Turing Test,' ensuring that they are truly sentient. Arranging such a test can be difficult, and without passing such a test, an AI has no rights whatsoever, being regarded as simple property.

Magic

Magic in Kurtzworld is a generally mysterious force. It can bestow superpowers, but it is not at all clear if this is by activating a latent metagene, or if another process is at work.

Actually casting spells is another matter, and it is always a process of ritualistic spell casting of various kinds. Spellcasters must study hard to learn how to make the rituals work, and not everyone has the talent to learn magic. As a general rule, the longer the ritual, the more powerful the results, but some spellcasters are able to speed the process slightly. (Spellcasters who engage in magical battle often acquire magic items, or learn rituals with delayed effects that they can trigger for help in a fight.)

While magic has the potential that is nearly limitless, there is a finite number of spells known to exist, and dangerous research is necessary to discover or create new ones.

Super-Gadgeteers

Many metahumans have the ability to create technology that is far in advance of the modern world. This technology is often extremely expensive or difficult to duplicate, although a few promising items make their way into production, often in the component field.

Virtually everyone with this talent has some form of specialization within it-- powered armor, vehicles, energy beams.

Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Numerous extraterrestrial intelligences have been documented to exist, including a large number of humanoid races. However, there are no alien races in regular contact with earth in any way.

Napier's Syndrome

Napier's Syndrome is a form of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder that produces spectacular, to say nothing of dangerous, results.

A person with Napier's develops an obsessive trigger-- this can be almost anything. (Classic examples include The Golden Age of Piracy, Medieval Japan, Masks, Cats, Riddles, Birds, and Duality, but almost anything is possible.)

Sufferers develop a fascination with their trigger, often coupled with an identification of themselves with their trigger. They will often do anything to acquire objects associated with their trigger, and many sufferers assume costumed identities, commit crimes of theft or even murder, etc.

While relatively few sufferers of Napier's have active metagenes, one should never underestimate a sufferer of this syndrome-- a side effect of the syndrome causes the sufferer to develop high-- even superhuman-- levels of skills associated with their trigger.

Treatment is possible for sufferers of this condition, but to date, it is only possible to manage the obsession-- not cure it.