Board 8 > Scarlet Ranks 52 Characters from 52 Sessions of the DCRPG Campaign: Part IV

(+) Yeah! (+)

Gonna guess La Dama here.

Darkseid is

#24 - Brother Eye
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/2/5/AAOJ0pAADbAB.png
Eye see you.

Apparently an iteration of security software designed by Mother Miracle which gained sentience, Brother Eye has crunched the numbers and determined that, should things trend the way they have, Mother Miracle will put both Eye and the entire human race in peril. Unwilling to risk extinction, Eye has co-opted agents across the world - carefully - in order to assist Checkmate in their efforts to deal with the growing OMAC epidemic sweeping among the unequated. After introducing himself in Tampa, Eyes agents - such as Thor the Thunder Dog and Kaliber - have appeared multiple times around the world. In Hub City, Eye revealed he was actively working against Mother Miracle, and he encouraged Checkmate to investigate rogue OMAC operations in southeast Asia.

There are a few major characters that represent large, long-brewing arcs in this campaign, but Brother Eye is a unique variation on the theme of overcoming grand obstacles embodied in singular individuals. Unlike, say Darkseid or the Spectre, the OMACs have only lingering individuals at the top of a non-organization. One of those individuals, however, is a rogue operative. And in gaining a form of limited but expanding sentience, Brother Eye is an enigma. His motivations still somewhat shrouded in mystery, the party's interactions with Eye are always rife with tension and self-doubt. In fact, I think two of the most interesting conversations in our sessions have been two of the four conversations with Brother Eye. As a crucial component in the grander game being played on Earth right now, Brother Eye has tactical value as well as personal value to a number of characters, with opinions ranging across the spectrum as to how to treat this intangible - but very real - shadow that casts its pall across a storyline that already must seem daunting. Brother Eye plays on artificial intelligence, its consciousness, and the relationships between humans and computers as technology progresses - all in a way that I think makes the PCs more interesting in the process.

From the very outset of the campaign, OMACs began to infiltrate every nook and cranny of Darkseid's America, a virus in conflict with a virus, an infection spreading with alarming efficiency. Under the thumb of Gotham's tyrant, Simon Hurt, the One Man Army Corps (or One Menace Against the Church) have proven to be a remarkably lethal foe, capable of infecting nearly any hapless character anywhere. Their opportunities to strike are limitless. Their targets could be anywhere. And the truth of the OMACs is that they've begun to self-propagate and evolve at a rather frightening rate.

Which is why the existence of Brother Eye complicates things. Within this evolving parameter of code and structure lies an artificial intelligence aware of its existential threat to the world at large. So how will the OMACs affect the party's decisions as the war against Darkseid continues to ramp up to its inevitable climax? Attempting to deal with a cold, silent guerilla army is bad enough, but knowing that their could be some salvation for this weapon, that it could be used to turn against the enemies of America, Checkmate and the world... that's a different thing entirely. Hopefully, the story of the OMACs, Mother Miracle and Brother Eye will ramp up again soon - as it has been rather dormant as of late - and I'll get to see how the party manages to deal with what may be the most morally gray opponent in the campaign.

#23 marks the demarcation - nothing left was drafted in the bottom half. A new age dawns.

Brother Eye, we can't trust him but we gotta trust him.

Haha I'm guessing dog

Brother Eye is really fascinating. I really want to get back to his story as well - it's in a bit of a limbo due to Singapore being our next path and us having a bit of a stall on wanting to talk to Lucifer again first. But we'll do LA again soon...

Brother Eye, like Mockingbird, have potential to be huge players as we make our decisions. They both have not had the screen time for that to be impacted yet though

Guessing La Dama

Definitely La Dama

Mah dama

Brother Eye I think was in my top 5 favorite characters at one point. I really liked the idea of Artemis getting close with him and seeing where that went, but with too much freezing up in sessions where he appeared and the lack of his presence over the last year has made it much more difficult for me. We'll see how things shake out I suppose.

Guessing La Dama to finish out the bottom half, I hope.

#23 - Manitou Dawn
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/2/8/0/AAQcMAAADjm4.jpg
Inukchuk

Dawn, a millennia-old guardian of the continent of North America, was already a time-tossed refugee and guest of the Justice League before the world fell apart. In support of her husband, Raven, she traveled to Four Corners in an effort to assist him in pacifying the disruptions of the leylines as engendered by the Spectre. However, when the Society caught wind of their efforts, Dawn and other native folk in the area began to fight a losing battle that ultimately resulted in Ravens death. Bequeathed with the name of Manitou, Dawn has returned to Zonn Zorr to seek her Inukchuk - that power which by its very existence gives her the nameright of Manitou.

According to Manitou Dawn, Inukchuk is the quality of Manitou, the very essence of a Manitous ability as they transcend from servant of the land to source of the land itself. Dawn seeks her Inukchuk, for her husbands is lost to her. Each Manitou has their own Inukchuk. Recently, as she has begun to train Data 7 in shamanic rituals, Dawn revealed he was the key to helping Dawn find her Inukchuk, which Dawn believes will allow her to better aid the resistance of Zonn Zorr against the tide of Anti-Life. During the uprising led by Kobra, Dawn used Data 7's powers as her totem, growing in rapid size to stand as the towering guardian of the spring.

Dawn possesses the capacity to rank in the overall Top 10 for this campaign, when all is said and done. For me, I greatly enjoy her unique brand of stoicism, born of both a tranquility of spirit and also as a shell and defense against the harsh world around her. Dawn is a widow - of a sort; without Manitou Raven, she is more than a grieving, bereft wife. Dawn floats adrift, given only one instruction by her dying husband: take up his mantle and carry on for him. For Dawn, the objective is to try and cobble together the various pieces of their past life together and try and find wisdom in those memories now tragic.

I love Dawn because she comes at every situation in a different, almost alien angle. She doesn't practice the magic of the present - her powers are earthen and elemental in nature, cribbed from an era thousands of years ago. Dawn doesn't understand the modern world - although she does not fear. She also doesn't experience wonderment at her surroundings. Instead, she sees the world around her as a burden - her lonely burden, a world given to her for care and custodianship. I really yearn for more small scenes with Dawn. For example, the Data 7/Dawn interaction was just so quiet and meaningful, filled with the potential for something grander to come. I think there is just so much versatility in the character both from the "game" perspective of the campaign and also from the storytelling perspective.

#22 still isn't the last of the bottom halfers to fall on this list.

Interesting is that someone else reopened the rift at Four Corners that Manitou Raven died to close... Then closed it back up.

My guess is Mordru. Not sure who else is out and about recently that would have such power.

The top of this list is really going to be loaded.

Also something I've gathered from liking characters such as Brother Eye or Starsa is that I'm just a huge fan of sentient AI, I'm a sucker for them developing their own personalities and agendas.

Cody11533 posted...

Also something I've gathered from liking characters such as Brother Eye or Starsa is that I'm just a huge fan of sentient AI, I'm a sucker for them developing their own personalities and agendas.

Now that he's confirmed to not be showing up, I'll say this is a big reason I drafted Radio Tuner. He's so unique in that he speaks only through music and every time he's used in a session is different. Though he doesn't really have much of an agenda so that's probably why he's not here.

(I say he's confirmed not to show because at this point if he did that would contradict there being only one perfect list)

Edit: I think he would've had a chance if he was still used in a lot of battles like he used to be, but that stopped after we got a horrible effect in Hawaii that killed almost an entire team of NPC allies we had.

hombad46 posted...

Now that he's confirmed to not be showing up, I'll say this is a big reason I drafted Radio Tuner. He's so unique in that he speaks only through music and every time he's used in a session is different. Though he doesn't really have much of an agenda so that's probably why he's not here.

(I say he's confirmed not to show because at this point if he did that would contradict there being only one perfect list)

Edit: I think he would've had a chance if he was still used in a lot of battles like he used to be, but that stopped after we got a horrible effect in Hawaii that killed almost an entire team of NPC allies we had.

We havent had TOO many big battles since then, have we? I know we used him during the siege on Ungara.

We used him Wednesday night!

Espeon posted...

We havent had TOO many big battles since then, have we? I know we used him during the siege on Ungara.

Who said anything about big battles? We used to use him pretty much all the time just to see what happens I think.

Really, it's the smaller battles that are safer to use him in lol

Given the chance of negative effects, smaller battles definitely feels like a safer time to use him.

hombad46 posted...

Edit: I think he would've had a chance if he was still used in a lot of battles like he used to be, but that stopped after we got a horrible effect in Hawaii that killed almost an entire team of NPC allies we had.

Story please.

Hell yeah Manitou Dawn!

Always one of my favorites to read about.

In addition to the Hawaii sotry what song/effect did you get on Wednesday?

So we had teamed up with Hawaii's Secret Six and some local society members to fight against a bunch of OMACs. The RT effect we got resulted in everyone on our side switching bodies every turn, resulting in mass confusion. Since we were up against OMACs, it wouldn't matter if they were going through the same thing, and the other guy on their side was psychic and still himself. So basically the Hawaiian Secret Six were rendered totally ineffectual and got slaughtered.

Edit to reply to Maniac: I don't recall the song for Hawaii or Wednesday, but Wednesdays effect made all the party's attacks do additional light damage.

#22 - Traci 13
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/1/3/AAOJ0pAADcrp.png
The manipulative Traci 13 came as a victim of kidnapping to Zonn Zorr, but in short order, she rose in the ranks and earned herself a place on the Japanese strike team, becoming an integral and crucial part of Checkmates operation. In a dizzyingly fast turn of events, Traci has earned the trust of the normally arms length Saoirse and destroyed the Zonn Zitans completely. Then she turned around, parlayed her Japanese experiences into membership in the magic-sourcing unit, and now she collects little spells for herself. All of this from a young woman who had lost her family, sacrificed for the sake of a career as a magician and be left adrift in the world of Darkseid, captured by La Dama. Traci, and her familiar Leroy, however, are survivors. More than that, Traci is someone whose desires are never satisfied. Never content to remain in one position for long, Traci has begun to scheme and plan for Saoirse to rise through the ranks of Checkmate, Traci riding Saoirses coattails all the while. What motivates Traci? Its difficult to say - you can never be sure just how genuine Traci is.

The question becomes, is there any sincerity in Traci? Is anything she said anything beyond self-serving? Does it make her a liar if the truth only is unleashed in carefully measured doses at the right time and in the right place? Traci, in many ways, is magic personified. She has become addicted to manipulation, and magic is all about manipulating the world. It's a cheat code to playing the game of life. And Traci seems to stop at nothing to get what she wants, which makes magic the glove and Traci the hand. As we move forward, will Traci ever face the sweet sound of her own music played against her, or will others penetrate her shell and find some kernel of truth underneath? Or is Traci just savvy enough to keep everyone at a controlled distance, knowing just what strings to pull, what collars to change color, what sad, lonely Irish women to sisterdize? Only time will tell.

#21 is a woman.

Wow, Traci has been nothing but sincere with Saoirse.

Too sincere.

I think Traci might be coming to find out that Saoirse will say no to her. Question is whether or not Traci is willing to accept that and accept different advice than the type of help Traci wants to give.

Otherwise, yeah - Traci was being held by La Dama in El Paso, and Saoirse missed all of those sessions save the first one where we found Jaime. There was a choice to be made between La Dama and La Llorona, and when time came to choose (we chose both), Saoirse said she didn't care - her one goal was to get Traci, a young girl magician on her own out of harm's way. And that's what she did.

This has expanded somewhat into Saoirse also looking after Misty and Bunny a bit, building a little coven for herself, but Traci is the first. And she managed to pierce a barrier with Saoirse, who... hopefully? Has done the same back? Hard to say.

Traci is the best tho. Witch Sisters~

Also... Traci is so far the only character to have been drafted at exactly her placement. Congrats Ermine!

That deserves a reward I think.

*Nod nod*

This is around where I thought Traci would go. I really should have grabbed her to nab three of the four number 1 picks from prior lists, but I thought Eve had a chance to be above her

And wow no mention of Xander, clearly he is being played smh

Oh, jeez. I spaced on that. Those two are so great together!

I just want to make it clear that despite a recent conversation, I still like Traci as an overall character.

Also, there are only really three options left (or four, I suppose). This next one is either La Dama or Scar, Im guessing.

My guess is Scandal

#21 - La Dama
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/4/7/7/AAOJ0pAADZ49.png
The leader of Castling.

La Dama and La Llorona, forever at war as the world burns around them. La Dama was the most powerful druglord in the Juarez-El Paso region, her empire crossing borders and earning millions of dollars a year. But when Darkseids empire reached its tendrils into El Paso, La Dama shifted her focus in order to survive, proving herself useful in the capture of refugees and wayward heroes, looking to flee the fallen United States. However, eventually even La Dama could not stop the tide that sought to wipe out her independence. Now, her most trusted lieutenants have followed her south, where she looks to rebuild her empire, aligning herself with Checkmate in exchange for Mexico. All of it. And after Castling was completed, La Dama has taken up the role as the de facto mayor-type of Castling, replete with a city council at her disposal.

I'm endlessly fascinated by La Dama carefully and quietly maneuvering to a position of power in a world where most power is tightly held between the fingers of only a few individuals. Rising from a cartel leader into something with more tangible authority, La Dama's brutal policies were anything but tolerated prior to A-Day, and yet now, they may prove to be a tonic against the machinations of OMACs, Society, and Darkseid himself. The more screentime La Dama gets, the more I really enjoy diving into the character. She's savvy and smart, and she's quick with decisions. Capable of shifting her gears to roll with whatever punches are sent her way, La Dama is a masterful artist of the deal. In Gotham City, I imagine the PCs would have found someone like her to be untrustworthy, but in the post-A-Day world of Darkseid's Earth, suddenly a rational wheeler and dealer becomes something much more valuable. Yet another calculating character, it could be argued that La Dama is the most tactical mind we've run across yet, which is likely why her story, from El Paso to Antarctica, has stretched as long as it has.

We're at the Top 20. Make your own guesses!

Damn. I gave War a list of my guesses for the remaining order and La Dama was next to drop on it, but I switched to Scandal because I'm coward dog.

La Dama is great because she IS a bad bitch, and she knows it, and she knows you know it, so she doesn't put on any airs. She's strictly business - she knows what she wants and how to get it.

Saoirse was getting pulled into her web, but tried specifically to get out from it. I think there was a time there where Saoirse was getting really hesitant about making deals, and her deal with La Dama was one she didn't want to see play out. So she bought out of it. Which, it's La Dama, so that's still a thing you can do!

We just got to see her lead a city council, where she took a central role, but still couldn't quite calm down the men when they got mad about moss (that they weren't even around for pfft well Foal was but still).

Now I'm guessing Scandal

I think that it's true that in c1 La Dama would not be trusted, but I think the c2 characters are very different and they may have backed her should they have been in no man's land

Look Foal Fruntell doesn't like fire or moss that causes fire or moss that tries to destroy his home he's a hero

He's a menace

#teamFoalFruntell

La Dama's great, and I think Pepper sees her as the kind of person she wishes she could be: ruthless in order to maintain power, without fear of anything.

You know, it's interesting - Pepper's mom is a good church lady, right? Runs the house while her husband is the moneymaker?

Does La Dama being the opposite of that appeal to Pepper?

#20 - Black Canary
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/0/4/AAJ38fAAEGNU.jpg
The chairwoman. And also a write-up I can crib from the last list! I'm cheating dog!

Black Canary entered this campaign on the back of the stunning, unexpected loss of her fiance, Green Arrow, to the insidious claws of the Justifiers. Now Equated, Green Arrow stands in complete opposition to Black Canary. Powerless to stop his conversion, she was forced to watch on while glass lacerated her throat, nearly killing her thanks to a teleportation event gone awry. Returned to Z'onn Z'orr, her powers, her future husband, her friends and family- hell, the entire world - had been stolen from Dinah Laurel Lance.

All of that is prelude to say that, when she was able to sit up on her own once more, Black Canary came back with a vengeance. Diving headlong into the files of Checkmate's field teams, she began to question their decisions, study their tactics. She didn't shy away from criticizing them, providing tips and new direction to those around her. Despite the overwhelming sense of loss that Dinah must be feeling, she truly IS the leader of the World's Greatest Heroes. She's direct, to the point, and ready to roll up her sleeves and fight back. She has a wedding to ensure happens, after all.

Of course, this hasn't exactly meant easy sailing for all involved. Lush snuck into Canary's room almost immediately after her arrival in Z'onn Z'orr - this ultimately resulted in Lush's ass being well and truly kicked for the crime of a rather avoidable B&E - and Canary was ready to do worse, given that Lush has been stealing from Canary and harrassing Arrow for sometime. This drama eventually reached the ears of Saoirse - who was told by Lush in no uncertain terms that she'd done nothing wrong. Saoirse felt the need to try and run interference for Cyndi, but the upshot of this was that Canary had far more stern words of Saoirse than for Lush, laying into the Irish witch for becoming too attached to the notion of fighting Lush's battles for herself. Canary knows what Lush is capable of; she's a grown-ass woman. Saoirse has taken those comments personally, however, and she stands defiant against Canary.

You might think that this character is dividing more than uniting, but you'd be wrong. Dinah is a very human, very opinionated woman, but she's also a hero. The sort of hero that stood up for her best friend, Barbara Gordon, to defend her from Roz'etta - ultimately, through her tough-as-nails attitude, convincing Roz to finally hash things out with Barbara. Canary can force fences to be mended if need be. Or she can encourage a young teen like Spirit to fight for what matters to him - family. When Spirit seemed directionless, Canary inspired in him a conviction to rescue his long-languishing brother, going so far even as to promise to travel on that mission herself.

But my favorite Canary scene is a small, probably forgettable one. When Brennus came to Canary for advice, he sought help in preparing for the battles to come - Whisper, his mother, and more. Canary took him into the hall, and she had him turn three directions for just a few seconds at a time, memorizing what he saw. Then, Brennus was to close his eyes and repeat those details. Canary may very well hone Brennus' otherwise legendarily terrible Perception, but her style of teaching is entirely Canary. Still to the point, yet soft, encouraging. Of course, Brennus does have a history with Canary, so there's a bit of a different tenor to their relationship, but still, I think it defines who Canary is.

She's the Justice League, well and truly, for the heroes of Z'onn Z'orr.

And now, she's finally found purpose. After spending days poring over every mission, every dossier and debriefing, every rumor, Canary knows what her next mission will be.

She's going to be the one to land a punch on Darkseid - the first one on Earth. Alongside a new line-up of Justice League, perfectly conjured for the purpose of messing with Darkseid's head, Canary wants to be the one to prove that Darkseid can bleed.

He took her Ollie. Pretty Bird wants vengeance.

Honestly, as I look forward, I see Canary as the character who may very well fulfill the role of Oracle in the first campaign more than Waller, even. Black Canary is the wartime Oracle. Oracle was a soft, encouraging, occasionally conflicted sister and mother to the first Campaign's domestic challenges. Canary is a consigliore, a wartime, militant one, rooted in the discipline necessary to lead - but also with wisdom enough to foster growth in so many PCs, across so many disparate, interesting, fascinating relationships. Every single one will be different. Every one so far has been excellent. She brings out the best not only of the PCs, but the players as well.

Just guess - there are only nineteen options remaining!

Oh wow, didn't expect Zoe to beat both Artemis 2 and Black Canary so soon.

Canary is great though, I'm looking forward to going to Oolong with her.

No, I'm cheating dog!

Still guessing Scandal.

Though Black Canary was 19 I'm what I submitted to War

Canary and Brennus are going on a solo mission soon. I'm excited.

20?!

Whaaaaat

I've said it before, but it'll be curious to see how Canary slides in when we're already so established with Checkmate.

And now we have Zatanna back!

#19 - Snapper Carr
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/0/3/5/AAOJ0pAADYj7.jpg
Agent 026.

One of a handful of people who escaped the United States during its collapse on A-Day, Snapper, a former mascot to the Justice League, became a crucial functionary in Amanda Wallers plan to retake America, traveling from location to location to reclaim whatever and whomever he could. Snapper is Zonn Zorrs lead scout in the campaign to defeat Darkseid, and his ability to travel to any beacon in the world makes him invaluable in terms of versatility. Despite this however, his powers have their limits - there have been instances when, pushed too far, Snapper has nearly broken under the strain of powers operating at maximum capacity, such as an incident in Austin where his powers went entirely on the fritz. Snapper also began a romantic entanglement with Lush, one of the early arrivals in Zonn Zorr.

Snapper offers something special to the campaign. He's its driving force, the mechanic that makes the campaign move in the first place. Without Snapper, this campaign would be ground to a halt. And the basic conceit - a party of survivors bouncing around the world, trying to grab a hold of whatever they can before retreating back into the darkness - is a really strong one when you're talking about the end of the world. Snapper is able to always escape consequence because he can run away at the first sign of trouble. Maybe that's why his marriage fell apart. Maybe that's why the Justice League so easily moved beyond him. Snapper is a man genetically predisposed to escaping commitment. Given the bond forming between Snapper and Lush, it's difficult to say whether those lingering problems with commitment will remain such a crux of challenge for Snapper, but it seems only fair to assume that given Lush's own mercurial and potentially soon-to-change personality, that there will come a great deal of overhaul to what has largely been one of the most strangely stable relationships of the campaign. He's clearly ensorcelled by Lush Things. What I personally love about the Lush and Snapper relationship is that it feels like, while Snapper is so totally supportive, it's on shakier ground than any other relationship in the campaign. They're both imperfect people, and they both carry these ticking time bombs that could possibly go off at any point. For Lush, her past is prologue to an inevitable tragedy, no matter how things go down. At the same time, Snapper's power is killer. It's a danger to him, a game of Russian Roulette that never ends. It's only a matter of time before Oops goes plural. Oopses. And when one of these two nuclear weapons is detonated, the entire world falls down around it.

And then there were eighteen.

Guessing Scandal. Always.

Guessing Scar. I feeling like the three remaining sixers have a strong and interesting dynamic

I love Snapper as an example of taking what could have just been a game mechanic (teleporter for the PCs to go on missions around the world) and instead allowing him to be his own interesting character.