Characters Archives - Marked Larp

01: W. Joseph // Hunter

Power: Predator Senses

W. Joseph is the cousin of the siblings M. Joseph and T. Joseph. W. Joseph grew up in Eklutna, north of the city but not too far, as a true believer in an observant Russian Orthodox family. A born hunter, W. spent more time in the valleys and mountains of south-central Alaska than they did at home. A couple of perfunctory years at Chugiak High School sort of petered out, leaving more time for long trips into the wilderness. It was on such a solitary trip when the Mark emerged – W’s instincts seemed to merge with their prey, and their senses with those of a natural predator. When they are focused on the hunt, W. Joseph can smell their closest friends and their prey up to four kilometers away, and they can predict the behaviour of their targets with chilling accuracy. None of this helped when their family discovered the Mark. W. was shipped off to the village of Aniak for “exorcism”. They walked home – 600 km, through the heart of the Kichatna mountains – and went to stay in the city with their cousins. They haven’t spoken to their parents since. W. Joseph is a loner who craves connection, a restless hunter who wants to be still and secure, and a faithful person whose faith has abandoned them.

Content warnings: Religious extremism, family drama

01: W. Joseph // Hunter Read More »

02: M. Taylor // Underworld

Age: Senior Student, Origin: The Body Snatchers, London, Training Team: Sunburst /

Power: Darkness

After giving up a life as a street hustler to put in work building up their home community, Taylor devoted everything to the development of the community center. The same charm and skill that was used to play cards on the streets was put to good use encouraging young people to better their lives and Taylor was left heartbroken when the center was closed down. Taylor spent weeks alone in their flat allowing the darkness to consume them, but when their landlord came to evict them, they were already gone. Walking the streets of London by night they watched the lost souls from the cover of darkness, taking small actions to help people’s lives. When Taylor found the vagrant Cole living in the ruins of the Old Cemetery they decided to turn it into a temporary refuge from the horrors of street life. But nothing lasts forever, and when Mistry Academy provided an opportunity for Taylor’s new friends to rebuild their lives and maybe finally give Taylor the opportunity to settle down that they have been seeking their whole lives, they took it.

02: M. Taylor // Underworld Read More »

03: E. Ocello // Hail Cannon

Age: Senior Student, Origin: The Legacies, Brussels, Training Team: Sunburst /

Power: Weather Control

You are the youngest child in a long-standing family of Marked, hailing from southern Italy. The Ocello family is closely knit, loyal, loving and fiercely protective. They prepare their children for the Mark from childhood, with taxing field trips and a library of musty tomes. Your parents are members of the EUROPOL sub-branch EPIC and have a lot of expectations for you. Your were the leader of your Legacy peers, and lead with bravado.

Your Mark came late and caused a lot of sleepless nights to you and to your parents. What if your Mark was mediocre? But thankfully the Mark did come; it granted great abilities and the entire family rejoiced. Of course, that meant that you would need to work even harder to prove your worth. “This is not the time for distractions, such as frivolities and love. You are an Ocello. You need to prove that you are the best!” That’s what your parents tell you and what you keep telling yourself. But under all that facade of bravado and confidence, there is a lot of insecurity and nervousness. What if you are not good enough? What if you are not the best? Maybe at the Academy you will learn to accept the other students as peers. Or maybe, against all your parents stand for, you will realise that want something else for your life.

03: E. Ocello // Hail Cannon Read More »

04: L. Karimov

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Marked in Space, Training Team: Sunburst /

Power: Vibration

You were just ten years old when you came across an alien spaceship, and as a restless spirit who had spent your whole life looking to the stars, there was nothing that could have stopped you from exploring it. It was only once the ship took off with you aboard that you realised you might never be able to go home. Rampaging around the galaxy from one questionably lawful venture to another has been a wild ride that you’ve loved every minute of, but you’ve also known loneliness without your old friends and family, seldom meeting anyone like yourself. Now you’re excited about coming back to Earth, and though you know you’ll miss your adventures, you can’t wait to be around other human beings again, to find friends like yourself, and maybe something more.

04: L. Karimov Read More »

05: W. Klein

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Operation V, Unknown Location, Training Team: Sunburst /

Power: Energy Vampirism

Klein was dying from a degenerative disorder but their father, a powerful politician, found out about the V-Serum and stole some hoping to save Klein’s life. But he misunderstood what it would do: the serum painfully brought Klein’s Mark to the surface rather than healing them. Luckily, it still kind of worked. Klein is no longer dying, but only as long as they continue to use their power. Operation V was most interested in this success and had them kidnapped – Klein was tested in every physical and mental challenge they could devise, sometimes to the brink of death. Klein isn’t sheltered anymore, instead they have felt more pain than anyone. They have become suspicious and paranoid. Even Marino, who stood between Klein and the doctors, is still treated warily. At their heart, Klein doesn’t believe that their life is worth the energy they steal from other people to survive, but they can’t make themselves stop.

Content warnings: Degenerative disease, dying young, isolated Childhood, kidnapping, torture, suicidal thoughts

05: W. Klein Read More »

06: E. Sola

Age: Junior Student, Origin: The Renegades, New Jersey, Training Team: Sunburst /

Power: Cold Breath

When Sola’s parents were convicted of financial fraud, they moved to Glen Rock to escape the papers, the protestors, and most, but not all of, the paparazzi. Sola feels their parents only thought of themselves, never understanding how tough the move was for Sola. When Sola started manifesting their powers, it was a release. They started small, creating ice sculptures. Now, then can create huge walls, even throwing icicles.

Sola wants to be a superhero, someone who makes the world better. They have been practicing their hero voice and thinking a lot about names and outfits. They want to erase their parents’ legacy and make one of their own.

06: E. Sola Read More »

07: J. Chandra // Diplo

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Frazer College, India, Training Team: Tempest /

Power: Fear

The youngest child of a large extended family of businesspeople, Chandra at first saw Frazer College as an escape from the worries and pressures of home. Soon, though, they realised that the same anxieties and conflicts could be found there. When Chandra’s Mark arrived, they found they could do something about this: they could control fear, calming others and taking their worries away. What better role to play, in a conflict, than the one who spreads peace and harmony? Quickly, people started looking to Chandra as a leader. Yet, under the guise of the peacemaker, Chandra has a secret. They can increase fear as well as reduce it, stirring up people’s anxieties, playing on the things that lurk deep in their mind. And they know that, if war comes, the dark side of their power may be the weapon they need to win.

07: J. Chandra // Diplo Read More »

08: M. Beck // Ice Wall

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Salik's Boxing Club, Greenland, Training Team: Tempest /

Power: Forcefields

Beck was born in Denmark and didn’t move to Greenland until they were 12 years old. Their parents loved their new country. They kept talking about how wonderful it was to be closer to nature and living in a small community, but they didn’t seem to notice how much Beck struggled to adjust. Beck, on the other hand, saw what the move did for their parents: how their mother didn’t eat two painkillers for breakfast every morning, how their father drank much less than he used to. So Beck kept their mouth shut about their own issues. Maybe there’s a reason their powers let them create a forcefield between themselves and the world. Beck was heartbroken when the boxing club fell apart. They are desperate to gather the old gang once more.

Content warning: Alcoholism

08: M. Beck // Ice Wall Read More »

09: M. Juarez // Crucible

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Noasha Outreach Laboratory, Berlin, Training Team: Tempest /

Power: Metal Manipulation

Kicked out of their home at a young age due to their family’s fear of their Mark, Juarez developed several survival strategies. Their naturally fancy personality – foppish, femme, flamboyant – made them an unthreatening joke or weakling to most, and hid their ruthlessness until it became necessary to use. A near-deadly altercation that occured between Juarez and trigger-happy corporate security forces after Juarez snuck into a corporate R&D department brought them to the attention of Noasha Labs, and the Labs were intrigued by their power of control over metal and offered them a place to stay. Juarez viewed this as blatant mercenary attitude on the part of the scientists, but considered it a fair trade for meals, education, company and safety – until the lab got sabotaged, from the inside. With the one place they thought they could trust betrayed, Juarez retreated to the Mistry Academy they’d heard the researchers mention and tried to plot a grand plan for the safety of all Marked. The lab’s failure had already shown that thinking small was not enough…

Content warnings: Homelessness, abandonment and assault

09: M. Juarez // Crucible Read More »

10: C. Honeythunder // Honeythunder

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Circus of Human Wonders, United States, Training Team: Tempest /

Power: Bullet Time

Back in rural North Carolina, Honeythunder always thought they were slick. They used their Marked ability—a burst of accelerated perception and movement that made the world seem to slow around them—in small, reflexive ways. Leaping between the traincars that rattled past their bedroom at night. Dodging the college kids’ cars up in Chapel Hill. Shoplifting. They picked pockets as much for the challenge as the money. They were good at it, too, thanks to their Marked ability. But not so good that Cameron Redlaw didn’t catch them in the act. Cameron taught Honeythunder how to extend their their powers for longer and longer, showing them how juggle more and more balls. After Cameron’s death, Honeythunder toured with a celebrated artistic circus as a juggler, but soon realised they would not learn what they needed to know. Instead, they came to Mistry Academy. They arrived as a angry young person with a chip on their shoulder, but, in their time at Mistry with others like themselves, Honeythunder has mellowed.

10: C. Honeythunder // Honeythunder Read More »

11: A. Lee // Hush

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Wonder Park Vigilantes, Alaska, Training Team: Tempest /

Power: Sound Control

A. Lee grew up in Wonder Park with their mother, a sometimes-addict who ended her marriage to A. Lee’s father with what was locally referred to as a “Spenard divorce” – she shot him after a particularly brutal beating. For their part, A. learned early to keep their head down, to keep their door closed, and to keep their mouth shut. It was no surprise when their Mark arrived: it gave them power over sound, including, most preciously, the gentle gift of complete silence. A. Lee’s mom only saw dollar signs and effectively sold her child to the government after their gift manifested. By this time Lee had bonded with the other neighborhood Marked, and even done some vigilante crime-fighting. When A. was taken to a secure facility at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to await “testing”, they spectacularly broke Lee out. D. Rautenbach went to prison, their destructive hands positive proof of the earlier murder, the entire feckless Joseph clan went to ground in the wilderness, and A. bummed a ride Outside with a long-haul trucker. A. Lee overcompensates for their constant fear and anxiety. They know their power hasn’t been fully explored, and want to use it to make others like them safe, perhaps even if it means some collateral damage.

Content warnings: Domestic violence and abuse

11: A. Lee // Hush Read More »

12: E. Jordan // Inferno

Age: Senior Student, Origin: The Body Snatchers, London, Training Team: Tempest /

Power: Heat Control

Forced to leave Jamaica to avoid persecution, Jordan found themself just as vulnerable as a migrant in the UK. When Jordan’s papers were stolen, they had no evidence that they had any right to remain in the UK and fled onto the streets. With a vague promise of papers and threats of deportation, Jordan found themselves manipulated into working for a crime boss. Jordan tried to find a way out of the criminal life, but the threat of arrest was around every corner. When Jordan was sent to kill former street hustler, Taylor, they saw their opportunity to escape. Instead of burning the Old Chapel to the ground, Jordan agreed to help Taylor bring together the North London Marked and find a way to the Mistry Academy. Up until now fighting has been the only thing Jordan knows, but with a new start comes new possibilities and maybe fighting isn’t the only way.

Content warning: Persecution

12: E. Jordan // Inferno Read More »

13: A. Staicu // Rewind

Age: Senior Student, Origin: The Legacies, Brussels, Training Team: Lightning /

Power: Time Rewind

Everyone else dreams of being as powerful as their parents; for you, that is your worst nightmare. In your family’s homeland, Romania, your father, Dumitru Staicu or Silverwing, was a national hero. That was until he betrayed the Marked Alliance and sided up with super-villain Deathray. He was arrested following investigation by EPIC investigators, led by the Ocello parents. Now Staicu, Sr. resides in a EUROPOL affiliated maximum security prison on the Swiss alps and you have to live with the stigma of his name. You still visit him, though; after all, you are all he’s got left. Before this, amongst your peers you had high status, then you got ousted. You found out who your true friends were.

You prayed that the Mark would skip a generation. Without powers, you would not have to worry whether you too would turn to evil, like your father. Without powers, you would not have to stick in a community where everyone knows who you are and judges you for it. In your final year at Mistry Academy, you want to find your place and be accepted as one of the good guys. But are you truly a good guy?

13: A. Staicu // Rewind Read More »

14: R. Müller // Backlash

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Marked in Space, Training Team: Lightning /

Power: Induce Emotions

Genius has always run in your family: you can trace a lineage of exceptional individuals all the way from the Age of Enlightenment to your parents who invented the teleporter that took you and them to space. You’ve been surrounded by marvels of technology for as long as you can remember and you want nothing more than to contribute your own advancement to galactic knowledge. But since your power developed, it’s become harder and harder for you to remain detached and focus on logic and reasoning like a true person of science ought to. Your power riles up your emotions and those of people around you. Eventually, though you didn’t want to leave your life at the heart of interstellar discovery, you agreed to return to Earth and your parents’ friend Dr Mistry to learn to control what you can do.

14: R. Müller // Backlash Read More »

15: R. Wojcik // Zap

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Operation V, Unknown Location, Training Team: Lightning /

Power: Microwave Manipulation

Wojcik had a family once, but they feel so very far away now. The soldiers at Operation V said that it was Wojcik’s duty to be there, and Wojcik believed them and tried to be a loyal Polish patriot because his comrades must be right, no? Wojcik’s power sometimes leaks out, and since an accident that lead to the death of a guard, they have to wear metallic clothing to keep it contained. Wojcik was always forced to train until their muscles are shaking, but they never understood why they were singled out for special treatment. When Marino set the lab on fire, Wojcik was secretly glad and silently let loose their power to help weaken the walls. And then they ran away – so much for their supposed duty and patriotism.

Note: Wojcik’s memories are not real. They were created in the lab and the memories were implanted.

Content warnings: Implanted false memories, false history, lab bred, accidental murder, isolation in a metallic suit

15: R. Wojcik // Zap Read More »

16: L. Acosta

Age: Junior Student, Origin: The Renegades, New Jersey, Training Team: Lightning /

Power: Reshape Molecular Bonds

From the moment Acosta first got Marked, their parents were scared of them. Thinking back, Acosta fears their parents were right. Acosta’s powers are scary. When Acosta focusses, they feel the bonds that join everything together. Their science teacher would call it molecules, but it feels something more fundamental, more different. All Acosta knows is that they can reshape things when they use their powers.

They are scared of what they can do. They have tried to warp and remake objects, but it easily goes wrong: once, while practising in their bedroom, they watched their arm starting to disintegrate and had to spend the rest of the night remaking it. Then there was the time that Acosta tried to protect those who protested against the Mayor, but couldn’t stop the police arresting the protesters. For the moment, Acosta keeps their powers tightly in check, but wonders what would happen if they let loose with their full potential.

16: L. Acosta Read More »

17: D. Khan

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Frazer College, India, Training Team: Lightning /

Power: Absorb and Re-emit Energy

Khan was a mathematical prodigy – born into a poor community in the city, fortunate to find a teacher who believed in their talent. Or maybe not so fortunate: they were awarded a scholarship to Frazer College, and taken away from everyone who they knew and who cared about them, into a new world of privilege, with fresh and unknown monsters hiding in plain sight. Khan has been easily led – passively doing what they were told, wanting only to escape into the world of thought, where everything makes sense and behaves as it should. The bullying they experienced was as incomprehensible as it was unfair: all Khan ever wanted to do was to be helpful and inconspicuous. They were horrified that the first exercise of their powers caused the destruction of the school. But if all they can do is reflect and feed back what others around them are feeling, can they really be held responsible for the effects?

Content warning: Bullying

17: D. Khan Read More »

18: N. Christiansen

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Salik's Boxing Club, Greenland, Training Team: Lightning /

Power: Boost Powers

The only place Christiansen felt like they truly excelled was the boxing club. They were fiercely proud of their accomplishments. Salik said they might be able to compete in tournaments one day, but then he died, and once again Christiansen is a nobody. They long to reconnect with their old friends, but they struggle with reaching out. Forced to learn how to fend for themselves from a young age, they greatly value independence and are endlessly frustrated by the nature of their powers. They feel useless, unable to do anything but boost others. Can they learn again the pride that they had at the boxing club?

Content warning: Suicide

18: N. Christiansen Read More »

19: L. Kouma // Livewire [Reserved]

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Noasha Outreach Laboratory, Berlin, Training Team: Blizzard /

Power: Static Electricity

Inflicted by seemingly incurable and constant pain, Kouma’s Mark was both what paralysed them and unlocked a new life for them. That, and Noasha Outreach Laboratory. Kouma’s Mark generated immense amounts of static electricity that set their nervous system into painful lockdown. However, under Noasha’s careful attention, the excess electricity powered several cybernetic enhancements and replacement limbs that gave them freedom of movement and abilities even other Marked lacked,- though the problem of chronic pain and maintaining the prosthetics remain constant. With Noasha Labs shut down, they’re cut off from any backup for their high-tech body – but, lustful for freedom, Kouma now has no oversight that can tell them just how flesh or how machine they’re allowed to be, and they plan to take advantage of it.

Content warnings: Debilitating disability and significant body replacement/modification

19: L. Kouma // Livewire [Reserved] Read More »

20: D. Tox // Charmer

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Circus of Human Wonders, United States, Training Team: Blizzard /

Power: Repulse

Even as a child, D. Tox was always locked inside their own head. Already their Mark didn’t help, repulsing everyone who looked on them. Cameron Redlaw may have been the first person who looked upon them with any sort of kindness. Cameron taught them how to control the ebb and flow of their ability – which they are still not great at – and who discovered that reptiles reacted in an opposite way to mammals, being attracted rather than repulsed. Tox became the circus’s resident snake charmer, doing daring feats with their ever-growing collection of dangerous (to others) snakes. After Redlaw’s death, Tox traveled with Dedlock in a traveling tent revival, but left when they discovered they were trans. At Mistry, Tox has now settled comfortably in the gender they were always struggling to be, although they still feel more comfortable with the snakes in their dorm room than their fellow students.

Content warning: Transphobia

20: D. Tox // Charmer Read More »

21: T. Joseph [Reserved]

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Wonder Park Vigilantes, Alaska, Training Team: Blizzard /

Power: Wolf Form

T. Joseph is the sibling of M. Joseph and the cousin of W. Joseph. They grew up in Mountain View and Wonder Park, two of the roughest neighbourhoods in Anchorage. School was difficult to begin with due to learning differences, and having a sibling who was a star in the popular firmament didn’t help. While M. was winning spelling bees, T. was surviving relentless bullying by running, hiding and occasionally taking a beating. It was a full-time job, but it all changed when their Mark developed. In the Mark lottery, T. Joseph hit the jackpot. In contrast to their sibling (the were-hamster) and their cousin (wolf-in-nose-only), T. can transform at will into an actual, fearsome wolf. They are a werewolf, and the tables turned overnight. T. relished tormenting their tormentors, perhaps a little too much. They like the pack, the camaraderie, the ability to quietly command a loyal member. They feel more comfortable in wolf form, where no one judges their ability to parse numbers and letters, and wonder whether being human at all is worth the effort.

Content warnings: Bullying, learning differences

21: T. Joseph [Reserved] Read More »

22: J. Cole

Age: Junior Student, Origin: The Body Snatchers, London, Training Team: Blizzard /

Power: Plant Growth

Abandoned when they were very young, Cole found that the city always looked after them in ways it didn’t look after others. Food was never a problem and neither was shelter as they lived deep in the thorny bushes of public parks. As long as Cole could spend time in the sun, grow their plants and chill all day they were happy just getting by. During the winter months Cole would go dormant and hide in cemeteries pretending to be dead, only to come back to life again in spring. Cole saw themselves as part of the cycle of life and death, a creature of the streets, until some criminal elements started using the young vagrant to grow drugs. Where they used to help grow the flowers people left in the cemetery, the criminals started planting narcotics, and with Cole around the plants thrived. Cole watched powerlessly as criminals took and sold the plants they had meant as a gift for this place and the people who visited it peacefully. The criminals wanted Cole to stay awake throughout the winter to keep the drugs growing, and that’s when they knew they needed to leave. Hunted by the criminals, Cole found sanctuary in an Old Chapel, and now maybe true safety in Mistry Academy.

Content warning: Drug use

22: J. Cole Read More »

23: M. Livanou [Reserved]

Age: Junior Student, Origin: The Legacies, Brussels, Training Team: Blizzard /

Power: Healing

You were conceived through in vitro fertilisation and selected by your Greek-born mother as a match for for your elder sister, Lydia, who had leukemia. The process was successful at first but Lydia deteriorated and in her twelfth year, she died. For you, it seemed as if you had failed in your life’s purpose. More worryingly, although you missed your sister your feelings towards others were numbed. You enjoy people’s company but cannot feel a strong emotional bond with others. You worry that you may not be normal; that others may see you as a freak. After her death, Lydia’s peers took you in, treating you as their mascot, but not taking you seriously.

When your Mark kicked in, you gained a new purpose in your power to heal. But sometimes you wonder how it would be to have something just for yourself. You insisted on coming to Mistry Academy, so that you could make a new start and see whether you are worth more than just spare parts for a dead sibling.

Content warnings: Cancer, illness and death of a child

Please note that Livanou in Greek is the feminine style of surname. The masculine surname would be Livanos.

23: M. Livanou [Reserved] Read More »

24: X. Zian [Reserved]

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Marked in Space, Training Team: Blizzard /

Power: Disappearance

You’re literally part alien, strange even to people living with the reality of superpowers. Six of your parental donors are renowned members of the Krixzaran League whose illustrious footsteps you were being brought up to follow in, but the last was a human, Dr Anya Mistry. Her genetic strain has always made you unusual among your peers, but perhaps you wouldn’t begrudge her so much if she’d just been around to explain how you were different when you were growing up. When your Mark appeared, the rest of your parental hept decided to send you to Earth so she could guide you through the development of your powers. You didn’t want to leave the only home you’ve ever known. Now, you’re terrified that you’re going to stand out more than ever when you’re surrounded by humans.

24: X. Zian [Reserved] Read More »

25: S. Atkins // Flashback

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Operation V, Unknown Location, Training Team: Monsoon /

Power: Memory Manipulation

Atkins was a soldier once, a good soldier, loyal to a fault, before the Vengeance Lab’s experiments helped them to realise that there are far worse things than dying cleanly on a battlefield. In any war, even between the Marked and pure humans, both sides lose and all you are left with is scorched earth. Atkins will never forget this. But they can make other people forget things, and have done more than once – both Wojcik and Marino have been their victims, but of course they don’t remember. Atkins has even destroyed the memories of their own dying men, to save them from worse pain. But deep inside they feel that fundamentally their actions were still deeply wrong. Atkins never wants to do anything like that ever again. They want to build a world where they won’t have to.

Content warnings: Survivor’s guilt, PTSD, has done bad things for good reasons, I was only following orders

25: S. Atkins // Flashback Read More »

26: J. Park // Slipstream

Age: Senior Student, Origin: The Renegades, New Jersey, Training Team: Monsoon /

Power: Psychic Dreamscapes

Park’s parents were cleaners, who saved meticulously to buy their house in New Jersey. They always said that, one day, Park would do something great. Park believed them. Even before getting the Mark, Park had visions, seeing how people lacked empathy for each other. That is Park’s gift: they can join people, anybody who is touching them, into one shared psychic world. Sometimes, this power has been tough, as Park bore the weight of other people’s hurt. Often, though, it was beautiful.

Having helped so many, Park knows that they can bring about a just world if they can bear the responsibility of making it happen. That is why they left Glen Park and the Heap for Mistry Academy. They loved The Heap, they loved the secrets, they loved their parents, but the world needed Slipstream. So, without telling anyone, they slipped away.

26: J. Park // Slipstream Read More »

27: H. Singh // Whisper

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Frazer College, India, Training Team: Monsoon /

Power: Psychic Suggestion

Singh came from a senior army family: their parents were posted to a series of camps and garrisons all around India. It meant never putting down roots; and, when they were old enough, being sent to boarding school. This seemed like a welcome stability, and the chance to make real friends for the first time. Singh measured and understood the way that Frazer College society worked: the hierarchies and alliances. Singh and their Marked friends were near the bottom, but that was OK, it could be fixed. It turned out that people would still make concessions, grant favours, and remit punishments, when Singh really wanted that to happen. It was only after some time that they realized this was actually the exercise of their powers. This brought a crisis of conscience. Was it right to benefit from the powers by manipulating people in this way?

27: H. Singh // Whisper Read More »

28: M. Mikkelsen

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Salik's Boxing Club, Greenland, Training Team: Monsoon /

Power: Pheromone Control

As a child, Mikkelsen felt quite content; their home life wasn’t without its problems, but all in all things were good. Then the Mark showed up. When Mikkelsen’s power to control the emotions of those around them exploded and created mass hysteria, their mother promptly threw Mikkelsen out. Mikkelsen found themselves left to figure out on their own how to navigate a future they never wanted. They’re angry and frustrated with a world that seems to snuff out their dreams as soon as they appear. Can they find a new family at Mistry Academy?

28: M. Mikkelsen Read More »

29: C. Barrow

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Noasha Outreach Laboratory, Berlin, Training Team: Monsoon /

Power: Biological Manipulation

The protegée of the head researcher of Noasha lab, Barrow’s life could be described in the phrase ‘laboratory conditions’: up until now, they’ve only operated in controlled, sterile environments. They grew up with trusting parents who encouraged their Mark and sent them to prim and proper private schools. Their parents also inducted them into Noasha Laboratory where they learned of the sheer potential of their power and how they could best use it for the good of all humankind. Their ability to alter and control biology could cure all diseases just as much as it could wreck the human body. But when the lab was sabotaged and the group forced to Ministry Academy for their safety, Barrow is left in a dangerous new world where they’ve had to learn very quickly how to gain some field experience. They know they have the power to change the world – they just need to work out the what and the how…

Content warning: Body modification

29: C. Barrow Read More »

30: R. Aguilera

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Circus of Human Wonders, United States, Training Team: Monsoon /

Power: Mind-reading

Growing up in Tampa, Aguilera was a weak child, taunted by their schoolmates. When their Mark emerged, they found they could hear their bullies’ thoughts: frightened and angry and nervous. Terrified of the voices, they ran away from home, but they couldn’t escape their emerging telepathy. They were constantly surrounded by the worst of people’s thoughts, and whenever people discovered Aguilera’s Mark those thoughts became harsher still, often accompanied by physical violence. Aguilera’s knowledge of the depths of people’s hatred wore away all trust and compassion they’d had for pure humans. Cameron Redlaw seemed the only one who saw them without hatred or mistrust. After the attack, though, Aguilera heard the voices of others in the circus, who blamed the Marked for the attack and wanted them gone. Perhaps, Aguilera thought, war against the pure humans was inevitable. From now on, they are determined not to be weak any more.

Content warning: Bullying

30: R. Aguilera Read More »

31: M. Joseph // Pika

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Wonder Park Vigilantes, Alaska, Training Team: Drizzle /

Power: Pika Form

M. Joseph is the sibling of T. Joseph and the cousin of W. Joseph. They grew up in Mountain View and Wonder Park, two of the roughest neighbourhoods in Anchorage. Popular and a good student, M. Joseph was Bartlett High School’s Bear Paw Prince/Princess last year. As the big sibling, M. struggled to watch over T. and keep them out of trouble, with mixed results. Their Mark manifested early, before their sibling’s, and it is, in M’s opinion, utterly amazing. M. can transform into a collared pika, a nimble and resourceful rodent ubiquitous on mountainsides all over south-central Alaska. In pika form, M. is fast as lightning, small enough to be unnoticed and to slip through the smallest cracks, and has excellent night vision. Sometimes, other people think this power is a joke, but to M., it is an amazing gift, and they are both proud and humbled by it. They have solemnly pledged to use it only for good. M. Joseph is a genuinely kind person who sees themselves as the nurturing glue holding any team together.

Content warnings: Narcissism, delusional thinking

31: M. Joseph // Pika Read More »

32: A. Rodenbeck // Echo

Age: Senior Student, Origin: The Body Snatchers, London, Training Team: Drizzle /

Power: Air Manipulation

Rodenbeck was a small-time shoplifter, living on the streets and snatching food to survive. Over time Rodenbeck had become adept at sneaking into places without being seen and had developed a genuine talent for trespassing. To pass the time Rodenbeck would walk along the railway tracks and add their tag to the walls and bridges. Sometimes, they stayed with the homeless runaways and Marked at the Old Chapel, bringing food in return for a safe place to stay. When Rodenbeck’s Mark came, it was devastatingly painful. For weeks, they stayed at the Old Chapel, the others protecting them as they gradually developed their powers. Sound would rebound back at them from every available surface, leaving them in a perpetual cacophony. The other Marked at the cemetery would cover them in blankets and insulating materials to help them get some sleep. This was enough for Taylor and the others to realise Rodenbeck needed help. Under the cover of darkness Rodenbeck, Taylor and Jordan travelled to the Mistry academy to find someone who could calm their powers.

32: A. Rodenbeck // Echo Read More »

33: J. Molnar // Microwave

Age: Senior Student, Origin: The Legacies, Brussels, Training Team: Drizzle /

Power: Gentle Warming

Your French mother is a legendary vigilante turned EPIC member; your Hungarian father is a lobbyist for Marked rights. In theory, their combined powers passed down to their only child would produce a Mark of superior quality. But fate seemed to be laughing that day. Your Mark produces a laser beam that gives a pleasant warmth rather than devastating and fearsome destruction. Your parents felt a mixture of anger and guilt and could not accept that they would be the laughing stock of all of their friends. They tried to push you to overcome the limits of your power but to no avail. Before your power came in, your keen intellect and calculating mind meant you were the best of your peers at the challenges you faced. Now, the ones that mock you call you Microwave. You prefer simply Wave. You are tired of trying to prove yourself to your family, your friends, even the Academy. Perhaps all you really want is to accept your limits; accept yourself for who you are.

Content warnings: Family pressure and emotional abuse

33: J. Molnar // Microwave Read More »

34: T. Malik

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Noasha Outreach Laboratory, Berlin, Training Team: Drizzle /

Power: Electricity (Power Broken)

Some Marked get to be superpowered supermodels. Malik wasn’t so lucky. An avid martial artist until their Mark activated, Malik was hoping that they’d still be able to follow their Olympic dreams – and then it turned out that they shocked themselves whenever they touched someone too hard, so that became a no-go. Their condition was of interest to Noasha Labs, which was working with a similar power with Kouma. The lab promised to make a cure for Malik. Malik agreed, joined the lab and spent their time there trying to make up for their lost passion with new ones, gaining quite an aptitude with the high-tech items lying around the lab and becoming an accomplished technician, but it wasn’t the same. There’s not much hope in Malik that Mistry Academy can cure what the Labs couldn’t, and they’re trying to face up to living the rest of their life with this condition.

Content warning: Malik’s powers are a disadvantage to them

34: T. Malik Read More »

35: L. Varga

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Operation V, Unknown Location, Training Team: Drizzle /

Power: Mind Melding

Varga was born in Budapest, and grew up as a petty thief – all the while looking to get themselves and their mother out of the slums. When they were in juvenile detention, they were ‘disappeared’ because Operation V wanted to try their serum out on a person already Marked. Varga didn’t die, their powers actually increased, but at the expense of their body. They are physically weak now, no stamina at all, but they can sink into the mind of anyone they touch and read everything. That terrified the doctors at the Lab who kept Varga isolated in solitary confinement – which nearly sent them mad. When the Lab burned, Varga ran, because anything was better than that, even dying alone in the mountains when their body betrayed them. Luckily, Atkins rescued them but now Varga knows their secrets too…

Content warnings: Solitary confinement, isolation, physical weakness, homesickness

35: L. Varga Read More »

36: W. Mendel

Age: Junior Student, Origin: The Renegades, New Jersey, Training Team: Drizzle /

Power: Incredibly Strong When Unobserved

Even as a child, Mendel felt invisible. At school, Mendel always had a crush on someone older or beautiful or rebellious, who walked past without noticing. When their Mark emerged, they were excited that they would get extraordinary powers. But, for a long time, no powers came. Despondent, they started going for long walks on the edge of town. Then they discovered their power: they were extraordinarily strong, but only when no-one was looking.

While walking, Mendel discovered the Heap. Mendel even showed their powers there: everyone would look away, while Mendel moved something massive. Then someone accidentally left a smartphone recording, which, when the video was posted online, clearly showed Mendel pushing over a house. Nevertheless, Mendel is proud of their powers and wants to learn more about them at Mistry.

36: W. Mendel Read More »

37: F. Wadia // Fade

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Frazer College, India, Training Team: Heatwave /

Power: Age Others

Wadia was being groomed for a political career. Their family are a famous dynasty: sometimes loved, sometimes feared, always in power. Wadia had accepted this destiny and duty: what other option was there? Frazer College, with its mix of students and its complex social landscape to negotiate, was intended to be an important step in their political education. But then Wadia’s Mark came, followed by terrible powers. First, touching a friend, and seeing the awful ageing effects; then, realizing it was their fault; then, being persuaded to use the power as a threat, to ward off harassment. The destruction of the school meant a new start, but what has really changed? – how is life at Mistry Academy any better? Wadia feels like a monster: no more caresses, no more hugs. No chance of love.

37: F. Wadia // Fade Read More »

38: A. Peterson // Sialuk

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Salik's Boxing Club, Greenland, Training Team: Heatwave /

Power: Relieving Pain

Even before their powers emerged, Salik said that Peterson had a healing touch. Peterson is deeply empathetic, with an innate sense for what people need to feel better, whether it’s a hand on the shoulder, a tight hug, or – as is appropriate in a boxing club – a solid punch on the jaw. Preferring to spend as little time as possible with parents who fought constantly, the boxing club became Peterson’s true home. Arriving at Mistry Academy, they are desperately homesick. As hard as their life could be in Nuuk, they felt like they belonged. Carving out a place for themselves is proving harder than Peterson thought.

Content warning: Domestic abuse

38: A. Peterson // Sialuk Read More »

39: V. Cloudburst

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Noasha Outreach Laboratory, Berlin, Training Team: Heatwave /

Power: Water Control

The hydrokinetic Cloudburst comes from a insular little Marked community that lived in peace along the coastline of Britain. There, Marked chose their name after their powers revealed themselves, an occasion which Cloudburst also used to come out as transgender. They lived happily there, occasionally trading their services with the nearby pure human communities. These trades caught the attention of Noasha Labs, who thought that Cloudburst’s water-manipulation powers had great potential for global benefits, and convinced Cloudburst to sign up as a show of goodwill from the community. After the collapse of Noasha Labs the community is being picketed by hateful Beacons of Purity supporters. Cloudburst, who is very used to living alongside like-minded individuals, is been kept at Mistry Academy for their safety. They’re worried about these strangers, even worried about the lab, and most of all they’re worried about home…

39: V. Cloudburst Read More »

40: S. Dedlock

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Circus of Human Wonders, United States, Training Team: Heatwave /

Power: Stone Form

S. Dedlock came from a God-fearing family, deep in the Alabama backwoods. Though middle-class, Dedlock’s parents were keenly aware of how recently the family had lived in poverty. They never let their children forget it, always watching for any backwards slide into “trash” behavior. Religion was the main method of control for the Dedlock family, and S. treasured the Bible so much, they wanted to be a priest. Nevertheless, though, there was a longing within them that they didn’t quite understand, and Cameron Redlaw saw it in them. Dedlock learned how to transform their body into living rock, performing strong-man stunts. After leaving the circus, Dedlock gave up on that life, joining a traveling tent revival with Tox as snake handlers and hiding their abilities. Tox soon left and, on their own, Dedlock felt that familiar undefined longing rise up again. Now at Mistry Academy, they feel they are called to a higher purpose, but wonder what it could be.

40: S. Dedlock Read More »

41: D. Rautenbach

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Wonder Park Vigilantes, Alaska, Training Team: Heatwave /

Power: Crushing Grip

In Wonder Park, D. Rautenbach was the last Mark to manifest, late to the party as always. D. Rautenbach is a military brat, their parents both working at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, flying jets and doing… military stuff. Compared to their friends, they had a stable, happy life. Rautenbach was a well-regarded multi-sport athlete for the Bartlett High Golden Bears, a decent student, and an aspiring musician. All that came crashing down with the arrival of their Mark. Rautenbach’s Mark manifests in the form of a crushing grip; something that can only be controlled with supreme effort. A typical casual grip exerts 10,000 Newtons of pressure but no upper limit has been found; with extreme effort D. Rautenbach has exerted ten million Newtons of crushing force. It was this grip, at the urging of T. Joseph and the others, which spectacularly killed a man. It was this grip that put D. Rautenbach in prison. They will never play guitar again; they will never touch a lover. When Mistry’s legal team got them quietly released on an age-related technicality, they weren’t sure they deserved it. Rautenbach still isn’t. They want love and affirmation and forgiveness.

Content warnings: Murder, guilt

41: D. Rautenbach Read More »

42: A. King

Age: Junior Student, Origin: The Body Snatchers, London, Training Team: Heatwave /

Power: Taking Harm For Others

King has an addictive personality – the things they love, they love fiercely, whether that’s gambling, alcohol, parties, or even other people. Just about any activity that can be engaged in results in King wanting more and more of it until it makes them sick. Abandoned by their parents when they were young King has been told their whole life that they are spoiled, greedy and immature. When King ran away from home they decided to own this criticism and took this self indulgent lifestyle to an extreme. An endless procession of drinks, parties, addictions and problems all paid for with the kindness and gullibility of strangers. A new start at the Mistry Academy could change all that. This could be the opportunity to put the past behind them and start again afresh. King thinks this could be the time to find a way to give something back or maybe appreciate just how much they already really give.

Content warning: Addiction

42: A. King Read More »

43: V. Mistry // Reverie

Age: Senior Student, Origin: The Legacies, Brussels, Training Team: Hurricane /

Power: Illusions

At an early age, Dr Mistry left you in the care of the Molnar family, who later told you Dr Mistry was your mother. Growing up, you only saw her rarely, although you did get the occasional visit and birthday present. It seems that Dr Mistry was excellent at tracking down and nurturing Marked children but, you always felt growing up, that you would just like to have a mother for yourself.

When your Mark manifested, you were home alone. Your illusions haunted you wherever you went and you were found hours later, inside a wardrobe. You attended Mistry Academy as a pupil and began to understand the nature of your powers.

At the Academy, your anger with your mother grew deeper and one day you and your mother had a big fight. You fled the Academy, determined to strike out on your own, free from the expectations of your mother’s name. That was the last time you ever saw her. She died and you never had the chance to make up with her, to tell her that you love her, that you need her. You are haunted by guilt and grief but you cannot find the strength to admit it.

Content warning: Parent death

43: V. Mistry // Reverie Read More »

44: F. Webb // Felstrike

Age: Senior Student, Origin: Marked in Space, Training Team: Hurricane /

Power: Lightning Reflexes

You were in a hot air balloon with your family above Buenos Aires when the air shimmered purple and you were thrust through a transdimensional portal to the other side of the galaxy. Unprotected from the vacuum of space, you only survived because a ship of Vallaq salvagers hauled you into their bay. It was too late for the rest of your family. The crew took you in, but the Vallaq’s life was not easy, struggling for freedom against the Krixzaran League’s expansion. You became caught up in their conflict, and when your Mark gave you lightning reflexes you became an invaluable asset to your crew – so much so that when the Vallaq were finally defeated, the Krixzarans insisted that you be sent back to Earth. Now you’re home, but you’ve once again found yourself fighting for your freedom, and you’re not sure if it’s worth it anymore.

Content warnings: War, child soldiers

44: F. Webb // Felstrike Read More »

45: M. Marino

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Operation V, Unknown Location, Training Team: Hurricane /

Power: Eye Fire Rays

Marino grew up poor, angry and ignored but they were determined to get out of the Neapolitan slums and make a name for themselves – they nearly succeeded when their talent for boxing lead to some lucrative cage fight offers. Unfortunately, when their Mark came in, the fight promoters were too afraid of Marino and the offers all fell through – except one. The crime syndicate the Camorra offered Marino a fight, but something went wrong – they don’t remember clearly but they know their power was set loose on the crowd somehow and people died. They went to jail until Operation V offered them a deal. Marino knows they deserved their torture there, but there were innocents that did not. One day they lost their temper and set fire to the Lab to protect Klein, who they pulled out of the conflagration. Marino is still angry and doesn’t know if they can trust themselves. But they know they can’t trust the unmarked.

Note: Marino let loose their heat rays on a crowd, manipulated with drugs and goaded by the Camorra, to kill their rivals. Their memory of the incident has been suppressed by Atkins.

Content warnings: Murder, torture

45: M. Marino Read More »

46: K. Gill

Age: Junior Student, Origin: The Renegades, New Jersey, Training Team: Hurricane /

Power: Sense Lies

In the cheap end of Glen Park, Gill’s parents argued endlessly. As objects smashed on walls, Gill hid in the basement. This has filled Gill with bitterness, suspicion and mistrust: people were friends one day, enemies the next. One night, Gill’s powers manifested, allowing them to spot lies. Gill confronted their parents, calling out every lie they heard. Gill’s father began to weep and their mother went ashen.

From then on, Gill spent more and more time at the Heap. But Gill’s powers were torture: every time somebody lied, their voice became a screech. Gill decided they could no longer be silent, telling people every time they lied, and arguments flared more than ever. Now at Mistry, Gill tries to control their powers with meditation and iron self-discipline. Perhaps, here, Gill can finally find people they trust.

46: K. Gill Read More »

47: K. Woodley

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Frazer College, India, Training Team: Hurricane /

Power: Gravity Control

Woodley’s family comes from the UK, but the family was too compromised by the corruptions and luxuries of the colonial era to want to return there after India’s independence. Woodley was brought up to believe that they were better – smarter, sharper – than native Indians, although they never admit this belief publicly. At Frazer College, for the first time meeting people who they could trust, Woodley realized the lies – the false picture of the world – that they had been fed. Now, they have a thirst for justice, a burning anger, and a desire to shake the foundations. Realizing that they were Marked changed everything – made everything possible. Including the destruction of Frazer College.

Content warning: Racial prejudice

47: K. Woodley Read More »

48: I. Josefsen

Age: Junior Student, Origin: Salik's Boxing Club, Greenland, Training Team: Hurricane /

Power: Absorb Physical Force

Josefsen was the first to leave the boxing club, even before Salik died. It was after Josefsen’s power, a curious ability to absorb physical force, emerged, and their father jumped at the chance to send Josefsen to a boarding school in Denmark. There, Josefsen always found themselves the odd one out, the poor kid from Greenland with a Mark, and felt completely alone. Now at Mistry Academy, Josefsen is extremely excited to have the gang back together, although they didn’t see how the relationships changed after Salik was gone. Maybe, while Josefsen was away, some things have been broken beyond repair.

48: I. Josefsen Read More »

49: S. McDonald // Network

Age: Staff, Origin: The Original Marked Alliance, Training Team: Sunburst /

Subject: Combined Power Use
Power: Link Perceptions

You were working as an intern in multinational company when you developed your Mark. You could feel other people’s minds and even found you could hack into them, making people aware of each other’s sensations: you kind of knew this was wrong, but found it thrilling. Your secret was discovered and you were committed to a hospital, where you met Ruan. When Dr. Mistry brought you to the Academy you appreciated the training, but you didn’t like the rules she laid down. You value absolute freedom above all else, so long as it doesn’t restrict another’s freedom. On the other hand you also crave power. You don’t care if that power comes with peace or with war; for you it is not a means to an end – you don’t really mind if society accepts the Marked or not, you just want authority because it feels good. All you want is to come out on top. If the hero thing’s working for you, you’ll be a hero. If it’s not, you’ll be a villain. It wasn’t a difficult decision for you to leave when the time came. But when Dr. Mistry unexpectedly contacted you and asked you to fight against the Beacons of Purity you saw an opportunity to protect freedom and perhaps to gain back some of the authority you had before. Despite your differences, Dr. Mistry’s death was a great tragedy and you mourn her. But at the same time it leaves an opportunity for change – a chance to do things differently in the Academy. That’s why you agreed to stay on and teach ‘Combined Power Use’. You will make your presence felt, and lead the Academy in a new direction.

49: S. McDonald // Network Read More »

50: P. Mukherjee // Showstealer

Age: Staff, Origin: The Remarkable Marked Alliance, Training Team: Tempest /

Subject: Marked History
Power: Fireworks

Mukherjee grew up just outside Bradford, the youngest and most volatile of three siblings. When they found their Mark, nobody was surprised when their power turned out to be fireworks. But when their experiments with their powers caused a near-fatal fire, they left home and resolved to find out how to truly control themselves. Their first real test was meeting O’Reilly, but they were losing against them when Dr Mistry showed up. After a tense stand-off the three of them headed back to the Academy, but Mukherjee has never forgotten or truly forgiven it. They joined the Remarkable Marked Alliance as soon as they could, calmer but no less stubborn, and specialise in causing distractions. They are well-liked by the students for their quick sense of humour (which has gotten the whole team into hot water several times), but Dr Mistry’s death has sobered them. Without her, Mukherjee isn’t sure what to do next for the first time in their life.

Content warnings: Fire, being cut off from family/friends

50: P. Mukherjee // Showstealer Read More »

51: B. Mahelona // Songbird

Age: Staff, Origin: The New Heroes, Training Team: Lightning /

Subject: Power Control
Power: Power Dampening

Mahelona was born on Oahu, Hawai’i to a small, loving family, and if you believe their father, Mahelona was born singing. Mahelona’s Mark first appeared during a school recital, where they sang in front of a packed house. Mahelona’s power travels through their voice, shutting down the abilities of other Marked, but when not kept under control it can do so much more. The audience convulsed and fell into unconsciousness as Mahelona’s song echoed throughout the auditorium.

Mistry Academy came to Mahelona’s aid. Though they would never be able to sing again without unleashing their power, the Academy helped Mahelona find the strength to harness their abilities. They quickly made friends with the other students at the Academy, and happily volunteered for every “field trip” mission.

When Mahelona and the others were drafted into the battle with Beacon, they were happy for the chance to prove that they could help others. Instead, it all went horribly wrong; Mahelona froze in the moment and now Dr. Mistry is dead. In the wake of that death, Mahelona has returned to the Academy as a teacher to try and pass on the lessons that Dr. Mistry taught them, and to maybe atone for the fact that they couldn’t prevent her death.

51: B. Mahelona // Songbird Read More »

52: O. Watson // Guise

Age: Staff, Origin: The Original Marked Alliance, Training Team: Blizzard /

Subject: Marked Biology
Power: Chameleon

You were always good at hiding. All you had to do was change your skin to blend in with your surroundings. This was good, because your Mark developed early and the kids at school were relentless in their teasing. It was also why the agents never found you when they came for you at your university halls. You were in the first year of your Biochemistry degree when that happened. But you couldn’t hide from Dr. Mistry when she sought you out. She convinced you to go with her only by promising to teach you biochemistry. And she taught you a lot – enough to fill a dozen PhDs. You only ever used your gift when absolutely necessary, and you never much liked the fighting aspect of the Alliance. When McDonald left following the bridge incident, the time seemed right to reassess your prospects. You decided to make your own path too. You have a family now with a non-Marked spouse, and you hold a prestigious research position at a top university. When you got the call recently from Dr. Mistry saying that she needed you in the fight against Beacon, you did not want to join. Only when she said that Dias would be fighting too did you know that you couldn’t refuse – they are like a younger sibling to you and you would do anything to protect them. In the devastating aftermath of that battle, you agreed to step in to teach ‘Marked Biology’ temporarily.

Content warning: Bullying

52: O. Watson // Guise Read More »

53: K. O’Reilly // The Chimera

Age: Staff, Origin: The Remarkable Marked Alliance, Training Team: Monsoon /

Subject: Power Ethics
Power: Telepathy

O’Reilly grew up in Derry in the 1980s, right in the middle of The Troubles. The constant barrage of fear, pain, grief, and confusion was nightmarish. It culminated in them discovering the other side of their power: when they came across a fight, they told them all to stop – and they did, dropping dead on the spot. O’Reilly decided to use their power to end all conflict forever. They were almost inside the Houses of Parliament before being stopped by Mukherjee and Dr Mistry; but not before leaving a string of bodies across the Irish Sea. Once they entered the Academy and could protect themselves from everyone else’s thoughts, they began thinking clearly again. They put their hopes into education and diplomacy – two things that they saw making a positive difference for their students every day – and ignored the attacks from the press demanding their arrest. However, that hope has been shaken since Dr Mistry was killed. O’Reilly is beginning to wonder if the high road is worth it.

Content warnings: Sensory overload, PTSD and war

53: K. O’Reilly // The Chimera Read More »

54: R. Haley // Spriggan

Age: Staff, Origin: The New Heroes, Training Team: Drizzle /

Subject: Survival
Power: Bark Skin

Haley can still remember the exact moment it happened. Walking home from the pub in Cork City, Ireland, a sandwich dangling from their hand, thinking back on the good craic, when a bus just came out of nowhere and plowed into them! The next thing Haley knew, they were upside down, their skin was made of bark, and they’d even grown tiny roots into the ground. Dr. Mistry found Haley hiding in the woods a week later, an axe stuck in their butt by a very confused camper, and brought them to the Mistry Academy.

The Academy taught Haley how to live with their new body, and how to use their barky exterior and weird roots to help. And help they would. The battle against Beacon was a dismal failure; but it taught Haley one thing: how dangerous the world is. Haley’s learned that final lesson well, and they’ve returned to the Academy to pass that lesson on to the next generation of students.

Still miss that sandwich though.

Content warning: Physical deformity

54: R. Haley // Spriggan Read More »

55: H. Ruan // Remembrance

Age: Staff, Origin: The Original Marked Alliance, Training Team: Heatwave /

Subject: De-escalation and No-powers Self Defence
Power: Unlock Memories

You were an aspiring actor training at drama school. When doing emotion memory exercises you discovered that you were able to see people’s memories and will them to remember more. When you explained this, your friends just thought you meant you were particularly empathetic. It wasn’t until you caused a classmate to have a nervous breakdown by unlocking their past trauma that anyone thought you were dangerous. All the classmate would say was “Ruan was inside my head!” You were committed to a hospital close to where your family lived, where you met McDonald. Dr. Mistry tracked you down and brought you both to live with her and the strange, brooding teenager Dias. You respected Dr. Mistry, but you would always get drawn into mischief with McDonald – they were your best friend after all, plus it was fun! Fighting crime as part of the Alliance was an important duty, and one which you would have continued if it was deemed necessary. But you were relieved when Dr. Mistry said that it was no longer an option. Your new duty was to train a new generation, to make sure the same mistakes didn’t happen again and for you this is a better way to succeed in shaping a future for the Marked. That’s why you stayed on at the Academy to teach ‘De-escalation and No-Powers Self Defense’. You enjoy teaching, but sometimes you long for the old days, especially getting up to mischief with McDonald. In Dr. Mistry you have lost a mentor and a close friend, and you know that now more than ever it is important to uphold the ideals she taught you.

55: H. Ruan // Remembrance Read More »

56: R. Blum // Admiral

Age: Staff, Origin: The Remarkable Marked Alliance, Training Team: Hurricane /

Subject: Combat Strategy
Power: Explosively Charge Objects

For a long time, Blum didn’t realise that they were using their power. Being in the US Army meant that a lot of things exploded regularly. But then they lost their partner in an explosion caused by Blum’s powers. Their trauma was obvious, so they took an honourable discharge without arguing. They found Dr Mistry on a list of experts in the Marked phenomenon, and decided to join the Academy to help ensure that no one else causes such a tragedy. Despite a reputation as the grumpiest teacher, Blum is fiercely devoted to their students, and still has a good reputation in the wider world. Becoming a teacher gave them a useful role to fulfil, and joining the Remarkable Marked Alliance helped them feel that they could redeem themselves. The Academy is their life now, and they will protect it as long as they can.

Content warnings: War, violent death of partner

56: R. Blum // Admiral Read More »

57: Q. Oliveira // Jury-rig

Age: Staff, Origin: The New Heroes, Other Staff /

Position: Computer Technician
Power: Gadgets

Oliveira’s super-intelligence doesn’t come from any Mark; it comes from their parents. You see, Oliveira’s mother is from Northeast Philadelphia, and their father is from Gliese 667 Cc. Growing up with super-intelligence was tough, especially in the American public school system. Oliveira often felt disconnected from their fellow students, and their teachers couldn’t keep up with them. Standing out felt uncomfortable, so Oliveira just did the bare minimum. They found their joy online, absorbing incredible amounts of information and just learning everything and anything there was to learn. After a couple of years of reading all of the internet they noticed something that no one else had: a hole in the information, something intentionally missing. Oliveira was able to discern its shape and purpose from what was lacking – a hidden world of superpowered people, and a school for them. So they texted Dr. Anya Mistry and asked her if they could come to school there.

The Mistry Academy became their home, but it also became their project. Olivera saw each student’s abilities as a new opportunity to test their skills. They crafted the holo-emitters and personal assistants that dot the school grounds. They designed the special gear that the Marked Alliance used in the field.

They saw the battle with Beacon first hand, saw all of the death and the bloodshed. This all needs to stop, and they might be the only person smart enough to invent a solution.

57: Q. Oliveira // Jury-rig Read More »

58: F. Dias // Tremor

Age: Staff, Origin: The Original Marked Alliance, Other Staff /

Position: Groundskeeper
Power: Earthquakes

They say that you were too aggressive, that you didn’t know how to control your gift properly. Perhaps it was your childhood, neglected and tumultuous, or perhaps it is the rush you feel when you see the ground shake at your command. Dr. Mistry found you when you were just a teenager. Your Mark had only recently appeared but a moment of frustration and anger left half the family home in a sinkhole. Your rich, neglectful parents were only too happy to commit you to that centre for wayward youth, to wash their hands of you. It was Dr. Mistry who saved you, and cared for you in a way you had never known. She nurtured your talents and calmed you when things got too much to bear. You enjoyed fighting as part of the Alliance, though you felt that you weren’t always treated as an equal member, even though you were there first. You didn’t want to retire, but Dr. Mistry convinced you it was for the best. She cared for you and gave you the responsibility of maintaining the grounds of the Academy, in charge of defenses and security. And you loved and trusted her perhaps more than anyone. You don’t know what might happen now she is gone – now that those Beacons of Purity have taken her away from you.

Content warning: Childhood neglect

58: F. Dias // Tremor Read More »

59: B. Asumang // Delphi

Age: Staff, Origin: The Remarkable Marked Alliance, Other Staff /

Position: Librarian
Power: Predict Interweaving Consequences

One day, Asumang began seeing things that weren’t there, and nearly lost their mind. It took some time to realise that they were seeing potential futures. Asumang knew Dr Mistry from their university days, and decided that joining her Academy was the best way forward. They have lived at the Academy ever since, developing exercises for different powers and planning for every contingency. Asumang has been happy. But with the loss of Dr Mistry, they are in territory they prepared for but never expected. They certainly never wanted to be a leader, but as the oldest and longest-serving member of the Remarkable Marked Alliance, they don’t feel they have a choice (particularly with the press and the social media personalities immediately making very loud assumptions). They have to act the part now. They only hope they can guide the others to the right decisions, for everyone’s sake.

Content warnings: Death of a friend, mental health issues

59: B. Asumang // Delphi Read More »

60: M. Novak // Technique

Age: Staff, Origin: The New Heroes, Other Staff /

Position: School Medic
Power: Telekinesis

Novak’s childhood was spent in the foster care system. It was a tough childhood, the constant changing of homes and schools made it feel like nothing was stable. When their telekinesis first manifested and ripped the back off of a school bus, it just sealed Novak’s fate that they would never have a home.

The Mistry Academy proved Novak wrong. The teachers there showed Novak how to channel their abilities from torrents of crushing power into the finest and most elegant of touches. Just as Novak had been helped, they wanted to use their powers to help others, learning how to use their telekinetic skills with such finesse that they could literally conduct surgery with their mind.

Novak wasn’t ready for what was to come. The battle with Beacon left only death and destruction in its wake. All of the hope that had been instilled in Novak fled them, and in its absence grew one a dark and cold conviction–that war was coming, and the only way to win it was to fight the hardest. Novak has returned to the Academy to make soldiers for this coming war.

60: M. Novak // Technique Read More »

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Origin Groups

Training Teams