Midnight Gent
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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Psionic Assault/Shield Defense
I wanted a mage. So I mixed up what I knew of Dr. Strange, Dr. Fate, John Constantine, with some Eliot Rosewater from Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater thrown in—a mystically-adept alcoholic, with possible flecks of psychosis.
Character History
Origins
Magic is like the internet. Anything you search for can come up with things you didn't expect. Only with magic, you aren't safe behind a slat of glass in a plastic box. You have to give your body, and more, to the search. You're exposed past skin and muscle and viscera.
Oh, and with magic, there's no power button.
You plug in, you stay in. Until there's nothing left of you but words and aether.
—in conversation with El Penumbra Sangre, 1967, during an unstuck period for Nightwater.
Encounters of Eliot Nightwater: A Diary of the Weird
Chronicle of odd encounters Nightwater had during his travels around the world.
Cluster
Recounted by Edgar Jay Cash-Danielson
Lately my back's been hurtin'. Maybe it's all this light I've felt in stinging trickles. I think it's buildin' up in there, formin' somethin'. I don't know what, I'm gonna need an MRI since the damn aspirin ain't workin'.
1 month later...
Screw me sideways, well I got the MRI and they found all that light, just a glowin' cluster of, I don't know, either hell or heaven. When it came up on the monitor, this cluster looked like a thousand little men all hummin' together, and the vibrations was what was makin' my back hurt all the time. The doctor took it out and let me keep it as a souvenir, but one day the jar it was in was just missing, and, well, now I kinda wish I woulda left it. What if it was my soul? What if it was Jesus?
Micronomers
Recounted by Niles Weaver, the story is a complete figment of his imagination. All investigation into the "Micronomers" has yielded zero results, yet strange things tend to happen around Weaver. Subject claimed to have received many coded messages like the one below, and also claimed to have no knowledge of leet speak, an internet language originating from the 1980's.
((OOC Note: Wanted the leet a little stronger, but it messed with the editor))
Y0UR M1SS10N
4s y0u 4r3 4w4r3, 34rth 1s s3t f0r 1nv4s10n by th3 M1cr0n0m3rs--m1cr0sc0p1c b31ngs fr0m th3 L4rg3 M4g3ll4n1c Cl0ud. 1n l0ck3r numb3r 1033B 4t L4X 1nt3rn4t10n4l 41rp0rt, y0u w1ll f1nd y0ur 3q1upm3nt. Y0u h4v3 b33n g1v3n th3 X03 3nl4rg3r D3v1c3. Wh3n 3nl4rg3d, M1cr0n0m3rs w1ll b3 3xtr3m3ly w34k 4nd vuln3r4bl3, s1nc3 th3y w1ll n0t b3 us3d t0 34rth's gr4v1ty, 0r 4tm0sph3r1c p4rt1cl3s, 4s th3y w1ll n0t b3 us3d t0 b31ng l4rg3 3n0ugh t0 br34th3 1n such p4rt1cl3s. Th3y w1ll 4ls0 m0st l1k3ly b3 un4bl3 t0 m0v3, s1nc3 th3y w1ll 4ls0 b3 un4ccust0m3d t0 b31ng s0 h34vy. Y0u h4v3 b33n c0mm1ss10n3d 4n upgr4d3 t0 y0ur tr4nsd3rm1c qu4ntum 1nl4y 4s w3ll. Th3 upgr4d3 0ff3rs st34lth c4p4b1l1t13s, 4s w3ll 4s 4 t3l3p0rt3r 4ll0w1ng p3rs0n4l tr4v3l 0r tr4nsp0rt 0f 1t3ms up t0 300 lbs. W3'v3 pr3p4r3d c0nt41nm3nt c3lls f0r up t0 100 3nl4rg3d M1cr0n0m3rs, 0r r0ughly 4 tr1ll10n m1cr0sc0p1c4lly-s1z3d 0n3s. C4ptur1ng th3m f0r 1nt3rr0g4t10n 4nd c0nt41nm3nt 1s y0ur m41n 0bj3ct1v3. W3'r3 n0t c3rt41n 1f th3 M1cr0n0m3rs m34n t0 b3 h0st1l3 0r, 4s th3y'v3 sh0wn gr34t sc13nt1f1c pr0w3ss, 1f th3y'r3 h3r3 t0 r3s34rch 0ur pl4n3t. 1f th3y d0 pr0v3 h0st1l3, d34dly f0rc3 1s 4uth0r1z3d. R3p0rt t0 L4X by 0600 h0urs 3ST.
Translation:
YOUR MISSION
As you are aware, earth is set for invasion by the Micronomers--microscopic beings from the Large Magellanic Cloud. In locker number 1033B at LAX International Airport, you will find your eqiupment. You have been given the X03 Enlarger Device. When enlarged, Micronomers will be extremely weak and vulnerable, since they will not be used to earth's gravity, or atmospheric particles, as they will not be used to being large enough to breathe in such particles. They will also most likely be unable to move, since they will also be unaccustomed to being so heavy. You have been commissioned an upgrade to your transdermic quantum inlay as well. The upgrade offers stealth capabilities, as well as a teleporter allowing personal travel or transport of items up to 300 lbs. We've prepared containment cells for up to 100 enlarged Micronomers, or roughly a trillion microscopically-sized ones. Capturing them for interrogation and containment is your main objective. We're not certain if the Micronomers mean to be hostile or, as they've shown great scientific prowess, if they're here to research our planet. If they do prove hostile, deadly force is authorized. Report to LAX by 0600 hours EST.
And the Light Begins
Source: Unknown
The wood-framed television
of your dusked basement flickers
from the talking golden retriever
and its family, drowned out by laugh-
track, to black and white snow
roaring with failed connection.
A voice emerges, short of breath,
fluctuating with strange magnetism.
Mayday May…day…this is Jesse Gibson,
the Nuclear Man. Mission Zeta Psi 2573,
Op…Operation Infinitum, has suffered heavy
setbacks. Our arrival in Universe 2 was…
success. We landed on an un...own planet
resembling Earth…ut with zero continental
drift…We decided to call it Pan…ea. Upon
close…closer inspection, we found the
planet uninhabited…Completely uni…abited.
…couldn’t figure out…why…so dark
during day…
The stale basement air feels
heavy, like your surroundings
are anticipating something
you cannot alone sense. You’ve
turned the volume knob just so
you can make out the gasping
man’s words without your parents,
in their room above you, waking
from the interrupting howls of static.
The…lanet first read inhospitable
to…uman physiologies, but strangely
sh…ted. Somehow it changed…
atmosphere to…commodate us, but
couldn’t…ell we were different…
normal humans…Emily could channel
something…felt presence of…arge
consciousness. She…d us to…cave
with strange marking…We found
food…ater in this cave. Thought it…
trying to help…just want…energies.
The television returns to the talking
dog and family. The volume is now
too low to hear what they’re saying,
but the laugh track piques into the
audible every ten to fifteen seconds.
You reach to clap the side of the TV
when within a few inches of it you feel
the hairs on your hand rise and the
blood within your arm buzz as if
being filled with electric current.
The scrambled black and white
confetti returns.
…couldn’t have predict…Universe 2
would affect…and I’s abilities…My
power…similar but diff…Stronger.
Emily…pears to have transcended…
nother realm…appened before, but
not…this. I fear she may…yond
saving or even…inding. I’ve found
one…machines, this mach…order to
…nicate with her, but this prove…
iffcult than predict…If you…hearing
this mess…are the only…save us.
Luck…machine not only com…ut
transports…
You’ve left the volume unchanged,
but the man is growing louder. He
sounds as if he’s just behind a door
in front of you. The screen starts
to flash blank, then return, flash
blank, then return. After five
cycles of this, you notice
it’s gotten brighter every time.
The…as been damaged by stray…o
I only have one…rk. Remember: though
…look the…ame, you will be diff…on
…2. There is no tell…what you will ex…
ience physio…ly. You may also…bilities
you never ha…Universe 1. I’m br…ou
here because…is no other hope…I knew
an…ne…ould gain abilitie…ere. A long
shot…etter than…shot, eh?
Your skin is tingling from the pins
and needles in the air. You think
of how your family never takes
vacations, how everything will be
different next year in high school.
You wonder why your mind is racing.
Sometimes, you think you hear small
pops in the air, or maybe a tiny
crackling. You close your eyes but
the light doesn’t stop at your eyelids.
Stan...Repeat. Standby for…rt. Don’t
for…ything may be d…ent. No telling
how…be affected. See y…, Chief. Let’s
…works.
The television flashes blank
again. You count the seconds
and you hear angry footsteps
from the floor above, each step
falling like approaching thunder.
You reach fifteen before the penetrating
burst of light from the screen. You can
feel it in your blood, in your bones
and lungs and you try to look at
your hands but you can’t tell
where your skin and body end
and the light begins. </div> </div>
