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From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

This was one of the few occasions where the name dictated everything about the character. Usually I think of the concept first, then wrestle with whatever I'm going to name it. Whee! It started as a throw-away name on Test to try out a Soldier of Arachnos, and when I12 went live, I decided I liked the name. Most folks were doing the "rank or title" names, but I've always been partial to "just" names. Titles and ranks can always change.

When @Oak decided to roll his SoA as a Bane Spider, I grudingly decided Crab Spider. Then I saw The Arms. OMG. Crabby legs! @Oak has actually determined a lot about Havenbane too, based on his character's origins, etc.

And I can't pimp The Children of Sigma Chi 2-30 enough. Shameless plugs ahoy.

[edit] World Background

Metahumans. Evolutionary marvels. Genetically-enhanced humans. Freaks. Monsters. Villains. Ask a hundred people and you’ll get a hundred different answers to the question. It’s the same as with anything. Countless synonyms exist to define those who are somehow capable of superhuman feats. The origin of the power doesn’t really matter – that the individual is more than human is the lone merit of consequence.

In the 1950s, a U.S. senator set in motion a bill that would require the registration of “paranormal human powers” to the federal government. Colloquially called the LaMont Bill (named after said senator, Robert LaMont (R-Virginia)), it quietly passed through the legislature, but it died before going too far. Some critics at the time thought LaMont was biased, as his family had been criminalized by a burglar who could turn himself intangible. The bill never made it, but its impact was like a pebble in a pond.

In 1978, the National Voluntary Metahuman Registration Act was passed, and thousands of Americans over the age of 18 submitted their information to their local offices.

Criminals discovered to have used superhuman powers in their crimes were given harsh sentences.

In 1983, a nine-year-old girl was sentenced to a life term after using her empathic powers to manipulate her family. Alterations to the Act were put in place to make registration necessary for any U.S. resident, regardless of age.

Project: Free America emerged a year later, a protest group that wanted to have Congress abolish the act, citing it was un-Constitutional. The group made little progress, as anti-meta sentiment spread through the political machine.

Several more incidents of meta-human crime occurred, the most notable being caused by a small cadre of superhumans calling themselves the Emancipators. They arranged and executed a country-wide attack of the offices where the records of registered superhumans were kept. Several offices’ worth of information were destroyed, but every member was apprehended and tried before the Supreme Court for acts of terrorism.

Plans were set in motion. Over a ten-year span of time, the government procured land, moved people, and established “New Paragon City” over the pre-existing city. They spun it benevolently towards the American public – a place for metahumans to exist without fear of persecution. A place of their very own, whose ruling body was comprised of metas to make certain the needs of the people were met.

They made certain the public didn’t know about the “procurements,” the assaults, the government-supported mind-wipes of communities to cover incidents. Protest groups rose up, but their reputations came under intense scrutiny. Amnesty International was deflected. U. N. officials were bribed, threatened, otherwise coerced into looking the other way.

The government received “kick-backs” from organizations like Crey Industries to setup shop within New Paragon. Dangerous work for mere humans could be easily done by metas. While Statesman, hero of World War II, appeared to be the mayor of New Paragon, he was tightly leashed to the side of the Metahuman Division of the National Security Council. He was only a figurehead, to appease the masses.

By the beginning of the year 2000, 90% of America’s superhuman population was living within New Paragon. Policed by such groups as Longbow and Wyvern, the insular politics of the city were not broadcast to the country at large. Many did not know about the gang wars in the streets, the strange creatures that prowled the nights, the infighting between city wards. Some metas volunteered their services to the government, for whatever reasons they had, and rose up within the ranks.

In 2002, the alien race called the Rikti invaded. America suffered tragic losses, while the rest of the world had heroes to help defend their cities and people. It took the government 12 hours before it cleared the citizens of New Paragon into mobilization. The fighting was fierce and bloody.

By the end of it, very few of those of New Paragon who joined the defense survived. The population was decimated – through casualties and property damage, only 60% of the people who called New Paragon home survived. Many national heroes emerged from the invasion, but only one really became a celebrity.

Manticore, also known as Justin Sinclair, captured the nation’s affection by being a “normal human with superhuman compassion.” A wealthy man whose parents were killed by a superhuman villain, Sinclair founded the group called Wyvern some years previous to the Rikti War. He had close connections with the U.S. government, even deploying a few of his Wyvern units to help keep the peace in New Paragon.

After the War, Sinclair became a media darling, even going so far as declaring his bid for the presidency in late 2003. Running on the Republican ballot, Sinclair won the election and took office in 2005. A first in American history, Sinclair promised reforms, reconstruction, and a focus on keeping the country safe from outside threats. His foreign policies won praise. He passed numerous laws and reforms.

New Paragon’s fortunes darkened.

In 2005, there was an attack on the city from a group calling itself Arachnos. Focusing on the Ziggursky Penitentiary, numerous convicted felons escaped American soil to make new lives in the Etoile Isles, south of Bermuda. News of the attack was contained within the city, as little damage was done, and the escapees claimed sanctuary in the Isles. Official word was that Arachnos were a terrorist cell, and covert teams would be deployed to investigate.

Rumors, however, abounded that Arachnos were in fact freeing those residents of the city who had be unfairly placed within the confines of New Paragon. Whispers that the cell’s leader, Lord Recluse, was in fact in alliance with Statesman could not be confirmed. No one, even to this day, is wholly sure of the actions, but they continue on a sporadic basis.

America has endured the leadership of President Sinclair for several years. While its economy is booming, the country has the deserved but unfortunate reputation as being inhospitable towards metahumans. Sinclair's policies had the U.S. borders along Canada and Mexico tightened. More industries were being located within the States. Insular as things were becoming, few could say that America was suffering. In fact, many lauded the recession turn-around to Sinclair's business savvy.

Metahumans, though, were seeing a harder side of things.

New Paragon City, already sectioned off to various wards, were becoming subject to urban warfare. Gangs stemming from Old Paragon were recruiting disenchanted metas to their ranks. Magic-only sects blossomed in the underground. Curfews were being laid.

The New Paragon Police Department was the first police unit in the U.S. to test different anti-personnel weapons and sturdier armors. Military recruits often spent a short tour within the ranks for "chaos duty," as it was colloquially called. When Hurricane Jessica hit in 2006, devastating the Gulf Coast, the Overbrook Precinct was sent to help the National Guard with New Orleans.

Metahumans known to work "for the man" were often subject to harassment, or at the worst, murder. Since New Paragon's opening in 1994, there had officially been fifteen known murders of metas who had been employed by the city government. Spray paint "tags" of vulgar slogans were the commonly-used methods of harassment.

July, 2007 brought a second Rikti Invasion - although the international community was better prepared care of the machinations of Vanguard. President Sinclair, having the foresight to listen to various agents of the Vanguard's Herald division, had already licensed roughly one thousand people from New Paragon to help thwart the attacks. While public opinion of metas was negative, this group was given grudging welcome. Subsequently, there was substantially less property damage and loss of life with the second invasion. In fact, New Paragon suffered more than the rest of the nation.

Statesman could no longer stand helpless.

[edit] Childhood

Her mother abandoned baby Inez at a hospital in downtown Albuquerque, where she subsequently wound up in the system. During the usual rounds of immunizations and physicals, the baby tested positive for the human meta genome, and she was placed on a list used by the Federal government to track potential metahumans.

[edit] The Todd Family

When she was three, little Inez was adopted by the Todd family, as Thalia had had to undergo a hysterectomy to combat uterine cancer after the birth of their youngest son, Sean. Of mixed heritage themselves, both the Todd boys doted on their new sister. Sean was especially close to Vanessa, legally renamed once the adoption was finalized.

Phillip and Sean were killed in a car accident when Vanessa was seven years old.

[edit] Tracker Program

Major Theodore "T-Dawg" Quincy was a Vietnam Veteran who began working in an advisory capacity after being wounded during his tour of duty. A thorough patriot, he witnessed a fellow soldier in his unit, of metahuman origins, using his abilities to track the enemy through the jungle terrain. Some years later, Major Quincy approached the military with an idea for a program, and after some detail-work was done, the Tracker Program rolled out.

Through some slick bureaucracy, Vanessa was "recruited" into the program shortly after the deaths of her adoptive father and brother.

[edit] Wyvern

According to public record, Wyvern is a private security agency hired by Paragon’s wealthiest families. Yet the public face, upheld by owner Delia Huntley, masks the true nature of this dangerous strike force.

Behind the facade, Wyvern is in fact the dark arm of Manticore’s crusade for justice. Justin Sinclair, aka Manticore, was increasingly frustrated by the limitations placed upon the heroes of Paragon City, and so he created Wyvern to carry out those ambiguous tasks that the Freedom Corps is unwilling to perform. Firm believers in the notion that the ends justify the means, Wyvern agents walk the line between hero and mercenary.

However, Wyvern is no typical mercenary force simply in it for the money. It draws its ranks from around the globe, searching for those whose lives have been shattered at the hands of evil. While most certainly heroic in their goals, Wyvern’s recruits fight with dark motives, driven by a desire to annihilate that which has destroyed them. With unlimited funds and a willingness to bend the law to suit their ultimate goals, it remains unclear the extent to which Wyvern would go to bring down the villains of Arachnos.

Manticore keeps his role in the activities of Wyvern well hidden from Statesman and the Freedom Corps, knowing that many of them would never sanction Wyvern’s “eye for an eye” approach to justice. While firmly on the side of good, Manticore’s own past has given him a different perspective on the nature of evil. After watching Protean murder his parents in cold blood, Manticore became convinced that there are times when evil must be confronted in a way they can understand, with cold, calculating force. Although other members of the Freedom Corps might agree to some extent, Statesman is adamant that true heroes never use deadly force, no matter the situation. And thus, Manticore’s beliefs put him at odds with many of the core values promoted by Statesman.

Organized as a paramilitary force, agents of Wyvern work their way up the ranks, gaining better weaponry and being assigned to more prestigious missions as they advance. Wyvern soldiers begin their training as Talon agents where they receive extensive training in close combat knife fighting as well as basic archery skills. Talon agents who prove themselves are promoted to Fang rank, gaining access to Wyvern’s special Fang Poison that slows the reflexes of anyone injected with it. By the time an agent has advanced to become a Sting Agent, they have achieved Wyvern’s complete trust and begin to specialize in armor piercing arrows . The veteran Wing Agents are eventually granted jet packs allowing them to rain damage from the skies with their deadly arrow attacks. Finally, the most elite arm of Wyvern are the Raptor Agents, trained masters of Archery, deadly accurate with their array of specialty arrows.

All Wyvern agents focus on two things, extraditing criminals back to Paragon City and targeting villains early in their career so that they are taken down before they get too powerful. With these goals their only directive, it is no surprise that Wyvern agents often resort to illegal and perhaps questionable actions to fulfill their one true desire – the ultimate destruction of evil.^[1]

The Wyvern group of Sigma Chi 2-30 is independent of Freedom Corps. Its true leadership is still a mystery to those outside of it, and it still functions outside of the law. While it does act as a policing unit for criminals, it has various specialized sub-divisions. One in particular focuses on apprehending rogue metahumans.

Havenbane was transferred to the Mark-Three unit of said division, to function as their blood hound. The unit was comprised mainly of new recruits, fresh from their first assignments and arrogant in their self-awareness.

[edit] Lance Lancaster

[edit] Defection

Lance and Sean went AWOL - the circumstances leading to it are seldom discussed. Ask them, and they'd likely say nothing, and nothing good, about their terms of service with Wyvern.

Being stationed in New Paragon City, they eventually discovered and approached the resistance fighters within the city. Having butted heads with one of the few leaders in the past, Dante "Icesaint" Killian, they weren't really accepted but served well.

[edit] The Mission

They volunteered for what was heralded as a "suicide mission" - breaking into Portal Corps, utilizing the machinery there to bridge over to an alternate world. The belief was they would find help, or somewhere safe they could transport people.

Sean and Lance were part of the small team who broke in and managed to get through the portal, but lost contact with one another.

[edit] The Rogue Isles

Sean arrived in the Rogue Isles, alone and relatively unarmed. She took some time to get the lay of the land, and decided to join Arachnos after a recruiting officer approached her in Mercy Island.

[edit] Arachnos

[edit] The Venomous Web

[edit] Personality

[edit] Errata

1. ↑ http://cityofheroes.wikia.com/wiki/Wyvern

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