Covenant & Horde by Brad

[Remu]

Dr. Abraham Covenant

Powerset/Ability : Master Manipulator

Ability one: Mesmerism

Through a combination of eye contact, touch, and voice, Covenant can implant strong post-hypnotic suggestions in his victims. The longer he is in contact with a victim, the more difficult it becomes for them to resist.

Ability two: Charming Presence

Covenant exudes a supernatural level of personal charisma. Victims are more likely to maintain eye contact, let him touch them, and listen to him. The longer he is in one on one contact with a victim, the more powerful this hold becomes.

Ability three: Mental Push

Covenant can make a mental push on a victim, forcing his mesmerizing abilities to their fullest in order to immediately plant an idea or command into a victim's mind. Unlike his normal mesmerism, this is unsubtle, and poses a strain on Covenant's own mind.

Drawbacks/Weaknesses: Covenant's hypnotic abilities only work effectively on a one on one basis, and he must maintain prolonged contact with a victim for them to truly take hold. His position as a therapist allows this kind of contact, but he cannot simply mesmerize someone during a brief conversation, or in a group. The normal post-hypnotic suggestions Covenant implants in his victims' minds are strong, but can be shaken off, usually through intense physical or emotional shock (i.e. they can be 'snapped out of it'). Covenant's mental push requires eye contact, direct skin to skin contact, and all of his concentration. The more complex an idea being implanted, or the more averse to a command the victim might be, the more Covenant has to focus in order to overcome their resistance. It is very obvious when Covenant is making a direct push, and witnesses other than the victim would easily be able see he's attempting mind control. Pushing too hard could potentially cause Covenant to have an aneurysm. Telepaths and other characters with strong mental resistances are very difficult, if not impossible, for Covenant to control.


Robert Whitlock [Horde]

Powerset : Army of One

Ability One : Superstrength

At his base level of strength, Horde can pick up and throw objects of about one ton in weight. He can punch through solid brick walls, uproot concrete enforced signposts, and bend or break metals up to iron in strength.

Ability Two : Super Durability

At his base level, Horde is highly resistant to physical and energy damage. Small caliber bullets may break his skin, but will not penetrate far. He can be staggered by explosive or energy-based attacks, but only repeated, focused attacks will be enough to knock him out.

Ability Three : Absorption

Horde can absorb, via touch, the strength and toughness of another person, temporarily adding it to his own. The longer he drains a person, the more of their strength and durability he takes into himself. He can store this for a period of up to three hours, before he reverts back to his base levels. The limit of his absorption is currently unknown, but he has been recorded as having absorbed the additional strength and toughness of as many as fifty adult humans. The drain on his victims is not fatal, and they usually recover their strength within a few days time.

Drawbacks/Weaknesses:

Horde takes a small piece of a victim's consciousness with him each time he absorbs their strength. The more people he absorbs, the more addled his mind becomes, and the more prone he is to irrational actions, blind rage, and clumsy mistakes. He has few resistances to abilities such as telepathy and illusion, or warping abilities such as gravity control and other attacks not based on direct physical or energy assault. While he is incredibly strong, durable, and possesses great stamina, he can be worn down through teamwork and combined assault.


(OOC DISCLAIMERS FOR THESE TWO:)

I see both Covenant and Horde as being "big league" villains. They're both very powerful in their own right, but neither is unbeatable. With Covenant, I'm not doing any manipulation without player consent, and I'm putting it out there that unless a character has strong mental resistance, if they go to a session with him, they're getting enthralled. So far, people are respecting that. Any major pushes Covenant makes on a player character, the player will have the option of resisting, either partly or completely, at their discretion. I'm not going to do ANYTHING with Covenant involving non-consensual sex. Nobody wants to go down that road, not least of all me.

Horde is tough, and if you need me to tone him down, I will. But I strongly believe that a good physical villain needs to be tough in order to pose a real threat and make the fights interesting. It's boring if the bad guy can be taken out right away, or just by one player. He's not the Hulk, or the Juggernaut, but he's a villain designed to require teamwork and adaptive thinking on the part of other players to bring him down. I'm not going to godmode him, but I don't want him to take a fall when he really shouldn't.

I think both of these guys are strong but fair, and will make for fun scenes in this plot. They could possibly be recurring villains, either together or separate, depending on how this plot ends. Obviously, if Covenant ends up as a smear on the pavement, he'd be gone for good.

Let me know if I need to change anything.