New Project: Psychic Troubleshooters.
So, I've been brainstorming again. Creative juices have been flowing, and I think I may have a really cool idea for a story/comic. It's actually an older idea that I've had cooking for a while, but I think it's been in the oven long enough, so to speak.
Ok, so here's the premise, since I'm sure want me to get on with this. Imagine our world as is it now, roughly. But just like in the Harry Potter books or Neil Gamian's Neverwhere, we got the world of the mundane, and the magical world. Unlike those books however, the two "worlds" are intertwined. Those living "normal" lives simnply don't notice what goes on magically. If, say, a piece of a building suddenly falls down, they attribuite it to structural faults/damage. Those who are privy to the magical however, had probably seen the two mages battling it out on the rooftop.
The ways of magic have been around for time immemorial. However, because of changes in culture, and the influence of oppressive religions, magic has pretty much been driven underground. It still exists however, and is just as powerful a force as it always was. Just because people don't notice it anymore doesn't mean it doesn't have influence. However, because of the smaller number of people engaged in it, as well as it's harshly induced decline, magic isn't as regulated as it once was. Those who enforced the rules, and made sure that magic was being used properly, are hardly around anymore. This means that there are a lot of rogue magic users out there, manipulating these energies for their own vicious ends, to the harm of others. There is an even greater need for magic users to counter these foes.
Enter the Psychic Troubleshooters.
You know how in real life, if you have problems that the cops really can't help you with, you might seek outside help, like priviate eyes, or bounty hunters? That would be these guys. Basically, in Greenwich Village Manhattan, in an old bookstore, there are these mages and witches known to the magical wrld as the Psychic Troubleshooters. Basically, they solve problems of a magical nature. Got an infestation of zombies about to flood your town? Or maybe an ancient evil is about to return, just in time to ruin your wedding day? Perhaps you want to stop Undead Tupac from releasing yet another album from beyond the grave? These are the guys you'd call.
I'm pretty much basing these characters on people I know, particularly people I know who are into things like paganism, magic, and other underground society stuff. The characters will all have their own unique skills, powers, abilities, and spells, and they will (hopefully) be very cool, likeable people. Don't expect them to be stereotypical magic users... I'm grounding them in as much of today's sensibilities as I can. Also, because of the nature of many people I know who are pagans and/or deal with the use of spells in real life, expect a weaving of goth and raver culture in this as well. Yes, this means a lot of really cool clothes, and a lot of rave clubs.
I got a few people lined up to be in the group already, as well as a couple of support characters. I also have a smattering of very early character designs. I'll put them up here for your amusment, but keep in mind that all of this isn't nessisarily set in stone. I'm still doing tweaking here and there... even with their names. However, it will at least give you a good idea where I'm going with these guys.
Northstar
This guy is one of the "on the field" sort of people... he'll be one of those at the forefront of the ass-kicking so to speak. He's the guy who goes out and talks to the people, gathers the clues, deals with the dangers, etc. Northstar is a martial artist, so his ass-kicking is pretty much hands on. He does use magic and spells, but most of it is augmented/an extention of his martial arts knowledge. So in other words, you'll rarely see him chant to cause damage. If he's going to send a fire spell your way, he'll most likely just chanel that energy through his arms and right at you, rather than call the spirits of fire to help him do it.
Part of the reason he has this ability is because of the family he stems from (his parents were killed though, so he grew up an orphan. (don't worry, he's not an angsty dude... there will be NO Cloud Strife syndrome here). They were gifted in the ability to simply channel magic wordlessly, being a long line of magical fighters and warriors. But a major reason is because of his right arm. When he was still a child, it was concecrated to the gods as a way of marking him for use by them, whenever they felt he was needed. This concecration caused it to be a major focus point for his abilities, as well as a tool to be able to easily interact with magical dimentions... basically, expect him to pull celestial weapons from seemingly out of nowhere. As a consequence of his being marked, his arm is covered in arcane tatoos. He tends to cover it up though, usually with a very long gauntlet.
Northstar is a wity and funny guy, and he tends to try to make light of the situations. When he becomes serious and focused however, he's downright scary.
A note on the character design... I already warned you these are rough, but man... I'm sorry his right arm looks deformed... I focused on drawing that gauntlet so much I wasn't paying attention to proportion. Oh well. Also, that's suposed to be a kangol on his head. He also tends to wear a loose open shirt over what you see now, and an overcoat. I'll probably draw those later. And the sword in the back is one of the blades he tends to use.
Kitrona
Northstar's mate. She's one of the main researches of the group, having vast tomes of ancient knowledge at her disposal. She also specializes in protection and healing spells, earning her the nickname White Mage (that's a little gag in the story... they all have nick names based on FF classes.). She does have many damaging spells at her disposal as well, so she isn't all defensive, it's just her specialties lie in the healing and protection mystical arts.
She also has a special connection to many ancient spirits and even various gods. Many times she will be able to communicate with them for information. Usually such entities feel that spending time with humans is trivial, but they like her a lot for some reason. Maybe it's candy.... or her cupcakes. She bakes excellent cup cakes.
Kitrona is also very sensual, to the delight of Northstar and a couple of others in the group. Take that how you will....
Also, something I recently added... Kitrona smokes cloves on occasion. She used to smoke them in cigarettes, but now she smokes it in a long elegant pipe. Because of her skills in protection spells however, she doesn't suffer any damage to her lungs.
Notes on design: Kit likes wearing corsets and long flowing skirts. However, she likes skirts that still "show her off" so to speak, so expect me to change this look so that the skirts ride lower on her hips. she'll also have tatoos on her right arm and leg, as well as around her belly button, and jewelry on her left arm. This is the way Jit is in real life, by the way, though at the moment, she just has a tat on her left leg.
Alora (still thinking up name)
She's gonna be the other "on the field person" of the crew (by the way, this doesn't mean that the other people won't be able to kick ass with their spells... they just are out less than the other two). Unlike Northstar however, she doesn't rely on fighting prowess to deal with foes (though she can fight very well hand to hand), but rather her guns. Her trusty, trusty guns.
Alora owns two glocks (maybe just one... still thinking about that), both of them enchated by her with war spells. Because of this, her guns now have magical abilities, and can hurt those who otherwise are unharmed by mundane weaponry. And yes, her bullets are silver. She even has runes carved into them. She also owns a desert eagle, which is her good old hand cannon. Normally this weapon isn't exactly the best gun to use in a fight; it's way to heavy for any real accuracy, and the kick back is too strong as well, so it's more a gun for intimidation than anything else. However, Alora doesn't have these problems when she uses them, thanks to a spell she weilds that makes her arms strong enough to handle this weapon. And she's enchanted it as well, making it easier to use and more powerful as well. Forget hand cannon: it's like she's carrying around a mini version of a tank's main gun. Alora is a damn good shot with these weapons, and expect her to unleash unrelenting barrages with them.
She also is skilled in the summoning arts, and so can summon spirits and magical entities to aid her. So far I've already got two wolf spirits who she relies on a lot, but I'd like to come up with lots more. Probably not on the scale of, say, Bahamet... but then again that might be pretty funny.
She was also granted the use of a suit of celestical armor, made by Hephestus, which she can summon at any time. Usually she just summons enough to cover her right arm when she fires that hand cannon of hers, but she also has been known to summon the whole thing for protection, for when she's really in a pickle.
Last but not least, Alora is especially skilled in psychometry, meaning she can just by touching objects read the energy lingering in them. So she will, say, just by touching the walls, be able to tell you who was in the room before, and what went on in it. A very handy ability for am investagator.
Alora's character will be tough as nails, but also very cheeful and goofy with her friends. She also has a major obsession with anything japanese, and she and Northstar will gab endlessly on manga and anime.
Character design: I think this is pretty much her: leather jacket, cargo pants, and swat team style boots. I'm sure I can find a way to "raver it up" a bit though... just tweaking the look a bit. And yes, it does say "ph34r" on her shirt. She loves Megatokyo, and that webcomic will be aluded to a LOT in this story.
Alieu (again, thinking up a name here)
Every magical group needs that dark, sinister mage who makes the people's fall down, usually in flaming peices. Enter Alieu. Black magic and offensive spells are her territory. If it can blow something up, or wipes out lots of people in rather painful and chaotic ways, chances are she knows how to do it. And if not, she'll find out how. Or make one up.
Not only does she have an uncanny affinity for such spells, but she also has learned how to enslave demons and chaotic spirits, to get them to do her bidding. Usually such entities tend to think up ways to turn the tables and take revenge against their oppressive masters, but these demons won't even think of it. They are TERIFFIED of Alieu. Seeing her beat a demon on the head repeatedly with an enchanted stick, and watching them turn into chibi versions of themselves are, besdies hilarious, a good indication of just how much power she has over them. It's not all bad for the critters though: if they're good, she gives them pocky. They likes the pocky.
Despite this rather sinister description of the young woman, she's actually quite likable... as long as she likes you. Among her friends, she is funny and enjoys utilizing her rather sarcastic wit. In the presence of strangers however, she's somewhat withdrawn and aloof. And among those she doesn't like.... chances are she's figuring out what the right spell would be to turn you into a small flaming mound of pudding. With cherry on top.
character design: Save for the really badly drawn left arm, I really like this design. I do need to redesign her belly tat, but otherwise this is pretty good. IF you're wondering why there are two large straps hanging from her miniskirt, that's because if you warp them around her legs, then buckle them, you end up with this sorta strap skirt. I thought it was a cool design anyway.
There are other characters I plan on throwing in... just have to expand their backgrounds, powers and stuff, as well as their look. When I do, me will post. But here's a list:
Kaiyou: another member of the group. will be the water mage of the crew, and is just as sensual as Kit is. This makes Northstar happy. Take of that what you will.
Snow: last (but not least) member of the crew. Still trying to nail her role in the crew, but I think she'd be another dark mage type.
David: an old timer, and powerful mage. The go-to guy for info and stuff.
Kitty: his wife, and a war-witch. Also a go-to.
Al: a mundane detective, who nontheless knows of the magical world, and of the Troubleshooters. Tends to help them out, or/and ask for help from time to time.
Well, this is what I got so far. Will put up more as I think it up, maybe even add more characters. But feel free to tell me what you think.
Ok, so here's the premise, since I'm sure want me to get on with this. Imagine our world as is it now, roughly. But just like in the Harry Potter books or Neil Gamian's Neverwhere, we got the world of the mundane, and the magical world. Unlike those books however, the two "worlds" are intertwined. Those living "normal" lives simnply don't notice what goes on magically. If, say, a piece of a building suddenly falls down, they attribuite it to structural faults/damage. Those who are privy to the magical however, had probably seen the two mages battling it out on the rooftop.
The ways of magic have been around for time immemorial. However, because of changes in culture, and the influence of oppressive religions, magic has pretty much been driven underground. It still exists however, and is just as powerful a force as it always was. Just because people don't notice it anymore doesn't mean it doesn't have influence. However, because of the smaller number of people engaged in it, as well as it's harshly induced decline, magic isn't as regulated as it once was. Those who enforced the rules, and made sure that magic was being used properly, are hardly around anymore. This means that there are a lot of rogue magic users out there, manipulating these energies for their own vicious ends, to the harm of others. There is an even greater need for magic users to counter these foes.
Enter the Psychic Troubleshooters.
You know how in real life, if you have problems that the cops really can't help you with, you might seek outside help, like priviate eyes, or bounty hunters? That would be these guys. Basically, in Greenwich Village Manhattan, in an old bookstore, there are these mages and witches known to the magical wrld as the Psychic Troubleshooters. Basically, they solve problems of a magical nature. Got an infestation of zombies about to flood your town? Or maybe an ancient evil is about to return, just in time to ruin your wedding day? Perhaps you want to stop Undead Tupac from releasing yet another album from beyond the grave? These are the guys you'd call.
I'm pretty much basing these characters on people I know, particularly people I know who are into things like paganism, magic, and other underground society stuff. The characters will all have their own unique skills, powers, abilities, and spells, and they will (hopefully) be very cool, likeable people. Don't expect them to be stereotypical magic users... I'm grounding them in as much of today's sensibilities as I can. Also, because of the nature of many people I know who are pagans and/or deal with the use of spells in real life, expect a weaving of goth and raver culture in this as well. Yes, this means a lot of really cool clothes, and a lot of rave clubs.
I got a few people lined up to be in the group already, as well as a couple of support characters. I also have a smattering of very early character designs. I'll put them up here for your amusment, but keep in mind that all of this isn't nessisarily set in stone. I'm still doing tweaking here and there... even with their names. However, it will at least give you a good idea where I'm going with these guys.
Northstar
This guy is one of the "on the field" sort of people... he'll be one of those at the forefront of the ass-kicking so to speak. He's the guy who goes out and talks to the people, gathers the clues, deals with the dangers, etc. Northstar is a martial artist, so his ass-kicking is pretty much hands on. He does use magic and spells, but most of it is augmented/an extention of his martial arts knowledge. So in other words, you'll rarely see him chant to cause damage. If he's going to send a fire spell your way, he'll most likely just chanel that energy through his arms and right at you, rather than call the spirits of fire to help him do it.
Part of the reason he has this ability is because of the family he stems from (his parents were killed though, so he grew up an orphan. (don't worry, he's not an angsty dude... there will be NO Cloud Strife syndrome here). They were gifted in the ability to simply channel magic wordlessly, being a long line of magical fighters and warriors. But a major reason is because of his right arm. When he was still a child, it was concecrated to the gods as a way of marking him for use by them, whenever they felt he was needed. This concecration caused it to be a major focus point for his abilities, as well as a tool to be able to easily interact with magical dimentions... basically, expect him to pull celestial weapons from seemingly out of nowhere. As a consequence of his being marked, his arm is covered in arcane tatoos. He tends to cover it up though, usually with a very long gauntlet.
Northstar is a wity and funny guy, and he tends to try to make light of the situations. When he becomes serious and focused however, he's downright scary.
A note on the character design... I already warned you these are rough, but man... I'm sorry his right arm looks deformed... I focused on drawing that gauntlet so much I wasn't paying attention to proportion. Oh well. Also, that's suposed to be a kangol on his head. He also tends to wear a loose open shirt over what you see now, and an overcoat. I'll probably draw those later. And the sword in the back is one of the blades he tends to use.
Kitrona
Northstar's mate. She's one of the main researches of the group, having vast tomes of ancient knowledge at her disposal. She also specializes in protection and healing spells, earning her the nickname White Mage (that's a little gag in the story... they all have nick names based on FF classes.). She does have many damaging spells at her disposal as well, so she isn't all defensive, it's just her specialties lie in the healing and protection mystical arts.
She also has a special connection to many ancient spirits and even various gods. Many times she will be able to communicate with them for information. Usually such entities feel that spending time with humans is trivial, but they like her a lot for some reason. Maybe it's candy.... or her cupcakes. She bakes excellent cup cakes.
Kitrona is also very sensual, to the delight of Northstar and a couple of others in the group. Take that how you will....
Also, something I recently added... Kitrona smokes cloves on occasion. She used to smoke them in cigarettes, but now she smokes it in a long elegant pipe. Because of her skills in protection spells however, she doesn't suffer any damage to her lungs.
Notes on design: Kit likes wearing corsets and long flowing skirts. However, she likes skirts that still "show her off" so to speak, so expect me to change this look so that the skirts ride lower on her hips. she'll also have tatoos on her right arm and leg, as well as around her belly button, and jewelry on her left arm. This is the way Jit is in real life, by the way, though at the moment, she just has a tat on her left leg.
Alora (still thinking up name)
She's gonna be the other "on the field person" of the crew (by the way, this doesn't mean that the other people won't be able to kick ass with their spells... they just are out less than the other two). Unlike Northstar however, she doesn't rely on fighting prowess to deal with foes (though she can fight very well hand to hand), but rather her guns. Her trusty, trusty guns.
Alora owns two glocks (maybe just one... still thinking about that), both of them enchated by her with war spells. Because of this, her guns now have magical abilities, and can hurt those who otherwise are unharmed by mundane weaponry. And yes, her bullets are silver. She even has runes carved into them. She also owns a desert eagle, which is her good old hand cannon. Normally this weapon isn't exactly the best gun to use in a fight; it's way to heavy for any real accuracy, and the kick back is too strong as well, so it's more a gun for intimidation than anything else. However, Alora doesn't have these problems when she uses them, thanks to a spell she weilds that makes her arms strong enough to handle this weapon. And she's enchanted it as well, making it easier to use and more powerful as well. Forget hand cannon: it's like she's carrying around a mini version of a tank's main gun. Alora is a damn good shot with these weapons, and expect her to unleash unrelenting barrages with them.
She also is skilled in the summoning arts, and so can summon spirits and magical entities to aid her. So far I've already got two wolf spirits who she relies on a lot, but I'd like to come up with lots more. Probably not on the scale of, say, Bahamet... but then again that might be pretty funny.
She was also granted the use of a suit of celestical armor, made by Hephestus, which she can summon at any time. Usually she just summons enough to cover her right arm when she fires that hand cannon of hers, but she also has been known to summon the whole thing for protection, for when she's really in a pickle.
Last but not least, Alora is especially skilled in psychometry, meaning she can just by touching objects read the energy lingering in them. So she will, say, just by touching the walls, be able to tell you who was in the room before, and what went on in it. A very handy ability for am investagator.
Alora's character will be tough as nails, but also very cheeful and goofy with her friends. She also has a major obsession with anything japanese, and she and Northstar will gab endlessly on manga and anime.
Character design: I think this is pretty much her: leather jacket, cargo pants, and swat team style boots. I'm sure I can find a way to "raver it up" a bit though... just tweaking the look a bit. And yes, it does say "ph34r" on her shirt. She loves Megatokyo, and that webcomic will be aluded to a LOT in this story.
Alieu (again, thinking up a name here)
Every magical group needs that dark, sinister mage who makes the people's fall down, usually in flaming peices. Enter Alieu. Black magic and offensive spells are her territory. If it can blow something up, or wipes out lots of people in rather painful and chaotic ways, chances are she knows how to do it. And if not, she'll find out how. Or make one up.
Not only does she have an uncanny affinity for such spells, but she also has learned how to enslave demons and chaotic spirits, to get them to do her bidding. Usually such entities tend to think up ways to turn the tables and take revenge against their oppressive masters, but these demons won't even think of it. They are TERIFFIED of Alieu. Seeing her beat a demon on the head repeatedly with an enchanted stick, and watching them turn into chibi versions of themselves are, besdies hilarious, a good indication of just how much power she has over them. It's not all bad for the critters though: if they're good, she gives them pocky. They likes the pocky.
Despite this rather sinister description of the young woman, she's actually quite likable... as long as she likes you. Among her friends, she is funny and enjoys utilizing her rather sarcastic wit. In the presence of strangers however, she's somewhat withdrawn and aloof. And among those she doesn't like.... chances are she's figuring out what the right spell would be to turn you into a small flaming mound of pudding. With cherry on top.
character design: Save for the really badly drawn left arm, I really like this design. I do need to redesign her belly tat, but otherwise this is pretty good. IF you're wondering why there are two large straps hanging from her miniskirt, that's because if you warp them around her legs, then buckle them, you end up with this sorta strap skirt. I thought it was a cool design anyway.
There are other characters I plan on throwing in... just have to expand their backgrounds, powers and stuff, as well as their look. When I do, me will post. But here's a list:
Kaiyou: another member of the group. will be the water mage of the crew, and is just as sensual as Kit is. This makes Northstar happy. Take of that what you will.
Snow: last (but not least) member of the crew. Still trying to nail her role in the crew, but I think she'd be another dark mage type.
David: an old timer, and powerful mage. The go-to guy for info and stuff.
Kitty: his wife, and a war-witch. Also a go-to.
Al: a mundane detective, who nontheless knows of the magical world, and of the Troubleshooters. Tends to help them out, or/and ask for help from time to time.
Well, this is what I got so far. Will put up more as I think it up, maybe even add more characters. But feel free to tell me what you think.