Safe For Work Worm Ideas thread

[Dreadis]

Unrelated, but does anyone have an estimate of when spring break would occur for Winslow? The story begins on April 8th as far as I know, and there's no real mention of when break occurred.

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Some school systems don't have a spring break and instead have a series of long weekends or just have no break at all so as to end classes earlier for summer. Considering how spring break was never mentioned in worm as far as i know this may be the case.

 

[SwiftRosenthal]

Some school systems don't have a spring break and instead have a series of long weekends or just have no break at all so as to end classes earlier for summer. Considering how spring break was never mentioned in worm as far as i know this may be the case.

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When I lived in Texas, spring break was always the week of St. Patrick's Day. In Michigan, it's always the first week of April or week before Easter. Dunno what it's like in New England.

 

[Jack of Olives]

So, odd idea I had a minute ago:

A Worm CYOA Quest.

Start off with voting to make the SI/charcter and then vote for what they do on their romp through Earth Bet.

Probably give a free point with the Geas of keeping things SFW

Edit: Unless it's been done already and I haven't heard of it.

 

[Snake/Eater]

So, odd idea I had a minute ago:

A Worm CYOA Quest.

Start off with voting to make the SI/charcter and then vote for what they do on their romp through Earth Bet.

Probably give a free point with the Geas of keeping things SFW

Edit: Unless it's been done already and I haven't heard of it.

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So how does it work?do we give you made up characters and powers then we vote and you write it or is it group roleplay?

 

[Xilph]

So, odd idea I had a minute ago:

A Worm CYOA Quest.

Start off with voting to make the SI/charcter and then vote for what they do on their romp through Earth Bet.

Probably give a free point with the Geas of keeping things SFW

Edit: Unless it's been done already and I haven't heard of it.

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There is one in the NSFW section with the original CYOA, nerfed a little obviously. It's setup so we can create powers and Taylor can hear anything posted but no direct control over their actions, just trying to convince Taylor of stuff and all votes are on what powers to create as the chosen build was Power Manipulation/Shattered Limiter. It's also going quite slowly due to the QMs time constraints from real life, still only done one day so far.

A more conventional quest where you control the character including the newer marginally less OP CYOA could be interesting though, yours definitely sounds like it would be very different to the currently running one.

 

[Jack of Olives]

So how does it work?do we give you made up characters and powers then we vote and you write it or is it group roleplay?

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I was thinking more along the lines of having everyone vote on an avatar and using one of the Worm CYOA challenges as a template for powers and abilities.

There is one in the NSFW section with the original CYOA, nerfed a little obviously. It's setup so we can create powers and Taylor can hear anything posted but no direct control over their actions, just trying to convince Taylor of stuff and all votes are on what powers to create as the chosen build was Power Manipulation/Shattered Limiter. It's also going quite slowly due to the QMs time constraints from real life, still only done one day so far.

A more conventional quest where you control the character including the newer marginally less OP CYOA could be interesting though, yours definitely sounds like it would be very different to the currently running one.

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I'm tempted to give it a shot.

 

[Snake/Eater]

do we make each come come up with a backstory or write powers will that be you ? because i have written some themed Shard ideas that could go with any of the 12 categories.

 

[Jack of Olives]

do we make each come come up with a backstory or write powers will that be you ? because i have written some themed Shard ideas that could go with any of the 12 categories.

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Yes, but we wouldn't be using actual parahuman powers, we'd be using templates spliced from elsewhere.

For reference:

Here's the first version of the Worm CYOA.

and Here's another version designed to be more balanced and less powerful.

In this case, I'd probably have us going off of the 2nd one.

 

[Snake/Eater]

Yes, but we wouldn't be using actual parahuman powers, we'd be using templates spliced from elsewhere.

For reference:

Here's the first version of the Worm CYOA.

and Here's another version designed to be more balanced and less powerful.

In this case, I'd probably have us going off of the 2nd one.

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thats a downer,here are my names at least maybe you can use the names for the cauldron vials.

Truth shard
the crowned mason shard
The hermit of light shard
the promised burden shard
the unconsecrated Speaker shard
forest of numbers shard
flesh drive shard
spear shard

 

[Master of Squirrel-fu]

I had this weird idea of Gallant being the hero of an dating sim. A slice of life Harem comedy staring Gallant as the oblivious naive idiot hero. Glory Girl as the childhood friend, Vista as the innocent underclassman, Shadow Stalker as the token Tsundere, and Kidwin as the gay option.

 

[SamPardi]

Welcome to Canberra
---
"Hebert, Taylor?" A man with a deep voice called out.

I started at the sound of my name. I hadn't heard it almost two weeks. I'd gotten so used to being called case double-oh-four-four-eight-six that my own name held a slightly alien quality. "Here! Err, I mean, that's me." I said standing up from my spot in the new arrivals section.

"No need to be nervous," He said with a slight laugh. I smiled, but my eyes were automatically drawn to the small scar in the center of his forehead, just at the hairline. As soon as I realized I was looking I dropped my eyes and hoped he hadn't noticed. To my surprise he clapped me on the back and started walking away. I hurried to catch up. "We're heading to the Faretti Dorms, north side of town a bit out in the suburbs but we've got a mall only a quarter-mile away. You'll love it."

"Is that where all of the 'orphans' go?" I asked. I tried not to stress the term orphan too much. It hadn't really sunk in yet, the separation was too new.

"Not all, but it is a facility set aside for us. It's where I landed when I first got here back in oh-nine, now I work there. I'm Brian, by the way." He introduced himself with a charming smile. Only now did I notice just how hot he was; dark skinned and deliciously muscled. "You're not our first resident from Brockton Bay, not by a long shot. Faretti gets a lot of people from the New England Area. Not all, but a lot."

Before I realized what was happening we'd made it out to a jeep parked on the wrong side of the road. 'No, not the wrong side. Just a different side.' I reminded myself.

"We've only got a few rules at the dorms," Brian started again after we'd gotten on the road. "The first is no alcohol or drugs on the premises. That's just how it is. Second, if your going to be sleeping out for more than a few days give the super a call and give them heads up. We've had missing persons over for false alarms before, trust me that's fun for exactly nobody. Third, we take our occupants right to privacy very seriously. If you get caught spreading tales about the private lives of your dorm mates that can be grounds for your eviction."

I nodded and stared out the window. I wasn't sure what I was expecting really, broken buildings and raging cape battles was just silly. Still the view was just so... normal. Maybe there was only about a fifth of the traffic, foot and car, that a city this size should have, but otherwise it really could have been almost anywhere. Well almost anywhere that also had a massive tinker-tech dome for a sky.

After a few minutes of silence Brian switched on the radio.

"In a speech before the parliament this evening in Sydney, Prime Minister Albert defended his continuing support of the Canberra Initiative."

"I have received criticism time and again for the spending our nation has put forth on this initiative. Gentlemen I find this unacceptable. In the time since the initiative began there has not been even a single instance of an Endbringer attack. Need I remind you that we are a nation surrounded by the sea? Every year our harbors remain safe is a year proving the value of this Initiative. Every shipping vessel that makes port in our harbors is all of our costs paid in full! Indeed to what end do we collect the taxes of our people if not to pay for Initiatives like this and ensure their safety!"

He turned it back off again. "Sorry, I'm usually not driving this time of day. They have a killer morning show though."

"No, it's... It's okay," I replied, trying to mean it. "I mean they're talking about the safety of entire cities..." I trailed off for a bit but I could see I still had as much attention as Brian could spare from his driving. "I dreamed of being a hero when I was kid. Like Alexandria, you know? I guess... I guess if I look at this like that. Maybe I'm still being a hero..."

Brian was quiet for a long while. "I don't think you need powers to be a hero, Taylor. There are plenty of people around here who had powers and... Well it didn't change them for the better, that's for sure." He shrugged, "Just try and keep that feeling, we're all grasping in the dark a bit here." He chuckled a bit at the end, but it felt self-deprecating. I didn't really get what he found worth chuckling at but shrugged it off.

When they finally pulled up in front of a large building with a plaque reading 'Faretti Dorms' by the front door they weren't quite alone. There were three people, all teenage girls and two were clearly shouting at each other. The shouting pair were a freckle faced brunette that I would have thought largely forgettable if not for the rainbow flag tattooed on her neck and a statuesque blond wearing all white, she'd have been rather pretty if she weren't red faced from yelling. Standing awkwardly to one side was a platinum blond girl who seemed rather shy and retiring who physically flinched every time the other blond shouted. "Ah hell, it's Vicky again. Wait here a moment." Brian told me and practically jumped out of the car.

"--Abandoned you're family!"

"I needed space you mind-fucking bit--"

And then the Brian's door shut and I couldn't hear anymore. I watched as Brian interposed himself between the girls, mostly facing Vicky. It didn't take words to understand his message, 'Go home.' It took a long and tense few minutes but finally the taller blond relented. She didn't go without parting words however and they seemed to strike the platinum blond particularly hard. Brian came back to the car while the brunette held the shy girl close and presumably whispered something comforting to her.

"Sorry about that. Not the best first impression, I know, but Victoria's always been a bit of a force of nature," Brian tried to explain.

"Victoria? As in Dallon? Well I guess that makes sense. I mean I'm from the bay and at least when she was Glory Girl she was kind of always that way," I brushed it off as I got out of the jeep. Suddenly back out in the real world again I felt the need to hug my backpack and what little remained of my worldly possessions tight to my chest.

"Hi," The brunette's voice surprised me since I'd missed her approaching. "I'm Amy, you probably heard of me as Panacea. This is my girlfriend Elle, we're going to be your across the hall neighbors so we thought we'd say hi and help you get situated. Unfortunately Vicky decided to make today the day for her bi-weekly bitch-fest, so I guess our chance a good first impression is down the drain. Just... If you ever see her hanging around, call Brian or the Super. Or the cops. We're working on a restraining order but the lawyer in the family didn't exactly side with us so..."

I nodded, "I kind of get it I guess. My best friend's dad is a lawyer so if we ever wound up enemies for some reason..." I trailed off as I realized what I was saying. I reached up to wipe away the wetness that had suddenly developed in my eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I'm such a spaz. I mean do we even count as best friends anymo--" I couldn't even finish the sentence before I completely devolved into sobs. Surprisingly it was Elle who caught me in a light hug and helped me up the stairs. Soon I was in an unfamiliar room maybe a bit smaller than my room back home and lying down on a comfortable but unfamiliar bed. It was then that I learned true kindness is a stranger helping you take your shoes off as they put you to bed during a total breakdown.

"It'll be easier tomorrow, you'll see. Just one day at a time. One day at a time," Elle's soft voice reassured me as I finally drifted into off into a fitful sleep.

---

Spoiler: Idea Summary

Scion suddenly disappears in 2008. Thinkers no longer predict the end of the world in any time frame less than a million years. Cauldron flips their shit and makes a ton of backroom deals to burn their current secret identity and act to monopolize the production of heroes. However it's confirmed natural shards are still triggering and still driven to conflict. Bonesaw triggers and the end of the world comes back to under a decade.

Intent on solving the problem once and for all they begin a program of lobotomizing natural triggers, with the exception of a select few considered too influential to remove, i.e. Dragon. However this only works temporarily and then the power returns completely out of control. Working fast they modify the dome over Canberra to block the signals from shards and then start dumping their newly lobotomized parahumans there.

Now all of the natural triggers in the world are lobotomized and gathered at Canberra where they do the only thing they can do, live their lives.

What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Dreadis]

SamPardi
Its interesting in how its written but then i checked the spoiler and my SoD was hit by a KKV

 

[SamPardi]

SamPardi
Its interesting in how its written but then i checked the spoiler and my SoD was hit by a KKV

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EDIT: Changed.

 

[Xilph]

Why are they still lobotomised? If they know it will cause powers to go out of control if they ever leave and they know that if they're under the dome why do it and why not just send them under the dome? For that matter how do they deal with new triggers that don't feel like cooperating? Have the Triumvirate step in and fight them down? Because that could go really badly if they have another Flechette or Siberian or really any kind of power that counters them like a tricky master power or something. How big is that dome anyway? Because there are a lot of capes and that number would be growing, particularly if you assume people under the dome are having kids and want to keep them as opposed to having them exported due to housing issues. The domes would be expensive as hell to make too considering they'd need to totally enclose the inside space including underground and through cabling or shards find a way, although considering how shard connections work they'd actually need a field prevent dimensional connections so maybe not?

Interesting snippet though, just some of the setting seems a bit holey, it's the premise though so you can forgive a lot.

 

[DoggySoup]

Why are they still lobotomised? If they know it will cause powers to go out of control if they ever leave and they know that if they're under the dome why do it and why not just send them under the dome?

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Just sending them under the dome is asking for them to break out.

 

[Xilph]

Just sending them under the dome is asking for them to break out.

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They've got no powers though and it's known that escaping would bring their powers back given some time, it's still an issue and I suppose it makes transporting them there easier if they're rebellious. Still seems like a minor issue though, not as much as something like how do they catch people in the first place or how did they catch everyone currently around, there were tens of thousands of parahumans currently alive if my memory is anywhere near correct and considering some of them you'd think capturing them all would be very tricky even with Contessa. Although I suppose Doormaker based telefragging would work on most capes.

 

[DoggySoup]

Skitter in canon still fights while knocked out (But we don't see it in the Bank/Bakuda fight so maybe her second was in the S9 arc?).

The mentioned Cauldron was taken out and over, so there's still the voluntary sources of capes.

 

[Peanuckle]

I also don't see how the signal from the passengers could be blocked, since it's got a terminal right there in the brain.

In any event, "parahumans who've lost their powers live a normal life" isn't much of a story hook. It's gonna be lots of drama and anger over having lost what made them special.

More importantly, how is Cauldron managing such an extreme solution? Natural triggers far, far outnumber Cauldron capes and more spring up every day. Doing this is incredibly time-consuming and unwieldy, and if even one Thinker catches on, then the whole thing collapses.

 

[SamPardi]

Why are they still lobotomised? If they know it will cause powers to go out of control if they ever leave and they know that if they're under the dome why do it and why not just send them under the dome? For that matter how do they deal with new triggers that don't feel like cooperating? Have the Triumvirate step in and fight them down? Because that could go really badly if they have another Flechette or Siberian or really any kind of power that counters them like a tricky master power or something. How big is that dome anyway? Because there are a lot of capes and that number would be growing, particularly if you assume people under the dome are having kids and want to keep them as opposed to having them exported due to housing issues. The domes would be expensive as hell to make too considering they'd need to totally enclose the inside space including underground and through cabling or shards find a way, although considering how shard connections work they'd actually need a field prevent dimensional connections so maybe not?

Interesting snippet though, just some of the setting seems a bit holey, it's the premise though so you can forgive a lot.

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I also don't see how the signal from the passengers could be blocked, since it's got a terminal right there in the brain.

In any event, "parahumans who've lost their powers live a normal life" isn't much of a story hook. It's gonna be lots of drama and anger over having lost what made them special.

More importantly, how is Cauldron managing such an extreme solution? Natural triggers far, far outnumber Cauldron capes and more spring up every day. Doing this is incredibly time-consuming and unwieldy, and if even one Thinker catches on, then the whole thing collapses.

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On the Lobotomy issue, post A see post B. Post B see post A. You can't block a quantum pair communicator and one of the Corona lobes works in that capacity. So you first have to remove the intended receiver, then you have the block the signal against when the passenger switches to outright signal bombardment. Only then are they rendered powerless.

With 'most' of the process now in the hands of large teams of qualified professionals the act of making new Volunteer Capes is safer than ever and being used to mass produce capes selected solely from military and police backgrounds. These new capes work more like SWAT teams than Hero teams. They prefer to attack when the target is sleeping and then do so all at once with overwhelming force. They only move without intel when they have good reason to believe the cape in question presents a clear and present danger to innocent life, limb or liberty. The Triumvirate is frankly glad to have it out of their hands, they're emotionally and morally exhausted. Scion is gone. They want to retire and maybe deal with a few muggers every now and then for old time's sake. For now they assist when targets are proven to require their assistance.

The S9 took multiple fuel air bombs to the face. Crawler was later dropped on an empty earth in another dimension. Siberian is automatically considered to have survived but has shown no signs of resurfacing.

Not all natural triggers are caught. Strangers are disproportionately likely to go free. Masters are disproportionately likely to wind up in a morgue. A few key mandatory MRIs, while under sedation, like before starting college or after an incident that's consistent with a trigger event, catch most of the Natural Triggers, like Taylor, without any real fuss. The others are driven to conflict by their shard and inevitably pick a fight they can't win, or give away their location and get raided while they're sleeping. Otherwise, well, there is an organized resistance, but for the introductory phases that isn't really the point.

I'm not sure why you think a single thinker could bring it down. Part of going to the governments of the world is that the only 'conspiracy' is that useful and cooperative elements of both Cauldron and the Natural Triggers are being kept on as part and parcel of the Protectorate. "Do this or every living human dies a horrible death in the next two to three years," is rather compelling motivation for extreme measures and backed up by multiple known precogs. Since the Endbringers also suddenly disappeared, (Some crime analyst turned Thinker in Punxsutawney wound up with the shard and she's not really all that interested in getting into giant cape fights, but rather just likes bouncing ideas off all her new imaginary friends) they're also entering a period of rapid economic growth apparently thanks entirely to this plan.

The dome over Canberra covers a surprisingly isolated city that, before Ziz's attack (which for convenience of location I'll author fiat to happening a few years earlier), had a population over 380k, afterwards between evacuations and death toll it had half that. Unless they have an influx in the 80-100k range, there is more than enough room for everybody for at least a few generations. Their children are also allowed to leave eventually of their own volition. You can't trigger in Canberra after all. Anyways, the dome was already a sunk cost, and the tech to upgrade it was certainly expensive but also a useful prototype. The eventual goal is to cut off their planet entirely from 'possibly hostile' signals from other dimensions and secure the monopoly on granting powers once and for all.

Well, that's how it all lined up in my head anyways.

 

[Dreadis]

Still don't see it ever working when someone like Flechette can simply wear a poncho and a motorcycle helmet and simply sting her way through all opposition. She can't be the only one who can do things like that. It seems to me you are trying to apply Marvel logic to the human race. And in some countries this would work but in one like the US it would only lead massive protests and the entire government being fired next election day.

 

[DoggySoup]

Still don't see it ever working when someone like Flechette can simply wear a poncho and a motorcycle helmet and simply sting her way through all opposition.

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Her power is Sting, not Magic death-beam spam.

 

[Dreadis]

Her power is Sting, not Magic death-beam spam.

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Apply sting to poncho and helmet, Become immune to missiles/guns/everything.

 

[Nekraa]

...

1. Use Sting on stone.
2. Drop Sting!stone.
3. ???
4. Profit!!!!

 

[Snake/Eater]

so they went and gathered all of the parahumans and put them in our world's equivalent to MORDOR,so they would not cause the Apocalypse....they messed up

 

[DoggySoup]

Apply sting to poncho and helmet, Become immune to missiles/guns/everything.

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Bubble boy is not a poncho. I'd have expected her to try that in canon. Also; Telefragging abilities.

 

[Navrin]

Vista and Kid Win decide that they're going to pretend to be each other for a day. Surprisingly, they pull it off exceptionally well and fool essentially everyone, including each other's friends. Finding it great fun and interesting in a lot of ways, they continue doing it every so often, making sure to give each other reports on current events so they can pull off both lives effectively.

This eventually leads to the two of them in each-other's costumes versus the Undersiders... where their act doesn't catch Tattletale's attention and leads to the entire team being captured. In the process, though, the rest of the Wards learn about their little adventures.

 

[Peanuckle]

The idea just sits wrong with me. Natural triggers are people who have been victimized, devastated and destroyed. Then they get something that holds out a hand (while surreptitiously being an alien provocateur).

So this person who just went through the most traumatic thing ever is asleep in their bed, wondering if they can have a good life now, when suddenly a portal opens in their room and BlackOps tags'n'bags them. The next thing they know, they wake up in a small building with a bad headache and a scar on their forehead. It feels like you're kicking the dog, here. Sure, natural triggers can be predisposed to violence, and many of them turn to crime because of their trauma. But plenty of them became heroes or rogues, working with society and trying to master what happened to them. This is just cruel, to the point where I think "If this is what humanity has to do to survive, does it deserve to survive?"

I wonder if a second trigger would restore the Corona?

 

[DoggySoup]

bluh bluh huge fish

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On the other hand, it's probably the best damn thing for quite a few 1st gens, really.

Not all of them, but a few triggers would really enjoy the fact that they are out of the shitter when they get over the initial panic.

On that note I'm curious as hell about Taylor.

 

[Navrin]

Wasn't it shown that there were actually a LOT of natural triggers that lived lives so low-key that basically nobody knew they had powers in the first place during the whole "body-jack every Parahuman still alive" thing?

 

[evildice]

Unfortunately, this has the effect of merging everyone on a very basic level. When she tries to split them apart, having fixed the basic problem, she finds that the bodies, together or apart, have total mental communication, shared control of biology, an understanding of what the hell is going on, and Vicky's and Taylor's powers on top.

Amy and Vicky also know that Taylor was going to sell out the Undersiders, Vicky and Taylor know that Amy's desperately in love with Vicky, and Amy and Vicky know who and where Coil is.

Total sharing of information; they're basically now a four-way split personality. No-one has ascendance in control over their body(ies), so they have to learn to play nice together.

Hijinks ensue.

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I like it.

Presumably they'd also know that Lisa was recruited at gunpoint, which might make the heroic sisters more sympathetic towards her.

I could see the four of them deciding to break into Coil's base and kill him right now, interrupting Dinah's capture.

There's an interesting thought.

That would certainly knock everything off the rails. And mess people's loyalty all to hell. The NSFW possibilities are pretty obvious, but just the plot ramifications would be really interesting to follow. (For one thing, Amy is now probably Trump 8-9. And, due to the merging (unless I'm misreading) the other three are too. That would certainly get some attention.)

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They all have Lisa's power, so it'd be easy to justify never going NSFW (or in Vicky's words: "You ruined my sex life!")

Taylor having Vicky's aura at school would probably solve her social problems, even without the other powers.