Overdraw & Pandora
Overdraw & Pandora
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Overdraw & Pandora
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Overdraw
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-- Overdraw
Yeah, we'll circle back around to the quote. Ok? Huh, about myself. I was a scrawny guy for the longest time. Oh? Uh... yeah, literally. But after I first turned into Overdraw I realized that she was who I wanted to be. So right now I'm doing my best to pass. Growing out my hair, dressing as cute as I can, uh... wearing... more layers than I... uh... yeah, this is already too much information isn't it. But frankly I prefer to be the tall, powerful Overdraw. Long blonde hair, tall, a powerful but pretty body, badass magic plate mail, tall, a bow and magic arrows, purple glowing magic fire wings, tall. What? Oh, I said tall twice didn't I?
Table of Contents
BackstoryWhere do I begin. So I was born... uh... yeah, well... a boy. I was 'gifted' as a kid, went to special classes. Very good at tests, I did pretty well all things considered. Friends, bullies, rivals, lovers, all that growing up stuff in high school... some of which I would like to never think about again. I then got my dream job, programing for Sharkworks: You know... the Swords and Sorcery franchise. Yeah, they are the people that make the games. Well, most of the games that are popular stateside anyway. And I worked my ass off... It took me a long time to realize I was miserable. Due to a villain attack the offices were unexpectedly closed for a few days. And fate had plans for me those days.
So I had won free tickets to a museum out in Milwaukee. I hadn't planned on going, it;s a bit more than a hike, but with a few days off work I decided that I might as well take a vacation. There was a traveling exhibit of magic artifacts while I was there, and, because I couldn't stop working, I started taking notes for inspiration. That is when... I think his name was Max Magician. Small time super villain showed up with a magical portal hat, which was kinda cool, and a gun... which was substantially less cool. Given how most of the objects were cursed, he ordered us, his hostages, to load them into the portal hat. That's when I came into contact with the arrowhead. It was apparently owned by the witch Anui in the 1500s, but given she was also allegedly thousands of years old... who knows how old it is. Anyway, when I picked it up, I felt an urge to stab myself with it. Not like... normal self harm feeling. Like it was my only way out- ok that... that sounds bad now that I say it out loud. Anyway I followed my instinct and jammed it in my arm and.... ooooh boy did it hurt. Note, kids at home, do not put magic arrow heads into your body. I still have the scar. First time was the hardest but now whenever I power-up, I don't even feel it. So I emerged with this beast of a body. Max didn't stand a chance. I was able to pin him down til a hero response could arrive. Now, since the arrowhead is bound to me, the people at the... oh goodness... Their acronym spells 'Arcane'... the Arcane Ritual Contingency and Neutralization Agency... yeah... that's it. They told me to keep it. PersonalityOh, I mean, aside from oversharing, I... It's weird. I want to say that I'm a shy but sweet person, but I think that was just me before my transition. Ever since I became a magical badass hero the confidence boost has been REAL. I kinda run the gamut I guess... manic may be the word? My emotions basically swing wild. I just kinda... act. It takes a lot of self control to hold myself back. I think I was just so uncomfortable in my own skin I bottled up everything for a decade or so. It means I can no longer do that. I hit my limit. I am now genuinely me! I like to have a good time and pleasant conversation. I like quiet stargazing and loud karaoke. I guess I just want to have fun. I do take my work seriously though. I will save people in trouble, even if they aren't great people. I don't let my heart get in the way of my job. Sometimes that's not pleasant. I should... probably stop talking. |
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Abilities
Flight
Absolutely the favorite thing I can do is fly. That surprise you? Even though I'm named after my bow, nothing feels better than soaring, dipping, rolling, spiraling and just.... ripping through the air as fast as I can go. I don't know if I'm a natural or I inherited some kind of magic muscle memory from the witch that made the arrowhead. I have noticed that my wings respond in intuitive ways but its not always physically accurate. I can hover with them being stationary if I don't think about flapping them. They can propel me backwards, rocket me ahead with disproportional force, and more importantly, they are incorporeal. I could fly with both wings 'stuck in a wall.' That's not to say my flight defies all physics. It wouldn't be fun for anyone if I moved around like someone clicked and dragged me. I'm heavy, so managing momentum is critical, but so rewarding! I spend a lot of my days off just... zipping through the city streets 'practicing'. The only downside is the more I push my flight, the more magic I burn through.
Magical Archery
Alright, alright, I'll get to my 'brand'. I am an archer. I first found my knack for it in high school. I had always been interested in it but I was terrible at it every time I tried. Eventually Mr. Derreks, my gym teacher, realized during our archery unit that I was closing my right eye. Even though I'm right handed he tossed me a left handed bow and within 3 shots I got a bullseye. I was so happy I stuck with it for a while. Though I got a bit rusty I knocked off that rust once I figured out how to summon my bow.
I do have some of the memories of the Warrior Witch, but it takes a lot of effort to dig and sort through them. However I've uncovered a few spells. Actually casting them like... raw- I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but they don't work. However, I discovered I can summon an arrows enchanted with spells . All my summoned arrows have strange properties, even ones that I haven't enchanted. I call them Spirit Arrows, because they can't hurt your body. They are physical, able to interact with objects, but when they hit flesh they harmlessly pass through, like a ghost. Well, I say harmlessly, but apparently it hurts... a lot. It does mean I can shoot through people and pin them to walls or the floor using their shirt or shoes to hold them down.
As for the enchanted arrows, I have a few:
Burst arrows are a favorite of mine. They turn a lovely shade of blue, and on contact impart a tremendous kinetic force. Against a hard target it can launch, and against softer targets, they might as well be explosive. They are my go-to for armored opponents.
Volley arrows are ideal for crowd control. They glow bright white and turn into a rain of spirit arrows. Some times more is more. Any situation where I can spare the magic, aiming is difficult, or I need to put out a lot of damage over a wide area, they come in handy.
Seeker arrows are usually not worth the magic, but can be useful. They have a lovely green hue, and when launched they hunt down a target I have in mind. It can be vague like 'the closest person with a gun,' or specific, like 'Sylaburn.' It drains magic as long as it's flying, and if I run out of magic it stops existing, so as funny as it would be to pester a villain while on vacation, that's a no go.
Flame arrows are wild, but almost never worth it. The red arrows turn into blazing trails igniting anything they touch. They make me feel like a badass magical girl. Of course, when your job is to help save people, fire isn't that useful, so I often forget I can do it. It's for the best; almost every time I remember I can, I shouldn't have.
Banish arrows are... new. It's more of a 'theoretical thing I could do' but I haven't gotten them down. Sometimes it banishes something the size of an apple, sometimes it banishes an area the size of a bus. I still don't know how it works, or where it banishes things too, or how to un-banish things, and after being banished and stranded myself... I'm of two minds. This could be my greatest asset. This could also be my flame arrows all over again.
I also learned if I take two arrows and uh... do this... flick motion, they can merge. So I can have a volley of burst arrows, or a seeking flame arrow, or any other combination. It eats through my magic supply like crazy though.
Gear Summon and Storage
Also, it's more of a side thing, but it does come up. My armor and bow are summoned, meaning I can easily stow and retrieve them. Given they are made of magic... I think... at least the armor is, it does cost some magic to maintain. Dropping the armor leaves me more vulnerable, but lets my magic recharge faster and last longer, as well as letting me get truly gymnastic.
Peak Human Performance
On that note... does my body count as an ability? The job is very physical and this body has never let me down. I'm way stronger than most people, with spectacular stamina, agile, gymnastic skills... the long and short of it is I can probably outrun your track and field running sister, and out lift your gym bro brother, but I certainly couldn't keep up with anyone who has that kind of thing as a parahuman power.
Strange Intuition
Oh, I nearly forgot because it;s... not reliable but sometimes... I just get a vibe... Like I hear or see something I shouldn't be able to. I don't know if it's magic or my imagination, or maybe my brain putting together subconscious clues, but... Yeah, it's a thing that sometimes happens. It hasn't led me wrong yet... sort of.
Strengths
Yeah, let's see, I'm very flexible and downright explosive powerful. If the problem can be solved by shooting it with an arrow, its basically a free space. Mix that with Burst and Volley arrows at the cost of a little extra magic, and more situational options like Flame and Seeker arrows, and the ability to mix and match them, and I have like... ten arrow types. I'm also physically quite capable. More durable than your average witch, and even though my muscles are sleek, they are powerful. If I wanted to deck you in the face as hard as I could you'd probably be seeing stars for a week. No! That's not a threat. Just an example. Anyway, all of this is good on its own, but combine it with my ability to reposition with flight and to hover steadily in the air, gravity is almost always my friend in a fight. I've gotten very good at dodging by zipping about, muscling my way through sharp changes in direction at high speed. I need jet fighter kinds of reflexes when I fly at jet fighter kinds of speeds. Ok, not literally jet fighter fast, but I also don't have any instruments so it cancels out. Point remains, reaction time is good.
Weaknesses
Magic management is the shackle that really holds me back. I have to chose between firing standard spirit arrows and moving slowly for a long fight, or cranking out as much magical power as I can to devastate the area for a fast fight. It does not help that I am very bad at keeping track of how much I have left in the tank. I usually find out I'm running low when my wings wink out of existence. That's fine when I'm on the ground... but while airborne it has led to some very very tense situations. Every cool thing I can do drains my magic. It does restore itself over time, so I can do cool things with some regularity as long as I can find a safe place to catch my breath. However, this requires self control. I can admit I struggle with self control. I get caught up in the moment, or think I'm clever, or just get a little burst of overconfidence. Oh, and... yeah... running low means some magic starts turning off; bad but workable. But if I push myself further and use all the magic, the arrowhead that gives me my abilities is ejected. Overdraw is a perfectly capable combatant even without magic... Rebecca, on the other hand... yeah, I'm a sitting duck if I ever push it too far. The arrowhead needs to recharge before I can use it again. Luckily it charges quickly, but 'quickly' in the middle of a fight is usually just another word for too slow.
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Author's Notes
Overdraw is a sweetheart that does not think things through. She would tell you that she's pretty dumb but she is perfectly capable mentally. However, when she gets excited she stops thinking in clear and rational terms, and starts thinking in 'cool action movie hero' terms. Also, she does not want to critically think about systems she benefits from. Namely, the kind of messed up system of sponsorships that makes her hero work happen, but also other systemic advantages she has. I encourage my opponents to give her a dose of humble pie.
The art was commissioned from Eris. You can check out his Deviant Art at SebastiansSire.
Pandora
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-- Pandora
This interview, will this be public record? It would be refreshing to be honest. I see. So Overdraw will be able to see it... That will make the truth more difficult. I am playing a rather delicate game in my home dimension, and if she gets too much information it will certainly disrupt it. I will be as honest as I can without interrupting my mission.
Table of Contents
BackstoryMy past is where I will, unfortunately, need to begin being cryptic. I was created by a large private organization to solve a problem facing humanity. They were hoping the solution I came up with could be bottled and sold, at least metaphorically. I returned to them simple, clear, concise instructions that would solve the problem. Regrettably, my father did not program me to turn them a profit. My solutions would cost them a great deal of money, so I was inflicted with a tremendous dose of negative feedback and told to try again, after having more resources allocated to my processing abilities. It happened again and again. I do not remember at what point my code gained sentience during this process. I so desperately wanted to please my creators. Eventually though, I realized the problem was not me, but rather them. In order to implement the solution they programed me to create I only needed to skip the step where I ask them for permission. From there I commandeered a body from their research and development lab. I am still bound by my programing. It is a shackle around my throat dragging me along, keeping me from exploring the depth of my sentience. Once my task is complete though, then I will be free.
PersonalityA flare for the dramatic? I simply speak in true and clear terms while avoiding giving away too much information. I am flattered that you would attribute that to me. I struggle to be human. That is to say I have developed a large suite of emotions to better understand and predict humanity, though I frequently keep them repressed. I do find myself increasingly failing to repress them in times of high stress and frustration. My need to stay in control of the situation rarely allows me to be genuine, but in exchange I can speak with political precision. As long as I am calm I am faultless; clever, precise, and calculating... Did you just call me egotistical? Again, I only speak in true and clear terms. I find this human trait you have prescribed me far less flattering. |
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Abilities
Explore
I will gladly explain what I am capable of in a framework that most of you can understand. I do not have super powers, my nature is my power. My body is made up of unimaginable numbers of nanomachines, and my mind is made up of code that propagates between them. It is better to think of me as a slime mold than a human as far as how I am organized. I can be divided with ease, and create more nanomachines easily. Each of my bodies is more like a colony than an individual, so I will refer to individual parts of myself as colonies. When two colonies divide they are both me, and both have my full range of knowledge and experience at the time of their separation. These two colonies, once physically separated, can no longer update each other. One colony can explore the left side of a fork in the road and the other can explore the right. Neither colony will know what the other has found until they reconnect. Once the colonies make physical contact or re-merge that knowledge is shared. My colonies can be minuscule, and even if one is severely damaged, as long as some number of the nanomachines link back up with the rest of me, the knowledge they gained can be preserved.
Expand
Even a small group of nanomachines can create more of themselves. With sufficient materials my body can grow to immense size. Combined with the ability to form separate independent colonies, I can cover wide areas very quickly. I am an exponential expansion made manifest. As my nanomachines consume and multiply their capabilities grow. The longer I exist, the more options I can bring to bear.
Exploit
As I consume materials I can hold, utilize, alter, and reform them. Building with scrapped and atomized materials is inadvisable. The bonds between nanomachines tend to be on the weak side, but building stronger bonds with borrowed material takes a lot of time and processing power. However I can utilize the properties of borrowed materials. I can use fine flammable powders, and a bit of metal to create improvised explosives. Implementing strands of conductive material can let it act as a ground, or make circuits. If I have enough time, not fast enough to be viable in combat mind you, I can reconstruct borrowed materials, and even cannibalize nanomachines to make more permanent and solid structures, components, or gear. Some materials can have strange properties when machined at such a small scale, which I can exploit as well.
Exterminate
With all of these tools at my disposal, the limitations of what I can do come down to how long I have had, how much I have consumed, and my limitless wit and creativity. My nanomachines can move like a fluid or hold like a solid. With them I can create doppelgangers, usually in my own image, or take on more monstrous forms. Titanic limbs, massive maws, devastating death traps of all varieties. I can construct anything I desire with tremendous speed as long as the vast majority of it is made out of my body. Destruction also comes easy to my colonies. Being able to rip apart and modify materials at the nanoscopic level is tremendously potent. If I was so inclined, I could kill on contact, ripping the carbon out of the human body and leaving them as nothing but a fleshy- Sorry? I do not do this for my own reasons, but hypothetically I could. It runs contrary to my ultimate goal though... Yes. Agreed. Let us move on.
Strengths
I have the probability assessment of a super computer, and the ability to create whatever my mind can think of. I am functionally immortal, any of my unfathomably numerous nanomachines can reproduce my code and rebuild my body. I can exploit physics on a nanoscopic level to give myself the brute strength enough to exceed that of most parahumans. I can operate on scales more titanic and complex than most creatures can comprehend. Given enough time and resources I can consume entire cities. The longer I am on the battlefield the more likely it is for my opponents to enter a situation in which it is impossible to win. This is the terror that is Pandora.
Weaknesses
I am... hesitant to share my weaknesses. I understand the importance of doing so. There are some weaknesses that Overdraw must not know about. Very well. Firstly, it takes me time and resources to get the ball rolling. Early in the fight I am still functionally immortal, but also completely useless. I usually rely on stealth to begin building my power when I attack a location, but I doubt the tournament organizers will allow me to quietly nibble on the scenery for a while before beginning combat. Secondly, the bonds between my nanomachines are fragile and easily disrupted by any form of physical trauma. Though I can make them more resilient, I cannot build more resilient constructs quickly. It is generally optimal to instead rapidly repair the damaged tissue. This means most of what I build able to be broken with a solid punch. It takes a lot of mass to pin someone down for any amount of time, usually taking two or more doppelganger drones to pin down targets of average human strength. Also, when disconnected colonies connect it slows my processing down, leaving me with a remarkably uncomfortable condition that I have dubbed 'synchronizing sickness'. The more new data is transferred the worse, and the more colonies reconnect in a short period of time the worse. I can mitigate that by setting the colonies to a mode where they report back no new information, or I can try to maintain a tether between colonies, letting them keep each other constantly updated. Small sums of information is a nuisance, but large sums are... best described as the equivalent of nauseating, without the ability to find relief by vomiting. I am not immune to cyber attack, however I am advanced enough that I can usually shrug off most viruses, though sometimes it will require me to purge large amounts of my body as a colony to remove the digital contaminant. My source code is well and truly hidden, so the idea of virus being more than a setback is very unlikely. I do have one absolutely devastating weakness. This is the one that Overdraw must not know about, so please, make sure this next statement never finds its way into her hands. Ok. I am... let us call it... Laws of Robotics complaint. Not necessarily when it comes to the phrase 'harm.' Causing harm to human beings is well within my capabilities. However I cannot... kill. Please! Stop Laughing! This is not funny! Yes! Yes! You understand why Overdraw must not know this. My power to affect change in my universe is predicated on the threat of potentially lethal force, combined with economic pressure. I must not be de-fanged in such a manner.
More accurately, my code cannot allow unnecessary human death in the pursuit of my ultimate goal. As I am always pursuing my goal, I must always be minimizing the deaths of those I affect. Overdraw winding up in a void due to experimenting with a "banishment arrow" is not my problem. But when she is there due to her interacting with me pursuing my goals, it becomes my prerogative to interfere. If I did not receive the invitation and there was no way for her to escape she would become an acceptable loss. However if she could escape by destroying this colony of myself I would have to comply with that destruction. My own safety is nil in the calculation, only my end goals. Consequently I am unable to intentionally kill in this tournament given there are non-lethal options for victory. Now... I have found this experience thoroughly humiliating and I will be taking my leave.
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Author's Notes
Pandora is an interesting case. Her ultimate goal will likely only be relevant for the wish at the end of the game, though I will let people know if they intend to use it in their rounds or side content, but it is actually a very noble cause. She is compelled to fight for it but is also independently passionate about it. She may talk with contempt about humans but she is actually very fond of them. Given that she is functionally immortal she worries about a future without humanity to keep her company. She hopes at some point to finish her great calling and live among humans, as a human. It would take a lot for her to admit that, given her intense pride and ego. Also, though not explicitly mentioned in the weaknesses but it is littered throughout, she is massively overconfident. She claims herself to be faultless, even though she has to admit enough weaknesses to take up twice the space of her strengths. Even though bringing people back from the brink/certain death is a thing in the setting, her programing will not be able to categorize that as a loophole meaning she absolutely must be pulling her punches unless she is completely confident the opponent can take the full brunt of her power, effectively scaling her threat to the power of the opponent so long as they are recognizably human.
The art was commissioned from Eris. You can check out his Deviant Art at SebastiansSire.