User blog:GrandMethuselah67/World-1: The Neo-Methuselahverse

NOTE: This is a personal project (and work in progress). A lot of names/concepts will be reused from my previous world-building progress, but everything is ultimately new.

Preface: World War 2 saw the invention of the Nuclear Bomb, which was used to end the conflict between the United States of America and Japan. Scientists did not know the effect that the two nuclear bombs would have on the atmosphere, but after using them, the world seemed completely fine.

Little did they know, they had changed their universe forever.

For a fraction of a fraction of a second, the nuclear bombs "tore open" reality, creating a momentary break in the overall structure of reality. Although this was for an incomprehensibly short amount of time, it was long enough for extradimensional forces to leak into reality.

The first superhero appeared in 1948 after the war. This hero, the Samaritan, was incredibly powerful, able to alter the very economics of reality with his mind. His heroism and benevolence had inspired other people with powers, neohumans, to rise and defend those who couldn't help themselves. The heroes of Earth, regardless of race, creed, or nationality was united under the Samaritan.

The forces of good, however, were largely opposed by a neohuman supergenius engineer called Pathrazer. His intelligence was only matched with his malevolence, and throughout this first heroic age -- called the Golden Age by historians, the world was a stage for an epic conflict between good and evil: The Samaritan, who defended the Earth and was its champion, versus Pathrazer, who wanted to dominate the rule and force it to conform to his beliefs.

While a time of great heroism and great villainy, the Golden Age was also an age of rapid technological advancement. Engineer-class neohumans -- that is, neohumans with abilities relating to the construction of technology that defies the laws of physics -- had pioneered massive leaps forward in technological progress, making the modernization of mankind much faster than it was in our world. The moon landing happened in 1958, and from the moon landing, a moon colony was created. Humanity first went to mars in 1965.

The Tomorrow Society, a league of multiethnic and multinational superheroes, had formed under the Samaritan to defend mankind from evil, be it terrestrial or extraterrestrial. This Golden Age ended in 1968, when the final conflict between the Samaritan and Pathrazer ended with the death of the Samaritan. The entire world was devastated, and Pathrazer went in hiding to manipulate things behind the scenes.

From the end of the Golden Age, the Silver Age began. The Tomorrow Society disbands in 1970 due to ethnic and national tensions, as well as the lack of suitable leadership after the death of the Samaritan. Now neohumans claim national or ethnic allegiance, making social and political tensions grow. Now that the Cold War has the element of humans with superpowers, governments grow increasingly more authoritarian. Due to the growing tensions on Earth, the colonies on other planets are left to their own devices for the most part. A colony on Mars forms in 1972, and achieves independence in 1979. More space exploration, pioneered by private companies rather than governments (who are largely focused on proxy wars or halting the spread of Communism) begins, with colonies forming on the Jovian moons by 1978.

In this Silver Age, superheroes become political figures as well as celebrities. They fight in wars, with the Vietnam War being the first war fought with neohumans, using a group of "superhero" mercenaries called the Iron Vanguard. This had created a devastating and terrifying precedent in human politics and war, with many superheroes quitting the job and becoming lawless mercenaries hired by various governments.

The 80s sees the end of the Silver Age with the UN having most governments completely outlaw private superhero activity. Any "superheroes" are largely government employees now.

In 1981, supervillain activity skyrockets due to the harsh regulation on costumed superheroes. Cold War tensions and activities grind to a halt due to the massive crime issues in each nation's borders. The beginning of neohuman feudalism marks the beginning of the Bronze Age, an age where powerful supervillains take the law into their hands and rule massive territories, with bureaucratically-choked governments still finding a way to integrate neohumans into law enforcement opposing them. This also sees the creation of a class of superheroes called "vigilantes", which are superheroes that work outside the law to oppose supervillains (and sometimes government-controlled neohumans). They are, arguably, the only reason supervillains begin to lose at all.

Outside of Earth, the rapid development of the solar system begins. Independent colonies become city states or republics onto themselves, launching their own exploration efforts across the solar system. Now 1% of the human race lives off world, with half of them being born off world. The end of the Bronze Age is the beginning of the Dark Age, with an event that changes the world forever.

February 18th, 1990, a being that scientists now call "Jotnar" had appeared off the coast of Japan. Its name is now only mentioned in fearful whispers or legends, called Kaijuu. This being, possessing overwhelming powers beyond any of the neohumans at that time, had completely sunk the nation of Japan beneath the waves, killing millions. From there, the Jotunn attacks increased exponentially, with it going from one attack per year to one attack for every seasonal change on Earth. Governments all around the world enter a state of emergency, with the wholesale destruction of multiple cities being the best case scenario for Jotnar attacks. Many governments and nation-states collapse either due to the influx of refugees, or plain fear and distrust in the government.

As Jotnar attacks begin to happen on other planets as well, with the first Jotnar attack in Venus happening as early as 1995, the Council of Sol forms from a coalition of the remaining governments of Earth, Mars, and Venus. The entire solar system unites as the Federation of Sol. The Federation reels back old regulations on superhero activity, allowing private neohuman citizens to operate independently as superheroes again for the purpose of fighting back the Jotnar and the remaining supervillain barons. By 1996, neohuman feudalism is completely eradicated, freeing hundreds of people.

In 1998, a Jotnar called the Corruption completely renders Earth uninhabitable, killing 78% of the human and neohuman population. Earth is now lost. Refugees from Earth flee to Mars and Venus, and the capital of Sola Longia is created on Mars at the base of Olympus Mons, becoming the city with the densest superhero population.

'''The year is 2035. '''The New Heroic Age had begun in 2005. Things seem to have calmed down, with law and order being restored to humanity. The Department of Neonormal Affairs and their military branch, the Parahero Defense Force, had been established in order to keep private and government-sponsored superheroes accountable. Jotunn attacks still happen randomly throughout the solar system, with potential hundreds of thousands still dying on a good day, and colonies outright disappearing, millions dying on a bad day. Humans have learned to cope with the reality they live in. Superheroes are restored to a mostly celebrity status, though politics and corruption is rampant within superhero culture.

Society:
Politics:

The Federation of Sol has four branches of government: the Senate (Legislative), the Administration (Executive), the High Courts (Judicial), and the Directorate (Regulatory).

The Senate has the purpose of proposing legislation and holding "debates" for the President. The Administration enforces laws and is headed by the President, who represents the Federation of Sol in any extraterrestrial affairs. The High Courts interpret the law on a case-by-case basis and is headed by four High Judges who hear cases when it gets to them.

The Directorate is the regulatory branch of the government, as in regulation of the government. It has the duty of seeing to it that the government follows the constitution, and has the ability to make government officials resign, dissolve government, or appoint new officials. Whenever the government makes a significant change to legislation, the Director must first approve it.

There is no voting at the federal level in the Federation. Government officials are generally granted their position by promotion -- in other words, in order for a citizen to become a senator, they must first be promoted through the civil service. Senators vote on who the next President will be from a group of appointed civil servants being considered for promotion to that position, and the president appoints High Judges. The Director is elected by the High Judges, and serves for life. Senators and the President serve for a maximum of two for year terms, and the High Judges serve a maximum of two eight-year terms. Culture:

The culture of the Federation of Sol is much like our own, if not more rapidly consumerist with a larger pop culture due to the desperate need of the average citizen to not think about the Jotnar. Superheroes are seen as celebrities, with their words and actions every bit as important as a politician's, if not more so. Movies, TV, and other forms of media had changed to fit the superhero boom of the New Heroic Age starting in 2005. Pop culture has seemingly become the prevailing form of culture.

The Department of Neonormal Affairs has the duty of controlling PR for government-sponsored superheroes. Many private superheroes have their own PR and legal teams, with corporate-sponsored and government-sponsored superheroes having the largest. At best, they schedule interviews and perhaps movie or book deals. At worst, they cover up scandals.

Many superheroes and superhero teams all come together in the name of a particular "theme" or "ideal", essentially a gimmick that the public can latch onto. For example, there is a superhero group called the Nuclear Order that bands together in the name of the family unit or traditional values (with their name being derived from the term "nuclear family"). There is a government-sponsored team of teenage superheroes called the Young Sentinels designed to cater to or market to the younger audiences. Typically, the best way to get citizenry behind a particular idea or concept is to have a popular superhero endorse it.

Sola Longia:
Sola Longia is the megacity capital of the Federation of Sol. The city rests at the base of Olympus Mons and is the size of the United States, packed with a population of two billion people. The city is so massive that it is divided into semi-autonomous "districts". Many important places are in Sola Longia, such as the Council of Sol HQ (where the chambers of the various branches of government are), and the headquarters of the Neohuman Society, the government-sponsored superhero organization of neohumans.

Sola Longia is powered entirely by Olympus Mons, and thus has a clean, efficient source of energy. Most of the population of the Sol Federation lives in Sola Longia, making it the largest city in the solar system. As it is the largest city, it is also the most diverse, containing the highest density of Earth refugees (or families descended from refugees), as well as the city with the most pervasive superhero culture.

Hero and Villain Teams:
Heroes:

The Neohuman Society: The Neohuman Society is the largest government-sponsored superhero team in the solar system, boasting over one thousand members. The Neohuman Society works closely with the Council of Sol and the Department of Neonormal Affairs, making sure that superheroes remain accountable and "good" in the public eye. As a result, the Neohuman Society has a lot of sway in terms of superhero laws and regulations. All neohumans are required to register with them. Regularly, the Neohuman Society holds training classes to teach neohumans how to control their powers.

Many have issues with the Neohuman Society, of course. Since they are the "superhero establishment", they have many rules and regulations they are required to follow. Corruption is rampant within the Neohuman Society, which is often swept under the rug due to the organization's obsession with image. The Neohuman Society has a sub-organization called the Young Sentinels, who are a group of teenage superheroes that work on the "lesser cases" of the Neohuman Society. Whenever they age to 18, they are promoted to a position in the Neohuman Society proper. Most cities in the Sol Federation have a Neohuman Society division, with that specific division being identified by their city name (ex: New York Division, London Division, etc.). Sola Longia, due to its sheer size, has a Neohuman Society Division for each district.

The Nuclear Order: A non-government sponsored coalition of affiliated superhero families. The Nuclear Order is entirely private and small-scale. At its smallest, it operates as a neighborhood watch run by neohuman families. At its largest, they operate in entire cities along with the Neohuman Society. The theme of the Nuclear Order is a superhero group that stands for traditional, family-friendly values. Many of them are middle class or lower-middle class "dynasties" (superhero families with variants of the same power).

Another theme of the Nuclear Order is full accountability and transparency. Each member of the Nuclear Order has a completely public identity. Their files and personal lives are made public for the sole purpose of remaining transparent and accountable. As a result, they are as obsessed with public image as the Neohuman Society is, and suffer more when it comes to scandals.

Because they are a private superhero coalition and not government-sponsored, they have to follow the same rules and regulations as normal citizens. As a result, they are not allowed to murder or assault. Their role is to subdue until the proper authorities arrive.

Nightwatch: One of the more controversial "superhero groups". Nightwatch is a coalition of several gangs headed by a band of vigilantes that are devoted to doing good better than the above two groups by using the methods of supervillains. In the eyes of Nightwatch, the Superhero Establishment is corrupt and too concerned with image to effectively fight off crime and the Jotun, so they operate outside of the law. Nightwatch is, at worst, treated like a supervillain group and is, at best, tolerated by the government for the purpose of taking down worse groups (which they are incredibly good at). The methods of Nightwatch are simple: control street crime and "supercrime" (that is, supervillain crime) by assimilating criminal organizations, taking them over, and maintaining heavy control over them and their territory to ensure they no longer commit crime (or at the very least, the crime they do commit is largely victimless).

The result of this formula is one of the most powerful "gangs" in the Solar System, spanning across multiple planets. Their leaders bring up uncomfortable memories of neohuman feudalism, but their intentions are entirely good and selfless. They simply wish to clean up neighborhoods, they just have an often ruthless and, at worse, extreme approach to doing it.

Kappa Fleet: A union between the Neohuman Society and the Department of Neonormal Affairs, Kappa Fleet is a neohuman space force designed to address threats to the Solar System before they get to Sol. They largely deal with extradimensional and extraterrestrial threats, and due to the nature of the job, it has a very high mortality rate. The Kappa Fleet also fight Jotnar that originate from outside planets (which tend to be the most powerful ones). As a result, they are seen as extremely brave. Members of Kappa fleet are given regular psychological evaluations to ensure their mental health as they brave the dangers of the outer solar system.

Many members of Kappa Fleet come back completely changed, either physically or mentally. This is called Void Syndrome, and is expected to be the result of exposure to extradimensional energies or plain old isolation. Either way, extensive care goes to members of Kappa Fleet for Void Syndrome, and the more gruesome details of their job are kept secret from the public, in order to not deter people from joining.



Alpha Team: The Alpha Team is a division of the Neohuman Society composed of the most powerful heroes in the Solar System. They are the ones automatically called to any Jotnar attack, and most of them have leadership positions within their respective divisions. Whenever the Alpha Team is called to gather, it is usually due to a Doomsday Scenario, so that they can get rid of the threat.

Members of the Alpha Team are celebrities among celebrities. Members of the Neohuman Society proper look up to members of Alpha Team. Among the public, they are seen as beacons of hope, and thus they all have a strict image to maintain (regardless of their individual issues/personality flaws). Each member of Alpha Team is a leader of a division on their own, and each shows a level of leadership in any situation that they find themselves in.

Villains:

The Camarilla: A powerful coalition of Neohuman supervillains, many of which thrived during the Bronze Age of Neohuman feudalism. The Camarilla is a secret order of supervillains that have pawns within government and individual superhero teams. Their goals vary, but are generally chalked up to complete and total domination of the Solar System. The Camarilla is really a rogue faction from a secret organization called Black Spiral that used to be called the 1st Directorate. Since then, they have been taken over by the villainess known as Chessmistress and their individual talents have turned to evil ends.

The public at large is scarcely aware of the Camarilla. Many of their supervillain members are Doomsday-tier themselves. They are considered a Doomsday-class supervillain, with their numbers and talents being overwhelming enough to reach their desired goals. However, their constant in-fighting results in their goals never being achieved, as is expected with an organization driven by megalomaniacs.

Taboo: Reviled by hero and villain alike is Taboo, a murder-cult of neohuman serial killers composed of society's "elite". Taboo has many businessmen, doctors, and celebrities among their number, each being a neohuman that had lost their sanity at some point or another. Taboo is devoted to performing "the most evil, depraved acts in human history", acts from murder to bestiality. Taboo is devoted to embodying the "taboos" of society, and thus they see themselves as truly free. Taboo worships its leader, the Fool, and their activity waxes and wanes seemingly at random. Nobody has ever been able to identify a member of Taboo, nor have they caught them in their civilian identity. Taboo is considered a threat on par with the Jotnar, and heroes and villains often band together to take them down whenever they show up. Many members of Taboo are extremely powerful neohumans, so their presence demands the Alpha Team assembles.

As a result, Taboo are considered the archenemies of the Alpha Team. The Fool himself is a massively depraved human being that does things only to be known as the most reviled and feared neohuman in history.

The Vox Populi: A group of anarchist terrorists that are very much obsessed with theatrics. The Vox Populi is one part gang, one part supercrime terrorist cell that seeks to completely destabilize society and create a utopia without government. Their anarcho-usurpist ideology makes them the most dangerous, seeing the crimes they commit (which range from destruction of property, to drug/arms trafficking) as legitimate forms of protest against the government. They are significantly lower on the threat scale than the above two organizations and barely register as "supercrime".

The Green Serpent Gang: The Green Serpent Gang is a "mega-triad" (a triad composed of smaller triads) led by the supervillainess Butterfly. The Green Serpent Gang is a terrorist organization that deals in organized crime, specifically human trafficking, the drug trade, and the arms trade. They are seen by the Department of Neonormal Affairs as a large threat to civilization, and thus is primarily dealt with by the Neohuman Society.They are also constantly at odds with organizations such as Nightwatch, which had been expanding into their territory.



The Bloody Crown: An old and secret organization of neohuman assassins and hitmen who have goals similar to the Camarilla. Nobody knows of the Bloody Crown unless they are a target. Period. Anyone who comes to gain knowledge of the Bloody Crown finds themselves rapidly becoming a target. As a result, the Crown holds spies in potentially all of the above organizations. Their internal structure is based heavily on might makes right, with the strongest of the organization (and his family) rising to power via trial by combat. Their resources are potentially bottomless, with many of their members being the rich and powerful.



Deus Vult: Formerly a church militant vigilante group, now a full on villain group, Deus Vult is a gang of xenophobic, religious extremists that see neohumans as "unclean" and thus kills them on sight (unless they are part of their organization, of course). They see the Jotnar as archangels sent by God to punish mankind for their wicked deeds, and thus believe fully that the destruction of neohumans will see the end of Jotnar attacks. Deus Vult is the organization with the most human membership, with neohumans being deterred from the organization for obvious reasons.

In truth, Deus Vult is like all other criminal organizations, with its inner circle largely not believing the doctrine that the group pushes. They cooperate with other supervillain groups, but they make it known their intention is to completely wipe out the Neohuman population so that they are the only ones left.

The Jotnar:
The Jotnar (pronounced: yo-tnar) are an anomaly. No scientists have managed to discern their origins, and Savant-type (precognitive) neohumans have attempted to divine their origins, but only get painful feedback or, in some cases, pure madness in return. Many believe the Jotnar to be "Golden Lambs", manifestations of mankind's vices come to destroy them. The prevailing theory is that they are extradimensional entities from flawed universes that are "missing something", and thus manifest in this universe with a ravenous hunger that cannot be satisfied.

In truth, the Jotnar are a manifestation of mankind's innate psychic potential, which had been awakened after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As mankind grew more collectively powerful, capable of warping the fabric of reality by their deepest subconscious desires, the Jotnar have come as a more self-destructive manifestation of human nature. They embody misanthropy, fear, the desire for death. They exist merely to give mankind what they desire: something to unite against, something to give their lives excitement.

The physiology of Jotnar is extremely bizarre. They, for the most part, completely lack internal organs. Their hides are typically as durable as steel, and are composed of "layers", each layer exponentially harder than the last. Their very core is made of neutronium (scientists have not figured out how their presence doesn't mess with gravity), and their inner cores are dimensional portals that lead into entire other universes. If one of the Jotnar is sufficiently wounded, they can convert matter from their inner core to repair themselves at an extremely high rate. Many Jotnar do not need longer than three days to fully heal.

These are the types of Jotnar:

Leviathans: Jotnar of the sea. Leviathans typically have intelligence matching that of animals, and thus can be driven off with tactics alone. Though, this doesn't mean that they aren't dangerous, nor should they be underestimated. Many leviathans are much smarter than they seem, and they also have insurmountable strength and speed to match. On average, leviathans possess abilities such as macrohydrokinesis (the ability to manipulate water at massive scales), and control of the tectonic plates. The power of a Leviathan is no joke, and the appearance of one can still lead to millions dead. Leviathans on average are considered a continent-level threat. Many Leviathans appear like sea creatures, with Kaiju being a mix of a sea serpent and a crocodile. Some have octopus-like physiologies.



Wyrms: Jotnar of the Earth. Wyrms can be anything from sand-worms, to gigantic, eldritch moles, to humanoid Jotnar with bizarre features. Wyrms are larger than Leviathans, and often have intelligence rivaling that of humans, making them capable of more complex tactics. The abilities of Wyrms usually range from energy manipulation or the manipulation of fundamental forces to environmental manipulation and Engineer-type abilities. Wyrms are often slower than Leviathans, but are much stronger and extremely dangerous. On average, they are a multi-continental threat.

Starspawned Savants: The rarest but most startlingly powerful of the Jotun-types. Starspawned Savants are incredibly intelligent, with minds beyond the average human, even supergeniuses in the Federation of Sol. They are capable of tactics and tend to hatch decade-long plans, favoring the long game over immediate damage. They are great tacticians, with many having Savant-type (mental) or meta-type (superpower manipulating) abilities. Starspawned Savants originate from the depths of outer space, and are mostly dealt with by Kappa Fleet. Whenever a Starspawned Savant attacks a colony or outpost, all communication to that outpost is entirely cut off. This is because the Starspawned Savants have a habit of creating sleeper agents within their attacks to sew chaos and paranoia into societies. Starspawned Savants, despite being the most powerful, cause the least immediate damage (even though they are fully capable of annihilating planets). They are often the controllers of lesser Jotnar, and in the long term they cause the most damage out of any of the above types.

Power Classification System:
Earlier on in this sheet, you may have seen me use words like "Engineer-type" or "Savant-type". The Department of Neonormal Affairs has come up with an official classification and tier-list for powers. The ratings go from 1-12, with 1 being the weakest variant of that power-type and 12 being the strongest recorded variant. It is possible for these types to go above 12, but it is extremely rare, with many of the above-12 cases being Jotnar or Golden Age heroes, such as the Samaritan.

On a superhero profile, their power classification is often listed. For example, the Samaritan has been officially classified as a Level 13 Warper and a Level 12 Brute for his large-scale Reality Warping abilities and his superhuman condition, allowing him to lift several megatons. Keep in mind that a single power can have multiple classifications. For example, telekinesis would be considered a Level 10 Ranger ability, a level 3 Traveler ability due to its ability of levitation, and potentially any other classification due to the versatility of the ability, depending on the fine control.

The below are the classifications:

Traveler: Abilities that allow for travel from one place to another in a superhuman manner. Abilities such as super speed, flight, levitation, and teleportation are Traveler-type abilities. The weakest abilities would be "blinking" (short-range teleportation) or simple enhanced speed. Stronger abilities would be long-range teleportation, flight or running beyond the speed of light, or the ability to create wormholes.

Warper: Abilities that warp the user's surroundings. Most reality warping abilities are warper-type abilities, but that isn't the only type of ability that would go under "warper". Some abilities, such as environmental manipulation and weather manipulation are considered warp-type abilities. A weaker warp-type ability would be something like the ability to control heat within a localized area. A stronger warp-type ability would be something that allows the user to manipulate storms, warp reality, or bend space and time.

Meta: Superpowers that manipulate other superpowers. Neohumans with meta-classification abilities can copy, disrupt, or change existing superpowers. Meta-type powers are very powerful, but they cannot exist on their own, and must exist in the presence of other powers. Weaker meta powers are powers that allow neohumans to know the powers of other neohumans, while stronger ones allow the neohuman to negate, absorb, or bestow upon themselves any power.

Ranger: Superpowers that allow the user to attack at a range. Powers such as heat vision, lightning projection, or other types of energy beam projection fall under the ranger-type. Ranger powers exclusively work at a distance, and thus don't have any tactile applications. Weaker ranged powers allow the neohuman to manipulate heat at a distance, while stronger ones involve projection of hard-light blasts or telekinesis.

Brute: Bodily superpowers that do not involve the changing of the neohuman's shape, but rather enhancement of pre-existing abilities. Powers such as superhuman strength, invincibility, and regeneration exist under the Brute classification. Generally, any ability that enhances the user's physical capabilities without the use of shapeshifting would fall under Brute, whether it be enhanced strength, physical empowerment, etc.

Engineer: Powers that involve the creation of advanced technology that may or may not defy the laws of physics. Engineers usually have a "specialization", a type of machine they can use their Engineer powers on. Engineers don't necessarily have to exclusively be machines either, many Engineers are "biologists" that can manipulate the building blocks of matter.

Toucher: Touchers are neohumans who's abilities work via physical contact. This can cover powers from tactile telepathy to phasing through objects, to tactile telekinesis. Many toucher abilities lose effect once the neohuman is no longer in contact with their target, but some can "program" their power to keep working after touch.

Polymorph: Polymorphs are neohumans with the ability to change their physiology or shapeshift. This power doesn't have to be merely shapeshifting, it can also be self-cellular or molecular manipulation, or the generation of organic constructs.

Administrator: Powers that allow for the manipulation of other entities, be they living or non-living, existing or summoned. Administrator-type powers are abilities such as mind control, summoning, self-replication, or rule manipulation. Abilities such as puppeteering and self-mental supremacy would also be administrator-type powers.

Illusionist: Powers that manipulate the senses or perception. Some applications of light manipulation or telepathy fall under the Illusionist class. Weaker illusionists can create simple, static images. Stronger ones can control the senses of others to create hallucinations.

Stalker: Stalker-type neohumans are neohumans with powers geared mostly towards stealth. Stalker powers would include the ability to turn invisible, sound suppression, or making people forget about you or your face. Stronger stalker powers would allow the user to exist outside of time and space, or control the way others percieve them.

Kinetic: An umbrella term for any power that controls a form of matter, energy, or force (sometimes even concepts). Many neohumans are kinetic-types, and they can include fire manipulation, light manipulators, or water manipulators. A kinetic specifically controls a matter, an energy, or a force, and thus powers like Mental Manipulation ("psychic energy" doesn't exist) do not qualify as Kinesis-type powers.

Savant: Neohumans with mental powers, and neohumans with the ability to easily pick up skills. Savant-type abilities are things such as intuitive aptitude, psychometry, mind reading, and precognition. They also include neohumans with superhuman intelligence. Savants can be the most dangerous type of Neohuman.

The Nature of Superpowers: the Three Monarchs:
Superpowers are "given". They come as a result of contact with one of the Three Monarchs (or, rarely, sheer willpower) visiting one either during a Quantum Event (a small, temporary break in reality much like what happened during the bombing of Hiroshima or Nagasaki) or during a dream. The Monarchs are three higher dimensional beings that reside in a dimension called the Psychosphere, which is a construct made from the collective thoughts of all life within the multiverse. These Monarchs are nigh-omnipotent and nigh-omniscient, and each compete for total dominance of the Psychosphere.

Keep in mind that none of the Three Monarchs could truly be called good or evil. They are sentient cosmological concepts that simply are, and wish to perpetuate their existence by asserting their psychic presence in the Psychosphere, giving them control of all of reality by dominating the minds of sentient beings. The Monarchs are incapable of directly affecting the physical multiverse due to ancient and largely unknown laws that bind them, and thus give people superpowers to act as their proxies. They create something called an "Astral Shadow", basically a symbiotic, psychic construct that exists within the Psychosphere, allowing the neohuman to assert their will and manifest superpowers into the physical plane. Astral Shadows are sentient in and of themselves, and possess a fragment of the Monarch's essence. Some Astral Shadows can communicate with their hosts, some are "dead" and thus give their hosts a weaker version of their intended power. As the neohuman grows in power, the Astral Shadow grows and gains more influence over the Neohuman's personality.

A side-effect of gaining powers is nightmares. Each neohuman experiences visceral, terrifying nightmares because their Astral Shadow transports them to the unconscious realms of one of their Monarch.

Each neohuman has an "obligation" given to them by the Monarchs. Basically, whenever a power is granted by them, they take a "piece" of the host of the power with them. This results in the neohuman's sanity being compromised, and whatever issue they have will grow and grow as they get more powerful (think the With Great Power comes Great Insanity trope). Furthermore, powers are fueled by a given emotion or action depending on the Monarch that grants them. It is through the above two things that individual Monarchs influence neohumans, who use their powers in ways that warp the Psychosphere, making any one Monarch more powerful. This game between the Monarchs will one day destroy the multiverse if nothing is done. These are the monarchs:



The Vermillion Emperor: The Vermillion Emperor grants powers to the dominant, the ruthless, and the unwavering. It is the embodiment of want, ambition, and hegemony, he seeks to use the Psychosphere to eliminate weakness. The powers he grants grow explosively stronger in response to ambition, pushing one's own boundaries and limitations, and unwillingness to surrender. They grow weaker when one harbors weakness, repentance, and doubt in themselves. Neohumans gifted by the Red Entity will find themselves believing that might makes right, growing in strength as they dominate others. Heroes gifted by the Vermillion Emperor are usually leaders or those with a strong sense of black and white morality. Villains are warlords or gang leaders. Those gifted by the Vermillion Emperor will visit the Velvet Rooms, the unconscious realm of the Red Entity.



The Azure King: The Azure King grants superhuman powers to the knowledgeable, the reasoned, and the systematic. He is the embodiment of logic, the unknown, and the intellect, and he seeks to use the Psychosphere to create a vast, multiversal hive mind that does away with all that inhibits the mind. Those gifted by him grow explosively stronger in response to cold logic, control of one's emotions, well-thought strategy, and the pursuit of knowledge. However, the powers gifted by the Azure King wane in response to one being impetuous, emotional, or instinctual. Neohumans gifted by the Azure King will find their power expands as their mind expands, and thus are addicted to the discovery of knowledge and secrets, whether they truly want to know them or not. Heroes gifted by the Azure King are tacticians, noble scientists, and those who help others conquer emotional demons. Villains are cold manipulators, ruthless tacticians, and sociopaths.



The Ebon Sovereign: The Black Entity grants powers to the traumatized, the desperate, and the violent. He is the embodiment of atrocity, death, and hardship within the Psychosphere, and seeks to use it to do away with illusion, pleasure, and safety. The powers he grants grow explosively stronger in response to negative emotions such as anger, paranoia, or sadness. They wane when the neohuman is satisfied, peaceful, or trusting of others. Neohumans gifted by the Ebon Sovereign will find that their demons dominate every aspect of their lives, and the more they give into them, the stronger they become. Heroes that are gifted by the Ebon Sovereign are typically brutal vigilantes, or those that prefer to work alone. Villains are usually psychopaths, serial killers,or those "just trying to survive".

It is entirely possible for a human to become a neohuman out of sheer force of will. Using their innate psychic potential as a human, their will can momentarily tear open reality and they can be granted an astral shadow themselves. As a result of their power being self-generated and self-sustaining, they are not pushed towards any type of behavior for their power, and as a result grow stronger simply by training their abilities or via a fight-or-flight response. Less than 1% of neohumans gain power through self-generated will.