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Aberrant RPG - Making Sense of Divis Mal


Caldorian

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Hi everyone.

This particular topic interests me a great deal as I'm also running an Aberrant campaign, and I'm only just now (after about seven or eight games) starting to touch on the underlying factions and politics in the world. That was a conscious decision on my part to not allow people to be Teragen or otherwise and let the divisons and decisions be made naturally in the course of the story.

And naturally, Divis Mal is going to fall into this story at some point. It seems to be what the point of this thread is all about is two things:

1)Should Mal have stats and be more in line with the rest of the game, and

2)How do you play Divis Mal the character?

Well, I've given this some thought after sitting down and reading the Teragen book (I didn't know the rest of his origin until I read this thread) and the first question seems easy to answer.

No. And why? It's just like Vampire or any other superhero game. There should -always- be a guy with a bigger stick. It helps to enforce game balance. If you don't have a Mal or Pax, then the players can go there and then you have REAL trouble. This way you've got the necessary NPC to bring trouble players in line, or give them something to aim at, even if they don't necessarily ever get there. All that we know about Mal is all that we NEED to know. If you let a player get to that level of power, then you've not only let the game get out of hand, but you don't really need the game anymore. Aberrant is about the choices the players make. Mal has already made his and has had over a century to be comfortable with that.

As for role-playing Mal, there are a number of good sources to look to for that kind of character. I'd start with Alan Moore's Watchmen. It's very Aberrant in its style, and Dr. Manhattan is a great Mal template, in his disassociation with humanity but still with ties to his human self.

Galactus from the Marvel Universe is also another good example of a god-like but still very human character. The ultimate point here is that Mal is essentially the novas' Christ. The parallels are extremely clear in the 'painting' we see in the Teragen book that mimics the Last Supper. Mal will always be trying to balance his 'divine' and human natures, and that conflict can be something you can draw on constantly. Scripture is his human link, and his quest to raise up the novas is his divine. Does he really want this godlike position? Does he have doubts? Does he even care? All of these are questions you can ask yourself as Storyteller.

Just because he's Divis Mal, doesn't make him unplayable. It just means you ask different questions, IMO.

S.

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@Regan ‘Codex’ McLachlan:

Thanks, Codex! ^_^;

As I said, I love the idea of the character... though I now prefer to use photos and photo manipulations of major (and some minor) NPCs in my Series.

And thank you for your little characterisation! It made me smile broadly and helped me a lot to imagine a Donighal beyond the godly. ^_^

Re: Mal’s Personality

I guess I finally made up my mind about how to portray Michael Donighal / Divis Mal; all your comments helped me a lot to focus for a moment.

I will play Michael as a social chameleon / Mega-Social, i.e. he instinctively knows which personality is expected and desired of him...

When he's talking to the PCs he'll probably be warm and friendly (just because I know my players will want him to be), while when talking to others he will take different roles (mentor, father, guru, god).

Additionally, I think Donighal loves Scripture; Jeremiah is the only one who can understand him spiritually. However, I don't want their relationship to be too perfect. Great men have great appetites... Gods even more so.

And Jeremiah is probably the only one who doesn't take bullshit from his boyfriend and is not so much manipulated by Michael's charms. I think Scripture stays with Donighal because he loves him unconditionally and because they have become very dependent upon each other. Jeremiah tells Michael what he thinks of him, he keeps his ego in check and keeps him from losing grip of reality. Especially, if Michael suffers from a growing dissociative personality disorder -- feeling less and less like an individual, but more like a archetypal god or a force of nature.

Michael, on the other hand, feels that Jeremiah is the only one he is able to trust, because he knew him before becoming the new Nova messiah. Much like a famous superstar still hangs out with old friends because he knows they like him, even if he's not a star anymore.

But I see their relationship as kind of stale. If I imagine the two together in their home or someplace private, I always see them as not talking with each other anymore at all. Both doing 'their thing' next to each other, maybe exchanging words twice a day. Sort of like I imagine a president and his wife. ^_^

@ Solas: My problem with Dr Manhatten is that he's too detached for Divis Mal. For me Mal is charged with energy, a man of passion and of vision. Manhatten, however, is passive, emotionless, calm, non-committed.

I don't know Galactus. Never liked the F4! ^_^

Re: Aberrations

As to his aberrations, here’s my list of likely candidates:

[* Mind that I have integrated certain non-canonical elements into his history.]

- Aberrant Eyes: Glowing Green

- Anima Banner: Plasma / Fire ??

- possibly more Anima Banners, e.g. Auditory / Temperature

- Unearthly Beauty

- Disturbing Voice: Perfect Voice / Majestic

- Bad Temper

- Amnesia: 1926-1943*

- Obsession: Enlightenment / Quantum Mastery: Basically, what Dr Troll called ‘his theories’

- Obsession: Finding Equals: Stemming from his adoration of Max Mercer whom he idealises as an ‘equal’

- Some form of complete dissociation from baseline humanity ("Baselines are to Novas what chimps are to Baselines")

- Sexual Aberration: Novaphile: Goes hand in hand with the dissociation from baselines… (after all, who would want to sleep with chimps?)

- Sexual Aberration: Masochism: Reasonable for a person that is so powerful that nobody on this earth could harm him -- getting a kick out of submitting himself to another person's dominance and control in the security of a sexual relationship...

- Permanent Power: Enhancement (M-Man) -- Conflicting Accounts: This could explain why it’s so hard to agree on anything Divis Mal said. Only Scripture, who understands beyond words, is able to discern the true meaning behind Michael’s statements.

- Megalomania

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Quote:
Originally posted by Caldorian:
- Permanent Power: Enhancement (M-Man) -- Conflicting Accounts: This could explain why it's so hard to agree on anything Divis Mal said. Only Scripture, who understands beyond words, is able to discern the true meaning behind Michael's statements.
Now this is interesting. I think you have a winner with this one.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Caldorian:

- Sexual Aberration: Novaphile: Goes hand in hand with the dissociation from baselines… (after all, who would want to sleep with chimps?)
1. Count Orzaiz, someone whom Mal believes 'gets it'. So, if Orzaiz gets it, meaning Teras, and he still sleeps with baselines, how can Mal have this aberration?

2. If he is completely dissassociated from baselines and thinks of them as 'chimps' then not sleeping with them would be normal, not an aberration.

Or do you consider yourself having the aberration: Humanphile (won't screw sheep)?
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Given, the preference for novas could have been a logical conclusion of the baseline dissociation, thus not needing its own aberration. But it could also be seen as an antecedent to his dissociation, thus justifying its own aberration…

ad 1.)

A sexual aberration is a sexual preference. Why should Mal think that everybody else shares his own sexual tastes? He can't get aroused by baselines, Orzaiz still can... so what? Does a 'foot fetishist' think everybody has to feel the same way?

But let’s assume this aberration is a development or an antecedent of his dissociation from baseline society:

Mal doesn't think that he's different from baselines, but he knows it. (Just as a schizophrenic patient knows that the devil's sitting on his back and whispering in his ear.) He also knows that not everybody has gotten so far.

The problem of the Teragen is that they mix politics with mysticism. I’m pretty sure that’s why the Pantheon is so divided.

From a spiritual perspective, Orzaiz might be on the right track to 'get it', but I'm pretty sure that Mal doesn't consider somebody who has not even gone through one chrysalis yet to have completely 'gotten it'. First and foremost, (as with any other form of mysticism) Teras must be experienced. That is why it is so difficult to convey its meaning. Cognitively, Orzaiz could have understood Teras, but that's not important as long as he hasn't experienced it. On the other hand, Mal knows that everybody needs his / her own time to find the true meaning of Teras, so he’ll give people with strong baseline connections enough leeway in finding the truth.

By the way, that’s the reason why people like Delorimier have their rightful place in the Pantheon -- because they have experienced Teras firsthand.

From a political point of view, however, both Mal and Orzaiz know that killing baselines might be one means of many to reach nova independence and enlightenment, but it's hardly the the goal. It's not about nova supremacy as Shrapnel, Apostle, Confederate, Leviathan, etc. seem to think, but about novas finding their own way without baseline intervention. And this is what Orzaiz has understood; that's what makes the Count so different from other members of the Pantheon.

ad 2.)

With the little difference that novas and baselines have no problem of interbreeding. So physically, it's no problem for novas to take baseline partners and reproduce. Both subspecies even look almost exactly the same (ignoring Taint influence). So there is no reason not to chose baseline partners.

But this sexual aberration keeps Mal from even thinking about sleeping with a majority of potential and 'compatible' mates.

See, baselines are inferior to novas in their power, but they are not and never will be entirely seperable from novakind. Mal doesn't realise this.

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Orzaiz does seem to get it. the question is what "it" is. Teras mightnot be something that can be summed up in one word.

On the other hand, my theory is a little more simplistic than the "we don't know what's going on in his head" argument.

The Count gets it. He seems very much to be a model of self government, even if he still pleasures himself with the filthy little unevolved animals.

Imagine, though, Mal (Who has evidently dealt with being considered a "sexual deviant" for being gay) coming down on someone else for their sexuality.

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Quote:
Originally posted by Kane Knight:
Imagine, though, Mal (Who has evidently dealt with being considered a "sexual deviant" for being gay) coming down on someone else for their sexuality.
According to the level of intelligence he has, he shouldn't be that hypocritical. At least openly. It wouldn't make sense.

But since it's WW, who knows. :P
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Quote:
Originally posted by Franklin 'Singularity' Alden:
Quote:
Originally posted by Kane Knight:
Imagine, though, Mal (Who has evidently dealt with being considered a "sexual deviant" for being gay) coming down on someone else for their sexuality.
According to the level of intelligence he has, he shouldn't be that hypocritical. At least openly. It wouldn't make sense.

But since it's WW, who knows. :P
Not only it being White Wolf, but it being Mal. Mal's actions oft seem hypocritical.

Although, in fairness, he might lack tolerance for this sort of thing simply because of the conservative comparisons between homosexuality and bestiality. Oft times, in modern debates on same sex marriages, the right brings up statements of "What's next? Marrying your dog?"

Mal's very smart, but he's also very passionate. He could be ruled by a kneejerk reaction, I suppose.
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  • 2 months later...
Quote:
Originally posted by Franklin 'Singularity' Alden:
Quote:
Originally posted by Kane Knight:
Imagine, though, Mal (Who has evidently dealt with being considered a "sexual deviant" for being gay) coming down on someone else for their sexuality.
According to the level of intelligence he has, he shouldn't be that hypocritical. At least openly. It wouldn't make sense.

But since it's WW, who knows. :P
I wouldn´t go so far as to confuse Mega-Intelligence and enlightenment. Larger cognitive and computative abilities, yes - but I do not think that it does necessarily make you immune to (for example) hypocrisy.

You could make the argument that enlightenment stems from his Chrysalis - but that would depend on what you´d like to make of Chrysalis as a concept.
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Agreed, definitely. Mega-mental stats, collectively, give you an edge mechanically and may allow the GM to tell you that you're doing something stupid besides. But it shouldn't necessarily make an impact on your personality.

At least not a direct or immediate one.

However, Mal has had a LOT of time to think about himself, considder who he is and what he stands for. So he can be played two ways. If he has always believed that whatever he does is unquestionably right, then he should certainly be a pompous ass and has been going along on instinct. If Divis has been looking to improve himself and become more perfect, he is almost certainly incredibly enlightened, but probably in a way so alien that he is difficult to deal with from even a partially human perspective.

Just my $.02.

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Quote:
Alchemist:
...Mega-mental stats, collectively, give you an edge mechanically and may allow the GM to tell you that you're doing something stupid besides. But it shouldn't necessarily make an impact on your personality.
Spend every day, of every week, doing nothing but talking to slow 2 year olds, never even having the prospect of having an adult conversation again.
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Quote:
Originally posted by David 'Dr. Troll' Smith:
Quote:
Alchemist:
...Mega-mental stats, collectively, give you an edge mechanically and may allow the GM to tell you that you're doing something stupid besides. But it shouldn't necessarily make an impact on your personality.
Spend every day, of every week, doing nothing but talking to slow 2 year olds, never even having the prospect of having an adult conversation again.
Granted, you have a major point here.

What I meant was that intelligent people of all ages have been surprisingly adapt at doing stupid things. Personal lock-ups and psychological defense mechanisms are apt to remain, or so I would say, even if the Nova intellect expands.

This is a tough subject, though; it all depends on how transhuman you want to get with Aberrant as an environment. Personally, I try to treat Novas as people with vastly expanded scope on their facilities - but still basically people. Insecurities, wants and needs rule their way of thinking - they might change these to fit in with new perspectives, but they propbably won´t get rid of them altogether.

Then again, some players (some of which play in my group right now) want to see more themes of transhuman perfection, with Novas slowly becoming as gods - mastering themselves as well as the universe around them. It´s all just a metter of theme - and I think that a world of Mega-intelligents acting as enlightened boddisatvas, with Divis Mal at its´ peak as the godhead of Nova perfection would be, frankly, boring.
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Novas can go the "transhuman perfection" route, and slowly become gods. But IMHO Divis isn't a good example of that.

I think I've claimed at other points on this thread that Divis has a truck load of aberrations, including several insanities.

Between his taint and the big "C" he probably has a -10 or so to social rolls, and this is reflected in the following. With a truck load of Mega-Socials, Divis can't lead the group that worships him. With even more Mega-Mentals, Divis can't make even basic predictions about how anyone else will behave or react (Pax, the Teragen, Humanity, etc).

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You're right. Its in the APG.

"It does not apply when dealing with Novas with higher levels of taint (whatever aberrations you have aren't likely to shock them), but does apply when dealing with novas with lower permanent taint, since you're just a reminder of what they could become someday if they're not careful."

Sounds like the same penalty although the reasons are different.

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If I were ST I wouldn't apply it to all novas (there isn't a lot of difference between Taint=4 and Taint=5), but Divis presumably has a -10 to social interactions. I think AB:Teragen says something about Scripture needing to serve as his voice just so he is understandable.

It is easy to look at that -10 and say "we just don't understand him", but I'll bet that works both ways. Meaning he doesn't understand us either.

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Once The storyteller pitted us up against Divis Mal, and we sat there, and held a conversation. Before you all say he's unfathomable let me say that while Mal has World busting power he still seems to have many of the human failings and foibles. That was how the ST protrayed him. It wasn't easy for me to talk to him. I had to reach out to his mind, opening mine and shutting my defenses down to get him to trust me.We would have gone through Scripture, but he had gone missing.) Anyway the ST protrayed MAl's mind as an Alien place, his ideas constantly assaulted my mind.. I had a W/P score of 9 and he was overwhelming me. He realized this and reigned it in. The next 20 minutes were spent with he and I discussing what being a nova meant, and how he wanted us to be more than we were. I dunno if that's how he'd be, but every time we've encountered him, he has never been a real threat, more so he's someone that was so inhuman only a select few could hope to understand him.

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  • 5 months later...

In my opinion it's definitely more interesting to try to find the Person inside the almighty Mal than to just write him off as a Plot Device.

Caldorian, I think we should get back to your ideas about how Dr Primoris became a separate personality complex inside (or on top of!) Michael Donighal baseline one. Wouldn't it be interesting to regard the Divis Mal persona the same way? MD has apparently been seeking perfection for a long time. During and after the science boom in the first half of last century he explored telluric science and human (and post-so) biology, genetics and psychology. I like the idea that he hooked up with nazi research on bettering the human race.

At the end of the WWII the Primoris personality crashed, perhaps plunging Michael Donighal into depression, both over the realisation that his own ambition made him loose himself so badly he participated in mass murder.

After this he wandered the world, trying to regain his self-respect and trying to find a new direction in life. I believe it was during this period that he met Jeremiah Scripture, either as a baseline with (to MD) apparent Nova potential, or as a Stalwart or perhaps even as a Nova already.

Their relationship was probably with reversed status from now, with Michael as chaotic, self destructive and childishly sullen and Jeremiah as stable, forward-looking and mature (although younger, of course). They probably met in the late fifties or something.

In the loving care of Jeremiah Scripture, Michael, "always the over-achiever", got back on his psychological feet quickly. Together they talked about the future and where and how far mankind could go, and how to take it there, though I believe that Michael was still the visionary with the far-fetched and hard-to-belive ideas, while Jeremiah tried to keep their plans realistic, beeing a bit sceptical to Michael's claims that he could if he wanted make himself into anything he could envision.

In the 80s Michael had helped Jeremiah undergo his first Chrysalis, making him a full-fledged Nova long before N-day, and from this point on Jeremiah was a true beliver. Michael, himself having gone through two Chrysales, was now drawing up plans for making people realize their potential all over the world. And again Michael was beginning to create a new personality on top of his own, one which had its eyes set on Godhood. One which would soon take the name Divis Mal and which would eventually (not long before issuing the Null Manifesto) completely suppress the baseline personality of Michael Donighal.

What do you people think about these ideas?

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Hmm, could be, Simson.

I would also point out that Michael Donighal is of Irish-American background, which suggests that he was likely raised as a Catholic. Perhaps as the sins of Dr. Primoris weighed upon him, he sought out a priest to hear his confessions, perhaps one who was serving in somewhere like France or Germany during World War Two... Jeremiah Scripture, who possibly joined the Church in order to absolve the sin of being homosexual through service.

At this point, Michael has probably developed Awe-Inspiring, which would certainly draw the religious Jeremiah closer to him. In time, the priest began to believe the confessor and see him as the Messiah for a new species - becoming a combination of John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene to Mal's Jesus. Or, if he is familiar with Hindu mythology, Radha to Mal's Krishna - symbol of the union between mundane and divine. Jeremiah is obviously a stabilising factor on his beloved Mal, and it shows in his actions.

I don't like the MPD theory myself. Michael has *always* believed himself better than the 'hoi polloi'. I think Dr. Primoris and Divis Mal are evolutions of his personality, but at the core of it, he's still Michael.

Just my theories. smile

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My inclination is toward seeking Irony. Thus, to my eye, Mal must be a distillation... a power-induced caricature... of all those human traits from which his actions might follow.

He is not so much 'more than human' as, like the Greek gods, 'human, but more-so'. But that to the point that mere mortals see only madness and horror in what is ultimately their own intensified image.

What greater irony... what greater angst... than the fundamental unescapablity of human nature?

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  • 3 months later...

The developers continually contradict each other. Pax is listed in Trinity as a threat, implying that he wasn't killed by Mal.

Also, Quantum Supremacy does not allow oneself to evolve(permanent nova points.) It can only be used on others. Planck Scaling is where the limits finally end. Planck Scaling is what happens during eruption. Unfortunately, novas limit themselves during eruption as a survival mechanism.

Mal most likely has a mix of low-level aberrations from Chrysalis and some high level mental aberrations that on some level spurred him to discover Chrysalis.

Low-Level

Anima Banner

Aberrant Eyes

Inhuman Beauty

Disturbing Voice

Sex Object/Romantic Irresistibility

I can think of a few others, but not their posted names.

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Actually, it's the color or background material says the average man on the street is wary of Pax returning. That's doesn't mean he's alive or would ever return, only that they fear an Aberrant of that power level showing up on Earth with an attitude.

Considering they class Mal and Pax as being equally "evil", it seems obvious Trinity history has more than a little bias and few facts.

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  • 17 years later...

I know this is thread-o-mancy, but that is one interesting facet about the internet ...it can act as a sort of time machine if a subject matter lives long enough.

I don't have all the answers.  Point in fact I was looking for some when I can across this thread.  I have a current campaign in Aberrant and we are primarily using ye old White Wolf books or .PDF anyways lol.

Divis Mal has always, for me as a player, been a background thing.  As a storyteller I continued that tradition.  On rare occasion he acted as more a MacGuffin, than something that is out there in the world somewhere.

This Campaign I decided to put Divis Mal in the story as an actual NPC.  In fact, last session he knocked on the PC's front door.

So before I can get into the Nova, I think I should disclaimer or give some plot points of the story (I promise to keep it short).  Troupes, I love them and I use the hell out of them.  I find that in Aberrant, unlike other games, Troupes enhance the experience.  Example a main plot point of the campaign is that when some Novas die, some other Novas get more powerful.  If you were to think Highlander, gold star for you.  If you thought Rising Stars, a gold star for you.  I digress..

It starts with a Nova calling himself Mr. Ubiquitous who is one of those secreted Novas that still lives (kinda) on Earth during the Trinity Era.  His big claim of mastery over the Quantum forces is that he can teleport or "Jump".  As a side effect of Taint he has an aberration of the Teleport power always being on and in effect he is everywhere at once.  He is not omniscient nor really omnipresence he can only manifest/jump to a single point with his consciousness and physical form.  Anywho one day he decided that time was just another Dimension or parameter he should be able to travel and with great efforts he traveled back in time.  By doing so unlocking the chicken or the egg timey whimey wibbly wobbly shenanigans that the campaign is wrapped with.<--all of which is to say I get to change the lore/cannon as I see fit this campaign.

Now that we know how I justify the Divis Mal changes, we can get into the man and his motivations.  Divis Mal developed his instar/node naturally and long before the Telluric Engine was created.  The problem with being one of the first is that there isn't a lot of knowledge, science, or others to compare to/with.  It is exactly why Divis had to spend a better part of a decade just to learn how to control his vocal chords to do "The Voice".

He was lonely as a man.  Alienated by those around him.  Unable to show what he could do for fear they might hunt him down, exploit him, or worse.  And so the seed germinated in those way back days of old.  His first great attempt and perhaps most scaring of failures was he would have children.  ((I know it is not a PC notion nowadays to suggest that Divis went Gay because he couldn't breed...that is not my point.  Suffice to say Divis Mal was and always will be gay, but in that time he decided to sire in the most basic of ways to have more of his kind...fair?))

It would be a long time later, when Divis met and befriended Mercer and the opportunity that would arise for Divis to jump start Evolution with Dr. Hammersmith's project the Telluric Engine.  Divis ofc course knew he could sabotage it to cause an explosion that would unlock human potential and create more of his kind.  And it worked!  Those closest were indeed transformed.  However the pool was split..it didn't make just his kind but other kinds as well.  The further the the distance from the explosion the less effective it was.  Sure it charged and mutated folks, that humans perhaps in a generation or three may one day be Novas.  A leap all the same but still too slow for Divis.

We fast forward, circa the Galetea.  Once again Divis has found a way to create more Novas and this time narrow the scope to be only Novas.  Awaking the children of the Telluric Engine and awaken the genes naturally laying dormant.  This worked in a profound way (enter the regular Aberrant campaign setting/history...of sorts).

Divis probably would have stopped there in another timeline, but he wanted more.  In fact, wanted only Novas to inherit the Earth.  The monkeys had nearly destroyed it and in his mind don't deserve it.  He would need a rally cry to unit the Novas... a Null Manifesto!

There was the other problem, Novas could never truly claim to be the superior species if they could not continue the line through propagation.  As was all Novas to date were sterile...

In 2010 Divis publicly killed Caestus Pax!  Divis didn't want to in earnest , truly holding out the big galoot would come around..or have no choice but to do so.  However Divis had foresight and new steps had to be taken for his next phase of plan to come to fruition.  The world stage would need to see his Authority/Superiority now.

2015 Divis was ready and prepared.  It had taken all his life and certainly the most from these last 4+ years for this moment.  Divis gave an arbitrary demand, that he knew would never be met, to the world... to close down all Nova prisons and holding facilities.  They had been given one week.  Of course the monkeys did as Divis predicted and so he flew over Iowa and in both horrifying and spectacular fashion became as a mini sun and nuked the bulk of the corn belt.  The effect/repercussions, despite the best clean up/healing efforts, would still be felt to this day (2022).

Divis never really cared about the facilities.  Sure they were a pain but... his real goal was to re-create the Galatea effect with some further refinements but this time w/o the artificial tools.  It would be his energies, if successful, that unlocked the future.  And it did work, by 2022 the first Homo Novus was born by two Homo sapiens novus.

((I think in a way, as a story teller, Divis was rather proud of that achievement...the future was his kind but also he corrected a perceived past failure)).

It took Mercer till 2021 to realize Divis had released similar radioactive isotopes as the Galatea into the atmosphere with the Corn belt incident.  And being a Time traveler himself that was Quantum locked (my way of saying Mercer could know how things were and are when temporal changes are made) began to redouble his efforts at Project Pandora.

In 2022 Divis Gave Australia a week to evacuate, and all Novas were welcomed.  Navies were sent but they stayed there distance awaiting orders...eventually they were told to aid in the evacuation.  Peaceful Novas also gave aid to the baselines.  And just like that Australia (to include Tasmania) became New Tera w/o a single death.  This was what Divis foresaw and why (or justified) he had to kill Caestus Pax and in part make that arbitrary demand.  So none would question his Authority/Superiority for this moment.

I'd go on but it is an active session... that/these are my Divis Mal's personality and motivations in a nut shell.  He was alone and went to extremes to not be so.  As to the knock on the door by him at the PC's house...

One of my player's character is basically based on Dr. Manhattan, complete with the eruption occur as he was destroyed allowing him to reform himself.  Divis Mal ofc has heard of this occurrence (well a nova came back from the dead/disintegration) and came to meet him directly.  What Divis saw a Nova filled with Taint (blue skin, glowing eyes, glow around body, perfect body, etc.) and in need of help only a Terat could give.  The details of how he came back would wait...but Divis will have his knowledge.

So for the PC's Divis offers so much but they are slowly learning Divis Mal is a bit of Faustian bag.  How far down the rabbit hole is up to them.  For now, almost on the daily Divis is someone they can interact with.

Divis isn't even the BBEG of my campaign...the character hails from the future who through quantum entanglement kinda (Quantum Leap)s into his past self (Butterfly Effect) to change the future/his present as well.

 

thanks for reading and cheers

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