Burned Cover

Florence Erika Walker – Aliases: The Agent, The Breaker. Species: Inheritor-Outsider. Abilities: Break Anything, Move Objects to Pocket, Time Manipulation (minor)
Erika is a young woman who marches to the beat of her own drum. She has a bit of an odd family, with her and her brother having strange abilities. Finding out why and where those abilities came from is a major driving force for her. Beyond that, she is always willing to lend a hand to those in need, but frequently goes a bit overboard. Her favorite movie is Dark City (1998).

Carter Walker – Aliases: N/A. Species: Inheritor-Outsider. Abilities: Time Manipulation
Carter is the younger brother of Erika. Quiet and withdrawn, he tends to like things he knows he likes and avoids everything else. Part of that stems from his perception of time, which is a little off compared to most people. His favorite movie is Hugo (2011), though he really only cares for the clockwork.

Leah Walker – Aliases: Angel Skye. Species: Mortal. Abilities: N/A
Leah is Erika’s mother. She is surprisingly young for being the mother of two and harbors… a guest. Formerly, prior to meeting The Fixer, she got involved in the adult entertainment industry. A series of bad choices at the time nearly killed her. She would do anything to protect her children. Her favorite movie is The Dark Crystal (1982).

The Fixer – Aliases: Mister Dice, many others. Species: Outsider. Abilities: Time Manipulation, Reality Contracts
A being from outside the bounds of reality. Though he doesn’t know if he was sent to the world or if some random happenstance brought him here, he arrived with a single directive: Find The Mummy. His favorite movie is The Mummy (1932), but found that it did not fulfill his purpose in life.

The Hunters are a group of mortals who discovered the existence of the supernatural. Originally focused on what they deemed as ghosts, the addition of Erika brought to light the wider supernatural world. Together, they believe in keeping the world safe from dangers other people do not believe in. When things go bump in the night, they arrive to put things to rest.

Richard ‘Rick’ Hall – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mortal-Cursed. Abilities: Cursed Sword
Rick was originally a data analyst, software engineer, and general actuary. His life was abruptly turned on end when he discovered a sword that bound itself to him. Desperately wishes he had been born about twenty years earlier, believing he would have dominated the early programmer and hacking scene. His favorite movie is Hackers (1995), but he knows how cringe it would be to spout off quotes from the movie.

Anna Tracey – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mortal. Abilities: N/A
Anna went to medical school, intending to become a surgeon. It was there that she met her husband, a charming anesthesiologist. It was there that she lost her husband, a victim to a violent ghost. She came across The Hunters and joined up, partially of curiosity, wondering how such things could be unknown in the larger world and how best to scientifically uncover them. Mostly, she joined out of desire to get revenge on the beings that ruined her life. Her favorite movie is Howl’s Moving Castle (2004).

Sofia Hernandez – Aliases: Unknown. Species: Unknown. Abilities: Ghost sensing?
Sofia has always been able to sense ghosts. She sees horrifying ghouls walking the streets, feels the anger and despair in their psychic essence, and physically interacts with them more than she would like. Nobody believed her as a child. Her parents checked her into institution after institution, eventually divorcing over the stress her visions caused. It wasn’t until she met others who knew what she was going through that she finally believed, for the first time, that she wasn’t insane. Her least favorite movie is Ghostbusters (1984), believing it is incredibly unrealistic.

Leslie King – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mortal. Abilities: N/A
The King family has a long history with spooks and specters. Ever since his great-great grandfather, Addison King, saved the town of Hollowbrook from a ghost that was haunting its brickworks, his family has investigated and fought. Originally, Leslie avoided directly following the family legacy; it was only after his brother, Adelbert, became a ghost that he knew he couldn’t ignore it any longer. His favorite movie is Rio Bravo (1959).

Daniel King – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mortal. Abilities: N/A
The middle child of the King family. Daniel never really believed in the whole ghost business. To him, it was either some mass hallucination that all his dad’s friends suffered from, or the product of perfectly rational and explainable phenomena. Then he became friends with Erika. His life has become significantly more complicated since. His favorite movie is Megamind (2010).

Bethany King – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mortal. Abilities: N/A
The youngest child of the King family. She never cared about ghosts except for what they meant for her true interest: Witchcraft. She has never managed to cast a spell and has never seen real magic, but that doesn’t stop her enthusiasm. She says her favorite movie is whatever the latest, popular horror movie is, but she secretly doesn’t like horror – it tends to give her nightmares.

Victor King – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mortal. Abilities: N/A
The eldest child of the King family. He often went on outings with his father, dealing with ghosts, but is trying to pursue his own career in architecture. Currently, he attends the University of Illinois Chicago for his studies and doesn’t go on many ghost hunts, but occasionally gets called in to help when able. He doesn’t have a favorite movie, but enjoys comedies of all varieties.

Piper King – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mortal. Abilities: N/A
The matriarch of the King family. Piper is aware of ghosts and knows as much, if not more, than her husband. There was a time where date night with Leslie involved reburying salted bones of the restless dead or flinging holy water at active poltergeists. However, Piper hasn’t been out on such hunts in a long time. Her greatest fear is leaving three orphans behind. Her favorite movie is Miss Congeniality (2000).

The Puppet are relative newcomers to the supernatural scene of Chicago. They believe that the age of hiding should come to an end and have particular opinions on the suppressive way The Eclipse runs the city. They don’t have many members, but The Warrior is a masterful enchanter, capable of distributing her power among the other members.

The Puppet – Aliases: Unknown. Species: Unknown. Abilities: Unknown
Little is known of The Puppet. They rarely take the field or make appearances.

The Warrior – Aliases: Unknown. Species: Mage. Abilities: Magic, Enchanting
The Warrior is a mage specializing in the enchantment of objects. She takes particular pride in the development of destructive or esoteric effects and then cramming them into a tiny bullet. For as powerful as she is, her personality is quite affable. She doesn’t have many favorite movies, but does enjoy puzzles in all forms.

The Strategist – Aliases: Unknown. Species: Unknown. Abilities: Unknown
The Strategist is, as his name implies, the strategic genius of The Puppet. Were it not for him, The Puppet would have been run out of town the day after they arrived. Although his pride would never let him admit it, he does not excel at smaller scale tactics and situations that can rapidly change, relying on The Warrior’s might to overcome such obstacles. He believes movies are for the dimwitted, preferring non-fiction books. He is especially fond of autobiographies, taking enjoyment in peeling away the layers of self-praise and embellishments to discover the human underneath.

The Stalker – Aliases: N/A. Species: Specter. Abilities: Short-range Teleport, Stalking
The Stalker is a recently arisen undead who stumbled across The Strategist on accident. Upon realizing the potential of someone capable of tracking anybody, she was quickly inducted into the organization. With none of the rest of The Puppet undead, none were prepared to handle the unique needs of someone whose bodily functions did not function. It was an opponent that helped her out, one The Stalker grew obsessed with. Despite many offers for her to switch sides, The Stalker refuses, taking perverse delight in the Romeo and Juliette aspect of their situation. Tends to be violent if she believes her relationship with the object of her obsession is in jeopardy. Her favorite thing to watch is The Hanged Man.

The Healer – Aliases: N/A. Species: Unknown. Abilities: Healing?
A misanthrope in the extreme, The Healer especially hates anything that makes her work. The Puppet keep her happy by providing living space, food, and other necessities in exchange for only the occasional touch ups utilizing her power. The more they get injured, the less happy she is. The Healer binges television series, moving from episode to episode, show to show, all without pause – the flashing rectangle lights turn to a slurry in her mind, observing without processing.

The Eclipse are the de facto rulers of Supernatural Chicago. They control everything, managing every other group and faction in the city. They have ties with mortal law enforcement and politics, allowing them to wield the entire city as one large marionette. With their large roster of powerful supernaturals at their disposal, act against them at your own peril.

The Emperor – Aliases: N/A. Species: Dragon. Abilities: Fire Breathing, Others
The leader of The Eclipse. Early in her life, The Emperor was merely an ordinary human and secretary to the former Emperor. She claims to have succeeded him, groomed for the task, but the reality of the situation might be a fair bit more bloody. Coveting the longevity and power, she did not quite realize how many strings came attached when she ascended into her current state. The Emperor wishes she had time for movies, but finding a spare two hours is difficult on most days.

The Hermit – Aliases: Legendary Wanderer. Species: Nine-tailed Fox/Kitsune. Abilities: Ageless
A woman who walked the world a dozen times over. She has seen much and will see much more. Currently, she resides within the City of Chicago, acting as an advisor to The Emperor. Others see her as an aged mystic, wise and knowledgeable, but her advice isn’t often what people hope for. Having seen nations rise and fall, she has a tendency to ignore what others view as vital problems, for she knows that, as with all things, those problems will one day vanish into the past. Movies do not hold The Hermit’s interest, but she does enjoy viewing the occasional historical documentary, both to remind herself of what has passed and to chuckle at the gross inaccuracies.

The Hanged Man – Aliases: N/A. Species: Specter. Abilities: Physical Intangibility, Emotion Sense
The Hanged Man serves as the primary face of The Eclipse. It is his duty to interact with others on The Eclipse’s behalf, both those of the supernatural persuasion as well as mortals – the local mayor and the police force, particularly. Having been little more than a custodian in life, he rather enjoys the power and prestige his current occupation comes with. Ordering around humans feeds into the power fantasies that he often lapsed into while pushing a mop. He enjoys chick flicks and light romance movies.

The Art – Aliases: N/A. Species: Parasite. Abilities: Non-standard Body, Bodily command
The Art is a parasite without a host. Although fully capable of infesting any mortal and most supernatural creatures, controlling their body as if it were her own, The Art has elected to inhabit the body of a porcelain doll. Her worm-like tendrils squirm through the doll’s hollow innards, manipulating it like a giant marionette. She does not know where she came from and has never seen another being quite like her. Her memories simply began one day in the middle of a Chicago park, causing a mild panic among some passers by, until The Eclipse came to contain the incident. For all she knows, she could be an evolved form of a regular earthworm, an escapee from the laboratory of a mad genius, or an extraterrestrial who crash down with a stray meteor. She enjoys movies that delve deep into the human condition; The Substance (2024) has become a particular favorite.

The Adjustment – Aliases: N/A. Species: Jorogumo. Abilities: Spider limbs, Threads
Once a regular spider residing in the mountains of Hokkaido, a chance meeting with the Legendary Wanderer transformed her into something more. Now a humanoid spider, The Adjustment heard rumors that the Wanderer had settled down in Chicago and took great pains to cross the Pacific. She realized upon finding The Hermit that the saying ‘Don’t meet your heroes’ is a saying for a reason. Lucky for her, she struck up a friendship with the newly existent Art, bonding over the oddities of their respective physiologies. The Adjustment prefers old comedies, especially black comedies like Arsenic and Old Lace (1944).

The Hierophant – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mortal-Cursed. Abilities: Masks
The Hierophant is a man whose life is no longer his own. He was fairly content with his career as a circus performer, wishing the pay was better, but enjoying the company of his coworkers. A chance encounter with a shop that wasn’t there the next day saddled him with a large crate. A box filled with masks. Every day, The Hierophant must don a mask by noon and cannot remove the mask until midnight. Each mask comes with their own powers, making him extremely versatile, but also comes with their own personalities and quirks. The Eclipse helps give him a sense of belonging and offers the support he needs. They help contain him when the more volatile masks demand their turn.

The Fool – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mortal-Contractor. Abilities: Summoning
The Fool made a deal with an entity of unknown origin. The exact details of the deal are kept close to The Fool’s chest, but the effects allow him to summon and command constructs. Some are those of traditional elements – Fire, Earth, Water, Air – while others are more esoteric and unusual. The usefulness of his summons are enough for The Eclipse to overlook potential hazards his contract might demand of him. The Fool enjoys isekai anime, especially those featuring overpowered protagonists.

The Aeon – Aliases: N/A. Species: Inheritor. Abilities: Mimicry
Superheroes are not real. The Aeon thought that was a shame. Although his real parents – and the powers he inherited from them – remain unknown, The Aeon was adopted by a kindly pair of regular humans who instilled a strong sense of morality and justice in him from a young age. When he came across a rampaging Specter and used the man’s powers against him, The Aeon realized that maybe superheroes could be a little more real. He had the perfect Superman backstory, after all. Unfortunately for The Aeon, reality is not as idealistic as his childhood comics. His favorite movie is Mystery Men (1999).

The Tower – Aliases: N/A. Species: Leviathan. Abilities: Physics Warping
Hailing from the depths of the ocean and with an appearance somewhere between Godzilla and an octopus, The Tower dislikes comparisons to Cthulhu. He doesn’t cause madness and his dreams don’t rend reality asunder. If he could disguise himself as a human, The Tower would spend his evenings smoking weed on his front porch with a large dog at his side. Dogs are terrified of him and drugs don’t seem to have much affect on him. A man can still dream, damn it! His favorite movie is a tossup between The ‘Burbs (1989) and The Sandlot (1993), particularly enjoying the strong communities and suburban life the main casts are a part of.

A mysterious group that simply appeared in Chicago, fully formed, to the surprise of most other groups. They keep to themselves, avoiding conflict where possible. Every time they make an appearance, they seem to have more and more supernaturals in their roster. They haven’t done anything overt to gain the ire of The Eclipse, but their sheer size makes them a threat that cannot be ignored.

The Director – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mortal-Genius. Abilities: Intelligence
The surprisingly youthful head of The Castle. The Director is obsessed with the nature of the supernatural. What is the difference between a vampire and a parasite that drinks blood – and why do both fear the sun? Why do Specter-class beings tend to manifest powers that align with popular depictions of ghosts? What is magic? The Director can only rarely answer such questions, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. His favorite movie is The Fly (1986).

The Prescient – Aliases: Colby. Species: Mortal-Psychic. Abilities: Prediction, Future-sight, Prophecy
The curse of knowledge is as real as any magical curse. The ignorance of bliss could not be understated. Prescience was all fun and games when it came to betting on the outcome of a horse race, but glimpsing the death of friends and allies, witnessing the strikes of war, and knowing how everything ended took its toll. The Prescient almost immediately pledged his powers to The Castle upon discovering that The Mind could lessen that burden by removing memories of things that he believed best remain unknown. The Prescient’s favorite television series is The X-Files (1993), and he gets to watch it for the first time, every time, thanks to The Mind.

The Butler – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mortal-Grafted. Abilities: Hulking Biology
The Butler is not a giant, but she might be close enough that the distinction doesn’t matter. Bash the gong and The Butler will appear with a simple, “You rang?” She takes pride in her work as The Castle’s handyman, but doesn’t like it when her job intersects with other people. Despite her imposing stature, The Butler finds herself intimidated by social situations. She finds it extremely difficult to talk to people who she doesn’t already know, making it hard to get to know new people. Her favorite movie is John Wick (2014).

The Maid – Aliases: N/A. Species: A Perfectly Normal Mortal. Abilities: A Perfectly Normal Human
The Maid is the protagonist of Burned Cover and don’t let any dumb character list imply otherwise by putting her halfway through it. All the cool things happen to her. If she was still in high school, all the boys would be so into her on page one and they would all be some kind of supernatural monster fighting with their own nature just for the hope that she would say yes when they asked her out on a date. When The Maid wakes up in the morning, she curls her hair perfectly, has the perfect breakfast, and never forgets to put on her plot armor before heading out to fight all the baddies. The Maid doesn’t like watching movies that feature other people – gross – so she spends her time writing fiction which she publishes on the internet. Naturally, all her stories feature herself as a self-insert, because who wouldn’t want to read about her?

The Bodyguard – Aliases: N/A. Species: Artificial. Abilities: Localized Omnipresence
A being created specifically for the task of protecting others. The Bodyguard lacks in personality, having been a prototype of The Castle’s design. Such things as emotions, personality, and individuality were not seen as important in its construction. Perhaps some unique traits spontaneously developed over the course of its existence, but it hasn’t displayed any where others might see.

The Mind – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mortal-Grafted-Psychic. Abilities: Mind Control, Memory Control, Psychic
A development of The Castle, The Mind is a literal brain in a jar. Originally intended to be a clone of The Director, The Mind was created under the assumption that two heads were better than one. Unforeseen problems in the clone’s grown resulted in an emergency enucleation of the brain. Although structure of the brain grew identically to that of The Director, The Mind did not develop the spark of genius that its base possessed. Further experiments and grafts developed a psychic ability within The Mind. Despite being effectively trapped within its jar, The Mind is quite content with living vicariously through the minds of others. The Mind enjoys reality television and British panel shows.

The Doctor – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mortal-Grafted. Abilities: Mastery over Biology
Death is a disease. A plague that has lingered in humanity since the dawn of life. The Doctor believes he can cure it. He knows he is close. He knows it. Just… one more test subject, one more experiment, one more try, and he will have the solution the world has been waiting for. No matter how much The Prescient or The Mind try to get him to watch things like Re-Animator (1985), he just doesn’t have time. Once the disease of death is solved, he will have all the time in the world to watch whatever inane drivel they want him to see.

The Gadget – Aliases: N/A. Species: Artificial. Abilities: Technological Inventions
The Gadget’s favorite train is the Choo-choo train. Spinning governors, turning gears, thumping pistons – few things get The Gadget more excited than machinery. He loathes modern technology, wishing good aesthetics from the industrial revolution would return in vogue. His favorite documentary is Full Steam Ahead (2016) and he likes Steampunk inspired music, especially the works of Dr. Steel.

The Orderly – Aliases: The Nurse. Species: Artificial. Abilities: Medical Assistant
Designed to be the perfect assistant to The Doctor, The Orderly finds herself caring about patients a bit too much. While The Doctor and The Director might not have many morals or qualms regarding the experiments they conduct, The Orderly at least tries to make sure the patients are comfortable when they get strapped to the operating tables. Her favorite movie is The Elephant Man (1980).

The Church operates as information brokers, willing to buy and trade information. They have knowledge of nearly every other faction and individual within the City of Chicago. Most are loathe to approach them for information – while they may have information that will solve a problem, going to them might force their opponent to go to them just to survive, eventually escalating into a situation of mutually assured destruction.

The Analyst – Aliases: N/A. Species: Outsider. Abilities: Information Gathering, Radio-wave Intercept, Invisibility, Nuclear Option
The Analyst only cares about information. She has watched every movie ever made and has no favorites.

The Banker – Aliases: N/A. Species: Mage. Abilities: Magic
When a letter from a then-unknown Analyst found its way to his hands, requesting aid in developing an archive capable of containing, cataloging, and categorizing all information, The Banker’s first instinct was to laugh it off. Then he noticed the pay associated with the job. The work of a mage is costly, even for someone highly renowned with a vast Rolodex of contacts, which The Banker lacked. It wasn’t just money that The Analyst offered, she offered full availability of all information she gathered, including anything on magic. When she supplied samples of work taken from notable reclusive mages, he knew he couldn’t turn down the offer. Even still, he didn’t quite know what he was getting into.

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