Hex - AKA. Cassie Helious's page

Hero Name: Mystic
Real Name: Cassandra Helius
Look: Woman, White, Slender body, Casual clothing, No costume (yet, maybe?)
Your Lineage
You are the child of a true supervillain, someone with power and the will to use that power to cause harm. Even though you strive to be different than them , you are what you are because of them, in one way or another. Circle at least one option for each question below.
What kind of villain are they?
puppetmaster (crime boss)
What is your relationship with them like?
Antagonistic/varies (she tried to steal my body. Now she's weirdly friendly (when we talk, which is rarely). She's still after me, but if I last long enough the magic won't work....
They have an array of abilities, assets, and strengths; what are some of them? (up to 3)
dark sorcery, endless minions (goons but also magically controlled animals)
What abilities do you use to fight them? (up to 2)
magical aptitude (in training)

❑ Changed sides:
When you mislead or trick an enemy by pretending to be on their side, roll + Danger. On a hit, they buy your charade for now. On a 7-9, choose 1. On a 10+, choose 2.
• You avoid having to provide concrete evidence
• You create an opportunity
• You expose a weakness or flaw On a miss, someone else watching comes to the worst possible conclusion.

❑ They don’t deserve forgiveness:
When you accuse an enemy of being irredeemable, you can mark two conditions to take Influence over you away from them. When you directly engage someone who has no Influence over you, you can always choose 1 additional option, even on a miss.

❑ Be mindful of your surroundings: (From Protege playbook)
When you assess the situation before entering into a fight, you may ask one additional question, even on a miss.

❑ White lies:
When you comfort or support someone by telling them how they are your role model as a hero, roll + Savior instead of + Mundane. On any hit, if they open up to you, take Influence over them.

___________

❑ I’ll show them:
When you defend someone who doesn’t believe in you, you can always take Influence over them, even on a miss.

❑ Moldable:
When you pierce the mask of someone whose respect you crave, you can always ask “How could I gain Influence over you?”, even on a miss. Take +1 ongoing to acting on the answer.

❑ All the best stuff:
You’ve compiled access to caches of equipment and weaponry other supers have hidden in the city. When you access a cache, say whose cache it is. If it’s a hero’s, roll + Savior. If it’s a villain’s, roll + Danger. On a hit, you find a tool or intel useful to your situation; the GM will detail. On a 7-9, you leave evidence that you’ve been here. On a miss, you tripped an alarm and they’re coming; prepare to explain yourself.

• Who is your supervillain parent? Circe (yes, the one from the Odyssey)
• Who told you about your parent’s true nature? She did (when she tried to steal my body)
• Why did you turn from your lineage to be a hero? Are you kidding? She's a weird ancient witch who has killed a countless number of her own daughters... I need to protect myself from her. If I'm on the heroes' side maybe they'll protect me from her long enough that she can't steal my body!
• Who, outside of the team, helps you on your chosen path? Mystic. She's training me to use my latent magic powers. She's a weird wiccan and we don't get on all that well, but she's the only person who might be able to help who's actually made the offer.

Mystic: Real name: Gabriella Teak. Owner of "spellbound magic and books"

• Why do you care about the team? They seem to be the best way of protecting myself from my mom. At least for now.

Respect
Write down the names of at least two other characters whose respect you need to earn in order to differentiate yourself from your parent. You may fill in new names whenever appropriate.

Your parent’s greatest enemy: _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐

Your parent’s greatest victim: Dr Emily Stevens (AKA, The Mouse): An archaeologist and expert in prehellenic mediterranean civilisations, who was deciphering a tablet from Crete with script in Linear A. In obtaining the tablet from the doctor, Circe killed her husband and baby son, and turned her into a mouse. Despite her handicap, she now works at the Museum of Antiquities (adjacent to the natural history museum) deciphering manuscripts and avoiding cats.
Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐

Your personal idol: Prestige: A cape- turned musician who briefly operated in the early 2000s using illusions. In 2007, he gave up crime-fighting and became a musician, releasing a number of fairly successful singles. Prestige's early music was very niche but he has achieved some success for his impressive stage shows.
Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐

The city’s greatest leader: _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐

The city’s greatest hero: _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐

The city’s biggest celebrity: _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Respect: ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ Advancement: ☐

When you seek out one of the characters named above, roll + Savior. On a hit, you find them where you expected to. On a 7-9, they’re juggling their own problems, and may not have time for you. On a miss, when you find them, the situation is dire; the GM will tell you how.

If you earn Influence over the characters listed above, instead you mark 1 Respect. If you lose Influence over the characters listed above, you lose 1 Respect. If you lose 1 Respect and you have none marked, you immediately mark a condition, GM’s choice.

The first time you reach 4 Respect on an individual, take an advancement.

While you have 4 Respect on an individual:
• You can reject their Influence at a +3 (does not stack with the above).
• You take +1 to a Label of their choice. (record it next to their name)
If you dip below 4 Respect on an individual, you lose those benefits.

When our team first came together someone important learned about my lineage and condemned us all.
Who? Odysseus('s statue)
Why? It sensed Circe's essence/magic in Hex and denounced us all (everyone else as allies of Circe)

Relationships
.......... is the only one who understands what I’m going through; I told them which part of me I wished was more like my parent (she's a survivor).

My parent once fought and thrashed Bran the Blessed; I’ve got to find a way to make it up to them.

Influence

This team may be the key to proving you’re different from your parent, but you don’t want to be defined by your peers, either. Give Influence to 2 teammates.

Bran
Someone else

Advancement
When you fill your potential track, you advance. Choose from the list below.

❑ Take another move from your playbook
❑ Take another move from your playbook
1: Take a move from another playbook (Be mindful of your surroundings: Protege playbook)
❑ Take a move from another playbook
❑ Unlock your Moment of Truth
❑ Someone permanently loses influence over you, add +1 to a Label
❑ Rearrange your Labels as you choose, and add +1 to a Label
❑ Take The Mask and a secret identity from the Janus playbook

When you've taken five advances from the top list, you can take advances from the list below.

❑ Unlock your Moment of Truth after it's been used once
❑ Change playbooks
❑ Take an adult move
❑ Take an adult move
❑ Lock a Label, and add +1 to a Label of your choice
❑ Retire from the life or become a paragon of the city

People have always tried to define you by your lineage. As if from the moment you were born, you were meant to be some villain to be defeated. But...they’re right, aren’t they? That darkness is in you. So right here, right now, you’re not fighting it—you’re embracing it. Both hero and villain, and greater besides. You’re overcoming impossible odds in ways no hero would approve of, and no villain could comprehend. Of course, after seeing what you can really do when you embrace the whole of yourself, the rest of the world isn’t going to forget who you really are...

When you share a triumphant celebration with someone, ask them if you have earned their respect. If you have, take Influence over them and mark potential. If you have not, give them Influence over you and mark potential.

When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, ask them if they would defend you against those who mistrust you. If they say yes, clear a condition and shift Savior up and any other Label down. If they say no, mark a condition and shift Danger up and any other Label down.

The amulet/charm works by doing a number of things:

1: Makes her generally less noticeable (doesn't seem particularly attractive/interesting, irrespective of what she's wearing or doing etc). This really annoys her because she used to be a really popular in-crowd girl and doesn't like just being in the background.

2: Makes it almost impossible to mentally connect 'Cassie' and 'Hex' i.e., realise Cassie can use magic) even though there's no physical change,.. This works even on images/videos/etc. taken of her whilst wearing/not wearing the amulet... It also means that, even if you've seen her 'change' from Cassie to 'Hex' (or back) you can't mentally connect them.

3: She can, however, decide that certain people are unaffected by the amulet's ward. If she does so, they are not affected by any of the above (they see 'Hex' and 'Cassie' in precisely the same way.

Cassie’s mom was always a distant presence in Cassie’s life. She was mostly brought up by nannies until she was old enough to be sent to an exclusive private school miles from Halcyon. Even during school holidays she spent most of her time away at various camps – horseriding, skiing, even yachting, but that’s just what happens when you’re the only daughter of a mother who happens to be Halcyon city’s richest widow. Isn’t it?
It was only when she graduated on to high school, on another exclusive campus miles from anywhere, that Cassie became aware of the rumours…. That her mother was some kind of underworld figure, some kind of criminal who had managed to avoid being locked up by, rumour had it, a mix of bribery, threats and ‘hits’. As it turned out though, the truth was even stranger.
It had been her 16th birthday when the limo had arrived at the school gates and one of her mother’s ‘employees’ had driven her back to the city, where an unseasonable storm that the weather service had totally failed to predict, was making its effects felt. When the car had pulled up at the old five-story building on the edge of the park Cassie had not known what to expect. Possibly some kind of birthday present? More than a few of her friends had wrangled convertibles out of their parents, so it wasn’t out of the question. Things had gotten strange when she had been ushered in through the building’s doors. First, despite the storm outside, the windows were all open and candles were set up all over the place. Second, she’d been lead upstairs to an attic room that she hadn’t even known existed.
When she’d entered things had gotten even weirder. The room was decked out with strange shapes – runes she later found out that glowed with an off-putting green light. In the center of the dark space her mother stood, next to what looked like an alter, and completely naked.
”Ah, Cassiphione” her mother had intoned. ”You’re finally here. Good. Come,” she had continued, ”Come here. I’m almost ready. It’s almost time.”
Without speaking. Without being able to speak, or stop herself, Cassie had complied, taking several steps forward until she was standing face to face with the older woman who looked her up and down. ”Yes” she had said, ”Your body will do very nicely.” I do so hate it when my daughters fail to develop appropriately. Now, remove your clothes and lie down on the alter and we can begin. I’m sure you have many questions but I am in something of a hurry.”
Again without her conscious volition, Cassie’s body had followed the instructions and her mother had taken up position at her head, holding a knife and a cup.
”Don’t look so concerned.” she had said. ”it will be done soon enough.”

Circe
...
...
...
Ceridwen
Creirwy

First question; When's your birthday? Date, year and time if you know it? And where were you born?
Second; What is your favourite colour?
Third; Are you an owl or a lark?
Fourth; What are your hight and weight?
Fifth; Quick as you can. What's half of 132?
Sixth; Do you sleep on your front, back or side?
Seventh, this one's a bit personal; What,.. physically,.. do you notice first about girls or guys, whichever you're in to,.. and what hair colour do you like or don't you care?
Eighth; Are you scared of spiders?
Last one; Do you scrunch or fold toilet paper?"

"Το αίμα και το δέρμα γίνονται ολόκληρα.
Δεμένη μαζί, αντλήστε ενέργεια από το φως.
Αίμα, μαύρη χολή, κίτρινη χολή, φλέγμα.
Αέρα, γη, φωτιά, νερό. Να γίνει ολόκληρο.
Αίμα, μαύρη χολή, κίτρινη χολή, φλέγμα.
Αέρα, γη, φωτιά, νερό. Να γίνει ολόκληρο.
Αίμα, μαύρη χολή, κίτρινη χολή, φλέγμα.
Αέρα, γη, φωτιά, νερό. Να γίνει ολόκληρο.
Να γίνει ολόκληρο.
Να γίνει ολόκληρο.
Το αίμα και το δέρμα γίνονται ολόκληρα.
Δεμένη μαζί, αντλήστε ενέργεια από το φως. "