Francis King / "Lionheart"

[rogueblade0729]

Display Format: Francis' traits | Lionheart's traits (if applicable)

 

Name: Francis King Alias: Lionheart Age: 15 Height: 5'6" Weight: 131lbs Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Brown Nationality: American Species: Human

 

Attributes (22)

Strength (Str)	Stamina (Sta)	Agility (Agi)	Dexterity (Dex)	Fighting (Fgt)	Intellect (Int)	Awareness (Awe)	Presence (Pre)
1 | 4	1 | 4	1 | 2	1	1 | 2	2	2	2

 

Saves (00)

 

Dodge	Parry	Fortitude	Toughness	Will
Agi (1 | 2) + Mod + Rank (0 | 3)	Fgt (1 | 2) + Mod + Rank (0 | 3)	Sta (1 | 4) + Mod + Rank (0 | 3)	Sta (1 | 4) + Mod (2) + Rank	Awe (2) + Mod + Rank (0 | 3)
1 | 5	1 | 5	1 | 7	3 | 7	2 | 5

 

 

Skills (6) & Advantages (7)

Skill Name Total Ability Rank Mods Acrobatics 1 | 2 Agi     Athletics 1 | 8 Str 0 | 4   Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 | 6 Fgt 0 | 4   Deception 2 Pre     Expertise (History) 10 Int 8   Insight 2 Awe     Intimidation 2 | 6 Pre 0 | 4   Investigation 6 Int 4   Perception 2 | 10 Awe 0 | 8   Persuasion 2 Pre     Ranged Combat 1 Dex     Sleight of Hand 1 Dex     Stealth 1 | 2 Agi     Technology 2 Int     Treatment 2 Int     Vehicles 1 Dex     Spare Skill Section         Spare Skill Section         Spare Skill Section         Spare Skill Section

Advantage Name & Rank Benefit 3 (Millionaire) Defensive Roll 2 Fearless Move-by Action

 

Powers (65)

The Amulet of Maahes (points required: 65)

Francis channels the power of the Egyptian god Maahes stored within his ancient amulet, and assumes his avatar form: a man with the head of a great lion, dressed in Egyptian battle regalia.

• Alternate Form (65 points)
  • Removable (-1 flat point)
  • Standard Action (-2 flat points)
• Lion-God's Body (40/68 points)
  • Tough Skin
    • Protection 4 (+4 points)
    • Impervious Toughness 5, Limited [Overcome by Silver or Magic] (+5 points)
  • Improved Physique
    • Enhanced Strength 3 (+6 points)
    • Enhanced Stamina 3 (+6 points)
    • Enhanced Agility 1 (+2 points)
    • Enhanced Fighting 1 (+2 points)
  • Claws and Fangs
    • Damage 2 (+2 points)
  • Mystical Resiliency
    • Immunity 8 [Aging, Disease, Poison, Alteration Effects] (+8 points)
    • Regeneration 10, Limited [Not When Harmed by Silver or Magic] (+5 points)
• Lion-God's Talents (28/68 points)
  • Senses 4 [Low-Light Vision, Scent, Olfactory (Acute, Tracking), Ultra-Hearing] (+4 points)
  • Improved Skills
    • Enhanced Athletics 4 (+1 point)
    • Enhanced Close Combat 4 [Unarmed] (+1 point)
    • Enhanced Intimidation 4 (+1 point)
    • Enhanced Perception 8 (+2 points)
  • Improved Defenses
    • Enhanced Dodge 3 (+3 points)
    • Enhanced Parry 3 (+3 points)
    • Enhanced Fortitude 3 (+3 points)
    • Enhanced Will 3 (+3 points)
  • Lion's Mobility
    • Speed 3 (+3 points)
    • Leaping 3 (+3 points)

 

Complications // Motivations

Complications

Neglect. Francis' parents are multi-millionaires, yet their pursuit of the almighty dollar has left their son noticing their long absences. He was raised mostly by hired caretakers, but nobody who stuck around for longer than a year. As such, despite all of his material needs being met, no amount of money was ever enough to fill the family-shaped hole in the teenager's heart.

Maahes' Influence. Becoming the bearer of a long-forgotten Egyptian god has significantly complicated Francis' life. In his heyday, Maahes was known as a god of war, of justice and order, and was the enforcer of Ma'at's will. As such, handling the demands of the god often leads to Francis having to sacrifice parts of his personal life, and finding balance has proved nigh impossible.

Motivations

Acceptance. Despite being far better off financially than almost all of his peers, Francis has struggled to find a place for himself in the world. Home is comfortable, but the absence of his family makes it lonely. School is social, but the privilege he's surrounded by makes it challenging to find quality friends. Ancient history is fascinating, but everyone he's met is many years his senior. Francis simply wants to find people his own age that he can belong with, a group he can feel a strong sense of kinship to.

Responsibility. Upon the discovery of Maahes' amulet, the god's faded spirit became ingratiated to Francis, and has become his patron, like pharaohs of old. Yet, Maahes desires to make the world a better place, and as long as he is bound to Francis, the teenager must act as his avatar. It is a responsibility that he takes seriously, despite how much it overtakes his life, and he will not be parted with the amulet willingly. Not like he could if he wanted to; Maahes' power has grown such that wherever Francis goes, the amulet magically finds its way to him.

 

 

A-Day	B-Day
Math	Foreign Language
Gym	History
Lunch	Lunch
Science	English

 

Edited August 19, 2023 by rogueblade0729 (see edit history)

[rogueblade0729]

Appearance

Francis is a fairly average kid. Wavy brown hair, brown eyes, light skin, and a decently toned body, along with surprisingly few signs of acne at any given moment. He isn't as physically impressive as some of his more athletic counterparts, but he isn't skinny either. Though he has glasses, he tends to prefer contacts more often than not. Most of his clothing is fairly casual, typically a combination of jeans or khakis and an assortment of t's and button-up shirts.

Personality

Upon first contact, Francis seems like just any normal person his age. He isn't super outgoing, but he doesn't have a problem with socializing either. He's a fan of soccer and baseball, he enjoys his classes at school, and he is something of a casual gamer. However, the one thing he tends to be quite passionate about is archaeology. Studying those who came before and their civilizations was something he always found unique, and one day he hopes to become something of an expert on ancient history. Francis is also very well traveled, and thus has a decent understanding of almost every major culture of the world. Regardless, the one thing he struggles with above all else is his deep down feeling of loneliness. He's not used to having close friends, associates, or a true family for that matter. Though he hides it well, he's the type that can feel alone in a crowd of people.

Backstory

All the Money in the World

Francis was born the son of Scott and Josephine King, a neurosurgeon and the CEO of a communications company, respectively. As such, money was never a problem for him or his family, and in fact they tended to live lavishly. Most of his childhood was spent in their Colorado penthouse, where just about anything he could ever want was at his fingertips. However, due to the nature of his parents' lives, he was primarily raised by caretakers and butlers. After the first few years of his life, he would only see his parents for a few hours on any given day. They were either abroad on a business trip or too tired to stay awake, and on occasion would take couples-only vacations.

Colorado wasn't the only penthouse he spent a good amount of time in. There was also one in Seattle, Charlotte, Newark, Atlanta, Paris, London, and Tokyo. Every couple of years, his family would move between these various locations, completely upsetting Francis' life and forcing him to start all over again. This wasn't too unlike the experience of military brats. He did his best to keep up with his old friends online, but it was never really the same. Wherever he went, no matter how many new friends and acquaintances he made, he never truly felt like he belonged. He always felt like a piece of flotsam drifting through the sea.

His parents more or less gave him his own bank account at age 10, and the numbers almost never dropped below six digits, regardless of what he purchased. Nothing he bought ever really meant a lot to him, though. He'd look online and see pictures of kids eagerly opening presents on Christmas day, finally getting something they've waited years for, and he would wonder, "Why don't I feel like that?"

His parents didn't hate Francis, they were just often preoccupied with their own lives to spend a lot of quality time with him. To Francis, though, no amount of explanation would ever be enough to make up for what he's lacked.

A Curious Discovery

One of Francis' main passions was his love of history. Though he felt lonely, being surrounded by books and historical texts always seemed to excite him. Wherever he went, he always loved visiting museums and taking tours of various sites. His parents recognized this pretty early on, and wholeheartedly supported his endeavors. Of course, they wouldn't personally accompany him to too many of these places, but they did certainly make sure he had the resources to explore however and wherever he wanted.

When he was 14, he received an offer to join an expedition into the deserts of Egypt in search of an ancient temple. Several recently translated sources were able to provide enough probability of the temple's existence, though given the description of it, it's apparently a wonder that more sources don't mention it. There were mentions of rituals, of pharaohs going to pray there, and "chosen ones" who were awarded magnificent powers through some obscure selection process. His parents arranged a meeting with the head archaeologist, bought him his plane ticket and sent him on his way. Though he wished they would come with him, he had gotten used to being on his own.

The expedition was just about everything he could hope for. It took a while to adjust to the ecosystem, but once he did, it was a lot of fun. Driving across the dunes, scanning the horizon for the secrets hidden in the sand, it was certainly the journey of a lifetime. After about two weeks of searching, the group was about to head back to civilization when they spotted something nestled untouched at the bottom of a valley: ruins. Excitedly they approach, discovering a magnificent carving of a lion-headed man standing guard over the entrance to an ancient structure that had been abandoned for centuries. However, a massive sandstone boulder was in the way, blocking the entrance entirely. There were no natural mountains or exposed rock faces anywhere nearby, so the presence of the boulder was quite odd. How did it get there? Who moved it there, if anyone? And how could they lift such a heavy thing?

Francis decided to join some others and explore the upper levels of the ruins, looking for another way in. However, while they were exploring, part of the roof gave way beneath his feet, causing him to plunge into the temple and into darkness.

The height alone should have killed him. However, he felt a sudden lightness come to his body, and he rose––no, floated––onto his feet. Standing before him was an ornate lion altar embellished with gold. A large representation of the creature stalked above the gilded table, and upon this table was a single bronze amulet within some sort of indented slot. It was about the size of an American one dollar coin. There were six other slots for coins of equal size as well, but only the one was present. The coin held an engraving of a lion's head on one size, and a strange hieroglyph on the other.

Something drew Francis to this amulet, though he couldn't explain why. He reached out and picked up it, only for it to suddenly shine with a searing light that forced his fingers to grasp it tightly. In his mind, a voice proclaimed:

"Greetings, mortal. I am Maahes, Avenger of Wrongs and Helper of the Wise Ones. My influence over this land was once grand and noble. In a time of chaos and destruction, I stalked the borders of civilization, warding off the unbridled hatred of monsters. Now, I am all but forgotten, my servants gone and my gifts abandoned to lesser men. Only one now remains, and to you I grant this, boy.

"The world has changed, my gifts now monstrous, and my power now waning. My adversaries have regained their might and threaten your people once more. You, boy, shall be my legacy. Restore virtue to my gifts, and do not allow my cause to be fall upon deaf ears."

Francis wanted to say something. Anything. But no words came to his lips. He was absolutely puzzled by this, but a fear crept into his heart. This Maahes figure wanted him to be his legacy? Why him? If anyone else had fallen in, would he have the same reaction? And that's when he realized... scattered across the chamber were skeletons, most still garbed and preserved well. The various remains of their clothing were more than enough for Francis' trained eye to recognize. Egyptians, Romans, British, numerous other explorers from across the ages, all dead.

"They could not leave because they were not worthy. I hold absolute power in this temple, and as such, can choose who receives my gifts. In the world beyond, my influence is all but gone. You, boy, are permitted to leave. However, the only way you may leave this place is through my gift. Press it to your heart, feel its power course through you, and accept my might. Only then may you be free to return to the world."

The young explorer stared at the amulet as its light faded, still humming radiantly in his palm. Again, many more questions flooded his mind, but he knew at this point he didn't have much of a choice but to listen. If Maahes truly did own this temple, then he ought to obey while he remained inside. It's the only way he can survive. So, unzipping his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt, he draped the amulet over his neck and closed his eyes.

As though ten syringes of adrenaline were pumped into his veins all at once, Francis felt an ancient and overwhelming energy suddenly course through him. It started at his chest, then traveled to his arms, his legs, and everywhere else. He grew in size and stature, his clothes molding into garments more suitable for a great pharaoh. His skin hardened into a hide with light-colored fur, his hands and feet morphed into paw-like appendages, and his nails extended into claws. His head shaped itself into that of a lion, yet somehow maintained facial features that were unique to his original form. His eyes became feline, and his perception of the room around him sharpened tenfold.

When all was said and done, Francis realized that he was no longer human. Not entirely, at least. His body had shifted itself into a mixture of human and lion that stood much taller than himself, and he felt ripe with unimaginable power. Glancing around the chamber, he looked behind himself and saw that an impressive chunk of the floor was collapsed into a deep cave below, and that the stairs that led up to the blocked entrance were on the other size of the thirty foot gap. Understanding what he must do, Francis took a breath and sprinted straight for the gap.

At first, he ran like a normal man. Then, almost instinctively, he lowered himself until he sprinted on all fours. It took a bit for him to get used to it, but eventually it was as natural to him as riding a bike. Pacing his last few paw placements carefully, he landed on the edge of the gap, closed his eyes, and pounced forward as hard as he could. Not only did he clear it, he landed a short way up the stairs and had to catch himself before he tumbled back down. The lion stature far behind him was humming brilliantly, as though approving of his feat. Then, without a second look behind him, Francis charged up the stairs and barreled straight through the boulder!

Sure enough, he now stood face to face with the other explorers, who were frantically setting up radio equipment to call for help. Upon coming face to face with Francis, they began to panic, grabbing for their firearms and retreating. Before he could say anything to them, the amulet expelled a blinding flash of light, and when it faded, the hulking avatar had shrunk back down to the young teenager. The amulet slipped itself into his jacket pocket, and as a very lightheaded feeling came over him, Francis collapsed upon the sand.

No More Hiding

Francis awoke at the base camp several hours later, the amulet's hieroglyph seared into his chest and the expeditionary team arguing amongst themselves. They hadn't dared enter the temple after he emerged, and were generally more worried about the teen's condition than their discovery. When they realized he was awake, he nervously answered as many questions as he could, but soon it became clear that no one truly grasped what had come to pass. What they did understand, however, was that the amulet now belonged to Francis, and that some being beyond their understanding wanted him to have it.

They agreed to keep quiet about this revelation and send Francis home. Before he left, the archaeologists warned him against using such strange magic. Who knew what implications using it had?

Francis spent the next several months deep in thought on the matter. Why did this enormous power and responsibly fall into his hands, of all people? He wasn't a superhero! He's just a normal kid going through life, not someone destined for heroism since childbirth. Was it fate that brought him to that temple, or was it chance? Did Maahes choose him because he was the first person he deemed "worthy" in thousands of years, or was it because he wanted someone to finally take him out of that place? Was there a hidden motive involved, or was the god genuinely looking for a worthy benefactor?

The thoughts continued to trouble him as he went back to school in Colorado, trying to connect with his new friends but failing even more than before. He would forget details, give off wrong impressions, and unintentionally isolate himself even more. That power that was granted by the amulet... he wanted to feel it again, but he feared it. If he transformed, became that lion thing again, what's to say that the government won't find out and hunt him down for interrogation? He was lucky enough that the incident was hidden deep in the desert where no one would be watching. Did he really want to risk throwing away his life for it?

Well, one day he wasn't given a choice. As he and his friends were enjoying lunch one Tuesday afternoon, an explosion was felt from a nearby building. No one at the school was hurt in the explosion, but it seems that there was a battle breaking out in the streets right outside of the school. The police were taking on a crew of well-equipped bank robbers, and were losing ground. Some deep sense of injustice stirred in Francis' heart, and just as he overcame his bystander syndrome, the voice of Maahes boomed in his mind, "We must stop them! Go forth, young pharaoh! The battle is joined!" Unable to process things quickly enough, the teenager suddenly saw himself bolting out of the lunch room and out the side door of the school. Just before he crashed through the door, the amulet's power flared again, and Francis once again became the Avatar of Maahes.

With his arrival, the bank robbers were quickly foiled, and the police had them detained. They were badly wounded, but Francis had maintained just enough control over himself to stop Maahes from killing them right then and there. It was an incredibly cathartic feeling that the teenager felt, but he quickly realized that not all of his thoughts and emotions were his own. Regaining control, he sprinted away from the scene of the crime, hiding out in the rocky hills nearby. There, teen and god had a long debate over what happened, and what this meant for the future. They came to an agreement: if they notice an injustice happening in their area, Francis must help Maahes put a stop to it. Francis himself must also maintain a strong moral character, otherwise Maahes won't be able to work through him. In return, the god promised to not act in such a way that would expose the teen's secret identity to the world, and would allow him to use the amulet's powers at will.

Such was their arrangement for some time. The news had caught enough footage of the duo in action to give them a name: Lionheart. It was a little on the nose, but after seeing the seven-foot tall avatar brave gunfire and explosions, it was well-earned. As spring turned to summer, Francis received a curious invitation to the Wayne School, which he somehow managed to convince his parents would be a good idea to send him to. Thus, before long, the teen and the god-in-an-amulet found their way across the country to the notorious Gotham City...

 

[rogueblade0729]

Alright, Francis should be all set and ready to go! He's sort of a mix between Shazam and Beast Boy, with Egyptian mythos thrown into the mix. I know DC generally tends to lean towards Greek as far as their mythos goes, but since the god Maahes was acknowledged by ancient Greek historians (even got a Greek city named after him), I felt it was close enough to be valid.

If this breaks some DC lore that I don't know about, do let me know! It isn't difficult to change out Maahes for someone else, but I do like the themes that come with drawing power from a god with a lion for a head.

[Xerin]

I'm fine with this lore-wise. My opinion is that the 'Gods' of the DC universe are a multiversal style of alien. The Greek gods just stayed closer for longer because of Themescyra. But Hawkman and Hawkgirl were believed to be Egyptian gods during their many reincarnations. And with Hawkman still alive, he could also be the person to have recommended him to Wayne Acadamy (though you wouldn't know this).

Okay, some questions for you to ponder on:

1. Where do Ancient Egyptian morals and Current American morals collide, and does Maahes care? IE would he let you attack slavers? In ancient Egypt, slavery was allowed and common. So in his view, you breaking a slave ring would just be assault and theft of property.

2. How much control does he have over you in his form, in your form? I see that you had conversations and made deals, but can he force you to follow his whims? Are there consequences to you breaking your word?

3. If someone else got access to the pendent, could they make it work? If they were good? If they were evil?

4. How is the amulet activated?

[rogueblade0729]

Those are all really good questions. I spent the last hour or so reading up on ancient Egypt to try and find appropriate responses to each of them, and I think I understand it enough to answer them adequately.

1. (Source) This is a very good question. In ancient Egypt, all of their moral framework extends from the concept of ma’at, or harmony. Ma’at later became personified as a Creator god. They also believed that the universe is chaotic, but it is the responsibility of humanity, as graced by the gods, to maintain order. Additionally, the Egyptians believed strongly in justice, and would highly praise those who protected the weak and punished the guilty, usually through very severe methods (amputation, beating, burned at the stake, fed to crocodiles, etc.) (Source) The ancient Egyptians had a structured legal system, with courts, judges, witness testimonies, and police officers. However, unlike America where people are innocent until proven guilty, in ancient Egypt it's the other way around. The reasoning was "you would not have been accused if you were not guilty”, considering how structured and divinely graced society was. Interestingly, to ensure that witnesses were telling the truth, they would often be beaten in court. False accusations were also seriously looked down upon, and would be punished severely. Therefore, I think Maahes would strongly encourage Francis to use his powers to uphold the law, whatever it may be, as long as these laws are in support of the concept / goddess Ma’at. Since most of the world has outlawed slavery, slavers would be punished wherever slavery is illegal, as doing otherwise disrupts harmony. The clash comes in two parts: severity of punishment, and assumption of guilt.
2. Maahes is a god of order, so his pact with Francis is to be taken seriously. As stated above, as long as he uses his powers to uphold order and justice, he more or less has complete autonomy over his avatar form, with some mental guidance from Maahes. If Francis becomes evil or goes against the law too much, that may be seen as going back on his word, and Maahes can fight Francis mentally to control the avatar form. Or, he can simply revoke his powers, if he's not able to stop things quickly enough.
3. To make the amulet work, a new wielder has to either win the favor of Maahes or bend him to their will. Since the god has grown weaker over time, it is possible for a sufficiently willful being to force him to obey. Darkseid, for example, would absolutely be able to force Maahes to give him his power. But any sufficiently Lawful Good™️ person could probably earn access to the avatar form.
4. The amulet is activated mentally. Francis simply has to "tap into" the magic of Maahes by focusing on it, willing it to be drawn forth, at which point he transforms. To revert, he focuses his will on returning that magic to the amulet. Since he's still relatively new to this process, it takes him a few seconds (standard action) to make it work in either direction. However, as shown in the school scene, Maahes can force a transformation without Francis' direct consent or prompting. For example, if Francis is shot, Maahes can transform him into the avatar to save his life.

[rogueblade0729]

@Xerin I see you’re starting to mark applications as complete. I think I’m all set with mine, and I answered your questions to a hopefully sufficient degree. Let me know if there’s anything else you need from me!

[Xerin]

You're good. Marking as complete.

[rogueblade0729]

Up to 3 things you want to encounter/see (and why):

1. One or more of DC's gods. While I've set up Francis as basically carrying a talisman that embodies a semi-powerful god himself, I would be interested to see how he interacts with them, and how Francis gets caught in the middle of whatever drama arises between them.
2. Atlantis, Themiscyra, the Watch Tower, or some other iconic but remote location in DC. I feel like as a school meant to train the next generation of heroes, we may go on "field trips" on rare occasion, to learn firsthand about the various remote locations we might end up visiting or defending later.
3. Amanda Waller. A school specifically designed to train the next generation of superheroes is very likely to draw attention from the governments of the world, and I feel like she may or may not be up to something around the school. Not necessarily saying Cadmus, but you get my meaning.

Up to 3 things you hope to avoid (and if you're comfortable, why):

1. Real world politics. There's enough of that in real life, and this is meant to be escapist from all that. So, if we do end up dealing with a political struggle, I want it to be based in DC. For example, Atlantean and Amazonian squads of bullies form around their traditionalist ideals.
2. The Joker. The character has been done to death in DC media, and I want to leave room for other characters. If we're not gonna have a Batman, I'm not interested in dealing with the Clown Prince of Chaos.

One classmate concept that would be fun to interact with, but not necessarily to play as (too weak, too strong, bad power set, etc):

1. A Lantern character. I think some young kid had been affected deeply by Darkseid's invasion, and it evoked so strong and specific of a response from them, they earned a Lantern Ring. I imagine they would either have a Red, Yellow, Blue, or Pink ring. How they end up here, and how the Lantern Corps are responding to them, could be interesting to explore. Also, since Variable is a banned power, Lantern characters would probably be too powerful to play without seriously watering them down.

Edited August 16, 2023 by rogueblade0729 (see edit history)

[rogueblade0729]

Francis King - Lionheart

"I talk like this."

"I think like this."

I am described like this.

Mechanics & OOC

Character Sheet

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OOC: -

Edited August 19, 2023 by rogueblade0729 (see edit history)