Metahuman World [RPG]

Basic lore of the world

1. Origin of Metahumans

In the last century (roughly 1950–1970), an experimental vaccine or drug aimed at suppressing a number of hereditary diseases or boosting immunity was developed. The exact objectives are classified. The drug underwent limited testing on volunteers, after which it was discontinued or banned for unknown reasons.

The side effect didn't manifest immediately, but in 0.01% of people who received the vaccine (or their direct descendants). A latent gene, previously thought vestigial, "awakened" in them. This gene grants its carriers meta-abilities—individual abilities that aren't inherited according to strict Mendelian laws. A metahuman's child can be born normal, and vice versa.

2. Attitude of society

There's no single attitude. Metahumans are perceived differently in different countries, social classes, and situations:

· Somewhere they are feared and poisoned as mutants. · Somewhere - they are idolized as a new stage of evolution. · Somewhere they are used as cheap force. · Somewhere they are afraid, but they endure until they get involved.

There is no single "witch hunt" or genocide. Just as there is no global cult. The press, social media, and urban legends multiply myths, ranging from hysteria to admiration.

3. Official status

It also varies from country to country and even from region to region:

· Registration and accounting (somewhere voluntary, somewhere compulsory). · Issuance of special permits (for work, carrying weapons, movement). · "Gray zones" are countries where the status of a metahuman is not legally defined, and everything is decided on the spot by security forces or the crowd. · Complete lack of rights or, on the contrary, quotas – in certain extreme cases.

There is no single universal law. Metahumans are as much a part of reality as nationality or religious beliefs: in some places it's a problem, in others it's not.

4. Global balance of power

Real control over the world is shared between states and large corporations (in the spirit of our times, but with a twist for science fiction). Metahumans do not form an independent power—they are integrated into the existing system.

Classification of metahumans

By strength (from lowest to highest)

E-class – this ability is almost useless in a fight. It can see in the dark, stay awake for three days, and sense lies. An ordinary person with a knife could kill someone like that.

D-class – stronger or faster than several people. Can hold his own against three people, regenerate minor wounds, and deliver a stun-like discharge.

C-class – dangerous to a police squad (up to 15 people). Can handle machine gun bullets (not armor, but body), set a car on fire with a glance, and read minds from a room away.

B-Class – Requires an army or assault team. Can dismantle a company of soldiers (up to 100 men), knock out power in a block, and is invulnerable to small arms fire.

Class A—a living weapon of mass destruction. Destroys a neighborhood, shoots down a plane, and disappears before the eyes of special forces. Only a few in the world.

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By origin

The primary recipients received the vaccine personally. Now they're elderly people over 70. Only a few remain.

Secondaries are the descendants of those grafted. The bulk of metahumans.

The status of metahumans in different countries

USA — There's no federal registration; states decide. Some require registration, while others prohibit working with children or weapons. The main industry is the superhero industry. Metahumans are hired by corporations (contracts, costumes, names).

Western Europe — Voluntary registration. The state pays for "suppressants" (medications that reduce abilities). Class C+ receives subsidies for not using their powers in public places.

Eastern Europe — Registration is mandatory. Class D+ wear patches/bracelets. Police use low-ranking metahumans as unpaid labor. Class B+ are hunted by oligarchs.

Russia — Registration is mandatory. Class C+ requires a license for use. In practice, C is under police surveillance, while B+ either work for the government (unofficially) or are on the run. "Guardian" operates with the tacit approval of law enforcement.

China — Full accounting. Class C+ either go into government service or disappear into "specialized institutions."

Japan — Registration is voluntary and provides benefits. High-class citizens are not prosecuted unless they break the law. The exception is class C+ (outlawed).

Middle East — Metahumans are state property. Class E–C work in construction/security. Class B+ are "strategic assets" and live in gated communities. Escape means death.

Gray zones (Africa, Latin America, islands) — No laws. Class E–C become local authorities. Class B+ either rule their districts or go into hiding.

List of corporations

1. Genesis Biomedical

Founded: 1982 Based in California, USA. Research centers also in Western Europe (Switzerland) and Southeast Asia (Singapore).

Field: Pharmaceuticals, genetic research, drug patents.

Interest in metahumans: Officially, he studies the meta-gene for the "treatment of rare diseases." Unofficially, he attempts to replicate abilities under controlled conditions. He has access to restricted databases of registered metahumans (where registration is mandatory). He purchases biomaterials (blood, tissue) through proxies.

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2. "Omega Sector"

Founded: 1995 (as an unofficial division within a defense holding company). Basing: Headquarters – United Kingdom. Operational bases – Eastern Europe (Poland, Romania), Middle East (UAE), Southeast Asia (Philippines).

Sphere: Private military services, security of facilities, “sensitive operations”.

Interest in metahumans: Illegal hunting and recruitment of metahumans with combat or applied abilities. They work both on contract and for themselves, selling "specialized assets."

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3. Guardian Group

Founded: 2005 Based in Moscow, Russia. Branches in Eastern European countries (Ukraine, Belarus until 2022, currently Poland and the Baltics) and separate offices in Germany (under the guise of a security cooperative).

Sphere: Private security, event security, patrolling of gated communities.

Interest in metahumans: Negative. "Guardians" position themselves as defenders of ordinary people from the metahuman threat. Their advertising features a child's schoolbag torn to pieces by a metahuman and a happy family behind a fence, watched by cameras. In practice, they engage in violent "anti-meta" activities bordering on the law: provocations, forced registration, beatings. Murders do occur, but they are always framed as self-defense.

The Superhero Industry in the United States

There's an industry where C-B (rarely A) class metahumans are turned into celebrities. This is handled by production companies (the largest being Seventh Edge).

The mechanism: a metahuman is given a name, a costume, and a persona. They sign a contract (the company takes 60-80% of the profits). Then comes filming, reality shows, advertising, social media, and interviews. They don't fight crime or save cities—that's all a show for the cameras.

The industry has everything you'd expect from regular show business: ratings, competition, scandals, drugs, lawsuits, sex leaks, cancellations, divorces, fights in clubs. Fans and haters. Merch. Transfers from one company to another.

The dark side: companies cover up the crimes of celebrities. Those deemed undesirable are fired or transferred to the Omega Sector. Minor metahumans (class E-D) are expendable for bit parts and stunts; they are maimed and discarded.

Public opinion: Conservatives consider it a circus and demand control. Liberals call it progress and integration. Metahumans without contracts despise the "masqueraders." Outside the US, the culture is considered a typically American absurdity.

S-class. A living weapon of mass destruction.

1. Name: Adam Kain Date of birth: July 14, 1984 Nationality: USA Class: S Ability: Complete control of kinetic energy within a kilometer radius. Status: Independent Who he is: The first S-Class to ever be killed. He wiped out a National Guard battalion when it was attacked in 2010. He's been living in the wilderness ever since.

2. Name: Nadya Voloshina Date of birth: March 3, 1991 Nationality: Ukrainian Class: S Ability: Electromagnetic field manipulation. Disables an entire city's power grid in a minute. Status: Cooperates with Western corporations on its own terms. Who she is: Three attempts were made to catch her. In 2018, she left half of Poland without power while evading pursuit. She made arrangements with private individuals. She is officially accountable to no one.

3. Name: Cyrus Mendes Date of birth: December 21, 1978 Nationality: Brazil Class: S Ability: Transforms flesh into steel. Complete invulnerability to conventional weapons. Status: Controls favela areas in Rio. Who is it: The Brazilian army tried to take it twice - lost equipment and people.

4. Name: Irene Velasquez Date of birth: September 9, 1999 Nationality: Spain Class: S Ability: Complete temperature control within a 500 meter radius. Status: In the civil service of France. Who she is: The Spanish government wanted to imprison her in a lab. She burned down a military base in Aragon and escaped to France.

5. Name: Dmitry "Bonebreaker" Tarasov Date of birth: January 1, 1980 Nationality: Russia Class: S Ability: Absolute physical strength and regeneration. Status: Collaborates with the Omega Sector Who he is: He can't be killed. Dmitry doesn't care about politics. He works for those who pay him.

6. Name: Leila Abbas Date of birth: June 14, 1993 Nationality: Egyptian Class: S Ability: Complete control of sand and stone. Status: Hiding in North Africa. Who is it: The Egyptian army lost 300 men trying to capture it. They destroyed a checkpoint, a base, and two helicopters.