Tech Posted July 22, 2003 Report Share Posted July 22, 2003 For an upcoming Champions game, I've poured over countless websites looking for Irish villains to use. Since I've come up with zippo, I'll throw my idea out for help. An Irish superheroine will return home to find that someone has taken the name of an Irish hero of some legend and dragged his/her name through the mud by being villainous... OR an Irish legend bad guy shows up. At any rate, either of the two (or even both) will do. A description of the person, legend and possible abilities would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted July 22, 2003 Report Share Posted July 22, 2003 If you're going Mythical, might I suggest a variation of Balor of the One Eye? Once king of the Fomori. His gaze caused death on all he looked upon (Heck of an RKA there eh?) save Lugh, who was protected by the magic of his spear. Balor was quite the warrior in his own right. Balor could possess some nosey historian or archelogist nosing about in some ruins, and seek to reclaim "His" land. This would explain why Balor's gaze would be weakened so it wasn't 'instant kill'. Balor's goals? 1. Rule Ireland again. 2. Find the spear of Lugh before it could be used against him. 3. Slay any who might oppose him, especially if they are linked to the Tuatha Dannan in anyway. He might also try to raise his former followers, the Fomorians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted July 22, 2003 Report Share Posted July 22, 2003 http://www.irishabroad.com/yourroots/mythology/ Fin MacCumhail. Can leap thirty miles at a bound, high STR, DEX, and Speed, some INT skills and/or an INT boost based on sucking his thumb, followers, more. See Here: http://www.irishabroad.com/yourroots/mythology/olstory.asp?article=1864132 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted July 22, 2003 Report Share Posted July 22, 2003 Legend to Super It also depends on how much you want to 'comicfy' something. Thor, as presented by Marvel is quite different from his mythic forebearer in many details. That's not an altogether bad thing, some myths would seem to modern sensibilities to be too silly or too grim/violent to be viable heroes. A little adjustment and a few tweaks can fix that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug McCrae Posted July 22, 2003 Report Share Posted July 22, 2003 I have an Irish Mr. Mxyzptlk analogue in my world. He's a leprechaun called Shamus O'Shamrock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nightfly Posted July 22, 2003 Report Share Posted July 22, 2003 Bill The Butcher What about a variant (or distant relative) of 'Bill The Butcher' as portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis in Scorsese's Gangs of New York. He's Irish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JmOz Posted July 22, 2003 Report Share Posted July 22, 2003 Originally posted by Doug McCrae I have an Irish Mr. Mxyzptlk analogue in my world. He's a leprechaun called Shamus O'Shamrock. I like the idea, can I appropriate it for one of my Centurions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tech Posted July 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2003 Re: Legend to Super Originally posted by Hermit It also depends on how much you want to 'comicfy' something. Thor, as presented by Marvel is quite different from his mythic forebearer in many details. That's not an altogether bad thing, some myths would seem to modern sensibilities to be too silly or too grim/violent to be viable heroes. A little adjustment and a few tweaks can fix that. Point taken. I guess it would have to be on a case by case legend. Great ideas and my thanks! A few more ideas and I should be able to do my episode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted July 22, 2003 Report Share Posted July 22, 2003 Re: Re: Legend to Super Originally posted by Tech Point taken. I guess it would have to be on a case by case legend. Great ideas and my thanks! A few more ideas and I should be able to do my episode. Well, if you want a female alchemist type (sort of) Perhaps Daireann? She's the one who poisoned Finn (if I recall) and drove him mad, and broke up the Fianna by doing so. All because he refused to marry her. I mean, this is a devious and vindictive lady If you want to turn creatures of legend, perhaps the Bean Sidhe (Banshee). Instead of a certain male mutant with sonic powers, why not make it a woman who appears, sings predicting a doom... and then the doom happens. Now, is the woman the cause, or merely someone with Precognition sharing what she knows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted July 22, 2003 Report Share Posted July 22, 2003 If you want heroes from Irish folklore who could be turned bad, IMHO you can't do better than Cuchullain, the greatest warrior of the Ulster cycle of myths, who was worshipped as a pagan demi-god. What's useful about Cuchullain in this context is that the mythic hero was subject to terrifying berserker rages in battle, during which he was invincible but which often led to tragic consequences. It's possible that a modern would-be hero who styles himself after Cuchullain, or who even has a connection to the original, could commit some involuntary violent act while in a berserk state which would cause him to be labelled as a villain by modern authorities. This might lead to more complex and character-driven interactions between him and your heroine than just a villain-hunt. Any decent reference on Irish myth should have plenty of details about Cuchullain. BTW, it's pronounced "Coo-CHOO-lane", the "ch" being a coughing sound as in the Scottish "loch". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Cadet Posted July 23, 2003 Report Share Posted July 23, 2003 If it's Irish villains you're looking for, there's a couple of them in the Villains and Vigilantes supplements Most Wanted Vol. 1 and Super-Crooks & Criminals: the super-terrorist Boogeyman (MWV1), and the super-environmentalist Shillelagh (SC&C). Space Cadet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug McCrae Posted July 23, 2003 Report Share Posted July 23, 2003 Originally posted by JmOz I like the idea, can I appropriate it for one of my Centurions? Sure, glad you liked it. BTW I always felt the default assumption is that anything posted can be appropriated without asking. The only rule I've ever thought holds is that one ought not to claim credit for the idea oneself. I think these are the same as the rules for Open Source software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dauntless Posted July 23, 2003 Report Share Posted July 23, 2003 hmmm, if you don't want to take the mythic route (and there are indeed some great ideas to use there...especially Cuchullain who in his fits of berserk rage killed his best friend and in one instance the people of Ulster had to get out vats of water and wine to cool him down and get him drunk to wear out his battle frenzy)....then you have to look at what makes Ireland well...Irish The Irish are thought to be lucky, so why not have a villain that bestows Unluck upon others? The irish are also ewll known for their natural beauty (and are part of the birthplace of Druids) so a villain with druidic or nature powers would be a shoe-in. A villain with some form of control over missles (shilleleighs) would be an idea. You can also take a look at Irish history and try to get some ideas. How about IRA terrorists for example, one's who have become so extreme they don't even listen to the Sinn Fein (sp? pronounced shin-feign) party anymore. The Sinn Fein is the legal governmental arm of the Irish who disavowed the Anglo-Irish Treaty that seperated the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland. Other freedom fighter gone bad ideas could be a descendant of Michael Collins (an Irish Independence fighter prominent in the Irish Civil War of 1919-1922) who vows to avenge his death by destroying both the IRA and English authority over Northern Ireland. You can even have a "Celtic Union" alliance between pro-independence Irish and Scottish members using whatever tactics necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umbra Posted July 23, 2003 Report Share Posted July 23, 2003 Here's some more folklore stuff (I've been researching fairy tales for my welsh super heroine). Many Celtic fairy tales speak of things like Will o" Whisps, Pookas and others that trick people and lead them to their doom... An Irish mercenary group with mind control and/or images (maybe shape change too) paid to smear the good name of a super might be a good plot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted July 23, 2003 Report Share Posted July 23, 2003 Hey, I can't believe I forgot... Shelley Crystal Mactyre's Wild Geese organization! It has all the elements you could want to adapt to your needs, including extensive Irish background and connection and a hero gone bad. Check it out here: http://www.mactyre.net/archives/wg/geese.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevHooligan Posted July 23, 2003 Report Share Posted July 23, 2003 You have to go with CuCullain. In some stories he shape-shifted into a beastial form durring his bezerker deal. Could be a multiform or OIHID. By the way, he was called CuCullen (Hound of Cullen) because he once killed the watchdogs of Cullen while he was a guest. To make amends, he acted as Cullen's hound every night until the dead dog's puppies were grown enough to stand gaurd. He is also refered to as the Hound of Ulster. And in case you haven't heard, all the Irish and their diaspora have placed a ban on evil leprechauns in fiction and RPG. You've been warned. Ma Galor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egyptian Posted July 23, 2003 Report Share Posted July 23, 2003 ideas! How about a sorceress (the name Aife sticks in mt head for some reason) from an island off the coast of Ireland hidden by a wall of illusions? She shows up and tries to kill a fisherman for reasons the players can't figure out. Later it will turn out that he has the ability to see through glamour (fae illusions) and may have accidentally spotted their island. After a furious battle her countrymen help her escape back across the sea. This can set the stage for a later war as the people of the invisible island decide a little proactive defense is in order. As far as a possible trickster character...it was said that meeting Adamnan was like being imprisoned forever. Another thought would be to bring in the various heroes of the Tuatha de Danaan as villains. I mean, they did conquer Ireland by force and it's not as if they /wanted/ to give it up. It might be fair to say that despite whatever positive qualities they had they didn't have a problem with conquering people and taking their stuff. That and you have to admit that making the 'shining host' the bad guys could be interesting. A group of utterly honorable warriors who excel in all the arts and just happen to want to take over the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent X Posted July 23, 2003 Report Share Posted July 23, 2003 Originally posted by OddHat http://www.irishabroad.com/yourroots/mythology/ Fin MacCumhail. Can leap thirty miles at a bound, high STR, DEX, and Speed, some INT skills and/or an INT boost based on sucking his thumb, followers, more. See Here: http://www.irishabroad.com/yourroots/mythology/olstory.asp?article=1864132 I didn't get the feeling that Fin was a bad guy. Of course, he could be written that way. Then again, most of those "heroic" Irish figures were fond of raping women so it's all relative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted July 23, 2003 Report Share Posted July 23, 2003 Originally posted by Agent X I didn't get the feeling that Fin was a bad guy. Of course, he could be written that way. Then again, most of those "heroic" Irish figures were fond of raping women so it's all relative. Never said he was. I thought we were looking for a "good guy" who could be used as a bad guy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tech Posted July 24, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2003 Originally posted by OddHat Never said he was. I thought we were looking for a "good guy" who could be used as a bad guy? Yep, although it would be more of a 'I'm using this good guy's name as mine to drag it through the mud just to spite everyone here', with accompanying appropriate powers (otherwise, why use the name.) Heh, my college English teacher would've had a fit with that last sentence... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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