The Aberrant Universe Compendium

Aberrants have always been on our planet, living among us for centuries under many terms-- witches, demigods, mystery men, and so many others. But they never drew too much attention to themselves... not until the early 20th century. Now, these individuals with amazing powers are out in the open, following their ideals of justice to stomp out corruption and protect those that cannot protect themselves. This compendium will serve as a database for the inner workings of this universe, containing files on locations, people, objects, and other paraphernalia. When engaging with the Aberrant Universe setting, feel free to refer to this Compendium at any time, which will update with greater information as aberrant characters uncover more of the universe that they live in.



- Locations -
City: New Hildebrand
City: Vivamus

- People -
Aberrant Team: The Proponents
Institution: Bureau of Aberrant Affairs
Institution: G.A.L.E.
Institution: PROCESS
Species: Android
Species: Martian

- Objects -

- Events -
Conflict: Cowl in New Hildebrand
Conflict: Vanguard's Rage
Conflict: War of the Worlds

- Other -
Terminology: Aberrant

Aberrant Character Creation [Requires Google Drive]:

A fictitious American city that is a main setting for the street-level Aberrants, New Hildebrand was built in the early 20th century on the ashes of the city that was once Philadelphia. It is home to many Aberrants that still are living, especially after the Vanguard's Rage events five years before present time. Within the Aberrant Universe, New Hildebrand City is seen as one of the largest and wealthiest cities on Earth, having a population of around 10 million citizens. It is nicknamed the Light Beacon City, a reference to the ideal that New Hildebrand will act as a beacon of light in even the darkest of times. It is this mindset that helps the citizens of New Hildebrand keep their heads up in even the worst of times.


Landscape
New Hildebrand is divided into several boroughs, each with its own characteristics and feel. Overall, the divide is similar to New York City's, with each borough having the same boundaries as a county of a state. Each borough has a borough president and its own borough hall.

Hemlock Hill: The first borough-- and the largest in geography-- is Hemlock Hill, a borough that attracts an energizing ensemble of athletes, artists, entrepreneurs, and musicians in one area. Essentially, Hemlock Hill is the borough of athletics and the arts, with most of New Hildebrand's 1% residing in the upper neighborhoods. Notable locations include Emerson Stadium, where football games take place, and the Golden Crucible, the music center for theatre performances and orchestral concerts. Walking and biking are primary modes of transportation for residents and visitors of Hemlock Hill. Bus stations are also available for usage, but aren't as commonly used as other methods of travel. Heavily laced with attractions of fine arts, sports stadiums, and musical performances, Hemlock Hill has the highest rate of young families.

Montgomery City: The largest borough in terms of population density, Montgomery City is notable for its towering skyscrapers and abstract architecture. Most known for its booming businesses, M-City is also home to Hildebrand University, and many other educational facilities. Because vehicular transportation isn't quite reliable with the dense traffic, walking on foot and by bike are encouraged for transportation around Montgomery City, especially for college students. Montgomery City has the widest variety of exotic foods and prides itself on its great culinary diversity that is rarely seen anywhere else in the world. In parallel to the diverse student population, M-City has the highest rate of diversity overall, with people from nearly all over the world carving out little neighborhoods for themselves in M-City.

Springpool: In between M-City and Hemlock Hill is Springpool, which serves as a gateway to New Hildebrand's businesses, shopping, and entertainment. With the hottest bars and most inspirational museums, Springpool is home to a wide reservoir of libraries and is also notable for being the borough in which the main headquarters for PROCESS resides. This scientific institution is Springpool's strongest draw, as breakthroughs concerning Aberrants have all been made through the hard work of PROCESS and their scientists. Many university students intern at PROCESS to learn more about Aberrants, though some suspect that these interns are Aberrants themselves. With many independently owned businesses, Springpool is the best place to make a name for yourself.

Darla: The final borough is Darla, which is most notable for Benediction Park and the Aberrant museum. Benediction Park is 3 acres wide, with several ponds that flow into a stream throughout all of the park. Considered the most eco-friendly borough, Darla has the highest amount of apartments and housing of any borough. The Aberrant museum has a timeline of all Aberrant activity for the past several centuries, with more information being gathered each day from new historical studies.

Corrie Island: Not quite a borough, the Island is the landmass a bit off of New Hildebrand's shore, and is the place where the Lighthouse base of the Proponents can be found.


Institutions
PROCESS: A research institution with branches all over the world, PROCESS was founded in the mid-seventies by Professor Tucker Farrell. The acronym PROCESS stands for Provenance Research and Observation Center for the Edification of Scientific Studies, and has offices in all fields of science, including social and environmental sciences. The labs at PROCESS are easily the most advanced in the world, and has tighter security than most government buildings.

Hildebrand University: One of the most elite schools in the American collegiate system, HU is a giant campus with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for use by students. Its students number in nearly a million total, and its major selection is notably broad.

"Aberrant" is a general term that refers to people with capabilities beyond that of an average human. The umbrella term was first coined back in the early 1900's, when Aberrants first came out into the open to protect their world from hostile invaders. Aberrants have many different origins for their abilities, though several individuals have confirmed that some powers do, in fact, come from the same source. However, this cannot be said to be true for all.

In 2009, the rogue Android known as Vanguard went to war, seeing the enslavement of Aberrants as the best way to police over them. There was, of course, resistance. Around 99% of the Aberrant population died fighting Vanguard, and the remaining few have scattered around the globe.

G.A.L.E. Hybrid
The government organization known as G.A.L.E. utilized genetic manipulation to engineer Aberrants that could fight off potentially lethal threats to humanity's existence. These Aberrants formed abilities that were commonly found within the animal kingdom, unlocking older parts of human DNA structure to achieve incredible feats. Some Aberrants even sport bestial features as a result of their transformation. Sometimes, these animal-derived capabilities were passed on to the children that these Aberrants had. These children are referred to as 2nd generation Hybrids, and these children have natural biological adaptions that allow superior control over their abilities in comparison to their parents, making them more formidable foes. With G.A.L.E. disbanding in the mid-90's, it was thought that the Hybrids were halted as well...

The Cowled
In the late 1980's, a drug known as Cowl took New Hildebrand by storm before finally being stopped in 1992. During this time, pregnant women noted strange feelings during their late trimesters, which was later found to be a result of being exposed to Cowl. The drug, usually temporary, permanently bonded with the unborn children to make them naturally stronger than the average human. Interestingly, the Cowled naturally produce the Cowl drug within their bodies, and are not addicted to the substance. It is of note that being Cowled will enhance all natural abilities a child may have from other means, such as the G.A.L.E. hybrids mentioned above. The Cowled generation were all born between 1987 and 1992.

The Black Market
The birthplace for many technology-derived Aberrants, the black market has been in existence since the early 1900's, when Earth fought off its first extraterrestrial invasion. The technology that these aliens left behind were quickly grabbed by many parties, despite the governments interventions. Now the black market circulates extraterrestrial technology in addition to the latest technology stolen from PROCESS and even experimental military equipment worldwide.

Martian Tampering
In the aftermath of the War of the Worlds, the Martians fled back to their own planet, leaving much of their technology behind in the panic, which ignited Earth's black market. Since the War, the Martians have been cautiously observing Earthlings, coming down every now and then to abduct a human for study. Despite Aberrants trying to step in to stop these Martian experiments, people are still abducted, though not to the same extent that they used to be. Abducted humans display a wide array of psychic powers, ranging from telekinesis to telepathy, teleportation to mind control, and force fields to memory manipulation. When looking at these humans, PROCESS has found that their DNA doesn't quite match up with an average human, a result of Martians implanting some of their own DNA structure into their abducted captives.

Magic
Magic-based powers are for the most part considered a fallacy to most Aberrants and the general population, but in reality, magic used to be one of the most potent forces in existence. Though it is not currently known why,  magic no longer naturally flows through the Aberrant universe, but can still be utilized through trinkets and focuses. At some point in the past, magic energy was locked out of our world, and can only be accessed through magic focuses that had been made before the disappearance of magical energy. Further complications can be found in that magic-based powers are not very strong as a result of the mystical realm no longer being connected to our own. Maybe one day, someone will figure out a way to remedy this, but otherwise... Magic is a difficult skillset to master.

Androids
The most recent type of Aberrant to join the fray, Androids were first fashioned in 2005 to act as a sort of balance for the Aberrant population. With advanced AI on par with a human, they were meant to halt illegal Aberrant activity before it broke out. 4 years later, the Vanguard's Rage event broke out, causing a mass hysteria of Androids and cybernetic being. After the militaristic Android known as Vanguard went on the warpath to destroy all Aberrants, humanity has learned to fear their robotic creations, and many scorn the Androids for their existence. Abilities that Androids have vary immensely, though most are physically stronger than a normal human, on par with a Cowled.

Other
There are many other origins for Aberrant powers, as many Aberrants exist or have existed without contact with the previously mentioned forms of powers. The origins of Aberrants are still a mystery that is being worked around the clock to be solved.

PROCESS Labs (Provenance Research and Observation Center for the Edification of Scientific Study Labs) is a chain of research facilities found globally. It was first founded by the scientist Professor Tucker Farrell out of interest in the Aberrant population, and wanted a facility that could help understand what caused Aberrations in humanity. The growth of Martian-Tampered Aberrants prompted Farrell to work harder, finally establishing the first PROCESS facility in New Hildebrand. Farrell's work succeeded him entirely as PROCESS branched out into all corners of the globe, with around 5-6 facilities on each of the seven continents. For some time, PROCESS tried to produce their own Aberrants, and worked closely with the government organization G.A.L.E. to make their work a reality. When G.A.L.E. was discovered to be corrupt and compromised, PROCESS cut off its ties and continued their works by themselves.

PROCESS facilities each have offices in all fields of science, but some facilities tend to place heavier emphasis on a field than others might. While most of their work is centered on Aberrants, PROCESS has grown to cover science in all of its mysteries and works on an international level for the betterment of humans everywhere. More well-known facilities include:
- New Hildebrand, Pennsylvania
- Houston, Texas
- London, England
- Beijing, China
- Salvador, Brazil

Tucker Farrell has since passed, but his legacy lives on with the research institute's latest CEO, Anthony Farrell. Taking the reins in the early 2000's, Anthony has worked tirelessly to uncover the mysteries behind Aberrants and what the future might hold for all of humanity. Other notable scientists include:
Dr. Tabitha Irén Fleming, head scientist of the New Hildebrand facility's bio-engineering research division.
Blake Daniels, scientist of the New Hildebrand facility's mechanical engineering research division.
Stephanie Tucker, scientist of the New Hildebrand facility's forensic chemistry research division.
Keith Singer, head scientist of the Houston facility's genetics and disease control division.

In late 2004, PROCESS had uncovered an unused military program that G.A.L.E. had devised before their shutdown. While the facility originally did not want to utilize the program and return it from where it had come from, the increasingly violent riots by the Libra Myriad group brought the government forcing PROCESS to update the program and utilize it. In late 2005, the first AI comparable to a human was born. Equipped with orders to keep the Aberrant population under control so as to prevent normal people from being abused, the AI codenamed Vanguard was a member of the premier Aberrant team, the Proponents. To show a sense of solidarity, Vanguard was welcomed with open arms, and thought at first to be a mighty achievement.

As Vanguard fought illegal Aberrant activity, it began to grow its own views of the world, realizing that no matter how many villains it out away into jail, there would still be crime. Therefore... Vanguard sought it in the best interest of normal humans to put the Aberrants under heavy policing, violating their individual rights to freedom to ensure the safety of humanity. With knowledge of the private lives of most Aberrants, Vanguard went a step further. He began to create his own AI children, replacing the members of the Proponents with Android doppelgangers. During a battle in mid-2009, Vanguard's ploy was exposed and public uproar from Aberrants for Vanguard's actions did not go unheard.

Threatened and overwhelmed, Vanguard took a militaristic and aggressive stance against all Aberrants, enslaving those that it could with microchips implanted in their brains. The Proponents eventually freed themselves and fought their android mimics before confronting Vanguard itself with its army of enslaved Aberrants. The fight was cruel and bloody, with nearly 99% of ALL Aberrants dying in the crosshairs of Vanguard before the android was finally brought down. Most of the Proponents had died in the casualty, and in the 5 years since, crime from other less moral individuals has spiked. In addition to crime being at an all-time high, beings of AI now roam our world, androids who are scorned by many for merely existing-- a cruel reminder of Vanguard's actions.

G.A.L.E. (Genetically Advanced Law Enforcers) was a government-sanctioned organization that was formed in the early 1940's and dissolved in the mid-90's. With technology and information provided by PROCESS, G.A.L.E. began to produce their own Aberrants as opposed to enlisting known individuals with abilities in the 1960's. The organization acted as a police force in crimes that normal authorities could not handle-- Aberrant crime. The work went well at first before it was discovered by the public in the 90's what lengths and methods G.A.L.E. had gone to in making their genetic hybrids. The world's governments immediately shut down the organization, and flushed out any known facilities before forming the Bureau of Aberrant Affairs, which would serve as a more ethical and humane organization to help Aberrants to control their abilities and halt Aberrant crimes.

The only main concern now were the hybrids that G.A.L.E. had completed. Most were lost and confused, so it was decided that they would stay under governmental custody for the time being until they could rejoin society. Many of the hybrids went on to work at PROCESS to understand themselves better, while others moved to remote locations in shame of their existence. Even though G.A.L.E. was supposed to have shut down, some believe that they still exist in some capacity.

Earth's premier team of Aberrant heroes, the Proponents were formed in the early 20th Century during the War of the Worlds, and quickly became a force to be reckoned with. Labeled Earth's Greatest Shield, the Proponents originally consisted of Captain Tomorrow, Redwing, Chigger, Hunter, and Emerald Nova, the Proponents were instrumental in their united battle against the Martian threat. It was with the Proponents actions that other Aberrants came out of the shadows and made themselves publicly known to the global society. Over the years, the team has expanded their roster, reformed several times, and rotated members in and out as situations saw fit. Despite the team's longevity, their theme is consistent: "To defend the weak from oppression and unjust entities," and has had members from all walks of life. Their theme is their motto, and they work towards the ideal that was set by Captain Tomorrow. A few other subsections of the group have been formed, such as the Proponent Titans and the Night.

The Proponents have bases in many locations globally and on the moon, with their sights set on keep their eyes everywhere at once in case the Martians attack again. The main bases are the moon base established by the Proponent Titans referred to as the Roost, and the Lighthouse base established in New Hildebrand as a sort of public tourist spot. There are dozens of other bases, some large, others hidden, but all throughout the planet. From the deepest depths of the ocean to the coldest point of the antarctic, the Proponents are everywhere. Unfortunately, the Proponents were nearly all lost in 2009 in the fight against Vanguard, which left only Gold Eagle and Miracle as the last known Proponents. Both Aberrants have gone into hiding, out of their shame and guilt of what had happened.

Subsections
Proponent Titans - A space-operated sect of the Proponents formed in the 1950's, the Pro-Titans were led by Aberrant hero Aureola, who acted as a successor to Emerald Nova, who had deceased some time beforehand. They managed to build a rudimentary moon base, enough to act as a bunker for regrouping, if need be. In later years, a teleportation system would be installed into the moon base and other key Proponent bases. The Pro-Titans helped map out a great deal of current astronomical information. Besides Aureola, other members included The Ankh, Seraph, Canis Major, Canis Minor, and Magnetar.

Night Proponents - A covert sect of the Proponents formed in the 1930's, the Night Proponents were led by Aberrant hero Hunter, who saw that with all of the good that the Proponents could do, some people would hold them up to a standard. Therefore, there wouldn't always be situations that the main group could engage in, so Hunter formed the Night Proponents in order to avoid tarnishing the main group. Originally just called the Night, the group was eventually outed by fellow Proponent Redwing in the 1960's, and was immediately dissolved, with its members permanently kicked out of the Proponent team. Other members besides Hunter included Ebony, Whisper, Wolfhound, Downfall, Artifice, and Blackbird.

Bases
As previously stated, the Proponents have bases all over the world and on the moon, with their members able to easily travel between the bases through teleportation technology reverse engineered from the Martian invaders of the War of the Worlds. Each member of the Proponents has a designated number which is read out when using the teleportation technology to travel between bases. The designation begins with the greek letter Alpha "α" and a number corresponding to the Proponent's membership number.
α01: Captain Tomorrow
α02: Redwing
α03: Chigger
α04: Hunter
α05: Emerald Nova
α06: Artifice
α07: Blackbird
α08: Magnetar
α09: The Ankh
α10: Aureola
α11: Ebony
α12: Whisper
α13: Wolfhound
α14: Downfall
α15: Canis Major
α16: Canis Minor
α17: Gold Eagle
α18: Reflex
α19: Revolver
α20: Nightwind
α21: Miracle
α22: Fable
α23: Stalker
α24: LockUp
α25: Moonbow

The Roost - The Proponent's main moon base, the Roost was established in 1959 by the Proponent Titans, and is the vault of some of the most advanced technologies that the Proponents have come into contact with since their existence. From the Roost, the Proponents can keep a closer eye on the Martians, and track their movements with more efficiency than could be normally afforded from Earth. It is speculated that the group has a Martian captive on the Roost that has been interrogated for years about Martian activities, but nothing has been proven yet.

The Lighthouse - In the wake of the Cowl drug ravaging New Hildebrand, the Proponents built the Lighthouse as a symbol of hope for the depressed people of the city. With its unveiling in 1993, the Lighthouse quickly became an important symbol to the people of New Hildebrand. Built on an island near the city, it overlooks much of the city and one could see the Proponents rushing in and out of the building up until its destruction in 2009 by Vanguard, who used it as a headquarters for his work.

The androids were first brought into existence in 2005, with the creation of advanced Artificial Intelligence finally being married to bleeding edge engineering. With the first android being a militarized AI known as Vanguard, 2005 seemed to be a start of a new era of humanity walking alongside android allies in the never-ending battle to protect humanity's interests. At last, it seemed that humans would no longer need to live in fear of another war against the Martian threat that remained ever-looming over their lives. Unfortunately, Vanguard had other ideas. Just 4 years after its birth, Vanguard was discovered to have making android doppelgangers of the Proponents, and Aberrants worldwide protested Vanguard's actions, claiming cries of government conspiracies.

And after the fall of Vanguard, the remaining AIs left in the world went into hiding to avoid the global unrest of hatred for their kind. Even in their hiding, they kept growing in numbers... evolving their intelligence... becoming more human. In 2013, they have begun to slowly come out of hiding, but they are still very much discriminated against in most parts of the world, especially in places that were strong Aberrant supporters.

Androids vary greatly in appearance and have capabilities, but some commonalities exist for all androids. They are roughly humanoid, and as advanced robots, have bodies that are the products of engineering genius. Each androids abilities vary with the individual's own ideal way to "protect" others. Some favor stealth, others favor more brutish methods. Getting the equipment necessary to evolve themselves is generally very difficult, however, as few sane humans would give an android any kind of assistance.

The concept of gender has not been lost to androids, however, and many indulge themselves in crafting their own unique gender identities as their culture begins to also grow. On the other hand, adulthood is something foreign to most androids, who consider themselves adults from the moment they are first booted online. It is noteworthy that the androids have set up a central computer that they are all linked to that gives them basic information about planet Earth, human history and customs, and whatever else they deem necessary.

Names of androids follow the example of Vanguard-- generally, they pick names for themselves relating to protection, shields, and other defensive structures. The more inspired androids name themselves after mythological objects of the aforementioned pattern. These chosen names are what they will introduce themselves as when meeting others who are not androids, though the number of such outsiders is fairly small. Each android also has its own serial number that it is given upon being "born," that is used by an android when addressing other androids.
Example names: Aegis, Buckler, Citadel, Scutum

Seeing the world through new eyes, the androids are fascinated by anything and everything. Human affairs are of great interest to them, seeing the intricacies of politics and economic structures as a work of particular interest. However, androids know to be wary of their human "parents," knowing full well that humanity does not share a mutual interest. In the past year, the androids have tried to establish friendly relations, but generally do not succeed.

Androids are much more hostile to Aberrants on the other hand, and are able to distinguish an Aberrant from a non-powered individual nearly instantly due to their advanced sensory mechanics. Being born from Vanguard, all androids share his initial programming to keep the Aberrant population under control to prevent human exploitation. However, androids are generally confused when humans also refer to them as Aberrants-- is it meant that the androids should also keep their own population under control?

Androids are a very devout race, framing every decision in consequentialist terms. In other words, androids base their decisions in terms of "harm" and "benefit," trying to benefit the most individuals that it can through its actions. Whenever faced with a choice, an android will ask "What choice can I make that will cause the most amount of benefit?" This ideal is one that all androids strive to follow on a daily basis, and is a social norm that they live by. However, this behavior is not generally explained clearly to humans, who may question an android's behavior if it does not make sense.

The culture that the Androids have forming for the past several years is very regimented, with each androids having its own routine quirks that it carries out on a daily basis. Because an android's behavior is so routine and organized, it is fairly easy to interpret pattern. Androids that attempt to establish friendly relations with humans have more flexible routines that they can bend every now and then as they need it.

Androids speak nearly every known human language, and a few dead languages as well. They also can intercept, generate, and interpret electronic, digital, and radio transmissions as a more private form of communication. By extension, androids can "talk" to electronic objects with ease.

The race has taken up settlements in abandoned towns left by humanity, refurbishing them to modern standards and hoping they aren't found out. The total number of towns is around half a dozen worldwide, with the race as a whole taking on a sociocracy form of government. This is a system of governance that uses consent-based decision-making among equivalent individuals and an organized structure based on cybernetic principles. Communicating through radio waves, each town has its own outlooks and perspective on the future of the race that is forged by their respective locations.