A bunch or so

Name: Miriam

Age: Early twenties

Description: Medium-length dark brown hair, brown eyes, light olive skin, tall and lean, edging towards thin due to exercising more than eating.

Temperament: Sullen, bitchy and irritable, prone to minor bouts of depression. Dislikes most people, then is surprised when she gets lonely.

Position: Empath (receptive-projective.) Strongest by far, but not leading, due to dysfunctional ability and personality. Exists linked to but outside the informal heirarchy.

Past: Painful. Mainly own fault. Initial tragedy - accidental death of sibling triggered empathy. Unfortunately, was in crowded hospital at the time, and started an inadvertant feedback loop of fear and grief which took out entire hospital for two days. Three deaths from shock. Bitter ever since, especially since she can't handle her emotions around her family, which has kept up vicious cycle of angst and misery.

Was found by the group and brought to them as soon as custody could get her close enough, to be trained in mental/emotional shielding and physical combat to prevent her resorting to projecting at people.



Name: Alex

Age: Early-twenties- just finished uni. 'Recruited' by Liabet under cover as a graduate careers agency while she tests him for telepathic potential.

Description: Shortish dark blond hair, tall and slim. Pale skin, grey/blue eyes.

Temperament: Pleasant, quiet and easygoing with minor tendancy to arrogance. Likes most people, but gets frustrated when others aren't as automatically happy and well-adjusted as him.

Position: Telepath (receptive-projective.) Strong, with high shielding capacity, so automatically partnered with Miriam. Leads telepath contingent (not many?) Needed to undertake spying on other telempath circles, but is less than happy with the ethics of the situation.

Past: Normal, and fairly happy.




Name: Liabet/Lia (Childhood nickname that stuck - real name Elizabeth)

Age: mid-twenties (younger than M and A but infinitely more well-adjusted)

Description: Shortish curly blonde (dyed) hair, tans easily, green/brown eyes, shortish, trim figure.

Temperament: Friendly, chirpy and appears shallow due to interest in own appearance. However, has remained friends with Miriam through thick, thin and constant bitchiness, so must have some perception to her. Surprisingly capable under airhead exterior.

Position: Telepath (receptive-projective) lower/mid-level but well-trained. Shielding capacity not high enough to cope with Miriam at full range, however, so holds her back on assignments - hence recruitment of Alex.

Past: Remarkably normal. Was a friend of Miriam's who was present when Team Protagonist tracked her down, and discovered she could be trained to telepathy. Believed to be empathic initially, but turned out to be a telepath who was just particularly kind and persistent in trying to help people.


Powers

Empathy and Telepathy are the most common, but practically always manifest weakly, requiring teamwork to built up a noticable effect.

Empathy: Typically, fits the stereotype of being sensitive to other's feelings and being able to subtly influence them. Stronger capabilities only theory until Miriam shows up. At higher level, causes immense difficulty in functioning normally until shielding training can be built up, and immense problems with other people when said shielding lapses during an emotional moment. Ouch.

Telepathy: Mostly, what it says on the tin. Cannot, however, be confused with someone speaking. Entirely different feel. At most audible level, is easily confused with the reciever's own thoughts, hence protocol of identifying yourself immediately when making contact.

Shielding: Is rarely perfect, but different techniques are vital to prevent you a) betraying your own thoughts to a telepath and b) being influenced by an empath. Hardest to shield against both, but a way has apparently been developed by Team Ominous.

Combination: Ideal is Empath/Telepath. In practise, however, a group of two or three empaths to a telepath or two is usually required for the desired effect. The effect? Controlling people on a one-to-one, momentary basis.