Power Permissions
Aug. 12th, 2019 05:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
needsaspirin"I just... I sense it. The darkness in people. The shit they've done, are doing, or... will do. The worst ones... they have no guilt. What I see, I feel... is a void, a lack of humanity. And the closer they are, the sharper the needle in the back of my eye."
Erik's powers can generally be boiled down to a very specific kind of empathy where he can sense evil in others. Proximity to people who trigger his ability gives him a headache that increases in intensity the more dark the person is and the closer they are. The ability is not telepathy. He doesn't read minds and cannot tell what they've done; only gauge the severity.
For general purposes, I'll use the 0 to 10 scale used in the show as a benchmark.
People on the higher end of the scale - say the 7 to 10 range, can cause Erik enough trauma that being in direct physical contact with them can cause him to bleed from the eyes, nose, and/or ears. Sexual contact initiated from anyone on this end of the scale will be considered non-consensual.
Conversely, people who do not register on the pain scale and could otherwise be considered especially good or heroic, can be marginally soothing for Erik to be around. It is possible to not register on the scale and not be a hero. The average person does not register to his ability.
So how does this scale work?
Largely the scale of headache Erik gets, their baseline if you will, is based on their level of evil diametrically opposed to their level of guilt.
0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------10
No Evil -----------------------------------------------------------------Most Evil
Most Guilty------------------------------------------------------------ Least Guilty
So, for example a 10 on the scale is a remorseless serial killer, while a 5 is someone starting down a dark path, and a 3 is someone shady but who feels conflicted about it.
But what is 'Evil'?
Evil here is a catch-all term but Erik's estimation of darkness is mostly unbound from morality. Having killed one person doesn't automatically put you on his radar, especially if you feel guilty about it. A lot of what he feels about a person is based on their intentions and motives. There is even evidence to suggest that a person's rating on the scale will spike when feeling especially angry or murderous in the moment. The way a person feels to Erik can change over time as well. In the end this is up you you, the player, to decide.
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Otherwise it will be assumed that the game settings are interfering with any read he can get on the character one way or another. If you feel there would be a change to this rating, kindly come back and edit your comment to reflect it. Thank you!
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calidragon
Erik's powers can generally be boiled down to a very specific kind of empathy where he can sense evil in others. Proximity to people who trigger his ability gives him a headache that increases in intensity the more dark the person is and the closer they are. The ability is not telepathy. He doesn't read minds and cannot tell what they've done; only gauge the severity.
For general purposes, I'll use the 0 to 10 scale used in the show as a benchmark.
People on the higher end of the scale - say the 7 to 10 range, can cause Erik enough trauma that being in direct physical contact with them can cause him to bleed from the eyes, nose, and/or ears. Sexual contact initiated from anyone on this end of the scale will be considered non-consensual.
Conversely, people who do not register on the pain scale and could otherwise be considered especially good or heroic, can be marginally soothing for Erik to be around. It is possible to not register on the scale and not be a hero. The average person does not register to his ability.
So how does this scale work?
Largely the scale of headache Erik gets, their baseline if you will, is based on their level of evil diametrically opposed to their level of guilt.
0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------10
No Evil -----------------------------------------------------------------Most Evil
Most Guilty------------------------------------------------------------ Least Guilty
So, for example a 10 on the scale is a remorseless serial killer, while a 5 is someone starting down a dark path, and a 3 is someone shady but who feels conflicted about it.
But what is 'Evil'?
Evil here is a catch-all term but Erik's estimation of darkness is mostly unbound from morality. Having killed one person doesn't automatically put you on his radar, especially if you feel guilty about it. A lot of what he feels about a person is based on their intentions and motives. There is even evidence to suggest that a person's rating on the scale will spike when feeling especially angry or murderous in the moment. The way a person feels to Erik can change over time as well. In the end this is up you you, the player, to decide.
Please comment with the following form to opt-in:
Otherwise it will be assumed that the game settings are interfering with any read he can get on the character one way or another. If you feel there would be a change to this rating, kindly come back and edit your comment to reflect it. Thank you!
If you have any further questions, feel free to PM this journal, or contact me @
no subject
Date: 2019-08-15 01:22 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Yes
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) Yes!
Anything else? Dominic's pretty firmly in the hero vibe now. He was at one point trying to be a hero but with an organization that was very misguided (and he'd been surrounded by since birth) and he carries a fair amount of guilt for having been wrong before.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-13 11:05 pm (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? lol no
Conditional empathy: Y
Anything else? I'm inclined to say reading empathy off of Phillip could get Real Weird if he every winds up around Erik in god mode.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-14 12:20 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Nope
Conditional empathy: Yup
Anything else?He feels a lot of guilt for what he's done (mostly deserter) but it's seen very poorly where he's from
no subject
Date: 2019-09-14 06:54 pm (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? probably not
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) hell ye
Anything else? Konoe is also an empath (i have his own permission/info post on his page too!) though he senses emotions and moods more than he does morality. i dunno if erik would be able to tell or not but he too at least can feel evil intent from someone!
no subject
Date: 2019-09-16 12:30 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Potentially sometimes! Generally no.
Conditional empathy: Oh, super yes
Anything else? Judar's both done really bad things, originally without remorse, but now carries more regret and guilt for all that he's done. Not that he really gives off that vibe- he's really good at acting remorseless. He's gotten his Big Damn Revelation and Turnaround to the path of protagonists and heroes, but he's still the person that doesn't hesitate to make really Bad choices. So, both doing better and technically on the path of a hero, but his energy's depraved/fallen/corrupted, so he's the definition of sliding scale.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-17 04:09 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe?
Conditional empathy: Yes
Anything else? Margo is a reluctant hero who sometimes does shady stuff to get good stuff done. It's complicated.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-17 02:23 pm (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? No
Conditional empathy: Y
Anything else? Jonathan Sims is the humanish vessel for a malevolent eldritch abomination beyond the mortal plane of existence. His title is the Archivist and he's the servant for the Beholding. His purpose in life now is essentially to collect stories about the horrible/terrifying supernatural experiences people have had. He has to 'eat' these in order to feed his patron and survive. Jon was forced into this role, though, and often feels intensely guilty about the things he has to do to survive to the point of taking ridiculous risks to help people at the expense of his own body and mind. But there are times when his hunger and monstrous instincts overwhelm him and he essentially revels in what he's doing, the power he has, and the suffering he causes. These moments tend to be brief, but they're there.
So, on a normal day, he's hovering low on the evil scale because he's mostly a grumpy academic who just wants to be left alone with his archives, but when he goes full monster mode or makes use of his powers (over here), it ratchets up.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-21 07:58 pm (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? N/A
Conditional empathy: Y
Anything else? He's a friendly neighborhood vampire doctor. But still... a vampire. He has the urge to attack and feed on people that he is in a constant battle with. Mostly, he wins.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-22 02:52 pm (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Very much so.
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) Y totally okay.
Anything else? I'll try and put things to help with the empathy stuff in my descriptions and such but if I'm not giving enough. Well, give me a heads up and I'll adjust
no subject
Date: 2019-09-22 07:19 pm (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Nope.
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) Y!
Anything else? Legato is pretty much full of seething, destructive hatred for all of humanity at all times, having been traumatized and brainwashed to not have much headspace left for any good things. He is a very evil dude and this generally doesn't change much, especially when interacting with humans, unless some sort of event or other outside force interferes. So if you ever want to throw Erik at someone who will hurt very much to be around... here's your guy!
no subject
Date: 2019-09-29 05:35 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Ehh... maybe a little? Going by a similar scale, maybe about a 1.5.
Conditional empathy: Yes! Feel free to ask for further context/information as needed.
Anything else? For the most part, Reggie is a well-meaning if slightly reckless, rude/obnoxious/douchey, troubled teenage boy. He's very ride-or-die loyal to the people he cares about, but he has done some shitty things -- on his own prerogative or because he was gaslit into believing he had to -- that for the most part he's later regretted or apologized for. The really bad stuff, anyway. More of just an overcompensating jerk than a creep or bully.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-29 10:58 pm (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? She absolutely has Hero Vibe coming out the wazoo.
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) Sure!! Diana only resorts to violence in order to protect others/in situations where there's no choice but for her to use force.
Anything else? Diana feels guilt for her lack of action in her own world, but she's been more proactive about protecting people she loves in Duplo, and those guilty feelings are largely diminished. She's also a 5000+ year old goddess who is more or less the incarnation of truth and justice, so that can read to him however you want! She cares more about protecting the people around her than herself, and her sacred duty, as decreed by her gods, is to protect and guide men to being the best version of themselves.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-04 06:53 pm (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? AHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) Y
Anything else? He's basically one of Overwatch's Big Bad Evil Guys. Enjoy.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-06 10:09 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Yes. Vash is your typical self scarfing hero with a no one is allowed to die (including the villains) type.
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) Y
Anything else? Vash holds a lot of self guilt for actions that he was forced to do that caused the death of millions. I wasn't sure how this might register on the scale. Basically Vash was bodily controlled by someone else and despite trying to stop becoming a living weapon he couldn't. So he feels guilty and like he is a monster, but if it hadn't been for villains literally controlling him he never would have harmed anyone. Really Vash is the type of man with a heart of gold who has thrown himself into the line of fire to save so many lives his body is literally littered with scars because of it. He does this because it's right and never expects any thanks so, yeah, he's a 'big dam hero'.
no subject
Date: 2019-10-10 08:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-10-20 02:33 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Yeah. Nada.
Conditional empathy: Y.
Anything else? All good!
no subject
Date: 2019-10-29 10:11 pm (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Yes, very much so.
Conditional empathy: Y, absolutely. It is very hard to read his mind, but not his emotions.
Anything else? Cullen has killed lots of people, but in the context of his canon it was in the name of protecting others from evil. He carries a LOT of guilt for things from his past and has spent the rest of his adulthood trying to atone for it, to the point of putting others' needs far above his own.
no subject
Date: 2019-11-27 12:28 am (UTC)Conditional empathy: Yes
Anything else? K's warnings are here, might give Erik a better idea of how he'd read?
no subject
Date: 2019-11-29 04:58 pm (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Nah.
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) Yep!
Anything else? Laura isn't evil as such (yet), just... an amoral arrogant selfish jerk who doesn't really care enough about other people to consider how her actions impact them. She hasn't killed anybody, although if she kept going on the path she was on before she came to Duplicity she probably would have eventually, so... the potential's there, I guess.
Xavier Dolls | Wynonna Earp
Date: 2019-12-04 09:07 pm (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Xavier still might register here. He was a Marine who fought in Kandahar, Afghanistan which he considered one of the bloodiest battles that he fought. He doesn't talk about it (quick to state that it's classified) but there is a seriousness there, possibly guilt.
Conditional empathy: Y
Anything else? He'd register on the scale because he was experimented on, combining his DNA with a dragon who he has little control over his actions when that side surfaced in his world.
Shadow Moon | American Gods
Date: 2019-12-04 09:34 pm (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Although he's known as a thief and ex-con, Shadow might register, having shown in canon that he'll help someone with no regard to himself.
Conditional empathy: Y
Anything else? There is a con man side to Shadow. He knows how to use sleight of hand and has the gift of gab to talk himself out of situations/get what he wants. It isn't one he's used regularly in years but it can surface.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-14 04:27 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Yes. He has guilt about his life, but he is a hero
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) Sure!
Anything else? Harry being who he is, is heroic to the extreme, even as he feels guilty for what he percieves as his wrongs.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-20 12:45 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Occasionally
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) Yes
Anything else? Margo has been shady in the past, but, ironically, Duplicity has shaped her into a better person. She wants to do some good in this place.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-25 03:33 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Yes
Conditional empathy: Sure
Anything else? Annie is a Do-Gooder to the detriment of her own health. She's literally been shot, been shot at, etc., in order to protect people.
no subject
Date: 2020-05-17 10:51 pm (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Low-key, yes.
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) Yes!
Anything else? Meryl is candidate most likely to toss precaution to the wind and risk her neck against Much Bigger Enemies/Enemies with abilities/Cataclysmic explosions for the sake of her loved ones. She levels out as a realist, but at the point of her development in canon, she is leaning into the 'idealistic' side of thought. Her end-game philosophy is this, though she hasn't fully got there yet:
“No one has the right to kill another and everyone deserve to have a future. It's up to us to end the cycle of hatred. If we don't work to end the sorrow this time, then the cycle of pain will just continue on. When we were all born, were any of us made to steal or cause others harm?"
no subject
Date: 2020-06-15 08:15 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe?
Conditional empathy: Y
Anything else? Ed has a split personality. Ed himself has done things but regretted some of them. Riddler, on the other hand, is essentially a sociopath, with no sense of guilt and no regrets for the lives he's taken. BUT he doesn't kill for fun, there's no drive to kill, just, sometimes it's expedient. I don't know if that's better, worse or just different.
Tim Stoker | The Magnus Archives
Date: 2020-06-15 08:49 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? No
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) Yes
Anything else? I put Tim as a 3-4 but I'll let you decide if that's fair or not. Basically he hates monsters and would feel little remorse over killing something classified as a monster. He's also a "bigger picture" kind of guy. He'll feel guilty killing a handful of people to save millions, but he'd do it to save the most lives.
So not evil, but can be ruthless and would kill if he has to for the greater good.
no subject
Date: 2020-07-08 05:28 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? No.
Conditional empathy: Yes.
Anything else? Most of the things she's done are mostly because of the circumstances she's been put in. She's also more manipulative than the one to act, but her family is pretty infamous for doing horrible things, though if anything she's been a pawn.
no subject
Date: 2020-07-27 07:31 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? n/a
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) Yes please do!
Anything else? Alec is capable of being quite malevolent and bloodthirsty when he wants to be, but conversely... he has an overwhelming amount of self-loathing and basically thinks he's the worst, which might count as a kind of guilt idk.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-21 02:24 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Yes, maybe?
Conditional empathy: Yes!
Anything else? Marlo is basically an average person. You could probably call her a good person and a good doctor and she'll do anything to save a patient, but she's no extraordinary hero.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-27 01:53 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? nope
Conditional empathy: Yeah, go for it!
Anything else? Drizella's done a few bad things in her life (killing her fiance so her mom couldn't sacrifice her, poisoning her step-sister's husband to make a Dark Curse stick, etc.) and while she tells herself she doesn't feel guilty, the truth is she definitely feels guilt for a nice chunk of it. She just tells herself that it's necessary for the big picture. She was also manipulated into doing most of those bad things. In Dup, she actually hasn't done anything horrible? She's been too busy trying to make people believe she's a good person- while actually being a mostly good person.
no subject
Date: 2020-08-27 04:05 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? Maybe - Conditionally
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) Definitely yes.
Anything else? Cain is a complicated one. He's got very little guilt over what he does because he finds a lot of it is justified, even if it isn't. But at the same time, he does good work and he's physically selfless because he can afford to be. Does he have a hero vibe from that? I think it depends on the situation but he could. And can he kick it up to a 10? Yes when he's determined to go full on criminal mastermind. Mostly he's sitting at neutral because he doesn't actually care enough to be one way or another, but he's got too much under his belt to be lower than a 5 if he registers.
no subject
Date: 2020-09-25 02:02 am (UTC)If no, do they have a Hero Vibe? There might be some of this believe it or not. Seth tends to be protective of others.
Conditional empathy: (Y/N?) ARE YOU OK WITH ERIK READING CHANGES TO THE SCALE BASED ON THE THREAD? Yes, definitely!
Anything else? Here's about 4min of Seth's worst moments