In retrospect, it was probably a bad idea to take the shortcut through the construction site. Who could have foreseen the exact circumstances that you would come to regret, though? Flashing lights in the sky became an actual UFO - a real alien spacecraft! - from which emerged a dying alien warrior. Knowing his time was drawing near, he made the desperate decision to entrust you, and the others beside you (who you may or may not already know), with the knowledge that the Yeerks are here. A race of brain-hijacking slugs, reading memories and personalities to blend into their host's previous lives indistinguishably, they've already conquered the Gedds, the Hork-Bajir and the Taxxons, and a single member of this alien's own race, the Andalites. And they're well on their way to enslaving the Human planet of Earth, next. The only giveaway hinting at a Controller's identity is that they must return to their pool every three days to feed, separating from their hosts.
Even more desperate, the decision to grant you and the others a weapon to fight back. Not a shredder gun but a unique technology of the Andalites, one which the Yeerks have not yet managed to reverse-engineer. You'll never forget the strange tingling you experienced as the blue cube granted you the power to transform into any animal you touch with but a thought. Morph into any animal and fight back against the invaders with its abilities, but resume your original form within two hours, or you will be locked into that shape forever. This is the only weapon the dying Elfangor can grant you against an enemy that could be anybody, anywhere, at any time. This, and the fact that the Yeerks do not know
yet that anybody on Earth knows of their infiltration.
They're here. Another alien craft, insectoid, then another, and finally one shaped like an ancient battle-axe, have landed. A motley mix of humans, saurian Hork-Bajir and centipede-like Taxxons file out of the bug fighters, surrounding their enemy's ship. The Andalite who finally emerges from the blade ship, you remember Elfangor telling you, is no true Andalite any more, but rather the only Andalite-controller in existence, leader of the invasion of Earth, Visser Three. Hiding just out of sight, you watch as Visser Three morphs into a massive alien creature which devours your wounded benefactor alive, destroying the last survivor of a space battle the Andalites had attempted to wage against the Yeerks' orbiting mother ship. As the hideous laughter of the collected controllers dies down, a silence settles uncomfortably over the construction site, broken only by the crunching of raptor-like Hork-Bajir feet and clattering of pointy Taxxon legs on gravel as they sweep the area. They are sure to find your group, and soon, if you stay hidden where you are. Echoing in your heads, in a voice that originated in your heads to begin with, Elfangor's final instruction: <Run!>
Signups:
Name:
Background:
Description:
Trait: (+1 and removes overshoot penalties for certain rolls. Choose from Natural Leader, Born Warrior, Ruthless Strategist, Morph Dancer, Aerial Ace or Tech Savvy. You may pick up more traits over time, positive or negative, if you survive.)
Remember Animorphs? Remember the shitty CYOA spinoffs of Animorphs that would make You the newest member of the team? Let's do it right, this time.
Ok, maybe you don't remember. Animorphs was one of the most popular book series of the late '90s-early '00s, consisting of 62 books written by Katherine Applegate, Michael Grant and a cabal of ghost writers (not counting the aforementioned terrible CYOAs). Five teenagers and later an alien (also teenager) are drafted into a secret war against the Yeerks, alien invaders who take over brains and blend into society using the stolen memories. The only weapons our heroes have are secrecy (the Yeerks don't know that they're human) and the morphing technology, which allows them to transform into any animal they've touched, with a two hour time limit. Also Visser Three's incompetence and Ellimist bullshit. You all will be taking the places of the canon group, free to fight this deadly guerilla war as you see fit - and deadly it will be. Good luck!
ChrisStatus: Alive
Form: Human
Acquired: German Shepherd Dog, Labrador Retriever
Name: Chris Jackson
Background: A popular jock kid, Chris has serious anger issues he channels into football and boxing. Often makes bad decisions due to being bullheaded and stubborn. Has a strong hatred for the name Crayak.
Description: Generic popular jock, blond hair albeit with uncommon red eyes and very muscular.
Trait: Born Warrior
IsabellaStatus: Alive
Form: Human
Acquired: Russian Blue Cat, Pekingese, Manchester Terrier
Name: Isabella Lori
Background: Isabella is sixteen, and the only child of a wealthy diplomat, who is currently abroad with his wife until the end of the year. She was left home at her request, ostensibly so her school schedule wouldn't be interrupted--but really because she dislikes traveling, especially after a particularly bad experience from the last time her father took her abroad. This has left her largely unsupervised (although her worrywart mother still calls her several times a week just to ask how she's doing), which she hopes will let her actually make and maintain lasting friendships. She lives with two dogs named Ko and Alyona, and a three-legged cat named Tripod, all rescues.
Description: Isabella is tall and tends to wear very formal clothes, mimicking her professionally-minded parents. She keeps her sandy blonde hair in a ponytail, and tends to look serious... though internally she's rather anxious, especially around people her own age. She tends to act more mature than one would expect of a sixteen year old, but again it's a behavior born from mimicking her parents rather than anything natural; Isabella doesn't really know what acting natural even is. Despite her family's wealth, she wears little adornment, aside from a fancy medallion with a sparkling blue sapphire set into it--a gift from her father, bought for her while abroad a couple years ago.
Trait: Morph Dancer
SophiaStatus: Alive
Form: Human
Acquired: Hork-Bajir
Name: Sophia Astos
Background: Sophia was born as slave, never knew her parents, and has seen the deaths of other kids she considered family. When she saw a chance to escape on her own, she took it. Having had a hard life, she sees no problem with focusing on killing as many evil brainslugs as possible.
Description: A fairly destitute-looking homeless 15 year old, though she doesn't seem unhappy about her situation, just happy to be free. Distrustful of others and swift to violence, though not un-altruistic. Rust-red hair and eyes. Also, illiterate and uneducated as you might expect.
Trait: Ruthless Strategist
HenrikStatus: Alive
Form: Human
Acquired: None
Name: Henrik Gregorio
Background: Henrik has always loved to take things apart and see how they work. His family liked to call him a genius - he'd take apart anything. Math equations, the themes of a book, how a computer program works. The occasional animal. He's not a bad person, exactly. He doesn't seem to understand that there's a difference between a living thing and a complicated machine. In his view, there isn't one.
Description: Light blue eyes, messy blonde hair with a dyed blue streak, just under 5'10" (178 cm). He tends to dress in fairly plain or functional clothes, almost always in some shade of gray or blue. He never seems to take off these little reading spectacles, no matter where he goes.
Trait: Tech Savvy
FredStatus: Alive
Form: Human
Acquired: Taxxon, grey squirrel
Name: Fred Freddie
Background: stunningly normal life.
Description: overwhelmingly average
Trait: Morph Dancer
ZackStatus: Alive
Form: Human
Acquired: California harvester ant
Name: Zack Olos
Background: Intelligent, but somewhat lazy, Zack is always more interested in having fun than doing his best work. Overall, he's a fairly ordinary kid mostly interested in having fun and sliding through life.. this is a point of view encouraged by his hardworking parents and older brother, who work long hours and take home honor student accolades, respectively.
Zach has mostly interested in a string of brief, but dropped hobbies.. science, writing, art, a dozen more.. but mostly of late he's been exploring his hometown, poking around for secrets.
Description: Medium height and a bit on the wimpy side. Wears T-shirts, polo shirts, and jeans, just easy-to-wear and simple clothes. Except for a pair of skateboarding shoes.
Trait: Aerial Ace
BobbyStatus: Alive
Form: Human
Acquired: None
Name: Bobby Serafin
Background: Descendant of Jewish immigrants from Poland, he'd been raised sheltered, and was often spoiled by his doting grandmother. She used to tell him stories about the old country and why they had to flee, which made a lasting impression on him.
Description: Dark haired, light complexion, mix of Caucasian and Slavic in looks. 30 years old, thin and a bit of a shut-in. Too online, lost in life lacking a real purpose. Has a broad interest base and spends his time as a research associate for the failing history department at the local college.
Trait: Ruthless Strategist