Hero Universe
Encyclopedia
The Hero Universe is the "official" setting for the line of role-playing
games published by Hero Games
. All setting books published by the company (with, to date, the sole exception of Psychic Wars) are a part of this timeline. The company's own PDF file (a free download) describing the universe
gives a full description of the nature and timeline
, the latter stretching from 100,000 BC to beyond AD 3000.
The major genre
-based settings — that is, those whose setting books are supported by additional volumes — include (listed chronologically within the timeline) The Turakian Age for Fantasy Hero
, Champions Universe for Champions
, Hudson City for Dark Champions
, and Terran Empire for Star Hero
. Other settings for these and other adventure genres are also available (including The Valdorian Age and Tuala Morn for Fantasy Hero, Alien Wars for Star Hero, and others), and more are in various stages of planning.
The setting of the Hero Universe which contains modern-day superhero
es is contained in the Champions Universe book. This setting includes Millennium City
, Vibora Bay, and other cities and areas spanning the globe.
. Others, more recently created, have an influence over more than one period of its history (past, present, and/or future) and are worth noting in that context. The most noteworthy of these individuals are:
Long-standing organizations include:
during its history. Most are known only in the twentieth and later centuries, though a few have contact with Humans before then. In all, nearly a hundred species are at least mentioned in published books; some of the more significant include:
Role-playing
Role-playing refers to the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role...
games published by Hero Games
Hero Games
Hero Games is the publisher of the Hero System, a generic roleplaying rules set that can be used to simulate many different genres, and was the co-developer of the Fuzion system.-History:...
. All setting books published by the company (with, to date, the sole exception of Psychic Wars) are a part of this timeline. The company's own PDF file (a free download) describing the universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
gives a full description of the nature and timeline
Timeline
A timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
, the latter stretching from 100,000 BC to beyond AD 3000.
The major genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
-based settings — that is, those whose setting books are supported by additional volumes — include (listed chronologically within the timeline) The Turakian Age for Fantasy Hero
Fantasy Hero
Fantasy Hero is a role-playing game book that supports the Fantasy genre using the Hero System rules. Since the release of the 5th edition of the Hero System, Steven S. Long of Hero Games has published a new version of the Fantasy Hero book, as well as several supplementary publications to support...
, Champions Universe for Champions
Champions (role-playing game)
Champions is a role-playing game published by Hero Games that is designed to simulate and function in a four-color superhero comic book world. It was created by George MacDonald, Steve Peterson, Bruce Harlick, and Ray Greer....
, Hudson City for Dark Champions
Dark Champions
Dark Champions is a game published by Hero Games using its Hero System rules to simulate the action-adventure genre.When the original Dark Champions book was published in the early 1990s, its focus was on dark vigilantes in a superhero or almost-superhero setting, focusing on adventures similar to...
, and Terran Empire for Star Hero
Star Hero
Star Hero is a role-playing game, published by Hero Games, which uses its Fifth Edition Hero System rules to represent the science fiction genre. Though not nearly as popular as its Champions, Dark Champions, and Fantasy Hero lines, the genre book has been received well by fans and critics alike,...
. Other settings for these and other adventure genres are also available (including The Valdorian Age and Tuala Morn for Fantasy Hero, Alien Wars for Star Hero, and others), and more are in various stages of planning.
The setting of the Hero Universe which contains modern-day superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es is contained in the Champions Universe book. This setting includes Millennium City
Millennium City
Millennium City may refer to:*Millennium City, Hong Kong, a group of buildings in Hong Kong*A shopping and residential complex focused on the Millennium Tower in Austria*The nickname of Gurgaon, a city in the National Capital Region of India...
, Vibora Bay, and other cities and areas spanning the globe.
Recurring characters
The Hero Universe has several "standby" characters who have endured since the beginning of Champions and the Hero SystemHero System
The Hero System is a generic role-playing game system that developed from the superhero RPG Champions. It is used as the underlying mechanics of other Hero Games role-playing games such as Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, Star Hero, and Pulp Hero...
. Others, more recently created, have an influence over more than one period of its history (past, present, and/or future) and are worth noting in that context. The most noteworthy of these individuals are:
- The Champions, a premier group of heroes (with a long history of disbanding and re-forming a generation later).
- Doctor DestroyerDoctor DestroyerDoctor Destroyer is the most powerful villain in the Hero Universe. He first appeared in the adventure module The Island of Dr. Destroyer in 1981 and has remained a stable part of the Champions role-playing game ever since.-Fictional biography:...
, a dangerous and powerful megalomaniacNarcissistic personality disorderNarcissistic personality disorder is a personality disorder in which the individual is described as being excessively preoccupied with issues of personal adequacy, power, prestige and vanity...
. - FoxbatFoxbat (RPG Character)Foxbat is a supervillain associated with the role playing game Champions. A lunatic who believes that he is living in a comic book, Foxbat is notorious for convoluted and absurd "master plans" that make sense only to himself...
, a gadget-using lunatic who thinks he's a comic bookComic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character. - Kal-Turak the Destroyer, known as Takofanes in modern day, a powerful lichLichIn modern fantasy fiction, a lich is a type of undead creature. Often such a creature is the result of a transformation, as a powerful magician or king striving for eternal life uses spells or rituals to bind his intellect to his animated corpse and thereby achieve a form of immortality...
from centuries past. - MechanonMechanonMechanon is a fictional villain in the Hero Universe, setting of the Champions game. He was one of the first "master villains" created for the game and is still used in its publications today.-Fictional origin:...
, a sentient robotRobotA robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
determined to wipe out all organic life. - The Slug, a member of the Elder Worm alien species (below) who wants to turn all Humanity into his own kind.
Long-standing organizations include:
- UNTIL, the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Tribunal on International LawInternational lawPublic international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
, an international agency for fighting supervillains. - VIPER, an international criminal and terrorist organization.
- EurostarEurostarEurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
, a European supervillain team
Alien species
In the Hero Universe, Humanity is exposed to many alien speciesExtraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
during its history. Most are known only in the twentieth and later centuries, though a few have contact with Humans before then. In all, nearly a hundred species are at least mentioned in published books; some of the more significant include:
- Ackálians, a large species of humanoid insects with a highly competitive, matriarchal society. They are fierce rivals of the Mon'dabi as early as the twentieth century, and like Humans continue to expand their territory until they reach something to stop them. The Ackálian Empire thrives as a sovereign political entity at least into the 31st century.
- Catavalans, hairless four-armed humanoids from Cataval, a planet located directly opposite the Galactic Core from Earth. They are members of the Velarian Confederation throughout its existence, and form their own Catavalan Union when the Confederation falls. They are noted for their painfully slow bureaucracy and preference for using older technology even when newer systems would seem more efficient.
- Elder Worm, slug-like creatures from a planet just beyond the Galactic Rim. 100,000 years ago they ruled half the galaxy (including Earth), and warred against the Malvans, who ruled the other half. During Humanity's rise the Elder Worm are nearly extinct, though the supervillain known as the Slug is an advanced member. Most of their "technology" involves magic, granted to them by incredibly powerful extradimensional beings known as the Kings of Edom.
- Gadroon, a repto-amphibian humanoid race of green-skinned aliens resembling stout, bipedal frogmen. After an experiment accidentally destroyed their homeworld, Gadro, the Gadroon wandered throughout the galaxy looking for a new world to claim as their own. Due to this, the Gadroon have attacked Earth on several occasions during the 20th and 21st centuries with the intent of conquering and terraforming the planet to serve as their new homeworld. The Gadroon are armed with powerful and highly-advanced physics-defying gravitic technology, which proved to be formidable during their early invasions of Earth. As of the 25th and 26th centuries, the Gadroon are all but extinct, with very few remaining members of the race scattered throughout the galaxy.
- Hzeel, humanoids with some internal characteristics of insects though they look like small, gnarled, blue humanoids. Their Empire is at its height during Earth's 20th century, but after several attempts to invade Earth (as a beachhead against their rivals, the Perseids) several superheroes travel to Zeel, their homeworld, and lay waste to it; the Perseids take over their former territory. The next time they're seen (the 25th or 26th centuries) they are a backward species of traders, many of them involved with a criminal organization called the Hzeel Outfit.
- Malvans, ancient humanoids who once ruled the half of the Milky Way Galaxy opposite Earth. 100,000 years ago they were at war with the Elder Worm, and though they won the war the Worm cast a magical curse on them before going into hiding. Since then they've become lazy and decadent, dependent on their super-advanced technology to maintain and repair itself. Though few if any Malvans know how to build or maintain their technology by Humanity's rise, their devices — especially their dreaded super-starships, the Ultra-Dreadnaughts — are still of legendary status even by the 31st century.
- Mandaarians, a humanoid species with psychic powers and advanced technology second only to the Malvans. They have an advanced empire by Humanity's first awareness of them in Earth's 20th century, and coexist with Humanity until the middle 26th century when the bulk of the species makes a sudden and unexplained exodus in the direction of the Magellanic Clouds. They return in the 29th century to warn the Milky Way of the approaching Nibu Gemani. During their absence their territory is claimed by Humans and Ackálians.
- Mon'dabi, a species of humanoid reptilians with tails. They are a highly competitive people, not even forming a planetary government (let alone an interstellar confederation) until meeting the Ackálians. They form the Mon'dabi Union (later Confederation) as a safeguard first against them and later against the Xenovores. In the twenty-eighth century Mon'dabi Federation becomes part of the Galactic Federation.
- Nibu Gemani, a hive-minded fungoid species from beyond the galaxy. They come to the Milky Way in the 29th century from the Magellanic Clouds, though their origin may be further away than that. They're capable of interstellar travel without spaceships, and thrive only to eat whatever they find. Their arrival brings the Velarian Confederation to an end, and devastates much of the rest of the galaxy; afterward most states require people to destroy Nibu Gemani on sight.
- Perseids, a humanoid species somewhat more advanced than Humans though the latter species eventually overtakes them in the 27th and 28th centuries. Physically they are different from Humans mainly by a series of ridges on the forehead. They are a mostly peaceful people, though with a strong sense of tradition and a Noblesse Oblige attitude toward "lesser" species. In the 20th century they are bitter rivals of the Hzeel, and take over former Hzeel territory after superheroes from Earth devastate the Hzeel homeworld.
- Roin'esh, a species of shape-shifting humanoids from a distant corner of the galaxy. Though they have an interstellar empire of sorts, their existence is not known to the rest of the galaxy until they are first encountered by the Ackálians during Earth's 28th century.
- Se'ecra, an insectoid species and founders of the Conjoined Civilizations Republic (CCR). While the CCR is designed as a republic of equal species, the Se'ecra continue to be the most influential species even centuries after its founding. Though mute, they communicate with speaking species with the help of translator boxes.
- Varanyi, a species of telepathic humanoids who rule the Varanyi Empire. They are the primary rivals of the Velarian Confederation and, later, the Catavalan Union. Their society is based on castes determined by psionic powers, as indicated by how many crests one has on top of one's head. Varanyi with seven crests are of the Imperial Family, while those with none at all have no psychic powers and are limited to menial jobs. They consider non-psychic species inferior.
- Velarians, a species of blue-skinned psychics of less power than their rivals the Varanyi. To guard against that species, they organize the Velarian Confederation with the Catavalans and several other species in their region of space. Their belief in peace and freedom keeps the Confederation very loose in its organization, a factor that leads to their downfall when the Nibu Gemani arrive.
- Xenovores, a voracious species with the ability to digest any protein. Looking like a horrific humanoid cross between flies and scorpions, they possess impressive natural weaponry, organic technology, and arguably more advanced genetic engineering methods than any other species in the galaxy. After they achieve interstellar travel they expand mercilessly, eating everything in sight until they encounter Humanity in the early twenty-fourth century. The two species spend nearly the entire century at war, and by the time it's over the Terran Union has collapsed — but the Xenovores are left as little more than a nuisance on the galactic stage.