Sentinel Comics RPG Core Rulebook

Versed in Mayhem
Like every good musical success story, Helfyre
started small. In fact, they didn’t start as Helfyre
at all. It all started when a group of powered
individuals decided that they wanted to make
music, rebel against the system, and get the success
that they deserved. Damien Belter, the vocalist,
had a superhumanly loud voice. Cinder Azarian,
on lead guitar, could light and control fire. Silvio
Thorne, playing a mean bass, could control plants,
and Lilith Black rounded out the band with drums
and telekinetic shields. Together, they were Screech,
Blister, Deeproot, and Snare… the Crackjaw Crew!
The Crackjaw Crew was not good. Each member
had some degree of musical talent, but they had
no patience for putting in the work and building a
reputation by playing small venues. They had some
limited success with crashing larger shows and
using their powers to take over the stage. However,
aside from a small cult following, they couldn’t get
the fame they craved. They turned to crime as a
way to support their musical aspirations and keep
themselves in money for beer and takeout.
This shift towards crime brought them into their
first major conflict with the hero team known as
the Southwest Sentinels, who proved more than
a match for the musical delinquents. The only way
for the Crackjaw Crew to gain the upper hand was
to resort to collateral damage, which they took to,
eagerly. They were on the verge of defeating the
Southwest Sentinels when a mysterious cowboy
popped into existence and shot Snare’s hoverchair,
blowing it up and taking out the Crew. With a nod
to the Southwest Sentinels and a tip of his hat, the
lawman’s badge flashed and he disappeared again.
The Crackjaw Crew managed to avoid jail, but
were at their lowest point. They were on the verge
of giving up when they were given a news lease on
life from the most unlikely source possible: a fan.
Bridge Beyond Reality
Wager Master — the tiny blue being with infinite
cosmic power and a penchant for playing games
with the universe — for his own inscrutable reasons,
loved their music, specifically “Fish Hook Piercing”,
the one song that they had on their demo tape
(the rest being a jam session consisting of noise
and screaming). He offered them the deal of a
lifetime: he would enhance their powers for free,
so that they could get what they were due… but
if they couldn’t beat the heroes with their boosted
powers, they would have to play for him forever!
Naturally, they were only too happy to sign
on the cosmic dotted line, which kicked off their
rampage through music stores and seedy venues,
taking the gear they wanted, wrecking hotel rooms,
and commandeering unsuspecting bars for surprise
shows. They clashed with the hero team known
as the Southwest Sentinels several times, and
each time the Sentinels would send them packing,
boosted powers or no. They just couldn’t compete
with the communication and camaraderie of the
Southwest Sentinels.
Wager Master came to collect on a sunny Tuesday
afternoon. The band was recovering from a night of
arguing, drinking, and mediocre thai food. In a lilac
flash, they all vanished from the garage, transported
to a bizarre realm where they were condemned to
play for Wager Master’s amusement forever.
“Forever” turned out to be about a month,
endlessly playing the same song over and over again
for Wager Master’s birthday party. When he got
tired of them, he unceremoniously dumped them
back in the same garage that he had taken them
from. Aimless and dispirited, The Crackjaw Crew
split up to couch surf, busk on street corners, and
take temporary gigs with other bands. They tried to
reform a few times, but the competing egos swiftly
brought an end to each attempt. It seemed like the
world would forever be deprived of their talent,
but fate wasn’t done with them yet.
Unholy Chorus
During one of their brief reunions, they met
someone who would finally prove to be the missing
link. A refugee from the Court of Blood, birthplace
and haven of all vampires, Drudge wanted fame,
fortune, and allies should his former vampire
masters ever come looking for him. A persuasive
fellow, he convinced the Crew that they could still
achieve their dreams if they put in the work.
With practice using their powers and instruments,
they actually improved as a band. Drudge acted as
their manager, keyboardist, and style consultant, and
took their music in a new direction: heavy metal
with a distinctive gothic flair. Their music started to
pick up traction. There was just one piece missing.
The “Crackjaw Crew” wasn’t appropriate for the
band’s new look and direction.
Their first appearance under a new name was
crashing a venue. The band broke in, stormed the
stage, and declared their new name: Helfyre!
Helfyre
365
Intro
Playing
the Game
Creating
Heroes
Moderating
the Game
the
Bullpen
Adventure
Issues
A rchives
the
Appendices