August Prince
| “ | His fighting style was graceless, without any particular fluidity. He held the mace with two hands and swung it, and then took seconds to recover. An opening to strike, and my body refused to follow up on it. | ” |
| {{#if:Taylor| —Taylor{{#if:Drone 23.2|, Drone 23.2}} }}}} | ||
<infobox> <title source="name"><default>August Prince</default></title>
<image source="Image"></image> <image source="image"></image> <group><header>Basic Information</header> <label>Civilian Name</label> <label>Aliases</label> <label>Gender</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Death</label> <label>Age</label><default>Unknown</default> <label>Post-timeskip</label> <label>Ward start</label> <label>Relations</label> <label>Family</label></group> <group><header>Professional Status</header> <label>Occupation</label> <label>Classification</label> <label>Unique Features</label> <label>Alignment</label>
<label>Status</label><format><label>Location</label> <label>Teams</label> <label>Previous Team(s)</label> <label>Base of Operations</label></group> <group><header>First Appearance</header> <label>Worm Debut</label> <label>Ward Debut</label></group> </infobox>August Prince is a child supervillain who works alongside Bambina and Starlet.
Personality
A former child star who was previously a victim on all sides, his power enables him to act without fear and work as a mercenary.<ref name="playtest eHistory" /> However, August Prince remains quite susceptible to indirect emotional and mental manipulation. To maintain self-worth and cope with difficult emotions, he employs psychological projection as a defense mechanism, i.e., he inflicts misery onto others to feel better.<ref name="playtest eFlaws">Flaws/perks/personality:
Child - Base physical stats are lower. Underestimated.
Prone to (indirect) emotional/mental manipulation - effects that would lower morale are effectively permanent. Effects that would later psyche or other emotions last twice as long. Can only lose effects by inflicting misery on others. - Playtest Capes</ref>
Appearance
Weaver describes August Prince as a small child with a widow's peak and a serious expression.<ref name="23.2 e1“>She was flanked by two other small children, one a male with a widow’s peak and a severe expression for his age, ten or so, the other a girl of about twelve, in overalls that ended at the knee, a star at the chest, and far too much makeup. - Excerpt from Drone 23.2</ref> His costume is especially stylish and has pockets for storage.<ref name="playtest eSkillAsset" />
Abilities and Powers
Primary Ability
August Prince cannot be harmed by anyone that tries to deliberately harm him; there is no true range limit to his abilities. Events set in motion to harm him cannot start in the first place.<ref name="playtest ePower">Power: Diplomatic Immunity - Cannot be targeted. Attacks that would include him in the area cannot be made if there is a choice. Includes indirect harm (giving orders to harm him, setting events in motion to harm him). Includes general deleterious effects that don’t do physical harm. - Playtest Capes</ref> In fact, any effect where there is some chance to harm or impair August Prince cannot be taken,<ref name="R1">It does not have a range - Comments by Wildbow on Reddit</ref><ref name="R2">If there's intent behind the action, you can't do it any more than if you were shoving him into an open fire. - Comments by Wildbow on Reddit</ref> although there are ways to work around it.<ref name="23.2 e5>The rules about interacting with the Prince were strictly defined. I could hold him, but I couldn’t hurt him. Which category did silk fall under? I had some on my person. Twenty feet in all. Twenty feet disappeared fast when it was wound around something.
I chose his neck. Not hurting him, not directly. His power allowed it. Excerpt from Drone 23.2</ref> Arbiter managed to trap him by sandwiching him between her forcefield and the ground.<ref name="23.2 e8">Arbiter heard, whipping around, and threw a forcefield between us. I pulled away.
She managed to sandwich the little bastard between her forcefield and the ground. I rolled away, sitting up. Excerpt from Drone 23.2</ref>
The effect of his power does not break when he attacks a person,<ref name="rpg">It doesn't break when he connects. - Wildbow comments on rpg.net</ref> allowing him to strangle an opponent made helpless by his power.<ref name="23.2 e6">“Rime’s out of commission!” I said, my voice strangled as Prince did his best to choke me. “Your power isn’t affecting her. Give it to me!” - Excerpt from Drone 23.2</ref>
Other Abilities
As a child, people tend to underestimate what August Prince can do.<ref name="playtest eFlaws" /> He has some skills with aiming, investigation, and being aware of his surroundings.<ref name="playtest eSkillAsset">Skills:
- Accuracy 2 (+1 to hit if free to aim, can make called shots)
- Awareness 2 (+1 to spot/listen/sense foes if unmolested. Can still make checks in round following a foe’s disappearance.)
- Investigation 2 (+1 to find evidence, can roll post combat to info gather)
Assets: Pistol, tier 3 costume (+style, +style, storage), knife, syringes (sedative, cyanide). - Playtest Capes</ref> However, his fighting style is graceless and telegraphed according to Taylor.<ref>He closed the distance to me, swinging at my knee with the mace. I ducked back out of the way.
His fighting style was graceless, without any particular fluidity. He held the mace with two hands and swung it, and then took seconds to recover. An opening to strike, and my body refused to follow up on it.
That would be his power then. Something in the same department as Imp’s ability. - Excerpt from Drone 23.2</ref>
Equipment
Wields a mace like scepter to go with his royalty theme.<ref name="23.2 e4">“Can’t touch the Prince, can you?” Bambina asked. “Go, August.”
The little boy advanced. He held a scepter, different from Regent’s. More of a mace. - Excerpt from Drone 23.2</ref> He also packs a pistol, knife, and several syringes with various sedatives and poisons.<ref name="playtest eSkillAsset" />
History
Background
As a child actor, the boy who would be the August Prince was exploited by everyone around him in one form or another. After he triggered the boy gained abilities that made him immune to malice and malfeasance by anyone he meets. He can now move among the hardest customers with no fear for his life, while putting the same fear in others.<ref name="playtest eHistory" />
Story Start
Formed a partnership with Starlet and Bambina but did not accompany Bambina against Leviathan. The scope of his powers was unknown to the authorities at the time.<ref name="23.2 c1">The PRT didn’t fully know either – even Arbiter and Prefab were caught off guard by their inability to act. – Comment by Wildbow on Drone 23.2</ref>
Post-Echidna
August Prince and company would be hired by the Las Vegas Protectorate to free Pretender. This was in exchange for large amounts of money and a favor with deliberately unspecified restrictions.<ref name="23.2 e2">Prefab let go of the older woman, leaving me with the burden as he faced Bambina square-on. “Lots of attention on Pretender all of a sudden.”
“Paying pretty well,” Bambina said, “And he promised a favor, too. He set some rules, but considering how we’re going above and beyond the call of duty, I’m hoping he’ll bend them. You know how fucking awesome it is to have a favor from a body snatcher? He zaps himself into some hunky celeb that’d never touch me otherwise, then…” - Excerpt from Drone 23.2</ref> Prince gave Weaver no end of trouble trying to strangle her,<ref name="23.2 e6"/> and was only prevented from doing so by Weaver's silk and some luck.<ref name="23.2 e7">And Prince… was harder to deal with. Usher approached, and I tied thread around his leg.
I tried to tell Usher to run, knowing what would happen with the thread around Prince’s neck. My voice wouldn’t come out, and it wasn’t due to the feeble but persistent attempt at strangulation.
[...]
Then Usher stepped forward to help, and the August Prince choked, giving me a little slack. I sucked in a gasp for air. - Excerpt from Drone 23.2</ref>
Gained the enmity of Weaver from this encounter.<ref name="23.3 e1">If you need someone in Vegas to deal with thinkers and strangers, I can hold my own, the embarrassment with August Prince aside. - Excerpt from Drone 23.3</ref>
He and his entire team were taken into the Protectorate's custody, with hopes that he would be recruited into the Wards.<ref name="23.3 e2">“We collected the three members of Bambina’s group. Not a complete loss.”
“They’ll get free and continue their rampage,” I said.
“Most likely. We’ll strive to hold on to Bambina at the very least. With luck we’ll be able to recruit the little prince, maybe Starlet as well.” - Excerpt from Drone 23.3</ref>
Chapter Appearances
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Trivia
- August Prince's ability to go among enemies untouched crosses the classification barriers of Master (affecting actions of others) and Stranger (untouchable and able to gather information). In this case, the two classifications are inextricably linked; this is indicated by a slash(/).<ref name ="PM1">The two aspects are irrevocably linked, thus the slash. - part of a private message by Wildbow, archived on SpaceBattles</ref>
References
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