[PbtA] Apex Wrestling: Powered By The Apocalypse

[EmmaRae]

LUCAAAAAAAAAA Real Name: Gabriella Maria Santos In-Ring Name: La Vibora Appearance: A lithe Latina woman in her late 20s with a few tattoos and piercing green eyes. Her long black hair sports a thick green stripe as it comes out the back of her mask and down to the center of her back. Her standard attire is a pair of tight black pants with a thick green sequin snake wrapping up around each leg and a green halter top with black trim. Oh and of course, the mask. Called "delightfully old-school" by some, it is in fact the actual mask worn by her mentor El Vibora back during his Apex run: A black base with openings for the eyes and mouth, the eyeholes trimmed by green and gold in a pattern that looks like a pair of open mouthed vipers, complete with fangs jutting out on the interior of each eye. Gimmick: The Luchador; Tecnico (Face) Hailing From: Mexico City, Mexico Entrance: The lights go out and the first few bars of Bamoleo by the Gypsy Kings play before being cut off by a woman's evil laughter. The song then hard cuts to the Ensiferum cover as a blast of green pyro lights up the darkness. A few spotlights then show on La Vibora, running out and high fiving as many fans as she can as she does one circuit around the ring. Finally she slides into the ring and bobs her upper body and head like a snake. If her opponent is already down at the ring, she will also stare at them unblinkingly during this time. Want: A Championship Title! Finisher: Twisted Fang - A crazy highflying maneuver and former signature move of El Vibora. The attacker half runs/half climbs up the ring ropes to the top in the middle of the ring (not at the turnbuckle) and immediatly jumps off into a phoneixrana.   Backstory: Gabriella was born into a normal family in the suburbs of San Diego. Both her parents were hard working children of immigrants, holding down normal blue collar jobs and leading to a generally normal and happy middle-class upbringing. She is the youngest child of the family, the only girl after four boys. This single quirk to her life is most likely what lead to her life ending up the way it did, as watching Apex Wrestling every Monday night was a ritual among the Santos men, and as much as her mother tried Gabriella fell in love with the sport and the drama. But while her brother's just watched for enjoyment, Gabriella wanted to be part of it, the desire growing more and more with each passing year. Somehow, she even managed to get her dad to take her to the Midsommer Madness pay-per-view (which would turn out to be one of their last) for her tenth birthday AND got her idol Jean Rhonda's autograph after watching her defend the Women's Championship (which she still has framed to this day). Then, tragedy struck in the form of an exploding limo. As Apex crumbled, the family struggled to find a replacement, but none could scratch the itch in the same way. But Gabriella's dream never really stopped, just changed. If she couldn't wrestle for Apex, she would find another company to work for. She worked all through her high-school years, joining both the wrestling and gymnastics teams and making All-State in both sports at various points. Her senior year, she joined in the local backyard wrestling league for a few months, until a broken arm and an angry mother took her out of it. And while other kids were applying for collage, she was trying to find wrestling stables that would take her. To her shock, she found the perfect one. El Vibora was one of the great midcard wrestlers of Apex's heyday, a skilled technical luchador who won belts every now and then but never got the proper push to become the Predator Champion. Not surprisingly, he was also a favorite in the Santos household. When Apex folded, he quietly returned home to Mexico City where he got his start and set up a stable. Using the funds that had been set aside for her collage, Gabriella moved to the capitol of her familial homeland and sought out El Vibora, becoming one of his students. For the next 6 years, she would train and work her ass off, first as just a novice in El Vibora's stable and then as a wrestler herself in the local indie circuits under the name Rosa Mortal. Her life became one of rough hard work and occasional injury, but she was happier than she had ever been, and her pure passion for the craft kept pushing her to new heights. Then came the night that would change her life. After finishing a match, she was summoned into the GM's office with no explination. To her surprise, she found that the GM was not their, but rather two other men. One she recognized right away as Kenneth Matthews, but the other took her some time, leaving her in shock when she realized it was her own mentor and trainer unmasked. The two then explained that Kenneth had come down to see if El Vibora's claims about a student of his good enough to do what he could not were valid, and she had more than impressed him with her skill. In a heart-wrenching and emotional meeting, Kenneth Matthews offered her a contract for the new Apex Wrestling, and El Vibora offered her his mask and title. Tears running down her cheeks, La Vibora doned her new mask and signed the papers, one dream finally realized and opening the door to yet another.   RP Sample: Gripping the mic, La Vibora paces the ring like a caged animal, a large zip-up hoodie covering her normal attire, her wrestling boots replaced with a pair of basic sneakers. Her match isn't scheduled until much later in the card, but it's obvious she has something on her mind. "Every day since I've gotten hear I keep hearing the same things." She starts as she keeps pacing, obviously agitated. "That I'm just some copycat, a wanna be, some groupie who's watched one to many pay-per-views..." Finally stoping, she looks towards the entrance ramp and chuckles. "And you couldn't be more wrong if you tried. I didn't just pick this **** out of a hat. I was given this mask, this name, these moves. This mantle was bestowed upon me." The pacing starts again, this time with an added touch of swagger. "Bestowed upon me by a great, for greatness. And with it came the hunger. The hunger for gold, for glory, for even more greatness. That's why I'm out here right now, to put each and every title holder in the back on notice. Tag Team, Women's, Predator, even the damn Hardcore. I will do what he did before me, and I will do what he couldn't, and continue to bring honor and glory to this mask. Because La Vibora is hungry, and she is ready to strike." Dropping the mic, she slides out of the ring and heads to the back, licking her lips for the camera. How much about PbtA do you know? A lot, its one of my fave systems. Currently involved in another PtbA game on this very site. How much about professional wrestling do you know? Quite a bit, used to watch it religiously with my sister back in the days of "The Merger" and the fall of the WCW.

[taleteller50]

That is a lot of Heels so far

[PalladiaMors]

Hey, everyone wants to be the bad guy! Lilith is really more of a tweener though, but the rules don't account for that.

[taleteller50]

Originally Posted by PalladiaMors

Hey, everyone wants to be the bad guy! Lilith is really more of a tweener though, but the rules don't account for that.

Nothing wrong with that. Villains always have the most fun anyways Truth be told I think Lilith and Pain would make a great pairing. Pain needs someone to 'Have Summoned him from the Depths of Hell' and to speak on his behalf so that he can keep his mystique. In exchange Lilith gets a big old spooky meat wall to stand behind as she Provokes the competition; at least until Pain breaks free of her 'Witchy Control' and makes his Heel turn.

It even works if both are eventually making the Heel turn. Maybe Pain goes first after breaking free of her control, turning against his dark mistress. This opens up an epic 'War' between the two with Pain hunting after those Lilith corrupts to her side as he closes in on Lilith herself. But eventually, maybe after a betrayal from her would be protectors Lilith is put in 'real' danger only to have Pain rescue her. This helps open up a redemption arch for Lilith as she starts realizing that maybe she wants more then just mindless minions or questionable allies while Pain continues to hunt those who truly deserve to be punished. He's not punishing the guilty to 'Drag People to Hell' as much as scare them straight so that they don't face the same 'Fate' he did when he first passed on.

Oooohh! So many ideas

Might have to change his name to Curse though, as in 'The Witch's Curse upon Apex Wrestling'. I did like the idea of the 'Rack of Pain' being his finisher but maybe something else could work just as well.

[Behelit]

Originally Posted by PalladiaMors

Hey, everyone wants to be the bad guy!

[EmmaRae]

Okay, I think La Vibora is done.

[Solitaire64]

Originally Posted by Preacherwolf

I've updated the ad but for the record wants are found opposite the heat and above momentum on the first page of each gimmick. Each gimmick has four generic wants:

- A Championship Title!
- Join a Group!
- Revenge!
- Domination!
- Adulation of the Crowd!

Then a gimmick specific one, for the hardcore gimmick its "Rasie the Bar For Violence"

Then perhaps I'm looking at the wrong pdf. On this pdf Heat is on the first page and Momentum is on the second page of each gimmick.

For his generic Want, I picked Adulation of the Crowd!

(If he settles for Raise the Bar For Violence, if he fails to get the crowd. Well, I see Joey--Joey, not Hugo--headed to a dark place...)

[Behelit]

Originally Posted by Solitaire64

Then perhaps I'm looking at the wrong pdf. On this pdf Heat is on the first page and Momentum is on the second page of each gimmick.

For his generic Want, I picked Adulation of the Crowd!

(If he settles for Raise the Bar For Violence, if he fails to get the crowd. Well, I see Joey--Joey, not Hugo--headed to a dark place...)

I was making that mistake too, and then I realized I was completely missing the second edition PDFs, which are the first set of links on the right side of the page.

[Preacherwolf]

Originally Posted by Behelit

I was making that mistake too, and then I realized I was completely missing the second edition PDFs, which are the first set of links on the right side of the page.

I should have made that more clear. I apologise to all, I've updated the ad to this link.

Also, I'm loving all the wrestlers so far. Even if we have a full heel group, all that means is we'll have a series of "Who's the bigger monster" and "Bad Vs Evil" Story lines. Or everyone line up in front of the Hulk Hogan expy to be pinned in increasingly ridiculous finishes, give it the real old school wrestling feel

[Behelit]

I'm trying to come up with a good babyface, but I've never been able.to pull them off, even back in my e-fedding days.

[taleteller50]

Added the Roleplay Sample. Had a little hard of a time figuring this out, given Pain's likely silent nature but I think his gives an idea of how he can work.

[taleteller50]

A list of the current wrestlers

Player	Wrestler	Gimmik	Role	Concept
Solitaire64	Hugo Capone	Hardcore	?Heel?	Typical Harda$$
taleteller50	Pain	Monster	Heel	Horrer Inspired Man of Mystery
Behelit	Flex Fuller	Veteran	Heel	Old Timer looking for a Comeback and a Team
PalladiaMors	Lilith	Provocateur	Heel	Witchy Daughter of a Retired Monster
EmmaRae	La Vibora	Luchador	Face	Lady Luchador Aiming for the Top

[Preacherwolf]

Originally Posted by Behelit

I'm trying to come up with a good babyface, but I've never been able.to pull them off, even back in my e-fedding days.

Being a babyface in a world where everyone basically has testosterone poisoning is a hard concept to do. Like you have to be arrogant and boastful but not disrespectful or insulting, its a hell of a line to walk. But as an aside, Flex Fuller seems to have kind of a hulk hogan/macho man vibe to him. IIRC those guys, while being faces, really did some moves that would be considered heel moves by anyone else that didn't have the kind of push they did

Originally Posted by taleteller50

Added the Roleplay Sample. Had a little hard of a time figuring this out, given Pain's likely silent nature but I think his gives an idea of how he can work.

I need you to know that Apex's new interviewer is now Will B. Reitbac

Originally Posted by taleteller50

A list of the current wrestlers

Thanks for this, its been on my todo list to create. Look at all those lovely heels though, I'll still leave this open until the 11th and see if we can get anyone else but I think we have a good team to go with

[Solitaire64]

I didn't really think of Hugo as either a babyface or a heel, but he is definitely closer to the former than the later. If he sees being on the side of the angels as getting him loyal fans, he'll keep his act clean. Well, clean-er.

I could see him as a problematic ally of a goody two-shoes; Hugo respects his ally's ethics, yet uses the heel tactics the first time the bad guys cross the line.

[EmmaRae]

*awaits the ring bell with baited breath*