Worm Ideas

Whats Worm?

Worm is set in a fictional, alternate universe known as 'Earth Bet'. The events of Earth Bet closely follow that of our own Earth until a naked, golden man named 'Scion' appears over the ocean in 1982. Following his appearance, a fraction of humans gain superpowers if placed in a traumatic and stressful situation, known in-story as a "trigger event".

The arrival of "parahumans" in 1982 leads to a "Golden Age of Heroism", during which the majority of people with powers work for the public good. In 1989, after a parahuman dies trying to prevent a riot, superpowered serial killers, thieves, cults, and gang members begin to increasingly threaten public safety. Governments worldwide create agencies to counter parahuman criminals, including the Parahuman Response Team, or 'PRT', in Canada and the United States.

In 1992, a giant monster launches a devastating attack on the Marun Field, Iran. To adequately prepare humanity for future attacks, and to manage the growing villain population, four prominent heroes form the Protectorate, an organization subordinate to the PRT dedicated to cooperation among superheroes. Two more monsters (collectively referred to as "Endbringers") appear and begin attacking cities across the planet, causing the loss of millions of lives, as well as catastrophic and irreversible economic and geographic damage. The PRT and Protectorate are forced to treat villains more leniently in return for assistance in fighting Endbringers. Mired in bureaucracy and politics, the PRT is increasingly unable to cope with the growing frequency and brutality of parahuman crimes.

The story is set in the fictitious city of Brockton Bay, a formerly wealthy port that has severely declined after Endbringer attacks led to the collapse of the shipping industry. Due to the poverty of the area, it has a higher number of parahumans per capita than any other American city, and a number of superhuman-led gangs vie for control over the city's criminal enterprises.

Powers

Individuals who possess powers in Worm are referred to formally as "parahumans" and informally as "Capes", a term referencing the general habit of parahumans to establish an alter ego and go out in costume (with or without literal 'capes').

In order to acquire a power in Worm, one must suffer a trigger event: a moment of severe physical or psychological trauma. The properties of the power are influenced by the nature of the threat the individual faces and the individual's thought process at the time. Some parahumans, when placed under extreme stress – perhaps even beyond that of their initial trigger event – can trigger a second time, expanding and refining their powers to increase their odds of survival. In rare cases, multiple individuals may suffer a simultaneous trigger event. Individuals who have spent multiple years around capes will, on occasion, trigger with a similar power. These individuals are generally referred to as "second generation capes" as many are children of previous parahumans, although powers are not strictly speaking heritable. The mechanics behind how powers work is gradually explained throughout the story.

Alternatively, powers can be acquired through Cauldron, a shadowy and secretive group which has discovered a method to artificially induce powers. This process carries a significant risk of deformation or mutilation, with the strength or safety of powers acquired varying greatly. Individuals whose Cauldron-acquired powers result in noticeable, sometimes grotesque mutation are referred to as "Case-53s" or "monster capes."

Powers in Worm obey several arbitrary constraints. All powers can be used aggressively, regardless of manifestation. Thus healers are incredibly rare and often have other abilities as well suited towards combat. Another limitation is the 'Manton effect': a parahuman's abilities very rarely affect both organic and inorganic material, and both themselves and others – i.e., a power may affect the landscape, but not the people within it.