Black Death Terminology

Story by SkyWing on SoFurry

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#1 of Black Death

This is a list of some terms, objects, and places that are important in the beginning of the series. I will give brief descriptions here so that you will have a better understanding without me having to explain during the chapters.


Anti-Super Crystal

A rare, naturally occurring, and unique substance that can cancel out a Super's abilities and simultaneously weaken them. However, the crystal's power only has an effect upon direct and constant contact with Supers. The Academy and its allies have invented revolutionary ways to use this rare substance, using it for jail cells, cuffs, and even weapons. Upon contact, the material drains the victim's body of energy and negates their supernatural abilities. The degree of "weakness" induced by the crystal depends on its density and composition, as well as the level of physical contact. However, though a Super loses their abilities when in contact with the crystal, said abilities can still be used on the stone, itself. The crystal, itself, however, is harder to break than diamond.

Paradise Island

The holy ground and headquarters of the Supers Academy. It is located within the Pacific Ring of Fire, closer to the Americas (specifically North America) and Hawaii. However, despite its location, the island cannot be seem from any coastline and does not seem to be effected by the area's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Paradise Island stands alone in the middle of the ocean, with no other isles or coastlines visible in the surrounding area. It is a mildly small, rocky and steep island covered by lush vegetation in a rainbow of colors. The lower half of the main island is full of natural caves, which form a large, underground labyrinth. On the surface, the island is covered by rich, tropical jungles and waterfalls. Some of the island's wide variety of flora is carnivorous, gigantic, and/or poisonous, making the entire place incredibly dangerous to those not familiar with them. It is also teeming with a multitude of insects, ranging from normal, everyday insects to ones that are enormous and dangerous.

At each of the cardinal directions are large rocky formations jutting outwards from the ground and above the ocean, giving the rocks the appearance of a compass with the jungle making an "X" between and around them. Another, half dome-like formation is near the island's center, overlooking it; with a pair of waterfalls falling down from it in a small lake below. Topping said dome rocky formation stands the most distinctive element of the island: a gigantic tree roughly 150m tall, which ends in a number of large branches which sustain something akin to "an isle on top of an island", being a large, flat section composed of earth and crowned by a multitude of normal-sized trees. Such a gargantuan plant possesses a multitude of similarly large, curved and twisted roots, which right below the trunk sustain massive lumps of earth; something which creates a sort of covered area right below the tree itself.

Paradise Island is well-known for its wild climate, which is not effected by other climates and weather systems on the mainlands. It is a harsh island that has forty eight different seasons with the season changing weekly. However, unlike the main island, the "second" island has a constantly cool climate all year round. Due to its isolation and closeness to nature, the island is normally hidden by an extremely strong, mystical magnetic field which makes virtually all detection instruments useless. This makes it impossible for anyone who doesn't already know where the island is to find it, no matter what equipment or abilities they use. Another interesting aspect of the island as a whole is that it is almost completely symmetrical, something that impresses a lot of people that see it for the first time.

Super

A person of any species that possesses extraordinary physical or supernatural abilities. Supers comprise only 10% of the living population. While the normal population is only able to access 10% of their potential, Supers are able to access roughly 50% or more. This grants them access to abilities that others can barely even comprehend and can perfect ones already practiced by the general population, such as the practices of hypnosis or illusions. There is a great variety of abilities that a Super can possess which can be exploited and manipulated in a multitude of ways, though the extent of useful attacks or strategies depend greatly on the Super themselves. Some people may encounter inspiration for a new attack after using a particular set of attacks for years, while others may never learn how to completely harness their skills.

How a Super triggers their abilities can differ from user to user, with some that are active at all times and others may require self-activation. While there are abilities or special traits that are deemed powerful there are also some that may be considered "useless," granting little or no real advantage whatsoever. The results and capabilities of abilities are therefore limited to the creativity of their users in any given scenario to overcome the limits and predictability of the abilities. Due to the vastly different and varying kinds of strange and interesting abilities, there is no real way to tell how they will fare when pitted against one other; as one ability that normally dominates all other abilities can sometimes be brought down by an ability considered "weak" in comparison.

It is also not uncommon for a Super's ability to complement their species' natural skills, further augmenting them with devastating effects. However, there are also cases where the ability has no connection with a species' natural skills, as Cecil's ghost abilities have no connection to his naturally quick and agile speed as a snow leopard. There are even some cases where a Super's ability may oppose and even hamper their species' natural skills, which can cause the Super great pain and lead to ridicule and humiliation.

Types of Supers

~ Agent Super : The most common type of Super, and is one affiliated with the Super Academy. They are similar to members of other organizations like the C.I.A or F.B.I in the fact that they work for the government, although they work with every government across the entire world. However, they are not necessarily under any military influence from them, only from the academy. Furthermore, they work on a contracting system and will perform missions for a fee. These missions can include: doing manual labor, acting as escorts, gathering secret information, retrieving stolen items, carrying out assassinations, etc. They are not exactly freelancers, but are about as close as one can get and still be on a regular payroll. They usually have some sense of honor and justice, but can vary greatly between them. These are the Supers that people tend to look up to.

~ Hunter Super : A special class of Supers which are given the specific duty of hunting down rogues. They completely erase the person they're searching for by means of their superior assassination techniques and medical skills. They often take great lengths to protect their own identity, as well as that of the one(s) that told them who to hunt down. They kill their target, taking the head as proof, and then completely dispose of the body by using various methods, such as cremation or the summoning of various insects to devour the corpse. This is done in order to make sure the Academy's and individual's secrets which a Super's body holds will not be revealed to outsiders.

They are supposed to destroy the corpse at the very spot the body is lying; it is not to be moved after it is dead, and only the head is taken back to prove that the rogue is in fact dead. As a requirement, they must possess a thorough and intimate knowledge of the anatomy of various, if not all, species. Due to their reputation for utterly and completely obliterating the remains of their targets, they are code-named "The Undertaker Squad".

~ Independent Super : A Super who does not belong to the Academy or is affiliated with any rogue Supers. Their level of skill can vary greatly. They can be hired to fight on behalf of another in lieu of money. This is the most common type associated with locations that are very isolated, such as places that do not get many travellers and have never known other Supers or even heard about them or the Academy.

~ Rogue Super : A Super who has left the Super Academy without the intention of returning and severing all ties, often because they have committed criminal acts or to pursue other personal gains. One can also be labeled a rogue even if they have never been affiliated with the institute, simply due to their evil intentions and their way of thinking little of others and putting their own desires first. The Academy will often try to keep them under surveillance, track them down, and/or eliminate them, as they could become a danger to the public. Not only is this done as a punishment for treason, but also to protect the secrets of both the Academy and Supers in general, since it is possible to learn about some abilities from the autopsy of their users. Most of the Rogue Supers throughout the series are antagonists.

The Book of Rogues contains information on every rogue Super and is given to every Alpha-ranked Super, the members of tracking teams, and every police station around the world.

Super Ranking Levels

A Super's strengths and abilities are categorized and classified by a rank, which are the same that were used in the social animals' hierarchic community. The ranks are Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omega; with Alpha being the highest and Omega the lowest. There is also no difference in ranks when it comes to the different types of Supers and their abilities.

~ Omega : An Omega is the lowest in ranking and corresponds to those possessing little or no real powers and/or abilities above the average individual. This means that they possess powers that are very weak to the point of nonexistent. It is considered extremely rare for those of this rank to be allowed to join the Super Academy for any reason aside from learning to properly harness their powers at a young age.

~ Delta : A Delta is the second to lowest and corresponds to those possessing an above average amount of power that is considered convenient in everyday life. This is about average strength for most school students and, while stronger than Omegas, they pale in comparison to the stronger ranks. This level of power is common among those of significant skill and training and may even possess powers of their own but the power levels can vary among individuals.

~ Gamma : A Gamma is where the strength level skyrockets and is the beginning of the upper ranking strength, where the difference between two ranks is absolutely enormous. Gammas are far more powerful than Deltas, but they still can't compete with the higher ranks. Ability-wise, this is the rank when one starts to be treated as part of the elite.

~ Beta : A Beta is the second to highest ranking and corresponds to those possessing a great amount of power which is finely controlled. This level of power is reflected in its ability to enhance the wielder during combat to an extent that one acquires tactical value of a military force. While exceptionally powerful and rare in the everyday world, they are relatively common in the various Super organizations, most of whom hold high-rankings. However, compared to the power of an Alpha they are very weak; so weak in fact that they seem like mere foot soldiers.

~ Alpha : An Alpha is the highest ranking (the pinnacle of power) and corresponds to those possessing an enormous amount of power which is finely controlled. This level of power is reflected in its ability to enhance the wielder during combat as well as affect the surrounding environment on a controlled level, allowing the wielder to use it in combat to startling degrees. They are so strong that even a "low" Alpha's strength can completely devastate a large area. A single Alpha is strong enough to defeat a military force of five-hundred Betas by themselves on equal terms.

Teams : Although higher-ranking Supers often perform missions alone, most are done in teams, which are usually groups of friends. These teams are meant to improve teamwork and individual skills, develop new abilities, and ensure greater success on missions. Usually, strong bonds are cultivated between the members of such a team, lasting their entire lives. Because of these bonds and the fact that working with one's long-time team-mates is usually more efficient, these teams often last even after all members have been promoted to higher ranks.

Besides these basic teams, there are also teams, and groups created for specific missions, functions, and tasks. Sometimes these are ad-hoc teams that only exist for the duration of the mission, but in certain cases these teams are more organized and lasting.

Super's License

A special license given to all Supers of Gamma-rank or higher. The license looks similar to a credit card, but slightly thicker and with an inbuilt computer chip. The front shows the licensee's Class in the upper, left corner, while the majority of the right side is covered by their photo with their name under the image. The back has a magnetic strip with a unique serial number that identifies each individual to their license. The card's magnetic strip also allows it to be swiped through machines to verify its authenticity and to access special services.

Being licensed as an official Super bestows a number of desirable benefits on the licensee. The first and foremost is the recognition a license holder can enjoy, being one of the few in the world who owns a license. Supers are commonly seen at the head of whatever field they pursue, and experienced Supers are virtually guaranteed lucrative offers of employment from people or organizations seeking the most capable agents possible.

There are also many material benefits to being a licensed Super, which include:

~ 1. Almost no legal responsibility for murder.

~ 2. 95% of all public facilities can be used at no cost. Furthermore, all such services are provided at first class.

~ 3. The ability to use the license as collateral for a zero-interest loan of 100 million Credits (approximately $1.12 million) at any bank.

~ 4. Access to the secret Academy Website, where secret intelligence about various subjects is uploaded by other Supers.

~ 5. Unrivaled freedom to travel around the world. Access is granted to about 90% of countries which normally restrict the entry of outsiders, and access to 75% of areas that the general public is prohibited from entering.

~ 6. Through the Academy Website, the information of various other cards can be uploaded. This is typically done with a Super's driver's license, but can also be done with store discount cards and more. Thus allowing Supers to carry only one card with the information of many.