August Q&A (Patreon)

What were sunstream and ashfall like? how did they come off to the rest of the rangers/sidestep? I really like those two even though we don't really know much about them!

I would like to add Sentinel to this, please!

Sunstream: She always gave the impression of being slightly uptight. Very controlled. Aware of her role and how she came across. She and Chen were the most serious of the Rangers, and she really believed she was doing the right thing. Perhaps she felt a little too much, because failure to save people weighed heavily on her, and what she saw (and did) in the Nanosurge made her step down as a hero. She never gave herself enough credit. Sidestep always felt unsure around her, it was easy to get caught in her thought patterns.

Ashfall: He was never a full member of the Rangers, but like Sidestep, he was a very close associate. Unlike Sidestep he wanted membership, and worked himself up to that post Heartbreak. He was driven, ambitious and confident in his abilities (which grew stronger over the years). He and Sidestep got along, he respected Sidestep's need for secrecy and thought that as long as they got the job done, things like that didn't matter. It comes as no surprise that he's on the San Francisco Ranger team now (as Pyroclast) and rumor has it he's gunning for the top spot. 

Sentinel: Older than the others, one of the founding members together with Hood. Originally he was a lot more high strung and out to prove himself, but over the years he mellowed a lot. He was the hothead to Hood's calmer influence. He likes to socialize, and never minded playing the mentor role to younger heroes. There was a lot of tension between him and Ortega after Hood's death, both of them blamed themselves (and each other) for letting it happen. That rift never really healed, and it is doubtful Sentinel respected Ortega as Marshal (even though they were friends). At the time, it was a surprise that Ortega got the role, most people would have bet on Sentinel. Sidestep and Sentinel got along, though they weren't very close.

Kind of a silly question but how much of the 'science' in fallen hero is actually rooted in genuine science? obviously some parts are 100% fiction but as someone who knows very little about science the descriptions of tech sound so believable!

I have a degree in chemistry, and I am very interested in science in general. That being said, all the science is completely bonkers, it's superhero stuff in complete opposition to the natural laws that we know. That being said, adding a dash of real facts amped to eleven, and using the right words gives it a semblance of believably.

I don't know if the question has been asked before, but can Re-Genes reproduce? I assumed not, but then you know what they say about making assumptions. 

No, the use of the boost drugs tends to give massive issues with procreation. The genetic structure is too damage to give viable offspring. There was a lot of experiments done with breeding superhuman traits at the start, it did not go well.

Before Fallen Hero became what it is today, it was to be a normal book with a more set main character. What was Og Sidestep like in the original book? Did they do anything in the books that Sidestep can't do now? How would Og Sidestep's stat sheet have looked by the end of book two?

Oh boy. The original Sidestep was definitely one of the darker murdersteps. Didn't get close with the Rangers either, other than through the puppet with Ortega (or "Rick" as he was called then). High villainy, high caution and high anonymity. Balanced telepathically. Mysterious armor. Speed and Strength armor with a cape. They couldn't do anything else, but the source of the disintegration powers were different (an alien artifact). No nanovores yet. Got his playlist here. 

Would you mind giving clarification on Argent's body and how it should be looked at? Like are their certain parts of her body that are more sensitive like a normal humans? Or since enough trauma to the head can knock Argent out, could someone potentially cause cardiac arrest by hitting over her heart with enough force? Essentially, would it be more accurate to consider Argent's body human but made out of metal or should it be considered more like metallic playdoh with squishy bits inside?

Argent has soft bits that are still sensitive. Like the head, and as you say, the heart. You could see it as metallic paydoh with squishy bits inside. It's not a solid metal body.

If we refuse to see a shrink in both Rebirth and Retribution, will there be another chance to go later, or will those be the only chances?

There will be other chances, definitely in book three, not sure about four yet.

What makes Telepaths so feared? Like Sidestep can definitely do alot of damage with it. But generally speaking Sidestep is someone  who could be given any ability, and barring how this would have effected their childhood, be someone to fear given enough time and practice. So What makes it so than even a Beta Telepath by itself is enough to make people tread lightly?

Privacy. Think of it like walking through one of those airplane scanners that shows the body outline. You're technically not naked, and yet people are very uncomfortable and scandalized. There are things that are so private that nobody is supposed to see them, and the most private thing is in our head. It's like someone with x-ray vision. Sure, they can't hurt you with it (maybe burns and long-term cancer) but few would be relaxed around them. Knowing they could just see you naked any time. It's a comfort thing, and once I don't think Sidestep really gets. They have never been allowed privacy.

During their hero days, did people speculate much about Sidestep? Like who they were, were they came from, what their powers were if they had any, etc

Oh yes. Anything unknown is interesting, there were tons of speculation. At the start, I think they tried guess if there were other heroes/famous people behind the mask and secrecy, but that petered out eventually.

It’s possible for Argent to chase you into the sewers naked. Did the people/media above ground see this and if so how did they react? (If they saw and kept it under wraps out of respect they’re the real MVPs) Have any other heroes or villains of prominence been in a similarly compromising position?

Not as far as Argent knows. If there was, they are very lucky they have kept their mouths shut.

And yes, that's bound to happen. The privacy laws are strong, but licensed paparazzi still exist. Vigilantes and villains can't exactly sue you...

This has been stuck in my mind for a bit. Regarding boundaries, how was Ortega pre-hb with a pursued sidestep? Considering how fast things can speed up now (which makes sense haha), I'm curious how Ortega was less 'skin touchy' if that makes sense? 

Yeah. The Ortega we see today is the result of seven years of grief and then suddenly having a second chance and not wanting to slip through their fingers again. Ortega back then were much more laid back and patient. Especially with same-sex relationships, that was new ground for them as well.

What's the consensus on who the strongest single boost is / was in America? Are they still alive? Are / were they an active hero or villain?

It's always up for debate, but there are three people generally considered the strongest boosts in the US (the placing varies depending on who does the ranking.)

One of them is, as you might have guessed, the Catastrofiend. Active villain. Still... alive? The one everyone likes to pit imaginary heroes against. Powerful, but limited. Usually seen as number 3, unless you've seen footage of it in action.

Another one is actually stationed in Washington, and works directly for the White House. Her codename is Skybright, and she's a powerful telekinetic. Flight. Shields. Tossing tanks like toy cars. The works. Her names come from the glittering halo effect when she uses her shields. Usually seen as nr 2, though people point out that she's never really got to cut loose.

The top one, Cavalier, is believed dead, but rumors of his return are common. He was a military boost, one of the early ones. He served a lot overseas, and unlike many boosts, were involved in actual combat. There has been footage released of him in action, and if it hasn't been doctored, it points to massive destructive potential. It is rumored that Cavalier was a double boost. One part is classic boost powers, very strong, very durable, and very, very fast. Not flight capable. The other part was explosive. It seemed that he had the ability to induce explosions in objects (or people) at moderate range. A famous video shows him blowing up a tank by gesturing at it. He returned home a war hero, but turned villain almost immediately. He is believed to have been killed as he tried to blow up the pentagon twenty years ago. He only partly succeeded, but his actions led to boosted registration and banning on the east coast and the midwest. 

What would Hood have thought about Sidestep?

Squirrely. Filled with secrets. Would probably have liked them a lot, he knows all about living life on the run when you're young.

Could Anathema have kept taking the boost drug repeatedly, or would something have eventually gone wrong?

Something would eventually have gone wrong, there's a limit to how much the body can be twisted. If that would have ended in death is a different question...

Taking trophy from Lady Argent in Rebirth made me wonder how does she cut her hair? If it's so durable that we can't take a sample without strength upgrade I assume regular scissors would be useless. Does her hair even grow? Can she somehow control it's length?

Argent can control the length, no cutting necessary.

Are there other free territories besides Los Diablos? If so what are they and how do they operate?

The Free Territories contains the entire west coast: Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada. The main cities are: Seattle, San Francisco, Los Diablos, San Diego and Portland. It could be considered a loose confederation of city-states, most of them company run. There's no communal governing, that's the point, instead each city operates according to their own charter. Los Diablos is the city who has broken most with their past and is home to the greatest number of boosts and heroes, San Francisco is trying to recapture the gold rush spirit, Seattle is the largest and most prosperous and very much a tech hub, San Diego is the gateway into the Free Territories and is a prosperous trade city, while Portland is the closest thing to democracy. There are many smaller towns and communities, each run according to what the populace wants.

In Argent’s Valentine’s Day snippet, there’s a reference to A Shocking Valentine, an apparently controversial Charge-inspired film  that was pulled from the markets. What’s the story behind it? Like when was it made and what it’s about? And how did Julia personally feel about/react to that? Did Ricardo also inspire similar, um… fan works?

It was very close to soft core porn, where the biggest controversy came from the fact that it showed the Rangers as corrupt, nearly villains, with the main character being a pure-hearted new recruit who uncovered the dirty secrets, while "Charge" tried to distract with sexy shenanigans. It was officially pulled because it diminished trust in the Ranger system, but some say it was because it also told the truth about company control of the city alluding to recent pollution scandals. Of course it might have been the bdsm-adjacent soft-core porn too...

And yes, Ricardo has had similar fan works.

How did the hero rankings look when Sidestep was still an active hero, especially considering their different reputation levels?

Sidestep was never very high on them. Even the Sidesteps with the Hero reputation had the drawback that nobody really knew what their powers were other than fighting and a gun. 

How do the current villain rankings look during Retribution, especially for a Sidestep with a high fanclub value?

I haven't decided yet, might get into that in book three. Or... hmmm... We'll see. Might be fun with a stat.

Why is the option to discuss Chen's shoulder sometimes greyed out in the demo?

You can't have chosen to avoid the Rangers, if you did, then you haven't been around enough to spot the difference.

Will there be a softer option to kiss Ortega at the start or will Step always be a bit of a shit when it comes to accepting affection?

Sidestep is a bit of a shit. That never changes.

Will there ever be the option for Step say 'This was fun, but I really wanted X & not you' in a poly relationship?

I have planned to. Relationships change. People change.

Or the option to choose to not be in a poly relationship if/when you're presented with the choice between one or both but not the other? (Sorry if I am being too vague- I don't want to spoil things for the patrons that don't have access to the demo)

I am planning to have as many options as I can, you shouldn't be locked into anything.

What would the Rangers, Dr. Mortum, or HG trio consider their core value?

I had to google this, so take it with a grain of salt since most of the sites I found were very management oriented.

Ortega: Autonomy

Steel: Determination

Herald: Integrity

Argent: Adaptability

Dr. Mortum: Innovation

Hollow Ground: Stability

Nocturne: Tenacity

Jake: Loyalty

If Ortega doesn't suspect Sidestep being a villain, do they still have theories who the villain could be?

That depends. If the villain uses the Sidestep/Anathema/Heartbreak names, then Ortega suspects it must be someone from their past out to get them. Theories as to who shifts, but there's a lot of theories and they keep adding up the pros and cons of any scenario.

What is the significance when Sidestep's HB scar weakens or strengthens? 

Much of it is spoilers, but part of it is whether Sidestep doubles down on their trauma, or starts to move on.

What would Ortega and Dr. Mortum have thought of Puppet before they ended up comatose?

Ortega would have liked them, Dr. Mortum would have been very wary.

If rest of the Rangers, Dr. Mortum, or HG trio would have had the power of telepathy similar to Sidestep's current level, how would they feel about it or use the power?

Last Q&A you dabbled a bit in how Ortega would cope with having telepathy, the consensus being not great. How about the other four ro's?

See, this is a question I don't know how to answer. Why? Because it's complicated, and in many cases I am not sure. Telepathy changes how you see the world and interact with people, and we wouldn't even be talking about the same characters anymore. Would Herald remain optimistic about human nature or turn cynical? I don't know. Argent would probably deal with it best, she's got good control. Steel might be very prone to misuse, it is a great temptation, but on the other hand he might just keep eating meds to dampen himself. Dr. Mortum would find them very useful, but also stressful.

How would HG, Nocturne, and Jake managed themselves if they would have had to take the more traditional villain route (put on an armor and play the role of a villain lot more publicly)? 

Hollow Ground: Would probably have managed well, they did take a more open role early in their career. Too exposed though.

Nocturne: Would have loathed it, but she would have been good if she had tried.

Jake: Every part of him resents it, but he would do a great job. But good luck putting him in a suit and codename...

How much age difference did Herald, Chen, or HG have with their siblings? 

Herald's brother was just a year or so older, they were very close in age. 

Chen's siblings were all younger, maybe a year or two between the four sisters, and then a jump to the brother. The brother is 14 years younger than Chen.

Hollow Ground's older brother was around two years older, their youngest a lot younger. Maybe ten to fifteen years.

Would the Rangers/Dr. Mortum or HG trio have any particular opinion on any of the motivations Sidestep can have?

You'll have to find that out in game.

Does Lady Argent have any siblings or is she an only child? What would Lady Argent have done with her life if she had lived a normal civilian life? 

Argent has two siblings, both brothers. If she had the opportunity to have a civilian life she would most likely have become an engineer or movie director, at least those were her dreams at the time.

Does HG consider themself to be in control over the system now or is that still "work in progress" in their mind?

Nothing is ever perfect, but it's pretty damn close.

What would the Rangers, Dr. Mortum, or HG trio consider their current motivations/goals to be?

Sorry, that is too many spoilers to start getting into. You just have to wonder.

What do the villains like HG trio, Psychopathor, or Dr. Mortum (when they were still an active villain) think of their status as villains? For example, which of them embrace their villainy, see it as a means to an end only, don't especially care etc?

Means to an end: Dr. Mortum. Nocturne.

It's a job like any other: Jake

Villain is a question of definition: Hollow Ground.

Hell yeah, villain for life: Psychopathor.

How comfortable are the Rangers, Dr. Mortum, or HG trio when it comes to getting to know other people? Which of them have easier or harder time forming friendships or opening up to people?

This should probably be obvious from the game:

Easy: Ortega, Herald, Jake.

Hard: Steel, Nocturne, Dr. Mortum.

It's complicated: Argent, Hollow Ground.

Which team does Ashfall like more his old team or his current team?

Current team.

Ashfall, is he keeping tabs/communicating with Diablo rangers, is he aware Sidestep is alive? 

You have NO idea.

When Ashfall left the team, how did his fans react to it, was there any backlash and how did the team take it?

Since he was never an official part of the Rangers, it wasn't a very big thing. It was the Heartbreak aftermath, so most of the speculation was whether the whole team would be replaced or not.

Is there anyone in this universe who can shift into a dragon, is it possible? 

Good question. Nobody yet, but who knows? There's some weird shapechanging out there, so it's not impossible.

Is there some friendly rivalry between henchmen, do they think BossStep has a favorite?

You'll have to find out, but probably. There's always things like that.

If BossStep has revealed their face to the team, do they find it attractive/have they any opinions on BossSteps looks?

No opinions, it's the boss. That is up to headcanon.

Henchmen play: marry, fuck and kill. Would someone include BossStep, will their answer change according to BossSteps reputation (friendly, leader or terrifying)?

I don't think anybody would include BossStep, not even as friendly. Would feel weird.

Since it’s Summer if the ROs were packing their suitcases to go on holiday what unique item would each of them pack? Bonus question where would each RO want to go on holiday? (since their world is somewhat different from our’s this can be generic destinations like a snowy mountain resort or a tropical beach etc.)

Ortega would pack a good bike, and hit up a mountain resort (no snow needed).

Chen would rent a cottage by a lake, and pack one of the books he never gets around reading.

Argent would pick a big city, and pack a pair of nice sunglasses.

Herald would pick the beach, probably Hawaii. He would pack diving equipment.

Dr. Mortum would pick a history town (like Savannah or New Orleans) and probably pack like five guidebooks.

How old is Elena?

59, but don't ask.

What did the Rangers, Dr. Mortum, or HG trio personally think of the Heroic Heritage Museum and reopening of it? How did they feel about its destruction?

Ortega didn't think much of it, that's just publicity and bad memories. They're used to it.

Herald was excited, it made him feel appreciated.

Argent was neutral. Publicity is publicity.

Steel was annoyed at the inaccuracies.

Dr. Mortum didn't care.

Nocturne thought it could be useful.

Hollow Ground found it amusing.

Jake was slightly envious.

How do the Rangers or Dr. Mortum  feel about going to fancy events (such as the gala) and interacting with the people there? Have the HG trio ever been forced to attend such fancy events (and how would they feel about visiting such events or interacting with the people there?)

Ortega is at home at fancy events, and likes it.

Herald is used to fancy events, but it can be tiring.

Argent can do fancy events but they annoy her too.

Steel avoids them as much as he can.

Dr. Mortum likes fancy events, but also gets stressed beforehand.

Hollow Ground is very much at home at fancy events.

Nocturne avoids them if she can.

Jake usually has a good time.

Would Sidestep and Charge have gotten as close back in the day as they can be in certain paths if Sidestep could read their mind? Also, would Ortega be open and project like Herald or try to lock down their mind when Sidestep was around like Steel does?

Impossible to say. I really have no idea.

How long does a telepaths mental imprint or impression last after they use their abilities on someone? (Like how Argent remembers Steps conflicting feelings on possessing her that even they were apparently unaware of)

It varies widely depending on the telepath and the mind. 

What happened to the old Hollywood sign? Was it destroyed during the Big One or is it still there?

It fell during the Big One, only a few letters remained standing. There was talk of restoring it, but it never happened.

What’s the standard age for someone to be a hero, and also what age is considered too young?

There is no standard age, but most are in their twenties and thirties. Most people thinks teenagers are too young, but that has never stopped them, and they do sell papers. There's no law or age-limit.

How did you come up with the original Sidestep suit's main features (the hood, the gray/black/turquoise, the big-eyes-mask)? What symbolism or inspirations (if any) did you have in mind?

That was not me, that was Polterink

I just gave a bunch of various references and color suggestions, got a sheet of variants back, picked my favorite and then it was done. Some of the inspirations were Spiderman, I have always loved the eyes, as well as Spider-Gwen's hood. I knew I wanted a bodysuit that felt fragile, but also with a coat/jacket/hood for added bulk and anonymity. Big eyes gives an impression of youth and vulnerability that a helmet and armor wouldn't give. originally it was supposed to be a white/gray/black gradient, but that didn't work visually so I added turquoise/teal since it is one of my face colors (and it's the opposite of orange...)

Aside from telepathy, are there any specific abilities or powers the Rangers find particularly dangerous/difficult to deal with, combat or otherwise?

Anything sneaky and relating to control is always hard to find countermeasures to. The current team is not good at dealing with that.

Why did owl punch sidestep?

Because Sidestep is a sneaky little shit with their whole "don't notive me" thing, and Owl's got super senses and is NOT used to being snuck up on. It was a reflex, and she doubled down.

In the flashback variations where Ortega comes in to try and stop Sidestep, did they see Heartbreak at all? Did anyone besides Sidestep get a good look at Heartbreak?

We will get into that. Right now it's spoilers.

what constituted the human rights violations in Panama in 2004 with the regene project? What happened in Panama to spark the scandal?

To make a long story short, several ReGenes went out of control and pacified the enemy (the enemy in this case being innocent civilians) in a very public way in front of cameras, so there was no way to bury the incident. There was a big investigation into ReGenes, their creation and function and people were horrified. 

Bit random, but would the HB scars ever have a more "positive" impact than they have for now, or will they remain drawback/mindfuck-machines? I'm thinking about puppetmasters drawing on the scar for better manipulation in conversation, or the possibilities that precog + specific scars could lead to, for example.

Oh yes. All the scars could have potentially beneficial effects.

What animals does Elena keep at the ranch?

Chickens, some goats, a dog, several horses and some cows. It's not much these days, she has leased much of the land to a neighbor.

If the POV took place from one of the rangers perspective then how apparent would the MC’s villainy be?

Depends how many clues you assemble as a reader....

What kind of resources do the Rangers have outside of Los Diablos (safe houses, etc. things like that), if any at all?

They have a lot, but I haven't gone into detail.

Stupid question, but do mods come in a variety of colours? For instance, if Chen Hypothetically wanted a pair of flaming pink hands, would that be an option? Or do they usually come in more dark neutral colours?

They come on many colors, but good luck having Chen pick anything but neutrals.

If Sidestep and Ortega "had a thing" back in the day, how did the other Rangers at the time feel about their relationship?

Anathema was supportive, Chen very negative to it. Sentinel was certain it wouldn't last, Sunstream thought it was cute and Ashfall was convinced Ortega would mess it up and hurt Sidestep.

Going off of very vague pseudo-science here but... if we consider that static is "electricity at rest" while epileptic seizures are triggered by electricity imbalance / energy bursts / basically electricity moving, can Sidestep technically "feel" Ortega's mind when they have a seizure? Does the change register to them telepathically? Could they slip inside that way, while the static fortress is "moving"?

That is a very interesting theory, but I do think that it would be even harder to read at that time.

How good are the rangers and mortum at riding horses?

Ortega is very good. Chen used to be able to but haven't since his new legs. Argent has never tried, the same goes for Herald. Dr. Mortum is passable, but it was a long time ago.

Apologies for the rather clunky questions, but say someone is technically dead, in cardiac arrest, for a long while before being resuscitated. (An example would be Briton Audrey Schoeman who was in cardiac arrest for six hours before being 'revived'.)

Would that person still have a mind to read while temporarily flatlining? And if they do, what would said person's mind feel like to a telepath? 

Finally, if the person couldn't be brought back to life, at what point would a telepath no longer be able to feel a flatlining patient's mind?

Yes, there is still a mind to read while flatlining. It would read much like any other unconscious mind, and then slowly break apart as the brain starts dying from lack of oxygen.

The point where Sidestep can no longer feel the mind is when braindeath has occurred. Like with the puppet.

How do the Rangers feel about Los Diablos as a whole? Yes, they work and live there, but do they like the city itself? Do they care about it? If not for their jobs, would they choose to stay there or find someplace new?

Ortega likes Los Diablos, they have grown fond of it.

Steel has lived in Los Diablos long enough that it's home now, for better or worse.

Herald is fascinated by Los Diablos and thinks the city has so much promise.

Argent is ambivalent. There are a lot of bad memories, she might have moved elsewhere if she had the chance.

Dr. Mortum likes Los Diablos because it's filled with opportunities. Sure, other places could work, but there's a nostalgia here.

In Rebirth, when Sidestep calls the Farm to send the regenes after Psychopather, they recognize the voice on the other line and seem to imply it was someone they were pretty familiar with. If it isn’t too much of a spoiler, can we ask who that was (their handler?) or if this is a character we might meet later?

It was indeed Sidestep's old handler. We'll meet them later.