The Schaft

The Schaft, short for Gesellschaft, was an organization of superpowered humans (Praeters) in Dimension XVII who worked as heroes for planet Earth.

There have been forty-two heroes in the Schaft selected from various continents, divided into four generations spanning the early emergence of Preterhumans to the final heroes before Dimension XVII's Earth was destroyed, with an average of forty years between each group. They are labelled the Sihshih-Er ("Forty Two") in the JSH database.

Structure

There was a council of forty-nine heads, all Praeters but none of them working as heroes, with a new head chosen two weeks after one died. Under them the heroes answered directly.

One or two superheroes were stationed in particular regions, with some "deuteroheroes" (sidekicks) accompanying those heroes to cover their areas. There were thousands of sidekicks but only a handful of heroes. Collaborating with the local law enforcement of the areas they were in, only world-endangering or severe threats were dealt with by heroes or sidekicks with petty crime left to cops.

Some notable sidekicks include those serving the hero Spearhead:

1. Andhareh Liyanageh, alias Timor Mortis, could transform into whatever his opponent feared.


2. Couple Yun and Syuan Chen, aliases Baihu and Syuanwu, could control sunlight and shadows respectively.


3. Jeremy Taylor, alias Magyque Man, stored all his power in his red and black chequered flannel shirt. The shirt, which he named Aivaz, had 62 buttons plus one for each sleeve, and with each button he undid he would receive the strength of 288,230,376,151,711,743 people. When his shirt was fully unbuttoned and removed he would get the additional strength of sixty-three people, and stories of him fighting godlike monsters shirtless on the surface of the moon, where he spent his vacation days, were many.

Public Agenda

To protect humanity.

Assets

The currencies of the planet, the gold standard being the Luwumbian dinar.

History

The Praeters emerged a few hundred years after the alien Howians arrived on Earth, the result of Howian technology and human curiosity married by genetic experimentation. Born with special abilities, these Preterhumans were prone to crime for the sake of an easy life.

The first generation of Praeters was known as the Axe Generation (2734 - 2774 CE), on account of their willingness to destroy things. In order to use superhuman power for good, the Schaft was started by a Praeter named Mehats Mahanakhon, although he never worked as a hero personally.

Heroes and sidekicks were selected by the Foresayers: alien entities brought over by the Howians centuries ago as pets, appearing as large one-eyed regular icosahedrons with brown fur like chihuahuas and three octopoid tentacles, they possessed the ability to see the true nature of a person, had their own language, and were nigh-omniscient. Foresayers reproduced via fragmentation and could live for 540 years before dying with fiery explosions and emerging reborn from the ashes.

Silvtiuan by Kitsune Sobo

Candidates across the world would sign up for tests, physical and mental, and a team of Foresayers would choose a group from the finalists based on what they saw. They would also produce detailed reports on each hero's power set and weaknesses when selection was done.

A Foresayer named Silvtiuan (Zilf-tsyu-aan) selected the first heads of the organization in collaboration with Mehats, who provided the financial resources to build the Gesellschaft: Silvtiuan would pick all subsequent Schaft heads when Mehats died. There were nine heroes from the Axe Generation, and they are often considered part of the "golden age" of valour:

1. Arthur Pencrest, alias Spearhead, could manipulate all sharp objects telekinetically. His powers never worked on things that were blunt or non-bladelike. The co-leader of the group along with Athanatus.


2. Jhang Wei, alias Nephrite, could cause earthquakes of 6.0 magnitude on the Richter scale.


3. Prasaad Kshetrapati, alias Wiindigoo, could dig through any surface and pass through any material like a fish in water.


4. Edward Bayami Davies, alias Thunderbeard, could turn into a giant red eagle with a wingspan of one hundred and eighty feet, capable of producing storms.


5. Father Ethelbert Hengist, alias Odhinn, had a flawless memory that was without limit: he could memorize anything regardless of size or complexity, be it a five-hour opera or ten-thousand-page computer code.


6. Johanna Johannsdottir, alias Harpy, could make wings grow from her back for five hours at a time. These wings were indestructible and could withstand any kind of attack or force.


7. Jose Omar Zolin, alias Witsilin, could control gravity. His powers were always a last resort as they were planet-threatening.


8. Ruchira Punaruthpaththiya, alias Athanatus. If killed he would immediately reincarnate into a new human body with memories intact, grow to his age at the time of death in forty-nine days, and be twice as strong. Skilled with firearms, and never known to miss a shot, he was also dubbed Lakdhivasingha ('Lion of Lanka').


9. Juniper Schmidt, alias Darkmatter, could control strong nuclear force. She was often kept as a last resort along with Witsilin and is considered the group's strongest hero, once accidentally killing 24,681,116 people with a single "energy pulse."

The Sword Generation (2775 - 2824 CE) were more volatile than the Axe Generation, hence their name. Their aggression led to a Praeter scientist developing the first Kuber Suit to incapacitate superpowered miscreants regardless of strength or ability. The Sword Generation heroes were fifteen in number, selected when the Mech Era began and considered part of the "silver age" of heroism:

1. Friedrich Selbstbewusstsein, alias Wahrheit, could compel any being to tell him the truth.



2. The twins Rueiwun and Yisheng Jyun, aliases Chihkao Mahou and Tongbi Yuanhou. Mahou had complete knowledge of Yin and Yang (i.e. all of reality), understood all human affairs (she knew what every person was doing at any time in the present), was immortal and could prolong the lives of whoever she chose, and Yuanhou could grasp the sun and moon, shrink mountains, distinguish lucky from unlucky times and manipulate stars and planets.



3. Henoc Chamuel Louis, alias Machinegun Lewis, could assume the form of a two-winged 236-foot-tall tungsten figure with 365,000 fiery eyes, wearing a crown of forty-nine gemstones, with Gatling guns in place of feathers, thirty-six for each wing. Also dubbed Gun Angel, his firearms had infinite ammunition and he was the most powerful hero after Flumencurvus.



4. Edgar Schnee, alias Super Hongsing, could turn into a giant ball of fire hotter than a thousand of our suns.



5. Lyudmila Chekova, alias Kosatka Krasotka, could turn into a killer whale larger than Mount Everest. She could also produce a sonic boom that would shatter eardrums on the other side of the planet at full capacity.



6. Max Diggums, alias Perma Midnight, could temporarily blind every able-eyed person and creature on the planet for five seconds at a time.



7. Realtin Caoilfhionn, alias The Alienist, could draw from their body an obsidian sword they called Caligin, an ancient blade with the following words carved on it: 'En arche fecit Elohim shemaya nem pikahi. Kai mox anochi horeg ilaah Ephnouti.' Caligin housed a malevolent entity named Malecondra (or "Malachandros"), granting them the strength of two hundred and seven million three hundred and sixty thousand humans. A psychiatrist by profession, the sword drove them insane and they eventually became a villain.



8. Marenco di Selva, alias Flumencurvus Obsecransus, wielded a flamethrower he called Sheersha which emerged from his chest. Where its flames touched nothing could grow or heal for 155,520,000,000,000 years, essentially making it permanently damaging. He would later become a head of the Schaft, and was the most powerful hero after Darkmatter, often fighting invasive higher beings.



9. Jeremias Garcia, alias Nzumbi, could summon an untouchable army of eight thousand ghosts by reciting the following words: "Awa, nokniwe, ninentlamati: san ninochokilia in monawak, Teotsin. Keshkich mitsiknotlamachtia momasewal? Semanawak on tonitlanililo inik tontlawika tontesemilwitiltia in tlaltikpak. Ma kaso tle shokonyoyokoya, tinoyollo. Kwish ik nepowaloyan in onkan nemowa: in atle tlawelli, in antekokolia, wel onyeknemis in tlaltikpak."
The army could stay around for one hour when summoned, and could only be summoned again after five days.


10. Dainichi, Ashuku, Amida, Houshou and Fukuujouju Satou, aliases Amenominakanushi, Takamimusubi, Kamimusubi, Umashiashikabihikoji and Amenotokotachi. A group of quintuplets: Amenominakanushi could manipulate magnetic fields, Takamimusubi could make vegetation and plants grow rapidly, Kamimusubi could turn his body into unbreakable rubber (earning the sobriquet "Balloon Baka"), Umashiashikabihikoji could run at a top speed of 299,792,458 metres in 0.00000000000000000000000000000000001 seconds and Amenotokotachi could survive without any oxygen indefinitely.

The next generation was the Wind Generation (2825 - 2866 CE), so named for the fact that, like the wind, they were present for a short time before being killed either by their own or by new threats. The heroes from this cohort saved as many lives as those in the first generation, earning them the designation of "heroes of the second golden age." There were seven from this demographic:

1. Daisy Chamsah Hawk, alias Zuharah, had regenerative body parts and could heal whoever consumed a part of him (hair, blood, spit, etc.)



2. Mithra Aryaman Baga Varuna Dhaksha Angsha Indhra Maarthandagama, alias Mr. Ironwood, could turn into a large crocodile-headed dragon with an elephant's trunk, fish body, lion's feet and a peacock's tail.



3. Piitaq Olsen, alias The New Hotness, could make any person (human or otherwise) fall in love with him. His claim to fame was wooing a Cosmic Serpent into helping his friends fight a world-ending threat.



4. Diana Striganeria, alias Herodias, could manipulate light into solid objects and was also called the Cotton Candy Goddess by fans on account of her pink hair. She was often seen walking on moonlight at night, miles in the air.



5. Amokoko and Oluwanimori Ololade, aliases Goemagot and Corynaeus, could undo the connections between atoms and were considered the strongest of their generation.



6. Anaru Rangiora, alias Captain Penance, could create ice from his palms, feet and mouth, and once froze half the world's ocean to stop a threat. Often considered the bravest hero of any generation.

The Wolf Generation (2867 - 2906 CE), named so for their fighting spirit, had eleven heroes, all of whom were killed by a psychotic villain. They are considered part of the "bronze age" of heroism.

Zuharah, the last of the Wind Generation's heroes, was called in to deal with this hero-killing threat as the older generations were either dead or unable to fight. There have been no heroes since.

Rumour has it that some heroes survived the planet's destruction, but this is uncertain.

Disbandment

The Schaft effectively ended when planet Earth in Dimension XVII was destroyed.

Demography and Population

After the destruction of Dimension XVII Earth, Preterhuman powers were categorized by a Universe Keeper named Nallooruthun into fourteen Vaga (Types):

1. Sagavaga (Heaven Types): Praeters with powers related to the air or sky (e.g. those capable of aerokinesis or pyrokinesis).


2. Rasaathalavaga (Underworld Types): Praeters with powers related to subterranean materials (e.g. those capable of controlling metals).


3. Dheranavaga (Earth Types): Praeters with powers related to solid surface-level materials (e.g. those capable of controlling sand or dust).


4. Puravaga (City Types): Praeters with powers related to creating structures (e.g. those capable of forming shields, defensive buildings or vehicles).


5. Selvaga (Rock Types): Praeters with powers related to damage absorption (e.g. those with impenetrable skin).


6. Vanaosuvaga (Vegetable Types): Praeters with powers related to vegetation or water (e.g. those capable of controlling plants or hydrokinesis).


7. Siaevaga (Animal Types): Praeters with powers relating to creatures in Kingdom Animalia (e.g. those who can control or turn into animals or who have bestial features).


8. Naravaga (Humanoid Types): Praeters with powers related to human beings (e.g. those capable of mind control or body possession).


9. Bambavaga (God Types): Praeters with powers related to immortality or longevity (e.g. those with superhealing abilities).


10. Kaethvaga (King Types): Praeters with powers related to transformation or transfiguration (e.g. those who can assume other forms or become stronger, faster, etc.)


11. Vesvaga (Merchant Types): Praeters who can pass powers from person to person, or trade powers with other Praeters.


12. Sudhuvaga (Mechanic Types): Praeters with powers that can be or must be activated by objects (e.g. those with specialized bionic limbs, specific items of clothing, etc.)


13. Sakinuvaga (Miscellaneous Types): Praeters with powers that don't fit cleanly into any category, but are still documented and known.


14. Nanaruthvaga (Unknown Types): An open category for any Praeters that are outside of known Miscellaneous groupings.

A famous example of an Unknown Type would be the villain Gabi Elmyiiria, called Tzalmavet: if she observed another Praeter using their ability for a few seconds, she would immediately gain a temporary ability that served as a perfect counter to it. This proved useful in her fight with the hero Super Hongsing, during which she gained a superfreeze power and nearly killed him.

Each Type can be further divided into thirty-two Power Classes: Alfa (the highest), Vida, Gamma, Dalda, Eie, Sou, Zata, Hate, Thethe, Iauda, Kapa, Laula, Mi, Ni, Ksi, O, Pi, Ro, Sima, Tau, Ua, Fi, Khi, Psi, Oou, Shei, Fei, Khei, Hori, Gangia, Shima, Dei (the lowest). An Alfa Class Heaven Type is the strongest kind of Praeter and a Dei Class Mechanic Type the weakest, and an Alfa Class Mechanic Type (such as the sidekick Aamir Manohara, alias Jail Devil, who could dissolve anything he struck with his nunchucks at an atomic level) would be stronger than a Dei Class Heaven Type.



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Hello. If you're reading this, the coordinates are 21° 7′ 26.4″ N, 11° 24′ 7.2″ W. Maybe it's risky giving this information, but I choose to believe someone on our side will find this code. Hope is all I have left.
We're under the sands away from evil eyes, with a few left over from the catastrophe. Seek the Healand and tell him 'Egregore' sent you. I won't be providing my name or alias I used when I was in the field for obvious reasons. My comrades and I have done our best to rebuild, but there's still much to be done. May humanity rise once more and our enemies perish. Until then, trust no one.

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED

Wir Dienen Der Welt

c. 2734 CE - 21st of May, 2906 CE

Alternative Names

Die Uebermenschengruppe, Die Waechter der Zivilisation, Die Strassenvoegel

Successor Organization

• The Council of Jameses

Training Level

Professional

Veterancy Level

Trained

Deities

• Cosmic Serpents

Official Languages

• Krill
• Language of the Gods
• The Red Tongue