Timeline of the Reese Unlimited Universe – Updated 2/17/2023

Posted on by Barry Reese

Major Events specific to certain stories and novels are included in brackets. Some of this information contains SPOILERS for The Peregrine, Lazarus Gray, Gravedigger and other stories. 

~ 800 – Viking warrior Grimarr dies of disease but is resurrected as the Sword of Hel. He adventures for some time as Hel’s agent on Earth. [The Sword of Hel]. 

~ 1620 – Gwydion fab Dôn is captured by the witch Rhianna in France. She punishes him by binding his spirit to a bundle of rags. [“Gwydion,” The Adventures of the Straw-Man Volume One]

1748 – Johann Adam Weishaupt is born. 

1750 – Guan-Yin embarks on a quest to find her lost father, which takes her to Skull Island [Guan-Yin and the Horrors of Skull Island]. 

1774 – On June 23, 1774, General Benjamin Grove led the British forces through the air en route to Sovereign. What he did not know was that several local militia groups lay in wait for him. The resulting battle had been ferocious and deadly for both sides — in the end, only two men were left, one representing each side of the conflict: General Grove himself and a local youth by the name of Emmett Hain. [“The Choice,” The Adventures of the Straw-Man Volume One]

1776 – Johann Adam Weishaupt forms The Illuminati. He adopts the guise of the original Lazarus Gray in group meetings, reflecting his “rebirth” and the “moral ambiguity” of the group. In Sovereign City, a Hessian soldier dies in battle, his spirit resurrected as a headless warrior. 

1782 – The man that would eventually be known as Gideon Black is born. [The Second Book of Babylon] 

1793 – Mortimer Quinn comes to Sovereign City, investigating the tales of a Headless Horseman [Gravedigger Volume One] 

1802 – Gideon Black’s son is born and the chain of events that leads to Gideon being bonded with a suit of armor forged in Hell begins. Gideon is transformed into Babylon, a force for cosmic retribution. [The Second Book of Babylon] 

1835 – Lucy Hale goes to work at Mendicott Hall. She meets Byron Mendicott and Lilith. [The Chronicles of Lilith] 

Continue reading Timeline of the Reese Unlimited Universe – Updated 2/17/2023

Spook (Icons Writeup)

Posted on by Barry Reese

Spook
aka Jenny Dove

Prowess 2
Coordination 3
Strength 3
Intellect 4
Awareness 4
Willpower 4

Stamina 7

Powers
*Interface 7
*Invisibility 9
*Life Support 10
*Phasing 9

Specialties
Investigation, Occult

Qualities
*Ghost in the Machine
*Support player
*Living Dead Girl

Background

Jenny Dove is a literal ghost, having died in 1979. For unknown reasons, her spirit remained on Earth and able to visually and verbally interact with others. Eventually discovered by agents in the British government, she was recruited for use as a spy. Codenamed Spook, her features were reminiscent of actress Mackenzie Phillips, most popularly known for her role on the American sitcom One Day at a Time. For over a decade, she was one of Britain’s most potent secret weapons, despite the fact that he could not become tangible. After a chance meeting with the American hero named Jupiter, she fell in love with him and the two of them began a long-term affair that was constantly challenged by their inability to physically interact. When the United Nations formed the International Hero Corps (IHC), she was Britain’s resident member.

After finally gaining the ability to become solid, Spook has ‘married’ Jupiter and now functions as the Dark Society’s ‘director,’ sending members out on assignments that fit their unique skill sets. She has exceeded the limitations of her original human body and is now able to meld directly with technology, effectively becoming a ‘ghost in the machine.’

The Dark Society

Posted on by Barry Reese

While I try to be relatively spoiler-free, there ARE some slight spoilers to be found here – so read on at your own risk!

As with many things that are supernatural, the origins of the Dark Society had their roots in Grove’s Folly, the sleepy hamlet located just down the road from Sovereign City. Grove’s Folly is chiefly famous for two things: its massive Pumpkin Festival held every Halloween and the fact that it was host to one of the bloodiest — and most unusual — battles of the American Revolutionary War.

In recent years, a viral video of the cryptid known as the Straw-Man has given Grove’s Folly a new revenue stream: a surge in tourism related to monster and ghost hunters. Though few know that the city was built atop an open pit to Hell (known as a Hellmouth), the arrival of the Straw-Man has coincided with a number of supernatural sightings and events. The Straw-Man (in actually a gestalt being formed of a young local man named Samuel Hain and Gwydion fab Dôn, a magician, hero and trickster of Welsh mythology) also kicked off a new generation of heroes within the area. In addition to the Straw-Man, several other heroes frequented the area to team up with the Straw-Man or, in some cases, to fight him: Jupiter, Catalyst, Singularity, and the American Crusader.

When a cult attempted to use the Large Hadron Collider at CERN to open portals to both Heaven and Hell in an attempt to bring about the supposed end of days, a collection of heroes came together to oppose this plan. In addition to the heroes named above, Geist, Babylon, and Calavera journeyed to Geneva. In the end, the group saved the world — but at great cost: Babylon was seemingly destroyed in the conflict. In the aftermath, the team swore to come together again if needed.

All of the above is depicted in The Dark Society Book One: Calavera.

Later in the same year, the Dark Society established a headquarters in Romania. It was dubbed The Dark House. They were soon caught up in the machinations of August Messenger, who sought the resurrection of Cthulhu. The Society teamed up with The Peregrine for the adventure, which is shown in The Dark Society Book Two: August Messenger.

If you want more information about the individual members of the team, follow the links to roleplaying game writeups of each — and be on the lookout for the Dark Society tomes, which should be released after the first three Straw-Man titles are released.

Our art is by Gilbert Monsanto.

Timeline of the Reese Unlimited Universe – Updated 12/23/2022

Posted on by Barry Reese

Major Events specific to certain stories and novels are included in brackets. Some of this information contains SPOILERS for The Peregrine, Lazarus Gray, Gravedigger and other stories. 

~ 800 – Viking warrior Grimarr dies of disease but is resurrected as the Sword of Hel. He adventures for some time as Hel’s agent on Earth. [The Sword of Hel]. 

~ 1620 – Gwydion fab Dôn is captured by the witch Rhianna in France. She punishes him by binding his spirit to a bundle of rags. [“Gwydion,” The Adventures of the Straw-Man Volume One]

1748 – Johann Adam Weishaupt is born. 

Continue reading Timeline of the Reese Unlimited Universe – Updated 12/23/2022

Timeline of the Reese Unlimited Universe – Updated 11/12/2022

Posted on by Barry Reese

Major Events specific to certain stories and novels are included in brackets. Some of this information contains SPOILERS for The Peregrine, Lazarus Gray, Gravedigger and other stories. 

~ 800 – Viking warrior Grimarr dies of disease but is resurrected as the Sword of Hel. He adventures for some time as Hel’s agent on Earth. [The Sword of Hel]. 

~ 1620 – Gwydion fab Dôn is captured by the witch Rhianna in France. She punishes him by binding his spirit to a bundle of rags. [“Gwydion,” The Adventures of the Straw-Man Volume One]

1748 – Johann Adam Weishaupt is born. 

Continue reading Timeline of the Reese Unlimited Universe – Updated 11/12/2022

Timeline of the Reese Unlimited Universe (Updated 9/13/2022)

Posted on by Barry Reese

Major Events specific to certain stories and novels are included in brackets. Some of this information contains SPOILERS for The Peregrine, Lazarus Gray, Gravedigger and other stories. 

~ 800 – Viking warrior Grimarr dies of disease but is resurrected as the Sword of Hel. He adventures for some time as Hel’s agent on Earth. [The Sword of Hel]. 

~ 1620 – Gwydion fab Dôn is captured by the witch Rhianna in France. She punishes him by binding his spirit to a bundle of rags. [“Gwydion,” The Adventures of the Straw-Man Volume One]

1748 – Johann Adam Weishaupt is born. 

Continue reading Timeline of the Reese Unlimited Universe (Updated 9/13/2022)

Writing Update

Posted on by Barry Reese

I’m approaching the end of the Calavera novel and overall I’m quite pleased with it. In the end, it’s a spiritual sequel to Götterdämmerung, my “crossover” novel that brought in almost all of my 1930s/1940s characters in one big adventure — this one does much the same for my modern-day characters. Some only get a mention but there are pretty big roles for Catalyst, the Straw-Man, Jupiter, and a few others. It also serves as the debut story for Calavera, who will be a major part of the Reese Unlimited universe going forward. This book is set after the first three Straw-Man books so you’ll have to wait to see all of those before you can get the crossover volume… but I know that volume one of the Straw-Man series has gone through the editing process so hopefully, that one will be out fairly soon.

Our image today shows Jupiter in an angry mood and is drawn by Gilbert Monsanto.

Singularity (ICONS Writeup)

Posted on by Barry Reese

Singularity
Dr. Gail Sanders
created by Barry Reese

Prowess 2
Coordination 3
Strength 3
Intellect 6
Awareness 8
Willpower 5

Stamina 8

Powers
*Cosmic Power 8 (Extras: Blast, Dazzle, Flight, Force Field, Life Support, Phasing, Transmutation)

Specialties
Science – Physics (Expert +2)

Qualities
Science is my religion
Don’t call me a superhero
I have three Master’s degrees and a PhD – but my mom thinks I’m a disappointment because I’m still single

Background: Gail Sanders was a scientist working at the Atom Valley Nuclear Power Facility when she witnessed something incredible: a being dressed in red entering her universe from another. He alternately referred to himself as Phil and as MOTA, telling her that he had traveled through hundreds of universes and in nearly all of them he was always drawn to variants of her. Sometimes she had different names or slightly different appearances but she was always brilliant, capable, and (in his eyes) beautiful. After exploring more of the universe, MOTA returned to say goodbye to her — he gave her a kiss, accidentally transferring a small amount of his essence to her. Shortly thereafter, Gail was at CERN when the Large Hadron Collider was used to open doorways into both Heaven and Hell. She was confronted by beings known as the Ophanim, who sensed a ‘spark of the Divine’ within her. She unwittingly tapped into the power given her by MOTA and used it to help a number of other heroes, including Catalyst, the Straw-Man, Jupiter, and Calavera, to save the world. Since then, she has occasionally used her powers to help protect the planet, though she prefers to avoid the limelight.

JUPITER (ICONS WRITEUP)

Posted on by Barry Reese

Jupiter
Joseph Blake
Created by Barry Reese

Prowess 5
Coordination 6
Strength 9
Intellect 4
Awareness 5
Willpower 5

Stamina 14

Powers
*Blast 10 (Can be emitted from either his eyes or his hands)
*Dazzle 6
*Flight 8
*Immortality 5 (Limit: Can be killed by magical attacks)
*Damage Resistance 8 (Limit: Reduced by half against magical attacks)
*Super-Senses 1: Enhanced Hearing

Specialties
Aerial Combat – Expert (+2), Investigation, Performance: Acting

Qualities
The World’s Most Famous Man
“God, I hate magic.”
Everyone: “Don’t you want to know more about the source of your powers?” Jupiter: “No.”

Background:

Jupiter’s mother was caught in the rays of the Tunguska event that took place in Siberia in 1908. Pregnant at the time, she immediately noticed that her unborn child seemed to be growing at an accelerated rate within her and was quite active. She came to the attention of an American scientist (Wilbur Blake) who took her under his protection. After she died in childbirth, the scientist took the baby back to the United States with him and named the child Joseph. It soon became clear that the child was not a normal boy — he developed far faster than normal and was a physical marvel, as well as being able to channel energy through his body. Upon reaching maturity, his aging seemed to halt, leaving him perpetually in his twenties physically. Eventually brought under the auspices of the United States government, his first mission was to accompany the bombers on their runs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After the end of the War, the Allies were able to convince the United States to ‘share’ Jupiter (his codename being a reference to both the mythological god and to the largest planet in the solar system) with the world. Jupiter thus became the first member of the United Nations’ International Hero Corps (IHC).

Decades later, he is now the world’s most popular ‘superhero’, with action figures, a Netflix series, and a long line of charitable works to his name. He can sometimes come off as arrogant but that’s a byproduct of being treated as special his entire life — he genuinely does want to help the world. He has been in a longtime relationship with his teammate Spook, a woman trapped in a ghostly, intangible state. Since they cannot touch, she allows him to have physical relationships with other women, though this is a constant source of jealousy and tension between them.

He hates dealing with ‘magic,’ since that seems to be one of the few things that can really hurt him.

Calavera

Posted on by Barry Reese

So I’ve been working hard on the debut novel featuring Calavera, which has turned into a crossover novel for many of the characters that exist in my modern-day. Several years back, I had all my World War II-era characters meet up and this is similar but with the likes of Calavera, Babylon, Catalyst (the 21st century version), the Straw-Man, Jupiter and more all uniting to take on the forces of Heaven and Hell. You’ll also get to meet Lazarus Gray’s grandson, the Reese Unlimited version of Miss Fury and a whole lot more.

I’m over 40,000 words into the novel at the moment and to celebrate how well it’s going I’m going to debut the world’s first look at our heroine — Calavera! Art is by Luis Filipe and he did a wonderful job transforming my ideas into reality! Hope you find her as beautiful and intriguing as I do.