Characteristic
Cost
END
Cost
10
10
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3
0
3
9
2
9
2
25
20
15
10
10
5
15
Luis was relieved when he began to move the earth. He had very little going for him as the third son of the Andorran Crown Prince, but with the ability to manipulate earth he had proof that he had inherited the mutant powers of his forefathers. He wasn't first in line to the throne but at least he could outshine his snotty nosed older brothers by bringing the entire castle down around their ears.
Andorra wasn't always ruled by a Crown Prince - at least, not one who resided in Andorra. It had been a country ruled jointly by the heads of government of France and Spain for centuries, although the country itself really never had much to offer. It was nestled in mountains and mostly neglected. During the Second World War Andorra was ceded to the Vichy Government, but when hostilities ceased, a young Spanish man stepped into Andorra la Vella and announced that he was the rightful ruler of Andorra. His name was Joaquin Gabriel Albelda, and he had lost his family in the Spanish Civil War.
In addition to his boldness, Joaquin was also a mutant - blessed with the ability to shape the landscape around him. Within days of entering Andorra la Vella, he had smoothed out the roads, heightened the ability of the soil to support crops and provide the people with sturdy stone buildings. When France, and later Spain, showed renewed interest in Andorra, they were told by the people that they no longer held allegiance to their powerful neighbours. Andorra had a new Crown Prince, and although the people didn't really believe that Joaquin's ancestry reached back to the stirrings of ancient Andorra, they saw a strong and charismatic leader who had the ability to make their lives better.
France introduced a referendum and the people voted almost unanimously to accept Crown Prince Joaquin the First as their monarch.
Joaquin's son also possessed mutant powers, although not as powerful or subtle as his father's. Agustin Joaquin was able to create giant creatures of rock and stone rather than affect the world around him directly. Agustin began using his powers to alleviate the burdens of manual labour for his people, but soon found himself becoming bored. Before long he took on the mantle of Pedrosa and became one of the super villains known as The Mountain Men.
Prince Agustin eventually 'came to his senses' and retired from the Mountain Men at a time when they began to take on a more hard-line view of the world as S.U.M.M.I.T. (Sociedad de Uber Malvados con el Mandato Iniciar Terrorismo). His father died and he felt the pull of his people. Pedrosa faded into the background and Crown Prince Agustin emerged to lead his people.
Luis was neglected in childhood. His mother passed him off to a nurse after only three weeks. After having two sons she was hoping for a daughter. With Luis' appearance she seemed to simply give up on her life and began to fade away. Even now she appears more like a ghost in the halls and chambers of the royal palace. His father is more charismatic and talks to his people regularly, although he does seem to overlook Luis in deference to his other two sons. Luis found himself 'rotting away' at Santo Miguel Boarding School, less than one mile from his childhood home.
When his powers surfaced, Luis was relieved.
One of his first secret excursions into the world as Strata saw him unexpectedly coming across Veronica, a class mate who was seeking revenge against her step-mother. The two struck up a friendship and came up with the idea of New Wave. Luis saw the team as his way to build up his own reputation. He knew that the only way to impress his father was to surpass him in power and legend. Luis sought out two other students and together they formed New Wave. The team spends most of its time having fun and causing mayhem in local villages as well as across the borders, although they have shown some interest in opposing crime.
Luis is unsure of which way he is leaning: hero or villain, but at the moment he doesn't really care.
As leader of the New Wave, Luis takes considerable pride and care with the other team mates. He looks out for them and plans on taking them with him as he attains greatness. He still has a crush on Sorceress but she has shown him that there's no chance that they'll be together. Still, it's hard for him to give her up, and he gets jealous very quickly and has a habit of ruining any dates Sorceress sets up with her frequent suitors. Landslides, rocks falling from the sky or other strangeness has often interrupted dates, although Sorceress hasn't mentioned anything about it.
Luis hates his father and his mother. Or, more correctly, he hates the way they ignore him and is desperate to gain their love, especially his father's. Part of forming the team is to cause his father pain and humiliation, and hopefully to one day save his life. In public. In front of thousands.
Strata has incredible potential and will surpass both his father and his grandfather in pure power over the earth. Given his current power levels it is possible that Strata may one day have the ability to destroy the Earth itself, although he doesn't plan on doing any such thing (at the moment). He has the power to manipulate the earth, which he uses mostly to travel around on his rock sleds. He loves the speed and the destruction.
If injured, Strata seems to withdraw into himself and then into the earth itself. Once underground he enters into a trance-like state within the chthonic womb. He sometimes feels like the earth is more of a mother than his own living one.
Luis is handsome, like his brothers, but lacks their statesmanlike posture. While they stand still, he is constantly moving. His costume consists of a grey armoured vest, white shirt and boots, and a red sash. He always wears a mask, although if his parents paid close attention to him they would certainly discover who he is. His father has shown no recognition publicly, but quite likely knows what his son is doing.