"There was no long-term, and trying to cling to one would only spoil it all."
This article contains spoilers regarding the ending of Worm and plot of the sequel.
Edict was an independent hero working with Licit in Stafford, New Hampshire.
Personality
Tired, not suited to the hero life,[3][4] and frustrated about random nature of her power.[5]
According to Licit, she professed a degree of unrequited compassion to Damsel of Distress[6]
Appearance
As an adult she prefers a less flashy, more casual style of costume then a typical cape.[7]
Carries a handgun, taser, and restraints.[8]
Abilities and Powers
Edict can give one-word commands to any single target within earshot. If the commands are actions that take three seconds or less, failure to obey causes a variety of consequences, while if the commands cannot be done that quickly, they can be canceled out by starting the action.[8][9]
Failure to obey Edict's commands can cause colorblindness, hiccups, sneezing fits, tics, mutism, a temporary wound, falling, clumsiness, a disabled limb, paranoia, hallucinations, confusion, amnesia, blindness, mental deficits, general malaise, a trigger event or power flaw,[8] mental grief, minor stroke-like symptoms, hallucinations, amnesia, compulsive tics, etc.[10] The form of "penalty" is unpredictable.[8][11]
These effects tend to fade after a few hours,[1] with some notable and tragic exceptions.[4]
History
Background
Edict had a brief career as a Protectorate cape named Tongue-Tie, but she decided her unreliable power and personality made her unfit to be a heroine after she killed someone.[4] She rebranded with a new name and costume, operating as a semi-independent hero with her partner Licit in Stafford, New Hampshire.[8]
Edict has a young child stemming from a teen pregnancy, this interferes with her patrols and general cape life hard.[8]
Boston Games
Edict and Licit were assisting Director Armstrong with his efforts to pacify Damsel of Distress. However once troubles started brewing in bigger Boston, she scampered out of their sight. So, as only remaining capes in the town they have no choice, but to follow.[3]
Edict confronted Damsel within a day of the villain arriving, but was thwarted by her freshly recruited henchmen.[12]
Story Start
Edict and Licit eventually began an on-again, off-again romance.[8]
Post-Echidna
When the Slaughterhouse Nine visited Stafford, Edict and Licit were unable to stop them from recruiting Damsel of Distress.
Gold Morning
Participated as other capes did.
Post-Gold Morning
Met Ashley again. They found surprising commonalities.[2]
Trivia
- Before Ward came out, there was no specific information about her children.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Edict - Gave commands that caused random and temporary issues in individuals who disobeyed. Included mental illnesses, crippling emotional swings, or partial paralysis. Unreliable in severity - Parahuman List, Bolded edit by Wildbow
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Eclipse x.5
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Eclipse x.1
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2
- Edict, who has a personality and an unreliable master power that, together, don't lend themselves well to gangbusting and patrols. She can give one-word orders and if those orders are disobeyed, her target suffers random mental consequences ranging from a few hours of hiccups to (in specific circumstances) death. She tried her hand at a proper career as a hero and after killing someone, decided it wasn't worth it - even though she knows how to avoid the consequence, it left its mark on her. She's since rebranded, with a new costume and name, she's a single mom and coordinates with the staff member to visit schools, travel to neighboring cities/regions now and again, and if a specific crisis lends itself well to her power, if a situation calls for all hands on deck, or if a PRT director wants to throw something new into the mix to throw some villains off their game, she'll join in.
[...]
They benefit from a bit more leeway & freedom than some capes in big cities get, while still racking up a good paycheck and the benefits of being PRT. Part of what that pair do, of course, is keep an eye on the local supervillain. Said supervillain was why they were picked to be here, specifically. - Comment by Wildbow on Reddit
- Edict, who has a personality and an unreliable master power that, together, don't lend themselves well to gangbusting and patrols. She can give one-word orders and if those orders are disobeyed, her target suffers random mental consequences ranging from a few hours of hiccups to (in specific circumstances) death. She tried her hand at a proper career as a hero and after killing someone, decided it wasn't worth it - even though she knows how to avoid the consequence, it left its mark on her. She's since rebranded, with a new costume and name, she's a single mom and coordinates with the staff member to visit schools, travel to neighboring cities/regions now and again, and if a specific crisis lends itself well to her power, if a situation calls for all hands on deck, or if a PRT director wants to throw something new into the mix to throw some villains off their game, she'll join in.
- ↑ Edict said. “Two. But I do know that I’m very, very tired of my power having hidden facets to it. I can’t rule anything out.” - Excerpt from Eclipse x.5
- ↑ "Edict would too, for the record. Given a chance she’d cook you a warm meal, probably. At least once a week, every week for the two years we’ve been keeping an eye on you, she’s said she would drop a box of eclairs off on your doorstep if she- if she knew where you were. Or things like that.” - Excerpt from Eclipse x.6
- ↑ It was uncomfortable, being in costume in a place like this, where just about everyone else was a mundane government employee. She’d argued for toning down her costume when everything had been under revision, but the PRT had balked at just how much she’d aimed to tone it down. They’d struck an uneasy compromise, with her wearing a costume with a hooded jacket, a visor, and a top with her icon on it, a stylized exclamation point. The same icon marked the shoulders and back of her jacket. - Excerpt from Eclipse x.1
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Edict
After a brief career as ‘Tongue-Tie’, Edict decided she didn’t have it in her to be a committed heroine, especially with her unreliable master power. Now a Protectorate hero in a three-cape town, she keeps an eye on things, ready to deliver a warning word. - Playtest Capes - ↑ Eclipse x.3
- ↑ Edict can give one-word commands, if they're generally actions that can be carried out in the span of three seconds [- if they aren't something that can be done that quickly, it prompts/can be canceled out by starting the action]. Failing to obey causes mental grief in the subject - minor stroke-like symptoms, hallucinations, amnesia, compulsive tics, an inability to speak, etc. The form of 'penalty' is unpredictable, and sometimes foes can plow through a series of "Stop!"s with nothing minor than a headache or red-green colorblindness in one eye. If she could get a handle on why or what commands work when, it would do better.
[Edit: penalties wear off in an hour or two] - Comment by Wildbow on Spacebattles - ↑ Eclipse x.3
- ↑ Eclipse x.3