Pied Piper

Pied Piper, also known as Piper, is a violent serial murderer and leader of the Merry Band. He is considered one of the most dangerous individuals in North America. He should not be approached or engaged under any circumstances.

## Professional Status

### PRO Rating

Master (High), Thinker (High), Other (Low)

### Power Description

Long range, absolute control over rodents

## Abilities and Powers

Pied Piper is a Master who is able to control rodents to a ridiculously fine degree, able to manipulate their actions to his whim. The range of this power is approximately nine-hundred feet in any direction, though an additional four hundred feet should be given as a buffer. There is no visual cue as to when he is using his power, nor when a rodent is under the influence of his power, making it very easy for him to set up ambushes. He has shown an almost limitless ability to focus on essentially infinite amount of rodents at any given time, while simultaneously command them with unerring accuracy. He can make these rodents to things they normally wouldn't do, such as rush into fire, drown themselves or shove themselves down someone's throat. Since rodents are incredibly small and commonplace within most of North America, it should be assumed that Pied Piper's power is always capable of working, regardless of the location he finds himself in. Additionally, it should be assumed that most locations, barring the most secured fortifications, will not provide adequate security against his rodents.

Another known ability is Pied Piper's ability to sense through rodents. It is unclear exactly how sensitive this ability is, but it should be assumed powerful enough that it is virtually impossible to disrupt his senses. It should be assumed that he has complete perception his effective range and is incapable of being surprised or snuck up on. Additionally, it should not be assumed that conventional means of blinding senses, such as smoke, flashbangs or even certain parahuman abilities, will be capable of disrupting his senses. Additionally, it should also be assumed that any conversation held within Pied Piper's effective range is capable of being overheard or spied upon, and Thinker and Stranger countermeasures should be placed into effect.

Pied Piper is incredibly inventive and intelligent in how he uses his power. He has shown the ability to create rough, humanoid shapes, use an improvised form of biological warfare via diseased rats, hide rodents within corpses and similar tactics. It should be assumed that, when fighting Pied Piper, standard engagement procedures and tactics will not apply.

However, despite his perfect control and long range, what he controls are, at the end of the day, rodents and can be killed as such. This is not to say that he should be underestimated, but his power is not without very broad and has somewhat accessible counters. While a threat, it is standard PRO operating procedure to prioritize other members of the Merry Band rather than him.

It should be assumed that Pied Piper has been given numerous biological upgrades, courtesy of Bishop.

## Appearance

Pied Piper is in his early forties or late thirties, though has only just started to show signs of aging. Contrary to what one might think, he keeps himself in remarkably clean condition. His hair is cut short to his head and he has a well kept beard and mustache. He covers his body underneath a rough, mottled green cloak, underneath which he wears fairly normal clothing. He carries a dilapidated set of greasy wooden pan pipes around his neck; these pipes are purely an aesthetic choice and are **not** required for his power to operate.

## Personal

Pied Piper is surprisingly calm and collected with very few things, if anything, causing him any due concern. He is capable of staring down impossibly overwhelming odds with little thought. He is known to be particaurly cruel and manipulative, and seems to take great joy in causing even the smallest amounts of pain and suffering. He is a psychopathic serial killer with no regard for human capable of ending a life with little effort.

Pied Piper seems to take great pleasure in people releasing just who he is and the terror he inflicts onto others. He is somewhat of a showman, going out of his way to introduce himself and the Merry Band to whatever city they are attacking. He does not bother with introductions, rightfully expecting people to known who he is. Very little is known about Pied Piper's background or any motivations. As far as can be discerned, he simply enjoys being the person that keeps even the most heroic up at night. His entire personality and motivation seems to revolve around being as evil and wicked as possible.

## History

One of the oldest members of the Merry Band, though probably not a founding member. Given his age, and when he was supposed to have appeared. He was likely younger than fourteen when he joined the Merry Band and a comparable age when he took over leadership.

#### Kill Order

Pied Piper has hundreds, if not thousands, of murders directly attributed to him, with tens of thousands of more indirectly linked. He has the single highest kill order bounty in North America with a value of well over thirty-two million dollars. On at least two occasions, he has left hundreds of thousands of dollars at various PRO Headquarters with instructions to place the money into his kill order.