Lunatic Fringer

Los Cinco Diablos de Guadalupe LOS CINCO DIABLOS DE GUADALUPE Membership: El Cucharacha [The Cockroach], Jalapeno, El Matador Negro [The Black Matador], Senora del Oro [Lady of Gold] (Leader), and La Muerte Blanca [The White Death]. HISTORY Shortly after Rosa Alvarez became Senora del Oro (see below), she decided that even though she was mighty, many superheroes were much more so than she. While hiding out in Guadalupe, there was a string of mysterious murders. The Lady of Gold hunted down La Muerte Blanca and managed to convince the White Death to be part of her new crew of supervillains. When El Cucaracha when on a rampage, the Lady of Gold sought him out. He fell instantly in love with her, and she used that love to get him to join the crew. Meanwhile, The White Death encountered a talented thief who easily overpowered the guards at a bank without being seen at all. She used her powers to seduce him to her. The Lady of Gold saw his potential despite his lascivious ways, and brought him into the fold. Finally, as the four of them were doing their first job together, they found a man wreathed in green flames had already started the same caper on his own. When he ran into trouble, the crew got involved, allowing them all to get away with the loot. Jalapeno showed his appreciation by joining the group.

Session 3 Synopsis Capes of ViboraBay Campaign Log Season 1, Session 3 “High Stakes Starring: Barry as Paragon, Josh as Notus & Ty as Overflow Guest Villains: Chrome, Los Cinco Diablos de Guadalupe & Tsunami Supporting Cast: Silver Avenger Barton Stano, PRIMUS Special Agent Smith, Terrance Lang Synopsis Incident Analysis Report – PRIMUS Case Log 2817603 – Vibora Bay Metahuman Activity Spike, April 9, 2011 SUMMARY: On April 9, 2011, there were five incidents of metahuman criminal activity in and around the Vibora Bay Area: 1) Tsunami attacked the Vibora Petroleum loading docks and was opposed by local heroes Notus, Overflow and Paragon; 2) Tsunami fought The Amphibian in the coastal waters of ViboraBay; 3) Senora del Oro and La Muerte Blanca attacked private citizen Terrance Lang at his residence in Inner Easton and was opposed by Overflow; 4) Chrome broke into a Duchess Industries medical clinic in Inner Weston and was opposed by Paragon; and 5) The supervillain team Los Cincos Diablos de Guadalupe battled Notus, Overflow and Paragon near the Drake-Victoria Manufacturing Facility in the AirportIndustrial Park. This represents a significant spike in metahuman activity for this metropolitan area that sees an average of 1.3 metahuman incidents per day. Analysis of the incidents points toward manipulation of events by Kill Switch in his efforts to steal computer and software prototypes of the M.E.C.H.A. Project from the scene of the fifth incident. INCIDENT 1 – 0930 hours Tsunami attacks the Vibora Petroleum Loading Docks as part of an ongoing terrorist campaign against corporations engaging in off-shore oil drilling. Shortly after the attack Overflow (PRIMUS MetaFile 2011-063) arrives on scene and begins fighting fires sparked by damage from Tsunami’s attacks. The metahumans engage in a brief, inconclusive combat before the arrival of Notus and Paragon (PRIMUS MetaFiles 2011-057 and 2010-326, respectively), forces Tsunami to retreat. Notus and Paragon remained on the scene to assist emergency services while Overflow left the scene. Interviews at the scene indicated that Terrance Lang hurriedly left the docks area immediately before the attack. A cross-check of Vibora Petroleum personnel records indicated that Lang had never been employed by the company but had been passed through by security that morning. Further investigation revealed that Security Chief Gabriel Jenkins had been in the company of a woman matching the description of La Muerte Blanca the previous evening, and had authorized Lang’s entrance. City Auditor Wesley Wexler was initially listed as missing in the incident, but was later determined to have left the scene in the confusion of the battle between the aforementioned metahumans. INCIDENT 2 – 1446 hours While on routine safety patrol, the Amphibian encounters Tsunami approximately five miles south of GoldenrodBeach and attempts to apprehend her. After a protracted running battle, The Amphibian is forced to retire from the fight due to exhaustion and moderate injuries sustained in the battle. He reaches the Coast Guard cutter Key Largoapproximately 15 minutes later and reports the fight and Tsunami’s last known heading. He is treated aboard ship and departs approximately one hour later to resume his patrol. INCIDENT 3 – 1928 hours Overflow breaks into Terrance Lang’s apartment, detaining him briefly before Senora del Oro and La Muerte Blanco arrive. Overflow battles the pair, but is ejected from the apartment by del Oro’s telekinetic powers. While the hero is distracted, La Muerte Blanco drains most of Lang’s life essence away, leaving him for dead. The women escape by using flight powers. Overflow rushes Lang to CountyMedical, and his quick action is credited for saving Lang’s life. Later questioning of Lang reveals his complicity with Kill Switch in orchestrating Tsunami’s attack on Vibora Petroleum earlier in the day, and leveraging Chief Jenkins as a means to gain access. Lang also had a side deal with known accomplices of the Sweetland Crime Family to put Wexler on the docks to either be hurt or killed by Tsunami. According to Lang, Overflow was at his apartment at the request of Wexler, who was a business client or partner. Lang was taken into protective custody so he can testify at a later conspiracy trial. INCIDENT 4 – 1957 hours Acting on information that was given to him earlier in the day by Silver Avenger Barton Stano, Paragon staked out the Duchess Industries Medical Research Clinic in Inner Weston. News reports indicated that Chrome was targeting Duchess Industries facilities on her latest crime spree. Notus was also at the scene when Chrome arrived, using an EMP Pinch device to knock out power to the area around the clinic. As Chrome attempted to enter the clinic, both she and Paragon came under fire from VIPER agents inside the building. The metahumans put their differences aside to battle the VIPER agents. However, Paragon prevented Chrome retrieving any of the data from the archive computer inside the clinic by physically ripping out its hard drive before Chrome could access it. Outside the clinic, Notus took apprehended Chrome’s two cronies after they began to fire upon him. Although thwarted in her plans, Chrome did relay what she knew about Kill Switch’s operation in ViboraBay to Paragon. According to information from Paragon, Kill Switch had approached Chrome to assist him in the operation, but she turned him down, as she had her own priorities. (It can be extrapolated that Kill Switch then turned to Tsunami, who accepted the offer.) A short time later, Notus, Overflow and Paragon turned the drive over to PRIMUS Special Agent Smith at the regional office in ViboraBay, informing the office of their activities. With the sudden appearance of VIPER agents in the city, the ViboraBay office when into security shutdown until other PRIMUS agents could be brought in to secure the facilities. The metahumans then departed for the Drake-Victoria Manufacturing Facility. Addendum: Information gleaned from the hard drive confirmed the existence of Project Bumblebee, the VIPER program for developing metahumans by artificial means, though files on the hard drive were executive summaries containing little hard data. This information confirms suspicions of an active VIPER base within the metropolitan area. INCIDENT 5 – 2041 hours Notus, Overflow and Paragon arrive on the scene at the Drake-Victoria Manufacturing Facility in the AirportIndustrial Park to find security there has already been breached, and members of Los Cincos Diablos de Guadalupe on site. The fight is brief, with the heroes leveling the underpowered villains before they can mount an organized defense. Only El Matador Negro escapes by using his shadow powers to escape. The heroes pause just long enough to secure their vanquished opponents, then entered the facility. Inside, they find evidence that Kill Switch has used his companions as a distraction while he has ripped open a secure vault and blasted his way out of the building. The heroes render aid to several injured guards and discover that parts to the prototype computer and software for the M.E.C.H.A. Project have been stolen. ANALYSIS 1) The incidents all point to a well-orchestrated plan being executed by Kill Switch. His M.O. remains to sow confusion and misdirection to obscure his true intentions until it is too late to stop them, then escape rather than directly confront his opponents. It also shows he has large sums of money to hire metahumans to facilitate his plans and keep heroes busy. It is believed that he has left the country for the time being, though his true whereabouts are unknown. His motives for stealing the computer parts and software are too numerous for an accurate analysis at this time. 2) Chrome and Tsunami remain at large. There are currently no leads as to either of their whereabouts. 3) El Cucaracha, Jalapeno, Senora del Oro and La Muerte Blanca have been turned over to UNTIL for extradition back to Mexico. There, they will stand trial for crimes then committed in Central America over the past three years. 4) Terrance Lang is in protective custody, awaiting a time when his testimony may be used against Kill Switch and/or Tsunami for conspiracy. He intends to plea bargain for a lesser charge in exchange for his cooperation in the other cases. 5) VIPER has at least one active base in the ViboraBay area. It can be assumed that attempts will be made to neutralize or eliminate PRIMUS agents and the local heroes in the near future. END OF REPORT

The Vibora Bay Banner - April 9, 2011 Metahuman May Be Behind String of Mysterious Deaths (Vibora Bay) – The fifth victim in a string of mysterious deaths in the city was found behind a dumpster near Little India in the Far Easton District around 10:30 pm last night. The victim, who was not identified pending notification of next of kin, was described by witnesses as a Hispanic homeless man in his middle 20’s. The murders began on Monday night near the Easton Docks. All of the victims have been young Latino men in their 20’s, and all of the victims suffered no physical injuries. Forensics, however, has determined that a metahuman power was used to kill the victims. The victims have been found in various locations around the city, without any obvious pattern, save that all of the murders are thought to have occurred between sunset and midnight. As of press time, police have no suspects in these murders and the investigation is ongoing. Fire Damages Container Storage Facility in Business Park (Vibora Bay) – A shipping container storage facility in the Airport Business Park sustained moderate damages when a fire broke out late yesterday afternoon. The fire was reported by Transnational Shipping employees at around 4:30 pm who were forced to evacuate the facility after fire suppression gear on the site failed to contain the blaze. Five employees were treated at the scene for minor smoke inhalation. Vibora Bay and Seagrove fire fighters were on the scene for nearly six hours. According to Fire Chief Hector Vasquez, the fire started in a flammables storage locker and quickly spread to packing materials stored nearby. Vasquez says the fire will be investigated by the State Fire Marshall’s Office, due to the failure of the fire suppression systems on site. Chrome Continues Vendetta on Duchess Industries Facilities (Oceanside) – Authorities were left picking up the pieces yet again after the supervillainess Chrome tore up a research facility here last night. An anonymous source inside the Oceanside Police Department stated that the investigation of the break-in has been handed over to the FBI. Federal authorities are pursuing the case, which is part of a string of six similar break-ins by Chrome that have occurred over the Southeastern states over the past two weeks. A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation says that surveillance systems detected the break-in around 11 pm last night, and security video positively identified Chrome as the perpetrator of the crime. A list of the incidents indicates that medical research labs and clinics have been hit thus far, but a spokesperson for Duchess Industries deflected a question as to what the supervillainess might be after. M.E.C.H.A. Project Shelved By NASA Budget Cuts (Vibora Bay) – Despite a glowing review of its simulated space mission to a moon of Neptune by scientists and engineers, the Multitasking Electromagnetic Command & Hierarchical Algorithms project (M.E.C.H.A.) has become the latest victim of the budget ax. With a price tag of $1.4 billion dollars to date, and the cancellation of several other interplanetary exploration missions, the project was deemed too costly to be continued. Spokesperson Linda Scope for Drake-Victoria, manufacturer of the computer system that contained the prototype AI, expressed disappointment at yesterday’s announcement. “It is a greater waste of taxpayer money to let this project languish,” said Scope, “since it has many other applications outside of the space program.”

The Capes of Vibora Bay (New) "High Stakes" (New) - Notus, Overflow & Paragon are forced to lock horns with a nefarious criminal mastermind and his gang of metahuman villains to prevent the Crime of the Century! Can the Intrepid Trio of heroes beat the master villain at his own game before time runs out? Find out this Monday night on Channel Friz!

The Inhumans: Swarm SWARM CHARACTERISTICS (51) 3 STR 18 DEX 16 CON 3 BODY 5 INT 11 EGO 15 PRE 2 COM 3 PD 3 ED 4 SPD 8 REC 40 END 25 STUN POWERS (165) 25 Elemental Control: Insect Swarm Powers (20-pt Reserve); 1/2 END (+1/4) a-18 14 PD / 14 ED Armor (Not vs. Attacks with Area of Effect Advantages) b-23 Darkness: Cloud of Insects (Sight Group, 3” Radius); Personal Immunity (+1/4); No Range (-1/2); END=2 c-17 Desolidification: Swarming Insects; Cannot move through solid objects (-1/2); END=2 d-24 6d6 Energy Blast: Stinger Swarm; Penetrating (+1/2); Area of Effect, One Hex (+1/2); Personal Immunity (+1/4); No Range (-1/2); No Knockback (-1/4); Not vs. Automatons or inanimate objects (-1/4); END=3 e-25 14” Flight: Mass of Flying Insects (NC x 2); Zero END & Persistent (+3/4); Always On (-1/2); END=0 3 Ultrasonic Hearing 5 Ultraviolet Vision 25 360-degree Sensing with all senses TALENTS (0) None SKILLS (24) 2 AK: San Sebastian Swamp 11- 5 Concealment 11- 3 Navigation 11- 3 Shadowing 11- 3 Stealth 13- 3 Survival 11- 5 Tracking 11- TOTAL POINTS = 240 Points DISADVANTAGES (90) + 150 Base Points 25 Distinctive Feature: Mass of Insects (Not-Concelable, Extreme) 20 Normal Characteristic Maxima 20 Physical Limitation: Mute (All The Time; Greatly) 15 Psychological Limitation: Always obeys Ravenwood’s orders (Very Common, Moderate 10 Susceptability: Pesticides& Insectasides (Uncommon, 1d6 STUN / Turn) BACKGROUND Ravenwood created the Swarm by accident, and then made that Swarm his personal bodyguard. This magical creature always seeks out of others of its type.

The Inhumans: Southpaw Note: Southpaw was listed as a member of Fire Team Alpha. That is incorrect as Fire Team Alpha should only have five members. SOUTHPAW CHARACTERISTICS (151) 40 STR 21 DEX 20 CON 15 BODY 10 INT 11 EGO 18 PRE 8 COM 18 PD 18 ED 5 SPD 14 REC 44 END 45 STUN POWERS (38) 8 8 PD / 8 ED Damage Resistance 5 Extra Limbs (Two Extra Arms) 16 Running (+8”, 14”, NC x 2); END=3 9 Superleap (+9”, 17”, NC x 2) TALENTS (0) None SKILLS (26) 3 Acrobatics 13- 2 AK: San Sebastian Swamp 11- 3 Breakfall 13- 3 Climbing 13- 6 +2 with Grab, Haymaker & Punch 3 Concealment 11- 3 Shadowing 11- 3 Stealth 13- TOTAL POINTS = 185 Points DISADVANTAGES (85) + 100 BASE POINTS 20 DF: Four Armed Man (Not Concealable, Major) 15 Hunted by Law Enforcement (AP, NCI, 8-) 15 Psychological Limitation: Hatred of Humans (Common, Strong) 10 2d6 Unluck 10 Vulnerability: Magic Attacks (Uncommon, 2x STUN) 15 Watched by Ravenwood (MP, NCI, 14-) BACKGROUND Hal Mercer was exhausted but still kept struggling through the seemingly endless swamp. Escaped prisoners don’t get time to rest, after all. At midnight, he struggled through yet another pool of stagnant water. He paused when he saw the green glowing rock at the bottom of the pool, and plunged down to it. He never got it back to the surface as the mystic stone’s properties overwhelmed him. When he awoke, coughing up water and swamp muck, he discovered he had changed, becoming more muscular and more “handy” than he had ever been. When Ravenwood found him in the swamp, the sorcerer exploited Hal’s weaknesses to produce a worthy servant.

The Inhumans: Kudzu KUDZU CHARACTERISTICS (83) 10 STR 18 DEX 16 CON 10 BODY 13 INT 11 EGO 15 PRE 10 COM 8 PD 8 ED 4 SPD 8 REC 34 END 30 STUN POWERS (129) 60 Multipower: Plant Control (40-pt Reserve); 1/2 END (+1/4); Personal Immunity (+1/4) u6 Darkness: Spore Cloud (Affects all sight, 3” Radius); END=2 u6 3d6 END Drain: Lifeleech Kudzu (Return/5 min); END=2 u4 3d6 Entangle: Kudzu Overgrowth (DEF 3, Stops Sight); Only vs. Targets on the Ground (-1/2); END=2 u6 Force Wall: The Living Wall (8 PD / 8 ED, Width 12”); END=2 12 Kudzu Leaf Armor (8 PD / 8 ED); Ablative (-1) 15 15” Swinging: Kudzu Vine Swing (NC x 2); END=3 20 75% Physical Resistant Damage Reduction vs. Poisons, Toxins & Chemical Attacks (-2) TALENTS (3) 3 Combat Sense 12- SKILLS (20) 2 AK: San Sebastian Swamp 11- 3 Climbing 13- 6 CSL: +2 with Multipower Attacks 3 Navigation 11- 3 Stealth 13- 3 Survival 11- TOTAL POINTS = 235 Points DISADVANTAGES (85) + 150 BASE POINTS 20 DF: Humanoid Plant Woman (Not Concealable, Major) 15 Hunted by Law Enforcement (AP, NCI, 8-) 20 Normal Characteristic Maxima 15 Psychological Limitation: Hatred of Human Beings (Common, Strong) 15 Watched by Ravenwood (MP, NCI, 14-) BACKGROUND The young woman was dying, mortally wounded by bad men. She staggered through the swamp, unaware that the swamp was aware of her pain. The swamp acted to end that pain, but also to give her life as well. The woman collapsed into a patch of vines, but even as she gave up her human life, her lifeforce was absorbed by the vines. What arose was a hybrid of human and plant, with powers beyond both. When Ravenwood found her, he convinced her that her path and his were the same. Now she serves his needs, developing her own powers as well.

The Inhumans: Gator GATOR CHARACTERISTICS (163) 40 STR 18 DEX 24 CON 18 BODY 8 INT 11 EGO 6 COM 20 PD 20 ED 4 SPD 15 REC 60 END 60 STUN POWERS (60) 10 10 PD / 10 ED Damage Resistance 5 Infrared Vision 15 1d6 HKA: Bite (Total 2d6); END=1 5 Life Support: Breathe Underwater 12 Running (+6”, 12”, NC x 2); END=2 5 Superleap (+5”, 13”, NC x 2); END=1 8 Swimming (+3”, 5”, NC x 4); END=1 TALENTS (0) None SKILLS (27) 2 AK: San Sebastian Swamp 11- 10 CSL: +2 with Hand-to-Hand Combat 3 Concealment 11- 3 Shadowing 11- 3 Stealth 13- 3 Survival 11- 3 Tracking 11- TOTAL POINTS = 250 Points DISADVANTAGES (100) + 150 Base Points 20 DF: Hideous Reptile Man (Concealable, Extreme Reaction) 10 Enraged if he takes BODY (Go 14-, Recover 11-) 15 Hunted by Law Enforcement (AP, NCI, 8-) 5 Physical Limitation: Cold Blooded (Infrequently, Slightly) 15 Hatred of Humans (Common, Strong) 10 Public Identity (Pete Wisnoski) 5 Reputation: Supervillain (8-) 10 Vulnerability: Cold / Ice Attacks (1-1/2x STUN & BODY, Uncommon) 10 Watched by Ravenwood (MP, NCI, 8-) BACKGROUND Pete was born a swamp person, one of the reclusive families who have made San Sebastian Swamp their home since the Revolutionary War. Like most mutants, his powers manifested around puberty, transforming him into a hideous yet powerful monster. His family rejected him and the first people he met in the city put him in a circus freak show. Soon, he came to hate all humans and returned to the swamp, the only home he had known, to escape them forever. Many years later, he met Ravenwood, and found a kindred spirit, the first real friend he’d ever known. Now Gator is a loyal servant of the Subdivided Sorcerer.

Ravenwood, The Subdivided Sorcerer RAVENWOOD CHARACTERISTICS (128) 10 STR 23 DEX 20 CON 14 BODY 21 INT 21 EGO 20 PRE 6 COM 4 PD 4 ED 5 SPD 6 REC 40 END 30 STUN POWERS (187) 52 Multipower: Magic Spells & Powers (60-pt Reserve); No END (+1/2); Personal Immunity (+1/4); Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/4); Gestures (-1/4); Incantations (-1/4) u5 Darkness: Obscurata (Normal Sight, 5” radius) u4 4d6 STUN Drain: Hemastata (Return/Turn) u5 6d6 Ego Attack: Cerebata u4 10d6 Energy Blast: Tempestata u4 4d6 Entangle: Arachneata (DEF 4) u5 Summon Skeletons: Mortisata (4 x 75-pt creatures) 30 Life Support (Total) 40 20 PD / 20 ED Force Field; No END (+1/2); OIF: Magic Ring (-1/2) 38 14” Flight (NC x 8, 112”); No END & Persistant (+1); OAF: Magic Carpet (-1) TALENTS (0) None SKILLS (15) 2 AK: San Sebastian Swamp 11- 1 CK: Vibora Bay 8- 6 CSL: +2 with Multipower Attacks 3 Deduction 13- 3 KS: The Arcane World 13- TOTAL COST = 330 Points DISADVANTAGES (180) + 150 Base Points 15 Distinctive Feature: Skeletal Figure (Concealable, Major) 15 Hunted by Dr. Ka (MP) 25 Psychological Limitation: Obsessed with reuniting his divided self (Very Common, Total) 10 Psychological Limitation: Vengeful (Uncommon, Strong) 15 Reputation: Mystic Supervillain (11-, Extreme) 10 2d6 Unluck 90 Villain Bonus BACKGROUND Dio Ravenwood was born during the Dark Ages and was apprenticed to Kal Malvairis, Witch of the Four Moons. While Malvairis was engaged in a sorcerers’ battle with Dr. Ka over Chronae, one of the Nine Rods of Merlin, Dio was struck by a burst of wild magic from the rod. Dio was split into nine separate bodies, each sharing a single soul, allowing him to remain in contact with his other selves. Using that ability, he is able to coordinate crimes across the time line from the Dark Ages to Modern times. (Note that the ability is considered a plot device for the adventure and was not constructed.)

Session 2 Synopsis Capes of Vibora Bay Campaign Log Season 1, Session 2 “Past Imperfect, Part 2” Starring: Barry as Paragon, Josh as Notus & Ty as Overflow Guest Villains: Dio Ravenwood, the Subdivided Sorcerer; and The Inhumans (Gator, Kudzu, Southpaw & Swarm) Supporting Cast: Brother Thunder and Dr. Ka Synopsis As Dr. Ka’s astral form faded from view, I realized that Notus was no longer in his Greek regalia. Overflow had noticed it as well – “Who’s Joe Homeless?” he asked me with a toss of his head toward Notus’ alter-ego. “He’s with me,” I said. “He’s a hero, so no worries.” Overflow shrugged, obviously unconvinced. “Your call, Paragon,” he said. He didn’t see this man in his superhuman guise, I thought as I surveyed the fading landscape around me. He’ll change his tune when our friend gets back into the game. “We have to find Ravenwood,” I said. “And the only place he could be is out the swamp.” “That’s a lot of territory to cover in just 18 hours,” said the homeless man, “and there are just three of us to look.” “Then we need to get started,” said Overflow as he picked up the evidence box he’d retrieved from the archives room. “The edge of the swamp is just two miles north of here. Let’s go.” “Just need one second,” said the homeless man. He stood in place, raised his right arm to the sky and shouted, “Notus!” at the blank gray sky. Nothing happened. Confusion clouded his features. “I don’t understand…” “He’s a hero, huh,” commented Overflow, who promptly hydroplaned away. “Climb on my back,” I said, offering the homeless man my hand, “and hang on.” He complied and I leapt skyward to pursue Overflow. It was slow going. Each leap I made was like playing Russian roulette – the entropy effect was causing the city to ripple and shift. A building I was counting on for a landing would suddenly disappear or change shape. Landmarks would fade, reappear in a different location and then fade again. Beneath me, Overflow contended with changing city streets, often forced to detour around unexpected obstacles that would appear without warning..The city itself was shrinking, the edge of the swamp encroaching further with every passing second. During one leap, a building in front of me shifted into one with a steeply pitched roof. I only just had time to sling the homeless man around to my chest and bear the brunt of the impact on my back. We crashed through the attic and wound up in the wreckage of an upper floor bathroom. As I extricated myself and my passenger from the debris, I saw that Overflow had stopped on the street below and was talking to another man who bore a baton and wore a silk top hat. I recognized the man at once. “Brother Thunder!” I called out. The man in the top hat removed it and did a deep bow while flourishing the hat. “Mister Paragon, sir,” he drawled with a rich French accent, “You make a better hero than a wrecking ball!” The Haitian-born hero returned his hat to his head, showing me a broad smile full of white teeth. His clothes were a riot of colors and designs that belonged to several different decades long past in the fashion world. I jumped down to the street, carrying the homeless man with me. Brother Thunder recognized my passenger right away as I set him down. “Mister James!” he beamed, “You are caught in the in-between as well, I see.” “The ‘in-between’?” echoed James. “This is the place in-between what was and what will be,” explained Brother Thunder, “when that split-goofy sorcerer man decided to play with the Rod of Merlin.” “Then why hasn’t everything changed already?” asked Overflow. “Well, a houdon I may be,” replied Brother Thunder, “but in the matters of the arcane, it would be Dr. Ka answering that question with authority. Time is not something for mortals to be fooling with, even if it be within their grasp.” “No argument there,” I agreed. “But how did you get here?” Brother Thunder smiled again. “I was consulting with the doctor when all this,” indicated the world around him with a wave of his arm, “happen to us. When I walked out of his sanctum, the doors led out into this nonsense. But Dr. Ka said you would be out here and I should help you. So here I am.” He finished the last with another bow. Overflow was looking impatient. “Hey, this friendly get-together is great and all,” he said with a slightly irritated tone, “but we have less than 18 hours to find Ravenwood and get the Rod of Merlin away from him before he changes things forever!” Brother Thunder nodded in agreement. “Time here in-between moves faster than real time,” he said. “Dr. Ka warned me that as we get closer to the end, it will pass faster and faster.” “Wonderful,” commented James, “and I can’t transform into Notus, either.” “Then first things first,” said Brother Thunder, “We find you the sanctum so you can do your razzle-dazzle! The sanctum is the bridge back to what was. You will have to bring the rod there when you get it or you will disappear like the in-between.” Overflow looked concerned. “Did he just say what I think he just said?” I nodded with a grim smile. “He did,” I replied. “It is literally do or die for us now.” I looked at Brother Thunder. “Lead the way, if you please,” I said. Despite the fact that the landscape kept changing, Brother Thunder led us unerringly through the maze of streets to a residence that remained steadfastly corporeal amidst the shadowy shifting of the world around it. It was a Gothic house with insanely high ceilings, stretching three stories above the street. The front yard was fenced off with fanciful ironwork, and the roofline held a brace of small gargoyles that stared sightlessly across the in-between. The front gate swung open for us before we reached it, as did the front door. We entered into a hallway that was impossibly long for the house, guided by the light that streamed around the cracks in the double doorway at the end of it. “Like a TARDIS,” breathed Overflow, “bigger on the inside than the outside.” “Yah,” agreed Brother Thunder, “This place be in the in-between of the planes of existence. It take some powerful mojo to make and protect such a place.” The doors at the end of the hallway swung open to reveal a large room dominated by a crystal ball nearly six feet in diameter. The ball was lit from within by swirling colors of light that painted the room in rainbows of riotous color. Hovering three feet off the richly carpeted floor of the room in the lotus position next to the ball was Dr. Ka. His powerful frame looked relaxed, yet his face was a mask of concentration as he gazed into the depths of the globe. “James,” he said distantly, “you may call upon your patron here.” James immediately threw his arm into the air, looked up toward the ceiling and shouted out, “NOTUS!” He was engulfed in a whirlwind of cloud for a brief moment before the Greek-motif hero I had seen before emerged. “Okay,” said Overflow looking slightly impressed, “I stand corrected.” Dr. Ka stiffened and then fell to the floor on his rump. I moved to help him, but stopped when I saw the shock and sadness in his eyes. “My astral form has failed us,” he said sadly. “Ravenwood is too powerful a foe with the Rods of Merlin at his command.” “Rods?” I asked. “He has the others already?” “Yes and no,” replied Dr. Ka as he rose to his feet. “In the pseudo-reality Brother Thunder calls the in-between, Ravenwood has yet to attune the one rod – Chronae – to his magical energies. Should he accomplish that, however, he will use it to obtain the rest. And with all nine rods at his command, nothing on earth will able to stop him from doing whatever he wants.” He turned his exhausted expression to us. “You four are now the final and only hope humanity has of recovering what was,” he said. “Otherwise, it will be oblivion – much of what was will be gone, including all of us. Ravenwood will not brook any potential magical competition from any source, destroying them all. And when our sources of power or ancestry are removed, we will simply cease to exist.” Brother Thunder spoke. “Does anyone have any idea where we might find this Ravenwood?” “We were headed for the swamp when you found us,” said Notus. “The swamp?” echoed Brother Thunder, “That place is not safe for anyone. It lives and breathes if you listen long enough. It watches anyone who enters it, and it punishes anyone who harms it.” “Superstition,” snorted Overflow. “That’s what everyone who hasn’t seen or smelled The Skunk Ape says,” replied Brother Thunder. “That legend?” Overflow shook his head. “Gentlemen,” interjected Dr. Ka, “please. Notus, why were you heading for the swamp?” “Some of the papers that Overflow recovered from the archive box that held the rod mentioned that back in 1931, one of our Ravenwoods had a shack out there before he was arrested and later killed,” explained Notus. “No wonder this man is crazy,” replied Brother Thunder. “Death had tainted his soul.” “Perhaps,” said Dr. Ka, “but those papers may hold the key for defeating him. I chose this sanctum’s location based on the magical lines of force converging here. If he chose the location of his shack for the same reason…” “The report did say he was conducting a magic ritual there when the cops showed up,” said Overflow. “And since the murders he committed were in the Oldcorne district, it couldn’t be too far from there!” “Then you must hurry,” said Dr. Ka. “Split up and search the swamp near there. When you get the rod, return here – I will hold open this gateway back to what was as long as I can!” And then we were moving, out the door of the sanctum and into the shifting cityscape. Notus took the lead, flying low enough for the rest of us follow, though Brother Thunder soon fell behind the rest of us, insisting the three of us continue on and he would catch up when he could. By the time we reached Oldcorne, much of the former district of stately southern mansions was already consumed by San Sebastian Swamp. Without speaking, Notus, Overflow and I plunged into the depths of the swamp. I envied Notus’ ability to fly and Overflow’s ability to ride the surface of the water. I spent time slogging through muck and water or doing my Tarzan imitation by swinging from limb to limb. It was slow, tiring progress and night was coming on when I spotted the greenish glow of magical energies ahead of me. I uprooted a sapling and punched it through the canopy as a signal to the others. Of course, I reflected as I waited for the others to converge, I just warned Ravenwood that we’re coming, too. I smiled grimly at that. Good, maybe it’ll make him sweat a little, too. Just as the others arrived, Brother Thunder brought up the rear in a commandeered flat boat that he poled between the trees. “Stealth be our friend for only a little longer,” he said as we boarded the boat. “Better to have some speed now for the final leg of the trip!” “Great,” said Overflow as he moved to the back of the boat, “Just nobody call me Evinrude.” And with that, he used his hydroplane power to move the rest of us forward while I stood at the prow, using the pole to fend off trees and branches that grabbed at us from all sides. We ran aground in the shallows of a small island in the swamp. Ahead of us, at the other end of it, was Ravenwood – his gaunt robed form gesturing and chanting over the rod as it lay within the confines of a magic circle. Three other creatures stood by him, as well as a shifting mass of insects. “And so enter the heroes at last,” cackled Ravenwood. His thin, spindly form looked vaguely skeletal, like the skin were simply a covering for the bones beneath. “Well,” he continued, “you are too late! Soon, this Rod of Merlin will be under my control, and then I will travel back to the past! The years that divide me shall be undone!” “And when you do,” yelled Brother Thunder, “you will kill billions of people, including all of your other selves!” “My point exactly!” shouted Ravenwood. “Because they will have never been, I will be whole again – and have the power of a Rod of Merlin to command as well! But the time for banter is over – it is time for you to be acquainted with the future power of Ravenwood the Mighty!” He gestured to his companions on the island in turn. “Gator! Kudzu! Southpaw! Swarm! INHUMANS – Tear them apart!” The battle was joined as I leapt toward them from the boat, and quickly found the hideous form of Gator blocking my path. Above me, Swarm engulfed Notus in a cloud of buzzing, fluttering, stinging insects. Brother Thunder fended off Southpaw’s four arms while Overflow drenched Ravenwood with one of his hydroblasts. I managed to get past Gator only to dodge a blast of magic from Ravenwood, but he was soon struggling to retain possession of the rod as winds from Notus buffeted it and him. The magic circle in front of me crackled with supernatural energy, all of which was creeping inward toward the rod. Without hesitation, I plunged my arms into the soggy muck below me, pulling and ripping at a network of dead tree roots and other less pleasant things. With an electric crack of raw power, the circle was broken, flinging me backwards. Around me the battle raged as Brother Thunder fought with Kudzu’s entangling vines, Notus battled Swarm with all of the might his winds could muster against the mass of insects, and Overflow flattened Gator with a hydroblast. During all that, however, I lost track of the rod. “Miserable meddling wretch!” sputtered Ravenwood as he raised his hands. The blue-white surge of magic power slammed into me, sending me pinwheeling to the other end of the island. Gator jumped on me, pummeling me with its rock-hard fists. I regained my bearings and knocked the creature off of me, then jumped on him and flattened him with one of my punches. A quick look around told me that my compatriots had not fared so well. Though Brother Thunder was still in fight, I could tell he was running on fumes in his protracted battle against Kudzu’s insidious plants. Overflow was out cold, having been caught flat-footed against one of Southpaw’s love taps. Notus had managed to take out Swarm, but he’d nearly expended the last of his reserves. Ravenwood had left the ruin of his magic circle was casting desperately about for the rod. As I watched, he suddenly stopped and cackled, reaching down for it. “To hell with the minions,” I growled and launched myself at him. My flying tackle knocked him clear off the end of the island into waist-deep muck. I knew I hadn’t finished him, though, for I could see him starting to get up. That’s when I smelled something awful – rotting vegetation and heavy animal musk mixed together and over-powering. I heard trees being smashed aside and the creature stepped into view. Eight feet tall and vaguely humanoid, beady green eyes peered out from under mossy brows while a maw like a ragged tear with no visible issued forth a roaring hiss. San Sebastian Swamp’s own version of Bigfoot had arrived. The Skunk Ape. Southpaw was the first to feel the creature’s fury, as it backhanded the four armed creature to tree line on the fly. Gator was foolish enough to try biting it and was rewarded by being stomped three feet deep into the muck to lie twitching in the Ape’s wake. Kudzu wanted no part of the action and promptly bolted. Ravenwood screamed at the thing in rage so pure it lacked any aspect of humanity, hurling bolts of magic at it. The Ape turned, and rushed at the sorcerer, hurling itself that last distance as Ravenwood recoiled in horror. There was the awful sound of impact followed by an ugly silence. Neither man nor beast emerged from that muck, and the surface was still. The rod was in front of me now. I stooped and grabbed it, leaping for the trees, yelling at the others to follow. And then I was swinging and leaping along the tree canopy. The others (with the help of Brother Thunder’s healing powers) caught up as I reached the edge of the swamp, which was rapidly overgrowing the shattered remains of highway as we passed. I passed off the rod to Notus and yelled for him to go on ahead. Overflow yelled that Brother Thunder was still behind, and I stopped to wait for him, catching my third or fourth wind by that point. Looking back, I could see that entropy was now claiming the horizon – a boiling wave of nothingness rapidly sweeping toward me. I heard a splash below me as Brother Thunder cleared the last of the trees as struggled onto reasonably solid ground. There was no time for greetings. I swept him up in one arm and made great running leaps of a hundred yards at a bound and still the entropy wave was gaining on us. I stopped looking back, focusing only on breathing and locating the next landing zone. Just when I thought I was completely spent, Dr. Ka’s sanctum loomed ahead, with the entropy wave perhaps only a minute behind – the swamp had disappeared entirely, engulfed by the rolling wall of void. I got inside the door and hurried down the hallway. I slid to a stop at the sanctum room, stunned into stupidity by what I saw. The rooms furnishing were gone, and so was Dr. Ka. However, Overflow was inspecting the rod, as if searching for something. “That punk inside the archive room used this thing,” he muttered desperately. “If I can just remember how he held it – got it!” There wasn’t time to object or consider possible consequences. The great roaring nothingness was growing louder with every passing second. Overflow grabbed the rod at both ends in a certain way and the carvings on the rod flared white with a sudden surge of magic energy. He then held it over his head and its light filled the room engulfing the four of us until I could see was white light, even as the house began to come apart at the seams. And suddenly, I was blinking in late afternoon sunshine, with the sounds of the city around me once again. We were all back in City Plaza on a late afternoon. Overflow lowered the rod and its carvings went dark again. “I know where we are,” he said, “but don’t ask me when.” Notus looked past him and pointed. “I know,” he said. “Look!” My gaze followed his pointing to a familiar black panel van making its way into the plaza, heading for the Fritch Government Building. Overflow shook his head while eyeing the rod he held. “But they can’t be going for this rod - ?” he asked. I cracked my knuckles. “They don’t know that,” I said, not really certain myself. “All right, team – let’s do it right this time.” And the four of us advanced on the van as one. END OF ADVENTURE

Ravenwood Police File GM's NOTE: Here's a summary of what the characters found inside the police case archive box in the office building. VIBORA BAY POLICE DEPARTMENT CRIMINAL CASE SUMMARY – CASE 31-1118018 On the night of November 18, 1931, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Dio Ravenwood (Age 32), a transient white male, made a forced entrance into the residence of Custus (Age 55) & Marigold (Age 54) Freeman in the Oldcorne district. Upon entry, Ravenwood attacked the residents, mortally injuring both of them. Ravenwood then proceeded to ransack the house, taking loose cash in the approximate amount of $250 and an ornately carved wooden rod. Ravenwood then took a can of gasoline from an outbuilding on the property, using its contents to set the home ablaze, in an attempt to cover up the robbery and murders. Police apprehended Ravenwood in his clapboard shack at the edge of San Sebastian Swamp at approximately 5:25 a.m. on November 19, 1931. Officers noted that Ravenwood was attempting some sort of satanic ritual with the rod when he was apprehended. Ravenwood resisted arrest and exhibited superhuman powers, injuring one of the arresting officers, forcing the other to wound Ravenwood with his service revolver. After treatment, Ravenwood was held in the county jail without bond. While the rod was the most telling evidence of Ravenwood’s crime, his fingerprints matched those found on a damaged metal lamp at the scene, and droplets of blood of the same type (A-positive) as Marigold Freeman were found on his pants. Forensics later determined that the lamp was indeed the murder weapon, used to bludgeon the Freemans to death. Boot prints found outside the burnt house matched a pair that Ravenwood was wearing at time of his arrest. Ravenwood pled not guilty by reason of insanity at his initial hearing, and was ordered held in the psychiatric unit of the state prison until his mental state could be evaluated. Before that occurred, Ravenwood escaped from the facility sometime between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on the night of March 3, 1932. The means of this escape are unknown to this day, but given his background, it was most likely facilitated by superhuman abilities. Guessing that Ravenwood would attempt to obtain the rod he had stolen from the Freeman residence, the Chief of Police enlisted the aid of a known superhuman ally, Ophelia Gray, to assist. In the early morning hours of March 5, 1932, Ravenwood was mortally injured by Gray after incapacitating several members of the police assigned to guard the rod. (Gray was cleared of all charges in the incident, as she was acting in self-defense – see Criminal Case Summary 32-0305002.) Ravenwood succumbed to his injuries at the County Hospital at 8:21 a.m. on March 5, 1932. The case was tried in abstention on April 19, 1932 with a guilty verdict rendered against the deceased. (This was required so the estate could be properly dispensed in a timely fashion to the next of kin.) All other related charges were dropped as not being relevant since the defendant was deceased. None of the next of kin came forward to claim the rod, which is being retained in the archives with all records of the case in the event that some member of the Freeman family or their descendents comes forward to claim it at a later date. CASE CLOSED on May 15, 1932. -- Police Detective Harwood Paulson, Vibora Bay Police Department

Black Jackie (Supervillainess) BLACK JACKIE (Mercenary Brick / Martial Artist Supervillainess) CHARACTERISTICS (168) 30 STR 21 DEX 20 CON 15 BODY 13 INT 11 EGO 15 PRE 14 COM 18 PD 18 ED 5 SPD 14 REC 60 END 50 STUN POWERS (49) 9 Damage Resistance (9 PD / 9 ED) 3 +1 PER (All Senses) 5 Flash Defense (Sight) 5 Lack of Weakness (-5 to roll) 5 Mental Defense (7 pts. Total) 5 Power Defense 12 Running (+6”, 12” Total, NC 24”), END=2 5 Superleap (+5”, 11” Total, NC 22”), END=1 TALENTS (0) None SKILLS (43) 6 +2 with Dirty Infighting 3 CK: Vibora Bay 12- (INT) 3 Disguise 11- 2 PS: Cabbie 11- 3 Stealth 13- 3 Streetwise 12- 21 Dirty Infighting Martial Arts Punch (8d6, +0 OCV, +2 DCV) Roundhouse (10d6, -2 OCV, +1 DCV) Low Blow (2d6 NND, OCV -1, DCV +1) Disarm (-1 OCV, +1 DCV) Kidney Blow (1d6+1 HKA, -2 OCV, +0 DCV) TOTAL COST 250 Points Disadvantages (100) + Base (150) = 250 Points DISADVANTAGES (100) 10 Enraged when she takes BODY (Go 14-, Recover 11-, Uncommon) 15 Hunted by Law Enforcement (AP, NCI, 8-, Harsh) 15 Psychological Limitation: Hatred of Authority Figures (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Loves Causing Mayhem (Common, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Love to Humiliate Heroes (Uncommon, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Vengeful (Uncommon, Strong) 10 Public Identity (Vanna Dawson) 10 Reputation: Mercenary Supervillainess (11-) 5 1d6 Unluck BACKGROUND Vanna Dawson grew up poor, the youngest of a family of five and the only daughter. She would often venture into San Sebastian Swamp to get away from the city and her abusive parents. Shortly after her 16th birthday, she wandered into the swamp and was stuck there when a sudden thunderstorm trapped her on a small hillock. The hillock was the burial site of an ancient Seminole shaman who called out to Vanna from the Spirit World, sensing a hatred he could use to get revenge on the accursed white skins that defiled his native land. Using powerful spells, he accentuated Vanna’s anger toward a society that constantly looked down on her, parents who abused her and her desire to break free of it all. When he had finished, she was superhuman and ready to fight at the drop of a hat. Combining her love of pirates and punk, Vanna created a costume and a name that reflected both. EXO This is a retooled version of the villain presented on page 72 of Villains, Vandals & Vermin. Since I don’t want to violate copyrights here, I took his attacks and powers down to 40-50 AP, lost a few of the bells and whistles, and he wound up costing 270 points. His motivations are more or less the same.

Session 1 Synopsis Capes of Vibora Bay Campaign Log Season 1, Session 1 “Past Imperfect, Part 1” Starring: Barry as Paragon, Josh as Notus & Ty as Overflow Guest Villains: Black Jackie & Exo Supporting Cast: Sugar, the Prostitute & Debbie, the Mayor’s Aide Synopsis Monday evening, March 28, 2011 Wesley’s eyebrows knit as he worked through the wording of a sentence in his auditing report for the mayor, fingers flying madly over the keyboard of his computer. Wesley Wexler, recently minted as the Vibora Bay City Auditor, had tossed his business jacket over the back of a chair in his office and loosened his tie. His interview with the head of the Parks & Recreation Department had lasted three hours and had left him with the impression that alleged gangster Guy Sweetland had far too many people on his payroll. Still, $400,000 was unaccounted for in that department’s budget over the past three years, and it was his job to find out where it had went. Unfortunately, Wesley knew that “Guy Sweetland’s bank account” was not going to fly as a short answer, no matter how accurate it might be. His predecessor in this position had been forced to retire to a jail cell when Wesley, acting as an independent auditor for the mayor’s office, revealed almost two million dollars in unaccounted expenses. After that, and surviving an attempt on his life by one of Sweetland’s thugs, he was a shoe-in for what was turning into a thankless job that was earning him the praise of the mayor’s office, and enemies virtually everywhere else. Wesley glanced up at the clock on the wall – 6:45 pm. Another ten hour day and he still had another hour’s worth of work to do tonight. He rubbed his eyes and cracked his neck and knuckles. There is light at the end of the tunnel, though, he thought as he yawned. The first three months of his new job had been consumed by cleaning up the mess that his predecessor had left behind, but the Parks Department was the last part of city government he had to review. Wrap this up by Friday, and I can take a long weekend, he thought as he looked out the window of his office. Nobody would complain about that. His phone warbled and he picked it up. “City Auditor,” he said flatly while still looking out the window. “Hi Wesley, this is Debbie with mayor’s office,” said the pleasant voice with a hint of feminine Georgia drawl at the other end. The mayor’s new personal assistant, he thought as he saw a black panel van drive into the city plaza. “What can I do for you, Debbie?” “Do you have a hole in your schedule to meet with Richenda on Thursday morning?” Debbie asked. No. “I might,” he lied, “What works for our esteemed mayor’s schedule?” “Ten o’clock,” replied Debbie, “It shouldn’t take more than an hour, though.” He scribbled the appointment onto his desk calendar with the stub of a pencil. “I’ll be there,” he said. “Anything else?” “The media will be there for a photo op,” added Debbie in an apologetic tone. “I’ll shine my shoes and comb my hair,” he said with a resigned sigh. “Good night, Debbie.” He hung up, shook his head and returned to the more comfortable world of accounting. * * * The sun was starting to set somewhere behind the wall of buildings that made up the majority of Vibora Bay’s Financial District. James Bennett’s stomach growled as he sat on a public bench, watching the steady stream of office and government workers stream out of the buildings around City Hall to either walk to parking ramps or board busses and head for home. James had spent the majority of the afternoon at Bunker Fountain, watching street performers and checking up on people he had treated for various ailments recently. James was one of the city’s many homeless transients, though he held a special place among them, being someone with a bit of medical training. As such, he was always on the move, seeking out others who might need his help. Sometimes, in return, he’d get a little something in return. But it had been a hard winter this year and nobody seemed to have any extra food to spare. “Hey, James! James!” cried a girl’s voice behind him. James turned and smiled at the 16-year-old who was waving at him across the plaza as she walked toward him. Sugar was dressed in a black vinyl miniskirt, a white polyester blouse cut scandalously low and bared her midriff, and knee-high boots with ridiculously high heels. She wore entirely too much makeup and her long red hair fluttered in the afternoon breeze. James had met Sugar a few months ago on the rail of an overpass. She was standing there, tears in her eyes, her body trembling in fear and anticipation of the pain of taking that last step and plunging down to the pavement below. It had taken him nearly an hour to coax her down from that rail and into her first attempt at rehab from cocaine addiction. Since then, he checked up on her at least once a week. She greeted him with a friendly hug. “What are you doing here?” she asked, “Looking for better pickings?” “I go where my feet carry me these days,” he replied with a smile. “Today, I just wound up here.” His stomach growled again drawing a slightly concerned expression from Sugar. “Pickings must not be too good around here,” she said with a slightly sad smile. “How about I buy you dinner tonight?” “Only if you can afford it,” said James. “Restaurants in this part of town are expensive.” Sugar looked around the plaza for a second before pointing at storefront. “How about the Burger Barnyard?” she asked. “I can afford that easy.” James nodded and smiled, offering his arm. Sugar responded in a slight amount of surprise, then looped her arm around his and laughed as they walked across the square. James turned his head for a sidelong glance at a black panel van that drove into the square, then returned his attention to Sugar as she started talking about what she’d been up to since the last time they’d seen each other. * * * Paragon squinted against the setting sun as he noted where the city’s landmarks were in the changing skyline. He’d been following the black panel van for nearly an hour, running and leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Although it had been easy to keep up with the van in the quasi-gridlock of the afternoon rush, the golden-skinned superhero was desperate to keep a low profile. Over his typical minimalist costume, he had slung the largest trench coat he could buy, but even that didn’t cover him as well as he’d like. He suspected, but he couldn’t prove, that Black Jackie was in that van. The supervillainess was certainly a threat to society and wanted by the police, but he was legally bound to stand on the sidelines until whoever was in that van did something illegal. Working with Vibora Bay’s finest had made him sensitive to issues they had about giving the district attorney a shot at convicting perpetrators. The van had started at the airport, taking Jackie directly off a small corporate jet. Then it made a stop in Far Weston at a shabby warehouse to pick up another man who had two large cases of equipment. Another stop at a Catalina bar to pick up two more men, and then the van made its way across town, avoiding major thoroughfares and doubling back at frequent intervals to check for tails. Certainly, it was suspicious activity, but Paragon knew if he called it in, there would be a couple cops in the hospital – or worse – if it was Black Jackie. So he bided his time, and kept eyes on the target while trying to stay out of sight. Now the van was rolling into City Plaza. He leapt to a corner of City Hall and looked down on the van in anticipation. It had pulled up in front of the Fritch Government Building. That’s a fire lane, kids, he thought, you’re going to get a ticket for that. His eyes narrowed as he saw Black Jackie, the two guys from Catalina and some guy in a home-built exoskeleton rig hop out the back. “Showtime,” he said without fanfare and leapt down to the plaza. * * * “Thanks for dinner,” said James as he and Sugar stepped out of the Burger Barnyard. James patted a stuffed pocket in his threadbare windbreaker. “And for breakfast tomorrow, too,” he added with a smile. She smiled back at him. “It’s the least I can do for the man who saved my life,” she replied while glancing at her watch. “Oh shoot – look at the time! I have to get to work.” She stepped in front of him. “It was great to see you again, James!” She hugged him again. He returned the hug, but his gaze was drawn to the commotion in the plaza. His eyes widened as he recognized the golden-skinned muscular man landing heavily as another man in some sort of high-tech combat rig covered the hero with an extended arm bearing the aperture of an energy weapon. “Sugar,” he said slowly, “you need to get out of here, now.” She looked at him and saw the expression on his face. She whirled around and took in the scene in a heartbeat. “But what about you?” she asked, her voice suddenly as young and frightened as the teenage girl she was. “I have friends here that will need my help to get clear,” he lied as he was pulling himself free of her arms. “Now go on. Please, Sugar. Go now.” She needed no further urging and joined the trickle of people leaving the plaza. James looked around quickly and found an alley with a dumpster not too far away. Throwing a glance over his shoulder at the metahumans on the plaza, he sprinted for the alley. * * * Wesley started at the noise that he felt more than heard. A red light flared to life next to the office’s smoke detector on the ceiling as he distantly heard sporadic gunfire from the lobby of the building. Security alert, he thought as powered down his computer, disconnected its secure drive and tossed the drive into the safe. A quick glance out the window showed that two metahumans were getting ready to mix it on the plaza. Wesley fought down the urge to blast out the window and join the imminent fray outside. No, he told himself, that’s a distraction. It’ll cover whatever they’re trying to do in here. But what could they be after? There’s nothing worth stealing here – a medical clinic on the ground floor; human services offices on the second and third floors; the water department on the fourth floor; and there’s just my office, a couple of city union offices and the archives room on this floor. A masculine scream was cut short by shattering glass down the nearby stairwell. “Get moving!” bellowed a feminine voice, “We’re on the clock and Bones don’t like waiting on the help!” That tears it, thought Wesley as he kicked off his shoes and ripped open his shirt, bearing a bodysuit beneath that bore a fish scale motif. Overflow is in the house! * * * Paragon sized up his high-tech opponent as he eyed a city bus nearby. The driver of the bus was screaming at people in the bus stop to get aboard already. The hero made it a point to place his masculine body between his adversary and the bus. The man slapped his own forearms and was rewarded with an electric crackle of power and the whine of high-voltage capacitors charging. The man shook his head. “Stay out of this, hero,” he said to Paragon as he snapped a visor down over his eyes. “This makes no sense,” replied Paragon as he carefully sidestepped to draw the villain’s attention away from the bus. “There’s nothing in there worth hiring two supervillains to steal. What’s your game?” “A hundred grand,” replied the man as he assumed a fighting stance, “with half up front. Beyond that, I really don’t care.” There was a sound behind him and both men turned to look. Black Jackie had leapt atop the van, grinning from ear to ear while pointing at Paragon. She was dressed in her usual outfit of black latex leotard with a silver sash tied at the waist, a silver bandana to keep her unkempt mane of black hair in check, and industrial black leather combat boots. Her arms bore a few crude metal bangles and she wore a pair of milky contact lenses to hide the color of her eyes. “Exo,” she shouted, “Keep me covered! I’m going in!” “I have him covered,” Exo shouted back, keeping the aperture of his weapon arm leveled at Paragon. “Remember the mission and paycheck!” But Jackie wasn’t listening as she steeled herself for a jump. “Dibs!” she cried with a wicked grin hurled herself toward Paragon. Paragon took three running steps and leapt at her in turn. The two crashed together in midair with a mighty, meaty impact and then caromed off opposite directions, returning to earth slightly dazed. The battle was joined. * * * James ran around behind the dumpster and quickly checked the alley behind him. The alley was empty. Taking a deep breath, he cast his gaze and his right arm skyward. “NOTUS!!” Instantly, the homeless man was enveloped in a whirlwind of cloud that crackled with electric energy. Just as suddenly, it was gone, leaving him attired in a bronze helm with a horsehair crest, a rippling cape of royal blue and silver gray with a matching tunic, a broad bronze belt and leather sandals. The Champion of the South Wind stepped forward, assessing the scene in front of him, seeing Exo leveling his weapon arm at Paragon. “Hold, vandal!” he cried and summoned forth a mighty gust of wind, only to see it swing wide of its intended target to send a parked subcompact car tumbling. Exo pivoted. “Eat plasma, throwback!” he yelled. A plasma bolt cracked hard and flat through air where Notus had been standing just a split second before, impacting on the trash dumpster behind him, tearing it apart and setting its contents alight. But Notus was already moving, summoning another gust to keep the subcompact barrel-rolling across the plaza toward Black Jackie. Off to his right, Notus saw Paragon rip up the remains of the bus stop bench he’d landed on and throw it at Exo. It also curved wide, possibly affected by the wind he was using to roll the car toward its target. Exo responded with another shot from his plasma weapon at Paragon, causing the golden-skinned hero to dive aside as the bolt destroyed what was left of the bus stop. The subcompact crashed into Black Jackie, who had just recovered her wits from her initial encounter with Paragon, pinning her between the car and van behind her. Paragon threw himself at supervillainess, seeing that Exo was getting occupied with Notus once again. * * * Overflow hydroplaned through the hallway and slid down the stairwell, erecting his hydro barrier as he went. Suddenly, he met two men running up the stairs, each dressed in black, wearing ski masks and bearing a backpack. With no time to stop, he barely missed one of them, but crashed full on into the other, sending him flying into a wall. The man slid down the wall and crumpled at its base. Overflow caught a glimpse of the other man, leaping from the rail of the stairwell to the next flight of steps and clamber up onto it. Supervillains and freerunners? he thought as he reversed direction. Now I have to find out who’s behind this! As the watery hero ascended the stairs again, he caught the sound of metal on stone – something bouncing down the stairs toward him! There was no time and no room to avoid the grenade in the confines of the stairwell. The container burst, filling the space with choking bluish smoke. Tear gas! his mind screamed, but it was too late as he plunged through the heart of the cloud. Blinded and choking, he caromed off the wall and railing, forced to stop momentarily to regain his bearings before continuing his pursuit. Distantly, in the hallway above, Overflow heard the sound of escaping gas followed by the sound of brittle metal breaking, then a door opening and closing. Carefully, his vision rapidly clearing, he advanced up the hall toward the door of an empty office – its doorknob lying in pieces on the hallway door. Okay, he’s in there. I’ll just flush him out! The hero summoned up his hydro blast, hurling a shimmering ball of water through the door, knocking it off its hinges and through the window on the opposite side. But what he saw brought him up short – a flat boxy package mounted on the wall, nearly reaching from floor to ceiling, next to the door. He only had just enough time to juice up his hydro barrier before the breaching charge blew up in his face. * * * Paragon and Black Jackie looked up as several windows on the fifth floor blew out in gouts of fire and smoke. Both of them covered up as broken glass and debris showered down around them. “Wow,” said Black Jackie with a smile, “that was intense!” Paragon shook himself clean of debris. “I hope nobody was hurt up there,” he said. Jackie laughed, stepping out from between the vehicles. “You heroes,” she said as she grasped the front end of the car, “always worrying about other people!” With a sudden, violent jerk, she lifted the car over her head. “You should be worrying about yourself!” The wrecked car came slamming down around him, but when the dust cleared he found himself standing between the front and rear seats of the car, having been punched up through the thin sheet metal of its floorboard. He looked at Jackie a bemused smile. “I guess they don’t make them like they used to,” he said. Jackie favored him with a slight smile in return. “Next time,” she said, “I’ll hit you with a Cadillac.” She stepped away from the car, giving him time to extricate himself from the mangled wreckage. “I’m tired of playing with toys today,” she said to him. “Let’s finish this old school style.” “I’m game,” said Paragon, shedding the last of the car but still eyeing her warily. “But you know that it’s going to hurt.” “Life is a mix of joy and pain,” said Jackie, “but let’s play for some stakes. If I can escape, the next time we meet, you’ll have to buy me dinner.” Paragon snorted a laugh and then nodded. “All right,” he said, “but if I capture you, you’ll buy me dinner instead.” “Are you fighting or flirting?!” yelled Exo from across the plaza. “Shut the hell up rookie!” shouted Black Jackie to her comrade. “After all,” she said in a softer tone to Paragon, “violence has always been an integral part of courtship. Wouldn’t you agree?” Paragon nodded. “Completely,” he said and swung at her head. She managed to duck that and came back at him with a roundhouse punch that staggered the hero. She swung again, but Paragon got inside her guard, grabbed hold and threw her bodily straight up into the air! * * * Notus desperately tried to clear his vision of the painful after images of Exo’s laser strobe attack as he rolled away from the car he’d been hiding behind. A blast from the villain’s plasma weapon caused the rear end of it to bell out in roar of fiery debris. “All that old school banter and magical powers just doesn’t measure up to new-tech,” said Exo with a smug tone in his voice. Notus heard the villain walking toward him while powering up the plasma weapon again. “Too bad you won’t live long enough to regret it.” “Nay,” said Notus, “the true tragedy here is that you are young enough for a life of regrets!” Notus flung his hand in the direction of Exo’s voice and loosed a mighty gust of wind again that bowled the villain over. But just as the villain regained his feet, he touched his hand to his ear. “We have it!” he shouted over to Black Jackie. “Clear out!” “Have what?” exclaimed Notus as he climbed to his feet. “Wouldn’t you like to know, old man?” said Exo as he activated plasma rockets mounted on the exoskeleton near his ankles and headed skyward. “I do!” yelled Notus as he raised both hands to the sky. “And by the four winds, you will tell me!” A hurricane of wind suddenly bore down on Exo from above, driving him back down into the ground like some great hand swatting an annoying insect. The impact was too much for the exoskeleton as its systems flickered and went dead. The villain found himself trapped in a cat’s cradle of mangled framework and wiring with Notus standing triumphant over him. * * * Overflow pulled himself free of the wreckage, realizing that he was both deaf and had been blown into the office across the hall by the blast of the breaching charge. He staggered back across the hallway through the smoke and dust to the large hole blown through the wall. It made a sick sort of sense, really – why fool with going through layers of simple security measures when you can bypass them? He shook his head to clear it and saw the space beyond had rows of shelves lined with archive boxes, like the kind that police use to save evidence and case files. Most of the boxes looked very old – perhaps these were leftovers of cases that had been solved. He edged cautiously along the ends of the aisles until he saw his quarry near the other end, pulling out one of the boxes and dumping its contents onto the floor. The hero thought briefly of letting fly one of his hydro blasts, but there was the potential of doing too much damage. Instead, he brought up his hydro barrier once again and prepared to hydroplane into the thief. He set off to do it, but as he did, he saw his opponent seize an ornately carved wooden rod the length of his forearm and grip both ends. The carvings in the rod flared with magical energy and the thief vanished. Overflow swore loudly as he came to a stop where the thief had been. He quickly gathered up the rest of the contents of the box and placed them back inside, pausing only to look at a battered journal book with a red leather cover. One phrase repeated over and over again read: The years that divide me shall be undone! The rest was gibberish, half-finished drawing and cryptic notes that made no sense. He tossed it in the box and began to leave. He got as far as the hallway when it hit. A horrible nausea swept through him, sending him to his hands and knees as some horrible aching nothingness was welling up inside him. He screamed as he curled up in the fetal position feeling the void consuming him from the inside out… * * * Paragon threw the van at the retreating form of Black Jackie out of frustration more than anything else. It arced gracefully through the evening air to impact on the driver’s front corner, well short of its intended target. He was about to pursue when the nothingness overcame him, taking his breath away with its suddenness. He felt as if he were standing on the very brink of some great gulf of blackness, soundless and infinite and cold – there and real and so horribly empty. His mind recoiled from its contemplation of it, and he collapsed around himself, screaming silently for refuge from it and finding none. Notus felt this as well, but so spent was he from his efforts in fighting Exo, he simply passed out as the first symptoms of the nothingness overcame him. Somehow, he thought dimly, this was better than being awake for the full effect. But the nothingness gnawed at his subconscious, tearing it to ragged, tenuous shreds that white-knuckled sanity clung to by its fingernails. And suddenly, there was a form of made of ghostly light standing over him. It had the shape of a powerfully built man, clad in Egyptian garb, who traced a sign in the air that seemed to glow and sink into his chest. James found he could breathe and think once again, and spent a few moments pulling himself together again. The trio of heroes found themselves in the center of the plaza, all of the people were gone and the buildings around them seemed to be shadowy and indistinct, several of them had faded to transparency, while a few others simply had disappeared. The sky’s stars were blurred, shifting and shimmering above them. The area immediately around them seemed to be lit by the glowing figure of the man standing before them. “I got to you all just in time,” said the figure. “The entropy effect nearly claimed you, but my wards will give you protection for the next 18 hours or so. After that, there is no magic I can wield that can undo the damage – it will be too late for all of us.” “Doctor Ka’s astral form,” breathed James to the others. “Correct,” said Dr. Ka with a curt nod. “Your thief has stolen a very powerful artifact – one of the Nine Rods of Merlin.” “What was something so powerful doing in a police evidence archive box?” asked Overflow. Dr. Ka shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said quietly. “Just an hour ago, it was safely resting in my sanctum’s magically sealed vault. I feel something terrible has happened in the ancient past, involving an old adversary of mine – Ravenwood. “Each of The Nine Rods of Merlin allows the wielder to command one of the elements of traditional magic. This particular rod is called Chronae, The Rod of Temporal Magic. I thought I had wrested it from Kal Malvairis, Witch of the Four Moons, during the Middle Ages. I brought it here for protection. “Unfortunately, during my struggle with the witch, one of her young apprentices, Ravenwood, was struck by magical energies from the rod. The rod sundered him into seven bodies and scattered them across time, though each still shares a single tortured soul. That link allowed the seven to remain aware of each other and work together to bring the rod back into one of their possession.” The image of Dr. Ka nearly faded out before returning. “The entropy effect is spreading like ripples on a pond now. We are all caught between what was and what shall be if we fail. For the time being, my sanctum is still a refuge from the effect, but it will eventually be claimed.” “Then tell us quickly what you need us to do,” said Paragon. “I am returning to the past very soon,” said Dr. Ka. “Ravenwood is not only there, but here as well. Do what you can to prevent him from attuning The Rod of Merlin to his magical energies. And I will do what I can to shut off his access to the rod in the past. “If I should fail in the past, then you will be the last chance for the future. I know that the three of you have not worked together before, but now you must unite your efforts in a common cause! Good luck to us all and farewell in whatever fate awaits us!” The astral form of Dr. Ka disappeared and the trio found themselves utterly alone in a city that was on the verge of fading from view. TO BE CONTINUED…

Re: The Capes of Vibora Bay (Premiere) Here are the stories in today's edition of The Vibora Bay Banner. Brother Thunder Thwarts Robbery Attempt – 3 Arrested (Vibora Bay) – One of this city’s most colorful crime fighters put his talents to use in the Weston Tangle on Sunday evening, netting three would-be robbers. Brother Thunder offered a tip of his top hat and a smile to reporters before leaving the scene of the crime in the hands of the Vibora Bay Police Department. The three men entered the Fancy Gent Cleaners around 9:30 pm, displaying two handguns and a shotgun, and demanded money from the store owner, Jim Seaford. “Just as I was opening the cash register,” remembers Seaford, “the guy with the shotgun was engulfed in a cloud of red dust. He yelled and fell down clawing at his eyes while coughing and choking.” According to surveillance camera video, Brother Thunder then leapt among the remaining two and proceeded to assail them with his truncheon, disarming and then subduing them both. He then went to check on Seaford before securing the three robbers for the police. The three men arrested showed numerous bumps and bruises from their encounter, but had no serious injuries. A police spokesperson indicated the three will be charged with attempted armed robbery, terrorism (for discharging a firearm within city limits), and disorderly conduct. Four Wounded In Suspected Gang Battle In Far Weston District (Vibora Bay) – Police are investigating an incident in Far Weston that left four people wounded outside a dance club last night. According to several witnesses at the scene, around 11:30 pm last night, members of the VB Mob and the White Warlocks confronted one another outside of the Marley’s Ghost Nightclub. The situation quickly escalated to a street brawl with knives, clubs and other improvised weapons, including Molotov cocktails. The four people hurt were all bystanders who could not get away from the brawl. None of their injuries were serious, and all were treated at the scene for cuts, bruises and a few minor burns. A police spokesperson indicated that a number of leads are currently being investigated in the case, but would not elaborate further. NASA Testing ‘Next Generation’ AI System This Week (Star City) – Electronics and software engineers at the National Aeronautics & Space Administration are taking an advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) computer and software through a simulated space mission this week. “This will be a simulated shakedown cruise for all the core spacecraft systems that will be doing detailed surveys of the outer solar system later in the decade,” said Dr. Greg Baldwin, spokesperson for the M.E.C.H.A. project. The Multitasking Electromagnetic Command & Hierarchical Algorithms project has been ten years in the making. The project is designed to produce an exploration spacecraft that can operate independently of ground control to fulfill mission parameters. Ideally, the AI could follow up on intriguing or anomalous data, pilot the spacecraft and direct repairs of itself in flight that would otherwise limit or prohibit older spacecraft from fulfilling their mission goals. “Our simulated mission to Triton, Neptune’s largest moon, will test the AI’s problem-solving abilities, it’s capabilities to adapt and adjust to conditions, and to interpret complex data coming from multiple sources,” said Baldwin. “I am very excited about this test because it is both ambitious and highly practical at the same time. And as an engineer, there’s nothing more exciting than testing something you’ve designed.” Not too much longer now 'til the first session! Matt "Yeah-I'm-Ready" Frisbee

The Capes of Vibora Bay (Premiere) "Past Imperfect" -- Three rookie superheroes must unite to save humanity when Ravenwood, the Subdivided Sorcerer, (with help from The Inhumans) steals one of the legendary Rods of Merlin from Dr. Ka! Can Notus, Overflow and Paragon take back the artifact before Ravenwood tunes its energies to his own, changing history forever? Don't miss a pulse-pounding second of the action tonight on Channel Friz!

There's a holdup in the Forum posts The other PC's in the game will be posted as soon as they clear the moderator. *sigh* I wish I could somebody to give the me the password to my old screen name so I wouldn't have to keep going through this. Matt "Just-like-starting-over" Frisbee UPDATE: As you can see, the backlog has been cleared. Thanks Karmakaze! First session is tonight (March 28). Matt

PC - Notus (Multiple post - sorry)

PC - Notus (Multiple posts - sorry)

PC - Paragon PARAGON CHARACTERISTICS (183) 40 STR 21 DEX 22 CON 18 BODY 13 INT 14 EGO 20 PRE 16 COM 18 PD 18 ED 5 SPD 14 REC 60 END 50 STUN POWERS (45) 9 9 rPD / 9 rED Damage Resistance 3 Enhanced Perception: +1 to all PER 6 -3” Knockback Resistance 17 +6” Running (12” total), Non-Combat Multiplier x4 (+5), END=2 10 +5” Superleap (13” total), Non-Combat Multiplier x4 (+5), END=1 TALENTS (5) 5 Combat Sense 13- SKILLS (17) 3 Breakfall 13- 3 City Knowledge: ViboraBay 12- (INT) 8 Combat Skill Level: +1 with all combat 3 Knowledge Skill: The Mystic World 12- TOTAL COST 250 Points DISADVANTAGES (100) + Base (150) = 250 Points 5 Distinctive Feature: Golden Skin (EC, N&R) 10 Enraged when innocents are hurt (11- go, 11- recover, Common) 5 Hunted by Chrome (LP, 8-) 20 Psychological Disadvantage: The Heroic Code (Very Common, Strong) 20 Psychological Disadvantage: Humanitarian (Very Common, Strong) 10 Public Identity – Paragon the Superhero 10 Reputation: Boy Scout Superhero (11-) 20 Susceptibility: Alchemist Cold Iron (3d6 STUN / Turn, Uncommon) BACKGROUND “INCOMING!” Paul threw himself flat to the ground as enemy mortar rounds screamed through the air and then detonated. The ground beneath him lurched with each thundering impact, deafening him to the screams of pain and terror around him. Dirt and debris rained down around him for a while and then finally stopped. Even after the ringing in his ears stopped, it was still strangely quiet. He hazarded a glance around him from under the rim of his combat helmet. Dust from the impacts still cloaked much of the terrain around him. There was no sign of his comrades anywhere within sight. “Not possible,” he muttered. “Booth? McAllister? Wright?!” Only the wind was there to answer him. “BRAVO FOUR!!” he bellowed, “SOUND OFF!” “I hear you,” said the voice of a young girl behind him, “There is no need to shout.” Paul whipped his head around and saw a young, dark-haired girl with a golden tan complexion wearing flowing white robes stood several feet behind him. He thought about grabbing his rifle, but before he could move, the girl cocked her head to the side and clucked her tongue. “It’s gone,” she said with a slight smile, “Material things have no place here.” He looked around. The land was still the same, including the freshly made craters from the mortar rounds. But there was no sound save the wind and the voice of the girl. “What’s going on?” he asked at last. “A war,” she said simply. She laughed when he looked confused. “I didn’t mean YOUR conflict,” she added as her smile faded. “No, there are much more serious things afoot than the tribulations of the tribes of man.” “Then who, exactly, is fighting YOUR war?” he asked. “Good and Evil,” she said simply letting him hear the capital “E” of the word. “Those forces have battled one another throughout the cosmos in time eternal.” She looked at him, as if seeing him for the first time. “Why did you become a soldier?” she asked. “Do you enjoy killing people?” “I became a soldier to protect the people I love,” he replied defensively. “I kill people only because I have to in order to protect others.” The girl nodded. “And because you have no other way to protect them, yes,” she said in agreement. “What am I doing here?” he asked. “Talking with me,” said the girl simply. “It’s about all you can do right now. Your body is bleeding to death.” “WHAT?” he exclaimed. “A fragment from one of the shells has torn open the artery in your neck,” she said calmly. “You are laying face down in the dirt and your brain is being starved for oxygen. You will die soon. You should be happy.” “Why should I be happy about dying?!” he yelled. “You have died protecting the people you love,” she replied. “I have to go back,” he said while looking desperately around. “I don’t want to die!” “You don’t?” asked the girl. “Why?” “Because the job isn’t finished!” he blurted out. “There’s still so much to do!” He paced around as if seeking an exit. “Indeed there is,” said a woman’s voice. Paul turned to see that the girl had become a woman with ancient, passionate eyes. In her hand she held what appeared to be a crystal. She walked toward him with a simple fluid grace that defied any illusion of humanity. Paul felt shivers of fear run up his spine. “The war – my war – is coming to a crisis point,” she said as she stood in front of him. “It will fight what could be its final, apocalyptic battle on earth, among mankind. Many of the people you love will die,” said sadly, “unless you do something to change that.” She held up the crystal in her upturned palm. “This is a paragon,” she said. “It is what mankind calls a diamond weighing more than one hundred carats. It is beautiful, but it also harbors great power - the power to heal your body, and make you more powerful than you have ever been. You would become a defender of all mankind, if you can figure out how to tap that power before your body dies, of course.” He met the woman’s steady gaze as he slowly took the stone from her hand. “I accept the responsibility this power brings,” he said, “and use it to protect all mankind for as long as I shall live.” And suddenly, the sound and fury of war filled his ears again. He rose from the dirt feeling better and stronger than he’d ever been. His skin was golden bronze and rippled with muscles as he moved. He tore the helmet from his head and flung it aside. “Have to start somewhere,” he said to himself, “so I may as well start here!” With a mighty bound he leapt toward the enemy positions.

PC - Overflow OVERFLOW CHARACTERISTICS (118) 10 STR 21 DEX 16 CON 12 BODY 18 INT 15 EGO 15 PRE 16 COM 2 PD 3 ED 5 SPD 10 REC 50 END 30 STUN POWERS (113) 22 Elemental Control: Water Powers (22 point reserve) a-23 9d6 Energy Blast (Hydro Blast), vs. PD, Range=225”, END=4 b-23 3d6 Entangle (Hydro Sphere), DEF=3, Entangle takes no damage from attack (+1/2), Range=225”, END=4 c-22 17” Flight (Hydro Slide), Non-Combat Multiplier x8 (+10), 1/2 END (+1/4), Only when touching a surface (-1/2), END=2 d-23 18 PD / 18 ED Force Field (Hydro Barrier), 1/2 END (+1/4), END=2 5 Life Support: Breathe Underwater 5 Mental Defense (8 points total) TALENTS (0) (None) SKILLS (9) 3 Bureaucratics 12- 3 City Knowledge: Vibora Bay 13- (INT) 3 PS: Accountant 13- TOTAL COST 250 Points DISADVANTAGES (100) + Base (150) = 250 Total Points 10 Hunted by Black Jackie (AP, 8-) 15 Hunted by Tsunami (MP, 8-) 15 Psychological Disadvantage: Lethal Force is Final Option (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Disadvantage: Overconfidence (Very Common, Moderate) 15 Psychological Disadvantage: Professional Perfectionism (Common, Strong) 5 Reputation: Workaholic (8-) [secret identity only] 15 Secret Identity: Wesley Wexler, Auditing Accountant 10 Susceptibility: Hot & Dry Conditions (1d6 STUN / Turn) BACKGROUND Age Seven “Well, c’mon ya little freak!” yelled Tubbs as he knocked Wesley down again. “You were tellin’ Miss Garret how special you are – so let’s see it!” Wesley seethed as he picked himself up from the dirt. It would be so easy to flatten Tubbs with a blast of water, but the special ward necklace his mother had made kept him from using any of the special powers he’d gained from being the offspring of a human and Nereid. He couldn’t even take it off! Wesley allowed himself to inwardly smile as the thought dawned on him. Somebody else would have to do it for him. “Knock it off, Tubbs!” Wesley shouted as he clutched the necklace protectively. “You’ll break the necklace my mother made for me!” That was all the prodding Tubbs needed. The bully grabbed the necklace, twisting the chain of tiny shells as he pulled. Wesley gritted his teeth as the sharp edges of the shells dug into the skin on the back of his neck. The line holding the necklace together was tough, but it finally parted as Tubbs shoved him down again. The tiny shells flew in all directions as dazzling sparks of magical energy fell like fireworks around them both. Wesley bared his teeth in a savage smile as he locked his thumbs together and extended his cupped hands toward Tubbs. A jiggling, glistening sphere of pure water formed there, as big as a softball. Wesley paused for only a split second to admire the look of shock and confusion on Tubbs’ face before willing the water sphere to fly to his target. The impact of the water sphere bowled Tubbs over, sending him sprawling. “Wesley Wexler!” shouted the principal, “Water balloons are not permitted on school grounds! Get to my office, now!” Wesley had the good sense not to argue. “Yes, Mr. Fauble.” “But it wasn’t –“ protested Tubbs as he began to get up. “And as for YOU, Lawrence,” said Mr. Fauble to Tubbs, “don’t think I didn’t see what you did to Wesley just now! You march yourself right on in there behind him!” Tubbs shut his mouth, letting his eyes bore into the middle of Wesley’s back. “One of these days, you’ll get yours you little freak,” he muttered under his breath as he walked, “One of these days!” Age Fourteen Wesley smiled at Yvette. She looked good in her swimsuit, her blonde hair plastered gracefully to the sides of her head, contrasting nicely with her tanned skin. The crowded public pool may have just as well been empty, for all Wesley saw was her. “Cannonball!” shouted a familiar voice behind him. Wesley caught the shadow of Tubbs’ airborne body on the water coming toward him. Wesley ducked himself under the surface, narrowly avoiding getting rushed under the muscular bulk of Tubbs as it punched through the water’s surface to the concrete pool bottom with a thump. Wesley surfaced first, though Tubbs came up sputtering and smiling at Yvette. “Hiya, sweet thang!” he said, intentionally positioning himself between Wesley and the girl. “Why don’t you dump this loser so I can show you a real good time?” Yvette wiped water from her eyes as Tubbs spoke. “Because he isn’t a loud-mouthed jerk like you,” she said in an annoyed tone of voice and moved to get around him. Tubbs snagged one of the girl’s wrists in his hand and she winced in his grip. Wesley stepped forward. “Knock it off, Tubbs!” he shouted. “You’re hurting her!” Tubbs hooked a leg around one of Wesley’s, knocking him off balance. As he went down, Tubbs got his other hand over the top of Wesley’s head and forced it under the surface. Tubbs’ grip was like a vise, but Wesley didn’t panic. His mother had taught him long ago he couldn’t drown, no matter how long he was under. The chlorine in the water burned his eyes and lungs slightly, but not enough to matter. Above him, he could hear Yvette screaming that Tubbs was drowning him. Tubbs momentarily shifted his attention, which was all the opening Wesley needed. He savagely drove the heel of his foot down upon Tubbs’ exposed toes, feeling one of them break as he did. Tubbs cried out and the grip on his head was released. Wesley quickly clutched Yvette’s hand and led her away from Tubbs, out of the pool. He smiled at how tightly she gripped his hand. Behind him, Tubbs yelled, “I’ll get you for this, freak! You hear me? You’ve got one coming!” Age Twenty-One “Open that register!” yelled a familiar voice. “Open it now!” Wesley whirled from his musings on a business magazine to face the counter of the convenience store. A hulking figure of a man with a bandana tied around the lower half of his face was pointing at the register with a large caliber revolver. The terrified clerk began nervously punching buttons on the machine until it started emitting a high-pitched squeal of its error signal. The robber’s patience was at an end and he clubbed the terrified woman down with the weapon. Wesley’s eyes narrowed as he moved to the end of the aisle, raising his hands. But the robber happened to look his way, and the bandit’s eyes widened with surprise. “You!” the robber exclaimed as the handgun presented its business end to him. Wesley threw himself aside as the weapon roared in the confines of the store, tearing through a display of potato chips. The robber bore down on him, the cash in the register all but forgotten, save the same squealing note. “Payback at last, you little freak!” shouted Tubbs. The gun roared again and Wesley felt a bullet crease his shoulder. A torrent of water poured forth from his hand to engulf Tubbs before he could fire again. The startled robber dropped his weapon as the water flowed over him. Trapped inside a bubble of liquid, Tubbs flailed helplessly while screaming obscenities. Wesley fingered his bloody shoulder as he walked over to the phone and dialed emergency services. Age Twenty-Eight Wesley hydroplaned down the slope, bunny-hopping rocks and slaloming around trees, hoping that he wasn’t too late. The car was on it roof, its frame bent to a hideous boomerang angle by its impact with the rock that had stopped its tumble down the slope. Flames licked the back half of the car as its damaged fuel tank spewed flaming gasoline. He cast several hydro blasts at the fire, knocking it down then engulfed it in a hydro bubble to extinguish it as he slid to a halt next to the wreck. He kicked out the remaining jagged shards of the passenger side window before dropping to his hands and knees. As he peered inside, he saw the beefy driver sprawled across the inverted ceiling of the passenger compartment. The prison tattoos on his arms were obscured with smears of blood. When Wesley saw the victim’s face, he shook his head and then reached for the man’s hands. “Tubbs,” said Wesley as slowly pulled the big man free of the wreck. Once laid out on the grass, Wesley looked back inside the vehicle. An undamaged empty whiskey bottle lay inside, which he retrieved. The big man coughed and stirred. “You again?” he growled softly as he wiped the blood from a broken nose from his face. “I can’t seem to get rid of you, Wexler.” “I’m sorry they sent you to the big house, Tubbs,” said Wesley. Tubbs slowly shook his head. “Not your fault,” he sighed. “I had it coming for a long time.” “I’ve always wanted to ask you something,” said Wesley. “Why I never ratted you out as a metahuman?” asked Tubbs. Wesley nodded, still holding the whiskey bottle. “I fight my own battles,” said Tubbs as he struggled to his feet, “regardless of the odds. I wanted the pleasure of kicking your ass all to myself.” Tubbs stumbled slightly and Wesley steadied him. Tubbs pulled the whiskey bottle from Wesley’s fingers and tucked it under his arm. “Time for me to admit defeat,” said Tubbs as he extended his hand. Wesley grasped and shook it. “Accepted,” said Wesley. “One last thing, though,” said Tubbs. “It’s time for you to stop hiding from what you are. Those powers of yours could do a lot of good in this town, Wexler.” Tubbs turned to face the sound of the approaching sirens. “Go on, now. I’ll keep the cops busy. You go find yourself a costume, hero.” Wesley watched Tubbs slowly, painfully climb the slope before hydroplaning off into the night.

PC - Notus NOTUS (JAMES BENNETT) [JOSH] CHARACTERISTICS (115) 13 STR 18 DEX 16 CON 12 BODY 13 INT 18 EGO 14 PRE 14 COM 3 PD 3 ED 5 SPD 10 REC 50 END 35 STUN POWERS (94) 16 Elemental Control: Wind Powers (20-point reserve), OIHID (-1/4) a-16 8d6 Energy Blast (Wind Blast), vs. PD, Range=200”, END=4 b-16 15” Flight (Wind Riding), Non-Combat x8 (+10), END=3 c-16 16 PD / 16 ED Force Field (Localized Air Density Control), 1/2 END (+1/4), END=1 d-20 30 STR Telekinesis (Focused Winds, Coarse Manipulation, Range=225”, END=4 10 Instant Change (Any set of clothes) TALENTS (6) 3 Absolute Time Sense 3 Combat Sense 12- SKILLS (35) 3 City Knowledge: ViboraBay 12- (INT) 3 Concealment 12- 3 Conversation 12- 3 Deducation 12- 3 Knowledge Skill: The Mystic World 12- (INT) 3 Paramedic 12- 3 Persuasion 12- 5 Shadowing 12- 3 Stealth 13- 3 Streetwise 12- 3 Survival 11- TOTAL COST 250 Points DISADVANTAGES (100) + Base Points (150) = 250 Points Total 15 Accidental Change when knocked out (heroic to secret only), 14- 15 Dependent NPC: Sugar, prostitute (Incompetent, 8-) [From Normals Unbound supplement] 10 Destitute 5 Distinctive Feature: Homeless Person (EC, N&R) 5 Hunted by The Mongrel King (LP) 8- 15 PSY: Code of the Hero (COM, STR) 5 Reputation: J.B., the Street Medic (Secret ID only) 8- 5 Reputation: Superhero (Hero ID only) 8- 15 Secret Identity: James “J.B.” Bennett, transient 10 Watched by Dr. Ka (MP, NCI, Harsh) 8- BACKGROUND It was raining again. James huddled beneath a fire escape and watched the runoff flow down the center of the alley. Midtown was not the best place for handouts or leftovers, but his feet had carried him here and then the rain had started, so here he was. He looked through the rain to the majestic lines of the ViboraBayArt Museum, flinching at the sudden flash of lightning. As the thunder rolled through the streets around him, James thought of home. Home was a long way away and long time ago. He’d come from a good, middle-class family, but he’d never found any direction or passion in his life. After high school, he’d bounced from one dead-end minimum wage job to another for nearly two decades as he wandered across The South. After he lost his last job in ViboraBay two years ago, he hadn’t bothered finding another one and started his life on the street. The hard, flat report of a handgun shook him from his memories. It had been close. At another time, in another place, James would have cleared the area, but not now. Gunfire had a bad way of straying and hitting things in the background. Things like the homeless – the only family James had these days. He grabbed the worn and fraying backpack that contained all his worldly possessions and ran in a half-crouch, slinging the pack on his shoulders as he went. At one point, he had trained to be an EMT. While he failed the class, he had learned a lot. The knowledge had earned him a niche in the city’s homeless community – a street medic. He dodged through late afternoon traffic to cross the street to the Museum. Ahead, he could hear a man screaming and the bays and snarling of dogs. He stopped at the corner and peered through the rain down the alley behind the Art Museum. A rent-a-cop was down on his back on the asphalt, alternately screaming obscenities and crying for help. His arms and legs bore defensive wounds and streamed blood to stain the puddles of rain around him red. Three great hounds with slavering crimson jaws tore at him, seemingly in abject fury. Nearby, the body of a fourth hound lay motionless next to the guard’s revolver. James cast about quickly for a weapon, settling on a length of metal pipe protruding from a nearby dumpster. Bearing his teeth and issuing a guttural challenge that the hounds would understand, he sprinted toward them. The hounds wheeled as one, their eyes burning with an unnatural intelligence and murderous intent. James’ challenge was met and the three hounds hurled themselves at him. James flailed wildly with the pipe as the bloody maws of the dogs seem to come at him from all sides, snarling and snapping at him in a mindless frenzy. The whirlwind of carnage seemed to continue forever for James, but the raw edge of fear drove him to match the fury of the beasts. One of the mongrels screamed and limped away from the fray with a shattered forelimb, while another whimpered and clawed at the ruin of a crushed eye socket. The third lay twitching on the pavement, its back broken by a furious blow from the pipe. Panting and shaking from the fight, James managed to drag the security guard away from the wounded hounds to the shelter of a loading dock for the museum. “Mongrel King,” gasped the guard before he passed out. James furrowed his brow in recognition of the name, but went to work anyway, pulling first aid supplies provided by Sister Rain from his pack. In just a few moments, he cleaned out the man’s wounds and had bandages in place. At the sound of sirens, James packed up his bag and prepared to move on, but an afterthought caught him. He went over to the dead hound and retrieved the guard’s gun. There was a necklace of some kind resting next to the weapon, its silver metal glistening in the rain. James paused for just a second, admiring it, then picked it up as well. For a second, James thought he had been struck by lightning. But he realized that the amulet on the necklace he picked up was surging with magical energy. He heard the howling wind in his ears, the roar of a mighty hurricane as he was swept skyward, above the rain clouds into brilliant sunshine. A translucent figure of a man with a booming voice smiled at him. “At last!” roared the figure, “I have found a mortal worthy of being my champion! But I see you do not know me! Has it been so long that the names of the gods have been forgotten?” James stared at the figure for a moment. The features of the figure were Greek, and something clicked – an old class from high school. “I would guess you are one of the Anemoi – the gods of the four winds in Greek mythology.” “Mythology?!” bellowed the figure. “Is the power you feel now a myth or is it real?!” “Real,” James agreed. “Then know now that not all the offspring of Zeus have left mankind! I am Notus – God of the South Wind! Storms and fury are my domain and obey my commands! And a small fraction of my power shall I give to you now, but even that will make you mighty!” James did indeed feel mighty. “What am I to do?” he asked. “The darkest day of all mankind is nearly loosed upon the world,” said Notus in a softer voice. “I grant you these powers – and more, when you have mastered these – to fight for the fate of mankind! For now, be content to battle the lesser evils of the world, protect the weak, confront the tyrants and defend the good in all its forms!” James pondered that for a moment. “It would be best if I didn’t move openly,” he said, “my current guise allows me the freedom to find evil unprepared.” “And hides you from other enemies, yes!” beamed Notus. “I agree! You shall wear your shabby guise until my powers are needed – then raise your hand skyward and shout out my name, and you will be my champion once more!” Notus looked down below his feet to the rain clouds as if noticing them for the first time. “You have made an enemy today, you know. He will not be the last! Return you now to the mortal realm!” Darkness seemed to pass before his eyes and James suddenly found himself on GoldenrodBeach, miles from Midtown, blinking at brilliant late afternoon sunshine, storm clouds hurrying away to the north behind him. He smiled at the beauty of it all before catching a whiff of grilled hot dogs from a nearby concession stand. His stomach growled. His smile faded as he began to trudge toward the highway, still homeless, and still hungry.

Potential Allies & Notable Organizations in Vibora Bay ALLIES The Amphibian: The former sidekick to Sea King in the 1990's is semi-retired these days, spending most of his time advocating for various ecological causes and assisting in water rescues and anti-smuggling operations with the Coast Guard. Black Mask X: This female martial artist is the tenth person since 1771 to don the famous black double diamond domino mask and fight crime, but is the first woman to do so. Brother Thunder: Often mistaken for a homeless person or a street performer, he spends much of his time helping people with their supernatural problems. Dr. Ka: A genuinely powerful mystic superhero, Dr. Ka is often away in other dimensions dealing with threats to our own. Fisteel: Although he's been retired from Fire Team Alpha for 20 years, this metahuman brick is still willing to strap on his fighting gear, when he's not touring the country making public appearances. Juryrig: This master gadgeteer employs an arsenal of devices that have been cannibalized from ordinary household items and off-the-shelf technology. Redsnake: Armed with a home-brewed version of martial arts and an electric whip he took from a supervillain a couple of years ago, this hero fights a lonely war against organized crime in the city. Silver Avenger Barton Stano: The head of the local PRIMUS office is a career law enforcer who has been through the super soldier process and is armed with the latest high-tech weaponry and devices to battle metahuman crime. Zetaman: Nobody is sure if this teenage energy projector is for real or not, but he's certainly got guts -- going toe-to-toe with Chrome and Silkworm over the past couple of months. ORGANIZATIONS Fire Team Alpha: The US Government's sanctioned team of metahuman operatives globetrots a lot, but still makes the occasional appearance in Vibora Bay. Current membership -- Celestia, The Express, G-Lock, Lifeforce & Microburst. PRIMUS: The Primary Response & Interdiction Military Unified Service is the government's official means of combating, apprehending and detaining metahuman criminals. UNTIL: The United Nations Tribunal on International Law is the primary force for apprehending, detaining and even trying and convicting international metahuman criminals.

Rogues Gallery for Starting Characters in Vibora Bay ROGUES GALLERY FOR STARTING CHARACTERS IN VIBORA BAY (A player character's hunter appears on an 8- roll) NOTE: While some of these characters are from established Champions publications, all have been altered to fit into the campaign constraints.) The Big Picture (AP, NCI): A mundane criminal organization that occasionally hires metahumans to deal with meddling heroes. Black Fang (AP): A metamorph who carries the werewolf curse and is usually working for some mystic supervillain. Black Jackie (AP): A female mercenary brick who revels in creating mayhem and embarrassing heroes. Chrome (LP): A female brick scientist on a vendetta to vindicate her work on identifying the metahuman genome. Cinco Diablos del Guadalupe (MP): This group of low-powered supervillains hails from Mexico and is now looking for a big score. Membership -- El Cucaracha, Jalapeno, El Matador Negro, Senora del Oro & La Muerte Blanco. The Crimelords (MP): A group of supervillains operating in the Southeastern United States. Membership -- Dreadnaught, Morgaine the Mystic, Starflare, Tiger Lily & Warhammer. DEMON (MP, NCI): An international cult of evil dedicated to dominating the world through fear and magic. Exo (AP): A gadgeteer with a home-built combat exoskeleton that gives him superhuman powers. Feedback (AP): A militant anarchist who employs sophisticated sonic weaponry and devices. Firefly (AP): A female shrinking energy projector dedicated to exposing government secrets. Frag (AP): A female brawler with a demon living in her fist that grants her special combat powers. The Golden Phoenix (AP): This female martial artist is a master assassin and thief. Jawbreaker (MP): A brawler with the ability to find the weakness of nearly any defense. Jim Dandy (LP): A costumed criminal with a Robin Hood complex that has made him a folk hero among the community's poor. Kill Switch (MP): A high-tech criminal mastermind with a battlesuit and the means to hire mercenary metahumans to support his schemes. The Mongrel King (LP): This vagrant has the ability to communicate with, command and control canines of all types. Mr. Frost (MP): This cold-based mastermind employs fantastic devices to spread terror (for a profit, of course). Overdrive (AP): A mercenary speedster who is adept at causing diversions and theft on the fly. Pulsar (AP): A mercenary energy projector with a seriously overinflated ego. Salvo (MP): A highly-trained mercenary with an arsenal of high-tech weaponry and a lifetime of combat experience. Silkworm (LP): A female martial artist armed with a synthetic silk spinning weapon. Tsunami (MP): A female water-based energy projector who is as beautiful as she is deadly. VIPER (MP, NCI): An international criminal organization employing futuristic weapons and pet teams of supervillains. The Wrecking Crew (MP): A simple metahuman thug with the ability to split into five independent bodies.

CAMPAIGN UPDATE: As of March 26, 2011, this campaign has ended. Thanks to everyone who gave it a look, even though it only ran three adventures. I'm posting a rant at the end here, so consider this a warning not to read it if you don't want a sour taste in your mouth. This thread will primarily be for the players of my new 4th Edition Champions campaign. There are currently three players in the game: Barry (Paragon), Josh (Notus) and Ty (Overflow), and we just finished creating characters for the game last night. CAMPAIGN GROUND RULES General Description: This is a standard superhero campaign set in the fictional city of Vibora Bay, Florida. The characters will be relatively low-powered superheroes in a modern metropolis of about one million people. The characters will try to keep their personal lives together as well as battle evil, but they will slowly come to realize that something decidedly sinister is at work here... Importance of the PC's: The characters are the defenders of a major city, but still support the existing power structure of the local government (corrupt as it may be). As the story lines progress, however, it may be that the very fate of humanity may come to rest on the heroes' abilities... Campaign Tone: Morality -- The difference between good and evil is mostly clear cut. Realism -- A balance of romantic and realistic elements. Outlook -- Almost everything works out in the end. Seriousness -- The stories here will be more serious than light-hearted. Continuity -- The campaign will be serial in nature, though many adventures will have little or nothing to do with the primary story arc. Physical World Description -- The game universe is much like our own except that costumed metahumans have been around since the 1920's, and costumed crime fighters have been around since the middle of the 18th Century. A number of major events have been perpetuated or affected by the actions of metahumans, and some advanced technology is in the hands of selected government agencies around the world. Character Building Guidelines: Starting characters will be built on 150 base points with up to 100 points of disadvantages for a maximum of 250 points total. Valid characters will have no more than 50 points from any one disadvantage category. Characters who qualify may take the Characteristic Maxima disadvantage for points. Characters must pay for all gadgets and gear they use with points. Starting characters should have a Speed (SPD) characteristic from 4 to 6; Combat Values (CV) from 6 to 9; Damage Classes (DC) from 7 to 9 for their attack powers and no more than 50 Active Points (AP) in any power; non-resistant defenses (DEF) topping out at 15 with resistant defenses (rDEF) topping out at 10; and skill rolls should max out at 14- or less. Experienced Characters in the first season of adventures (currently defined as when all PC's have netted 50+ XP) are limited to maximums of SPD 8, CV 12, DC 13, AP 75 and DEF/rDEF 20/15. There is no upper limit on skills. Campaign Rules: The Hit Locations Chart will not be used. Knockback rules will be used. Long Term Endurance rules will not be used. Characters may push non-device powers up to 10 AP beyond existing abilities for 1 END per point with no EGO roll. House Rules: Hunted Rule -- Characters' hunters always purchased at the 8- level. Mastermind Rule -- Non-combative masterminds cannot be touched until all of their minions have been defeated. Ringed Out Rule -- Any character who is reduced to -30 STUN or lower is out of a given combat scene and will not recover until it is over. Ten Point Rule -- A character cannot spend any experience points unless he or she has at least ten points saved up to spend. First game session is set for Monday night, March 28th!