Haven Walkur

Re: Superhero Images The armor's wonderfully detailed, Mangog. You're a remarkable artist.

Re: Need an immortal name - suggestions? [in reference to an earlier post, you can't have Ahura Mazda without Ahriman, the Lord of Evil.] Yes, I know, these are much too recent for your 8000 year-old character -- but I was just reading a very good Robert Silverberg short story about Temujin, so.... Mongol names: Temujin (Real name of the 'Genghis Khan' -- 'Ruler of the Universe') Yesugei (Father of Temujin) Dai (Wise) Khalkha (The language of the Mongols) These are probably more appropriate in terms of age. The different cultures were all Mesopotamian. I've only listed male names, for obvious reasons. Sumerian, Akkadian and Babylonian names: Akkad -- city-state of the Akkadians; under Sargon, conquered much of southern Sumeria (2340 BC) Alu -- a demon of disease An ("sky") -- Lord of the Sky, King of the Gods (Akkadian/Babylonian "Anu", "Anshar") Annunaki (pl) -- fertility gods and judges in the Underworld Anitu -- "divine authority" Apsu (Babylonian) -- god of the primordial waters, together with Tiamat; Apsu is fresh water, Tiamat salt Ashakku -- a god of fever Enki ("lord of the earth") -- ruler of the sweet water below the soil; trickster, wizard, fertilizing principle, teacher of all the arts and crafts Enkidu -- wildman of incredible strength; Gilgamesh's boon companion Enlil ("lord of the storm") -- force, power, unruly violence; keeper of the Tablets of Destiny which decree the fates of men and gods Ekimmu -- an evil ghost causing disease Gallu -- a demon causing disease Gilgamesh -- great hero and king who sought immortality Hammurabi (Babylonian) -- great king and law-giver of Babylon; builder of the great ziggurat that may have been the "Tower of Babel" (1750 BC) Ilu -- a god of disease Kingu (Babylonian) -- husband of Tiamat and keeper of the Tablets of Destiny Marduk (Babylonian) -- patron god of the city-state of Babylon; in all ways the greatest of gods and men Namtaru -- a god of disease Sumer -- important city-state of Sumeria Utnapishtim -- immortal old man who survived the Great Flood Utu -- sun god, judge of heaven and earth (Akkadian/Babylonian "Shamash") Ur -- important city-state of Sumeria Uruk-the-Sheepfold -- Sumerian city-state, home of Gilgamesh Utukku -- an evil spirit causing illness Hittite names (central Asia Minor 1600-1200 BC) Alalush -- first king of heaven Anush -- second king of heaven, who fought and deposed Alalush Aranzahk -- the Tigris River Kummiya -- city of Teshub Kumarbi -- fought Anush but was defeated, and made pregnant with the river Aranzakh, the storm god Teshub and Tashmishu, his attendant Tashmishu ("heavy" or "weighty") -- attendant of the storm god Teshub Teshub -- storm god; highest of the Hittite pantheon Ubelluri -- giant who carried the heavens; joined with Ullikummi and increased Ullikummi's power until the gods seperated them Ullikummi ("destroyer of Kummiya") -- gigantic dragon/god born of Kumarbi and a stone

Re: Name This Gun Hell & High Water SRD (SRD - Situational Response Device)

Re: Character write-ups should include QUOTES Yes, Speedball, you're right; it should have been "quotation". But how formal are we to be on the HERO Boards? I confess to having a more informal 'voice' when writing here than when writing for [fervently crossing fingers] publication. A usage note on "quotation", from the American Heritage Dictionary: As a transitive verb, quote is appropriately used to describe the use of an exact wording drawn from another source...the noun quote is well established as a truncation of quotation, though many critics regard it as unduly journalistic or breezy. As such, it is best avoided in formal literary discussions...the usage is less objectionable in informal contexts or in reference to less august sources...[than, for example, the Bible]*. And while I know some Champions players regard their character write-ups as holy writ, I don't think this qualifies as an 'august source' demanding formal English.... *paranthetical notation mine. Anyone wishing to have the unedited quotation may PM me.

People frequently post character write-ups to the HERO boards. I applaud their work, while ruefully acknowledging the kind of time and effort required to create characters in the HERO system. These submissions are often detailed and precise, and some display a great deal of thought and attention -- but I've yet to see any author give his or her character a QUOTE. Why is this? -Does the idea of a character quote seem too clichéd? -Is creating a quote too difficult, after sweating for hours over the rest of the character's write-up? -Does nobody else think that a quote is a significant part of a write-up? -Is the quote just a useless bit of verbiage that only serves to complicate the write-up? -Has nobody else ever found a character quote useful as a "personality hint" for roleplaying an NPC?

Re: Let's make a Grue! Sorry to hear that, keyes_bill. Did the Grue eat your face?

I imagine all of us er...mature-aged people remember that lethal haunter of the dark, the Grue. [From the Infocom text game "Zork", for all you whippersnappers out there.] Doctor Anomaly once imported one of the horrid creatures to attack the PCs in an Amber diceless game -- and that almost proved fatal for him, once we worked out what we were facing! But it was a very effective monster, even versus princes of the universe. The Grue is a fascinating menace with an interesting vulnerability, and more people should be attacked by them. So let's write up a Grue for Champions! Massive HKAs, dark vision, maybe even dark-generating powers and a massive vulnerability to light...and more. What do you think?

Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? A distant dog barking and birds rustling the ivy.

Re: A more advanced origin. Experimental Subject 242-15D (Robert Walker) There are various "black book" agencies in genre that create superheroes by illicit use of various high tech procedures -- radical gene therapy, viral transmission of non-human DNA, surgical modification, cybernetic implants, psychological conditioning, induced trauma. Use of such methods on human subjects would be illegal in the game world, or at the very least, highly unethical. Survival rate of subjects would be low, so the "evil agencies" involved would require a large subject pool or an on-going supply of subjects. Sometimes subjects would be volunteers -- perhaps under false pretenses -- but more often subjects would be victims kidnaped "off the street". "Evil agencies" might breed or buy their human subjects or otherwise coerce subjects into participation. Said "evil agencies" might include covert governmental operations. So for an origin story: Character was an unwilling experimental subject for some sinister high-tech agency. Character gained powers -- not necessarily the ones intended by those responsible -- and used them to escape. Illegal experiment, Unwilling subject

Re: What in genre bit do you like that no one else seems to enjoy ? I'm a Legion of Superheroes girl...and as such, I LOVE the traditionally dreadful or clunky hero names given to the classic Legion members. Something-or-other Boy, Whatsit Girl, Thingame Lad or Whatchamacallit Lass; yeah, it's silly, but without those names, it's not the Legion! Bring it on Matter-Eater Lad, Phantom Girl, Lightning Lass, Bouncing Boy... Embarrassed whisper: I've also come to really enjoy the Legion of Super Pets. In my defense, having Doctor Anomaly GMing a bitter argument between Chameleon Boy and Proty II, or a spat between Supergirl, Streaky and Krypto gave me new respect for the admittedly rather silly concept of "super pets".

Re: WWYCD: Foxbat The Mighty! Gamma Girl -- "Oh, wow! Man, you've got some far out super-strength going there. That's really cool." "Matter of fact, Eff Bee, you're pretty cool...and you always were one hot-looking guy." "Hey, you wanna go grab some coffee? I know a great café...." And over coffee, flirt cheerfully. Get Foxbat talking about what it's like being part of the "super-scene", and commiserate with his bad experiences. Encourage Eff Bee to tell her all about his new "far out super-strength"...and anything else that crosses his mind. Play it by ear until she works out how to take him down, but in the meantime, make it a fun date!

Re: The "Nice Happy" Thread The weather here has been lovely since Wednesday; bright, sunny, temps in the low 70s. Now this is what we moved to SD for!

The return of Doctor Who!!! Where oh where is all this info on the new Doctor Who series coming from? And where is the series showing? As an expatriot Brit whose last view of the Doctor was the made-for-television movie in about -- uh -- 1995, I'd love to know when, where and how this new series got going. And apparently it's already up to Season Two? Good heavens, I had no idea...I haven't seen a single episode! I suppose that's one of the prices you pay for living in South Dakota, an under-populated state up in the north of the USA. But I'd have thought the Canadians would be broadcasting the series.... Somebody please tell me all about it.

Re: WWYCD: The Basics Pendragon would reach out from the back of Leaping Silver (her horse) as they fly past and neatly pluck kitty off the branch. She'd cradle the cat against the rampant red dragon on her breastplate, with one gauntleted hand across kitty's back to keep her from bolting. She'd murmur soothingly to the cat in English or Welsh, whichever was appropriate, and with her free hand, she'd rein Leaping Silver around and down to the old lady. Pendragon wouldn't dismount, but would just hand the cat down, careful not to get kitty tangled in her Union Jack cape. "Here's Tiddles, ma'am, safe and sound...but if Jerry had come over while you were outside with her, it might have been a different story. Be safe, keep your pet indoors. And remember to observe the blackout rules." And as Leaping Silver takes to the air again, running as if climbing an invisible staircase, Pendragon raises her sword in salute and calls out, "God save King George!" [Pendragon's a WWII British flagsuit in what looks like full plate armor. She's a female descendent of King Arthur, but pretends to be a man...and yes, the helmet changes her voice, too.] Gamma Girl would be both slightly irked and slightly flattered to be recognized as a Legionnaire. She'd put on her brightest smile and say, "No sweat, fem. Glad to help." Using her Legion flight ring, she'd fly up level with the cat, and while it was eyeing her suspiciously, she'd snare it with the Fine Manipulation version of her Telekinesis. She'd float back down to the old lady and put the cat in her arms, still using Telekinesis...because everyone in 2987 AD seems to really dig seeing the far out powers of the Legion. Gamma Girl's own preference and training, on the other hand, would have had her climbing agilely up the tree, hugging the cat close against her chest and dropping to the ground. No fuss, no muss and no power use. Gamma Girl's mentor Lady Gray was essentially a Batman clone, which made GG a lot like Robin the Boy Wonder. It was Lady Gray who taught Gamma Girl not to rely on "powers" but on her own abilities. So with her mentor's help, Gamma Girl trained mind and body, becoming a gymnast, an athlete, an investigator, a martial artist.... Gamma Girl only ever used her powers as a contingency when agility, wits and trained abilities failed. Back in the 1970s, Gamma Girl's crimefighting career was -- like Robin's -- essentially un-powered. It was only after the intervention of Vandal Savage led to her becoming timelost in the time of the Legion of Superheroes, that Gamma Girl began to seriously explore her suite of Telekinesis and Force Field powers. It's created quite a conflict for her; she's now a superhero, but still yearns to go back to her street-level vigilante hero persona.

Re: Name for French Brick Coup de Grâce -- literally "Stroke of Mercy"; a killing blow to finish off a fallen enemy

Re: Needed: Quirks from TV/Movies/Comics Miroku the Amorous Monk from Inuyasha: Tries to bed every attractive woman he meets Always uses the same pickup line: "Will you be the mother of my child?" Sure his Wind Tunnel power will someday consume him Kogome from Inuyasha: Drags her bicycle around everywhere Attracted to Inuyasha but denies it Change of pace here from the anime, but I'll keep it "classic" Columbo from TV show Columbo: Dresses like a bum Always seems half-asleep Gil Grissom from CSI Loves insects Knows sign language Perfectionist Says odd things in social situations: Example (to someone he's just met, who has an extra finger on one hand): "Did you know duplication of the middle finger is the rarest form of polydactyly? Less than X number of people worldwide have that condition." Uncomfortable with strong emotions, his own or others'

Re: Needed: Quirks from TV/Movies/Comics Some of these might quirks might spill over into full-fledged character traits, but that would all be in how you played them. Faye Valentine from Cowboy Bebop: Lousy luck when gambling. She's an excellent gambler, but her luck always lets her down. Smokes like a chimney. Messy and disorganized. Always after the big bucks. Selfish. Self-confident. Obnoxious. Jet Black from Cowboy Bebop: Tends to be a "mother hen" towards his friends Generous Hurt when his cooking is criticized Grows and trims bonsai plants Likes animals and children Gruff when embarrassed Loyal Doesn't talk about his days as a cop Spike Speigel from Cowboy Bebop Smokes like a chimney Has attitude as an art form Claims (untruthfully) not to like animals Teases Jet about his cooking Often hints at his 'tragic, romantic' past Often bemoans his fate Unlucky Selfish Single-minded Does casual conjuring tricks with small items

Re: Suggestions needed: Undead Civil War Your Death Knight doesn't have a personality yet, hmm? Well how about this: The feuding city-states of Renaissance Italy. Vincenzo Magdelianti, bastard of the di Medici line, raised and educated with all the perks of his noble family -- except the family name. Shamed, the proud young man determined to make his own way without the di Medicis. Quick-witted and classically-educated, Vincenzo joined a mercenary company, called the Mulattii d'Oro (Golden Mongrels). He rose in the ranks, and as a man in his maturity (almost 28), Vincenzo at last became captain of the Mongrels, now a relatively wealthy company, and working for Il Doge -- the Duke of Milan. The Duke had a spinster daughter. Unmarried at 25, Clementia was unattractively strong-minded for a woman of the times, and far too well-educated. Had the Duke not been quarreling with the Pope of the Most Holy Catholic Church at the time, she would probably have been dispatched to a convent. As it was, Clementia was still in her father's home when the Mulatti d'Oro entered his service. It was fate -- or something more malign. Vincenzo and Clementia became lovers, and after a time, Vincenzo formally asked the Duke for his daughter's hand in marriage. It was a disastrous mistake on the part of the brilliant-but-proud captain, who had come to believe that the nobles who employed him saw him as an equal. Even worse was the venue. Vincenzo asked to marry Clementia while he and the Duke were in the great cathedral of Milan to attend the Mass of St. John. The Duke -- Leonardo -- was humiliated and outraged. This bastard-born mercenary had asked IN PUBLIC to marry HIS daughter? The power of the Dukes, in their own city-states, was well-nigh absolute, their word law. The Duke asked Vincenzo to wait a little for his answer...and as soon as the Mass was done and the two men left the cathedral, Vincenzo was seized by the Duke's personal guard. Before the eyes of Milan -- and his lover Clementia, who had to be restrained by her father's men -- Vincenzo was beaten nigh-unto death. Duke Leonardo watched the proceedings, saying at last, "You wanted my answer, sell-sword? You wanted my answer, bastard? My daughter is not for such as you. This is the only answer you will have of me, the only answer you deserve; pain and death." And to the Guard, "Take him." The Mulatti d'Oro weren't able to ransom their captain. Indeed, they barely escaped Milan with their lives...but after all, they were mercenaries and had few rights under the law. Vincenzo was tortured brutally but sporadically, with whippings, branding and the breaking of his arms and legs. Clementia made several ingenious and desperate attempts to save her lover, now lame and weak, but she was betrayed each time by friends or servants. But despite the betrayals, and her father's mounting wrath, Clementia kept trying. On her last attempt, she was betrayed by Marietta, one of her younger sisters. Eleven years old and betrothed to a much-older nobleman, Marietta was jealous of her sister's great love...a love that seemed impossibly romantic to her. She sent a message to their father, and the Duke himself, with his Guard, surprised the lovers as they were making their slow, painful way down a forgotten passage towards freedom. The lovers intended to die fighting side by side...but Vincenzo was all but crippled now, and Clementia had never fought for blood. They were finally overwhelmed by the Guard and recaptured. And what happened then? Duke Leonardo gave out that his troublesome daughter had finally been sent away to the Convent of St Ursula for the peace of her soul. A year later she supposedly died of a fever. Captain Vincenzo of the Mulatti d'Oro died in the dungeons of Milan and was forgotten. In fact, a year before, when confronting his rebellious daughter and her captain, Duke Leonardo was so incensed by her continued defiance -- and her defiant words to him -- that he strangled Clementia himself, in front of Vincenzo...and then had Vincenzo's eyes put out with hot irons, so that Clementia's death would be the last thing he ever saw. Duke Leonardo spat on him once, before having him returned to his cell. And in his darkness, that would not lift now on this side of the grave, Vincenzo made a terrible offer. In his love and his pride, in his pain he promised things that no man should contemplate...and SOMETHING heard him. He wanted vengeance, he wanted his love returned -- and for a dreadful price, these things were proferred to him: The vengeance would be a year in coming, but come it would, and bloody as he wished; the return of his love would be an unknown time yet, but Clementia would live again, her spirit and her memories alive in another form. It was enough. Vincenzo agreed. Vincenzo's body was found in his cell the next morning, a grimace of fury fixed on his face. The night before, the captain's swords and armor had disappeared from the old barracks. Legend holds that fell things arise a year and a day after fell deeds. A daughter's murder, a dark pact -- surely fell deeds enough were done that night. It was enough...and a year and a day later, the Death Knight Vincenzo Magdeliante walked the palazzo di Milan. At least, that's _my_ background suggestion. It's got love, death, torture, swashbuckling Italian mercenaries...all it needs is a few ROUS, and I'm sure some of the rodents in the dungeon got pretty big. I don't speak Italian, so any errors in the words and names is all my fault...and in any case, you're welcome to change them. My Italian history is geeeeeeenerally accurate.

Re: Super Names And a couple that are just names...and a few hints: Kid Charlemagne Toxin Gandydancer -- probably a powered armor wearer or a gadgeteer. The name was used for the engineers on the locomotives during the Golden Age of steam trains. I love the name! Gallowglass -- archaic English term for a mercenary Wormwood -- a bitter, poisonous substance used to make absinthe. Also the name of the star that falls from Heaven and taints the waters during the events described in Revelations.

Re: Super Names Rappacinni's Daughter -- Raised by her botanist-father in a sealed conservatory amongst his prized poisonous blooms, she absorbed the flowers' poisons into every part of her body. As a young woman, she escaped her father and eventually became a superhero -- a venomous superhero. Her breath, her touch, her tears, her skin...every part of her is toxic to some degree, depending on the part of her body that was the source. RD can neither control nor affect her own toxicity. She is immune to all botanical poisons, but reacts to plant-based anti-toxins as a normal person would to deadly poisons. Her father, brilliant botanist Dr. Bernardo di Rappacinni, has never ceased hunting for his daughter, his "most cherished flower." Secret ID -- Constanza di Rappacinni Quote -- "Don't fear my shadow...alone of all my parts it is not poison." With thanks to Nathaniel Hawthorne

Re: Shazam! Martian Warlord -- This is a .jpg file of the Captain Marvel pic by the artist you were looking for. Jeff Smith? I'm afraid it's not a wallpaper, though. http://www.pbase.com/image/19346850.jpg

Re: Here it is....rip it to shreds.... Profit -- It has to be said: Congratulations on constructing your first Champions character! Making up characters in HERO is a b*tch, and she's in heat. Well done!

Re: WWYCD? "Once more, with Justice" Gamma Girl of the Legion of Superheroes: "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence. Haven's the original Girl In The Bubble, though her 'bubble' is an almost- unbreachable forcefield, form-fitting, always on. And no, she doesn't eat, drink or excrete; she 'feeds' on yellow sun radiation. Pendragon of His Majesty's Armed Forces (1942): "Land of Hope and Glory". The tune is actually Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance", and you probably heard it at your high school graduation ceremony. Also "Jerusalem", which you might remember the school choir singing in the movie "Chariots of Fire."

Re: your campaigns "Superman". Our world's "Superman" was a radioactive Australian heroine called "Southern Cross." Yes, she had all Kal-El's famous powers, but hers were powered not by the light of a yellow sun, but by on-going internal fission reactions. She had to add salts of some heavy metals as "seasonings" to her otherwise normal diet, and she had a problem with graphite, which absorbs free neutrons and shuts down fission reactions -- including our heroine's metabolic processes! The big irony was that SC was very ecologically conscious, but she herself was actually radioactive. Her powers also had radiation Special Effects, and the more dice of a power she used, the more radiation she pumped out, and in a bigger area. For that reason, she tended to work alone. The New Zealand government decided to treat her like a nuclear vessel, and had prohibited her from entering their airspace, sovereign waters or landing on NZ soil for more than a very brief period -- measured in minutes -- and only under extenuating circumstances. That broke her heart. SC was also quite a statesman, trying to resolve problems without use of her radioactive might. She wore a dark blue and red jumpsuit with the four stars of Australia's flag in white on the center of her chest. Her gloves and boots were red, and IIRC, so was her cape. For her point totals and other technical details, I'll have to turn it over to the Doctor who "built" her. Doctor Anomaly, if you would? P.S. In 4th Edition Champions, she was over _700_ points.

Re: NGD Scenes from a Hat NT: Less than frightening serial-killer names