Hermit

You win

Oh you think so do you? *Pops knuckles* It's a good thing you brought us humans to play with or a guy might get cranky

Edgar Allen Poe....but he does not live long to enjoy the victory *Sadness* Rage VS Machine

In a world of slicey slice and bang bang... I've come to trust in Dodge And I don't mean the truck Unicorns Vs Gryphons

Some barbarian tribes among the humans practiced shape changing magics, the better to hunt in the form of animals, and the God of Magic allowed this. Some dwarves sought to use magic into their crafts, to change and enchant the properties of metals and stones, and this too the Lord of Magic permitted. Let their magic be in the making. The brownies gained gifts when it came to dreams that might have startled and frightened folks if they knew, and the Master of dreams permitted. The Aleph had surprised him, and while they studied magic, they often seemed to use it least of all, as if they accepted what was without the need to change it. This might be insulting if he thought about it too long. Kallu'un Qaroof made him raise a brow. Change and transformation was HIS to control, and these creatures he felt were both fascinating, and a bit of an encroachment. He'd watch them. As they could change themselves over time, well, then that was already a forbearance from him. Let's see where they went with that gift. The Giants valued wealth and honor, to him he decided to give runic magic. It seemed to suit them. Of course, all these magics others might learn with time, no matter what their race, he encouraged that but for now that would be their strengths. And yet he had no people of his own… it was possible even those who took names like Witches, wizards or enchanters would heed other gods more than he. But then it didn't matter what they claimed, magic was his. Still, it was time to stretch himself. Each Sentient people that was, or would be found that a small part of its population (less in the more frecund) would be not truly of their race at all. Among them, but not of them, like a cuckoo in a nest. At their youngest stages, they would appear to be of the other races, and blend in well. They would be inquisitive, eager to learn. They would have a better knack for magics than most. Perhaps some would call them Fetches, or changelings IF they suspected at all? Then, but a small time after maturity (Again that being somewhat relative) they would find themselves seeking solitude so they could begin the change. From there they would begin to gather scales on their skin, their brows might expand as they became reptilian, though as a default also humanoid. Fierce Warriors, they would be even more powerful at the form of magic they'd learned in their younger years! They would be more clannish with the others at this part of the cycle. They would form communities, perhaps cities, maybe some would seek empire! And people would call them Scaled Lords. And then, after two or three centuries passed, one last great change would occur among the Scaled Lords. They would go into seclusion, and seem to molt and grow until at last the expanded to huge sizes and were humanoid no longer. They would be graceful, with claws that could write, and necks that could bend to look over their backs and wings. Power would flow from their mouths depending mostly on what race they had begun among (those among the giants prone to frost, for example) and would be nigh unstoppable save by the mightiest and best protected! They would not just cast magic, they would be magic! Great and terrible wyrms that lived in isolation reveling in their power and the magic in every fiber of their being. And in this last stage, they would be called Dragons! And dragon scales, teeth, tongue, almost every part, would have magic in it, and thus some might eek to slay them not just for their treasures or wealth, but for their very corpses. But once a part, always a part, and as Dragons belonged to the lord of magic, he would have influence, however small, on everything that was built with them. These would be his people… three in one, with few knowing that they were indeed one race. They might be few, they might be hunted, but they would become great! (Example of three life stages in spoiler for space) Sentient Species Pick: Dragons

If I were L Marcus I'd say "All of the above" and treat it like the many versions of Vibranium

Harvey! Those rabbit punches are fierce! Rum vs Whiskey!

Secret Society wins...but it's a hollow victory because no one ever hears about it. Col. Wilma Deering vs Kira Nerys

I admit it, I did not see that one coming

I don't even know Ariana Grande from Adam before this and I think I may have just become a fan myself

Sweet Mother Propane says Hank Hill Dracula vs Dr. Brown from Back to the Future!

I think we all do. Humans are just so malleable. Ooooo.... Good luck.

Oh thank goodness some folks chose Geography picks. Nice to have places to actually BE. And I realize some folks referenced Dreams before my Pick, we'll just assume the Dreams aspect of the pick came up in setting before hand I suppose.

Secondary Domain: Dreams Before, the dwarves had slept as ones dead. They slumbered and they were not aware. They breathed, but thought not. Their eyes closed, they saw not. Their minds numb, they felt not. And for all the wonders forming in the world, they did not understand magic might be out there. And the God of Magic spoke to them, allowing them to begin to imagine the impossible.... For about the world, they and all thinking creatures after, found themselves slipping into the realm of the impossible The God of Magic showed them Dreams!

So not to ignore you. guys,, and others, THANK you so much for both the praise and the support you have all given. I'm looking into publishing options, probably in electronic form to be honest. Bolo has been amazingly helpful in much especially.

I'm glad you two commented on Lady Obsidian in this, because I am hoping she didn't really go too far while still being devious enough to impress. As the writer of said character, I worried I was too close to make a fair evaluation.

Yes, forgive the hubris... but we were at least one of the lesser of evils options for a quite a time and at best, we were a true force for good in this world. I do not know if I like who I see as our most likely successors. China will swallow Tawain the moment it can (and most of the seas), and Russia longs to be strong again so badly it scares me. Maybe I'm just overly glum... maybe America won't quit and will use this moment to rededicate itself to a mix of idealism and realpolitik that we can at least take pride in. maybe it will quit and our successor will surprise and surpass us idealistically and we can learn from them even if we envy a bit. But right now I see a very bad moon rising, and on that moon the American flag is fallen and no one seems to give a ####

Expect shipping videos on Youtube soonish

Oh, so we are picking tomorrow?

Perfectly said. i was talking to friend saying something similar after the movie, but you just put it better than I by far. In this movie, the loss of innocence is not confused with the death of idealism. And I loved that about it.

A lot of stuff I'm making up as I go along. But in this case it occurred to me that limiting his choices in a humorous manner might be fun if I ever got a second book out. Of course, it's been done by better writers than I. I give you "Where's the Jerk who calls himself the Tick?"

Legends did, vastly! Of course, it had a lot of up to hit, but still

The ending is a blur, but hopefully still satisfies... thanks for your patience and making it this far. A lot of the rest was clean-up, in more ways than one. We had to make sure the city had public sightings of us as a team again. Who puts out the call to all the supervillains that the heroes are elsewhere in large number, I really don't know, but I wish they'd cut it the hell out. While Slime, Viewpoint and Pogo were okay, they had more a more than an average number of encounters. Viewpoint claimed he'd been attacked by a group of super-villainesses who called themselves the 'fangrlz' and barely escaped with his life. Pogo, on the other hand, ran into a fellow who was looking for me. "This guy says the oceans aren't big enough for the two of you, and you stole his shtick, He didn't have much time in town, had to be somewhere, but he says he'll be back in a few months to teach you a lesson." "I stole his what?" I blinked. "His theme, I never heard of him but apparently, he breathes water, he's super strong like you, and your name was way too similar." Pogo said in a rush, "He said 'tell the punk to get training, for soon he will be tested by the Sea's true strong man! Soon he will face the one, the only- Moray!'" "Oh, sweet mother of God," I muttered, "It's not even the same word!" But despite my grumbling, I didn't doubt her. The Super world has villains and heroes aplenty, but it's a wide spectrum between them, and sometimes what you end up with are just jackasses looking for excuses to fight with someone and prove themselves the toughest. It was akin to the stories you heard about gunslingers in the old west. Get a reputation, and someone must test it. I suppose I should have been flattered, but, pardon the pun, I really had bigger fish to fry. The Moray moron would have to wait. There was so many more important things. Like my hair cut, it was getting kind of shaggy. "The chicks would have liked it longer," Aaron observed when I came into the apartment sporting the trim. "I'm a Southern boy, guys with a mullet now a days get put through hell, guys with a southern accent and a mullet get it double," I informed him. "You need to go hipster, tell them it's a French cut, the 'moo lay'" He suggested. "I'm dating a very intelligent girl," I explained to him, "She's not going to buy that," I smiled and got my best outfit out of the closet. The date that night was fantastic. I mean it, I treated Ariana to a real date at a real restaurant. The prices were more than I expected, but let me tell you when she came to her door when I knocked, it was worth it. She looked like she stepped off a fashion magazine. The heels she wore put extra swish in the miss, and I was not blind to that. "Wow," I said before I could reach for the more poetic adjectives. "You like?" She asked though the delight in her eyes told me she already knew the answer, she just wanted me to put a bit more praise for the effort she'd gone through. Which was more than fair, "You always look beautiful," I told her honestly, "But wow if you didn't' just jump right over spectacular." I opened the car door for her and admired the way she slid on in so gracefully I think I could have made a happy living just being her chauffeur. The car was the team's, of course, and she knew that, but it wasn't like folks had the plate (We changed that anyway) and it had just gotten a new paint job. As long as I resisted the urge to send it flying above the traffic, we were just another couple on the way to a nice dinner. And it was nice, damn nice. We flirted and talked and there were no villain attacks, no world threats, not so much as a fire that needed putting out. Of course, it couldn't last forever. I had agreed to a patrol that night. Of course, I didn't realize that my plans were about to be altered. I had just changed into my costume at the base and was readying to head out when Dr. Vernon called out, "Eel, I could use your help tonight? As she was dressed in her civvies and not her power armor, I was surprised. "Certainly, Doctor, do I need to change back?" "No, it'll be on the base and I want you in costume. I have a guest, an old friend who I can't trust, so having one of us in costume nearby and one of us out may throw him off," She answered with a smile. "Why would you have a friend you can't trust?" the concept was alien to me. "They can be extremely useful, for one," She shrugged, "Maybe a better term would be the devil I respect, come on." The devil she respected turned out to be a black man in his late middle ages with graying hair and a suit that fit nicely enough but wasn't up to current fashions. "Please, James, have a seat," She gestured to the table and asked, "Would you like some tea?" "Got coffee?" He asked. She nodded, then said, "Eel, would you?" "No problem, ma'am," I said and got her them each a drink, her tea, him coffee. "This is Eel, one of our newer members," She introduced me. "Yeah," James gave me a vaguely sour look, "I've heard of him. A lot lately." "This is James Elroy," She told me, "He's with government intelligence." "You'll pardon me if I don't say it's a pleasure," He grumbled in his coffee. "You don't see my hand stretching out either, so fine," I said. "Knew you two would hit it off right away," She sipped her tea, "You wanted to see me, James?" "Vivian, you know darn well why I came here," He said, "You memory wiped Eagle Eye's agents, and you have amplification belts. I'd kind of like to have both restored?" A chill went through me as I realized exactly what Mind's Eye had done for Lady Obsidian as a favor. Of course, it made sense. Valorous, at least, had weeks to learn anything and everything Arctic Fox was willing to tell him about us. Surely though he would have passed on at least her secret identity by now? What good would a memory wipe do? "I don't have a telepath on my team to help you, sorry," Dr. Vernon formed her fingers into a steeple and cast a glance over them at him, "I'm sure the government has a few that can do the job though." "At incredible cost and hassle," He grumbled, "And the belts?" "Right here," She slid a bag over. "They've been torn apart," He said with annoyance. "Well, somehow they got around the waists of a group of violent burglars and when some our team defended themselves, they got a bit torn up," She replied dryly, "Not bad designs by the way. I was impressed your R&D found a way around the Genetic Maximum by tailoring for partials." "You have our amplification tech," He scowled, "Damnit, Vivian. You're mad because Eagle Eye tried to steal your tech, but you've got no problem with stealing ours?" "To the victor," she raised a brow, "Don't act all wounded, James. Your people broke into my house…" "That was not my idea and I tried to stop them," He protested. "You didn't try hard enough," She scowled and continued, "Now I believe you when say you tried to stop this, because you have common sense. I don't suppose you're going to tell me exactly whose idea it was?" "You know damn well I won't put the finger on anyone, I have sympathy with you, but I also know who I work for. Besides, I suspect you have ideas anyway," Mr. Elroy countered, "There's new blood siding with some of the old and me stuck in the middle. Trying to help you." "Your help blinded one of my friends," I said, my jaw grinding. "I see he takes after you in taking this whole operation personally," James noted to Vivian. "That's because he doesn't buy your 'standing on that wall' crap any more than we do, James. We're on the wall too, even if we are volunteers for it; and finding folks we thought were on our side pushing us off it to rifle our pockets puts us in an understandably bad mood. Yes, I have amplification tech, and not only do I have it, I'm improving it. It still only works on partials, but that's okay. There are a lot of good people half way to being to super-heroes anyway. I'm just giving them a chance if a superhero I trust sponsors them." "You're sharing it!" His eyes flew open wide, "Jesus Christ!" I admit, I was caught off guard too. I mean, I knew Ariana was a shoo in, but I didn't know Lady Obsidian was planning on handing it nationwide to other teams. Hell, maybe she was going global. Dr. Vernon bathed in her 'friend's' panic like it was warm sunlight, and smiled, "I'm very particular. But yes, the genie is out of the bottle. It was going to be anyway, eventually one of your agents would have gotten taken by some villain, and it would out there the next week. I am hoping a controlled release will give us the edge we need against the bad guys." "You know the others will play hard ball," He said, "They'll threaten to expose your team for this, one by one." "I know," She said, "That telepath I don't have on my team?" She reminded, "What do you think she sorted through before blocking memories?" I carefully kept my expression blank as I realized she'd changed the gender of the telepath. Would James see through it? I don’t know. "You didn't," He frowned, "Vivian, those memories are classified. You could be endangering our agents' lives if you let that out." "And some of our people have children. This is one box that hasn't been opened, James. I called you here to turn your junk back over, and beg you to do what you can to keep what you have in your computers and files secret. I'm not as idealistic as I used to be, all I know is these people are the only family I have left, and the people who should be thanking them are threatening them. So yes, I trust other superheroes and myself to decide which partials get elevated more than I trust the government. I trust that we need dirt on Eagle Eye to keep our dirt from being leaked, and I am trusting, that if nothing else, enlightened self-interest will keep us from escalating this. Talk to them, make them listen, or it will get so much worse before it gets better." There was everything in her tone; a promise, a threat, a plea. With a grimace, and a grunt, he took the bag, "I'll see what I can do. If nothing else, this fiasco has cost them some status. And I'm not blind to the fact what you've told me gives me a heads up on covering my own ass from the fall out. Don't expect me to thank you for that too much." "You're welcome anyway," She crossed her fingers, "Do you need an escort out?" "No. I know the way, and I'm sure Mabel is watching me anyway," the government man gave a wave to the air at the last, rose and walked down the hall way. After a few minutes Mabel said. "He's gone, Doctor." "And did you hack his phone?" "The encryption was hard to get through, but the amplifier in your purse helped." "Excellent, I want a back door into their files to erase what they have of us." I stared at her, "Why did you have me witness that?" I finally asked. "Mabel's got your back, and I suspect you've got at least one other device in your purse that makes a taser look like a child's toy," she smiled at that weakly, "So why?" "I wanted you to see, and to judge for yourself how far I've gone," She said kindly, "I have friends, Eel. Good friends. I'd like to think you're becoming one, but you've also got an annoying north pointing moral compass. I want to keep you in the loop in this because I know, when you think I've gone too far, you'll tell me. The others? They… might not. Hell, some might cheer me on." "You want me to be your cricket of conscience?" I tapped my chest in surprise, "You're Lady Obsidian, you've been the conscience of the superhero community for decades." "Even the pope has a confessor, young man, and I don't claim to any form of infallibility," She told him, "You up for it?" "Some of what you said scared me," I admitted, "And I think you're taking an awful big gamble with a lot of people. I think some of those things better be bluffs because if you carry them through you'll hate yourself. I think I liked it better when I did think it was all simple white hats versus black hats." "Oh? A black hat thang is it?" She raised a brow. I guess a horrified look crossed my features for a moment and I didn't know what to say. She laughed, "Lord, Caleb. Ariana is right. You are so easy." "Thanks," I said dryly. "Was that no?" "No, it's not a no," I said, "I'm a superhero, and we don't run from the hard choices. We can't afford to." "Wise words," She smiled and rose inviting me to walk with her. "They should be," I reminded, "They were in your second book." "Ha," she laughed, "Young man, I'm flattered, but you need to get to work focusing on your own story." I walked with her, "Yeah, The Adventures of Fish Guy," I snorted with a chuckle, "That'll be a hit." "Well," She patted my hand, "Maybe not. Probably best if it isn't. Keep you humble, but I would read it." "Thanks, Dr. Vernon," I smiled. "Now, about those college courses…." Some battles, it seemed, were unrelenting. (The End of the Book, but never the story)

Secondary Domain: Transformation and change!

I'm behind but... Primary Domain: Magic