Mark Rand

Knight Terror.
 
Everyone believes that the Night Terror is some sort of supernatural knight undead thing haunting Pittsburgh. He steals valuables during the night and clames it is for a horrible spell he is working on.
 
In reality he is Melvin Pocks, the grandson of the villain Fearmaster, who frightened Pittsburgh during the Silver Age. He uses his grandfather's fear gas and pretends to be a supernatural being of elemental evil. His armor is designed to resemble a knight's armor with a skull for the head and glowing green eyes. He also carries a sword.

A little story.
 
What is a Godstone?
 
Legend says that the Multiverse started with only two things...Order and Chaos. They were young, considering Time didn't exist yet, yet alone Space, and were in love. So they both worked together to create the Cosmic Egg. Now Chaos wanted to break the Cosmic Egg, and Order didn't want the egg broken. So...the egg was broken and everything came out.
 
Now, what does the Godstones have to do with the Cosmic Egg? Well, the Godstones are pieces of the shell of the Cosmic Egg. They float through Time and Space and bind themselves to tweenage and teenage girls (mostly). Why? Who knows.

Yes. Roughly about 14 to 16 years old.
Yes they do. But Mark has to choose exactly where and how. Originally all four girls were from the same dimension as Queen Nightmara, but I decided that it would work better if they came from here instead. I haven't given them civilian names yet (suggestions welcomed).
 
As for evil Luna figures, not really. Queen Nightmara contacts them through her "Eye Of Darkness" shattered Godgem and threatens them with taking away there powers if they don't do what she wants...but she is by nessisary a hands off conquer. She might give them from time to time a Nightmarian (think "youma"), but they don't usually last long.
 
Why did they join up? Hey...free superpowers and be able to do what you want with them, mostly.
 
They are told to hinder Lady Heart. They don't actually hate her...Queen Nightmara wants Lady Heart's Godgem. They suspect Sunspell has one also. They keep their eyes on other female teenage superheroes for signs of Godgem users.
 

Rob knows Tab from his acting circles and dancing circles. Rob doesn't know Tabitha is Sunspell, nor does Tabitha know Rob is Lady Heart...yet.
 
Lady Heart and Sunspell's relationship is more like close sisters. Both have the same goals and both magic is of a similar source (not exactly the same, of course). If they could they would go to each other's sleepover parties. 

.Talking about the stage...
The drama club has one big event, the annual melodrama for charity.
 
It should be noted that it is traditional for the villain and hero role to be played by women, while the damsel role is played by a man. Yes, in drag, not gender swapped. The three roles are voted on via secret ballots at the beginning of the school year. Rob was selected as the damsel this year.
 
Of course, the actor has a window of opportunity to bow out of the role. And last year the roles went through many hands before the half year cutoff was reached.
 
The makeup and costume designers try to make sure each drag actor actually looks flattering in costume. It might be a comedy melodrama, but heaven forbid that the actors should be laughed at as opposed to the jokes.
 
(It should be noted that in the actual book, who plays what role should be determined by the GM, not the book.)

Since the school likely has delinquents, they would provide a different sort of nemesis than Cordy and her crew (who would likely never physically harm someone, just make catty remarks about them).
 
The son or niece of a teacher or the principal could be a dimwitted bully, roughing up anyone who gets in their way. This could be the Draco Malfoy sort, maybe with a couple of thugs to do the dirty work.
 
A junior or senior rebel might have a 'Fonz' vibe going for them, but not become an outright delinquent if befriended by a PC.
 
One kid might be a son/daughter of someone in the local mafia organization. While the Pittsburgh Mafia (the LaRocca crime family) died out in 2021, they could be alive and growing in a superhero universe.
 
Pittsburgh's organized crime element might have to deal with costumed busybodies that don't have overwhelming powers like those flying overhead and may just be highly-trained normals with tech assistance. What goes on in the shadows of the city would be another aspect of its costumed crimefighters, from gunslinging, murderous vigilantes to preternaturally skilled martial artists who break bones but don't kill.

Mercedes might have a sub-8 INT stat (perhaps EGO too) based on her description and use those saved points to invest in a 2-point or 3-point Striking Appearance.
 
Even with 25 points to spend as Normals, Cordy and her crew could have decent social skills.
 
 

Teachers deserve some mention.
 
There's a Principal mentioned but there's likely also a Vice-Principal who could be the dreaded disciplinarian of the school.
 
Cordy and her crew answer to the cheerleading coach, who may or may not be an homage of the one from Glee. The football and wrestling coaches could be out and out thugs.
 
A science teacher could be into Tesla and steampunk, and the History teacher could secretly be a witch alive since the Revolutionary War.
 
What about the student body president and his/her cohorts?

Are Cordy and the members of her crew part of the cheer squad? That is often a source of popularity. Of the trio following her, who is the "second in command" in their clique? Are the names given in order of social standing? That would make KC (Katherine) the gofer of the quartet. None of the trio of followers are probably allowed to outshine Cordelia, who might have as high as a 13 PRE and maybe a level or two of Striking Appearance to help maintain her social standing.
 
Donna sounds like a potential Cinderella sort who could clean up to be dazzling at prom.
 
Is there a Glee Club? Or is that what was meant by school choir?
 
No Science Club?
 
 

Robert rides a white American Quarter Horse mare named Snowball, Snowflake, Snowy, or something like that.
 
Probably the only pre-teen there is Karen, the owner’s 9-year-old daughter, who is in a wheelchair because she suffers from a mild form of congenital muscular dystrophy.  She owns and rides Dancer, a pinto American Shetland Pony mare.  Karen Parker, who plays her, actually has that medical condition and actually owns Dancer.  She’s stated, “Dancer isn’t my pet pony, I’m her pet human.”
 

Cordelia Carpenter needs a retinue to help her rule the school with a well-manicured fist.   Two or three girls should be sufficient. They shouldn’t all be vapid little twits, and one might be dangerously smart, smart enough to crack a secret ID with enough clues.
 
Just for variety from the norm, perhaps a strong boxing team exists on campus that could provide some interesting NPCs, a break from the usual football or baseball jock sorts. They don’t all have to be bullies, but an homage to Kobra Kai might work.

I keep feeling like Thomas Avery needs a nephew (possibly with a high level of magical potential) to come live with him as his apprentice, and the boy could also start hanging around with the squad of magical girls popping up around town like Lady Heart and the Jewish Sailor V.
 
He could be a possible love interest for one or both, but then there’s also the Court of Hate who can keep trying to entice him to the Dark Side, or perhaps Queen Nightmare lusts after him. The boy could be a first-class snarker with a shadowy edge to him like a young Professor Snape, or maybe brighter with a BTVS Xander sort of nerdiness to him.

I’m reminded of the webcomic “Sparkling Generation Valkyrie Yuuki” when I read this.
 
I suppose it could be played for “Ranma 1/2” wacky hijinks. Maybe the snarky girl next door suspects something is off and keeps snooping around Robert like a cross between Lana Lang and Nabiki Tendo. The captain of the high school football team develops torrid feelings for the new girl seen around town. The queen bee of the school/captain of the cheerleading squad hates the new girl and wants to stomp her into the mud. A young superheroine from another town keeps dropping by with rivalrous intentions. You get the idea.

Yeah, then imagine how things would be if Xander was the Secret ID and Buffy was the superhero ID of the same person.
 
Wacky hijinks.
 
All you’d need is a version of a Watcher to act as a mentor character to the young superhero and a Willow homage as childhood friend, and then things start becoming quite a twisted version of BTVS.
 
It would then get even more interesting if the proud queen bee of the school becomes empowered and goes into full-blown arch-enemy nemesis territory.
 
You could also throw in a teacher or two getting supervillain IDs from lab accidents or cursed artifacts and really start playing up that high school drama, bringing in a bit of Smallville to add to the fun.

Rodrick Trueheart and Rosemary Trueheart: Rodrick is a simple, slightly overweight certified public accountant. Rosemary is his young second wife who works as a school nurse. There son is Robert Trueheart, a teenage actor and dancer, and secretly Lady Heart.
 
If a superhero needs an accountant, Rodrick is your guy. If your a teenage superhero and need a quick wound dressing off the record, Rosemary is your girl. They both know that Robert is the selected host for the godstone of love. And they accept both aspects of their son (Rosemary is especially keen about having a daughter around the house, othoe they refer to his female side as Robert's cousin in public...you know, got to protect that secret identity).

Some more NPCs.
 
Ruy no Yuri: Litterly Dragon of the Lilies. A young albino lung dragon assigned to Lady Heart and other good aligned magic users. She can't actually enter Earth dimension in her true form (dragon), but can appear in the form of various animals of the Chinese Zodiac (except dragon), cat, and human. She is technically still a teenage girl and works for her father (another dragon of course), who works for another dragon, etc., and ultimately the Jade Emperor. 
 
Her job is to find and advise choosen magical Guardians. She is known by various mystical organizations, but she keeps her existence secret. The current high level threat her employees feel needs to be taken care of is Queen Nightmara. 

Actually, there are three GREAT places for a base. In fact, I not only considered them all for the location of the base in the Pittsburgh based campaign I just started running, but when was in Da Burgh recently I checked them out. There are several things I considered when choosing a location:
Ease of access The heroes must be able to get from the base to anywhere, so somewhere between the Point (where the three rivers meet) and Oakland (where all the colleges are) Like most north eastern cities, it's an organic city without an easily navigated grid system, so the traffic can be quite ensnaring (2D6 SPD drain, cummulative, only-vs-vehicles). The solution is to move East and West via the rivers or the air, and if you are flying, flying over the rivers is the safest. So, being located closer to the water is a plus...AND it gives the GM the ability to have river monsters. Visibility: Unless the base is purchased as underground or invisible, it has to be seen. These things tend to be prominent jewels of the city, points of pride. The base should  be easily seen from most places. Safety: Avenger's Tower (or Stark Tower) was a HORRIBLE location for the Avengers since it became a target of an alien invasion. Had it NOT been in the center of Manhattan, the damage may have been reduced. Fits in the surroundings: Something important can't already be there. Don't put it in the Northside. THAT is where the stadiums are.  All that being said, There are three locations that are perfect:
Gateway View Plaza (just west of the Point, on the south shore of the Ohio). This is a non-descript strip mall in a depressed spot that has perfect view of downtown, is right on the water, can be seen from anywhere someone is going to shoot video (like sporting events), is at the base of Duquesne Heights so there are no houses in close proximity and the closest sit on top of a mountain which pretty much protects them. https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4433262,-80.0193044,1352m/data=!3m1!1e3 Hazlewood (Between the Monongahela and Second Avenue). This is a little further from downtown, a little more heavily populated, but a bit closer to the universities. Currently in this spot is the Aurora Test Facility which USED to be used by Uber to test...I'm assuming self driving cars. It's pretty much right on the river (giving water access and enabling heroes to just fly up and down the river), it's pretty much empty, but there is little distance between the facility and a residential neighborhood. There is a building (Mill 19) that could  be ignored for the game purposes which would give more of a buffer between the base and the houses. https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4155851,-79.9508835,4171m/data=!3m1!1e3 Lincoln Park (on the south shore of the Allegheny river, just east of Highland Park and the Pittsburgh Zoo). This one is just across the river from some decent shopping with heavy traffic. It's also harder to get to the airport. Like the Gateway View Plaza location, there is a mountain that will protect the residents. Currently, there is a boatyard there (Brilliant Boat Club), but that isn't too well noticed. AND, there are fewer residents (although there is a cemetary...spooky!). https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4813467,-79.8867968,4544m/data=!3m1!1e3 For the campaign I'm already running, I chose the first option. It gave me the ability to build the base as 4 stories with only one underground (and that is going to flood on them periodically).
Roof: Helipad 3rd Floor: Residences 2nd Floor: Administrative offices and other police like functions (they are part of a larger system so they could be deputized and I didn't have to worry about the whole vigilantiism thing) 1st Floor: Reception, security station, meeting rooms, a coffeshop with outside access only, and an empty retail space with outside access only. I figure this one will be filled by something that would either be a great joke, a real help, or the bane of their existance. Basement: Labs, gym, and future home of the danger room once I figure out how to build that. I hope these ideas and examples help.

Snowflake might be female.
 
Skids likes to create patches of ice under those that offend him, like bicyclists that ride on the sidewalk and drivers and motorcyclists that run red lights or cut people off.
 
 

I can see Slapshot wearing an old-style hockey goalie's mask and wielding a hockey stick as his principal weapon.
 
His sister, Puck, uses trick hockey pucks.

I thought up 3. Anyone can add more if they wish.
 
I picture Cold Confort as a rotating group of no do wells. Much like Flash's Rouge Gallery, except for the requirement of having something to do with the winter months (it doesn't actually have to mean cold/ice/snow powers). Ice Wolf could be a member sometimes. So could some guy whose entire stich is the sport of hockey (the name Slapshot or Goon comes to mind). No out and out killers are allowed (mostly because they view what they do as a business/job, and the police and superheroes are more likely to treat you with kid gloves if you only stolen the Stanley Cup as opposed to murdering and eating thirteen people).
 
So, are there anyone up for the challenge?

Time for a supervillain team.
 
Cold Confert: A small group of ice/winter theam villains.
 
Winterblade: Leader. Guy with the ice sword.
 
Icebreaker : Team brick. Super strong.  The colder the weather is, the stronger he gets.
 
Snowflake : Ice skater/martial artist. Tosses shuriken design like snowflakes.

@Ninja-BearI didn't know we could @ people here. Nice.
 
Also Ice Wolf is a good name. We got a ki slinger here!
 
Pittsburgh slang for Heroburger should be Ro's. Keeps it short and sweet.
 
The main branch of the restaurant chain could have a small museum inside it, showing the known history  of the area superheros and supervillains of historical importance. This location is located somewhere where it could attract the attention of tourists (and unfortunately Philadelphians). It should also be placed in an area away from huge populations (in case a super fight breaks out).
 
As far as Heroburger management knows, everything on display are replicas of no real importance to anyone. Which of course means they have to have something important in the collection anyways, even if the management doesn't know it.
 
Also...to tour the museum is an extra cost. No food purchase is required, but there is a discount for those who buys a meal (not just a burger)...
 
...and there is a souvenir room to show the folks at home you went to the Heroburger Pittsburgh Superhero Museum . 

Excellent!  A wealth of game ideas for the book...
 
How about one villain with four aspects and No Conscious Control on when they switch?

Superhero to young sidekick as they eye the place from a distance: “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious.”

I have a list of landmarks that I want to check over before I post it.  As far as slang goes, have a look at the attached.
Western Pennsylvania English.doc