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GestaltBennie

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  1. Re: What elements should a great superhero setting contain? Interested players. And whatever elements can be tailored to hook them, or added by the players to give them a sense of investment.
  2. Since my last story seemed to be well-received, I figured I'd post another. It's the story of how Thundrax's Hunted, the demon lord Zorasto, came to be involved in his life prior to their first meeting. -------- Hell, 1838. In Hell's bleakest reaches, beyond Damnation's Door lay the Desolation of Realizations. Across this vast, grey plain all lies are laid bare, and naught but painful truths may be spoken here. No creature desires to come hither, especially among the peoples of Hell, to whom falsehoods are like meat and bread. However the Lords of Pride have found these wretched plains ever useful in the enforcement of covenants, and thus an oasis of truth sits in the heart of hell, for any with the desire to take advantage of its qualities. In the heart of those plains, a trap had been sprung. Within a circle of falsesilver, barbed and burning, the angel Neviel the Whisperer was ensnared, seemingly without hope of heaven. He had been gifted with seven great prophecies by his Lord Most High, and now a lord of hell was attempting to claw it out of him like a carrion beast picking at a corpse with claw and tooth. "Speak," Zorasto commanded the angel, shifting his huge bat-like wings. He towered over the messenger, his muscles striated geologically over his huge form, a sneer stretched across his horned, skull-like face. Had he not been in agony, the angel would have observed that such a dominating physical presence was one of Hell's favorite affectations, overplayed displays of physical strength for the sake of vanity that makes what should be beautiful into something grotesque, a mockery of paragons. But he, even he, faithful servant of the Ancient of Days, was not impervious to torment. His voice croaked and strained as the prophecy was ripped from him. "In a hall in Aberdeen, there is a reprobate with one eye and three fingers on his right hand, a crofter who is only known as "Bloody Carson". Against all reason, his family will flower, and become ennobled. In six generations, two score and five years after the Great Reawakening, the Living Thunder shall embrace the second born Carson of that generation and he shall become elevated." "The Living Thunder of Tarhunt? Of Tanaris? Of Thunaraz and Perun?" "Yes," the angel answered. "The power of pagan gods shall be gifted to him and he shall become mighty. But that is not the greatest of his powers, for greater than might shall be the spirit that resides within. For one who can wrestle with their pains and subjugate them can transform them into wisdom and compassion that will be a blessing unto the world." "Spare me the philosophies of the Crucified One," Zorasto stated, and again he lashed the angel with a barbed whip. The angel screamed. "Pig-dweller, I know who thou art!" Neviel spat back. "Indeed," the demon said with a mock bow. "Once I was Sorme-Astaro, who in ancient Assyria burnt whole cities to the ground, whose sword dripped blood without ceasing! Then I became Astaro-Dammu, who compelled the stars to scream prophecies, who found voices in the silent, dark places of the world! And now I am Zorasto, Defiler of Souls, who after death rose in the estates of hell and who now stands at the left hand of the demon-god Asmiak, looking down on the hordes of the damned!" "Bloodletter, sorcerer, demon." Neviel noted. "I know thy cursed history. But I prefer to call thee as thou wert when my Sovereign walked the earth: pig-dweller. For as He did to the Legion, so did He do unto you: casting you, whining and wretched, into a host of swine, to stagger on the ground as drunken beasts before His infinite majesty." Zorasto snarled and lashed out again at the angel with his flail, tearing at his spirit-flesh. Again the angel cried aloud. "I shall take this Living Thunder for my own!" the demon stated. "And all that wisdom and compassion of which thou boasts? I will defile it utterly!" Neviel shook his head. "Ever shall the thunder elude thy grasp, demon, even if you rose four times higher than thy present station. For the wisdom that is the gift of the Most High is ever beyond the comprehension of those who scorn it." "I crave not his tongue but his tempest, for with it I shall ascend to godhood!" Zorasto stated, and his burning hand reached up and brushed against Neviel's cheek, singeing it. "Thou hast six more prophecies. I shall enjoy ripping them from you." "And each one shall further undo thee," Neviel said. "For it is the heart of the prophecy that matters more than the words, Zorasto. Meaning you may find, and meaning you may give to words that is not intended, and so make sport of them. But the true value of all revelation is in what it says about the heart of the Most High. Those who search for power and apocalypse will ever miss the meaning of the gift." "I tire of thee, thrall of heaven," Zorasto said, turning around with a stretch of his wings. "I hope the crofter proves better company." With that the demon lord departed for Scotland, shifting his shape to that of a twisted and unpleasant looking man -- the closest thing he could muster to someone of fair and trustworthy visage. When the one-eyed Carson was drunk enough, as it seemed he would be, his appearance wouldn't matter in the least. Just his words. With a proud, besotted Scotsman, his words would be enough to seal a devil's bargain. ----- 1839 Aberdeen Scotland "Seven generations?" "That is the standard bargain," Zorasto said, opening up the ink well and handing the man a fine red quill. "You are a man of letters, are you not?" "Aye," Tristan "Bloody" Carson said with a slur as he cradled his drink in his half-broken hand. The tavern was silent around them, and people had slunk away from his companion in disgust, though none could see him as he truly was. Tristan Carson, however, did not care. As blasphemous as a frigate of sailors, part of him even enjoyed the faint whiff of Hell, shadow and brimstone, that lingered in his senses like strong tobacco. "Aye... I can sign my name wi' the best o' them." His face smiling like a shark, Zorasto propped himself up on his chair and puffed himself slightly. "You will not regret the bargain," he said in a low, amused voice. Tristan Carson swallowed the drink lustily, and the grinning demon poured another glass of demon rum from the black bottle he'd brought. "So... my family for seven generations. Why seven generations?" "Tradition," Zorasto said. "Your offspring shall be my possessions, body and soul, for seven generations. In exchange, immortality shall be your due." "And eternity in the prime of manhood!" Tristan Carson stated. "I don't want to get old, or be trapped as a bawling infant by your devilish tricks. Me own brats are bad enough!" "The joy of treachery is not what I seek," Zorasto stated, playing with the bottle on the table, tipping it and rotating it in a circle. "Though that is a grand amusement, of course..." "Eh?" "I have received prophecy that one of your descendents will be someone to prize," Zorasto explained. "The covenant we are striking will bring him into my potentate, body and soul. The power he shall wield will be rended from his body and in devouring it, I shall shine as an infernal sun, rising to the depths of hell, striking down gods. And she who gifts it shall forfeit all right to retaliate." "I dinna understand a word ye said, devil." Zorasto smiled. "I believe I will enjoy watching you walk through the generations, cursing and spitting at the world, wallowing in the misery created by your enterprises." "Ha!" Tristan Carson shouted. "Ye got that right! So once I sign your papers, I wi' be free o'you?" "One service will remain," Zorasto said. "When the time is right, I shall ask you to deliver your descendant into my hands. Some years before the day of destiny, methinks, just to be certain. Free, he could still resist my efforts to take his power, even with the contract granting me advantages. 'Tis best to take no chances." "So you wan' me to deliver the brat t' you?" "Exactly!" Zorasto exclaimed. "But are you capable of such a cruelty?" Tristan Carson eyed the rest of the patrons in the tavern and rose to his feet with a crooked smile on his scarred face. "Gentlemen and fellow cutthroats." he said. "Does any man here doubt that I am capable of the vilest iniquities and the wickedest cruelties?" After a few seconds of staring down the patrons, one of the tavern goers shouted "No!". Tristan Carson strode to the man, and repeatedly punched him in the face, smiling. "I believe this will work out," Zorasto said. With blood on his knuckles and a contented expression on his face, Tristan Carson returned to the table and grabbed the quill from its place on the table. "Done," he said, as he put his scrawl to the paper. ---- 1974, Vancouver, British Columbia. William Carson hurriedly snuck into the house. The television was running: Eilly had been watching "Another World" before William had made his phone call, and two women were screaming at each other, culminating in the sound of a gunshot and a melodramatic music tag. Nuisance or irony? William did not have time to ponder the question. He practically bolted for the basement, where he hurriedly grabbed a pair of large steam trunks and hauled them up the stairs, hitting his head on the ceiling for one last, final time. Like a madman he rummaged through his closets, pulling down the three suits he had carefully ironed and pressed to do his work. He wrestled with his strongest desire: to take pictures of his wife and children, but decided that the fiction would be more credible if he left them behind. Once both pieces of luggage were packed, William turned around to leave... and spotted his oldest son Jack standing at the door. "Dad, what are you doing?" he asked his dad. A wave of shame fell over Jack Carson. His face reddening, he blurted, as if trying to convince himself. "Removing the dead weight from my life." And with that, he placed an envelope on Eilleen Carson's pillow, removed the wedding band from his ring finger. "What the hell are you doing?" Jack Carson demanded, rushing at his father with fists clenched. "I don't love you any more. Not you, not your mom, not Cr--" Jack's fist struck William Carson flush in the face. However it wasn't the force of the blow that dropped him to his knees. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry," the man blubbered. "I thought I'd be stronger." "What the hell are you talking about?" Through a gauze of tears, William Carson looked at his oldest son. He grabbed the teenager's shoulders. "Forgive me." he said through quivering lips. Jack Carson placed his hands on his hips and stared at his father, dumbfounded. "This is going to sound crazy Jack," William stated. "But our family has an enemy, a powerful, magical one. Like a supervillain, only much, much worse." "Huh?" "You remember all those sermons at your mom's church about demons? I thought I was just humoring her, but it appears I owe Eilly an apology. There's one after us." "Uh... what?" William Carson sighed. "I don't understand most of it myself. But I need you to act like you didn't see me. You have to keep this from them. Make them forget me. Hate me. So they can live as normal a life as they can. Above all, you need to keep this from Craig. Above everything else, I'm counting on you to protect your brother..." William Carson stopped and frowned. "And just what are you doing away from school?" "Uh... we had a soccer game against Tech," Jack admitted. "And after it was over, I skipped fifth period." "Good boy!" William Carson said, and he hugged his son. "Dad, this whole thing about demons..." "I've seen him. I've seen his servant. I need to keep him away from you, no matter what the cost." The door came open, and the Hobbled Man, a tall, rough-looking sort with a wooden leg, one eye and a claw for a right hand. He made a gesture with his one good hand, whispered an incantation, and Jack Carson was frozen in place. "Leave the boy alone!" William Carson snapped. "I'm the second-born Carson. It's me that your Zorasto wants!" The Hobbled Man launched a vicious left backhand at William's face, knocking the man into the wall. "Next time, you get the hook," he said ominously. "Take your belongings and go." "You will NOT harm my son. The boy has already promised to play along." Jack Carson felt as though he were being smothered in chains. He struggled violently within their grasp. "I'll kill you, you piece of--" he muttered, and the Hobbled Man twisted his wrist, tightening the chains. Jack screamed. "It will appear to the world as though the father killed the son as he was in the process of abandoning his family." the Hobbled Man said. "How unfortunate." "Please, I beg you," William Carson said. "My son is still part of that curse you spoke of. That means he belongs to your master. He will not... uh... be pleased if you kill someone who could be of use to him." The Hobbled Man growled. "Very well," he grunted. "Your son will live. But I will remove his memory of this." With that, the Hobbled Man cast another spell, and Jack Carson fell into a deep sleep. With a heart that was only slightly lighter from avoiding the grim necessity of that deed, William Carson left his home, never to return, never to see the face of his beloved wife again. Few men made such sacrifices for their family, and fewer still did so without thanks. ---- 1983 Hell. In a twelve foot wide circle of obsidian, where a wall would spring from the earth to block him if he ever tried to escape, William Carson sat, naked, emaciated with hunger, holding a paper and quill in his trembling hands. He had been commanded to write down every word spoken aloud by the angel in the circle of chains, to pass the time until the power of Living Thunder passed into him. But Neviel had not spoken in the nine years that he had been there and William did not ever expect him to speak. William's eyes rarely left the man, for there was something about the man that gave him hope and strength. Indeed, he didn't even know from whence the man came, or what his importance was to the demon. He only knew that without his presence during his captivity, the darkness of the place would have destroyed him. He wondered what words he would speak, should he ever open his mouth. And then, abruptly, the angel opened his mouth, and from it came the sound of thunder. "He is worthy," Neviel stated, smiling. Without understanding why, the words came as the weight of a mountain lifting off from William Carson's shoulders, and he began to laugh as he scrawled the words. It was not long before Zorasto appeared, fire and shadow emanating from his body in uncontrolled rage. "I have felt the coming of the Living Thunder, and it did not pass into the second born Carson!" Zorasto screamed at Neviel. "How dare you issue a false prophecy! Liar of Heaven, I name you! Thou art as fallen as I!" "Nay," Neviel smiled, even knowing what was to come. "You did not take the second-born Carson." "What?" Zorasto snarled, his wings stretching in outrage. William Carson rose to his feet. "Wait a second. How could I not be the second-born Carson? There was my brother Mark, then me. Sure Mark died in that accident back in '56, but he was still born." "And so was thy sister. Mark's twin, who died a few hours after her birth." Neviel stated. "Thou art the third-born Carson of thy generation." "A sister? Damn." William Carson muttered. "My parents never even mentioned that,” He wondered why he'd never found out about her, but his thought also turned to Craig, the real second-born Carson. So young, so much like his mother, whereas Jack had taken after him. William was not sure how -- perhaps the power of the plains, whose realizations, while an unbearable torment for demons, was the opposite for mortals -- but he somehow knew Craig would be a fit guardian for immense primal power. The thought made him smile with a father's pride, so that for a moment he was the happiest man in Hell. Neviel turned to Zorasto and beamed in triumph: quite literally, as for the first time in his captivity, he shone with heaven's radiance. "Soon demon, you will experience a great triumph, and power unguessed shall be your mantle. However that victory shall not comfort you; instead, throne and crown will laden you beyond your ability to endure, for those who receive what thou desires in hell are doomed to its greatest miseries." Zorasto drew his flail, its barbs a tentacled mass of shadow and flame, on which runes of torment were inscribed, and he smote the angel three score and two lashes, channeling his hate into each strike. However, they barely seemed to faze Neviel. When Zorasto lowered his whip, exhausted, the angel rose to his feet, elysian pride shining in his eyes as he spoke: "Bloodletter, sorcerer, demon. Hear the words of the Most High. Thy reach shall ever exceed thy grasp and thy wings shall never bear thee skyward, save to lift you to heights from which thou shalt surely fall. Whatever door thou darest to open shall ensnare thee, so that thou shalt be always hindered in traversing into whatever place thou attempts to enter." "Liar!" Zorasto snarled. "No door shall ever be barred to me!" "Mastery thou shalt crave and yet that desire shall betray you and lead you into thralldom. You will be twice a prisoner, first of thy malice and then of thy designs, for twisted as they are, they shall twist about thee as well as thy victims. Long years shall you endure enshackled, screaming and cursing as Hell mocks thee." "Cease your babbling, thrall!" Zorasto snarled. But his voice seemed diminished in comparison to the angel's. Neviel's final note resonated throughout the plains with the authority of His master. "This is the second of the seven prophecies given to me by God." he said, and his pronouncement ended like the passing of a storm. Zorasto was beyond livid. He answered the thunder of heaven with the firestorms of hell; an inferno raged about his form, reflecting his anger, spark and smoke rising from him like a pyre. William would have been immolated had it not been for the protection of the obsidian circle. "I have had enough of thee, angel!" Zorasto roared wildly, nothing in his voice but rage. With a gesture he drew from the heart of the fire the Five Flails, Asmiak's demons of punishment, who bore black whips with falsesilver barbs fashioned in the shape of the ones that had smote the flesh of the Son of the Most High. "Beat him down!" Zorasto commanded. "Let Hell's hate embrace thee! Let it tear thy flesh with the rage we feel toward thy wretched Master!" The strokes fell upon the angel as if they contained all the unchecked cruelty of the world, its miseries, its tragedies, and the rage they inspire, for such are the weapons of the Flails. Buttressed no longer by the words of the Most High, Neviel crumpled beneath their onslaught. William watched in horror as hell's hate was fully unleashed on the messenger. The Flails continued until Neviel was all but dead, a mass of red wounds marring the snow-white beauty of heaven. "Do not believe this is over!" Zorasto shouted as he turned and raged at William Carson. "As for you, here you shall remain for the remainder of days, and the shadow of despair will devour you hour by hour, and you shall watch me rend your sons asunder and you shall worship me as I do." William Carson looked at the fallen Neviel and somehow, seeing heaven's light still radiating from his broken form, found a hidden reservoir of strength. Hell had not broken him, not yet: if anything, the nine years of captivity had strengthened this man, this humble shoe salesman from Vancouver, and made him capable of things that he would never have thought possible. "I'm not going to bloody worship you, demon," the Carson patriarch snarled, staring Zorasto in his elongated, skeletal face. He had never thought himself capable of such courage (not without at least five beers). "We Carsons may not be perfect -- and the one you used to bring me here least of all -- but we're not idiots. Worship is for creatures greater than ourselves, not just more powerful. And you're hardly greater than anyone. You're just a bully, and you ain't getting one hosanna out of me, that I promise you!" William Carson expected to die in that moment, and he closed his eyes so that his deathmask would be peaceful, but Zorasto did not strike. Instead the demon cursed and raised his towering shadow over the defiant mortal, and the darkness that fell on William Carson was as cold and cruel as a winter storm. The Carson recoiled. "I may not be permitted to force worship upon you, or else it ceases to be real, but you are still my chattel! You wll never escape this place, until I am satisfied that you are utterly broken. Then I shall cast you onto the earth so that all mankind may see what a miserable creature I have made, a harbinger of all mankind for the time when earth falls unto my dominion." "Bold words demon." William Carson fought through the cold to manage one last gesture of defiance. "Doesn't erase your failure, though." Zorasto screamed, muttered something unintelligible, a curse about undoing Armageddon and a string of blasphemies directed at the Most High. "I have a hundred schemes in motion!" the demon proclaimed. "This one has occupied enough of my time, for now." he said. Then he departed in a fury of fire and smoke, believing that he had left William Carson and the broken angel to languish in their twin solitudes for years to come. But William Carson felt a slight relief as the shadow lifted from him. He turned to his fellow prisoner, who lay writhing on the ground. "Sorry," he said. "Wish I could help." The slender angel moaned and then, to William's astonishment, lifted himself to his feet despite the pain of his broken and beaten body. "Your spirit of defiance does more for me than you can imagine," the angel said. The fair lilt of the angel's voice, on which a faint echo of heaven's song could be heard, was like meat and drink to William, by far a better meal than the stale bread and brackish water that his prison provided for him. He sighed and found comfort in the voice, for although the angel could not hide the pain in his voice, even the agony of the ascended held delight. "You speak?" "I have long whispered to thee, third-born Carson, though I spake to thy soul and not your ears. No need do I have for words, unlike that vain posturer." William Carson chuckled. "I don't like him much either." Neviel nodded. "Know that thy spirit is thine own, for all souls are a gift of thy Creator, and not a commodity to be bartered, despite your tales. That is a lie that comes from the demon Belial, who has ensnared many with that belief. Zorasto merely emulates the lords of the All-Hells." "So Jack and Craig are free from him as well?" "Verily, at least in some measure. Some courts and principalities may respect the contract, but no more than that. In making his bargain Zorasto overreached his authority. as demons are wont to do." "My wife is dead," William said. "Or was that a lie of Zorasto's?" Neviel began to straighten and strengthen his limbs. "It was not." he said sadly. "And my sons?" "Their lives will ever be filled with peril and pain," Neviel stated, and within William's mind, images of times yet to come danced. The man gasped as he felt waves of emotion rush over him: his grown sons, kicking ass, fighting a good fight. "Death shall prowl at their feet like a wolf, joy will be great, but fleeting. In time, glory shall be showered onto them. They shall be proclaimed as heroes, and all who call them by that name will speak truly, though neither shall love the word." He smiled at William and said in a low voice. "Do not despair. Have faith that heaven compensates for their pain and rewards those who courageously pursue justice." "I have no faith in heaven," William said. "Just look at you. Heaven left one of their own to be tortured by that pig?" Neviel shook his head. "Judge not the unjudgeable until all things have been revealed, mortal." "Screw that," William Carson replied. "Screw all your games and wars, and good vs. evil crap. I don't need faith in heaven. I have faith in my boys. Zorasto isn't going to know what hit him." He sighed. "I just wish I knew I was going to see them again." "You shall." "Is that your third prophecy?" "I do not need the words of the Most High to tell me of what is obvious." the angel stated. "No prison can hold one who possesses thy spirit. The will of any man who would pay the price that you have paid cannot be restrained forever. Verily, you shall see them, though the price may be greater than thou knowst." William sighed. "Do you offer any words of hope that don't come with a catch?" "In a world that is fallen, no such words may truthfully be spoken." Neviel said. "But take heart! For..." "Look," William Carson said. "In the nine years I've been trapped in this godforsaken place, the one thing I haven't missed are the sermons that Eilly used to drag me to. All I know is there's a big demon out there who's out to-- well, conquer the world and transform it into Hell-- and my boys are on the front lines." Neviel looked out in the desolate plains of the plains with the insight of his prophecies and the whispers of truth that came to his ears. "Not all of his designs will fail. Indeed, Zorasto will cause a great deal of trouble. Any being who would raise a fist at heaven is not to be underestimated. Yet do not be troubled. For I share thy faith in thy sons, and moreso in the heroes that shall gather around them, valiant men and women who will oppose the darkness, both without and within." William Carson nodded and went back to working on a thin crust of bread. In hell. despair isn't an emotion, it's part of the geography. Navigating from despair to hope was hungry work, even for a Carson.
  3. Re: Question for Dean Shomshak Another Q. "I have a question regarding the knowledge that the Imaginal Realms are known to be imaginal. Who would know that, and how prevalent would that knowledge be? Would anyone studying the Astral Plane know?"
  4. A video that a friend made for another friend's character.
  5. Re: Supervillain Monologues Those are quotes out of the Champions Online Circle of Justice game I run. I used the Warmonger from Champions Beyond, tweaked him slightly (I essentially made him a more military-focused version of Darkseid; the STAS characterization in "Apocalips Now" and "Legacy" were my big influences), and gave him heralds in the form of psionically empowered weapons that required a host to wield. These heralds ranged from a sword used by a Sirian leader on Mars to attack the Star*Guard and Ares I; a gun from a "great weapons of history" exhibit, a spear used by the Golden Hunters that played a decisive role in the Malvan/Elder Worm war (and which did not want to serve the Warmonger), an energy gun offered to VIPER-X, a gauntlet with powers of mental domination that was seized by an alien warlord, and a mace used by a renegade Mole-Man to gain vengeance on the surface world. The heroes realized they couldn't face Warmonger directly, but negotiated a tournament where a team of champions would battle his champions (who were actually mentally dominated heroes who had been exposed to the weapons), with Warmonger agreeing to postpone his campaign against Earth for 500 years (unless invited to come by human authorities; this is my way to justify his return if Cryptic ever uses him). The heroes won (in a scenario that played out with over 30 players; though I really never want to run anything that epic again), but Warmonger pulled a stunt with pre-planted empathy bombs (like Darkseid, Warmonger had no problems with petty schemes involving menial criminals: all struggles exist on the same scale to him) that would have caused earth to descend into chaos. With help from the Champions and SOCRATES, the heroes disarmed the bombs (freeing an agonized telepathic alien that the Warmonger was using as a literal killswitch), thereby saving Christmas, every other holiday, and the whole human race. Though the scheme may have only been an elaborate way of jerking the collective chain of earth's superheroes for his amusement. In the end, Warmonger left earth to enjoy the delightful ambiance of the Perseid/Hzeel War, but left a few toys and agents behind: that's a story for another day. (Currently they're embroiled in the labyrinthine schemes of the demon lord Zorasto to go back in time and use several artifacts purchased in Babylon to filter out anyone with a heroic impulse from benefiting from the 1938 ritual that created superhumans). This is what I used for Warmonger's in-game appearance. [ATTACH=CONFIG]44998[/ATTACH]
  6. Re: Supervillain Monologues Some ones from the recent Warmonger storyline, featuring everyone's favorite bloody skinned cosmic embodiment of strife. Some of these are more dialogue than monologue, but I thought they worked. -------------- Warmonger: "This is a suitable species, Militarily capable, sound tactical mind, courageous. They will make excellent soldiers for my campaign against the universe." Grimoire: "This is not something I wanted to deal with right now. God. Damnit." Warmonger: "You would like me to damn what?" ------- Warmonger: "Since the beginning of time, the universe has been survival of the fittest. I play the great cosmic game to win. I am called by many names. I am War, Conflict, Strife. I am the Survivor. I am the Struggle. You may call me... I believe Warmonger will do." ------- Metal Maiden. "I believe humanity would like to forge its own destiny without a firm outsider hand." Warmonger; “”Excellent. I could not hope for a better attitude. The more spirited the stallion, the better they will be when they're broken." --------- Warmonger (to Astron): "You will not be given a choice to join me. Because of your mongrel heritage, your obliteration is assured. For now, however, I will take my presence elsewhere. I will come for your world soon. Let the strong prepare... and the weak pray.” ---------- Warmonger (after his herald's defeat, stepping through a portal, and throwing down the comatose body of the Emissary, an extremely powerful heroine): "You harmed my emissary. I harmed yours. Reciprocity." Miko Wentworth: "The gun was your emissary?" Warmonger: "Yes, I have many gifts for those whose hearts turn to war. The assassination of your president may have started a glorious one." ------------- Warmonger: "This world is a fire, flames to be fanned and brought to full blaze.” ------------ Warmonger: "Boast if you must. Most soldiers do on the eve of battle. The day shall reveal whether they are justified." --------- Warmonger: "I will depart, but your decision is unfortunate, Especially given that fool Blank's failure in the warehouse. When you heard me and that gang member discussing the orbs, you did not think to inquire what they were. About this planet, I have scattered orbs of aggression. In twenty minutes they will go off, triggering madness across the planet. The conflict will rage across your world. When you fail... perhaps in five hundred years, when I return, your species will be primed to become my soldiers." --------- Warmonger: "Well played, but consider this. I promised to spare the earth. But someday soon, your people will leave this planet and enter my domain, and become mine. Think on that champions of earth. Your future belongs to the Warmonger."
  7. For those who think of MMO RP as very different than tabletop, I thought I'd post a transcript of one of our sessions. Warning: long and the narrative may be hard to follow at times. COJ Issue 16: Boreal Summer Cast of Characters Our Heroes Thundrax: (Craig) Strongman with a few superpowers, veteran Canadian superhero. Canadian Fist: Young but powerful magic manipulating heroine. Divael: (Nat). Quebec-born superheroine who mixes magic (mostly healing and restraint) and gadgets. Lightbrand: Light-wielding mutant and light manipulator. Raichi: Samurai, new to the hero community. Razira: Mutant wolf-woman with tremendous electrical powers. Ryder Williams: Ninja on the side of good. Wolfgirl: (Sarah) Powerful werewolf with an attitude. Our Villains Borealis: Rabid Canadian nationalist villain with a light powers and a messiah complex. Augury: Former superheroine, now Borealis's lieutenant. The Landsman: Mystically endowed (?) golem servant of the ancient Land-Spirit, now serving Borealis. Bobcat: Young female mutant, fanatical follower of Borealis. Mike the Sasquatch: Sasquatch in the service of Borealis. Manitou (II): Cree shaman, allied to Borealis. Our adventure. On the heels of their epic victory over the Galaxar Warmonger, the COJ takes a break. But soon, a new problem, very close to Millennium, raises its head... Thundrax: Folks, I have a situation in southern Ontario. StarForce is dealing with another problem... there's a sudden wave of extreme cold outside the town of Chatham, and it's spreading fast. Thundrax: Requesting assistance. Razira: That doesn't sound good. Do you have any further information of what to expect? Wolfgirl: ...Hm. Thundrax: It feels cold to me, so my guess is supernatural. Normal cold doesn't affect me. Ice-Heart: Interesting, I would be interested in this. Lightbrand: I'm not too far from there, Thundrax. I'll be a quick flight over. Razira: Likewise. I'm curious what's going on. Wolfgirl: If you're in Mil City, it's just across St. Clair. ...Or around it. I'll be there as soon as I can. Ryder Williams: "I'm enroute." Thundrax: Beyond that, no clue. Divael: Same as people already mentioned... Canadian Fist: "I'm also on my way. Can't quite be a Canadian Hero if I'm only active in Millennium City." Razira: *lands softly in the snow near the others as they start to gather* Wolfgirl: ...Okay. Who left the fridge open? GM: We're in a small city in Southern Ontario, Razira: *frowns as she notices the temperatures* Anyone have access to any sort of fire short of myself? GM: Our heroes gather in the modest city of Chatham, located about halfway between Hamilton and Windsor in the Niagara Peninsula. It's not far from Millennium, and should be enjoying 80 degree weather. Ice-Heart: *Ice-Heart swirls in upon a snowy wind glancing about* Wolfgirl: *shivers a bit and stands a bit closer to Razira* Thundrax: Should be. The temperature is about 10 degrees, and a soft blanket of snow covers the ground. Raichi: *A bolt of lightning strikes the ground and Raichi suddenly appears, surveying the situation as he crackles with electricity* Divael: {Floats over. No special effects included.} Thundrax: "Thanks for coming. It's been dropping for several days. Yesterday it was 40. Ryder Williams: -dismounts from his bike (strikecycle?)- "Chilly in Canada, eh?" Razira: *holds her arms wide and generates an aura of heat around herself* Lovely. Thundrax: Not here, and not in August. Ice-Heart: *Ice-heart frowns, "I thought I felt a disturbance in the north wind..." Thundrax: As a reference, it's 70 right now at the North Pole. Raichi: *He bows to Thundrax and the others respectfully* "Konbanwa." Canadian Fist: Fist rubs her arms a bit. "This costume's designed to keep most of the heat in, but I didn't bring a toque. Hopefully this is--wha?" Thundrax: nods respectfully at Raichi. Canadian Fist: "Seventy? at the North Pole?" Thundrax: In August, not unusual. Divael: {She bows her head to Raichi} Razira: Even Alaska isn't frozen solid all year around. Razira: Quite beautiful in fact during its summer months. Raichi: "The ever-flowing power of the Raichi flows through me. I can stay warm. Though I graciously offer my assistance." Ice-Heart: "Thundrax is correct. Also rather long days during the summer. Great place to go if you are evading certain varieties of vampire." Thundrax: Especially in the era of climate change. Wolfgirl: *reaches into a pouch and produces a chemical heat pouch, bends it and puts it into her pocket, and keeps her hand there* Ice-Heart: "But I digress..." *She glances up at the snow* "We have more pressing matters then discussion of mundane weather." Canadian Fist: "I should really crack open a book that isn't fiction some time..." Lightbrand: Have there been any meteorologists out here lately to check things out? Raichi: "Thunder-San, what is it you wish for our assistance with?" Raichi: "I only wish to help in any way I can." Ice-Heart: *Ice-Heart begins muttering incantations as she does some various magical analysis of the area.* Thundrax: They're baffled Lightbrand, but until last night, this was thought to be natural... we need to find what's causing the disturbance and stop it. Razira: My powers are at your command, Thundrax. Let's see if we can solve this before it gets any worse. Lightbrand: Something doesn't feel right here... Though I guess that's pretty obvious. Raichi: "Would this not be a job better suited for professionals? I doubt I will be of much assistance." Thundrax: We're the pros here, sir. Ice-Heart: *Ice-heart perks her head up* Ice-Heart: "I hear something..." Ice-Heart: "There is a melody on the wind... no an incantation..... something of this land..." Wolfgirl: It's fifty miles from Mil City. It's -warm- there. People thought this was -natural-? Ice-Heart: "Is Ravenspeaker in the area, Thundrax?" Wolfgirl: *sniffs the air and pricks her ears, swiveling them to try to pick up anything unusual* Raichi: *Raichi turns to Ice-Heart, using the Raichi Force to supercharge his hearing* "I do not hear anything." Thundrax: Afraid not, Ice-Heart, and apparently it occurred so gradually that it didn't seem especially unusual until last night. Ice-Heart: "There's magic at work. Sounds native." Thundrax: But Billy's up with the rest of Starforce investigating that... thing. Wolfgirl: So it's up to us, then. Thundrax: Can you lead us, Ice-Heart? Razira: Doing what we do best then - protecting the world. Lightbrand: Yes indeed. Ice-Heart: *The Witch nods, "Can you all transit yourselves rapidly in these conditions?" Thundrax: I can. Razira: *nods* Divael: {Nods her head} Wolfgirl: No problem. Canadian Fist: "Yeah. We going by foot or by flight?" Raichi: "The Raichi shall guide me." Ice-Heart: *She whisks herself off on a frigid breeze following the strange chanting, "'tis almost hypnotic..." She moves low enough to be easily tracked by those on foot.* Thundrax: Flyers stay low to the ground. Lets see if we can get the jump on whoever's causing this. Lightbrand: Understood. Razira: Will do. Raichi: *Raichi crackles with electricity before darting ahead, moving like a bolt of lightning* Ryder Williams: -mounts his bike, he speed up to ride under Ice-Hear keeping pace- GM: The trail is not a long one, It leads to the edge of a tobacco field, where green garbed agents with maple leaves on their uniform sporting conventional weapons are patrolling a perimeter. Thundrax: They have walkie talkies and appear to be communicating with each other... or someone else. Ice-Heart: *Ice-Heart, already flying low settles down gently on the snow, scarcely sinking into it* Wolfgirl: ...*aside, to Thundrax* Mounties? Razira: *comes to a landing upon spotting the guards, hoping that they haven't spotted her rather obvious fiery flying form, despite being low* Thundrax settles behind a bush to avoid being spotted. "Nope. Destiny agents. Borealis's men." Wolfgirl: Lovely. Raichi: *Raichi halts his rushing, looking at the guards* "These men wear the symbol of Canada. Are thy not allies?" Razira: Borealis? Wolfgirl: They're terrorists. Shh. Thundrax: Nope. They're the agents of Canada's most powerful supervillain. Ice-Heart: *Ice-heart waits behind the brush as well* Ryder Williams: -hops off his bike and hides in the bush with Thundrax- "Oh great...what now?" Lightbrand: *under his breath* ...Hell's bells. Thundrax: Borealis. Martin Frobisher. Very powerful light controller. Wants to conquer Canada and reshape it into am enlightened world power. Canadian Fist: Fist would hide in this bush, if it weren't already crowded. She'd settle for one sort of close by to the other one, but much less occupied. Thundrax: He has three known assistants. Augury, my former teammate, a very good telepath and precog. Raichi: "I have yet to have had the pleasure of taking on this villain in combat. Whilst he may control light, I control electricity itself. He shall not emerge the victor." Thundrax: The Landsman, who's stronger than me, and has some really formidable earth powers. Ice-Heart: "I recall them being quite potent. Do not take them lightly." Thundrax: H.E.C.T.O.R., guy in a battlesuit. We have him in custody from the last go round. Wolfgirl: We ran into the lot of them in Toronto. Fun times. Tells some awful fat American jokes. Raichi: "No foe is to be taken lightly. This is a given." Ryder Williams: -sighs- "Alright so...how many are we looking at..." Thundrax: Frobisher is not a big fan of our southern neighbor. Razira: *quietly* Thanks for the information. Sounds like quite the crew. Lightbrand: Wait, none of them have cold powers? Ryder Williams: "Three...ok so who wants to help me take out three guards?" Canadian Fist: "Might be some sort of device or ritual being provided by a contractor of sorts?" She'd say in a hushed tone from her lonely bush. Thundrax: Borealis has a legit, if fringe, political wing. Some people are attracted to his philosophy, including superhumans. Ice-Heart: "None of them are Native American mystics either." Thundrax: That would be my guess. CF. Razira: That must be some device to drop the local temps by that much. Raichi: "There is no room for politics in the world of combat. Let us see if they're as skilled with their arms as they are with their tongues." Ice-Heart: "I will add the voice carried upon the winds was none of those you mentioned Thundrax." Divael: I'd prefer diplomacy over fighting. Rarely able to use that against villains though. {She said quietly in her own corner...} Razira: *looks over to Divael* I'd prefer diplomacy as well. It so rarely happens unfortunately. Raichi: "As well it should be. Diplomacy only gets you so far before things must be settles in honorable combat." *He crackles with electricity, eager to fight.* Canadian Fist: Fist looks over to Ryder as she sticks a finger out of the bush, pointing it at one of the guards. "Just say when and I'll get him in the kneecaps." Wolfgirl: Less talk, more rock. Keep up, if you can! *she launches from her hiding spot at high speed* Thundrax: Well, Borealis *is* a talker. But he's very sure of his convictions. Canadian Fist: "I guess that counts as when!" Raichi: *He watches Wolfgirl go* "She charges in with wild abandon, like a fool. Have we no plan?" Ryder Williams: "Wait...shit." Razira: *curses as Wolfgirl launches off* Divael: {Decides to shut herself up, since people seem too eager to fight} Ice-Heart: *The witch frowns seeing the wolf rush in and gestures her hand with an incantation attempting to whip the snow up about the patrollers into a sudden cloud to obscure their vision, help give Wolfgirl Ice-Heart: a good ambush* Ryder Williams: "...Grr..." -he engages his stealth, becoming invisible thermally and visibly, he moves into the soldiers- GM: Sarah charges into the guards with grim abandon. Two of them make the patented Johnny Quest mook "Aieeee!" before they go down. One starts to call in, but Ryder can pretty easily dispatch them. When the snow settles from Iceheart's spell, three bodies lie face down in the snow. Ryder Williams: "Never. Do that. Again." -he glares at Wolfgirl- Ice-Heart: *She strides down to the scuffle casually* "At least in these conditions I have plenty to work with." Wolfgirl: *rolls her neck* We can stand around and wait for these guys to reach absolute zero, or we can act. -I- act. Raichi: "Enough chatter. Let us continue on to the next battle." Thundrax: A woman's voice comes out of one of the walkie talkies. "Oh Craig..." Wolfgirl: ... Razira: ...! Raichi: "There is no need for blame, only for learning from one's mistakes." Canadian Fist: Fist puts her finger away, letting out a soft sigh. "If this were Metal Gear Solid, we'd be swarming in guards right now." She strides over to the group with a sigh. Ice-Heart: "Confound it, there's no surprising a team with Augery." Wolfgirl: *picks up a walkie talkie and hands it to Thundrax* It's for you. Divael: {Proceeds to bind Borrealis' minions, hands and feet, humming quietly to herself;} Better safe then sorry. Thundrax sighs as he hears the voice of his traitorous ex-teammate. "You really don't want to interfere this time, honest, Craig." Augury says. Raichi: "Then we have lost the element of surprise! Now we must charge in and overpower our foes!" Divael: Calm your boxers. {To Raichi} Wolfgirl: Now -that- sounds like a bad plan. Ryder Williams: "Well, not exactly." Canadian Fist: "We gotta find them first. Unless they'll just set up a big neon sign that says 'Punch Us! We're right here!'" Ryder Williams: "Charging in blind is always a bad plan." -glances to Wolfgirl again- Raichi: "We cannot wait around exposed either." GM: suddenly a pair of earthen hands reach out of the ground, grab Craig, and pull him under! A fissure closes over him! Razira: *looks around, a worried expression passing over her features, as she tries to track down any other hostiles* Ice-Heart: "Keep the squabbling dow-- 'SBLOOD!" Lightbrand: Oh, bugger. Wolfgirl: There's blind, and then there's standing around with your thumbs up your... *her ears swivel* Razira: *curses and launches herself into the air* Wolfgirl: ...What the -hell- was that? Raichi: "They thin our numbers. We must get to safer ground." *He growls, looking around* GM: Meanwhile, rising out of the snow, are a pack of what look suspiciously like Calvin and Hobbes snowmen, one for each of you! Wolfgirl: ...Oh, you have -got- to be shitting me. Razira: Snowmen? Seriously? Lightbrand: Frosty's Revenge... Canadian Fist: "Mr Carson!" Fist looks to the snowmen that appear with a glower. "Get out of the way or you'll regret it!" She'd throw forward a blast of dimensional energy at the snowman directly in front of her- Canadian Fist: aiming to take out its midsection. Raichi: "Snow against the sudden heat of lightning? This is already over." *He charges up his Raichi and fires a stream of powerful electricity at his snowman* Ryder Williams: "...Oh great..." -he draws his blades- "Well at least I don't need to worry about keeping them alive." -he dashes at the snowman crossing it with his right blade the spinning around to impale it with Ryder Williams: his left- Razira: *throws her hands forward and a barrage of firebolts launch forth, straight for her target* Wolfgirl: *pulls the warm-pak from her pocket and in a fluid motion impales it on an arrow, nocks it, and lets it fly into a two-headed mutant snowman. The packet bursts and the hot chemicals spill all over the Wolfgirl: ice golem* Divael: {Blinks. And decides to send forth her floaty-shield to smack that snowman, nearest to herself.} Lightbrand: *generates a rapidly-expanding burst of hard light within another snowman, exploding it in a magical reverse snowglobe!* Ice-Heart: "For a being of snow you've made a poor choice in enemies." *She gestures sharply at the inbound snowman with a word of command, attempting to usurp the control of the snow that makes it up, tear it Ice-Heart: apart* Thundrax: The snowmen fall to pieces in various spectacular ways, some getting an ineffectual strike against you before they fall. Raichi: "I do not care to fight minions all day." *He kicks at some melting snow* "Where are the villains?" Canadian Fist: "Screw that! Where's Mr. Carson?! We have to rescue him!" Wolfgirl: I'm with her. Where's Craig? Ice-Heart: *Ice-heart scowls, "Filth and foul! We need to save him." Thundrax: The earth is shaking, as below the surface, Thundrax and the Landsman are slugging it out. Raichi: "We find the villains, we find Carson." Razira: Agreed. Anyone have any way to dig him out? Ice-Heart: *Ice-heart looks down, "He has some fight in him yet..." Canadian Fist: "I can blast away at the spot he disappeared. Might take a few minutes to get down that far, depending on how deep he is." Ice-Heart: "'tis summer and of a low latitude there is no frost in this ground for me to exploit." Wolfgirl: ...Don't think we have time, now. Okay. I say we make for Borealis. I want to see if he has any better redneck jokes than last time. Razira: And leave Thundrax behind? Raichi: "He is strong. He can fend for himself." Lightbrand: He won't go down without a fight. Wolfgirl: *listens to the sounds of battle below* ...Hang in there, Craig. Raichi: "We must move quickly to find the others." Ice-Heart: "Well I know how to get to the source of this." Ice-Heart: "I do not kow how to easily retrieve Thundrax." Razira: *grumbles, not happy at the thought of leaving anyone behind* Canadian Fist: "...She has a point. We find Borealis, we can subdue him and make him call off his goon squad. Let's get him and break his legs, or something." Lightbrand: He's keeping Landsman busy for us while we take on the rest. Borealis is losing people quickly. Raichi: "Then let us strike now, whilst the iron is hot!" Ice-Heart: "Unless anyone has a better course of action i am heading for the source of the chanting." Raichi: "We waste time talking." Razira: Let us move then. Divael: Lead the way. {Nods to Ice-Heart} Ice-Heart: Ice-heart floats up a snowy breeze floating low to the gorund tracking the source of the incantation. Raichi: *Raichi follows her, speeding behind her as a bolt of lightning* Razira: *watches Ice-Heart as she moves forward, keeping an eye on the other heroes below* Canadian Fist: Fist follows close behind, dimensional energy crackling all about her form. Ryder Williams: -follows closely behind, keeping close- Wolfgirl: *sticks with the group, following close behind and below Razira* Lightbrand: Stealth cast aside, Lightbrand glows like a beacon through the weather. Thundrax: You head into the heart of the field, which is obscured by snow and ice winds. It only takes you a few seconds to see, about fifty yards away, Borealis, flanked by Augury, a rather nerdy looking guy, and a woman who looks like a werelynx. Raichi: "There. I can use my power to arrive at his location in a second. Let us strike him down whilst we have some element of surprise." Thundrax: The nerd is huddled in a parka. He looks very small and unimpressive, and.. is that tape holding together his glasses? Wolfgirl: *narrows her eyes at the therianthrope and takes a sniff of the air, trying to gather what information she can from it* GM: Augury is wearing furs over her normal costume and rocking the Emma Frost look. Ice-Heart: *Ice-Heart says quietly, "Who is that lynx..." Razira: *stays in the skies for now, her hands at the ready as she looks at the crew through the weather* Raichi: "Another foe to be defeated...Let us strike!" Canadian Fist: "Wait. Let's try the diplomacy thing first." Wolfgirl: Hey look, it's Otacon. You were saying... uhh... whoever said that about Metal Gear? Thundrax: In the center of the field there is a vortex of whirling snow and ice. Raichi: "They have already attacked us. Diplomacy is not on their minds." Canadian Fist: "Just cool it a sec. If anything, he'll monologue and spill the beans on why he's doing this." Ice-Heart: *The Witch sighs, "All in favor of Parlay say aye, all against Nay." Lightbrand: That way we get an ambush *and* a confession. Wolfgirl: Blah blah, strong independent Canada. I've heard it already. Divael: Aye. Raichi: "The why is not important. All that matters is that we stop him." Raichi: "And Nay." Canadian Fist: "The why is important. Aye." Lightbrand: Aye. Wolfgirl: My vote is, we give him a chance to surrender. If he doesn't, we feed him snow until he does. Raichi: "Hrm...Fine." Razira: Maybe they'll give up. We do outnumber them. I doubt it, but we have to try. Much less painful. Wolfgirl: Don't underestimate this guy, Raz. He threw us around like ragdolls in Toronto. Ice-Heart: "The Aye's have it parlay it is." *She strides forward calling out, "Just what do you hope to achieve with this weather?" GM: "Careful, Martin. We're not yet passed the tipping point." Augury is heard to say as the heroes approach. Raichi: "Physical confrontation is an inevitability anyway. If they wish to delude themselves into believing that diplomacy will save the day, I shall play along." Wolfgirl: Strong independent Canada. I told you this. Wolfgirl: *rolls her eyes* Razira: Thanks for the warning. GM: "Ah," Borealis says. "Obama's pet wolf." Divael: {Glances over at Raichi} Hearing you talking like that, I'm tempted to believe even grocery involves a fight or two. Canadian Fist: Fist would land in the field, near Borealis and his crew. "Why are you doing this? There are better and peaceful ways to convey whatever junk you're trying to spread today." Wolfgirl: Hi Boringalis. Been looking through old newspapers, I see. Wolfgirl: *wiggles her fingers in a mock-wave* Canadian Fist: "What have these fine people done to deserve an early end to summer?" Ryder Williams: -he remains in the back, engaging his cloaking, once again thermally and visibly invisible, he remains silent waiting for the opportunity to strike- Raichi: *He appears in a strike of lightning next to Ice-Heart* "Already he uses fighting words." *He turns to Divael* "Life is an eternal conflict. I merely seek that conflict out." Divael: {She land, not too far form the others} That's your beliefs, sir. It would be better if you don't shove it down other throats by constantly saying things like you did moments ago. Borrealis: "Unfortunately... *eyes Canadian Fist's costume* Thundress? This has nothing to do with my crusade to achieve an enlightened political state. This is what you term.. an intervention. Razira: An intervention for what? Raichi: "And I'd rather you not try to stop me from following my beliefs, but you do." Ice-Heart: "Are you the cause of this blizzard?" Borealis: For the earth. Wolfgirl: Oh, here we go. Borealis: No. Manitou is. Ice-Heart: *She sighs, "If this is about global warming you are enacting far too course an adjustment." Canadian Fist: "Wait, did you just call me Thundress?!" Her eyebrow would twtich for a moment. "I don't know if I should be offended that you don't know my name, or honoured that you'd consider me a female Thundrax. Borealis: Am I? I suppose if I didn't have a precog to warn me when I'm going too far, it could be a disaster. Fortunately... I do. Wolfgirl: Wait. Manitou. Are you saying demons are doing this? Raichi: *He glares, angrily* "Stop this, madman. You cannot treat nature as your plaything." Divael: I do not. {She shrugs a bit over to Raichi} It's just that doing so might just make your own allies feel less friendly towards you... But yeah, I'll shut up now. My comments aren't welcome. Canadian Fist: "And why are you carrying out this intervention?" Borealis: A spirit elder empowered by the forces of nature... and do I really need to explain to you the reality of climate change? Wolfgirl: Everyone hold up for a moment. Okay. What's your intentions here, Borealis? And skip to the end, please. Raichi: "This will not alert anyone to the perils of climate change. This will only alert them to your madness." Canadian Fist: Fist shakes her head. "No. I was just expecting something more....iunno. Villainish?" Raichi: "Which shall inevitably lead to conflict." Ice-Heart: "Not only that this can not be good for any local crops for your people in this area." Borealis: Carefully controlled fissures to the Frost Tomb, at six strategically chosen points on earth, open for several weeks, will provide a small counterbalance to the devastations of industry, Razira: *frowns* Borealis: But can be safely closed without lasting harm. You are correct that it will inconvenience the locals severely. Wolfgirl: ...Oh, -bull shit-. No. The Frost Tomb? ...You're insane. Insaner than usual. And that... is saying something. Lightbrand: And you don't think you're going to wake anything up?! Thundrax: The fissures are microsized. I've been *very* careful. Ice-Heart: "The Frost Tomb? even with Augery's aid I am not reassured on this plan." Wolfgirl: Kigitilik doesn't care about the climate, he only wants to envelop the earth in ice! Raichi: "Enough idle chatter. He stands as resolute in his beliefs as we do in ours. We should simply take him." Razira: You do realize that your plan would no doubt cause havok across all local weather systems nearby, right? Borealis: Kigatilik is not the power to be feared there... he's only a servant of the Ice. I am aware of all the consequences. That is why I have been very careful. The only uncontrollable wild card is you. Wolfgirl: *nocks an arrow and points it at Borealis* I'm with the lightning guy. Surrender or eat explosion, Borealis. Canadian Fist: "I have to say, this does sound like a bad plan. I mean, if you had to go and take measures against Thundrax's intervention, you probably already know you're doing something wrong." Razira: I agree. Raichi: "It is not worth the risk simply to make a statement." Divael: {Idly checks out her shield... Then raises an eyebrow. Takes out a tissue from -somewhere- and starts rubbing her shield. Still pays attention though} Ice-Heart: "You really do not have a grasp of the power you are toying with here." Raichi: "Let us move now, before it is too late!" Boreaalis: May I ask what leads you to that conclusion, witch? Wolfgirl: *narrows her eyes and continues to point her weapon at the supervillain* Ice-Heart: "he is not mere a servant of ice, he is the personification of all that is cold and bleak in winter. He is Xan'Xagrnge, he is Aeskaldr, he is a force of nature." Raichi: *He grits his teeth, crackling with electricity as he gets ready to lunge* Lightbrand: And he's really gonna mess up everyone's day. Borealis: He is... but what he serves is greater. The spirit of the Ice Age, which the Land overthrew fifteen thhousand years ago. Divael: {Inspects her shield after the rubbing, blinking some more. Then puts the tissue away} Wolfgirl: Last chance. If your next words aren't 'I give up', there's nothing else to say. Raichi: "I support her statement." Borealis: Tell me heroes, what are you doing while the earth is burning? Divael: Buckets of water and sunglasses. {Thumbs up} Razira: There are ways to help the Earth as a whole. What you are doing is trying to force the issue. You have no right to play God. Raichi: "That does not sound like I give up to me." *He walks forward, charging his Raichi in preparation for his attack* Canadian Fist: "Call off your lapdogs, sir. There's no reason for this to come to blows when we're all mostly mature and responsible adults." Ice-Heart: "Leaving it to experts who I hope will not take brash sudden actions. I mean everyone thought DDT was a great idea when it was invented. And everyone thought industrialization was perfectly fine. Canadian Fist: Fist would then sigh as she caught sight of Raichi. "Most of us." Ice-Heart: Lack of foresight has put us in this situation." Borealis: What gave the companies the right to play god? At least I'm not lining my pockets or polluting the Gulf in an obscene lust for profit. Wolfgirl: What am I doing while the world burns? ...Fighting fires. *she looses the arrow* (it is a concussive explosive.) GM: The explosive arrow goes off as Borealis quickly raises a force barrier to stop it. Raichi: *Raichi dashes forward at a high speed, attempting to send a lightning kick at Augury* Ryder Williams: -comes out of stealth next to the group, sighing- "You know this conversation is REALLY stale and I HATE monologuers." Divael: Only a monologue if there's one person talking. {Nods nods} GM: The nerdy kid screams and suddenly transforms into --- a 12' tall sasquatch! Canadian Fist: "We shouldn't be fighting guys like holy hell! Sasquatch!" Lightbrand: Whoa...! Nerdrage! Wolfgirl: Oh, bug-- Razira: That was unexpected. Raichi: "Ah yes! A challenge!" Divael: Why is it never a giant chicken? GM: Borealis looks at Divael and almost says "thank you." Ryder Williams: "Fair enough...but still this bickering is stupid." Divael: {Shrugs humbly at Borealis, blinking} Eh? Canadian Fist: "We're not bickering! We're attempting to have meaningful dialogue to solve our disputes....though we should hurry along before Mr. Carson is hurt!" Raichi: "-Now- you are interested in being time-efficient." Wolfgirl: Dibs on the bobcat! *she launches herself at the werelynx, claws outstretched* Raichi: *Raichi appears behind Augury, crackling fiercly with electricity as he attempts to send a double kick at her* Razira: *Razira deems the Sasquatch to be the biggest threat, but only to those who are on the ground. She flies far out of his reach as she tries to get its attention by peppering it with fireballs.* Ryder Williams: -Ryder appears behind Borealis, dealing a roundhouse kick- "Surprise!" GM: Mike the Sasquatch growls at Raz. "Hey! My fur! Stop that!" Razira: Then why don't you come up here and do something about it. *she grins* GM: Augury is ready for Raichi's kick, but knowing you'll be attacked and dodging are two different things. The blow glances off her. She looks annoyed. Raichi: "You dress like a common street whore. Have you no honour, woman?" GM: Bobcat and Wolfgirl leap into each other in a ball of fur and claws. Wolfgirl: *while mauling and being mauled by Bobcat* And snow pants! Has she no snow pants! GM: Nyte's blow catches Borealis hard in the back, but you feel a really powerful force field cushioning him. GM: Borealis withdraws, teleporting in a flash of light, to the frost vortex. He places a globe of force over it to protect it. GM: Also, an electronic floating globe suddenly pops out of the ground and spies the group. Borealis: "Anaximander -- entertain them." Thundrax: A sound on the wind is building, a chant: "Kêhtêyiniw mayipipon petaw eh mikoset... Kêhtêyiniw mayipipon petaw eh mikoset..." Ice-Heart: *Ice-Heart vanishes in a swirl of snow, reappearing near the sphere of force. She speaks with a hint of menace, "I am Lenora Carver, Witch of the North Winds. You children are playing in my domain." Ice-Heart: *She clears her mind focusing her power with a sweeping gesture of her arms and an incantation of her own she starts gathering all the frigid might she can. GM: A voice issues from the vortex: "Before the white man came, the lands and winds were ours. We did not cause the earth to scream. You are the trespasser, not I.' Lightbrand: "Let's see if I've gotten any better at this game." Lightbrand attempts to bend and twist the light in Borealis' field to tear a rift for Ice-Heart to work through. Lightbrand: ...But LB's taken aback by the sudden voice! Ryder Williams: -he directs his attention to the drone, drawing his blades he dashes and slashes- Raichi: "Great. Complications." Razira: You seem surprised. Ice-Heart: *The Witch appears unperturbed. Lightbrand: ...Wasn't expecting it to talk! GM: The drone is badly damaged, as it begins to suddenly project reruns of Saturday Night Fever as a hologram around Nytestrike. "En-ter-tain, en-ter-tain." GM: Lightbrand begins to warp the light field... a bit easier now that Borealis isn't aurora supercharged, but he stops when the voice comes. Ryder Williams: "Well, what the hell is this?" Thundrax: Mike leaps to the corner of the field, grabs a tractor and hurls it at Raz. Razira: *with her attention upon the giant Sasquatch, she dodges out of the way of the incoming tractor - but not by much. He has a heck of a throwing arm.* Canadian Fist: Fist taps her cin for a moment as she studies the field Mr. B has put up around the vortex. She takes to the sky in a blright burst of dimensional energy and extends her hands towards the forcefield.- Canadian Fist: The young paranormal would start gathering a large amount of dimensional enrgy before her, all the while humming the 'mana-mana' theme. "Hmmm hmmm hm hm hm." Divael: {She assumes a defensive stance as she holds her shield in front of herself, which seems to deploy into a bigger shield. With one hand free, she makes some finger movements accompanied with quiet > Divael: >chanting to sheath her allies, and herself, with protective forcefields of her own} Divael: Support mode activated. Boop. Lightbrand: Did you just say "boop"? GM: CF is gathering energy. but she's finding the land is resisting her efforts. Meanwhile, Div's force fields go up afound the group. GM: Meanwhile Raichi -- and only Raichi -- perceives in the distance a troubling sight. His celestial home, drenched in smoke and flames, attacked by an army of Asian demons. GM: You're not sure what brought it to mind... Raichi: *Raichi is taken aback for a bit before narrowing his eye and gritting his teeth, furiously* "My training tells me that this is not real, and I know the influence of a telepath when I see it, but if it is all the same to you..." *He turns to face Augury, his eyes crackling with electricity* "I'm going to destroy you anyway." *With that, he charges his Raichi and, with a fluid kick at the air, Raichi: sends a furious dragon made entirely of electricity at the telepath, roaring furiously as he does so. The dragon would attempt to snap her up in its maw. If unsuccessful, it would merely lash at and coil around her as best it could* Wolfgirl: *snarls, plants her feet and attempts to give Bobcat a throw into a nearby tree* Razira: *growls at the tractor-toss and counters by first launching a powerful bolt of fire at Mike's feet, and then quickly following it up with one of ice - trying to melt the snow underfoot and then freezing it so the giant might slip and fall.* GM: Mike slips and falls comically to the ground. Augury is too fast to be dragon mawed, but you begin to wrap yourself around her. GM: Wolfgirl's throw is true. Bobcat lands hard against a tree; she manages to regain her footing, but she's clearly hurt. Mike: "Hey! No fair, eh!" Wolfgirl: *beckons* Here, kitty kitty... Bobcat: Mrowr! Wolfgirl: *a rather disturbingly tooth-filled grin breaks her face* Lightbrand: *His concentration returned, Lightbrand returns to the task at hand: bringing down that force field!* Ryder Williams: -with the drone being, well, stupid, Ryder waste no time in dismantling it- "Poorly manufactured crap..." Ice-Heart: *Frigid energy swirls around Ice-Heart as she continues gathering power* "Boreas, herald of the north wind, heed my call. Sway not to the rash actions of self-assured mortals." Manitou: "Father Wind, hear the voice of your faithful servant. Do not heed the words of the stranger to our land. Place your blessings on one who is true." GM: Nyte's strike makes sure the disco drone is no longer stayin' alive. Lightbrand manages to open a small tear in the force dome. Canadian Fist: Fist would furrow her brow as she found the dimensional energy difficult to gather. "Come on! We need to do this, peoples' lives are counting on us! Mister Carson is counting on us! WE MUST NOT FAIL HIM!" Fist would try to pull the energy from wherever she could, including pulling in energy from other dimensions. Mainly the Astral, since it's closest. Damn them charge up attacks. Divael: {Since a certain Bobcat's been recently thrown and knocked up perhaps pretty badly, she decides to chant a spell that would magically bind the Lynx person in transparent, golden coils} Thundrax: The energy continues to resist both CF2 and Ice-Heart, as the spirits seem more inclined to Manitou than you. But it's only a slight drop off, as if the spirits were divided on the wisdom and-- Thundrax: necessity of Borealis's plan. Raichi: "Carson? Innocent people are counting on us! Carson is irrelevant." GM: The coils ensnare Bobcat, who is caught firmly. Augury suddenly vanishes from Raichi's grasp. Divael: People participating in saving said people's lives are irrelevant? I'll remember that, sir. Wolfgirl: *finding Bobcat restrained, Wolfgirl takes the opportunity to go for a sucker punch knockout.* GM: Bobcat is KOed. Wolfgirl: *{WHAM!} says the caption!* Divael: {Flinches at the WHAMing, but raises her thumb at Wolfgirl, still} Raichi: "You know that is not what I meant, but feel free to interpret it however you will." *He detonates the electrical dragon into an explosion of powerful electricity and runs at Mike, attempting to leap Raichi: into the air and come back down with an electrical d-d-d-drill kick* Razira: *with Raz's giant still sprawled upon the icy terrain, she attempts to press her advantage by swooping lower towards Mike, freezing icy binds out of the cold air around his giant hands* Mike: "Hey! Not much fur on those!" GM: Mike's hands are at least momentarily frozen. Giving Raichi a opportunity to hit Mike hard. The huge sasquatch is at least momentarily stunned. Ice-Heart: "I may not tread the soil I was born, but I am no stranger to winter, the season that graces England, Russia, Japan and many other places. The season that empowers me. And I know this. Ice-Heart: In this hemisphere August is not a time for winter and I shall not say otherwise until I start seeing forty degree weather in January. Any mortal who says otherwise is a knave." With that she Ice-Heart: takes her gathered energy and expertly weaves it with decades of experience manipulating ice into a massive stiletto of frost that she slams against the barrier. GM: Ice-Heart presses her case, and seems to sway some spirits. Worming her way inside the force dome, she begins a bizarre wrestling match with Manitou's manipulations. Lightbrand: *Lightbrand is beginning to sweat, even in this cold. Suddenly, he spins upward and hammers at Borealis with a massive blast of light, trying to catch him off-guard and send him flying!* Ryder Williams: -he looks to Borealis- "I'm gonna bring you down." -he raises his left arm and fires twin cables at Borealis to latch onto him- GM: To Ice-Heart, it feels like trying to sprint in an earthquake. Borealis sighs, taking the blow from Lightbrand with a modest Ooof", and then uses his own light field to try to seize control of the cables and wrap them around Ice-Heart. Ice-Heart: *The witch is too focused on a supernatural match to notice the mundane assault she goes flying as the cables snag her, hat falling to the snow, arms that she uses quite liberally for spell gesturing Ice-Heart: bound, "'sblood!" Borealis: One set of restraints deserves another. Canadian Fist: Fist would grimace as some of the energy she had been trying to gather seemed to resist her pull. "This power is supposed to be used to protect people from guys like this! It's not supposed to be used to fuel spells like this that can harm people! Now stop resisting and let's carry out the responsibilities that our duties come with!" With that, she'd attempt one last pull of energy before firing- Canadian Fist: what she had mustered at the opening revealed by Lightbrand, hoping that Mr. B would be too distracted to mount a quick enough response to her attack. Ryder Williams: -as the cables contact ice-heart, they unravel from her and return to Ryder's bracer- "Damn magic..." Divael: {Seeing no specific opportunities for her tricks, she fortifies the protective sheaths on her allies} GM: The cables safely retract, freeing Ice-Heart. GM: CF and Ice-Heart's magics deeply insinuate into the vortex. It begins to slow down. The temperature is starting to rise. GM: Augury reappears. "We've done all we can. They'll have to seal the breach!" GM: Borealis spits a curse. "Unreasoning Americans.." he spits, and he vanishes in a flash of light. Divael: I'm--...! {Blinks} .... Not American. Canadian Fist: "....I'm a Canadian." Raichi: "And I am from the land of the rising sun." Razira: Yes, blame everyone upon us you insane megalomaniac. Come back here! Divael: Land of the rising sun? {She blinks a few times over to Raichi, looking confused} Wolfgirl: I thought it was funny when he kept making redneck jokes about me last time. GM: Augury blinks out as well, leaving behind Mike and an old shaman at the ebbing center of the vortex, Mike is dazed. The shaman looks pissed. Canadian Fist: "Forget about him! We've gotta find Mr. Carson and do something about that vortex. The temperature has risen a bit, but it's still not back to normal." Divael: I honestly don't know what that swirly-icy-thing's about. Canadian Fist: "I don't know either, but it's able to siphon off dimensional energy pretty effectively, making generating and gathering it a pain." Raichi: *Raichi charges his energy and attempts to leap on Mike's back, pumping pure electricity into him if successful* Wolfgirl: ...Huh. *she nocks an arrow --blunt-- and points it at the shaman* You surrender. *-not- spoken as a question* GM: The shaman begins to chant a new incantation. A wolf howl is heard... and Sarah feels herself start to transform into human. GM: Raichi's zap rocks Mike, but he's not down yet. He flails. Razira: *charges forward through the ebbing winds towards the shaman, readying her powers...when suddenly she's wracked in pain as her body starts to forcibly change* Wolfgirl: *Her features twist as her fur starts to recede... but then it stops, and reverses, a fire blazing in her eyes* Wrong answer! *she snarls and looses her arrow...it flies towards the shaman's jaw* Ice-Heart: *Ice-Heart slowly and resolutely advances on the shaman still unweaving the enchantments, and finally accomplishing something in only one line of text from her player. Razira: *Raz loses control of her powers, fully shifts to her human form, and drops to the snow covered ground, leaving a line in the snow a good dozen or two feet long* Ryder Williams: -he raises his right arm at the shaman firing his bola launcher, attempting to entangle the shaman- Lightbrand: Lightbrand wipes his brow and tries to bind the sasquatch's limbs up--gently--in hard light. "Be cool, big guy, your boss is gone now. We don't want to hurt you." Mike: Oh gosh. Well, if you're gonna be nice about it, sure! Divael: {Couldn't help but grin at that} Raichi: *Raichi stands, pouting* "Hmph. I wanted to fight him." Lightbrand: Diplomacy, man. Divael: {Approves with a thumb up. One could almost imagine her thumb grinning just like herself} GM: The bolt hits the shaman, bouncing off the last of his wards, but enabling the bolo to wrap around him. Divael: {She would poof over to Razira, and gives her a doctor's gaze. If injured from the fall, she chants a healing spell. If not, just protectively remains there with her shield, just in case} Canadian Fist: Fist would advance on the shaman, flying over with a telekinetic blade in hand once the bolas wrap around him. She's point the blade at him with an even expression. "You're under arrest." Razira: *Raz looks battered and bruised, but even as Divael starts to chant her healing spell, she could see any visible wounds start to heal themselves up.* GM: The shaman glares hatefully at CF and says nothing, but does nothing either. Ice-Heart's spell begins to work to seal the rift, but it's rough ggoing. Invisible spirits from the Frost Tomb begin tearing and trying to widen the rupture. A large, painful cut forms on her face, GM: Meanwhile, the ground opens up, and an unconscious Thundrax is thrown out of his own chasm. A hand of mud and muscle attempts to grab Raichi and pull him underground. Divael: {In which case, she just keeps her defensive stand} Wolfgirl: *unable to do much to help seal the rift itself, Wolfgirl runs over to Razira to protect her* Divael: {Upon seeing the grabby mud-muscle hand, she calls upon her only offensive spell known...! She conjures a magical brick, which is thrown at the hand in the process} Meanie! Razira: *stands and lets out an inhuman sounding growl, her body repairing itself quickly. She tosses a pair of anger powered firebolts towards the Shaman, striking back in revenge.* Raichi: *Raichi flips away from the hand and lands beside Thundrax* "So, Carson was not enough for you? Very well then. I shall be your next opponent." *With that, he attempts to dive into the fissure to confront the Landsman* Wolfgirl: *grabs Raz by the shoulder* Raz! Stop! GM: Raichi and the Landsman disappear underground as the earth shakes. You basically find yourself in a wrestling match with something that's half-hulk, half-earth elemental, on his home turf. Lightbrand: "Go with God, Aggressive Negotiator." Raichi: *He lands* "Your turf. Your advantage. Good. Evens the odds." GM: The fire bolts seer the shaman. He screams and goes into shock. Ice-Heart: Ice-Heart winces as she takes a slash to the face, "Anyone with an iota of magical talent ought to focus their attention here. The frost tomb resents being resealed." Wolfgirl: *grabs Razira before she's able to do more harm to the shaman* Save it for someone who isn't subdued! ...Raz, hey. You're healed up already. It's okay! GM: The rupture atround the shaman is visible and still not closed. Razira: *turns to swat away Wolfgirl's hand, then realizes what she's about to do and what she just did in a fit of anger* Divael: {She looks over to Ice-Heart, then the rupture. She would let her shield retract, places it on her back, then focuses on aiding to seal it} Razira: *collects herself, then answers Ice-Heart* Not magic - just fire and ice projection. Unless that will help. Thundrax: Craig lies on the ground, caked in mud and badly beaten. He's barely conscious and shivering, almost curling into a ball. Divael: Somebody tend to Craig or take my place here. Either or. Canadian Fist: Fist would also turn to the rupture, letting out a sigh when the shaman was struck. She'd look over to Thundrax and frown before she'd aide Ice Heart, pulling on dimensional energy to attempt to seal the rift. Ice-Heart: "Any violence upon the fissure shall keep the malign spirits in check. Or you could aid Thundrax." Lightbrand: "Not a magician, but..." Lightbrand carefully considers what Ice-Heart is doing, then tries to mimic it with his mystic light. "...Here goes." Canadian Fist: "If we all work on this quickly, we can quickly tend to Mr. Carson." Razira: *launches herself through the air towards Thundrax, landing nearby. She channels her energies into him, first focusing on warming his body up.* Divael: Aye. {Nods at CF's words} Wolfgirl: *follows Razira* Ice-Heart: *Ice-Heart resumes her attempt at sealing the rift chanting at a fever pitch as she focuses her energy against the frost tomb. Divael: {Helps sealing the rupture. Chanting ever so quietly} Raichi: *Raichi channels all of his Raichi into enhancing the physical capabilities of his body, his electricity crackling away as he waits for Landsman to attack* Thundrax: Craig seems to respond quickly to Raz's warmth. Raichi: "Let us fight, Man of Land. I do not have all day." Wolfgirl: *doesn't seem to know what to do herself, but suddenly her necklace shines, reacting somehow to the strong magics being poured into the rift, and itself seems to strengthen the efforts with mystic-- Wolfgirl: energy* ...Whoa. ...That's weird. Canadian Fist: Fist doesn't chant because thaumaturgy. She'd go about using her control over dimensional energy to help seal up the rift, like one would seal up a hole in a gypsum board. Razira: *realizes what Thundrax might be going through, as she's seen it herself (she's also claustrophobic), and moves up against him, continuing to channel her energies.* You'll be fine. We're here for you. GM: A thunderous fist plows into Raichi in response, sending him hurtling through the broken turf and flying several hundred yards into the air. Lightbrand: *Light builds on light, and Lightbrand channels his energy into the rift.* Raichi: *He goes flying from the sudden punch, flying into the air and landing unmoving on the snow, dead.* Ice-Heart: *The witch doesn't allow the sudden Japanese eruption distract her from her task of sealing the rift as she stands strong with her comrads working and repairing the damage the best she can muster. Thundrax: Craig turns and sees the guy streaking out of the hole. "What the---" Wolfgirl: Oh, son of a-- Razira: *tracks Thundrax's movement as she was busy watching over him, and gasps in shock at Raichi* Thundrax: looks at Lightbrand and gives him a head nod. Thundrax: jerking in the direction where Raichi landed. GM: The combined talents of Ice-Heart and CF2, as the others hold off the spirits, manages to close the fissure. Craig slowly gets to his feet. The earth above the Landsman seals itself. Raichi: *Raichi's still pretty dead by the time Lightbrand gets there.* Divael: {Was participating in sealing the fissure, but holding spirits... With hugs! Would totally be her style anyway} Ice-Heart: * Ice-Heart drops to her knees with a tired huff and begins to work a healing spell on her face. Lightbrand: "Good fight, friend, but I think he's still out there! C'mon..." Lightbrand kneels to examine Raichi. Canadian Fist: Looks over with a concerned expression after assisting in the closure of the rift. She'd join Lightbrand over by Raichi. "How's he look?" GM: Raichi seems not to respond. Raichi: *Raichi's dead body crackles with electricity, his bones snapping back into place and his wounds quickly healing themselves as he slowly raises off the ground, laughing wryly* "Good...Now...That is...A Raichi: ...Good fight..." *He slowly gets into a kneeling position, cracking his neck into place* "Ah...This is...Good..." Razira: *looks at Raichi in total shock and surprise* Wolfgirl: ...*lets out a long-held breath, having heard Raichi's heart stop... and start again* Thundrax: *still shuddering, though he's trying to hide it* Yeah. He's a real peach. Divael: So... Anybody injured? Raichi: *He stands with a limp, he grasps his arm as he limps over to the others, his wounds glowing and quickly sealing* "Time for a rematch...I would think..." GM: The shaman is still in shock, face badly burned. Ice-Heart: * Ice-Heart rises to her feet tiredly muttering, "I'll live. I'm getting too old for this." Canadian Fist: Blinks a few times at Raichi before her fangirl senses kick in. She rushes over to Thundrax. "Mr. Carson! I'm glad you're safe and shirtless-- Canadian Fist: "I mean relatively unharmed!" Ice-Heart: "Someone ought to secure the shaman and perhaps un-scar him if you are feeling charitable." Divael: .... Erm, right! Razira: *looks around among the crew and is about to say something when she shivers - standing barefoot in the snow without any protection isn't exactly the best of ideas* Raichi: *He stretches, his powers fully healing him* "Where is the Man of Land? Let's see how well he does against me without a lucky shot." Thundrax: So... without a shaman, Frobisher can't repeat this crap. Wolfgirl: ...*despite the rather dire situation that recently transpired, she cannot help but snerk at CF* Wolfgirl: *...and then turns to Raz* ...You okay? Divael: {Goes to check on the shamanguy} Hush, calm down... {She said softly as she would first dampen his pain (and misery?) with her magic, before properly healing the crap out of him} Ice-Heart: "This was some serious magic. I doubt he could do it unaided. This likely took days of work." Lightbrand: *While Divael heals the shaman, Lightbrand ties him in tight bonds of light, for easy delivery to the authorities!* Divael: {Nods to Lightbrand at that} GM: A voice comes out of the wreckage of Alexamander. It's Augury. "By the way, Craig... Zorasto is in Babylon. Thought you should know." Raichi: *He checks around for the Landsman, ready and rearing for round two." Canadian Fist: CF blushes, hoping that freudian slip will go by unnoticed. "If not weeks. He was able to pull on my energies as well. As if he anticipate--wha?" Wolfgirl: *her face falls into a scowl at the name 'Zorasto'* GM: Alas, the Landsman is gone. Razira: No. Cold. *she clenches her fists a few times as if gathering her strength, then shifts back to her wolven form, which ignites into flame* Ice-Heart: "Babylon? Zorasto? This can not end well." Thundrax: That's impossible. Only men are allowed in Babylon, not demons. At least I think that's how it works. Ryder Williams: "Uhm...Bablyon?" Ice-Heart: "The City of man." Raichi: "Coward. He flees from battle." *He looks around* "I trust the rest of you are well? In which case, now would be a good time to return to my training." Razira: *her head twists towards Zorasto's voice and she growls* Lightbrand: Demons have been known to possess people from time to time... Ice-Heart: "It embodies all of humanities accomplishments it's drives." Wolfgirl: *gives Raz a worried look regardless, but then turns back to the group* I'm afraid I'm a little lost too. Are we talking about ancient Mesopotamian cities, or...? Ryder Williams: "Wait, where is this place?" Thundrax: I assume given it's Connie, somewhere else. Raichi: *He bows* "Sayonara, Westerners." Canadian Fist: "In the Astral Realm, if memory serves correctly." Thundrax: Augury wouldn't be talking about Iraq. Ice-Heart: "You are correct." Thundrax: Uh, night sir, and thanks. Ryder Williams: "Right...Astral realms, I have no idea what they are." Raichi: *With that he lifts a hand to the sky. A bolt of lightning strikes him and in an instant he's gone.* Ice-Heart: "They are, crudely speaking, another realm of existence." Wolfgirl: ...You sure? Iraq seems like the kind of horror and suffering that Zorasto would love. Just sayin'. Divael: So uhm. 'Sup? {She said to the healed up Shaman} ... Not hurting anymore? Wolfgirl: *puts her hands behind her head, she's actually being a bit flippant, not at all serious* Thundrax: Third dimension on the right, and straight on to morning... well, maybe Sarah. Ice-Heart: "And I am not sure what is impossible anymore. Especially after seeing that Angel and that Demon doing.... that stuff in that nightclub." Razira: *laughs a bit at Thundrax's remark* Ryder Williams: "...Oh boy." Ryder Williams: "Zorasto is...?" Canadian Fist: "In simplest terms, yeah. Though, isn't dimensional travel possible if you have the right skillset or materials at your disposal?" Razira: Zorasto is a bastard who needs his face punched in. Thundrax: A demon lord. Borderline demon god. Wants my powers. Wolfgirl: What she said. Wolfgirl: And what he said. Ice-Heart: "I can forge a path to Babylon, the tricky part would be tracking him down." Ice-Heart: "It is a massive realm." Ryder Williams: "Ok, so another demon asshole...not the first I've dealt with." Ice-Heart: "Sprawling..." Canadian Fist: "I mean, Borealis managed to pull this little stunt with the aid of this shaman, who's to say Zorasto couldn't do the same with someone aiding him?" Canadian Fist: "Or some sort of artifact or device to allow him access?" Ice-Heart: "'sblood! This is just like last time!" Ice-Heart: "That daft seer convinces her superior to do some stupid stunt so she can relay a message." Divael: You're not very talkative. {She pouts at the Shaman} Thundrax: Zorasto wouldn't want the world colder. He'd want it a lot warmer. Wolfgirl: This isn't some broody Caprice-trawling punk, though. He's had the whole city under his grasp before. Wolfgirl: -THAT- sucked. Thundrax: He's done worse, Sarah. Ryder Williams: "Yeah, well, again, I've been around those types." Canadian Fist: "Maybe this was a distraction to tie up your attention?" Razira: This was one heck of a distraction. Ryder Williams: "'More power, I want to kill everything, blah blah blah.'" Thundrax: Borealis wouldn't willingly work with a demon. Wolfgirl: *shakes her head* From what I've seen, Augury wouldn't be part of that either. She genuinely feels like she's doing the right thing, I think. Ice-Heart: "I honestly believe Borealis only did this because Augury talked him into it so she could get a chance to relay that message." Canadian Fist: "Demons can be expert manipulators, right? Perhaps he pulled this off through subtlety?" Canadian Fist: "That's also a possibility." Thundrax: That's certainly possible. Ice-Heart: "Borealis's speaking seemed to indicate he was acting on knowledge he got from her." Ryder Williams: "This isn't worth debating. What we need to do is find a way to Babylon and find Zorasto. Which'll probably be done another day." Thundrax: looks around and sees water dripping off the trees. "Snow's starting to melt." Canadian Fist: "Mission accomplished, then?" Thundrax: Anyone know a native of Babylon? Divael: {Would help the Shaman up -- gently but firmly nonetheless -- and guides him nearer to the group. Unless his legs were binded too?} Wolfgirl: If it is a massive realm, we'd probably want to plan that carefully. Unless you want to get lost in another dimension for eternity. Thundrax: Agreed Sarah. Razira: *nods at CF* Sure looks like it. Nicely done, everyone. Ice-Heart: "I've had a few forays there. I am not so well connected as I might hope though Thundrax." Thundrax: I've never been. Ice-Heart: "Scuttlebut is Witchcraft visits there on occasion too." Razira: Travel off-dimension? Wow. That had to be something. Lightbrand: I... might check with my grandfather. He's done some stuff. Ice-Heart: "Getting there isn't the hard part. Finding someone there is VERY hard." Thundrax: I can ask Be-- Witchcraft for advice. She might even join us. Canadian Fist: "I don't have experience right offhand. It's one of the few places I haven't had to deal with some sort of visitor from." Wolfgirl: This kind of stuff honestly boggles me. All I know about magical beings is steer clear of them. ...Especially Coyote. ESPECIALLY when he's being helpful. But as a rule, they're all pretty bad news. Ice-Heart: "No aid can be worse then Josiah Brimstone's." Canadian Fist: "Ouch. I suppose. I don't know where I quite fall on that list, technically." Ryder Williams: "Well, mission is done so I'll head back to Millennium. Call me if I'm needed." -he taps his bracer, his bike rides up and he mounts, revving the engine he rides off- Thundrax: Well, you probably know my feelings there, Sarah. Given my recent experience. Take care, m'friend. Divael: Does being part elven count in being a bad magical shenanigan? Razira: Be safe. Wolfgirl: I... actually don't know the details, pretty sure. Coffee? You look like you could use it. There a Tim Hortons somewhere around here? Canadian Fist: "Mr. Carson, where would I fall on that list? Am I technically a meta given my extradimensional ties? Or do I count as non-Canadian?" Ice-Heart: "I'll work several contacts on my end." Ice-Heart: "See if I can arrange for a guide..." Thundrax: There's at least five in Chatham... and no, CF. You're not an asshole sociopath, pardon my language. Divael: {She shrugs her shoulders, and decides to remain quiet unless spoken to} Ice-Heart: "I can make no promises though." Wolfgirl: Also, you might want to put on a shirt, Craig. Not that any of us ladies are complaining. *she smirks* Razira: *thinks* I know someone who knows things about Faerie. Babylon though... Canadian Fist: "Awesome!" She'd give a thumbs up. Divael: {Nods slowly at Wolfgirl's words} Canadian Fist: "It's like people in Babylon stay in Babylon. Which is nice." Razira: *lightly whaps Wolfgirl on the arm* Don't give him any ideas. Wolfgirl: *laughs* Thundrax: I'm sure that an archetypal Las Vegas exists there, somewhere. Thundrax: I really should get a shower first. Never like fighting that guy. Ice-Heart: "Hmmm 'twould be a good excuse to catch a Sinatra performance." Canadian Fist: "Vegas? My foster brother just got back from there for a weekend as a part of his carpentry apprenticeship." Thundrax: So, did Borealis say his grand plan? Razira: I'm just glad you're okay, Thundrax. That all of us are. Ice-Heart: "Yes, he's fixing the environment by ripping controlled fissures in the frost tomb." Divael: {Nods at Raz's words} Thundrax: Manitou again... just like in '86. Ice-Heart: "Buffoon." Wolfgirl: Lunatic. Razira: All the above. Wolfgirl: And I say that as a person who legitimately feels the wacky come on every full moon. Wolfgirl: *folds her arms* Razira: *shudders slightly at the mention of the full moon* Canadian Fist: "Misguided. He's got a lot of potential, but he's misusing it. Why can't a guy like him work with the good guys?" Thundrax: Wonderful. Not that the goal is bad, but maybe there'd be other magical ways of doing that that don't open us up to Kigatilik? Wolfgirl: Yeah. Someone should send him a booklet on carbon credits or something. Ice-Heart: "He kept speaking like he was acting on good advice from Augury." Ice-Heart: "She apparently told him that this course of action was the best." Thundrax: Connie is far from infallible. Ice-Heart: "Which again leads me back to the whole 'ruse to deliver a warning to us' theory." Canadian Fist: "Maybe there's some influence being forced on her?" Razira: Seems like too much just to deliver a warning. Lightbrand: Yeah, it *was* her warning that tipped us off to Warmonger in the first place, wasn't it? Canadian Fist: "Could be a well laid trap, or a diversion to get you out of the material world." Thundrax: Laurentia again? Always a possibility. Wolfgirl: Or maybe she has her own agenda. It wouldn't be the first time she's manipulated Borealis for that. Ice-Heart: *Ice-heart points to Lightbrand, "Exactly!" Thundrax: But what would Laurentia want with Zorasto or Babylon... hmmm, probably not them.. Divael: {Half mindedly pokes the Shaman while listening} Wolfgirl: I've got an idea. Coffee first, speculation later. Thundrax: Okay Sarah. I could use a cup of joe... Divael: {Pokes the poor guy repeatedly} Razira: Agreed. Let's get somewhere warmer. We can talk later. Divael: Hey. Divael: That guy. {Poke poke poke} What about him, then? Lightbrand: We can take him to Steelhead, where they'll put him... Lightbrand: ...on ice. Divael: Punny. Thundrax: Save him for the Steelheads. At least this time he won't be eaten by a thunderbird. Razira: *facepalms at the bad puns* Ice-Heart: "While the cold has no hold upon me, I do have a headache the size of Gibralter now. I am going to head home and nurse it." Divael: {She nods to Ice-Heart} Take care of yourself. Razira: Be safe. Thanks for the assistance, everyone. Canadian Fist: Scratches her cheek as her spandex gives way to normal clothing and her hair colour returns to normal. Ice-Heart: * Ice-Heart vanishes in a swirl of snow.
  8. Here's a short story I composed about a year ago for the Champions Online boards. Figured I'd share. ----------- "Morning, Mr. Carson," the security guard said, nodding his head slightly as the huge man walked toward the elevator "Is everything okay, sir?" "I've had worse days, Stan." Craig replied, turning briefly to face the guard. Stan Wiebe was a bit of a fixture at the night shift at Flux-Carson, Thundrax's company, an energy and mining firm. Stan was a reliable employee who liked the night shift. "Are the kids doing okay?" "It's flu season," Stan answered. "Lynette's home with both of the little monsters." "Ah," Craig acknowledged. The rangy security guard grinned sheepishly and then turned his head as he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Craig caught a glint of something reflecting off steel and glass, rubbed his eyes, and... "If the pipes burst, I'm not sure that the insurance will cover the flooding." When Craig finished rubbing his eyes, he gasped. He was no longer in the spacious lobby at Flux-Carson's office in downtown Millennium City, towering over everyone in his superhuman Thundrax form that he wore most of the time. Instead, he was in his normal body, his Craig form, dressed in overalls, sitting next to a plumbing kit, apparently working on the kitchen drain in a house he didn't recognize, while a woman in a housecoat with pink floppy bunny slippers yammered at him. "Uh -- what?" he said. "The flooding," the woman, a short Asian lady of Chinese ancestry told him curtly, then began yelling at a bawling infant in Cantonese. Even weirder, Craig could understand a few words of what she was saying. Craig got to his feet and took in a deep breath. "Excuse me, Mrs. Fong," he said, not realizing he'd correctly identified her by name. "I need to make a few phone calls." Mrs. Fong looked at him disparagingly. "Why do you need to do that?" she snapped. "The pipes." Craig sighed, even as he examined the surroundings in an attempt to get his bearings. "This will be off the clock, I promise." he said. The sentence came easily to his lips, almost as if it had been a long-standing habit. Craig ignored the woman's angry glare as he reached into his pocket and picked out his StonePhone. He dialed a number, suspecting he wouldn't be connected. "UNTIL Command, Canada. Please speak your name, rank, and security code." "Craig Carson," Thundrax answered. "Acting Captain. Security Code --this probably won't work-- Jack-Canada-Alpha-Twenty-Ravenclaw." "Your voice print matches a Craig Alexander Carson," the UNTIL operator says. "But you only have a Security-1 access, and no acting rank. You're on the auxiliary list." "Auxiliary list?" Craig wondered. "That's one hell of a demotion. I need to speak to Project Ourenos. My guess is that I'm either experiencing an illusory construct, a dimensional shunt, or a timeline fracture." His voice was oddly calm as he casually discussed phenomena that was normally beyond human comprehension. Thirty years in the world of superhumans has that effect. "You have no clearance for Ourenos. You shouldn't even know about Ourenos." "I know!" Craig blurted, slightly irritated. "The fact I know about it rules out the hypothesis that my previous superhuman life was a lie. When was my last previous transmission to UNTIL?" "September 12. 1995." "The current date is..." Craig looked at the display on his StonePhone. "July 26, 2011. Is that correct?" "I can confirm that." It was the same date that he remembered from the lobby of Flux-Carson in Millennium City. So this isn't time travel, he thought. Craig decided to ignore the implications of having not contacted UNTIL in sixteen years. A timeline where he lost his powers? Perhaps. He could always try to switch into his Thundrax body, but it would be better to find out more information first, just to make sure that choice wouldn't be a mistake. If Thundrax had been killed years before and he'd somehow escaped, transforming back into that body would probably be fatal. "Okay!" Craig declared. "Just send a message to Ourenos's operations officer. I guess I need to hope that a long inactive Canadian's request for help won't be beneath their notice. My apologies for the unusual nature of this request. Five minutes ago, I was in Millennium, with all of the UNTIL privileges of a Captain... It's still Millennium City, right? Not Detroit?" "Yes, Mr. Carson," the voice informed him. "But your GPS identifies your current location as Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada." "Back in my old body, in my old hometown," Craig responded. "I'm even in my old job, plumbing." "Mr. Carson, there's a crisis in New York that requires my attention." "Understood," Craig answered, rubbing his side. "Good luck." "Good luck to you, too, Mr. Carson.." Craig shut off the phone and did a quick vanity search on wikipedia. Thundrax. Member of SUNDFR. Founding member of the second Northern Guard. Quit the team in 1995, shortly after the battle against VIPER where they met Dr. Nexum for the first time. Unlike in his familiar timeline, his identity was never outted by a lunatic UNTIL commander. The true identity of Thundrax was a mystery that not many people cared about. The next step was to check on Flux-Carson Enterprises and the Carson Foundation, his corporate interests. Neither existed. Flux, his old SUNDER teammate, was still retired and running his small, very profitable, mining company, which (back in the "real world") Craig had taken over and expanded. Using another SUNDER alumni, an earth elemental named Elemmus, to prospect for petroleum reserves and rare earths had made them richer than Craig imagined possible. fueling the billions that the Foundation granted to worthy causes every year. Here, though, the Foundation disbanded in 1995, and its much smaller charitable operations were taken over by a division of Doerksen Tech, run by Craig's old Northern Guard teammate Forceknight. "Are you ever going to finish my sink?" Mrs. Chow complained shrily. Craig, feeling as exasperated and as beaten as he would have against any supervillain, put away the StonePhone and finished working on the sink. It had two decades since he last worked with his brother in Carson Plumbing, but he found the work familiar and... oddly satisfying. A few minutes later, after installing a new fitting, he looked up at Mrs. Chow and said happily: "Job's done. You have a two year guarantee on labor, and a ten year guarantee on parts. Sorry about the wait." Mrs. Chow sighed and signed the invoice. Craig scanned her credit card, completed the transaction, and departed. Checking his GPS, Craig saw they were somewhere on East 37th. About four miles from home. He made up his mind to return, quickly cancelled his four remaining appointments for the day, and returned to his house. 2651 Turner St. In the timeline he identified as his own, his old family home had been blown up by Deathclown, the self-proclaimed "Just for Laughs Icon of the 90s", after his secret identity had been outted, and had never been rebuilt. Except that in this reality, his secret had never been leaked and Deathclown was now performing his sideshow act in Stronghold North, thanks to Ravenspeaker. Good ol' Billy, Craig told himself. He wondered if Ravenspeaker was back in Vancouver, or still stuck in the North near Steelhead and the Cat's Cradle. The drive home was an eerie experience for two reasons. First, it impressed on Craig how little driving he had done lately, since he left the political career he never had, he had never done anything except fly or let other people do the driving. Second, the avenues were full of ghosts. He hadn't been back to his old Turner St. neighborhood in a very long time. Some of the houses were gone, replaced by commercial properties as rezoning took its toll on the old neighborhood, but enough was intact for Craig to experience a strong case of deja vu. Part of this timeline seemed familiar to him -- he didn't know what he was about to face, but Craig knew that once he got there, things would fall into place as they had with Mrs. Chow. That thought scared him. Suppose this was an assimilating timeline -- the more he got in touch with the timeline as it happened here, the harder it would be to extricate himself? Craig parked on the side of the road and did a little more fact checking. The world was still intact, so clearly someone else stepped up on those occasions when he was involved in saving the planet, but what about those other times? Did his absence make an impact? Craig looked up a few more events on his StonePhone. Flight 164, which he'd saved in 1999? Crashed. 126 people lost their lives. 2002 building collapse in Toronto? 29 people. Mega-Destroid incident in Millennium? 41 dead, four of them heroes, including two of his closest friends, Darius and Erik. And Darius's death had driven Van insane -- or insanier. Was that even a word? "Damn," Craig shook his head as he processed the consequences of his absence. Probably over a thousand people over the course of his career directly owed their lives to Craig, and that's not including the impact on their families, or the lives that had been changed for the better by the charitable work of his Foundation. Armed with a better knowledge of the stakes, Craig returned home, determined to solve the problem -- only to stop short when he saw a pack of kids playing road hockey in his driveway. His youngest son Raj, proudly sporting a Trevor Linden jersey, was showing off again, stickhandling past his friends and making a beautiful shot into the corner of the net. The kids cheered (and jeered) and traded taunts in Punjabi -- Raj's friends, like Raj's mom, were Indo-Canadians, proud of their Sikh heritage. Raj was twelve, but he looked closer to fifteen, combining the size of the Carsons with the graceful, natural athleticism of the Dhaliwals. He was the best athlete in his school and knew it. "Dad!" Raj shouted, switching to English. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" Craig stood at the edge of the driveway and stared at the boy, mouth open slightly. He couldn't bring himself to speak. "Dad?" Raj asked. "You having a stroke?" Craig shook his head, still staring at the son he never had. He could feel his heart pound in his chest to a drumbeat he never imagined he'd experience. The teens continued to shout at each other in Punjabi, which Craig didn't know how to speak, except he was now completely fluent in the language. "I'm okay," he finally said. "Don't break a window," he added; he wasn't really sure what parents were supposed to say, but it sounded parental. "Only sucky Bruins break windows!" Raj yelled back, referring to the team that beat the Canucks in the recent Cup finals. They had replaced the Black Hawks as the team to rag on. Craig tried to remain collected as he entered his house, but what he saw shook him to his core. The house destroyed fifteen years ago, returned to life -- and then aged a decade and a half, thin 90s carpeting replaced by wood laminates, a different chesterfield, colorful curtains that reflected his wife's ethnic heritage, and the house smelled of curry, strong and bracing. Over a tinny AM radio, the sound of World Music could be heard, a howling female voice singing in Punjabi to the relentless beat of tamborines. "Craig!" Manjita Carson exclaimed, coming out of the kitchen. Dressed in a frilly blue skirt and a modest yellow top; her skin was a healthy bronze-brown, and she was as slender as a woman in her mid-30s who had two kids could reasonably expect to be. "What are you doing home so soon? What did you forget this time?" Craig stared at his wife as another flood of vivid yet false memories crashed into his skull. It had only been a month after he left the Guard that he found her, abused by her first husband. He fought so hard to get her out of that marriage, fought even harder to win her affections, and the fight to reconcile with her family -- that was the hardest of all, and still ongoing (at least with her grandparents, though they loved the kids). Those had been the hardest struggles of his life, harder than fighting against Borealis or Firewing or Mechanon, but they were worth it. He couldn't help but smile at the discovery of an unexpected true love. "What'?" Manjita questioned the dreamy look on her husband's face. "I..." Craig's attention was diverted to the issue at hand. How do you say that? How do you possibly tell someone you love that you're really a long-retired superhero and that their entire life, including their children, is a lie, a timeline gone astray or an illusion? "We need to talk." "Then talk." Manjita said. "What is it, Craig?" She was clearly sensing that something was wrong. Craig could see the wheels already turning in her head. "It's something that happened years ago, before I met you," Craig stammered. Damn, this was hard, "It's nothing to do with you, but I have to deal with it." "Dad's a bigamist!" Raj said, peering his head through the front door. "Is she at least hot?" "Shut up, Raj," J.J., his eldest son, snorted, having appeared in the doorway near the bottom of the stairs. He was shorter than Raj and stockier, somewhat resembling Craig's brother Jack, after whom he was named. Always dressed in black from head to toe. the coke bottle glasses he wore gave him an artsy appearance. Punjabi goth, he liked to call himself, and unlike his brother, he wore a turban and had rejected Craig's Christian faith in favor of the Sikh religion. He was smart, quiet, and introspective, almost the polar opposite of his hyperactive brother ."This is serious." he insisted. "Raj, tell your friends to go home, now." Manjita snapped. "Hey guys, dad's having an affair and mom wants you all to go away so she can yell at him." "Raj, cut it out or I'm beating the crap out of you!" J.J., smaller despite being a year older, had always been far more serious than most kids his age, and was also capable of handling himself when things got rough, including against his brother. It was not an empty threat. "J.J., Raj, cut it out!" Craig snapped. "No one's fighting. But you'd better send the boys home. You call all be Alex Burrows some other time," he insisted, referring to the pesky Vancouver Canucks star. The drama subsided with the disgruntled future NHL superstars returning to their respective homes and J.J. and Raj staring daggers at each other. "Craig, now that you've upset the entire neighborhood, what's this about?" Manjita asked. "And I want answers." "Do we have a brother or sister we don't know about?" Raj smirked. "No, but we could put you up for adoption," J.J. snapped back. "Please..." Craig said, sighing heavily. "I really don't know where to start, and this is just making it tougher." "Now you're scaring me," Manjita said. "Craig, you've told me about your parents and your brother. What could you have held back from us that would be any worse than what your dad did to you?" Craig sighed. "It's difficult to explain. I guess I better show you. Everybody better stand back." "You gonna do a magic trick for us, dad?" "Yes," Craig replied. The biggest one I got, he might have added. He figured this wouldn't kill him -- if Thundrax had died in the line of duty, he'd have remembered a memorial, at least. He was willing to take the risk. "Now stand back as far as possible." Craig Carson closed his eyes and tried to mentally get in touch with the Storm, the primal Storm of the world, that battered the planet in the days before mankind. It was very hard to do now, as if he really had been out of touch with the living thunder for over a decade. He struggled and strained for a few seconds, agonizing seconds when he thought the storm would never come -- but then there was a rush of wind, and a triumphant roar of thunder, and a flash of lightning that blew every fuse in the house. The weak body of Craig Carson was gone, replaced by something far, far greater. Manjita's jaw hung open, as did Raj's. J.J. gave a slow nod -- did he suspect? Craig had never shared that secret with him. "Dad!" Raj gasped. "You're buff!" He looked over Thundrax's old school blue and gold skintight costume. "And gay!" Craig removed the mask he hadn't worn (at least in the real world) in sixteen years. It used to feel so comfortable, but now it was stifling. His friends from the other world would no doubt be horrified by the absence of his trademark mullet. "Raj!" Thundrax sharply stated in a tone that was familiar to his kids, despite it being spoken at a lower register. "How many times I have warned you about casual homophobia? You're grounded." "Craig..." Manjita finally said. "Are we in danger? Is that why you've become... that thing?" It seemed to Craig, looking into his wife's huge brown eyes, that she had a different thought. Why didn't you tell me? "I wish it were that simple," Craig sighed. "Dad, what is this?" Raj said, ignoring (for now) the proclamation of his grounding. "When did you become a superhero?" "Don't you know anything?" J.J. scoffed at his younger brother. "That's Thundrax. Old time Vancouver superhero. He was with the old SUNDER team back in the 80s and also joined the Northern Guard for a year before he retired. Hasn't been seen since around the mid-90s." "Ancient history," Raj snapped back with a defensive huff, tugging slightly on his jersey. "Besides, the only superhero worth following is Lion Khalsa," he added, referring to the controversial Sikh vigilante who had waged war on crime in Vancouver for the last ten years. If the situation weren't so serious, Thundrax would have protested the lack of respect from his son. "Craig, what isn't so simple?" Manjita said. "I am so texting this to Gurhan!" Raj said. "Do that and you put us all in danger," J.J. snarled at his brother. "And I'll break your fingers." "Hey!" Raj objected, though he quickly put away his cellphone. "Raj, I need you to hold off... just this once... keep this to yourself." Craig turned to his wife."Manjita, you know that a life as a superhero gets pretty crazy. That's why I walked away from it." "What kind of crazy?" Manjita asked. "The craziest." Thundrax said, rubbing his sides. "It's as though I'm running my life on two tracks at once. One of them is real, the other isn't. In one reality I left the Guard in 1995 and retired from the supes business, met you, and raised this family. In the other, I didn't leave the Guard and went on to a career with a lot of teams, then in politics, and then in business, as well as remaining a super." "You were successful in all of those?" J.J. wondered "Somewhat," Craig said. "The political career kinda sucked, but I spent six years in Parliament." "Seems to me that's the fake one," J.J. replied. "Politician, businessman, major superhero? Come on! This sounds like a villain giving you a wish fulfilment fantasy. It's classic comic book. Of the two realities, which is the more believable one? This one." "Dad, you have got to be--- kidding." Raj added, biting his tongue as he was about to use a much stronger word. "For one thing, no one can fake someone as awesome as me. And for another..." He paused for a second and completely abandoned his argument as another thought came to mind. "Dad, if you're a superhero, does that mean we can all become supers too?" "Don't think so," Thundrax answered. "Craig?" Manjita said slowly. "What do you intend to do?" "Find out the truth. And set things right." "What if we're both true?" J.J. asked. Craig sighed. It wasn't impossible that both realities were real, rather than the Familyverse being the illusion, Craig could be the lynchpin holding everything together. Alternate realities was almost as big a headache as time travel. "I need to find out first. J.J.." Craig said. "Dad... you can't be serious," Raj said. "You know we're the real ones, right?" "Raj, my memories of this timestream are a lot hazier," Craig answered. "It's as though my memories of this timestream -- and you guys -- are being superimposed on the real ones." "Dad, take it from the superhero fanboy geek," J.J. stated. "Here's what really happened. Some old villain from your past targeted you. Maybe Thorn or Brainstorm or one of the other telepaths you faced in the old days. Or maybe one of your old enemies hired one of the newer telepaths, like Menton or Headspace." "Okay," Craig said, agreeing it was a plausible scenario. "He or she telepathically finds out your identity. He then gives you amnesia, and telepathically superimposes an alternate timeline to manipulate you, and when you start remembering the real one, it feels like it's a fake. The resulting turmoil tears your life apart, and wham! Revenge! Served slow and twisted! It's a believable scenario." "Huh?" Raj said in response to his brother's hypothesis. "I don't think so, J.J.." Thundrax stated. "But it's not outside the realm of possibility. In the supers business, not many things are." Majita sighed, finally breaking a long, contemplative silence. Pursing her lips slightly, in a tone that seemed as reluctant as Craig's at the start of the conversation, she said "Craig, I trust you to do the right thing. That's what you've always done. But your first responsibility is to this family. To the promise that you made to me when you rescued me from..." she hesitated to say the name. "To the promise." Craig had no words for that. How do you tell someone who loves you that you never made the most important promise of your life? This is insane, Craig thought, and he tried to focus on those who he saved in the other reality... no, in the actual reality. He couldn't afford to accept this. "You're all crazy!" Raj spat. "Dad's grown six inches and put on a hundred pounds of Schwarzenegger," J.J. retorted. "This may be crazy, but it's fricking real." "How do you intend to look into this?" Manjita asked. Craig pondered for a second. "The timelines diverge in 1995, right around the Guard's battle with VIPER and Dr. Nexum. Something happened at that time that caused this. Justiciar's the most accessible member of the old Guard. I'm going to see him and find out what went down." "Uh dad," Raj asked. "Isn't this kind of short notice? What makes you think a bigshot like Justiciar is going to want to see you?" "When I'm like this, your old man has a way of getting into the places he wants to go," Thundrax answered, pointing to himself. "Don't worry. I'll get my answers and come home." He moaned as the logistics of the situation occurred to him. "I guess I'll have to cancel tomorrow's appointments." he said with a sigh, and then he realized this was only the beginning of his logistical problems. "I'll have to fly under my own power. Man, I hate these long cross-country trips." Craig knew they didn't have a lot in savings to waste on a plane trip -- a far cry from the wealth he was used to enjoying, and the transporter credits he had with UNTIL for these sorts of emergencies -- and the four hours it'd take him to fly from Vancouver to Toronto wouldn' t be a picnic. "But dad, what happens if we're the lie? You rewrite the last fifteen years?" J.J. asked. "You're going to just... snuff us out?" Craig paused, a sick feeling in his stomach. "J.J., an awful lot of people are dead in this timeline who should be alive. Thousands. Looking at you, I could trade this timeline for the real one in a heartbeat. But keeping you alive while others have suffered and died... I can't do that. If you could trade your life for the lives of a thousand people, would you make that trade?" "It would suck," J.J. said. "Crazy," Raj said. "You're both frigging crazy!" he spat and stormed out of the room. With a nod, J.J. followed his brother, muttering something about keeping Raj from acting even more like Raj than usual. Manjita turned to Craig. Now that they were alone she could finally speak her mind freely. "I should curse you," she said, the emotional wounds fully visible at last. "You never told me. How could you not tell me?" "I honestly don't know why I didn't," Craig replied. He knew the accusation was coming, and it was deserved, but it still hurt worse than a gut punch from Grond. "I might have had a good reason. Or maybe I was a coward. Maybe I was just running. I didn't run from villains, but I have been known for not facing up to my personal demons all the time." "I have noticed," Manjita concurred and the disquiet that had come over her deepened even further. "You know Craig, it's hard to think of myself and my entire life -- our life -- as an illusion." "Trust me, it's hard for me too," Craig answered. "But you existed before 1995. Therefore, you must exist in the other timeline," he speculated. "I see," Manjita's expression darkened. "I remember my life before you came. It was not pretty. You took me away from the living hell that was my marriage to Bindi. I don't even want to think about what my life would have been without you." "I have to believe that any woman who's had the strength to keep me on course for fifteen years would have the strength to escape," Craig said. "Bur Raj and JJ will be gone," Manjita stated. "At best, they'll be different children, with a different father." "I know," Craig sighed, avoiding looking directly at his wife as he said it. "I'm sorry." Manjita shook her head, waves of frustration coming out. "What did we do to deserve this? What did they do? Craig, the strange thing is that this..." she poked him in his chest. "...doesn't really surprise me. You're a superhero. You've always acted like one, always had that code. And the numbers Craig, the numbers. You've always pushed yourself -- and us -- justifying that we have to do the greatest good for the greatest number, hosting dinner parties we couldn't afford, working for the causes." "I thought you were my partner in this." Craig responded. "You've worked harder than I have for the causes. I've seen you push yourself in ways I never could." Manjita started to cry. "Craig, I can't play numbers with my children! A thousand lives for my childrren? I'd take that trade in a heartbeat. A million? I'd take that one too." Craig instinctively grabbed her and held her. She bristled for a few seconds, but quieted, her body softly sobbing in his arms, gentle spasms softly smothered in his Herculean grip. "Manjita, JJ might be right. This may be the real thing. If it isn't, and the worst happens, I'll find you. I promise. I'll find you. I'll meet you again for the first time." Craig Carson released the embrace, and then bent down and kissed her. She looks so small, he thought, keeping in mind that Thundrax was much taller than Craig. Then, tears streaming down both of their cheeks, Craig walked out to the backyard patio, quickly accelerated to about 200 mph --- fast enough that neighbors wouldn't notice the blue blur, climbed to an altitude of 20,000 feet, then hit Mach 1 and went hurtling eastward to Toronto. He could feel the Living Thunder inside him sing, ecstatic to be used after so long. Craig ignored that feeling. There were too many other emotions welling inside him. It was a relatively uneventful flight, though Craig expected that Transport Canada was probably going to try to corner him at some point and give him a lecture about transcontinental flights at speeds exceeding the sound barrier. A news story he'd looked up on the Internet placed Justiciar in Toronto. It was not his favorite city: in his accustmed timeline, despite living there for years during his Guard and Starforce days, he wasn't a native son, and plenty of Torontonians had let him know that over the years, especially in the mayor's office. David Burrell, Justiciar, however, was a different story. During the first adventure of the Guard, the attack of the Gadroon in Northern Canada, they were sidetracked into investigating the smuggling of Gadroon technology, which led them to the lair of a villain named Cyberlord. Justiciar, one of his experiments in cyborging, had been held in stasis for a decade. In the conflict between the Guard and Cyberlord's mercenaries, Justiciar was accidentally released; recognizing Forceknight's costume, he immediately joined the heroes and fought fearlessly at their side. From the moment they first met, Craig knew the man was something special. He and David became close friends almost immediately. It had been less than two years since Craig had lost Jack in the destruction of Detroit, and David entered Craig's life at precisely the right time, assuming a surrogate role in place of his big brother. For his part, Justiciar leaned on the big Vancouverite as a trainer, sparring partner and a confidente, appreciating his intelligent conversation, his love of adventure, competitiveness, compassion, and dry sense of humor. Anyone who knew them could have guessed they'd be a natural fit as best friends, to the point where some people made snickering jokes about them, the David and Jonathan of the superhero set. Craig couldn't fathom any circumstance that could set them at each other's throats. Craig intended to drop in at Burrell Industries and see David in his office, but it was evening when he arrived in the great lakeside metropolis, so he turned his attention to the large lump of iron that Celestar had landed in Toronto years ago that was now Starforce headquarters. He'd never be allowed through the concealed hatch or the vehicle bays, and that only left the main concourse. The exterior entrance was well-lit; as he approached a recording of Justictiar's voice shouted through a loudspeaker: "Target identified as Thundrax. Do not move. You have no authorication for entry." "Bob!" Craig shouted at the loudspeaker, knowing the base's AI could hear him. "Emergency code: Assiniboine-24-Finger" Hopefully, the change in worlds didn't affect the code. "Emergency code accepted," the AI said. However Bob wasn't a stupid AI and had some discretion built into his protocols. "Additional query required. Explain how you came to have this code." "That's a long story," Craig answered. "It's an educated guess based on the knowledge of that code for this base in an alternate timeline. I guessed the code would remain the same here." "Explanation is beyond acceptable perimeters." "Look. Just tell David to get his shiny chrome butt out here." Thundrax stated. "Or if he's not here, give me lodging for the evening. You can inform Dust Devil that I'm challenging him to an arm wrestling match for his room. Or something." Craig was expecting to Bob to correct him, that Justiciar's cyborging had left his buttocks mostly intact, but the AI decided to drop the argument. A couple of minutes later, Justiciar came out, accompanied by Prism Girl (in all seven of her colorful forms). "Craig?" he said, gasping in amazement. The change in timelines hadn't seemed to have worn on Justiciar's appearance. Some suspected that his periodic hibernation cycles preserved his youth, or perhaps he had the Dick Clark gene. In any event, David Burrell was the same as he ever was, a craggy yet boyish face which (more often than not) bore a toothy grin, and a scraggily scruff of reddish-blond hair, the sort that Italian mothers loved to muss. His eyes were wide open in amazement, a sight Craig wasn't used to seeing, given how eternally composed the Canadian champion seemed to be. "Hello from Vancouver," Craig smiled back, waving sheepishly. A flood of memories had come back to him the moment when he first saw David. He remembered a very embarrassing drunken brawl at Forceknight's wedding. He remembered a couple of times when Justiciar had called him on the telephone and Craig angrily hung up on him. But he didn't remember the quarrel that caused such an unexpected rift between Craig and someone he considered to be among his closest friends. "Hello from Toronto," David replied, smiling. "Uh -- are you okay? Why on earth are you here Craig?" "Looking for some answers. Look, Kathy," he turned to Prism Girl. "I promise I won't try to kill the boss. Could I just have a few moments of privacy? I have a feeling this is going to rehash some stuff that happened a long time ago, and there's no reason for you to get mixed up in this." All seven Prism Girls squinted and gave Craig a dirty look. "How do you know my name?" three of them asked, two simultaneously. "Educated guess," Thundrax answered, telling himself he needed to be more careful with knowledge gleaned from the other timeline. It didn't help that Craig had once been quite intimate with the free-spirited Greek-Canadian heroine. "Don't worry," Craig said, almost blushing at that memory. "Your secret is safe with me, scout's honor." "Go on, PG," Justiciar told his teammate. "This conversation is long overdue." Prism Girl nodded and returned inside the headquarters. Craig turned back to Justiciar. "First, what little I remember of our last few conversations in this timeline aren't very pleasant. I'm sure I was an ass. I want to apologize." "Accepted," Justiciar said without hesitation. "You just used the word 'timeline'. Do you know how many alarm bells that sets off?" "Yeah, sixty," Craig answered back. "David, one moment I was in Millennium City, in my corporate office, in a reality where I never left the Guard until we all broke up in '98. Next thing I know, I'm a plumber in Vancouver in a reality where I left the team in 1995 and retired from superheroing completely. Something happened that caused it." "Craig, you don't remember?" "Nope. Memory of that time is foggy. But the timelines diverge there. The last thing I remember clearly in both timelines was our fight against VIPER, the first time we faced Dr. Nexum." "That's not what caused you to quit," Justiciar stated. "It was what happened right after that one. Our fight with Professor Alternative." "Alternative?" Thundrax said, incredulous. "The joke villain? The one who wanted us to experience alternate lifestyles, so he shot us with a gay ray?" Thundrax almost burst into laughter. "Yeah, that's the one." Justiciar said, glumly. "I don't remember what happened in this timeline," Craig explained. "In mine, he seemed to think that ray would increase our libido as well as change our orientation." He shook his head. "All we did is look at each other funny and tell bad jokes at Alain's expense after the effects wore off." Alain was, of course, their teammate Voyageur, who fashioned himself as something of a lady's man. "It was more than that, Craig." Justiciar said. "I guess in this timeline, the "gay ray" was a little more powerful. Things got... out of hand. Then Ann saw us and came to the wrong conclusion." Ann was his teammate Snowblind, Craig's first crush. "She ran off, presumably to clear her head, got captured by Tilingkoot, who sacrificed her to bring back Kigatilik, who then went on a rampage. Over nineteen hundred people died in Vancouver." "Huh?" Craig stammered. Unlike the other times things had been described to him, the memories did not come flooding back. How could he not remember something like that? He should have at least remembered seeing the memorials. "The only way we could stop Kigatilik was to drop a building on him. Forceknight was down, so I was in command. I ordered you to do it and you did. And it worked. We stopped Kigatilik long enough for Billy to use his Haida spirit magic and banish him back into the Frost Tomb." Craig took a deep breath. "A lot of people died, David," he said. "I can understand why I was upset, but quitting for sixteen years? Turning my back on all my friends?" "The building you.. we... dropped on Kigatilik was an office tower. They hadn't finished evacuating and we knew it. But we were desperate, spent, we'd given everything we had, Celestar had shown up and almost turned the tide, but Lon wasn't really battle-ready, and he went down. "In 1995? So soon after his nervous breakdown?" Craig noted. "Yeah, Celestar wasn't in shape for that fight." Justiciar continued. "A whole platoon of UNTIL troops had been wiped out, and the Justice Squadron were off planet. You, me, Billy and Augury were all that stood between Kigatilik and the complete annihilation of Vancouver. But there were still over a hundred people inside that building. Over fifty of them died when you toppled it, and more were injured for life." Craig's jaw dropped. "That's why you quit. You surrendered yourself to the authorities, asking them to press manslaughter charges, but it was 1995. People were on edge because of the Quebec referendum. The federal government feared a major supers scandal, surrounding a team sponsored by the government of Canada, would give the pro-sovereignty forces the push they needed to divide the country. So the incident got buried. Everyone thinks Kigatilik was solely responsible for those deaths, and they're not wrong. Pretty much everyone from Prime Minister Chretien down to the Red Ensign told you to keep your mouth shut for the good of the country." Craig took a deep breath."Damn." "You always took a hard line on not killing people." Justiciar said. "Even more than I did. You couldn't continue after that. Ravenspeaker and I both quietly kept an eye on you over the years. I kept hoping you'd get over it. Every time I tried to reach out to you..." "That I remember," Thundrax answered. "Man, it feels weird. David, I remember you as being probably my closest friend for years. Any reality where we are not good friends just has to be, well, wrong." "So how much do you remember about this reality?" Justiciar asked. Craig could hear the slight buzz of the cyborg's diagnostics cycle kicking in, a noise that most who knew David Burrell were familiar with. "Enough that the people I know exclusively here matter to me. Especially my family." "You never married?" Justiciar wondered. "I'm engaged to a beautiful and wonderful lady," Craig answered. Sarah. There was another reason to get back home, a big one, he might have added. "No kids as far as I know, except for a clone who uses part of my DNA." He shot David a long look. If it hadn't been for him, Cord would be dead, and so would everyone whose life he saved in the future. "Sounds like you dont have much choice, Craig." "It's not that simple," Thundrax admitted. The weird thing is, I'm happy here. Really really happy. Being a dad and watching the little sperm banks grow into honest-to-god men is just absolutely incredible. Coming home from a day at work with regular hours, talking with Manjita about her volunteer work, being an elder at the church, watching you guys on the tube and making snide comments about Dust Devil's costume..." both men chuckled. "I didn't think the ordinary life could feel this good. I'm wondering if I'm in a mental construct." "The old "perfect life" trap?" "I wish Alan Moore had never written that comic book, too many low-grade hypnotists have plagerized that plot," Craig stated, referring to a classic Superman story involving a hallucinatory reality. "But I've been in plenty of ilusions. So far this one seems remarkably consistent, there's no glitches in the passage of time, and I don't feel a telepathic presence, that vague sense I'm being watched. Of the high-grade telly-tubbies that I know, Superior doesn't do illusions, Menton's holed away in Stronghold, and I'm hardly a priority target for Mentalla and Eurostar. Nor am I at the top of PSI's hit parade." "That leaves Professor Alternative," Justiciar speculated. "If he's the key, then it's more likely some of his crazy science." "If it is, he's outdone himself," Craig mused, folding his arms and laying the palms of his hands on his biceps. "An alternative timeline certainly fits his MO, but this is several orders of magnitude above anything he's done before. And last time I heard, he was out of action. He tried to use a "sensitivity gun" on the Crucifixion of Crime, only to find out the damn thing didn't work on hardcore sociopaths. The man responded by breaking every bone in his body." "That's what happened here, too. Crucifixion's a real piece of work. You couldn't pay me enough to live in Hudson." Burrell spat as he mentally accessed the Starforce database. "Okay. Kivioq says that his injuries occurred five years ago. That's enough time for even the Crucifixion's brutality to heal -- mostly. Alternative's real name is Dr. Miles Walstrom. His parole officer's report mentions he's employed in a villain rehabilitation program at FutureScope in Millennium City. I have a home address." "I'll take it," Thundrax said. "Thanks." "2692 Grand River. Apartment 226. And anything for you, Craig," Justiciar said. "I'm just sorry it took alternate timelines to get the band back together." "Okay McCartney," Craig replied. "I may as well head out." "I'm Lennon, you're McCartney," the normally stolid Torontonian quipped. "You need backup?" "Against Alternative?" Craig laughed. "He's just an ordinary guy with weird ray guns who can barely shoot straight. This hardly calls for firepower. I do have one favor to ask though, David. And it's a big one." "Oh?" Justiciar questioned. "Name it." "Timelines are, well, beyond my comprehension." Craig said. "If I somehow manage to fix this, I have no idea what happens here, whether this timeline is dimensionally solvent so it just keeps on going without me -- let's call it the Everready bunny parallel dimension theory -- or if it completely blanks out of existence. If it does turn out that this timeline persists but I disappear from it, I'll need someone to look after my family. I don't want Raj cursing the father who abandoned him the same way I did with mine." Thundrax's dad had abandoned the Carsons when Craig was only five, and that memory -- and the rejection and guilt -- had haunted him for his entire life. UNTIL psych evauators always had a field day with it. "I'm sure he never would.' Craig smiled grimly. "You don't know my son," he said. "But if it's too much trouble...." "Craig, when it comes to the people you love, there's no such thing as too much trouble." Justiciar stated. "I'll look out for them. I promise." The cyborg paused for a moment as the diagnostic cycle finished. "And Craig -- if you do come back, I want to see you once in awhile. I miss our adventures, The Force is great, but I miss the Guard." "Absolutely," Craig answered. Craig gave Justiciar a long hug, something David Burrell never expected, but found extremely welcome, even without Alternative's ray gun. The floodgates of a long hoped for reconciliattion had opened at last, and Justiciar's eyes were watering, a rare occurence for the stoic Canadian hero. "I'll catch you back in Steelhead, buddy," Craig smiled. "You take care of that girlish figure of yours," he ribbed. "Steelhead?" David wondered. "Why on earth would I be freezing my butt up there?" But Craig was already rising into the sky, a familiar sight in Toronto during his Starforce days. The flight from Toronto to Millennium was far shorter than the earlier one, but Craig had even more qualms. This was a no-win scenario: lose a family? He had complained so much about the life of celebrity he had lived for the last two years, the frequent condemnation on political "news" channels, the daily lynching he took in the Free Press. He had complained that too many people looked up to him to be the leader he never could be. Now, he could escape all that. He could live a happy, normal life. All it would cost him were the lives of people that everyone dismissed as already dead, and the complete abandonment of his principles. A thousand thoughts raced inside Craig's heads as he found the familiar lights of Millnnium City nighttime skyline welcoming him from the other side of the US-Canada border. He knew it as well as he knew his hometown of Vancouver. Not stopping at the border (bad Craig!), he crossed over into Westside and after a quick search, came to a group of condos on the river. He had committed the address to memory, and it was not hard to find the building. He shifted to Craig form and waited for someone to open the front door of the condo and then snuck inside. He could have broken down the doors, but Craig, despite the emotional turmoil he was experiencing, wasn't yet ready to commit to violence. It was a dark, not exactly upscale domicile -- it would be hard for even an allegedly reformed supervillain like Walstrom to pass most background checks -- but Craig wasn't overly interested in the decor, nor the bad smells, a swamp of the urban poor which was ascerbated by an ongoing record heat wave. He found the door to Walstrom's apartment and knocked on it, hard. It took about six sequences of knocks to get any response, just before Craig was ready to break down the door, The door creaked open and a bleary eyed man with short, greying hair, and a long blue housecoat answered in a timid voice: "What is it this time?" Behold the supervillain, who had already gone to bed. A morning person, Craig thought in disgust. Changing into his Thundrax form with a clap of thunder, he grabbed at the safety chain and snapped it like a string, then pushed himself inside, knocking Alternative hard to his back. The man howled and began to crawl backward toward a ugly, delipitated green sofa. Thundrax grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and shoved him -- though he was still careful not to slam him -- against a cheaply papered wall. "Why me?" Thundrax asked. The anger boiled over, and a low growl of thunder filled the apartment. "Of all people, why did you target me?" "Please don't hurt me!" Professor Alternative begged. As supervillains go, he was not the most courageous of his lot. Craig didn't know the man well, probably no one did. A loner, a recalcitrant college professor, a discredited social scientist who believed humanity was too set in its ways to survive, he had devoted his life to one crazy scheme after another to force people to experience other points of view. It even had a hint of nobility about it, Craig thought, except that he was always pointing one type of a ray gun or another at people. Craig had no idea what the man's origin was, quite possibly a social experiment got wrong, expanding his consciousness so he could make his miraculous arsenal of empathy, while transforming him into an obsessed nutcase. He wasn't a hard man to defeat -- hell, once Gordon Lightfoot, the aging Canadian folk singer, put him down for the count. Professor Alternative was one of those utterly pitiable villains whom Craig felt deeply sorry for -- except under these circumstances. "Just answer the question!" Craig roared. "Because of the interview!" Walstrom stammered, shaking and close to tears. "What interview?" Craig demanded. "The on with you on the CBC on your country's national holiday. You and that Canadian reporter. The one where you talked about the pressures, the responsibility, and how you weren't up to it. How the press was making your life a living Hell." "But..." Craig stammered. "That was just me venting. They caught me in a bad mood, and when I'm like that, I get introspective. My life's not that bad. But even so.. why me? And how?" Walstrom straightened himself, sensing the possibillity he might escape the scenario without donning a body cast. "If i tell you, can you promise not to tell anyone else? Especially my parole officer?" Craig snarled back, and the sound of thunder could be heard in the room. "I promise not to act like a frothing Hudson City vigilante!" he snapped. "Tell me!" "Okay!" Walstrom said, again almost sobbing. "I borrowed a device uncovered by the government. The spider of realities. It was taken from some cosmic being -- Valak, I think, took it from something called a Galaxian." "Galaxar!" Craig corrected, and his heart sunk. The Galaxars were cosmic entities of incredible power. But powerful enough to create a separate timestream? Even Craig had to wrestle with that concept. "But why me?" he asked again, almost pleading for an answer. "Because... you of all the superheroes who ever spoiled my plans, were kind to me. You never hurt me or even insulted me, unlike that horrible Frenchman and that Hudson City psychopath. So I used the spider to make you a reality where you were maximized for happiness." Alternative explained. "Did it work?" "Yes," Craig answered, letting the Professor go and shutting the door before the neighbors could disturb the conversation. "But at too high a cost. Too many other people were hurt in the alteration." "Silly superhero," Alternative chuckled. "The world's still intact. Life still goes on. Why not enjoy it?" Thundrax refused to respond to that remark. "Why didn't you use it to make yourself happy?" he asked. "I tried. I couldn't. It only works for other people," Alternative said mournfully. "Would you like a cup of coffee? I could use one." He glanced invitingly into a dirty kitchenette, where unwashed cups and plates piled like an unstable jinga game in the kitchen sink. Craig really didn't feel like drinking from any of those, though he wasn't here to critique the man's housekeeping skills. "Sorry Professor, I'm not letting you out of my sight," Craig said. "Until you've restored the timeline to normal." "But why?" Alternative said, a child's wilfulness present in his vocal tone. "I don't try to take shortcuts with my life. If I change the world, I don't want it done by a magical or cosmic doohickey, like your spider," Craig paused, remembering some of the other insane McGuffins that villains had used over the years. "I want to change it through the force of my will, and by my abilities, and only by those. And I want to make the whole world a better place, not just my little corner of it. I will not take happiness at the cost of other people's lives. That's the antithesis of who I am. So change it back. Please." "What about your security guard? He was affected by the happiness ray too!" Alternative informed him. "What happened to him?" "Um, I think he won the lottery." Alternative said. "I'll think of something." Craig answered. "Look, I appreciate your attempt at kindness. But either you change me back and surrender the spider, or this isn't going to end well for either of us. I know I was belly-aching, but my life before this was pretty damn special, and even in the bad times, my friends always saw me through. I was living great adventures, making the world a better place, and I had more fame and wealth than I ever imagined when I was a kid." "Yes, I regret I couldn't fix your childhood." Alternative said. "I could only change you from the time of our first meeting, not earlier. I couldn't undo your father's abandonment, or the deaths of your brother and mother. Fortunately, I could act before you lost your secret identity. It would have been more problematic if people knew who you actually were." "I'm asking nicely, Professor." Thundrax repeated. "Fine," Walstrom grumbled "This is the last time I ever do any of you heroes a favor." "Thank God," Craig exclaimed. Walstrom reached into a jar next to the cup where he soaked his false teeth and drew out a silver spider amulet, not dissimilar to the ones which warded against Qlipothic effects, He opened his palm and the spider suddenly animated and bit him, drawing a trickle of blood. The device required bio-energy for a trigger the effect. A light shone from the spider, quickly encapsulating Walstrom, and he fired a beam of light at Craig. Craig mouthed the names of his children, and the world dissolved in a flash, and he and Stan were back in the lobby of Flux-Carson. Stan noticed the intruder, lurking in a corner in a lab coat, and immediately drew his pistol. A little late there, Stan, Craig thought to himself, smiling. Craig warded him off, and held out his hand. "The spider, Professor. Now." "What do you intend to do with it?" "It's a Galaxar object, so I can't destroy it," Craig said. "I'll put into a robominer and tell it to bury it in as deep as it can go." On the moon, he added, silently to himself. Like a child forced to return a stolen toy, Alternative placed the spider in his hand. "Hope it bites you," he said, muttering to himself. "Now go. Stay out of trouble." Craig said. The professor dolefully trundled back to his condo. "Aren't you going to arrest him, Mr. Carson?" Stan asked, holstering his pistol. Craig shook his head, strode to the front desk, grabbed a piece of paper from a pile of stationary, and scrawled on it with a fancy pen emblazoned with the corporate logo. "IOU, ten million dollars." He signed it, and passed it to Stan. "Uh-- why did you just do this?" the puzzled guard stammered. "The money will be transferred into your account in the morning," Thundrax said. "Call it compensation." "I didn't realize you were such a kidder, sir," Stan said. Craig smiled. Let the guard find it in his account the next time he checked his balance. Oh, to see the look on his face, he thought to himself. "I've got things to do, Stan," Craig told him. "See that I'm not disturbed for anything short of the return of Dr. Destroyer." "Yes sir," Stan said and Craig went up to his office. He ignored the pile of emails and reports and went immediately to search the Internet for Manjita Dhaliwal. It didn't take that long, though the emotions welling within Craig made it seem like an arduous process, digging in the morgue of Vancouver newspaper and Sikh community sites, searching piece by piece in an emotional jigsaw puzzle, putting together a final picture that was sunk like a knife into Craig's soul and wouldn't stop twisting. His name was Ramanjit Dhillon. He was a social worker for the provincial ministry, who took Manjita's case upon referral from a woman's shelter where Manjita had fled after a miscarriage. They fell in love -- it was so easy to fall in love with that woman -- and he'd help her escape from her first husbamd. They married. Craig saw pictures of the wedding. One boy, 6 lbs., 3 oz., named Gurinder. Born August 21, 1998. It looked like they'd be happy. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Although Bindi, the abusive creep of a first husband, had been put in jail, his parents were both wealthy and incensed at the disgrace of their son. On May 7, 1999 they hired a pair of contract killers, who shot and murdered the couple in their Richmond home. Their deaths sparked outrage, especialy in the Sikh community, particularly among women, as Manjita had been a tireless volunteer for local women's groups. Now the tigresses of the Punjab, as Manjita had called her female friends, were roused. They marched on her behalf, twelve weekends in a row, each rally bigger than the last. By the twelth week, the premier of British Columbia was marching with them. They used money they raised to build a woman's center in her name. They continued the tradition and held one memorial rally every year. They demanded justice and the politicians promised it, but no charges were ever laid. Money? Influence? Diplomacy? (Bindi's family had powerful roots in India). Craig could only speculate. it took the murderous intervention of the vigilante Lion Khalsa Singh, who killed the alleged hit men and Bindi's grandfather in 2003, to finally bring closure to the tragedy. If bloodshed truly was closure, staring at those newspaper articles, it didn't feel very closed to Craig at all. Gurinder had been spared from the massacre and was being raised by Manjita's parents. That was good to know, as Craig remembered them as being good people, once they'd gotten used to the marriage. The marriage that now had never been. He left another message for the Foundation CFO, arranging for an extraordinarily generous donation to the Manjita Dhillion Center, and setting up a scholarship fund for her son. When he had finished what needed to be done, he finally allowed the emotions to sink in. He buried his head in his arms on his desk and remained in that pose for hours, until dawn finally broke over Millennium City. Craig's personal motto was "strive to make every tomorrow better than every yesterday". This coming tomorrow, however, might be a very hard one to salvage. Some tomorrows are like that.
  9. Re: [Retro] COTN 5th edition proposal A few quick answers/comments: The predicament of the Ice because of climate change is certainly of interest to all four Spirits, and has been instrumental to the Land's actions over the last twenty years. And yes, the Sky's been pretty free with letting the Land use elements of his domain, both with Celestar and Borealis. The Sky and the Land are indeed close (to invoke the Silmarillion, they're like the Manwe/Ulmo bromance in the Valar. ). (As an aside, I recently ran a scenario where Borealis was creating controlled microfissures into the Frost Tomb in key places, in an attempt to cool earth down and halt climate change, with Augury as a safety control to warn him when the fissures needed to be closed. Our heroes, of course, didn't agree with his solution.) Celestar will still be a heavyweight. He'll be pared down somewhat, to maybe a 16-18d6 EB NRM on his primary attack (given the law of doubling per dice, you don't have to shave many dice at the high-end to represent a "depowering". Astral would be about the level of the other Starforce members, who are not especially a high-powered group (they'll receive a minor boost). Removing the powers from Celestar entirely would make things a little tricky for Cryptic in-game, and I'd rather avoid that. I also want to build up Astral/Forceknight VI as a teen romance, because we don't have enough of that in the CU. If I do the book, the relationship of the Four to the rest of the Mystic World and where it fits in will be decided. Steve felt they were from faerie; I'm not adverse to a Briahic connection, but nothing is decided.
  10. Re: [LoH] Run Info Comic series have no level issues: we can sidekick everyone to the highest or lowest levels in the group.
  11. Re: Question for Dean Shomshak Another question from a CO player. "Regarding The Ban. I've been reading The Mystic World and I wanted to know, does it affect Gods and Goddesses made AFTER it or not? I can't find anything saying it does or doesn't." Thanks for answering these, Dean.
  12. Re: [LoH] Run Info We'kll do a Whiteout run next Thursday at 630 PM server/Pacific. If that goes well, we'll do more runs in the following weeks.
  13. Re: Question for Dean Shomshak Thanks for the response, Dean!
  14. A Champions Online player wants to know if the Ban applies to the Lords of the realms in Netzach. Thanks.
  15. Re: [Retro] COTN 5th edition proposal Not to interrupt the wonderful dialogue on "Champions Down Under" (a book I'd very much like to see: -------- Changes I Would Make in a COTN6. Looking at about a 256 page book, available as PDF only. Possibly with a small 96 page book available for those who have the 5th edition COTN and only want the changes. Revisions History A couple of gaps in the real world timeline would be filled. Substantially more details on the history of the major superteams would be added. Canada-US Relations With Necrull's defeat, and the assistance of American superhumans against Kigatilik, the border has become more relaxed to superhumans, However, there's still some tensions, especially when American heroes ignore Canadian sovereignty and attempt to transport villains across the border, or carry heavy ordinance. Additionally, a secret base was discovered on Canadian soil, built by an American security agency researching WMDs, which also caused controversy. Updates Each of the major city sections would be updated for the current date, and errors corrected. I'll be asking for more info from gamers on what should be included in descriptions of their city, and if I can find a few public domain maps to include, I will. Major Events New events covered by the history section include: - The release of Kigatilik and the battle of Lynx's Fold to drive him back into the Frost Tomb. - The defeat of Necrull, and his slow rebirth. - Borealis's two week conquest of Toronto. - The Roin'esh invasion of Steelhead (and how Canada joined the space race) and the subsequent creation of the New Canadian Rocket Brigade and Canada's own orbiting space base. - Stormcaster's attack on Newfoundland and the death and subsequent transformation of Argosy. - The death of Wally Thompson (pending Cryptic approval), the original Forceknight. Heroes and Villains STARFORCE 2012 Now pretty much the de facto National team, though they're still mostly dealing with Toronto issues, they do help out the Steelheads when called upon. The current roster is: Justiciar: Canadian cyborg, leader, industrialist, and (gay) husband. Prism Girl: Perky Greek-Canadian heroine. Dust Devil: Rambunctious and surly Western Canadian brickhouse. Forceknight (VI): Sean Doerksen, teenage son of Forceknight III, probationary member. Astral: Celestar's cosmically imbued daughter, now sharing some of her father's power. Argos: Prince of Water Elementals, now inhabiting the vastly changed body of Argosy. Reserve members: Thundrax, Ravenspeaker, the Constable, three unnamed supers (probably can be bought as kickstarter levels). Also, Starforce's AI Kivioq will be described. Other Heroes: I'll also solicit from friends, in both PnP and Champions Online, about 8-10 Canadian NPC heroes who'll get a brief mention in the city writeups (possibly included as kickstarter levels.). Other Significant Character Changes: The Constable He resigned from Starforce to become Derringer's right hand man in the Steelhead division. Forceknight V Alice Hellion is now Rocketknight, head of the New Canadian Rocket Brigade. Celestar Lon stupidly attempted to force his way into the Frost Tomb to free his imprisoned teammates, nearly opening a catastrophic rift that could have brought about a new Ice Age. He was punished by the Land, who stripped him of some of his power, granting it to his illegitimate teenage daughter, Astral. Steelhead Division There'll be more info on some of the people introduced to Steelhead in Champions Online, especially in Whiteout. Villains Kigatilik is now active, as seen in Champions Villains Volume One. Punition will be forced into at least temporary retirement (he attempted to form an alliance with Nihil and to his horror, he was treated as "just another Canadian" by the insane Nazi, whose hatred of Canadians didn't seem to make any allowances for Quebec sovereigntists). A new Quebecois feature villain will emerge in his place. Necrull will be slightly reimagined, as he has been reduced in power, he's turning back to more of his pulp science background and performing new, grisly Necrullitic experiments. At least one new villain team (probably the Bannermen, a coalition of disaffected children of silver and bronze age heroes led by the Black Banner) and several new supervillains will be detailed. I want to go back and work in the Leonarch from the original proposal; Borealis's crew will get at least two new members, H.E.C.T.O.R (a battlesuit engineer), and one other to be decided later. The Hunter-Patriots The H-Ps have suffered a major defeat with two of their three most important leaders captured and cut off from the H-P psi link. However, other more dangerous ones have stepped up in their place, including the Perfect Patriot, who claims to be a rogue clone of Teleios (the truth will be more complicated), and the battlesuit-clad brickhouse Dark Dreadnought, who's trying to turn the H-Ps into an unknowing instrument for his true masters, ARGENT. VIPER The ancient power of The Whisperer in Jade has been reborn, and is extending its curse across Canada again, including an attempt to infiltrate VIPER. However a new power has risen, the Ascendant, a Project: Awakening created telepath who has her own plans for VIPER in the true North. Cyberlord The creator of Justiciar's cybernetics and his arch-enemy (and father-in-law!) has returned. But what are his secrets? Tilingkoot The demon of the lost also suffered a defeat along with his (now former) master Kigatilik, but has regrouped and is in the process of extending his influence into the remnants of DEMON in Canada. GM Section More cool bits of Canadiana, a list of differences between Canadian law and American law that might trip up a GM, a list of items and businesses unique to Canada, and various American chains with little to no presence here. NEW SECTIONS Wild West Canada: Packages and information for running Canada in Old West campaigns. Pulp Canada: Packages and information for running Canada in pulp campaigns. The Worlds of Canada: We'll be covering the mystic world, the martial world, the mercenary world, and the business world, and also clarifying the place of various mystic entities in the Champions Universe cosmology. Due to its importance in Champions Online, Force Station Steelhead will be described, though there will likely be a few changes (some of the sub-sections of that zone, such as the sasquatch villages, will probably be left undocumented for computer game players to discover).
  16. Re: Since CoH is gone... Cryptic originally developed CoH with NCSoft. Some years back, Cryptic and NCSoft had a falling out over CoH. NCSoft took over completely, Cryptic never had anything to do with the title from that point on, and Paragon Studios took over development of the title. Cryptic then developed Champions as its own separate IP. NCSoft decided to dump CoH, and Paragon Studios was let go. Cryptic remains in business, publishing CO with the Chinese-based PWE. NCSoft has nothing to do with CO or PWE. That's the situation in a nutshell.
  17. Re: Since CoH is gone... Insiders are saying that the protests have caught NCSoft's attention. For the sake of the CoX player base, I hope it's true.
  18. Re: [Retro] COTN 5th edition proposal The Hunter-Patriots fulfill two roles in the book. First, they’re part of Dust Devil’s background. Second, they provide a minor organizational level foe with a few unique tricks for the PCs to face. (As I’ve mentioned before, I was rather surprised to see them in Champions Online, as I never meant for them to be significant players in Canada. They’re a weaker variation on the Hellfire Club theme, an anachronistic secret society that plays at supervillainy in the modern world. Given that Canada likely has a lot of captured Gadroon tech and captured an intact Roin’esh spaceship, I think that the Canadian Rocket Brigade 2012 is very feasible. I’ve talked about doing a revamped and expanded COTN for 6e as a kickstarter once my current projects are done, Hero and Cryptic willing. This would make an excellent addition to that book, should it ever come to be. Re: the original Champions of the North; Steve wanted me, for reasons that I won’t mention here, to distance myself from characters in the book. I had some issues with Mattson’s original work: in places it often read more like the author’s home campaign than an attempt to do a comprehensive sourcebook on Canada – there were more NPCs from the Lor Star Empire than from Quebec – also I felt it shied away a little too much from areas of Canada which were controversial, and most of the villains were just too much from the nice guy school of supervillainy. Beyond those objections, I rather liked the book and many of the characters. Augury is a very faint nod to Oracle: she turned out very different, but she began as a revisitation of that character. Tribulation would have been a revision of Purifier and the Integrity Project would be a revamp of Genocide that was affiliated with the IHA. Genocide had been a major player in the original SUNDER campaign that ws the genesis of much of the book, but as development went on, I wanted to avoid “writing the SUNDER sourcebook” syndrome as much as possible, so the Integrity Project was shelved. (Nowadays, I prefer the acronym PURGE, which was used by Reldin on Champions Online for his anti-mutant group in RP). There is a nod to the Sentinels in the backgrounds of COMET, as a close reading of the writeups in the additional characters file will demonstrate, but COMET was cut from the main book as Steve didn’t want the book to be top-heavy with NPC heroes. I mostly agree with that particular editorial call. The Red Ensign was not my creation, but used with permission from the person who commissioned that wonderful drawing from Storn. I wanted a Johnny Canuck analog who would morph into a multigenerational hero, as I love legacy heroes. Red Ensign III's writeup is in the COTN outtakes doc in the Extras section. Thanks for the well wishes on the computer. Prayers are appreciated, though from the looks of things, a new hard drive is needed asap. Hopefully I can recover my old data. This might tie into the origins of Saguenay, the extra-dimensional pocket realm ruled by Baron Nihil. Thanks, Dean! You’re not the only one who’s had issues with this. Some Aussie players in Champions Online have been irritated by this as well. My suggestion would be somewhere between © and (d), with a dash of ( added in. Do what’s good for the benefit of the campaign and what makes for an interesting sourcebook, even if you have to bend what’s gone before to fit the updated vision. I suspect very few people will care about this violation of established continuity, especially if you make an effort to at least address the issue. When people talk about Canada, or even think about the country, they think about two things: the vastness and beauty of the geography, and the cold. Those two elements are at the heart of our national mythology. I couldn’t really present a unified First Nations origin of the continent’s myths because there is none. There are dozens of bands and nations, and the mythology varies greatly between cultures separated by thousands of miles. But mythologizing those two elements felt right to me, with the Sea as a third element because of its importance in maritime culture. Treating the Land as an entity ties in with the animism that’s a part of most First Nations cultures, so it “feels” true and respectful of those cultures, even if it’s not a copy of any First Nations myth. It was important to me that I tried to respect the cultures of my country, and the background of Ravenspeaker and Tilingkoot were both trying to draw on that part of Canada’s heritage beyond “just give them a magic pool”. The Land//Ice conflict reflects in a mythological sense the end of the Ice Age which is when many anthropologists believe First Nations’ peoples began to settle into their modern habitation patterns across North America, so it appealed to me as myth mirroring actual history. And most importantly, it gave me a backdrop for character origins and conflicts that I could play with to tell the stories I wanted. If you don’t like the Well of Worlds and the Dreaming, develop them a little, but ignore them for the bulk of the book and leave the GM a few hooks that will allow him to develop them if he chooses. I used to be of a mindset of “I don’t want people to think Canada is all igloos and totem poles”, and in a sense I was right: a Canada where those were the most important factors would be an embarrassing collection of stereotypes without depth. But a Canada sourcebook where I didn’t touch on the mythological touchstones for a country which is steeped in a preternatural wilderness would also be poorer. If you ended up writing Champions Down Under, it’d be up to you to decide what importance you’d want to give those elements in the campaign setting. I think both the original COTN and even Phil Masters’ otherwise excellent Kingdom of Champions suffered from a conscious decision to downplay them, but that’s your call; you have to write the book that fits your comfort zone. Thanks also to everyone who suggested a backup solution. I will employ them for key files from now on.
  19. Re: List Your CO Heroes! My 40s at the moment: Thundrax (Might/Electrical: traditional Canadian hero, long-time PC) Cord (Electrical/Might: half-clone of Thundrax) Kann Karoth (TK Blades: Star*Guard in training) Gravitas (Force: snarky Brit gravitics researcher and battlesuit wearer) Zorasto (Darkness/Fire: Villain, Demon Lord) Red Ensign (Munitions/Martial Arts: character for WW2 RP) The Laird (Single Blade: clan leader from a mythical version of Scotland) Sandpiper (Munitions: UNTIL Internal Affairs officer) Forceknight (Power Armor: teenage son of Forceknight III who stole his dad's armor) Chaplain America (Martial Artist/quasi-speedster: Westside street preacher and mission worker) The last four are recent: the Laird was done for the leveling contest, Sandpiper and Forceknight took advantage of the double XP weekend. I also have on deck: Seger (L21 Might/Heavy Weapons: Arrogant and spoiled son of a deceased Swedish superhero) Rimi Kumiko (L17 Night Warrior: Resuscitated pre-WW2 assassin). NPC (L 21: Generic guy for RP purposes) Alu (L17 Celestial: Exiled and terrified Solemnid coptain) Grim Reckoning (L8 Munitions: Westside vigilnte) The Angry Bird (L7 Claws: Thaar birdman of leisure removed from his nest) Canadian Fist (L6 Might: slacker and stereotype, eh!) Brent (L6, telejournalist created for a new RP SG.))
  20. Re: Gestalt: Architects of Change: Preview Progress has been slow. I'd just dedicated myself to giving it another push, Dave had contacted me to encourage me -- and then my computer died. Hopefully it can be easily fixed. I do have a backup of the InDesign file so it's not lost, though I need to check the file and see how much data needs to be redone.
  21. My computer died. It was not a good day. Turning to my laptop, I stumbled upon this, the proposal I sent Steve for Champions of the North, 5th edition, I thought folks might be interested in seeing the original plans for the book, including some decidedly different takes on characters from the book and more than a few who didn't make the cut. -------------- CHAMPIONS OF THE NORTH 5th Edition Revised Outline High Concept Canada in the Champions Universe. As written by Scott Bennie, along with several other Canadian Champions contributors. 240 pages, for a 2006 release Chapter One: INTRODUCTION A look at the Table of Contents, and how the book differs from its 1992 predecessor, a definition of the Canadian character and what Canada thinks of heroes. Chapter Two: CANADA AT A GLANCE Basic Statistics for Canada (population, area, demographics, etc.) and one paragraph summary of each province followed by more statistics. Chapter Three: CANADA IN MYTH and THE HEROIC AGE The Mythic History involves the idea that Canada is home to a nearly continental wide mystical force known as the Land, which before the coming of the Europeans, dominated much of North America below the Arctic Circle. The Land warred with the Ice, and allied itself with native populations, using shamans to communicate with them. For the most part, a tranquil impasse lasted for millennia. Then, in 1497, John Cabot landed on the coast of Newfoundland. The Early History When Europeans came they colonized Canada, first Frenchmen in Quebec and Acadia, then English loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. These two disparate cultures united to form Canada. Thanks to Tecumseh and the brilliant military leadership of General Brock, Canada fought the United States to an effective standstill in the War of 1812. [sidebar: Canadian folk heroes of the War of 1812. Laura Secord (a soldier’s wife who trekked through miles of swamp and woods to warn the British of an American attack), and Captain North (he's fictional, he died alongside General Brock but his ghost has periodically reappeared throughout history when Canadian soldiers display extreme courage.) Following the war, corrupt leadership instigated the 1837 rebellion led by William Lyon Mackenzie, but once quelled, the British made major reforms. Canada obtained self-rule in the 1850s, and - spurred by fear of American reprisals after the Civil War - Canada's colonies united to form a nation in 1867. A period of colonial expansion followed, consolidated by the entrance of British Columbia into Confederation, and the construction of the CPR. Another rebellion, this time caused by the Metis (people of mixed Quebec and Indian heritage) led by the charismatic Louis Riel was crushed in 1886, but Riel's execution caused major strains between Quebec and English Canada, and Riel remains a source of contention between the two cultures ever since. [sidebar: (Actual) Folk heroes of Quebec: Jos Motferrand - log driver, brawler, and defender of the Quebec people against the arrogance of the English; Alexis-le-trotteur - an eccentric French-Canadian who could (allegedly) turn into a race horse and beat the fastest horses of his day; Louis Cyr - a (real world) Quebec strongman whose feats of strength blur the line between myth and reality.] Canada continued to grow and thrive under a succession of Prime Ministers, but it wasn't until the First World War that Canada was truly tested; Canada was on the front lines of some of the most gruesome battles in human history and served with honor and distinction. Between the wars, Canada developed into a respectable middle power - in the shadow of the United States. Its traditionally rocky relationship with its neighbor was getting smoother, though Canadian bootlegging during Prohibition sometimes strained their friendship. During this period, Canada had its share of triumphs (Sir Frederick Banting's discovery of insulin) and tragedies (the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl), until forces in Europe once again led Canada to War. A number of Canadians could be considered pulp heroes, including Guy Saint-Vincent, a French-Canadian playboy turned archeologist (who made one of the greatest unreported archeological discoveries of all time), Pat Olmstead, former NHL hockey star turned mercenary turned freedom fighter (he died fighting in the Spanish Civil War in 1938), “Rummy” Jim Bradley (a controversial figure who made a fortune smuggling rum during Prohibition, but who later turned against the Mob), and Dr. Ivan Stewart, two-fisted medic, missionary, and man of science. Unfortunately, the Nefarious Dr. K., the notorious industrial superspy and saboteur, was also a Canadian. [Note: All of these pulp characters are fictional.] Chapter Four: THE GOLDEN AGE Canada joined the Allies at the start of World War II, and once again served with distinction. Canada's superheroes also served with equal acclaim. The Red Ensign The most famous Canadian superhero was the Red Ensign, a superhuman with modest abilities who fought as an ace in the Battle of Britain, but transferred to ground duty and performed many undercover operations inside the Axis between 1941 and 1944. He helped lead the charge onto Juno Beach on D-Day, and was a key figure in the liberation of Holland. Later he fought in Korea, and even later he helped Prime Minister Lester Pearson establish the first generation of Canadian peacekeepers. [Note: Full-write-up for Red Ensign I] Heroes of the European Theater Other famous Canadian costumed heroes who fought in Europe included: Ace Hellion (hero of the Italian campaign), The Human Pistol, Deuce Laroche, Winter-Man, and Rex Sterling, Hound of Tomorrow (a very heroic Golden Retriever). The Home Front On the home front, Canada suffered constant attacks from Hitler's ally Vultok, King of the Ice People, lord of a hidden land of hate that lay beneath the Arctic Circle. He might have done irreparable damage to the nation had it not been for Lady Aurora, daughter of whales, princess of the North, granddaughter of the Inuit goddess Sedna. While the Princess of the Northern Lights fought Vultok and other Nazi-loving monsters, more insidious enemies endangered the home front. The most implacable foes of saboteurs during the War were Dr. Cerebro, the self-proclaimed world's smartest man, Canada Joe (Canada's "perfect pugilist", who also doubled as a private detective in Montreal), and Steve Stevens, RCMP Spy-Smasher. In 1946, the Canadian army destroyed Vultok's empire of ice, and the US sealed it by conducting a nuclear test on the site. Although some of Canada's Golden Age heroes fought in Korea, the destruction of Vultok's Ice Empire was to be the sunset event for Canadian supers of the era. Chapter Five: THE SILVER AGE Canada was spared the Red Scare of 1950s America – North of the 49th Parallel, Communism wasn't perceived as that big of a threat to the Canadian way of life. The most prominent superheroes of the 1950s were Red Ensign II, who (like his namesake uncle) served in the Canadian military, and Thunderhead, a lightning powered hero who waged war against crime in Toronto. The Mighty Canadians! In 1964, the evil Inuit god Kigatilik, who had been placed in a prison of ice by his fellow gods, was thawed out by Vultok (who survived the destruction of his icy realm and who had wandered the streets of Hamilton as an amnesiac vagrant). Kigatilik bestowed great power on Vultok, transforming him into the dreaded Radiation King. To counter their old enemy Kigatilik, the Inuit pantheon bestowed their power on four champions, The Mighty Canadians. From the west, there was the Forester, fearsome fighter and strongman. From the east there was Belle Yvette, the battling beauty of Quebec, whose sonic powers could paralyze anyone within a fifty-meter radius. From the south (well, Windsor) there was Celestar, who was given the powers of the stars. From the north, there was Kivioq, the legendary eternal traveler of the Inuit people. Together, these four champions and inseparable friends traveled through the wilds of Canada, battling the ancient evils summoned by Kigatilik. The Mighty Canadians' career lasted ten years (making them the longest lasting superhero team in the nation's history) until a final showdown with Kigatilik in 1975 sealed the god and all of the Mighty Canadians except Celestar inside an impenetrable tomb of ice. Politics, Damn Politics Superheroes began to reemerge in the 1960s, though even they couldn't escape the politics of the era. This was especially true for the Red Ensign, who wore the old flag of Canada (which included a Union Jack) at a time when the red ensign was being retired for Canada's current maple leaf design. The flag debate was incredibly bitter, and Red Ensign tried to stay out of it, but when Conservative Party leader John Diefenbaker tried to strong-arm his support, he balked. At the unofficial unveiling of Canada’s new flag, the Red Ensign was there to debut a new costume with a maple leaf on his chest and the old Red Ensign flag and Quebec’s fleur-de-lis flag worn on each shoulder. A few people referred to him "the Red Traitor", but eventually his choice was viewed as courageous and - thoroughly Canadian - by the entire country. [Note: Full write-up for Red Ensign II.] About the same time, Canada's first power armored superhero, Forceknight, emerged. He wore a battlesuit created by the engineers from Canada's disbanded Avro Arrow project - at the time Forceknight's battlesuit was the equal of anyone else in the world. Whereas the Mighty Canadians often found themselves battling against mystical threats and the offspring of Golden Age villains, Forceknight fought conventional supervillains like Knightstalker, Manticore, Death Ray, Medulla, and the Deceiver, along with industrial spies, and the earliest incarnations of VIPER. In Quebec, the most prominent superhero was Le Décideur ("The Decider"), a vigilante who fought corruption and organized crime in 1960s Montreal. (There was a lot of it to fight.) In the late 1960s, superhumans began gravitating to Quebec's separatist movement, including a few who joined the FLQ. In 1970, Pierre Trudeau activated the War Measures Act (declaring martial law) to stop them. After a series of raids and a donnybrook in downtown Ottawa between Forceknight and FLQ sympathizer super Le Rappelleur ("The Rememberer"), the FLQ was stopped. However, the reaction to martial law spurred on the efforts of legitimate separatist groups, and the PQ was elected in Quebec in 1975. Several radical Quebecois supers became major supervillains at this time, and another FLQ superhuman named Punition (“Retribution”) became the leading terrorists in Canada. (Although even FLQ sympathizers disavowed him; unlike other members of his cell, Punition never reformed to go into politics or the media – he enjoyed crime and destruction too much to allow a little thing like political victory to spoil his fun). Chapter Six: THE MODERN AGE Most experts date the modern age of Canadian superheroes as starting in 1975, with the dissolution of the Mighty Canadians. Far more tumultuous than the two eras that preceded it, nonetheless, many superheroes have served with distinction in the last thirty years, even if they often received less acclaim than those who preceded them. Others date it to 1976, where the Quebec superheroes Loupe Garou and Voyageur stopped a massive VIPER attack at the 1976 Olympic games (though as one observer icily observed, even superheroes couldn’t stop the real crime at the Olympics – the massive cost overruns incurred by Mayor Drapeau’s Olympic stadium). The Northern Guard In 1978, at the start of the Bronze Age, the aging Red Ensign II began to think about retiring, and chose an entire team as his replacement. Getting government sanction, he formed the Northern Guard, Canada’s premier superhero team. The initial team was comprised of Red Ensign II, Loupe Garou, Cenotaph, Thunderhead, and Tombeur (“Lady-killer”), but fell apart in 1982 when Canada decided to enact its superhero registration legislation and the team had a huge public disagreement. Red Ensign, the most forceful advocate of the new laws, retired. In 1984, after they joined to fight a Gadroon incursion into Northern Canada, a new incarnation of the Northern Guard was formed. Thunderhead, the most outspoken opponent of the registration laws, reluctantly took the leadership reins of the new team. His teammates were Augury, Tumbler, Bonfire, and the Laurentian. Unfortunately, Augury turned out to be an agent of the villainous Necrull, and her betrayal led to the death of everyone on the team except Thunderhead. Thus ended the second and most tragic incarnation of the Guard. In 1992, the actions of a mysterious organization that called itself The Integrity Project, an international organization dedicated to “safeguarding the human genepool from genetic impurities” (paranormal bloodlines and more common genetic disorders), was the impetus to form the third incarnation of the Northern Guard. More aggressive than America’s similar (but better armed) IHA, the Project’s “Integrity Guard” agents kidnapped Celestar’s daughter, used her to lure Celestar into a trap, then brainwashed the captured cosmic hero into attacking targets across Canada. This was the impetus to assemble a new team, the third and greatest incarnation of the Northern Guard. This new team was led by Forceknight, and consisted of Red Ensign III, Ravenspeaker, Voyageur, Snowblind, and Justiciar. They defeated Celestar, rescued his daughter, demolished the Integrity Project in Canada (and its father cell in Britain), and went on to defeat a dizzying number and variety of American and Canadian supervillains. Easily the most successful and famous superhero team in Canada’s history, without warning, they voted to disband in 1998. No one (aside from Forceknight) knows the reason for their dissolution. In July 1998, after a battle with Necrull, the long-thought-to-be-dead Augury possessed Voyageur and came to Forceknight with a message from the Land Itself, promising the destruction of Canada unless the team disbanded. Forceknight wasn’t inclined to believe her, but a visit to a mystic nexus in the Canadian North called the Cat’s Cradle changed his mind. The team followed his lead, and for a third time, Canada’s premier superhero team was no more. Recently, the time limit that applied to the vision expired. Forceknight approached some of his old teammates (and a few newcomers), and a new incarnation of the team was formed. [Character sheets for these characters will be included in the Cities section.] SUNDER In 1987, a lab technician who’d acquired radioactive powers at the Chernobyl disaster, Black Specter, gathered a group of villains that called itself the Alliance of Might. Using a shapechanger disguised as Vancouver’s mayor William Donaldson as a puppet, Spectre’s Alliance seized de facto control of the city of Vancouver and used it as base for conducting worldwide terror operations. To oppose them, an expatriate draft-dodging superhero from San Francisco named Shamus formed his own superhero team to stop them. They called themselves SUNDER (a silly acronym that stood for “Superheroes United to Neutralize Destructive Evil Renegades”). Quickly they established themselves as Vancouver’s premier superhero team. The members of SUNDER included: Avenger (a vigilante martial artist who was a supervillain's son), Thundrax (a teenage brick), Solar Sentinel (a former Canadian astronaut who came back from orbit with heat powers), Cryo (a mutant with ice powers), Elemmus (an exiled earth elemental prince), Dr. George (an eccentric physics genius) and Flux (a researcher in a magnetic battlesuit). In 1988, the Alliance finally fell apart due to internal discord, but SUNDER continued to protect Western Canada from a myriad variety of threats for close to a decade, battling VIPER, GRAB, the ultra-nationalist villain Borealis, the ever-present Necrull, and many others. In 1997, SUNDER finally grew tired of the superhero rat race. Shamus retired to raise a family, Avenger became head of the Steelhead Branch of the RCMP and Thundrax served as a member of UNTIL's UNITY superhero team between 1996-2002 before becoming a Member of Parliament (NDP) for Vancouver East. Other members scattered throughout North America, except for Solar Sentinel, who “felt the call of space” and departed for the stars. [There’ll be a character sheet for Thundrax.] The Canada Corps Another major superhero team that was formed in the late 1980s was the Canada Corps, Canada’s superhuman peacekeeping brigade. This unit, officially associated with Canada’s famous Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry Regiment, was first dispatched to the Somalian conflict, but truly came to prominence for their heroic deeds in Bosnia. The current leader of the Canada Corps is Red Ensign III (formerly of the Northern Guard), who’s protected by the ghost of Captain North, his ancestor. Other members of the team include: Cpl. Chambers (a mystic whose death powers can make the dead rise and attack their killers – or open consecrated graves to give the dead eternal peace), Cpl. Pike (who can open wounds or heal them, and calm emotions or stir people to action), Adamant (a lance corporal with superhuman strength who can project his physical might over a broad area) Pvt. Trace (who can enhance people’s senses around him, and make them much more accurate shooters), and Fuselage (a corporal with the ability to match the velocity of any nearby object and project his senses into any airborne object to use it as an observation platform.) In 2002, Canada Corps incorporated a civilian member during the Afghanistan campaign, a civil engineer codenamed Watershed; (a woman with water powers, which she can use to either project powerful waterbursts or purify existing ground water). Canada Corps is primarily a military organization, and has close ties with both the American military (through NATO) and UNTIL. Their duties are primarily peacekeeping and reconstruction; they pride themselves on being as capable of rebuilding a village as defeating a supervillain, and in protecting a large civilian population from terrorists or defeating a conventional army. They also take pride in the fact that no member of the unit has ever been killed or seriously wounded in action; also, no non-superhuman soldier who’s been stationed with them has ever been killed. As the members of Canada Corps are typically stationed abroad eleven out of twelve months of the year, it’s a very grueling duty. [Character sheets will be included for Red Ensign III and the ghost of Captain North]. Des Esprits Gardiens Quebec’s most prominent team of superheroes is based in Montreal. The leader is Le Fort (“The Strong”), a former circus performer and street musician; other members include Paix (“Peace”, a telepath), Malade (“Madman”/”Lunatic”, Paix’s brother, a very excitable vigilante who’s prone to insane outbursts of self-inflicted punishment that can frighten onlookers (and whom only his sister can calm down)), Goudron (“Tar”, a mutant who can coat himself in either hot or cold tar and project it at people), and Sorcier (“Sorcerer”, one of Canada’s most powerful mystics). [There’ll be character sheets for Le Fort and Sorcier.] COMET In Canada’s capital, the premier superhero team are five power-armor clad battlesuit pilots called COMET (City of Ottawa Metahuman Emergency Team), who work with the RCMP and CSIS to maintain peace, order and good government in the nation’s capital. They are five young men and women who were attending Carleton University when they investigated an alien artifact that “came to life” and wove a battlesuit around each of their bodies. Naturally, they decided to serve their country. The team is led by a woman named Comet Gold, and her four teammates are Comet Red, Comet Green, Comet Blue, and Comet Black. They’re joined by Esprit (“Spirit”, one of Canada’s most powerful telepaths). The team is usually stationed near the House of Commons when it’s in session. They first gained fame in 2002, when they repelled an attack by Borealis on Parliament. Since then, they’ve fought a half dozen major battles in Ottawa and eastern Quebec. [The character sheets for this section will be included in the City section; one of the COMET characters will be included there, and maybe Esprit if we have the space.] Starforce The four-member Toronto superhero team will be left for Ontario area Champions players to contribute characters. They’ll have at least one master villain arch-nemesis and one four-member supervillain team that will be designed by other Canadian Champions gamers. Millennium City across the Border In 1992, one of the great disasters of the 20th Century was the destruction of Detroit by Dr. Destroyer. Three Canadian heroes died in the battle, including Intemporel (“Timeless”, a teleporter/time controller) who was Quebec’s most famous superhero. Although Windsor escaped most of the devastation, one of the sections near Detroit was rebuilt into a suburb and renamed Memorial City as a way to honor the fallen. Several Canadian superheroes have taken advantage of Memorial City’s central location to call it home. Celestar is the most famous hero of Memorial City (if not all of Canada), although with his ability to travel anywhere at the speed of light, he’s more a patron hero of the entire Central Canadian region. Supervillain intruders in Windsor are more likely to be met by Chime, a polite, soft-spoken, music-loving vigilante martial artist (who’s arguably insane), Mahogany, a rude, rapping vigilante female martial artist, or Piston, a boisterous mutant with superhuman strength and speed. [[Memorial City/Windsor will be covered in the City section. Celestar’s character sheet will be found there too.]] Canadian Villainy Canada has its share of supervillain problems. Borealis, who first appeared in 1995, is acknowledged as Canada’s biggest supervillain threat – he’s fought Celestar, SUNDER, and COMET several times and successfully waged a takeover of the Canadian government on two separate occasions before being driven off. Necrull is a necromancer who’s using Canada as a mystical laboratory, attempting to combine science, shamanism, and black magic into something truly ugly and obscene. He is served by a small army of Necromok servitors (some are effectively zombies, others are brainwashed low-end paranormals) who do his dirty work. On a more conventional level, The Quebec master criminal Machiniste (“the Machinist”) controls much of the nation’s criminal trade, from British Columbia’s marijuana grow-ops to Quebec’s biker gangs. Machiniste is at war with VIPER for control of Canada’s drug trade, though he and his operatives tend to avoid crime fantastique (as colorful supervillain operations are known in Quebec). Crime Fantastique, however, is the forte of Carillon and Symphonique, Quebec’s most colorful criminals, a pair of beautiful mutant female super-thieves (with no heart of gold whatsoever). Quebec’s other master supervillains are the previously mentioned Punition and a fiendish creature who calls himself Roi d’Hiver (“the King of Winter”) a bogeyman who entrances children to take a ride on a magic sled, then takes them prisoner and use them as slave labor in his palace of ice (eating them for Christmas dinner). A more traditional four-color supervillain is Baron Nihil, a Nazi war criminal who was the archenemy of the original Red Ensign. Due to a terrible accident at the end of WWII, Nihil was transformed into “the living wind of hate”. After spending decades struggling to restore some semblance of a corporeal form, Baron Nihil has vowed revenge on the Red Ensign clan, the Princess Patricia regiment (both the vets who destroyed his lab, and their successors), other Canadian superheroes, and all of Canada (in that order). Of all of the mystical threats to Canada, Tilingkoot, the half-human son of the imprisoned Inuit god Kigatilik is the most dangerous. Like his father, he wishes to wage war against the Land itself, bringing about victory for the Ice. Recent advances in global warming have obviously enraged him, and he often concentrates his attacks on Canada’s industrial heartland. At least four major ice storms in Quebec and Ontario have been blamed on Tilingkoot, and he might have destroyed Alberta’s major petroleum fields had it not been for Ravenspeaker and Avenger. (The government of Alberta, in typical fashion, complained bitterly about the lack of a response from central Canadian superheroes.) Canada’s most notorious supervillain team is the Brigade, a supervillain mercenary team that performs many of its operations in the United States, but has a hidden base in Canada. The leader of the Brigade is Assault, a mutant with the ability to fly, but who thinks a mutant power isn’t enough, so he likes to use big guns. His teammates are: Balaclava, Assault’s fifteen year old daughter (who can project explosive bolts through a crossbow), Claymore (a man in a battlesuit that’s remarkably similar to COMETs), Hellfire (an assassin with fear powers), and Sabot (whose temporal powers allow for short-duration duplication and teleportation over long distances). The Forces of Nature are a recently formed supervillain team that’s terrorized industrial areas, committing eco-sabotage. The four members include: Thunderstorm, Chinook, Landslide, and Pyroclasm. These four villains are actually spirits summoned by the Land to attack major environmental threats, though each of the spirits believes they’re human. The Forces are secretly affiliated to the radical environmental group known as EarthFront. A one-man supervillain team is the Chain Gang, a very powerful duplicating villain who serves as Canada’s premier thug for hire. His one-time partner, Mister Zee-Zed, is a loony supervillain mercenary who has a tendency to leap all over the landscape, but can be a deadly opponent when cornered (and when he’s run out of lame jokes to tell). Leonarch “Lord of the Canadian Shield” is an ancient alien sentry with malfunctioning memories which was reprogrammed by VIPER. However, instead of serving VIPER, Leonarch came to the conclusion he was supposed to be served by VIPER, so he kidnaps anyone who look like VIPER agents (which is pretty much anyone) and uses them as slave labor to build a huge underground empire under the Canadian Shield. Tribulation is a cult leader, a mentalist whose powers were developed as a weapon by the Integrity Project. He’s the head of a small cult-like church with branches across Canada that’s starting to spread into the United States. In all likelihood, Canada’s most dangerous supervillain is Teleios. However, he rarely involves himself in Canadian affairs, except to “acquire” new test subjects. Two of the few creatures to escape from his not so tender mercies are The Wildman, a savage, seemingly unkillable creature that terrorizes the Canadian North and the Lodge, a man who can merge his body with fir and pine trees and grow copies of himself out of their roots (and turn the trees into devastating weapons). [All of these guys get write-ups in the Behind the GM Screen section.] The Present Canada's history and current situation can be understood by understanding the seven relationships that have shaped Canadian history. The first relationship is Canada's relationship with Britain, the mother country, which held it as a colony for many years and maintains extremely strong ties even to the present day. The second is Canada's relationship with the United States, its monolithic neighbor (“described by Pierre Trudeau as a mouse sleeping with an elephant.”). The third is the relationship between the English and French within Canada, which has twice brought the country to the brink of separation. The fourth is the relationship between the Europeans who colonized it, and the native peoples. The fifth is the relationship between the population and national identity – Canada is a land that began as “a political accommodation between Britains who rejected the United States, plus conquered colonies who spoke French, plus a lot of immigrants”. The sixth is Canada's struggle to accommodate the interests of its regions. The seventh is the relationship between Canada and the Land. All of these struggles have been felt in one way or another by every Canadian who have been granted extraordinary gifts - and there have been many throughout its history. As much as Canada has struggled to find a national identity, its super-identity has likewise been a struggle of definition. Despite the existence of the Land and the mystical forces of Canada, many Canadians feel very uncomfortable identifying themselves as "mystic/Amerind heroes" because they think of it as a cliché. Likewise, even though they have superhumans working for them, no RCMP officer would ever dare to call himself "Captain Mountie" or "the Royal Canadian Mounted Superhero". Canadian superheroes are embarrassed by the number of times that villains like Kigatilik and Tilingkoot have tried to bury Canada under sheathes of ice. Canadian superheroes frown on overt patriotism: of all active supers, only Red Ensign III and Borealis employ the maple leaf as a prominent motif. There’s an apocryphal legend that a superhero who called himself the Beaver was mysteriously beaten to a pulp and woke up with a note pinned to his chest which read: “Change your damn name!” (This coincides with a night when Avenger was mysteriously absent from Steelhead HQ). There’s also a Captain Hoser, but he’s no super: he’s just a normal who attends Toronto Maple Leaf games, gets drunk and harasses people in the name of “fighting crime” (the police usually arrest him before too much damage is done). More than a few Canadian superheroes represent Canada’s ethnic heritage. Khalsa Lion Singh is the vigilante hero of South Vancouver, while in Toronto, the Greek-Canadian superhero Eromai is one of the city’s top costumed crimefighters. Saul Delisle (no codename) is a superhero who works in Montreal’s Jewish community. Much has been made of Canadian separatist villains, particularly in the American media, although it’s probably overstated. A Western Separatist criminal organization was busted by SUNDER in the late 1980s, and Quebec separatist supervillains (with the sole exception of Punition) reformed and went into politics long ago. Even so, some of the most extreme Canadian political movements seem to attract an unusual number of superhumans. CHAPTER SEVEN: A Twelve Minute Guide to Canadian Politics and Justice (4 pages) This chapter describes the current Who's Who of the Canadian government: the Prime Minister, the governor-general, the House and Senate, the Leader of the Opposition, and the current political parties. It’ll also touch on the Charter of Rights, what's the Not-Withstanding Clause, what are the politics of the regions, etc. Differences between the Canadian and American justice system, crime statistics, who's who in the Canadian underworld, mob hot spots, and narcotics production centers. This section also deals with security in a superhuman world for politicians and justices, how Canada defends against mentalists who threaten to mind control the courts or Parliament. CHAPTER EIGHT: Canadian Cities and Provinces A listing of Canada’s major metropolitan provinces and territories, including major cities, resources and general character, followed by a description of Canada’s major urban centers. The data includes: Location Population Brief History/Background: Local Economy: Supervillain Targets: Educational Institutions, Science Facilities, and Nearest Military Installation Cultural Festivals: Sports Teams: Local Superheroes (if any): Local Supervillain Organizations/Criminal Gangs. In addition, the largest cities (Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Windsor, and Halifax) will get a city map and a rough breakdown of the city’s major sections (including prominent streets). There will be character sheets for the following heroes: Ravenspeaker (Vancouver), Dr. Brown (Calgary – he’s essentially a modern day Doc Savage with a bit of a Wild West motif), Comet Gold (Ottawa – since the COMET armor has the same properties with a different SFX for the EB, it should be easy to turn this into an entire group), Forceknight and To Be Determined (Toronto), and Celestar (Windsor), Justiciar (Montreal) and The Mariner (Halifax, name probably to be changed). It’ll be suggested that these characters be brought back together as a fourth incarnation of the Northern Guard. CHAPTER NINE: Canada and the Champions Universe This section describes how well Canada and Canadian superheroes play with others (very good with UNTIL, cooperative but with an undercurrent of resentment against PRIMUS, but display open hostility against American heroes who enter the country without respecting local authority.) It’ll also describe the superorganizations that are currently active in Canada: VIPER, DEMON. There’ll also be two small Canada only-organizations: EarthFront, an eco-sorcery environmental activist group that’s being patronized by the Land, and the Integrity Project (which isn’t as dead as first thought, and now has ties to IHA). CHAPTER TEN: Law Enforcement and the Military Who’s who in Canada’s law enforcement and military. Where are Canada’s major bases, what are the major regiments, and what missions are Canada’s troops traditionally engaged in? We’ll have package deals for Canada’s police and military units, from a typical RCMP officer to a member of Canada’s elite JTF-2 military strike squad. We’ll also discuss the CSIS, Canada’s Security and Intelligence Service, and Steelhead Branch, the RCMP’s superhuman response unit led by the controversial retired member of SUNDER, the Avenger. This section will include packages for Steelhead agents, and for the Avenger. CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Native World While it’s easy to overdo the emphasis on Canada as the mystical Amerind land where nothing happens without shamans and native spirits messing around, there’s room for a mystical Canada in Champions too. Of course, there’s a lot more to the First Nations than mysticism (unfortunately, including squalor, alcoholism, drug addiction, crime, and gambling). This section will include: The First Nations This section lists the major Canadian tribes, and describes folklore and shamanism (with a list of common shaman spells and abilities, and some package deals). Going beyond the mystical, this section also describes the role of the First Nations in modern politics, resource disputes with non-aboriginals, conditions on the reserves, what’s being done to improve them, and modern tribal politics. The Land The role of the Land, the great continental nature spirit, its influence on Canada, and its role in creating Canadian superhumans. Peoples of the Ice The Inuit tribes, including a primer on Inuit mythology, its monsters and spirits, and angakat, the Inuit equivalent of shamans. Monsters of Canadian Folklore Descriptions and stats for Thunderbirds, Bigfoot, and Ogopogo, and any other Canadian folk tale monster we can find. CHAPTER TWELVE: Canadian Culture Culture This section will describe Canada's greats in art, music, literature, photography, and architecture: Emily Carr, the Group of Seven, Ann Hebert, Margaret Atwood, Mortecai Richler, Robertson Davies, Frédéric Bach, Karsh and the Tragically Hip. Also a section on Canadian genre writers from Guy Kay to Bill Gibson to Spider Robinson to Robert Sawyer. And of course, a section on Canadian actors, including the Greatest Man of His Generation, Bill Shatner. Sports Hockey: A brief overview of Canada's national pastime, including answers to the questions "Who in the hell is Don Cherry", "Why did hockey cause one of the biggest riots in Canadian history"? This section will also include a hockey Martial Art, and a set of Hockey Hero rules (similar to the Baseball Hero rules that were published a recent Digital Hero.) Lacrosse: Canada’s official national sport, which began as an informal form of warfare conducted between Indian tribes. This section will also include a Lacrosse martial art. Canadian Football: Three downs? One hundred and ten yard fields? Two “Roughrider” teams? We’ll explain why Canadian football is Canada’s second most popular game. Others: Canadian major league baseball and basketball franchises. Plus, the debt that the boys in the hood owes to a pasty white Canadian boy (who went to Boston and invented basketball). CHAPTER THIRTEEN: GMing Canada This long section discusses how to GM Champions scenarios in Canada. Welcome to the Great White North: Conflicts that foreign supers are likely to find themselves if they visit Canada, things that visitors need to know if they’re visiting Canada. The Great White North Wants You: How to run a campaign based in Canada, how to avoid too many mystical elements if you don’t want them. Play Aids: Five Canadian Campaign Set-Ups Five Ways for Outside Invaders to (Try to) Conquer Canada Twenty Scenario Seeds for Visiting Superheroes Twenty Scenario Seeds for Canadian Supers Five Great Places for Superhuman Combat in Canada. Ten Legendary Mystical Locations: From real-world Haunted Houses to haunted railway trestles inhabited by the Chinese laborers who died there, to the Graveyard of Sasquatches to the gateway to the lands of myth, this section describes cool places for Canadian mystical scenarios. Ten Most Interesting Canadians: If someone’s looking for someone to kidnap, here’s a celebrity. Ten Targets for Terrorists: Using real world data that the terrorists already have (unfortunately) we’ll include some of Canada’s most tempting targets, including schematics for places like the Canadian Parliament. CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE GAMEMASTER’S VAULT Chapter Four: The Golden Age Write-up for Vultok, Prince of Ice. Chapter Six: The Modern Age Dark secrets of Canada’s current crop of superheroes. Villain write-ups for: Augury, Borealis, Necrull (and his minions), Machiniste, Carillon and Symphonique; Punition, Roi d’Hiver, Baron Nihil, Tilingkoot, The Brigade (Assault, Balaclava, Claymore, Hellfire and Sabot); The Forces of Nature (Thunderstorm, Chinook, Landslide, and Pyroclasm); The Chain Gang; Mister Zee-Zed; Leonarch, Tribulation, Wildman, and the Lodge. Also stats for whatever Gang of Four (and maybe a couple of others) that our other authors come up. Chapter Nine: The Champions Universe There’ll be a schematic for the Hellsburg VIPER’s Nest, a high Arctic VIPER’s Nest that’s exploiting local resources and enslaving the native population, suitable for PC invasion. Also, maybe a description of the Abbotsford VIPER’s Nest, and the secret HQ of the Integrity Project.
  22. Re: Nighthawk's Rogue's Gallery I'd have to say Black Harlequin.
  23. I'm going to be running a couple of RP events on Champions Online based on the premise of the classic module "the Great Supervillain Contest", where a villain adopts the identity of the "Crimson Clas" to get villains to go on seeming random rampages across Millennium City (using the Alert system for these) as part of a competition. The Crimson Claw will actually be another villain in disguise. What I'm going to ask you folks is: Who is his or her actual identity and why is he or she doing this? It has to be a villain present in 6e, but go to town!
  24. Re: [LoH] Run Info It's been slow, and lately it seems like only I and one or two others are on at event time. We'll start a schedule again in September and see if it holds, that should give some time for Archie to recover (I hope, get well soon).
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