Bishop

Bishop Backwards Pawn (1) Opening Book (6) Vanity Project (9) Extracurriculars: 20 Questions Wiki Page

I've got approval! And I see your point. Let me mull it over a bit. I'll get back to you.

Bishop smiled and nodded at the socially appropriate moments, but had most of his mind on other tasks. His internet delving was producing results, and some of them quite shocking. He managed to maintain his poker-face and send a surreptitious message to Miss Americana by piping a text-to-speech applet's output to the audio channel they had set up for communication. Over the comlink, a synthesized 'generic male' voice spoke in an invariably neutral tone: [bg=#404040]"This is Bishop. We may have a problem. Mother was once known as "Red Acrobat." She was a member of the Circus of Crime. I don't think she stood trial. I do not know why. Be prepared for potential resistance."[/bg]

For folks saying I can do what I want, there sure are a lot of restrictions! Just kidding! My suggestion was that Avalon and Tir na nOg were both part of the same dimension, not that they were the same place, though even that, I don't think, would be terrible. I don't think that would necessarily say Irish mythology is a facet of British, but could mean, rather, that they are both facets, descendants, of a largely, though not entirely, shared mythology, much of which is lost to time. There are Arthurian legends in the Mabinogion, so Arthur is arguably Welch. And there is a Welch counterpart to the Irish Lugh in Lleu Llaw Gyffes (though, personally, i think Lugh kicks much more butt than Lleu does). So, there are some tentative connections between Arthurian legends and Irish mythology. You go back far enough, they all are pretty intermixed. Saying all their fae came from the same general place is not much of a leap. Bottom line is, if the ruling of the board came down that the place Irish legend calls Tir na nOg is now called "Avalon" by most people (in the FC world), I wouldn't find that offensive personally. I would find it unnecessarily specific and a bit chaffing, but I'd be able to go with it. I'm pretty flexible. I don't even know what modern urban fantasy is. But, if fitting my character into the game world required too many sacrifices of authenticity, I'd probably just scrap the concept rather than not do the Shining Ones justice. But, like I said, I feel I can be somewhat flexible. If, in FC, the Sidhe were called Seelie/Unseelie, for example, it's no skin off my nose. (Though, yes, I'd prefer "Sidhe," obviously.) Hey, I'm good with: "go with what you want, since there are basically infinite dimensions." The upside to that approach is pretty clear: it's the ultimate in character creation flexibility. But, I do think there is a downside, too: that it tends to dilute the world. In this case, for instance, this means there is no THE Fae Realm. Each one is merely "a" Fae Realm. Either way has its pros and cons, so it's cool. It's just something I needed to get clear.

Thank, Aoirooo, I guess that works. But, would that mean they come from different dimensions? There would be, then, an infinite number of Fae Realms each touching all of the infinite number of parallel Earths? It makes my head hurt. That does make as much sense as anything else, but I was thinking maybe it was all one dimension, "The Fae Realm," that is very very big with lots of variety, Avalon being one small part of it, and maybe containing multiple "Avalons" or Avalon-like places, including places like Tir na nOg, the home of the Tuatha De. It may be nitpicking, I don't know, but it seems the answer could impact the use (and cost) of dimensional travel as well as having RP implications. If someone had the "one dimension" version of dimension travel, for instance, and had it set to "Fae Realm," would they be able to go to all of our fae-related-fluff-background places? Or to only one of them? Or maybe none of them, since it would go to one unique to that character. ...or am I just thinking too much and should just roll with it and work it out if and when it ever actually comes up in play? If the answer is "yes, already!" that's cool. I can live with that. :)

He'll teleport, but not want to make an appearance there before the team. So, he'll T-port about 2,000' above the location and check it out from there as he continues to gather more info online. When he sees the others show up, he'll teleport by their side. He still thinks Miss Americana should "take point" in the talk with the mother.

Yeah, I don't have Freedom's Most Wanted, but I do know that Avalon is a place in the Fae Realm according to Book of Magic (pg. 97).

So, I'm tinkering with a possible character, Mistweaver. Part of his background is a relationship to the Tuatha de Dannan and the Sidhe. There is already a character, Crow, with a similar relationship, so, cool. That could lead to some interesting interactions between the characters. Well, I recently bought and read the Book of Magic which details the Fae Realm, and there is also an existing character, Changling, with a connection to that dimension. So, reading the book raised more questions for me than it answered. I haven't read all the past threads, which may hold the answers I'm looking for, so I apologize if this has already been worked out, though I did a search and couldn't find anything. In this campaign, where do the Tuatha de Dannan live? Are they considered Fae (and the Seelie and Unseelie being factions of what I referred to as the Sidhe), or do they have their own divine dimension (like Asgard?) In working on Mistweaver, I was assuming, basically, a combination of the two: that they are divine entities like the Norse gods and that their descendants have become to be considered "faeries" over time. But that was primarily because a) that's how I personally view them and I didn't have the Book of Magic. One possible answer that I think would work pretty well is that the Tuatha de Dannan are a particular house of Noble Seelie that invaded Ireland long ago and still has very close connection to humans. The Fae realm, in this view, is a very big place and they would be a small subset of the Seelie, but one that interacts with Earth-Prime a great deal to this day. Another would be that the Tuatha de Dannan are the highest nobility of all the Fae Realm, but their descendants have split into two factions, Seelie and Unseelie, after their defeat by the Mileseans. A third possibility is that it is a completely separate dimension, but that seems unsatisfactory. The answer, I would think, would have a lot of impact on how these three characters interact with each other and with "non-fae-related outsiders," and how responses to threats to/from the Fae Realm are approached in general. Another related question is: what descriptors should powers that come from the Tuatha de Dannan have? Just "magic?" Or should it also be considered "divine?" Or is it somehow in opposition to divine (like in D&D 4e) and considered "primordal?" With Mistweaver, I went with "magic, divine," but it doesn't really matter to me. (Though if the rowdy gods of Asgard are "divine," it seems the Tuatha should be, too). It just seems like it might have a lot of affect on how the relations between the mystic dimensions are viewed in the campaign.

Before leaving the school, when they had a moment of relative privacy, Bishop spoke with Miss Americana. With a conciliatory gesture he told her, "I apologize for 'stepping on your toes' in there. It would certainly be better if we could get on the same page." He furrowed his brow. "You are with ArcheTech, so would I be right in assuming you have some pretty advanced communications system in your, um..." he only barely managed to avoid looking her up and down for possible signs of tech in a way that could easily be misconstrued. Instead, he kept his gaze politely fixed on her face. "...costume?" He smiled warmly, but blinked a few times. Though normally normally quite self-assured and unflappable, he couldn't help but feel at least a bit of awe in the presence of this paragon. Pointing to his mask, he continued, "my equipment can interface with most protocols, so I'm thinking we could work out a private channel. I am concerned that we may have a much harder 'sell' in talking to Melvin's mother. "Also, I assume we have the same general idea about getting Melvin some proper guidance, maybe through your resources at ArcheTech, but what specifically do you have in mind? Are there any details we should, perhaps, iron out before we talk to her? I would imagine she might be concerned that he gets a well-rounded education, appropriate social interaction... I think it would be good to already have answers to all of her likely questions." Later, he began working on researching Melvin's mother to add to the information he already gleaned from the school's computer system. There was no telling what tidbit of information might prove useful in their talk with her. As they say: "knowing is half the battle," and Bishop was nothing if not thorough in preparing for any kind of "battle."

I bought the Worlds of Freedom and read up on Anti-Earth. It really is exactly what I was going for, so I'll edit a bit for that setting, if that's cool.

Huh. I guess you're right. That did confuse me, and I thought the extended applied to both. I think it makes sense, though, to make it x10 to both senses. I've got that changed.

Bishop acknowledged Miss Americana's lead, and so nodded to Melvin as she spoke. "Of course you will have to tell your mother," he said to Melvin, and quickly gave Miss Americana a look of reassurance. "I think you would have come to the same conclusion yourself soon. It may seem scary, but we'll be there with you. It will be okay." Bishop's face didn't betray his thoughts, but he realized what he had said must have struck a nerve with the superheroine. Perhaps she had a bad experience concerning her own child, which, as a parent himself, he could easily understand. One thing was clear to him, though, which was that she preferred a much more direct approach than his more gradual diplomatic style. No matter. It was an easy adjustment for him to make, and her approach seemed at least as effective in this case.

Bishop was reasonably sure that the principal would be happy to allow the superheroes wide latitude in handling the fallout from this incident. He sat down on the other side of Melvin, so they could talk comfortably. "I would think that if you take responsibility for the mess you've made here, clean it up, and apologize to the people you've put out, there wouldn't be any need to tell your mother about what happened. I'm sure you're going to do just that, so don't worry about that. "I understand that you are worried about what your mom thinks about your... hobby, and that you think she won't let you build your robots and other cool machines, but let's talk a bit about what you want to have happen after this, Melvin. From what I can tell, you're a very smart kid. My guess is school is boring for you and you don't fit in with the other kids. From what you showed us today, you obviously don't want to be stuck in class all day, not allowed to build stuff, am I right?" Bishop smiled knowingly at Melvin and waited for confirmation from Melvin, then continued, "So, let's suppose for a second that your mother said it was okay to come with us and build the kinds of machines you want in a real lab, like Miss Americana suggests. I would think there are people willing to teach you a lot of new things and help you become the best you can be. It wouldn't be easy, even for someone with a mind like yours. I'm sure it would be hard work, but I bet it would be fun, too. If we talked to your mom, and she said it was okay, would you want that?" Bishop wondered how much of a problem his mother would be with the plan that seemed to be shaping up: having some of the super-tech supers take this boy under their wing. Perhaps, she just wanted a "normal" life for her son. She would likely have to be shown that such a life just wasn't in the cards for Melvin -- that a school like this wasn't a place where he could really be happy; and that trying to force him into a life of "normalcy" was seriously dangerous.

Actually, looking around on the Wiki, and at FC setting material, there already is Anti-Earth, which is exactly what I was going for. We could edit as necessary to fit Anti-Earth if that would be preferable.

Oh, drat. Ok, no problemo. Back to it just being a regular tracer. (Actually, on reflection, a regular tracer is much better anyways. He can still teleport directly to it if he wants to with accurate teleport, and can get a heads up about what's happening with it before he does. I don't know what I was thinking!)

It's only a "tracer" in the sense that he can "trace" something by teleporting to it. I'll clarify that. I don't remember where I saw a teleport anchor as a benefit for 1 EP, but it was in someone's build for something, and it seemed like a cool idea. Basically, it gives something to lock on to and teleport to wherever it is, like in the "anchor" flaw for teleport.

Ok, that's cool. I can give you my general ideas about the dimension and you can surprise me with throwing whatever wrenches in the works you might like. The general idea is that all the FC setting superheroes are evil and villains are good guys in a dark, "cyber-punk" kind of world. The US is pretty much under the tyrannical rule of the Iron League, this world's version of the Freedom League. There is still a federal government, a president, and such in Washington DC, but they are puppets and do what they are told. Everyone knows where the real power is. Superpowered individuals, by federal law, either have to join the League (and thus be "federally licensed") or be criminals. The "villains" formed pockets of resistance fighting for freedom and justice against all odds. AEGIS is the federal arm of normals, "assisted" by the Iron League in ferreting out these "terrorists" and eliminating them. The only similarity, I suppose, is that they are "criminals" here as much as they are in our world.

I'm sure I'm supposed to, but I'd like things to be consistent, so, no. I wrote the opening with the PL 7 version in mind. Also, I started working on evil versions of himself and his daughter if you want to use them. I have them in his scratch pad in Character building. They're not finished yet, though.

Bishop looked to Caradoc and shook his head. "Sir Caradoc, I don't think they are equipped for a fellow like this." Turning back to Melvin he said, "And, yes, I would be delighted to see your lab! You have an amazing talent, Melvin. A real gift." He then added with a smile, "But that might have to wait until after school." With that, he withdrew to stand behind Miss Americana so Melvin's attention wouldn't be split and Miss Americana could focus on comforting and dealing with Melvin. Bishop began to take in the data about the boy now streaming to his optical nerve. He scanned school reports of a history of behavior problems during the one year the boy had been at the school, including a vague reference to a "volcano incident." That apparently resulted in Melvin being permanently banned from the science lab. Bishop could hardly suppress a faint smile as he considered what the details must have involved. He couldn't help but think that if Melvin were around when Bishop was in third grade, they might have been pretty good friends. Tests scores showed Melvin to be highly intelligent, which was hardly a surprise. Counseling and parental contact records suggested a nasty divorce: Melvin lived with his mother and the father was not allowed to pick Melvin up or contact him. Also not surprising, given the principal's attitude, nothing had gotten to the point of needing to file a report with social services before that day. Bishop took note of the contact information for Melvin's mother to have it handy. He would be surprised if they didn't end up calling her in the pretty near future. Finding the answers to his questions, Bishop closed the computer files, cleaned up any sign of his presence in the system, and disconnected. Blocked from Melvin's sight by Miss Americana, he whispered in her ear, "problems at home. Parents divorced, living with Mom. Basically on run from father for a year. Very smart, very troubled." Bishop began considering possible options. Melvin was clearly a lot more than a public school could handle and needed more... appropriate placement. He needed guidance, challenge, and opportunity to develop his natural gifts. Clearly, calling in superheroes was a sound decision by the principal... though Bishop still thought the man really should have given them more of a heads-up.

[floatr][/floatr] WORK IN PROGRESS Player Name: Bishop Character Name: Empress / "Dark" Empress (From Reverse-Earth) Power Level: (7 or 10) (105/105PP or 150/150PP) Trade-Offs: +/-0 Attack / +/-0 Damage, +/-0 Defense / +/-0 Toughness (or "None") Unspent Power Points: 0 Progress To Bronze Status: 0/30 In Brief: Mistress of Telekinesis Alternate Identity: Julia Kross Identity: Secret Birthplace: Philadelphia, PA Occupation: Student Affiliations: Freedom League (associate member) Family: Father Donovan Kross (Bishop) Description: Age: 18 (DoB: Year [Optionally, Day & Month]) Apparent Age: 18 Gender: Female Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: Weight: Eyes: Hair: (Describe what they look like!) Power Descriptions: (Describe what their powers look like, if applicable) History: (Please remember we are a relatively family friendly site. Your story should be PG-13 at most. If your character wouldn't fit in an episode of Justice League Unlimited, The Dresden Files, or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, please rethink it.) Personality & Motivation: (Describe here) Powers & Tactics: (In-character descriptions of how they do their thing) Complications: Name: [Description] Example: Secret: Identity. Abilities: 0 + 2 + 2 + 4 + 2 + 4 = 14PP Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 12 (+1) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 14 (+2) Combat: 4 + 16 = 20PP Initiative: +1 Attack: +2 Melee (+2 Base), +2 Ranged (+2 Base) Grapple: +1 Defense: +10 (+8 Base, +2 Shield), +4 Flat-Footed Knockback: -0 Saving Throws: 0 + 0 + 0 = 0PP Toughness: +0 (+1 Con, +9 Personal Telekinetic Field) Fortitude: +0 (+1 Con, +0) Reflex: +0 (+1 Dex, +0) Will: +0 (+1 Wis, +0) Skills: 0R = 0PP [skill] [# of Ranks] (+[Total Bonus]) [skill] [# of Ranks] (+[Total Bonus]) [skill] [# of Ranks] (+[Total Bonus]) Examples: Craft (Structural) 5 (+5)Skill Mastery (would be used for someone with 5 ranks in the skill and a +0 Int modifier) Knowledge (Technology) 8 (+10)Second Chance (would be used for someone with 8 ranks in the skill and a +2 Int modifier) Languages 2 (English, French [Native], German) (would be used for someone who speaks those three languages, but learned French first) Notice 5 (+4) (would be used for someone with 5 ranks in the skill and a -1 Wis modifier) Feats: 0PP [Feat Name] [Feat Name] [Feat Name] Examples: Accurate Attack Dodge Focus 2 Equipment 2 (10EP) Luck 2 Example: Please note that the Equipment quoteblock is only applicable if your character has the Equipment feat. Powers: 0 + 0 + 0 = 0PP Telekinesis 20 (40pt Array, Flaws: Duration [Concentration] Feats: Alternative Power 3, Subtle 2, Precise)[26PP] Base Power: Move Object 10 (Heavy Lift 12.8 tons) (Extras: Range [Perception], Damaging) [40PP] (If she can see it, she can move it or crush it) Alternative Power: Create Object 9 (Extras: Impervious, Movable, Feats: Selective) [37PP] ("Telekinetic Force Fields") Alternative Power: Move Object 10 (Heavy Lift 12.8 tons)(Extras: Area [burst 50' radius], Damaging, Selective Attack, Flaws: Range [Touch]) [40PP] She can move and control several things at once within a 50' radius of herself) Alternative Power: Move Object 13 (Heavy Lift 25.6 tons)(Extras: Range [Perception]) [39PP](If she just focuses on moving something, rather than crushing it, she can lift much more weight) Personal Telekinetic Field 9 (18pt Container) [18PP] (Mutation) Protection 5 [5PP] Shield 2 (Feat: Defensive Roll 2) [4PP] Flight 4 [8PP] Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP Drawback (Description, Frequency: [uncommon, Common, or Very Common], Intensity: [Minor, Moderate, or Major]) [-XPP] Example: Vulnerability (Fire, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Major [x2]) [-4PP] (Please note that you can only have a number of drawbacks equal to your PL, not including power drawbacks. Also, power drawbacks, such as Full Power or Power Loss, should be listed on the power, not here.) DC Block (see below) Totals: Abilities (0) + Combat (0) + Saving Throws (0) + Skills (0) + Feats (0) + Powers (0) - Drawbacks (0) = 105/105 (or 150/150) Power Points

[floatr][/floatr] WORK IN PROGRESS Player Name: Bishop Character Name: The Black Knight Power Level: 9 (140PP) Trade-Offs: -2 Attack, +2 DC Unspent Power Points: 0 Progress To Bronze Status: 0/30 In Brief: A teleporting tactical genius. Alternate Identity: Donovan Kross Identity: Public Birthplace: Philadelphia, PA (Anti-Earth) Occupation: Evil Genius Affiliations: The Tyranny Syndicate Family: Daughter Julia Kross and wife Melinda Kross (of Anti-Earth) Description: Age: 44 (DoB: 1967) Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 5' 10" Weight: 148 lbs Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown (Evil) Donovan Kross is a slender, middle aged man. His hair is a dark brown and graying at the temples. It's of a medium length and usually a bit unkempt. Black Knight's costume soncists of a black, utilitatian bodysuit, with chest and shoulder armor suggestive of medieval armor, but still very modern in appearance. A belt and various pockets hold his gadgets and other equipment. Power Descriptions: Black Knight's primary power is his mutant ability to teleport. When he uses his power, whatever is teleporting shimmers briefly before disappearing. The teleport makes a soft "zzzut" sound. History: (Evil) Donovan Kross was a professional chess master and criminal mastermind. Five years ago, during a bank heist, his partners-in-crime double-crossed him and left him to suffocate in an air-tight bank-vault. The ensuing panic triggered his latent mutant teleportation power. He was discovered and recruited by the Tyranny Syndicate and his powers were trained and studied. When it was discovered that his daughter shared the same latent gene, which could only activate under life-threatening danger, The Black Knight had her tortured until her telekinetic power manifested. Personality & Motivation: The Black Knight is cold and calculating. He will hold a grudge for years, and plot vengeance against those who wrong him. He can patiently put together a long term plan only striking when the time is right. He is especially loves intellectual challenges. He particularly seeks to defeat "smart-guy" superheroes who like to fight with their intellect. Powers & Tactics: Black Knight can teleport himself with a remarkable degree of skill. He is also capable of “micro†teleports which lets him dodge attacks and avoid damage more effectively. He prefers not to engage in battle directly, but plan strategy for his minions instead. If he must fight, he prefers to dart in and out of a battle using hit and run tactics to confuse and disrupt his enemies. He can teleport behind full cover, then strike and withdraw again quickly. His primary weapon is a specially designed "lance" which can fire a searing beam of coherent energy or, in close combat, deliver a devastating piercing strike. His costume is armored and also includes an anti-grav unit, allowing him to hover over a battlefield. His favorite strategy is to teleport high into the sky where he can slowly drift as he analyzes and prepares his battle plans. Abilities: 0 + 0 + 4 + 12 + 4 + 2 = 22PP Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 10 (+0) Constitution: 14 (+2) Intelligence: 22 (+6) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 12 (+1) Combat: 10 + 10 = 20PP Initiative: +6 (Speed of Thought) Attack: +7 Melee (+5 Base, +2 Lance), +7 Ranged (+2 Base, +2 Lance) Grapple: +3 Defense: +9 (+5 Base, +4 Shield), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -0 Saving Throws: 4 + 5 + 8 = 17PP Toughness: +2/+5/+7 (+2 Con, +3 Protection (Costume), +2 Defensive Roll) Fortitude: +6 (+2 Con) Reflex: +5 (+0 Dex) Will: +10 (+2 Wis) Skills: 52R = 13PP Bluff 5 (+6) Computers 4 (+10)Skill Mastery Craft: Electronics 4 (+10) Craft: Mechanical 4 (+10) Intimidate 9 (+10)Skill Mastery Investigate 2 (+8) Knowledge: Streetwise 2 (+8) Knowledge: Tactics 11 (+17)Skill Mastery Knowledge: Technology 4 (+10) Knowledge: Others (+6) Search 2 (+8) Sense Motive 5 (+7)Skill Mastery Feats: 17PP Attack Specialization (Lance) Benefit 3: Knowledge (Tactics) in place of Stealth to set up a surprise attack Notice or Sense Motive to detect an ambush or avoid a feint in combat Intelligence check for the Master Plan featEidetic Memory Inventor Equipment 1 [5EP] Master Plan Minions 6 (5 60 pt Minions - "The Black Pawns") Online Research Speed of Thought Skill Mastery (Tactics, Intimidate, Computers, Sense Motive) Equipment 1PP = 5EP Commlink [0EP] Powers: 15 + 1.6 + 6.4 + 5 + 23 = 51PP Device 5 (25PP Container, Flaws: Easy to Lose)[15PP] ("Power Lance") Power Lance 12 (24PP Array, Feats: Alternative Power) [25PP] Base Power: Damage 11 (Extras: Penetrating, Feats: Extended Reach, Incurable)[24PP] ("Energy Lance") Alternate Power: Damage 11[18PP] (Extras: Ranged, Feats: Extended Range, Incurable)[18PP] ("Beam Setting") Device .4 (2PP Container, Flaws: Hard to Lose)[1.6PP] ("Gravatomic Belt") Flight 1 (100'/10MPH) [4PP] (anti-grav function and mini-thrusters) Device 1.6 (8PP Container, Flaws: Hard to Lose) [6.4PP] ("Costume") Protection 3 (Extra: Invulnerable) [6PP] (armored) Enhanced TOU: +2 Invulnerable [2PPs] Shield 4 (Feats: Defensive Roll) [5PP] (Defensive Teleport) (Mutation) Teleportation 6 (600'/20 Miles)(Extras: Accurate, Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity, Easy, Turnabout, Moving Feint)[23pp] (Mutation) DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Lance Touch DC26 Toughness Damage Teleport Touch DC19 Fort (Staged) Sickened, Nauseated, Helpless Totals: Abilities (22) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (17) + Skills (13) + Feats (17) + Powers (51) - Drawbacks (0) = 140 Power Points

Bishop finds himself stranded in an alternate universe where superheroes are the villains and villains are heroes, without his "trusty" scepter, and confronted by the last person he'd ever expected: his own daughter! Could there be an Evil-Twin Bishop, too?

September 12, 2011 Things have been pretty hectic. The impending doom of the Gorgon was bringing out the worst in people. Bishop was at the club, though, taking some well-earned down-time. He was sitting in the main "living room" area in a recliner, sipping a Coke. His chair was facing the back of the room, away from the playing tables. Right behind him, a small chessboard table was set up with a game in progress, just out of his sight. Joe Cunningham, a member of the club, was sitting where he could chat with Bishop and also see and move the pieces of the board. After much consideration, Joe moved the white queen on the board. "Queen to E3," he said to Bishop. Bishop smiled, closed his eye, and leaned back in his chair. "Knight to H4." Joe moved the black knight and studied the board again in consternation. He was slightly behind in material, but he knew that was all it took to be left in a hopeless position. Bishop looked at his watch. "Hey, Joe, it's almost 8 o'clock. I've got to punch in. Want to pick it up later?" Joe never took his eyes off the board, apparently hoping that in his intense concentration, he'd find a way to at least bring the game to a draw. "Sure, Don... sure..." Bishop left Joe to his calculations and went upstairs where his costume and equipment were kept in a secure closet. After suiting up he rested his left hand on the hilt of his holstered scepter and -- zzzzzut! Bishop popped up 2,000' in the sky over Freedom City. Something looked wrong, though. There weren't as many lights in the city and there was something.... wrong... with the skyline. Bishop was too distracted by his HUD readout to give it a lot of thought. [bg=#404040][Network Contection Lost] [Attempting to Reestablish] [Working...] [Network Login Failed][/bg] Huh. Network adaptor on the fritz? Let's try the other standard networks. [bg=#404040]Command: Connect G4 Protocol [Working...] [Network Login Failed] Command: Connect Freedom League Network [Working...] [Network Login Failed][/bg] [bg=#404040][Warning! Trace Detected!] [system Infiltration Detected!][/bg] [bg=#404040][Countermeasures Activated] [Connection Terminated] [Running Diagnostic System Check] [Working...][/bg] What the hell!? The Freedom League denied my login and tried to hack me?! Okay, something is seriously wrong here. Freedom Hall was about five miles away; a bit too far for an unassisted jump. As he glided along with the air currents, he put his left hand on the hilt of his scepter and... nothing! Normally, he could feel the power of his scepter strengthening his natural teleportation ability. It was something he could "reach through" and jump thousands of times farther than normal, but now? It just felt like a metal stick. Oh, great. He teleported down to the roof of a nearby building and drew his scepter. A thin wisp of smoke seeped from a panel in its side. Okay. Total burnout. I better get this back to the League and see if they can fix this piece of junk. He decided that it was probably about time he started pouring over tech manuals and learn how this stuff actually worked so he wouldn't have to run to the league every time he had a problem. He did a handfull of short jumps to arrive at the front doors of Freedom Hall. Or... what looked a lot like Freedom Hall. With his perfect memory, Bishop could tell that even though it looked almost identical, there were several minor differences between this building and the Freedom Hall he knew. Okay... this is definitely NOT right. What is going on here? [bg=#404040]Command: Radio Scan > Emergency Bands [scanning... Channel Locked In][/bg] [bg=#404040]"Dispatch to Ambulance 4, stage at 300' distance. League activity is still reported on scene." "Roger, dispatch. Arriving at staging area now. Please advise." "Ambulance 4, be advised Captain Thunderbolt is in the hot zone. He is still terminating the last of the rebels. Reports are that there are currently three civilian casualties, status unknown. Do not deploy. Stand by." "Thank you, dispatch. Standing by."[/bg] Wait... what?! Captain ThunderBOLT?! "Terminating" rebels!?

Bishop casually stepped in front of the doors, blocking Melvin's way. He wasn't about to let the boy run out, but he was as gentle and friendly as possible. "You know, you got those machines of yours doing some pretty cool stuff, Melvin," he said sincerely. "What else can you get them to do?" Bishop hoped that, if the boy was channeled in a positive way, maybe they could reach some kind of resolution. Meanwhile, Bishop queued up his software to do online research as soon as he got the opportunity. Perhaps Melvin would be busy long enough for him to learn something valuable. What kind of family life did this boy have? The principal mentioned not wanting law enforcement contacted, and Bishop agreed. Once "social services" got involved, things could down a bad path for the boy. But, maybe there were already records that could shed light on the situation like counseling notes, psychological reports, maybe electronic records of past incidents. These things would undoubtedly be behind at least a modicum of security, but probably nothing more than routine system protections. And, if he could tap directly into the school's computer system on site, maybe he wouldn't even have to deal with that much. He focused his "electronic" attention on the school's office area. [bg=#404040]Command: System Scan > Select Area [searching for computer systems and networks in target zone] [Working...][/bg]

Well, I'm thinking the more it seems he is totally hosed, the more interesting it will be. I was thinking of a few possibilities. First, the Victorian-Steam-Punk Earth your character Lord Steam comes from, which would give a good opportunity to hook up with your character, a fellow "Low PL" type. There, none of Bishop's computer networking doodads will work and he might have a hell of a time figuring out how steam-tech can possibly get him home. Second, some very-close-parallel world like an "evil-mirror" world where the superheroes and villains are reversed (causing a real possibility of making a BIG mistake before he figures out what's going on, (like on Sliders) or possibly running into his "evil-twin"). Third, a "Nazis/Soviets Won" world. He gets his internet connection working, but everything's in German/Russian and he has to hide/run from totalitarian government police. As an explanation as to why this happened, perhaps it was an unlucky coincidence involving an experiment into dimensional physics being worked on in else-world to fight the Gorgon there. Bishop just happened to do a jump at the wrong time through the wrong "sub-space" and his equipment wasn't made to handle it. I see this probably involving lots of running / hiding / figuring out what the hell is going on and a possible deus ex machina rescue by rebel forces / villains-who-are-heroes-there or whatever who explain what kind of crazy thing Bishop has to do / overcome to be able to get back home.