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Sloane Manor North Bay, Freedom City New Jersey Thursday, July 12th, 2018 4:02 PM Erick Sloane's beachfront villa in North Bay was far from untouched. The prior day's assault on Kingston left much of the surrounding upper-class neighborhoods in a state of disarray. And North Bay was no exception. Especially after an entirely new force from the Terminus emerged to fight against both the Resistance Force and the invading force. Ironically, it seemed as if for the first time in the history of Freedom City someone could make the claim that the Fens was the safest neighborhood to live in. Of course, most residents didn't have a sprawling underground headquarters in their villas. A team of heroes had been risking their lives gathering and spreading information and equipment covertly to the Resistance in the city. The latest transmission pinpointed where one of the power sources for the device generating portals into the city was. Unfortunately, said generator was currently guarded by what had to be one of the largest armies of the Terminus sighted thus far. To make matters worse it was positioned deep inside the Raymond Nuclear Power Plant. Which had seen extensive renovations by Daedalus of the Freedom League to convert the plant into a virtual fortress. In short, any attempts to destroy the generator would be a suicide mission. Foreshadow sent a recruitment transmission through his headquarter's computer with the hope that anyone nearby would answer the call. When Sea Devil, Singularity, and Cobalt Templar arrived they found piles of Omegadrone armors strewn throughout the sprawling manor. The inside of the home appearing as if an explosive had been set off with the stench of entropic energies wafting through the air. Having to step over the burnt and battered Omegadrones they would find an open bookshelf that at one point covered the staircase that led down into Foreshadow's Forebode. The computer's holographic display had a Power Pike sticking through it slightly covering the top leftmost point on the 3d layout of the Raymond Nuclear Plant. A hooded man stood in the center of the room his back turned to the staircase, a dark blue cape flowing in tatters.

January 20, 2017 Port Regal "It's beautiful," said Mark, peering at the image Nina had found. "I love the lacework on the veil - and you've always looked good in white." Perhaps white wasn't the traditional color under the circumstances - but when he'd mentioned that the other day Nina had not been terribly happy with him. "I'll take you over as soon as we're done talking to everyone." Sitting next to his fiancee on their living room couch, he tried to keep his stomach from lurching with excitement as he remembered the purpose of the planned conversation. He'd kept Nina's secret because he loved her, but it had made January one of the hardest months of his life. "It's fine enough," agreed Nina, tabbing over to the page for her personal notebook.. Looking at the dresses had been Mark's idea - having found a satisfactory one, she'd already moved to the next step. "After I wear it, I can donate it to the Women's Center - Malikah's getting married this summer and she can alter it as she sees fit." The dress would do for their civic service in Freedom City in a month. For the wedding to come in Socotra's Great Mosque, when she would be her father's...overthrower, she would need something much more elaborate than this. Mark gave no sign that he followed Nina's thoughts, instead kissing her on the cheek and rising to his feet. "Okay, it's 10:30...I should start the frittata so it'll be ready when they get here." Only an hour and a half left! Mark and Nina lived in a gated seaside development - just the place for two Freedom City residents who had wanted a house and Mark headed into the kitchen. "Everything will be okay," he said aloud, stepping around the bookcase and firing up the oven. "We'll have them over, we'll feed them, we'll tell them we're getting married in February because we're going to have a baby. It'll be a surprise - but everything will be great."

September 2016 Lincoln Dancia had spent a week away from the office, covering a story about the new generation of West African nuns who were taking over an isolated Franciscan nunnery down on the Maurice River in southwestern New Jersey. it had been a fascinating story and a chance to meet people she might never have met, but the nunnery's remote location had left her isolated from world events. No sooner had she arrived back at the Ledger that she had a stack of urgent messages - including one from a familiar UNISON agent asking her to arrange a meeting with Triakosia at a remote cliffside lookout spot near Lonely Point. "This is an urgent meeting. Please let me know as soon as you've arranged it - and when we can see her there."

GM April 10th, 2016, 2.32PM The Vault Of all the sounds least expected at the door of a secret lair holding a plethora of powerful mystic artifacts and housing a champion of order and justice, the sound of a firm series of knocks and the words "Mr. Templar! I'd like to talk to you on behalf of the IRS!" in a young woman's voice were pretty high up there. Outside, IRS agent Violet Amethyst Khasani Sefir-Hull felt the full awkwardness and surreality of her position, fiddling with her dark suit and briefcase and occasionally squinting irritably through her curly snowy bangs at the blazing, cheerful sky. It had been an exhausting walk, but sitting down or even leaning were out of the question. These super-types could smell fear, and any sign of weakness might jeopardize her whole mission. So she squared her padded shoulders, wished for the tenth time that day she wasn't so tall, gangly and obviously, painfully green-looking, and set her her narrow purple face in an expression that she hoped looked very important and casually businesslike. Of course, the fact that this whole transformation happened on-camera slightly ruined its intended effect.

GM Rabat, MorrocoMonday, June 20th, 2016 11:20 PM As part of a variety of social and political reforms under the current ruler, King Mohammed VI, Morocco offers a “conditional neutrality” to various superhumans seeking temporary asylum. Under this agreement, superhuman possessing a special visa issued by Morocco can operate within the borders of the nation sans government interference, even if they are wanted by the authorities of other nations with which Morocco usually has extradition treaties. These visas are of a very limited length and can be withdrawn at the discretion of the crown. For the most part the idea of a superhuman safe haven has a broad range of appeal to the public, but foreign leaders have begun to speculate as to whether Morroco was using the opportunity for a superhuman arms race. Gathering power as it were. It was this level of speculation that brought Dancia Devons to Morocco to pursue an interview and possibly a story worth printing for the Freedom Ledger. Yves Zermeño was in Morroco on a pursuit of her own AEGIS had been tracking OVERTHROW activity to Morroco and in a cooperative effort with UNISON the freed drone found herself in the heart of the capital staking out a garment factory. Planet Inspector Dol-Druth had his own reasons for being in the city. The Lor sent word through the Freedom League of a crashed ship in the area. But, with not so much as a news story to go on, the Lor Mentat had nothing to go on if this ship ever passed through the area to begin with. As sensitive as the matter was the Freedom League reached out to Cobalt Templar to keep an eyes on Dol-Truth, lest an international incident occur due to his search for a craft that may never have been there to begin with.

GM UC San Diego; San Diego, California Wednesday, February 18th, 2015, 4:04 PM Giang Trang's was no less active outside of the comforts of Freedom City. The Environmental Systems Major was always on the move in one way or another. In the interim between her classes she had only had enough time to make it back to her apartment for a quick change before heading out. Being a lifeguard was a seasonal occupation, but a need for pay was not equally so. And if it wasn't for the man laying outside the entrance to her dorm Giang may have had a shot of finishing another workday. He was badly injured in jaguar print loincloth, which even in Southern California was less than conspicuous. The lacerations throughout his body were made all the more concerning by the fact that he seemed to not be actively bleeding despite how fresh they seemed. Instead the wounds seemed to be cauterized. With matching burn marks to show for it. - Bayview; Freedom City, New Jersey Wednesday, February 18th, 2015, 7:04 PM It was a normal quiet evening in Freedom City. Or as quiet as Freedom City got. The sky was blue, the birds were chirping. Everything was copacetic...with one small issue. There was a gigantic, even in scale of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex charging through Bayview. Vehicles scrambling to get out of the creature's way. Some parked cars already had the unfortunate opportunity of meeting the creature's maw. The neighborhood famous for the sheer number of superpowered teen hero appearances within its confines was no stranger to having a bit of the unusual rampage here and there. The news copters were able to get into position to capture the footage so quickly it might have been a record with a number of local stations having running their traffic feeds. Not that one needed to be paying attention to the news to catch the commotion.

OOC for >this thread in which we aim to punch UFOs while riding dinosaurs Those in FC. Feel Free to give me a few rolls DC15 Notice Check DC20 Current Events

December 25, 2014 Freedom City Midnight Manor Late in the evening on Christmas Day, a Deep One sang an eerie song in the Midnight Manor, her body silhouetted by the darkness outside. "BUT I GET UP AGAIN! YOU'RE NEVER GONNA KEEP ME DOWN! WOO!" As her song finished and the strains of Tubthumping vanished into the quiet of what was sometimes one of many front parlors in the Hunter mansion, Aquaria leaped in the air and cheered, her smooth, wet skin glistening from the exertion of the vigorous karoake number. "I am awesome!" For their part, Mark and Nina both cheered and applauded - Mark hadn't been at all sure bringing the machine along was the right idea, but luckily Jessie's amphibian friend had practically snatched the karaoke machine up with her tongue and practically begged to go first. (Jessie had, blushingly, commented that Aquaria used to do this a lot before disappearing herself) Aquaria first approached Mark and Nina, since they had been the latest to the party - only arriving after Martha Lucas had turned in early and left her son and his girlfriend free for Christmas. "You guys want a turn? C'mon, don't be chicken!" Between Nina's competitive streak and Mark's natural showmanship, it wasn't long before the couple was standing in front of the computerized board, picking out their song - 500 Miles seeming to be an early favorite. Aquaria bounded over to join Erin and Trevor to watch the show, declaring, "Surface music is great, you can yell so loud when you're singing! And nobody complains!"

The Seven Rings In BriefThe Seven Rings are ancient tools created to defend a nation faced with enemies far greater than itself. Each of them is an incredibly powerful artifact, a weapon that can make virtually anyone into a one-person army. Perhaps most terrifying is the fact that these artifacts will work for whoever claims them; while once meant for good, at least some of them have been used for evil in the past. Power can corrupt, and there is a large deal of power in any of the rings. Only time will tell the character of their wielders in the modern day. History OriginIt was 57 BC, and Israel was freshly conquered by the Romans. The Hebrew people groaned under the harsh rule of the Romans, but what military strength they had was nowhere near enough. Something had to be done. And in a remote hideaway, something was, indeed, being done. In a secret cave complex, a conclave of mages was meeting. These men would be considered followers of the traditions of Kabbalah in the modern day, but in 57 BC they had no formalized name. While the mystical traditions of Judaism had many applications, these particular practitioners specialized in creating mystically imbued objects. They'd worked hard in times past to arm Judea's best soldiers with peerless swords, spears, shields, and more. But it was never enough. After all, the Romans had their own mages, some of whom had even studied under the witch Medea! It seemed like no matter what they had done in the brief tenure of fighting, it hadn't been enough. One of their elders proposed that it was because they had tried to make somany artifacts, and had spread their magic too thin. He said they should instead all cooperate to create a small number of very potent artifacts. These could be given to a few trusted individuals, who would become the “tip of the spear” in their fight against the Romans. So their work began. It took them until 52 BC, but they were ready for the final step. They'd crafted sevenrings, each with a unique gemstone embedded in a platinum ring, etched with dozens upon dozens of holy runes and symbols. A blue sapphire, a green emerald, a red ruby, a violet amethyst, an indigo spinel, a yellow beryl, and an orange wulfenite. Each gem chosen to channel a particular kind of energy. A particular resonance that would allow each ring to bring potent abilities to bear that, when used together, should make an unstoppable team. The rings went through their final assembly, their final preparatory benedictions. Then, the final ceremony began. Every member of this secretive group took part, all of them working in concert to channel various elements and concepts into the rings, and on top of it all pouring a healthy does of the elemental creative energy of creation. The ceremony was a success…one that cost the lives of half the participating mystics, including all the senior members. Those left knew how the rings worked, knew how to search for appropriate wielders…but did not know how to create more ever again. They agreed that, in the end, that might be for the best. Such power shouldn't become commonplace. First Seven ChampionsWithin a year, all 7 Champions had been chosen, each for possessing just the right traits to effectively use these new rings. The champions were all grabbed from normal, non-military lives to become something, someone else. They were given 6 months to train themselves and train together, before it was demanded they take the fight to the Romans. So they trained and worked hard; each and every one of them went from “inexperienced” to “near expert” in that short time. They felt they were ready to take to the field of battle. So, in the summer of 50 BC, the Seven Champions of the Seven Rings launched an assault upon a nearby Roman garrison. It was a horrifically one-sided fight. For two years, it continued in the same manner. The Romans slowly threw more and more troops at the Champions, but they always seemed to be able to take whatever forces were thrown at them. Eventually, they were taking on a fair portion of a Roman Legion. But then, tragedy struck. The wielder of the Violet Ring was isolated during a fight, and a handful of Roman mages managed to kill said Champion. The ring was recovered, but the loss hurt the morale of the group. Over the next few fights, the Romans grew bolder, and it wasn't long before Indigo and Orange were dead as well. The rest fell to despair, deciding they'd simply discard their rings, bury them in save places, and slip back into mundane lives. All of them except the wielder of the Blue Ring. He declared he would go down fighting. He fulfilled that oath, and it was only through the timely work of the Yellow Ring-bearer that such a powerful weapon didn't fall into the hands of the Romans. All 7 Rings were gathered, and the mystics chose to hide them, entrusting a small number of their remaining members to act as watchmen, and look for a time when one or more of them might be needed by the land of Judea, and given to worthy successors. Champions Through the YearsAll of the rings have been wielded several times, by good men, by tyrants, and sometimes by people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was something of a pattern to the appearances, though. Often, 3 or more rings would be found and used at times when war or other major events were looming, or when the common person needed an extra bit of hope. The waning days of the Roman Empire saw all but the Violet and Blue rings standing against the barbarian hordes, at least for a time. In the middle ages, the Yellow, Green, Orange, and Indigo rings found themselves on the hands of people caught up in the midst of all the wars raging across Europe. As the Industrial Revolution approached, all but the Yellow ring disappeared. That particular ring seemed to keep changing hands, often working from the shadows…until it vanished in the late 1700s. From then on, none of the rings were seen again. Until a teenage boy found one in an old fortress in the desert, and decided to make himself into a hero… The Rings Blue Ring of the Determined LeaderThe Blue Ring was built as the “centerpiece” of the set of 7. Not so much because it was the most powerful, but more because its versatility and the mental/emotional state it was connected to meant it was ideal for a team leader. The Blue Ring runs off of willpower, or as some might thing of it, determination. The wielder of the Blue Ring must always have a strong sense of what he's trying to accomplish, what he stands for, and so on. Unfortunately, in some wielders, this has led to great pride; not all determination is pure in nature. The Blue Ring is associated with Fire, and typically manifests most of its more overt powers as fire constructs. Its powers seem to vary according to the person using it, and sometimes on what actions may have pushed the Ring to its limits. Most of those who wore it found themselves physically enhanced, well-protected, and able to attack in a variety of ways. They almost always have at least some ability to create objects out of ethereal blue fire; however, unlike some of the other rings, these constructs never seem to last. They are most often used for temporary cover or other short-term tactical advantages. Red Ring of the Courageous WarriorThe Red Ring has always been the most…volatile…of the Seven Rings. It grants its bearer great physical might and prowess in battle, but more than any of the other ring, it can leave its user prone to the darker aspects of its nature. For in the heat of a large fight, it is not a large leap to go from “courage” to “battle-lust”, and from there to “wrath and rage”. It is not so much that the ring forces anger on anyone who uses it, as it is that they mind-state required to use it without descending into rage is like walking a narrow ledge. More than a few have fallen from the ledge, and as a result channel immense anger into the ring; anger that has left “echoes” upon it for future users to deal with… Of course, the reward is incredible power. More than any of the other rings, the Red Ring grants its Courageous Warrior unbelievable physical might, easily topping even that of the Blue Ring. There is a legend that the greatest wielder of the Warrior's Ring so far was able to briefly hold up a small hill from collapsing on his comrades-in-arms, allowing them to escape before he simplypunched his way free. And the ring grants endurance to match that mighty strength; more than a few tales speak of the Warrior shrugging off blows even from his fellow Champions. The Red Ring grants flight, but it isn't quite as fast as the rest of the rings; it's clear this artifact is meant for power in battle and little else. More than just power, the Red Ring grants the user power over blasts of lightning. Some of these blasts are straightforward, but some are more subtle, working to wear away the armor of a foe, or perhaps even weaken his very body. Still, the Red Ring gives no truly notable powers that apply outside of combat, beyond flight and the ability to move very large things. It's clear the Warrior was always intended to work in concert with others, as part of a team. Despite this, more than one user in history has adopted a “lone wolf” mentality. Yellow Ring of the Cunning IllusionistThe Yellow Ring was, in the first group of Champions, used by the most trusted friend of the Leader. After all, together they could devise tactics that put the light-based illusions in just the right spot, playing on the fears and expectations of the enemy to drive them into disarray. And there is the core method of the Yellow Ring: Use illusions and other such powers to confused and frighten the enemy, leaving them as easy pickings for the Illusionist or his comrades. Of course, the flip side of this is that some users of the Yellow Ring descended into sadism, reveling in the power over others the ring gave them. Such individuals enjoyed causing fear in one way or another to whoever they can. This was not the ring's true intention, however; in its conception, it was thought that frightened enemies might surrender and thus prevent a larger spread of bloodshed. The ring's powers center mostly around light; it can create large, complex illusions that one can barely tell from the real thing. It uses harsher blasts of light to attack foes, strobe patterns to confuse them, and even carefully-calibrated pulses that trigger the fear response in the brain of almost any foe. Beyond that, the ring gives the basic protection against the environment all the rings share, grants the ability to fly, and gives the user decent protection, though less than the Leader, and definitely less than the Warrior. It has other minor enhancements, but it's clear from the outside the Illusionist fights first and foremost with their mind, not their arms. Orange Ring of the Protective BuilderThe Builder's ring is, in the right hands, perhaps the most potent of all the rings. Not so much because of it's destructive potential, but because of its 'creative' potential. More than once, the Orange Ring has been used to raise a full fortress in the span of a day or less. Parts of Masada itself were actually earth carefully moved and packed together by the Builder's ring. Of course, those consumed by greed while wearing the ring created deep, dark places to hide their treasures; some of these secret vaults may yet be hidden across the world! For though the ring encourages protectiveness, for some, the years drag on and warp that instinct. After all, how better to protect something than to keep it to yourself? To hide it and store it and cherish it, so that no one else can despoil it even with a glance of their eyes! The greedy Builders have perhaps been the “least harmful” of the various fallen Champions; they tended to simply sit on their hoards and contemplate their possessions. When they fought, it was only to acquire more things, never for some baser desire to fight for its own sake. The powers of the Orange ring seem to center around earth. Rock and dirt, stone and sand, all seem to be connected to this ring. True to its name, it can call up these elements to build whatever the Champion who wields it desires. In battle, the Orange Ring can create permanent walls of stone, or temporary walls of thick, powerful energy constructs. Similar constructs are often used to attack foes, and the Orange Ring is famous for holding back large numbers of enemies on its own. Its protection to the user is decent, but like the Yellow ring, it does not lend itself to fighting up close. The Builder can fly, but no faster than the Warrior. However, the Orange Ring gives its user the ability to actually move about underground, all the better to know just where to created that perfect vault… Green Ring of the Hopeful FatemasterThe Fatemaster's Green Ring has been often sought by those wishing to increase their fortunes; however, they are rarely the ones to be gifted with its power. This ring is considered the most “temperamental”, and has been known to literally fly off the hand of an unworthy user. The great trap that many of its users have fallen into is that of carelessness, a capricious abandonment of any sense of duty or obligation for the sake of following the whims of fortune. For the name “Fortunemaster” is well-earned; the Green Ring was often the difference between victory or defeat, its powers turning an enemy's skill against itself. More than that, the Fortunemaster's allies have preternatural luck, striking blows that by all rights should miss wildly, or shaking off strikes that should put them down. When he attacks more directly, the Fatemaster's ring flings out a blast of concentrated air, which moves so fast and with such pressure it often cuts the opponent. Opponents trying to strike the wielder of the Green Ring find their blows sliding off a thin layer of “armor” made of air; however, this armor can be breached, and the Green Ring's protection is never as thorough as the Blue or Red Rings. When flying, the Fatemaster can outpace everyone else; they are truly at home in the air. Ultimately, this ring is meant to move around the battlefield, aiding where it can and moving on, rather than becoming engaged in any one battle for a length of time. Indigo Ring of the Empathic Mind-spyThe Ring of the Mind-Spy was created as yet another “support” ring; while it has some potent ability to attack, either directly or indirectly, its greatest strength is in its ability to gather and disseminate information. Though the Mind-spy works best in a group, this Champion can work well on their own. In a darker twist of its intention, an experienced user of this ring could set themselves up as a ruler, due to the depth of their mental powers. Such would be the slippery slope they may face if they adopt an “ends justify the means” attitude with their abilities. For when you know the innermost secrets of man, why would you leave their ruling to them? Its wielder can read minds, or simply extend their senses to cover huge areas. And then, in a short amount of time, they can turn around and send that information to their comrades. Add to it their ability to strike at an opponent's mind directly, and they're formidable indeed. Whether the ring-user attacks their mind and will directly, fires a concentrated bolt of mind-stuff, takes control of their mind, or simply overwhelms them with fear, despair, or even love, they are a foe not to be underestimated, nor an ally to be quickly abandoned. Violet Ring of the Loving HealerThe Healer's violet ring carries with it a sense of purity, renewal, and cleansing. Fitting due to its intrinsic connection with water. The Healer must care for others with deep and abiding love. They must also take care this love does not grow into obsession with others. The cleansing waters that flow from this ring wash away wounds, diseases, poisons, and all the sundry hurts and troubles of the body. By the same token, those waters can create barriers between the wounded and the enemy, and even strike back with deadly force; sometimes these attacks are like crashing waves, and sometimes they take the form of shards of ice seeking out an opponent. Another “trick” is for the Healer to summon water around an opponent, and flash-freeze it in an attempt to hinder their movements. On flying opponents, it may at least keep them from easily using limbs, if not ceasing their flight itself. The Healer's ring gives them passable flight speed, but they can move surprisingly well under water (though all rings let their users breath there). The protections of this ring run the standards of the others, with no outstanding features thereof. Author's Notes General NotesSo, these are basically my in-universe interpretation of, and homage to, the DC Lantern Corps. They're rings, they're color-coded (for your convenience!), they're potent, and they're connected to emotions and general “themes”. But, there are some key differences. For one thing, there are exactly 7 rings, not 7 whole Corps. Each of them is unique; in other words, if one of them is already “in play” in this forum's game, you'll have to talk with that player, but most likely go for some other origin for your powers (or pick another one of therings). Another difference is that these rings don't seek out a successor on their own. They won't work for just anyone, but they don't fly off and tell someone they've “been chosen”. Instead, they often simply lay where they've fallen, or perhaps are locked away by someone who can't wear it but is still trustworthy. Some are passed down each generation. Point is, this is a plot hook: One day, your character finds an ancient magical ring, and bam, hero! Also, all rings have the Magic Descriptor, and either the Holy or Unholy descriptor (depending on if it's a villain or not). On to specifics. Blue RingThis one is used by Cobalt Templar. Thematic element/descriptor is Fire. As stated above, it's a bit of a “Jack of All Trades”, and were another character to use this, they could reasonably end up with a different set of powers and focus than CT has. Still, the general idea of Flight, Protection, at least a Blast, and probably at least a little physical augmentation is good. I'd say at least a token amount of Create Object should be in there as well, if for no other reason than to justify this character always changing up how their attack looks, if not how it works. That's not to say a future user of the ring has to do so, though. Red RingThis ring is actually hidden away, given to Cobalt Templar by Ironclad a while back (she ran into an upstart villain using it). He's not actively looking for a user, mostly due to concerns about the “anger issues” it seems to generate. That's not to say the user of this ring should take the Rage feat; far from it. But I would heavily recommend anyone who decides to take this ring on take a Complication or two that has them be more easily angered, more willing to use force, etc. The unique Descriptor in play here is Lightning/Electricity. In my mind, a user of the Red Ring would get a Blast, and then a Drain Toughness of some sort (though that could come into play much later on). No Strike here, though, except maybe a Strike 0 with some Extras; all the melee damage comes from Strength. As well, this Ring is one of the most likely to leave lasting changes on a bearer; you could pretty easily justify some Enhanced Strength and Constitution here. Also, no Toughness here, just more Constitution. This guy ought to get Impervious Toughness at some point, though. Super-Strength is pretty much a given, and at least half again as much as the Blue Ring. Flight should be mediocre, as should any sensory abilities. Life Support is pretty given, and I could see justification for Immunity to Critical Hits. Basically, this guy is really good at taking down foes in combat. But on the flip side, his Super-Strength is the most “constructive” ability he has; he should never get Create Object. Yellow RingLocation and/or User unknown (aka I haven't thought them up yet, but it's Out there Somewhere). This Ring would (obviously) use the Illusion power. Probably Environment Control (Light). Flight that could match the Blue Ring generally speaking. Some Enhanced Strength, but no Super-Strength. No Create Object. Enhanced Dex would be thematic, and a bit of Enhanced Con. Protection, but definitely not Impervious. Emotion Control (Limited: Fear), and maybe at high level the ability to nullify the Fearless feat. A basic Ranged Damage, and maybe a Mighty Damage, but definitely not the direct attack focus of Red or Blue. Yellow is intended to sit further back, fool enemies with illusions, and basically do visual and mental “battlefield control”. Precision over Power. Complications should focus less on major personality alterations and more on occasional recharge, or a minor vulnerability to unholy damage. Unlike Sinestro Corps ringsthey don't use any measure of mind control or the like. Orange RingAlso in Cobalt Templar's possession, locked away in his forest hideout. He's also not actively looking for a user, because the last guy was totally crazy with a Capital C. And he's not sure it's what he's “supposed” to do. Power wise, it looks defensively like the Red Ring. Toughness-shifted, fair bit of Impervious. Plenty of Enhanced Con. While the Red Ring makes you an Engine of Destruction on the battlefield, the Orange Ring makes you a Mountain. Not only should the Bearer be tough, they make tough Constructs. Plenty of Create Object here, but no Precise (except maybe near your “capstone”), and probably the primary iteration has no Tether or Moveable; you make big, simple rock walls. This character would play somewhat like Gaian Knight; making rocks, Move Object for rocks, Tunneling, and a slow Flight (but with Platform). Blast is you tossing around chunks of rock. No Strike; if you want Melee just get Enhanced Strength. Complications would include a long-term tendency to get possessive of objects, or even greedy. This ring has less immediate risks than the Red, but not by a long margin. If a character has iron focus and will, though (not the feat, just the character trait), it shouldn't be a large issue; mostly just an occasional “oh that's shiny I'd like it!” sort of thing. Green RingLocation and/or User unknown (aka I haven't thought them up yet, but it's Out there Somewhere). Somewhat like the Yellow Ring, this one is about Precision over Power. So no Impervious or Super Strength, but basic self-buffs are fine. Should be a fast flyer, but not be good at Space Travel; you're about Air not Space. Green is about being a “buffer”; one of the big things in this Ring should be Luck Control, and the “opening salvo” should be things that let your team-mates re-roll. Feats like Leadership and Inspire could/should be tacked inside this thing. As should ranks of luck. The Air Control should be a Ranged Damage, maybe an Area Damage, and perhaps some severely-limited Move Object (limited direction: forward or away). Later on getting anti-enemy Luck Control would be prudent. This Ring is all about changing the odds as much and as often as possible. Complications might revolve around difficulty staying focused on objectives, or developing high-grade apathy. The winds do not like to be bound, after all. Indigo RingLocation and/or User unknown (aka I haven't thought them up yet, but it's Out there Somewhere). Really only the Blue, Red, and Orange Rings are “powerhouses”. All the others should lack Super-Strength or Impervious Toughness. This ring makes you psychic, essentially. Mind Reading, Mental Communication, Mind Control, Emotion Control, and Mental Blasts are the name of the game here. I would say average Flight, putting it above Orange or Red or Violet, and even with Yellow, but not as fast as Blue or Green. Also some ESP would not be amiss. Complications would involve, essentially, doing things “for their own good”, with a bit of “ends justify the means”. Violet RingLocation and/or User unknown (aka I haven't thought them up yet, but it's Out there Somewhere). Finally, the Healer Ring. This one, along with Yellow and Green, is more of a “support” role. While those 2 are “debuff” and “buff”, this one is Heal. So, obviously, no Super-Strength or Impervious Toughness. Enhanced Con definitely fits. A Healing power or powers are rather obviously in tune. Beyond that, some Move Object limited to Water, and a Ranged Damage that's fluffed as water or Ice being thrown around. Possibly a little Create Object limited to water constructs (pull moisture from the air). Complications might include issues with becoming obsessed with people (which could sort of overlap with how protectiveness could go bad, but not entirely). This ring provides exactly as much clothing for user as the others, and if anyone ever tries to use this ring for stripperific outfits I will beat you with the Empire State Building.

The OOC

Two Miles From Lake Vostok Antarctica Friday, May 9, 2014 7:52 PM White. White as far as the eye could see. And cold that cut right through to the bone. Ever since he'd come into his powers, Cannonade hadn't exactly felt the weather in quite some time. But it said a lot that, even with his enhanced resilience, this was able to get right at his core. After only a few seconds on the ice, he firmly decided that Antarctica could go screw. He didn't know why he'd expected anything else. He should have known this would happen at some point - join a superteam, see everywhere from Hell to Honolulu. But while he'd usually gotten his more globetrotting assignments courtesy of AEGIS, it had been Edge who'd brought this one to the table. Apparently there was a UNISON research base near Vostok, dedicated to plumbing both the depths of the ancient lake and whatever things might be found in the snow. Cannonade hadn't gotten the full account, but a message had gotten out a few days back. There wasn't enough sensible content to lean one way or another, but the fact that something garbled and messy was coming out of the station could be considered a soft cause for alarm. Which would also explain their guest. Joe was used to the rest of the League, but apparently, the Indian woman had been seconded to Edge's assignment. She was a psychic, apparently, something that left him very conscious about what he was thinking. Her job was to check up on the mental health of the scientists. A place like this could do things to a man... and apparently, there had been rumors of whole expeditions who'd gone around the bend down here. There was a chance it wasn't all isolation... Joe just adjusted his jacket, and kept his eyes on the base. Soon enough, the security team would be out to wave them in. He just had to focus on that...

July 27, 2014  HIT Baseball Field     You might think that a bunch of nerds wouldn't be very good at playing softball - but Hanover Institute of Technology attracts all kinds of students!   This is a special game between HIT's mighty hurlers, the Lady Myrmidons, and their arch-rivals West River Technical College, home of the Fighting Fisherwomen. All proceeds for the game will go to build a Korean War monument halfway between Toms River and Freedom City, a long-neglected memorial to New Jersey's soldiers who fought in the 'forgotten war' from 1950 to 1953. With the game being played on the 61st anniversary of the armistice that marked the end of the Korean War, the bleachers and grassy stretches by the field are packed with veterans, their families, and active-duty personnel from Lonely Point and other nearby facilities.   It's a hot day but the soda is cold and the peanuts are salty, and as the game reaches the end of the ninth inning, it's clear it's going to be a nail-biter: the Myrmidons are at-bat and down by one with two outs, but there are players on the base and Yoder, the stalwart West River hurler who has pitched a nearly perfect game, is starting to flag. Can she hold off a hit as de la Cruz, the towering young woman from the West End with the mighty arm, begins to take the field? Her screaming fans from West River hope so but the hometown crowd, whipped up to a fever pitch by the Lady Myrmidons and their pep squad, have the hometown crowd on their feet and cheering on their champion. This is going to be a real fight. 

The OOC thread

OOC thread for thread. Adventures in Spain!

December 7, 2013 Kingston Midnight   "Fullæstum! Cwæ, fullæstum mec!" The cry was coming from a deserted stretch of half-grown forest near a recent development as Cobalt Templar and Stronghold flew overhead, and as the ring-bearing sentinels flew low they soon found the source of the cry - a young woman about Corbin's apparent age, with long black hair cascading down her back and nearly chalk-white skin. Her clothes were a mess, a torn and slashed fast-food worker's uniform exposing half-healed wounds beneath as if she'd been attacked by a wild animal. Her eyes were the most striking; one an almost brilliant blue, the other a deep shade of purest black. When she caught sight of the descending heroes, she ran towards them, her eyes wide and her voice a scream. "Ellefnee, brega! Ic wédenheortu!"    -    December 7, 2013  Lincoln  1 AM   Temperance was on patrol when the giant landed on the roof opposite her - there was no other way to describe the man-shaped, eagle-headed and magnificently-winged creature that towered at least twice her father's height as it pointed a taloned fist at her and spoke. The words were chilling like a winter squall, cold and wet as they slapped against her skin, the giant's voice like an avian shriek in an alien tongue. "Drýicge, for anlécas, ærfæder - Cume æt mec, or ic ábær ðu!" It shouted the words again, shaking those mighty wings, as it came closer and closer. Up close, she could feel the celestial chill that rose from those great wings, and see the ice that rimed the massive feathers - it was reaching for her, all right, as if planning to scoop her up into the night sky from which it had soundlessly come! 

Hughes Household Friday, August 9, 2013 The invitation had gone out some 2 weeks prior. Out of the metaphorical blue, Corbin Alphonse Hughes had invited some of his closest and longest-running friends over to his home. He'd mentioned it would be "breakfast for dinner" and that he'd be providing a "nice spread", but that people were welcome to bring an additional dish. There was little else on the note, but for someone who supposedly had intended to take a break from school to go off and hunt ancient artifacts, it did perhaps seem a bit sudden. It was a fairly decent day out when everyone started arriving, just a bit before 5pm. The house had several lights on on the ground floor, though there was no evidence of anyone moving about from the front entrance. There was a hand-written note on the front door.

All right.    Nobody speaks the language being spoken, so it is a mystery - and Temperance did not recognize the identity of the monster chasing her! We will use stats for my own Mystic Giant, with an ice rather than fire theme and with Flight 3.    The ice eagle-giant gets Roll(1d20)+3: 12,+3 Total:15   15 on his initiative. 

First National Bank of Freedom City [Fens Branch]  10 AM October 26, 2013   It was a typical day at the Fens branch of First National Bank of Freedom; the patrons were waiting in long lines to stand in front of bulletproof partitions and deposit their small paychecks or try and find the money to make their rent - the small business of a bank that did all it could to help an impoverished community stay together. The Fens were poor enough that mundane robberies weren't that much of a threat most of the time. But there were other problems a bank in Freedom City could have. One bright, cloudless day, a crash of lightning and a clap of thunder blasted away the bank's front door, sending the crowd inside fleeing towards the rear in screaming terror! Through the open hole in the wall flew a man like a figure cut straight out of mythology, a bearded figure in a white toga, electricity crackling around his fingers and his eyes glowing with suppressed power.    "Hee hee hee!" he laughed manically. "I'm back, babies! Zeus has returned and he needs some start-up cash in a hurry! I want all your money! So start putting it in bags, now!" Bullets cracked off the invisible shield surrounding the electrical paragon, fired by a particularly brave security guard, and with a sneer he blasted the mustachoied man away and into a nearby marble wall with a sickening crack. "C'mon, do I have to spell it out for you people?" he yelled, heedless of the other guard calling the emergency line on his radio. "Hurry it up! Papa Zeus has bills to pay!" Zeus folded his skinny arms over his torso. "And don't think you customers can weasel out of this either, I don't discriminate! Just shake out your wallets and your purses, and put them in piles with the moneybags! My Hera will be here soon, and she'll take care of business! If you know what I mean!"

Doo doo doo.    DC 20 Notice  or DC 15 Knowledge (Theology/Philosophy) for the heroes arriving on the scene.

Just in case rolling-type things happen! (If they do it will be skill-check things.)

July 2013    There are thousands of big-rig accidents in the continental United States every year. And no wonder - America's roads are among the busiest in the world, and the vast majority of America's shipping takes place on the asphalt highways that bind the nation together. Sometimes these are terrible accidents near major cities, crashes that lead to multicar pileups or dangerous chemical spills that force evacuations of whole neighborhoods. These make all the papers. The small crashes, though, hardly anyone notices them, especially not  the ones in cities most people, especially people in far-off Freedom City, couldn't find on a map.    Not much goes on in Blackwater, Missouri these days. The town is small, with just over 150 inhabitants, and it's the kind of place barely hanging onto tourist dollars and people wanting a rural getaway. They do a lot of Wild West recreation these days, calling back to an imagined past that was rarely rural Missouri's to begin with. But it gets the tourists in and gets them to spend money at the antique stores and bed and breakfasts in town, or at the Volunteer Fireman's Whole Hog and Beef Barbecue. People born here tend to try and get away, pulled away by cities as small as 8000-strong Boonville at the heart of Cooper County, or even real cities like St. Louis or Kansas City. A small number, by some quirk of fate or other, find themselves in Freedom City, but not many, not many.    Not a lot of super-people come here. It's right about between Maverick in Kansas City and Aquifer in St. Louis, and neither of them have ever needed to come within thirty miles of the area. Even super-criminals on the lam from big cities prefer to have some luxuries, and there's not a lot of local crime even of the mundane variety. The local cops are nice enough, but they don't have a lot to do most days - why would they?  But sometimes things change. On July 3, 2013, in Blackwater, Missouri, there was a big rig accident. A tractor trailer driven by local man Peter Evans struck the rail on the small bridge over the nearby Blackwater River, sending truck, trailer, and driver plunging into the small river. The badly-damaged trailer spilled its 'machine parts' contents into the small river and the driver, new to the profession, was taken to Cooper County Memorial Hospital. As the 4th of July holiday began, the Cooper County sheriff's office promised a full investigation into the causes of the accident. But the sheriff is all the way over in Boonville, a solid twenty minute drive By the 5th, there was hardly any news. Unless you care about Missouri, and who cares about that? 

They deal with issues, yes, issues. 

Earth-I-War-4 March 1, 1983 (Local Time) 0y 0d 0h 0m 0s Post-Arrival It should have been a quiet Thursday, or at least relatively so. Certainly on Earth-Prime, it was. This is not Earth-Prime. So when a >rip in space-time manifests a few hundred feet above the ground over a corner of the field here in western France. No one even takes note of the over-sized young man who emerges and is, somehow, flying directly at the ground at barely sub-sonic speeds. He only just stops himself before striking the ground, ending up in a crouch as he looked around, nervously adjusting the backpack and shoulder bag he bore. Looking behind him, he just saw trees. "Man, where did I end up? I'll have to...call...the..." His words trail off as he turns back in front of himself and he takes in the sight before him. A plain stretched out before him for miles. Large hills sat beyond the trees at his back. But while it was nominally beautiful, the unfamiliar vista wasn't what caught his attention. It was the battle. Specifically, the one being waged in the air and on the ground. Tanks rolled across the ground, nearly as advanced as anything one saw in the news of the day. Fire flew from their barrels, and vehicles on both sides erupted in flames. Solders dashed to and fro, firing from cover. None of that compared to the really weird stuff. On one side, clad in black uniforms that amounted to robust skin-suits, men and women suddenly and violently shifted into lupine man-beasts, howling in unison before charging in a line of fur, claws, and fury. Overhead, more remarkable people flew in crisp formation, moving through the air as easily as...as Quo-Dis, he realized. They even had that same faint glow to their bodies. Opposing them was a group a bit less uniform. Several were dressed as superheroes. Some he didn't recognize. The man dressed like an Ancient Egyptian and wielding a glowing hammer was probably Horus the Avenger, though. And boy, did they hold the line! Blasts of energy drew the...well, for lack of a better term, the super-men and -women down to the ground just as the lycanthropes struck the line of heroes. There was just enough confusion to leave them disoriented, which clearly helped the group with Horus. Considering the Iron Crosses on the black or grey vehicles he could see...they were probably Nazis. Which made the others...the Allies, he supposed. It wasn't Erde, but- "Nazis. Why did it have to be Nazis?" He couldn't help but smile at his own private joke for a moment...before the smile faded. Those heroes seemed like they were barely holding on, and any normal Allied soldiers who got too close were...not long for the world. "​I...I have to help. Damn. Not what I planned, but I'm sure if Horus is kicking around, so is Daedalus. I bet I'll be home in a week or less." With that cheery thought, Corbin took his bags, conjured a blue box of energy around them, and buried it next to a tree. Giving one last glance around, he blinked, and was suddenly Cobalt Templar. When asked later what had happened, most Allied soldiers would say they still weren't entirely sure, except that a streak of blue light cut across the air for a moment, and a half-dozen Nazi tanks were missing gun barrels. Meanwhile, the biggest werewolf on the field had knocked Horus back, and was raising both clawed hands in a gesture that would likely leave the deific champion wounded, if not worse. But instead of a flare of pain, the dazed paragon was treated to a flash of blue light and the smell of burned dog hair as the Alpha was sent flying by a burst of the blue flame that was the signature of Cobalt Templar. The young hero stood in the place of the werewolf, facing the rest of the pack as he held a great burning sword of fire in his hands. "Who wants some?"

The night of January 15, 2013 2 AM The call went out to le Renard Rouge's, Cobalt Templar's, and the Liberty League's line, one after the other, at a time that just happened to catch them all when they were otherwise indisposed. The woman's voice on the other end is rough and raspy, with the tension clear as she speaks. "

Cobalt Templar, the Liberty League, and Eve Martel deal with some bad medicine.