Avenger Assembled

Keep on commenting here, folks! There is plenty of potential room.

Okay, here's what you get: White Lioness: The crowd seems decidedly uneasy at the mention of the neighborhood police, and they're keeping their distance from the small police presence already on the scene. The fire brigade, just now setting up, doesn't seem to be attracting the same kind of unease. You're able to keep the crowd under control, but it's clear that there's something else going on here. Black Mamba: The fire proper is in the lower story of the house; it looks strange. You don't see any sign of where the fire started; it's as if it just sort of appeared all at once - but you'd have to do some more intense forensic investigation to figure that out. Hard to do when the place is in flames! You can hear noises from upstairs, so far shielded from everything but the smoke. But that's not really shielding at all! Let me know if you'd like an IC post with more info, @Tiffany Korta or @Tarrakhash!

"Ohhhh!" Dimitri exclaimed, shaking his fists at the sky as he first ran for the boat, then around the warehouse with Dreadnaught in hot pursuit. "Father in Heaven and Buddha and all the saints, save me! I swear I never drink again! Damn witch's spells and also giant curses!" He pounded on the door again and shouted, this time in Japanese (never having bothered to learn the language of his one-time Chinese allies). "<Does anyone in there speak a civilized language? I will pay in gold and jewels if you open door!" When Dreadnought came lumbering close, he shrieked like a woman and plastered himself against the door. "You son of Devil!" Come on, see it, wait for it. "Good men inside door will not let monster like you kill good Christian man!" He held still, preparing himself for a blow he would never feel.

All right, @Tarrakhash, @Tiffany Korta give me die rolls you think are prudent here! Maybe Notice and Sense Motive, certainly.

Frost was already on the move, heading straight for the house with some alacrity. "Fire is easy, but if I put it out too fast, anyone in the building dies," which he knew to be literally true and not just hyperbole, but what was the point of dwelling on that now? "- if it burns too long, it spreads beyond my reach. Black Mamba," he suggested, "if you can scout the building, I can get in position to take it out." He had no idea what White Lioness's powers were as such, but if she was anything like her father she was not his first choice to send into an open flame. "Those kids are in there!" called one of the onlookers, a tall woman with dark, curly hair who'd come running as soon as superheroes had arrived on the scene. "And that cop! The lady down the street called the cops on those kids, the ones from down the block, and the fire started the minute he went inside!" The crowd seemed decidedly uneasy at the mention of the neighborhood police; keeping their distance from the small police presence already on the scene. The fire brigade, just now setting up, didn't seem to be attracting the same kind of unease. White Lioness was able to keep the crowd under control, but it was clear that there's something else going on here. Black Mamba found that the fire proper was in the lower story of the house; it looked strange. He didn''t see any sign of where the fire started; it was as if it just sort of appeared all at once - but he'd 'd have to do some more intense forensic investigation to figure that out. Hard to do when the place is in flames! He could hear noises from upstairs, so far shielded from everything but the smoke. But that's not really shielding at all! And there were people upstairs! He could detect one group, huddled together, and one individual near the group, circling them. The house doesn't look very damaged at all, actually, which is also weird - a fire that has actually spread as far as this one should have done more damage to the house over time. It was as if the whole first floor went up at once.

Lady Horus spent a good two or three minutes watching Eve read the newspapers. She appreciated the woman's classy demeanor and general good taste, but she was her only real lead at this point - and if she wasn't careful, she was going to step on the broken glass she'd just put on the floor with those pretty bare feet. After a moment's consideration of the relative merits of appearing unannounced in another woman's bedroom, she took a moment to step through the nearby bedroom door (when her target's back was turned), give the hall a quick once-over, and then firmly knock. When she spoke, she spoke with the voice and intonation of a god. "Emily Eve! The Sunhawk would have words with thee!"

(Theme) "You sound like they did. In the last days." Peyton shook her head. "I was ready to damn this world to save my people, but after this - " She looked around the aftermath of the battle and said "You're not any different from us. You don't deserve what happened to us. Unless you think-" Phantom did not think so, and had the weight of cold, hard knowledge on her side. "All right." Peyton turned and hugged her son with her one good arm, the latter worthy crying freely. "I'll find my way to you," he promised her. "Through the Deep Forest - and home." And a few minutes later. She was gone. A few minutes later Gaian Knight and Phantom's next destination, with Nighthawk and Reagent in tow, was the headquarters of the world's leading expert in limb replacement and super-cosmetic surgery (and a longtime friend of Reagent's business) - Archetech. A few minutes later Raina was conscious of being tailed on her way to the Espadas dojo, the sort that told her someone was watching her and wanted her to know it. But nobody stopped her, not even when she reached the front door. Later "Hell is empty - and all the Devils are here." The words came to Ardent in a dream that night, whispered in a voice like Keith Richards - and she knew they were true. Later The baby had no DNA or fingerprints on file; and from his energy signature, wasn't from this universe (nor, ominously, was it from Riley's homeworld either), But caring for him was going to be a little beyond the reach of a high school senior, even if he was an expert with dogs. A long time later And so, Merlin explained through the Skype window, it had been the magic originally placed on Sparkler that had led him to find Raina's parents at the right moment to bring down both their operation and indeed the entire Murder League. How had that resulted in all of the 'misfit' crew being present at the same time? That question was outside of a monkey's pay grade - but well within the realm of expertise of the Master Mage of Earth. You see, the Cosmic Coil does have something of an immune system... A long, long time later Another Freedom City Peyton Quinn looked around the table at her allies. On the table were the devices they'd seized from the surviving Murder League members (well, the ones that had survived to be caught - who knew about that damn suicide pill, anyway), and the books they'd salvaged from the remains of Freedom Hall and superhero strongholds over the years. "So that's it. A century, maybe - and all this, everything we've built, everywhere - is gone." Her son's journal was in the pile too, or rather a copy of it - she'd made sure it was printed and placed in the community library. As long as their community survived, Riley's words would be read; and no one would ever forget her son. "What do we do?" Across the table, Trevor Hunter cleared his throat, stroked his beard, and said "...Have an idea."

Character Name: Sea Devil Power Level: 12 (220/220PP) Trade-Offs: Various Unspent Power Points: 0 In Brief: A Deep One outcast living among Surfacers, gifted with space armor and trying to fight for a better world. Homebase: The DuTemps Building, Freedom City Songs: My Beloved Monster, Eels Fight Song, Rachel Platten Alternate Identity: Aquaria Innsmouth (Aquaria's Deep One name is not pronounceable by Surfacers) Identity: NA Birthplace: An unnamed island in the US Virgin Islands Occupation: Adventurer Affiliations: The DuTemps Building, the Liberty League (associate member), the Esoteric Order of Dagon and Hydra Family: Jessie White, the DuTemps Building, the Liberty League - she has living relatives including several young adult spawn, but Deep Ones do not view these relationships the way Surfacers do. Age: Aquaria is a Deep One female in the prime of life. Gender: Female Height: 5'7"/6'1" in armor Weight: 180 lbs/280 lbs in armor Eyes: Black and gold Hair: None Description: Outside of her armor, Aquaria Innsmouth is clearly no Surfacer. Her bulging black and gold eyes are set much too far apart to be a human's and her nose, flattened almost against her face, is more like a snout. She has no visible ears. Her mouth is big and opens far wider than a human's could - the teeth inside are sharp and serrated like the inside of a shark's mouth. Her skin is mottled green and white, white towards the belly and green towards the black, a dark green the color of certain unnameable seas. Her body is not quite shaped 'right' either - her limbs are too long and jointed like a frog's rather than a normal woman's, her torso too sturdy, and her arms and legs both end in three-fingered 'hands'. Her skin is covered in blue and black tattoos depicting strange and fantastic scenery, looking like something out of a hallucination. Her voice is deep and loud and sounds decidedly peculiar to human ears. She is cold and slick to the touch, like touching the skin of a frog or a smooth-scaled fish. Inside her armor, Sea Devil looks rather different from the typical armored hero - the armor's massive limbs and glowing blue 'fingers' are probably its most striking feature, as are a faint opalescent sheen overlain over the black of the armor itself. That sheen, seeming to glow with all the colors of the rainbow depending on one's perspective when looking at the armor, is instantly recognizable - and all too familiar for space-born heroes - the armor of the villainous terrorist organization the Spectrum Knights. Her head is almost completely invisible inside the armor, though she can make her faceplate go translucent, or even transparent, should she wish. When she speaks while wearing the armor, the digitized booming base of her voice sounds like nothing else. Her trident is about as tall as she is and black, a version of orichalcum favored by the craftsmen of Lemuria. Carved with ancient runes, it looks wrapped all around with grooved edges and curved lines like tentacles rather than the smoother craftsmanship of Atlanteans. When she casts spells with it, the trident glows with a cheerfully impossible black light. History: It's an old story, really - a tribal people, trading with the city folk who lived on the good land, hunting and fishing and singing the songs of their ancestors, at least until the others come - with terrible weapons and sinister intent, they destroyed the tribe's home and chased them away into the darkness. The tribe roamed from spot to spot, settling here and there for a time, until finally finding a home among the people far from the ancient and terrible enemy. Aquaria has lost track of her age. She was an adult, old enough to have mated and spawned, when the tribe found the ancient city, ending their long wandering after the Atlanteans had destroyed their rocky island home during the first flush of her adulthood. She remembers her joy at meeting the Dark Brothers (or so they called the city-dwellers), the glee at learning she would finally gain her true power as a Deep One - before finally she saw the horrific blood sacrifice of the city-dwelling cult of Dagon and Hydra. She fled, in horror - but where could she go, in a sea beset by her enemies, where even her own people were no longer her friends? She picked the Surfacers and began a long, solitary journey up the East Coast of North America - she taught herself to read their language and understand the rudiments of their culture. When she learned of a Deep One attack against a Surfacer city, she headed that way - she'd heard confused stories of a Deep One hybrid leading the invasion forces and wanted to see what had become of it. So she showed her face in Freedom City - and promptly found herself battling superheroes. After all, this was just a few months after Archevil - nobody wanted to take any chances. She nearly died in Blackstone, the air cold and dry, her voice echoing off the walls, alone - until she heard the halting echoes of Lemurian from the Surfacer outside her cell. An early volunteer for Project Freedom, her acclimation to Surface life - to the mistrust, the prejudice, the dry air, the bad food, the aloneness, was hard, but it was better than death. And then things got even better when she met Singularity, aka Jessie White - she'd seen the Surfacer woman in a cell near hers in Blackstone and though they hadn't spoken then, the familiarity was enough to make them roommates at Project Freedom. Aquaria wasn't scared of Jessie's strange moods and desire for solitude - and Jessie didn't mind Aquaria's strange smells and bizarre habits so much. She was the first new member of Aquaria's pod. Now they're free and living in the DuTemps Building, where their pod has grown substantially - even including friends who swim in the Sea of Stars. It's not the same as the world she left behind, but it's a good enough world. She'll be reunited with her Deep One brothers and sisters again - when the stars are right.  Personality and Motivation: By Surfacer standards, Aquaria is generally cheerful, talkative, and loud - something that can be intimidating for a frog-mouthed, shark-toothed Deep One! She's aware that friendliness and good cheer are something Surfacers like, so she sometimes plays this up. She's gregarious, being a creature happiest in groups, and always eager to make friends. She nonetheless is _not_ a Surfacer - she is an obligate carnivore who worships strange gods and practices strange rites, and who has a worldview very different than many of her friends. Powers and Tactics: Leaping fresh from the ocean, Aquaria is stronger than a man and faster too - fighting with powerful kicks, bites, and lashes of her gigantic tongue, she really is an oceanic alpha predator. There's a reason why solo Deep Ones can clear out small ships full of humans, or why Deep One tribes hunt whales for sport. She'll strike from concealment or from surprise, and otherwise seek every advantage in a fight. She'll probably take advantage of her superior senses and familiarity with the dark and the water to fight an opponent at night underneath a flooding dock, and the like. In her armor she is all that and space-worthy and flight-capable - and armed with a glowing energy trident about the length of a short sword she can project from the flexible armor's metal. The armor also renders her nigh-bulletproof and really tough. When wielding her trident, she'll try and stab or strike with it, given the cost that comes from using her magic. For that, she'll typically fly right into the middle of a large crowd of enemies. Complications: Call of Cthulhu: Aquaria does not like being single - but mating opportunities are sketchy here on the Surface. Dagon: Aquaria is a devotee of the dark gods of the Deep Ones; Dagon and Hydra. The Color Out Of Space: Aquaria's Spectrum Knight Armor doesn't actually seek her death - but it is essentially a Yellow Ring crossed with The Anarchist's Cookbook. The Dunwich Horror: People do not like Deep Ones! The Haunter of the Dark: It's always too bright here, and too dry. The Horror at Red Hook: Aquaria's fellow Deep Ones typically regard her as apostate and traitor. The Shadow Over Innsmouth: Aquaria and Atlanteans have a special beef with each other. Abilities: 10 + 14 + 10 + 0 + 6 + 10 = 20PP Strength: 28/20 (+9/+5) Dexterity: 24 (+7) Constitution: 20 (+5) Intelligence: 10 (+0) Wisdom: 16 (+3) Charisma: 20 (+5) Combat: 8 + 12 = 20PP Initiative: +11 Attack: +4 Base, +8 Melee, +12 Natural Weapons Grapple: +15/+17/+20 Defense: +12 (+6 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Knockback: -8/-4 Saving Throws: 3 + 1 + 5 = 9PP Toughness: +12/+8 (+5 Con, +3 Protection, +4 Armor [5 Impervious]) Fortitude: +8 (+5 Con, +3) Reflex: +8 (+7 Dex, +1) Will: +8 (+3 Wis, +5) Skills: 64R = 16PP Acrobatics 3 (+10) Climb 5 (+10) Diplomacy 10 (+15) Handle Animal 5 (+10) Intimidate 5 (+10) Knowledge (Arcane Lore) 5 (+5) Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) 10 (+10) Languages 2 (Atlantean, English, Base: Lemurian) Notice 7 (+10) Sense Motive 7 (+10) Stealth 3 (+10) Survival 3 (+6) Feats: 21PP Attack Focus (Melee) 4 Attack Specialization (Natural Weapons) 2 Dodge Focus 6 Environmental Adaptation (Underwater) Evasion Improved Initiative Luck 1 Move-By Action Prone Fighting Ritualist Takedown Attack Ultimate Save [Will] Powers: 42 + 27 + 41 = 109PP Container 8.2 (Deep One Physiology, Extra: Duration [Permanent], PF: Innate) [42PP[ Additional Limb 1 (tongue) [1PP] Comprehend 2 (Animals [speak/Understand], Flaw: Limited [Sea Life]) [2PP] Damage 3 (Power Feats: Mighty, Variable Descriptor 1 [bludgeoning/piercing/slashing]]) [5PP] Immunity 3 (environmental cold, drowning, pressure) [3PP] Leaping 1 (x2) [1PP] Feature 2 (Deep One) [2PP] Movement Array 2 (4PP, Alternate Powers 2) [6PP] BE: Enhanced Leaping 1 (to Leaping 2 (x5) + Enhanced Speed 1 (to Speed 2 (25MPH/250FPM) + Enhanced Super-Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling 2) {1+1+2/=4/4} AP: Swimming 4 (to Swimming 5 [50MPH/500FPM]) AP: Enhanced Super-Strength 2 (to 3, Effective STR 35, Heavy Load 1.5 tons) Protection 3 [3PP] Speed 1 (10MPH/100FPM) [1PP] Super-Senses 12 (Darkvision, Radius Sight, Detect Magic 3 [auditory], Hearing [Extended], Sonar [Accurate Ultrasonic Hearing], Scent [Acute], Tremorsense) [12PP] Super-Movement 1 (Wall-Crawling 1) [2PP] Super-Strength 1 (Effective STR 25, Heavy Load 700 lbs) [2PP] Swimming 1 (2.5MPH/25FPM) [1PP] 1 + 2 + 5 + 3 + 1 + 2 + 6 + 3 + 1 + 12 + 2 + 2 + 1 = 41PP Device 8 (Hydra's Trident, 40 points; Flaws: Easy to Lose, PFs: Restricted 3 [Hydra's Champion]) [27PP] Immunity 1 (Own Powers, Extra: Affects Others) [2DP] The Stars Are Right! Array 14 (28 points; PFs: Alternate Power 4) [32PP] BE: Damage 12 (The Golden Sign; Extra: Area [Burst], PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Indirect 2) {28/28} AP: Move Object 12 (The Grip of the Mother; Extra: Area [Burst], Flaw: Range [Touch], PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Indirect 2) {28/28} AP: Nullify 12 (The Father's Power; all magic, Extra: Area [Burst], Flaw: Range [Touch], PFs: Indirect 2) {28/28} AP: Teleport 5 (The Mother's Coils; 100 ft/5 miles, Extras: Accurate [+1], Portal [+2]) {25/28} AP: Trip 12 (The Father's Ocean; Extra: Area [Cone], Knockback, Flaw: Range [Touch], PFs: Improved Trip, Indirect 2) {25/28} Strike 3 (trident strike; PFs: Accurate 2, Extended Reach 1, Mighty) [6DP] 2+32+6 = 40/40 Device 10 (50PP, Spectrum Knight Armor, Flaw: Hard to Lose, PFs: Restricted 1 [Immunity (suffocation underwater)] [41PP]Communication 4 (1 mile, radio) [4PP] Enhanced Feat 1 (Luck) [1DP] Enhanced STR 8 (to STR 28/+9) [8DP] Enhanced Strike 0 (PFs: Extended Reach 1, Variable Descriptor 1 [any electromagnetic]) [2DP] Feature 5 [Buys Off Drawbacks]) [5DP] Flight 5 (250 MPH/2500FPM) [10DP] Immunity 5 (disease, environmental heat, poison, radiation, suffocation [full]) [5DP] Impervious TOU 5 [5DP] Protection 4 [4DP]Space Travel 1 (interplanetary) [2DP] Super-Senses 4 (Radar) [4DP]4 + 1 + 8 + 2 + 5 + 10 + 5 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 4 = 50/50 Drawbacks: -5PP Vulnerability (dessication attacks [heat, dryness, etc], common, moderate) [3PP] Vulnerability (visual dazzles, uncommon, moderate) [2PP] Totals: Abilities (50) + Combat (20) + Saving Throws (9) + Skills (16) + Feats (21) + Powers (109) - Drawbacks (5) = 220/220 Power Points 

Redoubts: Why is the Terminus able to establish a beachhead in Freedom City despite twenty-five years of preparation and a far greater number of metahuman defenders than there were in 1993? Largely because unlike in 1993, the Annihilists invading the city are not trying to conquer the city proper - rather after the initial feint at the dedication ceremony, they've dug themselves in behind hastily constructed defensive fortifications guarded by powerful force fields and armies of vassals. In many parts of Freedom City during the 2018 Invasion it's entirely possible to shelter in place, or in nearby emergency shelters, largely unmolested, all the way from the 10th to the 13th. The two hotbeds of Terminus activity are in two areas of Freedom with relatively few costumed defenders and thus with the greatest opportunities to rapidly consolidate power - the suburban communities of Ashton and Grenville west of Freedom City proper and the upper-class neighborhood of Kingston in North Freedom. This is where the doomforges are built, this is where the Omegadrones are going house-to-house, this is where the true, unvarnished horror of the invasion lies. Most of the offensive raids, scouting operations, and escapes from captivity will be happening in these two neighborhoods.

Device 8 (Hydra's Trident, 40 points; Flaws: Easy to Lose, PFs: Restricted 3 [Hydra's Champion]) [27PP] Immunity 1 (Own Powers, Extra: Affects Others) [2DP] The Stars Are Right! Array 14 (28 points; PFs: Alternate Power 4) [32PP] BE: Damage 12 (The Golden Sign; Extra: Area [Burst], PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Indirect 2) {28/28} AP: Move Object 12 (The Grip of the Mother; Extra: Area [Burst], Flaw: Range [Touch], PFs: Affects Insubstantial 2, Indirect 2) {28/28} AP: Nullify 12 (The Father's Power; all magic, Extra: Area [Burst], Flaw: Range [Touch], PFs: Indirect 2) {28/28} AP: Teleport 5 (The Mother's Coils; 100 ft/5 miles, Extras: Accurate [+1], Portal [+2]) {25/28} AP: Trip 12 (The Father's Ocean; Extra: Area [Cone], Knockback, Flaw: Range [Touch], PFs: Improved Trip, Indirect 2) {25/28} Strike 3 (trident strike; PFs: Accurate 2, Extended Reach 1, Mighty) [6DP] 2+32+6 = 40/40

"I can do all sorts of things," said Anna, smiling at Nicola. "Last time you checked." Her cheeks colored slightly at her own words, but she pressed on. "Let's...go out somewhere tonight. You know, just us girls. I found this nice Polish place in Stark Hill where the owner's not too mobbed up; I'll teach you about pierogie and kielbasa." It occurred to her that it was at least decently possible that Nicola would be mistaken for her daughter, but saying those words out loud was absolutely nothing she was interested in doing - especially since if she really thought about it, Nicola was old enough to be her great-granddaughter. Well screw that, she thought. If I was a man, people would think I was a lucky bastard. "We can talk, and decide what we want to do after that."

And so it was that Lady Horus paid a visit to Ms. Emily Eve. People sometimes thought the best time for an unexpected drop-in was in the dead of night, but that was for suckers - the dead of night was when rich types had security guards on patrol and maybe dogs loose. You did it in the early morning, when the dogs were asleep and the guards were off-shift, and when hardly anybody was expecting guests. (Or would be missed for a while) Lady Horus showed up at the Eve family McMansion in Stone Ridge at 6AM, just after Anna had stopped by to get the early-bird special at the local diner. A lot of the people in the nice houses of Stone Ridge looked like Anna Cline, some of them even dressed like her (or at least the way she did when she was flush with cash) - but hovering in the air above the Eve mansion in the wee small hours, Anna decided that she'd rather be over Wolverton or the Country Club. Those people might be poor and they might not look anything like her, but at least a lot of them had character. She did her scouting first, flying around the edge of the property to study the house, then checking Stone Ridge's security guards to make sure none of them were close enough to hear a loud noise. Flying around gave her a stroke of luck. It was garbage day today - perfect! With that, invisible to the unaided eye, she flew through the house's bedroom window, timing her crash to match the sound of the rumbling truck outside.

Their tour got as far as the library, a substantial collection of tomes that reminded Black Mamba of a small college library, before the whooping of alarms - and the vibrating of Comrade Frost's phone, told them the situation outside had changed. "Well damn," said Frost, checking the latter device. "Come on, there's a crisis. You too," he said, gesturing to the White Lioness. "Maybe this can keep you from a hiding once we speak to your schoolmaster, eh?" Frost led them to the League's watchroom, one that had only a skeleton support staff since the League's on-duty agent had wandered off to harass the human resources staff. The emergency in question turned out to be a house fire in Lincoln, a small disaster (on a city's scale, anyway) that could rapidly spill out of control if nobody attended to it in time. One row house burning could very easily lead to many more row houses burning. "Well damn, we need to move," commented Frost. "I hope none of you dislike magic..." A hastily drawn chalk circle on the floor of the watchroom soon transported them all across the city in a blast of chilling cold, where Frost took a moment to collect himself as they studied the scene before them. The middle of three homes on this side of the street was on fire, smoke billowing from the windows and a small crowd forming outside.

And so it was that soon a blue-white man in his boxer shorts was running towards the warehouse doors and screaming at the top of his lungs - an ample volume indeed, given that he could give all his lung power to the shout and nothing for breath. "Halp! Halp!" Comrade Frost was a man more than willing to discard his own dignity if it helped save the day; after all, how could you sacrifice what you had never really had. "Is Satan himself after me!" he called, pounding on the warehouse doors with strength perhaps greater than his thin frame allowed for. He hammered on the door for a while, then turned to run for the boat. "He says he will grind my bones to make him bread!"

What if I don't want this to apply to my characters? Then don't! The invasion only lasts for 72 hours and is restricted to Freedom City; and the heroes are on scene to help rebuild. Just don't write any stories set during the invasion or a week or so afterwards, and you can keep all recovery posts to the background.

We are looking for: GMs and players (really it would be better if you pick one thread PER CITY to play in during the event, with the idea that your characters are busy elsewhere) Starting date for posts - Early June Date of Event July 10-13 With the 25 Year Anniversary of the 1993 Terminus Invasion, many places around the planet are holding some sort of event in memory. It is never a true celebration, while Earth was saved that day and that is, in fact, celebrated, there is a focus on remembering the many lives lost to the Invasion, chief amongst them Centurion. This leads to a diverse mix of emotions spread around the planet, and Freedom City in particular. Emotions which are of use to the Annihilists, who have been in complete disarray ever since the death of Omega. There have been efforts to resurrect him by some, to claim his power by others. Shadivan Steelgrave has worked tirelessly to steal the ambient power of his master, gathering a sizeable amount of allies (of convenience), followers and servants while doing so. He believes that the final resource that is needed to summon his master's great power is what made him become who he was in the first place, emotions - and the planet that absorbed them. Emotions and memories, related to the Terminus as a whole and its master in particular. Fortunately, there is one place across the multiverse where, on one day, those emotions and memories will be abundant. Earth Prime. Steelgrave has prepared for the Invasion for a long time, but he is not the only party that is involved. Other, more ambitious Annihilists seek to use the dimensional gateway that has been prepared for their own good, to do what Omega never could and conquer Prime, to become the new Lord of the Terminus. All of this means that the various Annihilists of Nihilor and their forces will be occupied, something that has not eluded Taarvon the Undying, who sees the perfect Opportunity to attack the planet and conquer it while its defenders are occupied in another dimension, something that will likely require part of his army to travel to Earth as well, to further exploit the situation and get rid of his most threatening enemies. All of this could lead to destroy the current balance of the Terminus which mainly sees infighting between various Annihilists and thus little in terms of stability, something the other inhabitants of the Terminus would rather keep. Thus, they too have made plans, to keep things as they are and weaken both the Annihilists and Taarvon where possible. What if I don't want this to apply to my characters? Then don't! The invasion only lasts for 72 hours and is restricted to Freedom City; and the heroes are on scene to help rebuild. Just don't write any stories set during the invasion or a week or so afterwards, and you can keep all recovery posts to the background. Initial Phase (this will be a News post) Initial Invasion during the Memorial Ceremony - the sheer volume of heroes present on the scene makes this a short-lived attack - but it's only a feint! Early Freedom Evacuation Thread (EternalPhoenix and Ari GMing, PRISM [Thunder King], MANNEQUIN [Vorik]) Big convoy of civilians and the heroes are trying to get them out of town. Small problem, though. They've been infiltrated by a Duplicating Annhilist who keeps feeding their location to Omegadrones and his teammates (a Speedster and a variant Powerhouse, probably reminiscent of Thor or Horus, ask Ari). The Speedster is nabbing people one at a time at high speed, making them seemingly disappear. And at the end of the road lurks Not!Thor, who'll be smashing up vehicles so the civvies have nothing to escape in. And just to make things more horrifying, these three are from a version of the Freedom Legion that sold out their earth for their own survival. So even if these guys are caught, the heroes may be hesitant to strike blows against the future's heroes. Another Castle [Evac] (TT GMing, WRAITH [Fox], MISS GRUE [TiffanyKorta], GHOST GIRL [Gizmo]) - Tarva has been fearing this day for years, so when it comes down, she works her magics and drags the entirety of the DuTemps Building - and its inhabitants - to another dimension far from the fighting. Tempers are high, because no one's getting out just yet. There's also the problem that Tarva's surveillance of her fallback plane missed a few pertinent details. Powerful and hungry ones... “News” Vignette Thread, which includes a few characters/sidekicks/NPCs tracking happenings around the world - Works as a way to include other areas. “Resistance” Phase The city has largely been evacuated, with the various Annihilists holding control over their redoubts and dragging away what population remained or couldn’t flee in time. Heroes which weren’t captured yet are basing their activities out of a few HQs/Hotspots which are well-defended enough to discourage an immediate unorganized attack by the Annihilists. HQs that might work to set threads in, depending on players, threads etc.: Claremont. The Espadas School Silbermann’s Albright ArcheTech AEGIS HQ Redoubts: Why is the Terminus able to establish a beachhead in Freedom City despite twenty-five years of preparation and a far greater number of metahuman defenders than there were in 1993? Largely because unlike in 1993, the Annihilists invading the city are not trying to conquer the city proper - rather after the initial feint at the dedication ceremony, they've dug themselves in behind hastily constructed defensive fortifications guarded by powerful force fields and armies of vassals. In many parts of Freedom City during the 2018 Invasion it's entirely possible to shelter in place, or in nearby emergency shelters, largely unmolested, all the way from the 10th to the 13th. The two hotbeds of Terminus activity are in two areas of Freedom with relatively few costumed defenders and thus with the greatest opportunities to rapidly consolidate power - the suburban communities of Ashton and Grenville west of Freedom City proper and the upper-class neighborhood of Kingston in North Freedom. This is where the doomforges are built, this is where the Omegadrones are going house-to-house, this is where the true, unvarnished horror of the invasion lies. Most of the offensive raids, scouting operations, and escapes from captivity will be happening in these two neighborhoods. Offensive Raids (3 players) (1-2 thread each) Thread/s in which a group of PCs attacks a location which holds prisoners/a smaller portal to the Terminus/a lieutenant and his troops/strategic supplies and so on. Easy to do combat threads for people who wanna do those, which can then be spiced up. Crack the Anvil [Kingston] (3 players, Gizmo GMing, REPLICA [Cubismo], CANNONADE [Trollthumper] , BLACK MAMBA [Tarrakesh]) Our heroes launch an attack on a doomforge being built atop the ruins of million dollar homes, hoping to prevent it from going online and freeing captives being prepared for conversion but are they already too late? And who has come to see the doomforge go online? Is it a coterie of Annihilists here to sip champagne and make their plans for future conquest? You know it! Defensive Raids (3 players) (1-2 threads each) Thread(s) where the HQs mentioned above get attacked by an organized siege force. Ruthless combat essentially, probably depends on whether or not people want a combat thread like that Shepherd the Flock [West End] (3 players, Gizmo GMing, PINNACLE [Jander-Prime], DREADNOUGHT [Exaccus], GLAMAZON [HG Morrison]) Temporary shelters and medical supplies have been gathered in park that usually houses the West End's farmer's market. As the Terminus attacks people who have already lost so much our heroes draw a line in the sand. Technobabble Thread (3 players, Cubismo GMing, TERRIFICA [EternalPhoenix], SALVO [Zeitgeist Blue], SOLAR SENTINEL [Thunder King] ) PCs are offscreen inserted into an important location and gather gear the heroes need for the device to close all the portals. Taarvon’s Arrival - News post After various skirmishes on Nihilor during which they have gained a significant foothold, Taarvon’s forces follow the Terminus into Prime, where they start fighting them, leading to a three-way standoff. The Climax (Sometime Day 3) - News post More and more of Taarvon’s forces seem to arrive in Prime, and the Annihilists themselves have also increased their activity, launching more regular attacks on the few areas that are still holding firm. Furthermore, ther technobabblers have determined that Omega will resurrect soon, meaning immediate action has to be taken How Much Further to Fall [Bedlam] (TT GMing, ARROWHAWK II [Ecalsneerg], LADY HORUS/WADJET [AvengerAssembled], JETTE [EternalPhoenix]) - Schism in the Sisterhood of Screaming Stars leads to a war between true believers who have found one of Taarvon's new model Omegadrones and are worshipping it as an angel of death, and opportunists drawing on the bones of their ancestors' rituals who are possibly dangerous enough to crack the final seal and lead their rapacious embodiment of Death into the world. Macguffin Threads (3, 3 players each) DAKANA - TiffK GMing, RED LYNX [Angrydurf], ASAD [TheAbsurdist], DALIR THE DASHING [HG Morrison] NIHILOR - AvengerAssembled GMing, WANDER [Electra], MIDNIGHT II [Gizmo], PSYCHE [Alderwitch] FREEDOM CITY - HG Morrison GMing, SINGULARITY [Electra], SEA DEVIL [AvengerAssembled], COBALT TEMPLAR [KnightDisciple] In order to close the portals to Freedom City, the device powering them has to be shut down before the bomb to seal them shut can be used.. However, the generators powering it are scattered. One is in Freedom City, defended by one of the largest armies of the Terminus to be sighted during the invasion. The Heroes have to punch through and disable them. Another is tucked away in Dakana, hidden there through a trick and guarded by stealth. One more is a bit more difficult to get to. It’s on Nihilor, in the middle of Steelgrave’s holdings. A small group of PCs has to get to the Portal, get through it, disable the generator and then, if possible, get home. Return is not guaranteed. (It is unless people wanna get heroic deaths, I guess) Big Battle Thread (3 players) - TheAbsurdist GMing, PHALANX [angrydurf], TRIAKOSIA [TiffanyKorta], GAIAN KNIGHT [Fox] A group of PCs hears of Taarvon himself arriving in Prime through a portal, currently in combat with Shadivan Steelgrave personally. They rush to the scene to pick off the weakened foes. And then Omega appears, as not himself - a mad cosmic bull raging at the multiverse, turning on lieutenants and heroes alike, immediately absorbing Shadivan Steelgrave and injuring Taarvon enough to force him to retreat - then The “Resistance”, helped by the Furions, deploys the device which would disrupt the main portal. Teleported onto the scene, the heroes prepare the device - but have to push through a horrifying illusion created by Omega's consciousness.

Device 10 (50PP, Spectrum Knight Armor, Flaw: Hard to Lose, PFs: Restricted 1 [Immunity (suffocation underwater)] [41PP] Communication 4 (1 mile, radio) [4PP] Enhanced Feat 1 (Luck) [1DP] Enhanced STR 8 (to STR 28/+9) [8DP] Enhanced Strike 0 (PFs: Extended Reach 1, Variable Descriptor 1 [any electromagnetic]) [2DP] Feature 5 [Buys Off Drawbacks]) [5DP] Flight 5 (250 MPH/2500FPM) [10DP] Immunity 5 (disease, environmental heat, poison, radiation, suffocation [full]) [5DP] Impervious TOU 5 [5DP] Protection 4 [4DP] Space Travel 1 (interplanetary) [2DP] Super-Senses 4 (Radar) [4DP] 4 + 1 + 8 + 2 + 5 + 10 + 5 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 4 = 50/50

Anna took the seat alongside Nicola, her knee-length dress riding up a little. She suddenly thought of sitting in the big backseats of 1950s Fords with boys, neither of them paying attention to whatever flick was playing on the drive-in screen. "We'll...take you working sometime. She's really makin' something of herself. And yer always welcome at our place; any time - but maybe a little later in the evening next time." She looked over at Nicola and said, "Listen, Nicky, you...this is probably real easy for you modern girls." She paused almost imperceptibly and edited her words, suddenly deciding that the former nun wouldn't want to hear her say Seems like everybody's queer these days. "I ain't lookin' for no long-term romance, and I...I like men." She laid her hand on Nicola's and said, her words coming in a rush,"But if you...wanna start what we had before again, just maybe a little slower this time - I...I want to do that."

Singularity Power Level: 12 (180/180PP) Trade-Offs: None Age: 24 Gender: Female Height: 5'8" Weight: 175 lbs Eyes: Brown Hair: Short and blonde Description: A young woman of average height and muscular build, Singularity's blonde hair doesn't quite match her dark eyebrows. She carries herself with a combination of athleticism and hesitancy - as if forever afraid she's going to break some thing, or some one. She generally speaks quietly, even, and perhaps especially, when angry. In combat she wields a short, dark baton like a single escrima stick, one she can snap open to staff length. She wears a blue jumpsuit in combat, if she has time to gear up. History: Victim. Survivor. Monster. Weapon. Prisoner. Artist. Hero? Jessie White, displaced from her own dying world into a hellish alternate reality, now living on a world where she is a shadow of another woman, bearing her own reputation as a mindless killing machine. At least her best friend is a monster from below the waves who worships strange gods and eats live fish for fine? It's good to know she's not alone - even if sometimes she thinks she's better off that way. Personality and Motivation: Jessie keeps her personality restrained as best she can, keeping her voice and passions to herself. She's better off that way - and so is everyone else around her. She does feel things, sometimes intensely, with strange visions of a life that wasn't hers and of the horrific reality beyond it - but she tries to keep them to herself. Pretending to be normal is hard enough without thinking about all the ways she's anything but. Powers and Tactics: Jessie White fights with her shield, striking with the mechanics of someone who has solid, albeit limited, training in melee combat. She'll strike to stun and to daze, staying mobile with leaps and kicks, not too dissimilar from her aquatic friend. Singularity fights to kill. She doesn't come out much - even when Jessie's in costume. But sometimes she does. Jessie doesn't like to think about that. Abilities: 8 + 4 + 4 + 0 + 2 + 2 = 20PP Strength: 30/18 (+10/+4) Dexterity: 20/14 (+5/+2) Constitution: 30/14 (+10/+2) Intelligence: 10 (+0) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 12 (+1) Combat: 12 + 12 = 24PP Initiative: +13 Attack: +6 Base, +10 Melee Grapple: +24 Defense: +10 (+6 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed Knockback: -12 Saving Throws: 0 + 3 + 7 = 10PP Toughness: +14/+2 (+8 Enhanced Con, +2, [Impervious 10] +4 Forcefield) Fortitude: +10/+2 (+2 Con, +8 Enhanced Con) Reflex: +8/+5 (+2 Dex, +3 Enhanced Dex, +3) Will: +8 (+1 Wis, +7) Skills: 64R = 16PP Acrobatics 10 (+15, SM) Craft (Artistic) 8 (+8) Intimidate 14 (+15, SM) Notice 9 (+10, SM) Sense Motive 9 (+10, SM) Stealth 10 (+15) Survival 4 (+5) Feats: 25PP Acrobatic Bluff All-Out Attack Attack Focus (Melee) 4 Challenge 2 (Fast Acrobatic Bluff, Fast Startle) Dodge Focus 4 Environmental Adaptation (Underwater) Evasion Improved Initiative 2 Interpose Luck 2 Power Attack Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Intimidate, Notice, Sense Motive) Startle Takedown Attack Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 10 + 16 + 6 + 12 + 1 + 2 + 10 + 9 + 9 + 2 + 8 = 85PP Device 3 (Elder Sign Shield, 15PP, Flaw: Easy to Lose, PF: Indestructible) [10PP] Damage 4 (shield strike, PF: Mighty) {5} Enhanced Feats 3 (Second Chance 3 [Toughness Saves Against Falling Damage, Will Saves against Confuse and Mind Control) {3} Immunity 3 (drowning, environmental cold, high pressure) {3} Force Field 4 {4} Enhanced Constitution 16 [16PP] Enhanced Dexterity 6 [6PP] Enhanced Strength 12 [12PP] Feature 1 (Temporal Inertia) [1PP] Immunity 2 (disease, poison) [2PP] Impervious Toughness 10 [10PP] Movement Array 8 (8 points; PF: Alternate Power) [9PP] BE: Leaping 4 (x25; running long jump 500 feet, standing long jump 250 feet, vertical jump 125 feet) + Super-Movement 2 (Slow Fall, Wall-Crawling 1) {4+4=8/8} AP: Speed 4 (100 mph / 1000 feet per move action) + Super-Movement 2 (Water-Walking 2) {4+4=8/8} Regeneration 9 (Bruised 3 [No Action], Injured 6 [No Action]) [9PP] Super-Senses 2 (Accurate Hearing) [2PP] Super-Strength 4 (Effective STR 50, Heavy Load 12.5 tons) [8PP] DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC29 Toughness Damage (Physical) Totals: Abilities (20) + Combat (24) + Saving Throws (10) + Skills (16) + Feats (25) + Powers (85) = 180/180 Power Points

She staggered, briefly, stunned by the words. "...all of it, then?" Tears were in her eyes as Riley, torn between his maimed girlfriend and his mother, picked the latter because the first was being treated while the former might be leaving him forever, wrapped his arms around her. "Oh..." She swallowed, closed her eyes, then opened them. "I'll do it. I won't leave my people to be the pawns of outsiders - and I won't let _them_ have Feral toys. We thought we were dead before. We'll-we'll find a way out of this too." She looked at Riley and put her arm around him and said "And I know my son is going to live longer than our world does, because he's going to be here." "But-but you just got here," said Riley, feeling the tears standing out in his eyes and hating himself for it. "I...I have so much to tell you...I love you, Momma." I cut off my girlfriend's hand! I found my mother! All this is happening at once! He blinked hard, then shoved his hand into his bag. "I...I have this!" he said suddenly, pushing a leather-bound book into his mother's hand. "I kept a journal. Every day, for two years. Tactical information; strongholds, equipment stockpiles-" Peyton took the book, awkward with one arm, and kissed Riley's head. "Good boy. Good boy. You always were a good soldier. I love you, Riley. You go...you go be the man you always wanted to be."

"It was one of us," the robotic Wander said after a moment of hesitation. "None of the ones here," she said, as a gasp came from Megan and Jessie. "The biometrics were different from anyone else here - but it was an Erin Hunter-White." "...how do you know it was a Hunter-White?" asked the red-haired Erin, her grip tightening on her staff. The wendigo Erin had taken Trevor's advice (and Megan's pleading) and settled down in a nearby chair slightly away from the group, under the big, watchful eyes of the other monstrous Erin. Erin smiled thinly and raised her hand, pointing to the fourth finger on her left hand. "I recognized the ring." This Erin was herself was not wearing any such ring. "Thanks," she said after another moment, turning back to the Erin with the goggles. "Back home I'd have had to go to Daedalus for that." "...that doesn't necessarily prove anything," said the white-haired Erin, but she sounded like she was trying to convince herself of that more than anything else. "We've seen attacks on other worlds - hell, I saw them with my own eyes. They weren't coming from duplicates."

Ah, jeez, look at her go. "...the new place is nice," said Anna after a moment's hesitation. What did you think she was gonna do, just go for ya like a starving dog? "Yer always welcome there, y'know." She took a moment to refamiliarize herself with the foundry at top speed, the better to make sure there weren't any surprises (or sidekicks) lurking around. When she was back in the "living room" with Nicola, she ran her fingers through her hair and said, "I know things got awkward before, because Esperanza was around, and I didn't want no more untoward influences on my girl. She's got her GED now, you know? She's really gonna make something of herself once we take down you-know-who." She hesitated an instant, then decided she didn't want Hammer of Justice getting in the midst of all this. "...you been okay otherwise?"

In retrospect, Riley remembered the next few minutes not in sequence but in a chain of impressions. He could link them together in his mind but if you asked, he'd have had a lot of trouble linking them together. Ripping off his shirt and tying off Robin's arm in the precious few seconds before Raina's spell stopped the bleeding. Raina's parents vanishing between one heartbeat and the next, his own keen senses the only reason he'd noticed anything at all. The eerie sound of a baby's wails as Matt approached. Putting his arm around Winifred Wei, because what else could you do but hold onto your friend when the world was falling apart? Lots of shouting from the corner where Woundmaker, Matt's dog, and Bowman were squaring off. Phantom in the air, sweating from the effort as she sealed off the barely-healed wound connecting this world with a dimension that never should have been. And his mother's voice, looking up at Phantom, recognizing her for what (if not who she was) like a ghost from the past - "You have to send me back." Riley jerked to his feet, hands still covered in blood, and for the first time since anyone had known him, declared, "What!?" "It has to be done," said his mother, looking up at Phantom. "If nobody goes back and tells them what happened, then those people Woundmaker was working for? The ones working on Ferals? They'll have the settlement. They'll have everything we...everything we built, all these years." She wiped her eyes with her hand, then said out loud, "None of you...you supers can do it! It's death for anybody else! And I...I don't belong here. I never did."

"Mm," said Frost, keeping his eyes on the new Scarab and the young speedster both. "League is not too worried," he reassured them. "Am mostly here on own behalf." He slipped his hands into his pockets and commented, "Have met this group before, but that was forty-no, fifty years ago now, so whole new leadership these days." They had turned out to not be interested in Communist subversion at all, but instead in lots of sermonizing he had personally found rather tedious. Still, it didn't do to say that in front of so many nice people. "Generally harmless, after the arrests, of course."

"Wait a minute!" Frost snapped his fingers. "That face! I know you, girl. Hah!" He raised his leg, slapped his thigh and said, "...we're going to need to revise our security protocols, but that is for later - what an afternoon this has been! All right, fellow, I was worried about you but after this you have my vote for emergency contact list." He beamed, looking a bit like a mother cat watching her kittens drink milk for the first time. "This is my new favorite of these things." He set down his cup, which was now solid coffee, and clapped Black Mamba on the shoulder.