Ari

GM October 1st, Saturday, 2016 Miles offshore from Emerald City, Oregon, the PanStar Pacific Proliferation Platform(P3 Station) "We're very excited to have you both here, Dr. Delacroix, Dr. Anderson." Though easily a few heads shorter than either of the two men, Olivia Oum, Director of PanStar's Ocean Developments division, seemed a positive giant among the ever-present crush of workers, technicians, company people and sundry humanity scurrying around the shiny-new fish farm and cloning facility. All of them quickly made way for the quartet of Dir. Oum in her crisp blue suit, her PA whose eyes never left her phone (which did nothing to impede the rest of her work) and the two visiting scientists. There was certainly plenty of space on the Platform, an enormous silver-white dome intersecting two massive rings cradling an advanced force-field system that let water and nutrients in and kept a great many other things out. Every ceiling and floor bore PanStar's gold star, the symbols of its associates(Emerald City's MarsTech, Ming Xi Visions and Saito Solutions) while the rain-streaked windows looked out at a recently-passed storm front and a heaving deep-grey sea. Leading the way to an elevator, Oum went on blithely "PanStar has worked hard to make the world a better place, and with this, a way replenish our dying ocean's ecosystem, we hope to avert a disaster even this world's heroes have been powerless against." With a swipe of her thumb against a colored bar the door rematerialized behind them. The PA's head tilted slightly upward "Zhou in manfac needs another bulk order Ma'am, 203E-5s, tungsten." "By all means, Panita, put it through." Oum smiled benevolently to the visitors as the elevator descended swiftly, the Pacific Ocean surrounding them and the submerged levels of the Platform as a cloud of darkness and shifting shadows deepened by the facility's lights.. "We understand UNESCO's need to ensure our full compliance with the law and the highest ethical standards, given the stakes at play. Rest assured, Dr. Anderson, we have nothing to hide and every member of our staff will comply with your review. Or I shall know the reason why." The dazzling smile the compact woman shone at the Englishman did nothing to undermine the undertone of ferocity. Turning to the American, the Director added "Dr. Delacroix, we appreciate the willingness of the Institute to gives its second opinion. Your work in bioscience and the in-depth understanding of business your brothers have displayed fills us with confidence that this will lead to a swift and mutually-satisfactory conclusion!" Relaxing against the transparent metal windows, Oum asked brightly "Do you have any questions?"

GM With a *snap* like crushing chestnut shells, the head twisted neatly around. Simultaneously, there was a faint clik and the Bookcase swung near-noiselessly inward, revealing a short concrete passage that bent sharply, leaving its termination out of sight. On the floor of the passage was dust that had only recently been disturbed, the imprints having very carefully avoided specific bits of the floor. What illumination there was came from a series of orange bulbs jutting from the walls, arranged so that they ranged from roughly head-height, to waist-height, to foot-height, though they were clearly intended to match someone much taller than Osla. Rounding the bend a steel door came into view, windowless, sturdy, handleless and with a keypad next to it. Over which a cover had dropped almost before Arrowhawk had caught sight of it in the fiery gloom.

GM Always with a weather eye out for any public displays of superheroics, the Freedom City press was quick on the scene in a hustle of newsvans, jostling cameras and strong opinions. The Peerless Path, eager to show off their new god, was quick to meet them and soon the sunken Chang and her crew were of secondary importance to anyone not the Coast Guard and Captain Wong. Volcanic and Kanunu were called over for a few questions by the Guard's Captain Jane Sherman, mostly just to ensure the Magmin weren't likely to come back if they leveled-out the South River's new mini-islands. Aside from that, nothing kept them from going back to their respective homes for a well-deserved rest. The next day both received a letter, on crisp white paper, signed with the name Calypso. Hello! This is Jane, from the other day. Thank you for showing me what I really am! 842 32nd St., Lincoln I hope to see you soon. They need us.

It shall be done.

Happy Post-birthday, Exaccus! May your owls be forever dapper.

Okay from Chat: Retirement and Thanksgiving(American) party on the Lighthouse. Ceberation of Captain Thunder, Dr. Cassandra Vale and the other Silver/Bronze Age Leaguers leaving the team to the new group's capable hands. Then trouble alert, the team hastens to the scene and allies with the Whatevermachine to take down the Problem(maybe something really big and non-living, with lots of different parts for people to show off their powers/skills). The Problem is defeated, the difference in style is shown and the two groups leave on more or less good terms. Obviously that has its own problems, but I feel this way is simplest and most manageable and gets things rolling without unnecessary niggles.

You've already done more in a few months than I have in several years. You have nothing to apologize or regret about here. Hope you do manage to find time for this place.

GM Richard had been silent and studiously avoiding Alex's gaze until Endeavor spoke up. Richard stared at the projection, face paling even in the stark light of the helmet lamp "Those...those big...those troll things." He was almost whispering as realization sunk in "They called them the Brute Squad. Like animals on leashes." Alex's brother seemed to sink even further into himself. "So that's all I had to look forward to." Smiling wanly at Facsimile, the other boy got up off the bed, paused, then pulled Alex into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, Al...for everything." Stepping away and wiping his eyes, Richard sniffed and glanced outside "So, uh, how we getting out?" Later... Getting around the glooped Ghostworkers was pretty easy, and without much incident the quartet stepped into the Garage & Hanger, Volt's sizzling blue body and Endeavor's suit illuminating fearsome racks of armored vehicles, vast stacks of crates surrounded by forklifts, and a customized CV-22B Osprey in matte black without propellers. The aircraft was sitting under a square gate almost lost in the gloom of the ceiling. Volt dashed into a distant passage, there was a crash of lightning, and the gate lumbered slowly open, letting down a gentle fall of dirt and small stones. Up above was a square of night sky and freedom.

"T-th-that's right, alien!" The blur of inchoate motion zipped into the tense space between its comrades and the three heroes, pointing an accusing finger at the monochromatic man of metal "And w-we're not going to let yyy-you make us suffer, either!" Faster than the(human) eye could follow, the speedy thief was suddenly past the crimefighters and encompassing the glittering skyline of Riverfront's downtown with a sweeping gesture "N-none of us wanna be here, it's the daibatsu like M-M-Mars or the r-rest that drive us to c-crime! They automate our j-jobs, push us to quit and conspire with City Hall to crush our unions! They are enemies of all workers, and to steal from them or their minions is nothing less than just and virtuous, to protect them a crime against humanity itself!" The speedster was by now a distorting silhouetted 'X', arms raised and feet planted as their rant went on. There was more, but it rapidly began to lose even its initial fragile coherence. "Uh..." the Salmon squinted behind his glaring mask at the man "Doesn't this bank also have money from other people the Big Five have wronged?" The jittering stopped. There was a flash of movement, a savage "THUD", and the young hero was sent crashing into a nearby car. "You see, alien!" the speedster looked plaintively up at the autonomic intelligence's android housing "All are arrayed against us! Even that murderer who claims to be a hero has it better than me! Join us, fight back against the oppressors! Don't you care about a worthy cause?!"

It's an aesthetics problem, I feel. To me having a solely-PC organization that is also the effective summit of social and otherwise success on the board has unfortunate implications of excess cliquey-ness. It's called the Freedom League, on Freedom City Play by Post, and it's readily apparent what "kind" of characters are being presented as most suitable. The PCs being the most prominent face of a world-protecting supergroup, backed and leavened with supporting cast NPC super-folk(who, unlike the static persons of before, have their own dynamics and relationships), strikes me as a better balance between the former absentee landlords and what I think is a swing too far the other way. If the other guides and Refs would rather it was a Justice League/The Authority-style "brawniest & brightest" aggregate of the most powerful and influential PCs, then of course I can hardly argue otherwise, but it being more like the Justice League in seasons 3-4 or the Avengers seems to me a more flexible and interesting avenue. And there being League NPCs, again, gives a handhold for people who want to GM League adventures who aren't already in such elevated circles with their own characters.

Because Captain Thunder is my father, Raveled. But seriously, it's an independence thing, Ray wants to stand out on his own. He's self-conscious enough from being elevated by his family's standing for so long.

@Heritage Being a Guide right now is restricted to the people who are Guides right now. Ref team isn't sure this will work, so it's a trial run. Also like the idea of Daedalus and Pseudo on another hyperspace trek. Which could easily coincide with one of Daedalus' public """""deaths""""". And agreed Alderwitch and Thevshi, that's my thinking too. I think of it like the Avengers. Not like the actual super-team or nothing, just its general reputation and style as a massive pile of folks of whom a few hold center stage. The world is a big place and there being plenty of backup doesn't make sending the PCs off on the big-time missions any less interesting. The whole reason for why all that delegation and relegation happened was because people wanted or thought other people wanted to play characters overlooked, overshadowed or devoted to parts of the world the major players didn't think much about. That hasn't been true since the beginning, but now that is even less so. We can do away with it easily. (Though that's news to me. Our ECs, crowded? I excised all the public heroes and villains specifically to avoid that.) I agree with Knight, Megastar and Magni would be pretty good for "muscle" types. Though I think we should bring in as well somebody from "outside" that pipeline. There being a network of NPCs with existing relationship dynamics also goves GMs who don't have League PCs something to work with. They can serve as mouthpieces and supporting cast without diminishing the role of the PCs. But first, we need to decide who is NOT on the team. I like Daedalus and Pseudo's departure in the wake of the former's apparent death, any other ideas?

As has been mentioned in the Going Green thread, enough time has elapsed and enough has changed that an overview of the setting's premier superteam is necessary, both in what characters it's made up of and what its purpose should be going forward. At present the idea is that the Freedom League Auxiliary is the PCs, while the League proper is the NPCs. That fit the old paradigm where the heroes were by and large the types who dealt with smaller problems that wouldn't catch the League's attention, but that has not been the case for years. A number of Claremont Academy alumni and others, PC and NPC, are available along with plenty of room for new characters to fill the gaps. For the first matter I say we resolve who's on and what their relationship is with each other. So to that end we first-first need to figure on who makes sense to have moved on or dropped out. We already know that the Raven and Lady Liberty are out, former to manage Claremont Academy and latter to focus on her newly-expanded family. Bowman's in unless I missed something. Daedalus has no real reason to have left, unless the situation in space has gotten him to gallivant into the stars with Pseudo again. Captain Thunder, as mentioned, is really getting on in years. With his son Raymond on the League I suggest he step down, trusting that after about eight years of doing this on his own Thunder believes Bolt's ready for bigger responsibilities. Doc Metro is, as Knight puts it, a fixture and a huge tie to the city. Being an immortal construct, no reason for him to leave the team. Pseudo is a bit of a wild card. On the one hand he(supposedly) has a strong affection for humanity and wants to learn more about and from them, not to mention how his relationship with Daedalus et al might ground him. On the other there is, as also mentioned in the other thread, suddenly a very large number of 'rogue' Grue attempting to form communities and establish quasi-independence without the all-consuming will of the Meta-Mind, and R'ik could easily see sharing what he's learned with his kindred as more useful and a better path than hanging around a bunch of weird aliens. The wormhole's right there, too. If we do decide that it would make more sense that he leaves, I'd suggest swapping out him with Changeling(Alterniteens alt-dimension Grue, not the Fey illusionist). Both are from very, very different places than Earth-Prime, have unique perspectives, shape-shifting powers and Changeling has a Starfire-esque exuberance. La Siren I really don't know. We could change her cheval, but that's the only substantial shift that would make very much sense given how her and Baron Samedi's metaphysical war over humanity isn't nearly over. With Seven around, she at least has a little more room to breath outside of being the "magic member". Sri Montoya of Earth doesn't seem like the type to quit unless something massive changes. Though she might have left to focus on her Star Knight duties given the staggering death toll of the Incursion War and the loss of hundreds of other Knights. That and the recent insinuation of the Light of Truth cult-militant. Thoughts, questions, suggestions?

That does indeed sound like something worth its own thread, Alderwitch. I will start that, if you don't mind.

Once again we are the same, Ecal! Not in maturity, intelligence, education, social skills, alcohol tonnage, or nearly anything else, but still!

I'm serious, this is something we need to settle, and it's small and wide-ranging enough that it can provide a good start for our other efforts. Just for a start: the Freedom League now has Seven and no longer has Lady Liberty, from what I understand. Who else has joined or left, have the existing members changed? Do they have more or less than as set down in the book?

A very happy birthday to you, trollthumper!

GM The walls creaked under the sudden competing floods of electrons. The lights blazed pure white, then went out, leaving the whole facility in darkness and sudden silence. As one the monitors winked out. Even Volt, crouched and staring up at Endeavor like an adoring and hazardous-to-touch dog, started violently as the EMP swept through the underground center. It was a little like an electric shock, but spread out and driving deep into the nervous system. Shaking their head so fast that they left a burnt-in afterimage of a green smear on the retinas of Alex and Rako, Volt jolted to their crackling legs and gaped up at thw teens "ZshkzzzzVOLTleddout! TaktaktoRicheeee! Zxkkkkkflowme!" In a flash Volt charged out of the room, pausing at a bend to bounce off the walls and wait for the duo to catch up. When they did Volt gleefully repeated the process all the way to their destination, providing both a highly-visible beacon and an excellent guard dog against the few organized Ghostworkers. Every now and then their yellow visors would gleam out of a shadowed hallway, take one look at the crouched lightning-blue creature, and vanish. The floor melting under its blue-hot claws, Volt skittered and hissed to a stop beside the cell Richard was inside. Still inside and crouched on the bed despite the open doors and dropped force field. At the sight of Volt the boy jerked against the wall, but the scream of surprise died in his throat as he saw Alex. His head dropped and he refused to look at the two young heroes or their bizarre and beaming comrade. "I...you shoudn't have come for me," Richard muttered "Should leave me here. It's all I deserve for doing this to you." He shuddered "I wanted to be special like you, Al...but they didn't listen after they had you and her, they just talked about how much money they could make selling your powers. Threw me in here when I started pushing." Richard snickered bitterly "Just leave me alone, then I'll get something I want for once."

GM With a thunderous crash the wood and glass of the window effectively disintegrated, spilling out into the darkenéd room with a clinking and clattering that went on for several seconds after Osla had got back to her feet. Outside, Zelda stared in blank astonishment at the feat until she abruptly remembered both herself, where she was, and who the unconscious men lying nearby were. With a flash and a jangle the girl dashed into a nearby alleyway and away to the south-east. Inside, the room was...clean? The blood of Asgard's hunters had given Arrowhawk eyes far better suited to the Moonless nights and shadowéd valleys of Jötunheim and the endless caverns and cloistered skies of Myrkheim, so even with the lights off it was pretty easy to grasp just how uncannily neat and movie-set-like it was. There was a Kitchen, with pots and pans and a bowl of assorted fruit on the counter. The fruit was wax, and at least one of the pans had its price sticker still on($2.95). There was a Living Room, with a Bookcase full of books that even Odin would have passed up in disgust. A coffee table(mysteriously bereft of cofee table books) had a bust of a Black man in old-fashioned clothes on it, with what looked like a neckerchief around his high collar. Through a door could be glimpsed a Bedroom, with a bed that had never been slept in and an end cabinet with a lamp that wasn't plugged in. There was no visible Bathroom, probably accessible through the Bedroom. The door of the apartment at least was pretty real. And overed in locks and bolts.

GM "Well, you knew her better than I did." Chandler coughed awkwardly and visibly cast about for a way out of the extremely tense conversation, his eyes suddenly lighting on the cubed tablet on the floor "Speaking of...segues, I really think we can dispense with the rest of the interview. Dr. Marquez can do a great deal with very little, and even with a mental link I doubt someone like me is what you need." Standing up, Xan-Jak's eyes once again shone, the debris in the room silently reintegrating around him. "With any luck, our lessons can begin within the month. Need to clear out my schedule. Of course, Headmistress Summers is leery of outsiders trying to teach "her" charges, unless I want to end up at the bottom of North Bay a social call is in order." Watching a coffee cup piece itself together, Chandler ran a hand over his bald head and muttered "Really should not have gotten in the habit of...nudging people. So much easier than actually empathizing with and understanding, but it's 'byss to rely on psionics." The air tingled with the discharge of energy long after the glow of vril had faded from the reconstituting wreckage, a sensation at once coldly alien and familiar, like a long-forgotten song. Drumming his fingers on his leg, Xan-Jak added "Mz. Chevalier, I really am sorry to have brought you all this way for, well, nothing. If there's some way to redeem my wasting your precious time, merely say and it shall be done." From the somewhat anxious look in his dark eyes, the doctor was a little worried Robin would actually take advantage of the offer.

So what has changed, anyway? I mean, that hasn't been covered by the Event entries?

GM From Jane's grateful smile and change of position she certainly did, giving Kimo a broader area to cover while the younger hydrokinetic and self-styled New God focused her pressure on the Ascension's stern. From the decks the faithful kept up a constant and frankly infuriating stream of praise and encouragement while the crew of the Chang kept well away from the pack of white-clad weirdoes. With a soft and chunky whump, the ungainly thing settled against the South River's north bank just as the Coast Guard cutters emerged from around the peninsula's bend. Captain Wong managed to hold off on leaping to shore until his crew were safely ashore, silently bowing deeply to Volcanic when she brought her man up out of the water and glaring at the passengers of the Peerless Path as they swarmed aroud Jane, the young woman all too happy to be the center of their adulation. "Bad as the Super F***s out West" he growled under his breath, jamming the charred hat deeper onto his head. To Kimo and Leilani he said more politely "Thank you both, again. I have lost ships and crew before, and have no desire to experience the latter ever again. I hope we can reunite before I have to leave for Shanghai. If you will excuse me..." With a nod, the narrow man set out briskly for the approaching Coast Guard officers.

I second that. Very simple and representative.

I don't see how we need one, but if we must then I'd suggest :the Steering Committee.

GM For a moment it was as if the man was part of the rock, immovable and impervious. A lure from the cold, silent stone of the earth trying to reclaim its lost prisoner... Then Volcanic put an extra burst of strain, and with a jarring jolt the man's trapped boot tore from his leg, and the pair were suddenly rolling head-over-heels in the South River's current! From there it was simplicity itself to get to the surface, the poor man gasping and spluttering as the welcome air flooded his starved lungs, clinging desperately to his savior. ________ "Oh!" Jane clapped a hand over her mouth, looking unfathomably embarrassed at her faux pas. "I-I had no idea, I beg your pardon!" Turning away, Kimo heard her mutter "Well, maybe I still have a chance..." Dealing with the Ascension was worked out pretty easily, with Jane propelling the boat inside a hard-water shell created by Kanunu. Pushing the vessel full of people either lustily praising the duo with a fervor that bordered on the ridiculous, the young hydrokinetic was at first full of energy and enthusiasm. However, pushing against the strain of the river, while no big feat for the hunky Haiwai'ian, soon had Jane flagging, the waterspout supporting her wavering under her conflicted concentration. The initial surge of power began to abate, their progress began to slow. Jane tried very hard not to look obviously, but the glance of desperation to Kimo was hard to miss or misinterpret.