LoupGarou

Gah, sorry about that, should have known. I'll correct your contact on the Wiki.

Cheers for the clarification, Britanic if you want to add the Supremacy link to the wiki addition and let people know how they might be able to get involved, then cool. I'd do it myself but I feel a crashing migraine coming along.

Right, I'll be adding info to the little black book this evening. Again, don't worry if you're not able to join another Global channel as there's still emails, tells, and all sorts of other things we can use for communication pruposes. So, let's have some more names! I'll prod people as I go.

Oh, inspiration strikes! I've been trying to think of a reason or some sort of IC way for my character to be able to link all of y'all to one another if anyone needs a hand. While looking over the "Little Hand from Beyond" thread I started, I realised I wanted to have some names in the book Ragefang gave Jean-Luc which contains contacts of one kind or another. Now, in the grand scheme of heroing, Ragefang wasn't one of the big names, but he knew a few people on both sides as it were...if people are willing, I can put the name of interested characters into Jean-luc's "little black book" as a prospective contact. In this guise, Jean-luc can then put everyone in touch for one certain story or another which may need a hand. Some people Jean-Luc may be familiar with, others he may not know at all, some he may look forward to seeking out, others he may rather just punch them in the face than have a conversation - either way, what do you folks think about that? If the idea is a "go" we can explain things that way to make them flow a bit more and move the connections more to ingame reasons why people might interact with one another - as I've had people say they want to try and interact with Jean-Luc but they don't quite know how to rationalise doing it.

Essentially, because it's fun and we like it. I don't understand people's obsession with putting cat ears on their characters and saying "Nyan" a lot, but they do it. So let them have their thing, and we'll have ours.

Ammon...come on. People are doing it and it's fine. I'll be adding to the Wiki as we go, but at the moment, people are fine with the idea and we're rolling with it. If it's not beind handled the way YOU think it should be handled, start your own thread or your own idea. Banging on about the recordkeeping takes away from the main concept at the moment, which is about people who want to start something more gritty. We'll worry about the fluff-recording later.

And now - fluff recording! The global channel has been created: RP-Roundtable for anyone interested in coming in and kicking around some story ideas and networking. For those who are already full up on global channels, if there is a particular storyline you are interested in, please just go ahead and use tells, emails, or what have you in order to coordinate times you can meet and discuss things at your leisure; the channel isn't mandatory.

Gah, yeah I didn't know about that global channel thing. We could always make it a optional thing, or even establish nights for discussion - or, since you've an idea Coile I'll try and hash out a potentially weekly meeting area or something, but I'll want to chat with you about that before I do any hard and fast decisions.

Another addition - will be adding to the Wiki as well, I am also going to clean up the Wiki to include characters rather than just the global handles.

Blackfur Defender - 26 Defender
Server: Union
H/v: Hero
Global: @Welshman
Story arc - None formal at moment

Chaotic Good - 50 Tanker
H/v: Hero
Global: @Justice For-None
Story arc - None formal at moment

Hey query: would it be easier to start a chat channel ingame for interested people to discuss possible ideas? That way I don't have to keep trying to PM everyone in the thread *grin*

Your call, Synth - I'll catch you ingame!

Right, got a start: RP Roundtable Wiki I have listed people by their global handles, and then can add their characters accordingly per storyline as we go.

Ingame chat channel - I will also list this in the WIKI once I create it for ease of communication. Anyone else who has a storyline they'd like some players for, or they've got characters they would like to put "on call" please add details here and we'll get them on the list.

Cheers!

[ QUOTE ]



This thread is a nice idea, but it probably needs more thought. I would imagine that these characters listed above would need continuous updates on status quo and as has been mentioned already, people cannot actually update their posts on this forum, so it defeats the point. We will probably end up with a disorganised clutter of new posts and updates.

My suggestion to everybody, when looking for a plot, simply join one that is actually recruiting players. There is usually little, if any, community plots going on (save the amazing Supremacy plot), so why not run one yourself and recruit people. How do you recruit players to your plot? Simple; do what we always do and make a post about it on this forum or announce it on the wiki's Current Events section, or both. Just my opinion.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope, it's just it seems people have missed the point of the thread. However the majority understand what it's here for, and that's all I need at the moment. Namely, it is exactly because supergroup plots stay in supergroups or friends (namely, cliques) that there's not as much rp for the new rper or the rper who may belong to a casual group. I know a lot of jolly good roleplayers who have never heard of one another. I couldn't get many roleplayers to look at me twice until I posted here on the forums. Time to widen the circle a bit.

Adding another name here, as permission is granted:

Hand of Battle - 47 Scrapper
Server: Union
H/v: Hero
Global: @Hand of Battle
Story arc - current story arc completed, open to new storyline as available. I think Hand has several characters available.

For the names which are on currently, I'll be sending out some PMs shortly.

Well done and thanks to everyone who has chipped in their characters and stepped forward. I have three storylines which are in the incubation stages right now, each of which people should be able to get involved in. I am just prodding the appropriate people to bring their posts here or to scan through, but I have a few queries first:

One - vigilante heroes. If you've got one, there's a possible storyline starting up with that, please contact @Synth.

Two - a rehabilitation programme for villians who wish to reform. This will NOT be an instant process. I imagine a requirement will be for people to start their characters on hero side from the ground up. There will be full vetting, screening, and people will have to work hard in order to be accepted by Paragon proper. I will hopefully have a contact for this shortly, just trying to get in touch with a few people.

Coile's ArrPee plans - going to send off an email tomorrow to find out about this and see if I can help, shall keep you posted.

Okay, it's getting late and I'm not as coherent as I'd like, but I'll post a bit more followup on the morrow.

I did project that idea to Synth of being sort of a "fraternal order" sort of thing without having to create a supergroup. It's possible it could tie into the RP Round table idea I put forward as well for people who may wish to be involved as yes, it has to have repercussions, yes, people do have to play it seriously, and yes, we will have to deal with what happens to our characters if they ever get caught. Being prepared for the possibility of losing your character to the Zig or even being banished to the Isles is a very real possibility. I'm going to keep chatting with Synth on this, and maybe we can put something together.

[ QUOTE ]
It sounds a bit like you are hoping to duplicate all the functon of the Union Handbook Wiki into a thread, and even edit that into one gigantic post.

[/ QUOTE ] No, I'm not. I'm trying to create rp for people to get involved in, who may not belong to the various SG cliques which would allow us to actually get involved into plots. Where this is posted isn't all that important to me, so long as the rp actually happens, and right now, even with the Wiki's existence, it doesn't seem to be. To me the Wiki is just a bit of fluff, I'd never have thought of trying to contact people I see through Wiki, mostly due to the fact finding those connections is difficult. Quite a few players there are inactive, or have left, or retired, or what have you. Nothing on Wiki tells me what characters want to be active in storylines, which ones would prefer not to be involved in any story with people they don't know, whether their characters are more of the slapstick type, or not. That's the point of this thread, seeking out people who may want to have a bit more "hardline" rp.


[ QUOTE ]

As I think Coile is hinting in the prior post, a lot of people do seem to miss out on the subtleties of the wiki. But this is just one of the many things it is for and would be better for than any forum post/thread.




[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe this is because the Wiki is not as userfriendly as people may think. Again, I did note I intend on people linking their wiki information, but still - it means searching through dozens of plots, inter SG convolutions and trying to understand the politics to figure out whether or not someone's character would even be welcome in a storyline in the first place. I know several people who don't use the Wiki whatsoever, but they're good roleplayers. However they've no idea what contacts to make, or where, or how it's even done.

The Wiki is a nice tool, but it's just one tool of many. If people are interested in this idea, then they can sign up here, and I'll start something on the Wiki for it (provided I can figure it out or be arsed to do it)...but for those who just don't have the bloody time and yet want to get some serious rp going on, a few lines here will suffice.

Righto, Coile, I'll put you on ze list when you solidify some things. And I'll work on putting the idea under Community Plots. I'll seek you out ingame for a natter about it.

As I said, I don't really think anything's out there at the moment, probably because it degenerated into people getting a bit too kill happy or otherwise was a bit of a bugger to keep going. To be honest it's something I'd be interested in as well, but it would have to be very above board from outward appearances; actually, it'd be rather cool if some members outwardly looked like something other than the sunglasses-and-leather type you'd expect to be a sort of vigilante type. It would be necessity have to be rather small, and would also by necessity have to have very capable roleplayers within it who were willing to deal with the very serious repercussions if they were ever caught.

So, by all means, if you can run with it, do! And look Loup up when he's around.

Officially? No, because they'd get busted just as quickly as a villian in Paragon if they made themselves known. Unofficially? Yes, there's a few groups out there who believe in protecting the innocent at all costs, and certainly a fair few characters who believe in doing so, but again, they're QUIET about it.

The reason you don't see many of them around is because the more blatant ones fly into the face of believability and take no repercussions for their actions. This usually gives them a pretty bad name with the roleplaying community. However, there are pockets of people who do feel that "By Any Means Necessary" is just fine and while they may not go out killing every hero they come across, they're certainly not going to be gentle.

My own character, Loup Garou is very much of this school. He's not a bloodthirsty sociopathic vigilante who goes into Pocket D making a bunch of commentary about how Villians are the scum of the earth, etc etc, but he is certainly rather known to beat the stuffing out of whomever deserves it rather than having a long, drawn out discussion over good and evil. There are repercussions for that though - this is why he left the Supergroup he was in because he couldn't agree with the way situations were being handled (to his mind, nowhere seriously enough). Loup is who he is because his mind functions on a completely different level, more like a wolf than a human, and as a result there are things which make sense to him, and things which don't. It's not a matter of sitting him down and showing him the error of his ways...he often says "You wouldn't force a cat to be a vegetarian". He's coming up a storyline to help villians who wish to reform and come over to Paragon, and he's already butting heads with people about it because to his mind, there are some things you just can't or shouldn't try to change about people. To him, the end justifies the means, but only because he lacks the human ability to overcomplicate things and call it "conscience".

However, he's not the typical "sneering in a corner polishing his weaponry" type so maybe it's not so very obvious that he does what he does or is what he is...but to my mind that's rather the point; an obvious display of vigilante/anti-hero will quickly get someone labelled a bit of a prat.

So yes, Loup operates on the line. He doesn't make a case of it but people who know him know that's what he does. At the moment, his supergroup was more out wanting to give him his own base, but I wouldn't be adverse to people being part of his lone-wolf sort of pack...however again, I'd be picky about who would be in, as it's not something I want to see being abused by people who would just be better off playing villians.

I'll get as near as demmit, nothing more irksome than trying to sift through dozens of threads. I have managed to get this lot on at the very least though.

Hm, the thought occurs I'm not certain whether this would fall under "Community Plot", "Supergroup", or some other thing I haven't quite sussed yet. I'll chase up with the Powers Wot Be.

Cheers, folks, what I'm going to do is put everyone's details and contacts into the first post so no one has to try and sift through dozens of pages to find pertinent information.

Spread this around and we'll see what we manage to do.

My idea, so hey, I'll start:

Characters:
Loup Garou (level 24 Scrapper)
Server: Union
H/V: Hero
Global: @Loup Garou
Current Story Arcs: Two for NHU (link forth coming); Ongoing history/story arc/character development, relevant information at A little hand from Beyond

Loup is my main, and he is open for roleplay. I'm currently needing to do the respec trial with him at the moment so he's mostly just for roleplaying. He is currently in his own Supergroup as it suits the character to be a bit of a lone wolf, but I'm open to having him belong to coalitions or to start his own coalition.


Jambalaya(level 12 scrapper).
Server: Union
H/V: Hero
Global: @Loup Garou
Current Story Arcs: N/A

Jambalaya is an alt, and I'd like to be involved in some of the more magic-based story arcs if possible. She has no SG of her own and I'd be open to her belonging to one provided she's the right "fit".

Okay, here we go:

At the moment, there are two mix-and-mingle areas for roleplay; Pocket D and Galaxy Girl. I am not going to take up a lot of useless time dissing either place here - it's not the point. What I will say is I am aware there are others like myself who like to put a bit more punch into their rp. A lot of these people tend to be written off before they even start as "serious" roleplaying is called emo, a wangst-fest, and a bunch of other not too cool put downs. But back in The Day when I actually used to read comics, I seem to remember angst was the norm. Stories of the wild and crazy were almost common place; "oh so you're a half alien who just happened to be the avatar of a deity from ancient China and you've just been infected with a mutagen which will turn you into a deity of destruction in thirty days unless it's stopped? Well, hi there, so am I!" It's cheesy, yes, we know, but that's part of the point!

There have been arcs and things which I wanted characters to get involved in, or there are arcs of friends of mine which have been started, but they can't find enough participants. Now, I know there are a bunch of threads here about different story arcs and things going on, but let me say something quite blunt here - unless a new player has references from other known players, no one wants them anywhere near their story. I actually had to post here a few weeks ago to get roleplay in my direction because I was an unknown name and no one would touch me with a barge pole. The old school rpers are a bit of a difficult chestnut to crack - like it or not, admit it or not, it's there. But I've realised I know a lot of incredibly good roleplayers who never seem to cross streams and meet one another, and all of them happen to be struggling with rp stories and trying to make the never-ending grind to 50 a bit interesting.

Therefore, I'd like to put forth an idea here about putting together a roleplaying roundtable/consortium/insert cooler word here for people who want to pursue arcs and storylines, and recruit players for it. There will be certain standards set forth which people are to agree to, and getting involved in a story is completely voluntary - you can choose your own involvement levels and hash out ideas.

Yes, there are pros and cons to this. The cons are of course you see the same old hackneyed storylines over and over again ("I'm possessed!" "My past comes to haunt me, woe!" "So and so has been kidnapped!"). And of course, the inevitable new rper who makes all the wrong moves and becomes a royal nuisance as well. But there are some definite perks to the idea as well: some of the rp circles which I know exist out there can intermingle without having to leave their supergroups (I've never felt what SG you belong to should have any bearing on what rp you're taking part in), people can rp something a bit more heavy than the usual offerings or arguing about good and evil or cartoon slapstick, and stories can be entered here and also on the Wiki for anyone with an interest to keep an eye on.

It may seem like this is totally unnecessary - but we could spend a lot of time with people saying "Well I'm not like that!" or we can actually just get the ball rolling.


First off: Location. GG and Pocket D are already being used. Now, we've got a few other ideas; the Tiki Lounge (but you'd have to have the VIP pass to use it, and maybe a bar isn't the best of choices). Potentially, we could also use one of the battleground instances - something which would come into play in any event if we were facing off with some players from the opposing side for storyline. There's also the possibility of forming a consortium and then entering various bases to discuss events of the day. However, the main issue with all three of these ideas is it means taking the group out of the public eye, which may mean quite a few good roleplayers never know of the existence of the group...however it would also keep the immersion breaking stuff to a minimum. Please give suggestions on this.

Here's some guidelines to get started:

1) Every rp has a repercussion. If your character is evil and decides to take over the world/introduce a plague/insert evil thing here and gets caught, then expect your character to be thrown into the Zig and need to be retired for a while until they manage to escape. And by "retired" I don't mean a few days. Expect that players may sometimes die, lose a fight no matter how "big and bad" they are, be injured, need to recover. No one is just going to be able to get away with something and return to the usual status quo by turning back the clock (even when time travel turns up!). There's no such thing as an easy out when your character decides to get a wild hair to do something. Please keep that in mind for all stories.

2) Attempt to be original - gods knows there's been thousands of kidnappings/demonic possessions/clock ticking till death stories which have been done. Let's try and hash some things up which might be a bit more interesting. Assistance can be given if people ask.

3) If you are a new roleplayer, you will be asked to appear for at least one Roundtable meeting as an observer to understand what we're about. New roleplayers will not be allowed to insert their own commentary at this point, just to watch. Yes, it may be boring but you'll be able to see what roleplaying is, what works, what doesn't, how things flow together. Just strolling in with The Solution To All Problems from the get go won't do...besides, it's not any fun!

4) Insert usual words about godmodding here. No one saves the day within an hour. No one pulls superuber powers out of their bums to heal or cure the afflicted with a yawn and a shrug. Wiki links are for information and to decide whether or not your character is a good fit for a story or to get an idea what a character may be about, NOT to use to suddenly know everything about a character without a jolly good reason. (For example, it's highly possible Villian side would know about Loup from the Death Ring, but not many on Hero Side would have much of an idea such things even went on). Story arcs are just that...they tend to be rather convoluted and tend to span for a while.

5) This is a drama-free zone. I really get tired of drama, folks. I play the game to relax, not to babysit. If someone comes in and gets a load of complaints for their behaviour, then you're blacklisted off the storyline list, put on ignore, whatever works. No one here is boss, there is no leader. We're all just braves, not chiefs. Give a little, take a little, and respect your fellow players. Again, putting your stories and availability up here is solely voluntary - you can bow out at any time. Choose your involvement wisely.


*****************

Now, how does all of this work? Essentially, people submit their characters, server, play times, which "side" they're on, and whether they're on call for involvement or not. If you've got a storyline going on and would like people to participate in it, you can either link to a relevant thread, or you can start thread information here. What I would like to see is people create a Wiki introduction or put a thread somewhere on these forums which will be updated regularly about the storyline progress - that's entirely the creator's responsibility however. Don't cry about people not wanting to be involved in your story if you've given no one a point of reference to follow.

Roundtable meeting areas, dates and times: My preference would be weekends, though I'm aware most people run their Task Force stuff on those days, so maybe a week day would work better. These are informal but whoemver has signed up or whomever is curious is welcome. Essentially, it's a place to trade information on various plots, to roleplay while keeping the slapstick to a low minimum. Unfortunately, it seems Supergroup bases won't work for this purpose unless everyone belongs to a certain consortium, so we'll have to think up something else. Suggestions welcome: (it's been suggested to use the Tiki Lounge as we don't want to totally exclude people from our conversations and it's freely accessible to heroes and villians alike - yes, okay, so the party may potentially be crashed by twits, but that would happen anywhere - further suggestions welcome - what about using the battlegrounds as a "tournament" with no time limit? This is probably something which will end up being used for major storyline battles in any event). For villians who may need to get involved in either a positive or negative way, Pocket D's villian side will suffice.

I realise this is rather vague, and a lot more could be added to it. It will evolve as time goes on. I'm also not expecting everyone on Union or Defiant to go for it. If it's not your thing, then fine - just please don't clutter up the thread with how much you hate "angst driven rp" - if you don't like it, just don't participate, it's really that simple. But for anyone who has been looking for some more involved story but wasn't quite sure how to get people interested, I figure we could start a sort of "catch all" area. I'm just trying to put the information in a bit more accesible place than having to scroll through 25 pages of roleplayers or backtrack through dozens of threads to hopefully find one storyline a new player might be able to get involved in.

I'll put together a Handbook Wiki page for this idea with relevant links to players who are interested, story arcs which are open for people to be involved in, and so forth over the week. Understand however I'm going to be on holiday during most of December and as a result I won't be around much, but it doesn't mean the project is dead...I'm just the secretary, so to speak...it's up to the players to create the stories and to get one another involved.

Yes, I'm aware on the roleplayers totem pole I'm a relative nobody; I don't have loads of connections or the roleplay community stripes to back up my suggestions. But, in theory I shouldn't have to have those things to get something off the ground. In the end, it's just about roleplay, and that should be available to anyone provided they're willing to put the time and effort into it.

So...let's see how we go.


CURRENT LIST OF PLAYERS as of 25/11/07:


Characters:
Loup Garou (level 24 Scrapper)
Server: Union
H/V: Hero
Global: @Loup Garou
Current Story Arcs: Two for NHU (link forth coming); Ongoing history/story arc/character development, relevant information at A little hand from Beyond
Loup is my main, and he is open for roleplay. I'm currently needing to do the respec trial with him at the moment so he's mostly just for roleplaying. He is currently in his own Supergroup as it suits the character to be a bit of a lone wolf, but I'm open to having him belong to coalitions or to start his own coalition.

Jambalaya
(level 12 scrapper).
Server: Union
H/V: Hero
Global: @Loup Garou
Current Story Arcs: N/A

Jambalaya is an alt, and I'd like to be involved in some of the more magic-based story arcs if possible. She has no SG of her own and I'd be open to her belonging to one provided she's the right "fit".

Tiger White/Miss Ellie
- Level 50 Peacebringer
Server: Union
H/V: Hero
Global: @FloatingFatMan
Current Story Arcs: N/A

Ellie, or Tiger White as she was recently renamed too (always was her hero name IC), was my first RP character and still my main. Her early history is fraught with RP errors as I was a newbie back then; but I refuse to retcon any out as they're an integral part of who she is. More info on the wiki link.

Tiger Dark
Level 21 Warshade
Server: Union
H/V: Hero (Reformed Nictus)
Global: @FloatingFatMan
Current Story Arcs: Bad Storm Rising (Currently paused since the start of the Rikti invasion. Looking to resume before long)

Tiger Dark is a Nictus duplicate of Tiger White (A somewhat long and convoluted story partly explained in Tiger White's wiki).

Novastar.Novastar. (Note the dot at the end)
Server: Union
H/V: Hero (Technically, just a scientist right now)
Global: @FloatingFatMan
Current Story Arcs: Lost in Space

Nova is from another dimension and is lost in ours due to an accident. He comes from a parallel Earth called Terra (Paradigm City), which was burned almost to cinders by solar flares 30 years previously, and is a Stellar Engineer. He ended up in our dimension as as result of attempting to prevent their Earth's sun from going Nova. He succeeded, but the sheer energies involved blasted a rip in the fabric of space, and he ended up stuck here.

Characters:
Cassandra. Zero (level 50 Tanker)
Server: Union
H/V: Hero
Global: @Cassandra
Current Story Arcs: Nothing at the moment except for Char development.

Having just moved Cass over from Defiant, still working her in to RP in general at the moment. open and available for most kinds of RP though. wiki page still a work in progress.

Lady Cobra - level 50 scrapper
Server: Union
H/V: Hero
Global: @Lotus X
Current Story Arcs: Currently has several characters hero and villian available for storyline: (Jessica Chang, Masked Angel (Militia), Lotus X, and Rei Mizuni (Yakuza Girl) ). Each can be found on the Wiki for reference.

((Once upon a time, I was a writer; yes, I've been published but it's mostly been articles on writing or gaming, nothing too stellar. Mainly, writing is something which never leaves you; it's a whisper in the back of the brain, and sometimes you just have to put down what it's saying.

Loup is a distinct voice in my mind, and sometimes the only time to get him to shut up is to write about him. Last night, an idea gelled in my head - I've stewed on it, turned it this way and that, and finally just decided to give it voice. It will be an ongoing slice into Loup Garou's life. And, more importantly, an outflow for him to say what he needs to say.

Enjoy.))

Jean-Luc sat on the steps of the Hero's Union in Paragon City, oblivious to the comings and goings on fresh heroes and grizzled veterans. At his feet was a rather weathered but sturdy electric guitar case, but his entire focus was upon a small, leather book in his hands; battered, scarred, and quite old, with pages which looked rather weathered, the whole was held shut by a lock. They key was on a strap which could slip over the wrist.

He'd been staring at the book for ...well, a while. He didn't quite have the courage to open it yet.

Ragefang.


Let's see....J, J, Jane, Janis, Jean, ah yes, Jean-Luc Santeris?"

"Non, Santeres, more 'e' on de las' bit."

"Indeed, right, well just a moment, I show you as being part of the Silver Wolf Supergroup."

Jean-Luc blinked at the supergroup official across the counter. "Quoi? I was in de NHU, what you on about?"

The official adjusted his glasses, giving Jean-Luc the sort of look only office clerks can give when the Files Are Not Wrong. "According to our records, you are part of the SuperGroup Silver Wolf, the "Alpha" I believe the term is, was Ragefang, but he's inactive -"

He's dead, Jean-Luc tried to say, but the words just wouldn't come.

"And apparently he left command to you in his absence. It seems you should have been able to acquire the base, and some effects he left you when you reached security 20. Why didn't you check in?"

"I ain't one for all dis official stuff," Jean-Luc murmured through lips which had gone strangely numb. "Wh - ...what he leave? What base?"

The official typed busily away on the keyboard with his manicured, fussy hands. "Well, a fair bit of prestige, the group name and title, a small base - it will function as a flat, though improvements can be made, he left a portion of proceeds for its furnishing, and....hm, it seems there's a key to a vault which also has some effects for you alone to claim."

Jean-Luc stared dumbly at the envelope which was pushed across the counter, the official giving a pleasant smile. "It seems he wanted to take good care of you, Jean-Luc. Let me know if I can do anything else for you."

Inside the vault had been two things; one, the guitar, leaning against the wall. Upon inspection it revealed a very good condition Fender Stratocaster in silver and white. There was no wear on the frets, which meant the guitar was completely new, obviously purchased just for this day. And then, there had been the book, the book Jean-Luc was currently staring at with mixed emotions.

Ragefang had known his young charge would eventually make it to Paragon. But Jean-Luc had never guessed his mentor would have paved a way for him, months in advance of his journey up top - and so he had never made any inquiries, or checked any records when he arrived. Having a base, money, and these possessions waiting for him meant Ragefang had been aware Jean-Luc would keep his promises...and also meant he had also probably been aware he was coming to the end of his own line.

Jean-Luc closed his eyes, pressing the book to his forehead while he struggled to fight back the pinpricks of moisture at the corner of his eyes. After taking a rather shaky breath, he took up the key, slipped it into the lock, and carefully opened the book. The city everyday noises seemed to fade away as Jean-Luc labouriously struggled through Ragefang's spidery, painfully familiar script.

Well, so you made it. Good job, kid. I'm proud of you. You're going to find things Up Top pretty hard going at first; like I explained before, you have a different mental process than others in Paragon. I don't know your exact origins, but you think more like an animal than a man. You know me well enough by now to know that isn't an insult.

If you've registered and found yourself a group, then good on you! If not, I've left some things for you to get started. For one reason or another, I imagine reading this isn't easy for you - it's not too easy for me to write it, as I can imagine the circumstances which would necessitate me having to write tips and tricks to you instead of telling you. I'm going to try and keep this from getting sentimental...but some things are easier to write on a blank page than to say. Some of that has to do with being men, part of it has to do with being men like us...and a fair bit just because it's me and I'm a bit of an idiot sometimes.

Jean-Luc, I want you to make it. I really do. When I fought you in that ring, damn, I didn't know whether to strangle you or protect you from the entire world. You have so much potential, kid, and I can't see you throw it away, not like I did. You're going to find your time in Paragon very hard. I wish I was there for you, but that part of my life is over. The best I can do is just give you as many tips as I can, offer you a hand across the great divide, and point you in the right direction. See this as my way of steering you right, even when you feel like every where you turn you're doing it wrong.

Now you've reached security 20, you've probably got a feel for what's what in Paragon. I hope you've learned to control your temper or you're going to find things hard going! And yes, I know, Jean-Luc, you can't stop being you. There are going to be a lot of people who just label you a vigilante, anti-hero, whatever the hell they're calling guys like us these days - but as long as you remember Paragon isn't the Ring, you should be okay. Treat it as your turf, protect it, and that will do just fine.

There's some people I want you to be on the lookout for. They probably don't remember me, but they may be able to show you a thing or two - we didn't cross paths much but I was observant and I know who were the big movers and shakers. Keep an eye out for Unity, the Militia, Silent Tempest. Do a scan through the files in Paragon City for the following names. If you're in a real pinch, contact them, but I think I know you well enough; you'll probably have to be near dead before you resort to it. Don't wait till that point if you can help it, kid.

The base will do for a while, as your own turf. It's up to you whether you want to turn the group into something more than a hangout for a lone wolf. I left you a bit to make it a bit more homey, and if you work hard you can make it as big or flashy as you like.

The guitar? ...I remember what you said about always wanting to play. I know you took Supa-X just like the rest of us, and I wonder if maybe when you get Up Top your mutation will calm down a bit in order to allow you to play again. Maybe it won't, but I admit...I wanted to give you something to remember me by. I hope it's of use, and even if it isn't, I hope you keep it.

This book is sorted by security levels. I've got some information here on some of the big bad boys of Paragon; the Family - ironically you're going to spend a lot of time busting our old bosses, but don't worry, they know it's all just business and nothing personal - Freaks, Council, Circle, Hellions, Outcasts. I've made notes on each. When you hit Security 24, come back to this book and I'll fill you in on a few things you need to know. The whole book is divided into security settings. I may not be able to cover everything; my memory is rusty and honestly, this would be the size of the Encyclopoedia Brittanica if I tried to cover every bloody thing.

Right...well I guess that's it for now. Take care, Jean-Luc.

Jean-Luc closed the book with trembling fingers, locking it once more. Ragefang writing from beyond the grave was a fair bit for him to digest. He had heard his old mentor's voice in his head the whole time he had read, like a murmur in the ear at the end of the day. Again, Jean-Luc fought down a wave of emotion, growling under his breath. "Mesi bien, m'chere...."

Jean-Luc rose to his feet, tucking the book into an inner pocket of his jacket, and took up his guitar case. It seemed he'd have to start sifting through the files of heroes today. Since his life had just changed dramatically in a mere two days, he wasn't sure he was good for anything else. He needed to process, and to think.

And he also had one last thing to do.

************

Jean-Luc chose the materials, print, type, and where the plaque would be placed. While Ragefang had not been one of the greatest heroes of Paragon City, he was still on the books and had managed to secure enough Accolades for recognition. Since Jean-Luc was able to confirm Ragefang's death, a memorial plaque could be mounted upon the wall for fallen heroes, with his true name, abilities, awards and medals embossed upon the titanium surface. Jean-Luc paid the costs himself, and was gratified to note no one brought up Ragefang's dismissal on charges of manslaughter. It seems the hero had managed to make his peace with the powers that be in Paragon before his passing...yet he had still chosen to stay Down Below.

Jean-Luc ran his fingers over the raised print of Ragefang's name, now the plaque was bolted into place. It was the best he could do. It wasn't a replacement of course - just a square of metal, when what Jean-Luc missed most was his friend in the flesh - but it felt right to see Ragefang's name, finally, where it rightly belonged; among heroes.

Jean-Luc rubbed at his eyes with one hand, turned on his heel, and strode out of the building.

A rumour has floated around from Pocket D - Loup's home from home - that Loup Garou has been seen badgeless and without a wristcomm. He may have broken from the New Heroes Union, apparently due to the demonically-induced killing spree of a member which appears to be going unreported to the authorities. It's difficult to ascertain the truth since it is said Loup Garou is a vigilante in his own right.

It's also rumoured Loup Garou has changed into a much more humanoid form.

Wow! Seriously, I'm thrilled, thanks much for that! Very Jean-Luc. Mesi bien!

Got bored, so I managed to scrounge up a person I thought would fit LG's use the best, did a little photo manip, and voila. Not the best, but okay for ten minutes of faff. http://union.virtueverse.com/images/Loupgarou1.jpg

Well, here's where I march boldly down the avenue of rhetoric:

There are posters all over Paragon which laud "Earth for Earth People!" and there's also a fair few anti-mutant movements, so I don't imagine your concept really would jar overmuch. It's essentially the same thing happening in Paragon under a different name. Actually, that's why Marvel Comics and super-heroes were created; a pointed statement against racism and discrimination, though it was done as "below the radar" as possible.

When Captain America was created and shown punching Adolph Hitler in the jaw, Marvel actually got a load of hate mail (scary, but true). It's a common theme and the "what if" of the Nazi powers gaining control is quite possible, and I imagine there's actually loads of scope with it as it doesn't need to follow the knee-jerk "Only the Master Race must survive!" What if they were pro-mutant? There's loads of conspiracy theories about Adolph Hitler being a puppet for a magi-based cult which was trying to garner magical weapons to further their cause, the breeding of superhumans might mean they were more sympathetic to the mutant cause, and merely used Hitler's rhetoric and stage presence as a screen. Maybe the Council itself is actually controlled by the Reich of Ages...

Honestly, the name "Nazi" is what gives people chills, but the concept itself is everywhere in CoH...frighteningly enough, that seems to somehow make it okay and more palatable.

Either way, I say go with it and run, people can either choose to be part of it or not. To my surprise, my own character Loup Garou managed to turn an anti-mutant villian type around (and Jean-Luc was pretty surprised himself!). So anything is possible.

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Right, I'll bite:

Global Name: Netherwitch
Server: Union

Characters:
Netherwitch: Magic Defender - Dark energies A voudoun priestess from Haiti who is now working for Paragon City's heroes division.

Loup Garou: Mutant Scrapper, Claws/Regeneration - my "living on the edge of heroic" type of character whom I'm playing more and more of. Got his wiki done http://union.virtueverse.com/index.php/Loup_Garou

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This has changed, I no longer player Netherwitch, and my contact is now @LoupGarou.

I've added a scrapper called Jambalaya to my lineup, but I'm sticking with my attempts to only have to characters in play at any given time.