OOC: Hello, this is an Roleplaying VG doctrine inspired by @Xanatos, @Freak Accident and myself (@President SK). It is in correlation with Xanato's
Thread and it is the precursor for all of the event threads (RP/PVP/PVE/AE) that we will be having here on Virtue.

ERA is a newly established VG (Think Secret Society of Super Villains) and a community for other interconnecting villain groups with like minded ideas. This was written up by @Freak Accident.
All feedback is welcome
IC:
E.R.A
Background
Around 14billion years ago our universe ignited and began to spread out in all directions. An unknowable event caused time and space to flood out into our universe, creating everything we see and feel around us. The singularity that began our universe left a handful of tiny traces of itself, but given the vastness of the universe and the short lifespans of intelligent life, these traces have never been properly understood.
One such trace resides on earth. As the matter that would form earth collided and condensed, one sizable chunk collided with a fracture in time-space and the two were bound together. As the earth churned and cooled, this fragment found its way to the surface. Since the dawn of mankind, the place where it lay has been revered for its mystical significance.
Over time the people of what would come to be known as Bavaria built structures around it. A temple at first, and later a castle. Despite wars and conflict, the castle was never destroyed or even damaged. Many invaders who sought it could never even find the place. The castle passed into the hands of the wealthy and ruthless German family from which
Baron Blitzman claims his lineage.
Only in modern times have the technology and energies needed to harness the power of the Trace existed.
Sebastian Kain, powerful businessman and ancient demon combined, had long been aware of the rumors of this place. it was only a matter of time. He followed the Rogue Mender, who called himself
Pioneer, until he had tracked down the Trace. He sought out
Baron Blitzman and formed an alliance with the criminal speedster to gain access to the castle and set up a base of operations for the greatest and most ambitious project he had ever undertaken: ERA. Although
Pioneer knew that
Sebastian Kain was following him and had prepared, he was unprepared for the speed and ferocity of
Blitzman.
Baron Blitzman helped subdue
Pioneer, and then they threw him into the Trace, knowing that it’s pulsing temporal energy would ensure he was lost to the void forever.
In order to harness the power of the Trace they needed to understand the fluctuations and subtleties of it.
SK tried many of the finest minds he could employ, but their methods always fell short. It wasn’t until he contacted
King Brain that he finally found someone capable of analyzing it. He ensured
King Brain was freed from Ziggursky and gradually gave him access to the Tear itself. Initially they were able to understand and gather the ethereal Threads of incarnate energy, granting the trio tremendous power. However, their actions awoke the force that mankind knew of as “the Well”, a wellspring through which immense power was poured into the multi-verse.
Only an Immortal could survive direct exposure to the temporal energies of the Trace, and so
Sebastian was the key to manipulating it.
Sebastian Kain glimpsed in the Trace a web of links and possibilities spreading across all of time. Tiny manipulations of the cosmos created a pull and weave of causality that constantly wrote and rewrote time itself. Never one to think small,
Sebastian immediately felt constrained by the strands of fate that bound him to all other things. His understanding of the Trace revealed to him that he was as much a slave to the universe as every other being, and that even his immortal existence was small in comparison to the universe itself.
This would never do.
Sebastian would be enslaved by no one, not even fate.
He spoke with
Blitzman and
King Brain, and outlined his ambition. They formed a plan. they would use the Trace to steal time from the universe, siphoning off key moments in history to create cracks, or loosen the strands of fate. With enough careful manipulation they could cause the Trace to widen, splitting the cracks still further. Eventually they would gather enough power to tear the Trace asunder and shatter time itself. The Upper Echelon of ERA would enter the Trace at the crucial moment, and in the crucible of creation they would reforge the universe with themselves as gods. Free of the net they were trapped within now, they could make and unmake whole worlds to sate their desires.
The Plan
ERA’s activities have been widespread and the effects have been felt by almost everyone.
Have you ever had a friend who you can’t remember seeing for a few months, but they have no explanation for where they were? Have you ever met someone who is unaware of the Praetorian invasion? Do the Circle of Thorns look subtly different to you? Did you notice when some people began to be able to manipulate time? When did they gain that ability? Was it really like this just a few years ago?
For those who pay attention, the world is a jigsaw with missing pieces. There are gaps which make no sense. Changes have happened, people have dropped out of time and re-appeared months later without anyone batting an eyelid.
This is because ERA is dicing up time and changing the fabric of time space. Ouroboros may meddle from time to time, but even they do not see what is happening. They seek to change and prevent people from altering the past... ERA simply remove the unwanted parts with surgical precision.
The key to all this is the Trace, that lingering rip in the fabric of reality that they can use to pull out temporal energy. By doing so at key spots they can weaken reality and wreck havoc.
The one weakness in their strategy is that they need the flaws in time to focus on one spot. They need everything to cultivate in one definite date for doomsday. Only the Viceroys know this date, and they keep it a closely guarded secret. The reason is that if heroes understood what they are doing, they could disrupt ERA and set them back for years in their plans.
But
Sebastian Kain is not a man to sit back and hope to go unnoticed. His ego would not permit him to skulk in the shadows, stealing time like a mere pickpocket. The best defense, as he knows, is a good offense. He has chosen villains to help him steal time, but also some to operate in the present day, sowing confusion and fear among the heroes, keeping them busy and off-balance while his true master plan develops unhindered.
“It is an advantage to choose the time and place for battle. In this way you know when and where the battle will take place, while your enemy does not. Encourage your enemy to expend his energy in futile quests while you conserve your strength. When he is exhausted and confused, you attack with energy and purpose.”
-Sebastian Kain (often ms-attributed to Sun Tzu)
Structure
ERA is a “mystery cult” mixed with a hierarchy based upon the feudal system. The further someone progresses in the organization the more they learn of it’s true purpose.
Noble level
The newest members know that ERA is run by some of the greatest criminal minds in the world and that they have a plan to overturn society with themselves at the top. There is much work to be done, and those who aid them are rewarded handsomely.
Knight level
Those who have proven some loyalty to the organization know that ERA have manipulated history for thousands of years, and that the modern ERA is simply a focal point for the group. They know that loyal service can be rewarded - even bringing a loyal follower back from death.
Baron level
The members who distinguish themselves with devotion to ERA are told that
Sebastian Kain is capable of looking into the vortex of time, and had meddled with it to make ERA such a powerful force. They learn that ERA don’t just plan to take over the world, but that they plan to dominate civilization forever... Including the past. They know that ERA possess “the Trace” and have seen it, although they do not know what it is.
Archduke level
Only the most trusted members learn what the Trace really is, and that ERA have been using it to siphon off moments in time and key events. They are told that this is for a grand plan that will secure power for ERA for all time, and may participate in missions to steal key points in time.
The Founder & Viceroys
The Founder and his Viceroys are the chosen few who
SK plans to take with him to ascend into godhood. They will remake the universe as their plaything. They have been chosen for their unique talents and each one is tasked with specific missions to bring the overall strategy to fruition.
Each of the letters in E.R.A have come to be interpreted differently from each individual member that takes up its mantle in allegiance.
The Enemy
The Challengers are composed of some of the most powerful heroes in the world, and together they pose a serious threat to the goals of ERA. The Trace indicates that they are the most likely group to disrupt their work and their actions cause ripples in time of disproportionate magnitude.
Whether this is because of
Pioneer, or whether this is what led him to them is unknown. However,
Pioneer as not lost for all time when he entered the Trace. By some miracle he managed to find his way through the shifting time-scape and emerged in present day. However, his mind and perceptions have been stretched beyond breaking point, and he remembers or sees only fragments of what he had discovered.
Through his rambling warnings the Challengers have discovered the mysterious ERA working in the background. They know that the hero and entrepreneurial genius,
Sebastian Kain, is somehow central to ERAs goals, and that the fate of mankind is at stake.